I'm Still Alive....Barely

**I don't usually like doing posts with no pictures but blogger is being a pain....sorry!

We had a really great, relaxing weekend. Yesterday we did some things around the house and then my mom came up around noon. She treated us to lunch at CiCi's (one of Sara's favorite places -- Miss Thing ate THREE pieces of pizza and part of my salad!), then we ran by TRU, JCPenney, and Old Navy for my mom to wrap some Christmas shopping up. The crowds are AWFUL! But I love it! :)

We came home to make some yummy Christmas candy. Someone had given my mom a recipe for something called "Crockpot Candy"....this recipe was SO easy to make and it was pretty tasty to boot! It was a little nutty to me, and I think next time I would use a different kind of chocolate bark, but it was still okay. This would be perfect for busy mama's! Then we made sugar cookies to decorate. They didn't turn out so hot. They tasted great, but for some reason the shapes didn't work out. Oh, well -- there's always next time! We watched a couple Christmas movies -- we watched my FAVORITE of ALL TIME.....the claymation Rudolph! I've loved that movie for years and years. We also watched The Polar Express. I only caught the end of that one, but it was pretty cute.

This morning everybody slept WAY in, and when we finally got up and moving -- Michael & I went over to the local high school to run on their track. I asked him to help motivate me to exercise each day, and boy did he EVER! I have NEVER in my life worked out THAT hard -- and I've pushed myself pretty hard! When we first got out he said, "Lay down on the ground." I thought he was kidding. He was most definitely not kidding. Then he used this basic training instructor voice that I have NEVER in five years of marriage heard my husband use. I dropped on the ground pretty quick, haha! We did sit-ups (I did 25!!! There was a point where I couldn't even do two!), scissor kicks, bicycle kicks, and push-ups.

Then he said, "That was a great warm-up! I'm so proud of you!"

I almost burst into tears. That warm-up kicked my butt....I was so ashamed. But in a way, that motivated me more and made me even more determined.

I haven't really tried running since I got pregnant with JC, which was a year ago this past October. We started off jogging....and I didn't even make it to the .25 marker. I could have cried. But he stuck with me and we alternated sprinting (okay, jogging for me) and walking for the next 1.25 miles. I will just tell you this: I got nauseated. I may have even vomited once or four times. I came home and stripped off all my clothes and lay on my bed trying to will myself not to cry and/or die. It was HARD. But -- I STUCK WITH IT. I finished that 1.5 mile track and by January 1, I will be doing it TWICE -- and not only that, but I will be running longer than .25 miles!

Hope ya'll had a great weekend!