Lost Maples and Missing Towels

Today, we headed out on a sixty toe adventure ... destination:  Lost Maples State Natural Area!  If you're interested in where that is or what it is about, here is a link.  We had been there before, but never in the summer.

The weather was quite warm, and we felt certain there was a path at the park that would lead down to the river.  In anticipation of a wet dip, I assembled a nice gym bag and handy pile of towels.  Little did I know (until too late) that the bag and towels never made it into the van.  Ooops ... oh well, we improvise. Such is life.

We enjoyed a nice nature walk and picnic at Lost Maples.  The views were beautiful and the sky was amazing.  I took a lot of photos.  Should you be interested, the album is here.

Access to the river, however, was nowhere to be found.  The places where we did find water was not suitable for the kids to splash about in ... so we just enjoyed walking, the views, a picnic, etc.   On the way back home, we felt certain there would be another opportunity to frolic in a river ... and we were correct.

Right near Bandera, we stopped at a picnic area that had tables and a few places where folks could climb down into the water.  It was splendid.  There were a lot of bugs, but the kids did not mind.  I did not exactly enjoy sitting in ants, but I survived.  Meanwhile; The boys instantly made a friend with a little kid who was already there.  However; we were disappointed that there were not any towels to dry off after said excursion, as I mentioned before, they were somehow omitted from the packing of the vehicle.  But alas, we did not care ... we stopped at the Dairy Queen drive-thru and got some blizzards for the child folk and made our way home.

Immediately upon arrival at our humble abode ... BATH TIME!  Messy van can wait.

So what new adventure did you embark on today?  I'd love to know all about your journeys.

As always, make champion choices,
Debra

NSV If You Please...

Happiness is ... being able to wrap a regular size bath towel around myself and properly cover up those girly treasures.  Long gone are the days of requiring a BEACH towel for such a purpose.  We have a foreign exchange student from Spain staying with us for the next few weeks; and it is nice to be able to wrap myself up in a normal towel should one of my carless children burst into my room or leave my door open in a flurry.

And speaking of NSV's (Non-scale victories) ... it is also nice to haul all of the young people downtown, and explore a new area or investigate a new coffee shop and book store ... without worry about fatigue and exhaustion.

I love my city.  San Antonio boasts all sorts of interesting urban areas, natural areas, free fitness classes, a beautiful Riverwalk, family fitness events and all sorts of amazing adventures that you and your family can enjoy.  Lord knows me and my 60 toe crew often do.

For those folks anywhere near me, here is a link to all of the fun free fitness classes offered by the city of San Antonio (various locations).  This link is for the month of June, and the July schedule will be out soon.  Click Here for Class Schedule.  It will open in a new window.

As for as my endeavors to try new things ... whether it be food or activity or whatever ... I did try a new raspberry lemonade yesterday at the pool.  That was amazing.  The entire family loved it, like totally loved the thing.  Now I need to figure out how to make it at home.

I also discovered a new bookstore today, and purchased a fabulous hard cover called 'The Adventurous Boy's Handbook'.  In my world, it is perfect.   And just prior to spending too much money at the bookstore, I tried a new dark chocolate kind of cookie, and I think it had some bit of coffee in the mix.  Verdict?  I did not really care for this concoction.  I asked the boys to take bites, they did, and they did not care for it either.  Most of that cookie ended up in the trash, but alas, we did try it, nonetheless.

So do tell, what NSV have you enjoyed lately?  What new thing, food, adventure or territory have you experienced lately?  Inspire me with your endeavors!

As always, make champion choices,
Debra

Get Your Swim On!

Do you like to swim?  I do. I absolutely love it.  I crave it.  I won't join a gym unless there is a pool available.  Summer time, especially, provides  perfect opportunities for you to de-stress yourself by giving your body a chance to release stress ... you can do this by swimming and socializing with other people.

Did you know that swimming:

• Improves flexibility and strength 
• Builds up endurance 
• Increases muscular flexibility 
• Muscular balance 
• Heart muscle becomes stronger 
• Improves the physique 
• Increases circulation 
• Rehabilitates muscles 
• Improved ability to control and maintain healthy weight 
• Releases stress and tension 
• Renews energy

So, add the element of socializing - and this ultimately helps you develop a positive attitude, contributes to a sense of well-being, teaches patience, overflows in fun, is enjoyable and you get to fellowship with others.  Or go alone and enjoy some private time of peace and focused exercise.  Either way, it does a body good.

Sometimes I will go to the gym and leave my kids in the child care area FIRST, so I can swim alone and do intentional exercise, and then go get them, and have fun family time playing with them in the water.

Aqua exercise can be a lifesaver, literally ... especially when I weighed over 300 pounds ... it was about the only exercise I could accomplish due to the amazing anti-gravity feature :)

So do tell ... how do you like to get your swim on?  In a pool, in a lake, in a river, in an ocean, in a hot tub? :)  Let me hear from you!

This photo is of me, today, at Lifetime Fitness.

As always, make champion choices,

Debra

Moment of Truth

So you know how a song can totally take you back in time to a certain place or person/event, well I heard an old Billy Joel song this morning and it immediately took me back to my high school cafeteria days, who I always sat with and the song I played on the juke box. What suddenly stood out in my mind like a flash of lightning was that all through high school, every day for lunch, I would buy a chocolate milk and two orders of french fries. Seriously, that's what I ate for lunch every day. Very few people called me out on it, and if they did, I just told them to shove off. Amazing how early disordered eating habits start. 

I was a normal weight in high school, but as soon as I graduated - the weight started piling on. I did not go to college; I got a job, got my own place, I just ate out constantly and never cooked. I was not remotely concerned about nutrition; and whatever exercise I got as a teenager quickly faded as I threw myself into my career. My mom died right when I was graduating high school, so I'm sure that played a factor as well. 

I'm tempted to say something like 'why didn't anybody stop me, or shake me up, or slap me?' ... but in all honesty, if they had, I probably would not have listened. Not sure where I'm going with all this or what my point is exactly ... except that you can't change people, and you can't even HELP them change until they're ready. 

My moment of Truth came on a playground when my 4 year old daughter asked me to sit in a swing, and I could not, because my 320 pound butt did not fit. Sometimes your moment of Truth is small and almost subtle, but its yours - and sometimes it's a wake-up call at the dr. when you get a bad report. And sometimes, it takes us SEVERAL moments of truth ... and that's okay too.

And with that, I hope you sleep well tonight, happy and at peace with the choices you made throughout the day.  AND if not - well tomorrow is a new day!

Now, I'll leave you with my mantra ... 

Always make champion choices ...

Debra

Look Up

Do you ever hear people say "life is precious"... "Life is short"? Lately it seems like that people are not really present in their presence! Now that folks from all generations and from all walks of life seem to have a smartphone (myself included)... I see heads looking down everywhere; too few are present in the moment, and paying attention to what surrounds them in this beautiful life! Our lives are crazy busy and quickly whizzing by, are we noticing? It just seems sad to me that so much of our world is in hate mode... and I'm not sure why that is, and I'm not blaming Smart phones. I don't think we should give them up, I know I plan to keep my iPhone. But this weekend I will be in a national park with my family, with spotty cell service at best, and that makes me smile. I don't want to be 90 years old in a rocking chair, trying to hold my head up, and regret having my head down while life was whizzing me by. 

As always, make champion choices,
Debra

The Secret Sauce

You know you get to negotiate the results you receive, right?  The negotiation comes in form of the choices that you make.  Sometimes we negotiate with our own demons to go or NOT go do something we know we should be doing, lol.  You know you've done it.  Stop negotiating with demons and START negotiating with your results.

You do have 100% freedom to choose your choices, but with that freedom, you must remember that the consequences which follow are your own responsibility. You choose this and you will get that. Period. So, stop letting other's opinions and their personal journey affect the decisions you make. Betty Boop jumped on Paleo, so you will do this as well.  Sally Sue got results doing crossfit, so you should join as soon as possible. Here's the deal, it is your life (your results). You must do what makes sense for you ... and your body ... and your life.  

The life you dream of comes with ..."this is what you have to do to get that" ... so quit telling lies to yourself. Quit jumping on every band wagon that seems to be a magic secret.  The secret is in the sauce people.  And the sauce is your own stuff, that stuff that makes you YOU.

Dreams are your own. Be true to yourself.  This photo is of me in my happy place (OUTSIDE). I love hills and I love hiking and I love enjoying God's creation.  It was about 100 degrees that day, so forgive the hat and sunglasses :)

As always, make champion choices,

Debra

Define Your Flight Plan

So, I read a book called "7 Habits of Highly Effective Families"! So, In this book, Stephen Covey compares a successful family to an airplane pilot with a flight plan. For the pilot, the flight plan identifies the destination and outlines the path to getting there. But during the course of the flight ... things like wind, rain, turbulence, air traffic, human error and other factors act upon that plane. Throughout the trip, there are slight deviations from the flight plan. But barring anything too major, the plane will arrive at its destination because the pilot is constantly adjusting to get back on course and get BACK to the flight plan. He used a statistic saying pilots are off their flight plan like 90 - 99% of the time - but the reason they arrive at the correct destination is because they are constantly working to adjust for the interruptions and get back to the PLAN.

I believe that this principle can be used towards your fitness and wellness goals as well. We need to make sure we have a unique "flight plan" that reflects our values and principles ... and one that that enables us to successfully handle problems and thus reach our desired "destination."

I always say 'A Goal Without A Plan Is Just A Wish' ! I even got an artist friend of mine to paint it on a wooden sign so I can hang it in my house. I love this daily reminder to constantly adjust my course to stay on PLAN and reach my DESTINATION.

As always, make champion choices,

Debra

The Happy Column Theory

For the most part, and generally speaking, I am a happy person.  Not necessarily because I have some magical life, but because I choose to be such.   People ask me all the time how come I am happy, bubbly, easy-going, laid-back, etc.  The answer is easy.  I decide to be such.  I choose joy.  And for the record, I don't even like the word happy very much.  I prefer the word JOY.  Happy indicates it is a feeling related to happenings or that your circumstances/environment or events somehow determine your state of 'happiness'. Joy is just pure joy, and an attitude.  I also think of the word JOY as an acronym:   Jesus.  Others.  Yourself. When I choose to live my life with this JOY attitude and prioritize Jesus, then others, then myself .. this is when I am genuinely the 'happiest' or most full of JOY.

Don't get me wrong.  I am human.  I get angry.  I actually have a quick temper and it can be a problem if I don't pay attention to this fact.  I get frustrated and annoyed just like everyone else.  I get sad.  I've experienced depression.  I know what it is like to be in a room full of people and feel lonely.  I've suffered great loss and experienced intense grief ... just like most people on the planet.  I just choose not to STAY in those emotional states.  Everyone is human.  Everyone is going to feel these various emotions, and then some.  But how long you stay there, well that is completely up to you.  Over the years, I have mastered the art of 'letting things go'.

Here's the deal.  At the end of your life, imagine there are two columns drawn on a piece of paper.  One column is titled the 'Happy Column' and the other column is titled the 'UN-Happy Column'.  Every minute of your life that you spend in the UN-Happy column, takes a minute away from the Happy Column.  We only get so many minutes on this Earth - and that number is unknown.  I am not in the business of wasting my minutes. Unless of course, I'm on Facebook, those minutes are totally wasted, lol.

So get mad.  Feel that frustration.  Be sad.  Steal a few minutes to just cry or scream or rant if you need to do that.  Then move on.  Let go, and Let God.  Easier said than done, I know. Now for my disclaimer: I also completely recognize and realize that depression or anxiety is a very real thing, some people need medication, and some people have tried everything under the sun and nothing works.  This is a physical issue, not a Faith issue, and not at all what I am talking about.  Those people are not choosing their state of being. That, my friends, is a whole other conversation.

Meanwhile, beyond my 'Happy Column Theory' ... here's my unsolicited advice:   Pray often. Forgive easily. Appreciate your blessings. Eliminate negative noise, even if that means people.   Be picky about what media and input or thoughts/images you allow into your psyche.  Laugh a lot, and hard, and I mean the belly gut laughs that make your ribs hurt.  Hug people.  Be kind.  Give compliments.  Give to charity.  Volunteer. Practice random acts of generosity. Be proactive.  Take of yourself (Mind/Body/Soul). Manage your money wisely. Keep your word.  Be responsible.  Do what you love. Eliminate clutter. Teach somebody something. Make time to play. Turn off the t.v.  Walk outside. And as cliche, as it may sound ... take time to smell the flowers.

As always, make champion choices,

Debra 

20 or more Fruits and Vegetables?

So I just bought this at my gym ... Since I hate vegetables I wonder if this would be good for me to try ... It says it has 20+ servings of fruits/vegetables. It came in chocolate and strawberry kiwi at the gym, but there appear to be more flavors online.  It seems they also have Mangosteen Berry, Mangosteen Mint and Strawberry Cream. This is gluten free. I've never even heard of this.

They describe it as follows: Dynamic Fruits & Greens Natural Chocolate by Nutri Dyn is a delicious, antioxidant-packed powdered drink mix featuring super fruits, whole-food concentrates, dairy-free probiotics, fiber and enzymes. Naturally sweet, rich chocolate flavor makes it easy to drink your greens!  Alkalizing Antioxidant Super-Fruits, Vegetables, Greens and More!

I have not tasted it yet.  It says to mix with it with chilled water but I will probably mix it with milk.  I got it yesterday.  It is about forty dollars.  Now let's see how long it takes for me to actually open it up and try it.  I tend to be very slow about these things. So who is placing bets as to how long I wait to actually open it up and give it a whirl??

Update:  It is now July and I have yet to open this thing.  I told you I was slow.  

As always, make champion choices,

Debra

Kickapoo Camping

So the Higginbotham crew went camping at a new destination this weekend, about 3 hours west of here.  It is called Kickapoo Caverns State Park ... a great use of our annual state park pass we buy every year.  The other great thing is that we had two families from Church join us, which really made it awesome.  Fabulous fellowship, great weather and an all around good time (except for the puke from James in the car on the way there and my 9 year old's bloody nose on the way home, lol).

One bummer of the trip was that my daughter could not go, she had to work, and it really seems weird to go camping without her!

I really enjoyed hiking a trail up a hill and the view from the top.  One thing that became painfully clear to me, though, is that I definitely need new shoes.  I also realized I should never under-estimate the Texas sun, as I did indeed get sunburned.

I will confess, I did not sleep well in the tent.  Partly because it was very windy and thus noisy, but also because my 5 year old was still kinda recovering from being ill and he kept trying to burrow himself inside my body all night.  But it wasn't too bad.  I think the hubby and I have agreed that an air mattress is now in order.

And there's a bonus.   I managed to lose 2 pounds since last weigh in, so clearly our little camping adventure did not derail me.  That's always a plus.  There were chips, and s'mores and and all kinds of things available for my consumption, but I stuck to what I had planned.  And on the topic of eating, I was quite impressed that my oldest son, William, tried and ate hard boiled eggs.  He has never done that before, and he liked them.  Thomas liked them too, but he is much better at trying new things.  William is more like me, so both me and him are definitely making progress.  YAY!   Now they want hard boiled eggs before school.  I can't complain about that.

So we've made plans for another camping trip with the same family.  We've decided on the weekend, but need to nail down a destination as many of the parks are already full.  So hopefully at the end of April, we'll do this again, somewhere new, and rack up some miles in our adventure logs.  Hopefully by then I'll have new shoes too.   And if I'm really lucky, I'll have a new air mattress as well.

Me in all my natural glory :)

As always, make champion choices,

Debra