Whimsical Mom

Weight Watchers

2012-01-04T21:33:00.000-06:00

I think i've decided to try Weight Watchers PointsPlus+. After seeing a billion commercials with Jennifer Hudson and looking into it myself, I figure it can't hurt anything to try it for 3 months. I am on a 7 day free trial right now, today was the first day. I'll cancel before the 7 days is up and then pay for 3 months of the service. I should definitely be able to hit my goal by then I think.

Like I said, today was my first day. I went over my points by 10. For my goals I get 26 points a day and then 49 points per week as extra. I think going over by 10 is pretty good for the very first day, and there's no penalty, the points can be used or you can not use them. Obviously my goal is to NOT use the extra points unless there's a special occasion. But i'm still working on ironing out the kinks for me.

My goal is to lose 10-15 pounds. I need to step up my exercise as well. Last night Chad made me do pushups and ab work on commercial breaks.

Anyone else doing WW?

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T14:15:00.000-06:00

It's 2012! Honestly, i'm glad 2011 is over. It was a tough year with Chad being deployed to Iraq for most of the year. We stayed as busy as we could, enjoyed R&R for two weeks in April, and then hung on through the summer and into the Fall until he came back. Since he's been back it's kind of been a whirlwind of activity and never really being able to catch our breath.

Over Christmas vacation he's put in a new dining room floor, de-wallpapered and painted the pantry and now he's working on an island for the kitchen. Christmas has been down for several days at our house and we rang in the New Year at home with regular bedtimes and Chad working in the garage on the island.

I didn't make any resolutions for 2012, but I did choose a word. My Word for the year is Tranquil. With all the changes we have coming I thought this a fitting word to remind myself not to stress over unnecessary things, especially things I have no control over. What happens, happens. I am going to strive to be tranquil about things.

Last week I started doing short workouts on my elliptical. The battery box on the display got corroded and nasty somehow so it's not working, but it still works otherwise so I can workout just not with the display working. I have been doing 10 minute workouts every other day. Today was my 3rd workout and a light bulb clicked on in my head. I realized that I could probably burn more calories doing intervals (slow for 30 seconds, then fast for 30 seconds). I could also probably work out longer since I would have those slow 30 second breaks in there. I thought of it halfway through my workout this morning and burned 40 more calories than usual.

I'm on the search for healthy meal ideas. I have Dr. Oz's list of 100 foods you should have and have written down what I need from it. I want to eat healthier this year and drop these 10-15 unwanted pounds. Like I said, I set no resolutions, i'm just going to roll with it and try to do better, eat healthier most of the time and exercise as much as it suits me.

What are your plans for 2012?

New Hair Color

2011-12-28T17:39:00.002-06:00

Here is a not so great picture of my new hair color. It's very red but I love it!

Ball Night!

2011-12-18T19:46:00.000-06:00

We had a Military Ball on Friday night. I didn't take many pictures and we didn't really get any of us together, on my camera anyway. Others took some of us and we got professional photos done there too so i'll have those to share when I get them. For now, here's me and my husband in our fancy wear. :)

THANK YOU

2011-10-19T14:03:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted since before my husband came home from Iraq. We've been engulfed in each other and our kids since he came home two weeks ago. But today I have something very special to share.

Today after having been out running errands all morning and part of the afternoon, we finally came home to a mysterious box on our front porch. I looked at Chad and asked if he had ordered anything or was expecting anything and he said no. I wasn't either. When I grabbed the box it was very heavy and I saw a name I recognized on the front from an online community I belong to. I had no idea what I would open the box to find.

Chad couldn't wait until the kids got home so we went ahead and opened it. :) Inside was all sorts of awesome stuff from many of the ladies on the board Magical Holiday Home. The kids will be very happy when they get home and see all the cool stuff that was meant for them. I am beyond words at the generosity these ladies have shown towards me and my family. I couldn't ask for better friends and I have never met any of these ladies face to face.

Here is a picture of the contents (as well as my dirty faced little one, Eli):

There were notebooks for the kids, PEZ dispensers, teddy bears, kids magazines, candy, games, a throw, socks for me, an ornament, gift cards galore, thank you cards, picture frame, decorative signs, a puzzle, etc, etc.

DIEDRA, ANNIE, COLLEEN, BECKY, TRICIA, DEBBIE, MEL, KIM, LANA, LUCIE, MICHELLE, PAM, SHANNON, LISA, AND KATRINA~~ THANK YOU ALL FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS! Thank you for thinking of my family and being here for me through the past few years i've known you and thank you for supporting me and my family in our military service! You are truly angels and I love you all.

Bittersweet

2011-09-25T14:02:00.000-05:00

Last week I went to help welcome back a flight of our soldiers from Iraq. It was a bittersweet experience for me since my husband was not on this flight and won’t be home for a little bit longer. While I wished my husband were coming home too, it was definitely heartwarming to see the excitement of the families and children waiting for their Soldier to walk through those doors. I was doing pretty good until a kid ran from the bleachers when they saw their dad and hugged him while the soldiers were filing in. It brought tears to my eyes and the soldier had the biggest grin on his face.

Every day I’m reminded in some way of just how much deployment affects us all, especially children. There are so many different emotions that come with a deployment, some are good and some are bad. I think I tend to try and ignore it all and just go on with my day to day. Every once in a while I let the darkness creep in and go to that place where it’s not alright and I’m not okay, but only for a quick time and then I snap myself out of it and move on. I think this way of dealing will bite me in the butt one day when it all actually catches up to me, but really, that’s how I deal with a lot of things in life and after awhile it weighs you down. I’m sure I would be a great case for a psychologist. J

I feel like major life events don’t affect me like they do most people. Sure I get happy and angry and sad depending on the situation, but sometimes I feel emotionally closed off or like I’m holding my breath. I think for the last year I’ve been holding my breath….waiting. I’ll be glad when I can finally let it out and breathe easy for a while.

Get me out of here!

2011-09-12T20:38:00.000-05:00

Have you ever felt like you're locked in a room with no way out? You can kick and scream all you want and no one cares or will open the door. That's the point i'm at with this deployment. I'm tired of all the bullshit and I just want my husband home right this second. Nothing I do will make any difference in this so I feel like i'm stuck and just waiting, which I am. There's absolutely nothing I can do about it and I hate that. The hardest is the waiting. Before they leave you wait for the date to creep up and then, poof, they're gone. When they are coming home, you wait to hear anything, any news that will give you a more specific date of when they will reenter your life for a while until the next deployment.

The first group has come in. I was unable to attend the ceremony but I will more than likely be at the rest and i'm wondering how hard it's going to hit me that i'm still waiting for my turn. I will be ecstatic for the spouses getting their soldiers back, but there will be that little twinge of jealousy knowing mine isn't there too. There will be the longing for a soldiers arms around me.

I really try hard not to think about it at all, how close or far away it is. When I do allow it to enter my mind, it drives me crazy and the above feelings are the result. The part I hate the most is the loss of loving physical contact and i'm not strictly talking about sex, although don't get me wrong I miss that too. But a hug from strong arms goes a long way when you're feeling beat down by the world, not to mention how safe and comforting it is to be in his embrace. I can't wait for that!

I won't lie and say that i'm not a little nervous about having someone else in the house again, even as much as i've longed for it. He's been gone for a year and that's a long time. I think we've both probably changed in some ways. It will take some getting used to that's for sure. It will be an adjustment, not bad, but an adjustment none the less. And I can't wait to start another chapter.......

Week 3 of P90X

2011-08-17T07:42:00.000-05:00

I started Week 3 of P90X on Monday! I've never made it past Week 1 before because of other issues and just not having the time to do it. Now i'm making the time and treating it as a daily priority that HAS to be done. I can't even skip one day because I know the downward spiral that will produce. Once you skip one day you think the next week you can skip another because something has come up and so on. Not this time. I've even exercised at 4 or 5 in the afternoon before because I had a busy day but needed to get it in.

I'm not obsessed with it, but I do like the results i'm already seeing and want to stick with it until the end. It will be a challenge, especially when Chad gets back and we are just focused on spending time together, but I still need to fit it in. I have no idea what i'll do after, I haven't thought that far ahead. I'm trying to just think one day at a time. Somedays I really don't want to do it, but I do anyway and am always glad that I did.

I've almost completed the first phase. Next week the order of the workouts will change because it's recovery week and then in Week 5 I will start phase 2 with a new set of workouts. Some may be the same from the first phase but i'm sure they will be in a different order with new ones added in.

Funk

2011-08-15T14:11:00.000-05:00

So i'm in a funk again. It hit last night with a vengeance while watching some CMA show on ABC. Music gets me and can take me back or wherever I need to go. I'm really missing my country roots right now. I know they are always in me but i'm just really missing being in the country and back home I think. Not Warsaw, my real home where I did most of my growing up with my first real friends.

Chad is only a couple months away from coming home and I can't hardly stand it. My strength comes in cycles and it has finally cycled back around to that desperate need/want to have my husband back. It's a different kind of urge than say needing a drink of water or something to eat. It's primal and so stronge you just about have to tie yourself down. I know there's nothing I can do about it which makes it that much worse. I can't just hop on a plane and go see him or call him anytime I want to hear his voice. I wish it were that simple. It will pass and i'll be fine, but it's hard to overcome especially when you have other spouses putting their feelings on top of yours because they too are feeling the anxiousness that comes with waiting.

Lots to think about and deal with right now inside my head......but i'll work it out.

Friends (or lack thereof) and P90X

2011-08-02T17:26:00.000-05:00

It's been a stressful last 5 days for me. I hate it when you don't know where you stand with someone you consider a very good friend. I hate it when they are short with you and snotty and you don't know why. And then when you do find out why, it just makes you feel worse instead of better because you feel like their reasoning is flawed and based on the lies of someone else. You feel like they aren't listening to a word you say when you try to explain to them that they are wrong and what the truth really is. I hate it when you feel like you've been replaced and things will never be the same between you and the friend again. Things go unresolved and will always remain that way because one party refuses to listen and just wants to forget it, but your feelings have already been very hurt and you just can't do that. Sadly, it's a friendship killer, nothing will ever be the same again.

Anyway, I decided to take up P90X again. Last time I did the Classic version and hated a couple of the workouts. After the first week I had workers here every day for several days and couldn't do the workouts, then I simply fell off the wagon. Now I have nothing going on here at the house and no excuses so i'm jumping back on the wagon. This time i'm doing the Lean version, which so far means no hated workouts. The workouts are long and intense, which is great for blowing off steam due to the aforementioned friend issues.

Menu Planning

2011-08-01T08:10:00.001-05:00

Our menu for this week, starting last night. For more menu plans check out http://orgjunkie.com/.

Sunday- Parmesan crusted baked chicken breasts with slow-cooked green beans and wild rice

Monday- Whole wheat spaghetti with corn and garlic bread

Tuesday- Ham and cheese roll-ups with peas

Wednesday- *On the road*?

Thursday- Stromboli

Friday- Tacos

Saturday- Country Pasta

Recent Books

2011-07-31T09:41:00.000-05:00

Since I’m really trying to get myself back into blogging and I don’t want to lose my momentum but don’t really know what to write about today, I thought I would share a list of the books that I’ve read recently. Our library does a summer reading program for adults, so on our next trip I will have a lot to update on my list.

E is for Evidence by Sue Grafton
H is for Homicide by Sue Grafton
Real Murders by Charlaine Harris
A Bone to Pick by Charlaine Harris
Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris
Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels
Loose Ends by Terri Reid
Good Tidings by Terri Reid
Never Forgotten by Terri Reid
Final Call by Terri Reid
And next up is Three Bedrooms, One Corpse by Charlaine Harris. It’s the third book in the Aurora Teagarden series.

Home

2011-07-30T08:57:00.000-05:00

Sitting here in the dining room watching Addison do Yoga, I’m thinking about my house and how I want it to feel. This is probably my favorite room in the house right now, but I want every room to be my favorite room for different reasons. The dining room is it because I love the colors and the way everything just seems to fit together nicely. There’s mostly old stuff in this room or stuff that looks old anyway. It’s never very hot in this room and it always gets a good breeze with the windows open. It just feels comfortable, like a gathering place.
The living room would be my second right now but the empty wall is driving me crazy and I have no idea what to put on it. The color scheme is light brown/tan walls with red furniture that has the same color cording on it as the walls. The rug is the same colors as the walls and the furniture with a little bit of blue and green and yellow mixed in. Behind the big couch is a big, almost empty, wall. Right now there are 3 8x10’s hanging on half the wall and I hate how it all looks. Any suggestions? I guess I need to make a trip to Hobby Lobby and/or Target and look for a big piece to help with the space.

I want my house to feel cozy and homey. Like a country cottage out in the middle of a field in a snowstorm with a fire lit in the fireplace and hot chocolate smells drifting through the house. It's hard to describe exactly, but I have the vision in my mind. I want comfy furniture and handspun rugs with soft lighting all around. Quilts draped over chairs to wrap up and cuddle in. Problems with this scenario: We don’t have a fireplace, it’s too hot for hot chocolate and I’m cheap. I need to start hitting up antique/junk stores I guess and see what I can find.

Back....for now.

2011-07-29T16:07:00.002-05:00

It’s been quite a while again since I last posted. I have had lots of things happen since the last time I posted; I just haven’t taken the time to write about them because I didn’t think anyone really cared to read about it.

Let’s see, in June our basement flooded while we were out of town. Luckily we got immediate help from some volunteer Rear-Detachment soldiers and my mom also came to help out. After hiring a dud fixit guy to do the work, I soon realized my mistake when he left and never came back with $300 of my money and not even half the work done that he was supposed to do. I quickly hired another, more reputable, crew and they completed the work in 4 days and even worked through the weekend to get it done. Right before they started work we had a new furnace/ac unit installed and that’s actually how I found this crew. They came back later on and did the trim in the kid’s rooms as well.

I celebrated my 30th birthday and Addison had her 5th. We finally made it to Missouri and on the lake, first and probably only time this summer.

Perry, the escape artist, got out once again recently but was quickly found out and all was well. A plank on our new fence came off where he jumps on it all the time so I had to nail it back up. I put several extra nails in that plank as well as the surrounding planks, just in case. Hopefully it will hold until Chad gets home in the next couple months.

I feel like more has happened and it probably has but I don’t remember right now. I ordered cool shirts from Cafepress.com for the kids to wear to Chad’s homecoming. I also ordered myself a couple t-shirts, one is for Red Friday and the other says “Proud Army Wife”.

I know, very boring stuff but it’s all I got right now.

Best Husband Ever!

2011-05-19T08:01:00.000-05:00

You know what makes me just swoon over my deployed husband and fall even more in love with him (if that's even possible)? Him sending me a CD of songs that he chose for me because they remind him of me or a time when we were together somewhere. LOVE IT! Music just has such a way to send a message, good or bad, and really makes you feel something. I listened to the CD he made for me in the kitchen yesterday while I was doing the dishes and making brownies. I laughed, I cried, I danced and it was great.

He also sent me a brass bookmark that he made himself with an inscription for me. I'm actually using it right now in the book I just started.

Thank you honey, I love you!

Be Mindful

2011-05-02T13:07:00.000-05:00

I just happened to turn on the Today show this morning, normally I wouldn't it would go straight to cartoons. I saw the news that I missed last night, that Osama Bin Laden had been killed and buried at sea. I've heard they confirmed with DNA but the skeptic in me is a little suspicious. I'm not sad that the world is down one more terrorist, but there's more to it than that.

I've heard some military wives are thinking that now that he's dead, it should all be over and the troops should be on the next flight home. What they don't realize is that we are so far into this mess, we can't just leave in a moment's notice. Just because Osama Bin Laden is dead does not mean the terrorism threat died with him. Unfortunately there will be another terrorist that will step up and take his place and one after him and after him, etc. He did not work alone and the threat is not gone.

Just because he's dead, don't drop your guard. This is the time to be mindful of what is going on around you. The celebrations and rejoicing give the perfect opportunity for a terrorist to strike just as hard as they were just hit themselves.

Don't forget, we still have troops on the ground in these countries and they are the ones that will experience firsthand the fallout from what just happened. Pray for their safe return! This isn't over until ALL the troops are on U.S. soil once again.

No more!

2011-04-20T07:44:00.000-05:00

Why is it that the day Chad left, things started to go wrong? I guess it's the deployment curse or something. Hopefully it doesn't last long!

The day he left I decided to do some cleaning and our rug was in dire need of vacuuming. I get half the rug done and the vacuum decides it doesn't want to pick up anything else, instead it spits out dirt and dog hair. So now there's a pile of this nastiness on my rug in several places. I take the vacuum out and take it apart and clean out anything that could be clogging it. I then put it back together and bring it back in to resume vacuuming. It works, but not great.

Fast forward about an hour. Eli has been playing with my rain stick. He left it sitting on the loveseat and Addison decides to pick it up, spilling little pebbles everywhere. And here I am with a crap vacuum. I tried to vacuum the normal way and nothing. I ended up having to use an attachment on the hose of the vacuum and it took half an hour to vacuum all those little pebbles by hand.

Samuel and Addison are both playing soccer this season. Their practices are at the same time on the same days in the same place so that's great. However, last night was Kindergarten Round-Up at school. The flyer I saw said it began at 6:00 p.m. We drop Samuel off at soccer at 5:30 and then we have to come back home so I can change my shoes because I forgot I had my slippers on. Then we head over to the school. There aren't many cars there so I start thinking, maybe the time is wrong. I use my phone to look it up online and sure enough it says 6:30. So, Addison has needlessly missed soccer practice (I hate missing things). We headed back home and waited until the proper time.

So we're at home waiting and Eli keeps running back and forth between the dining room and living room and pointing back towards the dining room. Finally I get up and go look and the dog has puked on the floor. YUCK!

Anyway, I know this stuff seems minor, but when piled on top of other stress and Chad just having left, it magnifies it all.

Downward Slope

2011-04-18T09:34:00.000-05:00

R&R is officially over and we are over the halfway hump. We are on the downward slope of this deployment! That in itself is exciting. What's not so exciting is the second goodbye. After having Chad here for 2 weeks, saying goodbye again was not something we wanted to do. I think it was harder this time than the first time. Partly because we've already done 6 1/2 months of being apart so knowing what the other 5 months will be like is not appealing.

The kids took it harder the second time as well. When we got home, Addison broke down in tears and then immediately drew yet another picture for daddy and we put it in the mail at 6:30 this morning. Samuel didn't say much of anything but went straight downstairs until breakfast. Eli has been rather oblivious minus the times he's pointed out the window and said "Da".

Every time I walk into the bedroom my stomach instantly goes into knots because I know i'll be sleeping alone tonight. There will be no warm, manly body breathing next to me and that just plain sucks. I want my husband back!

I got maybe a collective 2 hours of sleep last night. I was out of bed by 3:20 a.m. and everyone was in the car by 4:30 a.m.. Today will be a long tiring day and i'm hoping to catch a nap at some point. In the meantime, I will be cleaning or reading. Actually, probably both. I have two library books that are due back next week that need to get read.

We have already heard from Chad this morning which was nice. We miss you already honey!!!!

2011-03-27T21:21:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I have posted on here. Things just get crazy sometimes or I don't really have anything to share. That's not true, I think of things all the time that I should write and then I just don't take the time to sit down and do it.

R&R is coming soon and I can't wait! I find myself fantasizing every day about what it will be like when Chad is home, not only on R&R but for good (until the next deployment anyway). I miss him so much it's unreal. After awhile it just becomes routine but then he does something little like text me that he's back safely and it totally makes my heart melt and my day brighter. It's the little things that keep the love alive during a lengthy separation.

I watched Army Wives tonight and it was extremely sad. I was, of course, crying like a baby because it really hits home. Whenever there's a loss that we hear about it makes you thank the powers that be that it wasn't your soldier because it very well could be.

I love you honey, see you soon!!!!!

Walk Kansas

2011-03-07T10:47:00.001-06:00

This year I am participating in Walk Kansas. I’m on a team of 6 individuals and our goal is 6 hours of activity per week per team member. That adds up to 24 miles a week because 15 minutes of activity is considered 1 mile. In addition to tracking our exercise minutes (miles), we are also to track our fruit and veggie intake each day. At the end of the week we must report our numbers to our team captain.

Right now I exercise for 45 minutes 6 days a week. I will need to add 15 minutes of exercise to each day to get my 6 hours per week. I figure I’ll add in some extra abs, weights, and pushups and some cardio like butt kicks and jump rope and running in place.

Wish my team luck, we are called “The Fort Riley Foxes”.

Taxes

2011-03-02T14:00:00.000-06:00

My last post was about the funk I was in. It's strange how one day i'll be feeling about as low as I can go and the next i'm feeling pretty good. I hate bouncing back and forth, it's draining.

I got our taxes done yesterday on post. The guy that did them said I had to get a sheet (like the one I already had) except with both buyers and sellers signatures on it for our house. So I called the place that we closed and went there this morning to pick up a copy of what I thought it was that I needed. Luckily I checked the copy before I left the town because it was what I already had. I called the office back from my car and the woman told me that there is no such document with both signatures on it. There is our form with my husband's signature on it and the seller's form with their signatures on it. She could give me our form but not theirs for privacy reasons. Totally understandable. So she gives me a copy of ours and we're on our way.

When we get home I decide to look up exactly what I need online. Turns out not all states have the same requirements when buying a house, therefore the paperwork requirements are also different to claim the First Time Homebuyers Credit. What I have should work according to the web. The sucky part is that I have to mail our taxes in this year, we can't e-file because of the homebuyers credit so it will take twice as long to get them back. Not that it really matters as we have no big plans for it.

In a Funk

2011-02-28T18:34:00.000-06:00

This week there have been lots of soldiers returning home to their families and loved ones. I have a friend whose husband returned this week and I was so happy and excited for their family.

However, with all these glad emotions for others comes very sad emotions for me. I will honestly admit that i'm jealous that these women (and some men i'm sure) are getting their soldier back and we are still waiting. It feels wrong and selfish to say that but it's how I feel.

We are, hopefully, almost mid-way through this but it still seems like a lifetime away. Chad will be coming home on R&R in a while and i'm afraid that once he gets here i'm not going to be able to let him go again. I know I will have to, but i'm not going to do it willingly and it's going to be very hard for me to tell him goodbye since we weren't there when he actually left the first time. We said our goodbyes at the car and then I quickly drove away while he sat there for another couple hours waiting to leave. I felt like I was robbed of the time with him due to the decisions we made and I hate that we missed that time.

I've never felt so vulnerable in my life. Even when he went to Korea for a year I didn't feel this raw all the time. I feel like a dying leaf that easily gets blown off the tree in the fall. One small breeze and i'm going to fall. I have alot of emotions going through me right now: fear, anger, sadness, loneliness, anxiety, apprehension..... and they just have nowhere to go. Tears so easily spring to my eyes these days, it's just ridiculous. I'm stronger than this so why is this deployment hitting me so hard?

I feel like I have other people (besides my kids) looking to me to provide the example on how to handle this deployment and I put on a good front while i'm slowly falling apart inside. When is it my turn to fall to pieces?

Never take advantage of having the one you love right there beside you. Take them in your arms every chance you get, kiss them frequently, show them that you love them with all your heart and make them feel it. Don't assume that you have tomorrow or the next day to show your love to them and make them feel it.

Hair Mess

2011-02-27T13:06:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I decided to have my hair colored red at a salon in the mall. I wanted to have a woman I know do it but the salon she works at was completely booked all weekend. I would have waited but my stepmom is here this weekend so it was really my only chance. I called several different salons and they were all booked so my last option was the mall.

I chose a red swatch and while it wasn't as bright as I thought it would be I liked it well enough when I left the salon. However, when I got home and was looking in the mirror, it looked like there was a small section that didn't take the color well. My stepmom noticed too. This morning after my hair was washed and dried, we looked again and noticed a patch in the back of my head as well.

I called the salon and the woman that did my hair answered the phone. She didn't say her name but I recognized her voice. I told her the problem and she asked who my stylist was and I said her name. Even though it was her on the phone, she kept referring to herself in the third person and acted like it wasn't her on the phone. Weird! She basically told me that I had to come in when she was working so she could fix it. Or her manager was the only other one that could do it. I explained to her that I can't come in during her hours because I have no sitter and my husband is in Iraq. So she was supposed to call her manager and call me back.

I went downstairs and was looking at my hair in a different mirror with different light and it didn't look as bad so I said screw it and called the salon back, told them to forget it and i'll just live with it. I wouldn't want her to "fix" my hair anyway if she screwed it up the first time. Next time I will just wait for my friend to be available and let her do it.

On a plus note, I did get two new outfits and am actually wearing one of them today and like it!

Changes

2011-02-24T08:28:00.001-06:00

I'm attempting to find a style that I like for my blog. I like the purple but am not in love with it. I have another one that i'm going to try soon. I found a site that has lots of tutorials on how to change up your blog so i'm going to be playing around for a while with my blog.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T08:16:00.002-06:00

I decided to try and make the day special for the kids. I got up and made pink pancakes for breakfast this morning. I tried to make them heart-shaped with a metal cookie cutter but even though I sprayed it, the first one stuck so I decided that them being pink was enough.

I made them each a card last night after they went to bed and put their bags together. They each got chocolates and a small stuffed animal that Addison picked out. Her and Eli got theirs on Saturday when we went to the store but since Samuel wasn't here he had to wait until today.

Later I will make Valentine's Funfetti cupcakes and decorate with strawberry icing and pink sugar. Tonight they'll each get to pick their favorite meal and have that for dinner. I'm going to attempt to cook myself a steak and hope it comes out good. We will have a candlelit dinner and they can drink out of wine glasses.

Happy Valentine's Day to you!

I got a special surprise today!

2011-02-12T12:08:00.003-06:00

The kids and I had just got done talking to Chad online and we were all sitting at the table when the doorbell rings. It was the postman with a package for me. I wasn't expecting anything but a shipment of books from Operation Paperback, but it wasn't from them.

It was postmarked Iraq so I thought it may be a surprise from Chad, but it wasn't. I opened it to find this:

It's from Chad's unit! I'm the Family Readiness Group leader for his unit and was so shocked to get this today. It's absolutely awesome craftsmanship and i'm so thankful and happy to receive this!

Thank you Bravo Bulldogs!!

Disappointed

2011-02-09T11:10:00.004-06:00

Today i'm really disappointed in the society around me. We got quite a bit of snow yesterday and our district decided to have school today with just a 2 hour delay even though everyone around us is closed. In order for me to go pick up my son after school (a friend picks him up for school everyday), I have to shovel my driveway so I can get out. Our driveway is uphill and not the shortest thing.

I went out early since there was no wind yet and the temp was a balmy 7*F. I donned a hat, scarf, two pairs of socks, and rubber boots, as well as two shirts and my coat and gloves. I started at the bottom of the drive because that's usually the thickest. I shoveled and shoveled. A neighbor from two doors down was out with his snowblower. He did the sidewalk and the drive of the neighbor right next to me. This man walked right by me twice, knows my husband is deployed, and didn't offer to use his nifty snowblower to do even a smidge of my driveway and I had alot of driveway left to do. I guess he thought it quite entertaining to watch me do it with a freaking shovel.

None of my neighbors have ever offered to help me shovel my drive. Don't get me wrong, i'm capable of doing it myself, have twice now while the kids run wild in the house with no supervision. Safe, huh? I think not. But it had to be done. However, my point is that my husband is deployed and I think it would be nice and neighborly to offer help with these kinds of things. Maybe i'm wrong and chivalry is really dead.

So i'm a little disappointed in society today and how much those who are left behind are forgotten. That is all.

Another snow day

2011-02-08T08:12:00.002-06:00

We, yet again, have another snow day. I don't know how they are going to make all of these up but I imagine they'll be having school into June now, unless they take Spring Break, which would be my suggestion.

We have a few inches and are supposed to get more throughout the day and into tonight, however I don't think it's even snowing right now so there may or may not be school tomorrow. I'm supposed to have a meeting tomorrow that I will have to cancel if the roads are bad but I won't make that decision until tomorrow morning.

Yesterday I strung cutout construction paper hearts on thread and hung them around the house. Eli has already ripped one heart off a strand and i'm thinking Samuel accidentally ripped the entire strand down in the kitchen. They probably won't hold up until V-day.

I've been doing Zumba religiously! I finished my first 10 day stint doing the Sculpt and Tone recommended series and now i'm doing the Lose a Pant or Dress Size in 10 Days series. I'm not following their diet though because I don't care for half the stuff in it. My legs are already full of muscle and my arms are becoming more defined and there are some good muscles there too. My love handle area is definitely tighter and my flab in the front of my belly is shrinking as well. And I think my boobs are perkier. :) Can't go wrong with a program that's fun and does all that in 2 weeks.

Memories

2011-01-31T10:07:00.003-06:00

I recently found out that a woman I know has a husband that is getting ready to deploy. I remember all to clearly what it's like in the pre-deployment part of a deployment. Especially since we went through it only a few months ago.

I don't miss the sudden urges to cry like there's no tomorrow but holding it in so Chad and the kids wouldn't see. There were so many times that I held it in and I regret doing that. Everyone needs a release and I held mine in for a long time. Maybe that's why this deployment has been so hard emotionally for me, because I didn't let myself express my feelings before. I remember breaking down one night after watching a movie. My father-in-law was here and the movie was so sad that I just lost it at the end and couldn't get control of myself. It was embarrassing to say the least.

I also don't miss the mad rush to make sure everything was up to par around the house and the cars were okay and everything was handled that needed to be. We spent most of our time pre-deployment making sure things were done around our new house instead of spending the time together. We bought a house 4 months before deployment and I don't recommend that to anyone. We missed so many precious moments of time that can never be gotten back. Yes, some things had to be done but alot of them could have waited. Chad was still doing things the day he left.

I certainly don't miss the time leading up to deployment day. Just knowing that it was coming and there was nothing you could do about it. The waiting and knowing was the hardest part.

I hate the feeling of dreaming about reunion day yet knowing that it's still so far away......

2011-01-28T06:32:00.002-06:00

It nevers gets easier, i'm learning that. It seems like one day I think i'm finally getting a grip and doing good and then the next it hits me like a ton of bricks and i'm an emotional mess missing Chad. I hate this, I want my husband back.

On a more happy note, i've been doing Zumba. I still haven't gotten the moves down yet but I will eventually....I hope. It's fun and lots of cardio which is what I need. Fun cardio is so much easier than boring cardio. I'm doing the Sculpt and Tone recommeded workout set from the booklet that came with it. It's two workouts and you alternate days, taking every 4th day off. It should go like this:

Sculpt and Tone followed by Stretch (45 minutes)
20 Minute Express followed by Flat Abs (40 minutes total)
Sculpt and Tone followed by Stretch
Free Day
20 Minute Express followed by Flat Abs
etc.

The Sculpt and Tone workout uses the weights that came with the set. They are 2lb. weights with shakers in them to make noise.

I started this series on Wednesday but I skipped yesterday because I shoveled ice and slush for an hour or more in the driveway and that was plenty workout enough for me. So today will be the 20 minute express and abs.

It finally came!!

2011-01-24T18:13:00.002-06:00

ZUMBA that is. I have been checking the tracker on this sucker every day to see where it was and when it might be delivered. Today I checked and it had finally been scanned into my small town post office. I had to go there anyway this afternoon to mail Chad's birthday/Valentine package so I asked if I could just get it instead of having it delivered.

I couldn't resist opening it in the truck while waiting for Samuel to get out of school. When we got home I popped the Basics DVD into the player and did my first Zumba ever. I love the way they break down the steps in the Basic section. They show each step to you in three moves and then combine it at full speed afterward. I do fine during the 3 moves but when they combine them at full speed i'm lost. I'm definitely slow but hopefully that will change the more I do it and learn the moves. The Basics workout was 60 minutes long. I may have to do it for a few more days to try and learn the moves better. I was also doing it in socks which is not a good idea. You need traction to keep from sliding all over the place in order to really do the moves correctly.

So excited!!

Chocolate Chip Streusel Muffins

2011-01-23T00:00:00.000-06:00

2 c. Bisquick baking mix
1/4 c. sugar
1 egg
2/3 c. milk
1 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use regular size and it comes out fine)
1/4 c. chopped nuts (optional)
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400*F.

Cinnamon sugar topping: mix 2 Tbsp. sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon together in a bowl and set aside.

Combine Bisquick, sugar, egg, and milk. Beat with a spoon till combined (will be lumpy). Stir in mini chips and nuts, if using.

Fill greased or lined muffin cups 3/4 full with batter. Sprinkle each muffin with 1/2 tsp. sugar-cinnamon topping.

Bake 15-17 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm with butter.

What I've Been Baking Lately....

2011-01-22T07:06:00.003-06:00

Orange Muffins

2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. orange peel, grated
2 eggs
1/2 c. butter, melted
2/3 c. orange juice
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. chopped nuts (almonds or pecans work best)

Preheat oven to 375*F. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, orange peel. Add eggs one at a time. Add butter, orange juice, vanilla and mix. Fill muffin cups. I usually get about 18-20 muffins out of this.

Topping:
1 Tbsp. flour
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. butter, melted

Combine.

Sprinkle on batter. Bake 15-20 minutes.

Another muffin recipe tomorrow!

Zumba

2011-01-18T08:31:00.002-06:00

I did it....I broke down and ordered the Zumba Fitness Total Body Transformation System DVD Set. Everyone has been talking about Zumba and how much fun it is and how great it is, etc. I see it on television everywhere, so I joined in the craze and will be trying it out. I ordered mine on Amazon.com because it was the least expensive since there is free shipping. It has already shipped and i'm hoping it will be here this week so I can start Zumbaing (is that a word?).

In the meantime I have pulled out my Yoga Booty Ballet from way back. It's fun but it's been so long that I forgot the moves. I gave up on Jillian. I hit Level 2 and it killed my back so I said enough. I would rather do something that I like and is fun than something that I force myself to do everyday and will be in pain for (not the good kind of workout pain).

What are you doing for exercise?

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2011-01-16T09:58:00.003-06:00

Seven years ago today in El Paso, Texas at the Courthouse with Michael Epperson and the Blackard's as witnesses, I married the love of my life. Afterwards we went back to our apartment and had taco dip and wine. Well Chad didn't have wine because he doesn't drink, but the rest of us did.

Since then we have moved many times and had 2 more children. We've been through two separations/deployments (still going through one right now) thanks to the Army.

I love you Chad! You are my world and the only one for me. Happy Anniversary to us!

Anniversary

2011-01-15T11:05:00.004-06:00

Tomorrow, January 16th, is our 7th wedding anniversary! Two of those years have been spent apart due to deployments. Chad is deployed this year for our anniversary but he still managed to send me flowers and presents.

Love you honey!

Snow Days

2011-01-11T20:27:00.002-06:00

We started getting snow on Sunday afternoon and it continued through Monday afternoon. I don't know for sure how many inches we got but I would say at least 6 inches, maybe more. Samuel was out of school yesterday and today. We'll see tomorrow if they go back, it's supposed to be colder tomorrow than it was today.

We had good snow days though. Yesterday the kids went out and played twice, we played Monopoly on the Wii and hung out. Today we played Monopoly on the Wii again and the kids played most of the day inside because the wind chill was just too much for them to be outside.

Someone came and plowed half of my driveway. I am very appreciative of whoever did it. It was a great Random Act of Kindness and it led to a discussion with Addison about RAOK.

Both of my meetings for this week are cancelled so other than leaving the house tomorrow for Eli's doctor appointment, my prescription, and groceries we don't have to leave until Friday after school to take Samuel to meet his dad for the weekend. I'm really enjoying this week at home.

I've developed a nasty cold, as has Addison and it's really kicking my butt. We are completely out of Kleenex already so definitely going to get lots of that tomorrow.

Deployment Effects

2011-01-07T14:45:00.002-06:00

So I have finally witnessed the effects that this deployment is having on at least one of my children and it wasn't pretty.

My oldest totally broke down in the middle of dinner last night, just out of nowhere. He was crying so hard, it was heart breaking. I asked what was wrong and he said he missed my husband. After he finally calmed down enough to talk he said he was remembering how they play around and wrestle and stuff.

And it doesn't help that he hardly ever gets to talk to him like the rest of us do because he's always in school when ever Chad is online so the only time he gets is every other weekend.

Anyway, it's awful knowing that you can't do anything to make it better, that no matter what daddy is going to be gone for a long time yet. We're only 3 months into this deployment and it's an indefinite deployment so we really have no idea when the end will be.

Addison spends alot of time writing "letters" to daddy or drawing pictures for him and she gets to talk to him frequently on the webcam. Eli is very clingy and has separation anxiety with me. He also tends to cling to male figures like my brother whenever he's around.

Secrets of Adulthood

2011-01-06T06:24:00.004-06:00

You know what I just realized? I have blogged every day since the New Year!! YAY, GO ME!

Yesterday I did Day 2 of the 30 Day Shred. It was a bit harder because I was sore from the first day. Today i'm going to have to do it in the afternoon instead of in the morning because life calls. But i'll work it in somewhere because it's too soon to skip a day or else I might just not start back up.

I really wanted to share some of the Secrets of Adulthood that i've been thinking about:

* You attract more bees with honey.
* Good things in life are worth waiting for.
* Always take responsibility for your actions, don't play the blame game.
* Life is not always about you.
* You can only change yourself.
* You can't help everyone.
* Always put your shopping cart away in the corral.

:)

My 12 Commandments

2011-01-05T00:00:00.000-06:00

Here are my 12 Commandments:

1. Be Present
2. Appreciate More
3. Let It Go
4. Lighten Up
5. Move Forward, Stop Looking Back
6. Imperfection IS Perfection
7. Have FUN!
8. Do Things NOW, Not Later
9. Think Positive: Be Positive
10. Get Back to ME
11. Love More
12. Learn More

Exercise

2011-01-04T10:56:00.003-06:00

This morning I decided to get off my butt and exercise. I pulled out my weights and mat and put Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred into the DVD player. While I waited for it to start I got everything ready and a glass of water.

Day 1 is complete! Now I just have to make myself stick with it. I felt a bit queasy afterwards, but after a shower and some water i'm feeling pretty good.

Missing Me.......

2011-01-03T00:00:00.000-06:00

You know what I miss?

I miss cowboy boots and wrangler jeans. The countryside where all you see are trees and fields. I miss gravel roads and small creek beds, Christmas tree farms, and a friendly wave when you meet another car passing on the road. A tiny country store and climbing trees. Riding bikes all over the country roads on a hot summer day.

I miss the girl that was always smiling, was always nice and was pretty much friends with everyone. I miss the way she would get excited about hunting and fishing and being outside. I miss the time when the television was rarely turned on except to watch a favorite show now and then. More time was spent outside or listening to the radio, laying under the big blue sky watching the clouds and playing make believe.

I miss 4H and cows and mud and fairs. I miss pickup trucks and big mud tires.

I miss the me that I lost so long ago........ I want to be that small town country girl again and I want to drag my husband and kids along and share with them everything that I was.

Some Other Goals for January

2011-01-02T00:00:00.000-06:00

In addition to my Word for 2011, there are some other things that I want to push myself to do.

* Blog at least 3 times a week

* Participate in Celebrate Me Days- this is something that was started on a message board i'm on and each month has a different theme this year. The premise is that on your birth day each month you will do something nice for yourself or to take care of yourself. Just take time for you.

* Declutter Club- Again, this is something started on the message board. Each month has a Main Focus and a Mini Focus. For January, my Main Focus is the master bedroom and my Mini Focus is the closet in the bedroom.

Word for 2011: Journey

2011-01-01T00:00:00.002-06:00

I really like to put some time and thought into my Word for each year. I want it to be something that reflects the way I feel and what I am seeking. This upcoming year, 2011, will be spent mostly with my husband in Iraq. I recently read the book The Happiness Project and was inspired by her method and story. I am going to start my own Happiness Project based on my life and what I think I need to work on. This will be combined with my Word for the year.

I will break it down by month so I don't get overwhelmed by a huge list of things or traits I want to work on. I'm trying to group them based on the overall theme of each month.

The word Journey will represent the personal, emotional, and physical Journey's I will be taking on during the year. Each month will be a different Journey in my life and a way for me to grow in all aspects. I want to learn to relax and enjoy the moments instead of worrying about what housework needs to be done or what I need to do tomorrow. I want to be present, not always looking forward or back. I want to laugh and smile more and get back to my roots. I'm a country girl at heart and i've let my roots slip away. I want to get back to the ME I know I am. The girl that was always smiling and kind, but still had a fire in her and a passion for things.

I still have alot of work to do ironing out the wrinkles in my plan for the year. I'm still trying to figure out how to incorporate things that I feel are important. I do know what I want for January and will be tracking everything here.

January's Journey: Health and Fitness
** I want to be more healthy and fit, which will also help to boost my energy level so I don't feel so run down and tired all the time.

- Exercise at least 3 times a week for 20-30 minutes a day
- Drink WATER, lots of it!
- Eat more veggies and fruits
- Cut out soda, except an occassional one
- Take a few minutes each day to just be, sit quietly and think about a positive affirmation
- Laugh and smile more

I am planning on starting the Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred again. I would also like to try out the new fitness room for mom's that was made at a gym on post. It's free for me to use and they have a play area inside the room where the kids can play while I exercise on a treadmill, elliptical machine or a stationary bike. So there's really NO excuse not to go.

While i'm structuring my menu planning I am going to make sure to be mindful of the foods I plan and be sure to add a veggie or fruit to each meal. That will give us 3 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

This is my start. If it needs adapting then I will adapt it. Nothing is set in stone. I want to see where my monthly Journey's lead as they are flexible, but i'm going to try my best and go in with a positive attitude and that's all I can do.

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T12:31:00.003-06:00

It's New Year's Eve!

Do you have big party plans or are you just hanging out?

Us.....we're just hanging out. I have a headache that just won't go away and it's 18*F outside, so I think we're staying in and doing nothing.

What is your traditional New Year's Day meal?

We always have beans and black-eyed peas with cornbread and fried potatoes. I don't normally soak my beans overnight but i'm thinking I might try it this time. My beans never turn out good enough to me, probably because i'm not using the right ham or something, I don't know.

We had snow for a quick minute and now it's done. I see flakes whiz by the window now and then but I think it's just blowing from wherever it landed before. I was really hoping for some good snow, hopefully before winter is out we'll get a good storm. There were tornadoes in Missouri this morning. Craziness!

Happy New Year Everyone!

For My Wonderful Husband

2010-12-29T08:40:00.000-06:00

Kenny Chesney - "Me and You": "Me And You"

New Year is Almost Here

2010-12-28T12:57:00.002-06:00

Are you ready for 2011?

I think I am.....

I've been preparing my plans for 2011 to make it a year of growth and self-discovery. I want to improve myself and my life. I want to take better care of myself and those around me. I want to learn how to better communicate with my kids and my husband. I want to improve the state of my home and make it a less stressful, more calm and serene place to be.

I have chosen my Word for 2011 and it is Journey. Each month will be a different Journey into an area of my life I want or need to work on. By focusing on one aspect each month I will be better able to incorporate new strategies to keep me from falling back into old patterns. This will also tie in nicely with my Happiness Project.

After reading Gretchen Rubin's book about her year long project, it inspired me to do something similar. I have started an outline for my project, but it still needs lots of work and filling in.

One of my resolutions is to blog at least 3 times a week about this entire Journey i'm on for the year of 2011. We'll see if that actually happens.

More to come........

Hello

2010-12-20T20:29:00.002-06:00

It's been a while......

As expected, things here have been busy as usual. With Chad gone things just take more effort and energy and by the time the day is done, there's not much energy left to blog. As of late, the kids and I have all been sick. Minus Samuel. I had to pick him up from school today even though he had no fever and had not thrown up. They called and said he just didn't feel good. Do you think he acted sick when he got home? Nope. I told him next time he better have a fever or be puking or else he could stay at school.

Addison had a day reprieve and then started all over again this morning puking. Eli has had a small fever all day i'm pretty sure but other than that he's fine, besides waking up covered in diarrhea this morning. I got the bug yesterday evening and was feeling somewhat better by this morning. It's been a fun few days.

We managed to make it to Walmart this evening to pick up medicine stuff and some other things. We didn't get the dogs today, luckily the vet said they could keep them one more day. Tomorrow for sure though.

The kids are all in bed and i'm watching Santa Buddies on ABC Family. I'm headed to bed shortly though. I still have a few things left to wrap but not tonight. I didn't get much sleep last night so i'm trying to catch up tonight, at least a little.

5 more days until Christmas.........

Steel Magnolia - "Steel Magnolia "Just By Being You""

2010-12-06T09:11:00.001-06:00

For you honey....I miss you.

Steel Magnolia - "Steel Magnolia "Just By Being You"": "Steel Magnolia"

3 days.....

2010-12-05T07:31:00.003-06:00

Today makes at least 3 days since we've been able to talk to Chad. I know that is a relatively small amount of time and i'm not complaining because I know there are others that barely get to talk to their soldier. I'm very thankful that we have laptops and webcams and internet capability for him to see and talk to us when he can. I'm just in this needy weird phase at the moment and I hate it.

This deployment is so different emotionally from our last separation and i'm still trying to figure it all out and we still have so much more to go.

Then I have Addison sitting here saying, "I want to talk to daddy right now" and it just makes it hard. Kids don't understand that daddy can only get on every once in a while and sometimes that is few and far between, while at other times it's everyday. She has sent him several letters already. She started sending them the day we knew he was where he could get mail.

Anyway, we miss you honey!

Ugh.......

2010-12-03T08:14:00.003-06:00

You would think that being almost 2 months in, I would be done with break downs and crying....but apparently i'm not. Or maybe it's because i've held it in so long and so many times that the dam is finally breaking and it needs somewhere to go. Last night I just bawled and bawled like a little baby. I have no idea what brought on this mess but it came. Now my eyes are swollen and puffy this morning and I have to go out in public. Figures.

I'm starting to realize that one can only be strong for so long until they also need a release for all their emotions. I'm hitting that point and we still have a long way to go. However, I have to be strong for more than just my kids. I'm also the FRG (family readiness group) Leader and I need to be able to put on a strong front for all of that and face whatever challenges other families may have and help them through, while organizing meetings and activities and parties and packages and all that while doing all the day to day stuff in MY life. I'm not feeling sorry for myself in any way, just trying to explain the extra stressors that I have. It helps to write things down to better understand them. I look at all that and think it's not enough, that I could do more, whereas some would look at just that and think wow, you do alot. I never feel like i'm doing enough. What is enough?

I just need a quiet, dark, warm cave (with lots of good chocolate) to crawl into for a while until I can get control of my emotions again.......i'm having an off time right now. I miss my wonderful husband horribly at this moment, which yet again brings tears to my eyes. It's a viscious cycle, this thing called deployment.

Menu Plan Monday

2010-11-28T20:45:00.005-06:00

It's been a long time since I last posted a menu plan. With Chad being deployed it's hard to find things to make that ALL the kids will actually eat. I do make them try new things, at least one bite of everything regardless of whether or not they think they like it. So, I sat down and started typing out every meal I could think of that the majority may actually eat. I only got to 20, which doesn't seem like a lot, but i'm always actively searching for more.

Here's our menu plan for this week:

Monday- Ham w/Augratin Potatoes and Corn

Tuesday- Macaroni and Cheese with Hotdogs

Wednesday- (Grocery Day) Skillet Taco Supper

Thursday- Homemade Pizza

Friday- Chili in the Crockpot

Saturday- Veggies in Foil

Sunday- Country Pasta

Thankful.....

2010-11-22T13:58:00.003-06:00

Today i'm thankful for good books and hot showers. I'm also thankful for Eli kisses and hugs in the middle of the night, even though I would much rather be sleeping. He's such a good cuddle-bug. I'm thankful for run-lines so my dog can't escape the fence...again. I'm thankful for hot drinks and warm blankets on cold wintry days. I'm thankful for friends that try to help when they can. I'm very thankful for nap time!

What are you thankful for?

Veterans Day

2010-11-11T09:11:00.002-06:00

On this Veterans Day, let us not forgotten the fallen, the active duty that still serve, and the veteran's (retired or otherwise). Anyone that signed on the dotted line and pledged their life to our country is a selfless soul willing to give up their life for freedom.

I am proud to say that I am an Army veteran and my husband is currently Active Duty serving in Iraq. My grandpa's both served in the wars and my stepdad was in the Navy, as is my stepbrother. An Uncle served in Vietnam and lost his entire platoon, he was the only survivor.

Freedom isn't Free! God Bless our Soldiers (past and present)!

*Photo taken at Arlington Cemetary by me*

Missing you.......

2010-11-08T08:05:00.003-06:00

What really stinks is when you're about a month in and all of a sudden it hits you one day how much you miss your soldier. The past two nights i've had nothing but dreams of my husband and then I wake up just aching for him to be here to hold me. What I wouldn't give to see his pile of clothes on the floor by his side of the bed or his soda cans left around the house.

While he was here I almost felt like we rarely got to see him, but now even that little bit of time I long for. This afternoon we are getting family pictures, once again without him. Someone really needs to invent teleportation so we can just skip back and forth from here to there. It sure would make deployments alot easier.

D.C. Trip (Part 2)

2010-11-07T07:33:00.003-06:00

This is me getting ready to head to the Pentagon City Mall with some new friends.

This is a Metro card machine. You put in how much you want on your Metro card and the card pops out. You have to run it through when you enter and when you get to your destination.

This is me my first time on the Metro.

This is what the Metro area looks like. They have signs that tell you when the next train will be there and which line it is. We really only rode the Yellow and Blue lines.

Crystal City Cosmo is the name of this drink. It came with a little Swedish fish on the side. To be honest, it was disgusting but for $8 I drank it anyway.

Part 3 next....

D.C. Trip

2010-11-05T20:45:00.008-05:00

I've been back from D.C. about a week and a half now so I figured I better get back to blogging, especially since now I know my husband, Chad, is reading it. Hi honey! I love you!

D.C. was nice. I didn't sleep well in the hotel but other than that it was fun. I made some new friends but didn't see many of the touristy things. We did find some good eats and stumbled upon a Farmer's Market that was awesome. I wish we would have seen it on the first night there instead of our last. I sampled some cranberry-lime bread and it was wonderful. I should have bought a loaf.

I did go to Arlington and it was amazing. We only had time to see about 1/4 of it probably. I did get to see the changing of the guard and then General Thurman and his wife, along with his CSM and his wife, laid a wreath at the grave in the honor of Family Readiness. It was the first time in history that it has ever been done in our honor. They played Taps and I totally lost it. Above is the guard that was on duty when we arrived. Their waists are so small and it's absolutely amazing how they stop and click their heels and manuever their rifle over to the other shoulder and then walk to the other side and do it all over again. This is the actual tomb. This is the wreath that was put up for Family Readiness.

After this, we headed over to the Kennedy gravesite and the eternal flame.

Can someone please tell me what this means? I know i've seen it somewhere before but I can't remember. There were several gravestones with rocks on them. Some had one, others had many.
While I didn't get to see much of the sights, I did enjoy what I saw and the friends I made and the small adventures we went on.

I hated the Metro and would prefer never to step foot on one again. Don't get me wrong, it was super clean and safe (and fast compared to walking or driving) but when you get motion sickness it's not so great. I had to take half a Dramamine every morning before we left for the Metro and then again in the afternoon when we headed back. The plane ride to D.C. was awful as well so on the way back I took a whole Dramamine. It helped!

More later.......

USO and Trevor Romain

2010-10-14T08:38:00.003-05:00

Have you ever heard of Trevor Romain? I hadn't until I received an email to ask my unit families if they would like a Trevor Romain Deployment Coping Kit for school-age children. We didn't get quite the response that anyone was hoping for unfortunately. I think it was because no one really knew who he was or what these kits entailed. Now that i've seen them and have one in our possession, I don't see why anyone wouldn't want one!

He was at our USO last night to talk about and hand out his kits to the military kids. He's a funny guy with a British accent and he's very personable and connects with the kids on a level they can understand. He's also an amazing artist. He showed us his journal with all the cartoon type drawings that were great.

Inside the kits is a DVD called With You All the Way. There are also a set of dog tags that say 'With You All the Way'. The child is supposed to keep one and give the other to their military parent. There is also a cuddly bear named Cuzzie that comes with a little hat and goggles and a camo scarf. He has patches sewn all over him and you'll have to ask Trevor the story behind those. hehe A journal also comes in this kit and that was a big hit with my 8 year old son. He was inspired by seeing Trevor's drawings to start drawing himself.

It was a great night and really made my kids day to get these kits. Thank you to our wonderful USO and Trevor Romain!

Oh so tired

2010-10-13T13:40:00.002-05:00

I think i'm still in a funk. I had a good day and now i'm back to just not being myself. It doesn't help that I was up half the night with Eli. He woke up and just refused to go back to sleep. Finally about 4:50 a.m. I brought him to my bed and he eventually fell back asleep for less than an hour. He's taken one nap today, not long enough, and the rest he's just been snuggling with me. He's got a fever and a runny nose.

I'm not feeling so hot either. I'm achy and may have a fever, I don't know. The kids have played with the thermometers and somehow they are in Celcius instead of Farenheit. I need to find the book and figure out how to change it back.

Tonight we're supposed to go to the USO to meet Trevor Romain and pick up a Deployment Coping Kit for Samuel. Addison will be upset because she doesn't get one, but they only give one per family.

I haven't heard from Chad today which sucks! I can't wait until they get where they are going and can settle in with laptops and internet and all that.

I've only eaten a bowl of Cheerios today. I so wasn't hungry this morning at all. No idea what we'll have for dinner, we'll probably just pick something up on the way home from the USO thing. It's a beautiful day outside but I just don't have the energy to take the kids out, plus Eli is sick.

The leaves are starting to change. Looks like we'll have mostly yellow ones at our house unless they change from that. Alot of them are just turning brown and falling off.

Okay, enough rambling. Later!

Panic

2010-10-12T11:51:00.002-05:00

Driving back from Manhattan today, I hit a mild panic again. I started thinking about all the What If's that could happen and then the newsreel started playing in my head of accidents and catching a glimpse of something in a scene on the news that I know is my husband's and knowing before notification ever gets made. I hate thinking like that but i'm sure I can't be the only one that dramatizes the worst situations possible in her head.

I got over it fairly quickly, but it's still there in the back of my mind waiting for the opportune time to rear its ugly head again.

The kids and I actually left the house today, obviously. We went to Hobby Lobby to look for nice paper to send love letters on but didn't find anything that fit the bill. Then on to Home Depot to buy some wire to put up on the crappy part of the fence in the backyard so hopefully Perry the puppy will stop getting out. I'm sure I didn't buy enough wire but it will do to fix the current hole for now.

I miss you baby!

.........

2010-10-11T13:44:00.003-05:00

A few days have passed since Chad left. I'm not as raw with emotion as I was over the weekend. I haven't shed a tear since Saturday. I feel stronger, better able to carry on. I know I have a great support system and I hope that others do as well and if they don't, I hope they take the initiative and create one.

I've spoken to Chad a couple times for the very short 10 minute conversations that pass by entirely too quickly. It's amazing how you know you have a very limited amount of time so you try to cram everything in and then still have moments of silence when you're not sure what to talk about.

Eli was standing at the dining room window calling for dada this morning because he saw the truck parked outside. He's only 18 months old so he doesn't really understand anything that's going on.

I find myself wondering around the house looking for something to satisfy the emptiness in my mind. I feel that if I stop for too long the sadness may creep in and rob me of my sanity. This morning I undertook the task of going through old magazines, ripping out pages I want to keep, then putting them into a pile to get rid of. I still have a stack to go but have grown bored with it already.

It's a beautifully overcast day outside and the temperature is great, a mere 61*. Samuel had school today or else we may have just gone to the zoo with our free passes that we've had forever.

Off to roam the homestead!

Deployment is under way......

2010-10-10T08:19:00.003-05:00

I know I haven't posted in a while and I'm going to try to do better. I would like to use this as a tool to vent my frustrations, share my joys and grief about this deployment and life in general. I always think of things to write in my head and then when I finally get time to put them in print, I flake out. But maybe this will enlighten others to the real life of some military spouses and help those that are in my shoes or will be soon.

My husband, Chad, has deployed to Iraq for an indeterminate amount of time. "Until Mission Complete" is NOT what you want to see on a set of orders. I won't lie and tell you it's easier every time they leave, because it's not. It brings on the same fears and worries and stress that it does every time, sometimes more because you've already had that taste of them being gone for a year and knowing that you have to do it again and probably several more times throughout their military career just makes it worse.

The Day

We took him to the designated area, dropped his bags into an ever growing pile of camo green, and then sat in the van in another designated area until the clock said it was time to go. We kissed and hugged our soldier goodbye and drove off wondering what the next year will bring and if he'll return safely to us.

It was my husband's idea for us not to stay to see him board the bus. He said it would be easier to just leave him instead of staying, anxiously waiting for it to happen. I agreed, but the farther I got from the base the more I wanted to turn around and soak up every last second of him that I could. Luckily I had somewhere else that I had to be so I couldn't turn around and go back.

I won't lie and say I held it together for the kids, because I didn't. I was a wreck and I'm a crier! However, they didn't see much of my breakdown because they were engrossed in a movie while I was driving and listening to the radio and crying my poor little eyes out.

I'll tell you, the worst part for me after the leaving is walking back into my house knowing that my husband won't be here for a very long time. I see all the little reminders of his presence, smell his cologne, see the indentation on his side of the bed where his body last lay. It sucks plain and simple!

I fully support my husband and the life we lead. I love our life together, just this part not so much.

My Award

2010-08-02T09:22:00.004-05:00

I promised some pictures from the awards ceremony on my blog, so here they are!

Menu Plan Monday

2010-08-02T09:11:00.002-05:00

It's been a long while since I participated in this. For more menus check out Orgjunkie.com.

Monday- Spaghetti and meatballs with green beans, salad, and garlic bread

Tuesday- Steak on the grill with potatoes

Wednesday- Burgers, hotdogs, brats on the grill with macaroni salad and corn on the cob

Thursday- Grilled chicken with augratin potatoes and peas

Friday- Country Pasta

Saturday- Grilled chicken sandwiches with fried potatoes

Sunday- Pot Roast with biscuits and brown gravy

Menu Plan Monday

2010-07-19T08:01:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone!

I used to do MPM every Monday but got away from it, even though I do still plan weekly menus. This week is a bit hectic (as are all weeks when DH is away). Here's our meal plan for this week:

Monday- Meeting so sack dinner of sandwiches

Tuesday- Weeknight Taco Salad

Wednesday- Garden Party so we'll eat something simple before going

Thursday- Eat at Rodeo

Friday- Homemade biscuit pizza

Absolutely Horrid!

2010-07-18T08:17:00.004-05:00

Yesterday while driving down Wanamaker in Topeka, KS, I was at a stoplight and glanced over to my right across the intersection because a flag caught my eye. There were several people standing there holding signs and one young man (teenager for sure) holding a tall American flag. I thought, "Wow, how great to see people supporting the troops like that." WRONG! I got a closer look at the signs and they literally made me sick to my stomach and my blood boil. One said, "Thank God for IEDs". The rest were about President Obama. It was mostly women holding the signs and I thought it funny that they were turned away from traffic holding their signs so people they know maybe wouldn't recognize them. What cowards!

My husband is a soldier in the United States Army, I am a Veteran of the United States Army. This thoroughly offends me and I don't get offended easily. I felt dirty, like I needed a shower, after seeing those signs. I thought surely my eyes were going to burn out of my head. That's how vulgar those signs are to me, my family, and everything we have worked so hard to protect.

I don't understand how Americans can have so much contempt for the soldiers that have fought and died to protect them and their way of life. I guess to them, freedom is free because they don't give a damn if one of our own dies or a family that has already been traumatized by the loss of their loved one is forever scarred because they protest at their funeral.

They are lower than the lowest pond scum on earth. These people have no sense at all or compassion. I have to wonder what the world is coming to when children are brought up to be like this.

I'm sorry if my opinion offends you, but if that's the case, please don't come back. :) We are a military family and will ALWAYS be PROUD to be.

Our house

2010-07-14T07:40:00.003-05:00

I really love our little house. The appraisal report came in the mail a few days ago from when we bought the house, so I took a few minutes and skimmed through it. Nothing new really that we didn't already know.

As I sit here and look around at all the hard work that's already been put into the place and the work that's left to be done, I really like it and kind of wish we would never have to move, but someday we will.

I love my sunny yellow kitchen. It's bright and happy, which a kitchen should be. It's inviting. I could do with more counter space but I also like the open, uncrowdedness of it all.

The purple bathroom.....what can I say about the purple bathroom, except that it's really purple? I do love the white trim and the big triple medicine chest mirror. We put a new faucet on the sink to dress it up a bit. I also really like the sink. It's a pedestal sink I think.

The dining room hasn't yet been messed with so i'm definitely NOT in love with it yet. It's floor to ceiling white wallpaper with pink flowers all over it and then there's a border in the middle of country blue and pink flowery stuff. I'm not into the flowery stuff at all. I can't wait to scrape every last bit of the yucky paper off the walls and paint it a beautiful golden color. Then I will love the dining room.

More later.......

The Weekend

2010-07-11T18:33:00.002-05:00

It's been 9 days since Chad left for NTC and 3 days since I talked to him. They took their phones away for training. A few incidences have happened since he left like the stove ordeal, and an old guy driving by our house taking pictures of it. When I went out and yelled at him he sped away.

Pam, my stepmom, was here this weekend and we had a good time. Yesterday we had Addison's birthday party. She had two little friends over and they had a good time. I forgot to hand out the favor bags though. Oh well.

Today we went to lunch and then my stepmom headed home. The rest of the day has been spent lazing around. In a bit i'm going to have some leftover cake and ice cream. :)

I'm watching Julie and Julia. It's actually pretty good and makes me want to pick a cookbook and work my way through it. HA! Like anyone in my house would eat every recipe from a random cookbook.

Later!

Stove issue solved!

2010-07-09T20:29:00.003-05:00

I had a friend over yesterday and we decided to pull out the stove and remove the power cord. Upon removal we noticed that one end wasn't right. I talked to Chad about it and he said if the stove is getting power then it shouldn't be the cord. Well, I proved him wrong. I went and bought a new cord this morning and one of his soldiers that had come out to the house to move the old stove back in for me put it back on. Low and behold, the stove worked like it should. So, no need to return the stove, thank goodness!! I'm so glad it wasn't a defective stove.

And I was able to bake Addison's birthday cake this afternoon with no issue. :)

The new stove ordeal....

2010-07-08T10:03:00.002-05:00

We purchased a new GE stove from Home Depot the week before last. It came in and we had wanted delivery but no one scheduled it for us so Chad had to go pick it up in the minivan. We got the stove on July 1st and Chad hooked it up. So we've had it exactly 1 week. Chad left for NTC and the kids and I went to my mom's for the holiday weekend, so the stove wasn't used at all.

We get home Monday afternoon and don't use the oven. Tuesday I decide to bake cookies and some other goodies to take to the USO on post as a donation. I turn on the oven to preheat and it preheats and preheats and continues to preheat for over 2 hours. It never did reach the proper temperature. Remember this is a BRAND NEW oven. It takes me forever to make the cookies.

Last night I try to use the broiler for garlic bread and I set it to high. The element didn't even come on and the bread was in there for over 10 minutes and barely got crisp around the edges.

This morning I decide enough of this, it's a brand new stove and should be working perfectly. So I call Home Depot. They tell me to call GE. I call GE and they schedule a service for the 19th of July. 1 1/2 weeks away. I told them all that I have 3 kids that I need to feed and it's Addison's birthday and I can't even make her cake. No one cares.

So, needless to say I will be returning my defective brand new oven to Home Depot and probably won't buy a GE appliance again. Not to mention i'll be shopping at Lowe's from now on.

However, this still doesn't solve my problem of no working oven. With Chad gone, I can't return the new oven because I can't load it into the van. We still have our old oven out on the porch, but I can't move it inside by myself and even if I could, I have no idea how to hook it up.

The whole point of buying the new stove was so we didn't have to worry about it breaking while Chad is away. So much for that thought. So today will be spent trying to fix this problem one way or another so I can bake a cake tomorrow and feed us all.

Alot has changed....

2010-07-06T19:26:00.005-05:00

I don't even remember the last time I posted on this blog, but i'm hoping to change that. I'm always dying to write something...anything but then I just end up sounding boring so I don't end up writing at all. Would my daily life really be interesting to anyone? I doubt it, but i'm going to try.

I don't really lead a boring life, but i'm slightly biased. :) I'm an Army Wife and very proud to be. I'm also an Army veteran having served for 4 1/2 years and deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom to Bahrain in 2003. I have 3 wonderful, funny, smart children that I adore and don't know how I would live my life without. Surely there's some adventure in my life somewhere.

Our most recent adventure was buying our first house. It was a gamble, for sure, especially since we are a military family and my husband could get orders to another post at the drop of a hat. But, we figured we were safe for at least a couple years with his impending deployment.

We have already done some work on the house and we've lived here shortly over a month. My mom came to visit and we painted the living room.

This is the BEFORE picture. It was pink...pink people. Seriously.

This is the AFTER picture. We painted it a nice brown/tan color. The picture really doesn't do it justice, but it looks great with the woodwork and our furniture.

Also while my mom was here, she climbed up on my counters to prime the area above the cabinets that was weird wallpaper. The entire rest of the kitchen is yellow but for some reason this section was wallpaper. So, she primed it, with oil based Kilz mind you that stinks to high heaven, and then put two coats of yellow paint over it.

This is the AFTER picture of the kitchen. Unfortunately I don't have a before picture.

Chad and I painted our bedroom a nice green color that he picked out. It's called Garden Shed and it's by Martha Stewart. I don't yet have a picture to share but I will soon. We also completely redid Eli's room. It took 2 weeks to complete, but it's finally finished. There were two layers of wallpaper and it was quite an adventure, but i'll save that for another post.

More to come.......

Artillery

2010-04-08T07:25:00.002-05:00

There's nothing like waking up to artillery fire in the morning. Or going to sleep to artillery fire at night. That, my friends, is the joy of living on an Army base. I wouldn't trade it for the world. The safety and comfort I feel living on base is undescribable. I don't have to worry about my kids being picked right out of my yard or my stuff getting stolen from right off my porch. Neighbors are real neighbors, we share stuff and borrow a little of this or that when we are out. We know each others first names and our kids play all evening long in the great outdoors. If something happens and you need a quick sitter, your neighbor is there to lend a hand.

Being an Army wife is one of the greatest and hardest things in the world and I count my blessings everyday that we are an Army family.

Almost garden time!

2010-04-07T14:05:00.002-05:00

The weather here has been pretty awesome lately, until today. Yesterday it was in the upper 70's, maybe even low 80's, but the wind was horrible. However, I was able to have my windows and doors open. Today it is cold and rainy. Figures. And the wind still prevails.

Last week (Tuesday I think), Addison and I planted 9 different types of seeds in a Burpee greenhouse kit that I got from Target. The seeds were also by Burpee I believe. By Thursday we had several plants already sprouting up and here it is a week later and they are growing like crazy! I definitely recommend the Burpee brand products. 2 years ago we used the stuff from Walmart and didn't get these type of results. The true test will be whether or not they live after being transplanted to pots.

We planted:

Sunflowers
2 types of Morning Glories
2 types of Daisies
Moonflowers
Sweet Peas
Zinnias
Nasturtium

The morning glories really took off and so are the moonflowers. The sunflowers are coming up great as well but at least 1 has already fallen over from the weight of itself. I don't know how to prevent that because they are still so fragile.

Chad put up two window planters last night. I'm just waiting for the weather to stay above 40 or so before I plant in them. I also bought one of those strawberry hangers and 2 strawberry plants so i'm hoping to get lots of strawberries this season.

On the 22nd, the community garden opens (I think) so i'll be able to start planting my fruits and vegetables there since I have a plot. I can't wait!!

What are you planting this year? Growing any fruits or veggies?

No house...

2010-04-07T14:00:00.002-05:00

Well, the house we were going to buy we are no longer buying. Unfortunately when we had the inspector go through last Friday, there were some big issues that we just can't take on. None of these issues were disclosed to us so i'm guessing the seller never had an inspection when he bought the house, which wasn't very smart because now he's going to have a hard time selling it.

It has major foundation damage, i'm talking a whole side of the house has actually shifted several inches and it has affected the window frames and everything. There's no way we could afford the $15000-$20000 it would take to fix that problem by bracing the walls. Nor would we be able to sell it in 3-5 years when we have to PCS.

So we cancelled the deal. Now I have to think of other stuff to write about. I really wish I could write everyday but I can't think of things to write about. I guess I will try just writing about the everyday stuff and what it's like being an Army wife. Interesting to me but I doubt anyone else will think so. Oh well, no one really reads this anyway. haha

Later!

Menu Plan Monday

2010-03-29T07:32:00.003-05:00

Monday- Tacos

Tuesday- BBQ Beef w/potato salad and baked beans

Wednesday- No Dough Dinner

Thursday- Italian dressing marinated grilled chicken w/green beans and fried potatoes

Friday- Potato soup w/grilled cheese

Saturday- Homemade pizza

Sunday- Stuffed shells w/salad and corn

Happy Monday!

2010-03-29T07:22:00.002-05:00

Today our house adventure officially starts! Let me back up here and tell the whole story because I plan on blogging about it throughout the entire process.

On March 18th we decided to look at an 80 year old house in a very little town. We fell in love with it immediately. The woodwork is amazing and the house is full of interesting nooks and crannies. We knew we wanted it. We went away that weekend on a marriage retreat, which was nice because it gave us the weekend to think about the house and what all it would entail by buying it. We got home Sunday still wanting to buy the house.

On Monday we contacted the agent and asked some more questions. By Tuesday we had a agreed upon price and Wednesday morning we signed our part of the contract. My mom and stepdad came in on Friday and we took them out to see the house. I took tons of pictures so i'll share some of them soon. The seller signed the contract this past Saturday so today the ball should start rolling.

We are estimated to close in mid-May, Chad is hoping for sooner than that. We're excited! There's lots of work to be done when we first move in, but we've already started pricing things and making our priority list. We're hoping we'll have time to do some things before we actually move in, just because it would be easier. It's definitely a fixer-upper.

More later!

Menu Plan Monday

2010-02-22T07:26:00.004-06:00

Good morning! This week is a busy one.

Monday- Cheese Dip (meeting)

Tuesday- Chicken fried steak w/mashed potatoes, gravy, peas and maybe some homemade rolls

Wednesday- Chili (Parent-Teacher conference night)

Thursday- Homemade popcorn chicken w/honey mustard sauce

Friday- Out of town

Saturday- Meatloaf w/mashed potatoes and corn

Sunday- Out of town

Menu Plan Monday

2010-02-15T16:43:00.002-06:00

Wow am I getting a late start this week?! We were out of town all weekend so menu planning was not at the top of my list. I got it done though so here's our menu for the week. We have something 3 out of 5 nights so a busy week for us.

Monday- Return from out of town

Tuesday- Pigs'n'blankets with macaroni and cheese

Wednesday- Homemade chicken and noodles

Thursday- Chili Feed and Bingo Night at school

Friday- Meatloaf w/mashed potatoes, corn and rolls

Saturday- Homemade pizza w/salad

Sunday- Crispy Popcorn Chicken w/Honey Mustard Sauce

Menu Plan Monday

2010-02-08T00:00:00.000-06:00

Last week we stuck pretty well to our menu plan, however, there were one or two meals that didn't get made. For more menu plans check out Orgjunkie.

Monday- Potato Soup w/grilled cheese

Tuesday- Baked Ziti

Wednesday- Meatloaf w/mashed potatoes and peas

Thursday (Meeting for me)- Fend for yourself night

Friday- Out of town (or No Dough Dinner if we're here)

Saturday- Pasties?

Sunday- Out of town

Menu Plan Monday

2010-02-01T00:00:00.000-06:00

Silly me forgot to set out the pork chops for Saturday's dinner so i'll be making that up this week. Last week my kids didn't care for anything I made except for the tacos on Thursday. My husband, however, liked them all (so he says). So i'll be holding onto the new recipes for a bit, although they could all use some tweaking.

For lots more menu plans check out Orgjunkie.

Monday- Pork chops and scalloped potatoes (new)

Tuesday- Cheesy Baked Shells

Wednesday- Homemade Pizza

Thursday- Baked Ziti

Friday- Taco Dip

Saturday (Chad's birthday)- Pasties

Sunday- Chicken Pot Pie (still haven't made this yet)

Menu Plan Monday

2010-01-25T00:00:00.000-06:00

Good Morning!

I am trying a bunch of new recipes this week because I went crazy on Tasty Kitchen and honestly, we really don't have a lot of recipes in our stash that we enjoy enough to have them all the time. So i'm trying new ones trying to find new favorites! Wish me luck! For more menus, check out OrgJunkie.

Monday- Cheeseburger macaroni (new)

Tuesday- Cheesy Crockpot Chicken (new)

Wednesday- Red Beans and Rice w/sausage and cornbread (new)

Thursday- Tacos

Friday- Out of town

Saturday- Pork Chops and Scalloped Potatoes (new-Thanks Lisa)

Sunday- Probably out of town

Level 2 Day 7 of the Shred

2010-01-24T06:43:00.002-06:00

I realized that I haven't posted in a while about the exercise and since i'm sitting here in the quiet early morning and enjoying my coffee I figured I should.

I'm now on level 2, actually almost done with level 2. Today is day 7 for me. I ended up taking 2 unintended rest days this past week so i'm 2 days behind my mom now. Oh well.

Level 2 started out hard....really hard. I wanted to curl up into a ball and not move forever after the first time. But, again, as with level 1 it became easier after about day 4. Now i'm not nearly as out of breath when doing the exercises and I feel stronger doing the plank moves. I don't particularly care for the abs in level 2, I liked those better in level 1.

I haven't lost any more inches or any weight at all since starting this program. I don't know if it's because i'm gaining muscle or what. I did go down a bra size though. I think the shape of my body is changing even if the tape measure and scale say i'm not losing. Does that make sense?

I have 13 days to go in this program and then i'm switching to my Sports Active More Workouts on the Wii and doing their 6 week challenge.

I get my cholesterol checked this week and i'm hoping with the exercise and medication it has come down alot in the past month.

Menu Plan Monday

2010-01-18T00:00:00.000-06:00

We followed our menu plan last week so well! This week will be an easy week because Chad will be gone for two nights and I already have all the necessary items for the rest of the week.

Monday- Burgers/hotdogs on the grill

Tuesday- FRG meeting (eating there)

Wednesday- Breakfast for dinner (Chad out of town)

Thursday- Whatever night (Chad out of town)

Friday- Homemade pizza

Saturday-

Sunday-

Happy Anniversary to me!

2010-01-16T00:00:00.000-06:00

Today is mine and Chad's 6 year wedding anniversary. I have to say it has been a great 6 years. Nothing like my first marriage. I hope the next 6 years and beyond are just as good, if not better, than the past 6. I love you honey!

Day 1 Level 2 (day 11 total)

2010-01-15T20:35:00.002-06:00

Today was my first day of level 2 of the 30 Day Shred by Jillian Michaels. It was hard! A good hard, but definitely hard. Lots of plank type stuff in this level. All of the circuits seem doable though and I haven't found a circuit that I hate yet, but today was only the first day. My jeans were literally falling off me today so I guess it's all worth it.

More tomorrow!

Day 8...

2010-01-12T14:00:00.003-06:00

I missed writing for a few days but i'm back and I have been exercising! I ended up taking my rest day on Friday instead of Sunday.

The exercises, while still dreaded in circuit 1, are getting easier. On Friday i'll be moving to circuit 2 and will probably have more to talk about.

I've been logging all my food and exercise at myfitnesspal.com. It tells you how many calories you should eat per day to lose weight and all that jazz. It's pretty helpful and not nearly as busy or annoying as Sparkpeople.

I'm happy to report that i've lost 1/2 an inch in my waist and 1/2 an inch in my hips so far. I would like to lose a few more inches in my waist and hips and tighten up my belly flab, but that may be impossible after 3 babies. haha

I've noticed that I think harder about what i'm going to eat since i'm tracking it on a log. I also have my appointment with the nutritionist next Tuesday and I plan on taking my food logs with me.

Later!

Menu Plan Monday

2010-01-11T00:00:00.001-06:00

Last week we stuck to the menu plan and cooked every night. This week I hope to do the same.

Monday- Country Pasta

Tuesday- Hotdogs with mac n cheese (meeting for me)

Wednesday- Burgers on the grill with baked beans and salad (maybe homemade fries)

Thursday- No Dough Dinner (FREE!)

Friday- Probably eating out since we'll be in Topeka

Saturday- Homemade pizza

Sunday- Homemade chicken pot pie

Day 5.....

2010-01-09T19:31:00.003-06:00

Yesterday ended up being an unexpected rest day because I was gone most of the day in meetings. So I got my happy butt up this morning and exercised and got it out of the way so I didn't have to worry about it for the rest of the day. Tomorrow morning, instead of having a rest day, i'll be up exercising as well.

I went grocery shopping today and came home with a ton of fresh fruit and veggies. We usually buy a few apples here and there but I came home with 2 bags of apples, oranges, green pepper, green onion, lettuce, broccoli, cucumber, and even baby spinach. I wanted all the stuff to make a good salad (I already have carrots here) and lots of apples for snacks. My kids have been eating apples like they're going out of style. I'm not kidding, they ate at least 3-4 today and were asking for more later on. I can't imagine that it's good to eat that many in a day even though they are pretty healthy. But they could be asking for worse.

I'm proud to say that we've cooked every night this week since at least Monday. I hope to continue that trend this week. Well, one night we'll be going to the free No Dough dinner on post so we won't be cooking that night.

Anyway, if you're following along, thanks for reading!

Day 4 of the shred

2010-01-07T11:02:00.002-06:00

Today I slept in, we all did. Chad didn't have to be at work until 9 a.m. due to the weather and the kid's school was cancelled (assuming due to the temps). After breakfast and coffee and watching some Rachael Ray, I finally got my butt into gear and turned on the shred. Addison tried to do it with me.

It seemed easier today. I had more energy and felt better after completing it. I think it's because I exercised later and had fuel in my body from breakfast and coffee. I read somewhere a while back that those who drink coffee before a workout have more endurance and tend to exercise longer than those who don't drink coffee. I enjoy working out later in the morning, that way I get all my sleep because i'm not worried about getting up early to beat the kids waking up.

Day 4 went well and i'm actually looking forward to day 5!

Day 3 of exercise journey

2010-01-06T10:03:00.002-06:00

I will admit, I dreaded getting up this morning. I was so tired and just wanted to get that little extra bit of sleep. But then I started thinking, "if I don't exercise now, when will I do it? I can't do it with Eli crawling underfoot and Addison trying to participate. And even if I could, how would I shower afterwards?" So, I made myself get out of bed and exercise.

The first circuit makes me want to stop but I force myself to push through it the best I can and once I reach that point, i'm good. I just have to get myself past the first circuit. I seriously dread moving to level 2 in 7 days.

The funny thing is that I don't feel more energetic, if anything i'm more tired. I don't understand that. I signed up on myfitnesspal.com yesterday. My mom is a member as well so we are friends on the site. As I previously mentioned she is doing the 30 Day Shred with me.

I'm hoping in the next few days i'll feel more energetic and the exercises will become easier. We'll see.

Day 2 of my exercise journey

2010-01-05T09:21:00.004-06:00

Yesterday I started exercising again. I'm determined to continue exercising no matter what. What usually happens is that I get a week into exercising and then I get sick so I have to stop, then I never start back up. This time i'm going to work through the sickness, if I get sick.

The program i'm doing right now, along with my mom, is the Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. Let me tell you, it's no joke. I watched it all the way through before I started and thought, "this doesn't look too bad". That was before I actually physically did it.

Let me tell you, it is that bad. It's a good bad though, like the kind that leaves you feeling great that you lived through it but dreading for morning to come when you know you have to do it all over again. Then you feel great again.

There are 3 levels to this program. Since it's called 30 Day Shred, I assumed that you are supposed to spend 10 days in each level, that's my goal anyway. Like I said i'm on day 2 of level 1. This morning was worse than the first day because my muscles were sore from yesterday. But I made myself get up and do it.

I think it's worth mentioning that level 1 is 3 circuits. You do 3 minutes of strength training, 2 minutes of cardio, and 1 minute of abs. You do this 3 times. The first circuit is the hardest for me so I have to push myself through it and remind myself that in 6 minutes i'll be on to the next circuit.

I wanted to mention that i'm really not trying to lose weight. I'm actually at my pre-pregnancy weight of 132 right now, which suits me fine. What I would like to do is tone and tighten up the flabby areas, so that's my goal here.

I plan on recording my adventure here on my journal. So feel free to follow along.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

2010-01-04T10:00:00.001-06:00

FOR TODAY...January 4, 2010

Outside my window...I see lots of snow still clinging to the ground and in huge piles.

I am thinking...that i'm glad I got up and exercised this morning but I sure am tired.

I am thankful for...my family.

From the kitchen...we are having creamed chicken over egg noodles.

I am wearing...a t-shirt and comfy pj pants.

I am creating...a deep red knitted scarf.

I am going...to Topeka at some point today to pick up Samuel.

I am reading...The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman

I am hoping...that we can pick up Samuel at a decent time.

I am hearing...the radio playing, the news on TV, Eli upstairs playing in his crib.

Around the house...I need to vacuum and do some laundry.

One of my favorite things...my new boot slippers I received for Christmas.

A few plans for the rest of the week...back to school, meeting, relax.

Here is a picture for thought i'm sharing...I don't have my pictures on this computer. :(

Find more daybooks at: http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Menu Plan Monday

2010-01-04T00:00:00.001-06:00

This week begins a healthy eating pattern for our family, hopefully. It's going to take some time to get used to and we will start slowly. I have an appointment with a nutritionist on the 19th of this month and after that we'll really be hitting it hard. So if some things don't seem that healthy, they may not be, we are working slowly! Also, i'll be using low-fat, low sodium, fat-free, etc. types of items that are available.

Monday- Creamed chicken over noodles

Tuesday- Beefy Stroganoff

Wednesday- Chicken Parmesan

Thursday- Tacos

Friday- Chicken Pot Pie

Saturday- Chili

Sunday- Leftover buffet

January Personal Life Goals

2010-01-03T00:00:00.000-06:00

I took out some categories that don't really apply to me right now.

Marriage- Celebrate our 6 yr. anniversary!

Family- Implement a family game night once a week, as well as eat dinner together every night. Have the kids help prepare dinner sometimes. Less TV watching more reading books. Begin taking kids to library every other week.

Self- Purchase new makeup when able. Begin exercising daily taking one rest day a week. Eat healthy foods.

Home- Work on decluttering every area in anticipation of possible move in the near future.

Holidays- Celebrate Rudolph day on the 25th by making a list of homemade items to gift for Christmas. Make a supply list and a deadline list.

Hobbies- Finish scarf for me and begin a new project.

Spiritual- Find time to meditate.

Word for 2010

2010-01-02T15:11:00.002-06:00

I finally chose a word for 2010, my word is "Learn". I figured I could easily apply this to all areas of my life. For example, learn patience, learn to eat healthy, etc.

Did you choose a word for this year? If so, how do you follow your word?

I plan on posting phrases of my word in strategic locations around the house so I can see them when I really need them. I also make a list of things I want my word to encompass to help me use it wisely.

Next up, January Life Goals. Stay tuned!

Happy New Year! Almost there...

2009-12-31T13:33:00.002-06:00

The countdown has begun! It's only 10 1/2 hours until midnight and 2010. Does that intimidate you? It sort of does me. There's so much I already want to accomplish in 2010, i'm wondering where i'm going to find the time.

One of my main goals for 2010 is to get healthy, really truly healthy. On Monday January 4th my mom and I are going to start the 30 Day Shred. It's a Jillian Michael's DVD. There are 3 levels so I figure you're supposed to stay in each level for 10 days before moving to the next one. I've marked my calendar with my start date and the dates that I will go up a level. I'm really not looking to lose weight, although a little more might be nice, but I really want to tone up and get in the habit of exercise. I haven't come up with a plan for after the shred, but i'm thinking i'll start doing my Sports Active on the Wii again. I really liked those workouts and they were great!

I need to make a trip to the library and see if I can find anything on low carb/low cholesterol diets. I have very high cholesterol which i'm on medication for and I would like to get off the medication as soon as possible. I'm also supposed to be eating a low carb diet anyway because I have PCOS (polycystic ovaries).

I know lean proteins, veggies, fruits, and whole grains make a good diet but i'm the type of person who needs specific foods listed for me to choose from or else I get overwhelmed and fed up. I have an appointment with the nutritionist on the 19th and i'm hoping to get all my questions answered.

Here's to a healthy me in 2010!

Now what?!

2009-12-29T09:19:00.003-06:00

Christmas is over and New Year's is fast approaching. Do you get the post holiday let down? I don't usually. I'm actually debating on whether to start taking down decorations or wait until after New Year's. It would be easier to just get it done because Eli is always getting into the tree and trying to take off ornaments and lights. Plus it would be nice to have my living room back. But I will miss the lights.

What will you miss most about Christmas?

I'm trying to work on my word for 2010. I only have a few days to pick it out so I guess I better get busy. I also need to start working on my goals for the new year.

Second knit scarf finished!

2009-12-12T19:27:00.003-06:00

This is the second scarf i've ever knitted, as well as the second knitting project i've ever completed. I think it turned out really well. I'm working on a red one now. After my third scarf i'll try a new type of project.

Snow Day!

2009-12-12T19:23:00.002-06:00

The snow started last Sunday evening and then stopped during the night. Monday night it started again and we got at least 8 inches, probably more between that night and Tuesday night. There was no school on Wednesday.

Scarf time!

2009-12-12T19:18:00.003-06:00

I made Samuel and Addison fleece scarves yesterday. Here are some pictures. They didn't turn out quite the way I wanted them to so I may try to redo them as I have enough fabric left.