How do you do it?

I think taking care of your health is so important. I also think it’s a struggle for so many mamas out there. Between the busyness, feeling guilty about taking care of yourself, and finding something that works, it can feel impossible to get into a workout routine. But I also know that if you’re a mommy, that means you have little ones watching you very closely. You have daughters looking to you for beauty while at the same time they are seeing supermodels on t.v., you have sons watching how you take care of yourself and whether you know it or not, when they choose a wife one day, the way you raised them will be extremely significant.

So I thought instead of my perspective, this fall I would find a few women I know that I feel are rocking it. They are taking care of themselves and are living in a purposeful way. Lady #1 Molly. Molly is one of those people I couldn’t get rid of, not that ANYONE in the right mind would want to. What I mean by that is we didn’t necessarily choose to become friends, we just kept running into each other. Our daughters went to the same babysitter, then to the same daycare, we began attending the same church; clearly God knew we needed to become friends because He kept placing us together at random places. 7 years after meeting, we participated in a small group together, trained for a half marathon together (and completed it!) and our families have become buddies for sure. She’s encouraging, inspiring, fun and I just love her!

So….I”ll let her take it over, meet my good friend, Molly.

1. What’s your current workout routine?

My current workout routine consists of two hours of Volleyball one time a week and one hour of CrossFit three times per week. I just started CrossFit in the last couple of months and I’m still getting adjusted to it. I have a feeling that as I get deeper into it, I may be practicing a lot of skills at home….can you say “Double Unders”?!

2. Why is it important to take care of your body/health?

I feel that it is so important to take care of your body. I have always felt that way, but now that I have joined CrossFit, I believe it even more. I feel working on your STRENGTH should be #1. As one of my CF trainers recently said…building your muscles, in the way that CF does, prepares you for every day life. It prepares you for those lids that you just can’t quite get off, or those heavy boxes you need to move. Strength/weight exercises are so essential and, I truly believe, are THE most important. So many people have the misconception that to lose weight you must do cardio. That couldn’t be farther from the truth! Building muscles/weight training has been proven to have WAY MORE positive effects on your body than cardio alone (check out this video – https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1732689296991359&id=1724722411121381). We all need to break out of this funk…especially women…DO NOT be afraid of heavy weights! There are NO pills, NO shakes, NO wraps, NO cream…NO magic fix to losing weight, and keeping it off.

3.How do you fit it in to your busy life?

How do I find time to squeeze in workout time with my busy schedule (husband, kids, work, practices, games, Awana, small group leader, LOTS of other ministry work, new LuLaRoe consultant, hanging out with friends/family, etc.)??? I MAKE TIME! You HAVE to! Your life depends on it! Now don’t get me wrong, I was quick to find excuses myself (in the past)…I know that game! Hypothetically, if you get 8 hours of sleep per night (and honestly, who gets that?!) there is still 112 hours left in the week. For me…only THREE of those hours are dedicated to work out! That means I still have 109 hours left for everything else! We have to be honest with ourselves…do we really not have time, or are we just making excuses? Now, I am very lucky to have a supportive, athletic, dedicated husband, who supports me and my fitness goals…and he doesn’t mind me not being home for ONE hour, THREE times a week.

4. How has taking care of your body affected your relationships/life?

Taking care of myself, has had major positive effects on my relationship with my husband and with others as well! Because my hubby is so dedicated to fitness, my personal dedication has led to having more things in common with one another. We can talk about the “WOD” or how our bodies are changing, or just plain encourage each other…what a great aspect to add to your marriage! I feel more energetic, happy, motivated, encouraging, strong, etc….which also leads to positive effects when it comes to any relationship. Extra bonus…I have met and developed relationships with so many new people through CF…also have deepened current relationships further with having a common ground.

5.What do you hope your children take from watching you live this way?

I hope my children learn the value and importance of taking care of your body. God, our Heavenly Father, has given us these bodies to carry us through our lives…they are all very different and very unique. We all carry weight differently, metabolize calories differently, have different strengths/weaknesses, etc. It is very important to keep our bodies healthy and strong, so that we can be healthy and strong for each other for a longer period of time. To take care of our bodies, is telling God that we appreciate what He has done for us, and what He has provided for us…we don’t want to take any part of our lives for granted. Also, I want to teach my children the value of being and staying active. In this digital world we live in today, it’s easy to get caught up with cellphones, tablets, computers, video games and other digital devices…and what are we most likely doing while using these items? Yep…you got it…SITTING DOWN or even LYING down! <—trust me…I’m guilty of this myself!

6.Have you always been active? If not, what changed to make you an active person?

I would have to say that I have always been a pretty active person. Growing up, I was always athletic and enjoyed being active. I played soccer, volleyball, basketball and was a cheerleader when I was young. I was in dance classes as a child and was a Streatorette (dance team) in high school. I played softball almost my whole entire life…even for a few years as an adult. After high school, I slowed down a bit, but started visiting the gym with my boyfriend (now husband) and to try to stay active. The gym stayed very important to my husband (and obviously to this day), but I slacked off a few years here and there. A few years ago, I had some tough times in my life, and decided I needed to change. I was the heaviest I had ever been and was destined to turn my life around. I started the C25K (couch-to-5K) program and became a….GASP…RUNNER! (If you would have told me this is earlier in my life, I would have laughed in your face…my 3 other siblings were track stars…I was not blessed with that talent. I actually remember being told by my dad to “unhook the trailer” as I ran to 1st base at one of my softball games). For the next 2 years, I participated in every 5K event possible. I had met Jami before, but was blessed to cross paths with her because of a mutual friend and this new found hobby…DING, DING, DING, this hobby/workout ALSO connected me with new and better relationships. I also began my heavy weight lifting regimen, thanks to my husbands guidance. I was in the absolute BEST shape of my life at age 30, and felt absolutely AMAZING! After all of those 5K’s, naturally it was time to step up my game. And thanks to *cough* Jami and another mutual friend, we signed up for a half marathon…which we conquered in 2014!

7.What’s your advice for a busy mama wanting to get on some type of a workout routine?

If I could give any advice to the busy moms out there, I would say you have to take care of yourselves FOR your children. If you don’t take care of your body, then who will? I guarantee you will feel more energetic and feel better about yourself. You have to make the time. I guarantee if I told you I had free backstage passes tomorrow night for you to meet Luke Bryan, you would punch a hole in that schedule and make sure to be there! Therefore…whenever it’s time to hit the gym, just tell yourself…”Time to meet Luke Bryan!” Besides, wouldn’t you want to look your best for that occasion?! *Side note…I’m more of an Adam Levine gal myself…but whatever works for you!

Thank you for reading my “workout story”! My wish is that I can speak to the heart of just one busy mom out there and turn her life around. Remember…if not for yourself (which all of us moms are guilty of)…do it for your family. And now, let God speak to you…“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” -Philippians 4:13

She’s amazing right? Her answers make me tear up. ESPECIALLY the end of #2. Let’s do this women, let’s change what the world thinks is beautiful. Each one of you was created uniquely to fulfill a specific purpose, appreciate your body and treat it in a way so that you can live your life to the fullest! Thank you Molly so much for sharing your story, love you lady 😉

Don’t count me out…

A few weeks ago my family headed about an hour away to this small town with adorable boutiques lining the streets. There was a farmer’s market going on, music coming from the speakers, it was a beautiful day. I had been there earlier in the summer with a group of girlfriends and wanted to return to purchase a gift for one of them. Plus, there’s a canal that runs through the town so I thought we could spend some time hanging out there as we aren’t huge shoppers. (Especially boutique shoppers, if you haven’t read my blog before I have 3 children; ages 1, 5 and 7….sounds like fun in a store with a bunch of fragile items packed tightly together right?)

Knowing we would be spending the day with our children, my husband and I planned a picnic near the canal and brought along the kids’ rubber boots and nets in case they could catch a critter. That’s more our kind of day anyway. The girls and I went in to grab the gift I needed, we visited a couple of other shops, stopped at the candy store and then headed to the water. We found a picnic table in the shade and met up with some family and friends to visit.

As we sat and ate, my husband and I noticed a man lying down over on a bench with a bike parked next to him. Clearly, he was either traveling or carrying most of what he owned with him. He had a radio and was relaxing on the bench. My first impression was that he was homeless and it was a scorching hot/humid day and I wished we could help him. Whenever I see someone in a similar situation as this, I always want to help them but I’m at a loss as to how to do it. I don’t have a ton of money, I had some food with me but honestly I didn’t want to offer goldfish and chewed up grapes. And what if I offend someone by offering help? I just never know what to do.

I said a prayer for that man and followed my daughter along the canal to search for turtles. After awhile, I looked over and saw my husband chatting with him. He probably spent over an hour talking with this man and when I glanced over at him I could tell he was intrigued. My husband doesn’t waste his time on things he isn’t interested in, so I was anxious to hear what he had to say when he returned. Finally, he walked over, I smiled at the man and waved and he got in the car. The man had told him all about his life. He had served in the military, had grown children whom he loved very much. He was extremely thankful for all he had and for his life and expressed gratitude for the opportunities he had to serve our country, to raise his family and to live here freely. He reaffirmed to my husband many times that his freedom in this country and spending time with his children were the most important things in life.

We sat there talking about how that man didn’t want our help and as a matter of fact, on that day and all the days since that we have thought about him, he gave something to us. He was completely content and enjoying his life laying on that bench, all he wanted to do that day was listen to the Cubs game. Shame on me for immediately assuming just by looking at him that I was the one who could offer something to him. And even worse, after I made that assumption, I did nothing. Way to go Jami. I literally pretended he wasn’t there. I wasn’t consciously doing that but if I look back and my actions that’s what they showed. I saw a man whom I thought needed help, and I looked away.

In church today our pastor mentioned our “daily bread” and how God provides so much more for all of us than our basic needs and again I thought about our new friend. He was grateful for all he had. If you were to take me and place me in his situation right now, I highly doubt I would be feeling gratitude towards God for my daily bread. But this man truly was thankful.

All he needed that day was the exact opposite of what I did. He needed someone to not pretend he was invisible. Many of the times I looked over I noticed both he and my husband smiling during their conversation. They were chatting like old friends. I hope that my husband made that man feel a bit less invisible that day and that somehow he would know that he has given us such an appreciation for our freedom, family, friends and all that we have been blessed with.

To the gentleman in the park:

If you read this, we appreciated the little time we were able to hear your story and we aren’t counting you out 😉

Thank you for allowing us to learn about your life and giving me the permission to share it here. May we all be more like you.

Tattoos and scars

I spent some time this afternoon reading my Bible ( I bet that’s not how you expected this post to start!) because I felt like I needed some more information on a particular Bible verse….Isaiah 40:31.

You see, a couple of years ago this verse grabbed onto me and held me so tightly that I got it tattooed on my arm and I haven’t regretted it for one single second. It wasn’t my first tattoo, (don’t regret my first one either) not sure if it will be my last, but I genuinely felt I needed it and there have been many instances since that moment walking into the tattoo parlor, where I have benefited from that ink on my arm.

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I could write a book on the whirlwind that was going on for a few years before this final straw, but my final straw was a lump that was mysterious looking and had to be removed. I had been through a few months of watching it with no change, back and forth to visits to the doctor and finally the surgical removal. So, I had the day off work to return to my doctor for the results, especially with two children under four at home I was terrified. You know the cancer/no cancer results. Why can’t they ever call you for that? Who wants to do that car drive seriously?! You sit around all day wanting to vomit or cry or I don’t know… Anyway, I decided I would wake up, go to the gym and then get this tattoo. I was certain that if I had cancer, God would use it for some good and I would need this verse to remind me that I could handle it and if I didn’t I would need a daily reminder that my life would have many more ups and downs and that He has me here for a reason. All those hills and valleys would serve a purpose.

I can’t describe to you how blessed I felt to walk out of that appointment with a positive report. I text my husband and some of my close friends as I sat in the parking lot, but more importantly I was certain that I was here to do a job. The fact that I didn’t have cancer meant that I needed to be using my health to help others and I needed to be taking it seriously. I have been given one body and I try to take care of it the very best I can. Since then, I have refered to my tattoo to help me not grow weary (weary :feeling or showing tiredness, especially as a result of excessive exertion or lack of sleep) when:

My children are throwing fits
My husband is away at military training
I’m on mile 5 of the half marathon I thought was a good idea
I’m STILL running the half marathon
It’s the months of March or April during the home school year 😀
I want to give up anything
I find out someone I love very much has cancer and it’s not going away
A dear child passes away
I’m anxious about all the crazy things I get anxious about!
I’m trying to do a workout even though I”m extremely exhausted
I have no idea what’s for dinner and everyone is hungry
L-A-U-N-D-R-Y
I haven’t actually talked to my husband for more than 10 minutes in like a week (don’t act like that doesn’t happen in your household!)

Anything I’m telling you, I can use this verse for ANYTHING. So, what I learned today while I was reading that the point of this verse was that it was written for comfort for exiles. When I looked it up in my husband’s study Bible it actually said comfort; UNFAILING strength for weary exiles. I love that. Unfailing.

Whatever you are going through Jesus is there and he is unfailing, even if it’s something that is life consuming like cancer or your child throwing a fit. (Which I feel like that can be life consuming as well!)

I’d love to hear your stories behind your tattoos! Please share in the comment section if you’re up for it 🙂