Walk 166. Home again

Walked to village for dinner as fam (we were so hungry!), then I met a friend on Magnolia Blvd and we walked/talked until it got really dark. 4.1 miles

Walk 165. Pretty hike above camp

Lots of wildflowers and nice views. J complained almost the entire way, but he walked it! 1.6 miles

Walk 164. Up the hill, then around the lake

Walked up the hill with Steph (from their house) to see a pretty view of their town. 1.9 miles.

Then, walked around part of Meadow Lake (across the logs!) once we reached our campsite. About a mile.

Walk 163. Tubing the Portneuf in Lava

We rode a 4 person raft/tube down the Portneuf river in Lava Hot Springs (With J in the middle and Isaiah on a single tube). So much fun! J was scared at first, but after the first run he yelled "One more time!!" He loved the bumpins (small rapids). At the end of the run we had to walk the rafts up again. I'm hoping after 4 runs I walked at least a mile!!

Walk 162. Same as 2 days ago

Walked around Draper. 3 miles.

Then in Pocatello, we walked down to the park by my bro's house and watched the kids ride "helicopters" down the hill and play on the playground. The sunsets here are amazing.

Walk 161. Tried to hike to Timp Caves

Sis got tix to the wrong day. Ooops. Was actually kind of relieved because I knew I'd have to carry Nug (aka J) up the 1.5 miles which would be hard in the heat/altitude. We hiked up the trail a bit...

then went to Cascade Springs (so pretty!)

where the kids played in an icy creek, almost started a water fight at the fairytale bridge, Nug complained a lot, he and I saw a deer in the meadow on the way back to the car, and on the drive home we saw a MOOSE! About 1.5 miles.

Walk 160. Draper, UT

Morning walk to Starbs. It's fun to be in Utah. Everyone has really green lawns and all the sprinklers are on! 3 miles.

Walk 159. Before leaving town

3.25 miles

Walk 158. Around the village

3 walks, about 2 miles.

Walk 157. Going the distance

Disappointed in MMW again. It stayed on pause and didn't track about 1/2 mile of my walk. This has happened a lot.....I wish I had an accurate count of how many miles I've gone.

(Of what it has tracked) I've walked 375 miles since I started using MMW. And the first month I walked without it I walked around 90 miles, right? (I can't find the post! I need to figure this out for reals.)

Anyway, so I'm getting close to 500 miles. In a little over 5 months.

Yay!

Tonight I was honestly tired and didn't feel like walking. But I did it anyway. Some walks are great. Some aren't. And I don't beat myself up on the ones where I drag my feet. I usually let myself take it easy and turn around if I want to. And know that tomorrow is another day and another walk and most likely it will be a good one. (But if it isn't, that's okay too.)

Keep walking!!

2.9 miles

Walk 156. Slow walk with S

S has been wanting to go with me the last few days, but then she goes back and forth deciding. If she doesn't join me, she waits home and regrets it, but if she does walk I think she's afraid it will be like the Russell walk and she'll get too tired. We walked slowly over to the sound, walked through the village and stopped at Menchie's (where she knew EXACTLY what she wanted. A guy even commented on her delicious looking choice and how he wanted to try it.)

I'm happy she wants to spend time with me.

I'm happy she's loving being outside and appreciating how beautiful Seattle is during the summer.

I want her to feel so blessed to live in such a lovely place and to be grateful for this beautiful world.

This summer has been very unscheduled for my kiddos. No camps or swim lessons (I feel a little bad about that), not many trips planned. Just mostly unstructured days to enjoy summer (besides Irish) and be a kid. It's been great! And since we haven't been running around so much stressed to get here and there, S and I have been talking so much more. Just hanging out and talking. I love it. I love her.

I knew walking was good when I started, but I didn't think about how it would make my relationship with my daughter stronger. In fact, all the really good things that have happened after 5 months of walking are things I didn't really expect.

What a blessing.

So, my advice for today is to go on a walk with your kids.

Love,

me

Walk 155. So tired

Evening walk. Still recovering after long day yesterday (Pioneer picnic.) 2.8 miles

Walk 154. Walking fast

Walked this morning because we have a long day ahead of us as a fam. It was fun to go in the morning. I should prob mix it up a bit. 3.1 miles (15:36 pace)

Walk 153. 1.9 miles

Walk 152. Cholesterol and walking

Saw my naturopath today. Got some blood work results (they are actually outdated, but show how beneficial walking can be) I forgot to get last visit. After walking daily for two months (and not changing my diet one bit) my bad cholesterol went down by almost 30 points and my total cholesterol went down almost 20 points! I think that's impressive. (I wonder what it would be now that I've been walking daily for 5 months??)

I stopped eating wheat (gluten) on 7/4 (so 2 weeks today). I feel much less crazy about food. I think wheat was a trigger and addictive for me AND I never felt full or satisfied when I ate wheat (Funny, it turns out wheat is an opiate that makes you hungrier! At least according to this guy.) I don't feel like that anymore and it's so freeing!! I don't know if it will translate into big weight loss, but it feels great not to feel out of control about food. Hopefully just eliminating one big thing the weight (especially my tummy) will shrink. Please.

Also, wheat (or leaky gut) isn't good for folks with thyroid probs. Me again!! The plan is to heal my gut and hopefully heal my thyroid. That would be amazing! 

Walked to village during the day, then with Sarah in the evening. It was fun to walk with a friend and catch up with her. 

4.8 miles

Walk 151. Lots of walking

Walked to village in the morning, then took the kids to the park (with their play dates, Marcus and Ellery) around lunch, then walked to the library (S book club) then Albies for J. After E got home I went for my sunset walk. About 4.5 miles (It adds up quickly! We didn't get in the car all day.)

Walk 150. Milestone wallk!

Village during the day with kiddos, Magnolia Blvd around 9. 3.5 miles

Walk 149. The usual

Walked to the village during the day, along the Blvd at sunset. 3.1 miles

Walk 148. Best sunset of my life (so far)

Breathtaking, incredible, natural fireworks, yes...there really is a GOD, so so beautiful.... there really aren't words to describe it. (At least from me. Though I would like to be, I am not a poet.)

It was a great Sunday. Overcast Santa Cruz warm vibe all day. Left to walk around 8:45 pm with a spring in my step. Felt a few drops of rain and thought it would start sprinkling and even though I wasn't dressed for rain I kept on. It was warm. Was walking fast and feeling happy. I rounded a corner and literally gasped because this....

I was alone on the street and here it was. I kind of wanted to yell to everyone, "come outside!" Took my first panorama pics and turned around to see glowing red sunset through the beachy (foggy?) mist that was diffusing the light. Sprinkling, sunset, double rainbow, warm day, this was getting good. (Rainbows always feel like a message from God.)

Kept watching, walking, feeling grateful to be alive and a witness to this beauty as I walked towards Magnolia Blvd and the sound. Got there and looked up to see bright orange, red sunset with trees in silhouette.

It looked like something from a Disney movie. Walked up towards my stop sign turnaround spot and just LOOKED. The sky kept getting more beautiful, I couldn't actually believe how pretty it was. There I was walking in the sprinkling rain my shirt getting kind of wet, breathing deeply, legs moving, feeling so fortunate to be a witness to this....to be part of it. Cars started pulling over and people got out to take pics. Usually I see a few people on my sunset walks. This was so beautiful folks were stopping to take notice. It was pretty cool.

Kind of hung around the stop sign grassy area to watch. Then walked home feeling so so blessed.

The thing about these moments in life is you can't plan for them. You just have to be present and willing to let life happen. And pay attention. It's such a huge gift...one that I wasn't expecting. I am so HAPPY I was outside walking. Like I've said before....I will never regret a walk taken.

3+ miles

(Oh and Madison his his 2nd grand slam of the year. Go Giants!)

(And of course this was walk 148. Everything great happens on an 8.)

Walk 147. Pics don't match sunset walk

But they're pretty cute...

Another hot hot day in Seattle. Took kiddos to Golden Gardens before noon, which I thought would be safe and not crowded....but it was already packed! We had to park far away and walk in. They were troopers carrying all our stuff and not asking to be carried too (J). They played in the warm sun for a couple hours. Then we went and got a burger, S headed to a late-over birthday party, and J and I went for an evening walk. He was happy to go, had fun remembering previous walks (as we passed certain points along the way) and as we got home he asked if we could go again tomorrow. 3.5 miles (including an early walk to village).

p.s. we had a great dance party after S & E got home and the kids went to bed way too late. Love summer!!

Walk 146. Locks, then with S (holding hands)

It's been hot. Too hot to go to the park (we tried Ella Bailey, but cowered in the one shady spot under the slide). And one cranky kid did not want to go to the beach (she later regretted this decision) so we mostly hung out indoors and played games. Later we headed to the Locks to feel the ocean breezes and stretch our legs (and try to get a free slurpee...but we were 5 minutes too late. Doh!) 1.5 miles

Around sunset S and I headed out for a walk. The sky was pink gorgeous. Pink clouds surrounded a full moon (never seen that before). We walked and talked. It was so great. Love that girl. And got home way after dark. When we were almost home we met an inquisitive and I think hungry cat that made us laugh.

3.5 miles

Walk 145. My new routine

When I started this challenge I was excited for summer because I thought I'd take my kids on all sorts of walks all over Seattle. Especially bridges, which I drive across daily but have never walked across.

Instead, I seem to have fallen in a routine of walking around the village during the day and taking a sunset walk along Magnolia Blvd.

It makes sense, because I'm so sick of driving after a long school year.... but maybe I need to be a little more motivated.

Or, I can just enjoy pretty Magnolia. Why would I want to walk anywhere else? ;-)

2.8 miles

Walk 144. 7/9, 9 years

July 9th is a hard day for me. 9 years since our angel girl Juliet passed away. Leading up to the 9th I usually get sad, forgetful, tired, cranky, etc. I really don't like this day.

But...

Today there were lovely moments. J & S both had friends over and we walked to the park. It's fun watching my kids have fun. It would be really great if Juliet were here too....but I'm learning to be grateful for what I do have and not always look back and think, "what if?"

We got pretty balloons from Bartell's, and walked home with them through the village. (About a mile.)

S fell asleep on my lap. That was wonderful. Even though she's so big, it felt like holding her when she was a baby. It was a perfect day for her to fall asleep on me.

An old friend sent an unexpected email that felt like a message from heaven. That was so nice.

Got lots of FB love. I posted a pic of me holding both girls. I looked tired.

People dropped by with flowers (starting the day before) and a couple friends went and got their own balloons and wrote their own notes. And came over to release them in our backyard.

We went to Discovery Park as a family at sunset. It was beautiful. J fell asleep. E & I let off our balloons, and a few friends came to join S as she let her balloon go (and J's which we thought was an ooops.)

So we went to get him another one and let it go on the lookout point on Magnolia Blvd. Then he wanted to go get a slurpie (because his cousins got one).

S and I cried.

We miss her.

2 miles

Walk 143. Zoo, village and MMW malfunctions

Took the kids to the zoo. Prob walked a little over a mile. MMW didn't record it right (I think I forgot to stop it and drove away. Ooops.)

Walked the village in the dark. Perfect summer night. 1.25 miles

2.25 miles total

Walk 142. Ugh, I haven't blogged in a week

But I definitely took this walk. And it was so pretty I turned around. Usual evening walk along Magnolia blvd...with backtracks. 4.25 miles

Walk 141. Why didn't we get New Order tickets?

I have been so forgetful lately! Yesterday during breakfast (Pancakes. I'm trying to be a Saturday-morning-it's-always-pancakes kind of mom. Even though I just gave up wheat. I know!!) we chatted about what everyone wanted to do. It was decided we'd go swimming and there were 3 open swim times. 3 times we could have gone. Then I promptly forgot that was the plan and we got a new fish instead and when it was time for bed we all said, "we forgot to go swimming!"

And tonight was New Order! We decided to try to get tickets last minute on CL if we could find a sitter. But I totally forgot to even try to line up a sitter and didn't remember about the show until a FB friend posted they were there. Doh!

It was a lovely Sunday anyway. S gave a talk in primary. J went on a bike ride with E. I went on another after-kids-in-bed walk along the sound.

2.9 miles

Walk 140. Pretty Olympics

They looked different than I've ever seen them. Kind of ghostly and haunting. But really pretty. 2.9 miles

Walk 139. Happy 4th

Went and saw Lisa (PTSD therapist) this morning. Lots of stuff being stirred up making me unsettled, uneasy, and just sad. It's hard remembering...

We went back and forth on deciding if we should brave the crowds for the Gasworks fireworks. It got overcast, kind of sprinkled, J refused to nap....so we let off last years firework stash in backyard. They LOVED it. I was a little worried we'd get the cops called on us (we started while it was light out) but by the time it got dark our neighborhood (quiet little Magnolia) had fireworks blasting everywhere! We went for a walk around the block to watch (after I got home from my walk. 2.8 miles.)

Still, I felt guilty we didn't go. We're planning on going to a Mariner's game on fireworks night to make up for it.

Walk 138. My anniversary

15 years! How in the heck did that happen?

Nice mellow day with the family. Wanted everyone to go on a hike, but the kids did not like that idea (especially S, who kind of faked an injury). I ended up going by myself after they were tucked in bed.

It's been so lovely. Lovely summer, lovely husband, lovely family, lovely life. I'm blessed. (Even if this time of year is so hard.)

2.8 miles

Walk 137. Kid parade

Walked to park with my kids, met up with some other kids (Ruby, Eva, Cosme. Their mom dropped them off to play with us!), walked back to our house for 2 kinds of popsicles. Then decided to walk to library to get S's book ("We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea") and the other kids got yellow sticker books too. Then walked them all to their house. It was pretty slow. J and I then walked home (well, I pushed him in the stroller). 1.9 miles

Walk 136. Another lost walk :-(

Wait...now I remember. Walked with kids to park in early evening and E met us there an hour later. They rode the mini balance bike down the grassy hill while trying to avoid some sort of hipster all-over-the-place bocce ball game (those balls are hard). I left to walk, but kept looking back through the chain-link fence across the field at them having fun...so I went back. These warm summer evenings just hanging out at the community center field are "moments!!" Lovely moments of their childhood I cherish during the endless winter rain and will also cherish when my kids are too old to hang out at the park with their parents. S worked on learning how to cartwheel, J rolled down the hill, few more times on the balance bike for S...it was great.

Then I walked through the village, past Bartell's, across the ravine bridge and up Magnolia Blvd almost to the stop sign. Then home.

3.4 miles