It wasn't obvious to me at first....

But when she struck this pose, her words all made sense.

"Lama Stay" = Namaste.

Or maybe, the large South American pack animal in me honors the large South American pack animal in you.

Either way, I love this girl.

Grateful for Sundays and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Church.
Yoga pants and sweatshirts.
No plans.
Staying home with my girl.
Watching the snow fall.
Movies.
Stacks of books to read.
Afternoon naps followed by restorative yoga.
Phone dates with long-distance friends.
Writing in my journal.
Baking cookies.
Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. With walnuts, to be exact.
Pretty much adds up to a perfect way to spend the day, in my book.

I'm grateful for days like today.

Grateful for A Healthy Life

There was a time in my life that I didn't appreciate my body and didn't value my health. I didn't take care of it, ignored it, and filled it with junk. Not surprisingly, I felt awful. I was sluggish and slow and I suffered migraines, back aches, any number of physical symptoms. In hindsight, I realize that my physical health was all tied up with my mental and emotional state. I was deeply unhappy, in an unhealthy marriage, and taking care of myself just wasn't something that was high on my list of priorities.

My return to good health started after I had my baby. It began as a way to lose the weight I had gained while I was pregnant, but I quickly found that exercise was a great stress reliever, something I desperately needed at the time. I was navigating my way through a divorce, had a newborn, and was working full time at a demanding job. Working out was usually the only thing I could do for myself and the only time I had to myself in the course of the day. Exercise led to better eating habits, better eating habits led to better sleep, better sleep made it possible to deal with the emotional demands of single motherhood, and dealing with those made me feel lighter and more stable. This led to increased energy, which led to...well, you can see...it's a cyclical thing.

Fast forward three years, and I feel like I am in the best health of my life. I bike, I swim (I learned a couple of years ago despite being terrified of it), I run (well, I don't for a couple more weeks-I'm rehabbing a torn hip flexor) and I make it a point to stay active all the time. I can bust out a triathlon with a few days notice. I can ride my bike insane amounts of miles if I feel the desire to do so. I am currently working on getting a more regular yoga practice incorporated into my day. I feel great about all of those things, but besides being phsyically fit, I am emotionally, mentally and spiritually healthy. I don't get sick, I rarely get headaches, I never suffer from backaches....I'm able to keep up with my fast-paced life and be the active, fun person and mother that I want to be. I'm happy and I get to teach Riley by example that good health is multi-dimensional and something that should be a priority in our lives.

It's not always easy to be healthy and balanced, and I don't believe it's really a destination you arrive at and - BAM!- you've achieved it. It's a continual pursuit, a way of life, a choice that you are constantly making, and I've learned to live with the 'two steps forward, one step back' approach. I truly believe, however, that good health is something that has to be prioritized in order to live a happy life. It's something that I, personally, treasure more than any money in the bank, more than any material possession. It allows me to fully enjoy my amazing life and all the incredible people and wonderful experiences that fill it up. And for that, I am so grateful.

**Randomness**

**While I do not love the normal holidays (I think New Years, Christmas, etc. are WAY overrated) I do love me a summer holiday weekend that involves no stress and an extra day off of work. This weekend is the long Pioneer Day Holiday here in Utah, and I am celebrating by doing a whole lot of nothing. Today, I slept in (for me), went for an awesome bike ride, took a nap, took a drive, read a book, and watched "Sleeping Beauty" and "Alice in Wonderland". Tomorrow is more of the same, although I promised the girl we'd make cupcakes. She's very into cupcakes these days, as you can see in the above photo.

**My condo is back on the market. I've spent a lot of time going through everything, getting rid of stuff I don't need or want and really paring down to what I need and love. Consequently, it's much easier to keep in "ready to show" shape. I've been wanting to move for a while now, I'm still feeling like it's time for new digs, and the housing market seems to agree with me. Everyone send me good house selling and buying energy - please and thank you. :)

**I have a whole bunch of fun stuff coming up in the next few weeks- a trip to Portland, a weekend in Bear Lake with old friends, tickets to the Lion King, a triathlon or two, and househunting (which I have always hated before but am having so much fun with now). It's also an intense couple of weeks, work-wise, which I actually enjoy. Life is moving at a fairly quick pace these days, and I'm content to twirl around in the chaos and enjoy myself madly.

**I know that money doesn't grow on trees, but apparently, in Riley's world, it grows in flowerpots. I noticed the other day that she planted nickels and dimes in all our little flower pots. I still haven't gotten rid of the coins because it makes me smile to see evidence of how her mind functions. Too bad her plan won't work.

**I'm trying to pare down bedtime from the two hour ordeal it is now. Any suggestions?

**My friend Jenica had the most awesome pair of jeans on last night, which has made me start jonesing for fall clothes and fall weather. I'm not a clotheshorse at all, not even a little bit, but man, I love jeans that fit perfectly and the weather that lets you wear them comfortably. Good stuff.

**I've been adding in some yoga to my workouts, and I am really noticing the benefits. I enjoy it much more when I practice in a studio rather than at home, and fitting their schedule into mine isn't always easy, but I am trying to make it a priority.

**Riley's favorite treat lately is corn-nuts. Yep, corn-nuts. Isn't that odd?

**I'm trying to find effective 'green' household cleaner recipes. If you know of any, will you please share?