This is why we CrossFit

This is Rich Froning, this is not me.
This is Rich Froning, this is not me.

This past weekend was the Reebok CrossFit Games, and man were they exciting! Well, they were exciting for me, my wife and those of us who really enjoy doing CrossFit. I don’t think I can call it a sport, but that doesn’t make it or the athletes any less spectacular. 

Lets go back one year. I had been doing P90x steadily for roughly 75 days. Its a 90 day program (hence the name), and was determined to finish. On day 78 I had a car accident… how did I not post about that?! An accident that left me with a Grade 3 AC Joint Separation in my left shoulder. My arm, and my car, and my workout routine was out of commission. I had surgery to repair my shoulder and a month or so later I was back to my trainer working out. This however meant that I did not complete my P90x. I was 12 days short of finishing the program. By this point I was rather frustrated with my shoulder and working out in general. I wasn’t able to get the progress I wanted, lifting things was not as easy as I would have liked and it was just painful at times. You would be surprised at how much you actually depend on your shoulders for day to day activities. Overall, I was slowly creeping back towards how things were before I started the program. This did not sit well with me.

In November we bought a house, and as anyone who has ever bought a house can tell you, that pretty much consumes all your time. Packing, moving, paperwork, planning, schedules, days off, etc., its all you can do. Couple that with the holidays, Jess commuting 100+ miles a day, <1 year old baby and there just isn’t much time in the day for working out.

January rolls around and I’m getting the itch to start working out again. I start looking around at various gyms, since I know that I would a) need a trainer that could tailor routines to a recuperating shoulder and b) push me to excel beyond the wall I had in my head. My previous trainer did a great job at this, but we now lived 60+ miles away and that was just not going to cut it. Eventually I found CrossFit on the Square. Since working out with my previous trainer I had been introduced to the notion of CrossFit and the types of workouts. I knew it was growing steadily in the fitness world and wanted to give it a shot. I like the intensity of the workouts so this should be something right up my alley. The good thing about CFSQ is that its not your typical CrossFit gym. Rather than be all Bros and CrossFit For Life or super douchey, they are super down to earth and “real”. The workouts aren’t strictly CrossFit, rather they are a combination of strength, agility, mobility, cardio, and mental. The classes weren’t 30 people watching 2 instructors go through the motions, and doing the same workouts every time. We have small classes, very personable and knowledgable trainers. It just felt like a second home. A home that makes you lift weights, sweat, and want to puke from time to time.

Well, the first few weeks was ROUGH. I was hurting badly pretty much every time I went. It sucked… a lot. But I pressed on. Weeks turned into months and eventually I was breaking through walls. Not literally, though I’m sure that could be considered a workout. I saw a transformation in myself. Finally my shoulder was getting back to 100%, I was lifting heavier weights, had more stamina overall, my spirit was higher (especially on gym days), and overall… I just felt good.

Eventually, Jess caught the fever and started drinking the Kool-Aid! She was very hesitant at first, but once she got in there and started seeing her own successes, she was hooked! That’s the thing, you are either going to not like it at all, or you’re going to love it. With both Jess and I, we love it! We love most everything about CrossFit, the intensity, the various workouts, the challenge, the endorphins, its just a natural high for both of us. Its something we can do separately and come home and talk about, or we can go together (when the stars align) and push each other while at the gym. We share in our successes, talk about our failed reps, our new PRs, and as of this past weekend, stay up too late just so we can watch the CrossFit games.

Its our new addiction and I couldn’t be happier. I feel healthy and capable of doing most anything these days. CrossFit for me is about bettering myself, pushing beyond my personal walls, and ensuring that I am as healthy as I can be for my family. It gives me a break each week to recharge my batteries and clear my mind. When I’m squatting 200lbs that’s all I’m thinking about. When I’m standing there, looking at a kettlebell, or pull-up bar, or a medicine ball. I can’t be thinking about work or poopy diapers. I have to focus on that one task, clear my head, push through it and get the job done. When I walk out the door I feel refreshed and more alive. I, at time fail at the goal I set for myself, but those failures make me stronger the next time I walk through those doors.

Speaking of walking through the doors, its time for me to change into my gym clothes. I got some pull-ups to do!

 

Day two, not so good.

88f9dd28f3d611e28cc022000a9f308d_7 Jess and I have very high expectations of those that watch over our children. Whether its a baby sitter or a school, we want the best for them. Seeing as Lane is our youngest, we were extra cautious when sending him off to school. We didn’t want it to be just a daycare, where he’s watched over by people who are just kinda going through the motions. We needed him to be in an enriched environment where he could learn and grow and be cared for as if it were us there.

Well, at the end of day one, Jess went to get Lane and on the way out his teacher mentioned he had a poop and she had not been able to change it yet. So Jess stayed a little longer so Mrs. Elizabeth could change our babies poop. No telling how long it had been there! Maybe he had it all day. Maybe he literally just shipped his pants, it really didn’t matter to us, all we cared about was that he had a poop when we got there! Also, he only slept for about 30 minutes. This was NOT like our baby. He usually has about a 2 hour nap in the middle of the day. So knowing that we’re picking up our tired baby, with a dirty diaper was totally unacceptable.

Day two, things went even further downhill! Around 4:30 Jess got a call from one of the instructors saying that Lane had “fallen and hit his face on the sidewalk”! Oh no!! Jess rushed to the school to find our baby sitting on the playground, crying, with snot and sunscreen smeared all over his face. Also… see the picture at the beginning of this post. He had a huge knot on his forehead and a red spot on his eye and nose. Our little precious baby had been damaged! This place was a torture chamber and how could we possibly send our little angel back to them. What kind of parents would we be?!

Seeing red, Jess called me and told me the story. I rushed home to provide any aid I could. We soothed our baby, told him it would be ok, bashed the school saying that they were terrible and we were going to give them one more shot before possibly pulling our darling little precious prince. After all we were paying them exuberant and copious amounts of our money to provide the BEST for this tiny little innocent angel baby.

By the third day it was getting more and more difficult to drop off Lane in the mornings. It was gut wrenching to just walk away, knowing with 100% certainty that he was in peril the moment we left the building. Around 1:30 Jess got a call from a number she recognized as the school. Oh. Hell. No! This had better not be them saying that our baby was in an ambulance on his way to the ER because of some disaster!! And as it turns out…. it wasn’t. Lane’s teacher had taken the time out of her lunch break to call and let us know that Lane was sleeping and had been for over an hour at that point. He had eaten his chicken sandwich, and some vegetables. He played with the other kids great all morning. He was laughing and running around and having a fantastic morning!

Wait, what?! How can this be?! We knew that this school was going to not work. After TWO FULL DAYS we were certain that it was a terrible decision. Sadly, we were mistaken. In our fit of rage towards the school we had failed to realize that this was an adjustment period for him, for us, and even for the school and both the students and teachers there. Everything was new for the most part. The poopy diaper, could have literally just happened and the teacher may have been about to change Lane right as Jess got there. And once we got more info about the playground incident, we found out that Lane was tired due to not being able to nap in a new environment and had tripped over one of the staff’s feet. Granted they could have provided a bit more care for him (a popsicle, his blankie, taking him to a quiet area, something), but it was not totally their fault. They didn’t shove him down with his hands tied behind his back. He was a rambunctious and tired baby who fell. This will not be the first time he falls and gets hurt. This is not the first time he will cry and want his mommy and daddy.

After that call, our fears and apprehensions towards the school began to lift. We were no longer distraught after dropping him off in the morning. He began to nap and eat better. He came home happy and ready to see us. He was learning things already. We had all began to adjust to the new normal and find the best way to handle things. We were a bit presumptuous in our initial assessment of the school, but now we are comfortable leaving our baby there. He seems to enjoy it more as well.

We made it through the first week and are looking forward to week two. Hopefully the last three days of the week weren’t just another ploy in their overarching scheme to bring demise upon the Turner family. Only time will tell, and we’ll be watching. 🙂

Lane’s first day of school! EEK!

Our little boy's all grown up!
Our little boy’s all grown up!

It seems like only yesterday we were teaching this little guy to roll over. Then we blinked and he was walking. Now he’s climbing on top of the tables, saying words, swimming (sort of), and in school! Wait… what? He’s in school?! Yep, we dropped off our little baby for his first day of “big boy school” today! Whoa! Its so very hard to believe that its been 18 months already. He seems so little, yet so very big! Time has flown by and our wings have ever expanded to support Jr. BLT, but its time for him to branch out and start the next chapter of his life.

As big of a day as it was for us, I can only imagine how big it was/is for him. We’ve been through a million changes. New jobs, new houses, relationships, experiences, etc., we’ve been through a lot. He’s just a little guy and this is so very new to him. New friends, new people changing his diaper and watching him play on the playground. New toys, schedules, shoes, food, everything for him today (for the most part) is new.

Jess and I got him dropped of and, she may kill me for putting it out there, but she kinda lost it. I fully expected it though. I don’t think anyone would expect a mother so loving and devoted to her children to simply drop off her youngest child without shedding a tear. Eventually composure was gathered and off we went. She and I went about our days leaving our baby boy in the hands of teachers who will enrich the next several months of his life. Jess began a new chapter by spending the day with unfamiliar teachers and lesson planning sessions. She kept busy I’m sure, and I feel she’ll want to expand on her new chapter, but it was for the most part, run of the mill for both of us.

I called the school a few hours into the day to check on Lane and his teacher said that he was doing great! He had a good snack, played well with the other kids, and was generally having a good day. As heart breaking as it was for us to walk away, it didn’t take long for him to get acclimated to his new setting. I’m sure he knows we aren’t there, but he also knows that he’s having fun, and for BLT, he’s all about having fun.

Tonight, we’ll give him extra “lovies” and hold him just a bit tighter. Tomorrow, we’ll drop him off again and the tears won’t flow as much. We’ll fall into our new routine and he’ll have a new normal as well. This is our new chapter and I’m going to savor every moment of watching him learn.

What happens in Vegas…


Last time I made a post with the same title, it ended up like this. Let’s just say, that this time around it was a completely different experience.

My friend Gene turned 40 this year and he wanted to do a big throw down in Vegas. I mean, what better place to celebrate getting old, than a city full of young people who have a complete and total disregard for what they do to their bodies! Jess and I were totally game for a weekend filled with crazy entertainment and no kiddos to wake us up in the morning or need a diaper changed or ask how to make a grilled cheese. This was going to be a weekend just for the adults, and after a week on a Disney Cruise, it was well deserved.

Unlike last time, things got started off right. We landed, grabbed our luggage and headed off to the hotel. Since there was such a large group of us staying there (16 total I believe), we all stayed at the same place. We got checked in and were whisked away to our magical room overlooking the strip. Well, you could see the strip from our room, but it wasn’t like The Hangover where you see every conceivable part of Vegas from your room. Everyone else was already out enjoying their day to the tune of some DJ and a few drinks. Jess and I were just enjoying being there, so we decided to hang at the hotel, order some room service and have a meal in peace. No sharing what was on my plate with an 18 month old. I didn’t have to hunt around for a spoon or fork that had been thrown under the table. It was a meal that didn’t consist of chicken nuggets and baby toys. The rest of the group can have their bottles on ice, Jess and I were perfectly fine with our quiet, alone time.

Party time!
Let’s do this!

That time however was short lived. The plan was that a few of the group members would go to a Circ du Soleil show, while the rest of us went out to a club of some sort. Seeing as we are not seasoned Vegas travelers, we were up for what ever. As people started stumbling back from their afternoon adventures, it was apparent that they had thoroughly enjoyed themselves at this day club. Somehow the four members that were heading to the show managed to pull themselves together and get out the door in time. I won’t go into full details, but it was a miracle that they made it. And despite making it to the show, all of them slept through about 75% of it. Must’ve been nice to have a $300 nap. Jess and I however got on our party rockin’ attire and were off to begin a night of adventure unlike anything we had ever experienced.

Keep in mind, Vegas is time is a) 3 hours behind Atlanta and b) non-existent. By the time we were out the door to dinner it was already 8/8:30ish. That meant that it felt like 11:30 to us, and we had been up since 6am in ATL. We typically go to bed at this time, but we’re in Vegas and had to push through. Dinner was nice and consisted of some tapas and wine. We met up with some new friends, and enjoyed the calm before the storm. After dinner we walked over Marquee. It was everything like you’ve seen in the movies or TV shows or the pics on the site you just looked at. People crammed into every corner of the building, loud pumping music, black lights, drinks flowing, glow sticks, etc. This place had it all!

A good friend of mine is a regular out in Vegas and so we had a host. Having a host means the difference between waiting an hour in line to possibly get in, and having them let down the velvet ropes to guide you past the droves of people out front. It also means that we had a private table stocked with liquor and mixers. This was our table, we didn’t have to wait at the bar for over priced drinks, we didn’t have to figure out if we should have another. It was all there waiting on us!

We decided to indulge and enjoy what had been provided to us. We also made a point to get to the dance floor for some dancing and laughing, generally letting loose. The DJ of the night was Benny Benassi (Benny Benassi – Cinema – Skrillex Remix), so I was all over it cause I loves me some Dub Step! This went on for the next several hours. At one point the largest bottle of champagne I had ever seen showed up to our table as well as more drinks. Sure, why not?! We’re in Vegas!! A few more hours went by and we decided that it was time to roll out.

It was a bit difficult locating a cab for some reason. I’m not sure if it was the fact that it was 3am and we had been up for 24 hours while also having had enjoyed several drinks and hours of dub step, or what. Either way, in Vegas everything looks a lot closer than it actually is and we made the decision to walk to our hotel. This ended up being roughly 2 miles… at 3am… intoxicated… and Jess was barefoot. By the time we got in bed it was at least 4am. Hashtag. Winning.

The next day we were woken up by some calls/texts asking if we wanted to join the birthday boy for breakfast. This was at 9. In case you are doing the math, that’s 5 hours of “sleep” after a 24+ hour sprint. But we were game! We threw ourselves together enough to wander down to the restaurant and enjoy the company of a couple who as slept through most of their Circ du Soleil, so they were feeling nice and rested! After breakfast we headed back to the room to get on our bathing suits so we could enjoy a day “relaxing” by the pool. Relaxing has a different meaning out there. Rather than a simple day snoozing, it was a day filled with spiked lemonade, meeting even more new friends, gabbing about work and the events of last night. Talking about our children, our families and friends. Swimming in a pool filled with bros. And maybe one or two applications of some SPF 12 just to let the sun know that we meant business… not.

The pool was only the beginning of the activities of the day however. By now it was day two and this was supposed to be the BIG party night. We had, yet another, VIP experience getting into a different club. This time it was Light. Zedd (Zedd – Clarity) was on stage and man was the club hoppin! Again, more bottles, more mixers, more music, dancing, glow sticks, people, tight shirts, and fun! We had more of our crew with us on the second night so it got a bit more rambunctious. But never too much. Just enough to remind us how much of an amazing time we were having. Eventually we made the decision to roll out, this time however we were going to find a cab, one way or the other. But what we wanted more than a cab, was some food. Pizza to be more precise. Surprisingly enough we found Secret Pizza, and I have to admit it was a pretty tasty slice. Then again, it was 4am and we had not eaten in hours, so that may have had something to do with it.

After scarfing down our pie, we found another cab and rolled out to our final destination, the hotel. 5am was a painful sight to see on the clock, but the bed was a welcome sight. To the best of our knowledge we didn’t have anything planned for the next day so we were going to finally enjoy some sleeping in. HA! I got jokes.


Texts started coming in around 9 again and off we were to brunch. Do these people ever sleep?! Food was had and good-byes were said as half the group was flying back that morning. Jess and I were still here for the rest of the day and didn’t have to be on a plane until the following morning. This day we did get our relaxing time by the pool. No shots, shots, shot, shots! No bruhs, creepin’ up ons, no thumping house music in the background. Just a few people, laying by the pool enjoying their last full day in Vegas. We reflected on what all had gone down in the previous 48 hours. Again, talked about kids, work, school, home life, all manner of things that normal adults with kids talk about. It was a good, chill day.

Our final night we headed down to Fremont Street so we could see the light show, have a nice dinner, and people watch. This evening was not like the previous two nights. We simply enjoyed the company of good friends, had some amazing food, and wandered around looking at all the sights “Old Vegas” had to offer. Eventually, we headed back to our room and got into bed at a decent time… midnight.

The next morning we got up bright and early and headed off to the airport. Our crazy adventurous weekend had come to a close. Soon we would be back living the life of “normalcy”. We would be looking at kids menus to see what our boys would have for dinner. I’d be wiping up poop. Work would be had rather than just talked about and things would settle back into place. We had our crazy time. We got it out of our system and we were back to the things that were really important to us. Vegas was a temporary fun, but my boys laughing and playing at home is permanent. We were home and happy.

I’ll never forget that weekend. I hope one day we can go back and do it all over again, but if we don’t, I’m perfectly content with living the life just that once.

Here’s some pics that hopefully help reiterate the craziness of that weekend.
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Landscapestravaganza part 1!

This weekend I kicked off the whirlwind of landscaping thats about to take place in our back yard, by clearing some of the trees and such. I figured I might as well make a video out of it. This is the first of several more to come! We have big plans that include grass, an area for a fire pit, a retaining wall, some stone steps, and potentially a treehouse for the boys. Well, that last one might be a bit further down the road, but you never know.

I wouldn’t consider it a “lot” work, but then again I tend to over exert myself when doing any yard type activities. Any way, this is the first of many videos to come. We’re having some of the bigger trees removed and I plan on getting that made into something as well.

Enjoy and look for more posts about the progress!

Disney Cruise!

Oh where to begin?

It all started like, back in November 2012 or something. Jess and I both decided that we wanted to take our family on a Disney Cruise! Yes, you read that right… a Disney Cruise! Well, to some it might not seem that extravagant, but to us it was an astronimical adventure. We did our research (minimaly) and within no time, the thing was booked. The actual cruise wouldn’t happen until the first of June 2013, but with this sort of thing, you gotta plan in advance.

Continue reading “Disney Cruise!”