My Lawnmower Hates Me

Ok so I decided I would write a blog because I am in an interesting and whatever mood right now and writing a blog seemed like a good thing to do.

The topic? MY FRICKING LAWNMOWER! I can't figure out why I can't get it to start! It's practically brand new and was only bought at the beginning of this summer. It's worked fine all summer (Until the string got caught, but that was an easy fix) and now I can't get it to start... granted, I'm not at all proficient with lawnmowers, as I have only used one once when I was 13 or 14 or something and my dad had to start it for me...

Maybe I just have too short of arms or something to be able to start a lawnmower? IDK but it's annoying! I just clipped about 2/3 of my front yard with HEDGE CLIPPERS. Why did I do this? Because the city of Killeen has fines they will give you if your lawn has weeds or grass over so many inches tall... I can understand why, but seriously, its annoying.

I'm not in a bad mood because of it, just sore... I think my fingers are a little bruised where you hold the little handle for the string and I know that I have some knots in my back... though it was one hell of an arm, shoulder and upper ab work out just trying to start the thing and a back and arm workout using hedge clippers on the lawn.

Meh, it's whatever. I'll finish up the bulk of the front yard tomorrow and hopefully Thursday I can get the lawnmower fixed.

Weight "Release": Meal Plan, Exercises, Etc.

FOODS TO EAT

PROTEINS

• Poultry
• Skinless Chicken Breast
• Skinless Turkey Breast
• Beef
• Lean Ground Beef (< 10% fat)
• Buffalo
• Round Steak
• Sirloin Steak
• Fish
• Tilapia
• Cod
• Haddock
• Tuna: canned, water packed and fresh
• Salmon: Canned, water packed and fresh
• Shellfish: crab, shrimp, lobster, clams, scallops
• Lean Ham
• Eggs, egg whites and egg substitutes (Like egg beaters)
• Skim milk
• Low-fat cheeses
• Non Fat Greek yogurt
• Low Fat or Fat Free Cottage Cheese

CARBOHYDRATES

• Potatoes (Red, white, yellow, blue, sweet)
• Squash (Spaghetti, acorn, pumpkin)
• Corn
• Brown Rice (Cooked without oil or butter)
• Whole grain pasta
• Oatmeal (NOT INSTANT)
• Other grains (Barley, couscous, quinoa)
• Beans (Black, pinto, kidney, chickpeas, etc)
• Fruits (apples, berries, oranges, pears, peaches, grapes, melons, etc)
• Nonfat Yogurt
• Whole Wheat Bread

VEGETABLES (add at least to 2 meals per day; portions not important)

• Asparagus
• Artichokes
• Bell Peppers (Any color)
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Cucumber
• Green Beans
• Mushrooms
• Onion
• Spinach
• Tomato
• Zucchini

IMPORTANCE OF WATER

• 16 oz with morning supplements
• 16 oz with a workout
• 16 oz with each meal (Breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner)
• An equivalent amount of water with every coffee or alcoholic beverage you consume (6 oz coffee = 6 oz water)

Buy a 64 oz plastic jug and fill it with water each day. Set reminders on your phone. Have a glass in front of you when you sit down to eat and don't leave the table until it's gone.

MEAL PLAN INFORMATION

B = Breakfast; S1 = Morning Snack; L = Lunch; S2 = Afternoon Snack; D = Dinner; S3 = Before Bed Snack; WTC = Water/Tea/Coffee

1 Serving Protein = Piece the size of your palm, 1/2-3/4 inch thick

1 Serving Carbohydrates = 1 Closed fist size

14 Day sample meal plan

SUNDAY

B = Meal Shake, WTC

S1 = Ham, egg & cheese muffin, WTC

L = Roast Beef & Horseradish Wrap, WTC

S2 = Peanut Butter Cup Shake, WTC

D = Basil-garlic stuffed chicken, brown rice, peas, Water

S3 = Protein Shake (Soy or Whey)

MONDAY

B = Meal Shake, WTC

S1 = Protein Oatmeal, WTC

L = Tuna Salad Wrap, WTC

S2 = Apple with Peanut Butter, WTC

D = Baked Pesto Chicken, Orzo, Broccoli, WTC

S3 = Protein Shake (Soy or Whey)

TUESDAY

B = Meal Shake, WTC

S1 = Ham, Egg & Cheese potato, WTC

L = BBQ Chicken Pita Pizza, WTC

S2 = Apple with String Cheese, WTC

D = Fish tacos, Guacamole, WTC

S3 = Protein Shake (Soy or Whey)

WEDNESDAY

B = Meal Shake, WTC

S1 = Eggs & Granola, WTC

L = Turkey/Ham Sandwich, WTC

S2 = (2) Double Chocolate Muffin (Or 1 Jumbo), WTC

D = Turkey Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Water

S3 = Protein Shake (Soy or Whey)

THURSDAY

B = Meal Shake, WTC

S1 = Greek Yogurt Parfait with Fruit & Granola, WTC

L = Greek Pita Pizza, WTC

S2 = High Protein Snack Bar, WTC

D = Chili-Rubbed Tilapia, Brown Rice, Steamed Asparagus, Water

S3 = Protein Shake (Soy or Whey)

FRIDAY

B = Meal Shake, WTC

S1 = Hard Boiled Eggs & Whole Wheat Toast, WTC

L = Turkey Burger, WTC

S2 = Chai-Protein Latte, WTC

D = Honey-Soy Salmon, Sweet Potato, Sauteed Spinach, Water

S3 = Protein Shake (Soy or Whey)

SATURDAY

FREE DAY!!!

SUNDAY

B = Meal Shake, WTC

S1 = Spinach Frittata with Toast, WTC

L = Tuna Salad with wheat thins, WTC

S2 = (2) Hard Boild Eggs, orange, WTC

D = Grilled Chicken Bruschetta, Whole Weat Orzo, Sauteed Zucchini, WTC

S3 = Protein Shake (Soy or Whey)

MONDAY

B = Meal Shake, WTC

S1 = Oat Bran Muffin, WTC

L = Salmon Salad Sandwich, WTC

S2 = Cottage Cheese & Tomatoes, WTC

D = Tex-Mex Casserole, WTC

S3 = Protein Shake (Soy or Whey)

TUESDAY

B = Meal Shake, WTC

S1 = Denver Omelette, WTC

L = Pizza Burger, WTC

S2 = Brownie Surprise, WTC

D = Stuffed Peppers, WTC

S3 = Protein Shake (Soy or Whey)

WEDNESDAY

B = Meal Shake, WTC

S1 = Mixed Berry Smoothie, WTC

L = Creamy Tarragon Chicken Salad, WTC

S2 = English Muffin Pizza, WTC

D = Sesame-Herb Crusted Mahi-Mahi, brown rice, spinach, WTC

S3 = Protein Shake (Soy or Whey)

THURSDAY

B = Meal Shake, WTC

S1 = Vanilla-Peanut Butter Smoothie, WTC

L = BBQ Chicken Sandwich, WTC

S2 = Chocolate Pudding, WTC

D = Chicken Enchiladas, WTC

S3 = Protein Shake (Soy or Whey)

FRIDAY

B = Meal Shake, WTC

S1 = Bagel with smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese, WTC

L = Cashew Chicken Salad, Light Dressing, WTC

S2 = Cheese Quesadilla, WTC

D = Flank Steak Pinwheels, Mashed Potatoes, Steamed Asparagus, WTC

S3 = Protein Shake (Soy or Whey)

SATURDAY

FREE DAY!!!

THE RELEASE EXERCISE PLAN

TIME TO MOVE IT

Exercise

1. Controls Weight - Burn Calories
2. Combats  adverse health conditions and diseases
1. Boosts HDL ("Good" Cholesterol) and decreases unhealthy triglycerides
2. Keeps your blood flowing smoothly, reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases
3. Helps or prevents stroke, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, depression, certain types of cancer, arthritis and falls.
3. Exercise Improves Mood
1. Stimulates brain chemicals that make you feel happier and more relaxed
2. Feel better about your appearance, which boosts your confidence and self-esteem
4. Boosts Energy
1. Improve Muscle strength and boosts endurance
2. Delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently
5. Promotes better sleep
1. Helps to fall asleep faster
2. Fall in to a deeper sleep
3. Don't exercise too close to bedtime though.
6. Puts the spark back in to your sex life
1. Leaves you energized and looking better, which may have a positive impact on sex life
2. Regular Physical Activity can lead to enhanced arousal for women
3. Men who exercise regularly have less problems with Erectile Dysfunction
7. It's FUN!
1. Chance to unwind, enjoy the outdoors or engage in activities that make you happy.
2. Can help you connect with friends and family
1. Dance class, hiking trails, fitness pact/accountability partner, etc.

• 6 Days/week: 3 cardio, 3 Strength
• Interval training
• Burns more calories and fat
• Increases Aerobic Fitness
• Saves Time
• Tackles Boredom

Benefits of Strength Training

• Add definition to muscles
• More fit and toned body
• Protects bone health and muscle mass
• Makes you stronger and fitter
• Helps develop better body mechanics (Balance, posture and coordination improves)
• Plays a role in disease prevention and alleviating the debilitating symptoms of some maladies
• Boosts energy levels and improves mood by elevating endorphins
• More calories burned!

ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER

An accountability partner is a person who you trust to be straightforward and honest with you, who will help you keep on track and make sure you're committing to the lifestyle changes. This person will help motivate you and encourage you to keep moving forward. They will be your support.

You can create an accountability contract with them. For example, make these lifestyle changes, then have a "punishment" that happens if you fall off track. Your accountability partner will be the one to push you. It helps if you're both trying to keep each other accountable.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO myreleaseplan.com

Weight "Release"

So, a good friend of mine introduced me to a "Weight Release" book, which I have found to be very insightful. I figured I'd share the notes I took on it (They start out not very detailed and then get more detailed, so for a full recap, get the book:  "Release: The Simple Success Solution for Real and Permanent Weight Loss" by Deb Cheslow and Angie Flynn )

I finished the book and wanted to share the information that i got from it. There's a lot of information, so bear with me. I think that, however, this could help a lot of people, especially those who have struggled to lose weight like I have. Also, the reason it's called weight "release" is because once you get rid of the weight, you don't want it back! So you "release" it instead of "lose" it.

The book starts off by explaining itself and whatnot. Eventually, you'll get to an exercise. The point is to be as detailed as you can about the questions that it asks so you can better paint the image you want of yourself. It should be easy for others to see how you're picturing yourself by reading it.

Here are the questions:

1. Why do you want to release weight?
2. In what ways will your life be different when you have reached your ideal weight?
3. 3 Wishes - What do you dare to dream about your weight release if you are guaranteed not to fail?
4. What one thing are you looking forward to most when you reach your ideal weight?
5. What have you always wanted to do, but were afraid to try?
6. Assume for a moment that money is no object and you are at your perfect weight. What does your perfect wardrobe look like?
7. Who do you want to be - How do you want to see yourself?
8. What are your talents and how are you using them? How do you want to use them?
9. What would make you jump out of bed every morning, excited about the day ahead?

After you answer these questions in as great of detail as you can, the book then moves on to "Imagineering". In this exercise, you write as if you've already met your goal. You talk about how you feel, what you love about it and whatnot. You'll start out the sentence as "I am so happy and grateful now that..." and finish that off. The more detail, the better!

Next, you write down 3 habits that are holding you back. The book gives some examples of this (Such as not enough water, excuses, etc). What is holding YOU back from achieving your weight "release" goals?

Write down 3 ways you can turn things in a more positive direction. For example, one of my problems is saying "I can't" so instead of that, I'll try and do one thing that will lead me in the right direction.

Their "Diet" (Which they call a lifestyle choice, as according to the book, Diets don't work. They get in to the science of why that is and everything) is simple. They give you a list of what is okay to eat for the Weight Release plan. I'll create another blog post with the foods that are okay and the sample meals they have for their days, just so this one isn't as long.

One thing I LOVE about this "program" is the "Free Day/Free Week" you get. Every 4 months, you get a week where you get to eat whatever you want and do whatever you want (Meaning, you don't have to exercise if you don't want to, etc). Every week, you get 1 day that is your "Free Day" that you can eat whatever you want (So those cravings you've been having all week... indulge yourself!). You want to double your normal calorie intake at this point. It spikes your metabolism by changing what your body has grown accustomed to. This way, we're not depriving ourselves of our favorite foods and sweets, as once a week, we get to indulge in them.

The meals that they have planned (That they follow and that has worked for them for more than 12 years) involve 2 "drank" meals (Protein shake, etc). They  have planned menus for the week and they cook once, eat twice/thrice. They explain it in steps.

Step 1

Planning: Every (Insert day here), plan your menu for the week. Buy needed groceries and prep for easy cooking.

Step 2

Drink at least 2 meals: Protein shakes (breakfast meal replacement and/or lunch meal replacement and/or before bed snack). They suggest doing a shake before bed because it provides adequate protein to rebuild and regenerate muscle during the night, when our bodies are repairing ourselves. Make sure there is adequate protein (15g per serving) and balanced carbs (roughly = to the amount of protein). The shake needs to be low in sugar. Read the ingredients (How far can you read before you can't pronounce the words? You don't want to fill your body with chemicals). And finally, you want it to taste good, obviously.

Step 3

Cook once, eat twice (or thrice): Double or triple the recipe for multiple meals. This gives you "leftovers" you can use for your meals throughout the day (I'll post more about the meal plan itself later).

The book eventually talks about how life can throw you curve balls, such as an unanticipated meal at a restaurant, the club (church, school, neighborhood, etc) potluck dinner, a business lunch or Happy Hour. They give ways to deal with these sometimes unexpected situations.

Restaurant: Order an appetizer (Shrimp cocktail and a side salad); You can order off menu (Boiled/grilled chicken/fish, no butter, baked potato, rice, steamed veggie, etc); Portion your meal (As we all know that restaurant meals are NOT correct portion sizes!) and order a "to-go" box with your meal right away. To correctly portion your meal, you want a "Fist" of carbs and a "palm" of protein. As a bonus, you'll get a meal or two for tomorrow if you portion ahead of time!

Potluck Dinner: Everyone brings something. Bring a plan-friendly dish and you're golden.

The Business Lunch: Check an online menu ahead of time; Eat before your meeting then order a water/tea and a side salad; portion your order or order off-menu.

Happy Hour: Limit yourself to one drink; eat something before you go!

The release plan is designed to be a flexible LIFESTYLE change, not a 1 month, 2 month, 1 year, etc diet. You can't strive for perfect... there will be off days. One mess up doesn't ruin everything.

The book then goes in to "Advanced Decision Making". These are the questions you ask yourself:

1. Do I want to be, to do or to have this?
2. Will being, doing or having this move me in the direction of my goals?
3. Is being, doing or having this in harmony with God's laws or the laws of the Universe?
4. will being, doing or having this violate the rights of others?

If you answer "Yes" to 1-3 and "No" to 4, then GO FOR IT!

IMAGINEERING

This is a HUGE part of changing the way you perceive yourself, which is crucial to release your weight. Here's the way they suggest doing it.

• 30 minutes a day of "Imagineering" your end result (In the case of the book, your ideal body)
• 15 minutes writing about it (Details, details, details!)
• 15 minutes reading and thinking about what you wrote and FEELING it.
• Let go of Logic/Circumstantial (Don't think about how you're going to get there, just that you're there and what you want)!
• Dream Big!
• "I am so happy and grateful now that..."
• Detail how you feel (You have already achieved your goal)
• Use a Pen and Paper... NO KEYBOARD OR COMPUTER! Your mind has more time to think and process the images (Which is how our minds work)
• "HOW" is not important right now.

A good example of good Imagineering:

"I am so happy and grateful now that I have reached my ideal weight. I love the way my body feels, looks and performs. It is a true pleasure to walk into my closet and choose what to wear each day, knowing that every piece fits me perfectly! I love the admiring looks I get from my husband/wife, realizing that they are so proud of what I have accomplished. I crave nutritious food and vigorous exercise and I know that with each day I am creating a better, healthier, more vibrant body. I love my body and care for it in all ways."

Here's an example of bad Imagineering:

"I am so happy and grateful now that I have lost all the weight I was carrying around on my body. All the fat rolls are gone and I can actually touch my toes again. It feels so good now that my thighs don't rub together any longer when I walk and I can actually walk up a flight of stairs without getting out of breath. I actually threw away all my fat clothes last week. I am so happy that people don't make rude comments about how fat I am anymore."

The good example is all about the present and positive terms. The second paragraph is imagery of what used to be. Our minds work by images. If I say to imagine a pink elephant, you'll see a pink elephant, not the words "pink elephant", right? The same way works when you write what you are imagineering. In the second paragraph (the bad one), your mind will pick up "Fat", "Fat Rolls", etc, thus causing your subconscious to absorb that and slowing or even halting your weight release.

Imagineer every day!

• Buy a nice notebook and a special pen
• Make it special for YOU!
• 15 minutes free-flow/writing, 15 minutes visualizing
• "I am so happy and grateful now that..."
• Describe your ideal body, health, fitness level, nutritional choices, goals, success, etc in the present tense as if it were already a fact (And you can apply this to more than just your health, such as to your business or your relationships as well)
• Discuss what you WANT! Don't put any energy to what you DON'T WANT.

Eventually, they get in to how you need to inundate yourself with your goal. Here's how they say to do that.

1. Imagineering - best way to drive images in to your subconscious mind. Writing causes thinking, thinking creates images, images stir emotions, emotional responses drive the body in to action, action creates a result.
2. Carry a goal card - small card (like a business card) you write your goal on and carry with you.
1. Write "I am so happy and grateful now that..." and finish with something you REALLY want. (EX: I am so happy and grateful now I have reached my ideal weight of 138 lbs. I wear a size 4/6 and love the way my body looks, feels and performs. I am strong, healthy and unstoppable.)
2. Read it as often as possible.
3. Use Affirmations - Positive statements that describe a desired situation.
1. I am so happy and grateful now that my mind, body and spirit are strong
2. I am so happy and grateful now that I always make healthy choices and only fuel my body with the highest quality food.
3. I am so happy and grateful now that I always have time for the people and things that are important to me.
4. Physically inundate yourself with your goal
1. Place pictures or post-it notes on your mirror (Picture of the body you want)
2. Create vision boards
3. Use your goal card (Read it, touch it, say it out loud as much as possible)
4. "Photoshop" your head on to a picture of a body you want.
5. Rig your scale to always show your ideal weight (Tape your weight over the measurement).

They then talk about how the scale is sometimes what keeps us stagnant. If you absolutely need to weigh yourself, have someone else do it and record it and not tell you, that way you're not putting so much of your self-worth to a number on a scale. Take Before and After pictures to SEE your results. Sometimes the scale doesn't show you how much your body has changed.

That's the basic summary of the various parts of the book. There's a lot more detail in the book about this, but I thought I'd share the points that stood out to me the most. The next post I make will be with the meal plans and exercise plans they suggest doing. Definitely won't be as long as this one!

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO myreleaseplan.com

I Hate the News

I stopped watching and reading the news for a reason... Because it's depressing. All you ever see on it are shootings or drownings or child neglect... anything that isn't positive. Very rarely do you hear things (in comparison to the bad) of a dog who saved it's owner from a house fire, or a child did something way beyond her years...

I'll be browsing Facebook sometimes, just randomly going through my feed... and what do I find more often than not? Negative or bad news... I rarely find something that makes me smile or that makes my day. Instead, the news that I usually find tends to make my heart ache and make me depressed or sad about how our world is. For example, today I have heard nothing but the shooting on the Naval Base, the racial slurs against Miss America, a child who was found drowned, two skeletal bodies found, a child who is in desperate need of some sort of medical treatment... All of this has been on my news feed in the last hour... where is the good news? I know that there are tragedies out there, that the stories that I keep seeing need to be told, but there are also good stories out there too that I would love to see more often (not trying to downplay the shootings or any of the other news, just saying I'd like to see more positive things).

Some days I avoid my computer all together just because I can't handle more bad news. I don't understand why (Well, maybe I do, what with ratings and all) the media insists on reporting all the bad and ignoring some of the good stories out there that should have more coverage (Like the stranger who let a stranded family borrow his car). I know it's not as crazy or as "breaking" news as a shooting or something, but would it really hurt to have more positive news out in the world instead of depressing news that really makes you wonder what hope there is left for humanity?

I don't know, maybe it's just the fact that I already have disorders that pre-emptively make me more prone to being affected by bad news. Whatever the case, I would love to see more good things happening and less bad things happening.

Regardless, if you want to post some positive stories here please do... I'd love some more good news in my life!

"SURPRISE!"

So, I got a "surprise" visit from Joe this weekend. It was nice to see him again (it's only been two weeks, but hey, I'll take what I can get!). The reason the word "surprise" is in quotes is because I had a feeling since earlier this week that he was going to visit. I love the man dearly, but when it comes to trying to surprise me or plan something, he has TONS of dead giveaways.

First thing that hinted me to it is some of the questions he was asking (not going to get in to them as they're a bit TMI). I knew then that he was planning something and already had an idea as to what it was, but when I questioned his motives or anything, he simply said he was "just wondering" about things. Haha, right.

So the week goes on and he tells me he has a "surprise" for me and that it will be "delivered" this weekend sometime. That right there confirmed everything with the way he was acting. I asked him if he was coming to visit, and he told me no and would come up with a bunch of things. It was cute.

So, Friday rolls around and he tells me his plans for the night were to do laundry and that he would call me before he went to bed. He also said that he had made a "deposit" on his surprise for me and needed to withdraw the rest of the money needed so it would be "delivered". By this time, I knew he was planning to come visit, so I didn't really object too much to this.

It comes around to Rowan's bed time and Joe ALWAYS talks to Rowan before he goes to bed, so when 8pm rolled around, I texted Joe asking if he wanted to talk to Rowan. He said "Later". I told him that Rowan needed to go to bed, so I called Joe and handed the phone to Rowan. Joe was obviously planning to surprise Rowan when he go there, but I knew that Rowan would get grumpy if he didn't get to bed at a decent hour, so I made sure that Joe understood that.

Eventually, he finally admitted he was coming to visit and when he got here, I told him I knew it practically the whole time and that he was horrible when it came to "keeping it cool" for surprises and everything. Long story short, my husband fails at keeping things calm, collected and cool when it comes to trying to surprise me. He has dead giveaways that make it hard for me to be surprised (though I appreciate the gestures none the less).

It's the thought that counts, right?

Vaccinations

Ok, so I have my own thoughts on vaccinations. I know I have several friends who are for and several friends who are against, and by all means, do what you want. I, for one, will ALWAYS vaccinate my children.

I would rather not take a chance for my child to contract a disease like Measles or Small Pox or anything in general. These diseases are very dangerous and many doctors and medical professionals have no idea how to treat them anymore or even the signs to watch for. I know various parts of the world have higher rates for mortality or getting infected (For example, Texas had a Whooping Cough scare around the time Gavin was born), so I'd rather be prepared for anything.

Rowan was born in Korea, where there is a high TB rate. I made sure he had the proper vaccinations and he was a rather healthy baby there (Still is a healthy child).

I was always vaccinated growing up. I thank my parents for that. I'd rather have the antibodies and proper health when I was nursing my boys than not give them that extra "umph" when they were in their first few months of life. When the flu vaccines become available next month, I plan to be in line with both my boys ready to go. Yes, shots can be painful, but I feel that a moment of pain is worth the extra protection with viruses and diseases that can evolve and become hard to treat.

I know there is concern about what else is in the vaccinations given to children (or anyone for that matter), such as mercury (Which, just like other elements on the Periodic Table of Elements, when combined with other elements, the composition can and usually does completely change). I know the details and arguments that have been posed for each side. I still choose to vaccinate.

I'm not going to get in to details about the statistics I've found on each side, mostly because I'm being lazy at the moment, but these are just my opinions and I wanted to share them.

I know some of you are on the other side of the fence about that, and please, feel free to share your thoughts on it (So long as it doesn't escalate into drama!). I'd love to hear other opinions about it, though it won't change my mind. My boys will always be vaccinated, and when they're old enough to make their own decisions about it, they'll be able to (Just like with what religion they want to follow, if any). Until then, I'm going to, as a parent, do what I think is best, which is vaccinate. Always.

Been a Couple Days

I wanted to update daily, but that made me realize how boring my life could be so I waited a couple days. Not much has happened, but still, I might have a LITTLE more to talk about.

First off, I had to get the car taken in and fixed, but luckily it only took about 2 hours, so I had it back pretty quickly. I ran a few errands around post and then came home.

I am very proud of Gavin! He did "more" in sign language today without my prompting him for more food! He's picking up things so quickly, it's crazy! I also asked him if he was hungry and he told me "Yeah" and "yes" when I asked him again. When he finished eating, I asked him if he wanted more and he shook his head "no". He's a very smart boy! I really think I might try to work on more sign language with him to see what else he can learn.

I'm redoing the budget (I think I mentioned that in a previous post) and it's been put in to effect, so here's hoping that it works!

I'm working on losing weight. I'll post milestones once I reach them, but we will see. I've always fluctuated (and I don't mean daily, I mean through time periods), but I've never really gotten below 150 since I had Rowan, but that's all going to change. I'm determined to get down to around 125! I don't want to be the weight I was in High School, that was unhealthy. I want to lose enough weight that I lose the baby belly I have and I'll be happy. That's my biggest concern right now.

Anywho, that's about all I've got for now. I'm always up for topic ideas for me to blog about to anyone who actually reads these blog posts haha! Give's me something to do. :D

Not Much New

Today was just about like any other day, save for the Journey needing to be taken in to Dodge Country for a recall on a part in the front door. They had to order the part, so I'll have to take the car in again. I dropped it off at about 0830 and they didn't have me come pick it up until almost 1600... Kind of annoying. Oh, and when they dropped me off in the morning, I was outside my house for the better part of an hour due to the lack of a garage door opener (It's on the visor in the Dodge, I never think about grabbing it because I always have the car when I get home), so I had to call them up and have them drop it off for me so I could get the kids and myself into the house. It was a bit stressful.

Other than that, my day went on like most any other day. Ashlie brought over Wyatt and Jackson for me to watch so she could go to class. They all played pretty well together. I learned this new way to get the kids to clean up after themselves. I set a timer for 10 minutes and if they beat it, they get a reward. I like this game a lot, as it saves me the picking up of their toys and it makes it a game for them and more fun it would seem because Rowan tends to be more in to it this way.

I talked to Joe for a little bit (I talk to him every night, but still, it's nice to hear from him). He always says good night to Rowan before he goes down to bed, which is sweet.

I've used this home made sugar scrub on my face twice since Ashley told me about it and I have to say, I like how soft my face is starting to really feel... and the Aloe gives it a nice feeling too! I am excited for extended results. :)

That's about all I have right now. I guess this is "until next time".

This and That

So, today wasn't much different than most others. Kids were up by 8am. The usual.

Gavin has been not wanting to eat anything except Peanut Butter sandwiches... Rowan seems to be eating more than Gavin lately. It's really odd. As long as they're eating something, I guess I should be happy.

I worked on a budget for today. Picked up bread... My life is pretty boring I guess lol!

I do have to say that I did have a bit of road rage today though... I was turning right... there's a lane to go straight, left and right. The person who wanted to go left pulled up too far so I had to inch way ahead to be able to see if I could turn. That really irks me when people do that... You obviously can't turn left until the light turns green, so why would you need to be so far forward... It's stupid and annoying.

Another thing that annoys me is the way that people who don't even have WIC items go through one of the ONLY TWO lanes with a SHITTON of groceries that are meant for WIC and that are the ONLY TWO LINES that allow you to use WIC... Seriously... there are other lanes... usually better off too... But I guess that's the way the Commissary has to be. You can do WIC at any line in Walmart, but the Commissary has cheaper meats (Usually by at least $2 a pack) and cheaper produce, which is why I choose it.

I had to pull a splinter/thorn out of Rowan's foot today... he screamed and cried and kept saying "You can't hurt me, mommy" which is his equivalent of "Don't hurt me, mommy"... I felt so bad... He was better after I got it out, but he was limping for a little while... :'(

I burned my hand a little while cooking dinner... lol. It's fine, just stings a little.

So that's the gist of my day.... Man, I'm boring!

Happy Birthday Wyatt!

Hello! So, today has been a roller coaster type of day. The past several nights, Gavin has woke up screaming once or twice. I am pretty sure its not Night Terrors or Nightmares, as its a different type of screaming than what Rowan used to do/sometimes does. I'm thinking his screaming is due to Growing Pains and Teething. Gavin hasn't handled teething as well as Rowan did... he's more fussy and whatnot because of it. I also think it might be Growing Pains on top of Teething because he's almost 15 months and has started to not eat as much (Like Rowan did when he would go through a growth spurt), from eating like he were a black hole. He also won't eat anything beside Peanut Butter Sandwiches most days.

So, that's how my last couple nights have went. Gavin has been a "through the night" sleeper for a while, so its a little bit of a change for both of us. Rowan is pretty good about sleeping through it, so that's not an issue.

I was particularly tired this morning (Stress and Anxiety triggers on top of a lack of sleep) so I was already on the "on edge" type of thing. Rowan, trying to get his way and get my attention, dropped a sippy cup on my eye (It was an accident), which kind of set me over the edge for a second and I told him to go away and he didn't get his juice right away because of it. He needs to learn to have a little more patience. After that was done and dealt with, I got him his juice, fixed him breakfast (Cereal) and decided to try to relax by laying back down in bed for a bit. It helped a little, but I still had a Rowan who wouldn't really give me a chance to de-stress a bit, so I got up and got them ready to go to Wyatt's birthday party (He is one of the two boys I babysit for a friend. He is 4 and has a 2 year old brother).

Rowan had a blast there. There was a swimming pool set up, kids aged 7 months-about 10 years (All boys) and one 13 year old girl. There were also several adults. He had fun running and swimming and swinging and playing with water guns. I got some pictures that I'll see about adding to this entry later today or something, as I haven't taken them off my camera yet. Overall, Rowan got pretty tuckered out. I'm glad he had fun though. Gavin enjoyed himself too, he was the youngest there until the 7 month old came, so everyone was talking about how adorable he was and how cute he was. He was eating it up. I put Gavin in the pool for a little bit while we were outside, he seemed to enjoy it. I also got him to deal with the feeling of grass (It's been an issue. Every time I've tried to put him on grass to play or walk (Shoes or no shoes), he would begin to SCREAM like the world was ending). Today, he was able to sit and walk on the grass without too many issues (Granted, a lot was going on and he had a lot to look at, which probably had something to do with it).

Now, I have Gavin up (It's about 7pm) and he's eating another Peanut Butter Sandwich. He's tired, however, as he keeps coming over to the couch and laying his head on it and he is also doing the "drunk baby" walk. I'll probably put him back down by 8 at the latest.

Neither of the kids had their naps today, so when we got back (At almost 5pm), both kids were ready to pass out, so I got a 30 minute power nap in (It's a little late in the day for a power nap, but between the stress, lack of sleep and heat, I needed it).

Anywho, I may try to add some pictures later, but for now, peace.

Physical Therapy

So, I've been trying to avoid posting more than once a day for multiple reasons. For starters, I don't want to get burned out on typing here. Secondly, I don't want to run out of things to post about (Saving the Birth Stories and whatnot for times when I don't know what else to put here maybe?). Thirdly, I don't know, it seems odd to write multiple posts a day to me maybe? I'm not sure.

That being said, it's just after 9 am and already I've cleaned the kitchen, fed the kids, taken a shower, put Gavin back down for his nap and gotten ready for Physical Therapy.

Why do I have physical therapy, you may be wondering. Well, I was trying to do a regular workout routine (Jillian Michaels 30 day shred) and found that an old ankle injury from 10 years ago started flaring up, so I went to the doctor to get it checked out. There turned out to be nothing REALLY wrong with my ankle that the MRI could tell, so they sent me to a Physical Therapist. My physical therapist tested the flexibility of my ankles and joints, and we found that I have Hyper-extensive Joints, meaning my ankles and whatnot are a lot more flexible than they should be/have more range of motion than what is normal, which can cause a higher chance of injury or sprained ankles. Also, with my ankle injury being the way it is, it also caused my hips to be misaligned. The main thing we've been focusing on is my hips, since they seem to give me the most problems.

My hips, on the other hand, are weak in the joints and the muscles, so we've been working to strengthen them. With these two problems, it also added back pain (Which has dramatically dropped now I've been doing Physical Therapy). We have been working on my core, my hips and my ankles to help me make them stronger. I still am not supposed to do anything high impact like running or jogging, nor am I sure I'll ever be able to do that without causing injury to myself. Time will tell. My goals for Physical Therapy are to get to a point where I can do regular workouts and keep myself fit without the fear of injuring myself due to these current conditions.

Anywho, maybe I'll post more than one entry a day sometimes? Let me know in the comments your opinion on that. :)

My Thoughts on Syria

First off, I try to stay out of the debates most times on Facebook and other social media platforms due to the conflict and asshattery that can come of it. That being said, I have a little bit to say about Syria myself.

What is going on over there is tragic, there's no question about that. No country, family or person should have to go through that. That being said, I think the US needs to keep its nose out of it. I have my reasons and will gladly share them with you.

1. We have enough problems to deal with on our own, without involving ourselves in another problem across the world... and with a country that hates us, none the less. The US needs to stop being the "Global Police" and take care of its own people.
2. As you know, we are a Military Family. That being said, there have been budget cuts across the board, families who are worried about if they're going to lose some of their health care benefits, lose some of their housing benefits and more. We can't afford another war. The whole reason the United States is doing these cuts across the board is because of the country's debt. Wars are expensive.
3. There is poverty, children on the streets, run down cities and more within our own country that everyone seems to ignore, especially the government and media. Children and families are starving on the streets in our own country, living under whatever housing they can find, be it a cardboard box, a screened in porch, anything they can find to put a "roof" over their heads. I think we should focus on our own people before trying to help everyone else out there.

I could go on and on about various things that are wrong with our country that we should focus on, how the Military is one of the largest budget cuts that have been done, yet they have to deal with it and fight a potential war that is against several soldier's beliefs, but the fact of the matter is... Military members don't get a say in what goes on. If they're told to go to war, they go to war. End of story. They can't go on strikes, they can't say "no, I don't believe in this war, so I will sit this one out" or anything like that. They suck it up and do what they're told. Military members and families, in my opinion, make more sacrifices than most other families and jobs out there, if not all of them. We don't get a choice in the matter, we just have to deal with it. And before anyone posts "Well, that's what you signed up for", don't. Seriously. It's not something I, as well as some other military wives and members like to hear. 

Anyway, these are some of my thoughts on the matter. Granted, there could be more to say and I know for a fact not everyone will agree with me, but that's fine. These are my opinions on the matter.

Down to the Basics

First off, I want to say that I am doing this mostly to have something to write about, a way to get things off my mind and a way to keep a log of what goes on with my every day life. That being said, here is a little about me and what this blog will be about.

My name is Sahra. I have two handsome little boys, Rowan and Gavin, aged 3 years and 15 Months (As of this entry). My husband is in the US Army and has been since 2009. I've been an Army Wife for almost the entire time he has been in the military. We got married while he was at his AIT, but before that we had been dating for 2 years. We have known each other since 6th grade (As of today, that's about 12 years).

The way we started in the Military was my husband, Joe, went to Basic Training (Obviously he was just my Fiance at the time) at Fort Jackson in February of 2009. From there, he went to his AIT in Georgia until late November. From Georgia, he went to South Korea. I wasn't able to join him right away while he was in South Korea, as I had to get my passport taken care of and a bunch of other things.

We found out we were pregnant with our first son, Rowan shortly before he left for Korea. It was a pleasant surprise, as we had been trying for a little while, but had no luck. Once we stopped trying, that's when we conceived. He was very excited when he found out, telling everyone he came in to contact with, stranger or not.

So, he left for South Korea and I was still in Michigan getting everything in order. I joined him in South Korea in March of 2010, about 5-6 months pregnant at the time. It was my first time ever flying outside the USA, so it was very exciting.

We had my son, Rowan in Korea in a Korean Hospital. It was an experience. I'll go in to more detail on the birth stories later of the boys.

While we were in Korea, we conceived our second son, Gavin. We left Korea when I was about 5-6 months pregnant in January of 2012. We spent two years in Korea.

Our next duty station would be Fort Hood, TX. It is where we currently reside and will until he finishes his next AIT, which will be later this year.

That's a quick rundown of our Military Life so far, and I'll go into greater detail in other blog entries (Should I remember to post).

Through the 4 and a half years we've been in the military, I've made several friends that I'm very grateful for, but I haven't forgot my friends that are back home in Michigan.

This blog is to provide daily or weekly thoughts that go through my mind or updates on the children for family who might be interested in keeping up with them.