Hi Friends! I can NOT believe that the year is already OVER half way through! PLUS it is already the middle of July! Summer is flying by! We have been keeping busy, and this week was no exception. There was adventure and busyness galore! Today I wanted to share with you a few scenes from our week.
This week was the last week of the boys swim lessons. The boys rocked their lessons and learned a lot! The two younger boys are moving to the next level and the oldest just needs to work on his breast stroke kick and he will be moving on. Exciting stuff learning to swim!
This week the boys also enjoyed going to summer camp or Vacation Bible School at a neighboring church. Our church had VBS in the morning (when the boys had swim lessons) so we enjoyed visiting and experiencing VBS with new friends. The boys had an Ah-Mazing time. Precious P even accepted Jesus into his heart as his forever friend! Yay!
While the boys were at VBS, I took advantage of the free time in the evening (3-5) and headed out for a HOT and SWEATY SOLO urban trail run in my Mizuno Wave Kazan trail shoes. Trying to run purely based off heart rate per my polar personal trainer program in the heat… is very challenging. I ended up doing a lot of run/walk.
The boys and I love visiting and frequenting our local library. The stack of books the boys get each week is alarming. Thank goodness they love reading and learning new things. I love library days because once we get home they are actually quiet and relatively still for a while when they check out their new books.
Some of our favorite books we have been reading lately are the following. I received a few of these from various book clubs for free for the total purpose of reading and enjoying.
I have been reading and enjoying Clout. I have really enjoyed this book to help me in my spiritual leadership role within my business and family. We all long for significance, even as we fear we will never be good enough. We listen for God, but hear only voices of doubt and practicality. We need to listen again. Clout is power and influence. It is an undeniable trait that opens doors and moves mountains.
Clout encourages you to learn about Jesus and others who sought to lead like him. Stop dreaming and start planning. Define your direction, set your goals, and confront the challenges that stand between you and the person God made you to be. Step into your sphere of influence with the humble confidence of Christ.
The boys (and I) have been reading the Adventure Bible Handbook and Adventure Bible Devotional together. This kid (boy) friendly Bible and 365 age appropriate devotional for adventure seekers is great for my monkeys. The handbook is full of photos in comic style. This is great for my reader and non-readers. The devotionals are great as they apply to their young life and it also coincides with the Bible Handbook.
On Thursday, I decided to take advantage of the boys having fun at camp… and be brave and bold. I have been wanting to get my hair cut for a few weeks now. I can tell it is time for a CHOP when I always wear my hair in a pony tail/high bun. I have been wanting to go short… but hesitant.
I have a few girlfriends who are hair dressers… but didn’t want to go to them for fear if I didn’t like it I would hold it against them. Just being honest. So I went to someone new. I went in. Told her I wanted a reverse bob.
She chopped over 6 inches off. I love it. Sassy. Spunky. Healthy. Easy! Of course, now I would love to have her in my home each morning to make it look awesome for me. When I do the shower and go look… I still get the beach wave look like before… but not as drastic as the hair is shorter.
To be honest, I had been feeling a bit off this whole week. Even amidst the chaos and fun activities. I was having trouble catching my breath, pressure in my chest, and light headedness. After three days of this, I decided to head in to the doctor… with my three monkeys. They ran a bunch of test (peak flow test average, ECG athletes heart, blood pressure perfect, lung x-ray clear, and then finally a full blood panel after a morning fast).
The results are still inconclusive and I will have to hear back from my doctor regarding my blood panel. She did find it interesting that my lung function wasn’t as high as she would have liked to have seen, considering my activity level and heart performance. So… now I wait.
I figure I am healthy to continue running and hanging out upside down. At least until they tell me otherwise. I am still following the heart rate training plan through polar… so I am still monitoring my heart very closely.
Saturday was another solo parenting morning. I had an easy basic run scheduled. I opted to have the boys load up on their bikes so we could run around the neighborhood for this run. Only for the youngest to demand that he ride his scooter. I gave in and let him have his way… knowing that it would be harder to scoot than ride.
It was NOT a fun run. In fact, roughly a quarter mile into the run T-man started whining saying he was tired. sigh. Thankfully he trudged on.
This scooter. The scooter he HAD to ride. Was the reason I ran slower than my walking pace (but was determined to run. Even if it meant running in place at times). The scooter was a great tool to run within my targeted heart rate zone for my basic/easy run. It was great way to slow me down .
Miles were covered. Time on feet. Calories burned. Energy burned by all. It wasn’t the fastest or happiest run… but we did it. That counts for something, right?
It was an adventure filled week. Fun, busy, nerve wrecking, some scary, and lots of memories. Next week is a new adventure! Let the adventure begin!
I absolutely love your new haircut!!!! I’m in the process of growing my out – when it gets long enough I want to get a cut like that!
My favorite thing from this week were my first two runs in about two months – I just got cleared after a stress fracture!!! This coming week I’m excited to go back to my Tuesday night bible study. I haven’t gone in a few months and am really excited to reconnect with the group. And do more running, of course!!
Yay! Those are some pretty amazing HIGHS from the week!! What will you be studying?
WOW! Sure looks like you guys had a busy but FUN week.. and I love love love your new hair cut.. the short looks AWESOME and what a difference it made… Who knew cutting your hair would make THAT much of a difference.. I love it.. maybe I should cut mine now, too.. MHHHH
Thanks. I like it too. Although the beachy waves don’t look as good with it short like it did long 😉
Your new do looks fantastic. I swear it makes you look younger.
Haha! I will take that! Winning! 😉
I really like your new cut! Sassy is a great word to describe it. This past week I ran for the first time in three weeks since I sprained my ankle. It felt slow probably because of the heat but I was surprised to see I was right where I was when I last ran! That was great. This weekend was busy hanging out with old friends and reconnecting with another.
It’s crazy that summer is half over! So far it’s been the great. Here’s hoping the last half can top the first!
Way to get out there and run (even in the heat)! No worry about speed, at this point you are reintroducing your body/ankle to running again. Slow and steady! 🙂
I really wanted to send my daughter to swim lessons this summer but we missed the deadlines – maybe next year. Love your new cut btw!
Bummer on the missed swim lessons. Maybe you can squeeze in somewhere else last minute?
Regarding my hair cut, Thank you! 🙂
Your hair looks totally awesome like that! Very stylish! Nice choice!
I just realized that school starts in just 5 weeks ahh, I feel like summer just started! I LOVE your new haircut! You can totally pull off shorter hair, looks fab!
I know right!? Time is flying!
Thank you on the compliment about the hair. 🙂
Super cute hair cut! LOL I always think the same thing about my stylist coming to my house to do my hair every morning. I can never get my hair to look the same. Not necessarily bad but not the way it looks right after I get it cut.
Thank you and YES! Right!?
Yikes! Hope you’re ok. I’m gonna have to try the library! I would love to see E sit still that long!
haha YES! This is the main reason I LOVE library day! haha
Oh man, I hope you get that lung this sorted out and fast! You do a lot for your health so I am sure things will improve. And your hair cut does look fabulous! I think it suits your personality. So awesome that P accepted Christ into his heart. Definitely reason to celebrate!
Thanks. Me too. I feel fine and healthy… just a bit hard to breathe. SO… now I wait.
I LOVE your hair! So fun and so perfect for summer!
Thank you! 🙂
I love how you show your running route. I used to run pre-baby (she’s 2.5 now) and want to get back into it. Seeing your pictures with the little running routes makes me want to get back out there 🙂
You totally should… and could! Just take your time and remember it isn’t about the TIME, SPEED or DISTANCE… but more time on your feet and fresh air. 🙂
I love the new haircut! How long does it take to get it straight in the mornings? I would love to go even shorter, but I think my hair is way too curly for that!
Thanks. Funny thing about my hair… when it is short it is relatively straight (just a bit wavy at the ends where it does a funky flip thing). When my hair gets to my shoulders and below that is when it starts to banana curl.
LOVE your hair! So adorable on you! Looks and sounds like you have been super busy this summer so far. I too, can’t believe it is almost over and school will be starting soon. Yikes!
The new haircut looks so great on you!
LOVE your hair!!
So sweet that P has his forever friend in Jesus. What an amazing moment for him and for you and Gabe!!
LOVE the new hair!! I can’t believe how quickly summer is zipping by, ugh. Praying the tests are all OK!
Love love love your hair! Beautiful pics too!