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Rambling on a Monday

 Hi my 25 friends! :) Just thought I'd pop in for a random thoughts post.... So lately I have just been feeling down. I usually do kinda get in a "funk" during the winter, but it really hasn't been that bad this year. I feel like it actually went by pretty quickly...but NOW it's March, and I am just OVER it and ready for the warm weather. We've had some teases the last couple weeks, which have been AMAZING...but then it's back to cold or rain and dreariness, and I just NEED that to go away. And I need a beach trip or road trip or something!  Plus, it's me and Matt's wedding anniversary on Thursday....so I know that my body is feeling that, even if I'm not even consciously thinking about it. So that could definitely be a big part of why I've felt down lately. Grief is always there, and Matt always pops in and out of my head, but the grief waves do get worse during certain times or days. 18 years ago, I was in Hawaii right now about to get ma

Fitness: There Will NEVER Be a "Quick Fix"

Everyone wants a quick fix. It's been that way forever, and it will probably always be that way until the end of time. As a trainer for over 15 years, I have seen it with my own eyes. Yes, I have seen people put in the hard work and achieve the results...but, for the most part, what I've seen is that if there is an easier route, people will take it.  Why do you think it's so rare to actually see people who are healthy and fit in the general population? Because it's HARD . When it comes to health and fitness, there is always some new diet or workout routine that promises the "best" and fastest results. There is always some new celebrity endorsed diet or "cleanse" or detox that people flock to. There is always a new weight loss pill or injection to come on the market. There is always a new health "trend"-whether it's ice baths, saunas, cryotherapy, or whatnot.  Anything that will get you the results without the work? Yes, please! We'r

My Prayer

 I have always felt that I was put in Damon's kid's lives for a reason. No matter what happens with Damon and me, even if for some reason we don't work out, I hope and pray that I will have had at least a small impact on the kids. I pray that I can instill  some values into their lives, about character and integrity, humility, and kindness.  I am FAR from perfect and definitely have much to work on with myself, but I truly hope that I can teach them about Jesus and about how as Christ followers, it's okay and often required to be counter-cultural, to not always go along with things because it's "what everyone else is doing." I hope to teach them that it's okay to be different, that's it's okay if they're not one of the "cool kids". I want them to know and be confident in who they are and in WHOSE they are and to be unapologetically themselves. I want them to be less concerened with being "cool" and trying to fit in and m

Thoughts

Sometimes I feel torn... Torn between being soft and hard. Between not caring and caring too much. Between letting my heart grow cold and numb, or keeping it open and vulnerable.  Life can break you down. Pain, hurt, loss, rejection, betrayal...it gets to you over time, after your heart has been battered from one thing after another after another.... It can make you doubt, question yourself, question your worth.  It can take away the joy of life...it can take away your "spark." IF you don't have hope. IF you don't have something to cling to. IF you don't something that brings you joy outside of your circumstances. IF you don't have a purpose that goes beyond yourself. IF you don't have faith in a creator who made you, who KNOWS you, who LOVES you, who will NEVER leave you, who has a PLAN for you. When you have that, you can go through some crap in your life, and still make it out okay, without growing numb or cold or bitter or angry. But it's only beca

So Much More Than Weight Loss!

My sister has been on a health and fitness journey since February of this year, and she has been killing it! I wanted to not only give her a shout out for her amazing progress and dedication, but also to use her as an example of the power of exercise and nutrition. Mindy was always active growing up and played softball all through highschool, but you know, you get older and life happens and you move less...and then before you know it, you've lost muscle and put on a few pounds. As an adult, she's gone through phases of trying to lose weight and exercise, but has never stuck with it consistently or long enough to truly see lasting results. This time has been different. She has been lifting weights out in her shed 3 days a week and walks on the treadmill for 30-45 minutes 6 days a week. She has also gradually changed her nutrition by not eating so many sugary foods, increasing protein intake, tracking calories and eating more meals throughout the day. She used to not eat enough d

A Beautiful Life

The 14 years I had with Matt were beautiful. The life I had with him was all that I had ever wanted, wished for, hoped and prayed for. HE was all I had ever wanted, wished for, hoped and prayed for. He was an absolute blessing to me. Not having HIM in my life is an ache I will always feel.  These last few years of my life have been hard, obviously... especially compared to the life I had with Matt-a life of comfort, quiet, ease... It's truly been a whole new world for me, navigating life as an adult on my own without him, and then suddenly thrown into a life with kids-it's such a drastically different life than I had ever envisioned for my future.  I will always miss that life I had with Matt. It really was so perfect. It almost feels like it was just a dream, looking back...like a whole other lifetime ago. It's a strange feeling.  Sometimes think I have a mental block when it comes to my future, or even now, like when it comes to being truly happy and content. It's alm

Just Some Thoughts :)

 Hi my blog peeps! (All five of you-haha!) I feel like the Summer is flyyying by!!! Why??? The kids have only THREE weeks until school starts back; it's crazy. I feel like we haven't had much time to do many fun things this Summer, between me working some Saturdays, how rainy it's been and then just having the kids every other weekend. BUT we leave for Florida in 12 more days!!! I cannot wait. And there will still be time to do things on weekends, even after school starts back. We have had a couple of camping trips and lots of fishing with the kids-I love that they love fishing so much! We've had a few pool days, too.  The plan for this Summer was supposed to be us at the lake on the boat every weekend....buuut SOMEONE ( cough-cough-Damon ) didn't winterize the boat after last season, and it ruined the motor or something like that. We've been trying to get it fixed, but it's not looking like it's going to be water ready this Summer. :( I was so lookin