Monday, November 7, 2016

A day at the beach

Ryan has had a tough rotation schedule so far.  He started with 8 weeks of surgery, which meant he left at 4:30 in the morning and came home well after dinner and most times after kids were in bed.  Then he moved on to Neuro ICU where he was also on a really demanding schedule.  Now, he is finishing up pediatrics, and these two weeks have been a dream.  He randomly was given two days off (hip hip hooray!!) and we wanted to make every minute count.

One of the days, we decided to pick Cal up from tot-school and head straight to the coast.  We have never been there, but have heard all sorts of good things.  After a quick 2.5 hour drive, we drove up right to the beach, as in our tires touched the sand.  There were mini pavilions all along the shore that provided some shade, so we first transferred sleeping Grady Boy into a pack n play and let him nap while the three of us played in the sand and jumped in the water.

Cal was in heaven.  I am not being dramatic when I say I have never seen him that happy.  He was skipping and twirling and jumping and throwing himself into the water over and over, and was beaming every minute.  The undertow was a little strong for my liking, so we made sure to be by his side the entire time.  And once Grady woke up, he enjoyed the many handfuls of sand he was able to munch on, but loved sitting in the waves as they splashed over his little legs.

After tons of fun at the beach, we were all equally tired and starving.  We found a little hole in the wall pizza joint, and were pleasantly surprised.  Huge slices, lots of toppings, yummy salad and cheese bread...it was the perfect ending to a happy day.  We packed up the sun-soaked babies into their seats, and they snoozed as we made our way back to San Antonio.

Ryan and I could not say enough how much we needed that time together.  All together - the four of us.  Our family needed some time away from the norm, and to make a fun new memory.  I hope we make it back there soon!  And for future reference, this time of year is the best to go.  We heard that summertime is just scorching hot and crowded.  Maybe we can make this our "first week of November" tradition.











Some Updates






This year has gone by faster than any other.  Grady is almost one, Ryan is halfway through the hardest year of medical school, Cal is growing taller and smarter every day, and I started a job with Beachbody - with so many thing in between!  But one thing I can't stand to sacrifice is our family adventures, lessons, and memories.  Those take priority.  So, for the next month I will be playing catch-up, so there may be many things that are posted out of order.

The first update will be about my job.  I basically get to workout and make yummy, healthy food for a living (more like...for a few bucks a month!).  It is definitely a lot more work than I thought it would be - isn't it always?  But it has been such a good thing for me.  I feel like I am doing something productive, that benefits me, the family, and so many others.  It is such a good feeling to know that people see you as someone who adds value to their life.  

There are definitely ups and downs, with slow months and discouraging things that happen here and there.  At one point, I was letting social media completely overtake my life.  I wanted to quit.  I was done feeling like a bad mom and a stress case.  But Ryan helped me set limits, and more importantly helped me realize that I am the one choosing how much social media I allow to leak into my life.  So after taking a step back and taking this business at my pace and not the pace of those before me, it has been much more manageable.  

It is still uncomfortable for me to post pictures of my body, but I have had so many people reach out because of my ability to be vulnerable, and who thank me for the inspiration.  I still get a little nervous before I post for people to join a clean eating group, but then am surprised when 40 people want to take part.  I have never been one who was great at keeping in touch with friends or extended family, but being in this business has taught me that relationships are valuable.  I have reconnected with old roommates, teammates from high school, cousins, and so many others.  I especially have been able to connect with another family member who is also coaching, and we have been able to get to know one another, talk more, and encourage each other on this journey.  And that to me is worth it all.

I don't know what these next few months will bring, but I am hoping I will find my grove, gain confidence, and help others live healthy lives!  If it can someday turn into a way I can contribute financially to the family, then that will be the greatest blessing.