Happy Birthday Pooh!!!

Today was my baby sister's 33rd birthday! It seems like yesterday that we were fighting over dolls and whose turn it was to go next. She has grown up into a true friend and a wonderful mother of three and aunt that the kids rely on. As we get older it's easy to look back and regret some missed opportunities, but Wendy can look ahead at the legacy she is creating in the children. Happy Birthday Pooh Bear!!!!

Day 120

Day 120 was this past week. I also received my lab results this week. My total weight lose is 18 1/2 lbs. (not a lot since day 90) but my total inches is 51 3/4. I haven't had a migraine in a month, and my blood pressure was 106/68 at the dr. office the other day. If I continue with these results the doctor said come May she will take me off my blood pressure pills!!!!!!! That my friends have been my goal all along. My cholesterol has also improved dramatically I still need to keep working on it, but she was very very impressed. If any of you follow your cholestrerol my good cholestrol was 9 a year ago this week it was 20. It doubled!!! The ideal number is above 45 so there is still work to be done, but she said the result is excellent. Now keep in mind the doctor is fully aware of the supplements and told me that this seems to be a program that works for me. My liver enzymes was up (its been that way before) she thinks that it might be from my medications we will check it again in May. My exercise program is coming along nicely I made it up to 1.7 miles this week. Again a huge huge step for me. No the weight lose isn't like those people you see on tv, but I am making some excellent progress. It's not one of those crash diets it's real life changes. The lbs. will come, but the health has already started arriving.

Working Out In Public

Yesterday I went to the Rec. Maddie starts track in two weeks and wanted to keep her conditioning up, and I needed to change my exercise program (none to something). So off we went. It wasn't at all what I pictured. I think I was picturing myself doing these machines as I would have at 18. I hate even telling this next part, but if it helps even one of you it will be worth it. You have to punch your number in and scan your hand to go through the entrance gate. It is then followed by going through the turn style gate (like those at Cedar Point). I again must have thought I had that 18yr old body and tried to go straight through. That would be the point I managed to get stuck or something I was mortified Maddie was laughing so hard, and the kind man at the table decided to let me pass through the open gate instead. That situation alone should have been enough for me, but I had a goal so off I went. I thought okay off to the cardio room. I made it as far as the door those machines looked like more than I could handle, so I settled for the track. I will make it to the cardio room....I'm not there yet. I'm doing all these laps around the track sweat pouring...Maddie nothing. I can barely make it to the end of the lap and down the stairs, and Maddie says Mom I thought that was our warm up. LOL, oh that funny kid.

Animal Cookies

This picture is from mom's camera. I have no idea where she took this picture at though. The reason for today's post is animal cookies. My children still to this day love these things. They're low in fat, calories, etc. so I still occasionally buy them for them. I buy the generic kind the huge value kind. Well the other day when the kids showed me one I was a little shocked. This animal cookie looked like a CAT. I looked over several of these little things, and couldn't figure out for the life of me what else this animal could be. I was a little upset about this....you know me not focusing on the state of the world or anything just absorbed in this animal cookie thing. If any of you have these particular cookies at home and know what else this animal is please by all means let me know.

Updates

As per requested I'm giving the updates today. We'll start on what you are all wanting to know...how's the 'wellness journey'. It's not a fabulous picture I posted, but it will do. Again, no make-up except eyeliner. I'm approaching day 120 here in a couple weeks. I'll give stats then. Right around day 90 I gave the 'wellness journey' a little break. I figured I had enough information that I could do it alone. As usual I was wrong. The migraines returned, the blood pressure went back up, and I was watching what I ate, but it still lacked that nutrition that I was getting from my supplements. I still fought three pounds coming on going off you know the deal. So I returned back to my supplements, where I feel more complete more in control, better balanced. You may wonder why I'm even counting those days that I didn't have my diet program...well because those days are still part of my 'wellness journey'. I seen my doctor last week for some blood work (yearly thing) I'm curious to see how it turns up. I'll keep you posted. The kids are doing great! Working hard on their studies. Brandon still has a few weeks of basketball left, and Maddie is getting ready for track season. All is good.

Conference Champions

Last night was the title game against St. Paul...and we won!!! Maddie was one of the captains last night. (She was happy) They are now the Conference Champions two years in a row. They've also went undefeated two years in a row 33-0. It was a very fun season, but I'm glad some running will be done for mom until track season.

Did We Get Enough Snow?

Yes I do declare we definitely received more than our fair share of snow yesterday. The kids had a snow day, and for the most part it was a very laid back kind of day. We didn't get shoveled and plowed out till about 4:30 yesterday which was fine since we had no where to be. In the last photo it's a little hard to see, but that is Brandon with his sled on top of the mound of snow. He kept losing the sled over the back.

The Snowball

Yes I'm aware I haven't posted in awhile, and I'm also aware that the title and the picture are not going together very well. The title of this post isn't about the extreme cold temps we have been getting or the lovely amount of snow all over the place as I look out the window. The title is more of a metaphor. I believe it was last week when I read my cousin Danielle's blog about her washer woes I instantly cringed about her situation and then immediately began praying blessing on her and her husband. The snowball effect is hard one little thing goes wrong and it snowballs. Well a day or so after reading her post I began to have my own snowball effect going on, but I kept thinking I'm not going to let this snowball inside me. I kept visualizing a hot torch melting the snowball of my own pity party inside me. (Yes believe it or not I do have an occasional pity party for myself) For every one thing that happened I forced myself to do something nice, or take a regroup moment. By the time I fell down my front steps from the ice I didn't even think that this event was a snowball, but a weird twist of karma coming back to me after chuckling at my sister last winter. So finally the picture is not me complaining about the weather, but reminding myself that summer isn't far away.

Looking at the Bright Side

Well it's that time of year....the winter blah time of the year. The holidays are over, and it's hard to find things to really look forward to. (Besides our everyday lives) A lot of us don't have money after the holidays to take little mini vacations, etc. So sometimes the winter blahs seem to hit a little harder. Well even my kids seem to get the winter blahs. They can't go outside a lot because it's so cold, and the sun seems to not shine as bright. It gets dark so early, and for some reason it just seems dreary outside this time of year. All of this being said I realized this year that I had to teach my children to not just survive, but to thrive during the winter blah months. How to do this? Well the first thing I did was organize. I organized their schedules out daily, and have really been reminding them about taking one thing at a time. Meaning this...when you are in math class think about nothing but math. When you are in basketball focus on basketball not math. They don't just survive the boring day, but thrive at each task at hand! As for me I'm back to my 'to do list' it seems to keep me more focused, and I don't have time to let my mind wonder on the things that detour me from thriving during the winter blah. The other part to beating the winter blahs for me and the kids is constantly looking at the bright side of any situation that weighs us down. They are really getting this they are telling me their drama and then say but on the bright side mom. Madeline was bummed about all the other girls getting growth spurts and not her, "but mom on the bright side I get the rebounds before the other girls." I was a little bummed about my entire weekends being consumed by the kids and their sports, "but on the bright side, Brandon choose his own jersey number this year, and picked his sister's number not some pro ball players number".

Finishing Christmas

On New Year's Eve we celebrated Christmas with dad. He was able to make it in this year for a couple days to celebrate Christmas with us. The kids loved there gifts, and Sienna even used her "Easy Bake Oven" to make us some REAL cookies. She was so excited!! The kids spent the night with Pooh, and I headed home for some shut eye. I make it as far as the ball dropping for New Years and then I'm off to sleep. I hope everyone is getting a great start to the new year.

My Little Ruby

I don't know if any of you are watching the new show on Style Network called "Ruby", but I love this show. It is basically about a woman's weight loss journey, and the trials and things she goes through. You would think okay that's my life why would I need to watch it, well you know me that's EXACTLY why I watch it. It's a great show. Anyway of course the show has a message board, and I couldn't help myself but to make a post....and wouldn't you know Ruby herself responded to my post. I felt honored. I'm putting the link on in case some of you haven't seen the show. http://www.mystyle.com/mystyle/shows/ruby/index.jsp

A Year In Review

Well let me try to recap some of the highlights for you. Madeline and Brandon keep growing in every way possible. They are really getting older on me fast. My nieces are growing up just as fast. Little Sienna starts kindergarten next year can you believe it! My nephew is communicating with me now, and knows Aunt Shell is cool. (Heh heh heh) My little grandson Gabe is starting to get a little more interactive with sitting up on his own, and playing with his toys. (He's almost seven months you know) Christy and Matt brought a new baby boy Owen Xavier into the world in November. I couldn't be happier for them. My sister started her own business this year, and found a whole new side of herself. My mom is making more and more sense to me with each passing year. I take her advice more like a golden nugget of knowledge now. As for me.....well I learned more about riding a storm out. There's a story in the Bible that my sister refers to often about Peter. The story is about when Jesus walked on the water. I'm sure you all know it. I've learnt to trust Him, keep my eyes on Him, and not beg to go back in the boat (the safety zone). Riding a storm out isn't about just standing there taking a beating while life throws everything it can at you. Riding a storm out is more about trusting God to be there beside you, and learn what the lesson is. It's about finding a morsel of happiness, hanging on to hope, and using your faith to keep believing. It's about thanking God for each and every thing in the storm. I've been blessed with a family that I love more each and everyday. That is pretty much my year in review. The bottom two pictures of my mom, my sister, and me....the first one is us last Thanksgiving, and the last one is us on Christmas. It is one of those rare photos that have us from head to toe. (That's right the skinny girls voted for that, LOL. )

Is that Betty Crocker I see?

No, it's not Betty Crocker. It is my little sister the chef. She did all the cooking this year, and did an awesome job. She hosted our families Christmas dinner, and hosted Dave's family's Christmas dinner. She was the hostess with the mostess. Thanks Pooh for a great time.

Christmas gatherings

Christmas was wonderful as always! My family celebrated early Christmas morning, followed by the usual putting things together. We then had Brian's brother, niece, and grandchildren over, and Heather, Casey, a little adorable Gabe over. It was a marvelous time. Then we went over to Pooh's where we got to be with her family and mom. Pooh cooked an excellent dinner, and then told the story of baby Jesus followed by birthday cake. Needless to say me and my house went to bed early that evening.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you and your families have a very special Christmas. Lots of love, Shell