A Family that Plays Together...

will reap the rewards of love, strength, and perseverance...that is worth more than all the gold in the world. 

In the spirit of fitness and trying (desperately at times) to stay active and make sure I'm teaching my kids the importance of loving your body enough to nourish it properly and keep the "wheels" oiled and maintained, I thought I would add a page to my blog that captioned just that!

We are a fit family! Are we the fastest, fittest, and best? Not even close. But that's not what's important. What's important is that we are actively participating in extracurriculars. We are talking about how important that is. We are also talking about how it's okay to hit bumps in the road...that happens. But after you fall, you pick yourself up by your boot straps, you dust off that dirt and hurt and you just keep swimming...

Camp Courtney Triathlon

It's not our favorite thing to get up in the wee hours of the morning but if it's to show off our awesomeness, then we are game! The beautiful sunrise was a bonus!

My littlest competed in her first triathlon of 2015 and second overall this morning with a couple friends and they all did fantastic!

She placed 5th female and fifteenth overall! Great job!

Getting ready for the swim part.

Hong Kong is for Lovers

Last month, the man and I were lucky enough to FINALLY, after fifteen years of wedded bliss, go on a vacation together...alone...no kids...the entire time! And. It. Was. Fabulous!

Peach Airlines was having a great deal on airfare, so this trip was unplanned from the get go. We bought tickets for 2,000 yen each way. Yep! 2,000 yen! That's about $17 U.S. dollars. How could you beat that and how could you pass it up? We sure didn't!

It was a short trip but honestly, we didn't need a lot of time there and our friends back on Okinawa were watching our kids and pups. We saw the sights, we walked for miles, and we ate the bizarre and delicious food. Satisfaction guaranteed and Hong Kong delivered!

Day 1

On Friday, we got in late afternoon. We had planned to try to make it to Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island since it is situated right next to the airport, but after arriving and waiting to go through customs, it became clear that if we went we sure had no room for error in travel and we had to hustle to the Big Buddha before the park closed. Luckily, all those things happened and we made it. And what a sight!

The gondola ride up the mountain was massive and spectacular.

Sightseeing Saturday

The Cool Kids

Table Mountain. Oroville, California. June 2014.

I want to take you back...

but just to last year and only because it's still fresh in my mind. So, I'm writing it down.

Last year, in general, seemed to be a tough year...and not just for me. Looking back, it's true...2014 was tough and I don't want to sugar coat anything here so if that's what you need you'll have to look elsewhere.

Last year I realized relationships change, people change, and life never stops, even if you want it to. But I really wanted it to. I just wanted it to stop for just a week or a month even, maybe longer...but then I'd be greedy, always wanting more. And that's just it. That's military life for you, when your husband is gone more than he's home, you are always wishing you had a little more time. And seriously, sometimes the only reasons were so that we could talk about the shitty stuff...you know, like how to properly reprimand our 14 year old for his sudden lack of respect for his mother, or discussing whether we should continue to allow our beautiful and quickly maturing ten year old daughter to wear short shorts to school, or even touching base on the dreaded "we should have a budget and stick to it" talk...that's my least favorite. Those issues can't be resolved on a unified front if your other half is gone and so I'm left on my own struggling to find the answers and hoping they are the right ones. And often times they aren't.

So, last year I was trying a lot on my own. And I got myself involved in trying to help with stuff that wasn't even mine. All that dirty relationship stuff that wasn't even mine! What the hell was I thinking? I mean, I have my own stuff so why would I take on more? And it nearly killed me. It really did. And that's why this year will be different. This years focus won't be about other people. It's going to be about me. Sound selfish? Yeah, maybe a little but everyone needs to be a little selfish. A high school friend of mine said so and since he said so...I'm taking it!

I encourage all of you to be a little selfish this year. Listen to your body and your mind. If it's telling you to take a break, then take a break. If your body wants to be healthier then eat a little better and walk a little more. Explore the wonders this world has to offer. Explore outside and explore within. I'm excited to find myself again. We were once best friends then I took advantage of me and allowed others to do the same.

This is my year and I'm taking it!

My Little Brother's Wedding...

June 12, 2014 marked the day my little brother joined the world of married folk. We were all fortunate enough to be able to make the destination wedding in Cancun! Brett and Tracy, I wish you all the happiness and love in the world. Love you both!