A Personal Trainer for Me Personally

So I guess I'm living the rich life now huh? I started with a personal trainer today for the first time ever in my life. This pesky weight has become more and more pesky as the months tick by. So I'm using part of the money my very generous mother-in-law gave me for my birthday to get a personal trainer for a month. The trainer is a friend of a good friend of mine, and I think my trainer, Emily, will be a friend of mine after a bit too.

Why I think Emily will work out well as my trainer. She is a 28 year old mom with three kids who understands life is usually less than perfect. Emily has a great body, but not a pencil thin bulging muscle type. I told her today I really wanted her to push me (so I may in fact hate her when this is over). I need some accountability and I think she'll be good at that too.

I'm pretty excited. We'll see where this goes!

Too Much Information?

Perhaps this is too much information, but I've been doing a colon cleanse for the last 3+ weeks. It feels as if I have been doing it forever and I'm so tired of it. First you must take 4 pills when you wake up. Wait 15 minutes and take a wretched scoop of fiber powder. Mixing it with juice makes it tolerable and it still needs a chaser ounce or two of juice to get the grit out of my mouth. Then take 4 pills before lunch or dinner and three more pills with lunch or dinner. Before bed there are two more pills and a tea to brew and drink. Can you believe that? Now do you know why I'm tired of it? They recommend you do the cleanse for 3 months. Unless I got amazing results you would have to pay ME to do it that long.

If you look online you see all kinds of crazy things produced from the bowels of people willing to post their toilet leavings for everyone to see. I haven't really noticed anything crazy. I felt pretty low on energy when first starting the cleanse. There have also been more breakouts on my skin the past few weeks. My friend who did the cleanse started sweating yellow grease and got little bumps on her forehead and chest.

I have suffered from constipation for much of my life, but since I started eating the fresh made whole grain foods I really believe my colon is much better. I still have problems when we travel. Low fiber food, less exercise and less water makes for a bad combo. The bran in the whole grain flour really does lessen the transit time, softens the stool and bulks up the stool. I'm really not embarrassed to talk about this because as a dietitian I've talked about bathroom stuff with so many people and I know it is a problem for many, many people. Got to go get Joshy. More on this subject later. :o)

These Are a Few of my Favorite Things

These are all things that I enjoy immensley and use frequently. Just in case you wondered!

1. Burts Bee's Lip Balm - I'm addicted and use it every morning and every night.

2. Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner - Fabulous stuff. A bit tricky to apply, but stays on better than any other eyeliner I have found.

3. The stereo in my kitchen that has XM satellite radio. I LOVE channel 164, which is old time radio. My favorite shows are the detective shows like Dragnet and the westerns like Gunsmoke and The Lone Ranger. I also enjoy the comedy shows, mostly from the 40's and 50's. Something about them is so appealing - the comedy is true clever comedy, the bad guy always confesses, there is always a tricky ending.

4. My oversized toaster oven. It keeps me from having to turn on the oven so much in the summer. Tonight I made quiche in it. It has a convection bake setting as well as regular baking and toasting. I wouldn't trade it. 5. Origins A Perfect World Lotion. This is hands down the best face lotion I have ever used. My skin did not flake and feel dry this past winter at all. Though a bit pricey, every Origins product I've tried is fantastic - microdermabrasion, hand lotion, serum, etc.

6. Pureology voluminizing conditioner and also the power dressing hair goo stuff. It is expensive, but it only takes a dab for my fine hair. It is organic and works wonderfully.7. Southern Living magazine. I am not ga-ga over it, but I really do enjoy it. My favorite was the recent issue with their idea houses. I would do flips to have the North Carolina floor plan with its huge rounded porch, open living spaces and library retreat area on the second floor. See it at www.southernliving.com/ideahouse. Check out Davidson Gap.

8. My Nutrimill grain mill. It works fabulously, self cleans and gives me fresh ground flour whenever I want.

Roaring River

It was so pretty here. I just drank in the beauty of God's creation.

Here is the mouth of the river. 20+ million gallons of water flow out of here daily. Amazing.

Roaring River State Park

On Mom's birthday yesterday I surprised mom by taking Josh down to meet her and my niece and nephew, Jessie and Britain, at Roaring River state park. We had SUCH a good time. We had a picnic in the shade.
Mr. Cracky wading in the water. It was absolutely beautiful scenery there. I remember having my 8 or 9 year old birthday there.
Three sweeties by the water.
Nana and Britain holding down the chairs.
Mom and her grandchildren by the fish hatchery. After we left we went to Sonic and everyone got to get a treat/drink of their choosing. Mom - lemonberry slush (a medium because of her birthday - live wild mom), Britain - Butterfinger blast (a medium because it was Nana's birthday), Me - a creamslush (because I didn't want to be boring and always order the same thing), Josh - an apple juice slush (because he didn't know what to order for himself), Jessie - a hot fudge sundae.

Anne of Green Gables

So after several months of reading books on gardening, farming and self sustainment I'm reading the book Anne of Green Gables for the first time. The movie is my favorite movie for sure. I like to watch it while I iron in the bedroom in the evening (when the ironing pile gets too big to ignore). A few weeks ago I got a biography on L.M. Montgomery at the library. It was so dry I only got through about half of it before it was due back at the library. I have read other L.M. Montgomery books many years ago, but somehow I never read the Anne books.

I have enjoyed reading this book so much. I think what I love the most about the book is her way with words. When someone can use words cleverly I'm all theirs - even if it's just a physician on tv, something explaining with a good vocabulary or telling an interesting tale. Anne is quite a dreamer and comes up with the funniest ideas and tells them so passionately.

Countdown to my Birthday

So it's officially almost my 30th birthday. Next Friday, the 15th, to be exact. Btw, is there a way to lose 20 pounds in a that many days? If there is you just let me know! I don't know why, but this particular birthday has me in a sort of tailspin. As long as it's not a downward spiral I'll be okay. It is not as if something magically changes when you turn one day older. 30 just sounds so...uncool. Not that I was Miss Cool in my 20's, mind you, but I did have potential.

Mike has planned a party for me here at the house on my birthday. I don't know but what that there will be elephants in the backyard offering rides to all. He's asked me what I want to have to eat and I gave him a few suggestions, but I end up being too practical. Nothing special for me, I say (but I'm secretly thrilled he's having a party for me because I honestly don't know that I've ever asked for something all about me in my whole adult life).

The party is pretty much a mystery in that I don't know the plans. Michael is in charge of it all and I'm a bit terrified that there will be something major missing - like silverware or ice. I asked to stay and help set up everything that day, but Mike has ordered me to go away for the day to shop and relax. I will only be allowed to return an hour before the party to get ready. It kills me. The controlling side of me NEEDS to be there to make sure all is well and in place.

I did suggest my dear husband ask my friend Julie to be the party consultant. She has assured me he has everything under control, and I DO trust her.

Certifiable Crick in the Neck

So I woke up a few days ago with a typical crick in my neck, annoying but something I get every few months. Then yesterday the muscle spasms began, so painful that I couldn't move for several seconds until it subsided. My head was at a peculiar angle and couldn't seem to straighten up on my neck. What a pain - literally. Mike called the chiropractor I saw four years ago and who I ended up serving with on the Fountain of Youth Daycare board of directors a few years ago. Dr. Jarnigan was thankfully in and could see me. He is the best guy, seems to be a really good chiropractor and has A+ customer service. He takes such good care of you that you want to go back just to feel pampered.

Although he couldn't do a major adjustment on the worst part of my neck the spasms stopped after the appointment. I've still felt out of whack, but am improving. I told Michael that perhaps since I am getting on in years I can no longer bounce back as easily. :o) Incidentally, Dr. Jarnigan told me my neck problem might have been caused by sleeping under a fan in the hot weather. Interesting.

The chiropractor also told me they had been searching for his first patient he ever had in that clinic. The day before I came in they figured out I had been his FIRST patient. He was surprised to see me on Saturday after hearing my name on Friday. I hadn't even seen him in 2+ years! Anyway, he gave me a certificate for a free 1 hour massage - something I've been saying I'll get for a long time.

Michael's Favorite Holiday

We spent July 4th at my brother and sister-in-law's house in Missouri. It was SUCH a fun day between the trampoline, 4 wheelers, fireworks in the backyard and all the kids running around.

My mother may not appreciate this photo too much. Sorry mom, I didn't realize you had this expression until I saw it here.

Me oh my Josh what could be better to a 2 year old boy than a 4 wheeler?

Here you see my city guy and wild guy. Josh was afraid/ecstatic and not about to get off when he got to go for a ride. Mike couldn't resist getting in on the action and ended up having a ball riding around David's land. This picture was such a good memory that I framed and put it in the living room. Josh admires it regularly. My nephew (8) also has a 4 wheeler which he's had since he was 5. It almost gave me heart failure to see the him ride, but I guess he knows what he's doing at this point.

Nana and Josh looking smoking hot in their helmets. And dear Peanut the dog, God rest your soul. If only you had the doggie sense not to chase cars so passionately you would not have expired before your time.

More Vacation Shots

This is Averie, our friends Dave and Jen's little girl. She and Josh are only 3 months apart in age so it's fun to see them together. Averie is definitely taller than Josh and so sweetly shy it melts my heart. I have let God know that when he blesses us with a girl I have put an order in for a sweet girly girl.

Did you know you were going to be on my blog Jen? Jen and I spent a lot of time talking about our fresh milled grain breads, recipes and such. Jen got a mill not too long ago and has been baking away. It was really fun to make a batch of bread together, though I felt out of my element with different equipment. Hopefully the bread was okay!

I have a feeling this will be pretty funny to these kids some day.

Great Grandma Betty and Joshua at her condo.

Fun at Grandma Chris's House

Mike' s mom gets Josh a TON of toys when he visits her or she visits us. He was thrilled beyond words to have a "whimming" pool and with a slide no less. It was never quite warm enough to make the water enjoyable, but Josh loved it, blue lips and all.

Grandma also got him a new tricycle.

Every few minutes an airplane going to or coming from O'Hare Airport would fly by. It was fascinating - if you're a little boy.

Does this face show how excited Josh was to swim? Cloud 9 describes it adequately.

Taste of Chicago

On our vacation to Chicago this summer Mike and I went into the city one day (Mike's mom kept Josh) to experience the annual Taste of Chicago festival and see a White Sox game. We had a simply wonderful day eating, walking, seeing the city and being together. Mike wanted me to blog what we had to eat at the Taste. Thankfully most of the portions weren't that big so although we ate PLENTY it wasn't as insane as the list most likely appears! And we did walk 10+ miles according to my pedometer that day.

Bolat African Cuisine - Grilled plantain with spicy peanut sauce - good but tiny and expensive (as was everything).

Dominick's - Roasted ultra sweet corn on the cob - fantastic. Perhaps the best corn on the cob I've had since the Wisconsin state fair.

Harry Caray's - Toasted cheese ravioli - not fantastic, but good. We were trying to find something with exactly the amount of tickets we needed to use before leaving.

Las Tablas - Empanada - good

Mazzone's Italian Ice - Italian ice duo - strawberry and lemon. Leave the blue raspberry for the kids!

Robinson's No. 1 Ribs - Boneless rib sandwich - yummy sauce.

Suparossa Pizza - Stuffed sausage pizza - really good sausage, but needed to cook a bit more to melt the cheese inside

Vermillion Latin- Indian Cuisine - Mango cumin-dusted fries with chutney - the only thing we truly didn't like. The cumin was way too strong and way too weird.

Tavern on the Grill - Chicken with tomato and mozzarella salad - I was a big fan of this.

Tavern on the Grill - Salad with rock shrimp, hearts of palm, guacamole and balsamic vinaigrette - Mike liked this a lot. He is a big salad fan and shrimp is definitely a favorite food. I found the lettuce a little wilty and the guacamole a little frozen.

Harry Caray's - fried dough - We thought this would be a savory thing to dip in marinara like we had at a restaurant one time. However it was covered in powdered sugar and melt in your mouth delicious. My mouth is watering thinking of it right now.

Eli's Cheesecake - Frozen chocolate chip toffee crunch cheesecake on a stick. Mike LOVES Eli's cheesecake. For someone who isn't a big sweet eater he certainly liked this.

We laughed at all the transportation we took that day - train to the city, trolley, the "L" in the city, taxi and also our truck. I told Michael we should have taken a boat ride to complete it all that day.

What Lies in the Depths of Your Couch?

You can see our little naked boy covering his daddy with all the couch pillows. It's always something - hiding, jumping, giggling. There were amazing discoveries to be made in the couch - 4 or more pens, clippers, a toothpick, a screw, lots of crumbs and various other unappetizing things (nasty or "na-tees" as Josh says).

Little Girls Are Soooo Cute

This is our friend's daughter, Lily. We saw her when we went to drop off Josh so they could watch him and I snapped this picture. She is a super-sweet little girl and makes me want a daughter of my own!

Swimming?!?

Joshua got to try swimming for the first time this season. We never could convince him to stay in the water last summer. Today he would only step on the first step for the longest time. Then when we were about ready to go he got the courage up to move to the second step. We could tell he was having a great time but just needed to get used to it all. The water was cold - which didn't help! His favorite thing was splashing his daddy.

Grandpa Visits

Mike's dad, Lyle, came from Denver this weekend to visit us. It's nice to see him!

Suckers Are Sticky

Do these pictures really need any explanation?

I Want a Garden

So I've decided I want a garden and I think I want chickens and cows too. I can't fully explain it in words, but it's growing to be something I'm quite passionate about. Our friends Juli and Heath have talked about buying land and sharing some acres with two other couples so we can have fruits/vegetables and some animals. That way we could all share in the responsibility and the harvest.

Here are the pros to having this available:
1. Fresh food doesn't hold a candle nutritionally to what you can buy at the store, picked green and shipped from who knows where.
2. If we grow it we know what has been done to it.
3. As I get older I guess I want roots. Growing things from beginning to end appeals to me.
4. We want to be healthy and eat whole foods God made to eat.
5. It's cheaper!
6. It's still available in times of disaster.
7. I want my children to appreciate the outdoors, to run and play and climb trees.

Here are the cons or things I see as road blocks:
1. I sure don't know much about gardening or raising animals, although I do have many senior citizens I work with as resources!
2. Mike is not passionate about it like I am. It just is not HIS passion. It is mine. I told him the other day I wanted a garden and a mini van. He asked if I could just get a "virtual garden" and laughed. I told him he was sports cars and condos and I am gardens and mini vans. He denied the condo part but would like to have a lawn service. :o)
3. We have a perfectly fine house in town. I like our house and we have not grown out of it.
4. We do not own the land where I could have much of a garden or animals at this time.
5. It's NICE to be within walking distance of Walmart. We like it.
6. I'm busy. Do I have time to take on something new?
7. What if I did not like it once I got it? I may not like all the outdoor work, or all the work period. Gardens and animals do not grow themselves without help.

To be continued....some day some year.

Our First Trip to the Emergency Room

Oh me, oh my. The Thursday before Josh's 2nd birthday he fell and hit the corner of a wall - with his head no less. It was gaping open and clearly needed medical attention. So off we went to the emergency room - for 6 1/2 hours! Josh wasn't in pain, but it was increasingly difficult to manage a toddler in a germ infested room. It wasn't even that busy, but apparently it was the night for lacerations and "we only have one sewing room." The longer we were there the more Josh said, "Home. Home. Done."

When it came time for the stitches they kicked Michael out of the room, covered Josh's eyes and held him down. He, of course, screamed bloody murder and then some. It is a horrific thing to have my child afraid and screaming "Mommy!! Daddy!!! Daddy!!!" It was all I could do not to break down and weep, and it was all Michael could do not to burst in the room and rescue Joshua. But as a parent sometimes we have to choose the adult thing, the right thing.

We got home at midnight that evening, completely exhausted. I mean wiped out. What a day.

On a good note: before we went to the doctor to have the stitches removed I prayed that Josh would be calm, that the right people would work with him and that angels would surround him during the experience. They had three nurses in the room, expecting to have to restrain him. Josh got up on the table, and lay perfectly still the whole time - not making a peep. He was happy as a lark and thrilled to get a sucker. How gracious is a God that hears the prayers of a mother for her little child. We are thankful for answered prayer!

My Pretty Girl, Josh-a-weena

Looks like a ballerina, but I think it was in reality basketball.
Oh his tippy toes like Daddy!
Studying an engineering book.

We had some clothes someone gave us that included cute little girl things. Josh insisted on putting on this dress one evening when Michael was away. We had a good time playing. Some day I'll get me a little girl!

Misc. Josh

He still likes making a mess!
Josh loves the cat, Tuffy, at his grandparent's house. She doesn't love him nearly as much as he loves her.
One of my favorite flowers - daffodils.

Are they hoodlums?