A Hearty Overflow

Tigers

2012-02-12T17:11:00.001-05:00

If you are tired of looking at pictures of animals feel free to just click out now. I have more pics I'll be posting over the next few days. I can't help it. I went to two different zoos in one week. And I love animals... at least the ones at the zoo. You'll never catch me owning a pet. :)

Tigers have always been one of my favorite animals. I have no idea why. Maybe because they are just so gorgeous? Who knows. But I'm loving that our zoo currently has four tigers! And since we hung out with the tigers forever while Liza played hide and seek with one, I took a gazillion pictures. So here are some more...

(Hey Lindsey... these next two are for Brayden!)

(Too bad the glass was so nasty.)

The kids want a book about tigers now. Guess I should get working on that since I just got more free photo books from artscow.com.

Sunday Song: What Can I Do

2012-02-12T08:44:00.001-05:00

Things are a bit blah for me right now. Life is messy and tough. But my heart... my heart is moving into a really good place. No matter what happens God is still God and God is still good. He is my answer. For everything. No matter what happens I will live for Him who gave His life for me.

Everything I do... a hallelujah.

WHAT CAN I DO BY PAUL BALOCHE

My Country Song

2012-02-11T16:20:00.000-05:00

I hurt ma back.
My phone don't werk.
The warshing machine is leakin'.

Ok. So maybe it's a little more redneck then country... but pretty sure most rednecks are pretty much country so let's just go with it ok.

Anyways... it's all true.

I have no idea how I hurt my back. It's my lower back. Just on the left. It's not awful but it's enough. Enough to keep me from exercising and just resting it so it gets better and I can get back to exercising. Kind of bummed about missing the exercise because the scale is actually moving steadily in the desired direction.

My phone. We are from the cave man era and still use a landline. We do have one cell but pretty much Mike just uses it to call me from work. (I hate cell phones.) On our landline we started having problems a while ago. There are two numbers that we are not able to call. Those two numbers happen to be the only two numbers we actually call often... my parents and Mike's parents. I was joking with my mom that this might have actually been a good thing about fifteen years ago. :) But now... I need to be able to call them from the phone I pay for! Geez. Mike called the phone company and they said they worked it out but the last time I called my mom it rang fifteen times on my end before ringing once on hers. Not fixed in my opinion.

And then there is the washing machine. I just spent a lot of time soaking up water off the floor. It seems to continue adding water after it is full. boo. I have sooo much laundry that needs done! And I don't need a broken washer.

It's cold. The sun isn't shining. Mike worked last night, is working now until late tonight and he works all day tomorrow. One of these days he will have a job with hours that I don't have to hate.

My life just feels really messy right now. And I thought I would share it because someone thought I gave the impression that I have it all together. Oh wait. I already mentioned that in a previous post.

I hope none of you ever think that I have the perfect life. I've had a lot of people in the past say things like "I wish I was more like you" or "I wish I had a life like yours" but trust me... you don't. It's just as hard being me as it is being you.

And that's my pity party. If you've read this far thanks for letting me complain.

Now I'm going to go snuggle with my babies under some warm, soft blankets and watch movies all night... after I clean my incredibly dirty house.

Liza Plays With Tigers

2012-02-11T08:24:00.002-05:00

I love going to the zoo! And Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium is a great one! We went again yesterday because it's been a while since the kids have been there and we needed something to do. It was a really cold day but that doesn't matter to us! Cold and early in the day make for an empty zoo. :) There was only one other car in the parking lot when we got there and only ten when we left. PERFECT!!!

Two days ago a baby gorilla was born. We weren't able to see it because it was tucked in a corner out of view. If we had seen that I am sure it would have been our favorite animal of the day but since we didn't... the tigers were definitely our favorite. (I'll be going back to see that gorilla soon for sure!)

We always see the tigers on the way in and the way out. Yesterday when we arrived all four tigers were out. Three of them were right next to a viewing window so we headed there and as we went the fourth tiger made it's way to the window too.

We stayed at the window for a while and eventually realized that two of them were watching no one but Liza.

Liza started moving around and they would follow her and then it turned into a bit of hide and seek.

Liza would run behind this bamboo wall and the one tiger would always go as well. I'm sure it was watching her pink through the small spaces.

Then Liza would run to the window and the tiger would follow.

At this point Liza would giggle as she jumped and ran across the window. The tiger was jumping and pawing at her all the way.

Then Liza would make her way back behind the wall and do it all over again... and again... and again. Pretty sure we did this for about twenty minutes. A few people came by and watched and giggled. At one point a small class group came by and the tiger wouldn't pay attention to anyone but Liza so she just kept going and showed them all how fun the tiger was.

Liza and the tiger were becoming friends. (At least in Liza's mind. I'm sure the tiger wanted to eat her up.)

The tiger was all about Liza! And Liza was all about the tiger!! We eventually moved along to see some other animals but stopped by again on our way out. The tigers weren't by the window when we got there but as soon as they saw Liza two of them made their way over and Liza started playing again. At one point I decided to see if we could get a pic with the tiger. I gave Mike the camera and then Jason and I sat at the window. The tiger just paced back and forth and wasn't cooperating. Eventually I decided it would only work if Liza was in the picture too so I got her to sit with me and as soon as I got her on the ledge this is what happened...

Liza loves the animals so much! She always makes a friend. She has now high fived a polar bear, orangutan, gorilla and a tiger. (All through glass of course.)

I think Liza should grow up to work with animals... cool animals like the ones in a zoo.

Baby Animals

2012-02-09T17:46:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite things about going to the zoo is seeing the babies!! Baby animals are pretty much the cutest things EVER! And Tampa's zoo did not disappoint!

You guys!! BABY RHINOS!!!

This first one was a white rhino and baby is two months old. ADORABLE!! I could have watched it all day long.

This next rhino is the Great Indian Rhino. This baby is about seven months old.

Can I have a baby rhino? Pleeasssse!?!?!

And while we are at it can I have a baby orangutan too? Because they are always so awesome.

Some other baby monkeys...

I seriously love the baby animals sooo much!

I was reading some updates on the Pittsburgh Zoo and I think we will be heading there tomorrow. Apparently since we have last been there they've brought in some new animals. Although not all of them may be out yet because they are going through the whole transition process. (Like three elephants that were rescued from somewhere far away.) But we have a new female polar bear and the goal is that she and the male will mate and have little baby polar bears!

Pittsburgh Zoo also has four new lions which makes me happy because the male lion died a year or two ago leaving the female all alone. But not anymore. :)

But something that the Tampa Zoo has that Pittsburgh will never have are manatees. Manatees are just so super cute! And they do a lot of rescuing them and rehabilitating them and releasing them back into the wild.

Hooray for zoos!

Some Days Are Harder Than Others

2012-02-09T15:13:00.000-05:00

I mentioned before that I had some tests run. I'm trying to figure out what is causing the constant tiredness. The "blah" that seems to always be there. I'm tired of trying to fight it off and just want to know what's going on.

No call from the doc after the blood work which means the tests for thyroid, b12 and anemia all came back normal. Mike watched me sleep for a while and nothing seems to be off there. That leaves one other thing that the doctor mentioned...

Depression.

Ugh! I hate the thought of it but it actually makes sense... even though I don't want it to. I don't want that "disease".

Disease = dis ease. :(

Gosh... this is turning in to quite the depressing post haha. Sorry about that! But seriously... I don't want to live life depressed. That is not the best life. Doc says he could get me on medication and I would be feeling awesome again in no time. No thanks. I'm not that far off yet. It's definitely manageable. And I'm going to trust Jesus. (I am not against medicating for depression. Just so ya know. Just talking about me and my choices for now.)

John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

I want a full life.

I can not let depression win. I will NOT let it win.

But some days are harder than others.

Today I woke up and even though nothing was "wrong" I just didn't want to do today. I wanted to stay in bed. Sleep. Read a book. Ignore every thing and every one. I didn't want to have to deal with my kids. I didn't want to have to eat well. I didn't want to DO anything. But sleep. And escape to somewhere other than my own life... even though it's good.

And that is how it just is for me some days.

But what I WANTED to do is not what I did. Instead, I chose to do what I NEEDED to do. I got up. I faced the day. I ate a good breakfast and then I did some exercise. Did I feel great when I was done? Nope. I still felt quite blah and still do. But I didn't hide. I didn't escape. And that's a step in the right direction.

I ate a good lunch. Read a good book (Made to Crave... not some novel to escape with). And now I am sharing my struggles. (Believe it or not I was accused of appearing to have it all together recently. Riiiiight.)

Every decision for me today is a hard one. A struggle. I have no motivation. It would be so easy to go hide in a hole and not come out until tomorrow. Those things that call my name are constant... like that bad-for-me food. Bottom Dollar Foods opened today and since Mike was one of the first so many customers he got a free bag of food... pre-selected of course. In it was everything that I am currently avoiding... chips, more chips, cookies, white bread (which actually makes me feel gross thinking about it these days), syrup, pop, graham crackers. Yeah. Sitting in my house on a day that this comfort eater is feeling down. Not good! I was feeling snacky not too long ago and yelled "MIKE! GET THAT FOOD OUT THE HOUSE RIGHT NOW!"

Thankfully I have an awesome husband that knows my struggles and even though he may not understand them in that moment he made a decision that was completely for me and me only. Because he still eats that stuff. He likes that stuff. But he got it out of the house immediately.

Saying no to that junk that gives me "comfort" for a moment was incredibly hard. But I'm not believing the lie anymore. Food won't ever make me feel whole and complete. Only God can do that.

And those baby carrots were much better for me anyways. :)

So yeah... some days are definitely harder than others.

But the feeling of victory is always worth the hard fight through the struggles.

Today might be a hard day... but depression will not beat me.

Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo

2012-02-08T20:51:00.001-05:00

My sisters and I wanted to do something on my last day in Florida and we had my two nieces along with us so we needed something kid friendly. We decided to visit the Lowry Park Zoo.

It's the second time I've been to the Tampa Zoo and I have to say... It's a nice one. But I like Pittsburgh's setup much better... and Pittsburgh let's you take your own food and drinks into the zoo. Other than that though... no complaints about Tampa's zoo!

I actually liked that many of the animals weren't closed in by glass so I could see them better... because looking through smudged up glass isn't very fun. And there were also plenty of animals that we don't have up here. Hooray for variety!

Bald Eagle

Clouded Leopard (gorgeous!)

We were able to get up close and personal with the giraffe. I paid $3 for one leaf of romaine lettuce so my nieces could feed it. It was worth it.

Meerkats

And my nieces...

Rayna

and Kyla

There were also lots of super cute baby animals at the Lowry Park Zoo. I'll try to get those posted soon. I want a baby rhino!

Anna Maria Island

2012-02-05T22:03:00.000-05:00

Whenever I come to Florida I make sure to get to the beach at least one day. I know one day may not seem like much but my sisters live an hour from any beach so it's a trip. But we always make it. :)

They like to take me to Anna Maria Island because the beaches are really nice and they aren't as crowded because they aren't commercial. I love it! I could honestly spend my entire time here on the beach. Me and the sun, sand and water were made for each other!

My sister Lisa took me on Saturday (Linda had plans) and this was my view for the day...

It was a really gorgeous day. Hot but not too hot. It felt great to put on a swimsuit and just relax on the beach. The water was pretty cold though. There were some crazies swimming... and 12 years ago that might have been me. But I didn't feel like being cold.

Of course I can't go to the beach and not step in at all so as we walked down the beach in the evening I walked in the water for a while.

The water was beautiful! Green/blue.

And just around sunset the clouds rolled in so we didn't really get much of a sunset. That's ok though because I was on the beach while everyone else was at home. :) It was such a calm, peaceful evening.

I could spend every night on the beach and never tire of the view. I wouldn't mind spending every day on the beach as well.

Thanks for taking me to Anna Maria Island Lisa!!

PS... it would be a beautiful place to vacation and there are plenty of rentals. Just google Anna Maria Island rentals. Prices aren't outrageous.

Tarpon Springs Part 2

2012-02-04T21:52:00.000-05:00

I think my favorite part of our time at Tarpon Springs was the boat touristy thing that we did. Often times they can be a bit boring but I loved this one!

(Waiting for the boat ride.)

The captain was a cute old guy and he had some jokes for us. He cracked me up and made me smile. He took us for a tour of the area and told us all about the fishing and sponge diving and explained some of the industry in the area. Then we cruised for a while and went to a small island that had tons of shells. We had a half hour there to just walk around and find some fun shells. I grabbed a ton. Liza and Jason will be pumped when I get home with a gazillion seashells for them. :)

(Windy boat ride!)

After our time on the island we headed back and spotted some dolphins along the way.

(Lisa got this good picture.)

It was just a fun, laid back outing. I loved it!!

I give Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks two thumbs up!

Tarpon Springs Part 1

2012-02-04T11:50:00.001-05:00

Linda had some things that she had to do on Friday so Lisa took me to Tarpon Springs. The big deal about Tarpon Springs is the sponge docks. Natural sponges EVERYWHERE.

We woke up early and headed out. It was about an hour drive so we packed our lunches and ate when we got there. Lunch under a palm tree. Lovely!

I packed a salad but forgot a fork. Not good. But I managed. I just wrapped up some cheese and tomatoes in a piece of lettuce and dipped it in some dressing.

Me with my imaginary fork... stupid pic but I like it because ummm... I have a shoulder muscle!!

After lunch we walked around and did some shopping. Lots of those silly little souvenir shops but there were some good ones mixed in. Lisa enjoyed the wine shop. I enjoyed the shop full of spices and teas. And I bought a few soaps. There were a couple of stores selling soaps... because you know... soap goes well with sponges which you could find in abundance in just about every shop.

We shopped. We took pictures. We enjoyed the perfect weather for a day like that.

Lots of fishing and diving for sponges goes on around this place. They said that people will be out on their boats for two or three weeks at a time. I can't even imagine! I think I would go crazy.

There are tons of Greek restaurants here but we didn't eat at any. (We stopped at Panera on the way home... I know I can eat well there. :)) In the middle of the day we went out on a boat tour thingy. I'll tell you about that in the next post so that this doesn't end up being a mile long.

The mmmmMelting Pot

2012-02-04T08:34:00.003-05:00

The other night me and my sisters went to The Melting Pot and we had such a great time!

I had never been to The Melting Pot before and oh man! It's an experience. Expensive... but I highly recommend that you try it at least once in your life!

We had the four course meal. It starts with cheese fondu.

The waiter comes and mixes up the cheese for you and you get apples, veggies and bread for dipping. As the waiter was mixing up the cheese he asks "So what brings you out tonight?" Linda answered "Our dad." Waiter says "Your dad?" So I explained... "These are my sisters and I am down here visiting and my dad was just so happy that all three of us were together that he called this morning and said 'I'm sending you some money. Go do something fun together.'"

And that's how we ended up at The Melting Pot.

The cheese was soooo GOOD! You guys! I just LOVE cheese. I ate so much cheese and then I would have liked to scrape the bowl but I didn't think I would look too good doing that. But I "mmmm-ed" my way through all the food we had to dip.

Next up was salads. YUM!

And then the main course came. We got to pick how we would like to cook our food. We went with "mojo". I have no idea what it was but it was good. You get a plate of raw meat and some kind of ravioli thing... chicken, gyro meat, steak, shrimp... you stick it with your skewer and put it in the pot and let it cook. You get veggies with this course too. And lots of dips and sauces.

It's a feast!

The last course is dessert. A big pot of chocolate fondu in the middle of the table. To dip we had brownies, red velvet cake, rice krispy treats, some puff things, marshmallows and strawberries and bananas. Don't worry... I only ate strawberries and bananas and passed on the desserts and chocolate. It looked good but I wasn't even really tempted. Kind of nice for a change!

Those strawberries were the best strawberries that I have ever had! Seriously!

We had such a great time out! The food was amazing, I laughed until I cried, and the waiter told me I was his favorite. It was a fun!

(Lisa on the left and Linda on the right.)

I give The Melting Pot two thumbs up!

THANKS FOR FUNDING OUR NIGHT OUT DAD!!!

Fitness Friday: A Few Observations

2012-02-03T06:05:00.000-05:00

I've been at this for a while now... if you consider a little over two months to be "a while". And I've made a few observations along the way. I'm going to share them with you.

1. Eating right takes more thinking than not caring about how you are eating. I no longer just grab a bag of chips or the box of crackers when I need a snack. Instead I have to THINK about it because those convenience things aren't in the house. I have to plan my meals to fit the way I am now eating. I have to hunt for recipes or figure out how to change the ones I currently have to make them better for me. BUT... I'm finding that by eating right I am staying full longer and don't need those snacks all the time.

2. Vacation is not an excuse. Just because I am in Florida this week doesn't mean that I can just toss out the new ways and go back to the old for a week. My body doesn't get the memo that it isn't supposed to count all those extra calories. And it IS possible to eat well on vacation. I ate well before I left and grabbed a salad at the airport. Sure that Sabaro's Pizza looked AMAZING and it wouldn't have been the worst decision I could have made but I decided to make the BETTER choice. I'm glad I did! And my first stop after my sisters picked me up from the airport was the grocery store so I could stock up on the foods I would need for the week. I'll stick with my plan through vacation.

3. Eating out doesn't go so well. I'm not splurging on sweets and the only reason I have drastically changed my diet is because I need to... not because of any medical condition or anything like that. So I had decided that my "splurges" would be eating out once in a while. (Because it is never very often.) Anyways... both times that I have done that I have had some "issues"... as in being constipated for two days. No thanks! Geez. I guess I'm going to have to be a bit more picky about my choices while eating out. (Except last night... first time at the Melting Pot and probably the last time because there isn't one near me.)

4. The hardest part of a good leg workout is using public bathrooms later in the day.

And that, my friends, is what I have been learning on this journey. What are you learning?

The Time I Cried "NOT FAIR!"

2012-01-31T17:08:00.000-05:00

I know that I can be a bit dramatic and over the top sometimes. I recently told Mike sometimes I just need a few minutes to freak out and then I can breath and think clearly.

Last night I had one of those little freak outs. And while I can now think more clearly about it the things that led up to it are still very real and still bothering me.

Before I go on let me just say that I blacked the names and pictures out because this is not about those people. I like those people a TON and I know that they care about me and meant well and intended to be encouraging. (If you are reading this please know and understand that this truly is not directed at you. I'm speaking very generally. I love you!)

This is about me. And the problem I have run into over and over again during my long life of 32 years.

Why am I expected to be different?

Why are the expectations that others have of me higher than the ones they have for themselves or others?

Why would it be such a disappointment if I quit something?

I often feel like I CAN'T quit. Because if I do I would let so many down. So many that are looking for me to keep going so that they too can keep going.

That's a heavy burden to carry.

Yet at the same time when I put a frustration like that out there not one person asks how I am doing, how they can pray for me, what's wrong. Nothing. (Who knows... maybe most people didn't even see it.) Maybe that's because they are thinking "Oh... there goes Laura again. Having one of her freak outs." And yes... maybe I am. But like I said at the beginning of this... the things behind the freak out are real, hard, hurtful, or stressful and it could be a gazillion other things that add up to the freak out.

People want me to be a leader. But let me tell you this... being a leader can be a very lonely place. Think of the leaders you have in your life. Now call them, send an encouraging email, drop them a note. DO SOMETHING to let them know how much you appreciate them. Let them know how they have impacted your life. How what they have done or shared has made you a better person. This will give them the strength to go on when they want to quit. It will remind them that every thing they are doing is worth it. The time. The effort. The sacrifices.

I'm not writing all of this so that you all can go write me a note. That's not the point.

But let me actually get back to the point...

I'm human too. Just a girl loving Jesus and trying to live a life centered on God. I need people just like everyone else does. I can't only be a support for others. I need others to be a support for me as well. Some days I don't want to be different. Some days I want to quit. And it's hard to feel like everyone else is allowed to but I'm not.

I know I'm kind of running all over the place here. And I know that some of these things may just be the way I THINK that others think of me. But somewhere along the way, somehow, I came to believe that I HAVE to be different. I HAVE to keep going even when no one else does... because if I don't then who will?

Who will go on when no one else will?

You?

If not you, then don't expect it of others.

That's just not fair.

Tired of Being Tired

2012-01-30T17:29:00.000-05:00

I am tired all. the. time.

I exercise. I eat well. I sleep 8-9 hours a night.

Yet I am still tired. I always feel like I am just dragging.

I got so tired of it that I decided to do something that I never ever do. I went to the doctor. Seriously... I don't go. In fact it has been so long since I have been to our doctor that I didn't know they moved. It was really fun showing up at the old place to realize they were no longer there and that I didn't have a cell phone. Thankfully there were other offices and I figured out the new address and still made it to my appointment on time.

I just want to know WHY I am tired all the time. I can't really start trying to fix it until I know the cause. I'm searching for the cause. I need to know.

I met with the doctor and he asked all kinds of questions. He told me that there isn't really any good evidence that shows that having enough of certain vitamins adds to energy so he didn't test for those. (Still not sure about that.) He did have me go for blood work to test my thyroid (he doesn't think that is it though), as well as vitamin B12 (because that is the only one that shows evidence of helping energy) and anemia.

I should know about those things tomorrow. If those are all normal and not the problem then we'll see if maybe it's either low-grade depression (which would make some sense) or sleep apnea.

I still hate going to the doctor. I have a horribly sensitive gag reflex and I thought I was going to gag while he was pressing on my neck to check my thyroid. That would have been embarrassing! And I hate needles and didn't really enjoy going to have blood drawn by myself. But at least it was quick... from the time I walked into the doc office to the time I walked out of the lab (which was conveniently located across the hall) it was a total of 45 minutes. Impressive!

I'll be waiting to hear about the results tomorrow. I'm really hoping that it is something easy. I just want to have a day where I don't feel tired.

But even if the news isn't great tomorrow at least I get to look forward to going to Florida on Wednesday!

Workout DVD Review: Banish Fat Boost Metabolism

2012-01-30T10:26:00.000-05:00

I recently got six new workout DVDs and the plan is to use them all and once I get a good feel for one I'll write a review and let you know what I think.

Today I did Banish Fat Boost Metabolism with Jillian Michaels.

This is a good cardio workout.

It runs in circuits. You will do five exercises and then repeat them before moving on to the next circuit. From warm up through the cool down the video lasts about 50 minutes.

And you guys! This workout is no joke. You will work and you will sweat and there are times that you might scream for a break... like during the jumping squats or plank twists. You will be glad when the workout is over.

There are some times where I think "This isn't quite enough" but it's the kind of workout where you tailor it to your own needs. If you want to work harder you just jump higher, move your arms faster and bigger or speed it up.

I love that this video is all aerobic. You need no equipment. (Unless you have a hard floor. In that case you will want a mat.) It's just you and the video. Working hard. It will be a great DVD to throw in my suitcase and take to Florida with me later this week.

The shocker for me was that I didn't hate Jillian when this was over. In the Shred she makes me want to punch her. She seems a little kinder in this one... while still pushing you.

The only thing I didn't like about this video was the music. It feels really busy, noisy and chaotic and that kind of drives me crazy and annoys me. But that aside... I'll be using this video plenty! Gives me a great mix in my workouts.

And for the days where you don't have time to do it all, or you need to give a certain muscle group a break you can just pick which of the seven circuits you would like to do.

I definitely recommend this video!

Have you ever done this video? What did you think?

Sunday Song: Savior

2012-01-29T11:00:00.003-05:00

Savior

I have seen with my own eyes
Your faithfulness O God
So I refuse to believe the lies
that war against my soul

You rescued me from all my fears
And loosed the chains of wasted years

You're my Savior, Restorer, Rebuilder, Rewarder,
My Refuge, Redeemer, Defender, My Healer, Savior

Now my heart is overwhelmed by all sufficient grace
For I have seen my weaknesses become Your perfect strength

You've rescued me from all my fears
And loosed the chains of wasted years

You're my Savior, Restorer, Rebuilder, Rewarder,
My Refuge, Redeemer, Defender, My Healer

You're my Savior, Restorer, Rebuilder, Rewarder,
My Refuge, Redeemer, Defender, My Healer, Savior

Behold the One who holds me in His hands
The God who comes and turns my mourning into dance

You're my Savior, Restorer, Rebuilder, Rewarder, My Refuge, Redeemer, Defender, My Healer
You're my Savior, Restorer, Rebuilder, Rewarder, My Refuge, Redeemer, Defender, My Healer
You're my Savior, Restorer, Rebuilder, Rewarder, My Refuge, Redeemer, Defender, My Healer, Savior

A Little History

2012-01-28T16:56:00.002-05:00

I know I've been talking about getting healthy a lot lately but that's a big focus for me at the moment so that's what I am going to be talking about. :)

I wanted to share a little bit of history so you know where I am coming from. Maybe you will relate with this. Maybe you won't. But maybe it will encourage someone else that is starting to waver with their resolve to stay on track.

I grew up active. Hours of running around the neighborhood, even in high school. Great games of tag, riding bikes, craziness. I also played sports up through high school. Soccer several seasons of the year. Softball in the summer. Track in the spring. I was an active girl.

I continued to be active in college. Intramural sports year round and hours spent at the gym because I had nothing better to do.

Then I finished college and got married. Life changed drastically. I was home a lot doing nothing. I didn't know anything about cooking so I used a lot of those hamburger helpers and things like that. (Which now makes me kind of want to gag haha.) Most of my food was processed and lacking in nutrients.

Over two years I put on 25 pounds and went up two pants sizes. I felt awful and was always tired. I was so out of shape. I was lacking confidence. I was unhappy with myself. I was unhealthy.

I decided to take charge and started reading books about eating right. The more I read the more I changed. (Knowledge is power.) We started eating much much better. I was moving a lot more. And I dropped one pound a week for 25 weeks straight.

It was during that time that I also quit eating sugar for the first time ever. I didn't have it for NINE MONTHS! I felt amazing!

And then I got pregnant. And I gave into my cravings. I remember ice cream being the first thing that I couldn't get out of my mind. I gave in and got some. And then I continued to indulge for nine months. I gained 50 pounds. I lost it all six months after Liza was born. I went back and forth between eating sugar and not eating sugar. I was still doing my best to eat right.

Then when Liza was eight months old I got pregnant again. And once again I indulged constantly and ended up gaining 50 pounds again. Ugh! It took me a year to lose it the second time and I've been a constant yo-yo ever since. Gain ten. Lose ten. Gain eight. Lost eight. Gain fifteen. And that's where I am now at.

But you see... somewhere along the way... between the sleepless nights and lack of convenience... I let some of my good eating habits slip. I never went back to those hamburger helpers but I wasn't making the best choices either.

You see... it's easy to be all pumped when you start out on a new plan for life. You get excited about it. You remember all the reasons you are no longer eating some things that you used to eat. But time goes on and you start to forget all those things you learned. You long for convenience. (Especially when you have a 17 month old and newborn... don't judge me for not sticking with my healthy eating plans!) You give in a little here and a little there and before you know it you are so far from the way things had been.

I could sit around and beat myself up and call myself stupid for slipping back into old habits and old ways of thinking about food. But that won't move me forward. Instead, I've set out to learn again. I'm reading books. I'm making changes. I'm teaching my children and encouraging my husband. This time we are all in it together. We often exercise as a family and we talk about the foods we are eating and why they are good choices.

Changes are happening. Knowledge is good. And it's easier this time because I already have a foundation. It's not all new.

Now I just need to stick with it!

I need to continue to learn. Continue to fill my mind with knowledge about healthy living. Continue to remind myself of the reasons I started on this journey.

This time it's for life!

Exercise

2012-01-27T10:19:00.000-05:00

Exercise.

I don't like doing it.

The hardest part is getting myself motivated at the right time of my day. I have small windows of opportunity and if I miss them it's just not going to happen at another time.

I don't think there is ever a time that I WANT to exercise.

But I know I need to. I know it's good for me. And I know that at the end of it I will be glad that I fit it in.

Lately I've been seeing progress. Those twenty minute workouts that I started with now seem easy and aren't quite long enough for me. Two months ago I could barely do one regular pushup. The other day I did fifteen without a rest. (GO ME!!) I don't enjoy the exercise... but I'm becoming addicted to the progress!

I may have only lost about three or four pounds (losing weight has always been an extremely slow process for me) but my legs don't feel so flabby. My clothes fit just a tiny bit nicer. My insides feel good. And I am stronger. I can do more today than I was able to do a week ago. And I will push myself today so I can do more in a week!

Progress.

It's what's keeping me motivated.

Small victories. (Wrote about that at Girl Talk today.) Every decision counts.

I don't like exercise but I like progress. And so I keep on going. I actually got six new workout videos in the mail yesterday (most Jillian Michaels hahaha... I torture myself) and I'm excited to try them out. I'll let you know what the good ones are.

I'm also working on a series that I will call "The Truth About Sugar". I've been reading a lot of books and I say it over and over again... knowledge is power. When I learn something that helps me and motivates me I like to share it. Hopefully I'll have that series ready in about a week or two. You are about to be educated! :)

How are you all doing with your journey to health?? Are you well on your way? Just starting out? Or not even thinking about it?

Source: believe-toachieve.tumblr.com via Laura on Pinterest

Nine

2012-01-25T18:38:00.000-05:00

We live in a world where people don't know what commitment means. A world where people give up at the slightest hint of trouble. A world where all that people seem to care about is themselves and what makes them feel good.

And that is why I consider myself a very lucky girl because somewhere in the mix I found a treasure. I found a guy who is committed and cares about things beyond himself.

Today Mike and I celebrate nine years of marriage.

For better or worse... Mike has loved me through all the messes of our life and he's not going anywhere. He's seen me at my worst and we've been pretty low together at times. But we worked at it. We worked hard!

Because it's worth it. HE'S worth it! And the simple fact that he is still with me tells me that I am worth it too.

Snow Fun!

2012-01-25T08:55:00.000-05:00

It's been a weird winter! Last year it snowed pretty much nonstop. This year it's like I'm begging for snow but it never comes.

Until this past weekend. We woke up one morning to about six inches of beautiful, white snow! Good thing we got the kids outside to play in it because it was pretty much gone two days later.

We bought the kids little kid-sized shovels and it was money well spent. Jason LOVES his! He always wants to shovel the driveway and when that doesn't need done he will just go around shoveling the yard.

And Liza... well she had spent the night at my in-laws and came home with a fun new hat.

I can't look at her wearing it without laughing. It's just too funny.

My kids are growing up and getting sooo BIG! I think that's why I love these last two pictures most...

Jason made a snow angle...

and when he sat up he was stuck and couldn't get up. He looked at his daddy and said "I need help getting up!" And when I look at this picture he still looks like my little boy.

I hope it snows some more this winter!

Baby Charlotte

2012-01-23T06:05:00.000-05:00

My friend just had a baby girl and asked me to do some photos. Let me just say that newborns are tough! I've been reading some blogs with tips on newborn photography the past two days because obviously the good newborn photographers know something I don't. I'm learning. It's a process.

But Charlotte... oh my! What a cute, sweet little girl!! Adorable!

PS... I'm totally jealous of photographers who live in areas where all the houses get nice natural light. It's just not happening much around here.

It's Not About Skinny

2012-01-21T08:10:00.000-05:00

I've been exercising and I've been eating well. I talk about it a lot so people know it's going on. But for me it's not about skinny.

Yes. I have some weight to lose. Yes I get excited when I do lose a pound. Yes there is a number that I have in mind that would be my healthy, ideal weight.

But it's not about skinny.

It's about HEALTHY.

Source: running-for-sanity.tumblr.com via Laura on Pinterest

There are plenty of skinny people that are far from healthy.

A while ago I posted this on FB in a moment of frustration...

"So... I searched 'healthy' on pinterest hoping to find some recipes and inspiration. I found a few of those things but also saw lots of pics of super skinny girls. The reality is that you can look great in a bikini and still be unhealthy. There is more to it than your weight and how you look on the outside."

Source: believe-toachieve.tumblr.com via Laura on Pinterest

For me this journey is not just about a number on the scale or the size of my pants. It's about being healthy. Feeling good. Being fit. Taking care of my body. Eating for the right reasons and eating the right things.

It's about understanding things like this and applying what I learn to my life...

Source: imbringinghealthyback.tumblr.com via Laura on Pinterest

You see... those other times skinny WAS my goal. And what happened once I reached my goal?? I let go of many of the things I had learned and embraced along the way. I've now learned from my mistake and I am changing my focus. I will focus on healthy. Skinny can be the bonus that comes along with it but it is not my goal.

Source: happilymaintaining.tumblr.com via Laura on Pinterest

I am making great changes and I am feeling really good about it. Changing habits and forming new ones when it comes to your health takes time, sacrifice and educating yourself. I'm doing those things. I'm tired of living the way I was. I'm tired of how I had been feeling about myself. I like the glimpses of healthy that I have had and it motivates me to keep going.

Source: believe-toachieve.tumblr.com via Laura on Pinterest

This is my journey and I have to do it my way. I found my way while praying and letting God speak to my heart about changes that I need to make. I hope you take the time to find your own journey and let God speak to your heart about changes you can make. I hope you make your focus healthy and not skinny. I hope you are successful.

Life Without Sugar

2012-01-20T08:56:00.000-05:00

Life without sugar isn't nearly as bad as one might think.

It's just getting to that point that is hard.

When I tell people that I don't eat sugar I often hear something along the lines of "Oh I could NEVER do that! I like it too much!" Truth is... I liked it too much too and that's why I need to go without it. I don't quit sugar because I don't like it that much. I don't quit sugar because it is easy for me. I don't quit sugar because I WANT to. I quit sugar because I HAVE to. Because I like it too much.

Did you know that the average American eats 150 pounds of sugar a YEAR?? YUCK!!

That means there are a ton of people eating way more than that because right now I'm not eating it.

Well... let's actually be truthful about this...

I am eating some.

Once in a while I have yogurt. Yogurt has sugar.
Once in a while I have ketchup. Ketchup has sugar.
I still use salad dressing. Salad dressing has sugar. (Although I plan to try making my own this week!)

(Read your labels... it's in everything!)

But mostly I am eating meats, fish, fruits and veggies.

YUM!

You guys! Once you get all the other crap out of the way you realize how good real food tastes!!

And I've noticed some changes as well...

1. The number on the scale continues to go down.
2. My stomach isn't constantly bloated anymore.
3. I'm *ahem* much more regular. (Hi!)
4. It's easier to eat less. And I stay full longer.
5. Even though I haven't lost a ton yet I FEEL skinny... my mind feels skinny. The other day I was walking into a store behind someone who was really thin (thinner than I will ever be) and in my mind I felt like she looked. I know that might sound weird but my body is changing from the inside out. I feel healthier. Way healthier!

And the most important thing... the cravings are going away! When I'm not having sugar I find myself not needing sugar and THAT is sooooo nice! Sure, I'll have days when it is hard but for the most part I feel like I am over the hardest part.

As the year goes on I plan to cut more and more things that have sugar listed in the ingredients. I want to find substitutes and better options.

I can do this! I can make it a year! And after that I'll just keep going. This is my life now. I'll never be one of those people that can indulge every now and then. It's just not going to happen. And I think I'm going to be ok with that because I LOVE how I feel when I'm not eating the stuff!!

Be healthy people!! It feels good!

Source: thinkfit.tumblr.com via Laura on Pinterest

I love winter! I hate winter.

2012-01-19T16:59:00.000-05:00

I really do like the winter. I can handle the cold temps as long as I have lots of warm blankets. (And I have lots of warm blankets!) I like snow. It's pretty. It's fun. You won't hear me complaining about the weather. Snow and winter just come with the territory. It snows in PA.

But I hate the winter too.

I get depressed. It's dark so often and I live in the woods which means even if the sun is shining I don't see much of it. And once I get in a funk it's really hard for me to get out of it.

I've been in a funk these past few weeks.

And I feel stuck.

I keep forcing myself to put things on the calendar and get out of the house. If I don't I'd just stay home all the time. Most days I would prefer to put on some cozy clothes, grab a warm blanket and crawl in a hole with a good fiction book.

Fiction books are a way of escape from reality for me.

Anyways, this happens to me every winter. (I'm sure I could get diagnosed with SAD- Seasonal Affective Disorder.) I don't like it but I don't know how to beat it.

So yeah... that's where I'm at right now.

Sorry to be a downer but I didn't want everyone thinking I didn't like them if I seemed distant and cranky. I'm working on it but it would help if you prayed for me too. Thanks guys!

Smoothies

2012-01-17T18:11:00.001-05:00

There aren't a lot of breakfast options for me right now. I'm not eating sugar so anything that needs syrup is out. I could eat some of those things without the syrup but I'm also avoiding simple carbs soooo. Most cereals are out. Fruit is good but on it's own it won't keep me full. I don't eat pork so breakfast meats are out. (I could do turkey sausage or bacon but I don't enjoy cooking, especially first thing in the morning.) I can handle eggs about once a week. (I had an experience with eggs while pregnant with Liza and have had a hard time eating them since.)

Oh... and I can't stand oatmeal. It's a texture thing.

I know breakfast is a really important meal so I can't skip it. Plus... if I skipped it I would just end up eating all the wrong things two or three hours into my day.

I needed some options.

And that is how I found some really yummy smoothies! I make one almost every morning and they are good and keep me filled up till lunchtime.

Here are the ones I have tried so far...

Source: thischickcooks.blogspot.com via Laura on Pinterest

(This one is nice and thick. Will be a great treat in the summer!)

Source: iowagirleats.com via Laura on Pinterest

(My kids drink this... loaded with spinach but you can not taste it. You will taste peanut butter and banana.)

Source: redheadrecipes.com via Laura on Pinterest

(This one was ok. Not nearly as good as I had hoped it would be.)

Source: pickyin.blogspot.com via Laura on Pinterest

(I made some changes to this one... I used frozen bananas and left out the ice cream, ice cubes and honey. It was yum!)

Source: confident-beautiful-motivated.tumblr.com via Laura on Pinterest

(Simple and thick! I had to add some milk to get it to blend but it was good! Might need one of these later tonight. :))

To get to the recipes just click the pic. If you are unfamiliar with pinterest all you need to do is click the pic that you see come up in the new page and it will take you to the recipe.

Do you have a good, healthy smoothie recipe?