Day #3 ~ How'my Doin'

Well, all I can say for day 3 is..."hurt's so good!!!"...I am def feeling the burn! I'm aching in places that I haven't know existed for 2 years now...and it's WONDERFUL!!

I went out to the track at 7am and did the exact regime from the other day except I added one extra .25 mile to the run and another .25 at the end for cool down. It took me 45 minutes, which may seem like a lot considering I ran 1.5 miles of that two and three quarter mile workout, but hey, I'm just starting back up and let's face it, I'm a FAT girl, it's gonna take time to get back to my 10 min mile runs!!

I haven't weighed myself yet, that's tomorrow morning, but I just know it's going to be less! I can FEEL it in my clothing. I love this feeling! I have a lot of energy...well, I did have a lot of energy, but now it's late evening and I'm wearing down. =]

I always find that when I eat right and exercise my mind is not as crammed full of mental "junk" and I have a lot more patience, which is ALWAYS nice!

Whelp, that's all I've got for today. I'd like to leave you with another outfit choice that I'm looking forward to fitting in for Disney in December!!

Day #2 ~ Goals

I woke up feeling GREAT!! I was in bed last night by 9:30 and Anya woke up at 5am to nurse. We both went back to sleep and then my little teenager proceeded to snooze until 8:45!!! That's 15 min before Seth and Gracie arrive so we had to move quickly! haha!

Since I feel so good it wasn't hard to start the day off eating right. I had my toast and cottage cheese breakfast, a carrot snack two hours later and a salad with chicken for lunch at noon. I plan to have a nice orange for snack around 3pm and then for dinner I'm either making lemon chicken & rice or lentil stuffed peppers. Either way it's going to be YUMMY!

Even though I feel fantastic I plan to rest all of today and not do any running or even a conditioning workout because I don't want to strain myself since this is the beginning of working out again. My plan is to head out tomorrow morning if I can haul myself out the door by 6am, or tomorrow evening around the same time as yesterday (5pm)

I'm excited because I know that eating well and exercise really do work for me, and it works QUICKLY! I am very confident that I will see a significant weight loss by the end of next week. My plan is to weigh every Thursday. My first goals are as follows:

-15 pounds lost by the end of May

-25 pounds lost by the end of June

-40 pounds lost by Rachel's wedding August 17

-50 pounds lost by the time Once Season 3 premire

-60 pounds lost by Halloween

-75 pounds lost by the time we leave for Disney sometime in December


They are very reasonable goals with an average of 10 pounds lost per month.

I like seeing these goals written out like that. It makes it real to me and helps my mind to envision each weight loss victory! I am not looking forward to 2013 being over and I don't wish my year away, but I am looking forward to feeling great in December!

Here's to size 12-14 capris in Disney World!!!

Day #1

Running....

I used to run. I loved to run. The day before I found out I was pregnant (2 years ago) I ran 4 miles, nonstop. My doctor told me to stop running when I became pregnant. He said that it was best to not jostle the baby around. I believed him and obeyed.

After Anya was born I waited 6 weeks and tried running again. It was hard because I was nursing her. I was tired from getting up every 3-4 hours during the night so I gave up. Then I had serious surgery (You can read about it here). After that I was afraid to run for a while. Then the track was closed due to repaving. Then it was closed due to stadium repair. Then I could only run in the evening and it became too dark too soon. Then I could only run in the morning and it was so dark that early. Then I packed on 50 pounds...and I've decided...


...ENOUGH EXCUSES!!!!!!!


I hauled myself up to the track today. I walked .25 mile to warm up. I then ran 1 mile straight through. I walked .25 mile, then ran .25 mile, and then walked .25 to cool down. 2 miles on my first day back. Not too shabby. My legs hurt, but I feel good.

This is it. It's not going to be easy but I can do this!!!!!!!!

How Do You Like Your Granola?

Crunchy Granola

This is a term used to describe women who:

"characterized themselves by or define themselves by ecological awareness, liberal political views, and support or use of natural products and health foods."...see also: nursing until child is self-weaned, water birthing, homebirths...

I don't consider myself to be a crunchy granola woman although I do very much do many things that one would attribute to that lifestyle.

- I am still nursing Anya at 16 months. I have every intention of nursing her until she weans herself. I am looking forward to possibly tandem nursing her and her brother/sister when I have another baby.

-  I cloth diaper. I enjoy it so very much. My friend Lindy and I like to call our daughters, Miss Fluffy Tushy, in their cloth diapers because it really poofs out their hindquarters, haha!

- I buy organic whenever possible. It' just TASTES better. Many times it's smaller than the other products and more expensive, but it's so worth it. 

- I attempted to have a homebirth with a midwife but couldn't because I had gestational hypertension and no homebirth midwife would come near me =[

- I attempted to have a waterbirth at the hospital and will most CERTAINLY strive toward this goal with my next child. I couldn't have a waterbirth with Anya because I was in labor SOOOO LONG that I just gave up mentally and asked for an epidural. I do not regret this decision because my body was exhausted and I couldn't handle it anymore after 17 hours of labor...after receiving the epidural I still labored for another 15 hours!! It was ROUGH!!

- I fully support women who nurse in public. I see nothing wrong with it and I think children that observe them and don't understand should be told that those mommies are feeding their babies with milk that their bodies make. We allow our children to walk through the mall and be exposed to skimpy clothing and Victoria's Secret posters, so what's wrong with a mother naturally feeding her child?



Well, that's a little about me. Not really crunchy granola, more like natural rolled oats from the Amish market :D  hahaha!

                                                       ~October 2012~

Susie

~Happy 27th Birthday to my little sister, Susanna!!!~


-Susie is a very good sister-friend of mine. She is my sister and my friend :D

- I see Susie more than all of my other sisters combined. It's not that I don't love my other sisters, I just see Susie more because I feed her dinner every night and she spends her weekend days here. We also attend the same church.

- Susie and I are on the same page with MOST of our views and interests

-Susie looks the most like me out of all of our siblings

-Susie is so very generous and loving to all of her nieces and nephews

-Susie is going to make a great wife one day because she is very loving and she doesn't take others for granted

-Susie is beautiful on the inside and the outside!!

Happy Birthday, Suz!! I hope this year is a great one!! GOD has truly blessed you in all things!

                                          ~Susie and I drew these beautiful pictures!~
    

~My One True Love~

MUSH ALERT! MUSH ALERT!
THIS IS YOU FAIR WARNING THAT I AM ABOUT TO BE SUPER MUSHY!!!!!!


James....oooooh that name is just the cutest name around, isn't it? I used to not like it that much because let's face it, there are A LOT of James/Jimmy's in this world. It ranked #1 Boys name from 1940-1952 and was #17 in 2011 so it's still VERY popular! 

But this isn't just ANY James I'm talking about, this is MY James!! 

James and I met at Target while I was shopping and he was working, in April 2002 and became pretty good friends when I began working there the following month. He was rough around the edges and quite a mean guy but he always had this very nice respect for me and my beliefs. I am a Christian and he WAS a Wiccan. 
In Jan of 2004 James gave his heart to Jesus and after spending a year denying that there would ever be any kind of romantic connection between us, we began dating. My Dad, who was dying of cancer was overjoyed. He had always prayed for a good Christian man to come love and care for me. We began dating Feb 12, 2005 and Daddy passed away March 23, 2005. James and I were engaged May 7, 2005 and married October 21, 2006.

But those are just little snippet details, let me tell you WHY I am so in love with him

#1. James STRIVES to love and treat me just at the LORD commands him to. (Ephesians 5:25)  James strives to love me just as Jesus loves His Church. James is so selfless and giving in our relationship. He very often puts me to shame (though he does not realize this) because he is so eager to love and adore me and I sometimes take it for granted.

#2. James is a SUPER hard worker. He in working full time, in online Bible college full time and he runs the youth and young adult ministry at our church which provides the home that we live in. He is amazing and loving and very organized and thorough in all that he does. 

#3. He's got great hair... What?? I'm allowed to pick out some of the physical attributes of my love! I once heard a preacher who was speaking on relationships say, "Looks aren't everything, but they are SOMETHING" You need to be attracted to your husband or wife...and I am very attracted to James. Like I said, he's got great hair, and he's got these eyes that can make me blush. He just does this certain thing with them sometimes and I come unglued! 

#4. He is an AMAZING father!! He loves Anya so very much and I love to see him with her. Anya loves when Daddy comes home from work! It's so cute! She runs to the door saying, "Dada Dada". He's not afraid to change a poopy diaper or wipe a boogie nose and he enjoys bathing her and snuggling her. He is just her most favorite person! I honestly believe that if it wasn't for the fact that I'm the only one that can nurse her, she would choose Dada over me every time! haha!

#5. He's just the perfect man for me! He's exactly what I need and the LORD knew it and blessed me so very much by giving him to me! I love you, James!!!!!!!!!!


- I realize that we are not the best looking couple in the whole wide world, we aren't thin and pretty, we aren't rich and barely have a penny to our name, but we belong to each other. He is mine and I am his and that is what matters. I wouldn't trade him for anything! He is my one true love and I am so much more blessed than I could've ever hoped for!!

<3

                                          ~6 year anniversary~

 

Background Music

Do any of you enjoy background music?

 I certainly do! But only if I'm not trying to talk to someone! haha!

I enjoy listening to music while I blog, check my emails, or cruise around Pintrest. Everything from hymns, contemporary Christian, 80's love songs, rock ballads, and movie theme songs. There's not too much I don't like...


...BUT...


...it HAS got to be instrumental piano music! If it's anything else, particularly singing, it's too distracting and I can't concentrate on what I what to write.

I think it's because I grew up in a home where Mom played the piano and I don't ever remember not having one. Mom used to play almost every night and I guess I got used to doing chores, homework, and yes, even watching TV, all while hearing piano music in the background.

I do miss that aspect of my life. I miss my Mom so much sometimes and listening to instrumental piano music while I do work really helps me to remember those good times...

Here are some of my favorite Youtube links:

- In Christ Alone

-How Great Thou Art

-How Firm A Foundation

-All I Ask Of You

-Weekend In New England

-I Would Do Anything For Love