Monday, April 30, 2007

back online... fun weekend... great weather...

Whew! I am finally back online on my OWN computer (THANK YOU ED!!!) and I am so happy! It is unreal to be without my cyber buddies and posting where/when I want to - can't believe I was so derailed without it all too! LOL O'well, I am back now and can download some pix and share some fun, new things with you now! Keep your eyes open for more soon! :O)

Had a great weekend, ran like crazy mad nutso people , but had fun. Did a lot of shopping, got dear ol' Ed all hooked up with some hip happen'in new threads, shoes, and even a coolio new pair of sunglasses. He is lookin' pretty hot I must say! Better watch out, he'll have the women hanging all over him now....... yikes!

BEAUTIFUL weather here in SE Idaho this weekend!!! We are talkin' turn on the AC in the car type weather! LOVE IT! I have been waiting so long for the sun to shine! Unfortunatly I did not take full advantage of it and get much done in the yard....... but I did plant 8 six-packs of petunias in my flower pots and boxes on the deck and in the front of the house. At least we have some color now! We do have some of our daffodills and other bulbs coming in, some there are a few sprigs of color around, but for the most part the yard was looking pretty drab. We need to get out and clean up, do the first mow/trim of the year and spruce things up before our company comes this weekend (the soccer crazies).

Well, off and running. SUPER busy day with lots to do.... I WILL be posting some new pix maybe later today or tommorrow to share. I promise! Also have a new workout plan for myself for this week... gotta keep going! I am getting back down from the wt I gained while sick teh past couple weeks so that is cool. I can do it!!! HUGS to everyone and make it a great one!!!!!!!!!
Darla

Thursday, April 26, 2007

New Hair Do Day!!

It is going to be a MERYY SUNSHINE DAY here for Ms DarlaLOU!!!!!

I just love days like today, when you wake up happy, things run smoothly and you just can't help but feel the sun is on your side, know what I mean? I guess the reality of it is waking up with the attitude that today is going to be a great day, right? LOL Whatever it is, I have it today!!!!!!

In a bit my friend Lisa and I are headed out to get new "do's" on our happy little heads! LOL We are going to a hair dresser who is also an old school mate of mine and who also happens to be our fave waitress at a local Mexican resteraunt that we go to 9x out of 10 for our date night. The other "funny" about her?? Her name is Darla! The only other Darla I knew all through my growing up until I moved out on my own after HS graduation! She is a sweetheart, super fun and apparently a great stylist as well... my friend Lisa has been to her before and loved what she did so hopefully I will too! I am a bit nutty about my hair, have had basically the same style since the 80's and will not cut it short, don't like layers and although I have an idea of what I want I am afriad of something "too" new for me. LOL I will try to post pictures this afternoon if I can... hope to anyway! Wish me luck!

In other news.... kids are all doing good, well, aside from Dani who is fighting some sort of allergy issue. Got her on lots of meds, even an antib just in case it is a strain of Bronchitis... but discovered yesterday that the best remedy for her was the nebulizer and some good ol' Albuterol treatments. She has a track meet today and I am praying she'll be ok for it... luckily she is not in any running events, just Shot put and Discus so all fingers crossed for her to make it though!
Chris got his drivers permit this week to drive with Mom and Dad for the next 4 months... then he is free to get his "OFFICIAL" license and he is free at last! EEEEECK! Talk about stress!!!!!
Tiff is working on a play for school, sort of a choir production / musical thing. She is running around singing all the time, so cute!
Micheal is going to his first "friends" bday party this afternoon. They are going to the roller skating rink and he is SO jazzed up about it! So cute! I hope it is a great experience for him !

OK that is about it. Off to get ready to go to the hair appt... can't believe I am nervous about it!! Funny huh? Well, I have to say, aside from Dollar Cuts $6-8 haircuts I have not been to a real salon for a real cut AND style for like over 12 years! So I think I am entitled to be a bit leary...

well, that's enough of that. Over and out, have a great one, I know I will!

HUGS
Darla

Monday, April 23, 2007

Life throwing lemons

What is the quote? "when life gives you lemons, make lemonaid"??? What if life is THROWING you lemons? Then what ? hmm?

OK so life has been a little less than uneventful lately, true. I can handle it though. Really I can. I just need to focus and re-roup and get a plan. Make a list. (yes, I am a list maker) Ahhh deep breaths, in- 0ut - in - out... ok here goes.

Today is Monday, a new week, a new start, fresh and bright and clean. Today is the day I start to try to get life back into some order. Weekends throw me off. Always. No schedules, no form, no lists.... doesn't work for me. So, today will be the day that I get back into my "groove". Yes.
So, the past two weeks have not been my best, between stomach flu, stomach pains, finding out about other health issues and then the messed up schedules, I am in a bit of a tainspin. No, I WAS in a bit of a tailspin. Now it is Monday and I am starting fresh and renewed! So, last week I missed like 4 days of workout time. The week before I missed a couple too. On top of this, I have not been real "disciplined" on my eating as I basically ate what I wanted when I felt good enough to eat and that killed my whole fitness program big time! I think these lovely combos on top of feeling like crud just bombed on me. Oh , and then I forgot the crap that the pain meds did to me too! I swear my body is "de-toxing" from the pain meds they gave me at the hospital. Or maybe the Iodine from the IV done for the CAT scan? I don't know, but my body was sure in a funk to say the least. So........where am I going with all this? Yea, I am avoiding the big bang of it all. Don't want to admit it. Don't want to announce it. Don't want anyone else to know but me, but I have to keep it real and I can't do it all alone and without telling my friends and loved ones I won't be accountable. OK, I am UP like 9 lbs since last week! OMGosh I can't believe I am telling you guys this. But I had to, for me, for you, for the sake of the last 8 months worth of work and sweat.... I had to share this. So, now, I am counting on you to help me up and out of this pitfall and to cheer me on, be mean, be caring, be rough, be nice....... just help me through this. I know today is a new day, and I am starting it off fresh and clean and I am jumping in with both feet, but I need you guys to jump with me, please! I am so ready to hit my 50# mark and yet I have backslid a ton and now I have bigger, stronger and more positive reinforcements than ever before to do this. So, keep this in mind and keep on me, please!!

My plan? Oh yea, I should share that. LOL :O) Well, obviously I will be keeping up (and making up) my gym time. I will continue on my 5 days a week plan. I am having to work back up to where I was prior to getting sick. I was up to 3 miles in less than one hour... now it is taking me over 30 min to get to 1 1/2 miles..... so I have to work back up to that. Also, I can't do the weights for another week or two so I am working more on the bike and the ellyptical machine. I have increased the bike from 15 min to 20 and would like to get it up to 30 .... also have been able to get back to 10 min on the ellyptical. Would like to get that up to 30 too!! Funny that it has become a fun thing, since I hated it in the beginning?! Another step is with my food choices. I have been terrible , horrible, awful for the past two weeks. I am still tracking every bite I put into my mouth....but I have to control myself. Three meals, two snacks... getting back into repeats on b-fast and lunch, that works best for me. Less choice, less calories it seems. Gotta get plenty of good stuff around to eat. Keep the sugars and treats out of the house. Out of my face. Keeping up on my green tea and vitamins, meds, etc... I can do this! I just have to re-focus and re-group!!

Guess I have babbled on enough....... we had a good weekend. Ed fixed the brakes on the Explorer, kids ran like normal, had our Sat night date night with Blake and Lisa... same ol' stuff but the good stuff. :O) We are lucky to have it so good. Hope you are all well and happy too... make it a good week!

Darla

Friday, April 20, 2007

BANNED From Disneyland For Life!


My friend Lisa sent me this today, I about died!! I just had to share this with all my online buddies! TOO FUNNY! I can totally see someone doing this! Love it!
Darla

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Updates

Good news/ Bad news Sort of Day

Talked to the surgeon today and got a bit of good and bad news. Good stuff is that I do not have to have any surgery and that the hernia is actually a very small tear with blood pooled around it, much like a bruise. It should heal on it's own as long as I don't over-do it and give it time to heal up. Basically he said about 2-3 weeks of taking it easy, no heavy strain on it and all should be good. He told me I can workout and walk as much as I want as long as I have no pain and he wants me to do NO weights at all for at least 2 weeks. The bad news is that he found I have a ton of cysts inside my kidneys...what? OK Had no idea I had this problem. Dr said it can be either hereditary or from previous injury...aka: kidney infections and stones. I told him I did not believe we had any history of kidney disease in our family so the hereditary part was probably out, but I have had numerous rounds of kidney stones and infections so that made senese. He said the majority of the time kidney cysts don't do anything...you might feel a bit of pain when they rupture but they are rarely anything to make someone very sick. He said once in a while they will calcify and cause cancerous lesions but he does not see anything like that with me. Whew! So, for now I just have to take things slow and easy and let the tear in my stomach muscle heal up and that is about it! Thank goodness! Now I just need to get my energy back and get feeling better. I am soooo wiped out! ick! Thanks to everyone who sent hugs and well wishes, I am sure they are working!
HUGS
Darla

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Crazy Days

OH MY WORD life got CrAzY this week! I don't have a ton of time right now so a basic run-down will have to do. Sorry. I am sure I'll catch ya up more later.

Basically, after the stomach flu last week I had a "lingering" stomach cramp that has not cleared up. I roughed through it over the weekend and then went to see my general pract Dr on Monday, he thinks I have a hernia or some sort of tear so he referred me to a surgeon... today (Tues) I went to the surgeon and he also thinks I have a tear but not necessarily a hernia for sure. So... tommorrow (Wed) I will go to the hosp for a CAT Scan of my belly to see if it is internal or external and how deep, blah blah blah........basically right now I am 50/50 on the hernia and if I'll have to have surgery or not. In the mean time, well, I don't know. I am just taking it slow. Not in excrutiating pain or anything but still sore and when I bend, lift, twist and stuff MAN! does it hurt!! So, I am just laying low till' I find out more. I'll be sure to update you as I find out.

HUGS
Darla

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Sunday

Well, another week is gone, wow, where do the days go? I don't know how or why but the days seem to fly by sometimes, like this past week. Of course, after being sick for a couple of days I feel like I "lost" some time anyway, but man, seems like it is Monday and then all of a sudden it is Friday and then the weekend is gone again.... you know?

Good weekend though. Thurs did the Chippendales show, Fri went over to our friends to hang out and visit, Sat was sort of a jumble of running errands and stuff, and then Sat night Ed took Micheal to the Monster Truck show in Pocatello and so Chris, Tiff and myself went out to dinner and shopping, then my sister Lisa picked Tiff and I up to go shop some more! Tiff got a super cute new outfit (top and skirt) and I got a (drum roll please..........) new swimsuit!!!!!! Now this is monumental folks. The last suit I bought (and wore) was when we went to Texas on vacation about 10 yrs ago!! I did buy a new suit when we went on our cruise to Mexico but it never fit right and I only wore it once before I discovered I was "hanging out" in places that were no good! LOL So I am ready to BURN that ol' 10 yr old suit of mine!!!!! hee hee!

Today was Church, we overslept and rushed to get there on time. Ed and Chris sang in a mens quartet for the Primary kids, so awesome! I had a combined class of 12 and 11 yr olds (in other words I got last yrs class back along with this years too) and it was total chaos! CHATTY kids!

I left a bit early myself and came home to tidy up the house. Never know who might just show up on Sundays you know! LOL

I am having a nasty stomach cramp on my L side, don't know what is up with it but it is so painful. When I sit too long, bend over, squat down or lift anything heavy it hurts. Not sure if it is just remimant pains from the flu last week or what. Kind of worries me though.... dumb thing.

OK off to hang out and enjoy the rest of my Sunday afternoon. Hugs to you all!

Darla

Friday, April 13, 2007

One HOT Mamma!

OK what do you get when you put a mid 30's woman, married with 4 kids in a bar with her best friend (also mid 30's, married with kids) and 6 HOT MALE DANCERS? Let me tell you ... you get THIS:

http://www.chippendales.com/

OHHHHH Lordy lordy I was a screamin' crazy woman for 90 minutes last night! LOL My friend and I went to see the world famous Chippendale dancers and it was CRAZY HOT FUN!
Now, I am normally a pretty mellow, non-party kind of girl, but my friend and I, well our husbands thought this would be the fun night out we both needed - so, who were WE to argue with that? SO FUN! The place was packed with 1001 megga drunk- 1/2 dressed women who were screaming for anyone (bouncers, bartenders, anyone) to take it all off.... and here sat Lisa and I ! I have to say we were pretty out of our , uh, element? But we had fun anyway! The guys were INDEED very HOT and very entertaining although a bit more than I had bargained for, but we got in the groove, screaming and clapping and dancing with the best of them LOL! (OK not quite as much as the best of them but ... well. ) So, we watched the show, got in a near conflict with a group of drunk girls, got beer spilled all over us, reaked of cigarette smoke and got the show of our lives! It was fabulous! SERIOUSLY fun stuff... I would totally do it again and I don't know that I would change a thing except that maybe I'd have taken a few more single dollar bills with me if you know what I mean? Yes, we each got a little "personal" entertainment (nearly G-rated) and it was fun. Totally HOT men, totally FUN stuff. If you have the chance to go, DO IT! I would say it is a once in a lifetime MUST for any woman (married for not) but I can't say I'd like to just go once in my lifetime! LOLOLOL!

HOT HOT HOT!

Oh, and after being out late, I still got up and got to the YMCA for a morning workout! WHOO WHOO

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Only 1/2 Icks Today

Well, I am feeling mucho mucho better today, but still icky. I have to give the whole descriptive bit here bc a friend of mine found it so funny (really now....?) so I thought I would share my misery with all of you. Sorry.

Basically, one of our friends got a stomach bug last weekend and somehow I picked it up. No, actually it was more like it was thrown at me like a 5 ton weight! ICK! Just a nasty 24 hr thing (thank goodness) that involved gut ripping cramps and constant "runs" to the restroom if you get my meaning? So, on Monday I was feeling pretty good really, aside from a few cramps in my stomach and a bit of running to the bathroom... tmi - I apologize. But really, I was feeling fine. Mon night I was up and down a lot in the bathroom overnight and then yesterday morning I got up and went to the YMCA for my usual workout. Enroute' I made several trips to the bathroom and while there I found that walking was pretty much just twisting my insides up like a twizzler licorice stick. Didn't work. So, I came home, got in my jammies and climbed back into bed. Good timing because that is when it came at me (the 5 ton weight part). I spent the rest of the day in bed sleeping, cramping or running to the bathroom. I could barely keep water in my system. It was AWFUL! I tried Pepto, Immodium all that..........nothing helped. The really weird part was that I had very little nausea but I felt like I had to belch nonstop! It was so gross. The cramping was like nothing I have ever felt, someone pulling my bellybutton from inside my gut with a fishing hook would be the most accurate description I could offer. Seriously. Then there was the neck and back aches.....felt like the flu, achey, hot (but no fever??) and just miserable. I would sleep a while, wake up, cramp some more, go back to sleep. I told my friend that I felt like someone had hit the back of my neck with a 2x4 and I got laughed at! ha! yea, funny. Seriously, it was awful.

Well, thankfully today I am feeling a lot better. No more bathroom "runs" thank goodness but still feeling achey and now my guts just feel stripped. No wonder?! I am sure I'll live though and hopefully by tommorrow I'll be full back into swing! I pray no one else in our house gets this crud, it is the worst!!!

Take care and stay well!
Darla

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

the icks

have the icks today
feeling like crud
going back to bed
and staying there till' this stops

wish me luck?

Sunday, April 08, 2007

HAPPY EASTER SUNDAY!

HAPPY EASTER! Wow, can't believe another Easter Sunday has come and gone..... now we can be pretty well assured the snow is past and start focusing on SPRING! I did spent ALL day yesterday out in the yard, weeding, raking, planting, getting ready for the new season of sun! Today was a little less sunny (rather dreary actually) so I am glad I got as much done as I did on Saturday. We have a lot of flower beds at this new house and last year it took me about 3 weeks to get them all cleared out and cleaned up, then I just waited to see what would pop up as it warmed up outside. We have some beautiful bulbs and things that come in and I hope they are as nice this year too. So much work, but so much beauty!

Easter was a good one..... got the kids a trampolene and the usual baskets full of 101 lbs of sugar coated crap to eat! (sorry, but true) Chocolate bunnies, malted chocolate milk eggs, jellybeans galore, chocolate covered marshmellow eggs, peeps, all that good stuff. I am quite proud of myself though, I have been pretty good about not pigging out on all of the goodies and really the big tough one for me is those darn choco marshmellow eggs. OMGosh I could eat a dozen in one sitting, but I have only had 3 of them and I am done! Ed picked up some Dove dark choco eggs too, those are another story, but dark choco is better than milk. RIGHT?

OK well, off to get the ham done and rolls baking.......hope you had a GREAT day! HUGS
Darla

Friday, April 06, 2007

Happy Friday!

Hope everyone is ready for the weekend and a great Friday today! I totally slept in (aside than my body naturally woke up on it's own at 4:30 am but I went back to sleep) until 7:00 am this morning!! Now I am up and rearin' to go! Will hit the YMCA this afternoon instead! Totally have to keep myself focused to get these dang pounds back off! ugh! Not like PIZZA helped last night either......

So last night I screwed up, we were supposed to have chicken fagitas for dinner - dumb me, I acidentally bought chicken thighs (skin/bone in) and so we had to ditch that and do a last min pizza run. Do you KNOW how HARD it is to resist PIZZA? First I was good, had one slice and some salad- good Darla. THen I was still hungry so I had more salad - good Darla. Then I decided it was ok to have just the toppings off one more slice, then another.... after all, I was skipping the bad bread carbs, right? By that time I was pissed at myself and had another full slice and all was lost! DANG!!! Why do I do that to myself? So, now, I am determined to eat nothing but lettuce, carrots and spritzer dressing for the rest of the weekend! HA! (jjking of course) However, I will NOT keep sabbatouging (sp??) myself and I will get on this right path again. It is just FOOD! I so cannot let it control me! The cool part is, at least I LOVE salad and fresh veggies.... right?

I ran to the Dr yesterday to get my blood pressure re-checked again too. ICK! I don't know why it is so stinking flaming high! I think generally by the time I get into his office I am running 100 mph and stressed out so it is jumped up, you know? I just don't get it. So now, bc it was still so high, I have to go back in a week for a visit with the Doc. I have been on the meds for about a month now, it should be lowering by now. Sort of freaks me out that it is still up there. While I am there I am having him take another mole off (eww sorry gross) on my back, seems that the more weight I lose the more it gets rubbed by my bra strap and it is driving me nuts. OK enough on that.

Weekend plans? Not really any here. Our friends are going to Provo -UT and ditching us for family over the weekend, not fair! Geesh! So, we really have nothing going on. Sat there are some Easter Egg hunts here in town and then Sun is obviously Easter so we'll have Church and the Easter Bunny.... all that fun stufff. We went Easter shopping last night at WalMart - DO NOT GO IN THERE! Talk about insanity! oye!

In closing this morning.... have to tell you about a spoiled kid! ICK! Got up early and took oldest son to the morningside meeting for Church for the teenage youth. As we pull in the church he points out this girl who is driving a NEW Mercedes SUV .... totally sported out with hot pink stuff and he tells me that her parents stinking bought it for her FOR CHRISTMAS! That is just so wrong imo! So wrong on so many levels! And here my poor old minivan is rumblin' and tumblin' down teh road just hitting 166 thousand this week!! LOLOL And poor lil' Micheal who crashed on his bike lasst night because he has no Mercedes to drive around in!! LOL! (he is ok, just bruised a bit and a little more cautious now) I don't get it - buying kids luxury cars? Just a bad idea imo.

OK I am outta here! Have a great weekend and Easter and don't eat too many Peeps!
:O) Darla

Thursday, April 05, 2007

Kids, home, and the pursuit of skinny chicken jeans:

Lots to share today, so bear with me I guess. Sometimes I just ramble, sometimes I am serious and sometimes I am seriously silly, but I have lots to talk about so here is my official warming : proceed with caution?? Yea right.

First off , our kids are too funny. I was sort of 'reviewing' my day yesterday as I was getting ready for bed and I have concluded that we have some pretty easy going children. Aside from the normal drama of Dani (our 13 yr old dd) things run pretty dang smooth around here. Chris is busy with school, work, and his girlfriend, Marilee, (who is a total sweetheart by the way). He never ceases to amaze us with his good grades, good attitude and good personality. I don't know a person who does not just love Chris. He is a great example of what a 15 yr old boy should be. Hard worker, loving to his family, and very very very responsible. I never have to worry about his school or stuff like that. I love it!! Makes liefe every easy for Mom.
Now Dani, she is quite the story. Dani is our "free spirit" sort of kid. Totally ALL girl into fashion and makeup and hair and clothes and boys.boys.boys. She got a cell phone for her 13th b-day and that has been quite the enlightning experience for our family. Starting Jr HIgh this year, she has had to make some adjustments but has done pretty well. The big thing with her right now is Track ... she joined the track team with her cousin, Mindy, and has done great!! I am tickled for her and hope she finds it to be a good , fun thing .
Tiffany Marie, now a "double digit" girl (just turned 10 ) is getting into the girlie drama stage too, but still has to be the most complacent , easy going kid ever ! Totally a people pleaser and loves school, reading, art, horsese, all the stuff that most 10 yr old girls love. We have to remind ourselves she is here sometimes bc she is so easy going you never hear a peep out of her. OH unless you ask her to help with washing dishes, then the fireworkds begin! Craziness!! She is very much like big brother Chris though, responsible and not a lot of worries. Thank heavens.
Little Micheal-de-ichle , our baby. Mr Man turned 6 this year and thinks he is now a big boy! He is loving kindg and totally rocking out in it.... his teacher is amazing and I love her to bits. He is SO ready for all day school next year and I think he'll just do great! Still all about his cars and trucks and bikes and trailers.... still all boy. Loves to play with friends, be outside, helping Daddy. Just a fun kid. Definalty the BABY of the family and spoiled rotten, but still a total joy to be around, keeps us all laughing!! Gotta love the kid!

Home - let's just say I keep busy. Between dishes, dinners, laundry and taxi with kids, I don't know where I am going most days. I love it. I always wanted to be a stay at home mom and I do love it, just funny that I am hardly ever actually at home! Seems I run run run kids all day long. LOL It is good though, I enjoy most every aspect of it (aside from washing dishes like Tiff) . This week was a little crazy going back from Spring Break, Tiff and Micheal in Boise for a few days and then having a good friend get sick and helping her out a bit. Also some worries with a family member who is going through some health issues and is waiting for testing... always enough to make you nuts.

Skinny chicken jeans. ...well, they will just hacve to wait. I am in the midst of a "fat trial" right now with my weight and I am really flustered. Put on a couple of lbs over last weekend that are not budging back on me and I am ready to go into crisis over it!! I keep telling myself not to be a slave to the scales, but it makes me so nutted up!! I have changed up some things on my workout routines and also have sworn off sugar and chocolate till' the end of time (yea right) and I just hope by Monday I get results so that I can walk into the batrhroom again without wanting to throw the *&^%$ scales out the window! I have done so well the past few weeks so this setback is really getting to me. The big thing is that is is SO TOTALLY my own doing! ugh!! I will just have to push extra hard to do this. ... thankfully I have some awesome support and I know I can count of those people. I have to keep reminding myself that it took me 17 years to pack this weight on, I am not going to lose it overnight.... but the progress is so slow and so so so painfully unnoticable - it makes it hard to keep going some days. People tell me they see a huge differenece in my body , some dyas I do too. Most days I do not. Then when I see a sublte change and I am like "WOW!! Look at this" no one else can see the differenece! Go figure?! I have gone down a couple of sizes in clothes and that is cool, but still buying way bigger than I'd like to. My ultimate goal is to get down to 160 or so... and a size 12-14 but that is a long ways off. Right now I just put out baby steps and my next is to reach that 50# loss mark.... which is going to happen and happen SOON !! I just have to get over this hurdle!

Guess that is about it right now. Sorry so long, but don't say I did not warn you! Make it a good day! NO! Make it a GREAT day!
Darla

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

All About Fitness (ha ha ha)


Have you ever seen a SKINNY CHICKEN????
First and foremost - today I have to "retract" what I wrote previously about our trip up to Island Park..... no, Ed did not have fun, he did not enjoy himself and he did not think it was a blast. I personally had a great time, sorry he did not, but I did in fact have fun wallowing in the wet snow. Guess that makes me NUTS egh?! OK now I am free and clear of all that..... on to better things!!


Have you ever seen a SKINNY CHICKEN???????? OK back on track. Most of you know that I have this nickname of "The Skinny Chicken" in thanks to my crazy sister Lisa. Basically, she and I worked on some fitness goals for me and somehow that oddball crazy name came out of it all and IT STUCK! As a matter of fact - we named our Biggest Loser team at the YMCA "The Skinny Chickens" LOL Love it.
Well, as a skinny chicken I have been working like crazy! I have been TRYING to eat better ( some days better than others) and I have been shakin' my butt big time at the gym. This week I have boosted my workout up a bit, changed some things around and I am hopeful that they will sort of jump start my weight loss for now. Things seem to have slowed down and I am getting flustered.
So I was looking back at my previous records yesterday and found that I have really made great strides in my endurance and in my stamina. Really cool if you ask me. I have worked hard to get where I am and it feels SO great. For instance, when I started walking I was only going for like 15- 20 min and totally worn out. Now I am walking 2 1/2 miles and feeling great!
Also, before I started all this work, I would sleep in till' 8 or 9 or sometimes even 10 in the morning.... and lazy around all day. Now I am getting up on my own will power (and insanity) at 4:45 am in the mornings to get to the gym to work out before I have to get kids off to school.
Before, I was drinking at least 2 bottles of Diet Soda a day. Now, I am drinking 10-12 glasses of water a day.
See a trend? Uh yea, it is amazing! The funny thing is, that although I have dropped a signifigant amount of weight already (and hope to lose a LOT more), the other changes are what are exciting to me. Not just the smaller clothes and looking better in the mirror. I FEEL SO GOOD! I am totally energized and pumped up, happier, healthier, feeling amazing! I want to get out and go, I want to dress up, put on makeup, look nice when I go out. It is SO awesome! Very happy with what I am doing and only see more improvements ahead!
Bottom line. If you are reading this, if you know me, or even if you don't..... and you have struggled with weight for a long time, GO FOR IT NOW! I know I had to wait for the "right time" for me to do it, but now I just cringe when I think how tired, and icky I felt all the time before. AND.......if I feel this good NOW after just a portion of the weight being gone.... imagine how FANTASTIC I will feel and look when I hit my goal weight! I feel like a different person, I feel happier and healthier and so much more vibrant. It is awesome, and you can do it too! I do not buy fancy shakes or vitamins....... don't have a personal trainer or chef (thank you Oprah!) but I do have the desire and will power to do it and each day that grows.
:O) Keep on' keepin' on folks!
Darla

Monday, April 02, 2007

So Crazy! So Cool!


Imagine THIS sweet little cabin burried in snow. Well, with spring thaw, it really was not burried..more like, just deep. About 3-4 feet deep to be exact, in deep, wet, crusty snow. Try WALKING, uhh no, wading through that snow to get to this cabin. Ahhhh yes, that is what we did yesterday - JUST FOR FUN?!?!
OK first off, this is not the "exact" cabin we went up to - but it is really simliar looking. Same style but in better shape! LOL So, our friends bought a cabin up in Island Park , ID to do a renovation on and rent out and/or sell. We have been hearing about it for a while now so we decided it would be a "FUN" Sunday afternoon excursion to drive up there and wade our sorry butts through the hip deep snow and see it. (OK Ed, you did not think it would be fun, but it was wasn't it??!!)
So, we get up there, beautiful drive up into Island Park, about an hour and 1/2 from Idaho Falls.. so pretty. We get there and go deeper and deeper into the wooded cabin areas and rutted MUDDY roads and finally pull off into a little clearing on the side of the road, jump inot our friends big truck with them and drive down a bit further. We unload and literally step out of the truck (jacked up truck too) onto a nice "drift" of 3 ft of snow. Ohhhhh kay then.
Well,here I am in my jeans, tennis shoes and ankle socks.... my polar fleece jacket and little knit gloves, I proceed to follow our friend Blake as he trucked his way out across the snow to the cabin (a good 100 yards from the road). He is cruisin' along and almost at a jog sort of skiffing along the top of the snow drifts and I take 2 steps and BAM! I drop to my HIPS into the snow. Start laughing hysterically .... pull myself up and take another step and SINK! to my hips again! So goes the VERY VERY VERY slow process of getting over to the cabin. ( cralwing on my hands and knees at a couple points!) Meanwhile everyone else is sinking as well... (oh and Blake sunk a few steps too, but being over 6 foot tall he just hopped right out of the holes!! What the heck? NO FAIR! )
Finally, we get to the cabin.... my dear loving dh took the shovel and made an attempt at shoveling out the entry way for me.... but that was so not happening so we sort of crawled and slid over the drift at the doorway ! LOLOL!!! What a HOOT! By the time I actually got INSIDE the cabin, my jeans were dripping soaking wet as if I had just waded through a river! Insane!
So here I am thinking that I would go in the cabin, warm up (HA!) and dry off a bit before we had to wade back out to the trucks!? HA HA HA! Well, the cabin is stripped, gutted, ready for renovation and basically has nothing in it. Since they just purchased it they have not switched over the power yet and thus the propane lines are forze and there was no heat! So here were the group of us, sopping wet, freezing and wandering around this cabin in the dark! Gotta love it! Well, we scoped it out, they took some notes for reference for the renovations and we then trucked back out.....but found that the snow under the trees was MUCH less deep and so we had a super easy trip back out to the trucks thank goodness! Meanwhile, I am still dripping, get in the car and have dh blast the heat on my legs and feet..........
We decide to stop for lunch at a cabin style inn up there .. thank goodness I got the seat by the fire! After a WAY YUMMY lunch (including homemade handcut frenchfries) we headed home. I broke down and took my shoes and socks off in the car and let the heat just blast my feet - it felt so good! When we finally got home, I took a long hot bath and discovered that I had some "lovely" scrapes and bruises on my legs from the crusted parts of the snow. OUCH! My left knee is actually bruised and a bit swollen today - but I must not have felt it yesterday bc of the cold?? Who knows.
End of story, it was a TOTAL and COMPLETE blast! I seriously had a fun time and would do it again in a second! (with a snowmobile, bibs, boots and hand warmers!) No, really, it was a blast, I had a great time and am so excited for our friends ... it will be cool to see the transforamtion on the cabin and I am sure more great memories to come! :O) Oh, and no, I did not take the camera. I am sure the photos would have been PRICELESS!?!