Did I drop off the face of the earth after the last blog post? Basically. I went home to the Sunflower State (Kansas, for those of you who struggle with geography ;) for almost a whole week at Thanksgiving. I don't do "homesick" and never have had that longing feeling to go home, but I'd say this was the closest I'd ever been. The anticipation of spending time at my parents' house in the middle of nowhere, where it's quiet and peaceful, was as high as it had ever been.
While there I got to unleash my inner Katniss and shoot bow and arrows. I literally got within a foot of a bird on the ground too (honorary Everdeen over here). Jace & I also unleashed our former inner athletes and got in a few good heavy lifts in the high school weight room. Of course, I ate a ton of delicious food with family I hadn't seen since July, and played Apples to Apples, one of my favorite traditions. I was bummed to learn my metabolism died though, and I could only eat one helping of everything, instead of the usual 3 (or 7, it's whatever). It also snowed, and I was quickly reminded why I moved south! The break from the hustle and bustle, sirens and lights of the city was a wonderful reprieve, and spending time with the 3 people I love most was also fabulous!
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| Because obviously archers wear plaid PJs |
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| My favorite place in my parents' house |
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| The normal Moore's and goofy Jen |
I've also got a few shorter (K distance) races planned in the upcoming future, so just hang with me for this month-long sabbatical and I promise I'll get back to fun running posts!
Now onto more important, er, interesting....no, more pressing matters. I turn 26 tomorrow, you guys. Last year when I was turning 25, I joked about the proverbial "quarter-life crisis", which isn't so proverbial probably, because I think my generation came up with it, but oh well. 25 was such a fun and interesting year, and part of me can't wait to see what this twenty-sixth year brings. However, for some reason as excited as I am, I'm also equally terrified of this birthday.
25 brought lots and lots of races. Countless 5K's across the metroplex, a few 10K's, and a couple 15K's and 10 mile runs. This was THE year of running and I loved it. Along with the "shorter" races, I did 3 half marathons. The Disney Princess Marathon in Orlando was the experience of a lifetime, and I cannot wait to go back and run another Disney race; it was truly magical. The Divas half marathon in Galveston was also an awesome experience....I'm not sure if there's a cooler place to run than along a beach (except maybe through Disney World haha). The last half, the Nebraska Half in Omaha was also fun! It makes me excited to run even more throughout the rest of my life while my body is still able!
25 was also the year of spiritual growth for Jen. When I moved to Texas I got involved and became a member to a pretty big bible church in Fort Worth. That church ended up planting Living Hope Bible Church in Mansfield, and I cannot say enough good things about LHBC. I have developed several meaningful relationships within the church, grown closer to God, realized how much SIN is in my life, and most importantly learned to love Jesus more. I can't wait to see where this little church goes, and how many more lives are impacted through its ministry.
25 brought me closer to my family. Even though we're 7 hours apart, I feel like we grow closer with each visit, and I'm thankful for them and their wisdom. All three of them are so important to me, and keep me grounded and pointed toward Jesus. They're also not afraid to tell me when I'm wrong or encourage me, and know when to do which. I could do an entire post on them and probably will someday.
25 was a hilarious year for my dating life, to say the least. I just knew this was the year I'd meet "him". Well whoever "he" is, I'm still waiting. Growing up, I was going to be married by 22 and be started and finished having kids by 30 at the latest. This year I went on a few dates with high-quality men that just didn't work out for one reason or another, and I went on a few dates where I laughed and/or shook my head internally the.entire.time. If and when the elusive Prince Charming ever does come along, I'm going to pen a comedic novel about the journey to our castle...
Finally, 25 brought a BIG purchase into my life: my first house. My goal was to live in an apartment for a year, figure out if I wanted to stay here, and if so buy a house. I lived in my apartment for 13 months then moved into my little cottage, affectionately known as Club Mockingbird. Being a homeowner has been interesting thus far, but I'm thankful to have been blessed with my cute home.
I'm sure I've forgotten some other big events from the past year, as I always do but it was a good reminder of how blessed, how entertaining, and even at times how tough the past 365 days have been. Am I still a little afraid of 26? Well, yeah! I have to pick out my own insurance now (thanks, Obama; the only genuine thanks to him), so I'm really a real big kid now. More than anything though, it's comforting to know every event that has happened, and every event that will happen until my next birthday (Lord willing) is pre-determined by God. I hope this year I give HIM more glory & draw people closer to Him. If you've made it this far, thanks for hanging with me till the end. You deserve an award...until next time.
PS What's your favorite age you've been so far?
PPS What advice do you have for me as I turn 26?
Twitter: @jen_being_jen
IG: @jenbeingjen
