Love it!

I have no words...... You'll see for yourself. His little legs just crack me up!!!!

I can totally hear my girls laughing, in particular Pegs. I'm sure once you've watched it you'll be snorting with laughter!

Core

I've also learned that having a strong core making your life so much easier! I'm not talking about easier in the realm of doing your taxes or solving interpersonal issues, but I'm talking about movement - both spiritual and physical.

Sir Chadwick would forever say things like "tighten your core when you're walking" or "align yourself" or "pull from your core". When I say "core" I'm talking about everything that makes up your stomach/abdomen area and lower back. It seemed that everything we did from walking on the treadmill, to squats, to planks, even biceps curls it all involved my core. I wasn't able to understand the benefit of it all until much later.

There was a day when I found myself getting up off the floor and my movement were so fluid and, dare I say, nearly graceful that it surprised me. I used to have to roll my body over until i was on my knees, then i'd kneel on one leg, and either press my hands down on the opposite leg or on the couch just to get up. It was an ordeal for sure. But, after some time I begin to notice that I moved and carried myself better and much more easily, despite the heaviness that still hung from my belly. I was stronger all around and my balance was much more evident. It also seemed that because my core was stronger that all my other muscle groups seemed to cooperate and respond with efficiency.

There's a parallel for my physical core conditioning in my spiritual life as well. When my core is spiritually sound I also move about this world much more easily. I don't lose my balance and fall into pits. I don't lose my balance and verbally vomit on someone. I don't walk around sloppily. When I'm reading, praying and actively engaged with my spiritual family life is good and in check. There's balance. There's strength. There's accountability. And, there's peace....

This is one of the last moments that I remembered myself in total balance. These are from April 2008. Chadwick and I had just stopped working out and I was excited to see what God was fixin' to do...Little did I know that this was the very very very beginning of a 2 year downhill spiral.

Mita & Uyenie

Renatta & Moi

(and my peek-a- boo belly)

Sara & I

A Few Things I've Learned

1. Sometimes it's best to shallow your pride and bite your tongue until it bleeds.

2. God gives and takes away and it's always because He knows best.

3. Faithfulness is for every day living.

4. A few minutes of exercise is better than no exercise. Exercise is like washing dishing....I don't like setting up the dishes for the wash, but once I've started and progress is being made, it's really not that bad. It's the starting that always kills me.

5. I'm not gonna die if I don't eat that extra spoonful of ice cream! =)

6. Somethings are just better left in the past.

7. His mercies are new every morning.

8. At the end of the day, no matter how filthy and disgusting I am or have been, I know in the stillness of my heart and the darkness of the night He still beckons me to return to him.

9. True friendship is always worth fighting for and NEVER to be neglected.

10. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth does speak.....

11. I'm at my worst when it's all about me for any extended period of time.

12. Eating an entire pan of lemon bars won't be worth it in the end, no matter how good they taste with cold milk.

13. Debauchery isn't all it's cracked up to be.

14. Attention from men (even the incredibly- make your mouth sweat with delight, he's too beautiful to even touch kinda man) gets old.

15. I like being a BBW (big beautiful woman) and getting more comfortable in my skin, but I won't be satisfied until He's been gloried with this temple.

16. It's never a good idea to compare yourself to others. I am, who I am. I can't be anyone, but, Marcy and I'm ok with that.

17. There's a deep ugliness that resides within my heart and it can be provoked at the drop of a hat. it's not pretty.

18. Life was meant to be lived, not hoped for or dreamed.

19. Having a bucket list is good. Checking off all items on the list isn't necessary, and some of those items should've never been considered important enough to be put on a bucket list when it was all said and done.

20. Children keep me grounded. Babies don't smile because they want or need something, they're just happy. Adults should spend more time with children.

I know these were random lessons. I have so many more to add. It's been an interesting few years and I'm just now starting to understand some of the lessons that were started long ago. Perhaps I'll start sharing once again.