Run, Forest, Run...

The training has officially begun. I am training for a 10K in November and the 1/2 marathon in January. If I feel confident after that, I'm aiming for a full marathon in March...we'll see about that, though. I love the spiritual journey that running takes me through. For me, it brings truths to my life as an individual and as part of the body of Christ. I'll be posting as the Lord shows me these things.

On a lighter note, I started this morning with some AI training, which is where you run faster for a short amount of time, then walk to recover. This isn't an all out sprint your heart out run, just a faster run than normal - a run that says "I'm workin." This is something new I am doing this year, and this is the first time I've done it. Let me just say that I am awkward when I am not running my normal, slow pace. Speeding it up just that small amount turned me into the Little House on the Prairie girl running/falling down the hill in the intro. I swallowed the bit o pride I had and kept at it. I'll look ridiculous, but at least my body will be exercised, more tone and I will be building my endurance and speed. Had I been driving on the road and seen me running I would've pointed and laughed hysterically.
Because that's the kind of girl I am...

Weigh to Go

Alrighty peeps, I've weighed in. After a week of miscalculating my total points, I have lost .5 lbs. I'm thrilled and pretty much ecstatic that I lost anything at all. I'm hitting a weight where everything fluctuates so much throughout the day, so it really is a stab in the dark when you are counting by the half pound. I'm fairly confident that I'll have some gaining weeks on the horizon...

This Weeks Weight: 137.5

This Weeks Loss: -.5

Total Lost: 30.5lbs


I'm starting the 10K/1/2 marathon training, so my goal is to keep up with that this week and to drink plenty of water. It's pretty much still hotter than Hades here.

Cpt Mom, I'm so thrilled for the time you will have with Major Hunk soon. And thrilled for your renewed heart on this journey. It's so refreshing to be friends with such a transparent sister in Christ. Keep on keepin it real! And exercise away girlfriend. See ya next week.

Weighing In

Beginning weight: 188.4
Current weight: 171.4
This week: - .4

Total weight lost: 17.0

Still creepin' along! I found me some motivation this week when Major Hunk sent word that his R&R orders came in. Yep, that's right, I will have my hands on that man in about 8 weeks. Woo Hoo!! Realizing, of course, that means he will also have his hands on me...that's where the motivation comes in ;) I have made some mew goals for myself for the 8 weeks until he arrives.

1) Get moving more everyday! Parking further out, taking an extra round through the store, taking a walk or an exercise video... do something that gets me moving more.

2) Writing down my points EVERY day. No more winging it for me. I think this will make a big difference.

3) And of course...drink more water. It seems to be the dieter's mantra.

Oh, and how could I forget...the Amazing Racer has inspired me to train for a 10K in November. If you knew me, you would insert your look of shock and awe here. I am so excited to embark on this new journey. I know the Lord will use it to grow and stretch me, physically and mentally. I can't wait to be a better woman when my hubby gets home next year :)

Summer Lovin

Since it's blazin hot here on the surface of the sun, I've decided to write about some joyous stuff in random order.

1. We got a forecast for rain on Saturday. And while we were planning on going to the water park, a day of rain sounds most wonderful. It's like hope.

2. I love having a teen in my home. We have been temporarily blessed with one. She's been here on and off this summer. I adore her. She makes me smile and warms my heart. She's a survivor. I love the opportunity to encourage and love on her.

3. My daughter's friend, who she is having an arranged marriage with, told his mom today that she "is the smart one" of the two of them. That left me in stitches.

4. My son is using a few signs now. Tomorrow I am going to ask his therapist what the sign for "movie" is. I'm sure he'll nail that one quickly. Because my boy is a movie buff if I've ever seen one.

5. I'm already being afforded the opportunity to teach my daughter about true beauty. Who knew so much could be discovered in kindergarten?

6. My sister is coming for an unexpected visit next month. She's the best.

7. I shared a most horrific story with Capt. Mom this morning and she is still my friend. Of course, she now has big time blackmail info on me.

8. It's only 3 months until Thanksgiving. Then I will see the whole family. So exciting!

9. We have a wedding per month for the rest of the year. Have I told you how much I love weddings? People living on love are the cutest. People like me just have funny, embarrassing stories to tell.

10. My nose piercing has not gotten infected. It's the little things, people. To go along with this, my girl wants me to get my tongue pierced and my eyebrow. She also wants me to sport a tattoo. I love that she is SO free to see the beauty in all of it.

Re-Weigh

I just weighed in this evening. I'm down to 138. Pretty sweet.

Total loss: 30 lbs.

8 to go.

Gotta keep up the exercise and the water intake. That's my goals. Same ones, simple ones. But hard to walk out daily.

Weighin In

So, I know this blog is full of weight posts, which isn't the only reason I wanted to blog, but apparently that's all I can bring myself to write about lately. I have a ton of stuff I want to share with, you know, Cpt Mom (the only other reader of this blog), but she pretty much hears about my day to day anyways. So without further ado, the weigh in - which happened last Friday. After multiple desserts.

This weeks weight: 139.5 (Y.E.S. Goodbye 140 - It was not nice knowing ya. Actually, it was nicer knowing you than the 168 I started at).

Total Weight Loss: -28.5

YAHOO. And PRAISE Jesus.

Of course, I haven't been so diligent these last few days, so the possibility of revisiting the 140's is VERY real. It will only be a temporary visit, though. I'm so close to the goal! Only 9.5 to go!!!!

A Spiritual IED

Yesterday morning I sat at my computer and planned to write a light and funny post that has been bouncing around in my head for a while. Not for today it seems. I felt a more pressing matter. I went to my Bible and journal and began to have some time with the Lord. As I prayed and wrote in my journal, it became clear: the enemy attacks women in a very clear and effective way. In the past week, I can name a handful of friends and family who have been under a cloud of depression. As I prayed, I started making a list of women that I knew were struggling with depression. As I wrote, other names started popping into my head. I would add the name and next thing I knew I was thinking of another. Many of them were women that I don't talk to frequently or don't know a lot about their personal lives. I believe the Lord gave me those names so I could pray specifically for them. By the time I was done, I had about 12 women's names on the list. That is when I began to reflect.

The enemy is just that, our enemy. Being that my husband is in a war zone, I began to reflect on what a true enemy is. The enemy of our soul is as real as the Taliban is. He does not shoot guns or plant IED's (roadside bombs), per say, but he does plot complicated, sneaky attacks against us. He knows he has to be sneaky or he wouldn't be effective. I don't suppose if the 9/11 terrorists would have disclosed their plans on that fateful day that the gate employees would have pointed them down the runway with a smile and an, "enjoy your trip". In the same way, Satan knows he has to be very devious about his plans for our lives. I think that depression is one very real way that the enemy attacks women: wives, mothers, sisters, friends. First he piles on the guilt. Then he follows up with a side of exhaustion. He throws in some rejection, hurt, feelings of inadequacy and some good, old-fashioned isolation and we have a big, fat cloud of depression. A spiritual IED, if you will. Then he begins the work to plant it in our souls. I am so thankful to know and serve the living God who is bigger than all of it. I can find rest in the fact that He is truly in control of my life. Exodus 14:14 says, "The Lord will fight for you...you need only to be still." Exodus 14 continues to say, "the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again." I think we all have "Egyptians" in our lives. Each one of us has something trying to oppress us today. Satan finds things that are difficult for each of us as individuals and he tries to use it to break us. This verse has brought inspiration to me during difficult times throughout my life and it continues to bring rest in the tough times. Friends, we need to grab hold of this promise and make it ours.
To the enemy and the depression he brings I say, "the Lord is fighting for us. You know you are defeated and so you fight to change history. But, you are not powerful enough. The Lord God has claimed victory over each life I listed in that journal. So, back off!"

Thank you Lord for the promises of Your Word. Thank you for loving each of us enough that You allow us to walk through the dark times. Thank you that You are always walking with us and that You would never allow us to walk through the darkness alone. Thank you for your never-ending, never-failing love. God I ask that each of these women would feel You close to her today. That each one would feel You cheering her on as she walks, runs or crawls through the difficult times. And Lord, I ask for peace and patience for each one that they would find rest in knowing that You have already won the battle and have already claimed the victory. In Jesus' Name.

Things I never thought...

...I would do as a mom. But, I do (or have done).

• pick up a binky or some other article, lick the visible dirt off and hand it back to my child


• allow my daughter to have a popsicle for breakfast


• drink a bottle of water with visible floaties in it while thinking, "it's fine, it's just a little potato"


• watch my child drop food multiple times on the mall floor and look away because it is the last piece and I know she will have a fit if I take it away (all the while banishing thoughts of all the dirty shoes, etc that have walked on that floor)


• walk in to see my daughter scrubbing the tile floor with her toothbrush...I take it away, say, "yucky, that's gross!"...then I rinse it off and stick it back in the toothbrush holder (aaahhh, did I really do that?!?)
  


• allow my daughter to take a bottle to bed...it encourages tooth decay after all
  


• think my daughter is the cutest, most clever child ever

• just turn away when she eats dog food or when she lets the dog have a lick of her snack and then sticks the rest in her mouth

• have an entire conversation based on nothing but bodily functions

• open not 1 or 2, but 3 of the packages while still in the store just to get the yelling to stop

• that I would so quickly tire of hearing a little cherub call me, "Monny"...but after 12 times per minute, it loses it's cuteness factor

I also never thought that I would find such fulfillment in the day to day tasks of an infant/toddler. But, when the Lord provided us the opportunity for me to be a stay-at-home mom, He also fulfilled that place in my heart that says, "my work is important". Even though the daily tasks can be monotonous and frustrating and often disgusting, it all works together for His good. If I teach her nothing else through this crazy life, I hope it is to love and serve Jesus with all of her heart.

Dessert Addiction

OK, a little bit of a confession here.

The other night, as I was having my second helping of rainbow sherbet, some of the sherbet stuck to our ice cream scooper. We have the WORST scooper in the history of mankind, and it is quite embarrassing since we claim to be such ice cream lovers. Anyways, I, in all of my brill-yaunce, decided to lick it of the scooper. Which was extra delicious until I realized that my tongue was stuck to the scooper. Think "The Christmas Story" when the boy is stuck to the flagpole. This was no "I'll just discreetly detatch myself from the scoop. I had to run my tongue/the scooper underneath warm water and slowly dislodge myself.

You'd think this would detract me from seconds on dessert. Or even just keep me from licking the scooper. But no, people. When you are an addict, you'll risk the taste buds being ripped off of your mouth. Thankfully, I haven't had another sticking incident. But there could be one in the future.

You'll be happy to know that while this whole event was taking place, my hubby was at the computer oblivious to it all. Doesn't even know this happened. Until he reads this, that is.

As Captain Mom always says to me, "I can't make this stuff up."

3 Days In

I am surviving. Though I still don't know what to do with the minus one factor. Day One I took What Not To Wear to school, she sat at her table and said "bye." And I contained my tears until I left the classroom. Then I proceeded to eat all the live long day. The grandparents took me out to breakfast, Cpt Mom (everyone's superhero) took me to gelato, and we took our kindergirl to Famous Dave's for some corn on the cob, which she ate with pure glee.

Day Two my girl cried as I was doing her hair but promptly left my sight when she heard the kinder playground beckoning her. She's pretty much an adult now. Hardly needs me for anything.

This change in our life is sending me into a tailspin of second helpings of dessert. Out of all the struggles and battles, THIS is the thing that is sending me back to emotional eating. What's a mom to do? I've seriously contemplated homeschooling her everyday this week. Dirty Jobs is not adjusting to so much time without sissy. My Deadliest Catch just said, "It's weird not having her here." Well spoken, dad. So eloquent. My heart is devastated. I feel like I'm feeding her to the wolves. And yet, everyday, she returns home excited to share about her coloring, recess and new friends.

I think I may need some counseling over this...

weighing in, once again

I once again skipped a weigh in last week. So, over 2 weeks, a weekend retreat and a stressful event, I am down 1 pound. I am so excited. It is taking so much longer than I ever expected, but I am pleased with the real lifestyle changes I have seen.

Beginning weight: 188.4
Current weight: 171.8
This week: - 1

Total weight lost: 16.6

Kindergarten Eve

So, I'm not rested, though I'm pierced and adult only dinnered. Some may wonder what that means, but any high chaired mom knows. I've run the gamut of emotions today only to land at this: Tomorrow my life changes. A door closes, another opens. Cliche and yet not when it's happening to me! My baby girl begins school. 6 hours/5 days a week without her mom SCHOOL. Tomorrow could be the worst day of my life.

I need rest

Nothing says, "I need rest" like looking up just in time to see your daughter trying to catch a turd floating in the bathtub!

Weighin In Folks

Alrighty. I exercised a good amount this last week. I loved it. Unfortunately, our outside temperatures are reaching scorch your skin levels again, and I will probably not run as much. Which will result in less weight loss overall. I can't wait for it to cool down. I love running, but not when it feels like I'm inside an oven.

I have decided that I am going to continue to pursue my goal of approx. 130. The plan is that I will continue to do points until I plateau for a couple of weeks, then I will change to the core plan for at least 3 weeks to see if we can jumpstart the loss from changing up my eating a bit. A lot of things I eat are from the core plan, so we'll just have to see if that works. I am hoping that I can just stay on points and keep up the exercise to drop these last 10.5 pounds.
Starting weight: 168

This Week's Loss: -1.5

Total Weight Loss: -27.5

This Weeks Weight: 140.5

I can't wait to say goodbye to the 140's. I may even throw a party over it.


This week, Captain Mom and I are retreating. So my goals are as follows:
#1 - Don't gain
#2 - Exercise (they have a treadmill at the hotel. There is NO reason why I can't get on it at least once while I'm there).

O, How I love Jesus

Every night, hubby or I pray with our children. They go to bed at different times, so it's a one on one time for each of our kids. Last night, I was putting Dirty Job to bed and prayed with him. I typically pray the same thing with him every time, for continuity sake and in hopes that he'll be able to join in soon. My prayer with him goes like this "Dear Jesus, thank you for today. Thank you for Daddy, thank you for Mommy, thank you for Sissy, thank you for Dirty Job. We love you. Help Dirty Job to talk. Amen." That's about it.
So I was laying with Dirty Job after we prayed together, it was quiet and I was just enjoying the time being with him (I usually put him in bed, lay down and pray with him, and leave. Because it took us almost 5 years to get What Not To Wear out of our bed). We'd been laying there together for a few minutes and all of a sudden Dirty Job says "Dear Jesus." My hear about burst with joy. I've never heard anything sweeter. Nothin. A moment too precious.

And how much more was my Jesus' heart bursting?

Stress

I just returned home from a weekend away. It wasn't a vacation, just a quick trip to have dinner with some friends and to celebrate a birthday. The first night, my friend rented a hotel room and 4 of us stayed there with our 3 children in tow. The second night, we partied with her family and then crashed at her house. My little girl is a rockstar...she couldn't get enough of that dance floor. Just a simple weekend away. I probably only spent 15 minutes packing and getting ready to go.

I wasn't even particularly looking forward to the trip. But, I really wanted to see my friend, so we went. Well, am I glad we did. By this morning I felt so refreshed. So nice to wake up to a phone call from my hubby and have the little one sleep in for another hour. So nice to have her sleep ALL through the night. (I guess I should take her dancing every night.) But, more than anything, it was so nice to be surrounded by other families going through this crazy deployment life. To have other wives that I can talk to and know they understand what I mean...even when I can't articulate it. As I awoke this morning, I realized something...I am stressed. Many days I know that. Many days I feel the stress. But, honestly, other days I don't realize it.

Thank you Lord for rainy days with no obligations other than spending time with friends!

Perseverance

James 1:4: Perseverance must finish it's work so you can be mature and complete.

This is what I want, right? I do. I want to be mature and complete in my faith. I don't want to be shaken by every trouble. But, I find myself there often. I love the book of James. But, I will admit...considering it pure joy when I face trials...that's a tough one! But, the Lord knows my heart and knows that I want to be closer to Him and become the woman He created me to be. I know in my head that means that I have to endure trials of all kinds. That I can't let my circumstances determine who and what I am. But, briefly, I am always a little surprised when yet another trial arrives right on the heels of another. Don't get me wrong, I know there is purpose in it. But, it is still difficult to walk out.

I am thankful for His Word. That is serves as reminder to me in those times of discouragement and struggles. I need to be reminded. I am forgetful! So, this is my goal: That I will allow perseverance do it's work in me. That I will not lose heart and that I can even find encouragement in each new trial knowing that I am daily getting closer to maturity and completion.

So, I am packing my snacks (weight watcher-friendly, of course), turning up the music , and buckling my seat belt. I am ready for the ride. And I am thanking God that I am not driving this thing!

Weighin In

So...this week I was really good, only going over my points by two on one day. I have exercised. I have not had so much water, though. I got on the scale and it said I weighed the same. So I went pee. And it said I was .5 less. I would be torn about whether or not to count it, but frankly, my self esteem needs to count it, so I'm going to. I'm starting to understand that if I really want to drop these last 12 pounds that I'm going to have to put forth an unbelieveable amount of effort...

Goals for the week:
1 - Decide if I am really committed to losing the last 10 lbs. I know I can lose the next 2, but I need to make a decision beyond that because that will take radical measures. Measures like not eating dessert everyday! It will require me to choose mostly fruits and veggies. I like them, but do I like them enough? Would I be OK with 140? Do I want to evaluate at 135? You get the picture...
2 - Water. You'd think I'd be getting the hang of this being that it's roughly 1 billion degrees here. But I haven't. I've decided to go back to buying individual water bottles, as I seem to drink more water when these are available. More expensive, yes. Better for my body than nothing or soda, YES.
3- Keep up the exercise. I did good this week.