Updates and Stuff

A lot has been going on the past few weeks, so I figure it's time for an update. No catchy titles or witty things to say... just the facts ma'am.

So, first off, my baby started kindergarten this week. WHAA. I swear this was the shortest summer of my life. :( I feel like we just had the end of year party with her PreK class and now she's off to "big school", as she calls it. We started the day off with a bus ride. And, I have to be honest, I feared the bus more than anything for her. I hated the bus as a kid. But, times have changed. They don't have to ride with all the middle school & high school kids. There's only about 15 kids on her route and she's the next-to-the-last stop. The little kids sit at the front of the bus and the older elementary sit further back. I prayed for reassurance before "Kindergarten Roundup" (when the parents got to ride the bus with the kids and have a little meet and greet at the school before classes started). Come to find out, a man that sings in choir with me is her bus driver. He's a great guy! Made me feel a lot better - and she really enjoyed riding the bus. She doesn't seem to have my motion sickness gene either. ;) Anyway, I really like her teacher. She's an older, grandmotherly type. Audrey really likes her. She's got a buddy, too, who happens to go to Awana at our church and lives in the neighborhood next to us.

Seriously though, when did my kid get big enough to go to school?? I feel like she was just a toddler not long ago stumbling around, saying cute things, watching JoJo's Circus, and napping in a crib with her paci. She's growing up and I just don't think I like it. I never thought ahead to a time when my kid wouldn't need me as much or go off to school and spend half her day away. :( I'm still feeling some guilt from choosing not to home school. I still feel like it is very important, but it just isn't doable for us right now- and hubby isn't really on board. Anyway, I think Audrey will do really well wherever she is. She's a great kid!

Maddie, on the other hand, is in full blown Terrible Two's. She hit them later than Audrey, but she's making up for it. But, she is so stinkin' cute that you can't stay mad at her more than a second. She is so remorseful. LOL She is so animated with her emotions. She talks all the time and I wish I could convey to you just how incredibly cute it is with dramatic "and um"s and "I sowwy"s. The other day she had been scolded and I said, "Say, 'Yes, Ma'am" and she'd go "No, Sir". "Say, 'Yes, Ma'am". "No, Sir". We went back and forth a few times. It was pretty funny, but in all seriousness, I have to stay firm with her because she has a mind of her own! She knows exactly what she wants and will try her best to talk herself into whatever it is. Maybe she's heading towards a law degree?!

If I haven't said it enough, my husband is fantastic! He really is a great guy. The kids adore him. He's incredibly responsible and honest. I'm proud of him for the hard work he puts in (and extra work he does outside of his "day job"). I joke that he's my Walking Encyclopedia, but he's absolutely the smartest man I've ever known! He just got back from a conference in D.C. where he presented and chaired a panel discussion. He has a company that wants to create a position for him! And, a head hunter that has been talking with him about a VP position at another one. I'm really proud of him!

So, what am I up to these days? Well, I've lost my cell phone and gained 5 pounds for starters. Other than that, all is good. :) I'm pretty sure I left my phone at my in-laws house and I've worked out 3 days this week already, so I'm trying to get myself back together. As for the weight thing (which seems to be the thing that consumes me and this blog the most) it will always be a battle. I pretty much took the summer off from Weight Watchers and working out. Why, you ask? Just lazy I suppose. No, really, I was uber busy with kids, colorguard, and life in general. It's too stinkin' hot to do much of anything outside the essentials. And, I just lost my motivation, temporarily. I'm pretty proud of myself though. I walked 6 miles Saturday, 6 yesterday, and 3 today. I plan on riding the Trike the 14 mile route in the morning since Maddie will be hanging out with her Nana. Friday I'll do another 3 mile walk and then Saturday Hannah and I will push for 10-12. So, if I finish out the week as planned, I will feel much better! I'm having some problems with my left leg (the hurt one from the previous post). I hope I haven't overdone it. I noticed some busted blood vessels on the back of my knee after my walk Saturday. :( I'm just trying to walk a little easier right now. I'm only 11 weeks away from the 60-mile walk! In addition to the physical training, I'm still $1500 away from the financial goal that I HAVE to meet in order to participate. I still have at least 10 people that have told me they will definitely donate and just haven't yet. I'm also planning two fundraisers for the last weekend in this month. One is a Crop for the Cure and the other is a Longaberger show where 25-40% of the sales go towards the walk. So, hopefully between these I can get the majority of the rest. To me, this is the worst part of it. I hate, hate, hate to ask people for money. I know I've done direct sales forever, but I hate, hate, hate to ask people to buy things. I've been doing Creative Memories for years and LOVE it, but it's more for my own personal use (and a few loyal customers) and if someone needs something - great. If not, I'm ok. :) I'm going to continue to scrapbook no matter what. lol

OK, let's see... one last thing about me and I'm outta here. Just wanted to say how much I'm enjoying our church. We've been there about 6 months now and I'm starting to "fit in" a little more. I've gotten involved more with the music program and people and love it. I taught VBS one week - and discovered it really isn't my "gift", but I was happy to help out. I was fortunate enough to audition and make the Praise Team, so I've been doing a lot with that. I was also asked to help choreograph/stage the upcoming Adult Choir Christmas Musical and also with the Children's Spring Musical. The scale at which these programs work I have never had the opportunity to be a part of (our church has a Music Conservatory), so it is all very exciting! This is all fresh on my mind because we had choir rehearsal tonight and it's like a praise & worship hour even through all the technical details. You just know that you're surrounded by His presence and all these people that love the Lord. It's a great feeling!

I know I said one more thing and that's it, but I just thought of one more. I have a huge prayer request for those that read my blog. My little brother got married back in April, less than 4 months ago, and his heart is broken. His wife has flipped her lid, to put it mildly. She goes to work and doesn't go home. She stays over at a "friend's" house, but won't tell him where exactly that is. There are so many other things, but I'll spare you the details. He's trying so hard to make it work and she just doesn't seem to care. I don't know what has gotten into her, but please pray that this is either resolved or dissolved QUICKLY - and that he can move on with whatever happens.

Anyhoo... that was quite an update, huh? Guess I should be more consistent with my posts so I don't have to write a novel each time. =)

All or Nothing

So, one of my qualities, whether it be good or bad - is that I have one gear. It's ALL or NOTHING. I can't just do something a little bit. I have to either run the whole show or be a spectator. I've been pretty successful with some fairly big things in my life. There's really not much room for anything in between. This is a pretty big problem some times because it sets me up for failure. If I can't do it full out the way I want, I don't do it at all. I'm not really sure how to fix this hang up.

I went strong and hard for almost 4 months with the weight loss journey - which was the longest I've ever stuck to it. I journaled my food daily and worked out 5 to 6 days a week. I was ALL in. Instead of just walking, I signed up for the Susan G. Komen 60 mile walk - again ALL in.

I'm not sure how I lost my drive. I got busy with end of school stuff, summer stuff, and just stuff. And, it got HOT. And, I got too comfortable. Sure, a 26 pound loss is great, but when you have 50+ to lose, there's a lot more work to be done. I'm sad to say that I've gained back 5 of it, which has set me back a bit. And, I'm afraid I've given myself a nasty injury, too. That whole "all or nothing" attitude bit me again. I was looking at my training schedule for SGK, which is a mere 14 weeks away, and I was scheduled to walk 10 miles today. So, despite the fact I haven't trained consistently in over 6 weeks, I decided to walk it any way. Not only that, but while we were out we went further than planned and got caught in a storm on the trail. We ended up walking 11 miles and now I can't extend my left leg out completely. I'm sitting here with Ibuprofen and an ice pack praying I can get up and walk tomorrow. I really don't need a major set back physically keeping me from my training. I don't have time for it.

So, I'm digging down deep and pulling out my "ALL".... at least for the next 14 weeks!

Happy Birthday, Audrey!

Tomorrow is the big day! My first born will be 5 years old! Time sure has flown. It seems like only yesterday I was sitting in my 34 week doctor appointment being told that I would be delivering a baby that day. What a miraculous day it was! After 3 miscarriages in 6 years, weeks of morning sickness, and months of daily injections - I gave birth to a perfectly healthy, beautiful baby girl. She was worth every second of it. =)

What an amazing little person she is. She's incredibly smart. She's more observant than most adults. She's witty. She's a rule follower, yet argumentative to the ends. She's coordinated and has a great fashion sense. She loves all things "girly" including princesses, pink, rainbows, Barbies, shoes & jewelry, and all things glittery and shiny. She's quiet. She's strong. She knows what she likes and what she wants. She has a heart for Jesus. She loves to write, sing, and dance. She's daddy's girl. She loves her sister, but cherishes one-on-one time with mommy. She's loving. She's strong willed. She's simply amazing.

That's my little girl. Happy Birthday, Audrey!

Here I Go Again

I am back, baby! =) Got my booty back to the gym. I just took to the treadmill today, but I put it on Random, Level 10 for one hour at 3.7 mph. I did 3.8 miles and burned over 500 calories. Not too shabby! I did go over my points today, but earned 4 activity points. I made a lot better choices though - with way more fruits and vegetables. I stayed away from unhealthy snacks and junk, just need to work more on my portion sizes.

Took the girls to the pool today, so that was a little more exercise. =) Audrey is getting more brave every time we go. I enjoy watching her. I had some one on one with her at the end of the trip when Derek came and got Maddie. We had a great time. Audrey really needs that one on one. I worked with her for over an hour this afternoon on her letters, sounds, and other skills. She does so well when its just the two of us. But, man, what a rough couple of days over all. Not sure if its a phase, the age, or the fact that I've worked so much the last few weeks and she hasn't gotten much attention. Maddie has also hit a difficult patch. I question my sanity most days. lol Seriously, though, there have been some challenges lately. I don't want to be one of those moms that threatens constantly, but doesn't follow through - yet I feel that's what I've been doing lately. I don't want to be a meany, but have to set boundaries. I feel like I do nothing but yell lately and I SWORE I would not be that way. My patience is wearing very thin. I struggle more with the attitude and "mouthy-ness" than anything. That's really the only issues that we have right now.

Anyway, that's it for now. This is birthday week, so we're busy, busy!

Stuff, Stuff, and More Stuff

I've had a few minutes to breathe lately, which basically means I have time to waste time. And, lots of things running through my mind. I thought I'd change the look of the blog up a bit and then realized something. My blog is suppose to be about family, day to day life, growing as a Christian, and my weight loss journey. Looks like the main emphasis lately has been the weight issue. And, it obviously needs more attention, but I felt I needed to talk about the other issues a little more. Take a break from the daily, no hourly, plague of trying to lose weight.

So, summer is officially here and Audrey graduated from PreK! It was a big deal - a little too big if you ask me. There were 160 PreK'ers "graduating" at this 3 hour long ceremony which included cap and gowns, a state senator, and an astronaut. She asked me if she could go to the beach for her graduation gift! Seriously, that girl is a trip. Can you imagine what she's going to ask for for her high school graduation? Anyway, we're now gearing up for kindergarten. I'm excited, freaked out, and somewhat in denial that my child is actually starting school - and the fact that she turns 5 in less than two weeks doesn't help. Which then brings me to my next random thought. I feel like we're in a great area with great schools, but after talking to several very close friends that home school - the thought has recently crossed my mind. I've been doing some research and weighing some pros and cons. I truly respect and admire those faithful women that can do this. I'd love to be that person, but I'm just not sure if I have it in me. I'm not closing the door just yet, but for the first time I'm really considering the possibility. I'll read up, meet up, and pray up about it a bit and then I'll come back with some more information and thoughts later.

Baby Maddie is officially potty trained - hallelujah! It was actually way easier than I thought, though she does have accidents more frequently than I remember Audrey having them. But, I think she has done very, very well. She has also moved into a "big girl", full size bed... and for the first time in her 2 1/2 years is consecutively sleeping through the night. Can I get an AMEN? =)

I'm officially a business owner! Finally got my LLC and checking account. I've hired my first staff, ordered stuff, and got my first returned check. That's right, someone wrote me a bad check already! Oh, the woes of a business owner. But, seriously, business is good. It's a start. Going to get some face time at events this year to branch out. I've had some interest in MA & PA, so that's exciting. The TN camp was wonderful. Seriously don't think it could have gone any smoother. The VA camp, unfortunately, I had to cancel. Just didn't have enough people register. The SC camp is this weekend. It will be very small, but I figure the monetary sacrifice will be worth it to get the word out. Generally I have found that if a few kids from a school come, they bring their whole team the following year. That's how we grow! So, wish us luck this weekend as we tread new territory.

OK, so I have to talk a little about the healthy journey. Right now it blows. I haven't stepped on the scale in a couple of weeks and quite frankly have no desire to do so. I am vowing right here, right now that when I return from SC next week - there are no excuses to getting back to the gym and eating right. It will be done!

More thoughts are racing through my head, but if I continue to type much longer, my loving husband laying beside me trying to sleep may kick me to the guest room - and my bed is so much more comfortable. So, goodnight, all! I'll ramble more tomorrow!

Roller Coaster Ride

I had to chuckle a bit today. I was looking back at my previous posts in the last couple of months and it seriously looks like a roller coaster... one day I'm up and the other day I'm down. It's just part of the journey, I suppose. There are good days and bad and I've certainly had my share of both. I started this adventure the end of January, so it has been roughly 4 months in the making. Sometimes its difficult to see the big picture on a daily basis, but when I look back to where I started, I really have come a long way. The scale may not be my best friend, but I feel better. And, my own body really holds me accountable to my commitments. I've felt really drained the last couple of weeks because I haven't been exercising as much or as intensely as before. I finally went back to the gym today (with a friend - which helps!) and have had a ton of energy this afternoon. It's funny because I use the excuse "I'm too tired to workout", yet I feel so much better and am way more productive when I do.

I'm also proud to say though that I'm on day #2 of watching my points again. I hadn't logged them in two weeks, but started back yesterday. It really helps! My goal this week is to lose 2.6 pounds - which is the 2 pounds I have gained plus the .6 I'm away from in earning my 10% goal with Weight Watchers. So.... I'm making myself more aware of my food and adding in more activities where I can. See you on the scale next Wednesday!

Reality Check

So.... I've officially fallen off the wagon. I didn't want to go to my Weight Watchers meeting this morning, but I figured I should go. I needed a reality check. I got in the shape I'm in by ignoring the obvious. I need the number in my face to show me that I can't hide. Can't lie to an absolute! lol Anyway... first weigh in in two weeks and I'm up 2 pounds. Just goes to show that you really can't eat whatever you want AND reduce your physical activity without consequence. Stress doesn't help either. I just have to go back to the basics and learn to balance. Last week I was at Audrey's school several days for all the end of year activities and trying to work from home, as well. I felt guilty taking an hour and a half out of an already busy day to exercise. Now that Audrey is out of school, it will make it harder to balance. But, it obviously needs to be done.