~my 5 year check up~

I turned 5 on October 9th! My mom finally took me for my 5 year check up! I was a very good boy while I was there. I got lots of love and attention from the vet and the other girls in the office while I was there. I was very brave and had to get a couple of shots. The biggest news of the visit was I lost 6 POUNDS since June! I used to weigh 74 pounds but now I weigh 68! My mom is starving me and making me workout too much! :-) Needless to say, she felt very bad and I was pretty much spoiled for the rest of the day with cookies and a big heaping scoop of food for dinner. I love my mommy!

love, Tucker

Listening carefully to the vet
I hear something!

I am 5 years old!

Tis the Season!

Thanksgiving this year was incredible! I am so thankful for so many things this year. I am mostly thankful for God's amazing love and grace. He has blessed me in so many ways this year. It is sometimes overwhelming to think about where he has taken my life within the past year. Thanksgiving lasted almost two weeks for me! How great is that? :-) First, I enjoyed my annual bible study Thanksgiving where I did the turkey for the first time! Don't get too excited, I took the easy way out and went to Honeybaked Ham! Next year I will attempt it. :-) The very next day I left for Texas to go visit Michael, my friend Jean Anne, her family and of course my family! We had a great weekend together and I was so sad to come home. On Thanksgiving day, I was at my mom and dad's house with family and friends to celebrate all we have to be thankful for. Thanksgiving week ended with an annual friends Thanksgiving at the Barr's house! It is incredible how the years have changed for boyfriends, then to husbands, dogs and now babies! It was so great to see how our lives have changed yet friendships remained. And of course, the babies were so much fun to be around!

Now it is time to get ready for Christmas! I can hardly believe it is almost here. If anyone has any need for shopping....I highly recommend checking out my website. www.marykay.com/kendalnoble. I sell Mary Kay on the side and there are a lot of great gift ideas this year. Also, I work at Lululemon at Irvine Spectrum. It is such a fun place to be and the workout clothes are AMAZING! Come stop by and visit me, I would love to see you! I hope your holiday season is off to a wonderful start!

Platinum Babies

Hello to all my little mommy friends! I have grown up with my friend Betsy since Pre-School! We played soccer together and went all the way through junior high together. When I went to Troy and she went to Sunny Hills we would occasionally run into each other but lost touch. Thankfully, Facebook came along! She just had a little baby girl Riley a few months ago. While she was pregnant a new show, Platinum Babies on the WE channel captured it all! She and her husband Brad are going to be on Platinum Babies this Friday, November 20th. I am going to be in Texas visiting Michael but already have it set to record! I thought some of you mommies might want to watch too! Enjoy!

http://www.wetv.com/platinum-babies/video

:two more angels:

On October 19th my family experienced two tragic losses. My cousin Tammy Noble Watson passed away suddenly of a heart attack at 4:00 am. Two hours later, my grandma Dorris Noble lost her battle with lung cancer. We had all been preparing for the passing of my grandma because she had been so ill. But, to lose my cousin suddenly on the same day as my grandma was awful. My family and I cannot even express how thankful we are for family and friends. Everyone has been so incredibly gracious and supportive during this difficult time. We have all agreed that both Tammy and grandma probably had the "what are you doing here" moment in heaven! :-)

Saturday, November 14th at 11:00 will be the memorial service to honor Tammy. Tuesday, November 17th will be the memorial for my gram. Although the next few days are going to be filled with sadness, we are comforted knowing we all have two more angels in heaven. I am so blessed to have had such a great cousin and an amazing grandma. I miss them both everyday. xoxoxo

It finally feels like Fall!

I have been really terrible lately about updating my blog. For the past month and a half my time has been spent doing my 300 Jr. High internship hours for counseling at Nicolas Junior High in Fullerton. I have loved my experience there and in just a few short weeks I will be done! The other part of my day has been spent training. On September 27th I finished an Olympic Distance Triathlon. The Olympic distance consists of .9 mile swim, 25 mile bike and a 6 mile run! I finished in 3:30 which was an hour before my goal time. I was very pleased with my time and had an amazing cheer section. This Sunday the 11th, I will be running the Long Beach 1/2 Marathon.

Up next...well Wednesday I am off to Hawaii for a 5 day vaca with Sam for her birthday to visit her family and enjoy some time in the sun. Once I get back, I am starting my new job at Lululemon. Lululemon is a Canada based company that sells yoga/pilates/run clothing. It is AMAZING stuff~thats all I wear. I decided that since the counseling field is well-slim to none-right now I needed to get a job. Substitute teaching is great but not always reliable. The position I am hired for is to be an "educator." Basically it is educating the community about the brand and the product and about healthy living and wellness. There will be some retail involved which will be fun and the other part is getting out and doing trunk shows and events. The greatest part....I get to wear workout clothes to work! Heaven! I start on the 20th for some HR stuff so I am super excited!

Finally, at the end of the month I will be traveling to Texas to see Michael! I can't wait to see him and go to a Baylor game. While I am there we are going to get to go see my friend Jean Anne, her husband Matt and their new baby boy Kase! So much going on...I promise to try to be more in-tune with the blog world!

being joyful while practicing patience

A lot of great things have happened over the last few weeks! Sometimes I truly have to pinch myself about all of the amazing blessings I have been given. I completed my first triathlon...duathlon on July 26th. The next day was my 29th birthday which was amazing! I had a massage and got to go to drinks and dinner with family on friends. Friday July 31st I GRADUATED! It was an incredibly joyful experience. The next day, my parents hosted an amazing graduation party for me! They truly over did themselves. The whole day was filled with fun and celebration. Needless to say for an entire week, I had a lot of things to be thankful for. It was such a memorable week.

Now I am in this strange...I don't know what to do now...place. I am still doing my internship hours which won't be completed until the end of October. So do I get a job...do I get a part time job...do I apply, where do I apply...lots of questions I ask myself daily. I have been able to get through a few of them with having a plan a, b, c, d, etc... First...I plan on finishing my hours with diligence. Fairmont has asked me to stay on for the fall to continue helping the counselors. Hold the excitement...it's not a paid job. I hope by hanging around in other words they will eventually just hire me. I am right under their noses! I have decided to get a part time job selling MARY KAY!!!! Please buy anything form me that you would like. :-) Applying...well I am looking, I am getting my resume together and being active about searching for jobs everywhere. I have an open heart right now to change. I would be open to a move if that was the plan that God has for me. I just need to practice patience while remembering all of the MANY things I have to be joyful about!

I will post pictures soon, just had a lot to say for now :-)

be bold...be joyful...be wise

Last Sunday, my friends from bible study and I joined each other for a great Sunday-Funday! We started the morning at church with Kenton's last service before he leaves for his summer vacation to Texas. I don't blame him one bit :-) He spoke about being bold, being joyful and being wise. He read from the book of Ecclesiastes.

The verse that truly spoke to each of us girls was Ecclesiastes 11:3
~When the clouds are heavy the rain comes down. Whether a tree falls north or south it stays where it falls.

This verse told us to step out in our faith for something that may not be comfortable. It may be challenging. By being bold, joyful and wise, God will strengthen your walk with him and bless the choices and step that you have made. It was incredibly enlightening. Each of us really needed to hear it. It is very easy to live a life that you want to know what will happen next. That will never happen!! Only God knows our infinite plan. After church we all gathered together at
3 thirty 3 in Newport Beach for some delicious burritos and mimosas!

I am so blessed to be amongst a group such as this. These girls have strengthened me, given me grace and most of all encouragement! I am so grateful for them and their friendship. We are all cheerleaders for each other. Each of us know that we can rely on each other through the trials or our lives. We have seen some of the happiest of times together and sad times throughout the years together. I know that through these times we spend together our bond of friendship is blessed that much more. I love each of these girls and can't wait to see how God plans to work in each of our lives.

Jennifer, Chrissy, Sam and Stephanie

missing...Jennifer, Katie (mommy to be) and Megan

a couple more for good measure!

my wonderful dad!

ladies lunching...and wining ;-)

sweet sadie sound asleep with mommy

little bug

fabulous is my middle name

more summer fun pics...

some of the fam on the 4th of july!

My happy swimming boy~

and then there were 4.. :-)

sweet Aven Jaymes

Summer Fun!!!

Summer has begun and I am loving it! I started the summer off with a nice vaca to Texas! I got to meet Miss Sadie Kay Stahler for the first time! She is absolutely precious! I am so in love with her. I was able to spend 8 days there which left a lot of time for visiting with Kay and Rob and playing aunite since I don't get to see them too often. Once I got back, I had my exit interview at Azusa which went great! I found out I passed my thesis and oral with a 100 on both :-) Graduation is in 3 weeks I can't wait.

That weekend led me from San Diego County, to San Bernardino County to Orange County. I went to San Diego to see the Mangiafico clan and my sweet little Aven & Easton. They are so tiny but growing more and more everyday! I love them so much, they are already bringing the family double ;-) the joy!! Allison and I then headed to Allison (2) bachelorette party! Boy did we have fun! We were well known at the Shout house dueling piano bar. Saturday I headed to APU for an internship seminar then back to OC for Megan's 29th b-day celebration. Oh boy, 30 is around the corner.

Finally, I started my internship. It is going really well so far. I am getting some much needed experience and practice in the field of counseling. One gripe...sitting at a desk. Not a desk kind of girl. I will be bringing an exercise ball next week to sit on ;-) The 4th of July cam quickly! My family and I were able to celebrate my mom's 55th birthday and the 4th of July at the river! Tucker spent the entire time in the water. He spent most of Monday sleeping once we got home. He was "tuckered" out! We all had a great time together celebrating all we have to be thankful for.

The summer is already half over and so much fun us yet to be had!

Easton Joseph

Girl you are kidding me! :-)

Bath time is my favorite

My Sweet Sadie Kay Stahler

Stress Management

No time to blog...I am suffering from severe stress with school! Please pray that I get through the next four weeks. I am getting a little worried about my mental health...eek! See you when the pain is OVER! :-) June 12th will be a happy day...

A great finish!

On Sunday May 3rd, I ran my 6th 1/2 marathon! It was the Orange County half marathon. The week before the race, I was not in a good state. I had literally ran myself into the ground. I was writing my thesis, keeping up with my 9 units, training to run, finish up last minute things at school..etc... and the list goes on. By Wednesday, I had gotten myself literally sick. I was nervous I wasn't going to be able to compete. People consoled me and said not to worry about my time in the race rather get out there and do it if I could. By Sunday, I felt better yet I was still not 100%. I prayed that God give me the strength to get through the race and just FINISH whatever my time, there was always room to grow. Throughout the entire race, I as coughing and felt like a big slow poke. Well, by the time I came around the bend towards the finish line...the sight of the timer made me overwhelmed with joy. My last time in February was 2:00 flat. Of course I wanted to beat that but with the way the week had gone I wasn't counting on it. To my surprise, the clock said 1:57!!! I sprinted like I have never sprinted before to cross the finish line! My final time was 1 !:57:29. I have no idea how I did it! Nevertheless, it put a lot of my stress into perspective. I can only accomplish one thing at a time. Next on the list, a triathlon July 26th! Oh boy! :-)

Sorry no pics from this race...only mom and I ran so there was no one on the sidelines to take our pictures. The race pictures from brightroom confirm my thoughts...I literally looked SICK ;-) Pictures will come next race around!!

Thesis...oh thesis

I have officially made it to my last term of my Masters program which is a great feeling! I only have 5 weeks left of class. Unfortunately, with graduation around the corner....my thesis is due quite soon. As in MAY 15th SOON! I am writing it on Counseling Gay & Lesbian Youth. I am really passionate about the topic for several reasons. Since I am going to a Christian school, it will be really great for me to challenge the ethics of Christianity. Sometimes it is hard to separate our ethics from our jobs. As a counselor, there are going to be a lot of times where I know I am going to have to put my own beliefs aside and help the student the best way that I can! May 15th will be here before I know it and then it will be just a few short weeks until graduation!! I have to remember that I can only do one thing at a time and that anything I can do, I can do through God. He will give me the strength to get through whatever task he has given me. I just have to remember to not let the task defeat me in the meantime. There are way too many things in my life I should be celebrating :-)

A week of 4 S's....

This past week was a week of S's......

My first S is SCHOOL...UGH. I started my long 8 week stretch back to school. The postive thing is there are only 8 (now 7) weeks left until summer begins! Unfortunately, I am not sure how I am going to get everything I need to get done in that SHORT amount of time!!

Second S is for STRESS!!! I am ofically truly stressed out. I am trying not to let it affect me, yet it has. In my last term at school I have chosen to 1. take 9 units and 2. save 2 of the worst classes for last. Way to go! The two classes are both online and require a TON of work to be done. I feel so overwhelmed with my homework on top of making sure things are good at work that I have reached my limit!!!! Luckily I have my running as a release, but finiding time for that is getting to become stressful too! When does it stop? :-(

Third S is for SLEEP. Due to my massive amount of stress I have been getting to bed WAYYYY past my bedtime. I am now officially sleep deprived. When I haven't gotten enough sleep and I am physically tired, my right eye twitches non-stop. It has not stopped twitching um...since MONDAY! It is making putting mascara on very difficult. I would like the twitching to stop, please! :-)

The last and final S which is my favorite S of all is for....SADIE KAY STAHLER!!! My new niece Sadie was born on 4-24-09 at 12:47 pm (Texas time). She was 20.5 inches and 7 pounds 4 ounces! She is absolutely perfect. I am already so in love with my little Sadie lady :-) I can't wait to see her in June when I go visit Kay and Rob! Kay and Rob are both doing great and so excited to be new parents! This new little girl is such a blessing to their lives.

This week I am going to focus on the letter R :-) My first R is for rest...I need it somehow :-) The next is relaxation, I am going to take one day to just relax. My last R is for Running! On May 3rd, I will be running in the OC 1/2 Marathon. It will be my 6th 1/2 marathon!!! I will be hoping to run it in under 2 hours. Keep your fingers crossed :-)

So Proud!!!

A couple months ago at school one of the teachers had an idea to start the "Biggest Loser" contest at school. It was going to be based on percent of weight lost in 15 weeks. That only seemed fair! :-) The rules were to pay $20 to play then $5 every week when you gained. A weigh in would happen every Friday and a running log was going to be kept to check for accuracy. Unfortunatley at the time, I did want to play but I had already lost "too" much weight from my own workout and eating routine. I decided not play but remain working out and eating as I had done.

One of my greatest friends at school, Janice, came to me for help and advice! Since this is a new passion of mine I couldn't wait to help her. She is a beautiful single mom with so much to give. She just could never get her weight under control because she simply did not know how to. She thought grabbing a bite to eat was easier than making a healthy meal at home. Let me put it this way, she used her oven as STORAGE!! :-) She decided that she was going to play Biggest Loser. Let me preface this by saying Janice does NOT like to lose!! So 10 weeks ago, I took her grocery shopping and showed her how to make delicious and healthy meals. I wrote out a meal and snack plan for her that she has followed.

I told her it couldn't just be eating right she had to work out too. I let her borrow my old I Pod so she could get out and at least walk. I encouraged her to walk a mile, then maybe two.
I am so proud to say she is now running!!! She is up to running 4 miles!!!! She is even going to my strength class with me. I couldn't be more proud of her. We are 5 weeks away until the end of the Biggest Loser. The winner will be receiving I believe $500!!! As of now, she is beating EVERYONE who is participating. In a matter of 10 weeks, she has lost 20 POUNDS!!!!!!! Everytime I think about it, it brings a tear to my eye. I am so proud of her for making a commitment and sticking to it. She looks great and feels terrific.

GO JANICE!!!!!!! I can't wait to post "after" pictures of the little hot momma!

Janice (bottom right) before...

Janice (right) before....

Great friends...great wine!

Last night, I was able to get together with two great friends, Sam and Erin for some delicious wine and cheese! It was so great to be able to get together and chit chat about what is going on in our little worlds. So often we get caught up in work or school that it's hard to just relax and talk about things that just make us laugh!

Sam has a lot of excitement in her life right now. She is about 3 weeks away from ending her Spring term of her MBA program at Pepperdine. Before beginning her Summer term in May, she will be a little jet setter! She is off to China and Tibet for 2 weeks! I am so excited for her. She is going to have the best time getting away for a vaction while learning about some of the most amazing history and culture. Erin is quite busy too! I love living vicariously through her. She lives and works in LA as an event planner. Her big upcoming event is the US Weekly Hot Hollywood party! I have marked my calendar with the date. I am hoping I will get to be there to help in some way, even if it is just checking bags! :-)

Finally...me! I have, as usual, a rather FULL plate! I have finals of my spring I term starting TOMORROW!! Then, in two weeks I will have a well deserved Spring Break!! On April 14th, I will begin my last term as a student. I found out that I am officially graduating on JULY 31st!!! I can hardly believe all of my hard work is about to pay off. It feels like yesterday that I started this whole program and now I am so close to finishing. I cannot even begin to express the gratitude I have towards so many people who have supported me through this. I love you all so very much for being my strength when I had nothing left in me to put forward. My last big adventure is my running! I am running in my 6th 1/2 marathon on May 3rd. Later this summer, on July 26th, I will be competing in my first mini Triathalon!!! A triathalon, am I crazy~perhaps! It is a "mini" very mini...1/2 mile swim, 12 mile bike, 3 mile run. I had started making so many excuses for why I shouldn't or couldn't do it. Finally I decided to cut the crap~for lack of better words :-) and just do it! The best part is, Erin will be doing it with me!! I am most excited about reaching another goal and accomplishing something I never thought I would try.

Needless to say, lots of wine was had, we had a lot to talk about! We are all geared up for a spring and the excitment it will bring to all of us!

HAPPY SPRING!!!

February 14th

In lieu of having a Valentine's Day, my friends and I decided to have a February 14th. The entire weekend was incredible! I was able to celebrate with my cousin and some great friends. We went to a dinner party to celebrate one of my cousin's friends birthdays then we made our way to the V Lounge in Santa Monica. We all ended up not getting to bed until Sunday at about 5 am! A few hours later we were up early to go to church. After church we went to lunch at The Farm in Beverly Hills where we had the best sweet potato fries...delicious! :-) I hear it is one of Steve Martin's favorite places to eat lunch.

I hope everyone enjoyed Valentine's Day with those they love the most! xoxoxoxo

Super Bowl Sunday

February started off on the right foot! I ran my 5th half marathon and finished in my 2:00:02! It was my best time so far. With only being 5"2 my little legs need to move awfully fast to finish that fast. Of course with my excitement in finishing in 2 hours, I couldn't help but be a little bummed for being only 3 SECONDS away from finishing in 1:59! 3 seconds is nothing!! It only gives me something to look forward to and something to challenge myself with for next time. The entire event was so much fun. I ran with my friends Megan, Stephanie and Katie and my mom of course too! The day was beautiful. We all were anxious to cross the finish line to enjoy a couple of cold beverages in the beer garden. Surprisingly, it was the most refreshing drink!
The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing with family and friends while enjoying a great football game!

Beer Garden~cheers!!

Crossing the finish line!

Today I competed in my 4th 1/2 marathon! I ran the Southern California Half Marathon in Irvine. It was a beautiful day for a run; minus the wind factor. At times I felt like I was running in slow motion because of the wind! I had a great race! I finished in my best time yet; 2 hours 6 minutes. I had great supporters along the route; my mom, my friends Janice and Lisa and Lisa's daughter Madison. They definitely kept me motivated throughout the race. My next race is in Huntington Beach on February 1st, Super Bowl Sunday. I will be anxiously running towards the infamous beer garden on that day. It's the perfect way to start of the super bowl celebration! Only 3 weeks to go~back to training tomorrow!

Happy New Year!

As 2009 is upon us and resolutions begin to be made for the new upcoming year I can't help but give thanks and resolve to do more of the same. 2008 was a wonderful year. I made a commitment to earn my masters and have enjoyed every minute of it. My relationship with God is stronger than it has ever been. Bible versus, prayers and journaling are what got me through the most difficult of times. I am in the best health I have ever been in due to my passion for running and working out. Finally, my relationships with my family and friends have never been stronger. As I get older I feel like life is about coming into your own skin and being accepting of ones self. My goals for 2008 were all of the things I was able to accomplish. Each one making this one of my happiest years. As much as it saddens me to have lost my aunt in the last couple days of the year, I am inspired to do great things in honor and memory of her.

2009 Resolutions:
I am not going to make any resolutions instead I pray for more of the same!! I have decided to make two bible versus my resoltions for 2009. I will look to these for guidance and motivation during the next year.

Romans 8:28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Ecclesiastes 3:11-14 : He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.

2009 is sure to bring many new joys and happy memories. I am excited to see the new year unfold and all of the beautiful blessings it has in store for all. Happy New Year!

In memory of Aunt Mary Anne Wolfe

On Tuesday, December 30th my dad's sister Mary Anne Wolfe lost her 15 year battle to cancer. She was a beloved wife to my Uncle John for 36 years. He, along with my cousin Chris have been her solid rocks. My aunt was a strong and beautiful woman of faith. There is no doubt that her strength in God is what kept her fighting for so long. She loved her family and the life she led. A southern California woman through and through loved their home in sunny La Jolla, California. I am blessed to have had her as my aunt. Even in her last few days with us she told me how proud she was of me. The day she passed away she would have been happy to see all of her nieces and nephews surrounding her while sharing funny moments and memories with her. I am at peace knowing she has gone home to heaven. A wonderful friend told me after she had passed that my aunt started off the new year right! She started 2009 by going to be with Jesus Christ. I couldn't agree with that more. She is loved and missed very much. I will be beginning 2009 by celebrating her and celebrating life.