FREE - I'm Free at Last!

Today is the first day AFTER my 8-week Challenge is over.
And I am SO glad.
But, probably not as glad as my husband is!  Both because today is his BIRTHDAY, so I will have no restrictions on this day AND because he thought it put a real damper on his/our lifestyle!  ;)

This "Challenge" consisted of a group of about 50 people, men and women, most of whom I didn't even know who were competing to win in the healthy arena.  Two of my sisters and one brother-in-law were part of this group.  Every day, there were certain things we had to do in order to get a predetermined number of points.  Starting after the first week (the "Baptism by fire"), each week, one category was worth double points, in an effort to start separating the scores.
It took me several days to actually commit to joining the "Challenge."  Because if I say I'm going to do something.....I'M GOING TO DO IT.  Fully.  No flakin' out.
But, I didn't know if I wanted to do it.
Because I had some hang ups about a couple of the requirements.
Here's what we had to do every day:

• Accomplish a personal goal (it could be anything; spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, relationships, health, etc.)
• Drink 64 oz. of water
• Stop eating before 9:00 p.m.
• Eat two fruit servings (1/2 cup each)
• Eat three vegetable servings
• NO sweets and NO white flour
• Keep a food journal
• Exercise 30 min. (5 pts.) OR 45 min. (7 pts.)

Can you guess which ones were my hang ups???
I'd already been "accountable" to my Fitbit, getting 10,000 steps every day, for the last 3 1/2 months at the time of starting this challenge, so that was no problem.
Water, 9:00, fruits & vegetables were also NO BIGGIE, I don't mind those at all, it just took more planning on my part sometimes.
The personal goal was suppose to be something that you were not already doing, and would be hard, but very beneficial, for you if you did it.  So, that was a challenge - hence the name of the game, "Challenge," - but I had my scorecard on my desk every day to remind me, sometimes I was literally accomplishing my personal goal in the 11th hour, but I could handle that category, too.
The ones that got me were the white flour - I CAN live on bread alone!  That's exactly WHY I've never been tested for Celiac Disease, even though Haylee's doctor highly recommends it due to me being a first degree relative to a Celiac - I can't handle the truth, if I were. ;)  I love my candy, too, but I can do without - I've done it many times before.
And the food journal - I don't dare eat anything because then I have to write it down!  Uh, THAT'S the exact purpose of it, but what a drag!  ;)

Can you guess which ones were my husband's hang ups?
~Water (he wanted a DDP drinking buddy)
~Eating cutoff time (he thinks he's "hungry" after his after-dinner snack, or wants the freedom of a late-night date)
~Fruits & Vegetables (you mean chips & sandwiches are not a complete balanced meal?)
~NO sweets (but Bowman's has their doughnuts at half-price after 7 PM each night!  And what about the weekends.  And parties/social events.  And Family Night treat.  And birthdays??  And Taco Time is now serving Dole Whip!!)
~NO white flour (what about eating out at restaurants?  They all bring out the bread basket.  Or serve white pasta.  Or flour tortillas.  Or white buns/bread on their burgers & sandwiches!)
~Exercise (you mean you're going to go out to exercise instead of sit home with me?  Too much walking with me makes his bad knee ache.)

So, as you can gather, he's jumping for joy (as much as his knee will allow) that this whole thing is DONE.

This Challenge made me realize just how UNhealthy our regular, unconscious living can be.  Unless you're really paying attention, most people (myself included!) don't get any or enough fruits/vegetables, water, and exercise every day.  It also seems like treats &/or white flour are served everywhere we go.  (One evening at Bunco, out of an entire buffet that was provided, I could only select some frozen raspberries and cheese cubes to eat.)
The rules of the Challenge did allow one day a week to eat treats/white flour (you could only earn points in this category 6 days/week), so I had to really look at my week and decide when I would take it.  The problem was, there were multiple days every week that were going to have treat/white flour "opportunities."
My daughter's birthday and Mother's Day occurred during this Challenge.
There's also my weekly date with my husband.
And Sunday night came around every week - when we like to have treats while playing games.
Throw in snacks at my weekly cub scout den meetings, bridal showers, Mom's 'n' Muffins at Farm. Elementary, school Spirit Night @ a pizza place, wedding receptions, catered work meetings, my dad's 76th birthday get-together, extended family dinners, Missionary homecoming luncheons, BUNCO, dinner out with Business Partners, packing a lunch when I was a Field Trip chaperone (what do you do instead of a sandwich, made w/ bread?), Memorial Day BBQ (hamburger w/ no bun!), girlfriends' lunch, and three days of our family vacation...and that translates into A LOT of times that I had to say, "No"!!!
It was HARD to pick just one day a week.....and then PASS on everything else during the week!

BUT.......drumroll, please.....I DID IT!  And I ended up with a perfect score for the 8 Week Challenge, so I win [a piece of] the money!!!
As it turned out, there were seven of us with the highest [perfect] score at the end, so we're splitting the winnings - only about $35/person.  We needed more "slackers" in the group, so I could've taken home the entire $250 that was up for grabs!!!
But, like I said, two of my sisters were in the Challenge (also winners), so I KNEW there wouldn't be any slacking going on amongst us - ya just can't mess with the Fowers' determined/competitive nature!  ;)

AND.....another drumroll, please.....IT'S OVER!  Yay!!!  I'm ready for some freedom!
Hopefully, "freedom" does not equal reversing all the weight loss/health I've benefited from lately.)

Now I Have 'Em, Now I Don't.....and Then I Do Again

THIS WAS ME LAST WEEK!

And this depicts our neighborhood...

Then we went away to a [colder, snowy] ski town in Colorado for "Spring Break" which apparently was against the norm.
We were informed of this when my daughter returned to school following the week-long Spring Break, and all the kids were asking each other what they did/where they went for Spring Break, the "winners" were:

• St. George

• Las Vegas

• California

When she shared that she went to Colorado (and to Wyoming, also, for 1 day), everyone replied, "WHAT?!?" and  "WHY?!?" with dumbfounded looks on their faces.  ;)
(We were ultimately there for my nephew's Baptism, but hung out with extended family a few days before, too).

But, anyway, during the 5 days away from home, this is what happened.....

I could walk and not be sneezy, I could run and not have snot constantly run out of my nose! 

THIS WAS ME!

And, then we returned home to Utah a couple of days ago.....

AND THIS IS ME, AGAIN!

My conclusion?  
I must be allergic to Utah!!
Where should I start looking to move to instead?  The thing is; I don't really LIKE the snow, so I don't want to go live in the Rocky Mountain area of Colorado, that we were in for Spring Break, permanently.  So, how about Arizona?  Hawaii?  Kentucky?  New York?  Texas?  West Virginia? ;)

I'm sure the difference in how I felt/reacted had nothing to do with the fact that Spring had not yet Sprung up in the colder, snowier location we were staying in.  ;)
And, thus, the absence of pollen.  Nah.

With my new knowledge, I must take drastic measures and start looking elsewhere to live.

But, then, is scorching heat, mold & rainy seasons, fried foods being readily available, honking taxis, big BBQ, & breaking mission rules any better than allergies?

It's for my health & well being.

My husband says we're never packing up another house and moving again.

Whatever.  If he finds a wife with puffy, red, bulging eyes (or swollen shut) with no make up because it's dripped off, and a chapped, red nose to match, with sneeze spray projecting clear across the room attractive.......more power to him!!!

I'm glad we could have this little talk.

It Owns Me

Ever since I started wearing my new Fitbit (first full day was Dec. 26) I HAVE to get my 10,000 steps a day.
 
If it is 11:00 p.m. and I haven't yet achieved my steps, I will "sneak out" to go walking around the neighborhood to get them.  Apparently, the first time I did this, someone at home "needed" me (WHEN don't they need me?) and they couldn't find me, and no one knew where I was, and mayhem broke loose.  When I returned, Matt requested I please inform them in the future if I am going out.....ya know, in case something happens to me.  Like what?!?  Get abducted by aliens up the street?!?
If the day is almost over, and I don't have my steps AND we're experiencing inclement weather, I will pace back & forth on our covered porch.  Or run up & down the stairs.  Or do laps in our garage.
If I'm thirsty and need a drink of water, I STOP myself from asking someone else to get it for me......because if I get up and get it myself, that tacks on several extra steps.
If I need something while I'm making dinner from the cold storage room in the basement,  I don't call for Kyle anymore like I always used to......I want the steps myself!
It's no longer one of my kid's jobs to go and get the mail.....because if I get it, I know that's another 250 steps!

I'm telling you - I'm a SLAVE to this Fitbit.
I WILL NOT let myself NOT get my 10,000 steps a day.
EVERY day.
EVEN on the weekend.
If I let myself go just one day without getting my steps, then it'll just be easier to go another day, and then another, and another.....and I DON'T want that to happen!

 (BTW, it says 0 on the water because I would have to manually enter it in....and I don't.  I just like the Fitbit to crunch all the numbers for me.)  

I mostly wanted to start doing it for health & fitness, but ya know what's ALSO happened?  That was a pleasant surprise? 

I'm spending MORE TIME with my family and children!  The kind of TIME where I'm really WITH them.

Because I'll ask if anyone wants to go out and walk with me - and someone usually does.  Katelyn & I just walk & talk about her favorite subject - The Pioneer Woman (she's the one who "introduced" me to the Fitbit in the first place).....and then Katelyn asks when we can do that again!  ;)

Matt has decided he has to protect me against those "aliens," so he'll come out walking with me at night and we walk & talk.

One day, I needed a bunch of steps, so Brookelle, Katelyn, & I went up to our church.  I thought we'd just do laps around the church, but, NO, they had a grand idea to play "Tag."  So I obliged.  We were up there all night.....or at least an hour!  And I was "It" the majority of the time! (Because I kept getting caught!)  They LOVED it and didn't want to quit, even though I kept "suggesting" we did. (my bladder can only take so much "Tag!")  Again, Katelyn repeatedly asks when we can do that again! 

I ask her, "WHY?" 

And she tells me, "It was so fun." 

And I say, "Really?!?  'Cause I totally stunk at it."  

And she says, "No, you didn't.  You were really good.  You can run fast.....for a Mom your age!" 

And I say, "No......you always tagged me, and I couldn't catch you very much."

And she said, "THAT'S why it was so fun!"

Instead of driving my child to her friend's house to play, I walk her over there......and then I walk back when it's time to come home.  And Brookelle talks my ear off the whole way.

Same goes for getting Katelyn to Activity Days.

I'm also walking to the school after school to meet my girls and walk home with them (& their friends - gotta take advantage of that while it's still happening).  I heard Katelyn explaining to one of her friends, "Ya know how some moms pick their kids up from school and give them a ride home?  Well, our mom picks us up from school and then makes us walk home!"



I'm liking this "by-product" of my Fitbit (more time spent together with my fam) that I didn't realize would be one of the results.  My family is all on board with the idea.  They will frequently ask where I'm at for the day - and WANT me to accomplish my 10,000 every day.  Good thing, because my obsession dedication would exist with or without their support. ;)  I love it!

I ALSO overheard Katelyn tell one of her friends, "My mom has a Fitbit, and she HAS to get 10,000 steps a day.  She's going to do that EVERY day until my brother gets home from his mission, and then she's going to be SKINNY!"

Oh, WOW!  The pressure's ON!

I Don't Take Rejection Well

A friend of mine referred me to BioLife, a place she goes to donate plasma, to earn some extra cash (every little bit helps when you have a missionary out!)

So, I go for my first time and they do all this "paperwork" (on the computer) first - including getting my fingerprint digitally, so I can "sign" by putting my finger on this devise.

They also do this medical pre-screening where they weigh you (Oh joy!  That's enough to back out right on the spot!) and check your arms.  They also take your temperature/blood pressure/pulse and they prick your finger to test your blood for hematocrit & protein levels.

By the time I get called up for my med pre-screen, I'd already been there for about an hour (plus the 15 min. drive time) so I was ready to get the show on the road!  Only to have them test my finger prick and tell me my hematocrit level was too low - BY ONE POINT!  So, I was disqualified from donating that day.  What?!?  I'm not good enough?  I didn't like that feeling.  I couldn't leave it like THAT!
They gave me a pamphlet with ideas on how to raise my hematocrit levels, some of which were eating more tuna and raisins!  I DON'T THINK SO!  Those are two foods I try to never come in contact with!  Thus, my low levels?  I opted for the iron supplement route instead and went back the next day and passed!  YES!
(Although, they didn't get a good "stick" on the first arm, and they eventually had to take it out and re-try on my other arm - a "Two for One deal" as they call it, ya, real funny!)  They told me that first arm they had tried is a little more tricky, and in the future, to ask for an"experienced" person.  Ummmm, shouldn't they ALL be experienced?

So, then I went back the next week - I wanted to see if I could do it "incident-free" and not have them find anything wrong with me.  Since, it was my 2nd time, I was "flagged" when I signed in, I guess.
So, they had me walk over to the receptionist area,
Then she directed me to the waiting area.
Then when I was "cleared" by a supervisor, they told me to go over to the computer area for my questionnaire.  One of the questions was about recent vaccinations received and I had just gotten my flu shot the day before, so I marked it yes....which ended up "flagging" me.
When I walked over to the pre-screen area, they saw the "flag" and had me walk over into a private consultation room to ask me about that question.
She didn't know if the flu shot was OK, or not, so then we walked over to the nurses offices to find out.
They said it was OK, so then we walked back to the consultation room, and that computer wouldn't work.
So, we went to find help, then FINALLY we were cleared to go back to pre-screening.
And they proceeded to take my vitals - and surprise, surprise, my pulse was too high!
What?  Another failure?
She said it was probably from all that walking to and fro in the previous 10 minutes.  (It might've ALSO had something to do with the fact that, right before she took it, I started thinking about my "2 for 1" experience from last time!)
This time, instead of rejecting me right on the spot, they told me to sit down for 5 minutes and then they could re-test my pulse.
I felt pretty unsettled about not "passing" again - I don't like that!  It's just a little, little thing, but it didn't sit well with me, so I was determined to prove them!  I HAD to be found worthy!  ;)  So, as I sat, I may or may not have engaged in deep yoga-like breathing exercises until they called my name again, and after testing me - my pulse was just fine!  YES!

So, then I was bound & determined to have a SMOOTH draw and PASS everything with flying colors, that I went again.  Hematocrit - PASS.  Pulse - PASS.  (We're on a roll!)  And then it came time for the stick.  It should've been a clue to me when the phlebotomist took extra time feeling my arm and touching up and down my vein.  Then she kept rubbing my vein and looking and feeling some more.  In fact, it WAS a clue, I was very aware of her hesitancy, BUT I had talked to her before we started saying that an experienced person needs to do my left arm, and she didn't back out, so I took that to mean she was, and I didn't refuse her and demand someone else.  Because, after all, wasn't that a lot of the reason I was THERE again?  Trying myself, not to be refused?  So, I'm not prone to do it to someone else.  She finally completed the stick, but the flow wasn't up to par, so she called for assistance, and someone else came and "adjusted" the needle (i.e. pushed it further in - too far, I believe, since as soon as she did it, I FELT a pain!  So, they moved it back a bit).  That draw took a little bit longer than normal, so NOT a success in my book.

That time WAS going to be my last time.......BUT in the days since I was there, I have developed bruising on my arm in the area above the stick site - it is in the area I felt pain in when they pushed the needle up TOO FAR.  Surprise, surprise!  The bruising on my arm now disqualifies me for another donation until it goes away.  So just knowing that; if I were to go in, not that I was necessarily even planning on it, BUT IF I DID and they saw my bruised arm, I'd be rejected......and that BUGS ME again.  It's like I have this little phrase that goes off in my head repeatedly, "They WILL NOT reject me.  They WILL NOT reject me.  I CAN do it!  I CAN!"

Uh oh, I think this means I might be back!  ;)

*This "condition" I have can probably be attributed to my 5th Grade teacher.  She made us memorize quotes, and one of them (that I OBVIOUSLY took to heart) was, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!"

Four Words Can Change Your Life

Several months back, after an annual exam, the Dr. ordered Haylee to have a "Bone Age Test" due to her VERY small size (height AND width) for her age.  Those results came back with the data that she is the size of an 8 year, 10 month old.....

EXCEPT IN TRUE LIFE, SHE IS 11 YEARS OLD.

So, that led to some blood work.  Some of the "conditions" they tested for came back positive.

So, that led us to Same Day Surgery at Primary Children's Hospital for an Esophagogastroduodenoscopy with biopsies.
(Try to say THAT three times!  Heck!  Try to even get through it one time!)

It is confirmed, I was told....

"She Has Celiac Disease." 

So, that led us to meeting with a dietician.

We were told this means a gluten-free diet for life.

"Good News!" the G.I. doctor told me, "She can eat ALL the meat, eggs, fruits, and vegetables SHE WANTS!"

Obviously, the doctor does not know my daughter.  Because what that means is that she will be eating exactly NOTHING!!!  She doesn't WANT to have anything to do with that list of foods she just rambled off in the name of "good news."

We've often referred to Haylee's diet as an "ALL CARB DIET."
I have made mentioned of it before on this blog o' mine:
Seven Is Heaven 
(I listed her 7 favorite foods back then.  Now:  Oreos - OUT, Ramen Noodles - OUT, rolls - OUT, Cookies 'n' Cream ice cream - OUT, Nacho Cheese Doritos - OUT, French Toast - OUT)
Some Sad News
(What are we going to do about one of her favorite restaurants? - they are famous for their ENORMOUS Cinnamon Rolls and Scones!)

Are You Sure We Share the Same Genetics?
(Explaining her "all carb diet")

This diagnosis explains WHY she is such a "pip squeak"......her body absorbs NO nutrients.
(not that there's that many nutrients in rolls and scones and rolls and bread and rolls and cookies and rolls and doughnuts, but still.....a normal person would be a big FATTY from eating those things!)

So, she can't eat what she likes.
And she won't/doesn't dare eat what she can.

So, I don't know what to do.

This changes everything.....and I don't like it!

And now they want all her first degree relatives (Me, Matt, and the rest of my children) to get tested because it's highly genetic - 20% chance that one/some of us have it, too vs. the 1% of the general population.

NO ONE wants to go be tested.  How long can we put this off?!?

YES.  It's because WE CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!

The Things He'll Do for [the love of] March Madness

Once upon a time my husband's Young Men's basketball team at church went all the way to the Region Tournament.  It was one of THE BEST times of his whole entire life.  He has NEVER forgotten that memory!  He never tires of talking about, thinking about, reliving with the boys "The Glory Days." 

{Matt #32 on the front row, far right}

So much so, that one year for Christmas several years ago, I gave him a "Church Ball" DVD that had all the old video taped footage of games on it.  He considers that one of his favorite gifts of all time.  (Until I gave him THIS gift.)

Welllll.....Because of his past experience, which created an extreme fondness for Church Ball, he's always  wanted to keep on playing it - he can't give it up - even today, 27 years later.  His biggest error of judgement, though, is NOT realizing (accepting?) he no longer is playing with his 14 yr. old legs & body!

Which leads us to a couple of weeks ago, when during a game, he jumped up for a rebound, and when he landed, he just fell to the ground in a crumpled heap.

Then he yelled out.

Everyone stopped, including me on the sidelines, and stared at him laying there on the court.

Then he started to pound the floor with his fist and chanted, "It's Bad!  It's Bad!"

The other guys reached out their hands to him to help him back up.

But, he informed them HE COULDN'T MOVE!

In the end, all those guys found one of the 6 ft. long folding tables at the church and transferred him onto that (amidst his yells of pain for them touching/moving his leg) and carried him out, Pallbearer Style, to my make shift Hearse (mini van with all the back seats removed or folded down into the floor.)

(Nice dinosaur-cell-phone pics)

We then spent the next couple of hours in the E.R.
{Complete with more yelling as they roughly handled his leg}
The E.R. was very familiar with Church Ball injuries - they all guessed correctly when they found out he'd been playing basketball that evening.

The Findings:  A Ruptured Patellar Tendon

They sent him home with his left leg in an immobilizing brace and pain killers, and instructions to contact our Orthopedic for necessary surgery (Who has a personal orthopedic?  Not us.)

Which led to Matt going under the knife four days later.

Pre-Op room at TOSH

Both Matt & the Surgeon had to each confirm & agree (with a written "yes") which leg would be cut open.

Can you tell that there's no "shape" to his knee?  The knee cap in floating up in his quad.

Miss B says Matt looks like "a Baker" with his required sterile head wear on!  ;)

It took him a [longer than expected time] to come out of the anesthesia.  When they finally allowed me into the Recovery Room, his eyes showed NO SIGN of recognition when I came into his view at his bedside!  And then the Effects lasted for a while..... 

I (the instructions were for "a responsible adult" - and he got ME) had to stay with him for the first 24 hrs. to monitor his state.

He was cold and requested the heater, and then he was hot and wanted the A/C.

He thought I was going up hills and down valleys on the ride home even though I was driving straight on the freeway.  

He said a lot of wacky things and asked all these questions that I finally just started replying, "Don't worry about it!" to him.  

At one point, he started playing his Japanese music through his SmartPhone and he held it up to his ear and was singing along (in Japanese) out loud.  

But, I think the funniest thing had to be when he was sitting in the La-Z-Boy and he, all of a sudden, says, "Do I have a THIRD nipple?" as he's feeling across his chest.  Then he lifted up his shirt and found this:

Apparently, the surgery team had failed to remove all the probes from his body before they released him!  ;)

Over the last couple of weeks, I've added another title to my duties:  Full-time Nurse.
I've been administering all his medication, (& documenting all his meds intake since I can't remember it all in my distracted brain), assisting with transfers, hooking up his ice machine, unhooking his ice machine, refilling his ice machine, aiding with bathing, toileting, dressing & grooming, chauffeuring, guiding him up & down stairs, calling the Dr. with reports of too much pain, calling my Pharmacist friend for advise on a better pain meds plan, calling the Dr. back with my suggestions for new meds - which they TOTALLY hate - and which makes Matt/me look like we are "addicts" asking for drugs, remove dressing wrap on knee (while wearing blue sterile gloves), perform infection inspection, re-bandaging his incision site, reposition for comfort, put on socks, take off socks, turn off the lights & tuck him into bed.

THUS the lack of New Posts to this Blog!

That first week, post-surgery, I felt like I had a newborn again, because I was setting my alarm to wake up every three hours to give meds, or take him to the bathroom, or change the ice.  And then when we or I tried to go anywhere, it took twice as long because I had to do a 10-point check list and get all our equipment before I was ready. 
Thank goodness we had people bring us in dinner the first several evenings since I had no time for that!!

It also happened to be the beginning of MARCH MADNESS, and since he had to be down anyway......he didn't miss a game!  Hmmmmm.....great timing!  Was this REALLY an "accident?" ;)   j/k.

He has to be in a straight-leg brace to immobilize his leg for 6 weeks, and then be in rehab for four months.

These days Matt can be seen wearing sport shorts or pants (the only clothes that work over the brace) and attractive panty hose (full-length compression socks), hobbling around on crutches.

He's come to reconsider if [Old Man's] Church Ball is even worth it.  What?!?  I never thought I'd hear him utter any such thing!  ;)

March "Healthy Lifestyle" New Thing

Confession:  I totally sucked at the weight training thang for February.  I can count on one hand how many times I lifted - pathetic!  I don't know what the deal is, but I couldn't get it going!

So, I'll keep working on that.

BUT, for March......I'm adding:  getting my GREENS.  And oranges.  And reds.  And purples.  And yellows.

 

5-A-DAY is my goal.

So I've been getting that bag of baby carrots and that bowl of pomegranate arils out on the counter when I'm working in the kitchen.....because whatever is out; whether it be m & m's or ready-to-eat produce, I will snack on it - without even hardly noticing.

And to kick things off, I signed up for my "Bountiful Basket" last Saturday, and I've got another one coming this Saturday.  Have you heard of this?  It's a food co-op; Equal parts fruits & vegetables, all for just $15.00.  That's way less than what I would spend at the store if I bought all the same things.

  

My kids were especially "happy" about this change I'm going through, too, because I served TWO different vegetable dishes for dinner on Sunday.  AND imagine their SHOCK (panic attack?) when they saw the menu for Monday:

This is what Butternut Squash Soup REALLY looks like:

 

This is what the kids saw:

 Katelyn was bravest and was the first to try....and when she put the spoon in her mouth.....she exclaimed, "YUM!"  See?  Just try things.

They really squawked at the toasted pumpkin seeds I provided to garnish the top with, also!  BUT then they tried them.....and they are GOOD - like sunflower seeds!  (I think I'll go have some now, they're sounding good!)

I'll change my kids one Butternut Squash soup dinner at a time!

Except, recently, for after-school-snack, I had both carrots and Reese's PB cup cookies out on the counter for them.....and they all went straight to the cookies!  In fact, Kyle had 5 COOKIES in a row - in the 15 min. time period between when he got home from school and before he left for piano lessons - leaving just ONE each for the rest of the family, but somehow none were remaining for Matt when he got home.  :-(

They like my smoothies, though, and I hide lots of different servings in those!

Now y'all don't want to come over for dinner anymore, huh?!?  :)

 

February "Healthy Lifestyle" New Thing

So, I drank an ocean of water for January and I am pretty good on that habit.....
Time to add something new this month to become healthier:
 
Lifting Weights.

Every article I read and every "educational" program I watch on TV and every other Yahoo! home page news story has something to say about the benefits of adding weights to your exercise routine.

Especially for women of my age.

Who's body parts are starting to S-A-G as gravity fights against them.

Who's bone density is decreasing.

Who's metabolism is S-L-O-W-I-N-G down.

Who have a whole lot of wiggling & jiggling going on when we just do something simple....like sign our name!

So, not only am I "pumpin' the iron" (if you can even call it THAT - I'm starting out with such light hand weights that my son made fun of me!  gasp!)

But, I'm going to be seen wearing these babies around all day long:

So, as I go upstairs and then downstairs and then put in a load of laundry and then drive kids to and fro and twirl around the kitchen doing pirouettes, I'm sneaking in a [tiny] weight lifting workout.  Hey!  Every little bit counts, right.

I remember when I used to work at the bank as a teller, a co-worker of mine wore these behind the teller counter every day for a "hidden" workout.  I thought she was so smart!

Now it's OUT THERE.  So, I am accountable.

Next thing you know, you'll see me on a poster for the "Ms. Olympia" contest!  ;)

We Aim High Around Here (?)

I found THIS "New Year's Resolution" paper in Katelyn's stuff.....

I wonder just WHERE IS that best set in the shcool found?  In her classroom?  In the Principal's office?  In the cafeteria?  In the Computer Lab?

Is it HARD to "land" this best set in the shcool?  Is it a "First come, First served" type of a deal?  Is it a "reward" for good behavior?  Is it "off limits?"  Is it only considered "the best" by Katelyn?  Or is she just hoping she [luckily] gets assigned to it when her teachers make random seat changes?"

It's obviously a very HIGH "set" that also has magic powers to make your legs grow extremely long when seated in it!   

Maybe it's the orange color that makes it so attractive?

And I wonder why she didn't include SPELLING SKILLS as part of her "aspirations" for 2013!?!  ;) haha.

Whatever the details are, however lofty [or not] her goal is -- good for her.  She's written it down, so it's SERIOUS.  How does that saying go?  "A goal not written down is just a wish?"  Or something like that.

Soooooo, that means I better write MINE down, right?!?
And what better place than my blog!  :)

The first one I made was for me AND Matt.  Don't you love it when other people push their agenda goals onto you?!?  ;)  But, he agreed to it immediately, so it wasn't as bad as it sounds.

Here it is:
We're going to invite another couple* to go out to dinner with us EVERY MONTH.
Hey!  Who says New Year's Resolutions can't be FUN?!?  They don't have to be grueling, sweat inducing, miserable, time consuming, mentally taxing, deprivation type goals, right?!?  Those are coming!)
I'm excited for this; we'll get to know our friends better, and make new friends, too!  We're already 1 for 1 as it is just January still.  We ARE taking a "waiting list" of couples who who like to be invited, so mail in your applications!  Just kidding.  :)
*As in a different couple every month -- unless we get turned down for these dates, and then we'll just stick with the one who says, "yes.")

Here's another one:
I'm going to get ready IN THE MORNING.
As in, before I start cleaning up.  Or paying bills.  Or get on the computer.  Or making my shopping list.  Or planning our vacations.  Or working on Young Women stuff.  Or looking for my ever-elusive cell phone.
THIS is going to be HARD
 .....because if I go into any part of my home, I can always see so MANY projects or duties "calling my name" that I want to start tackling right away.

But, what is my mantra, again?

BUT, I'm sick of being "caught" looking like a rag-a-muffin still too late in the day.  I feel like such a loser when that happens!   

PLUS, it just really makes a difference in feeling "on my game" and being productive.  When I AM doing a dozen other tasks while still in my "morning glory" (PJ's, no bra, bedhead, yesterday's leftover make up and smells), there's always that cloud hanging over my head saying, You still have to get ready! and it makes me feel 'eeeck' -- almost like I haven't accomplished anything, even though I have!  Do you know what I mean?

And, YES, I will have you know, here at 10:45 in the morning as I am working on my blog, I am fully dressed, make up, hair brushed, with earrings in!  Woo HOO!! :)

Which brings me to another one:
I want to write more on my blog.
It seems like ever since we moved into our new home, my posts have been declining.
But, ya know, it wasn't just since then, it was the whole time we were building this house, too.
....AND the entire time we had the old home up for sale - which was entirely WAY TOO LONG!
And, if we want to be really honest, my blog hasn't been given proper attention since I turned 40!  And that was in 2010.
I don't know why that's so, but just because I'm OVER THE HILL, doesn't mean that my "Weekly Gratitude List" should only gets changed every 4 months!
So, my plan is.....well, I don't want to disclose it exactly, so y'all won't hold me accountable if I don't follow it flawlessly......but, in my head I have decided that on certain days every week that I am going to write - of course, while I am fully clothed & READY for the day - and "reactivate" my blog.
And feel free to "motivate" me by leaving comments, I love 'em, so I'm not all by myself in blog world.
I chose the blog goal BECAUSE I really like to write in it (or is it 'on it'?) and I love to have the RECORD and the MEMORIES especially since I'm LOSIN' IT these days seems as I'm getting "UP THERE" in years.  (I get these comments from my kids!  Seriously.)
BUT, FOR REAL, I proved them RIGHT recently....I left my purse in the shopping cart, in a parking lot, at Wal-mart this week.  I unloaded the cart into my car, pushed my cart back to the "cart corral" and then walked back to my car without getting my purse out and drove home.....and didn't even notice until the next morning!  I had no recollection of doing that!  I usually put my purse in the car along with my merchandise at the same time.  I looked all over the place at home FIRST for my purse.  Then Matt told me I should go back to the store, but as I thought about it, I didn't really recall not having it with me - so I thought it was a "long shot."  PLUS, I'm ashamed of my lack of faith, but I figured IF I had left it at Wal-mart, it probably would've been stolen.  I didn't think the "People of Wal-mart" would be the most honest.  Well.....I WAS WRONG, and what a blessing!!!  My purse had been discovered by one of the store's "cart pushers" and returned to the Customer Service desk and was locked up in a back room until I came to retrieve it -- EVERYTHING intact, even my pens, lip balm, and leftover Santa Snickers candy!!!  (the most important things, ya know!)  :)

OK.  End of Sidetrack.

Back to these New Year's Resolutions.
I am implementing a healthier lifestyle.
I wrote down all these things that I can do.  BUT, unfortunately, right now I can't find that paper!  (See above section about losing my mind!)
Here's the good part:  I'm only going to start one new thing a month and then BUILD on each month - so it's not so overwhelming all at once - but after several months, and the end of the year, I'll have MANY good habits going on!
So, this month I have been drinking water.  A lot of it, too.  As in HALF my body weight in ounces each day.  (So, a 100 lb. person drinks 50 oz. of water/day.  A 150 lb. person drinks 75 oz. water/day.  A 400 lb. person drinks 200 oz. water/day.  You get the idea?)  I fit somewhere in there.  :)
I find drinking all that water bearable if I utilized THIS product sometimes:

(Now, please don’t burst my bubble and tell me that adding Crystal Light occasionally to my water isn’t technically water because in my fragile state right now I’m just not ready for that!  I know some super-strict water drinking people are wondering, but I DO fill the bottle up WITH WATER first [with pride] so I’m going to feel good about it.)
The only problem is....here's Murphy's Law in action in my life again....I have ALSO been sick this month with a variety of symptoms, but one of them is a violent cough - the kind of cough that shakes your whole body - or contracts all your muscles & seizes it up, one of the two.  And THAT condition does not go well with a constantly FULL BLADDER, if you know what I mean!  Note to self:  add "Do more laundry" to list of goals.  :)
So I have a couple more weeks to find that "healthy lifestyle" paper of mine, so I can add on the next thing in February.  That will give me more things to blog about later, thus, helping the above mentioned goal, as well.  SCORE!

And, last, but not least:
We just got a new ward cookbook, and I definitely need to make:
Jena Andrus' BUFFALO DIP
Julie Bushman's "FAMOUS DIP"
and
Dee Ann Stout's PINA COLADA FRUIT DIP
...and that's just in the Appetizers section.
I'll go through the rest of the cookbook, too, and try out new things.... of course, it needs to happen BEFORE I implement the "don't overdo it on dips/condiments" part to my healthy lifestyle plan!!  ;)


So, there you have it.  The FUN, the RIDICULOUS, & the HARD goals all mixed together.

HAPPY 2013, EVERYONE!

I've Been Having a "Ton of Fun" Lately

• This week I had my third mammogram in the last eight and a half months. YES, 3 TIMES IN 8 1/2 MONTHS!!! AND.....get this.....I get to go in AGAIN for my 4th in three more months. Now, THAT is a lot of smashin' going on! So much for delaying my first-ever mammo experience, I've more than made up for it, now. Apparently, I am not "textbook normal" and so that's put them in "appointment scheduling overdrive" while they try to figure me out. When I ask them questions, they reply, "I don't know." These "Medical Professionals" are quite impressive, wouldn't you agree?!? They deserve every bit of that HUGE salary they make to be able to give......the same answers my 3 yr. old does!

• I was feeling a little bit sad and paranoid after a local teen was hit by a car and killed this week while walking his bike across a crosswalk (I know! So terrible.) So, I decided I wanted to pick up Kyle at the Jr. High School after his track practice instead of letting him walk home. I arrived at 4:15 and couldn't see him. I waited out front. I drove around to the side of the school. I talked with a couple of the kids I saw there who either:

a) didn't know anything
b) hadn't seen him
c) told me track practice had been over for a while

So, I headed back home at 4:25, taking a different route in case he had started to walk and I had missed him on my way there. I arrived home at 4:28 without ever seeing him.
At 4:30 my phone rang. It was Kyle asking for a ride home from the school. I got back in the car......

• A chappy/red/rash looking thing has appeared under my lip (so lovely) this week, (great! Just in time for my 20 year mission reunion tonight) So, I have been putting Desitin on it in an attempt to get rid of it. When the kids see me, they're like, "MOM! Wash that toothpaste off your face! You look stupid!" I have opted not to correct them on this matter - in case this story "leaks" at school or during a Home Teaching visit, as it often does, I figure toothpaste sounds a lot better than butt paste!

• While pruning in the yard this week in preparation for our city's annual "Spring Cleanup" pick up of leaves, limbs, and branches, I was attacking a rose bush. The branch was a tough one. I was squeezing those pruners with all my might, crouching down to get more leverage, when I was finally able to cut all the way through....and the upper branch flipped and slammed down on top of my head, with a big thorn aligned just right to pierce my scalp and draw blood.

• I have been getting phone calls daily from, according to my caller ID:

"New Co"
"California"
"Operation Lookout"
"Chicago, IL"
"Name Unknown"
"PacificTel"
"American Express Customer Service"
"Name Unavailable"
"Beehive Bail Bonds"
and the like.
AND I'm on the "DO NOT CALL" list.

• I was out of lipstick, so I went to the store and bought some, along with some other things, this week. When I got home, I unloaded the bags and the "other things" were all there. The lipstick? NOT THERE. I had the privilege of returning all the way back to the store to retrieve it, since I actually wanted the product - I didn't want to pay for it just for giggles. The store clerk claimed he'd bagged it. Upon searching the area, it was found on the check out counter, unbagged. Does this new purchase have something to do with the redness issue mentioned above?

• It's allergy season! My body is reacting by sneezing violently multiple times in a row. Seriously, I can't even catch my breath when the sneezing starts; a-chu, a-chu, a-chu, a-chu, a chu, a-chu, A-CHUUUU! (or maintain bladder control.)

See, like I said, FUN, FUN!

Didn't mean to make y'all jealous.

So, what have you been up to lately? Anything "fun?"