Let's go

I have had some great workouts lately

 

and am finally getting into a good routine as far as my workouts go!

 

I should add that it hasn't always been easy getting there though!

 

Here is a recent text conversation with my best friend that shows just what I am talking about:

 

Me @ 8:57 AM: "Lacking motivation today!!!!"

 

Her: "It's actually nice out! Not too windy, no rain yet! I'm trying to get this damn room painted so I can go run"

 

Me: "My legs feel dead today! May go swim but need to get moving. Just want to nap but now I am up so that won't happen."

 

Her: "Don't sit down! keep going before ur mind figures out what u r doing!"

 

Me: "Too late!!!! Sat down to eat breakfast and started watching a show."

 

Me with the picture below: "Maybe it should be a rest day so I don't have to give this up. Cozy;)"

 

 

Her: :(

 

Insert some chatter about work and needing to win the lottery.

 

Me with the picture below: "Mollie says lets snuggle today!"

 

 

Her: "Awwwww! Take ur rest day & work hard tomorrow! cute sweater! watch ur eating today if no workout.

 

Me: "$4.97 at Wal-Mart. The guilt is gonna get me! My eating is making good progress:) just need to keep going in that direction. The Halloween treats we made yesterday did get me though:( "

 

Her: "Ohhh but they looked good! I feel like I am more hungry on the days I don't work out. Weird.

 

Me: "I don't get it either but agree with you!!"

 

Me with picture below @ 9:40: " On my way..."

 

 

Me with picture below: "Here we go... first step is always the hardest!!!"

 

 

Me: "Pool is packed:( Good thing I packed running stuff too!"

 

Me @ 10:51 AM: "5 miles done! 48:24 Super excited about the scale today!!!! Back to where I had been sitting for a while- xxx.x :) Now to get back below xxx!!!" (NOTE: I am not ready to share these numbers but am working on getting to the point of sharing them in the future.)

 

Me @ 10:53 AM: "That run felt pretty damn good!! Next time I am talking lazy and crazy tell me that I am being CRAZY!!!!!"

 

Then I posted the following picture on social media.

 

Was feeling tired and lazy this morning after working
 the past 5 days (4 of them until 11 PM)
then the guilt started to hit so I got my butt to the Y
and had a great 5 mile #run.
Crazy thinking almost got me today but I won!!
 

Now look back at the times some of those were sent!

 

It took me almost as long to get motivated to go

 

as it did to actually do my workout.

 

Now think about the emotions tied to each of those periods of time.

 

Sitting at home:

tired, guilt, laziness, lack of motivation, depressed

 

Post-workout:

proud, accomplished, excited, motivated, energetic, full of life

 

If I would have gotten my butt moving-

 

I would have been able to feel all of those positive emotions

 

of getting in such a great workout that much sooner!

 

In the end I was so glad that I got up and got it done!

 

I didn't let myself make excuses and I pushed through that bump in the road.

 

I have never regretted a workout-

 

I always feel so much better once I do it!

 

There have been plenty of times when I haven't pulled myself out of the crazy talk

 

and I always regret it and feel guilty later!

 

NO EXCUSES!! Let's go...

 

 

Having an accountability partner is a must for me!

 

I am very lucky that my best friend has similar goals-

 

running/fitness/healthy lifestyle/active living.

 

We text almost daily to see what the plan is for the day

 

and to encourage/motivate each other to keep at it!

 

It is a cycle and she keeps me on track!

 

 

I love this quote/graphic from Fellow Flowers- 

 

These are all things that I need to remember and

 

I am guessing that I am not alone!

 

Living an active/healthy lifestyle is a journey-

 

it doesn't happen over night.

 

It won't be easy.

 

There will be bumps in the road.

 

There will be days that you will want to give-up. 

 

Don't give up!

 

Focus on the progress!

 

Remember why you started!

 

Stay focused!

 

Give it your all!

 

Make sure that you have someone

 

to help push you,

 

 motivate you

 

and keep you on track!

 

Let's go and keep going!

 



Have you ever regretted a workout?

 Do you have an accountability partner? who?

Three Things Thursday

1) Chilly 4-k Field Trip

 

Tuesday morning this was the temperature

 

as I left the warm heated seats in my car to load a bus

 

with a bunch of 4 year-olds to visit a local corn maze!

 

Brrrr!

 Once we were there

 

and I was chasing trying to keep up with

 

my four year old

 

and one other that was assigned to me

 

it wasn't so bad.

 

my field trip buddies

Aidan was excited that I was able to come

 While in the corn maze

 

we had to hunt for the alphabet

 

because the farm animals stole them

 

and hid them there.

 

Aidan was on the hunt for an 'A'

 

and look what we were able to find!

 

proud to have found HIS 'A'

 After spending some time in the corn maze

 

we went on a wagon ride,

 

had a snack,

 

got to play some games,

 

and pick little pumpkins.

 

Aidan was pretty proud of his little pumpkin.

 It was chilly but in the end

 

we didn't care

 

because we were having fun!

 

having fun at the corn maze/farm

Aidan loved the farm but I think one of the highlights for him

 

was riding a BIG bus!

 

The 4-K kids ride a little bus

 

to and from school

 

so this was a first for him.

 

Riding on the BIG bus

 

 

 2) Time for winter running apparel

 

The temps have really started to drop

 

making it necessary

 

to dress warmer when we run outside.

 

For our run on Tuesday afternoon

 

I had to bring out:

 

hats (for Tim and Aidan),

 

my headband,

 

gloves,

 

and my fleece-lined long sleeve shirt.

 

I do have to admit

 

that even when we have to bundle up

 

I still enjoy running in the cold

 

way more

 

than running in the heat.

 

It can be hard to get out there

 

but in the end

 

I am always

 

happy that I did.

 

Having great running buddies helps too!

 

Tuesday's running buddies

Now that Aidan is in school

 

and I am use to running without the stroller-

 

holy cow!!

 

Pushing a four year old for 3.5 miles is tough-

 

but I have missed running with my little buddy.

 

He has been with me on my running journey since it started!

 

Until the last few months

 

running with him in the stroller

 

was the only thing I knew.

 

my little buddy

He is getting so big!

 

It might be time to build his endurance on his bike

 

so he can ride beside me instead of me having to push him.

 

 

3) Our most recent family picture

 

This photo was taken after our run on Tuesday

 

and I LOVE it.

 

I have not forgotten that I have three boys-

 

look very close.

 

We are ALL in the picture!



 

love my photo bombers!

 I hope you are having a good week!

 

What are your plans for the weekend?

 

I will be working all weekend!

Isn't it still October?

Last time I looked at the calendar

 

we still had a whole week left of

 

OCTOBER!

 

The leaves have hardly changed

 

and we still have lots on the trees around here.

 

We have also seen SNOW flurries a couple of times already!

 

What the heck?

 

Is Mother-Nature confused?

 

Where did our fall go?

 

I guess it is coming to an end faster than I would like.

 

I love living somewhere that we have all four seasons-

 

I just wish the winter one didn't have to be so long

 

or start so early this year.

 

I should have known it was coming though..

 

it always does!

 

Other than the cold and snow flurries

 

another sign that winter is coming is that

 

football ended this past weekend for my boys.

 

The last games of the season are played on the local high school field

 

and they have player introductions.

 

The older kids (5th & 6th Grade tackle) play under the lights

 

and there is an announcer for the games-

 

it is a big deal for the kids.

 

It is also a lot of fun for us as parents.

 

It was a chilly fall day

 

and it rained off and on

 

so we were worried about game time.

 

Isaac's game was up first

 

and the rained stopped just in time.

 

It was chilly but at least we were dry!

 

He did a great job playing in a variety of spots.

 

He was so proud to have some good runs with the ball.

 

3rd & 4th Grade Flag Football 10-19-13

 Isaac's team had a great season and ended it with a win!

 

We are so proud of how great Isaac did this year!

 

As the game was ending it started to rain.

 

By the time we made it home-

 

(6-7 blocks) it was pouring.

 

We warmed up and got some dinner

 

and then it was back to the stadium for Riley's game.

 

Once again we got lucky and the rain had stopped!

 

He started at 7:45 PM so you can imagine that the temperature

 

was even lower than it had been earlier.

 

Wool socks, cuddle duds, winter coat, hat, and mittens were required!

 

They did player introductions and got the game started.

 

It is amazing how far these boys have come over the years!

 

For Riley and several others this was the last game through Park & Rec.

 

Next year they will be playing Middle School Football.

 

5th & 6th Grade Tackle Football- 10-19-13
Riley's last Park & Rec Football game :(

 It was fun to see the boys getting "pumped" up before the game.

 

Riley was a big part of the pounding on other's pads and yelling to get them going-

 

it was wonderful to see him becoming a leader on the team and having such a great attitude.

 

Riley started the first half

 

and I was surprised to see him, my peanut of a boy, playing "Center"!

 

At least I knew what was expected of him in that position

 

as that is where Tim played all through High School.

 

Riley played a variety of other positions as well

 

and did a great job where ever he was put!

 

In the second half Riley didn't start but went in and out.

 

In the end it was great because they tricked the other team and he ended up

 

with a 45-50 yard touch-down run that nobody could catch him on!

 

It was so fun to see him make such a great play and to see how proud he was.

 

Riley's team had a great season

 

and they too ended it with a win- 20-0!

 

With all of this football talk I can't forget Aidan.

 

He was such a good sport about 

 

having to go to all of his big brother's games!

 

He even got into the spirit and fun of the games under the lights.

 

Aidan did a great job this fall of being flexible and supporting his brothers!

 

His turn to play flag football will be coming soon enough.

 

The award for best supportive brother goes to... Aidan!

 Next up...

 

basketball!

 

If you follow Operation Determination on Facebook

 

you probably already saw the candy dilemma

 

that I got into at work on Monday night.

 

 

This bowl of candy

 

was sitting

 

literally 2 feet away from me

 

ALL NIGHT!!

 

UGHHHHHHH!!!!!

 

I have to admit that I did have ONE

 

Reese's Peanut butter cup

 

before I posted the above picture on Facebook

 

and asked for help to keep me from digging in and having more.

 

Just knowing that I had put it out there that I was trying to stay away

 

really helped me stay motivated to not have more-

 

that and chewing mint gum!

 

It was also ironic that as I was passing time surfing Facebook

 

I came across this picture-

 

 

WOW!

 

What a slap in the face!

 

Just when I NEEDED it most!

 

With help from friends that I reached out to

 

and after seeing this it was pretty easy to stick to my guns

 

and not have any more.

 

I do have a bigger 'yes' burning inside of me and I was successful that night.

 

That should be enough but it is still hard!

 

There are always treats at work (from patients and/or staff)

 

 and this time of year it only gets worse.

 

I understand where people are coming from-

 

either they are trying to get it out of their house

 

(I have been guilty of this in the past),

 

 they are trying to be nice and bring a treat,

 

or they are trying to help lighten the mood after some rough shifts.

 

I am trying to prepare myself to be better and

 

I would love to hear any tips and/or tricks

 

that you use when you find yourself in

 

this type of dilemma.

 

That bigger 'yes' should be enough-

 

sometimes in the heat of the moment it is easier to change those priorities.

 

I need to keep this picture with me when I am at work!

 

 

Now it is your turn! I would love to hear from you!!!

 

Do you get to enjoy four seasons where you are?

 

Has winter started to move in?

 

What tips/tricks do you have for staying away from temptations?

 

PLEASE COMMENT!

 



Taking time

WOW! 13 days since my last post!

 

Where does the time go?

 

It feels like I just wrote that last post about our anniversary.

 

As a family we have been busy.

 

I know none of these things probably come as a surprise to you-

 

I am not the most regular with my posts and that is something that I am working on changing.

 

I also comment a lot about time flying by and our family being busy-

 

those are both things that are not going to change.

 

We keep moving forward,

 

 doing the best we can

 

and trying to take time

 

 to enjoy life  along the way. 

 

 

Over the past couple of weeks

 

we have done pretty good

 

taking time  to do just that.

 

Almost two weeks ago

 

 we packed up

 

 and headed to

 

Missouri

 

for a long weekend.

 

Relax, Sitback, and Enjoy!

 

My dad and step-mom have a house near Osage Beach,

 

right along the Lake of the Ozarks.

 

 

They are getting ready to remodel

 

and needed help clearing out the house.

 

The trip was part work,

 

but was also part play.

 

Here are some of the highlights of the play...

 

We did some hiking.

 We enjoyed the beautiful fall weather by doing some hiking along the Wonderland Camp trail.

 

My step-mom is the grand-daughter of the founder of the camp.

 

In the future we plan to do some volunteer work at the camp as a family.

 

Enjoying the beautiful fall weather and the opportunity to be outside exploring.

 We hiked to the Wonderland Camp tree house

 

and made a new friend along the way.

 

The boys thought we should

 

"save" him

 

and help him back to the water.

 

Our new friend Twiggy!

 On the way they named

 

our new friend

 

Twiggy!

 

We put him

 

in the water

 

and he was HAPPY...

 

for a minute!

 

Then he started

 

heading back in the direction of the hill.

 

Not sure if we

 

"saved" him

 

or

 

made his life

 

much harder.

 

In the interest of

 

my three boys-

 

we are going with- SAVED!

 

Acorns or weapons?

 During our hike

 

the boys enjoyed collecting acorns.

 

Said acorns,

 

may or may not

 

have been used as

 

weapons on the hike

 

back down the hill.

 

Fishing

 There was time spent fishing.

 

Aidan tried it but didn't have much patience for it.

 

Riley and Isaac love to fish.

 

They are great about doing it all themselves.

 

Paddle-boating and spending time with Uncle Eric

 There was also lots of time spent paddle-boating.

 

We learned the my step-brother

 

is deathly afraid of spiders.

 

How did we learn this you ask-

 

he nearly capsized the boat his first trip out (alone)

 

when he spotted a spider in it with him.

 

Lucky for him,

 

Tim was able to save the day and kill the spider for him.

 

After that the boys went along and were on "spider watch".

 

It was great to see them spending time with him

 

and to see how great he is with them!

 

Boating

 There were a few trips out in the boat.

 

 It was a bit chilly but it was also a great way to see the lake.

 

Love my boys:)

We all love going to the lake,

 

being outside,

 

being active,

 

and exploring in whatever way we can.

 

trying out the canoe for the first time

 Riley and Isaac were the only ones brave enough

 

to try out the canoe.

 

They did a great job!

 

 

We had a great time exploring on the Kubota!

 

I think that was Aidan's favorite activity-

 

especially after seeing a few snakes in the water.

 

While exploring we found a great place

 

to take some pictures.

 

 

Of course we had to go back to get pictures

 

of the other boys too!

 

 

There is something about being at "the lake"-

 

it is so peaceful

 

and relaxing.

 

Life doesn't feel as rushed!

 

When I am there I feel like I appreciate things more.

 

It was so much fun to spend time with the boys

 

and see them so excited-

 

just to be there,

 

to hike,

 

to fish,

 

to go on the paddle-boat,

 

to go on the boat,

 

to ride in the Kubota,

 

to canoe,

 

to explore,

 

just to be together as a family.

 

Simple things!

 

It was also great to see them

 

so willing to help out

 

when it came time to do the work-

 

doing what they could,

 

learning how to do new things,

 

and working together

 

to help their family.



Riley spotted this on a step going down to the dock.

While we were gone there were no workouts

 

and I am ok with that (sort of, I am trying to be).

 

I did something to my back/neck before leaving

 

so it worked out

 

as a chance to rest

 

and maybe for a good reason-

 

telling me to slow down

 

and take time

 

to love my life as it is!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



14 years ago...

Fourteen years ago,

 

there was a girl...

 

 

...who loved a boy

 

with all of her heart

 

 

and on this day

 

fourteen years ago

 

the two became one.

 

 

Vows were said

 

and promises were made.

 Their love was celebrated

 

with family and friends.

 

 Fourteen years ago

 

was the start of such an amazing adventure!

 

It is crazy to think that it has already that long!

 

Where does the time go?

 

So much has happened in those years-

 

good,

 

bad,

 

exciting,

 

and sad.

 

There has been

 

ups

 

and



downs.

 

Through it all

 

we have stuck together!

 

Traveling though this crazy life

 

side by side

 

and

 

hand in hand!

 

We have come along way

but we still have so much ahead of us!




 

We have been so blessed

 

and I am excited to continue on this journey together!







This is a piece from one of the mums

 

that decorated the church for our wedding.

 

Every fall it is a great reminder of this day fourteen years ago.

 

It is also a reminder of how we have grown and become who we are- together!

 

We just need to take time to enjoy the beauty of it all.

 

Before I close I have a couple of things that I would like to say to my wonderful husband:

 

 

THANK YOU!

 

 

I LOVE YOU!!

 

 

 

 

Here's to many more amazing years head!