A Walk Around

Yesterday Danny and I walked around our yard and garden.  I've never enjoyed my yard as much as I have this year. Danny seems to be enjoying it too!!

My tomato plants are kicking butt. I guess I am a little surprised at HOW well they are doing, considering they are in pots. But they have already over doubled in sized, and some have blooms already. Some will probably need to be re-potted in a couple of weeks, after I get out of town and get some bigger pots. 

We are excited about our potatoes. They are really starting to peek up at the sides and tops. Every day we are finding new green peeking out.







Oh Smokey..he makes us laugh.  He spends HOURS and HOURS in this position he is in in the picture. Head down, tail wagging, with the occasional bird dog "point".  I really thought he was starting to loose his mind, because he does this and seems so excited. Turns out...he's watching bugs. The dog loves bugs.  In this picture the straw has attracted lots of Roly Polys.



I was THRILLED this year when the Iris I dug from the farm fence line bloomed this year. I've watched and waited for 3 years now.  It had belonged to my Grandmother. My Aunt also told me there were some yellow ones and where they used to be. Going to see if I can find any trace of them. 





The Poppies are in the middle of their spectacular show! I just love these flowers and was convinced they wouldn't be blooming. 



I wonder if I could be a Poppy farmer.  A real one..not one of the illegal ones! ;)

 

Our area has seen a round of scary weather the past few days.  We have had   Here is a bit from our forecast from Saturday: 

SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF WEST
CENTRAL, SOUTHWEST, AND SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS SATURDAY EVENING.
VERY LARGE TO GIANT HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE STRONGEST STORMS
OF BASEBALL SIZE OR LARGER. AT AROUND SUNSET, THE LOW LEVEL SHEAR
WILL INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY, WITH TORNADOES BECOMING A THREAT. AN
ISOLATED LONG-LIVED, SIGNIFICANT TORNADO WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING
THE MID TO LATE EVENING HOURS WITH THE STRONGEST SUPERCELL STORM. 

That makes you stand up and pay attention, huh? Luckily, we didn't have any tornadoes,

just rain, some scary lightening, and some REALLY large hail. Last night we had a hail 

storm bigger than I have ever experienced, with quarter to half dollar sized hail. There

was golf ball sized hail reported 5 miles from us. Luckily we had no damage expect a

broken bird feeder. We are suppose to have more weather today.

But at least we are getting MOISTURE!! 

Have a GREAT MONDAY!!

Weeks 8 and 9

Its really hard for me to believe I've been doing this challenge for 9 weeks now.

I kicked the crap out of out my plateau. I upped my protein a bit, and mixed up my excerise and I am down 4 more pounds.

Saturday I hit a personal record for exercise, walking 6.62 miles. I had gotten up and walked 1.5 early in the morning, and then we walked our local lake, and then I did another 1.5.  I was pretty stinking proud of myself.

Those early morning walks I just love. I love the stillness of the morning, with the birds singing thier hearts out. Its the perfect time to have conversations with God, or myself, or to listen to whatever music I feel like.

I know I've said this before, but weight loss is such a strange process to go through. Your brain doesn't really catch up with your body and I'm not sure how long it takes before it does. I really do not feel any different when I look in the mirror.  But yet...clothes I haven't been able to wear for years are suddenly fitting juuuust right. Its kind of like an Alice in Wonderland feeling.  Like the entire world has suddenly gotten BIGGER.

Its a lot of fun when people start noticing. Last weekend there was a lady who stopped by and she kept looking at me and grinning. "Did you....is your hair different? Did you change your hair color? You look GREAT." ;)

I try to take it 10 lbs at a time, and I realize I do have a long ways to go. If I just look at those 10lbs I do great. Other times I start to look at the bigger picture and how much I have left to lose and how long it will take, and it can get exhausting. 

But--10lbs at time...I can do this.

Yard Happenings

Whew. I still don't know if it is safe or not, but everything we wanted to plant is FINALLY in!. This weather has us delayed by probably a month. Oh well.

This year we made some changes. We have a busy summer planned, and I KNEW I wouldn't be able to keep up with a normal garden. Plus the drought of the past few years has really just made me mad, and I didn't want to do alllllll that work for a just a little bit in return again. So this is a bit of a experiment-try something new- year.

Danny planted his potatoes in towers, with potting soil and straw. We also have some coming back in our garden area from last year that will be cared for.  Apparently, when the boys say "there is NOTHING LEFT out there", they don't really mean it!! ;)  We don't know if the tower will really work, but its the perfect year to try it and see!

I am container gardening this year. My tomatoes, okra, green beans,  and pepper plants were all planted in buckets. I was a bit bummed that I ran out of containers, and didn't have room for some of my favorites, and then was gifted with 3 more mineral tubs. SO..in went radishes and beets. We will see how well it works!

Our garden plot will not be going to waste. I made a raised bed out there for zucchini. If it does well, it can have the entire plot. I also planted a few different varieties of sunflowers out there.

This year it will just be about fun and the joy in growing something. Which is how is SHOULD be. Gardening shouldn't be stressful or discouraging. I'm glad we are taking a step back to just ENJOY and have fun.

The weather  has made US crazy, but the Pansies have been LOVING it! 

Tristen has plans to grow peanuts again, and wants to give artichokes a try. I am pretty sure we are too late for both, but that sure isn't going to stop him from trying.  This time last year he had good sized peanut plants already. Crazy!!!

I am enjoying my yard with my new found energy and I hope to spend more time playing in it this year. I've already made 2 trips to the greenhouse, and have planted 8 more cone-flower plants. If you find something that can even kick butt in a severe drought, you plant that ALL over your yard! ;) 

And I'm not sure if its the crazy weather that has them confused, but the bird spottings in my yard have been amazing this week. I saw, for the first time ever, an Eastern Bluebird. He sat still just long enough in my tree for me to identify him, and I haven't seen him since. Beautiful!! My friend Melanie has them at her house, but I've never seen one here.  I've also had a hummingbird back at the feeder, interrupted a Baltimore Oriole getting a drink from the water fountain, and have had a ton of cute little American Goldfinches.

 

And one that I'm still trying to identify. I've seen it around, but got a close up of it yesterday when it came into the bunny barn while I was feeding and  I sat and watched while it ate some bugs up on the rafters. It seems to hang out in there a lot, and I've been wondering if there is a nest hidden, but can't find anything.  Its TEENY TINY, and is shaped like a nut hatch,  but is much smaller and is brown and VERY fast!  Any ideas?

Hope every one has a wonderful week! We are getting a beautiful soft rain this morning that will make everything happy happy happy!!!

My Boys

Here's a bit of what the boys have been up to.

 A few weekends Danny, Tristen and I headed to Russell for a show. Jacob had to stay behind to work.  Tristen had a wonderful day and was awarded BOB in both shows, both with rabbits he had bred and raised. Below he is pictured with Judge Conall Addison, and Judge Tonna Thomas.

I love the pictures of Tristen and Judge Addison. Conall is judge from here in Kansas, and has even came to judge our county fair chickens and rabbits several times. He meets lots of people, yet always  remembers us and asks about people we know, and he ALWAYS remembers Tristen is shy, and likes to try to get him to talk to him. In the picture above where he's looking at Tristen, he's teasing him, telling him he sure hopes he can handle all the attention. ;)

*I would also like to add that Danny and I had  OUR FIRST Best of Breed Mini Rex in open in one of the shows with a lilac buck named Gizmo. We also went on to win breed in Standard Chins too, up against a couple of guys who have bred them for years, and the judge who judged them was a chin breeder.  We were PUMPED!  Keep in mind these chins have been bred and raised by Jacob. He  played with the breed to learn about them, and then we inherited them when he was done. I didn't have the guts to tell the guys that the bun that beat them were had been bred by teenager!  =) *

Tristen is deep in track at the moment. They've only had 2 meets now, due to bad weather and meets being canceled, rescheduled, canceled again. EVERYONE is sick of the weather this spring.
He is REALLY enjoying long jump, and hit a personal record Thursday with a jump of 13-3 1/2.  I'm not sure if he placed at the meet or not, but his coach told me he was 2nd for our school, and was pleased with his progress he's made this year.

*Tristen had another meet last night, and hit another personal, jumping 13-4 1/2, and placed in all his events.* =)








Jacob is keeping busy with golf and absolutely loves it. We've gotten to go to 2 of his meets now and I think I may even understand about 75% of it now.

 

 

 

 

Hope everyone has a wonderful week. The weather is has been warm, so we are hoping to get outside---because we are suppose to have a chance for snow Thursday!! CRAZY!!!

Week 7--The Dreaded Plateau

I KNEW it would happen, but that sure doesn't make hitting a plateau any less frustrating.  I've pretty much stayed the same weight..with in a pound..for about 2 weeks now. I'm hoping this ends soon. I read a story about a girl whose scale didn't move for 6 months, during a 120 lb weight loss. I'm pretty sure that would send me into a cheese cake induced coma I'm changing up my food and exercise a bit to see if that will move me back in the right direction. 

Other than that, things are great. My husband told me the other morning my snoring has improved. I am certain I have..er..had?...sleep apnea. I just haven't wanted to spend the money on a study for them to tell me I snore like a truck driver.  I KNEW it was my weight. I'm glad it seems I was right.  He says I am still snoring a little, but it's no longer at the level he fears for his hearing.  ;)  I am sleeping much better. Some nights, sleeping all night without even waking up once. That hasn't happened for a long time, and one of those things I didn't realize was affecting my life until it improved.

Most days I am so proud of what I have done to date. Today, though, finds me a bit frustrated with how far I NEED TO GO yet.  So, this quote spoke to me this morning.

Take pride in how far you have come and have faith in how far you can go.

Off to a track meet today!! I have a post of pictures I'd like to share of my boys..my teenagerS, since Tristen turned 13 yesterday. Maybe I'll get that done in the next day or two.  Have a wonderful day. The weather is FINALLY beautiful here!

Weeks 5 and 6 Half Way There!

Ahhh! Halfway!!  I didn't get to post last week because, well, I just didn't sit down to post it!

Halfway.

Pounds lost to date: 21! =D =D =D

Sunday I put on and ZIPPED a pair of jeans I've never been able to wear. (Bought in a hurry without trying them on and too far away to return, so there they have sat on my closet.)   I asked Danny if he thought my butt looked smaller. Poor guy got the deer in the head light look and then said Hey..yeah! It IS!


I will say I am 100% positive getting off the soda before trying this has made this successful. I am also quite sure I was a sugar addict.  I have almost NO cravings at all this time around, where before I had always craved sugar loaded foods and carbs.   It makes eating better so much easier when your not foaming at the mouth looking for a fix!

This past Saturday we were out of town at a show. We had gotten up at 4 am,  I did not do well at getting my water in, but had packed a nutritious lunch. I hadn't had time to make and eat my normal breakfast, so by 9 I was STARVING so I went and got a half an order of biscuits and gravy. Not ideal, but thought it was something at least. Ate a good lunch that I had packed.  On the way home around 3 the boys stopped at McDonalds, and T handed me a chicken nugget..ONE!..and I snatched a couple of french fries. Within 30 minutes I felt nauseous and tired and crabby and by the time we got home I had a full blown migraine.  I'm pretty sure I set my self up with lack of sleep, lack of water, and crappy food.  Lesson learned, body. Very sorry!

I feel better. I sleep better. I walk faster. Its sad when you just get used to feeling like garbage and don't know HOW bad you feel until you start making changes.

Its hard to describe when you lose weight but it seems to take your brain a bit longer to catch up. I still feel like I did 20 lbs ago. Like my clothes are getting bigger, I am not smaller.  SOMETIMES, though, I catch a glimpse of someone I used to know when I look in the mirror. She's coming back! 

I still struggle with the emotional urges to eat. The days when I feel the world is attacking me, or when I'm mad-sad-hurt. Those are still there, but I'm learning how to deal with them.

I am very proud of myself so far. I realize I have a long ways to go yet, but I have worked hard and fought for every.single.pound I have lost.


"Set goals, and then kick'em in the face!"

Wedding Rings

I broke my wedding ring.

A few months ago, I was opening our basement door and caught my wedding ring on the handle and I instinctively pulled back. A freak accident I would never be able to repeat, but it pulled the ring part from the setting, making my ring a U shape.
Recently I went out of town and was able to take it in to be repaired. Apparently, according to the lady who called me Tuesday, it has too extensive of damage and is unrepairable.

I'm sick. I cry when I think about it too much. Danny assures me we will take it to several jewelers just to be sure it really IS not able to be fixed.  Several people have mentioned melting it and having it re-made into something new.  The thought of that makes me super sad, but I guess it would still ,in a round about way, be my ring. And I have looked at other sets, which most girls would probably find exciting. I just felt sad and a bit like I was cheating on my ring. And I think it would feel strange to have a "fake" ring..a ring that had NO meaning or history on that finger. I could possible to over-thinking this entire thing too. ;)

I love my rings.  They are nothing fancy, with their little itty bitty diamonds, but they tell so many stories.  They were put on me when I put on that ridiculously huge white dress on that hot August day, and made the best decision I have ever made in my life. They tell of a time when ramen noodles were considered a feast,  and we sat with paychecks in hand and  tried to determine which bill was the most important bill we should pay--only having enough money to pay one.  They were slipped into the pocket of my husbands jeans while he waited on news from the operating room where I, and soon to be born, Jacob, had disappeared behind.  And  they were on my hand that held Danny's as our Tristen came into the world.  They have been with me as I stayed up all night long with sick babies.  My ring held the hand of my dying Grandmother, and sat on my worried hands while waiting on news from  my dad to come out of countless surgeries, while I thoughtlessly twirled them around and around on my finger.

 

The day after my Grandmother died, Mom and I were sitting at the table, digging through her jewelry box, trying to find the perfect jewelry for her to be buried in, when I found an old beat up tarnished gold band. Inside there was an inscription, so worn down you could barely read it, but it had the names of my grandparents inside with a date.  The beautiful fancy gold band she wore on her finger everyday was not her original wedding ring. It was like finding a buried treasure and my mom made sure my Grandmother was buried with both of her rings.

I've thought about that ring a lot the last couple of days. Did my grandfather surprise her with a new ring?   Did she WANT a new ring?  Would my grandchildren find my U shaped ring someday and wonder what the heck happened?  Will everyone know how much I loved that ring?

I'm still holding on to hope that my rings will be fixed and THINKING a bit about what I will do if they can't be. The fact that I have a 3 year old frame of mind right now, and don't want ANY other ring on my finger EXCEPT MY ring really isn't helping much.

And if I DO get a new ring, I think I'll probably need to get something made out of the same metal they make shot guns out of. Surely I wouldn't be able to destroy THAT.

Ladies.. I'm here to tell you--Love your wedding rings. Take them off, clean up them, and let them shine on your finger!  Its heartbreaking and sad when they are not there anymore!