As an update to my last post, I did succeed in running six days in two weeks. I took a break this week because of an infection, but hope to be "up and running" next week!


As some of you may know, there has been a TON of drama surrounding our apartment situation here in Tehachapi. We finally signed a year lease on a newer, nicer apartment in a safer neighborhood, so we were through the roof about that! I went today to clean it before we moved in, and horror of horrors: SPIDERS EVERYWHERE. Oh my goodness, what the heck. I was alone, and therefore screamed at every new crawling revelation. I used about a half a can of bug spray on anything and everything that looked like a bug. The concentration seemed to be in our kitchen. Once I sprayed nearly every surface, I climbed onto the kitchen counter to start cleaning above the cupboards. Hello, mouse droppings. I looked up... and nearly fell off the counter. A dead mouse stuck in the air vent in the kitchen.


I completely fell apart. I can't do this. I already thought I was being brave by killing the spiders. But a dead mouse? I'm out.


I cried on the way back to our current apartment. Not because I was so terrified by the critters, but because that was my plan for the day. Clean the apartment. Normally cleaning isn't so important to me, but I had designated that as my distraction. I haven't seen Joe since Saturday. He's in Florida on a business trip and will be home tomorrow. One of my best friends, Amanda, came and stayed with my for a couple days and she was a wonderful distraction! Of course, she had to return to her life eventually.

Strange as it sounds, I depended on cleaning the apartment as a way to get through the day. If I succeeded and achieved my goal, I knew I would be okay. Since I failed, despair set in. Joe and I haven't been apart like this since we've been married. It's not even that he's out of town- he is across the country. Not only have we not seen each other, we haven't really been able to talk either. A two-minute phone conversation here, a five-minute text conversation there.


I know this post probably sounds like the crazy rantings of a clingy wife, and it probably is. I just miss my husband! I didn't marry him to be alone in TEHACHAPI.


After having a nice little pity-party, I read one of my favorite blogs: Pray for Ian. This blog always has a knack for putting my life into perspective and pointing me towards Christ. I realized that I was putting my faith and my comfort and my hope in myself and my tasks. Because I failed at my tasks, I became comfortless and hopeless. Instead of asking God to surround me with His joy and peace and comfort, I pursued my own strength. No wonder I'm miserable, right? Only my Savior can restore my soul and drive away the deepest loneliness.

"Good morning Starshine! The earth says 'Hello!'" That's how I feel this morning. Cheerful and slightly awkward. I just got back from a 2-mile run and had a couple interactions that were interesting:

1.) Got honked at by a strange vehicle. Not sure if it was a "Yay, good for you!" honk or an "I'd kidnap you if I could!" honk.

2.) Got crowed at. Literally. By a large rooster. Nice rooster...just stay on your side of the fence and we can be friends.

3.)  A middle-aged construction worker told me "Yer lookin' pretty today." I'm wearing a baggy church t-shirt and shorts. Again, not sure if that was a kind word or a creepy word. I feel like he could be genuinely nice because it's a small town and maybe people talk like that here?

Anyway, this was the second run I've been on in the last two weeks. The first run didn't go so well. I think I had high expectations for myself, since I'd been able to run longer distances in hilly SLO. By the 1.5 mile mark, I was huffing and puffing and cursing myself for falling out of shape. I walked the last .5 mile, pretty discouraged.

My husband comforted me by telling me the elevation change probably impacted my breathing more than I realized. According to Wikipedia, the elevation in San Luis Obispo is 234 ft. and the elevation in Tehachapi is 3,970 ft. Okay, maybe it's not ALL due to the fact that I haven't run in weeks.

Today, I didn't put as much pressure on myself. Slow and steady wins the race. I decided not to try to improve my time, but instead decided to do whatever it takes to not stop running. Praise God, I didn't stop running till I got home. Hopefully the more I run, the better my body will adjust to the mountain air. My goal is to run 2 miles at least three times a week, hopefully four. C'mon self-control, we can do this!

As I write this, I am avoiding the dishes in the sink and the clothes all over our bedroom floor. I thought I would write a little update on our mountain life situation. It has certainly been a wild ride!


Four days before our big move, we got a call from our Tehachapi renter saying that the apartment we had decided on was filled with mold, and we would have to find someplace else while it was being renovated. Um, ok. Thanks for the heads up! Needless to say, all of Thursday afternoon and evening was filled with online research and phone calls to apartment complexes begging for shelter. I made an appointment with one apartment manager for the next day, and my mom and sister kindly offered to come along and help me check it out. Joe was not able to come, as he had his big senior project presentation in the morning and a final in the afternoon.


Thank God I had my mom and sister. They are way more bold and experienced than I am, so they basically asked all the money questions and voiced their opinions. The apartment manager was willing to work with us so that we could move in the following Monday, granted that our credit report checked out and that I could provide them proof of Joe's income. Long story short, I picked up a printed declaration of employment from Joe's Tehachapi employer and turned it in. Because the manager's supervisor was not in that day, we would have to wait till Monday morning to hear the final word.

Monday morning. The morning that we are supposed to be on the road hauling our whole lives with us to our new town. It was definitely a discouraging time. Why would God provide a place for Joe to work but not a place for us to live? We just had to pray and be patient. That weekend was sheer stress. Both our families were in SLO to see Joe graduate, and we did the rest of the packing and loading into the moving truck. My parents were packing/moving superstars!


Monday morning rolled around, and we had decided just to go, even though there was no guarantee all our stuff would have a home. We had to get to Tehachapi anyway, and Monday was the only day we had extra hands to help move (my parents). On the way there, the apartment manager called Joe and said that the printed proof of income was not enough, because he hadn't started working yet. So we would have to pay the security deposit, first month's rent and last month's rent. Okay, we understand. Unfortunately, we don't have immediate access to $2,100 in a town with no Bank of America, Wells Fargo, or a credit union. Thanks to my parents, we were able to scrape together enough money to satisfy the manager for a while, and we go the okay to move in.


We got all our furniture and boxes into the apartment, and then bid adieu to my wonderful mom and dad.


Well, no electricity. No gas either, which means no hot water and a stove that we couldn't use. Joe made some calls to the appropriate companies, and we spent the first night in a hotel with Burger King and a bottle of wine.


After twenty-four hours we got electricity, but it wouldn't be for another week that we would get the gas turned on. I tried taking ONE cold shower, but it probably sounded like I was hyperventilating with all the ruckus I made. After that I swore off bathing. Aside from not being able to cook without a microwave or bathe, that week really wasn't that bad. We slept in, went to a Dodger game with Dad, and got to know the town a little.


For now we are living in this apartment month-to-month, and hopefully by the end of July we will be in a more permanent apartment.


All I can say is, God did put a roof over our heads, and He knows what He's doing!

Well, I fell off the wagon again. Do I feel guilty? Not really. Joe and I have been cramming time in with friends and coast activities the past two weeks, trying to soak up as much San Luis Obispo as possible before we head out. I've also been working in overdrive trying to tie up loose ends before my last day at work (which was yesterday).

It doesn't feel real yet. When we moved here to SLO last summer, I knew what I was getting in to I knew we'd be here for a year while Joe was in school, that I would work a full-time job, and that we would be attending an awesome church. This next chapter of our life holds many more unknowns. There are a lot more cliffhangers this time around.

1.) I don't have a job. I'm 22 years old. I've always had school or work to do. Sure, there were summers that I didn't work or didn't have summer school, but it's been a few years since I've really had time off. I have no idea what I'm going to do with myself, and that's a little scary. I don't want to be the lazy housewife who sleeps in, watches soap operas, and wears sweats all day. I want to be productive and useful. How does one be useful without a job, children, or even a church to volunteer for? That's something I am praying through and trying to figure out. We move in a week, so I guess I'll find out soon enough!

2.) We aren't acquainted with any churches in the area. We have had a few suggestions (which we are grateful for) and will be investigating our options, but this is the first time that we as a couple don't know who our earthly shepherd is. One of Joe's closest friends counselled him not to look for a church with the expectation of being served and wowed, but with the intention of serving and encouraging that congregation. Our pastor's wife advised us to attend a church more than once in order to fully understand and absorb their theology and doctrine. (This was good advice for me. I think I would have gone once, and if the church didn't meet my "standards" I would have never given it a second thought.)

3.) We don't know how Joe's job will be. He'll be working 4 ten-hour days, instead of 5 eight-hour days. He was warned that overtime is to be expected, so he may end up working 5 ten-hour days most weeks. Joe has worked full-time over summers, but not over-time. He is super excited and thankful for a job in the field that he is interested in (aerospace). I'm a little concerned about him being burned out by the end of the week, but I know the Lord will sustain him. (This is another reason why I want to find some kind of work soon. I don't want to be unproductive while my husband is bending over backwards to provide for us.)

4.) Because we don't know how he will like his job, our living situation is tentative. We have a six-month lease on a two-bedroom apartment, and after the six months we can choose to pay month-to-month (a huge blessing). If he likes his job and we feel that God is intending us to stay in Tehachapi long-term, then we want to save up and buy a home as soon as possible. If he doesn't like his job, then we'd like to look for a house to rent for a couple years while he gains some work experience. Basically, we know we will be in that apartment for six months, but beyond that we have absolutely no idea.

A snapshot of our new apartment in the winter. I don't know how I will survive the snow!

5.) God is still reconciling me to the idea that we won't live close to family. Granted, we are still in California, and Tehachapi is only two and a half hours away from our hometown. I find myself feeling anxious about when it comes time for us to have kids. I still can't imagine not being able to drop off little Joseph Jr. at my parents so that Joe and I can have a date night. Or spontaneously having a playdate with his cousins. I think this time in San Luis Obispo has made me more open to being without my family when it's just me and Joe, but I'm still resisting a future where our babies will be without family.

I think the fact that I am uncomfortable with all these unknowns tells me how much I want to be in control of my own life, and how I'd like to think I know what's best for me and our future kids. At the end of the day, my Savior knows what's best, and He is working all things for good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

Okay my chickadees, gather round. Have you ever started a great workout routine/diet, saw great results, accomplished your goal, and then fell flat on your face? I'm here to tell you, you're not alone. I didn't exercise for a month after the half-marathon. Not one jog, work-out video, hike, walk - nothing.


For 3 weeks, I was limping off and on. I think running 13 miles without adequate arch support really messed up my bones/ligaments/muscles/whatever. I still feel it in the soles of my feet when I get out of bed in the morning. There is no excuse for the last week and a half. I was just being lazy and apathetic.


Unfortunately, my body knew I was being lazy and apathetic, and I am reverting back to my blob-like shape. Yesterday I looked at my fitness board on Pinterest and became re-inspired. Also I was noticing how my jeans were fitting tighter again! The past few days I have been making Jillian Micheals 30 Day Shred part of my daily routine. My shoulders and inner thighs are pretty sore! She works the upper arms a lot, which is probably the weakest part of my body.


It's only a few days, and already I feel better. I know it's mostly psychological, but there is something to be said about knowing you are working towards a healthy body.


As some of you may know, Joe and I are moving to Tehachapi, CA. Seriously, who does that. Oh, we do! The husband landed an awesome job there, so we are mountain-bound. I've looked online for a month and a half, and there is not a job in sight for me. Mostly ads for truck drivers and AC repairmen. Also prison guards and borax miners. Not exactly my forte.


It looks like I am going to be stay-at-home wife for a while, until I can do some networking and see what kind of work is out there. I told my mom that I will either get really fit or really fat during this full-time homesteading. Right now my goal is to do the Jillian Michaels every morning, and go for a run every other day. That will probably dissolve during our moving chaos, but I'd really rather get fit once we're there. I will honestly have ZERO excuses. We shall see! 

One month after the half-marathon and I am only just finding time to write about it! As I said in my previous post, Our time was 2:30:16. My dad's half-marathon time from the race in November was about 1:55. (How embarrassing. I felt so bad for holding him back! Of course he's a sweetheart and said he just wanted to spend time with his favorite daughter. Sorry Lindsay, the truth hurts.)


I was thrilled with my time. Probably because I would have been thrilled to finish, let alone beat my goal. My goal was to beat my sister's November time, which was about 2:45. :) Can you tell there's a little sibling rivalry?


Anyway, back to the race. I was so nervous the night before. Joe and I have been married for about ten months now, and I don't think he's ever seen me so anxious. I was bouncing off the walls in a bad way. Usually a cuddle or a kiss from him calms me down, but at that time I wanted to scream "I'm freaking out! Don't touch me!" (Sorry, Joe!)
Reason 1: I found out that night that my race packet (by mistake) didn't include a time chip. Would they still let me race??
Reason 2: Long story short, Dad had registered us for the full marathon because the half was full. He was told by the event organizer that this was ok, and we would just have to tell the information table that morning we were only running the half. Still, that's worrisome!
Reason 3: I HAD NEVER RUN 13 MILES BEFORE. Me, the mile-hater, was about to voluntarily run 13!? What the heck was I thinking?


Needless to say, it took me a while to fall asleep that night. My alarm went off at 5am, and I rolled out of bed tired and scared. I made myself an egg and toast for breakfast and tried to drink as much water (not easy with a nervous stomach) as possible. It was dark and cold outside, which just added to my anxiety.


I jogged the mile distance from our apartment to the starting line. I was nervous, but felt better when I saw my dad waiting for me. We went to the information table and told them our plight, and also told them about my missing time chip. They gave me a replacement, thank the Lord!


We stretched, warmed up, and waited to be called. Once the time approached, we shuffled into the waiting crowd to start running. My heart was pounding with fear and excitement. I couldn't believe I was running for fun!


We started at an easy pace and pretty much kept it the entire run. SLO is very hilly, and there were a few hills that I didn't expect. One seemed to last forever, but that made running back down it that much sweeter. We only stopped for water, and once towards the end to use the restroom. It was a beautiful, overcast day. Perfectly cool for a long run. We ran through downtown SLO (eerie in the morning, very still and quiet), through the countryside, and through some beautiful neighborhoods.


Right around mile five, I thought to myself "Uh... Molly, what were you thinking?? I can't do this!". Thankfully, that was right around the time my husband had found a place to cheer us on. He jogged beside us for a few paces, asking how I was doing and encouraging me like crazy. :) (I told you he was the best!)


The rest of the time sort of melts together. It seemed like much longer than 2 and 1/2 hours, but it also went by quickly, if that makes sense? We were cheered on during the final stretch by my mom, my sister and brother-in-law and little niece, and my husband. It was a great feeling to be done, and to know that I had done it!


I would definitely consider doing another one, but not for a while! :)

Honestly, I just wanted to make a post dedicated to my husband (this may be the first of many in). He's been my No. 1 fan and cheerleader during this whole fitness adventure.

My desire to work out is like the tide: one minute I am all in, and the next I am running away (to lay on the couch). Joe's encouragement, however, is constant. He was always supporting me and telling me that I can do it. I despaired of ever running again when I got shin splints a couple months ago, and he held me up and pushed me along.

Side note: His encouragement also includes discouragement of unhealthy things. Last night at Food4Less, he flat out told me "No." when I wanted to buy cookie-dough ice cream (my fave!).

I pouted. He is immune to pouting.

He is an amazing husband. I'm so thankful God chose me to be his wife!