A little update of the last few days

I have a lot to update on.  I'll start with my diet since the competition has been over...

What is sticking in my diet and what I am letting go of:

 

• I’m still not going crazy with the cheese – I’ve had very little of it and I’m still not missing it
• Milk and sour cream – still out
• Salad dressings other than Newman’s Olive Oil and Vinegar are still out. If at a restaurant I opt for vinaigrette
• No white bread still. I really do like all grain bread. I like it better than wheat and you can find it soft. It is really filling and hearty. I try to stick to 1 piece with some peanut butter.  Although I did make a yummy sandwich the other day for lunch, which Dale stole and I had to make another one.  Pretty much a turkey salad on grain bread.  Yummy!
• Honey has made its drizzly way back to my peanut butter and bananas in the morning on some days
• YOGURT!!! I pretty much am staying away from dairy except for the yogurt (and ice cream sometimes). So good, I want it in my diet. So some greek yogurt, blueberries, strawberries and a little granola is a part of my breakfast on occasion.  I add the fresh fruit myself to plain or vanilla yogurt.   
• I’m taking it easy on the eggs for a little while. Me and eggs need a break!!!
•  Keeping the lean meat and quinoa in for sure and the variety of veggies are staying too. My boys will eat them someday, until then “you get what you get and you don’t throw a fit!”
• My fav veggies lately are sauteed asparagus with just about anything else, red peppers, mushrooms, cabbage. I like roasted and even sauteed cabbage and Brussels sprouts. I made Kale chips a little while ago but haven’t made them since.  They were ok. Addicting but not blow-your-mind good. I am a huge fan of olive oil right now and sea salt. I am really liking strong flavors with some red onion as well.
• Almond milk is staying around but my store is usually sold out of it lately, which angers me!!!

My weakness - Ice cream on occasion with some Magic Shell!  The stuff is so dang good.  BUT - it puffs me up like no other and each bite = a dimple in my butt.  So that is what I'm using to keep me away from it for the last few days.  That and Dale knows my weakness so he gives me crap about eating it as he should. 


Dale is almost there on being ok with the healthier diet. He’s been hitting the gym pretty hard these last few days. It is so good to see that fire in his eyes again!  He's been so supportive of my latest adventure.  Maybe I can talk him into getting out there with us soon.  Ward and Bryce (and any other guys) - come out and I'm sure Dale will too.  Don't be intimidated by us ladies!!

***

 

So the group, Journey To The Best Me, WOW!  I never would have imagined that it would take off like it has.  Amazing.  There are really good people out there that are passionate about helping others out and lifting them up.  There are people out there that want to find JOY in life!  I've found a few of them.  They are sharing their stories, their before pictures, their struggles, their accomplishments, and their goals.  They aren't being judged.  They are being encouraged and cheered for.  They are inspiring and motivating and holding people accountable in the most loving ways.  It is such a blessing to be a part of this.  I'm so excited to see what God has planned here. 

Some of the locals in the group met up Saturday for a group workout.  Wait.  Backup!  When I finally pulled the trigger and took the steps to get this thing off the ground without a solid plan and without being fully ready I was expecting a few to bite.  I was nervous that no one would see value in what I had in mind, but I had people reaching out to me left and right asking for advice along my own journey.  They were asking me to hold them accountable.  They were pretty much bearing all to me and looking for encouragement and support.  I wanted to help, but I just didn't know exactly what to do or how other than letting them know I would do what I can and we will see where it goes.  I figured I had enough experience in sports and in the gym that I could put some workouts together that I planned to do myself anyway and go from there.  Dale has been beside me the whole time.  He has offered advice and workout ideas and I love it!

So I woke up last Saturday morning nervous like I was getting ready to go run a race.  I guess I was just nervous about doing something like this that I was responsible for and had to make it worth other people's time to be there and I didn't want to disappoint anyone.  I started out the door to walk across the street where we agreed to meet.  I looked over at the parking lot, which was FULL to my surprise.  I thought to myself, "I would schedule people to meet me here when there is a fishing tournament going on."  No, there was no fishing tournament, that was my crew.  WOW!  I was amazed, happy, scared, nervous.  11 women came to workout from all different kinds of fitness levels.  I was so encouraged. 

We ran the path, did some hill sprints, some basketball slides up the hill, some lunges, and some walking.  We also started with introductions and little snippets of their stories.  We started and ended with prayer.  I couldn't be happier with how it turned out and I couldn't be happier with the direction the FB group is going.  Just so many good and exciting things.  The pessimist in me wants to say, "now wait, you know that something is going to happen.  The numbers are going to go down.  People will lose their drive, etc."  But, I don't care about that right now.  We are going to keep going and what happens, happens.  We are placing this in God's hands and holding each others through it.  It's awesome!!!

Afterwards I headed home to grab Maddox and ran the trail.  I felt like I needed some soak time after they left and before turning back to mom and wife mode.  I quickly realized how exhausted I was! 

***

Later I caught some time in the sun. Just laying, napping, and Pandora. It was equivalent to one of my awesome runs. I just laid there thinking about how crazy and filling the last few weeks of my life have been and how good it felt just to lay there with no guilt and daze in and out of naps. I think there was a smile on my face the entire time. I have little tan lines to show from it, but it felt so good to soak up God’s warmth.

Our 10 year anniversary was Friday as well.  Dale and I got a babysitter and actually had a real date with a movie and everything.  It feels so good to be so comfortable and content with the person in your life.  Things in our lives are never perfect, but I think we both agree that neither one of us wants to go or be anywhere else.  Through my own journey I have held back from sharing my true feelings even with Dale and that wasn't always healthy.  Now that I am further along I can let myself be me and that has drawn us closer together.  A lot I could say there, but I'll leave it at that.  I'm happy and I love laughing with him.

 

The last 3 weeks especially of my life have been pretty amazing. Finish lines literally and figuratively. Finales to the work I have been putting in. I want to be clear that it wasn’t all rainbows and smiles. There have been plenty of tears. There have been plenty of feelings of frustration, doubt, and sacrifices. I’ve wanted to quit. I've been overwhelmed so many times.  It got hard. Things slipped through the cracks and I had to play Just Breathe over and over and over again listening with my eyes closed. But, I couldn’t give up. I just tried to tip the scales back as much as I could. I’ve gotten my feelings hurt along this process and my temper was shorter than I like it to be. Please don’t ever be naive enough to think that there aren’t going to be trials along the way and that transforming or reaching for goals is going to be a cake walk. It is hard work and it tests just how serious you are about it all. You better be pretty darn serious! The rewards at the end and along the way are worth it all!

9 whole years

The day in that high school where I stomped through the halls furiously because my date to the girls ask guys dance just told me he was taking his friend instead of going with me changed my life forever.


He stood there looking through the graduating classes of years before. Who knows why he was really out there when he probably should have been in class just like I was supposed to be.

“Are you going to the girls ask guys dance?”

In true Dale fashion, “Pffftt, no”

“Well, you are now. You are going with me.” I said it sure and didn’t give one ounce of an option for him to decline.

It was out of character for me. I wasn’t one to take a stance and just jump out there like that especially when it had to do with boys.

I can’t remember a lot of details about the dance. Neither one of us are big dancers. But I remember what he wore from the wing footed necklace to the cologne to the Air Jordan shirt to the Air Jordan’s on his feet.

From that day it has been us. There was no turning back.

Sixteen years we have been together, nine of those married. Sixteen years of laughter, love, heartbreak, faith, living dreams, working hard, arguing, fighting, making up, tears, sweat, believing in each other, trusting, rebuilding, and getting stronger.

Around this time last year we were going through a really rough time. We had just lost his dad and we were learning how to move on with life when such a major part of it was gone. Things were hard. I didn’t know where we were headed or how we would come out of it all. It wasn’t just us affected. It was him and me and his mom and his sister, aunts, uncles… his entire family. We all were learning how to deal with this and a lot of people were looking at him for a source of strength. That added pressure and drama and more walls. Pile a new baby on top of it all.

We were stressed, tired, drained in every possible way. Life didn’t stop when we needed a break. It was a true test to marriage and in what kind of person you are in general.

We won.

Things aren’t perfect. But we are stronger than we have ever been. We talk each night when we get home which was a far cry from going through the normal stuff that deals with kids, and routine, and what the next day’s schedule holds. We do date nights. Not enough but we do them. In a moment of parenthood stress we are able to make eye contact and be on the same page instead of me glaring at him making it seem as if it is all his fault somehow.

We are good.

And that feels so good. Today is truly a day to celebrate for us. We are happy and I can honestly say that without hesitation.

As I read through my post from last year it brings tears to my eyes. Looking back it seems so much worse than what I remember. How times have changed. We’ve come a long way; me, him and our marriage. Thank you to each one of you that have played a part in our marriage. To those who have showed support and love to us by cheering us on or praying silently for us thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I’m sure we will have rough patches again. Who knows, I might get really mad at him tonight : ), but I know that we will be ok. I know that we are strong and where our commitments are and I know who’s behind us for the duration.

Happy 9 years to us! Next year about this time we better have our feet up on a beach in Hawaii with a few special friends! I mean it!

Eight years!

Today is my anniversary.  8 years ago today I was walking down the "isle" in my backyard to marry the man I had already spent 7 years with.  We finally made it official.  My high school sweetheart.  The one that gives me strength time and time again. 

Here's a little bit about how we met. 

To view the video click here.

We spent two hard years away from each other for a good portion of the time while I finished high school.  Then we went to college together.  That was harder than the two years apart, but we made it.  I'm glad we made the choice to stick it out.  We never once split.  We made the choice to fight like we always will.

We got married, got jobs, worked our asses off, saved more money than I think we will probably ever have again, lived in a spider hole, got pregnant, built a house, got pregnant, lost a baby, got pregnant, lived life, and got pregnant again.  It's been quite a ride. Ups, downs.  Deaths, births.  Happiness, sadness.  All along joy and God. 

Below are pictures from our wedding.  Most of my pictures along with my dress were lost in a fire.  So, the ones I do have are pretty treasured.

 I think this is my favorite picture of all time.  I loved that dress and I loved that bouquet.

Awe, the memories!  Happy Anniversary, babe!

Here's to keeping up the fight!

(I'm totally fighting for our 10 year celebration in Hawaii)

I'm sharing with others for vlogtalk and Project Marriage.

What a glorious morning

I know today is Monday and all, usually my least favorite day of the week.  However, today I got to sleep in, went to a fun little appointment, and then found out I got featured here!  What an awesome surprise on this Monday morning.  And to top it all off it is our 7th anniversary. 

That's right 7 years of wedded bliss.  You know that is what it has been, right!  That's a total of 14 years together.  How old am I, oh yeah, 30! I don't see him going anywhere anytime soon if I have anything to do with it. 

He has given me my dream so far.  No he didn't get that Porsche he promised me in the back seat of the high school track bus, but he gave me the life we live right now and I am completely happy with it.  Not to mention those 2 little dirty blondes running madly around the house with their snotty noses, sunburns, and filthy finger nails.  They are a part of him and they make me feel so complete. 

I am thankful for the time we have been given and praying for so much more.  Happy Anniversary, babe!  I love you always/forever!

Here's to many, many more squinted years together.  I WILL get you back on that beach someday soon!  But any beach in Hawaii will do just fine by me too.  PLEASE!!!!????