Dusting off the ol' blog!

*Disclaimer: grab your tissues. Not running related.*

Is it sad that I forgot how to even start a new blog post? I couldn't find the button that said "New Post."

It's been a hot minute ... a lifetime ...  the better part of nine months since I last posted.

Let me just say the last 2 years have been rough. Let me step away from the running blog for a minute and get you caught up.

As you know from the last couple of posts, I had a baby on July 28, 2017! Yay me! Ha! Actually he is 20 months old (over 1.5 years old) today.  He is seriously the most fun baby/toddler/kid ever! And the most hard work ever! lol. I love watching him learn "all the things" like sitting up, standing up, walking/running, talking, singing, dancing...it's endless!

A little ladies man!

So I needed to focus on the positive first before I list some negatives.

I lost a dear friend Kathy in October 2017 to cancer. I met her running and but we definitely became more than that. Losing someone so young is heartbreaking.

Kathy and I at the Warrior Dash in 2012

The next one is even harder. I lost my dad in February 2018 (on my birthday). He became sick in December 2017 and it took a while for them to even figure out what he was sick from. In which case, he became even more sick while they tried to figure it out. So much pain and suffering but in the end, he couldn't overcome his illnesses. I can't even begin to tell you how this felt. Losing my dad when he still had so much life left to live and him never being able to play with my baby again is beyond heartbreaking. He was only 60 years old.

My dad spectated a race of mine in 2009.
He was a runner before I was so he enjoyed these things.

Then in November 2018 (because why stop now), both of my mom's parents became sick. My grandma unfortunately passed away in January 2019. Just one more angel to look over my family and my son. She told me a week or so before she passed to make sure Timmy (my son) keeps reading. Oh he will. He LOVES books.  Luckily my grandfather is still around. He's had ups and downs but he's on an upswing so keep him in your prayers.

My grandparents with my baby after he was born in August 2017

So thank you for bearing with me while I catch you all up on the ups and downs of my personal life for a minute. I wanted to post it because these things do affect our goals, our life, our perspectives. At least temporarily.

You know, my dad always loved my blogging. And my running. So I need to continue to do the things that make him proud of me. Every time something gets hard, I think of him.

And every time I run a certain route near my house, I think of my friend Kathy.

And my grandma was just a special woman that did so much in life for me. I felt like we had a special bond. I was her first granddaughter. She took me shopping, on vacations, and just gave me so much love.

I'm blessed to have the people in my life for the amount of time I did. I try to not forget that when I dwell on the "bad" things. I need to focus on the good things.