Because I Love Him

Here's an argument as old as time. Why on earth can't he shut his closet door, or dresser drawers, or put away his boots once he's done with them?

Or perhaps the question is, why does it bother me so? I mean, it's not like I am the fairy princess of tidiness. I guess it all depends on my mood on just how tidy I am. I've been in a tidy kind of mood lately though ever since I've taken on my 10-week challenge. Usually, if I'm being really good in one area of my life, I'm super good in the others too. Nevertheless, I do have a corner of junk on my side of the room at the moment. A leftover pile from all of our recent camping trips that I haven't quite gotten around to putting away. Okay, who am I kidding? I plan to leave it there until the next camping trip. What's the use in putting it away just to drag it back out? 

One little disclaimer about my picture below...it looks worse than it actually is, in my opinion. A big portion of the pile is the decorative pillows from our bed, and Jeff is the one who drug the stroller out of his truck to make room for our camping supplies. Okay, so yeah, it's a monstrous pile. I should do something about that...

So, I'm not exactly in the best place to complain about a door, or a drawer, or some boots. After all, he hasn't made one comment about my junk pile. Since I am digressing maybe its not the best time to bring up the fact that he also neglects to put his shirt and socks into the hamper when he goes to bed at night. His reason - what if he has to get up in the middle of the night and put them on? Am I being too harsh in thinking that this is faulty reasoning?

Finally, I digress.  The whole point is that little irritations like this are actually a great reminder of how lucky I am to have mybest friend alongside me everyday. Even if I have to straighten up behind him every now and again, I love my guy!

My Storybook Christmas (Throwback from 2011)

It was a Friday morning. Well, it seemed more like Thursday night, because the sun was still a few hours away from showing its splendor. I had just worked over 40 hours in 4 short days, in preparation for my impending vacation. To top it off, I was definitely coming down with something, which made the 10+ hour workdays that week much more difficult to bear. So, needless to say, I was in serious need of some time away! Add to that, the stress of getting the family packed for 8 days away, and ensuring Christmas presents went out to all of the places they needed to go to. Taking the show on the road for Christmas is no doubt a stressful feat!

So, we arrived at the airport on time after making a pit stop at the store for some last minute necessities. We talked Colten into putting on a pull-up under his “big boys,” as he likes to call them, so that if any accidents did take place over the long journey, they would be easy to clean up. I was so proud of him that even though he had a trusty pull-up on, and even though we were traveling for over 12 hours, he didn’t have one accident! Not to mention, what a well behaved little boy he was!

I had several moments that day, in which I just had to stop and pay notice to how truly blessed I was…blessed to be going on vacation with my two favorite people, blessed to have a husband that is such a great father, and blessed to have a son that is the light of my life. It is times like these that just make me stop and awe at the fact that the three of us are a family. It seems to be something that I somehow take for granted a lot of the time. I guess the sheer magnitude of it escapes me from time to time. Despite the great times we had, the wonderful people we saw and met, and the beautiful places we visited, the single greatest part of our vacation was having that time to spend together as a family.

 

We departed from Pensacola, heading to Providence, via Atlanta, which was the cheapest option in fares. However, we ended up having a dreadful 4-hour layover in Atlanta, which is why our overall trip time was so long. Colten had been flying on an airplane several times prior to this, but this was his first trip to have his own designated seat. Such a big boy! We were prepared with many options for in-flight entertainment, some high tech, some old fashioned. The important thing is that we were able to keep him engaged and therefore he behaved for the most part. The long layover in Atlanta wasn’t as bad as we were expecting either. Colten made fast friends with one of the ladies that drove the golf carts from one end of the terminal to the other. She offered to give us a ride, which was likely the highlight of Colten’s day. He was such a little ham and drew the attention of most of the people situated around us, who were giving Colten adoring looks. I was thankful for this, because I try my best to keep from disturbing people, which is sometimes very hard to do with a toddler. So, if he was at all being loud and obnoxious, they at least thought he was cute in doing so.

My favorite Colten story of the day, however, took place on the tar mac in Providence at the end of our flight. While we were awaiting the cabin doors to be opened and the people in front of us to clear out, Colten was getting restless and kept grabbing at the seat in front of him trying to get a peek at the people up there. When Jeff told him that he shouldn’t grab that man’s seat or he might get upset at him, Colten responded by asking, “Why? Is he going to take his belt off?” To this, everyone within earshot began laughing.

Once we made our way out of the secure terminal area in Providence, we were quickly greeted by Jeff’s Aunt Carol and Uncle Dave. As I mentioned before, this was my first time to meet them. Their warm greeting immediately made me feel comfortable and welcomed, not at all like an awkward first meeting. It was reminiscent of many airport greetings I have experienced in all of the years that I have lived far and away from my loved ones. There is almost nothing better than an enthusiastic greeting at the airport after a trip. Granted, some of its grandiose has been stolen away due to Post-9/11 airport regulations.

I was excited at the fact that this was my first visit to both Rhode Island and Connecticut. Although, my picture of Rhode Island was a little more story book than it actually was thanks to Me, Myself and Irene. Additionally, it was getting dark, so I couldn’t immediately take in all of the scenery. Jeff’s Aunt and Uncle’s house was about a 45 minute drive from Providence. When we arrived, we were greeted by their two dogs, Molly and Buddy, a black lab and golden retriever.  Colten fell in love with Buddy almost immediately. Not too long after we arrived, I went in the living room to find Colten asleep on the rug alongside Buddy. It was precious. 

The house was just as warm and inviting as Jeff had described it to be. I could already tell that this was going to be one of those picturesque Christmases that you read about in books…a beautiful, cozy New England house in the Connecticut countryside, family coming in for the week from their respective homes, with no obligations but to celebrate and spend time together.

Jeff’s cousin, Michelle, came in the next day (Christmas Eve) with her family from New Hampshire. She and her husband also have two children and two dogs that they brought along. So, by this time we had 6 adults 3 children and 4 dogs. Snug. But not cramped. I was happy to finally meet Michelle. We were fast friends, and it felt like we had known each other for a long time. I love how family is family. Whether you have just met, or known each other your whole lives, you feel connected just the same. Unfortunately, I was also starting to feel much worse by this time. I assume the plane ride helped whatever bug I had along. I tried my best to not let my sickness get in my way though.

Christmas morning was just as story-book as I had hoped it would be. The children awoke to stockings above the fireplace and many presents under the tree - the most substantial gifts were left there, unwrapped from Santa Clause. And even though Jeff and I had neglected to buy things to fill our stockings, Santa Clause had filled them too. Thanks again, “Santa.” We enjoyed watching everyone open their gifts and watching the kids play with their favorite new toys. The majority of the day was spent in our pajamas, like it should be. We had tasty delights and an all-around picture perfect holiday. Later that day, Jeff’s cousin Mark and his family and two dogs also came for the night. This brought the tally to 8 adults, 4 children, and 6 dogs. It only verged on cramped, but still cozy. There were two bathrooms but only one shower, so we had to plan showers carefully. Christmas night, we had a wonderful feast, which was the norm for every night we were there. Jeff has often bragged about his Aunt Carol’s cooking and I definitely see why.

[Side note: this is where I left off in my journal so now I am going from memory to finish describing our trip. Keep in mind, this is now 2 ½ years later…ugh! I really wish I would’ve finished this then, because it is such a nice memory to relive.]

In the following days we visited Jeff’s mom and step dad at their place, or as Colten calls them, Grammy Pammy and Papa Leo. The highlight of this trip for Colten, even more so than the presents, was Papa Leo’s dump truck. He just lit up at seeing that thing close up. Colten, at this age (3 years old) was obsessed with trucks. So this was very exciting for him. He still talks about Papa Leo’s truck two years later!

 

We later went for a visit at Aunt Cindy’s house. (Cindy is Grammy Pammy’s sister.) I got to meet even more of Jeff’s family, including his cousins, Kelly and Chrissy. I loved to hear their stories of Jeff as a boy. It was such a nice time, and once again I was taken aback by how much I felt right at home and like family there. I also really enjoyed seeing a new side of Jeff as I took in how he interacted with his family.  His cousin Sharon, who couldn’t be there that night, had taken family portraits of us earlier on that week. The portraits were a present from Grammy Pammy. Sadly, these are the only official family portraits we have ever taken to this day. This has something to do with the fact that neither Jeff nor I love to have our pictures taken. But Sharon was so nice and she did such a fantastic job, she made it a great experience!

 

Unfortunately, my health further degraded throughout our trip. Enough so, that we visited an Urgent Care clinic. In the same fashion that keeps me from going to the doctor whenever I am sick, they told me it was likely viral and that I had to ride it out, but gave me antibiotics just in case I didn’t get better soon. Some help that was! This was the day that Jeff and I decided to go into Boston; something that I was really looking forward to since I had heard such wonderful things about the city. We left Colten at home with Aunt Carol and Uncle Dave and headed out. But the urgent care clinic took up a big part of the day and we almost decided not to go. We ended up stopping in Braintree and went to the mall…big waste. This only added to the walking we did that day and I was wearing uncomfortable shoes. We took the T into downtown and let me tell you, by this time I was miserable. It was exceptionally cold, my feet hurt, and my whole body was achy from what I can only surmise was the flu. Jeff and I stumbled about aimlessly with no real plans and I tried not to be miserable. It was a big fail. We ended up leaving, both frustrated that we didn’t have a good time at all. To make matters worse, a day or so later Mark and Michelle went into Boston and returned with stories of a wonderful, fun filled trip. The trip I wish I had. Next time, we’ll have a plan, I will dress appropriately, and preferably I won’t be sick! The big plus to the day, however, was when we came home and saw what all the gang had been up to. It looks like Colten had bundles of fun. Hey, at least one of us did!

 

Later in the week, in a bid to take in some of the New England scenery, Jeff, Colten and I took a trip to Mystic, Connecticut. This town was the setting for the film Mystic Pizza. I was still feeling crummy, but a little better. This turned out to be a great day, full of great memories. We took in the sights of the town and the Seaport and had brunch at a place called the Tiny Diney. We then went to the Mystic Aquarium and even though it was freezing, had a great time. The whole day was just great family time.  

 

We also had the chance to visit with Jeff’s grandmother and grandfather during our trip. Theirs is a story for another post. Let me just tell you, they are some of the sweetest people and they have a love that is so precious. I can tell why Jeff loves and respects them so much! 

When it came time to leave, I was truly sad. I can’t even explain to you how enlightening, relaxing, and enjoyable my trip was. And to think, I was sick the whole time and still wouldn’t trade it for anything! I so fell in love with Jeff’s family…my family. I can vividly remember the feeling I had when Aunt Carol and Uncle Dave dropped us off at the airport that day…sad and forlorn, but so glad to have had the experience.


Aunt Carol and Uncle Dave w/ Colten



 

Bookmark!

In my last post I mentioned that I was questioning my blog and trying to take stock of what its purpose is. It has been a thought brewing in my mind and I have had some realizations since then.

In my very first post, An Ode to Missie, she left me a comment that I recently revisited and it means even more to me now. She said, " there will be times you write every day and then a few months might go by without anything, but the fact that you now have established a place-you'll always have somewhere, a bookmark for the past and future.”

So I’ve decided that’s what my blog is – a bookmark! I’ve been revisiting some of those bookmarks and reliving them through my words. I have to tell you, it’s kind of a special thing. It’s especially nice to revisit those posts where I talk about my son. It made me realize that I haven’t posted about him in a while. I also realized that a very common subject thread for me from the very beginning was about school. And then it dawned on me that a very big event in my life went by and I didn’t blog about it once. I graduated!

So, I’ve decided to revisit some of my favorite memories and events and talk about them while they are still semi-fresh in my mind, so that I will have a bookmark for them too. I even have a few blogs that I started and never finished. I’m thinking that I may resurrect them as well.

A little of this, a little of that, a sprinkling of now, a dash of then, some comments on my fitness aspirations, discussions about my professional aspirations, some rants, some opining, some standing on soap boxes, perhaps a little food talk, hopefully more pictures, and just a bookmark for what’s happening in my life.

There. It's settled.

What It Is

I’ve spent some time thinking about my blog lately. I actually started by thinking of what I want it to be, but then I thought better of it. Instead, I decided that I would take stock in what my blog is. I’m afraid that there is no identity to my blog, which is actually perfectly fine. I want it to be true to who I am and what my journey is at the moment, which is why it is understandable for it to be all over the place at times. The trouble is that I find myself aimlessly reaching for something, but I’m not sure what.

So, here’s my assessment...

What is my targeted audience? Good question. Really, it’s just me. I actually struggle with this. I like to treat my blog as a diary of sorts, a place to catalog my thoughts and some of the meaningful or plain random things that happen in my life. So, as long as it’s there for me to revisit in the future, I’m happy to be the only reader. However, sometimes I find that my blog is lonely and I’d really like to know that at least one other person is reading it.

What is the nature of my blog? The way I see it, there are a few main categories of blogs that are for personal use (not business.) There’s the family blog, the fitness blog, the personal journey blog, the foodie blog, the personal travels blog, the fashion blog, and the list goes on. On any given day, I feel like my blog could fit into any of those categories. So the question is do I need to categorize it? Could I just let it be what it will be?

I think probably the less I analyze it, the more it will be what I want it to be – just a reflection of me.

Hello Tomorrow

Oh what a difference a day and a little bit of chocolate can make. Ok, let me start by saying I think I’ve been a little hard on myself. I guess I haven’t been giving myself enough credit for all of the changes I have made. Instead, I’ve been focusing on all the things I haven’t done.

So, let me try to correct that: I have lost 8.5 pounds, my pants fit better, I haven’t eaten perfect but I haven’t totally blown it either. I haven’t eaten a single candy bar or drank a single coke. Which is why, this delectable little snack has felt like the greatest indulgence. It’s a treat without having to be too much of a cheat. The little changes are where it’s at! I didn’t gain XX pounds overnight (yeah, still too early to divulge that info) and I sure as heck won’t be able to lose it overnight.

So, the exciting news of the day is that Nicolas Cage is filming a movie right outside of my office, car chase scenes and all! Now, who could get work done with all of that excitement going on out there? Well, not me.

 

These are some photos taken from our balcony...

Life Whirls Around

Today, I feel as if the world is whirling around me and I am just a thoughtless observer. I don’t mean that to sound as depressing as it does, but I am a bit introspective today after my rough weekend. There were some tumultuous times and some unkind words said. I guess that’s about as much as I will rehash it here; just some cryptic words. The tough times make us stronger, right? I choose to believe so, at least based on my experiences.

So, yesterday was our weekly WW meeting at work. I am now down 8.2 pounds, but it totally doesn’t feel like it. I think I just need to keep on keeping on and just fake it until I make it. I still haven’t gotten to the gym or went for a good run. I just keep eating better and not as much, but certainly not perfect. It’s enough for now, but I will hit a big wall if I don’t start stepping it up. Trouble is, that I’m still really lacking in that motivation department right now. Where do you go to find motivation when you have none?

Itching To Get On With It

Somewhere somehow, within the course of this last weekend I got attacked by bugs. Not sure which kind, but I think it may be fleas. I honestly don’t know where though. I started to freak thinking they may be in my house (since we do have a dog) but neither Jeff nor Colten have a single bite on them and I have seen no other evidence of fleas there. Ugh! I would say I have a couple dozen bites on my lower legs and feet, from the knees down. They are itching so bad it is driving me crazy! For the past two nights they have kept me up itching.  So, if someone reads this soon, please give me your best remedy for easing the itching. I’ve tried several different brands and types of anti-itch cream/gel but they barely dull the itching. Today I resorted to wearing pants and boots to work so I wouldn’t be tempted to itch all day.

In other news, I am one week and change into my 10-week challenge. I haven’t quite hit the ground running, but I’ve made some changes and have had some progress so far. In our Weight Watchers (WW) at work meeting yesterday I weighed in 4.4 pounds lighter. So that’s a start. I was really bad all weekend though and paid no attention to points or calories. On Saturday, I would say that I had a full day’s worth of points/calories in just Sangria alone. And that doesn’t even take into consideration the other junk that I ingested that day. I also didn’t get to the gym at all this past week. I’m trying to finish up on a project at work, so I’m hoping that once that is over with I can get into a better routine. In the meantime, I’m staying on the eating plan at least.

So, here are my thoughts on WW. I said before that I wasn’t a big fan of the program, and I would say that I’m still not. However, I have enjoyed the support and camaraderie that has come with taking part in this alongside some of the people that I work with. So, I will stick with it.

I guess my frustration really boils down to the fact that I just don’t like that darn point system. I think it is a good idea in theory and probably an improvement on simply counting calories, but I feel like it makes it all too complicated. They keep that formula shrouded in secrecy too. I mean, I understand that they need to make money. They aren’t in this to simply help people. But come on! Make it easier to be able to find points for things! You shouldn’t have to pay all this money for WW and then have to pay more money to figure out how many points something is. They say it gets easier to eyeball things and know how many points they are as time goes on. Guess what?! I can look at a darn package and know for sure how many calories there are every time.

Okay, I’ll step off my soap box now. With all of these grievances piling up, this is where the engineer in me kicks in. So, I devised a way to do WW by tracking calories/nutrition as I normally do without having to spend much more time doing it.

From the very beginning, I was no convert. I did try see how many points I was eating, but I was also keeping up with my calories on my beloved Lose It! app. I tried the WW app. It stunk! I felt I was getting a different answer every time. I want a definitive way to know how many points are in my food. I wanted that dang formula. So, I googled. I found one that was right on. I also found that my Lose It! app will export all the calorie and nutrition information to a spreadsheet. I plugged the formula in the spreadsheet, created a macro so that I don’t have to format it every time, and viola, I have a calorie/nutrition to points calculator. Problem solved.

Now, I just need to stick by my plan.

I'm pretty sure it starts with a good night's sleep...

I am blogging from my iPhone. That's a new one for me. Lets hope I don't have any autocorrect embarrassments on here then.

So, it is precisely 11:27 pm. Or, in other words, way past my bed time! I'd say I'm having a hard time sleeping because I'm feverishly thinking about all the things I need/want to accomplish this next week. Work is usually a good portion of my stress, but right now I think it's mostly about the start of turning over a new leaf tomorrow, i.e. the beginning of my 10 week challenge. I'm pretty sure that my not-sleeping has something to do with me wanting to drag my feet on all of this. But I'm also pretty busy trying to convince myself that now's the time!

This little inspirational mantra is my motivation of choice right now...

Pinterest is full of little motivational nuggets like this. So now I just need to turn all of these good thoughts into good actions. However, I'm sure the best way to do that is to GET TO SLEEP!

Tomorrow's full of great possibilities!

Night!