Just Checking In

Over at the Sisterhood they have changed their Weigh in Wednesday's to Check in Wednesdays. (They have also changed their look and I love it!) I for one think this is a great idea. Sometimes you just want to check in and tell how you are doing without having to say oh, hey by the way, I gained. It is good just to say hey, I worked out really hard this week maybe the scale didn't move, but I still hit all my workout goals.
But this week was super successful so I am more than happy to say that I 1. lost 2 pounds this week, you know the 2 that I keep losing and regaining. Yeah those two, lost them again, hopefully for good this time. And 2. I have worked really hard to meet my workout goals. I am training 3 days a week for my 5K and also doing toning exercises at least 2 days a week.
Of course I start doing better as soon as the challenge is over, but there is a new challenge starting soon! The Down and Dirty in 30 Challenge and I can't wait to get started. It starts Sunday August 1st and it is a team challenge. So if you haven't signed up yet, sign up!
And good luck to everyone, doing the challenge or not, let's make this week ROCK!

Summer Blues?

Is it really possible to have the summer blues? If so I have them. Or maybe it isn't the blues as much as the "my give a damn's busted." I am in a rut. I am not sure if it is work, or home, or both, or the heat, but I just don't really want to do anything lately.
I am definitely not sad, so I guess the blues are ruled out. I am just kinda ho-hum about things these days. I guess it is just the middle of summer and all the graduation parties are over, we took our summer vacation and now we are just kinda riding on autopilot. Waiting for school to start again, Kris is more than ready, and waiting for life to get back to the school routine. I hate to wish summer to be over but I find myself thinking about football and tailgating, homecoming parades and crisp days.
I need to get over it, I need to figure out how to get excited about the beautiful weather we are having and enjoy the great outdoors. It seems like I spend my entire weekend cooking and cleaning and don't really get to enjoy any particular activity. Gary has a great idea that instead of cleaning on the weekend he wants to get it all done before the weekend so we can get out and do something. I think he might be on to something there. Lets hope that it works and that I can get back into the swing of summer before it is over.
I feel like all the things I was excited for are getting put on the back burner and I need to switch things up a bit and put the things I want to do up front. I wanted to take Kris on a bike ride and a picnic this past weekend, instead we ended up in Frankenmuth with my sister and niece. I wanted to have a bonfire on Saturday and instead we watched a movie in the house, in my defense on that though Gary wasn't home and I wasn't comfortable lighting a fire without him there. I just need to find a way to mix my want to's in with the have to's so that I can get excited about things.
I want to go camping this summer, I want to take a canoe trip, I want to spend a weekend in the UP. I want, I want, I want, now I just need to make it happen. On the bright side though, I am turning my want to of running a 5k into a reality. My training is going really well and I think I found a race that enter. I am excited about that, anyone interested in joining me here?
I guess I just need to get over whatever this is and get on with life! Trying to get in more of the things I want to do and just enjoying the fact that I can go outside without a jacket. That is saying something when you live in Michigan!

Anxious

I am having a Monday, and not because it is one of those storm cloudy kinda days, but because I am super anxious today. I am waiting for some good news to come my way and I have been checking and rechecking my phone all day. I am driving myself crazy and it is putting me on edge. I need to relax and just go with things today, but I feel like some very important changes could be coming my way and I am more than ready to grab them with both hands and hang on the for ride. Please keep your fingers crossed that I get the call I am waiting on and that it is good news!
In other news my C25K training is going well. I have gotten back on the horse, so to speak, and I am feeling really good about the runs I have been getting in. I am feeling like I could run longer than my allotted time (5 minuets) but that I should follow the plan so as to avoid injury. I have always been super competitive though, so it is really hard for me not to try and push myself. So far I am doing pretty well keeping on track and not pushing too far. Getting back the to 5k training has helped to make me more committed to the weight loss goals I have too, my only concern now is making sure that I get enough calories in to lose weight and not go into starvation mode. My workouts have been burning 300+ calories so I am trying to keep everything balanced. I know that it will be rocky for a little bit until my body gets used to what I am doing so I am going to try not to step on the scale for a whole week so that the everyday fluctuations doing drive me crazy. So I am anxious to see what the scale reads next week.
Here's to hoping the the rest of the week is better than today and that I can relax a little and enjoy the weather.

Look what I can do!

If you recall a few weeks ago I posted that I was secretly afraid to succeed in my C25K training. That the thought of running 5 minutes at one time was daunting. I had pretty much stopped training. I was still working out, although more in a non-traditional way, i.e. mowing lawn, taking the trash to the end of the road, riding bikes with Kris. Nothing that I actually thought of as a work out. Then last week I went to visit my favorite sister (ok, so I only have one sister,but she rocks) and she gave me her treadmill. I know that my mom really wanted it, and that I beat her too it. so I made a vow to myself that I would use it, or I would have to give it up to my mom. Since I have always wanted a treadmill and since it was heavy and Gary complained every step of the way getting it into my workout room in the basement I figured I had better use it.
My plan was just to take walks on it. It is hot here in Michigan and humid and going outside is just crazy when I can more comfortably just use the treadmill. Anyway back to the plan. Walking, just walking. Remember I had pretty much let fear rule me and gave up the whole running pipe dream. I got on the treadmill, I started walking, and then I started thinking about all these great bloggers and friends that I read that run. Ok, I thought, well I could try it again, it is only a minute, if I don't like it I can stop. So I punched up the speed and ran for 90 seconds. I felt good, really good. I walked for a minute to recoup and then I punched it up again, I ran for 5 minutes. I slowed my pace to a walk and then I moved it up for another 5 minutes. I felt great, I was amazed. I felt empowered and energized, and a little worried that I would pay for that in the morning. But I continued to push myself and did 4 intervals and then a cool down. I stretched, I took a shower because oh my God did I sweat and I finished my day and went to bed. I still feel great this morning, I want to do it again. I broke through a self imposed barrier, I overcame my fear. I can do this!!

The Last Weigh-In

So I can't believe that the challenge is over already. It went by so fast. I did not have the results that I had hoped for in the beginning, but I am glad I participated anyway.
I stepped on the scale with one eye closed this morning, somewhat worried about where the numbers would stop...... and happily they stopped 2 pounds down from where they were last week. I am not down from the start of the challenge but I am not up either and I honestly believe that if it weren't for this challenge keeping me on track I am sure I would be up. I found some really great people out there supporting me along the weigh, (sorry couldn't resist) and I am feeling better about things in general.
This has been a great experience along with being part of the sisterhood. I feel more empowered to do great things with my body and watch it whittle down. There are so many sisters out there that fill me with inspiration and confidence that I know I can do this. That I can do anything. I am still empowered to work at this, to be down when the next challenge starts and to work hard for the end results I want.
Way to go everyone!

Count Your Blessings

I have been feeling stressed lately about life in general. Nothing specific just a lot of little things. I shouldn't be, I should count my blessings. Most people don't have the things or the people in their lives that I have. I have a wonderful husband, 2 great kids, and a large extended family that I adore who love me right back. I am lucky, I am blessed with good things in my life. I have a nice home, a good job, insurance, nice vehicles to drive, some money in the back, good health and on and on. But sometimes I forget about all the good things I have and focus on the not so good, but lately I feel with some of the events that have been taking place that God is telling me to look beyond myself to see the bigger picture.
The bigger picture is that I am blessed; and I need to stop and appreciate how truly fortunate I am. This past weekend brought tragedy to our small town. Our village of 719 people suffered a huge loss, 3 of our high school students were in a tragic accident that left 2 of them dead and one hanging on for dear life. How do you come to grips with something like that. It is such a small community that we knew these kids families. Our son had a locker three down from one of them. One was the great grandchild of my husbands childhood neighbors. The accident was within 3 miles from our home. We saw that fire trucks zoom through town, and even then I didn't give it a second thought that some of our children were hurt, dying, dead. It made me realize some very important things, but mostly how truly lucky I am to have my children home and safe with me. To have my husband come home unharmed every night from driving truck. The little things that you take for granted can be gone so quickly.
So stop, take the time to tell your children and families that you love them. This definitely changed my thinking about what is really important in life and what isn't worth sweating over. My kids are going to do stupid things in life, they will make mistakes, but what is really important is that they know every time they leave the house that I love them, that their Dad loves them. That no matter what they can come to us with anything, we might not always we happy with their decisions but that we will always be there when they need us. The laundry getting folded or the floor getting vacuumed can wait just a little while longer, because right now I am talking to my kids, telling them I love them, giving them a hug and making sure that they know that they make me proud.

Keep your fingers crossed

Some changes are coming to my life soon, I hope. I have something things on the horizon that will make my life so much better. I am afraid to talk about them for fear of jinxing them, but I just want to let everyone know to keep their fingers crossed for me.
I have been feeling kinda down lately, just little things that seem to be coming one right after another. It felt like I was slowly being beat down, but lately it seems that my perseverance has been paying off. Now little things seem to be headed my way, and maybe my luck is changing ever so slightly. I can only hope and pray that some of the good things out there come to fruition.
I am excited and happy about the future again and that is an awesome feeling. I feel like I am riding on cloud nine this past week and I am anxious and excited to see what next week will hold for me. I can finally see a light at the end of a long and miserable tunnel. I will fill you all in when, not if, but when I know more and feel secure that it is real, but in the mean time please send good thoughts my way.
And in other super great news. Kris is home. He was spending a couple weeks with his Dad for the summer and I got to pick him up last night. Oh how I missed him. I hate being away from him, but the reunion is always so sweet. We stayed up late and played together, we watched a movie and ate pizza and pretzels, we snuggled and best of all, I got to tuck him into bed and tell him how very much I love him and missed him. Love that kid. Today he is hanging with Grandma and he has called me no less than 5 times asking me to please come home cause Grandma can't figure out the new game she bought him. It is nice to get calls from him at work even if there is nothing I can do about what he wants.
Even my older son, my bonus son Billy, has been pleasant to be with lately. Him and I have a somewhat shaky relationship. We are so much alike that we butt heads sometimes, but the last few weeks have been good and last night before he left the house he said, "see ya later, love ya." And I said it back, that for us is HUGE. I just hope the good things keep coming, we have had our fair share of the not so good. Billy's beloved dog Buford was hit and killed by a car over the weekend. It was a very sad day at our house. I still tear up thinking about it, but Kris put it best that "All dogs go to heaven Mom, just like in the movie Buford got me for Christmas." I know that Kris knows that Buford didn't really pick out that movie for him, but it is a good memory for him that Buf did.
So thanks for any good thoughts and prayers you can send our way.

Another Weigh In Wednesday

Oh My Gosh! I feel like a broken record this past month! Gain, gain, gain, gain. Not that I am surprised at all this week, like I said I ate and drank and ate some more all last week. So it did not come as a shock that I am up 5 pounds this week. Ick, 5 whole pounds, it kinda makes me ill. But I guess that just leaves me more motivated. The aunties kept saying all last week that you gain 10 pounds on vacation so I guess I am pleased it was only 5.
I am sad that the challenge is almost over. I am not even close to where I wanted to be when it ended and although I have 1 more week, I know that there is no way to redeem myself now. At best I might end up where I started, so that is my goal for this last week. I am not going to stop working hard even when the challenge ends, so when the next one starts I will be already on the right path.
Gary and I both want to make some changes and see some results. He is ready to work with me on losing weight so that will be nice. He is always been super supportive, but now he wants to come along for the journey so that will be better for both of us. He has high blood pressure and a big belly and I have a wide lower body so we definitely both could use some toning and weight loss to be in better shape. I am still excited and motivated to lose weight, the set backs have not pushed me off track of my goals at all, they have just showed me what doesn't work. And vacation eating doesn't work. Journaling and consistent exercise works, and knowing that helps to make the process a little easier. I am very grateful to have the sisterhood to turn to for support and encouragement, it makes every step a little easier knowing that you really aren't doing it alone. So how did you all do? Check in and let us know. And good luck next week, lets finish on a high note and make the best out of the last week!

I'm Baaaack

Well I am home again. It was a wonderful week off. I had a great time with my family and I couldn't have asked for better weather. It was relaxing. We fished, we ate well, we drank a lot, we stayed up late and slept in. It was everything I was hoping it would be and more. It was a little piece of heaven.
We were in the Upper Peninsula on a tiny little island just off of Drummond Island. It was just the 8 of us. Gary and I, Uncle Bill (UB), Aunt Mary, Aunt Lenora, Cousin Tom, Jerry and Al. Jerry is UB's brother and Al was a good friend of UB and Jerry. It was our first trip with those two and they only added to the wonderful atmosphere. We take this trip every year over the week of the 4th. It works out so well, everyone is responsible for 1 dinner and 1 breakfast. Needless to say we ate like kings. We had a full turkey dinner with all the fixings thanks to Aunt Lenora. We ate Elk meat stew from Jerry, Buffalo Burgers from Al, fresh fried fish from Cousin Tom, Chicken wings and homemade beer battered onion rings from Gary and I. Aunt Mary fed us twice, Philly Steak and Cheese the first night and beef stroganoff the last night. It was wonderful, bacon and eggs, pancakes, apple pie, chex mix, raisin bran muffins. So yeah, I am sure that tomorrow will show a gain, but I don't even care. For one solid week I enjoyed everything that life had to offer.
I swam in the Lake, I sat in the sun, I drank beer. I let UB fix me Whiskey and Ginger Ale drinks and Martini's. I never put on any make up. I slept til 8 every morning. I drank coffee on the deck overlooking the glorious lake. I loved every second of it. I was outside all week long, I only stayed inside long enough to take a shower or wash dishes. I knew going into this year that it would be our last year at this particular cabin, and it was. We decided at the end of the week to try a different resort next year.
There were lots of reasons for the change but mostly for the ladies. There is a lot more we can do at the new place. Ride bikes, take walks, ride the 4 wheeler, none of that was really possible at the old location. With all the extra's we can do now I am even more excited for next year. When I have more time I will post some pictures of the absolute best week I have had in a very long time.

Vacation

Ahhhh, a few more hours and I will officially be on vacation. We are not leaving until tomorrow morning and I still have a ton to do to get ready, but I can already feel my muscles starting to relax and the tension leaving my body. My desk is cleared off, my work is done and I have given instructions to my counterpart to cover me for the week. Life is good.
I still have to stop at the grocery store on my way home and pick up the last minute groceries and then I am home to finish the last of the laundry. Throw a few more things in the bags and load them in the truck. The boat is hooked up, the truck is washed and I am more than ready for a week of no phones, no computers and no stress.

We are spending a week on a private island in the upper peninsula of Michigan. Just Gary and me and some family. It is pure heaven. Sitting on the porch looking over Lake Superior while drinking a hot cup of morning coffee. Perfect. Fishing and reading and talking and drinking, I cannot think of a better way to spend the holiday. It is even starting out better than I could have hoped. That 2 pounds I gained this week, was not there when I jumped on the scale this morning. That is setting me off on a great start for vacation.I hope you all have a great July 4th holiday as well. Are you doing anything fun? I will be thinking of you as I sit on the boat and watch the fireworks from the water!
This is our view from the back deck of the cabin. The boys are coming in
from a morning of fishing, Uncle Bill driving the Dirty Myrtie.

And this is Uncle Bill driving the pontoon boat and getting
pulled over by the coast guard.
I can't wait to see what this year will bring.