I felt so out of control and really had to fight against those winds in order to just keep still and upright. Fight to keep still? Does that all sound familiar? It does to me. All week I fight to keep my stillness, my structure, my routine. Yet when the winds of life take full force, I go head first into those gusts which leave me windblown and worn-out.
How do we protect ourselves from this? How do we dodge those winds? How do we build up stamina to hold strong against it? Am I being too “rhetorical” here? haha.
Let’s reflect on that….
Last Friday I talked about taking some time to rest, recover, and regain strength. But what it all boiled down to (for me personally) was stillness.
Learning how to be still, to really be still and let life happen - that stillness becomes a radiance.
Stillness meant living in the present, regaining that time blow away from the week. It meant focusing on loving my husband and being still in his presence. It meant just being there. And you know what I found?
STRENGTH, CALMNESS, MY HEART AND SOUL!
I was actually dodging the winds here. Sadie and I sat under the rocks by the lake and watched the hubs swim the 2.4 mile Open Water Race.
This was a last minute race to test his speed and endurance before next weekends big race. The competition……well, can you guess who’s in the Livestrong Suit?
A little warm up and stretch before the gun goes off…..
A handshake of congratulations after.
The results? I’ll leave that up to you to read here.
As for us, we continued on with our time (stillness) together with a little post race celebration.
If you look real closely, you can see that tall glass of Guinness behind my glass of wine.
So tell me friends. Are you windblown? Did you find recovery? Or rather did you find stillness? Mushy is my middle name this time of year, so come on and share!
Cheers to a Calm Tuesday!
LC
p.s.
I have lots of more wonderful heart and soul pictures from fellow bloggers. I would like to share them with you all. Would you like to see them? I promise they will make your heart smile.
107 comments:
THE Lance Armstrong?! WOWZERS your hubs is awesome...he beat him!! :D
I'm finding it hard to find stillness at the moment- life is so busy! But in the evenings I always take a bit of time out just to chill and read my Bible, and that's my moment of daily stillness:)
Have a great day Lindsay!! And I can't wait to see everyone's heart+soul pics!!
Wow, your hubs is amazing! You must be so proud of him---what an exciting thing for him (and you) to be involved in, and doing so awesome at!
I def would like to see the pics people sent you!
Whenever I'm feeling windblown in life, I try to remind myself to focus on two things: O2 and H2O....drink water and breathe deeply. It helps to find moments/spaces where I can get quiet and peace...but it's totally possible in the middle of chaos too. Relying on returning to a feeling instead of having to create certain surroundings has really helped me feel the stillness in more parts of my life.
Great post!
I'd love to see the pictures!!!!!
Hope you have a calm Tuesday as well! :D
calm indeed. I could use some of those scones you made right about now, hehe.
Lindsay
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i love that concept. Can I steal it? O2 and H2O! well said Lisa. I always learn
from you.
:)
Lindsay
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yep, good 'ol Lance. It was fun to watch. You are so right, Bible time if
stillness and a great connection with God. Thank you for reminding of that
Emma. Will be opening mine up shortly!
Lindsay
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Girl it was CRAZY windy here yesterday too. I seriously thought I was going to be knocked over trying to walk. But I love how you use that as an analogy in this post. Really love it. We all get windblown and blown right over sometimes in life.
Oh I so thought of you when writing this. Both the physical part and the mental
part. Its nice we always can relate. Happy "calm" tuesday.
:)
Lindsay
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i love your connection!!! the wind in nature and the wind in life!! very thoughtful!! recently i havent been struck with anything big... just those little gusts here and there- but im standing firm!
I would love to see those pictures! I definitely got windblown yesterday when I met a lady at the gym who had been run over my a drunk driver and broke all the bones in her face, shoulder, clavical, had 1 collapsed lung, and flatlined 3 times and still survived. Then she said she wanted to train with me. I don't think I could feel more honored to be a part of her journey. God is good.
My run was like that yesterday! Good think I am aerodynamic ;)
Beautiful post, friend! I need to work on being still, especially with Billy. We're both pulled in different directions and by the end of the day, all I need and want is to be still with him and just enjoy time together. I'm working on finding that balance. And of course I love that James kicked butt in the open water swim! I hope he's feeling confident and prepared for this weekend. I'm praying for him! And you. :)
windblown?? Wind is a four letter word out here!!!!! Congrats to your awesome hubs!!
I'd love to see more pictures! Finding time to be still is always hard with everything going on each day. But it is very important, and I'm always grateful when I take that time to be still. You're awesome :)
I am glad you experienced stillness,the right way.Been through that,makes you stronger and makes you appreciate the present.Its a good moment :)
I've been blown off the road on my bike before! Scary stuff! Being still and calm is something that I'm always working on. I actually dealt with insomnia when I was in college because I just couldn't get my mind to rest, but I'm getting so much better and just dealing with the things I can deal with an enjoying the calm and quiet of a few still moments.
what a lovely post! i'm all about finding stillness...funny enough i usually find that when i'm running :)
i'd love to see more pics!
Congrats to your man! That's awesome!
As for me, I am windblown right now, but we are trying to weather the storm and come out better for it.
He beat Lance! :)
Girl, you have such a way with words! Not mushy at all - in fact, it's exactly what I've been trying to say about letting go, etc. It's about stillness, finding strength in that stillness and recovering. Awesome post, girlfriend!
Wow, that's quite a swim! Good for your hubby! Your pictures are always so great! I love how you described being still. It's hard to do in life when we are sometime bombarded with things that would distract us from what is really important. I ran in wind this weekend and found that when I didn't push against it and just relaxed it wasn't nearly as bad as when I'm trying to push through and battle it. I think it's the same in life. We just have to be expect challenges to come and deal with them the best we can. If we have our focus on the things in life that matter most, it doesn't matter what will come along as long as our priorities are set. What a great post!
And yes, more pictures of heart and soul, please!
This is the battle I'm fighting all the time! Sometimes I wonder if I'm too delicate, because nobody around me seems to struggle for balance that hard, but perhaps nobody just admits ...
We're so alike, so *that* blows me away now! :D
I love how you used the mindfulness approach to find stillness in the middle of the tempest. It's so good, and it really helps me as well.
I hope you have a happy and peaceful day! And I'd love to see all your pictures! :D
It has also been extremely windy here the past few days. Last night we had storms with gusts up to 70 mph. Scary!!!
Regarding finding stillness...that is one of the huge benefits of my yoga practice. I am so wired to just go, go, go and yoga forces me to stop and be with my body and mind while I'm on my mat. That said, I am still struggling to add any type of meditation to my practice but baby steps, right!?
You hubs is AWESOME! Does he feel great about beating LA or did he know he would do it anyway??
I love your posts- in a busy, busy life, your blog is like a calm breathe of fresh air! thanks Linds!
YES! I needed to hear that. I desperately need stillness this week. I'm not sure where to find it life is so busy, but I'm going to seek it out.
Yay!!! Your hubs beat Lance??!! That is freaking amazing.
When we lived in Germany, I actually got to see the Tour de France up close, and Lance was literally 3 feet away from me. Of course he was going pretty fast on the bike, but it was awesome to be in the presence of greatness. I respect people who train so hard to make their dreams come true. Your husband sounds like he works just as hard as Lance. I also think the support team around great athletes like that need to be acknowledged. Lindsay, your husband is so lucky to have you supporting him through everything!!
I love those pictures. Your husband came in 2nd and Lance came in 3rd? He's like... wow! As someone who is struggling so much to run a freaking MILE, I'm so impressed.
Those photos are beautiful. They make me want to run around outside.
did you get lance's number for me?! ;)
way to go for james!!!! HE IS THE BEST!!!
great analogy, my friend... life's gusts sometimes are enough to blow you over, but it's how you react - just lie there and let the leaves cover you up, or get back up and fight? :) and then there's the opportunity to take shelter and find the calm from the storm... quiet all the noise and just enjoy... even though I KNOW it, you know? sometimes I struggle with it. so I stop what I'm doing and just go sit with Basil or with Jason... and be. it's one of those things that is a constant battle, but deserves constant attention.
and HUZZAH to James once again - fantastic job!
YES I would love to see more people's heart and soul... I love it!!
We are so alike. And I have to admit, I feel the same way. Too delicate or
fragile at times. But then I remember, its all in my head. I have to almost step
back to realize that, ya know? Thanks for always leaving such great insight
Kath!
Lindsay
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oh yoga does help with that! I can't even imagine the wonders it does with your
practice. Your yoga teaching has inspired me to get back in tune with my
practice. Yes, baby steps for that too.
Lindsay
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I remember that post you spoke of with the wind. You looked relaxed. And what a
great way to let those gusts carry you on. By staying calm. WOW jen, thank you!
Lindsay
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I'm pretty sure I thought of this because of your post i read! It inspired me to
SLOW DOWN! Thank you friend for always knowing how to inspire me.
:)
Lindsay
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wow Sarena, what a great way to look at it.. And yes, the storm will pass and a
rainbow will come!
Lindsay
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you know, me too! I think its because we are calm and its quiet. Ya know?
Lindsay
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me too! When we lived in Kona, I was blown over all the time on my dinky bike,
haha. But in all seriousness, you are right.... as we age, we get stronger
and know how to handle these winds. Ya know?
Lindsay
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well said trisha. You are a great example of how to handle life's gusts and
being thankful for the stillness. I just love that!
Lindsay
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Seriously so proud of James!!!!!
Great post--as usual! I really wish we lived closer!!
Yes m'am. I hear ya! The more we get tossed around, the more we crave stillness.
When in fact, its all about balance, right? I learn so much for you and
your heart that it helps me in these times. Love you friend.
Lindsay
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did you wear an aerohelmet too? hehe.
Lindsay
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oh my goodness, thats scary. How amazing is it that God brought you to her. He's
in control, thats for sure!
Lindsay
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those little gusts can add up, so it is good to stand firm. You are so right. I
love how you are so wise for your age. Always impressing me Carrie!
Lindsay
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When you said last friday that you were going to soak up time with Jason and
Basil for recovery, it totally hit home for me. I didn't need my own personal
recovery, I need time with my best friend, my better half. So thank you for
sharing that, it really made me still......a good still.
Lindsay
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he said he already had it from the last time. hehe. wink wink!
;)
Lindsay
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go for it, go run outside. Take the kiddo! Maybe you need some MOVE into
Stillness? hehe.
Lindsay
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oh gosh nicole, youre going to bring tears to my eyes. Joyful tears! Thank you
for such kind words. I love being my husbands cheerleader. His passion, his
drive, his humility in life, make me alive! I know you can relate. You are such
an amazing woman and your husband is lucky to have you by his side. Even if he
is running ahead at times, hehe.
Lindsay
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awesome audrey! email me when you find it! I want to hear how!
Lindsay
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thank you Maia, your words always give me such comfort and calmness. I am glad
we can be that to each other. The hubs is pretty humble when it comes
to beating people. Thats why I love him!
Lindsay
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OMG the winds were super bad in Dallas too! And then there was a storm that woke me up every time there was thunder. I was going to say I didn't find anything except a bad night of sleep but...Binks and I sat on the bench outside our house and listened to all the trees. I really really felt the calm under all the gusts. :)
I used to live in Lubbock and the winds would get up to 50-60 mph pretty regulary during the spring.
I love what you said about fighting to keep still. It's a daily struggle for me but once I get to that place it's always so calming, relaxing, and rejuvinating.
LOVE the message behind this post. I hate that out of control feeling and with my job right now, I feel a little out of control and need to feel that stillness that I have yet to find. I know I won't have it until I am really into this job for 6 months....one day at a time, right? Thank you for this!
Stillness is when your hubby beats lance!! :) For me, stillness changes. Now it is knowing that I am in balance so my kids can be their best. I am holding strong to stillness...... but do have an 8 miler in the wind this afternoon!
I found stillness on Sunday:) I fell in love with running, swept off my feet! I am still in awe that the Hubs beat Lance. He is a legend!!
Great post Lindsay and congratulations to your husband! There is nothing quite like the magic of staying present AKA "still" to reveal the beauty and expansiveness of life. Good for you for taking care of your mind, body AND spirit.
My Tuesday is amazing so far - I had a random day off of work, and took a Yoga class followed by a run with my two of my favorite workout buddies :) Then we sat in the sun for over an hour, just to talk and soak in the sunshine. I think these kind of days keep us sane, especially in the middle of the week when the wind is blowing in all other directions!
HUGE congrats to the Hubs, I'd say he's more than ready for the "big" race!!
Affirmed. Your husband is a rock star. How cool to race against Lance!
Lately I am feeling the stillness, thank goodness. :) The past year has definitely been one of feeling windblown. Hunkering down and just trying to hang in there. Thank goodness for light at the end of the tunnel! :) The change in seasons, good news, and being able to pursue what makes me so happy, is what is bringing me stillness.
You can never be too rhetorical or too mushy for me! My middle name is "Cornball." Not really but I sort of wish it was...
WOW good for your hubby! Congrats to him!
I need to work on finding "stillness." Too often I get caught up and buffetted by the day-to-day grind, the studying, the schoolwork, the nitty-gritty details of meal prep and laundry. In ten years, I won't want to remember wasting my time agonizing over things like that.
Ahhhh!
I didn't have to click (but i did) to have a decent idea of the results !!!! Yay!!! I guess Lance is transitioning well into the tri thing. I had read that he was. Wow. And james is SO fast!!!
I just love how proud you are of him =D
Isnt it amazing how things like that make you sit back and reflect! It must be windy everywhere today its definitely windy here!
I bet your calmness can channel a great run! I sending you lots of good energy!
hope the run went well.
;)
Lindsay
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one day at a time, one breath at a time. I bet you can find stillness today.
Even if its just for 5 minutes. Then you can grow from there. Good luck with the
job, I know you'll do great! confidence!!!
Lindsay
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oh my gosh, my brothers went to tech and when I would visit, the sand storms
were CRAZY!! You are brave to live there, hehe. But there are a lot fo great
people there. Hope you were able to find your stillness place today tara.
Lindsay
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oh wow, that sounds kinda romantic, hehe. Glad the wind made you stop and
listen.
:)
Lindsay
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YAY JAMES!!! HE IS AMAZING AND SO ARE YOU!!! I am so glad you weren't blown away,I NEED YOU!! This post was perfect because I NEED some time just to be still and enjoy life and everything around me. I LOVED this post!!!
Girl I am for real searching for the stillness!!! HOLLA to the hubs!!! You are amaze too :) I love the picture of you and the pupper! Of course, I want to see the heart and soul pictures!
Katie :)
Wow, way to go James!
And I can definitely relate when it comes to feeling "windblown." Between school and work and friends and trying to make time to stay healthy and fit, I sometimes feel like I am spinning out of control. Stillness is such a hard thing to find sometimes...yet so important! Thanks for the great post!
I'm feeling just a bit windblown today, actually... well this week... well lately. lol I am just so busy!
I like your metaphors.
I made it out alive, hehe. I wouldn't leave you! I hope you get some time to sit
and be still sweet friend. And let me just say, I am SUPER PUMPED for your
marathon in may. I kinda wanna come watch!!
Lindsay
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girl, thats exactly how I felt. I had to stop. even just for a moment. I hope
you find some time to do that today friend. Love that we can always relate!
;)
Lindsay
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yes m'am, you are at your prime time (aka the tornado), hehe. But don't forget
to enjoy the present. It goes by so fast. I love that your leading such
healthy life at your age too!
Lindsay
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well you let me know when you do find it! I know its there somewhere. :)
Lindsay
p.s.
Any progress on the GF diet.
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I know, I think Mother Nature is being windy in order to stir us into
thinking. Thinking that we need to slow down, right?
:)
Lindsay
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I think Lance is going to go for Kona Ironman World Champs. So I heard..... And
yes, I am a proud wife. I love his God given strengths!
:)
Lindsay
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I see it!!!! hehe! My PLANTS are actually windblown -- they've been whipping around all day. does that count? lol
Happy Tuesday dahhhling! <3 enjoy your night!
xoXOxo
Jenn @ Peas & Crayons
What a great way to look at. In 10 years, I want to be able to look back at
enjoy these moments. And I love that we can enjoy our "mushy" posts.
hehe.
Lindsay
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oh that sounds like a fabulous Tuesday! Some day I hope to enjoy it with you,
then sit back and reflect with a good meal!
Cheers Heather!
Lindsay
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YAY James!! Very cool. I love the pictures of you and Sadie hiding from the wind. Actually the one of just Sadie rocks.
I find it very hard to be still, but it is so necessary for recovery. So I force it, and after a time do OK with it.
It's just smokin' hot that your husband beat *Lance Armstrong*. Yay, Team Cotter!
I am definitely learning that more and more. Being okay with stillness, its
actually very humbling. Good luck this weekend on your race!!!
Lindsay
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i love your mushiness. i was definitely wind blown this morning on my run. i almost got blown into the river! and i think i'm windblown in life. but the kind of wind that guides me. i feel secure overall but there's something that letting me drift into new life. if that makes sense. i guess i'm getting mushy too
Ummm, your hubby totally beat Lance Armstrong!!! CONGRATS!! Wow!!
I love your reflective posts (and the pic of you and Sadie dodging the Tey-haus winds!). I think I battled similar conditions in on Sat! So, I do I brace the wind? hmmmm. "unplug" and read (your book currently!) :)
Have a fabulous week Lindsay!
Haha, wow, deep metaphors here, Lindsey.
My personality makes it so hard for me to find stillness. I'm so damn impatient. I always need to be doing something, and I don't listen to God enough. I do, however, tell Him a lot of things about what I want.
Congrats to your hot-ass husband! (sorry, but it's true)
I know, i feel so philosopical. Which I totally am not. But as I get age, my
patience gets better. Life just throws us so many twist and turns that if I
don't sit still with God, I may never get of my selfish tunnel vision. Ya know?
And don't be sorry, I love my HOT ASS husband, hehe!
Lindsay
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oh thats awesome! I hope you are enjoying it. Definitely will make you wind
resistant with your gut, haha.
Lindsay
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oh it totally makes sense! its all about where you are in life. And if you
embracing that guidance, than more power to ya! let it take you! I love your
analogy and mushiness.
:)
Lindsay
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When you tweeted about seeing Lance Armstrong I was like: No Way.
Hahaha I am so starstruck for you
My senior year has definitely blown some gusty winds my way. It was very difficult at times to stay on track but I like to think that I am on my way to a pretty stable balance now. It is definitely a work in progress!
Absolutely loving your mushy posts by the way :)
I raced a 5k on Sunday and was almost blown over several times - and there were some points in the race where I wasn't sure I was moving at all!! haha
I would say in life I am finally finding happiness because of running. Sure, races can be stressful, but its a fun, competitive stress instead of a "life" stress if that makes sense. I'm getting used to my training plans and what kind of commitment it requires every day, which is helping me find calm and stillness. Running kind of saved me :)
And Congrats to your hubs!!!! And how awesome is it that he beat Lance Armstrong!! Not many people can say that! I bet it was pretty cool meeting him as well.
Hehe... I always look forward to post race celebrations! Especially ones that involve beer or wine ;-)
And your doggie is SO adorable!
2.4 mile swim!? Wow- I give your hubs major props! It would totally scare me to do that in general, but in open water..that's a whole different story! Go Hubs :)
It's kind of funny that you are writing about being blown over- because I was last week! The weather was so crazy here one afternoon after work & I was trying to get to my car & was literally BLOWN over! ..thank goodness not in the street :)
Sadie is so cute- she looks like she is watching so intently :)
You know all about my windblown-ness right now :)
I just added you to my blogroll - dont know what took me so long!
Congrats to your hubs!! Guess it just proves once again what a good duo you two make!
I am ALWAYS seeking stillness - either in my early morning run when it's still dark before the girls get up, or my cup of hot tea at 4 when the girls are running around in circles ! I can't stop what's around me, but I'm learning to stop myself every now and then - turn robot mommy off and just breathe.
I'm sure you and Sadie cheering helped propel Hubs along in his race! Congrats to him!
I am constantly seeking stillness in life. Sometimes I feel as though there's so much I need to accomplish in a day, I literally can't slow down. But the key for me is adding "slowing down" onto my to-do list. That way I ensure that I have time to decompress and reflect. :-)
p.s. When I went to make your peanut butter cups the other night, I couldn't find my mini-muffin pan! So they ended up being cookies...But muffin-shaped or not, they certainly were DELICIOUS!
what a great way to focus on that. I need to write slow down on my to do list!
Brilliant sarah! Glad you like the pb cups, I bet the cookie form is super cute!
;)
Lindsay
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I love your 'mushy' posts ;) This one is perfect and so reflective... and so TRUE.
Thank you <3
i'm so glad you enjoy them. :)
Lindsay
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I'm about to get blow around my run now. At least it's nearly 70 - for us, that's SUPER warm and I'm going to love every minute of the hour run!
Congrats to the hubs... I loved reading about the race! He's a rock star!
I am always up for more heart and soul pictures!
Also, I completely know what you mean both metaphorically and physically. When I lived overseas, we had these northern Siberian winds that would come through our city that were literally so strong that you had to fight to keep both feet on the ground. Thanks for sharing this!
and I so admire you for that. Thats why you are such a great mom and wife!
;)
Lindsay
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WHOA! glad you didn't fall over in the street. I could imagine your life is full
of motion right now with all your wedding planning. So soon!
Lindsay
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I celebrate with wine every night. hehe.
Lindsay
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oh the senior just flys by! such a whirlwind! Enjoy the transition. And I am so
glad you like the mushiness. I was worried it was too much.
:P
Lindsay
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same here! its actually 85F! and of course, crazy winds. Hope you enjoy the
breezing warm run.
:)
Lindsay
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Wow, I could only imagine! We lived in Kona and would often get blown over on
our bikes. those sea winds are crazy! I love how much you traveled. Such a great
way to explore life!
Lindsay
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I still can't get over that. Yes...I admit I have said: "This blog girl I know? Her Husband just...."
I mean it's rude to say "he beat him" but I did.
Anywho...be still and know that I am god? So simple. Easy? Sigh.
oh you are too kind to us. My husband is humble, I am not. haha! And yes, be
still and know that I am god. Then I ask, how still? How long God? I feel
ya....sigh.
Lindsay
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congrats to your husband..! he was in impressive company!!!
I love these black and white pictures!
very nice!
oh thank you caroline. It was a memorable day.
Lindsay
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