Miss his smile, hugs, wisdom...

It's been two years since my Grandpa Kenny went to be with Jesus. I always said it more like grampa though because sometimes I'd call him Gramps.

Today I remember his wonderful smile.  His big strong hugs, and the wonderful wisdom he shared with all of us.  He wasn't perfect but he loved God so much & he was a good example to his family & those who knew him.  He had a knack for growing a beautiful garden full of color, bursting with taste, & tons of veggies that he willingly shared.  He was a man of honor, a man of great character, a man devoted to his wife & his family.  Family was so important to him & we all knew it.  He was a hard worker.  In fact, I've been told that unlike most people, he didn't mind work.  He seldom complained & one would often hear the phrase, "No complaints" from his mouth when asked how he was.  That leads me to believe that he was a content man.  He had an 8th grade education but he was far more intelligent & knowledgeable than an 8th grade education gets you these days.  I never had the privilege to see it myself but I've been told that he would get on his knees every night to pray.  He told me once that each  night he prayed for every one of us grandchildren (including great-grandchildren).  He liked to tease & have fun with pranks.  He was a generous man, always giving of his time.  He taught by his actions. I watched him come back from several strokes as he went through physical therapy sessions & then worked on his own to do the exercises to strengthen himself again. He was a stubborn man but used in the right way taught me perseverance. He liked to rile my Gram with comments & get her reaction & sit back & laugh.  He disliked iced tea (one of my favorite drinks). He wasn't perfect but he was wonderful. I miss his smile.  I miss his hugs & the twinkle in his eyes.  I wish my kids would have gotten to spend more time with him or that he would have been able to meet Sadie.  I love the legacy he left behind for us.  Dedicated to his faith, family, hard worker, etc.  So two years ago on this day, he may have departed from us here but I wanted to celebrate his life & legacy.  And I look forward to our reunion in heaven.  It's gonna be grand!  Miss you so much Grampa!!!  I will share his memory & values with my children, nieces, & nephews so they can get a glimpse of who he was.

No Excuses. Stay Committed. PERIOD!

No Excuses. Stay Committed. PERIOD!

With a new year often come new goals. Or perhaps old ones that you are resurrecting because you didn't accomplish them in full the way you had intended. Once you decide what your goals are you need to commit to achieving them.  You can’t have a lackadaisical attitude about your goals or you'll just end up putting them on next year’s list again.  Eventually frustration sets in & you may give up entirely even though it’s something you really do want to achieve.

If you know me then you know that I LOVE to make lists.  I’d go as far as to say it makes me happy to make a list but it brings me JOY to cross things off that list. Are you a crazy list lover like me?  A great way to get to cross those things off my list is to have a plan for each goal that I set.  Now I know I’m not the only one that struggles with stuff like this because I talk to a lot of people & so many have told me that it’s hard to reach those goals. I want to reach my goals but I don’t want to do it alone. I want to help others achieve their goals too.  So let’s be committed together & have a plan so that when something besides our plan happens, we can stay on track or we can get back on track quickly without beating ourselves up.

I’m gonna share what happened this morning in my house.  Now please don’t read into this & think that I’m telling you that I’m better than you or that you stink at making a hard choice when things don’t go as planned. That might be what you ‘hear’ but that’s not remotely close to what I’m saying.  If you are a parent I’m sure this has happened at some point to you, probably even more than once.  

With the New Year, a clean slate, I recommitted to exercising 5 days a week. I’m currently on day 6 of Les Mills Combat. My initial plan was to wake at 6:30am, get contacts in & get dressed & get as much of my workout done by 7am when I have to stop to get my school aged kids ready for school.  The middle 2 get on the bus at 8:10, the oldest gets picked up at 8:30 so when those 3 are gone I finish whatever is left of my workout.  This might not be ‘ideal’ for a workout but one of my new things is to remind myself that “Some beats none.”

The first morning I had about 20 minutes left after getting the kids off to school.  By yesterday, I worked my way to only having about 10 minutes to finish after they all left.  I was improving with waking up earlier so I could get more done before the kids were up.  Now remember, I also have a 9 month old & whatever she decides her schedule is for the ‘moment’, that’s what I kind of go with.

This morning was one of those unplanned mornings.  I woke up to #1 telling me that #3 needed me.  Of course I jumped out of bed thinking that she was throwing up or something.  (After all the flu is going around like crazy & with them being back in school….well….)  I hate cleaning up ‘that stuff’.  I used to have a daycare & now we've got 4 kids of our own so I've had my share of it.  Thankfully it wasn't the flu. Instead, Morgan’s neck had a terrible kink in it & she was crying & told me she couldn't move her head at all.  I grabbed the heat pad & tried to make her comfy so she could rest a bit longer. The clock now said something like 6:20 & I knew I had a choice; I could try to fit my workout in later or do it now. But let’s be honest, I've found that if I don’t do my workout in the morning, the chances of it happening are extremely low…almost nonexistent.  SO I sucked it up. I reminded myself that I was committed to my routine, I have a plan. I headed down to ‘Press Play’. I tried to hit play in the SuperGym too but the internet was giving me trouble. I fussed with it for a bit when a glance at the clock told me that it was decision time.  Do I make reasons excuses that I just couldn't overcome the obstacles or just do it?  I laced up my shoes, got my DVD out, TV set up & pressed play.  Great job Jeannette, you overcame a rough morning. Big smile on my face as I punched & kicked with the Combat team…. But that's not the end of the obstacles.

Oh no!  Now I could hear the baby crying.  Sheesh!  Are you kidding me?  Pause.  Run up the stairs. Hold baby & feed her till she drifts off to sleep again. Put her in the crib.  Now it’s even later.  I've got about 10 minutes & I have to wake the kids & still deal with Morgan’s neck & knowing she’s not going to be able to do much to get ready on her own.  Back downstairs I press play again. Whew! 10 minutes more & time to press pause again.  Woke kids up, called to schedule Morgan to see the chiropractor, helped the kids with breakfast, made lunches, etc.  Since Morgan’s appointment was for 8:30 & school is at 8:45, I had another decision to make. Should I try to squeeze the rest of my workout in or wait until after 9 when I’d get back from dropping Morgan at school?  I decided that since Braly & Gabby are old enough & pretty good at getting themselves ready for their rides on time, I needed to press play again so I could finish.  Instead of making excuses, I stayed committed & finished my Combat workout.

What a morning right?  Sound familiar?  Even when you plan & have things set out, plans can change. Circumstances happen.  Have YOU ever have one of those days?  I can honestly say that I don’t regret pressing play. In fact, I feel as though I earned a gold star for the day & I want you to have that same feeling.  Once you decide on your goals, no matter what area in your life it is, finances, exercise, eating healthy, growing your faith, etc. commit to those goals & don’t let anything get in your way. Do your best to make it happen.  Yes, sometimes ‘life happens’ but if you are committed you can get back on track a lot quicker than if you aren't committed.  Don’t let those thoughts in your head make you feel bad, put it behind you & move forward, accept it for the slip-up that it was & move on to reach your goals from now on. No excuses. Stay committed. Period!

Questions: I’d love to hear from you!  What are your goals? What is your plan to reach your goals?  Are you committed no matter what?

Attention Guys

Hey guys,  I didn't want you to feel left out so I'm posting this message to you but you need to hurry quick in order to get in on this challenge.  No, it's not to wear a little black dress...lol.  How would you guys like to look great in a nice suit?  Here's the challenge for you.  Contact me for details but you must HURRY!  Time is running out to join this challenge.

coachjetta7@gmail.com or friend me on facebook   https://www.facebook.com/jeannette.pierce

Black Dress Challenge

Every year the holiday season is the same time of year & yet it creeps up on us like we have no clue its coming.  We don't save for the presents we intend to buy. We vow that we'll eat healthier & move more but we don't and all we say is we just want to make it through the holidays & then we'll start making healthier choices.  We say that we'll sign up for less so we can take a few things off our schedules but it seems as though more stuff is added instead.



How would you like to change that this year?  I'm part of a great team called Dream Dynasty & we're here to help you get through the holidays without adding to your waistline & helping decrease the stress by increasing your good endorphines & your energy levels.  You can do this by joining our challenge group.  Contact me for Challenge Info.....Hurry quick, we're starting soon & you won't want to miss out on this great opportunity for accountability, PRIZES, making friends that have similar goals, recipe sharing, & fun. It's guilt free, easy, you set your schedule, & so much more. We are in this T-O-G-E-T-H-E-R  email me at coachjetta7@gmail.com or message me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jeannette.pierce  so I can get you the details.  Hurry, this Challenge is starting soon & entry into this challenge will be closed soon after the challenge starts.

My talent is.... :)

You've heard it before. Everyone's got talents and gifts. Some are great teachers, leaders, possess an 'eye' for photography, can decorate a cake like no one's business, able to create an event that is unbelievable, is an idea person, creative, etc.  Some have to look a little harder for that talent.  I think I'm one of those people.  Sure I can do a lot of things. I try stuff until I succeed. I often say "fake it until I make it".  But I was beginning to wonder what was something that I'm really, I mean REALLY good at.   I once asked my kids what they thought I was really good at & do you know what their answer was?  It didn't take them long to say it either.....  Talking.  Mom you can talk a lot.  I laughed & said, no what am I good at.  And that's what they stuck with.  So when I found this quote about super powers & I've had people tell me that I'm good at getting people to talk things through....I decided this quote was fitting.  So now I"m gonna say, My Superpower is communication.  Doesn't mean I'm perfect at it...I"m not saying that but I am pretty good at it & I consider it a blessing & a talent. What is your superpower? i.e. talent

I love Deals

I've been trying to get the present shopping for Christmas done early this year. Adam's work hours get super crazy this month & I don't want to be stressed trying to finish things.  I'd love to have extra time with the kids to relax & watch movies, do crafts, play board games & video games & just make memories.  So I've been shopping online & in the stores for the last two weeks.  I've had some dress pants in the shopping cart at Kohl's for Adam for about 1 1/2 weeks.  I keep looking at it & can't believe the price of "NO Iron" pants. (a must since I don't always have time to iron so he looks nice).  I was bummed when the sale that was going on ended & the price jacked up so high.  I waited a few more days & the price went down a little.  Then another few days & a price change again for my benefit.  And then I remembered what a neighbor had told me....when she buys things online she'll google some codes for discounts.  And that's just what I did.  I got 2 codes for Kohl's and saved a bunch of  money.  My original price of 6 pairs of dress pants was around $180, then with no sales it went up to about $350 ($300 for 5 pairs).  I decided to buy 5 pairs instead of 6 & with my savings codes as well as FREE shipping, I paid just under $110.  Woohooo!!!! Savings of about $190 I'll take that kind of savings any day!

TIP: Google discount codes for the place you are shopping before you check out.

Happy Shopping & I hope you save like I did.  I just <3 deals!  After all, we've heard it (and probably even said it to our kids a million times) money doesn't grow on trees! :)

Insanity: My work in progress

 My last post was Aug 27th when I started Insanity. I haven't been posting because I've got a lot going on, which means blogging is one of the first things that falls off my list in order to keep things moving along. I don't like that it happens this way because I love sharing but I have responsibilities that I can't skip.

We are all works in progress, all the time.  I happen to be a work in progress in many areas & in my quest for being healthier & making healthier decisions I am trying to move more & eat less so I can be stronger, more flexible  have more energy, & less weight on my joints.  Those were some of the main reason I decided to start Insanity at the end of August.

In case you didn't know, Insanity is intended to be a 60 day workout program. You workout for 6 days rest on the 7th & repeat that.  Of course you could do more than one round of it but right now my focus is to complete my first round. The name of this program is very fitting. Not only are the drills Insane but you WILL get Insane results when you do the drills as they are intended. I knew before I started Insanity that the drills were intended for people that can handle a lot of jumping. I was warned but that didn't stop my curiosity of ordering my own copy & trying it out for myself.  I figured that I could modify it if needed & probably still get some nice results.  It is slow going but I wasn't wrong. I can literally feel my waist shrinking. I'm getting stronger in many areas of my body & I am overcoming so much head junk that it feels good.  Head junk? ya know, those 'reasons/excuses' that you come up with not to exercise, those reasons that make it easy to give up & do what seems easier like enjoy a bowl of ice cream or eat unhealthy foods, watch tv, or mess on the computer.

Wanna know how I measure up? Okay, here it is.  Simply put...I'm out of shape!  I gained 45 pounds while pregnant with Sadie, despite trying to be careful of what I was eating. I figure my body was just used to gaining that much weight during pregnancy since that's what I gained with all 4 of my babies.  Frustrating?  yes, especially since I had lost weight & many inches prior to becoming pregnant. BUT we were blessed with a beautiful & healthy baby girl in April so I silence my frustration with thankfulness.  While pregnant I experienced some issues with my hips & back which caused some difficulty with being able to workout at a high intensity like I did prior to becoming pregnant.  That too was frustrating & I had to fight myself because I was finding it was so easy to fall into excuses of not doing anything for movement when I knew I couldn't do my Insanity workout.  So there are a few excuses I used for not doing Insanity 6 days a week when I started.  I certainly started out strong but then took some days off of it.  Having a baby again & nursing her too has proved challenging to find the right time to exercise each day.  Dealing with lack of sleep now that she's been waking in the middle of the night to eat & teething fussiness has made it EXTREMELY difficult to climb out of bed most mornings let a lone add a scheduled workout to my day.  But I am trying to squash those 'reasons' to put off my morning workout & JUST DO IT! Hey, there was a reason that Nike made that their catch phrase. They target athletes & those that want to be like athletes.

I made myself a deal that when the alarm goes off I will hop out of bed & get myself ready to workout as quickly as possible.  I will put the DVD in & press play & do as much of my workout as possible before it hits 7am when I need to get my kids up & ready for school.  Then when they have been picked up I will feed the baby again & then press play AGAIN in order to finish my workout for the day.  I don't like to listen to my baby cry so if she's crying & needs me, I have to pause the program.  Sometimes its a bit more challenging to get my workout done because not only do I have to overcome the desire to slack & skip pressing play that first time but I have to do it several times in one day. I guess its just good practice for me. One baby-step at a time  will make me better at getting up with my alarm & eventually I will work toward the alarm going off earlier.  Does the baby go with my schedule?  Nope, not my dream schedule.  But I am determined to work around her because I will be able to care for her better & I will eventually have less hip & back pain as I strengthen my core & get closer to my weight goal. Changing my dream schedule is what I must do.  It too is a work in progress.

The Insanity workouts have a lot, well I really should say, a TON of jumping in the drills that are being done. What does this mean for me? A few things. first, my knee joints aren't the greatest (bad genes for joints so I must take care of them) but I have learned to modify & still get results and then there is the topic of incontinence. I only share this TMI info because it might help someone else overcome this excuse.

WARNING: TMI about to be shared here. Sorry but I know I'm not the only one with this issue & I almost used it as a 'good reason' not to exercise.  Someone like myself who has had 4 babies sometimes finds it difficult to exercise because there can be issues with bladder control with jumping or running. Heck, I've heard women talk about too much laughter & their bladder doesn't hold. Solution ladies: Poise pads. Yup, I figure I won't need them forever and wearing them for a 45 minute workout solves the issue for now & takes away that excuse.  End of WARNING!

I find it great to be able to exercise in the privacy of my own home gym. Why? I'm uncoordinated, lack rhythm, I'm S-L-O-W, & weak. Who am I kidding...I  found it difficult to even do a girl push up when I started exercising again   Because I'm slow I sometimes cut out one move in a drill in order to get the rest in.  I can't kick as high, jump as high, move as fast, etc for the drills but I can certainly tell you that I have improved since first putting the Insanity DVD in on August 27th and that's all I'm personally aiming for.  Instead of comparing myself to what the Shaun T or the others on the DVDs can do, I'm comparing myself to what I could do when I started & measuring from there.  I can honestly say that I have a long way to go & since I'm sometimes in far too much hip & back pain to press play on Insanity & therefore have to choose my stationary bike or something else, it may take me awhile to complete the 60 day workout.  I don't care if it takes me 3 months or even 4 months to finish this 2 month program. I'm determined to do it. I know that I am gaining strength, losing inches, gaining muscle, gaining flexibility, & losing fat along the way. It may be a slow process, I may be slow, but it works for me & that's what counts.  So I press on & persevere!

That reminds me of a few scriptures I use to help me keep going. Philippians 3:13b-14  Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 

Another great one is found in James 1:2-4  ² Consider it pure joy, my brothers , whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 

I hope that I have inspired someone to throw the excuses/reasons out the door & do something healthy for yourself .  No its not easy but it is so worth the effort & energy to reach your goals & dreams. Think positive. You can do it!!!