2 Months!!! So Sorry

Well, it has been 2 months since I last even glanced at my blog. I have been wanting to write and get everything down, but time has gotten away from me and I have been a little overwhelmed with all of my feelings and emotions. A lot has happened in the last few months, so I will do my best to give a good update and try really hard to keep on writing, it helps me so much. First of all, I have news, I am engaged. That is why the girls and I moved down to Houston. I met a really wonderful man just after Joel died, he is a vital part to my and the girls healing and has been a wonderful friend. We started our friendship just after Joel died and the friendship grew. Not only did we fall in love, but my girls fell in love with him too. He is wonderful with them and keeps them so happy, but most importantly he keeps JOel's memory alive with them too. He worked with Joel at Ft. Benning and in Iraq and the fact that he knew him and worked with him, helps all of us so much. He is patient with me, understanding and most importantly he knows all that I have been through, he was there as a friend through most of my grieving and has helped me so much. The marathon training is going well. I have been very diligent in my training and am very excited about the run. I was sick all last week and could not run, it was so frustrating to not be able to run. I am feeling better and am able to run and today I realized that running has been one of the best forms of healing for me, it has brought me so much clarity and eased some of the pain. I will do this run and I will finish it. I have never run more than 6 miles but in the last few months I have worked my way up to 16 miles and will hopefully do 18 this weekend. I know I can do this. I have been worried about not finishing it and disappointing myself and joel, but his mother told me today, "you will not disappoint him if you don't finish or don't do it. This is for you and do it for you." So I am, I have not bought the plane tickets yet, but that is on the list for this week. Besides, the girls are so excited that mama is running a marathon for Papa, they would be disappointed if I did not do it. Two weeks ago, we went down to Victoria TX to go to Justin's grandparents ranch. I ran my 16 miles out there on the old country road(it was exhilerating, but the cows and bulls scared me) and the girls and Justin came out and rode in a little mule(a four wheeler and golf cart combined)and supported me on my last 11 miles of my run. It was so cool to have them out there, the girls cheered and filled water bottles for me, they made the 16 miles worth it. Faith is loving school, she is in a huge school and it intimidated her at first, but she has found her place and is loving it. She misses her old friends, but has made new ones fast. I am so proud of my little girls. They are both so strong and doing so well. They keep me going and keep me grounded. Ok, I am going to keep trying to be better about this. I won't make any promises, but I will try harder!!! Thank you to you all who are here to support me, check in on me and keep me going. You have no idea how much those little messages me energize me through some of my tougher moments. Thank you again!! For those of you who are in the DC area or will be doing the Army Ten Miler or the Marine Corps Marathon, let me know, I would love to meet you. I will be running the ATM with a good friend of mine, she lost her husband (MAJ Douglas Sloan)on October 31, 2006(349 days after Joel. We have become such good friends, I could not imagine doing this without her. Take care everyone and talk to you soon!