Ten Awesome Weekend Happenings

10. Ruby and Phebe were here from Friday afternoon to Monday morning. I could just stop the countdown from here, because, well, that's simply awesome, but it certainly makes for a boring post.

9. Sudbury Sprint Triathlon! Sunday morning. It was so good to be back! I love triathlons!

8. Stats-wise, in the triathlon, I'm psyched with my performance. I beat last year's time by about 4 1/2 minutes. I placed 4th in my age group, out of 74. Now, I was hoping for 1, obviously, because why wouldn't I? I got 1st place last year, but there were only 12 in my age group. The humongous jump from 12 to 74 in my age group is mystery enough. I'm going to smile and nod, and smile again, because I'm pleased that I placed 4th. I won't include the fact that initially the results said I had placed 3rd, and so we ended up staying 2 hours extra so that I'd be able to get my award at the award ceremony. Then I came to find out, when they announced someone else's name for 3rd, that they had since updated the results and someone beat me. So...I won't include that part.

7. I DID love, however, that although we did end up staying 2 hours extra for what turned out to be no reason, it was a beautiful 2 hours weather-wise and I soaked up some major sun. And ate post-food. And watched Ruby do her thing where she's cute for absolutely every second.

6. My friend Faith and I have been trying, for ages now, to get her nephew and my niece together. We plan on them getting married, and so we had to get them together ASAP. SOOOO she was with him this weekend, I was with the Rubes this weekend, all it did was make sense. We got some pictures of them. For the most part they look unsure of their aunts' intentions in all of the pictures, but we will continue to remind them that it's all for the best. They are going to be GREAT together.

5. My friend Amy was awesome and came with us to the triathlon to hang out with Rubes while Phebe and I did the triathlon. She was my hero, my sister's hero, and now she's besties with Rubes. Win win win! Ruby actually mentioned that she was going to swing by Claire's and buy a best friend necklace for the two of them to share. I guess, if I was honest, I'd say I'm a tad bit jealous.

4. P, R, and I went to the Burlington Mall on Saturday. I'd never been there, and was a little confused when their bathrooms were nicer than my home bathroom will ever be. Wait, isn't this a mall? Why are there plants and nice tiles in their bathrooms? Confused. BUT I did find two pairs of most EXCELLENT sandals at Payless. The last thing I should be doing right now is spending money on something like shoes. But, you know what they say, "when in Burlington, do what the Burlingtonians do..."

3. Red Box. Phebe and I hit that red box 3 times while she was here. She was here for 3 nights, we visited the Red Box 3 nights. Makes complete sense.

2. I bought Phebe a wine glass at Bed Bath and Beyond awhile back. Whenever she comes, she drinks wine, because, as she says herself, she's a wino. So it would be nice for her if she could pour that wine into a wine glass, right!? It's so awesome-but-ugly. It's lime green, orange, and yellow. There's a black P on the front. It came with a lime green ribbon tied to it. I can't think of anything else that would have made it more awesome. Phebe dared to use another glass the next night because the wine glass was dirty from the night before. I thought I was going to scream. Needless to say, I made her clean it and use it again.

1. I got to watch Ruby be Ruby. In the words of everyone and their moms, "they grow up so fast." Dagnabbit I can't take being far away from her. Every time I see her after we've been apart it's as if she has grown 5 inches, learned 104 more words, and has gained 37% more cuteness. Well, anyway, major quality time with Rubizzle.

Disbelief Giggles! *Giggle Giggle Giggle...*

I recently statused (because that's a verb) "Sometimes I get the disbelief giggles because of how blessed I am."

A couple of days ago I was cooling down from my run and walking on the sidewalk along the ocean. There. That's all I have to say, right? Wouldn't that cause one to disbelief giggle? I can move my body and get endorphins (endorFUNS, as we witty endurance athletes quip, bahaha). I get to walk along the ocean. Those, in and of themselves, are reasons to giggle. I take EVERY single thing I have for granted and don't think twice about them. But sometimes, like the other day, I am thoroughly overjoyed by everything I have. I think my wonderful friend said it best in one of her posts, something like, "my chest is bursting with yay." I LOVE that. My chest was bursting with yays.

I get nervous when statusing that I'm being obnoxious and that when people read them they might think, "well whoop-dee-doo, isn't she special." But then I remember it's my FB page and I can status what I want to status (and cry if I want to, cry if I want to)...

Anyway, I think that ultimately, no, I KNOW that ultimately, I am blessed beyond measure because of one particular facet. JESUS. He gives me joy that is not of this world. In other words, I can rejoice in good times, obviously, like the times I am cooling down along the shores of the Atlantic (and giggling). But more importantly, I rejoice in bad times. I know that this is not my home, but my eternal home is with Him in heaven. So when things are not ideal, like I don't get the job offer in Marblehead (years ago...it was the coolest let-down ever because I was reminded that it wasn't part of His plan so why would I want it?), or I don't have a "better half" when everyone around me has their better half AND another better half (as a math teacher, I understand that this does not equal a whole....just go with it being one-and-a-half...or...whatever) around and being cute, or on the way, or whatever.....I can respond by REJOICING because I know that it's fine. It's just not my time.

Anyway, I don't mean to get preachy, but there it is. Ultimately, I get disbelief giggles because I've got this relationship that trumps all other relationships I could have. It's with the God that created me and knows me inside and out. So cool.

But, on top of the "ultimately" reason, there are so many other reasons I rejoice and get disbelief giggles! Here is a brief spattering of them.

*The Hubbard clan.

*Friends...drama-less friends. I'm just saying...remember middle school and high school? Can you even call the majority of those "friendships?" What were those all about, anyway? Who is with me?

*My church! No explanation needed here. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I have gone on and on about it in past blogs.

*My apartment. I will forever be in honeymoon-mode here.

*My commute to work. Ten minutes, about 33% by the ocean. Seriously!?

*My CARRRR that is a BEAUT.

*My job and the people I work with (here's something that's not ideal that I can rejoice in....the pay!...).

*Variety puzzles.

*Triathlons! Endurance races! Endorfuns! Eeeeeeee!!!

*Music. Oh, music.

*Living vicariously through talented friends and friends with exciting news.

*One-on-one dates with friends.

*My hair straightener.

I'll stop there, with the last one. It might get ridiculous if I keep going after the hair straightener.

Anyway, I just dig life so much and am so thankful for everything that makes me rejoice...good and bad. I dare you to rejoice in the good (and the bad) things today!