Mom's Girl

Believe it or not, there was a time when my older sister, Katie, and I did not get along.  It was when I was a baby/toddler and she was probably between 5 and 7 years old.  Katie didn't like me because she wanted to "play house" with me and use me as her baby to cart around.  Apparently I didn't think much of that idea, and I would cry anytime she held me.  Personally, I think I was a smart baby concerned with self preservation.  As a defenseless toddler why would I want a 7 year old traipsing around with me?  :)  However I will admit that I have always been a "momma's girl."
When I was in Kindergarten, Mom worked 12 hour shifts 2-3 days a week as a NICU nurse at Stormont Vail in Topeka.  That meant she had to leave before I got up, and since I fell asleep early in the evening, on the days she worked I was already asleep by the time she got home.  Even though I got to be with her the remaining days of the week, I missed her on the days she worked.  So I had her get me up at 5 a.m. on those days so I could eat breakfast with her and she could do my hair.  Then I would go back to sleep, until we had to get on the bus to go to school.

This past weekend was fantastic because I got to have some special Mom time.  She drove out on Thursday and on Friday we traveled with my mother-in-law and a group of women from the local churches to Denver for a Women of Faith conference.  It was a great experience!  At the end of the conference my soul felt refreshed and my relationship with God felt rejuvenated and recharged.  I really loved listening to the speakers and my two favorites were Lisa Harper and Angie Smith.  They both have written books and, based on their talks, I would guess their books are really good.  I'm currently reading Lisa Harper's book Stumbling into Grace, and I'm enjoying it immensely.
Mom left on Monday, but I was so glad to get some special time with her.

On the bus to the second day at the Conference.

While Mom was visiting a stray dog showed up at our house.  She's really sweet, and her and Bently have a great time playing and chasing each other around the house.  I'm just glad he has a friend to play with because I was getting really tired of catching him dragging my cats around the yard because he was bored.  I bet out of anybody the cats are the happiest that this other dog showed up. :)

Left - new dog, Right Bently

Western Kansas Fact:  Although the terrain is relatively flat, running out here makes it easier to run a lot of other places.  There may not be a lot of steep hills out here, but the elevation is quite a bit higher than the rest of Kansas or many other eastern states.  When I ran in Nashville, many people said the hills were terrible, but after training at a higher elevation, they didn't really bother me.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Romans 12:2
I loved this scripture because it reminded me not to allow myself to just float along with life.  I cannot let my life be dictated by the expectations of society.  I need to turn my life over to God, and let Him renew me so that I can live for Him, even if that means stepping outside of the box of what is "acceptable" by society.

Have a fantastic weekend everybody!
Lyndee