Let's Talk About the Weather

Ok, summer is here - what I'm about to say will make some of you gasp - your jaws will drop and you will think I'm a liar.  I promise you that what I'm about to say is true - absolutely true...

I HATE SUMMER.  IT'S MY LEAST FAVORITE SEASON.  YUCK

That's right - I loathe it.  Here are some reasons: 
 - I don't like hot
- I don't like humid

How I feel about summer

 - I don't like mowing
- I don't like bugs
- I don't like kids telling me how bored they are
- I don't like air conditioning (it makes me feel all bottled up and stuffy)
- I don't like skimpy clothes
...I could go on



Ok, but here's why I can tolerate it:
- I absolutely love gardening
- I love flowers of all kinds
- I love hanging on the front porch
- I love open windows
- I love sheets that dry outside
- I love thunder storms and cloudy breezy days...etc. etc. 

I can say I don't like it because I don't.  People always tell me to remember winter and how horrible it was - ummm, not horrible, awesome - In fact, I love winter.  Cold snowy days, warm fuzzy slippers, pellet stove smell, snowy owls, critters burrowed in and silent until spring...

Me and Cassie having fun in winter...

I like spring because it just smells so good.  You know what I mean?  That fresh spring smell that puts everyone in a good mood? Some people complain about the rain but I love the rain.  Seriously, I do.  I was running a kids camp and on the night we were supposed to have a bonfire it rained.  


Just look at this picture and see what we did.  2200 tea lights later and we had an indoor fire - the kids absolutely love love loved it and we even cooked s'mores over the tea lights.  Oh yeah.  



I even hated summer when I was a teenager - I promise I did.  Here's a picture of me when I was 16 years old.  I was at Disneyland - it was 98 degrees and I was sooo miserable!  Who's miserable at disneyland?  This chick, that's who!
 

My favorite time of year is fall.  I love love love fall.  There are so many reasons to love it ya know?

-pumpkin spice lattes

-flannel shirts

-clean crisp cool air- duh, the colors

-the anticipation of the first snowfall

-all the holidays!

-pumpkin patches and mums

...I could use up this entire blog with a list 

Oh! and the time change.  I don't like it to be light when I'm going to bed and dark when I get up.  Now, being my age and and almost empty nester - I feel young when it gets dark early because even if I go out and come home by 8:00pm, I feel like I've put in a whole night!  haha.  

Bottom line - I can't stand to be hot and sweaty (unless it's following a good workout and there's a shower waiting).

Think about this...it's dusk, it's snowing a pretty big flake kind of snow, completely silent outside, the snow is starting to sparkle as the moon comes out - then out of the corner of your eye you see a snowy white owl sitting on a branch.... 

A night like that is perfection. 

How about you?  What's your favorite time of year and why?  I would love to hear about it! 

Size Awesome

I've missed you all my blogger friends and supporters!  I have been on blog hiatis for a bit - taking care of some much needed business - here's what I've been doing...





At the risk of sounding old - (I said "sounding" old, and only for a moment), I have begun to realize that when you are old enough to be an empty nester - your body begins to remind you - every.single.day.  ugh.  





I was always skinny so I never worried about food or exercise - it just came second nature.  I was always dancing and exercising, but it was just - well - fun.  I was a member of the Adirondack Dance Company years ago and I taught Dance for a living  for awhile.  So, yes, I was always in shape and super skinny!  

My favorite dance student right there

I think that's why I never had to worry about my weight or my health - sooo - once the babies came - well, things changed. While my body was changing, so were my habits.  Instead of focusing on me - I was focusing on my family.  



So here I am - and my body, who used to function just fine on it's own, is screaming at me to help it!  So....I am!  

I am on day 20 of a 21 day Get Moving Challenge - and I feel like a new woman! The challenge isn't just about weight - in fact, that's not it at all.  It's about loving yourself the way God made you, and working - yes working - to make you the very best you you can be. #WildlyAlive




Here's an awesome example - for me this journey is more about the power of my faith and the strength that God has for me just waiting for me to use it - I love chocolate - it's my most difficult temptation - so I prayed for a week straight every day that God would help me with that temptation - I discovered something - I was having terrible migrain headaches at night - guess what was causing them - chocolate!  Thank you God for associating chocolate with pain!  (really though - it's good - it has taken my chocolate cravings completely away!) and no more headaches!

That's just one voice in my head that I have conquered telling me I need this or that or that I'm not good enough or that I can't.  I have named that voice "Helga".  She's my nemisis - and now that I recognize her - I can tell her to shut up at any time.  It's actually rather freeing!  

I am an introvert and part of this program is allowing others to help and join in on the journey.  So not only have I obtained three accountability partners (two I just met!) but I have enlisted some friends and family to help - it's been a stepping out for me - but man - I'm loving it...

Oh and I also discovered that I am in love wth yoga...and green smoothies...and sunsets...

Thank you Laice Mae for hanging with me and appreciating a beautiful sunset

Thank you Misty, Carla & Mary Jo for pushing me on...

Thank you Cassie for working out with me and putting up with my swinging moods!

And thank you to everyone else for all the encouraging words and comments as I travel this road...especially my mom who is working on her size awesome as well...

It's not about just the physical, or the weight, or the perfection

 - it's just about size - 

the size of the heart...

the size of the love...

the size of the self acceptance...

the size of faith...

the size of community...

the size of confidence...

the size of appreciation...

the size of self worth...

I could go on - 

but really...the best size is...

How about you?  Wanna be a size awesome? - you already are - you just may not recognize it yet!  Get up and just move - baby you're worth it!