Rome- Day 3- Part 1

On the third day of Rome, we spent the day mostly catching up on things that we wanted to see. Things that did not take up that much time. Most of it was you walk to it, look at it, and go to the next place. These pictures are just of that. We did end up going into come cathedrals, so I will post some pictures of those in another post. 

The first picture is of us inside one of the churches. The church that is located on top of the Spanish Steps. The next few pictures are around the Spanish Steps. After we saw the Spanish Steps, we went to the Trevi Fountain. This fountain was HUGE, and absolutely gorgeous. These pictures do not do it any justice. It was way more than I was expecting plus even more. We threw us each a lucky penny into the fountain (even though the saying is it takes 3 wishes) and went on about our business. There was a very sweet old man that took a picture of the two of us in front of it. I shared that one with you guys, too.

After that, while walking around to our next destination (which is where we start getting into all the churches), we noticed an awesome wood store where everything is made. They must be big Pinocchio fans because (as you can see in the picture) they were everyone... big and small. Of course, Mr. Man had to pose with one of them that they had. They even had large wood motorcycles, bikes, and ponies. I love toys like that!!

We did grab lunch between here and the churches. I forgot to take pictures of the food we ate, but here is Mr. Man with his cheesy smile and cheesy pizza! The other two pictures are people that were in the different piazzas in Rome as we were walking through them.

I am sorry this post is all over the place, but today is Mr. Man's birthday so I am trying to make this as quick as possible. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Fitness Friday

Instead of introducing you to how I got started in my "fitness world." I thought I would blog about something that has been on my mind. First off, I want to say that if I did have a specific day for me to talk about my progression and other fitness moments, this blog would be overwhelmed with nothing but that... and that would just just plain Jane boring.  

So the topic today: Insecurities. 

Everyone has them. It's normal to not be 100% happy with your body, but you should be happy with yourself. Just yesterday, I was in the middle of a conversation with 2 people in their mid-30s discussing why they do not wear shorts, bikinis, flip flops, and what parts of their bodies they just do not want to show. One of them does not wear shorts or capris. I have never seen this lady in either and I have been friends with her for 2 years, which means for 2 summers. The other woman discussed her self consciousness of her stomach. After having two kids, she now has the stretch marks and c-section marks. Neither one of these ladies are large by any means. They totally are not! The point is that they have insecurities, and the way they get over those insecurities is by hiding them. What happens next?

When I started talking about things on my body that I am not exactly confident about, they looked at me and said, "You can not have a perfect body." "You will never have a perfect body." "Everybody has that." and so on. Just because I am small does mean I am 100% happy with my body. Just because I am young does not mean that I am ok to have a muffin top and flaunt everything I don't have. So for you to understand, I am going to give you some insight of my side of the conversation.

I said that my insecurities are my thick thighs and small chest. I have a bubble butt. I have no boobs. It is just how I am. I am ok with that, but what I am not ok with is my little dimples on my legs that stick out because I am so light complected.. and well flabby. So what do I do? I work out the darn dimples. I get on the stairstepper at the gym, I walk uphill when I can, I work out my legs 2 times a week, I get the job done. It's my choice. It's who I am, and it's what makes me happy. And guess what? Within 2 weeks of working out, my dimples are gone. Because I do take pride in my body. I am determined to look the way I want to look. I want to be healthy for my kids and my grandkids. I want to still be confident in a bikini when I go to the beach. I still want to have the option to wear shorts if I chose. This is just me, and I do not expect you or anyone else to feel or do the same.

I am young, yes. I get that. I am small. I get that, too. I understand that I will never have a perfect body, but I do believe I can work to be more healthy and confident in my own skin. If this is what makes me happy, what makes me feel good about myself, what gives me pride, then this is what I will do. Just like them. They do not like some parts of their bodies that they can not necessary change, some they can change. I have the same. Now, I chose to try and change it while they sit back and say "I'll never have a perfect body." That is their way of getting out of it. That is fine with me because that is their choice. I don't judge them for it, and I expect them to not judge me for the choices I make.

Everyone, no matter how big or small they are, no matter how healthy or unhealthy they are, we all have some type of insecurity.

Fitness Friday is really about inspiring others to become the person they would like to become within their "fitness world." Notice I said "their"... YOUR own wants, YOUR own desires. Not mine, not your husband's, not your best friend's, YOURS! So hopefully with me being open on how I have got to where I am, and my train of thought on things, maybe others will be willing to change themselves for themselves. Because afterall, it does take YOU to want to change for YOURSELF before you will actually do it. Trust me, I learned this the hard way. 

So for all you ladies (and men) out there that have a desire to lose weight, eat healthier, become more fit, whatever the case... lets do it together! The first thing you need to do is recognize that you need the change. Don't be modest. Don't be shy. And do not be in denial or lie to yourself. Just be ok with it and know you want change. Once you do that, you will need something to motivate and encourage you to push farther. In the beginning, for me, it was food. Once I got passed ever wanting nasty food, it became rewards in other sorts. I have bought clothes a size or two too small to force myself to fit into them. I have bought sexy lingerie a size too small to fit in for my husband. Definitely reward yourself in a way that is satisfying for you. Whatever it is that will motivate you, do it. And make sure you set reachable, realistic goals. Take it a step at a time. Do not say ok I weigh 550lbs and I want to lose 100 of it. Tell yourself that you weigh 550lbs, and you would like to lose 10lbs within a week. For most, it will be more like 2-5lbs a week.

Is there something about your body that you can change and would like to? Do you want to change it? If so, what would be your rewards for working so hard to achieve your goal?

50 Adjectives: Loyal

Now that I am home and getting back on schedule, I am getting back to my regular posts. The next adjective is:

Loyal.

The definition is:

[loi-uhl]

1. faithful to one's sovereign, government, or state: a loyal subject.

2. faithful to one's oath, commitments, or obligations: to be loyal to a vow.

3. faithful to any leader, party, or cause, or to any person or thing conceived as deserving fidelity: a loyal friend.

4. characterized by or showing faithfulness to commitments, vows, allegiance, obligations, etc.

  

I am very loyal, very loyal in many different ways. I am loyal to my husband. I am loyal to my family. I am loyal to my friends. I am loyal to my acquaintances. I am loyal to people I just meet. I am even loyal to people that do not treat me all that well. I am, of course, loyal to myself.

True. I can not help the fact that I have a very caring personality. I do not care what others think of me, but I do care about others well-being. 

As a wife, I am expected to be faithful to my husband. No matter how far he travels, I am still his wife forever. No matter how stubborn he is (which is often), I am still his wife forever. As a house wife, I am expected to do the house wifely "to-do's". As a mother to my furry son, I am expected to feed him, bathe him, make sure he has water, gets plenty of exercise, is comfortable, is healthy, etc. 

As a daughter, I am expected to love my mother and father. As a sister, I am expected to love my brother and sister. As a grandchild, I am expected to love my grandparents. As a great grandchild, I am expected to love my Granny. As a niece, I am expected to love my aunts, uncles, and all their children. (I think that covers it all for the most part.) I love my family. I am a very family oriented person. I believe that family is everything. Without my family, I would not be who I am today. I would not have the morals and values that I have. There are many things I would not have if it was not for my family. I love my family very much. I call them as often as possible. I email them regularly. I show them pictures of our adventures and of us. I think about them nonstop. I am very loyal to my family, including the in-laws.

As a friend, I am commitment to the friendship, the relationship that we have. Even though most of my best friends are in the states, spread around the world, I still stay in contact with them. I still support them (and they definitely do the same for me). I do believe I could work on this a little more, which I have began to. I have the most awesome friends in the world, and the least I can do for them is be the best friend to them that I possibly can.

I am loyal to acquaintances. To me, acquaintances are people that are not necessarily friends because of differences, but they are still civil to one another. If I could be friends with everyone, I would. But the fact of the matter is that not everyone desires the same thing. Therefore, I have to live with the fact that some people may not want to be my friend. As childish as that sounds, it really is true. And no matter how much our differences are, I am still very loyal to them. I care about people. It is who I am, so even if I had enemies, I am sure I would still care about them, their families, their children, their livelihood.

As a Key Spouse, I am loyal to my spouses. I lend a shoulder when they need it. I lend an ear when they need it. I lend my lawn mower when they need it. I even lend my hard-work when they need it.  I sacrifice for them because I am loyal to my commitments, my obligations.

I am very loyal to myself. I have goals. I have dreams. I have a life. A life that I want to be fulfilling. The only way to fulfill it is to be loyal to myself, to commit to it. 

However, I am not a perfect person. I cheat on my diets. I sometimes do not push myself to limits at the gym. I tend to overeat, especially when it comes to boiled seafood. I make excuses for myself, which in turns means I am in denial or lie to myself. I slack at many things, especially at household chores. And I am sure there are many, many more. 

Something I have noticed from this post is that I am unloyal to myself, but to no one else. Yes, Mr. Man may suffer if they household chores are not finished, but that's a part of life. When it comes to outsider, I care about them. I want to be there for them. I want to help in any way I can, and I do.

 

Rome- Day 2- Part 2

The second part of the second day in Rome was spent at the Roman Forum, Colosseum, and Palatine Hill. After the Vatican Tour, we talked to the Roman Forum. Once again, I did good planning because I got the Roma Pass, which allowed us discounts and free entrance to many places. With this pass, you could also skip the lines. Amazing! We walked right up and walked right in. 

The Roman Forum was actually nice. Yes, it was a lot of ruins, but when you think about what the ruins are from and how they have been there, plus the stunning backdrop, it makes it stunning. We walked around in it for a while and took pictures. Then we headed to Palatine Hill, did the same thing, and headed towards the Colosseum.

The Colosseum was even nicer than I had expected. Which it is always nice to underestimated your expectations because then when you see it, it blows your mind. It was so pretty. It was towards the end of the evening so we were by it while the sun was beginning to go down. They also had just recently put in a museum into it with replicas of the suits, helmets, and other gear that dated from the 1st Century to modern day. Now that was pretty cool, too. 

As we walked from destination to destination, we took pit stops when we would come across interesting looking things. This was the longest day of our trip, but it was probably one of the most rewarding. 

I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Roman Forum:

Palatine Hill:

Colosseum:

Rome- Day 2- Part 1

*Beware* This could be a long post!

Our second day in Rome, we did the Vatican tour and went to the Colloseum, Roman Forum, Palentine Hill, and anything else we walked upon while going from stop to stop.

I definitely did my research for this one and booked a nice tour that would pace us through the Vatican City walls. I did a good job because our tour consisted of less than 20 people. I know this sounds like a lot, but we saw other tours that had 60 to 100 people in them. This place was packed, so I could not imagine being in a tour that big. Our tour guide spoke really good English and was humorous, too. He picked out the things that most people find interesting and made it about a 4 to 5 hour tour. We met him at the yellow stone wall outside of the Vatican City State. He brought us to a nearby cafe, which was friendly, and gave us some information, our speakers, and a little about what we would be doing. We headed out for the Vatican Museum and as we are walking, we began to see the line to get in. Oh my goodness! This line was forever long. Like seriously, it took up several blocks, and probably took people 4 or so hours to get in. It was ridiculously long. At this time, I am realizing I made a smart move by booking us a tour. 

So we finally get in and this place is huge! Obviously, it is very huge. Our tour guide showed us around, brought us through the museums, courtyards, showed us the different sculptures and galleries of paintings, tapestries, and maps. We also saw the Basilica, Sistine Chapel, and the Crypts of the Popes (which is located underneath the basilica). Mr. Man and I loved it. The guide gave us tons of information, and we were able to soak it all in, take tons of pictures, and enjoy it. That is exactly what we did. 

Now, just so you know.. most places did not allow cameras, and when they did, you were not allowed to use the flash. So I will add some pictures of the tour, but please keep this in mind.

I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Entrance to the museum.

One of the courtyards.

Another courtyard.

One of the sculptures in the courtyard.

One of the galleries.

A ceiling.

A floor.

This Jesus looks at you no matter where you are in the room.

The map gallery.

A tapestry.

A painting on the wall.

This is where important people walk. Also the same place where the Pope walks every Wednesday morning for the Papal Audience.

Mr. Man drinking from the fountain.

The Swiss Guard.

Mr. Man and I in front of the fountain.

St. Peter's Square.

Looking from St. Peter's Square.

Please forgive me for all the pictures. It is too hard to decide which ones to post.