Summer is A' Coming

He all!
Yet another month has passed without a peep over here.
Summer is almost here, and I promise to be back in action,
since I won't be "working" till the Fall.

Things I have planned:

Another 30/30 for fun...
Ideas to share that I will be planning for my classroom...
Make-Up dump....what I am getting rid of, what I am stocking up on...
"Favorite Things" Party....so excited to plan this one!
Anniversary Update....
Kids Birthday Party planning....
Fitness Info. and Encouragement....

It's all going to be good.  I promise!
Miss you.
Love you.

(Safe travels Cindi....XO)

Monday

Morning!
So....a few things...

1) Thank you so much to all of you for your supportive words for Justin.  It makes his race wounds not hurt so bad.....well, not really...but you know what I mean.  He is always appreciative of the support!

2) Justin did so well for his first Full Ironman, and let me just say that he did it on 2 weeks of training...literally.  We don't recommend that method...but it just kind of worked out that way for him.  Participating in an Ironman race is not inexpensive, but the HITS Triathlon Series is trying to make them more accessible to people who are on a budget....like us.  The race staff was amazing, and so helpful.

3) Here is my workout for the day.  Your butt will thank you later, if you choose to follow along.



4) LOVING this project idea...

5) We are off to the Library!

XOXO

an Ironman story

Marble Falls, TX
Our weekend started out rather simple.
We all went to the pre-race meeting for the half and full Iron man participants.
Questions were answered....
"what do we do if there is lightening while we are out on the swim???"
"why is there no lane closure out on hwy 71??"
"will there be strippers??" (say what??? Oh, you mean people to strip you of your wetsuit....THOSE strippers. Gotcha.)

We went out to dinner and settled in for an early bedtime at the hotel.

Then morning came.
We dropped Justin off, told him good luck, and returned after the kids and I had eaten breakfast and packed up the hotel room.
We had just missed him in the transition area.

(watching some fire ants....just before said fire ants crawled in to his shoes and started to sting)

Thank goodness for Benedryl.

Our set-up for the day....

Seeking shelter in the shade as the temperature starts to climb.

Getting hot now....sweaty and humid and....."why are we here" hot.

Caught a glimpse of him at the halfway point (mile 56) on his bike ride

HUGS help.

And back out for 56 more miles of joy.

DONE.....with that part of it anyway.

Getting powered up for the marathon.

Why am I here?????

And we wait......

Attitudes start flaring after waiting all day....up at 5am......bad idea....

Running off those attitude problems....

AND....after waiting for 15 hours.....
He crossed the finish line.
He is an Ironman.

2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run.

And in my mind I had the camera ready to go...
to capture that ONE moment we had waited 15 hrs. for...
and I got this.

NICE.
Good thing there will be official race photos.

He has done it again.
Till' the next challenge, may you be inspired to try something new and seemingly impossible.
Even if it is giving up chocolate for a week, because the little things are ultimately the big things.
And even though I have shared this many times before....these men were Justin's inspiration.
And I kind of think they always will be.

'round here

We have been a bit busy.
Here is photographic evidence of such business...

dogs

babies

walks

flowers

 views

 smiles

 poses...always posing

 more flowers

sunset walks

and soccer...lots and lots of soccer

 practices

 happy dads

happy couples

happy boys

swarms of pink and purple

saves by Paige....she rocks as a goalie

really happy dads

 concerned moms (thanks paparazzi River)

and lots of hugs for Coach K

Life is incredibly good, and sometimes a day on the soccer sidelines is extremely good for your soul.
You get to see your community come out and support these precious children,
cheer each other on and build up their sense of self. 
I love being a soccer Mom, and in a few weeks I will become a swim Mom.
I am so thankful the Justin and I are able to provide these opportunities for our kids.
It is SO worth it.
xo, A
p.s. Riv scored 3 goals today....one for the other team! 

psst....anybody out there??

Excuse me while I clear away the cobwebs over here.....
It has been far too long, and to think I was doing so well in 2013 with my blogging....
tsk, tsk.

Well, the truth is that I have been working.
Actual working.
While getting paid.
Crazy, I know.
I started subbing at Riv's school, and I think they like me because I keep getting called back!
I am also going to be working there on staff next school year, since it will be Riv's last year in preschool.
I want to be there...and allow him to have experiences away from me.
(Just not too far away...)
It really is a magical little school, and I couldn't be happier to be a part of it.
I won't be teaching at his age level, as they keep parents away from their children,
but I do see him in passing in the halls.
It is cute to see him out on the playground, without him knowing I am watching.

So, I have been a busy bee filling in for different teachers, and experiencing new things.
Yesterday I taught Art to all the classes, and let me tell you, it was a  full body workout!
I loved it!

Ok, enough about me....
I will give you a Justin update.
So, as you know he has been training to go to the Phase II selection for the Combat Rescue Officer job, and he was supposed to leave this week.
That isn't happening.
Long story short, he fractured a small bone in his wrist, which caused a domino effect of problems for him.  The swelling in his hand, wrist and forearm was so severe that it completely cut off the circulation in his hand for a time, and he had to be rushed in an ambulance from the main base over to the Veterans Hospital to prep for possible amputation, because his hand was essentially dying.
(This is not a fun phone call to receive, FYI.)
 It was a horrible experience, but ultimately was just a good wake up call for Justin to take it easy.  He did not lose a hand, or even a finger, but we sure got a good scare.
(Sorry to my family for the roller coaster ride of texts and phone calls.)
So, what this meant was that he would not be medically cleared to participate in this selection.
You simply cannot do push-ups on a wrist that can't be bent, let alone hundreds of push-ups and pull-ups.

We were depressed.
I was angry.
We got over it.
He has another shot at this in October, so we are looking at this as an opportunity to train for 6 more months, after he heals properly. It also means we have to wait 6 more months....and Justin is sure feeling his age these days.  All those Ultramarathons seem to be catching up to him (mainly knees and hips), and he has to work so much harder than his 23 year old competition!

Other than little bump in the road, everything is great.
Paige and Riv are both signed up for soccer, and it starts this Saturday, which will be FUN.
At the very least, it will be FUNNY.
More on that later.....

If you are still reading.....
you are the best.


LOVE YOU!!!!

A Bit of Birthday Swag

So it is that time of year when I get to pick up a few things without guilt, or retribution.
And I typically spend these precious birthday dollars on beauty products from Sephora...
can you blame me??
As a bit of a back story....
this year has already brought some firsts...
a trip to the dermatologist with a subsequent removal of a chunk of skin from my arm (benign skin tumor, no big deal),
but the little old lady who was the appointment before me left with no less than 7 bandages on her face,
from things she had removed. 
I DO NOT want that to be my future.....so I will be taking Sun Protection very seriously from now on. 
I have such a bad track record with sunscreen breaking out my face that I often skip it altogether. 
But deep in the heart of Texas (and anywhere for that matter),
it is kind of important to protect your face, at the very least!
My No Foundation Foundation has SPF 30, but I wanted something a little higher,
and the Josie Maran Daily Argan Moisturizer SPF 40 looked just about perfect. 

I have had a good track record with her products, and I think the Argan Oil is just what my skin needs.
I also picked up this Infinity Cream, which is supposed to be a magic do-it-all product....eyes, lips, skin, cuticles, etc. 

And I love that it is in a tube, since you know I always manage to drop a glass bottle of expensive product EVERY TIME.
And just to keep it all in the family, I am also trying out her Argan Blend Concealer. 

I purchased the color Sand-Light, which I may not have done, had I not been in the store to see it for myself. 
I am typically closer to a Medium skin tone, but this lightest shade is great for fairer skin, or those with a yellow undertone,
which I have. 
The medium shade would be better if you had more of a pink undertone in your skin, in my opinion. 
I feel like it is the best of two of my favorite products, Benefits Boi-ing and Erase Paste.
The smaller pan is a salmon colored corrector used to cover anything red or blue colored
(under-eyes and blemishes, like Erase Paste)
and the larger pan is a nice creamy concealer (like Boi-ing).
They can easily be layered over top of each other to get a natural finish. We will see.....
Once I have used these products, I will give you a full review,
to let you know what I think about them!


Besides the Sephora goodies, I did go out in search of something nice to wear to meet Justin's Commander next week. 
The party is at a Golf Course, so it will be on the nicer side of a BBQ. 
At the GAP, I landed on this sweater. 
It was the right length, right color, and the right price.

THIS Sweater (which I have to say is MUCH brighter and a bit lighter in person)
it is Very Flattering even though it is not so fitted....so I will pair it with skinny dark jeans, boots and interesting jewelry.
And, it was $22.

I also looked around for Justin, but found something extra for me: THIS T-Shirt
Does this age me??  What? Class of 99'....ahem.
It was in the Mens department, but I got it in a small, and it is SO SOFT and broken-in. It was $4.99.
I am thinking of sleeping in it, working out in it, wearing the heck out of it.

My Mama sent me a cute Elephant charm necklace, similar to this one, but mine is on a long chain,
and a bit less textured than this one.  Super cute to wear alone, or layer with other necklaces. 
I have already received compliments about it...love conversation starters.

See you soon with a video about how I like my new products...easier to tell you in person (kinda)...

Oh, and as far as goals for my next year of life....
I am just focusing on love.

Loving myself.
Loving my husband.
Loving my children.
Loving my friends.
Loving my life and everyone who is in it.

That's it.  Keeping it simple, but profound.

I read (in one day) a fascinating book called Proof of Heaven.
I will let you search it on your own, but the main thing I am taking away from this amazing story is that love is what matters.
And I think I have known that all along, as I have experienced life and on my own spiritual journey.

love.

And like I have said before, each day I can love.
Feels good to know you can do something that is so important.

So that is my big a lofty goal for myself this year...and I think I will knock it out of the park!
See you soon.
xo

aging

Aging....
it is such a love-hate thing.
On one hand, I love that I am not nursing 24/7
I am not leaking through my t-shirts
I am not that uncertain new Mom.

On the other hand, I miss those quiet snuggles, watching my baby breathe
I miss picking out their cute little outfits
I miss not having wrinkles or saggy areas.

But you can't have one without the other.
I will take my aging skin and self for the knowledge I gained from those precious baby years.
I will take these new stolen moments, where I spy on them through my bedroom window, and watch them as they chit chat....
I will breathe, and know that these moments are fleeting, and they will be the ones I will miss in a few years.

I will be 31 in less that 2 weeks....so expect a few posts about reflection, and deep thoughts...
and a few about frivolous things for good measure.
I always manage some Sephora purchases around this time of year!

I think aging is breathtakingly beautiful and painful.
It's just about taking it ALL...
the good
the bad
the ugly
and the unexpected.
I have so many wonderful examples around me of how to do just that...
and I am all ears.

See you soon....
with some shopping bags! (hopefully)

real.

ok.
So....let's talk about blood pressure.
Most people probably know what normal blood pressure is, 120/80, right?!

And we only get our bp checked when we go to the doctor...
which is not a regular thing for most of us.
In my case, I had not been to the doctor for a checkup in over 3 years.
I just did not feel the need.

Justin bugged me and pestered me in to going for a checkup before the holidays, just to see where everything was at,
and what do you know...my bp was high.
It was also high at the following 2 appointments, which prompted a five day bp check.
I had to go to CVS and check my blood pressure for 5 days in a row, and then met with the doctor to talk about it.
They counseled me to stop eating salty foods (which I don't),
stop frying food (which I don't),
stop eating frozen meals (which I don't)....etc.

Basically we agreed that I would take one month to try and sort this out on my own,
since I don't fit the mold for someone typically presenting with high bp (and I am a Personal Trainer/Health Coach for goodness sakes!)....
follow my own conscious, and do as much as I humanly can to bring my numbers down.
I increased my low intensity cardio,
I started drinking smoothies with kale and almond milk,
I tried to de-stress my life....
I did not use any salt on ANYTHING....and after 30 days of this, my numbers were still pre-hypertensive.

So yesterday, I started a baby dose of medication to help lower my blood pressure, and that feels weird.
Me, on medication....weird.
I have to cut these itty bitty pills in half (makes me feel like a Granny)...
and it seems silly, but I am taking this seriously.

Why?

Because I don't want to have a stroke.
Because I don't want to get an aneurysm.
Because I don't want anything to sneak up on me...if I can help it.
Because I want to live a long and healthy life.

I am sharing this with you all, because I know you are healthy and fabulous, and amazing...but do you know your numbers?(bp, choloesterol, etc.)
Heart Disease is the NUMBER 1 KILLER OF WOMEN.
#1

WATCH THIS....if you love me you will do it.



Ok, so moving forward....go the the Doctor.
I am not kidding.
At the very least, pop in to a CVS and check your blood pressure.

Don't be scared.

Get checked out, know your numbers.

Exercise.

EAT RIGHT.

Go to THIS PLACE for more information.
Love yourself enough to get educated....we aren't 20 anymore, so buckle up and embrace getting older.
It may mean more kale, and less Ben and Jerrys....but I want to be around to see my kids get old....
How about you?

XO, Ariel

Sunday Sermon #3

I think the idea of adoption is always on my heart, and I sob when I see videos like this. 
They move me in a way I cannot adequately describe. 

Working with children with special needs is a gift I feel I posses, and is ultimately what I decided to get an education in....
but since having my own children, I have not put in to practice what I got a degree in. 

My own children are my priority now, but I can't help but feel drawn to the idea of adoption,
because of my education,
because of the feelings I have in my heart for these precious ones,
and because it may just be part of the grand plan for the Wilkins Family. 

Our life right now is so uncertain, it would not be in the cards for us today, but I can't help but feel it could be a possibility.

I do not know what the future holds, and I feel the utmost respect and love for families like these. 

They are my heroes.



Happy Sunday!

Liquid Lunch

Here is my current lunch smoothie:

1 LARGE handful of spinach
1 handful of blueberries
1 handful of strawberries
1 banana
1/2 c. organic plain yogurt
1 Tbs. flax seeds
Maybe 2/3 c. of Almond Milk
Splash of water...enough to get it moving in the blender

Blend and drink.
Make one LARGE smoothie or two regular sized cups.
I obviously am drinking a LARGE amount...
but there was a tiny bit leftover that I put in the fridge for River as his after-school snack. 
He loves this smoothie too!
Yay for healthy kids and healthy Moms!



Have a great weekend!!
xo

P.S. Someone very special is turning 33 on Saturday.....

And even though he won't be rafting down the Salmon River like he was here last May....
which is, by the way, his own personal HEAVEN.....
We will probably grill out, bake him a cake, and give him lots of hugs.
He is our rock, our protector, our hero....
and I am thankful everyday that I have him by my side to go through this crazy life with.