Sunday, March 28, 2010

Side Lined

Woo Hoo!  I finished up my 30 day challenge a little over a week ago - I finished it in 29 days even though the darn thing didn't give me a trophy for it!  I only lost a few pounds but have definitely lost inches in many different places and my energy level is much higher than ever!  

Towards the end of the challenge, I began having a lot of pain on the bottoms of my feet and the backs of my heels.  I normally workout without shoes on and during one of the "very long" runs I think I did some damage to my left foot.  (Lesson learned: do not run without shoes on!!!).  I was able to finish the challenge and even began a new 30 day's on the high intensity level before not being able to stand it anymore.  I spoke with a knowledgeable, experienced, competitive runner who said I probably injured my achilles and that I needed to rest for at least 3 -4 days while icing it as often as I could.  That was about 6 days ago and though it still hurts a tidge, it is feeling much better.  I have a new pair of running shoes and I am hoping to start working out again tomorrow.  

I was pretty bummed when I had to stop.  I had finally made working out a day to day routine and did it no matter what.  I was also doing sit ups twice a day along with pushups to work on some more toning and had even begun seriously watching what I was eating to help with the weight loss part of it.  

But I'll be back in it tomorrow and I hope I'll make it through.  I'll probably ice afterward to be safe but I'm determined to keep going!  Wish me luck!

Wild Things

Emma's art teacher selected her "Wild Things" artwork to be displayed in the Culpeper Art Show last weekend!  

She was so proud:


There were some incredible pieces of art in there from all different grade levels - but Emma's was the best of course!

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Stay Tuned....

OMG! (yes, I really did just say type that)!  I have been incredibly busy lately, there's been something going on everyday for what seems like forever.  I have a ton of stuff to blog about, but each night when I'm finally sitting down to relax, I'm just not up to typing it all up.  But I have some things I do want to share about that have happened over the past few weeks, Emma's monster in the art show, our visit with my Aunt and Uncle who have kids the same age as Emma and Hannah, our trip to Fun-n-Beyond the other night, my 30-day challenge (and my feet injury that happened), and Emma's progress at school.  There are also some things coming up I can't wait to share with you too!  Hannah's dedication tomorrow, my dental surgery, and our time at the Warming Shelter.  

So much has happened, so much is going to happen.  Stay tuned, I promise to share it all!

Friday, March 19, 2010

16 & Pregnant

Anyone watch this show?  It's my guilty pleasure, my secret indulgence.  I can't get enough of the show.  It comes on Wednesday or Thursday nights on MTV.  This is the second season where they follow around 16 and 17 year old high school girls who are pregnant.  After last seasons series, they did a show called Teen Mom that basically followed 4 of the girls around from that first season.  Like I said I can not get enough of it.  

However! This season has been a bit of a disappointment until this week.  I would have thought the purpose of the show was to call out teenage pregnancy and the real impact it has on a young girls life by having unprotected sex and becoming pregnant.  But this season I don't think the point is coming across - well unless you consider the point that all of these girls date real jerks and they never stick around or grow up like each young girl has to.  Last weeks show the girl was extremely lucky.  Her parents supported her, provided for her and the baby and the girl actually showed interest in taking care of her baby rather than being disrespectful and verbally abusive to her parents. 

This week I think they finally captured the real emotional turmoil that will most likely happen.  A rising senior at an All Girls Catholic School becomes pregnant.  She wants to keep it because she was adopted herself and she wants to keep something that is of her own blood.  Her parents tell her she can't keep it, she has to give it up for adoption.  Her ex-boyfriend/baby's father think they'll move in together, then he changes his mind.  She eventually finds an adoptive family who is willing to have an open adoption.  It was THE most heart wrenching episode I have watched to date, I cried most of the way through it.  It was so hard to watch her want to keep the baby and her parents not willing to help in the least.  

Matt and I talk a lot about what would happen if one of the girls came home pregnant at 16 - what would we do?  Hopefully we will have raised them to wait but I'm pretty positive that is what this girl learned with Catholic parents and a Catholic schooling.  It scares me to think of having to even just teach the girls about abstinence yet know how to introduce contraception while promoting abstinence.  I am pretty positive I would do what lasts parents did and support my daughters decision to keep her baby if that was the decision and do everything in my power to make sure that the baby is loved, cared for and provided for while seeing that my daughter is able to finish school and hopefully attend college (locally, of course!).  

I encourage to you watch the show if you aren't already - I'll just warn you that reality may smack you in the face with the issues we'll have to deal with very, very, very shortly.  Can't our babies just stay little and innocent forever?

Saturday, March 6, 2010

I'm going on a picnic!



On the way home from the dentist the other day Matt suggested we play the alphabet game, "I'm going on a picnic".  I started, then Matt went and Emma rounded us out, but she didn't make it too long before she got bored with it! :)  Here is what our picnic entailed:


I'm going on a picnic and I'm bringing, 
Apples
Bananas
Corn
Donuts
Eggplant
Fish
Grapes
Hummus
Ice Cream
Jelly
Kellogs Frosted Flakes
Lizards
Mashed Potatoes
Nectarines
Oranges
Peanut Butter
Quiche
Ravioli
Spaghetti
Tomatoes
Upside down pineapple cake
Veal parmigiana
Watermelon
Xtra order of ribs
Yellow cake with chocolate frosting
Ziploc bags for leftovers


What a picnic!







Thursday, March 4, 2010

Summer Summer Summer Time



Not too much longer until daylight savings time and SPRING!  I'm sooo ready for warm weather and lots of time outside!!!  But as time slowly creeps by, I'm getting even more excited about summer.  Last summer we lived at the pool and the lake and had school not started we may have grown webbed feet!  All this excitement is making me think about everything we're going to do this summer.  Unfortunately, we won't be able to take a week long vacation anywhere because Matt's work picks vacation by seniority so the entire summer was gone (along with spring break, thanksgiving break, and all major holidays) before it was his turn.  But, I'm actually a bit thankful it worked out that way.  Now instead of just one week this summer going somewhere, we're going to be doing a couple of different things to keep us busy.

Our plans include:
  • Living at the pool and lake
  • The girls and I visiting Gramma Tucky for the July 4th week (with Pop John, of course!)
  • A trip to Dollywood and the Great Smoky Mountains
  • A few day trips to Virginia Beach
  • A trip to Mount Vernon (Emma's been bugging us to go!)
  • A possible horseback riding day camp for Emma
I think that is more than enough to make up for not making it to the Outer Banks yet again.  Thankfully Emma does not have an extended school year and she will still be getting out mid-June (unless blizzard #4 arrives).  Come on summer!!!

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

What's for dinner???

It's that time of the week to begin planning our dinner menus for the next 2 weeks and again I struggle to come up with things to make for dinner!!  It's especially hard when I can't just pull out my favorites from my Paula Deen cookbooks because Matt and I are both eating "better" and well, she doesn't have the most healthy recipes out there, so while I will make stromboli and chowder I can't pull out the good ol' shepards pie!  I try not to cook the same things all the time (plus Matt hates when I make spaghetti so I rarely make that) which makes it hard to come up with dinner ideas and I'm literally at a loss today after coming up with only the first week.  So what do you cook for dinner??  What is a hit with your family?  

Here is what I've planned so far (in no particular order):

1. chicken tacos rice and beans
2. corn sausage chowder with a GIANT salad
3. weight watchers spicy chicken and rice with salad and veggie
4. stromboli
5. breakfast for dinner (pancakes or waffles, sausage and eggs)
6. turkey burgers fries veggies
7. whole chicken with other wonderful down-home cookin' sides
8. 
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.

Any suggestions?? I'm literally at a loss. Help!!!

Wordless Wednesday: Rock Star

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Half Way Point

Yesterday was workout 10 on the wii active - half way through the 30 day challenge and it's incredible how much of a difference can be felt in just 15 days!  I can now do 12 squats without a problem and running around the track for the "long" version is no problem - I actually feel like I could keep going!  The jump squats, squat and hold and inline skating are still my biggest challenges but they seem to be getting easier each day!  

Unfortunately, I have no idea how much, if any, weight I've actually lost.  We have two scales - one is digital but the batteries ran out and I haven't gotten around to replacing them because they are those giant round ones that I'm assuming cost more than what I'm willing to pay :) and the other scale is not accurate.  I know I've lost at least a few pounds, but I also know that I'm building a ton of muscles in my legs.  I have noticed my face is thinner and my sides are slimmer, I just wish I could "see" more results in my stomach area!  

But the wii active is definitely a hit!  I absolutely love it - it's very motivational (except for the trainer, she's a bit too much and I had to mute her :) I haven't missed a workout since starting *knock on wood* and I've collected a ton of trophies! I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for an at home workout.  There is just something about it that is way more inspiring that all those biggest loser dvds put together!