An Amazing Girl With A Fighting Spirit

A video that shows the journey this little girl has begun and little tokens of motivation to share with her during this very trying time.



Elizabeth...YOU are an amazing little girl with a such a powerful smile and a fighting spirit. YOU have so much LOVE all around YOU and always know that YOU are never alone. Your heart is strong and bright...it radiates everything around YOU.

YOU are an absolute inspiration to so many people. Never lose hope, embrace your strength, and let your light lead YOU to the place YOU are meant to be! STAY STRONG ELIZABETH AND FINISH YOUR FIGHT!

ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL

"Change Your Attitude To Gratitude."

-E. Gracia

I was talking to my aunt Erma last night and she truly touched my heart and asked me to post this quote that means alot to her. The amazing thing about my aunt is that with everything she has endured through her life, she is still able to have faith and be grateful for what she has in her life. My aunt has overcome so much adversity in her lifetime that our family refers to her as the woman with nine lives. And even though she has dealt with so much, she believes in living her life with a positive outlook and a continuing show of gratitude. My aunt and I are so close and I want to personally thank her for everything that she has done for me...from going to my basketball games in high school, to going to my high school and college graduation, for being a true example of STRENGTH and DETERMINATION, and for always supporting and loving me unconditionally. Thank you for being such an important part of my life and for that I am grateful for YOU!

So my message to everyone is to always be grateful for what you have and who you have in your life. Never take life or the people in your life for granted. ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL! I, personally believe that the people closest to me, MY MOM, MY SISTER, MY AUNT ERMA, AND ALL OF MY FAMILY have truly shaped me into the person that I am today. I will soon include a blog dedicated to the most important person in my life...the one that has sacrificed everything for me, the one who instilled the values and the strength to make it in life, the one that introduced me to the game of basketball and supported me at each and every game, the one that rushed to my side when I had to undergo ACL knee reconstruction surgery four times, the one that taught me to multitask and to be creative in all activities, the one and only that made me do book reports every summer growing up....MY MOM!

Discover Something New About A Friend

Just like love relationships, friendships can get into ruts. We can spend a great deal of time with our friends and not know very much about WHAT REALLY MATTERS TO THEM OR WHO THEY TRULY ARE.

There are all kinds of ways to deepen a relationship. One easy way is to try asking hypothetical questions (WELL, WELL, WELL...ISN'T THAT IRONIC! :) Would you rather become deaf or blind and why?) that reveal a side you've never seen before.

Or you can ask a friend to tell you what has been the most significant lesson they've learned in life and how they learned it. Or ask them to tell you a recent dream they had. Or which parent they're closer to and why. The point is to get off the surface level and deepen the encounter. It is so important to ask questions...it sets THE FOUNDATION FOR LEARNING. And merely by intending it YOU WILL FIND THE WAY!
Ryan, M.J. Instant Health and Happiness. Pg. 300.

A Very SPECIAL Family Holiday 2012

The Love We Give Away Is The Only Love We Keep. And The Best Gifts Are The Memories You Are Making!!!! Here's To The Memories And The Love That Was Celebrated This Christmas (December 25, 2012). And May Everyone Have A Safe And Happy New Years!

Spirit And Love-
DO



P.S. Not Really Sure Why My Cousin's Words Are Not Matching Up With Her Lips At The End Of This Video...We Will Just Say It's MAGIC!!!!

An Amazing Accomplishment

I want to say congrats to my cousin Stephen for this amazing accomplishment. I am so proud of you Stephen and I wish I could be there to share this moment with you. You have worked so hard and you have proven to yourself and everyone else that you can do whatever you set your mind to. YOU ARE AWESOME! Please know that I will be thinking about you during your ceremony and your celebration afterwards. I am sending my love and will be there in spirit. Love you so much and we will have to celebrate when I come home for the holidays! SO PROUD OF YOU!

Children And Exercise- The Balance

Making exercise a priority is a challenge for everyone. And for parents it can be especially difficult to find time to workout because of the full plates that they often juggle. Now that summer is here the juggling act becomes even more tricky with kids home from school and involved in extracurricular activities.

But, finding time for regular physical activity is so important that it should be a priority placed on your calendar, just like your kids' softball game. A parent needs to exercise not only for themselves, but also for their kids benefit. It's important to set a good example. If your children never see you engage in fitness or if they hear you complain about working out, then they are going to have a negative image of exercise. Let them know that you workout to stay healthy, to be strong and to have more energy and stamina (so you can keep up with them).

The big question is how to make it a priority that fits in your schedule. Well, it's actually easier than you may think. With a little planning you can find ways to incorporate workouts into the time you spend with your children. Regardless of what age your children are, there's a way to find time to workout (often even with your kids)! Here are some tips based on the age of your children.

Age: Infant through Pre-school
. Fit in exercise time while they are napping. Try a home exercise video, walking or jogging (if you have a treadmill), jumping rope.
. Occupy them for even 15 minutes with a video or toy while you do some toning exercises like squats and tricep dips. . Grab your stroller and go for a brisk walk. Or, buy a jogging stroller for more flexibility. With a jogging stroller you can walk faster, jog or even run at a fast pace. And, for veteran rollerbladers, you can even use the stroller for some skating time.

. For younger children, you can use a back carrier to transport them while walking. This can burn even more calories as the extra weight makes it more challenging.
. Turn on some music and dance together. Toddlers love dancing, especially when their parents joins in.
. Push your kid on a swing. And, after every push complete one squat.
. Use an infant carrier or bike trailer to enjoy a bike ride together.

Age: Grade School
. Try rollerblading or skating together.

. Spend an afternoon at a park with a playground, but don't spend the whole time relaxing on the sidelines - join in on the fun. Spend some time swinging to help workout your legs. Try making it across the monkey bars - even just once (it's a great upper body workout and you'll be amazed that your kid does it with such ease). Try some pull-ups using a bar on the playset. Do some tricep dips on a nearby park bench.

. Play catch with a ball or get a small group together for a kickball or softball game.
. Make Saturdays family bike outing day.
. Involve your kids while you strength train. Let them count your reps out loud for you and/or clock your rest time in-between sets.
. For pool outings, don't just spend time soaking up the sun. Walk back and forth in shallow water while your kids have fun splashing about.
. On rainy days that force you inside, walk or run up and down the stairs. You might even make it a contest to see who can finish 5 complete rounds the quickest.

Age: Teenagers
. Register for a fun run (or walk) event and spend time together training for the event.
. Purchase a family gym membership and workout together weekly.

. Play tennis or basketball together.

. Consider joining a community volleyball or softball team that includes enthusiasts of all ages.
. Don't just sit and cheer your kids at their sporting events. Every few minutes do some walking   or jumping jacks or squats.
. Implement a daily family walk each day before or after dinner.
. Work together in the yard raking leaves, planting flowers, trimming trees.

So, with all the above recommendations, you no longer have the "I'm a parent - I don't have time to workout" excuse. If you implement these activities for just 30 minutes three times per week, you can easily burn an extra 450 calories or more! Plus, working out sets a great example for your children that will teach them at an early age how important (and easy) it is to make physical fitness a part of daily life. Exercising with your kids also provides the extra bonus of spending quality time together. So don't let another day go by. Enjoy each and every day, get children involved, and still work out.