To close out this blog and start anew. I have combined both my blogs into this blog. I tried wordpress and it was beyond me so I just did what I do best and worked with blogger.
Come here and see what you think and if you’re interested join me on my new journey, if not that’s fine too, it’s been fun having you along.
Take care my friends and have a blessed evening.
While away enjoying my BWCA trip I was thinking about the future. Of course my new life style change needs to continue, I so want to tone up my muscles, work on running a full 5K. I want to continue learning how to cut calories and keep the nutrition and taste. I want to explore my new body and enjoy the new sizes I’m able to wear. Now to learn how to shop and mix and match things. There is lots I still plan on doing to enjoy this new body and the new me.
So I am bidding this blog farewell. I am going to incorporate this blog into my everyday lifestyle blog. By next week I will redesign my other blog so it can be a bit more me and not all kids and crafts and all. Not sure how it will work, not sure if anyone will follow me but it is something that I need to do. It’s been a terrific ride having the two blogs but it’s just now time to move one.
I want you all to know how much I have appreciated all your support, loving words, prayers and so much more.
Now before I go there are two weeks left of the Slimmer this Summer Challenge. So since I’ve missed the last two updates because of my vacation I’ll do them all here.
I have done well. In fact while gone I lost 3 more pounds. I really figured I’d of gained because of all the processed foods I had eaten but I’m betting that the 30 miles of paddling and 28 miles of hiking is what helped all of that. We climbed some mighty big hills, went from 1020 feet elevation to almost 1500 feet, just about straight up. We had plans on going further but decided to base camp and explore. The group I was with wasn’t the strongest group I’ve gone with but that was fine it was a great trip anyways.
So this week it’s back to work. I don’t feel the greatest but also came home with a period from hell. No complaints though because it waited until our way out to start so I’ll live. It’s hard to get back into the swing of things after being out in the wilderness for 9 days. God made the most awesome countryside. I’m going to end this post and this blog with pictures from our trip. Take care my friends and if you wish to follow me to my regular blog please feel free to do that. If not, I understand….this is a weight loss community and what does scouting, kids, driving bus, daycare, cleaning, crafting and my regular family life have to do with all of that. Well for me it’s life. I do plan on visiting and learning and commenting on you all. You’ve been my inspirations, cheering gallery and so much more, I’ll still be there for you. God Bless you all!!!
Suppose to be… 165, not bad at all!!! I weighed in at 11:00 Saturday night so that I could finish the challenge on time. So I could well be at the 165 or better after a good night sleep but I’m done with the scale and here’s the weight. Here’s the challengers when we started it all and I lost 25.8 lbs total with Allan’s challenges. I have now completed my weight loss section of my life style change.
I am now going to work on toning up this mess and building some muscle. I have a tummy that needs lots of toning and some back fat and bat wings that need to go so those are my areas of needing. I have to learn to maintain the weight or close to now for the rest of my life. I lost a total of 63.8 lbs on my life style change and that is never going to creep back on again.
I don’t know how the other challengers did and I’m hoping that when Allan gets all the results we’ll see who finished, who was there from the beginning and finished and just how everyone did. Diets, life style changes…whatever you want to call losing weight is not easy, heck I think it’s the hardest thing I ever did and it took me 19 months, 76 weeks. I know it was less then a pound a week but it was a constant down trend when figured out that way. Yes some weeks up, some weeks done mega and other week just a bit and some weeks nothing at all but in the end it ended just like I wanted it too, needed it too.
My last challenge this summer is Deb and Mir’s Slimmer This Summer challenge and for me it is an exercise challenge. I haven’t been stellar on the exercises I had planned on doing but I am moving my butt so for now as long as I am moving, doing and working hard I’m going to call that a success too.
It’s a new week, a week busy beyond belief. There’s daycare, gardening, yard work, our first cord plus wood to start stacking, packing for our BWCA trip and wow has my house exploded. Plus the biggy, I still need to study for my bus endorsement test and take that Friday. I’d also like to talk to the school and get that paperwork going, make a doctors appointment for my DOT physical, get to the chiropractor and meet with my scouts before we leave at 4:30 Saturday morning. We’ll see in the end what happens, the test, doctor and school can wait until I’m back but I’d prefer not, the lawn has to get done, the green beans and cucumbers are ready to pick and my wee ones, no matter what come first.
So how’s life for you? How’s your life style changes going? Just remember to take it a day at a time. Remember my poem?
Just for today, I will stay on my diet;
Just for today, I will answer the call;
Just for today, I will drink all my water;
Just for today, I will give it my all!!
This poem will follow me into maintenance also because the bad foods, lack of exercise and just plain laziness calls to me all the time. I’ll just do one day at a time for the rest of my life, which I hope is long because I want to live to be 101 years old.
Have a blessed week my friends. I am not positive I will be back here before I leave and I will be gone from the 6th to the 13th but when I get back I will have lots to share with you. But I’ll shot for a post before I got.
I do have a huge update for you too….
Scout and Wilbur seem to be feeling just fine. We were really worried on Friday and most of Saturday because Scout was very down and tired and not eating but by evening she was her old puppy self driving Wilbur nuts. I read about the medicine, she could of had a reaction to it that made her sick so we think that’s what it was. The bad part about it is I have one more dose to give her in 3 weeks so another sick couple of days or just maybe she’ll be fine with the third dose. However we are so happy and blessed and hope that this too will be over with and she’ll grow up to be the best protector and best friend for Mike.
BLESSINGS my friends. Take care and have an awesome week.
Scout had been exposed, one of her sister has died, the other one got it but survived.
Terri and Scouts two sisters
Scared would be an understatement for Mike right now. She is his heartthrob, she is his life, he loves her so much. I know to some she’s “just a dog” but to Mike, to us, she’s a huge part of our family so would you please, in your prayers today say a prayer for her and Mike.
We took a big chunk of our BWCA trip money and got her to the vet today and got her the 2nd series of shots ( we are 25 days behind so are hoping that she was still covered ) and the vet said she looks good but this is just day 5 of the 10 day incubation period so it’s hard to tell. She, the vet, told us what to look for so we’ll be on the look out the next few days. We are not looking at the glass half empty, she will be fine but there’s still the worry. I also took Wilbur because he was exposed X2 this weekend when the puppies came to visit so just to make sure, even though it’s a puppy disease adult dogs can get it but rarely, we got him his shot too.
I think our family has had enough stress this summer. We don’t/can’t handle a whole bunch more.
I hope that your day is going grand and that life is treating you with respect, love and lots of blessings. Take care my friends and thank you for your prayers.
And we all know this and after doing some soul searching and thinking and more I have come to the conclusion that I am doing terrible at my life style changes this summer. I can blame it on all sorts of things but really that’s stupid. Because other then some stressful issues this summer it’s not much different then last years summer when I was losing weight. Maybe it’s really because I am satisfied with my weight and size. Maybe it’s really because my goals when I started have been met and I’m learning to maintain. I am not really positive the whys, I just know the knows.
So for the month of August I am going to keep on doing what I’m doing minus the extra pound up here. I’m still going to count calories, track my food and get what exercise I can in and in September I will get back to the gym and get back to doing the losing part of my life style changes.
The Slimmer this Summer Challenge wasn’t a weight loss challenge for me, it was a move my butt challenge and I plan on keeping that up. Not necessarily the exercises I picked but as long as my butts moving and in 10 days I’ll be in the BWCA really moving so that should help too. Our trip will be a minimum of 75 miles paddled, 6 miles of portages and numerous miles of hiking, climbing, swimming and so much more.
I know Allan’s phase 6 is still going though I haven’t a clue how anyone is doing because with the new blog Allan doesn’t have that part on it. I’m not leaving the challenge there either though I’m not going to shoot for a huge loss. If I can lose the pound I gained, I’d like to get back into the 160’s and stay there. When September starts back up and I can get back to a regular routine I am sure I can lose a few more pounds and also work more on tightening the muscles and flab I have.
So honesty is the best policy and also pretty boring to read. I’m studying for my bus endorsement 
,
I’m taking care of 6 kids a day, my garden is amazing so been working in there
, with all the rain this summer our grass needs mowing at least once a week and each time is 5 hours of mowing,
Mike and I go swimming each evening (A/C costs $$ so it gets pretty hot in here by time evening rolls around so what better way to cool down, get some exercise in then to go swimming),
my parents need this and that, my grandma needs this and that, of course there’s scouts on Monday and camp last week 
, and then there’s fishing too 
. We’ve had friends over 
,
we gone and done some visiting. Paintballing too.
So not much time for butt sitting or TV watching but not much time for the gym either. No complains because like I said, I did make it, I did make it to the goals I wanted in the first place. It’s just time to set a next set of goals and that will happen in September.
So take care and have a great week. Keep moving the butt, watching those calories and taking care of yourself. Good luck my friends.
FLUNK, BIG TIME!!! No counting calories, no extra exercise other then lots of swimming and two walks. I have been just to worried, to busy, to everything to do anything right. Stupid I know and this is a new week but last week was just not the week to do anything I should of. Week 7 was a wash for me but week 8 is here and I have to do what’s right. Not because of the challenge though I have to admit it’s been such a great reason but mostly because I want to be the most healthiest me possible.
Sorry I flunked this week but thank God I have a new week to get back on track.
I hope you all are getting to the most healthiest you possible. I have been reading lots of your blogs and so many of you are doing so awesome. I am so proud of you all and so proud to be part of this challenge.
Take care and have a blessed week.
You all know daycare hasn’t been the most profitable this past year. Thinks have changed, people have moved on and my numbers have shrunk so in order for me to keep doing daycare for the family I have left, because you also know that this is my life, I love kids so much and don’t want to do something different, I have found a solution, I am hoping.
Meet Julie (that’s me), one of Aitkin County’s new activity bus driver.
Now it’s just part time because I’m still doing daycare but when I talked to the bus garage they were thrilled. You see, the manager of the bus garage has known me since my early teens. He’s known me through driving truck, working at the nursing home and now daycare. I see him at least yearly when they make their first few runs of the year and I talk to him yearly because each year my numbers and kids change for the bus pickup/drop offs. All drivers in our district start off as activity drivers. It’s a chance to get a feel of the job without the rush of a timed schedule. Now to do this I already posses a commercial’s driver license so I don’t have to do that, I need though to get the endorsements for bus driving and safety and then do some practice driving with their instructor. I think there’s a drivers test too with the bus but wasn’t clear about that. I don’t think I’ll have any problems with any of the driving, now the written test…I’m not good at test, they make me sick really but I will start studying this weekend and hopefully feel able to take the written test next Friday. Oh I have to get a DOT physical too and pay for a background check, about $100.00 above and beyond what I don’t already have but we’ll figure that out in due time.
Because I’ve been scared out of my mind I wasn’t going to share this quite yet but you guys have always supported me, prayed for me and my family I’m once again asking for your support and prayers and courage to step out of my comfortable box and add something really new.
It’s the weekend, a quiet relaxing one I think. Well there’s garage saling tomorrow and then in the afternoon our friends are coming over to spend some much needed friend time. Mike is going to be hosting a shoot and I am going to go for a leisure walk with Terri and some chat time. Shopping on Sunday and maybe fishing if Jim has the time. And the most important, study time.
I’ll be back on Monday with a Slimmer this Summer challenge update and I’m hoping for a decrease in weight, I won’t promise it though cuz to lose weight you have to concentrate, move your butt and eat well and this week with what’s been happening, I haven’t done a lot of any of it but we’ll see.
Take care my friends and have a blessed and awesome weekend.
I wanted to run so bad tonight. It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to just go out and run without it either being so hot I can’t breath or so late it’s dark. So tonight at 7:30 I was done for the day, it was 75* and a bit breezy and I was ready. I grabbed my itouch, turned it on and……..crap, nothing. It was dead, so dead it took a few minutes after I plugged it in for it to be able to turn itself on. So I borrowed Mike but his is full of angry music. I know Mike, it’s not angry but it’s that kind where they yell a lot and it’s not my favorite. Anyways I finally got out and got warmed up, ready to go and they found me, those deerflies. I am sure there were enough of them buzzing around my head, biting me and being nasty pest they could of taken me for a ride. I ran as fast as I could, they can fly faster. The hotter I got the more of them showed up. By time I got home (3.5 miles in 42 minutes) I was so pissed and scratchy and crabby and beyond hot and tired. I don’t think this is the way a run is suppose to be, yes I moved my butt and moved it fast but my mind was going to explode. I HATE DEERFLIES!!!
I hope you all had a great day. Take care and God Bless!!
Well first and foremost my weight it up two pounds but I know why and I know at the end of the week it’ll be gone and hopefully the 2 pounds will follow. No worries there, it’s not permanent.
Exercise is good. Not always what I planned on for the challenge but my butt is moving. Wilbur and I’ve been walking/jogging up to 6 miles at a shot but I’m not using the C25K program. It makes me feel limited and I want to jog/run as long as I can when I can and right now not interested in someone telling me, run now…walk now…but I’m out there doing it so exercise is good.
Food has not been spot on this weekend. With the heat index in the 100’s I did not do any baking, cooking, grilling or anything. I even went out for supper and ate things that are not on any diet menu but regrets I don’t have, fun I did have and now it’s a new week to eat close to spot on and learn along the way.
I have never been on a diet, this is a life style change and change I really have. I know what’s going to bloat me, I know what’s going to clean me out, I know what’s going to make me feel good and what’s going to make me remember why I’m doing this in the first place. Everyone is on some kind of diet/life style change and we all do it differently but the end goal for all of us is to get healthy, feel good and love ourselves. It’s happening for me and I hope for you too.
Take care and have a blessed week.
I have to be honest because well you know that it’s me, I don’t ever pretend to be someone or something I’m not and I have to tell you I was terrible nervous to meet Michele. You never know what someone will think of you. You never know if it’ll be a difficult meeting. You never know if they’ll come to your humble home and want to escape but…. the minute Michele was at my door I knew there was nothing at all that I had to worry about. She is the sweetest, nicest, most pleasant person to be with and she was very easy to talk to. I am more of a writer, I’m not that much of a talker but I think it took me about 5 hours before I stopped talking. We didn’t run out of things to say, things to look at, things to do. It was a great visit. Michele brought with her the most amazing lunch for me to try. We had a lettuce salad but not lettuce that I normal have, beets, carrots, grapes, and some very good raspberry dressing, and then some pita bread and turkey too. It was a great lunch and so much fun eating things differently then I do here. For one of our activities I took Michele canoeing. She wanted to learn how to paddle, sit comfortable, and tip and not be afraid. Plus I taught her a couple other things like paddling when the canoe is full of water and also how to get into one. Now that was the hardest part of the day but she did it and she did it well. Mike came out with us too, just to make sure we were okay and also to help empty the canoe so we could do it all over again. Take a peek…
Oh I have to tell you, when Michele first got here she wanted a tour of my place so that was what we did and then I took her for a walk. Michele is from the cities and though she gets out plenty and has lots of pastures and meadows they are not quite the same as I have to offer up here. She had such a great time teaching me what the name of this and that butterfly was, this and that tree and those flowers or them flowers. It was so cool to learn some of these things that I just called by their generic names. She also taught me the name of the flower that Mike is most allergic too. Blue Vervain. It looks like this…
It’s a beautiful flower but not something Mike can go near without having big problems.
When we finished our walk, lunch and canoeing l took Michele for a ride to see more of our countryside. I took her to Cuyuna Country State Recreational area lookout and this is what she saw…
Then here on one of the many mountain biking trails.…
Then it was out to dinner at Coaches Corners. Brenda. my best friend, meet us there and we enjoyed more chatting.
It was a great visit, something I hope to repeat many more times in the years to come.
Thank you Michele for such a great visit.
I hope you all had a great weekend. I was so glad our heat wave waited until today to show up but my Lord is it horrible out there. The temps were 89* today with a heat index of 98*. And it rained again to bring that humidity up even more. It’ll be this way for another few days they are saying. My scouts are at camp this week, I’m feeling sorry for them. I am going up on Wednesday with treats, ice and a visit. Mike is going up tomorrow for Climb On Safely. It’s a BSA training course for teaching safe climbing. Mike loves to climb and lots of the scouts are wanting to also so Kevin our Scout Master and Mike are taking the class. I hope that they will be okay out in the heat.
Take care my friends and have an awesome week. Blessings to you all.
