Past words:

• 2006 Peace
• 2007 Balance
• 2008 Breathe

Suggestions?

Outside of family responsibilities these two things (the gym and nannying) vy for my time. It is part of the balance I worked SO hard for in 2007. This fall and into the winter I over committed and was all over the place. It left me feeling like I was running in circles getting nowhere and constantly supposed to be somewhere else doing something else. No mas.

2009 a fresh start and a new schedule. My nanny schedule has changed. The family I work for doesn’t need me so late in the day anymore. I said goodbye to a few hours and while I wasn’t sure saying goodbye to the money was a good choice, the sanity it will bring to my day (and thus less stress to our family) makes it a good choice.

The last few months (Aug-Dec) I’ve been able to maintain my success at the gym, but truth be told I still haven’t reached my original goal. 2-3 workouts a week is not enough for me to reach that goal. Lifetime Fitness just put out their January schedule and I’ve mapped out a Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday routine that should give me the variety and results that I am working towards. Maybe Jeremy and I will even sneak in a few Friday night “date” work-outs. This schedule (minus the Wednesday workout) is one that I will be able to maintain in the future even if my nanny schedule changes, which it certainly will by the end of the year.

It feels good, a breath of fresh air into my schedule.

These thoughts have been rambling through my head since I made that post. Jeremy had surgery a couple weeks ago and in the first few hours of that experience and into the coming days these thoughts came together. Thus, a convergence of thought.

• I am thankful for a vital husband who is extremely capable and talented
• It makes me smile that even through his pain (emotional or physical) he still tries to make me laugh and often succeeds
• During the first hours and days of his recovery I helped him get dressed, socks, shirts the whole bit. It occurred to me how grateful I was that this wasn’t our normal. That he will get better and he’ll be able to care personally for himself. I was happy to do it, don’t get me wrong, but I was glad that it was temporary and not a Christopher Reeve situation.
• At one time I would have said we are lucky. These days can’t say I really believe in luck so much (check back if we ever win the lottery). I know that we both work hard at our relationship and I know we are both committed to it.
• I am thrilled to be with someone that I would be attracted to and desire to be with even if I met him for the first time today.
• It’s interesting to note that we’ve known each other for 20 years and yet I learned just a few weeks ago that he likes Laffy Taffy. who knew?! I can’t help but wonder what else I’ll learn in the coming years.

I do thank God for my husband and our marriage. I don’t take it for granted. It is something so precious and so dear that it is difficult for me to put into black and white words on a page. It feels as though the words limit what it is.

So, there it is. Some people might say we are lucky to have been together for 20 years (married for 17), and I suppose in some ways we are, but the two of us know the hard work and committment it has taken and will continue to take. Here’s to 18 years in 2009!

A few weeks ago in church we discussed various things about being thankful.  One option was to list our thanks physically on a huge piece of craft paper taped to a table.  We made a list very similar to the one we come up with each night.  Ever since then I’ve been even more conscientious (really don’t know how to spell that word) about thinking what I’m thankful for.  Here goes:

• a safe reliable car to drive
• warm clothes to wear
• a heated nice house to live in
• enough food
• a computer
• access to healthcare
• a healthy body and access to a fabulous gym
• amazing friends
• sound financial advice
• working appliances
• a cozy warm bed to sleep in
• running water and toilets that flush
• a happy healthy child

Life has been stressful and it will continue to be so.  By continuing to be thankful I feel like I am being taken care of and that my glass is (at least) half full.

Thank you!

Oh!  And for what it’s worth I still don’t enjoy it or think of it as fun.  I love knowing my body can do this. I love how it feels to ask my body to move and it moves.  I love being able to go out and dance my ass off at Aftershock gigs.  I love how I look in clothes (did I really just say that outloud?!).  I love all that.  The actual working out not so much, but I’m OK with that.

• he has a timeline to get American soldiers out of Iraq
• his insurance plan won’t cost me any more money than my current plan
• he’s offering additional tax relief for the middle class

AND

• Sara Palin’s ignorance about the world, and possible new policies regarding guns and abortion scares the pee outa me

The woman I overheard at the park stated to her friend that she was incensed by some people on My Space who when asked couldn’t state why they voted for Barack Obama.  I don’t know this woman, but I really wanted to walk over and state the above reasons.  I didn’t and I’m OK with that.  I know my reasons and I’m glad that the election turned out the way it did.  This is the first election I’ve watched (and discussed) all of the debates, and it is by far the most informed I’ve been about any of the elections I’ve been eligible to vote in.  Yeah me!

Must keep cleaning… 20 minutes left of unstructured time.

• Beef Stew
• Oatmeal & Raisin cookies
• Chili
• Banana Bread

It’s 80 degrees outside, but apparently my kitchen doesn’t know that. 

Let me see, where did I leave off with my Lifetime Fitness saga? I think I left you somewhere around Christmas, on my own, without the trainer, and still trying to reach my original weight-loss goal.

Well, I did survive the holiday season while maintaining my weight, which means I was disciplined on my own to get my butt to the gym and work. No easy task mind you. I make deals with myself while I’m working out, “If I run two more six minute intervals I’ll only have to do the circuit twice (instead of three times)” “If I make it five more minutes on the treadmill I’ll do extra push-ups and sit-ups instead of completing my treadmill workout”. Again, When did this happen?!: When did push-ups become the EASY part of my workout? Seriously. Now granted I’m still talking the girlie push-ups, but still, I’ve NEVER looked forward to push-ups, EVER in my life. (By the way, because they’ve become easy the trainer would say it’s time to do more, different, or harder push-ups.)

Back on track. Christmas led to January and JD’s back surgery and some schedule craziness. We didn’t finish our taxes until the deadline so I didn’t know if there was any “extra” (I use that term loosely) money hangin’ around. All the while I still maintained and actually worked an additional five pounds off. Yeah me! My original plan after working with the personal trainer was to get at least ten pounds off and then utilize his help for the last ten. When it became evident that the next ten (OK, actually five, following my math?) weren’t going to come off easily (has any of this been easy?! OK, except for the aforementioned push-ups) and our finances cooperated, I hired him again, to kick my butt, again. And it worked, again.

I’ve tried to figure out what it is about working with a trainer that makes the weight come off. There are several things I’m sure, but the ones that have become evident to me are:

1. I have paid someone to meet me at a certain time so I don’t cancel (or make excuses as I would if it were just me having a PMS day)
2. The personal trainer pushes me harder than I would push myself. There is some trust involved here. I’ve got to say that after he’s told me what we are going to do I’ve laughed, but I’ve never not done it.
3. After paying someone to kick my butt I am much less likely to eat a whole sleeve of Girlscout cookies, or eat the whole box of mac and cheese, or pint of ice cream or whatever.
4. By working with a personal trainer I have added one more supportive person to my team who asks me if I’m reaching my goals and keeps me honest about it.

After the second set of sessions with the trainer (which got me through the summer by the way) I didn’t lose as much weight as I did the first time, but I did lose a little and my clothes definitely fit looser. For those of you who ask, “what did you do?” This was my summer routine: Monday Step class, followed by 30 minutes on the elliptical. Tuesday weights and maybe 30 min of cardio. Wed off. Thursday w/ trainer. Friday Spin class, followed by 30 min on elliptical. Saturday off and Sunday w/ trainer. I haven’t kept a food diary since November. Should I? Yes. It’s laziness on my part. I know I eat healthier when I have to look at it and calculate it. So to those of you who ask, “How did you lose weight?” The first part of the answer is, “I did not LOSE it, I do not want it back. I WORKED it off, it is not lost.” The second part of the answer is, “Diet and exercise.” It isn’t sexy, but it’s the truth.

For the third year in a row Pat (crafty neighbor, dear, sweet, confidante) and I attended CKC in Charlotte, NC. We indulge in two crafty over-nights a year. The first is in late January/early February at the beach and then this CKC event in Charlotte. The hubbies have the little girls for the (junkfood eating, water park and circus going) weekend and Pat and I get some time for our paper passion and a great dinner out (ALWAYS!).

This year we rocked!!! We have learned well over the last three years how to select classes that we will like. This year we lucked out and Sue Neal of Papercraft Magazine fame taught two of our classes. We also took a Likety-Split Disney album class and an acrylic album class by Awesome Albums. After the LS album class we got brave and asked the instructor how she got hooked up with the company and how could Pat do the same. Y’all, let me just state here, Pat is an amazing artist. Her work, the color selection, perfect embellishments, fabulous projects, it’s all amazing and beautiful. So, we have been trying to figure out how to hook her up so she can do what she loves and get paid for it. Back to the LS conversation. The class instructor was kind enough to explain to us how to approach the owner of LS down on the vendor faire floor and go for it. Pat’s phone rang at 7:30 the next morning and it was the owner asking her if she was available to demo for the morning. Whoo hoo!!! Mission accomplished!

Other CKC accomplishments:

1. Pat found white brads, finally, and in two sizes
2. I found GORGEOUS Doodlebug paper (I WANT IT ALL!!!)
3. Pat taught a demo AND GOT PAID FOR IT
4. I found Rock & Roll paper and embellishments (Crate Paper) for an Aftershock album
5. Pat may not need to make another Disney album
6. We got our picture taken with Sue Neal (no way she’s 45!)
7. I used a brayer for the first time
8. Our creativity was piqued to experiment with bleach
9. We saw some great projects and can’t wait to get crafting!!!