Thankful Thursday

Hello, friends! I do want to say a big "thank you" for checking out this space. I know it's not all that exciting anymore (yup, really pumping it up!) but it's our life and I'm thankful to have it documented. I have had some insightful pieces over the years and I'm grateful for this space and all those that have been a part of it. So, what am I thankful for today?

This week I am thankful for:

What to Do When You Have Plantar Fasciitis

Four months ago I noticed that the soles of my feet felt tender with my left one being particularly bad. I was asking Gary for more foot rubs and I remember saying that it felt like I was walking on bruises. Now, this was not too strange for me for three reasons. I had started teaching three months prior which meant long hours in dress shoes on a hard surface. Secondly, I have always had very "bad" feet (fallen arches) and wear runners with orthotics whenever I'm not at work. Finally, I had gained weight which means there was even more pressure on my feet. These are three of the main risk factors.

When it got to the point where I didn't feel better each morning I started looking into what it could be and realized this was Plantar Fasciitis. I went to massage, physiotherapy and finally a podiatrist.
*I am not a doctor so please go and see a professional if you are concerned.* 

This is what I found worked best for treating Plantar Fasciitis:

Thankful Thursday

The one thing I really want to write about is my foot. Yes. I will probably do a separate post on it in case someone else suffers from plantar fasciitis, but wow, what a process. I don't do injuries well. Four months ago I started having chronic pain in my foot (I've always struggled with fallen arches) which I later learned was plantar fascisstis. I have tried to be patient and do all I was supposed to in order to heal (massage, icing, cast at night, orthotics, podiatrist, meds etc) and it took soooooooooooooooooooo long. However, I was given the "go ahead" to run this week and run I did. I'm "only" doing 3 km each time but it feels very good to get going again. It is still only at about 85% but I'll take it. Getting older is hard, friends!

So, here we go with my Thankful Thursday. This week I am thankful for:

Our All-Inclusive Vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Our family is normally the adventurous type; whether backpacking, road tripping or flying, we prefer to visit places that include a lot of activity and exploration. I should clarify that this is what Gary and I enjoy, not necessarily our kids, which led us to booking a trip that we had never considered: an all-inclusive trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The kids love food and playing in the waves as we learned on our Caribbean Cruise, therefore, this trip would ideally allow Gary and I to relax and the kids to have a blast keeping busy with all of the activities offered.

Thankful Thursday

Normally I write ten things I am thankful for but to honour your time and mine, here are some things I am thankful for today:

My Midlife Crisis?

I have been known to contemplate life frequently and maybe more than most people. I'm a type 1 on the Enneagram (Perfectionist/Reformer) and always seeking to improve myself. However, several months ago I realized that the questioning that I normally did once a month was taking over my thoughts throughout the entire day every day. Over and over I would say to myself "What do I want to be doing? What is best for me? For my family? How do I want to spend my time and energy? Am I okay if this is the way my life will be forever? Is there anything I "must do" before the end of my time here?" Was I depressed? No. Discontent? No. Finally, months later, it came to me:

This must be a midlife crisis.

Thankful Thursday

You know the weeks where you feel like life is sucking up all of your money? 

This was definitely one of those. Gary needs a root canal and crown (make sure your teenagers take care of their teeth, parents!) and has already reached his dental maximum for the year so it's out of pocket. Then we had to pay for Kai's braces (we actually went the Invisalign route). The total of these two is over $7,000 that we have to pay. I feel like every month we're like "next month we'll save!" and then life. Oh well. I'm grateful that we don't have to go into debt over it and we have the money saved but it's such a very unfun way to spend money. Very. Parents of young kids, start setting that money aside! 

This week I am thankful for:

Thankful Thursday

This week I am thankful for:

Our European Vacation Plan

This summer we are taking three weeks to travel through the Netherlands and northern France with our three kids. We want to be able to spend the majority in the Netherlands as that is where all four of my grandparents are from. I've always been a proud Dutch girl but have never been to see what it's all about. I am writing about our tentative plan here so that if you have something you would recommend, I have a chance to fit it in. I realize that in the grand scheme we are not seeing a lot but hopefully in ten years Gary and I will be able to see more of Europe without the kids.

Thankful Thursday

This week we only have three teaching days which is awesome. I like my job but I also like not working. I was talking with a colleague about what the perfect amount of work looks like, or really, what I would like to do with my life. Overall, no matter the choice, she said it's all just 7/10 and I fully agree! It's really such a "Louise" thing to say; when adding up pros and cons for all the options they all balance out at 7/10. All good choices. Okay, so let's get on with the thankfulness for this week...

I am thankful for: