more than.

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."

the best things about christmas aren't found under the tree.

it's about taking some time to give back...


it's about holiday party fun...


it's about celebrating traditions and memories of holidays past...


it's about hearing from family and friends who are far away...


it's about the wonder of christmas as seen through a child's eyes...


and it's about spending some extra time lounging around with those you love the most...


as this holiday season comes to an end, i hope you were able to take some time this christmas to enjoy what matters MOST.

catch up

wow, things have been so busy with work, training, the holidays....LIFE that it's been forever since i've updated! here it is, almost 2011! can you believe it?

quick fall/winter recap to catch up:

~Halloween was a blast this year! Jaime & Thomas threw an awesome zombie-themed party. we had fun putting together some crazy costumes!



even jack got into the spirit of the holiday and dressed as a pretty pretty princess...


~Football wasn't that great this year for UT but oh well...can't win 'em all right? and it was still fun to cheer on the horns. TEXAS FIGHT!



~training for Team LIVESTRONG has been going really well. my training runs have been strong and i'm getting excited for the race! i just met my fundraising goal on the 24th which was an awesome early christmas gift! we had a fundraiser event a few weeks ago at a local painting parlor and it was a huge success! i'm so grateful for all my friends and family who came out to support me. it was one of those nights where i was able to look around and appreciate how blessed i am to have such wonderful people in my life.








~to prepare for the upcoming holiday, we celebrated the season by going to "dickens on main" in boerne, where they had everything decorated in lights, christmas carolers, cute little shops and they even dropped "snow" from the tops of the buildings!



~last weekend, the kidwells threw a fab christmas party. as usual we had a great time with our friends :)




this year we have been blessed beyond belief and we're looking forward to an awesome 2011!

bigger than me.

i'm training to run the 2011 Austin Marathon for the LIVESTRONG foundation which "fights to improve the lives of people affected by cancer". so for the next four months i am embarking on a running-awareness-fundraising bonanza! 26.2 miles is daunting enough...but now i have people counting on me & i am determined to make this venture worthwhile. i'd be lying if i said i wasn't scared - what if i get injured? (that's right IT Band...i'm shaking my fist at YOU!), what if i don't raise enough money? what if people think i'm stupid for doing this? all of these doubts though are completely worth the risk because this is a cause i am willing to fight for. i will be keeping a blog of training, motivation, fundraising updates, etc. @ www.heycanceryoureajerk.blogspot.com - please follow along in my adventure! i plan to keep writing in this blog as well to keep up with the other random ramblings of my life :)

i am currently compiling a list of people i am running in honor and memory of (more info can be found on my blog) but the individuals who originally motivated me to pursue this are:
- my Grandpa Al (currently trying to get a pic)
-my Grandma N

-Matt (who fought - and beat the CRAP out of lymphoma in 2009)


i am excited for personal reasons too - this will be my fifth and final full marathon (at least for a very long while). i've always said i wanted to do 5 so this is it! also, i will be running the race one week before my 30th birthday and i will be returning to the very first marathon i ever ran and to the city where i fell in love with the sport.

Motivated Monday - Chicago Marathon

yesterday was the chicago marathon!

with unseasonably warm weather it was a tougher challenge than expected, i'm sure (because you know, 26.2 miles in comfortable weather is a complete walk in the park...)


regardless, i hope everyone had an amazing time and walked (ok, hobbled) away with a sense of pride in their accomplishment.

shout out to my friend, christy who ran this year!!! you ROCK!

i sumbled across this article with some pretty inspiring runners' essays. these people are so awesome. i'm sure you'll agree - the fact that they have achieved such great things through hardship and trials is incredibly motivating.

namaste.

so today is september 30th which means...i have successfully completed my 30-day yoga challenge!! yahoo! i've got to admit, the challenge was a little tougher than i thought it would be...not physically but fitting yoga into a pretty busy schedule was not as easy as i expected. but i did it! it didn't change my life...i have not become an enlightened yogi, "oooommmm"ing my way through my day...my hamstrings and hips are still ridiculously tight...but it did re-affirm the importance of some of yoga's most basic principles. the practice of yoga can be applied to everyday life in so many ways. below is a list of the 10 things i learn from yoga:

1. HAVE PATIENCE - it's called a practice for a reason. i love yoga because it is not about the journey but the destination. it's about being patient with yourself and your body and appreciating it where it is right now. there are some days when i just can't master a simple pose, even if i did it fine the day before. there are some days when one side of my body is less flexible than the other. and that is totally fine. what a refreshing change to the other more competitive sports that i love. (that's right running, i'm looking at you!)
2. BREATHE - webster defines breathing as: to draw air into and expel it from the lungs : respire; broadly : to take in oxygen and give out carbon dioxide through natural processes b : to inhale and exhale freely
breathing also "centers" you, it brings you to the present, calms your mind and gives you balance (physically & mentally). In yoga you learn to breathe through tough poses. when your legs are screaming in warrior III or your arms are begging for mercy in plank, you learn to turn your mind toward your breath, to breathe oxygen to revitalize those specific muscles. as a result, you amaze yourself with the strength you can muster.
3. BE PRESENT - in yoga, there is very little distraction...maybe some light music and that's about it. in other forms of exercise, there are screaming instructors, blaring pop tunes, harsh lights, television...all forms of distraction from what you are actually doing. in some cases (stepmill) this is a good thing :) but in yoga, you take time to focus on yourself...and appreciate the moment that you are in right NOW.
4. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY - without said distraction, you can really tune in to yourself. once you learn to listen to your body, you can celebrate it's strength and (lovingly) work on it's weakness. you focus on what's sore, which muscles are tight, and how your balance feels. you not only tune in to the physical "you" but you learn to tune into the emotional/spiritual/mental "you" as well. one thing in particular i became aware of during this month was this internal tuning aspect of yoga. my toughest yoga practice, hands down, was not after pounding out 10 fast miles on the trail, or lifting weights in body pump when i was legitimately tired & sore...nope. the toughest yoga for me was when i wasn't "good" emotionally/spiritually/mentally. when i was upset about something...that was the toughest time for me to do yoga, which really speaks to the internal conditioning the practice achieves.
5. COMMIT - like i said, 30 days of yoga was tougher than i thought! but i figured, i promised myself i'd do this...i owed it to myself to take a little time out each day to "check in". and i'm oh so glad i saw that commitment through.
6. TRY - damn you crow pose! no matter how many times i try, i just can't seem to get this one. i try setting up different, i use my core more, i focus. and while i can hold it for maybe maaaaaaaybe 5 seconds, i always wind up with bruises on my arms and a look of exasperation on my face. but the point is i TRY. and i will continue to try. there are other poses that i thought "no way!" but i tried and you know what?..."way!" my body fell right into them...gotta give it a try or you'll never know.
7. STUMBLE & FALL - it's okay to try and fall (not fail...just fall). you just get right back into the pose. there is no judgement, no failure. it's an expected part of the practice. you won't achieve king dancer pose unless you pull that foot up higher....which may mean falling a few times but once you get it....you realize, man, those stumbles were totally worth it!
8. ACCEPT - accept where you are right now. accept what you are doing right now. accept your limitations and accept your abilities. and while you're at it, don't just accept....EMBRACE and...
9. LOVE YOURSELF - always. always. no matter what. whether you are pulling off the perfect pose or vinyasa or whether you are falling flat on your face.
10. RESPECT - deeply respect both yourself and others. open your eyes & see the intrinsic value in yourself and the world around you. the closing statement in yoga class is "namaste" which means "the good/divine in me BOWS to the good/divine in you". when you look through it with a lens of respect, the whole world changes. you begin to see the worth in all you do and in all the people you encounter, which makes your life incredibly rich.

seriously?!?

excuse me while i step up on my soapbox for a sec.

this morning on the news, there was a student from SAISD who was announcing the lunch menu for the day: chicken crispitos. huh? i don't even know what a crispito is but i can tell you it sounds like a nice little recipe for childhood obesity if you ask me.

so i googled it. (obviously)

and here is some information on chicken crispitos.

let's look at some of the highlights:
nutrition information:
Total Fat 14g
Saturated Fat 3.5g
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 30mg
Sodium 340mg
Total Carbohydrate 20g
Dietary Fiber 2g
Sugars 2g
Protein 8g

keep in mind, this is the nutrition information for ONE PIECE...pretty sure these kids aren't eating ONE chicken crispito...you do the math.

Ingredients:
FILLING: Mechanically separated chicken, water, seasoning (chili peppers, salt, dehydrated onion, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, black pepper, red pepper, oregano), oats. FLOUR TORTILLA: Bleached enriched wheat flour (flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil), contains 2 percent or less of the following: salt, dough conditioner (sodium stearoyl lactylate, calcium sulfate), potassium sorbate (preservative) and may contain TBHQ (as a preservative). Fried in vegetable oil.

i'm not even sure what most of that is. i do know what "fried in vegetable oil" is though....and i totally called it earlier: childhood obesity.

what about mechanically separated chicken? that just sounds messed up. so i googled that too....and here is the wikipedia definition. i also found two hilarious blog entries about this awesome "meat" @ mark's daily apple & damn interesting. (note: these are not 2 blogs i regularly follow...just found these 2 entries particularly entertaining.)
yum yum


to end on a positive note, here is a great article covering the 10 healthiest school lunches in the country. kudos!

motivated monday! excuses....schmexcuses....

Excuse-Proof Your Diet

great article in this month's fitness magazine about excuse-proofing your diet. good stuff! i double-dog-dare ya to give me an excuse as to why you can't exercise and/or eat right...

today's episode brought to you by the letter F

FRIDAY! FASHION! FALL! FOOTBALL! FUN!

i'm in a very "tgiF"-ish mood today so look out.

lots of exciting things on the horizon. here's what i'm particularly pumped about:

Fashion Week - definitely on my bucket list to attend one day. check it out here. i love everything about it though i couldn't be more removed from all the fabulousness here in good ol' tx. i have a tshirt, jeans and flip flops on right now as i drool over Rosa Cha, Tory Burch & Michael Kors...

i've decided i need more sequin in my life:



i.die.

Fall - love everythig about it - starbucks, boots, sweaters, brisk runs, cozy fires(those 2 days a year a fire is appropriate in TX), holidays, family...

Football - love love love spending every saturday in burnt orange cheering on my LONGHORNS. good stuff.


Fun - looking forward to a great weekend. tonight we have Rhianon's bachelorette party @ el jarro. girl's night out, margaritas, dancing....i'm happy as a clam :)

ole!

own it.

as i was running on the trail behind our house last weekend i ran past this girl with the most awesome body ever. lean & muscular. and she looked strong & fast too. i thought to myself, "dang, i work so hard...why can't i have HER body?" and this is what i immediately realized: "DUH. because it's HER body. and YOUR body, kerith, is YOUR body"

yes, i work hard. on the outside i don't feel like my arms or legs or my abs look as strong as they really are. but here's the point: they ARE strong. and that makes them awesome, regardless. i might not have the perfect body but here's what i DO have:

i have strong arms that can push through "boy" pushups in boot camp class (stupid term...i'll show you "boy" pushups...). i have arms that embrace my family and friends & carry around my nephew when he comes to visit.

i have legs that have powered me through 4 full marathons, beach to bay with good friends every summer, and just last winter allowed me to run 13.1 miles alongside my cousin as she completed her very first half marathon. i have legs that hurt so good during spin class as we tackle hills. and i have legs that love to dance at parties and weddings.

i have abs that allow me to finish that last round of crunches in kickboxing long after everyone else has collapsed. i have a stomach that can hold plank, plow or boat pose for as long as my yoga teacher urges me to. and i have a stomach that someday i will marvel at as i watch it grow as (God-willing) it supports the life of my child.

one thing i'm slowly learning to value in my old age :) is confidence...not cockiness, but being comfortable in my own skin, workin' with what God gave me and being GRATEFUL for the gift of health. in a society where so much emphasis is placed on outside appearances & superficial achievements, i'm learning to value myself based on much more important things than pounds, good hair days or designer labels. i urge you to make a conscious effort to do the same.



yoga challenge update: going beautifully!

day 4: 60 min. yoga class @ the gym. this class is tough but i love it! we do this standing series that never fails to turn my legs to JELLO by the end.
day 5: 25 min. yoga "sculpt" @ home
day 6: 60 min. body flow @ the gym. body flow is a combination of tai chi, yoga and pilates...great workout for mind & body.
day 7: 20 min. "zen" workout @ home

it can be a challenge to squeeze in time for yoga every single day but i'm finding it's completely worth it!

pumpkin spice lattes

day 2: check! 30 min. of vinyasa after work. very relaxing. it was also helpful to have cody home b/c he kept jack entertained..."downward dog" is much more zen without jack licking my face or jumping on my back.

day 3: 20 min. power vinyasa during lunch w/ jack. lots of emphasis on the upper body w/ tons of planks & chaturanga's. goooooood stuff :)

just to be clear, this challenge is not just about making sure i practice yoga everyday...oh no my friends, it is so much more than that! the physical action of the yoga is just the tip of the iceberg.

my dear yogi friend, jessica wrote a great blog all about yoga and it's "magical aspects" as she describes them. you should check out her blog b/c well, she's amazing but this is the specific information that she shares which i would like to pass on to all (eight)of you:

One of the most magical aspects of yoga is that it means something different to each person. The word yoga, from the Sanskrit word yuj, means to yoke or bind and is often interpreted as "union" or a method of discipline.

The Indian sage Patanjali is believed to have collated the practice of yoga into the Yoga Sutra an estimated 2,000 years ago. The Sutra is a collection of 195 statements that serves as a philosophical guidebook for most of the yoga that is practiced today. It also outlines eight limbs of yoga. Each limb relates to an aspect of achieving a healthy and fulfilling life, and each builds upon the one before it.

For the most part, the Western world is familiar with the third limb, the asanas, or practice of yoga postures. But really, yoga is about so much more. Below are descriptions of the eight limbs (courtesy of about.com):

1. Yama: Five ethical guidelines regarding moral behavior towards others:

Ahimsa: Nonviolence

Satya: Truthfulness

Asteya: Nonstealing

Brahmacharya: Nonlust

Aparigraha: Noncovetesness

2. Niyama: Five ethical guidelines regarding moral behavior towards oneself:

Saucha: Cleanliness

Santosa: Contentment

Tapas: Sustained practice

Svadhyaya: Self study

Isvara pranidhana: Surrender to God

3. Asana: Practice of yoga postures.

4. Pranayama: Practice of breathing exercises.

5. Pratyahara: Withdrawal of the senses, meaning that the exterior world is not a distraction from the interior world within oneself.

6. Dharana: Concentration, meaning the ability to focus on something uninterrupted by external or internal distractions.

7. Dhyana: Meditation. Building upon Dharana, the concentration is no longer focused on a single thing but is all encompassing.

8. Samadhi: Bliss. Building upon Dhyana, the transcendence of the self through meditation. The merging of the self with the universe. Sometimes translated as enlightenment

interesting huh? to sum it all up ~ it makes you a better person. and it's soooooo true! when i take time for myself to do a little yoga, i find i am more kind to others, more relaxed, more giving, more grateful...just MORE of the me that i like. so, rock on yoga challenge!

on a completely random note: PUMPKIN SPICE LATTES are back! amen.

30 day yoga challenge

so, this post on FB is what got me thinking:

lululemon athletica: ‎30 days has September... It's officially yoga month and a perfect time to start a 30 day yoga challenge of your own, and give your body some love into the changing season. How many yoga classes will you attend this month?

my yoga teacher is always telling us to practice as much as we can to get the most benefit from yoga. sure, once or twice a week is great but 3...4...5 times a week & just imagine how it has the possibility to change your entire life.

okay, i know that might sound like a lot of new-age garbage to some of you but trust me...yoga has a powerful effect. it's taken me years to really learn to appreciate and benefit from the practice but it spills over into all aspects of my life. my relationships, my work, my workouts, my eating habits...they are all affected by my yoga practice. it's like it changes the lens that i look through to see the world. yoga teaches me to be aware, to be grateful, to be patient, to be strong. in a world that is so results-oriented & demanding of a "quick fix" for everything, yoga teaches me to enjoy the journey and the practice and to just....be.



so in honor of national yoga month, this girl is committing to practicing yoga every.single.day. whether it's 15 min or an hour doesn't matter. what matters is that i'm committing to something i know will benefit me mind, body and spirit.

so let's get this party started.

day one: check.

without even knowing it was yoga month, i woke up this morning early b/c cody was going hunting at the crack of dawn. by 6 am i was wide awake and had the house to myself so i decided yoga would be the perfect way to start this day. 25 minutes of gentle hatha & 5 minutes of meditation and i was good to go.

this challenge couldn't have come at a better time for me. i'm in major need of an attitude adjustment and yoga is going to be just the ticket.
check out this blog post - it sums up how i've been feeling lately much better than i could ever articulate:

http://www.lululemon.com/community/blog/love-your-body-2/
thank you, Laura @ lululemon for reading my mind.

as always, namaste.

goodbye summer...

wow...september 1st?!? where did the summer go?

although it is still ridiculously hot outside and we still have pool parties & bbq's ahead, i feel like september marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall. the days are already getting shorter, classes are back in session & pumpkin spice lattes are back in starbucks. yes, fall is right around the corner.

this summer has been just as wonderful as i had anticipated. lots of laughs with family and friends & looking back, i'm reminded of how abundantly blessed we are. here is a recap of some of my favorite moments from this summer (besides the lake trip, which i already recapped :)

-movie premiers-
"hi, i'm almost 30..."

out with some of my fave girls to see Sex & the City 2

cosmos, pretty dresses & heels, oh my!


-we bought a new car! stellar gas mileage, eco friendly, sunroof, xm radio...what's not to love about penny lane the prius?-


-spending time with my 2 favorite kids-
jack

aiden


-stephanie's bachelorette party @ the lake-

"wiggin' out party"




a day @ the sandbar in tutu's...why not?

-cody's 10 year reunion-
i'll be honest. i was so not looking forward to this...for some reason, i was picturing the stereotypical hs reunion: judgemental stares, awkward run-ins with exes and overall uncomfortable-ness all weekend long. i couldn't have been more wrong. i forgot to take into account the fact that cody has an amazing group of high school friends who we hang out with all the time. so it wound up being just like any other weekend really, but with a churchill-themed party. it was such a great weekend.

friday night:
-me, erica & steph:

-cody & eric:

saturday night pre party:

saturday night dance party:



proud of his churchill roots:


-and of course, steph & eric's wedding-
rehearsal dinner:

we had so much fun getting ready for steph's big day.

abby's ipod mix, chick-fil-a, makeup, hair, mimosas & good friends. what a great day!

one of the sweetest moments...steph & eric talking before the wedding but not seeing eachother.

she is stunning!

mr. & mrs. cervenka!

just gorgeous:

and time to dance!
(our poker face dance...you're jealous you didn't think of it first, admit it!)

gettin' low to apple bottom jeans, a classic.


some amazing pics that our friend kara took.




http://www.vintageviewstudio.com/