Boy do I have something to tell you.....

I'm from Boston and I workout!!! YES, I said it," I workout" and it feels GREAT!!!! I decided to re-claim my life and my healthy comfortable weight/size a few weeks after my 34 birthday. Yes, I'm in my 30's. I have 2 kids and they keep me on my toes. What kind of mother would I be to just sit on the sidelines and not participate with them?

Since starting the "Squat Challenge" I've gained a number of new "sister friends". Though more than 1/2 of them are not in GA, they have become my motivation to keep going!! Not only do I squat, I jump rope, lift weights, I run/walk and occasionally play tennis,  I drink WATER like its going out of style. I also make it a habit to have a healthy smoothie at least twice a week.  This is becoming apart of my life. Although I'm not doing anything big like serious weight training, I feel good with where I've started and I look forward to doing more as time progress.

As most of you know, I'm a Boston Girl who has become a GA Lady. I was born and bred in Boston( minus the 6 or 7 years I lived in Florida). I'm sure you can imagine the heartache I've experienced this week due to the Marathon Explosions. More than 1/2 of my family still reside in good ole Mass. I experienced a few small scares on Monday after the explosions because my uncle could not find his kids( they did make it home safely) and others who I knew would be present BUT thankfully EVERYONE is accounted for and are safe( as is the entire state).

I've said all that to say, I have a challenge for you!!! There were lives lost and many people injured during this tragic event. To honor their lives, I will be walking/running 117 miles in honor of them( 117 is the number of marathons held to date). I would like for 117 people to join us but that's probably not going to happen. But if each of us could devote sometime each day, this will serve as our own way of honoring such a historic event and the ones who were their just to enjoy and celebrate. I know many of you who will read this are NOT Bostonians but in a time where the world is in need of healing, why NOT let the process start with you?

If you're interested in joining Me, the challenge will begin on this Monday 4/22 and will end on May 22nd,2013. It is totally your choice on how you complete the 117 miles. All I ask is that at the end, you email me a pic( c79hobbs@gmail.com), with 117 in the subject box so that I can thank you. My goal is to ultimately send a write up to one of the newspapers back home with ALL of us who participated.

I'm big on Giving Back and this is my way of giving back to the place that
birthedMe
educatedMe
taughtMe
and
lovedMe..... Won't you help me??

Signed,
Peace begins with ME

My Home, MY Heart Always...

My old place, 2nd level 149 Hemenway St
Boston Ma.

I LOVE Boston. No matter where I am in life, I make reference to Boston. I was born and raised in Boston. Minus the 6 years I lived in Fort Walton Bch, Fla,  Boston made me ( but Georgia has grounded me and given ME Life).  

Yesterday's events hit hard. All I could think of were my family members, former teens and friends who could've been at the Marathon. My old apartment(pic on the left) was literally 10mins walking from the area where the Boston Marathon was held. I have so many memories in that area. One nice days, Li & I would go for a stroll in her kiddie car or her overly priced Eddie Bauer Stroller( boy the things I know now). I know that entire area like the back of my hand.. MEMORIES... Cappy's Pizza, Boston House of Pizza, Gucci Store, Neiman Marcus, Gap, Nike Town, Aldo, Thom Brown, Virgin Record Store, Hancock Building, Northeastern, Newbury St, The Pru, Copley Mall, Legal Seafood, Boston Public Library, Boston Public Garden, The sprinklers at Christian Science!!! All these wonderful places right at my finger tips. And someone with no regard to human life, attempted to ruin that on yesterday.

The Marathon was and will always be a place where all Bostonians come together and if even for only 1 day, we're ALL smiling and enjoying the day. Even years where the weather wasn't the best, or it even rained WE stood united and still supported the runners. People came from all over to participate. 

I pray that this tragic event does not change the spirit or resiliency of this wonderful place I call home. As I spoke to my mother, she was in a bit of shock. The young boy who lost his life, was a family member of one of her middle school friends. He had walked out to embrace his father upon completing the race and was killed. His little sister lost a leg and his mother is still in critical condition. Continue to pray for the Reynolds Family.

Boston is a melting pot to many races:

 Italians, Jews,Asians, Irish, Haitians, Jamaicans, Greeks just to name a few call this place home.  We're in a state of shock but not broken. Boston will stand tall and strong, united and get through this. The Marathon will continue to bring people together...

On your Mark, Get Set..... Heal Boston!!! The world is with you, praying for you and watching you...

BUT, In the Meantime.....

Ever just get to the point where you try and hold something in but you just can't?
Yeah, it happens to me quite frequently. Nope, I'm not talking about blurting out secrets either. It's more so practicing expressing how I feel and not being concerned with how others take it.

For such a long time I compressed my feelings in order for another person to feel okay. I've allowed myself to subjected to name calling because sometimes it just wasn't worth the bantering. ( so I thought)

But once I relocated, it was like I had finally gotten hold of my life and in no way would I ever back track and allow myself to block out how I feel in order to appease another person.

In the process of finding my voice I also found or should I say realized other things about me. It's funny, how  the phrase you could learn alot from a dummy so buckle up, has stuck with me. And for reasons as such,
Everyone has a bit learning to do in life. And whether we choose to admit it, we can learn so much from other people that can be applied  to our daily lives.

I know for a fact, I LOVE complimenting others. And I'm not going to lie but when it's reciprocated I love that even more. I know, I know we're not supposed to look for praise but a Thank U does go a long way.

However, today I was reminded that sometimes we have to find the push and faith in ourselves so that if we do NOT receive the support we feel we deserve, we're okay with it.

I always think  of Thomas the steam engine. Thomas loves to help others. And sometimes he tends to over do it.  But by the end of the show he has somehow saved the day and everyone at the station is proud of him.

In life, some of us arrive to the station without support and some of us are supported from day one.

I've said ALL of that to say, Always love yourself enough to accept NO's and be prepared to sometimes walk alone. Every trip does not require a companion and just because you have a companion doesn't mean they will always say or do what you expect them too...

In the meanwhile, keep pushing because with or without; you have the power to be GREAT...

Signed,
I see it NOW

What the %^&!????

HaHa, We got You!!!

Hahahahahaaaaaa!!!! Get your mind out the swear gutter!

 I bet you instantly clicked to see what I had to say. It's a sad truth but negativity seems to run the world. I watch the Atlanta news and it's starting to put a sour taste in my mouth as did the news in Boston did before I relocated( don't worry, I don't have the urge to move again)... It's always something though.. But what about those good moments? Like the one I just experienced?

The Mr and I were having breakfast and our son decided to come and join us( more like come and beg for food, he's approaching 2), he went to his dad and said" Good morning" and hugged his arm. That was the sweetest morning greeting EVER. I watch them interact quite frequently. And it makes my heart smile. None of us are perfect parents but when we try to right what was a wrong for us during our childhood is proof that we do exist and want to do better.

As soon as the Mr left out to began to prepare for work, I knew what that meant. The boy would now want my attention. Out the door went the moment of Peace and Solitude. As I sit here and blog, I instantly thought about what was on my laptop screen as he climbed on me. What if I were looking at something inappropriate, what if I were listening to a song that had explicit lyrics( don't be alarmed, it was just a thought to make this next point)....

We are our children's 1ST teachers. What they see in us will mold them into who they will become..

We want them to speak kind words? Say Hello and engage them in positive talk
We want them to have success? Let them see us work hard
We want them to be honest? Start by always telling them the truth
We want them to stand for something? Show them the world
We want them to have an understanding of life? Teach them to read

What the $%^& will you teach your children? We're teaching ours that, in life nothing is freely given to you but Mommy & Daddy's love BUT if you want something, go out and get it. The world is Big and wide and it's waiting for me to guide you and YOU to find your place and get in where you fit in...

Signed,
I'm raising Productive & Positive HUMANS~~~

I'm Running...Literally

So, for the last I'd say about 2 weeks I've been committed to the Squat Challenge. I'm not going to lie, I wasn't serious  at first and I did it just because. But, once I realized so many women were taking part in it, I became serious!

I have a circle of women who have become like sisters. We're all scattered around the US and some of us will probably NEVER meet. But the encouragement I've received, the motivation and well wishes have pushed me to do more than just squat.
I run( you know faster than jogging but NOT sprinting..LOL)
I bear crawl
I crunch
I walk
I eat healthier
I make smoothies

When, I first moved to ATL, I had lost so much weight. I've never been obesely fat but I've always battled with being on the heavy side. I remember at one point in my life I was wearing 14/16( and soetimes I had to buy an 18). No shade to the ones who wear those sizes well, it just never worked for me. With little effort, before I knew it I was a 10/12 in a matter of months of relocating. And it wasn't that I was starving myself, I was new in the area and didn't really know my way around. Every outing became an adventure of getting lost. I remember 1 night after leaving service at my church, I was LOST. I circled my neighborhood for about 2 hours not realizing, I had passed the street that lead to my house... pitiful, I know~Smh

With life, comes changes... I've done/gone through a number of things during my relocation and some have been good, some life changing and some were mere test! However, each of them left a mark on my body..
This squat challenge has renewed my thinking and has made me more conscious of what I'm putting in my body and how I'm treating it. My body is a temple and what I put in will either come out yielding awesome results or it will stay in and alter my physical being.

I'm running y'all and I'm getting my life BACK. I'm LOVED and appreciated the way I Am but in order for me to be happy in my skin, I have to first be happy with me. Water has become my new best friend and the tennis court in my complex has become my training grounds( the gyms are under construction). My children work out with me as do a few kids in the complex. This little boy "C" challenged me the other day and it felt good. I was running doing slight basketball suicides. In my mind, I was determined to complete 4, he pushed me to do 6 and said, "Keep going Miss, you can do it"...

I don't want to be skinny. I just want to feel better about me and be healthy. I'm excited and check back in a couple of month because, It just got REAL!!! My Pastor's theme is "Developing A Better Me (DaBMe) and I'm well on my way!!!

The Experience

I walk in to be greeted by friendly faces and warm hellos,

I sit and wait to be called by HIM...

"Hello" he says "Are You Ready, if so Follow me"

He leads me to a back room away from the common area and preps me for an experience I won't soon forget. 

You can sit right here he whispers

I sit, a bit squirmish at first and I soon relax.

He asks if I'm comfortable

I respond "Yes"

He asks, if it's to tight, I say, No

And he begans...

His touch is to perfection, 

touching all the right spots, not to hard and not to soft...

Do you need specific attention to any one spot, he asks?

I say, No, you're getting them all.

He asks am I getting wet?

I'm not wet at all, which is okay because if I were I wouldn't know because it feels so good...

I close my eyes because it's becoming a bit intense...

I'm experiencing an almost outer body experience...

He stops and I'm like why,

hold on he says, Let me moisten you again...

Round 2...

He's rubbing 

I'm moving

and in what seems like forever

I'm sure is coming to an end.

He helps me to sit up,

I hear him say, Ok i'm going to dry you off and it's OVER....

Just.

Like.

THAT.

He reaches for my hand and I sit up, wishing I had another 5 minutes with him.

He leads me back to the common area

And everything is still a blur...

Damn, I say

I just experienced the

BEST

Hair

Wash

EVER~~~~