Cleaning Up West Dallas

Look out kids, you may not recognize your school. We had a great time Sunday @ Edison Middle school in West Dallas.

Giving back is such a good feeling especially when its with paint. Yes, I had brush in hand and for 3 hours painted the teachers lounge yellow. There were tons of volunteers doing anything from landscaping to painting. The hallways were painted with bright red stripes and other rooms had great bright colors.

Christy & Nick were stuck on the walls when this photo was taken or else we would have taken over the bathroom for this photo!! I hope this brings cheer to everyone going from class to class.

All we needed was my 6'2" brother, Ryan, and this would have been done in 1/2 the time. He could have done a wall and ceiling at one time :)


If all else fails, or you are having a bad day, try giving back it will cure anything.

Looking forward to the next mission!

Dallas Pilates Intensive

My body is still sore from the workout I had last Sunday! We just received the photos so thought I would share. I'm the one with the leg touching the nose :). All of the presenters/instructors are in the top photo and were so amazing. Their bodies can do things I didn't even know were possible.

Working out, no matter your situation, is always good. But, I honestly attribute part of my success to pilates. The strength in my stomach and legs helps me everyday with walking and balancing. It has also pushed my mental strength beyond words. For the times I feel as if I may not be able to do something, Donna is there to say "What? YES, you can!!".

If you don't already have it, find something that pushes you every day. We all need those positive pushes!

Love, Jen

It's all In the Dress

So I get home yesterday and interrupted a game of hoops between Matthew & Nick. I grabbed the ball and SCOREd, 2 x!! But, as soon as the idea came up to turn the camera on, my skills went on vacation. How does that happen? I was quite the hoopster back in the day as my amazing talent so clearly shows. I have to shoot underhanded to get it over the basket but, well.....don't laugh too hard!

STRENGTHEN YOUR CORE

If you are looking for a challenge this weekend check out the Dallas Intensive! This weekend April 23rd through the 25th my awesome Pilates trainer—Donna—is putting on a 3 day workshop with some of the top instructors across the globe.

I will be doing a demonstration on Sunday which will be fun. It's a great group of people and great way to learn about your body—in a physically challenging way. I enjoy every minute of it. :)

Love,
Jen

GOING LOCAL

We attended the World Balloon Convention on Sunday! I thought I was a real geek for even wanting to go but once you saw the creations you couldn't help but be in awe.

The talent and creativity was amazing. I've attached my favorite 100% balloon biker! It has been a busy few weeks. I mentioned before that I am taking a 7 month leadership course and have learned so much.

However, I am down to my last class & graduation next month. I can't believe how fast it has gone. I wish everyone could go through this experience. All I can say is that it was such a gift and I am so grateful to have received the scholarship for the Power of Self class!

I have also been working on my writing and reflections—which hit a bit of a road block. I finally understand what the term "writer's block" means. But, there is always inspiration if you look hard enough. I was able to have lunch with a bright woman—Jennifer Strickland. She pushed me through a great discussion and opened me back up. Jennifer's story is really inspiring & I have read her book twice. Check her out here.

What else? Cooking has been quite the trend in my house lately. The art of cooking in my situation is very unique but also a great challenge. Fortunately, my husband loves to cook so it's never a chore. But, recently, my hubby found a great little trend called Urban Acres.

It works like this: every two weeks you get a fresh batch of local and organic produce, fruits, meats—basically whatever is in season. Then they provide recipes to introduce meals with the goodies. My favorite part is you can volunteer your time in the market then receive your food free. How great is that? Stay tuned.

Love,
Jen