Injured-say what?

I can proudly say that I have been injury-free since my junior year of high school. Bad news: that streak ended last weekend. Sigh. As I was running my 6-mile as my training log told me to do, my knee started killing me. At mile 5 I almost skipped the last mile and went straight home but my pride made me finish. See, the problem I had was it would go in waves. One mile I would be in near tears, and then the other I felt like I had no issues at all. I try to convince myself when I run that it is just mental and nothing is really wrong, but then when the pain keeps shooting up and down I am reminded that "nothing is wrong" is inaccurate.

Turns out I may have done something to my IT band. The iliotibial (IT) band is a tough group of fibers that run along the outside of the thigh. The gluteal muscles and the tensor fascia lata muscle attach to the top, and the lower part attaches to the tibia, just below the knee. It functions primarily as a stabilizer during running and can become irritated from overuse. Which is exactly what happened to me.The pain resides on the outside part of the knee or lower thigh, often worsened by going up or down stairs, or getting out of a car. Or doing anything.

So the "knee problem" is really a IT band problem which basically means my muscle in my thigh is too tight and so it constricts on my knee. The deeper issue I am having is that I am training for this half and have too much pride to quit. I just want to run it, dang it!

I am convinced of two things:

1. If I don't run I will get fat
2. I failed if I don't finish this training.

Okay, I am smarter than those two assumptions, but I cannot help but to feel that way. I don't like not being able to do something and I want to prove myself wrong. News flash: this is not a time to prove myself anything but a time to be wise. I bought myself a foam roller and we'll see how that goes. I just can't help but to look at my training log and be sad thinking I may not get the chance to compete.

I talked to Wes Lunt about his knee injury yesterday and we were both in agreement that it is frustrating when the whole rest of your body is fine and you have one part of it that debilitates you from competing. So frustrating. So right now I'm on the mission to try to rehab back to training and still run until I cannot.

To never giving up,
Tera

Why Treadmills are Dangerous

So a couple weeks ago I began training for another half marathon. Crazy, I know. I get ambitious and think I can handle it and forget what a dedication it takes to train for 3 months. I just know how rewarding it is at the end of the race to know how hard you trained for it and to see the benefits of it. I'm not trying to win anything, but I love to challenge myself.

This week, as I've said before, we are kid/house sitting and so my schedule is completely off. I am now running at 4pm and if you've been outside this week at all, you'll know it has not been running weather at any point of the day, and even worse in the afternoons. Tuesday I thought I was going to die after my run. I laid on the ground under a fan for a good 10 minutes and Kai licked me all over thinking I was a gonner.

To solve my hot-weather-not-good-running-weather I decided I would suck it up and run on a treadmill. I've been anti-treadmills for quite some time because I don't think they translate well to the streets, I don't love the gym-vibe, and I prefer to run outside. I get board on treadmills but even worse, I get too competitive with myself. I start off at a good pace, but then keep pressing the up button on the speed because I want to go faster and faster and then all of a sudden the whole section of people running are staring at me. Why I do this to myself I will never know. I was supposed to run 4 miles yesterday and this is what happened:

The last mile I pressed the speed button every tenth of a mile and the last tenth of a mile I was going at a 10. Now, some may argue this is good for me because I am pressing myself, which I would agree but I'm not sure this is the best thing for me.

To being too competitive,
Tera

A picture is worth a thousand words

We're house/kid sitting all week so there won't be much blogging or sewing but we are having fun pretending we are parents of 3 kids, a dog, and learning what life could be like for us in 15-20 years.

I baked some cookies yesterday and Kai was really sad he couldn't partake:

To not always getting what we want, (I can't help but to sing in my head "but we get what we need"),
Tera

A Quarter of a Century

I realize this post is over a week overdue but the past week has been nuts. My birthday weekend was one of the top weekends of my life. For real. Everything I could have possibly wanted. It all started Friday afternoon with a text from Ryan that read "pack an overnight bag." I could hardly contain my excitement as I shoved clothing into a bag and and patiently awaited Ryan's arrival to go to the surprise location. I just love surprises and I loved that Ryan planned out the entire weekend and kept it a secret!

We drove to OKC Friday night and checked into our hotel in bricktown. He planned for us to eat sushi at In the Raw and then we headed to see the Red Hawks play a game. Oh did I mention that our hotel was right by the stadium? So close we could actually watch the game from our room.

We're big fans of suishi... I even got a thing to make sushi for my bday!

From our room!

We did decide it would be fun to go to the game and besides, we already had tickets, so we grabbed some dessert in concessions and cheered on the Red Hawks.

See our hotel?

We left early so I honestly don't even know if they won- but we just had fun with the entertainment and the experience of going to a game but let's hope they won!

My actual birthday was great- I woke up to Ryan bringing me breakfast in bed with mimosas. He let me open some gifts- one being a voucher for some running shoes, that he planned out a place to go to purchase them. As we got to the running store, I saw a sign that said "Whole Foods" then below it "Anthropologie". Eeeeek! What more could a girl want? We went shopping and taste-tested, and oohed and awwed at our new tennies. We ate at Saturn Grill and I will forever crave that flat bread for now on. It's probably a good thing we don't have one here or else I'd be a carbivore. And 300 pounds.

That afternoon I had an urge to watch Hunger Games and since it just came out that day it was near impossible to find. We literally went to about 10 different Red Box locations to find one- but no luck. The places that "had it" were broken. But alas, Nicole's roommate just purchased it that day and kindly let us watch. We had reservations at a fancy restaurant downtown but I was craving some Thai Cafe in Stillwater and missing my furry baby so we headed back home.

We ate so much good food that weekend, went shopping, open gifts, celebrated, etc. Ryan made me feel so loved and spoiled me soo much!

Top: Thai Cafe, Bottom left- Saturn grill, Bottom right- breakfast in bed

Sunday, my parents, Amber and Corbyn came after church to celebrate with us. It was so great to see them and celebrate with them. I love my family so much and my heart overflows when I get to spend time with them.

We went to Mexico Joes and I ate probably 6 flour tortillas myself. I swear I could live on bread alone- (Not literally, Jesus...).

To being a half a century,
Tera

Weekend Review-Friends, Food, Family

This weekend was perfect. We got to see friends, family, eat some fantastic food, and relax. What more could you ask for? Friday, Ryan and I had a date night to Mexico Joes for their famous Margs and chips n' salsa. We enjoyed sitting right next to the Gundy's and me fighting the urge to go talk to him. I just don't want to be that person. Respecting their time? Maybe. Pride? Probably. So this was the second time we sat right next to them at a restaurant and said nothing. I justify it in my head to talk to him because I work with his players, so he needs to know me. No he doesn't. He really doesn't. Maybe if we run into them somewhere other than a restaurant. (Sigh.)

Saturday we met some of our friends in Tulsa for lunch then went to my parents house to swim and watch Gone Baby Gone. If you haven't seen it, go rent it. You'll be shocked it didn't get as famous as it deserves. It is heart-wrenching, leaving you asking what you would have done in that situation. I love suspense-filled, thought-provoking films. This is legit, people.

 
We did miss something very significant on Saturday, though. Saturday morning, my sister-in-law became a Kappa Delta! We made plans over a month ago to meet our friends in Tulsa, so we didn't cancel on them but celebrated via text message with Nicole and planned to reconvene on Sunday about the rush experience.

Sunday we went to church then did the usual get-ready-for-the-week thing, then had Nicole over for dinner and tell-us-everything-that-happened-during-rush conversation. I really don't feel like I was in her shoes 6 years ago (being a freshman, not going through rush). It feels like yesterday. It is so fun to be in Stillwater during her first year here at OSU. It's fun for me because I went to a university completely different than OSU and it is interesting to compare the difference. I am fervently praying her time here is enriching, empowering, and that it provides solid, faithful friends for her. I hope we can be an outlet for peace, confiding, and a piece of home for her. I'm thankful God as allowed us to be in the same place right now and I don't think it was a coincidence.

Me as a freshman and one of my still-best friends Kristie

 As a freshman, I started college with a nose ring, a tattoo on my foot, and a full heart to learn. I may not look much different than I did 6 years ago but I did leave college with three of the best friends a girl could ever ask for. I pray Nicole will be able to look back 6 years from now and say the same.

Back to the weekend. Sunday, after dinner, we took Kai to the dog park, because Nicole had never been, and of course she wants to see 30+ dogs playing together. We met our friend Chelsie there and one of the ugliest dogs kept sitting on her foot.

Nothing against pugs, but you had to see this pug's eyes. So so funny.

So thankful for a wonderful weekend, rest, and for the Lord's providence.

To His faithfulness,
Tera

Blue Like Jazz-Confession

A couple years ago, I read the book Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. I loved it.  I was challenged, stretched, and I grew spiritually through this book. Fast forward several years and the movie is out on DVD. I could hardly wait to get my hands on this movie as I heard it was at Red Box now. Last night, we planned a date night around watching Blue Like Jazz after dinner and swimming. I drove all over town trying to find it-only one Red Box had it in stock. The good news is I had this scene while I drove:

 I picked up snacks for each of us, because movies are more fun with snacks. Our choices: Ryan-Red Vines Kai-rawhide Me- Carmel-filled dove. Mmmmm.I personally think I win.

I honestly could not remember a lot of the scenes in the movie in the book, except the confession. At the end of the movie, there is a powerful scene of Donald Miller confessing. SPOILER ALERT (Skip this part of my post if you are going to watch it!). He had spent his entire first year of college running as hard as he could from God, only to realize he could not escape. He is elected the "pope" which is basically the head of the party-ers at his university, but when he sets up the confession booth for the party people to confess their crazy-doing, he says to each person that he needs to confess first. He confesses to them that he has not accurately represented Christ and asks for their forgiveness. This is powerful, people. It was hard to see him rebel, but almost even harder to see him confess, knowing how hard that would be on one's pride. The movie ends with this and you cannot help but to think about how you represent Christ. Am I representing him well at work? Around my friends? In my marriage? 

I confess that I can not say that I truly have represented Him. Fear of what people will think gets in the way. Why am I not sold out for Christ? My whole purpose here is to proclaim his goodness and bring others to Him so why isn't that my only and sole mission? Why do I care too much about what people would think? I confess that I have failed and I want to make this better. I need to care more about the nails that were in Jesus' hands and feet and less about how people will view me. My purpose should be proclaiming Christ's fame and everything else is secondary.

Thank you, dove.

To not letting fear in the way of representing Christ fully,
Tera

Sometimes God is very Funny

The Lord has a funny sense of humor. I woke up at 4pm in a complete sweat, fretting about what was wrong with me. I shuffled out of bed and immediately was convinced I was ill. I looked at the thermometer and it read 84 degrees. I was not sick. Our air condition is broken.

I checked the temperature outside when I read this and it was 84 degrees. I fear when it is over 100 degrees outside.

Remember yesterday when I blogged about being positive and looking for the good in things? As I worked out in a complete drench and showered only to not be able to stop sweating, I kept telling myself "be positive, look for the good." Nothing. I love that this was something I asked the Lord to challenge me in, and boy did he! I am thankful I am not sick, that we will possibly have some rain today, and that today is Friday. As I pulled into work I saw a beautiful image in the sky: one of those where there is clouds all around and a beam of light shining down. I felt like it was just for me, and I couldn't help but smile.

As I frantically called heating and air places this morning only to find that everyone is busy, I kept reminding myself that God is good. He is bigger than this. This is silly. There are people who do not even have a roof over their head, I'm going to live. As I wrote yesterday, it is all about perspective. It will get fixed and life will go on, but all I can do right now and work on my mindset to not be stressed and worried over something I cannot control.

I'm reminded that if I want to be challenged, I better be ready. I'm thankful for a God that listens, cares, and loves me more than I know.

To looking at the bigger picture,
Tera

Thankful Thursday- Perspective

I can hardly believe that today is Thursday. Is tomorrow really Friday? How is that possible? I love when weeks fly by like this one has. As I was on my run this morning I was refocusing on being thankful.When I began my run I saw the moon, which was beautiful because it was full. Then on the end of my run I saw the amazing sunrise. Ah, so much to be thankful for.

Today I am thankful for:

• Sunrises
• Sprinklers to run through 
• Family
• A job that is indoors and is air conditioned
• A job that I love
• A puppy that makes me laugh every day
• A husband that loves me and works hard to support our little family

So much of life is perspective. We get discontent when we are not grateful for where we are in life. I'm guilty of this so I am working on transitioning my mindset to being one that rejoices in the good and draws out the good things in life. I want to be light in the dark, I want to choose to always be thankful and not wish for things that I do not have. We live in a society where we are constantly wanting more and when we attain it, we just want more. It is a conscious choice to be thankful and I really want to be content even if it is 112 degrees outside and I long for fall. Even in those little things, I want to be content. I want to be thankful when I go on a morning run-instead of complaining about the temperature- be thankful that there are sprinklers that I get to run through. Oh and boy do I run through them. When I want to groan, I want to look for what positive things I can draw out. It is a choice.I want to make that choice and it all comes down to my perspective.

Tomorrow my in-laws are coming as my sister-in-law is moving in for college! We can hardly wait to have her in the same town as us. She better like hanging out with us because she has no option. We're thankful that she chose OSU even if we were not a part of that equation, we win because she is just that awesome. Stillwater=win. Osses=win.

To being thankful for today,
Tera

Weekend Review

As I posted yesterday, we had a fantastic weekend. It is so hard to start a week after your weekend is so sweet, but all good things must end. Friday we went on a double date with our favorite couple in town to see the Batman. I was surprisingly impressed and very entertained. I am still terrified of Bane and am confident that I will have nightmares for probably ever, but it was worth it. We snuck in lots of candy (shh) and froze our butts off because the theater was 5 degrees.

Saturday, we were super productive. Of course we slept in, but then we both went our separate ways and got lots done. I finished two whole orders, mailed them off, went swimming with Ryan, relaxed while Ryan cooked it up, and then we went to get sno cones. While Ryan was cooking, I made some burp cloths for a friend.I can't wait to make some for myself...but I'm patient. One day. :)

Burp cloths.

orders I completed this weekend

his and hers

After dinner we watched one of the worst movies I've ever seen. I'm too embarrassed to even write the name, but just know it was that bad. Sunday we went to church, out to eat for sushi with our favorite couple again, and then I was lavished with love as Ryan served the heck out of me. I did some more sewing and we watched Olympics and then I found this picture and am now convinced I found Kai's brother in the shelter:

Kai on left, Micky on right.

I want to bring Kai to play with Micky to see how they play together. How can they not be brothers? They both have super long tongues, bobbed tails, short hair, everrrything.

Kai got so hot this weekend that he'd come inside and lay on the tiled floor. I guess the coolness felt good to him. He's a sleepy puppy and did this a lot this weekend:

He's just such a cutie. I love our small family so much. We thoroughly enjoyed our time together this weekend and I long for next weekend just to be able to spend more quality time together. If this week is half as wonderful as our weekend was, then it's going to be one heck of a week.

To having wonderful weekends,
Tera

Learning to love

[Caveat: this IS one of those posts solely bragging about how awesome my husband is.Don't say I didn't warn you.]

I absolutely adore my husband. Yes, we've had a lot to adjust to in our first year and a half of marriage, but I love him more now than I did when we first met. He is such a strong leader in our family: spiritually, mentally, and physically. His heart is so big it makes me smile thinking about how deeply he cares for me.

If you don't know us or haven't heard our story, we had a very short dating period and even shorter engagement. We just knew from the beginning where our relationship was going and didn't see the purpose in slowing it down. I'm so thankful for the way that Ryan has challenged me, shaped me, and made me more of the woman Christ has called me to be.

Since being married to him, I feel so much more confident in my own skin. I feel more okay to just be me. He makes me feel like I matter. He makes me feel like I have a voice. He makes me want to be better at everything. I would have never in my life thought I'd open small side business, but Ryan believes in me. He supports me like no other.

This weekend, he lavished so much love on me that I'm still trying to take it all in. Saturday he said he was going to cook out, and he wanted me to just relax. Now, I do not relax very easily, but he was adamant that I do not enter the kitchen. He surprised me with a lovely dinner, one of his best meals yet.

Then on Sunday, after going to eat with one of our favorite couples, Ryan insisted on doing the cleaning. Yep, you heard me. ALL OF IT. He did the sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, deep cleaning bathroom, etc. while I went grocery shopping. Then when I got home from the store, he had a bouquet of beautiful flowers waiting for me. He knows his way to my heart. He knew I'd be stressed if we went to eat with friends because Sundays for me consist of couponing, shopping, cleaning, and prepping for the week. I love doing life with him. Then, to top it off, he hung my teacup measuring cups up on Sunday night. Love that man.

The cooking, cleaning, flower-buying man.

One more picture, just because we're so proud

We are slowly but surely learning to how lean on each other and love each other the way we are loved best. I feel most loved when Ryan does things for me-(service)- helps clean, cook, chores, buys flowers, etc. Ryan feels most loved through affirmation. He feels loved when I respect him, appreciate him, and value his time. It took me over a year to realize that me cooking, cleaning, and doing things around the house were in fact not the way Ryan feels loved. Yes, he does appreciate it, but it doesn't make him feel loved. I've had to adjust my mindset to transition what I focus my attention on, and I'm definitely still working on that. We've had to learn that the way that we feel loved is not necessarily the way our spouse fees loved.

This weekend was so good for us. So refreshing, and such a good perspective. We had a great balance of time together and time apart being productive.

To striving to be a better mate,
Tera

This week

This week has been so emotionally draining. I have barely slept thinking about Darrell's trial. I will never in my life forget the sounds, emotions, and visual that I saw after the verdict was read. It is forever imprinted in my memory. I won't say a lot about my thoughts about it only that I know there was not enough evidence.

Other than being emotionally drained, I've been sewing my tooshie off getting orders completed. I've really enjoyed it though! It's a fun rush to get off work and jump on a sewing machine and make something. I feel successful when I send an order. I feel like I've really accomplished something big. I still wonder and hope that people like them and that they are satisfied with the end result. I spend way too much time being a perfectionist but I'm resting in the fact that the people that buy them know they are handmade and it is impossible to be perfect. It was a wonderful feeling when I sold my tenth order. I love that this was never planned but this is purely for fun.

To distract my thoughts, I've become absorbed in recipes this week. I've made two new recipes that we've come to love. I made muffin tin chicken pot pies on Wednesday and Quinoa burgers with sweet potato fries on Thursday. I was actually planning on making a tutorial for one of the two but got frustrated with how long they took to make that I was in a hurry to finish by the time Ryan was off work.

Divine goodness- Muffin Tin Chicken Pot Pies

Quinoa Burgers with sweet potato fries

My precious sweet puppy that loves to cuddle

My "second job" but really my hobby.

I would make the chicken pot pies every week if it didn't take nearly 2 hours to finish, but man were they good! Click on the links if you want recipes to try yourself. I think next week I want to try coconut crusted chicken with broccoli or cheesy chicken and rice bake. I just love trying new recipes and Ryan approving. It's a big win for me.

This weekend we plan to not plan, to rest, to sleep in, at finish orders, to go on a double date and to just be. Mmhm. Amen.

To trying new things,
Tera

What breaks you makes you stronger

Three days a week I do Jillian Michael's Ripped in 3o. Don't judge. She screams at me and tells me she wants to bounce a quarter off my "tooshie." She's crazy, but she pushes me. I feel like I get a good workout on my off days of running but I'm still waiting to be ripped (ha). This week she's been telling me that what breaks me only makes me stronger. I guess I'm getting very strong this week because she's been whooping my tooshie so hard.

I finished my book and it made me so angry in the middle of it I honestly thought about not finishing it. I get so upset with injustice and manipulation and I could hardly take it but I endured, because several people told me there would be redemption. And there was. I cried and laughed and feel emotionally drained though reading this. It's been like living this live vicariously though the book and I'm having one of those major "book hangovers." :

It's going to take me awhile to move on and to pick up another book, but time will pass.

We've enjoyed our hang out time at night and I especially like when we got on walks.

Last night we babysat and both fell asleep on the cough at 9pm which I think was an indicator of how exhausted we both are. The weekend can't come quick enough.

My life has looked a lot like this lately:

• Wake up
• Work out
• Work
• Sew
• Cook
• Sew sew sew
• Sleep
• Repeat

Everytime I get an order I get butterflies in my stomach. I have this feeling of Can I really do this? I feel like the 4 hour mess-up set me back but the humbleness has been good for me. 

My kitchen has permanently been a sewing city and I'm not sure how I feel about that yet. I'm just enjoying the sewing and the adventure in this. I'm looking forward to sleeping in, not working out tomorrow, and spending time with my hot husband this weekend.

To becoming stronger,
Tera

Weekend Review

We spent Friday night crafting/working/getting things done that we didn't have time to do during the week. I desperately wanted that day to finish my orders of the week and feel like I wasn't behind. I learned how to make my zipper pouches better and so I felt super productive and successful all night (but that quickly ended on Sunday... keep reading).

Then we woke up early slept in Saturday and headed to Tulsa to see family. I delivered my first order to my mom.

Since we had a productive Friday, my other three orders are going out this week. I'm having fun and enjoying learning more each day!

Anyways, we swam, ate some yummy food, went shopping, and then went to church, ate more and then headed back home.

Sunday afternoon I had several hours to work on my Sew Able projects, so I went to town. I mean, I was fully engaged in crafting:

I figured out how to make my own labels, made ten fabric envelopes, only to tell later that I measured them wrong! Four hours later.How does this happen? I was super disappointed and kept thinking the time, money, and production costs that occurred by that stupid error. In the end I told myself I'll never make that mistake again, and that's the only way I can look at it now. You live, you learn.

Ryan and I were trying to think of what they could still be used for but didn't come up with any great options other than other countries' bills, but still waiting to come up with a good solution.

It's just things like that that keep me humbled and I can only look at them as blessings! I'm taking it as a teachable moment and learning to not get over-confident.

To always being teachable,
Tera

Let's Rewind

This week was full of a lot of emotions. The week started out with a bang with opening my own etsy shop. I'm still finishing up my first batch of orders and trying to figure out how to do this whole business thing.

Then by the end of the day I had to bring Kai to the vet:

He gets tired of waiting for the vet staff that he usually falls asleep. He loves to go to the vet though. He sniffs around, and loves the attention from the vet students and veterinarians. Turns out he had conjunctivitis in his eye, which is basically just some infection caused by either debris or allergy to something in the air. He woke up Sunday morning with a bloodshot eye and gunk all in it. I was obviously paranoid and thought he was going blind so I took him right in the vet as soon as I could. Turns out it's not that big of a deal, phew! He's actually not dying.

Then I got this lovely in the mail:

Okay, go ahead and call me a crazy dog-lover, because this post does nothing but convince you of that. The book is a cute story about a family through the lens of a witty dog. There's so much love, hope and beauty in it and I've enjoyed the pleasure-reading that it is.

Tuesday night we had sushi with two lovely couples and had a wonderful dessert of baked peaches with brown sugar and cinnamon. I'm craving it just thinking about it. Mm. Love those friends and thankful to walk alongside other couples in the same stage of life that we are in.

Today I went and got one of these:

Starbucks was giving away free 12 oz Refreshers from 12-3 today. I just love free things! I chose lime and it was great! It was a great break during a slow Friday.

This week I am thankful for:

• having a job that I love
• new friendships
• snow cones
• creativity
• animals
• the ability to exercise
• my sewing machine (thank you Kathy!)
• air conditioner
• today being Friday

My heart is full. I have so much to be thankful for and I sometimes wonder how I got here in life. Amazing supportive husband, cutest dog ever, job that I love, most supportive family, and friends that I have prayed for for years. God is good!

To full hearts,
Tera