224 to 157

As I am heading into the new year..one thing I am not too worried about… my health.  Well at least for now.  I just got some really good news this past week and thought I would share.

Back in September, Dave and I both went to our general Dr for a Physical.  Mainly we went to get our annual blood work done to check cholesterol etc.  Dave has a history of high cholesterol in his family.  He has always been borderline.  Still is!  so I try and help him out by encouraging us both to go.  I figure if I go it’s the best way to get him to go.  Well when we got our results back I was the one that needed to show concern.  I had relatively high cholesterol.  I was shocked and dumbfounded.  I don’t have any history of it in my family and I was not overweight.  So talk about getting a little wake up call.  Here I am at 31 and having these elevated levels.  Certainly not something you want to hear.  It boiled down to what I was eating and my lack of physical activity. The physical activity is a kicker for me.  Raising 2 young children and working part time sort of lines up your priorities in a different way.  Finding 30 minutes to myself a day let alone 30 minutes to engage in any physical activity has been hard to do if at all.

So it took me about a month of knowing I needed to start eating better and exercising.  Then my mother in law came to town and she had just started weight watchers to loose a few pounds. ((she’s lost 19 so far!)) I’ve heard about weight watchers and points but that was as far as it went.  But seeing her eat pretty normal and anything she wanted I figured maybe it would help me with lowering my levels.  Well I started the on line version back in November (not telling anyone in case I failed miserably) and I am happy to say that I lost 7 lbs … well gained a few back over the past few weeks! but the biggest thing is that I lowered my cholesterol by 67 points and more importantly I lowered my LDL the bad cholesterol by 53 points.  And now I’m in the low range of normal.  A BIG sigh of relief.  I’m not one to diet.  Actually I’ve only ever tried 2.  I did body for life a year ago.  It went well for like 7 weeks but to be honest… for me it was a little extreme as far as the eating went.  It’s not something that for me was very realistic as a long term way of life.  We have some friends who love it and it works great for them but for me, you get one cheat day a week and I would get so tired of all the peanut butter etc.   And when I came off of it, everything came right back on.  WW really seemed to work for me.  Obviously.. the proof is in the numbers.  I think it’s an amazing program that not only helps people loose weight if you need to but if you are a task oriented person like myself then knowing how many points each food has really helps you make wise decisions and better decisions on what you actually consume.. even if you main is not to loose weight.  No wonder I had high cholesterol.  The point values on some of my food I used to eat on a daily basis… Anyway all that to say that I am very pleased that my levels are lower and I can rest better at night.  I was shocked at how much they dropped in just 8 weeks time. 

So that is the news here.  I needed to share that before we head to Charleston tomorrow and we eat at this amazing restaurant and spend Tuesday eating every chip, dip, and sweet thing you can imagine while watching the bowl games. 

So happy New Year to you… Mine will be a little more happy with more peace of mind!  I’m really proud of myself.  And I don’t tell myself that often enough!

Baking Cookies

Today I did something that I had not done in the past 6 years.  I made a batch of home made chocolate chip/oatmeal cookies.  That’s pretty big news for me.  I’m not the baker or the cook for that matter.  But we are heading to Charleston this weekend for New Years and I wanted to bring something that was not store bought.  2 burns (to myself!) and 40 cookies later I think they turned out pretty good.  But the whole process did remind me why I do not like to bake.  It has been a slammed weekend for me.  Dave has been gone to NC for an event and I took down all the Christmas stuff and am getting the family ready to be gone for a week.  I can’t believe all the stuff that goes into getting everyone out the door.  After Charleston we are heading to a late Christmas with Dave’s family.  So I’m exhausted and looking forward to Dave being back tomorrow and finished things around the house.

What a wonderful Christmas

First, I wanted to say that I’ve renamed my blog to (un)written.  I must give all the props to my friend Courtney Reichley who came up with the brilliant title.  I liked it so much that I stole it from her.  It’s just on loan until she decides to copyright it.  Until then, I’m taking other peoples creativity.  Thanks Courtney!  I’m sure she is rolling her eyes right now!

We had a wonderful Christmas day.  The best one yet.  There is nothing like sitting in a room with 4 generations surrounding you and being forever grateful.  I think the highlight of the two day celebration was when at our Christmas Eve service at our church, we had a time of lighting candles.  It started down our row with my Grandmother to my mother to me and then to my daughter Emma… each lighting each others candle from the person before.  Just one of those moments where you realize the power of a family.  It was a priceless moment for me.

I’ll let the pictures follow tell our story of the past few days.  It was a time of richly celebrating each other and the people we love.  And of course the general rule of Dave and I are not getting each other anything was broken by him.  He calls it my Christmas/Birthday.  Well it should be like all the Holidays this whole year to come.  You’ll see what I am talking about from the picture.

Dave and I with the girls ready to head to our Christmas Eve Service.  Thanks Great Nana for the Girls beautiful dresses.
 

At Home Getting our Cookies, Milk and Picture Ready for Santa.

Christmas Morning and Seeing that Santa did in fact come!

Izzie’s “big” gift from her Nana and Papa – A Rocking Zebra!

Emma Got a Ballet outfit from us and then her Nana and Papa got her a Disney Pricess Castle. I could not believe my mother did this. I was shocked. Another thing to store but Emma really loved it and has played for hours with it so far!

And then their is me. Remember my post on the Jeans? Seriously people I would NEVER buy them but leave it to my dear husband to… what did he say? Do something for me that I would Never do for myself. So here is my gift or should I say Dave’s gift? I think he has enjoyed them more than I have!

We are truly blessed. Not just from material things but from friends and family that are dear to our hearts. So we celebrate with joy this season with the constant reminder of the real meaning behind why we spent two days in giving and receiving gifts.

We certainly missed Dave’s family the past few days as well. We are taking a trip to see them at the beginning of the year and are looking forward to time spent with them.

The past few days have certainly reminded me the need and blessing of community and family. It has also made me so aware of the people who don’t have anyone this time of year, who have lost loved ones this past year and have family that is fighting in this war we are a part of.  My Grandfather did a meals on wheels Run on Monday and he was sharing about all the people who are alone this time of year… by themselves.  It was hard hearing him tell of having to leave them meals and knowing it would be just them.

Merry Christmas Everyone and a hopefully a very happy New Year as well to you!  I am in hope of the many adventures this new year will bring for our family and for the people we know and love and the people that we have yet to meet.

Creation and Gingerbread Houses

So it’s Christmas time and we should be talking about Mary and Joseph but instead Emma and I always seem to be in an in depth conversation about Adam and Eve.  Well as in depth as you can get with a 5 year old.  So today we celebrated the story of creation.  Tomorrow we’ll try again to stick with the Christmas Story!

We’ve had a lazy few days.  They have been wonderful.  Dave will sleep in and then tag me and I’ll go to sleep for a few more hours and well for the past few days we’ve done a lot of sleeping.  I don’t think either of us realized how much we were in need of rest.

After getting a little bit stir crazy today, Emma and I left Izzie with Dad in search of a gingerbread house.  G-ma made one with her last year and I’ve been promising all weekend that we would try and find one and do one ourselves.  Not from scratch mind you.. the pre-made ones that you just have to put together.  We finally found one and what an adventure putting it together.  I don’t know how we salvaged it but we did and Emma did all the decorating.  I’m still trying to recover from the process of making the four walls stand up!  But alas… we made a beautiful creation! 

Santa comes to our house!

That is why we live in Reidville SC People!  What other small town has Santa riding on a firetruck and sounding it’s horns as he comes through your neighborhood!  We heard this noise and I thought “oh no! a fire!” Ran to the door and what should I find?  Santa riding on a firetruck driving through to wish us a Merry Christmas.  He even stopped to give Emma a hug.  So to the people of Reidville, SC…. thanks for making this an awesome place to live and raise our families.  We love good old Reidville and would not wish to be anywhere else. Thanks Santa for the special visit!

Rest

Rest is a  beautiful thing.  For the next few days we have no plans.  Just rest and time with our girls.  No schedle, no agenda, no place to be.  Again, rest is a beautiful thing!

A Christmas Run Down

Christmas.  Lots of thought going through my head this time of year so I’ll just list them.

• Great Nana and Emma made the famous Christmas cookies today.  I grew up eating these cookies every Christmas.  It was fun to watch Emma get in my mothers Apron from when she was a little girl and make and decorate cookies with My Nana her Great Nana.  These are the moments that Christmas is all about for me.  To celebrate life with family and friends and to celebrate the redeeming Son of God named Jesus.
• Home for the Holidays.  We have woken up on Christmas morning at our own home now for the past three years.  It’s starting to become tradition.  Dave’s family is in FL and they sometimes make it here but they are pastoring a church so the Holidays for them remind me of my holidays growing up as a pastors kid.  Always somewhere to be that is not with your whole family.  It stinks but that is the call of ministry at times.  
• We attend the Christmas Eve service at our church each year… we come home and get in our Christmas pajama’s and have a family game night. Then Christmas dinner on the 25th etc.
• Last year we left the reindeer carrots and this year we are leaving glitter and oats per Emma’s teacher at school.  Emma still talks about how the reindeer ate most of the carrots.
• We are those people that embrace Santa.  The childhood imagination is a wonderful thing and we celebrate the world of make believe.
• We are those people that embrace with everything we can the true meaning of Christmas.  It is the stake of our faith.
• Coming into Christmas I can be a real Bah Humbug.  Is that how you spell it?  I HATE buying random gifts for people because I feel like I have to.  I would do away with gifts in general if it were up to me. Unfortuneatley it’s not.  We have many people in our extended family who love to celebrate with the giving of gifts.  I do make every effort to me a great steward of money and always try and get thing that have meaning to them.  I normally do pretty good but there are always a few things that are I had to buy it just to buy something. 
• Dave and I don’t exchange gifts.  We never have.  There have been a few years where he has got something for me but it has always ended in a why did you do that because I don’t have anything for you!  We take our birthdays to really celebrate each-other.
• I am a contradiction when it comes to designer things.  Remember my post of the jeans?  Well I may not have a pair of designer jeans but I sure have other stuff that is.  Just wanted to clarify that since reading some of my old posts I thought that came off a bit contradicting.  By the way the next day after that post I saw a pair of jeans at Costco and almost bought them.  It was as if they were just sitting there for me.  Good thing I was low on money!
• Emma and Izzie got the best gift this year. Their friends Simon and Addie Gail sent them a card in the mail that said that they were part of feeding and nurturing children through world vision and that a donation was made in their honor.  Now that was a gift that was so fun to explain to Emma.  She’s getting the picture slowly but surely.
• Did I ever mention that a few years ago someone bought us a goat.  We loved it!
• Did I say anything at all in this post?  Feel like I don’t have much to say lately.
• Oh one last little rant.  I want to wish you Happy Holidays because parts of the Christian community that I hate being attached to say that if you say Happy Holidays and not Merry Christmas then you have problems.  Even to the extent of telling people to boycott stores that don’t use Merry Christmas.  It mind boggles me how as we as followers of Christ can expect people that are not or places that are not to act and be christian.  Well anyway, Happy Holidays to you!
• I’m done now!   Promise!

Pictures from the last few days

Here is Emma as Mary in her Christmas Program

Emma and the girls in her class showing what they got in their gift exchange.

Below Emma and her Class Party at School

A star was born!

Last night was great.  Emma was so proud, excited and sang her heart out.  She was front and center stage.  During one of the songs they sang happy birthday to Jesus and Emma stood there and held baby Jesus.  At one point she had Jesus by the neck but He never hit the floor.  Whew!

Of course I’m at work and have left my camera at home so you’ll have to wait to see the pictures.

A “Mary” Christmas to you

Tonight is a time for our famiy to celebrate.  We have been anticipating this evening for the past few months.  Tonight is Emma’s Christmas program at school and she was chosen to be Mary.  Not sure how she got chosen or how that all works but I can say that after attending her school party today and hearing the mothers chit chat… I think it has become a bigger deal than it seems.  Every girl wants to be Mary but my girl got chosen.  So tonight she’ll be front and center and even holds baby Jesus during one of the songs.  It’s good to take time and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and for our family tonight we’ll be doing just that.  I’ll post some picts of the star tomorrow!