November So Far:

We've been very fortunate to have unseasonably warm weather.
There have been a few cool days.  But I think that, as of today, we have seen the last of the beautiful weather!  I am really trying to prepare myself for living though another cold and snowy winter, and not going crazy.  It may mean that I just find a way to endure.  Because I don't think there will ever be a day that I will be able to say I enjoy winter.

Elsa, prefers a warmer clime, as well.  She and I talk about moving to St. George.  But I don't think I could ever get Nick to head that direction.  It's puzzling, because he says St. George is too hot.  And yet, this is the man who spent 2.5 years living on the equator, while he was on an LDS mission?!

Anyway.... Elsa will be able to smile through winter because it means she gets to wear hats.  That girl loves hats:

Reagan was invited to the birthday party of a cute girl in her class!  Thankfully, I don't think there is a "mean girl" among this little group:

I signed Elsa up for basketball with the Kaysville Rec program.  Yes.  They let 3 year olds play basketball.  And it is HILARIOUS!

I think Elsa is the only girl on the team.  Last week, in the middle of a "game", Elsa wanted another boy to pass her the ball.  When he didn't pass to her, she sat down in the middle of the court, and folded her arms, and refused to play.
I thought it was awesome, and funny.

I'll openly admit that I've been struggling with my life more lately, than I think I ever have.  There have been several external factors that have been making my life difficult lately.  But the past two weeks there have been three things that have been making me feel particularly disgusting.  It's been a "perfect storm" of problems that make me feel gross.
Around Halloween I came down with a cold.  And I couldn't get rid of it!  That horrendous cold made me miserable for two and a half weeks!

When we were in Seattle, I was so proud of myself.  I never missed a day of running!  I ran on the treadmill at the hotel.
When we got home, I was looking forward to running outdoors again.  I don't know what happened while we were in Seattle, but when we got back my right hip was hurting when I ran.
I'd managed to run through all of my previous injuries, so I figured I'd get over the hip pain eventually too.
But it just got worse.
And soon it wasn't only hurting when I ran.  It was hurting all of the time.
I went to my Doctor.  She said she thought it was bursitis, gave me Naproxen, and sent me to an orthopedics doctor.
He said he thought it was bursitis too, and gave me orders for Physical Therapy.  Even after I told him that there was no way I'd be able to do PT 3 times a week, for 3 weeks.  What a waste of time, and money.  So frustrating!  Since I'm not a drug-seeker, I'm having a hard time figuring out why I ever go to the doctor in the first place?!

It was all very discouraging.  Add to the equation the fact that I was PMS'ing; so the skin on my face was acne-ridden, and oily, and I felt more wasted, than usual.

Life was not good.

I decided to take an entire week off of running.  In hopes, that my hip would feel better, and that I'd be able to "hit it hard" in the week and a half that I'll have before the Turkey Leg 5K in Farmington.  I also purchased a new pair of running shoes: Saucony Omni 12's.
Today, is day 4 of no running, and it has been the pits!
I feel like a blob.

At the beginning of October, a pair of jeans I had ordered, arrived.  They were Calvin Klein skinny jeans, in a size 8.  They were too big!
So, I exchanged them for a size 6, and they fit!
Granted, they were stretchy material.  But I cannot remember the last time I wore a size 6 anything?!  Jr. High School, maybe?

Since my running has suffered in the past three weeks, so has my weight.  No more size 6 jeans.
I had been complaining that I wasn't loosing any more weight, and couldn't get the lb's down past 150.

Now, I'm longing for the days of having my weight hanging out at 150.
My hip has got to get better!