I remember daydreaming as a teenager about married life.  We would have a beautiful house, many adorable children, and I would be organized.  Life would flow smoothly and quality time together would be blissful.  Sigh.

It's funny looking back.  Three years ago I decided to stay home and no longer pay complete strangers to educate and train my children.  I loved my job and it was hard to let go.  I was sure I would miss it despite the crazy hours and cranky co-workers.  My stay-home friends cautioned me.  Don't take on too much, it's easy to get carried away thinking you'll have "all this free time now".  You know, that's the first thing I did too!  I started sewing again and organizing everything!  That's when I started a Facebook page actually because I was bored at home about to have child #2.  Everything was clean and I thought "piece of cake".  This rocks!

Somehow over the months and years of breakfast, dishes, lunch, dishes, nap, snack, dinner, dishes, baths, errands, playdates, hurry up, eat slower, sit down, stand up, pick that up, put that down I've lost time to do anything I truly enjoy nor can I enjoy any moments I get.  If I do get some quiet time, it's spent thinking about all that I need to do now that the kids don't need me at the current moment.

I have actually made myself sit down and drink a much loved treat (Starbucks xoxo) and flip through a magazine a couple times lately.  I have taken a bath once over the last two months.  Those things are nice but it just doesn't happen often and sure doesn't benefit me much, which brings me to my newest path on this journey: running.  Not only do I get to rock out to some great music minus the whining for a while, I also get in shape too!

I used to go to the gym as often as church pre-children.  I've tried to exercise regularly since but it seems nothing happens regularly other than diaper changes and meal times post-children.  I've fantasized about running a marathon flippantly a few times, but about a month ago I got serious.  Something in me just decided it was time!  So I've made it happen.  I take the time whenever I can get it but for two weeks I have been running and it has been great!  The funny thing is I really hate running.  I get tired and just want to quit but it gets those endorphins going and I visualize crossing that finish line, having accomplished a new level of fitness in my life and it keeps me going.  Well, that is, in addition to the music rocking on my mp3 player and the thought of fitting into that pile of clothes I thought I'd never wear again!