Life and Times of the Sharp Family

I got the chance to meet Dave Roman and Raina Telgemeier tonight.  Raina is the author of Smile and is, according to my husband, the premier graphic novelist for middle-grade students in this country.  Dave, is the author of Astronaut Academy and Teenboat , and is a passionate graphic novelist as well.  I was so grateful to meet these two and see what my husband has been talking excitedly about over the past year or so.  I met Colby in Ann Arbor, where he had been all day for the Kids Read Comics celebration, and where Dave and Raina led sessions and answered questions from fans.  To top off the night, Dave and Raina met some members of the Nerdy Book Club  for dinner.  This is what I was going to be thankful for tonight, but after dinner, on a whim, we decided to get dessert.  We landed in downtown Ann Arbor at a restaurant called The Melting Pot , which is a fondue restaurant.  I had never had fondue before, and Colby certainly hadn't...

It's as classic as apple pie -- running through the sprinkler on a hot summer day. Today, to beat the heat in the morning, we sat out in our shady front yard and watched as the girls frolicked, sprinted, skipped, hanstanded, and danced through our sprinkler.  Colby and I munched on watermelon and laughed as they checked it out -- hesitatingly at first, and then with the full-blown gusto we so love in our girls.  I even made a few trips through myself! I was thankful for the opportunity to actually enjoy myself in this beastly hot weather and to give my kids the chance to play outside without worrying about their health. Thank God for the sprinkler! God, thank you for giving us some time together that brought fun and relief from the heat.  Thank you for keeping us all safe this week.  In your name I pray, Amen.

I got this invitation from my son: "Dear Mom, on Friday morning please have a party in the backyard with me. From: Breslin" I am grateful for a son who desires to hang out with me -- so much so that I get a special invitation to parties in the backyard.  I love this kid. Thank God for an invitation! Dear Lord, thank you for my son and for the way he makes me feel special and loved.  Thank you for this time in our lives where he still thinks I'm cool and wants to hang out with me.  Please help me to now take it for granted.  In your name I pray, Amen.

I seriously love this show.  It's inspirational, motivational, and positive.  I've been watching a lot of it lately, but especially today as I am feeling pretty crummy (if you think of it, pray for me...I'm starting to freak out about getting sick so close to my big race).  It always makes me smile and feel a little bit better to see people working hard and making decisions to better their own lives.  In this world of negativity and excuses, I love having this uplifting piece of media to be surrounded with on days that I'm flat on my back feeling sick.  Thank God for the Biggest Loser! God, thanks for this amazing show that transforms lives.  Thank you for the way you have transformed my life.  Help me to live it in a way that honors you.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Today I am thankful for a spontaneous swim. But I could be just as thankful for not having to go to the hospital. Because, while I got a 4.0 in high school, that doesn't mean that sometimes I don't make really stupid decisions. Like trying to run 2 hours today after a 1 hour bike ride without having anything to drink. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, doesn't it? Well, let me tell you, it was horrible. The biking was fine.  The first hour and 20 minutes of the run was fine.  But, for the last forty minutes of my run, I was dizzy and had goosebumps all over myself.  Unfortunately, from prior experience I know that these are classic signs of dehydration and I was a good 5 miles away from my house. By the grace of God, I made it to Victory Park at the end of my 3 hours of torture.  Victory Park is on the other side of the river that borders my backyard, so I stumbled my way along the linear pathway, muscles and throat aching, head spin...

I have a lot of people ask me how I find the time to get in training for my Ironman. It's a legitimate question.  I have three kids and I work full time during the school year.  Throw Ironman training in the mix and you have a pretty demanding schedule. Sometimes I just shrug my shoulders and say, "I don't know, it's tough!" Sometimes, I give all the credit to my husband (not as often as I should), because he does things like put the kids to bed and generally holds down the fort so that I can get in a training session. Sometimes, I have to admit that other things must be cut in the interest of time. The first thing to go is usually cleaning the house. I was raised in a house where the bathrooms were not cleaned once a week.  They were cleaned twice a week.  Needless to say, I have an anxious, guilty feeling in the pit of my stomach when I realize I can't remember the last time the bathrooms in my house have been cleaned. Now that summer is her...

My dad lives 0.57 miles away from our house. I know that because I ran there and back four times Friday in an effort to unlock his new house for an appraisal.  It sounds like I'm complaining, but I'm totally not.  It was all a part of a long run, so it was fine--I had to put in the time and miles anyway.  But during all of this back and forth, I was able to find the shortest route from my house to his, and according to my Garmin, it is 0.57 miles. I am so thankful that my dad lives 0.57 miles away.  For a very long time, he has lived 291 miles away in Terre Haute, Indiana.  I missed him greatly.  Now, I get to see him almost every day.  He stops by for dinner, takes my kids swimming, and lets us hang out in his air conditioning.  I cannot express how much it means to me to have my dad close by.  I have missed him so much and to have him around is something I am incredibly grateful for.  My kids are in love with their gran...