Halling Go To Alaska

Had you asked me 5 years ago where I would be in fall 2010 I would *never* have guessed.  I would have no way in aych-ee double hockey sticks would I be back "home". If you had asked me 3 years ago how I felt about being home, I would have told you that I was adjusting. If you had asked me 2 years ago if some of my staunchest allies would be people I had yet to meet, I would have cocked my head to the side and given you a funny look. But today, here I sit.  In my hometown.  A place I once swore I would never want to move back to.  A place I didn't think was right for my girls. My girls, in the year 2010, will turn 10, 8, and 5.  When did I get to be the mother of a 10-year-old? When would I have ever thought that I would be planning trips around running races? If you had asked me one year ago if I would willing sign myself up and train to run a marathon, I'd have told you that you were crazy. And yet, all of these things have happened.  And I have too many ...

This weekend was a mix of relaxing, enjoying, and trying not to die from the gunk that infiltrated from what I can only assume is new germs from Sweet Pea's new preschool mixed with allergies.  Fun times in our house, let me tell you.  I'm behind on my pictures from last week.  I'm *hoping* to get those done by tomorrow.  But I've been busy fundraising for my niece and getting all the background stuff and management stuff that goes into starting something like from the ground up. I'm here. I'm trying.  I'll be back.

I will be leaving tomorrow and not coming home for 13 days.  That's the longest I've been gone for...well a long time.  The whole family is heading to Maine tomorrow for my dad's family reunion.  It's always a ton of fun.  I get to see my cousins and my dad's siblings (he's one of 7).  I'm looking forward to rest and relaxation...and some running and hiking and canoeing and maybe fishing.  I will be taking a ton of pictures.  I will have internet, but I'm not sure if I will make the time for blogging.  I'm sure I'll be on Twitter - because I'm a little addicted like that.  Then on the 27th I fly with my little family to Chicago where they will leave me and head home.  I get to stay in Chicago until the 1st for a conference.  And as I mentioned in a previous post, before the conference I get to have a little meet up with Bari (and maybe Allyson ?).  I'm really excited about meeting them.  Bari is going to show me Chicago b...

At RCIA this week we had a discussion about what we liked and didn't like about our retreat last weekend.  I think mentioned the retreat in passing, on twitter at least.  I love trying to understand people.  I always have.  There was a point in my early college days that I thought I wanted to major in sociology or psychology because I love (like big-puffy-heart love) pondering the whys of someone.  I have practiced on myself endlessly.  So retreats to me are awesome on so many levels.  You get to learn about people's stories and I get to tell some of mine.  These stories that make up our lives are what make us who we are.  Little know fact.  T and I broke up 8 months after we first dated.  I went away to college and the long distance relationship at just barely 18 was too much for me.  I admit that I allowed a friendship with someone else take T's place.  I broke T's heart.  I am not proud of myself.  I was ...

Head over here. Thinking about making this one permanent since they actually had my title available. Still need to tinker with things and figure WordPress out, but I've been on there long enough, and I'm supposed to be working.