Reflecting the Real

Yesterday started off rough.  I guess I should be used to it by now, the no sleep thing, but yesterday hit me like a ton of bricks.  I just couldn't get going, I felt down, I felt spent and by 8AM in the morning, I just wanted to go back to sleep.  Unfortunately I couldn't do that so I pushed through the morning and school drop off.

You see, since sending Lily to school, I have made a habit of heading to the rec center for a morning dose of "Bootcamp," a class designed to literally take the most in shape of persons and remind them that there is still work to be done.  I have NEVER hurt so much than after I take this class.  Why take it you ask?  Well, its cheaper than therapy and for 1 glorious hour I am kid free.

So anyways, back to yesterday.  I have not stepped on a scale in a while and I decided to venture a weigh in before class started.  I stepped on the scale sure that I was going to weigh within a certain range and well, I didn't. In one singular moment, my whole view of myself plummeted.  I got up on the track and started to run while negative self image thoughts swirled around in my head.  On about the 10th lap before class I found myself in a cloud of frustration and self doubt.

The instructor started the class in true bootcamp style.  "Grab your weights and do lunges twice around the track!"  We ran stairs, jumped rope, did pushups and dips followed by yet another set of lunges around the track.  When we looked tired she told us to run harder, when we slowed down she challenged us to speed up.  When 50 push ups turned into 20 she empowered us to do a few more.  It burned, but I doggedly did it all.

Finally towards the end, she had us plank for 2 minutes.  I assumed the plank position and for the first time in the hour looked up to see my hard working reflection in the mirror.  This is what I saw.

STRENGTH, MIGHT, WILL.  Seeing the muscles in my upper body hold fast while I worked to hold the plank instantly made me stop.  Right then I said to myself, "Why did I give that stupid scale any power to make me question who I am? Why did I let that number dictate my view of myself?  I am stronger than I have ever been.  Know it, Own it, be Proud of it."

We women have a bad habit of letting a number dictate our worth.  After Wednesday I have committed to not stepping on a scale unless I have to (ie. doctor).  I will never let that box dictate my worth or allow it to be a door to self doubt.  I want to be a strong woman, not just thin.  I want my weight to be measured in will rather than in numbers. I want to find power in who I am, and not what I weigh.

Thanks workout room mirror for being a reflection of the real me.  The powerful, strong and driven woman.

We're Doin' Good

So much has been going on in our family lately and it has dawned on me that I have shared very little here on this blog of ours.  One of the biggest things that has happened over the past month is that Bob got a new job.  Yeah, I know, another big change, but this one is great and is another step in the right direction for him and his career.  This coming Monday, Bob will start with Ibotta as a Director of Sales.  He is stoked and we are super excited to see what the Lord has in store for us.  Bring on the new!

Miss Lily is thriving in her preschool class.  Even though the mornings are sometimes fraught with the "I don't want to go to school" blues, when I go to pick her up on Monday and Wednesdays she never wants to leave.  She is so very independent and a couple of the teachers have commented that she just likes to do her own thing.  School is SO great for this because she has to learn about working with others.

Lily has been giving me a run for my money lately.  The best way to describe her is tough.  Some days every moment is hard.  She challenges everything, asks why over and over again and tests my resolve all of the time.  Its hard and sometimes sad.  The other day I gave her some clear boundaries about something and she just broke apart into tears.  I stopped, hugged her and said, "Lily, why are you crying honey?" to which she replied, "Mommy its hard being 3, I'm so tired."  It was such a tender moment and it helped me to remember, its hard growing up.  She is looking to me for help in this big world and just needs to know constantly where she is in the world and why.  I love her.

My photography business is really starting to take off and I am having a lot of fun exploring my creativity through a camera lens.  With my business growing, I have been able to purchase much better professional equipment and am starting the arduous process of learning the ins and outs of Photoshop.  I have come to the conclusion that I know about 1% of all Photshop can do, but I'm hoping to increase that number and quickly.  

Evie is becoming more vocal and more willing to declare her baby opinion these days.  She is so cute and smiley.  She is laid back and happy to just be with anyone who wants to be with her.  She is not in a big hurry to grow up and is taking her time with each developmental stage.  I'm glad.  Every day I recognize the fact that sooner than later she will be running with her sister and learning her own way in the world.  I will relish this time.

The girls and I have good times together during the week.  When Lily is at school, Evie and I spend our mornings at the Rec Center.  Evie loves the child care area and Miss Patty, while I have been working on finding my strength in my Bootcamp class.  We have a good time.

When its not snowing or freezing outside we like to spend some of our days in the backyard.  Lily is so much fun to watch.  Everything delights her and she finds the simplest things to play with and enjoy.  Her little bucket always carries her favorite toy whether it be her necklaces or her horses.  She is just fun to watch in motion.

Life is good for us Longmires and we are excited to see what the Lord has in store for us.  We recognize how blessed we are and thank the Lord daily for this beautiful life.

Stockshow 2014

Ever since we took Lily to her first National Western Stockshow last year, she has been anxiously awaiting her return.  While Bob was out of town on business, Memaw and Papa took the 3 of us girls to the show.  

For the second year in a row Memaw made Lily a special stockshow outfit complete with a little horse on the front.  With a red cowboy had and pink cowboy boots, her little ensemble was complete.  Evie was outfitted in her very first pair of pink Carhart overalls.  The girls were simply too cute for words.  

It was so much fun to watch Lily and Memaw together.  They were both in heaven, especially whenever we saw horses (which is always).  Two peas in a pod.  There is so much to do on the stockshow grounds and we simply had too much fun.  Lily wanted to stand in the big tractor tire.  You can just hear her, "I fit Mommy!"  Yeah Babe, you do!  Those are some big tractors.

One of the biggest highlights from last year was the pony ride carousel.  Real ponies, going in circles.  She was beside herself with glee to see it again.  And of course, while all of the other little riders have a safety person walking besides them, my little independent lady sat up there and rode that horse like the little experienced rider she is.  Bob and I are in trouble, this little girl LOVES horses and is frankly a phenomenal rider for a 3 year old. 

There is so much to do in the kids area of the stockshow and Lily wanted to do it all.  I thought it was great because the show set up a pink TUFF SHED as a breastfeeding hub.  It was wonderful.  Lily played and rode trains while Evie and I snuggled in the big comfy chairs inside the pink shed.  It was pretty cool

Lily and Memaw watched intently as the course for the dog agility was set up.  Even though it wasn't a horse event, Lily loved watching all of the doggies run through the different course sets.

The 2014 Stockshow was once again a hit and Lily cannot wait to go back again.  Hopefully next year we can go to the rodeo too and introduce her to Bull and Bronc riding!

Meeting Miss Evergreen Rodeo.  Two pretty princesses!

Musings of a Vegetarian

So Bob and I decided at the end of December to take on a meatless month challenge in January.  We are now 17 days into our no meat journey and I thought I would muse a bit about the experience.  Its funny how our culture is usually polarized between the people that love meat and think we are 100% crazy to the super health conscious who are only too willing to give recipes and advice.

Our challenge was really born out of a curiosity more than anything.  As athletes who have ambitions of an IRONMAN, we are always researching and discovering new ways to improve our fitness levels.  We heard a TED talk about an elite athlete who dramatically improved his times and physical stamina by switching to a completely plant based diet.  Now, I am not in a place where I am ready and or willing to give up my eggs, cheese and yogurt BUT, giving up meat and focusing on increasing our vegetable intake seemed very doable.  So our challenge was born.  Here is what I have learned and what I am finding amazing about this vegetarian lifestyle:

1.  I LOVE IT! Once you get over the stigma that all you can eat is pasta and quesadillas, the plethora of options is limitless.

2.  I feel lighter.  No kidding.  I eat....and A LOT, but I find I eat better and cleaner foods.  I just feel lighter, not weighted down or bloated.  Its wonderful.

3.  Avocados have become a staple for us.  They are amazing and work in place of meat on sandwiches and as a garnish on practically everything.

4.  Vegetarians don't miss out.  AT ALL.

5.  Quinoa and Beans are my new favorite protein.  They are amazing.

6.  I feel stronger and fitter.  My energy lasts longer and like I said before, I feel lighter.

7.  It is SO nice to not have to purchase or handle raw meat.

8.  This might be TMI, but I poop better.

9.  If we go out to eat, the vegetarian options are usually cheaper.

10.  I've lost weight.  No it hasn't been a lot, and No I am not necessarily trying, but this meatless lifestyle has given me more sustainable energy and helped me run harder and workout longer.

All in all it has been fantastic and I am looking forward to the last couple of weeks.  While we will most likely NOT give our meat up completely (Chic-fil-a nuggets anyone?)  we will absolutely limit our intake of meat to once a week or less.  There are so many other options out there.  Oh and apparently vegetarian cooking sits great with my picky toddler.  She has been eating like a champ!

7 Special Months

Our Little Evie Bee is 7 months today! It literally seems like yesterday I was blogging her 6 months.  Holy Moses. Look at this cutie.......she is becoming a little girl!

Oh is this little girl cute these days.  Her little personality is starting to bubble to the surface and every day just makes me smile.  She is so much fun.   I love that she lets me take copious amounts of photos of her.  Seeing her transform nearly everyday is such a blessing.   

Evie is rolling over with ease these days. It took her a while to really master the art, but she has it down now and loves to be on her tummy.  If I put her down on her back it is sometimes a matter of seconds before she gets herself over.  She explores and reaches for anything she can grab and many a time I have found her sucking away on a leg of some sort of furniture.  She doesn't really go very far, which is nice.  Her rolling is usually contained inside a 3 foot square area. 

Evie LOVES bath time, especially when it is done with her big sister Lily.  She and Lily will play and giggle in the tub for as long as Bob or I are willing to watch.  It is so precious.  Even when Lily gets a bit rambunctious and covers Evie with water she usually shakes it off, coughs a bit and gives a big smile.

The two have so much fun together.  I am really amazed at how much Evie loves watching Lily.  I will be working on dinner in the kitchen and hear just incessant giggling.  Lily will be on her tummy in front of Evie fake laughing and Evie just thinks it is the cats meow.  She giggles right along like Lily is the funniest thing ever.  I work hard to eek out those kind of giggles and Lily can get them just by being silly.  Amazing.  I love that she takes such pride in her sister.

Evie is very laid back overall.  This past month we got to go to Kennleigh and MyKenna's dance recital as well as down to CO Springs for a wedding.  Evie did great and is content to just go wherever she is put.  She loves to be held and shown the world from up above where she usually sees.  Everything is headed towards her mouth these days and her tongue spends only a few minutes per day inside her mouth.

Eating has become her new favorite hobby and she has got an amazing palette.  She adores vegetables. We are talking spinach and kale are her favorites.  Squash, peas, green beans and carrots follow close behind.  She is fairly indifferent to fruits and would prefer the veggies.  I'm thrilled.  Perhaps we might have a salad eater in the making!

You can see through these pictures, Evie's joy is practically tangible.  Even when teething, she has such a happy heart.  Her smiles are infectious and all I want to do is to pick her up and squeeze her, ALL DAY LONG!  Since Lily started school 2 days a week, Evie Bee and I have had some special Mother Daughter time.  I love her so very much and thank Jesus every day that I am her Mommy.

She's special!  Happy 7 months little princess!

So it begins!

About 2 months ago, Bob and I made the choice to get Lily enrolled in school.  She is so smart and so READY.  The Lord brought us to the most amazing school and I couldn't wait for her to start!

Well, today was that day and by golly, she was ready and so excited.  After her usual morning wake up call, "Daddy its daytime!" was followed quickly by "I get to go to school!" She was simply too cute and was ecstatic as she picked her horsey outfit and packed her horsey backpack for her first day at school.

Although I knew without doubt that it was time for her to start, I half expected some tears and a little separation anxiety to happen.  NOPE.  Lily marched proudly into her little Baby Bears classroom while announcing to the teacher, "I'm Lily and I'm 3!"  Bob and I were so proud.

As I walked back out to the car I couldn't help but think we just let her take her next little step closer to the edge of the nest.  I know, she's only 3, but man she is getting big fast!  Her first day was a huge success and she cannot wait to go back.  What a big girl.