I am so glad you stumbled in! Get comfy, grab a cup of coffee (or tea, no judgement here), and relax. Let's sit here as friends and enjoy!
40 was a big one for me. I had asked for a quiet evening at home. If you know anything about our family, you know that we are typically alway crazy busy. With six kids, ages 7-18, we never have a dull moment, lol! Even through all the crazy events of that weekend, Andy was able to find a way for all the kids to be home and for a bunch of friends to come over for a surprise party! It was an amazing night full of laughter, games and a lot of fun.
Happy Tuesday!!
Over the years I have gone through many body changes. In my early 20's through my late 20's I was having babies. Four beautiful babies. For each pregnancy and the time after, my body changed. In my 30's I wanted to get my body back, so I did and it carried me through some of the hardest times of my life. Now in my late 30's, and scarily enough, very near my early 40's, it has carried me through more life changes.
Since my kids were little we have always traveled. Mostly to visit family with a few fun trips along the way. Each season of life required different travel accommodations. Now my kids are all mostly older and two of them are helping me drive now. But we still need to stay occupied. Half of the kids get car sick if they read or do other activities so we had to get creative to keep everyone occupied.
One of our favorite things to do as a family is to go camping. A few years back we purchased a camper and it has made things so much nicer for us.
What a wonderful weekend we had! We got to have a little time with all six kiddos and a whole lot of time with 5 of them. As the kids grown up and start having jobs, more flexibility is needed with schedules. It isn't always easy but change never is. We spent time at the local pool and one of the nearby lakes; we spent time hanging out at home and at the fireworks and one of the kiddos even got to bring a friend with!
Change doesn't happen overnight. It takes time. It takes effort. It takes consistency. It takes trying over and over and over again after each time you "fall off the wagon". Here is the problem with my mentality. I once was incredibly fit. I was in my mid 30's and had lost a LOT of weight. I was lifting weights and doing cardio twice a day. I felt and looked amazing. Then I started to get hurt. Little things at first but then one major hurt where I dropped a 60lb dumbbell on my chest while doing a floor press. My spotter and trainer...well he didn't spot me that well that day. Those small injuries and that big one began to add up and I had to alter my training to accommodate my injuries. Then I lost my Mom. Then the pandemic hit and my world stopped. My job at a personal trainer was gone in an instant. My workouts were gone. My "second home", so to speak, disappeared. Old habits began to resurface, the weight began to creep back on. Food became my "friend" again instead of remaining as fuel.
Lately I have been on an audiobook kick. I've been listening to a series of mystery novels and I absolutely love them. However, when the kids and I went to the library for our weekly trip, I found the series by Liz Braswell. The concept is taking a fairy tale story we are so familiar with and putting a twist or another perspective on it to see how it changes the story.
Knitting has always been something I had admired that others could do. I didn't think I could manage those beautiful stitches to create something wonderful. I had tried to pick up this hobby years ago to no avail. I decided now is the time. My 17 year old has been knitting for years. They were kind enough to start teaching me how to knit.
Self care for everyone looks a little different. For some it is a day at the spa. Others may choose to read a book. Some may love a long run or walk through a local park or trail. There are so many different options for self care. Let's explore the definition of what self care is. A quick Google search provides this definition: the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one's own health or the practice of taking an active role in protecting one's own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress.
Happy Saturday! This morning, I decided to start my weekend off on a good foot. I got myself up and out of bed and headed to Zumba before Taekwondo classes. I haven't been to Zumba in years. When I first started my fitness journey, years ago, I started with fitness classes at my local gym and Zumba was one of them. A new gym friend at the time, convinced me to go with her. So we did. We went and we kept on going. I remember being so nervous that first class. I hid in the back and wanted to avoid the mirrors as much as possible. Now this time I wasn't nervous, I knew I wouldn't know the moves but I knew I would be able to pick up on it. I still avoided the mirrors, though!
This week we have had BEAUTIFUL weather here in Minnesota. Last night I had dinner with a friend and we were able to sit out on the patio! It was amazing, windy but amazing! All this beautiful weather has inspired me to pick up my old workout notes and take a look at what I can do at home since I don't have a gym that I go to anymore. My hope is that I can start with what I have, a small selection of weight, a step box, some bands, and a treadmill, and slowly add on to my "at home gym".
