Join Me at Starbucks!

If we were chatting at Starbucks this morning I would share…

that I bit the bullet and signed up for *three* races. My first race will be a ten mile race right here in my home town. It’s on the local rail trail. I am so familiar with the course that there shouldn’t be any surprises. The ten miler is right around the corner, and before I know it August 27th will be here. I also signed up for a 5k in New Hope, PA. It’s called Run Now, Wine Later. I mean who wouldn’t want to run a race the serves you wine at the finish line! Actually, I ran this race last year with my friend Sandy and we had so much fun we decided to go back this September. And last but not least, in October I will be running a half marathon in Hershey, PA. This will be the first time I participated in this race. Several of my running friends will be there too. With all these upcoming races, my training is in full swing!

If we were chatting at Starbucks this morning I would share…

that I attended the Scholastic Reading Summit in Leesburg, VA. It was a one day conference but we managed to make it a girls’ overnight stay for a little pampering at the beautiful Landsdowne Resort & Spa. The theme of the conference was the power of Independent Reading. Although it was a small conference it had a big bang of presenters. In just one day I had the opportunity to hear John Schumacher, Donalyn Miller, Nancie Atwell, Lauren Tarshis, and Sara Pennypacker. Everyone was so motivating! I came home with an AwEsOmE “swag bag” of books, compliments of the Scholastic Reading Summit, and I bought my own stack of books for our classroom library.  All the books at the Scholastic book fair were 25% off! I have so many new titles to share and book talks to present. ***throw confetti*** If a Scholastic Reading Summit is in your area, I highly recommend it.

If we were chatting at Starbucks this morning I would share…

that summer is quickly coming to an end. Maddie and I have been busy getting ready for her move back to college. This year she will have an apartment off campus so we have been diligently shopping for big and small items for her new place. We’ve been pricing everything from mattresses, to curtains, to decorations. It’s an exciting time and she’s quite anxious to have her own place and space.

If we were chatting at Starbucks this morning I would share…

that I am quite envious of the pastries you picked out to enjoy with your coffee. I would only be drinking a hot tea straight up with no sugar because I am on day 16 of 30 of my Whole 30 food challenge journey. I’m happy to say that I have successfully made it past the halfway mark. It’s been a challenge to say the least, but I guess if it was easy everyone would do it!

So, that’s what’s been happening this running, reading, and rockin’ mom’s world. I’m wondering what you would be sharing with me at Starbucks this morning!

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Slice of Life

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that moment when…

It’s that moment when…

you realize your daughter is honestly an adult. When the family vacation is over she packs her own car, gives hugs & kisses and says good-bye. She drives up that hill, her car becoming smaller and smaller as she drifts farther and farther away, and I recognize that no matter how far away she travels that she is always tied to her roots. They grow up fast I was told, and it is true! Oh, so true!

It’s that moment when…

you realize that making memories out weighs any material possession. It’s the laughs we share. It’s the table we gather around. It’s the food and drinks that we appreciate together. It’s the boisterous moments and noiseless nights. It’s the songs we sing and the music we enjoy.

It’s that moment when…

you realize the gift of today. Perhaps it’s the sun shining on your face or the pitter-patter of the rain that soothes your soul. Today is your day, so go out there and make it a great one!

It’s that moment when…

you realize a picture really is worth 1,000 words. They remind us of our times together, how our kids have grown, and how we are growing older but how young at heart we truly are.

It’s that moment when…

you realize that time will never stand still. While we may think the days drag and the weeks linger, the only constant is change. Embrace the change. Live it, laugh with it, love it, and repeat the next day!

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Note to Self

Tomorrow is the kickoff of our Whole 30 journey. As I embark on the next thirty days there are some points I want to keep in mind.

Note to Self #1:

It is not hard. Don’t you dare tell yourself this is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Birthing a baby is hard. Losing a parent is hard. Drinking your coffee black is.not.hard! You’ve done harder things than this, and you have no excuse not to complete the program as written. It’s only 30 days, and it’s for the most important health cause on earth-the only physical body you will ever have in this lifetime. (The Whole30, p.16)

Whole30 will be a challenge, and yes, challenges are hard! But, when I read this I think: Cancer vs. Whole30 – I choose Whole30, seriously! Then I think, look at what you have done – 4 marathons, each one 18 weeks of training. Yep, that was a challenge, and yes, hard, but that was longer than 30 days of eating healthy. Then, I think of Matt and his IRONMAN training. Which would I choose: IRONMAN vs. Whole30 – sign me up for Whole30!

Note to Self #2:

Don’t even consider the possibility of a “SLIP”! Unless I physically trip and my face lands in a box of donuts, there is no “slip”. I make the choice to eat something unhealthy. It is always a choice, so do not phrase it as an accident. Commit to the program 100% for the full 30 days. Don’t give myself an excuse to fail before I’ve even started. (Whole30, p.16)

This is important to me. Setting expectations allow me to wrap my mind around the challenge journey. And, my personality compliments setting expectations. If this is the rule, I follow it.

So, here we go! I can do hard things! Yes, I can!

A Little Summer Vacay

You know that feeling. That feeling of rushing around getting your home organized, getting the fur kids taken care of, and finally getting all of your “stuff” packed for a summer vacay with the fam.

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Then the departure, the long drive, and the traffic. But the excitement! The excitement of the arrival! We are here and we are ready to relax. To enjoy time together. To just delight in a carefree life. It feels good to just chill in our familiar place with the people we enjoy the most-all twelve of us!

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Welcome to our house.

Play that music too loud.

We don’t have to go out.

You better believe the kids are anxious to take the boat out on the lake. The hot dog tube is the all-time favorite, hands down. Even if the weather wasn’t picture perfect, they can’t resist the thrill of the ride, and the shenanigans of trying to tip and flip each other off into the water.

But the weather, the rainy weather. What’s a fam to do when outside activities are part of the daily agenda? Well, we improvise and go shopping, even if the only store is Wal-Mart. We turned it into an adventure and had a grand time regardless. And we played games. And the girls relived their toddler days and dabbled in Play-Doh. And they colored. And me, you guessed it rainy days = reading days.

Wal-Mart Emojis on a Rainy Day!

Just Hangin’ Out

Cupcake Magic

Ms. Bixby’s Last Day

And even though July 4th was rainy and there wasn’t a firework in the sky, we’re looking forward to the sunshiny days ahead and a few more days of a little more summer vacay!

Slice of Life

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