Today's the day!
​
A day that's been in the making for over a year.

We wrote a book and it's FINISHED, it's PUBLISHED, and it's on Amazon RIGHT NOW!

Aubrey (my little sister and book illustrator) and I joke that "I am STRONG like MOM" is like another baby (that would make 6 for us combined...if you're counting!) So much preparation, excitement and nerves. And so much heart poured into it.

This book carries so much meaning for both Aubrey and I, in terms of our families and in our professional lives! Most people who read this book will just enjoy the adorable illustrations and the empowering story, but it's the story behind the book that makes this so important to us, personally. We thought we'd share a piece of that with you today! 

She said she would send me some drawings and you guys...if this book isn't a testament to PERSISTENCE, I don't know what is. Let's just be real. They weren't what I had in mind. I kinda put it all on hold, but she said she'd keep trying, and honestly I had no one else to ask. I was worried that if we kept working together it might come between us. I figured this would be another project that just lived in my Google docs forever. Aubrey kept drawing. 

Thank God we didn't shut it down. 

What Aubrey has created has turned my short, simple words into something BEAUTIFUL. She has brought life to it in a way I couldn't have even imagined! The fact that we're sisters makes it even more personal. If you know either of us very well, you will see the obvious similarities between the characters in the book and our own kids. We didn't base either kid off of one specific one of ours, but there are pieces of each one of them in there! I have laughed so many times when I'm scrolling through my endless iPhone camera roll and see pictures of my kids that are so similar to the book illustrations - completely unintentionally! ​

Holding this book in our hands and reading it to our kids is enough for us. It truly is a gift to our kids that we hope they will read for years to come. But, we do hope that other parents will love reading this to their kids as well.

​Moms, you put a lot of pressure on yourself. You could read the words in this book like CONFIDENT, STRONG and BRAVE and think "I'm none of those things". But guess what? You are! And your kids think you're a freaking super star! That's the joy and the beauty of this book. I hope it's a chance for you as a mom to see yourself from your child's point of view. They don't see the anxious thoughts or intricate planning in your head. They see a BRAVE mom. They see you making fitness a priority and know they have a STRONG mom. They want to grab your hand and jump in the puddles with you because you're a FUN mom. You really, really are. So, while I hope your kids like this book as much as mine do, I hope reading it reminds you of how awesome you are too!! ​

I don't know about your kids, but mine LOVE popsicles. We live in South Texas where it is REALLY HOT for A LOT of the year. We can't play out for long periods of time usually, but snacking on popsicles while we're out there always helps! I try to make homemade popsicles most of the time to save money and have control of the ingredients. Sometimes I throw extra smoothie into the molds, or get super lazy and just pour some juice in there. But this week I got a little extra creative (trust me though...this is super easy) and made these watermelon hydration pops! 

This is a great way to use up some extra watermelon and help you or your kids stay hydrated on long hot summer days.  Yep! This is great for a post-run recovery treat too! 

Why watermelon?

• Delicious summer flavor
• Kids love it (and adults too!) 
• 90% water so perfect for hydration
• Additional vitamins & minerals

5 large slices of watermelon
2 scoops or tabs of your favorite electrolyte mix. We like Nuun tabs or Emergen-C! 
2 cups water

​Blend the watermelon and water in your blender. If there were lots of seeds or the texture seems grainy, you can run it through a strainer at this point. Otherwise, just add in the electrolytes - let dissolve and blend again. Pour into popsicle molds. We have these big ones and these small ones.

​Freeze and enjoy! 

It sounds like a sob story. It sounds like a lot. It sounds like I could be sedentary.  But two years ago I started running because two friends of mine said to "just try it". They encouraged me and told me to start with the Couch to 5k program. So I did. I used the quadruple stroller to push my four little ones. When I started, I could only run for 30 seconds at a time then I needed to stop and walk. But little by little, week by week, I got there and I completed my first 5k with Stroller Warriors Camp Pendleton. It was a truly incredible feeling. That feeling pushed me to continue with a 10k and I then thought ‘let’s try for a half marathon’.  So in November of 2018, I completed my first half marathon pushing the quad stroller.  I finished another one in March and I have a big one again in November all with the quadruple stroller totaling approximately 200lbs with the kids and all their gear.  I just started a crossfit program to help strength train.  And if I’m being honest, all of this makes me feel better about eating that Oreo. ​

But by far the most important aspect I’ve noticed is that it’s also setting an example for my kids.  The quads have horrible lungs. It is highly unlikely that they’ll be runners because of their lack of stamina.   One of them has significant vision disabilities causing her to have zero depth perception or peripheral vision which makes a lot of physical activities difficult.  And bless their little hearts, they’re all very small since they were born so early.  The youngest and oldest are both healthy and neurotypical, so I do hope they can pursue some sort of fitness goals.  But they NEVER let any of their disabilities stop them or even slow them down.  They encourage me and try to run as long as they can.  Seeing my youngest attempt box jumps is the cutest thing you’ve ever seen. It also motivates me to work harder and show her that moms can do it!.  I want them to know that fitness is vital to your health and the best way to teach is by example. 

If you’re looking for a little push to get into a routine, or go for a run, I’m hoping I can inspire you to try. It might not be perfect or lengthy, but hopefully it will help you feel a bit better.   I’ve been known to run in jeans just because I didn’t have time to change.  I don’t recommend that, by the way. It’s really uncomfortable!  You have the strength.  You are already a mom which is the most taxing job a woman can have. ​