My Day on Instagram

Do you Instagram? I really like this social media outlet. I am a picture person, you see. So, I post quite a few pictures over on my Instagram account that do not make it to Facebook or even to the old blog here so why don't you join me over there for even more of the craziness that is our every day life?

Here is my first pic of the day. My boy with his Trim Healthy Boy Drink, for the link to this look at my Pinterest widget on the side and follow the directions. He liked it and there is no sugar!!!!

 

Then I posted my Mason Bar Company lid, I love these things. They should pay me for all the word of mouth advertising I do for them.

 

A picture of math time with Benjamin, he is a very active six year old boy and he asks a ton of questions, he is challenging to keep on topic. I love him. 

 

Here are two drinks, my quart of water and Benjamin's quilted jelly jar of yummy goodness. 

 

Lastly, a selfie went on Instagram. I was discussing a science chapter with Judith and decided to relax a little while we discussed. 

Observations

All thoughts are mine, I am not talking about anyone specific just general observations in general.

1. Skinny jeans on the males of the human species, why?

2. Tank tops on the males of the human species, I just do not like it. Good thing I live on the frozen tundra and only have to see this for four or five months out of the year. I saw one today at the orthodontist office, seriously dude, it is not warm enough yet for a tank top.

3. We are at the orthodontist office for a bracket repair first thing on a Monday morning. The first two items on the list I saw today. I cannot unsee them. And I am not bashing the males, they just commited  these faux pas today.

4. Spring has sprung and I have green pictures to prove it.

5. Levi's bracket has been repaired. Back to school.

6. My husband fixed my van this weekend. It had a shake when I braked and I do not like shake, rattle and rolling. He is the bestest ever. He also does not wear skinny jeans or tank tops.

7. I could get into making these random lists because it really is how my brain works, random, that's me.

8. Today is Monday and I have no where to go today after that trip to the orthodontist. Yahoo!

9. The house is a mess and I have tried to do a few things, like laundry today but I have a couple of kids who seem to need regular reminders and supervision to accomplish their school work for the day. 

Planning and Lifestyle

My husband and I on our way to Delta for Levi's first baseball game of the season. And yes, I am the one wearing camouflage, that is a strange turn of events in our family.

 

Delta is known for being a windy city. Today, she held true to being a windy city.  

 

Judith and I on one of our trips to the van for provisions.  

  

Neither my husband or myself know where this particular clothing item came from but I am thankful to have found this in the coat closet this morning. This thing is pretty wind proof and I was able to stay toasty warm.  I am also glad I grabbed a hat on the way out the door because that wind blew my hair all over the place.

 

There was a play ground next to the ball field. We took turns going over with Benjamin to play. 

 

Benjamin is always dressed well for the ball field. Every single game. 

 

Oh, and there was a ball game with this really great guy playing. And they won this game. 

 

We left home early and arrived back home around the dinner time which meant two meals on the road, outside of my home with all the healthy stuff I normally have at my fingertips. But, I planned and my wonderful daughters helped pack healthy choices and I managed a very good food day in the chaos of the day away from home. The family had burgers at the local IGA in Delta, yes I said the local grocery store, they actually have a pretty decent burger there. I opted for protein bars that Judith had made yesterday as I was still pretty full from lunch. I am amazed at how quickly I fill up on much less food than I used to consume.  

Wood Work

Elisabeth has been interested in working with wood for some time and this past year she has been slowly learning, gathering needed tools and experimenting with wood. She has shown an interest in creating rings out of wood. Here is the ring she made for me.

 

Here is a ring, before staining, that she made as an item to be auctioned at a fund raiser she and her leadership team mates are having to raise funds for an upcoming trip to Boston.  

 

Here is the completed ring.  

 

She also made a gift for our homeschool teacher with her wood burner. 

Friday Check In

I am at thirty pounds gone so far in this journey. At times I can feel everyone of those thirty pounds gone and then sometimes I feel as though they are still here. Then I looked back at a picture from almost two years ago and yeah, they are gone.
This picture will have to do for today. I do not like man cut t-shirts but this one was on the top of the laundry pile when I changed clothes so it went on for the evening while I prep for an out of town baseball game tomorrow.
I enjoyed a week of pre prepped meals after the once a month meal prep from last week. I grilled kabobs last night but other than that we have had meals from the freezer and it has been grand.

Test Day

Today was test day for me. Last week I visited my primary care provider, ya know, my Doctor. She sent me to have my mammogram and then an ultrasound of my neck to check on my thryoid and make sure the cancer is still gone. 

And, she called with results today and the ultrasound looked good and my mammogram was good as well. I passed my tests!!! 

Yes, I know the letters are backward, I was taking selfies so things are backward.

 

I am getting a hair cut tomorrow, much better than tests, and I cannot wait for that hair cut. 

A Banner Day

Remember last fall when I posted the pictures of the mess of cleaning out the school closet? Wow, I did a thorough cleaning that weekend and boy did it pay off. The closet had gotten some clutter and there were random items shoved into the closet to get them out of the way but I just did a reorganization of the school closet and one of our school bookshelves in just one evening, as in today. I still have a few items to clear up and I started another bag for the annual used homeschool sale that happens in May.
My three oldest sell used curriculum as a fundraiser for their leadership team so I am going to get a table a see if I can make a few dollars to order our history curriculum for next year. I often rarely take much money home with me because I usually spend it at the sale purchasing used items, so we shall see how I fare. Mystery of History Volume IV will be the history for the girls next year and I cannot wait to learn alongside of the girls.

Trim Healthy Mama Freezer Food Prep, Friday Update and a Mosquito

Thursday evening three of us from our little THM accountability group got together to make freezer meals. We used the Once A Month Meals website and did our shopping and met up to begin. We made about eighty-five meals for three families in about five hours. Six if you include dinner and time waiting out an electrical outage and clean up. Each family had three people helping, many hands make light work 

My cooler of meals part way through the evening. The cooler could not hold it all by the end of prep time. 

My Friday update picture, today marks twenty-eight pounds gone. 

Good thing we made all those meals because I was too exhausted to make dinner tonight so a bag was placed in the crockpot this morning

and we had a yummy meal tonight. 

Talk about ending on a bad note, I saw my first mosquito today. 

Encounters

Yesterday was eye appointment day for my three oldest. The girls went to the waiting area and Benjamin and Levi and I were at the optical side getting their glasses adjusted, because a six year old could use an adjustment every day. A Man, I am sure a very nice man because he struck up conversation with a thirteen year old, asked Judith about school and she told him we home educate. She had to let him know that we had done our school work in the morning before coming to the eye doctor's office. He then asked her if she had friends. Really? Is going to school all about having friends? Just because children are educated at home can it seem impossible to know people? I am kind of glad I missed this dialogue because sometimes I do not have great patience for such things. Anyway, I was busy with a six year old who has to keep sending the lady back for more adjustments until they get his glasses just right and in between he was busy modeling glasses for his next pair. He  had the receptionist laughing. He is a very animated little guy. He looked particularly adorable in the Ray Ban sunglasses.
Back to this man, good thing he does not go to our orthodonist office because he would be shocked at the number of kids there at any given time. I wonder when those kids do their school work? I wonder if they have friends? Better reel it in because the scarcasm is a little heavy.

Sunday Snapshot

Since I failed to take any photographs last week we actually got ready early this week. Happy Sunday!

Spring Cleaning

Good thing we spring cleaned a room yesterday. Springtime in Alaska.

No Update, Well a Non Picture Update

There were no daytime events scheduled so I decided to spring clean the family room. I showered, dressed in comfy, cleaning clothes and got started cleaning. Cleaning lasted a while and a photo of me was not taken. 

I have officially reached the twenty-five pounds lost mark so that is exciting, even though I only lost a few ounces this week

Instead I have photographic proof that I spent some time cleaning. 

Lots of vacuuming and mopping and dusting and so forth from my girls and I. I feel better even though I do not think anyone would notice the work we did, I know we cleaned. Now to work through the rest of the house. 

Suffering over here

I joke, I kid.

 I am not suffering over here at all.

 I am enjoying Trim Healthy Pancakes from the Trim Healthy Mama book topped with my homemade triple berry blend sauce. 

To save time I poured the batter into baking dishes and baked them instead of cooking on a griddle. 

As soon as the protein powder I ordered this morning arrives we are going to try waffles. Yum!

NSV

On the Trim Healthy Mama facebook group there is something called Non Scale Victories (NSVs), which are just as important as the number on the scale, maybe more so.

My NSV for Resurrection Sunday was manuvering a gathering meal at someone else's home. Thankfully the offerings were such that my meal was not that off plan even though I still splurged. The main course was Cornish hens stuffed with wild rice, potato salad (off plan but I only had about two bites), asparagus and buttery garlic green beans and deviled eggs. I did finish off Benjamin's dinner roll and I had a slice of lemon blueberry cake. Even an off plan meal can be a victory because I did not stuff myself, I enjoyed a feast day with friends and family and I did not stess or beat myself up over eating off plan, I had a thm snack at the end of the day because getting back on plan is easy and also satisfying. 

And, just for grins I weighed this morning and my weight was down a few ounces from my Friday weight. Gotta love THM, I highly recommend it. 

Chicken Alfredo for dinner anyone? 

It's Friday Again

Greetings from Alaska where we are taking a little break from breakup with some cooler temperatures. That is okay because I sometimes enjoy these breaks from slushy roads and puddles. 

Today I am down twenty-four pounds.

My husband brought this shirt back from his trip to Anchorage. I would have never worn this shirt before weightloss because of the longer length and the way I would have looked. 

The girls and I went dress shopping since dresses are abundant right now and on sale and Fred's had an extra 15% off clothing coupon and I had an extra 30% off one item coupon. Win win. Oh, and I took a selfie in the three way mirror in the dressing room area. 

For the first time in I do not know how many years I am actually enjoying wearing jeans. As in I do not run to my room and change as soon as I get home. 

 

Matthew 20:28