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OK, so I completed my BA degree, what's next on my agenda? Getting my body back to the way it use to or maybe better? For the last two years while finishing up my degree...stress of family life, school and just keeping it all together had me putting myself (my body) on the back burner. I gained 30 pounds, but I have maintained my weight for the past 6 months. So I am guessing my body was force to go through some changes to survive the lifestyle I was living which was basically intense the whole time. I'm sure many can relate. I was have been wanting to get in to some type of routine fitness program since winter, but who wants to work more when you are trying to stay warm and comfy from the brutal ice and cold?

I have been a lucky one to never have to think about my weight until now. I was always the tall, lanky kid who ate anything and it never would stick. Having kids changed all of that. I never had to exercise because I always had my high energy to keep me strong and fit. Even after my girls, I remained with high energy and burned off all baby fat, but the problem was the body remembers how to put back on weight. When you're younger you don't think about aging; only now do I see subtle changes happening. So here I am for the past several months contemplating what and how is the best way to get back my body in shape and keep it that way.

My main goal above all is longevity. I have always felt in my heart that I will live past 100. When I was a little girl...I use to tell everyone that I was going to be the first lady to live past 120. :D Now I know that is reaching; so I'll shoot for 100. I’m in superb physical health all test come back that I’m healthy as a horse. So changing this fat to muscles should be easy right?

The facts are: I hate making my body feel like it's working for something when it just doesn’t feel like it. Who wants to walk on a treadmill; or hopping around in a little space in a gym class checking your pause in a crowded sweaty room with other people checking out your thighs or arms to compare them against their own. And you left feeling out out of breath, exhausted and sore cuz you pulled a muscle for not stretching properly? I use to run for fun, but science shows that wear and tear on your knees and joints doesn’t benefit long-term from short-term gain. I tried the diet thing which you take in less calories and you'll lose weight. I ended up gaining the last 15 pounds after I did that! It even made me think about more food and what’s worse… the bad kind of food that I have never had the desire for. So that wasn't good. I also hate drinking water. I don't know why, really...water just doesn't do anything for me, but I know it's essential. It’s tough finding out what works for you. Now I know why so many people are on a yo-yo cycle with their weight and body image, but the fact remains you have to be serious in the end when it comes to keeping your body fit and healthy. No one can do it for you.

I took up Tai Ji/Qigong and I truly love it, but at this time I can't afford the lessons. So I do my best to self-study. Hopefully, when life settles down a bit more...I can go back for more lessons. Tai Ji taught me internal peace and is a moving art form that really brings power to my internal energy which is why I think I did so well at pushing through my degree in two years instead of longer. I meditate every day as well which is where I am training in Qigong. Qigong means working with life energy. People ask me if I believe in God or what is my faith. I don’t follow any religion due to personal reason, but I’m a firm believer in the forces of nature and from that what ever it may be…what ever you want to call it the mere existence of energy is proof enough that it was created by something. I'm pretty much a private person when it comes to these things.

In order to find my silence in the world, I shut the bathroom or bedroom door to lock everyone out; or wait until the household is empty to focus on my internal energy. So many people ask me how I keep going with all that I have. That is how. When no one is looking. ;)

Lately, I started with walking our new puppy. I don’t keep a scale in the house because it turns one’s goals into an obsession; so I go by pant size. ;) I walked Fenris about 6 times a day around our neighborhood due to potty training needs. I started to feel revive, but I made a mistake instead of wearing proper walking attire, I walked barefoot which led to an inflamed spur in both heels. So damn… here I was trying to find a program that would work for me. No type of shoes would help at this point. I looked up specific exercise to improve my heel situation and it helped. So I thought to myself why not strength training? (I lost two pant size though with walking alone!)

I started with sit-ups daily, from 10 to 20 now doing 100 a day of sit ups. With my Qigong I mixed Tai ji with weight training. I went from 5 lbs to 8lbs of lifting weights now mixing the weights with marital art forms that I learned long ago. I still have a long ways to go in shaping my body to where I want it and when I get there I’ll post pics. ;) But for now I’m past the phase where I don’t say tomorrow I’ll work out. I just get down on the floor and do something even if it’s sit-ups (you can never do enough of them)! I wake up every morning and do my stretching exercise. I’m usually stiff from the day before of training; and I find that this helps me through the day and gives me a burst of energy. Before I go to bed at night, I lift weights because it tires me out enough to sleep soundly. Since I've been keeping this routine; my energy level has double and I feel so much stronger... since I was from packing my girls around. I also bought a bike this past week. I’m not a bike rider, but I’m ready to see some scenery and working on buying a motorcycle just to say I can ride one. ;)

So if you have any tips on body fitness send me an email. I love to hear other’s stories. I’ll leave you with a video of the type of Tai Ji I perform. This is the only one I have found that resembles closely to what I am studying.





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We went to the Cardinal's game yesterday for Jordan and Zoe's performance of the National Anthem with their school of music, "Mozingo". Unfortunately, I goofed and thought I was on record when it was still on pause. :( But I got a short clip of them coming out on the field. And here are some photos of the night. All in all, it was our first game we have ever been to; so we had a blast. I'm trying to see if I can get a video of Jordan's performance (Zoe opted to sit this one out because she was pretty ill) from another parent. I will post when I can get it.





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Now tell me is this YUM or what? When I make strawberry shortcake...I don't use those little cake things that taste stale the moment you open the pkg. Here's my recipe. Slice angel food cake to your liking, dab cool whip than layer the strawberries. Add another layer of angel food cake with more cool whip and top off with strawberries. YUM!



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We have been meaning to get Bella on film for awhile sitting pretty. She's really comical and people say they never seen a Bassett sit like that. Well she's one of a kind and we joke how her name is from a Weezer bloodline from the Missouri Hills. :D



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I wanted to put this up, even though it's on my YT account. I met Ali through Jordan and Zoe's music school. He came highly recommended from Mozingo. So since we wanted to make Zoe's piano that was coming all the way from California perfect...I gave him a call. He came over twice once to give it a once over because it had been 20 years since it's last tuning. Than he came over again after it acclimated to the weather and gave it a touch up. Usually when I meet new people, it doesn't take me long to find out their unique life story. And Ali, I discovered is from a country from the far Middle East and had a very intriguing story to share with me while he tinkered with the tunes on the piano as I sat and watch him chat with me and break to play a song or two during his visits. He moved here to America for a better life and uses his musical talents to be quiet successful musician in our area. Here are two videos of him on the piano, but his love is for the Spanish guitar. Enjoy~



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I use to go target shooting when I was a kid and sort of raised by old cowboy mentality of the old west from the men in my family who seriously believed, "Whiskey for my men, beer for my horses!" Living here in Missouri, it's similar likeness except probably a lot more arms under one's roof. This is my first time with a revolver. I always wanted one and decided on the Ultra Lite Taurus for my first. The gentleman, two stalls down from me was firing off .357 mag revolver that had smoke bellowing out of his area and made my heart lift off my chest when he was firing it. But here is a clip of me at the range. Enjoy.





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I guess you could call me a storm watcher. I love video taping, taking photos and just watching a storm roll in; it's probably one of the few times that mother nature is letting you know that she has the ultimate control and fate...which could be in her hands if you don't take the necessary precautions. This is the first time in several years that our sirens have been going off, but so far no hunkering down in the basement. *Knocks on wood* Here are some videos of this pass week. Here in St. Louis area we get a lot of big rolling clouds and some dark black ones, but most of the storms have been moving north of us. Unfortunately, the towns by the rivers are being flooded out, but as they say...this too shall pass.



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Meet Jake the Squirrel! He found the food out in our front yard where the birds and rabbits have been feasting on since Spring. He has been warmly welcome by his new friends. The hot muggy days of Missouri are picking up. But life keeps moving along as the seasons keep rolling through.



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A few weekends ago, the girls got to play tennis(so to speak) for the first time. Peter gave short lessons with them. They had a blast and we plan on heading to the court often. I think now that they are old enough they will enjoy the competition with each other. I on the other hand will be their avid fan. Tennis and I don't mix. ;P Enjoy the video.





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