I would just like to say that there are photos in my previous blog AND a link to a website. I did it ALL BY MYSELF. Thanks for the tutorial Virge.

Quinn and I ran the Retro Run 5K on Saturday! Pretty amazing. I will definitely do another one again. Kudos to Abbey Gore and my sister for inspiring me @ 32 years of age to run a race. My time was 36:00 which is not extremely impressive (considering the Kenyan leader finished in 13:00 and then lapped us to run the race AGAIN), but I was just amazed that I finished with a consistent pace. My sweet husband also stayed with me the whole race (and let me beat him by one second) when he couldv'e gone a heckuva lot faster and made a much better time for himself. Thanks Baby! I like running with you. Will you be my friend forever? Check yes or no. Heather Nold took these pictures at the race, which I am so thankful for. I really look like I'm chugging, but I'm just about dead at the end. Just in case you think you cannot possibly run a 5K ever, I started with something called "From the couch to a 5K" on the trak shak's web site (www.trakshak.com) and just see for yourself how easy it is to start. I completely surprised myself. There's another one in September in Pinson and I'm gonna do it. I addicted now. Woo hoo!

Happy with Myself?

not really... which is why I chose the title. It is an Over the Rhine song that is gorgeous (at this point I would love to actually play the song for you, it is on my itunes, but again....) and provokes thoughts on how I view my relationship to my Savior.

"I'm happy with myself
I'm happy with myself
and I don't have
what it takes
to please you

I've been trying
to write you a letter
I've been trying
for two or three years
maybe I
could just say it better
practice some
in front of a mirror
here
oh

I've been trying
to build you a heaven
crowns of thorns
in Mason Jars
angels that dance
on pins and needles
maybe I've tried
a little too hard
oh"

I get so frustrated being in my own selfish skin. Why am I allowed to be a mother? Why does He allow us to be so stricken by our own sin? The gospel rings true in my head, and is both a repetitive drum and a safe, beautiful melody that plays always. I can't hear it sometimes because of my own screaming insecurities. I am not happy with myself, but should I be? I feel like this great, big, awkward buffoon who talks to loud and says STUPID stuff (hello verbal diarrhea). Stop talking!

...though I'm usually pacifistic
you are mercifully sadistic
and I didn't know
that murder
could be good
but the roses came crimson
springing
from the prison
of the floorboards
where there once were stains
of blood... (OTR "within without")

I am very frustrated in being completely incapable of doing new computer stuff. I have been waiting and waiting to blog because I wanted this beautiful slide show of our Panama City family beach trip. So I was able (for the first time, with much help from hubby) to put my pictures on my computer and then use my Picture Project program to edit and do cool stuff to my pictures. Sounds very savvy, doesn't it? Well, I can't figure out how to get the pictures from Picture Project to Slide Show.com. Yes, extremely annoying. You may be shaking your head and saying, "Oh Kim, it's so easy!" Hmmm... Easy does not work for me. Virginia has come over several times and helped me do stuff and given me very CLEAR instructions and I am a complete nincompoop. So I'm blogging now because I have become so annoyed with myself and I WANT you to see these cool pictures and tell you about our very 1st, only our family, family vacation, and I can't. So there you go. Will I ever, EVER, be able to do computer stuff with stumbling over my own stupidity? I think not. Now, everyone go to Virginia's blog and look at her cool stuff and know that THAT is how I want to do stuff. I know there is something where I can underscore her name and it will take you directly to her blog, but I don't know how to do that. Shocker.

SIGH.......