After an uber long hiatus.....

Yep, I've been MIA for quite a long while.... I was going to apologize for my lenthy absence but then I realized it's totally okay to take time out to focus on certain areas of my life as needed. And that's exactly what've I've done :) and it feels damn good.....

So needless to say, life has been busy...very busy...
~ I've been spending oodles of time with my kiddos. I love them to pieces & want to enjoy them before *poof* they are all grown up

~I've really been focusing on me & my health. With the help of Weight Watchers & incredible amounts of time in the gym, I have shed 20+lbs in the last 3 months. I still have a bit more to lose but I have made a major dent in the issue.....

~ I have become a Swim Team Mom. D. joined our local pool's USA swim team & is loving it. It's a fabulous program, however, I have become a permanent fixture in the bleachers of the pool.....

~ I have been Christmas shopping. I really wanted to get it done early this year before the shopping-at-the-last-minute panic attacks set in. My goal is to be totally done by our anniversary on the 14th, so when we go on our annual anniversary date there will be no need to visit a toy store.

~and while we are on the subject of Christmas, I am teaching myself that it is okay to have limits. I am not talking about monetary limits (although I subscribe to those as well) but I mean limits in a general sense. Every freakin inch of the house does not need to be decorated. We do not need to attend every single party & I do not need to bake 40 different kinds of Christmas cookies. And you know what ...even while letting a few of these things slide...we will have a fabulous holiday! I have been known to tell my friends that if you make everything special, then nothing is special anymore....I guess it's time to head my own advice :)

~ I've also been working on getting some sleep. I've given up late night TV & internet time to get a full 8 hours ...providing the kiddos are on the same page. But it's a fabulous goal & totally worth shooting for.

~ all in all...I've been striving for a healthier, simpler way of being. I just want to be content...not always frazzled...and if it means I do not write as regularly on my blog, that's okay too... Ciao for now :)

Hot Damn!!!

Just when I think it's a ho-hum Wednesday with nothing exciting, my friend Jen calls & gives me practically the best news I have heard all year....................Target is coming!!! Just a short 12 miles from my house. It's been rumored for quite a while now, but that's always the way it is around here. You can't believe anything you hear...... But today it was in the newspaper...all those wonderful rumors are true! We are getting a Target!!! We have lived in Alaska for 10 years now, & before that we were in England. It has been sooooo long since we had a decent selection of stores that I can hardly believe this. Let me tell you, when good shopping is a thousands of miles away (I'm talking Seattle) Target is like a dream come true. I am almost giddy!!! I am so sick of Walmart, I can't even begin to tell you..... It's funny, there are women who post on 2Peas about how far they have to drive to get to a Target...you know, like 45 miles....what I wouldn't give, it would take me over a week by car. But before long that won't be an issue any longer... ***can't you just feel my giddiness***
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On another note I rekindled an old relationship this morning...I had a date, with Billy Blanks, you know...the TaeBo dude. We haven't 'gotten together' in about 6 years. But this morning I dusted off the tape (yes, VHS...that tells you how old it is) & spent a few minutes with the man......20 minutes to be exact. And tomorrow my butt will burn, but it will be so worth it. There is a swimsuit & a Hawaiian beach in my future (March), so Billy & I will be spending lots of time together. It's a good thing K. isn't the jealous type............

-2.2lbs

So this morning was my WW meeting. I think...wait, I know...I set my expectations just a tad high. Anyone who has ever done Weight Watchers knows that members often experience a large loss their first week on the program. I once sat in a meeting where a lady lost over 9lbs. her first week.**this was my first official weigh in since recommitting, but I have been following the plan for 2 full weeks now...so who knows what I really lost the '1st week'***
Anyway, after I weighed in & took my seat, I was a bit bummed that I had lost only 2.2lbs. I quickly realized I had to get out of this funk if I want to be successful at this long term. Then a remembered something that happened in a meeting I attended right after having R. 4 years ago. A lady was a bit discouraged because for over 2months she was only losing about 1/4-1/2lb a week. Our leader then pointed out that 1/4lb. is one stick of butter. And who wouldn't be thrilled to have 1/4lb less fat on their body.
Until today, I had totally forgotten about that analogy. And as I sat in my seat all depressed, when I should have actually been thrilled, I realized I needed a change of perspective. So when I left the meeting I stopped & bought 3 lbs. of margaine (a hell of a lot cheaper than butter). I brought it home & stacked 9 sticks (2.25lbs) of it out on my dining table. And I looked at it for a very long time. And I realized that I am thrilled to have that off of my body. Then I took those 9 sticks & put them in a gallon Ziploc and tossed them in my deep freeze. Next week I am going to take that bag back out & I'll add to it again.....it may be only one stick or it may be another 9. But I am going to use this as my personal reminder of what I have lost & hopefully in this next year I'll have a huge stack of margarine in my freezer.....then I'll through it all away, once & for all.

:Dorkey, I know...but I just gotta find what works for me :)

 

All aboard.... the Random Train of Thought that is ....

as I promised here is the update....nothing too exciting...but my update none-the-less.

~I have recommitted to Weight Watchers
once again. I know I mentioned it earlier this year, but once we went on vacation I totally blew it. But I started again at the beginning of the month & went back to meetings last Tuesday. So far, so good..... I have been eating well, staying within my points & working out. So now I'll see what this weeks weigh-in holds.....

~ we have been getting out & hiking as much as we can, especially while the weather permits. Autumn is in full swing here, so we are making the best of it before ski season hits....

~ D. is loving school & even joined the Cross Country team. I am so freakin proud of her. I am so NOT the natural athlete & so for one of my kids to really love sports & exercise really suprises me. What a girl!



~ We had a pretty good weekend. Yesterday I took the kids to really neat place in Anchorage, Bear Tooth Theatre . It's an old movie theatre that the have updated in a fabulous way....they removed every other row of seats & replaced them with tables. And they serve incredible food....you order before taking your seat & they bring it right to your table. It was a blast! We saw Pixar Cars & had an awesome dinner. We (the adults that is) even got to enjoy a Hefeweizen....now how can you beat that????? ( I even budgeted WW points for the beer)

~Thanks to
Greta for tutoring me on the link deal! :) And Em You gals rock!!!

And now it is Sunday night, the kiddos are in bed & I am off to go watch a few episodes of Lost: Season 2. Of course, I bought it already.....how could I not????

Later taters.....