So I learned last week that my last grandparent, Helen Hinton had passed away. She was 90 years old. She was a loving person who always saw the best in life and lived unconditionally. I was not close to my dad growing up for many reasons. He and my mother separated when I was 3 years old. Good or bad that was how it was. I saw my moms family a lot and my dads family a lot less. Over the years I lost my grandparents on my moms side, my grandpa Hinton passed away a long time ago in his 60's. He was a green beret in a select group named Merrill's Marauders he picked up some nasty jungle rot in his foot and passed before his time. Grandma lived alone in Winthrop Minnesota and as I got older I started to visit on my own. Usually 3-4 times a year I would drive down with the kids and bring lunch. It was a good time to connect. On January 1st of this year I got the call that she had a stroke and would be in the nursing home. Well it kinda sucked. She hated being there but she needed full time care. Me and the kids visited 5-6 times over the 9 months she was there. a week and a half ago I got the call that she had a massive stroke and would not be on the earth much longer. I packed the kids up in the car and we went and visited one last time. Although grandma could not talk I know she could hear me and I could feel family members that have already passed smiling down from Heaven ready to welcome her home.
We learned 3 days later that grandma had passed away. We celebrate her life tomorrow night and a Catholic funeral will follow on Friday. I am happy I have no regrets about my visits with grandma and she will be happy in Heaven. A note of advice - make the time in life to visit loved ones, even if you think life lasts forever you never know what will happen and you can always work more tomorrow.
On a more annoying topic driving 4 kids around AHHHHH!
I traditionally resist signing my kids up for things that are to far away or that require a large time commitment of parents sitting and waiting. You just can't do it when you have 4. In the past we have had grandparents help drive to and from tennis and swimming lessons and other special after school events. This year our oldest is going youth ministry at our church, service work feeding the poor and helping run club on Sundays. This means at least 3 days a week to and from our church 30 minutes away. Then our youngest is in preschool 2 days a week and at the YWCA 3 days a week. each one of these is 2-3 hours and requires drop off and pickup. Leaving me about 2 hours or less of time to get work done. On top of my day to day kid driving there are special events, these seem to happen at least 2-3 times a week. Either a choir or orchestra concert, meeting with teachers, come club after school or a field trip or sporting event. Then there is all the stuff that I want to do, like Twin Cities Startup Week this week #TCSW I swear we need Uber for kids =)
Only partially kidding on that, if you have kids you either know what I am talking about or you soon will. Funny thing about this is when I talk to my mom about it she says she never did as much running around for family stuff as I do. What has our generation done to itself?
My weight oh my weight.
I have not gained weight since last week but I have also not dropped weight. I have been working out more. Adding in power lifting and trx as well as a little running. I am holding off on a lot of running until I lose a little weight. I have been doing 40-60 minutes of cardio on a non impact arc trainer 3-5 days a week. I am also still kickboxing with my oldest every week. I think or rather I know I need to keep decreasing my portions and stay away from sweets. This is really hard with the funeral because I tend to stress eat. I will make it through somehow.
I hope you are having a great week. Wherever you are on your parenting and weight loss or workout journey I wish you the best. Come lift with me anytime!
-Gabe
No comments:
Post a Comment