The Martins

Recently we had the privilege of seeing our dear friends, Don and Linda Martin.  This dynamic couple came into our lives when Xee helped them with a Marriott transaction.  They hit it off and soon after, I got to meet them too.  Every year they come to Ko Olina for a vacation and we get together for dinner.  Xee was out of town this year during their visit, so he missed them, but Phoebe, Ezra and I were so blessed by their visit. Phoebe was especially thrilled to have Auntie Linda around for some fancy tea and a shopping extravaganza in her royal bedroom.  What a pair!  We love you Don and Linda and we can't wait to see you next year!!!

Half-Baked!

Today is the official half-way mark of my pregnancy. Twenty weeks down...about twenty more to go! Aaah! Only twenty more weeks to go. Take a deep breath Self! Change is a comin'. And such is life. It is forever changing. As I think about all of our wonderful friends and family, I cannot help but wish we could visit you all. It is September friends, and remember that is always a bit of a nostalgic time for me. Read a post from last year, Almost September, and remember how much we love and miss you all!

Help Ben Make a Difference

Okay, I was SOOOO... sore after that last run...for like, four days! For that reason (and the fact that it has been quite muggy around here lately), I have stuck to walking the last few workouts. Today I headed out to my favorite spot, the lagoons here in Ko Olina. Gorgeous! The first thing I saw when I arrived...my boat.

February marked the anniversary of my dad's entrance into heaven. Though that day was not easy, I celebrated. Afterall, I don't think my dad is missing this life, as much as we may be missing him in it. In honor of my dad, we recently sponsored our dear friend, Ben, who is currently training for an endurance race in June, to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. You can support Ben too. To learn more about it, or to make a donation, visit his site http://pages.teamintraining.org/dm/ambbr10/bwicke.

I am still feeling a bit word-challenged, so today I will revisit a post that was driven more by the sheer need to write it than by being inspired to. I guess that's when true inspiration comes.
Click HERE to read about my boat...and a little bit about my journey as a runner.

Happy Mother's Day!!

Remember those old Calgon commercials? You know the ones...the lady gets in the tub and suddenly, Calgon "takes her away". I was taking a very well deserved, hot bath last night and randomly (or not so randomly) thought of them. Seriously, unless this magic potion can actually teleport me out of the madness, I will have to find solace in the plain-old hot bath, the good book (if I can even keep my eyes open), and the cozy bed.

With Mother's Day right around the corner, I laid in the hot bath, lights out, and I thought of my own mom. Every night my mom took a bath, and it was her time. All day long she would cook for us all, clean for us all, cart us around to school and elsewhere. This was her time. And yet, on many occassions, one of us would have something important, something that just couldn't wait...something that warranted a knock on the bathroom door to ask or tell her that thing. She rarely complained...just said with a sigh, "Come in." Even her alone time was not fully her own.

When we become mommies, we realize the sacrifice our own mommies made throughout the years and we appreciate them on a completely different level. And we love them that much more. Every day should be Mother's Day. One day is hardly the recognition mommies deserve, but we'll take it!

So call your mom, not just on Mother's Day, but any day, and say "Thank you."

Thank you for licking your finger and wiping the goo off my face. Thank you for carrying me in your body, for feeding me from your breast. Thank you for reading to me, for singing to me, for kissing my boo-boos all better, for teaching me right from wrong. Thank you for not totally losing it when I....Thank you for hurting when I hurt, for cheering me on, for celebrating my victories and helping me up in defeat. Thank you for cuddling me, for hugs and kisses, for life wishes. Thank you for cherishing me, guiding me, for loving me. Thank you mom.

To my own mom, Margaret, thank you for your unconditional love and support. To my dear sister, Heather, thank you for being Mom's helper and for being there if Mom wasn't able. And to my girlfriend mommies, thank you for laughing with me about it all, and for supporting me in the thick of it. Happy Mother's Day!!