Category: Celebrate the good

Celebrate the good, Holidays, moving forward

2019 recap

Movin' it with Michelle

Looking back on 2019, I can say it was one of the hardest years of my life to start out, but that it ended well.

I started out 2019 with a wretched case of Bronchitis that lasted over 6 weeks long. Literally, day ONE of 2019 and I was down for the count. I had a half marathon to train for, and couldn’t take a breath. Needless to say, the Gasparilla half marathon in February was one of my worst times to date…BUT, I ran it pain free and I have Novorenew to thank for it. No knee pain, no ITB pain, nada…just long…slow…miles.

In March we visited my folks in Arizona, and it was our first trip out to see their new house. We had a great time, enjoying great food and learning all about the different climate that they live in and enjoying all of the things they love about Arizona!!!

Shortly thereafter, on April 17, I lost my best friend, 4 legged companion, my therapy dog, my HEART. They say time heals all wounds, but I’ll be honest…THEY are liars. While I can say I don’t ugly cry on the daily anymore, the physical ache in my chest really hasn’t lessoned. The months that followed were tremendously hard, and my running/working out pretty much came to a halt. I drank all the drinks and ate all the food and am still paying for it to this day….

May brought a last minute visit to Chicago to see my nephew graduate, and it was SOOOOO nice to be home with family. Our one thing missing here in Florida is being close to our family and friends. We haven’t made bonds like the ones we had in Chicago yet here in Florida.

The summer is beyond hot here which is not conducive to running, but I did my best to walk in the evenings, and continued to do so thankfully to taking Novorenew on a daily basis. I continue to promote this wonderful product, not only because of the amazing benefits of the 8 all natural ingredients, but also because it’s such a game changer for all active folks. Check it out, HERE.

June came…and with it some amazing opportunities. I was selected to be the Administrative Officer of the Laboratory I work in, and to say I was elated is an understatement. This was the move (although lateral in pay) that I had been dreaming about!!!

I started said job in July, and it’s been going GREAT. Every day I am feeling more comfortable and learning new things all the time!

My sister and her family came for a week over the summer, and it was SOOO nice to share my happy place (THE BEACH) with them, along with just spending good quality time together!!!!

My daughter came to visit in August, and we made it back to Chicago for another quick visit for our best friend’s daughter’s baby shower in October. I haven’t written a whole lot this fall/winter, but I am slowing getting back in to the routine of working out AND eating better. You will no longer catch me hiding in the pantry snacking on my daughter’s snack packs of chips…I may or may not have gone through three bags in one sitting.

November my hubby and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary with a simple trip to Orlando to get away for an evening. It was wonderful to have time for just us. I also had a lovely weekend get away with one of my Air Force best friends that I am blessed to have living just 40 minutes away from us!! 24 hours of fun in the sun, enjoying quality time away in Orlando was perfect!!!

We had an untraditional Thanksgiving, and escaped to Disney Springs to let someone else do the cooking. It was glorious.

December has been filled with more efforts to work out more and eat better, even despite celebrating Christmas. I only cheated, a little….I’ve lost 1.5 of many lbs. left to lose…so there’s that.

I don’t do resolutions, so January will be my reset, my restart, and my continued journey to live life the very best I can. I’ve got 8-10 lbs. to lose (I blame the chips and wine, sadly) and I know with hard work I can get it off…Menopause I am sure isn’t helping, not lack of sleep, but I am determined to do what I can to feel better about myself.

NYE19

How was your 2019? Any big goals or resolutions for 2020?

Happy New Year!!
Cheers!

Celebrate the good, depression, moving forward

Finding my happiness…

Movin' it with Michelle

This morning I was reading one of my favorite blogs over at Suzlyfe. I love her blog because its raw, its real, all while being informative and entertaining. I needed a little respite from the funk I’ve been in, so when I opened my email this morning to get my daily dose of Suz, I found myself moved to tears.

See, between not getting promoted and not hearing back on any prospective leads I thought I had, along with dealing with some resentment and anger issues (don’t ask, we can save that for another post, or not…) I’ve found myself in a funk. My mood sucks, my running sucks (if you can call running twice a week actual running) and my cooking has even started to suck. The ONE thing I actually think I am half way decent at has fallen flat and left my family (more so me) less than impressed. This has been ongoing for the last few weeks, and with each dish I prepare, it’s either under/over cooked, over seasoned, or just plain blah. And this is quite unlike me, I’d like to think at least. So last night when my hubby had to take my oldest to the dentist, I thought, HEY, I will make the steak for the tacos we planned on having along with getting the beans and corn ready. Too easy, right? Wrong…I cooked the steak with beautiful grill marks and set aside to rest. I then decided it necessary to mutilate the beans, overcooking them by a good 15 minutes. Just before they got home from the dentist I went to slice in to my beautifully grilled and rested meat to find it was still RAW. And not just slightly raw, I am talking, the cow may have had a MOO or two left in him. Ugh…I threw it back in the pan, and sighed a heavy sigh.  

After dinner we cleared the plates and I told my family I was on a hiatus from cooking. If I can’t joy in cooking, I simply can’t cook. With that, I headed upstairs to take a shower and have a good cry but when I turned around my oldest daughter had decided to come up and comfort me. I don’t hide my emotions very well, and my family knows me better than most. She gave me a huge hug and said, “You ok, Mom?” and I broke in to a sob. “Don’t settle in life honey,” I pleaded with her. “Write your books, chase your dreams, just please don’t get stuck like Mommy is. While I was in the Air Force it was ok to have this job, but now I feel stuck.” And she just hugged me tighter, promising she’d chase her dreams. We even pinky promised which is like a golden seal in our house. Yup, my almost 18 year old still will pinky promise with me. ❤ And suddenly I found my happiness again, right there in the comfort of my first born daughter’s arms. Funny how the tables can turn.  

My takeaway from last night was twofold. Yes, I am feeling stuck, and I think RUT might be my new middle name. BUT…I had a beautiful moment with my daughter that no one can take away, and I need to focus on moments like these vs. feeling a little stuck. Because we can’t be stuck if we are still making the choice to get out of bed every day and do our best.

OX10L

 

My time will come. I just know it. And I am so thankful for the beautiful people in my life that have helped me see the brighter side of things. Thanks Suz, this one is for you!

 

Cheers,

 

Michelle

 

Celebrate the good, Uncategorized

Things I am celebrating…

Movin' it with Michelle

Sorry for my absence as of late. My days are filled with work, and I spend my evenings with my hubby as we are still getting used to being around one another. Any spare time has been spent with my family. Thus, the blog and my running have taken a back seat…that will hopefully change soon!!

Here’s what we’ve been up to!!!!!

In the last month we’ve eaten tons of amazing food at some very wonderful restaurants, taken an amazing family trip to Disney, and I am currently stepping outside of my comfort zone at my job (time will tell if anything pans out, but I am still celebrating that I had the courage to go for it anyhow!).

I’ve also been cooking a lot more, especially Sunday suppers and I just finished the super fun MasterClass series by Gordon Ramsay. I’ve gone through the instructional videos once, having re-watched the “how to break down a whole chicken” video a few times and attempted my first breakdown on Sunday with success. It wasn’t perfect, but I did it!!

Had a little help from my hubby!!

I have not, however, been running. I haven’t quite figured out where that is going to fit in my already busy day, and I need to figure it out pretty quickly as training for the Chicago Marathon will need to commence before I know it. I think once the weather warms up a little more, and we continue to get more day light, it’ll be a little easier to make the time after work.

How have you all been? Tell me something that’s new with you in the last month or so!!

Cheers!

Michelle

 

 

Celebrate the good, Deployment thoughts

The Final FINAL Countdown

Movin' it with Michelle

You’ve got that song in your head now, don’t you…ROFL!!!

Gosh…where do I begin.

Wait. I know. MY HUSBAND IS SAFE ON U.S. soil!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Does it get any better than that?  Gosh, I can’t even tell you the weight I feel that has lifted from my heart/shoulders. I received this picture from a fellow Army wife late on Saturday evening and I couldn’t. STOP. STARING. That smile says it all…and that smile has been missing from my life for a year now. But I feel the effects it brings to my life by looking at this picture, so pardon me while I give it another look…<3  But I digress….LOL!

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My daughters asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I immediately said one last girls trip to the city before their Daddy gets home. So, Saturday the girls and I went to the city for the day. I had pre-planned this before knowing of the anti-Trump and women’s marches so I was a little apprehensive after seeing all the riots in D.C. after the inauguration. Thankfully everything was peaceful and had disbanded before we got downtown. We spent the day eating, walking around the city, and catching the sites at the Shedd Aquarium. The weather was beautiful and I couldn’t have asked for a better day.

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I’ve reached the final stage of this deployment, which I like to call the “nesting phase.” I am cleaning like a mad woman, and recleaning what I’ve already cleaned just to make sure it’s clean. Yes, I know my husband could care less about anything other than the fridge being stocked with beer and wine, but hey…I couldn’t help it. Both our fridges are scrubbed, cleaned, and checked all expiration dates. (Can you tell I work in a lab? LOL). I also scrubbed (with the help from Soph) my bathroom, and vacuumed and dusted the entire house. Don’t worry, I am sure I’ll do it 3 more times before he comes home. And while I can’t say what day he’ll be home…I can officially say it will be LATE NEXT WEEK. Yes…I said NEXT week…all the feels!! WOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

My next post is going to go over the highs and lows of this deployment. I have learned so much about myself and others, as well as made some wonderful memories with my daughters that will last a lifetime. I will forever be grateful to those who not only are there to celebrate the highs, but have carried me during the lows…for these are priceless gems in my life. #foreverfriends

Thanks to YOU ALL for joining me on this year long journey. I truly appreciate you hanging around even though this blog is for running and recipes as well. Real life took over, but you know what? I wouldn’t change a single thing.

The final countdown is ON until I am snuggled safely in my husband’s arms, and I CANNOT wait! ❤

Cheers!

Michelle

Celebrate the good, Deployment thoughts

Another ring in my tree…

Movin' it with Michelle

Today is my birthday. My husband has been gone for 315 days. 45 weeks. And this. This “holiday” is the last one he will miss. (At least for a while!).

That took the sting out of his absence I think, and I can say I had a wonderful birthday. My coworker’s spoiled me and I felt so very loved. My daughters made me cards and pictures and we enjoyed a lovely dinner tonight. 

But one moment in particular stood out for me, and it was when I read a comment from my blogger friend, Jane over at 50statecanuck.com wrote. She was admiring my strength over this last year and said I was the trunk that held my family together. And it was in that moment I realized that all this while I HAVE been strong. I finally really have started to believe it. But more so, I have such gratitude for those that helped water my tree. The small handful of gardeners that made time to add sustinence to my life will be held close to my heart for a lifetime. Pic from Pinterest

So here’s to a new year, and another ring in my tree. 

Cheers! 

Michelle 

Celebrate the good, Deployment thoughts

The final countdown 

Movin' it with Michelle

Gosh can you believe we’re in the final countdown of this deployment??  I mean…We’re counting DAYS people!!  Ok, we’ve still got weeks in there but I can finally see the end. 

I also finally got what I think are the right shoes. Ladies and gentlemen meet my new Nike Pegasus shoes!  Aren’t they pretty!?  Haven’t had a chance to test them out yet but soon!!

My birthday is Tuesday and when my daughter and I got home from our fun day of shopping and going out to eat, THIS was on our front door step. 


Yup. That’s my hubby’s trunk from overseas!!!  Wooohoooooo!!

Also, it wouldn’t be a good post without pics of my beautiful daughters. These two ladies have been my rock over this last year and I couldn’t have done it without them, and the help from a couple close friends. 


 Lastly. This quote rings true as this deployment ends. 


I’ve learned a lot this last year. Who my friends are. How strong I am. And that above all else, my family WILL get through this time apart. I couldn’t be more proud of my daughters and my husband and his troops. May God continue to watch over us all. 

Thanks all for your amazing love and support over this last year!  I’ll never forget it!!

What shoes do you run in? 

Have gone through a life changing event and realized you don’t have as many friends as you thought?

Hope y’all have a blessed week! 

Michelle

Celebrate the good, goals

November 1st! Winter goals!

Movin' it with Michelle

Winter months have always been tough on me, and with the days getting even shorter this weekend I am soaking up every ray of sunshine I can get. Today it’s 75 degrees out and It’s November 1st, so I will be outside planting some lilies a coworker gave me, and hope to get a couple miles in with my mini before dark.

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Pic from Pinterest

Because winter months have been hard for me, I thought I’d make a list of some “winter goals,” so here they are in no particular order:

  1. Take one day at a time. The holidays are going to be hard without my husband, but we WILL get through it.
  2. Drink all things peppermint. Because isn’t that one of the best things about winter?
  3. Wear all the boots. I love boots, leggings/tights with cute tops or dresses.
  4. Continue to run at least 2 days per week on the treadmill and TRY to get outside weather permitting for 1 day.
  5. Yoga, at least once per week…I suck at sticking to this goal so I’ll keep putting it out there to keep me accountable.
  6. Continue to strength train, and ramp up the weight workouts. I love muscles LOL.
  7. Watch my diet and caloric intake. We are having a “Biggest loser” challenge at work for the next six weeks and I’d LOVE to lose a few more lbs before my hubby gets home next year.
  8. Track my food on MyFitnesspal. EVERY day…not just when it’s convenient. Follow my progress if you use MFP, I am chelled73.
  9. Cook more food…I’ve been taking the easy way out for a while, so last week I made this yummy beef stew in my crock pot. 2 cups of red wine, 4 cups of water, 2 lbs. of cubed sirloin steak, 2 sweet potatoes cubed, one onion sliced, 2 carrots cut into ¼ inch disks, 3 cloves of garlic minced, dash of Worcestershire sauce, 1 packet of onion soup mix, salt, pepper and a bay leave—throw it in your crock pot on high for 4 hours. I DID season the steak with salt and pepper generously and set aside while I was chopping the vegetables.beefstew
  10. Call/text my parents more. At least twice a week…I miss them very much and we only see each other 2-3 times per year so I need to be better about communicating with them.
  11. Celebrate the good things, every, darn day…be it a good conversation with my teen, or a load of laundry I actually PUT AWAY right away after folding…#celebratethegood
  12. Continue to work towards my goals of moving back south (we moved to the Chicagoland area after I retired from the Air Force in 2011, we previously lived in Texas), and with that, LOOKIE LOOKIE what came in the mail last night?license
  13. And ultimately, keep movin’ forward…because isn’t that what life is all about?!

 

How do you keep busy during winter months? What’s your favorite thing about winter minus the holidays themselves? Tell me something good!

 

Cheers!

Michelle