It's been a whirlwind of a fall and winter so far. When we turned the calendar to October, we were looking forward to pretty average fall and winter. The biggest "stuff" on our radar was all the "lasts" of life with Jacob still living under our roof full time. But shortly thereafter, things got crazy.
We took on this major addition/remodel/house project. It will be so, so wonderful once it is finished, but it most certainly throws a wrench into regular family life!
Then a couple weeks later the two older girls and I were offered the opportunity to spend Christmas in Cebu at CSC. We gave it only a few minutes of thought before we were in. So there were passports to get. And tickets. And plans to be made. And packing to do.
Then in November I was diagnosed with bursitis in both my hips. It was good to have a diagnosis and to know what was going on to cause all my hip pain. So that started a journey of PT to work on healing and diminished pain.
What was looking like a calm season took a turn. A crazy turn, but a turn that would lead to lots of fabulous destinations. Life is nothing if not a crazy ride!
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Thursday, October 6, 2016
A journey of a thousand miles (or maybe just one). On running and life.
I wrote this a couple months back. I wrote it mainly as a way to process my thoughts and feelings and life (because writing helps me do that). I wrote it mainly for myself. I shared it with my husband after I wrote it, but other than that it has just been for me . . . until now. Lately I have felt that I should share it, even though it is vulnerable and hard and I don't really want to do it.
It may be what someone else needs. It may be what the Lord uses to encourage someone else during a tough time. It may be what makes someone feel a little less alone or sad or isolated, or a timely reminder that they are not the only one who is struggling. For me, personally, things have turned around a bit now that the seasons have shifted from summer to fall (summer is always, always hard for me). I still have some stuff to work through and to work on, but I'm in a better place than I was when this was written.
So here you go. My heart ::
5 years ago I couldn't run for more than 30 seconds at a time without thinking I might die. Little by little by little that changed. In 2013 I ran a half marathon. I was a "Runner". It took me a long time to embrace that I was legit and could own my title of "Runner", but I finally got there. These days I'm much closer to the person I was in 2011 than the person I was in 2013, as far as running goes.
Probably a little more than a year ago now, something shifted in me. I started becoming more anxious than I had ever been before. I started feeling "off", not like myself and struggled to do normal, everyday things that I had never even given a second thought to before. I had a few hard life and relationship situations that took a significant toll on me. A couple times I tried being brave and authentic about one particular struggle and the authenticity backfired on me and seemed to make things worse. Since it was a pretty big deal for me to work up the courage to do that in the first place, that set me back. I didn't feel alive inside at all. At some point in there I'm pretty certain I crossed the line into depression. One Sunday, earlier this summer, I couldn't even go to church with my family because I, literally, could not stop crying (and church is one of my very favorite things!). A few months before all this, I had stopped running. I would try, sometimes, but I couldn't do it. Mentally. Physically. It just didn't work any more! I have some pretty significant physical pain (hip, knee, foot, hand, wrist -- not all at the same time, thankfully, but it was always something . . . or a few somethings). I don't know if the pain brought on the depression or if the depression lead to physical pain. I went to PT for a while, but it wasn't helping and was costing a lot, so I quit. I have also had a few panic attacks over the past year or so. If you haven't ever experienced one, those things are horrible! So painful and scary. I really think that it is one of those things that you can't understand without having experienced it for yourself. All of that weighed on me and sucked the life out of me.
If someone were to ask me today if I was a runner, I wouldn't know how to answer them. I own running shoes and technical running clothes, and running-related gadgets, but that is not what makes someone a runner. It's been hard to adjust to this stage: something that had, at one point, been a big part of who I was no longer fit. I can't agree to a group run with friends because I would never be able to keep up with them anymore (even thought I know they would never leave me behind). Since I also struggle to admit all of this to anyone, my running friends probably just thought I was blowing them off or didn't want to run with them. But I don't know any of that for sure, since I never opened up to tell them what was really going on.
The other day I ran a solid mile without stopping. That was huge! Even though not that long ago I could run 10, even 15 miles, this one solid mile seemed even more significant somehow. It was a solid 3+ minutes per miles slower than I used to run, but I ran the whole time without stopping. I still have a long way to go and I don't love (or even like) running like I used to, but I think that getting back "in the saddle" is something that I need to do if I want to get better. Both as a runner and as a person that I would actually like to be.
Things that make me feel alive are being outside, my family, creating things, meaningful music, good books, making note of the (seemingly) small blessings in each day, authentic relationships, writing, encouraging others, hanging my clothes out to dry, reading a good book -- and I wasn't doing enough of any of those things. Often, I couldn't muster up what it took to get off the couch, which makes it hard to create much or spend time outdoors or be with others or do any of those things.
I think legitimately admitting to the struggles is a good place to start to get better. I have been reading things lately that have been helpful with different aspects of my struggles. I know that I am not alone in this. I should get off the couch more often. I should go outside more. I should make more stuff. I should probably get on some drugs.
Writing helps me to process my thoughts. But getting things out on paper (even if only for myself) takes vulnerability that is scary. Until you say it out loud or write it down, it is easier to pretend that it's not real. Or that it's just a "rough patch" or a "tough season", rather than an actual ongoing problem that needs addressing. Here's to the first step of putting it out there!
It may be what someone else needs. It may be what the Lord uses to encourage someone else during a tough time. It may be what makes someone feel a little less alone or sad or isolated, or a timely reminder that they are not the only one who is struggling. For me, personally, things have turned around a bit now that the seasons have shifted from summer to fall (summer is always, always hard for me). I still have some stuff to work through and to work on, but I'm in a better place than I was when this was written.
So here you go. My heart ::
5 years ago I couldn't run for more than 30 seconds at a time without thinking I might die. Little by little by little that changed. In 2013 I ran a half marathon. I was a "Runner". It took me a long time to embrace that I was legit and could own my title of "Runner", but I finally got there. These days I'm much closer to the person I was in 2011 than the person I was in 2013, as far as running goes.
Probably a little more than a year ago now, something shifted in me. I started becoming more anxious than I had ever been before. I started feeling "off", not like myself and struggled to do normal, everyday things that I had never even given a second thought to before. I had a few hard life and relationship situations that took a significant toll on me. A couple times I tried being brave and authentic about one particular struggle and the authenticity backfired on me and seemed to make things worse. Since it was a pretty big deal for me to work up the courage to do that in the first place, that set me back. I didn't feel alive inside at all. At some point in there I'm pretty certain I crossed the line into depression. One Sunday, earlier this summer, I couldn't even go to church with my family because I, literally, could not stop crying (and church is one of my very favorite things!). A few months before all this, I had stopped running. I would try, sometimes, but I couldn't do it. Mentally. Physically. It just didn't work any more! I have some pretty significant physical pain (hip, knee, foot, hand, wrist -- not all at the same time, thankfully, but it was always something . . . or a few somethings). I don't know if the pain brought on the depression or if the depression lead to physical pain. I went to PT for a while, but it wasn't helping and was costing a lot, so I quit. I have also had a few panic attacks over the past year or so. If you haven't ever experienced one, those things are horrible! So painful and scary. I really think that it is one of those things that you can't understand without having experienced it for yourself. All of that weighed on me and sucked the life out of me.
If someone were to ask me today if I was a runner, I wouldn't know how to answer them. I own running shoes and technical running clothes, and running-related gadgets, but that is not what makes someone a runner. It's been hard to adjust to this stage: something that had, at one point, been a big part of who I was no longer fit. I can't agree to a group run with friends because I would never be able to keep up with them anymore (even thought I know they would never leave me behind). Since I also struggle to admit all of this to anyone, my running friends probably just thought I was blowing them off or didn't want to run with them. But I don't know any of that for sure, since I never opened up to tell them what was really going on.
The other day I ran a solid mile without stopping. That was huge! Even though not that long ago I could run 10, even 15 miles, this one solid mile seemed even more significant somehow. It was a solid 3+ minutes per miles slower than I used to run, but I ran the whole time without stopping. I still have a long way to go and I don't love (or even like) running like I used to, but I think that getting back "in the saddle" is something that I need to do if I want to get better. Both as a runner and as a person that I would actually like to be.
Things that make me feel alive are being outside, my family, creating things, meaningful music, good books, making note of the (seemingly) small blessings in each day, authentic relationships, writing, encouraging others, hanging my clothes out to dry, reading a good book -- and I wasn't doing enough of any of those things. Often, I couldn't muster up what it took to get off the couch, which makes it hard to create much or spend time outdoors or be with others or do any of those things.
I think legitimately admitting to the struggles is a good place to start to get better. I have been reading things lately that have been helpful with different aspects of my struggles. I know that I am not alone in this. I should get off the couch more often. I should go outside more. I should make more stuff. I should probably get on some drugs.
Writing helps me to process my thoughts. But getting things out on paper (even if only for myself) takes vulnerability that is scary. Until you say it out loud or write it down, it is easier to pretend that it's not real. Or that it's just a "rough patch" or a "tough season", rather than an actual ongoing problem that needs addressing. Here's to the first step of putting it out there!
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
19
Yesterday was our 19th wedding anniversary. 19 years. That's nearly half my life at this point. It seems, simultaneously, that we have always been married and that it was just the other day that we were walking down the isle. Time is strange like that so much of the time! I can't imagine a person I would rather travel the journey of life with that my husband. We are a great team! We have a great time together and compliment each other well. He loves me way better than I deserve and is so patient. I am constantly grateful for the immense blessing he is in my life and in the life of our family. He rocks! (also, I think he's pretty darn cute!)
This particular anniversary, as it turns out, we were face to face with a few of the less favorable phrases from our nearly two-decade-old vows :: "in sickness" and "for worse". I have probably, in retrospect, not felt great for a few weeks now, but life is pretty busy in September so I just kept moving forward. Well, life also has a way of stopping you in your tracks when you've gotten to a certain point. Early yesterday afternoon I developed a headache. Not totally uncommon for me, although not normal either. I did my normal "headache stuff" and nothing seemed to help at all -- in fact it kept getting worse. Then I took a couple ibuprofen (which I don't normally do or need to do, but this was quite a headache!) and still it just kept getting worse. Monday nights, as it turns out, all 6 kids have activities. 3 with gymnastics, 2 with football and 1 at tennis. It is the one night of the week that is always crazy. Well, by the time we needed to start shuttling kids to and from stuff, I didn't feel like I could safely operate a motorized vehicle. I had extreme pain and was feeling dizzy/weird. So I crawled in our bed about 5 pm. I got up to eat a little something at some point and finally to brush my teeth and change out of my clothes before going to bed "for real" for the night. I woke up this morning after more than 12 hours of sleep (I slept pretty well, thankfully), but still had some pretty serious pain in my head. The dizziness was gone, but had been replaced by a weird fuzzy/out-of-body feeling that was so strange -- similar to the feeling you have when you arrive home from somewhere in your car and can't exactly remember how you got home; you can't remember the streets you drove on, or the route you took, or the time in between when you left point A to drive to point B. I think most people have experienced that and know what I'm talking about. I knew that I had walked the kids to school and had conversations with a few people, but didn't really remember or register fully any of the morning. So, I called my chiropractor and scheduled an appointment for late morning. I went and he worked on my and said my neck and upper back were a really big mess of tension and misalignment. He said that he thought I should start to feel better soon and that if I woke up tomorrow still in pain, I should come back. He's a great guy and I'm thankful for him. The pain has lessened already, but the other weird feelings are still sticking around. I'm hoping to be clear-headed before the kids get home from school.
This 19th year of marriage has probably been the toughest one we've had, not on the marriage front particularly, just the general life kind of stuff has been stretching, to put it mildly. It's also been wonderful, with lots of blessings and laughter and fun. But it hasn't been easy! I'm hoping for a re-do on anniversary celebrating later this week, headache-free and am also hopeful that one of these days (weeks, months . . .) things will take a turn for us and we can quit holding our breath and finally breathe a little easier around here.
Here's to a great 20th year of marriage. I would be a disaster without this guy by my side! I am so thankful for him and that he loves me! What a blessing.
This particular anniversary, as it turns out, we were face to face with a few of the less favorable phrases from our nearly two-decade-old vows :: "in sickness" and "for worse". I have probably, in retrospect, not felt great for a few weeks now, but life is pretty busy in September so I just kept moving forward. Well, life also has a way of stopping you in your tracks when you've gotten to a certain point. Early yesterday afternoon I developed a headache. Not totally uncommon for me, although not normal either. I did my normal "headache stuff" and nothing seemed to help at all -- in fact it kept getting worse. Then I took a couple ibuprofen (which I don't normally do or need to do, but this was quite a headache!) and still it just kept getting worse. Monday nights, as it turns out, all 6 kids have activities. 3 with gymnastics, 2 with football and 1 at tennis. It is the one night of the week that is always crazy. Well, by the time we needed to start shuttling kids to and from stuff, I didn't feel like I could safely operate a motorized vehicle. I had extreme pain and was feeling dizzy/weird. So I crawled in our bed about 5 pm. I got up to eat a little something at some point and finally to brush my teeth and change out of my clothes before going to bed "for real" for the night. I woke up this morning after more than 12 hours of sleep (I slept pretty well, thankfully), but still had some pretty serious pain in my head. The dizziness was gone, but had been replaced by a weird fuzzy/out-of-body feeling that was so strange -- similar to the feeling you have when you arrive home from somewhere in your car and can't exactly remember how you got home; you can't remember the streets you drove on, or the route you took, or the time in between when you left point A to drive to point B. I think most people have experienced that and know what I'm talking about. I knew that I had walked the kids to school and had conversations with a few people, but didn't really remember or register fully any of the morning. So, I called my chiropractor and scheduled an appointment for late morning. I went and he worked on my and said my neck and upper back were a really big mess of tension and misalignment. He said that he thought I should start to feel better soon and that if I woke up tomorrow still in pain, I should come back. He's a great guy and I'm thankful for him. The pain has lessened already, but the other weird feelings are still sticking around. I'm hoping to be clear-headed before the kids get home from school.
This 19th year of marriage has probably been the toughest one we've had, not on the marriage front particularly, just the general life kind of stuff has been stretching, to put it mildly. It's also been wonderful, with lots of blessings and laughter and fun. But it hasn't been easy! I'm hoping for a re-do on anniversary celebrating later this week, headache-free and am also hopeful that one of these days (weeks, months . . .) things will take a turn for us and we can quit holding our breath and finally breathe a little easier around here.
Here's to a great 20th year of marriage. I would be a disaster without this guy by my side! I am so thankful for him and that he loves me! What a blessing.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Multitude Monday
I know, I know. It's Tuesday (again). What can I say? . . . here's my continuing Multitude "Monday" post which is part of a series started years ago on Ann's blog, which is a favorite of mine. If you've never checked it out, do yourself a favor and click on over. She's an amazing, gifted writer, a wonderful friend and an inspiration to so many (not to mention a mother of 6)!
3797. a Wild jersey in a bag of hand-me-downs for Joe
3798. fresh haircut
3799. time with a friend
3800. Costco . . . I love it there
3801. The back door on our mailbox :: so I don't have to walk into the middle of the road to get the mail
3802. 20 degrees and no wind
3803. a nice afternoon run
3804. a gifted hotel room from a friend who travels a lot for work -- so we don't have to pay for lodging for Joe to go to the regional swim meet in Iowa
3805. my parents willingness to drive Joe to Iowa for the meet
3806. a nice group of friends who came over to learn more about health and wellness
3807. dinner with a delightful family from church
3808. a fabulous concert with the 3 "bigs" :: watching them worship is good for my soul
3809. surprising the kids with the fact that we had back-stage passes and would get to meet Toby Mac
3810. an injury-free, fun first time downhill skiing for Lydia
3811. Valentine candy and kids who share
3812. 22 years since I first fell for my Valentine
3813. a weather warm up
3714. a Valentine tea party at my mom's house (just the girls)
3815. the beauty of fresh snow
3816. a long weekend
3817. planning for a warm-weather, kidless get-away with my Valentine
3718. pancakes
3719. dinner at my parents house
3720. after-dinner game of Spinners
3721. crossing stuff off my LONG to do list :: one thing at a time
3722. Joe's excitement about the regional swim meet
3723. a good book, a warm blanket and a cup of coffee
3724. SugaRush donuts :: yum!
3725. sunshine
3726. the sound of birds singing
3727. walking the kids to school
3728. the sound of snow crunching under your feet
3729. restocking our Little Free Library
3730. 10 years since Evelyn's transplant (she was almost exactly the age Sara is now when she got her new heart . . . so thankful for her donor, wise doctors and her life)
3731. seeing Clarence at church again following his surgery
3732. chatting with our favorite 90-something neighbor who was out shoveling as we were coming home from a walk
May you realize all the blessings the Lord brings your way and take the time to make note of them. (you'll be glad that you did!)
"One Thousand Gifts"::
3797. a Wild jersey in a bag of hand-me-downs for Joe
3799. time with a friend
3800. Costco . . . I love it there
3801. The back door on our mailbox :: so I don't have to walk into the middle of the road to get the mail
3802. 20 degrees and no wind
3803. a nice afternoon run
3804. a gifted hotel room from a friend who travels a lot for work -- so we don't have to pay for lodging for Joe to go to the regional swim meet in Iowa
3805. my parents willingness to drive Joe to Iowa for the meet
3806. a nice group of friends who came over to learn more about health and wellness
3807. dinner with a delightful family from church
3808. a fabulous concert with the 3 "bigs" :: watching them worship is good for my soul
3809. surprising the kids with the fact that we had back-stage passes and would get to meet Toby Mac
3810. an injury-free, fun first time downhill skiing for Lydia
3811. Valentine candy and kids who share
3812. 22 years since I first fell for my Valentine
3813. a weather warm up
3714. a Valentine tea party at my mom's house (just the girls)
3816. a long weekend
3817. planning for a warm-weather, kidless get-away with my Valentine
3718. pancakes
3719. dinner at my parents house
3720. after-dinner game of Spinners
3721. crossing stuff off my LONG to do list :: one thing at a time
3722. Joe's excitement about the regional swim meet
3723. a good book, a warm blanket and a cup of coffee
3724. SugaRush donuts :: yum!
3725. sunshine
3726. the sound of birds singing
3727. walking the kids to school
3728. the sound of snow crunching under your feet
3729. restocking our Little Free Library
3730. 10 years since Evelyn's transplant (she was almost exactly the age Sara is now when she got her new heart . . . so thankful for her donor, wise doctors and her life)
3731. seeing Clarence at church again following his surgery
3732. chatting with our favorite 90-something neighbor who was out shoveling as we were coming home from a walk
May you realize all the blessings the Lord brings your way and take the time to make note of them. (you'll be glad that you did!)
Monday, February 3, 2014
Multitude Monday
Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post which is part of a series started years ago on Ann's blog, which is a favorite of mine. If you've never checked it out, do yourself a favor and click on over. She's an amazing, gifted writer, a wonderful friend and an inspiration (not to mention a mother of 6)!
3754. fun crafting
3755. date night
3756. fabulous production by Theater for the Thirsty at Art House North
3757. fun (and safe) weekend retreat for Jacob and Rebekah with our church youth group
3758. good night of fellowship with women from church
3759. much-needed 1 and 2 day breaks from the bitter cold
3760. flipping the calendar to a fresh, new (hopefully warmer!) month
3761. all the puke ending up in the toilet -- thank heavens for good aim!
3762. new holes in Rebekah's ears
3763. fun family day at MOA (except for the part where I fainted unexpectedly)
3764. finding another restaurant that Jacob can eat at
3765. nurse triage that calls to check on you . . . always handy to have a nurse as a friend!
3766. new pillows
3767. the hum of the washing machine (soundtrack of my life!)
3768. Sara's imagination (I love listening to the stories she makes up)
May you realize all the blessings the Lord brings your way and take the time to make note of them. (you'll be glad that you did!)
"One Thousand Gifts"::
3754. fun crafting
3755. date night
3756. fabulous production by Theater for the Thirsty at Art House North
3757. fun (and safe) weekend retreat for Jacob and Rebekah with our church youth group
3758. good night of fellowship with women from church
3759. much-needed 1 and 2 day breaks from the bitter cold
3760. flipping the calendar to a fresh, new (hopefully warmer!) month
3761. all the puke ending up in the toilet -- thank heavens for good aim!
3762. new holes in Rebekah's ears
3763. fun family day at MOA (except for the part where I fainted unexpectedly)
3764. finding another restaurant that Jacob can eat at
3765. nurse triage that calls to check on you . . . always handy to have a nurse as a friend!
3766. new pillows
3767. the hum of the washing machine (soundtrack of my life!)
3768. Sara's imagination (I love listening to the stories she makes up)
May you realize all the blessings the Lord brings your way and take the time to make note of them. (you'll be glad that you did!)
Friday, January 31, 2014
Flashback Friday
2013 was a year of renewed health for us! During the 12 months of 2013 (actually mostly in the first half of the year) Kirby and I lost a combined 70 pounds (give or take a few) and got way healthier and feel significantly better than we have in as long as we can remember. We are so thankful for the changes that has brought to our lives. Many people have asked us how we've done it. What's the secret? So I thought I'd share. It's not magic and it hasn't always been easy or without sacrifice, but it has been so very worth it! Every treat not eaten, every dollar spent, ever minute of exercise. All worth it to get to this place.
Here we are in August of 2012 (or maybe early September . . . we were at the state fair when it was taken). I am amazed when I look back at old pictures at how far we have come!
I finally had had enough! I was tired all the time, didn't feel good overall, and certainly needed to lose some weight. I also wanted to get in shape and just be healthier overall. I had tried changing my eating, exercising more and nothing ever seemed to work. Or to stick.
I had an acquaintance (friend of a friend) that I knew had lost significant weight with the help of some natural, whole food-based supplements. I was curious, but skeptical. Finally one day I asked her about it. Turns out it was more than I wanted to spend and I wasn't sure it was worth it -- or that I trusted it would work -- so I just kept on doing nothing. Then I found out that another acquaintance of mine (wife of a guy Kirby used to work with) had regained her energy and health AND lost weight (I wouldn't have thought she had any weight to lose, but the 15 pounds she lost were a bonus on top of the new-found health!) using the exact same supplements. I got more curious and less skeptical. I thought about it a few more months and finally bit the bullet and ordered the starter kit of supplements. They have a 30-day 100% money back guarantee, so I figured I had nothing to lose.
I started on the supplements in November of 2012 and lost about 6 pounds the first week and proceeded to slowly and steadily keep losing until I'd lost a little more than 30 pounds. I have kept that 30 pounds off now for nearly a year. Kirby joined me in using the products in January of 2013 and he lost about 40 pounds over the course of a few months and has kept his weight off as well.
Here we are in August of 2013. Almost exactly a year after that other picture was taken. What a difference a year can make.
More important to use than the weight we have lost is the fact that we have gained energy. We have gained health. I was able to go off a prescription that I took for asthma -- which, with the weight loss and overall health gained was no longer an issue for me. Kirb used to suffer from pretty regular migraine headaches and has not had one now in about a year. We can do better all the things we love to do and enjoy more the time with our kiddos without getting completely worn out. Being healthy is really quite wonderful and fun!
Anyway, it has been a life-changer for us! We both feel good enough and energetic enough these days that we've taken up running. I ran a half marathon last fall :: something I never imagined myself doing (or even wanting to do!) Kirb went on quite a few long training runs with me and was my cheerleader. We have made changes to our eating. Mostly in the times of day that we do our eating (earlier in the day, rather than later) than in the foods that we eat, although there has been that aspect too. We are so thankful to have discovered better health. What a blessing!
The supplements are from a company called Xyngular. The have a product line of about a dozen different supplements (what you think of as traditional supplements -- pills that you swallow with water as well as juice, freeze dried powder that you add to water and drink, protein powder to make shakes, etc.). They are fabulous, not only for weight loss, but for improved health over all. I started out a skeptic, but now believe that they are wonderful and have my own (new) life as proof of that. I had heard stories of people finding relief from migraines, chronic pain, eczema and psoriasis, asthma, increased energy and focus, improvement in ADHD symptoms, improved blood sugar levels for diabetics, less illness, improved immunity and many more. It's not magic and won't happen all on it's own, but I know it has made all the difference for us. We couldn't have done it without the help these products gave us. We continue to use some of the products to maintain our health, and I feel like that won't ever change. We don't use the entire line of products every day, but it has become a part of our life now and we are so thankful.
It is no where near as important to me as my faith in God, but it feels very similar in many ways. I feel evangelistic about the products, but also reluctant and timid in sharing that with others. They have made a major change in my life -- as has my faith. If you are at all interested in hearing more. Just let me know, I'd be happy to tell you.
Here we are in August of 2012 (or maybe early September . . . we were at the state fair when it was taken). I am amazed when I look back at old pictures at how far we have come!
I finally had had enough! I was tired all the time, didn't feel good overall, and certainly needed to lose some weight. I also wanted to get in shape and just be healthier overall. I had tried changing my eating, exercising more and nothing ever seemed to work. Or to stick.
I had an acquaintance (friend of a friend) that I knew had lost significant weight with the help of some natural, whole food-based supplements. I was curious, but skeptical. Finally one day I asked her about it. Turns out it was more than I wanted to spend and I wasn't sure it was worth it -- or that I trusted it would work -- so I just kept on doing nothing. Then I found out that another acquaintance of mine (wife of a guy Kirby used to work with) had regained her energy and health AND lost weight (I wouldn't have thought she had any weight to lose, but the 15 pounds she lost were a bonus on top of the new-found health!) using the exact same supplements. I got more curious and less skeptical. I thought about it a few more months and finally bit the bullet and ordered the starter kit of supplements. They have a 30-day 100% money back guarantee, so I figured I had nothing to lose.
I started on the supplements in November of 2012 and lost about 6 pounds the first week and proceeded to slowly and steadily keep losing until I'd lost a little more than 30 pounds. I have kept that 30 pounds off now for nearly a year. Kirby joined me in using the products in January of 2013 and he lost about 40 pounds over the course of a few months and has kept his weight off as well.
Here we are in August of 2013. Almost exactly a year after that other picture was taken. What a difference a year can make.
More important to use than the weight we have lost is the fact that we have gained energy. We have gained health. I was able to go off a prescription that I took for asthma -- which, with the weight loss and overall health gained was no longer an issue for me. Kirb used to suffer from pretty regular migraine headaches and has not had one now in about a year. We can do better all the things we love to do and enjoy more the time with our kiddos without getting completely worn out. Being healthy is really quite wonderful and fun!
Anyway, it has been a life-changer for us! We both feel good enough and energetic enough these days that we've taken up running. I ran a half marathon last fall :: something I never imagined myself doing (or even wanting to do!) Kirb went on quite a few long training runs with me and was my cheerleader. We have made changes to our eating. Mostly in the times of day that we do our eating (earlier in the day, rather than later) than in the foods that we eat, although there has been that aspect too. We are so thankful to have discovered better health. What a blessing!
The supplements are from a company called Xyngular. The have a product line of about a dozen different supplements (what you think of as traditional supplements -- pills that you swallow with water as well as juice, freeze dried powder that you add to water and drink, protein powder to make shakes, etc.). They are fabulous, not only for weight loss, but for improved health over all. I started out a skeptic, but now believe that they are wonderful and have my own (new) life as proof of that. I had heard stories of people finding relief from migraines, chronic pain, eczema and psoriasis, asthma, increased energy and focus, improvement in ADHD symptoms, improved blood sugar levels for diabetics, less illness, improved immunity and many more. It's not magic and won't happen all on it's own, but I know it has made all the difference for us. We couldn't have done it without the help these products gave us. We continue to use some of the products to maintain our health, and I feel like that won't ever change. We don't use the entire line of products every day, but it has become a part of our life now and we are so thankful.
It is no where near as important to me as my faith in God, but it feels very similar in many ways. I feel evangelistic about the products, but also reluctant and timid in sharing that with others. They have made a major change in my life -- as has my faith. If you are at all interested in hearing more. Just let me know, I'd be happy to tell you.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Multitude Monday
Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post which is part of a series started years ago on Ann's wonderful, amazing blog that is a favorite of mine. If you've never checked it out, do yourself a favor and click on over. She's an amazing, gifted writer, a wonderful friend and an inspiration (not to mention a mother of 6)!
3709. making another batch of chai (great on cold days)
3710. laughter
3711. the beauty of fresh snow
3712. the quiet of early morning
3713. time with friends
3714. Sam's first day back at school
3715. the little girls all bundled up, playing in the snow
3716. freshly fallen snow
3717. Bible study with my girls
3718. a good book
3719. Trader Joe's cinnamon graham crackers (YUM!)
3720. carpooling
3721. a long weekend
3722. a 2-day break from the bitter cold
3723. a 5-mile outdoor run on a sunny Saturday
3724. Lydia spending the day with her GG
3725. purging :: "spring" cleaning in January
3726. sound of a train whistle cutting through the still, quiet morning
3727. Joe pre-heating my spot in bed
3728. watching "Parenthood" with Kirb after a long day (tears. every time. tears!)
3729. Kirb bringing me a surprise latte on another (in a long line) "polar vortex" morning
3730. a warm home
3731. warm clothes
3732. a good book
3733. organized Legos
3734. almost 200 pounds of stuff gone from our house during my 10-day "spring" cleaning purge
3735. morning snuggles and iPhone devotions with Anna
3736. Saturday mornings spent with my grandma
3737. 2 vehicles that start, even when temps are well below zero
3738. the tropical feel of the pool deck in the middle of winter
3739. running while the snow is falling. BEAUTIFUL!
3740. the blessing of not having to scramble for childcare -- 3 polar vortex no-school days so far in January (with potential for a couple more next week)
3741. Rebekah's babysitting jobs keeping her busy (and making money)
3742. a cleaned out medicine cabinet . . . and kids who notice
3743. the library
3744. an extended weekend -- even Kirb home due to ultra cold temps and windchills
3745. Jacob no worse off after an allergic reaction sent him to the ER for a visit and a bit of a stay
3746. modern medicine and drugs to combat his reaction and bring his handsome self back home. whole and healthy. thank you, God!
3747. our (hard working) furnace
3748. quiet morning devotions
3749. fresh starts
3750. new Odyssey's for the kids to enjoy
3751. youth group on Sunday night
3752. Anna, the proud owner of her very own library card
3753. a great section swim meet for our 3 swimmers (there's a first place backstrok-er in the house!)
May you realize all the blessings the Lord brings your way and take the time to make note of them. (you'll be glad that you did!)
"One Thousand Gifts"::
3709. making another batch of chai (great on cold days)
3710. laughter
3711. the beauty of fresh snow
3712. the quiet of early morning
3713. time with friends
3714. Sam's first day back at school
3715. the little girls all bundled up, playing in the snow
3716. freshly fallen snow
3717. Bible study with my girls
3718. a good book
3719. Trader Joe's cinnamon graham crackers (YUM!)
3720. carpooling
3721. a long weekend
3722. a 2-day break from the bitter cold
3723. a 5-mile outdoor run on a sunny Saturday
3724. Lydia spending the day with her GG
3725. purging :: "spring" cleaning in January
3726. sound of a train whistle cutting through the still, quiet morning
3727. Joe pre-heating my spot in bed
3728. watching "Parenthood" with Kirb after a long day (tears. every time. tears!)
3729. Kirb bringing me a surprise latte on another (in a long line) "polar vortex" morning
3730. a warm home
3731. warm clothes
3732. a good book
3733. organized Legos
3734. almost 200 pounds of stuff gone from our house during my 10-day "spring" cleaning purge
3735. morning snuggles and iPhone devotions with Anna
3736. Saturday mornings spent with my grandma
3738. the tropical feel of the pool deck in the middle of winter
3739. running while the snow is falling. BEAUTIFUL!
3740. the blessing of not having to scramble for childcare -- 3 polar vortex no-school days so far in January (with potential for a couple more next week)
3741. Rebekah's babysitting jobs keeping her busy (and making money)
3742. a cleaned out medicine cabinet . . . and kids who notice
3743. the library
3744. an extended weekend -- even Kirb home due to ultra cold temps and windchills
3745. Jacob no worse off after an allergic reaction sent him to the ER for a visit and a bit of a stay
3746. modern medicine and drugs to combat his reaction and bring his handsome self back home. whole and healthy. thank you, God!
3748. quiet morning devotions
3749. fresh starts
3750. new Odyssey's for the kids to enjoy
3751. youth group on Sunday night
3752. Anna, the proud owner of her very own library card
3753. a great section swim meet for our 3 swimmers (there's a first place backstrok-er in the house!)
May you realize all the blessings the Lord brings your way and take the time to make note of them. (you'll be glad that you did!)
Monday, January 13, 2014
Multitude Monday
Without any further delay, here's my continuing Multitude Monday post which is part of a series started years ago on Ann's wonderful, amazing blog that is a favorite of mine. If you've never checked it out, do yourself a favor and click on over. She's an amazing, gifted writer, a wonderful friend and an inspiration (not to mention a mother of 6)!
3691. another fever-free, seizure-free night for Sam
3692. no middle of the night phone calls
3693. tamiflu for Kirbs' influenza A
3694. pancakes
3695. warmer temps
3696. Sam home from the hospital and sleeping in his own bed
3697. outside running 3 days in a row (one day in capris, even!)
3698. naps
3699. a "new" Garmin (how I love hand-me-downs!)
3700. hanging out at GG's watching the original Parent Trap
3701. Refresh prayer night at church
3702. cleaning out closets
3703. an almond latte (bought with a gift card!)
3704. my favorite blanket
3705. sunshine and 40
3706. Sara's new ECFE class
3707. mother-daughter date with Anna
3708. book club night
May you realize all the blessings the Lord brings your way and take the time to make note of them. (you'll be glad that you did!)
"One Thousand Gifts"::
3691. another fever-free, seizure-free night for Sam
3692. no middle of the night phone calls
3693. tamiflu for Kirbs' influenza A
3694. pancakes
3695. warmer temps
3696. Sam home from the hospital and sleeping in his own bed
3697. outside running 3 days in a row (one day in capris, even!)
3698. naps
3699. a "new" Garmin (how I love hand-me-downs!)
3700. hanging out at GG's watching the original Parent Trap
3701. Refresh prayer night at church
3702. cleaning out closets
3703. an almond latte (bought with a gift card!)
3704. my favorite blanket
3705. sunshine and 40
3706. Sara's new ECFE class
3707. mother-daughter date with Anna
3708. book club night
May you realize all the blessings the Lord brings your way and take the time to make note of them. (you'll be glad that you did!)
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Thankful Thursday
When you feel the first beginnings of alertness as you awaken in the morning and your first thought is "I slept all night. The phone didn't ring.", that is something to be thankful for! Most people don't even have this though in the morning. That is good and right and normal.If you have reason to think that as your waking thought, obviously, the opposite has been true. And when you wake up and realize nothing interrupted your sleep the previous night, you are thankful! Thank you, Lord, for a peaceful, normal night! I slept with my land line and my cell next to my bed and they both were quiet all night.
2 nights in a row a ringing phone cuts through our silent house. This is never a good thing!
Long story short, my very dearest friend's son is in the hospital. Has been there since Sunday night. Lord willing, he'll go home tomorrow. That is a LONG time to be in the hospital, by today's standards. Especially if you are 9. It has been a scary week! A middle-of-the-night seizure got him a ride in an ambulance (that he doesn't remember) to the hospital. Another (much worse) middle-of-the-night seizure the next night proved the first one wasn't just a fluke as we had hoped. After a TON of not-too-fun tests and exams, he has a diagnosis and we're praying hard that he keeps getting stronger and healthier with each hour (and especially, each night) that passes. Thank God for modern medicine and anti-seizure drugs!
The truth-teller, rule-follower in me cringes a little inside when she introduces me to the rounding ICU doc :: "This is my sister. Sam's aunt." She mean it with all her heart, and I believe it too. But a little part of me worries we'll be "found out". Will they catch us and accuse us of lying or deceit? No one cares, really. They believe us. (Who wouldn't. We look SO much alike . . . well, except the hair color, skin color, body shape, 9 inches of height difference. You know, no big deal). She is an only child. I have a younger brother. Growing up, there would be summers when I'm fairly certain she went DAYS without seeing her parents. She practically lived at our house. Kept a toothbrush there. Didn't ask if it was ok before opening the fridge and taking whatever she wanted. Using our toilet with the door open. Family stuff! We really are sisters in any way that counts! We have been friends for decades (about 3 of them, if you care to know). Friends through good and plenty of bad! I've never had an "actual" sister, but I can't imagine I could be any more "sisterly" with someone who actually lived in my house every day growing up, whose college and wedding was paid for by the same 2 adults as mine. I'm pretty certain this is as good as it gets :: I adore her. She drives me nutty. You know, just like a sister should! I would call her in the middle of the night, without a thought, if I needed her and she would do the same (I have phone records from this week as evidence of that fact).
So I hurt with her. Pray with her. Worry with her. And when I wake up in the morning to the realization of a phone call-free night, I am thankful with her. I am thankful today!
2 nights in a row a ringing phone cuts through our silent house. This is never a good thing!
Long story short, my very dearest friend's son is in the hospital. Has been there since Sunday night. Lord willing, he'll go home tomorrow. That is a LONG time to be in the hospital, by today's standards. Especially if you are 9. It has been a scary week! A middle-of-the-night seizure got him a ride in an ambulance (that he doesn't remember) to the hospital. Another (much worse) middle-of-the-night seizure the next night proved the first one wasn't just a fluke as we had hoped. After a TON of not-too-fun tests and exams, he has a diagnosis and we're praying hard that he keeps getting stronger and healthier with each hour (and especially, each night) that passes. Thank God for modern medicine and anti-seizure drugs!
The truth-teller, rule-follower in me cringes a little inside when she introduces me to the rounding ICU doc :: "This is my sister. Sam's aunt." She mean it with all her heart, and I believe it too. But a little part of me worries we'll be "found out". Will they catch us and accuse us of lying or deceit? No one cares, really. They believe us. (Who wouldn't. We look SO much alike . . . well, except the hair color, skin color, body shape, 9 inches of height difference. You know, no big deal). She is an only child. I have a younger brother. Growing up, there would be summers when I'm fairly certain she went DAYS without seeing her parents. She practically lived at our house. Kept a toothbrush there. Didn't ask if it was ok before opening the fridge and taking whatever she wanted. Using our toilet with the door open. Family stuff! We really are sisters in any way that counts! We have been friends for decades (about 3 of them, if you care to know). Friends through good and plenty of bad! I've never had an "actual" sister, but I can't imagine I could be any more "sisterly" with someone who actually lived in my house every day growing up, whose college and wedding was paid for by the same 2 adults as mine. I'm pretty certain this is as good as it gets :: I adore her. She drives me nutty. You know, just like a sister should! I would call her in the middle of the night, without a thought, if I needed her and she would do the same (I have phone records from this week as evidence of that fact).
So I hurt with her. Pray with her. Worry with her. And when I wake up in the morning to the realization of a phone call-free night, I am thankful with her. I am thankful today!
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Gifts continuted
When last I left off with my gift-counting it was months and months ago and I was at #3214. I'm now at #3690. I won't list all 450+ for you, but just a recent hand-full. So, without any further delay, here's my continuing Multitude Monday (I realize it's not Monday. It's been a wonky sort of week. A little grace, please. Thank you!) post which is part of a series started years ago on Ann's wonderful, amazing blog that is a favorite of mine. If you've never checked it out, do yourself a favor and click on over. She's an amazing, gifted writer, a wonderful friend and an inspiration (not to mention a mother of 6)!
3666. a mug of yummy chai on a cold morning (WELL below zero)
3667. a warm corn bag to pre-heat the bed before you get in
3669. brothers and sisters getting along
3671. kids excited at the news that winter break will be extended (well, except for the 2 that WEREN'T excited by that news)
3673. immunity and good health
3683. a new wallet that leads to purse clean-out and purging
3684. my selfless husband
3685. snuggling with Sam in his hospital bed and praying! Lots of praying!
3686. clean sheets
3690. morning call from Al with the hospital update :: a good night for Sam. no seizures and no fever. Praise God!
May you realize all the blessings the Lord brings your way and take the time to make note of them. (you'll be glad that you did!)
"One Thousand Gifts"::
3666. a mug of yummy chai on a cold morning (WELL below zero)
3667. a warm corn bag to pre-heat the bed before you get in
3669. brothers and sisters getting along
3671. kids excited at the news that winter break will be extended (well, except for the 2 that WEREN'T excited by that news)
3673. immunity and good health
3683. a new wallet that leads to purse clean-out and purging
3684. my selfless husband
3685. snuggling with Sam in his hospital bed and praying! Lots of praying!
3686. clean sheets
3690. morning call from Al with the hospital update :: a good night for Sam. no seizures and no fever. Praise God!
May you realize all the blessings the Lord brings your way and take the time to make note of them. (you'll be glad that you did!)
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Multitude Monday (a day late)
Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post which is part of a series started years ago on Ann's wonderful, amazing blog that is a favorite of mine. If you've never checked it out, do yourself a favor and click on over. She's an amazing, gifted writer, a wonderful friend and an inspiration (not to mention a mother of 6)!
3113. pregnant bellies
3114. story time at the library
3115. a hot bath and a good book in the middle of the day (many thanks to Bob & Larry for babysitting, so I could partake in this indulgence!)
3116. morning coffee
3117. sunshine
3118. the sounds and sites of melting
3119. 14 years of Jacob
3120. 12 years of Rebekah
3121. Kingdom Undone :: powerful show
3122. kids waving palm branches and singing
3123. Joe playing basketball in the driveway :: short sleeves and mittens
3124. my cold finally being gone
3125. visit from Rachel & Amy
3126. watching a good movie with the kids
3127. sugar cookies
3128. the arrival of spring (on the calendar, anyway)
3129. art show at church
3130. the weight of a newborn in my arms
3131. hot tea before bed
3132. book club
May you realize all the blessings the Lord brings your way and take the time to make note of them. (you'll be glad that you did!)
"One Thousand Gifts"::
3112. the majestic beauty of an eagle in flight3113. pregnant bellies
3114. story time at the library
3115. a hot bath and a good book in the middle of the day (many thanks to Bob & Larry for babysitting, so I could partake in this indulgence!)
3116. morning coffee
3117. sunshine
3118. the sounds and sites of melting
3119. 14 years of Jacob
3120. 12 years of Rebekah
3121. Kingdom Undone :: powerful show
3122. kids waving palm branches and singing
3123. Joe playing basketball in the driveway :: short sleeves and mittens
3124. my cold finally being gone
3125. visit from Rachel & Amy
3126. watching a good movie with the kids
3127. sugar cookies
3128. the arrival of spring (on the calendar, anyway)
3129. art show at church
3130. the weight of a newborn in my arms
3131. hot tea before bed
3132. book club
May you realize all the blessings the Lord brings your way and take the time to make note of them. (you'll be glad that you did!)
Monday, March 4, 2013
multitude monday
Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post which is part of a series started years ago on Ann's wonderful, amazing blog that is a favorite of mine. If you've never checked it out, do yourself a favor and click on over. She's an amazing, gifted writer and an inspiration (not to mention a mother of 6)!
3050. more than 10 miles run this week
3051. kindergarten registration night for Anna :: she's SO excited for kindergarten!
3052. a kid-free Costco trip with Kirb (that nearly counts as a date!)
3053. a glorious sunrise
3054. a great musical for our girls and their choir friends
3055. LJ's teacher and our school principal coming to watch the performance (and that the girls had the courage to invite them)
3056. Kirbs :: I'm so very proud of him and blessed to be his wife
3057. good oncology follow-up for my mom
3058. wonderful, compassionate, understanding teachers who genuinely care for and about their students (especially when one of their students is your precious kiddo, who is having a rough go of it)
3059. healing
3060. a new member in the family of God :: party in heaven, that's for sure!
3061. antibiotics :: and just about a year since Sara's last ear infection
3062. youth group leaders
3063. nap time
3064. less trouble than I expected when needing to located Rebekah's kindergarten picture to put in the yearbook (since she's 'graduating' and all)
3065. the girls' practicing violin together
3066. family dinner at my brother's new house with his family
3067. 9 years of life for my spunky, adorable, fun, favorite (well, there's not much competition) godson.
3068. a 4-day school week (Friday begins spring break!)
3069. the beauty and magic of softly falling snow
3070. a new picture of Melvin and his family :: a 5x7, even!
May you realize all the blessings the Lord brings your way and take the time to make note of them. (you'll be glad that you did!)
"One Thousand Gifts"::
3049. clear, snow-free paths around the lake3050. more than 10 miles run this week
3051. kindergarten registration night for Anna :: she's SO excited for kindergarten!
3052. a kid-free Costco trip with Kirb (that nearly counts as a date!)
3053. a glorious sunrise
3054. a great musical for our girls and their choir friends
3055. LJ's teacher and our school principal coming to watch the performance (and that the girls had the courage to invite them)
3056. Kirbs :: I'm so very proud of him and blessed to be his wife
3057. good oncology follow-up for my mom
3058. wonderful, compassionate, understanding teachers who genuinely care for and about their students (especially when one of their students is your precious kiddo, who is having a rough go of it)
3059. healing
3060. a new member in the family of God :: party in heaven, that's for sure!
3061. antibiotics :: and just about a year since Sara's last ear infection
3062. youth group leaders
3063. nap time
3064. less trouble than I expected when needing to located Rebekah's kindergarten picture to put in the yearbook (since she's 'graduating' and all)
3065. the girls' practicing violin together
3066. family dinner at my brother's new house with his family
3067. 9 years of life for my spunky, adorable, fun, favorite (well, there's not much competition) godson.
3068. a 4-day school week (Friday begins spring break!)
3069. the beauty and magic of softly falling snow
3070. a new picture of Melvin and his family :: a 5x7, even!
May you realize all the blessings the Lord brings your way and take the time to make note of them. (you'll be glad that you did!)
Monday, February 25, 2013
multitude monday
Well, my parent's 42nd year of marriage started out not as uneventful as we would have hoped. The abbreviated version is that my mom thought she had the stomach flu last week (my dad was out of town), but I finally convinced her to let me take her to the hospital where she was admitted, "vacationed" for 5 days, had an obstruction surgically cleared from her abdomen and had her appendix removed. She is home now and is recovering and hoping and praying for no more hospital stays or surgeries EVER. Praise God it all turned out ok in the end.
Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post which is part of a series started years ago on Ann's wonderful, amazing blog that is a favorite of mine. If you've never checked it out, do yourself a favor and click on over. She's an amazing, gifted writer and an inspiration (not to mention a mother of 6)!
3030. 41 years of marriage for my parents
3031. summer planning -- it WILL come someday, right?
3032. morning phone calls from Al -- a great way to start the day
3033. folding clothes, still warm from the dryer, on a bitter cold winter's day
3034. chocolate chip cookies sans chocolate chips -- a favorite of mine!
3035. good advice from a smart friend
3036. getting my mom to the hospital before things progressed any further
3037. great medical care
3038. caring, loving, praying friends
3039. cell phones
3040. my wonderful, flexible, sacrificial husband
3041. nurses :: I sure couldn't do that job, and they do it SO well!
3042. ear buds that don't fall out . . . FINALLY!
3043. a good run :: sunshine, warm temps, paths free of ice and snow (although I did have to dodge a few puddles) and faster times
3044. a great retirement celebration for our senior pastor who has faithfully served our church for the past 23 years!
3045. my mom being home again after 5 days in the hospital
3046. my nephew's preschool program -- a bright spot in a not-so-bright day!
3047. when the kids play well together
3048. a visit from my aunt and cousin from Massachusetts -- so wonderful to see them!
May you realize all the blessings the Lord brings your way and take the time to make note of them. (you'll be glad that you did!)
Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post which is part of a series started years ago on Ann's wonderful, amazing blog that is a favorite of mine. If you've never checked it out, do yourself a favor and click on over. She's an amazing, gifted writer and an inspiration (not to mention a mother of 6)!
"One Thousand Gifts"::
3030. 41 years of marriage for my parents
3031. summer planning -- it WILL come someday, right?
3032. morning phone calls from Al -- a great way to start the day
3033. folding clothes, still warm from the dryer, on a bitter cold winter's day
3034. chocolate chip cookies sans chocolate chips -- a favorite of mine!
3035. good advice from a smart friend
3036. getting my mom to the hospital before things progressed any further
3037. great medical care
3038. caring, loving, praying friends
3039. cell phones
3040. my wonderful, flexible, sacrificial husband
3041. nurses :: I sure couldn't do that job, and they do it SO well!
3042. ear buds that don't fall out . . . FINALLY!
3043. a good run :: sunshine, warm temps, paths free of ice and snow (although I did have to dodge a few puddles) and faster times
3044. a great retirement celebration for our senior pastor who has faithfully served our church for the past 23 years!
3045. my mom being home again after 5 days in the hospital
3046. my nephew's preschool program -- a bright spot in a not-so-bright day!
3047. when the kids play well together
3048. a visit from my aunt and cousin from Massachusetts -- so wonderful to see them!
May you realize all the blessings the Lord brings your way and take the time to make note of them. (you'll be glad that you did!)
Monday, February 18, 2013
multitude monday
Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post which is part of a series started years ago on Ann's wonderful, amazing blog that is a favorite of mine. If you've never checked it out, do yourself a favor and click on over. She's an amazing, gifted writer and an inspiration (not to mention a mother of 6)!
3016. fresh snow crunching under your feet
3017. book club :: love my book club girls!
3018. praying together with my friends for the sister of one of our dear friends who has cancer
3019. my Bible study :: such a blessing all around. the people. the study. the treats! love it!
3020. heart-shaped pancakes for Valentine's Day dinner
3021. our 22nd Valentine's Day spent together
3022. date night
3023. Chatterbox Pub
3024. an almond chai smoothie from Tea Garden {about as close to heaven as you can get . . . it had been SO long since I'd had one}
3025. Valentine lunch at my parent's house
3026. state swim meet at the U of M
3027. a relaxing, long weekend without much to do
3028. fresh haircuts for the boys {well, Joe and Kirb . . . Jake refuses!}
3029. good wrist check-up for Bekah, she can pretty much start doing everything again
May you realize all the blessings the Lord brings your way and take the time to make note of them. (you'll be glad that you did!)
"One Thousand Gifts"::
3016. fresh snow crunching under your feet
3017. book club :: love my book club girls!
3018. praying together with my friends for the sister of one of our dear friends who has cancer
3019. my Bible study :: such a blessing all around. the people. the study. the treats! love it!
3020. heart-shaped pancakes for Valentine's Day dinner
3021. our 22nd Valentine's Day spent together
3022. date night
3023. Chatterbox Pub
3024. an almond chai smoothie from Tea Garden {about as close to heaven as you can get . . . it had been SO long since I'd had one}
3025. Valentine lunch at my parent's house
 |
| pink ladies at our Valentine's lunch |
3027. a relaxing, long weekend without much to do
3028. fresh haircuts for the boys {well, Joe and Kirb . . . Jake refuses!}
3029. good wrist check-up for Bekah, she can pretty much start doing everything again
May you realize all the blessings the Lord brings your way and take the time to make note of them. (you'll be glad that you did!)
Monday, February 11, 2013
multitude monday
Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post which is part of a series started years ago on Ann's wonderful, amazing blog that is a favorite of mine. If you've never checked it out, do yourself a favor and click on over. She's an amazing, gifted writer and an inspiration (not to mention a mother of 6)!
2988. Anna winking at me
2989. more swimming ribbons
2990. Joe qualifying for the state swim meet
2991. Anna "reading" library books to Sara
2992. chirping birds
2993. clean sheets waiting for you when you go to bed at night
2994. Buffalo day with my mom
2995. successful boot shopping (finally!) :: two pair, even :: and with a clearance and extra 25% off, only $75 for both pair
2996. grilled cheese with bacon
2997. the Amazon support guy who magically fixed our Kindle Fire when Sara, unintentionally, wiped the whole thing clean when playing with it.
2998. my new belt :: genius!
2999. Xyngular
3000. my wonderful husband!
3001. family fun night at the kids' school
3002. a beautiful funeral for a high school classmate
3003. re-connecting with high school friends around the table
3004. date night!
3005. fresh (sticky) snow on every single tree branch :: so very beautiful
3006. pre-dawn runs :: peaceful and calm
3007. lunch at my parent's house
3008. Race for the Cure "Team Marcia" gaining members
3009. safe travels on yucky roads during a storm
3010. feeling better than I have in a really, really long time (a good decade or so, probably)
3011. an entire family, a shovel in every hand, helping out neighbors (and the wonderful example of this family down, who lives the block from us :: they are such a self-less, helping, wonderful bunch. the best kind of neighbors to have! they just went up and down the block shoveling the heavy snow from all the driveways of the older people with their 4 kids -- their youngest is only 2 and he was working hard right along with them! great modeling, Jim & Heather!)
3012. a walk on a quiet winter day with my favorite person in the world
3013. Kirb down over 15 pounds :: so proud of him!
3014. hand-me-downs
3015. snickerdoodles
May you realize all the blessings the Lord brings your way and take the time to make note of them. (you'll be glad that you did!)
"One Thousand Gifts"::
2988. Anna winking at me
2989. more swimming ribbons
2990. Joe qualifying for the state swim meet
2991. Anna "reading" library books to Sara
2992. chirping birds
2993. clean sheets waiting for you when you go to bed at night
2994. Buffalo day with my mom
2995. successful boot shopping (finally!) :: two pair, even :: and with a clearance and extra 25% off, only $75 for both pair
2996. grilled cheese with bacon
2997. the Amazon support guy who magically fixed our Kindle Fire when Sara, unintentionally, wiped the whole thing clean when playing with it.
2998. my new belt :: genius!
2999. Xyngular
3000. my wonderful husband!
3001. family fun night at the kids' school
3002. a beautiful funeral for a high school classmate
3003. re-connecting with high school friends around the table
3004. date night!
3005. fresh (sticky) snow on every single tree branch :: so very beautiful
3006. pre-dawn runs :: peaceful and calm
3007. lunch at my parent's house
3008. Race for the Cure "Team Marcia" gaining members
3009. safe travels on yucky roads during a storm
3010. feeling better than I have in a really, really long time (a good decade or so, probably)
3011. an entire family, a shovel in every hand, helping out neighbors (and the wonderful example of this family down, who lives the block from us :: they are such a self-less, helping, wonderful bunch. the best kind of neighbors to have! they just went up and down the block shoveling the heavy snow from all the driveways of the older people with their 4 kids -- their youngest is only 2 and he was working hard right along with them! great modeling, Jim & Heather!)
3012. a walk on a quiet winter day with my favorite person in the world
3013. Kirb down over 15 pounds :: so proud of him!
3014. hand-me-downs
3015. snickerdoodles
May you realize all the blessings the Lord brings your way and take the time to make note of them. (you'll be glad that you did!)
Monday, February 4, 2013
Multitude Monday
Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post which is part of a series started years ago on Ann's wonderful, amazing blog that is a favorite of mine. If you've never checked it out, do yourself a favor and click on over. She's an amazing, gifted writer and an inspiration (not to mention a mother of 6)!
2965. No more cast for Rebekah
2966. a split chin for Jacob (and nothing worse)
2967. a great night at Art House North. Exactly what I needed :: time with Kirb, time for reflection, remembering, understanding myself even better! (thanks Brie for taking care of the troops at the last minute)
2968. the peacefulness of a sleeping child :: taking the time to be still and just stare
2969. sleeping in
2970. our Saturday morning wake up crew
2971. a safe, fun youth group retreat for Jacob
2972. Joe handling a disappointment so well
2973. a warm home on VERY cold winter days (and nights!)
2974. the return of ABOVE zero temps
2975. safe travels on nasty roads
2976. fresh, beautiful, powdery snow
2977. taxes filed! (federal anyway, the state isn't yet ready to accept our submission)
2978. encouraging news
2979. a good first week of the new "job"
2980. more creating (and the resulting happy customers are fabulous too)
2981. delivering my art to a friend who had a major role in the inspiration for the creation in the first place (I learned this week that artists can't help but create as a way to process through life :: I'd never heard it put that way before and it lined up so many things inside me. I love when that happens. Thank you, Sara, for pointing it out!)
2982. helping :: it is so true that giving is such a blessing (and the "little" things are usually bigger than the "big"things, it would seem to me!)
2983. a good section swim meet for Joe and Lydia
2984. tweeking my homemade deodorant recipe and coming up with just what I was hoping for! (even great through the workout test!)
2985. Rebekah getting back in the pool again
2986. Lydia's generous hair donation (11 inches) :: even more meaningful than Rebekah's donation earlier this fall, since we didn't yet know about my mom's cancer at that point.
2987. some good family time
May you realize all the blessings the Lord brings your way and take the time to make note of them. (you'll be glad that you did!)
"One Thousand Gifts"::
2965. No more cast for Rebekah
2966. a split chin for Jacob (and nothing worse)
2967. a great night at Art House North. Exactly what I needed :: time with Kirb, time for reflection, remembering, understanding myself even better! (thanks Brie for taking care of the troops at the last minute)
2968. the peacefulness of a sleeping child :: taking the time to be still and just stare
2969. sleeping in
2970. our Saturday morning wake up crew
2971. a safe, fun youth group retreat for Jacob
2972. Joe handling a disappointment so well
2973. a warm home on VERY cold winter days (and nights!)
2974. the return of ABOVE zero temps
2975. safe travels on nasty roads
2976. fresh, beautiful, powdery snow
2977. taxes filed! (federal anyway, the state isn't yet ready to accept our submission)
2978. encouraging news
2979. a good first week of the new "job"
2980. more creating (and the resulting happy customers are fabulous too)
2981. delivering my art to a friend who had a major role in the inspiration for the creation in the first place (I learned this week that artists can't help but create as a way to process through life :: I'd never heard it put that way before and it lined up so many things inside me. I love when that happens. Thank you, Sara, for pointing it out!)
2982. helping :: it is so true that giving is such a blessing (and the "little" things are usually bigger than the "big"things, it would seem to me!)
2983. a good section swim meet for Joe and Lydia
2984. tweeking my homemade deodorant recipe and coming up with just what I was hoping for! (even great through the workout test!)
2985. Rebekah getting back in the pool again
2986. Lydia's generous hair donation (11 inches) :: even more meaningful than Rebekah's donation earlier this fall, since we didn't yet know about my mom's cancer at that point.
2987. some good family time
May you realize all the blessings the Lord brings your way and take the time to make note of them. (you'll be glad that you did!)
Monday, October 8, 2012
multitude monday
Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started years ago on Ann's wonderful, amazing blog that is a favorite of mine. If you've never checked it out, do yourself a favor and click on over. She's an amazing, gifted writer and an inspiration (not to mention a mother of 6)!
"One Thousand Gifts"::
2642. folding Jacob's laundry and tucking in a little love note
2643. Sara napping with the covers pulled WAY up over her head and her adorable little toes sticking out the bottom
2644. the gurgle of the coffee pot
2645. the hum of the washer
2646. a productive crafting day
2647. a big win for Jacob's football team
2648. Rebekah's tender heart
2649. a good night at swimming for Joe
2650. goggles, swim cap and Minnie Mouse dress on Anna
2651. walking home from preschool :: Sara knee-deep in leaves at the curb, crunching with each step
2652. a good, productive PSC meeting for Kirb :: getting closer
2653. Paul Healy, Bethel University alumni of the year. I can't think of anyone better for the honor
2654. blazing reds, golden yellow, deep purples, glorious oranges :: the beauty of fall
2655. a night with all 6 kids at home
2656. Joe reading to his little sisters
2657. an idea in my head that turned out even cuter than how I imagined it
2658. lots of orders this week
2659. Lydia's smile
2660. a great -- although chilly -- 4th 5K
2661. my best time yet
2662. time with dear friends
2663. people willing to watch out kids so we can have time away without them
2664. a great football coach for Jacob
2665. another win for Jacob's team
2666. playing Qwirkle
2667. memories
2668. the 1980 Sears wishbook we had fun looking through and laughing
2669. 40 years of life for my favorite person ever born :: Happy Birthday Kirbs!
2670. REALLY hard laughter
2671. beautiful fall colors
2672. the continued blessing of our new basement space
2673. the blessing of hand-me-downs
2674. the fabulous "village" of people that help us raise our kids -- and who drive them places when there are more things to go to than our family has drivers
2675. quiet
2676. creativity
2677. no more crib in our house :: and me being ok with that
2678. sweaters and warm socks
2679. the faithfulness of God
2680. Lois doing so well. Seeing her back in church again
2681. PSC progress :: a light at the end of the tunnell
2682. Paul Healy's head towering above everyone else in church on Sunday morning :: always great to have him home
2683. making and creating things
2684. a beautiful sunset over downtown
Alrighty, that's it's for this week. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
thankful thursday
I'm so thankful, lately, for our chiropractor. I started going a while back for some pain in my shoulder. He worked with me for a month or so and when I was still in pretty nasty pain {you know, the kind that makes your eyes water} he suggested I get a MRI. I did and it revealed that I somehow tore my labrum, which is the cartilage in your shoulder. I have an appointment with an orthopedic shoulder specialist coming up to see whether some physical therapy could help me at all or if I'll have to have shoulder surgery. Anyway, back to the thankful part :: during the time I was seeing him for my shoulder Lydia's migraines had become more frequent and she was pretty miserable, so I asked him about it. Now he has started seeing her, and although it's too soon to tell at this point, I think between the adjustments and a few other changes we've made at home on his suggestion we can trust she'll experience less frequency and less intensity of headaches in the future. Also, Sara has started seeing him too, since she's had quite the history of ear infections. She's already had the first full night of sleep in her life {my kids are never great sleepers until they're at least one though, no matter what we try!} since we started taking her to him, so that's a big perk. Overall she just seems happier and more mellow too, so that's fabulous and we trust he has something to do with that. So, if you live nearby and need a chiropractor, you should give Eric Lund a call.
Monday, November 7, 2011
multitude monday
Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on Ann's wonderful, amazing blog that I read each day. If you've never checked it out, do yourself a favor and click on over. She's an amazing writer and an inspiration!
"One Thousand Gifts":
Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.1743. leaves raining down
1744. the beauty of frost-covered lawns all glittery in the sunshine
1745. a wonderful husband :: just perfect for me
1746. a discouraging diagnosis :: but through it are the only paths to an explanation for the pain and hope of healing
1747. sharing a slice of Costco pizza with my very favorite person in the world for lunch to refuel after pushing around that REALLY heavy cart on our Costco run that we got to take together
1748. good books
1749. writing letters to Melvin {our Compassion child}
1750. traveling mercies
1751. long awaited hugs::
1752. face-aching, side-splitting laughter
1753. a "full tank"
1754. time with my parents :: just the 3 of us
1755. kissing the faces of my kiddos as they slept
1756. a house full {nearly bursting} with teenagers
1757. listening to Jacob talk about what he learned about sin at the youth rally
1758. the grace of everyday. that we are alive. that we have the chance to live this glorious life. it could so easily be different.
1744. the beauty of frost-covered lawns all glittery in the sunshine
1745. a wonderful husband :: just perfect for me
1746. a discouraging diagnosis :: but through it are the only paths to an explanation for the pain and hope of healing
1747. sharing a slice of Costco pizza with my very favorite person in the world for lunch to refuel after pushing around that REALLY heavy cart on our Costco run that we got to take together
1748. good books
1749. writing letters to Melvin {our Compassion child}
1750. traveling mercies
1751. long awaited hugs::
1752. face-aching, side-splitting laughter1753. a "full tank"
1754. time with my parents :: just the 3 of us
1755. kissing the faces of my kiddos as they slept
1756. a house full {nearly bursting} with teenagers
1757. listening to Jacob talk about what he learned about sin at the youth rally
1758. the grace of everyday. that we are alive. that we have the chance to live this glorious life. it could so easily be different.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
stats
Little Miss Sara had her one year check up the other day.
Here's some important info about Sara at one::
Those babies, they grow up so fast! The other night as Sara was sick (blasted ear infection) and I was up with her most of the night I held her as she slept . . . and she's just. so. big. So long. So heavy. So grown up looking. That particular night, she would only sleep against my chest while I was sitting up. Anytime I tried something else (laying down a bit, or -- heaven forbid -- putting her back in her crib) she'd start screaming again . . . and with 5 other kids in the house, middle-of-the-night screaming is something we try and avoid. So I sat on the couch with her sleeping on my chest for a good portion of the night. It left me pretty tired, but, these days, the chances I have to hold her as she sleeps don't come very often, if at all. So, I'll try to see the silver lining and remember the feel of her one-year-old body against mine heavy with much-needed, but hard-won, sleep.
Here's some important info about Sara at one::
- 30 1/4 inches tall (75th percentile)
- 23 pounds 3 ounces ( 80th percentile)
- 18 inch head (75th percentile)
- 5 teeth (3 on the bottom, 2 on the top . . . with a 6th one about to appear)
- can walk (but still often opts for crawling)
- waves, claps, signs "more", knows "how big is Sara?" and raises up both hands for "SO big!"
- can say "hi" (and does often!), "momma" and "dada".
- is not a fan of drinking from a cup -- prefers a bottle or a straw
- has yet to sleep through the night
- doesn't mind being carted around by her siblings (or their friends) even if they hold her in ways that look, to me, like they would hurt . . . what a trooper
- jabbers a lot
- will make a b-line for the bathroom to splash in the toilet if you forget to shut the bathroom door (she has some freakish radar for an open bathroom door)
- has mastered going UP the stairs, but can't get back down safely (although, unfortunately, has gotten down in an unsafe manner . . . yup, exactly what you're thinking. Don't worry. She survived just fine.)
Those babies, they grow up so fast! The other night as Sara was sick (blasted ear infection) and I was up with her most of the night I held her as she slept . . . and she's just. so. big. So long. So heavy. So grown up looking. That particular night, she would only sleep against my chest while I was sitting up. Anytime I tried something else (laying down a bit, or -- heaven forbid -- putting her back in her crib) she'd start screaming again . . . and with 5 other kids in the house, middle-of-the-night screaming is something we try and avoid. So I sat on the couch with her sleeping on my chest for a good portion of the night. It left me pretty tired, but, these days, the chances I have to hold her as she sleeps don't come very often, if at all. So, I'll try to see the silver lining and remember the feel of her one-year-old body against mine heavy with much-needed, but hard-won, sleep.
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