First Stop: Philly, Then: Dallas, Lastly: TONY HORTON FITNESS CAMP in Colorado

Its been a crazy busy month! I have had a blast, hitting a few different pit stops around this country, talking to people who's lives have been changed by Team Beachbody and who are interested in helping others find that change for their lives as well. :)

Extra bonus: all three stops highlighted or were centered around Tony Horton, and its always fun when he shows up!

Our first stop: (no photos dang it) Philly for QVC to promote P90X. We were on air for an hour, and sold nearly 4,000 programs! :) We had a great host; Dan something or other ;) and though I cant remember his last name, he was lots of fun! The day we were LIVE was his 10th day of the X, so next month when we go back (they're having us on about once a month) there should be some fun change. I'll be sure to post when we go back next so you can tune in and get some motivation. Tony is great LIVE, and makes the viewer WANT to work out!

Next stop: Dallas; for the Team Beachbody Opportunity Meeting. :) Got to spend some time with old friends, and meet new! LOTS of newbies! :) I love to see and meet new Team Beachbody coaches and faithfuls! You can tell a recent grad of a Beachbody program - they're the ones with the giddy smiles that never fade, and who cant stop talking about how much they love to workout now, and how their pants are smaller, and how people dont recognize them now! :)

Final Stop: Parker, Colorado for our final Tony Horton Fitness Camp of the year. We had 45 campers. It was intimate and fun, with lots of information, mixed with hilarity passed on from Tony. :) I have a really great job, if you can even call it that. :) Tony and I have a blast at every camp; and with our new administrative partner, JuliAnne Forrest - they run smoothy-smooth! (Hortonism) Tony and I keep waiting for the day when we get to host our own health and fitness show; where he is witty and charming and informative, and I laugh at all his jokes. :) Would YOU tune in to that!?? :o)~ lol We may just end up being our only viewers. ;o) However it turns out; we are a really good fit for a team, which makes it all the more FUN. I jokingly call him my "work husband", cuz we sort of feel parental about our camp attendees. :)

My REAL husband is a *STAR*; he encourages me to go and participate in these things while he stays home with our 6 kids! Not only that, but of the two nights I was gone, my kids were treated to the following: Friday night date night with Dad: he took our three daughters out to sushi for a gab session. But lets be honest: we can be certain that he did VERY LITTLE of the gabbing, as our girls CAN TALK! :) (Hmmm.....I wonder where they get that from? ;)) Then Saturday night was Guys Night Out with Dad: he took our three sons to Speedway for motorcycle races and stunts. :) He said the little boys eyes were as wide as saucers when the trick bikes came out. :) What a guy, right? Its funny how that seems just as romantic to me as bringing me flowers or taking ME out. :) We make a good team, me and my REAL husband. :)

So here are a few photos for you. If you have ANY desire to come to a Tony camp; the website is http://www.thfitnesscamp.com/ Up to date info will be posted as we ink our '09 camps so you can pick the one you want to attend and then PLAN ON IT. :) We'd love to meet you!!! :)

Keep Bringin It! And ***don't forget*** to email me your questions for answering in my coaching tips! Include your address so I can send you a present for "playing"! We're trying to make getting and staying fit and healthy FUN!! :)

In this with you!

TRACI :)

Glancing Back - Looking Forward....

Life is busy and time is short, I will be the first to acknowledge that.

But as I look at some of our recent family photos from the summer, I am reminded of just how short time really is. The small snippet of time that is my childrens childhood is the same period of time where I grew from a young, inexperienced mom, to an older, seasoned mom of budding adults. For my older kids, I am in that final phase of helping them "become" who God made them to be, and letting them "fail forward" a little within the safety of family and parents, where we can tweak and adjust things that we taught that they may not have fully learned.

Being a parent is not a sissy job; it takes effort, PRAYER, thought, PRAYER, guidance from mentor parents, PRAYER, reading books, and developing each child as the individual, incredible creations they are. Did I mention prayer? ;o) I have good kids, but they are not cookie cutter kids. They all react differently, think differently, view situations differently, have different senses of humor, and their hearts are touched by very different things. One needs me to reprimand them firmly and LOUDLY, and one needs me to speak softly and calmly so as not to send "her" into an emotional meltdown. One needs the schedule for the next week of what we'll be having for dinner, and one forgets to actually eat because she's playing...until its bed time of course. One needs to know what we're doing 6 months from now, and one never seems to know whats happening in that very minute. Different. Every one of them. All created in God's image, all showing off different aspects of God's heart.

They do however, all have one thing in common. They're all being raised in the same house by the same parents; they're Morrows. All these kids, with all these different personality types need to be raised so as to learn to flourish in their uniqueness. I find that a fascinating role with great responsibility; as a woman, a mom, a follower of Jesus. I want my kids to enter adulthood with the wind at their back and sprinting towards their future. That takes EFFORT on my part and on their dad's part.

We do "check ins" with one another in the evenings when the little ones have gone to bed. We go for evening walks where we not only touch base as a team/couple, but we strategize, share what we see in the kids that we need to work on a little, share what (or whom!) we're struggling with, and then pray for our kids and for one another. When we walk back through that door, we are a united team going back into "the game" with our plan for that day, week, and sometimes just to get us through the next hour. LOL Hey - with teenagers, sometimes its an hour to hour basis. :)

I'm not saying we have it all down, and that we do it perfectly. NOT BY A LONG SHOT. There are some days when I dont feel I've done it well at all, but I never give up trying. There are days I feel like I had no patience, and kick myself that I didnt stop what I was doing to hear my quiet child tell me a funny part from Hannah Montana (the focused part of me has a HARD TIME stopping to listen to a recap of a tv show rerun - just keepin it real :) ), and days when I miss an appt. or phone conference, but God's mercies are new every morning. I ask forgiveness, receive it, and start my next day off with the intention of operating out of God's infinite grace and mercy. I love daily "second chances". :) Its what I always tell my kids: I dont have to be THE best, I just strive to be MY best.

I guess this isnt really a coaching post, but today I'm a bit introspective. My encouragement to you is that we're all human, doing our best to serve others from a place of abundance and not an empty tank. And sometimes it helps to hear that we're not the only one fighting the good fight! Not by a long shot!

I'm praying today for those who read this to be encouraged and find hope that you're not the only one who struggles with time, patience, and to keep up with the changes in our growing kids. We're in this together - and TOGETHER....we're BETTER!

Have a blessed rest of your week! From one busy parent to another!

TRACI +7