Talk about No Follow Through. Every year, actually twice a year-after the Christmas holidays and when school starts in August, I tell myself that I'm really going to do it. I even say it out loud, and to other people. I say, "I'm going to exercise and get in shape, and I'm going to eat healthier." Then just like the statistics report, I give up and get lazy after a month or so.
Well, I made myself a promise when I turned 40, wait I never turned FORTY. I turned 30-10! Never the less, I made myself a promise that when I turned 50, wait I will not turn FIFTY! I will turn L. It a roman number, I like to call it the symbol for 50. Okay, I'm getting sidetracked again. I will not turn 'L' and be overweight. I will not turn 'L' and be closer to having the body that is susceptible to having a stroke or heart attack, or diabetes, or any of the other illnesses my parents and grandparents were susceptible to having and dying from. I AM BETTER THAN THAT!
On January 3, exactly six months until I turn 'L', I weighed myself. I had eaten very well and plentiful over the holidays and I gained 5 pounds just between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. I know it could be worse and I'm very glad it isn't. If I am to weigh what the charts say I should way, I am supposed to lose 48 pounds. In order to do that in time, I will have to lose 8 pounds a month. Whew, that's going to be tough. I think if I really put a lot of effort into it, I could lose 35 pounds by then, and that's just over 5 pounds a month.
I have lost weight and gained weight over and over, over the years. I know I can do it, but I really want to keep it off. I want to show my daughters that the struggle is real, but the possibility of changing your life to keep it that way is real, too. So, this is what I need: willpower, determination, goals, and rewards.
I feel like I have the determination. I have more than enough motivation. I don't like what I see in the mirror and I want to wear trending clothes. I want to wear an Ittier-Bittier swimsuit for my birthday on July 3, 2015 when I turn 'L'.
I set my goals with dates and what I want to weigh by then. I set my goals to lose 7.5 pounds a month, with goal dates the middle of each month until July. I am realistic about it and I know I may have to adjust them, but I really want to try to achieve them.
I planned rewards. For every 10 pounds I lose, I get something. The first 10, I will treat myself to a pedicure. It's not much for a lot of friends because they get them regularly, but I don't and I like pretty toes. The second 10, I get to pull down a box of old jeans and shorts I saved from the last time I was thinner. The third 10, I will treat myself to a massage, where I won't be embarrassed that I'm a chubby naked woman on a table. Finally, when I reach the 40 pounds loss point, I will treat myself to a pair of trendy and expensive jeans that I see all the skinny girls wear.
I really want this! I know it's a process! I have a lot of support, too. I will be posting updates as a way to keep myself on track. Maybe in some way, it will be encouraging to you as well.
We've got this!!
Friday, January 9, 2015
Friday, October 18, 2013
Life Happens While You Are Making Plans
I have to testify!!
What a month! I think I have adjusted to the marching band schedule. It is wonderful to finally get used to getting up at 5:30am everyday and getting the girls up, ready, and off to marching band practice every morning. It is sad that it took so long, since we only have two more weeks and the football season is over. Surprisingly, the girls adjusted much faster than I did. They have been able to keep their grades up, too!
I made the choice over 14 years ago to stop working. I knew when I made that choice that I would not go back to being an engineering designer without starting over again, which would include going to school to learn the new technologies. I have never regretted my decision even once. I am very thankful that my husband makes more than enough for us to live on so that I can be home for the kids everyday. We have done very well on one income all this time, paying all of our bills, paying off our vehicles, and never carrying a credit card balance. When we moved into this home nearly three years ago I wanted to put in a pool. We had to take a loan for part of it, and we took money out of savings to pay the rest. At that very moment, the cost of everything we used and needed jumped. Clothing, food, gasoline. We still did very well, but I wasn't happy that we seemed to spend the entire paycheck and we were not able to put some money in savings.
I am not a New Years Resolution type of person, but in January 2013 I felt led to change some things in our spending and made the "resolution" to save a pound of dollars a month. To save you from Googling it, that is $454 a month. Since the day that decision was made I haven't added a dime to savings. I know that God was preparing me for the bottom to fall out! In February, our dishwasher needed repairing and I had cut back just enough that we had the money to repair it without touching our savings account. In March, one of the girls went back into braces for her teeth. We made a deal to finance it out at $99 a month without interest, but we had to put $500 down. We didn't have to touch savings. Also in March, the government announced that employees were going to be affected by sequestration, which meant that our paychecks could potentially lose ten paydays over the rest of the fiscal year. By the end of March, we had enough in savings to cover that loss. In April, my soon to be ten year old SUV needed some kind of brakes repair on all four wheels. I was able to put the $2300 on a no-interest credit card and pay it monthly over nine months. If you are keeping track, we are now paying out an additional $355 a month with braces and car repair. Our girls go to summer camp for a week each summer. We pay part and they pay part. In May, the balance of their camp week was charged automatically to our credit card...$840.00 hit the card, but I had forgotten that it would charge in May. Thank goodness I had decided to start working part-time in April because that gave me what I needed to pay the camp week when the credit card bill came due. I cannot recall anything too devastating hitting in June and July, other than a small trip for our anniversary in June and a holiday/birthday celebration in July. In August, our a/c decided not to cool anymore. We found out we have a leak in the coil on the inside unit and the entire unit-in and out-needs to be replaced. We can't afford the $7000 right now, so we had it serviced and recharged with Freon to see if we could hold off until the spring when we hoped to save the money for it. You guessed it...$400 to repair it but we had it. Also in August, we had to pay the girls' marching band fees and school supplies, and get a few clothing needs, which came to about $1000 and we had that, too. This is the moment it actually donned on me just how awesome God is!
I had been so busy with the kids and working, and plugging along trying to keep my head above the financial sinking level, that I hadn't stop to realize that the plan I made in January to put money in savings was God telling me to get ready for the storm. All along, with every hit we took, we never had to take a dime out of savings and we always had just enough to take care of it. I found myself so busy with school and marching band and homework and working part-time that life caught up with me in a potentially crushing way. Our source of income stopped. On October 1, the government shutdown. The government never actually shuts down, many still go to work everyday...they just don't get paid for it. That was us. It is very hard not to panic a little, knowing that we only had so much money in the bank, and we had no way of knowing how long the shutdown would last. After a few days of attempting to figure out how to make our cash last, I gave the situation to God and trusted Him to take care of it. Although it only lasted sixteen days, we managed to pay every bill and all credit card balances, and not touch savings. We should net $700 leftover after the back pay shows up. Praise the Lord! I am amazed!
Needless to say, that surplus of money, along with a budgeted "extra" paycheck in December, will go into our savings! The government is only guaranteed to be "open" through January 15. If they shutdown again, we will be in even better shape by then. Hopefully I will not feel as stressed next time, but I know God will prevail.
By the way, the a/c guy came out today and checked the system. We are still holding onto most of our Freon in that unit, so we are hopeful that it will continue to hold until we have the cash to replace it! Did I mention how great God is?
What a month! I think I have adjusted to the marching band schedule. It is wonderful to finally get used to getting up at 5:30am everyday and getting the girls up, ready, and off to marching band practice every morning. It is sad that it took so long, since we only have two more weeks and the football season is over. Surprisingly, the girls adjusted much faster than I did. They have been able to keep their grades up, too!
I made the choice over 14 years ago to stop working. I knew when I made that choice that I would not go back to being an engineering designer without starting over again, which would include going to school to learn the new technologies. I have never regretted my decision even once. I am very thankful that my husband makes more than enough for us to live on so that I can be home for the kids everyday. We have done very well on one income all this time, paying all of our bills, paying off our vehicles, and never carrying a credit card balance. When we moved into this home nearly three years ago I wanted to put in a pool. We had to take a loan for part of it, and we took money out of savings to pay the rest. At that very moment, the cost of everything we used and needed jumped. Clothing, food, gasoline. We still did very well, but I wasn't happy that we seemed to spend the entire paycheck and we were not able to put some money in savings.
I am not a New Years Resolution type of person, but in January 2013 I felt led to change some things in our spending and made the "resolution" to save a pound of dollars a month. To save you from Googling it, that is $454 a month. Since the day that decision was made I haven't added a dime to savings. I know that God was preparing me for the bottom to fall out! In February, our dishwasher needed repairing and I had cut back just enough that we had the money to repair it without touching our savings account. In March, one of the girls went back into braces for her teeth. We made a deal to finance it out at $99 a month without interest, but we had to put $500 down. We didn't have to touch savings. Also in March, the government announced that employees were going to be affected by sequestration, which meant that our paychecks could potentially lose ten paydays over the rest of the fiscal year. By the end of March, we had enough in savings to cover that loss. In April, my soon to be ten year old SUV needed some kind of brakes repair on all four wheels. I was able to put the $2300 on a no-interest credit card and pay it monthly over nine months. If you are keeping track, we are now paying out an additional $355 a month with braces and car repair. Our girls go to summer camp for a week each summer. We pay part and they pay part. In May, the balance of their camp week was charged automatically to our credit card...$840.00 hit the card, but I had forgotten that it would charge in May. Thank goodness I had decided to start working part-time in April because that gave me what I needed to pay the camp week when the credit card bill came due. I cannot recall anything too devastating hitting in June and July, other than a small trip for our anniversary in June and a holiday/birthday celebration in July. In August, our a/c decided not to cool anymore. We found out we have a leak in the coil on the inside unit and the entire unit-in and out-needs to be replaced. We can't afford the $7000 right now, so we had it serviced and recharged with Freon to see if we could hold off until the spring when we hoped to save the money for it. You guessed it...$400 to repair it but we had it. Also in August, we had to pay the girls' marching band fees and school supplies, and get a few clothing needs, which came to about $1000 and we had that, too. This is the moment it actually donned on me just how awesome God is!
I had been so busy with the kids and working, and plugging along trying to keep my head above the financial sinking level, that I hadn't stop to realize that the plan I made in January to put money in savings was God telling me to get ready for the storm. All along, with every hit we took, we never had to take a dime out of savings and we always had just enough to take care of it. I found myself so busy with school and marching band and homework and working part-time that life caught up with me in a potentially crushing way. Our source of income stopped. On October 1, the government shutdown. The government never actually shuts down, many still go to work everyday...they just don't get paid for it. That was us. It is very hard not to panic a little, knowing that we only had so much money in the bank, and we had no way of knowing how long the shutdown would last. After a few days of attempting to figure out how to make our cash last, I gave the situation to God and trusted Him to take care of it. Although it only lasted sixteen days, we managed to pay every bill and all credit card balances, and not touch savings. We should net $700 leftover after the back pay shows up. Praise the Lord! I am amazed!
Needless to say, that surplus of money, along with a budgeted "extra" paycheck in December, will go into our savings! The government is only guaranteed to be "open" through January 15. If they shutdown again, we will be in even better shape by then. Hopefully I will not feel as stressed next time, but I know God will prevail.
By the way, the a/c guy came out today and checked the system. We are still holding onto most of our Freon in that unit, so we are hopeful that it will continue to hold until we have the cash to replace it! Did I mention how great God is?
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Oh yeah, I'm on a roll now
My part time job is very part time right now. That's not great when it comes to needing extra money, but it's not a bad thing when I so much I need to get done. This week I only worked one day, but I haven't sat still all week. If it's alright with everyone, I'll admit I really am impressed with myself so far.
Last Friday, I bought groceries for the month of September. I spent the day putting everything away in the freezers, refrigerators, and pantry. I also repackaged items for the girls' lunches.
Saturday, I spent most of the day prepping and cooking food for the week ahead. It really is a nice feeling when I can see the meal planner is working so far.
Sunday was family fun day. We had a special lunch with our oldest daughter and her boyfriend. A while back we were discussing birthdays and how our family birthdays are in May, June, July, and August. Other than the twins, we each have our own birthday month. My daughter plans to marry this boy in a few years and his birthday is in August. I jokingly told him that he couldn't have a birthday in the August anymore because it was taken, so his new birthday would be in September. When September 1 was getting close, I invited him to lunch to celebrate his new birthday. He thought it was pretty funny and he enjoyed his day.
Monday, I cleaned the whole house, and I did all the things I would rather never have to do. I dusted, swept, vacuumed, mopped, emptied the waste baskets, cleaned all of the bathrooms, and did seven loads of laundry. I was completely pooped by mid afternoon. I did get to go out for dinner because we were meeting family for my mother's birthday, so not having to cook dinner was a nice treat.
Tuesday, I went to work. The warehouse was about 115 degrees by noon. I am learning that being in the heat all day is making me even more sleepy when I get home.
Wednesday, I realized that I was falling behind in one of my volunteer positions. I am the treasurer for our homeowners association. I am also planning our annual fall family festival in October. I spent the evening working on printing our Save the Date cards and printing statements for the accounts that are past due. That work carried over into Thursday morning. I finished it all around noon and took it to the post office.
When I returned from the post office, I saw that I had an email from Shutterfly, where I could receive a free 20 page memory book. We took a vacation to Costa Rica in August 2010 and I promised the girls that I would scrapbook the trip. So today, I made good on my promise. Instead of doing some other very important thing I needed to do, I spent three hours putting together a book online. Best of all, it was free!
Tomorrow, I have the day off and I am going to spend the morning lifting a friend up. She is really having a hard time dealing with choices her oldest son has made, and I am going to be whatever she needs me to be in the morning. Tomorrow night, I am changing gears and I will a Band Mom. I am working in the concession stand at the football game tomorrow night, in support of the marching band. Yep, I can't even imagine how much fun we are going to have then.
Saturday, I am working the concession stand for a minor college games, but I am taking the girls with me to work. Now that, I can imagine the fun, if listening to your children complain about heat and sweat can be considered fun. The best part is that we all get money for working the concession stand, which will go toward band fees and trips! Before and after that game, I will be prepping and cooking all the dinner entrees for the next week.
It probably doesn't really sound like much, but this week has been so much smoother than previous weeks, if it's only because the food was mostly ready when dinner time came. I really hope my new meal planner will continue to work for me. I also hope that I will have one day a week that I can devote to getting it ready ahead of time.
Like they used to say when I was a kid...Keep on Truckin'
Last Friday, I bought groceries for the month of September. I spent the day putting everything away in the freezers, refrigerators, and pantry. I also repackaged items for the girls' lunches.
Saturday, I spent most of the day prepping and cooking food for the week ahead. It really is a nice feeling when I can see the meal planner is working so far.
Sunday was family fun day. We had a special lunch with our oldest daughter and her boyfriend. A while back we were discussing birthdays and how our family birthdays are in May, June, July, and August. Other than the twins, we each have our own birthday month. My daughter plans to marry this boy in a few years and his birthday is in August. I jokingly told him that he couldn't have a birthday in the August anymore because it was taken, so his new birthday would be in September. When September 1 was getting close, I invited him to lunch to celebrate his new birthday. He thought it was pretty funny and he enjoyed his day.
Monday, I cleaned the whole house, and I did all the things I would rather never have to do. I dusted, swept, vacuumed, mopped, emptied the waste baskets, cleaned all of the bathrooms, and did seven loads of laundry. I was completely pooped by mid afternoon. I did get to go out for dinner because we were meeting family for my mother's birthday, so not having to cook dinner was a nice treat.
Tuesday, I went to work. The warehouse was about 115 degrees by noon. I am learning that being in the heat all day is making me even more sleepy when I get home.
Wednesday, I realized that I was falling behind in one of my volunteer positions. I am the treasurer for our homeowners association. I am also planning our annual fall family festival in October. I spent the evening working on printing our Save the Date cards and printing statements for the accounts that are past due. That work carried over into Thursday morning. I finished it all around noon and took it to the post office.
When I returned from the post office, I saw that I had an email from Shutterfly, where I could receive a free 20 page memory book. We took a vacation to Costa Rica in August 2010 and I promised the girls that I would scrapbook the trip. So today, I made good on my promise. Instead of doing some other very important thing I needed to do, I spent three hours putting together a book online. Best of all, it was free!
Tomorrow, I have the day off and I am going to spend the morning lifting a friend up. She is really having a hard time dealing with choices her oldest son has made, and I am going to be whatever she needs me to be in the morning. Tomorrow night, I am changing gears and I will a Band Mom. I am working in the concession stand at the football game tomorrow night, in support of the marching band. Yep, I can't even imagine how much fun we are going to have then.
Saturday, I am working the concession stand for a minor college games, but I am taking the girls with me to work. Now that, I can imagine the fun, if listening to your children complain about heat and sweat can be considered fun. The best part is that we all get money for working the concession stand, which will go toward band fees and trips! Before and after that game, I will be prepping and cooking all the dinner entrees for the next week.
It probably doesn't really sound like much, but this week has been so much smoother than previous weeks, if it's only because the food was mostly ready when dinner time came. I really hope my new meal planner will continue to work for me. I also hope that I will have one day a week that I can devote to getting it ready ahead of time.
Like they used to say when I was a kid...Keep on Truckin'
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Hi Ho, Off to School and Work We Go
I've gotta say, it is not easy adjusting to change. My girls are very social people and they look forward to the start of school every year. This year, however, they have been very nervous about school in general. They are freshmen and high school seemed very scary to them. I tried to understand why they were so concerned about high school, but neither of them could give a real reason. I warned them about the struggle to balance marching band schedules and homework, and that they would miss their social life outside of the two. I now think I may have added to the stress for them both.
Nevertheless, the first day of school came on Monday. They had a relatively good day. They feared that they would get lost trying to find their classes. That happened, but they were okay with it. They didn't know that lunch was only 25 minutes long, and they are not okay with that. They were used to having 45 minutes, but they will adjust in time. They were afraid they would miss the bus to get home because they have to travel from one side of the school to the other to get to it. They made the bus. They managed the day just fine. They both had real homework the first day of school. This was a little alarming to all three of us. That told me that they are likely to have homework in at least one class everyday. I also realize that can potentially be a problem on the days they have marching band practice in the evening. The bus typically drops them off at home at 4:25. We have to leave the house to get to marching band at 5:20. That gives them almost an hour to do homework, eat dinner, and possibly shower. The real problem is that the next morning they have to get up at 5:50 to get ready to go to marching band practice again, so they should go to bed at 9:00 when they get home from the evening band practice instead of staying up to do homework. I mentioned the difficulty they might face trying to juggle everything with a limited amount of time. My advise was met with dismissal facial expressions and the all knowing disagreeing head shake. I loudly explained that I would be fine not doling out the advise and experience I have collected from attending high school myself and assisting their older sister through high school as well.
Then Tuesday, the second day of school. Oh, the day went fine, very fine indeed. Until that moment on the bus, when one of the girls realized their homework was in a folder, in a classroom which was probably locked and the teacher gone home for the day. When the door opened to the garage and the girls walked in, tears were flowing from her eyes. She immediately started planning how to get the homework. She make plans to get a copy from a friend an hour later when she arrived at band practice. She went on to her dog 20 minute walking job, she came back and ate dinner, and she took a quick shower. I dropped them off at band practice. Then I picked them up at 8:40, and again, TEARS. The friend with the copy of the homework didn't have time to finish it. More loud works were spoken in the car going home. Disagreements between children and parents, and between parent and parent, were discussed...Loudly. Once everyone was home, a new plan was formed and the friend would email a copy of the homework. She got ready for bed while she waited for the email. Unfortunately, she didn't know that getting ready for bed meant that she would somehow get toothpaste in her eye. MORE (legitimate) TEARS. She waited and waited, but no email. At nearly 10:00, she gave up and went to bed. I was exhausted from the continual stress of HER day.
This all brings us to today, Wednesday morning...Hump Day, Ya-uh. She asked to wake up 20 minutes early to get the email and work on her homework. I woke her up and she got ready quickly. She opened the email and began working. She worked on it in the car on the way to band practice. Right before we arrived at school, she exclaimed she was finished with half of it, and the other half should be easy enough to complete in study hall, which is before the class where it was due. (Large exhale).
I went back to work on Monday. I work in a warehouse braking sheet metal into trim pieces for roof installation. Texas is hot in the summer, and it's hovering around 100 degrees everyday. It was pretty hot Monday, but Tuesday there was a freak cooler front that came through with cloud cover and the high for the day was upper 80's/lower 90's. Yay! I have not adjusted to working all day yet. I haven't even had time to sit down and form a plan for myself to organize how I will buy groceries, cook the food, do the house work and laundry, and still have enough patience to deal with the TEARS...because if there is one think I am absolutely sure of...it is that there will be more TEARS, and probably a lot sooner than I think!
Nevertheless, the first day of school came on Monday. They had a relatively good day. They feared that they would get lost trying to find their classes. That happened, but they were okay with it. They didn't know that lunch was only 25 minutes long, and they are not okay with that. They were used to having 45 minutes, but they will adjust in time. They were afraid they would miss the bus to get home because they have to travel from one side of the school to the other to get to it. They made the bus. They managed the day just fine. They both had real homework the first day of school. This was a little alarming to all three of us. That told me that they are likely to have homework in at least one class everyday. I also realize that can potentially be a problem on the days they have marching band practice in the evening. The bus typically drops them off at home at 4:25. We have to leave the house to get to marching band at 5:20. That gives them almost an hour to do homework, eat dinner, and possibly shower. The real problem is that the next morning they have to get up at 5:50 to get ready to go to marching band practice again, so they should go to bed at 9:00 when they get home from the evening band practice instead of staying up to do homework. I mentioned the difficulty they might face trying to juggle everything with a limited amount of time. My advise was met with dismissal facial expressions and the all knowing disagreeing head shake. I loudly explained that I would be fine not doling out the advise and experience I have collected from attending high school myself and assisting their older sister through high school as well.
Then Tuesday, the second day of school. Oh, the day went fine, very fine indeed. Until that moment on the bus, when one of the girls realized their homework was in a folder, in a classroom which was probably locked and the teacher gone home for the day. When the door opened to the garage and the girls walked in, tears were flowing from her eyes. She immediately started planning how to get the homework. She make plans to get a copy from a friend an hour later when she arrived at band practice. She went on to her dog 20 minute walking job, she came back and ate dinner, and she took a quick shower. I dropped them off at band practice. Then I picked them up at 8:40, and again, TEARS. The friend with the copy of the homework didn't have time to finish it. More loud works were spoken in the car going home. Disagreements between children and parents, and between parent and parent, were discussed...Loudly. Once everyone was home, a new plan was formed and the friend would email a copy of the homework. She got ready for bed while she waited for the email. Unfortunately, she didn't know that getting ready for bed meant that she would somehow get toothpaste in her eye. MORE (legitimate) TEARS. She waited and waited, but no email. At nearly 10:00, she gave up and went to bed. I was exhausted from the continual stress of HER day.
This all brings us to today, Wednesday morning...Hump Day, Ya-uh. She asked to wake up 20 minutes early to get the email and work on her homework. I woke her up and she got ready quickly. She opened the email and began working. She worked on it in the car on the way to band practice. Right before we arrived at school, she exclaimed she was finished with half of it, and the other half should be easy enough to complete in study hall, which is before the class where it was due. (Large exhale).
I went back to work on Monday. I work in a warehouse braking sheet metal into trim pieces for roof installation. Texas is hot in the summer, and it's hovering around 100 degrees everyday. It was pretty hot Monday, but Tuesday there was a freak cooler front that came through with cloud cover and the high for the day was upper 80's/lower 90's. Yay! I have not adjusted to working all day yet. I haven't even had time to sit down and form a plan for myself to organize how I will buy groceries, cook the food, do the house work and laundry, and still have enough patience to deal with the TEARS...because if there is one think I am absolutely sure of...it is that there will be more TEARS, and probably a lot sooner than I think!
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Life. It's What Happens While You Are Making Plans
My life matters. Every life matters. I know this is not shocking to most people, but I have known people that really didn't believe this about themselves. When I was 20 years old, I knew I mattered to a few people, but I never really thought about my life mattering at 50. That seemed so far away, and the plans I made back then did not have being 50 in mind, well other than I hoped and planned to be alive at 50.
Since I was 20, I have planned many parts of my life and I have accomplished so many of them, but my life has taken turns I never expected, too. I haven't always been extremely proud of some of my choices, but I choose to believe that for better or worse they have molded me into an ever better me. At 20, I was pretty self-absorbed. Nearing 50, I place most of my focus on so many others. My plan at 20 was to be married, own a home, have children, make the most money I could at whatever job I chose, and to grow old being healthy. I did those things, and I did them over and over. Although at 20 was only thinking about the next five years, I married, separated, reunited, bought a home, had a baby, got divorced, lost my job, managed to work enough to feed my child, sold the house, moved back to my hometown, got a real job again, bought another house, married the second time, had twins, quit my job to raise them, sold and bought another house, raise the first child through college, sold and bought another (dream) house, moved first child out of the house, and started working part-time again. Through all of that, many years have passed and many plans have been made, broken and rewritten, and so many times, my plans were changed for me. My Army husband was deployed twice, for a year each time, over the course of six years when the twins were young and my oldest was a teenager. There have been money surpluses and times when I wasn't sure from where the money was going to come. There have been physical health obstacles that seemed like mountains. All along I would alter my plans to push through the events.
Over the past 28 years, I have learned an important process to my plans. I have six priorities and my plans are simple. My priorities are God, Steve, me, my daughters, friends, and finances.
1. I have God given talents and it has taken many years to develop them, but most of my life to recognize them. Although many have believed that singing was my gift from God, I also believe that He has created in me good management and organization skills. I want to use them to benefit me, my family, and others. I never want to take those abilities for granted. I have taken some grief from family and friends over the years for my list making and planning, but I choose to believe that God wants me to continue to practice those skills for His greater plan somewhere in the future. Whatever I end up achieving in my life is to His glory and I plan to follow Him.
2. Steve is a great husband, father, and man. He loves his job and he is good at it. He is doing what he is called to do. He is my second priority because, if God allows it, I will be with this man until one of us dies. He is my best friend, and I am here to make his life better. We are a good team. He annoys me more than any other person, but I choose to see his best qualities. He appreciates me and my skills, and he encourages me. I can't imagine my life without him, so I plan to do what it takes to keep him around.
3. This is a shift of priorities for me...to put me in third place. I have come to realize that as I get older, I need to place some effort on myself. I need to lose some weight and focus on some health issues before it's too late to prevent them. I struggle with allowing me to dote on myself. I plan to spend more time on me. I am worth it. Besides, if I don't, I may not be here to serve the rest of my priorities.
4. This is the easiest one. I love all three of my daughters. I love doing things for them, spending time with them, teaching and guiding them to discover in themselves their own gifts and priorities. I will to continue to be there for them whenever I am needed. My current plan is to make specific dates with them, in order to devote time and attention directly to them, to hear them and know them. With our busy school and work schedules, this may be a bigger challenge than I realize.
5. I have become a true homebody in my older age. I suppose it comes from being home with kids for years, but now I just enjoy being home. I have always taken time for friends when the need arose, and I will continue. Over the past year, I have tried to plan more outings and events with friends. I plan to make more attempts to keep up with friends by means other than Facebook.
6. Finances are always an issue, no matter how much money you may have. After we moved to the country, prices shot up for food staples, gasoline, utilities, and so many other things. I found myself struggling to see where I was going to find the money. I decided I needed to do my part to help pay these bills. I took on a part-time job and I am making a dent, although it is small dent. If my plans work out, we will have all the unforeseen debts taken care of in nine months.
Ultimately, I think I have learned why I am here. I serve. I matter. I make a difference. I matter to God, to Steve, to my daughters, hopefully to my friends, and I even matter to me. I matter to the future plans that haven't been spoken yet. I am planning to be an even better person at 50. I have few true fears, but this one is real: if the past 28 years flew by that fast, how much faster will the next 28 years feel...
Since I was 20, I have planned many parts of my life and I have accomplished so many of them, but my life has taken turns I never expected, too. I haven't always been extremely proud of some of my choices, but I choose to believe that for better or worse they have molded me into an ever better me. At 20, I was pretty self-absorbed. Nearing 50, I place most of my focus on so many others. My plan at 20 was to be married, own a home, have children, make the most money I could at whatever job I chose, and to grow old being healthy. I did those things, and I did them over and over. Although at 20 was only thinking about the next five years, I married, separated, reunited, bought a home, had a baby, got divorced, lost my job, managed to work enough to feed my child, sold the house, moved back to my hometown, got a real job again, bought another house, married the second time, had twins, quit my job to raise them, sold and bought another house, raise the first child through college, sold and bought another (dream) house, moved first child out of the house, and started working part-time again. Through all of that, many years have passed and many plans have been made, broken and rewritten, and so many times, my plans were changed for me. My Army husband was deployed twice, for a year each time, over the course of six years when the twins were young and my oldest was a teenager. There have been money surpluses and times when I wasn't sure from where the money was going to come. There have been physical health obstacles that seemed like mountains. All along I would alter my plans to push through the events.
Over the past 28 years, I have learned an important process to my plans. I have six priorities and my plans are simple. My priorities are God, Steve, me, my daughters, friends, and finances.
1. I have God given talents and it has taken many years to develop them, but most of my life to recognize them. Although many have believed that singing was my gift from God, I also believe that He has created in me good management and organization skills. I want to use them to benefit me, my family, and others. I never want to take those abilities for granted. I have taken some grief from family and friends over the years for my list making and planning, but I choose to believe that God wants me to continue to practice those skills for His greater plan somewhere in the future. Whatever I end up achieving in my life is to His glory and I plan to follow Him.
2. Steve is a great husband, father, and man. He loves his job and he is good at it. He is doing what he is called to do. He is my second priority because, if God allows it, I will be with this man until one of us dies. He is my best friend, and I am here to make his life better. We are a good team. He annoys me more than any other person, but I choose to see his best qualities. He appreciates me and my skills, and he encourages me. I can't imagine my life without him, so I plan to do what it takes to keep him around.
3. This is a shift of priorities for me...to put me in third place. I have come to realize that as I get older, I need to place some effort on myself. I need to lose some weight and focus on some health issues before it's too late to prevent them. I struggle with allowing me to dote on myself. I plan to spend more time on me. I am worth it. Besides, if I don't, I may not be here to serve the rest of my priorities.
4. This is the easiest one. I love all three of my daughters. I love doing things for them, spending time with them, teaching and guiding them to discover in themselves their own gifts and priorities. I will to continue to be there for them whenever I am needed. My current plan is to make specific dates with them, in order to devote time and attention directly to them, to hear them and know them. With our busy school and work schedules, this may be a bigger challenge than I realize.
5. I have become a true homebody in my older age. I suppose it comes from being home with kids for years, but now I just enjoy being home. I have always taken time for friends when the need arose, and I will continue. Over the past year, I have tried to plan more outings and events with friends. I plan to make more attempts to keep up with friends by means other than Facebook.
6. Finances are always an issue, no matter how much money you may have. After we moved to the country, prices shot up for food staples, gasoline, utilities, and so many other things. I found myself struggling to see where I was going to find the money. I decided I needed to do my part to help pay these bills. I took on a part-time job and I am making a dent, although it is small dent. If my plans work out, we will have all the unforeseen debts taken care of in nine months.
Ultimately, I think I have learned why I am here. I serve. I matter. I make a difference. I matter to God, to Steve, to my daughters, hopefully to my friends, and I even matter to me. I matter to the future plans that haven't been spoken yet. I am planning to be an even better person at 50. I have few true fears, but this one is real: if the past 28 years flew by that fast, how much faster will the next 28 years feel...
Monday, August 19, 2013
I Need Accountability
Recently, I turned 48, well I prefer to call it 30-18...but it is an event that took place! Approximately a month before I turned 48, my husband turned 49. Now these two events probably don't matter to anyone else but me, and him. You see, I couldn't image being 40, and the thought of being 50 seems So Old! My mental thought of my age is about 22, so having to actually Be 50 just seems strange. It is odd to know that my husband will be 50 next summer. I guess it seems so much older to me now (as opposed to when I was a teenager) because we are now past being middle aged. Since I know very, very few people that live to be 100 years old or older, I have to accept that I am OVER THE HILL! Ouch!
I do know what's worse than having to tell anyone I am 50 years old...being fat when I say it. Over the past three months, I have discovered many things about my physical health. The fact that I am quickly approaching 50 opens up all kinds of interesting physical events as a woman. As my physical being begins to change, I realize that if I don't push for weight loss this year, I may not achieve it very easily ever again. I also know that I need to lower my cholesterol and eat more heart healthy. I am approaching the age at which my father developed diabetes, and I truly do not want that to happen. Time for a change?!!
So, I have done some research on supplements that lower cholesterol, boost metabolism, and ease the movement of my joints. Yes, my joints! Since my other "old lady" ailment is diverticulitis, I am looking into boosting my probiotics as well. I have compiled a list of better foods geared for weight loss and making up some recipes that make it easier to eat those foods.
Here is my biggest obstacle: I need accountability. I need to prove it. I need someone to hold me to it. I need to know that if I do not reach my daily goals, someone will call me on it. I decided that I would blog it. Even though I have few followers, I know that I put it out there, and I have to answer to it. Between this story blog, and my other food blog, http://whynotvangeem.blogspot.com/, I can set my goals and post recipes and meal plans on what I have researched.
School starts a week from today, and I will return to working almost full time as a metal roof manufacturer the same day. I will be busy with two freshmen in high school, marching band, working, and taking care of our home. I know it will seem overwhelming, but I need to make a healthy change for myself and my family.
If you find this helpful, follow me. That way I know I am being held accountable and maybe I am helping someone else along the way.
I do know what's worse than having to tell anyone I am 50 years old...being fat when I say it. Over the past three months, I have discovered many things about my physical health. The fact that I am quickly approaching 50 opens up all kinds of interesting physical events as a woman. As my physical being begins to change, I realize that if I don't push for weight loss this year, I may not achieve it very easily ever again. I also know that I need to lower my cholesterol and eat more heart healthy. I am approaching the age at which my father developed diabetes, and I truly do not want that to happen. Time for a change?!!
So, I have done some research on supplements that lower cholesterol, boost metabolism, and ease the movement of my joints. Yes, my joints! Since my other "old lady" ailment is diverticulitis, I am looking into boosting my probiotics as well. I have compiled a list of better foods geared for weight loss and making up some recipes that make it easier to eat those foods.
Here is my biggest obstacle: I need accountability. I need to prove it. I need someone to hold me to it. I need to know that if I do not reach my daily goals, someone will call me on it. I decided that I would blog it. Even though I have few followers, I know that I put it out there, and I have to answer to it. Between this story blog, and my other food blog, http://whynotvangeem.blogspot.com/, I can set my goals and post recipes and meal plans on what I have researched.
School starts a week from today, and I will return to working almost full time as a metal roof manufacturer the same day. I will be busy with two freshmen in high school, marching band, working, and taking care of our home. I know it will seem overwhelming, but I need to make a healthy change for myself and my family.
If you find this helpful, follow me. That way I know I am being held accountable and maybe I am helping someone else along the way.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Time, Time, Time...
see what's become of me...
Okay, so I enjoy both the Bangles and Simon and Garfunkel. Although it is not "a hazy shade of winter" yet, it is officially fall. Living in Texas, fall had become my favorite season over the years. The summers are so hot and cooler weather is such a relief. Fall means spending free time after dark on the patio with a fire in the pit, watching for falling stars. It means football games, pumpkins, capri pants, light jackets, s'mores, and days getting shorter. We enjoy camping and fishing, and fall means it is time to sort the gear and check for any free weekends. Cooler weather also welcomes warmer food choices, so it's time to plan making my favorite soups, stews, and of course, chili.
I know school starts before fall officially gets here, but school starting means the schedule gets busier and busier, and time gets shorter and shorter. Recently, it occurred to me that I was simply getting by, planning a few days at a time. I want to be free-er on the weekends to enjoy more play time with the family. I have always been a list maker, but I never feel like I ever get to the projects I'd like to finish. When it actually does start getting cooler here, and the air conditioner isn't having to work so hard to cool the house, I'd like to be in a position to get some of those projects done.
I remember recently that I used to have a menu system for planning several weeks of menus at a time.
I decided to revive the system, and updated it with recipes and grocery lists, with budget and diet in mind. I also created a few new forms to help me keep up with my cleaning chores, my children's chores, and our food inventory. I am pretty sure my beautiful daughters are not going to do their chores without some reminding, but at least they know what is expected every day when I explode over it not being done. I, on the other hand, needed a plan to get the entire house clean at least once a week, and plan, cook, and prepare at least two meals a day.
Sunday night, I print a copy of the week's menu and grocery list. The menu goes to the side of the refrigerator, and I change items as needed to use up foods on hand. I order a basket of fruits and vegetables from a co-op regularly, and I never know what produce we will get until I pick it up on Saturdays. After I alter the menu, I cross off items I don't need to buy at the grocery store, and I add items that we need or ran out of during the last week. Monday is Errand Day and Food Prep Day. I buy the groceries, put them away, precook anything that can be made ahead of time and reheated, and prep foods to assemble for dinners over the week. It really makes fixing school lunches and dinner so much quicker the rest of the week.
Because Monday is Errand and Food Prep Day, I don't have as much house cleaning to do that day. Everyday of the week, there is a load of laundry to do, dusting some area, sweeping or vacuuming, and cleaning one of the bathrooms. The rest of the cleaning chores are divided up over Monday through Friday. The only chore on the weekend is giving the dog a bath. I can handle 3 or 4 things to clean a day. That gives me time to work in exercise and time to work on some projects.
So, today was the first day of my new plan. I bought the groceries, and precooked and prepared food for the rest of the week. I cleaned the kitchen, unloaded and loaded the dishwasher, did a load of laundry, and straightened up from the weekend destruction. I really hope it works like I want it to work. I hope it frees up some time for me. It freed me up to write this.
Okay, so I enjoy both the Bangles and Simon and Garfunkel. Although it is not "a hazy shade of winter" yet, it is officially fall. Living in Texas, fall had become my favorite season over the years. The summers are so hot and cooler weather is such a relief. Fall means spending free time after dark on the patio with a fire in the pit, watching for falling stars. It means football games, pumpkins, capri pants, light jackets, s'mores, and days getting shorter. We enjoy camping and fishing, and fall means it is time to sort the gear and check for any free weekends. Cooler weather also welcomes warmer food choices, so it's time to plan making my favorite soups, stews, and of course, chili.
I know school starts before fall officially gets here, but school starting means the schedule gets busier and busier, and time gets shorter and shorter. Recently, it occurred to me that I was simply getting by, planning a few days at a time. I want to be free-er on the weekends to enjoy more play time with the family. I have always been a list maker, but I never feel like I ever get to the projects I'd like to finish. When it actually does start getting cooler here, and the air conditioner isn't having to work so hard to cool the house, I'd like to be in a position to get some of those projects done.
I remember recently that I used to have a menu system for planning several weeks of menus at a time.
I decided to revive the system, and updated it with recipes and grocery lists, with budget and diet in mind. I also created a few new forms to help me keep up with my cleaning chores, my children's chores, and our food inventory. I am pretty sure my beautiful daughters are not going to do their chores without some reminding, but at least they know what is expected every day when I explode over it not being done. I, on the other hand, needed a plan to get the entire house clean at least once a week, and plan, cook, and prepare at least two meals a day.
Sunday night, I print a copy of the week's menu and grocery list. The menu goes to the side of the refrigerator, and I change items as needed to use up foods on hand. I order a basket of fruits and vegetables from a co-op regularly, and I never know what produce we will get until I pick it up on Saturdays. After I alter the menu, I cross off items I don't need to buy at the grocery store, and I add items that we need or ran out of during the last week. Monday is Errand Day and Food Prep Day. I buy the groceries, put them away, precook anything that can be made ahead of time and reheated, and prep foods to assemble for dinners over the week. It really makes fixing school lunches and dinner so much quicker the rest of the week.
Because Monday is Errand and Food Prep Day, I don't have as much house cleaning to do that day. Everyday of the week, there is a load of laundry to do, dusting some area, sweeping or vacuuming, and cleaning one of the bathrooms. The rest of the cleaning chores are divided up over Monday through Friday. The only chore on the weekend is giving the dog a bath. I can handle 3 or 4 things to clean a day. That gives me time to work in exercise and time to work on some projects.
So, today was the first day of my new plan. I bought the groceries, and precooked and prepared food for the rest of the week. I cleaned the kitchen, unloaded and loaded the dishwasher, did a load of laundry, and straightened up from the weekend destruction. I really hope it works like I want it to work. I hope it frees up some time for me. It freed me up to write this.
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