julie, trev and lexi's life journey

Smile!! Goal Accomplished!!

2009-09-27T13:47:00.000-07:00

Going into Ironman Wisconsin, I had one major goal.......SMILE. I feel like I accomplished this goal. It was a great day, a day to smile, a day to be surrounded by friends. A day to be enjoyed.

Now, this does not mean that this was an easy day by any means.......in fact I think this was my hardest Ironman ever.
Lets start with a little background.........My ironman training really started in about July when my Iron levels reached a therapeutic level and migraines allowed me to train on a consistent schedule. With this late start, my expectations needed to change. This transformation of expectations did not happen overnight. It was a process that forced me to really examine " "what" did racing mean to me? Did racing really define who I am? Am I the same person regardless of how I race? These are questions I needed to explore. Now these were not new questions......these questions have been bouncing around in my head for the last couple seasons. In fact, since I qualified for Kona in 06, my seasons have gotten slower and slower with more health concerns in the mix, forcing me to question myself, "will I be that athlete I want to be again".

So, it was so refreshing to go into IM WI 09 with this goal of SMILING. I promised myself that as i got out of the water, I would not beat myself up over my swim time.....and the same as I got off my bike. I would enter each new phase with a positive attitude no matter the time.
And this is how my day went.........

This Swim started out with a calming tread while waiting for the gun. I tried to position myself as close to the buoys as I could. The thought was that swimming on the inside of the buoys would be less congested. Well, I think I forgot how crazy the start of an Ironman swim is.......honestly- i don't think i was really able to "swim" for the majority of the first loop. It was Crazy. The second loop felt great and i was able to get into a good pace.

The bike was just a lot of fun. I really love that bike course and the support on the course is incredible. The hills on the 2 loops make it go so fast and the winds were nice to us that day. My motto on the bike course was slow and steady......and i did that. Nutritionally, I was only able to get half of my bottled(one of my 600 calorie bottles) nutrition down and i tried to make up the calories with some gels and blocks i had on the bike. I knew my stomach wasn't great but I hoped things would be ok. I counted.......I had 5 long bathroom stops(throughout the whole day)....at least this time i didn't have to wait in line...that adds up a lot of time......always working on that nutrition.......shoot.

Onto the run........I love to run. And when I started the run, I was so excited and happy. There is nothing like the feeling of running past the Capital and down State Street, passing all your friends.........and then I looked at my pace.......yikes.....6:30.

That is way too fast. My adrenalin was going and I knew I needed to slllllllloooooowwww down. I just hoped I hadn't down too much damage. The interesting part is when I slowed down to my 8 min pace, it didn't feel any better. And then 9 min pace felt worse. Ugh.......there were up and down points all through out this marathon. This run by far was the hardest marathon of any IM I have done. There were times I felt great and then there were times when I thought i was done. At about mile 13, my legs- both of them decided to seize up with cramps- the kind that stop you in your tracks. It took a lot of mental strength to move through that pain and discomfort and continue running. Really, I knew that if I started to walk, I wouldn't be able to run again. My plan was to walk through the aid stations, taking in broth when they had it, coke and water, walk the hills and to just keep up whatever pace I could without walking. I was able to do this and keep smiling with all the support of friends cheering....... There is nothing like the sight of mile 25 and then 26. You know you have done THIS and the day is almost done. You can kick it in for that last stretch down the finish line and LIFE IS GOOD.

Overall, this was really a great day. Thanks to Brian who was with me every step of the way, who carried my things, who took pictures, who was there smiling at the finish, who got my bike for me at the end of a long day, who massaged my sore muscles, who listened to me, who held my hand, who drove me back home.

Thanks to all my friends who cheered and yelled and supported. Thanks to Erik and Kerry and all the other fellow Ironman athletes........what a day to share with friends.
Can't wait to do it AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Life is Beautiful

2009-08-15T10:54:00.000-07:00

It is nearing the end of summer.........I realize it has been a really long time since my last post. I am thinking that means that summer has been really good and busy.
I also think that Life has given me many opportunities to grow, to laugh, to think, to cry, to challenge myself and to be happy. It is in the mix of all these opportunities that I find myself blessed and I can't help but look around and take notice that Life is Beautiful.

The best way to show you the beauty is through our most recent pictures.

Lexi turned 10 this summer.

Trevor turned 12, loves baseball and made the All-Star team.

Meet Brian. He is a beautiful person inside and out and I am blessed to have him in my life.

Tristan(Brian's son) and Trev are buddies.

Tristan, Trev and Tanner(Brian's youngest son) at the Twins game

Lexi took part in her first Art Exhibit.

We took a trip out to Brian's parents house (the farm). The kids had a blast riding dirt bikes, 4-wheelers, visiting the neighbors farm, petting horses, gathering eggs......

4th of July always brings family, fun and laughter. Beautiful weather and sunshine was all around.........

Nine of the Twelve siblings made it to 4th of July weekend. We always line up in birth order, with Rosie leading, of course.

The Grandkids make up a big group (too big for my lens)

There is nothing like a BIG gathering to remind you how blessed you are to have people in your life.
Life is Beautiful.

what happened over spring break.........

2009-04-01T20:34:00.000-07:00

We started out the week with a trip to the MOA. Lexi and her dance group gave a dance performance at the Nickelodeon University.

Lexi did a great job dancing and afterwards we enjoyed some time going on the rides. Well, let me see.......at first Trevor went with his friend and Lexi went with her friends and there I was by myself thinking, my kids are getting old. So, I found myself wandering around the mall for awhile. Later, I met up with the kids. Lexi went home with friends and Trev and I stayed longer and went on more rides together. I have to say, I love rollercoasters.

I am thinking a trip to Valley Fair is in order this summer. My kids have never been there!!

The rest of the week really quieted down..........here is a run down of what I accomplished:
-enjoyed a "free" week of yoga at CorePower Yoga and Love It!
-swam masters and was able to enjoy coffee afterwards with friends
-had a 2 hour massage with Becca........can't say enough about that!! thank you Becca!
-cleaned my house, including floors on hands and knees and dusted (this doesn't happen as often as it should)
-framed a lot of black and white photography and attempted to hang-help :(
-caught up with my sister and just hung out together
-talked to my mom on the phone a lot!
-went to my neurologist, had another MRI, determined to figure out these migraines
-went to several new doctor appointments............
-finished season one of 24 on my trainer! ready for season two. so sad about Terri :(
-got a manicure with Lexi and she picked out a pretty purple for me.
-went to a couple movies with friends
-got my road bike out for some hill repeats before the rain and snow
-started an online graduate class, "behavior is language"
-spent some time reading

And before you know it, the week was over. Spring break was done.
Back to school. It was great to have the week off and as much as I would have loved to have gone somewhere warm or somewhere adventurous........it also felt really good to stay home and take care of some things, connect with some people, take care of myself, and relax.

Here are some random pictures from the week.

One of our favorite things to do is to ride our bikes to the park and stop on the way to feed the horses.

Trevor and Howie, the miniature pony

Lexi and Dreamer

Our other favorite thing to do is to jump on the trampoline.
Here is Lexi jumping with water balloons. This was on one of those nice days!

Favorite pictures of Trev this basketball season:

A day to be remembered.........

2009-03-20T18:55:00.000-07:00

March 21 will always be a day to be remembered.
Ten years ago, Sunday, March 21, 1999 , was the day that my Dad's life ended.
I was reminded of this by a letter written by my mother that I would like to share(with her permission).
Dear Family,
Saturday, March 21st will be,as most of you have remembered, 10 years since your Dad has died....I remember him best when I think of the '12 gift package 'he left me. He left me 6 boys, 6 girls, now spouses and 28 grandchildren. I am so grateful for each and every one of you. You are all so special, yes, each of you. I know he is looking down feeling very proud.. I really feel God walks with me, His arm around my shoulder, like Bob used to do. Saturday I will especially remember him in Mass and then Mary jo and I have plans for dinner at Rosebuds...Take care and know that God loves you as I do.
Love
mom

Though it was this day that my Dad's life ended, his memories will always be alive. My Dad did such an incredible job being the husband he was, the father he was, the grandfather he was, the community member he was......His life will always be celebrated.

I do remember when my Dad died, it was so sudden and so unexpected. It was a very difficult time. Grief is such a funny thing............ You know it just kind of consumes you without you really knowing it. It has such power, it can just knock you over. And you kind of wake up one day and you kind of say, "wow, what happened to me recently" and then slowly you reintegrate back into life. And then every once in a while it will just sneak up on you again and get ya. Grief......its a powerful thing.
I am not sure grief ever really goes away, I think you learn how to cope and adapt to living with grief.

I love sharing stories about Grandpa Bob to Lexi and Trevor. They want to know everything about him. They could listen to stories forever. They love hearing about our family adventures and how my Dad hid chocolate everywhere....well, all the kids knew the hiding spots!
I will be digging out some different pictures but here are the ones I had on my computer.

Me and Dad in Highschool.
Julie showing off the 80's trends

Grandpa Bob and Trevor in Florida

Julie and Dad (I loved my Dad's hugs)

I know that my Dad is watching over me. I feel him around me all the time. I especially feel him when I am out in the woods.
My dad loved nature and being outside.
I love you Dad and I miss you.
xoxoxo
Julie

Happiness Is..........

2009-03-09T18:32:00.000-07:00

I love this phrase. Sometimes its hard for me to believe that I grew up in a family of 12 siblings AND that we had a bus, yes a BUS. I have shown pictures of this bus before, "Happiness Is". Painted on the front of the bus in big letters, "Happiness Is".

My parents' number one priority was to bring happiness to our family. Now, that did not mean we got every thing we wanted or needed........what it did mean is that we spent time together, we were allowed to be ourselves and we had a lot fun TOGETHER.
I thank my family for giving me a solid foundation of what "Happiness Is".....

I believe for me, today, "Happiness Is".........to be truly comfortable with yourself and who you are, to want not only happiness for yourself but to DO your part, what you can, to TRULY bring happiness to others. Happiness is giving of yourself, enjoying life, laughing, having a passion and connecting with others.

I strive to be happy and bring happiness to others.
I commit to being a positive role model for my kids. I commit to teaching them that LIFE is to be enjoyed and shared.
That happiness comes from deep within yourself but is flourished when shared with others.
And that happiness is NOT found in the material things you have.

When I say "I am happy", I will mean it and show it in all that I do.

Who knows, maybe we'll even get a bus??

Here are some recent pics of us having fun.

Lexi performs at the Timberwolves game with her dance group.

Trevor continues to enjoy the game of basketball.

Julie continues to explore with photography and finds happiness in training , looking forward to another season with the Gear West Developmental Team.

Feeling good...........

2009-02-11T19:08:00.000-08:00

I am excited to say that I started training again. Coach John and I met and started a plan and its been going great. It really feels good to have a focused plan. When I think about my training and racing......the years seem to blend together.
But, when I really examine the past couple years and am honest with myself, I realize that my dedication and determination to do "my best" disappeared. When I think about that and I remember racing these past few season........i become confused. I know on race day I give it my all and do "my best". What I think has been missing is my dedication towards training. I don't think I have done "my best" in the training. Performances will suffer, even if you do your best on race day, if you don't put in the effort while training.

So, I guess what I have happily figured out is that I have that WANT to train hard, to put my best effort into training and that is different than it has been for a while. I am even beginning to Like the treadmill.......scary stuff.

Training with friends is the best!!

I have some key races lined up, included a trip down to Texas with Jules and Cy to the 70.3 Buffalo Springs. What a fun race to do with friends. The Half Ironman is my favorite race distance. There are Kona slots for Age Group Winners at this race. CY, Julie and I all happen to be in different age groups so that's fun! My A race is Madison Ironman. This was my first Ironman(05) and where I qualified for Kona(06).
Qualifying for Kona is always a goal but not the only reason to do these races. It is like an added bonus!

Memories from Kona

My focus for this season is Ironman, other than 2 half ironman races, time trials, Lifetime Olympic, a couple Du's.....I will be spending my weekends training and being with my kids.

Other than early morning swims, riding on my trainer, running on the treadmill and on trails, pull ups, push ups, core work and squats..........

We have been having fun with sleepovers, basketball, snowboarding, skiing, reading, and lots and lots of laughing...........

Lexi has her friends from Kindergarten reunite and sleepover.

Trev loving basketball

Lexi and Mandy Snowboarding

This IS my life.........

2009-01-24T14:13:00.000-08:00

I was awoken at 3:38 this morning by the "beep" that goes off on my phone when I get a text. Hmmmmmmm...... I thought to myself in my half sleepy state, "who would be texting me at this hour". I stumble out of bed, rolling over what I realize is Lexi, who must have crawled into bed with me sometime in the middle of the night, hmmmmmmmmm?????, and get my phone. This is what the text says, I just woke up and my belly hurts, text me when you get this.then it really hurts i ask, r u throwing up? Oh, so by now, I know that these text are coming from my 5th grader, Trevor. He is spending the night at a friends house. He continues, I want to cum hom. I try to be sympathetic but its 3:30 in the morning and its one of the coldest nights!! i ask him r u able to go back to sleep. Finally after the texting continues, I put on my coat, boots and tell him I am on my way.
This is My Life.
I am a mom.
We have our routine.
Lexi likes bacon every morning. In fact, it is really the only way she will get out of bed. She only needs about 15 mins. to get ready for school. She likes her sleep.
Trevor likes his frozen waffles, 2 with syrup. He likes to get up early, sometimes does his homework in the morning. Loves to read at night.
These things are predictable and routine. We have recently started family read time. 8:00. TV's, Music off and we all read together. The house is so quiet and its nice.
Both my kids like to spend alone time before bed. Lexi will drag it out as long as she can. I still lay in bed with them, talking about the day or whatever. It is routine. It will break my heart when they are too old for me to "tuck them in" at night.
It has taken US a long time to get a new routine, one that we can now call our own.
Change is hard but we learn from change, I know that.
I was married for 15 years.
This was my family.

I learned a lot about myself in those years. There were good times, hard times, challenging times, and wonderful times. Six of those 15 years I was a parent and 2 of the most amazing things came from that marriage. Trevor and Lexi. Since my divorce, many adjustments have been made for me and my kids, lots of learning and growing, still.

Losing the "family" is still the hardest for me to deal with when grieving the divorce. Grieving the loss of the dreams you had as a family never goes away, for me. Even though we have built a new family- trevor, lexi and I and it is a beautiful family for sure but there will always be a loss, I am not sure that feeling ever really goes away.
Perhaps that is why I have hopes and dreams of new relationship- to make a "new" family. Perhaps I am realizing that maybe that is wanting things too fast. I want to replace that family that I lost. Trevor told me I am not very good at having boyfriends, thanks trevor. Lets remember he is 11. In one of our talks before bed, he suggested I try EHarmony. In fact, he said he would do it with me and his date would just have to wait about 10 years. He is a funny kid.
I think for now, I am realizing, THIS is my life. It IS a great life. This IS my family and it is more than enough. A family is what you make of it.
A family is how you connect with each other. A family is how you support one another. We will always be there for each other.
I will go out on the coldest night of the year and get my kids when they are sick, I will not complain when my kids climb in bed with me in the middle of the night. I am a mother. I am a good mother. I am loved. That is enough.

sidenote:
so, i also work in an environment where i have the opportunity to work with kids who are dealing with family change so i hear from them all the time about how they are coping and dealing with their changes.
last week I asked them what they thought about getting married when they were older?? Most of the kids said, "no way, I'll never get married." Then, this little boy said, " well, maybe I will get married, cuz then I can just sit on the couch with the remote while my wife cooks me dinner and does all the cleaning and working........... It was one the funnier moments in group.......I had to laugh!!!!

Some recent pics.
Trev playing in his first game of the season

Lexi playing at Trev's game

Trev

our family now

“Sometimes I'm confused by what I think is really obvious. But what I think is really obvious obviously isn't obvious...” Michael Stipe

2009-01-18T19:14:00.000-08:00

I feel like its been a while since I really wrote a blog. Lately, it seems like my pictures have told the story.....which is great.
Today, I feel like writing. What am I going to write about........not sure?? Yes, confusion could be the theme.
I used to always say, "confusion is good". I am trying to remember why i used to say that?? Maybe, because clarity only comes after being in the midst of confusion........ I do believe there is a purpose for confusion. Sometimes, I need to really remind myself of this. My natural tendency is to want to always figure everything out, to analyze everything.

My brother had a great quote the other day, he stated this on Facebook, "David thinks maybe if he'd stop thinkin for a minute he could figure some things out." He later talked about finding clarity through meditation. For me, i think if i could stop analyzing/thinking about things and let answers come to me........that could bring me some peace.

I stayed home with Lexi today because she wasn't feeling good and we just spent time together. It was nice. At one point, she said, "mom, can we do some yoga? I think that would help me feel better." So, we did. She didn't last too long......but it felt good to just go through some poses and let my mind slow down.
More yoga and meditation are going to be in my future.

In this world of unknowns, changes, ups and downs and fear......I am learning to be comfortable being confused, or sad....really just being.....
I know and trust that there is a bigger plan that I don't have all the answers to.
I know and trust that for all the times that I may feel confused, sad or afraid, there will be many more moments of laughter, happiness, clarity and love.
This I know.
I am blessed.

Lexi

Trev at his Music Program

Lexi and Kendall ice skating

Embracing Change

2009-01-01T14:14:00.000-08:00

It was 12:01 on New Year's Eve, I was at a friends house(Mike and Amy's- pictured with the 2 beautiful Labs) with Jen and Mark and Kate. We were very focused and involved in getting "through" a song on Guitar Hero Word Tour. We had 2 guitars, a drummer and a singer. It was quite the Rockin' NYE.
Anyway, at 12:01 my phone rang, it was Lexi......I could barely hear her. She was with her Dad at her Aunt's house celebrating NYE. When I could finally understand and hear her, she was saying, "Mom, I am so excited, it's 2009, it's 2009. Its a new year, Embrace the CHANGE." She continued to giggle and laugh and was beyond herself with excitement.

(lexi is often found upside down around the house)

What a nice reminder from a 9 year old's perspective.......A new year, EMBRACE the change.
I also got a call from Trev minutes later, in a calmer tone and wishing me a Happy New Year.

Wow, this is a bigger deal for kids than I had thought. Do they really get it?? I had thought they really just wanted to stay up late.
But you know, I think the end of a year and the start of a new year CAN mean something BIG. Its really how you look at it.
Lexi is telling me, yeah.......I am ready and excited- bring on the new year.
Trev is saying, 2009 is going to be good.

I love any opportunity that I can reflect back but more importantly look forward and see that change is good, new beginnings are good, opportunities for fresh starts.

Man, my kids are smart!
Here is to an awesome 2009!

Rockin Band
Mark on drums, Mike and Amy on Guitar and Jen on lead vocals

Julie and Jen

Mark and Kate sharing a laugh at dinner

lexi set this picture up with the self timer, not bad?

what's your favorite READ?

2008-12-27T13:10:00.000-08:00

On my recent visit home for the Holidays, I took notice that there were many, many readers in my family. Books were in abundance and it was common to find many family members curled up the couch with their nose in a book. Now, it didn't mean that people were not also involved in the happenings of the household. It is true that you can be involved in a conversation, play with kids, and be enjoying a book.
One must remember that while visiting "home" at my mom's house, there are typically 3 to 4 families staying in the house with 2 to 3 kids within each family........a lot of activity. Quiet reading time is not going to happen too easily.
I began to investigate WHAT people were reading and found it was quite interesting.
I thought it might be fun to share some favorites or recommended.........

Ted-
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

Lexi-
Marley, A dog like no other
Diary of a Whimpy kid
the Music of Dolphins

Taylor-
A dog named Christmas
Tale of Desparaux

Kalie-
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

McKenzie-
Anythink Dora

Emily-
SpongeBob
Are You My Mother?
Green Eggs and Ham

John-
Old Man of the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Kim-Three Cups of Tea
Kathy- Davinci Code
My Sister's Keeper

Mike Mac
How to Win friends and influence people
The Firm

Trevor-
Tunnels by Roderick Gordon

Julie-
Pillars of the Earth
World Without End by Ken Follett

Megan-
One Thousand White Women

Brenna-
Twilight Series

Rosie-
Eat, Pray, Love

Mary Jo-
Twilight Series

Well, there you have it.....a sampling of many different readers in the McMonagle household.
So many different ages, many different interests and perspectives but always a shared common ground........family.
What a great holiday time we had together.

Lexi and Taylor

Trev playing in the abundant snow in Wisconsin

Lexi and Cathy and Tom (Godparents)

Trevor, Kevin and Adam adventuring outdoors

Sara, Lexi, and Taylor

Cousins

family time

2008-12-21T10:00:00.000-08:00

Holiday time is often time to be with family.......and i love it and my kids LOVE it.
My sister Amy moved to Belgium with her family about 2 years ago and are back for the holidays.
What a wonderful time to reconnect. Really, the kids are at such a great age where they love to hang out and play and the adults can catch up and talk. McKenzie is the "baby" of the cousins and she is growing up fast at 4 years old. Our family is getting older for sure, life goes through stages and phases. Another reminder that life is all about change, every phase is wonderful in its own way, each having its own joys and challenges.

THe kids and I leave tomorrow morning to DePere to spend the week with Grandma Rosie and cousins and Aunts and Uncles.
A favorite time of year for all of us.
A time to be thankful for family. To know how blessed we are and to embrace everything about it.

I look forward to taking many more pics of my family and doing a post holiday Post.

Love to everyone during this special time of year.

My sister Amy

Three Peas in a Pod
Sara, Lexi, Taylor

Emily and McKenzie

The Girls

Best Buds- Trev and Kevin

Adam and Dylan

A time to SHINE

2008-12-09T20:30:00.000-08:00

This past week Lexi and Trev both had big performances and did they ever SHINE.

Trevor decided to play the Tuba in the 5th grade band this year. Trevor takes the Tuba very seriously and practices very hard.
He had a great band performance. Trevor had a tuba solo with one other student and sounded great.
Lexi has been dancing with You Can Danz and had her first dance show. Lexi has a lot of girlfriends in the same dance class and has a lot of fun. We enjoyed watching her perform two dances at the holiday show. All the girls did great and looked like they were having a great time.

Enjoy the photos. I am so proud of Trevor and Lexi for wanting to learn new things and having fun doing it!!

Trevor and his friend Zach, the other Tuba player

Lexi and her cousin McKenzie

standing up for what you believe in

2008-12-03T19:23:00.000-08:00

Today i had all kinds of goals. I was going to get the christmas decorations out, I was going to organize Lexi's new room, start my weight lifting routine (that coach john and i just talked about and put together), and i was was really excited to hear a speaker talk about the importance of character and values in our youth today. WELL........that all went out the window when a migraine snuck up on me at work and I had no meds left (not good). So, as soon as school was out, I got home as fast as I could, got in the door, gave myself my shot and fell into my bed.........was awoke by Trevor's text 2 hours later and felt some relief. After grumbling that my evening was shot and trying to just figure out what i could do........i remembered the amount of snow in my driveway.........i managed to bundle up and head outdoors. I tell ya, that was the best thing i did ALL day. That fresh air and little bit of physical labor woke me, made me smile and got me going. My migraine was about 75% gone, just enough diminished to get myself in the car and on my way to the inspirational speaker.
I am so GLAD I did.

The speaker was from Youth Frontiers and talked about Character and the importance of teaching our youth today. He talked about the challenges of our society today and how we are responsible for modeling and educating our youth, morally and ethically. Respect, compassion, honesty, graditude, humility. These are concepts I want my kids to not only understand but to live by everyday. And yes, I want to be the parent modeling and using teachable moments everyday. I want to be the parent that takes time to really BE with my kids. I want to teach them that WAITING for things is important. That even though they often don't see it, they have enough. That losing is just as important as winning. That Effort is everything. That nobody is perfect but everybody is precious. That while technology is a gift it can have barriers and must be used appropriately and with rules.
This is not an easy job, this often means I am the one to say, "no", "not today", "its bedtime", "not during dinnertime" but I understand that and hearing this speaker tonight reinforced why this job needs to be consistent. I know the payoffs will be great!!

So, this is our family blog. Trevor and Lexi love reading it and looking at the pictures. My hope is that they will be contributing some writing soon. But, last post had them a little concerned. My commenter Dana, thinks she knows who I am. Dana does not know me. This upset my kids. Trevor was just concerned for me, wondering if I was ok that she made those comments. I assured him I was ok. My Lexi, she wanted to meet Dana and let her know that she is a bully. That it is not nice to say those things about people you don't know. That is what bullies do. She says, "we learned that in school." She continued to say, "Mom, if she met you......she would never say those things about you."

moral courage: To paraphrase Edmund Burke, the only way for evil people to succeed is for the vast majority of good people to do nothing.

A time to be Thankful

2008-11-23T13:21:00.000-08:00

The other day I sat in my office at school with four crabby fourth grade girls. They indeed had life issues to be crabby about- no doubt. But, we quickly learned that by whining about life, we became sadder and crabbier. I went to my whiteboard(there is no such thing as blackboards anymore........and now if you are lucky Smartboards are replacing whiteboards) and put on top in bold letters, Things to be Grateful For:

At first, it took a while to get the conversation going.......but in no time, we had that board filled, we were telling stories and laughing and smiling.......feeling so much better. Yes, indeed......remembering WHAT we were GRATEFUL for helped shift our way of thinking into the positive frame of mind.
I am a firm believer in thinking sad thoughts equals feeling sad.
Thinking positive thoughts shift our thinking into positive thinking and therefore feeling more positive.
Pretty simple.

SO..........Here is my list of what I am Grateful for.........This list makes me HAPPY!

-My beautiful Kids, because they are kids and they do the funniest things, they are full of hugs and unconditional love.
-My Mom
-memories of my Dad: his smile, hugs, times together
-My 5 sisters
-My 6 brothers
- My extended family
-My wonderful support system of friends and family
-My best friends
-My incredible training opportunities through Gear West and SCS
-My awesome staff at Red Pine Elementary
-My Health
-My willingness to learn, to grow
-My faith
-My desire to be the best person I can be
-watching my kids shine as they learn and grow into wonderful people
-knowing my kids have a wonderful Dad who loves them and will always care for them
-for the people that have come into my life, sharing wonderful time together
-sunny days
-snowy days
-learning the new joys of photography
-travel
-the challenge each race and season brings
-long bike rides with friends
-trail runs
-adventurous mountain bike rides
-early morning lake swims
-runs with my sister, always followed by coffee for hours
-making chocolate chip cookies with the kids (after eating most of the dough)
-loving chocolate
-watching the sun rise and sun set (if an ocean is near by.......perfect)

My last thought. Lets all do one nice thing for some one else TODAY. Lets give one gift of being kind today.
One random act of kindness. Lets share our blessings with others. WE feel good, lets share that with others today.
Even if its simply sharing a smile.

Lexi and Mom

Trev

My Big Family

My Friends

My Little Family

Tri Night Rocks!

2008-11-18T19:40:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to say what a great night was had at Tri Night and to show some pics of the night.
I am blessed to have such a great connection with so many wonderful people.

I think, for me, it also reminds me of why I train and race.
Each season is a bit different, different challenges and different celebrations.
But in the end, the people, the connections, the opportunities to challenge yourself is what it is all about.
I loved listening to Hunter Kemper, his stories, his passions and now his quest to make a difference.
It was so inspiring to listen and learn about AT and how we all can make a difference.

ANd of course.........the OFF SEASON!!!

The also inspiring Cathy Yndestad, accepting one of her awards that evening.
Triathlete of the Year and Performance of the Year.
These awards could not go to a more deserving and harder working individual with the biggest heart I know.
Love ya CY!

Jen and Julie with Hunter. Thanks to Paul at Competitive Image for this photo.

Coach John with Hunter.
I am getting really fired up for another great season with Coach John.
The thing I love most about working with John is that he just "gets it". He understands the need for balance with family, work and training/racing. Ironman Wisconsin HERE I COME!!

THANKS TO ALL WHO WORKED SO HARD SO WE COULD ENJOY THIS NIGHT!!

Thanks to Kerry for the wonderful photos.

Jen, Julie, Cathy and Julie

Treading water.......but I can see the shore!

2008-11-13T20:22:00.000-08:00

I know that I can tread for a really long time. Treading water is my specialty. As of late, I have perfected the skill of treading.
You know, the feeling of just staying afloat. Keeping your head above, doing all you can....just enough to get by.......but not really enough to thrive. The challenge arises when outside factors once again start to have an impact on your ability to tread. You are going along, treading and staying afloat when out of nowhere comes rough waters, huge waves. All of a sudden you have to work a lot harder to stay afloat. All it takes sometimes is one big wave, one big storm. Sometimes its just the constant rolling waves over and over........never giving you a break. Seems like the same thing over and over. You can be a great treader but if those waves get out of hand or if you get a cramp.........its going to be tough to stay afloat.
Well, good thing there is always support around. Friends and family are allowed to throw in floaties at any time and are always welcome. In fact the more floaties you have, the better chances you will have at reaching that shoreline. And after all that is the goal, nobody really wants to tread forever.

I am glad to say that it feels good to be swimming towards the shore. I see it and I know its in my reach. I have gotten so many floaties that have allowed me start swimming. ON MY WAY TO THRIVING

I want to tell you about my biggest supporter. Rosie. My mom.
Rosie is the best, always has been the best and I see no reason for that to change any time soon.
Rosie raised 12 kids with her beloved husband Bob. Bob is sadly missed as he passed away in 1999.
Rosie continues to support everyone of her 12 kids, no questions asks. She shows unconditional love in every way, she laughs, she lives, she enjoys life. She is my inspiration.

I had the opportunity to go home and be with my family this past weekend. I traveled to Green Bay with my sister and her husband (thanks MJ and Mike) to the wedding of my niece Beth and Adam. It was a beautiful wedding in many ways.
Beth is my oldest sister Teresa's daughter. Here a few pictures from the wedding.

Beth, always smiling and laughing

Teresa and son Reed

NO, this is not a wedding ring.
THIS is the 1996 Packer Superbowl Ring!! NO Kidding. And it is on MY hand. It was the second highlight of the night. There were probably 10 of us trying it on! Sweet. Oh, I miss Brett!

Trev always exploring

Crazy Girl Cousins

Trevor pretending to be a model, "posing". Really just being goofy.

And ya have to love Lexi's attitude toward LIFE.

sidenote:
this is my blog. i am the moderator. i am open to any comments about my blog. but i am letting you know if you choose to comment on my blog and say nasty things about any of my friends, I will REJECT your comment. period. Please respect.

more reflections........

2008-10-21T15:08:00.000-07:00

After writing that last blog on changes, I have found myself being very reflective on the impact of change. And after gathering all kinds of information from varied sources..........this is what I believe.
I believe that while all kinds of things can change on the outside and life can throw us unbelievable challenges, making us feel like things are out of control.............the one thing that we can keep constant, is ourselves.

We have the power to stay true to ourselves. Just because everything around us is changing.......does not mean that we, ourselves have to change. The beauty is that we can be resilient, we can build these wonderful coping mechanisms that allow us to be strong and who we are, no matter what.

A wise and dear friend sent me this in response to my life in change. He set up a metaphor to triathlons, got to love it.

How you handle transitions is important – when the results of your triathlon are reported, the times for transition are separately listed – for the swim, bike and run the only constant is you – I choose to think there is a correlation to life – family, friends and places will change – JulieMac will still be JulieMac –

A Beautiful time of year.........

2008-10-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

If you are lucky enough to live in Minnesota or any other state that experiences ALL four seasons........you know what I mean.
Fall is not only a beautiful time of year but also a visual reminder that LIFE is all about change. Change is natural, necessary and indeed can be beautiful. Of course change does not come without its difficulty or discomfort.........but sometimes that is where our best growing and healing can begin to prepare us for what lies ahead.

I seem to be in this revolving changing way of life.........and for the most part.......I feel like I am adapting. Continuously learning from the past, able to look at ways to make improvements, make the best out of situations and getting better at just trusting that things will be ok.

Embracing change......I love trying new things. I have found a new love for Mountain Biking.......what a great off season sport. It is right up there with trail running.
The combination of adventure, nature, beauty, thrills, skills, non competitive(personal choice for me) and challenging me in a totally new and different way. I love it.

Then there is Lexi. Not a big fan of change.....never really has been and just needs a little extra time for adjustment. Ahhhh......don't we all really!!! For example, the girl could eat at subway (her favorite) everyday. And order the same thing every time. Here she is enjoying her drink. But, man she sure is cute.

Trevor is one who can handle change. He is my kid that( while he likes things the same and IF he can he will choose the same path) does not get freaked out when plans need to be changed or situations come up. Somewhere he has learned to trust that things are going to be ok.......he gets that.

The Great Big Woods RUN
What a beautiful run.......I am purposefully calling this a run because it was a run, a beautiful run on a gorgeous fall day.
I had the opportunity to run a 10k, not race, not hammer, not worry about time or pace ........and it was great. I had the opportunity to run WITH someone, to talk, to encourage, to thank volunteers...........It was the best 10k I have run in a long time. Thank you Patrick for venturing with me to this run and running with me. This was a very positive change for me.
Plus, they had great soup and homemade cookies afterwards!!

Patrick

Becca and Chris ROCK the Half Marathon!! Way to go!

All in all, fall is a great season.........such a beautiful way to see things change. I am grateful for all the opportunities to learn and to grow in change. I love the changing of our seasons, each season for a different reason..........and i have to say i look forward to calm and stillness of winter.

A fun and fabulous saturday

2008-10-05T17:37:00.000-07:00

What a great day. It started like every past saturday has started.........Football. Trevor has done a fabulous job playing for the Cowbows. He loves it and has learned so much in his first year of football. They started the playoffs and won their first game. It was very exciting.

Jen and I ventured out for a 3 hour ride.......into St. Paul and found ourselves stopping at Bread and Chocolate on Grand for some yummy treats. What a great off season ride. It was beautiful and sunny. A perfect day for riding with friends.

I have been having fun taking pictures and Lexi often volunteers to be my "model".

This next weekend I really HOPE to get out and DO a cyclocross race. I have been practicing my mounting and dismounting skills. I can do the "flying mount" in a controlled environment........but will i be able to do it in a race???
Now, I have to just get out there and enter my first race. I have been really nervous......ok, down right scared!!
Any encouraging words appreciated!!

I'm OUT......I'm IN!!!!!!!!!!

2008-09-10T08:06:00.001-07:00

Your request for withdrawal from Ford Ironman Florida
has been submitted. Your reference number is: 1221059084

I sat by the computer with my finger on the submit button, knowing that it was the "right" thing to do but really having a hard time doing it. Florida was going to be my comeback race.........but sometimes our body tells us something else and we must listen. So, as I listened to my body and the doctors and physical therapist and discussed with my coach.....I withdrew from Florida IM and a new and exciting plan was formed.

Wisconsin Ironman 2009 and I am IN!!!

Pictures from IM WI 2008
Kate, Jmac and Cathy by the Capital (outside of Starbucks) after the swim

Jhull, Jen, Eric, and Cathy making the walk to "cowbell hill"

Just your typical FAN

Not training for IM Florida means I get to spend more time at Football !!!
Go Cowboys! Go Trevor!

Wedding Pictures

2008-09-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

Sarah

Brian and Sarah

Sarah and Cathy

Lexi and Sara

Julie, Trev and Lexi

Julie's BIG family

What a weekend. My niece Sarah got married over the weekend. And what a beautiful wedding.
The bride and groomed just beamed with happiness throughout the entire weekend. My sister Cathy (mom) and Tom ( father) were equally as happy and beamed with pride.
I was able to practice my photography skills and take some pictures during the wedding service. It felt great to get some nice shots. Sarah and Brian were so appreciate to have the photos to see on a slideshow that same day and to keep as reminder of their beautiful day and their start of their life together.

ON a side note........I have not danced, nor have I seen my kids dance as much as we did at the wedding reception. A great time was had by all. I believe Lexi was out on the dance floor the entire night with Trev right along side her. Lexi was complaining of sore legs on sunday!!

One day at a time....and lets really enjoy today.

2008-08-26T15:18:00.000-07:00

Trevor and Kevin

Megan and Emily

Kalie

Lexi and Sara

"If I'm not not happy in this time and place, I must not be paying attention" Jodi Hills

This is a magnet that I have had on my fridge for the past couple years and I must look at it everyday. Everyday.

Now, if you have been keeping up on my blog........you know about my recent "lemons" and on any given day I can start to feel like these migraines, injuries, and past relationships have really taken a toll on "who I am" and that happy person I strive to be.

Well, everyonce in a while, LIFE throws in a lesson that wakes you up and forces you to really look at things in a new light. Life says PAY ATTENTION.

In the last couple weeks, I have had good friends lose a young family member with no warning.
I have a family starting school who just recieved a diagnoses for their 5 year old, cancerous brain tumor.
A brother battling a chronic illness.
A little girl traumatically orphaned at school.
I hear myself saying, "things in my life could be way worse......yes"

Life is fragile. LIfe is unpredictable. What can we do??
We CAN love the family and friends that are with us day to day.
We CAN smile for the things that make us happy day to day.
We CAN help, give, share and strive to be the best we can everyday.
We CAN enjoy life to the fullest, doing the things that matter today, taking life DAY BY DAY.
We CAN pray to God and ask for guidance and comfort during the hard times.

I am writing this from Green Bay. Ten of my Twelve siblings are home (17 people are sleeping at my mom's house) to celebrate the wedding of my niece Sarah.
My kids are in heaven playing with their many cousins.
LIfe is good and will be enjoyed.

Today, I am happy. I am paying attention.

When life gives you Lemons.......

2008-08-17T12:58:00.001-07:00

Yes, you know it.......make lemonade. My friend Darcy commented not to long ago about how things happen for a reason in life and when given lemons, make lemonade. I have always tried to embrace that philosophy of life but its always helpful when friends give us that supportive reminder.

So, these past two weeks, numerous lemons have been thrown my way.....

A major lemon that I have been dealing with have been chronic migraines. Now, taking my own advice.......I know that these are things I can not control so "dealing" with them is what I must do. My neurologist often says, "julie, you have a migrainese brain and you will have migraines that are out of your control". The bummer came when I was all packed up and ready to go to Pigman(see last post) with my girlfriends when a MAJOR migraine attacked saturday morning.

I was not able to function as a human being and therefore had to wave good bye as Jen and Cathy pulled away from my driveway without me. We all knew it was the best decision but hard to take as I was ready to see what I had in me at the Half Ironman.

After taking the max amount of abortive relief drugs(for migraines) allowed for this 24 hour period and accepting that I was NOT going to Pigman, I cancelled our overnight babysitter and figured out a new weekend plan.

The Lemonade was made when I was able to attend Trevor's Football Jamboree. I had earlier dropped him off and he was expecting Megan(niece and babysitter) to pick him up. I showed up, found a spot to sit down and just watch. I enjoyed taking photos of Trev and watching him hang with his team. Trevor absolutely loves this sport, it was so exciting to be a part of that for him.

Trevor's team is the Cowboys. He is #82. Trev's last name is LaPoint(on his jersey).

Trevor played offensive linesman and some at defensive tackle. He told me his favorite part of the day is when he was able to tackle the quarterback.

Staying home allowed me some extra time with my kids for sure. After football and after sleeping for the rest of the afternoon, I was feeling about 60% by 6:00pm. Just feeling good enough to spend some alone time with Lexi, took her to her favorite store at MOA, "Justice, for girls" for some back to school shopping.

Other than shopping, Lexi's new favorite thing has become our neighbor's dog, "marley". She loves this dog and sometimes I think she believes it is hers. She took Marley to Trev's football game and was upset with me that I was telling people it wasn't our dog. "mom, they just don't need to know that!"

So, as my head is clearing and this migraine is going away......i am thankful for the extra time i spent with my kids this weekend. For my friends that went down to Pigman, I hope you had a wonderful time and a great race. I look forward to the next race we can do together.....

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

"so far"

2008-08-12T11:14:00.000-07:00

"Today I stop, I breathe deep and rest. With grateful tears I weep because I have come so far."

Kristen Jongen

I found this on a print while out shopping the other day and it was one those prints I just kept reading over and over. I decided to buy it so I could look at it everyday to remind myself that yes......in life there are good times and hard times and in those times, you are always making choices and sacrifices to get to that place that you want to be......

There are times when I really need to stop and reflect on how far I really have come and how it is that I have gotten to this place. When I find myself saying, "oh, why is this happening?" it is then that I must think hard and I soon come to the realization that it is each of these life lessons that shape me into the person I am, the athlete that I am, the friend I am , the mother I am. And I know it is the wisdom that I gain from these life experiences that will help guide me through life and be the best person I can be.

A few recent life experiences:

Have you ever built a house-

I recently had the opportunity to be part of Habitat for Humanity. I went up north to the beautiful area of Ely, MN and joined a volunteer crew to build a house for a family in one day.

It was a long one day but an incredible experience. To be part of a giving project to help a family in need, to be involved in the manual labor it takes in working with others to complete a project, to connect and meet others........reaching out of one's own comfort zone.......all valuable experiences.

A visit to Green Bay

I had the chance to go home to where I grew up and where my mom, 3 sisters and 1 brother live. I love going home and I love taking Trev and Lexi there and showing them the house I grew up in, the neighborhoods I hung out in and where I went to school.

We went home because my niece Sarah is getting married over Labor Day Weekend and was having a Wedding Shower over the weekend. It was so nice to be able to share that special time with my sister Cathy( Sarah's Mom) and the rest of my family.
My niece Sarah and her Mom Cathy (my sister).

We all had the chance to take a day trip to the "Dunes" in Door County. This was a hang out spot for me as a high schooler so I was excited to make the trip back to the beach with the kids and my family. It was a beautiful day in the sun, lots of swimming, castle making, and beach games. Louise even made a great picnic lunch. While home in DePere, Lexi and Trev got very attached to Allissa's new Dog, Bailey. A beautiful Labradoodle.

Having my sister and her family back in town from Belgium

My sister Amy(2 years younger), her husband Ted and three kids moved to Belgium 2 years ago. They make it back to the states two times a year, summer and christmas. We had the opportunity to spend lots of time together while they were here for their summer visit and it was great. There is nothing better than watching 8 plus cousins playing together, swimming, laughing and just being kids. It was also a nice chance to hang out with my sisters and catch up. There is just nothing more special than spending time with family. We look forward to the Browne Family returning to the States for good. Lexi asked today. "Mom, how many days is 4 months (until their christmas visit), I wish it was 2 months."

Healing from an injury and preparing for Pigman

I have stopped counting how many days it has been since I have last run......I don't even remember?? I have been doing lots of swimming and have had bike trainer sessions without pain. So, I am healing. I have added many strength exercises 2 x day per Physical Therapist at Tria. I feel good about my progress and my plan for Pigman.

Here it is: Swim as hard as I can, bike as hard as i can (given that i haven't bike hard or done hills in about 3 weeks) and then cross my fingers as I head out onto the run course. Hope that I have given my leg enough time to heal. This is where it gets a little tricky. I am saying this openly.......I will be smart. IF I feel any sort of pain, I will stop running. I will walk, try again one time. If the pain continues and persists, I am done. I will pull myself out of the race. My SMARTER plan is to allow the leg to heal so I can STILL train for Ironman Florida. IT is the only A race I have left!!

BUT, there is always the very very good chance that I may step onto that run course and have the best Half IM, maybe not the fastest but a solid pain free run, that would be the BEST.

Lesson learned- I am reminded daily about the things that we DO have control with in our lives(which for me now is staying positive, eating healthy, doing the healing exercises i can, staying positive) and the things that we just don't have control over........and that is just life. And really, it comes down to how you deal and the choices you make.

I love the line in Freaky Friday when the Mom yells to her teenage daughter,

"make good choices". I am always going to yell that out to my kids!! I love it.

Peace and Happiness to all.

I CAN do this

2008-08-06T19:20:00.000-07:00

I haven't run in ELEVEN days. Life changes every day and one must go with the flow. I remind myself, I can do this.
I haven't raced since Timberman and as I reported earlier it was a great race for me. So, I thought......ok......if this is a season ending injury, at least I went out on a good race.

To recap, after Timberman, I decided not to do Racine for logistical reasons and who knows maybe that was the best plan. Perhaps I would have injured myself worse by racing that Half IM. The kids and I still went to the Dells and had an awesome time. We stayed at a fabulous water park that had both outdoor and indoor slides. We also had to do at least one touristy dells visit and we chose the Reptile House and OH was it a True Dells experience. No where else would you pay to watch a HUGE Boa eat a very cute and large white easter bunny. I am not kidding you. Luckily this boa was not hungry so we did not have to witness the feeding. A good time in the dells.

So, after coming back from the dells, I was ready to hit the training hard. Excited to start training long for IM and have an A race at Pigman. Ready to get going. Merilee and I set out on Saturday and joined the MN Tri Club for the Century ride. It was a beautiful day and the ride felt great. We both felt strong. We did a short transition run after and I kept saying, "my calf is really tight". Didn't think much of it. Well to make a long story short, I went for an hour trail run the next day(ran for about 4 miles in pain) and walked home in severe pain. And that is the last day I have run. Coach John said, "uhh, I think that sounds more than a tight calf, you better stay off that.....maybe a strained muscle??"

I visited TRIA today and the word is my leg(lower left leg) needs to heal and recover some more but there should be time to heal and strengthen and still time to train for IM Florida.

I CAN do this.
I will stay positive, I will continue to train by swimming and light biking. I will follow the strengthening exercises. I will stay healthy and strong, eating right.

Every now and then I get pulled into the dark side.......I start to go down the woe is me and what if's. I notice when I am going into the dark side, every thing looks bleak and I start losing motivation and hope. That is not right and not where I want to be.

I want to be in a place where I can control staying fit, following my rehab exercises, following my coaches plan, eating right, staying positive. I believe these things will get me to the start line of IM Florida. Whatever happens from there on race day........that will be ok. Because I will know that I did all I could to get me there. I can do this. I will do this. I will not let this injury take me down. I will not go to the dark side.

I will be at Turtleman taking pictures with Paul and Competitive Image so SMILE and I will cheer as loud as I can.

And I will definitely be GOING to Pigman(cuz its a girls road trip).......doing the best that I can(run or no run).

Life is good. I think I'll enjoy it!

Picture taken in Ely, MN

More to come on that in a later post.

website is up and running

2008-07-27T11:09:00.000-07:00

I recently took a iweb class for school. And I am pleased to say that I love it and am learning a lot!
This website gives us a place to show some of our favorite pictures.
I hope you enjoy it.
check out the new website!

Summer = Birthday Parties

2008-07-18T20:32:00.000-07:00

And boy have we had some FUN!!

Trevor turned 11 on June 18th and had 6 boys over for some water fun and a sleepover.

Lexi turned 9 on July 18th and took 6 girls to Build-a-Bear and then home for a sleepover.

What's your passion???

2008-07-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

Photos taken by Paul Phillips of Competitive Image

I find myself asking this question a lot lately......daily, hourly perhaps.

Summer is a perfect time for me to take some time to reflect, to dig down deep and ask myself.....what is MY passion?? I mean what moves me, what makes me excited to get out of bed, what drives me.....something I can call my own. And really, what makes me a better person. How can I strive to be the best person I know how to be. Besides the obvious of my kids......because they truly are the REASON in my life. In fact, just upon waking Trev today, I said to him....."you just make me smile".

But, sometimes, I look for something else, something of my own that drives

me.........next to my kids I have triathlons and there is certainly passion there......a simple passion that has grown to provide me with a base of friends, connections, life skills, a healthy lifestyle and opportunities to challenge myself on all different levels.

This past weekend was one of my favorite races, Timberman Triathlon, nestled way up Northwest in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. The best part about this race is that its far enough away that you almost have to make a weekend out of it. The last couple years, a bunch of friends have gathered to race and then to simply hang out, relax and enjoy the post race

environment together as friends. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh............

As far as a quick race report, I am pleased to say that this is the first race of the season that I felt confident. I felt like (if there was an elite wave), I would have belonged. The last two seasons have been difficult.......I think ever since I broke my wrist two months before going to Kona.........a string of events took me down emotionally, physically, mentally and perhaps took a bit of my passion too.

This year (in a real effort to get that passion back), I needed to take some pressure off myself. I needed to train and race to my best ability while keeping my kids in priority- a tough balance. I always know that I will give my best performance that I have in me on race day. As important, when I cross that finish line and after I look at results.......I will SMILE, I will be happy for ME. I will know that I gave it my all and that is ENOUGH. Because training and racing have become so much more than results..........

When I get home, I know that Trev and Lexi will love me no matter what.....they always ask me if I "win" but they love me just the same. I was excited to tell them about my race this weekend, I was excited to tell them that I got 6th place overall (5th place shy by 3 seconds) and a first place age group(remember no elite wave) but they wanted to know what the cabin was like that I stayed in??

Anyway.......I am excited to feel the PASSION for racing to come back. My big goal is Ironman Florida and to qualify again for Kona. Someday, I will. I believe. I will. I have many more Ironmans in me......

And when I do qualify, I will take my kids with me. And I will take my camera with me. Because I love to take photos.........my newest passion.

summer FUN and friendship

2008-07-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

Hands down, summer is my favorite season.

Summer is a time for outdoor play, sunshine, water fun, camping, road trips, and hanging out with friends.

When Fourth of July comes and goes, I always feel a bit of sadness that summer is once again flying by...........soon Target will have their shelves packed with 'back to school" items.

I am certainly NOT ready to go back to school and will boycott Target once they start the Back to School marketing.

We recently took a day trip to Chisago City to visit my friend Susan and her husband Tom's family who has a cabin on a Lake. Every 4th of July they come to visit from Colorodo. Susan and I met in 6th grade and were best friends thru high school. Susan is one of my closest friends and yet sometimes it is just this one visit per year that reconnects us. During our visit, Susan and I had the chance to talk, laugh, visit while the kids played. Susan has two boys, Zach and Cole who are Trev and Lexi's ages.

Every year, this visit reminds me of how special these connections are, how valuable our relationships with friends from our childhood, high school and college are to the person we are today. It reminds me that every person has such an impact and reason for being in our lives.

I want to reach out and thank everyone who I haven't called or visited in many years........

"True friends are never apart, maybe in distance, but not in heart"

"A friend's hand is always there...you just have to reach out for it."

A sister is a forever friend. ~Author Unknown

2008-06-28T12:39:00.000-07:00

Cathy

Rosie(mom)

Mary Jo

Louise

Teresa

Spending the week in Florida with my 4 sisters and my Mom was incredible. My Mom recently bought a condo in the Sarasota area and asked if we would join her in furnishing her retreat away from home with furniture and essentials.

I never knew shopping could be so much fun and provide so much entertainment!! The week was filled with laughter, silliness, bonding, relaxing, and simply enjoying being with each other.

Special moments included walks on the beach, swims in the ocean, chatting by the pool and watching Mom's florida home come to life.

I am forever grateful to be a part of a loving family.

Thank you Mom for showing us that family IS number one, being there for each other, laughing together, talking together........you are my inspiration. Thanks for providing us with a wonderful place to gather.

We were missing one of the six McMonagle girls. Amy(who lives in Belgium), we missed you. You were in our thoughts and many discussions. love you.

A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life.

Isadora James

more pictures can be found on the following link

http://gallery.mac.com/juliemac3#100019

Summer is HERE!!! And Life is GOOD!

2008-06-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

photo by yndecam at manitou sprint tri

Letting Go.........is it ever easy?

2008-06-19T15:39:00.000-07:00

When it is time to say Good Bye or to let someone go.......it is never easy. Closure for me is always difficult and usually not welcomed. Believe me, I understand the value and importance of it and yet at the same time I seem to struggle with letting go.......Several of my last posts have dealt with letting go on different levels.........letting go when life makes choices for you(death) and you must let go and simply deal.

I am reminded that saying good bye is all a part of grief. As a pioneer of grief, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, reminds me of the stages of grief........denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance. I know I will be ok and I must allow myself through these stages in my own way. I am blessed to have support of family, friends and the guidance of God.

I have actually come back to edit this piece. Things in it were unsettling to me.

After much thinking, crying, talking, running, I believe I am coming towards acceptance. With some help of friends, I am trying my hardest to look at this with my head and not my heart. My heart does not want to let go, given the choice.....it probably never would. My head has been telling me it is time, time to let go, it will be ok. Yes this hurts, it hurts bad but time will heal. My head is very smart, I just never tend to listen to it. Today is the day I start listening. It is writing this that I am letting go. I realize that in each relationship that ends, I learn more and more about myself. In closure, it allows you to look at the good times that were shared, the beautiful moments that will always live in your memory. Closure allows peace to occur to move on to be the best person you can be. I am ready to let go, I am ready to have a wonderful summer with Lexi and Trev.

Thanks Dan for being who you are, for giving me beautiful moments and memories.

I am glad that you came into my life..........

People come into your life for a reason, season, or a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you will know exactly what to do.

It feels so good to LAUGH

2008-06-17T21:09:00.000-07:00

In celebration of Trevor's 11th birthday- June 18th (can hardly believe it!), we went to his favorite place tonight- Legoland. The plan was for Trevor to buy something with his birthday money from his Grandpa and Grandma and for him to casually give me some ideas for his present(for me to secretly buy). Well, we spontaneously decided that we (trev, lexi and I) needed a little bit of fun and should visit the new Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall. Well, before you know it, we were in line for all the roller coasters. YIKES!! I am telling you, I can NOT remember laughing as loud as I did tonight in a long time. It felt so good to laugh. I am talking the kind of laughing that comes deep from inside your stomach, the kind that hurts your cheeks after a while. Surprisingly, my kids were not even embarrassed, because they were screaming and laughing just as hard. Those rides are Good! Well, it was some good fun. A great night to spend with the kids. A pre-birthday night to remember for sure.

I wish I had a picture to capture the expressions of the night. Just imagine the three biggest smiles ever!

Laughing......good for the soul.

A tribute to my Dad on Father's Day

2008-06-11T15:30:00.001-07:00

I think of my Dad everyday, everyday. True. Today, no exception.

My Dad, Bob, was the type of Dad who's sole purpose was FAMILY. Growing up in the McMonagle household, there were rules and expectations. Family dinner, 5:30 no questions. Sunday church, missing- not an option. Family Vacations-the best. I can remember so many wonderful times camping, traveling, adventuring with the whole bunch of us. If you know or remember, there are 12 McMonagle kids. YIKES.

Family times were not just a gathering, they were an everyday event. In the picture below is the Family bus. Rightfully so, this bus was named, "happiness is"(painted on the front) with Rosie and Bob and Teresa, Gary, Cathy, Steve, Louise, Mark, MaryJo, John, Mike, Julie, Amy, and later David painted down the side. This bus ventured the East coast, West Coast and everywhere in between!
My Dad taught me so many things about life. He taught the value of a strong work ethic. Many of his kids worked right along side with him in his family business, McMonagle Lumber. While running a successful business, he made sure to demonstrate the importance of family and spending time together.

My Dad showed his love to my Mom everyday. They supported each other, spent time together and laughed together.

I had many wonderful and special opportunities with my Dad. Playing tennis with my Dad was always great, he was always up for the challenge and I am sure it was not great fun at times

"hitting" with all of us little ones when we could return 1 out 10 balls. But if you asked, he would play. I also remember many wonderful times at our family cottage; skiing, boating, doing many chores together, campfires, playing cards and special trips to Dairy Queen!

I can't begin to list all the wonderful memories......so many.

I would have loved an additional 10 or 20 years with my Dad, but that was not our choice. So, it is on days like today I like to reflect on all those positive memories and share them to honor my Dad.

This is me and my Dad in High School!
This is one of the only pictures I have of Trevor with Grandpa. Grandpa died while I was pregnant with Lexi. She feels like she knows him well, we love to talk about Grandpa Bob.
I miss you Dad. When I run in the trails, I can feel your presence and I know you are listening to me and guiding me.

Love you Dad.

Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there.

Living in the present moment

2008-06-08T18:06:00.000-07:00

Reading for me has become a favorite past time. I love when I find that book that inspires me. You know, the one that you want to underline, bookmark your favorite page, and write down those "aaahaa" moments. The one that just clicks and you can not only enjoy that person's perspective but you can relate and explore ideas of how that could wrap around your own world. This weekend, I had the wonderful opportunity to spend time with my brother and his family at their beautiful cottage in Wisconsin. It was here that I found peace, serenity and the time to be inspired by "Chasing Daylight" by Eugene O' Kelly. Briefly, Eugene describes how his forthcoming death transforms his life. He is a 53 yr.old executive who is diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and is given 3 months to live. The key, is "3 months to live" not "3 months to die".

I was incredibly moved by Eugene's ability to see and live his last months as a gift to him. He states, "No more living in the future or the past for matter....It is exhausting to live in a world that never exists. Also kind of silly, since we happen to be blessed with such a fascinati

ng one right here, right now." He continu

es to say, "every morning upon waking, I tried my hardest to be in the present moment. Just to appreciate what was around me that very second."

As I laid on the dock this weekend, watched my kids play and reflected on Eugene's words, I became mindfully aware of ALL the small moments that were going on. It was amazing. I would like to share just a sampling of the moments that I became fully aware of this weekend by living in the present moment.........

- a 2 hour car ride with Trev and Lexi which allowed time for talk, singing and laughing

-an opportunity to see my kids really excited about spending time with family (cousins)

-a shared run with my brother around the lake, giving us a chance to reconnect.

-seeing deer and fox while out running (kathy saw a bear on the drive up, yikes!)

-a peaceful sunrise morning with coffe

e and a book

-a campfire complete with ghost stories and smores

-hours and hours of fun on the water, most of which included waves

-making the effort to really play and "be" with my kids

-taking photos of the kids tubing behind the boat and seeing their excitement and

expressions up close

-diving into the refreshing waters without a wetsuit and knowing I can handle this (ok, it took me a couple times and only after my kids were in the water for a quite a while......did i really sw

am in the water.......it was colder than any lake I have been in, really).

-making dinner with my sister-in-law Kathy and just talking

-listening to the kids laughter and knowing life is good

OK......so I am getting it. In the present

moment........and really enjoying what life has to offer

This brings me to race morning. I had signed up for Manitou a while ago and have done this race several years and LOVE it. But this particular weekend, I debated back and forth about this race.........do I leave all this at 4:30am to go race, to drive an hour plus (which

is for me a wonderful moment to drive by myself with my music really loud) and then drive back to the cabin to catch up where the day has left. Will my kids understand that need or want that I have to go race??

Yes......because in order for me to be the best mom I can

be, I need to be the best all around person I can be. Meaning, I need to do the things that make me happy, for me. And triathlons just make me happy. Within the triathlon community, there is another full list of enjoyable moments. Today's race was all about having fun and being in the moment. I enjoyed every moment of the day(some more than others). Here is a sampling of those moments.....

-having your stomach do butterflies in anticipation as you look onto the choppy waters of the swim course(a slight hope that lightening may strike and turn this race into a duathlon!)

-hearing Jenny on the microphone as she keeps telling everyone to watch out for you on the race course

-being ok with everyone knowing that you are '42' years old as it is engraved in your calf (for the next couple days- thank you Jeremy for the dumdum suckers)

-smiling at people that you haven't seen since last tri season

-standing in a circle of friends, taking the time to pray to God before race start (thank you FCA)

-people cheering for you as you do your best thru transitions and on the course

-warm up and cool down runs with dear friends

-pushing your mind and body to its limit

-knowing that in this present moment, I did the best I could and I am happy.

Eugene states, "commitment is best measured not by the time one is willing to give up but, more accurately, by the energy one wants to put in, by how present one is". We only have partial on no control of our surroundings or our competitors.

What we can control is ourselves, our energy, how we use it and how we use it in response to outside influences. And this weekend was all about being mindful and conscious, committed to what we love to do and the people we love to do it with........what makes us happy.

Again, I am blessed and I thank God everyday.

NINE Days left.......but who is counting??

2008-06-01T15:55:00.000-07:00

It feels like summer and I LOVE it. One major bonus about working in the schools is SUMMERS OFF!!!

And I have a feeling, this summer is going to be great!

This weekend was all about resting, rejuvinating, preparing for summer.

It feels so good to put some effort into a project, like lawn work. I have a pretty big yard that takes some maintenance and its not always top of the priority list.......but when it gets done- boy does it feel good. That was friday.

Saturday, I got in the lake for the first time this season.

Dan and I ventured to Lake Ann. There is something about lake swimming....to be in the open water, the freedom, being out in nature. I love it. It was cold at first but then it just felt great.

Later in the day, Jen called to get together for a spontaneous ride (my favorite). We were out for an ez hour when we heard the sirens go off. We noticed that things seemed to get pretty dark pretty fast. Jen was close to her house and I decided to TT it home, trying to beat the storm.

This was probably not the smartest move on my part. I booked it home, a harder effort than I planned on for the day, for sure. The clouds were increasingly darkening and the calm was spooky. All I could think of pushing faster, harder to not get swept up in some tornado like winds. Well, as I was turning into my neighborhood, I could see the huge raindrops hitting the pavement. As I entered my garage, I heard the winds howling and the hail hitting the pavement. It was close. I escaped a major hail storm by seconds. Not very smart.

Sunday, my friend Merilee and I hit the lakes again. Man, I wish I had my camera! Poor Merilee had this rip in her wetsuit that extened from her shoulder all the way down her arm to her elbow. That could not have felt good in the chilly water. And I felt bad because my wetsuit was faulty and ripping (which is a big bummer now that tri season is here and I need to figure out a plan) so I was using my old wetsuit and didn't have a spare wetsuit for her to use. So, we get all the way to the start of the lake (which for those of you who have swam Lac Lavon, know its a bit of a hike) and Merilee's swim cap rips...... so, she braves the elements and decides to swim without a cap in the very brisk waters. Again, wishing I had my camera to document this.

After that, we enjoyed a nice long trail run......ahhhhhhhh sundays.

But, my big project for the weekend was really to plant my garden. Gardening is just therapeutic to me- on many different levels. The planting, the maintaining, the harvesting ,the cooking and enjoying meals knowing the food came from my very own

garden. There is nothing like that. So, I planted tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, tons of varied peppers(bell and hot), onions. I need to find some herbs yet.

Lexi and Trev were busy getting into summer activities, playing on the trampoline, riding bikes and of course the hose and water toys came out.

We are all excited for SUMMER.

Superstars!

2008-05-24T20:43:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of Trev and Lexi. They

both excelled at their School Track and Field Day.

Trev once again proved that the "shoe kick" is really his expertise, gaining a first place position.

He also surprised himself this year with a "tire toss" that out tossed his classmates by FIVE FEET(I have been informed by Trev) gaining another first place ribbon.

Lexi was speedy fast in her 50 yard dash, gaining a blue ribbon.

She excelled at the frisbee toss as well.

Most of all, they had fun with friends.

Here are a couple shots.

To see more pics and to hear what Trev and Lexi have to say about it, visit their blog. See link to the right.

Baseball and Soccer continued this week, bringing lots of excitement and fun

for all. I just love taking photos while watching them at practice and games.

Apple Du was just this morning. Another race checked off......check! All in all not a bad day.

It felt great to be racing, pushing my body and mind as hard as it could go(today). Each race, each training session, I know I will continue to see improvements. For right now, it is important to be out there giving it my all with a smile on my face. Enjoying life, enjoying the moments and knowing that for me, right now, balance is what I am achieving.

Congrats to Dan, Coach John, Cathy, Julie, Jan, Karen, Kerry, Jason and all the other super

talented racers who gave it their best at the Apple today. I am proud to be training and racing with such a fantastic group of people.

Breathe, relax, enjoy the moments.....SMILE

2008-05-22T20:44:00.000-07:00

Its a busy time of year........but I just keep remembering to breathe because its also a wonderful time of year with lots of memories to be made.

Here are some of my favorite photos of the week.

to be a soldier

2008-05-18T16:46:00.000-07:00

Today started a new season, it was the Gear West Du. But with it came a metaphor from the past-from last year's tri season in fact. I remember it well. I remember Becca and I smiling for this photo. This photo was taken at Buffalo Tri, minutes before our wave took off into the water. Photo taken by Paul Phillips. Looking back, I think, "man we looked happy". Because we were happy. We were happy because we love triathlons, we love the sport, we love the training and we love the people. Little did we know that in next couple of hours we would both have quite the battle in front of us. You see, we both got lost on the bike course that day. Gone was the competitive group we yearned to be with as well as the dreams of accomplishing the results we had hoped for (numbers that is). But, we have a wise coach. Coach John. And he reminded us that we were "soldiers" out there. We didn't quit. We eventually found our way on the bike and kept on til the end...We fought the battle and we conquered our own race. This was a pivotal moment for me. A metaphor that would stick in my head and shape my mental attitude towards racing.

BE A SOLDIER.

For me, the rest of the season, was an individual battle. A season filled with opportunities to be a soldier. Opportunities to fight my hardest, to battle tough conditions, to dig deep into reserves. The

cool thing about a metaphor is that it becomes your own. You begin to expand it to what it means to you. For me, a true and respected soldier that does his best, puts his best effort out there on the racecourse, knows they can be happy with that. HAPPY when they cross the finish line and HAPPY after they look through the results. An experienced soldier learns this skill, trusting only their efforts and not worrying about the results of their competitors.

So, that was last season........

Today, was no exception!

With one year of intense soldier duty under my belt, I went into GW du with a a refreshing attitude of "be a soldier". It is a fresh start, a new season.

I had all the typical pre race jitters. I had a great time getting all my gear together, trying to figure out what to wear (always a challenge for me, just che

ck out last years pics from gw). I was trying out n

ew ZIPP wheels(thanks Kevin), new headset (thanks Dan), new funky Aero Helmet (no help on transition times- I seemed to be buckled challenged).

The best part was being on that start line and chatting with all the fellow tri(du)athletes.

Short race recap- hard run, smoother bike, harder run.

I know that I gave it my very best out there today. I dug deep and it hurt. I smiled and I had fun. I have looked at results and have started to fall into the trap of disappointment. It is in writing this and realizing that is unfair to myself. I was a soldier today. I will be a soldier again. I will train hard and I will continue to make improvements. I

will be patient with my progress. Everybody has their own story to tell. Mine is about doing the best I can for me and being happy with that. When I came home, I told my results to my kids. They acted like I won the Gold. What's better than that!

Thanks to all the volunteers, cheerers, supporters, and photographers today. Special thanks to

Jan and Kevin for an awesome race.

Picture taken at Gear West Du by Yndecam

a simple run

2008-05-14T19:36:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I forget how a simple run can brighten my mood, how a simple run can make all my difficulties of the day fade away, how a simple run can remind me that taking things one step at a time is sometimes all we can do.I wasn't always a runner. Back in the day I was a competitive gymnast and as I grew taller and realized I wasn't going to the Olympics like my idols Olga Korbut and Nadia Comaneci, I decided to try out other sports. I dabbled in soccer, dancing, and eventually track. By the time I got to college, all I wanted to do was not do sports.

So I didn't. And 10 pounds later I was running.

I think running has always brought me peace and exhilaration. Today was no exception.

I had to force myself to get outside in this beautiful weather, due to a bad headache, and get my run in. I am so glad I did.

Not only did my headache fade away but also my worries of the day.

The best part is that this simple run enabled

me to get my energy level back so I could go enjoy my son's baseball practice. It was a beautiful night at the park. Trevor is so excited about Baseball.

Lexi was there waiting for me to play with her at the park. I am getting pretty good at playing at the park and can usually get a little bit of a strength workout in while on the equipment.

All in all, it was a great night that I think I would have missed out on if I would not have gone for that simple run.

so excited to be blogging

2008-05-11T18:34:00.000-07:00

I have been working on my website on my mac for a long time. I just can't seem to get it linked to my personal domain........so.......i decided to go ahead an open a site on blogger. I just couldn't stand to be missing all the fun any longer.

I want to share so much going on in my life. I have so many things to be thankful for, I hope I can find ways to share and to connect with others.

My kids, Trev and Lexi also want to be a part of this and are quite creative. It is just another fun thing we can do together.

With race season right around the corner.......I am excited to have a place to share some race reports where family can find some information.

Well, that's it for now.

Oh, and I should say that we had a wonderful Mother's Day yesterday. Lexi and Trev made sure

that they made my day very special. It was full of nice thoughts, special cards, breakfast and best of all just time to be together.

Juliemac