My daughter Molly got married this weekend! What a great day! It was a first for me in many things: First child to be married, so then first time walking a child down the aisle, and first Father/Daughter dance. My head is still spinning. With everything that has gone on with my health since the end of March, I am just glad I got to be here to be able to walk Molly down the aisle…one of my bucket list items. It was even better that I imagined it would be. The emotions were coming out then, and the tears as well. I was so excited and happy to walk her down, and give her away to the man she was meant to be with. I wore the tie clip Molly gave me the day before her wedding. The outside part said “Father of the Bride”, and the back side said, “I loved you first”. That set the tone!
Sarah and I were smiles all day long. The day had finally come.
The girls did not get much sleep the night before. Megan helped to try and keep Molly calm, but again, the emotions and anticipation were running high. Megan was her Maid of Honor, and Megan gave a great heartfelt speech at the reception as well.
My mom made it up from SF, and Sarah’s parents came from Huron. We were all smiles, and we had a perfect day for weather for pictures!
And then, the moment came! All of these past years where I wrote about staying healthy, and exercising, and that as long as I had control, I was going to be around for my family. All of that changed in March. I had no control over my health at that moment. I was worried I was not going to be here. I was so thrilled to be able to be here, to walk my Molly down the aisle, and just be here for her, and be here for my family, and to be here for me! There was no holding back the tears anymore. They were not tears of sadness, but tears of total happiness. That is what life is about. Making those forever memories, and spending time with your family and friends.
This is a good portion of my total family. Not everybody was able to make it. Missing some nieces and nephews, and their families. And of course, my Dad was missing. He has been gone now for a little over 5 years, but I believe he was watching us that day, and had a smile on his face, proud of what he helped create! Make time for your family. Be there for your family. We never know how long each of us are going to be on this earth. Don’t waste it. And like I have always said, control the things you can control, and be healthy, watch what we eat, and keep exercising. Other factors we cannot control. Somebody will miss you when you are gone! Keep moving everybody!
It’s hard to believe school starts next week…. and that means homework, studying, and activities! We often forget about the importance of our health due to the fact we get consumed by our studies. Making health a priority during school is important and can be much easier than most would think. Whether you’re in elementary, high school, or college, here are some healthy tips to keep a healthy balance between nutrition and school:
•Pack healthy snacks/lunches: One main reason students establish unhealthy eating habits is because of how busy their schedules are. Packing healthy snacks to bring to class or to your study spot makes it easy to skip the junk food and extra caffeine.
•Hit the gym/use recess: Elementary students should use their recess period to add some extra physical activity to their day. Many universities have wellness/rec centers that are free for students to use. Take advantage! Working out for as little as 30 minutes a day can make a big difference.
•Get a good night’s sleep: Sleep puts our bodies into an anabolic state, meaning that our muscles grow and recover from break down. Getting enough sleep each night is vital for our body to reach its peak potential and function properly.
•Eat breakfast: Skipping breakfast is very common for students of all ages. Eating breakfast helps keep you fuller throughout the day, making it easier to lay off the junk food. Eating in the morning also gives students more energy and makes them more attentive during class.
•Walk/bike to school: Walking or biking to school instead of driving is an easy way to burn a couple extra calories during the day.
There are multiple ways we can stay healthy during the school year. Make sure to stay health conscious and you will have no problem keeping a healthy lifestyle. -Kelsey
It just seems like yesterday that we would load up the kids and go and travel somewhere for a race. Here I am with Molly at Grandmas marathon one year. They were always there as a cheerleader for me in those early days. Now, as the week goes on, Molly will be getting married this coming Saturday. Married? Already? They were just this little, weren’t they? I have been doing a lot of looking at pictures these last few weeks, getting things ready for slide shows. A lot of fond memories, good times, and I have to admit, some tears coming too. Can she be this old already?
Some things never change though…always on the phone! I loved their response the one time when Sarah and I were on call for the weekend, and the girls were about 2 1/2. The phone rang, and both of them stopped right in their tracks from what they were doing. One said: “Uh oh!”, and the other one followed that and said: “Shit!” I don’t remember who said what, but I had a talk with Sarah after that discussing with her that she would need to start watching her language when the phone rang! Hee Hee!
They were enough of those times when they got sick too! At least with both of us being a doctor, we could take care of them. That did not stop Molly the one time though. She wanted to call her doctor, Dr. Peskek. I told her I did not know the number. She said, “No problem…it is on speed dial!” Here we are demonstrating the benefit of ice and alcohol for teething. Some of the older docs at one time stated that is what they would suggest to use for teething. My first thought was, am I supposed to rub this on their gums to help relieve the pain? No! It had nothing to do with the kids. I was supposed to have a glass of ice, and pour alcohol in it, and drink it! It may not have helped with their teething, but I sure felt better!
But then, just like that, they are no longer toddlers. They got big, fast! We were so busy with them during those school years, everything still seems like a blur! The Disney trips were always great. I don’t know who had more fun, them, or me! But, I will say, watching them have fun definitely made me feel great!
Then poof! She was in High School! She took after us with the running, and was in Cross Country and Track! If was great watching her at meets during those years. If is more fun now being able to run some of these races now with the kids. We have done 5k’s, and half marathons. They will all be home this coming week and we will be doing the Hump Day 5K as a family!
And then, just like that, she was engaged to Tanner! She is very lucky, and we are very lucky, to be having him become a part of our family. And now, in less than a week, it will become official! I have told Tanner before that if he was wanting to become a part of this family, then he would need to pick up running!
And he has! Here Molly and Tanner are running in the Hospital Hill 5k we just had in June. This is just one of many they have run. We have run quite a few with Megan and Nate as well. Like I told them both, they need to run if they are going to become part of the Reiffenberger family!
This was from last year. In the blink of an eye, they have all grown up! This coming week we will all be together, spending time with each other, and taking more pictures as a family. You cannot slow down time, and if it were to stop for somebody, then they are no longer here. With everything I had going on this Spring, I am just so thankful that I am going to get to walk my Molly down the aisle this week! I am not sure I am going to be able to hold it together. Every time I start thinking about it, I get choked up again! Love your kids, and appreciate all the time you do have with them. Do things together, be active together, explore together. One day, “Poof”, they will be old enough to be out of the house! No matter what, I am still “Dad”, and nothing will ever change that! Keep moving everybody!
Some fall sports are starting practices now and with practices running multiple times a day and running from sport to sport it is important to keep your athletes energized and properly hydrated. Healthy snacks are important for athletes to have the energy necessary for practice. A snack higher in protein and sufficient carbohydrates is recommended before a long practice. Some snacks before practice could include: a cheese stick, crackers and cheese or a little meat, almonds, hard boiled egg, yogurt parfait (pictured above), or a small sandwich. It is important that athletes stay hydrated. Water is the preferred and recommended beverage for proper hydration during exercise. Vigorous practices that are over a hour may require a sports drink to replenish electrolytes but water should be the go-to drink before sports drinks. Remember to keep your athlete properly hydrated and energized! -Kelsey
Happy National Twins Day/Weekend to my twin brother Don, and to my twin daughters Molly and Megan. My brother and I went to Kindergarten in Watertown, going to Roosevelt School, back in 1970. We then moved to SF the following year and grew up there. I was attracted back to Watertown after all those years ago, coming back in 1994 to begin practicing medicine at Brown Clinic. Lots of memories over those years of things we did growing up.
When you are an identical twin, you tend to stand out in a crowd. The thing I loved the most was that there was always somebody to do something with. You never had to be alone. Sometimes that is both good and bad, but mostly good! Don lives in Parker, SD, where he is a Lutheran minister, having previously taught elementary/special education for many years. We will still have people see him in Watertown, or me in Parker, and think they are seeing the other one! Some things never change!
There are still many similarities, especially if one of us wears glasses versus contacts! But one thing is still for sure…there will always be a bond with my twin brother like no other. We are like 120 miles away, and sometimes this seems like a different country. We both are busy with family and our lives, that we don’t spend nearly as much time together as we used too.
This is the most recent picture of the two of us. Back in May we were in SF for the Breast Cancer run/walk. He ran this one, I walked. Still always great to do things together…we just need to make more time for it in the future! Then I was lucky enough to be a Dad of twins as well. My girls though are not identical. They too were always an attraction wherever we went with them, right from the beginning!
They were a handful right out of the blocks! They were our first kids, and we did not know what having one was like, so it might as well have been two! It was never a dull moment. Watching them grow up I saw so many similarities with how things were with my brother. Once again, you always have a friend, somebody to do something with, yet with them not being identical, they had a little more freedom of trying to be their own individual. Again, both good and bad. They also still had somebody to get into trouble with as well!
Some of those days are still kind of a blur with how busy everything was. I would not trade it for anything!
The smiles still keep coming. I have their picture when they were babies hanging in my office: Why was I chosen to be a Father of twins! It refers to having two to take care of, two to get in trouble, two to get out of the mud, etc. But the bottom line was that at the end of the day, there were two to love! That is why I was chosen to be a Father of twins!
They have grown up fast. Really fast! In two short weeks Molly will be getting married, and Megan will be her Maid of Honor! Always together…always there for each other! That is what does not change about being a twin! Don and the rest of my family will also be in Watertown for this as well! Twins are unique, and I can definitely say twins are special…I may be a little biased here, but that is ok! We are all still active, and remember to exercise. My brother and I have run together, gone to do a marathon together, and the girls ran their first half marathon last year. They will all be here in the next 10 days, and we will be running the Hump Day 5K on August 14…as a family! I can’t wait!!!! Keep moving everybody!
Have you ever wondered how you can enjoy a sweet treat without all of the added calories?! Here are a few ideas for you:
•Mix flavored yogurt or plain yogurt honey and your favorite fruit.
• Angel food cake with berries.
•Drizzle a bit of honey over mixed melon balls.
•Blend bananas and strawberries, freeze into cubes, and eat like ice cream.
•Sauté or bake 1/2 banana and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon chopped nuts.
•Take three of your favorite kinds of berries; cook half of them with just enough water to prevent burning. Cool and stir in remaining berries. Portion 1/2 cup of the berry compote with 1 tablespoon of your favorite vanilla ice cream.
•Try making your favorite flavor of sugar free pudding with low-fat milk. •If it’s ice cream that you really want- skip the scoop-yourself containers and buy single-serving novelty treats such as fudgesicles, creamsicles, even chocolate-covered ice cream bars. You’re more likely to limit your portions if they already come in a single serving
