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!
Sarah and I spent last week out in the Black Hills for a vacation. We stayed out in a cabin in Hill City. It was so much fun, and the scenery was incredible. I took so many pictures I could not keep track of them all. We got to experience the Badlands at both Sunset Friday night, and Sunrise Saturday Morning. Wow!
We did the Crazy Horse Volksmarch on Sunday and met up with Tom and Sue for the day. What a blast!
The hike up and back was a little over 5 miles. We then took off and drove through Custer State Park. Then the adventures continued for us after that. We went hiking every day: Bear Butte in Sturgis; Spearfish Canyon; Hill City; Mount Rushmore; and Black Elk Peak (formerly Harney Peak). The fog was rolling in later that morning, and by the time we got to the top, the pictures and view were amazing. About 30 minutes later the fog was so thick you could not see anything anymore from the top.
We went hiking every day! The colors were absolutely incredible. Every day we covered anywhere from 8-12 miles a day. What a great get away!
With trying to hit the Badlands at sunset and sunrise, we stayed Friday night in Wall. Of course, if you go to Wall, you have to go to Wall Drug! I was just posing with other celebrities while I was there!
It was time for a getaway. We got to do what we love to do. I got to take a ton of pictures. And Sarah and I got to spend some time together!
Remember, we all need to take a break from the hectic schedule of life! Do what you love to do! Get outside while we still can. Winter is just around the corner, and we have all been spending too much time inside. Get out and go! Keep moving everybody!
