October Wrap Up

I'm late with this post, I know. I've been working more than usual and when you aren't used to working 5 days a week, it does a number on you. Cleaning house, grocery shopping, and laundry screeched to a halt for awhile. Until my guys were complaining about needing clean underwear that is. Anyhow, I am back on track and ready to up date you on my progress.

I have done well keeping up with my prayer lists, both requests and thanksgiving. Although I am still not great about going back to record answers to prayers. I finished reading 'Blue Like Playdoh' but wasn't very inspired. I did start back up the last two weeks of my last Bible study, 'For Women Only'. I figured I better finish what I started before I begin something new. My quiet time has still been a struggle, mostly because I've been working more. I get up a hour earlier on the days I work just to get myself and Braden ready so the extra 15 minutes for quiet time didn't quite make it.

Frankly, I still need work in this area. But don't we all? I know my spiritual walk cannot be fixed with one month and an outline of the "good Christian to do's". I need to continue to pray for God to do a work on my heart and increase my desire for Him. 

I picked up a devotional on CD that I can listen to daily in my car. I also picked up a new Bible study titled "Duty or Delight: Knowing Where You Stand With God".  This one sort of just jumped out at me the other day when I was spending my Lifeway Groupon. (Love groupons!) I think it's right up my alley right now. It's also one I don't think would appeal to a group. It's only six weeks so I plan to do it starting next week and then should be ready for something new by Jan. I have my eye on the Ruth study by Kelly Minter and would like to get a group going.

Anyhow, as with all of us, I cannot fix all my issues or be the perfect Christian in a month. I am pressing onward with my journey. November, or at least what is left, will be Marriage month. It's my 10th anniversary today. It's been a great decade. We have had plenty of ups and more than our share of downs, but we are happy and more in love than ever. However, there is always room for improvement. So stay tuned for my Marriage plan!

Recent Pics

 

Randall Homecoming Parade 2011

 

Arden Road Boys Float

 

My two babies going to the dog park.

 

Braden at A.R.C.H. for Austin's birthday party.

October: Spirituality

My focus for October is late. I know.

I was planning to focus on marriage this month, but in order to focus on my marriage I felt like I needed to focus on my relationship with my Savior first. Arguably this should have been done in September, but here we are. I've been a bit spiritually lazy the last few months. Without the discipline of a regular bible study, my quiet time and prayer time have fallen by the wayside. This month I am going to get back on track. And I have help. This morning, despite my plans to sleep in, I was wide awake at seven o'clock with a urging in my mind to get up and do my quiet time. So I did it. Hopefully the Lord will help me get up every morning because sometimes that extra 15 minutes seems impossible. 

On that note, here is the plan (that I will need His help to stick to):

List prayer requests:
- Record requests, personal and from others
- Pray over list at least 1x per day
- Remember to note answers to prayer requests

 Read books on faith:
- Finish 'Blue Like Playdoh'
- Read 'Heaven is for Real' and 'Jesus Died for This'
- Start a study or devotional

 Do my quiet time:
- Get up 15 minutes earlier
- Start with the Psalms
- End with prayer

 Keep a gratitude journal:
- Record blessings
- I have A LOT to be thankful for
- Remember to thank Him daily

 At least I am off to a good, be it late, start. Wish me joy!

Ten Years Already

A blast from the too far away past!  This was us, almost two years ago. We were celebrating our "been together" anniversary of 10 years.  We went to Denver for a weekend in November to see a Black Crowes Concert. I cannot believe that was two years ago already.

Now, here we are, coming up on our 10 years of marriage anniversary. We haven't been away, just the two of us, since that trip to Denver. I am not sure if another trip alone is in the cards for us or not. I do know this.

I am very happy that 10 years later I can still say I married my best friend. I love this man with all my heart and soul. I think it gets better each year! 

Diet Schmiet

Just so the record is straight, I've given up on the diet thing. I am still trying to eat healthy and thanks to my Journey for Joy in Vitality, I am trying to exercise more. However, I've decided that I be can fit and beautiful without hitting a specific weight or size of jeans. 

My new goals will revolve around fitness and healthy habits. Not numbers and sizes. I would suggest this to anyone that has been beating themselves up over failing at dieting or their weight. Living a healthy and fit lifestyle doesn't mean a size 4 for everyone.

Furthermore, if I want to eat some Halloween candy this year or buy something at the cake walk that I will be helping with, I am not going to feel guilty about it. I'll just make sure I work out a little extra the next day! Ha!

September Wrap Up

I made it through September, with some success to report. I didn't do well to post anything along the way about my progress. Sorry. It was a crazy month!

I'm happy to report that for the most part I have been getting more sleep. I did well with going to bed earlier on the days Derik was either already in bed or not home. I just cannot seem to make myself go to bed when he's still up. That time with him is important and I'm sure I'll get to that next month. I've been getting up earlier too, which helps with the going to bed earlier because I'm so tired that I am asleep before my head hits the pillow.

The exercise part didn't go as well. I have been walking the dogs daily, sometimes twice. They are loving it way more than I am though. If they even see my tennis shoes they start going nuts. As for the Zumba, I forgot I loaned it out and haven't gotten back yet. And for the P90X, my friend that was going to loan it to us to try hasn't found it yet. I did go check out a new gym with my friend and loved the 30 minute express room. It was a bunch of machines set up with a timed rotation so you get a complete workout in a short amount of time. And the gym is cheap so I might just have to make a commitment there.

I have decided there is something to the saying "fake it til you make it'. I've been in a better mood and have probably been more pleasant to be around because I am making a concerted effort to be in a good mood. Now that doesn't mean I was successful on a daily basis. I've done my fair share of being grumpy and complaining, particularly in the last week. I've found a major contributor of my stress is my son not doing what I ask him to do when I ask him to do it without a million questions that turn into an argument. I need to remember to stop, don't engage in the argument, don't give him that power. Take a breath and stay calm. I learned in a parenting book I read last year that when you become emotional after letting your kids push your buttons, you are giving them control. I definitely need to keep working on this area, with a major focus on remaining calm and in control. (I feel the need to say that I am not flying off the handle and screaming or anything like that. I just need to stop engaging in the arguments. Nip the talking back in the bud and move on.)

I think I did a crappy job on my last area of focus: toss, restore, organize. I was off to a good start and then started working and doing PTA stuff. I cleared out the cabinets in my laundry room and started on my side of the closet, but that's as far as it went. Mostly because I couldn't decide what to do with all the stuff. Donate it or store it for a garage sale. We are storage challenged in this house so donating would be best, but the penny pincher in me knows that I could make a few hundred dollars in a garage sale if I am willing to do the work.

In her book, The Happiness Project, the author calls the monthly focus items her 'resolutions' instead of goals. She explains that typically goals are something you achieve and then you are done. Resolutions on the other hand are something you strive to keep continuously. I am hopeful that I will continue striving to keep my resolutions from September. Even as I take on a new focus for October. The previous sentence makes me feel just a little overwhelmed, but I am confident I can do it!

Wish me joy!

September: Vitality

This is my first post in my Journey for Joy. Woohoo!

I've decided to focus on Vitality during September. It's the first thing that Gretchen Rubin worked on in her book. It just makes sense. School is starting, which means PTA is ramping up and keeping me more than busy. I will also be working (as a substitute) as much as possible this year. Obviously if I am going to be finding any joy, I need to be feeling good and taking care of myself.

So here is the plan for the month:

Go to sleep earlier:
- Be in bed by 10:30
- Shut the TV off by 11:00
- Get up earlier if necessary

Get daily exercise:
- The dogs need a daily walk
- Zumba 2x a week
- Try P90X with Derik

Act more energetic:
- You will feel the way you act
- Fake it until you feel it
- Enthusiasm helps
- Start the morning with music

Toss, Restore, Organize:
- Toss out or donate anything unused or not needed
- Junk attracts more junk
- Use the 'One Minute Rule'
- Everything needs a place
- Do an evening tidy up
- Deal with mental clutter on to do lists

The plan is if I can do these things daily, by the end of the month I should be feeling better both physically and mentally. If I am feeling better, I should be finding more joy. Or at least complaining less about feeling tired.

Wish me joy!

Journey for Joy

So a in August I picked up The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. Not sure why it caught my eye, but I am glad it did. It's all about the fact that while the author is happy with her life, she could in theory be happier on a day to day basis. Couldn't we all?

The author decided to spend a year doing what she called her Happiness Project. She broke it down into 12 areas that she wanted to improve to help her become a happier person. It was really an interesting goal she had and kept me engaged int he book right up to the end. 
So I've decided to start my own little project. Except I'm calling it my Journey for Joy. A little different than happiness, which is defined as a mental state characterized by positive emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. I like to think I am a pretty happy person already. That's why my goal is joy. Or intense joy, more specifically. 
If you catch me on a "good" day, I'll tell you that I love my life. I am very happily married. I have amazing boys. I have a wonderful family. Great friends. I need to work on my spiritual walk because I've been a little lazy lately. But overall, I'm a happy person. 
However if you talked to me today, would you know that about me? Probably not. I get bogged down in the daily stresses. My son not wanting to do his homework. People not taking care of their own volunteer obligations. Money. Money. Money. All that day to day stuff robs me of my happiness and definitely depletes any joy I am trying to hold onto. 
So my Journey for Joy begins in September. I am going to sit down, make a 9 month plan (because I know I won't stick to anything through the summer) and get down business. The business of finding joy. I'll do my best to at least post my focus for the month and then a wrap up at the end of the month. I'm not promising much more than that but I'll try! 
Wish me luck! Better yet, wish me joy!

End of Summer Wrap Up

Well, summer has obviously kept me busy, so here's an end of summer wrap up!

Since my last post, we spent a week at Schlitterbauhn in New Braunfels, TX and Fredericksburg, TX. You'll have to visit my FB for pics because right now I am too lazy to add them. Three days at Schlitterbauhn were fantastic and exhausting all at the same time. I am proud to say that at the age of 30. (cringe!) I rode every single water slide, thrill ride, and stepped in every pool in the three park resort that is Schlitterbauhn. Now you understand the exhausting part. Fredericksburg was cool. Derik found a new love for breweries after dining at Fredericksburg Brewing Company. I found a love for Scottish Egg...yum! The museums were cool and I can see another visit to this quaint little town in our future. Sadly, at the end of the week, we had to part company with not only Derik's family, but our boys too. (tear) It's always hard to say goodbye at the end of summer.

After that action packed vacation with the Carleton Family, it was back to just the three of us (Derik, Braden, and yours truly). We holed up in the house for a solid week. Other than going out for the required groceries and school needs (as the start of school is unavoidable, despite our attempts to pretend otherwise), we didn't leave the house. This housebound week lead me to plan one last 'getaway' before the dreaded school routine sets in.
For the first time EVER, the three of us hit the road. I hadn't realized that we haven't taken a trip unless the boys or my parents were with us. This time it was the three amigos. We headed for Colorado Springs, which is my new home away from home. I love those mountains and tried (and failed) to convince Derik we could move there. We didn't do a lot, a little shopping, visited 4 (count them, 4) breweries, enjoyed the scenery. Braden's one request was to revisit Seven Falls, which we had gone to in 2006 when we went to CO with the boys in tow. Braden was too small to climb the steep stairs then and he wanted to give it another go. The three of us climbed who knows how many stairs to the first landing and that was enough for my guys. I decided, out of stupidity or a desire for adventure I'm not sure which, that I would continue up the to the top. 244 very steep stairs altogether. And another 244 very steep stairs back down. My legs were jello for days. This climb was the equivalent of being on the StairMaster for over an hour. Stupidity must have been the right answer. BUT...I have some cool pictures from the top! Again, see FB for pictures. There are just too many.

So we are back home, halfway into the last week of summer. Meeting teachers on Friday. Starting school on Monday. Trying, half-hearted mind you, to get Braden and myself back on that school sleep schedule. He was out by midnight and up by nine am, if that tells you how we are doing. It's going to be a rough first week, I think. We have a few plans left. Maybe another visit to the pool and a movie. We are just savoring the free time, which can be enjoyed by doing nothing (or so I am told).

I just cannot believe how fast this summer went by! Hope the school year goes by just as fast!

Caprock Canyon Camping

We camped, hiked, geocached, played games, explored a small town, and watered a roadrunner. It was a good trip. The kids had fun spending time with their Grammy and Gramps. And Derik found a challenge that is close to home. The Caprock Canyon State Park Trailway is a 60 mile trek that I will not be joining him on.  See here for details:  http://www.railstotrails.org/news/recurringfeatures/trailmonth/archives/0504.html

Need to Move

I have the travel bug!

We are going camping tomorrow for a couple of days and we have a 7 day vacation starting on the 17th, but it's not coming soon enough. Every morning I wake up and my first thought is that I want to get out of town! 

Does this happen to anyone else? I am just restless here and bored with the routine we have developed this summer. It's time for something new and different. Time to go!

A Hiking We Will Go

We are hikers. Have I covered that before?  Derik has a passion for it like nothing else. That's not true. He has the same passion for hiking that he has for music.  He has plans for 15 mile hikes, 2 day hikes, and even a 4 month trek that will take us the length of the Appalachian Trail. At any rate, we are hikers. We have been hiking since we had to carry or push Braden in a stroller. It's a good way to spend time as a family, with no distractions. Just conversation and nature.

After Derik, Dustin, and Seth completed a 9 mile hike a few weeks back, we decided to do a more family friendly hike. Friday morning, we were at the Canyon when they opened the gate. We headed out on a 6 mile hike that circled the canyon floor. It was nice for about he first 4 miles and then Braden began to wear out. Thankfully, we came upon the cave that the kids like so much about that time that I thought Braden was going to give out.  So while Derik and Dustin finished the 2 miles left of the hike, Seth, Braden and I hung out in the cave.

While we were hiking, the boys talked about how much they would like to go to the Grand Canyon.  I did a 3 day hike with my dad when I was 14 to the bottom and out. My dad loves telling my husband about that trip, when I told him that I was bringing my husband there when I got one. I would love do that with Derik and the boys. However, the other morning was proof that any big hiking plans will have to wait a few years until we can all make it!  If Palo Duro Canyon wears us out there is no way we would survive the Grand Canyon yet. But when Braden is 14, we'll be ready!!

Just Keep Swimming

After several frustrating summers of trying to get Braden over the fear of water, he is finally swimming!

I was going to put him in lessons this summer because we are going to Schilitterbahn and I wanted him to be swimming before then, but Braden kept telling me he knew how and wanted to just do it.  A few weeks into summer and I guess he was right.  He's jumping off the side into water over his head, going down the slides, and today he swam the length of the pool without stopping! 

Seth has been the epitome of a good big brother in the pool this summer. He was right there encouraging Braden, helping him when he got a little scared, and cheering him on.  I am so thankful to Seth for helping Braden conquer his fears and be able to really enjoy the pool. Seth has even talked him into jumping off the diving board tomorrow!

Summertime and the Living's Easy

It's summertime!

School's out! Braden ended up with all commended on his TAKS tests. He only missed 1 on the reading and 2 on the math. He also made A Honor Roll for 3rd Grade! So proud!

May was so incredibly crazy that I barely came up for air! By the time school ended, I was exhausted and ready to go into hiding. But I still had to meet with the principal to plan the next year's PTA activities. The end of school was just so busy with parties, talent show, fundraising, and meetings that we couldn't fit it in.  Thankfully, I have now wrapped up my PTA business for the year, have the calendar set for next year, and have put it all out of my mind so that I can just enjoy the summer! (Except for the house I spent yesterday trying to sort my notebook and move things to the permanent file.) I have about a month until we gear up for next year. I cannot believe my little boy is going to be in the 4th grade next year and it is our last year at Arden Road! It seems like yesterday we were just starting Kindergarten!  It all flies by so fast. I think time actually passes faster once your kid enters school. I tear up just thinking about the fact that my baby is going to walk the halls at the end of 4th grade and be done with elementary school.  But I am not going to think about all that until I have to!

Summer is in full swing around here. We've been swimming every other day or so, staying up way to late, and sleeping even later. Our first adventure of the summer was last week. We went to OKC for some fun. Caught a Red Hawks game, which is going to be a frequent event now as they are the Astro's AAA farm team, and went to the OKC Zoo.  Making it through the entire zoo in one enjoyable day as a family felt like an achievement. 

We attempted the summer we first moved to Amarillo, but it was a horribly unsuccessful day. I think the boys were 6, 4, and 17 months. Yes, it was that bad that we didn't try again for almost 8 years! We have a couple pictures from that first adventure to the OKC Zoo. A shot or two of a one or two of the boys smiling with some animal, but the one that sticks out in my mind a shot where Braden is silently crying, sitting in the stroller, looking like he's melting, with Dustin standing next to him smiling, and Derik has Seth, who is balling his eyes out, off to the side having one of those talks. I think we'd been there two hours and he was starving, despite the IHOP breakfast we'd eaten directly before coming in. It was a very long, hot, tearful three hours in the zoo that day. 

Thankfully, 8 years later, we managed to walk the entire zoo and enjoy ourselves. It wasn't too hot, our hotel breakfast (Free breakfast is always a great bonus!) kept us going until lunch time, and it wasn't crowded at all! Woohoo!

Our normal summer camping fun has been put on hold as there is a fire ban everywhere and I just cannot imagine taking the boys camping without a campfire.  I explained to them cooking over a camp stove isn't near as much fun and after the sun goes down, we'll just have to crawl in the tents to turn in. Not much fun to sit around the non-existent campfire to eat unroasted marshmallows and just sit in the dark.  Besides, we are going "camping" with my parents for a weekend in Albuquerque in July. 

Derik did take Seth and Dustin on a 9 mile hike in the canyon last week. Apparently, Seth was done around mile 7 and then they ran out of water.  Not exactly the fun hike Derik was hoping for, but they survived. (And went to bed by 2 AM that night!) I am sure we will do some more hiking in the canyon this summer, but I'll make sure we aren't that ambitious. 

Last night was our annual summer trip to Wonderland. (Using our school night tickets purchased from none other than Arden Road PTA, of course!) It was practically deserted, which was great. The kids got to ride until their hearts content. This was the first year that Derik and I didn't buy at least one handstamp between us. Dustin and Seth playing the good big brothers and rode whatever Braden wanted to ride with him as many times as he wanted to ride it. Derik and I got to walk around and watch them have a good time without either of us feeling sick from some ride. It was great!

The boys are growing up so fast! Our summers are already getting shorter due to football starting in August for Dustin. I am really enjoying this summer. They are all getting along and enjoying each other. It's a little weird having a full blown teenager in the house. Staying up until 4 AM and texting his girlfriend 24/7. He's not one of those distant, parent-avoiding teenagers yet, which would really bug me. Derik and I are both just learning how to be parents to a teen. I am just so glad that Dustin is comfortable talking to us and still wants to hang out with us.  Seth and Braden are getting along great, other than little skirmishes over the Xbox, which is expected.  I think they are finally at ages where they can appreciate each other and enjoy each other's company without annoying the heck out of each other.  At least for this summer!

We have our big Carleton Family vacation to Schlitterbauhn to wrap up our time with the boys mid-July. Derik's mom, brother, sister-in-law and their four kids are meeting us there for three days and then I think we plan on spending a day exploring Fredricksburg. The boys are super stoked. They have seen this waterpark on the Travel Channel shows a few times and can't wait to get there. It will be a fun week and a good way to wind up our summer with the boys, as they have to go home at then end of that week.

So that's what summer looks like for us so far. I plan to try to blog more over the summer, but by looking at my blog history you can tell that is a long shot. Although I do much better trying to keep up with this during the summer than during the school year. I might even get some pictures posted! We'll see!

TAKS Tomorrow

This is the first night Braden has been in bed at 8:30 since before Spring Break. The closer we get to summer, the more lax we are on bedtime. However, tomorrow is TAKS testing! 

This is the first time my little boy will take the TAKS test. He has the reading and math this year. I am completely confident he will do excellently. They have worked these kids to death in preparation for this test. He has done well on all the pre-tests, despite his teacher's dissatifaction that he doesn't use his "strategies".  He is super smart and determined to do well. Strategies or not, he will be great.

After TAKS week, we have 4 weeks of 3rd grade left! We couldn't be happier about summer drawing near! Those are probably the busiest 4 weeks of the year.  Wrapping up PTA, preparing for next year, volunteer appreciation, teacher appreciation week, talent show and music fundraiser, and the list goes on. By the end of May, I will be exhausted and completely ready to sit by the pool day after day!

Paleo Diet - Epic Fail

My naturally thin friend (who looks like Malibu Barbie) is doing this Paleo Diet with her husband. So in my never-ending quest to get in shape, I looked up some info on the diet to see if I could give it a try.  It is the Paleolithic Diet or Caveman Diet, which basically means you can eat what is found in nature, with varying opinions on dairy products.  I decided I would give it the old college try and have failed just about every day. 
I guess I didn't read the fine print. Despite their growing naturally, the following items are also forbidden: potatoes, rice, corn, peanuts and peanut products, bacon (how much more all natural do you get than a slice of pig???).
I have eaten one or more of the following every day. Fail!
I am basically restricted to fruits, veggies, meats (no bacon or hot dogs), nuts (not peanuts), eggs, and granola. My granola bars have a little chocolate in them, but chocolate comes from nature too! 
I did just read that sweet potatoes and butter are allowed. Score!!
I have also gone back to the gym. Started today, with a little warm up on the treadmill and then a half hour on the elliptical and a half hour on the recumbent bike. I felt really good and reading Scary Mommy while on the bike made the time fly by! 
I did follow the gym with Chick-fil-A for lunch with Braden at school. Fail! 
However, I snacked on cashews and apples this afternoon with only broccoli for dinner. Redemption!
It is a process, right? I am getting there. I am really surprised, with the lack of self-control I have regarding food, that I am not severely overweight.  A good reason to get it under control now. I will keep trying each day and maybe by summer, I'll have more successful days than failures.

Mysterious Dog Injury

I came home Friday night to find my Great Dane in bed with my husband. While this is not completely out of the ordinary, the fact that his foot was bleeding all over my pretty bedspread was. He had an almost two inch gash in paw that definitely needed stitches. We were at the vet the next morning when they opened the doors and almost $300 later, I have a stitched up dog at home that won't leave his bandages alone. I can't hold him down long enough to get the e-collar on him, which means I will be wrestling him down to wrap his paw every time he decides he sick of the bandages. It's still a mystery as to how he cut his paw open. No blood trail or evidence anywhere in the house or backyard. Guess we'll never know!

I Loathe the Grocery Bag

Because it represents a great source of frustration for me on a daily basis.

I have a picky husband and son. They don't eat vegetables voluntarily. My almost nine year old son will not touch anything with multiple distinguishable ingredients mixed together. This means no soup, stew, stir fry, and definitely no casseroles. These picky habits make for a pretty boring meal plan. We tend to eat the same few meals over and over and over. How much fun is that?

Also, I have a love affair with salt and sugar. Some days I crave potato chips and crackers. Others I crave ANYTHING sweet! Cookies, candy (particularly leftover Halloween candy I have hidden in various places), and especially ice cream. I have little self-control when it comes to eating. After bedtime is the worst. I'm a night owl and no one else is around to see me snacking. While I am not fat, I could stand to lose a few pounds.

Therefore, I hate grocery shopping! It sucks. Plain and simple.

Over the next few months, I am going to try to transform my family's eating habits while I get is shape. Lofty goal, I know. But I am going to give it a try. Wish me luck!

Not Very Good At This

Seeing that it's been five months since my last post, I think this whole blogging thing may be too difficult for me to keep up with. Or it could be that fall semester was incredibly busy and I haven't come up for air until now.  Yeah, I think that's it.

I am mentally still on Christmas break even though my kid has been back in school three weeks now. I am still checked out. Cancelled my PTA meeting, haven't worked, haven't volunteered expect to stuff Tuesday folders as previously obligated to do so. I really need to get in gear. 

My checking out socially and otherwise has much to do with my resolutions though. I've been working on my house. Reorganizing, redecorating, painting, etc. My goal is to make all the changes to my home (that are within our budget) in order to be content with our current home and not be wishing to move. 

Although I am not sure that plan is working. Lately instead of looking at houses around here that are bigger, I've found myself thinking of moving to Dallas. I could use a fresh start, a fun place with lots to do, magnet schools with arts programs that I could Braden into, and a different job that might be more satisfying for Derik. Plus then we are halfway between my family and Derik's family. Of course, it would crush my mother and Braden would not like moving away from his friends and my family.

I think I've just got the grass is always greener syndrome.

Anyhow, now that the world has slowed down and I have some time on my hands, I hope to blog more often. If nothing else, I can share recent books I've read. (7 or 8 novels since Christmas...Told you I have checked out of everything else!)