Healing

Dear Unforgettable Girl,



It's one of the paradoxes of life, one of the most confusing and hard to take things; but it's one of the important truths that painful and difficult things often get worse before they get better.


For a wound to heal, often the infection must be cleaned out before you can stitch it up.
When the sun goes down at night and leaves the sky dark, it gets very darkest right before the sun comes up.


This can teach us so much about holding on, about sticking with it, about bearing through it to see the other side of it, about doing the hard work of digging out the infection -- cleaning it thoroughly no matter how painful it is so that we can fully heal.


When the sun comes up, it is such a welcome beauty after such a dark night.


Would we be able to feel the incredible miracles, the beauty, the joy, the peace if we didn't know this pain just before the pain was over?


Stick with it, beautiful girl. You will be so glad that you did.


You are strong enough. You will be able to do it. Just keep breathing -- keep going.

Life

There comes a time in life when you walk away from all the drama and the
people who thrive on it. You surround yourself with people who are
positive, present, who make you laugh, and focus on where you want life
to take you. 

Life is too short to be anything but happy.

I Did It!

Last Saturday I finished my first half marathon. I barely made it on time to the starting line; my friends were literally tying my shoes and pinning my number on at 7:59 (the race started at 8). It was fun and hard and all the good things that come with running 13.1 miles. It couldn't have been a better day to run and we ran over a lake and through the woods (ha). My friends & Gav were there to cheer me on at all the right times (mile 7, 11 & the finish line). I definitely want to do another one! I finished in 2:15, about a 10:30 minute pace...I'd like to do my next one around 2:00...I just need to work on speed! I know, I know, my pic is too sexy!

Never Thought...

I never thought:

I would work out every day at 6 am..and like it...

I would run an 8K before a 5K...and finish in less than 50 minutes...

I would set a goal to run 10 miles and run 11 instead...in the pouring rain...

I would run a half marathon...but I will in 20 days...

I could push myself and achieve these goals...

I love it.

Family Time

My Trip to Utah in July was one of the best trips I've taken since I moved away three years ago. Quality sister time. quality Dad time. quality friend time.Quality mom time. Quality fam time. New friends. Old friends. Hiking.Bike rides at midnight. Nostalgia.

 My Fam A.

 Gorgeous view from Willow Heights.

 Self Portrait (Dork)

 Dad.

 Had a picnic surrounded by aspens with the sun shining through.

 My dad the mountain man.

 Sisters before bootcamp with Julia.

 Meg kicked booty!

 who says you can't go home?

 Pineview. LOVE IT.

My sissy.

Brittany Getting Married

One of my best friends (since we were 17) and college roommate, Brit married her Carl in July. Most beautiful wedding! Some pics:

Trapped

I think I need an internet vacation. My brain is bored.

The Truth

So I'm about to get personal,which I have been hesitant about since my blog isn't private. But I'm pretty sure I only have two readers. If this isn't true, and you're a creeper up in here, just make me aware. Or don't. Since you're a creeper.

Anyways, I've been angry. Really angry. And it's seeping through and affecting other areas of my life and it's been negatively affecting my relationship. I didn't realize this until I was thinking about my motto: "Own Your Truth". It got me to thinking about my truth. And I realized I'm pissed.

My mom and step-dad of 18 years are going through the big "D" right now. I have been an advocate for this for a few years, so I was doing the happy dance when she told me this was finally happening. Well,  OK it was more like a bitter, spiteful dance that left me feeling sad and crying. I felt sad for my mom and all her struggles since really the beginning and for my two youngest half-siblings. Divorce sucks anyway you slice it. I've been through it twice before. It is a disgusting, devastating feeling that I don't think anyone can understand until they've been there.
But my tears quickly turned to anger, and this anger really hasn't left me, well...ever, really. I don't know how to let it go. I don't know how to let go of everything he put my mom through. Everything he put me and my brothers and sisters through. I don't know how to erase the things I know, the things I saw, the things I heard. But I know I need to. Because I need to live my life without this dark cloud over my head. Because I need to be able to be happy. Because I need to move on.
 

Nothing Compares

There is nothing quite like a summer night in Utah. I just rode my grandma's pink beach cruiser all around my childhood neighborhood. A storm is moving in, so there is a slight breeze and I could see the lightning flashing in the Salt Lake valley. I smiled and laughed the whole time as a flood of my childhood memories came rushing back. I love the nostalgia associated with coming home. I had a few moments where I felt close to my grandma. She sat on that bike seat, she held those handlebars, she felt the wind on her face. And I did, too.

A Good Ol' Redneck Time

I present to you...Marilyn Monmullet...Redneck Starlet!

And There Were 3

Went to Utah over the weekend to see my lil' buddy graduate from high school. So exciting! We had a fun little party for him on Thursday to celebrate. I'm so proud of him and can't wait to see what the future holds for him. He is going to the U in the fall (my alma mater).

May Days

Just some fun pics from May. Had 5 friends' birthdays, downtown Fayettville, Carowinds amusement park, had a rocking dance party, bowled for charity with the cutest "little brother" around and had a great May with my friends.