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.