Long time no post........

Hi Everyone,

Yes I am still alive ........ and well!

I cant believe it has been so long since my last post! I have lots to report on so maybe head to the kitchen grab a coffee and come back!!! hehehe

As you will see from the pics I have attached I have been out and about having a wow of a time. It has been race season here in Karratha. Horse racing that is. Let me paint a picture for you.......

Red dirt and lots of it - including the race track, rocks, little shade, tiny bit of grass, BIG bar, lots and lots of people, and women dressed to the nines - including heels, flash dresses and in some cases hats - and apparently horse running down the track - not that I saw too much of that!

This is a picture of my bestie and I at the races! We had such a GREAT day! Not only did we have so much fun there we also had lots of fun getting ready - spray tans, swapping dresses, painting nails... the list goes on!

The track is a 45 minute drive from where we live (short distance really considering Perth is 16hrs in the car away!), so we went to the track on a bus! Arrived around 1pm and left again at 8pm! Drank bubbles, ate Thai, socialised lots, danced to the band at the end of the night! Brings back great memories just typing this!

Below is a picture of me earlier in the day...... need I say anymore! Not that I want you to get the wrong idea at all!
Training has been great - mixing it up with classes, running and a few weights sessions. The mix must be right combined with diet right now because the bod is telling me only good things.

I had so much fun teaching again - i felt so confident up there on the group fitness stage, more so than ever before. I think life experiences has a fair bit to play in that department. At the moment I don't have any more classes on the horizon - but I am sure there will be more opportunities.

Not a day goes by where I don't think about my beautiful mum and dad. I have had some counselling and this has really helped. I miss them so so much but at the same time sitting around and not doing anything is not going to make them come back.

Mike is busy at work, but loving it! Tucker has started his third term of pre primary and is learning to write words and read - he is doing so well and loves to find paper at home and try and write out lots of different things! Essington is going to be one in 1 months time! That is still a shock to me. He is a VERY busy baby and seems to get up to lots more mischief than Tucker ever did! For those of you who know Tucker you will find this hard to believe!!!

We are loving the weather right now and sometimes wish it was like this all year! Day time temperatures are anywhere between 24 and 31! Overnight sometimes as low as 14, at which point we are FREEZING! It is a very pleasant change from 45 during the day and 28 overnight - summer will be here again very soon!!!

You must have almost made it to the bottom of your cup by now, so I am going to leave it at that and I will be aiming to not make it so long between posts.

Maryanne x

ps ....... Mr Mischief is trying to climb out of his high chair so got to run!!!

Gracing the stage

On Wednesday night it was time for me to shine once again - no not on the competition stage (well not yet anyway!!!!) - but on the group fitness stage teaching the one and only.....

...... BODY ATTACK!

I had so much fun and worked the class REALLY hard! I realised how much I miss sharing my energy and love of fitness with others. For 55 minutes I had the opportunity to inspire, challenge and motivate 15 people! They all sucked up my enthusiasm and gave that enthusiasm back to me through their energy and determination to succeed in class! I had a combination of brand new attackers as well as the seasoned regulars.

Previously when I have taught classes i have found myself to be exceptionally nervous prior to the start of the class and even in the first couple of tracks - on wednesday this was not the case. I believed in myself and knew I knew the choreography, felt attack fit and had my coaching skills ready to roll. It was such a different feeling and one that was so much more enjoyable.

I cant wait to teach again on Monday night and might even take it to another level again - really hoping that the stitch does not kick in again like it did on track 9 the other night!

Good luck to all the girls competing at the all female classic in Melbourne this weekend. Maybe one day it will be me in Melbourne getting all ready for that big day!

Did I just say that!!!!!

:-) xxx

Life seems to be coming together

Hi Everyone,

Well tonight I feel like I am in a pretty good place! The last couple of days I have had some really good cries and I think this has helped!

Just a quick post - I have a girls night planned! A friend is coming over and we are going to share dinner, have some drinks and dance to channel V on Foxtel! Can't wait!!!!

My gym manager approached me the other day and asked if I would teach some attack classes in July - at first i was a little reserved and said I would think about it. Well I came home started listening to the music and decided I would go in and have a practice on my own! WELL..... I fell in love with the feeling of centre stage and I have decided I will recommence teaching! It has been a long time - in fact I have not taught a class since approx. April 2008!!!!!!

Better go, time to sort out the boys, have a shower and chill the wine. xxx

Taking every day as it comes

Well I have been taking each day as it comes - however i did not expect to be sleeping in an arm chair in the hospital tonight next to my beautiful 5 year old. He has been admitted to hospital with bad abdominal pain. They have ruled out all things serious - they are thinking some sort of virus. Did I really need to have any more challenges right now.

Tonight my emotional state is feeling too challenged. They say challenging things are sent to the strong people who can handle them but my strength is at it's limit now.

I have been trying hard to focus on my training - it something I really enjoy doing so am trying to focus some of my energy in that direction - as hard as it might be. I know it also assists in my mental health.

Congratulations to all those who have just competed and good luck to those who are competing this weekend.

x

My beautiful mum

Hi Everyone,

Some of you may or may not be aware but I have just returned back home to Western Australia after nearly 5 weeks in Tasmania. I was called for along with my two brothers on the 20th April because my mum was very unwell.

I arrived there on Thursday the 22nd April. She was very unwell (in hospital reliant on a cpap machine for 95% of the time to be able to breathe) and things were very grim. She improved slightly, however she was too unwell to return home. We were very fortunate to be offered a place in a very nice nursing home. We moved her there on the 3rd May. Every day was different - some days she was well (as well as she could be) and other days not too good.

On the 7th May she celebrated her 72nd birthday. A very difficult day for all - she knew and we knew it would be her last birthday. 2 days later it was Mothers day. A day with even more challenges - health wise and emotionally!

On the 10th May when I went in to visit her she was very bright, sitting in a chair, dressed (a rarity on both accounts in the past few weeks). It was so nice to see her appear so well. It did cross my mind is it the rise before the fall!

On the morning of the 11th May I visited her in the morning at around 11am. She was quite confused and seemed quite muddled, however I believe she still knew who I was (had not seen any signs of this prior to then). I stayed with her around 45 minutes. We talked about her beautiful grandsons, and then when it was time to say good bye I did what I always did - gave her a kiss and a hug and told her how much I loved her. She repeated it all back to me.

Sadly 2 hours later I received a call to say she had passed away! A HUGE shock and not expected so soon.

I miss her each and every day! I do not wish for her to be still suffering and I know that mum and dad are reunited (they were only apart for 7 months to the day) but it does not make it any easier.

Life is hard right now. Life was even harder for my mum though.

What more can I say except tell loved ones how much you love them every day. I will be back to blog some more soon. xxx

Mum and Dad, I love you all the way to the moon and back. xxx

PS ...... this picture was taken when we spent 3 weeks together in January 2009. x

A quick update.........

Here are a few photos from a lovely night we had at our next door neighbours on saturday night for dinner. I had my first glass of wine in a very very long time! We all had a great time. The boys were both great - Essie slept in the porta cot and Tuck watched TV and then fell asleep on the couch!

My eating has been awesome - it is always an area I have struggled with previously. I felt like I had no self control. Now it seems the opposite - I have lots of self control and don't feel tempted to eat wrong foods. I have now lost a total of 20kg since Essie was born just under 6 months ago, and 6 of those Kg have been just recently. Without going shopping I have a whole new wardrobe - I am fitting in all of my smaller gear.

Training is great too - my fitness levels are increasing all the time. YAY!!! Essie loves to go to creche at the gym, so this makes leaving him for an hour or so, so much easier. I think training would be even harder if I knew he was not settled.

Tucker is at school today, Essie is sound asleep in bed, cardio done and dusted, resistance training finished for the day............ unfortunately that means it is time to hit my list of things I want to get done. #1 on the list is clean out the fridge.........

I am thinking of Nicole and her husband today as they welcome their little bundle into the world. xxx

I'm on Fire!

Hi all,

sorry for the absence in posting but I have been busy......

Training

Prepping meals

Looking after Essington

Getting Tucker to and from orientation period at school

Going to the beach

etc etc

I am so proud to say that I have lost 4kg in 3 weeks! How have I done it you may ask! Well I have done a moderate amount of exercise but most importantly my nutrition has been so clean! I have had so much self control and have dropped bad habits! I have implemented the new habits now for approx 3 weeks without failure and it feels awesome! I am loving just looking after me at the gym rather than looking after everyone else and then not having anything in the tank for when it came time for my workout. I am doing exercise every day - some days more intense than others. In a couple of weeks I am going to take some measurements and photos!

Tucker is enjoying Pre Primary - it is a huge adjustment and I think there are some nerves hanging around as well. He loves to ride his scooter - so we have been walking to school every morning this week - he scooters along, I push Essie in the pram and we chat about anything and everything along the way - it makes for a very relaxing start to his day. Essie and I love it too. Once we have walked home Essie usually has a little sleep in his cot and then we head out and about. It means I actually have some more time at home too - which I love!

Essie is now 5 months old and doing pretty well - we have had a few problems with his bowel but we are hoping it will sort it self out soon - we are off to the specialist for a check at the end of the month. He loves to roll, babbles a lot to his brother and smiles at everyone he meets!

On sunday after an early lunch we loaded up the sun tent, towels, buckets, spades etc and headed out to a beautiful spot called Honeymoon Cove at Point Samson. Tucker had a ball on his wiggles boogie board, Essie floated around in his swim seat and Mike and I enjoyed the company of great friends. I will load some pics soon.

Essie is asleep, the cleaners have just left and its lunch time so I am about to cook myself some lunch before it is time for school pick up in an hour and a half.

Hope everyone is doing great.

xxx