I am a 44 year old wife, mom and athlete. I started running in high school and have loved it ever since. As I got older, I had to stop running every day so I added in weight training and all sorts of fun work-outs like Insanity, P90X and Turbo Fire. I'm a certified personal trainer and I love all aspects of fitness.
I had a different plan for today’s post (some fun Liebster questions!!) but we spent most of the weekend cleaning the hoarder’s apartment. The weekend wasn’t quite as relaxing as some – I usually try to get caught up and maybe even a little ahead on blog stuff but not this weekend.
Anyway, today I decided to share one of my favorite jokes ever. Just to let you know, I’m awful at telling jokes – mostly because I usually forget the punch line right in the middle of the delivery.
But this joke is one that I heard almost 10 years ago and still love it!!! I even made the boys laugh the other night at dinner when I told them this joke.
Kim’s one and only joke:
2 brothers (approx. ages 4 & 6) were talking. The older brother tells his little brother, “I think it’s time that we learn some swear words.”
The little brother readily agrees!
Big brother: when we go down to breakfast I’m going to use the words “hell” and “damn” and you say the word “ass.”
OK – little brother is super excited!
The boys go down to breakfast and their mom greets them – “What would you boys like for breakfast today.”
Big brother: Aw, hell, give me some damn Cheerios!!
Mom spanks big brother and sends him to his room. Then she turns to little brother and says, “And what do you want for breakfast?”
Little brother with a quiver in his voice: “I don’t know but you can bet your fat ass it won’t be Cheerios!!!”
the boys were about this age when I heard the joke first!
Every time I heard or told that joke I pictured my sweet little boys and for some reason that just made it funnier (to me)!!!
Since I haven’t been able to run (or jump or do anything with any impact) lately, and I took a week almost completely off, it has gotten harder to really push myself during my workouts.
Sunday 11/9 – 45 squats on a wobble disc.
readydown
Not gonna lie – this was hard and hurt my leg (squats and lunges aren’t working out well for me right now).
Monday 11/10 – 45 side bends with arms behind head.
bend right
I did 45 bends to the right and then had to switch and do 45 to the left –
to the left
I did a workout that is very low impact but still at least feels like I”m doing something – Fat Burning Pilates.
Tuesday 11/11 –45 sit-ups on bender ball –
easy partup
Wednesday 11/12 – 45 alternate twisting knees on upside down wobble balls (right-left = 1 rep).
startknee up twist right
Go back to the start and then –
Knee up – twist left
I tried to run (for about 5 steps!!) and ended up just walking (again) – 5 miles with a 10% incline.
Thursday 11/13 – 45 rear leg lifts (on stability ball with arms extending forward).
easy partright leg lift
After doing 45 lifts with this leg (lift the leg and tap the toe down) in a slow controlled way, I switched legs –
left leg lifts
I did Jillian Michaels Kick Box: Fast & Furious. Most of the workout was good – a few of the kicks hurt my leg but I think I just need to suck it up!!!
Friday 11/14 – 45 fly to head banger while in bridge.
readybring hands togetherhead banger (triceps)
Reverse move to complete one rep!!!
I pulled out another old workout – TaeBo Ripped Extreme. If you like TaeBo this is a great workout. The last little bit had a lot of squats to kicks which I ended up skipping out on but otherwise it was a great workout!!!
What I’ve noticed after taking some time off is that after a break it gets easier and easier to take a day off and the workouts seem harder and harder. I don’t really like this trend!!!
Today I’m participating in my first ever Ask-Away-Friday.
And, I get to answer questions from one of the hosts – Tamara. Yes, from Tamara Like Camera!!!!
Not only is Tamara gorgeous, she is the sweetest person and writes some of the most heart felt posts ever and her pictures are phenomenal!! (she is a photographer extraordinaire!) She reads and comments on numerous blogs every day(not sure how she does it all!!) and makes each person feel special!!!
If you don’t already read her blog then it’s your lucky day!!! Head over and read her answers to the questions I sent her. I promise you will be glad!!
Here are the questions from Tamara:
1. I know you’re like me with summer love/winter.. not so love. If you could have a second home anywhere in the world, where would you build/buy one? And why?
This one is easy!!! We would have a house on the beach in Hawaii!!! That is my happy place. I love that the temperature is right around 80 every single day!!!Hawaii
2. If I came to visit you (which would be fun!) would what we do together?
Well, I’m going to assume that you are coming in the summer because the winter sort of sucks!!! We would sleep in (let’s just pretend!!) and then spend the day on the boat. First we would go to a local bakery and get some cookies for you and Devlin’s (liquor store) to get a treat for me!!
You could pick the playlist for the music on the boat.
If you want to do something “native” to Kansas we could tour the state capital. But, I think the boat is more fun!!!
on the Pontoon!
3. How has the new school year been for your boys? Any challenges to share? Triumphs?
So far I think this has been a good year for both boys.
Hunter is in 8th grade and has a goal to keep all of his grades above a 97%. So far he is achieving this!!! He had a great cross country season and now has moved on to wrestling. His last meet he got 2 pins (out of 2 matches!!!).
the wrestler
Jordan has had a great 10th grade year so far. Marching band is his favorite and it just ended but he is on to Pep Band, Jazz Band and possibly being in the pit orchestra for the upcoming school musical. He has all honors or AP classes and has had to put in lots of hours studying – he is learning some valuable life skills. And – he is a driver now!!!!
Driving
4. I know from Facebook that you did a commercial this week! How did it go? What are your next goals for your business?
Well, I realized after I put my picture up (and finished the whole deal) that I used the wrong word. We did a TV spot for one of the local channels morning news program.
We are part of the CASA home tour – we are hosting the boutique for the event. There are 5 homes on the tour and each home-owner got to contribute a recipe. Since we are participating as our venue we decided to do a drink recipe!!
The Victorian
1 part vodka
1 part triple sec
1 part Razzmatazz (raspberry liqueur)
1 part Cranberry juice
splash of lime juice
Mix in shaker with ice. our into a chilled martini glass.
Garnish rim with red sugar and a lime slice if desired.
Enjoy!!
5. How did you find yourself as a blogger? Was it surprising, or a goal/dream of yours?
I worked at my boys elementary school for 5 years. It was a great job but I didn’t have enough work to stay busy so I started reading blogs. (at that time I never commented – I was a lurker!!)
I had already been running my age on my birthday for a couple years and before I turned 43 I decided that I would run my age on my birthday and then pick a different exercise each day and do 43 reps. I thought it would be fun to start a blog to chronicle my daily exercises.
Chris was gone all of August that year (2012) and at some point while he was gone he set up my blog domain. On 9-16-12 I published my first blog post and I’ve been blogging ever since. At that point I had no idea that I would meet so many incredible people through blogging so, yes, it has been very surprising.
6. What would be an absolute dream trip to take with your family, while they’re all still young enough to live home?
We are hoping/planning to go to Germany at some point in the next 2 years. Chris has been many times and has become good friends with Barto who owns our very favorite winery.
a favorite!!! Wine from Germany
Our plan is to go the year before Jordan’s senior year in high school!!
7. When was the last time you really pushed yourself to your physical limits?
Not recently, sadly!!!
I think back in May when I attempted the 50 mile race through the Kansas Flint Hills would be the time I pushed all the way to my limit.
8. What blog post(s) were you most afraid to publish, but did anyway?
Truthfully I think I feel OK about all the posts I have clicked publish on. The ones rattling around in my head are another story. Maybe one day some of them will be shared – not sure.
9. As you know, I just read and reviewed “My Other Ex.” If you could restore one broken relationship, which would it be?
HaHa -sort of a timely question since I just wrote about the “break-up” with my best friend earlier this week.
10. What’s something that amazes you?
This is hard – like Jordan said when I asked for his thoughts, “that’s pretty broad.” Since I’m writing this at bedtime (for me!!!) then my brain can’t wrap around this concept.
I think that one thing that amazes me is how very different each day can be – in every way. From the weather (on Monday we went from 72 to 37 in just a couple of hours) to people’s attitudes (nice one day, cranky the next!!) to the things that make up the day (wrestling, lunches, cleaning venues, ironing tablecloths, running, celebrating birthdays).
HaHa – I sort of took a cop-out on that question.
Thank you, Tamara for swapping questions with me – this was so much fun!!!
Growing up I’m sure that I went through numerous best friends since I moved a lot. In high school and even college I had some really great friends – maybe even a best friend or 2.
Of course Chris is my very best friend but today I’m talking about those best girl-friends!!!!
The day I met my very best friend I think we both knew that we would be friends. We were both Texans who happened to live in Kansas because of our husband’s jobs (they work together in the Guard).
She was newly pregnant and I had a 2 & 4 year old. We became good friends right away.
We spent many hours (almost every day) talking on the phone or hanging out. When 1 or both of our husbands were gone (often since that’s the nature of their jobs) we spent even more time and meals together.
For many years our families spent Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, birthdays…..pretty much all major holidays together – we were family!!!
When her dad died she called me in the middle of the night. Our family extended a trip to Texas so that we could go to the funeral and be with her.
When she was in Texas to help her mom move and lost a baby at 35 weeks I drove all night long to be with her.
When she had her youngest son I took the day off work to keep her middle son.
Several years her husband was gone for her birthday and/or Mother’s Day – Chris kept all of the boys so we could do stuff – important stuff like shopping, eating, movies!
And, then things started changing. We rarely talked on the phone – it was hard since I worked all day and she had little ones. We would make plans but usually they ended up getting cancelled.
Her youngest was sick (as a baby) with RSV and in the hospital and I failed as a friend. It is easy for me to make excuses but I know I let her down then.
Over about a year or so we got to the point that we would go months without talking (not even texting).
I asked her about it (through an email) once and she said we were just at different stages – we had been at different stages the entire duration of our friendship so that didn’t really make sense.
Finally she told me that I had made a comment when we were having a garage sale together (over a year earlier) that bothered her – she was a new runner and after she told me how far she had run that day I made the mistake of saying how far I had run. (Running has been my thing for 30 years – I’ve always talked about it!!!)
Through email we basically “broke up.” She had a lot of built up feelings about me that completely blindsided me. I cried harder than I had over any boy break up over the years – Chris actually came home from work one day because I called him sobbing to the point that I couldn’t even talk.
I still don’t really know what happened to end a relationship that I thought would be friends/family forever.
I’m not sure that I will ever have that kind of friend again. But, who knows?? Maybe one day!
For now I will just be thankful for the years and many wonderful experiences that we shared together!!!
Do you have a best friend (besides your spouse if you are married)?
Today my first born turns 16!! Just thinking back over the last 16 years makes my heart full!! I can’t imagine my life without this sweet boy/young man!!!
always with a smile
Jordan is one of those kids who has always been very even tempered and rarely ever upset for very long.
Dinner
These days I rarely have to ask him for help – he just steps in and helps me around the house – especially in the kitchen.
Show Off!!!
I love when he does some of the exercises I like to do even if he can do them better than me!!
silly (this picture is not recent!!!)
Pictures with the boys are always fun – Jordan is silly a lot!!!
on the field
Since starting high school Jordan has developed a huge love of band!!! He loves to practice his trumpet and I enjoy hearing him play.
JROTC
Jordan is in ROTC at school – I know Chris loves seeing him in uniform.
silly
I love that Jordan and Hunter get along so well – they are good friends even if they don’t claim to be!!!
Gladiator
Jordan has loved history and all things related to history for years!!
3 years ago – just starting to run
He tried cross country in middle school and enjoyed the running but not really the competing. Now he just runs because he loves it.
Jordan as a 2 year old with my favorite people in the world!
Even when he was little – always smiling!
Great big brother!
He taught Hunter many things including the “correct” way to use sidewalk chalk.
Hunter, Jordan
Look how Hunter looks up to Jordan!!!
Driving
Now he is 16 – now he has more freedom – now I let him go just a little more.
look at him soar!!
My wish for him is that he will always be this free and willing to dive in to new things!!!
Nov. 10, 1998 Happy Birthday, Jordan
Happy 16th to my sweet boy!! I might always consider you my baby because you were my very first!!!
The weekend wasn’t quite as relaxing as some – I usually try to get caught up and maybe even a little ahead on blog stuff but not this weekend.
