No Sign

For the faithful few who read this thing, I AM still alive. I've been too busy & frankly, thinking about writing anything has been too daunting lately. But have no fear, I will be back! P.S. It's raining! Heavenly!

Not Me! Monday

Not Me! Monday is designed, by MckMama, for us to confess the things that we didn't do in the past week. -I didn't help in #1's kindergarten class on afternoon last week and certainly didn't quietly sit nearby as they feasted on dirt & worms. I would never allow my son or anyone else's child to do such a thing! (Ok, it was chocolate pudding & gummy worms. Almost had you didn't I?) -#1, #2 & I did not arrive at our 4-H work night (which I didn't completely forget about, I would never do that!) sporting t-shirts &/or flip-flops & crocs with no socks to work outside in 50-60 degree weather. I am way not more organized than that! -#1 & I & my mom did not walk around all day enjoying garage sales. We really didn't score some great deals! -When told that his daddy was going out to check the cows in the pasture, #2 didn't look at me & ask, "Daddy's not going to say holy crap again is he?" His daddy would NEVER say anything remotely resembling that phrase in the presence of his young, innocent children. Never. -I did not agree to bake cookies for #1's German class' German fest during the busiest week of the year so far! I would never overcommit myself for the simple fact that I cannot say no when asked to my face. I am way stronger than that! What didn't you do this week?

Body After Baby

This week started out really well but then crashed & burned this weekend when I had a very wonderful pity party for myself! Ugh! Needless to say, the scale hasn't moved. So this week I am going to get back on track & try again: *Exercise 5-6 days/week *Eat smaller portions. *Watch my snacks, make them healthier. This last week of exercise has challenged me-I've ALWAYS hated anything to do with running. Why would anyone enjoy it, it's pure torture! Well, I've decided to see how much I could actually jog at a time, right now...it's 5 minutes. Of course I've NEVER tried it before b/c, well, it's stupid, ya know. I'd like to try to work up to 30 minutes for 2 reasons: 1.) I want to challenge myself to see what I can do. 2.) Gain a healthier lifestyle in the process. Who knows, maybe I'll like it by the end? Go to Mama Notes to see how the other participants in the Body After Baby challenge are doing.

Meal Plan Monday

Check out I'm an Organizing Junkie to see more meal plans! Here's mine: Monday: Breakfast Burritos Tuesday: Italian Sausage sandwiches with peppers & onions Wednesday: Harvest Casserole Thursday: Barbecued Hamburgers & roasted potatoes *Every Friday we either go to a friend's house & order out or we make homemade pizza or order out. *Every Saturday & Sunday we go to our parents' houses where we are fed by them! Sweet! So, I really only have to cook 4 evenings a week which makes things SOOO much easier! Lunches are usually leftovers/fend for yourself.

Wordless Wednesday

Not Me! Monday

Not Me! Monday is a blog carnival created by MckMama. Head over to her blog to check it out! This is what I didn't do this past week: -We did not celebrate #2's birthday on Monday with steak & watermelon (his favorite!) And hubby & I did not think it hilarious as we listened to #1 & #2 CHOMP & SMACK on their steak! -I am finally not in the routine of babysitting my nephews (2 yrs & 4 mths) for a whole day. Three boys 4 & under is not a challenge! -I did not almost fall off the treadmill trying to shuffle sideways for a better workout. But then, I almost didn't fall off again when wiping my sweaty face with a towel (while walking forward). I am definitely not more coordinated than that! -Lawnmowing has not been rained out, on the biggest mowing days of the week, for 2-3 weeks now. And it certainly is not making for a happy bunch of people. YIKES! -Hubby & I didn't celebrate our 11th anniversary this past week by finishing the rain-delayed mowing! -And we certainly didn't realize that we should have had reservations when we went out for our anniversary date. Thank goodness the hostess was not so nice & accomodating anyway!

Menu Plan Monday

Planning meals makes cooking a breeze! Seriously! Laura @ I'm an Organizing Junkie does a Menu Plan Monday every week to help us all get organized in the kitchen. Check out her blog, it's awesome! Here's what we're eating this week: Monday- Layered Hamburger Bake Tuesday- Sweet & Sour Chicken & Rice Wednesday- Brown Sugar Meatloaf & baked potatoes Thursday- Barbecued Hot Dogs Friday- Homemade Pizza or out with friends Saturday & Sunday- family get-togethers Try menu planning & let me know how it goes. It really does help!

Body after Baby Challenge....

My ultimate goal is to lose 20 lbs; I'd ideally like to drop 2-3 lbs/week with a "jumpstart" week about once a month.

This is how last week fared:

*I missed 1 day of exercising but still did 5 days! *My eating slipped towards the end of the week; however, it was our anniversary on Saturday & we went out to eat & of course Mother's Day yesterday. *I still managed to lose 2 pounds! *I did not get upset by the fact that I missed some exercise & that I backslid a little with meals. This "jumpstart" week I would like to: *Exercise 1 hour each day for 6 days. *Cut out as much fat as possible by eating more fruits & vegetables and smaller meal portions. *Drink MORE water! (Although that is usually all I do drink) I can already feel the difference exercising every day has made!

Look UP

For as long as I can remember, I've been scared. Scared of people, places, the dark, animals...almost everything. Now that I'm an adult, there are certain things that, even though I am scared of, I know I have to at least act like I'm not scared of. (Except heights. I just cannot pretend I'm not scared of heights!) But also as an adult there are NEW fears that creep in. What if I can't care for my kids? What if hubby loses his job? What if....what if....what if. Last night, I think, was the first time I actually asked myself, "Why can't I let my fears go? What am I holding onto them for?" I mean, really. What good is it doing me to keep those fears hanging around? All it does is make me worry, stress me out, and not let me enjoy life in the moment. Here is some scripture that I focused on last night. There are a couple different translations that stood out to me (what I found helpful to me is in bold) Colossians 3 (Amplified Bible) 1If then you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth. Colossians 3 (New Living Translation) 1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. Philippians 4 (The Message) 6-7Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Philippians 4 (Amplified Bible) 6Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. 7And God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. And as soon as I started reading these verses & letting God know my concerns, I did settle down & His peace began to mount guard over my heart. I still don't have all the answers to my questions, but I'm pretty sure looking up will put me on the right track to finding them.

A challenge to fear....

I've done something that I'm not too sure about; I've decided to become accountable for losing some weight by joining the Body after Baby weight loss challenge. Granted, my baby is 4 now and not technically a baby, when I came across this challenge it seemed like a good incentive to work on getting in shape.

Because I'm not.

I am very afraid of failure which is why I tend to shy away from big projects/tasks like this. And that is why I'm committing to this challenge, to get out of my comfort zone. On one hand, I do not want to do this because of fear, but on the other hand, I'm tired of being tired & being afraid.

So, whether I lose it all or not, whether I eat healthier or not, whether I forget to exercise or not, I'm going to try. As reluctant as I am to be doing this, getting out of my comfort zone is probably as important as losing the weight.

More, actually.

So, this is the plan:

1. Exercise at least 1/2 hr 6 days a week.

2. Cut my meal portions by 1/2. (Believe me, I will not starve! That's why I still have 15 extra lbs hanging around!)

3. Eat healthy snacks. No more out-0f-the bag processed "food".

4. Practice being satisfied with trying, even if I "fail".

So, there it is. In black & white. I've committed to being committed. And don't be afraid to ask how I'm doing if it seems like I'm slacking. Accountability is a great motivator.

Here's the birthday boy's lovely cake!

Not Me! Monday

Not Me! Monday's are back! After 6 weeks of being in the hospital with Stellan, MckMama is back home & ready for more Not Me!s. Here is mine.... I did not spend a ridiculous significant amount of time constructing a big pink pig pinata for a new 4 year old's birthday party, only to see it smashed to bits in a few minutes.

I did not FINALLY become sick & tired of tripping over toys & then proceed to put them all (except of course for some legos, books, farm animals, & a few trucks) into boxes & ship them upstairs to await some VERY HARSH sorting & purging. I don't thoroughly enjoy walking around my family room without injuring myself!

I have not decided to join a "body after baby" weight loss challenge to lose these extra pounds that seem to want to tag along. And my "baby" certainly isn't 4 years old!

When cleaning for the birthday party, I really didn't throw the clutter sitting on the table into the laundry room & lock the door so no one could get in. I would NEVER do that! Nope! Not me!