motherof9

i feel sorta like Tom Sawyer…..

another day of painting — hopefully with all of us working together, we can get that darn room finished and my son can move back in — it has been a long, drawn-out remodeling process — mostly because of lack of time…… we can see the finish line!! yippeeee!!

sounds kinda what i wish i were saying about my weight/exercise process — unfortunately, healthy living is more like house work (dishes and laundry) not so much like a remodel project — (unless, of course, your remodel takes years…..)

 healthy living, eating right, and exercising is never done. at least it shouldn’t be, even if we meet our ultimate goal, we will always continue working, always striving — perhaps not to get better or lose more weight, but simply maintain.  Right now, my house is ALWAYS messy.  There are always dirty dishes, always laundry.  The minute i finish the last load, someone eats or gets dirty and there is more to do.  That is my life journey in so many ways right now.  But, when i look at my mom — living alone in a house — NO dirty dishes, NO laundry — just maintaining, just keeping up after each meal or each day. Simple.  or at least simpler.

Soon, that will be me.  The journey will get to a place where i will have time to relax a little more, play a little more.  Laundry, dishes, weight will just have to be maintained.  I can’t wait!  I can’t wait to spoil grandkids rotten and then hand them back to their mommas and pappas!  I can’t wait to have a clean house for a whole day!!  I will miss the action and adventure, but it will be fun to relax and do OTHER stuff!  exercise will always be a part of my life, eating healthy will always need to be a part of my life, but someday, it will not have to be my focus — just maintenance.

Ok, i’m back from my little journey into the future!   anyone wanna paint??

Hey,  I just received this in an email and it seemed really appropriate to me so i thought i would share…… 

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee. A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous ‘yes.’ The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. ‘Now,’ said the professor as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things -God, your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions—and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else—the small stuff. ‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you. ‘Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Talk with God. Play with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first—the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.’ One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled, ‘I’m glad you asked.’ It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.’

 I am hanging on to the “little thing” being my house cleaning……  and i am hoping that painting a ceiling for almost an hour counts as exercise…..  it works your neck and shoulders!!

anyway, have a fabulous evening (got tired of using the word “great”)  and remember — One day at a time, one step at a time, one 1/4 inch at a time — until we reach our goals!!

Our little baby birds died….. very sad, my kids try so hard. One son even researched on the internet so he could care for them properly.  They are so delicate and even God knows when one falls.  I told them that God gave them a week to care for them and that was special, maybe next time they’ll live — always hope.

We watered our field again yesterday — so wonderful to see stuff grow!! Cute wild ducks are using it as their pond — started about 4am according to my puppies that wanted to play with them…… i am a little tired….

i keep thinking the scale has maybe moved down, but then the next time i check, it is right back…… grrrrrrrr — it gets so frustrating when you see no change!  Cassie did say that Chrisie had posted a formula…… i guess i need to limit even more calories to see a difference.   Double GRRRRRRRR!!   sooooooo, since there never seems to be a difference on the scale, i don’t want to measure myself either — don’t want that extra depression causing frustration…..   maybe soon if i feel my clothes fitting better or differently, but so far……… all i can say is,   GRRRRRRRR!

so on to day and this week — it was weird having such a long weekend, i still feel like this is Monday.

GREAT!! i just MENTION lowering my caloric intake and my stomach started growling! shhheeeeeshshshsh!!!   (try saying that outloud, its kinda funny…… ;)   )

sooooooo, here is my motivation — think i can look like her soon???  No, the one on the bottom of the page….. the one above, i already DO look like!!!    ****if only she weren’t 100 years younger than me…….

.

….. so might as well sit at a computer and type! 

Don’t forget to stop and think/pray for the families that lost loved ones in a war at 3pm your local time — freedom isn’t free.

I am sooooooo excited, i invited my sisters to run with me this morning — my husband and 19 yo son came with us so it was quite a group on the ditchbanks!  we did my 4 mile loop and ran 3 of those miles — yay, right, but even better — it felt like my sisters were slowing me down! i wanted to go a little faster and run a little more than the 3 miles!!!! they are usually trying to keep ME going and this morning, i was pushing them!!! whooo hooo!!   i have decided to add 3 sprints into each run, so, i run for 1 1/2 mile but at the end, i try to push even harder so i am really panting by the time i reach the mark then we walk a bit, then run and sprint at the end of the 2 mile mark, walk again until i am 1 1/2 mile from home and start running again with a sprint at the end.  i really feel it in my legs this way — my most needy part. —– ok, my “sprints” are nothing more than  stretching my legs and lengthening my stride a bit, and very short duration…… BUT, i think that trick is what is helping me run further and not walk quite as much. 

Eating — another issue altogether….. my daughter made oatmeal choco chip cookies — their better for you, right?? oatmeal!!  —- yeah, i ate too many, luckily with my nephew and nieces over, they were gone quickly and took away the temptation.

My husbands words….. it cracked me up!!  The PA students just got a new assignment added on for the summer.  They have to write “whatever they feel like” once a week and send it to one of their instructors.  I asked, “like a blog?” 

“YES!!! Why do they make us do that stuff — its so dumb, and i hate it!” he answered.

I laughed, “I dunno, that will be sooooo hard to do!!!! NOT!!!”

He totally doesn’t understand my NEED to write. He thinks, he feels, he talks, he’s finished….

I have to write it out to figure it out — we’re sooooo different!   Poor him, MADE to write a blog……   i can’t stop laughing.

K, on to MY blog…..    thanks for all the ideas on traveling — i LOVE to travel, {background note:  my parents were missionaries to the Navajo Indians in Arizona, we traveled often reporting to churches about the work…..it was just a part of life growing up, i never realized some people hate to leave home!!! my friend here is like that, she thinks i am weird, i think she is weird….. i have the bug, so do my siblings, we all travel as much as possible still…..}

ANYWAY…… i am looking forward to the trip — we leave the last week of June so i have time to figure everything out. 

Water — still having difficulty downing enough on a regular daily basis.  Seems that i can do well for a few days then i don’t drink any for a few days…… grrrrrrrrr

exercise — am doing a “bikini challenge” with another (very young) girl. — the thought of seeing myself actually in a bikini is kinda funny…..   but…. i accepted the 3 wk challenge and then soon after i go see a bunch of cousins i haven’t seen for 17yrs — gotta look good for that, right??!!   great motivation — we are going to King’s Island in Cinncinnatti — can’t wear pants there AND attempt to get wet…..

Have an awesomely blessed Wednesday — may God smile at you and show you in many ways today how much He cares about you and LOVES you with an everlasting love!!!!

k, i am gonna take my kids and go to my dad’s family reunion in Ohio….. last time i was there was 17 years ago and my husband drove.  he doesn’t get to go b/c of school — actually he’ll be in a clinic all summer practicing what he has learned.

Anyway, i need to choose some awesome stopping places, can anyone tell me some “must sees” anywhere along this route.  this is the quick way, but i am willing to take a slower route to see some stuff…..

drat, HOW do you get graphics on this blog????? don’t know if the map will show, so, i am heading out of NM, go through TX on 1-40, through OK, MO, IN, end up in OH south of Cinncinatti — or so…..

thanks for any pointers!! i may post this again in a few wks if i don’t get enough takers……

this is a huge problem for me — and —– duh!!! i live in a desert!  (always have to wonder if it is “desert” or “dessert” — think i would like to live in a dessert…….)

i went for a run/walk yesterday with my son home from college….. nice being with him, but i didn’t realize how warm it had gotten — ok, downright HOT.  i had to walk more than ever before b/c the heat just sucked the energy from my body — realized i hadn’t drunk (drank, drinked….hmmm) enough water before leaving….. then like a dummy, didn’t drink enough the rest of the day. before i knew it, i had a headache — grrrrrr i know i get dehydrated easily, i know i have a tendency towards heat exhaustion….. WHY can’t i get water down my gullet?????  (Dan hates it when i use that word, then i found it in on a site describing human anatomy and had to point it out to him “see, it is a correct term!!!” he still wasn’t impressed and scowled at me —– wow, i like to ramble!)

anyway…… outside exercise MUST be done earlier in the day or in the evening when the sun isn’t so fierce and water MUST be downed in opious amounts when living in a desert climate.

on a good note, i took my now 5 year old daughter with me in the car to drop off older 17 year old son to Tae Kwon Do lessons — we got to play “I Spy” the entire time — so much fun……. really!!  most importantly i got to spend time with her in a fun way that she loves and we had a lot of laughs.   and, my a younger son (8) found 2 baby birds that fell out of their nest, they are now in the house and we are feeding them trying to keep them alive — we have tried often different years and haven’t had much success, BUT, we always try — my sister actually raised one and it lived for over 3 years….. always hope…..

so i am off to exercise (inside) and get my water bottle filled, and most importantly off to do good somewhere!!

K, so i have been MIA but not by choice…. hubby had sooooooooooo many school projects due the last 2 mondays that i spent a lot of time typing and helping him research — fun and educational but i missed you all!  also had a great bday day with our 5 year old daughter AND got to take the camper out for the weekend to Jakes Camp — awesome by the way, didn’t have to cook or anything, and the guys take the kids to do a work project and teach them interesting tidbits about wild turkeys…..

anyway, it is so good to be back catching up on all my buddies and their crazy lives…..

sooooo, about the storing fat — all has to do with the research i was helping my hubby with, many of you know that he is in school to be a Physician’s Assistant {btw, he is in class every morning with the first year med students — they get to go home and study while all the PA students continue in class until 5pm every day — supposedly the “Drs” get more schooling — 4yrs — BUT in our experience, the PAs are getting it all in 2 condensed years plus some, med students don’t get some of the classes that PAs get — they all have to “specialize” which PA’s can do also……

ANYHOO…… i was looking up info about Lipitor — you know the drug that reduces cholesterol — this drug should be taken at night, BECAUSE your body is working all night storing fat!!  so it can work all night fighting cholesterol.   sooooo, whatever calories you have left over in your body that it didn’t use during the day….. gets stored to fat while you sleep!!!  yuck!    so here’s the kicker — Friday i went crazy ALL day, from the time i got up at 6am until we got in the truck at 6:40pm to drive to Jake’s Camp, i was going, going, going, actually running through Walmart to get food for my boys that were staying at home, getting everything packed….. you know, totally bonkers crazy trying to get everything done so we could leave for the weekend.  my daughter and i grabbed a chocolate bar at walmart ’cause we were starving having missed lunch (bad, bad, bad) when we were almost at the camp i had a horrible headache and i realized that i had skipped b-fast AND lunch!! all i had eaten all day was the candy bar! so, we got to camp and ate a hamburger at 8:30 at night.  guess how much fat i stored after going to be soon after??????? yeah my body needed some food, but eating at night is totally useless for your body, it really doesn’t need food at night.

sooooooo, my biggest goal for this week is to make sure that i eat lunch and dinner at normal hours so that i don’t eat at night before bed…… and store more fat!!

second goal is to work out this week — cause we were soooo busy that i didn’t make time for it ALL last week, had a run planned and everything but just couldn’t seem to get it going….

third goal — drink water, same ole, same ole

fourth — have fun with my kids, play a game, exercise, talk, read the Bible, go see Prince Caspian at the theater, YAY!!

think that’s all i can handle right now, i gotta go now if i am gonna meet any of these goals for today!!

do well, eat no junk, buy no junk, and have a GREAT MONDAY!!

well, just a quick note to say that i am not gonna be here today!  (remember my addiction??)   well, i HAD to at least get on to say LUV YA GUYS!!

Keep on track today, i am cheering you all on in spirit!  you can do it, today and forever.

My daughter is turning 5 today, well, she’s not turning, she IS 5 today…. anyway, kids have speech therapy, piano lessons, then birthday fun……

Sooooooooo,  do well, know that i am thinking about you — don’t eat junk!!!   

but i got to deal with it for the last few days anyway….   i did not disappear after my “one month anniversary” — at least not by choice…. 

and rain!!! whoo hooo!!! i love the rain, but ya gotta remember, we don’t see much of it, supposed to rain most of the week — we’ll see, it  is great for the fields we just planted and my skin is just sucking up all the moisture that is in the air — i LOVE it!  little too cold to dance in it, but i wish i could….

anyway, i am back….kinda

i just have to catch up on all the stuff that didn’t get done for the last 5 days.   unfortunately, no exercising got done at ALL!  such a bummer, but i had a good time with my husband, helping him with homework. and with my son, helping him pack all his stuff from his college apt to come home for the summer — yay!!!

now on to goals

1) pay attention to EVERYTHING i eat this week

2) no junk in the grocery cart

3) keep drinking the water — had been doing good, but the extended weekend was terrible!

4) lots of Vit C to ward off this cold or whatever is coming (not from the rain, but thanks to lack of sleep and my dd and dh wanting to share)

5) enjoy each of my children — and smile into their eyes

6) listen to God and take what He gives me to do — then DO it!

7) EXERCISE every day for the rest of the week — even if i don’t feel like it, no excuses.

 Missed you all — i am SOOOOOOO addicted to this site!  but now, i am off to do good.