Weekly check in... week 13!!!

Oh me, oh my!!! 13 weeks already and feeling really good about some of the changes that we have made as a family in our eating and lifestyle changes! What a great family I have as they have embraced our new changes with little to no complaining and surprised at what they actually like to eat :)Turkey instead of red meat has become a staple and yogurt, fruits and veggies have replaced almost all snacky type foods that used to occupy our snack drawer! The biggest hurdle we have right now is that we are eating later at night then I would like to because we are always on a baseball/softball field until long after dinner time. Weekly hiking trips discovering new trails and areas around Colby College and the Kennebec River have become something that we all look forward to, even our little sweet doggy girl, Erin!! We have also started using the Colby College outdoor track once a week, what fun that is to watch the kids pretend to be in a race and running around the track, exercising but oh what fun!
So, here it is, I lost 1.5 lbs this week.... FINALLY 25lbs gone!!! Now I get to celebrate and treat myself to some spa time!!!!! That was my goal to reach, 25lbs and then I would use my gift certificate to a local spa for some pampering and me time!! I am so excited and top of my to-do list tomorrow morning is to call and make the appointment!!! I can't wait and I can't wait to tell Frank, he will be so proud and happy for me. He truly is my biggest cheerleader and knows just what to say to keep me motivated (thanks Babe!).
So, now I am focusing on 10lbs at a time instead of 25. It was tough going there at the end of it, slow losing and too many poor me moments so a really good friend who has lost 50lbs on WW(awesome job Katie!), told me not to focus so big, so I am going to try that and see how it goes! Also, she loaned me her WW books, as well as point finder so I am going to incorporate some of that into my calorie counting and see what that does for me. Either way feeling good and loving the way I am starting to look in smaller clothes that I have had to unpack!!!
Till next week, hopefully lighter in spirit and in body!
Hugs!

Bountiful Blessings!

Although the start of the week was tough with dealing with more family issues and such, the week turned into one of the best I have had for quite some time! Blessings for the week were bountiful!
~ My children who know just what to say at times when no one else does to make me feel better! God's biggest blessing to me were the days that I become their mommy!
~ A sense of humor! The ability to laugh and laugh often, usually at myself! Laughter is good medicine :)
~ Time in the van with the boys! We sing, and laugh and act silly and I absolutely love these moments of uninhibited fun!
~ Spending time with friends. Whether over coffee, chatting on line, dinner, or seeing each other out and about, these times are precious and too few and I hold them dear to me and look forward to the next time we are together!
~ A Godly man who loves me unconditionally in spite of my short comings and continues to support me in all ways and in every way. I love you, Frank!

Looking forward to another blessed week, hope that you are too!!!
Hugs!

Bragging about my son....

I have the best son ever! Now that I got that out of the way, let me give you an example of why I think that :)

I have been having a really rough time as of late, dealing with a family issue concerning my father. It has been tolling on the family and really draining me as of late since we have been forced to see him at sporting events in the area. I have struggled with what to do concerning my little boys and how best to protect them and their little hearts at such a young age. Prayer is my only outlet for these feelings as most days I can't even put them into words to share with those closest to me. Well, as it would turn out, Monday I was forced to tell them the truth about their grandfather and it really was awful. It led to lots of questions, silence of internalizing, and finally in bed with tears, both the boys and I. It was to date one of the worst days of my life. 

Since Monday, I have been really wondering if I had done the right thing, telling them and hurting them in that way. Tuesday wasn't much better and Wednesday was just as bad. I had to work Wednesday and due to Kendra's schedule, Austin was left to watch the boys for a little while in the afternoon. When I came home to get changed for Austin's game that evening, there on my pillow was a note:

"Dear Mom I would like to give you this note in return for all the games that you come to and all that you do for me and to say how sorry I am about you having to tell the boy's about him and it's true what Colby said at least we have Mimi and Bampy and loving friend's like the Redman's. I know I can't imagine what the pain is that you feel but I know it's bad. So please remember that you have me and Kendra and even if the boys' don't know very much about it they can still be a comfort to you.

Hey, by now I know you are sad so call me in and I will do any of these attached...." (he attached coupons that he printed that stated he would do _____________ without whining or complaining).

See how he can just melt my heart???? With all my doubting about my mothering abilities or lack thereof, this is my gift. I love him and his sensitive soul so much! Thank you Lord for this little man with a great big heart for me and for others, truly you have blessed me!

Weak Week 12.....

Ok, so 12 weeks and counting! A little bummed this morning when I stepped on the scale this morning to find out that it hadn't moved at all since last week... stuck!! I was all ready to celebrate the first 25lbs lost but have to hold off. I am grateful that I didn't gain, yet a little puzzled as to why I stayed the same. Oh well, still pressing forward. Frank and the kids bought me a new workout Wii fit game and I started that this morning so hopefully that will move the muscles a little differently?!?! Feeling really good though and now not so crazy about some of the excess skin that I have, so looking for some more specific area toning exercises... the search is on!!!

Hopefully next week I will have more exciting news {{ fingers crossed}} 

Hugs,

Janet

Bountiful Blessings!!

My blessings are too many to count this week in a list of five or six :) I'll do my best!

~   Having had a Godly woman as my mother and mentor. As an adult now and being able to look back at all that she taught me through actions and in words, I am truly a blessed woman to have had Bea Lee as my momma. I pray daily that God would continue to make me into the woman that Frank deserves as a wife and our children deserve as a mother. That He would continue to mold me and shape me to His design. Thank you Mom, for showing me how important it is to spend time with God and get to know Him and His plans. I love you and I miss you.

~   That homeschooling is winding down!! Yipeeeee! We are ending by the last of May and since we are ahead our days are a little more relaxed and flexible! The kids are doing so well and will be so ready for what this next grade holds for them in the fall :)

~   My family, Frank and our children make my life so full! My extended family means so much to me and supplies me with love and support that I so desperatly need at times! 

~   Sports! Yes, I love sports and am so blessed to have kids that like to play them!! I so enjoy watching our children excel and enjoy physical activity. They are good sports and as they are getting older the sports they play are getting more exciting to watch! 

~   New blogs I have "stumbled upon"! There are some new blogging friends that I have met recently that really seem to have a connection with me! This is exciting to me to get to know some new ladies and read as to how they schedule, homeschool, and juggle all their mommy duties as well as other things! I am learning so much :)

Thank you to all of you who held me up in prayer this week. Although it was tough we made it through to the other side and I know just how powerful prayer is! I am so blessed just to call you all my friends!!

Hugs to last the week through!!!

Tying it all together!

Wow, what a week! I have had the opportunity to have every emotion known to human this week and yet somehow managed to make it out on this side of it with just a few scratches, bruises and knicks. God put me through my "paces" this week and alot of it was painful, but through the pain came some really great moments of feeling loved, protected and appreciated. God is good no matter what and I know that He is having me travel this road for a purpose and I will be happy to see what changes He will make in me in the near future, all for His glory and purposes.

Health wise I am feeling really great and learning new ways to keep moving and exercising my body. We have started walking trails around the central Maine area on Sundays as a family and we are really enjoying that. This morning at weigh in I am official at 24 lbs less than 11 weeks ago, YIPPEEE!!! I love to watch that scale moving lower and lower. Although that is a motivator, I am slowly learning to just enjoy the moments that I have and make the best choices that I can for the day, eating to fuel my body to keep up with a very busy schedule. It seems to be working, as I know that I am officially also 2 sizes smaller than I was just 11 weeks ago! I am sure that I could be more hard-core about it but I like this slow losing and it really seems to be working for the whole family which as I told you before was very important to me.

As mentioned before, my blessings came on the "heals " of lots of pain and hard work this week. Blessings, I have determined aren't always big and grand, out in the open, look at me kind of moments. Lots of times, especially lately, mine are quiet and small, private really only to me at the time. I do love to share them with you weekly, hoping that reading some of my moments might encourage you to look around your life and look past the negatives and really focus on the positives that God blesses you with. All that being said, enjoy reading my bountiful blessings from this past week :)

~ My very dear friends and family who have stepped into a rather uncomfortable situation to care for me and my children. Putting aside all thoughts of themselves, they have sacrificed their own time, comfort level, and feelings to just be there for me and I couldn't begin to thank them enough for what that has meant to me. Friendship really is defined well in the Bible by words and examples and these ladies (and one special Pastor) have lived this out in front of me and I am forever blessed by this.

~ My children! What a blessing they are to me.. daily. God has given Frank and I such sensitive and spirit filled kids. Knowing I am struggling, the extra effort to listen and obey and the unprompted hugs and loves are just what this mommy needs. 

~ My partner, my husband, my gift, Frank! Wow, does this guy have a lot going on in his life. Not only is he working long hours, but going to school three nights a week. Homework takes time as well on most other nights, yet he doesn't miss an opportunity to be there for me and for his children. I think of other close friends husbands and know that God designed Frank just for me! 

~ Fresh fruits and vegetables!! What a great item to spend my grocery money on! The kids and are experimenting with new fruits and vegetables that we haven't tried before and we are loving it!! So glad that the Farmers Markets open this week :)

~  Meeting new friends and learning new things about people. Working with children, I don't have much time to get to know adults :) I am enjoying getting to know some of the parents of the kids in our program!

~ Girls night! Had the chance to rest and relax with my best friend, favorite niece/bf and my too quickly growing up daughter!!! Dinner and a girly movie! Good times and well deserved and needed :)

I am going to end this with a prayer request for this coming week. I ask you to pray for me as I continue on this rocky journey of dealing with feelings and emotions that concern some family of mine. This year is my 6th year of missing my Mom being here on Mother's Day. Its a really hard week for me and this other situation is sure to make it that much more stressful. Please pray that God would comfort me and sustain me during this week!

Love to you all!

Wow 10 weeks already!

I can't believe that 10 weeks of my life has gone by and the changes that have been made in our family lifestyle. It went so much smoother than I even expected it to. I thought there would be much more grumbling and complaining about the changes, and not just food either. There has been more activity that requires physical activity. But everyone has been very supportive of me and it has made this so much easier than other times that I have tried to lose the weight and get healthier! In the past I have usually thought it wasn't fair of me to "inflict" my issues on the kids and Frank. After all they don't have a weight issue and they shouldn't be deprived of the goodies that mommy bakes or buys. This time however, I had done a little more research. The changes that I was to make to my lifestyle was just as good for all of them too. And I don't deprive them of all goodies but there certainly are a lot less of them and better choices of snacks in the house. And they don't even mind :) I am so proud of us all! It has also been a HUGE help to have friends on this journey with me. My BFF Devon, my sister Bev, Sam, and Kelly and my dear blogging friend Lisa have been so supportive and working on this right along side me. They know the struggles that I face and their encouragement has made a world of difference this time too.

Ok, so down to business... I lost another 1.5lbs this week!! I was hoping for a little more, but I also know that this the best way to lost it and my body is working it all out. I am staying with the Wii fit and have added in my belly dancing video. I have asked Frank for a new workout video for Mother's Day, so we will see if I get that or not ;) I don't get on the treadmill as much since I am walking outside more. But working my abs, arms and butt a little bit more seem to be keeping my heart rate right up while I am circuit training!

So, that's where we are at! Making changes and accepting them and loving being active outside!

22.5lbs down and more to go but really enjoying this journey!