Archive | March, 2011

Here’s the Scoop…

By on March 27, 2011 in Uncategorized

We just took over our biggest competitor.  And by biggest, I mean that taking them over means we are doubling (at least) our case load and the size of our firm.  I couldn’t talk about it before it was a done deal, but this is what we’ve been dealing with for the last week and a half.  And now it’s Sunday night and I just worked 12 hours, which I will probably be doing 6 days a week for the foreseeable future.

So, I love you all.  I miss you like crazy.  Blog reading will be my priority so I can at least be in the know and support you all with comments now and then.  But I wanted you to know where I’m at.

Ack!  (That’s a good “ack,” mostly.)  :)

Comments { 11 }

Doing it All? (Guest Post)

By on March 24, 2011 in consistency/commitment, guest post, health, P90X, working out

Let me begin with an introduction.  I am:

A wife
A mommy of three little boys (ages 6, 3, & 1)
A full-time prosecuting attorney (felony domestic violence and child abuse cases)
A Jesus lover
A facilitator of an online classroom (internet teacher)
A Children’s Pastor
A daughter
A friend
An aunt

AND a person who REALLY wants to make being healthy a priority.

I recently told my husband that I’m AWESOME at juggling the balls when they’re all up in the air; it’s when one falls that it becomes difficult to keep the others going.  This is the truth of my busy life!

A lot of times when I first meet people, or I am chatting with someone I don’t know very well and I’m sharing about myself, many people ask:  how do you do it all?  The answer is simple:  I don’t.  The truth is, if I’m honest with myself, the challenges for me are the same as for others:  what’s important is recognizing my challenges and being inspired by them INSTEAD of being frustrated.

I am a very driven person!  I love to set goals, accomplish things, be busy, get lots of things done, finish to-do lists, etc.  Nothing excites me more than seeing my calendar FULL at the beginning of the day and shutting my computer down after a full day of work and getting everything done that I had in mind for the day.

Okay, enough with the self-promotion, right?  So after my third son was born, I was determined to “get my body back!”  I decided to make nutrition, weight loss, exercise, and general health a major priority in my life; just what I needed, right, one more thing “to do.”

For me, getting healthy included a few goals:  cutting out all sodas (I could write a whole OTHER blog about how much I love Coke.  It sounds ridiculous, but it’s true); getting to a weight that put me in a “healthy” BMI category; making working out/being active a daily part of my life; cutting out all artificial sweeteners; cutting out high fructose corn syrup; making daily choices that included foods that give me energy, not just satisfaction; and doing this all with the support/companionship of my husband.

I wanted to make the food changes because I want to have a healthy relationship with food:  no more emotional eating.  I wanted to make the active lifestyle changes because I have three small boys and nothing gives me more pleasure than the idea of being an “active” family together (swimming, biking, playing, hiking, whatever) for as long as we can.

I know my “journey” into becoming healthier is only beginning, but the biggest struggle for me at this point is fitting it in.  Right now, because of the ages of my kids, my work schedule, and the program I’m doing (I too am a P90X do-er), the time that works best is 5 a.m.  Gag. Me. With. A. Spoon.  I am NOT a morning person.  Keeping the motivation to “be healthy” is REALLY hard when it comes at five in the morning.

That being said, when I start my day with a workout, things are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better for me.  I feel strong.  I feel good that I got my workout in.  I feel ready for my day.  The endorphin dump while I drive to work is a great plus in traffic!  Just like everything else I’m learning in this journey, so much of my struggle comes down to my ability to make the best choice for myself at that moment.  When my kids are sick and not sleeping, hitting snooze and fitting my workout in after their bedtime that night might be the best choice.  And if it’s NOT the best choice (I guarantee that when I’m working out at 9:30 p.m., I WILL wish I had just gotten up early), I can try again another day.

So from a full time working mama + [insert any other title above here], there is an answer to the eternal question:  “how do you do it all?”  The answer is that you can’t do it all, but you CAN DO what you CAN do for today to make the most of your life, your body, and your choices.  And if you struggle today, there’s always tomorrow!

Blessings to you all…

Comments { 4 }

First Run Since January

By on March 21, 2011 in family, pregnancy, running, Vibrams

Saturday I went on my first run since January.  You might remember that I quit running about a month into my pregnancy because I was experiencing some pretty bad nausea which made any kind of movement (especially the vigorous kind) result in abject misery.  (Okay, maybe I’m a little bit of a drama queen, but it really was pretty bad.)  My nausea has abated over the last few weeks until it’s almost completely gone – hooray!

This past weekend our family was all up on the island to hang out together and celebrate my nephew’s first birthday.  Saturday the weather was beautiful – about 50 degrees and sunny almost all day long.  So we all geared up for a walk to the beach, and I suited up to jog some of it if my body felt up to it.  My sister was also testing out a jogger she has had stored up on the island at my folks’ place, and I wanted to test it out, too, in preparation for ending up with one of my own for our baby!

We headed out for our walk – my sister, her husband, and 3 of their 4 kids; my cousin, his wife, and their 2 little girls, and me.  I immediately took over pushing the monster boy (that’s a reference to size, not temperament!) one year old in the jogger, and my nephew was riding on his dad’s shoulders.  My 5 year old niece was walking/jogging with me and she and her brother (the shoulder-riding nephew) decided they wanted to race to the beach.  So we alternated between walking, jogging, and sprinting (okay, maybe it wasn’t really sprinting, but it felt like it to me, and when you’re 5’6″ trying to keep up with a 6’6″ guy, I think sprinting is an accurate description!) to the beach, which is about 3/4 of a mile from my parents’ place.

I was worried after 2 months off that I’d want to die after 2 minutes of running.  Or that it would hurt.  Or that I wouldn’t love it as much as I used to.  And I’m not really sure why I was so worried, but I had kind of put off going out for a run for those reasons.  Silly me!  It was fantastic.  I definitely don’t have the stamina or endurance that I had at the end of last year.  But I also didn’t collapse on the ground in a heap after .1 mile, either.  I left the family behind and jogged most of the way home, too.

So, nothing fancy.  Nothing too impressive.  1.5 miles, I probably ran about 1 mile of it and walked the rest.  I have no idea how long it took me or what my pace was, but I don’t really care.  It felt awesome to “lace up” my Vibrams and just get out there and run.  Not only that, but it wasn’t as hard as I feared it would be.  And I wasn’t even sore the next day.

I guess this means I’ll be back to running now and then to supplement my P90X workouts.  Which totally stalled last week, so I’m starting over tonight with Day 1.  Oh, and my running will still be limited to the outdoors when it is not freezing cold or pouring rain.  Which, since I live in Seattle, could mean that it’s weeks before you hear about another run.  (Actually, our forecast is for mid-50s and sunny on Wednesday, so that’ll be my next run!)

But it feels good to be back.  And you know what else?  I think the baby loved it.  :)

Comments { 5 }

Unexpected Life

By on March 16, 2011 in P90X, pregnancy, work, working out

Hi friends!  Well, I think Murphy has struck again.  After last week’s announcement (thank you all again for your wonderful support and encouragement!), I really thought I’d be back to posting more.  What with the news being out and work slowing down (you know where this is going, right?), I’d have the ability and the time to post more, right?

Wrong.

Well, not wrong, exactly.  It’s just that some unexpected and potentially exciting opportunities have cropped up at the firm.  And it’s super fun to be involved with evaluating and making decisions about those opportunities.  But dang if it doesn’t take a lot of time!  So those 40-hour work-weeks?  Shorter days where, because of Daylight Savings Time, I’d be going home during daylight hours?  Not here yet.

So here’s what I’ve got for you: I’m hanging in there eating-wise.  Not perfect, but not off the rails.  I got 5 workouts in last week, but none so far this week.  I can still get in 4-5 if I make it happen.  I’m working a lot, but I’m glad to do it now because of the circumstances.  But big decisions lie ahead and I would love your prayers for wisdom and clarity as we make those decisions.

Oh, and one more thing?  Being pregnant?  It’s weird.  Sometimes it’s weird because I’m nauseous all day long for “no reason.”  Other times it’s weird because I know there’s a baby inside me but I feel TOTALLY normal (normal = not pregnant, right?).  It feels strange to have experienced so many body changes when I’m not even showing yet.  I have lots more to share on that, and will definitely do it in the future.

Okay, so two more things (sue me) – P90X is pretty great.  I was a skeptic at first but I think, after a week, I might be a convert.  More to come on that, too.

Comments { 5 }

Thank You, and Don’t Forget

By on March 11, 2011 in gratitude

Thank you, thank you, thank you all - for the wonderful comments yesterday on the blog, the tweets, and the Facebook messages.  Seriously?  Best. Birthday. Ever.

I am looking forward to being here more now that I’m “out.”  You have no idea how much I hate keeping a secret that I really, really, really want to share!  So now you won’t be able to shut me up.  Forewarned is forearmed.  :)

And in the midst of the joy I am experiencing, there is such tragedy in Japan and all places affected by the tsunamis.  My thoughts and prayers go out to all of those (you?) who have been touched by the devastation there and around the world.

And the don’t forget part?  Daylight savings time starts on Sunday.  Me?  One happy girl.  Adding an hour of daylight to the end of my day is the best birthday present I could ask for.  I’m so ready to walk out of the office in the daylight, consistently!  Here in Seattle, this will put the end of daylight (not sunset, I’m not with-it enough to know when that is!) around 7pm.  Happy happy me.  More daylight.  And, soon to come, more sunshine and warmth.

Wishful thinking, maybe.  But I’m an optimist.

Happy weekend!

Comments { 3 }