A shot of pulp, keeps the doctor away

How do you get in your vitamins and minerals in daily?

Well, this was perfect timing, I suppose. We’re not only working through the sudden loss of Karl’s (my husband) dad, but also struggling to keep all the back-to-school bugs away. Life keeps going, doesn’t it?

They're heeerrrreee! I received an email from Pete this past week saying he enjoyed my blog and my passion for living out a healthy lifestyle and was curious if I'd be up for trying his new product Pulp Story Juice. 

A super nice company @PulpStoryJuice in California came across my blog and shared in an email that they produce a cool new health product and thought I might be interested in trying.

They figured with my passion for health I might be up for giving their shots….well, a shot. I was thinking maybe one or two. I wasn’t thinking I’d get a whole cooler worth! SWEET!!!

My first @pulpstory juice this morning! Gave it a go first thing. HUGE fan of the taste. Excited to have a little shot of this before my workout every morning for the next month. 

They earned my respect and grabbed my attention right away. Pulp Story Juice was paying attention! They know I like eating clean and minimally processed foods, and these juice shots are straight from the source and then cold pressed to extract all vitamins, minerals, and flavors without adding oxidizing heat. Nothing strange added to it.

I've been doubling these up with my Shakeology to keep my immune system strong since I keep getting sprayed with sneezes and coughs. So far, I’ve stayed in the clear and I gave both boys the pineapple flavored ones to split knowing how well pineapple helps with their coughing at night. Two thumbs up from them.

I'm ALWAYS open to trying products that are as natural as can be. Pete, the developer, found a Turmeric manufacturer that processes the spice in a unique way, harnessing its full medicinal properties in the form of a healthy juice shot. 

Some of us like it spicy :) 

And since Turmeric is such an incredible natural healer and with me having inflammation in my optic nerve, he generously shared his products benefits with me. Just in case you have been under a rock, Curcumin is one of the most active and bioavailable compounds in turmeric root, indicated for treating depression, anxiety and dementia. For instance, though the mechanisms aren’t clear, studies increasingly point to turmeric’s role in preventing and reducing the effects of Alzheimer’s. (Mishra S and Palanivelu K. The effect of curcumin (turmeric) on Alzheimer's disease: An overview.)

I started to incorporate a different flavor right after my workouts in the morning and felt like I was starting the day off in such a healthy, positive way. It was harder to make bad choices, ya know? Why ruin a good thing?

Cherry Poppins might have been my fave! Especially enjoyed out of a nice glass

Though the days have been tough over here, I do have peace of mind knowing I’m pouring something healthy into body – something it needs during this season of life.

I did end up getting a cold, but I was able to bounce back quicker than I ever have before. With the combination of self-care (yoga, meditation, Epsom salt baths), a healthy diet and proper rest, our bodies respond well.

What are some trips and tricks that work for you when it comes to preventative care?Have you guys heard of Pulp Story Juice yet?? Who would be willing to try? 

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Facts of Life

Words to Live By

Wanted to share a post I read that I bet you guys can relate to just as much as I can.

"As we grow older, and hence wiser, we slowly realize that wearing a $300 or a $30.00 watch - - they both tell the same time.

Whether we carry a $300 or a $30.00 wallet/handbag - - the amount of money inside is the same.

Whether we drink a bottle of $300 or $10 wine - - the hangover is the same.

Whether the house we live in is 300 or 3000 sq. ft. - - loneliness is the same.

You will realize, your true inner happiness does not come from the material things of this world. Therefore, I hope you realize, when you have mates, buddies and old friends, brothers and sisters, who you chat with, laugh with, talk with, have sung songs with, talk about north-south-east-west or heaven and earth - That is true happiness!!

FIVE UNDENIABLE FACTS OF LIFE:
1. Don't educate your children to be rich. Educate them to be Happy. So when they grow up they will know the value of things not the price.

2: Best awarded words: "Eat your food as your medicines. Otherwise you have to eat medicines as your food."

3: The One who loves you will never leave you because even if there are 100 reasons to give up he or she will find one reason to hold on.

4: There is a big difference between a human being and being human. Only a few really understand it.

5. You are loved when you are born. You will be loved when you die. In between, You have to manage!

6: If you just want to Walk Fast, Walk Alone! But if you want to Walk Far, Walk Together!

SIX BEST DOCTORS IN THE WORLD:
1. Sunlight
2. Rest
3. Exercise
4. Diet
5. Self Confidence and
6. Friends

Maintain them in all stages of Life and enjoy a healthy life. The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for."

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Morning Devotional - Spending Time with God

When do you spend time with God each day?

If you're anything like me, I'm sure you're feeling pressed for time. Maybe there are not enough hours in your day. Maybe you can barely workout or even get a few hours of sleep a night because you're trying to fit everything in. You might be running around with a scowl on your face because you're so focused on getting everything done. Maybe, just maybe, you're even missing out on the amazing things going on right in front of you just so you get everything done.

Stop for a second. Why are you doing this to yourself?

I remember shortly after our second son was born, I was stretched beyond thin. Not only did both my grandparents pass away within 6 months of each other, my other grandma was diagnosed with breast cancer, and then so was my mom, and I was working full-time, nursing, pumping, juggling a couple jobs, caring for two boys, managing a household and trying to be a great wife. To say I was tired was an understatement. I might have a slight problem asking for help.

But I'm also learning that we go through seasons and I was in a tough one. All of a sudden, Nathan started to sleep through the night and we gained an extra hour with daylight savings ending. I used that hour for me. I headed to the basement. I sat in silence, meditated and had conversations with God. I felt the overwhelm start to trickle away day by day. I became stronger and more at peace and started to own every day with grace and zest. I changed.

The more you have to do. And the busier you are. The more you really need to spend time with God. If you give God your time, He will give it back to you. And wouldn't having more time in your day be wonderful?

Remember, God is in charge of time. He knows how much you need to accomplish the things you really need to do. He can protect and help you manage it if you will spend time with Him first. Stop trying to "fit" God into your schedule. Make a decision to put him first. Then work the rest of your schedule around him.

Life does not have to overwhelm you or catch you off guard. Prepare yourself for the challenges you will face each day by trusting Him with your time.

When can you find time for God today? 

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Week Three and FINAL RESULTS of the Ultimate Reset

Down 9 pounds. Down from a Size 6 to a Size 4

Wow. 21 days of total CLEAN eating and I'm down nine pounds. I had eight pairs of size 4 pants buried in my closet that all fit now. What an incredible feeling to slip those on. But most importantly I really feel great and that is what I was going for!

There was ONE night during the final week where I had so much energy surging through me that I could not sleep. It was almost like a drank a pot of coffee. I could not settle myself down. Other than that, even a week after completing the 21 Days, I am still sleeping incredibly well. I lost an additional .5 pounds during the 4th week and that is with me adding in foods like grains, legumes, some chocolate and meat. I'm ecstatic.

Read about Week One Here
Read about Week Two Here 

I tried drinking coffee and my body rejected that. My heart went crazy and I felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest once again. I was quickly reminded how that felt and I do not want to go back to that. No thanks. So I haven't been able to get myself to drink it. I continue to use a lot of the recipes from the 21-day Ultimate Reset in our weekly meal plan and that is helping a lot. I find myself craving the healthier foods over junk. Probably because I know how I feel when I eat well and fuel my body with foods straight from Mother's Earth vs. foods that have been manipulated or processed by science and man.

I did try a little Culvers after the zoo this past weekend and it did not sit well with me once bit. Not my proudest moment. My heart raced, I felt super sluggish and tired. I even took a nap, which I rarely do and spent the rest of the day feeling thirsty, groggy and swollen - I was retaining water terribly.

Would I do this again? In a heartbeat!! I was overwhelmed that first week but I realize that's how I had been feeling about EVERYTHING in life and I had gotten to a point where I was desperately seeking something that would help take that pressure and anxiety away that I had been feeling for months. Nothing seemed to be working anymore. This did the trick! Plus, it helped me get my love of meal planning and prepping back. I was getting burned out on trying to figure out what to make week after week. I also added in daily words of affirmations, massages, chiropractic adjustments, meditation, lots of walking and all that water and good food and it's amazing what that did for me - what this program did for me!!

I was hoping my Optic Neuritis would magically get better, but my eye is the same. My guess is if I continue to treat my body right, maybe my chances are better for a quicker recovery. Fingers crossed.

I've been sharing a lot of the recipes I tried during the 21 Day Ultimate Reset over at my Like Page. Be sure to like my page for more recipes or comment, like and share any of the posts.

DAY 21 ENTRIES: 

HOW WOULD YOU RATE OR DESCRIBE YOUR OVERALL HEALTH?

I'd give myself a 9.5. I do miss the fitness part but all that walking and stretching was pretty great!

DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS?

No.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU HAVE A BOWEL MOVEMENT?

Daily.

ARE YOU AWARE OF THE HABITS and PATTERNS YOU HAVE FORMED AROUND EATING?

Yes. I found myself wanting a bite of my kids foods more than just once or twice. Or I wanted a cracker or 10 a lot. I also tend to want to eat really fast during meals because someone always needs something. I tried to slow down and remind myself I deserve to have a nice meal too and that I won't die if I don't eat something the minute I start to feel hungry. That was a big thing for me. I have this idea in my head that I will pass out if I don't eat when I'm hungry. Not true.  

ARE YOU ABLE TO HAVE A COMPLETE AND SATISFYING ELIMINATION?

YES.

ARE YOUR BOWEL OFTEN CONSTIPATED? HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON?

NO.

DO YOU HAVE A HISTORY OF DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS?

NO.

HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOUR OVERALL ENERGY LEVELS?

10. I am back to brain dumping everything I'd like to do, then writing them out in a level of importance and getting a handful of stuff done. Rather than having that brain fog and freezing and doing nothing at all, which would create more anxiety. 

DO YOU RELY ON STIMULANTS, SUCH AS CAFFEINE OR SUGARS TO GET YOUR THROUGH YOUR DAY?

NO! YAY! 

DO YOU SLEEP WELL?

AMAZINGLY

DO YOU WAKE FEELING RESTED?

If I get over 6 hours and 45 minutes of good sleep, yes. Anything less and the answer is NO.

HOW IS YOUR COMPLEXION?

CLEAR!!

HOW OFTEN DO YOU HAVE HEADACHES?

The day I had a few sips of coffee, my headache came back, otherwise I don't!

DOES YOUR BREATHING FEEL SHALLOW OR CONSTRICTED?

No. I feel really good!

DO YOU FEEL MENTALLY CLEAR AND ALERT?

YES!

If you're looking for that change and are ready to commit, I'd love to work with you! Take a moment to fill out this form so I can get to know you and your goals better!

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WEEK TWO: DOWN ANOTHER 1.5 POUNDS

Ultimate Reset WEEK TWO

Image a weight being lifted off your chest and being able to sleep rock solid at night. Yeah. That’s what’s going on with me. This whole ultimate reset has done WONDERS for me. Not only do I feel more Zen and at peace with everything, the heavy pressure and anxiety has lifted, and my tight pants from two weeks ago are now LOOSE (total bonus!). I truly feel amazing from the inside out.

Best of all, my confidence has grown. I feel like I have broken out of this shell I’ve been wrapping myself in. It’s hard to explain because it’s not like I’m a super shy person—I enjoy  building relationships and being real with others—but I do swallow my emotions. I honestly didn’t think I was so caged up inside. I honestly think it boils down to control. I like to be in control of things and there were so many things happening this past year that I had no control over and that freaked me out. So I kept internalizing and would get distracted, so there was nowhere for those “emotions”/”feelings” to go.

This Reset has helped me appreciate who I am as a person, has shown me what I’m capable of and has made me see that holding things in is actual a disservice to my body and those around me. I simply need to be me, enjoy life and fuel up my tank with positivity and gratitude as much as I can FIRST before I start giving.

I've been waking up early and I start off by drinking 20 ounces of water and taking supplements at the same time each day and on an empty stomach. There are 6 different kinds of supplements. These supplements consist of ingredients like Pink Himalayan salt, aloe vera, curcumin, milk thistle, and probiotics to name a few. Nothing strange or that I haven’t heard of and all straight from Mother Earth—like all the foods in this program. I still can’t believe I haven’t sneaked a cracker or piece of chocolate or sip of beer this entire time. I am so much stronger than I ever gave myself credit for.

Meal prepping for everyone has been tough though. I'm not going to lie. I have had to stop myself from grabbing a cracker or finishing food off my kid’s plates….or licking a spoon. That part has been tough. Karl brought home pizza and cookies on Saturday night. That was challenging. The whole house smelled incredible but I also reminded myself, if I wanted that cookie SOOO bad, I could have it after the 21 days. And then I was fine.

After I drink my mineralized distilled water upon waking in the morning, I prop my feet up, lie on my back and breathe. I breathe in for 5 seconds, hold for 5, exhale for 5 seconds and then pause for 5 seconds. I do this for 5 minutes. Then I do light yoga stretching. This gets my energy flowing. I get ready in the bathroom and read daily affirmations that I taped to the mirror. This helps remind me WHY I’m doing this and WHAT is important in my life and that I AM enough to everyone around me. It helps me stay focused and grounded.

On my way in to work and on my way home, I have been listing to Outperform the Norm, which has been such a good read for me. The author (from Minnesota) hits home on ALL areas of health. From nutrition to fitness to mindset and applying all of this into your daily life. If you're not feeling your best, how can you DO your best? 

I have been following the guide to a T! This is crazy to me since I never used to miss a day eating dark chocolate and I usually go a bit crazy on the weekends with naughty foods. I try to follow the 80/20 rule when it comes to eating, but we had a couple stressful months and I was eating more 60/40 and my body was screaming at me.

Entering the second week (called the Release phase), we eliminated meat, eggs and dairy. I’m not going to lie. I was scared. In the guide we have our meals planned out for us – we just need to get to the store, prep the food and enjoy! All the recipes are in the back. I share them on my Like Page (follow me there!). 

I have tried so many new types of foods and have prepared food in different ways, which helps me because I was getting burned out with meal planning for the entire family before I started. This has just helped put that extra bounce in my step and I appreciate food SO much more and realize how lucky we are that we GET all the options we do. What we put in our bodies really determine a lot!

During the final week we focus on plant based nutrition. So we eliminate grains and legumes. It’s simply fruits and vegetables. Will I be able to do it?

I’m entering the third week 6.5 pounds lighter and feeling so great! I can’t wait to see what’s in store that third week.

What would be the hardest food for you to eliminate from your diet right now if you had to? 

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Week One on the Ultimate Reset

Five Pounds...GONE!

One week down of the Ultimate Reset and I have lost 5 pounds. Say what? I can’t even believe it. But at the same time I can ...with the amount of healthy foods I have been consuming.

My goal starting this detox wasn’t to lose a bunch of weight, though I’ll be OK with a few pounds gone. I have a stack of pants in my closet that just don’t want to fit right.

Truthfully, the main reason I did this was to FEEL good on the inside. Karl reminded me several times that I already eat healthy and my insides are fine, did I really have to do this detox? 

Starting Weight: 157
Day 7 Weight: 152

My answer: YES.

In the pictures you can’t tell much of a difference. Or at least I can’t tell. However, the scale doesn't define us. But I can see why people would give up if they CAN'T SEE a difference in themselves when they put so much work and time into making a change. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Healthy changes take days upon days of hard work and dedication. And let me tell you, one week in and I feel amazing. I’m going with that!

I had been feeling so much brain fog, I was jumpy at times and anxious a lot, full of worry and I’d wake at night almost in a panic with all the thoughts racing through my brain. I would toss and turn and dwell on things I didn’t need to be worrying about but I could not release them. I’d work out, but I still felt tired though I had energy. I’m not sure that makes sense but it was a different sort of exhaustion. More like a “burned out” feeling. I felt stuck. Almost frozen because there was so much going on that I didn’t even know where to begin. And it kept coming. But by doing nothing, I created a huge amount of pressure on my chest. And I constantly had to remind myself to breathe.

Starting Weight: 157
Day 7 Weight: 152

With the Ultimate Reset, you get a sweet booklet that has everything in it. Grocery lists, your meal plan for the week and recipes. It’s THE best guide EVER. You head off to the health food stores and fill up your cart with a ton of great organic healthy eats. You learn about WHY you are doing this and what it will do for you, what you can expect and why these foods are the chosen ones. There are three phases. Week One - Reclaim. Week Two - Release. Week Three - Restore. 

What I like best is in the booklet, there is a section on “This is Me Now”. It’s a place to journal the day you start and on day 21.

DAY ONE ENTRIES: 

HOW WOULD YOU RATE OR DESCRIBE YOUR OVERALL HEALTH?

I’d give myself an 8. I get up early to workout. I pretty much follow the 80/20 rule when it comes to nutrition, but I don’t get the greatest sleep and stress seems to be a constant thing in my life right now. And I let it eat at me. Why? 

DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS?

No. I'm pretty good!

HOW OFTEN DO YOU HAVE A BOWEL MOVEMENT?

Daily.

ARE YOU AWARE OF THE HABITS and PATTERNS YOU HAVE FORMED AROUND EATING?

Eating has been stressful for me. Kids are usual screaming or crying and I find myself dreading it. I love preparing the food for everyone but when it gets flung across the room and Nathan screams his brains out and Jackson cries and tells me it’s “yucky”, that causes stress. It's not a fun time. So I find myself forcing food down my throat at a crazy fast speed. 

ARE YOU ABLE TO HAVE A COMPLETE AND SATISFYING ELIMINATION?

YES.

ARE YOUR BOWEL OFTEN CONSTIPATED? HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON?

NO.

DO YOU HAVE A HISTORY OF DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS?

NO.

HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOUR OVERALL ENERGY LEVELS?

8. I have a LOT of energy, but I think I’m hovering around the “burnt” out energy levels now. I never shut off. I keep going and I want to find the part of me that can relax.

DO YOU RELY ON STIMULANTS, SUCH AS CAFFEINE OR SUGARS TO GET YOUR THROUGH YOUR DAY?

YES. I will have coffee in the morning on my drive in. Do I ever finish my coffee? No. Is it usually hot? No. Do I spill it? Yes. 

DO YOU SLEEP WELL?

I can fall asleep in a second. But I wake up often. I toss and turn. I worry. I feel anxious. I have lots of thoughts going on in my head. Ideas. Stories. Memories. Crazy dreams.

DO YOU WAKE FEELING RESTED?

If I get over 6 hours and 45 minutes of good sleep, yes. Anything less and the answer is NO.

HOW IS YOUR COMPLEXION?

I have this strange rash on my right cheek. And hard zits like I used to get my freshman year in college.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU HAVE HEADACHES?

Not too often.

DOES YOUR BREATHING FEEL SHALLOW OR CONSTRICTED?

All the time.

DO YOU FEEL MENTALLY CLEAR AND ALERT?

No. This makes me feel panicky because I honestly can’t focus for a second.

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO DO THIS ULTIMATE RESET AT THIS TIME?

My focus is so wonky right now. I am way too anxious. I have never done a detox for the fear of starving myself. I need a change. I want to feel awesome. I want to prove to myself I can do this. I want to see if this will help my optic neuritis. If this will help my stress levels. Just want to be the best mom and wife.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO GAIN FROM THE ULTIMATE RESET?

I want to feel like me again. Not sweat the small stuff.  I want to feel refreshed, healthy from the inside out, determined to take on the day and laugh throughout the day. ENJOY every day. Feel rested and calm but still have that fire in my belly to knock the socks off my dreams.  Not feel like I need to take on other’s problems and just simply focus on how grateful I am for this life I have been blessed with. Be more mindful and simply just love! I want to express my emotions better too. When something is on my mind, I just want to get it out rather than holding it in. I have this thing of keeping in any sadness/frustration I feel. Like when my grandparents died, I felt like life just kept going and I had to be done feeling sad. 

WHAT HABITS DO YOU FEEL ARE CAUSING YOUR CURRENT DECLINE?

Not asking for help enough. Putting on my oxygen mask last, not first. Not taking enough time for me to breathe. Not saying affirmations enough. Complicating everything rather than simplifying. Spreading myself too thin. Need to be better at communicating how I’m feeling with others rather than holding it in until I'm ready to blow. 

THE FOOD

The food has been incredible!! I thought it'd be tasteless. I'd be starving. My whole life would revolve around what I was eating and when. It hasn't been that way. I'm not going to lie and say there isn't prep work involved. I had to do that in pockets of time on the weekends but just like anything, you start to get the hang of it. You just need to give it a TRY! I will post more food in the recap of WEEK TWO! 

THE CRAZIEST PART FOR ME

Drinking distilled water. I never really knew that was the most purest form of water. I have cooked and baked with and only drank distilled water! Nuts, huh? But perhaps this is why my skin is so great right now? 

THE MOST CHALLENGING PART

The fruit for breakfast. I LOVE fruit but I feel like I need protein. I'm super hungry right after breakfast until lunch time. I'm trusting the process though. After all, it's only 21 Days and I probably will be adding more protein back into my breakfast and another protein filled snack before lunch once this is done. For now, I can get my mind right and breathe through it. And I drink a LOT of water!! Distilled water, that is.

HOW I FEEL AFTER ONE WEEK
AMAZING!!! I haven't slept this hard and good in years. I feel incredibly rested. My rash on my face has cleared up. I have little anxiety. The brain fog is gone. I had a couple rough days with detox headaches but for the most part I feel STRONG. Love feeling like this! I wake up and drink 12 ounces of water right away and I sit and breathe for 5 minutes. I do words of affirmations and I stretch. Doing this has been so great for me!

I'm SO glad I'm giving this Reset a try. I can't wait to see my results after Week 2!! I'm super grateful that I am a Beachbody coach so I hold myself accountable to my own health and fitness and I get to try out all these amazing programs and products AND get the amazing discount too!! Just knowing that we get to EAT normal foods and not have to do all this crazy wonky stuff you see how there (wraps, pills, patches, double shakes for days), makes me feel proud. If I wasn't a coach, I probably would have kept going like I was and would have forgotten how good it feels to be healthy from the inside out!!

Have you done a detox before? Were you happy with the results? If you're interested in learning more about the Ultimate Reset or Coaching, please click here.  

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Keeping Up with the Koesters in June

Hope you all had an amazing 4^th of July! The weather was pretty awesome, wasn’t it ? (Minus the 6-7 inches of rain we got last night. Yowza!)

Running with the boys!

I’m working on a routine of establishing regular blog posts. We’re slowly getting there. Just like most everything in life right now. Trial and error. Just when I thought Nathan might be on track to sleeping through the night, he’s back up a couple times. He’s discovered pulling himself up and standing and that’s ALL he wants to do. 

So what have we been up to?

Karl completed a half marathon!! Isn’t that sweet?  Totally proud of him. When he told me he was going to sign up for one, I was like, “WHAT have you done with my husband?” Of course I jumped up and down and hugged him a million times...seriously,  I was super pumped! YAY.

Finally something we could do TOGETHER that was healthy and “sporty” and FUN. However, I forgot the amount of hours training burns up and he’d go off for his runs and I was obviously the one taking care of the boys and by the time it came turn for me to run, I had to either go to the store, nurse or whip up a meal. Reality check! Soooo, I spent a lot of time running over my lunch break while at work, hoping that was enough. Thirty minutes isn’t a lot of train time. I knew I wasn’t totally marathon ready and then our child care fell through. I figured it was a sign that I just needed to take it easy and cheer on Karl instead and let him do his thing. PLUS, he said he didn’t want to run with me because I was too fast for him and all bouncy and cheery (we’re kind of opposites if you haven’t figured this out). I get where he’s coming from because when friends ask to run with me, I have to remind them I breathe heavy and I’m not as fast as they might think. I was really curious though to compare my half marathon time when I was 20 pounds heavier and 10 years younger to today’s time. But some other time, right? And after seeing Karl’s blisters, bloody nipples and him hobbling in pain, I wasn’t sure running 13 miles would be the smartest thing for me to do.

INSTEAD, he and I signed up to do the Warrior Dash!!!! I am NERVOUS but excited. I’m kind of glad I have a few years of Mud Volleyball under my belt so I can be ready to eat mud, but I saw some of the course and am curious as to how I’m going to pull myself up by rope. Upper body strength hasn’t always been my strong suit. Trust in the process, right? The next day I am running in the Color Run with some of my team of coaches! I can’t WAIT!!!

New with Me:

One AWESOME thing about being a Beachbody coach, and I have said this before, is Personal Development. Every day I need to carve out at LEAST 10 minutes for myself and read or listen to something that’s inspiring and motivating and POSTIVE. Something that will push me and challenge me to think differently and approach things and people in a positive light. It’s been SO AWESOME for me. Currently, I’m reading a different kind of Personal Development book. I chose this because I knew it would help me process my grandparent’s passing and the passing of my coworker. As a busy mom, I’m not sure I’ve had the time to step back and totally process all that happened in June. And I had so many questions racing through my mind, but I’m constantly interrupted. Reading this book has helped a ton. I’m not saying it’s the truth but it sure makes a LOT of sense. One thing the nurse told my aunt after my grandpa had passed was he told her that he saw my grandma and she was waiting for him. Hearing that brought a such a sense of peace but curiosity too. This is what I’m reading and boy… it’s good stuff.   http://www.amazon.com/Theres-More-Life-Than-This/dp/1476727082

I am trying to figure out a plan of attack on getting to the biggest event of the year for Coaches – Coach Summit in Nashville. I will be a coach for a FULL YEAR in a couple weeks and throughout that year, I have earned 3 trips!!! I haven’t been on one because I still have my full time job and am trying to juggle life with two YOUNG kids. I don’t want to come up with excuses though. The guilt of leaving my kids it pretty huge though since I am at work most of the week. It’s just a huge challenge trying to find childcare, leaving my kids and figuring out a way to pump and store milk. I’m working on making this happen because I KNOW it will be AMAZING! Running out of time though…  

The boys are busy as usual!

I’ve been taking the boys out berry picking, which totally makes me think of my grandparents and it’s just a lot fun and DELICIOUS. We’ve also been hitting up new parks around the community. And we’ve really been utilizing our fabulous backyard. We have been in our house for a full year now and I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to have a private backyard. We have been busting out the slip and slide, sprinkler and purchased a fun little pool. Jackson is in LOVE with swimming right now.

Karl helped his sister move into her new house and of course we had to try out their NEW POOL!! It’s pretty awesome. And both Jackson and Nathan LOVE swimming. We’ve had some pretty full weekends with not the best naps, so wowee we’re dealing with ROUGH dinner times. Both kids are melting down and Karl and I are left trying to pick up the pieces and shove food down. Not how I envisioned things going, but I also know it’s just a phase.

Running with my cuties!

Aunt Kelly and Uncle Ben's new pool!

Both are getting up earlier and earlier again. I remember last summer was the SAME way. I’ve been taking this time and getting up and running with both boys. Instead of complaining about it, I’m using this as an opportunity to bond with both boys, get them outside and see the beauty around us, and a time to exercise and feel good. There are enough cold, yucky days in Minnesota so I want to take advantage of this amazing weather. Sure, my body is screaming for more sleep, but I know how amazing and ready I feel to take on the day after and I really really love this time with my little guys.

Jackson

·         LOVES swimming

·         Loves running and jumping around everywhere and being pushed on his swing

·         Stuttering a little bit (worse when he’s tired)

·         Loves playing with an old cell phone and talking and texting “Roger”

·         Loves Home Depot’s First Saturday of the month project

·         SO good with his brother! Will run up to him and hug him, but at the same time he will tackle him or rip a toy away too. I see

·         Loves going to the library, grabbing the shopping cart and picking out tons of books.

·         Loves story time at night.

Nathan

·         LOVES frozen blueberries (as in it’s the only thing he wants)

·         Standing

·         Pulling himself up

·         Crawling looks more like a wounded soldier but he’s still fast

·         LOVES his brother. Looks for him and smiles when he sees him.

·         SUCH a HAPPY kid!

·         Does NOT like to be spoon fed. We’re trying baby led weaning right now because I can’t keep sitting through every meal with him screaming if I spoon feed. I know he’s tiny, so we’ll have to see what the doctor says this month.

·         Mommy’s boy. HUGE. 

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In short, we're having fun and staying busy. Sure do LOVE summer!!! 

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