Menopause: It's no ones fault, but some one will have to pay!

To all the beautiful women in my life that were born before

1970

AND THOSE WHO LOVE THEM

Well, this sucks...I cry because I can't talk to my mom about menopause and then I laugh because I find myself talking to her but getting no answers.  I cry listening to an emotional song then I laugh when it's over because it really has nothing to do with my life...I cry, I laugh, I cry, I laugh...this is the new normal for a 51 year old woman. This is so fun!  Emotional roller coaster, hot flashes, night sweats, headaches, losing ability to see a book, over reactiveness, gaining weight, losing weight, and then...gaining it back and losing it again.  These are a few of my favorite things.

Menopause will in some way, shape or form affect everyone around you. From work, where I sweat as I hold a baby, to home where I can be...well, not so nice...I give my husband so much credit for still loving me and being with me...or at least around me.  He has a choice, he could pick up more trips and spend nights in 5 star hotels or be home with me.  He chooses me and I am not sure why.  I am an irrational hot mess 95% of the day.  And I say 95% because even when we are sleeping (or lack there of) I am keeping him up by turning my phone on to control our thermostat...which by the way is the best menopause hack ever...

The Nest!  Having control of the temperature from your phone gives you the opportunity to make it colder and colder in your house from wherever you are.  Hot in bed, turn the air down, Hot in the kitchen, turn the air down, hot while at Target, turn the air down because knowing that your house will be in an icebox when you get home makes you feel a little bit better and puts a smile on your face :)  

Another hack...Night sweats have been made more comfortable thanks to the GEL PILLOW!  This came to me by accident while shopping at Costco.  We needed new pillows and I thought, "these are comfy!"  Not so much, not for my head anyway.  But OMG!  It is the best body pillow while enjoying the night sweats!  What a fun way to switch things up at night.  My husband on one side of me and my gel pillow on the other side of me!  Don't get me wrong, I still don't sleep, however I get the 1 minute of coolness of the gel pillow until I melt it with my body.  Then, as soon as it passes and I get cold, I get to have my husband put his arm around me...Win Win.

"I forgot! I'm sorry!"  That has become a regular statement out of my mouth.  And because of that, Siri has become one of my new best friends (Alexa being my second new bestie).  I'm not sure how any woman before this technology remembered to do anything!  If I think of something that needs to get done I just tell Siri or Alexa to remind me.  I blame this memory thing on menopause, however my husband has become a little reliant on me remembering to remind him of things..."Brynn, tell siri to remind you to remind me to..."  Whatever, it works...

What happened to the body I worked so hard for?  I gave birth to 3 kids and was still able to pull off a bikini...those days are so over.  Even if my stomach was tan...it would be ugly.  Where did my muscle go?  When I attempt sit ups it hurts, so I quit...My will power has left with my youth as well.  However I have not given up running.  I am definitely not running the way I used to, there is a little more walking involved.  But ladies, do not ever stop!  Not only will it help you to keep stress low and burning calories high, it allows you to think, sing, and laugh at yourself all you want.  It is "ME" time.  Take advantage of that time.  As long as you have headphones in no one can hear you!!
🎝 "Just keep running, just keep running" 🎜~Brynn



I have worn glasses all of my life (well, since I was 3, close enough)...I usually had 2 pairs.  One on my head and one spare.  Here is where I am at right now at 51...A set of contacts, 2 pairs of my regular prescription, 1 pair of my regular prescription with my reading curve added, (for when I want to read without my contacts in), A pair of readers on my head, on my desk, in my purse, in my car, next to my bed, at the cabin x3, 2 pairs of sunglasses no prescription, 1 pair of reader sunglasses and the 3 new ones I just bought...16 pairs of glasses!  Enough said...Menopause sucks!

  

Train Yourself To See The Blessing In Everything

If you find the blessing in everything, you will understand why things don't always work out.  This past week has been one of twists and turns for a few loves in my life.  Without saying who or what, I just want you to think about the big picture.  When you are working so hard for something, and it doesn't work out, chances are there is a bigger, better thing out there waiting for the right person.  This person is you.  You may not see it at the time, or maybe you do, either way you need to keep a positive attitude about what is next in your life.  I truly believe that, (and I know this is such a hallmark quote), but EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON.  I also truly believe that there is someone up above who has a plan.  Maybe what you thought was the best thing for you really wasn't. Maybe you thought that you knew where you wanted to be, but it just wasn't time yet, and maybe you thought that you were content being where you were, but really there is something better waiting...
When you try to plan things, and it doesn't work out that way, go a different direction.  Maybe do something that is so out of your comfort zone or so out of the realm of normalcy, that you think "I would have never thought this is what I would be doing, but had THAT not happened I would have never known"  Put yourself out there, make a change or a decision that takes to where you never thought you would be.  You never know where you may find yourself. 
Decisions are not easy...college decisions, job decisions, family decisions...Life Decisions...This may change your path a little bit or even a lot. Either way, just know that someone is guiding you and watching out for you.  If you feel like you are doing the right thing, and it doesn't happen...again a hallmark quote "It wasn't meant to be".   Leave it to whoever or whatever it is ultimately making (or not making) these things in your life happen.  Take a step back, look at what will be and why...Train yourself to find the blessing in everything.

Full Heart ❤ Empty Nest

Give The Ones You Love Wings To Fly...Roots To Come Back...And Reasons To Stay

The birds outside my door...they build the same nest in the same spot, year after year.  The dog doesn't even scare them away anymore, or the sound of the patio
door when I open it to look at their babies, or the wind, or the rain. (or the snow for that matter this year!)  It is their home and they are comfortable. I can't tell you if they are the same birds laying their eggs each year, or maybe they are even the birds that hatched there the year before, all I know is that they keep coming back.  I can guarantee every spring I will hear them sing, watch them build and see them sit until their babies are hatched.  This birdhouse has been hanging in our window for 17 years.

17 years ago we moved into our home with a 1, 8, and 11 year old.  In those 17 years I have watched our kids grow physically, emotionally, academically, and socially.  I have carpooled, volunteered, traveled for sports, and have happily served more meals than I ever thought possible 

In 2005 my youngest starts kindergarten, my middle starts middle school, and my oldest starts high school...All on the same day!  This day was supposed to be, as most would call it, my first feeling of freedom, for me it was my first feeling of loneliness.  I didn't know what to do with myself for 6 hours!  Most would be struggling to get to the gym, get groceries, go for coffee, all before the carpool line started to line up. I think I was early for pick up and back home for the arrival of both the middle school bus and the high school bus!


2008~My hockey mom years...My youngest is well into hockey, my middle is still...well into hockey and My oldest graduates from high school.  I thought to myself, this is going to be the hardest day ever, the day that she goes to college...and it was.  I left her in tears, (not hers mind you) and I came home to our now family of 4 still at home.

2011~My youngest is still well into hockey, so Hockey life doesn’t change, my middle graduates high school and goes to college, (another tearful day on moms part) and My oldest is living a very happy life at college, all are working hard...No worries here, except for that one by one they are leaving our comfortable nest.


Let's go back to the empty nest thing for a minute...The next few years bring my oldest and her husband moving to Bahrain for a year, yes...Bahrain...for a year. I didn't do well with that.  And on top of that, my middle joins the Air Force.  Of coarse I am a proud Air Force mom, but come on...this only son of mine, who makes me laugh until I cry, keeps life on an optimistic note, and is always here for me, is leaving for a long time and I can't have any contact with him...as you can guess, I didn't do well with that one either. 

But through all of these changes we have this little girl that we had later than we had planned, she is truly the best thing my husband and I ever decided to do. 7 years ago I would never had been ready to be an "empty nester..." which is now happening in a very unconventional way.  Of coarse she is growing up, only one year left at home and then...Empty Nest?  No, what are you thinking?  The birds...they always come back.

As I am sitting in my kitchen, it is April and the birds are back.  They have built their nest, are singing, and sitting waiting for more babies to hatch.  I look around my kitchen and I see something that is not empty nesting, rather the nest being rebuilt.  You see, My middle just moved within running distance from our front door and My oldest and and her husband...and my granddaughter...and their dog...and their cars...and their stuff...have moved into our home.  Unconventional? I am sure that is what our neighbors are thinking... If you think about it, this is how people lived many years ago and still do overseas! But the reason for this move is because they sold their nest, haven't found their dream nest with a lot of land to run, so therefore, to give them the time to find where they will build theirs, they have moved into ours.  I can't say that I don't love every minute of it because I do.  For those of you who know me well, you know this works out just fine for me.  My youngest (17), who had this big nest all to herself is slowly realizing that life isn't so bad being so full...Never a dull or lonely minute.  The plan ahead you may wonder?  Our nest here won't be empty even when our youngest graduates in 2019...I don't think it will ever be empty...and that’s just perfect...
Unconventional Empty Nesting Is A Blessing...

         

P.S. You can find us in our new nest in Las Vegas fall of 2019 ;)