Between 4-H fair preparation, computer issues, and then just plain 4-H fair madness–it’s been a crazy few weeks!
But now I hope to get back to regular blogging–both for T-Tapp Tuesdays and for Fabulous Family Fridays. And maybe even a few more in between!
I had posted the following on the T-Tapp forums three or four weeks ago, and I thought it might encourage some of you (who don’t frequent the forums).
Next Tuesday I’ll have a post about workout wear. And Friday–the importance of music in your homeschool!
Editing to add–just found out Deep Discount Tuesday today (July 19) is Hit the Floor at 40% off!!! Here is the discount code: DDT071911
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Last fall, my family went on what turned out to be a 5,200 mile trip “out East”. That included going from Niagara Falls out to Boston and CT and all the way to Florida and back through the Smokey Mountains! (And many places in between!)
We planned. We figured. We refigured. We threw some things out. We added some things in. We refigured. We packed. We fixed some things on the van. We repacked. We fixed some food and snacks to take on the first “leg” of the trip. We bought needed jackets and shoes. We repacked (are you noticing a pattern here?! LOL!)
We even talked to others to see how long they allowed for such a trip.
Finally the big day arrived! We had prepared and now we were ready to go!
Do you think the trip went EXACTLY as planned with NO glitches?! No! It was an adventure! You might plan to stop at such and such time for a hotel, until you find out there are none to be found within a 20 mile radius when you’re ready to stop!
You might plan to stop at the next exit for food…until you find the next exit has only gas stations.
You might plan to wait until you get to this point to have everyone use the restroom, until you hear a voice in back say, “I have to go potty REAL BAD!”
You might have NOT planned to see the Statue of Liberty, because you didn’t want to go anywhere near New York City. But it was practically on the way so you did (and hyperventilated when you realized you were headed down the west side of Manhattan!
).
You might have planned to get to one friend’s house by 10 pm, but instead showed up at 12:30 a.m. (bless them for waiting up for us and taking us anyway!)
You might have planned to see Jamestown, but realized you just didn’t have enough time to do it justice, so you had to cross it off the list.
You might not have planned to go to Florida, or just barely dip down there from Georgia so the kids could say they’d been there, but then you find out you can go to the Safety Harbor Retreat, so your family decides to go visit a cousin in Ft. Myers (and have a blast while they’re there!).
You might decide the trip can only be 16 days max, but because the whole point was to make memories as a family….well, what’s another 4 days?!
Thankfully we didn’t have any van breakdowns, although our “check engine” light came on several times during the trip, giving us something to be concerned about! (The fuel pump did go out—but not on the trip! Whew!)
So what does this have to do with T-Tapp?! (Other than going to the Retreat!)
T-Tapp is a journey, too. We make preparations. We buy the dvds. We read all we can in the book and on the forums.
We get some workout gear together. We decide when and where we’re going to work out.
We have goals. We might refine the goals. We even talk to others to see how long they took for the journey.
Then we start! We’re off on our journey!
But what’s this? A detour?! So soon? Ah, life happens. We do what we can, planning to get back to it after this crisis is over.
Back at it. Refine the goals again. Doing great, seeing some progress!
You weren’t planning on thinking about your eating at all. But since it’s “on the way”, you decide to make a few changes–and even though you hyperventilated a bit about it, you feel better! 
All is going along great! You’re really enjoying the “scenery” you’re starting to see!
But wait! What’s with the “check engine” light?! Well, you’ll keep an eye on it, but you go on.
Then progress seems to be a bit slower. You worry just a bit about that light. Things seem to come to a standstill and you’re worried you’ll never get to your destination.
Now you find out why the engine light was on (adrenal fatigue, PCOS, insulin resistance, fibromyalgia, hypothyroid). Time to refine those goals, again. Sigh. (Are you noticing a pattern here?!)
You rethink your workouts and now your focus is more on health. You still would like to get to your destination, but right now getting that engine working better is the most important thing to do.
Things start going better and you get a bonus you hadn’t expected–maybe you lost a size or your energy returned. Maybe you got a compliment on your youthful appearance that you hadn’t really noticed in your focus on health!
Pretty soon you’re on your way again! You don’t know when you’ll reach your destination, but now, you really don’t care! It’s an adventure, and you’re anxious to see what waits around the next bend!
Unlike a family trip “out East”, the T-Tapp journey doesn’t have to end–even when you reach your destination.
Because then it’s fun to help others on their journey, as you continue to enjoy yours!
Remember, just like a family trip that it’s wise to plan for, but be flexible with, so is our journey with T-Tapp. It’s wise to plan, but we need to be flexible with it so we can enjoy the journey as best we can and soon we find out…
The journey is as important (if not more so) than the destination!
Enjoy the journey!