Puppy disease, Canine parvovirus…

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.

Honesty is the best policy…

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.

Slimmer this Summer Challenge…

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.

Also, weight it up to 170.4...it sucks and it's not good. Have to fix it, NOW!!!

Change is good…I’m hoping…

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.

Deerflies and a dead itouch…

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!!

Slimmer this summer challenge…

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.

A meeting of the blogging minds….

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.

And the winner is…..and…..

Drum roll please……….the named picked out of the hat is………..

Pam:

EmptyNester has left a new comment on your post "Gotein…review…":
Ok, I'm IN! And I want to win! LOL
Seriously.

And the runners up for the coupons are:

Ronnie

Deb

Myra

So please send me your addresses and I will send out your goodies.

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Now for life here. Eat-close, exercise-boring, stress-off the charts but life is good. Tomorrow Michele is driving up here to visit, play and eat with me.

**********************************************

I will be back on Monday. Take care and have a blessed weekend.

Gotein…review…

Laura from Gotein contacted me: I am writing to tell you about a remarkable new Product called Gotein. Gotein is a protein powder designed for active WLS patients on the Go. Gotein is a protein powder that comes in a convenient stick pack that simply adds to your water bottle. Gotein contains 16-17g of Protein, 24 of your daily recommend vitamins and minerals, 1g Sugar, 6-7g carbs and 100-110 calories.  We would love to provide you with samples and a give away prize for a review.

Gotein™ Vanilla packet contains 17 grams of our special protein matrix, 5 grams of carbs, 24 essential vitamins and minerals, and is only 100 calories. Vanilla Gotein™ is nourishing and delicious for those want to treat their bodies.

Gotein™ Chocolate packet contains 16 grams of our special protein matrix, 6 grams of carbs, 24 essential vitamins and minerals, and is only 110 calories. Chocolate Gotein™ is nourishing with a delicious chocolate flavor.

 

Gotein™ Strawberry packet contains 17 grams of our special protein matrix, 6 grams of carbs, 24 essential vitamins and minerals, and is only 110 calories. Strawberry Gotein™ is also nourishing with a delicious fruit flavor.

So I gave it a try. It comes in Strawberry (which I couldn’t try because I’m allergic to strawberries but Mike loved it), Chocolate, which was fantastic and Vanilla which was so-so. I got to try two of each and I have to admit putting them in water made them taste okay, passable and good for you but I tried them in skim milk and they tasted amazing, yes it added calories but I figured it into my daily calorie and food allowance so I was good.

So if you are in need of a quick protein snack before or water your work outs. Or even cuz you hungry and it’s a bit of time before supper I’d say give these a try.

Now they provided me with a sample pack for a give away so just leave me a comment and by Friday I’ll pick a winner. I also have 3 20% discount coupons that I will send to the runners up. So that means 4 of you will get a chance to give it a try. I think you’ll be very happy with it.

If you’d like to read more go to www.gotein.com and enjoy their terrific website.

Take care my friends, I hope that you are having a blessed day.

STS Challenge…Phase 6 update…

Well you all know that I bowed out of Brad’s 5K in 100 days and he was very kind about it. He even has invited me to join the next group, if and when he starts one up. So today I went back to my C25K training.

My calories are better this past week. Not perfect but I took Mir’s suggestion and as I’m fixing the kids their meals I’m working hard on at least getting part of mine done. It’s not simple but with lots of thought it’s happening.

I am doing very well with my floor exercises. In fact the kids help me count and one of my little ones can now watch the second hand and know when a minute passes. I do however really, really miss working out at the gym. That sounds so weird from a woman who hated just walking to the mail box, wouldn’t lift a weight if she had too, who wouldn’t run, jog, bike or anything. I really miss it.

I have some NSV I have thought of this past week. I still am enjoying sitting and holding my leg and still breathing. I love putting lotion on my legs and being able to reach all of them. Trimming my toenails. Folding my shorts and remembering I use to fold my old ones in half and thought there were so huge and now opened wide it’s … well feels so nice. Ribs, collar bone, butt bones…things I’ve haven’t seen or felt in so many years and this year I can feel them and see them. Out walking my 6’4” son and husband with my itty bitty short legs, not always mind you but lots more then it use to be. Being able to bend over, lay bricks and breath. Swimming in a swimsuit and not feeling like a beached whale. Yep, loving the NSV.

I sent my weight into Allan for phase 6, a bit late today, noon my time but late his. 169.9. Not great but not back into the 170’s and hopefully never to be there again. My weight fluxes from 167-169, back and forth all week. Of course on the day to report it’s up even a bit more. But a big deal for me is 60 lbs lost now. I’ll take it, as slow as it’s coming off I’ll still take it.

So there you have it, my update. Not perfect, so very slow but excellent for me and really that is what counts. Lose it, keep it off, get healthy and enjoy life. I can do this, I can keep doing this, I WILL!!!!

Take care my friends. God Bless you all!!

No more 5K in 100 days…

I wrote Brad last night and told him I just can not keep up with the pace I’ve been doing. With working 14 hours a day, working with the scouts getting ready with the BWCA, with my garden, yard and so much more I am not getting in my 3 days a week of 50-60 minutes of walking. I am disappointed that I quit after he let me in after he closed this training session but I just can not do it. I am going to go back to the C25K when I can get my walks in and even though I wanted to run the full 5K in October I will just do my best, like I always do with my races and then come this winter I will train for a full run race, maybe even a 10K. I just can’t fit it all in and the stress of feeling like I’ve failed Brad just isn’t worth it.

Just more of my honesty. I can’t do it all, no matter how important it is I just can’t fit it in right now.

I hope you’re having a blessed Sunday. Take care my friends.

Itchy…

That’s what the sunburn is doing now but I can handle that, I can sleep again.

Today I taught my venture crew some canoe safety. Which means I put them in a canoe and tipped it, over and over again. Teaching them how to get into a canoe filled with water and paddling it around. Teaching them how to get as much water out of it and getting back into it without filling it up again. How to steer, how to paddle and how to just have fun and not panic when someone wiggles. They did excellent. I was tired cuz it’s a show and tell type teaching. After we worked on that for a couple of hours we then worked on our gear and needs. I think everyone is getting how important all of this prep is before heading to the BWCA for 9 days of no contact with civilization and just us to rely on.

I  have been starved the past couple of days but have been keeping things in check, pretty close. We are out of fruits and veggies so it’s been hard finding healthy but it’s shopping day tomorrow so that will be great.

Exercise hasn’t been up to par. I just am not finding the time, or maybe it’s taking the time cuz I am sitting down now and I could of done something other then my walk before this. I did work hard with the kids today so am counting that.

Look at what I found today…Soon we’ll be having our own fresh veggies. The beans looked excellent and starting to bud and the corn is over knee high now, the peppers have flowers and the kohlrabi needs thinning and is health too.

I hope you all are having a terrific weekend. Take care and God Bless!!!

Burnt to a cinder…and honesty…

Took the kids mini golfing, swimming, a picnic and then tonight canoeing with Mike. A full day in the sun on top of canoeing last evening in the sun too. Exercise is great, the sun is great, the kids were slathered in sun screen, I didn’t think of myself. DUMB!!! I have my own heater wrapped around my head right now. I think if you put a thermometer on my skin it would say….BURNT!!! Oh well, some cream and cold cloth and tomorrow it’ll be better.

Eating has not been spot on. Not terrible mind you but not great. When you spend as much time outside as possible there is no extra time for cooking. I still have daycare 10-12 hours a day so of course am cooking 3 meals a day for them and snacks but to plan ahead from me, well it isn’t happening. I know lots of people are busy beyond belief and are able to plan ahead, stick with a plan, be good, strong willed and able….me, well I’m still learning and working on it.

I have decided that fall, winter and spring are so much easier then summer and I really thought it would be the opposite. I thought busy would make it easier but that’s not true.

I read a post just a little bit ago from Laryssa about why we blog, why we tell the truth about our ups and downs and she is so right. 

Honesty is the best policy. Well honestly I’m trying but not as hard as I could be. Honestly I need to exercise like I did when I was at the gym. Honestly I can do this, to keep this weight off, to lose the last few pounds, to tone up all that still left hanging around. Honestly it’s just time to really try harder. Will I, honestly?….only time will tell.

I have been terrible at reading, commenting and even just visiting you all and you still take the time to come here. THANK YOU!!! I promise I’ll find some time to visit and check in and support you, I will!!

Take care my friends and have a blessed nights rest.

Wow, what a weekend…

You want to talk about busy. You want to talk about fun. How about you want to talk about a great family and many wonderful friends. That is what my weekend was.

We celebrated our 15th family reunion with a party for my mama and daddy’s 50th wedding anniversary. It turned out so great. It was mostly a surprise, I did share with mama a bit ahead and I told daddy the day of. But it was fantastic and the love, cards, sweet comments in the guest book, WOW!!! Here are the pictures to go with out great day.

I was told the cake was awesome. I did not have any. In fact I didn’t have any of the sweets except a couple tiny mints the whole day. No chips or dip. No breads either. I ate fruit, a few chicken wings, lots and lots of water and the veggie tray. I was a good girl.

Here’s the pre-party spread. Nothing on the back tables yet, it’s coming.

  

Mama always has a program with poems and music and some funnies and then of course I got to say something about the surprise.

Daddy waiting for the cue for the music.

 

These kids start out so little when the games begun. We use to not have any that were competitive because there would be hurt feelings if someone won so we always made them team games and not a win/lose kind. It was fun this year, we played games that were modified from the game show Minute to Win It. It was so much fun.

And the best, mama and daddy cutting their cake. 50 years guys, that’s a very long time to put up with your partners mistakes and quirks but the most important part, all of their love.

Here is the picture of their wedding picture and now. The cutest couple I know.

 

Well it’s a new week and I am sure I will have plenty more to share as the week goes by. Take care my friends and have a great one. God Bless you all!!

I am pretty sure….So here’s Monday’s update…

We have big family reunion on Monday along with all that Independence day offers so I am pretty sure I will not have time to do any type of post. I will after all is said and done but the challenge rules are on or before Monday.

So here’s this week’s update:

Well really there isn’t much to update really. I have been doing my exercises and have see a great improvement in my arms and back. My stomach, I just don’t know, I think that thing is here to hang around for days to come but…yes but…I am working on it.

I have been mental watching myself lately and my posture is not the greatest while I’m sitting down. Do any of you have that problem? You just hunch your shoulders, or roll them forward, when you sit down to use the computer or eat? I do find when I’m sitting back I sit tall but I am not one to sit in a chair all the way back, I’m more of the kind of person that lights on a chair for a little bit and jumps back up to do something else. I need to work on that and that just might help the stomach muscles too.

My eat hasn’t been spot on. My calories are good (1200 or so) but with Allan not really around I’m finding it hard to continue with his phase 6. I am finding I am more eating the good for me, regular stuff in great portions but not by the rules of Phase 6. I am guessing that is also why I haven’t lost anything again this week. Well the scale read 169.9 but that’s just 4 oz of fat gone. Still gone but not enough to really count yet.

My week was not a bust though, good exercise, great walking with my 5K in 100 days and eating in the right calorie amounts.

Stressed to the gills this week also. I am hoping that next week we can find a space where we are all comfortable. Today is Mike’s last day, I am hoping they wish him well. I still have my full time family gone, another almost full time family gone and one that was a full time cut back to part time so it’s leaving me with just one family most days and well if you took $800.00 out of your monthly income…I’m pretty sure you’d be stressed too. BUT…of course I’m good with the buts…I will survive, I will continue until I see another door opening or another opportunity in a different way to service kids. Kids are my passion and I just don’t want to lose them. Michele told me to look into some schooling so my future would be more open. I am thinking about this, it’s just I still have to have an income and not quite sure how to fit all that together but more thinking and planning.

Speaking of Michele, remember when I told you we were getting together down in her neck of the woods and going to go sight seeing and all kinds of cool things? Well with my money situation for me to go to her or to even invite her here and treat her to a day out was just not possible so a couple days ago I wrote her and explained and said maybe we should wait another month or two and things will improve. Well my dear Michele said “But, here is the deal: I can wait and will honor your decision, but I am fully able to come up and would enjoy the drive. I also am very easy, and can pack a picnic so we can just go somewhere and just talk. I do not need to go out or be treated. This can be my treat”. Now you tell me how sweet this woman is? I said, yes let’s do that, so on the 16th of this month my new dear friend is coming to meet me, be treated to my area’s walking trails and mines and maybe even a little bit of Antiquing. I really didn’t think I was that worthy of someone wanting to do this. I mean meeting someone in your neck of the woods is different but to drive 150 miles with a picnic and planning to spend the day with me. That is AWESOME!!!!

But I have to stop writing now, my eyes are leaking and it’s hard to type. So there you have my update for week 5 of Debbi’s and Mir’s Slimmer this Summer Challenge.

Take care my friends and have an awesome and spectacular and restful, relaxing, rejuvenating and just plain fun Independence day (or for any one else outside the USA, weekend!!). God Bless you all.