inspiration is hard work

here's some things that spring has brought:

 bluebonnets and job interviews/1,280,745,462 job applications

Yeah, pooping on bluebonnets. I've seen it.

track meets with Coach Foster

garage sale MADNESS. 

My parents getting snapchat… 

 Easter

AND LASTLY/MOST IMPORTANTLY

it has brought INSPIRATION 

I'll start with my tree growing inspiration. One beautiful spring day I got in my car to go to the grocery store only to find that my windshield was covered in maple tree seeds from the tree in our front yard. I cursed them, got out and wiped them all off, then went on about my day. The next day the same thing happened and I thought "UGGHHH how many frickin' seeds are even up in that tree!?!" (yes, I realize I sound like a grouchy old lady. yes, I'm going to blame it on the stress of newly obtained adulthood.) SO I decided to get out of my car and look up into the tree branches. I was immediately inspired and awestruck. Wasn't it just a couple of days ago that this tree had no leaves at all and now it is sprouting leaves AND seeds all over. This tree gives so much to us and I just act like its a burden. Hippie talk much? It was then that I decided that I wanted to take what the tree was giving (the seeds) and spread them to new places! Specifically, but not limited to, new homes Judson and I will move to in the next couple of years. 

So I collected about 30 of them and looked up directions on how to grow a tree. It was SO COMPLICATED. I mean, these little guys have to germinate underground, a boy tree has to give the girl tree the right pollination for the seeds to be ones that can reproduce (not even kidding. look it up.), they have to be temperature controlled and planted in certain materials, and all this crap. So desperately wanting my dream to become a reality I followed all the instructions on a hope and a prayer that at least one or two would sprout to life for me! Then one morning I walked into my kitchen to see that TWO were coming to life! I was so excited like I had just created a baby or something. Seriously.

THEN a couple of days later 21 seeds were popping up!! AMAZING. Look at that little tiny leaf that is the exact shape the huge leaves are. How do people not believe in God?

This inspiration inspired new inspirations and somehow I ended up ordering like 10 different kinds of oak tree seeds on amazon.com and acquired a baby pine tree too… So.. More details on that later on (I know you are all DYING of anticipation about my tree stories and inspirations). But for now, I am a mother to 38 baby trees.

Okay, if any of you have even stuck around long enough to hear my tree talk, then here is the other inspiration spring has brought to me. The other day I was thinking about how Judson and I have been together for two whole years now. That's a big deal for me! I know we're married so we're gonna be together for a million years, but in my small 23 years of life I have never ever ever never been with a boy for two consecutive years without break ups/"breaks" or really just longer than a couple of months period. I was feeling really great about life. I started being nostalgic about when we started dating. I realized when we started dating I was training for a half marathon! I remember telling him "I'll meet you in like 2 hours because I have to run first" and I would literally run for like an hour and a half OR LONGER.

 

All the sudden, I started to feel really bad about life because I couldn't remember the last time I ran a full MILE as I reminisced about my 13.1 mile race. I wondered why the heck I ever let myself stop running because I truly loved it so much. Then I remembered oh, yeah, I broke my foot running that half marathon because I picked shoes that were super cute and not shoes that had good arch support.

That set me back a couple of months. I ended up getting engaged and married and never really got back around to running.

BUT

I've been newly inspired.

And not just the inspired that I am usually to be healthy and active but inspired to be a RUNNER.

Therefore, I began running a few weeks ago. It was preeeeeettttyy ugly. A lot of slow jogging with walking mixed in and huffing and puffing. I kept at it. Every time I started my legs would start hurting. Not just muscle hurting, I mean my BONES hurt. Everything in my body tells me this is unnatural and that I need to immediately stop. Soon my lungs start feeling like I'm in high altitude. I literally start wheezing (combination out of shape and seasonal allergies). My heart is pumping blood so fast I feel like it will just give out. Then the stitch in the side starts, OH the stitch in the side. Painting an appealing picture, eh? After days of this, I started to get frustrated because all I could think about is how easy and enjoyable this used to be… uh.. two years ago.. 

Here's the thing about running. It's hard. No matter who you are or how long you've been doing it. It's hard, because it is as mentally exhausting as it is physically. The whole time half of you is trying as hard as it can to keep going while the bitch half of you is coming up with a million reasons you should stop. 

And that's why I love it. I got myself a new running toy and a fierce new attitude. 

Y'all, stop being jealous of my "longest run" so far with my Garmin. 

To be continued!