Everybody has their 15 minutes

Goodness!  It’s been a WHILE since I last wrote.  Sufficed to say, I’ve been busy.  I hate that word.  “busy”.  It’s way over used.

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Triple Crown Leadership <—– great piece on “being busy”

The word itself doesn’t even look like it’s spelled correctly.  Busy…..Bussy?  Bisy. Bisie, Bizy?  Anyway, I hate busy.  HOWEVER!  That being said…..I have been busy in a good way!

Right now I should be packing.  Why?  Oh maybe because we are moving in 2 days.  I am at the point where everything that can be packed is packed.  Everything else has to wait until the last few mad hours before we leave for good.  So I thought I would write……it may be another month before I get to again.  I can’t WAIT to be back into my normal routine.

I think I will start with probably one of the most exciting things to ever happen to me.

There I am!  It’s finally out!  I didn’t think it would be out until today actually but much to my surprise it was early!!!  I was talking to my friend on the phone last week and she said “So, I saw your article in Women’s Health”.  I screamed “WHAT!?!?!?!?!”  I may have made her ear drums bleed.

“JEEEEEEREMY!!!!!  GO GET THE MAIL GO GET THE MAIL!!!!!”

“WHAT? WHY?  What’s wrong?

“MY ARTICLE!  CHERYL…..ITS HERE….MAIL!!!!!”

He makes a mad dash out the door.

And there it is!  Crazyness I tell you…..crazyness.  What an honor.  What a moment.  What validation.  Wow.  Jeremy went out and bought two additional copies at the store.  I am not ashamed to admit I will be laminating that bad boy, framing it and making it a focal point in my house.  Ok, maybe not a focal point, but it will be on the fridge, inside the pantry, folded in my purse, in my journals, and for sure framed in my office.  Not because I am trying to brag or show off, but as a reminder, when the days are dark and my mind tries to go back to the places I never want to return.

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One day I can show my clients, hey look at this….I UNDERSTAND!!!!  I can help, you can trust me, I have been there.

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So, here are some other things that have been going on…..

Oh the blasted crane…..I finally did it!!!

Valentines Day Happiness

Cuddles with Cici.  When Aidan was learning to talk, he couldn’t say Trixie so he would say Cici.  That’s become her nickname…along with BRAT.

Aidan’s 6 yr molars started coming in and his gums swelled up in the most alarming manner! Apparently it’s totally normal for that to happen.  Poor guy.  OUCH!

Even though it’s been weeks since I have had a proper workout, except an occasional sporadic run, I have been getting plenty of physical activity in the form of packing and pushing boxes around…..so my foam roller and I have become BFF’s.  I am not sure what I ever did with out it.  Oh yeah…..I laid on the floor for an hour stretching and complaining…..

I was fixing Aidan’s hair one morning and I see these two “bobbed” spots. He says bobbed instead of bald. I can’t bring myself to correct him. He also says thair instead of fair. Sometimes his cuteness is overwhelming.  Anyway, as a mother, my mind goes straight to “OMG what disease does he have?”   As I am looking at the spots he lets me know he doesn’t have some rare incurable disease, he just gave himself a little haircut.  Whew!!!!  Thank goodness!

So as I was packing one evening I came across this little box of gems.  My past.  CRINGE! Look at those gallon zip locks of notes!!!!!  I didn’t read all of them but the ones I did read were awesome. They are priceless. Filled  with drama and silliness.  Lots of “oh my gosh…..I can’t believe I wrote that.” was said aloud.   I was a different person back then that’s for sure.

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The last few weeks I have been reading a book called May Cause Miracles by Gabrielle Bernstein. Finding it was a bit serendipitous but I am convinced it’s also one of those things that I was meant to read.  I heard about it a while ago and thought, Hmmm….that looks interesting, I will have to check it out.  Then while browsing at B&N one day I walked right into it.  SIGN!!!!!!!   It’s a little on the hippy dippy side but it has REALLY opened my eyes to so many things I was blind to.  The first two weeks were are about overcoming fears.  I was able to discover some fears I have that I never realized were there.  Being able to identify them has been life-changing.  In one of the first chapters she says this about fear.  “Love did not create this.”

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That simple sentence has altered my entire world.  I wish I could expound on how and why but….yeah…..you know…..too personal.

Just the other day I read this little gem of a passage…..

Yes, yes and more yes.  Many have misconceptions about this.  Forgiveness doesn’t mean reconciliation or relationship.  Ex. I have forgiven the man who took Daniel from us,  but I am not going to go have coffee with him. Forgiveness means that you have let go of the hurt and bitterness that once poisoned your heart and mind.  You are free to love and live the life you were meant to live.

I highly recommend this book.  It’s so good!  Read it with an open mind and get out of it what you can.

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So then there is this little thing we did yesterday!

WE CLOSED!!!!!  So excited!  We signed papers for AN HOUR!!!! But….honestly, it was quite fun!

I can’t wait to start a new chapter in our lives.  I will be sad to say goodbye to our first house together. Sad to say goodbye to our sweet neighbors.  It will be an adjustment getting to know the new house.  I have said several times this week “I am going to miss my stove and microwave.”  Little things like getting used to what light switch goes to what.  Learning how to use the sprinkler & alarm systems.  I anticipate hilarity to ensue concerning those! Especially if I am the one operating them!  But I am excited about being able to take the boys to the neighborhood pool and play ground all summer.  Sitting on my covered porch that has a ceiling fan on those HOT summer days.  Enjoying our fireplace on the cold and dreary ones.  Getting to know some new friends in the neighborhood.  There are walking trails & several ponds with water fountains throughout the neighborhood as well.  I can’t wait to explore those.

Hopefully it won’t be another month before I write again but until then……

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Oh Uncle Si…..you’re the best.

Women’s Health Photo Shoot

About a year and a half ago, actually it was May of 2011, the Women’s Health Facebook page posted a request for anyone who had lost weight to submit their story to Brittany Risher @ such-in-such email…..I was like an overachieving elementary kid, jumping out of my chair with my hand raised….. “OOOH OOH I HAVE ONE!!! PICK ME!! PICK ME!!! I HAVE ONE!” So I sat down and wrote it out, hit send and that was that. I kind of forgot about it until 6 months later when I got a response! Brittany wrote that she thought my story would be perfect for Women’s Health, asked if I was still interested (ummmm ya think?), and if so, to submit more recent photos (i.e checking if I had gained the weight back…NEVER). So I responded, did a happy dance and that was that…… 6 months later……She emails me once again asking if I was still interested & that she would be submitting my story to the editors that week. Say What?! 3 months later…….Jill Waldbieser emails me saying I was chosen for the You Lose, You Win piece in the April 2013 issue. No freaking way!

I had to send even more photos, sign a photo release and she let me know that a writer would be in touch with me for an interview…..it was unreal. The beginning of October I had a phone interview, and then on Tuesday the photo director emailed me asking for a good date to do a photo shoot within the next 10 days. I gave them 3 dates, one being today, not really thinking it was enough time to set up a photographer but wouldn’t cha know….He was available TODAY! So I just went with it. Kenny Braun got in touch with me and we set up a time and a place to meet. We met at Cameron Park in Waco. Since he is based out of Austin, this was a halfway point for both of us. He is such a nice guy. He made me feel so relaxed and gave great direction. I loved watching him scope out the views, he was in a zone.

Last night I kept dreaming that my alarm didn’t go off and I woke up at 8:40. We had to leave by 7:30. I also dreamt that Jeremy got called into work and couldn’t come with me. I woke up every hour. My alarm was set to go off at 4am so needless to say I didn’t get any sleep. My adrenaline and nerves masked any sleep deprivation. I got myself psyched up by listening to Pandora’s 80’s rock station, the same one I usually listen to on my runs, did a lot of positive affirmations, and tried to just plain not think about it. “IT” being the fact that this was a photo shoot for a national magazine. That just made me want to vomit. I couldn’t eat breakfast but managed to eat half a banana and drink some Vitamin Water Zero during the shoot.

The actual shoot was such a blast! It was so fun. I tried to just be in the moment, be myself and stay relaxed. Kenny was so great, such a calm spirit and I think that really helped.

I trotted down and back, down and back about 20 times.

Climbed “Jacob’s Ladder” and hopped down the steps all while looking at the camera or off into the distance about 20 times. I finally got the hang of it by the last few shots. Don’t think I didn’t almost bust my tail a few times.

I skipped on rocks….while looking off into the distance….no easy task. I was pleased with my coordination and not breaking an ankle.

I jumped of boulders and landed hard on the ground….he decided that was a bit ambitious and didn’t make me do it anymore.

………and I posed and posed and posed and posed and posed and posed and posed x 50.

After about 3 hours we wrapped and headed over to my fave…..Chick-Fil-A and ordered my usual salad.

That was the best salad I have ever had in my life!

Before we came home Jeremy stopped and picked up a Grande Non-Fat Misto for me from Starbucks. I was exhausted but didn’t want to fall into a coma when I got home. So I took a long hot shower, drank my Misto, sat down in bed to write this post and I don’t plan on moving the rest of the night! Best day ever.

Women’s Health <——- the best magazine in the history of the world!