Why I CrossFit.

I try not to blab about my love of CrossFit too much, because for some reason people either love it or hate it.  I'm not sure why people hate it, because I've never met anyone that tried it and HATED it.  Have the haters really tried it?  There are surely those that have decided it's not the right fit for them and I completely respect that.  But I love CrossFit.

Lately, I notice the phrase "this is why I CrossFit" go through my mind when I encounter a moment that I can really see the difference it is making in my life.  Besides the confidence and power (mental & physical) I have gained from the sport, here is the beginnings of my list:

1. Macy is now 20 months old.  20 months going on 13 years.  She's a handful.  She's clever.  And creative.  And stubborn.  And she's big.  Carting her around is a fairly good workout on it's own, and when she's refusing to walk, kicking and screaming in protest... it's a chore.  Yet I can hold her in one arm while she throws her fit and not be overcome by her size, strength, and aggression.  It's awesome.

This is why I CrossFit.

2. Seven year old Marshall weighed 70 lbs at his well child check a few months ago.  Now, because he's seven, I don't often have to lift him up or carry him anywhere.  But the other day we were swimming and he only had his new tennis shoes that he did not want to get soggy.  We had to walk a bit from the shade to the car, so I gave him a piggy back ride.  It was easy.  Even when I was squatting so he could easily climb on and then had to stand straight up with his handsome, genius, and pure awesome 70 pounds on my back.  I felt like a rockstar.  It was awesome.

This is why I CrossFit.

3. So I can be stronger than PMDD.  I don't want to go on and on about it, but PMDD is something I've come to learn is a part of my life.  It's like PMS, but on steroids.  I end up with "symptoms" that overtake my life... sometimes for a day and sometimes for a week or more.  It's ridiculous.  And stupid.  And today I was feeling discouraged and really low.  I almost couldn't bring myself to head to the box, but I went to attempt a tough workout anyway.  Right when I started, I realized I was probably in over my head.  But I walked into the gym wanting to take control of Me, so I just kept going.  I dead lifted 155 pounds 20 times in a row (as only one part of the WOD) even though my one rep max is 165#.  I had to do them one at a time, yet I kept moving.  It was crazy hard, but I pushed through.  I came in sort of defeated from my day and walked out feeling like I could do anything, seriously anything, in the world.  CrossFit has shown me I can bring my mind over matter, and conquer something that seems impossible (usually through a good lifting session) and remind myself that I am strong, determined, and capable.  PMDD might be monsterous at times, but I'm stronger than that.  I am awesome.

This is why I CrossFit.

One of the best ideas...

Last weekend I fulfilled one of my goals for the year by going to the Power of Mom's retreat in Park City.  It was such a wonderful way to help me refuel and become more motivated as a mom.  I really cannot say enough good about the experience.  The one "not so positive" thing I might say is that so much of what I came home with was kind of common sense stuff... all of which I'd never put all together into conscious thought.  So that made me feel a little foolish.  But only like 1%...

So one of the best things I came home with was a new way of looking at to do lists.  I NEED to use them more because it just helps keep my mind organized and focused on what needs to be done.  I'm not big on writing down every tiny thing I accomplish each day (I know, I'm weird...), but I do write the non-daily tasks that need attention.

Now let me break it down... this new system I'm embracing.  This idea was introduced by Richard Eyre, a funny, brilliant author of so many parenting books.  We were at his beautiful home for the retreat.

You start out by choosing three "choose to do" items before ever writing the "have to do's".  Each of those "choose to do's" fall into one of these categories; personal, family, work.  Sometimes it could be something unnecessary like painting my nails and sometimes it could be a job that really needs to get done but I'm choosing to put it before other things on my priority list.  

After that, the "to-do's" get listed on the left side of the page and you make another column on the right for "serendipity moments."  Richard had a lot to say about the serendipity moments that probably puts it in an even better perspective, but you'll see how it pays off by the end of the day and the end of the week.  Simply put, the serendipity moments are the things that occur throughout the day that you weren't planning for but they enriched a moment of your day.  Sometimes they will be interrupters of your "schedule" that end up putting a positive twist on your day.  Other times it might just be a little moment of joy that you discover amidst all of the things you had to do.

Really, the whole point of this, to me, is to let my to do list be a part of my life with my kids rather than my kids being a part of my to do list.  I set a goal to do this for a week with the intention to look back on my week and see all the tasks (at least 21 of them) that I chose to accomplish and also to see the countless amounts of joyful serendipity moments that occurred during the week.  Seeing those things add up really ought to improve my outlook at life, right?

So here's a glimpse at day one.

As you can see, it was a simple day as far as to do lists go.  I had worked the night before and knew I wasn't going to have the energy to save the world or anything like that, but I had a few things that really needed to happen so I wrote them down.  And as I mentioned before, plenty of household tasks did get done I just didn't write them all down.  Being totally honest, I only did two of the three "choose to" items, but that's ok with me.  I took a nap instead of doing item number one.  And that was the "personal" item so I felt like swapping it for a nap was beneficial to the entire household.

My favorite part at the end of the day was the chance to reflect on the lovely parts of my day.  First off, I resolved to stay unstressed while we got ready for school and we got up late (totally my fault) so I just jumped in and put Marshall's shoes on him while he ate breakfast.  It was a tiny gesture towards my kiddo that I cared about him enough to help him.  Strangely, he begs me to put his shoes on for him multiple times a week.  I think he gets overwhelmed sometimes by being older and more responsible and it's one of the only ways I can do something FOR him.  It caused me to reflect though, that I really could do better at serving him and helping him feel loved.  It's hard to be responsible and he's trying to balance that right now, so I'm going to do better at being there for him in moments I can serve.  The next two things were little things that enriched my day and I was grateful I could look up from planting tomatoes to visit with the neighbor and that I could break from my regular schedule to enjoy the company of friends at the park.  The fourth thing on my list was a special little moment I am sure to forget if I hadn't written it down.  And who knows... I may still forget it someday, but at least now it's been documented.  I was finishing with my planting and weed pulling when Macy joined me in the garden, picked up a trowel, and sat down and started "digging."  She would just scoop up a little dirt and let it drop, over and over again.  The best part though, was she was just singing to herself in her cute, little, wordless voice.  It was something I hope my heart remembers forever.  She was just having the greatest time and I got to see it.  So special!  Lastly, Marshall was resisting doing his chores so instead of losing my cool I invited him to walk and check the mail with me.  I figured maybe we could chat while we walked and he might catch on to the idea... sure enough, it worked!  He felt more relaxed and contributed to the conversation and we got home ready to get all of the chores done in record time.  When he was headed to bed he told me, "Mom... I really liked walking with you today.  And I never got disappointed ALL DAY!"  After asking a question or two, it was apparent that a little calm conversation while on a walk dispersed his frustration with chores and he never lost his cool.  He noticed that he went the whole day without losing it and we all went to bed much happier than other days can sometimes end.  After looking at what I've written, I realize that I even have another thing to mention on the serendipity list.  The time I spent in the garden would typically have been when I would have been at the gym.  And I LOVE my time at the gym, so it really never makes the to do list because it's just the way I live.  But while in the garden I got two great additions to my day.  How nice to sit back and be thankful for the day I had.  And it was a Monday even!

I'm loving this approach to the things I need to accomplish and I hope I can make it a habit and a more permanent way of thinking.

Party time!

The boys' had a fun, simple birthday party this year.  They wanted a hunting party, so we gathered a few friends, shot nerf guns at balloons, threw "target practice" at stacked cups, then ate some goodies, and headed home.  

 As we were getting the cake ready we even had a fun little "freeze" dance party.  

They showed off their best moves and when the music paused, so did they!

We ended up with a fun little clan that brought some fun gifts.  I loved watching the boys open the presents and get excited about the simplest thing.  I wish the party hadn't had to take place on Easter weekend so we could have invited more friends and just played and played.

P.S.  Macy likes cake and loves to feed herself like a big girl.

It's real, people.

By the end of lunch today, my sister made an observation that made me laugh pretty hard. "The struggle is real," I heard her say. Seriously though, it's real. The struggle is really, really real.

I have pondered on this many times in the last few weeks. Motherhood is fabulous. It is all I've ever wanted (at least since I moved past my kindergarten dreams of being Madonna when I grew up), and I am happy to take the lows with the highs. But I feel like I'm living in the trenches of the struggle right now and couldn't help but laugh when someone else acknowledged that the struggle of motherhood is real.

Early this morning I woke up because Tyler was throwing up and his poor little heart was just broken. Not only that, but it looks like he picked up Macy's pink eye germs as well. So I got him cleaned up, put eye drops in his eyes, and laid down next to him until he fell back asleep because he had also been having nightmares. Peace returned to our house and we made it halfway through the morning before my little tornado, Macy, made sure to "organize" my desk drawers and then rearrange most items from the top of my desk into a beautiful mess on the floor. I was trying to get some work done on the computer, and she even managed to use her magic fingers and quick reach to operate functions on my computer that I didn't even know were possible. May I inform you that the desk rearranging happened while I was helping Tyler in the bathroom while his body was trying to decide which end was most sick.  It was terrible, but enough of that yucky stuff.

We sat down to lunch and things started getting really nutso. I pulled Macy's high chair over towards the table and it turns out the tray was only hooked onto the one side and the tray and food flipped all over the floor. A minute or so later I was reaching for something and awkwardly managed to tip a cup of water over and spill it everywhere. It was right then that Megan piped up with, "the struggle is real."  She didn't laugh and she didn't exclaim. She only said it- matter of factly and somewhat enlightened.

We all had a good laugh and I smiled at the thought of all the nonsense I endure as a mommy. I really like it. I feel blessed to be home where my kids can run amuck and stress me out on a daily basis.

Now don't you think the fun was over. Before sending both kidlets off to bed for a restful nap I hugged Tyler and we tipped right over and laughed. I was so glad to see him relax and have a little fun after feeling so yucky today. So we just laid there giggling until Macy made sure to come right over and sit on my face.

The struggle IS real.

Macy :: 14 Months

This girl is getting big!!  She's 14 months now, does more running than walking and more climbing than sitting.  She's starting to communicate... starting being the key word.  She's got one word that means just about everything.  It seemed to start out being "na" for snack and now "na" means; snack, bottle, outside, walk, banana, done, look and whatever else she wants.  When she combines a head shake it means no and comes out "na na na."  She used to kind of say cheese and done but it's kind of all coming out the same right now.  It's most clear when she grabs her sweater (outside) or points to her stroller (walk).

Macy LOVES going on walks!!!  Marshall's school is doing a marathon challenge where they add up all the distances they walk up until May 9 and they'll do the last mile of the "marathon" together, so we've been going on more walks lately and Macy doesn't complain one little bit.

She's doing better about letting me do her hair.  We often pull the top into a side ponytail or braid and I have put pig tails in once or twice.  She used to wrestle and wiggle all over the place and get really upset, but I think she realizes it helps her hair stay out of her eyes and cooperates even if she doesn't like to sit still.

She's definitely a daddy's girl.  Colby's been working in Kanab lately and usually gets home right around bedtime so maybe once or twice a week she's already in bed when he makes it in the door.  When she is up, she almost screams Dad! Dad! Dad! and can't wait to get snuggles from him.

She's getting awfully bossy lately and kind of reminds me of Marshall when he was little.  Because they can't put their thoughts and feelings into words, they just use their muscles or tears to get what they want.  I remember wondering if Marshall would ever be nice about getting what he wanted and once he could talk he was a dream.  So I'm counting on that for Macy too.  If she's even half as thoughtful and sweet as her brother she'll be ok in my book.

She's bossy, but she's cute too.  She still loves shoes and necklaces and likes to love on her babies and stuffed animals.  And she LOVES her blanket.  She has other funny antics that are so girly that I just love.  Like this morning, Tyler and I went in to get her out of bed and she put both hands up over her mouth like she was so surprised and pleased by the attention she was getting.  It was soooooo cute!

Here's an example of her wildness.  Since she could walk, she's loved to climb onto this stool in  the bathroom and I hate it.  She's totally going to step right off of it sometime and crack her head open or knock out a tooth or something.  Well yesterday, she wasn't content to stand on her tippy toes to try and reach the faucet... she figured out the top of the cupboard door might lift her right up to the counter.  The stool was put away immediately.  Her wild side is going to be the death of me.  We were sitting in sacrament meeting last Sunday and something she was doing reminded me of the movie "Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken" and I half chuckled and half cried at the thought.  She really is determined and brave and I am glad for it.  But I'm also scared.  It's a weird mix of emotions.  

I promise to post some updates about the boys soon.  They're not changing as rapidly as Macy, so I think I forget to document the wonderful things they do on a daily basis.  But they are just as special and totally hilarious.

Our Silly Family

We got our family pictures back during the busy Christmas season and I'm so glad to finally take a second and blog them.  Here's a bunch of our crazy family.  I saved the "prettiest" ones for another post.  I loved those beyond words, but these silly ones just make my day!  A true glimpse at real life...

I love this family of mine.

Wanna see our Christmas card?

Considering I set a goal to blog once a week, I had a couple posts thought out in my head.  But wouldn't you know it... I can't remember them now!  But I totally need to blog our Christmas card so I'm excited to follow through on my blogging goal.  However, I cannot get the back side of our card to upload here, so I might just have to type it in.  Our card was actually a postcard, which I loved doing.  I like to include a little bit about us but never want it to be very long because I don't feel like I have that much to share.  I may do the postcard thing a lot in the future.  We'll see.  

So here's the front.

I love the way our family pictures turned out!  My pal, Dallas, did a great job on them and I need to blog those soon too!  The are seriously gorgeous.

The back of our card read:

(it really, really won't load)

Dear family & friends,

We are so excited to finally have made it to Christmastime.  It’s a favorite at our house, for sure.  It’s hard to think of much that is new around our place... Marshall is 6 and LOVES first grade more than any other kid on the planet.  Tyler is “pretend 5” (4) and is turning into one silly character that wants to grow right up.  Macy’s so loveable and is 1 going on 13.  That’s fun.  They are the most adorable kids, as you can see, and we, as parents, can hardly believe how blessed we are.  Everyone is happy and healthy, and we consider our busy lives are a sign that we are doing just fine.  May the Lord’s blessings find you, as well, this holiday season and carry over into the new year.

Love,

Colby, Andrea, Marshall the Smarty Pants, Tyler the Ladies' Man, & Macy the Tornado