Tag Archives: Life

A Baby or A Warrior?

April 19, 2013

My dad should have been Yoda.

Yoda and I.

This is no exaggeration as his mantras are not only a regular part of my life, but are heavily scattered throughout this blog. On paper, they sound like 100 percent cheddar cheese, but when they’re coming from my dad, it’s nothing but authentic dad-isms.

I thought I had heard them all, but recently I was in a bit of a sticky situation and called my dad to get some perspective. I was ready to give up and he laid it out straight, “You can either be a baby or a warrior. You choose…It’s a choice that you will have to make every day and the good thing is that you get a choice. Now make it.”

It was a little tough love, but it was exactly what I needed to hear.

That day, I chose to be a warrior and it’s that same cheese-ball mantra that carried me through my first open water swim of the season.

I arrived at the lake early to ensure that I could get in and do my drills prior to the group swim. I squeezed myself into my wetsuit for the first time this season and slowly waded into the water to start finding my anxiety-free place.

I started by going completely under water.

Then putting my face in the water and blowing bubbles.

I proceeded by doing breaststroke to the open water swim lanes, took a deep breath and told myself, “You’re either a baby or a warrior. Choose one.”

And then I swam, talked to myself, and swam a bit more.

No anxiety.

I popped my head up after my quick warm-up and knew that I had made my choice and everything was going to be ok.

I soon met up with the group and proceeded to swim the entire open water workout without any anxiety, constantly reminding myself of my new-found favorite mantra.

Whether it’s open water swimming, clipping in, standing up for what you believe in, battling illnesses, or facing your fears, my dad reminded me that we are given an incredible gift every single day and you get to choose the outcome: are you going to be a baby or a warrior?

Once you’ve chosen your answer…the rest is easy.

Happy Swimming.

15 Comments | Posted in Life

Baby-Oh-Baby, It’s A Baby Shower!

February 4, 2013

It’s after weekends like these that remind you no matter how much your family can drive you crazy, family is a beautiful thing.

I headed to Reno this weekend to throw my little sister’s baby shower and I was ecstatic to celebrate her and soon-to-be nephew, Kaleb. The theme was “chalk” with burst of baby blue, complete with a lunch, dessert, mimosas and more.

I kept the games to a minimal amount: yarn around the belly, plate on the head to draw the baby’s face, babies in ice cubes and guess the baby’s stats.

The boys also celebrated with their own “diaper party” – bring a package of diapers and play poker.

Happy baby shower, Caroline, and we can’t wait to meet you baby Kaleb!

Baby blue game prizes that read: Baby-Oh-Baby, You’re A Winner!

Chicken salad sandwiches, Chinese chicken salad and veggie pasta salad.

Delicious lemon blueberry cupcakes made by my cousin, Jacqueline. Other desserts included peanut butter blossoms, rice krispy treats, banana bread, brownie bites and milk shots.

Let’s revisit these sandwiches for a second because they were simply amazing. With chicken, cranberries, celery, green onions, and sweet pickles, mixed in a dressing with the perfect secret ingredient: curry powder. I’d highly recommend these for any party. (Recipe Via)

One of the games: freeze little babies in ice cubes. The first person to have their baby melt (without cheating) and shouts, “My water broke!” wins.

The favors – small flower bulbs are in the mini jars.

Caroline’s depiction of her soon-to-be son.

Flags with trivia about Caroline as a baby in each of the vases.

Love you, Caroline!

8 Comments | Posted in Family

2011 Goals

January 3, 2011

So here we are, 2011, and it’s already been an interesting adventure. While I can’t say it was the beginning that I had hoped for, I’m still optimistic that your adventures will bring more highs than lows and more laughter than tears.

This weekend brought a few vastly different life experiences. A close family member passed away Saturday morning, we had a wedding to attend in San Diego Saturday night, and the cold I had Christmas week is back to haunt me. While the tears were plentiful, it was actually quite beautiful seeing family from all across the west come together to celebrate her life. You will be missed, Marie.

More than anything, this weekend reminded me of the oh-so-cliché mantra of don’t let a moment of your life pass you by. It’s too short. It’s too precious. It’s full of too many stellar experiences and opportunities that make living worth it. So this year, I’m vowing not to let a moment pass me by. Live for the experiences and regret nothing. Resolutions are so 2010. Goals, ambition, and living for the moment…that’s my 2011.

Along with my new outlook for 2011, I do have more tactical goals that I want to achieve. Ready for some more cheese? Well here goes: my dad always said, “It’s not about the goal, it’s about the journey.” So along with these goals includes my quest for savoring the journey. In no particular order…

Complete the Boston Marathon within my goal time
Complete the Boston to Big Sur challenge alive (more on this later)
Complete a half marathon in 1:30 or less
Track all of my running and run 2,011 miles in 2011
Re-learn to bike and swim
Stay INJURY FREE
Get MARRIED and honeymoon with Chicken Face in July 2011
Find a new place to live (preferably something that is more than 600 sq. ft. and has a frickin’ bedroom door)
And some more personal ones that I’ll leave you guessing about