You ever have times in your life where there is just so much going on, you don’t feel like you can catch your breath? Life has been busy for us these months; pretty much from April-on. It’s the kind of busy where I’ve done plenty of Instagram-worthy things, but haven’t managed the time to post about them. And then when I do have a minute to breathe, I don’t want to do anything at all.
A few years back, when I ran a parenting blog, we asked all of our writers/moms if they could have any superpower, what would it be?
One mom’s answer really stuck with me and I still think of it from time to time… mostly times like right now.
She wished she had a superpower where her body did not need sleep. Between working full-time, caring for her family, and all of the day-to-day things that consumed her available time, she realized that if she didn’t need sleep, there were so many hobbies and interests she could pursue.
In a nutshell, she never really had time for herself, and she felt this most profoundly when her children were young. Her kids are older now, and I hope she has been able to find more time to devote to her own interests.
Times when I feel overwhelmed, like there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to do All. The. Things., I think of this mom and her desired superpower and I wonder just how much I could get done if I didn’t also have to sleep.
Me with a couple of fellow kick-ass moms. Image by Michelle Craig Photography
Cuz like, I’ve done a bunch of things this year that could earn their own blog posts (and will eventually)…
My oldest son and I had our belt graduation where we finally got our black belts in taekwondo (it’s been pretty fun to wear in class).
I flew to the Bay Area by myself for a weekend to say farewell to the man who was a second dad to me growing up (fuck cancer).
Went on a wonderful retreat in southern Utah with a bunch of amazing women.
Image by Michelle Craig Photography
Family road tripped to Reno where my kids competed in a taekwondo tournament to qualify for Nationals.
Both my kids did competition track & field for the first time and were killing it at track meets and learning new events and skills.
I have a new gig as social media manager and graphic designer for our competition running club (follow us! @wolfpackingrunningutah on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok).
I got some new tools for my freelance work that I’m excited to share about.
My parents came to Utah for a visit and we were able to take my dad on a couple of our favorite hikes.
My boys with my dad on the trail to Cecret Lake in Albion Basin.
My paternal grandma passed away at the age of 102.
My kids both competed in USA Taekwondo Nationals in July and my oldest earned a gold medal in black belt sparring in his age and weight class.
I dipped my toes into the world of art festivals and had a booth at two local festivals. It was really fun and I actually made a few bucks. Show #1 and Show #2. I also entered two paintings into a city art show and I won a 2nd place ribbon!
I made the decision to begin training for my 2nd degree black belt in taekwondo and will decide when to test (either next May or next December).
My youngest son was asked to be the main character in a short film that is both a comedy and horror and learned a ton about how films are made.
Both of my kids are doing competition cross country and are doing awesome at meets. They both are hoping to qualify for USATF Jr Olympic Nationals in Texas in December.
My family was heartbroken by the loss of a taekwondo friend who took his own life just before he turned 15.
So yeah… it’s been a busy and tough year, and I have had many moments where I wished I could skip a night’s sleep so I had more time. September was crazy with our kids playing three different sports, plus school, birthdays, a funeral, and lots of emotions. October has been more chill and I am hoping as the weather cools off, November will continue to be chill. Fingers crossed.
Trying to relax on Gooseberry Mesa and enjoy the view.