2013: Looking Back

Every year when we are putting the tree away the pilot and I write down 2 lists. One is looking back on the previous year and another looking forward. When we put the tree up again the following year its fun to see if we predicted correctly what we would do.
This morning I started thinking about what an incredible 2013 we had and thought I would share.
I feel like it was a "yes" year.  In March my sister-in-law got married and at the last minute a bridesmaid bailed, so I volunteered to be in the wedding. D-boy danced to every single song during the reception. In April the pilot had a 24 hour layover in St. Lucia and invited us to go. After flying close to 9 hours, it was an amazing 24 hour trip. My first major celebrity sighting was on the flight back, Matt Damon and Stanley Tucci. It just happened to be the same weekend that Matt Damon renewed his wedding vows in St Lucia. In May I bought a Groupon to try a new gym that is literally one mile from my house. And I finally discovered a workout I truly enjoy and have fun. Also in May we spent 3 days in the mountains with my sister-in-law and her family.  July the pilot has another 24 hour layover in St Lucia and we say yes again. We also signed up for the local swim club and spent most of our summer at the pool. D-boy takes swim lessons and jumps off a diving board for the first time. In September we took an epic trip to Kona and enjoyed every minute we were there. I loved watching D-boy snorkel for the first time, swim with dolphins & sea turtles, and watch a volcano. In October we dressed up as a team for Halloween and won a costume contest (Cat woman, Batman, and Commissioner Gordon). In November we bought D-boy skis for our next adventure, all of us going skiing together. And December we decided to do thoughtful Christmas gifts by being creative (don't want to give this away since we haven't sent them out yet).
On the days I feel ordinary I have to remind myself of this amazing life I have, a wonderful family that I adore and I am blessed with the sweetest boy.
How bout you? What are you going to remember about 2013? And looking forward what are the plans you have for 2014?

Being Thankful

D-boy asked me today if on Thanksgiving we get to say what we are thankful for and I said yes. He said he couldn't wait to talk about what he is thankful for, and that made me very happy. I've tried to teach him that we should always be thankful for what we've been blessed with, our home, our family, our friends, our life. This time of year reminds me how thankful I am for my friend who gave my husband a kidney 3 years ago. Its something that on a day to day basis I might take for granted. The other day the pilot, myself, D-boy and our dog Bailey were all dancing together in our living room. Such a precious moment. Rather than the pilot being hooked up to a machine every night for dialysis, he is able to sleep peacefully through the night. And the biggest blessing is he can be a pilot again. Sometimes its easy to take our health for granted but the truth is there are so many people who don't have that basic need meet, health.
My father has been working in Malawi, Africa since 2004 helping orphans, widows, and the poor. As well as providing education for children. I am incredibly thankful for my dad and the work that God has put on his heart to help so many people.
I'm thankful for the family and friends that have enhanced my life and remind me that each day is precious. I love that we can talk about what we are thankful for this Thanksgiving but I don't want to forget to be thankful all year round.
Please take a moment to think about what you are thankful for this week and have a Happy Thanksgiving!!

That time of Year

Victoria Secret Fashion show! You might find it surprising that I look forward to this every year. I believe I've watched every year. I'm a girl, of course I love a good fashion show. The themes are amazing to me and what they can do with underwear just blows my mind. However over the years I've also noticed the price of their merchandise has gone up and up and up. So now I know who is paying for this extravaganza, the consumers. The first time I purchased a bra at Victoria Secret it was $30 and I thought that was a bit over priced but it fit and I didn't want to look anywhere else. Now you can get  a bra for the low, low price of $52!! What?? It is a pretty store, the sales people are very helpful but not sure I want to spend $100 on 2 bras, oh and don't forget the underwear. Special price of 3 for $30. $10 each? I will keep watching the show but I just can't contribute to the outrageous prices. Victoria Secret is smart, they put this show out right before Christmas. Then us ladies see the commercials and let our significant others know what we want for Christmas. Guess what? All that stuff goes on sale the day after Christmas. At 1/2 the price even less sometimes.
This morning I just read that one of the "angels" said Taylor Swift was not the right performer for the show. She felt Taylor was young and a little inexperienced. My 2 cents is that I think she was jealous Taylor out shined all the models. Taylor Swift is a beautiful young woman who I admire and adore. This year my support will go to Taylor in purchasing her music, Victoria Secret can make their money off of another woman.

1 year later

A couple months ago I finally reached my goal of 135 pounds. I started October 30th of last year and their were many times I wanted to quit because it felt like it was taking forever. When I stopped focusing on the scale and more on how I felt, it got easier. The pilot asked me a very good question the day I told him I weighed 135 -
"Now What?"
To be honest I don't think any one plan will work for everyone. You have to figure out what works for you and what you want to do the rest of your life. For me it was cutting out red meat and pork. I exercise 5 days a week and I still have ice cream and chocolate cupcakes when I want.  I finally found workouts that I truly enjoy, the classes are small, I meet new people, and I enjoy a paid friendship with the instructors.  I eat healthy 95% of the time and have cut down on going out to eat. We still go but are more informed about calorie content and sodium. I weigh myself every other day but only to make sure I stay on track. The key for me was to find a balance. I want to eat healthy, I want to be able to run around with my son and feel good about myself. I think each person finds what that is for them self, as long as your happy thats really what matters. Making time to be healthy and fit is important to me and when I do that I've noticed I'm happier and more confident. I don't beat myself up if I have greasy pizza or ice cream, I enjoy them for the treats they are and move on.
So Now What? Well I keep working out which I enjoy. I keep eating healthy and teach my son healthy habits. And I still go to our favorite ice cream shop Sweet Cow on occasion to enjoy my favorite strawberry ice cream.
Whats your first step?

Blendtastic

I have to admit this is by far the best appliance purchase we have ever made. I bought this online from Costco 2 weeks ago and have used it 60 times. Thats about an average of 4 times a day. Several years ago when we saw a representative trying to sell a Vitamix Blender, I told the pilot that it was just an overpriced blender. Boy was I completely wrong. This blender is a blender on steroids!! We can make soups, smoothies, ice cream, pancakes, syrup, hummus, mocha frapuccinos, almond butter, sauces, spreads, marinades, whole juice, and the list goes on and on. Yesterday for breakfast we had a smoothie with orange, pineapple, carrot, spinach, pineapple juice and ice. My son loved it and he didn't even know he was drinking vegetables. At dinner time we had broccoli cheddar soup that took 90 seconds to make and for dessert we made blueberry soft serve ice cream. What I really love about this blender is I know all the ingredients that are going into my meals. No preservatives, very low in sodium and low in calories, but incredibly delicious.
What changed my mind is one day my friend came over and mentioned it. Since the pilot was home that day we spent an entire day on youtube watching blenderdude. He demonstrates the uses of the Blend tec and Vitamix. He doesn't say which is better he just shows that they make the same things. Its really based on your preference which one you like better. You can also make your own blizzards with the twister jar, we discovered we could make our own s'mores blizzards with vanilla ice cream, marshmallows, and chocolate chips. Not the healthiest option but it was AWESOME!!
If you are thinking at all that this is something you'd use, check it out at Costco online. We saved $170 over the retail price. It is definitely the most we've spent on this type of appliance, but it was worth it.

Kona

We just got home yesterday from our 5 days in Kona Hawaii. I have to say this was my favorite vacation we have ever done. The highlights were swimming with dolphins, snorkeling, seeing the volcano glow at night, seeing sea turtles, and eating by far the best fish I have ever had. D-boy did great, he never complained and truly enjoyed every moment. I even noticed that the Pilot and I were even more relaxed than usual. Of course with the environment we had no excuse not to be. Being the way we are though we did find Walmart, Target and Costco right away. We would eat one meal out and the rest we made. After our first overpriced breakfast I couldn't pay that amount for every meal. We ate cereal in our room most days, had peanut butter and jelly one night on the terrace, and made our own lunch to have a picnic by a waterfall. The places we did find to eat were amazing, the last day we discovered Da Poke Shack. Now I wasn't 100% sure what poke was but now I want more. The definition from Wikipedia is a modern poke is cubed cut ahi with sea salt and other yummy stuff.
We took 3 flights to get home, on our second flight I had to listen to a mom of a 1 year old yell at her own mother for going to the bathroom 5 minutes before the flight. I really wanted to enjoy my happy vacation feelings a little longer but this woman brought me back to reality. She harped on her mom over and over again on the flight. What kept going through my head was get over it. Something my friend heard on the radio really helps me on a daily basis. Basically is this issue going to matter in an hour or a day from now. Probably not. Thank goodness the pilot packed ear plugs and eye masks for each of us. We were on the red eye flight and I was happy to put the ear plugs in and go to sleep.
D-boy is telling anyone and everyone who will listen that we went to Hawaii. I thought about telling him to tone it down but the truth is I want to tell everyone as well :-)
Back home and back to reality, but now I will be more relaxed and remember how blessed we are as a family to be able to enjoy vacations and enjoy each other.
Aloha!!

Friends for Life

Happy Wednesday! Today was the first day my son and his best friend walked to school together. I have to say this made my heart melt. When I was younger my parents moved due to my Dad's job. We started in California, then Arizona and then Colorado. It was difficult for me since I wasn't very outgoing in school and trying to make new friends didn't come easy. Many of the kids had their friends since kindergarten and unfortunately for me I was the outcast. I am very fortunate in that I have a home that we don't plan on moving until my son is out of high school. He will be able to walk to grade school, middle school, and high school from our house.

Last year when I left work I met a new friend. She happens to be the mom of D-Boy's best friend. I 100% believe that God brought her into my life at a time I really needed her. She lives 4 blocks from us and just last night we all walked over to visit. Me, D-boy, the pilot and our dog. We've watched each other's kids, we've gone to concerts, we've joined the same gym and pool. She has enhanced my life in more ways than one. Friends are important to have, especially ones that don't judge you. My best friend gave my husband a kidney, not in a million years did I ever think that was going to happen when I meet her 12 years ago. She has been there for me in good times and bad. She inspires me to be a better person. I don't have a lot of friends but the ones I do have I truly cherish. 

Take a moment today and maybe tell one of your friends how thankful you are to have them in your life. 

First day of School, for real

Last year I started this blog with D-boy's fake first day of kindergarten. This year today was his actual first day of school. It felt different this time, I wasn't in a hurry to get him there. Once we were close he wanted to run as fast as he could to get into his new classroom. First grade is a big deal, he gets his own desk with his name on it. I had to slow him down to walk with me. The truth is over this past year I've spent so much time with him, I miss him already. It's different when you don't work. Before I was used to dropping him off at daycare, or preschool before I went to work. I'd have my own day and he would have his. Since the pilot is gone 3 to 4 days a week, I spend 24/7 with my son. And I have to admit I love being with him.
That said here is how our morning started. D-boy crawls into bed with me at 7:09 am, I know this because he decided to let me know what time it was "Mommy, its 7:09, Mommy its 7:12, Mommy its 7:14" You get the idea, he did this until my alarm went off at 7:30. I tried to convince him to go make his own breakfast but he didn't want to go alone. We weren't leaving the house until 9 am so you can imagine how long our morning was until then. I finally took us both out at 8:30 to take the dog for a walk, just so I didn't have to hear the time updates anymore. I wasn't surprised when we got back to the house that D-boy informed me it was 8:55 am. At this point I thought maybe I was ready to take him to school.
I am excited for him to start a new year with a new teacher and maybe some new friends. Now I just have to figure out what I'm gonna do....

20 YEARS

First of all I have to say I can't believe its been 20 years since I graduated high school. I feel so much younger. Anyway Saturday I took D-boy to my high school reunion which was lunch at a park and then we did a tour of the high school. What did I learn? I didn't have very many friends in high school and I still don't. I was happy to see a friend of mine that I hadn't seen since I left but she was really the only person I talked to. It was fun to take my son to the high school his mommy and daddy graduated from. It really made me think about how my son will be in high school. For starters he is much more outgoing then I was in school, he is funny, compassionate, sweet, plays the guitar and already has 6th grade girls signing his t-shirts! I have a feeling he may be in the popular crowd. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but as long as he is happy that is all that matters to me. One of the things I liked about our reunion is that it was very casual. Most of the people were wearing shorts and t-shirts. Our 10 year reunion was at Dave and Busters. I didn't go to impress anyone and I felt that most of the people there felt the same way. At one point though I was ready to scream "I married the pilot, bitches!" A little bit of my sassiness coming out.
The truth is my life has been incredibly rewarding since high school. Back then every thing felt like the end of the world, if only I could tell my young self that life gets better. You won't always be the outcast with only a couple friends. Life is not about how many friends you have or who doesn't like you. Instead I can share this life experience and lessons with my son. However I have a feeling his high school years will be much different than mine were. The best thing that ever happened to me in high school is I found my husband. I didn't know then that I would have the best adventure ever in marrying my best friend. I almost didn't go but in the end I was happy I did.

Roller Coaster

This picture made me think of how I've been on a constant roller coaster with my health and my weight. In the past I would work out (hard I thought, but not really) and eat "good" and absolutely nothing would change. I wanted to bash the scale with a sledge hammer on a daily basis, I wanted to kick all the skinny girls at the gym, I wanted to scream that I was trying so hard. So when I didn't see any results or progress I went back to eating what I wanted and worked out even less. This was me for the last 6 years.
Tonight I put on my new bathing suit to relax in our hot tub and I felt amazing and confident. In fact I wanted to shimmy my way down the street to yell at the top of my lungs I weigh 136.7 pounds!! I don't want to live my life according to the scale but I'm just so surprised to see I'm losing weight. I didn't think it was possible. I read an article the other day that said research shows the best way to lose weight is diet and exercise. Really, isn't that just obvious? Anyway I realized I never was really trying that hard. I didn't push myself and I didn't make an effort to change my eating habits. I've been tracking my calories for 24 days, and it has changed my perspective. Yesterday I burned 500 calories in my spin/yoga class. I was dripping sweat after the 30 minutes of spin and I felt incredible. I truly enjoy my classes and the gym I go to, the teachers are fun and incredibly positive. I want to be surrounded by positive and encouraging people.
I have found the treats that fit into my budget of calories and I know at some point I won't have to track my calories anymore. For now though it is keeping me accountable and I can't complain anymore about how I'm trying so hard and nothing is happening.
One of my favorite shows is Extreme Weight loss on ABC. The reason I enjoy this show is the trainer works with an individual for over a year. It is amazing what these people can do with just one person having faith in them. Whatever it is in your life whether its a weight loss goal or a life goal, look around I bet you have at least one person who believes in you. One person who would say "Yes, You can do it!! Just believe". If you don't, let me be that person that says to you - you can do anything that you believe is possible just have a little faith.

If you haven't seen the show, check it out. It is very inspiring and encouraging.
http://abc.go.com/shows/extreme-weight-loss/episode-guide

The Tools

Now that I've found a happy place with my eating and exercise I thought I'd share some of the "tools" I use on a daily basis. A week ago I decided I wanted to get more serious about losing that last 5 lbs. The first thing I did was download a free app called My Fitness pal. This allows you to input your current weight and your goal weight. It will come up with a daily amount of calories you can consume to achieve your goal. My current daily goal of calories is 1,380 and anytime I add exercise I get more calories to eat. (I put in that I wanted to lose 1 pound a week). So its been quite the motivator for exercise. Last week I burned 800 calories on the elliptical so I had that much more I could eat. Its been interesting to see what I actually eat during the day and how many calories that equals. What I like about this app is I can scan my food and it will record all of the nutritional information. It is very easy to look up meals at restaurants as well. A typical breakfast for me is a cup of coffee with creamer, whole grain english muffin sandwich, with egg white, spinach, and swiss cheese. The total for my breakfast this morning was 207 calories.  For lunch today I had a spinach salad with egg, mushrooms, tomato, carrot, zucchini, cottage cheese, and yogurt dressing, total calories was 235 calories. I usually average closer to 300 calories for breakfast and lunch. But this allows me to have a treat later, possibly some frozen yogurt or a Starbucks drink. I'm not starving, I enjoy each meal and I don't feel bad afterwards. Last week we did go out to one of my favorite places for lunch. I had fried fish tacos and I didn't feel so great afterwards. Its not that I don't enjoy eating the food but my body has really adapted to my healthy eating and it knows when I don't eat as well. 

As far as meal ideas I usually rely on Pinterest. I found a great zucchini skillet recipe that  you can change or add ingredients and it is super easy to make. http://www.readyseteat.com/recipes-Zucchini-Black-Bean-and-Rice-Skillet-5623.html

I use shrimp for shrimp tacos, shrimp pasta, shrimp salad. I also like to make different types of fish with brown rice or quinoa. 

Exercise should really be something you enjoy doing. I promise if it is a chore eventually you will quit. I have to say spin/yoga has become one of my favorite classes. Its intense but I enjoy the teacher and love the results. A friend of mine loves Zumba and she said for her the pounds fell off and she couldn't wait to go to a class. Of course its always good to make exercise a routine but it is so much easier when is something you enjoy. We keep our family active by walking our dog daily, hiking, and playing together outside. 

Did I mention I feel great?? 

Diet And Exercise Update

I've decided to share my weight and height. I know most women keep this information to themselves but I really am happy with where I'm at, I weigh 139 and I'm 5'4. Now when I started this whole process of becoming healthier last October I was at 150 lbs. According to the experts for my height anything over 145 is considered overweight. I didn't believe I was overweight but I knew I didn't feel good. I slept poorly and didn't have very much energy. My goal is to be 135 and when I looked up how I can achieve this, all I have to do is continue my exercise routine and I can eat 1737 calories a day. One thing that has really helped me along the way is looking up the calorie content of restaurant food before we go out. Lets just say by doing this I either end up eating at home or I find a healthy place to go. My goal at any restaurant is to consume 600 calories or less. If you eat out a lot, try looking up the meals you normally order. There are many restaurants that I just don't go to anymore. The Chili's boneless buffalo chicken salad I used to love is 1030 calories and 4050 mg of sodium. Our daily intake of sodium should be 1500 mg, high intake of sodium leads to high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention. My favorite Sonic strawberry cheesecake shake small is 730 calories. It has really changed my perspective. Its not that I never go out to eat but I'm more informed and aware of what I'm eating.  Some of the places our family goes out to eat are Tokyo Joe's, Mad Greens, Wahoo's Fish Tacos, Panera Bread, and Chic Fil A. Adding fruits and veggies to my daily meals is also another way to stay healthy and full.

Next my exercise routine. I have to say doing body pump was not very challenging anymore, I felt like I was just going through the motions. Now I do barre fit, yoga/spin, and TRX classes. If you are curious as to what these classes are here is a link http://thespinningyogi.com/?page_id=24. It is amazing how hard I work in these classes. I'm usually dripping sweat within the first 10 minutes of class. I didn't realize my body could work so hard. And it feels great when I finish because I know I've done all that I could do. The results have been much quicker and I truly feel like this is the best shape I've been in a long time. These classes are more expensive, but my suggestion would be just to find something that challenges you. Jillian Michaels has some great workout videos you could do at home or run outside.

I knew when I started I wanted to make these changes for life, not just to lose weight or be on some crazy diet. I'm happy and more confident, I no longer feel depressed because my thighs are too big or my clothes are too tight. I've been more adventurous by trying new vegetarian meals that are truly flavorful. Its never too late to start or make a change when it comes to being healthy and active.

Listening to what we say

Do you ever really think about what we tell our children? Sometimes its the greatest advice we could give ourselves. Here is a list of things I've been saying lately and that I've heard other parents say.

1. Use your words
(When I'm upset I need to use my own words in a kind way to explain why)
2. Jesus is always with you
(I told my son this the other day when he was scared about his swim class having to jump off the diving board. When I'm lonely or scared I need to remember this as well.)
3. Don't worry about what others think about you
(I don't want to live my life based on what others think. I need to be strong in my faith and my convictions.)
4. You are doing great, keep going.
(It is so easy for me to quit that I need to remember I can keep going.)
5. Eat your veggies
(That is pretty straightforward)

Now for the list of things I HOPE do not apply to me.
1. Do not pull your shorts down in public
2. Stop picking your nose it'll make you sick
3. Don't lick that wall
4. Keep your hands to yourself
5. Don't drink the bath water

Well maybe the last list might apply to some adults you know ;-)

Last Day of School

My very first blog was about D-boy's first day of school so I thought it would be appropriate to document his last day. Surprise number one, I CRIED. I was not anticipating this at all. We went to his class for afternoon "tea & cookies", he shared his memory book with us. This listed all of the things he did throughout the year. One page had a short letter from the teacher, while I was reading it is when the tears started. As soon as I finished D-boy reminded me that every kid in the class got the same letter. Way to ruin the moment.. Next surprise he was devastated that he did not receive a year book.  Since when do kindergartens or elementary schools in general have yearbooks?? Unfortunately this was a decision the pilot and I had made at the beginning of the year, purchasing a year book sounded ridiculous so I did not pay for one. Fast forward to picking up D-boy the last day of school and watching him cry so hard that I felt like the worst mom ever. Luckily they were still available for purchase at the main office for the low, low price of $15. Yes we did buy one and also lucky for us another mom had an ice cream get together afterwards so he could have some of the kids in his class sign it. Of course at 5 & 6 years old, they literally just sign their name in the year book. The last surprise was how quickly this school year had gone. 

Now for summer, swim lessons, guitar lessons, bike riding, vacation bible school, and I'm sure before I know it D-boy will be starting 1st grade. Enjoy your summer!!

Good Bye Body Pump

I've been doing body pump classes for the last 3 years. Today I experienced something I never have before, while I was doing a row, I stood up and it felt like hot fireworks had gone off in my lower back. Being the bright person I am, I continued to do the rest of the back exercises. AND I did the next set of triceps and biceps. By the time we got to the lunge segment I couldn't move anymore. I put my stuff away and called the pilot. He called his chiropractor and I drove straight to the doctor. Apparently I sprained a nerve in my lower back. He told me to take a break from exercising, no housework or yard work for several days. So I officially have permission from the doctor to not clean the house or pull weeds. Not that those things were in my Memorial day weekend plans but it was nice to hear anyway.
Goodbye - lower halves, skull crushers, clean and presses, power presses. Its been fun but its time for me to move on. The truth is I was getting burned out, did I mention I've been doing the class for 3 years?! I've decided to try some new things. And I really need to change it up for my own sanity. I bought a Groupon for Barre Fit classes at a local yoga studio. These classes really burn calories and tone muscles I didn't even know I had. Who knew a class where you don't wear shoes could be so intense?? The weather is nicer too so I may go back to running. I don't want exercise to ever feel like a chore, I want it to be part of my healthy life style. So on those days I feel like having a strawberry cheesecake shake I don't feel guilty. Body Pump is a great class and maybe someday I'll go back but for now my body is ready to move on to something else.

Happy Birthday

I absolutely love birthdays. When I was younger my mom always made me feel so special on my birthday. She would ask me to give her a list of three things I wanted and she would buy me one of the items I told her. She would make me a cake then my dad, brother and sister would sing Happy Birthday. It wasn't that I received some extravagant gift, it was just the way she made each of us feel on our birthday. I like doing the same thing for other special people in my life. I want them to feel the way my mom made me feel, loved.
So begins the tradition of the birthday "week". Now I have to say that I didn't intend for this to happen but somehow it happens every year. My birthday isn't until Thursday, however my friend took me out today for sushi. Thursday the family will go out to dinner, Friday my dad is taking us out to lunch, and the following week I have another friend I'm meeting for a birthday lunch. I use to joke with the pilot that every year I would have a birthday week.
The best gifts are the thoughtful ones, the ones I know that my friends really thought about. At Christmas time I received one of the best gifts ever. When my friend came to visit, I tortured her by making her watch an episode of the Cowboys Cheerleaders. This is a show I watch every year with my son. Anyway for Christmas she had a magnet made especially for me that is a cowboys cheerleader with curly hair and hazel eyes. It made me laugh and it was perfect. Gifts are not about how much you can spend to impress somebody, they are about the thought. Really thinking about how someone will feel when they open it. Will they know you were thinking of them as you picked it out?
So here goes another year, another birthday, and another reason to eat lots of good food and yummy cake :-)

A Fun Adventure

The pilot had a layover in St Lucia, we decided we would all go with him. I didn't realize however that the flight from New York to St Lucia would be close to 5 hours. For us to get to New York it takes close to 4. So we flew about 9 hours to get there to spend 24 hours in St Lucia. It was worth every minute!! This was also mine and D-boy's first stamp in our passports. My thought along the way was how cool is it that we could do this?? My son is 6 and went to St Lucia, some people will never go there in their lifetime. I'm incredibly thankful for my husband being a pilot and that we could go on such an adventure.  Since the resort was all inclusive we ate as much as we could. We left midnight Friday night to arrive at 1 pm Saturday. Then we left Sunday at 1 pm to get home at 1 am. Lets just say D-boy and I were a little tired. Once we arrived at the resort however we couldn't get into our swimsuits fast enough.
On the way home I watched Stanley Tucci board our plane. The pilot was flying us back from St Lucia to New York. I ran to the front to tell him of the celebrity on board and he informed me that Matt Damon was also on our flight and he had just met him. What?? As I very slowly walked back to my seat I looked and their Matt was sitting with his 2 little girls. Honestly in my lifetime I never thought I would see a celebrity that close. No one really bothered him during the flight and I saw him get up a couple times and talk to the flight attendants. My one big moment is I used the restroom after he did. That sure is a story to share with my future grandkids ;-) I have one picture of him carrying his daughter on the plane. I thought it was amazing that Matt Damon had paid 1 million dollars to rent out an entire resort on St Lucia and still flew back to New York on a regular airline. Many of his guests had flown in on private jets.
Again I had no idea that when we decided to join the pilot to St Lucia that their would be a celebrity on the flight on our way home.
I have to say that was the best weekend I've ever had. And it looks like at the end of May the pilot will be flying to Aruba. Not sure we will join him, but I've looked at the photos of their hotel and they have a private island with flamingos and iguanas. I'm going to have to give it some serious thought!!

Life Changing

The moment I walked out of my last job I knew my life would change. I wasn't sure how but I knew things would be different. At first I struggled, I didn't know what to do with myself. I didn't know what would define who I was as a person. If somebody asked me what I did, what would I say? I do nothing? I wake up after 8, get my son ready for school, if the pilot is here we spend the day together. Doesn't sound very exciting, but to me its wonderful. The truth is I discovered that I could be a better wife and mom. I started to focus on spending time with God daily and reading His word. Just having a little bit each day reminds me of the person I want to be. I want to be loving and kind to the people I encounter. I want to have a happy family and a happy home. I want to find ways for people to wonder why I'm different, why am I so positive and how is it possible to have such an amazing marriage after 18 years? Its because of Jesus. That sounds too simple but the truth is my relationship with God has become deeper since I left work. And I've noticed because of that relationship, my relationship with my husband, my son, my friends, and the rest of my family have been better as well. I still consider myself a work in progress. I don't know what my next steps are but I want to be open to anything God has in store for me. The truth is leaving my job allowed me to become a better person. I no longer focus on negative co-workers or petty daily things that don't mean much in the grand scheme of life. I enjoy every relationship I have in my life. I'm thankful for the blessings my family has and I hope that I can share those with those around me.

Tedward Edward

Yesterday D-boy came home all excited with a back pack I'd never seen before. Apparently it's his turn to bring home Tedward Edward. Now the picture above is not the actual picture of this little teddy bear D-boy brought home but it looks very similar. Tedward also came with 2 journals that include notes from every home this bear has been to, it started in September of 2009. My first question for D-boy is can we wash this bear?  Honestly all I could think about is how many germs does this bear have and when is the last time it got washed. The idea is super cute but how many diseases is this thing really carrying?? Of course he wants to carry it every where and sleep with it every night. Would it be wrong to bathe it in anti bacterial soap? Just our luck he gets it right before spring break. Every other kid only had to keep it for the weekend. We get the privilege of having it for almost a week and a half. We are going to my sister n law's wedding next week and he wants to bring it to the wedding! Which means we have to bring it on the plane with us. I don't mind bringing it on the plane and taking pictures, but it won't be making an appearance at the wedding. Sorry D-boy, I'm having a hard enough time letting it sleep in your bed. I admit I need help, maybe I should just put it in the washer to make me feel better. I blame our anti bacterial society, every where you go now you can use this stuff. At Target they have wipes you can use before you push your cart around the store. Its at grocery stores, the gym, the doctor's office (ok it should be at the dr's office), but really its every where. I don't think I worried so much about germs before I had D-boy. So this is our adventure for the week, taking care of Tedward Edward. And D-boy forgot to ask his teacher if we could wash it, we'll see what happens :-)

What are you thinking

Sometimes I feel like my mind looks like this, so many random thoughts. The truth is our thoughts have a huge impact on how we live our lives. We are in control of what we think and it is important to remember we are free to think positive thoughts. When I'm upset, I can choose to think about it over and over and the outcome is I become even more upset. Or I can decide that I'm going to move on with my day and my life. I have to admit I tend to obsess over things and I'm working on that. I've notice with my daily devotional it truly has helped me understand how to change. Number one thing I needed help with was my thoughts. For some reason I believed that I had no control over them but that just isn't the case. So now that I've figured that out what do I do next? I let go of the things I'm angry about. I talk to God and ask him to help me see things from his perspective. I take the focus off myself and try to think of things I can do for others. Yesterday I took a meal to my sister n law who just had a baby. I've been writing things down that I can do to help brighten somebody else's day.
Next time you are in a bad mood try to remember what thoughts got you there in the first place and maybe, just maybe you can change your mind.

Baby Madness

This is by far my favorite picture of me and D-boy. This past week in my family twins have been born and another baby girl 2 days afterwards. The pilot and I started looking at all the pictures we have of our baby boy who is now 6. When he was born all I could do was stare at him and wake him up because I wanted to see his eyes. If you're a parent you will completely understand, when your baby is born it is such a miracle. You look at this little life and really are amazed that your love created a little human being. Its been a while so I tend to forget that feeling but when new little ones come into your life you are reminded. I know many parents who get sad when their babies start to grow up and time goes by so fast. But for me I love that my son is growing up. I love being able to talk to him and answer his questions. Its wonderful to watch him figure things out. He is a hugger and is very good at charming people. I'm thankful for the new babies that have arrived and I'm happy that it has reminded me of all the wonderful times I've had with my own son.

Pin Interest

Have you heard about this Pin Interest?? Yes I admit I was reluctant to check this out because I didn't want to be trendy. And I thought why would I want to look at things that other people are interested in? The pilot does make fun of me because I can not pronounce this to save my life. So I do what I always do I just say it the way I want to, regardless of the numerous times he will correct me. And just out of spite I will say it again "Oh you mean Pin Interest, yeah I'm checking it out right now". I put the app on my phone and have been making my own boards for the last several hours. My phone went from 68% battery to 2% battery if that tells you anything. I have found some great healthy and not so healthy recipes. I have some new ideas for the clothes I have in my closet and all I have to do is buy some new accessories. Just found a new great blog and laughed at some e cards. As I was making a not so attractive pose on the staircase and staring at my phone finding even more things to "pin", the pilot says "So is that the way you get some new ideas" and proceeded to mock my pose. In the spirit of pinning, I sent him a text right then and there. "Pin this a-hole" ;-) No worries, we both laughed as usual. The last week or so I've really felt in a rut. I'm still eating healthy and exercising, still cleaning house, still doing laundry, still running errands, but I needed something new. And I have to say thanks to Pin Interest I have a whole new world of ideas and things to do. Now all I have to do is get out of the house!!

What's your dream?

Let me start this by saying I love my life. I truly enjoy all of the moments with my family. As I've said before deciding to leave work was the best decision I've ever made. Now having said that I have no idea what my "dreams" are for myself. More than anything I get stressed when I think about what I want to be when I grow up. Or when I hear "pursue your dreams and you'll be happy". The honest truth is I have no idea what my dreams are and I'm happy. Some days I wish God would just send me a letter "Dear Jody, this is what I want you to do". Now if my Dad saw this he would say "Jody He did write you a letter, it's called the bible". Ok I get that but I want something more specific. Like I want you to volunteer at this place because you will have the most impact. Or I want you to reach out to this person because they could use your laughter in their life. The pilot used to ask me if I could do anything what would it be. Well I'd probably go to a beach, put my feet in the sand, and soak in the sun all day. I don't think that was the answer he was looking for and I wish I had a better answer. For now my dreams are that my husband and my son are happy. I want D-boy to be sweet, loving and caring. I hope he sees that his mommy is happy no matter what. He isn't at an age he has to worry about what he will be when he grows up. Truthfully I envy that sometimes. Maybe someday I will discover what my dream is and in the mean time I'll keep enjoying my family.

Valentine's Day

I've been reading articles lately that try to help or give advice to men about what to do on Valentine's day. I have mixed feelings about this holiday. Some years the pilot has gone all out and some years he wakes up and says "Not today Valentine's day, I curse you for making love commercial". Of course the one year he did that he forgot to tell me so I bought him a card and candy. Here is an example of the most amazing Valentine's day I ever had and keep in mind we were poor and living with my parents at the time. The pilot was a flight instructor making $12 an hour but only for time he flew with his students. (that year he made $9,000).  Anyway he told me to get dressed up and drove me to the airport. At the time I was upset we were going in an airplane since I had done my hair and would have to wear a headset (I'm an idiot). Anyway we got to the airport and met one of his student's and his wife. He flew us to Chalet Suzanne in Lake Wales, Florida. Where we had an amazing 5 course meal and found out the mushroom soup at this restaurant had been in outer space. WHAT??? Apparently astronauts have dined at this place and wanted the soup to take with them. After this amazing meal, we flew over Disney world to watch the fireworks. I will never forget that Valentine's day. Fast forward several years when he woke up and said "sorry honey I didn't get you anything". Which I was totally fine with but warn me. You can't do something so amazing then think I won't be disappointed when you decide to do nothing. I have to say I'm very fortunate the pilot is a romantic. This year we are having our friends over for a crab dinner. Our boys will play and the adults will play apples to apples. I told the pilot in advance we can make each other cards with our son and that we can go to Walgreens the day after and buy our valentine's chocolate at half price. I've said before every relationship is unique, the consensus on the article I read was that women just want their boyfriends, significant others, spouses to listen. I do love gerbera daisies and I certainly wouldn't be disappointed if the pilot bought me some. (yes he reads this and yes that was a hint) Last year I told him all I wanted was Twilight Breaking Dawn part 1, I got that and red gerbera daisies :-)
This year I say do whatever works for you. If you need to or want to tell your significant other what you would like. Or plan something romantic together. Any day really is a good day to be romantic so you decide.

Hello Jesus

I thought I wanted to appeal to a larger audience and not mention that I happen to be a Christian. Recently as I spend a little time each day reading the bible and doing a Joyce Meyer daily devotional, I decided these were things I wanted to share and write about. And as a reminder a verse I read the other day spoke about if we are not ashamed of Jesus, He will not be ashamed of us.
I have to mention every Sunday when I go to church with my friend I tell her I'm going to get kicked out of church. Being a Christian doesn't mean you don't have your own personality or that you can't be funny or inappropriate. Each Sunday I try my best not to make comments or judge, but lets just say I'm a work in progress. One of the women singing up front, who is absolutely beautiful and was wearing an outfit that I totally wish I could wear, had one boot over her knee and one below. As I was trying to sing, all I could do was look at those boots. My thought was "Can't you see your boots are uneven? Could you please pull one up, or lower the other one to match? Don't you feel the difference?" Next was the loud clapper behind me, don't get me wrong I don't mind clapping in church, but I thought his hands must really hurt right now. That is some serious clapping. Don't worry I still sing while all the chaos is going on around me.
D-boy goes to church with me which I believe is great, however their are times when I'm not 100% sure how to answer his questions. One day when we were driving home he asked me "Mommy, do you know what a sin is?". All I could think of was "oh crap, am I sinning right now??". My response was "Yes I do sweetie, Do you?"
I recently found a Christian blog that really appealed to me and inspired me to write this one.
http://www.theveryworstmissionary.com/p/about.html

It amazes me how many blogs are out "there", I just spent the last hour and a half discovering new blogs. Another one I liked, which may not appeal to everyone is title People I want to Punch in the Throat.
http://www.peopleiwanttopunchinthethroat.com/

I don't feel like I'm saving the world but this is a great outlet for me to share my thoughts and sometimes make somebody laugh or cry. Hope you enjoy reading and maybe feel inspired to read or discover a new blog on your own.

A New Anniversary

My pilot is on the left, this was a ride he did last year that was 120 miles. 3 years ago on February 8, 2010 he received a life saving kidney transplant from my best friend. I was going to talk about the time he was on dialysis and how he felt his life had been put on hold. But this year I wanted to focus on all the amazing things he has done since he received his transplant. I think for him he felt like he had to enjoy life more and not take for granted what he used to, he didn't want our friend to feel like she had given him this new life for nothing. He began riding a road bike and started to do longer rides. Last year he did the MS150, which was a 2 day 180 mile ride from Houston to Austin to fund raise for the National MS society. He broke his foot in my uncle's pool the day before the ride.  Not knowing he broke his foot, he rode 100 miles the first day and 80 the second with a broken foot. He found out later after we had flown home from Texas. He was a first officer with his company before he went out on medical leave. After returning to work he upgraded to captain on the Airbus 320. Since he was able to go back to work and upgrade, this allowed me to become a stay at home mom. Thanks to my best friend our quality of life as a family has been amazing. I believe that this event in our life truly brought us even closer together. Honestly when he was sick all I wanted to do was take his place. I did everything I could to make sure he was supported and loved. Sometimes events in our lives will test the strength of our relationships and I believe this made our relationship even stronger. I am definitely more thankful today for his health and I want to continue to live a healthy lifestyle for him and our son. He is currently training for another 100 mile ride in June, this one is to benefit the American Transplant Foundation. I just have to end this by saying I am incredibly proud of him and feel that I am the luckiest woman in the world to be his wife. And thank you to my best friend for giving him his life back, we love you very much.

Break Time

I've realized my body has decided I can no longer eat un-healthy food. Yesterday afternoon I had a donut and I was sick all evening. It may have been food poisoning    but I don't plan on eating any donuts or going back to the little place I bought it from. It did force me to take a break. Sometimes I think we all get caught up in our daily routine and what we believe needs to get done. I was thinking about the laundry that was still in the dryer, the kitchen needed to be cleaned and blah, blah, blah. The truth is those things can be done later. No one is judging me based on whether or not my house is clean or if I've finished my chores. Anytime my friend comes over and I tell her the house isn't picked up, her response is "I like it better that way". I love that she doesn't judge me. Most of the time we are our own worst critics.
This weekend or any time, take a break. Do something you enjoy. And remember life still goes on if their is a dirty dish in your sink :-)

Awkward

Have you ever wondered what you would do if you ran into somebody that you thought or wished you'd never see again? What would you say? Well since I don't like confrontation, I know I would walk away. Unfortunately the pilot was not able to walk away. He ran into somebody that I used to be friends with on his commute home from work. And this person just happened to be flying on the same flight home as him. I have to admit I felt really bad for him but I was also very curious. She mentioned to him several times she didn't know why we were no longer friends (because you are a psycho), but he just said "I don't know either". And if she believed that she is crazy. Of course he knows, he is my husband. In 5 to 10 minutes she let him know all the details of her very nasty divorce, how she had sold their house and paid her ex-husband $15,000 to get rid of him. How her ex-husband has a girlfriend and that her ex was upset about her current boyfriend. The job she has now, which is flipping houses and exactly how much she is making on the houses. She also let him know that every dollar spent on the divorce was worth every cent to get rid of the a-hole. This person has absolutely no filter and after hearing all of this and more, it reminded me again why we were not friends. She kept saying I don't know why Jody and I are no longer friends. I could give you a very long list of reasons why but I will spare you the details. I met her when I went back to college to finish my degree. I truly didn't realize what type of person she was until I worked with her for a year. She was very toxic and I knew when I quit that job that we would no longer be friends. Her parting words to the pilot were this "Well, tell Jody she can call me, if she wants to". I haven't spoken to her in 3 years and I don't plan to now. I am thankful that I met another friend at that same job because I know I would not have if I didn't work there for a year. So something good came out of it. Thank goodness.

Hats, hats, hats

Instead of writing blogs I've been making hats. It all started a couple weeks ago when my brother-n-law asked me to make hats for his twins due in March. When he called I only knew how to crochet blankets, so I had mentioned I could make tiny blankets that he could tie on their heads. Which obviously wasn't going to work. A friend of mine had posted some pictures of some hats she made and I asked her where she learned. From You Tube of course. So one afternoon I decided to try, it took me a couple hours but I had completed my first hat. I couldn't believe how easy it was, so next I asked my sister-n-law to send me a picture of what she wanted. Thanks to other bloggers I was able to find the pattern I needed for free and the picture you see below of Thing 1 and Thing 2 are the 3rd & 4th hat I've ever made. I used You Tube to show me how to make the pom-poms as well. Its amazing to me that I had access to all of this information on line. Next I wanted to make something cool that my son would wear. 

I made the basic hat I had learned on You Tube. Then I found another blog that had a picture of angry bird hats she had made. I needed to learn how to make a circle so once again I went back to You Tube. I was very excited to find out I could do something other than blankets. They certainly are not the perfect hats and I wouldn't call myself an expert by any means, but I was happy to make something I knew my son would like and wear. Below I am putting in all the links I used to create my hats. Thanks to the internet I learned something new and I realized I'm craftier than I thought. 

Basic Hat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oWzn9J3An8

Free Pattern for Long Hats

http://www.oodles-4-noodles.com/p/free-pattern-list.html

Pom Pom

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjG1rgPoLlQ

Ideas (no pattern) for Angry Birds

http://light-in-leaves.blogspot.com/2011/12/crocheted-angry-birds-hats.html

Pattern for an Angry Bird Hat (I only used this for eyes and eye brows)

http://kendrascrochetedcreations.blogspot.com/2011/12/angry-bird-hat.html

Let the Adventure Begin

On Friday the pilot suggested we do something new with the family. He downloaded an app called Geocache. Here is the definition of what it is -

GEOCACHING is a free real-world outdoor treasure hunt. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using a smartphone or GPS and can then share their experiences online.

We had so much fun with this and they are all over. D-boy thought it was a great treasure hunt. So far we have found 4. Saturday we took a hike and hid one ourselves. It also gives a little bit of purpose to a hike by being able to find something. The containers will have a log where you can write your name and the date you found it. We brought a little spider eraser to trade for something that might be in the container.  Our container had a matchbox car, a donate life plastic bracelet and a log book. We hid it yesterday morning and already 2 people have found it.  They also have urban geocache, basically hidden items in the city. I think I had just as much fun as my 5 year old. The look on his face when he found the "treasure" put a huge smile on my face. The app on your phone will lead you to the exact location, so we let D-boy hold the phone and tell us where to go once we were close. I think what I liked the most is its something free to do and you can share your experiences on line with others. I didn't realize we would get an email letting us know that others had found ours. 

Next weekend we might go on a trip with the pilot. I'm not sure and I don't want to jinx it. But it certainly will be an adventure. If we do go I will make sure to take lots of pictures and share at least one here.

What new adventure could you do....

Here is the link for geocaching 

http://www.geocaching.com/

Do What?

As you know I like body pump classes. However their is one teacher that I do try to avoid. Today I took her class. When I was explaining to the pilot my protest and what I don't like, he was able to explain why. So let me tell you what I don't like, before we end the class she has half the class put away the steps and the other half put away the weights. My thought is I got my equipment out and I can put my own equipment away. I didn't go to the gym to clean up somebody else's stuff. I know its silly and I should do it anyway, but I really don't want to. So I put my own stuff away and waited till everyone else was done. And yes I was the only one to do this. As I was telling this story to the pilot, he smiled at me and said the following "You don't like being told what to do". My response was "Well does anybody?" Which might also explain why this particular teacher drives me crazy because she usually spends the entire time harping on us about form.
It took me years and years with my jobs to figure out that they were just jobs. If my boss told me to do something I just needed to do it. However early on I wanted to do things my way and was resistant to change. I wish he would've told me this about 10 years ago, maybe I would've saved myself some headaches with the jobs I've had. I really am trying to be ok with change and to be more laid back. However, I will probably just avoid her class in the future. Yes avoidance, thats the answer :-)

Change your seat

Do you ever feel like you are stuck in a rut? Same routine, same places to eat, same conversations, same day over and over. A couple weeks ago the worship pastor asked us how many people had been going to church for several years, and the next question was how many of us have sat in the exact same place for several years. I raised my hand, then he said something crazy!! "Get up and sit someplace new" I have to admit I stayed in my seat.  I think we all get comfortable because that is easier. The last couple months in my life I think I've changed my seat. I always thought I needed to work to have some purpose in my life. I didn't understand how women could be stay at home moms, didn't they get bored? Didn't they want to work? But after being home I realized that I love being at home. I've been working since I was 16 years old so it was definitely an adjustment at first. Before I didn't really take a lot of pride in cleaning house or taking care of my family. But now that I'm home I've changed my attitude, this is my job and I should be proud of what I do. That was the first change, the next was my health. The most recent change has been what I watch, what I read and what I say. Its true that if you put negative things in you will get negative things out. I don't want that anymore. Pay attention to the words you say and what you are watching. Its amazing when you really think about something before you say it. What changes do you want to make in your life? Start small, instead of that candy bar - eat a piece of fruit. Order something different at that restaurant you always go to. Say yes instead of no. It doesn't have to be a big change but sometimes its good to "change your seat" every once in while.