Nephew and Cousins

Over the Independence Day weekend I had the opportunity to meet my new nephew! This is the boy that made me an aunt. I'm so honored. His name is Ivan and he looks just like my brother and Dad. He's a cutie. Enjoy some pics of the kids.

Nose Piercing Update

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I've gotten a lot of comments on the nose piercing thing, so I thought I'd make my 'comments' right here.

Yes, Andrew approves. I suppose he sees it as the lesser of two evils. He knows how much I want a tattoo. I've wanted one for years, but this is something he's putting his foot down. That makes him sound bad and really he's not like that. There is very little he just says no to without discussion. So I respect that. And I think because this is totally reverse-able he's for it.

Now I'll only be getting this if I get down to 145, so it could be a while yet, seeing as how I only loose like 2lbs a month now. Grrr. I found a place locally that looks reputable to get it done, so maybe this winter. It would be great if it could coincide with my 30th birthday. Sort of poetic.

Rachel, I'll tell you what, if I get my nose pierced, you get your belly button pierced. If we still lived in the same town, I'd say lets do it together. You know what? We could do it this summer when the commission meets! What do you think? I guess I could fudge a bit on the weight goal, sort of a preemptive reward. (Heck, as if 120+ pounds isn't enough for a celebration, I don't know what is!)

Yes, Sandy send me pics, especially of the ones that aren't as noticeable.

One other question I have, I know while it's healing you can't take it out, do they have piercing studs that aren't as noticeable from the beginning?

Oh and how much did it cost?

Thanks ladies for all the support!

Nose Piercing

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I have been toying with the idea of getting a nose piercing for some time now. In fact, I'd rather do that than go Goodwilling. But, being the cautious one that I am, I am really weighing this before I just go and shove a poker through my nose.

Do you have one? Know anyone close to you that has one? Remember I am a pastors wife and I don't know how the church will react. This is a backwoodsy, down-home sort of place and I can just imagine the reactions.

What do you think?

30 Day Shred - Day 7

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Just so I remember where I am at, I completed Day 7 of the 30 Day Shred. It's still tough, but I notice little changes. Like I am able to actually kick my butt on the butt kicks and the jumping jacks are a little smoother, more graceful. So I'm getting better. Wow, I can't believe I've made it a week, with no breaks! Now on my 'usual' days off, I just do the shred and the walk to the post office (we live in podunk and have to get our mail at the post office everyday. It's a mile walk round trip so it's ok.) and no other working out. Well, I do also do some work in the garden, so I'm staying active but no extra planned working out.

I think I'll be ready to move on to the next level in a day or so. Woohoo!

Brutal Honesty

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Nadia gets my mothers knack for honesty.

We were lounging around in the kiddie pool this afternoon, just her and I, having a good time cooling off. She braced herself with her hand on my thigh to get up and noted: "Mama, you're squishy!"
"Yes, yes I am. But you are too, you are squishy on your butt and your cheeks. Everyone is squishy."
"Why are you squishy Mama?"
"It's called fat, Nadia. Everyone has some. Even Papa, even Rhys. Everyone has fat."
"Rhys' butt is squishy, my butt is squishy. I'm a little squishy, but you are A LOT squishy."

Thanks Nadia for that reminder. *sigh*

It's All Tammy's Fault!

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Ok, so I had been following Tammy's 30 Day Shred reviews for a while now and thought "nah, this can't be as hard as she says it is. And I'm in GOOD shape, this isn't hard enough for me." I even went to Collage Video's and watched excerpts of it and still wasn't convinced. Well, I WAS WRONG. So wrong. So so wrong.

We have Netflix, which is a nice way to rent vidoes by the way, and I saw that I could get the 30 Day Shred, so I thought I'd at least see the whole thing. Hey, it would be nice to do something different, even if it was boring. Hah! Again, I was wrong.

I got the DVD today and sat down to view it. I always view my workouts before I do them, that way I have a heads up on what's happening, it helps me to perform better. While I was folding laundry, I noticed these ladies were sweating only 10 minutes into the workout. I thought "why are they sweating already? I mean, they haven't done that much" But it looked like fun and I was eager to do a workout tonight so I decided to do it. Here I sit, 30 minutes later, sweaty, hurting, but so so happy about this workout! It is exactly what I needed! It CHALLENGES me. I needed something to challenge me. I'm hoping this works. I plan on doing it everyday as they say to and see how it goes. I do plan on walking afterwards, just for like 15 mins or so, just to get outside by myself and get some sun. This is an excellent workout people, I highly recommend it. Try it, you won't regret it.

Beets

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We planted Beets this year as we love pickled eggs and beets. I learned, however, that you can eat the tops and we have been. I've been putting them in out salads. Just the young, tender pickings, when I am thinning out the row. But the big leaves are too big and too tough for salads, so I'm wondering if I can get your help. I know the South eats greens and so I'm sure they have to have wonderful recipes for that. I don't know how many Southern Belle's I have reading this blog, but if you wouldn't mind sharing your recipe with me, I'd be so obliged.

I've got to do something with these greens and I sure don't want to throw them out (that would just go against my frugal nature.) So share away and I'll post the resulting plate of food. Thanks!

Sheer Foolishness

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Americans are foolish. I include myself in that statement. I spent over an hour and a half doing the most foolish act I think I could do. And I volunteered to do it too! I bet you've done it too. In fact I wager to say that most Americans have done such a foolish act themselves.

We mow the lawn.

Why, you ask, is that so foolish? Well, think about it. What is the purpose of a lawn? To mow it? Certainly seems so. Some people spend more time on their lawn than what they do their children. Um, this is wrong. And with the price of gas these days we are literally blowing money all around our yards. And what do we have to show for it? Little tiny pieces of cut grass, allergies, wasted time, money and energy. And for what? So it looks nice? If I spent that much time on my face and hair every morning people would call me vain. But if I spend that much time on the lawn, my neighbors are pleased. This is asinine. About the only thing I can see beneficial to mowing the lawn is exercise. If, that is, one uses a push mower. (And trust me I count every single calorie I drop on that lawn, whether it's foolishness or not! A calorie spent is a calorie spent!)

It would be better, especially in this economy, if we all just had huge gardens. We'd get a lot more for our money, time and energy. We'd all be better off financially, physically and eat better. I know gardening takes time, but doesn't mowing the lawn? Yes, there still is gas involved, but after the initial tilling, we don't drag that machine out till we put the garden to bed. It's really a better deal people. I'm thinking we'll expand next year. We have four gardens right now (not including the herb garden) but we could go bigger. Maybe connect all the gardens. I'm thinking a whole backyard full of food to eat. And where we have the clothesline just lay down some stones. No mowing required.

Now I realize that there are people who can't have a garden instead of a yard, or those who have huge lawns and it would be ridiculous to have such a huge garden. So I propose a new trend, a new business venture. Think with me here: Rent-A-Goat. These animals can eat grass (and weeds) like nobody's business. We could get boro's and townships to allow so many goats per family or per acreage. And it would only be during the grass growing months. A temporary lean-to would be provided in the rental fee. Sure there is the, um, waste products (that lawn mower we all have now has waste products) but those are beneficial for all those huge gardens we are going to have. What benefit does exhaust have? I'm sure it's just dandy for the environment. Suppliers of these goats would make a killing during the summer months and then spend the fall and winter months 'restocking' their supply. It's a great idea. And, here's the bonus, for a bit more rental fee one could get a nanny goat and keep the milk! Goats milk is purportedly better for us than cows milk anyway, so it's a win-win-win situation. Natural fertilizer for the gardens, lawn is mowed and you save money on milk and get a better product anyway! Oo, I like this idea! Just pop that goat on a picket line and problem solved.

Hmm, I may have something here.

Journal

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I don't journal very much anymore. I used to, a lot, but then just sort of got out of the practice. I used to journal right before bed. Well these days the only thing I can think of before bed is, well, bed. I think my journal is under the bed somewhere. I have good intentions, but alas, my thoughts and frustrations remain conjumbled in my head. So, I need to get some stuff out. I am about to burst.

I feel like a lousy mother. Really, I do. My daughter is constantly asking to go to a different neighbors house all the time. And I feel like she wants to because I'm no fun. And I feel like I'm no fun because I have all this stuff I have to do. I try to include her in it, but when I ask if she wants to do this or that with me, she says no. What am I to do? We go on walks, but she always wants to go to the park. I've sworn off the park because she every time we go to leave she throws a fit the whole way home. I don't want to deal with that anymore. And last time she threw woodchips at another little girl who was doing nothing to her. I am so frustrated. The more she acts up the less I want to be around her and so I push her away. I know I do it. I just don't know what to do with her. If I say the sky is blue she'll say it's most definitely red. She'll argue the paint right off the wall. Even my parents and my best friend have told me that she's intense, active and hard to handle. She doesn't listen. I've tried time outs, spanking, ignoring the behavior, yelling, firmly telling her what I expect and it may work one time but not another. I'm about ready to give up! I am so frustrated, I just don't know what to do. I've always dealt with feeling love towards her, since the beginning. I have ppd to thank for that. I struggle with it, I've prayed about it. And I even sat down with her and had a talk about me not being perfect but trying to be a good mama. She seemed to understand. Things got better, a little, after that, but now they are back to bad. I've read Dr Dobsons' book, thank you very much. I don't know what else to do.
Different note. I read an article on sparkpeople about ideal weight. Come to find out my ideal wieght is in the range of 117-143. And because I am small framed (boo) I should weigh towards the end of that range. Crap. You mean to tell me that I still, after I loose the rest of what I thought was my lifetime goal I will still have like 20lbs left to loose? Man oh man. When does it end? I can see why women become anorexic, they are constantly told they are too fat! I still haven't decided if I'm going to go that low. I guess I want to wait until I get to my first goal. If I ever get there. Sometimes I think I'd be happy right here. Or at least at 154 because then that stupid BMI thing would say I'm a 'normal' weight. That'd be nice. Do you know that stupid thing still says I'm overweight? At least I'm not obese anymore. Gee wizz. Give me a break. I feel like I"m starving as it is right now. I'm hungry all the time of late and I look at myself in the mirror and I see a very tired mama. I have bags, bags! people. I don't know if that's because I'm getting up a couple times at night or not. And I'm not willing to do controlled crying with Rhys as I was with Nadia. I don't know why. PPD made me insensitive I think. Anyway maybe I need to back off of the dieting for a little bit. I think I'm getting too obsessed over it. I think I'm getting beat up.
By the way, how many times should a 8 mo old baby be getting up at night anyway? I mean he'll eat and go right back down. I can't complain about that. But I'm suffering for sleep here. And a lot of the time if Nadia gets up it's me who deals with that too. Why do mothers need sleep? Why can't we all just be supermom?
By the way I'm starting to taper off my meds. Just took a half dose last night, as per the dr. Will be doing that for a month and then a half tab every other day for a month.
There are times I say "God give me grace!" and that scripture pops into my mind "My grace is sufficient for you." So I guess it's going ok, because if it wasn't He'd change it, right? Sometimes I still feel like I need a friend who doesn't know I'm a pastors wife. I just need to be frank sometimes. Or charlie or larry.
Still my prayer, Lord give me grace.

Another Milestone...

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When Andrew and I married, we were easily 90lbs different in weight. Him being thinner, much thinner than I. That has changed. Oh yes. I am now thinner than my husband. That's not to say I've lost 90lbs in the past 6 years, no I've lost my fair share, but he's also gained his fair share as well. I've always wanted to weigh less than my husband, don't know, guess it's a woman thing. And it's here, I've finally made it. YAY!!

Even if it is only a half a pound, I still weigh less. Heh heh.

I Gotta Tell Ya

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Rhys did the cutest thing tonight, I just hafta tell ya about it. This week is VBS. I am not about to take Rhys out 3 hours past his bedtime, so it's just him and I at bathtime. Which is fine, we have great fun. I really do enjoy putting him to bed. We usually end up playing and seeing what new things Rhys has learned. After I get him undressed I put him on the floor in his room and go get his bath ready. His room is right next to the bathroom and so he usually meets me there in a few minutes. He's crawling now, y'all knew that right? Well tonight I decided to play a gentle game of peek-a-boo. I heard him coming down the hall (how can you miss his grunting and excited squeals? He really is a contentedly noisy baby!) and I decided to hide behind the open bathroom door. He knew I was nearby and he thought I was in the bathroom, but when he got to the bathroom door and didn't see me, he didn't quite know what to think about it. You see, he doesn't crawl on all fours, he army crawls. So I'm secretly looking at a buck-naked boy scanning the bathroom to his left, the rest of the hall and living room directly in front and then craning his neck to peer into our room on his right. Upon not seeing me he gives a little bewildered moan, I swear he was trying to say 'mama?' It melted me. I couldn't stand to see him laying there on the floor feeling all alone when he really wasn't. So I peaked further from behind the door and said 'peek-a-boo!' He flashed me the widest grin and commenced to crawling into the bathroom, all happily grunting away.


He is such a heart-breaker.

The Lord's Table and a Guest Blogger!

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I invited fellow crunchy mama to be a guest blogger today. She has dealt with the whole food control issue and has found a great resource for dealing with that. I have started the study and I'll tell you, it is great. It's simple, but it uses a lot of scripture and it cuts you to the core. So far it's been effective. I haven't lost much weight, but that's not my goal. My goal is to change my food-view. And it's working. I praise the Lord! Anyway.

Sandy's Blog is called The Daily Poop. I encourage you to visit her blog, if you don't already and check her out. She's full of wisdom and humor, which is so needed in today's age. Take it away Sandy!

First of all, I'm really flattered that Kathryn would ask me to be a guest blogger. It's an honor for sure! Thanks Momma!
The asking came about when I read this post of hers. *gasp*! That could have been written by me...I share the same feelings. Always have, and probably always will.
Without getting sidetracked into my past dealings with my weight and obsession with food...I'll sum it up by saying that I hated exercise. This, I think, was due to being an asthmatic and never learning how to suit exercise to my disease; instead opting to avoid it as much as possible. On the other end, I love food. LOVE IT. I was not taught or (more likely) chose to avoid listening how to eat properly, and how to eat only to be satisfied, not because it's so stinkin' yummy.
In fact, I had no concept of eating as a means to live, not as the reason to live. Anyone who's been in this mindset knows exactly what I'm talking about.
Food addiction is real. It's perhaps not as horrible or life threatening as a crack addiction, or as cruel as an alcohol addiction, but it's just as real. And it's a tough one to beat. Anyone can avoid alcohol. You can quit and simply say, "No thank you, I don't drink" Try doing that with food. It's a paradox in that you must have it in order to live, yet you must learn how to live with it. And it's shocking how much food can take over your thoughts, just like any other addiction.
The main reason Kathryn asked me to post is because I've done a bible study before, called The Lord's Table. I had heard of it, but thought it was merely a weight loss tool, which it is sort of. Weight loss is a really awesome bonus. The REAL purpose is to teach some harsh truths to those of us who are addicted to food and will not admit it, then to guide us in love and teach us through the Word how to be free from it.
This study is wonderful. I decided it was time to try it when I was the heaviest I've ever been right before the birth of my third child. I saw pictures of myself and was not pleased. Not.pleased. Justin and I looked up the study and decided to try it together. It's a bible study, eating plan (there's actually two), message board, and each person is given a 'mentor'. Someone who has done the program before and completed a leader study. This person emails you daily, receives copies of the studies you do online, and is a encourager and helper as you do this study.
If you're willing to make the change, admit sin and repent before God, this WILL help you. I lost 50 lbs after son was born. I have a lot left of course, and plenty of excuses why it's not gone yet, but the study works. Your mindset will change if you are ready to change it.
One of the first things the study is frank about...and this is a tough one to chew (pun intended, even if it was no good =P ) -- if you think of food all the time, you are making it your idol. That was hard to realize, I had never considered that before.
But it's true, anything we put before the Lord is an idol. And it doesn't take much, honestly. Every time I go to the cabinet and get some chocolate ''because I'm...." that's idolatry. I'm turning to food for comfort instead of God. Have you ever had those "I'm want something to eat don't know what I want" moments? More often that not, that's your body longing for spiritual food, rather than earthly food. Try spending some time with God, and see if that doesn't ease the pangs first. From experience, I can tell you it will most of the time.
Does that mean we can never enjoy food again and must hate the very sight of it?
NO. It's about balance. It's not a sin to love food. The sin comes from loving food MORE than God. The whole point of the study is to teach that nothing tastes better, nothing feels better, nothing is more pleasing than time spent with Him. And oh how it's true!

Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him Psalm 34:8


How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 103:119

The study makes a wonderful point about midway through:

For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving 1 Tim 4:4

If you want to have a cookie, have a cookie. Thank Him for it. Just don't eat 20 because they are so good, and then feel ashamed afterward.
That's the beauty and the price of freedom from food bondage. We are allowed to enjoy food. We are to be grateful for it! For who did all things come from? Being thankful, remembering from whom our bounty comes from, and focusing on God while enjoying a wonderful meal made from God's creation is key in breaking the bondage food holds on so many of us.
The biggest points to remember throughout this study:
-Loving food to the point it's an obsession is idolatry. Not easy to hear or admit, but true
-Enjoyment of food is NOT a sin. The sin comes from depending on food for anything other than sustenance and enjoyment (ie comfort).. The Lord is to be our comfort. He is to ease our loneliness, soothe our anger, fulfill the cravings that come from deep within.
-Everything God created is good. And God created everything, so it's all good. From the veggies from the market, to the cookies that come from the junk food aisle. And everything in between. The point is to remember from whom it comes and not love the food so much you forget who gave it to you.


The Lord's Table is a wonderful study. I highly recommend it. If you do try it and like it, will you let me or Kathryn know?

Again, thanks for having me over to your blog Kathryn! I wish I was *really* there, so we could have a cup of tea and a cookie and talk about God's awesomeness!

With Just 13 lbs to go...

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...I thought I'd post what I'm going to do when I loose the rest of it.





I'm going on a shopping spree!! I asked hubby and he said sure! Now, guess where I am going?



To Good Will!! I love our Good Will. Every other weekend they have a 50% off EVERYTHING in the store sale. Oh yeah! I'm taking $50 and buying as much as I want for a new wardrobe on one of those weekends. I am so stoked!

So that is my reward. Maybe it's not to someone else, but I can't wait!

Oh and I get to do it sans kids. Woohoo!! Now I really want to get it off!

Mad Scientist Mama

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I must be a glutton for punishment, or at least work. Oy. I decided to go a bit crunchier and cheaper and make my own laundry detergent. First I did the whole grating a bar of soap, add some borax and washing soda. It worked great, but not on cloth diapers. See most laundry detergents don't have oils or fats in them. Soap does, and it deposited itself all over my nice absorbent diapers. When they came out I was like 'ooooo, soft diapers!' Then I figured out it was the wax from the soap and Eeek, my diapers didn't have as much absorbency. Crap. So then I found a 'cloth diaper safe' recipe. It consisted of oxyclean, borax and washing soda. Weeeellll, it didn't wax them, but it didn't get them totally clean. I'm sure my neighbors had a hoot watching me hold slightly stained and dingy diapers up to my nose doing the sniff test. They smelled clean, and so I thought they were. But, but, BUT! When I washed them after being used with an actual laundry detergent those previous 'stains' came out. So I guess they weren't really clean? Ew. Poor Rhys. So I have ditched that idea of making my own laundry detergent and going back to Shaklee's. Sure it's a pretty penny, but it's eco-friendly and it is super concentrated. It does last me a long time and it gets my clothes clean. I can use it in cold water too. It's actually what I grew up with. That box lasts me about half a year with our front loader. And I can use the borax, washing soda and the oxyclean to boost my wash.

So if you make your own laundry detergent and it works for cloth diapers I'd like to know your recipe. Until then I'll use the Shaklee laundry detergent.

Run, Kathryn, Run

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Did you know June 3 is the first ever National Running Day? Will you run with me? I'll be running, making my rounds in our small town in Central PA. Let me know if you will be running, I'm curious to know. I'll see you out there!!

National Running Day

My Secret Addiction

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I have a confession to make, maybe if I confess it, it won't have such a hold on me. I do not have a good relationship with food. It doesn't matter that I've lost 120 lbs. I've only gotten there through being rigid. It's all or nothing with me. If I am at a party and I eat one sweet pastry I figure that the day is ruined and I might as well just eat whatever I want. I hardly allow myself a sweet and if I do I feel guilty all day long. I feel guilty for eating something unless it's very low in calories and fat. I feel happy, elated when I am under my caloric needs for the day. I rejoice when I see that I haven't even met my fat gram needs for the day. That's not good. I am still nursing a baby and I don't want to sabotage him. So I make myself eat. But I only justify eating if it's something like lentils or carrots. Granted those are good for me and my son, but I think there has to be a better way. I am always thinking of food. I think of when I can eat next and what I will eat next. If I am putting food away from dinner I will want to eat just a bite here or there even if it's cold! I will want to put food in my mouth even if I am not feeling physical hunger. I see my husband eat and I've told him about this. He does not have the same problem. It's frustrating! He said 'that would be exhausting'. It is. From the time I wake up till I go to bed the one thought on my brain is food. I hate it. I don't like it. But I don't know what to do to change it. If anyone deals with this, I would welcome your comments. If someone has dealt with it and successfully overcome it, I really welcome your comments. More than loosing weight I want to have a healthy relationship with food.

Pictures of, well, me.

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Hey it's my blog, I can put pictures up of me. They do serve a purpose, not just to be totally vain. I did promise weight loss pics and here they are. Forgive me, I took them myself. So they are a bit, um, shoddy I guess.
These are also great no-poo shots. I washed my hair with baking soda, rinsed with apple cider vinegar, air dried and then used a tad of jojoba oil on the ends. Oh and I brushed it. That's it! I think it looks pretty darn good.

Here are some before shots.

Just 13lbs to go. Just 13.....

I think I can, I think I can....

Rhys' Dedication

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This past sunday we had just about all the family up for Rhys' dedication. We don't believe in infant baptism, so this ceremony was really for the parents and family of the child. We basically promised to raise this boy, who is a gift, on loan, from the Lord, in the fear and admonition of the Lord. We intend to do just that. My dad did the dedication, which was wonderful. Rhys' Godparents were there and all the other grandparents too. I could see nothing but smiles out in the congregation. I guess it's a good thing for people to see. Here is a few shots from the ceremony and the rest of the day. Rhys, by the way, was the first baby not to cry for Dad. All the other Navajo babies cry for him. I'm glad for that.

Question...

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Am I a bad mother? My son is playing with a cardboard box. And enjoying it. And I'm ok with that.

Guess I won't be getting the Mother of the Year award this sunday. Heh heh. That's ok. Once you get it, you have to live up to it. ;)

FYI...

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Some serious updates ahead. Lots of reading. Don't say you weren't warned....

Life Ordination

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Andrew recieved his life ordination a week or so ago. I am so proud of him. This is a long awaited celebration. Praise the Lord! Here are a few pics of that ceremony. Standing, waiting, listening...

Vowing...

More vowing...

Conferring blessing...


Official Declaration of Lifetime Ordination

Way to go honey!!

Short No-Poo Update

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I've read people saying that when they no-poo it is a constant discovery process of your scalp and hair. No kidding. I thought my regimen a month or so ago would be it for the rest of my life. Not so. I've also read of people only 'washing' their hair like once or twice a week. Ew, I thought, they must not work out. Well, again, I am wrong.

Currently my hair stays nice, I mean, non-oily, bouncy, shiny and soft for at least 3 days between washings. Now I do rinse my hair and massage my scalp on the in between days, because I do exercise and sweat most days of the week. But I just let that air dry and it looks great. Before I was washing every other day, but when my hair didn't look that bad and I didn't feel like washing it I decided to let it go an extra day and it looks wonderful! I'm also using about half the amount of baking soda I was using before and about twice as much apple cider vinegar. My hair was too dry (too much bs) and too frizzy (not enough acv). That has solved the problem. I really don't need to use much oil, now, just on the ends. I'm still sold and love that there are less bottles in the shower. Less to buy, less to spend, less time in the shower. I'm sold.

I do add just a bit of lavender to my oil, that's my 'treat'. Heh heh. Every mama has to have something!

Weight Loss Update

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I keep saying that I've lost weight and I have, but I haven't given an update, so here you go.

On March 14, I got to my pre pregnancy weight, I have no idea what my measurements were, but since then I've dropped 7 more pounds and can now fit into my jeans I wore right before I got pregnant. Yes, folks, that's a size 10. Wooohooo!! As far as measurements are concerned, this is how I've fared (from Dec 8, when I started measuring):

• -.25 inch off neck
• -1.75 inch off upper chest (right under the arms)
• -1.5 under bust
  
• -5 inches off waist
• -2 inches of thighs
• -4.5 inches off hips
• biceps are the same
• forearms are the same
• wrist is the same
• -.75 off calves

Measurements and weight are both below pre-pregnancy status, except waist, which I need to loose two more inches before I get there. I'm pretty happy with what I've done so far. I can't believe how close I am to a 'healthy' weight. I'm aiming for 145. I just want to get there. If I get there and don't feel good or think I don't look good, I'll gain 5lbs or so. But I've never been thin as an adult so I don't know what I good weight for me is. This weight now is old weight, I mean I can't remember the last time I was in the 150's. I can't believe I'm in the 150's. I can't believe I've lost over 100lbs! This is awesome! My parents are still getting over how much I've lost. And I think I've inspired my mother to loose. She's like two sizes behind me, which is cool, because I have someone to give my clothes to. It's expensive to loose weight, that is if you buy all new clothes everytime you reach a new size. I just go to goodwill or yardsales. It doesn't make sense to pay out the nose for something you are only going to be in for a few months. So I think it's cool. I'm glad I'm getting it off and I'm happy for mom that she is too. This is good healthwise too. I gave blood this week and they take your blood pressure. Mine was 104/60. Wow! With my grandfather dying of a massive heart attack and my grandmother having massive strokes, a low bp is a good thing.

This is exciting and I can't wait to get there.

Now I need your help, what should I do to celebrate? No eating, it wouldn't feel like a celebration. Hubby says no to a tattoo and I don't want to get anything peirced. Those are the rules. Help me figure out something that will really let me celebrate/reward myself.

SparkPeople

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When I was pregnant with Nadia and Rhys I came across a website devoted to pregnant and nursing mothers. Well, more specifically, the diet of pregnant and nursing mothers. It helped you to know just how much of whatever you needed to be eating. I never knew how many calories I should eat and most people would say 'just eat when you are hungry'. Well for some reason I have a hard time knowing exactly when I'm hungry and when I'm just hormonal or emotional. I need to have a guideline or I go seriously over. BabyFit is one of the many websites of Sparkpeople.com. I found them again when I got tired of my old calorie counting website, which has worked really well. I thought I'd let you in on the best kept secret out there.

Sparkpeople.com is free, which is a plus these days and it's extensive. It keeps record of all the usuals, calories, weight, exercise, measurements for you. And it also figures out how much you should be eating. But it's so much more than that. They have teams you can be a part of. Currently I am on a BootCamp team that inspires you to exercise or tone something everyday. I am also on a breastfeeding team. Sparkpeople has certified coaches that record free videos and demonstrations of exercises and toning. So far I've done kickboxing, lower body and upper body toning, pilates and stretching. What has really sold me on this website, aside from the free aspect, is the free videos. I can't believe it! It does have a store and a few sponsor adds, but I've never felt annoyed by them. In fact, I'd say you have to look for them.

It does have options to 'accesorize' as I'd call it. You can make you own page and connect with people in your area. It has a really nice feature that you can map out your walking/running route and tell it how long it takes you and it will tell you how many calories you are burning and how far you've gone. I really like that.

All in all, I'd give it two thumbs up. It's a very nicely done website with lots and I mean lots of resources. You gotta check it out.

My New Toy

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I've got another toy. I guess you could say mother's day came a bit early for me. That's ok. I realize that most of my 'toys' are working items. I like that though and actually would rather have it that way. I really can't think of other things I'd like to have. I'm not really a jewlery girl and I like shoes, but I don't go out much so what's that point? And my hair is so natural I don't get it dyed or permed, so if I am wanting something it's probably got to do with the house.

Anyway. I've been making my family's bread for years now, using the countertop (which is grouted tile, which is really hard to clean and is basically stained now from doing so) or the table (that's really low and Nadia gets into the flour) so I requested a bread board. I knew what I wanted. Something big enough to roll out bread to form, heavy enough not to move and thick enough not to warp. I ended up getting this.
It actually has two working sides. The other side has markings for pie, tart and quiche crusts. It has ruler measurements along the sides. It's nice, but I really don't need that for bread, so I just use the plain side. That way it stays cleaner longer. I really like it. It has lips on both ends, which both keep the board from shifting and keep the flour from moving off the board. The only problem is, it's really big. It does not fit in any of our cupboards, so it is stored hanging off the edge of our fridge. It's out of the way, though, so I'm not going to complain. It is pretty heavy, but I figure if I'm throwing bread around I can lift that up a couple of times a week. It does work well and I'm enjoying not having to scrape up bits of dough from the counter. Thank you hubby!

Quickie...

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We've had a hectic week, filled with travel, visiting, visitors, dedication, illness, cooking, cooking, cooking! And so much else. I will update more with pics later. Just wanted to let you know I am still here, still in one piece and in much need of some relaxation.

White Noise

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How many of you sleep with a white noise machine? What about your children? My children do and I want to wean them off of it. But I am afraid I'll have sleepless nights for a while till they do. We had machines that ran all night and they went kaput. So I bought new ones, well they only run on a timer and then shut off after certain time increments. The longest being an hour. I worry they will wake up. Tonight is the first night of it. So far so good, although Rhys just rustled and seemed irritated, so I popped the bink back in. Trips to the dr's are always rough on the kids. We have to travel a bit and then we usually have to get a prescription so the day is long and he doesn't get good naps that day. Anyway, I'm worried about all this and I shouldn't be. Why am I even blogging about this? Oh I know, because I"M TIRED AND WORN OUT!!

Pray for me.

No-Poo Update

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So I've been no-pooing it for a while now, I can't remember how long, a month maybe? Well it was going great, until..... I got frizzy dry hair. NOOOOOOO!!!!

So I tried a honey rinse. Bad idea. Well the idea itself wasn't bad, what was bad, was not following the recipe exactly. Hmm, that looks like 1 tsp of honey and that looks like 4 cups of water. Eww, why is my hair crunchy? It said not to rinse. I had to keep my hair up all day because Rhys likes to chew on my hair and well, honey's not good for infants under 12 mo's ya know.

But, the next day, when I washed my hair the outcome was glorious. It did turn out really nice. And I realized I was using too much baking soda, so I cut back on that and my hair is not so frizzy anymore. I'm really oiling it well too with the jojoba oil. It all seems to be working.

Little Bit o Dis

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Life has been, shall we say, hectic around here. Forgive me for not blogging of late. Here is a quick summary of what's going on...

I am slowly getting things in my garden that can go in at this point. Such as onions (we have 3 types), spinach, lettuce, and beets (we are trying those this year, as we love pickled beets and eggs). I am planning on getting my potatoes in soon. I can't wait to see those wonderful, beautiful plants coming up.

We have sickness in the house again. Seems like we just chased it out not so long ago. Nadia's been puking off and on for a week now. It's not the stomach flu, ya know, where you throw up for like a day and then you recover. She throws up like once a day, sometimes twice and then it's done. However, her stomach is constantly hurting and she isn't eating very much. We caved and let her eat her cheesy sunchips. Poor girl. One look at her and you can see she's sick. Went to the dr today, Nadia has pinkeye and a double ear infection, not to mention a cold. We think what is happening is that the mucous from her nose is draining into her empty stomach and well, her body says 'get on outta here'. And up it comes. We got a decongestant for her and hopefully, I pray, she's doing good so far tonight. In the past nights she's usually thrown up by this point. Rhys has an ear infection, which probably explains why he's been getting up so stinkin early. I am feeling a cold coming on too, but I've been hitting with everything I have. Garlic, echinacea, fluids, zinc, vitamin C. Pray for all us, because....

We leave on sunday for the annual conference. We will be staying with Andrew's parents for a few days. I hopefully, if the kids are better, will get to see my new nephew and just a few days of relaxation. Andrew is receiving his lifetime ordination. This is a huge deal for us. This is something he's been waiting for for a loooooong time. We are grateful.

I am continuing to drop weight. I love it. I had the dawning realization that I had no summer clothes. Last summer I wore matnerity summer clothes, and the summer before that I was a size 14/16. I had since gotten rid of all of those. I had a few shirts I could wear but no shorts or capris. So I went to walmart and *gasp* I'm in a size 10 again!! The one pair I could've worn an 8, but they didn't have that size. And I was shocked to find out that walmart doesn't have sizes below a 6. It was only 9 years ago that I was at the other end of the spectrum. I was a 28. At that point they hadn't come out with the 30/32 size for plus sized women yet. I was worried. What was I going to do if I had gained anymore weight? Thank you Jesus, I didn't. But now I'm at the other end. It's kinda nice.

That's all for now. I'm tired, Andrew is on the phone with an old friend and we have 15 minutes left of LOST. *sigh* Goodnight all, see ya in the funny papers!

Aint Got Much to Say

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I figured I'd check in with y'all. But I aint got much to say. Mostly household stuff and working on a nine-patch quilt. I can't wait to get that done. I have a lot of respect for people who put these things together on a regular basis. Oy. Later gaters.

Gratitude

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Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice. I know it's not enough, but I am grateful. Blessing and honor to your glorious name.

Lookee At What I Did!!

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I made a 'baby-in-a-bag' by just copying the one he already had!! I used two recieving blankets that we don't use anymore and put it together in like 2 hours!! I did use Jan Andrea's instructions and it worked so well. If he needs more I will make more, because I have tons of zippers (my grandmother was from the great depression) and more recieving blankets. I couldn't bear to pay $12 for a sleeper he might only use for 3 months. And I scoured out good will for some and could only find one. So this is what I did! YAY!

Here's my happy little guy all ready for bed in his new sleeper.
I have matching blankets, but being that this was my first one I didn't want to mess up really nice ones, so that's why the back is striped and the front is pooh. But he doesn't care. Isn't this cool?