2018 year in Review

Well, 2018 is almost over and really--good riddance.  It's been a tough year.  We lost all our parents this year.  My mom died early in the year and my dad died after Thanksgiving.  Larry's mom battled a lot of sickness and after a successful move to an assisted living by us she passed away in September.  It's really surreal to be the oldest ones in the family now.  We have no grandparents and now no parents.

We battled some medical things ourselves.  I had a kidney stone. Larry had shoulder surgery.  I had a weird infection in my elbow.  We both had some unusual sickness at the beginning of the year.  I had some eye surgery. (Post on that later) and I started Invisalign too!

But it hasn't been all bad.  We got to go on a cruise in April to the Caribbean with great friends!  We had some beautiful California Closets installed in our condo. We got to go see our son in San Diego twice! We got to see some wonderful friends in Virginia. We spent a great weekend in Corpus with my daughter and her husband and the grand baby!  I got to spend several weekends this year with my dad coming over.

So as we turn the calendar to 2019, I'm anticipating good things!  We will have another grand baby in January!  And a new baby is always a happy way to start the year!  Annabelle will be 2 next year!  My son will be finished with the Marines in March and will be starting some new exciting career.  We will be celebrating our 30th anniversary and we are looking at a trip to Croatia!

There's lots to mourn for last year but lots to look forward for the year to come.

So my word for the new year is RELATIONSHIPS.  Trying to think of my relationships with people.  Not just my jobs or duties to people but what am I doing for the relationship?  How do I build that?  How do I grow and encourage those?  Lots to work but I'm praying God will guide me in this next year.  

Happy New Year everyone.

I buried my dad today

I buried my dad today.
Something I thought I'd never say.
But time marches on
We grow, we get old.
And these are the things we must face.

My dad was one of those awesome old time cowboy types.  He told stories in the slow old fashioned way.  He was never in a rush.  He relished whatever experience he was in at the moment.  He loved sitting and staring at a campfire and watching the stars at night.  He knew pretty much everything about everything-except movies and TV stars and celebrities.  He could speak intelligently about almost any subject because he was well read.  Every time I saw my dad he had a book in his hand or on his chest or right within arm's reach.

Some fond memories I had of my dad:

Climbing on the roof on the fourth of July to watch the fireworks all around the city. 

Being pulled in our wagon, that was attached to the riding lawn mower.

Countless camping trips.

Walking hand in hand in the last few weeks of his life.

Watching many a PBS documentary.

Standing in the kitchen and helping him cook biscuits or feed his sourdough starter or making heuvos rancheros.

Walking out in the yard at my grandparent's house and having him tell me the name of every kind of tree.

Getting up in the middle of the night and going to smell his pipe tobacco.

Staying up late to work a jigsaw puzzle.

I will miss you dad.  I've missed you for years already since Alzheimer's took you from us.  You made me laugh and I will treasure the many memories I had with you.  Thank you for making me the person I am today.

Happy 29 years!

In a few weeks, my honey and I will be married 29 years!  In a way, it seems so short but in a way it seems so long! Hahaha!  JK--mostly 😂

Marriage is tough.  It takes effort.  It's not always romance and flowers and mushy stuff.  It's life and messes and arguments.  It's disagreements and not seeing eye to eye and misunderstandings and annoyances.  It's missed opportunities and different expectations.

But that does not mean we haven't had some fun along the way!  It's also, coffee together in the morning, watching the rain on the balcony together, playing a new board game together, watching Jeopardy together.  All these things have the same word in common--together. 

Marriage is together.  We are on the same team!  We should be working together!  I'm for Him and He is for Me! 

So what's the big secret on how to be married for 29 years?  << here's a few ideas but I really couldn't tell you. I have a lot of thoughts and ideas.  But the main one is just don't quit!  Work at it!  In some aspects,  I'm competitive and so is he and neither one of us want to lose.  (***side note:  Now it goes without saying that in the cases of abandonment or adultery or abuse--get the heck out!  Seek help and counseling!)

A big part of our marriage is friendship.  It's having fun together.  I think that's what keeps us going a lot of times.  Being silly, having fun, dancing like no one's watching! 

Read good marriage books.  Seek counseling even during the good times.  Go on dates! Go on marriage retreats. Be around other married couples. Apologize. Don't always be right. Love with the other person's love language.  Get off your phone sometimes.  Do one nice thing.  Stop the downward spiral. Enjoy yourself. Grow. Change.  Help each other. Learn from others.  Take advice.  Don't get stuck in the monotony.  Mix it up.  Try.

It's like putting gas and oil in the car, if you want the car to keep running you gotta take care of it! Maintenance is pretty important to a relationship. 

So have fun, hang on and enjoy this ride called life!

Here's to another 29 years Larry!  We got this!!  💗 

Get 'er done!

I'm a finisher.  If I start a project, I like to finish it.  I have a really hard time not seeing something to completion.  I'm an accomplisher.  I like to check off my boxes and get things done. 

I understand everyone is different.  And I am thankful for that. 

We need to have the easy going people, the fun people, the peace people, the people that don't want to hurt other's feelings. 

But we also need the finishers.  We need people that can start a project and get it to the finish.  Otherwise, things get started and then just stall and go by the wayside.  I do understand some times circumstances change and the way a project starts must bend and flow and it may not need to be completed the same way we thought it did. 

As long as it gets done though. 

I can look at an overall picture of a project and see the individual steps that need to be taken to get to the end. 

It's a blessing and a curse really.

I love making things happen.  I see all kinds of little check marks and boxes and stuff getting done and I just light up!  But then when it's not happening on my timeline or I see inefficiencies -- I just have to stop and breathe. 

We went to a great marriage conference a few weeks ago "Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage".  He had a great quiz on different personalities and what make us tick.

So basically, we all live in these different "countries". Peace, Control, Fun and Perfect countries. We all are motivated differently, speak different languages and the like. 

It's fun that God made us all differently.  We have to use each other's talents to get along really.  I'm definitely "Control" country. I'm learning to go to the other countries.  I usually can't stay long but it's good to visit them every once in a while.

So if I come across pushy, or gruff, or in a hurry- it's just because I'm trying to finish.

A Life of Joy

A week ago, my mother in law went to be with Jesus.  She was 80 years old.  Mother "in law" is a strange term.  Yes, she was "in the law".  But it was deeper than that.

She was the hub of the family.  She was diligent about calling not only her kids and grand kids, but her extended family as well.  She would call cousins, friends she'd known for years, even some ex-family members.  She truly cared about people.  When she called, it wasn't about what was going on in her life.  It was about what was happening in yours.  Then she would likely call others in the family and make sure they knew what was happening in your life too!  HA!  It held people together.  It connected us all.

Three words that completely described her.

Joy, Prayer, and Thanks.

Her first response in almost every situation was Joy!  No matter the news you told her - whether good or bad- she could find the joy in it somehow. "We are moving to Pittsburgh Grandma!" she would respond "I'm so happy for you!"  "Grandma, I just lost my job"  Her response-Well, I'm glad we will have time to visit!".  Her life took many turns and twists and I'm not sure how she survived a lot of it--but she was always joyful. 

Prayer consumed her.  She would pray about everything.  Automatically.  First thing.  I have to admit, I got a little cozy knowing I had a powerful warrior standing before the Throne!  I will miss all her powerful interventions on my behalf, on my kid's behalf.  I need to step it up and get busy praying!

Thankfulness was her mantra.  She exuded "In Everything Give Thanks!"  She literally did.  Everything.  Whereas my initial thought is usually negative. Hers was always positive.  She was thankful.  She could find a reason to be thankful.   She could pray and give thanks regardless.  I have much work to do in this area.

She was one of the quirkiest people I've ever known.  She was downright odd to most.  But those three little words - JOY, PRAYER, THANKS- were her trademark.  It's who she was inside and out.

I have much to work on in these categories.  I will strife to be the grandma that she was to my kids.

Colossians 3:14-17 "But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

We are how we move

I read a book a while back that really changed the way I think about things.  I read a LOT.  Usually a book a week or so.  But this book really affected me in a lot of ways.  It's called Move Your DNA by Katy Bowman. Her website is Here.

It's about how we move our bodies throughout the day.  Not just an hour of exercise. But about the big and small movements we make and over time how they affect our bodies.

I've really tried to incorporate a lot of it into my life.

As I age, I really don't want to be one of those people that just hurt all the time and constantly have doctor's appointments.  I want to enjoy my kids and grand kids well into my older years!  You read about older people all the time that complete a marathon or pick up weight lifting or something crazy.  So I know it can be done.  I'm not that old yet (at least in my mind) but it never hurts to start early with different habits.

So what have I changed since reading the book?  Well, I walk alot.  Along with that, I try to wear minimal footwear.  There's a lot of reading on why minimal footwear is better on our feet in the long run.  My daughter has been going barefoot for years now!  I'm not quite at the barefoot stage but I do like minimal shoes.  Our feet are our foundation and there's so many little bones and muscles in there!  If we are constantly wearing "support" on our feet, then they don't have a chance to move and strengthen and will affect us as we age.  Here's a great list of minimal footwear!

Another thing we do is play on the playground a lot.  When we are walking and find a playground, we stop and climb and swing and hang.  There's so much to do to move your bodies in different ways!  Plus it just makes you feel young at heart! 😊

When we are at home and just watching TV, I'll sit on the floor or lay on the floor.  I'll sit cross legged or on my knees, just mix it up in different ways.  Look at all the ways people sit around the world!

These are just a few things to change now that can really alter the trajectory of the rest of our lives!

Our bodies really do become how we move!

Climbing trees is my favorite!

                                                              And of course hooping!

My shoes!

So how are you moving today?  How is your body changing?  How are you affected? Comment below!

OUCH!

This is me.  After the most excruciating pain of my life.  I've birthed 3 little humans and that was nothing compared to what I experienced yesterday.  If you haven't experienced it you might not get it and you might think I'm being a tad dramatic.  But seriously.  Worst. Pain. Ever.

Kidney stone.

Yep, a teeny tiny little thing can be the cause of enormous pain.

I was sitting at work feeling fine when all of a sudden my stomach started getting upset and then wham.  Felt like a ton of bricks just slammed into my back.  It was radiating to the front within an hour.  I booked on out of work and barely drove to my chiropractor.  I really don't know how I made the 30 minute drive.  I could hardly shift  because my leg was on the side of the stone! Somehow I made it there without passing out.  Larry met me there and she said get to the emergency room!  So we headed out immediately.

I could not get comfortable at all in the car.  I ended up in the fetal position just praying we would get there soon.

Thankfully, they got me back into a room and into a cat scan pretty quickly.  Sure enough I had a kidney stone.  It was about to enter my bladder so they said no surgery, just wait for it to pass. 

I had initially declined any medication.  I never take any meds.  Not even a tylenol.  Ever.  I'm a hippy-dippy, diy, essential oils can cure anything kind of girl.

But after about an hour in the hospital, I said- Give me the drugs!

Immediately, ahhhhhh sweet relief!

Rest of the day I was laid up on the couch, feeling like I'd been beat up in a street fight.

I wouldn't wish one of these on anyone!  I pray I never experience it again!

How about yall?  Anyone experience this kind of agony before??

Tips for Travelling

I absolutely love to travel!  I've had the privilege to go to lots of places but my favorite is Europe!

I've been to Ireland, England, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania,  and Moscow!   And that's just in Europe!  I've gotten to go visit around 30 countries so far. According to the Visited App, I've seen 13% of the world!

I have a friend that is planning a six week tour of Europe this summer and I just get so excited thinking about her trip!

I know that these kind of trips are so eye opening.  They expand your horizons.  They broaden your thinking.  You learn so much history.  You see some spectacular things.  And your love of travel will deepen.  The more you see, the more you will want to see!

So, what's my biggest tips on travelling overseas?

Before you go & packing:

Packing cubes -  These are absolutely essential for packing!  They keep everything nice and organized and you can fit so many more things in your bag.  As you go through the trip, you can keep your dirty clothes separated too.  Love using these!

Pack light - Europe has lots of cobble stone roads and a lot of stairs! You don't want to be wheeling around a big suitcase with those obstacles!  It's much easier to take a backpack. Or at least a small carry on suitcase and a backpack. Pre trip- I usually get everything I think I want to take and dump it in a pile about a week before I go.  Then a few days later, I go through it all again and take out about of third of it.  If you "might" need it then don't take it.  You more than likely won't wear it.  Don't take anything that you won't wear at least twice. Plan on wearing things multiple times. Take more tops than bottoms. Definitely take 2 pairs good walking shoes because there will be tons of walking.

While you are there:

Journal - One of my favorite things after a trip is looking back at my journals.  It's hard to remember all the things I did so a journal is the way to go!  While I'm travelling, I will take my journal and sit at a cafe, drink some lovely coffee and write down the things we did that day.  It's a great way to memorialize the trip and also rest my tired feet and people watch!

Money belt- So I carry a day pack for walking around during the day.  Some sort of cross body bag that I can throw in a water bottle, wallet, my journal, maybe a few snacks.  I also will wear a money belt under my clothes.  This only has emergency credit card and extra cash in it.  If for some reason my bag gets stolen (and thankfully I've never had that happen) I can have some extra cash and a card. On this same note, keep a photocopy of your passport and cards in you luggage and with your family at home. That way if anything happens, you will have the information to cancel cards or go to the consulate for passport. You do not need to carry your passport around during the day- just keep everything safely locked up at the hotel.

Money out of atms - I've found the best way to get money exchanged is to just get it out of the ATMs there.  It's a pretty good exchange rate and it's very convenient.  Just make sure and tell your bank before you go that you'll be travelling and the dates.  There is sometimes a foreign transaction fee but it's no more than a couple dollars usually. ATMs are everywhere there- mostly on the streets and most places take cash over cards.

Rick Steve's books - I can't tell you enough how helpful these books are!  He has all kinds of tips on seeing things on the cheap, where to stay, how to get tickets for attractions, very helpful maps.  He has some great self- walking tours, must see things in each city, etc.  Just find the book for the place you are going and read it / highlight it as you are travelling there for your must sees!  His website is also super helpful!

Ride metros - Every major city will have a metro.  Get to know them!  They are usually a great way to get from place to place.  You will see the locals and experience the culture!

City tourist cards - In a lot of the places, you can buy a City Pass card.  These cards will offer several of the big tourist attractions at one discounted price.  Most include a hop on/off bus too!

Take lots of pictures - It goes without saying, but take lots of pictures!  Don't forget to get yourself in them too!  I have several framed photos on my walls at home, great memories!

Ditch the souvenirs - The first time I went overseas, I brought everyone back a souvenir, well it turns out people don't really want them.  A better option is to buy postcards wherever you are.  You can mail them home of just put them in your bag (plus- they don't take up any room!)

Tours vs On your own

I've done it both ways, tours and on my own.  There are pros and cons to both.

Pros of a tour:
You don't have to plan where you are staying and what you are seeing.  There is free time too.  Most of the dinners and breakfasts are included.  Sometimes tours can be less expensive because it's a package deal. Here's where we've done most of our tours.  We did this one to Ireland.

Pros of on your own:
You can plan your trip how you want.  You are flexible if things change. You can stop as long as you want at places.

Also-- I've only in the last few years started bringing my hula hoop!  It's totally do-able and I love hooping at cool landmarks and pretty places!  I've got a hoop that you can Twist & Go and also a snap together one!  Check them out! Made by the lovely Geri!


So, where will you be going on your next adventure??

Steppin it up

I love my Fitbit.  I've been using it now for about 4 years-ever since I got a desk job and my life suddenly became very sedentary. 

I had read all the articles about sitting is the new smoking etc.  I went from raising 3 rambunctious  kids and being very active. I then switched to a retail job and was constantly on my feet.  But then I got an office job and whoa....  I got very very stationary. And so about 4 years ago, I decided to count my steps and see how much I really was moving.

I'm real goal oriented so I like the idea of "getting all my steps in" during the day.

But at first I just wanted to see how much I moved.  So I wore my Fitbit and went about my day as normal.

Turned out I was walking about 5000 steps a day.  So I set my first goal at 7000.  It was do-able and I didn't want to get too discouraged by not meeting my goal every day.  Then after several months of meeting this goal, I upped it by 1000. And as time went on, I gradually increased so that my goal now is 11,000.

Even in my office job, where I sit most of the day, I can reach this goal. It does take a little preparation though. 

So, how do I incorporate this movement during the day?  Well, here's just a few things: 

I walk during lunch. After I eat, I use the rest of my lunch hour for walking.  If it's nice, I walk outside. If it's hot, or rainy, I'll walk in the grocery store, or Walmart or Target.  Just up and down the aisles for at least 30 minutes.

I get up a lot during the day.  At least every hour, I'm up.  Any excuse to get up and move around.  I'll get up to take something to someone's desk.  I'll get up to walk down the hall.  I'll get up to go up and down the stairs.  Just any reason really.  I just don't sit at my desk for longer than an hour at a time.

I always go on a walk after work with hubby.  It's a great time to spend together time.  We love hiking trails or just walking to a restaurant or walking around the mall.  It's a great way to encourage each other and enjoy each other's company.

Even at home, if we are we are watching tv, I'll walk up and back and up and back the entire show.

If I'm on the phone, that's a great time to walk around and around.

I park a long way from the entrance of a store on purpose! 

My hula hooping is also a great way to work up some steps!!  Especially to a live concert! I get loads of steps then!

I also like to have little mini goals throughout the day.  1000 steps before work.  2500 before lunch.  5500 after lunch.  6500 before I leave from work.  Little goals to help me reach my daily 11,000 goal.

So it is possible, even with a desk bound job.

I'd love to raise my goal again.  I'll inch my way up so that I'm eventually at 15,000.  I unofficially have that as my weekend goal now!

A great book that really inspired me was this one by Katy Bowman. she talks about more than just exercising an hour a day but really focusing on the movements our bodies make throughout the day.  Check it out!

So what's stopping ya!  Let's get moving!

Father's Day

Father's Day is Sunday.

My dad and I have a lot of great memories together.  I get a lot of my nerd-iness from my dad- in a good way of course.

I like PBS shows because of my dad.  We grew up watching Nature and Nova and Masterpiece Theatre we were learning all kinds of things about the world. 

I like camping and being outdoors because of my dad.  Dad was always an outdoorsy guy and took us camping and to state parks.  I love that we had that as a family.

I love to work puzzles because of my dad.  Dad and I used to always have a puzzle going.  The more pieces the better.  One time we even flipped it over to the blank side and worked it that way!

I like music because of my dad.  Dad always had some kind of country or folk type music playing.  He knew all the words and could just belt them out.  Some of my favorite memories are singing songs in the car together on long trips.

I love to read because of my dad.  Dad was a big time reader.  Anytime he was sitting or laying down, he had a book in his hand.  I learned to love poetry, history, biographies, and the encyclopedia because of him.

My relationship now with my dad is drastically different.  Alzheimer's has taken him from us in so many ways.  He's still in there.  He still has his laugh and his smile.  I'm learning how to relate to him now.  Things are different but he will always be my dad.  And for that I am most grateful.

I am who I am today because of him.

For a glimpse of his writing--check out this book of his stories!

Happy Father's Day!