"Never, Ever, Ever, Ever, Ever, Ever, Ever, Give Up. Never Give Up. Never Give Up. Never Give Up."

Maybe you have asked yourself whatever happened to that Amelia girl.  Probably not, but that's okay.  Life these days has had a way of ripping all of my plans out of my hands and stomping them into the mud after shredding them into little tiny bits.

BUT I REFUSE TO GIVE UP.

Like, remember how I tried to paint the boys' room?  It was so close once.  My best friend forever came and helped me paint it and it was beautiful for one day.  Then my two-year-old (who is now three) discovered something that shocked and horrified and confused me all at once.

So we've been peeling and sanding and picking for months now and I fear it will never be ready to be repainted.

BUT I REFUSE TO GIVE UP.

And I finally did try the couch to 5K thing.  On the first day of training I was only five feet from the end of my sprint when I landed on a rock the size of my baby's fist and almost fell down.  That evening I was sure my left foot was broken because I couldn't walk on it.  I spent the next morning crutching around the hospital, but it all turned out because it's not broken.  I get to wear this for another day or so and I won't be running for awhile.

BUT I REFUSE TO GIVE UP.  I'll start over with day one as soon as my foot has healed.  And next time I will run when it is light outside.  What was I thinking?  There are murderers and rapists and ROCKS out there.  Running alone in the dark is just not a good idea.

We got a tree the day after Thanksgiving and the day after that it was set up in the front room. I planned for us to have it all decorated the day after that, but after two weeks, it still looks like this:

BUT I REFUSE TO GIVE UP.

This tree is getting decorated today if I have to do it myself.