Family! What would we do without them? There is an old saying that sometimes you can live with them, other times you can’t. There are always moments that can put tension on things, but the bottom line though, when it comes to family, if you can’t count on them, who can you count on?
Sarah and I strive for this all of the time with our kids. But it started up higher than us. Our parents and grandparents instilled this in us a long time ago. We just keep things going. Our kids will always be our kids, just like we will always be our parent’s kids. We have to look out for them too. My mom just celebrated her 89th Birthday in the Nursing Home last weekend, and we were all there to eat cake and celebrate with her.
I hate to admit it, but we are all getting older. I was just remembering somebody the other day, like it was yesterday, and their funeral was 14 years ago. I can’t believe time really does go by fast. Spend time with your family. Keep traditions going. Be there for each other.
If you blink, you may just miss the time you had with them. Connor is already 1 1/2. He is running through the house now. Before too long he will be driving!!!! We are looking forward to spending Christmas with our kids, and the rest of the family. We are celebrating our Christmas the week before. That is when we can get everybody together at the same time! Take it when you can! We will at least be together. There are too many times when families get together only at funerals. It is kind of late then. Family wants to know you care about them while they are still here. I hear too many stories from patients about how they rarely see their kids. That should never be. We all need to make an effort to work on that.
You can’t always keep looking down the path without looking right in front of you first. If we spend too much time doing this, we miss out on a lot of important things. Pay attention to today, not down the road. Don’t let life pass you by. No regrets. Whatever you need to do to spend time together.
It makes working out a whole lot easier, and more fun, as well. Compromise to make things happen. You have time now to figure things out a little more before this upcoming Christmas. What are your plans? Who are you going to spend it with? Is there anybody in your family you have not talked to for a while? Should you talk to them? Who is going to make the first step? Do it now. It is better than having regrets later.
Exactly! Keep moving everybody, and Happy Holidays coming!
Every family has traditions. Our families’ tradition is working out on special occasions. Our kids work out on a regular basis, but now it is time to get the son-in-law, and significant others into the picture. This Thanksgiving was no different. We started out with the Annual Turkey Trot run here in Watertown. Megan ran with her boyfriend Dan. We all had to work up an appetite.
It is a tradition for many of us in the Watertown Area Run Club. Many of us were there to start off the holiday with a run!
Afterall, the rest of the day, and for several days after, are about eating…and spending time together. The food was incredible!
Sarah once again did a great job! At least when we work out before hand, we don’t feel as guilty when we are eating the rest of the day. There are two good things about the holidays: There is lots of food, and I love to eat! What a great combination!
The prizes for the race were Turkeys, and then a pumpkin pie for those who got 2nd place for their age groups. Sarah, Megan, and I all got 2nd place for our age groups! No way we were going to eat 3 pies, so we gave one away to another run club member. We can all enjoy good food! What traditions do you have? What traditions can you start making? Definitely something to think about!
One thing is for sure, in this family, we run 5k’s!!! Time to show how tough you are!
Always ready for a workout! Always ready to push it! There is lots of food out there to eat, and at least I can enjoy it more by burning if off. What are you waiting for? Make changes on those special holidays, or events, or moments. Make them become a tradition! Keep moving everybody!
With Thanksgiving coming up this Thursday, it is time to think about what you are thankful for. We get in a rush, we are all busy, but sometimes you need to slow down and be thankful for what you have. Point #1: I am starting off my first picture with my grandson Connor.
I love my kids, but this grandchild thing is such a cool gig! I will get to see him later this week and can’t wait. Like I tell my kids, grandkids are like potato chips…you can’t have just one. I can’t wait for more, and I will treat them all the same way!!
#2–my Sarah. Where do I start with her? She is my everything. I would be totally lost without her.
We have been married now for 32 years, and it just keeps getting better. All the adventures we have had together. Running, traveling, working, raising kids, and on and on and on! You are the best!
I can’t wait for the next adventure! Because of you, I am thankful for my point #3: my kids!
You guys are all grown up, but that does not mean I still don’t worry about you. Years ago, Dr. Tracy told me that when your kids are little, the problems are little. When they get big, the problems get bigger. How true! Just know that I am always there for all of you to help where I can. We are a family!
We still always have a lot of new adventures to do, and projects to work on, and life to spend together. We need to take advantage of them all for as long as possible. Bring it on!
#4: My running family! Where do I begin with them. I have had so many different running partners over the years. You have all meant a lot to me. We go through runs together, which helps go through life together. Tom Beaudry and Steve Hauck especially. We have logged many a mile in with our marathon training over the years. But once again, it may have been the running that brought us together, but it was the conversations on those run that meant everything. Those times will always be special memories. All of the new people in our run group…the same thing is developing with them. Always an adventure, and always something to learn from somebody else!
To Jill and Paula…the trail run at the end of October was a ton of fun! I don’t get to see Paula as much now that she is living in Sioux Falls, so it made this run even more special. Run on guys! Always a friend whenever you need someone!
#5: My health. It is safe to say I am not where I want to be after my health issue in the past (coming up on 4 years in March). I am still trying to stay motivated to keep going. I am trying to find new things to do besides just running. Running is still my passion, but I am finding a lot of fun in other types of exercise as well. The reason I need to keep working on my health is so that I keep can appreciating all of the other reasons I have listed above. We all need to keep working on our health to keep making memories with those people close to us.
#6: Appreciating nature. This is a direct tie into reason #5. Since my health issues, I have grown to appreciate the beauty of nature more and more. “Taking the time to smell the roses!” I truly did not take advantage of what was in front of me before. It is too bad it had a take a major life altering event to change. I guess I used being too busy as an excuse. I love the line from one of my favorite movies, “Shawshank Redemption”: “Get busy living, or get busy dying!”
So many similarities, yet all so different. I love my time when I can go take pictures. It just lets me unwind and relax, and take it all in. I have truly come to appreciate these times more and more!
#7: Work, and the people I work with. I have been at Brown Clinic now going on 29 years. My nurse Chris has been with me the whole time. She opted not to retire and keep working with me, even after working there for 45 years! My partners and I over the years have gone through many changes navigating medicine over the years. Those people have all created special memories for a lifetime.
These are some of my things to be thankful for this coming Thanksgiving. What are yours? Are you too busy to appreciate those things that mean the most to you? Slow down and take the time. Time goes way too fast already. My mom is going to turn 89 shortly after Thanksgiving. We are all planning to go to SF to celebrate with her. She is so excited as well!
Happy early birthday mom! So, what are you waiting for? What are you thankful for?
Spread your wings and be adventurous. Take a chance. Be bold. Be appreciative. Be thankful for what you have!! Keep moving everybody!
What makes you happy? We all have things we enjoy. We all have some hobbies. But what is it really that makes you happy? Once you have this figured out, then do you spend time actually doing those things that make you happy? Now is as good of time as any to start. These are some of the things that I enjoy doing. First, spending time with my grandson Connor! It is always so much fun listening to him laugh and watching him grow. I loved having kids, but with so much time spent with work, I did not always get to do as much as I would have liked to do then. I get to start making up for that with Connor!
Exercising, and especially running, makes me happy. Whether I am alone, with Sarah, or with my run club group, there are always opportunities to have fun. Sundays especially are always a good end of the week or beginning of the week depending on how you look at it! Sarah and I met by running, and our days consisted first of meeting to go for a run. How could it not be a major part of my life?
I just got to do my first trail run a few weeks ago. Jill, Paula, and I ran together the whole way. It was not about racing. It was about running, and taking in the scenery, and talking! That is what we do each week. The important thing is to just get out and move.
Of course, being a doctor makes me happy. I have the opportunity to help people each day. Sometimes though I have to help myself. For almost 4 years now, I have really gotten into photography, especially the sunrise and sunsets. I can’t believe all these previous years what I have been missing out on, or at least not paying attention to. My areas of where I go to take pictures is limited, but there is always a different way to look at it. It has also opened up my eyes to those different ways, not only here, but when I happen to travel somewhere else.
It is easy to go forget things for a while when I am out taking pictures. So, what is it that makes you happy? And then I will ask again, are you doing those things then? If not, what is it you are waiting for?
I just found this the other day, and I love it! It really makes my point. As long as you enjoy it, then no one else’s opinion should matter! If you happen to be at a point in your life where you are not sure what makes you happy, then take a step back, and really take the time to think about it. We are all here for a short time to begin with, so don’t waste any of those moments. We all have a purpose in our life, and it is up to us to live that purpose to the fullest. We all are going to have our ups and downs! Is that not why life is like being on a roller coaster? Be happy! Make a difference to those around you. Do what makes you happy! And remember, no one else’s opinion should matter! Keep moving everybody!
I did not have a chance to blog last weekend as we were gone to Minneapolis. What a great weekend though. I got to spend the whole weekend with family. We all started out early Saturday morning doing the Halloween Run. My son Nick works for Minnesota Run Company, and we went to do one of their races. He had to work that weekend, but the rest of us dressed up as Star Wars characters. I was Chewbacca, and my grandson Connor was baby Yoda!
“Baby Yoda did really well for his first Halloween Run!
He earned his medal and was showing it off afterwards.
On the way back to the car though, “Baby Yoda” crashed! He was tired after his 5k! I really did not care about the race afterwards, I got to hold Connor and be grandpa! The day started out great.
Then Sunday morning, we all went to Nick’s apartment to get ready to go to the Vikings game. He lives 2 blocks from US Bank Stadium. Sarah stayed back and got to be grandma for Connor. We went to enjoy some of the outdoor activities prior to the game.
We got to pose for lots of pictures!
Including pictures with the Vikings Cheerleaders! SKOL!!!
Nick and I have tried to make a tradition of hitting a Vikings game once a year. We missed the last 2 years due to COVID, so hopefully we can keep this going again. The rest of the kids had a great time too!
We had great seats, and a good view of the game.
It turned out to be a great weekend, and one for the memory books. The weather was great, and everybody could make it. And the Vikings won too!!
It was a perfect finish to the weekend in more ways than one. You need to make sure you make some quality time with your family. Make memories. It does not matter what you do, or where you go, just do something! Of course, as part of the Reiffenberger family, it automatically involved a run. Another tradition we hope to keep going. We got to be Mom and Dad this weekend, as well as Grandpa and Grandma. It really does not get any better than this! Keep moving everybody!
It was a great weekend! Saturday I spent it at Newton Hills running in my first trail run. 20k…12.4 miles. Lots of hills! Quite of few of us from the Watertown Area Running Club were able to go. We had great weather, starting just below 50, and not taking long to get into the upper 60’s by the time we were done. The scenery was great, as I stopped to take pictures along the way as well.
Paula came from Sioux Falls, and I have not run with her for quite a while! Patricia and Jill were there from Watertown as well.
The colors were still very nice, and there were quite a few leaves on the trail, which made it a little tougher to see tree roots, and we stumbled a few times. This next shot gives you an idea what at least one of the hills were like.
Here is a picture of a bunch from Watertown just prior to the start…
…and then quite a few of us after finishing.
It was a lot of fun. This is one race where it truly is to just get out and enjoy going for a run and having some really cool scenery to look at. The temperatures could not have been better, especially after what the beginning of this past week was looking like! It did not matter how long it took us. We were not out for time, and everybody was always cheering everybody else on in the race. I will definitely be back again to do again in the future. We are recruiting more people from Watertown as well. Enjoy these nice days we have left for as long as we can.
And remember, have fun! Keep your “tail on the trail”. Keep moving everybody!
