Hello everyone.  I know I’ve been gone a while, but there are reasons.  My last post was on March 11 of last year all about Woody’s 11th birthday.  Despite my absence from the blogosphere, it’s been a very full ten months marked with highs and lows and everything in between.

My health was the major reason for my sporadic posting and then, quite frankly, life just got in the way.  Symptoms that were eventually diagnosed as a severely underactive thyroid created a bit a havoc in my life, but thankfully were brought under control with medicine.  By the end of summer I began to feel normal, but at the beginning of December I was declared diabetic and had to start insulin.  My doc believes it was due in large part to the gel sugar shots I was using during our marathon training.  Because of my medical history, I’ve always been at-risk for diabetes, but those energy gels just put me over the edge.  I’ve radically changed my diet and hope to be weaned off of the insulin soon.  It is an understatement to say that I’m not a fan of needles.

So what has the last ten months looked like.  It in a nutshell, I…

completed the 2013 Honolulu Marathon on December 8

completed the 2013 Urban Cow Half Marathon on October 6

trained for marathon and half-marathon

went on my annual trip with my mom to see my grandpa in England in September

connected with my aunt and uncle from Australia who happened to be in England at the same time.  We last saw each other 30 years ago.

went back to England with my mom for a month in December because my grandpa fell and needed to be moved into care

celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary in July

dog sat for and walked 30 dogs (not all at the same time)

helped teach a craft class at my church

went to Hawaii

went to Tahoe

celebrated Ellie’s 8th birthday on December 23rd.  (I celebrated on my own in England and took her on a reeaallyy long walk when I got home)

helped do the crafts at our church’s Easter faire

lost 35 pounds

went to Los Angeles to see my nephew graduate from high school

finished my Project Life album for 2013

achieved Gold Status on my Starbuck’s card

celebrated many birthdays

Even with all the health challenges, I can look back on these months and say how incredibly blessed I’ve been.  I plan to start posting again with renewed enthusiasm and hopefully minimal hiccups.

This has been a long post, so I’ll sign off for now, but not before Woody and Ellie say a few words.

Ellie:  “You know what this means Woody?  More posing for pictures.”

Woody:  “Yes, Ellie, but it also means more treats to get us to pose for pictures.”

Ellie:  “You’re so clever Woody.”

Woody:  “Yep.”