Run a 5k*: Check!

Last year, one of the items on my leap list was running a 5k and while I truly thought this one would be an easy one to cross off my list, my year quickly changed its course (got pregnant, lost all my energy, received devastating news about our daughter’s condition, etc.) and I forgot all about my leap list.

So when this year rolled around, I figured why not put a 5k back on my goals list and knock it out before the year gets too busy or something takes my focus once again.

Insert: Color Me Rad race in Eugene!

Not only did this race meet my short list of requirements (5k, early in the year, close location), it also looked like a lot of fun, which was good for someone (me!) who hadn’t participated in any sort of organized run before.

After finding just the right 5k, the next piece of business was to see if anyone else wanted to join me and thankfully, my SIL stepped right up to the plate.

Before we knew it, the race was upon us and we were ready to see what all the hype was about. 

With our white shirts (with our team name on them) and our running shoes on, we braved the starting line with hundreds of other people, waiting for our first burst of color and whatever else the race had in store for us.

Let it be said, from the first throw of color to the last, the whole event was pretty awesome. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I smiled so big while exercising - it was that fun! 

The course weaved through some beautiful areas on Eugene and every half a mile or so we were covered with more colored cornstarch to complete our look.  

And by the end of the race, we looked like we had stepped right out of a rainbow or something :)

If you're looking for a fun run, this is the one for you!  One of the phrases that I heard the announcers say was, "This run isn’t timed; we just want you to have the time of your lives!” and that is pretty much how I felt!

Thank you Color Me Rad for making my first 5k an entertaining one, to say the least!

This post was not sponsored by Color Me Rad or anyone else; I just really liked the race!

*Please note: I had every intention of actually training to run this race, but, sadly, that didn't happen. While I wish it did, in the end, I’m just happy I followed through with it nonetheless.

New Year

With a week of 2013 already behind us, I thought I'd better share a couple of my goals for the year (for accountability sake) before the newness wears off.

Last year, I created a Leap List with ten goals that I wanted to complete before our next big life change (starting a family). This year, I decided to try to shorten my list and focus on fewer things in hopes that I might accomplish more.

So in 2013, I'd like to:

*Read through the Bible at least once
*Pay off my student loans
*Run a 5K

None of these goals have a specific deadline, but I think that's what I like most about them. With just getting through the most emotional & trying year of my life, I'm hoping to not put too much expectation on this upcoming year (easier said than done, right?) and instead focus on myself and putting my trust in what God has already planned for us.


Do you have goals or resolutions for this year?

Farewell 2012...

Well, another year has come & gone again, but for some reason this one feels much different from the past.  Maybe it's because we experienced both the most exciting joy & deepest sorrow we have ever felt before.  Or maybe it's because the future we thought we were planning for in the early months, has been flipped upside down now and we are no longer sure what's ahead for us.  Regardless, I wanted to be sure to recap this year for my own benefit - to remember the good, the bad, and the ugly and more importantly, to hopefully one day see God's plan & reason behind what happened to us this year:

January - I started the year off with some hope & goals for the new, as well as a photo-a-day project that {I didn't know at the time} would continue throughout the rest of the year.  As with previous years, I also continued posting about some book reviews and shared more of my outfits through "What I Wore Wednesday".  I also shared my Leap List on the blog and completed my first item.

February - WIWW continued and I even started creating outfits from my Pinterest board.  I shared Sam + I's love story and a rare moment where we got to babysit my adorable niece for the day.  My photo-a-day's also continued with weekly posts.

March - More reviews, outfit posts, and photo-a-day posts this month, but I also completed another Leap List item {my first massage!} and we started on a big house project - installing laminate flooring throughout our house.  We also found out we were pregnant this month, although no one knew yet :)

April - This month didn't have a lot going on except trying to keep our baby news a secret, so I kept myself busy by seeing Wicked for the first time and hosting a Stella & Dot giveaway {which was a lot of fun & I'd love to host more in the future}.  I also continued my photo-a-day project.

May - Another relatively quiet month {mainly due to the unknown pregnancy - sensing a theme?} with the exception of my weekly photo-a-day recap posts, but we also had some fun this month.  Our niece turned one!  And we got away to Bend, OR for a little vacation between working on our floors some more.  Our families learned of our upcoming bundle of joy, although we continued to keep the blog world in the dark for another month.

June - The big baby news month!  Our niece helped share the news and in addition to sharing some pregnancy details, I also began my weekly posts about the pregnancy at 14 weeks.  I also posted a special shout-out to the fathers in our life because a new one {my husband!} would be becoming on in December.  Other notable posts from June - I updated my Leap List, continued photo-a-day recaps, and Sam & I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary!

July - We started out this month with a trip to Nova Scotia {at 16 weeks pregnant} to see my dad and ended it with multiple doctor visits when they discovered a problem at our gender ultrasound.  I filled the month with photo-a-day recaps, reviews, and a Pinterest project, but this month sort of seems like a blur when I think back on it.

August - I took a break posting about the pregnancy for weeks 19 & 20 of the pregnancy due to the news we received in July, but shared some medical details around 21 weeks when we decided to put our trust and baby girl in God's hands and her name around 22 weeks {Charlotte}.  Due to the state of our pregnancy, we became labeled as "high risk" and began seeing a specialist every couple weeks for monitoring, measurements, and tests.  Through all of this, I clung to whatever normalcy I could find and continued my photo-a-day project to find some appreciation of the little things in life.

September - If I was to describe my feelings this month in one word, I would probably say it was "hopeful".  We had met with a few different doctors concerning our little girl's condition and while we knew it was serious, we also hoped that God would fix her little body if that was His plan.  Notable happenings for this month include: sharing a little bit about what was going through my head at the moment; participating in a scarf swap; posting my photo-a-day recaps; and attending two baby showers out of town for Charlotte + I {posted about in December}.

October - Another somewhat quiet month on the blog, with the exception of photo-a-day posts, pregancy updates, and reviews.  One exception was where I felt more hopeful in September, the feeling of hopelessness surrounding the pregnancy overcame my thoughts in October, which I shared about around 32 weeks.  To take my mind off worrying, I started a weekly post called Friday Favorites {I featured Lisa Leonard & HelloBee this month}, which share some blogs & sites that have become must-reads for me throughout the years.

November - More pregnancy updates, reviews, Friday Favorites {iHeart Organizing, Influenster, I Love You More Than Carrots, Jonathan David Photography, and The Four Gift Rule}, and photo-a-day recaps this month.  We also shared Charlotte's scheduled birthday - 12.12.12 - around 36 weeks, after we were transferred up to Legacy Emanuel in Portland, OR for the remainder of our pregnancy.  And due to the nature of the month, I also shared why I was most thankful this year...

December - Also known as the month we've been waiting for!  I started out the month posting about the amazing baby showers that were thrown for us over the last couple months, as well as a Friday Favorite {The Dough Will Rise Again} and finishing out my year-long photo-a-day project.  Then before we knew it, we had made it to 39 weeks & the day finally came that we would finally be meeting our precious baby girl.  Charlotte René Grable was born on 12.12.12 at 2:35pm, but sadly, we had to say goodbye to her far too soon on 12.21.12 at around 11:30am, only 9 short days after we met her.  I tried to put our feelings into words and find meaning for why this all happened, but a lot of if is still in my heart, which is, honestly, where it might stay for the unforeseeable future...  However, I did want to document Charlotte's short, but love-filled life, so you can read about her here & here.

This year was tough.  As I mentioned above, we experienced such a range of emotions this year that I'm not sure how many I have left {except for indescribable sadness and desire to hold Charlotte in my arms again}.  As 2012 comes to an end, I pray that I never forget this year and what it brought us, but that I am also able to move forward and see Charlotte in everything beautiful ahead of us.

Leap List Update

So remember the Leap List I wrote about almost 5 months ago?  Yeah, the one that I said I wanted to "hopefully" complete before starting a family... Well, our family is officially growing, but I'm not ready to give up on my list quite yet.  In fact, I have a few updates to post about.

Here is the original list {with updates}:


1. Update 'Grable Tales' blog design.
--- It's been since August 2010 since the look was last updated, so I think it's time. {done!}

2. Change my passport to show my married name.
--- I've been married for almost 4 years and haven't had a reason to, but now it's on my list. {done!}


* This one seemed more daunting than some of the other things, which is probably why I dragged my feet & waited almost 4 years to do it, but with an impending international flight, I was forced to cross this one off my list.  And you know what?  It wasn't that bad!  All I had to do was collect all the correct forms + paperwork and send it off to Pennsylvania and 4-6 weeks later, this little guy {shown below} was in my hands!  Feels good to have this last part of the name change completed & now I can anywhere I want!

3. Get a massage.
--- Never had a professional massage and would love at least one in my lifetime. {done!}

4. Run a 5k.
--- This one is scary to put out because I'm not a big runner, but I do think it might be fun. {my SIL said she would like to run one too, so it's still in conversation...}

5. Take a real vacation with my husband.
--- We never took a honeymoon and all our other vacations have been to visit family or friends, so I think we deserve a trip just our own.

6. Install new flooring in our house.
--- Our house came with a lot of carpet and we're ready for a change. {in process --- only the stairs to go!}

7. Write at least one handwritten note each month.
--- In the age of emails & texts, handwritten notes just feel more special.  And who doesn't love getting mail! {in process --- since February, I've written & sent at least one card/note a month, but still think I can do more...}

8. Make a quilt.
--- I have a sewing machine & enjoy the art of sewing, so why not! {maybe for the new baby?!?}

9. Have professional family pictures taken.
--- I love being able to see our life at a particular time in our life through someone else's lens.

10. Learn to play the piano.
--- One of my best friends is an awesome piano player, so I'm hoping some of her skills may rub off on me.




With almost half of my Leap List either done or in process, I'm feeling pretty good.  Of course, I won't complete all of these items before we meet the newest member of our family in December, but I'm going to keep plugging along & knocking as many out as I can.




Do you have a Leap List?  If so, how is it going? 

Floored!

Normally Wednesday is reserved for WIWW*, but today I have a special treat to share with you!

Back in 2008, Sam & I purchased our first home, a move-in ready place just for us.  While the space & feel of our house was just what we were looking for, there were a few changes we put on our "to-do list" that would make everything a little more livable for us in the future.  One of the biggest ones being our flooring situation.

See, we moved into our house with two pups and a lot of off-white carpet, which isn't usually a good combination.  Heck, I'm not sure if humans & off-white carpet our a good combination!  Now, four years later, the carpet is disgusting {even though I vacuumed weekly!}.  So we began saving and researching the best flooring option for us & our budget.

Fast forward to today - after going back & forth between new carpet, hardwood, or laminate, we found some great laminate wood flooring at an unbeatable price.  While we've had the flooring for a couple months now {just sitting in our front room taunting me}, I am happy to say we officially finished our first room last weekend and I'm loving the look and overall feel that we have now created!

Of course, laminate isn't known for being the best wood flooring product out there, but to be honest, we found it to be the best option for our lifestyle & budget.  And while I'm no expert by any means, it's hard to tell a huge difference between real hardwood & laminate flooring once we laid down the flooring in our house.

We still have several rooms & hallways left to complete, but just finishing this room has given me a lot of motivation to get the rest of it laid down as soon as we can!  Plus, then I can cross another Leap List item off {#6} :)


*Sorry for the lack of outfit photos this week, but due to our flooring situation, our house has been in transition {i.e. furniture piled in rooms while we work on others}.  I hope to be back to my normal WIWW posts in the coming weeks!

Leap List #1 - Check!

Happy Sunday!  Just a quick post to point out that only two days officially on board with my Leap List and I've crossed off my first item! 

While the new design for 'Grable Tales' is quite plain & simple, that was my plan the whole time.  I have loved my last couple blog designs {thank you krameymartin designs!}, but the time had come that I felt like I wanted this space to be a little less 'busy'. 

I decided to go the easy route by picking a template off Blogger and added a new header that I customized myself.  I also added a widget that would share my Instagram photos as I post them.  And if you've been following along over the last month, you know that about 90% of the photos I take are posted there, so check that out if you want to see what I'm up to from day to day.

It feels good to be able to cross the first Leap List item off and I'm already working towards crossing a few more off!  Until the next one...

Leap List

Recently, a close friend of mine was talking about her Leap List and she really inspired me!  Her list was beautiful and full of dreams & goals, specific to where she is in life, and I found myself relating to {and loving} the idea of this type of short-term list.

So I created my own.  And to be honest, it's pretty scary to hit 'post' and put this list out there for all {who read this blog} to see, even if it doesn't seem like it to others.  Posts like this tend to make me feel more vulnerable than I like, so I am hoping this will make me more confident in the end.

As for a timeline, I don't have really have one.  Since the next 'leap' for us is starting a family, I am hoping most of these items will take place before that event occurs.  But while I like to have everything planned out according to my schedule, I have realized how little control I actually have on when things happen to me.  So without further adieu, here's my Leap List...


1. Update 'Grable Tales' blog design.
--- It's been since August 2010 since the look was last updated, so I think it's time.

2. Change my passport to show my married name.
--- I've been married for almost 4 years and haven't had a reason to, but now it's on my list.

3. Get a massage.
--- Never had a professional massage and would love at least one in my lifetime.

4. Run a 5k.
--- This one is scary to put out because I'm not a big runner, but I do think it might be fun.

5. Take a real vacation with my husband.
--- We never took a honeymoon and all our other vacations have been to visit family or friends, so I think we deserve a trip just our own.

6. Install new flooring in our house.
--- Our house came with a lot of carpet and we're ready for a change.

7. Write at least one handwritten note each month.
--- In the age of emails & texts, handwritten notes just feel more special.  And who doesn't love getting mail!

8. Make a quilt.
--- I have a sewing machine & enjoy the art of sewing, so why not!

9. Have professional family pictures taken.
--- I love being able to see our life at a particular time in our life through someone else's lens.

10. Learn to play the piano.
--- One of my best friends is an awesome piano player, so I'm hoping some of her skills may rub off on me.


Although ten items on paper might not seem too daunting, I am just hoping I don't fail miserably at accomplishing some of these.  Wish me luck & I hope you'll join along while I complete {& document} my Leap List.


What are some of the items on your Leap List?