This weekend we spent in Huron celebrating my mother-in-law’s and father-in-law’s 80th Birthday! Not everybody could make it, but quite a few of us did. It was a great weekend. Lots of food, laughing, spending time together. We had a corn hole contest, with the winner taking home steaks!
Well, team Sarah and I came out the winners! Sorry Tanner (my son-in-law). He was going to show us who was “boss”, but I guess we did! Ha!
So much food! The cake was great! Connor also had a ball! He got in the 4 generation picture!
Of course, I got to spend lots of time with Connor as well. He was helping me take pictures of some flowers, and also pointing out some different bugs that were in them.
I took lots of pictures of my mother-in-law’s flowers. You will see them on my Facebook post next week of Reiffenberger Reflections. Amazing! She is quite the gardener! Spend time with your family when you can. The time goes by quickly. Again, keep making memories. These are the times that will be remembered by all! Keep moving everybody!
Sunday we are having a big Birthday party to celebrate Connor’s 2nd Birthday. His actual Birthday is on Monday. The kid is talking a mile a minute. His expressions are hilarious! Many of us will be there to help him celebrate. We had him over last weekend and spent the entire weekend laughing and playing. Never a dull moment with him. Spent lots of time at the parks and pulled him behind my bike in his Burley!
We also went on lots of walks using the Burley as well!
We spent time at the Lake, and he was constantly on the go, running up and down the docks at Jackson and City Park!
Of course, both Grandma Sarah and I got to spend lots of time reading to him too!
We are going to be having a big party with lots of cake for his Birthday. Of course, he has to stay in practice for this whenever he stays with us too!
I had forgotten how busy a 2 year can be. Go! Go! Go! I have to keep working out and running just to be able to try and keep up with him! Then when he crashes, he crashes! And so do we! Keep staying fit so you can keep up with your kids, or grandkids, or both. Don’t miss out on those opportunities. They are all great, and all create memories to last a lifetime! Keep moving everybody!
How many times in life do we say, “If I could just have a chance to do that over again!” We are all human. We all make mistakes. Once they are made, they are made. You can’t change what you did. But, you can make edits. You can learn from your mistakes and learn how to “Fail Forward”. There is a book by John Maxwell, Failing Forward, that talks a lot about the mistakes we make in life. We will continue to make mistakes. They key to it though is how do we learn from those mistakes. If we don’t learn from them, we will just keep repeating them again and again.
Life is full of surprises, and adventures. We need to be more like my grandson, Connor, and just take on everything with a smile and gusto. If he makes a mistake, or gets in trouble, or does not get his way, he will have a meltdown, and just lose it. But, several minutes later, he is right back to how he was before, smiling and carefree. We all need to have a short memory like him when it comes to our mistakes. Keep looking ahead, and to what exciting is coming up next!
Take time to sit back and enjoy what is right in front of you! Take the time to reflect on your life. We all have great things too, so don’t keep dwelling on our mistakes. Keep trying to learn from them and figure out how to keep trying to do things better in your life. Those reflections times really have come to significance in my life. It is my take to relax, learn from my mistakes, and figure out how to “edit my life”.
And don’t forget to spend time with those people who are important in your life, both family and friends. There is always room for “edits” when it comes to those people closest in your life. We all need to keep working on this. We are a work in progress. We always need to keep learning no matter how old we are.
When was the last time you went to a movie? Do you have any idea how many “edits” were made to that movie before it came to the big screen that you are watching it on? Too many to count! Life does not work that way. We make “edits” in our life after the facts. After the mistakes we make. After…We always need to keep learning from those mistakes in order for us to be able to become a better version of ourselves. Failing Forward! I love that concept! So, everybody, keep making continuous “edits” in your life. Keep “Failing Forward”. Keep living. And… keep moving everybody!
Happy Father’s Day to all of you Dads out there! Life has enough ups and downs, and it is no different for a father. Your kids are always your kids! You worry about them all of the time. You have to trust you did something right with them growing up that they will do the right thing. It still is nice when they have to call to talk to you because they want your opinion on something! Especially when they were teenagers, we did not know anything, and now we are incredibly smart once again.
When you have kids, eventually, your family will continue to grow. It grows when they get married, and then they start having kids. I still think being a “grandfather” totally rocks!!
It is nice to watch them become Father’s as well! Here Tanner is out in the field taking a break, and feeding Connor when he was a few months old! As a father/dad, you need to keep working to support your family, but you have to be around to support them with your time. I will say that is my regret over the years. As a physician, we were always busy taking care of other people. Sarah and I learned to tag team and take turns. When it gets to the time when we do retire, I hope to spend more time with them, and with my grandchildren, and make up for some of that lost time. The only problem is what is done, is done. I just heard something over the weekend that there are no do overs in life. You can make edits, and hopefully learn from things you did, both right and wrong. You just hope those do overs can make some difference!
I love this picture of my Dad. He was 18 years old when he was drafted. I am so proud of him! I lost him over 9 years ago, but not a day goes by that I don’t think about him. He set the tone. He was sterner when we were growing up, but there were 7 kids. Later I found out it was truly more bark than bite! He had a great sense of humor, and I like to think I got that from him!
This is one of the last family pictures we have of all of us when we all met in Watertown. They created quite the crew. My brothers and sister and I are in communication almost weekly. They did something right too! Thanks mom and dad!
This too is one of my favorite pictures. A little over a month after this was taken, my Dad passed away! For all of you out there who have lost their Dad, you know what I mean. You also know it is true that you think about them every day! I miss you, Dad! I will always love you! Things come up different every day in life, but when I hear from my kids, and find out it is good news, and that something is going well for them, nothing makes me happier. It may be Father’s Day, but really it should just be called “Dad’s Day”. Being a “Dad” to someone is what is most important. Especially to those who may not have any children of their own, you are a “Dad” to someone! Do not forget that honor! Do your best to live up to it. And remember, we all make mistakes. We can’t change those times, but we can “edit” them. Good luck! Happy Father’s Day! Keep moving everybody!
Another Hospital Hill run is in the books! The 26th Annual Event took place on Saturday. We had very good weather (rain held off!), and a great turnout! Tom Beaudry and I have been a part of it all these years. We started this event. A lot of things have changed over the years, but the main concept of why it was started has not. It was created as a way to get people out and move! To get some exercise and push each other. We especially love seeing the kids out there. The younger they start, the more they are involved in their own health.
My daughter Megan has come a long way over the years. They participated when they were little and helped me set things up all these years. Now she is winning her age group category!
Sarah has been involved all these years running as well. The hill…the great equalizer! We have never had a photo finish all of these years yet for the winner!
We had good representation from our run club as well. Many of us have done this every year! Rain, sun, wind…it does not matter. We have been lucky all of these years when it comes to the weather. We have run in rain before, but lightning would be the only thing that would delay or change things.
Lots of work the day of the event, but much more work behind the scenes getting ready for the event. It literally takes all of us, and volunteers the day of, to keep the event going. We had the police department, and Ham radio operators out helping control traffic. We want everyone to have fun, but we want it to be safe for everyone as well.
Sue Beaudry is always out there working for the event as well. Thanks Sue!
Jill Makepeace and her brother Steve Arbogast are regular Hospital Hill participants. Thanks for coming out and participating every year!
Prairie Dog was out trying to get everybody fired up. He got a workout too with the heat in that costume! We all have a job to do. Great cheerleader!
And they are off! Runners, walkers…anybody can participate! The goal is to get out and move. Get your kids started early. That work ethic goes a long way for their future.
Everybody is eyeing that finish line when they get to the top of the hill. That is the goal. Finish! We all have things in life we need to keep working on and finish. Nothing comes easy. If we want it, we have to work for it. That is why exercise carries over so much in regard to the everyday reality of life. Work for it, and then reap the benefits. Hope to see everyone again next year. Keep moving everybody!
