An open letter to my husband •

05 Monday Mar 2018

Posted by Making Magic in Life on Maui, Thoughts from Jenn

Tags

Dreams, family, first time mom, goals, growth, Happiness, Life, love, Marriage, married life, Maui

Dear Husband —

I SEE you over there.

Waiting, watching, wondering, where your wife went.

For 2 years you’ve loved me as I slowly gave myself away day after day, hour after hour, second after second. You supported every decision I made as you watched and cheered me on, helping every SINGLE step of the way. You supported me unconditionally and I have often times let you down.

I promised myself that I would always put our relationship first. That our foundation would always be my first priority and that everything else would ALWAYS come second. I’ve lost myself in Motherhood and found myself and lost myself, over and over again. Sometimes in the same day, others in the same minute. I tell myself on the daily that I’m going to do more, give more be better and day after day I fail, but there you are, loving me anyways, always helping me find my way back to you.

You love me so hard and so fierce and so unconditionally. You remind me who I am, who I want to be, and who I am working so hard to become. You continue to love me without limits or judgment or condition. You allow me to give myself to our son day after day, night after night, hour after hour without hesitation without resistance, without blame.

So my husband, my one true love, thank you. Thank you for loving me, thank you for accepting me and sticking with me. Thank for making me feel beautiful and loved and limitless. Thank you for waiting for me. For believing in me and for loving me anyways.

I SEE you. I miss you. I can’t wait to get back to me and you. You are (still) my best friend. You are (still) the one I have the most fun with. You are (still) the ONE.

I SEE you. I see us. I see all of our dreams coming true. I see our life being built. I see our son living a bright and happy future because of who we are. I see YOU.

You are my past, my present and my future. There is no me without you. There is no us, no dreams, no tomorrow. YOU are it today, tomorrow, forever.

I don’t tell you enough but I hope you never forget how proud I am of you. How proud I am to be your wife. How proud I am that you are Cash’s daddy. How proud I am for the selfless, hard working, funny, light hearted man that you are and who you are continuously trying to become for you, for me, for our son.

I hope you know that I am more IN LOVE with you today than yesterday and I know tomorrow will be even more than today until forever!

My favorite time

24 Saturday Jan 2015

Posted by Making Magic in Thoughts from Jenn

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Happiness, Life, saturday

There is this moment on Saturday mornings when the whole world is still. The dawn is just barely breaking, birds are just starting to rustle in their nests and the air is still and cool. To my left I have a seven pound ball of fur curled up and jammed in my ribs. To my right my lightly snoring husband who is too far away in slumber to hear me stir. I’m careful not to disturb either, just yet. It’s in this single moment when thoughts of the day, to-do lists or responsibilities have yet to creep in to my mind and my world stands still. It’s the moment that I look forward to all week. A moment I stop and record regularly to keep fresh in my memory for when I need a minute of peace. It’s my favorite time. Nothing to do. Nobody to be. Just me and my whole world, for a second, until it’s gone, until next time.

Our December

07 Tuesday Jan 2014

Posted by Making Magic in Life on Maui, Thoughts from Jenn

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Tags

Christmas, December, Happiness, Life, Maui, staycation, time off

I am officially in mourning as I take down Christmas around our house. We had such a beautiful December spent doing the things that we love and really just enjoying Maui.

I am so grateful that we were both able to get Christmas and New Years off and that I had some extra afternoon down time since my elementary schools were all on break and my office work was light with my father in law on vacation. He went on holiday for the holiday so Colt and I stayed on Maui this year so we could handle biz (literally).

December was mellow and fun and we enjoyed it and each other very much….

We got our tree on black Friday. It was another perfect pick and I’ve enjoyed having it up very much. The smell, the beauty. It’s still up as I type I am just looking at it and wishing it didn’t have to come down (ever)…

Once the tree was up we had our typical Christmas card photo-shoot (thanks Anu) and as you can see it’s not Colt or Kai’s favorite part of the holiday but I love it.

A Stew’s Christmas 2013!

We spent a lot of time playing at the beach working on our tans. I think we went to the beach more in the last 2 weeks than we did in the entire year of 2013 but hey better late than never!

We also spent a night at the Grand (Colt and Joe) surprised Anu and I and of course it was awesome!

We spent our Christmas Eve at the beach, went to the candlelight service at church and then Anu and Joe had us over for a really nice chicken dinner.

Christmas Day Colt made a big breakfast buffet just for the two of us and we relaxed, ate and exchanged gifts while enjoying the morning.

This was Colt’s favorite gift (it was $3.50) a koozie that says “Drop Shaka’s not Bombs,” it has also become his 2014 motto.

Later that evening we went to Anu’s parents house and had a wonderful dinner and played games. We of course missed both of our families very much but we are so blessed and grateful for our Maui Ohana.

6 days into January and my head is still floating in beautiful memories of December. It was a good year, a year of transition!

We are both really looking forward to an exciting and adventurous 2014!

New Year, New Stew

02 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by Making Magic in Thoughts from Jenn

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Tags

goals, growth, Happiness, new year, resolutions

Well not really, I’m actually not one of those people who try to pretend like just because you make a New Years resolution you are all of the sudden this new & improved person. I’m well aware that resolutions, goals and life changes take a ridiculous amount of willpower, determination, consistency and hard work and in order to achieve these goals and resolutions we must be willing to not only change ourselves but also our habits and lifestyles which is extremely hard to do!!! So this year while making my goals list I put that knowledge first so I would be set up for success rather than disappointed by failure.

So with all that being said I’ve spent the last few days determining new goals for this upcoming year as well as reflecting on the 2013 goals I did and did not accomplish (I did come up a few goals short) however I’ve decided I’m going to be happy with the things I did accomplish rather than beat myself up about the ones that I did not.

So as you can see we unfortunately did not make it out of the country, I did not get back into the gym consistently and I didn’t end up running the Honolulu marathon (this was due to timing, finances and a few other things and although it was disappointing it wasn’t due to lack of training so here’s to maybe running it ~~next year~~) this year!

Regarding my 2014 goals, there are some that are a little different and some that are very stereotypical because let’s face it everyone wants to be fit life, look amazing and be a better person (and if you don’t well, cheers to you for being perfect and or just not giving a shit and congratulations because you just made my list of hero’s..)

So without further ado here is my 2014 goals in no particular order…..

1. Refinance my credit card debt

This one SUCKS, but as with life so does most things when it comes to money! I’m in a credit card, rat wheel hell and the worst part is it’s all past debt from college & medical bills, and although the accounts are closed the interest is high so no matter how much I pay (and I do pay, my credit is awesome) they still just seem to stay the same! Ugh I could honestly just scream writing about it, but instead I’m going to take control and go and get some advice on an attainable and strict game plan so I can end this happiness of life sucker once and for all!!!

2. 75 / 25

…and here it comes, the stereotypical get healthy goal but really it’s more of a commitment to making an honest and lasting lifestyle change for the long haul. So what I would like to see happen is to eat in more and eat out less (hence the 75/25) I’d like to feed my body the daily essentials that it deserves instead of the “I’m to busy” excuse that it’s become so accustom to! However, don’t get me wrong I will still indulge in my favorite pizza and enjoy fancy dinners with Colt, I just want it to be more of a treat and less of the norm.

Bye Bye restaurant dining, hello new recipe books!

3. More sunsets, Less media

I’m taking the plunge to unplug! Like most people now a days I’m guilty as charged for being glued to my iphone, computer, iPad or TV much too often. Most days I get home from work and “decompress” on Facebook & Instagram while watching TV and although I do enjoy this down time it’s easy to lose yourself and your night once you get sucked in. So although it’s going to be pretty hard for me (I genuinely love social media and I love seeing everyone’s daily lives and posts) it’s time to get back to the real world, but don’t worry I will still be uploading pictures as it’s nearly impossible for me to be able to miss a killer photo opportunity!

4. More Sex

That’s right I said it (with my husband of course) how else do you suggest we try to make a baby in 2014?! I’m happy to announce that this is officially the year we will start trying for baby number 1! It’s honestly so surreal and exciting and nerve-wracking all at the same time, but it’s TIME! We will both be turning 30 this summer, we feel secure in our living situation and job security and we will be rounding year 2 of marriage so overall we just feel ready! Boom…Boom.

5. Get Moving

I’d like to get as active as possible in my running, weight lifting, yoga and gymnastics so I will not have to be so limited if and when the time comes that we do conceive. I want to stay as active and healthy as possible while pregnant so making this lifestyle change now is the only way to be sure I’m ready. Ideally my new routine will consist of hitting the gym 3-5 mornings per week, running 15-20 miles per week, attending 1-2 yoga classes per week, walking Kailea at least 1/2 a mile per day and throwing back handsprings regularly during gymnastic classes. I would also like to run the Maui 1/2 marathon in 2 hours or under as well as complete the warrior dash and a handful of 5k’s.

6. Only Love Today

Thanks to a great new blog that I’ve recently started to follow called “Hands Free Mama” these three little simple words “only love today” have become a part of my daily life. Basically by saying these words to myself it’s a way to stop bullying & judging myself and others by changing the course of my thought process when I start to get on a rant about something that makes me mad or unhappy. A good example would be if I missed a workout or a run I would typically beat myself up while letting it ruin my day by telling myself how lazy, fat or unmotivated I can be. However instead of going there as soon as my thoughts start spiraling I quickly cut the thoughts off by saying out loud in my strict, stern voice “only love today” this also goes for situations when people piss me off or disappointment me. It’s a simple reminder to be better not only to yourself but also to the people that you love and the strangers that you meet.

A little more LOVE goes a long way.

7. More Maui

I’m travel obsessed and let’s face it in a world of social media it’s hard not to be! I long to run away as I watch people travel and explore places around the world and I often get sad and depressed that we can’t travel more. So while I was making my goals it was no surprise that travel was one of the first things I wrote down but as I did I realized, I live in MAUI! Every day that I leave my house is someone else’s dream vacation! I live in a place that people dream about visiting and when they do they fall in love. A place that’s beautiful and sunny and adventure-full everyday of the year. So this year (minus Anu’s Bach party, Stagecoach, Kristen’s wedding, Lika’s wedding and hopefully a 30th birthday celebration somewhere awesome for Colt & I ) it’s more Maui because my weekends are your vacation.

8. Let it Go

I tend to sweat the small stuff, hold high expectations on my myself, my husband, my family and my friends as well as let one bad thing or moment ruin 100 good ones. It’s hard to admit our own faults but it’s even harder to live with regret or the feeling of lost time. So this year I’m making an honest commitment to try harder to let things go and allow myself to enjoy more life, more love, more people, more living….

Stuck on Good

Coach Jenn

02 Friday Aug 2013

Posted by Making Magic in Coaching

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Tags

Coaching, Fitness, follow your dreams, growth, gymnast, gymnastics, Happiness

This coming Monday marks the beginning of the school year here in Hawaii. It’s funny to be so vividly aware of this (since besides hearing about Colt’s two nieces going back to school and knowing that the tourist season is ending for restaurants) it’s not something that has directly effected my life in seven years. I pause as I write SEVEN years and recount the math on my fingers just to make sure. Could it really already be SEVEN years from when I walked proudly across that stage as a Hawaii Pacific University graduate with the whole world at my finger tips? The emotions of that day wash over me as I feel the weight of time passed heavily on my shoulders.

I can’t help but think how different my life has become in just the last four months never mind the last seven years! I put that aside though as I snap back to the present moment and look down at the pile of folders that are surrounding me on the floor. They are filled with new schools, class schedules, students names and information. I am officially a gymnastics coach, me, Jennifer Lee Stewart now also known as Coach Jenn. I mean who would have ever thought that the little gymnast years ago or the girl who did a back handspring in high school after getting her diploma would now be coaching?

I mean it all happened so quickly that its no wonder my heads still reeling. One day I was assisting coaching and thinking I was going to have this mellow laid back summer, and the next I was offered a full time lead coach / van manager position and riding alongside the coach I would be replacing in just four short weeks. So here we are eight weeks later (I spent four weeks training and since have been four weeks on my own) wrapping up my summer schedule and about to embark on a full school year that includes nine different schools, 18 plus classes and a ton of new students.

I’ve officially traded in my high heels for barefeet, my strapless bras for sports bras, dresses for workout clothes, curled or flat ironed hair for a ponytail, fishtail or tight bun, my love for MAC makeup every day (without fail) for a touch of mascara and bronzer and my Toyota Corolla for a Chevy Express. I’ve gone from watching the clock behind a desk desperately aware of every second passing and longing for freedom to trying to squeeze in 5 or 10 more minutes with each student in every class.

I feel like this is my true calling and purpose in my working life. I feel awoken, exhilarated and alive. I enjoy waking up in the morning and going to work. I love stretching and tumbling and giggling with each and everyone of my gymnasts. I love pushing myself and them to new limits. I love being reminded that anything is possible and that as long as you keep trying and don’t give up you will eventually get it and that falling (as long as you get back up) is ok. They make life sweeter, happier, better…they make me better and it feels great to be better than you ever thought you could be…”

Kona-teering

31 Wednesday Jul 2013

Posted by Making Magic in Wanderlust

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Tags

big island, family, friends, Happiness, Hawaii, Life, Travel, vacation, wanderlust

We spent this past weekend vacationing on the Big Island with Joe, Anu and her family. We were so stoked when Anu told us at the beginning of the summer that her Dad won a gift certificate for a weekend stay at the Hilton Waikoloa timeshares and decided to give it to us. It was such a generous gift to give and believe me we appreciated and enjoyed every single second.

The boys left early (5 a.m. kinda early) on Friday morning to catch the first flight into Kona, so they could golf with Auntie Shal & Uncle Russ. They were able to play golf at two of the nicest courses on big island and they couldn’t have been more happy.

Since Anu and I were going for more of the relaxing (let’s get drunk at the pool) kinda weekend we didn’t arrive until a little after 12:30 on Friday. Once we landed we drove over to Costco to stock up on all the essentials then headed straight for the hotel to enjoy some much needed girl time.

Anu & Jenn take Kona begins..

Next stop, best weekend ever.

Welcome to our home-base for the next 3 days.

As soon as the bell man (barley) closed the door Anu & I were jumping up and down and running through the condo like 5 year olds for a good 10 minutes.

It doesn’t get much better than this

(this picture captures “vacation” Anu perfectly, my goodness I just love her)

well until you open the back sliding door to your own private pool and jacuzzi…jackpot!

cheers to the best of friends and adult vacations on Kona

Pre-gaming with a game of Apples to Apples (to go) before heading over to Anu’s families place for a Friday night BBQ

Saturday morning the boys hit the golf course while Anu & I took over Kona, the Hilton, the pool and the pool bar

(you know just your typical girls day)

All that swimming and sunning sure did make us thirsty, so it was no big surprise that we spent the rest of our afternoon at the pool bar

We made friends with our bartender Donna and before we knew it we had sipped and laughed the afternoon away

Drink of the day (with vodka instead of rum)

Shot of the day (no clue)

Pact of the day

(you wish you knew)

the daily essentials…

flowers, heart shaped sunglasses, room keys, the boys credit cards and the vap (duh)

Best ranch in the whole entire world (ever in the universe)

A girls day wouldn’t be complete without a ANTM photo-shoot

We got these luscious looking drinks to take back to the room for the boys

(and then drank most of them on the way while stealing a golf cart…)

(don’t judge us, the ground was HOT!)

The boys were not amused with us so they hit the bar by themselves

(but we of course crashed their party)#jjacmusketeers aka double diva’s

After the pool we headed back to the room for some more apples to apples (to go) sunset, dinner and drinks

Since Anu & I had spent the day pooling & exploring we had found Sansei (which is one of our favorite sushi places on Maui) so we opted not to tell the boys and surprised them with late night 1/2 off pupus and karaoke

this is their “surprise” faces

we were pretty proud of ourselves

so we signed them up for some “surprise” songs, lol

Joe didn’t seem to mind

We even sang a few duets

(we would NEVER do this in Maui, btw)

On Sunday we all went down to the other Hilton resort and spent our day pooling and lagoon-ing

and we of course hit the slides

you don’t even want to know why they are cracking up

(or you do…but you just had to be there)

After hours of pooling we were totally water logged so we hit the road to go leave our mark on Kona by writing our hashtag in coral off of one of the main highways
finding the perfect spot

hashtagging it up

getting the “perfect” picture from above

#jjacmusketeers

(were here, best weekend ever)

Spon·ta·ne·i·ty

23 Tuesday Jul 2013

Posted by Making Magic in Life on Maui

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Freedom, Happiness, leisure, Life, Maui, spontaneous

Spontaneity is something that I have always loved the idea of and wanted to be, just saying the word in itself gets me excited, spontaneity. Living on a whim, redirecting because of a feeling or emotion, taking off at the drop of a dime…but no matter how much I love the idea of living this way if I’m being completely honest I’d have to say my quality or state of actually being “spontaneous” in my day to day life is about a two. Ok, maybe a one (really its a zero) because Monday through Friday I am the most vanilla and least spontaneous person you will probably ever meet. I love my routine, sticking to a schedule and planning my days ahead. Now don’t get me wrong we can make plans but it better be 24 hours in advance (at least) and I will most likely pass if it keeps me out past 10pm! See, like I said vanilla no rainbow jimmies, no waffle cone just plain ol boring vanilla.

However like with everything else in this life with one extreme comes the other so it would only make sense that my weekend self (Friday night to Sunday afternoon) likes to live life undetermined and much more spontaneously. I like to stop thinking about schedules, time or money and I like to just go off and do whatever it is I feel like doing. I like to jump in my car and drive or go for a walk until I find what I am looking for. I like to wake up on my days off at 6am (just because) and lay in bed thinking of all the amazing things I want to go and do. I love feeling the excitement of endless opportunity and the unknown.

So with all that being said this weekend was no different. I woke up at 5:30am on Saturday with thoughts of beaching, hiking, traveling, exploring or camping running through my head. Around 8am Colt got up and asked what his options were, a few hours later we were out the door.

…and we’re off, destination Hana! drive time 3 hours, purpose camping at 7 sacred pools, coolness factor it happened to be a full moon! Car packed, bags packed, dog packed…ready, set, gooo!

The road was so busy and so was the campground! This was the most construction, cars and groups I had ever experienced when driving up to Hana!

But even with all the unexpectedness we still made great time and we were chilling & grilling in no time.

Later we were joined by Anu and Joe who also decided very last minute to come up and join us!

We gave them lots of props for driving all the way to Hana on a moments notice but I think the full moon, the fire pit and the s’mores made it all worth it!

Sunday morning we woke up with the sun, it had rained pretty hard over night but it was so peaceful to listen to while we slept. The smell of rain and damp grass embodied us in the tented moonlight and it made the experience that much more memorable.

Once we were up Colt cooked breakfast for us all. He made bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches on a croissant and I’d have to say he gets the best breakfast for campers award because these were nothing shy of delicious!

Shortly after breakfast we cleaned up and hit the rode. We had a long trip back and a few more last minute pit stops on the way.

We have seen this sign for Thai food every single time we’ve been to Hana but not until recently had we paid it any mind and today it seemed to be screaming my name. We stopped by and I honestly felt like I had been time warped into the heart of Thailand! The restaurant Thai Food by Pranee, the sign, the people, the fresh made house specials they were all so perfect and lucky for me a lot closer than Thailand!

One of todays specials was the green chicken curry and we both loved it! It was so delicious and the closest taste to Thailand we have got since being back on the island. I am so happy we stopped to experience it!

After our Thai stop I wanted to photograph this sign (with my new Nikon) to canvas for the house! To me it is a great reflection of organized chaos and makes my wanderlust skyrocket.

I really just love it so much!

I photographed it from all angles since each side had a new variation of wonderful-ness!

After this stop Colt was on a mission to get home so I kept myself entertained.

WARNING objects in the mirror and in the car may appear closer or more naked then they really are;)

and last but not least for anyone who has ever been to Hana with Colt & I no trip would ever be complete without making a pit stop in Pāʻia at flatbreads! hmm hmm good!

As the week begins and it’s back to reality I cant help but think how thankful I am for my day to day life and my spontaneous weekends.

I am so blessed to live in such a beautiful place with a wonderful job and the best people surrounding me. I have Colt as my best friend, my husband, my life partner as well as my partner in crime. I love that we can do anything or nothing together and still be happy. I love that he loves me like no one else ever has. I love that our love is deep, real, fun, funny, passionate and supportive.

I love who we are, who we are becoming and that we love with a love that is more than love.

Until next time…love whenever possible, it is always possible….

Do you even Blog anymore?

07 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by Making Magic in Thoughts from Jenn

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Freedom, Happiness, Life, married life, self discovery

Was the question that came from my husband’s lips as we pulled up the drive from the gym at 6:30 a.m. and as his hazel green eyes stared at me waiting for an answer I couldn’t help but laugh. Looking confused he asked “well I mean I was just wondering because I thought you were going to start writing full time and get us free trips and cool stuff...” this sentence of course sent me into a fit of giggles, my husband he sure does make me laugh.

But all laughs aside his question did get me thinking and the short answer to his question is yes, I do still blog. The long answer is, not in the traditional way. I have been thinking about his question all day and it’s been bugging me because I really do LOVE writing, blogging, note booking or anything else that allows me to release some creative freedom. However, lately it seems I haven’t done a whole lot of it. As I continued to wonder why it suddenly hit me that the reason I wasn’t sitting down to blog about my life was because I have been too busy living it. I have actually been living so freely that instead of escaping to my blog I have been blogging out loud.

Rather than finding my freedom in blogging (as I have for the last year and a half) I have found my freedom in living. I have spent so much time doing the things that I love and have had less time to sit down and write about it. When I was working for corporate America the hour or two of freedom I got to myself per day I would spend blogging, I would come home or sit down on my lunch break and escape my reality. It was a time for me to connect with myself and the world and anyone else that wanted to listen because I didn’t have enough time to connect any other way. My blog in so many ways has been the only way I could slow down and reflect on everything that was spinning around me. It also allowed me to later go back and read about it from my own perspective and re-live it. I have spent many days and hours re-reading my blog from last year and re-living my wedding and all of the other countless adventures we have been on and I couldn’t be more thankful that I am able to do so.

Life recently has been simple. No drama, no bullshit, no doing things that don’t serve us, make us grow or make us happy. It has consisted of falling in love with each other again and again and living each day to fullest. We are living a life of gratitude and it seems to be blessing us daily. We have so much to be thankful for including our health, our job, our relationship, our love, our amazing family and best friends. We are building a brand new foundation as a married couple and it couldn’t be more exciting, which in turn reminds me, we have so much to be excited for but that’s for another day…

Life Lately

11 Saturday May 2013

Posted by Making Magic in Thoughts from Jenn

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free bird, free living, Happiness, Laughter, leaps of faith, Life, love, Maui life

I have honestly been so busy redirecting my life that my blog has taken a serious backseat. This has come as a big surprise to even me since I thought it would be the exact opposite once I had more “time” to give to it but the reality is most of my time has actually been spent working and I couldn’t be more happy.

Now let’s be honest we have all heard the below saying a million times but finally for the first time I am the person screaming it from the roof tops and meaning every word of it:

“Do what you LOVE and you’ll never work another day in life”

It is honestly an unexplainable feeling to know that I am now in this very rare yet growing group of people that wake up every day excited and eager to go to work and I couldn’t be more grateful for that. A few months ago I watched the Alan Watts – What do you Desire video that was circling many of my friends blogs and Facebook pages (if you haven’t yet taken the time to watch it you really should Google it) but of all the memorable and moving points that were made the one that stuck with me the most was “do what you love and the money will follow…” and from there on that’s exactly what I have been doing.

Recently along with working for my father in law at Lightning Electric LLC I have also taking on the job and title of assistant gymnastic coach with Maui Tumblers LLC. Maui Tumblers is a locally owned mobile gymnastics company that provides noncompetitive learning to children in a fun and safe environment. I am currently assisting the owner (coach) with 9 different classes 12 hours a week and it is honestly the most fun, rewarding, exciting and humbling job I have ever had. Not only do I get to do gymnastics (one of my favorite sports ever) and get a killer workout I also get to teach, learn and mentor kids ages kindergarten to 5^th grade 3 times a week. The last 3 classes that I assisted in Melissa actually allowed me to be the lead coach in warm up’s and one way street (tumbling passes) which was awesome. She later told me that she couldn’t believe that I had never coached before because I was such a natural with the kids and the coaching. This was obviously a huge compliment and boasted my confidence in knowing I had made a great decision coming on board with her and her company. Since the school year is almost over I will also be assisting her with her summer programs and I can’t wait to see what opportunities will unfold as I grow and develop with the company, classes and students.

Although having a new job has been so fun my work at Lightning Electric has also been very exciting and rewarding. After several months of hard work we finally just launched our website for the company (www.lightningelectric.net) and I couldn’t be more proud. To experience first hand the happiness this has brought my father in law is unexplainable. Building this company has been a dream come true for him and I couldn’t be more grateful to be standing alongside him and my husband as we work our asses off to make it happen.

On top of working two jobs (that I love) I have also been training hard to get back into shape and ready for my first marathon in December. I am back in the gym full time and starting May 1^st my running schedule went from running 10-15 miles per week (or about 40 – 50 miles a month) to running 15-20 miles per week (or 70-80 miles a month). I am only 5 miles away from hitting my yearly running goal of 200 miles so I figured it was time to turn up the heat and boy can I feel it! This week Colt has been giving me a run for my money on our Nike running app and although I love seeing him so motivated and determined it’s a tough pill to swallow to have him sitting in the number 1 spot for the week (especially when he keeps taunting me about it) but the good thing is he pushes me to run harder and I can already feel the difference. Previously when running I would burn out by the third mile were as recently I am getting my second wind by the third mile which leads me to believe I am getting stronger and becoming more of a distance runner. Between the running, lifting and gymnastics my body doesn’t know what to do anymore expect fall in line and it feels great to be in such control. I can honestly say it is the first time in my life that I feel so connected (mind, body, soul) and it is euphoric.

I honestly can’t believe how much has changed in just a few short months but I guess I am living, breathing, proof that when you learn to free your mind, let go and take the jump the possibilities are endless…doing what you love is freedom, loving what you do is happiness, counting my blessings daily…”

Stage(Rage)Coach

20 Saturday Apr 2013

Posted by Making Magic in Wanderlust

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california, country music, festival, freebird, Happiness, love, music, music lovers, stagecoach

I just realized yesterday when I was creating my “wanderlust” category after blogging about our Kona trip (Kona-teering) that I never did get around to blogging about Stagecoach, the 3 day country festival we went to this past April.

Now this is a major problem for two reasons (1) half of the reason for this blog is to document our life, travel, trips and adventures for Colt & I to reference them again in the future when we are crossing things off our bucket list or just reading stories to our children on how rad our life was, and (2) it was hands down the best concert I have ever been to in my life. So here I am (back)-blogging, but hey better late than never.

For those of you that don’t know what Stagecoach is it’s basically California’s country music festival that takes place over a three day period at the Empire Polo Club in Indio. It is a million degrees and each day has a killer line up of country artists, vendors and fun. This was this years line up:

But before I go on about the actual weekend let me back track a bit. Colt LOVES country music and I mean (LOVES) it. He is a cowboy hat, boots wearing, chewing tobacco country music lover. As for me, well not so much (until now that is) but I am always down for a good time so when Ashley told us that we had to come with her this year we happily agreed. We had to buy our tickets way in advance (like last fall for this April) since the festival sells out within hours so by the time it actually came around we were more than ready, plus the line up was pretty stellar (even for me, I love Dierks Bentley & Lady Antebellum)

We arrived in LA on Thursday and drove from Newport to Indio early Friday morning to set up shop at our awesome two bedroom condo at the World Mark.

I am so ready to rock this 3 day country fest… cowboy boots, check, cowboy hat, check, watermelon, check..let’s do this!

The Stew Crew is ready to party

Pre-gaming before we head out for round 1

The walk from where the cab has to drop you off to the actual concert grounds is like a million miles in a million degree weather (not joking) we were seriously so over it by time number 1 and then had to do it 7 more times over the next 2 days, lol

Colt clearly thought it was hilarious

and so did Ashley

Ashley forgot our wrist bands (aka our concert tickets) in Newport so the boys were in the car ready to go back and drive 3 hours when we called will call and found out we could cancel the old bands and get new ones, whew..Ash you got so lucky!

The grounds were beautiful, well organized, clean and safe and once the sun went down it was the most perfect concert atmosphere

I loved everything about being there the music, the atmosphere, the people it was so country

Since it was so hot the next day we decided to just chill at the pool until the grounds cooled down, we all had certain artists we wanted to see and luckily most of them were later in the afternoon

After a great day at the pool we got country ready, yeeehotttt

here comes the hike, round 2

looks like I wasn’t the only one hating the walk this time, Colt got a huge blister from his new cowboy boots and had to go to medical

but no worries they got my cowboy back on his feet in no time..

The shitshow sisters back in action

(my favorite)

and as the sun went down things heated up

(fat girl status, I love pizza)

check out the girl behind me, I mean it really was that hot but still…lol

Day 3 started back at the pool with the Stew Crew

(Even, Steven, Cleveland just getting it)

sister, sister

and then it was back to the grounds for the grand finale

This was the day I was most excited about so many good artists and the head liner was Zac Brown Band, so fun!

one of my all time favorite moments of me just getting it on my husbands shoulders free-birding

Love this cowboy so so much

the stage(rage)coach crew, we did it!

We are all still standing after 3 long days!

(well barely…)

To say it was an amazing 3 day weekend would be a major understatement. From the festival, to the hotel, to the group of people it seriously couldn’t have gotten any better.

I can’t wait for tickets to go on sale in the next month or two so we can start planning Stage(rage)coach 2014 cause we are just as free, free as we’ll ever be, ever be…

Chasing the Maui Son ✨

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