Blog Lift!

Finally! I've updated my blogs! Well, I didn't actually do very much at all, but a friend of mine, Lindsay, designed them for me. I noticed her beautiful blog one day and thought to myself...I wish my blog looked awesome too. Fortunately, she specializes in just that! So I contacted her and asked her for some help. Voila! New blogs!! My mom, being the scrap book queen that she is, designed the header on my cooking blog. Pretty cute, huh? So I'd love for you to be a "faithful follower" of mine and let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy both blogs as much as I do, and if you want your blog to look snazzy as well, ask Lindsay! Check back for some life updates and new recipes soon...and pictures of our new house!

I Wish Stuart Made Our Wedding Video...

There is not much I would change about my wedding, maybe only 2 or 3 things (for example, the grass being green, rather than brown outside would have been nice). One of those things is pretty much impossible, considering Stuart can't marry me and shoot our video at the same time. I'm glad he was at the altar though. Wouldn't change that for the world. Over this past year, however, he has ventured into the wedding business and has become an amazing videographer. He puts his whole heart into what he does: constantly studying other pro videographers, reading articles about the business, learning how to really capture the meaningful, pivotal moments, investing in state-of-the-art equipment. One day he'll get his own fancy camera, in the meantime we're grateful to have some awesome friends that let him borrow their stuff. I'll just go ahead and post his wedding videos here for you to see for yourself. Starting with the most recent...going back to the very first one he did about a year ago. If you get a chance today, tell him how awesome he is! :)

Chris + Emily from stuart atkins on Vimeo.

Lewis + Amy from stuart atkins on Vimeo.

John + Kristen from stuart atkins on Vimeo.

Brett + Aynsley from stuart atkins on Vimeo.

Andy and Amber from stuart atkins on Vimeo.

Sam + Dawn from stuart atkins on Vimeo.

The Summer Sched.

The past 5 years of my life have included some jam-packed, fun-filled, nonstop summers, and now that I'm married...Nothing has changed! We wouldn't have it any other way though. Our youth group is taking 8, yes EIGHT, mission trips between the high school and middle school. That's about 180 students traveling around the world spreading God's good news and serving those in need. It's the best way to see the world if you ask me. We're going to New Orleans (in fact they're there right now!), New York, Tijuana, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, Kentucky, and Tennessee. That's not even including VBS or summer camps!! A few weeks ago we had "Missions Sunday" at church and Stuart made this phenom video. It gives you a nice overview of what we'll be doing on some of these trips:

Student Life Summer Missions from stuart atkins on Vimeo.

Yep, we'll be pretty busy, but it's so worth it! It's what we love to do. If you'd like to try to keep up with the madness, here's our Summer Schedule as of now:
June 5-12 : New York City (Paige and Stuart)
June 14-18 : VBS at church
June 20-25 : Lousiville, KY (Stuart)
June 29 : Closing Date!!
July 3-13 : Panama (Paige and Stuart)
July 19-24 : TBD (Paige and Stuart)
July 25-30 : Summer Camp with Shift (Stuart)
August 9 : School Starts in Gwinnett County

Sneak Peak!

Well we are officially under contract and on our way to being real life home owners! After 6 counter-offers we finally found a compromise with the seller. The biggest issue was the closing date. See, until about 6 weeks ago we had no idea that buying a home was in our near future. We especially had no idea we would find a great home so quickly!! Problem A is that our lease on our apartment isn't up until the middle of August. Problem B is that we will be gone for 5 out of the next 8 weeks. Well, I am only gone for 3, but Stu is gone for all 5. We were pushing to close mid-July which would give us a month to move, and it's after most of our big trips. The seller didn't want to wait that long because he was getting a little antsy and impatient (shame on him)...Anyway, I'm sure you don't care that much about all of the boring details, so I'll stop now. Simply put, our closing date is officially June 29th!! You'll have to come to our house-warming party (or should I call it our "town home-warming" party) to see the whole thing, but here is the outside!

Isn't it cute? :) We love it and are so appreciative of our real estate agent Amber. She's been so helpful to us, making the whole thing a breeze on our end. We plan to sign all the papers on June 29 but then leave 3 days later for Panama. Most of the moving will take place after we get back. Anyone want to help paint? Or donate furniture? Or move furniture? Or go swimming?? Come on over!

All Grown Up

For the past few years Stu and I have become forever indebted to a few wonderful families. The Howard's, the Young's, the Randolph's, the Greenleaf's, and the Howard's again, each opened up their homes to us and allowed us to live there while we were in ministry. They took us in as one of their own. Even after we got married, the Howard's basement was still our home. It was an awesome opportunity to build relationships and extend my family, I'd do it again in a heart beat if I could.

Last August we started feeling guilty for letting all of the great wedding gifts we recieved just sit in another basement....so we finally got our apartment. It's been so perfect for us this past year. It's homey, close to church, close to our other Georgia families, and affordable. Our favorite part is having the extra bedroom for guests to come stay whenever they need to. However, as August looms around the corner holding our lease its hand, we knew we'd have another decision to make: what do we do now? Sign on for another year? Move back in with the Howard's? We never, in a million years, would have predicted our final choice...LET'S BUY A HOUSE!

I say a million years, because I thought it would take that long to save up for a nice down payment. Right now we're looking at heading to Cape Town for Christmas with my family, and paying off my car, and all of the other expenses in life, with little to show for in our savings account. It wasn't until we started talking with some friends (a little less than a month ago) that we realized how "first-home-buyer-friendly" the market is right now. We talked to a friend of ours who is a real estate agent, Amber, and she graciously gave us the 5th-grade education of buying a house.

We were onboard, unfortunately missing the tax-rebate deadline, but onboard nonetheless. We got pre-qualified for a loan, told Amber what our ideal house might be like, reviewed some that she found online, went looking at those that she found...and came across a townhome that has 99% of what we're looking for in a house! The kicker was...it had just opened up again from a lady who bought it but then lost her job...so we had to act fast before it got listed again. We were making one of the biggest decisions we'll ever make and only had a day to think about it! However, we decided to go for it. This of course, came with lots of prayer and trust that God has paved the way. We kept looking for that closed door from Him, but it never came. Thus, two days later we gave the seller an offer...and they counter offered...and we counter offered...and they did again...and we did again...that's where we are currently!

I'm sorry to leave to you hanging for now, but I will come back when I have some more concrete news. This will hopefully be over within the next two days, but until then...you'll have to wait in suspense....

April Showers Bring...

FLOWERS! My mom has always had lots of plants and flowers at her house (that I at one point despised because my chores always included watering them twice a day...) so I knew it wouldn't be long before I got some blooms of my own. When we first moved in to our apartment, Dana bought me a little bansai tree...but apparently it couldn't handle the -10 degree weather we had here one day, and it never recovered. Poor plant. Alas, my inspiration was not hindered! Finally, I made my way over to Pike Nursery on a mission...and...mission accomplished.

Planting soil, white calibrachoa, hurrah rose petunias, gardening gloves, 24" english horse trough planter, and some cold water to stay hydrated! Tah-Dah!

New Blog!

I've been thinking about doing this for a while actually, but it has finally come to fruition: A Cooking Blog! It all started a year ago when my mom gave me a beautiful scrapbook cookbook as a wedding gift. All of my favorite dishes were in there laid out on some awesome pages. I was determined to get good use out of it. As I started cooking, I wanted to prove to my mom that I was stepping up in being a wife. I took pictures of the dishes I made and emailed them to her. I had a whole album of food pictures! Then I watched a movie that changed my life, "Julie & Julia". A dramatic story of a girl who cooks through Julia Child's whole book and updates her blog along the way. The movie's ending isn't the best...but it inspired my potential new beginning! I love to blog, and I love to cook, perfect combination!

After months of dreaming, it's finally started! The main thing I'm having a hard time with is coming up with a good name. Pretty much any title with the word "cook" in it is taken. The challenge is finding something related to cooking that doesn't have the actual word in it...any suggestions?? It has to go at the beginning of blogspot.com. Right now it's "paigeatkinscooks". Booorrrrriiingg! Let me know if something more clever comes to mind.

The blog will mainly be for people in my life stage (duh). Newlyweds who want to make a delicious dinner for their hubbys. Whenever I search for a recipe online it's important that I see the reviews. I only choose the dishes that people rave about. I'm obviously not an expert chef so I can't really offer advice, but at least I can show people that it doesn't hurt to try! Who knows what will come of it? I'm a novice couponer as well, so I hope to one day offer advice on saving money at the grocery store. For now, it's just a place that gives purpose to my otherwise useless pictures of food!

Sorry About the Mess!

I'm attempting to make my blog look awesome...but that's like taking on another full-time job! So I apologize for the mess around here. Hopefully this weekend I'll get it all cleaned up and pretty. Sorry to those of you dying to know what my next big adventure is. Maybe it will be blog-designing! And sorry about the videos dominating the whole screen. In my attempts to reformat it, I inadvertently LOST all my formatting and had to start from scratch. I'm pretty sure no one checks my blog regularly enough to even notice this mess, but for the faithful few out there, I'll be up and running again soon, don't you worry. In the mean time, check out Stu's blog. He's got it goin' on.

30-Hour Famine

New York Trip

WE DID IT!!

I know it's been a while since my last update, but that is because my life has just been a whirlwind for the past couple of weeks! It all started when we took a weekend trip to New York. Stuart had a meeting there on Monday but we went out on Friday and did just about everything (however briefly) you could do in NYC. Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Broadway Show, Central Park, hot dog stands, Little Italy, China Town, Times Square, Brooklyn, and lots and lots of train rides. We had a great time, despite the fact that the weather was less than ideal. I'll post the video and you can see what I mean.

The closer the race got, the harder it seemed to train. We were so busy! I got up at 6am some days, but I was still nervous to run 13 whole miles. Before the race we had to plan and execute the 30-Hour Famine, which is no small task. Thankfully the Student Life staff is hard working and recruited some hard working volunteers. All in all it was a great 30 hours. What made it better is that Elise was in town and Kaylee came to hang out for the weekend too! Of course there is a video documenting this wonderful event, so I'll post that one as well.

Team Run for Change raised about $600, and as a big group we raised around $17,000! All of that money goes towards the life-saving work World Vision is doing. We're glad to be part of making a difference in the world, and we're SO grateful to all of the people who donated toward the cause. THANK YOU!

So finally the BIG DAY came. For those of you worrying, don't. The three of us did our fast for the 30-hour famine a couple of days before the actual event. We figured it wouldn't be the wisest thing to go without food right before such a momentous event. We were nourished and ready to go. Stuart, myself, and Jake, along with our faithful cheerleaders Kaylee and Elise, headed downtown around 5:30am Sunday morning. We got on the Marta (train) to take us into Atlanta. That's where we started seeing all of the legit runners...and we fit right in. Elise and Kaylee got off a stop earlier to go to the cheering section at Mile 2. We checked our bags in, stood in line at the port-o-potties for about 15 minutes and once we got to the starting line the race had already begun. So we joined the herd of cattle...I mean runners...and there it began. No time to take it in or have second thoughts. Just start Running!

The best part was the beginning. Weaving in and out, passing all the slow people. Never mind those were doing the same to us. The three of us (Jake in red, Me in white, and Stuart in blue) stayed together the whole time. It was really exciting to see Kaylee and Elise at mile 2. There sign encouraged us as it said "Only 11.1 to go!" Turns out they were having way too much fun being spectators (video to come).

So we ran, and ran, and ran. Water stations every couple of miles to keep us going. Our only goal was to keep running, and not be last. The mile markers were a relief each time. It was great running together because it felt like a team. Jake would stop to drink his water and come sprinting full speed to catch up. He had a smile on his face the whole way. We were surprised to see our cheerleaders again at mile 10. By this time we were anxious for the finish line as it was the hilly-est part of the race. When we got to about mile 11 we heard cheering behind us. Finally we saw what it was about. The MARATHON first place runner was about to pass us! I found out later that he finished the race in 2 hours 20 minutes. He ran 26 miles 4 minutes slower than we could run 13! It was a really cool moment.

FINALLY we made the last turn and saw the glorious finish line...and Elise and Kaylee jumping up and down like crazy. Our final time was 2:16. And there were still people behind us when we finished! It was a great, great feeling. We were very proud of our accomplishments and rewarded ourselves with free massages. I really am still in disbelief that I run 13 miles and survived. Three months ago I could barely run 2 miles without my legs nearly collapsing.

Now on to the next one! Who knows when that will be? You're definitely invited though. If I can do it, you can too!! I should probably keep working out to stay in shape...maybe tomorrow.

Here's the Video!!

If You Want to Donate....

Click Here!

You'll be directed to our WorldVision account for the 30-Hour Famine. Thanks for your support!

Team Run for Change

It's Official...I'm a Runner

Despite several attempts to put it off, Stuart and I finally attacked our "long" run. We left our warm, comfortable apartment around 5:30 pm, braced ourselves for the mean outdoors and didn't return again until 7:30. We ran about 11 miles all around Suwanee. We are very fortunate to live near the green way. It's one of my new favorite places ever. It's a beautiful, peaceful, hideaway that's closed off from the busy world. If you've ever been to the Boulder Creek, it's very similar to that. Just wonderful. Love it. Makes running much more pleasant...well, that and running with Stu. There's no way I'd be able to do that by myself. About 3/4 of the way through my legs were really starting to hurt. But with Coach Stuart by my side I didn't give in. Slowed down? Yes of course, but I was still running...for 11 miles. Quite an accomplishment if I do say so myself.

That night I went to Gretchen's house for girl's night and had to ice my calves and hip flexors. I was pretty sore. Actually, I still am. Regardless, I got up at the crack of dawn and ran another 6+ miles this morning. I tried to drag Stuart out of bed too but he passed.

Last night we made our video to start raising money for the 30-Hour Famine. We're connecting our half-marathon to the Famine and trying to get people to give $ towards that. I think the video will be great and hopefully we can raise a lot of money! Our goal as a youth group is to reach $20,000. I hope we can make a dent in that. I'll post the video here soon.

Less Than a Month To Go!

That's right. This past Sunday marked the one-month-to-go-oh-crap! date. We celebrated by running a 10K outside at the Suwanee Greenway. It was a beautiful day. BEAUTIFUL. We've been waiting for that warm sunshine for a long time. We ran 6.2+ miles together and it felt great. The next day, however I was feelin it. Apparently running on a flat treadmill means running on a flat treadmill. The slightest inclines and obstacles can have a huge impact on the novice runner. I was a little sore but I persevered through the rest of the week. Monday was another day with Jillian Michaels and her 30-day shred. Tuesday was a rest day and I soaked that in. Wednesday was another hour-long run. And today was the shred again. For some reason my lower back feels like it has a little tweak in it. Not very good. I hope it gets better by tomorrow because we have another 60 minutes to destroy.

I honestly never thought I'd be able to say that I could run 6 miles...much less 13! It is really amazing how your body adapts. Or maybe it has more to do with your mindset. I stopped telling myself "I could never do that". I just got off my butt and did it! The first part of the run is always the hardest. Once I clear the 30-minute-mark it gets much easier. Some days the end is hard when I'm just counting down the minutes, but I just literally have to coach myself through it. YOU CAN DO IT. DON'T GIVE UP. DON'T GIVE UP. KEEP GOING. IT'S NOT GOING TO KILL YOU. DON'T GIVE UP!

It will be exciting to run through the city with my hubby by my side. I love to run with him. Lately we haven't been able to because of our schedules. I typically try to get up before 7 and work out. Some days he's just not really into that, plus he favors running outside more than me. I miss him when he's not dying on his treadmill right along with me. Sunday's run with Stuart was great. Quality time. It definitely would not have been as enjoyable without him. Plus, we got some great use out of our new sportbands! This week has been a good week in our relationship (just FYI). Lots of spending time together, laughing, watching the Olympics, and good spirits overall. Yay! I love my husband.

Sorry Legs

Jillian's 30-Day Shred yesterday plus a 5-mile speed workout today= very very sore legs. ouch.

My Group's Video From Winter Retreat

I mentioned this in an earlier blog. Our Winter Retreat with high-school had a Hollywood Theme so everyone brought costumes and each small group made a movie. Here is mine...they did awesome. You can check out all of the groups' videos on the SL1318 youtube page.

Life Gets in the Way

What an awesome weekend! My parents flew in late Thursday night. After scrubbing our place and fluffing the pillows in the guest room, Stu and I drove out to the airport to pick them up. Friday morning I got up early (maybe too early) to get a quick run in. 30 minutes. Check. Then my mom and I went to get mani/pedis at my favorite, Peachy Nails. Meanwhile Shel and Stu went to the gym. My dad likes to stay busy so it was good timing. When our nails finally dried we went back home to pick up the boys and then off to Cheesecake Factory. We had gift certificates from some awesome people that we had been saving for this weekend. As we headed to Buckhead snow flurries appeared! By the time our humungo lunch was on its way to our hips, chicken-feather flurries were coming down and it started to look like Colorado. I was very impressed with this Georgia snow. However, that foiled our plans for the afternoon. Around 3pm the roads were getting bad and drivers were getting crazy, I guess when you’re not used to snow you feel the need to do whatever it takes to slow down traffic. So instead of going to the Georgia Aquarium we headed to another great tourist destination: Costco! There my wonderful father bought some necessities that we had conveniently just run out of (ie Dishwasher soap, laundry detergent, TP, Diet Coke, brownie mix etc.) We also bought food for Stuart’s Green Card Party on Saturday. By the time we got home it was full-on mock Colorado. The snow was sticking. Snow men were being made on every corner. And seriously, everyone that got out of their car thought it would be a good idea to throw snowballs. I think we saw about 10 snowball fights on our way home. Weird Southerners.

Saturday would have been a great day to go for a run, but instead we lounged around and my mom and I cooked for the party. Quality time with the parents was a much better use of my time...at least that’s what I’m telling myself. I mean I could have joined my dad when he went to the gym, but I could see it in my mom’s face that she REALLY wanted me to stay and watch CMT Top 20 Countdown. The rest of day was spent cooking and preparing for the festivities. Finally 6pm came and we had a great time at the Green Party. Lots of people showed up and they were all wearing green! It was great. It felt like a pre-birthday party for me! We had a huge taco bar and played Wii all night. My parents snuck out early to go watch Apollo Ohno dominate in speed skating.

Finally Sunday (Valentines Day) rolled around and my dad had an early flight out. If only he had known that he would get stuck in Chicago for 10 hours and get home to Denver the same time my mom did, he could have stayed and watched movies with us all day! Poor chap. It was a great weekend with my family. I love them so much and think the world of my parents. I hope they come back soon! After we dropped off my mom we went to Passion City Church. That was also incredible. Louie is my hero. We went out to dinner with our friends who went to church with us at the crazy Greek restaurant off of I-85 called Mykonos Taverna. That was the craziest dinner I’ve been to in a long time. Complete with Loud Greek music, dancing, and yummy gyros.

So that was our Valentines day. We decided to push our romantic date a month out for when we go to New York. It was a good day, but we did miss our long run that was scheduled. It was supposed to be for almost 2 hours. Oops. I kind of made up for it yesterday, but only ran half that time. Stuart went out and bought us some Nike+ Sportbands. They’re awesome and I’ve been wanting one for a long time. Now we can track everything when we run outside (if it ever warms up in this igloo state). We hit our goal of running a 10K and so rewarded ourselves with some new watches. Our next goal: TEN MILES. Yikes. But the race is a month from this coming Sunday!!! OMG.

So much for keeping this updated!

Sorry for those of you waiting around for me to update this wonderful space. Work has actually been very busy which in turn has caused me to actually start working.
Anyway, back to the running. About a week ago I did my first "speed workout". Stuart informed me that it's not just for the sake of being able to run faster (which I have no interest in), but to improve lung capacity. So I did a 10-minute warm up, then ran faster than I knew possible for TEN whole minutes, slow for 5, fast again for ten, and then a much needed 10-minute cool down. WHOA. The next three days, it was my quad's turn to be angry with me. I can't remember the last time I was that sore. Plus, we had a middle school retreat this past weekend and I dominated the 6th grade girls in dodge ball. So my right arm was out of commission as well. Ouch.

Sunday was a big day too. We both ran 10K. It wasn't the fastest time, but at least we did it. Check that one off the list. Yesterday was another speed work out. 10-minute warm up and cool down and in between I did 6 minutes fast, 2 minutes slow for a total of 4 times. I was not in the mood to run, but I had to do it anyway.
The workouts are getting more intense this month. And next month is our race! We should start raising money for our Run-for-a-Change Campaign pretty soon. The 30-Hour Famine is the day before our race and our goal is to have people pledge money for our half-marathon that will all go towards the Famine. Our goal as a youth group is to raise $20,000 this year. It's awesome to be part of that.

This weekend my parents come and we have stuart's green card party! woop!!

Stuart = Legal Resident!

You probably know that when it comes to Stuart and the US government, they don't always get along. Over the past 10 years he has run into several dilemmas dealing with the fact that he is not a US Citizen. About once a year there has been some kind of big issue. This year, however, is starting off great!! We have been going through the process of getting him a green card. After all the paper work was filed and proof of our legitimate marriage was collected we finally had our green card interview.

We were scheduled to be at the USCIS building in Atlanta yesterday at 9:30am and, believe it or not, we were out of there by 10:00! We had all of our papers, pictures, forms, letters, cards etc in order and put on our nicest smiles. Besides the fact that they didn't let me bring in my water bottle, and my shoes set off the metal detector, everything went smoothly and according to plan. The lady that interviewed us asked about 5 questions, thumbed through our file a few times, made copies of our licenses, and said we were approved. Stu and I kind of sat there for a minute in disbelief...that's it? SWEET!!! We collected all of our things that the lady didn't even bother looking at and walked out the door. It was as easy as that. Thanks in huge part to all of your prayers and support. We feel so relieved but we still have to wait 4-6 weeks to actually get the green card in the mail.

Once we have his card, Stuart will be free to travel in and out of the country and work wherever he wants. This is different from citizenship. That's a whole new process that we haven't looked into yet. Because he's not a US citizen (only a legal resident) he still has a South African passport and can't vote...or have jury duty (lucky duck). However, having a green card makes everything so much easier than it has been (since he's been on visas up until now) so we're not complaining! The other thing is that his green card is called a "conditional green card" since we've been married for less than two years. So it's not TOTALLY over. We'll have to go in again in two years, but for now all is well!

Time to Call Jillian Michaels

Today I can barely keep my eyes open. Perhaps because didn't get enough sleep...perhaps because I ran my lungs out yesterday.

First, let me back up. On Friday we had a quick 30 minute run which we completed before I went to work. Then we left for our Winter Retreat with the high schoolers for the weekend. It was a great time of worship and hearing God's word from a man named Frank Winans. He is a friend of Aaron's from California and he actually spoke at my Spring Break Road Trip when I was in high school. He's awesome and he brought it this weekend. God is real...and he wants a relationship with you. It was great. Jake's friend from a great place called Wilmington, NC came and led worship for us. Chad and his guitar rocked it all weekend and led us in great songs and great worship. Saturday night we had our "Hollywood Movie Premiere". The students dressed up as a movie character and each small group made their own movies. Mine was awesome, if I do say so myself...a twisted spin off combination of "The Bachelorette" and "Scary Movie". I'll post it here if stuart puts it online.

Whenever I'm gone for the whole weekend I feel out of touch with my "working out" self. So Monday seemed very far away from Friday. What's worse is that Monday was also the longest run (so far) on our training schedule. We were supposed to run for 1 hour and 15 minutes. We hit the road right before sunset. I won't bore you with too many details, but let me tell you that the hill at the end just about made me cuss...and cry. Stuart suggested that we push it and run hard up the hill...bad idea for a novice jogger. I felt like I needed to rip open my lungs and give them more air. Coach Stu explained that I need to breathe deeper and slower when I push myself like that. In through the nose, out through the mouth. I was wheezing and gasping for air at the top of the hill, while my husband was running circles around me. It was NOT fun. at all. All I could do was picture Jillian Michaels (from The Biggest Loser) yelling in my face commanding me not to quit. Thanks Jill. It got too dark to stay outside before we were done with our 75 minutes of torture. So we headed back to the fitness center. For some dumb reason only 3 of the 10 treadmills there are in working condition and Stuart got the last one. Darn...I guess I'll have to do the elliptical machine. So all in all, I still haven't run the max, but someday I will...someday. Today my lungs feel better and are ready to hit the road again soon. I can't wait to look back and laugh at how bad of a runner I used to be...ha!

Training Pays Off

Yesterday was another momentous day, momentous run. We were on a staff retreat with everyone from Student Life staff at church. It was a lot of fun playing board games, eating great food, and lounging around all day. Well, except for yesterday morning. Jake, Stuart and I ran for an hour straight! The last time that happened was the Bolder-Boulder about 6 years ago. The best part was that we made it and felt great afterward. It was the first outdoor run since we started training and today I'm feeling the effect of those large hills on my legs. A little more sore than usual, but hey, no pain=no gain right? I'm not sure if I would have done it on my own, but together we dominated that run. It was perfect weather as well which made it all the better. Today we have cross training on the schedule. That means we are supposed to do anything except run as a workout. I might do the 30-day Shred like I used to do or my dad is always suggesting that I do some cycling to strengthen my knee. We'll see.

In case you're wondering about my life outside of training for a half-marathon:
-- Next week (Monday) Stuart and I have our "Adjustment of Status" Immigration Interview. This is (hopefully) our final step in getting Stuart his green card. Please pray for that interview at 9:30 am EST. Neither us nor our lawyer has reason to believe that anything should go wrong. But in the end it's up to the government worker, and can sometimes depend on which side of the bed he/she wakes up on! Hopefully all will go well and Stu will leave there as a legal resident. I'll be sure to blog the outcome of next Monday's meeting. In the mean time...time to go workout.

For my husband...

Ok so I said that I would only be blogging about "momentous events" in my life from now on, but Stuart persuaded me to blog today. Apparently our 25 minute run was a big deal. Actually anytime we get out of bed before 7 to work out is a very big deal. We will need to start making this a habit. Stuart literally pushed me out of bed this morning (and then laid there for 5 more minutes until I blinded him by turning on all the lights...no mercy). We finally got to the gym and successfully ran for 25 minutes. We did a "hilly" course on the treadmill. A bit more of a challenge. I listened to "Money Girl" podcast and learned about saving for tuition and avoiding employment scams. Neither scenarios really apply to me, but it passed the time. It feels good to have that taken care of today.

Another thing worth mentioning is that I've dusted off my Bible and started reading again. In the past couple of weeks God has spoken to me through other people by using the phrase "pressing in". I've been in a rut in my personal relationship with God and can't quite figure out what it is, and what it will take to get out...but this phrase keeps finding its way to my ears. PRESS IN TO THE LORD. Seek Him with all that you have. Don't give up until you do. It's more than just reading my Bible for 10 minutes and asking God to bless me and my family. It's reading with intent. Apply it to my life. His Word holds the key and the answer to everything I need. It's the most valuable thing we have here. DIG! What does He have in store for me?? I'm speaking at youth group in a couple of weeks and have decided that now is a great time to embark on this journey. I'm starting in Ephesians. We'll see how it goes and where it leads me...It, like running, will be a challenge for me. Discipline. Focus. Reptition. I pray that God will meet me there and reveal what He has for me. May I become more like Him and may He use me to the best of my ability.

Run for a Change

Stuart and I have set the biggest new year's resolution that we ever have...running a Half-Marathon. That's 13.10938 miles. Or for those of you on the metric system, that's 21.0975 km. (BY THE WAY, did you know that there are only 3 countries in the world that don't use the metric system?? USA, Liberia and Burma...I think we're missing something here). 13.1 miles is farther than I've ever run at one time. Actually it wouldn't be that far off to say I don't think I've ever run that far total. I ran the Bolder-Boulder back in high school (with Stuart...)which was 6 miles, and I ran Race for The Cure with my dad (3.2 miles), and other than that I've probably run about 1.2 miles in the gym on my own. Needless to say, this will be quite the adventure.

I blame our latest host family for this mess. Watching "Biggest Loser" with The Howard family became a tradition that we have yet to let go of. At the end of every season they run the Biggest Loser Marathon, where all of the remaining contestants run 26.2 miles less than 6 months after being morbidly obese. It was the end of last season that we decided, if they can do it, we can too!! Okay, maybe not a marathon, but let's go for a half!! So here we are. The race is 66 days away and we are desperately trying to force our legs & lungs to be supportive.

We started training about two weeks ago. When we signed up for the race we also downloaded a nice training guide that sends us daily email reminders of our scheduled torture. My favorites are the ones that say "Today is a rest day!" The highlight came this past Monday when we had a scheduled 45 minute "easy" run. (ha!) Both Stu and I hit the 4 mile mark! Wooooo!!! We've set up little incentives for ourselves along the way. Running a 5k was our first goal. Check. Once we hit that we bought some running jackets so we can stay warm, comfortable, and dry outside. This kinda breaks our year-long-no-buying-clothes rule, but otherwise we'd be unprepared for the race. Plus, all real runners have the appropriate attire! Next goal: 10k and we'll get some fancy runner's watches. Can't wait for those!

This morning was our first morning run. Killer. But we might as well get used to it because the race (which is on 3/21/10 by the way) starts at 7am...oh boy. So far so good though! Our legs and lungs are graciously cooperating. Both Stu and I have bad knees but I think they are determined to press on too. We are injury free as of now, and that is a great feeling. Stay tuned as the training continues...

Here are some websites in case you're interested:
The Race site: http://inggamarathon.com/
Stuart's Blog: http://stuarta13.blogspot.com/

Just some fun stuff...

Here are some fun websites for you to look at. My friend Andy is an excellent photographer and he has a website showcasing his stuff:
www.brophysl.blogspot.com

Also, in a couple of weeks I'm going to be in Andy's wedding! Actually, he is already married, but we are in an event that one of his friends is doing called "the NOT wedding". She is a photographer and decided to put on an event that several different wedding vendors can come advertise, and also invite people who may be engaged or just interested in looking. So Andy and Jenica are "not" getting married (they are the bride and groom) and some of my friends and I are in the bridal party. The fun part is that the brides maids get to wear custom made wedding gowns :) We'll have some great bachelor/bachelorette parties sponsored by an event planning company. The reception will be catered complete with chocolate fountain. Fun fun fun!
For more info, you can just ask me about it, or check out the website!
www.thenotwedding.com

Summer summary (in October)

Hi Everyone!
I know it's been a couple of long months since you've heard from me, but your wait is over! Hooray! Here's my update!
After a crazy summer full of excitement and thrills, I had to face the music of becoming a real life adult. It was difficult as everyone started school and leaves started falling off trees because I got really homesick for a while. But I eventually toughened up got my butt of the couch. It helped that the first 4 CU games were televised here :)

I spent about a month applying for jobs all over the place, and actually got some decent offers. The problem was I had a hard time picturing myself sitting in a cubicle from 8am-5pm every day. I know, I know...it's just a job...I need the money...etc etc. But finally I found something that I thought might work. I emailed one of the moms from our youth group and asked if she had a job for me--and she did! So now I am working at The Experts Bench part time. My official title is Direct Marketing Campaign Manager, which simply means that I'm helping out in whatever way I can and getting some great experience. It was a little (or a lot) overwhelming at first, but now I'm warming up and trying to get ahead. Actually, I have my very own interns! My how the times have changed...
Anyway, if you want to know more about my job, I'll tell you, but for now I'll save the details. I'm just blessed to have a job that I enjoy, is flexible, and something to put on my resume!

I also plan to be a substitute teacher during the day, and then go to The Experts Bench from 3-6pm. I took my sub class on Monday and am just waiting for my confirmation letter! It will be long days once I start going to school again, but worth it. :) Another great thing I've started is a Dave Ramsey financial class. It's really been helpful to me. Teaching me how to manage my money (saving, paying off debt, investing, making wise purchases etc). This, too, is a bit overwhelming because I feel like I'm starting off at ground zero, but hopefully I'll be on my way soon!

I'm still living with my host family...who is just wonderful! They're a busy bunch of people, but it's fun when I get to spend time with them and be the older sister here. They've offered to let me stay as long as I need to so that's a huge, huge blessing to me.

For those of you curious ones wondering about Stuart...he's still in school trying to make the most of it. Well, he's trying to squeeze his work into his generally jam-packed schedule. I try to remind him to be grateful because he's still in the US near his wonderful girlfriend, but those 15 page scholarly papers usually override any of that joy. Oh well. I'm still happy he's here :) ...and I'm happy that I'M not the one turning papers in anymore, but don't tell him that.
Both of us will be back in CO for Thanksgiving and I'm counting down the days! I'm so looking forward to being home again. I hope that the snow just DUMPS on us! Don't you? It's finally cooling down here in Georgia...if you call 75 degrees cool.

Ok, I think I covered most of it. I would LOVE to hear updates from you now! (especially my Core Group and small group...wink wink).
Keep checking the youtube site that Stuart updates. He's pretty amazing at making those videos. I'll try to upload a popular one here if I can figure out this whole technology computers thing. In the mean time: www.youtube.com/sl1318

Also I just uploaded my pictures online. Go HERE to look at those:
http://picasaweb.google.com/paigemariko/PicturesFromThisSummer#

Love you all very much!
Paige

Home again, home again...

Finally I've slept in my bed for 5 whole days!
My summer seemed to rapidly come to a close, but all in all it was pretty awesome. After Stuart finally made it back (but missed Luke's wedding) we immediately left for Wilderness Week. This was quite different because every summer up to now we've gone to Orange Beach, AL and spent every day soaking in the rays and listening to some awesome speakers. This year we changed it up and spent a week sleeping on the ground and cooking our own food. Everyone was slightly skeptical at first but it ended up being one of my favorite trips all summer. We got to rock climb, repel, hike, swim/shower in some lakes/rivers/ponds...we went caving & white water rafting, and spent 95% of our time outdoors in eastern Tennessee. It was great. The best part was our debrief at the end of every night. We had a good number of students from every trip represented (Cincinnati, Tijuana, Peru, Costa Rica, Philadelphia, & Czech Rep.) Every night one team got to share about their experiences. It felt like a family coming back together.

One night we had a talent show. All I can say about that is you should probably check out Stuart's YouTube page. Three of the guys did some improv songs and sang one about Stuart being stuck in Costa Rica. It's pretty hilarious and you might understand a lot of it! Check it out for a good laugh...

The week after camp Stuart, Ryan, Jake, Hannah, and their daughter Mavis (1 year old) headed up to Wilmington, NC and hung out at the beach. Jake tried teaching us how to surf...I need some more practice. I was still living out of a suitcase but we had a good time not being responsible for 30+ kids.

Now I'm at home (at my wonderful host family's house) and on the job search. That's my next big task, but I still have a few weeks at the youth group.
Thank you thank you thank you for all of your prayers and support. And especially for your life updates! You know they all mean so much to me. Keep in touch!
Here are some prayer requests from my end:
* I would like to find a good job by September. God's really laid it on my heart to find a job that has purpose and can help/serve people. I'd like to be making some kind of difference.
* Stuart starts seminary on Monday the 18th! (let me tell you how glad I am that he'll be the one with the homework now). He's not thrilled about that but I think it will be a good change of pace for him.

Thanks again! Love you all! Keep in touch!!!

Here's the latest on our alien friend =)

First let me say thanks to everyone for your prayers and messages! It's been pretty awesome. After two days of just waiting and praying the papers finally arrived in San Jose at 6:30am this morning. HUGE praise! We had been tracking the shipment on DHL.com. Usually their are more steps in between leaving one DHL location and arriving at another, but I think God just had us trusting Him. I was waiting for transits, customs clearance, shipment etc. Next thing I knew, the papers were all ready to get picked up!
Stuart should be on his way over there right now to get them. NOW the big prayer request is that everything goes smoothly at the Embassy. Pray that there are no more glitches and that the consulate is lenient, compassionate, understandable...Christian

...who knows what might help. Once he gets cleared, his next step is finding a flight home, which, as far as we know, shouldn't be a huge problem, just some more fees.

Thanks again for all your support and prayers. It's undeniable that God has had his hand in all of this. We still don't know how it will end up, but we know that God is faithful.
Again, feel free to ask questions, leave comments, or call the U.S. Consulate in Costa Rica and plead.

Another post coming soon!

I'M back from Costa Rica, but Stuart isn't!

Hey Hey!
I got back from Costa Rica on Monday evening and turned right around to fly home on Tuesday afternoon. We had an awesome time in rainy, humid Costa Rica. Mainly working with youth and little kids, we got a good taste of the culture there. Our team of high school students did an awesome job serving and putting all of their preparation to action. The best part about the trip was that I had a lot of time to to spend with God. We did a Bible study through Romans as a team and I learned so much which deepened my faith incredibly. The main theme God spoke to me was how the righteous live by faith, not deeds, not going to church...just faith. This has been so applicable since I returned back to the states because of all that has been going on with Stuart.

For all of you wondering about/losing sleep at night because of Stuart's current status being trapped in Costa Rica, I thought I'd lay it all out for you. First of all, let me say that he's doing fine and seen how God is providing for him. That's always a plus.If you have no idea what is actually going on, let me fill you in. Stuart's visa expired in June but he has been in the process of changing it to a student visa. The school he applied to (New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary) informed him that he needed to go out of the country to get everything validated. Therefore, after our mission trip to Costa Rica he had an appointment scheduled at the U.S. Embassy. He went Tuesday morning but was told that his I-20 form was filled out incorrectly by the registrar at NOBTS. SO, he's spent the past day trying to get the papers shipped via DHL. Eventually the school cooperated and got the papers in the mail. The problem is international express mail takes 2 business days. They said it should get there by Friday morning. If he gets them in time he'll hopefully be able to make it to the Embassy before it closes at 11am.

So please pray that those papers get there even before Friday morning. Last time I checked the tracking number through DHL (9am this morning) the package was in Florida. We're praying that it might even get to San Jose, Costa Rica today so that he can see the Consulate early tomorrow morning and possibly get a flight out on Friday. We leave for Wilderness Camp, which Stuart is leading, on Sunday afternoon. If he does not get his papers in time he'll have to wait until Monday to go to the Embassy.

Throughout all of this we've really seen God's hand at work. A friend of a friend of mine has allowed Stuart to stay at his apartment in San Jose for no charge. It's right in the city and close to everything he needs to be able to get to. He also has a cell phone with an international SIM card so we've been able to communicate. The most unfortunate thing is he is supposed to be in a wedding tomorrow and we've had to cancel everything. No bueno.

So please, please be praying for a miracle that those papers get there today and everything goes fine with the Consulate tomorrow morning. If you have any more questions feel free to ask away. I'll post a new note as soon as I know more. Thanks everyone!

PS: you can also being praying for Stuart's Spanish...or lack thereof...hehe. =)

on my way to costa rica!

Okay, I finally got a few minutes to sit down and update you on my crazy life!

We arrived home from Cincinnati last Friday. I spent the whole week with 40 middle schoolers doing all kinds of ministry stuff. Our group mainly worked in local thrift stores. There is a great organization called St. Vincent de Paul and it has thrift stores all over Cincinnati as well as a food pantry and pharmacy that we helped in. I always love middle school trips. It is so fun to see how they grow and how their eyes are opened the world they live in.

The day after we got back, Elise (youngest/tallest sister) flew out to visit! We have been having a wonderful time together all week. It’s always a good time with two or more Omi’s. Actually, I’ve been waiting for a long time for her to come see me here so it’s been lots of fun. Pretty much all we do is laugh, just ask Stuart.

My mom drove out to Mississippi about two weeks ago to visit her family. She, her dad, and my cousin all drove here yesterday to join all of us for a Braves game. Now we’re all visiting my uncle near Macon, GA. To make matters a little crazier my dad is flying into Atlanta tonight. Actually, last time I talked to him he was sitting on his plane in Denver for 2 hours just waiting to take off. We’ll see if he makes it here by morning. To sum up the Omi Adventures they’re all driving back to Denver together in a couple of days.

As for me, I leave for our Costa Rica mission trip on Friday. We’ll be there from July 4^th-14^th. Stuart will be there two days longer because (you guessed it) his visa issues. BIG prayer request for him: he has to meet with Consulate in Costa Rica to get his student status confirmed. Please pray for his traveling plans as he has to go from the north down south to San Jose; also that he finds a place to stay while he’s in San Jose; finally pray for the Consulate he meets with is a friendly, compassionate, easy-going guy that gives Stuart the visa he needs….and allows him to come back to the US. J Kind of a big deal.

I’ll keep you posted on that.

The day after I get home from Costa Rica I fly back to Denver (yippee!) for Luke’s wedding. Assuming that everything goes according to plan, Stuart will join me a few days later. We fly back from CO on Saturday and Sunday we leave for wilderness camp. (WHEW!)

If you didn’t catch that all, here’s SparkNotes version for you:

Now: Spending time with my family (minus Dana and Kylie) in Georgia

July 4: I fly to Costa Rica (please pray for safe travel)

July 5: Dad, Mom, Elise drive back to CO (please pray for safe travel)

July 14: Fly back from CR without Stu. (please pray for safe travel)

July 15: I fly to Denver (please pray for safe travel)…you get the point

July 15: STUART’S APPOINTMENT W/CONSULATE for VISA at 7AM

July 16: Stuart back to ATL

July 17: Stuart flies to Denver for wedding

July 19: We both fly back to Atlanta

July 20: Leave for Wilderness Camp

Thanks again for your prayers and updates! Sending you my love!!!

Paige

PS: for those of you wondering about Ryan Nelson wondering how he’s doing, he just got back from 2 weeks in Peru. He said he had a good time as they traveled all over the Amazon. All the kids here love him and can’t wait to spend more time with him. I’m pretty sure the next trip on his agenda is camp for the upcoming sixth graders. That is the same week we’re at Wilderness Camp. He went to the braves game with us last night and it was fun cheering on the Rockies together. (Braves lost, Rockies won…yeah rocks).

About me

Hi Everyone! Welcome to my life...blog edition. I used to update this pretty frequently so that you could try to stay updated on all of my adventures. Now that I've settled down and gotten hitched, I'll just be adding the more momentous events in my life. I married the man of my dreams on 4/5/09 and we recently bought our first house in Lawrenceville, GA! God has called us both to work with the youth group at Sugarloaf UMC. He is on staff and I am a committed volunteer. We love what we do and we make a great team. The rest of my family is in Colorado and his is all the way in South Africa. So this is my life, for all the world to see. Enjoy!