Woohoo...hoohoo...woohoohoo!!

Yup...I'm excited! I am still sweating like a pig from an awesome RUN....outside no less! The best run I've had in....probably 3 years! It was awesome....but more about that in a minute. I feel the need to recap the day! (I didn't feel this good til about a half hour ago!)

Anyhow...Was up several times last night with a sick little boy. He just didn't feel good, I think, and was having a hard time resting. I was going to try and send the other one to school, and thought we'd be able too, but I didn't have them up long and saw the only one feeling good today was Missy GG! Both boys were hot, and couldn't take 2 steps without just being in tears and upset....they were just very obviously not feeling good. I just hate it when they feel that way--I want so bad to help them feel better, and there's nothing I can do. It's a really helpless feeling I'm sure every mother is familiar with. The one silver lining though, was that I was home and didn't have to work at the hospital today. I was very grateful for that. I called and told them at the office I wouldn't be able to make the staff meeting and called the doctor's office as soon as they opened. They worked us in, and after the hour drive and lots of upsettedness (is that a word?) later, found out one just has the crud of some sort that is going around and the other has an ear infection--his third one in his 3-1/2 years. Not too bad, at least not relative to a lot of kids we know. Anyhow, we stopped on the way home for some lunch at Taco Cabana, and the boys didn't eat much, but that precious girl was covered head to toe in bean burrito by the time we got home! She was cracking me up! She only has 4 teeth, but those 4 did some major burrito damage! I got 2 steak fajita tacos, which were just fajita meat and flour tortilla, so that wasn't too terribly bad, although it was more I'm sure than I should be having at a meal.

We got back to town and dropped the prescription off at CVS (BBBBS as the boys call it!) and then stopped by the church for a second to check my mail and such. By the time we got home, it was nearly 3 pm, so there went today! They were all tired from the trip, so everyone had naps and I did a few things before laying down for a few minutes too.

I got a little frustrated (yeah, whats new!) with Craig, as he didn't get home til 5:30ish...I needed to go pick up the prescription and was hoping to get away for just 30 minutes TOTAL to take a walk or something, so as to keep up my M-F workout deal...I'm treating it as a non-negotiable. Well, by the time I got the prescription, got him and kids fed and then bathing kids, etc., of course, my workout didn't happen. I get just a little frustrated, because I really don't ask for much. I always take the kids to the gym with me so as not to disrupt whatever he may (or may not) be working on. I couldn't take them today because of the fevers, so all I wanted was 30 minutes. I am guessing that was too much, because it never happened. Okay...I've said I wouldn't blog about such things. Vent over, onward now:

Anyhow, my sweeties got to feeling better and I got them all in bed, and so I decided FINE....I am NOT going to let anything stop me from getting in this workout. So, as nervous as it made me to do it, I went out and went around our big block in our neighborhood tonight on a walk/run. There was actually another couple out walking, which was good to see. I think I started out walking like quite the fiend, just with my adrenaline kicking in!

Anyway, I went around our big block 3 times, which is probably a total of about 2.2 miles. I ran a LOT too! Probably more than half,which is better than I've done in a long time. It felt SO good! It started to rain on my just a little when I was walking down to the end of the street to cool down. I was so happy though: 1) To still get in the workout, even with what the day was like and the obstacles; 2) To have had such a good run...a feeling of accomplishment! I can really tell my working out is making me stronger, and I love that feeling!

There are still things I'm not so happy with--the laundry that needs folding right now (and washed!), the general state of my house, and I REALLY need more time with the Lord. But, I feel really jazzed about the working out deal. I'm tickled snotless about it!

Not sure what will happen tomorrow....hoping for healthy boys who are feeling much better, and a little girl who stays healthy! And a nice sweat-your-butt-off (and for me, that's a lot of sweat!) would be good too! Wooohooooooo!!!! I've got some energy now, so I guess I'll fold some clothes!

Today was good, but what to do tomorrow?

Well, today started a little rocky with a big, bad headache and then when I got up, I was so dizzy I had to hold onto the walls to walk through my house. Craziness! I am never dizzy like that....so yea, that was a little unsettling. I got a later start this morning due to that. I got my sweeties up, got their breakfasts, and then told them we needed to just sit down for a little bit so mommy could feel better before we went to the gym. Well, we finally got going and stopped by the church to do a few things we needed to do and then made it to the gym. I got in 30 minutes on the elliptical, and it felt good, although a little harder than usual, between how I was feeling and using the "interval" program for the first time. But, I made it, was covered in sweat by the end, and loved it like crazy!

After that, I had to get to work at the hospital, so I got the kids their lunches, and they really started to melt down before I went to work. I was in tears by the time I left! It's so hard to have to go to work when I feel like they need me. Well, by the time I had been there for a little while, I got a call from my husband that one of the boys seemed really hot and was very upset, nearly incosolable. Thinking we would need to make a trip to the urgent care clinic, I came home (I had the carseats) and he was doing much better.....seems when he was told he would have a visit to the doctor that he started feeling MUCH better. He was still rosy-cheeked and a little warm, but he was smiling, eating, and saying he felt fine. So, I decided to go back to work and see how things are in the morning.

Now, to figure out tomorrow. I don't think he can go to school; but what about his twin? It's awfully hard to take two 3-year-olds to school (which they love) and try to explain why one can go and one can't. I am also supposed to have a staff meeting at church in the morning, and had even made arrangements to go to school for lunch to see some of my youth. Not quite sure if I'll make it to anything as of now; I guess I'll just have to see how things go in the morning. Oh...and I HAVE to figure out a way to get some exercise tomorrow. I highly doubt that my husband will let me leave the house without kids while he is awake, but we can't go to the childcare place at the gym if he's sick. Geez! Speaking of which....I guess I better go clean the kitchen now. Came home from working tonight to food still being on the table and nothing being cleaned up (again)....gotta love that. grrrrr!

Hmmm....maybe I should spend some more time in that "Loving Well" devotional book I've been working my way through.....I need the Lord to do some lovin' through me...because I don't always feel like doing it on my own! Off to the kitchen now!

Monday, Monday

Today's been a pretty good day. I took the boys to school and then went to my office and got only a few things done before Missy GG started to melt on me. She usually starts getting tired and whiny about 10:30 or 11 and we have to go home. We went and picked the boys up at school after that, and I had to pull over before we got out of the parking lot to let one of them go show his music teacher his little truck. He wanted to take the truck into school, but I wouldn't let him, and I told him he could show her the truck when I picked them up. Well, it was a different teacher that walked them out today, so he was all upset about not getting to show off his truck....as was his twin brother! So, we got out of the pickup line, parked the van, and he was so proud to show his little truck off. Little stuff like that is just so precious. I am truly blessed with 3 precious little angels. They have their moments, of course, but I am just so crazy about them.

I came home after that and cleaned house and folded laundry. Made a little dent in stuff, but I could do nothing but house and yard work for probably a month and still not be totally caught up. A little dent is better than none though, I guess.

After everyone woke up from their naps, I got on my grubbed out workout clothes, and we went to the gym. I got in only a 30 minute run/walk on the treadmill, but it sure did feel good. I can tell I am getting stronger and more able. It feels so, so good to sweat! Went from there to church for my youth team meeting; and here I am, back at home.

I'm excited to say I got in the workout I did. I've been trying to treat the workout as a non-negotiable. No matter what else, I HAVE to make sure I get that in.

what a day

Wow...what a day this has been. Good in so many ways, but I'm whooped now! I really am needing some sleep. I was up til about 3 am yesterday trying to make sure I was ready for my children's message, sermon, and confirmation class this morning at church. It all seemed to come together well, which I am so grateful for. I had really prayed for the Lord's insight into the passage (Acts 12) I was preaching about, and as I was preparing yesterday, there were lots of things that just came to mind that I hadn't thought of before. One of those things where you KNOW it's the Lord and not you....I love stuff like that! Anyhow, I received a lot of wonderful encouragement and positive feedback, which really is more than a blessing than I can say. I enjoy so much getting to help with the preaching....and it makes it that much more fun to feel like what you've said actually resonates with a few people. Thank You Lord, for the opportunity and for giving me what I hope were Your words and not my own.

After the 2 services and teaching confirmation, I came home and took the boys to the grocery store with me because we were out of some stuff, and then we came home, ate some lunch and we ALL had naps. I slept for a solid 2 hours this afternoon, and it was dang hard to get my big butt up off the couch when it was time to go to meet up with my youth group tonight! We went bowling tonight, which was fun--and of course, now I smell like the bowling alley--aka, a big ashtray! So, I really need to get these clothes in to wash and wash my hair and all that sort of stuff so I'm not so smelly! I also managed to go to praise team practice and caught the tail end of it, and that was fun too.

When I came home, Craig had the video from service today that he wanted us to look at before we took it to the TV place for broadcast. He has to make sure all the sound is working right and stuff like that--and I saw myself preach. Now, the hearing isn't so bad. I've gotten to be mostly okay with that. But....the visual is just....AAAAARRRRGGGHHHH!! Okay, so I've lost a few pounds...but I am still probably the fattest person I've ever seen in my life. I can't tell I've lost a thing. I am enormous...which really stinks! That's the kind of thing that makes you never want to eat again. It's pretty darn depressing. I'm thinking the only thing worse than seeing how disgusting you look on a video like that is knowing that that video will be on TV in a week or so, seen all over town. Yeech!
There are a couple of posiives I can pull out though.....
---I am more determined now to NOT look this way for long!
---Hoping nobody could see me...but that maybe, just maybe it can be the Christ in me that shows, rather than me.
I must hang on to those things, or I'd just go crawl under a rock somewhere, for fear that someone might have to look at me.

Anyhow, tomorrow is back at em....I'll have to work out as soon as the kids wake up from their naps, hopefully around 5ish somewhere. I go into the office in the morning and we've got youth team meeting tomrrow night at 7, so I'll need to take that opportunity after naptime while its there. I also need to get the eating cleaned back up. I haven't been really bad, but we did go eat Mexican food yesterday since I had a lot to get ready for and really didn't want to cook. Tonight there were no good choices to eat while out bowling, so I didn't eat until I got home. I had some soup, which wasn't so bad....but at 11 pm, nothing is really going to be too good.

Anyhow....I am ready and determined and want to be whole hog (pardon the pun...get it, hog...me!) on this weightlosing thing. It'll be the beginning of week 3 of a M-F workout schedule, so we are close to having formed a habit, which is really cool. With His help, I'll get there!!!! Right now, I'm ready for this head to hit the pillow...as soon as I get the bowling alley smell out of my hair, that is!!

Two weeks of Monday through Friday down!

Well, I went to the gym today. Only got to do 25 minutes on the elliptical because I had a lot to do to get ready for my 5th and 6th grade youth, which was tonight, and a few other errands while the boys were at school. By the time I made it to the gym, 25 minutes was all I could push it. It wasn't long, but it was long enough to work up a good sweat and feel accomplished for the week. Can't complain with that. My eating was a little scattered today, but not terribly awful. We had pizza/calzones at youth tonight, so I ate 2 little pieces of the calzone and a half slice of pizza, which wasn't nearly as bad as I could've done. We only had 2 kids show up tonight, which was a bummer, but the 2 that were there had a lot of fun and it was good times with them. I really do feel the need to spend more time in prayer and trying to be creative with these kids. I ordered several books today from Youth Specialties today with ideas and stuff about youth culture and all that. It seems to be so different than even a few years ago when I left Young Life staff. Speaking of which: I have been sort of nostalgic for my Young Life days here lately. I don't miss the fundraising or stress of not knowing if I'd get a paycheck or not, but I do miss a lot of what we did and the kind of kids we tried to work with. I love my church kids dearly, but its not the same...I am trying to bring some of YL to my ministry at church, but that's easier to say than to do. Mostly because I am the First Pres lady now, and not the Young Life lady. Even if people aren't very active in their church or maybe even don't know Christ, they still have a loyalty, generally, to a specific church or denomination which makes it difficult to be the "First Pres" lady. When you are the YL lady, pretty much everyone loves and supports you; well, at least to some degree. Anyhow, the thing that really charges me up is sharing Jesus with kids who don't have a clue. Kids who realize they truly have a NEED for a Savior. There is nothing like it. I'm finding it difficult at times to help kids realize the importance of putting Christ first, when they sort of take their Christian faith and upbringing for granted. The gift of God to us in Christ is a gift we should never, ever be complacent about. It's not something to take for granted, though we (myself included) often do. It is a BIG deal...HE is a BIG deal...a really, really BIG FREAKING DEAL! I need to remember that, and I need to figure out ways to get my kids to get that.

Not much else exciting around here. I paid bills today, which isn't ever fun. I am thinking we have not a whole lot left to live on for a couple of weeks, but we can do it. Our freezer is full and our pantry is too--and Craig will hopefully have a check coming for some videos he did a month or so ago soon. This is a loooong tunnel we are in with our finances, and we aren't really seeing light yet, but we are moving ahead, which I am so grateful for. The Lord provides...and I am so humbled and grateful for it!

Well, I guess I need some sleep. I need to work on my sermon some more, so I"m hoping I can stay awake long enough to make progress there. As it says on the back page of our Veggie Tales book...."For now....Toodle do!"

Still truckin!

Well, today was Thursday, and I'm still truckin' along okay. I'm down 10 pounds so far, and grateful for that. Today I did 45 minutes on the elliptical at the gym and I dripped some sweat...that's so like the defining moment in a workout--when the sweat actually DRIPS off! I LOVE it! Yes, how weird am I?! It just feels so good to sweat and work like that. I listened to all sorts of stuff on that ipod while I worked out. I really, really like that thing! When I think about all the money I have spent through the years on...well....crap for weight loss--and the best money I ever spent was for that little refurb nano. I can workout like a fiend with it on! And it's sort of like my getaway time, because I don't ever have the chance to listen to music and just sorta relax like that, so it's extra cool. I listened to Relient K, Sonny and Cher, the Eagles, Clay Crosse, Wes King, Jars of Clay, and I don't remember who else.

I was good on my eating today, although I didn't get to eat supper til much later than I'd have liked. I worked at the lab this evening and we were really, really busy. I didn't hardly stop to even use the bathroom for the longest, and I didn't get to eat dinner til around 9 pm, about an hour before time to get off work. I ordinarily wouldn't have eaten that late, but there wasn't much choice tonight. We had lots of work to do!

Oh....been meaning to post about the fact I gave blood Sunday. Our church had a blood drive, and so it was very easy to go do after church while we were still there. I was amazed that my hematocrit was like 45 or 46--thinking their little machine thingy must be wacky. That translates to about a 15-something hemoglobin, which I've never had in my life! My pulse was 60, which was much better than I expected, and my BP was like 118/70-something, which is pretty darn good too. I got the card today with my cholesterol on it, and it was 131, not fasting, which isn't too shabby either. Aside from the extra 100 pounds, I guess I"m pretty healthy.

Anyhow....tomorrow night is our Friday Night Live, 5th and 6th grade youth. I need to finish getting ready for that and then work on my sermon for Sunday. Thankfully, I don't have to work at the lab on Saturday (though I was asked to this morning!) so I will have some good time to work then.

Well, guess that's all for now. I plan to go to the gym tomorrow morning before I pick my boys up at school. Then, it'll be 2 weeks of M-F workouts...yay! With the Lord's help, I'm getting there!

Next time....on contemplating giving up chocolate! (say it isn't so!)

Wednesday

Well, today was a good day. Went to the office this morning and got to talk at length with one of our new elders who will be working in Christian Ed the next 3 years and got to discussing some important stuff, which was good. Prayer, prayer, prayer, is the conclusion we keep all coming back to....are we really a people of prayer, or do we fall miserably short? I think the latter is probably more of the case--praise God that He is able to work despite our weaknesses and bring us back once again to our knees, where we should have been all along.

My boys stayed at preschool for stay and play today successfully, so that was big fun for them. I am so proud of how well they are doing with their potty stuff. Baby G napped a little bit while we were home, but she wanted to get out and play mostly. So, it was some good mommy-daughter time! When I picked the boys up, they had notes in their backpacks that one little boy at their school (also a twin, incidentally, and one whose parents I know) had a heart transplant on Sunday. I don't know any of why or any of that, but I can't imagine what they must be going through with that. My heart goes out to them. There was also another little boy, who I don't know, who has a brain tumor that is evidently producing some sort of seizures, and he is going to be undergoing radiation to have it shrunk. I just can't imagine; I was in tears reading this letter from preschool. Life is such a precious gift; and we would do well to remember that!

In other matters, I worked out at the gym this evening. Not a big deal, just 35 minutes of running/walking on the treadmill. I got to sweating pretty good and it was awesome. I am somewhat trying to follow along the program by Chantel Hobbs, which I read about in her book Never Say Diet. She is a gal who lost 200 pounds!!!! And now she is like model-gorgeous! Amazing, incredible story. I saw her on TV and then I had to read her book. She is super fit and really an inspiration. She is also a Christian, and it seems she really is using her "new self" to bring glory to the Lord, which is way cool.

Anyhow, I got my working out done....tomorrow evening I have to work at the lab and then Friday night I have my 5th and 6th grade youth, so those will be busy days--I'm planning on the gym in the morning before I have to work and then again on Friday, probably in the morning after I leave the office a little early.

Anyhow, so far so good! I'm determined this time around to make this work and see it through!!!!