Oh gross.....

I am totally SWEATY from my boot camp workout. It is like 72 degrees in here but I am dripping...gross....

I am going to drink my coffee and go for a shower!

Later we are going to go disc golfing with the girls! That is our family sport for this week!

What are you gals doing for workouts lately??? Or what are you doing to keep your kids muscles fit?

I am in need of some inspiration!

You may all think I am crazy...but....

I am re-doing high school math! Yep you read that right. I am doing high school math over again...

The idea started over a year ago when I thought about taking my sister in law's algebra class at home. And that's just what I am doing now! I actually did my first two sections today!

You may wonder why it is that I am doing this????? Well...when I was in high school honestly my main focus was boys and getting through the day. I had no time for math, and it didn't help that my teachers were mostly monotone speaking men who didn't really care if I understood the material or did my homework. So...I figure that I hardly retained ANY math from high school.

So I am excited. Chelsea set me up with an online code and I am doing all my work using the online textbook. So this won't cost me a dime...unless you count notebook fees! I think I bought this one for 10 cents!

It feels good to refresh on things that I kinda understood. I hope to brush up on all levels of math prior to the twins actually needing my help so that when that time comes Sean and I can both help.

Well...I would consider today a success!

Today I took the reign's and made a family dinner(with extended family)pretty much all by myself. I planned, deligated and worked my butt off, and I feel pretty good!

To back up a bit...

My grandma(dad's mom)was intown today from a trip that she made to Minnesota with her sister. So yesterday I thought to myself...."self...why don't you check to see if everyone(My parents, grandma, 2 brothers, 1 wife of a brother, and 2 sisters)wants to come over to our house for dinner. And because my grandma had never been here before it wasn't too hard to convince my mom that it was a good idea.

So I started the wheels in motion. And things turned out quite well. I made Salmon, baked potatoes, stuffed mushrooms(appetizer), green salad and dessert pizza, and I delegated out some cold orderves(SP), green beans(sil), and the angel food cake dessert.

The bottom line of tonight...the house is CLEAN!!! I mean...beyond normal clean. Like...all the laundry, dishes, vacuuming, bed linens are DONE!!! And that means that I am going to be BORED tomorrow! Sean really helped out alot and I am so glad that I got it done.

Now...to try and keep it clean!

Sorry I am noodle-ing...I am tired and just got done with a late night cardio blast!

I am off to watch Fox News and pray for those poor people in Jamica.

TTFN!

E

Spinnoff of Hollie's Journaling post.

Ok...I have been thinking about Hollie's post about journaling for weight loss and came across this thread on the Weight Watchers website. I was looking at the matience thread for inspiration(matience is for those who are at goal weight and just "maintaining"). I find that reading about their sucess really helps me focus on my goal. So...here is the list of questions with some descriptions that I added.

NOTE: This is not my writing. This comes from the message boards at WW.com.
I have however written my own descriptions of what the origional poster was talking about for your clarity. I have highlighted my thoughts in green.

This thread is for any Lifer who is "over it" and wants to reclaim their goal weight. I am 13 lbs. over my goal weight, and I am going to be checking into this tread each day to record the following:
1. Did I follow the Good Health Guidelines? Y/N WW has a list of Good Health Guidlines that include-drinking enough water, taking your vitamin, eating enough vegetables, eating two servings of dairy, activity.....I think that is all.
2. Did I journal? Y/N This is "physically" writing down the food that you consume either on paper or paper and then transferred to the computer program which is on ww.com
3. Activity: As easy as it sounds...did you excersize?
4. Was I good to myself today? Example: This would be the place to focus on your mental outlook. To make sure that even if you struggled...you didn't bash yourself. This would also be the place to mention that you "treated" yourself to something...i.e. fancy coffee.
5. What was one thing I did well today? Easy Enough!
6. What is one thing I can do better tomorrow? Easy Enough again!
7. What will my non-food reward be this week if I lose or do my best after weigh-in? Focusing on rewarding yourself with something that isn't food related is a good thing for those who center their rewards around food.
8. What is my mini-goal for this week? Real basic goal.
9. What is my overall goal? Big picture goal.

I know that I have several friends who are lifetime and struggling after a few years, and I also know that support is one of the essential tools that helped me to be successful on this program. Let's support each other and remember that we have the tools to do this, AGAIN, and we will succeed!

So here is mine filled out for all of you to see!!! GASP!!!

1. Did I follow the Good Health Guidelines? Yes
2. Did I journal? Yes
3. Activity: Aerobics 40 minutes with core stregnth excersize.
4. Was I good to myself today? Example: I enjoyed baking a big cookie for a dinner tomorrow with the girls.
5. What was one thing I did well today? I was on program and WAY under points.
6. What is one thing I can do better tomorrow? I can focus on eating well during the family dinner that we have planned.
7. What will my non-food reward be this week if I lose or do my best after weigh-in? Oh...I would love a massage!!! Or even to buy a new bottle of nail polish so that I have a fresh color!
8. What is my mini-goal for this week? To excersize every day and ENJOY it!
9. What is my overall goal? To lose the 50 more pounds that I have to lose by the end of January.

So there you have it folks!!! Pretty scary! But then again...today was a pretty easy day. If Sean were gone it would be harder. I always eat more when I am lonely, and have a harder time being motivated.

If anyone ever has questions about what I am doing please feel free to ask. I would love to have someone join me at weight watchers or just in this journey that I am on!

E

I might look silly but I FEEL GREAT!!!

No kidding...I feel great! And honestly I can attribute it to the fact that I am not putting excersize on the "back-burner" any longer. I am committed. So here are a few tips that I have found helpful in my lazy life!!!

1. I am running. Ok...those who know me know that I am kidding myself to think that I am actually moving at a pace that would be considered running...but I am pushing myself furthur than I thought I could be pushed...on my own. So the key is really to push past the point where you want to quit. If you think you can't go another 10 feet...push to 100. Trust me...you will be proud of yourself. I am running with my brother Kyle who is not only intimidating to others around me...extremely kind! He has never told me that I am not pushing him.(He could run 10 miles strait). He is patient with me and encourages me along the way. And he is also quick to point out that I shouldn't really be "able" to run the ENTIRE lap b/c I have had 5 kiddos. Gotta love that!!! I am really going to miss Kyle when he goes to school in something like a week. Honestly my brother is as good as gold!

2. Find a good at home workout. Something that works for you. Something that you can use when you can give yourself the excuse of "its not nice outside". I have been TIVO-ing some Denise Austin Daily workouts. THEY ARE GREAT!!! If you have a DVR or TIVO I recommend adding them to your season pass. They tape at 6am so usually you don't have anything else taping at that hour(at least I don't). And then you have a fresh new workout for when you feel like moving inside!

3.You need ONLY two things to tone at home. This is just my opinion. I am sure that fitness experts out there would say that you need more things..but I am doing good with these two.
A resistance band and a ball. One of those hugemongeous sit and bounce balls.(I am sure they have a more technical name...but I don't know it off hand). And a cheap walmart resistance band(I am using the red one that Hollie gave me, b/c...I broke my purple one...) I honestly think that if can learn a certain "set" of toning moves you can do them during commercials or *gasp* during your favorite show!!! I have been watching "FAT MARCH" and toning while watching the fat people walk all over the country! Pretty fun...and honestly when I write fat people I am including myself!

4. Its all about attitude. Just do it! Uh....Nike??? NO. Just get up and move. Honestly I swear that you will feel better after you workout. I PROMISE!!! Unless you have a heart attack or something...then you might not feel better....

I have found that I eat less after I workout. That is such an added bonus to this whole process to me. Not only do I eat less but I want to eat better. I am such a lonely eater...and working out increases your endorphines and honestly makes you feel better about yourself. SO...JUST DO IT!!!

I have also decided that once a week(Sunday) my "workout" will be to get the kids out and play. This doesn't have to be a once a week thing(honestly the three oldest K's workout with me during the day)but I think for me it needs to be a "set in stone" event. No excuses. We will get out and do something. Last Sunday we kicked the soccer ball around the field at Emrickson Park. I think this Sunday we will bring a frisbee. Sean *loves* playing disc golf and so do the girls so we might do that soon. Sean also has a membership at a gym in Hoffman Estates with a big pool so when the weather gets colder and I can leave Kendell for a bit longer we will probably go and play in the pool. But the point really is that it HAS TO HAPPEN!

Well I am off...to finish my grocery list and then the Jewel. Healthy Eating....now that's another topic!

E

Ok...here are my recommendations...Interested???

Well after some thought...I decided to let you all in on my restaurant recommendations. All of the restaurants are my personal favorites and most have been tried MANY MANY times.

This post honestly is inspired by our choice of restaurant for last evening. We went to Bonefish and had Great Service but...not so great food(although the appetizer was great!). My fish was something that I hadn't tried before(Icelandic Charr)and it was apparently undercooked. It was well cooked in the thinner areas but for those who like fish...not so great in the thicker portion. Honestly...I probably should have ordered what I am used to...salmon but didn't...thinking I would "be adventurous!". So now I feel like a heel b/c I have recommended Bonefish to a few and am wondering if I have led some...astray???

So here are my proven top picks and top food choices at these restaurants. PLEASE IF YOU WOULD POST YOUR FAVORITES IN MY COMMENTS OR CREATE YOUR OWN TOP PICKS BLOG I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE READING YOUR SUGGESTIONS!

Top Mexican
-Pablos-chicken fajitas, steak fajitas...fajita salad.

For me it is a personal favorite b/c we have been going there for YEARS and the food quality has remained consistantly fantastic. It seems very fresh and very *healthy* despite knowing that heavy feeling that will be left behind from eating mexican. They do have whole wheat tortillas if you are trying to move towards whole wheat options. They are just as good as their homemade flour tortillas in my opinion...just bigger(I think they use them for stuffed burritos)

Top Chinese
-Chop Suey Hut-shanghi beef noodles, eggrolls, fried rice, wontons, BBQ Pork,Egg Foo Young(man...I order alot!).

Another family favorite. Our family is known for the "largest order of the year" consistantly every new years eve. I think my dad orders over $400 worth of different stuff. It is a feast that is expected. If you are looking for a selection to try at a good price they are open for lunch buffet Tuesday through Friday with a dinner buffet on Friday and Sunday. Their homemade sweet and sour sauce is coveted when we get egg rolls and I *keep* the extras in a plastic container in my fridge for quick stir fry add in. I haven't had chinese in such a long time and thinking about this is making my mouth water!!! I just can't bring it in the house b/c I know I will eat IT ALL!!!!

Top Fish Joint
-Pappadeaux-Arlington Heights-crab fingers, peel and eat cold shrimp, crawfish, salmon.

This is well worth a drive for us. My dad introduced us to this restaurant about six years ago and we have probably been 6 times. It is a special occasion restaurant and we haven't taken our kids yet. The restaurant has a fantastic atmosphere and wonderful flavor, but it isn't for you if you are looking for "quiet". It is very lively, and there is typically live music. We have also been to their Sunday morning buffet and it was SO GOOD!!! All you can eat shrimp, and many other signiture dishes offer a full tummy. I would consider this full cajun/New Orleans style of fish. There is alligator and some other weird options on the menu if you are looking for something different.

Top Italian
-Pirro's-Chicken w/broccoli and mushrooms alfredo, soup, pizza, salad, cedar plank salmon.

It has been awhile since I have been to Pirro's but this has to rule out over Olive Garden for me only because what I order at pirros is typically more italian than what I order at Olive Garden(soup and salad). I don't usually eat much italian though. Especially after coming out of denial about the caloric intake of Alfredo Sauce. I just can't justify it! But I am definatly open to italian suggestions!

So...there are my top four. I wouldn't know where to go for a "good burger", so if anyone has a good burger joint that would be great! I would also recommend Coleman's Grill for a "best bang for your buck" restaurant. They have a great steak sandwich that is a real steak for $6.95, and that includes all the fixens!

So...now that I have made my own mouth water...tme to go out and get some excersize!!!

I hope you will all write about your favorites!!!

E

Yet another GUSHY anniversary post!!!

Well tomorrow marks the 7 year anniversary of Sean and I. It is quite hard to believe that it has been 7 years and then there are moments when it feels like we have been married for 70 years. Sometimes I wonder why it is that Sean and I have "made it" when I see some around me who are crumbling in their marriages...and I feel very blessed.

God has blessed our marriage in ways that are very obvious to all and not so obvious to most.

Obviously he has blessed us with the five amazing daughters. Obviously. The Bible says that children are an inheritance and I know that he wasn't just thinking of the "world" he was actually thinking about US when he inspired those words. And that makes me very glad to know that someone has gone before us and chosen us to be the parents of these 5 amazing girls.

But with that comes the charge that we have posted on our wall. Psalm 78:4-We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.

AND there have been WONDERS!

I wondered why it was that I met Sean when I did. I was on a very distructive path and was running so far from my family and everything that symbolized my family. Church, family friends, work...etc. And only by God's GRACE did he bring me Sean. He knew what was good for me. He knew way better than I could have imagined. And I knew that God intended me to be with Sean when I met him in such a strange way. It was actually very easy to see God's hand at work when we met. In fact Sean and I talked about it alot. How weird it was...how we knew that we weren't in control...even though Sean wasn't a believer he knew that something was up.

So fast forward to today. Here I am sitting on my bench in my dining room telling the world(ok...maybe just a few friends!)that I am more in LOVE today than I was when I married Sean. My deep respect for him has grown as we have grown up together. We were such babies when we got married and started having babies. So young...so clueless.... But the amazing thing is that when the going got tough we ran towards each other and together ran towards God. And man have we had some really rough spots.

Are we there yet? Nope...and boy I am glad. I don't know EVERYTHING there is to know about my husband and for that I am SO grateful. I like learning more and more about who he is and who God is creating in him. And that makes me feel *thankful*!

So today I praise God for my husband, our marriage and for the family that God has created through us! THANK YOU!!!!!

Have you ever had one of these days????

Yeah so....this is quite possibly one of the best days we have had during our almost 7 year marriage...things are just falling into place.

Just to name a few...the van went in today to have some work done that we had put into the contract when we bought it. So for about 5 weeks now the rear brakes have been REALLY squeaky and I have been thinking that we probably needed a rear brake job(costing approx. $180). As it turns out the ABS light that was on was causing the rear squeaks and THEY ARE BEING FIXED AS I TYPE!!!! SWEET!!!

Also...I got a letter today from All Kids saying that starting September 1st we will be receiving a insurance rebate of almost our entire payment(WAY TOO MUCH FOR OUR FAMILY). That is HUGE for us!

Also...Sean got his HUGE expense check today...

I could go on and on...how weird....I also sold over $150 of stuff that I wasn't using anymore and Kierstin is happier and taking later naps.

God is Good! And I am remembering to praise him during this time of what feels like "showers of blessings".

On a lighter note...Sean and I are celebrating our wedding anniversary this Sunday! Which will mean that for one evening I will be out of my house in my not so squeaky van enjoying time with my husband and only one of my children ;)

Ok....I will stop gloating now! I guess that when I feel that we have had bad "luck" for months I want to shout it from the rooftops when I feel that God is recognizing us!!!!

It was an honor and a priveledge!

For those of you who knew that I would be in the Delivery Room with Beth while she delivered Collin, you may be wondering just what it is like to experience everything that goes along with that adventure.

I mean...I am not Beth's relative by blood, or a midwife, or a nurse, doctor or even a janitor(there were janitors who popped in the room while I was delivering the twins).

But I am apparently a trusted friend! And from that perspective I can give you some of the best insight into the experience.

I absolutly count it a gain to have experienced Collins birth. It isn't like watching someone's girl parts in horror b/c you are worried about the "rawness" of it all. It is like watching a miracle. It is like praising God because while you are in the moment of the actual presentation of the baby everything COULD go wrong. And you realize that no matter who you are or what you know...it doesn't matter.

God WAS in control. And experiencing birth changes you. Even if you have had children and remember giving birth...watching it is just different. The pain that Beth was in was part of mankinds punishment but God was gracious by making her labor short and Collins presentation fast. He was in control when he allowed Beth to make it to the hospital and when he allowed her parents to arrive prior to her leaving so that they could watch the kids.

He was in control.

And he still is.

Because you see....the thing that really got to me is that the miracle of childbirth is just the beginning of the miracles to come.

So often I want to take the control and because our God is so gracious he actually has allowed me to think that I am in control for a little while. And then I get reminded so gently of his prescence in our lives, and how I am absolutly hopeless without it.

So today I praise God because my children are all still alive with me. Because they are healthy, happy, smart girls. And because we are not parenting alone. We both bow to a holy and all knowing God. Who knew ahead of Beth all about Collin.

So to Beth and Dan I say thank you! Beth you really did such a good job! You showed your true self yet again and have nothing to be ashamed of! Your determination during labor was what God intended when he created childbirth. You did it girl! And I am so proud of you!

Welcome to the world Collin Isaiah! You are a beautiful boy with a beautiful family. May you come to know the Lord who helped your momma through your delivery.

Love you girl!