I greatly apologize to all my devoted fans and readers for the too-long hiatus you've been forced to endure while I spent the last month or so transitioning into my new life. I'm going to put blogging back on my priority list, but I'm not making any promises at this point as to how often you'll actually get an update. I love you all very much, but life is in session.

I suppose that the most efficient way for the pickle jar to make a comeback is to create a list of all the sweet and sour bits of life from the last few weeks. I'm a list maker by nature, but I'm terrible at hierarchies, so these are in no particular order.

1. I am and have been a real-live teacher for a month now. It still feels weird sometimes that I'm not the one in school anymore, but I love what I do. I'm sure that you all know someone in the teaching profession who could tell you all about the stress and mountains of work that go into molding young minds, and I am no stranger to climbing (and tumbling down) those mountains. However, I get to get up everyday and spend time with an amazing group of young people who continue to inspire, frustrate, encourage, and challenge me on a daily basis. I am certain that this is where I was made to be.

2. I just moved into a my very first grown-up apartment last week. It's a bit scary to actually be out on my own, paying my own bills, and coming home to an empty place every night, but I'm beginning to get used to it. I've always liked to be in control of how I spend my time, so that part is nice. I am confident that things will get easier. Some days are sweet; some days are sour. But everyday I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to be where I am.

3. Rob and I are still running, now on a daily basis. Our 5k for the JDRF is next weekend, and hopefully I'll have a post about how we were able to run the whole thing in roughly 45 min. It's still hard for me to keep going with the running routine, but I know I will feel so proud and accomplished when we cross that finish line.

4. Rob and I are also now sponsoring a child from Togo, West Africa through the Compassion International program. We send them money every month so that Francios can eat, sleep comfortably, go to school, and learn about Jesus. I am so excited to write my first letters and hear all about Francios' life. I still dream about being able to go hold babies in Africa someday, but until I get the opportunity to do that, I am doing what I can to make a difference.

In addition, here are a few things that you might see posts about in the near future, assuming that I can keep this up:

knitting

a new women's Bible study

Poetry Friday

experiences at a new church home

Wildcat Football

JDRF 5k

my sweet, sweet babies

ducks on the fishing pond

I hope this has been successful in satisfying your appetite for my interesting and witty entries. That's life in the pickle jar.

The me I never thought I would be

My parents both grew up playing sports. And I don't mean they liked sports and played in summer leagues and had a great time. Those things are all true, but it was more than that for them. Sports were what both of their young lives were all about and they both played every kind of sport available to them. So, by the time my sister and I were old enough to be on sports teams, we were. Softball was the biggest one at my house. My parents started coaching when I was only 4 years old (we were serious about ball, so I skipped tee-ball and started playing coach-pitch softball at the age of 4). They either coached or were our biggest cheerleaders until my sister decided to stop playing at the age of about 14. She's 4 years younger than me, so means our family was involved in softball (and basketball or volleyball during the school year) for about 14 consecutive years. Athleticism is in my blood. But it's not really in my body. I was always very strong, but never very fast. I'm not a runner. Even from my young days of softball, my daddy taught me to hit the ball really far so that I could make it to first base before they got the ball back into the infield. I've never been a runner.

By the time I made it to high school, I had practically given up on sports all together. I didn't enjoy them anymore because I was in terrible shape, and it was always too hard to play. I had just decided that that wasn't the girl I was going to be. Once I got to Harding and decided that I did not like my appearance or level of healthiness, Rob and I began a regular daily work out that we kept up for 3 school years. It was crazy. I never would have thought that I would become the girl who worked out regularly, appreciated its effect on my body, mind, and health, and even sometimes enjoyed it. Exercise has been a blessing for my life for sometime. However, even through all of that, I still wasn't a runner. My working out was mostly on the elliptical machines and lifting weights, etc. I am not a runner. My body wasn't created that way. But, like most things in my life, dramatic changes tend to come with a good cause attached. I've done a ton of things in my life that I never thought I'd do because they would benefit someone I cared about.

So now, thanks to a sweet lady who has blessed my life immensely by mothering me in just the way I needed, I am on my way to being a runner.

My friend, and former club sponsor, Lisa Burley's son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes last year. Regina really wanted to walk with her in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Walk for a Cure last fall, but scheduling made it impossible. This year, Lisa has created an online team profile where people can join Burley's Bunch and pledge to raise money and walk with her. Lisa and the Burley family are so special to me that I just couldn't pass up the opportunity. So, I signed up, assuming that walking a 5K on a Saturday morning in September would be fun and for a good cause. Then I began talking to my friends, several of whom have other children in their lives who suffer from this dreadful disease. And Rob decided she wanted to do it with me, but, congruent with her nature, she also decided we needed to go all out. She has set us up with a training schedule where we run three times a week and will spend the summer working up to a place where we're able to run the whole 5K without stopping. I'm terrified, to say the least.

We began week 3 last night, and for the first time in more years than I can count, I ran 3 full minutes without stopping. Twice.

It's still pretty hard on me, and sometimes I still hate to go. But I like the way I feel after running, and I love the way I feel when I think about all the research that JDRF is doing and the idea that our children may see a cure within our lifetimes.