Finding Joy, Day 1

It felt great to get out and have a run today.  I didn't realize how much I relied on and missed my morning therapy.  I just wish it just hadn't taken me three weeks to realize this. For exactly 30 minutes, I can think about one thing at a time.  Today it was not flying off the back of the treadmill  but that is another story. Let's just say adrenaline and endorphins...I get it. I definitely have a early morning date with the treadmill Wednesday morning minus any more snafus. 

Thankful thing number two...I had the gym to myself this morning unaccompanied by any witnesses to aforementioned treadmill shame.

School went more or less today.  Mondays are hard days.  I am not sure if it is the weekend business or the fact that it was the same darkness all day long that kept us all in hibernation mode and felt the need to take everything at the pace of a sloth but that is how today went.  Silver lining, I had the chance to talk with Bananas one on one about the "bear's" in her life that she might face and how she will react to them.  Thanks, Big Red.  I love when a book inspires my family to do better, grow better, and love better. 

My poor neighbors are making the sacrifice of a life time in their golden years to help out one of their family members and had to say goodbye to their doggy companions of over a decade.  It was distressing to see their tear stained cheeks coming in from their morning and last walk with their sweet dogs.  I have had to do some hard things, as we all do in life, but this one really resonated with me, the pure sacrifice and willingness to do good at ones own expense.  The best I could do to show that I understood them, loved them, and hoped the best for their comfort was to take a warm, fresh loaf of homemade bread, hot from the oven over to warm their souls.  I hope that it helped. 

Something to ponder.  My oldest daughter posed a good question today during family scripture study.  We are reading in 3 Nephi 9, Christ's visit to the Americas right after his resurrection.  We have been having long talks about what it would have been like, what we would have been doing, would we have listened, and so on.  So she has had some serious questions for us about how we are doing things now and I am proud of her for seeking and not just following.  But her question tonight, although something that a "seasoned" member might pass over, was, what does it mean to have a broken heart and a contrite spirit?  I love how the gospel is always new in the eyes of children.  I am always amazed how much they teach me, and how quickly I forget that they are here to teach me probably more than I could ever teach them about love and life and priorities.  So I will be thinking about this this week, do I have a broken heart and contrite spirit?

My New Guilty Pleasures

Apparently I excel at losing weight from the hours of 6am to 3:30pm.  After that, all bets are off. 

My Weight Watchers meeting/weigh in always give me a half hour at least, to ponder, sometimes steam about, and to reflect upon what I could be doing better so as not to repeat the same old habits that got me where I am today.  (i.e. to many fruits and vegetables are not the problem.) 

So in order to beat the bulge, stay on track, and not blow the benefit of the 2 1/2 mile run for the day, every day, I succumbed to, what I hope will be, three diverting reads. 

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, Water for Elephants, and The Postmistress.  

Honestly, I wanted The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, but refused to spend full price on a hardback and in so doing spent more on three paperbacks. 

Shhhh, don't tell Mister. :)  

I know nothing more about these books other than that they are best sellers, prominently displayed at the book store, with glowing recommendations by people that I have never met.  Hopefully I will be delightfully pleased, maybe even touched.

Now these three lovely distractions sit upon my nightstand, far away from the kitchen, waiting to be devoured, and the chocolate chips are safe for at least one more week.

Good bye 13 pounds, never to be seen again.

Like Christmas

I love getting mail, especially boxes! Who doesn't? To me it feels like a mini spontaneous Christmas.

Homeschooling provides ample opportunities to hopelessly purchase and purchase materials, sometimes because you can't resist, sometimes because the item just wasn't what it was cracked up to be. Today, though, was one of those of the anticipated kind that thrilled me to the toes.

Behold...




our new science book, Apologia Zoology 1, that is age difference friendly, in other words we can all work from the same book, at the same time, thank goodness! (That makes for less like-a-headless-chicken running for me.)

And a hopeful purchase, that with a bit of luck, just might be what helps Girly get self motivated in the arithmetic department. I always loved math as a kid, even yes, the dreaded Geometry and Calculus, but Girly takes after her father and lumps it with things like liver, broccoli, and onions. Life of Fred is my last ditch effort at math growing on her educational taste buds.

Plus tomorrow I run. I love that part. I am starting to need running like I used to need chocolate. That is saying a lot.

Return and Report

My to do list as usual always gets mostly done with a few hiccups in between.

I did manage to plant the cantaloupe and watermelon which was a huge feat in itself...a rototiller would be divine at this point but I will just have to keep toughing it out, blisters and all, with my handy dandy pick and shovel. Plus I had no idea how much space those melons needed! I know I will be completely convinced of the worth of this effort when I bite into my first sweet and juicy melon later this summer.

Now since, this dirt whacking and shoveling comes with a price my hands became too sore to get any farther on my finer arts...the names will have to wait a few days till my hands heal. I did get a skirt made but the other dresses will also have to wait till I can bend my hands again. I am afraid to admit, I think I have developed princess hands...to tender for gardening...nothing a few more weeks of picking won't solve though. But they didn't get me before I could mend all the shorts for the season.

My running was by far the best thing going for me this week. I had a runners high this week. I know! It was totally amazing. I felt like I could run forever. So the next day, I ran a 5K, thanks to my surprise running buddy from Illinois, (you rock Aunt Faffy!). Yep, I completely shocked myself, but I did it six weeks earlier than scheduled. Which makes me even more excited for the Running with Angels 5K that I signed up for to run in June. By that time I will be a third of the way through my 1/2 marathon training, to run in August, that I have started in place of the 5K running. Who knew...me a runner!

But with all the extra workouts I have been pretty tired by night fall. It was great opportunity to catch up on my reading and added a big chunk (100+ pages) to my scripture goal reading for the week.

And last but not least, the Rubber Ducky Cupcake Cake. Oh my goodness...this was to simple for the cuteness factor that came out of it! I love the books, Hello, Cupcake! and it's sequel What's New, Cupcake. This is where I got the idea for Jelly Beans' birthday cake. She absolutely loved it and keeps asking where the duckies went. She has a hard time coping with the fact that she ate them. Ahhh, to be three. Go check out the site and watch all the videos, you won't be able to wait for your next cake event, I promise. I will post more with pictures, next.

Lately

I have been running. Not for long periods of time, yet, but none the less, channeling my inner Steve Prefontaine. Thanks to some encouragement from two of my sister-in-laws and running, every other day. Now this is quite the feat for someone who dreaded the mile run for junior high P.E. requirements. My face used to get all red and hot for days and then I thought for sure the P.E. instructor was just making us all suffer through this school hazing ritual for kicks and giggles later in the teachers lounge. Things are beginning to change. Weird things...I actually miss running when it is my day off. (I almost passed out from shock from my own statement there.) My face no longer burns red with out of shape-non-runner shame. The challenge is addicting.

In other news, I had my first Mommy and Me, with Bananas. These are strange times for me. My oldest is almost 10 and bursting with life and girly enthusiasm. Things I am sure that never crossed my mind as a 45 year old trapped 10 year old tom boy body as a kid. (Think, "she must have an old soul".) It is enlightening and thrilling to be sharing these things with her. All the while my little artist was sparkling my fingers with silver glitter polish, hot pink cross hatches, and crystal sticker embellishments I couldn't help wanting to slow the afternoon down and take all the mental candid camera shots that I could. She is one forth of the sunshine that goes on in my life and she is sprouting right through my fingers and turning into a bright, social young woman. Making the effort to know her and be there for her is all I can hope for.

As for the garden. It is daunting to say the least. With Round-up in hand, Mister made a good first pass of those nasty and determined weeds to squelch all specimens before I can even plant. Note to self next year...start earlier! But be prepared weeds...there will vegetables this season, even if it kills me. How did the pioneer women do this?

Well, then...

It has been a whirl-wind of activity here in the last month and half. SO in an attempt to get all caught up I am going bullet point style....here goes....warning this will be very random...

• Hallelujah!!! Mister passed his nursing license exam and is now a full fledged Registered Nurse.
• We are still in search of Nursing Job. Hopefully good news soon!
  
• With serious amount of prayers, bait and mouse traps, I have managed to eradicate mice from the premises. They are NOT my friends.
• I have officially become the quickest draw in the West...well my part of town, with the insecticide when it comes to in home invasions of ants. This one really chaps my hide...I vacuum and mop everyday, leave no trace of food after each meal, and all my wanted goods are in plastic sealed containers. Grrrrr...stinking ants.
• I am the proud renter of a massive garden that currently is masquerading as the world's most wanted weed patch. I plan on having a garden throw down as soon as I get back...
• from my sisters house!!! I get to go play with my sister in Washington and kiss her new baby boy and my nieces whom I haven't seen in almost four years!
  
• I have lost enough weight to walk into a regular store and by pass all signs that say "Plus-size".
• I am planning on running a 5K in nine weeks. I am a gluten for punishment I have decided. Nix that. I am embarking on new and exciting adventures that will challenge me and reward me beyond measure in my newer body.
  
• My neighbors find my jogging around my acre yard quite comical.
• I have seeds! And fertilizer that I have no idea how to use, but it will be going down in the ground soon.
• I have decided that I am going to pursue becoming a childrens book illustrator and author.
• It has snowed/pelted mini snowballs more this 'spring' than during the winter and I feel like turning on the Christmas music again. Is this a redo, do over, or second helpings of winter?...hello spring are you there?
• Realized once again, how exhausting it is to pack for four small people and then still find time to care about getting my things packed.
• I love how my house smells after making Apple Pie Granola, Triple Chip Oatmeal Cookies, and a fresh rain shower.
  
• now I must get to bed to wake up at O'dark thirty to drive for a whole day! Ta-ta and I will update while with my Sister!
  
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