I'm still here...

Just wanted to make sure you didn't think I've vanished.  It's been a pretty busy and emotionally draining last couple of weeks... I have several posts swirling around in my head that I'll get out in the near future... Thanks for hangin' with me :)

{for now she'll be taking your calls and responding to your emails}

{Little Miss Fish wanted to wear her life jacket while playing in her room}

Perk 2 of 2

of the Hubs home after being laid off...

WIT: Better late than never

Sorry about my absence yesterday. The day got away from me and I kind of forgot about weighing in.

So I give you Weigh In Thursday...

Down a pound. Ehh. It was another not-so-fabulous week, and an emotional eating weekend. We had to sell the family cabin (more on that later) and this past weekend was the last weekend there. One of the traditions my immediate family had was to always have duplex cookies there (the cheaper they are, the better they taste ;) Lemme tell ya, I ate my fair share on Saturday.

So I'm almost positive, probably for sure going to sign up for the River Run 10K. I know I'll die at around the 4 mile mark, but I kind of want/need the challenge. :) The only other 10K I've done was the 2008 River Run.

Accomplishments: uhhh...

Goals: uhhh... ;) Make myself sign up for the RR so there's no backing out. Go to the gym more than last week. :)

Day Re-Do

May I please go to sleep and wake up to Thursday again?

Maybe if I can have a re-do then I wouldn't leave an invitation to the surprise party I'm planning for my husband's 30th birthday on his nightstand... I was trying to get some of his friend's contact info off of his phone while he was downstairs ironing (so I could send them invitations)... I heard him coming up the stairs, so I scurried to the office, looked frantically for the invite that I had just printed off, realized what I had done, and by the time I got to the bedroom, he was looking at it (unintentionally; he thought I put it there for him to see).

Maybe if I can start today over I wouldn't lose one of the diamond earrings that my husband and daughter got me for Mother's Day / my birthday.

Ugh.  Going to take a detox bath right now.

If I can't have a re-do, then at least tomorrow I get to wake up to these sweet little eyes.

this little girl's mother has since scrubbed those dirty little finger nails ;)

WIW: Same Song, Different Verse

This will be the third time I'm typing this post.  Apparently I'm not smart enough to learn from my first or second mistake of not saving a draft.  Granted, the first two were started on my phone app and it's easy to accidentally close the app, but still.  *le sigh*

Another big ol' goose egg this week.  Nothing lost.  But nothing gained.  Not even an ounce.  Which is a good thing considering we had Mother's Day AND my birthday celebrations going on all weekend.  I did a decent job of being semi-conscious about what and how much I ate.  Except when Mom brought out her homemade frosted chocolate chip cookie "pizza" (a birthday tradition since forever ago).  Oh sweet baby Jesus.

Since the Hubs has been laid off, one would think that I would have ample time to mosey to the gym at any given time.  But in between house projects we've been tackling (more to come on those!) and the Hubs putting in extra hours at the Sheriff's Reserve, not much has changed in the "free time" area.  And I'm still not waking up to my alarm.  I wake up at 7am and it's "mysteriously" turned off.   Scouts honor I have no recollection of waltzing with the snooze button.

Here's hoping that this sad, sad graph below is just the kick in the pants that I need...  

 

Mother's Day

Sweet Emmalyn Grace,
While you are not the child that made me a Mom (we always remember your older sibling that we didn't get to meet this side of Heaven), in these 19 months I've had with you, you have filled my life with more love, purpose, encouragement, patience, and coffee than I ever imagined possible.  My heart physically hurts when I think about how much I love you.  Thank you for showing me a tiny glimpse of how our Heavenly Father loves us so.



Thank you Jesus for entrusting and allowing me to be Emmalyn's mom.  I know I don't deserve her, but I'm humbled and grateful the same.

{April 2011}

 

 

 

{April 2012 - http://gskillenphoto.zenfolio.com}

The Plug

I put my baby (I've really got to stop calling her that... "You're such a big girl, Baby Girl!" sends her quite the mixed message I'm sure) down for bed tonight and "forgot" about re-attaching the plug (pacifier) to her "Mr. Bunny" (he had been in the wash earlier today).  MB is her crochet snuggy-thingy that her Aunt Tera made, and we usually clip her plug to it so she gets both at bed. My original thought was that when we wean from the plug, she'd at least have MB and it wouldn't be as traumatic.

Tonight I gave her MB and wound up her lullaby bunny (I guess we have a thing for rabbits, because she has a huge patchwork rabbit in her crib also, haha).  Everything went off without a hitch; not a cry or even a whimper.

Maybe because she was pooped, but maybe she's really a "big girl" now.   

NOOOO!!!

Or maybe because she's been getting a double dose in the car.

WIW: Week 3 - Flatlined

This week wasn't as spectacular as last week... Or even as "good" as the first week. But I did accomplish one of my first goals.

No pounds lost. No pounds gained. Which in itself is an accomplishment since this particular week I just wanted to stuff my face with chocolate and and wear my husband's sweatpants.

Accomplishments: I did the entire 40 minute treadmill "program" without altering it in any way! When I first started exercising regularly (again) I was dying at the four minute mark. But on Sunday I completed it! The last eight minutes were kind of rough, but I pushed through! Next goal is to get to a point where I can do this program easily. :) This program does a mixture of incline (from 2 to 10%) and speed (from 3.5 to 4.5, which 4.5 is a solid jog for my short legs).  If it's at 3.5, then the incline is usually 7-10%, and when the pace picks up, the incline will reduce a little bit to around a 5%.

Goals for next week: Once again, step it up!  I haven't been hearing my alarm lately, and this past week's gym attendance was definitely not something to be proud of. Maybe one of these is in order. :)

My amazing friend Jack just finished her first full marathon a couple of weeks ago, which is totally inspiring... And it's getting me thinking that maybe I could train for a half...  Maybe. ;)

Waking up

to this on my nightstand is quite an alright way to wake up. :)

WTP Giggles

Emmalyn is completely enthralled with "Winnie The Pooh".  She is seriously in a trance when watching it and won't move for the whole hour that it plays.

Last night on one little part (when Piglet gets stuck in a beehive) she made the most adorable little giggle just at that part, then for the rest of the movie she went back into her trance.

Today (yes we watch Pooh a lot), I got it on video. :)

Mama splurged

and bought herself one of these...

Best. Splurge. Ever.

Why have I lived without one for so long?? :)

*edit: Reason #2 why this is the best splurge ever.  I may never have to dust again ;)

 

WIW: Week 2

Well it's week two for Weigh In Wednesdays! I'm pretty happy with the progress I made this week.  I was looking back on my calendar and I've only missed one day of working out since April 23.  Not to  shabby!  And this week I'm down 2 pounds.  Yea! :)

  

This past week I pushed myself at the gym, made pretty wise food choices, and stayed within my calories (even though Friday and Saturday we had family get-togethers and I'm not gonna lie, both sides of the family know how to make some good food! ;)  I'm pretty excited that my sister has started to join me at the gym...  Maybe I can warp her into becoming a cycling addict as well. ;)

Speaking of pushing myself at the gym...  On Tuesday morning I went to a cycle class called "Rip & Ride".   I thought we'd do some strength stuff on the cycles like "jumps", which are basically like push-ups while you're riding.  But 10 minutes in or so, I hit a wall...  I just wanted to stop, I was bored (which never happens to me at cycle!), I wanted to be done.  About 5 minutes later, the instructor said "Alright, we're gonna go to the mats and do some planks, then give me 3 laps around the track, 5 sets of stair climbs, and 20 bench dips, then we'll come back."  I'll be honest, my initial reaction was "Maybe I can just stay on the bike", then my next thought was "I could just sneak out now".  BUT I stayed...  After that first round, we got back on the bikes for about 15 minutes, then she had us get hand weights, and we did squats, step-ups, bicep curls, 2 laps around the track, then we finished class on the bikes.  It was really a lot of fun, and I completely forgot that I was "bored" at the beginning of class. Just what I needed that day.  :)  I gave myself a pat on the back for staying and completing everything she had us do.  Today I'm feeling muscles that I forgot were there, but I guess that's how you know you got a great workout!  This morning I didn't go to a "class", but I did get up and was able to put in 30 minutes on the elliptical.  I think my body needed a "down" day.  Cycling can be intense! :)

Accomplishments this week:  trying a new class, working out every day except last Thursday, making good food decisions.

Goals for this coming week:  get at least one workout in a day (if not two),  test my endurance by doing the "program" on my treadmill that killed me 3 minutes in a month ago - my goal is to do the whole program without stopping or slowing it down, possibly start the 30-Day Shred DVD.

If you don't follow her already, my friend Sarah is just a delight to follow, and she's the reason I started doing WIW's, 'cause she does them too.  I get really excited when it's been a couple days and there's several entries that I get to "catch up" on!  I think of the SNL skit every time- "MORE COWBE... OF SARAH'S BLOG!  I NEED MORE!!" :)