We got to spend the last 3 days with our grandson Connor, who turned one last month. What a great weekend. The kid just makes you bust out laughing all of the time. That chocolate chip cookie all over his face was the greatest thing! He is now on the move as well! We went walking with him, running with him, and took him to the Zoo on Friday.
We had to stop several times so he could stretch! He must have been getting a cramp sitting there! (Ha!) The Zoo was great! He was chatting it up the whole time we were there.
The stroller definitely got a workout this weekend running too. It must have worn him out too with all that sitting, because he had some great naps, and slept all night each night too! Now that really is a good kid!
Of course, Dakota was right there with us all of the time too. The family that runs together, stays together!
It was a great weekend! Laughing, playing, and spending time together. I can’t believe how fast he is growing. It was a great grandparent weekend, and hopefully there will be lots more. He recognizes us right away too. I want my grandkids to know who we are. They are going to have fun with us as they grow up. We want to be around for a long time so we can spend lots of time with them. Stay healthy and keep moving. Those grandkids want to spend time with us! Keep moving everybody!
As a parent, you do anything you can for your kids. They are growing, and they have to make decisions in their life. Nick now has a new job near Minneapolis. He is going to be helping set up Running Road Races in Minnesota–Minnesota Run Series. It sounds like a really fun job. I help set up numerous races here in town, but never get paid for it! Ha! So, this weekend we had to move him from his place in SF (which we just moved him into at the end of May!) to Minneapolis. Talk about fun hauling a U-haul through the traffic in Minneapolis! It was pouring out as we drove in but quit in time to get him unloaded. He has quite the view from the top of the apartment building he is living in, which all of the tenants have access to.
A whole two blocks from the Vikings home stadium, US Bank! I now have a closer place to stay when I can make it to a Vikings game!
It is only fitting that he should be working for a running organization when he has been running his whole life. He should be able to fit right in.
Nick and his girlfriend Hannah will have to figure out how a relationship will work by distance. I don’t think they will have any issues! They are both in a new adventure and will have to see what life brings them. Just like all of us! It takes courage to take on something new, and somewhere else. It was just like my daughter Megan when she went off to Virginia for school. She lived there 7 years, and then moved back to Watertown after figuring out bigger does not always mean better. Time will tell…
When it comes to family, we always are there to lend support, and help in general. Sometimes you have to just sit back and let them leave the nest and fly on their own. That does not mean it is easy as a parent. We all need to strive to survive, and do what is best for ourselves as individuals, and what we want to do when we grow up. Just don’t forget about family! They should always be there when needed! Keep moving everybody!
Last Sunday my grandson turned one! We had a great time at his party. The kid is always smiling and happy. Living out on the farm with his mom and dad, and his other set of grandparents, Connor will definitely have farmer in his future plans!
He is already trying to get used to wearing his John Deere hat on a regular basis!
We gave him a car for his birthday, and he already loves riding around in it. Aunt Suzie gave him a stuffed cow toy, and it quickly became his favorite. If you look closely at this picture, you can see the cow riding shotgun with him in his car!
Connor even got his John Deere decorated cake to eat by himself. Boy did he have a good time with his cake!
It was hilarious watching him dive into his cake. He even had to take turns feeding us!
Well one thing is for sure, this little guy is definitely loved!
It may have been Connor’s birthday, but it might be tough to say who had more fun, him, or the rest of us! Take the time to spend doing the things that are really important. Time goes fast. He is already one! This is why we strive to survive. This is why we need to keep working on our own health, both exercise and diet. We need to be around more for the moments that really count. Keep moving everybody!
I mentioned previously that there are times when we all need to work on our attitude. I have quoted author Mark Batterson previously: “A change of Pace + A Change in Place = A Change in Attitude”. We just have to figure out that place, and how to adjust our pace, in order to change our attitude. We as individuals are in the driver’s seat, so if we are not happy, only we can change it. This life is busy enough, we don’t need to have the extra added stress of thinking we have to get everything done right away. Pace yourselves. Things take time to develop, so if we keep that in mind, our attitudes can improve greatly.
We all need to learn to take our time and slow down a little. We are all in such a hurry that we forget to live in the moment. That was definitely me. I was so busy trying to do everything that I was missing everything. Take a deep breath. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself to accomplish goals that may not really be that important. We put the pressure on ourselves to try to achieve certain goals, and in the process, we are no longer even having fun. It is now just another stress. It is more pressure that we put upon ourselves that none of us need!
Spend time with friends doing what you like to do, without adding more pressure upon yourself thinking you have to accomplish something “more important”. Yes, our goals are important, but not at the risk of our own health, both physical and mental. We do not need to put more pressure on ourselves. Enjoy the ride!
Exercise for your health but have fun doing it. See what you can accomplish to help yourself feel better, not add more pressure. Sarah and I push each other, but in a good way. If we were to do this by ourselves, we probably would not get out the door.
If you have a pet take them for a walk. This is the highlight of Dakota’s day! She is so excited to go, anytime, anywhere. We should all be like a dog when it comes to going for a walk! They make great motivators.
Change your pace. Change the place. Improve and change that attitude. Take time to enjoy what is in front of you. Time goes by incredibly fast. Today my grandson turns 1! So of course, next week you will get to see pictures from his birthday party. A perfect way to change my attitude. I can concentrate on what is really important…at the moment! Take it all in. Slow it down. Open your eyes. And don’t put any extra added pressure on yourself. We have enough pressures in life as it is. Keep moving everybody!
All of us are creatures of habit. This can be both good and bad. How do you push yourself into doing something of a challenge in your life? How do you deal with stress in your life? Do you do things to help take care of yourself, or do you feel like you are always pushing yourself, with no real gains? What does it take to change: your routine; your goals; YOU! I am currently reading a book by Mark Batterson, “Do It For a Day”– How to make or break habits. Very good!! Do you want to grow? Do you want to be challenged? What do you want? As he states in his book: ” Almost anyone can accomplish almost anything if they work at it long enough, hard enough, and smart enough.” Exactly! This past Thursday they had the annual Freedom 5k run, and it was hot! I have been running and working out, but not doing anything for speed. I surprised myself as to the time I came in, and what a relief to have that water sprayed on you when you crossed the finish line. This race was just like everything else in life: You have to push yourself past your comfort zone in order to grow!
My daughter Megan ran it as well. She not only won her age group, but she also had a personal record for a 5k, and in that heat!! Way to go Megan!
And of course, Sarah ran it as well! We are a running family. And we all did really well. Megan and I each won our age category, and Sarah got 2nd for her age category!
Achieving your goals does not come without work. I have stated many times in the past that if it worth having, it is worth working for. How much work are you willing to put in? Not everything is a success right out of the blocks…sort of. Even if we do not achieve what it is we set out to do, and feel as if we outright failed, we still learned something. We learned how not to do it the next time. All of these experiences are learning experiences. We need all these to gain knowledge going forward. If we don’t’ learn from our past experiences, we will never grow!
The most difficult task to overcome is in our heads! Take time to think about things, and to put together a plan. What is it you want to achieve? What is your goal? What do you want out of life? Afterall, it is about you! Why do you do the things you do? Why should you change? How do we learn from our experiences to keep gaining knowledge? Less is more…more is less!! We all have untapped potential just waiting to express itself. How do we know what we could accomplish if we are not making an attempt to change it?
This was after the race, and the members of the WARC (run club) posing together and showing off our hardware! But it is not about the medals. It is about achieving something…something that you have worked for. Something you have worked for…together! We push each other. We support each other. We are there for each other. Who is it in your life that will do that for you? Who will you support for the same reasons? In order to get, you have to give!
You achieve a goal you were working for. What does it feel like? Relief. Excitement. Joy. Happiness!!! So, what are you waiting for? Nobody else is going to do it for you. Get going!!! Keep moving everybody!
This was Deerfield Lake out near Hill City. I previously talked about a book by Mark Batterson, “Play the Man”, where he described how a “Change of Pace” + “A Change of Place” = ” A Change of Perspective”. Continuing where I left off previously, it is now time to talk about a “Change of Place”. A few weeks ago, Sarah and I went on vacation in the Black Hills and stayed in Hill City. Talk about a perfect place to make/have a change. Hiking, biking, walking, the scenery, the QUIET! What a great week! The Mickelson trail was about a 1/10 of a mile from where we stayed, and we were on it every day!
Sunrise, sunset, clouds…it did not matter. The views were incredible. It was also before we hit this heat wave. In fact, 2 of the mornings it was 32 degrees!! Time to think. Time to slow down. And especially, a “change in place” to accomplish it in!
We went to Spearfish Canyon, and then hit Spearfish Falls one day. Incredible! If you have not seen it, you must go.
But best of all, I got to spend a week away with Sarah! We did the things we love to do by exercising…hiking different trails, walking the Mickelson Trail every day, and biking on it as well. We took a break when we needed to, but it was a great way to go explore places and see it firsthand by using our feet! It was great to unwind and just forget about everything else for a while. We all need to do this. We need to do it not only for our physical well-being, but also our mental well-being. After changing the pace, and changing the place, we came back with a different perspective, and ready to go at what life what ready to challenge us with again. Just what these doctors ordered!
If you have never been on the Mickelson Trail before, you need to do it. Great scenery. We saw lots of deer out there as well. Quiet. A perfect time, and place, to just think! We were on no set schedule while we were there. No pressure to do this and that. We just took it as it came and enjoyed it more. We all need to remember to slow down and find that place for us as individuals that can give us a different outlook, and hopefully come back with a different perspective. Keep moving everybody!
