The Healing Powers of Habit

• Woke up at 7:45 am
• Got Izzy ready for school
• On the way to Pilates with a green smoothie by 8:25 am
• kale, spinach, so fresh so green powder, pomegranate powder, chia seeds, frozen bananas, orange juice, a splash of apple cider vinegar
• Out of Pilates on the way to coffee by 9:30
• Sat and chatted with my lovely husband over COFFEE and a scone from 9:30 to around 10:45
• Gym from 11:15 to around 1:30 (I haven't had such a long workout in a long time)
• Took a bubble bath with some relaxing music and my recovery smoothie around 1:45 while the sweet potato boiled! I wrote in my journal a little but I mostly just soaked.
• frozen bananas, protein powder, dark chocolate almond milk, chia seeds, so fresh so green powder, pomegranate powder, chia seeds, strawberries
• Around 2:10, I started making carrot soup with lots of veggies while washing dishes
• pre-boxed cashew carrot ginger soup
• 1 can of garbanzo beans
• 8 oz of frozen mixed veggies (peas, carrots, corn)
• 1 medium sized sweet potato
• I had tried to cut up some tofu to put in but when I tasted the soup, the tofu was sour so I had to remove it all from the soup.... (I tried!!!)
• Had detox tea while the soup was cooking (Every Day Detox from Traditional Medicinals)
• Packed up soup to bring to my 3:30 class
• Ate my soup and logged in my "Ultimate Work Out Log"!
• Left class at around 5:30 because my professor let us leave early!
• Hung out at Stick Boy Kitchen for an hour so Izzy could eat her banana pudding snack!
• Went to the climbing wall with EC so he could boulder a little bit a little before 7. (:
• Went on a walk with Izzy while EC climbed! We explored the river on campus and played with statues put up around by TCVA.
• Then we went home and I sat on the couch for two hours with Izzy, on the computer, eating dinner, hanging out. (: This was my favorite part of the day just being with my family at home, relaxing.

I guess there's no real rhyme or reason to this post. I just did a lot of loving myself and my family yesterday and wanted to share. (:

xxx

Beth

Live your life to the fullest.

Wow. This is such a cheesy title...but it couldn't be more true right now. I remember reading this when I was little and feeling butterflies and warmth. Now, I read it and see it in big extravagant cursive surrounded by flowers. I don't feel butterflies or warmth. I feel like the butterflies are plastic and the warmth is from a car engine. Like the butterflies are stamped systematically by a machine and sprayed with cheap perfume.

I want this to feel like exactly what it means.

I want to feel that everyone else thinks "live life to the fullest" every now and again. I want to feel that people desire to live their lives to the fullest.

I know it's hard to do and I know that life is busy. But I like to imagine that every single person, once in a while, feels like they could be living their life better.

For me that's becoming healthy, living fit, adopting this lifestyle that will help me live longer and fuller. I only get one life. I started to realize that more and more as I got married, got pregnant, and became a mother. Izzy only gets one life just like the rest of us. EC only gets one. I only get one. There is NO reason to not live it to the fullest.

I feel like I get this one body for my one life and I need to be strong, healthy, and kind to live my life, in this body, to the fullest.

Especially as dancers, EC and I get this one body for a short time to dance and produce art with our bodies. To fuel it and train it is so necessary for what we love to do. Our bodies are temples to take care of and worship inside. To live life now through our individual selves and bodies as God would through us. If he had control over us, he would feed us well and keep us fit but he has put that control in our hands. He has put our lives in our hands, trusting us to live the way he would.

Living life to the fullest is not only physical but mental and spiritual. If your body does not align with your mind and your soul, you body is moving while the rest of you is asleep. Living life to the fullest means your whole self is awake are ready for anything.

Live your life. You only get one.

xxx

Beth

Sick for a Week // Summer School

EC and I are both taking Pilates together (he's retaking it for fun) and I'm taking Painting II. Needless to say, our schedule is packed and when Izzy got sick on Tuesday we didn't think it would be this bad.

However, she's been sick since and EC and I are feeling sick ourselves since Thursday.

I think she's gotten better but it's so hard to take care of her and nurse her back to health at this age.

She's done a lot of:

• screaming
• crying
• fighting sleep
• fighting baths
• not eating

It's been rough but I'm glad she's starting to get better. She was actually smiling, laughing, and playing a little today!

I'm just glad to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

xxx

Beth

Afternoon Blogs with Beth (vol. 3)

Hello, everyone!

Snacking on barkTHINS (coconut with almonds). So bomb. I've had just the almonds one but this one is even better. I love this stuff. Such good chocolate! I thought it might be too chunky but all the little pieces are really easy to chew but still crunchy...

Anyway, I also have some hot tea I'm sipping. I just finished doing a good bit of work here so I'm just taking some time to put my thoughts on paper.

I've officially lost 20 lbs! I feel very proud of myself. (: No better motivation than yourself.

Yesterday was my first critique in my Painting II class and I presented my "Parent of an Angel" series. Someone in my class who has also experienced miscarriage, suggested I put it into a book format and I think I will. I know I've tried to with my other series but this one feels so special. I wrote the poem myself and did all the illustrations. I can only imagine this book will help so many parents. I'm not sure how it's going to work out but I really hope it does!

I, also, just watched Ali Wong's stand up on Netflix. It was super funny and she talked about her own miscarriage in it. Of course, she did a bit about it but she also prefaced it with what I always say when I talk about miscarriage: "It's super common and happens to so many women. I think it needs to be talked about more". She's right.

I am not the only one.

xxx

Beth