So how’s it going?

I’ve been blog hopping from place to place the past couple of days, just looking around, learning about things, seeing what others have been up too, just putzing around. There are hundreds, thousands of people dieting, having life style changes, trying to improve their lives. Some are so sad, so unhappy, so feeling terrible. Others are upbeat, happy, easy to read. Have you ever just blog hopped around to read? It is just amazing this blogging.

Today I was visited by a weird person. A fairly nasty person according to some of the comments he’s gotten. He calls himself Crap Blog Detective. Enough said but want to meet someone mean, read my comments and go see.

As for my life style change, well I’m not changing to quickly. I’m suppose to be but it’s slow. But since I do look at everything in a different light I think it’s working. Before I eat those chips I think these aren’t good for me. Before I eat that Hersey’s Kiss I think I better eat just one. When I take my walk and only walk 2 miles instead of 4 I know this is not what’s suppose to be happening. When it’s nap time and I’m suppose to be doing my exercise and I’m playing on the Wii instead of working out I know this is not how to lose weight. So the thoughts are there, but the actions are on strike. Is it because as soon as school starts I know my workouts and eating habit are going to go back to the way it was before summer vacation? Or hoping they will? Is it because I made the under 200 mark and think it’s enough? That better not be it. I don’t know I just know that I didn’t stand on the scale yesterday because I know that it’s not going to be nice because I haven’t been. I’m not willing to fail but right now not strong enough.

Now before anyone gets all excited and thinking I’m giving up, nope not going to happen. Before anyone things I’m down on myself, nope that’s not it either. Before anyone thinks I need a kick in the butt….well maybe that’s it.

I am going to take a break here, until school starts back up. Not a long break, school starts September 9th. I know, this makes like 3 breaks since I started my new life in January. I promise it’s not a break that means I’ll be eating everything I shouldn’t be. It doesn’t mean I won’t keep exercising. It doesn’t mean I quit. I won’t do that to me or to you guys. NEVER EVER!!! I’m just going to take some time to collect my thoughts, get my butt back into gear.

So please don’t fret, I’m good, I will be good and keep working on my goals. See you September 10th, bright and early. Oh I might sneak in here and chatter but not positive.

Good luck to you my friends. I am so proud of everyone dieting, changing their life styles, becoming healthier, happier and oh so sexy. 

Have a great Labor day weekend. We are going camping. I’m so excited. So ready for family time, just the three of us. Hiking, fishing, swimming, reading, relaxing and just plain together time.

Boring….

That is what this week has been. Not uneventful just boring in the diet part, the life style change part. For the first part of the week I had stomach problems but finally put two and two together and quit taking my fiber pills. With all the fresh veggies and an empty inside from last week I sure didn’t need any fiber. DUH!!! Oh well at least I figured that part out.

My eating has stabilized and am trying to do Debbi's 1-2-3-4-5 diet except for me it’s not the diet it’s just the numbers.

100 calorie snack 2 times a day, 300 calorie breakfast, 400 calorie lunch and 500 calorie dinner. Now that I have it memorized it’s going pretty good.

I have kept my calories very close to 1200-1300 calories a day and the fats, proteins and all in check. My mileage for walking wasn’t as high as some weeks, only about 8 miles this week but I did work out with my Wii three times so at least I’m moving. When school starts in two weeks I am going to go back to my floor exercises along with the Wii and walking. Since I’ll have less kids it’ll mean working a bit less hard so I’ll need it.

Tonight I was reading a local newspaper (well from the Twin Cities) and it’s State Fair time and they had an article called, Do the math: The calories add up. WOW was I amazed at what things totaled up too. Did you know that…..

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

8 to 10 (1/2- oz. each) 580 calories, 26 g fat, 6 miles to walk off.

PIZZA

5 oz. pepperoni, 404 calories, 17 g fat, 4 miles to walk off

CORN DOG

3.7 ounces (regular size), 350 calories, 25 g fat, 3.5 miles to walk off

ICE CREAM

Single scoop (vanilla or strawberry), 290 calories, 18 g fat, 3 miles to walk off

CHEESE CURDS

7 oz. (1 container), 1,140 calories, 81 g fat, 11.5 miles to walk off

FRENCH FRIES

25 medium, with ketchup, 310 calories, 14 g fat, 3 miles to walk off

MINI-DONUTS

12 (11/2- in. diameter), 720 calories, 37 g fat, 7 miles to walk off

FOOT-LONG HOT DOG

With bun, condiments, 540 calories, 31 g fat, 5.5 miles to walk off

ROASTED CORN-ON-THE-COB

1 large ear with 2 tsp. butter, 200 calories, 9 g fat, 2 miles to walk off

PORK CHOP ON STICK

4 ounces, 290 calories, 17 g fat, 3 miles to walk off

And to think the Mini-Donuts use to be my most favorite thing at the fair. I’d eat two bags if I could. Good think this year I was thinking not about my tummy but about my life.

Well it’s time for bed. Tomorrow is shopping for my daycare’s “End of Summer” Party. Then I have got to mow. Take care my friends and have a blessed weekend.

Success….

The great secret of success is self-discipline - getting yourself to do what you really need to do - choosing to do what you feel is right and will bring the results you want into your life -  long term.   It is bringing order and efficiency into your life-. . .  creating structure in your life and doing this enthusiastically! Success comes from taking charge of yourself and feeling proud of yourself when you do.

Yesterday I posted I made it under the under 200 mark. It didn’t dawn on me until after I had posted and got a couple of notes that I didn’t sound happy, didn’t sound like I did anything. Just didn’t. Well it is a huge step and I should be jumping for joy but either I'm so tired I can't move or because it's only 1/4 lb and I'm waiting a bit more or just so shocked I can't believe it. Or just maybe all of the above. I really don’t know for sure because sitting here I’m still in awe. I am so glad that I can share this news with you guys, share just how hard I’ve worked and just how far I’ve come. If it wasn’t for you’re support I know, and I know for sure, that I would of not gotten this far, I would of failed. But with your all commenting, giving me ideas, helps, encouragement I’ve made one of the biggest goals in a long time.

Now I have a new goal to obtain. It’s the 180 pound mark. I have 19 3/4 lbs to lose and as much as I’d like to lose it before the first of the year I’m going to shot for my 49th birthday in April. The reasoning is it has taken me 9 months to lose a tad over 25 lbs and since this is a life style change, not a diet if I take my time losing it, learning along the way then this weight will never ever come back (I won’t let it). Is this a mistake giving myself the extra 4 months? I really don’t know.

Changed my mind, I’m not going to give myself that long. I know that will just give me the excuse to screw up because I have time. I am going to shoot for the 2nd of January, one year to date when I started my life style change. It’s 20 weeks until the new year, to my goal. That’s a pound a week. Possible? I will try my best to do that.

Today I am starting something also. I am going to be getting on a train. A train with CHARLIE as our engineer. Our engineer, a man that is trying to lose weight and share his successes, ideas and thoughts about all of this. There are at least 5 ladies that are on his train as well. I have to take a picture of myself, with a sign that is my ticket to climb aboard to be part of this excursion. I will be doing that today. Another way to share what I’ve learned, another way to make sure I stay on the straight and narrow until I learn the ins and outs of this new life style change I am working so hard to achieve. Want to come aboard too? CHARLIE has an open invitation for anyone to climb aboard and join in on this excursion of learning, sharing and losing. Thanks CHARLIE, really!!!

Okay, it’s time. Time to get moving. Take care my friends. Good luck with all that you do today. God Bless you all!!!

When we set a goal, let's try to enjoy every moment of the trip along the way.

And she is….

199 and 3/4th’s. Well it is under 200. See….

I weighed myself on my scale and the Wii on a solid surface and both are so very close so from now on I’ll stick with the Wii and I’m not feeling like I’m cheating either. Hey, do you see the –4 lbs? That doesn’t count….oh I can wish but I weighed myself on the carpet the first time so I think that’s why the difference along with my period.

This is just my in the middle of the month weigh-in. But I’m happy with the under 200 by the end of August. Now let’s just hope it keeps heading in that direction.

When I was making my little Wii gal, she got fat. She starts out sorta normal looking for a cartoon person but when she turned into me after all the body tests and all, it really wasn’t funny watching her grow like a balloon. I hope as I lose that Wii person shrinks too.

Today I took the kids to the mine pits swimming. We had a blast and since I just had my two older daycare kids there wasn’t the constant worry of no one listening to me. We also picked up Scott on the way and took the two dogs. Here are a few pretty pictures to share with you. We were there for 3 hours and had a blast. I can’t wait to go and do that again.

    

So now it’s onward and upwards this week. I bought some extra fresh veggies to go with the ones I’m getting from the garden and also some fruit and white meats. Right now after being out in the heat all day I am not in the least bit hungry but I’m betting once we all cool off we’ll be staved. I am thinking I’ll make some tortillas and we’ll add some goodies to them. The guys can add cheese and all and I’ll stick with some veggies and maybe a little cheese. I know the daycare kids loves these too so easy, tasty and not to fattening.

I hope all is well with you all and that this week you’ll be able to stick to your life style changes, your diets, what ever it is that you are working on so hard. We all fall off, we all can climb back on and keep plugging along. It’s not easy but in the end it’ll be oh so worth it all.

Take care you all, God Bless!!!

63 hours, 2 to go…

No I’m not going to make the 72 hour mark I’d like too but 65 hours is a good fasting. I’m starting to get chilled and a bit weak so know that it’s about that time. I am so hoping that this will now be a good start to a beginning. If I can be this committed for 65 hours then there is no reason that chocolate has to call my name and I just run to it’s bidding. There’s no reason I can’t just have a portion of this and that and push away from the table. There is no reason that when it’s time to exercise I just won’t do it. I CAN, I WILL!!!

I have a friends, yes you Vi, that is worried about the fasting. She is a doctor and has so much smarts to offer that if I have a question I will be asking her, if I have an idea that sounds a little off I’ll run it by her. Then there’s Kim who thinks I’m nuttier then a fruit to even have gone this far. There’s Brenda who is so worried she has called 5 times each day and when we exercise is asking the full time if I’m okay.

So this will be the ending to the fasting period. I have got to say though I feel wonderful, really I do. It wasn’t easy at all, a big challenge for me but my body is feeling better. I’m not bloated, listless, angry, full of poop and all the other things I told you about. I am now full of sunshine, willpower and ready to stay on track and lose this last 20 lbs.

So far this week I have walked 28 miles (that’s the normal life walking along with exercise walking), 13 of them with Brenda, 3 with my daddy (the exercise walks). I have exercised 4 days with the Wii. So this week I am going to say was a good week. On Monday I will weigh and measure myself and by then “my friend” (who ever called a period a friend needs to be shot) will be did and done with too.

So this will end this week of posts, I am betting you’re tired of them too. I never ever post this much in a week. I hope I didn’t bore you to death.

Take care my friends, good luck on your life style changes, on your diets, on whatever you are doing to make a new and better you.

Have a great and blessed weekend.

Follow Friday 40 and Over!!

  
Follow Friday 40 and Over!! is on it’s 13th edition and if you’re 40 and over you have got to go and check it out.

JAVA is our host and you’ve just got to head over there and check it out. Add your blog to her blog hop and be prepared to meet some awesome people.

I’ll have an update in the morning about my fasting, 50 hours so far and other then slightly feeling hungry now I feel pretty darn good. I’ll tell you tomorrow if I can finish out the day and make it 3 full days of fasting.

Take care my friends and now, if your over 40 head on over to JAVA'S and link up. If not, head over there anyways because she’s a super cool lady and has the most wonderful blog to check out.

37 hours….so far….

Well I’ve made it 37 hours on my fast and I think I can go a while longer so will keep working at it. Yesterday I just stayed extra busy and that seemed to help. I did chew 6 pieces of gum and had 1/2 cup of juice with my fiber otherwise just water, lots and lots of water. Oh before bed I had my sleepy time tea. Today I’m hoping will be the same but I also got my darn monthly enemy friend so we’ll see.

I’ve been working with my Wii for 3 days in a row. It’s not really work, it’s fun. I’ve burned anywhere from 110-120 calories. I also got the Nike+ to work perfectly and last night we walked 4 miles, at just a tad under 4mph and burned 605 calories. Once I find a set of games/workouts on the Wii that burn more calories I’ll work on them but for now just trying them all out. Hey to stand on that balance board and do all the things they want you to do, well you have to be coordinated. For me that’s funny. I am not full of rhyme, coordination is not my name and balance is not my game …but…I’m learning. This chubby lady is working hard to get some good core muscles, to be able to stand tall, sit straight, balance and be coordinated. As for rhyme, well that just might not happen. When I was little to medium I took piano lessons, and had one of those clickers that helped keep pace with the song (it has a name but right now I can’t remember it) and you know, no matter what they tried to teach me, I could play the music but couldn’t keep time. So I just don’t know if that will happen but with practice I’ll at least learn the moves.

So it’s onward and upwards to the day. I have my 5 wee ones and right now they are kindly playing with the Lego’s except for Justin who has the mini shop vacuum out making noise, sucking up rocks he said.

So I wish you all a great and blessed day. Take care my friends.

Fasting ….. :o) or :o(

We’ll see. It’s been years since I’ve fasted more then 12 hours for doctor stuff but I have been feeling so wiped out, so over stuffed, so unhealthy, so not together that it’s time to do something about it.

Now before I really start anything, since we have the world wide web, I did some research on the subject of Fasting. 3-30 days seem to be the big time. Me 30 days without food, now that’s funny. But I am going to try for 2-3. 48-72 hours. I have 14 under my belt already, to bad I couldn’t just sleep though all of these hours but that wouldn’t really work either.

My fasting is going to be just a water fast except for first thing in the morning when I have a small glass of juice with my fiber and meds (I take a Thyroid pill each day along with a stomach calming pill). I’m also going to allow myself gum during meals because I’m fixing daycare meals 3 times a day plus our dinner and I just don’t think I have enough will-power, at least not right way, to handle not eating but if my mouth is chewing something just maybe it’ll be happy.

The things I read this morning about fasting had some great facts. Here’s one…

When one is fasting, the person is consciously diverting energy from the digestive system to the immune system. The body heals itself, repairs all the damaged organs during a fast.

That means your body isn’t working to digest food and all it’s fixing or helping you from getting sick or repairing anything that’s not right.

Here’s another…

The body rids itself of the toxins that have built up in our fat stores throughout the years.

The idea is to fast as briefly as possible, but as long as is necessary to allow the body to restore health. I’m not sure 2-3 days will do it but it’s a jump start to working on that again.

And finally…

There is good evidence to show that regulated fasting contributes to longer life.

And we all know I’d love to live to be 100 to see grandkids, great grandkids and great, great grandkids. That being said, I want to be like my grandma, 93 and still working in the garden which requires going up an down a big hill and being able to pull the wagon both ways.

I found most of my answers to my questions HERE. I read quite a few websites but this one is just a down to earth, plain English site with a question and answer section.

Now for my Wii. Day one said I weight 198.6 lbs, I jumped for joy, that was until ANGELA told me that you can’t weigh yourself on the carpet it has to be on a yoga mat or something firm. So I used an old shelf that it fits on really nicely and then I didn’t weigh under 200 any more then the 3 rd day I stood on it, it said tilt and asked me what was wrong, how can I gain 5 lbs in one day. It made me choose an answer, I just said to much poop. So I’m not going to weigh myself on there for a little bit. First because I am full of poop, second it’s my period week and three, well I don’t want it to say I’m over 200. So I’ll work out, do my Wii extras, fast and next week weigh again and hope for the best.

So that is my WATCH MY WEIGHT WEDNESDAY. If you stop by here you can share your ups and downs and also see how others are doing, what new ideas are out there and just have people to support you all the way.

Good luck with you Life Style Changes. It’s not easy but oh so worth all the efforts. 25 lbs and counting, gone forever…never ever to be back on this form.

Take care my friends. Have a great day!!!

Do you know what my son bought me?

Of course you don’t, I haven’t told you yet but I couldn’t think of a different title.

I am so excited. He’s got it all hooked up and was going to show me how to use it today but he got called into work so I’m going to go and figure it out.

I’ll be back in the next couple of days to tell you all about it, what is says I weigh (I’m also so happy I don’t have to step on my ancient scale anymore, this one will keep track for me….oh I hope it close to what mine says I don’t want to weigh more) and how great the exercises are. I don’t know to much about it yet but I’m not to dense so I bet I can figure it all out.

Have I told you just how much I love my son and no not because of the goodies but that’s the icing on the cake because he is helping me to become the person I want to be. He is as excited as I am when I lose a pound or an inch or two. He has supported me from day one.

Oh and remember the little green thingy…it’s a Nike+. Stupid name, I know. It’s a little sensor that goes into specially made Nike shoes but for people that can’t afford the shoes you can buy a little pouch that you tie to your shoe and you get the same readings as the special shoe. Then you can go to the Nike+ website and download your stats and it’ll help you keep track of everything.

Have I told you just how much I love the support and encouragement Mike is giving me? Jim, well he just watches and doesn’t say much but that’s fine too. Mike ….. well I don’t know how to just explain it but I love my son.

So if I hurry I’ll have about an hour to go and play with this new machine so I better get going. I just had to share all of this with you.

I hope you all are doing wonderfully. Today is a beautiful day here, 68*, sunny and a beautiful breeze. A great day to air out the house and hang the clothes and sheets on the line. YEAH!!! I hear it’s suppose to be like this all week long, I can handle that….we’ve had enough rain to last quite a few weeks if you ask me.

Bye for now, God Bless!!!

Little green blob…

Mike got me this little green thing that ties to my sneaker and talks to my ipod touch. It is the coolest thing since using the GPS but this one talks to me, sings to me and tells me how well I’ve done, or not done. It’s from Nike and though I haven’t a clue what it’s really called it is so nice. Brenda and I walk at least 4 times a week and we have upped our miles from 2-3 because we now can see just what we are doing, how many calories we are burning and can even just do a certain time limit if we are in a hurry.

Now the bad part, if Mike isn’t around it doesn’t work. Since I don’t know what the name of this thing is and he got it off of e-bay I don’t have directions. Oh I know, go and search and find it, I would if I had time but I haven’t taken the time to do that yet. Between long hours of work, my garden, landscaping and our walks and tennis/walks by time I get in at night I can barely keep my eyes open long enough to shower and write a couple e-mails. BUT, I’m not complaining because Mike has been here most of the time to try and teach me. I’ll learn, eventually!!

As hard as I’ve tried this week while my exercise is doing fine my eating isn’t. Monday and Tuesday I ate everything, Wednesday I was pretty good, yesterday I again ate every time I was hungry and that meant just about all the time. Today I think, finally, I’m not hungry. I’m suppose to go to Kim’s today and try her Wii Fit but I’m afraid to stand on that thing, it’s gonna say “tilt”, in fact I’m sure it’s going to scream “TILT!!”. Oh well, this is part of learning to eat and live and move on. I’m not upset with myself because I know that if I had just tried to ignore it all it would of just grown into a monster I couldn’t of handled. What I did eat wasn’t chips, candy, breads and such, just more cereal, fruits, meat….lots and lots of meat this week….and veggies. I could possible turn into the tomato monster. I grow 2 cherry tomato plants outside the back door and since this year the kids don’t seem to be into them so much I can eat at least 10 each time I walk out that door and I walk out that door at least 10 times a day.

This weekend is a busy one with getting a load of pea-rock at 7:00 Saturday morning, taking my walk after that, taking my parents to a huge craft show, going to JJ’s Guns and getting a holster for my .357, an Eagle Court of Honor at 4:00 and swimming with Mike and Scott in the evening. Then Sunday is breakfast out, grocery shopping and my favorite Paintball with my friends/family/scouts as a farewell/good luck to the ones heading off to college. I am sure by time we get back I’ll be toast but somewhere in there we also have to shovel out that pea-rock and finish up the landscaping. Maybe this week won’t be such a wash if I’m good now. We’ll see.

I hope that all is well with you all. That your life style change is coming along nicely. Of course there’s the ups and downs, that’s life but as long as we’re learning something along the way, well that makes it all worth the effort and time.

Take care my friends and have the most Blessed and wonderful day and weekend.

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By the way, today is the 12th edition of…………..

Follow Friday 40 and Over!!

This is the neatest way to meet people my age. People that have been there, done that, or going through it. I have found help with many issues, I have found tons of ideas and most of all I have found some super cool people. If you have a moment, go and check it out…I promise you won’t regret it at all.

Thank you to JAVA for hosting this most amazing blog hop.

Watch My Weight Wednesday

ANGIE'S back. YEAH!!! That means Watch my Weight Wednesday is back. If you head over to Angie's you’ll find a sweet mama that is beautiful, full of vim and vigor and a blessing to all of us trying to change our life styles and become healthy.

Angie has been such an inspiration and such a help to me. If you’d take the time you’ll see just what I mean.

I have to say it’s a good thing I’m not weighing in next week, remember I do the bi-weekly thing, because for two days there has not been enough food in the universe to save me. I am better today but Sunday and Monday were horrible and instead of fighting it I just ate. Mind you I didn’t eat all bad stuff but I did go to McDonalds and have a quarter pounder with cheese and 1/2 my fries and I did go to the D.Q. and have a mini Blizzard but otherwise I ate normally just more of it. The carrot bags is empty, the broccoli is all gone, there isn’t an apple, orange or grapefruit in the house and my Fiber bars, well they are all gone too. Oh well, that faze is over with so it’s back to being good.

Stop by Angie and say hey and join in to her Watch My Weight Wednesday.

Take care everyone and God Bless!!!

Results…

So from July 6th to August 9th I’ve lost 3 lbs and 2 1/2”. No I did not make the 199 yet but August is just starting. I’m 200 but the scale is still working in the right direction just very, very slowly.

I’m not sure if I have time to up my work outs or add anything to my schedule but as long as everything is moving I’m happy. Once life calms down a bit I’m going to start adding my floor exercises again. My cardio is way up there but the weigh strengthening and muscle toning just isn’t what it should be. I can tell in my measurements because my lower body lost the 2 1/2” but my upper body didn’t change except my neck gained back 1/2”. Why? Haven’t a clue.

I’m going to do my best to keep up my walking 3 times a week and tennis and a walk with Brenda once a week. I’m hoping to go swimming with Mike too but depends on if we get the landscaping done we’ve been working on. The past three nights we’ve shoveled, picked rock, graded and seeded and each night it’s just before 10:00 when we get in, doesn’t leave much time to play. Gardening is taking time too but the goodies in the freezer are worth the effort and loss time exercising, at least for now that is. It’s really hard to do it all plus work 13 or more hours a day. Sometimes I just wonder how in the world did I get so fat. I mean I am not a lazy person, I don’t really over eat lots, but still at 48 years old I’m not as fit or slender as I should be, maybe by 49 my body will be better, then it’s on to the mind.

I hope you all are doing well on your life style changes. It’s a challenge but in the end it’ll oh so be worth it all. We’ll be happy, healthy and able to enjoy our children, grand children, great grandchildren and more. Just think, playing boom ball with your grand kids and them laughing because you beat them to the base. How about being able to take them to the fair and not get tired before them. Or just being able to do the everyday stuff and enjoying it. I can handle all of that.

Take care my friends. God Bless you all!!!

I’m back……

What happens when you take 8 teens, 2 “old” teens and put them in a Venture Camp?

They have the time of their lives. I have got to tell you, I have been going to camp since Mike was a tiger cub in 1st grade and now he’s graduated so that means a smack load years at least and I have a great time at each and every camp but nothing, NOTHING!!! compares to this past week. Ventures Crew 52 ROCKS!!!! 

Here’s our Venture Crew…There are 7 men and 3 women (I’m hiding behind the camera).

The weeks events were Archery, Rifle, Shot Gun, Low COPE, High COPE, Climbing, Swimming and mega hiking. COPE means Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience. There are seven goals in a COPE Course and they are Teamwork, Communication, Trust, Leadership, Decision Making Problem Solving and Self-Esteem. And I have to tell you something, it is great for the soul. I saw kid that are not the greatest friends work together in team work that was amazing. I saw kids afraid to do something and achieve a goal and the look of pride of accomplishment is heart warming. Before I tell you about what I did here are some pictures of the kids and some of the activities.

 

  

 

VENTURE CREW 52, I AM PROUD OF YOU!!!! Thank you for letting me be part of something as grand as this!!

Now remember the Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience part? I went this year to be part of the group. To be there if a person needed some help, need some advice, needed some support. I am a giver and love giving. I’m not one to ask for help, except help unless no choice. I don’t ask but they taught me this past week I can ask, receive, be pushed and push myself to do things I didn’t even know I could do. I did just about everything the kids did or tried. Archery….I can hit the 3D target without snapping my boob to many times. Rifle shooting, I can hit a target in a quarter size grouping. Shot gun, I can hit a clay pigeon with both a 20 gauge and an over/under 20 gauge.

For the Low COPE Course I feel flat on my face and not literally, I chickened out. I did not do “The Wall”. It’s a 12’ wall that you work together on. I felt like such a failer, I let the kids down. They wanted me to do it, they all would of worked hard to get me up there but I chickened out. I decided then and there tomorrow for the High COPE and Climbing I would do all that I could do AND……I did it. Well to the best of my abilities and more.

I got 15’ up the cave ladder. No I didn’t make it to the top but I made it 15’ off the ground on a ladder that is 6” wide, steps about 12” apart, that is wiggly and hard to climb.

My next challenge, a 30’ climbing wall. Straight up in the air, climbing by rocks and bricks then hoisting my body up on the top to then repel down the side with no one to save my butt if I screw up. I DID IT!!!! TWICE!!!

 

My looks says it all. I think :o)

My last big challenge was the Fire Tower. For years Jim has been trying to get me to climb the towers around our area but I get up a flight or two and start to shake, shiver and just freak out but this time I had 1 scout in front of me to lead the way and 3 behind me cheering me on and I made it to the top of this…

Looking down we look like this… and it’s just from the 3 level

This is what you see from the top, Bad Axe Lake. Camp Wilderness, Park Rapids, MN

So can you tell that this was a camping experience of a life time? It was and I can’t wait for our next trip. Where are we going? Well I think next summer the BWCA for possible my last big camping trip with Mike. He’ll be 19 and getting ready for college, big moves and life. For me, it won’t be the last for me and my scouts, both boy scouts and venture crew, I plan on being part of their program as long as they’ll have me. We have paint ball coming up, another high adventure weekend in October and then things will slow down a bit for the winter but there’s movie nights, parties and bowling so more fun coming.

I found out that no matter what your brain says, you can make things happen. You can push yourself out of your safety net and do some cool and interesting and exciting adventures. It is possible even when you’re an “old teen” of 48 years.

Now it’s back to life. Daycare starts on Monday. We are planning an End of Summer Party for the 30th of the month. I want to take them swimming a few more times and if I possible can swing it I think for a round of mini golf at our local place. There will be trips to the farms, play dates with cousins and other fun things too. School starts in a month and then I’ll be missing my not so wee ones while they are off learning. It’s so hard sending them off when they’ve been such a huge part of my life. I am so glad I do daycare for some awesome families.

Take care my friends. God Bless you all!!

P.S. Thank God I lost the 25 lbs and built up some muscle and strength. I truly don’t think I could of done any of this stuff if I hadn’t started my life style change.

P.S.S. I’ll be back on Monday with my weight and measurements and a reassessment of my goals.