Kindergarten... The FINAL Update

June 2015

177 Days Older and WISER

Just 177 days ago Natalie was a brand new 5 year old and walking through the CC Hardy doors for the first time as a quiet, reserved and shy new kindergarten student. She loved school in her pre-school years but she was so shy and wasn't sure about this new school and experience. She started the year off with a substitute as Mrs. Crenshaw, her regular teacher, was out on maternity leave with a new baby. I was worried about this 6 week stretch where her routine would not be set or normal, especially since Natalie is a ROUTINE BABY and has always needed a firm and constant routine but she did fine these 6 weeks and then continued to flourish.

Meet the Teacher Night... She was so shy and TINY! 

During the fall semester she learned to count and add and more importantly READ. In fact, she was the very 1st one in her class to get to a reading level "4", which is the level one must reach by the end of Kindergarten. She reached this level by December and just kept on going.

Fall Kindergarten Picture! 

Super-HERO Day at School... Nattie, you are MY Super-HERO!
I love you and am so proud of you! 

Merry Christmas... She is already growing so much! Look at that sass! 

 By April and May she was reading 1st and even 2nd grade books and taking Accelerated Reader program tests and quizzes and getting "AR" points for her work. We had a routine each morning before class began; we would read 1-2 books and then take 1-2 tests before she went down to Mrs. Crenshaw's class. I remember times where she would show her little sassy-ness and attitude and say "Mom, why do I need to take ANOTHER test?" but at the end of the year when she was the #1 reader in Kindergarten and only 1st graders had higher points than her she was glad and appreciative that I made her take those quizzes.

She won a RED RIBBON for her Bull's Eye drawing for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Art Show in Willis! She was so proud! 

100th day of school... She is excited! 

Literacy Night... This is where the AR points and quizzes began!
It took time and effort but it sure did pay off! 

Nattie with "The Cat in the Hat"... IE, Tammy Schneider or "Coach"!
She is Natalie's FAVORITE teacher! 

Time for some LORAX! 

Kindergarten Field Trip to the Houston Aquarium!
Even GiGi Shirley got to come! 

THE HIGHEST READER in Kindergarten and #4 out of 1st graders!
She is on the right path! 

On June 2, 2015 Natalie Grace walked across our small stage to get her Kindergarten diploma from Mrs. Crenshaw while receiving multiple awards including the Principal's Award, Outstanding Conduct, Award, AR Reading Award, Reading Award, RODEO Art Award, and Math Award. I knew she was amazing but this LIST of awards just proved that to me and the rest of the school. Of course, she could not have done this without the help and support of her AMAZING teacher Jane Crenshaw. Mrs. Crenshaw has the heart of GOLD and the patience of Job! I was constantly impressed with her teaching ability and love for not only my child but her entire class. Thank you Mrs. Crenshaw for an AWESOME year! You are a FANTASTIC teacher!

Natalie HERO... Jane Crenshaw!

Natalie got an American Girl doll for graduation and rightfully named her JANE!

My Kindergarten GRADUATE!

This summer Natalie is going to continue to read and increase her reading level. She tested out on a level 10, which is a mid-1st grade level, but Chris and I hope for her to be on at least a level 16, which is beginner 2nd grade level when she walks through those doors in August! This would put her a FULL grade level ahead, which is enough... for now! Daddy is working with her on math and I am working with her on writing EACH AND EVERY DAY! We have something going here with her and we, as the parents, are going to put in the time and effort to help her soar even more!

I love you Natalie Grace and I am so very, very proud of you! I cannot wait to see you grow and learn even more in 2015-2016! Congratulations Nattie... You did it! You are a FIRST GRADER! 

God is good... ALL the time! 

A Faith That Increases

Patricia L. Klingsick

July 10, 1929- May 25, 2015 

My Grandma Pat was always a role model for my sister and I growing up but it was not until her passing did I really understand what a true model of God she really was. As a young child I used to always see her as the prim and proper grandma who always presented not only herself but her family, children and overall household well. She never went out of the house without makeup on and her hair fixed. These two would follow her all the way to her passing as just days before she passed she got her "hair did" at the beauty salon inside her Senior Living Apartment Complex, Georgetown. As I continued to grow and mature I began to see that she was not all about hair and makeup. In fact, she was the true definition of a submissive and support wife and Godly mother. 

Her and my Grandpa were married for 51 years before he began walking the streets of gold in November 2005. During their 51 years of marriage she was always serving him and going above and beyond as Mrs. Klingsick. I remember Grandpa having his socks or shoes laying out in the living room and instead of asking him to pick them up or nagging him, she would just pick them up and put them away... without saying ANYTHING. As I ponder about this now (having been married for just shy of 10 years), I am truly inspired. In fact, as I was reliving these memories and explaining them to Chris and he immediately responds "Hey, if that is your definition of a perfect marriage, then sign me up. I will start to leave my stuff out all the time" (There he goes again, always making me laugh). 

Grandma Pat was always cooking for Grandpa and often times she did not even care for the dishes she cooked but he did so she would make them, serve them and eat them with a smile. She would then continued to serve after the meal was complete by cleaning, again not asking for helping or nagging him to help clean up. She would just do it, with a smile on her face and service in her heart. Of course, Grandpa was at the fore-front of the manual labor in the household as he was continuously repairing things, planting his garden and so much more.

She was always cautious about making decisions and would say "Let me ask Grand-Dad (as she called him)" before committing to anything or voicing any family opinions. She was extremely obedient of the book of Ephesians and was submissive to my grandfather their entire marriage. Their marriage worked so well and I never saw them get upset or even frustrated with each other. And even before I got married, and more so now, they were one of the examples I wanted to be like in my own marriage. 

Both her and Grandpa read their Bibles daily and had their quiet time before they did anything else. I can remember waking up and going into the kitchen to find Grandma Pat reading and praying at the kitchen table and then finding Grandpa sitting in his chair in the living room doing the same thing. "I'm hungry Grandma", I would say and she would respond "Just a minute dear, I am reading my Bible and praying". I am sure at the time I would roll my eyes like an attitude-filled teenager but now I tear up thinking about how strong her faith really was. When it did finally come time for breakfast, or any meal for that matter, when it was her time to pray, you knew EVERYONE was getting prayed for. She would literally list them all by name.. from her kids, to grand-kids, to the neighbors kids and grand-kids. Even the missionaries on the magnets on the refrigerator were prayed for daily. They all got prayed for EACH AND EVERY MORNING! 

Her and my Grandpa raised 4 red-headed honery boys and in this field too (Motherhood), she soared above all the rest. Her and my grandfather raised these boys very well and their legacy has been passed on to future generations through these 4 boys. She sang in the choir with Grandpa and she would tell you "I cannot sing, but I can make a joyful noise". She taught Sunday School for years and attended Pleasantview Baptist Church with Grandpa and her four boys. She was a dedicated member of the care committee as she was continuously serving others as an example for Christ. She would make food, especially pies, to take to families who had lost a loved one or were in the hospital. Even during my childhood days of visiting Grandma and Grandpa in Derby for just a few short days, I remember helping her make pies and cakes and then taking them to Pleasantview with Grandpa for a needing family.  My sister, Allison, and I remember visiting her as teenagers and finding her in the kitchen making pies and listening to old Country music on the radio. Just singing and cooking away. She was always serving, rather it be in the church or at the house.

She became a Believer of Christ later in life but from the day she accepted Christ her Faith just continued to grow and grow. She lived a full life with Grandpa, watched her 4 boys grow and start families on their own and in November 2005 my Grandpa joined the ranks in Heaven. Her faith was strong before but it was at that moment that she truly became mine and so many others' HERO. She became a widow on November 15, 2005 and from that day forward she grew stronger and stronger and her faith increased. On May 22, 2012 her 3rd oldest grandchild and military hero Jeffery Klingsick passed away unexpectedly yet her Faith continued to grow. She was perhaps one of the strongest people at that funeral and emotional family time... Her Faith Increased.  Then shortly after that her only remaining living brother, O.D., passed away in September 2012. Still during this time and at that memorial service she was strong and confident in her own faith and the faith of those whom had passed. Yet again, her faith increased! 

In late 2014 Grandma Pat began to get seriously ill with pneumonia and other issues but despite being in the hospital and even worse, the rehab unit, for multiple days, weeks and in some cases months, she continued to be strong and her faith increased. On Monday morning May 25, 2015 Grandma Pat woke up and took her medicine and ate a few bites of breakfast before telling her nurse that she wanted to go back to bed. She was at peace and it was at that moment at nearly 9AM she went to be with The Lord. As she traveled down the road of life, instead of her faith decreasing, it was constantly INcreasing.

Her Obituary  

Klingsick, Patricia L., 85, passed away Monday, May 25, 2015. Visitation 6-8 p.m. Friday, May 29, at Smith Family Mortuary, 1415 N. Rock Rd., Derby. Funeral service 10:00 a.m. Saturday, May 30, at Pleasantview Baptist Church, 1335 N. Buckner, Derby. Patricia was a devoted 58-year member of Pleasantview Baptist Church in Derby. She was preceded in death by her loving and faithful husband Gareld Klingsick, her parents, two brothers, and grandson Jeffery Klingsick. Survived by sons Michael Klingsick, Wichita; Ronald (Shirley) Klingsick, Arp, Texas; Russell (Mandy) Klingsick, Derby; Rodney (Debbie) Klingsick, Garden City; grandchildren Kellie, Allison, Nicholas, Jenna, Angellica; great-grandchildren Natalie and Luke; and sister-in-law Claudine Harlow. In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established with the Go Fund (missions) and Super Summer Scholarships, both in care of Pleasantview Baptist Church. 

My dad was officiating a portion of her memorial service and during his sermon he mentioned how she had a Faith that was INcreasing and not DEcreasing. Then he said a phrase that really hit home for me and spoke a true testament of Grandma Pat's life and Faith, "When Jesus is all you have left, He is all you need". Jesus was all Grandma Pat needed that Monday morning, and as much as it hurts to recall these precious memories I have of her and my Grandpa, it brings me great joy to know that they are BOTH holding hands and smiling down on us right now from those pearly gates and streets of gold! 

I love you Grandma Pat and I thank you for being such a GREAT Godly role model for me to follow. I may not have realized it while you were still here with us but you are truly a HERO of mine. I am going to try and strive to be that servant and loving wife that you were. I want my Faith to INcrease with the trials and losses in my life. I have a long way to go and I will never live up to your name and your legacy but I want to certainly try! 

I love you Grandma Pat and I WILL see you soon! 

God is Good... All the time! 

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Happy Birthday Chris- Part 1 

May 2015 

Another year down and another year gone. My hubby, Chris, turned 37 this year and as part of his gift from my parents he was given an Adventure Package which included Kayaking on Lake Woodlands in The Woodlands and a skydiving session at iFly Indoor Skydiving in Spring. We chose to do "A Sunday Kayaking Excursion" with Riva Row Boat House in The Woodlands on Sunday, May 17th. This was a 2 hour private kayaking tour of Lake Woodlands and surrounding areas via kayak.

Thankfully my in-laws (who are absolutely AMAZING and are constantly doing SO MUCH for us) took the kids to church with them on this day so Chris and I could enjoy ourselves and the day. It was a muggy and somewhat wet day but we called and they were still having the excursion despite the rain in the forecast. We arrived at 9:40 for our 10:00AM time and it began to rain, quite heavily I might add, but unless there was lightning in the area the excursion would continue as planned and it did. We had to wait for the other 2 couples to arrive and around 10:25AM we got into our kayaks to begin this adventure. We originally thought we would be in a tandem kayak but when given the offer for a solo kayak we both agreed that would be fun and we decided on solo kayaks. This made for a very adventurous and competitive day ahead.

We are ready to start this ADVENTURE! 

We started out by paddling down the canal from the Riva Row Boat House towards Lake Woodlands which was approximately 1/2 mile down the canal. During this time the guide told us all about the new developments and past developments on the canal as well as a wrap up of the previous day's Ironman Texas events. We were kayaking right where they swam part of the 2.1 mile swim. Once we reached the Lake we saw a small island called Mitchell Island which is currently undeveloped but plans have been made to build housing on this island. The guide told us these lots are currently being sold for 2+ million dollars... FOR THE LOT. There are no houses even built yet! Oh to be that rich!

Just getting started and leaving the Riva Row House. 

Headed down the Canal and passing Mitchell Island. 

We then kayaked underneath a very busy road in The Woodlands called Lake Woodlands Drive and past The Woodlands most familiar park North Shore. This park has been our favorite in The Woodlands since we moved here in 2011. This was neat to be able to see the road and the park from the point of view of a kayak!

I just HAD to take a selfie under the bridge! 

We then ventured over into a more business area of the lake and one that is being developed right now. This included business like Whole Foods, a new office building (8-10 stories high) and multiple restaurants as well. This also included several water fountains to which Chris ventured over to cool down. Chris said the water was "refreshing"... I know what this means thanks to our many Jamaican excursions and I said "No thanks!". I am not a huge fan of being wet without being in the pool or ocean/lake. Later in the excursion I wished I would have gotten cooled off as it began to get REALLY HOT AND MUGGY!

Chris headed towards the fountains to cool off! 

After this portion we then headed back to North Shore Park area where Chris and I raced back to the bridge of Lake Woodlands Drive. I won this race because I truly am a natural at kayaking. Chris says it is because he did not have good grips on this paddle style but we all know it is because I am just better! (We are not competitive... NOT AT ALL! Love you honey!) After this we stayed in the center of the lake with the guide as she told us about the many houses and famous house owners on this side of the lake. The last 15-30 minutes of the tour were un-guided and we were given the choice of where we want to go. Chris and I chose to kayaking all around the center portion of the lake just looking at the many gorgeous and massive houses on the lake, one of which was owned by the man who invented the CHI straightening iron. This was a very neat looking house as it was more modern looking than the others and definitely had it's own STYLE so to speak. We kayaked very close to it and even saw a poster of a woman using the chi from a window as well as a boat with CHI on the side.

Chilling out in the center of the lake admiring (and dreaming about) all of the GORGEOUS houses! Oh to be that RICH! 

The CHI house! I thought it was awesome.. Chris preferred some of the more traditional houses! 

We then ventured to the other side of the lake to take another look at Mitchell Island and house on the west side of the lake before being called back in by our guide. Then we went back down the canal to the Riva Row Boat House. This was a very casual return and fortunately we did not exert much effort on the return. Chris did a 6+ mile bike ride that morning and I finished another 5K (3.1 miles) on my treadmill so that combined with 1.5 hours of kayaking... we were sore. With only about 1/4 mile or less to go to the boat house it began to rain and then downpour. We were already wet from the kayaking, not to mention sweaty, so I just kept rowing back to the boat house.

This was AWESOME and we both agree we will be back later this summer. We have even thought about bringing the kids as well. I think Natalie, especially, would like it. I developed a blister so next time I will remember to bring gloves and sunscreen (Poor Chris's legs and face took a pretty bad beating).

Thank you so much for my parents for giving Chris this Adventure and for my in-laws for taking care of the kids while we were out playing!

God is good... ALL the time! 

Chris's New Nissan

Monday, April 13, 2015

Watch Out World... Here Comes Chris 

Wow... What a crazy and hectic weekend. It's not often that the weekend is more stressful than the week but that seemed to be the case this past weekend. I think we all needed a "break" from this weekend! 

The Back-story 

We had found out about 2 weeks prior that Chris's 1999 Nissan Altima was fading and fading fast. This was a car that we purchased through one of Chris's friends in Oklahoma a few months before we moved to Houston. Chris's previous car, a 2003 Mazda Tribute, has been totaled and un-drivable by the trash company in 2010 and we actually went about 5 months with just 1 car. Then we bought this 99' Nissan Altima for $1,000! This Nissan was also totaled from hail damage but was in good running condition. This ended up being the BEST $1,000 we have EVER spent because we were able to drive it to and from work (in Houston) for another 4+ years. In late March Chris needed an oil change so I offered to take his car to school for a day to use the auto center close to my school. I took it over there and within an hour the mechanic had called back and told me the laundry list of things that was wrong with the car and also gave me a HUGE estimate of repairs. Of course, I relayed that information to Chris and I think we both realized it was time to start AT LEAST thinking about a new car. Chris is very much like my grandfather who drove all of his cars until they died. Chris had all intentions to do the same with this 99' Altima. But what really stuck in his mind was the comment the mechanic made "this is not a safe car to drive in with yourself let alone your kids". We spent the next few days and weeks just researching what Chris would want. 

Friday, April 10th 

I had seen a billboard at the Nissan dealership on the way to work this week advertising a 2015 Nissan Altima for a GREAT price! I looked it up online and sure enough it was listed at $8K off MSRP. I read up on reviews and did some more research on Nissan and Altimas that afternoon on my lunch. When I got home I told Chris about the offer and the car and after dinner we decided it was time to go and look at it and take it for a test drive. We immediately took the kids over to Chris' parents house and headed to the Nissan dealership. It was already 6PM so we knew it would be a long night but we had no idea what was in store for us. 

We arrived at the dealership and within seconds there was a salesman squirming to get our sale (Naturally, right?). I immediately exclaimed that all we wanted to see was the car that was in the online offer while I pulled up the info on my smartphone. The salesman said "That is all of these base models over here" and sure enough there was what seemed like 100's of these available at this price. We told him we wanted to drive one so he went and got the information for the test drive. This salesman #1 also had another couple arrive from the previous day who was going to by a car so he passed us off to salesman #2. Chris got into the car and started to play around with it and noticed the light was on for the gas so he told salesman #2 and he was flippant about it and said "We are just going on a short drive so we should be fine". We took the car and about 3-4 miles out we decided it was time to switch drivers so I could get a chance to drive it. It was at that point, at the entrance to a neighborhood, that the car died because it ran out of gas. 

The rest of the night became awkward at best. Chris was so mad because he really wanted to test drive as many cars as he could since we literally had no idea what we wanted. We waited about 15 minutes before salesman #3 shows up with a gas can. Unfortunately, salesman #3 was not the brightest crayon in the box and did not bring enough gas to turn the car over so we had to wait yet another 15-20 minutes for him to get back and get a FULL CAN of gas. By now it was about 7:00PM and we are finally back up and running (literally) and headed back to the dealership. 

We got back to the Nissan dealership and asked to test drive a smaller car, the Nissan Sentra. This test drive went much better but we were not impressed with the Sentra as much as the Altima. We came back and decided to look for an Altima that we would want and we found one with the help of salesman #2. This car was RED and a step-up from the basic base model and had LOTS of bells and whistles. However, it had just come off the truck and did not have an inspection so we were not allowed to drive it off the lot for a test drive. Salesman #2 gave us an estimate of what our interest rate and monthly payment would be but because it was so late, the dealership was about to close so we were not able to get an actual number but rather a "guess-timate". We left the dealership with a full list of emotions including; frustration, excitement and confusion just to name a few. We were not sure what the next day would hold but we knew that we wanted the test drive the RED Altima after it had been inspected on Saturday. 

Saturday, April 11th 

This day started hectic as Chris had Saturday School all morning and Natalie had a soccer game that morning as well. The kids and I got ready and headed to the church for an early 9AM soccer game. Natalie won her game and then the kids and I headed out to do SEVERAL traditional weekend errands. By the time our errands were complete it was about lunch time and we had promised Natalie a trip to Chuck-E-Cheese for good behavior (all greens) for the 8 weeks grading period.  This was a complete mad-house on a Saturday afternoon but we survived. Chris and I were both tired just from the crazy start and work load of the weekend thus far but we wanted to test drive the Red Altima so we sent the kids back over to the in-laws to head out to test drive again. 

We decided that since Nissan was all we had test driven that we would begin the afternoon at the Toyota dealership to try to test drive the Camry. Toyota also advertised a great deal on both the Camry and the Corolla but once we got to talk to a salesman we discovered that they only had 2 cars on the lot at that price and they were sold in February. The salesman said "Yeah that is how we get people to come in and buy a car". And I quickly responded with "Well not me... see ya". 

We then walked down to the Mazda dealership to test drive their mid and full size sedans, the Mazda 3 and Mazda 6. Chris had such great experience with his original Mazda Tribute and was able to drive it 315,000 miles before it was totaled by the trash truck so he really wanted to see how Mazda stacked up with their cars. We had no idea walking in but this ended up taking 2+ hours. We test drove both the Mazda 3 (WAY TOO SMALL) and the Mazda 6 (It was nice but didn't have all the bells and whistles as the Nissan and they didn't even have a base model. What we drove was a mid-level body style and Chris just didn't like it as much). We also were able to sit inside a CX-9 (Their large SUV body style) of which I LOVED! We told the Mazda salesman what the Altima was offered at and explained if he cannot beat that than we would just leave. Of course, a typical salesman tactic he left and didn't come back for about 20 minutes. After about 2-3 times of him leaving the room to check with his sales manager we finally got a quote and it was $3-4K above the Nissan price. We started to head out and the manager said "Wait I can get you Employee family pricing but Jeff is your nephew". We said we were not going to lie to get a car and left. 

We immediately went back to Streater-Smith Nissan and took the Red Altima, which was legally inspected and ready to go at this point, on the road for a test drive. We then went back inside to sit down and complete the necessary paperwork to get OFFICIAL interest and monthly payment quotes. That too took quite some time. We sat down and negotiated with the salesman before finally getting a number we liked. Chris was still a little hesitant so we went and put the car seats in the Altima to help get a "feel" of how it would be. This helped and within 10 minutes we were buying a car. By this time it was already 6:30PM and we had just begun the paperwork process. It took all of 2 hours and were not out of the "Finance Box" as they call it until 8:15PM (15 minutes AFTER the dealership closed). Then Eddie, salesman #1, was so great and took time to literally show us all of the bells and whistles on the car again and even set up our phones for the Bluetooth feature. We pulled out of Streater-Smith at 8:37PM as the new owners of a 2015 Nissan Altima.

It is a REALLY pretty car! I love the CRIMSON color
(And that is what 9.5 years of marriage will do to somebody! Boomer Sooner!)

2015 Nissan Altima S

It had 16 miles on it when we drove off the lot!

Chris is a happy camper! 

I am so impressed of and proud of Chris for stepping out of his comfort zone and purchasing this car not only new but also BEFORE his old one died. This was too good of a deal to pass up and an incredible car. This was 10+ years in the making and a well deserved reward for years of excellent car maintenance by Chris. We love this car so far and I can tell this will be a great family car. In fact, Chris purchased this car with Natalie in mind. He wants to drive it for 10 years and then give it to her for her 16th birthday! He is just a superb driver and I know he will take care of it for her!

Sunday morning as Chris drove us to church in his new car! 

Luke LOVES it too!

This whole weekend was a whirlwind of events and stress but we got a car out of it and reliable car at that! Thank you Lord for allowing us to be able to get a new car and I pray this will help keep our family safe! Now our prayer is that my car (2005 Chevy Equinox) can make it for another 2-3 years so we save up enough for the much more expensive large Family SUV that I want. 

God is good... ALL the time! 

Blood, Sweat and Tears

Monday, April 20, 2015

Run Like a Diva, Run Like a Davis

I DID IT! I DID IT! I ran and completed my very 1st OFFICIAL 5K this weekend in Galveston with my sister, Allison! I feel like I can now cross something off of my bucket list and the feeling of accomplishment is incredible!

I am not a runner and in fact, I hate running (most of the time... not this weekend though). My husband, Chris, is an avid runner and loves running. Even when he was much heavier than he is now he was still running. Since his 135 pound weight loss he has practically been addicted to running. He trained for and ran in a 26.2 mile marathon at the end of February and even since then has been running anywhere from 3-12 miles per day. This is something that he loves and I decided it was time for me to do something WITH HIM and FOR HIM! So after I lost my 80 pounds I decided it was time to get into shape so I could run alongside him in a race one day. 

In February I started training for a 5K using the "Couch to 5K" app on my iPhone. This program was meant to help you train and get into shape for running a 5K. It started with running 3-5 minutes at a time and gradually grew as you ran 3 times per week for a total of 8 weeks. About 3 weeks into this program as I was running outside in our neighborhood the weather was being fickle, as usual, and could not make up it's mind on a temperature. I ran a few times in 40* or below temperatures but it only took 1 time of running in 80* temps for me to decide that I just cannot run outside and train the way I should if it is not a perfect temperature of 55-70*. I was struggling to keep up with the program and I swear I was crying thinking "I feel like I am back in Junior High trying to be someone that I am clearly not" each and every time I went out to run. I have had enough... It was time to do something. I told Chris that I wanted to use our Christmas money to buy a treadmill so in Mid-March we purchased a basic treadmill for me to use to train on. 

Since then I have been waking up at 4:45-5:00AM to run each morning on the treadmill. For the past 3-4 weeks I have been running 1.5-2 miles each morning and have been feeling pretty good. The app kept telling me to run for 25-28 minutes without stopping and it should have been 2.25- 3 miles depending on your running pace, however; I must have been running much slower because I was running 1.7- 2.5 miles on those times. But needless to say I was ready to go and run my 1st race. 

Saturday, April 18th 

The weekend had finally arrived and I was ready to run my 1st race. My sister, Allison, drove down from Dallas and we headed to Galveston. We arrived in the mid-afternoon and immediately went to the convention center to pick up our race packets. We got an awesome Hot Pink bag filled with our race day shirt, bib and of course the very important "Tu-Tu". We were so excited and of course we took some great pictures. After we picked up our packets we then went to the "Health and Wellness Boutique" and there were several vendors set-up selling their racing attire and materials. We each got some great shirts, headbands and even some shoe charms. It was a great experience and a wonderful way to get pumped up for my 1st race.

Allie has done many 5Ks before but none of this magnitude! 

My 1st official Race Photo!

Sisters Diva Run! #RunLikeaDiva #DivaRunGalveston #DivaRun2015

We then went to lunch at a Klingsick vacation tradition... Denny's. This was lacking and disappointing but it is a tradition and we enjoyed it. After lunch we walked across Seawall Blvd to go to the Seawall and walked along the ocean. We walked along the beautiful muddy beach shore as we talked about anything from family to vacations to fashion. A true sisters talk. We walked along the beach for about an hour before heading back to our car to go to the race site.

It isn't a trip to Galveston without at least putting our feet in the ocean! 

Why hello there ocean... This "Soccer MOM" has arrived and is ready to race! 

We traveled back up the main road in Galveston to head towards the historic Strand District where the race would be held. We re-traced the steps in the race map and drove the entire length of the 3.1 miles where we would be running. This helped us get an idea of where we would be running as well as scout out a parking space for the next morning. We then went and found the hotel to stay the evening. 

We were able to get in to the Rodeway Inn right off of I-45/ Broadway Ave. It was not expensive and was overall a great little hotel. Allison and I agree that we have stayed in much worse hotels in our family travels. A teacher friend of mine, Stacey Keener, from my school was also running the race so she decided she would stay with us to help save money and not have to drive down from Conroe on race morning. The 3 of us went to the Tanger Outlet Mall in Texas City before returning to Galveston for dinner. We ate at a great little island restaurant called The Spot. It was known for it's burgers so we each did some "carb loading" for the big race. After dinner we went back to the hotel to retire for the evening. The hotel bed was lacking to say the least and hard as a rock for a side sleeper like me and I only got about 2-3 hours of sleep from lack of being comfortable.

It is an unwritten rule that when you see or pass a Buc-ee's you HAVE TO GO IN!
We got some beef jerky, glazed pecans, large Dr. Pepper (with vanilla) and a new Texas Buc-ee's shirts!

The Spot... on the Seawall!
This is a new favorite of mine and a must go-to with Chris and the kids!

Race Day- Sunday, April 19th 

RING RING RING... My alarm went off at 5:45AM so we could all get up and get ready for the big race. We were all 3 ready and walking out the door by 6:15AM. We made our way to The Strand and found a parking spot then we made our way to the starting line. Keener's 1/2 marathon started at 7AM and our 5K didn't start until 7:25AM so we had time to check our bags, use the restroom and do some stretching!

I got my tu-tu on and I am READY TO GO! 

The Starting Line on Mechanic St. 

Sister Selfie before the race! 

I was feeling mixed emotions of tiredness, excitement and even some nervousness as the time was dwindling away towards 7:25AM. I was able to see both of the Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas (sailed on August 2014) and the Carnival Magic (sailing this June... 55 days) back into port which honestly helped motivate me in some way. I did some stretching and praying and before I knew it the gun was sounding and the race had began. 

The Carnival Magic backing into port at 7:10AM. Just 55 sweet days until I am on-board! 
This was a picture and thought that crossed my mind A LOT during those 3.1 miles! 

We waited for what seemed like FOREVER to get up to the actual starting line as the crowd settled out. There were over 5,000 people running in either race and approximately 2,000 were running the 5K so there was a bit of a traffic jam. As soon as I crossed the starting line I was able to actually start running and I could feel this was going to be a good day and race. I was able to jog over a complete mile before having to stop to walk due to the humidity. I really wanted to take my time and really enjoy the race by taking selfies and ocean pictures but my motivation was high so I just kept on running. My running app kept telling me times and average mile pace and I just felt like I could beat my previous time of 43:28. I kept thinking "I can beat 40:00... Let's go". I also kept hearing Chris saying "Don't give up... Push it". That helped me keep going many times. 

I never really felt like giving up until about mile 2.8 and then God sent me a nice stranger who was looking for someone to cross the finish line with. Tammy was her name and she was a true God send. She kept telling me to push harder and how to breath (in through the nose and out through the mouth... I didn't know this). We approached the tiara and boa table and grabbed our princess accessories and put them on. She then kept telling me to go hard and cross with strength. We both pushed hard and crossed together. I finished with a personal best time of 38:18 and I am FLABBERGASTED at that time and my overall finish! For my 1st 5K I am very proud of and impressed with myself. Allison also finished with a person best time of 48:34 and I too am very proud of her! Of course, my athletic/ runner friend Keener finished her 13.1 1/2 marathon in 2:08:00 so... yeah, I have a ways to go but I feel good about my time! You've got to start somewhere... right?

Post Race Selfie with my tiara and boa! 

Some Bubbly for my finish!
(I was driving so I just took the glass not the bubbly) 

Galveston Firefighters put the medals on us!
This explains the massive line to get our medals.
We ended up going to this one bc the long line was for the much hotter blonde but we felt bad for this guy so we just went to him! 

I got my 1st medal! Fit for a princess too! 

It was all worth it and I LOVED every minute of it! 

Allison and I got some grub/ fuel, checked our official times and even did some dancing while we waited for Keener to finish her 1/2 marathon. Around 9:15AM Keener was done and we were on our way back to shower at the hotel. By 10:30AM we were back on I-45 headed to Conroe. We made record time and dropped Keener off before heading to Chuy's to celebrate with Chris and the kids!

We came... We ran... We conquered!
See you in 2016 Galveston! 

Allison doing the Wobble after the run!

Gotta love Keener... "Take a bite out your medal"!

Klingsick Sisters all the way! 

So glad I got to experience this with not only my sister but one of my BIGGEST motivators!
Thanks Keener! You are AWESOME! 

Goofie Galveston picture! 

Thanks again Allie! Cannot wait for 2016! 

It was an INCREDIBLE and rewarding weekend and Allison and I have decided this will be an annual thing. In fact, I think 2016 will be a 3 generations race as my mom and Natalie are going to be Diva Runners with us. 

I am not a runner and despite being able to run this 5K I do not think I will become a "runner" but I could not have even dreamed about doing this, let alone actually completing it, 80 pounds ago and I am so glad and thankful for Plexus and God for allowing me to accomplish this Bucket List goal! There was definitely and literally BLOOD, SWEAT and TEARS leading up to this (and during too) but it was ALL WORTH IT! Thank you Allison for an AWESOME weekend and I cannot wait until Diva Run 2016! 

Thank you PLEXUS for helping me achieve this goal! Never could have done this 80 pounds ago! In 2016 I plan to have lost another 20 so I will be MUCH faster! WooHoo... I LOVE my Pink Drink! 

God is good... ALL the time!