Always Remember

I will always remember and never forget that fateful day, as we all will.  Today I stop and say a prayers of thanks.  To all of the men and women who have fought tirelessly throughout history for our country, for our freedom.  I say a prayer for the people who perished that fateful day.  I say a prayer for their family and friends.  I say a prayer the medics, police, firefighters, first responders, everyone who risked their own lives to save as many as possible.  I say a prayer for a city still healing.  I say a prayer for my children, that they may never live through such a terrifying attack in their own lifetimes.  I say a prayer for the world.

Days like today make me stop and really think.  The number on the scale, the amount of reps or calories.  It's all so small in the grand scheme of things.  Always remember!

Feel Good Friday: a great week

Friday, Friday, Friday!  TGIF my friends!  I have had such a great week. I think that instituting Feel Good Fridays has given me a subconscious reason to find the positive in things throughout the week.  It gives me something to look forward to at the end of the week (other than the weekend of course) where I can celebrate my accomplishments!  HOORAY!

So this week my Feel Good Friday has actually been inspired by another blogger,  Jenna Zemering, over at Stay Fit. Stay Classy. Stay True.  Earlier this week, Jenna did a post entitled What Are You Grateful For?, and it seemed a fitting topic for my overall week.  So my Feel Good Friday warm fuzzy is how grateful I am for where I am in my life.

Sure, I have those days where I feel overwhelmed...the kids, the mortgage, the salary free taxi service I seem to provide for all things activity related...but in the big picture those are all things I wouldn't trade for anything else in the world.  I am SO grateful for my amazing husband who stands by me no matter what, and my two beautiful and healthy daughters (did I mention that the little one had a GREAT 3 year check up this week...she is off the charts!)

I am grateful for a boss who values health and fitness as much as I do and who plans our workouts during free fancy gym week.  I am grateful that I am healthy enough to take advantage of free fancy gym week. 

I am grateful that my number got picked off the waiting list at work to finally (for a little extra cost) got me a garage spot rather than the open lot I have been parking in the past year and a half...and right before winter HALLELUJAH!

It has been a great week...but so far it has also been a great life and I am very blessed.  We sometimes get so caught up in everything else that we forget how each little thing is a gift.  I am "great" ful for my life and look forward to what the universe has in store for me, and we know that she has been talking my ear off lately.

So, what are you Feeling Good about this Friday???

Never Forget

Today is a day that I always stop and take stock.  It's a day that I will make sure my children always remember.  It's a day that was very real for my generation.  Before I moved into the world of academia, I worked in professional theatre.  I refer to it as my "former life."  It was something I loved doing, but was not conducive to having a family...at least not in the capacity that I worked, as a Stage Manager.  Imagine my excitement at 23 to be told by my boss "We are doing a new show, one that has only ever been showcased...and for financial reasons we are sending you to NYC to rehearse it for 5 weeks."  OMG!!  I was SO excited.  Hello Big Apple! 

I arrived in NYC on Monday, made my way to my kick a$$ apartment the company was putting my assistant and me up in and started to settle in.  Tuesday we got up early, walked through Times Square to work and started setting up the rehearsal space.  AT the time, I was still a smoker and we were outside on a smoke break when a traffic cop told us terrorists had taken over the towers.  What?!?!  This can't be?  Then we heard it.  We staggered across the street and saw the playback on the jumbo-tron of the first plane...then we looked towards the south end of the island.  I will never forget.

I wanted to go home.  I wanted my (then boyfriend) husband to hold me.  I wanted my mom and dad.  I wanted it to be a bad dream.  We were immediately sent "home" and watched the news coverage all day.  What else could we do.  Strange city, no phone service for a few hours, we just sat and watched dumbfounded.  Later that evening, after talking to family and loved ones, we left the apartment to find dinner.  The feeling that was in NYC at that time, in that moment, is the feeling I wish would take hold of this country.  Never have I seen a city...a mass group of strangers pull together the way they did.  It wasn't natives and tourists and visitors...it was Americans.  It was people going out of their way to make others feel safe, feel okay, just feel.  I remember being numb until that point. 

Over the next few weeks we attended vigils, saw the devastation, and tried to heal with a city that was left with a permanent scar.  I was left with a permanent scar.  I look back and even as I write this I can feel the tears stinging my eyes.  I can taste the smoke and ash in the air, I can feel the loss...but I have hope that we can move forward.  To draw strength from this horror.  To give respect and honor to all those that were lost, all those that stepped up as true heroes, and continue the fight today.  To never forget.

Happy Birthday Big Girl!

     I can't believe today my big girl is 11!  Where has the time gone? She is growing into such a radiant and strong young woman.  I am proud to say that (outside of her picky palette) she is a picture of health and strength.  She is old enough now to see the up and down battle that her Dad and I have gone through.  She has seen us at our most fierce, and at out worst.  She has heard us complain about what we put into our mouths and bodies, she has seen us try and find the right workouts for each of us as individuals as well as workouts we could do as a couple or a family.  She has embraced some of our athletic tendencies (soccer) and has found some of her own (horseback riding) and has excelled at each. 

on the soccer field

 



     With her birthday of course came the birthday party.  We have made some amazing friends from her playing soccer.  Families that I know will be a part of our lives for years to come.  It's been so nice.  They have daughters Maddy's age as well as younger ones for Arden to play with.  We are all going through the same transitions age wise together, so for her birthday we had a big party with all the families and had the girls sleepover.  With birthday parties, comes food.  Cake, wings, dips, ice creams, chips, cake, cookies, doughnuts...you name it, and we seemed to have it at her party this weekend.  We also have a tendency to tip back one or two with our friends, which I know is a big factor in my overall weight struggle.  I am happy to report that I still got in a few intense workouts, and monitored my intake of junk food quite successfully.  I even managed to steer clear of all but 1 small glass of wine.   Success! 
     She had a great party.  I even got a spontaneous hug with a"Thanks mom, this party rocks" in front of her friends no less. 

 

Happy Birthday sweetie!  I love you!