Christmas weekend....for my family

This past weekend I did something I haven't done since starting on my marathon journey back in January; I didn't travel or run a marathon!! And I can't tell you how awesome it was to be home!

 Our tree

After the last few weeks of pain and difficulty with my right leg, I was more than ready for a break. During the tough times of those races, I'd picture myself spending Christmas with my family instead of having to rush off to the airport. Those daydreams gave huge motivation for me.

In case you never knew, I really love to bake!

Like a lot of families, we have certain traditions that we do every year. However, this year things were a little different than normal. I didn't bake up a storm like usual (although some people may argue that).  I ended up doing a lot more last minute shopping and wrapping than I otherwise would have. And we never did get around to making the gingerbread house.

Decorating cookies for Santa

Some things I couldn't let slip, like decorating cookies on Christmas Eve for Santa, baking home made cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning and having a big fat ham for our family dinner. We made it to Christmas Eve service to sing Christmas carols and celebrate the birth of Christ. And we did our holiday drive, when we all get dressed in our pj's take travel mugs full of hot chocolate (or in my case, coffee) and enjoy the neighborhood Christmas lights. This year everything was surreal. I  kept feeling the need to pinch myself. I guess it was hard to take in the fact that I had finally made it to this point and I could really just relax with my family.

Finally Christmas morning!!

 Breakfast....and lunch? Sure why not!

We had our extended family get together on Christmas Eve and that meant Christmas day was just for us. I loved being able to relax in my pj's till noon if I wanted (although I admit this year, it was a lot later than noon), and having no need to rush through opening presents or trying to clean everything up. We ate way too much sugar, watched holiday movies and best of all, I got to be a kid again and play right along side my children. It was a simply fantastic day!

Toys....

Toys....

Toys...and a lot of smiles too!

For the past few years, I've included a new Christmas tradition of going for a run. After everyone had opened their gifts and I'd thoroughly played with the kids and their toys, Jeremy and I get a little "kid" time of our own. His is usually in the form of an Xbox game, of course for me, it means a run. It's always an easy run, nothing long or hard, but for me, it's just a little slice of heaven. This year I planned to keep that tradition alive, but very quickly found that my body didn't agree. Unwilling to give up, I forced myself to complete a run/walk workout. It wasn't the joy filled run that I have done each year before. This time it was frustrating. As I struggled to get through 7 miles, I was ever thankful that I didn't have to run another 19!

Sleep deprived can you tell?!

I hope you and your family had a fantastic Christmas and have enjoyed the pictures from mine. I'm very much looking forward to 2011 and, God willing, full healing, so I can start pushing again. I made the decision to not travel to Texas for the New Years Marathon since I had already reached my 52 goal.  Instead I registered for a small, no frills trail race in Maryland on Jan 2nd. I'm just taking it a day at a time with my leg and still haven't determined if I will actually run it. Either way, I will keep you updated, and have a post up after the New Year.

Blessings to you and yours! Cheers!

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Luke 2:14