Happy Halloween! xo, the Armstrongs

Happy Halloween! here we are taking out the pumpkin guts and getting ready a fun weekend of harvest, games and CANDY!!!





MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHA! says ScottyMonster


some crazy happy Jack 'o Lanterns

The SMACKDOWN!

SO!!!!!! I woke up this morning, sent off two hippie looking children to elemetary school (today was hippie day) and suprisingly I didnt have to do much to make them look like it... kissed Seth goodbye as Danny took him to school, made snack for my bible study group, went to bible study, came home did dishes (like a massive amount of dishes) folded some laundry, arranged the pillows on the couch, put on some comfy pants and running shoes, updated my facebook status and hit the pavement.

Everything above is an excuse for me to put off running. My point is, I wanted to use these excuses.. I SOOOOOOOO wanted to use these excuses. IIII could have even gave in to how late in the day it was... but I didn't. I went and I feel PHENOMENAL. and some of you are thinking "well GOOD FOR YOU!" and I want it to be GOOD for you too.. NO!!!!! i want it to be GREAT! do it with me!

Last night I noticed I was trying to get a cold. or maybe just allergies... whatever.. my nose was on the fritz and I already started to think about today's run. Could I run like this??? (in my investigative voice) not being able to breathe properly ... especially when controlling my breathing is such a battle for me without a stuffy nose.

When I went to bible study this morning I spoke to another lady who runs as well. I asked her (secretly hoping for the answer I wanted) "Do you still run with a runny/stuffy nose? like do people still do run when they have colds?" and to my delight (-->enter sarcasm) she said "Yes, of course!" -_____-

See... not only am I 'running' out of excuses (pun intended..get it?? "running out of excuses"... get it??) okay, nevermind... but my excuses are beginning to get a bit more creative. **and desperate** My excuses are trying to find a loophole to NOT run.

but the runner in me laid the SMACKDOWN! BAM! I danced on today's excuses and *ran* all over them. HA! okay, I'll stop.

GET OUT AND RUN, MOVE, DANCE, PLAY AND LAY SOME SMACKDOWN!!!!

today's run was motivated by: THE BLACK EYED PEAS: PUMP IT! (ciaooo baby and I did!)

BETWEEN TWO LUNGS

I OWNED today... OWNDED IT!

totally was NOT feelin' it this morning... butIwentanyway.

walk/ran the first time around. (THAT'S RIGHT! I SAID *FIRST TIME*)

Couldn't find any excuse to not go or quit and by the time I reached home (after the 1st time around =) ) Rhianna was on, Only Girl in the World. I was feelin' a second time. My heart was pumpin' I felt like a hottie and I kept goin'.

The next song that came on was FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE ~ BETWEEN TWO LUNGS.


Now I've heard this song a million times before. Sirsly, a million. It is my favorite song of all time, ever. EVER! But as the song came on my second time around something in me changed. I heard that song like I've never heard it before. The lyrics were different, the feeling I had running and listening to it was different.
and between my two lungs was on fire but also a heart full of PURE EMOTION.

I got GOOSEBUMPS PEOPLE! GOOSEBUMPS while running!
After the song was over I replayed it because I didnt want the feeling to go away.
I teared up while running. Beaming with pride that I had ran the whole second time around.

**mind you one time around is just shy of 1 mile. Just a spits shot from 1 mile. Soooooooooo 1+1= 2 THATS RIGHT! 2 miles!

I wish I could take credit but I have to give all the glory to my maker, Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I know I talking like I just won a daytime Emmy but I really do feel like it. I feel like I've won God's ESPN award.

I had to include FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE's Between Two Lungs. Take minute to listen to the words and tie them to running, or any kind of physical activity. I'll never listen to that song the same.... and for that I am eternally grateful.

p.s. I was so excited to blog todays fantasticness that I ran straight upstairs and haven't even showered yet! TMI for some of you, but for some others... you get it! =)

she did it again??? no way! (that's what I said!)

So I ran this morning- pretty excited to get out there and do the whole "I love running" thing again. Not at first I wasn't. As I layed in bed, still dark outside, I knew NOT running this morning wasn't an option. (I was trying to use the darkness of the morning as an excuse to **maybe not go) sssooooooo pathetic. I know, right??

Nevertheless, I got up, put on my most decent "out in public" pajamas, slapped a bandaid on that blistered heel/ankle and got my morning run on. Same pattern as yesterday, some walk - some run. I made it. Take that Tuesday!

Here's to tomorrow!

This mornings run was brought to me by RADIOHEAD: CREEP

poor Nikes =/

and she ran... and bled. but she ran more

I should have done this yesterday but the idea only came to me today. ha!

Im going to blog about my everyday running process.
This way I stay accountable.
good. bad. ugly. and hopefully triumphant! no.... wait ... scratch that... I will be triumphant.


Yesterday 10/24/2011 in the morning after 3 out of 4 kids went to school I put on my, silly excuse for running shoes (see...I'm already trying to make excuses) and headed down the driveway.

ipod in hand, set to "Mom's workout" playlist I walked up hill. Trying to control my breathing till I reached the top. Not so bad.

But there are workers. Construction workers working on houses that are for sale and I'm mildly embarrassed that I'm not running yet. (like they are thinking "why isn't she running yet?")??????? I know ... strange. (you don't know the 1/2 of it.)

I get past them, and start to run. JUST MAKE IT TO THE LIGHT POLE. I repeated this to myself about a hundred times. I made it. walk. maintain your breathing. stay focused. made it to the next corner (**corners are encouragement).

Down hill now. I can run down hill, right??? how easy is that? Not so easy when your trying to maintain some form of control. If I let my body do what it wanted to I would have either crawled, or got to running so fast I would have twisted a hip outta place, and ended up with Road rash all over my face. DON'T FALL!!! on repeat all the way down the hill. I turned the corner and Im still upright and breathing, and Im on level sidewalk now. I cant believe it. I feel victorious. So victorious that Im gonna try and run just to the next corner. I DO! I wonder if I can make it running across the street. I DID! maybe I can squeeze one more corner out. and I do!

The amazing thing is... I'm not huffing and puffing, I'm not curled up rocking back and forth somewhere, and I'm not in the fetal postion. WIN! I'm alive, proud, invigorated, pumped up and bleeding. YES, bleeding. The back part of my shoe was too high and my socks were too low and it ended up a bloody heel/ankle. (the old me would have said "WHOA WHOA WHOA! bleeding now?NO! this is why I don't run and I can't run like this now!")

buuuuuuut the new runner in me said "remember how awesome you felt making it to that next corner, remember that feeling you got when you were able to control your breathing and keep your endurance up???? remember when you smiled and laughed to yourself when no one was around because you did it, you ran... because you thought you couldn't and you did???

THAT'S WHAT MADE ME COME BACK FOR MORE! fuel for my fire!

Because although I may look like Im chasing cake down the street I feel better after running than I would if I ate the whole bakery.

My morning run was made possible by ADELE: HOMETOWN GLORY

just an ordinary weekend

This weekend was so ordinary that it oozed blessings and apple jelly. I used a recipe online to make apple butter, however I do believe I made apple jelly instead. Still a win.
I realize, me writing and labeling the jar "apple butter" is a bit deceptive so I took the hearts off, made new ones and labeled them
"Apple 'I don't think you're ready for this' Jelly"

My kids and I saw Jupiter, its rings, and its 4 moons, Andromeda & all its fuzzy awesomeness, and the Moon. p.s the Moon was so close I felt like I could spin it with my finger.
The funny thing about this photo is it was my Friday morning cup of coffee the cresent moon showed up in. I didn't see the Milkyway goodness until Saturday night. I believe the Moon in my coffee and the moon in the sky are in cahoots, and for that I am thankful. Because I love the moon.



Instead of "call me, lets do lunch!" for toddlers it's "come over, lets do bubbles"



and bubbles are catchy ...... in the best kind of way.


I am forever grateful and in awe of God taking ordinary things, people, and circumstances and using them for extraordinary purposes. I am so thankful that God has shown me that photography is how I can bottle these memories, and preserve these moments forever.