tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50063904625356781482024-03-13T18:08:21.592-05:00Feeling WholeheartedlySharing with a purpose. My journey of self discovery, success, failure, running marathons, and laughing everyday.Feeling Wholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06158561265860945856noreply@blogger.comBlogger137125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006390462535678148.post-46766210265024270472015-01-06T15:33:00.001-06:002015-01-06T15:33:22.983-06:00I'VE MOVED MY BLOG!Hi! If you've found this I want you to know I've moved! You can check out my blog at www.feelingwholeheartedly.com<br />
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Thanks for reading!<br />
SamanthaFeeling Wholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06158561265860945856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006390462535678148.post-85424611242589575682014-12-04T07:03:00.000-06:002014-12-04T07:03:10.131-06:00a facebook promise...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGI8e46t5dA7P4XWb6OB_yvHmf7qZs_SQ56q-Hme5ReocW9ijptnqvd4-gN5hEybiSlkZnaQs8gqnLwb4bHOIpew0zoFV_-PGgWNVgu5iSNbOSIJUnHTXsUzCa9l8cEicTo5rdVfYeAzs/s1600/fist+bump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGI8e46t5dA7P4XWb6OB_yvHmf7qZs_SQ56q-Hme5ReocW9ijptnqvd4-gN5hEybiSlkZnaQs8gqnLwb4bHOIpew0zoFV_-PGgWNVgu5iSNbOSIJUnHTXsUzCa9l8cEicTo5rdVfYeAzs/s1600/fist+bump.jpg" height="191" width="320" /></a></div>
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My husband was out at a happy hour with old friends the other day. He was catching up with one of his old buddies and they were both so floored by how much had happened in each other's lives in the nine or so years it had been since they had seen each other.<br />
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<i>College, jobs, cross country move, marriage, kids, another big move... and so on.</i><br />
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The two of them are not friends on Facebook so they didn't know any of this about one another. At the end of the conversation, his friend started to say that he would "add him" but cut himself off mid thought and declared that he never wanted to be friends with Brett on Facebook. It was way cooler being friends and catching up in real life.<br />
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Just some food for thought.<br />
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Who can you reach out and reconnect with? Who could you de-friend (mutually of course!) and promise to catch up "old school style" with?Feeling Wholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06158561265860945856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006390462535678148.post-53759573932516941112014-11-25T15:44:00.001-06:002014-11-25T15:44:21.124-06:00serial for breakfast...
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">DO IT.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">NOW.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">LISTEN.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.serialpodcast.org" target="_self" title="">www.serialpodcast.org</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;">Last week, my Brother-in-law introduced me to the podcast of all podcasts. I was hesitant to listen but I had a perfectly brewed cup of coffee in hand so I thought, "why the hell not?" Before I knew it 8 hours had gone by... it was dark outside.</div>
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<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><em style="box-sizing: inherit;">Serial </em>is a podcast where they unfold one nonfiction story, week by week, over the course of a season. The host and producers of this show have a remarkable commitment to in depth reporting and truth telling and have promised that no matter how long it takes they will get to the bottom of it.</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.3em;"> </span></p>
<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em;">Here is a description of season one of Serial taken from their website:</p>
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<p>On January 13, 1999, a girl named Hae Min Lee, a senior at Woodlawn High School in Baltimore County, Maryland, disappeared. A month later, her body turned up in a city park. She'd been strangled. Her 17-year-old ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, was arrested for the crime, and within a year, he was convicted and sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison. The case against him was largely based on the story of one witness, Adnan’s friend Jay, who testified that he helped Adnan bury Hae's body. But Adnan has always maintained he had nothing to do with Hae’s death. Some people believe he’s telling the truth. Many others don’t.</p>
<p>Sarah Koenig, who hosts Serial, first learned about this case more than a year ago. In the months since, she's been sorting through box after box (after box) of legal documents and investigators' notes, listening to trial testimony and police interrogations, and talking to everyone she can find who remembers what happened between Adnan Syed and Hae Min Lee fifteen years ago. What she realized is that the trial covered up a far more complicated story, which neither the jury nor the public got to hear. The high school scene, the shifting statements to police, the prejudices, the sketchy alibis, the scant forensic evidence - all of it leads back to the most basic questions: How can you know a person’s character? How can you tell what they’re capable of? In Season One of Serial, she looks for answers.</p>
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<p>The story is INSANE. I feel INSANE. Maybe I am. It has completely consumed me. It has me thinking, analyzing, and questioning EVERYTHING and you know what? It feels so good! Believe me when I tell you that <em>Serial</em> will challenge you. It's by far the most exciting fuel I've fed my brain in a while and I absolutely had to share it with you RIGHT NOW!</p>
<p>Now go listen (like, seriously, right now) so we can discuss the case together! This is such a thoughtful and quality production but they need our support for a second season. If you dig season one and can spare any small amount, they are asking for <a href="http://serialpodcast.org/donate" target="_self" title="">donations</a> (BONUS: it's tax deductible.)</p>
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<div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>Feeling Wholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06158561265860945856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006390462535678148.post-51467906616524962052014-11-21T12:35:00.001-06:002014-11-21T12:43:37.556-06:00ten years later...<em>Please allow me to set the stage for this one...on the TV in the background is my original DVD copy of the classic teen movie Can't Hardly Wait. I've got a Third Eye Blind pandora station on blast. Next to me on the floor is a box FULL of old photos and keepsakes from my school days. We are stepping back in time people! I couldn't think of a better way to put myself in the right mood to write about my upcoming 10 year high school reunion. So here we go!</em><br />
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The Olentangy class of 2004 was a wild bunch! At our core, we were genuinely a good group of kids. Some of us partied, most of us did stupid shit, and a few of us got into to [big] trouble but we were just kids being kids. What we all had in common was that we all left Olentangy as high school graduates. Some went off to college and some didn't. Some branched out and left Columbus, others didn't. Some of us stayed in touch, some didn't. What does that say about us? What does that say about our experience? Maybe something...maybe nothing...<br />
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My high school reunion is next week and I'm getting mixed reviews when I ask people how they feel about it. Some are eager and excited but not many. Most roll their eyes or bitch and moan about how much they're dreading it (but they will still go for fear of missing out.) WOAH... this makes me feel like a total geek! Maybe I'm more excited than I should be but I grew up here, I went to the same school K-12, and for the past five years I've lived a thousand miles away, so for me, my high school reunion represents a long overdue homecoming.<br />
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The mixed reviews have me thinking. Are high school reunions becoming obsolete? Are they just another opportunity for us to showcase our amazing lives? Is that a bad thing? I'm not sure. We don't need reunions to be able to catch up anymore because we have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, yada-yada-yada, and if I want to know what someone is doing or contact someone, I can do so pretty easily. Are people less excited for these things because of Facebook? <br />
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Well, I still think face-to-face interaction still means something and when it comes to deciding whether or not you will attend your reunion I say YES! Maybe you're not sure if you want to go because you're feeling bad about your current situation. <em>I'm almost 30 and what do I have to show?</em><em> I need to lose 10lbs! </em><strong>STOP</strong><em>. </em>Everyone wants to put their best selves forward and I get that but guess what? You're probably not the only one feeling "behind in life" and you're certainly not going to be the only one who has gained a smidge of weight. Get over it, go, and enjoy catching up with old pals.<br />
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Some people won't want go to prove a point. They may suffer from the "f*ck those homies, they made my life miserable" syndrome. Hey man, its cool! I can relate. I'm not saying I loved EVERYONE in our class either but don't let that stop you from going if you secretly want to. </div>
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No matter what your attitude is about your class reunion, go if you can. Throw on some pukka shells, dust off your old Sublime, Everclear, or Dave Matthews albums, and break into your parents liquor cabinet (if you haven't replaced all of it with water.) Let's get together and laugh about all the trouble we got into and remember the days when life was easier. Of course, we didn't think it was easy then but compared to adult life (at times) high school was cake.</div>
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Looking forward to catching up, class of 2004!</div>
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Feeling Wholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06158561265860945856noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006390462535678148.post-81170471449941430772014-11-11T06:47:00.001-06:002014-11-11T09:26:27.553-06:00intelligence...<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Have you ever been intimidated by someone because of how "smart" they are? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Fall quarter of my sophomore year in college, Brett took me to a party that his fellow students in the Honors Tutorial College were hosting. Most of these kids were valedictorians with perfect SAT scores and at school on full rides.They had majors like physics engineering, astrophysics, and others I can't pronounce or explain. I was terrified about how I was going to interact with these people. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I was a TV and film major.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> I wasn't on the same level at all. (<---calling myself out on the nasty negative self talk)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I got into a conversation with one the geekiest dude at the party and I'm not joking... I couldn't understand ANYTHING he was talking about. When he stopped speaking long enough for me to get a word in I stuttered and told him I recently saw, and fell in love with <i>Sweeney Todd</i>, the musical. What?! Why did I say that? He had no idea what I was talking about and immediately excused himself to get a drink. I never went to another event with Brett and that gang of master minds again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">No one ever told me I was stupid. I got above average grades and into a great university, but I was told several times throughout school that I "didn't test well." It was then I decided that because of my
test scores I was dumb, and for the rest of my life I would be unable to have conversations with “smart” people. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">I went off to college armed with common sense and with the mentality that I was a "feeler." I feel </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">a lot</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">. I can write and sing and awkwardly move my body to express my emotions but I can’t have conversations about politics or global warming. I’m just not as smart as the people who study those things and I never will be.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This ludicrous way of thinking has completely limited my growth by steering me away from studying certain topics that I've deemed above me. Blah! As I approach my very, very late twenties, I ask myself, why not? Why can't I have an opinion on global warming? I don't have to be an expert to engage in meaningful conversation. If I'm curious, I can read or ask questions. Reading and asking questions has never made anyone stupid, right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Never count yourself out of something.<b> We all have something uniquely beautiful to bring to the game. <a href="http://ctt.ec/pQ95S">(Tweet) The only limitations we have are the ones we place on ourselves.</a> </b>If you have something to say, say it. </span></div>
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Feeling Wholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06158561265860945856noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006390462535678148.post-29077623009827055082014-10-28T22:03:00.001-05:002014-10-28T22:03:32.078-05:00making it happen...Our weekend was perfect.<div><br></div><div>Saturday morning I laced up and went for a five mile run down a path connected to my neighborhood. Overcast skies, a cool 60 degrees, and it was quiet. The path is cut between tall grass, overrun by wild flowers, and runs parallel to train tracks. I couldn't help but smile as the train conductor waved to me as he passed by. Is this real life?</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_15szhfVdISAx2tT4gZlJdzCXAqsxu_VAo2rE9xoK6iV_uF_nTRAp3kjn96c5r71ikhx6tn-413quG-KxtJFWm9XRHVwfRxN3SvvlGfPgDox47jJsfBf7UCfB4Gk4dilV9M_6svTgZU/s640/blogger-image-1380259295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_15szhfVdISAx2tT4gZlJdzCXAqsxu_VAo2rE9xoK6iV_uF_nTRAp3kjn96c5r71ikhx6tn-413quG-KxtJFWm9XRHVwfRxN3SvvlGfPgDox47jJsfBf7UCfB4Gk4dilV9M_6svTgZU/s640/blogger-image-1380259295.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I returned home to find my little one and my husband in a tickle fight on the couch with cartoons playing on the TV. We made breakfast and shared a pot of coffee.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The sun came out, full force, and warmed us up to the point where we almost didn't need a jacket. We packed up the family and headed to a local farm to pick out a couple of pumpkins and snap a few fall photographs. After all, we've lived in Texas for five years! We had some fall festivities to catch up on. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfTOQSssKdcRN1qdYcflgXvmXrtosBlmsYn1SYCwzEPh3jf2w-yDYvJGo3azLSQOGrNsRULGA0N3-xIgL1W5FHzoP3GIh_zoz7vqm6zh7j5bQ4O1m4i9edAQ6lAgI0AEycStuUAStxF4/s640/blogger-image-1171243795.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfTOQSssKdcRN1qdYcflgXvmXrtosBlmsYn1SYCwzEPh3jf2w-yDYvJGo3azLSQOGrNsRULGA0N3-xIgL1W5FHzoP3GIh_zoz7vqm6zh7j5bQ4O1m4i9edAQ6lAgI0AEycStuUAStxF4/s640/blogger-image-1171243795.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">When we got home we put the babe down for a nap and we sat outside with a beer on our deck. The weather could not have been more perfect. We noticed the previous homeowners had planted all of the necessary ingredients for a kick ass salsa so we blended up a hot-as-hell, face melter kind of batch and enjoyed our hour of alone time together.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Both sets of parents stopped over to say hi. This warms our hearts so much. It's so wonderful living near family. We've missed this. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Our Buckeyes played a night game so we lit a fire and cuddled up with some blankets on the couch. We stayed up late drinking brew, biting our nails, and cheering on our team. We must have looked at each other one-hundred times and said out loud, "I can't believe we made this happen."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We did. We made this happen. And in short time too. Let us be an example that you can have the life you want. You just need to be ok with getting a little comfortable with the unknown. Not knowing when, where, how. Just doing everything in your power and trusting the rest will fall into place. It will. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuZjmS9NPLN-RtXEOqMdxEH_JcvKQGGl2Xj63LlEeA8wW5SKv5U-dyTwigu477ljzGky44r5IZKSLUKA5KiRkB164vpHdzw7WY6Xgtysdg2zL6sh8MqdChc-uOUBy400bvzVFkzyu4HoU/s640/blogger-image--8314232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuZjmS9NPLN-RtXEOqMdxEH_JcvKQGGl2Xj63LlEeA8wW5SKv5U-dyTwigu477ljzGky44r5IZKSLUKA5KiRkB164vpHdzw7WY6Xgtysdg2zL6sh8MqdChc-uOUBy400bvzVFkzyu4HoU/s640/blogger-image--8314232.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br></div>Feeling Wholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06158561265860945856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006390462535678148.post-73985167646601288082014-10-27T19:51:00.001-05:002014-10-27T19:51:07.627-05:00reflection...
<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Woah... it has been one year since I was admitted to the hospital for what would be one hell of a difficult, yet exciting week to follow. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: 1.3em; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">I wrote the following post from the World's most uncomfortable hospital bed and thought I would be released that afternoon. Little did I know that the Universe had other plans. Reflecting on my message from this post, I was preaching flexibility before I even realized that I would need to be EVEN MORE flexible for what the next few days had in store. I have never found the right words to describe that grueling week as we anxiously awaited the birth of our daughter. I had never experienced as much fear or as much excitement within such a short period of time, but holy shit was it ever the greatest test in patience, positivity, and trust. While we would have rather not been involved in a car accident we were able to leave the hospital with the cutest, sweetest, silliest little baby on the planet and for that... I am grateful. </span></p>
<p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: 1.3em; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">__________________________</span></p>
<p><em style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.3em;">Just when I thought our baby was tucked in so tightly that we may very we'll surpass our due date... BAM! My husband and I were rear ended while we were out for lunch and groceries yesterday.</em></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px;"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I was in shock. I grabbed my belly and just started crying hysterically. If you've ever been rear ended when your car was at a complete stop you know time somehow warps and everything is suddenly in slow motion... Until your head and arms go flying forward. </i></font></i></i></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px;"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></i></font></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px;"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">At 38 weeks pregnant, the thought of not knowing how the baby was affected had us incredibly shook up. My neck was tingly and my head was throbbing. I couldn't get the baby to move. We called my doctor and she sent us straight to the labor delivery unit at the hospital. Wait? Are we going to have our baby right now?!</i></font></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px;"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></i></font></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px;"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We got checked in and hooked up to the monitor.. our baby had a strong heartbeat. THANK YOU!! </i></font></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px;"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></i></font></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px;"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">::insert deep yoga breath here::</i></font></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px;"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></i></font></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px;"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Because I started having contractions, most likely from stress, I needed to be kept 24 hours for monitoring. We both checked out great and we didn't need to be induced or have an emergency c-section.</i></font></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px;"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></i></font></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px;"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sixteen hours later and maybe five hours of sleep. No real strong or consistent contractions and no sign of labor. I should be released later this afternoon if things stay the same.</i></font></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px;"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></i></font></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px;"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">What this has me thinking about is how agile I needed to be, and was, with my birth plan yesterday. I had to drop the disappointment of potentially having to be induced. I had to stop blaming the woman who was riding us too close on the road. And I had to stay calm. This further reinforced how important it is to be flexible, in your body and mind, a concept I first learned through my yoga practice. </i></font></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px;"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></i></font></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px;"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Things may not always go as planned. I really do believe it is still important to believe in the possibility that it can and will go your way. Have confidence in your goals while being willing to accept when you need to tweak the plans. </i></font></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px;"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></i></font></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px;"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Will I still have my perfect, drug free, natural hospital birth? Maybe! Maybe not! My new plan is to be present and breathe deeply. I know I'm in great hands and I am capable of making the right choices for me and my baby. However it happens, all that matters is that I'm holding my little muppet in my arms at the end of the day.</i></font></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">__________________________</span><i style="line-height: 1.3em; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </i></i></i></p>
<div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>Feeling Wholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06158561265860945856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006390462535678148.post-52424926087779507052014-10-04T09:51:00.001-05:002014-10-04T09:53:21.575-05:00it's all lining up...<br />
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-dS3Tz_Kbkz8/VDAJa8LZITI/AAAAAAAAJKw/xVW1lXDUsQc/s592/Photo%25252020141004105121.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignnone" height="500" id="blogsy-1412434286180.4084" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-dS3Tz_Kbkz8/VDAJa8LZITI/AAAAAAAAJKw/xVW1lXDUsQc/s500/Photo%25252020141004105121.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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Spot on. </div>
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<em><br /></em></div>
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<em>It's all lining up. </em>Job hunting is in full swing. We're taking the necessary steps towards selling our home. We scour real-estate sites for homes in our price range in our desired locations. We are having discussions about what needs to happen to relocate our family.</div>
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<em><br /></em></div>
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<em>The right people are heading my way</em>. We need this to be true. We are using every connection we have to network and get resumes in front of actual recruiters and hiring managers. It can be hard putting yourself out there and asking for support but we are doing it.</div>
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<em><br /></em></div>
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<em>The right things will be said. </em>Friends and family have been supportive. I think they may still be a little worried that we are rushing the process and they may find it insane that we are even thinking of moving Marley and I to Ohio before Brett. However, everyone so far has offered their support and positive thoughts and that is exactly what we need right now.</div>
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<em><br /></em></div>
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<em>I will be a total love magnet. </em> I love this. What a great reminder to always be doing, acting, and saying things from a place of love.</div>
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<em><br /></em></div>
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<em>Unfolding.</em> I don't know what will happen or where I'm going to be living in couple of months. Hell, I'm not even sure whats going to happen later this afternoon. I am however, totally trusting that what I put out into the universe will soon come to fruition. I have faith that things are lining up and soon we will see the obvious path that we should take.</div>
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<em><br /></em></div>
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<em>Stunning perfection</em>. In the end, I know everything will have worked out exactly as it was supposed to.</div>
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<a href="http://blogsyapp.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Posted with Blogsy" src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" height="20" style="margin-right: 5px; vertical-align: middle;" width="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>
Feeling Wholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06158561265860945856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006390462535678148.post-80215295839239272432014-09-28T20:44:00.001-05:002014-09-28T21:02:52.649-05:00farewell for now...Won't miss...<div>1. Lizards</div><div>2. Humidity </div><div>3. Palm sized cockroaches </div><div>4. Hurricanes</div><div>5. Houston traffic </div><div><br></div><div>Will miss...</div><div>1. Friends</div><div>2. Friends</div><div>3. Friends </div><div>4. Friends</div><div>5. Friends</div><div>6. Friends</div><div>7. <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Friends</span></div><div>8. <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Friends</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">9. </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Friends</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">10. </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Friends</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">11. Friends</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">12. Friends</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">13. Friends</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">14. Friends</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">...</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">10987. Friends </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">10988. Friends </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Do you get it? </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">We've made the most incredible friends here in Texas. Nothing can replace them. They are our family. They have been here for us during our highs and lows. There are no words for how deeply we will miss being close to them. I moved here not knowing a soul and I'm leaving with the most badass list of people in my heart for eternity.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Everyone I've met here has played an important part in shaping who I am today</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">. From the bottom over my overjoyed heart, thank you! Thank you for the memories, the laughs, and the cries. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We may have one thousand miles between us but distance doesn't matter when you have what we have. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Cheers, Houston! </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi18gAiXvQjPl9XyKUsPU-PGsLDxmyRkJZGqdlC-D5L5capKvPGjIvbbNWXCdkxePXEO_6GCM1FS60eIrxcuKWkDGMyzhJLrQJaYxFESFNZjPMpFGgnptcHAigUqRG6G3XljJa-bHFTm4Y/s640/blogger-image--337638210.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITuFyACqPWCDQbj_1bs2BL6JMWAtQGoBA2NW3GrXik2YQPC8QB4Svck6R9TaFhoSMvppbA5VJc569_IskZOvpOY5rSVbWXsfogvotHdbKcq1xmxV0OnHBYCGRHUEfh4ZDKlwwL1Ic8N4/s640/blogger-image-374197047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITuFyACqPWCDQbj_1bs2BL6JMWAtQGoBA2NW3GrXik2YQPC8QB4Svck6R9TaFhoSMvppbA5VJc569_IskZOvpOY5rSVbWXsfogvotHdbKcq1xmxV0OnHBYCGRHUEfh4ZDKlwwL1Ic8N4/s640/blogger-image-374197047.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br></span></div>Feeling Wholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06158561265860945856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006390462535678148.post-75707338942144783542014-09-13T22:41:00.001-05:002014-09-13T22:45:33.460-05:00the cool down...<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjenFJQ-GzCteqVR-pLNojUOODvhFL18u10ZdXVTeDrWIMeYRiOqAKYhIDs4BKqacyEZy77AwWXfI2ERhlhsvVD-OoCOrPpOiCZhPhjGYDSg5sdLYYGtPnLxODAEVbwistkVF62ZIADtJU/s640/blogger-image--904852860.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjenFJQ-GzCteqVR-pLNojUOODvhFL18u10ZdXVTeDrWIMeYRiOqAKYhIDs4BKqacyEZy77AwWXfI2ERhlhsvVD-OoCOrPpOiCZhPhjGYDSg5sdLYYGtPnLxODAEVbwistkVF62ZIADtJU/s640/blogger-image--904852860.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">There is always one very special day each year in Texas when the brutal heat breaks and cooler temperatures creep in. Today is that day and I write this post from outside in my backyard as I inhale this beautiful breeze with a welcoming smile.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This is my fifth September in Houston. My last actually. This change in temperature this time of year, although brief, always stops me in my tracks and reminds me of change. A change in seasons for sure, although in Houston we could easily have temperatures back in the upper 90s next week. But as I sit here and reflect on the previous five years of my life and take in the epic changes that are taking place in <i><b>my right now</b></i>, I take solace in knowing change is... oh, so good.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We require change in order to live exciting and fulfilling lives. We need to make space for newness while appreciating what we already have. What I have now is so special and what lies ahead is also <i><b>so</b></i> special. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I am who I am due in part to the experiences I've had up to this point in my life. All that lies ahead, as unknown and as scary as it may be, will play a role in who I continue to become. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Hello, change. I'm ready for you. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>Feeling Wholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06158561265860945856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006390462535678148.post-32242440558806170192014-09-11T11:02:00.002-05:002014-09-22T09:49:54.866-05:00Someday...<div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitMGZvoRr0stru5iQ03A2f1erTa46EKG1A1mlYCSBs35g0EPNBMBwy4BlwkuBeA2n9VIT8r93usU9deCf82amusCre3GOlOfSLcE3b7DfVg7YBrxQpV0c1mAwz-dIbg9BO17OVPs29PwM/s640/blogger-image--2085397.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitMGZvoRr0stru5iQ03A2f1erTa46EKG1A1mlYCSBs35g0EPNBMBwy4BlwkuBeA2n9VIT8r93usU9deCf82amusCre3GOlOfSLcE3b7DfVg7YBrxQpV0c1mAwz-dIbg9BO17OVPs29PwM/s640/blogger-image--2085397.jpg"></a></div><br></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Someday...</i></div>
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<i>Someday I'll work a job I don't hate. Someday we'll take that three week vacation. Someday I'll fit into my skinny jeans. Someday I'll live in my dream home. </i></div>
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Ready for this?</div>
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<b>Someday doesn't exist.</b> Someday is an excuse. Stop waiting for someday to happen and make shit happen today.</div>
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It can be absolutely terrifying to recognize you're living a life you're not completely satisfied with. You will make decisions and choices that threaten what seems to be a comfortable life you're living but remember comfort isn't always what it's cracked up to be. Comfort breeds stagnation, stagnation breeds boredom, and boredom is some sort of twisted version of hell.</div>
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<b>Make someday today.</b> Take a step, even if it's small, towards what it is you want. </div>
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Feeling Wholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06158561265860945856noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006390462535678148.post-19876238361226543642014-09-03T11:22:00.001-05:002014-09-03T11:22:33.303-05:00fear factor...<p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">For as long as I can remember I've had a fear of walking outside of my house and coming face-to-face with a wild lion or tiger. I'm usually met with laughter and eye rolls when I share this. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">However, my fear may have just been rationalized!</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/SoCal-City-Norwalk-on-Alert-After-Possible-Mountain-Lion-Sighting-269493361.html" target="_self" title="" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Check this out.</a><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We all have fears. Some rational but most irrational like mine. What happens when we live our life in fear? We miss out... on A LOT. We avoid situations, make up excuses, come down with "the flu" at all the right times.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">What are you afraid of? Has your fear prevented you from doing things you want to do?</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Have you heard the phase, "Do one thing a day that scares you?" I've been using it for years as a way to check myself in situtaions where I immedately want to run in the oppostie direction. I'm incredibly stubborn, so when I tell myself I can't or shouldn't do something I usually must prove myself otherwise. Next time you find yourself in a situation that brings up feelings of fear try (just try!) confronting instead than running.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I'm 99.9% sure my big cat encounter will never happen but have you seen <a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rI3oRil4LHM" target="_self" title="">The Hangover</a>?</span></p><p class="blogsyText" style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; background-image: url(file:///var/mobile/Applications/E824AF01-3A09-433B-9F72-BF7F292DDFDE/Blogsy.app/typing_icon.png); background-size: 10px 25px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p>Feeling Wholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06158561265860945856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006390462535678148.post-78864314752995194712014-08-27T08:18:00.003-05:002014-08-28T08:26:19.973-05:00bring it...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZtfDktj5wQZ4tavjvEMlXBeP1wc6y-L719rHKen9VwYrODlA-5C0X1lMerK-gtVsV0gdY2DGheL8R4Jc93l_MQERG2RjKwvSuhJnxdL7OIDqeWbOK9PEMpQuvyFCyj9ePSLaE2LEv2U/s1600/sweater+weather.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZtfDktj5wQZ4tavjvEMlXBeP1wc6y-L719rHKen9VwYrODlA-5C0X1lMerK-gtVsV0gdY2DGheL8R4Jc93l_MQERG2RjKwvSuhJnxdL7OIDqeWbOK9PEMpQuvyFCyj9ePSLaE2LEv2U/s1600/sweater+weather.jpg" height="203" width="320"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If it won't come to me... </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I might just have to go to it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It was 100 degrees here in Texas today. Students are back in school and friends back home and in cooler climates are posting pictures of themselves in sweaters and pants. Ick. The thought of pants. I've lived here for five years and I still can't get used to not having four seasons. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Today, I made a photo collage to help calm some of the uneasiness I've been feeling.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here are a few of my fall inspirations.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOTDDv6TLdy_fWm2LQC55hnm94mjLR83mA4vIhtBADCpF7ZIjnuJc5RGM35JLTgQkR2qcKNau0GpNgMV0-EWyxovqT_or4vUAOWRX4O9NWYHzTdv2bIhHeUw85I6Hi_Lq1JCmB-aSa-8Q/s640/blogger-image--195227564.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOTDDv6TLdy_fWm2LQC55hnm94mjLR83mA4vIhtBADCpF7ZIjnuJc5RGM35JLTgQkR2qcKNau0GpNgMV0-EWyxovqT_or4vUAOWRX4O9NWYHzTdv2bIhHeUw85I6Hi_Lq1JCmB-aSa-8Q/s640/blogger-image--195227564.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdGwR0rfwa7kTW0gQ6jjV3iIbU7QAQZMx2Q3yMQyp3P5x2O2I2iMsAq2V7jHTIj4qfKR6EZPBwNmrkFvDw5nhRtODf_w34ysy8tuDO1fGgNsLKwVnzX6SRSgOhweKzk6TG-rNYUzSNXE/s640/blogger-image-704051888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdGwR0rfwa7kTW0gQ6jjV3iIbU7QAQZMx2Q3yMQyp3P5x2O2I2iMsAq2V7jHTIj4qfKR6EZPBwNmrkFvDw5nhRtODf_w34ysy8tuDO1fGgNsLKwVnzX6SRSgOhweKzk6TG-rNYUzSNXE/s640/blogger-image-704051888.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUap6i5-PtToVpRKMHp6RpkRTWOu_VFRluVTMN1EwnXaurTHMgtM0D9AXVWfCryBC2tBlZg9EN4p9tXa_JSyJaBUOxcZoSfjeK9FUUAbdvQsHe3QQ_ANyag30tn9THZCtT5lhdU53Ea8/s640/blogger-image-613797671.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUap6i5-PtToVpRKMHp6RpkRTWOu_VFRluVTMN1EwnXaurTHMgtM0D9AXVWfCryBC2tBlZg9EN4p9tXa_JSyJaBUOxcZoSfjeK9FUUAbdvQsHe3QQ_ANyag30tn9THZCtT5lhdU53Ea8/s640/blogger-image-613797671.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1pnZPlRw8tQ5CwyC9N4oxvkbrNfPX5TTUYm2pI3zDERfCUiHC0qHLR5-6tuqa_cWnGAnrDf9Q0c0GbkBrUBTauKktf_-O0CXwuKZfmquJ6EexyRE3Qg2ROxVk_zC2c6CmLqvRFXbQgIM/s640/blogger-image-1129427135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1pnZPlRw8tQ5CwyC9N4oxvkbrNfPX5TTUYm2pI3zDERfCUiHC0qHLR5-6tuqa_cWnGAnrDf9Q0c0GbkBrUBTauKktf_-O0CXwuKZfmquJ6EexyRE3Qg2ROxVk_zC2c6CmLqvRFXbQgIM/s640/blogger-image-1129427135.jpg"></a></div><br></div>And then...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I got the following message in my inbox this morning:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Y5Esm0ew6Fiht1g4tpFfmXfWbRP8tJC0osuB5HNAbLHqVfN6rN-gh_J8iUvIdu1pUxJVQShUL3PLkAMg9NgSWv4j1az_5LoFS3kexccUvHQ_0bGqM4hZGY478AUqWBAnZjxxmdHEkU0/s640/blogger-image-470898019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Y5Esm0ew6Fiht1g4tpFfmXfWbRP8tJC0osuB5HNAbLHqVfN6rN-gh_J8iUvIdu1pUxJVQShUL3PLkAMg9NgSWv4j1az_5LoFS3kexccUvHQ_0bGqM4hZGY478AUqWBAnZjxxmdHEkU0/s640/blogger-image-470898019.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">So that means I should go shopping, right?!</div><br></div><br></div>Feeling Wholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06158561265860945856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006390462535678148.post-18424562890829467882014-08-25T07:40:00.001-05:002014-08-25T20:36:12.909-05:00perhaps...<p style="margin: 0px;"><em style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"The future is called "perhaps," which is the only possible thing to call the future. And the important thing is not to allow that to scare you."</em></p><p style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px;"><strong style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- Tennessee Williams</strong></p><div><strong><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 10pt;"><br></span></strong></div><div><font face="georgia" size="2"><b>We all experience periods in our life where we genuinely do not know what is going to happen next. Sometimes they are long, drawn out amounts of time and sometimes they are quick, fleeting moments. Either way, it still manages to scare the shit out of us and that's OK.</b></font></div><div><font face="georgia" size="2"><b><br></b></font></div><div><font face="georgia" size="2"><b>Breathe deep. You have everything you need right now. </b></font></div>Feeling Wholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06158561265860945856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006390462535678148.post-73665881287611535202014-08-11T10:58:00.001-05:002014-09-08T19:47:47.883-05:00hey, want to be my friend?<div><span style="line-height: 1.3em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="line-height: 1.3em; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Do you remember meeting your first friend?</span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">No, not your cousin, or someone your parents introduced you to on a play date. Like the actual first person you met and befriended on your own. I remember mine. Her name was Bethany and we met in the bathroom on our first day of kindergarten. I'm positive she would remember that day as well as I do. Our school was built in the early 1950s so it smelled a little old but it was charming. The bathroom had red brick walls, the shortest stall doors imaginable, and smaller than average toilets [so we didn't fall in.] I believe it was fate that brought us there at the same time and the deicison to become friends was as simple as asking, "hey, want to be my friend?"</span></div><div><p>This has me thinking...</p>
<p>Can meeting new people still be as simple as it once was? As adults, how much are we missing out on by not being open to meeting new people, or trying new things? Can we put a little FOMO (fear of missing out) back into our lives like we had when we were kids? Can we just say "YES" even if we're a little unsure of ourselves or potential outcomes? What are we afraid of? Or are just OK with what we have in our lives and don't feel like we need more?</p>
<p>That sounds terribly boring...</p>
<p>I challenge you to be a go-getter. Be adventerous. Be social. <strong>Be brave</strong> <strong>enough to at least try.</strong> Say yes to someone or something this week. It doesn't have to be complicated and doing so could create memories that last a lifetime.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbw4-qb8PjZdR7ur7F3Px1h-cOriMUF9qSWGSE1Qj3hlwKeujTJOOcVRlIfNx0n4UCIQSG78rPDTz_PbBny_kTEpadpFZ9Jy7auc3IRi570H0mMg_obJzY6SctelYG1aEkG0Zvax_eI7s/s640/blogger-image--834417288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbw4-qb8PjZdR7ur7F3Px1h-cOriMUF9qSWGSE1Qj3hlwKeujTJOOcVRlIfNx0n4UCIQSG78rPDTz_PbBny_kTEpadpFZ9Jy7auc3IRi570H0mMg_obJzY6SctelYG1aEkG0Zvax_eI7s/s640/blogger-image--834417288.jpg"></a></p><p>Bethany and I circa 1994... And yes, those are water ballons in our suits. What 8 year old girl didn't do that?!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWTx12CfibA3ojcDQS2XiNWmzARvQ-smMJbZ-PmjAf1xxwEoT9xQPQUZUaea5XCx7dXDPvTF1ClrqLIvZ_De-U8nSoSzrZfnBnRzzQMN2-nGC5S-b3uRZWCKxSKje4JUlGfHUaD104zU/s640/blogger-image-578538488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWTx12CfibA3ojcDQS2XiNWmzARvQ-smMJbZ-PmjAf1xxwEoT9xQPQUZUaea5XCx7dXDPvTF1ClrqLIvZ_De-U8nSoSzrZfnBnRzzQMN2-nGC5S-b3uRZWCKxSKje4JUlGfHUaD104zU/s640/blogger-image-578538488.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Bethany and I at our high school graduation in 2004. </div><br></div><br><p></p><p><br></p>
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<div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20">Posted with Blogsy</a></div>Feeling Wholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06158561265860945856noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006390462535678148.post-8068015205249494682014-08-07T15:49:00.001-05:002014-08-07T16:39:50.449-05:00on being intentional...<p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQwqpck9tbSldJszs16hs_qSf_5bTROlkI6Hj5LhB8LOdA_CuqLrd6d6zJee79znkqNOx_oDZZPdEPkMmQD7hc_czw7wQGX9U1R-zP2GSyPqOlus1KWuFzsYagWmaGD3hWslrIKFLLhQ/s640/blogger-image-600984540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQwqpck9tbSldJszs16hs_qSf_5bTROlkI6Hj5LhB8LOdA_CuqLrd6d6zJee79znkqNOx_oDZZPdEPkMmQD7hc_czw7wQGX9U1R-zP2GSyPqOlus1KWuFzsYagWmaGD3hWslrIKFLLhQ/s640/blogger-image-600984540.jpg"></a></div><br><p></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">The room was buzzing and full of yogis. More than a one hundred bodies tightly tucked, mat-to-mat. People hugging, laughing, holding hands, dancing.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">As class began, we were asked to set an intention.The purpose was to focus us on how we are acting or who we were being in that moment. It is important in yoga because when our minds begin to wander (and they often do) our intention can bring us back to our mat. When you put 100 people in a room something pretty amazing happens. Individually, we had our own personal intentions, but collectively, we were all there to celebrate unity and community. The once empty room held together by four walls suddenly took on a new identity. It was our job as a community to intentionally breathe life and intention into the room, and into each other.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I laid on my mat between two stong, beautiful people. During savasana we held hands. At the beginning of class we were all just sweaty strangers. But now they were me, and I was them. We were all one. Setting our intention to practice as a community brought us together. Now it is our privilege to take this practice off our mat and into the world.<br></span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Setting intentions for everything we do is vital. If you live your life without purpose, you're just a boring bag of bones. When we are clear on what we want or where we want to be we can act accordingly. We can cut out the bullshit getting in the way of us living our dreams.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Check in with yourself. How are you feeling? How do you want to feel? What is good in your life? What isn't? Choose an area of you want to focus on and consciously think about it every single day until you achieve what you set out for. </span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I would love to hear from you. What intentions are you setting for yourself today?</span></p><p class="blogsyText" style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; background-image: url(file:///var/mobile/Applications/E824AF01-3A09-433B-9F72-BF7F292DDFDE/Blogsy.app/typing_icon.png); background-size: 10px 25px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p>Feeling Wholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06158561265860945856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006390462535678148.post-61793236848477428372014-07-28T19:01:00.001-05:002014-07-28T19:07:04.660-05:00Putting yourself out there...<div>
Lately, I've been in the business of putting myself out there! I've actually started a very small business. As if I don't have enough on my plate. This full time mom gig is 24/7 (no breaks, no joke) but it is so important to me that I have something I can call my own.<br />
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I took my small business to it's first gig this past weekend. I spent weeks getting product ready and packaged, and practiced what I would say and how I would set up my shop. I was nervous. Will they like my stuff? Will they like me? What if no one buys anything? I'm never going to break even on this.<br />
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Fear of judgement and failure have a way of sneaking into my subconscious when I'm doing something new. It can be hard to ignore these feelings but I remind myself they are normal. As a matter of fact, I have learned that if they aren't there, I'm not doing it right.<br />
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Before I left for the market my husband kissed me on the cheek and told me he was proud of me for "putting myself out there." It was just the reminder I needed, the moment I needed it. Damn right, I'm putting myself out there! I can't make my dreams come true by doing nothing.<br />
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How are you putting yourself out there, this week? What actions can you take on a goal you've been sitting on for a while? Let's get a little uncomfortable and be a little unreasonable in going after what we want.<br />
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If you're not putting yourself out there, you're missing out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovf8QWUoaD0gP_XJ1wBRMsRryeEOrDvt55BSMdJ7_e6OT4H-S8LRCW3qS9KGM4knq8m5B9SdcIoJMMM9poctEFTwTxWsiFxkhfeJBVILxhhJQnEHn-wQuvob2zajST3tzk0Y8oCICRIc/s1600/IMG_8256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovf8QWUoaD0gP_XJ1wBRMsRryeEOrDvt55BSMdJ7_e6OT4H-S8LRCW3qS9KGM4knq8m5B9SdcIoJMMM9poctEFTwTxWsiFxkhfeJBVILxhhJQnEHn-wQuvob2zajST3tzk0Y8oCICRIc/s1600/IMG_8256.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Debuting <a href="http://www.soakshoppe.com/">SOAK Shoppe</a> at the 002 Houston Magazine's Summer Market</div>
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The event was great! I met tons of new people and had several buyers. I'm very excited to see where I take this next.</div>
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Feeling Wholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06158561265860945856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006390462535678148.post-77278277326050567292014-07-17T17:17:00.000-05:002014-07-18T13:33:25.592-05:00feeling whole30...<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYn5lWpjlnYy_qQZxVc1h2uCUhKDPm56xhcgBYDlwIb2FUzvoMPRXsXbTT3brvgL9A7_Nkb18PGuR2rXPsjsxMQyXziAdaLJlNv4gvy8ui1NRb_PfVamy_BBchMylXuUtX6eVntLL2SJI/s640/blogger-image-792070943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYn5lWpjlnYy_qQZxVc1h2uCUhKDPm56xhcgBYDlwIb2FUzvoMPRXsXbTT3brvgL9A7_Nkb18PGuR2rXPsjsxMQyXziAdaLJlNv4gvy8ui1NRb_PfVamy_BBchMylXuUtX6eVntLL2SJI/s640/blogger-image-792070943.jpg"></a></div><br>
Alright, alright, alright, I am a little behind with the spring cleaning. It is time to get my act together. I'm not reffering to cleaning house. I'm talking mind, body, soul clean up time! <br>
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Reflecting on the past eight months, it really shouldn't have come as a surprise that I had hit a roadblock. I was working out harder and harder to shed the remaining baby weight but kept eating like I was pregnant. All of the workouts in the world won't help you if you're eating junk. Emotionally, I hadn't been feeling great either. When you don't feel good in your body, you can't feel good in your mind.<br>
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It is time for another round of <a href="http://whole30.com/" target="_self" title="">Whole30</a>. I achieved so much success a few years ago when I tried it and felt so incredibly empowered that it wasn't a difficult decision to do it again. I started on a Tuesday. If I waited until the following Monday I would only be delaying feeling better about myself. So... I prepped my house on a Monday and I started on a Tuesday! (<a href="http://amzn.to/1zzuLxu" target="_self" title="">you can buy the book here</a>)<br>
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Day 1: Woke up excited and ready to take on the challenge. Dinner was so yummy I could do this forever. I was watching Mad Men and really wanted more to eat. I determined I was "first world hungry" which means you're not physically hungry, you just want more food. Good distinction.</div>
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Day 2: I kept myself busy with errands and packed almond butter in my diaper bag. Never be unprepared! Brett came home "hangry" and we got into an argument over who could season sweet potato hash better. I ate about 400 nuts and then went to bed.</div>
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Day 3: I woke up and my stomach already feels flatter. Brett seems a little depressed. I'm not sure he is going to make it. I'm still nursing and my milk supply seems to be taking a slight hit. I've decided I need to snack more.</div>
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Day 4: Holy sh*t, this sweet potato breakfast is delicious. I think I'll have this every morning for the rest of my life. Feeling tired in the afternoon so I made myself a cup of green tea.</div>
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Day 5: Brett is not going to quit Woo! We invited a few of our friends over for dinner. Since it is hard for us to eat out right now this is a great way for us to remain social for 30 days. We grilled steaks and I made baked sweet potato fries and roasted brussel sprots with butternut squash. Yum.</div>
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Day 6: Didn't... plan... well. hungry, hungry, hippos over here.</div>
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Day 7: I FEEL AMAZING. Brett noticed a change in my body (score!) and I'm feeling extra creative today.</div>
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Day 8: truckin' along...</div>
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Day 9: didn't make enough food last night for Brett to have lunch to take and he left his wallet at home. I met him for lunch and it was surprising easily to order grilled chicken breast with double veggies.</div>
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Day 10: is my breast milk Whole 30 approved? Don't worry... I didn't.</div>
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Day 11: Brett quit. Cue music...Here I go again on my own...</div>
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Day 12: Brett decided not to quit! I don't know if I could do this alone. Either I am developing an eating disorder or is my body is finally learning that it doesn't have to be eating all of the time. I didn't realize I skipped lunch until bedtime. My stomach feels empty. </div>
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Day 13: Every commercial on TV is for food...</div>
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Day 14: I stayed up late last night watching a<a href="http://amzn.to/1mZy2SK" target="_self" title=""> <em>Naked and Afraid</em> </a>marathon. Whole 30 doesn't seem so rough now. I took selfie body shots on day 1 and again this morning. I don't see a whole lot of difference but I FEEL it. I'll be weighing myself tomorrow morning (against the advice of Whole30 creators)</div>
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Day 15: 7lbs in 2 weeks. Soild. Saw an Oreo commercial that almost put me over the edge...</div>
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Day 16: I'm so tired of eating ground meat that I would honestly rather not eat.</div>
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Day 17: I have a horrible headache. Not sure if it is food related? </div>
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Day 18: Went to a friends's house for a July 4th BBQ and survived without tackling the dessert table.</div>
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Day 19: Went blueberry picking (ate a ton of berries) and had friends over for dinner. The same friends who came over on Day 5 and are super supportive of our clean eating.</div>
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Day 20: OMG I WANT A PIZZA SO BAD.</div>
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Day 21: If this were <em><a href="http://amzn.to/1mZy2SK" target="_self" title="">Naked and Afraid</a></em> we would be finished today... but it isn't. </div>
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Day 22: My face looks and feels thinner. I haven't lost any more weight since last week which pisses me off because I feel like I'm starving. I realize this is not the goal of Whole30. What am I doing wrong? I remind myself this isn't just about losing weight. This is about clean eating, conscious eating. I can endure. We're almost there.</div>
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Day 23: homemade sweet potato chips are the only thing getting me through this.</div>
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Day 24: I ate too many pecans. I can't wait for next Thursday. I'll be eating cake for breakfast.</div>
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Day 25: Ordered from our favorite noodle place. Instead of noodles or rice I requested double chicken and double veggies. Why haven't we ordered from here the past few weeks. This was awesome!</div>
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Day 26: Ran into a friend at the grocery store and she said I looked really good. I know it's a little vain but compliments like this on Whole30 help! Weekend tradition of having friends over for dinner. Made fajitas and guacamole with homemade sweet potato chips.</div>
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Day 27: See photo. Bought this. My absolute favorite adult beverage. 3 days and it will be mine. I stored it in my daughter's closet so I wouldn't be tempted. #momoftheyear</div>
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Day 28: I'm feeling a little blue. Not going to look too much into this. I'm sure it's because we are so close to finishing. I wish I could take a pill and sleep until Thursday, wake up and eat cake.</div>
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Day 29: Time couldn't move slower if it tried. </div>
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Day 30: <a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bflYjF90t7c" target="_self" title="">this video pretty much sums up how I'm feeling today. </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div>
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We did it! It was so great having my husband as a compainion on this journey. I couldn't have done it if he was going to be eating cheeseburgers every night while I dined on spinach and ground beef. I've learned so much about myself and my relationship with food. I was able to distinguish actual hunger from what I call "first world hunger." More importantly, I feel empowered! I put down the wine bottle and sugary desserts for 30 days, y'all! I have a mean, mean sweet tooth so this is a BIG deal. In the grand scheme of things, this was a minor feat, but it has proven my ability to exercise control in any situation. </div>
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My husband, Brett, had a different experience being at work and going out to eat with co-workers a few days a week. In the beginning, he was avoiding social situations all-together. He dreaded having to make excuses for why he was doing this and didn't want to have to face the menu to make new and different choices. A little over half way he realized that he enjoyed making better decisions at restaurants and didn't feel like he needed to make excuses for eating healthy. For the record... you can order grilled chicken and veggies practically anywhere you go!</div>
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I lost 11lbs and several inches. I'm pleased with the physical results and more jazzed about the confidence, control, and self-discipline I gained. If you're on the fence about trying Whole30 my advice is to go for it! Don't view it as a diet! It is a life style shift and it can help you make healthy, life changing decisions about what you eat. It isn't about cutting out junk forever, just 30 days. Trust me, I'm about to dive head first into a piece of cake right now and then I'll happily, and powerfully decide to get back to eating healthy. It's totally ok to have the fun foods... just in moderation!</div>
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And that ladies and gentlemen, is our experience with Whole30. <br>
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<strong>Must share favorites</strong> sorry, I don't really "do" measuring.<br>
<em>Sweet potato breakfas</em>t (pictured)- diced and roasted sweet pototoes with ground turkey, sautéed onions, and green peppers. Seasoned with S&P, paprika, and cinnamon. Topped with a fried egg.<br>
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<em>Spicy Chilli for a week</em>- bacon, 2lbs ground beef, jalenpenos, red and green pepper, onion, garlic, carrot, diced tomatos, tomato paste, chillie powder, S&P. Top that sh*t with an egg for breakfast oran avocado anytime.<br>
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<em>Chicken Nuggets</em>- grab your favorite nuts (I used pistachios, cashews, and pecans) and grind them in a blender or vitamix until they look like breadcrumbs. Cut up chicken breast into bite size chunks. Beat two eggs in a bowl. Place nuts in another bowl and season with S&P and maybe some red pepper flakes. Dip the chicken pieces into the egg mix and then roll and cover in nuts. Palce on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake for 30mins.<br>
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<em>Mango Banana Ice Cream</em>- frozen organic mango chucks + frozen banana in a food processor. Boom. Ice cream. Kinda.<br>
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<em>Chicken Fried Veggies</em> (pictured)- My take on Chicken Fried Rice. Pan fry diced chicken with EVOO. In separate skillet sautee carrots and green peas. Scramble 3 eggs and once the veggies are cooked to your liking pour in beaten eggs. As soon as the eggs are cooked toss veggies into the cooked chicken skillet. Done!<br>
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<i>Jerkish Pork</i>- For the seasoning: blend off black pepper, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, paprikia, salt + fresh hot peppers, garlic, onions, and a little bit of apple cider vineager with EVOO. Buy a <a href="http://amzn.to/1kSGgGl" target="_self" title="">Vitamix</a>. Best thing ever. Skewer the pork between pineapple and grill that DELICIOUSNESS. <br>
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Feeling Wholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06158561265860945856noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006390462535678148.post-45494725225226267932014-07-15T09:31:00.001-05:002014-07-22T11:11:53.350-05:001986...<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Si3AK4337Lc/U8U7V2nav6I/AAAAAAAAHIg/9n8bbkQ48jw/s2048/Photo%25252020140715093147.jpg" target="_blank" style="clear: left; float: left; "><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Si3AK4337Lc/U8U7V2nav6I/AAAAAAAAHIg/9n8bbkQ48jw/s500/Photo%25252020140715093147.jpg" id="blogsy-1405434716809.1826" class="alignleft" width="500" height="423" alt=""></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a selfie before it was a selfie</td></tr></tbody></table><p> I'm writing from the couch today and on the TV I'm running an old home movie from 1986. WOW...</p><p>My dad bought a brand new video camera when I was born. It was huge and expensive and worth every penny becuase now we can travel back in time whenever we please and remember the good old days.</p><p>My parent's house was out in the "country." The driveway was composed of rocks. It was a new build and my folks hadn't even installed the back deck yet. We had a great, big back yard and a second garage out back for my dad's cars. Beyond that, there was a good sized field with horses and only a few neighboring houses. Today, it's full on suburbia out there. Most of the orginal houses have been torn down and I remember the fire department burning one down for practice. The field was replaced with a neighborhood... </p><p>It always felt so quiet in the house. Like, Christmas morning quiet, everyday. I miss it. I rarely experience that type of quiet anymore. I live in a big, busy city now. I've got new constrution going up next door, big Texas trucks roaring by every few minutes, and somewhere nearby is a heliocoptor landing pad I only seem to notice in the middle of the night.</p><p>Watching this home video makes 1986 feel quiet...clam... slow... peaceful. Maybe that was just my Dad's filming style or maybe that is how it really was but it has me thinking... </p><p>Can we slow it all down or are we permantenlty on fast forward from here on out? Is this just a perception we have as our youth begins to dwindle, that things were simpler or slower when our lives began? Older readers, has the past decade really incresed the pace of life or is it all a perception of our generation embracing adulthood? I remember reading American transcendentalist writing, focused on breaking away from the "busy life" in modern society. If similar feelings were present then, can the technology of the past couple decades really be the culprit of our always-on mind sets? It seems like we just adapt at a young age to keep up with the ever increasing pace during our own lives, only to have the next generaion pick up where we left off, speeding ahead faster and faster.</p><p>Transcendentalists believe that society is what corrupts the purity of indivduals. Everything seems to be "on-the-go." There are times when I don't even sit down to eat a meal. I have to have the latest version of this electronic or that new car, or else! More, more, more. Quicker, better, faster, stronger. Good isn't good enough anymore. It can't be a quaint, simple house. It's a McMansion or bust.</p><p>If I have a point to make in all of this reminiscing and blabber it is this: stop and smell the freaking roses every once in a while. Cultivate peace and quiet however it works for you. We can't slow down time, but we can down slow ourselves.<br></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20">Posted with Blogsy</a></div>Feeling Wholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06158561265860945856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006390462535678148.post-84786494279286713792014-07-13T08:05:00.001-05:002014-07-13T08:12:16.852-05:00sunday mantra...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I sigh, as I begin this particular Sunday, that also happens to be Day 27 of <a href="http://whole30.com/">Whole30</a>. I really want to be brunching. Like, full-on greasy-eggs and potatos, cheese, and mimosa style brunch. Quitting now is not an option. I've worked hard and set a strict set of instructions to give up sugar, dairy, gluten, wheat, ALCOHOL, all for 30 days. Just as I wouldn't quit a marathon at mile 25, I won't back down now. The sweet taste of the finish will serve as the confidence boost I need to reassure myself that I am living MY life. I'm in control. In a world where we don't always have a say in what's happening outside of our front door it's important to <i><span style="font-size: large;">remember we have the freedom to control our thoughts, emotions, actions, and reactions. </span></i></div>
Feeling Wholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06158561265860945856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006390462535678148.post-47364013888429629502014-06-26T10:30:00.001-05:002014-06-26T10:33:28.318-05:00breaking free from the fitness tracker...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am a BIG fan of fitness so naturally I was a big fan of the fitness tracking craze. As soon as I saw the <a href="http://amzn.to/1jnibXO">UP band by Jawbone </a>I walked right accross the street to Apple and bought one for myself. Soon, half of my co-workers had one and we were all trying to outstep one another! Nine months pregnant, I was waddling around work [<a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NisCkxU544c&feature=kp" style="line-height: 1.3em;" target="_self" title="">like a boss</a>] with a step count above 20,000 a day like I had something to prove. I was so obsessed.<br />
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and then it happened... a few weeks ago... <br />
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I was so dissapointed. It was my 2nd UP band. My first one stopped working exactly 6 months after I purchased it and like clockwork, my replacement died exaclty 6 months from the date they sent it. This time they wouldn't replace it because my one year warranty had expired a couple of weeks before I submitted my "technical issue." At this point, I decided I wouldn't spend another $100+ only to have my band break in 6 months. It's wasn't worth it to me.<br />
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Most of my orignal Jawbone teammates had fallen off the wagon a while back. They had been inactive on the app for months. I naively assumed they just kept forgetting to wear it but now I realize the more likely scenario was that it had stopped working.<br />
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But now, I had a whole new group of teammates. Several I recruited to buy the UP band because I had loved it and was having a great experience. I wasn't going to be able to keep up with them anymore! Would they think I was slacking? Fell off the wagon? Would they be mad at me when theirs broke? Ah... I've been kicked out of the fitness tracking community! What am I going to do?! If I am not clocking 10,000 steps what will happen to me?!<br />
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Well, I'm 1 month fitness band sober and I feel great, I feel free. The first few days we're rough... I found myself eating more, standing less, and feeling the urge to check the app and see how active my UP teammates had been. I have to laugh at myself now... this all sounds more like I just quit smoking than gave up my fitness tracker.<br />
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I hadn't realized how much my band was running the show. To make sure my band was always catching every step I would carry bags or luggage with the hand that wasn't wearing the band. I would only push the stroller with one arm and make sure I was swinging the other. I would even wear it with my Garmin to make sure it was accurate...Obssessive behavor.<br />
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Moral of the story...<br />
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If you are a fit person, and you already enjoy working out and moving your body, you don't need a band to valadate it. Don't drive yourself crazy "living by the band." If you are looking for a little motivation and fun way to interact with an online community, knock yourself out! Just beware of the withdrawl possibilities... <br />
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Feeling Wholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06158561265860945856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006390462535678148.post-16297825751163280352014-06-18T14:00:00.001-05:002014-06-18T14:22:26.940-05:00stuck at the keys...I've got the block. Blogger's block. I've got it bad. When you have blogger's block it is the only thing you can even think to write about. I've accumulated 30 starts of drafts of total shi*t.<div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">But I'm not just feeling stuck at the keys. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I'm feeling stuck in my body and mind too. I haven't been to yoga in a month. I haven't been away from the baby for more than two or three hours in... oh, her entire life. And while I am in awe of what my body has done to produce my tiny human, I could stand to feel better in a bikini. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">It's time for an overhaul. It's time to reboot. </font><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">My new game plan includes completing Whole 30, going to yoga once a week, running without the stroller once a week, and finding time to write every single day.</font></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">It may seem simple enough but never underestimate your needs. When you feel stagnant or stuck, step back and ask yourself, what's missing? Then enlist the support of others to help you get back to <i>you</i>. </span></div>Feeling Wholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06158561265860945856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006390462535678148.post-45841146091976620222014-06-12T13:31:00.000-05:002014-08-02T10:18:03.628-05:00most improved player...<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRqOOT8H7srDXJyz-Ntxe8_Ht2_rbZqCAZDvkJRQoxOsxOh_lZmvVeJWlceaeDOjJZguN3SLTCnYvEPDhyKmjpPgfYxEdBSfTCzeVLjSepi6xA1NK-5E5lgVCK3n2pV1iJyQgvnZuBAPE/s640/blogger-image-42260410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRqOOT8H7srDXJyz-Ntxe8_Ht2_rbZqCAZDvkJRQoxOsxOh_lZmvVeJWlceaeDOjJZguN3SLTCnYvEPDhyKmjpPgfYxEdBSfTCzeVLjSepi6xA1NK-5E5lgVCK3n2pV1iJyQgvnZuBAPE/s640/blogger-image-42260410.jpg"></a></div><br></div>As a kid winning an award is pretty cool even if it's not MVP. Being recognized for a job well done is award enough during our novice years. I won several "most improved" awards and as I got older I convinced myself that those titles were just a nice way of telling me that I sucked and now I just suck a little less.<div><br></div><div>That was then...</div><div><br></div><div>Now I see it as a strength to always be in a state of learning and improving. <b>Growing is part of the process of life and s</b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b>pecialization is for insects.</b> Why waste time trying to be the absolute best in one particular area when you can be great at being yourself in several areas and have that be enough? If you're giving it your all that's what matters. <b>Learn from your mistakes and grow.</b> Don't rely on an MVP award to define your worth. You are enough.</span></div>Feeling Wholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06158561265860945856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006390462535678148.post-31751216647818426422014-06-12T12:11:00.004-05:002014-06-12T12:11:51.455-05:00in ten years...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<em>I'm at home with Marley. School's been cancelled. Its a snow day! The fire crackles and warms our big stone home. The reflection of the pretty white snow fills the room with white light. We are sitting in the kitchen getting a head start on one of her school projects. At the edge of the counter sits a fat stack of my new book that I've been signing in preparation for my book reading later this week in the city. The teapot whistles to let us know the water is ready. On snow days we have hot cocoa. The phone rings and it's my husband calling to check in on his girls. He tells me he loves me and can't wait to see me when he gets home.</em><br />
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This is my ten year vision. For almost five years I've been an official goal setter (meaning I write them down) and writing the vision has always been a powerful part of the process. It's not always the same but it continues to have a few common themes. Marley, for example, has always played a role and now she's actually here. Oh, it wasn't easy for me to imagine her at ten years old...<br />
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Writing a vision creates a roadmap for your future. To get to my ten year vision I know that we need to move to a colder climate and I need to write a book. There is a lot that goes into both of those goals but there are some pretty obvious goals I can set from each of those facts. Example: Choose a genre --> write a rough draft -->edit --> publish that sh*t. Ya, dig?<br />
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<span style="line-height: 1.3em; text-align: right;">Take a beat, find a quiet place, and imagine your life ten years from today. Where are you? What do you look like? Who are you with? Dive into the details. Write it all down and package it up into something that makes you smile. Share it with people who support you. You'll be amazed at what you will achieve for yourself.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 1.3em; text-align: right;">Fun idea... start a pin board for your ten year vision! Here are a few images from mine :)</span><br />
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Feeling Wholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06158561265860945856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5006390462535678148.post-65592152644082542492014-06-10T11:47:00.001-05:002014-06-10T11:47:46.455-05:00life's a beach...Take time for rest. Enjoy the elements. Life's a beach.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKzCyXc8DsK0h3wsvQb2iUypqSeLiF2xgjER-n626VtQ0p-5cojMeHeNU_5SrGbJ5iRCy4KMurZ638z_InzVhgMj3eHX-9_0xi3shC5Y5xify7IXL7D0grRcSChdEpOzYWvST8BlgqJeg/s640/blogger-image--1182880167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKzCyXc8DsK0h3wsvQb2iUypqSeLiF2xgjER-n626VtQ0p-5cojMeHeNU_5SrGbJ5iRCy4KMurZ638z_InzVhgMj3eHX-9_0xi3shC5Y5xify7IXL7D0grRcSChdEpOzYWvST8BlgqJeg/s640/blogger-image--1182880167.jpg"></a></div>Feeling Wholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06158561265860945856noreply@blogger.com0