Category: Uncategorized

“Friendship is a two-way street, it’s that simple” ~Katie Green~

Dear Readers,

When I was growing up, physical fitness wasn’t really an activity that was encouraged in my household and despite a few athletic attempts here (benchwarmer for basketball) and there, it wasn’t really a featured attraction or really talked about in our family.

When I decided to become a parent, I set a goal to be sure that I could keep up with my kid to run or ride bikes. I was not reaching for a number on the scale or pant size, but able to walk a flight of stairs without gasping for air was my goal.

I am proud to say I have spent a good deal of time building a habit of walking and running (a few 5K races)

and have even walked/ran/stumbled 10 miles.

I was cruising toward marathon training when I threw out my back…. ugh! I hated that I had to stop and rest and heal, but it was necessary so I was mature about it and kept working out but in smaller doses. All the silly poses were to keep me motivated!!

Right about the time I felt better enough to start getting my miles back up, world events conspired to put my exercise in my living room, where I danced to videos after my daughter was asleep.

As it turns out, my daughter LOVES the outdoors (she takes after her Daddy) and around the same time I started thinking about getting back to more regular exercise, but still not feeling comfortable going to a gym, I had a brilliant idea! Why not take something she loves (outdoors) and combine it with something I have a daily goal (exercise) to do?

I am going to be honest and tell you my Mom suggested it, about three years ago, but I am stubborn so just now it has occurred to me as my own new and shiny notion. Funny how that works, isn’t it?

So it’s been a week, and much like working out, I really don’t WANT to, till we start and then I am very happy to walk/jog with Vivienne. It serves as a nice bridge from her school day to home.

What I wasn’t expecting was the conversations that have started happening. She has told me epic narratives about leaves and rocks. She also played a game of “Simon Says” with me. I didn’t even know she knew that game! It’s a great opportunity for me to listen to her and to nature.

It’s also very healing knowing I am simultaneously building healthy habits that she will just see as “normal” and that makes my motivation even stronger.

What is something you can do to heal a part of you that is hurt?

Think About It.

“You can go to a pity party, just don’t stay there. ~Joan Ellen Young~

“I’ve always believed If we are going to get past our racial differences it’s going to come from our kids”

~Ruby Bridges~

Think About It.

“Don’t wait for something to affect you personally to take it seriously” ~Jenn Haston~

Five years ago, we made our last payment on debt ever….

As of 11/16/2015, we NO longer had any monthly payments. (Except rent!)

It took the two of us working 5 jobs for 3 years and we did it. We paid off 36,945.91 in 3 years.

Cars, School loans, and many a regret later, a 401K loan. (Boy howdy, do I regret that one!) but it was done! In fact, that was our first debt we paid back to my parents. Told you it was a regret.

Five years later, we are still debt-free. We had a LOT of people tell us that with a kid on the way, this is her—

we would not, could not stay that way, and we have.

Take that, doubters and haters!!

It’s not always easy, because the intentional and continual decision to STAY debt-free comes with sacrificing vacations, and newer cars, and our first house seems very, very, very far off into the future, AND we will get there, because we are a team and getting out of debt together made us a super strong couple.

We have weathered some storms, for sure, and things have tried to break us and those things continue to fail.

We have help, and we ask for and receive advice from couples who have been together a lot longer than we have. You know who you are….

All this to say, marriage is hard and having a goal you tackle together, like finances or parenting… make you stronger.

Grateful to be debt-free, and to have a wonderful partner by my side to do ALL of life with as we continue in our journey, debt free and beyond….

What big goals are you tackling? Who can you partner with to help encourage you along the way?

Think About It.

“What do you need to remove in order to make room for something amplifies you?” ~Jenn Haston~

Dear Readers,

Today I find myself deeply saddened at the passing of someone who I have never met, yet they touched and inspired me as well as 4,199 other people.

This blog post is in honor of Dorothy Carlson, a beautiful soul who is part of a Facebook group that encourages each other in our goals.

The goals vary from losing weight, gaining weight, practicing piano, sleeping with no phone, and many others. No goal is too big or too small and Jon Acuff who started the group set the tone from Day 1- Be awesome, there are many other places on the internet to be hateful and mean, this isn’t one of them. So keep the awesomeacracy sacred.

I’m paraphrasing, but you get the gist.

She was always encouraging other people and working through her own goals. She asked for our advice and took it to heart.

She made a tremendous impact, which I am not sure she or her family knows about. It got me to thinking, how much all of us might not know the impact, the import of what we bring to the table daily, and how often do we doubt that we matter.

I don’t know you personally, but I can tell you without question, YOU DO MATTER. You matter to someone, Count on it.

We created a hashtag in her memory- #DoIt4Dorothy

So whatever you are thinking about doing and aren’t doing, take a deep breath, and step out and be bold and, Do It For Dorothy….

Think About It.

Rest In Peace, Dorothy-

Dear Readers,

I love making lists. Well, that’s not exactly true, what I really love is crossing things off of a list. I find it so satisfying that sometimes I have been known to make a list, just so I can cross off items. I know, I didn’t say it made sense, just that I did it.

But I digress, the other day in a social media group I am part of that is all about goal setting and reaching, a very wise woman named, Rebecca Burgener was moving from “to do” to “did do” and I thought, what a great notion.

I could focus on what I had to do today that did NOT get done or I could focus, like she did, on “did do”

I don’t know about you but my “did do” list is a lot longer than my “to do” list. I think it’s because so much of what you do you aren’t always thinking to add to a list. So without further ado, here’s a sample of my “did do” list. I bet you have one very similar to mine.

DID Do

Laundry for child and self

Made breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Helped child with puzzle and naming items in category “Name three types of tools”

Did French drills

Read a little of my book

Wrote my blog post (well, almost)

You get my point, if you took the time to write down all the things you DID do instead of focusing on your “to do” you are likely to be very impressed with yourself and what you did do. Go ahead, give it a go.

Think About It.