Running for Blaze

Not long after Blaze passed away we talked about running for him... in his honor. Well we started training the week after Christmas to do just that... we are running the Moab 1/2 Marathon March 20th. Lets just say it has not been easy there have been a few tears and lots of "I can't do it" and "what was I thinking" moments. With that there have also been lots of "holy cow I just did that" and "I can do it keep going" moments too.

I remember our first long run it was 3 miles and it ended in an utter meltdown. I threw myself on our bed and cried for 20 minutes... I was so hot and so heartbroken that it is so hard... I don't know what I expected but I didn't expect it to break my spirit and it has a little. However yesterday I had a little piece of perspective handed to me when my sweet husband reminded me of how far I have come... our first run was one mile and I hardly ran (I mostly complained.)

Yesterday was a HUGE milestone for me... We ran 6 miles... SHUT UP 6 miles. Ray ran it in 54 minutes and I was a little over 60. I only stopped 4 times for about 20 seconds max each time. I was dreading this run all week... I knew it would be a tearful run and I was prepared for meltdowns. However when we started my ipod battery was dead... I though how in the world am I going to run for 6 miles without music and the little Nike lady saying... "1 Mile completed" but too stubborn to go back to our house and get my old ipod I said "lets go I'll be fine" backing up the story.. I knelt to pray before leaving for our run begging for help running and the endurance to make it. We also prayed together before we left I needed all the help I could get! Was my ipod being dead a miss hap NOPE it was just what I needed.

I needed that 6 miles with my Heavenly Father and I needed that 6 miles with my little angel Blaze. He was near and I have learned that with the help of my Heavenly Father who knows me, My AMAZING husband who believes in me, and our little Angel who watches over me. I know I can do hard things!

Ray made a really big deal about me doing this run he was so proud when we finished he kept telling me how great I did... the truth of the matter is I could not do it without him... he is so inspiring to me. He runs to the finish line and then turns around to come back and get me... "going the extra mile" that is my sweet Ray he is the love of my life and the absolute BEST!

Homeless

A few years ago I would wake up every morning and pray for the opportunity to serve someone that day and that the Lord would lead me to someone who needed my help. Every day without fail there would be someone put in my path that I could help in some way. I stopped doing that for a while with a new year one of my goals is to give more... so I have since started praying for just that... the opportunity to serve more.
Yesterday we went to Walmart to get Ray some notebooks for school (starting tomorrow) so as we were leaving there was a man standing on the corner with a little sign that said "homeless" we pulled out of the parking lot and I said to Ray "that breaks my heart he is freezing cold and homeless" It struck me then that I had asked to help someone that day and there he was.. he needed help. So I flipped the car around and we gave him some money. He said "God Bless You" we rolled up the window and drove away I said to Ray "God will bless us he already has"
so as you know I am a very emotional person and broke into tears on the way home... we are so blessed and take so much for granted we have money in the bank, two cars that run, we have a warm home to go to, we have power, and running water, and good jobs, the opportunity to go to school, and families who love us. This man didn't seem to have any of those things... so today I am grateful for the little things that all of the sudden become big things when you see someone go without.
This week may we all try a little harder to reach out to those in need and be more aware of those around us.
My favorite hymn: Because I have been given much I too must give (sums up just how I feel)

Christmas, Adios 2009 HELLO 2010

I LOVE this Picture! Ray and Nash (5 Months)

He is such a happee little guy we Love him!

Nash and Dexter our new little puppy Dexter loved him
Our new little addition Dexter he is ADORABLE We LOVE HIM! and he Loves to just lay in the middle of the kitchen floor... as seen here ha ha

My HANDSOME Husband! Look at that U Beanie...

Looks good right? I know I love this man!

We had a Great Christmas. We spent the week in Idaho with Rays family and had a great time minus the Stomach Flu shared by all... and I was lucky enough to have it on Christmas Eve Blah. Christmas was so good we were with people we Love and nothing is better than that! As mentioned we got Dexter... Rays Mom kept him for us and on Christmas morning I opened my last gift and it was his doggie bed and I squealed then she handed him to me with a bow on his head... he has brought so much Joy into our little family. He is so happee every time we come home and he loves to play... can't say enough about him we LOVE HIM.

2009 in Review

We have had a very trying year filled with more Joy than we ever hoped for and more heartache than we could ever imagine... we are so grateful to start a new year filled with Hope in better things to come for our little family. We are so grateful for the amazing LOVE and Support we have felt in our lives from so many so to all of you who have reached out in heart, in spirit, through prayer, comforting words, and thoughtful deeds we want you to know that we are SO BLESSED to have you in our lives! Thank You for loving us and for giving to our family in times of need. We LOVE YOU!

2010 Here We Come!

I think my theme for this year is going to be I can Do Hard Things... it sounds a little crazy but I have a need to prove to myself that I can do hard things... On my Mission I had an extremely hard time in the beginning. I was so homesick and thousands of miles from home... I wrote my mission President and told him I was giving it one more week and if things didn't get better I was going home. I gave it my all that week and it made all the difference in me staying... at the end of the week my Bishop called. What an AMAZING man who has shaped and blessed my life beyond measure. During that call he said " Sister Nessen You can do hard Things" I have thought about that sentence many times since... and have faced HARD things... so this year my goal is to do some hard things some that scare me and some that just need to be done.

A few of my goals

Run a half marathon with Ray for Blaze (March 20th Moab here we come)

No Dessert, Candy, or Pop until after our 1/2

Go Back to School

Find a New Job... if School won't work with the one I have

Continue our family... See doctors to help (This is a really hard and an emotional one for us)

Get Organized (Scrap booking one of the top ones on the list)

Serve more, Give more, & Love More

Have more Understanding of Gods Plan for our family

Find Joy in the Journey

Those are just a few on the list to finding more Hope and having more Faith in 2010.

HAPPEE NEW YEAR