Rasita My Family, My Animals, My Food

It was a good day to be out and running through the Australian bush, along dirt trails. The day started with light cloud cover, giving false promises of a cool and even temperatured day. It wasn’t long upon arriving that the clouds decided to dissipate, and with that the humidity rose. It was still pleasant however, it just meant you sweated a little more.

Today I ran with my 4 girls, which was an interesting experience in itself. One was super eager to run and took off as soon as the gun went off. Fortunately the track was really well marked and there was no need for her to heed my instructions should she get lost. She did fine and apparently arrived in before the first 10k runner (we were doing the 5k). The others stayed with me on strict instructions not to get out of my sight. My eldest, who has had a break from running, struggled under the humidity, heat and hills. Possibly also the fact she didn’t eat breakfast beforehand either. She made it around and for that I am proud of her. My youngest two did well and quite often I would send them ahead to the ‘next white ribbon’ at which they would get a little break and sometimes a sip of water. The ribbons were about 50m apart.

All of my girls did well on this run, especially considering the level of training they have had recently, which hasn’t been a lot. I think it has also given them a taste for these types of races. We came dead last in the 5k but we completed it and the girls got extra claps from the spectators for completing it all.

Happy New Year

Goodbye to the old year and hello to the new year of 2012.

This past year has been one of ups and downs. Life has been a struggle but also a blessing.

This past year

- I saw my grandfather pass away

- financial struggles as we continue to learn to live on a salary (it was a blessing also as we could finally budget knowing what our income would be)

- I had to stop running due to an injury of overuse and bad shoe inserts

- conflict in our street, which now seems to be resolved

- weekends away with friends doing something I would never have done before

- a house move at the beginning of the year

- nutrition studies done and finished with the best possible score (99% on one and 100% on another). I now want to continue this line of study, though it will have to wait

- progress in my dyslexic daughters school work

- the offer of a traineeship for my eldest daughter

- and lots more.

I am glad the year happened as I feel that I have learned much from it. I feel that it has given me direction for next year, and the coming years. I feel that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, that I won’t always be stuck doing this, that I can achieve, but that life will still suck some times and pull me down, but I can get back up and keep going. I have friends, I have family, I have God, I have somewhere to live and food on the table.

It has been a week of ups and downs, exciting stuff and mundane stuff.

I have had the opportunity to spend some of it with some awesome kids (young and old), some awesome friends (young at heart) and my own awesome family.

Saturday saw my family descend upon another and for those few hours I got to walk in the shoes of a single mother of 8 kids. I now appreciate more how hard it is. I still had a good time though.

Sunday

Church and a reassuring word for our pastor

Monday

We splashed about in a freshwater creek before heading out on a rewarding bread run (we got prawns and chatted with new friends)

Tuesday

A relaxing day at home

Wednesday

A full on day spent with friends, swimming lessons and family

Thursday

Spent with my gorgeous and intelligent niece, and a walk around the large block (5km), in the rain, with my hubby. We talked!

Friday

The laptop had an accident but still works fortunately, then I had fun with a dear friend, no kids and a shopping centre

Tomorrow and Sunday

more friends, and gorgeous kids, and I am looking forward to it

I asked my 12yr old (nearly 13 as she would remind me) daughter to draw a couple of pictures of mums on the run. This is what she came up with.

I could see these on a shirt somewhere