TriBella 2013

So what do you do when you wake up 5 days before your first triathlon of the season with a sore throat?  You pray it goes away and then make an appointment to see the doctor.  (side note: Besides OBGYN I have not been to the doctor since college)  I actually ended up seeing a Nurse (not a PA, an RN) because that was the only thing available the next day.  She prescribed an inhaler and smilingly told that I'd feel much better in no time at all.  "Should I just rest the next couple of days before my race?" I asked her.  "Oh no, you are at the end of it, so rest won't help.  In fact, working out is the best thing you can do."  I was more than pleased with this diagnosis.  Until, I went home an experience 2 of the worst nights I've had in my entire life.  So what do you when you've been up all night coughing, wheezing, barely able to breath?  You might think the ER?  Oh no, you strap the bike to the car, pack your backpack, and set you alarm for 5:30am so you can Tri like a mother!  Yep, that's how us hardcore triathlete mamas do it : )

 I'm pretty sure everyone is the race thought I had a serious smoking problem, I was coughing and wheezing so much.   I actually ended up having a little panic attack when I started the swim.  The waves were really high and I breathed in water a couple of times and couldn't catch my breath.  I really thought I was gonna swim to the kayak and be done.  I thought "great, I've already messed up my best event and I feel like crap; this just isn't meant to be."  But, I dug deep and pulled it together and I'm really proud of myself for finishing.  I'm so grateful for my good friend Ashley who was there to laugh with and celebrate with at the end.  We actually crossed the finish line together : ) This was actually my best time too, so I'm excited to do my triathlons in August in good health (hopefully!)  So that sums up June's goals and resolutions for my Happiness Project.  My goal was to "celebrate being a healthy, strong and awesome woman at the TriBella!"  Maybe not the "healthy" park but I definitely celebrating being "strong and awesome"!

Just a little note...

        

I love a handwritten note.  In an age where texts and e-mails are most how often how we express our love and affection for one another, it seems that a handwritten note is truly a rare treasure.  If you're like me, you always have a list of thank you notes to write for shower gifts, kids' birthday parties or for out-of-town relatives that sent birthday money, etc.  And I usually don't realize it's a friend's birthday until I see if on Facebook and by then, it's too late to get a card in the mail.  For years, I have vowed to be better at this, to develop a system of writing notes and cards that wouldn't leave me feeling behind and allow me to actually enjoy writing these notes and put some thought into them.  
Part of my Happiness Project is to start a "new habit" each month and for the month of June (theme- Celebrate!) that habit is to "Celebrate loved ones by writing 1 note or card a day."  (averaging 5 a week) That would be over 260 notes a year!  I know it sounds like a lot, but if you think about the time you have sat and carelessly written 10 or 12 cards at a time for a party or shower and put little if any thought into what you wrote on each card, I think writing 1 note a day is actually more realistic.  This way I can really think about what I want to say and since I write my note at the end of the day, it ends my day feeling grateful for that person and for the gift they are in my life.  Pretty cool.
 

Getting Started

I have figured out a couple of tricks to being consistent with this.  The first is getting yourself all set up.  I have cute little bin near my bed where I keep thank you cards, birthday cards, blank cards, stickers, envelopes, my address book, return address labels, stamps etc.  
The second is taking a few moments once a week or so to pull out the cards for that week and address them so they are ready to go.  Doing this, allows me to literally spend 5 minutes each evening writing the note - I grab the card that is inches away from me on my bedside table, write the note, and set it aside to be put in the mailbox first thing in the morning (which Scout loves to do : )

Budget Buster? 

Now some of you may be thinking, "one stamp a day at 46 cents a stamp... "  You are right.  I do spend around from $8-$10 a month on stamps.  Which, to me, is totally worth it but you might consider that depending on what your budget allows.  Also, as far as cards go, my absolute favorite place to buy thank you cards and/or blank cards is at Target.  You have to look carefully, cause some packs can get super pricey, but they always have a 15-24 pack of cards for
$3.99 -$4.99 and they are printed on recycled paper (added bonus!).  I believe the brand is "Greenroom."  By far the most frugal choice would be to go with a bulk pack like the one pictured here.  I got this at Target for $13.99.  It includes 200 flat cards (not folded) and 200 envelopes of various colors.      

An Added Bonus

One of my favorite things about this new habit is that once I am up-to-date on all my thank yous and birthday cards I get to write "just because" notes to encourage someone or tell someone how much they mean to me.  It makes my smile when I get to write one of these cards.  So does that mean that this is indeed making me "happier"? 

 

My Happiness Project - resolutions and charts

"Motivation is what gets you started.  Habit is what keeps you going."  

Jim Ryun, long distance runner

A good friend of mine has been training for and running half marathons,  When asked by her husband, what the best part of her run was, she replied "When I go upstairs and mark off that I finished it."
I completely get that.  I don't know if it's just a female thing, but I love a checklist, a sticker chart, a progress report, etc.  It just feels good to make a visible mark of that achievement.  So here is the monthly chart that I'm using to organize my resolutions for my "happiness project".  I went ahead and included the items for future months as well, so that they'd be there even if I don't start them right away.  The "new habit" for June was to "celebrate loved ones by writing 1 note or card a day." So that's the column that I'm looking to have the most Xs in it this month.   When something seemed extra difficult to do (like having a weekly date night and a weekly "no TV" night)  I decided to start with a "monthly" goal for that resolution and then hopefully I can increase the frequency to "weekly" eventually.  I plan to adjust the chart each month and tailor it to "where I am" at that time.
(If you'd like to use this template, I'd be happy to send you the document file.  Just let me know.)

Here is a list of my specific resolutions for my "happiness project"  I'm sure I will adjust the last few months as they seem so far away.  I tried to make it as big as I could get it - I'm still new to this blogging thing (grin) Let me know if you'd like me to send you the document file so you can see if better.

Happy Father's Day!

    

My Dad is:

Trustworthy
Kind
Gentle
Playful 
Corny 
Strong
Calm
Stubborn
Fun
A great Listener
A great Communicator
An excellent Teacher
 

As I look at that list, I think "those are the things that I want to be"  ... many of those things are gifts I believe he has passed on to me ...and to my children.  

He's pretty great.    

  My Dad has given me:

My height 

Great metabolism : ) 

The annoying ability to make jokes during serious moments

Love for athletics

An adventurous spirit  
Respect
Unconditional love

Things I love to do with my Dad:  

Drink coffee

Eat awesome food

Swim

Play games

Laugh

Talk, talk, talk

Solve all the world's problems

 

What I admire about my Dad:  

How much he loves my mom

How much he loves his kids

How much he loves his grandkids

His patience

His faith

His humility

His quiet strength

  My Dad has taught me: 

How to have a child-like faith
To take chances

The importance of a cup of coffee

How to flip turn: )

How much God loves me 

My Happiness Project - Launch Party!

 

Woohoo!!! I am 30 YEARS OLD today!!!  I'm feeling strong and sassy and ready to take on this decade! lol! What better way to kick off my 30s than by officially jumping into my very own "Happiness Project"?

Several months ago our book club read the Happiness Project by Gretchin Rubin.  I have to admit, the name turned me off.  I didn't want to like it.  The whole, "Can you make yourself happier?" isn't really my thing.  Do I think you can actually make yourself happier?  Do I think that just by asking the question, you are now unhappier?  Honestly, don't really care.  I'm too busy nursing the baby, fixing breakfast and wiping someone's bottom to sit and meditate on this deep truth.  All that to say, I was actually SURPRISINGLY very inspired by the book.  Personally, I did not have a whole lot in common with the author, BUT as she clearly states, everyone's "happiness project" looks differently and as I read her story, I immediately began conjuring up ideas for my own version of a "happiness project."
Among the many things I took away from this book were the practical applications - basically stop talking about things you want to eventually do and DO THEM.  I like the idea of "tackling a nagging task" and "establishing a new habit."  I also realistically know that if I break things up into small pieces and spread them out over time, I have a much better chance of actually being (and maybe more importantly feeling) successful.  Could I have come of with a better name to describe this "project"?  Sure.  But I figured why not stick with the title of the book, since that was the inspiration.

So here's what I did:
I made a list of a bunch of things that I've been wanting to do, start, have been putting off, etc.  Then I looked at the full 12 month year (starting with my 30th birthday on June 8th) and tried to set a theme for each month.  So each month I will do at least these 3 things:
                                                                                                    1. Tackle a nagging task.
                                                                                                    2. Establish a new habit.
                                                                                                    3. Celebrate an achievement.  

Not sure how much of these will "stick" or will actually contribute to my "happiness" but it's worth a shot.  Even as I made my list, I realized there more things than I had "room" for, but I thought "hey, I can add that to my next happiness project" : )
 Here is what my plan for the year looks like so far.  (still working on the specifics for the last few months)
In my next post will share my specific goals and my charts that I'm using to track my "progress") 

June                  CELEBRATE
                           blogging, birthday cards and a tri'n like a girl!

July                   EMPOWER
                           upping the miles, changing flat tires, and getting outside

August               CENTER
                            yoga, meditation and a memory box

September         DISCOVER
                           library trips, book shelves and 3 trips to Texas

October              PLAY
                           girl's nights, date nights and family fun days

November          TREASURE
                           shutterfly, file boxes and one-line journaling

December          CREATE
                           hanging artwork, new traditions and non-toxic goodies 

January              SING
                           mix CDs, songwriting and family worship

February            EAT
                          vegan recipes, 5 new restaurants, a "real food" challenge

March                REST
                           computer fast, reading for pleasure and getting away

April                  SIMPLIFY
                   

May                   DREAM

Thoughts On Turning 30...

Tomorrow I will be 30 years old.  Wow.  It sounds very monumental.
10 years ago I working at Chickfila, about to start my senior year in college, engaged and planning a wedding... The last decade has been insane and definitely not AT ALL what I would have expected at 20.
I'm sure I should have something incredibly wise to say about turning 30, but really I just feel pretty great!  Honestly, I am more comfortable in my own skin than I have ever been in my life.  And that is HUGE.  Do I have the perfect life? The perfect body? The perfect family? Career?  Life plan?  Triathlon time? : ) Of course not.  BUT, I love my life.  I love my body (imperfections and all).  I feel blessed beyond all understanding to be Tony's wife.  Although it's full of challenges, I am so privileged to be Scout, River and Ryder's mama.  I have the most amazing women in my life who love me with no judgement and no limits.  They are strong and creative and beautiful and they inspire me to be better, to love even when it hurts and to hang in there no matter how hard the task feels right now.  I feel stronger than I've ever felt.  I am more content with my life and myself than I have ever been.  Do I know what the future holds?  Ha! I have absolutely no clue! (If the past decade has taught me anything, it's that : ) But I am beyond ready and excited to embrace it head on.

2004, 20 yrs. old

2013, 29 yrs. old

2005, 21 yrs. old

Sunflower Farm