Laura Lohr

Not Just an Alliteration

Moving On

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OurNewHomeWow! Live is truly an adventure! It has been an incredible couple of months! We recently sold our “dream home” in San Diego County and relocated to Temecula. Moving Allie Kat from San Diego to Temecula, was something we didn’t take lightly. She had only known San Diego. All of her friends and life as she knew it was East San Diego. It was a huge decision, but we prayed about it, we mulled it over, we dissected it a million different ways, and finally agreed—it was time to move on. We had dear, dear friends here. We have family here. We have a great neighborhood. The schools are good. So far, the move has been full of many blessings and I’m so grateful to the for the office movers of Houston and their recommendation and for all of it going so smoothly.

Lohr Family

 

We’re finally getting settled in, after 3 months. Allie is flourishing on her new swim team. She is doing well in school. We’ve made new friends in the neighborhood and new friends on the swim team. Mr. Bear is working from home about 50% of the time, so his hour commute isn’t so bad. We live in a community that has many trails, playgrounds, a couple pools, and gyms. It has been an amazing transition! Everything seems to have fallen into place, just the way it is supposed to.

Allie is now swimming for a private swim team, here in the Temecula Valley. She has grown leaps and bounds. Mr. Bear and I are so incredibly proud of this kid!  The first week, she was in tears, because the practices were longer and more challenging than what she was used to on her team in San Diego. She has now gotten used to her new team and is fitting right in. We’ve been to two swim meets now, and while she hasn’t gained a lot in speed, her technique is noticeably better. She’s gaining so much skill and we’re excited about her future as a competitive swimmer!

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Today is my baby’s 10th birthday! I cannot believe she’s TEN! It seems like so long ago when I was pregnant with her. At the same time, it seems like yesterday when she fit in my arms! Now, she’s this amazing creature that I hardly recognize! She’s amazing! I don’t blog about her too much anymore, as she’s getting older. We’re just so proud of her! She got Student of the Month last month. She has a very picky teacher this year. It has been a challenge, yet this kid has stepped right up to the challenge, with hardly a complaint. She’s a great kid!

There has been a lot of ups and downs with moving. Some of it has been has been an adjustment. I was in San Diego County for more than 20 years—longer than I was in my childhood hometown, growing up. There’s a few things that are different. There’s been a few heartaches, nevertheless, I have to focus on the blessings in life and move forward. Our family has met challenges with courage, strength, love, and gratitude. I am proud of the progress we’ve made. So far, we love Temecula, even if I get lost driving almost every single time I get in the car!

I started running again a month or so ago. I signed up for the Carlsbad Half Marathon in January. It’s sort of scary, because I’m really out of shape! I’ve got a long way to go, but I’m really excited! Allie and I have been running with her school’s running club twice a week. We’re both getting stronger and faster! The Turkey Trot 5k is coming up next weekend at her school. It should be a fun time! I can’t wait!

 

 

Athleta Yoga and Shopping

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Gift bag and yoga mat from Athleta. Capri running pants and tank top I purchased.

I’ve been running again since the beginning of 2015. It has been a very long time since I’ve had any new athletic wear. What I have is either worn out or it’s uncomfortable because it has become so tight. I’ve been hesitant to buy myself any new workout clothes. I want to wait until I’m thin enough. Which, of course, my logic makes no sense at all! I knew one thing though, my running tights just weren’t going to cut it. Thankfully, I was invited to an event at the La Jolla Westfield UTC Athleta store to do some shopping at https://www.ezibuy.com/shop/nz/Womenswear/Knitwear/c/cat400010 and take a yoga class. Did you know that Athleta has workout classes in the store? I didn’t either! Athleta yoga and shopping! A perfect Saturday!

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While we were still fresh, before the yoga class.

 

We did an hour long yoga class, right there in the store. I saw in the store sheepskin pillows that were too expensive but I found them cheaper at Sheepskin Town so I bought myself one. It was a lot of fun! It was also challenging enough that my arms are still a little sore from the class. I took a look at their schedule online and realized that I’m not a special snowflake, Athleta stores frequently host exercise classes and running groups. How awesome is that?

They also offering altering services for their customers, which intrigued me, as I’m not a short woman, but my legs are very short in proportion to the rest of me. I’m often fighting to not step on the hem of my full length yoga pants. They also offer the “Give it a workout guarantee,” which guarantees that if after working out in the outfit, it doesn’t work out, you can return it for free! Athleta is part of The Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic stores, which I didn’t realize until Saturday. I love that they offer clothing that performs like sportswear, but is very fashion forward that it could be worn every day and I also wear dive watches from sites like deondane.com and others like Gear Hungry. I’ll definitely be back to Athleta, either online or in the store. You can also performance long sleeve shirts to know more about clothing. They have the cutest workout attire. I was so excited on Monday to try my new workout outfit. When I felt good about what I was wearing, I was motivated to workout. Who knew?

Here’s the outfit I chose. What do you think? I just adore it! Also, if you guys out there are looking for some bowling equipment, check out American Machine and Foundry they are expert bowling operators.

RunningOutfit

Summer Time Fitness Routine

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RunningShoes

It’s summertime and I haven’t yet found my bikini body. I have such good intentions to get my routine started in the spring, but something is always coming up. I am guilty of overthinking. For example, the other day, I planned a two mile run at the park, while Allie had swim practice. That would be amazing, right? A few minutes before it was time to go, I began torturing myself. It’s too hot. My legs hurt. I’m tired. I need time to myself.

Gah. So much complaining. I annoy myself with all of it. Instead of complaining, I went through the motions, as if I wanted to go. Once I put on my running shoes, there was no turning back! You know what happened? I thoroughly enjoyed it! I am completely out of shape, but who the hell cares? I got out there, in the heat and I even lived to tell the tale! Who knew?

I find it difficult to get started with an exercise routine. I never want to do it, HOWEVER, I ALWAYS am glad that I did it! The only way to get back into shape is to take baby steps. Running, jogging, walking, swimming, whatever! It’s the fact that I get out there and try that counts!

I am discovering that the best way to get over my fear is to prepare in advance for that fear. What am I fearful of anyway? I know I am not going to be running 8 minute miles. So what?! I’ll walk for 5 minutes and run for 5 minutes. If I get tired, it’s no big deal if I stop and walk.

It’s funny. I get myself so spun up with anxiety and all I have to do, is walk through it. It’s amazing what a little music and a little courage can do for your motivation! Once my workout was completed and it was time to pick Allie up from swim practice, I actually felt like I could have extended my workout even longer. HA!

Which brings me to my next workout topic. I started swimming a while back. When I was a kid, I used to swim all the time. I loved swimming! Any opportunity to swim, I would be there! I was once a good swimmer. Then, I grew up and laying out at the pool, sunning myself was much more important than splashing around in the pool. A few years ago, I blindly signed up for a triathlon. I had the running part down. Riding a bike, you never forget how to do. For sure, I didn’t have any problems swimming—I was a good swimmer when I was young.

Right?

Oh! How wrong I was!

With the triathlon, I had also signed up for training with a team. I went to the bike clinic and learned so much about cycling and how to cycle in a triathlon and after decide to get one of the best spin bikes for my home, from a site online, so I can train also indoors when I need to. Then, there was the swim clinic. I went with complete (over) confidence and a little excitement. I had to be at the pool by 7:00 a.m. The air and the water was quite brisk, but I was not concerned. How hard could it be? The coach was a professional swimmer that held numerous world records in her home country of New Zealand. She had completed a number of Iron Man competitions. She really knew her stuff! She came out and gave us instructions for the warm up and soon after, the wheels fell off the bus.

The lesson was on the freestyle swim stroke. Easy, peasy? Or not. We were broken up into teams after 30 minutes of the instructor breaking the stroke into its most basic parts. Only, I couldn’t figure out how to put all those parts and pieces together. I learned rather quickly that what stroke I had performing for 30-some years, in no way resembled swimming and most certainly not freestyle!

At first, the instructor was giving me individual attention and trying to help me out. I was so out of synch with the stroke. I could tell she was really wanted to help, yet there was 8 other people in the pool that needed some attention. I became increasingly more self-conscious. My face was burning and I was getting flustered—as was the coach! In the end, she pulled me aside and offered to give me a private lesson at a later date (which I was far too embarrassed to schedule) and moved on with the clinic. It was a disaster!

Since that time, I’ve practiced a lot and enlisted the help of Mr. Bear. Not only did he swim and play water polo in high school, he’s been a surfer for as long as I’ve known him. When I told him about my experience at the pool, he politely told me that he’d noticed that my swim stroke was a little off. With that, he gave me some pointers here and there. Alas, my freestyle has improved! I can even do a flip turn! Woohoo!

All of this to say, I have no excuses for not getting some exercise. Whether it’s the pool, or it’s running, I can get my exercise on and I don’t have to stress out about it. Today, I’m going to get my exercise and not worry about how fast or slow I run. I’m not going to worry about my swim technique. I’m just going to get out there, because that’s where I need to be today!

A New Year 2014. A Different Perspective.

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Sunset
This beautiful view makes me happy. It’s from our bedroom window.

It was a busy year.  It was an eventful year.  I welcome the new year 2014, with open arms.   2013 was a year where what we knew was flipped upside-down.  We have loved.  We have lived.  We have learned.  We have lost.  We starred evil right in its scary face.  Some of 2013 was wonderful and I am grateful for that.  Some of it has been painful and I guess some of that I am grateful for too.  I truly believe that although I never welcome the painful moments, there is something we learn when we walk through those dark times.  I have to admit that I still don’t know what those lessons are and what I need to learn.  We have gained some wisdom through some of it—that I know.   I contend that there is a purpose and I have to accept that there really is a purpose for everything—-even when I don’t understand or see that purpose fully.  There have been lots of prayers and that will continue.  2013 wasn’t an easy year for us and we have to have faith that things will work themselves out.  God willing, they will.

One of my very favorite photos of Mr. Bear and I in 2013.
One of my very favorite photos of Mr. Bear and I in 2013.

Today was my first workout of the year.  I am training for my first half marathon in a long time.  I have my sights set on the La Jolla Half Marathon.  It is one of the prettiest courses here in San Diego.  I am also doing a sit-up and push-up challenge with my good friends.  Tonight I did my first thirty minutes on the treadmill, while watching my guilty pleasure, “Orange is the New Black” on Netflix.  Then, I followed it up with 10 girly push-ups and 30 full sit-ups.  My goal is to be able to do 100 sit-ups and 50 push-ups a night, without any trouble by the half marathon.  I am so out of shape, however, what I don’t have in strength and endurance, I have in passion to get my girlish figure back.

I also re-started eating vegan/vegetarian.  I feel so much better when I cut out processed foods and eat my fruits and vegetables.  I am terrible about eating breakfast and lunch.  That is one of my goals—to do a better job with having meals and snacks—not skipping meals.  My eating habits have gotten so bad over the past year and my waistline has really showed it. Bleh.  I want to make that change and I want to make it a lifestyle change, not just a diet.  My two best friends and I did 6 weeks of vegan/vegetarian lifestyle before we all went to Las Vegas (Which was a fantastic adventure that I wish I had blogged about!  It was so much fun!).  We all lost weight.  We all got in better shape.  Then, the holidays came and we all dropped the ball.  It’s awesome to have good friends with the same goal.  We’ve been supporting each other and that accountability has been so incredibly helpful.

Allie is so grown up these days! She turned 8 in November.  She has been on the local swim team since July and she’s becoming such a good little swimmer.  She had her first swim meet in November.  She did pretty well, considering it was her first meet.  She is THRIVING in school.  I don’t think it hurts that she is such a likeable little girl.  Every time I volunteer in her classroom, the teachers rave about what a good little girl she is.  It makes my heart melt.  SHE makes my heart melt.

My little fish at her first swim meet!
My little fish at her first swim meet!

I am ready for 2014.  I am ready for good things to come our way.  I chose a word for the year.  My word is PREVAIL.  It seems like there were many times in 2013 when we were hit with difficult times.  This year, however, is going to be drama-free.  I have to believe that we will prevail in 2014.

May 2014 bring beautiful things to you, too, Dear Readers.

What is your word or resolution for 2014?

New Year, New Goals, New Inspiration

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We had a fabulous time with wonderful friends for New Year’s Eve. The six of us adults laughed until we cried. It was so much fun and it was the first time in more than 7 years that we celebrated the new year with other adults. We had a beer tasting. We had good food. We played games. We laughed and laughed some more. I can’t remember a New Year’s Eve celebration where Mr. Bear and I had so much fun in so many years. We are so fortunate to have amazing friends that have endured so many life changes in our lives: marriage, births, job changes, moving further and further away from each other by relocating to Birmingham. We have much in common, have similar interests and have a great time getting together—even if those get-togethers are never often enough. When you find good friends, you hold tight to them. (Thank you, Bennetts for hosting a fabulous party and ringing in the new year with us!)

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Unfortunately, despite the amazing start 2013 had, the tide turned a few days later and we three Lohrs fought the wretched flu, sinus infections, fevers, bronchitis, coughing, hacking, sneezing and other dreaded ailments. It has only been a few days since we have found our way back to good health. Here we are, however, I am thrilled to say!

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Allison was awarded an Ace Award, which is something of a Student of the Month award, to simplify it. Her teacher has such glowing things to say about our little girl. Mr. Bear and I are beyond proud of her! She works very hard in school and her hard work is certainly paying off. While she was absent, her teacher expressed how much she missed her while she was gone and my heart swelled with pride. She is easy to love. She is such a caring, loving, likable child. She is a good little girl. We could not be happier. She has made us better people with her gentle, kind spirit.

Family

Allie and Dad

Allie Ace Award

Allie Ace Award Stage

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My good friend Tracey and I are planning to do the La Jolla Half Marathon in April. I have to say that I have a lot of work ahead of me, but Tracey is a great motivator! I don’t know if I can keep up with her, but I definitely look forward to celebrating over cocktails with her afterward, like we used to in the good ‘ole days.

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