Triathlons = Money-Eating Black Hole

Okay, so maybe I'm being a bit dramatic.

But honestly, when I first decided to do this, I never thought it would be such an expensive venture. I thought to myself, "I'll need to pay the entry fees, and I'm set!"

Obviously, not well thought out.

After I initially set my goals, I started looking into logistics, and over the weeks, my list of things to pay for grew and grew, and GREW. It seemed a daunting task at first, as I wondered, if I was going to have to sell a kidney to buy all this stuff. Obviously, I would not be buying top-of-the-line gear. Luckily, I've been able to find some killer deals and come up with money faster than I anticipated. The result being that I've been able to get some pretty nice stuff after all! Big thank-yous go out to Ebay, Amazon, and Craigslist.

Below, is my current "Triathlon Costs" list. The items highlighted in blue are the things I've been able to pay for on my own over the past month and a half. Items in pink are things I may or may not spend money on. Items in black are things I'll be purchasing in the future.

Triathlon Costs

Goggles = $12.58

Swim Cap = $7.99

Quick-dry Sports Bra = $24.43

Road Tires for Cory's Mt. Bike = $43.93

3 Inner Tubes (one for spare) = $15.74

Tri-Suit = $51.84

Wetsuit = ($0-$100)

Bike Helmet = $39.00

Sunglasses = ($10-$25)

Triathlon Watch = $22.00

Bike tune up ($30-$60)

Entry fee #1: free LA Fitness indoor sprint?

Entry fee #2: $65.00 - Starkerman Challenge May 15 OR $60 - Island Lake Triathlon May 28
(If I'm not visiting family out west)

Entry fee #3: $60 Willard Bay June OR $65 Provo June 11 OR $95 Park City June 18 - depends on when I visit family out west, and if I can/can't find an Olympic triathlon in Michgan on a SATURDAY before then.

TOTAL: $325.67 - $510.67

I don't know if that seems like pennies to you, or if it seems SUPER expensive (my sentiments). I mentioned in the previous post that I've been strictly a runner to this point. Running is NOT expensive. All you really need to be a runner is a good pair of running shoes, which cost all of $50.00 on sale, and can last a long time depending on how much you run.

Seriously... what kind of sport makes you PAY hundreds (even thousands) for all this equipment, then PAY a huge fee to drown yourself in your own sweat with a bunch of other crazy people who've paid to do the same?

Runner Me is turning in her temporary grave.

Sorry, Runner Me.

I'm soooo excited about this!

Any Guesses?

Any idea as to what my next endeavor could possibly be??? ;)

I've always sorta thought it would be the epitome of AWESOME to be able to say, "I did an Ironman." An Ironman is the ultimate triathlon which requires participants to swim 2.4 miles, then bike 112 miles, and end by running a marathon (26.2 miles). How long does this take? Only about 12 hours on average. The record holders can do it in under 9 hours.

Lest you think me insane, allow me to say that an Ironman is NOT my current goal. I'm starting much smaller.


With my second consecutive miscarriage, the time-frame of an addition to our family has become up-in-the-air. So, I decided I wanted a new physical goal to work towards, with the understanding that if we are blessed with another pregnancy soon, I would put this goal aside. Pushing myself physically has always made me happy. I've strictly been a runner in the past. Definitely time to break into some new disciplines.


How's my swimming, you ask? Haven't really tried since swimming lessons when I was 10.

How's my cycling, you ask? HA! Haven't been on a bike since Junior High.


How the samhill is this going to work, you ask? I'll tell you. :)

As of December 10th, here's how it's working:

1. I am going to finance ALL of this venture on my own. I don't think the financial strain is something I want to add to our family's budget. I'd feel too guilty indulging myself with this, when we try to be thrifty as a family. I've been working towards this by purchasing things super cheap, or free, and re-selling them on ebay or craigslist. I started doing paid surveys, and I participate on www.swagbucks.com to earn Amazon gift cards.

2. I create my own training program week-by-week to fit what's going on in our family, and allowing for illness, etc. I have a gym membership to LA Fitness and, lucky me, they have a POOL along with stationary bikes and treadmills.

3. I complete a Sprint distance triathlon (or something similar) in the spring. Sprint distance = 750 meter swim, 12 -13 mile bike, 3.1 mile run.

4. I complete an Olympic distance triathlon in early summer. Olympic distance = 1500 meter swim, 24.8 mile bike, 6.2 mile run.

5. I do a little victory dance, pat myself on the back, and see how things go from there.

I will post my progress on this blog periodically. (Hopefully more often than I did with my last two goals. :)

Challenge Completions

Wow! I am slow in reporting back on my two challenges:

Body for Life Nutritional challenge completed Dec. 10, 2010
Did really well. Had a few slips, and actually didn't end the challenge as strong as I would have liked... will discuss the reason later in this post. Making better choices about what I eat is easier now, as I am not used to a lot of junk.

European History Course completed Dec. 9, 2010
Consistently stayed 2 lessons behind schedule, then had to make them up at the very end. Learned a LOT, and enjoyed it very much. If I'm being honest, though, the last 4 lessons are kind of a blur... and I don't remember much from them because I was rushing to get through them, watching kids, and being distracted in other ways. Would definitely take another class after the New Year.

There is a reason that I didn't end these two challenges with a bang. I had my second miscarriage this year. It's strange to be writing this on my blog, because we didn't tell anyone about my first miscarriage in April aside from our immediate family, and a couple of people who watched Natalie and Abi while I got a d&c. In November, I finally did tell my best friend about my first miscarriage (because she'd recently had one, and I wanted to be supportive), she told me she really wished I would have said something earlier. When I miscarried again earlier this month, initially we only told family again. Eventually, I DID share the news with two friends, and their reaction was sympathy and also, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?!" Beyond, that we haven't told people.

My miscarriages weren't news that I had really wanted to share. It seemed like telling people would be inviting them to feel sorry for me, or feel bad about something they couldn't do anything to change, and therefore unnecessary.

I'm learning that people want to know about these things because they care (which I knew) and because it strengthens our relationships. When I finally told my best friend about my miscarriage back in April, and she expressed her wish that I had told her sooner, I realized that she felt out-of-the-loop, and a bit distanced. Friends and family want to be supportive, just as I wanted to be supportive to my best friend through her miscarriage, and as she wished she could have been through mine.

So, here it is:

Last April, I miscarried at the end of the first trimester of my pregnancy. At the beginning of this month, I miscarried a second time, but was only about 7 weeks along. My heart absolutely broke each time.
BUT, I have been so blessed to experience the Lord's tender mercies, His love, and His guidance. I've been able to find peace that comes only through the Savior. And truly, I am doing well. Happy even, in this most special time of year. I know the Lord is aware of me, and my family, and I know that He blesses us each and every single day, and my heart is full in that knowledge. In my Relief Society meeting last Sunday, the lesson was on spiritual gifts, and the instructor asked each of us to choose one of the spiritual gifts she had listed and read the scriptures assigned to them. I chose the gift to be healed, and after some cross-referencing, came upon the scripture account of the woman with an issue of blood who touched the Savior's robes to be healed.

He said to her, "Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace."

Reading that verse, my heart was touched, and I felt His love, and His peace. It felt as though He was speaking to me, and I now know (not just assume) that everything is going to work out as I continue to exercise my faith in Him. Through His divine love, my heart is now healed, and I have great joy today and bright hope for the future.

And now that my two "challenges" are complete, I am scheming on another goal, which I will post about next time. This next challenge is a lot more daunting than listening to lectures and eating yummy healthy food. On to the next!!! :)

When it rains...

... put on your dancing shoes and go find the puddles!

In my last post, I mentioned that illness had struck our home for the week and that, while no fun to deal with, we were all on the mend.

I'm wrong a lot. And I mean a LOT. This time, I was WAY, WAY, wrong. After that week, the phrase, "on the mend" was no longer applicable to our family in any way. The girls continued to deal with horrible coughs, fevers, more vomiting, and to top it off, pink-eye all around. Cory was so sick one night, I think we might have gotten two hours of sleep in. He was feverish, but chilled, nauseated, and sick as could be. Both of us got pink-eye at some point with the girls. The women in the house are all well as of Tuesday, (knock on wood) with the exception of a lingering cough for Natalie and Abi during the night. It's a different story for Cory, I'm afraid. He finished up with pink-eye, only to be at the mercy of some sort of major sinus infection. Sheesh! I don't think our little family has ever been through a month like this one as far as health is concerned.

Illness has not been the only damper we've had to confront for a whole month. There have been stressful work-related issues with Cory's job, loan officers who have been a bit difficult to deal with, and other things going on on top of it all.

Is there a silver lining to all of this?

OF COURSE!!! Though sometimes it's difficult for me to see through the pelting rain, the rainbow is not so far off in the distance:

Our family is LOVED... by the Lord, by our other family members, by friends, by many.
Our family has the GOSPEL and it's messages in our hearts, and therefore, clarity, understanding, and an eternal perspective to help us find peace.
Our family is BLESSED so greatly that as I reflect on it, I find myself tearing up in gratitude for all we have, for all we are, and just the fact that we get to be together.
While we might not always have good health, we have not one single chronic/major health issue among us.
While life may not run nearly as smoothly as we might hope for, we know where we are headed, and that, while it's rocky terrain at times, we'll eventually reach our destination.

Re-reading this post, I know it's starting to sound "perfectionist," or "idealistic optimist," and I want to be honest, so all that said, there's also this side of things: The wonderful stuff I just spoke of with regards to the silver lining? I see all that... truly, I do. But I definatley don't see it all the time. Internally, I have been pouting, I have been moaning, I have been complaining, I have not been "choosing to be happy" as well as I should.

BUT I am seeing things in a happier light today than I did yesterday, and plan to continue to do so. It's a process, that's for sure. Happiness is not a stagnant thing that I can just catch hold of and expect to stay with me for the rest of my days. Nope. Sometimes I lose my hold on it , or I voluntarily fling it far far away.

Today, though, I'm choosing to hold onto the happy things in my life and be grateful. So, today, I am metaphorically dancing in the downpour. :)

Cheerfully

For the last two weeks our home has been under attack by the Five Formidable Foes:

Contemptible Cough-and-Sneeze
Ruthless Runny Nose
Fiendish Fever
Horrible Headache
and let's not forget...
Villainous Vomit (who had a thing for Natalie)

There were times when I felt I was barely keeping my head above water... while trying to keep a cheerful smile plastered to my face.

I know that sounds a bit dramatic, and it is. However, there is more truth to it than I would like. Natalie got sick two weeks ago, and is just now recovering. Abi got sick last week, but seems to be on the mend. I was sick last week as well, but it was bearable for the most part. There was only a half-day that I was more or less bed-ridden. Thankfully, Cory was spared.

In light of all this, I had a couple minor setbacks with the Body For Life nutrition challenge. Surprisingly, I didn't feel one iota of guilt as I ate that piece of pizza that Cory brought home for dinner because I was not up to cooking. Nor did I feel bad about the Kit Kat and Reeses peanut butter cup I popped into my mouth later that night.

Setbacks are a part of life, and I have had, and will continue to experience, my fair share of them. The trick is dealing with those setbacks as cheerfully as possible.

So, here's to moving on, pressing forward, and not looking back. We often don't choose our circumstances, but we CAN choose our actions... And if Horrible Headache comes near me again anytime soon, I WILL cheerfully beat him to death.

On a lighter note: Check out my Super-Mega-Stellar Pumpkin this year!!!

I guess it'll only make sense if you've read the book, "Angels and Demons" by Dan Brown. I thought I was pretty clever... doing the ambigram for "Fire" on my pumpkin... which was lit up with fire.

Big pat on the back, blowing of kazoos, and confetti throwing for me. :)

Blah Blah Blog Post

Consistency rules much of my life. Putting my kids to bed and down for naps on time, gym workouts, grocery shopping on Mondays, family prayers, reading to my kids, etc: consistent, consistent, consistent.

But Blogging?

Not so consistent... Exhibit A: this blog. Turns out blogging is not necessary for vitality. Who knew? ;-)

I fall in and out of love with blogging like a teenager. Sad but true. And since I can't really call my relationship with blogging "on again" at the moment, I will simply provide a brief update in the hopes of reigniting the old flame.

Body For Life Nutritional Challenge: Check. Yogurt+Cottage Cheese+ Berries= Heaven in a bowl.

European History Course: Check...kind of... I'm two lectures behind schedule, but still loving it.

And just to throw something new into the mix of this blah post, here's my recent couponing conquest:
3 bags Kettle chips
2 bags Krunchers chips
10 boxes of whole grain pasta
2 boxes Go-Gurts
3 cans Bush's Baked Beans
2 cans green beans
2 boxes of Double Stuf Oreos
4 bottle Frank's hot sauce
1 Package Cottonelle Flushable Wipes
1 Package Dole Fruit Crisp
1 lb bag Mahatma rice
2 EAS protein bars
1 Zone Perfect bar
1 bottle 24-ct Advil

Retail Price: $85.00

My Price with coupons: $13

SKADOOSH!

Hand sweat

Today, I decided it was time to amp up the old weight training routine.



I have been performing the same routine for the past three months and I've thoroughly enjoyed it! It's become so comfortable, and I've liked it so well that I haven't made any modifications since June. This, unfortunately, is not how it's supposed to be done. Frequent modifications to fitness regimes are not only good for a change in pace but are important in keeping the body from coming to a stalemate... which is where mine has been for probably a month now.

Today, I said, "Adios," to my comfortable, enjoyable workout routine and, "Let's try to get through this with a tiny shred of dignity," to my new not-nearly-so-nice routine.

This new routine uses different exercises, heavier weights, a different rhythm, either the same or fewer reps, and the same number of sets as my previous routine, and it takes about the same amount of time as the old one. It went really, really well!!... For the most part... kind of... at least I managed to finish with that tiny shred of dignity I spoke of... I think...

Here's an idea of how it went:

Act 1 Scene 1: LA Fitness in Troy, MI.
(Andrea and the Dumbells doing shoulder presses together... Andrea doing ALL the work, and counting off reps in her head.)

Andrea: "...eight..."

Dumbells: "Yeah right, sister."

Andrea: "...nine..."

Dumbells: "You're seriously dreaming right now... and your eyes look crazy."

Andrea: "...*deep breath*...t-t-tennnn..."

Dumbells: "Did you just grow a new vein in your neck?"

Andrea: "...*wheeze* ....ellllllllllllleven"

Dumbells: "Holy Crow! You're arms are shaking so hard we can't see straight!"

Andrea: "...GASP!........twelllllllllllllllllllllllLLLLLLLLLVE! (thud)"

Dumbells: "OUCH!! Was that really necessary?!? Also, that lady over there is looking at you funny... also that guy over there is surprised you're not a guy... also your hand-sweat made us all wet. Gross. Also, Eww."

End scene 1

Basically that's how it went down.

After it was all over, I felt so happy that I was able to follow through with every rep/set that I had planned... granted, some finishes had more poise than others.

Hallelujah for accomplishing hard things and for hand sweat! (Gross. Also, Eww.)

Week 1: Nutrition Challenge and European History

Invigorating!

That's how it feels to put exceptionally nutritional food into your body, and exceptionally interesting information into your head.

In this first week, my goals of following the Body For Life nutrition guide and taking the European History course from Yale have been more rewarding and easier than I had planned.

First, the BFL nutrition challenge:

I'd forgotten just how GOOD it feels to eat like this! Seriously. My body is very happy about this change. It is true that once in a while my taste buds cry foul... they miss their good friends; Chocolate, Sugar, and Fat, who they only get to see once a week.

Here's a favorite:

See? Eating healthy isn't that bad. Looks pretty good, right?

The sandwich. OH, the sandwich!

(Turkey, romaine, red and yellow bell peppers on whole wheat... no condiments needed)

Sound weird? Yes. It does. Peppers? Oh-my-yummy-goodness, YES! I think I ate this sandwich like 4 times this week. Bring it on, Week 2!

On to Modern European History:

This was FANTASTIC!!! I'd forgotten just how much I enjoyed taking classes and hearing really great lectures. I took two of the 24 lessons this week. The first was simply the introduction to the class, but it served to ignite my already sparked interest in the subject.

(King Louis XIV)

The second lesson was on Absolute Rule, with an introduction to state-making, how it came to be widely accepted in the mid 1600's, and why. The Thirty Years war was touched on, as was King Louis XIV among other subjects. So interesting! I think my brain must have been starving for something like this, because I ate up every word the Professor spoke, took 2 pages of notes, and checked out a book on European History from the library to start. (I'm nuts, I know...)

Week 1 = SUCCESS!!

Chocolatey Goodness! (Not that I'm eating any...)

I love to bake.

I find great happiness in being creative and making something that I'm positive people will like. (Thanks mostly to chocolate, sugar, and other yumminess.) My relationship with making tasty treats is wonderful, because I don't ordinarily have to sample the finished product to enjoy the process... which is especially helpful right now as I'm resolved to be healthier in my eating habits.

Baking = Bliss.

It was nearly a year ago, that the clouds parted, the light came on, the angels began singing, and I discovered Bakerella.

(Above: Bakerella creations)

Oh Bakerella, how I love thee! Let me count the ways!... 1.) cake pops 2.) cake 3.) cupcakes 4.) candies 5.) creative awesomeness! Her website is choc full of amazing creations, recipes, and ideas.

(Above: Bakerella ice cream cone cake pops)

Just looking at all her ideas makes me smile. How can something so beautiful, creative, and DELICIOUS make anyone feel anything other than sheer delight?

(Above: Bakerella cupcake pops)

Today, I decided to make cake pops again and bring them to some of the women I go to church with. They weren't fancy like those pictured above. They were pink, simple, and lacked embellishment. I made a chocolate cake from scratch since I was out of box mixes, added the frosting, rolled the mixture into balls, inserted lollipop sticks, and froze them. After they reached sufficient hardness, I dipped them in the melted pink white chocolate and allowed them to set. Something about this process was so thoroughly enjoyable that I found myself grinning as I carefully packaged them to be given away.

The best part was seeing the light come into the eyes and the smiles spread across the faces of the women I gave them to.

(Above: Bakerella's pink pops. My pops are the same... my camera's capacity for photo quality is not.)

If ever there is ever a need for more happiness/creativity/chocolate in life, cake pops are the perfect remedy!

"...Get Understanding."

"With all thy getting get understanding." ~ Proverbs 4:7

Recently, I've begun to re-read one of the most inspiring books (in my opinion) of our time. The scripture above is quoted by Gordon B. Hinckley in this wonderful book, "Standing for Something."

In my efforts to become someone better, this simple passage struck a chord with me.

I have not had the opportunity to participate in formal education since I received my degree from BYU-Idaho 5 1/2 years ago. No classes with necessity for rigorous study. No more required course work. Now, my time is devoted to my children who I stay home with daily. And it is the BEST career move I ever made!

However, when I read, "In all thy getting get understanding" today, I was impressed by it. Here is why: As is often the case when rebuke is needed, I felt a twinge of guilt.

I do love reading good books, and I read and study the gospel through scripture and church literature. From time to time I attempt to further my culinary skills by learning how to make new dishes. But beyond that, I feel as though I have limited myself.

Never before in the history of the world has information been so readily available to anyone than it is to me right now. The Internet, the libraries, community classes, etc. The wealth of knowledge available to me is unquantifiable. And yet, I have not appreciated that fact by expanding my own education. It's unnecessary that I spend money on university or other kinds of classes. The library isn't even a mile down the road. My computer is right before me.

It is pointed out in the book that in times long past, knowledge was precious, sought after, and revered. Men and women cherished any book they could get their hands on... they understood that new information was vital to increasing their understanding that they might be enlightened, and in turn, enlighten those around them. C.S. Lewis wrote, "If one were looking for someone who could not read Virgil though his father could, he might be found more easily in the the twentieth century than in the fifth."

I believe the glory of God is intelligence, and that He must experience great happiness as we strive to improve and enrich out understanding.

All that said, I've decided to take an open course offered through Yale: History 202, "European Civilization: 1648-1945." I'm excited to learn more about the history of the time period whose literature I love so much. To learn about the events that occurred from the Thirty Years War to the aftermath of World War II. To come to understand how the changes that took place during that time have helped to shape the world today. To learn more about Napoleon Bonaparte, the French Revolution, the many wars, the Industrial Revolution, the politics, the class system... and on and on.

There are 24 class session. I hope to get through 2-3 sessions per week, making and exception for the week of Thanksgiving. I plan to complete this course by December 10th, so that I can finish it the same time as my Body for Life nutritional challenge. I am very happy about this. I don't fully know what to expect, but I'm excited and determined to "get understanding" from this course and thoroughly enjoy myself along the way!

Happy and HEALTHY: Day 1

As I write this during my girls' nap time, I am eating a tuna sandwich on whole wheat bread, sliced yellow, red, and green bell peppers, grapes, and a low-fat cheese stick.

Are you drooling on your keyboard yet? Me either...

For the last few weeks... (Who am I kidding?) For the last year or so, I have not been half so healthy in my eating habits as I have been in the past. To be fair to myself, I still have tendencies towards eating healthy foods. It's not as though fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc. never make it to my plate, because they are there fairly often. My nutritional base and it's application in my life are still somewhat sound. But still...

I've been trying to figure out why I've become less proactive with regard to eating healthy. There are lots of factors, but here are some:

1.) Sugar and fat just taste so darn GOOD!
2.) The super-duper healthy food I used to buy can be EXPENSIVE. It can be hard to justify buying it at times, when other food items can be bought much cheaper through sales/coupons.
3.) In truth, my willpower has ebbed.

(The world's greatest icecream)

Despite the relative easy of eating whatever is cheapest/available/convenient/tastes yummy, I do notice the negative impact of how it makes me feel inside. Both physiologically and psychologically. Instead of feeling full of health and vitality and happiness after having supplied my body with proper nutrients, I eat Ben and Jerry's Half Baked icecream and feel crummy and sluggish and find myself thinking, "Why did I just eat that?" or "Why did I eat so much of that?" Ick.


After Natalie was born, I put myself through the Body for Life program. I loved this! I truly enjoyed it, and experienced wonderful results. I highly recommend it to anyone.


I'm loving the exercise routine I have in place currently, so I've decided to just put myself through a modified version of the nutritional aspect of this program again. It lasts for 12 weeks! I'll eat extremely healthy every day of the week with the exception of one "cheat day" of my choosing, and write updates of my progress on this blog from time to time. I'm starting today, September 17th. I'll be done December 10th.

The major cruxes: 1.) Halloween 2.) Thanksgiving

The benefits: 1.) Happier 2.) Healthier 3.) Feel better 4.) Look better 5.) My body gets treated like the temple it is.

(Replacements for the world's greatest icecream)

The desired outcome is that by going through this program, I'll get myself back on track towards primarily choosing healthy foods, even when it's not convenient/easy/cheap/as tasty as a hot fudge sundae would be.

Hang on to your celery sticks, 'cause here we go!

Time for a New Project

It's Friday. Just barely. In fact, as I look at the upper right-hand corner of this screen, I am informed that it is 12:43 a.m.

WHY in the name of a good night's sleep am I AWAKE at this hour?!

It's all due to the day I just had.

I consider myself to be a positive, happy, easy-going person for the most part. I'm not easily upset, angered, or fed-up. My general outlook on life and people is almost always immediately positive.

Today... not so.

My morning started out messy with soggy cereal on the floor, strawberry yogurt on the carpet, and a substantially stinky leaky diaper. Seems pretty minimal... but it escalated into girls whining to no end, screaming, sharing issues, tantrums, time-outs, a non-existent nap time, dirty dishes, dirty clothes, dirty children, a dirty house, and a down-in-the-dumps, depressed, frustrated, overwhelmed Momma (that would be me) who began dwelling more and more on her imperfections and insecurities.

But here's the thing: this terrible horrible no good very bad day thing has happened once or twice before, but with no huge despair on my part.

Why the difference this time around??

Because I chose poorly this time. Obviously, I couldn't choose my children's actions, but I DID choose my own reactions and attitude. And I chose WRONG.

It was fully within my power to choose happiness over being down-in-the dumps; cheerfulness over depression; to be calm instead of frustrated; to focus on the positives instead of the negatives... Had I chosen differently, it's very likely that today (well... yesterday, now) wouldn't have become nearly so horrible.

So, why this blog?

Well, firstly because as I was wallowing in all kinds of negativity and wanting to make myself wallow on out, it was the initial idea that popped into my head. The idea has taken root. My thoughts have expanded and continue to do so. I'm writing this blog because it will serve as a wonderful resource as I actively pursue living a life of vitality! I want to improve, I want to work hard, I want to set goals and reach them, I want my life to be dedicated to positive, uplifting, and inspiring things both on a personal level and in reaching out to others. Perhaps not on some grand scale, but in my own realm of influence, I want to be a force for good. I don't want to coast.

This blog is not meant to be written on one specific theme. Rather, I hope it will be an integration of ideas, goals made and achieved, improvements sought, introspection, failures, successes, and choosing happiness along the way.

Tomorrow is going to be wonderful!