Pez Dispenser

I came to a realization today that I have a Pez Dispenser Perception on a lot of things. Right now, it's how I'm treating my diet/workout plan. And what exactly is a "Pez Dispenser Perception"!? Well, step right up, I'd love to give you all the gooey details of my personality flaws!

Our pastor was teaching today on how our expectations of who God is supposed to be gets in the way of our relationship with him. We tend to think as soon as we read our Bible, pray for something, maybe even only once, God is supposed to give us what we want. We bop God on the head and out pops our prize like a pez dispenser.

I started working out 10 days ago. I'm working out hard! I'm working up a sweat! Tired? Sore? Slept 2 hours? No excuses, turn that DVD on and get to work! Man, all this blood, sweat and tears, I'm expecting exciting things from my scale this morning! And to my absolute and complete frustration, I've gained 3 lbs.

Now, my weight normally fluctuates, and I expect it, but this is 3 ADDITIONAL pounds. This is a number I haven't seen in a year! (All that no-carb-hard-work straight down the toilet). Why the HECK am I eating whole wheat bread?! Why didn't I grab a candy bar at the store like Jordan?! Why am I cursing Jillian and her stupid bicycle crunches EVERY DAY?!

And, today, while sitting in church, I remember.... It's been 10 days.... 10 days of busting my butt doesn't make up for a month of holiday eating or every other time I've made poor decisions. My original reasoning was to get healthy and have a great ski trip. I can do that 20 minute workout 100% better than 9 days ago. And I'm fighting for my health. My HEALTH, not a number on the scale. I'm fighting against diabetes, high blood pressure, strokes and cancer (Thanks Genes!). I'm doing this because I don't want to be a statistic. I'm working hard to have a long, healthy life.

Phew. That's better. Got my thinkin' straight again.

NOW ON TO LEVEL 2!!! Screw that stupid scale.

Level One COMPLETE!

Woohoo! Today I completed Level One of the 30 Day Shred. Tomorrow I'll start Level Two. I heard it's a killer. I'm amazed I've worked out every day for the past 10 days and I haven't missed one yet. My legs are so much stronger than before I started. Ski Trip 2010 is going to be a great success!

I've started motivating myself by watching Dr. Oz every day before working out. He's such an encourager to be healthy I can't help but want to kick my own butt into shape. Yesterday one of his tips was to eat seven servings of fruits and vegetables. I love EXACT numbers like this: 7 servings, 30 days of exercise. No confusion or cheating with precise numbers. I heard a dietitian say you should drink 1 ml of water per caloric intake. Ummmm.... and I'm going to sit down and figure out that number every day? No thanks, I'll stick with exact numbers.

I did make the mistake of taking Jordan to the grocery store. I had my list all planned out, and we still managed to come home with Tostitos and dip.

Just Some Complaining...

Move along people, nothing surprising here. Just a little complaining.

Self esteem is a bitch sometime. I just finished Shredding the best yet, but it wasn't perfect. I wasn't able to complete all the exercises. I finished more than yesterday. I finished 75% more than I did the first day. But I'm on day 6 and I still can't finish every single exercise. Even though I've improved so much in such a short amount of time, I want to do it perfectly every time.

I read on the Shredheads blog the amazingly flat abs mom didn't have to pace herself until she got to level 3! Really?!? Cause I've had to pace myself every day in level 1! And she weighed a good 20 lbs more than me.

Tomorrows goal: every exercise complete

I swear I'm my own worst enemy.

Holy Smokes!

It's been 5 days of doing the 30 Day Shred. I've done it every day and I can feel a difference. I'm actually able to complete most exercises. Since I'm all fired up I was looking around the 'net to get some tips. I came across this blog. It has some great motivation in it. And by motivation, I mean pictures. And by pictures, I mean THESE PICTURES.

Three kids and before the Shred.



She did the 30 Days, plus, yoga, and trained for a 5k in three months and accomplish THIS!



Holy smokin' cow! She looks amazing. Look how flat that stomach is! Well, I don't know about you, but I can't wait for day 6!

Love A Child - Haiti

Since January 12, I've been keeping up with news of Haiti and the relief efforts after the earthquake. Like most Americans I feel pretty helpless only a couple hundred miles away, and possessing skills they could really use right now. The only thing as of right now I can see really helping them is giving money. We donated to the Red Cross, sure, but there has to be something more personal.

My dad went to Haiti a couple years ago to help a mission organization down there. It's called Love A Child and they provide a food program, medical care, education, an orphanage and housing. They are located outside of Port-au-Prince near Dominican Republic, which is a blessing because their buildings were not damaged. Before the earthquake they had 11 orphans. With so many orphanages being destroyed, children have been delivered to them by the truck load.

Not only are they caring for orphans, but they have also been taking trips to Port-au-Prince to pick up anyone who has been wounded and hasn't found medical help. The last I read they had over 1000 medical patients. If the wounds are too serious, they load the patients into trucks and transport them to hospitals in the DR.

Sherry, the missionary, who along with her husband, runs Love a Child, keeps a blog and updates it every day, sometimes multiple times a day. She also takes lots of pictures, some very graphic and others just heart breaking. This one is about all the new orphans.

If you're like me and would like to read "real life" accounts of what's going on in Haiti, you can read Sherry's Blog. If you would like to sponsor an orphan or donate to Love A Child, you can also do that on their website. But whatever your situation, you must do something.

Inspiration!

It's funny how God brings people in your life. Some new, some old, but able to impact you none the less. I've known Amy (Roman) Edwards since we were kids. I think our parents were friends at church. Recently, through the all mighty Facebook and some mutual friends, I've gotten to know Amy and her personal challenge. Amy was chosen to be on Dr. Oz for a weight loss intervention, which you can read all about on her blog or watch the Dr. Oz show. Since October Amy has lost 50+ lbs and ran a 5k.

Today I got to know Amy's story even better when she had a follow up on the Dr. Oz show. She's made such amazing progress and she's such a beautiful person, inside and out, her story has really inspired me. One of my goals in life is to be a healthy person, and if I lose weight in the mean time, great! The Great Ski Trip of 2010 is coming up and I want to be prepared! I want to be able to ski more than one day! I want to be able to walk the day after skiing!

This week Jennifer Heuslein invited me to be apart of a 30 Day Challenge. In that challenge we will be working out with Jillian Michaels and her DVD 30 Day Shred. This is perfect timing and a perfect way to get ready for skiing! If you don't know, Jillian is the #1 trainer on Biggest Loser. She's known for being tough and working you hard. No breaks allowed during this 20 minute workout mix of cardio, weight training, and abs.

Yesterday was day #1 and it was brutal! I had just woken up and my body wasn't prepared for what I was about to do to it. I got really dizzy and had a hard time completing the workouts. Today was a lot better, I didn't get as dizzy, and I knew what my limitations were. I was sweating like a pig and feeling the burn for sure. I did a lot better with the cardio today than yesterday, which gives me hope for skiing the Rockys!

To wrap this up, I'm thankful for old friends, new beginnings, and great challenges!

My Top 10 Winter 2010 Must Haves

10. Dearfoam Slippers
9. Driving gloves
8. Spill proof thermos
7. Hot chocolate
6. Starter logs
5. Throw blanket
5. Fuzzy socks
4. Breckenridge long sleeve tshirt
3. Space heater
2. Ski jacket

And the #1 best thing I've got going for me this winter is....!

1. Heated seats!

Love those puppies. My next car will have a heated stearing wheel.

It's Gonna Be A Slow One.

Really? Is it seriously only the 6th? Ever since we decided to not spend money this month I've been DYING to go clothes shopping. I really haven't been winter clothes shopping in... well... years, and now I feel really out of date. I really like the winter fashion that's out right now and I'm really regretting making THIS month, the coldest month of the year, the no spending month. Of course, if I look at the big picture (new wood floors and a heavenly ski trip) it makes it a little more bearable. But a girl just wants to look cute, right? I've been compulsively window shopping online all week. I have a ton of links saved to my desk top with potential buys. We are making mental notes of all the stuff we need to buy in February when the spending freeze is released. So, for now, the only thing we have to look forward to is a Netflix movie arriving in the mail. Oh, and quality time spent together.

2009

- We began 2009 by changing churches. I had been listening to Grace Fellowship's podcasts for a while and a sermon from Jason Vermeulen pretty much sealed the deal for me. Jordan took a little bit of convincing and over the last year I think he has been stretched in some uncomfortable ways. The church is a great fit for us, and every week I leave wanting to be a better Christian.

- Next up we planned a spur of the moment ski trip with Emily Parbhoo. It was my first ski experience and I L-O-V-E-D it! We also met and convinced Alex Bucher to come along within 3 weeks of the trip. Here is a video of them on day #2. This video inspires me to get in shape before our next trip (February 28th) because I was so sore I couldn't ski at all :(



- Jordan's parents came down in the spring and helped us landscape our backyard.

- Our next big event for 2009 was our two week vacation to see the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Death Valley, Yosemite, Mt. Whitney, San Francisco and everything in between. It was by far the best trip we've been on so far. We got to experience and see so much. And I discovered Jordan's hidden talent as a tour guide. (It was hard to pick just one picture from that trip)



- Between June and August we stayed home and focused on house projects. We are constantly doing something to improve our home. It bring us great joy and pleasure and our first year in this house couldn't have been a better one.

- In August we went to Savannah to meet up with my best friend. It was our first Savannah experience and I can't wait to take another weekend trip there.



- In November I decided to take on the biggest design project I had done yet. We gutted our bathroom and redid everything except the tub. I love the way it turned out and can't wait to see what we get to do this year to the house.



- And for Christmas, we spent it at home. Jordan had two weeks off work and I had 9 days. We got to spend lots of time together, doing little day trips and of course house projects. Jordan also got to spend some quality time with his new camera.

I would have to declare 2009 as the year of travel for us. It was probably one of our best years yet. If 2010 gives us half as much pleasure as 2009 we will be incredibly blessed. I can't wait to see what project we will do next (Kitchen or floors?!), and we already have some great trips planned!