Position of Transition

It's July of 2012 and once again we find ourselves in a place of transition. We were at this same place just one year ago. Are we staying in Waco or is God calling us to move on? This is the big question. Last year we felt just a strong calling to stay in Waco. Why Waco? Well geographically Waco has been a great place for us to start our marriage. We are 90 minutes from the DFW metroplex where both our families reside making Waco an ideal place for us to live. Not too close, not too far. Great set-up for newly weds!

We made such great friends here in Waco, and last year I felt these friendships were just starting to bloom. It was too soon to leave and start all over again. Having another year behind us really helped to deepen existing friendships and even begin new friendships. Cam and I jumped right in at our church and became members. We started a connection group at our church for any newcomers/visitors so that they could instantly be welcomed into our community, just as we had been. Between the two connection groups we are in, we got to know some amazing people who surrounded us with an even deeper sense of community then I could have ever hoped for. I am blessed beyond belief for these two groups! We were able to be there for friends going through some hard times and be prayer warriors for each other. Life just doesn’t get more beautiful than that!

I hosted a bible study on the book of Daniel by Beth Moore with some of the greatest girls I know (It was an amazing study which I highly recommend). I ran 2 marathons…craziness! We got a dog!

Cameron got some great experience doing all sorts of cool projects at Sticker Universe that allowed him to be inventive and fine-tune his carpentry skills. He also interned at our church, Highland Baptist Church, under our Adult discipleship pastor as connection group coordinator.

Our favorite part, as always, was the opportunities to travel. We spent Christmas in California with my extended family, Cameron went to Nebraska to go pheasant hunting for the first time, we enjoyed some winter skiing in Colorado with John and Rebekah Duke, we road tripped to Tennessee to visit our friend John Lassitter, Cameron went to Idaho with Cornerstone Recovery for a 3 week backpacking trip and rafting trip in June, while I went to California for 10 days to hang out with family and check out San Francisco for the first time. This year was such a blessing for Cameron and I. Our relationship grew as we continue to learn how to live life intentionally through loving Christ and loving our neighbors. We have no regrets about this past year and have cherished our time in Waco. Stay tuned to find out where life takes us/keeps us next…

My second road to 26.2

So after my first marathon in February, I couldn’t help but want to stop training. I ran the race, I completed my goal. Why am I still running? These are the thoughts going through my head one day while me and Cameron ran a torturous 16 mile run around White Rock Lake one Saturday morning in March.  It was March 17^th, I remember it well with all the St. Patty’s festivities going on around us. This was the day that I “hit the wall” for the first time.  My body was screaming at me to stop. My mind was repeatedly calling me stupid for trying to run another marathon. What was I doing? At around mile number 14 I just stopped. No more. I was done. Poor Cameron was trying to feed me encouraging words and push me to finish, but the wall was just too high to jump over. Rest was what I needed. Who cares if I run another marathon or not.

Okay so I got through that day. I got rest and a new mindset. I think I took a break from running for 7 days and rested up my body which was obviously hating me. I realized then that it’s okay if I don’t beat my first time. I wanted to enjoy the marathon, not regret it. April came before I knew it. I was running the country music marathon in Nashville, Tennessee. I was looking forward to going to Nashville for the first time. We stayed with my friend Kara Hicks who I worked with at Parkland. She currently lives in Nashville while attending Vanderbilt University to become a nurse practitioner.  Thanks so much for allowing us to stay with you! You are a great host! ( I have to give her a shout out J). We also found out that our friend from Waco, Sam Orr, who we met running with the Waco Striders, our local running club, was also going to be running the CMM.

So on April 28, 2012, Sam Orr, John Lassitter, Cameron and I set out on a hot humid Nashville morning to run 26.2 miles. I believe it was 64 degrees when we started at 7AM and 88 degrees when we finished before noon. It was awesome to see 30, 000 people that morning running! And the start line is on a hill so as we are running we could see thousands of people in front of us and behind us as the slope allowed  us to see a much larger distance. That was a cool moment! It was fun running with the guys as they are all talkers so they were a great distraction as I listened to them telling stories back and forth.  Sam in fact had done his undergraduate schooling at Vanderbilt, so he entertained us with several stories from his college days. By mile 6, I realized that I was dripping with sweat.  I remember looking at Cameron and saying "I am sweating!" and he said "me too". We just laughed as I knew that this was going to be a long day.

At mile 11 I saw the split. The half-ers went one way and we went another. I was so ready to leave the boys and just do the half. But I didn’t fall to the temptation. I was very proud of myself in this moment. But then it happened again at mile 13. A second chance to fall short. I could see the finish line. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I thought long and hard about the choice in front of me. But I knew I had it in me to finish the full marathon.  So I kept going. “Just keep running, Just keep running” was the chant that I could hear Cameron telling me. I was so ready for this race to be finished and it just seemed long to me. We saw people dropping like flies throughout the run, many people started walking. I couldn’t blame them. I half wanted to as well. But mentally I was ready for this. No matter how hot or tired I was I just had to keep going.

Of the 4 of us running it, I was the weak link. They were all stronger and more seasoned marathon runners than I, but they were gracious with me. They allowed me to set the pace and they sat back and enjoyed the run.  Although I can’t say I enjoyed the whole run, and especially not the several inclines/hills that we were faced with, I did enjoy the feeling of finishing! The 4 of us, hands in the air, crossing the finish line. It took us 4 hours and 19 minutes which was just fine with me J I didn’t beat my previous time like I had initially hoped. But this marathon was more of an experience for me. I endured the physical and mental toughness needed to finish this race. I did it! I firmly believe God continues to watch over me and give me strength to push myself to new limits. Sunday after this race we sang the song during worship, led by our friend John Lassitter, How can I keep from singing. Here are the lyrics:

There is an endless song,
Echoes in my soul,
I hear the music ring.

And though the storms may come,
I am holding on,
To the rock I cling.

How can I keep from singing Your praise?
How can I ever say enough,
How amazing is Your love?
How can I keep from shouting Your name?
I know I am loved by the King,
And it makes my heart want to sing.

I will lift my eyes,
In the darkest night,
For I know my Savior lives.

And I will walk with You,
Knowing You’ll see me through
And sing the songs You give.

How can I keep from singing Your praise?
How can I ever say enough?
How amazing is Your love!
How can I keep from shouting Your name?
I know I am loved by the King,
And it makes my heart want to sing!

As I sang this song I couldn’t help but just be filled with the Glory of God. He got me through a tough season of training and finishing two marathons. He was my rock, whether I clung to Him or not. He is always there for me. I sang this song with a cheerful heart for I know my savior lives.  

When comparing this marathon to my previous marathon there were so many things that were different. My runners high from the adrenaline which lasted most my race in Fort Worth only lasted about 2 miles during Nashville. The weather conditions couldn’t have been more different. Cool and breezy vs hot and humid. Course: Flat vs. inclines.  People: 6,000 vs. 30, 000. I am glad for the two drastically different experiences.   

In other Tennessee news:

So the Nashville trip was more than just running a marathon.  We drove the 12-13 hour drive with our friend Angie Vega who was tagging along to visit her fiancé and our dear friend John Lassitter who lives in Knoxville, TN.  We were spending half the week in Nashville, and half the week in Knoxville. Me and Cam had a great time exploring Nashville with one of my college friends/Nashville groupie Dre. She drove up to Nashville that same weekend to do some volunteer work and watch us run. She showed us several hot spots in Nashville. After the marathon, we drove the 3 hours to Knoxville to stay with John for a couple days. Cam and I got to go to Smoky Mountain National Park for some day hikes as well as hike to see some waterfalls. Surprisingly my legs were hardly sore after this marathon. We picked fresh strawberries! We got to see John lead worship at his church Ball Camp Baptist Church on Sunday. We really enjoyed Tennessee as it was a very memorable trip for us! We hope to some day go back!

It's Spring...puppies are in the air!

Cameron and I have a new addition to our family. Her name is Isabella Bluebonnett. She is a german short haired pointer. We had been wanting a dog for a little while now and had decided to start looking on Craigslist for a puppy. Just looking though. We weren't sure if we were quite ready to take on the obligation of a puppy. 2 days into our search, while at work, I had a few minutes to spare and so continued looking on craigslist. I found a posting for gsp puppies and replied back to the posting for them to call Cameron, just to chat. But before I could call Cam and tell him about the message I was called off my break to help with an ambulance, so I didn’t get a chance to call Cam and give him a heads up. I called Cam about 2 hours later to tell him and he had already talked to this man selling the puppies. I laughed at envisioning the phone call that he was not expecting about the dog he was wanting. Maybe he took it as a sign because Cam was very interested and was already picking out our dog. By my lunch break Cameron told me we were getting a dog! Though I didn't know if we were really ready for a dog, I was just as excited. We drove up to Kaufman 3 days later and picked her up. She is beautiful! Her coat is roan, liver ticked with 2 liver spots. Yep. I have no idea what that means either, here is a picture of her:

She was 6 weeks old when we got her. She is now 9 weeks old. We have had her for 3 weeks now and she has learned so much. We have morning training sessions with her daily and has learned to come HERE and SIT. We are working on Lay DOWN and STAY. She has started to retrieve some as well, although often she doesn’t want to let her toy go. She is 90% potty trained. She goes and sits by the door when she needs to go. I say 90% because she gives you about 10 seconds to get up or else she will pee by the door which has happened a couple times in the last week.

Cam has hopes she will be a great hunting companion. These dogs are pointers and water dogs, and with good training can be excellent retrievers...the perfect combination for a good
hunting dog.

She is high energy all the time, unless she is sleeping of coarse. She requires our constant attention right now or we will catch her chewing something she should not be despite her many chew toys (like most puppies).

Here is a picture of Bella and her friend Lucy, she is another GSP who is only 11 months old.

We are very happy dog parents! It seems so natural for her to be apart of our family. We are just enjoying her as a puppy because she is growing fast!

My road to 26.2...now I just need that sticker!

Yesterday, Sunday February 26, 2012 I ran my first marathon with a great friend Erin Neely. It has always been a goal of mine to run 26.2 miles. It all started back in November 2009, I ran my first half-marathon in San Antonio, and Cameron, his brother Caleb, and roommate John all ran their first marathon. As I waited for them to finish, I couldn't help but get really emotional as I watched people finish the race. I saw person after person crossing the finish line, hands up in the air, with such a happy look on their face, and I thought, "Someday I want to do a marathon". When I saw Cameron and Caleb finish I was so excited for them, and it was then that I decided to make this a goal for myself.

Now to introduce you to my training partner, Erin and I met back in 2008 during a mission trip to the Amazon River that we both went on through our church, and we became instant friends. We were both living in Dallas, working as nurses at Parkland Hospital, and would go on frequent runs together on Katy Trail, a popular running trail in Dallas. In July, Erin and her husband Brandon moved from Amarillo, TX to Waco so Brandon could pursue his calling to become a lawyer at the Baylor Law School. I was excited to have Erin in Waco! We started hanging out and trying to run, but lets face it, July and August in Texas are not ideal running conditions. Sometime in early September we started talking about running more and toyed with the idea of running a marathon. Both of us had this as a goal, but more of a long term goal. But why not now? When we really thought about it, this was actually perfect timing for us both, neither of us have kids, we were both new to Waco, still young, and our lives weren’t busy with other commitments. Having a training partner is one of the most important elements to training (for us at least) and here we were both willing and able to do it. Erin had the Hal Higdon Marathon book and we began to flip through it and found a beginner running plan that seemed do-able which consisted of an 18 week training schedule. This was it! We were on the path to become marathoners!

I remember the first week of our training; our long run consisted of a 6 mile run. And we thought that was hard. Oh it seemed so impossible to us at the beginning.

But as each week went by, I started to get stronger and began to actually enjoy running. We decided to do the Fort Worth Cowtown Marathon in February since it was local, and our husbands and family could come support us. We started training in September which put us 24 weeks from the marathon. We figured a little extra time to
train couldn't hurt us.

About 4-5 weeks before the marathon, after Erin and I ran 18 miles, she began to have foot pain. She was forced to take a couple weeks off of running and began to ride the bike, leaving me to run the last 4 training weeks by myself. Lucky for me, I have an amazing husband who ran the 22 mile training run with me. This was by far the hardest run I did. It was a windy day, we ran lots of hills, and my legs just felt horrible from mile 19 on. I did finish the run, but couldn't imagine running a full 26.2 miles. After this run I began to taper back on miles. And in fact, I took off 8 days from running while Cameron and I spent a week in Colorado. I snowboarded for 2 days and skied for 1 day. I had taken a couple pretty hard falls on the snowboard leaving me with some back and neck pain that didn't go away in the 10 days before the marathon. Just a suggestion: if you are thinking about running a marathon, do not go snowboarding 12 days before the marathon. I found my body was just tired and hated me. So I was pretty worried about how I was going to feel by marathon day.

Surprisingly, I had a great marathon! God was present with me and prayers were felt. I kept with my plan to stop and walk through every water station to make sure I stayed hydrated and there was plenty of sugar to keep me fueled. My family was there to support me and it really helped to see familiar faces cheering us on! Cameron and Brandon booked it along the course and we saw them 5 times during the race, and of course at the finish line. I have always heard about this infamous “wall” that people tend to hit while running a marathon. Praise the Lord, I didn’t experience it. My adrenaline was high and kept me excited throughout the race. My legs felt strong, and although they were achy, I didn't experience any intense pains. I actually enjoyed the marathon, maybe because it was mostly flat, and because Fort Worth is a pretty place to run. A couple times I almost started to cry while I was running. I was really doing it! I can be pretty emotional. Erin and I started this process together, endured the training together, and got to run the whole race together. It couldn’t have been more perfect. We crossed the finish line at 4:02:08, with our hands in the air and a happy look our faces. We almost broke a 4 hour marathon on our first try! Well, this super motivated (or naive) girl is already signed up for a second marathon on April 28th, the Country Music Marathon in Nashville, TN. I think my goal is going to be to get under a 4 hour marathon, because 4 hours of running is just too long.

Today is the day after the marathon and let me tell you my quadriceps are ridiculously sore, in fact at times, they are screaming at me. However I am a marathoner and it was all worth it! Why was it worth it you ask? Because I did it! Running a marathon is one of those things that just seems impossible, even though it is not. I put my body and mind to the ultimate test, I did what I once thought to be impossible for me. I am more aware of all the possibilities that lay ahead of me that are achievable if I just put my mind to it. And I have the medal to prove it :)

Erin and I the day before the race:

Action picture during the marathon:
Us after the marathon:

Me and my coach/husband/biggest fan:

I definately have to give props to my husband. He has by far been my biggest supporter and encourager. So many days when I didn't feel like running he was always there to tell me, "Don't me lazy, be sexy". Funny as that sounds, it usually did the trick. Cameron endured early mornings and many long runs with me, even though he wasn't training for this marathon. He introduced me to my first ice bath (which is even more miserable then the long run itself) and would then get in them after me. He would give me a massage when I was sore and achy. He even had shirts made for Erin and I to wear during the marathon. I couldn't be more thankful for you Cameron! You help me set and reach new goals that I would never think possible. Thank you for pushing me to be the best I can be!

Our 2011

Well it's not untypical of me to try and start a blog, then go a whole year without giving it any attention. In honesty, I really thought Cameron would take control of it so I wouldn't have to, but he didn't, and now I need to follow through with my idea to start a blog. So in light of the new 2012, I am going to try to post at least once a month. I think I can commit to that. So sorry that my fellow readers missed out of a year of our life. Let me see if I can recap quickly:

December 2010:

-Cam and I went on our first back-packing trip together. It was a 3-day 30 mile hike on the Ouachita Trail. We started in Oklahoma and hiked into Arkansas. It was a perfect first back-packing experience for me. We didn't see a single person on trail those 3 days so it was very remote and secluded. I loved it and hated it at the same time lol. It's hard carrying a heavy backpack so far. But I did it and will most definately do that again!

-We spent Christmas in Texas! Okay so this was my first Christmas ever to not be in California. It as a bit wierd for me, but I enjoyed it a lot. We celebrated Christmas Eve with the Reynolds, ate a scrumptious prime rib dinner, and stayed up late watching classic Christmas cartoons. On Christmas Day we celebrated with the Alvarado's. My sister Jessica flew in from California, so my immediate family still got to be together. This was a great month!

January 2011:

-We rang in the New Year in Waco! Cam had to work new year's eve at Ninfa's until 11:00 and then we went to one of his co-workers apartment to celebrate. Me and Cam shared our first New Years kiss since this was the first time we had actually been together on New Years since dating.

-I started my new job at Hillcrest Hospital. I got hired into the float pool department and started to get oriented to several different units of the hospital.

-Cam quit his job at Ninfa's to be a full-time student this semester.

-We started running with the Waco Striders, which is the running club here in Waco.

-We also participated in the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace class offered at our church! (I definately recommend this class for everyone, it really helped us make better financial desicions!)

Febuary 2011:

-We drove to Colorado for a ski trip with Cam's friend John Duke. Unlucky for us, the night we left was the night of the snow storm that hit oklahoma and kansas and we drove right through it. It was scary stuff. But we made it and enjoyed a great time skiing Copper mountain for 3 days.

-I got floated to work in the ER at Hillcrest instead of working in the float pool. They actually are allowing me to stay in the ER as they are in need of extra nurses right now. This made me very happy! I didn't really enjoy working on all the different floors, I like having a consistent group of co-workers.

-We attended a marriage conference at our church which was great! Always good to work on our marriage.

March 2011:

-Cameron and I did a car camping trip at Lake Whitney and went fishing. I caught my first big Bass. And just my luck Cameron wasn't near me, so I am screaming his name for him to come help me. We pulled the fish in, I got my picture, and then we threw him back! It was a big one!

-We ran the Bearathon, the half-marathon, that Baylor puts on. This was my second half-marathon. My Mom and sisters', Jennifer and Monica, came down to support us! This was their first time visiting Waco since I moved here so we got to show them around.

-We hosted our church connection group at our apartment. This was the first time Cam and I hosted people over since we got married, very enjoyable!

-Truett Youth Conference! Cameron was the organizer of this conference as his independent study this semester. It was a great conference and I was very proud of my husband for all the hard work he put into it.

April 2011:

-Cam's birthday month! He turned 27. I made him a birthday dinner, it was my first time to make chicken fried chicken, homemade mashed potatoes and gravy, and green beans. Unfortunately Cameron did have to help me out a bit, so much for pampering him lol.

-Cameron ran his second marathon ever and got 6th place overall. It was the Bearchase marathon in Davy Crockett National Forest. He did so good!

-I ran the Crawford half-marathon put on by the Waco Striders, now my third half-marathon. Cam rode his bike during it since we think he now has a stress fracture since he didn't train appropriately for his marathon.

May 2011:

-Cameron graduated from Truett Theological Seminary!!! We threw him a big party :-) I am so proud of him. Now the job hunt begins!

-We celebrated two of our friends weddings. The Wigfall-Murdock and Simcho-Aguiar weddings! They were both amazing!

June 2011:

-Our first nephew Truett Jackson Reynolds was born. We are so excited to be Aunt Shell and Uncle Cam!

-I had 9 days off of work, so we went back to the DFW area and saw family. Took a road trip to Norman, Oklahoma and visited our friends, Josh and Autumn Lockett, and of course their adorable little girl Ava, or as Cam calls her, Bava (for baby Ava).

-We went with some friends and floated the Comal River!

-Cam spent 2 days at the Grand Canyon getting his Wildnerness First Responder (WFR) recertification.

-Cam left for the Sawtooth Wildnerness to guide a backpacking trip with Cornerstone Recovery. Some people might enjoy 26 days without their husband around, but not this girl. I missed him miserably.

July 2011:

-I used this month to make special trips to see some family and friends.

-I went down to Corpus Christi to visit my friend Amber. 2 days spent relaxing on the beach was nice!

-Spent 2 days floating the Comal river again, and stayed at a really nice condo off of Canyon Lake.

-Took up swimming. While some of my friends are training for the Waco sprint Triathalon I decided to try and start swimming as well. I got pretty decent at it.

-Cam came home at the end of the month! So nice to have him home!

-Then 2 days later we went with our friend John Lassitter to Glacier National Park for a week. We did a 5 day backpacking trip on an amazing trail (this trip really deserves it's own designated blog posting which I will do!)

August 2011:

-We returned from Glacier, then turned around and went to California one day later. My grandmother turned 80 and the whole Rodriguez Family went on a cruise for her birthday to Ensenada, Mexico! We spent a couple days in Santa Monica as well.

-We traveled to Copper Mountain, Colorado for the Ferguson-Duke Wedding. Cameron was the best man. This was my first time on a mountain during the summer time, it was beautiful! We watched the Star Wars saga on the car ride to and from Colorado. Cam now has a wife that really likes Star Wars.

-This was a big month for us, as Cameron had been on the hunt for a full-time job. We ultimately decided that we wanted to stay in Waco for a little longer. We didn't feel peace about leaving just yet and committed to staying in Waco for another year! This made our Waco friends very happy!

September 2011:

-We partook in the Cornerstone Recovery Annual Labor Day softball tournament down in Houston, TX. It was great finally getting to meet many of the kids Cameron has talked about on his backbacking trips. Plus my team got first place, I like it when I win!

-I celebrated my 27th birthday in Galveston on the beach, just me and my hubs.

-I started training for a marathon. My friend Erin Neely moved to Waco in July and we had began running and training together. After running a few half-marathons in the spring, I am finally ready to start the training for a marathon, one of my goals in life.

-I went to my first Baylor football game. Both our parents came for it and we made a big tailgate of it!

October 2011:

-My aunt Yolie, my grandma, and all my sisters came into town for my mom's birthday. We celebrated by going to the state fair and watching Monica's TCU soccer games.

-Me and Cam celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary! We went out to the secluded cabin in East Texas and relaxed, explored, and went fishing! It was the perfect way to celebrate.

-We celebrated Halloween by dressing up as Obiwan Cam Nobi and Queen A-mich-dalla. Like I said earlier, we like Star Wars!

November 2011:

-For Thanksgiving, we went back to the cabin in East Texas with Cameron's dad, Ted, and sister Caitlin. This year I saw a lot of deer. We saw one buck, and Cameron had his gun on him, but realized that it's spread wasn't big enough to shoot. So no deer for another year. But we still ate like champs and had a good relaxing time.

December 2011:

-Cameron went to Nebraska for a weekend pheasant hunting trip. He brought back a lot of pheasant to fill my freezer. Good job honey!

-Had the annual Thanksmas dinner with my college soccer girls! Always a blast!

-We celebrated Christmas in California this year! We spent 9 days visiting family, going on hikes and trail runs, and even spent 2 days in San Diego. Cam got to meet more of the Alvarado Family as several were unable to come for our wedding. It was a wonderful holiday filled with quality family time.

January 2011:

-We celebreated New Years Day(which was also our Christmas) with the Reynolds, and enjoyed the annual prime rib dinner.

-We camped out in Waco all month. We did a lot of traveling in 2011 and are ready to stay put in Waco for awhile!

Well that wraps up 2011 in a nutshell. Props to anyone who actually read through this long posting! We really had a great year! Looking foward to 2012...and more blog postings to come :-)

-michelle-