Photo Shoot

Sarah and Lizzie were asked to be part of a photo shoot for The Skin Bar http://www.dbtstheskinbar.com/ which is a "pod" store for Delicate Beauty Spa http://www.delicatebeautyspa.com

Both which are owned by a friend of mine Nancy Young who is an incredible entrepreneur, esthetician and fitness guru!  She is also my spinning instructor whom I complain bitterly about but couldn't live without!

I'm thankful for our chance meeting, for her friendship and for being such an amazing role model to all three of our daughters!  

If you are in the Ann Arbor area, go to one of her locations!  You won't be disappointed!  And tell her I sent you :)  

Lizzie far left, Sarah far right

Spinning Class/Body Pump Class

If you've been hiding under a rock, you've missed the 150 posts where I've referenced to turning 50 this year.  Because of this number, it has motivated me to get "Fit".  I want to mention that I've been "fit" in the past, working out during all three pregnancies and after but somewhere...oh, 5 or so years ago I just stopped.  Why?  Who knows.  I'm certain that at some point the thought ran through my head of, "Sharon, you look great, you've got super genes, stop working so hard, you'll be fine."  I'm convinced the Devil is real because this is the biggest load of garbage I've ever processed!


I decided to take a Spinning class that my friend Nancy was teaching.  I figured, what the heck, you sit on a bike (it's not running!) and really, how hard can it be?  AND I've heard many people say that they were in the best shape of their life from spinning classes.  Sign me up!  I'm not getting any younger!


First class:  I honestly wanted to kill someone, mainly myself.  I kid you not, I could BARELY walk down the stairs to get to my car!  Sarah and her friend Haley were with me and as God is my witness, I believe there were tears getting down those stairs.  Waking up and getting out of bed the next morning.... I would give birth all over again than experience what I did that day!  I needed to go upstairs for something and I kid you not, trying to get down the stairs was horrible.  I sat down and scooted.  The day after was class again.  There were a couple of things going through my head at this time 1) Just stop, don't go.  Who cares?  2) Sarah and her friend were going, how could I not? 3) My friend Nancy teaches the class and well, she's a fitness beast and really, I'd be a loser if I didn't go!


I went and continued my twice a week classes for two sessions and have LOVED every minute of it!  LOVE IT!  


Nancy doesn't teach spinning during the summer so as I was looking at the classes I noticed a Body Pump class that was on Mon and Wed mornings from 9-9:50am which was a perfect time for me!  I was talking to Nancy and told her I was thinking about doing it and she was all excited for me and I was like, "Do you think I can do it?"  (like a little kid!) and she said, "Yes it's a great class!  Who's the instructor?" Me looking at the sheet, "it says Erin"  I looked at Nancy and she went silent and there was a look of "oh crap."  Me: "What? Do you not think I can do it?" Nancy: "Well, no, I think you can do it and Erin is an amazing instructor.  She's kind of known as a drill sergeant so it's going to be an intense class."  DANG!  Why do I get myself into these situations!!  1) Just don't go!  Don't do it!  You don't know this Erin!  She's probably mean anyway! 2) My friend Nancy's husband owns the business I do the class through, they will know if I don't do it.... 3) Why am I so friendly and become friends with people that own fitness places? 4) I decided that I made a commitment to get healthy so I'm pushing through!


First day of class: Erin is so cute and sweet (don't let that kid you for a minute!) There were probably 8 of us and I kid you not, I know I was (am) over half their age!  I could be their mothers.  My biggest fear is that Erin is going to make us run and I'm going to wet my pants.  I absolutely hate running.  So we're all standing there and Erin says, "ok, everyone run 3 laps to warm up".  What the....... I'm dead.  Why on earth did I even think I could do this?  Who cares if I'm 50 and out of shape?!  Bring on the ice cream!  But I ran... and I do all the stations and yes, I was so sore for a few days because Erin makes us work practically EVERY muscle in our bodies!  And the best part is that the girls are so encouraging!  Everyone motivates each other as we are running because honestly, when we run, I have visions of just running to my car and leaving!  So they do help to keep me focused and stay!  At the end Erin says, "ok let's do sit ups"  I could do 3.... yes 3 on my own!!  Erin came over and held my feet so I could keep going as I was struggling to get that 3rd one!!  It was great and now I do 10 of those with ease (well, ease might be stretching it) and then move right into other ab workouts.  So we start with running and end with ab work and lots of workout stations in between and I have to say, I love it.  I had to miss last week as we were driving to a horse show and I looked at the clock, it was 9:15am and said to Eric, "Do you think they miss me in class?"  He said he was sure they did!  


I'm adding the link to B Young B Fit because it's just a great place!  Brian, the owner trained Emily when she was home last summer and now trains Sarah and Lizzie.  They all love him!  Not only is he great at his job but he gives them life advice as well.  I love the relationship they have formed with him and I'm pretty sure he gets a kick out of them as well!!  If you are looking for a place, please check them out!  




http://byoungbfitness.com/

Suicide and the affects it has on many.

October 1, 2011 will forever be remembered in a sad way.  That evening, I received a phone call saying that a Alain Giannone had taken his life that morning.  Alain was from Portugal, worked for our trainer and was like a big brother to Emily, Sarah and Lizzie.  I became friends with his mom Sharon via Facebook and we chatted often.  Alain referred to me as his American mom and the girls as his little sisters.  At shows, he was protective of the girls and made sure guys didn't flirt too much with them!!  He was a talented rider and his smile lit up a room!

Alain Giannone

To say the girls were devastated is an understatement.  Alain was 28 so he was old enough to give them "brotherly advice" yet young enough hang with them and not embarrass them! :)

The girls couldn't understand why Alain would do this, they wondered if they had talked to him more often, maybe he wouldn't have killed himself.  So many things they didn't understand.  I was sad and then I was angry.  I was angry that he did this and how it affected so many people.  The other part of my brain knew that there were obviously more demons following him than most knew.  I was angry that I had to tell my daughters that someone dear to them had taken his life.  I was angry when I had to make the phone call to Emily and tell her and then listen to her cry.  I was angry when Lizzie lay in her bed crying saying she didn't understand and how much it hurt.  I was angry when the reality hit Sarah and held her when she cried.  I was angry when I thought of his mother.... knowing her heart had been ripped out.  I was angry but knew I had to forgive him because I didn't want to be consumed by the anger.

On the Wednesday after Alain died, my phone rang and when I looked at the long list of numbers, I knew it was his mother Sharon.  Hearing her voice almost dropped me to my knees.  The heart of a mother, while not knowing the full extent of the pain, understands the pain.  Sharon said that she wanted me to know how much Alain thought of me and the girls.  How he spoke of the girls and their riding and that he always referred to me as "mom" and the girls as his little sisters.  I will forever be grateful of that phone call.  It meant so much to me.

Emily, Sarah and Lizzie all went to Ocala, Florida to Alain's Celebration of Life.  Sarah and Lizzie were already scheduled to go and ride that weekend and Emily drove in from Georgia.  I had mixed emotions of them going because of how raw their feelings still were but knew that it would be important in the closure for them.  Although it was not how they had wanted to meet Alain's parents and brother, they were thankful they did.

I know that Alain is watching the girls and is smiling.  I know that he is no longer in pain.  Of course I wish I had known or had some inkling of an idea, we all do.  Suicide takes on a life (death) of it's own.  It consumes the person, the pain they feel is so real and they just want their pain to end.  What they don't realize is the pain so many feel because of it.  Lives are forever changed, families will never be the same, the lives they touched will now have a void.

I think of Alain often and I am so sad that his life was cut short.  But I'm thankful for the year and a half we knew him!  It was a good season!  We will see you again.