Hello From 2013!!

ChristieO wants us to write a letter to ourself about the things that happen in 2012 from the point of view of it being 2013. Confused? Yeah, me too! But what a great exercise in goal setting! I did it last year and didn't have great success, but this year will be different! Read and enjoy the year that I'm about to embark on.

Good morning!

It's been a year since I talked you into taking a chance with yourself and convinced you that you are indeed worth living a healthy lifestyle! I'm so glad you listened and took the bull by the horns and stopped half-assing your workouts and your diet! I know you are too because you are so much happier now than you were at the beginning of 2012! This was a great year full of learning how to live without constantly thinking of the "what-ifs". You now concentrate on the "nows" and that makes life so much less stressful! Speaking of stress, yes there is still plenty of it but you have really learned how to keep yourself from freaking out about every little thing that doesn't go according to plan. See that Charlie Brown cartoon up there? You saw that cartoon and applied it to your life! What a great way to live 2012 (and beyond)!

The hubby had a great year...full of meeting some pretty significant goals. It was a wonderful thing to watch the transformation!

My Marine is doing better than you imagined as a Combat Photographer and is getting to see some pretty awesome sites! He emails and sends you pictures all the time. This helps you feel more connected and helps you not miss him so much. Yes, you still miss having that day to day connection with him but it is getting easier! He's been a Marine now for a little more than a year and it feels wonderful being able to tell people that your son is a Marine! You raised a good person!

That Other Kid is growing up and excelling in school. Not that that is a big surprise to you. He's always been a smart kid but it's good to know that as a homeschooling mom you are doing the right thing with him! He still knows how to push your buttons and make you want to throw him out to the windowdoor world but you know in your heart of hearts that you are his best teacher! He has learned that school comes first, then building all his wonderful lego creations can come next! You have learned how to keep him focused on his school stuff and it helps you as well!

How have you accomplished this wonderful feat? You both exercise every morning before starting school! Yes, you decided that if it was good enough for you to exercise in the morning then it was good enough for That Other Kid too! You get up and do your morning exercise routine then you both do some kind of exercise together! It's a great way to spend some quality time together doing something fun as well as good for you! Some mornings you play a Wii or XBox game, some mornings you go walking, biking, or playing catch with the football! And your favorite? Is using the punching bag you bought him for his birthday in 2011! It's a great cardio workout for both of you! And what's more...he loves spending this time with you! After this great workout you sit down and get some good book-learning done! You are both focused and ready to take on the day!

AND you have lost a ton (well not literally) of weight this year because of your constant exercise! It feels so good to finally be at a healthy weight and be able to do so much more because you have gotten the weight off! I'm so proud of you! You have learned how to balance eating right and exercise into your day to day life as well as tackling that ugly stress beast!

You also raised the money necessary to walk your 2nd Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure! This definitely was one of the high points of the year. Finding a cure for breast cancer and helping bring awareness to others has become such a passion for you and you did a great job bringing it front and center this year! Not only did you walk but unlike last year you didn't gain a bunch of unnecessary weight while doing it! You were smart with your calorie intake and made it a wonderful experience without gaining weight!

At the beginning of the year you started reading and following the book 52 Small Changes with all your sisters over at the 'hood and I am happy to report that you made it through all 52 weeks and yes, you are happier because of it! You have made great changes to your life this year that you will carry through with you the rest of your life! Another wonderful thing you accomplished this year!

Another highlight from this past year is that you finally got a handle on your organization skills! You made organizing a priority for your household and family and it shows in every area of your life! What a great feeling!

It's been a great 2012 and I can't wait to see what 2013 brings your way!

Hugs to us!

Your 2013 self

30 Days of Thankfulness

I missed yesterday's Thankful post because by the time I got around to writing my post I was too tired to sit down and do it! So today you get a two-fer!

Yesterday That Other Kid and I ventured out to the mall to visit with Santa, hang out with a good friend and do a bit of shopping! This is something we do EVERY year! It kind of kicks off our Christmas season! Although That Other Kid doesn't believe in Santa he still likes to "talk to Santa", listen to the story he tells and spend time enjoying all the holiday festivities.

Yesterday, after Santa was done talking to That Other Kid and he was about to see his next little ones Santa asked if he knew why we celebrate Christmas. I'm not sure if Santa asks every child this or not but I loved That Other Kid's response - "We celebrate Christmas because it's Jesus' birthday!" That warmed my heart and made me thankful for the privilege of being his mom! Indeed Jesus is the reason for the Season!

And although this picture makes him look like a little alien and some sort of demon child (which sometimes is true!) I love him like nothing else!

Today I am thankful that it is the last day of November!

That may seem strange to most of you, but I am so happy to see December come up on my calendar! December means that I get a mini-vacation because of the generosity of friends! December means "My Marine" comes home from boot camp! December means I get to meet Adah! December means Christmas time and 20 days with "My Marine". December means That Other Kid turns 8! December means 1 year since my friend, Glenna discovered her breast cancer....and now she is 100% cancer free!

December is going to be a great month!

I am also thankful that during the month of November I found plenty of things to be thankful for! Yes, I truly am blessed with family, friends and plenty of other blessings! I'm so glad I took this month to reflect on so many of them!

Happy December! Only 15 days till I see my first born! What a day that will be!

Thankful for our Veterans! 11/11/11

I grew up in a family with many veterans - my Dad, my uncles, my grandfather...all served in our military and fought for our freedoms! I have cousins that served as well! My brother also joined the Marines while he was in his early 20's and when I received the phone call saying he was joining the Marines I freaked out thinking it was the worst decision of his life I now openly say it was the best thing he has ever done!

Sooooo why was I surprised when my oldest son came home last Thanksgiving and announced he was joining the Marines? I don't know but now I realize it should have been one of those 'duh' moments! In just 5 weeks my son will graduate from Marine bootcamp and I couldn't be prouder to add just one more member of my family to my military family!

So THANK YOU VETERANS FOR SERVING OUR COUNTRY AND BEING A WONDERFUL EXAMPLE TO MEN AND WOMEN OF TODAY WHO DESIRE TO SERVE OUR COUNTRY!

Thankful for USMC - Happy Birthday Marines!!

Happy birthday!

I am thankful that my son is over half way done with bootcamp and in just 5 weeks will officially be one of The Few, The Proud, The Marines! I am thankful that he has found a purpose and a group of men to call his brothers. I am also thankful for the wonderful support system I have found online to help me come to not only accept his decision to become a Marine, but to be proud of him! Semper Fi means Always Faithful and that is exactly what Marines are! I'm proud to call my brother one and now my son!

Thankfulness - Days 4, 5, 6, and 7!

Yes, I'm a bit behind....but at least I have a good excuse, right? In case you haven't figured it out I walked the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure this past weekend; that's 60 miles in 3 Days! Let me tell you that's a lot of freaking miles!

I walked from Plano, TX down to Farmers Branch, then all around north Dallas, Farmers Branch, and Addison and then I turned around and walked down to Fair Park in Dallas. If you are not from the Dallas area, you need to google map this and see just how far I traveled! If you are from the area then you already know this is a long way!!

So...here are the things I am thankful for from this weekend and today!

From Friday the 4th - I am thankful for the Angels for the Cure team that I joined back in July! Without this team I would never have been able to walk the 3 Days. From the very first training walk I joined in on with these wonderful people I felt that these women were special and really cared about me. They made getting up at 4 am on the weekends something I kind of looked forward to! They made fundraising not look so scary to me. They made me feel like I was a part of something bigger than myself! Because of this wonderful team I not only MET my goal of raising $2300 but I exceeded it! I am waiting for "matching funds" to come in so it doesn't look like I'm quite there yet, but I am! I owe a special thank you to our team leader Debby Rich! She is an inspiration and a wonderful leader! Out of this team I have gained another group of friends that I will treasure forever!

From Saturday the 5th - I am thankful for my legs and feet that carried me through a really rough day! Typically from what I was told Saturday is the hardest day of the weekend so I was prepared mentally for it and even wore the appropriate shirt for the day! I have often complained that my legs and calves are huge and that my feet are ugly but on this day, I was thankful that they were so muscular. They carried me over rough sidewalks for somewhere in the area of 25 miles over a time span of somewhere in the area of 9 hours. Most of those miles were done AFTER I had tripped over a crappy sidewalk and fallen early in the day. I wasn't hurt AT ALL for which I am thankful to God for...except as I was falling I tried to catch myself and tightened up my calf muscle. From that point on I had a charley horse that wouldn't go away! Do you realize how far 20 miles is when you are walking with a charley horse??? My feet carried me EVERY MILE on Saturday without a single problem! Yes, they were tired but they didn't hurt because of blisters or other issues! I owe most of that to the people that produced HikeGoo. I made it through Saturday without blisters whereas a lot of my team mates came out of Saturday with blisters and were in pain on their feet. Blisters make walking really hard, in case you didn't know that! lol

From Sunday the 6th - I am thankful for my family and friends that have supported me while I have been training and fundraising. They also came out to support me this weekend as I was walking. Hubby and That Other Kid came out several times to cheer me on while I was walking. I even had a couple of friends "walk with me" for a while. Glenna (my best friend who underwent breast cancer this year) came out and sat and watched me eat lunch Saturday and encouraged me to keep going!

Without my family, friends and the constant encouragement from everyone I don't think I would have been able to keep going during the training and then the actual walk, so THANK YOU! I received numerous letters from family and friends this weekend also and I can't express how special it was to read letters and notes from all of my friends and from my parents who each sent me a card telling me how proud they were of me! A HUGE THANKS goes to all my Sisterhood friends! Without the financial support and continual encouragement of all of you I would not have met my goal.

From today, Monday the 7th - I am thankful that I didn't have to do much of anything! I sat around a lot, soaking my weary feet in epsom salt water and caught up on emails and facebook and snuggling with That Other Kid as much as he wanted! I did have a few things to do; like laundry, changing sandboxes, unloading and reloading the dishwasher and a quick run to Target. But..for the most part I sat and vegged out today! I didn't even have to cook...For that I am MOST thankful! Tomorrow morning I get to go get a massage, so I can assure you I will be thankful for that!

A Month of Giving Thanks (With a little confession mixed in)

This is the first day of November. The month that most Americans set aside a time to reflect on the things they are thankful for. I'm going to attempt to do this on the 'ol blog. I'm pretty sure I will miss some days but I will try to keep that to a minimum!

For the first day of November I am Thankful for my family and friends - both the IRL friends and the online friends that I have "met" over the past 4 years of blogging!
I would not be the person I am without all of you!

Now....for the confessions!

I've pretty much decided that the only thing I am concentrating on this week is preparing for the Komen 3 Day. I have packing to do, costumes to make, bags to pack and all kinds of "little" details in order to prepare for the weekend away from home. I need to prepare foods that are easy to heat and eat for the hubby and That Other Kid. I need to make sure the house is in order, laundry clean and folded and all manner of things like that. Since I still have so much to do to get ready the eating and exercising are kind of taking a back seat to everything else. I got my "short" walks done this weekend and I walked for about 15 minutes this afternoon but that's pretty much it. I feel like I need to do more but I'm pretty distracted and can't seem to focus on much else.

I had WAY more than the 2 "fun sized" pieces of candy yesterday that was the mini-challenge for the Sisterhood. I tried to not eat any candy last night but then they put some toostie rolls in That Other Kid's bucket. Being the good mom that I am I didn't want him to have them around so I helped him out by eating them! (He's allergic to dairy and can't have chocolate!) Then I saw some candy bars and I decided to keep those from him, too! Ain't I a good mom?? I'm looking out for his health, right?

I need to really bump up the water over the next couple of days. I usually drink 100 ounces a day but the past couple of days I have been under that and I really need to boost it OVER that. I don't want to have dehydration issues on the walk.

If you are in the Dallas area this weekend I would love to have you come out to a cheering station and cheer me on! 60 miles is gonna be a lot of walking...but I am prepared! You can check out the cheering stations here. Let me know if you will be out so I can look for you! I will be dressed in angel wings and a halo and tutu!

It's Officially Christmas Eve....

and we are just hours away from leaving town for a "quick" weekend trip to see family. Just days ago we had not decided what we were doing and now we not only know what we are doing but we are packed and ready to go! All we need to do is pack the toiletry bag, take showers, grab the snacks and head out the door!

I am so excited!! Probably more so than the boys! For some reason it was very important to me to spend Christmas with the family. Maybe because we didn't get to last year. Maybe because this year has been so hard. Maybe because we don't know where That Kid will be next year at this time. But whatever the reason, I am glad that it is happening!! I will also get to spend some time with a bunch of my high school friends this weekend and I am beyond excited at this possibility! Several of them I haven't seen in YEARS...but through the wonders of technology and FaceBook we discovered we will all be in the same town on the same weekend and so we are working on plans!! Don't worry the camera is packed so pictures will follow next week!! One of my childhood friends is now a musician who plays with many different acts in Branson so that will be fun to hang with my friend "the star"!!

Ok..enough of this talk...I need to get some sleep so I can go all weekend with as little sleep as possible so I can cram as much family and friends into the trip as possible! I hope your Christmas is filled with family and friends and all the joy of the Christmas season!!


Recent picture of That Kid and That Other Kid...for our family pictures!

Merry Christmas!!

I'm Alive and Better Than Ever!!

I know recently ya'll have probably wondered what is Ann doing? She never blogs. She never posts pictures. She just comes in once a week and posts her weight and moves on.

Well things are once again changing!! Thursday, the 30th was my last day to work at a paying full time job!! I get to come back home and work 24/7 for no money but more rewards than could ever be explained!! I am once again a stay at home, homeschooling mom/wife!! I can't tell you how happy I am to report this!! I will once again have time to actually homeschool That Other Kid, exercise properly, keep my house clean, cook proper meals, and take care of all the other things that I have been neglecting for the past 7 months!!

Let me tell you -- if you are a full time working mom I APPLAUD YOU!!! I don't know how you do it. The past 7 months have been been very difficult for me not to mention our family. I have neglected so much around the house. I have neglected my kiddo. I have neglected my husband. I have even neglected myself to some degree...not as much as other things but I just haven't had the time to do what I have wanted.

Ok...on to what I did this weekend! I ran/walked my first 5K!! It was one of the most physically and emotionally difficult things I have ever done. It was also one of the most rewarding things I have ever done!! More details will follow but I want to tell you this was NOT my LAST 5K and I will get to the point where I can RUN it!!

Race details: 48:28 was my time. I wasn't the last to cross the finish line! My brother was amazingly supportive as were the other members of my family. I even had 2 of my high school friends (and let me tell you high school was MANY years ago) show up for this race!! What a momentus day!!


My brother and I right before the race!


Running up the final stretch/hill! The person running behind me and my brother...one of my friends from high school! Off to the side are That Other Kid and my niece cheering me on!!



OMG!! How far away is that stupid finish line and why oh why is this hill so steep??


Giving it one last push....another burst of energy, please!!


That final few feet were killers...I just wanted to stop and walk the rest! Fortunately my brother wouldn't let me do that!! I did RUN across the finish line!! It took everything I had in me to do it, too!

A Bunch of Random to Catch Up With You

As the title states, I have a bunch of random info to share to catch you up with my life. Nothing special has transpired over the past 10 days since I last blogged but lots has happened. I'm sure you understand...

* I got a new phone Friday afternoon. I'm still learning how to use it, but at least it WORKS!! I had a Blackberry that I was absolutely HATING (mostly because the screen was tiny and it didn't work half the time!!)and I was due for an upgrade. I sacrificed some sleep Friday afternoon and went down to the AT&T store to look for a new phone. I'm not the kind of girl who can look online and decide what kind of phone to get. I need to go in and touch and feel it and get an idea of what it does by actually checking it out. My dh just doesn't understand that. He researches phones online for (literally) months and decides what he wants based on what all the forums, reviews and other users have to say about it. Then he orders it online, sight unseen. He's usually happy with his choice, too. That's not for me...gotta see it and hold it, ya know? Btw, my new phone is this one. So far I LOVE it...it is easy to use and has everything I need. Now I just have to figure out how to make it do everything I need it to and get all my info off my Blackberry which may be difficult since I can't seem to get it to do anything! Couldn't even get a text off from there that someone sent me while I was in the store upgrading! UGH!!

* Next bit of random, I am training for my FIRST 5K!! I am following the Couch 2 5K program....and I'm actually finding that it is kind of FUN!! Did I just say that?'
I think it is more fun knowing that I am going to run my first 5K with my brother and sister in law this October! Yes, that's right the 3 of us are going to do this together, because she started training this week too! I am just finishing my 2nd week of the training plan but already I can tell that I am progressing. Saturday I ran at 4.2 on the treadmill and walked it at 3.2. Last week I was only at 4.0 and 3.0. Next week the plan calls for me to run 3 minutes at a time....I'm kind of concerned about that, but I know that I can do it if I just focus on the final result not the actual time I am running.

* I am begging, pleading, whining the managers for a shift transfer. I have been working 3rd shift for the past (almost) 5 months and it has been a struggle to have any kind of life with That Other Kid. I am supposed to be homeschooling him but just don't have the energy or time to do it. He has been lonely and watching WAY too much tv while I sleep in the mornings. Not to mention I don't get enough sleep and am grumpy most of the time. But since That Kid is home now and will be taking this fall semester off from college we will have access to a second car so dh can go to meetings and such for his business and I won't have to worry about getting to work on time...I am working on getting 2nd shift, meaning 4p.m. to 1a.m. This is an ideal shift for me. I can work till 1 a.m. then come home and be in bed by 2a.m. I will be able to sleep till 9 a.m. and then get up exercise, do school and everything else that needs to be done before I leave for work about 3:15p.m. I know that 7 hrs of sleep is still not ideal but it sure beats the 4 or 5 I am getting now. Not to mention I will be able to spend some good quality time with That Other Kid and do school.
So far, I have been told that they have a position open but they just have to make sure with all the other managers that it will be a permanant full time position. This has been going on for more than 2 weeks and is beginning to run me insane. Please pray that they get everything worked out early this week. I want this so much and the indecisiveness is really stressing me out. Also pray that I can still have my weekends off. Right now that seems to be a big deal to them...but I don't really understand why I can't keep the same days off...It's not going to affect them in any way, since they don't have ANYONE in this position now...what difference does it make if I have the weekends off? Ya know??

* For my final bit of randomness, I have been eating crap, and consequently gaining weight over the past 2 months. I don't really understand WHY I am not eating the way I know I should. I know what I need to do, but seem to be at a standoff with myself. I want to eat right, but every time I go to eat I look for the worst things to eat. Just tonight I ate 1/4 of an Oreo Pie that That Kid's girlfiend made for him. I doubt that he ate ANY of it. I think over the past 48 hrs I have eaten 3/4 of the pie. Needless to say, the pie is gone now and for that I am grateful, just wish I would have let him eat it or thrown it in the trash instead...I think the lack of motivation comes from my stress and frustration level. But, since I am now training for this 5K I'm hoping I can make myself eat right because I won't be able to "really" do it if I am feeding my body junk.

Just tonight I was watching the last 2 episodes of Losing It With Jillian, thinking "Wow, if she came to my house right now what would she say about my food choices? Would she be disgusted and start screaming or would she look at me and say "no wonder you are fat and can't lose weight?" Don't answer that...She would do both! and she would totally kick my a** in the gym, too. So...my 5K training lasts another 7 weeks and during that time I want to be proud of myself for my progress with the running as well as the food choices, so I'm clearing out the junk and eating the way I know I need to....

Feel free to "go Jillian" on me if you hear differently! I need some help, seriously.

Ok..so that's enough time on the computer for the night...I need to get in bed so I can get some extra sleep for my new work week that starts at 10p.m. Sunday night and I've promised That Other Kid we would go swimming after I do my run so I will have to get up early enough to do that and everything else that needs done Sunday. Pray that it is my last week of 3rd shift!! Hope ya'll have a great week...

Time To Get Back In the Saddle

I have been absent lately...in fact my last post was more than a month and a half ago. Let me tell you I have MISSED being part of this little online community. I miss my bloggy friends. I miss reading blogs. I miss reading comments from my post and MOST IMPORTANTLY I miss posting things happening in my life. My weight loss journey (which has been pretty stagnant), things my boys have been doing, things I have been doing. There really hasn't been much to report on and I rarely have time to sit down at the computer long to do more than check Facebook, emails and my banking info. That has to change. I need to read about what is happening to my friends. I need to see what is happening outside the walls of my existence. So this afternoon (really I decided last night while working) I decided to post SOMETHING, at least every few days. I need it. I need to get a semblence of NORMAL back in my life.

What brought this on, you might ask? (Even if you didn't humor me, k?) This weekend my brother came into town and I had a "normal" weekend. I did things other than sleep, grocery shop and more sleep. I went to a lake and swam. I played with That Other Kid in the lake and heard him LAUGH!! Sadly I didn't take pictures...you'll just have to believe me. I drove around town with my brother. I picked up a dresser that someone was GIVING AWAY!! It's big and has storage space! YAY!! I went to bed at a somewhat "normal" time Saturday night and got up EARLY and watched my brother race in a Triathalon in the area. I tell ya it was so exciting to see him do something like this. I am so proud of him!!

This is him right before the events began!

Looks pretty good for an old guy, huh? Of course, I am older than he is so I shouldn't say he is old cuz that would mean I'm old, too. He finished the Tri ( swimming 500 meters, biking 12 miles, and running a 5k) in 1 hour 26 minutes! Can I tell you I am SUPER PROUD of him!!Way to go little brother!!

It has motivated me to participate in a 5K. I don't know when, or how, but I'm going to do it!! If he can do a triathalon then surely I can manage to run/walk a 5k. My goal is to get to the point where I can RUN (yes, I said RUN) the whole thing. Right now I don't think I could run 100 yards without feeling like I am dying, but a girls gotta have goals!

Having a "normal" weekend has made me realize how much I miss being part of the "normal" world. Since I started working just over 3 1/2 months ago (has it really been only 3 1/2 months??) I rarely do anything outside of the necessary. I grocery shop, I sleep (not much, but some), I prepare meals, do laundry and do a minimal amount of housework. I want more out of life than this so I have decided that I am going to do what it takes to make the most of this life and do some "normal" things when I get a chance....most likely on Friday afternoons and Saturdays. My son needs me to do things with him and I need it too. So I have much to thank my brother for...showing me a "normal" weekend and helping to motivate me to do something spectacular -- a 5K! Maybe my friends from the Sisterhood will join me!!

Well, I gotta go....I have to fix dinner, do some laundry, and take a nap before I go to work. Can I just say it feels GREAT to be back to writing again??!! Have a great night!!

Tuesday Confessions....

Wow!! Do I have a list today? and they say that confession is good for the soul so I need to "just do it" and spill my confessions. Here goes:

Thursday I ate an entire bag of chocolate kisses that a girlfriend sent for Christmas. It was sent for the whole family....I devoured it before anyone else could have any!

I was sick afterwards....both mentally and physically. Will I ever learn??

I did it because I was stressed out and angry at my family for "demanding my time"! I ask you, is that a good reason to make myself physically and mentally sick? I think NOT!

Since then I have been FOCUSED on eating right. I even took protein bars to the hockey rink this weekend so I would eat those instead of being hungry and coming home and eating everything in sight!

I have been preparing meals for my family this week and we've ALL been eating together as a family! But I think I have been eating TOO much at dinner time. I need to cut back on my serving sizes.

That Kid has been home from college since December 18 and I have LOVED having him home. That Kid leaves for college on Saturday and I'm going to miss him TERRIBLY but it will be nice to have one less person in the house. It's crowded when we are all here together! Nice....but still crowded. It is also difficult to get into a real school schedule with That Other Kid...because they want to hang out together and I don't blame them!

That Kid has been working out with the P90X DVD's this week and I have been watching some of it! It is TOUGH!! and it's making me want to work out harder so I can get to the point where I can do this workout with him! I'm a long way from it though!! (I'm proud of him for being able to what he can with this workout!)

Stress is bad....and I have been able to deal with it MOST days (since Thursday) this week by walking away from it and going to hide out in the bathroom -- the furthest place from the kitchen.

I started working out with Jillian Micheal's Fitness Ultimatum and I commented to dh that I think she is trying to kill me! I have been sore, but feel like it is an excellent way to further get my body back to where it should be!

That's all folks....how's your week going?? Have any confessions to make? Go over to the Sisterhood and confess. It's good for your soul and it's wonderful to have friends to "feel your pain"!!

2009 In Review

Today's You Capture Assignment was to document 2009 in photos. I'm not famous for taking pictures but I usually get the camera out for the "special stuff". So I am showing some of our special events of 2009!


That Kid's First Junior's Level Hockey game to officiate!



That Other Kid at the Gainesville Zoo with his best friend!



That Other Kid -- as goalie!!


Both my boys on the ice at the same time!! What a special mommy moment!!


A little brotherly love!! So glad That Kid came home from college to hang out with his brother!!


Re-engergizing after a game of football in the backyard!!


Me -- at the beginning of my weight loss journey! Can you tell I wasn't happy??



Me -- about 9 months after starting on my weight loss journey! 35 pounds lighter than in March...at least I was a little happier, right??

I can't wait to see what 2010 brings for our family!!

A New Year, A New Decade = A New ME!!

Last night dh and I watched a hockey game with That Other Kid, then as I was putting That Other Kid to bed dh started watching a movie (one I didn't have any interest in!). I had been busy all day and didn't have a chance to get online much so he finished watching his movie while I visited blogs and left some comment love! We still had time to watch a movie (of my choice this time!)-- so we watched The Proposal and both thought it was a great movie! By the time all the movies were over we were both exhausted so we went to bed! It was a nice relaxing way to ring in a new year...and forget about the OLD ONE!! 2009 was not a stellar year for our family although we did have some good points. However, we are all counting on 2010 being OUR YEAR!

This year starts off with us not really knowing what tomorrow will bring. We all have goals and desires and dreams, but don't really know how they will come to pass.
We figure we have done what we know to do, and have to leave the rest up to God! That Kid will start back to college in a little more than 2 weeks and move back into the dorms. His big goal for the next semester is to pass all his classes with a good GPA! That Other Kid and I will start back with kindergarten after having about 6 weeks off due to the move and the Christmas holiday time. His big goal for the year will be to finish kindergarten and PLAY HOCKEY, continue progressing through his karate belts, and PLAY Wii (apparently, since he seems to want to do that whenever he isn't playing hockey or with friends!) DH will begin looking for work on Monday, since his contract ended right before Christmas time. So DH's big goal for right now is to find some architectural design work (and quick, huh GOD!!) As 2010 begins I am getting myself back on track with my weight loss and exercise goals. The past couple of weeks I have had problems staying focused and consistent. I am excited that there are plenty of others to keep me accountable and focused as well as help me "rethink my shrink"! My big goal for the year will be to continue losing weight and by the end of 2010 I plan to be at my goal weight (which is still unknown -- I'm sure I will know it when I get there!)

With that goal in mind this morning I wanted to see exactly where I was, and where I had come from, so I took down my measurements and recorded them. I also weighed myself. For the record -- I have lost at least 20 inches of flab this year! I plan to get that much more off!! I plan to be a lean, mean, momma by this time next year!! This morning I weighed in at 191.2 which is 35.6 pounds less than when I started this journey on March 25th, 2009. I have a long way to go, but at least I'm making progress and I have begun the process! So here is what I looked like this morning -- 1/1/10




This is beginning of a new decade, a new year and it's gonna be a GREAT ONE!! I hope you have a great one too!

Crazy Holiday Time

Let me just start off by saying this has been one of the craziest Christmas seasons I have ever experienced! We live in North Texas and it RARELY snows, but guess what it did Christmas Eve!! It SNOWED!! So much so that they closed the highway going to my mil's house. We were stranded on the highway within 50 miles of her house for over an hour when we found out that the highway was closed and that they were not sure when it would reopen, so we found the nearest exit (about 1/2 mile from where we were) and floored it through the grassy/snowy median and turned around. It then took us about 4 hours to get home!! The whole trip to her house should have taken about 3 hours....we were in the car about 9 hours and we didn't even get to celebrate Christmas with the family! Oh well, we made it home safely and we opened Christmas presents on Christmas eve (after our all day car ride, That Other Kid was in amazingly good and I felt he deserved some FUN!).





Christmas morning we got up, and checked the weather and discovered that the road to dh's step-mom's house was iced over and closed, so we spent Christmas at home! I managed to pull together a pretty decent Christmas dinner with just what I had on hand. It's amazing what you can find in your home to eat when you want to!! It was peaceful and kind of nice to "just be home". No obligations and no place to go....By the middle of the day on Christmas the roads around here were clear and most of the snow was gone so we didn't get to enjoy it much, which is a bummer but it allowed That Kid to go spend some time with his girlfriend.

On the 26th That Other Kid got to be in a fun "Holiday Hockey Festival". The kids got to play 3 short hockey games, get their face painted, and other fun things. It was a great way to end the Christmas season for us. He chose to have his face painted like a lion!! And he thought I was incredibly mean for making him bathe that night!!





Sunday and yesterday were spent just regrouping and beginning to clean up after the holiday. I still need to hang photos on the walls, get the Christmas decorations down and put away and find a way to "hide away" the game systems that are just laying on the hearth of the fireplace!! The month has flown by so fast I haven't had time to do much of what I had planned, but we have managed to have some fun and enjoy the season of Jesus' birth!! We will start back with homeschooling on Monday, the 4th just like all the other kids around here, so I need to spend some time over the next few days getting organized and ready for that.

I also will need to regroup with the weightloss journey that I have been on over the past 9 months. I haven't been real dedicated to it the past couple of weeks but I have been conscience of what I've been doing, so that's at least better than previous years. The Sisterhood has a great new challenge starting TOMORROW!! Today they are giving away a $25 ITunes gift card! (As a sidenote - I have won numerous things through the Sisters and I can tell you this group of ladies are VERY generous with their giveaways!!) I'm planning to be onboard with this new challenge. I really need to get refocused and get back on track....I hope you will be too!! The Sisterhood is such an awesome support system I know that you will get some great support. It has been proven that people that have a "support system" will lose weight faster and keep it off better....and that is the ultimate goal, right??

Hope you will join us in our new challenge and you had a wonderful Christmas!! I also pray that your 2010 is a blessed and prosperous year!!

Happy Father's Day....

Just in case dh figures out the name of my blog and decides he wants to go to the trouble of reading it, I thought I should write a little bit about the man I call dh and my children call "dad".

Dh and I married young, both barely 19...which really scares me, cuz ugh! That Kid, guess what? He's about to turn 19!! I can't imagine him being ready to be married. Maybe we weren't either, we were just too stupid to know that we weren't...who knows??!!

Anywhoo, when we first married he was adamant...he didn't want to be a dad. He didn't want to deal with the responsibility. Ya know...kids are a lot of work! He didn't have a very good childhood and he felt that he wouldn't be properly equipped to be a dad. But you know, things change and life happens. I talked him into agreeing to at least 1 child and hopefully 2! Guess what?? I got 2, which is what I wanted!! Right before we turned 25 years old, nearly 6 years after we got married That Kid was born. I had always thought we would have a girl, and that's what he thought he wanted too, but ya know God has other plans most times!

That Kid was born and dh cried, "oh no, we have a boy. How am I supposed to treat him? What if I end up treating him like I was treated as a boy?" Well God knew what he was doing and helped him to become a better man and a good dad to his little boy! it helped that That Kid thought dad hung the moon and proclaimed that he was "daddy's little man" from a very early age. When That Kid was about 2 1/2 years old they sat on the couch together and watched Star Wars and that was the beginning of a Star Wars and movie watching bond that still exists. When That Kid was about 3 or 4 years old he decided he was "big man self" and was no longer "daddy's little man" but by that time they had a special bond. This bond has changed over the years but they are still into the same kinds of "manly movies".

Before That Other Kid was born, we found out he was a boy and DH's response was, "well I guess I'm not good a making girls!" So the adventure began with That Other Kid. Now, That Other Kid has always been a "momma's boy", but sometimes he gets a little put out by all my "unmanly ways" and wants to hang with dad. These are the times that dh really love, and I think he lives for these times when he can develop this relationship with That Other Kid. TOK already loves Star Wars, Batman and all those other manly guy types of movies and shows. This is wonderful for the 3 of them to have this bond and it gives me a break from all the testosterone in the room!

Dh was afraid of becoming a father, because he didn't want to be a "terrible dad"! I didn't worry about him being a terrible dad because he has enough "sweetness" to knock out the bad from his terrible example growing up. I knew that he would be the best dad that he could and he has been....

So Happy Fathers Day, DH!!

You Capture --- Family

I'm a few days late for this weeks challenge but Beth says we can join in whenever we want so here I am. This has been a crazy, busy week so this is the first time I've had a chance to read blogs and catch up with everybody...including Beth. This was one of the easiest You Captures I have done in a while, since graduation time is all about family!! These pictures are of my "family" at my niece's graduation ceremony. Aren't we a hoot???!!

Graduation Ceremony #1

This is my niece..."A"! Isn't she beautiful?? Doesn't she look incredibly nervous in this last picture? It was taken just a couple of hours before her high school graduation. A huge number of her family was there (including me and both my boys). These pictures are just a sampling of how special and original she is. Let me start at the beginning...at least the beginning for me.

In the summer of 1995 my dh and I along with That Kid moved from Fresno, California to the Dallas area. All of my family lives in Kansas and it had been 4 years since we had been there to see any of them. I had seen my oldest brother because he was a Marine stationed in California a few times when he got long weekends. But other than him I had not seen anyone in 4 years, so the first chance I got to go up to Kansas for a visit I jumped at it.

That was August, 1995. That Kid had just turned 5...and didn't remember any of my family. We drove the 5 1/2 hours to Kansas and visited with family. It was kind of a strange time....but it was good. We stopped at my parents house then went over to my oldest brother's house, where he lived with his new wife and new daughter. I say "new" daughter because she was new to our family. My (now)sister-in-law had a daughter who was about 2 1/2 years old when my brother met and married her momma. At the time we met them she was just past 4 years old so she was a perfect age for That Kid to play with! And OMG, did they PLAY!! They met each other and played perfectly for HOURS!! We introduced them and didn't see them again the rest of the evening! They became best friends/cousins instantly! I was thrilled to have a playmate for him...I wondered how the trip would go for him...and because of this wonderful little girl it was special!

Since that time every time we went to Kansas That Kid had someone to play with or hang out with...and they got along great most every time. There was a time when they were 12 or 13 when it got a little awkward, but other than that we never had any problems with the two of them getting along. The two of them grew up and matured into special individuals with their own gifts and talents, but a tremendous love for each other.

I watched this little girl grow into a beautiful young lady. She has always held a special place in my heart and over the past fews years she and I have developed a special relationship. She has come to me seeking advice and has asked my opinion on what she should do a number of times. She is always looking to do the right thing and so I want to pay tribute to her for a minute.

She graduated in the top 10% of her class of 402 students. She applied to 4 different colleges and received some kind of scholarship from each of them. She has finally decided to attend a community college 45 minutes from their home and live in the dorms. She received a full scholarship for this college and based on the information she received it will be a great fit for her. This decision was difficult for her....she wanted to attend another community college, the one her boyfriend of 2 years will be attending, that both her mom and my brother (her step-dad) attended, and the one that most of her friends will be attending BUT she made the decision based on "what is best" for her, not anyone else!! I couldn't be more proud of her!

While attending high school she also played in the orchestra, and was a major player on the swim team. She had a knee injury and surgery last year and was unable to swim, so instead she was the manager for the team. I know that had to be a difficult thing for her to do...since swimming is one of her true loves. This year she came back strong and swam for the team, and improved at each of the meets according to her parents. After taking an entire year off, you know it had to be difficult to get her groove back, but she is dedicated and determined to be the best that she can be!

I think I've gushed enough now....but I just wanted everyone to know that "A" is a special young lady who will go places. Her goals for college are to be a Marine Biologist....Wow!! That means in a few years I could be related to a Marine Biologist!!! Whatever she becomes I know it will be something great because she has the determination and willingness to work hard and whatever she sets out to accomplish she can do it!

LOVE YA, "A"!!!

Graduation Time Means So Much

The month of May is always a special time in the life of teenagers and children. It signifies the end of school and the beginning of summer....lazy days in the pool, or hanging out. Or in the case of That Kid SLEEPING NON-STOP during the day and then goofing off with friends in the evening and night!! This May has been a particularly special month for me and my family. There have been numerous graduation ceremonies and celebrations.

My oldest niece graduated from high school on May 17 in Kansas, which explains one of my two trips to Kansas this month! A cousin of mine also has a daughter who graduated from high school May 17 in Topeka, Kansas. This week also marked my youngest niece's graduation from preschool. Next week my nephew will graduate from elementary school. This Saturday, May 23 marked the graduation ceremony for some of our closest homeschooling friends. It also marked the date we had set aside for That Kid's graduation. He decided not to participate in a ceremony which freed him up to go to other friend's graduation ceremony.

May 23 was also a special day for me. It was on May 23, 1983 that I graduated from high school! It's hard to believe that I graduated 26 years ago....seems forever ago, but then again I remember so much about that day. I remember walking up on stage and getting that piece of paper that stated I had completed high school. I remember going home with my family and being the guest of honor....and let me tell you in a home of 6 people that didn't happen often. I remember friends coming over and celebrating with me. I remember going to a graduation party with my friends and with my then boyfriend, now dh and coming home the next morning! That was the first time I had stayed out all night with no consequences from my parents! I also remember that the next school day my little brothers had to get up and go to school! I got to stay home and sleep!! Yeah!!

Graduation time is a time to celebrate the accomplishments of those students who have completed their education in that school. It also is a time for family and friends to honor those students and their accomplishments. It is a time for fun and reflection. It is also a time to look forward to what lies ahead. After I graduated I knew that I wanted to go to college and be a teacher. I also knew that I would probably be married within the next few years. I did attend college (for 2 years), I did marry just 1 short year after graduating, and I did become a teacher...just not for pay! I did not follow my original course, but I did do the things I had decided to do...just not the way I intended.

For those graduating from college, high school, middle school/junior high, elementary school or pre-school I say follow your dreams. Whatever they may be. However they may change over the course of the years, follow them!! If you don't follow your dreams then you have no one to blame but yourself for the disappointment that will follow you.

Over the course of the next few days I am going to honor 3 very special high school graduates. They are special to me so it will take a while to write all I have to say about them... Please follow along and help me honor them.


That Kid

"Boo"

"A"

May 23, 2009 .... One Month From Today...

my son, That Kid, should be celebrating his high school graduation with family and friends. This day should be such a special day for our family. It should be a day to remember for years to come. A day I have dreamed of for the past 13 years. A day to celebrate his accomplishments as a homeschooled student, and a day for me to reflect back over the years of hard work that we both made it through.

This day is also significant because I graduated on May 23, 1983...I have great memories of graduating high school. Walking up to the stage and getting my diploma. Celebrating with friends and family. I'm sure it's a day my parents still remember, too. I was their first child to graduate from high school and I had plans to go to college in a few short months. I still remember the gift my mom presented me that night...a scrapbook with pictures of myself throughout my childhood and my Senior Yearbook. Neither gift cost much money (they didn't have much), but they both were given to me with great love.

However, he has decided that he doesn't see the significance of a graduation ceremony, especially since he has been homeschooled his whole life. To him this has caused him to be social outcast to society; although he has far more friends than I could even imagine having. Since he is (in his eyes) a social outcast why would he participate in a ceremony that is nationally recognized as an important milestone in a teen's life? Since he is (once again, in his eyes) not really graduating why go through the ceremony and get a "fake" diploma?

I guess I should just move past this and not let it bug me, but ya know when you put forth more time and effort than you ever dreamed possible I feel that it should be marked by a ceremony of some sort. So as of right now, we aren't doing anything to even remember all those years of hard work and it is emotionally very frustrating.

I just had to get it off my chest....before I followed the title of my blog and blew up!! Thanks for listening!!


Edited tonight --- I finished Day 20 of the 30 Day Shred and looked ahead to Level 3 which starts tomorrow!! Doing these routines for 10 days straight gets a little boring so I'm kinda looking forward to moving on to Level 3, but OMG it's gonna kill me with all the plank moves!! But the weight loss and toned muscles is a great bonus!! Just thought ya'll would like to know!!

Busy Buildin' My Cathedrals

My bff sent me this email and at first I just ignored it, then I went back and really read it and thought about it. Ya know, sometimes or maybe most times, as moms we don't feel appreciated, loved or like we are really doing anything important. After all, "we're just moms", but after reading this and reflecting on it I realized I really do have importance....even if I don't feel like it!


It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to somewhere. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this ? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Can I have some money?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' or I'm a car to order, 'Right around 8:30, please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated college- but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again.

She's going, she's going, she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. She had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when she turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. Initially I had thought, oh she remembered I wanted to travel this year. Until I read her inscription:
"With admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no button you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the girlfriend he's bringing home for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies', that would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to bring his friends home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.