Weekly Walks

Since the accident we've started putting a little extra effort into bettering ourselves both spiritually and physically.  We scheduled doctor and dentist visits, started eating out less, and try to drink more water and less soda.  We've also been exercising more.  Exercise was a lot easier for me when I was going to physical therapy three days a week and they made me do it.  After that was all over it was a lot easier for me to just sit on the couch, play with my boy, and really not do much, especially before I started driving again.  Then Lawrence went to the doctor and the prognosis wasn't good.  He gained some weight on his mission, lost some, gained some, then he gained a lot in 6 months after the accident (probably due to me not really wanting to cook much and us eating out more than we should have).  So, when the doctor told him something needed to change we climbed on the horse.  We found an app/website for our iPods that helps keep track of our calories and we got more active.  We started going on a walk every week, as a family, on Lawrence's day off.  I started cooking at home more.  We each started exercising individually and we started eating more produce (bountiful baskets are kind of amazing!).  We've really seen a big difference.  Lawrence has lost the post-accident weight and I have lost a little too.  We feel better, we have more energy (most days), and we feel like we have taken a step  towards being more worthy to be with our Princess again someday.  But more than that, we have grown closer as a family.

When we go on our weekly walks (usually Monday mornings) Little Man rides in his stroller and we walk to visit Ethne.  Sometimes we take mineral oil to clean her headstone, others we take flowers or other presents, sometimes we just go to visit and feel the sweet peace that seems ever-present there.  We talk to her, often pray, and Little man likes to climb on Ethne's headstone.  Lawrence and I talk about our upcoming week, things we need to get at the store, our friends, Lawrence's ongoing job search, politics, news... just about anything we feel like.  On the way home Little man decides he wants in on the family bonding time and he gets more talkative and often holds his hand up like he wants attention, so Lawrence holds his hand.  Usually this only lasts a few minutes before his arm gets tired or his attention dies and he drops his hand, but the last couple weeks Little man has held Lawrence's hand the whole way home.  It is so sweet to see this father-son connection and to know that he loves his daddy so much.  It is so good to spend time as a family and to be physically active together.  So get out there and do something fun with your family-- play at the park, feed the ducks, go for a walk, play some basketball or catch, go swimming... or something else.  Just get out and have fun with your family, I promise you'll like it.