During training this morning, I asked my trainer if he thought I was ready to go on my own. He said almost. My biggest problem is letting fear and the "I can't's" get to me. If something looks too hard, I give up before I even try. For example, last week my trainer wanted me to jump up onto some steps. Before I even started, I felt defeated. I gave up before even trying. It broke me down for a few minutes. It reminded me of when I was in middle school and my P.E. teacher had us jump hurdles. Being so short, I not only didn't make it over the hurdle but I fell and was laughed at by my peers. Being short has always made me feel like I can't do certain things. But at the end of my workout I had mastered the steps. My trainer helped me through it and he opened up my eyes to a truth that I never knew....I give up too easily.
That was a hard lesson to learn. I'm still learning how to overcome obstacles. Even as an adult, I still have lessons to learn.
Another exercise I had to do was so tough, I was quoting Philipians 4:13 in my head over and over again. When I was young, my parents made me quote that verse every time I said "I can't." I guess part of me never completed that lesson. Maybe one day I will.
I believe that this whole experience has made me a different person. As a mother, a woman and a wife. I know now that I am much stronger than I thought I was. I will make it through this battle. And that's exactly what it is...a battle. I sincerely hope that my experience can be a testimony of weight loss. The struggles, the joy, the pain, and the outcome are worth it. I will get there. I pray that God will give me the strength to continue because I still have a long way to go.
I have a few days left of my detox. Nothing but fruits, veggies, almonds, granola and lots of water. Talk about tough! My body is doing good but my mind is playing tricks on me. Craving bread and butter, pasta, even just a piece of chicken. But I will overcome these cravings and make it to Friday. Maybe Saturday. We are leaving to Colorado for Thanksgiving on Saturday, so I don't know if I will continue it.
Everything I am going through is truly mind over matter and proof that when you give you struggles to the Lord, he provides a way to get through them.
If you are going through the same weight loss battle as I am....good for you! We will get through it and at the end of the road we will be healthier and stronger.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Why?
Why do people not smile and say hello when you take the time to do so?
Why do people stand in the hallway of a hotel and talk very loudly at 10:52 at night, while little children are trying to sleep inside one of the rooms?
Why do drivers give you the finger when you go the speed limit? You are just trying to protect the precious cargo inside your car AND provide safety for the other drivers on the road.
Why does garlic bread taste so good and you crave it when you can't have it?
Why do I wake up in the morning wishing I could have one more hour of sleep when I clearly had the required amount of sleep?
Why am I typing this blog when I should be in bed? I'm debating whether to call the front desk and complain about the noise. So I figured I would blog. These questions are some things I experienced today and I guess you could say why ask why. Life is the way it is sometimes. I'm thankful for what I have inside this hotel room. A husband who loves me, thinks I'm funny, beautiful and the love of his life. Two sweet precious babies sleeping so peacefully with their new pillow pets. Loving their life and making mine interesting and blessing me with their lives. They are pure joy. Even though I had to pull the car over today and have a talk with Kailey about her attitude....she is still pure joy.
I'm going to bed now. It's 11:00 and the noise is still very loud. Hopefully they will be considerate of the other people in this hotel.
Why do people stand in the hallway of a hotel and talk very loudly at 10:52 at night, while little children are trying to sleep inside one of the rooms?
Why do drivers give you the finger when you go the speed limit? You are just trying to protect the precious cargo inside your car AND provide safety for the other drivers on the road.
Why does garlic bread taste so good and you crave it when you can't have it?
Why do I wake up in the morning wishing I could have one more hour of sleep when I clearly had the required amount of sleep?
Why am I typing this blog when I should be in bed? I'm debating whether to call the front desk and complain about the noise. So I figured I would blog. These questions are some things I experienced today and I guess you could say why ask why. Life is the way it is sometimes. I'm thankful for what I have inside this hotel room. A husband who loves me, thinks I'm funny, beautiful and the love of his life. Two sweet precious babies sleeping so peacefully with their new pillow pets. Loving their life and making mine interesting and blessing me with their lives. They are pure joy. Even though I had to pull the car over today and have a talk with Kailey about her attitude....she is still pure joy.
I'm going to bed now. It's 11:00 and the noise is still very loud. Hopefully they will be considerate of the other people in this hotel.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
What Do We Do?
Most people know that we are living in an extended stay hotel until December. But, we get a lot of questions about what we do to fight the boredom or deal with the cramped space. So here is what our family does and will be doing until our move to New Jersey.
1. Play games:
We love scrabble! The fun part about scrabble is that you learn many new words because you browse the dictionary looking for ways to use your letters. For example the word "prate" means to talk. I actually won tonight with over 230 points. Not an easy thing to do because Tom is very good at games. He knows strategy whereas I could care less sometimes. Another we play is a card game called "26." Each player gets 26 cards and you have to try and get rid of your set first. It can be very fun and I have learned the strategy part of it.
2. Gym
I spend every morning at the gym. I am working with a trainer two days a week and the rest it's up to me to get a good workout in. Going to they gym is a wonderful way to fight stress. I have so much endurance and energy now. Plus, the gym has a daycare so the girls get to come with me sometimes and they have a blast.
3. Library
The girls love the library. They always have. They love to play the computer games, play with the puzzles and get a new book. I love books and I hope the girls continue to love books and pass this on their children. Children need to be in a library to experience the fun of books and see for themselves how much knowledge is at their fingertips.
4. Window Shopping
We love window shopping! We have walked around for hours looking at different stores in the mall or our favorite Hobby Lobby. May not be exciting for some people but we love it. It's the simple things in life that are to be cherished. You don't have to buy anything to have fun shopping.
5. Park
Must go to the park with kids. It's just that simple. And if you have a dog it's a must as well. Out in the fresh air enjoying the wonderful scenery that God created. Especially when the seasons change. Not something to be taken lightly.
These are just a few of the activities that keep us busy. Hotel life can be good or bad. It's what you make of it. We learned that through our years of living in England. God never gives us anything that we can't handle. In fact, if we remember every place we've been and lesson learned it's great knowledge for future situations. I'm excited about living in New Jersey and even more excited about what God has planned for us.
1. Play games:
We love scrabble! The fun part about scrabble is that you learn many new words because you browse the dictionary looking for ways to use your letters. For example the word "prate" means to talk. I actually won tonight with over 230 points. Not an easy thing to do because Tom is very good at games. He knows strategy whereas I could care less sometimes. Another we play is a card game called "26." Each player gets 26 cards and you have to try and get rid of your set first. It can be very fun and I have learned the strategy part of it.
2. Gym
I spend every morning at the gym. I am working with a trainer two days a week and the rest it's up to me to get a good workout in. Going to they gym is a wonderful way to fight stress. I have so much endurance and energy now. Plus, the gym has a daycare so the girls get to come with me sometimes and they have a blast.
3. Library
The girls love the library. They always have. They love to play the computer games, play with the puzzles and get a new book. I love books and I hope the girls continue to love books and pass this on their children. Children need to be in a library to experience the fun of books and see for themselves how much knowledge is at their fingertips.
4. Window Shopping
We love window shopping! We have walked around for hours looking at different stores in the mall or our favorite Hobby Lobby. May not be exciting for some people but we love it. It's the simple things in life that are to be cherished. You don't have to buy anything to have fun shopping.
5. Park
Must go to the park with kids. It's just that simple. And if you have a dog it's a must as well. Out in the fresh air enjoying the wonderful scenery that God created. Especially when the seasons change. Not something to be taken lightly.
These are just a few of the activities that keep us busy. Hotel life can be good or bad. It's what you make of it. We learned that through our years of living in England. God never gives us anything that we can't handle. In fact, if we remember every place we've been and lesson learned it's great knowledge for future situations. I'm excited about living in New Jersey and even more excited about what God has planned for us.
Nickel Anyone?
The doctor removed Natalie's nickel yesterday. After two and a half weeks of living with a nickel in her stomach, she is nickel free. At first, we were told she swallowed a quarter. Which at the time I thought, wow, that must have been hard to swallow for a five yearl old. But turns out it was a nickel.
Natalie was very brave. The nurses made the whole process very comfortable for her. I don't think she could have been in better hands....other than God's of course. But as far as hospitals, this one was awesome! I was able to be with her while she was put to sleep, and while that was hard to watch, I wouldn't have been anywhere else. That's my baby. I will always be there for her if I'm able. Today she is bouncing around like nothing happened and it's amazing how fast kids recover.
Today brings new adventures of course. I had to pick Kailey up from school. She was running a fever of 101.6. But when I checked her temperature here at home it was 99.1. Not sure how that happened considering she didn't have any medicine at school. Mysteries of life. So now I have two kids at home, a sleeping husband because he worked nights this week, and a dog who looks at me as if he's saying "please pay attention to only me" when I give him plenty of love and affection. As soon as Tom wakes up I will be going to the gym to run and de-stress. This is my life for today. But hey, I'm alive and kicking and God is good. Wouldn't have it any other way.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Fall...in a hotel
So I guess the downfall about being in a hotel is not being able to watch our trees turn from lush green to rich red and yellow. Every year I could sit on the back porch and watch the trees blow in the wind, and the vibrant colors were such a sight.
Living in a hotel, I can still watch trees turn colors but it's not the same. We planted those trees and so it's hard to let go. But life in a hotel isn't bad. While I love cleaning I am happy to let someone else do it for a few months. I still do laundry, that somehow didn't change. But I bought new fabric softner and dryer sheets...lovely! I have a nice hot tub to relax in after my workouts and a continental breakfast every morning. Yes, there are some perks to living in a hotel.
But we don't stay couped up in the hotel. We go swimming at a nearby gym, parks, exercise at the gym every morning (training two days a week in which my experiences a new lesson in pain), and Tom has found a new store he loves....Hobby Lobby. We can walk around that store for an hour and a half and have so much fun....and not spend a dime. Unfortunately, there isn't a Hobby Lobby in Jersey. We will have to drive to Pennsylvania or order online. I have a new appreciation for window shopping. You can still have a good time shopping without spending money.
Time to get the girls in bed. Happy Fall everyone! Will post pictures soon!
Living in a hotel, I can still watch trees turn colors but it's not the same. We planted those trees and so it's hard to let go. But life in a hotel isn't bad. While I love cleaning I am happy to let someone else do it for a few months. I still do laundry, that somehow didn't change. But I bought new fabric softner and dryer sheets...lovely! I have a nice hot tub to relax in after my workouts and a continental breakfast every morning. Yes, there are some perks to living in a hotel.
But we don't stay couped up in the hotel. We go swimming at a nearby gym, parks, exercise at the gym every morning (training two days a week in which my experiences a new lesson in pain), and Tom has found a new store he loves....Hobby Lobby. We can walk around that store for an hour and a half and have so much fun....and not spend a dime. Unfortunately, there isn't a Hobby Lobby in Jersey. We will have to drive to Pennsylvania or order online. I have a new appreciation for window shopping. You can still have a good time shopping without spending money.
Time to get the girls in bed. Happy Fall everyone! Will post pictures soon!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Graduations
Well, both of my babies have graduated this year. Natalie graduated from Preschool and Kailey from Kindergarten! Yes, tears were shed but happy tears. I'm so proud of my little girls for learning all they learned.
Kailey loved her teacher this year. I know she will miss her. I told Kailey to always remember teacher's like Mrs. Ryan because they don't come around often. She was truly special to Kailey. I think we all have one teacher that we can recall being that number one super teacher.
Natalie loved Preschool and she was sad for it to end. However, she is thrilled to begin Kindergarten. She can't wait to buy her first backpack and school supplies. I'm excited for her and I have to admit I enjoy buying school supplies :) It's fun!
Tom is busy finishing his Master degree. He's almost there. His job leaves something to be desired but he's trying to see the positives rather than the negatives. He just got done mowing the lawn and we are going to Home Depot tomorrow to buy our annual flowers for pots and a few flower/shrubs for the side of the house. We will have to do some re-planting tomorrow afternoon. Our box shrubs are being overpowered by our wild rose bushes. So those are being relocated to the backyard. Actually as I'm typing this I'm wondering if we should move the wild roses to the back????? Decisions.
Julia
Kailey loved her teacher this year. I know she will miss her. I told Kailey to always remember teacher's like Mrs. Ryan because they don't come around often. She was truly special to Kailey. I think we all have one teacher that we can recall being that number one super teacher.
Natalie loved Preschool and she was sad for it to end. However, she is thrilled to begin Kindergarten. She can't wait to buy her first backpack and school supplies. I'm excited for her and I have to admit I enjoy buying school supplies :) It's fun!
Tom is busy finishing his Master degree. He's almost there. His job leaves something to be desired but he's trying to see the positives rather than the negatives. He just got done mowing the lawn and we are going to Home Depot tomorrow to buy our annual flowers for pots and a few flower/shrubs for the side of the house. We will have to do some re-planting tomorrow afternoon. Our box shrubs are being overpowered by our wild rose bushes. So those are being relocated to the backyard. Actually as I'm typing this I'm wondering if we should move the wild roses to the back????? Decisions.
Julia
Friday, February 5, 2010
Proud of My Children
I'm extremely proud of Kailey and Natalie :)
Kailey is doing so well in Kindergarten. Her reading skills are improving and she read her first book by herself this week. She prefers Mommy to read but I keep telling her that she can have the most amazing adventures when she reads herself. One day, when she is able to read chapter books, she will understand. I'm thankful for her teacher at school. Kailey has had the best year and Tom and I couldn't ask for a better teacher. She truly cares about her students and even has a blog for the class. Now Tom and I can see what Kailey is doing all day!
Natalie is ready for Kindergarten, that's for sure. She loves her Preschool class but is having to take a break from it while I find another job. Natalie was ready for Kindergarten this year but I think she will benefit from waiting one more year. Natalie loves to read and is always asking us to read with her. She's at the same reading level as Kailey, so we are very happy with that.
Both girls are big helpers at home. They love to help with the laundry and would from time to time I let them stir whatever is cooking on the stove. But I still make them leave the kitchen when I open the oven door. I'll probably still do that when they are teenagers! It's a habit :)
The girls love Church, which is awesome! We have a great children's ministry at our Church. Kailey loves Sparks and Natalie is a little sad that this is her last year in Cubbies. It's exciting to see them memorize their Bible verses and get their patches. They definitley know who Jesus is and are retaining what they learn about him.
I just took some time to reflect on our kids and how much they have changed over the years. While they are growing up too fast, they are exactly where they need to be and Tom and I are excited to see where they are going!
Kailey is doing so well in Kindergarten. Her reading skills are improving and she read her first book by herself this week. She prefers Mommy to read but I keep telling her that she can have the most amazing adventures when she reads herself. One day, when she is able to read chapter books, she will understand. I'm thankful for her teacher at school. Kailey has had the best year and Tom and I couldn't ask for a better teacher. She truly cares about her students and even has a blog for the class. Now Tom and I can see what Kailey is doing all day!
Natalie is ready for Kindergarten, that's for sure. She loves her Preschool class but is having to take a break from it while I find another job. Natalie was ready for Kindergarten this year but I think she will benefit from waiting one more year. Natalie loves to read and is always asking us to read with her. She's at the same reading level as Kailey, so we are very happy with that.
Both girls are big helpers at home. They love to help with the laundry and would from time to time I let them stir whatever is cooking on the stove. But I still make them leave the kitchen when I open the oven door. I'll probably still do that when they are teenagers! It's a habit :)
The girls love Church, which is awesome! We have a great children's ministry at our Church. Kailey loves Sparks and Natalie is a little sad that this is her last year in Cubbies. It's exciting to see them memorize their Bible verses and get their patches. They definitley know who Jesus is and are retaining what they learn about him.
I just took some time to reflect on our kids and how much they have changed over the years. While they are growing up too fast, they are exactly where they need to be and Tom and I are excited to see where they are going!
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