Life's Great Ah Ha's!! And that's the story!

I honestly don't even know where to start with this post. I have some pretty amazing thoughts and feelings running through me today.

I spend a great deal of time (as I've mentioned in previous posts) with reflecting, planning, preparing, thinking and PRAYING!! I read daily devotions, the Bible, self help and leadership books. I am the kind of girl believe it or not, who is always looking for signs.. big signs, little signs... but not the sign that says "You will do better in Toledo," that I pass on a regular basis. Sometimes while I am watching for the signs, I forget to have patience, listen and open my heart.
I have had a lot of let's say, rough moments in the last few months. Dreams coming true, then shattered days later. Changing everything in my world except the 2 people I share my ENTIRE life with! I've had good days and I've had bad days since I came to Ohio. I am making every effort to adjust and look at all things positive. It doesn't always work, but I would say most of the time it does. Anyway.....
I have days where I feel like nothing but bad news or bad changes come my way and it gets the best of my emotions (hello, school uniforms lol.) Then I have days where I open my heart, I open my mind and I listen carefully so I can take it all in. And when I do that the Lord fills me up. Today was a big ah ha, a big sign (and I'm still not talking about the one I passed again today "You will do better in Toledo.)

Lily is in a public preschool to finish out the school year. I debated keeping her home instead of switching schools for only 6 weeks, but she said she wanted to go and so I was ok with that. Side note... she is doing really well, of course she is because she is my daughter after all. Well, today we had a parent meeting. I was thinking it was in the evening and then happened to see it was actually in the afternoon. The meeting was to meet with a few local principals and have an opportunity to ask questions for those of us who have Kindergarten bound students. .... Ok, gotta rewind here a little.

It took me a few years to decide where Lily was going to go to school when we lived in Parchment. I want her to have the best (don't we all.) With the move to Toledo happening so fast I went into full school panic mode. Where was she gonna go to Kindergarten, it's right around the corner?!?!?!? I went hardcore into looking at the schools. I found that the home school Lily would be assigned to is not a school desirable to anyone. I was in tears. For me, it was the worst thing that could happen as a result of the move. I keep looking, I discover TPS has school of choice (yes!!) I found 4 schools I thought would fit our family better, yes I said family because she may attend the school but we all belong to it. I'm all excited because I don't have to be devastated anymore... oh wait, Jenni there is a stipulation!!! If you have a student going into Kindergarten you can't ask for a transfer of schools until you have registered the student at their home school, school has started and the transfer school has space for you. Gaaaaaggghhhh. Can I not catch a single break?!?!?!

Well thank goodness family has co-workers who have friends in high places. I was able to reach out with help to the superintendent and he heard my story. He's somehow moved by what is happening and who it is happening to that he made some calls to some other administration and we have been able to enroll Lily into the school we want her to be in (and check this out, they are now in the process of changing how the process works for Kindergartner's because it's a terrible system.) Now, this does not mean she is approved. The truth is that it still comes down to having space for her in the school but we are ALL cautiously optimistic and we should hear more this summer.
Ok... back to the parent meeting....

I debated just not going at all. I could e-mail questions if I had to and I would have to take Lily... blah blah blah excuses. I decide to go anyway, meet the principal of the school I plan to send Lily and maybe I'll learn something important. So I get to the meeting (I swear we are getting close to my point, my ah ha, my sign just stay with me,) there are probably 6 parents there and only 1 principal shows up. It's quiet, nobody seems to have any questions so I start asking away. I'm starting to feel like maybe people are labeling me "that parent" for a number of reasons. I'm liking the answers to my questions and more and more it is sounding like we should be pretty golden on Lily getting into her school we've chosen and I'm just enjoying what I am hearing (finally, thank goodness.) Well I am seriously starting to feel better and better about school working out (minus that whole uniform thing.) Now, at the meeting they introduce 2 guests. One is a Pastor and the other is a children's ministry leader from a church that is pretty much in the backyard of the preschool (which is only about 10 minutes from where we live.) They stand up to talk about their growing children's programs and how they want to really get involved with the community starting with neighborhood youth. They are from Church of St. Andrew United Methodist. OK, I'm listening!!! Could His sign be any bigger!?!?! Seriously!!! At the break, I go over and introduce myself and ask some questions. We start talking and I learn they are about to start a new sermon series.. involving health, fitness, nutrition!!! Ok, He has spoken!!!! So, school, possible new church, children's ministries... all my worries settled in one move!!! I can not contain my giddiness!!!

I have all these thoughts and feelings processing in my head. I suddenly have peace.. maybe not entirely because I am still learning.. but peace. I feel like goals and visions are coming to light.. I have ideas to discuss, hellloooo  to blog about! What a joyous day!! What a sign!! What an ah ha!!! Not a single thing can take this away from me. How blessed!!!

So, that the story and I couldn't be more excited!!!

57 lbs and the truth

Ok, there it is.. the number. The number of pounds I have left to rid myself of. I am gonna be honest here, I've spent too much time in the last few months being inconsistent so my weight is fluctuating all over the place. I have still kept off the initial weight I lost with 21 day fix (that is NEVER coming back.) But I have not been able to pull off the rest of the pounds.

I feel like I have been a complete failure at everything I am trying to do. I feel like I am letting my family down, my challengers down and myself down. I am not reaching my vision goals I set out for myself and I am not helping anybody else to reach their own goals. This is so disappointing. I feel like I have been putting in the work but nothing is happening!! Ok, hard look at myself... I'm doing the work, but I'm not being smart about it and I'm not being consistent. I've gotten much better, but I'm just not all the way there yet.

So here it is... laying it out there for the world to see... ok, to anyone who might possibly read this. I have 57 lbs to lose and My goal is July 1st to have at least 30 of it done!!! I am going to spend many days of the summer in a  swim suit and not hiding in jeans sitting behind a pillow (has anyone ever noticed i ALWAYS do that?) AND I want to change the lives of 13 people between now and June 30th!! I am asking you, whoever you are that is reading this.. if you know someone who struggles with fitness, who struggles with nutrition, or confidence or negativity please send them my way. I am not saying I can fix anything, I am not saying I am any kind of expert but I am going to show others that it's ok to start over for the thousandth time, it's ok to make mistakes and we can do anything TOGETHER!! I am not going to let anyone go through these struggles alone!

I want to build a team of inspiring individuals who also want to change lives. This is not about me making a quick buck, this is not about me earning anything. This is about me changing the world around me and helping others to hopefully end their struggles early.

That is the reality. I need to focus and I need to grow. I need to figure out who I am, how I can offer value to the lives of others, how I am going to turn the blinders on for myself so I can worry about my goals and not about anyone who is beating me at their own. There is a lot of work to be done and I'll get there. Every day is a new beginning, I just want to be done with having a day 1. I will do this!!

Settled?!?!

What a busy week with getting things sorted out.

I am about as unpacked as I think I am going to get. We are currently renting a house so I know I probably won't be here more than a year and there are some things that I just don't need to have out during that time. You'd think that is the point where I'd just start getting rid of it if I didn't need it right? Wrong! Haha. That's not how I work. A lot of the stuff I am not getting out are office materials, photo albums and decorative items. I am not parting with them, I just don't need them while we are here.
I went early in the week and got some Shakeology packets sent out (almost as much to send them out as they cost in the first please, jeez.) Then I went to go get my drivers license. It was a double whammy, needed one for a new state (oye, Ohio) and it expires next week anyway (Yay for my birthday!!!!!!!!!) I was prepared when I went. I looked at everything I needed to have with me, had it with me and went down. Boy were they rude when I got there. I get in line to check in (you know, the starting point right when you walk in the door.) I explain to the lady what I was there for and she says did you go over and take the vision test (um, no why would I go there before I check in... but anyway..) I tell her no and she sends me over there. Ok, vision test with the weird guy done. I go back over hand her all of my paperwork and she tells me my birth certificate is not sufficient!!! WHAT?!?!?! Same birth certificate I used to apply for a marriage license, same birth certificate the federal government gave me a new social security card when I got married with. She tells me it might have been "good enough" for the state of Michigan but not the state of Ohio. I leave in tears. Not exactly how I wanted to start out my venture in becoming a resident of this state. Adam to the rescue here... He calls the county I was born in and gets me a whole new document, while I stay busy wiping away the tears.
Ok, let's try something else.... So Lily and I go to the YMCA. It's important to all of us that we get her back into gymnastics. We promised it would be something she could continue in Ohio because she has been doing it for over a year and she has gotten so good (ask this girl to show you a handstand or a cartwheel, WOW!!) They have so many gymnastics centers around here, it's like 1 on every block. With so many options, we had planned to let her do trial memberships and pick one for herself. That's a lot of jumping around between centers and not really being in a program though and I don't think there is much benefit in that. So, we are looking at the YMCA. Super reasonable rate and all 3 of us could use it. I went to the particular Y that had the most amenities, not the closest to the house we are in, but only 20 minutes away. It's beautiful!! They have childcare while the grownups exercise for free, they have after school childcare, they have family activities, grown up activities (lots of gym equipment, woohoo), adult fitness classes and then of course kids classes. For a small fee on top of that super reasonable membership rate, Lily would be able to stick with gymnastics, swimming (maybe dance, if there is time) and she wants to do soccer. Definitely gonna cost less than what we were paying individually in Kalamazoo for gym memberships, gymnastics, dance and swimming separately!!! When I got to the Y, FINALLY the nicest people they could have working were there to take care of me. I was smiling, I was excited and it felt like I could finally enjoy something without worry. After we got our tour of the main building, Lily and I went to check out the gymnastics building. It's really nice and SUPER BUSY!! So now that we are all signed up they tell us how big the gymnastics program is and how long the wait list tends to be. So, here's hoping that Lily gets in and can move up in a timely manner according to her skill level.
So yesterday my new birth certificate arrives, it looks the same to me but there must have been something different on it because I am officially a resident of Ohio with an Ohio license. So very thankful that when I walked in to the check in counter, there was a woman there who was kind. She was polite, she smiled and she made the experience much smoother this time and I feel so much better. After I got that taken care of, Lily and I went to the library. She got to get her own library card and she is very excited. So now my baby girl has her own YMCA membership card and her own library card, growing up so fast!!! But I love every minute of it.

Ok, so that wasn't exciting stuff I know. I just wanted to share, it's my blog and so I did.

All week long (except for last night when I had a migraine that wouldn't go away with over the counter or 2 different prescription medications,) we have been doing workouts as a family. We've been getting them done pretty late which I'm not a big fan of, but we're getting them done nonetheless. It's so nice to see Adam doing something good for himself. I've been making him lunches all week and he's had Shakeology for breakfast so I know he's not out eating a bunch of crap. I hope he's feeling better than he has been for a long time, even if just a little bit. The nice thing about being even as settled as I am is that I can get back into routines. I know my day to day has been hectic for the last few months but I just don't know at what point I got out of doing so many things inconsistently. It doesn't matter though, what's done is done and here we are today when I promised myself no more excuses. I have to do what I need to do to stay on track with everything (family, health, career, all of it.) I am feeling the fire and passion again! I am surviving (I knew I would, I just had to have the time to be upset about so many changes at once.) I am going to make the best I can of everything (doesn't mean I won't have setbacks or bad days.)

If you read this blog on a normal basis, you already know I'm a lose my train of thought type of girl so I'm sure that happened here. All I'm trying to say here is I've gotten  a lot done this week with stuff I was sure I didn't want to do so quickly and I'm doing alright down here. I miss my friends, I miss Lily's friends, I miss my family but I am resolved to make more time to see them all moving forward so I don't have the time to miss them.

Alright, got a post in before my long weekend here (Yay!!) We are headed off to the Kalamazoo area shortly for girl scout clean up camp. Let's hope it stays warm enough and dry enough. Love you all!!!

Why not me?!?!?

Getting settled here in Toledo.... slowly, but surely.

I feel like I have control again, the chaos that has consumed my life for the last 7-8 weeks is gone. I'm not exactly an excited person about being here, but I feel like my head is much more clear now that this is what is.

I'm getting back to focusing on my goals, my vision for the year and I am excited about this for sure!! Workouts are happening regularly again and getting back to my clean eating habits every day. It was rough living without being able to have groceries every day... eek.

I have new challenge groups and challenge rounds starting. I have my husband working out with Lily and I and we are going to take this on as a family!! It's so much easier with the support of the ones who love you and the ones you surround yourself with.

I am feeling like I have passion and purpose again guiding challengers and working my business. I see so many other coaches changing lives every day... hundreds of lives changed because one person got them all to say they wanted their support. All I can think tonight is why not me? Why shouldn't I be the person who every single month gets 1, 2, 4, 5 or more people to say yes, please help me change my life like someone helped you change yours?!?!?! Why not me leading the charge for people to eat to fuel their bodies, to workout so they can feel good about themselves, live longer, live fuller and have energy!?!?

I want to show myself, show my daughter what it can mean to inspire somebody else. There is no feeling in the world like uplifting somebody else and helping them reach a potential they forgot they had.

I am going to be that person and it starts right now with consistency in my workouts, healthy eating habits and challenge groups. It starts with me showing you what can be done, how it can be done and that I have done it!!! Then before I even get the chance to ask you if you'd like to join me you are going to say to me Jenni, can you help get me started on my journey? And then I will say yes and you will join me and it will be the best thing you have ever done for yourself and the ones you love.

Have you ever wanted something so bad and asked yourself "Why not me??"


Oh and I how I love this picture!!!!!!!!