stage 4

Stage 4, they say. What does that even mean? I mean, yes, it has medical meaning, but to a family, what does that really mean? No hope? 6 months? A year?

This is the news the doctor gave my grandpa and our family earlier this week.

My grandpa is a quiet man, tall, thin, and dark complected. He mumbles when he talks. He likes to hunt. He's still madly in love with my grandma -- still pinching her rear in the kitchen. He's a family man and hard working. He loves reminiscing about the time I stayed with him and my grandma up north and helped him rake the leaves (their yard is HUGE). I was 6 years old, I think. He loves that story.

He is humble, kind, and a dedicated father, husband, grandpa, brother, son, cousin, and friend. He would help anyone in need. When I was in college, I probably called him at least half a dozen times with car troubles. He can fix anything. He always came to the rescue. I was a toddler, when he drove me to the hospital after a brick fell on my toe. In grade school, he picked me up and rushed me inside when I fell (going up the cement stairs on their front porch), wiped away my tears and made me laugh, as grandma bandaged me up . He has always had a way of calming me down. His love and compassion is quiet, like him.

He drove 45 minutes to an hour (one way) each day to work just to provide for his family. They live in Michigan. Through ice, snow and rain, he drove his little pick-up truck back and forth. He plowed gardens and shoveled horse manure as side jobs to earn extra money.

He told me that before he proposed to my grandma, he told her father "I will make sure she never has to work. I will take care of her and provide for her." My grandma used to pack his lunches and had dinner on the table for him when he got home every day. I have always admired them and aspired to find a man like my grandpa. He doesn't boast. His pride is silent. I've never heard him yell or seen him shed a tear. He is strong, confident, and good.

The doctor "gives" him a year. It isn't long, but I am going to make the most of the time God has given us with my grandpa. I am going to try my hardest to be strong for him. Chemo and radiation are his plans to fight. He's not one to simply throw in the towel when the going gets tough. He's my hero.

Fried chicken, homemade noodles, mashed potatoes and gravy. This is what my grandpa has requested for our family Christmas eve dinner this year. It was his family's tradition growing up.

It's the little things we are all learning to look forward to and enjoy, because of stage 4.

10 Health & Fitness New Year's Resolutions/Goals

My top 10 health & fitness new year's resolutions/goals:

1) stick with the booty call challenge
2) add to my at-home "gym" (equipment)
3) eat healthier & drink more water
4) try new recipes/foods
5) eat fewer sweets
6) don't eat past 8:00pm
7) get back to five small meals/day
8) create my health & fitness vision board
9) run on a regular basis again (3x/week)
10) run Chicago's Perfect 10K at Navy Pier this fall

What are YOUR health & fitness NY resolutions/goals?

Get it girl!

OH MY WORD! My body hurts. I have been working out for the last couple weeks and my body is certainly feeling it. I am still sticking with my booty call challenge. Are you? It's just waking up 30 minutes earlier each day to do some form of exercise -- walking your dog, yoga, an exercise video, a run, strength training, etc.

Here's a glimpse of my own little at-home gym/workout area................

I also have a balance disc and an ab ball (not pictured), which I LOVE.

I reserve Sunday as my rest day. With Christmas coming up, I don't plan to workout Christmas eve or Christmas day, so I am giving myself 2 rest days. :)

I tried to sleep in this morning, but I felt guilty (especially because I know my sis-in-law gets up at 4:30am for her booty call challenge every day). SO......I dragged my rear out of bed, got myself together and cranked up my "gym mix" music. It helps get me moving. Today's workout: Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred + an extra 15 minutes to do some concentrated strength training. My favorite areas to focus on are glutes, core, and legs. I get bored easily, so while I love Jillian, I add my own exercises in there too.

Here are a few of my favorite workout tunes......................


(I do a nice little ab routine with this one)




(I have an AWESOME glute workout for this song)


I LOVE Beyonce!



(LEGS! Ohhhh quads, inner thighs and rear!)


And for my warm-up to get me geared up for a good workout............


Hope y'all have a great day! Get on that booty call challenge! I promise you'll feel amazing each day (the longer you do it) with more energy and a better mood.

A birth story

Seriously, when I read Raven, from "A Momma's Desires and Pacifiers" story, I was falling off my chair at my desk. She is hilarious and always keeps it real. She's a great writer and blogger.

She wrote a guest post another blogger's blog about her first birth story. Reading Raven's story reminded me of Jenny McCarthy. She writes a lot like her. FUNNY lady.

Here's where you can find her story: living4london.blogspot.com

Here's Raven's personal blog. I encourage you to check her out, she will make you laugh out loud. 
a mommas desires and pacifiers

How bad do you want it?

My friend, Jake, shared this video on his Facebook. I watched it and fell in love. Such great motivation to succeed in life, to work hard and never give up. This is my new I-need-to-get-motivated video to watch on days when I don't want to get out of bed to do my a.m. workout, or when I don't feel like reading one more page for grad school or when I'm having an awful day at work. Hope y'all like it and find some inspiration from it.


How Bad Do You Want It from Greyskale Multimedia LLC on Vimeo.

3 weeks off!

I am so happy to have 3 glorious weeks off from grad classes. Woo hoo! Only 4 months left until graduation (May 20). Did I mention that I ended this fall semester with a 4.0 GPA.........while working full time? Yes. :)

I was never a "bragger" about my grades before grad school. I was always an average student growing up, even in college. I feel that since starting grad school and with my career in higher ed, I have a new found motivation to earn A's. I have never worked so hard in school before until now. I am very proud of my accomplishments and don't really care that I like to show off my 4.0. Let's be honest, before grad school, I had only earned a 4.0 in a semester twice in undergrad and it was during our spring terms = 1 credit, 4-week courses. Creative Writing one spring term and Economics another spring term.

Growing up, my mom didn't really push me to get a 4.0 GPA. She was a single mom working 2 jobs (at times) to put a roof over our heads and food on the table. She had her hands full. She was happy I wasn't getting into trouble or failing in school. I work hard now, to make my mom proud, to be a positive role model for my nieces and nephews, and lead by example for my students.

It's interesting how my life has changed over the years, especially working in higher education. I now help and encourage students to pursue a college education and teach them the advantages of why it's important. I also teach college freshmen how to be academically successful in college. Wow! I tell them the first day of class that my goal for them is to earn an A in my class. This helps to create an environment of success and achievement for my students and they know I've set the bar high for them. Failure is not an option.

I've learned that an average student can be successful in life and I am living proof of that.

My 4.0 has earned me a 3-week break. Woo hoo!

life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful

This is a good reminder to myself. I am constantly thinking about the future and the "what ifs" in life. I'm trying to be patient. I feel like I write that, oh um, about every other post on here. Y'all are probably tired of me saying that. 

It's hard when you work on a college campus and you watch your students graduate and go off to explore the world outside of this small town in Indiana. They are chasing their dreams, diving right in, totally jumping and growing their wings on their way down, having complete faith in God. 

I am constantly in awe of their passion for life and always think to myself, "gosh, I wish I was that brave to move across the world or experience another state."  

I don't want to look back on my life and have regrets.....wondering "what if?"

The one thing I have learned is that life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful. Life doesn't have to be planned out, day by day, week by week, month by month..........life is meant to be lived and enjoyed. My life has been "planned out" for the last year and a half with grad school. I am ready for the next adventure. I am ready to experience something new........to experience the world.