Weekly Weigh-In

Physical Weigh-In
Week #2: +/- 2.2 pounds
Total Pounds Lost: 0

Darn Christmas baking

Plans for me...

God has a lot to say about preparing, storing, saving, giving, serving and His plans for me.

Lately, the hubby and I have felt led to begin preparing for an emergency. Why? Only God knows, but we have both been feeling tugged at over this. We have commenced with our emergency planning and have quickly realized that it is an overwhelming task to figure out what we actually would need and what we wouldn't. What is reasonable, what is not?

As God always does, a perfectly timed blog came my way entitled:

Emergency preparedness 8 week program

Seriously. I literally just put together our new plastic storage unit which will house our emergency supplies and thought to myself "what am I going to fill this with to keep us safe in a disaster or small emergency?"  I open my email and here is this blog about emergency preparedness.

Crazy. I know.

So, I am doing it.

Feel free to join! :)

Weekly Weigh-In

Physical Weigh-In
Week #1: +/- 2.2 pounds
Total Pounds Lost: 2.2

This past week, I diligently tracked points and set up my own Weight Watchers system. I tracked, I ate little, I felt hungry all week. 

The thing is, I feel a million times better already. It is amazing the difference that it makes when I am making smarter choices with what I eat and having to choose to eat healthier and "earning" my sweet snacks. 

Spiritual Weigh-In
Philippians 2:14 - "Do everything without complaining or arguing."

This verse was in part of my devotions this morning. It caused some serious confession time and some long needed forgiveness and a slap in the face reminder. You see, my 2 1/2 year old precious daughter soaks up her surroundings like a sponge. Lately, she has been "re-enacting" things that her Mama does (that's me). This verse today reminded me that not only should I not be complaining (what do I have to complain about?), but God pointed out to me that I have a child in my home that is looking to me to learn how to have a relationship with the Lord. If am spending my time complaining around her, to her or about her, what does that teach her about my love for the Lord? 

What does it say when in response to someone asking how Emma is doing I respond with "she's been kind of a bad girl and is really frustrating me sometimes with her fits."  "I just don't want it to be my kid that's in trouble." "She's normally so good and I don't understand why she has been having so much trouble lately." 

How would it make me feel if someone said those things about me? 

Lord help me to speak kindly of Emma, Chris and anyone. Let no bad thing come from my mouth and let my lips only ever speak Praise and whatever is needed to BUILD UP my child, my friend, my husband, myself.

P.S.  Shout out to Amy Jo for the accountability email. Shout out to Joanna for the texts and emails of encouragement!

life with jack: 1st Corinthians 13 for Moms

life with jack: 1st Corinthians 13 for Moms:

THIS is so encouraging to me

Monday Measure

Week #3: +/- 0 pounds
Total Pounds Lost: 0

Ummmmmmmm

Heaven help me if I ever find motivation again. I'm not doing good at losing 20 pounds but I'm doing good at not gaining more... I guess that's a start. 

Oh well.. it's just a number right? 

Weekly Weigh-In

Week #1: +/- 0 pounds
Total Pounds Lost: 0

Well, I tracked well for three days and then let it slide thinking I was doing good. I didn't gain (praise God!) but I lost nothing. That is not good.

MUST DO BETTER

Monday Weigh-In

Starting Weight: 3 pounds from where I started WW back in February

It happened. I stopped doing Weight Watchers and let myself fill my belly with excuses like: "It's summer, just relax" "You won't gain very much back if you just eat a little bit of this" "People will love you no matter what your weight is, it's really not that important" "It tastes so good!" "I just love food, I can't stop eating it .. I don't have a choice, it's how God made me!"

I stopped going to the meetings because I had no one to go with. It was becoming way too difficult with Emma, as she would not sit still or use her "indoor voice" for very long. That doesn't mean that I couldn't have gone and weighed in and left... but that kind of defeats the purpose. 

Since I stopped going to the meetings, there was way less motivation to actually continue counting points. I'm not going to lie. It's a pain to write down every single morsel of food and how much you ate of it and then look up the points. However, that's kind of the point!

So, I happened upon a printable points tracker (that was free!) that will allow me to do the program without paying for the meetings. 

So, here we go again! Mondays are my weigh-in days. I will track from my current weight, which is 3 pounds less than when I started weight watchers the first time. 

Mommy reset #2: Restart Weight Watchers

Mommy reset #1: Wake up at 6:30 a.m. and do devotions
Started this today! Felt good to have some quiet time alone in the early morning hours with my Savior. Began a study in 1 John. First day was good :)

Reset Button

I don't know about you all... but this mama is in need of a serious reset button.

I need motivation.

I need sleep.

I need exercise.

I need to get back to Weight Watchers.

I need a routine that involves doing fun activities with Emma.

Most importantly?  I need a reset button for my walk with God. You heard me right. I am genuinely good at slacking. If it were a career, I would be climbing the ladder of success. I slack in almost every area of my life and am pretty much known for starting and not finishing things.

Oh, you don't believe me? I'm being too hard on myself?   When was the last time I let you down?  Yup... told you so. Made a commitment and then had to drop out? Promised to call more and didn't? Haven't sent you an email in ages?

When was the last time you saw a weight watchers update?  Mmmhmm...  that's me. Dropout.

Last week I was told "I love you but you have the least amount of willpower of anyone I know."  Offensive? Yup... could I defend myself?  Nope.

6 months of weight watchers. 14 pounds gone.  6 weeks off of weight watchers... 7 pounds back.

352 pins on my pinterest boards. 3 unfinished projects laying up in the sewing room.

A quieter schedule at home. Wasted hours of time on the computer checking facebook and email and waiting for someone from the outside world to talk to me.

This is my confession.

This is me once again saying that I can't stand this rut that I am in and I want out.

This is me trying to find the reset button.

This is me.

Summer Fun

We have been having a ton of fun this summer!

My sister has been watching one of her former students all summer and so every Wednesday we meet up with them and have a blast just hanging out. Seryim is 9 years old and she and Emma get along so well... they just love each other!
Yesterday Seryim, Joy (our neighbor) and Emma decided to swim together in a tiny plastic pool... it was quite funny actually. :)  

We have had a very enjoyable summer in spite of the constant high temperatures. Today is the first day I have turned the A/C off since the very end of May. It has been so hot that we have not been able to be outside very much or for very long. However, every once in a while, we get a fun day outside like yesterday and spend our time playing in water, playing with bubbles, playing with neighbors or playing with friends.

I love summer and this summer has been the best one I've had in a really long time.

However

I am growing anxious for cooler weather, pumpkin spice, fall leaves, the smell of fall and the ushering in of everything warm and cozy :)  Who else is flabbergasted that it is August already?? Sheesh!

Weekly Weigh-In

I keep forgetting to post my weigh-ins! Suffice it to say that I'm still chugging along with weight watchers. :)

My last weigh-in on Friday morning left me with -0.4 pounds!

Total loss: 12 pounds

I am still a little bit over 5 pounds away from my lifetime goal.

I started tracking points consistently again and trying to stay away from too many sweets and pop.

Changing weigh-in locations this week... hoping maybe that will help and give me a good group to be accountable with. Plus, it is much, much closer to our house so it will be easier to get to every week with the little one :)

I'm also trying to re-start my couch-to-5K program (again!). I have yet to make it through the whole program. Here goes nothing :)

The difference

Today, I am experiencing a new kind of grief. A grief that I have not felt up to this point in my life. A grief that comes from knowing that someone that is a part of your life waited too long. Did not accept. Did not know my Savior.

It's too late. It's too late to get it right. To accept the truth. To change the heart.

Indeed... this grief is different. No one should ever be separated from the Lord for eternity.

Today I am grieving for a life that was lost. A true death. A time when resting in peace, being in a better place and when no longer being in pain... do not apply.

Oh Lord please let no other people that I love wait too long to come to know you or return to you. Please let no more of my close friends and family live a life apart from you in the present and be separated from you for eternity.

There is a difference. There is a difference between burying a Mom that you know you will see again and saying goodbye to a family member that you know you will not see again.

Pinterest Post!

I have been pinning and completing Pinterest projects in my home, slowly, but surely... one at a time. I thought I would share with you my latest project.

This project is something that I should have been doing a long time ago. God has been putting it on my heart to reach out to our neighbors and it just so happens that we have had two new families move in to our cul-de-sac in the last month and one more moving in next month. So, I searched for inspiration on Pinterest:

This is the idea that had my wheels turning and what I based my gift off of. This particular welcome gift has hand soap, scour pads and a hot pad in it.  Below, is my final project:

I used two wicker baskets that I had on hand, found a printable online and used that as a card that included details about who we were and which house we live in and a note to welcome our new neighbors

Emma and I delivered the first one last night, but the family was not home (even though I know I saw a car there 2 minutes earlier!), so we left it on the doorstep and it was gone an hour later.

The second one we are hopefully going to take after church tomorrow. 

If you know me at all, you know that this is outside of my comfort zone to do something like this. Knock on a door and actually speak to people I don't know at all?? No thank you!  However, God has been pushing me to do things way outside of my comfort zone lately and thanks to Pinterest, I have the tools to force me out of my comfort zone! Woohoo!

Second project is not really Pinterest. This one I was taught by my good friend Erin who has been exchanging sewing lessons for me with piano lessons for her daughter :)  

This is it folks. You saw it here first:   My first skirt sewn by myself from start to finish. Woohoo!

Lastly, but not least. I have been desperately trying to make space where space does not exist: in my kitchen! Who would have thought that it would be so difficult to organize a kitchen??  

Here is my project inspiration:

And here are my final renderings of these ideas:

I love, love, love the corkboard. It is SO convenient when I'm baking and I don't have to have my recipes sitting all over the counter collecting the splatters of whatever I am making. Having my current weight and my weight goal smack dab in front of my face when I reach into that cupboard for a dish during snack time... it helps motivate me to eat a good snack (that I am always successful, but it helps!).

We eat a lot of spaghetti. A. Lot.  It was SO annoying to have to reach into the "pit", as I call the corner cupboard that is a deep cupboard that is impossible to get into because our refrigerator does not fit its space. Hard to explain, but trust me... super annoying. Enter 3M hook and MAJOR convenience. 

So goes the beginning of my Pinterest Organization!

I began a book in the beginning of the year called: The House That Cleans Itself. These projects are all related to this book... it is just taking me a long time to get it all done and get through it. Very good book!

Thanks for checking out my projects!

                              

Tired of Today

Can someone please enlighten me as to how I am supposed to protect my daughter from a society that has slowly, but surely, turned into something as degrading and dis-respectful as ours?

I am convinced that there is no such thing as a truly enjoyable movie anymore.

I would just love to watch a movie without excessive cussing, minimal to no clothing on women (and men now!), a way too detailed sex scene, little to no plot whatsoever or a remake.  Seriously, can we not come up with something artful, creative and a good, clean story all in the same movie??

I sure wish the Christian media community would catch up with the times and put out some Hollywood-quality films that were entertaining AND clean. October Baby? Yes. Please. This Means War? Ugh... really? This is what love is?  

Forgive my soapbox post but seriously... is this what my daughter will grow up with?? Sex in every media outlet that exists, the idea that she has to sleep with a guy to find out if she loves him? Cussing like a sailor, binge drinking, crude humor and a basic sense that good looking women get good looking men and they have sex even though they barely know each other and it all works out in the end.


Listen, if you're going to glorify a casual sex life, then why not show the consequences? The STD's, the unplanned pregnancies, the abortions, the affairs, the lack of self-esteem, the lack of trust, the constant questioning if you are as good as his previous sex partners? 


Why do we hide behind the guise that we have the right to live, act and feed our brains whatever we want without consequences?  


"Everything is permissible for me - but not everything is beneficial" 


It is not beneficial to allow this kind of junk in. I'm SO TIRED of having to close my eyes or ask Chris to fast forward through "this part" (which is almost always sex or nudity). We specifically choose not to watch rated R movies in order to spare ourselves from these things, but PG-13 is rated R today. There is sexual innuendo's in animated G-rated movies now. I'm just so sick of having to guard myself from EVERY source of entertainment!


I love movies. I love watching movies. I am a sucker for a good story line with a great, happy ending. Why are these kind of movies so hard to find now? 


I want to preserve my marriage. I want Emma to know that she does not have to sell herself short and find "love" and acceptance with a man by having sex with him. I don't want my husband to be tempted and sucked into "acceptable porn" and I don't want it for myself either. 


God, help me to raise Emma to understand that true love is in a man that loves you, that respects her, that saves himself just for her to be hers for their lifetime. A man that cherishes her, adores her and is attracted to her because of her beautiful heart and her love for you. A relationship that is centered on trust and the knowledge that marriage takes work, sacrifice, grace and love. 

Weekly Weigh-In

Week #22: +0.2 pounds
Total Pounds Lost: 12.4


Not too bad considering the super busy week we had with VBS at church and just being out of the house a lot. The sugar challenge that my sister and I are doing is resulting in some positive changes in how I am feeling and eating. So, that's good. Still just need to drop 5 more pounds to qualify for the lifetime membership and be a free member of WW!  Just FIVE more pounds...  that should be motivation right? :)


I was slacking on counting points and so this week I started tracking all of my points again and tracking like you are supposed to. Hopefully, this will make a big difference :)


Other than that, Emma and I are just enjoying our summer and trying to remain hydrated in the massive amounts of heat that we are experiencing and hoping for a cooler day to do some outdoor play! :)

Weekly Weigh-In

Week #21: -3.4 pounds
Total Pounds Lost: 12.6

Thanks to my sister accepting my challenge of taking sugar out of my diet (as much as is possible these days), I have been able to get back on track with my weight watching and back in the game of losing weight and making healthier choices!

So, for as long as we can handle it we are giving up sugar. We are focusing only on refined sugars and processed sugars. There is unlimited amounts of research linking man-made sugars (aspartame, splenda, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, sucralose, sweet'n low / saccharine) to cancer and other diseases. In fact, I have just been lazy about doing anything about ingesting these man-made "sugars" in spite of the fact that when my Mom was battling cancer, I remember reading medical journals about the possibility of these types of chemicals causing cancers like my Moms. 

Anyway, I'm not on a soapbox, to each his own. For now, we are trying to move away from these sugars and food that contain added sugars. I have been amazed at the differences I have noticed in only a weeks time and look forward to continuing our little experiment!

So, if I decline a sweet treat you have made, please don't be offended! Just trying to figure out this healthy eating stuff for a bit!

Weekly Weigh-In

Week #19: -1.2 pounds
Total Pounds Lost: 11

Back in the right direction but still struggling to count points each day and not give in to cravings (Starbucks).

Drastic results require drastic measures. Those will be taken this evening and then we will see where we are at next week.

I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. Lord, give me strength!

Weekly Weigh-In

Week # 18:  + 3.4 pounds
Total pounds lost:  -9.6


*sigh*


Three weekends of birthday celebrations, a lack of self-control, a bout of slight depression, a pinterest party in my home where lots of sweets were made and left here, a lot of poor decision making and laziness on my part


All of that = huge weight gain


I'm thankful for encouraging friends that remind me to keep on going and that I have not given up and lost the battle yet. 


I'm disconcerted at the fact that it took me 2 1/2 weeks to gain almost 4 pounds and over 5 months just to lose 10 pounds. 


I'm frustrated with the reality that this is a lifetime commitment to change and that I will have to work this hard my whole life to maintain healthy eating habits, a healthy lifestyle and a healthy body

Weekly Weigh-In

Week # 15:  - 2.2 pounds
Total pounds lost:  -12.8


Yeah! Down just shy of 13 pounds and only 5 pounds away from my lifetime member goal! God is so good! Even in the small, insignificant things in life, such as the number on the scale, He is working my heart and blessing the efforts. He provided motivation where I had none left! 


Feels so good to be wearing my "someday I'll fit into these again" jeans! 

Weekly Weigh-In

Week # 14:  - 0.2 pounds
Total pounds lost:  -10.8


Woohoo! Even with my half terrible week this week, God had mercy and I lost a little :) 


Today's meeting was about motivation. What motivates me? 


This question comes at a time where I am questioning my own motivation and trying to stir up motivation to keep going and tracking points and making better decisions. Why is it so hard to make the better choice? 


I see the results, I hear the compliments, I see the changes bringing positive things into my daily life, I see Emma eating better and trying new things, I see the number go down on the scale, I feel the victory of a weight loss weigh-in.  So why isn't that enough to keep me motivated to track points and stay within my points range? Why isn't it enough to convince me NOT to pull in to a drive-thru for the second or third time that week. Why isn't it enough to keep me from ransacking my kitchen for something, ANYTHING, sweet and bad for me? 


Lord, help me to conquer my cravings and conquer my self-control!

Worship Song Poll

Alright... since you ladies are so helpful ;)   What is your favorite, go-to, worship song? Is there a song that lights your heart on fire and makes you want to just stop and lift your hands up and worship?

I need some more worship in my life and less distraction and frustration! :)

Help me choose!

I am preparing to embark on a journey to remodel our guest bathroom. This bathroom is used by myself, my toddler and all of the guests that stay with us. I can't decide!

Here are some options... would love to hear some of your thoughts since you are the ones that stay here!

This is the bathroom currently:

Option 1: Wall color, plus the yellow to offset.



Option 2: A more neutral color that will require more colorful accessories to keep it child-friendly for Emma but nice for our adult guests as well:


Option 3: A very obvious childs bathroom option that would be super fun for Emma:


Option 4: What I would consider to be a mix of adult and child and may make my small, windowless bathroom feel bright and cheery:


So what do you all think? Opinions? Suggestions?

Weekly Weigh-In

Week # 13:  -/+ 0 pounds
Total pounds lost:  -10.6 


No gain, no loss. Given my attitude yesterday and my struggle this week, I was glad to see that I had not gained weight.


Here's to a better week! 

Stuck in a rut, jumped off the wagon, hit bottom, etc.

I gained back 1.2 pounds since Sunday.

It's not the weight that upsets me. It's the fact that I am lazy and I CHOSE to eat poorly, knowing that it was going to cost me (in points, in emotions, in weight, in self-image, etc).

I am reminded daily just how weak I am when I try to do things on my own, without God's help. I have noticed a distinct correlation between succeeding and failing with my weight loss efforts when compared with how much time I've spent in the Word and in prayer. I have not spent one morning with God since Sunday. All week, I have been struggling with self-control, laziness and temptation.

I want to succeed with Weight Watchers. More importantly, however, I need to maintain the right focus. My focus is to gain self-control, to change my health and the destructive path that I have been on, to be a good steward of the body that I have been given, to please God and bring Him glory in EVERY area of my life.

As I sit here and contemplate the Klondike bar I had for dessert last night, or the can of Pepsi I drank at 11:00pm, or the banana pudding milkshake I drank at Chick-Fil-A, or the waffle fries I ordered instead of my usual fruit cup; I realize that all of those things were choices. I chose to put those things in my body in the name of "it's sooooo good!".  While all of those things were extremely delicious, the benefit of eating them was a very short and temporary feeling of enjoyment that was followed by an entire day of guilt, self-deprication and disappointment.  What kind of example did that set to Emma?

Nothing says failure like hearing your daughter say "coffee? muffin?" every time we walk into Target.

Nothing says failure like hearing your husband say "you were doing so good! don't stop!"

Nothing says failure like being a mere 8 pounds away from my lifetime goal, stepping on the scale and seeing that I've gained.

All of these things pale in comparison to the feeling of failure when it takes me three days to realize I have not spent one morning with my Savior. I set myself up for failure! How can I resist temptation when I am not making a conscious effort to be Spirit-led? Duh!

I hope you will forgive me for all of the weight-related posts, but this is the life I'm living at this moment :)

Here is to better days ahead and fixing what is broken!

Weekly Weigh In

Week # 12:  -1.6 pounds
Total pounds lost:  -10.6


10 pounds. I've lost 10.6 pounds in 12 weeks. I don't think I have ever lost 10 pounds before, with the exception of having almost 10 pounds removed from my body on May 26th when my daughter was born.

Today, I received my "I've lost 10 pound" ribbon!  Boy did that feel good. Worth all of the salads, worth all of the fruits and the resistance to all things delicious all of the time. I never thought I would say it was worth it, but it really has been. My jeans are loose, I can see my toes again when I look down, I feel more confident and my husband has noticed the change and comments on it quite a bit. SO rewarding. 

God has been good to me in this whole venture with weight watchers and I am excited to see that I am only 8 pounds away from my Lifetime goal weight... which means I get to attend meetings and weigh-ins for free as long as I maintain that weight within 2 pounds, for life!  How motivating is that? 

I'm so greatful that Chris gave me the opportunity to lose weight through this program and that I've had so many people encouraging me and pushing me to do this. It has made dramatic differences for me. 

It's not easy. I still fall. I still give in to the cravings. I will always struggle with my love affair with food. The difference will be, that I've succeeded. I've seen that I CAN do it. I have no excuses left! 

Woohoo! 10 pounds down, 17 to go :)

Weekly Weigh-In

Week # 11:  + .2 pounds
Total pounds lost:  -9.0


I forgot to post my weigh-in results from last week. Last week, I was down 2 pounds. I basically lost the weight I gained in Week #9. Shwew! 


I am struggling to keep up with WW. My motivation fluctuates and my drive to eat healthy diminishes as I am lured in by chocolate, sugar and yumminess of all kinds. I have a passion for stuffing my face. I'm not going to lie. I'm just going to keep putting it out there for you all to see. 


For Easter, we did not give Emma candy. Why?  Because let's be honest: A 23-month old child cannot consume an entire basket of candy... so who eats it?  I  would eat it. 


Case in point. My awesome brother mailed me peanut butter cup eggs for Easter. Six in a pack. Gone in 2 days. 3 months worth of WW points (I may be exaggerating that) in a flash. Were they good? Ummm, yes. Melt in your mouth, nothing is wrong in the world, good. However, I should never have eaten all of them. But who can eat just one?  Not this lady.


I can do this.
I can do this.
I can do this.


Emma needs me to succeed.
Chris needs me to succeed.
I need me to succeed.


I cannot give up.
I cannot give up.
I cannot give up!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter from the Risheills! :)

Weekly Weigh - In

Week # 9:  + 1.6 pounds
Total pounds lost:  -8.0


Yup. It happened. I jumped ship. I let myself go. I didn't track points for almost 2 weeks and I got caught right back up into my old habits of salted caramel mochas and chocolate by the handful. 


The good news, is that seeing the reality of my purposeful actions has re-juvenated me a little bit. I was seeking motivation. I found it. Back to counting every Point and finding skinny recipes online and no more falling off the wagon. 


My leader helped me set my lifetime goal tonight. I have 11 pounds to lose before I am eligible to become a lifetime member and no longer have to pay for meetings. This is awesome motivation. 


Here's to getting back on the horse, and not feeling like I am the horse. 


Here's to fitting back into my jeans again (it is amazing the difference a pound and 1/2 can make!) 


Here's to showing Emma Sue that her Mom can indeed feed us both a healthy diet and be a good example to her of what it means to take good care of our bodies.

Weekly Weigh-In

Week # 7:  -2.0 pounds
Total pounds lost:  -9.6


I did it! I met my 5% weight loss goal... the first big goal that you can meet in Weight Watchers. It took me 7 weeks but I got there. I have lost 5% of my starting weight and am now only 9 pounds away from being back into the "normal" weight range for my height and age. I'm simply amazed. 


I'm 13 pounds lighter than I was New Years Eve. That is just amazing to me. God has really blessed this time with Weight Watchers and I am just shocked at the results. 


I am not fitting comfortable into my shirts again, without the bulging excess making me wear sweaters in 90 degree weather to cover it all up. Couple this with my new haircut and I am feeling really good lately. Good enough that I even wore shorts outside today. Ok, so they were past my knees and could probably count as capri's, but they feel like shorts to me! :)


I feel great and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to do this. My husband has been my biggest cheerleader and it has made a world of difference having so many people cheering and pushing me on with this. Thanks again Sarah B! 

Trip to WV

This past week, my husband was in Minneapolis from last Sunday until very late Thursday night. Our plans were to head to West Virginia to visit with the Seigneurs while he was out of town. On Monday, as my previous post explained, Emma woke up seemingly sick. However, by late that same day she was totally cleared up and completely fine on Tuesday. So, we packed up the car and headed to West Virginia to spend some much needed quality time with our friends Tim, Joanna, Andrew and Baby K.

It was so nice to have a place to occupy our time and keep our minds off missing Daddy, and good conversation and Oreo Klondike Bars just make it all that much sweeter. The weather was amazingly warm and we had a great time visiting and trying our best to help out where we could. We are so very blessed to have such great friends in our life! It is fun to watch our children grow up together and to know that someday we will be sharing stories of how we met in college and how we all became friends. It simply amazes me the things that God has brought us all through since leaving college over 10 years ago now.

Without further ado, some pictures from our fun, relaxing week in West Virginia

First, some fun at the park!

Then, some home-made fun at home making forts!

Emma loved sitting at this picnic table and stealing food eating with Andrew

Tim was demonstrating exactly what a Boppy is supposed to be for :)

Gotta Love It

As of this moment, we should be an hour into our two-hour drive to visit dear friends while my hubby is out of town for the week.

As of this moment, Emma is sleeping in her crib.

After staying up until 3:00 am getting us all packed and getting the house clean so that it would be nice and clean upon our return, I woke up at 8:00am to a funny sounding child coming through on the monitor. I went in to her room and discovered a crib filled with green snot and a child with a crusted-over face, as she had been sleeping in it. She talked. She sounded pretty funny with her congestion and my heart sank. Emma woke up twice during the night and I did not know why. Now I know why... she was not feeling well for some reason.

No fever, acting normal. Hmmm...   we took a long bath after steaming up the bathroom with the hot shower for a bit and she seemed to feel better but the green snot just keeps coming.

There are a lot of joys in motherhood, having your child get sick at the most inconvenient times is not one of them. Selfish or not, I was really looking forward to our trip and getting away for a while and letting Emma have some time with her close friend A, while I enjoyed some time with my close friend J.  Maybe she will miraculously wake up healed and ready to go.

In the meantime, I will continue to eat 2 weeks worth of Weight Watchers Points in girl scout cookies and drown my sorrows with a cup of hot coffee on this yucky, rainy day.

Oh the joys of motherhood :)

Weekly Weigh-In

Week # 5:  -1.4 pounds

Total pounds lost:  -7.6


Chris and I both noticed that my heart didn't seem to be in it this past week. However, I did stick to my points for the most part and I did earn the 14 activity points that we were challenged with this week. So, I guess it is all paying off. I am quite shocked at how well this is all going. My pants are too big, I'm starting to feel less muffin topping going on and starting to feel confident in my ability to stick with this program for the long-haul. I am only 1.08 pounds away from meeting my 5% weight loss goal, which is the first goal they want you to hit. I just can't believe I am so close to this already!

Today, I purchased the points calculator so that I have a way of tracking points while I am out to eat or at the grocery store, etc.  It's small and looks like a makeup compact and it is not obvious that it is weight watchers so it won't attract attention :)

God has really blessed this whole thing and I am fortunate that I have been so successful with it so far. The hard part, will be maintaining a good attitude about it all and maintaining these changes as new habits. It helps that it doesn't feel like a diet. :)

Anyway, that is my weigh-in for this week!

Weekly Weigh-In

Week #4: -0.6 pounds

Month 1 Total:  - 6.2 pounds

When I look at the month as a whole, I am amazed that I have already lost 6.2 pounds through this weight watching program. I am disappointed in this weeks results BUT I knew I made a couple of big mistakes and it cost me. We move on.

This is a big change for me because usually after the first disappointment, I quit. I get so mad at myself that I give up and tell myself I will never succeed. So, positive attitude changes have occurred this time around and it is refreshing to be focusing more on a healthier lifestyle rather than losing weight to look skinny.

Thanks to some awesome encouragement by my husband, other weight watching friends and my best friend, I am succeeding this time around. Woohoo!

We'll see what month #2 brings!

Only 1 1/2 more months until my first 5K of 2012. I need to work harder at training for that!

Progress in 2012

January and February 2012 have proven to be interesting months for me.

Usually, when I set new years resolutions up for myself, they are nice thoughts but they don't stick and each year I resolve the same things. This year, has been different. Setting new goals for myself each month, specific goals, has made a big difference in my life and the life of our home. 

My house is seeing transformation, my relationship with Christ is blossoming and is producing fruit that I have not seen in my life for a very long time. I have been reading more, cooking more, making better choices and finally beginning to feel a sense of purpose and accomplishment. 

They say that every new job requires a year of time before you feel settled and know what you are doing. I have found that to be very true in this transition from 12 years of full time work outside of the home to my new job as a stay at home mom and wife. I had no idea how difficult, challenging and rewarding this job would be. I find myself seeking lots of advice from God, from other moms, from family and friends, from the library. I can't think of any other time in my life where I have felt more inadequate than this journey that motherhood has taken me on. How in the world can I be responsible for raising this tiny human being? How am I supposed to decide what is best for her at all times? 

As I type this, my 21-month old daughter is sitting down pretending to read a book surrounded by her dolls and teddy bears. I look at her and realize that there is absolutely NOTHING that I can do in my own power for this child that I have been so blessed to care for. God has been so gracious to us.

For a long time, I struggled with being content in life. No longer. I find myself absolutely content and if E is our only baby ever, I am ok with that. If she's not, I'm ok with that too. I'm just happy to be fulfilling my purpose on this planet until I reach the shores of Heaven. My outlook has changed, my goals have changed, my heart has changed and fortunately for me, the only thing that hasn't changed is God. The past six months have been a huge lesson to me. God does not move away from me, I move from Him. He continues to pursue me. I am the one that stopped pursuing. Praise God for grace, mercy and His unending love for those that are His. 

On that note, happy March everyone!

Weekly Weigh-In

Week #3:  -2.8 pounds

I was shocked too.

That brings my total to 5.6 pounds lost in 3 weeks using the weight watchers method. I guess I must have been eating pretty poorly before I started this. I guess I also owe a couple people some thanks for getting me going with this:   Thank you Sarah B  and Tori B. !

What is funny is that after the meeting and weigh-in today, I immediately thought that I should reward myself and stop and get a yummy froo-froo coffee from the coffee shop I love just down the street. Some things never change. However, I drove right past the coffee shop and went straight home to fix a nice salad with some tuna, corn chips, shredded cheese and olive oil and vinegar dressing.  So, I guess some things really do change because 4 weeks ago, I would not have turned down the temptation of coffee and I certainly would not have rushed home to make a salad and considered it delicious.

Here's hoping I can continue this trend!

Weekly Weigh-In

Last night completed my first week of Weight Watchers.

So, first.... the stats:   -2.8 lbs

That's right... I lost just shy of 3 pounds in my first week of Weight Watchers. I guess there was a reason I was feeling hungry all of the time and I guess it was not for nothing.

I am impressed. In the one week and one day that I have been doing this, it has radically changed my thoughts on food, exercise and living a healthier lifestyle for myself and for my family.

I do wish it was not so expensive, though.  There is a weekly meeting fee, a fee for the books (like the 3-month food tracker, the eating out guide, etc.), a fee for the calculator to calculate your points when what you are eating is not found in the little pocket book they give you, and then they sell their own foods and starter bundles and all of that fun stuff.  SO, it can be expensive.

I am currently using the 2 week free trial of their e-tools online and I really like that, but it would be an additional $15/month ...  so I probably will not continue using the e-tools after my 2 week trial is up... that will be a bummer. I do not own a smart phone so even though I downloaded the apps on Chris's phone, it does me no good when he is not by my side.  Oh well! We'll get it all figured out :)

My first impressions are:  Better than I expected. I'm enjoying it. It is challenging me. I was once a skeptic but am no longer. We'll see what week #2 brings!

With these hands...

With These Hands

Your tiny hands hold so much promise

A love that cannot be explained

These tiny hands so unexpected

I'm so glad they came

God closed the door and we said goodbye

And then He sent us you

Your tiny hands remind me 

That His love is always true

The silver lining in our cloud

The joy we needed to get through

The laughter to cover the tears

The fun to replace the subdued

Your tiny hands create and explore

This world that has to us been made new

And as I watch you follow my lead

I am so thankful for you

As you sing your song  and your fingers play

As you try to do as I do

May you always know our love 

Our sweet, sweet Emma Sue

Happy Valentine's Day!

From our house to yours and a couple days late, as is custom for most things in our home.

Valentine's Day is always an interesting day. In the past, we had surprise visits with our parents, heavy snows that left us stuck inside the house, romantic dinners out as a couple, big gifts, small gifts, no gifts, lots of cards.

This year was simple, totally different, but fun!

This year we have Emma and she is old enough to participate a little bit with Valentine's Day. This year I was reminded of how blessed I am to have the husband that I do. I don't brag on him nearly enough. My.Husband.Rocks.  We were made to be with each other and we have been one since the day we were married 8 1/2 years ago. He makes me laugh. He encourages me. He pushes me to be better and to do better. He knows me better than any other person on this planet. He loves me when I am weak and when I fail. He loves me when I try to conquer the world over and over again. He loves me. His love is truly an example of how Christ loves the church. He is dedicated to me, to our marriage and to our family. I am truly blessed to have this man.

The hard part is sharing him with this cute little blond that moved in 20 months ago ;)

I pray that everyone's Valentine's Day was as special and filled with love as ours!

What have I done...

I remember as a teenager, my mom talked about doing Weight Watchers and I remember saying "you don't need that, you just need to exercise and not eat as much."   How's that for compassion?

Now, I know what my Mom battled, because I battle it myself and have for almost 6 years now... I have steadily increased in weight and am now at my all-time high. I have had a couple of friends share their success with this program and finally, after a young lady in our church asked me to accompany her to her first meeting, I agreed to go.... for her sake, of course. What I found, was that this might be the perfect fit for me and that I needed to at least give it a try. After all, I have 7-days worth of materials and no reason not to try it.

I am on Day 1.

I. Am. Starving.

I had no idea how much smaller my portion sizes should be until I had to measure my food today. I have only had two meals and I feel the need to stuff my face with peanut m&m's or bake some fresh chocolate chip cookies.

I am slowly realizing how addicted I have become to food, namely sweets, but I am not prejudice... all foods lure me in with their fat and yumminess.

So, maybe this will really work for me and get me on the right track to eating better. The good news with this plan, is that I can have those fresh baked cookies, I just have to work out to earn them ...  good motivation for working out I'd say.

We shall see how this goes!

My First Printable

Created my first printable this morning. I'm excited about it! I have it printed and just need to mount it onto my kitchen cabinet! Woohoo!