A Dream Come True

He got the job! I can't even begin to say how excited I am about it!

He got everything that he asked for (salary, benefits, bonuses, etc), and then some.

The position is everything that we could've hoped, dreamed, and wished for. Thank you God!

I need a nap now. These allergies are kicking my tail!

More later

A Job?

Friday morning I checked Jeff's email for him while we were talking on his lunch break. There was an email from the CEO of the company that he's been jumping through hoops for for the last six weeks. The email said:

"Hey I think we have beat you up enough .When can we sit and get this going. Monday morning would work for me".

That's it. We think that this means that he's been hired as the Operations Manager. We think. Who the heck sends out an email like this? The get this going comment sounds like he wants to hire Jeff. I mean, what else could he mean? But seriously? This is how you do it? Really?

So we're torn between elation and nerves. To have this dream yanked away at this stage of the game would be almost too cruel. This job, in the middle of a recession no less, would mean so much to us. So we wait. The meeting is scheduled for 9:30 Monday morning. Until then, we pray.

Spring Time Fun

How is it fair that someone who loves spring and everything it entails also suffers from horrible seasonable allergies?

Well, whatever it is, this spring is kicking my tail. I was doing so well with walking and exercising until Easter. Easter came and brought with it lots of green pollen- enough to coat my car and have me screaming inside with a sinus headache.

Seriously, I've had a nasty sinus headache since Sunday. Ugh! I also have no energy. As in none. As in I can barely drag myself out of bed and it's everything I can do to stay out!

From past experience I know that it's better for me not to take anything and just suffer through it. If I do it lasts about ten days and then I'm fine. Taking allergy medicine only prolongs the time it takes me to acclimate to it.

But still, I think yesterday I managed a whopping 4500 steps all day. The day before wasn't much better. Easter? Easter was 3500. Don't even get me started!

I'm trying to increase my water intake in the hopes that it helps with the sinus problems. If I could just ditch this headache I think I could force myself to work outside a little bit. Unfortunately, all I can think about is a dark room and sleep.

In other news, Jeff had a very successful third interview with a company that has been stringing him along for the last six weeks. The job would be a dream come true for us, and if he does it well, will probably lead to a Regional VP of Operations position within a year to year and a half. We're anxiously awaiting word on the position... as in on pins and needles. Any extra prayers would be appreciated greatly! We both feel that he'll probably get word sometime this week on the decision. It would be such a blessing for us!

My cousin recently challenged all of us to set some new goals. She asked us to come up with five to ten things that we want to accomplish this year. Here are mine:

1. I will lose another ten or so pounds so my clothes fit the way that they're supposed to.
2. I will lose an additional twenty-five pounds to get back to my pre stop smoking weight.
3. I will successfully complete a local 5k run with Michael
4. I will finish Michael's home school year.
5. I will find a job
6. I will begin formally planning Jeff and my wedding

Easter Preparations

It's always surprised me how small changes can add up to such big results.

I've spent the last several months wishing that I felt better, that I had more energy, that I could feel more like me again. I realized yesterday that while I have a ways to go, I'm on the way back to being comfortable again.

I am consistently moving more, being more aware of my food selections, and more aware of how fast this precious stolen time I have with my son will pass. I am looking for a position that will allow me to return to full time employment without the worry of getting shot at. It's the little things in life, isn't it? LOL

Anyway, I plan on finding someone to watch Michael during the day while I work. We will continue to home school online and look for field trips and other social opportunities for him to grow. I think we'll be alright.

Today we're headed outside to work in the yards. I want to get everything swept up, mowed, and trimmed before the holiday. If I get really ambitious we will probably hang some Easter Eggs from the trees in the front yard. Later, I want to make some Easter themed rice crispy treats for the kids when they come over this weekend.

It will be a good day. Lots of fun, lots of work, but most importantly to me, lots of opportunity to enjoy this with Michael.

Happy Spring!

Yesterday was awesome. Michael and I even managed to grab a walk in the warm sunny 75 degree weather. By the end of the day I had logged over 12,000 steps and was feeling really great.

Until the weather tanked into the thirties and I developed a head cold.

Shoot. I hate that.

We're finishing up school right now, today is State Test Assessment Day. Once he finishes the last test, we'll breeze through Spelling, Latin, and a couple of math worksheets. I'm hoping that by then I'll be feeling a little stronger and we can go for a walk.

Happy Spring everyone!

Easter Egg Fun

All in all, this past week was one of the best that I've had in a long time. I've been consistently hitting around 8000 steps a day and have been making a conscious effort to just move more. It's hard sometimes, being home with Michael homeschooling all day makes that unpredictable. Some days, he finishes his school work and we can head out, some days we're inside slugging away at it all day.

Another thing that I think has made it easier is the sunny warm weather that we've had. I was able to take Wednesday and Thursday and work outside in the yards... all day. It was great, but I told Jeff the following morning that I felt like I had been beat up in my sleep! I could barely move! It was awful, but it brought home to me how stagnant I've been this past year. I never used to have that problem. I'm happy to say that it only lasted a day and that it just made me want to do more.

I've been trying to come up with a valid reason for being such a slug over the last year. I think I have a few:

• I yanked Michael out of school and began our homeschooling journey. This completely changed my schedule and required most of my "me" time to be donated to the home school cause.
• I am no longer working in a law enforcement capacity. This means no more running after people, no more being chased, no more required fitness levels.
• Jeff finally made it back after over three years of being gone. We had waited so long to be together again that I think it took us a year to resume what would be considered a normal schedule.

So anyway, those are just excuses. I'm 32 years old and have noticed that what I've always heard about getting older is true. I hit 30 and my metabolism crashed, all of a sudden my body was unfamiliar to me. I couldn't count on gaining or losing the way that I always had. It's weird really. I used to be able to drop five or ten pounds without even thinking about it. NOW? HA!! I actually have to work at it. I'm trying to look at this new found required discipline as a good thing.

So anyway, Jeff, Michael, and I had a blast yesterday. We went to a parade, toured a really old church, went fabric shopping (fun for me), grilled out, and colored Easter Eggs. It was a great day.

Okay, time to get class started. Here are the goals for today:

• Walk/Jog 30 minutes with Michael
• Good food choices
• A positive home school day
• Progress on a few sewing projects I have going right now (thanks Anne!)

And now some picture fun from yesterday.

A New Week

It's interesting to me that in just the last week of trying to be more health conscious- walking more, drinking more water, trying to eat better, I can see a noticeable difference in my energy levels and how my body feels overall.

Yesterday kicked my tail. Period. A simple errand to Jeff's apartment to measure windows and then to Walmart to pick up some fabric turned into, and I'm not making this up, five trips to the apartment, three trips to three different Walmart's, two trips to Hancock Fabric, one trip to Lowe's, one trip to Taco Bell (because really, by this time I was about to pass out from hunger), and five separate trips back to my house.

And I STILL have to go to Walmart again today!

(insert silent screaming!)

Still, after all that I managed to log over 13,000 steps yesterday. HA! I guess all the stress was good for something. Man I was exhausted and pissy by the time I finally crashed into bed at 2:30 this morning.

Goals for today:

• 8 glasses of water
• salad for lunch (always a struggle to get it in)
• 10,000 steps
• 30 minute walk
• nothing to eat after 9 pm (because this is the grazing hour for me, apparently)

Catching up...

Thursday was a great day. I managed to log over 11,000 steps, get in most of my water, and make smart food choices. Until I went to work. Ugh. If I'm ever gonna make progress on getting healthier I'm going to have to find another job. It's just hat simple. On a high note, Michael and I enjoyed a wonderful walk in the sun and also were able to renew our pool membership.

Friday I woke up feeling really sick. I really didn't accomplish much at all besides laying around and getting Michael's school work finished. I logged close to 5000 steps by the end of the day and over all had a pretty healthy day.

It's cold and windy outside today so I doubt that there will be any formal exercise going on. I'm shooting for 5000 steps, getting my water in, and making smart food choices. Michael leaves this evening with his paternal grandmother to go and see one of his cousins compete in a gymnastics competition an hour and a half away. He'll be gone overnight and will return tomorrow afternoon. I'm nervous about letting him go, but really have no good reason to keep him from it. Besides, he's really looking forward to it.

I love Spring

Even if it's not exactly warm outside right now, you can already see the trees starting to bud, the daffodils are up, and there's even a tulip tree up the street trying to bloom. Weather like this has me fantasizing about being out doors walking, running, gardening, whatever. It just feels so good to me to be able to move around a bit more.

Yesterday went pretty well, well, right up until the end that is. I had my dreaded appointment at the Health Department, always fun, and my Depo Provera shot. I asked the nurse about my weight gain (17 lbs since last January) and she said that is was normal, and that the shot actually causes you to feel hungry even when you're not. Great. So in addition to trying to break the oral addiction that I have to smoking (three years last month!), I'm now getting a shot to make it even harder! UGH!

This just makes me want to work all the harder to get this weight off. None of my summer clothes will fit right now and that's just totally unacceptable.

I tanked on the diet thing when I got off from work last night. My hormones were running at full steam (thanks to the shot), and I just didn't feel very good. Still, I managed to get in 6000 steps yesterday, despite the almost three hours I spent sitting at the health department. I also got in most of my water.

Goals for today:

• Get membership at local pool
• Go for a thirty minute walk with Michael
• 8 glasses of water
• Smart food choices
• Make-up what we didn't finish yesterday in home school. Finish today's work.
• Laundry... again!

Not Too Bad

Today was an alright day. I woke up feeling tired and had a hard time getting in gear. It was almost one before Lan and I sat down to do home school but we managed. All in all I was very active despite the late start and even managed to get the house cleaned, the laundry done, dinner fixed, and the dishes washed before I had to leave for um... work. *sigh*

I forgot to put the pedometer on, but by tonight's shower I had walked over 6000 steps. I got my water in, and stayed pretty much on plan.

Jeff's second interview went really well, they've asked for additional examples of work and have requested another two interviews for next Tuesday. We are keeping our fingers crossed!!

I have my check up tomorrow for my birth control. Because I don't have insurance right now that lovely appointment will be kept at our local Health Department. While I am very grateful for the services that they provide, I really really hate that place! Ugh. NO FUN!

Goals for tomorrow:

• 8 glasses of water
• 5000 steps
• Some home school... whatever there is time for

Sunny Weather

I gave up on the idea of school today so that Michael and I could enjoy the 75 degree weather we were graced with. It was awesome!

I cleaned and vacuumed out the car (because as Jeff put it, it was beginning to smell like a Chinese restaurant), and then took Michael up to meet Jeff on the mountain. We spent an hour walking on the trails and enjoying the pretty day. For dinner we went to the food court at the mall and hung out.

All in all it was nice. I tried to get my water in, I brought prepared water with me on the hike but forgot to account for the smaller bottle size. It tasted nasty! I've cut back on the Diet Pepsi consumption, so that's something. I think I managed to stay OP today... just barely. YAY me!

It feels good to move.

Goals for tomorrow:

• laundry... all of it
• glasses of water
• 1 hour of exercise
• a positive home school day

Things I accomplished today

• I spent an hour weeding out Jeff's back patio bed. There are now pretty daffodils in bloom and the sight of them makes me happy. I'm also pretty sure that it could be considered exercise, leaning over my gut (and I can tell you how much it hurts to admit that??) and bending and stooping brought home to me how out of shape I really am.

• I fixed dinner and then went on a forty minute walk with Lan and mom. THAT really was exercise! I used to walk four miles every night and not think a thing about it. I'm really far away from that right now, but when I got done tonight I felt like all of my joints had been oiled. If that makes any sense!

• I bought a pedometer. I think I want to strive for this first week to walk at least 5,000 steps a day. I know the recommended amount is 10,000 but since I have no idea what I normally do I think 50% is a good starting point.

Goals for tomorrow:

• Drink 8 glasses of water
• Walk 5,000 steps
• Have a positive home school day

That's all for now. Have a great night!

A Decision

So I've decided that I need to get off my fat butt and lose twenty pounds or so.

I'm miserable right now, nothing in my closet fits right, I feel sluggish, big, and slow. None of those are happy feelings.

The weather is starting to warm finally and I think that that more than anything else will help me. I will do this.

Period.

That's all.

You may go now.