Birthdays & 9th Anniversary

I celebrated my 30-something birthday on Monday. Jack gave me a turtle with a hard shell and rubber head and body. Lachlan gave me a white Mustang hot wheels. They picked their presents out on their own. As a measure of full disclosure, I knew in advance that I was getting a turtle from Jack because the kid can't keep a secret to save his life. He'll probably try to get a job with the CIA someday and they will find this blog entry and know that he's not the man for the job.

Jeff bought me a road bike this year. It was a grand affair--and honestly a big deal, because let's be honest they aren't inexpensive. Jeff always seems to find money to buy me gifts. I know that he gives up so much of the things that he wants to do or buy and there really aren't words for how selfless he truly is...

I have LOVED my bike. I am very slow and probably look physically incapacitated in some form to the people who watch me crawl along--BUT I don't even care--finally I have found a form of exercise that doesn't make my back and jaw hurt! It has been so much fun to go in the mornings and try to improve my technique and time. I have also found that I have to leave all of my pride at home--especially since I started to use clipless pedals.

Oh, clipless pedals. How. you. hurt. me. I've tipped over twice in my own driveway. I am trying not to develop 'hill anxiety'--as there is a very large hill in H-town and when I get to the base of it I start to sweat before I even get started. Why? Because if you get going up the hill and decide that you need a different gear too late or you are in a gear that is too easy to stand up or you panic, or, or, or...you will tip over.

I've walked up that hill twice, rather than attempt the tip over.

Sad. But I'm working through it.

This is my new bike. And my new hip bruise (courtesy of clipless pedals)

Also for my birthday/anniversary, I had to purchase a $700 custom-fit mouth apparatus/bite guard. Not just your ordinary mouth guard...this handy dandy tool doesn't allow any of your teeth to touch, it pushes your lower jaw forward and allows all of your jaw joints to heal. Slowly heal. I'll apologize now, for this disgusting picture and my super cracked lips--hello, can someone tell this woman to put on some freaking chapstick! Dr. W is a piece of work, and by that, I mean the guy is a real mother scratcher, but I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. I think that I am going to get better, which is something that I couldn't have said a month ago. Other perks include, random uncontrollable drooling, wicked lisp and bad breath.

I just keep telling myself that at least my jaw isn't wired shut and I'm not eating through a straw. Over and over and over again.

Jeff and I have been married 9 years.
He puts up with a lot. He's the most patient person I have ever known in my life. He takes good care of our family. I love this guy.