We got to have our grandson Connor over for the weekend! What fun! It is always an adventure when he is here. He is now 1 1/2years old, and I can’t believe how fast time has gone. I got him some silverware to match what he has at home…truck style spoon and fork, and another one that is a blade on a truck to scoop everything together. He loves them, and now he can have the same thing here that he has at home!
He had a great time loving and tickling his friend, Dakota! Dakota just sits there (as long as she is behind the gate) and just takes it all in. They have a certain bond that only they know what they are talking about! Dobby got to get in on the fun too!
He started doing all this bear crawling this weekend! Hilarious!
It did not take him very long doing all this to wear him out. When he decides he is done, he is done!
I took him on a trip to Menards! We had a great time. We got to watch some movies on TV, and he likes any of the ones with singing in it. He got into the movie “Tangled”, and just sat on his tractor and was glued to the TV!
We were going to try and have him outside as we got him a sled to pull around in, but he decided to take a 3 hour nap in the afternoon and we ran out of time. We will have to see yet what this afternoon brings.
Never a dull moment with this guy! It is always a ton of fun! He becomes the center of attention. This is what grandparenting is all about! I love it! He definitely keeps you moving. This is why we have to keep active running, walking, or biking. We have to do this just to be able to have the energy to keep up with him! Until the next weekend of fun! Keep moving everybody!
This time of year, it is always tough to try and stay motivated to exercise outside. If there was ever a time that I do more of the exercise inside, is now. It is still exercise, but nothing is like doing this outside. After all, it is only cold outside if you are standing still! We are still outside on Sundays for run club…at least most of us. It still is really tough to run when it is below zero. We may have better clothing to wear, but it is just not fun when it is that cold! It also gets a little tougher to get motivated to workout inside then as well. This is when it is great to have a training partner to keep pushing you as well. I do have to say, there has been some great scenery lately with all of the frost. But the one thing with this frost, the temperature is not really an issue!
I took our retriever, Dakota, out walking Saturday morning, and the scenery was incredible. I think we spent just as much time outside taking pictures as we did walking. This definitely helps stay motivated. You somehow have to look at the positives that the Winter can bring in beauty as well!
Make something out of your mornings, whether inside or outside. Mornings set the tone for day. At least for me, I pretty much know when my morning is going to start each day, but I have no idea when it is going to end! So, at least as long as I don’t have an early morning meeting, exercising in the morning is something to look forward to, and a way to prepare for the day. When I am inside riding the bike, it is my time to listen to music. It is just a nice change of pace to be able to relax listening to my favorite music sometimes.
Show up for yourself! Challenge yourself. At the end of the day, nobody is going to motivate you other than you. Continue to make yourself a list of your do’s and don’ts. Set a goal for yourself and keep it simple. If it is too challenging, you won’t make it past the week. When you reach those smaller goals, we respond more to immediate rewards. This brings feelings of accomplishment and success and is huge to sustaining that motivation. Some of those times after run club, we all go out and meet for coffee!
Now, that is motivation! Keep working at it. Sometimes those motivational triggers are not always so obvious.
We have several more months of Winter left. Make the best of it. Some of the snow is a great opportunity to go snow shoeing as well. Whatever it is, enjoy it for the change it brings. It also makes us appreciate the warmth of Spring and Summer even more. So, bundle up, and get outside, and keep moving everybody!
For those of you with a dog, you know exactly what I mean by having a faithful four-legged friend. You could have other 4-legged pets, but I am going to talk about dogs here. They are always excited to see you. They are always ready to go for a run or a walk. They are always by your side…literally! Sometimes they could believe in a little personal space, but that would not be in their nature.
They are part of the family. Connor was here over the New Year’s holiday, and he and Dakota became best buddies! They had a lot of fun together, and Connor would keep going up to Dakota and “tickle her”!
It does not matter the temperature out because Dakota is always ready to go for a walk. She makes you feel guilty if you don’t, so they make a great training partner to help get your butt out the door and get moving also.
She goes to town on her stuffed animals, so we have stuffing all over the house. It was no different when we would keep picking up after the kids!
When she has had enough, it is time to crash, wherever she is at! They are a ton of fun, and like I said, part of the family!
How do you not love this cutie? Take care of your pets. Treat them like they are part of the family, because they are! They can help motivate you and keep you moving. You never have to worry if they are ready to go out or not. So, take advantage of their help, and use them to help you keep moving…everybody!
What is your New Year’s resolution? Will it be the same as always…I want to lose weight…I want to be more active…I want to read more…I want to be more successful at work…etc, etc. Many of us make New Year’s resolutions, and we all come out of the blocks strong, only to hit that first rough patch, and then fall back to our old ways. Time to dream BIG! Build good habits and break bad ones. There is a book out there called “Atomic Habits”. I highly recommend this! “Little by little we build our power!” Some secrets to making a resolution: Dream big; Focus on others; Know what you’re in for; Have an action plan; and stay excited throughout the year. A quote by Walt Disney: “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them!” This is a perfect time to reflect on our experiences in the past year. As the year came to an end, you may find yourself looking back on the year, and self-reflecting.
The frost on the trees these last few days have been so cool to look at and is easy to just kind of let your mind wander and think. What is my plan going forward? It is easier to reflect on things when you get to see the reflections of things outside.
Self-reflection is a valuable skill in which we can become aware of ourselves. It helps us observe our own thoughts, actions, and feelings. There are many ways you can build self-reflection, but journaling is one of the more popular methods of reflection. Journaling has many benefits, as it has proven to reduce stress, encourage sharp memory, boost mood, and strengthen emotional awareness.
Time to attack it! Different writing prompts may inspire you to reflect on the past year. So, grab a journal, or just a piece of paper, and start. Try not to over-critique your writing. Just allow whatever comes to mind flow out onto the page. Try to be detailed and literally go with the flow and go with whatever comes up for you. Above all, be honest. You don’t need to hold back, sugar-coat it, or be vague. You are the only one that is going to read it. Observe things around you and get lost in the beauty of things around you.
Here are some examples of writing prompts that I found in an article:
What were my big wins this year?
What were my small wins this year?
What were my challenges this year?
In the past year, I am proud of myself for…
Looking back on the past year, I am most grateful for…
What would I like to shed or leave behind from this past year?
What health, wellness, and fitness practices were most beneficial or enjoyable for me this year?
What are my health and wellness goals for the coming year?
How did I push myself outside of my comfort zone this past year? How would I like to push myself out of my comfort zone this coming year?
When you look back at your life this time next year, what is the one thing I want to have accomplished or maintained a commitment to? Why is this important to me?
Work for it! Push yourself! Dream Big! You can achieve those goals…one step at a time!
What will the new year bring you? 365 new opportunities! Spend it with family and friends! They will help motivate you, push you, and encourage you! What are you waiting for? The New Year just started! Keep moving everybody!
Merry Christmas everyone! It was too cold to run outside this morning, so we worked out on the bike and the elliptical, and we did some strength training prior. It may be Christmas, but we could still get our workout in. We had our kids and families over last weekend to celebrate as that is when we could get everyone together. We had a ball! Time together, games, and great food!
After our meal, we had a great dessert, provided by my nurse Chris! It was to die for! The greatest cake (after the famous M & M cakes though!). We were so full we had to spend more time working out that weekend just to make up the difference!
We played lots of different games with everyone, and Connor was right in the thick of everything too!
The money scooping game was one of the best. You were blindfolded and had to use a spatula to scoop up the money onto the cutting board. Lots of one-dollar bills, and some scattered $5, $10, and rare $20. As you can see here Megan did a great job of scooping everything right off of the cupboard, but she did manage to get quite a few on the cutting board too!
Even Connor had to play hide and seek! Here he is hiding in the dog’s kennel! “Can you find me?”
My daughters had to have matching pajamas for their clan!
Even Dobby got a set of pajamas!
We had a lot of fun! Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas, and you have the opportunity to make lots of memories with those close to you! Keep moving everybody!
If I/we have ever had a philosophy, it has been to “do things on our terms…to go our own way”. This hit with me after listening to a song recently of a group I just love: Fleetwood Mac! They have a great song “Go Your Own Way”. It actually is about a relationship between two of the band members, but every listener can interpret it their own way. I looked up the definition of the term “go your own way”, or to go (one’s) (own) way. It stated: “To proceed, act, or do things in a direction or manner as one so chooses or desires, especially as is distinct, separate, or different from that of others.” With the Reiffenberger’s, what you see is what you get! No sugarcoating, and no sucking up to anybody. We care about each other and taking care of our patients with truly everything we have. And most important, just doing what is right! As my mom always drilled into us kids growing up: Do unto others as you would want done unto you! The great “golden rule”.
Running has always been a part of our life, and something we still do all of the time. We work together, but we are still “going our own way”.
We had traveled more, at least prior to COVID. We will again. We have these last couple years taken many trips out to the Hills, to go hike, and go on adventures. No plans. Just go…”go our own way!”
There are always adventures to do, and sights to see. No sunrise or sunset is ever the same! And at least for me, when I have the opportunity to go take pictures, I truly go my own way! Go out and just enjoy nature, and the scenery, and the quiet! No stress. No worries. No problems. Just go…my own way!
These are just some pictures from the last few days. Even in Winter, you can see something enjoyable. Take it all in. Do your thing. “Go your own way!”
We could all learn a lot from my grandson Connor. He is now 1 1/2 and is now running everywhere. He is definitely going his own way, on his terms! So, my take on that song is to live your life the best way you can. Spend time with those closest to you, but truly “go your own way”. Do things you want to do. Do things you enjoy. I don’t mean that to be that the only thing you focus on is just yourself. Life is about compromise, and compromise with others too. But march to your own beat. Do things that are important to you. Enjoy life to the fullest. No regrets. Stay true to yourself. If you can’t depend on yourself, who can you depend on? Keep moving everybody! I am going to go listen again to that song by Fleetwood Mac!
