Confessions of a Mud Runner

Dear Mud Run,
I would just like to thank you for showing me how incredibly weak I am and then rubbing my face in it. I mean hey, I knew I wasn't Wonder Woman or anything, but I must admit that I smugly thought I was doin' pretty good for having just recovered from baby #1 and already being pregnant with baby #2. You however, showed me how mistaken that assumption was. You got me covered in mud within minutes, you left me breathless after the first mile, you tore up my knees on the low crawl, you left my pride on the ground at the parallel logs, my husband had to practically carry me through the over-under logs, and best of all, the whole world got a great look at my mud-covered, spandex-clad rear end on the high wall. So thank you, Mud Run. My pride is sufficiently checked.


Oh and P.S. I still have mud under my fingernails.

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu...

Gotta love the Sound of Music :)

Anyway, this week we say goodbye to our friends in ministry, the Spencers :( They are leaving us for a cold, faraway, ungodly place called.... WISCONSIN! Haha, just kidding. They are actually going to pastor a growing church up in the capitol city, Madison, and are very excited about their new ministry opportunity. We will miss y'all (heavy emphasis on the "y'all") but pray that the Lord richly blesses your ministry up north!

Some pics of our going away dinner with the staff:

Baby News!

Yes, the word on facebook and among your friends is true - I'm PREGNANT!!! Baby number two will be here sometime mid-April!
And yes, it is a surprise to us as well. But a great one! Claire can't wait to be a big sister!

Bring on the mud!

Yes, I am proud to announce that I am in for a muddy good time on September 25th! Thanks to brotha Ryan (who may be halfway across the world but never fails to get us off our rears) most of this crazy Nickell family will be running 4.2 miles through mud holes, over walls, across trenches, under obstacles, and across ravines.
And surprise, surprise! Guess who will join us? The other half of this crazy family, my little bros! Yep, Sam and James will be sloshing through the mud along with Ryan, Cole, Julia, and me. We like to make these things a family affair.

And yes, I cannot wait for this part ;-)

New haircut and Claire's 7th month stats

I finally did something with my long, nasty-wavy, post-pregnancy hair. Hormones sure did a number on my previously perfect hair. I woke up one morning and suddenly had waves... but not the good kind. The kind that crinkle at your scalp and then die out halfway down. The kind that make it look like you have bed head everyday. The kind that make straightening a necessity. Ugh. So I chopped about 5-6 inches off and added side bangs. 

Ta-da!

In other news, Claire is now 7 months old. And man! that girl loves the water :)

Her 7 month stats:
~Weighs about 14.5 lbs.
~Height - 26 inches as far as I can tell.
~As previously mentioned, she LOVES the water!
~Is sitting up completely on her own.
~Took her first crawl steps last week! But doesn't go far.
~Plays rather than naps in her crib now that she can move on her own.
~Wants to "taste" everything!
~Has a new smile where she winkles up her nose :)


I can't believe my baby is so old!!!

Baptism Pictures!

The whole Nickell/Marshall gang!

"What is happening to me?"

Pastor Mike - thank you for baptizing our baby!

Our little family :)

Thought for the Day

I love Sovereign Grace Music. For those of you that have never heard of them... you should check them out. They sing the Gospel in a way that lifts my soul no matter how down I am. Every song comes straight from Scripture. It's wonderful.
Anyway, all that to say that they sing a song called "In the Valley" that's taken from The Valley Of Vision devotional. It is an amazing song for anyone suffering loss or hardship. So, my thought from the day is that Valley Of Vision passage:

Let me find my light in thy darkness,
thy life in my death
thy joy in my sorrow,
thy grace in my sin, 
thy riches in my poverty,
thy glory in my valley.


Here's a link to the song on YouTube. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT8aTjVZHVI

I might possibly be...

Maybe, just maybe, I might be crazy enough to sign up for a triathlon that's less than two months away. It's a possibility. Just wait and see....

Claire enters God's Covenant Family

On Sunday, we had Claire baptized with all of our immediate family watching (except uncle Ryan). It was so special to see Claire's grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and uncle's girlfriends surrounding her with love! However, it didn't hit me until later that night what a serious thing we had just done. Don't get me wrong, I've always believed in baptism and known that it was an important sign for Christian parents to show their children, but as I was lying in bed, it really hit me that we had just committed Claire to God and were trusting in Him to make her His one day. How awesome is that?! The God who promises that nothing can separate us from His love is watching over our daughter and guiding her little life! Obviously she will have to claim that promise as her own one day, but I felt an immense calm and joy as I grasped the reality of what baptism means.

Pictures to follow! 

Okay... I CAN mow the lawn

Smartypants me... just didn't know how to operate it. Had nothin' to do with strength. I apologize to Crossfit.
My lawn is now freshly and neatly mowed and the driveway nicely blown off. Not bad for a first-timer. Cole will be proud :)

(Yeah, and I totally look this good doing it)