Wednesday, May 19th

Life is going by slowly these days.  The calendar is PACKED...which usually seems to make time fly.  And yet...it's crawling!  We are all tired.  The kids are tired.  The mom is tired.  Poor dad is always tired!  I am definitely ready for school to be OUT.  To know what the summer holds (as far as Max and whether or not he passes the 8th grade...he had a 52 average in his math class on the progress report that came home last week).  To know if I will be beachside with two kids...or three.  Mostly I am looking forward to sleeping past 6:20 a.m.  To waking up feeling rested and not stressing out if I don't have everyone tucked into bed by 9:30.  To just having NO agenda.  THAT is what I am craving the most right now.  A total lack of schedule.  Of course...there will be a little bit of a schedule.  Clara will still do gymnastics.  And Max is swimming with the swim team right now.  So we will be keeping that up.  But nothing else!!!!

Tomorrow we get to see the plans that a builder has done for us as far as putting in an outdoor kitchen area and outdoor fireplace and adding some stonework and landscaping to the house.  Chris and I are crazy excited to see what our possibilities might be and are READY to get started on transforming the outside living areas of our home.  I hope we like it!  More than that...I hope we can AFFORD it!

As for me...I'm working out SO regularly right now.  Yay me!  I have been faithful for the past three weeks with regular cardio workouts and lifting weights at least two days a week.  I have two friend who are coming with me and I have kind of assumed the role of "personal trainer".  Not that I am in any way, shape or form a trainer of any sort.  However...I am working out with two people who have NO experience in a gym and NO history of working out and am slowly, but surely, converting them to die hard workout junkies.  At first, it was rough going.  One friend in particular told me regularly that she hated me...spoken totally in love, of course.  The other just shot me constant nasty looks.  Three weeks into it, I find that the one friend, on average, only hates me once or twice in a workout and growls at me MUCH less often now.  And the other friend is less menacing with the dirty looks.  She simply seems to rise to the occasion more often than not.  Three weeks ago, walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes was tough.  Now, I have them running intervals and walking MAJOR hills for a half hour at a time!  THEN doing a kick butt weights workout.  I know they love me...even though that's not exactly the words they use mid workout!  And I know they see progress and improvement!  I know that I do!

In addition to the exercise, I have picked up my camera a bit here lately.  Here are some of my favorites from my last two sessions!

It has felt good to capture some beautiful moments.  But it's made me realize that I don't want to go full throttle with a photography business again either.  It's all evenings and weekends when I am working with families...and that is hard.  It comes at the cost of time with my own family.  These images are so sweet and beautiful.  I love them.  And I'm glad I had the chance to capture them.  But I don't want to put myself in a position where I am doing it ALL the time.  Life is too crazy when that happens.  I've been there, done that, and I don't like life when it feels like it's busy out of control and is being run by everyone else....but me!  If I could do this during the day...while the kids are at school....life would be grand.  But that's just not the way life goes, now is it?

Reflections and Thoughts on Detox

Well..."the cleanse" is officially over.  I did NOT make it all the way through.  I cheated TERRIBLY.  Especially the last week.  Not so bad the second week.  But the third week, well, it was all over.  I lost seven pounds.  It will probably all be back next week!  My thoughts on it all?  Well...it was definitely one week too long.  No doubt about that.  And it was the hardest thing I have ever done.  Certain about that too.  Was it worth it to lose seven pounds?  I'm not certain that it was.  Further still...did it alleviate those pesky PMS symptoms?  Make me sweeter and more delightful around "that time" of the month?  I can most definitely say HECK NO!!!!!  I found myself unbelievably cranky yesterday...seemingly out of the blue and very quickly issued the "you had better lay low and step lightly" warning to all those in the house!    I was most certainly NOT sweeter.  Not even a little bit.  Has it made this whole mother nature event one bit easier?  Heck no.  Is my shoulder feeling better, post cleanse?  Nope.  And so...as I sit reflecting on this whole thing, I have to just say that I am so glad that I wrote most of it down so that i can look back on this, should such a foolish idea ever cross my mind again like Detoxing Journey...the sequel!

In other news...May is insanely busy.  Like CRAZY busy!!!!   Holy cow!!! There are the usual gymnastics, and now the recent addition of swim team for Max.  Then there are field trips and fun field days, meetings for the upcoming NASA trip, photo shoots, birthday parties, camping trips, skate parties and award programs!  YIKES!!!!!!!  Never mind the usual mundane stuff like grass cutting, going to the gym, hair cuts, and grocery shopping!  It's total craziness and chaos in this house right now!

Speaking of this house right now...check out the latest addition to Miss Clara's room....

That's right.  It's the princess bed!  Just like Cinderella's carriage!  The best part is is that it was a FREEBIE!!!!!!!!!  I managed to trade some free photography sessions for the bed!!!  Hooray!  And sweet Clara is just overjoyed!  It's really a very fitting bed for her, since we already see her as our little princess!  Of course...the entering of this bed meant her old bed got bumped to the playroom to help double as a second guest room.  Now...we can officially sleep 4 extra people in our house.  Maybe more if they don't mind sleeping on some couches!  There are three of those up for grabs too!  Anyway...all the fruit basket turnover of the beds led to a MAJOR overhauling of one little girl's room and playroom today.  It has been a busy, busy, BUSY day for sure.  But mama is happy with all of it tonight!  

And so....I'll wrap up this post with that!  Life is good in Texas.  Busy...but blessed!  Sweet dreams!

  

Best Mother's Day Ever!!!

Happy Mother's Day!!!  I hope yours was blessed and wonderful.  Mine was FANTASTIC!!!!  First of all...my mother's day gift this year completely ROCKED!!!!  How many of you got something as totally cool as THESE?????

But THAT is not the best part of my Mother's Day.  I know...it's hard to top the horns (and YES...I DO love them.  And yes...I DID pick them out!  And...since I know you are wondering...there are 78 sleek inches of Texas longhorn right there!), but indeed, I did get to have something even more wonderful than horns today.  Can you guess what it was?  Here's a hint!

That's right!  Our sweet Clara was baptized this morning!  It was a magnificent day for sure.  And then, as if the day had not already been BEYOND incredible....we had a WONDERFUL afternoon with friends and family as we all gathered around to celebrate both mothers and Clara's baptism!  It was quite the celebration for sure!  We had an amazing time!  And amazing FOOD!  Ribs and burgers and salmon, grilled veggies and baked beans, chips and salsa and fresh fruit with the most amazingly delicious fruit dip EVER!!!  And so...it's hard to beat a Mother's Day like this one!  It's been a wonderful, wonderful day and one that I know I will remember forever!  Happy Mother's Day!!!

Day 17

Yeah well....I'm pretty much cheating all over the place about now!  I had cinnamon buns at the mother's day brunch this morning.  And hashbrown casserole (YUMMMMM!).  And then, tonight, I had hot chicken wings and BEER!  Oh man...it was some kind of ecstasy!  I did NOT find it to be too salty, nor have I been violently ill.  It was simply wonderful and enjoyable beyond words.  I've had a LOOOOONNNG two weeks to reflect on this journey thus far.  And I've decided that...if THIS is what it takes to be just 7 pounds thinner...then I'm just going to have to be okay being a little bit fluffier.  Now....if there had been, say, TWENTY pounds lost here...then I would be singing a totally different tune.  But for just seven...while it's nice to be a bit slimmer...the reality is that I am truly, only a BIT slimmer...and unless you see me naked...often...you most likely will NOT notice it.  And that's just the truth of the matter.  I know that  Chris appreciates the 7 pounds....who wouldn't?  but I also know that he loved me a LOT before I lost those seven and will still love me if those 7 don't stay away.  Life is short.  And I don't want to spend it pining for all the wonderful things that I SHOULDN'T or CAN'T eat on this ridiculous diet.  I want to enjoy dates with my hubby.  And brunch with my daughter.  And wing night with my family.  We don't eat too horribly and don't indulge in pure junk too often.  But when we do...I DO want to be a part of it!  And so...my cleanse journey is slightly....detoured!  So that's where I am on day 17 of Detox!

Day 14

Well...the good news is that I did not gain another pound this morning.  Of course...I can't really get excited about the pound that I LOST because it's the third time I've lost this same pound.  I think it obviously has some attachment issues and simply cannot bear to part from my body for more than a day or so at a time.  Hopefully, the third time is a charm!  I have exactly one more week on this crazy journey and believe me...I am more than ready to get off this train ride!  It's been....something.  I had no idea it would be so tough.  Well...that's not really true.  I DID think it would be tough.  But I was expecting the toughness to come the FIRST week.  NOT the second.  I figured if I could make it through the first week, then all would be grand and easy sailing.  Hmmpf.  SO not the case.  Anyway....the end is in sight.  ONE MORE WEEK!!!!!  I can do this!  On a happy note...I made a kick butt and so totally delicious salsa salad last night.  TO die for delicious!!!  It had tomatoes chopped up, and shallots, cilantro, jalapeno, avocado, a little lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt.  And it was SO DIVINE!!!!  I inhaled it!  YUM!  Broiled myself a piece of flounder to go along with it and it was good too...but the salsa was by far my favorite course!  Going now to whip myself up a little bit for breakfast!  Only one more week to go!  I think I can....I think I can...I think I can!

Day 13

Deep breath...let me see if I can get through this post without cursing and YELLING and SCREAMING.  Deep breath.  For the past 12 days I have been so good.  I have eaten SO well.  I have consumed more green crap than you can even get your brain around.  How is it going you ask?  Well...all of my hard work was rewarded today with another one pound GAIN on the scale this morning.  I had to weigh myself three times to be sure that I was, indeed seeing it correctly.  And as  I am standing there, taking this in I'm thinking to myself..."are you even KIDDING me?!!!!!  Another pound???!!!!  Going UP???!!!!!!!".  To say that I was not amused is just about the understatement of the year.  I'm mad.  I'm way past mad.  I'm just plain old aggravated to death.  And when I think about  how many POUNDS of spinach and carrots and eggplant and zucchini I have consumed over the past 12 days....well...my vision starts to blur and I just get plain old pissed!  Not only have I been consuming truckloads of rabbit food, I have been hitting the gym more faithfully than I have in WEEKS!!!!  Months!  Good, HARD workouts.  The kind that you just want to crawl home from when you are done.  All of that combined has gotten me....what?  Well...lucky me...it's gotten me a three pound weight gain.  Isnt' that just special?!  It just really makes me embrace and look forward to the next 8 days of this stupid, nuts detox journey I so stupidly decided to take on.  I mentioned quitting yesterday and Kyra told me that I can't.  That if I do quit before I finish rebuilding all my good stuff, then I'll just regain all the weight back that I lost.  Well....My thoughts on THAT are that I have already gained back THREE of the nine that I lost.  Heck...by the time this thing is over in another 9 days...if things continue on their CURRENT track, I should be 3 pounds UP over where I started from!!!!!!  Way back on day one!   Nice.  Grrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!  (insert foot stomping and kicking the door here)  And so...on day 13...I am FRUSTRATED.  And deflated, disappointed. aggravated, angry, agitated...and as always...craving pizza.  ***SIGH**** (insert head banging here)

Day 12

Well, after being back on the wagon and being very good yesterday, I woke up to have gained a pound today.  Grrrr.  That just makes me mad.  My feelings on the cleanse journey right about now?  I'm done with it.  Over it.  Tired of it.  Frustrated with it.  And I WANT some pizza.  Just saying.  I still have another 10 days here to get through.  I know I can do it...I just don't want to.  But Kyra says I have to finish it now or I will gain back all the weight I just lost.  Of course...it seems my body already IS fighting to gain it back, despite the fact that I am still very much on the cleanse.  Grrrrr.  I'll see it through...because that's the way I am.  But I am not loving it.  As a matter of fact...today I'm just grumpy about it.  I do not want carrots for breakfast.  I want eggs.  And I do not want salad for lunch.  I want enchiladas.  And for dinner.  I don't even have to tell you that I don't want grilled chicken and zuchinni.  I WANT PIZZA!!!!!!!  However...my daddy always said that I was "old enough for my wants not to hurt me".  Whatever that means.  For me...it means I will not be having eggs, enchiladas OR pizza today.  Sigh.  I guess I'll just grab my carrots and go hit the stupid treadmill....again.

And On The 10th Day...

...she cheated.  That's right.  She was weak and hungry and tired of carrots and squash and rabbit food.  And she caved.  And what did she sin with, you ask?  Popcorn.  Hot, steamy, buttery movie theater popcorn.  And a diet coke.  That's right I did!  My friend told me this morning when I told her how I was craving waffles, that even if I did eat them, I would immediately find that it just didn't taste nearly as good as I thought it would since my taste buds have changed.  That I would be disappointed.  But I'm here to tell ya...that I was NOT disappointed.  As a matter of fact, it was the best darned popcorn I think I have ever eaten.  And the diet coke?  Divine.  I'm disappointed in myself tonight...but then, not really.  I'm not eating anything else today...save for one more shake and some carrots maybe as a nightcap.  And I'll be right back on my veggie wagon tomorrow.  So there it is...I'm a cheater.  Weak.  Pathetic.  Spineless.  A cheater.  But you know what...I'd totally do it again...because it was JUST THAT YUMMY!!!!!  :)  Tomorrow is a new day right!  Bring on day 11!

Day 10

Well...this detox journey is not perfect.  And while it's been MUCH easier than I thought it would be, it isn't always easy.  For instance...this morning the scale showed I had gained one pound.  Boo!  And...to top it off, I woke up wanting waffles for breakfast.  Like REALLY wanting them.  Not carrots.  Not apples.  Not avocado.  Waffles.  That was a tough moment.  But I survived.  I ate the carrots and strawberries and headed out the door for some grass mowing therapy.  It helped a great deal.  Now...because I am a glutton for punishment, I'm going to grab a quick shower and take my baby girl to see "How to Train a Dragon" at the movie theatre.  Hopefully, the delicious smells of popcorn won't be my undoing!  You can eat a meal while there and I plan to do that.  I plan to have a salad and bring my own olive oil and vinegar dressing.  That will hopefully help curb the popcorn/crap cravings!  Ahhh...only 11 more days until real food again!  Yes...I have to say that on day 10, I am struggling a bit.  It's NOT easy today!