Grateful

Life is always good, but the last few weeks I've been focusing on starting the week with a list of things I'm grateful for.  And not only having a list, but reaching out and expressing my gratitude towards special people in my life.

So in efforts to keep this exercise going, I wanted to write about some things from this last week that I'm feeling grateful for.

*Grateful for an opportunity to sleep in this Monday morning, have a relaxing morning to organize my week, and center myself.

*Grateful for an opportunity to participate in Sunday's church service by serving communion.  I have always felt a calling to serve, but unfortunately it is rare that I actually act on that calling.  So when Pastor Kris approached Pete and I to help Sunday morning, I was delighted.  I loved getting the chance to bless the children whom have not yet had their first communion.  The suggested blessing being "My God bless you, and may you always know how much Jesus Loves you."  I love that last part, and felt the love of Jesus through me as I passed those words on to the precious children of Easter.  Grateful for that opportunity.

*Grateful for an opportunity to clean our home Saturday evening, and grateful for our home.

*Grateful for the beautiful, crisp, cool fall weather.  It is truly my favorite time of year.  The sky is crisp clear blue, the trees still a vibrant green.  Looking forward to watching them change colors.

*Grateful for a fun day of birthday celebrations yesterday with family.  Grateful for the incredible Niece and Nephews my Sister has blessed me with.  It has been an absolute joy over the last 6 years to visit them and always be greeted with infectious smiles and big (little) hugs.  The joy of being an aunt is one of my greatest joys.

*Grateful for relaxing time with Peter this weekend.  We both awoke rested Sunday morning and decided to go get breakfast, got coffee, attended church and then to my sisters for the birthday party.  We arrived home last night from the birthday party and efficiently prepared lunches for the week (grilled pork loin, grilled chicken, steamed green beans, & cooked carrots), and then settled in to catch up on our recent Breaking Bad addiction.  We had two episodes to catch up on including the newest installment this week.

*Grateful for the Human Resources department(s) of Life Time Fitness.  They put in a lot of work to support all of the employees, and during this time of year especially with Open Enrollment.  I have had some great people helping me get my own benefits organized, and they have assisted and permitted Peter to be enrolled in my benefits.  Which is a pretty awesome thing.

*Grateful for my work family.  It is a pleasure to work with such amazing people.  People who are not just acquaintances, but are dearest friends.

*Grateful for my PT clients.  Thankful for their efforts, their progress, and their challenges (as they allow me an opportunity to grow and to learn).  Also grateful for their love.  Grateful for my Massage Clients, especially David; who has let me into his life (sharing his joys, concerns, pictures of his grandchildren, etc).  Friday I got the opportunity to attend a Big Band event that he plays in; he plays Trombone.  It was delightful to see him in action doing something he is so passionate about; and it was a treat to see so many, 'life experienced' individuals, enjoying in music and dancing.  Although Pete and I were the youngest people by 40+ years at the event, it was evident that at heart they were all so youthful as they smiled and danced the night away.

*Lastly, I'm grateful for today.  Grateful for the opportunity to have a girls day at the Mall with my sister and Ella.

Hope everyone has a blessed day full of gratitude and joy
.

Super-sized Ketchup Packet

Krikey.  It's been too long (sorry Mom), summer has been busy.  Its time to fill in the gaps.

*Pete and I typically work 10-13 hour days, Monday through Saturday.

*Pete is in the Tree Trimming business and loving it (most days).  After a year and a half of lackluster employment through a contracting company at target.com, he left to work for a family friend (http://www.aspenwalltree.com/).  He has worked seasonally for family friend Brent Aspenwall, since his high school years.  Brent graciously took him back under his wing, and Pete has really enjoyed learning the ins and outs of the Arborist Trade.  REALLY enjoying it.  Pete is constantly talking about trees, the types, the care; he curiously scopes out other companies as they work, rattling off the various equipment they are using.  Excitedly does side jobs for family members as needed.  Due to some nasty summer storms, the crew has been quite busy, but Pete's content in working with his hands and not navigating a desk leaves him a much happier camper than when he was at Target.  Plus he gets to drive big trucks and do all that boy stuff, while wearing safety green and hard hats etc.  (a much better fit for his personality and passions if you ask me!)

*As my dad would say, I've been busier than a one legged man in a$$ kicking contest.  Technically my workschedule is Tuesday through Saturday; however Mondays and Fridays I have been working with Life Time's MyHealthCheck business, providing health screenings for all Allina employees.  Essentially we provide health screenings and 'health scores' for companies human resources so that their employees can be rewarded for good health through discounts on their health insurance premiums.  It also provides education and awareness about employee's health.  Which in the big picture, healthy employees = productive employee's.  None the less, from 6:00am - 1:00pm, on Monday's and Friday's you can find me at various Allina Hospital locations facilitating health screenings.  Which means I only truly get Sunday's off in my busy schedule.

*Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday you can find me running around Bloomington North Life Time fitness working with clients, classes, at meetings, working out, etc.  Still absolutely loving what I'm doing. And LOVE the people I work with. One (of the many) things I LOVE about Life Time Fitness is that there is constantly new things to learn, ways to excel, and room for growth professionally.

*I just finished a month long certification for Weight Loss Coaching.  This involved extensive education surrounding the Weight Loss culture at Life Time fitness, and how to essentially coach someone along the process of understanding their own weight loss journey.  Life Time is a RBC culture, or a Results Based Culture.  So a big part of the WLC certification and job is being able to navigate through the various resources we have to offer in order to get our members results.  Some of those resources include Lab Testing, Metabolic Testing, Supplements/Nutritional Coaching, and supplemental devices for health/wellness.  Reading that sentence gets me all sorts of geeked up.  SO AWESOME.  In addition to being a Weight Loss Coach, I have the awesome opportunity to be the Lead Weight Loss Coach at Bloomington North - which is quite an honor, since we have some terrific trainers and will be creating a one of a kind Weight Loss culture at Bloomington North under the lead of the Brilliant Jen Ahlberg.

*For me, part of the WLC lead is the Nutrition Team Lead also.  Although this role is currently under some editing in the company, the role will essentially remain at Bloomington North.  Some of the roles/responsibilities include making sure our team and team members have the education they need to understand and represent the nutrition philosophy and products that LTF has to offer.  Not to mention some of the smaller day to day tasks of maintaining the Nutritional Product inventory, as well as doing product sampling and seminars for our members.  So my plate has been (happily) full with my training business, as well as continuing education and taking on these new roles.  I do still have to do an in person test out/interview with one of the corporate leads for WLC, so that will be coming up in the next two weeks!

*With the WLC role, I will be going to a Metabolic Testing certification tomorrow.  So once again, continuing to add to my tool belt.  After all, dad always told me to 'make your self valuable', and 'bring something to the table'.  Well, I'm continuing to work on my arsenal.

*On top of everything I listed above, I have had the pleasure (insert eye roll here), of being called for Jury Duty.  Fortunately I have been able to aquire "Call-In Status".  Which means that I call in the night prior (at 6:30pm) to see if I have to report down town to the Government building at 8:15 the next morning.  Then I also call in at 12:15 to see if I have to book it down town by 1:30 that very day.  So it has been a little more stressful managing my busy schedule this last week, having to communicate to all my clients that there is a chance I may have to cancel on them, in order to fulfill my civic duty.  I have one week left of my duty, and actually need to make my 12:15 call right now.  Pause and insert on hold music here. Wahoo.."NO Jurors to report this afternoon".  It is quite a sense of relief when I hear that report.  Gets me pretty excited for the rest of the day.  So I'm going to wrap this post up and get out and enjoy that sunshine.

*Last weekend was the start of the Fall 90 Day Challenge.  I'm not going to go into great detail right now, as it deserves a post on its own.  But Week two is going to be a good one.  Although it is not one of my goals, I have to report that as a result of my focus on some specific things, I decided to be a little spontaneous this last weekend.  While I was at work Saturday morning, Pete sent me a text asking if I wanted to go to Chetek to visit some of my family 'up north'.  I live and die by my planner and scheduling everything in my life, so when curve balls are thrown at me (even fun ones), sometimes I experience significant stress and anxiety.  But I truly think that because I have been taking care of myself (due to my 90 Day goals), I was up for some adventure.  So after I got done with work, Pete and I hopped in his truck and drove to the lake.  After working two weeks straight, without a day off, with the stress of coordinating 90 Day weekend, and dodging jury duty...kicking my feet up around a camp fire was INCREDIBLE.

*Then, icing on that cake, I got together with my mom and my sister Sunday afternoon to catch up and get pedicures.  Great stuff.  Love getting together with them for some girl time, to laugh, and relax.  Will have to get a little people fix next weekend, as its been awhile since we have spent quality time with the Pechacek kids as well as Mr. Colton.

*A few other updates - Wedding: we picked a date, September 20th, 2014. :)  At first I was a little stressed at picking a date, and just was surreal to think that THIS date, will forever have a significant place in our lives.  But now typing that out...September 20th, makes me smile so big.  We have the church taken care of and reserved; we are meeting with our (potential) reception site on Friday, and slowly piecing together our dream day and plans.

Like I said, time to enjoy the freedom of a day off. I do have to go in for one client, but I'm working on staying firm on my No work Monday boundaries.  I'm a work in progress.

Have a FANTASTIC day.  Feels good to be back on the blogosphere. :)  Love ya mom ;)

Knocked Down..

Because I have almost always used the written word to digest my thoughts, feelings, and emotions...by default, this blog has turned into my own sounding board.  Tonight and most nights, it is also my avenue for talking myself off the ledge (metaphorically), and as a result is often where I go to dive into my faith.

While I have strong faith and am proud of my Lutheran upbringings, I rarely talk to others about religion.  If someone who didn't know me in the real world were to read this, they would likely pin me for a resounding gong or clanging symbol. Rather, my faith is just my inner beacon and compass to follow.  I just felt the need to explain that connection and the continued subject matter of the bible and verses I explore in past and present posts.

So.  Here I am.  Again needing some faith and some uplifting.  LONG story short, there have been a couple occasions in the last few months, tonight being one of them, that mistakes (of mine) have been brought to my attention.  As an Achiever (See Post: Strengthfinder 2.0), I have always held myself to a ridiculously high standard, almost to a fault.  So although I truly do want constructive criticism, it is still a hard experience for me to swallow defeat in the wake of making mistakes.  I just want to do right by people, and I genuinely give 120% of myself to all tasks.

I need to remind myself in this particular situation that surfaced today, that I did the best I could with the resources I had.  I need to embrace this situation in order to build upon the experience and become even better.  I think about the quote I long ago came across, "When the Japanese mend broken objects, they aggrandize the damage by filling the cracks with gold. They believe that when somethings suffered damage and has a history it becomes more beautiful."

In search for more solace from being knocked down, I came across an entry in my favorite "Common Life: Daily Challenge" book titled: A Cure for Low Self-Esteem.  "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb...You saw me before I was born.  Every day of my life was recorded in your book.  Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed." -Psalm 139: 13, 16

Tony, always has great insight, but his words in this entry both made my eyes well up with tears and made me feel encompassed by Gods love.  Following is an excerpt from Tony:

"One of the most important truths I want to impress on you is this: You were created by God.  You've probably heard that before - maybe so often that it has lost its meaning.  So take a minute to let it sink in.  You were created by God!  Before you were ever born, He knew who you would be.  you are designed with a unique combination of abilities, interests, and passions that has never been before and will never be seen in anyone again.  he knows every detail of your life and carefully planned the way you were made. 

Not only that, you are created for eternal impact.  Your one-of-a-kind design was intended to last.  He guards over your purpose and destiny, He is aware of all your needs, an He watches you even while you sleep.  Jesus told a crowd that God takes care even of the birds of the air and the lilies of the field.  If He does that for them, how much more dose He do for you?  You are intentional part of His plan.  You are family, and He is your Father; He designed you for incredible purposes."

I will continue to read this entry over and over.  If anyone wants to start an "Uncommon Life: Daily Challenge" book club...this girl is game.  Or just keep following along with me and my posts, maybe shoot me a couple prayers or good vibes, whatever you believe in.

Escape: Out of the Spotlight

Since I didn't blog this weekend, and I was in need of a little escape from the stresses and craziness of this world...here I am.  I cracked open my neglected "Uncommon Life: Daily Challenge" book to reflect on the entry from yesterday, June 11th.  It was titled, Out of the Spot Light.

Colossians 1: 10-11.  The way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit...You will grow as you learn to know God better and better...You will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need.

First of all, I hope to remember this on Saturday during the Triathlon that Peter and I are participating in, in the Ball & Chain division to be precise.  Meaning, we complete all three legs of the race together; 2 mile canoe, 11 mile bike, and 3 mile run.  This will be my mantra - you will have all the endurance and patience you need.  Lets hope so.  I have not done much endurance/cardio training recently, and patience as we work together will also be required.

Tony (Dungy), goes on to reflect on this passage and the "look at me" attitude often seen in professional sports these days, as well as in past greats.  This "look at me" attitude can have many different outcomes, but most often it isn't very appealing; causing us to be depicted as self centered and prideful.

I can't really think of anywhere in the Bible that proclaims: "Speak highly of yourself, praise yourself."  Rather, whatever field, avenue, or passion we work in, our job is to do the best we can and let our attitude, work ethic, gifts, and skills speak volumes.  As Dungy says, "eventually others will notice, and that will mean much more to us and to them, than if we had to make them notice with our mouths...God honors humility, not pride."  Love that.

This also makes me think of something my dad has always said; "Bring something to the table."  For me, I feel like this is what drives me.  Doing the best I can, letting my attitude, my work ethic, and my gifts (what I bring to the table) speak volumes.  I don't feel like I was ever a vocal leader in any of the leadership roles that I had.  But rather I was a quiet leader, letting my attitude, work ethic, values, loyalty, dependability, and gifts speak to my team mates and peers.

As I grow professionally as a Personal Trainer, I need to remember to keep doing this - as it will pay off in the long run; with clients, peers, and with my own self worth.  It is what I know is right, and I know that (with everything) if I put the time and energy into being my best self...it will pay off.

Plus...I will be strengthened with all his glorious power so I will have all the endurance and patience I need.  So keep on - keepin' on.  Embrace the grind, and adopt humility.

Influence: June 2

Influence: June 2.

After I taught my Body Blast class Sunday morning, I stopped by a Caribou Coffee on my way home.  Not just for a treat after a crazy week, but to take a few minutes to dive back into my "Uncommon Life: Daily Challenge" book (by Tony Dungy).  This was a fantastic part of my day, and I enjoyed it greatly, but little did I know that 12 or so hours later, it would come full circle and be even more meaningful.

I departed Caribou (with an Americano in hand), and went to pick up Peter for church.  Sunday was the first day of outdoor worship at Easter Lutheran.  It. Was. Perfection.  Everyone brings their own lawn chair, coffee is welcome, and as always the worship is fantastic; to top it off, the sky was a beautiful blue, with a few wispy clouds, the grass and surrounding trees are a lush green from all the rain we have received.  The birds were chirping, the band was on display on the gazebo, and our favorite pastor was leading.  

What made this service even more moving, was getting to see - for the first time, in action - the place that Peter and I plan to get married.  It was so beautiful, and Completely, with a capital C, sealed the deal on wanting to have our ceremony at the outside location of Easter Lutheran.  

Aside from the fresh air and beautiful scenery, as usual, the sermon was thought provoking.  Pastor Kris spoke of a parable, about a congregation of ducks.  They waddle to church on Sunday morning, quack along with the songs and prayers, and then simply waddle back home.  The point being, we were made to fly.  Many of us waddle to church and just waddle back home, rather than be lifted and moved by the word, and motivated to change our lives and those lives around us by being loving, and grace giving followers.  

As we departed church, we ran a few errands, as we wanted to spend a gift card that was burning a hole in our pockets.  While browsing at Home Goods, a strange sound and commotion caught my attention.  I looked up and saw a few aisles over, a later-middle aged man trying to help up his friend.  It appeared that the other, older, gentleman who had fallen had some developmental challenges and had one amputated arm.  The man successfully got his friend up after a little struggle.  I cautiously resumed browsing, only to hear a big crash yet again.  I dropped my items and briskly approached the two, lending a much needed hand and shoulder to lean on.  The man expressed his frustration to me that this store did not have a wheel chair for his friend, and that he had a condition that had flared up, causing him to be unable to stand. 

I motioned for Pete (who was in a neighboring department) to come over, and we held up the man until an associate could find a chair for him to rest in.  Now, I truly don't tell this story in hopes to impress people or get brownie points.  I want to go back to my "Uncommon Life: Daily Devotional" experience that morning.

Each entry dives in to a particular bible verse.  June 2nd's verse was as follows: "Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." Ephesians 4:29.  A good verse, yes.  But what Tony Dungy wrote for further exploration of that verse, proved to be incredibly and almost eerily pertinent for that day. "...And somewhere out there someone needs a lift to get through the trouble.  The number of people who need a word of encouragement and a lift in their lives is growing.  It is our duty to be that voice and hand of encouragement to everyone we meet..."  

I actually didn't process that devotional passage until later that night, when I connected all the dots.  Ephesians & Tony's words, the sermon from church that morning, the incident in Home Goods.  I honestly thought, wow..."word of God speak", and LITERALLY.  Not even in an analogy.  "Someone needs a lift..".  Its amazing what we hear from Him when we listen, sometimes is obvious, sometimes its clear as mud.  But when you do hear him, it feels pretty incredible.

I encourage you to look around and reach out, it is true, the number of people needing encouragement is great.  And what is amazing, is that in lifting others up, I guarantee you will feel as though your own wings are spreading a little more.


Side Note: The rest of our Sunday was pretty fantastic.  Relaxing outside, Pete tending to the smoker, taking some batting practice, watching a movie on the couch, big victory at our softball game, and a victory in the FitBit game (10,000 steps per day).

Hungry for Change

After a busy and fun day at work Saturday, I came home and just wanted to veg.  It felt great.  And I actually didn't have feelings of guilt like I often do when I'm being "unproductive".  It was a needed time to relax and just be mindless.

I watched a movie, Blue Valentine, because, well lets be honest, Ryan Gosling is in it; and I needed a mindless chick flick.  But after that, I decided to watch a documentary that I have heard a lot about at work from a coworker - Hungry for Change.  It was great, frightening, and inspiring all at the same time.  Hungry for Change "exposes shocking secrets the diet, weight loss, and food industry don't want you to know about.  Deceptive strategies designed to keep you craving more and more.  Could the foods we are eating actually be keeping us stuck in the diet trap?"

Here is just a list of general ideas/facts/topics that it revealed:

*As a nation, we are overfed and under nourished.  We are starving on a nutritional basis at the cellular level.

*We take in food (nutritionally empty foods), and our bodies are still starved from a nutritional stand point.  So our bodies tell us to keep eating to solve that problem, but we continually feed our bodies nutritionally void foods.  Which causes a perpetual cycle, and the obesity epidemic we are drowning in.

*We live in a world of ease, (think technology, fast food, instant gratification) and in a indoor world - these factors combined, too add to the epidemic that we do not utilize our bodies (or minds) to their full capacity   This in turn causes people to turn to doctors, who can only actually prescribe medication to band aid the symptoms of our issues.

*Culturally, we understand that drugs (cocaine, nicotine, alcohol) are addictive, but we need to realize that so much of our "food" sources today are actually engineered the same way; engineered to be addictive.

*In the example of cigarettes, companies KNOWINGLY added more nicotine to MAKE them more addictive.  Food companies do this SAME thing with their food products.  Why is that not also deemed WRONG.  Why should this be any different than handing out cocaine?

*There was a brief clip from Jamie Olivers TED talk, revealing just how much sugar children consume these days.  Long story short, he compared feeding and shoving sugar laden foods at our children the same as rolling up their arm and shooting them up with heroine.  Now, dramatic...maybe, but sugar IS a drug.  It has the same physiological responses in our bodies.  So, with that said, perhaps feeding our children these chemeically engineered and sugary foods, is actually child abuse. (I know many people who read that will shrug it off as too extreme, but I do think we need to change the paradigm and adopt this as true.)

*MSG (monosodium glutamate).  Whoa, interesting stuff there.  In the science field there is a term called "MSG induced mice".  This is the process that they use to make mice fat.  And yet MSG is found in everything from soups, salad dressings, meats, even baby food and infant formula; statistically in 80% of all modified foods.  Why do we think that should be okay to consume and be present in our foods?

*Side effects of MSG don't just stop at "fattening mice" and humans.  MSG is linked to Alzheimers,  damaging of nerve cells, headaches, depression, and other neurological issues.  In regards to nerve damage, MSG is considered an Excitotoxin.  Meaning it excites our cells to the point of damage and death.  Which is actually an incredibly addictive process itself; as we experience a momentary phase of elation and joy.

*This excitotoxin experience is also what fuels the giant, billion dollar beverage industry - the soda industry.  In addition to MSG, caffeine and aspartame is found in soda.  This chemical potion kills our cells, specifically our brain cells, but with excitement.  *ahem*SameAsCocaine*ahem*.

*While on the note of DIET sodas, lets discuss artificial sweeteners.  They cause Carbohydrate cravings.  Simple as that.

*"But the FDA approved x,y, z to be produced based on studies conducted.."  Well, those studies are funded and conducted by the food and beverage companies that create the products.  Why WOULDN'T they create studies that support their products?  And on that note, marketing LIES.

*Marketing Lies, an example.  The cereal, "Blueberry Pomegranate Total.  Contains NO actual blueberries or pomegranates.  It actually contains propylene glycol; which is also can be used to winterize RV's, and is what is used to clean out your GI track before a colonoscopy.  But sure, lets put it in cereal.  NOM NOM.

*We are constantly berated by over 75,000 synthetic chemicals in our environment.  Gross.  and.  Wrong. And we wonder why we are obese, depressed, and hopeless as a nation when it comes to health (and many other things).

I'm going to leave this post at that.  So just let all that seep in.  Think about it.  I'll post again about some other more hopeful topics that "Hungry For Change" presented.  If you get a chance, watch Hungry for Change (it's on Netflix right now)...its well worth your time.

Do What Works.

"The Best Plan is the one that works for you."

This is still one of the most beneficial and profound statements made from my friend, trainer, and boss-lady.  She said it probably 3 years ago, but it still holds true in so many circumstances.  I often have clients who follow plans that aren't exactly what I or LifeTime would recommend, but truly if it's what works for you, then its what needs to be done.

We often lose sight of this approach, but in recent conversation we talked about the importance and validity of simply doing what works for you.  Since I've struggled quite a bit over the last half a year in my health & fitness goals (I'll leave out the excuses), I thought it would be a good time for me to really think back to what works for me.

I feel best when I am strong, and am lifting heavy, but at a higher intensity (Cardivascularly speaking).  On a regular schedule.  With a program design vs. spur of moment whatever I feel like that day.

I feel best when I am feeling strong, sturdy, dense, and lean.  When my clothes fit.  And by clothes I do not mean sweats, yoga pants, and items with no waist line.

I feel best when I incorporate running into my regime.  Mid distances 2-3 times a week, outside.  Soaking up Rays and SWEATING, rocking out to tunes.

I feel best when I have adequate time for my workouts/lifts and don't feel rushed.  However, I am more focused on my runs when I have a small window of time to fit them in (plus then I run faster/harder.)

I feel best when I use a pre-workout supplement, as well as BCAA's, and glutamine.  I was on my no caffeine kick for a while, but I caved about 3 weeks short of my 90 Day goal.  I don't feel like I need caffeine to get through my day, but right now I need caffeine to get jacked and a better pump from my workout.  I'm not proud of that, but it just is what it is.  Do what works, right.

I feel best when I go to bed by 9:00pm.  Now, I usually won't fall asleep at 9, but I at least start the wind down process by then.  During the week I usually beat my alarm clock by a few minutes and start waking up around 4:58am, am feet on the floor by 5:12am, and to work by 5:55am.  Which then goes into the next bullet point.

I feel best when I am prepared.  This means have my lunch organized for the next day, my clothes laid out or set aside, my workout clothes in my gym bag, and a general game plan for the day set (for work, workout, and nutrition).  If I leave things up to chance they either won't get done, I'll make poor decisions in the mix of things, and I'll usually be disappointed with myself at the end of the day.  No likey.

I feel best when my house is clean.  Not JUST picked up, but CLEAN.  I hate coming home to house out of order and out of sorts, and especially dirty dishes in the sink.

I feel best when I have a little time to myself each week.  Like today.  I get to do what I want, on my own timeline, I get time to enjoy my workouts, and catch up on the little things (like blogging and studying).

I feel best when I go to church every Sunday.  I enjoy the opportunity to grow in my faith, the time to express gratitude for the many blessings in my life, and the opportunity to be contemplative.

I feel best when I keep processed and inflammatory foods out of my diet.  Including Dairy.  But I'm not giving up my eggs.

I feel best when I get one 'cheat meal' each week.  Usually a breakfast of Paleo Waffles (made with Almond and Coconut Flour) - YUM.   In addition, I feel best when I include controlled complex carbohydrates in my nutrition plan.  Lately it's been sweet potatoes or rice cakes (processed, but minimally).  I'm thinking about incorporating Oatmeal (GF) back in.  It was an ENJOYED staple when I was most successful in my health/fitness goals.

I'm sure I'll come up with some more things that I feel best doing...but for now, that's pretty much my list.

Scratch that.  One more.  And its kind of simple and stupid.  But, I feel best when I shower daily at the gym, and maintain shaved legs and arms.  Its kind of one of those "look sharp - play sharp things".  If I feel clean and smooth, I'll act and live clean.  This one is hard to maintain when living on the go, as well as in the winter.

I'm looking forward to asking others or hearing from others, what their "I feel best" items are.  Time to hit the pavement and rock out some miles.  Be good.

Just good stuff.

Let me paint you a picture.  It's Sunday night. the skyline here in Bloomington is a beautiful light blue with some wispy clouds,  Pete is downstairs tending to a grill FILLED with chicken for the week, I have eggs hardboiling, veggies steaming, Darius Rucker singing, and I look down at my sunburnt arms as I type...Life. Is. Good.

Spring is FINALLY here, in full force.  We made the most of it this weekend.  After work on Saturday, Pete and I headed to Prescott to visit my sister and the kids.  We played outside, sat out on the deck for Dinner, and grilled.  We even played some Pool, enjoyed a Bon Fire, and some laughs after the kids went to bed.  Sunday morning we all had breakfast, got ready for the day, and went outside to play more.  Before we took off, Pete and I took on Dain and Jon in a basketball game (although there wasn't much dribbling going on) with a kick ball and a fisher price hoop.  

It was such a fun time playing with the kids, watching them just run around the yard, playing together, and smiling.  Such a beautiful thing.  

Nolan - Happy Smiley Boy.  I just can't get enough of this picture,  its making me a little misty eyed. 

Siblings all playing together..

Tractor Rides :)

He's getting SO big..almost a kindergarten graduate!

Ella - Our tough cookie.  Skinned up knees and smiles.  LOVE watching her run.  Its ADORABLE.

Helmet for Nolan at all times is just a good idea ;)

Brothers :)

This afternoon, after picking up my Mom and Jack from the airport, Pete and I headed up to meet some of his friends to take some batting practice.  Insert Sun Burn here.  It was refreshing to be on the field and take some swings.  We are ready for the summer softball season to start.  

Well, I better tend to my cooking.  I truly hope everyone had as a blessed weekend as we did.  I feel like a pretty lucky lady.  

Funk Buster

Welp, I think I woke up on the wrong side of the bed.  Or maybe its this incessant winter.  Or maybe its hormones.  Or Fatigue.  Whatever it is...its got me in a funk today.  I just tried to nap it, and a nasty headache off...and I had some luck.  Taking some time to be introspective, to digest my thoughts and visceral feelings, followed by a detailed action plan, is the best funk buster for me.

With that said, without going into the explanation and understanding of why I'm in my funk, lets skip to the motivation and action plan.

Quick side story.  I like reading.  But only in short bouts.  So Daily Devotional books, or books with short, manageable chapters is the only way I can enjoy books.  I'm currently reading Tony Dungy's book, UNCOMMON LIFE (the Daily Challenge version).  Whenever I pick up this type of book, I almost immediately skip to September 24th (my birthday).  I just always want to see what this book has for nuggets of wisdom for my day of birth; to me, its almost like a horoscope.  It was no different for my new interest, UNCOMMON LIFE.

I have a few Bible verses that I like and am drawn to, but now that I flipped to September 24th in Dungy's book, I think I found my true favorite.  

{Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.  Each time he said, "My grace is all you need.  My power works best in weakness."  So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.  That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.}

2 Corinthians 12: 8-10

This passage gives me relief, and in turn hope...that I don't have to be strong.  It's okay to be weak.  Its okay to be troubled.  For in those weaknesses and  troubles His grace is all we need.  I feel like it doesn't excuse us from not living fully, but it has given me permission to be Empowered in my Weaknesses, and to also love myself through them.  Cause He does. 

Action plan for today. 

1. Take it one day at a time. 

2.  Focus on this passage.  

3. Eat Grapefruit daily until Spring surfaces (I seriously think some Seasonal Affective Disorder has got me feeling just blah, so I need some citrus in my life. 

4. Spring clean the you know what out of our place today.  I always function better in an organized and clean environment, and I'll feel better when I get my body moving.  

5.  Wait patiently for my massage next Tuesday.  Massage always seems to "reset" me physically and mentally.  And its been too long since my last massage.

6.  Jams.  Time to cue some up beat, fun, funk busting jams.

7.  Paint my toe nails.  I just looked over and saw a bright coral nail polish staring at me.  Sometimes its the little things in life that help us, and that just might be one of them.

8.  Blog. (Check)  

Thanks for listening, and being part of my plan.  

Its a Rainin' on Sunday...

Nothing incredibly profound tonight, but just checking in for my weekly post.  Enjoyed a busy and productive weekend all around.

Friday night date night - grabbed a bit to eat with the Rivera family (Maggie, Angel, and Colton) before heading to the Minnesota Zoo to watch Jurassic Park IMAX 3D.  It was a fun night, and there were many parts of Jurassic Park that I had forgotten about.  All of which scared the daylights out of me as the various dinosaurs game jumping through the screen.

Saturday - I was at work bright and early, so I could take off early as we headed towards Mankato to attend a wedding.  The wedding was the celebration of Lindsay (a former college basketball team mate) and Andy.  They truly are a great couple and everything was beautiful, and an opportunity to catch up with friends we hadn't seen in quite a while.  With a busy week ahead, we did decide to make the drive home that night.  It felt GREAT to climb into bed just before midnight.  (not the mid night part, but the enjoyment of the conclusion of a great day).

Sunday - Make note of this, but Peter was right.  He predicted I'd wake up at 7:30.  And it was 7:34 on the dot, which is actually 7:30 (it's set 4 or 5 minutes fast).  We enjoyed a relaxing morning in bed watching Cars 2, got up, had breakfast, got laundry started, and the house cleaned...all before 10:30 am.  At that point we set off for 11:00 church service.  Hung out with Maggie for a bit, visited Pete's parents, did our grocery shopping, and made our way home.  We just finished prepping our food for the week.  Pete grilled up a bunch of chicken (and some burgers for dinner....see picture...it was amazing), I steamed up broccoli, and roasted sweet potatoes.  We watched some Duck Commander over dinner, and now I am going to go put fresh clean sheets on the bed and hit the hay.  I am covering some classes tomorrow for a coworker (it's her birthday), and I have a 4:00 am alarm clock tomorrow.

High/Low for the weekend (my low being least favorite part, and high my most favorite part)..

LOW: not being able to be at work the whole day Saturday.  The gym has great energy and a lot of great opportunities to connect with clients, always, but especially on the weekends.  But I think its more so of a LOW or a challenge, because my  field (both PT and Massage), we rely on Weekends; so juggling the social calendar can be stressful...or not ideal.  So my low wasn't that I couldn't be there, but more so of the conflicting roles I often am faced with (Professional/Career vs. Friends/Family plans).

HIGH: many highs...don't know if I can name JUST one, so I'll do one for each day.  FRIDAY: just going to the movie.  We haven't gone out to do something for some time...for budget reasons, and just because we are "old" and home bodies.  So it was a treat.  SATURDAY: The wedding, but two specific things.  How incredibly HAPPY Lindsay looked all day...walking down the aisle (both towards Andy, and then again with him after they had been announced as husband and wife), when they entered the reception, during their dance, etc. etc.  That AND, I over heard Andy talking with a guest.  The guest said, "I'm so excited for you...", Andy genuinely replied with a big, and excited smile, "I know, I'm really excited too...".  So just that newly wed excitement, and the excitement of the day and the family and friends being near just beaming through his eyes.  Good stuff.  SUNDAY: although the weather has been down right crappy, I enjoyed the rainy day with Peter.  We got a lot done, and it was nice to have an entire day together, uninterrupted.  We both have been working so hard lately, and sometimes we get sucked into going through the motions of the week.  But it was nice to have a full day of US, and Life.  With out work and other commitments.

Overall a great weekend.  And ready for a new week.

At the wedding...

Apparently Pete wanted Broccoli.  (we only actually got two...he was just being silly -  go figure).

One of my new favorite things...sauteed fresh spinach.  Goes great with eggs!

Road trip to Mankato!

Sauteed onions and mushrooms to go on top of our burgers!

Dinner :) mmmm...now if only grilling WEATHER would join us!

Gettin' my Zen On!

Intentional macro nutrients & food journaling, no electronics after 9:00 pm, new workout program, weekly blogging, monthly massage, nightly research reading, and weekly yoga are a few of the items on my "Do Better at Taking Care of Me" List.  

I find that when I have a list and a commitment to myself, I do better.  Not just do better at those specific items, but just in life.  I stick to a schedule, I make myself a priority, I feel healthier and more vibrant, and ultimately, I can better serve others.  

After only two weeks of this "Do Better at Taking Care of Me" movement, I again have fallen in love with yoga.  I have put it in my schedule, each week, at 4:30 pm.  There is a Warm Hatha Yoga class at Bloomington North;  And these last two weeks at about 5:30, I leave the yoga studio and have such a better perspective on life, and feel completely rejuvenated.

As somewhat cheesy as it sounds, I love the whole "honor your body" PEACE about yoga ;).  Rather than feeling in adequate or comparing yourself to others, it gives you an opportunity to embrace what you ARE capable of.  And I will tell you, improvements come fast in your yoga practice (aside from the rejuvenation).  Even just within practice today, my first Downward-Dog, my calves were SCREAMING and refused to touch the mat. By the end I felt much better flexibility not just in my calves but in my hips and low back.  Which is amazing for me.  Today I could actually enjoy Plow Pose.

I often times move in and out of poses at my own pace, taking a break into Child's Pose....but its welcomed in that environment. I slowly make improvements, and improve my stability and endurance.

I'm excited about my new rituals, but mostly about my Thursday Yoga time.    Namaste :)

Faith.Family.Ducks - Duck Dynasty

It seems as though Duck Dynasty is all the rage these days.  Pete and I have watched a few episodes, he more so than I.  But Peter shared this link with me this last week, and I thought I'd share.

It has caused me to take a second look at tuning in to the show.  I have been watching a few of the video clips (that you can find at the bottom of the story), and I have truly enjoyed listening to these guys give their 2 cents on faith, and hearing about their journey.

things-you-should-know-about-duck-dynasty

A lot of people get on their soap boxes about their faith, and I'm not one to do that.  I'm not one to pressure people to think or believe certain things.  But I do feel compelled to express my gratitude for my own faith journey.  Especially lately.

In the grand scheme of the world, a world of death, starvation, and disease,  I have not experienced a complete rock bottom.  I have, and still do, experience tough times, just like everyone else, but nothing out of the ordinary.  Over the course of my experiences in my 27 years of life, particularly the last 7, I have taken a lot of pride and ownership in my faith.

I can recall the first time I attended a service at Easter Lutheran, and I'm amazed and grateful for how much I've grown in my faith since then.  I was just telling a friend just how much I crave Sundays, and my time at worship.  I crave the opportunity to be educated and challenged.  The chance to grow and to change.  And the opportunity to be grateful for our many blessings.

I think Grandma Andrus nailed it a few weekends back.  She looked at me, after we had been at Colton's baptism at Easter Lutheran, and she said..."You look so centered".  And I was.  Not only had I just witnessed the Baptism of Colton, spent time with family, but I had just spent the morning at one of my favorite places to be - Easter By the Lake.  I truly feel CENTERED and grounded on Sunday's after my time at church.

If you are interested in listening to any of the sermons from Easter Lutheran, they can be found on the website.  One of my recent favorites was from Palm Sunday: Palm Sunday - Pastor Sarah.

Okay, almost impossible to have only one favorite.  Another oldie but goodie: Breathe - Pastor Paul


Faith is yoga for my soul.  It leaves me centered and grateful, and wanting for more.  The guys from Duck Dynasty say: Faith. Family. & Ducks....in that order.  I would have to agree....minus the ducks.  Probably Faith. Family. and Fitness.  Or Food.

Who's on First?

Since I am well overdue for a post, and because my mom begged me to update with a happier post because she was sad to constantly go to my site and see the post about giving up Diesel...here I am.

I wanted to post something light hearted, AND something my mom would love.  I am SO excited to announce that Peter and I, along with a group of my coworkers will be playing on a Slow Pitch Softball team this summer!  We will be playing on Sunday evenings, in St. Louis Park...so I'm sure her and Jack will be in the stands from time to time - which is something they LOVE.  :)

The team is captained by one of my PT cohorts, and a pretty phenomenal softball player in her own right.  She played college softball, on an international team, and still does Pitching Coaching for young Fastpitch players.  A variety of co-eds from Bloomington North Life Time Fitness, and their friends and family will fill in the rest of our team.  I'm so excited to have an activity outside of work to do some bonding with my coworkers; and I'm SO excited to get outside, breathe some fresh air, and hit the field.

Since we have signed up and started talking uniforms, team names, etc. I have had a few softball dreams of big hits.  Peter has been pretty giddy himself, and one of these nights we are going to break out the gloves and play some catch.  

Pete and his buddy are in the den right now, working on Pete's Fantasy Baseball Team; with that and the softball talk, and Easter this weekend, all signs point to spring around the corner.  Now if we can just get mother earth to cooperate and get some of this snow melted so the fields will be ready for our cleats!

Mom, hows THAT for an update ;)

Puppy Love

Well, yesterday was not my favorite day.  Having to say good bye to our furry four legged child was nothing short of painful.  I still feel a weight on my chest and a pit in my stomach.  Our home is awkwardly too quiet without the sound of his paws on the hardwood floor, or his snoring on the other side of the couch.

His former owner expressed his gratitude incessantly.  Diesel completely recognized him and started jumping, wagging, and turning in circles at the excitement of reuniting with his original owner. That both made the situation easier, but a little harder as well.  Once they reunited, I might as well have been chopped liver; which was hard, but I did get quite a few doggie kisses before I departed.

While I do still have a  "I cried a ton yesterday hangover", I know that life will go on...after all that sun did come up today...somewhere out there.  We are gray and overcast here in Bloomington, and it looks like a snow globe out there.  A winter storm warning is upon us, but as I said, life will go on.

I spent the weekend working and on my free time, enjoying my last play date and snuggle time with Diesel.  I'm thankful for not only the love of Diesel, but that I have throughout my life experienced the unconditional love of dogs.  I found a perfect quote on Pinterest yesterday, that is truly helping me cope with our recent loss.

Our FIRST day with Diesel (9.24.12)

One of our last days at the Dog Park.  Showing off  :)

Saturday night snuggles (& snoring)

Handsome...last day @ park.

Was a beautiful Sunday morning, 3.3.13

So long my furry friend. xoxo

Coming Up for Air

Hi family and support group!

I wanted to "come up for air" and update everyone on my life over the last week.  I have been at Life Time Fitness Personal Training Certification.  To people outside of the LTF culture, that doesn't mean much.  But those within, that phrase "PT Cert" is often followed by a dramatic..."Dunnn Dunn Dunnnnnnnnnn".  Just because it is an INTENSE week.  I know that what I've been going through and doing over the last week is probably pretty foreign so I wanted to share a little insight. 

This week has been incredibly intense but AMAZING at the same time.  Monday through Thursday I was up around 5:00am to get to the LTF in St. Louis Park by 6:00 to workout before class started.  It was an expectation that because we work for the "Healthy Way of Life Company", it is imperative that we practice a HWOL.  Each day we would have one or two of the different program leads there to facilitate our learning about the different companies inside Life Time Fitness.  For instance, the Metabolic Testing, the TEAM group Training options, the National Nutrition Lead (my favorite day), etc.  Life Time Fitness has its own Nutrition Philosophy, one that I have for quite a long time adapted myself, so that day was probably my favorite.  These were long days of learning and engaging (which is essentially what we are graded on, participation).  Most nights I would get home around 6 to repack my lunch bag, replenish my workout clothes, review what we learned for the day, practice some of the script, have some dinner, visit with Peter, and then completely zonk out. 

Thursday we had the opportunity to listen to a National Conference call (these take place every Thursday), but this one was special.  John Berardi of Precision Nutrition (basically THEE guy in fitness and nutrition) was leading the call.  I have to disclose that at one point in his presentation, I felt my chest and heart well up with utter joy and fulfillment.  Had I not been in a room with 7 of my peers, and the entire St. Louis park PT staff, I may have had a tear roll down my face.  John was talking about the current state of the Personal Training field, and where it is going.  The reason why this resonated with me so strongly, was because it is exactly what I feel my life's purpose is.  The Personal Training field is moving in the direction of psychology rather than physiology. It's about behavior change and coaching.  EXACTLY what my passion as well as my education (formal and life experience) is about.  So to hear THEE guy in fitness affirm this direction and basically affirm my decision to go into Personal Training was nothing short of powerful.  

So what now?  The test out procedure for Cert Week is completing a Training Solution Appointment on one of my classmates, in front of the Regional Education Director (Mitchell Keyes, reportedly the most strict grader) and Jen, my Department Head (and roommate/best friend). A Training Solution Appointment is an opportunity to sit down to discuss a potential clients goals, and to pair their resources with our solutions at Life Time Fitness. We are graded on our memorization and presentation of the script they provided us, as well as our understanding of all the tools Life Time has to offer, AND adding our own "art" or personality.  An average TSA appointment is 45 to 55 minutes long, and the script they provided us, is about 30-40 pages.  Just to give you an idea of the task ahead of me.

This is/was the most exciting and intense week of my career, and I am so incredibly excited for what is yet to come.  I want to thank everyone for their continued thoughts, prayers, and support as I make this change, and hopefully as I make positive changes in the lives of others.

Balentime's

Happy Foto Friday... and Balentime's Recap.

Wednesday afternoon, a coworker asked if I would be interested in Gopher/Badger basketball tickets.  She had forgotten it was Valentines, and therefore unable to use them.  I think my reply was "ughhhh Chya!"  Pete and I love any (free) sporting event, and especially those border battle games!

Our view of the Barn.  I have to admit, games at William's Arena are a lot more energetic than games at the Kohl's Center.  Like Pete said, a lot likely has to do with the different styles of play.  The Badgers being very laid back and the Gophers having more attack mentality on offense.  I just feel like there is a lot more energy in the barn than there ever is in the Kohl Center.  But then again, I haven't been to a Home Badger game in a while.

Twin Cities Skyline on our way home.

Scene 1: Yay Valentines Date

Scene 2: Ugh oh, we have a tied game!

 

Scene 3: OVERTIME!!!

Scene 4:  Gophers Win!

Scene 5:  Badgers loose, but we still had a fun Balentimes Date.  And yes, he left me hanging...he was probably already singing Ski-U-Ma or whatever.



Thanks again Liz and Lisa for the tickets.  We had a fun night out, and I think I might try out for the Badgers as a point guard.  Because I'm pretty sure my very poor ball handling skills as a post player are better than what they demonstrated last night.  Woof.

Have a great weekend everyone, and carry on the LOVE from Balentime's to the other 364 days of the year!

Ketchup 2: Paparazzi Post

As I previously mentioned in a post, roughly two weeks ago, I wanted to start taking and sharing more photos.  Well, I fell behind in that goal, so here she goes.  A little Paparazzi update on whats been going on in our world lately.

I love winter, but I loathe the boot monster.

Peter redeeming himself after forgetting to pick me up kleenex the night prior....gosh I love that guy.  AND he made me AH Ma Zing Homemade chicken 'n veggie soup!  And little factiod for you, the spice/herb Thyme is good for a chest cold because it helps relax and loosen mucus membranes.

 Wednesday night, Steph and I attended the Lady Gaga concert at the Xcel Energy Center.  And to sum it all up in one word: WOW.  I do have a new appreciation for her and her insane creativity as well as the message that underlies all of her crazy costumes and scenery.  Numerous times throughout the concert, she would pause to climb up on her soap box (while in crazy platform heels and intricate leather costumes), to express her desire for people to embrace who they are, whether they are gay, straight, bi, transgender, black, white, yellow, etc. Pretty cool.

This is how I have been surviving the last 48 hours.  After my shift on Saturday, I came home and crashed.  I started feeling miserable, with a likely sinus infection, and crazy fatigue.  I never like taking over the counter cold medicine, simply because it only quiets the symptoms, and doesn't help the root issue.  So I opted to just sleep, hydrate, drink tea (Gypsy Cold Care & Chamomile Citrus), and use my neti pot.  Additionally, I am starting a 14 day detox on Monday (today, which I will explain in a bit), so I didn't want to take any medications; therefore I sought out some natural home remedies.  I read about the "healing" powers of Apple Cider Vinegar.  A concoction of 1 TBSP ACV, 1 TBSP Honey, and 8 ounces of water, is said to help clear the sinuses and kill bacteria.  It was amazing how well it worked.  Within 2 minutes of choking it down, literally choking (it does NOT taste good), my sinuses would clear up.

14 Day Detox, this actually will deserve a blog post on its own, but announcing that today is my first day on Life Time Fitness 14 day Detox!  Goals of the detox are multiple, but some include dextoxing from Caffeine, sugar, chemicals, and in general allowing your body to be cleansed so it can be more efficient.  The detox consists of two dairy free Fast Fuel Shakes with a Fiber supplement, multi vitamins, fish oil, and a packet of Liver Detox supplements.  Additionally, the nutrition protocol consists of clean whole foods, primarily clean protein sources (free range chicken, grass fed beef, and wild caught fish), cuniferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, spinach, etc), and healthy fats (coconut oil, EVOO, nuts/seeds).  Items you are NOT allowed to ingest are dairy (milk, cheese, eggs, butter to name a few), Sugar (in any form other than in foods/fruit), gluten, caffeine, among a few other things.  Basically NO processed foods also, which isn't an issue for me as I eat pretty clean.  The only big adjustment that I've been working on is the caffeine.  More to come.

As I mentioned, I've been under the weather, and my boys have been taking great care of me.  Diesel has been super snugly and comforting, and he is at the foot of the bed now as I type.  Peter just brought me a bowl of his yummy soup.  I am hoping to make a return to the real world tomorrow!  Can't wait to get back at it!