Marriage / Happy Wife for Life

Should our men step up and help lighten our load when they aren't working 40 hours a week? This may seem reasonable but I say just keep on with your job as a SAHM regardless of if he is busy working or not. Stability and happiness is found more in knowing what I can expect from myself and others. I find the best way to get my husband involved is to give him control, and respect him when he delegates those responsibilities to me. It is all about communicating at the right time.

When the hubby is around the house more than usually everyone has their own ideas about how the time will be spent. When Randy has had more time during different season's I thought we would have wonderful family time, but in actuality when he wasn't working, and looking for work, it took allot out of him mentally. He would never say it but when a man isn't providing like he wants to I think it is hard for them to relax and enjoy the family.

At dinner I would casually ask my husband what the game plan was the for next day. If I knew I would have a hectic day I would ask if he would help me out. Key point here is that I if he said "NO" I wouldn't let it upset me. If he said "maybe" I would fill him in on what I had going and ask him if he was interested in helping with anything that I had going or if he had any suggesting for handling my day. I have to remember that my husband is NOT one of my kids. He deserves to be apart of the decision making process rather than just being told what I need done.

I plan to be happily married till the day I die and the only way I am going to get their is if I make a choice to live peacefully with my mate. I feel sad when I see the number of couples that are struggling or not making it.

Do I have the perfect marriage? Yes

Does my husband sweep me off my feet? Yes

How can that be? In my heart and soul I choose to look for how we can be God's perfect mate for each other and how I can deliberately love him. It is through this lenses that my marriage is perfect.

Day to Day / Cosy

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Sipping my coffee by the computer just feeling all warm and cosy today. We walked this morning and the air was crisp, clean and cool. Now we are home and I just want to settle into the couch with a good book and snuggle with my favorite little guys.

Duty is calling me as this is wash day. I also have a yearning to clear out our overflowing house. Toys, strollers and clothes are bursting at the seams. On top of that I did a big clear out not to long ago and have yet to reorganize the now open spaces. Odds and ends have drifted to fill the space but not to my liking.

I am debating on getting rid of my smaller clothes that are taking up space in my garage. I think I should wait. I am working on losing weight for the 1st time in a long time.

I would really like to find a helper with the clear out. This is definitely not something my hubby and I do together. I am good to get the OK from my sweet pack rat to let the stuff go. If he did it with me I am sure we wouldn't have but a bag for the Salvation Army.

Healthy Habits / Contra Dancing

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Back to one of my 1st loves... Contra Dancing. The best part was sharing with my girls. All three of us went dancing and Kay danced the whole time. She either asked someone or she was asked. Petra did a great job watching and the Contra Dancers were so gracious to help her through a dance or two. She was even asked to Waltz. I was so glad to have enough energy to dance most of the night. Many of the faces were the same and it had been few years since I had gone.

Lightfoot Challenge / 32 Days

Image by The Eggplant via Flickr

I hope I can blame my weight gain on the weather. Sounds crazy but every part of my body is swelling like I was a sponge holding water. It is raining outside but you would think I had been sitting out in it soaking it up like the ground.

I am not even going to post my weight. What a set back. I have been doing everything I should and I gain a pound.

On a positive note I feel great about the exercise plan that I have put in place. Up until now I have always tried to fit exercise in around my kids and chores. This meant that it was the 1st thing I took off the list when life was demanding and with 5 kids that is all the time. Now I can get exercise and give to my kids. I always feel good about me as the mommy when I take them for a walk. I am really loving the band exercises at the park.

So, regardless of if I ever drop a pound I will keep up the exercise. I feel better and I have more energy.

Now eating right. That is a sore spot. Sometimes I find myself just hilarious. I was mad when I hit the scale this morning so who do I take it out on, myself. I had a hot chocolate just to stick it to the scale. Then to top it off I ate half a large pizza. That will show my scale whose boss.

Where does that dumb logic come into play? Oh well tomorrow is another day.

Lightfoot Challenge / 27 Days

Total aggravation. 3 pounds in almost 4 weeks. That's less than a pound a week. I am not going to say I have been eating great but I have been mostly within Spark Peoples calorie count. I have walked most days but only a few of those a week have been really what I need to put in. I actually went way down to 188 on day 2 and then right back up a few days later. I was doing a lot outside in 100 degree weather so I think I just lost water.

I guess I should be happy that I have lost at all. I am still trying to find a plan between feed and cooking for a family, having the twins with me at all times, and taking the kids to activities. The weather is cooling so I am looking forward to more outdoor activity.

I would like to find an exercise routine I can have on an MP3 player that I can do once I am at the playground. I don't care what other people think but I just need a plan. I could carry some weights and an exercise band.

Beginning Weight: 194
Today's Weight: 191

Lightoot Challenge / 26 Days

On a positive note I have lost 4 pounds but when I look in the mirror or see myself in a photo I just don't even want to look. If I don't see myself I still think of myself as that cute, sexy women that I use to be. I use to love to be in pictures and I am determined to look good in them again. We made a photo book of Kay's 1st year and I was looking so good. Kay didn't even recognize me in one of the shots. She said I looked like a kid. A friend of mine that weighed a bit more than me at her largest has lost 33 pounds. I have never lost that much. I so want it but of course I want it now, yesterday.

Sweet Pea Momments / Petra's Party

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Challenges / Connie is Amazing

I have been receiving bills for Sherman's stay at the NICU for over a 1 1/2 years. I haven't paid because my insurance was suppose to cover at 100%. I have been so frustrated because I call the vendor and they don't help I call the insurance and they don't help... until today. Connie asked for the number of the vendor and we had a conference call. she really gave it to them on my behalf. The man on the other end just stuttered and said he would get back to us. Connie even called me back after the call was over to say that she thought the guy knew he was in the wrong. Wow. what service. i have asked for a conference call and they wouldn't do it in the past. I told Connie I wanted to send her a box of chocolates. She said she was just doing her job but I could tell her boss, and that I did.

Sweet Pea Momments / Stay Focused

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I really hope that Reye can keep his focus on in football. He so wants to go to Scouts and I really want it for him. Well scouts and football are on the same night and he is constainly day dreaming during practice. I thought I had just the thing to motivate him. He had to give it his all at football on Tuesday and Wednesday so he could miss football on Thursday. The couch was to tell us on a scale of 1-10 of how he did. Sadly to say he got a big 5 yesterday. How do I motivate my sweet little dreamer to stay focused in the things he actually likes?