Let's Talk About the Joy

I've been thinking a lot about writing again. I should be thinking about writing my thesis, but I've been thinking about writing on this blog I created so long ago. 

It's been months since my last post. So much has changed, and yet so much is still the same. 

My favorite kid has cancer again. I didn't think I'd ever have to write that. This past week she started chemo and had an emergency surgery to fix her broken donor bone. It's been really hard for me this time around. I want her to be healthy so bad. I want her to grow up and be big and strong. I just love her so much I can barely stand it. She really is the bravest person I know. 

I got up on Saturday morning before the sun came up to run a 5K. It was my first race in over a year. I've been helping with a 5K training group at work, and it's been really amazing to see how running integrated into their lives. Each person is so different, but they came together every Tuesday and Saturday to run together. Now that's fellowship. And I absolutely love our No Boundaries group. 

I've also been working on a coffee table project. 

I've been bring this beat up old trunk back to life. It's going to make a beautiful piece of furniture in my new apartment. Yep, I said it. My new apartment. One bedroom. Hopefully with a perfect Boston Terrier puppy....if I can find one. 

I'm mixing old with new in my new place. So I bought this couch. I'm basically in love with it, and I can't wait to sit on it every day. It's the most comfortable thing ever. 

I'm kind of nervous to live by myself. I've never really wanted to do that. But it's time. Things....They are a-changin'. Which can be a good thing. Like decorating the new place. And getting a puppy dog. 

I have lots of reason to be joyful. So I'm gonna be. 

Arkansas Outside Follow-Up: Bit's 5K

I'm back at Arkansas Outside today.

I was super excited when I was asked to write a follow-up piece to "Why I Run."

And I'm pleased to tell you the Show a Lil Bit of Love for Asher Ray 5K and Baggo Tournament was a huge success.

Since my mom didn't run, I ran with one of her good friends and running buddies. Kerri is an excellent motivator, and I love getting the opportunity to run with her.

My mom and dad worked the final water station with my best friend from high school Shannon and her mom Kimble and my mom's other running buddy Lisa. Shannon tried to get me to pose. I think I did pretty good.

Overall, it was a wonderful day. And I came out of the race with some pretty nice stats.

Distance: 3.11 miles
Time: 34:35
Best Pace: 8:33
Average Pace: 11:07
Calories: 363

And I'm pretty sure Asher had a awesome time, too.

Via Maurie Alderson at Studio M Photography

So head on over to Arkansas Outside and see what I did there.

Happy Wednesday!! Party on!

Asher Update: Chemo Round 5 Recap, Scans and Post Round-Up

Could this kid be any cuter?

I may be biased, but I think she is pretty special. P.S. that leopard print skirt is Asher's new hair. I think it the equivalent of curls.

Last week was Chemo Round 5 for this sweet girl. And she came through just fine. It's crazy that we have to keep her entertained while she gets chemo. And I'm so thankful she can go to Camp Wannaplay during her treatment since she can't go when her count gets super low.

This is the week where we will go in because her white blood count will drop to basically non-existent. It is one of the toughest times for us because she is not all get-up-and-go, which is her normal personality. The last time she was neutropenic (no white blood cells), she had a nine day hospital stay. So please be praying for a faster recovery of what we know is inevitable.

She is going in for clinic tomorrow and getting her second round of scans to check her progress. Last time we got good news. And I can only hope for the same this time. Please say lots and lots of prayers for this sassy lady because The Big Guy will hear us. And He has heard us.

Thanks to Paige from Approaching Joy, there has been an increase in readers on some of the Asher posts. So I thought it would be nice to do a post round-up so you can have the story all in one place.

• The First One: A Call for Prayer Warriors
• A Heartfelt Thank You: Written because of the outpouring of love from family, friends and strangers
• Two Major Things: Explains her treatment plan and how to give
• Round One is Over: Chemo round one recap
• Low White Blood Count: The first bount with neutropenia
• Pixie Hairs Everywhere: The first signs of hair loss
• Self Reflections: The shaved head and my thoughts about it all to that point
• Prayer Warrior T-Shirts: How to get one...and we will have ways to get more soon

It has been a short amount of time we have been dealing with this. But it feels like so much longer. I'm sure Justin and Susan feel like it's been years in a mere matter of months.

Dealing with childhood cancer is the biggest test of faith and patience. Each day is a journey within the journey. A test of true character. A learning experience. But it's also a showcase of unconditional love for this little girl. And one of many ways to show God's grace and healing power.

If you are new to the this blog and Asher's story, I hope that you will like The Brooklyn Project on Facebook so you can keep up with her journey on a daily basis.

But we have ways you can get involved directly if you feel the urge.

Sign up for the Show a Lil "Bit" of Love for Asher Ray 5K Run/Walk and Baggo Tournament. If you want a registration form, leave a comment at the end of this post, and I will send you one.

Get tickets to the Gallery of Hope to support the American Childhood Cancer Organization of Arkansas. Asher and her mom Susan will have art featured in the auction. If you have trouble with the link, you can call 501-420-4219.

Thank you for your support. I can't say it enough. We could not do it without you and your prayers. Please feel free to share this on your blog, Facebook page or Twitter. We love to tell her story. The more Prayer Warriors the better.

Self Reflections

Yesterday was the first day since Asher was diagnosed that I cried. I had just gotten home from work, and I checked Facebook to see if any updates had been made to The Brooklyn Project. Susan had posted a status on the page, and it wasn't one I had expected.

The bravest little girl in the world just stood there and let me shave her head with zero protest. This child amazes me.


And that was all it took. Waterworks central. Tears rolled down my face, and I just let them. When we found out she was sick, I made a pact with myself to not cry in front of her. And I've kept it. So these tears were three weeks of held-back tears. Talk about a release.

In the midst of my crying, Susan sent me a text of this.

And I lost it again. More tears. How beautiful is she? Look how happy and at ease she is. This child's life has changed drastically in the past three weeks, and she still has the carefree, child-like smile and attitude (for the most part).

In a desperate attempt to get myself together, I went for a lone run at the Big Dam Bridge. And I was blessed with the most wonderful inner peace.

All was right. My mind was quiet. My worries ceased. It was just me, the sound of my feet on the pavement and my easy breathing. The most perfect run.

I could have ran for days. Or at least it seemed like it. But it was getting dark quick so I called it quits when I hit the 5K mark.

As I drove home, I reveled in post-run glory and thanked the Father over and over for giving me just what I needed. What I've been needing for a long time. And He delivered just at the right time. How sneaky and perfect is that?

"Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way." 
Colossians 3:15-17 The Message Bible.


Today's the day I begin working on cultivating thankfulness in all areas of my life. Asher's diagnosis has taught me patience and perseverance. But Asher, the old soul trapped in a three-year-old body, has taught me to keep moving forward through the bad moments and to be thankful and happy for the good moments. This is only the beginning...So many more lessons to learn from her. #Godisgood


What has she taught you? Leave a comment if you'd like to share.

A Big Deal

As I'm sure you can see, some things look different here on the ole blog. I told you as part of my New Year's resolutions that I would be redesigning the blog. And this is where it's going. Sleek and simple. I'm not sure if I'm sold on the new header...but it will do for now. Enough of the housekeeping, on the guts of this post.

I've got some big news. I ran my first 5K without stopping on Saturday morning. Ran the entire 3.1 miles in 32 minutes and 46 seconds. And let me just say that that time is under the 33-minute mark I set I don't know how long ago.

HOORAY!!!!! I'm so excited about it. And so was my momma.

We all had a good race. I placed 5th in my age division, just one spot away from getting a medal. Next time, I'll be there.

Kerri, me, Mom and Lisa

Kerri got 2nd in her age division, Mom got 4th and Lisa got 1st. It was a good day, minus the heat.

After the race was over, I had to get some water. It was so hot. But once we cooled down a bit, Mom, Lisa and I took off for another mile and a half.

All in all, I'd say it was a pretty good run on pretty good day.

Here are my stats:
Distance: 4.5 miles
Time: 50:01
Best Pace: 8:43
Average Pace: 11:07
Calories: 539

I also need to mention that I got some new running swag at the Nike Store the other day.

Two pairs of shorts and one of my most favorite tank tops. Hooray for pay day. Someone needs to inform Nike and Brooks that I am officially unofficially a running model of all their products. I mean seriously...I already wear it all the time...Let me be a spokesperson. I love Nike. I love Brooks running shoes.

10K training is going ok. This week I have a 5-miler to put in the books. I'm thinking I will do that on Wednesday. Today I'm going to do some hill work...not my favorite thing. But I'm ready to get out there. We've had some beautiful weather here lately, and I'm loving being outside all the time.

How was your weekend?


Did you run? 

Jingle Bell Rockin' 5K

You are in the midst of a star. Yep, that's right. A star. Mom and I were on TV Saturday night after the Light Up the Night 5K in downtown Little Rock.

I tried to find the video, but stupid Internet Explore keeps informing me that I need to update my browser. And I can't update my browers because I don't have admin access to my work computer. #firstworldproblems

The point of the 5K was to dress up and run the downtown streets while admiring Christmas lights put up by local businesses.

So we dressed up. It was a pretty big group of us. And there was somewhere around 900 people running in the race. The only downer was the lack of Christmas lights and decor along the race track. And it was freaking freezing. So cold, in fact, that I didn't get warm until after I took the hottest shower and drank some hot tea. My body is basically without blood. (I'm kidding...Calm down.)

When I got home from the race, I put my race bib with all my other race bibs. And it made me feel really good to see them all grouped together.

My little boards are running out of room. And I haven't quite figured out what is the best way to keep up with them. I don't really want to put them in a box just yet. It's all so new to me still. The nostaglia hasn't even wore off each bib yet.

Each of the three bibs has the race name and date and my finishing time written on the back. I can't really remember if I wrote other stuff, but I know those three things are on it. Two 5Ks and a 10K. Woot Woot.

On a completely different note, I've discovered the sheer genius of what is awkwardfamilyphotos.com. While scrolling through the blog of photos, I found this and thought it was appropriate for this Christmas season.

Pretty sure I laughed until tears came out my eyes. I love everything about it. Really rings in the Christmas spirit.

What have you been up to?

Do you have any awkward family photos?
I have some old dance photos I'm sure could win awkward family photo prizes. But there is one photo in particular that would win millions...Let's just say I went through a phase with short hair, braces, glasses and sparkly blue butterfly clippies...I wish I was joking about this.

An Impromptu 5K

There is no going back. We have ran 3.1 miles. THREE POINT ONE MILES. That is a 5K.

It was glorious. 39:40. 315 calories. Best pace 9:24. Average pace 12:48. HOLLA!!!

Here's what we did. Logan, Lindsay, the roommate and I started out with a very fast paced walk for 2-3 minutes (which went undocumented by the watch so we could get an accurate sense of the time it would take with the 5K).

We would run 10 minutes at a 12:00 pace. And then walk for 1 minute. Until we reached the goal of 3.1 miles.

The only difficulty we ran into was running out of light. Since the days are getting shorter but not cooler earlier, it is hard for us to commit to a specific time. We want to go, but we don't want to burst into flames or melt on the sidewalk.

This impromptu 5K means we can never go back. There will be no more running 25 minutes. No more 2 milers. This is crunch time. We are six weeks out until race day, and I don't want us facing something we aren't ready for, but could have been ready for.

So we will run 3.1 miles each time. And pray that it cools down enough to bear it before dark.

I'm so excited to have ran the distance I set out for so long ago. It is a major accomplishment that must be repeated. I won't get to run again until Friday since I have class tomorrow night. Dang school for making me miss a group running session.

I guess I will just have to make friends with school work and knock it out so I can still have some fun. So tonight I will go home to this.

I still have some chapters to read and a few things to prepare before tomorrow night's class.

Hope you are having a glorious Wednesday!!

If you haven't read Cely's blog Running Off the Reese's, you definitely need to read it today. She writes a weekly WTF Wednesday post. And when you are from rural Arkansas, like me, you will (might) enjoy the WTF topic she talked about this morning. Cely is one of the funniest bloggers I've ever read. Sometimes she makes me laugh out loud. Check it out!

Ashten Does Life

Last night was epic. EPIC.

The roommate, Logan, Lindsay, and I ran our first 5K. The Do Life 5K. My mom ran with us for moral support. She basically yelled encouraging words the entire time. But let's not get too far ahead. Let's start at the beginning.

I was pretty nervous about running with people, which is weird since I run with the above people all the time. I think it was because I knew I would be running with other "runners." Thankfully some people walked. Therefore, it made us feel better about walking.

The little boy in the red was my running buddy in the beginning. He was FAST!!! Too fast for me. But absolutely precious.

Our group did intervals the entire race. We ran 3 minutes and walked 2 minutes the first mile and a half. Then we changed to run 2 minutes walk 3 minutes on the way back.

Lindsay and I crossed the finish line together after a short trot through the grass. Don't ask me...the race track had a part that took you through the grass. I did not make this up. Logan and the roommate crossed the finish line just a few minutes behind us.

IT WAS WONDERFUL. I've never been so happy in my life. We were all so happy and tired. And in love with the run. It was amazing. And it was our first attempt. And we did it. WE. DID. IT. I just keep saying that over and over again.

After the run, the roommate had to show off her sweet tubing bruise that has slowly slid down her arm as the days have passed. It still looks fugly.

Mom had an awesome sweat band round her middle. Sexy...

And I jumped around like an idiot yelling and screaming about how we did it.

Who knew I could jump so high? Must be my sweet shoes mixed with adrenaline and endorphins.

We were tired. We were sweaty. We were happy.

It's an awesome feeling to accomplish something you didn't know you could do. We all just started running a month ago (with the exception of my mom who has been running for 3 years and has completed numerous 5Ks and a half marathon), and it has already changed our lifes and daily routines. I look oh so forward to many more runs with these people.

It was also very cool to run my first 5K with the Do Life Movement. The Do Life Movement, a grassroots movement, was started by Ben Davis, a friend of mine from college. He wanted to change his life, and he did. Along the way, he has changed the lives of some many other people, myself included. To be able to share this experience with him is something I will forever cherish.

Keep doing life, my friend, and people will continue to have the will to change their lives. I'm so proud of you.

For more information about the Do Life Movement and the Official Unofficial Do Life 5K Tour, check out Ben Does Life. I got a t-shirt to help support Ben, his brother and his father as the tour the country running 5Ks.

After I completed my first 5K, I think I need a t-shirt to remember it. #runningnostalgia