moving forward – Page 100 – Movin' it with Michelle

dedication, food, moving forward, running

It’s been a busy week…

August 4, 2014 Movin' it with Michelle

I have really tried to keep up with my blog, as I truly love this outlet for writing and sharing my story. But sometimes, life tends to get in the way of allowing us ‘free time’ for things we love.

But this week I spent the week doing things I love. My job, running, spending time with family and friends, and cooking.

Here is my week, (more so weekend) in pictures.

My work week was busy to say the least, and despite wanting to crawl in to bed Friday night and ignore life and my upcoming alarm that was set for Saturday morning at O DARK 30, I knew I needed to get my gear ready for my 9 mile run. It still amazes me that 9 miles is now LONG for me, but I embrace it all the same as I’ve taken this year off for full marathon distance.

I made my obligatory pasta, set my gear out, and hit the hay by 10 pm.

Rice pasta with sausage....yum! — Rice pasta with sausage….yum!

I wish I could say my 9 mile run was great. But it wasn’t. It sucked. It was humbling. And I thought back to last year when I was at 16 miles at this point…I couldn’t hold pace…I thought I was going to #pantsmypoop and I wanted to die…a little. But I finished. And despite major suckage, I felt strong regardless. #nowwhereismyfoamroaller

Overall 9:41 pace, NOT where I need to be... — Overall 9:41 pace, NOT where I need to be…

I came home, showered, and tried to nap before heading out to my nieces and nephew’s bday party. Sleep was not happening, so I got up showered, and was blessed to spend time with my immediate family. I love these people. More than life itself, and I found myself hugging them all a little tighter.

It truly baffles my mind that my kids, and nieces and nephews are growing up so fast. Where does the time go?

I spent the evening later, with my amazing friends who live next door, talking, laughing, and drinking wine/water while sitting by a fire.

Today was a busy day filled with school clothes shopping at Once Upon a child and Plato’s closet. I refuse to buy brand new, and simply can’t afford to do so…200 dollars later, my kids are set. Plus we had fun planning for my youngest daughter’s 8th birthday party.

At the end of the day, I realize this…my training runs may not always go as planned. I may not always have enough time or money to keep things moving forward. BUT. I always have my friends and family to keep my spirits UP.

Tonight I made stuffed zucchini that I acquired from my amazing next door neighbors. It was easy, healthy, and delish!

Prep time, layered with pork/beef, eggplant, marinara sauce and cheese

Finished product, served over quinoa with oyster mushrooms

My youngest daughter turns 8 on Tuesday…which means no more car/booster seats in my future, and another milestone knocked off my list. My kids are growing up, and I find myself growing up with them….

I have a bad temper, lack of patience, and have too much on my plate most days. But THEY have helped me be a better person, Mom, and friend.

But all of these joys that I continue to pour myself in to each day make all the bad just a little bit better. I used to tell myself that one day things would get easier. Yet I’ve realized things DON’T get easier, EVER. You just get better at dealing with it all….

And it’s never easy. But you get stronger, every single, day. If you choose to do so…

So this week will be crazy busy, and I am ok with that…because I choose…to keep movin’ forward.

How was your week?

Do you lay your running gear the night before?

Do you like to cook?

❤ Michelle

moving forward

Monday Motivation with pictures

July 29, 2014 Movin' it with Michelle

I only ran ONCE last week. Yup. I can proudly admit that my life outside of running got in the way of my training, and I am totally ok with it.

Monday-rest

Tuesday-run 4 miles

Wednesday-Fox Valley Marathon planning meeting and packing for our trip

Thursday-my youngest daughters first dance recital and more packing

Friday-We hit the road running for our mini vacation to Michigan.

I packed my running clothes, but in all honesty this weekend was about family. We don’t get away very often, so when we got the chance we jumped at it like Olympic athletes. We spent our weekend at the beach, shopping, eating, walking, swimming, and site seeing. I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better weekend, well…maybe if we could get that trip to Italy, LOL.

With that, I leave you with this…hang on to those who support, love, motivate, inspire, and push you to keep moving forward. I love my family despite our crazy quirks, as I know these 3 people are my cheerleaders, ALWAYS.

At the end of the day, it isn’t about our bank accounts, our pay checks, or our cars or homes. Life is truly about the relationships, moments, and memories that we make each and every day!

❤ Michelle

moving forward, running

Tuesday Truths

July 23, 2014 Movin' it with Michelle

1. I have learned in my 41+ years the things that make me happy. My life goals, my passions, my ‘things’ so to speak…

They are:

Cooking

Running

Photography

*****Spending time with my family and friends (My favorite!)

Simple, right?

I’ve been studying cookbooks and websites to help diversify my cooking abilities.

I’ve been working on speed work, hills, and distance to aid in my running.

I’ve been taking pics, and working harder at editing. I am saving money for a better editing program.

And, I’ve been working harder at being a better Mom, friend, coworker, and person…sometimes a simple smile, email, text, or hug can make such a huge difference. Don’t let these moments pass you by.

2. I pushed myself tonight to run. Today was called the “hottest day” in Chicagoland this summer, but my 4 mile training run was on deck, so I of course, ran…it was hot…the humidity killed me, but my legs and my heart pushed me through the 4 miles…I thought a lot…about life, relationships, and moving forward.

How do you keep moving forward when times get tough? What is your favorite fuel for hot running temps?

❤ Michelle

goals, moving forward

Monday Motivation, and stuff…

July 15, 2014 Movin' it with Michelle

I didn’t get my run in, Sunday. Nope…although I had planned on a quick short run of 3 miles, my body protested and instead I found myself stripping off my scrubs Sunday at 3 p.m. and pouring myself into the freshly washed sheets that embraced me lovingly with their freshly perfumed scent after just coming out of the dryer. I set my alarm for 4:30, smiled sheepishly at my running shoes, and as soon as my head hit the pillow I was OUT.

Yup...this was totally ME. — Yup…this was totally ME.

Work this weekend…well, was work. I am so far out of my comfort zone trying to manage an ENTIRE laboratory vs. just my section so by Sunday afternoon my brain was fried. Between nasty phone calls from angry customers, and trying to troubleshoot problems in which I didn’t even understand the process, I needed a NAP. Hmmm…this seems to becoming a pattern on my blog lately, no? LOL

I admit, I don’t get enough sleep…my “free time” in the evening starts at around 8-9 p.m. and with that, I mean time to get cleaning, laundry, meals prepped and chores done that I’ve let pile up far too long…But I wouldn’t trade a single second for the world. Although I’d love if someone went grocery shopping for me, since I forgot to squeeze that in today…

Sunday night, I was blessed to spend the evening with friends, celebrating one of my running friends birthday. It took my break away, the love that can be felt in a room full of people who primarily run together. We don’t work together, we don’t have kids in the same schools or sports, we don’t go out very often outside of lacing up in the wee hours of the morning to run or race. But get a group like this together on any given night, let alone a birthday and you will feel the connection and bond for miles. These friends have stuck with you in the toughest of miles, they have laughed with you on long runs when your delirious mode sets in full force, and they have helped keep you motivated to KEEP MOVIN’ FORWARD.

Some of my amazing running friends...<3 — Some of my amazing running friends…<3

Last night, I caught this GREAT shot of the super moon…and it was retweeted by the Kane County Chronicle! YAY ME! I love capturing awesome moments with my camera.

Today, I was able to reconnect with my sister that I haven’t seen since May. She and I, along with my kids, and hers minus 1 met for lunch today. IT WAS GREAT. Man I miss those little people (although most of them tower over me already, lol), and her SO much. We’ve agreed this will become a habit!!! It was great to chat, eat good food, and just let the kids be silly. Maybe too silly for a restaurant, but hey, they don’t see each other very often, LOL. She has always been such a huge inspiration to me, and I need to make more time for her and her amazing family.

A shout out to my sister...who didn't leave my side for 26.2 miles in 2012, and in life. LOVE. But who is that random dude to our left? LOL — A shout out to my sister…who didn’t leave my side for 26.2 miles in 2012, and in life. LOVE. But who is that random dude to our left? LOL

I should’ve come home and cleaned…but instead I watched “Hook” with my daughters after running to Target for new swimsuits for our mini-vacation to Michigan in 2 weeks. My first “Mom” suit, and I think it’s pretty cute!

Does it make me old to really think this suit is amazing?

I did make this amazing crab salad for dinner. Super easy, and pretty healthy. I also made my own take on dressing using blue cheese yogurt dressing, to which I added crumbled bacon, chives, and garlic to make it complete! DELISH!

This took literally 15 minutes to make! And my kids loved it!

I’ve been pretty lax in my training this summer, and I have to admit despite missing the mileage of a full marathon training schedule, it has been great just having fun with my running. The winter of 2015 will bring full marathon training and I know my legs will thank me for relaxing this summer/fall.

At the end of the day, I find myself beyond thankful that I have remained pretty healthy despite my right knee acting up from time to time. I think resting last winter and running only casually helped, and I will repeat this “resting” process as my knees have nearly 30 years of mileage on them.

Do you allow yourself time to rest?

Thanks for all the amazing support…y’all rock!

❤ Michelle

moving forward, Uncategorized

The obligatory like

July 3, 2014July 4, 2014 Movin' it with Michelle

Part 1.

I caveat this post, with the fact it has nothing to do with food, or fitness-at least the physical type…

I will however say, it has a lot to do with moving forward, or ‘keep movin’ forward as my mantra states.

First point: Social media doesn’t always make you socially connected with people. Can I get an amen? It hit me recently that while scrolling through news feeds and ‘liking’ people’s posts, I still felt very removed from many people’s lives.

I have been doing a little ‘soul searching’ journey if you will over the last several weeks. More so, because I saw myself spiraling back in a bit of a negative funk that I did NOT want to revisit.
While on my bike ride last weekend, I decided to open my mind up a bit, and try and figure out what my deal was lately…
Guess what…I realized that despite who I wanted to blame, it was MY fault for allowing others creep up on my joy like thieves in the night…Time for some “Talk to the hand” action again. Right?

So lately on this journey of moving forward, I decided I would put forth more effort in things I found tugging at my heart. One, is being so close, yet still so far apart from my family. Realizing you can’t just pick up the pieces after being gone for 20 years I knew I needed to try harder. I miss them dearly, so I picked up the phone…

I reached out to my sister first, and we’ve decided to run Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth Minnesota next summer. She has ran the race previously, but since this race is in our hometown I thought HOW COOL would it be to run it TOGETHER!!!! She agreed, and we signed up on opening day-July 1st.
With that, I WON a shirt and a goodie bag for sign up on opening day. HOW. COOL. IS. THAT. LOL…ok, maybe not that cool but having not won many things in the past, this girl was stoked.

Secondly, I called my parents last night…often times a month can go by without us catching up as life gets busy, and time is easily lost track of in the midst of careers, travel, life, kids, training, household disasters, etc…LOL.

In the end, I am glad I picked up the phone vs. just liking status posts or pics on fb…sometimes you need to hear that person’s voice to really feel that social connection.
Is it me, or is social media making us LESS social?

to be continued…stay tuned for Part 2.

dedication, goals, moving forward, running

Weekend wrap up

June 30, 2014 Movin' it with Michelle

Sometimes (often times) I find myself needed a weekend, well, FOR my weekend. This one was one of those weekends where we were on the GO all weekend. So this post will be mostly pics, filled with my little tid bits throughout the way…

Friday my husband had to go to a dress rehearsal for the wedding he was performing “Saber arch” detail in. So after dropping off my oldest at her BFF’s for a sleep over, I decided to embrace the moment and take my youngest out on a date. I asked her where she wanted to go to eat…SUSHI of course. We had such a nice time eating dinner, and walking the streets of Geneva window shopping and I treated her with well deserved ice cream.

We wrapped up our date with shopping for “Lucy” her American girl doll, and we found a beautiful hand made outfit.

We got home a bit late, and I was tired. I worked a few hours of overtime this week, and knew I had a long run scheduled for the morning. So I set my outfit out, fuel was ready, and I went to bed at 10 p.m.

Sadly, my husband came home late from his practice, and I wasn’t able to sleep…AT. ALL. I may have gotten two hours of sleep Friday night…MAYBE.
I got out of bed at 5:45 with baggy eyes and heavy legs. My long run was GOING. TO. SUCK. (and it did)
I met up with the Dick Pond run club gang, and we headed out promptly at 7 am. It was hot. It was humid. And all I wanted to do was go back to bed. But I ran. And thankfully Melissa stayed with me for the majority of the run. There were several walk/water/want to stab myself in the eye breaks. Here we are at mile 4, with a bug planted firmly underneath my eye. New make up scheme? I think…NOT.

Around the six mile mark, I sent Melissa on her way so she wouldn’t have to witness my epic fail of a long run. I couldn’t hold pace and the mental demons were winning. But I finished…8.18 treacherous miles logged.

And then. There was the food. Yes, I devoured this egg sammich like a mad women.

I wanted to nap when I got home…but we had a wedding to attend. Here are some highlights.

Today I was blessed to be able to take a NAP this morning…Morning you say? Yup, hubby got up at 6:30 for his long run and I got my youngest breakfast and settled. I may, or may not have napped until 10:30 a.m. I forced myself out of bed, showered, cleaned, and went to a dear friends housewarming/Mary Kay Party. I love my friends. Have I said that lately?

I came home to THIS dinner…Grilled steak, Egg plant, and quinoa…Can you say yum?

Yup...my hubby made this! — Yup…my hubby made this!

I finished the weekend with a 12.5 mile bike ride. I needed to find my happy place, which I can usually find during a long run…so I needed to feel the wind on my face, the sun on my back…and all that jazz…So I dusted off my bike, and hit the trails. My bike sucks, I’ll just say it, but it keeps me moving regardless. My pace was slow, but I felt great being outside as the sun started to set. I captured THIS awesome moment tonight….

And as I flew down the hill on my Walmart bike I realized…I can fly…I can run…I can ride. And as always, I keep movin’ forward.

❤ Michelle

dedication, food, goals, moving forward, running

Top 10 things I’ve learned as a 40-somethin’ year old-pictureless post

June 3, 2014 Movin' it with Michelle

This post may seem a bit “common sense” like, but I felt compelled to share things I have learned in my 4 decades of being blessed to live on this earth…Some are fitness related in the relative sense, while most are a part of my mantra of #keepmovinforward

1. Do what you love, and do it with all of your being. No…we all can’t have those dream jobs of being (for me) an executive Chef or famous writer. But I do my job to the best of my ability and spend the rest of my time focusing on things I love. I love to run, I love to write, I love to cook, and above all I love sharing all of these passions with my family and friends.

2. Leave the past where it belongs. In the past. But…yes, BUT…learn from your past mistakes, your past situations, and your past hurts. Don’t let yourself repeat the past…Learn, let go, and move forward from things that may have caused you pain.

3. Embrace what you’ve learned from #2, and allow these past hurts to fuel your future. Have you racked up your credit cards? Have you lost your job? Have you found yourself in a failed relationship? Learn…pay off those cards and put the credit card DOWN. Let go…it sucks being layed off from a job, but don’t give up! Get out there and keep looking for where are meant to be! Is your relationship causing you complete and utter pain, day after day? LET IT GO. Life is too short…(these of course are just a FEW examples).

4. If you want to be better at a certain task-WORK for it. Enough said…No one can make you stronger at ANYTHING. More times than not, you have to be your own rock.

5. Do you dream of a happy life? MAKE IT SO…No ones life is unicorns and glitter all of the time. But embrace those moments that make your heart sing, and let the rest BE. Example? I had a rough day at work today…Monday’s are always my nemesis for disaster it seems. But today, after thanking one of my employees for her extra hours I found myself in awe listening to HER thank ME for being the best boss she’s had…I had to hold my emotion inside as I genuinely thanked her. This made all the “ick” go away in a heart beat. Find your moments each and every day…and hold on tight to the wonderful feeling they give to you.

6. Stop chasing people wishing for acceptance or praise. If you want to chase something, chase that runner in front of you in your next half marathon, but let the acceptance and praise come naturally. Not everyone was built to give out those warm fuzzies that we all covet. So be it…yet there are SO many souls placed on this planet for that VERY reason…I am grateful to have several in my corner who do just THAT.

7. Find your niche in life, and GO FOR IT no matter what the outcome. Here are some examples:
I love to cook, so I’ve worked hard these last several years to hone my skills. Am I a Master Chef yet? Not by a long shot…but I love it, and after a hard day at work I find nothing better (other than a good run) than to get in my kitchen and create. I rarely if ever use recipes, I simply cook by taste, touch, and the feeling I get from creating something wonderful for the people I love. I love to run, but will I win a race anytime soon? Probably not…but I will continue to work hard, run faster, and push myself to my outer limits to win MY race. I love to write but will I publish an award winning book? My guess is no, lol…but I love it, so I DO IT.

8. Don’t wait for tomorrow to start exercising and eating right. Life is short, and we are given ONE chance…take care of your body as it truly is a temple of God. I let myself go this past winter, and realized what a mistake I’ve made. It takes MONTHS even YEARS to get in good shape both mentally and physically…yet you can throw that away so quickly if you let yourself go. Don’t let life’s struggles serve as an excuse to let your body/mind go to the crapper.

9. Allow yourself the little moments of ‘ick’ but don’t let them steal your joy completely. We are all human, have problems, issues, kid drama, etc…see #2.

10. Don’t try to change people. Either embrace who they are and what they offer to your life, or decide that they aren’t a good fit in your life and let them go. Yup…see #2. again…

11. Yes, I said the top ten things…BUT…if your 7 year old comes running down to you, crying that there is a HUGE spider in her room and she needs you to help her, GO…save her from that monstrous spider, and kiss her sweet face goodnight. Because all too soon our children grow up and no longer need us in a sense…but if we show them we are here for them NOW, they will continue to reach out…don’t let those moments pass by…

As always, keep movin’ forward, learning, letting go, and moving forward with all of our life blessings.

dedication, food, goals, moving forward

New kicks, and first double run today

May 19, 2014May 19, 2014 Movin' it with Michelle

Weekends always seem to fly by in my house. There is so much to get done in the short two days we call “the weekend.”

The hubby and I got new kicks this weekend for his upcoming half marathon training, and what will more than likely (unless I sign up for another before hand) my 10th half marathon this fall.

I got two pairs of shoes-both Saucony-the fast witch 7’s for shorter runs, and the Guide 6’s for distance. After shoe shopping we headed out to lunch as a family, saw the movie Godzilla (great movie!) and then came home to do a few hours of yard work. We live on an acre and a half lot, so while the hubby mowed, the girls and I trimmed hedges, planted seeds, and weeded the garden. I have an electric hedge trimmer, and I’ll admit my arms were on fire this morning after 2 hours of trimming, LOL! I am so glad we are finally seeing spring weather!
I was woken up by my hubby this morning after letting me sleep in until 9 am for our run. We had 5-6 miles on deck, and I am so beyond proud of my husband for logging 6 miles today. It wasn’t easy, but he didn’t give up. I had him try Sport beans for fuel at the four mile mark, which he quickly spit out, LOL. I guess we need to research fuel for him!!

For dinner, we had roasted chicken with a cucumber salad and Brussels sprouts.

Here is the recipe:
You’ll need:
8 skinless/boneless chicken thighs
The juice of 4 lemons
2 sprigs of Chinese celery chopped finely
4 cloves of garlic, minced finely
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard

Whisk all the ingredients (minus the chicken) together, and pour over your chicken in a sealable container. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Roast at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes and let rest.

Brussels sprout recipe:
You’ll need:
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 strips of bacon, diced
salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes
3-4 cups of Brussels sprouts cleaned, and halved
Sautee your onions, garlic, bacon, and red pepper flakes until crispy.
Add your Brussels sprouts, salt, and pepper for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned

Cucumber salad recipe:
You’ll need:
8 mini cucumbers, halved and diced
1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 of one small red onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
dash of salt, pepper, oregano and basil
dash of white wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil
Mix well and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving

I needed a couple more miles to keep up with where I’ve been, so after dinner I laced up my new Guide 7’s with an added surprise of having my eldest ask if she could join me. We did an easy 2 miler, and although she struggled with her breathing I am so proud she decided to run with me tonight.

And, at the end of the day I find myself counting my blessings. I don’t have the picture perfect family with my kids getting uber grades or winning amazing awards in sports or music. They struggle with grades, school, social crap that I think we all struggle with in life. BUT…we struggle like champs…we don’t pretend to be something we’re not…we take the good with the bad, and we continue to hang on to each other which I believe has made us stronger.
BUT…we keep movin’ forward, and that is what counts, right?

dedication, food, goals, moving forward, Uncategorized

Hubby, hills, and hellha-smiles

May 16, 2014 Movin' it with Michelle

Wednesday went a little like this:
Today was a busy day…we’ve got turnover in staff, stress, and work piling on…and I LOVE IT.
I nearly broke under pressure, but regrouped quickly…and was even told what I good job I did presenting an issue to one of our VP’s. #lifeisgood

But in all the chaos, running errands after work, and getting things settled my amazing husband said, “We are running.”
I am so proud of his dedication to our pre-half marathon training.
I had a terrible headache. I was tired.
I ran 4 miles with my amazing husband who has embraced my craziness.

But most of all, I shared my passion with the person who knows me best. He looked at my around mile two, and had a smile from ear to ear and my heart sang. He realized where my running joy stemmed from…
We ran hills, and on the downward stretch I found myself “WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEING” all the way down.
I love to run. Even more so, with my people…my persons. My HOME of all homes.

Fast. Slow. Steady. Stopping.

There is something to be said about the constants we have in life. And I. Have many…Family, friends, food, fitness, fotos….my constant passions and reminders that I have a greater purpose in this crazy world…

Tonight we went out to dinner not for a special occasion really, but more so to celebrate how far we’ve come in life, in our marriage, and in being able to tackle so many struggles.

Check it out…

Lamb loin with fiddleheads? Yes please... — Lamb loin with fiddleheads? Yes please…

We spent the evening (our rest day) surrounded by what some would call strangers. But we talked, laughed, and conversed with members of our local community we had not yet met before, yet became fast friends.

The owner of the vineyard remembered us from a previous wine dinner nearly two years ago. She welcomed us passionately, and I was reminded why I fell in love with Fiddlehead Cellar winery. It’s premise is passion…and you can see it in the owners eyes. We were blessed to sit with her at the head table during a wine dinner two years ago along with her Mother, and the memory will forever be engrained in my heart and mind.

And at the end of the day I realize life is all about passion, constants, and moving forward.

Find your passion, and run with it like the wind…

What’s your passion?

dedication, goals, moving forward

The end of an era (or 2)…

May 9, 2014 Movin' it with Michelle

I have struggled keeping my Facebook page alive these last few months with the changing algorithms FB is has forced on us…the pages that don’t pay to promote or boost have been shoved to the back of the line, with the sneakiest of moves-magically unliking my page from my closest friends, and hiding it from nearly everyone.

I built my page back in late 2012, as an outlet to give motivation and inspiration to those who may need it at any given moment. I, having been at a pretty dark place in my life more times then I can count know how important it is to get positive feedback. Some scoff at sharing motivational pics, posts, etc…but I have come to enjoy sharing cool pictures I find, and even ones I’ve made myself.

But the FB gurus and powers that be, have decided which pages to keep movin’, and which to sideline. Mine, was a choice of the latter sense, and it left my heart rather heavy, and admittedly with a few tears. I won’t take the page down…no. I’ve worked to hard for it…but I will focus more on other outlets to reach those in need…

Why, you ask? I was the person in need once (ok, more than once)…and I was told to “suck it up butter cup.” “Put your big girl panties on.”
I was told I was OK…I was told, YOU. are fine. But I wasn’t fine…for a long time. I was terrified, scared, and suffering from nightmares I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy. Just wait…My book on PTSD and the lack of help the military provides will be authored, one day…yet again, I digress.

But I kept moving forward. Somehow by the grace of God, I didn’t give up…

And THAT was the premise of my FB page.

But FB wants happy stories of butterflies and unicorns…and I just can’t keep that promise daily.

So tonight, I sidelined my work out for something much more important: My eldest daughter’s last band performance. She’s decided to give it up as she tackles her high school career so as a family we attended her last concert. I laughed, teased from the audience, and made her giggle as the younger grades performed. She (I think) loves the fact that her family is so darn silly…
But then, the 8th grade was ready to perform, and I saw and heard my baby girl play beautifully, and I had to choke back the tears of pride.
My kids have given me a run for my money this year…school has been a struggle for them both between academics and social interaction. BUT tonight, I watched my baby play her flute at an 8th grade level, and found myself beaming. She’s kept movin’ forward too…and I couldn’t be more proud.

I leave you all with this…people will try to steal your joy, rain on your parade, and expect more than you can often offer….
My advice?
Keep Movin’ forward…leave the negative behind…and always, believe in yourself.

❤ Michelle

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