Shamrockin' 2012

Well, I didn't break the 

2 hour mark

today...

BUT!

I did break my PR

by 6 minutes!

AND!

I ran the ENTIRE race!

The whole thing!

(Other than through the aid stations

to get a quick sip of water without choking, haha.)

So my official chip time was

2 hours, 2 minutes.

Not too shabby!

And what's great is,

I'm running another half in early May.

Ha, 2 minutes to reach my goal?

Piece of cake!

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

The best part was

hanging with some of my favorite people before the race,

and seeing them cheer me on during and after.

Especially one boy in particular

who woke up at the break of dawn to be there,

Kiss me good luck,

cheer me on at mile 9,

and then head to work after it was all over.

What a keeper! 

thankful

I've always made friends easily,

ever since I was a little girl.

But these friends always came and went.

My mother always says,

"People come into our lives

for a reason,

a season,

or a lifetime."

I'm not one of those people

who has friends from the third grade,

or friends I've known since high school.

In fact, I wouldn't get caught dead

at my 10 year high school reunion

(which should be in 2012, by the way...).

However, I am reminded that the truest friends you'll ever have

pick up right where you left off,

even when it's been a few weeks,

months, or in some cases, years.

--------

Some friends and I got together for a happy hour tonight.

It's been about a month or so since we've last seen one another.

But the conversation was full of laughter,

reminiscing, advice, and everything in between.

But it reminded me of the lesson I often preach to

my 5th graders:

Your true friends always find you.  They make time for you

and they never turn your back on you.  No matter how

long it's been since your last converstation.

They always find a way to bring you up,

even when you feel at your lowest.

My dad always reminds me,

"Don't hang out with mean people. 

Why would you want to waste this life of yours

on mean people?"

Tonight I am thankful for friends.