My 2009 Highlights

Happy New Year Everyone!! I hope you all had a safe and fun NYE!

I had to work yesterday which was not that fun but then we had dinner plans. =) We went out to Pita Jungle..a place that we both love. It's healthy and delicious.

"Pita Jungle offers an eclectic blend of fresh ingredients, creative energy, and good times. Take your family or meet your friends at Pita Jungle, and discover the art of eating healthy."

http://www.pitajungle.com/

This is what we had to eat:

Craig had the quesadilla with tsatziki.

I had the wood fired salmon with wilted spinach and smashed potatoes.

Both were really good. Next time we go I plan on trying the Spicy Mango Shrimp. YUM

After dinner we went to out friends house and played Corn Hole.

(Not my picture)

We also played Scene it. It was a lot of fun and I got to be with the one I love. Nothing beats that.

2009 HIGHLIGHTS

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  Running my first half marathon!! P.F. Changs Half Marathon was an amazing experience and sometimes I still can't believe that I'm a runner! When I first started I could barely run 1 mile. (01/18/2009)
  
  
  
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  Running my second half marathon. I ran with one of my best friends and we had so much fun. We ran the Disney Half Marathon on 09/06/2009. Immediately finishing my first half marathon I didn't want to run another EVER again. LOL. Soon after feeling better I was ready to train for another one. Now I'm running another one in a few weeks. It's addicting.
  
  
  
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  We went on a few trips this year. We went to Las Vegas and got to do a lot of new things there. We love Vegas because it's so close for us and we can always make it a weekend getaway. We also visited the Zion National Park and did some amazing hikes. It was an incredible experience for both of us. It was so beautiful. Even now when we look at the pictures it looks fake but it wasn't. we say the beauty of this place in person. Unforgettable. This year we traveled to California for the Disney Half Marathon. My sister was able to come with us and we had some hilarious moments. Can't wait to go to texas with my two loves in March for another half marathon which my sister is running with me.
  
  
  
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  On August 24, 2009 I celebrated 2 years of a healthier life!!! I started this journey 2 years ago and I feel great. I don't ever want to be who I used to be. I love me!
  
  
  
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  I started My Daily Inspiration. I was nervous at first because I know that I don't write well or have the best spelling but Craig encouraged me to do it. I wanted a way to be able to share my story and experiences with others that are thinking about changing their lives. Because we can all do it. I spent so many years saying I was going to start the next day and NEVER would.. One day I was tired of feeling like crap all the time. I'll never regret changing those bad habits. I've never been happier then I am now. I want this life forever and my blog is the journal of my journey.
  
  
  
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  I tried Bikram Yoga with a friend. We bought a two week unlimited pass. The first time I went I wasn't able to make it the whole class. It was HORRIBLE. haha but little by little I got used to it. I never bought another pass but to me it was a huge step. I was starting another new thing in my life. The "before" me would have never tried anything new. Now I'm like " BRING IT"
  
  
  
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  Ran 3 5k's this year. The first one was Run for the Cheetahs. This was my first race alone. Even though it wasn't a long race it was still a cool feeling to do it alone. Never in a million years would I have done that in the past. Even though they might be little steps they ARE HUGE steps for me. To becoming the me NOW. The second was with my sister. This one brings tears to my eyes because it's such a great cause. It was the Susan G. Komen Race for the cure. I remember so many people turned out for this race and it was nice to see people come together. Another awesome thing was that I got to run it with my sister. My Vero. I just want so much for her because I know she is able to do so much more then she thinks. She is still growing up and I know she has a great life ahead of her. My eyes got teary as we crossed the finish line but I didn't let her see. I don't want her to think her big sis is a wuss. JK. She already knows it. The third race was with my love....Craig. I never knew he wanted to run. I never wanted him to feel pressured into doing it because I was. He is active with me but I never asked him to run. He decided to join my sister and I when we would go for runs. That meant a lot to me. I like that I can share something I love so much with the person I love.
  
  
  
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  When I was training for my first half marathon in January I noticed that I had lumps on my neck. I first I thought nothing of it but then I felt weak a lot and had no energy. Craig insisted that I make an appointment, especially after getting sick from running the half marathon. That Monday after running I went to the Drs. After many tests and exams they saw that I had an infection in my Lymph Nodes. This took many months and many Dr. appointments. I was ready to give up. I was tired of going to the Drs. but I knew I had to especially when I wasn't feeling better. They had said 3 things in my blood were not "normal." They said that's why I felt so weak and tired all the time. My family was so worried..especially after the specialist told me it could be cancer. I had to wait for them to do a biopsy on me to figure out what it was exactly. They ended up removing the 2 lymph nodes that were infected and said that in a few months I would start feeling back to normal. That experience was so many things to me. Thank God that it was nothing severe! I love my life and I appreciate everyone in it. We have to enjoy everyday because we really don't know what will happen.....
  
  
  

Sorry it's such a long post. I have more from the week but that will have to wait. I think it's long enough. =)

Have a good JANUARY 1, 2010!!!!

Betty