When it rains, it pours

I was going to post something, but like my whole week, something went wrong and I just deleted the whole thing. I'm not going to re-type it. Sorry. Here's to hoping that your week is much better than mine...

WANTED: Spirit of the Season

Thanksgiving has come and gone in a blur of preparation and expectation and has left me feeling....well, really, with a lack of feeling. My usual approach to the winter holidays is with a fervor that drives my dear hubby and kids crazy. But this year I'm feeling a little -- let's say muffled -- in my celebration.

Not saying it wasn't good to see family and eat great food! I just wasn't feeling the spirit.

Of course, I've kept up the tradition of listening to Christmas music as soon as the radio stations will allow. And this year we had our neighbor put up Christmas lights on our house. That's about it. I'm not really looking forward to decorating this year...

Maybe it's the kids getting older and losing the magic of Santa. Maybe it's the lack of snow (I would never last in a warmer climate). Maybe I'm just not focusing on what this season means to me -- and all of us. Hmmmmm...maybe...

But if you happen to find my Spirit of the Season...please...let me know.

The Light bulb is getting Brighter

If you have known me for a good length of time, you know that I hate to exercise! But as the years keep racing on my body is doing exactly what my dad warned me about. He said, "You won't have this great metabolism forever. Just wait until you get older." (not the official words but pretty darn close). I think he also mentioned in there that I needed to control and curb my appetite so that when this "change" happened I wouldn't be caught off guard and have to make a huge adjustment.

Well, needless to say, I haven't really curbed my appetite much and continue to enjoy the sweets a little too often. It hasn't become a major problem but when I'm finding that even Ken's pants are too tight for me, I know there needs to be a change.

Hence, the workouts with a personal trainer! But not just any PT, this one happens to be my sister. It has been about a month and a half since we started and I'm starting to see little changes. The most major change happened today when I was determined to get rid of all the leaves on our back lawn. They were so deep that even trying to mow them up wasn't working. So I raked and raked, mowed what I could putting the clippings on the garden, and with my son's help, carried 3 or 4 tarp-fulls of leaves to our neighbor's pasture. But I didn't stop there. I even roto-tilled the garden! Now normally this would have taken me several days to get done and I would be extremely worn out but I was able to get it all done and still feel great!

There was also another surprise side-note to trying to get into shape. Mother nature is visiting with her monthly gift and I usually have a really hard time with cramps and moodiness and depression. I've been a little moody, but nothing like the past. But cramps have taken a hike and the depression hasn't arrived. It's so exhilarating to not feel chained and demonized during this time. Sorry if that was a little too much information but it's such an eye-opener to me how these changes have come about!

I can now actually look forward to the next swimsuit season and know that there will be a change this time. I'm hoping it's not just a good change but a great one!

What I AmThankful For

I stole this idea from my neighbor friend but I don't write quite as eloquently as she does.

Sam's morning smiles. Lots of blankets on the bed. Jane Austen. Minty hot chocolate. Doggie kisses. Kids' laughter. Fire in the fireplace. Sisters. A Listening ear. Slow dancing. A good sweater. Jeans. Hubby's health. CJ's hugs. Chocolate. Autumn leaves. Warm feet. Snuggles. Gospel strength. New opportunities. Christian radio. Christmas music. Good friends. Crochet. Backscratches. Family.

Ahhhh...Friday

Do you ever get to the end of the week and just feel like you've been through a tornado? I've been busier this week than I usually ever get (I try to keep my life simple so that I don't stress) and I'm definitely feeling it today. But it feels good to know that I got some things accomplished that have been on the back burner for a while.

We were able to can 500+ lbs of food storage, finally get on track to buy an insulin pump for Sam, get some deep cleaning done and throwing some stuff out. My week will be topped off tomorrow with preparing the garden for the winter. I'm starting to feel a little more organized and in charge of my life and it's been great!

Looking back at the busy-ness of the week and the stress that I have felt through it all, I remind myself of the blessings. The kids made it to piano on time, we're a little more prepared than we were last week, my dresser is actually cleared of clutter and dusted, the kitchen floor is mopped, I was able to have one-on-one quality time with the kids...oh, and the toilets got cleaned too. When I am able to look at the things I've been able to accomplish and see the good that has been done, I am able to relax a little and feel good about my week.