so what have i been up to...  read at your leisure

   for the past few months, my schedule seemed so routine.  monday through friday was work, saturday was coaching volleyball for CCHC's spring volleyball club and sunday was church.  no complaints though.  i loved the time spent with the kids on saturdays.  the spring program ended in May so i was free for the month of June before the summer program kicked off in July.  i decided to challenge myself to be in better shape when i came across this page from Shape magazine... so i went about doing this... 

marisa's mini run series

May 28th - June 24th
Week Number	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
1	[  ]   Cardio	[  ]   Cardio	[x]   Cardio	[  ]   Cardio	[x]   Cardio	[  ]   Cardio	[  ]   Cardio
	[  ]   Strength	[  ]   Strength	[  ]   Strength	[  ]   Strength	[x]   Strength	[  ]   Strength	[  ]   Strength
	notes:________ _____________	notes: vball       game	notes:4.5miles _____________	notes:________ _____________	notes:2.0 miles crunches	notes:________ _____________	notes:________ _____________
2	[  ]   Cardio	[  ]   Cardio	[  ]   Cardio	[x]   Cardio	[x]   Cardio	[  ]   Cardio	[  ]   Cardio
	[x]   Strength	[  ]   Strength	[x]   Strength	[  ]   Strength	[  ]   Strength	[  ]   Strength	[  ]   Strength
	notes:  Abs      _____________	notes:  vball       game	notes: vball        game  /Abs	notes:4.0 miles _____________	notes:1.0 mile pathetic	notes: VBLI       tourney(eisen)	notes:________ _____________
3	[x]   Cardio	[  ]   Cardio	[x]   Cardio	[  ]   Cardio	[x]   Cardio	[  ]   Cardio	[  ]   Cardio
	[  ]   Strength	[  ]   Strength	[  ]   Strength	[  ]   Strength	[  ]   Strength	[  ]   Strength	[  ]   Strength
	notes:5 miles   tired !!	notes: vball       game	notes:3.0miles	notes: vball       game	notes:5 miles    Cunningham Pk	notes:________ _____________	notes:________ _____________
4	[  ]   Cardio	[x]   Cardio	[  ]   Cardio	[x]   Cardio	[x]   Cardio	[  ]   Cardio	[  ]   Cardio
	[  ]   Strength	[  ]   Strength	[x]   Strength	[  ]   Strength	[  ]   Strength	[  ]   Strength	[  ]   Strength
	notes: vball      game	notes:6.5 miles too much...	notes:  Abs      _____________	notes:5.0 miles patheticly slow	notes:2.0 miles	notes: reversed   doubles(alleypd)	notes:________ _____________

   to most of you exercise-holics, it's probably nothing, but for someone who doesn't really run, it was hard!  like really hard, but the "feel good" feeling afterwards makes it all worth it and i'm pretty proud of myself.  i shared to many of you how i realize running is all mental.  i find that the first two - three miles is always a mental battle "i'm tired.. maybe i should've rested today.. just run!.. it's soo hot and humid... just run!  this really sucks.. just pick up your feet!"  i sound schizo, but after that, your body gets used to it and it seems like you can just keep going.. which explains the one time i ran 6.5 miles (and that's a lot for me unlike pam who runs that as a warmup).

   so i developed an admiration for you runners and i can also see how it can get addicting.  i doubt i will be able to keep this up, but i hope this entry inspires those who want to exercise to push yourself a little harder.  your body is conditioned to keep doing what it's doing.. so if you're just sitting on your couch, you're not going to want to move... so get up and go do something!

helpful tips/ random facts that help beginners like me
1. water.  drinks lot of it and have some handy
2. find a pace you're comfortable with.  over exertion in the beginning will leave you weary after a mile or less.
3. faster beat music. slow christian music didn't do it for me.
4. record your mileage.  your progress will give you drive to run more.
5. one hershey kiss = 1/4 of a mile = one lap around standard track.
6. you need to burn ~3500 calories to lose 1 pound fat

   i think #4 helped me keep going the most.  and for those curious if i lost any weight, i haven't touched the scale.  i may have lost a pound or two, but i don't feel or look like i did.  i do think that running has improved my volleyball... though i don't really see the direct correlation.  but yea.. go run!!

GFC Retreat 07'!!
Location: Sunshine Acres

      i've been at grace faith for two years now and though it seems like just the other day that i was making bracelets and breaking scissors cutting construction paper in the basement for the taiwan missions trip, a lot really has changed.  i spent a lot of time on reflection this weekend.  what continues to be one of the greatest blessings for me is serving on praise.  In these past two years, i've really learned to place more confidence in Him... whether it's praise or other areas, and it really brings me so much joy to see His people praising and glorifying His name. can you imagine how He feels?  so my encouragement is for you all to sing your heart out! nothing to be ashamed or embarassed about.  praise team pic!

      jesse, jordan, me, kenny, matt, rich, david, hei and kevin.  my photoshop skills are awesome.  that's the only pic i could find of you rich.  i hope you know that i appreciate all of you in different ways! 

hmm... and now pictures!!
being silly at shoprite...

somehow that last pic led to this clip (which isn't really funny.. the people in the parking lot were looking at us weird and do i really sound like that?)

and more pics

jenny's tongue is blue! but it's kind of hard not to notice              our loved uncle roy and aunt mary!

i don't know what andrew and kenny are doing with the twizzlers

me and my lil bro. aka matt matt                                            stairs photo              
 

and lastly... this is what happens when you sit in the middle on your ride home.  aunt penny and uncle teddy sure were happy since i had no choice but to sit still and not bug them.

all you gfc-ers are family to me!  like what a.bessie said, you know we are one when we can laugh together, pray together and cry together.  thanks for all the encouragement cards! it sure did a great job.

this is the one year mark of our friendship! though like you said.. it seems much much longer.  i bet you didn't even open that humongous bag of m&ms i gave you last year.  thanks for being a great friend whether it's chatting, playing volleyball, mexican dominoes [that i beat you so badly in] or teaching me how to bat a softball.  you're pretty darn awesome!

we love mike and kelly!

    i didn't realize how much i missed hanging out with the CT folks.  we all had a blast and we're just going to have to do it more often!  congrats to mike and kelly.  kelly looked sooo beautiful!!  i like this pic a lot... look at the smile on his face... how cute

         well, this was definitely a fun fun wedding.  the games were fun and the mc was awesome.  thanks to all the wild people (eg mike, xian, julia) who openned up the dance floor and made it a crazy night full of laughing and dancing.  so here are some pics..

kelly and maid of honor / sister amy                                                       the newly weds and me :)
       

a whole bunch of other pics.. featuring jenny, julia, anita, diana, jen, kelly, matt, grace, yvette, ray, kelvin and nina
 

lastly... my awesome table 'David Wright' (all the tables were named after mets players) and my archrival lueyat where we're pretending to be friends despite that we secretly hate each other. ha

congrats to mike and kelly again!!! have fun in hawaii.

what a lovely weekend!

   i feel so redundant ever since i joined facebook.  if you don't have it, you should get one!  and if you do and you're not my friend, why not?  ok.. so i posted the walkathon pics there! the weather was great and i got to spend time with my kiddies outside of vball! 

that's not even all of them!  i think that's half?  i wonder if you guys even have xanga.. ok.. a few more pics!

     also..... happy birthday to mr. james wong.  so don't forget to wish him a happy happy! Celeste made him a cake... how sweet.  it was chocolate too. yum!  i think i ate more of it than the bday boy.

   though i wasn't nearly as thoughtful as celeste, i did walk up 9 flights of OCM steps with 36 steamy hot dan tats [that i didn't pay for] for you! it was fun!!  happy birthday man! wongs unite! haha 

pictures are worth a thousand words.... and laughs

   running roots vball tournament was this past saturday.  my highlight was probably seeing all the familiar faces and my CCHC vball kids!  of course playing is always nice too.  i didn't take any pics, but i want to share these that eric took of my team! thanks!  notice that we're opposite our opposites! 

so we absolutely had to take a handstand pic. hmmm... oh.. evan.  we love you!

come on.. it's so funny.  i wish i captured the look on his face.. so priceless.  yea.. go gfc!
and here's the progression if you want to see.  btw... the first attempt, evan didn't even make it up the wall!  click for your enjoyment!!