June 17th 2011

Three and a half weeks have already flown by and yet it seems like it was only yesterday I was in labor.

It was about 11:30 at night on June 16th--we had just finished celebrating my Dad's 60th birthday at a local restaurant. I had a feeling all day long that labor was very close even though my due date was still 6 days away, of course I told Jared I thought it would be soon, but we didn't mention anything to my parents or anyone else-not wanting to get anyone's hopes up. So there I lay in our bed, and almost like our little boy knew when I clicked off the light, the contractions started.

I decided to wait to say anything to Jared until I was sure the contractions were consistent. I kept an eye on the clock as each contraction would come and go. After 30 minutes of contractions that lasted 30 seconds each and were 5-7 minutes apart, I decided the time had come to wake Jared up. I must not have done a very good job waking him up as his response to me was "ok well I'm going back to sleep, let me know when they get closer together."

Ten minutes later as I was laying in bed I very distinctly felt a snap inside, I turned over and told Jared "I think my water just broke." My husband jumped out of bed faster then I could have even imagined and started making sure everything was packed, pacing around, and asking how he could help me. Our plan had been to stay at home as long as we could, knowing that the longer we were at the hospital, the more they would try to offer me drugs etc. (and we live about 2 min from the hospital) As soon as my water broke, (just like my doula forewarned me) the contractions become much stronger. We were probably at home for 10-15 min later when Jared made the call that staying at home was no longer an option. I believe at that point the contractions were about 2-3 min apart and lasting close to a minute each time.

Upon entering the ER, episodes from the Cosby Show and other sitcoms kept running through my head as I sat in the waiting room as Jared desperatly sought out the attention of the Dr.'s and everyone else is staring at me as I'm breathing and making weird noises like a crazy person. It thankfully only took a few minutes before a man came over with a wheel chair and started carting me through the eternally long hallway. After answering a series of strange questions and being assessed, I was told I was about halfway to the pushing phase and placed in the delivery room. I was blown away at how quickly everything progressed. Before I knew it, several hours had gone by and everything was set for the baby to come out! I was so thrilled at the thought that it would not be much longer before we would see our beautiful boy! I started pushing around 4:30 am, and to my dismay by 6:00, nothing had really changed. The nurse got the Dr. to ask him his opinion and he told me exactly what I did not want to hear. My bones were too close together and not allowing our baby to come down like he needed to. I could try to continue pushing or have a c-section. Exactly what I did not want to hear. For the last 9 months I had this vision in my head of how the birth would go, but this was not at all what I had hoped for. They gave Jared and I a minute to decide what we want to do. I still can't believe the words came out of my mouth when I turned to Jared and said "let's just do it." I don't remember too much other then us looking at each other with tears streaming down our faces-happy because we knew it wouldn't be much longer before he was here--and I was sad because I knew the process would not be what I had hoped for, although the outcome would be perfect.

Each contraction from that moment on was torture as I knew they were "pointless" in a sense. It was about 20 minutes later and there I lay on the operation table, the anestesiologist became our new friend, including taking pictures of the event for us. The procedure actually took longer than I thought. I had expected them to start the surgery and to hear our little guys voice 2 minutes later, but time seemed to slow down as we waited in those moments. Though they stretched out, those moments between Jared and I were very intimate and sweet--I will always remember when we first heard his cry as Jared and I looked at him and back at each other. Such a time filled with love.

Caden Levi Amerine entered the world at 6:58 am at 7 lbs and 1 oz, and 21 inches long.

Jared brought him over right by my head and the three of us just sat there soaking in each memory. Caden just starred at us--we were blown away at how precious and perfect he looked. Anything I had ever imagined or dreamed was taken to a completly new level when we saw him. Little Baby Caden is such a gift from God-such a victory in our lives.

And so that is the story of how Caden entered the world--but the story of the victories God will continue to have in His life are still to come:)


~Angela M.

When my Baby was born...





~Angela M.

What's in a Name?



It was the day we had anxiously waited for. January 24th my husband Jared and I would be able to see our baby for the first time together at our 18 week ultrasound. I had visions in my head of what the moment would be like as we would watch our child squirming around-probably thinking about how much “it” already loved us For almost an hour we had the joy of watching our (as we later found out) son wave at us and move around to his hearts content. How perfect he looked in every way!

Our Dr. came into the room after about 20 min of waiting, as we expected to have him tell us we had a perfectly healthy growing baby and we could be on our way. However, the look on his face told us that we were going to be having a very different conversation than we had anticipated. The Dr. asked several somewhat strange questions and proceeded to explain that they had seen a cyst on our baby’s precious little brain. He said it could be something as simple as extra fluid in the brain as it was still growing, and could simply go away on its own…or it could be a serious genetic disorder.

In that moment, I became very conscious that I had several choices. I was reminded of a friend of mine, when he was diagnosed with cancer-his first reaction was to quote 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Contrary to my typical reaction, I found myself reminded of that verse “Be Joyful Always, Pray Continually, and Give Thanks in all Circumstances.” Remarkably as our Dr. continued to explain our different options, my mind was able to focus thankful prayers to the Lord (this makes me sound like a very spiritual person, however I assure you, this has typically not been my response to a difficult situation-I am a very good worrier).

We decided against having an amniocentesis done, knowing that regardless of the outcome, it would not change how we felt about the birth of our boy. We scheduled a follow up ultrasound 4 weeks later. I knew the next 4 weeks would either be the worst 4 weeks of my life, or that I could look back at it and marvel at all that God taught Jared and me. There were many times (too many to count) when I was tempted to feel sorry for myself, freak out, and worry about how we would handle everything—but God reminded me continually of that verse in 1 Thess. I had to make the decision to lift up my thanks when my temptations to worry would overtake my mind. This was not an easy thing for me to do as it seemed so contrary to my natural tendencies.

I desired to learn how to fully trust God, wondering what trusting God in this particular situation looked like. When we left the office, we both decided in the car that the best way we could trust the Lord would be to not google the genetic disorder or tell all our friends. Our best response was to pray, be thankful, and ask our immediate family to pray along with us. Whenever I felt anxiety or fear, I decided to combat those thoughts with more prayers of thankfulness for anything and everything I could think of. In those moments I knew if I truly believe in a God who parted the Red Sea, protected and cared for His people, and sent Jesus Christ to earth to live and die for my sins, I needed to believe that regardless of what the outcome was of the next ultrasound, God would fulfill every need we had. I could not believe in only pieces of the Bible. I needed to believe every part.

Our small group had been going through the book of Psalms during this period, and it was an amazing blessing to be reminded everyday of God’s many promises. It was amazing to have God speak to us through His word on a daily basis. Psalm 25:3 “No one who trusts in You will ever be disgraced.” And Psalm 20:5 “We will shout for joy when You are victorious and we will lift up our banners in the name of our God.” Were several of the verses that God sang over my soul.
4 weeks later, as we returned to the Dr, I knew that regardless of the outcome, God already had a victory in how He had softened my heart, and taught me to respond in a way that was honoring to Him.

In the next hour, I marveled at a God who was big enough to heal a cyst in a brain, while being small enough to touch a tiny little baby still inside my womb. Talk about God having a victory! I feel that even more importantly then seeing that God was powerful enough to heal our baby physically, was learning that God is trustworthy---He is faithful. His character does not change. Moreover, God is big enough to change my heart to learn to be more trusting. I have learned in a new way that my response while I’m waiting is many times more important then the outcome itself. And I am convinced that had the result not been what it was, God would still have already had a victory in my heart-and would provide us with everything we needed.

It was during this time that I asked God to give us a special name meaning…victory…God’s Victory kept flying out of the pages of scriptures to me. What an incredible joy it would be to be reminded of God’s victory every time I say his name! And so this is what we have done. Our beautiful precious boy who is a victory to the Lord’s credit. This is the story of our boy, and how God gave us his special name…to be revealed upon his arrival in just a few short weeks

~Angela M.

Baby Amerine

How far along are you?
37 weeks today! Baby Amerine is now considered a "full term" baby which couldn't make me happier! It's so relieving to know he is developed enough to enter the world :)

How much weight have you gained?
Closing in on 30 lbs which is the most I wanted to gain! Hopefully it won't get much higher since I only have a few more weeks to go! I walk between 40 min to an hour almost everyday, and eat really well so I know I'm staying healthy.

How big is baby?
Probably at least 6 lbs, but it's all guess work. I am hoping the Dr. doesn't even give me an estimate because I know they can very easily be off by quite a bit, and I don't need to worry about his weight. He is what he is:)

How are you feeling?
Pretty good today, backache quite a bit, and contractions every now and then, but emotionally I'm feeling really good! The end is near and I know I am approaching my most uncomfortable days, so I'm prepared!

Are you sleeping?
Very sporatically. But I have a feeling my body is just preparing me what it will be like once the boy is here. Sleeping habits will change and I will have to find a new "normal".

What are your current cravings/aversions?
Chocolate anything has been sounding really good for the last few days:) But when does chocolate not sound good??

What’s new for little Baby Amerine?
So much is going on outside of his little protected space to prepare for him, I wish he could see how hard his dad is working to get everything ready for him! We are currently finishing my parents basement so we can move in, so life is very very busy for Jared especially!

What are you thinking about this week?
Anticipating what going into labor will be like. I am very curious to see how my body will react. I'm praying I will go into labor on my own without being induced, but you just never know! So that's on my mind a lot. Also that this is my last week of work. Wow, life is about to change in a big way!

What are you Looking Forward To?
As weird as it sounds I'm relaly looking forward to figuring out our new normal for our family. I'm excited for this transition in life and I know it will be extremly different...but that's ok. I really can't wait till my brother and his family come out here for a month after the baby is born! What a wonderful wonderful time that will be!



~Angela M.

36 weeks!!!


How far along are you?
36 weeks today:) Yikes the end is really approaching!

How much weight have you gained?
26 lbs as of my last appt. Our scale battery is dead, which I figure as of this point it's probably a blessing!

How big is baby?
Around 5 1/2 to 6 lbs according to the books. Hence the backache:)

How are you feeling?
Very tired the last few days...I can tell the end is near so that is a good thing!

Are you sleeping?
a LOT! The last few nights I slept for about 8-9 hours which is way more than normal for me! I think this baby is wearing me out!

What are your current cravings/aversions?
Nothing really in particular these days. I have not been very hungry recently=probably because the boy is taking up so much room.

What’s new for little Baby Amerine?
He is almost fully cooked! If he were a computer that was being updated, he only has like 2% left to go:) I had my shower on Sunday and this boy has sooooo many adorable things!

What are you thinking about this week?
Trying to work as much as I can in the next 2 weeks--just preparing myself for labor and most of all for life with a baby...I still can not fathom what life will be like!

What are you missing?
Lots of stuff--like sleeping on my back. I'm trying to forget about the things I can't do and just cherish the moments I feel him moving around inside of me. The time will come soon when I will again be able to do all the things I miss:)


~Angela M.

How far along are you?
34 weeks and 5 days

How much weight have you gained?
25 lbs--starting to feel scared of myself!

How big is baby?
Between 5 to 5 and a half pounds! A nice healthy weight:)

How are you feeling?
Today felt like a milestone in uncomfortability...which is not necessarily a good thing:( I just keep reminding myself I have about a month to go! And then our beautiful boy will have made it all worth it.

Are you sleeping?
Yes, for the most part. I have been waking up about 3-4 times a night to pee which is really fun:) I usually fall right back to sleep unless our boy is moving like crazy...which happens a few nights a week. But I do love having an active little boy!

What are your current cravings/aversions?
Still the Hot Cocoa, and nice fresh berries now that they are in season. Oh and some delicious Canada Dry Ginger Ale! Yummmmmm!!!

What’s new for little Baby Amerine?
His lungs and kidneys are fully developed:) Yea! He will technically be "full term" in 2 weeks which is really hard to believe:) I can't believe he will be here before we know it!

What are you thinking about this week?
I'm so thankful that Jared finished up his Master's Degree this last week! I'm so so so proud of him, and I'm so thankful he was able to finish BEFORE our boy is coming! Jesus is sooo good! I'm thankful we can now get everything ready for baby!

What are you missing?
I miss feeling "normal". I am so thankful for this time in our lives. I know it will be over before we know it, so even through the uncomfortability is pretty high right now, I try to be as thankful as possible.

What are you looking forward to?
Holding our boy! Kissing his cheeks! Cuddling with him!


~Angela M.

How far along are you?
31 weeks and 5 days

How much weight have you gained?
20 lbs--not fun

How big is baby?
About 3 and a half lbs or so according to all the books

How are you feeling?
Exhausted and starting to feel very uncomfortable...I guess that comes with growing a baby inside of you! He'll be here in about 8 weeks give or take so it's pretty normal to me that everything is starting to ache:)

Are you sleeping?
In the last few weeks I've actually been sleeping really well--I just never feel like I get enough!

What are your current cravings/aversions?
Hot Chocolate:) I have tried it from most of the coffee stands in town--I love it from Bean me Up espresso--hate starbucks cocoa--blech

What’s new for little Baby Amerine?
Little baby boy is starting to pack on the pounds. His little body is just preparing itself to join us out here! A few weeks ago I made some stuffed owls for decor for his room which I am super excited about!

What are you thinking about this week?
I am constantly telling Jared---I can't believe he is going to be here so soon! This time is just flying by. I'm trying to get as much rest as I can now and also finishing up all kinds of things I need to do now.

What are you missing?
I'm missing running and working out hard. I also miss just being able to walk up a flight of stairs without getting out of breath!

What are you looking forward to?
Showing off our precious little miracle to our family and friends:)



~Angela M.

How far along are you?
29 weeks 5 days--so close to 30!!

How much weight have you gained?
20 lbs---yikes!

How big is baby?
About 3 lbs-he'll be putting on about 1/2 a lb. every week.

How are you feeling?
Pretty good these days--It kind of depends on the day. I'm starting to get tired again-I guess that's the 3rd trimester for you:)

Are you sleeping?
Yes I sleep--how long is another story. I just figure God is preparing for what it would be like once the baby is waking me up in the middle of the night:)

What are your current cravings/aversions?
Cravings are mostly things I can't have these days-like regular coffee.

What’s new for little Baby Amerine?
Baby Amerine is mostly developing his lungs, and putting on some weight:) All good things. He's just getting ready to come out into the world.

What are you thinking about this week?
Thinking about getting as much rest as possible while I still can:) Also thinking about our baby boy and praying about the man God will shape him to be.

What are you missing?
I'm really starting to miss just how my body normally feels like. Although I'm just trying to keep in mind that the pregnancy is only going to last for a few more months:( I'm trying to enjoy every moment of this pregnancy:)

What are you looking forward to?
Smelling the skin of the little baby boy and kissing his little face:) I'm also looking forward to dressing him in all the cute little outfits we've already gotten for him.

Random question:
Have you picked out a name?
Yes! We have his full name picked out...Froyo Bongo Amerine!!! Well that's my dad's nickname for our baby. But in all reality we do have his name picked out--it has a very special meaning for us, plus we just like the names:) In about 10 weeks everyone will know what it is!
~Angela M.

How far along are you?24 weeks 5 days.

How much weight have you gained?14 pounds--My back is really starting to feel it!

How big is baby?
Close to 2 pounds--still so tiny:)

How are you feeling?
My back is not loving me right now. I am recalling anytime prior to pregnancy when I thought I was uncomfortable. The only thing remotely close to this is when I was having major back pains while running. Sigh.

Are you sleeping?
Yes-I'm never really sure how much I sleep--on average I've been waking up about 4-6 times a night just to get comfortable.

What are your current cravings/aversions?
Today I wanted some homemade biscuits:) I'm planning on making some this week!

What’s new for little Baby Amerine?
In this next week his spinal cord and vertebrae will really be developing. His nose is becoming unplugged, although his eyes are still fused shut. He LOVES moving around, and I love it too:)

What are you thinking about this week?
We've been praying for our little guy a lot. It is so important to us that we display Christ in everything we do so our son will come to know Christ's love early on. The closer it gets the more desperate I feel on the guidance and love of God! Raising a kid is a scary thing!

What are you missing?
I miss not running out of breath after going up a flight of stairs. Oh lungs you are running out of space.

What are you looking forward to?
Facing my fears of being a mom.
Preparing a room for our baby.
Drinking coffee again.

Random question:
What is your favorite piece of maternity clothing?
Um hello...elastic waist pants! I can't believe I've been missing out on these things!
~Angela M.

How far along are you?
23 weeks 3 days.

How much weight have you gained?

12 pounds-terrifying!!!

How big is baby?
A little over a pound! He's measuring almost a week big-which maybe means he will come a little early--one can hope!

How are you feeling?
I've been feeling uncomforable recently. With the added weight in the front, everything just hurts most of the time. Trying to do Yoga several times a week to help. Emotionally I'm doing great though!

Are you sleeping?
It depends on the night. I am waking up at least 2 times a night---I guess my body is just preparing me for what it will be like!

What are your current cravings/aversions?
Puppy Chow (or Muddy Buddies as some people call them). If you've never has it before you are missing out on one of the great joys of life. Chex cereal with peanut butter, melted chocolate chips covered with powdered sugar. Soooo good.

What’s new for little Baby Amerine?
Our little BOY is growing and packing on the weight these days--which is a great thing! I've been continuing to score big time at the Other Mother quarter sale! Jared keeps telling me that people are going ot buy stuff for us, but I just can't help myself when it's only 25 cents!

What are you thinking about this week?
Overwhelmed with thankfulness for God's faithfulness-knowing that we have a healthy baby boy!

What are you missing?
Still missing running and also a delicious French Press of Guatemala Antigua...

What are you looking forward to?
Showing our guy off to everyone:)
Working out hard again-weird I know.

Random question: What is the weirdest name someone has suggested for you to use
My dad for some reason thinks our baby should be called Froyo Bongo. I rather like Marco Polo:)

~Angela M.

17 weeks and counting:

One of my old roomates from Cali recently had a baby, and she kept this cute little update on her blog during her pregnancy that I just loved:) It was such a clever way to keep people who were interested updated on all the weird questions everyone wants the answers to. So I thought I would steal Carrie's idea-thanks friend!

How far along are you?
17 weeks 5 days.

How much weight have you gained?

5 pounds-scary!

How big is baby?
about half a pound, and about 5.5 inches long:)

How are you feeling?
I really feel great! I just can't complain. My energy levels have been up recently which is much relief to Jared and myself. My winter allergies have kicked in the last few days, but it is nothing out of the ordinary and some symptoms are starting to go away! Just trying to stay positive and beat the allergies naturally!

Are you sleeping?
Pretty good. I wake up 1-2 times to pee (which is my normal routine even when I'm not pregnant lol). I'm usually pretty uncomfortable by the time I wake up, so that helps me get out of bed.

What are your current cravings/aversions?
The only craving I've really had is Salt and Vinegar chips and a Frosty fron Wendy's every time we drive by one, but I'm not sure if that is a pregnancy thing:) The only aversion I have is the smell of this candle at my parents place. Good thing I'm not going to eat it.

What’s new for little Baby Amerine?
I just scored at a second hand store for baby clothes. They were having a quarter sale, so I got about 7 outfits and other random things for $2.40!! Not really getting much else until we find out the gender.

What are you thinking about this week?
Feeling overwhelmed at how much our lives will change--enjoying my moments of quiet--praying that God will help us to raise our child to love Him.

What are you missing?
I miss running. Sooooo much.

What are you looking forward to?
Smelling our little baby---holding our baby---watching Jared take care of our precious child.

Random question: What do you think it will look like?
I can't even imagine! I think our child will be easier to imagine once we find out the gender in a few weeks!!



~Angela M.

New Years Blessing

I have not posted in quite some time: mostly because all I can think about these days is our little precious baby that will be born in June!!! We kept it a secret for a while since we were waiting to tell Jared's family in person.

So far, pregnancy has been a great experience for us! I really did not get sick much in a first semester--several of my friends have, so I feel like my slight nausea is nothing to complain about. Although the fatigue scale was like an 11 out of 10, I took advantage of the fact that this is the one time in my life where I can sleep as much as I want and not feel guilty about it.

We are already 15 weeks into the adventure--I'm relishing each quiet moment at our house knowing in about 6 months everything will change!!!

We have known for a few years now that we are going to adopt, and of course us being pregnant does not change that plan at all--it may just be a few more years before we start the process. We are thrilled to see the family the Lord is bringing together as we speak:)
~Angela M.

My Favorite Time of Year

The month and a half before Christmas are my favorite of the entire year. I love the sounds and smells of the season. I love the red and green--the silly looking Santa's---multiple manger scenes---the Christmas Trees---the songs---the delight of a sip of hot cocoa after spending a few hours shoveling or sledding.

There is no other time of year like this one, and I love to embrace it for all it's worth. I feel particularly blessed this year as we already have over a foot of snow! Some people see this as a curse rather than a blessing, but I just can't help but marvel at the power God holds to completely cover creation, and the symbolism of Christ covering my sins and making my whiter than snow.

I'm hoping and praying that this Christmas season will yet again bring life long memories. I'm looking forward to playing in retirement homes as I did last year, bringing smiles to the faces of those who are often forgotten during the season.

Love most of all celebrating God, and the gift of His Son Jesus. As it says in the song I'm currently listening to:

How many kings, stepped down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
How many Gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that has torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?
Only one did that for me

Merry Christmas:)



~Angela M.

Time seems to be a phenomenon to me.

It feels like it was just yesterday when Jared and I became no longer individuals--but a united couple...the "A-Team" as we like to refer to ourselves as. Wasn't it just a few weeks ago that all our wonderful friends and family were surrounding us and showering us with the blessing of joining us in our celebration? It seems like Jared was just promising to be with me as long as our earthly lives endure...

And yet--it was almost 4 years ago...wow.

In those 4 years, I have understood even more fully what a blessing Jared has been to my life. Not that I couldn't live without Jared, but without a doubt-I would never want to go through this adventure without him. It seems almost impossible to try to express what a joy this journey is. But it really all goes back to our loving Savior. Without Him-there would be no journey to have. No family. No friends. No purpose or joy.

Praise be to the God of all things good.

I remember journaling before Jared and I got married: I decided I did not want to be with anyone unless we were bettering the kingdom of God together more so than we were apart from each other. Then when I experienced the ministry Jared and I were able to do together, I knew it was an answer to prayer.

Thanks God for this gift.
~Angela M.

Don't judge me, but I can not help but just LOVE "On the Road with Austin and Santino" This show is simply amazing, funny, and hysterical---even Jared enjoys watching it with me simply for the sheer laugh factor. ADORE.

~Angela M.

Answered Prayer:

Have you ever really prayed for something? I'm talking about on your knees, practically begging, pleading for God's will to take place while you are waiting? That is where Jared and I have been the last few months. Since Jared completed his student teaching in May, he quickly began filling out application after application for Math Teacher positions. We began our process applying here in Spokane and over where my brother lives in Michigan, thinking surely something would happen with one of those jobs...May came and went, June came and went, and by the time July was over, we had applied all over Washington, some in Idaho, and over in Michigan. We went from praying everyday, to praying multiple times a day! I recall one particular day just over a week ago: I was working at Starbucks, and Jared had spent yet another day filling out applications. I am so confident that teaching is exactly where Jared is supossed to be, and I know he will be fantastic, but most employers don't let you put your wife as a reference;) That day, I felt like an Israelite...my prayer sounded something like this "Oh Lord, please let Jared feel like all his hard work and effort is paying off...He needs something...anything...I know he doesn't deserve anything, but he would be so great at serving You through a teaching job. More than anything Lord, we want what You want."
a few hours later, Jared called me with the news that he has been asked to interview for a middle school teaching job here in Spokane he had applied for several months ago. Several days later, he had the interview, 2 days after that, Glover Middle School offered Jared a full time teaching position.
Now what does this have to do with my prayer...I don't know, maybe not much in the realm of Jared actually getting the job, but what I do know, is that God brought me to a place of complete and utter desperation. It was a good place. I found humility in that place. I found that I could not fix everything for Jared. I
found hope and rest in no knowing.
God taught me so much in those desperation prayer moments. I'm so thankful that I feel we have truly grown and learned through this process. We know this job is a complete gift from the Lord and nothing done on our own strength. Jared will be a fantastic teacher, and I feel ready to embrace the times of "not knowing".

~Angela M.

Several weeks ago my wonderful husband surprised me with a fun and exciting photo scavenger hunt--here are a couple of my favorites from the afternoon! All were taken in the lovely downtown Spokane...hopefully you can tell what we were trying to take pictures of!

~Angela M.

Recovery and Celebration!!

Wow.

I just ran a marathon. A real true live marathon! The preparations in getting ready for the event have been such a long process...5 months of training, but much more then that mentally preparing. It has been a life goal of mine for a few years now to run a marathon, and to run it with my husband. Yesterday I accomplished that unbelievable goal. Unbelievable in the sense that I know with all my heart that I could not have done the race without God's strength. Running this race was an amazing way to connect with God--enjoying His beauty in people and in creation, and in the ability to push through the pain, even when I felt I could now take another step-I was reminded it is Christ's power IN me, living in me, working through me-to take me further then ever before.

Highlights of the Race:
Having my Parents there. I can not express enough how much it meant to me to have my parents there supporting us not only emotionally, but physically being there. At about mile 20, 24, and 25, my parents were there holding signs, cheering for us--telling us how good we looked (even though I'm sure we looked like Zombie's with concrete shoes). I have probably some of the very best parents in the entire world. No exaggeration.

Watching the Sunset over the Mountains:
Probably my favorite moment of the morning in terms of connecting with the Creator. I could not stop looking over to the side as the gorgeous rays of sunlight shattered the skies. "The Heavens Declare the Glory of God".

Seeing Jared and Daniel push through the pain:
I think worse than experiencing any physical pain myself, was seeing Daniel and Jared experience pain. Jared is always the encourager for me, and for one of the first times ever, I was the one being the encourager. And boy did they make me proud. Jared is one of the most amazing men I've ever met in my life--and being with him while I know he was going through excruciating pain, and still going was an amazing moment.

Finishing:
Nothing else to sum it up. You can actually see our finish here

Just type in my bib number: 20

~Angela M.

1 Week to Go...

It's hard to believe that after about 4 or so months of training, the marathon is only 1 weeks away. I can almost feel the muscle and joint fatigue already! My 20 mile run earlier this week proved to go over better then I thought---I was even able to work a 4 hour shift at work an hour after I had finished running. The difficult thing about this week is actually the lack of running we will be doing. Short runs of about 4-6 miles with 1-2 days of rest somewhere in there.
I am so often reminded during the run that "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength". I'm sure that verse will be quoted more times then ever before next Sunday morning! In the meantime, resting, stretching and light running. I'm about to go out the door for my last "long run"--just 10 miles today. Never thought I would say I'm "Just" going to go run 10 miles!!
~Angela M.

Countdown to the Marathon:

It's so hard to believe we are actually in the final days of marathon training...
Less than 3 weeks away!!! Jared, Daniel and I ran 18 miles yesterday, in perfect running conditions-60 degrees and overcast--and I could not believe how great it felt! What a relief that was. So far I'm feeling really good-minus the gigantic blisters on both big toes. Occaisionally I'll start to have hip pain after about an hour of running, but I've been trying to be diligent about icing them. Jared has been struggling with some knee pain, but we think it is probably his IT band, so hopefully we can get it under control. And we've gotten a hang of the whole hydration thing-we've got a water belt and every 20 min we walk for about 30 sec or so while we get a drink.
It took us just over 2 and a half hours. I know in the back of my mind I am hoping to finish the marathon in under 4 hours, although I also know it is best to not set a time goal for the first marathon. I know I will be happy just to finish! I'm super thrilled that my parents are both going to make the trip out to Missoula to cheer us on-Wow it will be so amazing to have them there to see us make that accomplishment. We've all got our hotel rooms, registration is complete, and running will start to taper off.

I'm so excited...we have actually started planning our next marathon for the fall!! We're open to suggestions-September or Octoberish
~Angela M.