Runnin' low on gas these days....

So lately, I have been so busy that I cant make healthy food. I was at 5 hours of rehearsal on saturday and have a 4 hour rehearsal tomorrow night. Needless to say we have been eating out a lot.

I am proud to say that today, I made potato salad and pasta salad for the fridge so Colin doesn't eat chips and salsa all week.

I need some more ideas for things that I can keep in the fridge. We don't have a microwave to leftovers are a little difficult if they cant be heated up on the stove.

Any ideas ladies??

ANYONE Can Do This. I Dare You All!!!

Ok guys and gals. I know I never post here but this really inspired me! It's the simplest and most painless running schedule I've ever seen, in all my years of perusing running and fitness magazines. I'm in the worst shape I've been in since I joined the Army, so I'm starting this Monday.

Love you all!

Rachel

Our Light

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." Marianne Williamson

Posting Day

Again a new idea pops into my head. I am well aware that for every implimented idea, a hundred others are discarded. Not discarded because they are bad, but because my capacity for perfection is earthbound right now. I have learned that all those failures are important. So with dignity (I know, dignity is not one of my personality traits) I accept that this new idea may not survive the cut. But I am declaring it with characteristic enthusiasm, because even if I can do it twice before going under, it will have been worth it.

Idea: I need a scheduled posting day.

Getting it from I need to I will is the next step.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Oh My Gosh!!!! Sarah told me about this chicken a while ago and I finally made it. It is so stinkin' good. not too complicated but she told me gave me the recipe four days ago and I have already made it twice.

Seriously, just try it.

Thanks Sarah. It's one of Colin's new favorites.

Around the house

So mom solves this with that plastic ice cream lid thing that she keeps by the microwave. I had to wipe out the cupboard that this olive oil lives in. Then I thought of THIS!!!! Ha ha!! Totally ghetto but it works.

This is one of the latest wall projects. Black shelfs- by themselves, boring. Even just things set in them, could be boring. But take a look at THIS!! I cut out silhouettes in vellum paper and put it over colored paper. Good idea eh? I love it!!

And this is the scrap paper rub on that I put on a mirror. Ya it took a while because it doesn't stick to glass very easily.

These two pictures are for dad. Love ya.

Apple Pie- Success.

Some of the things

Hey girls,
So I am majorly on track at this point in my life and I feel really good. I found this website that I can put in all my food and enter my exercise. It's another tool for WW (even though they don't make the site)! I really like it cause I am on the computer a lot for school.
Here are some of my favorite snacks lately:
~Banana
~kettle corn mini bag smart pop
~Watermelon
~Kellogg's Fiber Plus bar
~5 ritz crackers with 2 tbsp chili con carne topped with 3 tbsp low fat cheese,
melted in microwave
~Cherries
~Raw mushrooms (I got hooked on those when I was visiting mom and dad)

Just wanted to share these things, they have been helping me a lot!
Love you guys

I found an awesome blog site that has a ton of AWESOME recipes with the WW points per servings! check it out here

My 4 point dinner

Hey all my favorite girls! So mom got me all set up to start weight watchers last Sunday. So I am concluding day 5 and I feel great! I am so excited to get rid of the extra weight I have accumulated since I started nursing school. I spent so much time in class (on my butt) then all the rest of my time studying (on my butt!) I am so excited about this!
Tonight I decided to throw a little casserol together and here were the things I threw in:

2 cups instant brown rice
2 cups water
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can of pinto beans, drained
1 can green beans
1 small bag frozen broccoli
2 cups frozen corn
pepper
salt
other seasonings I like
Mixed these things together and topped it off with:
1.5 cups bran flakes, crushed
2 teaspoons of olive oil
After I spread the bran flakes mixed with olive oil, I popped it in the oven on 350 for about half hour or so.

While that was cooking, I jumped on the elliptical and earned a few more points.

For the dinner, 1/8 of the casserole adds up to about 4 points! Most of the ingredients are "free"

After dinner, Sean, Kayla and I went for a walk in the wildlife reserve and enjoyed the beautiful gift of nature.

Love you all!

So... I thought I would share just a tidbit of holistic healing with you.

This morning I had a headache. I knew I hadn't had a lot to drink and had been biking yesterday. So I drank 2 liters of water in about 45 minutes. Guess what! My headache is gone. It's amazing what our bodies do to tell us we need something!

Love you all

I Missed a Birthday--again?

Well, I somehow, three years in a row, got Ruby's birthday wrong. Why do I think she was born on the 4th? Then I read the blog and saw that it is actually on Emily Messerly's birthday. Don't you think that would help me remember?

I thought all day about calling her tomorrow. I practiced singing, "Lollipop Song" in case she is still young enough to want me to, even over the phone. Last year when I went to Florida to visit, I remember her lovely smell as she pressed against my rib cage so she could feel my voice in "Little Bear". She never throws tantrums when I visit, she asked sweetly and politely and shows me her best love and respect for Mommy and Daddy. She gets extra stickers on her chart and lets me choose the book, and the song, and the poem. She puts me in charge of picking up her things and putting away her laundry. We love to eat things together, in our own separate bowls, of course. And she never vexes Lilly or Grace.

I don't know what I will do when I visit in seven weeks, and her hair falls heavily to the side, instead of all over her sticky face. She will be able to see my face closer and notice that I am not as tall as she remembers. Instead of knowing what her day was like, she will have to tell me. I hope she gives me lots of details (you know how Gramas are). This visit will be different, but the same eyes (my color), the same lips, (her mom's), the same middle child that I love (not for long--the middle child part, I mean!).

I think I should just give up and realize that maybe my job is to lengthen her birthday by calling her on the 4th every year! Think about her all day on the 3rd and call the next day.

Post Script!!! Sarah just called and told me that she blogged ahead. I am so.... But now I know that:
Ruby was not born on Emily's birthday, but the next day--the 4th.
I must have called on the 5th last year.
Sarah reads this blog at midnight.
I love Ruby fiercely, no matter what day it is.
Birthdays are not what I am good at.
I'm going to bed now.

33

Not many of us reach the 33 year mark. Not because we are old, but because we are in a world where rotten choices and circumstances beyond our control lands us in short marriages. We, on the other hands, despite the rotten choices and circumstances beyond our control, are still at it. We are healthy for the most part, very happy and have a million reasons to celebrate!

So we celebrated last night. We removed all the children from the home. Dad BBQd a Filet Mignon steak which nearly killed us with pleasure, I sauteed some fresh asparagus, and we put together some other items, building a three course meal to die for, without dying financially and the company was divine. Lots of conversation about work, kids, what we love about our relationship, the highlights of our marriage and the low spots, our diets and our fears, and of course practice on scripture mastery.

Then I asked the fateful question: "So what else shall we do?" Dad suggested a movie and we finally decided to be crazy and watch AVATAR. So we went, donned our 3 D glasses (a brand new experience for us) and buckled in for the ride. And what a ride! There was plenty that amazed us, amused and astonished us. But we laughed so hard all the way home and stay up talking with the girls for a half hour about it. We will remember our 33rd for some time.

Still loving each other, working hard and having too much fun!

Back again

Well, I am reviewing the week on the blog here, when I stayed with it and lost 2.2 pounds. The following week was a little off and very busy and full of excuses and shame. But I read what I had written and was renewed.

I have a headache. A great excuse to eat chocolate. A great reason not to eat chocolate. So should I be thankful for this headache that has not gone away in two weeks? Yes. And if it brings me to my knees, I might as well ask for His help in my eating journey while I am down there.

Why?

Is there any way to take the eating habits I am claiming are solidified after a massive five days and put them in tomorrow to work their magic like they did today. I love the feeling of NO sugar (other then what occurs naturally in foods) in my body. I also enjoyed the feeling of not being overly hungry after not having consumed food for a full four hours. Just five days ago it would have been four minutes. I ate everything slow and carefully, enjoying my one helping more than I have in a long time.

Day five ditto.

HEAVEN

Went to dinner at Happy Sumo with my friend. Got the Mango Mamma sushi roll. I audibly heard mmmmmm come from my mouth with every bite. It was heavenly. Probably the best sushi roll, in fact, best taste that has ever past my lips.
I better go to bed so I can dream about it.
You can call me a freak now.
Until you try one.

On my Way

Day four ditto.

Day five planned.

Getting harder.

Getting better.

Day Three

FINALLY! I have had a wonderful day three. I know...it is about time, but something is different about this time.

Sunday night, I put on a really cute dress (I LOVE that dress!) that I will look so good in at my right weight. Now the family is always so complimentary about my looks, saying that I look so good and they are surprised that I am even over goal. Well, when I put on that dress, no one could say anything. I put make up on (lipstick), nylons, fixed my hair, just as I will wear it all the day I make it all the way down. But it is extreemely unflattering. Isaac snapped some pictures and Tammy put them in an easily accessable file for me on the computer. This will be a weekly ritual for as long as it takes.

The next day (my second first day), I was very dedicated to eating well and carefully. I tracked everything, stopped eating when I had eaten a reasonable amount and did not eat again until I was truly hungry. Novel. I started the day by looking at that picture. It is a nice picture, my smile and everything, with the dreadful fit... but I am determined to wear that dress to a Weight Watchers meeting and look smashing.

I exercise with the PACE approach. It has me walking then sprinting, repeating as I can. I do it outside, a little embarrassing at first but now OK. I stretch, then walk about 5 minutes, sprint for about 20-30 seconds (up from 15 seconds last week). Then I walk until I feel like running again. This lasts about 20 to 30 minutes. I can get in about three or four sprints in that time and feel quite exercised! I come home to do my self-developed resistence regimen: bench press (while on my back) about 5 pounds of canned chicken. I'll show you the routine sometime. Good for arms and abs! My goal is at least 3 workouts a week or more for right now. Up to four soon.

Day two ditto.

Day three ditto.

Day four is already planned.

Alright girls. I know, I know...how do I have the nerve to post something only every few months when I get to reap the rewards of you all posting regularly!!! But I just couldn't help myself on this one. Now I realize that this blog is for "Health and Happiness", insinuating that it's mostly about healthful eating, active lifestyle, etc. But I'm going to venture out on this one...I'm going to post about MENTAL (which translates also into EMOTIONAL) health!!! Namely money.

Now, we all know that Rachel's strong point has never been managing her funds well. I've come to the conclusion that this is a combination of forgetfulness, spontaneity, generosity, adventurous-ness, and just plain old lack of skill in doing it. I have a regular job now, and a real car, and I managed to get rid of all my bad debt...and in only a year my credit score increased 60 points! While that alone helped my mental well-being immensely, I know there is something more. The next step is (GASP!!!) making a budget, sticking to it, and saving extra money.

So Brandie (who is uncannily good at money matters such as budgets, investing, and saving) sat down with me last night and we hashed out my money situation. We listed all my income, bills, taxes, goals, wants, needs, and unnecessary spending. We plugged all the leaks with the little things that I spend cash on, made saving goals, and wrote a detailed plan down of what I would do with every penny every month. I actually had way more money to work with than I expected. And it also became painfully obvious how much I was spending on meaningless, needless things...eating out, clothes, treats, etc.

It turns out I can pay ALL my bills, have plenty of money to eat and enjoy things and still save 550 bucks a month straight to my savings!!

So even though I don't weigh less or run faster than I did yesterday, I feel heaps healthier and way more responsible! And the best part is that the "budget police" (Brandie, who by the way could get me in a choke-hold in 2.5 seconds) lives right down the hall and if I deviate from my plan...well let's just say I'd rather just pass up that new pair of boots than have a UFC match in my own living room!!

Love you all and wish me luck!!

Rach