1/2 marathon fun!!

a sea of runners (8,000 total)

So, I did it! I completed my first 1/2 marathon in BEAUTIFUL San Diego. A great start to a week long family vacation!!!

2 goals I set for myself:
1. Never stop running
2. FINISH the race

... And I accomplished both goals, but only bc I physically pushed myself and mentally believed I could do it! My run was great and I felt AMAZING the first 10 miles of the race. It was the last 3 miles that I struggled through, but thank goodness my mental game kicked in. The last 3 miles was a constant uphill climb in the dead morning heat! It was intense, but I pushed through it and succeeded!!!

Now the question I ponder is, "will I do it again?" Honestly, I can't answer that question. I truly did enjoy it, but it also made me miss doing triathlons. So, my next physical adventure is to complete another sprint triathlon....making it 8 completed triathlons :)

Finishing the race! Family and friends were there to cheer me on :)

4th of July Spectacular!

The 4th of July was such a wonderful and relaxing day! I started the day with my long run: 8 miles. At first, I wasn't sure I would be able to, as I haven't been great about doing my weekend long runs (I skipped 2 of them--opss). However, to my surprise I really enjoyed it! I ran down the national mall and then headed towards hains point, a runners paradise. Hains point is a little peninsula in the heart of DC with many family activities (running/biking trail, picnics, golfing, swimming, tennis, etc..). I can't believe it's taken me this long to find this great spot! I'm trying to get Bob to take me to the driving range soon. I don't have the patience nor the skill to actually play golf, but I sure do love hitting them as hard as I can on the driving range.

After my long run, I came home, took a shower and passed out for 2 hours. My body was tired. I can't imagine how I'm going to feel after running 13.1 miles. It's a good tired though :)

For our 4th of July dinner, Bob cooked some delicious hamburgers and then we headed up to our apartment roof top to watch the national mall fireworks. To my surprise, there were 35 different firework displays going on throughout DC/Virginia/Maryland and we got to see them all!! IT WAS BREATH TAKING!!! It was just the 2 of us and I think we could have stayed up there all night- it was PERFECT!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!!

Since I live 2,500 miles away from my dad and can't just swing by for a Father's Day dinner, I thought the next best thing (other than calling him- which I did) is to blog about him and what a SPECIAL guy he is!!!

A few of the many characteristics I love about my daddy are.....

#1 His unconditional love! My dad has always been the support and backbone in our family, even with my very outspoken mother :) My dad has a loving and kind way about him and is very rational when many aren't. His sacrificial heart is a true testament to his unconditional love for his family! HE IS SO SELFLESS and has taught me to aspire to lead that kind of life.

#2 His gracious heart! My dad has always displayed a compassionate heart to his family and others. He gives and gives and never seeks a thing in return. Every Christmas season, he goes ABOVE and BEYOND in giving presents for the entire family. Yes, to all of his 6 children, 4 son/daughter in laws, and 7 grand kids. He has a BIG heart when it comes to making others happy! Thanks daddy!!!

#3 His wisdom! My dad has given me much wisdom throughout my 28 years of life. Whether it be from childhood- teaching me to share, or into adulthood- reminding me not to damage my credit score or always making sure I get my oil changed every 3,000 miles. I know it's simple, but I appreciate the small insights!

There are MANY other great qualities about my daddy! I sure do LOVE him and MISS him. I was always known in my family for being a daddy's girl! There is much truth to that, as I continue to sit on his lap like I'm still a little girl. There is just something special about a father/daughter relationship! What a WONDERFUL man he is and I am proud to have him as my DADDY!!!

Happy Father's Day, DAD!! I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU!!

Father/Daughter dance at my wedding. We danced to "What a wonderful world" by Frank Sinatra and Kenny G. Every time I hear this song, it brings me back to all the wonderful things that makes my daddy special.

RUN AMUCK... Let's get dirty!!!

RUN AMUCK = a 4 mile run through several obstacles including two 3 feet deep mud pits, hay bales, a tire challenge, a faux barbwire crawl, cargo nets and water hoses....

Yep, I'm up for this CHALLENGE!!! And it's next weekend...

Learning about this fun challenge all came about on my morning run with my friend, Abigail. Her and her husband signed up for the annual Run Amuck in Virginia. However, now that she's 5 months prego, she can't really crawl through barbed wire and risk it, so she offered us the tickets.

Now all I have to do is convince my husband to join in on the fun!! Think I can convince him? He hates germs and is not one to get super dirty... hmmmm..

The challenge begins.....

Market Breakfast = DELICIOUSNESS!!

Farmer's Market (aka Eastern Market)

This past weekend, Bob and I FINALLY hit the famous "Market Breakfast" that so many friends rave about!! We arrived at noon to find a l-o-n-g line awaiting us... On top of that, the staff was changing their sign from the breakfast to lunch menu. Instantly, I was annoyed that we just missed out on breakfast, which I was craving all morning long. I was SO HUNGRY and wanted nothing else but blueberry buckwheat pancakes! I felt I deserved those pancakes (I did my long run, met up with a friend, got ready for the day) and had not eaten all morning just so I could enjoy the deliciousness.... And now I can't even HAVE them??? UGHH!

As my temper started to flare up, the little old man working there announced that Bob and I were the last to receive breakfast- YIPPEEE!! I know it's so small, but it truly gave me such joy knowing I was going to get that mouthwatering breakfast I wanted so badly!!

After the 45 minute wait in line, we finally picked up our breakfast. As we were leaving, the cook said, "Here, take these extra pancakes. We made too many!" It was so kind of him, but we really did not need 3 extra BIG pancakes. So instead, my thoughtful husband took the extras and offered them to the people in line. Quickly, a little old lady raised her hand and was overwhelmed with excitement in knowing she just scored a free, mouthwatering breakfast! So glad we could bring a little pancake happiness to someone else!


Lesson learned: Be more gracious and thankful in even the simple things in life...especially, blueberry pancakes!!!

Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes... you are DELICIOUS!!! :)

His LOVE and GRACE is sufficient!

I just finished up a great lunch with my friend Sunshine and was encouraged by her godly wisdom- THANK YOU Sunshine!! :)

Juggling life's obstacles has been a hard and overwhelming task for me lately. Through my friend's encouraging words, I was reminded that I have to continually be in prayer and in the gospel, which gives me the knowledge to know that God's love and grace is sufficient! HE is all powerful and all present, and continues to pursue me even when I hesitate to seek Him. My faith is LIFE CHANGING, yet a struggle to live out daily. Praise God for his mercy and unconditional love for me, despite my ugly sins and worldy thoughts. In repentance, I am seeking the true knowledge of how to be selfless, unconditional, and forgiving. I struggle with it daily, but through His grace, I learn more and more each day how to become dependent on the Lord.

Reminiscing... Family DC Visit

Henderson crew at Library of Congress

It's almost been a year since my family's first visit to DC. Tonight, I have been reminiscing with pics and memories of their time spent here. It's been 5 months since I've seen my family. I'm not going to lie, it's been hard lately, but the countdown until I get to visit AZ begins... 2 months baby!!!

With my twinser and her 1st son, Matty Patty (Mattox William)

Play Pretty Jack!

Our WONDERFUL and DEAR friend, Josh Cassidy, just published his first children's book!!! He has an AMAZING talent, as he wrote and illustrated the book above. I'm definitely buying a bunch for my nieces and nephews! It's now available online at www.playprettyjack.com and should be hitting book stores very shortly.



Joshy,

We are SO PROUD of you and excited to see what God has in store for you and Layza! HE is limitless :)

Your #1 fans,
Bob & Katie

Grove Gang!

MY SWEET, SWEET NEPHEWS- Matty & Colester!

So, now that I'm finally getting use to this blog thing, I crave to do it more often. And my twin sister, Annie, has even joined in on the fun with her family blog, www.grovegang.blogspot.com. Check it out!

San Diego 1/2 Marathon... Here I come!!!

Yep, that's right! I will be running my first 1/2 marathon in San Diego, August 16th!! I'm super excited, yet very nervous! I have done a handful of triathlon's, BUT to run 13.1 miles straight through (without stopping) is an overwhelming thought at the moment, especially with how out of shape I am. Training starts this weekend! I CAN DO THIS and am excited to get back into shape (like my self motivation talk?).

Baltimore with the Whiting's- Memorial Day!!

As always, another fun day with the Whiting's! We started off the day with standing in line in the sticky weather trying to get cheap tickets to the baseball game- apparently everyone thought it would be fun to go to a baseball game on memorial day! After sweating it out, we finally made it to our seats and enjoyed the game!

Afterwards, we walked around the inner harbor, ate yummy spanish tapas and drank some wine, acted silly, and walked 10,000 steps (according to Dan's pedometer reading). It was a perfect way to end a 3-day weekend.

The day has come... Bob has graduated!!!

After countless hours at the library and numerous class presentations, IT IS FINISHED! Bob has graduated and what a mighty fine day it was! His mother and friends from AZ flew out to DC to join in this wondrous celebration. We are all so proud of him and I am honored to call him my husband! He is a go-getter and isn't afraid to take chances, which I love about him. I can't wait to see what our Lord has in store for us. Life is SWEET!!!

New Format

Since I'm horrible at updating our blog monthly, I've decided to change the format from vague monthly updates to our random adventures/story's in marriage. It will make it easier for me and less repetitive to you, the reader.

We just found out that Bob was chosen to be the graduate commencement speaker for the Business School's graduation in May 2009. I am SO PROUD of my hubby! He had to write a speech and audition, as did many others, and he got it! Such a praise moment!!

Graduation is 2 months away and his mom, our friend Donny, and family friend Bev will be joining us in DC for this wonderful CELEBRATION. The countdown begins to a life of normalcy- no late night studying for Bob, more quality family time together, and a new adventure to ????.

And NO, we are still not certain where we will be post graduation (so quit asking Ryan Matthew Charles- hahaha). All we know is that God has truly been faithful to us and we continue to give Him praise for our wonderful little life here in DC. What comes next is for Him to decide. We are just enjoying the journey :) A little saying that puts things into perspective for me is, "We plan and God laughs." So TRUE!! I can plan the next 2 years of my life, but God may have something different in store. I am daily reminded of this.

Set your minds on the things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:2