Thankful Thursday: Discipline & Grape Nuts

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. Please take this time to share with us what you're thankful for as well. If you have a blog expressing your thankfulness, please share the link! Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I'm thankful for hard workouts. Do you ever have those days where you don't want to workout at all? Yesterday was one of those days. But I went anyways and got my butt today kicked in class, and I LOVED it. I am always so thankful for a hard workout. It always makes me feel like there was a point to actually going to the gym and taking the time.

I'm thankful for a disciplined hubby. Ronnie is so disciplined. He hasn't wavered on his exercise and eating plan these last couple months...it is SO impressive and he looks fabulous. I am just so thankful that he is a man who is disciplined and takes such a great care of himself. I love him...A LOT!

I'm thankful for scented candles. They just smell so yummy, and make your house smell so yummy. I have started celebrating fall with some fall-ish candles and it is AWESOME. Our house smells like pie almost all day...who wouldn't be thankful for that?!

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for nose spray (Fluticasone). I haven't always been consistent with the stuff, but when I am, I know it. I'm a "sniffer" by nature and the spray definitely helps keep everything dry in there and prevents *some* of the sniffing. I don't think it will ever go away however because at this point it's as much habit as anything :)

I'm thankful for Grape Nuts. I just recently had some Grape Nuts cereal and it really took me back to my childhood. When I was young I used to eat A LOT of cereal and Grape Nuts were one that I really enjoyed. Difference between then and now? Then, I used to pile on - literally pile on - a ton of sugar and drench it with whole fat milk. Now, no sugar and fat free milk. Same same but different.

I'm thankful for this blog and it's ability to keep family members in the loop. I'm not a big phone conversation guy so it's tough to keep my family abreast as to what is going on with the Sharpe clan. However, through this blog, many of my family members are able to see updated videos and pics of the family as well as insights into what's been happening lately. I'm especially thankful that my Dad takes the time to read this every morning. He probably knows better than anyone what's going on in our lives!!

So, what are you thankful for today?

Question from a Reader: What can I say?

Another great question and I'm sure far too often occurring situation in the CF community. I can understand his frustration and confusion during these events and with the "CF Life" in general:

My problem is my son, who is now 10, and has had a lot of horrible experiences with lab draws but of course needs to get them at least once a year if not more. Beyond being a hard stick he gets anxious so the more time drawn out looking for veins the more he fights. Our regular lab flat out refused to draw his blood work today because 4 technicians couldn't find a vein and when one went in to attempt to do a draw on what he though was a vein [Child's name] refused to hold still. The day pretty much left both of us in frustrating tears. 

He argues the point of "Why do I need to have all these sticks if I don't feel sick?" I don't know whether to say "CF is doing more damage than you realize and watching it now may prevent major problems later" or "While we are responsible for you , you'll get the tests we feel will benefit your health". Both sound harsh but I don't know where else to go with it.

"While we are responsible for you , you'll get the tests we feel will benefit your health". That was pretty much my mom's response while growing up. My roof, my rules and under my roof, your health is number one. We can choose to be proactive, reactive or non active. And under my roof, we're proactive. Also, there is nothing wrong with rewarding good behavior and not rewarding behavior that isn't acceptable.

[Child's name], when you hold still and are brave for the blood draws today, you can pick the restaurant that we go to afterwards.

With that said, next time 3 technicians can't find a vein, you can feel free to "protect" your son and step in and say "I'm sorry, but 3 different techs not being successful is good for today. We'll reschedule and hopefully have better luck next time"

Be sure he is drinking a TON of water on the days he's going to get a stick to really pump up those veins.

And last, nobody walking the earth with CF was perfect as a teen/pre-teen. We'll all make mistakes. Make stupid decisions, etc. What we love though, without saying it, is when our parents put our health number one and love up on us 24 hours a day.

There is no greater love in my opinion than a CF mom holding the line and doing what's best for her CF child and other children of course!!

Honey Banana Oat Bars

I've been trying to eat healthier lately. This has meant trying to stay away from processed foods as much as possible as well as white sugar, white flour, etc. I've been doing really well so far, although this new lifestyle does conflict a bit with my sweet tooth. See, I love having a little sweet snack with a cup of coffee after dinner. I've been searching the internet looking for "clean" dessert or snack recipes I could try, and fortunately have stumbled upon quite a few. 

This recipe is based on one that I found on Godairyfree.org. If you'd like to see the original recipe, click here. We made some modifications to ours.

Perfect with a cup of coffee.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup of rolled oats
1/4 cup of brown rice flour 
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup of honey plus 2 tbs for top glaze
2 tbs of grape seed oil
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 egg
2 medium bananas 

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8x8 baking dish.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oats, 1/4 cup honey, oil, and vanilla. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Briefly set aside.
4. Returning to your medium mixing bowl, stir in the egg, and banana, until everything is well combined. 
5. The batter will be a little thick. Spread it evenly in your greased baking dish, and pop it in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Let cool completely before cutting. I cut them in 16 1 inch by inch bites.
7. Spread 2 tbs of honey evenly on top.

Nutritional info per bite:

Servings: 16
Calories: 97
Fat: 2.8g
Carbohydrates: 13.5g
Protein: 2.2g

Let me know if you give this recipe a go and how you like them! One more tip - I warm them up in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds before I eat them :)

Words, Walking, and Party Planning

It's been awhile since I've updated, but since I'm becoming quite the big girl lately, I figured I should write and tell you about my life these days.

First things first, HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE JOSH!!!!

Ok, onto the updates. I'm now trying to get around on just my feet, instead of my hands and knees. My mom and dad call this walking? I dunno what it's called, it's just what I see everyone else doing, so I'm giving it a whirl. It seems to be a good change. I think once I get the hang of it, I'll be able to get around faster. Right now it's slower because I fall on my tush pretty often. So it's up, walk, fall, up, walk, fall. It's a bit exhausting so I finally decide to just crawl until I reach my destination. But I don't want to give up because it's pretty cool doing what everyone else does. Mommy and daddy let me walk around stores and outside and everything. I hold their finger and they walk around with me. They usually only hold my left hand because for some reason I just walk in circles if they hold my right hand. It's kind of weird but I can't help it. Also, shoes are my kryptonite. My legs and feet don't work the same with shoes on. I fall flat on my face because I can't get my walking down in those dumb things. So for now mom and dad let me walk barefoot around most places. My feet get dirty, but they don't care. They are constantly trying shoes, so I will get it soon, but just not yet.

I have learned a few key words. There are two that I use all the time because they help me talk to my mom and dad. First is "that". I point and say "that" to things I want, things I want to have mommy and daddy say what it is, and sometimes just to say it. I say "that" a lot. Like a lot, a lot. Like all day long. Sometimes it seems like my parents get a little bored with the game I like to play...(point), "that," "that's a chair."....(point), "that," "that's a chair."...(point), "that," "that's a chair."...You get it. The other word I say non stop, all day long is, "up". It's so cool. I can stand at someone's feet and say, "Up," and they know I want to be picked up. It only works about 50% of the time though. Sometimes they pick me up. Sometimes they say, "One minute, my hands are full" or "you need to play right now, mommy and daddy are busy." I sometimes throw a fit when they won't hold me. I whine and throw my body around...but it doesn't work. Oh well, I'll keep trying and see if it'll start making them listen to me more, but usually fits just make them not pay any attention to me...which is no fun.

I also have learned how to use my hands a bit to tell them things. Mommy hasn't taught me sign language, but I make up my own sometimes. I put my hands up, shrug my shoulders (to show I'm asking a question), and say, "duba da?" when I want more while I'm eating. "duba da" means "can I have some?" And then they give me more food AND they tell me I'm cute. I like it.

Last update, I'm throwing a party. Yup, my very first party. It's called a first birthday party. I sent out an invite yesterday to friends and family. What you do is you pick a date, you make an invitation online, and you email it. Then I'll help mom decorate and clean and bake, and we will have a first birthday party. I think to help I'll probably just say, "up" a lot at my mommy's feet, point at all the stuff that's out and say, "that" over and over again, and then maybe throw a fit or two. Oh, and maybe play with the Swiffer to help clean because I love that thing. We are going to have TONS of sweets and it will be a lot of fun. I already tried on my dress for the party that my Auntie Kirra sent me. And Nana and Papi already sent some presents. I think I'm going to like my first birthday party!

Never, Ever Give Up.

We can learn a lot from our children. It seems to me like this was a very easy lesson to learn.

 

Thankful Thursday: Baking & Baking

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. Please take this time to share with us what you're thankful for as well. If you have a blog expressing your thankfulness, please share the link! Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I'm thankful for baking. I don't know why, but something about baking is therapeutic for me. I like the act of measuring, stirring, tasting. I love the whole process. As a result, I bake...a lot! I usually get away the fruits of my labor because otherwise I'd weigh 3000 lbs. But regardless, I'm thankful!

I'm thankful for a baby who's flexible. I have started weaning Mckenna. I've decided it's best for me and her if we wean one feeding at a time, until we are all done. Well I geared up to drop the first feeding, figuring Mckenna might struggle, but she's been a gem. Maybe she's more ready than I am.

I'm thankful that I got to nurse. Nursing seems to be quite the hot topic these days. From how long it's ok to nurse, to people being bashful about people nursing in public. Every family has to do what is right for them, but I am a firm believer in the power of breast milk and the beauty of the bonding experience between momma and baby. It hasn't always been easy. There have been several points where nursing seemed tough or we had to battle different issues, but I am so thankful that we were able to stick it out and make it through her first year of life getting the perfect nutrition that only God could create. I will forever cherish this time that we had together.

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for all kinds of options to eat healthy, yet still stuff I like. I never thought I'd be able to lose some fat that I have while eating so much food throughout the day. It feels like I'm constantly eating, yet I can see and feel my body transforming. It's also been fun to learn about nutrition more in-depth and why we need certain nutrients and when. I'm really looking forward to the next phase which is muscle building.

I'm thankful for creative baking. Along the same lines of what I said above, it's so awesome to find creative recipes for stuff that will satisfy my sweet tooth. Just yesterday, we made chewy oat bars with no sugar, no white flour and no butter. The tasted great and were only 62 calories a bar!!!

I'm thankful for cooler weather. We're finally supposed to have a week with no temperatures in the 100's. That's going to make my garden happy, my plants happy, my grass happy, my family happy and me happy :)

So, what are you thankful for today?

An Open Apology To The Service Industry

[This blog is an open letter of apology to all of the servers out there who get stuck with us when my wife and I go to a wine bar.]

Dear server,

Ronnie and Mandi here, aka "the couple of coffee drinkers that your manager warned you about".

You see, we don't drink. But, we love the ambiance of a wine bar for our date nights. We also love that you usually have comfy couches or chairs for us to sit in. We'll probably order coffee and I can rarely only have one cup. Yeah, we'll take a look at the menu to humor you, but we're not planning on getting anything because we already ate. That is of course not counting a dessert that may catch my wife's eye, so you should spend your time selling us on the Chocolate Lava cake and not the Grilled Ribeye Steak.

I love the size of your coffee cups by the way.

We promise that we'll be super nice to you as neither one of us could do your job and as always, I'll do my best to get a laugh from you. (That last part can come in handy if you're having a tough night.) We also promise that we'll try and not overstay our welcome. But with that said, we don't get out much, so we'll take advantage of every free minute that we have. There is something different about connecting with your spouse when you know there is a 0% chance of being interrupted by an 11-month-old. I love my life more than I could ever imagine, but I can't help but get a bit nostalgic about what used to be.

There used to be a time when we never had dinner before 6pm. Now, there's rarely a time that we have dinner after 6pm. There used to be a time when we would frequent your establishment after midnight without a care in the world. Now, I'm at least two hours into my sleep cycle by then and I have many cares, namely, the little tike that will start crying in 5 to 6 hours. We actually had our "first date" at a wine bar, and our third, but now, those dates usually happen at our house while playing a couple rounds of Skip-bo. There used to be that time, but that time is no more, yet, I have no real desire to get back to that time. If we can just get a little nibble of that time once a month or so, I think we'll be more than satisfied.

The good news is, you won't see us that often. The bad news is, when you do see us, our bill will probably be under 10 bucks. But we know you work hard and appreciate all you do for us, even if it's "only" bringing out a couple cups of joe. We both understand how your industry works and we tip accordingly. All we ask is that you keep the coffee flowing and maybe even take a picture if we ask...oh yeah, and ignore the dessert that I bring for myself from home in the plastic sandwich bag. I know, but I told you, we're that couple. (Actually, I'm that guy and it embarrasses my wife a bit.)

Thank you for understanding,
The Sharpes

What a difference a year makes?

It's been almost a year since I've updated my PFT History on this blog. I have a good reason for not updating it however...I forgot to :) Well, I went to update it tonight armed with new numbers today from clinic, and was actually surprised at what I found. Surprised for a couple of reasons actually. First, as I already stated, I was surprised that it had almost been a year since I updated my numbers, and second, I was surprised to see what they were almost a year ago. To be exact, the last time I updated my PFTs on this blog was November 14th, 2011. So what were my numbers almost a year ago today? Well, I had an FVC of 88 percent and an FEV1 of 74 percent.

For those of you who have no clue what those numbers mean, I'd like to refer you to this blog for a quick course. If you'd like to see an older video of me doing a Pulmonary Function Test, click here. And if you skipped past those last two links but still what a super quick refresher here it is...

When you hear about someones PFT results you will usually hear two numbers FVC/FEV1. They are both given in percents like 88%/74%. The FVC measures how many liters of air I can take into my lung. When expressed in a percent, it's based on how many liters I should be able to take into my lungs given my sex, age, height and race. If I should take in 4 liters of air but I instead take in 3 liters, my FVC expressed in a percent would be 75% because 3 is 75% of 4. An FEV1measures how many liters of air I can blow out of my lung in the first second of exhalation. When expressed in a percent, it's based on how many liters I should be able to blow out of my lungs in the first second given my sex, age, height and race. If I should blow out 3 liters of air in the first second, but I instead blow out 2 liters, my FEV1 expressed in a percent would be 66% because 2 is 66% of 3. Make sense now? No? We're still moving on :)

I was excited for my clinic day because I was going to be able to do some PFTs for the first time since my hospital admission in late July. Since being discharged in mid-August, I've been working my booty off in the gym. I'm not sure what I left the hospital at, but I believe it was somewhere around 80%/74%.  I wasn't sure what I was expecting to blow, but for me, I've always been of the opinion that anything but down is good. I of course am always shooting for higher numbers, but I'll never be greedy if the "only" stay the same.

All three of my blows were consistent and they all felt good. My final numbers were 87% over 74%. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't even a smidgen disappointed, but that quickly dissipated when I reminded myself how great I feel. There are times when our numbers don't exactly reflect how we feel. That can be both to the positive and negative side. Sometimes our numbers are low, but we feel great and sometimes our numbers are high but we feel awful. Well today, my numbers were baseline (my average PFT that they expect) and I feel great! I'd say there's nothing to complain about!!

I was then even more delighted with my results from today when I went to go enter them in my PFT History. About one year ago today I had virtually identical numbers. But I thought are numbers were supposed to go down every year when we got to be old farts like me? I've told you that not everything you read or your doctor says is true right?

So what do I do now? I shoot for even higher numbers next time. I work even harder in the gym. I focus even more during my treatments. I make it a goal that in October 2013, while I'm celebrating my wife's 27th birthday and my daughters 2nd, my numbers are the same or higher.

All I can do is wake up every single day and decide that I will do everything possible to put myself in the best position to succeed.

If I can do that, as Jerry Cahill would say, I cannot fail.

Tutu's & Brews 5k

Going to be in or around San Antonio in two weeks?? Check out this great event. I'll have some family there so you can say hi :)

Got to start 'em early!!

Thankful Thursday: Snaggle Teeth & Marriage Series

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. Please take this time to share with us what you're thankful for as well. If you have a blog expressing your thankfulness, please share the link! Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I'm thankful for stir fry. Ronnie made killer stir fry last night. I don't have anything profound to say about it. It was just delicious and therefore I'm thankful for it.

I'm thankful for fall. Fall is such a fun time of year. The weather cools off. Mornings are crisp. Trees turn colors. The excitement starts to build for the holidays. I love it all and I'm thankful that it's that time of year

I'm thankful for snaggle teeth. "HUH?" You're thinking. Yup, snaggle teeth. Mckenna's new name around here is snaggle tooth. She got her bottom two front teeth a few months back. We have been waiting for her top two middle teeth to come in...they're usually the next ones to come, right?! When it comes to Mckenna, WRONG. Instead of getting her middle two top teeth, she's getting one, big, lone tooth to the left of her middle two top teeth. She looks like she has the craziest mouth ever, and I love it. Her little snaggle tooth is so adorable...even if it makes her look like a vampire hillbilly!!

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for an active wife. It is an absolute joy being married to someone who likes to stay active. I get great encouragement from Mandi when I see the example that she sets daily. She is willing to get up early, move around her schedule and delay things she'd rather be doing to make sure she gets in her exercise. Example: She often goes to a 4:40am core class and then for a run on days where is looks Mckenna's first nap may run into our regular exercise time. She's amazing.

I'm thankful for our current small group Bible study. We're currently doing a marriage series in our small group based off of a book that was co-authored by a Pastor and his wife. If you're interested, it's called Real Marriage: The Truth About Sex, Friendship, and Life Together by Mark and Grace Driscoll. The book is a great read, the workbook asks great questions and the videos keep my attention. I love talking about relationships in general, but if I'm able to strengthen my own marriage through those conversations, then it's all for the better.

I'm thankful for a better grasp on foods that are good for me. I've been really into nutrition and clean eating lately, and I've been very pleased with the results. I feel better overall; I have more energy; I'm less bloated. It's been fun coming up with unique ways to create really healthy meals that still taste great!!

So, what are you thankful for today?

My Wife Can't Only Be My Best Friend

Mandi and I are best friends. Beyond a shadow of a doubt she is who I turn to with any joys, sorrows, questions or exclamations. I spend the most time with her by far, and we enjoy doing pretty much anything that we can together. We both can't wait to be done with our work day so we can hang out, and some of our favorite parts of each day are our gym time together or our bike rides.

If my best friend wasn't around often, I just don't know what I would do with myself.

Is being married to my best friend one of the greatest things ever? Yes. Is it enough to keep our marriage strong and our love growing? No.

You see, many of us have had best friends over the years. Best friends come and go. You don't raise children with your best friend. You don't sleep in the same bed as your best friend. You don't join bank accounts with your best friend. And you don't make a proclamation and covenant before God, family and friends that your best friend will be your best friend forever and ever no matter what.

So what am I saying? It's not good to be married to your best friend? Of course not! I am however saying that your wife can't only be your best friend.

She must also be my partner, co-parent, lover, spiritual equal, (sometimes) business partner, co-decision maker, (sometimes) co-wage earner, co-house keeper, and the list goes on. If just one of those relationships is strained, it can negatively impact the rest of them. It can also rock the boat of our friendship.

That's why date nights are so important.

That's when I can show my best friend, that she's still my wife.

And date nights don't start the night of. They can start the day of or the week of, or heck, the month of.

I can start to pursue my wife again. I assure you that she has never changed on her enjoyment of being pursued. That's how our wives were wired. There isn't a woman on this planet that doesn't like her husband to try and "win" her each and every day. I am the first to admit, that often times, I forget this.

It's so easy to get caught up in the motions of just being best friends, co-parents, and business partners. That stuff is present everyday and it happens no matter what we do. We're going to hang out, we're going to be mommy and daddy to Mckenna and we're going to go to work.

What doesn't have to happen everyday however unless I choose to bring it into the day is Mandi being my wife, and I her husband. That's a choice. That's a choice I have to make from the minute I put two feet on the ground to the minute I lay my head on that pillow.

Pursuit happens in many different forms. It could be flowers, notes, back-rubs, head scratches, words and even, just shutting my mouth and listening (gasp!!).

I'm certainly not telling you that I'm the king of pursuit or that I have this husband thing down. What I am telling you however is that my wife deserves to be pursued each and every day and the fact that she is also my best friend is just icing on the cake!

How are you going to show your wife today that she is more than your best friend?

**Women, you of course can do the same! How about you? What will you do today to show your hubby that he isn't just _____________ (daddy, friend, worker, yard guy, etc)?**

Arizona and CF

Question - A friend of mine has a 5 year old with CF and she's been pretty sick ever since they moved to Portland, probably due to the weather. They've heard from a lot of people that they should move to Arizona because the dry heat helps people with CF. What are your thoughts on this? Would you suggest the move? Is there anything they should worry about? I was much healthier when I was living in SoCal out by the high desert, but I don't want to go on just my experiences. I want to know how CFers in Arizona feel. Any opinion and feedback would be much appreciated.

'''''''

Answer - I've lived in AZ my whole life. With that said, I've had the opportunity to travel and stay in many places. The only place that I have breathed any better was southern California. Not LA, but Orange County or SD. I myself do not do well with humidity or cold, but it could be a result of being used to what I'm used to. I've heard many other CFers say the same thing however.

The stuff that you have to worry about in AZ is allergies and dust. A lot of people say they battle allergies a bit when first moving here. And there are some days that dust is in the air, so it is best to stay inside. Those days are the exception however. Most days are clear and sunny and perfect for exercise!!


""""

What about the rest of you? Do you think weather/climate has a negative or positive on your experience with CF? Do me a favor - in the comment section, tell me where you live and wether or not the climate there has a positive effect, negative effect or no effect. Or, if you decide to write a blog on the topic, please leave the link in the comment section.

Thanks guys!!

It's all Relative

Do you ever go to the gym or a fitness class somewhere and feel like a total loser because everyone in there looks like they're kickin' booty and barely breathing hard and you feel like you may toss your cookies at any second?

Well that's how I feel in my class, Intensity, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. There are a group of women about my age that are like freakin' animals. The first week we took the class Ronnie and I watched them with admiration. They finish all the exercises before anyone else. They lift heavier weights than anyone else. They are ripped head to toe. We used to call them "those girls" when talking about the class because instantly we both knew who we were referring to. Come to find out a few weeks later that they actually all do fitness competitions. Now they are referred to as "the competition girls"...which is the name everyone in the class knows them by. They are just insane. And I have to be honest, they made me feel like an out of shape loser, which made me push myself harder, but also a little bit dread the class because I knew I'd sit and watch them thinking, "gosh why am I such a loser and they're killin' it?!"

Well fast forward to this morning. I can't go to my normal class with Ronnie because we can't put Mckenna into childcare while she's sick (although it is tempting...I'm not that mom). There are two classes in this group personal training that are similar. The first level is called F.I.T. and the second level is Intensity. Intensity is the one we usually do, but since I couldn't do it today, I went into the F.I.T. class bright and early (at 5:15AM) and I have to tell you, I felt like a rock star. I was doing the heavier weights. I was done before everyone else.

I don't say all this to toot my own horn, but instead to share an eye-opening revelation I had. People will always be better than me, and people will always be worse than me...and who cares. I was so insecure that I was worse than all the girls in my Intensity class. I felt like they all were probably thinking, "oh look at that wimp." But then in today's class when I wasn't the worst, I realized, I'm in the middle of the pack...just like everyone else. And I also realized that as "top dog" in the class, never once did I think, "look at all these losers." In fact, I looked at a couple of the women really struggling and thought to myself, "holy cow...good for them!!" because they were pushing themselves so hard...which even though they were struggling, made them just as much rock stars as "the competition girls."

It was an important lesson for me to learn. It boosted my confidence. It made me realize that we all fall in the middle of the pack somewhere. Those competition girls may get on stage at their fitness competition and finish last...they're in the middle of the pack. Those people struggling in my class this morning may go into another class and be the one lifting the heaviest and finishing first, they're in the middle of the pack. There will always be someone better and someone worse than everyone.

I think sometimes we all hesitate to put ourselves out there at the gym, running outside, or in classes because we're so scared of what we look like in the eyes of others...but goodness was is freeing to realize we all fall somewhere in the middle of the pack...we all are awesome and all are losers, depending on the situation.

"She wanted a haircut"

This will melt your heart and make you smile.

Mckenna Belly Laughs

There goes Mandi again, the house comedian...

Thankful Thursday: Early Gym Classes & Clean Garages

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. Please take this time to share with us what you're thankful for as well. If you have a blog expressing your thankfulness, please share the link! Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I'm thankful for a gym with lots of classes on the schedule. Mckenna is still sick (the antibiotics didn't do the trick) so we can't bring her to the gym child care like we usually do. So to make sure I got my workout in I went to an early class and did my run after it. It felt so awesome to have my class and run in before 5:30AM! I am so thankful the gym is up and has classes at all time of the day.

I'm thankful for my dad. This one will seem kind of random to you all, but I'm posting it anyways. My dad is such a good man. A good dad, a hard worker, a fantastic husband. He makes it all look so easy. I am thankful he has shown me what being a parent is. I'm thankful he set an example of the type of man I needed to marry. I'm thankful that he is a man of integrity and loyal to a fault. And I'm thankful that he continues to bring such joy into our lives.

I'm thankful for email. Ok, another random one. But I can't be the only one. How nice is it that you can communicate with people through email? Many things I send emails about at work would take twice as long to call someone about (you get to skip all the chit chat). And boy is it nice not to have to go to a post office to MAIL something all the time. I still don't understand how the heck email works...I mean seriously, you type words, you hit send, and magically they appear on someone else's screen after FLYING THROUGH THE AIR?! Mind blowing! But I'm thankful.

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for gardening in cooler weather. I love to garden. I find it extremely relaxing when I'm around the garden doing various tasks. It's cool to take the clippers to different plants and be able to see a big difference from when you started to when you finished. I am also still fascinated that all of these plants grow from seeds. It truly amazes me. Anyways, I'm REALLY thankful when I get to do the previous stuff that I mentioned without sweating every ounce of liquid in my body out. 

I'm thankful for clean garages. Last weekend I took the time to reorganize and clean our garage. It was getting a little dirty in there from different leaves, dirt, bugs, etc blowing in and just didn't look nice. We also had bikes, pumps, car parts, cleaning supplies etc put up wherever it would fit. After finding a place for everything in there and shop-vaccing every square inch of the place, it looks like a new room. I love it.

I'm thankful for protein shakes. For my new eating plan I'm having a "second breakfast" at 9am each day. My second breakfast happens to be a yummy protein shake. Here's the ingredients - 8oz of skim milk; 1 Tbs of all-natural peanut butter; 1/6 cup of steel cut oats; 1 scoop whey protein (chocolate); and 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries. It is super deeeeelish and goes down the hatch nice and quick.

So, what are you thankful for today?

Do you cough in public?

I was so excited to answer this question as I know plenty of other cysters and fibros struggle with this issue - coughing in public. I hope this answer gives you the confidence to cough like there is no tomorrow...even if you makes others uncomfortable.

I have a question for the CF "expert"  

So i've got that LOVELY CF cough goin' on right now. Luckily right now it's mostly dry so I don't have too much mucus coming up. But you know the drill, a coughing spell every few minutes or so. How should i handle going to dance? Should I skip out until my cough hopefully calms down a little bit? Because I don't want CF to hold me back any, but i also know the realistics of it. I mean I wouldn't want to dance with someone who kept coughing, even if I was told it wasn't contagious. Because a few of the classes we rotate with all the partners which means gettin' all up and close and personal with everybody multiple times through. I can exercise here at the house for the time being, but i also love dance and miss the people (i've been gone doing a CF study for the past 2 weeks so I haven't been able to see them or go dancing. Sadness!!) . What's the smart thing to do? I want to do what i love, but I also want to be smart and considerate of others.

Alright, first things first, I'm humbled you'd even care what I think about this. Second, I'm no expert, and I actually recommend doing the exact opposite of anything I suggests to be on the safe side :) Third, I'd love to share my thoughts with you!

Let's establish this - coughing is a good thing. Yeah it's annoying (both to us and others), but it's playing a vital role in keeping our lungs clear. I myself am a cougher whether I'm at 30% lung function or 100% lung function. In fact, I give much credit to my cough for keeping my lungs relatively clear my entire life. Sometimes I bring up junk and sometimes I don't. In fact, I've coughed about 10 times since writing this response and have only brought up the goobery goo on two of those coughs.

Coughing can indicate that you are experiencing an exacerbation or outside sickness, but it can also be an indication of asthma, allergies or nothing.

So now that you know coughing is completely okay (at least in my eyes), what do you do about it in public?

I think you know my answer - I cough, and I don't care where I am. I'm at the gym 6 days a week. 3 of the days I do partner work in a fitness class and three of those days I'm in a small room with others doing a core class. Needless to say, I'm coughing near, on and around all of them.

Apparently I don't have a lot of pictures of me coughing.
This was the only one I could find off-hand and it's very old!

If I end up with a new partner, and I've already started coughing before the workout even began, I usually go with one of three phrases that all start with "Don't worry, I'm not going to get you sick....

a) I have Cystic Fibrosis and part of it is that I cough a lot, especially during workouts.

b) I have asthma and my lungs are extra tight today.

c) I'm just a cougher.

One of those three answers always seems to put my partner at ease and we can move on with the class.

When it comes to coughing in public, frankly, I'm not very considerate - especially if I'm doing something beneficial for my health. The truth of the matter is that clearing out my lungs and doing something that in the long run is beneficial to me and my family is WAY more important than the thoughts, stares and feelings of others.

It reminds me of a blog I wrote a while back about being selfish. There are times in this CF life that you HAVE TO be selfish. The funny thing is that often, by being selfish, we are doing one of the most selfless things that we could ever do. The blog is here if you're interested: http://runsickboyrun.blogspot.com/2012/07/are-you-selfish-i-hope-so.html

So what do I think the smart thing to do is? Dance and cough your little booty off!!

Sometimes life calls for us being comfortable with making others uncomfortable.

Hope this helps :)

Something For Which To Train

You'll quickly realize that I had very little to write about (which, considering I'm writing my Mandi Monday a day late, is a bit sad), but I'll share this anyways because I'm jazzed about it. Oh and another random side note, does proper english ever make you feel a bit old school? I know "Something to train for" just into correct, but it sure sounds less stuffy than, "Something for which to train." But I couldn't bring myself, today, to use the wrong grammar. Anyways...moving on.

So I opened an email from my mom this morning who, by the way, often sends fun little things my way. Today was no different. I'm not sure how and where or why, but she came across a race here in Phoenix in December that looks AWESOME. It's called Hot Chocolate and it's for the Ronald McDonald House. They have a 5K and a 15K. The tag line is "Will run for chocolate"...which I think may be the only detail I needed to see in order to shout at my computer, "SIGN ME UP." It's like the PDF file was speaking to me. How did they know that yes, I in fact will run for chocolate. That may be why I run, ever. I just run and exercise so I can eat what I want. Sure, I do it to be in shape and to be fit, but it's also nice to get to indulge because my butt was in the gym earlier that day.

As you can see from the picture above, it just looks fun, right?! Well I went to their website and got more details, and here's the sweetest (pun intended) part...the post race event is like a chocolate heaven. They have hot chocolate with whipped cream and all sorts of goodies to dip in chocolate fondue. Holy cow, if that isn't a great way to end a race, I'm not sure what is.

So I'm not writing all of this to promote this race, although if you're in Phoenix or another city that has one, give it a shot, because I know I for one will be there on December 9th, covered in sweat, indulging in chocolate. Instead, I'm just sharing my excitement to train for something when there's something fun to train for. It makes all the difference. In fact, that's why CysticLife and Rock CF Foundation teamed up to start the Outrun CF Virtual Race (which you can now register for the Thanksgiving day race HERE)...the gist, if you're wondering, is you can run or walk anywhere in the world, in a cool t-shirt we send you, and we all do it on the same day....we'll post a whole blog on that another day though. Anyways, my point? There is none! Haha..I kid! (It does seem that way though, doesn't it?) My point is, find something to train for and working out becomes a lot more fun. I have been working out 6 days a week, and haven't been this excited to start training in a long time. In part I'm excited because it will be really fun to enjoy a nice long run with my mom on December 9th, but mainly because I am reallllly excited to eat back twice as many calories as I burned with her in a chocolate wonderland afterwards!!

Has anyone ever done one of these? If you have, tell me everything!

Don't eat off our kitchen counters

For those of you who did not catch this on Facebook.



Just be sure to watch until the end.

Thankful Thursday: Antibiotics & Results

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. Please take this time to share with us what you're thankful for as well. If you have a blog expressing your thankfulness, please share the link! Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I'm thankful for antibiotics. I'm thankful for antibiotics for Ronnie's sake, obviously, but also, now for Mckenna's sake. She had a stuffy nose for 3 weeks which led to an ear infection. Thanks for being on some antibiotics, her nose isn't all stuffy anymore and you can tell she's feeling MUCH better. Yippee!!

I'm thankful for washers and dryers. I hate doing laundry! But my goodness, I would hate it even more if I had to hand wash everything. Ronnie and I work out 6 days a week, that leads to a lot of sweaty, dirty workout clothes. I'm thankful I don't have to wash eat piece by hand like they used to. Mckenna has had some major blowouts in bed this week (thanks antibiotics), I'm thankful I'm not washing her jammies and fitted sheets by hand. I'm so thankful for the luxury and blessing of washing machines!

I'm thankful for a hubby that cooks. Ronnie has made all our meals lately...and it's awesome!!

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for results. I've made a few lifestyle changes that I've mentioned recently (better food, better sleep, better workout) and I'm so thankful that I'm feeling the results of those changes. I definitely have more energy throughout the day. I'm sleeping like a rock. My workouts feel more effective as a result of my new diet. My bloating is less. And my BMs are completely normal almost ALL of the time (and that never happens). I just feel better overall, and I love it.

I'm thankful for having a good eater. Mckenna is such a stud. She will try anything you put in front of her and has yet to spit anything out, except waffle with maple syrup. Crazy right? She prefers peas over mac and cheese, broccoli over crackers, and spices over bland. I can't wait to cook with her!

I'm thankful for the monsoon storms. We've had quite a few monsoons the past few weeks and it has been really nice. It has resulted in cooler weather and greener vegetation. I've also saved money on our water bill as I haven't had to water the grass and garden as much :)

So, what are you thankful for today?

Morning Ride to Starbucks

Mandi and I take a family bike ride every morning around 6:45am. It's a great way to get the blood pumping and the muscles warmed up for the day ahead. It's also a nice way to "beat the heat" and enjoy some gorgeous summer mornings. (As a bonus, it makes for some good mucus clearance)

This morning, we decided to take a family ride to Starbucks.

Obviously pretty pumped for the bike ride this morning :)

Look both ways.

Hey, I know you!!

Dazed and Confused.

She insisted on waving at anyone who entered or exited the building.

Not sure what she's pointing at here, but I assure you that it's cool.

I'm no photog, but I like this shot...minus the parking lot.

...and she likes straws.

When's another bike ride?

After a kissy,

more straw chewing,

and a little paper playing!

 Now we're ready. Let's go!!

I'm not a big "flashbulb memory" kind of a guy

I've never been one with a great memory. I'm terrible with names. I often forget wether or not I have been to certain places. You can forget about dates with me. And I have very, very few "flashbulb memories"

There is one however, and one that is very distinct.

September 11th, 2001.

I can remember that day like it was yesterday and not 11 years ago.

Today, I just ask that you keep the 1000's of families who were directly impacted by the attacks in your prayers, as well as the millions of us who were indirectly affected.

Hug your children a little tighter.

Tell your wife that you love her.

Thank someone who puts their life on the line everyday to protect the welfare and safety of others, wether it be on these shores or abroad.

I truly love this country and feel very fortunate that I'm able to call myself an American.

That day will forever stay with me and I hope to be able to articulate that importance of that day to my children.

I will never, ever forget.

**As a side note: One of the greatest books I have ever read covers this tragedy in great detail and when reading it, it almost feels as if you were in the towers that day. It's called 102 Minutes and I would highly recommend it to everyone.

Is It Fall Yet?

I know most people don't look forward to the end of summer...but I do! In fact, there are several things that come with fall that I look forward to each year. Here are the things that are around the corner that I'm excited for this fall.

1. Nice weather - In Arizona, fall and spring are about the best weather you can find anywhere. After a summer of super hot, sunny days, I start itching for some cooler weather. I love enjoying crisp mornings with the doors open and the sound of our fountain flowing. I love sitting on the back porch under the heater. I love going outside and not feeling like I'm entering an oven.

2. Running Anytime - The cooler weather means I can exercise outside any time of day. I love running in the morning when the air still has a cool freshness to it. I also love the fact that I can get a run in at anytime and not fear a heat stroke.

3. Birthdays - Fall means birthdays around here. Josh, Chrissy, myself and now Mckenna all have birthdays in the fall. I absolutely love birthday celebrations, from cake to presents, it's all awesome. Plus, this year is Mckenna's first birthday...HOW AWESOME IS THAT?! I cannot wait to celebrate with my little love!

4. Fall Fashion - I am certainly not a fashionista. "Stylish" isn't my middle name. But I do really enjoy pulling out clothes I haven't been able to wear for months and putting away all the summer gear. It's nice to get to switch it up a bit.

5. Fall Foods - Fall is a perfect time to make soups, slow cooker meals, and yummy desserts. I even get excited for Starbucks holiday drinks (So much so it's a little pathetic). Just like with clothes, I like an excuse to switch things up. Fresh summer foods are great, but it's fun to fire up the oven, plug in the slow cooker, and make some hearty meals.

6. Football - NOT! (Ronnie loves football...me? Not so much! I'll be excited for my TV back in February. Well, for a second until March madness starts up!

Anyone else looking forward to fall? Or am I crazy and the only one?