Monday meditations and a LONG story

Yesterday at church, Mark talked about Romans 9-11. This is a hard section of scripture that many theologians and philosophers have debated on for centuries. Mark started at the very end (with 11:33-36) and asked us to keep that in mind as we went through the rest of the sections. The verse say...

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his judgments,

and his path beyond tracing out!

Who has know the mind of the Lord?

Or who has been his counselor?

Who has ever given to God,

that God should repay him?

For from him and through him and to him are all things.

To him be the glory forever! Amen.

And then Mark dove into the hard stuff. Into how God fashions some for good purpose and some for evil. How He chooses one over another. In our human brains that seems unfair. But Mark's question and his challenge were "Do you believe that God is in control?"

And what is funny--and why the long story is included--is I was faced with this question 5 years ago, and it changed my life forever. It was right around this time 5 years ago, that I found out I was pregnant. And then I found out that there were complications.It is the story of Libby. She was and is a miracle baby. But fewer people know what the pregnancy with Libby was really like. I wrote this down the other day, fully prepared to keep it personal and share it with only a few friends. But then Mark spoke at church and I realized how important it is to share. So here is my long story...

February may be my least favorite month of the year. Being a native West Virginian, Februaries are cold and gray and bitter. Right now a cold rain is falling. It is yucky. But February really became the month I hated 5 years ago.

Most people who know me, know the story of my daughter Libby. She is a miracle. Every July, we get to celebrate the fact that she was born alive and with relatively few problems. In July, I praise God for all that He has blessed me with through her. But it was in February that I found out things were wrong. It was in February that the doctors told me I had no chance of having a healthy baby-or a baby at all. It was in February that I was asked to have an abortion for the first time. And the second time. And the third time.

I have never really recorded what I was feeling at the time. It is so easy in retrospect to focus on the miracle, the joy, the amazing grace. I have never really allowed myself to process the loss--the loss of excitement, the loss of planning, the loss of nesting, the loss of expectation.

I found out I was pregnant at the end of January. I immediately scheduled a doctors appointment, eager to begin this next stage of life. I didn't have a regular doctor, so I just let the receptionist put me with the one who had the soonest availability. I still had to wait 3 weeks. I had 3 weeks of a normal pregnancy. We tried not to tell people (it was still early), but we failed. I gave up coffee, started drinking OJ and eating things with folic acid.

When my first appointment came up, I went in bright eyed and bushy tailed. Since I was "unsure" of how far along I was, the doc ordered a quick ultrasound to measure my progress. He could never be a poker player. His face told me everything. He should have been smiling and showing me the head and rump. Instead he was frowning and closely scrutinizing the scan. I got scared.

He asked us to go in a room and wait until he could speak to us. I stared at the table as he said that my pictures didn't look right. There was not enough amniotic fluid. I would need to come in for more tests. Corey spoke up and asked the question--"What does it mean if there is no amniotic fluid? What are our chances?" Being foreign and speaking very broken English, the doc replied, "No chance, there's no chance." I continued to stare at the table, willing myself to not cry. We still had to do more tests--maybe they were wrong. Maybe it was just a bad ultrasound.

But a week later, the additional tests only confirmed the original prognosis. I had very low (dangerously low) amniotic fluid. It was needed for lung development, movement, and protection of the baby. The lack of fluid could be caused by un-developed kidneys or a whole host of genetic disorders. The new doctors (from the high-risk group) communicated to me in very plain English that my best option was to terminate and try again. And I remember thinking--this isn't a rough draft that I can just scrap. This is my baby. Corey and I kindly asked if I was in danger if I continued the pregnancy. The doctors said not right now. So we said, no abortion.

The next few months are a blur. I had doctors appointments every couple of weeks. Ultrasounds that revealed no improvement in my fluid levels. We started keeping tissues in the glove box so I could cry on the way home. I kept an ultrasound picture with me all the time. And the doctors kept recommending termination, and we kept nicely saying "No

thank you." I went on bed rest without any change. I went off bed rest. I remember sitting on my bed talking to my mom. Suddenly I looked at her and said, "Corey and I can't afford a funeral." She assured me that it would be taken care of while I cried on her shoulder and let her rock me.

All this time, Corey and I were learning that God is in control. I wish my story was that I believed from the very beginning that God would do a miracle. I didn't. But Corey and I made a decision at the very beginning that He was in control. He could do a miracle - or He could not do a miracle. And we had to be ok with either scenario. And as the weeks went on, we came to realize that our test was whether we were willing to praise Him and proclaim Him even if the end was not what we wanted. Could we say, whether this baby lived or died, that we are His? We wrestled with it, we hurt. But we found that He was in control. All we could do was wait.

I remain confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the Lord

in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 27:13-14

I had my first miscarriage scare in May. Corey was at work, so my mom had to come and get me to take me to the hospital. The heartbeat was still good. The fluid was still low. And now my placenta was tearing. More bed rest. (and bed rest without cable, so I ate skittles all day and watched Days of Our Lives).

A month went by and things were looking up. I had a sudden increase in fluid (it was still low, but bordering on acceptable). I felt good. I was almost optimistic. And then I started bleeding. Not just a little. And it was a Sunday, so we had to go to the ER. I was admitted. My placenta had torn further and I was going to be on bed rest (probably in the hospital) for the rest of the pregnancy. That night I was taken care of by a really wonderful nurse who I can't remember her name and I never saw again. She washed me and smoothed my hair all through the night as the bleeding continued. She cared for me like I was her child, and I appreciate her so much whoever she is. At that time I was 26 weeks pregnant.

So I sat in a hospital bed; Corey gave me sponge-baths. I drank decaf coffee and read the newspaper everyday. I did crossword puzzles and sudoku. I did not plan for a baby. We had our names picked out from those first 3 carefree weeks (Elizabeth Marie for a girl and John Michael if it was a boy). The only other baby things we had were 4 or 5 presents that Corey's aunt got us early on. They were tucked in the back corner of the spare bedroom, except for a figurine of an angel holding a baby that I kept by my bed. (It is now on Libby's dresser). I was there for 2 weeks when the doctors decided I could go home and spend the rest of the pregnancy on bed-rest in the comfort of my own home (I remember that one one of the docs was opposed-worried). The catch was that I had to come in the next week to make sure everything was ok.

So I spent 4 or 5 nights at my moms house. She took care of me while Corey was at work or at school. She would scold me if I got up to much. The day of our appointment came. Another ultrasound (I was over these by this point). And the look was back on the doctor's face. The baby hadn't grown since the last scan. That was bad. So I was immediately readmitted. It was a Thursday. July 6.

I settled in thinking I would take up the same routine as before. The first day I had a conversation with my doctor that I will never forget. She came in with forms for me to sign. I had to consent to a classical C-section. It meant no natural births ever. It meant not having more than 1 or 2 more babies, with the possibility of no more babies at all. And she sat down beside me and asked "Why are you doing this for a baby we don't think can survive?" She looked me in the eye-searching for rationale. I don't think I responded. I just signed the papers. By the next day, the doctors started coming in and looking at my

charts with concerned faces. They started asking the nurses to gather urine samples. I don't remember if they told me why they were concerned. But I was freaking out. Which did not help my blood pressure at all.

Monday came and I was still being closely monitored. My dad stopped by after work. He stopped by everyday to make sure that I was ok. He would normally only stay a minute before heading to dinner. But not a moment after he said hello, the doctor walked in. She asked "when was the last time you ate something." I said that I had a piece of cake around 3. She looked at her watch. "We can do the C-section at 11 then." And all the color drained out of my dad's face. And I am sure all the color drained out of mine too.

The diagnosis? Pre-eclampsia. I needed to have the baby immediately or I was very susceptible to stroke or seizure. The doctor started telling me that the NICU team was on the way to answer questions. I called Corey (who was working on the floor below). But it was my dad held my hand as the NICU team came to talk to me about what it was like to have a 29 week baby--what to expect. Tubes and monitors. It was July 10, they were telling me that the best case scenario, the baby would be in the hospital until the due date September 25. And my poor dad, who is not great with illness anyway, held my hand until Corey got downstairs. I love him so much for that.

The doctors kept coming in and out. My mom arrived. They decided I was ok for now, and we could wait until the morning to do the surgery. We took some time to call people and tell them the news. I called my best friend Shawna (9 months pregnant at the time) and when she answered I said "I win." She said that wasn't funny-I knew it wasn't, but I needed to make light. (SIDE NOTE: she had her son Elliott 10 days later--he and Libby are best friends). I called my friend Melissa-all I said was "I'm having the baby soon" she hung up and came to sit with me. She didn't speak. My friend Lindsay stopped by unexpectedly. She walked in all bubbly and asked what was going on. I told her I was having the baby tomorrow. She sat in the chair and stayed too. Everyone was scared.

I couldn't sleep that night. I woke up and had to tell Corey that the names weren't right. It had to be Elizabeth Grace and John Harold (after my dad). He was in a haze. He told me that was fine. I made him get in the bed with me and hold me. When the nurses arrived at 8, I had barely slept an hour.

The morning of the surgery was a blur. But when they took her out, she cried.

She weighed 2 pounds 2 ounces.

All the loss melted. She was alive. She was a miracle.

It's easy to say now that God was in control. It is easy to say it when things turn out the way we want. But I learned that God was in control that very cold and bitter February day.

"For from Him and through Him

and to Him are all things.

To Him be the glory forever! Amen."

Planning for the week ahead...

Tomorrow begins week number 2 as vegetarians. This is not a forever thing, but Corey and I have both been really committed. So first thing this morning, we started meal planning for the week and creating a grocery list. We are having a blast creating delicious and healthy options for the family, and the kiddos have been really on board too (Joe adored the lentil sloppy joes :).

So what are we making this week?

• Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato soup with grilled cheese-made with the leftover gruyere and raclette--recommended by the Kroger cheese lady (who loved our kids and gave them cookies)
• Roasted squash and ricotta stuffed shells -- thanks Danielle
• Three bean chili
• Spicy Chinese Lo Mein--with TOFU. Corey took a deep breath and put it in the cart! I love Tofu, but have never made it myself, so here's hoping this recipe doesn't disappoint.
• Boca burgers with oven fries
• Whole wheat pasta with asparagus and mushrooms

We also let ourselves grab some snacks--veggies and tortilla chips to eat with hummus (made my own today and it is delicious!), jalapeno chips (cause they are yummy), and stuff to make my peanut butter cups (recipe to follow).

I am really excited about meal planning. Knowing that we are eating fresh foods that are healthy and delicious keeps my spirits high--especially since it seems like winter will never end! Plus it is a fun thing that Corey and I can do together.

OK so here is a great recipe for people with a sweet tooth! It is from weight watchers and you can tweak it to suit your taste.

Frozen Peanut Butter Cups

1 medium tub lite cool whip

1/2 cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)

chocolate syrup (I use lite)

muffin cups

mini chocolate chips (optional)

Line a muffin pan with paper cups. Mix the peanut butter and thawed cool whip together. Add mini-chips (my friend said she crushed up oreos and put them in). Spoon equal amounts into each cup. Squeeze syrup over the top. Freeze.

These are a great go-to snack, especially if you are like me and NEED sweet things daily.

Off to run in the sunshine... so I can enjoy lots of cheese and ciabatta tonight!

Check it out...

It was my turn to share my style on the Law Ladies Blog this week. Check it out HERE.

My day is kind of boring. I am at work, and my project is editing an addendum. So while I do that, I am enjoying...

Listening to Radiohead, King of Limbs (it's weird-but that's Radiohead)

Daydreaming about dinner

Pondering my verse of the day

Sing a new song to the Lord!

He has worked miracles,

and with His powerful arm,

He has won the victory!

Psalm 98:1 (CEV)

Looking up possible new hair-styles :)

Getting excited to have a fun and relaxing weekend with the fam :)

Happy Friday.

food and photographs

I love food. Eating it. Cooking it. Buying it. And now photographing it. I follow a few blogs of people that cook, and I love the photos they take of the process. It is really difficult to do without help though!Yesterday I made lentil sloppy joes. It is a relatively easy recipe, but I almost over-cooked the lentils trying to snap some pics of the veggies. And since I was on my own (well Libby and Joe were there, but they are not allowed to touch the new camera), I couldn't take any action shots of chopping or scooping or stirring. But I still love the vibrant colors of the veggies and the warm feeling I get thinking about cooking.So here is my first step-by-step photo recipe. I hope there are more to come!

Put 1 cup of lentils and 2 cups of water in a pot and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Cover and reduce heat for 10 minutes.

While that is working, get out an onion, 3 carrots, and 3 stalks of celery.

Chop.

Add veggies to the pot along with 3/4 cup Ketchup, 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, and 2 Tablespoons of cider vinegar.

Stir.

Pour everything into a crock pot and set on low for 10 hours (or high for 4-6).

Put a spoonful of the lentil mixture on bun (this is actually a thin);

top with cheese (shredded cheddar).

Libby wanted to be the waitress.

RECIPE:

1 cup lentils

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups carrots chopped

1 1/2 cups celery chopped

1 onion chopped

3/4 cup Ketchup

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

2 Tbsp Cider Vinegar

Buns

Cheese

Put lentils and water in a pot; bring to a boil; cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the next 7 ingredients. Stir. Pour contents of the pot into crock pot. Cook on low for 10 hours or high for 4-6 hours. Put a spoonful of lentil mixture on a bun and top with cheese.

P.S. I think that this recipe would be great with just plain bbq sauce (a veggie substitute for pulled pork)

Book Worm - part one

the early years...

I have been an avid reader since birth - I think. (at least my mom tells me that). I certainly preferred reading to playing outside. My best friend in elementary school didn't own a TV. Sometimes I would go home with her on a Friday afternoon to stay the night. We would always hit the library to pick out a Nancy Drew book or the newest Baby Sitters Club before getting on the bus. Some of my favorite memories are sneaking flashlights under the covers to read our books when we were supposed to be sleeping.

But my real love of reading was developed in the sixth grade. I had a new teacher named Mrs. Freeman. She was supposed to teach English, social studies, and science, but I am pretty sure all we did was read. She set up bean bags in the back of the room, and we were allowed to go lounge with our free reading book whenever we finished an assignment. I tore through books, so from the very beginning she started bringing me books from her house to read. I soon found out that she was also an author. The final book she brought me to read that year was her own. I was the first person to ever read it, and I remember feeling so special. ( I don't think it was ever published--at least I can't find it anywhere)

Some of my favorite books were ones that I read that year. So for my first installment of Book Worm, I thought I would share two of my all-time favorite books from sixth grade, a tribute to Mrs. Freeman.

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards (YES it is the same Julie Andrews from The Sound of Music). This was the book that made me love fantasy. I have read it a dozen times since I first got it. The story is about three children and a professor who gain access to a land full of fanciful creatures through their imaginations. They have to save the Whangdoodles (of course) who are in danger because no one believes in them anymore. Lord of the Rings and Narnia would be the adult counterpart to this adolescent fantasy.

Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley. I am a sucker for re-crafted fairy tales. I think I loved this book even more because I identified with the main character. In this re-telling, there are three sisters--Beauty is the ironic nickname of the youngest since she is the least pretty. What she lacks in beauty she makes up for in intelligence and a love of books. The style of the writing is really engaging and transports you to a different time. The books by Gregory Maguire (Wicked, Mirror, Mirror etc) would be the adult counterpart to this fairy-tale.

Even though I read these books when I was 11, I recommend them with just as much passion as any "grown-up" book. I hope you enjoy :)

It is yucky outside...

And I am tired.

And it is Tuesday-which means it is a long day.

However, I have been in a particularly good mood. I got up this morning and had a good workout on the elliptical. I had a chance to read my bible with a cup of coffee before the kids woke up.

I read Romans 8--focusing on the last couple of verses. (it's hard to have a bad day when you know that God loves you that much). I got to have a quick coffee date with Chelsy before class. Then I ate an amazing Indian lunch with Lauren and Brittany. I was even able to "share my good vibes" (as she calls them) with Jess :)

Even BETTER my afternoon class was cancelled giving me time to blog and read for my Thursday classes.

Yesterday was great too--

I had some time to think through our vegetarian menu, so on the docket for this week.

• white pizza with pesto and ricotta
• red beans and rice, corn cakes and applesauce
• black bean hummus with YUMMY chips that the Taylors introduced us to in TN
• lentil sloppy joes with oven fries
• Baked pasta with spinach, lemon and Gruyère (which I actually made last night and it was delicious)
  
  

I got excited about the law ladies fashion posts for this week and have thus been daydreaming about my outfit. It will hopefully include the dress that I purchased in TN--I need to find a cardigan and shoes and a belt and tights...hahaha-I need the rest of the outfit :)

I started dreaming about what I want to photograph. My children will obviously be a large part of the subject matter, but I am really trying to figure out what shape this new/old hobby will take. I am always open to suggestion!!

Hopefully the good vibes continue...

Much needed refreshment

WARNING: long post :)

Our weekend was lovely. Time with the Taylors is always a much needed refreshment for us. They are the people that get us. It helps that we have all been friends for almost a decade; we have been there--sickness and health, good and bad. So spending a weekend with no agenda presents no problem.

Danie and I getting ready to go shopping. We had to park a mile away, but we discovered a great store (The Original New York New York) that had all kinds of funky clothes at very reasonable prices -- I will post some of my finds later. Danie posted hers here.

One of my favorite pics of the weekend--the boys were very intent on their Wii wave-runner game. (I am playing with effects on my pics, so they are a little different than normal... )

Another lovely picture of food. A trademark of Bozic-Taylor weekends is the great food that we prepare. This weekend we did spicy shrimp lo mein, omelets, bbq chicken pizzas and yummy turkey chili.

One of my other favorite things about weekends away is the car ride. Most people dread sitting in the car for 5-6 hours, but it has always been one of the best parts of a trip with Corey. We rarely get 30 minutes to ourselves at home. A road trip means uninterrupted time to talk, decompress, catch up and just be together. This road trip was no different. We listened to great music and talked. On the way home, the conversation was mainly focused on how we want to be healthier, more tuned in parents and spouses. And we made some goals.

The categories in general are

Be Healthy--Corey's family has a history of heart disease and high cholesterol (and so does mine) so for 2 weeks we are going vegetarian (this was all Corey's idea--I was shocked). I already have a pretty good workout schedule, but Corey is hit or miss. He is going to aim for 2-3x per week--doing either the elliptical or yoga. The other part of the health is emotional/relational health. So we are both going to try to take time for our hobbies (Corey to drum, me to take pictures or read), take time for each other (date nights), and time for our family (game night, movie night or something).

Disconnect from technology--we have a really bad habit of tuning out each other and the kids when we are together by having our nose in the computer or our phone. We made a pact to leave the phones on the mantel during the evenings when we are together as a family. I am also going to try to keep the TV off most of the day when I am home with the kids. Instead we are going to have game time, art time, reading/quiet time, dance time. Corey and I love TV, but our kids watch WAY too much.

Spend time in the Word as a family--We are not great at teaching our faith to our kids, or sharing our faith with each other. So we are going to set aside a little time to read the bible together, talk about Jesus and be thankful for all the things He has done for us.

I will track our progress here. I am excited to begin!

Over the river and through the woods...

to Pigeon Forge we go...

We packed up yesterday and headed down to Webster County to drop off our kids with Corey's wonderful aunt Debbie. They are going to be there for the weekend while Corey and I spend some much needed quality time with our friends the Taylors.

Our weekend will consist of

yummy food...

delicious drinks...

scads of silliness...

lots of hot tub time...

and of course--tons of photo shoots with the new camera :)

More to come :)

I've liked belts this week.

The way I approach fashion is to add one thing at a time and work with it until I am comfortable.

My progression has gone something like this...

• Fall-ish '09-- I stopped wearing my tennis shoes and added flats to the wardrobe
• Winter '09-- I bought skinny jeans and wore them with my flats.
• January '10--I bought my first pairs of boots that are worn over skinny jeans
• Spring '10--I began to wear scarves
• Summer '10--I found a love for dresses

So it is only appropriate that I add something new right about now. And it is belts. I like belts, but I don't think to add them to an outfit without prompting. But I am trying to be better. This week, I wore a couple of cute outfits with belts.

On Tuesday, my firm had a reception to meet all the candidates for summer clerk positions. I wore a brown dress and boots with this fun belt (that I borrowed from Brittany).

Yesterday I had to work in the office, so I wore one of my favorite work skirts (it has pockets), a sweater from Forver21 (that I purchased for $1.99-it has a keyhole back), and a chunky black belt. I also added some funky earrings and a bracelet that my mom owned in the '70s (my version of vintage :), and one of my favorite pairs of flats.

ON A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TOPIC: I came home to a wonderful and thoughtful surprise from the hubs.

I used to fool around with photography-I was on the yearbook staff in high school. Since I lack artistic and musical abilities, photography was my outlet. But once you have kids, you settle for easy. Our point and shoot is on its last leg, so we talked about getting another one. We mentioned this camera-it was a good price, but still higher than we were looking to spend at the moment. So I was completely shocked when I walked in the door. Being the overall great person that he is, he told me that he wanted me to get back into the hobby that I love, so I should probably have a good camera. We are not extravagant people, so this was an overwhelmingly lovely surprise-I cried. :)

On the run...

I promised a running post, and since I am sitting here with sore quads and tired feet, it seems appropriate. I don't love running. We have a love/hate relationship really. I love the benefits of being a runner-the stress release, the time on my own, listening to music, toning previously untoned areas of my body. I hate the ache I get in my shins and knees (and sometimes feet), I hate that it doesn't feel awesome the whole time.





Here is what a long run looks like for me (take my 7 miler on Sunday)





I HATE miles 1, 5 and 6. they suck.

• Mile 1 is me trying to convince my body that this is good for it--I play some upbeat tunes, some Killers or Vampire Weekend. But the whole time I am considering turning around.
• Miles 5 and 6 I am just plain tired. I am wearing down. I feel the impact on my shins. My back is tight. My arms are tired. (all of you want to start running now huh?) I have to turn on some really happy music at this point--usually this song is the first on the list.

on the flip side...





I LOVE miles 2-4 and 7.

• Mile 7 I love because it is almost over. I get excited and pick up my pace-ignoring the aches and pains.
• Miles 2-4 though. WOW. This is why I run. I feel like weight just comes off my shoulders. I feel all the energy pulsing. I can enjoy the scenery. I can breath. I listen to more mellow music like Mumford & Sons and just enjoy the feeling of being there.

On the trail on Sunday, I passed a guy running. He was tall and lanky--wearing real running gear. And he looked sublimely happy. He was a runner. It looked effortless. I am not a runner--it is laborious and tiring and hard. But I love/hate it. And for now that is enough.

So I am sure this post has motivated all my friends and readers to go out and become a runner. Here are some of my novice tips for running...

• Wear good shoes that fit. I have Nike Shox. If I keep on, I may go to the Morgantown Running and get fitted for new shoes.
• If you are not exercising at all at this point, don't start with running. I really think one of the reasons I was able to start running and be successful was that I did 2-3 months of aerobics and weight training before I tried to run a mile.
• Don't invest in a lot of gear until you know that you are going to like it. I have worked my way up to things--new shorts (I love these), new head phones etc.
• BE PATIENT, and don't expect to love it all the time. I am happy that I love more miles than I hate.
• LASTLY and most important, if something really hurts, STOP RUNNING. It is high impact. It can mess up knees and feet. Be careful, and stay in tune with your body.

Sunshine

It changes my mood...

It makes me smile...

It makes me a terrible student...

As spring begins to show its face, I become scholastically lazy. I want to gaze outside and drink in the warmth. I want to bask (which I think is a perfect word). Add a little Lost in the Trees "Walk Around the Lake," twizzlers, and a diet coke and I am one very happy girl today.

I can read when it's dark right?

I need to be productive today...

Because I was NOT this weekend.

But oh how lovely the weekend was!

Friday night I had a lovely stay-at-home date with the hubs. He made bacon cheese burgers that melted in your mouth. I made oven baked onion rings. We enjoyed orange martinis and About a Boy.

Saturday was another dinner-this time to celebrate Brittany's Birthday. Lauren and I headed to the Vintage Roo

m to eat and laugh (despite the terrible service). We got to sit in the wine room--Lauren and I split some delicious crab dip (which will probably make an appearance on our cooking experiments soon) and a Rustica pizza. ( I wore the new dress from Forever 21 and footless tights with flats. I have decided that heels hate me and anytime I can get away with flats, I will take it!)

Sunday should have been a more productive day, but alas there was sun. And the temperatures rose above 45 degrees. So I had to run outside--it was necessary. I ran from Sabraton to the Core Arboretum and back, 7 miles. It was the most I have run lately and my body was slightly unhappy with me at the start. I am going to post about running this week, so get excited :).

I snapped a photo at the mid-point of my run. I figure as I continue, I can capture the change of seasons on my run. It was brown and kind of dead, but spring will be here soon. I love spring--green is my favorite color!

And then of course we had the first law ladies blog dinner party. The food was amazing, the company was even better. You can visit the blog in the next couple days to see how the party was and what we have decided to do with it for now.

So now I have my employment law book and my crim pro book sitting beside me. I

have a pot of coffee brewed. The weekend was definitely worth having a crazy day today!