Report...

I thought it might be time for a progress report regarding my training for the Cancer to 5K.

I don't know if you've been wondering how things are going or not, but I'm here to make a report as we get into Week 3.  I'm still here!  My training schedule is set for 3 days of running/week--they are sets of 1 min jog/1 min walk--and increasing number of sets along the way.  On the "rest" days I'm getting in some walk time for the 3 Day or a pilates session if time is running short in my day.  All in all, I'm pleased with my progress.  A few things I have learned so far...

#1  I cannot be a perfect runner just because I've started training.  There's a training program in place to create a runner out of me, but it's not an overnight thing.  I'm having a hard time with this one...

#2  No matter how many times you explain to husband that he's not allowed to comment/critique/advise, he still will at the worst possible time.

#3  Trust Coach Bob.

#4  Diet & fitness talk during coffee morning chat with BFF should not be shared with husband unless there's a desire for it come back and bite me in the butt later.

#5  While I still struggling with belief that I will ever be able to run longer than 1 minute at a time without feeling like my heart & lungs might explode, I already see/feel progress.

Let me just reiterate that this running thing is something I've never been interested in, enjoyed or was ever good at.  Someone I met recently, who is a runner herself, said she couldn't wait to hear how it felt when I got that "Runner's High."  I suspect I'll be one of the ones who doesn't get it.  But, another friend asked me if I thought I might continue running for exercise when this training session ends.  And that's something I just can't answer yet. I must admit that I don't dread the workouts like I thought I would.  YAY for that!  And thanks to my trusted Replenex, my knees aren't bothering me like I worried they would.  

So, as of today, I am still on track!  Joel's brother & his wife--both very athletic individuals--were in town this weekend & the one compliment Joel's given me was that he admits I don't look awkward when I run.  Hmmm, I wonder if he thought I was going to be embarrassing during this venture?  Regardless, it's good to know that I "look" like a natural runner...even if I CERTAINLY don't feel like it!  

One of the things that really keeps me going is just knowing that my girls are watching me every time I go out to do my workout.  And I know they know this is new for me--unknown territory.  My hope is that they will see the courage it takes for me to do these things that are out of my comfort zone & will allow themselves to set goals & pursue dreams that others might tell them are not possible or even silly.  

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. --Walt Disney, Entrepreneur

Dreams get squashed way too early in life for so many of us...dare to dream.  It's when we have a dream that we're after that makes life enjoyable!  

Breakfast Conversation

This morning I thought I'd share a bit of breakfast conversation from my kitchen. 

Jamison woke up wet so he immediately took off his pj pants & put on his underwear before he came to the table.  While sitting there I noticed his hands in his pants....

Me:  Jamison, get your hands out of your pants at the table.

Jamison:  My hands aren't in my pants....they're in my underwear.

WELL, in THAT case........

When the boy came to the kitchen we noticed his eye was red.  I grumbled something about not having time to mess with the doctor today so Jackie piped in with her expertise.

Jackie:  He probaby just tooted on his pillow last night, then slept on it & now he has pink eye. 

Yep, you read that right.  Joel & I asked her to repeat that about 3 times so we made sure we were hearing her correctly.  She refused to tell us who gave her that genius explanation of pink eye, but she was beyond serious. 

Now, I know you're jealous that you can't start your morning out with that kind of intellectual stimulation.  But don't worry, I'll keep on sharing mine!

 

Cookies

As we were passing around the remaining chocolate chip cookies I made last week, Jamison said "Momma, you need to bake more cookies!"

I told him I couldn't because I didn't have anymore chocolate chips.

Jackie said "Make sugar cookies!"  Then Josie piped in "Or oatmeal cookies Momma!"

Finally, Jamison put in his vote "Make BEER cookies!"

This is where Daddy got a grin from ear to ear, gave his son a high-five & said "Hell yeah, BEER cookies!  That's what I'm talkin' about!"

Beer cookies?

What I learned last night....

At our first Poker Tournament for the 2011 fundraising season, many of our "regulars" were not able to attend.  It was a fresh, new crowd & I learned a few things last night...

#1.  Producers make a lot of money.  Especially if they were a Drama Major in college.

#2.  A straight DOES beat a pair of Aces.

#3.  There is music that makes you want to be angry.

#4.  Something as simple as a crumbled Hershey bar on top of a brownie can make a grown man moan with pleasure.

#5.  Germantown MD is not in the same state as Owings MD.

#6.  I'm really glad I don't have to tour with the Stooges. 

#7.  It doesn't matter how many times you claim to need to get up early the next morning, if there is still money on the table, we'll keep on playing till the wee hours of the morning.

#8.  The outlet by the utility room doesn't work anymore.

#9.  Don't let my husband get ahold of the camera before I upload the pics from the night before.  (YES, my love, I did notice there was a picture missing after you looked thru them this morning)

#10.  "Jesus on my necklace s-s-s-s-s-s" is the BEST line of a song EVER.

#11.  It's a little creepy that the 2 living people in Nighthawk's house have the same names as Dragon's 2 dogs.  

#12.  No matter how crazy & a little scary they sometime are, we have a GREAT group of friends!  

As Promised....

Things have been wild & crazy around here.  I completed the Camp Mom Certification for Girl Scouts officially over the weekend.  Need to know how to pitch your tent?  I can help.  Wanna bake some biscuits in a box oven?  I'm your girl.  What about chopping that wood?  Yep, right here!  It was a terribly long 24 hours, but new friends were made & now I can take the scouts camping legally!  WHAT FUN!

Vicky (Leader Troop 4345), Me, Pat (Co-Leader Troop 4345) 

Now, onto the update I know you've been waiting so patiently for.....Cancer to 5K training kickoff was last night!  I left the house at 5pm to drive across the bridge into VA for our 6:30 workout.  All day prior to this drive I was a nervous wreck.  I already saw the prescribed workout for the evening posted on the website.  And tho it was a mere 20 minutes long, it actually involved running.  Let me remind you--I.DO.NOT.RUN.  When it was time to leave, I'm not gonna lie, I cried.  Why, you ask?  Well, let's start back at the first reason --I.DO.NOT.RUN.  But, I also don't do well without a plan & while I did know what the training was going to involve for the evening, I had never met a single person in the group, including the Coach (was Coach Bob gonna be hard core & make me cry more? Were the other participants natural runners who were going to think my fitness level was a joke?) AND I had no idea where I was going!  

So, when I arrived at 6:15 (yes, the last 1/2 hour was just getting around the one way streets in Alexandria after I missed a turn right by the track!!) I sat in my car drinking my Access Shake wondering how I was gonna know who my group was?  This was a busy place at this time of the evening.  Was I going to have to walk around the track to all the groups of people saying "Hi!  Are you here with the Cancer to 5K group?" and then have to explain--for the gazillionth time--why I'm involved with a cancer survivor group?  But lucky for my nervous heart, 2 of the volunteers were right at the entrance with bright yellow shirts labeled "Cancer to 5K" so I knew that's where I belonged!  With only 2 other participants able to attend last night & 1 more volunteer PLUS Coach Bob arriving, we each got 1 on 1 training & it was FABULOUS!  

After a brief period of talking about kids, the Great Wolf Lodge, and past 5K runs, Coach Bob looked at me and said "Let's warm up with a lap around the track.  I want you to jog it."  --Insert BULGING EYES and VOMIT CHURNING-- And I guess that's how I looked too because he smiled and said "Go your own pace, let's just try it."  And off we went.  Sure enough, somehow I made it around the track ONCE.  Then he broke us into pairs with our own volunteers and our individual assigned workouts.  I got 1 min run, 1 min walk for 10 sets.  I also got Coach Bob as my partner.  For you avid runners, this may seem pretty silly.  For me, it was really a challenge. Afterward, we walked & stretched and went our own ways...to meet again on Saturday morning.  

I came home & sat talking to Joel, who enjoys running.  I told him as corny as it sounds, as soon as I said hi to the girls & stood there with them, a weight was lifted.  The unknown was now known.  Another weight lifted when Coach Bob admitted that he is a blog stalker (Hi, Coach Bob), but only because he wants to know what's going on so he can help us.  So, I don't feel like he's gonna make me cry anymore.  This very small group of people were so incredibly encouraging & welcoming--it was wonderful.  And while I don't know what Saturday morning holds in the area of running time, I am not nervous about going anymore.  I look forward to meeting more people who will be able to say "I know how you feel.  I felt that way too.  Trust Coach Bob, he knows what he's doing.  You'll run that entire 5K and finish."  Holly is the woman who had the idea to put this group together & to her I simply say "Thank you."  I still can't run a minute without being out of breath and wanting to sit right down, but thanks to her, I WANT to do more than that.  Last night, she told us of her multiple marathons & 2 IronMans.  She says "You can do anything after cancer."  Well, Holly, you are incredible & you can do anything you want.  This momma is just gonna stick to this simple 5K for now, but thank you for bringing this together for people like me.  

We're on our way, folks. I got up this morning and didn't even have trouble getting out of bed!  YAY!  My body will always have a funny shape thanks to the chunks that have been taken from here & there to recreate my new "girls", but for the rest of the parts that I can control, this is my mission.     As Holly said...I may have had Cancer but Cancer never had me.  Look out Forrest, Jenny is RUNN-ING too!

Let it Begin!

Today was my first outdoor training walk of the 2011 season!  I couldn't stand not taking advantage of the sunshine so I took a 3 mile walk on the boardwalk this morning.  It was a bit chilly for my liking, my iPod was deader than dead & I got out the door later than I had planned, but it felt SOOOOOOOOOOOO good to be back in my walkin' shoes!

The training for my 5K officially starts this Saturday, but as luck would have it, I will be off becoming certified as a Girl Scout Camp Mom for the weekend.  My body is a little thankful for that, but next week THAT training is underway as well!

Details--for those who haven't heard--are as follows:

November 4-6, 2011, my team--Jenny's Army of Angels--will be walking the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure in Dallas, Texas.  Our team is growing--you can join us if you'd like to walk!  This year the team has added its first man--MY man--and I couldn't be more excited!  I know he'll tell you that he's walking because I'm making him and that's ok.  But in my heart I know there's more to the story :)

If you're interested in joining our team or generously donating to our fundraising efforts, you can find us at 

www.the3day.org/goto/jennifer.s.wealer

Thank you to all those who have already started donating--we appreciate all your support!

By the way, there will be an update next week after the first 5K training....well, if I survive, that is!

Sisters

I received this email today from a dear friend & I've read it before, but found it fitting today as I shared an old memory with a most loved 'sister' via facebook.  There have been many great friends who have impacted my life in so many ways over the years.  The 'sister' who sent me this email has been a long-distance mentor/friend/confidant for nearly 6 years now as we work together in the same business from opposite sides of the country.  While my college 'sister' and I live 14 hours apart & still shared a chuckle about the proper coloring of an amaretto sour.   


Just sending out a great big *MUWAH* to all my SISTERS all over the country who have held my hair back while I got sick, let me leave mascara stains on their shirt when I couldn't hold back the tears, patiently taught me to mix an amaretto sour by matching the color of the kitchen appliances, called & sang a favorite song on my voicemail on the day of my colonoscopy, helped me burn the silly paper on the porch step, sent me a bra through the mail via Operation Support, supported my journey and/or walked by my side for 60 miles, gave me the courage to apply for something I figured was a long shot to win, helped me make that difficult call, brought my family a homemade meal during recovery from surgery, opened your home to me for a short or extended stay, or loved my children like your own while babysitting them for them....You all know who you are!   Here's to all my 'sisters'--dunno what I'd do without you!    


A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day,
drinking iced tea and visiting with her mother. As 
 they talked about life, about marriage, about the 
responsibilities of life and the obligations of
adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her
glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance
upon her daughter. 


'Don't forget your sisters,' she advised, swirling
the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. 'They'll
be more important as you get older. No matter how
much you love your husband, no matter how much you
love the children you may have, you are still going
to need sisters. Remember to go places with them now
and then; do things with them.'


'Remember that 'sisters' means ALL the women...
your girlfriends, your daughters, and all your other
women relatives too. 'You'll need other women. Women
always do.'


What a funny piece of advice!' the young woman
thought. Haven't I just gotten married?
Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a
married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup! Surely
my husband and the family we may start will be all I
need to make my life worthwhile!'


But she listened to her mother. She kept contact
with her sisters and made more women friends each
year. As the years tumbled by, one after another,
she gradually came to understand that her mother really
knew what she was talking about. As time and nature
work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman,
sisters are the mainstays of her life.


 After more than 50 years of living in this world,
here is what I've learned:


THIS SAYS IT ALL:
Time passes.
Life happens.
Distance separates.
Children grow up.
Jobs come and go.
Love waxes and wanes. 
Men don't do what they're supposed to do..
Hearts break.
Parents die. 
Colleagues forget favors.
Careers end.
BUT.........


Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how
many miles are
between you. A girl friend is never farther away
than needing her can reach.
When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you
have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life
will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on,
praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on
your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the
valley's end.


Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk
beside you....Or come in and carry you out. 


Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters,
daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers,
Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended
family: all bless our life!


The world wouldn't be the same without women, and
neither would I. When we began this adventure called
womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or
sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we
would need each other. 

It's Official...

A couple weeks ago I had my annual GYN appointment & was weighed for the first time in about 6 months.  When I told Joey the number that appeared on that digital scale he assured me that it was broken.  Just 2 weeks later I went to my primary doc for strep throat & his scale, unfortunately, said the same number.  Ok, this was a reality that I didn't want to hit me.

Let me take you back--Jamison was born in Nov 2007 and in February 2008 I started working out with a personal trainer 2-3 times a week.  I didn't lose alot of weight but I was proud to wear a tank top.  In October of 2008 I walked my first Breast Cancer 3Day--60 miles of walking over 3 days.  Just weeks later we found out the cancer was back.  Over the course of 2009 I had 2 big surgeries that resulted in many pounds lost just because I couldn't eat for days at a time.  When 2010 came around I was ready to get back into a workout routine.  Instead this was my year...

January=workout routine begins...
February=outpatient surgery with 6 weeks of restricted lifting & colonoscopy
March=emergency room trip for kidney stones with 3+ weeks of vicodin & procedures to help pass the 7mm stone
April=Joey on tour--let me tell you that working out with Jamison in the house alone with me is as productive as spelling out an SOS on a deserted beach with extra strands of my own hair and oh yeah, I fell down the steps the first week he was gone and messed up my foot.
May=outpatient surgery with 6 weeks restricted lifting & xray/MRI to see why my foot isn't getting better
June=restricted from walking on foot because of bruised bone
July=vacation/SOME working out
August=convention/SOME working out
September=outpatient surgery with 6 weeks restricted lifting
October=Joey on tour
November=walked 60 miles in San Diego
December=Christmas

So, to some, this may look like a list of excuses.  And I will admit that YES, that's exactly what it is.  I will make every excuse not to exercise because I have to be doing it long enough to feel like I'm getting results before I start to enjoy it and WANT to do it.  I don't like it. 

So, this brings me back to the last doc appointment last week and the number on the scale.  I came home and caught a glimpse of my backside in the mirror while getting ready for my shower.  I immediately apologized to my husband.  And made a decision.  I have been pretty good in 2011 about working out 2-3 times a week here at home.  And I can already get through a workout and know I'm not laboring as much as I did 6 weeks ago--this is a good thing for me & my motivation.  But I decided to take it a bit further.  My surgeries are over--done, gone, complete!  YAY!  SO, I got an email for a Cancer to 5K program for young adult survivors.  And I signed up.  I am in NO way a runner.  I was consistently the VERY LAST girl in gym class in high school to finish the mile run every year & I'd rather walk 20 miles a day, 3 days in a row than to take it to a jog....but now I'm officially part of the team. 

I'm nervous & excited & just a weeny bit wigged out by all of it.  But there is a personal coach who will provide training and support for 12 weeks--until the dreaded day of the June 5 at the Capital Crescent 5K in Bethesda.  My sweet, supportive and in-much-better-shape hubby has even offered to join me in the run in June.  I've walked 60 miles in 3 days--3 times.  I think my feet will be ready for it....someone just needs to have a talk with the rest of my body!  Oy! 

So, I'll keep you posted as the training begins in just 2 weeks...wish me luck!


 

My Girls

On our way home from Jackie's all-day camp at the farm, I told her she needed to take a shower because I was sure she was smelly.  Josie said, "I'm gonna live on a farm, so I need to get used to that smell."  So I asked if they might live on the same farm, knowing that Jackie will probably have a zoo.  I looked back in my rear view mirror as I asked & Jackie wrinkled up her nose and shook her head no.  Josie said, "No because then we'd have to be married."  

After I explained that they could each have their own house on the same farm, the conversation switched to Josie's house.  So, I asked if I would get my own room.  Jackie said I could stay in her guest room, but Josie assured me I could have my very own room at HER house.  This made me smile.  Then Josie informed us that when Jamison came over he could just sleep with her.  I asked if she would have a husband & she said yes.  I asked where her husband would sleep.  She said, "He'll sleep in the bed with me.  Jamison can sleep on the floor in my room."  Uh, ok.  Then she went on..."And Daddy can sleep in the floor of my room too."  Jackie said, "Daddy can just sleep with Mom."  And Josie quickly responded, "But MOM said she wanted her OWN room!"  Silence--except for my giggles.  Then Josie says, "Well, I guess Daddy can sleep on the floor in Mommy's room."  

Ah, I love my girls.  At least I know they've always got my back!

Halloween 2010--Glad these scary little creatures are on my good side!

Mid-Storm...

I was looking through some old pics tonight--I was actually searching for something specific.  But I ran across some pictures my Dad took on a visit to our house back in the fall of 2006.  It was just a couple of weeks after my bilateral mastectomy.  I was mid-treatment or "mid-storm" of our first cancer journey.  He came to give me a hand with the girls for a few days & we did some playing around while he was here.  The girls are SO small & the boy wasn't even a thought yet.  We had no idea at that point if we could have anymore children. 

I often think back to that 6 months following the first diagnosis & it's all a blur.  I can't remember very much about it besides the surgeries & doctors appointments.

What I love about these pictures is the smiles. 

And I think I wanted to share them this way because they are a sign to me that we didn't let the diagnosis get in the way of our living during that 6 months.  When my girls look back on these last 4 years, they are bound to remember the many hospital trips & the weeks of recovery where someone was constantly warning them to watch out for Momma's boo-boos.  But I'm reassured by these pictures that those memories will not be the ones in front, as we sure didn't let it stop us. 

It was a journey.  We're almost at the end.  I'm glad I had this team of little Js & my very biggest fan,

 Daddy J, by my side through it all.  And look...we're STILL smilin'.

Success...

Success is waking up in the morning, whoever you are, wherever you are, however old or young, and bounding out of bed because there's something out there that you love to do, that you believe in, that you're good at--something that's bigger than you are, and you can hardly wait to get at it again today.

 --Whit Hobbs

Valentine's Day Yummies

My amazing friend, Katie, has this incredible food blog.  And it makes me drool every time I read an entry.  Not only is she a busy attorney who finds time to do marathons with her equally awesome husband, but she also bakes yummy goodness FROM SCRATCH on a regular basis to share with friends & family.  And this blog isn't just a list of ingredients--she has mouth-watering pictures & fun stories to go with each recipe.

Now, I am NOT Betty Crocker, but I can make a mean ice cream crunch (thanks to clique weekend 2001 & dear friend Meredith!)  And ice cream crunch is my "go to" when I'm invited to dinner & asked to bring dessert. However, this weekend we had two dinner dates with family friends & didn't feel like ice cream was either an appropriate February dessert or very Valentine-y.  SO, I went on a search for something online that would be easy enough for me, but still kid friendly & fun.  After looking for about 45 minutes, I settled onto Katie's blog for some inspiration.  I came upon her recipe titled "Mint Oreo Cupcakes and Uh, Laziness" and I knew I found the winner.

You can view this recipe on her blog & the beautiful pics she took of HER masterpiece.  Honestly, she makes me feel a tad inadequate as a woman, but she can't help it.:)  And it's why we love her so much!

I changed up the recipe just a bit as Katie did hers for the holidays & went with a red/green theme.  Using the same red velvet cake mix, I just chose to put some red food coloring into my icing rather than the green she used.  We ended up with a lovely pink/red for Valentine's Day which was a hit.

You might have noticed the title was "Mint Oreo Cupcakes" & Joel so kindly stopped eating long enough to allow me to snap a view of the yummy layered goodness.  If you happen to peek at Katie's pictures on HER blog, her husband must eat a little neater because there was just no getting around the mess of this at my house.  

Saturday evening we had our 3rd Annual Valentine Dinner with our friends, The Heyers. 

As you can see, all of us enjoyed the end result.  While not as professional looking as the originals that I had for inspiration, I am very proud of our treat.  It was my first attempt at the swirly icing on top & rather than try to shave chocolate, I opted for "pearl" sprinkles I had in the cabinet to add a touch of "fancy" to our version.

It was a very lovely Valentine's Dinner & you can click on Katie's link above to get the actual recipe. I followed it exactly except for the food coloring color I added to my icing.  And take a look around--if you're braver than me, there are certainly some YUMMY recipes that I wish I had the nerve to try for myself.  

Thank you, Ms. Katie--thanks to you, we had a delicious Valentine's treat enjoyed by ALL!

Peace

I close my eyes & I begin to flow, peace is mine & is all I know. 


--Lisa Kitter

Books, Books, Books...

My cowgirl loves to ride horses and her #1 favorite place to be is the BARN, but her 2nd favorite place is the Library.  I love that my girl loves to read.  But I'm finding it hard to keep up with her.  She reads lots of books--BIG books--and she truly comprehends them.  After the holiday break in first grade Jackie mentioned to her teacher that she'd just finished reading the 2nd Harry Potter book.  She got a smile and then the teacher decided to give her the reading comprehension test for both Book 1 & 2 to see what she comprehended.  She was surprised when Jackie got a 90% on each test.  At the end of the year I met with her teacher for some recommendations on books to have her reading over the summer that were age appropriate.  She said she had to stop with the tests to see what level she was reading at because the tests themselves were inappropriate for her age at the higher levels.

So, I write about this both to brag (because that's what moms do) & to explain my dilemma.  We have an 8 year old that would rather read than anything else if she can't be riding the horses.  But she's a reading machine!  I took her to the library on a Thursday night & had her check out 10 chapter books to keep her busy for the next 3 weeks.  She was done with them in less than 2.

Today she brought home a grade for her morning journal "check"--she got 9 out of 10.  She did everything right--name, title, 5 or more sentences, punctuation, capitilization, but she missed 1 point for NEATNESS.  When I asked her why she said "Mom, I'm sorry, but I get it done really fast so I can read."  Trying to explain how her other school subjects can't be rushed just so she has more time to read caused her to get very defensive & start to tear up.  How in the WORLD do you explain this to a child without making them feel BAD for wanting to READ!??!  How many parents would give anything for their child to miss a point for neatness so they could READ!?!?  So it's not that I'm angry with her or disappointed, which I tried to explain, but also want her to not let other things suffer for her love of reading...

SO, tonight we took a flying trip to the library to stock up again.  The librarian smiled at Jackie when she saw the 14 chapter books we were checking out and told her it was very ambitious of her to finish them in the 3 week lending period.  To many, I look like a crazy woman letting this child check out that many books.  I look like the mom who isn't setting a realistic expectation for my child.  But I assure you that it won't be a problem for her.

Here's a picture of her pile & her in the background reading Book #1 (which she DID finish in the hour & 1/2 she spent reading while I was getting dinner ready...it was 137 page book).  Oh & did I mention she reads them ALL out loud--so it takes her even longer because she's reading it out loud & not to herself.  But it's her thing. 

So, she's pretty incredible. I'm a lucky mom.  And I'm on my 2nd book since Christmas--kinda the same?  No?

Where do You Live?

Young people live in the future.

Old people live in the past.

Wise people live in the present.