Crossfit and God

I've always considered myself a "runner".

Not the typical leisurely runner that runs a 2 or 3 miles a day...

Ask anyone who truly knows me...

They would call me insane :-)

I used to run 8-10 miles...

PER DAY.

I ran 3 miles a day in Iraq...which 3 miles isn't a lot...but....

....in 130-140 degree heat....

I used to run 6-12 miles a day in the middle of Summer in Japan...when i'ts 105 degrees with 110% humidity.

I'm obsessed with running.

I get a good "HIGH" from it.

Unfortunately...

All the crazy running I've been doing has caused some serious knee injuries...

really bad injuries.

I discovered Crossfit on recruiting duty (my CO was hardcore about it).

If you don't know anything about...just check out the website.

yes...most of the exercises require a lot of bending at the knee and squats and whatever else that could further injure me.

But it's so awesome because the workouts are short and INTENSE.

It's not me running and constantly pounding on my knee for 2-3 hours...

It's just a little beating on my knee for 20 minutes :-)

I love it.

a 20 minute crossfit work out feels like a 6 mile run.

I've never been in better shape :-)

MID BURPEE :-) HARDCORE BABY!

LASTLY...

GOD...

I recently had an old friend of mine from the "old" MALS-39 post a comment on my facebook saying "Since when did you become all religious?"

At first I was UPSET.

My first thought was...

"I've ALWAYS been a Christian. How dare you...."

After thinking and praying...

I realized that he knew me during a time in my life when God was a distant figure in my life.

I've never NOT believed in God.

I've just had some "hiccups" in life that led me away from him. 

Lately, my tweets and facebook posts have had connotations to "God"....

No...

I haven't always done this...

But this is the first time in my life that I've been genuinely excited about my newfound relationship with the Lord.

I'm excited like when someone buys a new car...

They want to brag about it.

I want to brag about it.

I notice the good things in life are because of Him....

and lastly...

We sang this song at church on Sunday and it's been in my head non-stop...

Savior I come


Quiet my soul remember


Redemptions hill


Where Your blood was spilled


For my ransom


Everything I once held dear


I count it all as lost


Lead me to the cross


Where Your love poured out


Bring me to my knees


Lord I lay me down


Rid me of myself


I belong to You


oh Lead me, lead me to the cross

350lbs, 996cc's, a Handsome Man and an Angel

This is MY motorcycle.

a 2008 Yamaha R1 to be exact. 

I've just been kind enough to let my husband have it and ride it :-)

 (no really...it belongs to me...)

It's a rather large bike for little old me.

Large meaning, it's 996cc's and 350lbs of pure genius.

I never really got on it minus the occasional ride as a passenger.

I'm a little short for it so my feet don't touch on both sides.

(hence the reason why I am wearing my snake skin Esparadilles)

After church today, I decided to take a little ride around the neighborhood.

I'm exhausted.

That's a lot of bike for a little asian girl.

Lastly,

In case you're wondering...

My weekend was FAbULoUs (*insert the voice of Zsa Zsa Gabor*)

How can it not be fabulous with people like this to be around everyday...

Daddy's little girl

Playing in dirt.

What Do LtCols in the Army and SSgts in the Marines Do For Fun?

The O-Course of course! 

PT, PT, Everyday...

Dr. Gilbert AKA Dore AKA LtCol Gilbert asked Nick to take him on base this weekend so that he could practice on his rope climb.

They had gone previously before, and Nick being the overachiever that he is, took him to the Recon O-Course. 

 The Recon O-Course happens to be slightly larger and harder than the average Marine Corps O-Course.

The average Marine Corps O-Course is freaking hard as it is!!

Imagine a first timer going to do that...but add a foot to it!

INSANE!

This time, we ended up at the Camp Horno O-Course....

not on purpose...

but because the Recon O-Course had an accident on it.

Dannika and I just tagged along to watch and take pictures for Dore. 

He OWNED that rope!

Might I add (not to make anyone feel bad) that he is 61?!?!?!

Gettin' Ready to C*L*I*M*B

VicTOrY!

Feeling of accomplishment

Show off

Gotta start 'em young.

the "College Boy" roll

another shot of the "College Boy" roll

Conquering the wall

Great day at the O-Course

 

{ LaTe Photos From Easter }

KIM!

I shall give you the ENTIRE collection of photos I took from Easter.

I know I've been slacking on getting those to you and your sister!

Kanoa and Kim's niece Stella

I LOVE this photo of Stella!

She looks like a Gap Kids model

Petra...just like the supermodel!

future big brother!

Kim's boys

Lola...so cute!

Devon AKA Mr. Photogenic!

A Mother's Day as a Family of 3

My VERY first Mother's Day, I was pregnant.

My SECOND Mother's Day, Nick was in Afghanistan.

But FINALLY...

This Mother's Day, I got to spend it as a whole family.

My morning started off with an amazing pancake breakfast made by my wonderful husband.

He even wrote "MOM" with pancake batter.

And my Dannika loved the pancakes so much that when we told her she couldn't have anymore (because she hadn't touched her eggs or her sausage) she threw a fit....

(see below)

 She is quite the faker...

 And so dramatic...

After breakfast we went to our little church by the beach (Pacific Coast Church).

We listened to an AMAZING sermon about being a mother.

The lesson of the day came as...

"Your children are not yours. They are simply just a loan to you from God."

A truer statement could not be said.

I won't go too much into it, but if you think about mothers in the bible...

there are some of the most AMAZING, most COURAGEOUS women I could have known!

Let me leave you with this...

Can YOU drop your child off at a church at the age of 3 at the mercy of our Lord and REJOICE about it?!

Can YOU drop your child in a basket and push it down a river and have enough faith in God to take care of YOUR child?

and lastly...

Can YOU raise your child knowing that one day, He will be nailed on a cross in front of your very eyes to hold the burden of our world's sins on his shoulders?!

...just think about it, will ya?...

It was such a great sermon, and it meant a lot to me.

It made me cry.

It made me laugh.

It made me really appreciate the gift of motherhood from God.

Let me tell ya...

Motherhood has not been my strong point.

I have never been that type of girl who says "I was born to be a mother" or "I was meant to be a mother".

But each day, I put my faith in God...
there are days when I feel like Him and the world are against me...
I have to constantly remind myself there is a method to the madness...

I have just come to roll with the punches and face each new challenge of raising a holy child while in the Marine Corps.

yep...I said HOLY CHILD...(some days, I feel that she's more devil than holy...*insert laugh*)

Some days, I want to scream.

And some days, I want to REJOICE...

But...

at the end of every day...

I couldn't be more blessed.

How could I be angry or frustrated when my daughter at the ripe age of 21 months knows how to...

P-R-A-Y

I know grown men and women who have a hard time doing this....

I have a hard time with this sometimes...

I learn something from my little girl every - single - day...

I know it's God's little way of "setting me straight" when I'm going off the path He wants me to go.

Today was a wonderful day...

thanks to this wonderful guy...

Thanks...

And thank YOU Dannika Jane for making me grow up and become a woman...a mother...and a better Christian.

"We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…"