family update

First a giant THANK YOU!  I simply cannot believe the number of encouraging and supportive messages I got yesterday (mostly through IG direct messages).  You guys know how to make a person feel good.  I truly had no idea that many of you really missed our blog.

I thought I'd give a family update here since many of you said you really miss that. It's long.

(this was at the MFA Houston Bambu exhibit this summer)

Dave doesn't have social media so I try to keep his profile low but he doing well.  He is golfing a bit, fishing and working.  He travels to Spain and France and Israel for work sometimes.

 (Will leaving for his junior year of college in August)

Will is in his 3rd year of college and doing really well. He turned 21 this summer and we celebrated in PA (post to come). He is in a fraternity which I have mixed feelings about but I think he has found a really healthy balance of activities in college.  He is majoring in Environmental Earth Science and Sustainability.  He also has a focus (maybe a minor) in Geology and is usually on the Dean's list. He works in a biology lab doing limnology research.  I don't know exactly what he does but it involves plankton and larvae and water:)  He is involved in some Christian groups on campus and is a Scholar Leader this year. This January he will be doing a J-term study abroad in Italy.  As a science major, he could not really do a semester abroad because they do not offer the courses/labs he needs but this should be a fun experience for him.  He will be in Rome with a short trip to Florence.  He is looking for a summer internship for 2019 in Environmental Science or Sustainability and is willing to go anywhere for the opportunity.  So, let me know if you know of any!  It is hard to find internships in that field. I am so incredibly proud of the man he has become.

(A fabulous event Harry planned and put on last Spring)

Harry is doing great. He finished his 10th and final year at Camp Ozark this summer and had a blast.  That place is etched deep in his heart. He is a senior at an all boy college prep school and ready to get on to his next adventure.  Lots of you asked about his migraines. They are pretty much gone.  He will get one occasionally but overall they are rare.  He has become an incredible photographer and focuses mostly on music/concert photography.  He is also still an entrepreneur and has so many fabulous business ideas going.  Harry is my kid who really did not like reading but once he found books on building businesses and marketing etc, he has his nose in a book a lot. He has applied to 8 colleges (UT, Baylor, Loyola New Orleans, Tulane, Loyola Marymount, University of San Diego, USC and University of Santa Clara).  He is super smart and I think he will have some great choices.  He refused to apply to any of the excellent business schools up north because he hates the cold! I truly cannot believe he will be gone in 10 months but he never really loved high school and is wise beyond his years.  College will be so good for him.

(Harry went to Seaside this summer with another family and lots of friends.)


(Kate's elementary school graduation)

Kate is in middle school and very busy.  As many of you know she quit competitive gymnastics and it turned out to be a great decision (going to write a post on this soon).  She ended up going back to dance and has just flourished.  Last Spring, she was invited to participate in a photography class through Rice University and loved it.  She is doing magnet dance, art and gymnastics at her school and she wants to join everything!  She dances at our local studio and auditioned for the company this year and made it.  She is in 4 company dances this year so she is at the studio 6 days a week.  I was very hesitant for her to dance so much but it is about 11 hours a week which is HALF the time she was in the gym.  She manages it well with homework and has all A's. She really loves dance and there is none of the pressure that stressed her out in gymnastics. She has a fabulous group of girls she dances with and they are all friends. She is so happy.  She still loves to bake but I don't love all that sugar in our house so we have cut down on that a little bit.  She bakes for friends and has a few "customers" who pay her for cookies etc.  She loves to read and is just a happy 12 year old.

(Scout is good too.  She is almost 12 years old so slowing down a bit but such a sweet dog)

I am pretty good.  I actually had a very rough year.  I won't go into specifics but I got very very sick after Hurricane Harvey.  I lost weight, couldn't eat and had some serious infections.  I have worked really hard to get myself healthy again.  I had some relapses and setbacks but I am doing well.  I work part time in my office a few blocks from home seeing clients for marriage, relationship, parenting and life coaching/counseling.  I also speak about once a month at schools, churches and other organizations on Parenting and Family and Marriage.  My most popular talks this year are on Technology and Kids and Boundaries in families. I love my job.  There is no better feeling than knowing you are helping someone make their family or marriage stronger.  And I have the best clients.  I am also in a few book clubs that I really enjoy, a fabulous women's prayer group that meets once a week and I still go to Bar Method for exercise.  I try to go about 3-4 days a week but with my health issues it has been sporadic this year.

So that is where we all are today.  As I proofread, I realized that it sounds like a lot of bragging about my kids.  Let me add...we have our fair share of talking back and anxiety and mood swings and other problems in our house.  We do.  I definitely am sharing the ups here.  And for the most part, these kids are pretty easy and I am super proud of them in their own unique ways.


So far people have said they want to see recipes, fashion, family updates and parenting topics.  Let me know in the comments if you have other suggestions for blogging topics.

guess what?!

Remember this post?  Remember when I painstakingly described how schlumpy and out of shape I was?

Well, today I completed my 60th Bar Method class!

I am not sharing this out of pride (although I am a tiny bit proud of my exercise hating little self for sticking with it!).  I am sharing this to try to inspire/motivate someone else out there who might need it.

I was what I will call "skinny-fat."  I wore a small size and looked okay in clothes but I had NO muscle tone at all.  I was weak.  I was flabby.  I had lost all flexibility. I got out of breath walking up and down my stairs sometimes.  I was starting to look my age.  Now---I am not ready to don a bikini anytime soon y'all BUT I have actual muscles for the first time in a long time! I can even see the very modest beginnings of a six pack underneath a thin layer of flab on my abs! And I can almost do the splits!  My flexibility and strength have dramatically improved over the last few months.

I don't really love exercise and I doubt I ever will.  However, when I look in the mirror now, I can see muscle tone in my arms and my thighs and my abs.  My back and neck almost never hurt anymore (they used to hurt a lot).  I have more energy (still wish I had even more but I'll take this improvement).

I go to "the bar" about 4 mornings a week and I have made a really nice group of friends there. I will admit that I have wanted to quit at times but having a group of friends to exercise with does keep me motivated and accountable.

It has seriously cut into my time as it is not close by and so it sucks about 2 hours out of my day adding in travel time but I think it is worth it.  Kate complains sometimes when I drop her off in carpool line and asks me why I need to exercise everyday weekday morning (which is ironic because she used to tell me that I SHOULD exercise before).  I tell her I am exercising so that I am strong and healthy for her and the boys and Daddy.  I want to be around a long time for them and hopefully this will help keep me healthy.

If you are like me and you have let yourself get out of shape, try something new this week!  I never thought I would like the bar method or even be any good at it.  But I do like it and I am getting good at some parts (still hate the thigh work and pretzel).  Just try something. Anything!  I don't own a scale so I don't know if I have lost any weight (and I don't really think I have) but I have watched my body change before my eyes.  And guess what? I don't feel so old and schlumpy anymore.  And that is a good thing!

Just in case you were wondering...

(kate)

I am still alive.  And I am still going to The Bar Method 3-4 times a week.  I have done two weeks worth of classes and today the instructor complimented me as much as she corrected me. Woohoo! I heard things like "beautiful posture, Kim" and "great thigh shaking Kim" (yes, the thigh work makes my muscles literally shake from fatigue but they claim that's all good?!)

Let me thank you for all the kind encouragement after that first disastrous class. Now let me encourage YOU!  Those first few classes kicked my you know what!  I have been so so sore.  I have looked liked a fool.  But you know what?  There were new people that joined this week and suddenly I am not the "new girl" anymore making all the mistakes.  People are looking at me to see what comes next (well one person did today anyway!)

And the biggest thing of all is I feel better and I already look different.  I know you probably think that is just my rose colored glasses again (and maybe it is).  But I swear I look leaner and my posture is better.  I  have lost some of that "schlumpiness" already!  And I am stronger in just 2 weeks.  I can do push-ups now and I could barely do them 2 weeks ago.  I still have a LONG way to go and I hope I can stick with it (it is pricey).  But I love this exercise so far.  You see results quickly and you are so busy the hour flies by.

So, if you are feeling out of shape like I was...get out there and challenge yourself.  Take it one day at a time.  You can do it!!!!  I know you can!


We have been super busy around here with more gymnastics meets and other things.  I will try to get another post up this weekend:)

When did this happen?

Okay y'all today might have been one of the most embarrassing moments I've had (but I have had some doozies---see below).

I am kinda old, y'all.  I will be 46 in November.  I am no spring chicken. Deep down I know that. But in my crazy little rose colored world, I think I am about 35 max!  My best anti-aging tip has always been to not look in the mirror too much.  I have always thought I look pretty young for my age and I never worried about aging. Until today...

Source

My sweet friend, Laura and I work out together.  But I am pretty lame.  I do the treadmill and some stretching.  Well, that was not cutting the mustard anymore so Laura asked me to try the Bar Method with her.  They were running a special so I bought a one month unlimited pass.

Today I walked into my first barre class.  The other women were cute and young and they had really cute workout clothes on.  They looked like lithe, dewey, glowing, young, lulu-lemoned women.  I was the old, frumpy, schlumpy middle aged mama with a pimple in the middle of her forehead!  Then, we started working out.

The teacher was very nice.  She gently called out some corrections to me "Kim, put your feet closer together.  "Kim, lower your right shoulder."  "Kim, tuck your tushy under."  I was starting to feel a little self-conscious.  There were 27 people in the class and most of the "corrections" were aimed at me.   I was the new girl. But I soldiered on.  I can do this.  I used to do Pilates and I used to do step aerobics and body pump. I am somewhat coordinated.

Then we moved to the barre.  I am not sure how I did it but when I hopped my right leg off the bar, I got a HORRENDOUS muscle cramp in my right quad.  At this exact moment, the teacher, said, "Kim this next part is the most challenging part of class." I think she said something about thigh dips but I cannot recall because of the searing pain!  I had tears streaming down my face.  I was really hurt.  I could not stand so there was no way any "thigh dipping" was going to happen.  I stood there frozen as the 27 dewy, little, lulu lemon chicks just stared and waited.  The teacher came over and I told her I pulled a muscle.

She kindly invited me to stretch or go out to the lobby.  The problem was...I COULD NOT MOVE Y'ALL!  I am not kidding.  I really could not walk.  I hobbled/dragged/crawled my way out into the lobby. Picture the hunchback of Notre Dame dragging her right leg behind.  I looked worse. I went into the bathroom and bawled my eyes out.  I was so embarrassed and in such pain.

When did I get so out of shape?  When did my posture get so bad?  When did I become the old, out of shape lady in the exercise class? I remember that lady and she was not me. I was really upset and in pain.  All those mirrors were making me realize that my anti aging strategies were not working at all.  I looked awful and old.  I looked so out of shape.  Why do they put all those mirrors in these classes anyways.  It is just plain cruel.

I cried for a minute longer, stretched my cramping, searing leg.  And then I made a decision.  I could hide in the bathroom crying or I could limp back out there and finish the class.  I limped back out there with my messy middle aged ponytailed head held high and finished the class.  The teacher was SO supportive and sweet and helped me out for the rest of the class.

I am not gonna lie.  I wanted to run and hide (but I couldn't).  I wanted to leave (again I couldn't because my friend Laura drove).  But I realized today that I am out of shape.  I might not look it but I am.  I need this class. I need to get in shape.  I want to be strong and toned with good posture.  I don't want to be schlumpy. So, as embarrassing as my first class was, I am signed up for two more classes this week. I am not giving up.  I am sure that tomorrow my muscles will hurt more than my pride.



So in the interest of sharing embarrassing moments...let me tell you about 2 others I have had.  Once a few years ago, Dave and I were at a small cocktail party.  I pointed to some guy and said to the hostess, "Who is that guy?"  She looked me straight in the eye and said, "Kim, that is my husband, Jim*!  Oops.  He looked different.

Then once in college I kissed a boy at a fraternity party.  I was/am a prude so it was all pretty innocent and low key but the next day I saw him and said hi and he ignored me.  I later found out he was a twin and it was his twin I said hi to.  To this day, I am not 100% sure which one I kissed at the party.    And the thing is..it was a very small campus.  Everyone else knew they were twins but me.

So, I have made a fool of myself before and I am sure I will again.    Feel free to share your embarrassing stories in the comments.  It will make me feel better:)


 (*name changed to protect the innocent).