Yeah! Plateau Broken!

I finally broke through the 

Weight Loss Plateau,

and quit bouncing up and down 

the scale the same 2 pounds.

Sarah had also hit a plateau 

(after a #40 loss),

so we decided to do the 

Xyngular 8 Day Detox 

again this week.
(we do it about once per month)

HERE is a 6 minute product overview 
of the Xyngular Products.

I use the . . .

Super Fruit Global Blend
(for antioxidants and vitamins)

Accelerate 
(for metabolism)

Flush 
(for detox)

Lean 
(Protein Shake)



HERE is a link to My Xyngular Website, 
where you can find out more about the products, 
becoming a distributor, and/or to make a purchase.

I have lost #5.2 in the past 4 days.

Woo Hoo!

Doin' the Happy Dance here today!

Summer's Last Hurrah

Last week, the kids and I set out on our last Summer Adventure.

We hitched up the trailer and headed to Eastern Washington.

We camped at Lincoln Rock State Park from Tuesday - Saturday.

The sun was HOT!

The lake was COLD.

We all agreed that Lincoln Rock is the most BEAUTIFUL

State Park we have ever visited.

It's the Little Things That Count

Success  =  Making a Carmel Peach Pie for Papa

and not taking one, teeny, tiny, little bite.  

nope.  no fresh peaches.  no crust.  no carmel.  not one bite.

Did I tell you that we brought #45 of Fresh Peaches home

from our camping trip last week?

I LOVE peaches, but have only had 1/2 cup in a Protein Shake.

While everyone else eats pie and ice cream tonight,

I might just treat myself to Peaches on Greek Yogurt.

Running . . . Races . . . Ribbons . . . Relays . . .

The kids finished their Summer Track Season

by bringing home a Pile of Ribbons on Monday Night.

Just A Couple of Cute Faces

I downloaded my pics onto my computer . . . 

and look what I found . . .

I love finding fun pictures on my camera,

after Hosanna has been using it.

Oops . . . There's Been A Misunderstanding

I've received a couple of comments recently

that have shown me there was some misunderstanding

of some of my earlier posts about our unemployment situation.

Since many of you may be having some of the same questions,

I thought I would answer them for all of you.

"I hate to suggest it, but have you (re)considered going back to work? While it sounds like it would be wonderful for your husband to get back into teaching full time, you were (I think) offered several full-time positions that came with benefits (including health insurance). . . .

3 Potential Teaching Positions

While school starts this week and next,

in all of our local school districts,

there are still a few teaching positions being posted.

Yesterday, I discovered 3 new job postings.

None of them are full-time and permanent,

but each of them would allow Jim

to be back in the classroom / gymnasium.

Hungry?

I really do appreciate all of the Tips, Tricks, Thoughts, and Encouragement

that I have received from you as I walk this new Weight Loss Journey.

However . . .

I must tell you . . .

that this advice just doesn't work for me:

"Only eat when you are hungry."

It sounds good.

I know it works for some people.

I was even the focus of a News Show on a big Seattle T.V. Station

years ago, as I was leading a Weight Loss group that

used this as the premise of their program.

But . . .

for some people it just. plain. doesn't. work.

Some of us just. don't. get. hungry.

Do You Ever Wish . . .

Do you ever wish something in your life didn't happen?  

(or do you ever ask)

Why God would let this happen to you/your family? 

Cause i do. 

I ask God why he won't give my dad a job. 

And why does life have to be so hard sometimes.

Hosanna (age 15) wrote the post, "My Story" yesterday.

Sometimes i wish that life could be 

the same as it was for me 5 years ago. 

Are You Discouraged, Depressed, or Living in Despair?

We had a guest pastor at church this past Sunday, who gave a most excellent message.  It touched me deeply, so I want to share my Sermon Notes with you.  I know that many of you have been discouraged this past week/month/year; and I hope that this will be an encouragement to you, as it was to me.

"Good News for the Discouraged"

1 Peter 1:1-9

Pastor John Smith

Diet Standstill

Oh. So. Frustrating.

Week #7 of Mama's New Weight Loss Journey

For 10 days I have gone up and down the same 2 pounds.

During those 10 days, I only ate more than 1200 calories 4 days.

During those 10 days, I ate under 1020 calories 4 days.

I exercised 3 of the 10 days.

I should be losing weight.

"Facing Reality", "Being Content", or "Losing Hope"?

I've got to admit . . . I've been really struggling lately.

While we have walked through one crisis after another for the past 4 years,

the past 21 months of unemployment, temporary jobs, 

and unending crisis and conflicts

have taken their toll.

When Jim first became unemployed in January 2011,

our mindset was always, 

"WHEN Jim gets a job _____."

In October 2011,

when I sold my car to pay bills, we thought,

"When Jim gets a job, I can get a new (used) car."

As we struggled more and more with Rachel's R.A.D.

this past year, we thought,

"When Jim gets a job, we will have insurance 

to get Rachel the help that she needs."

Ready For Battle

Sarah was just hanging out with Abe Lincoln at a recent . . .

Civil War Reenactment

Photos taken by Hosanna

to see more pictures click link below . . .

The Marriage Prayer

Who Are Your Friends?

My Friend Dawn wrote an excellent post this week, that I hope you will pop over and read.  Here are a few excerpts from:  What Does Your Inner Circle Whisper in Your Ear?   


"those in your inner circle play a BIG ROLE in WHO you are.  Not that they define you specifically- you still have a choice, but really what they "whisper into your ears and heart" really do define who you are."

(Her pastor shared this Declaration.)  "I am filled with seeds of greatness because I possess the seeds of Christ.  God is connecting me with people of faith who will inspire me, challenge me and help me to grow.  If  there are any unhealthy relationships in my life, I refuse to let them pull me down any longer.  I am moving forward with those who believe the promises of God and are determined to realize them."

"Those in your inner circle NEED TO BE ON YOUR SIDE!!!  That is not to say we shouldn't speak hard things to friends who need to hear them, but when we do it has to be in a way of cheering them on and from a total Biblical perspective."

"Beauty Will Rise"

This is another song that has ministered to my heart

as we have walked through one crisis after another

for the past 3 years.

We absolutely believe that

Beauty Will Rise

from the storms we have been walking through.

We were actually at the concert that Stephen Curtis Chapman

first performed this song publicly . . .

just one month after we discovered our Adoption Crisis in June 2009.

30 Years . . . Dancing in the Minefields

This song has meant a lot to me 
the past 20 months,

as Jim & I have weathered 
the worst storms of our marriage.

Today is our 30th Anniversary.

I was nineteen, you were twenty-one
The year we got engaged

(Yes. I was 19 and Jim was 21 the year we got engaged.)
Everyone said we were much too young
But we did it anyway

We bought our rings for forty each
From a pawn shop down the road

(Not quite . . . but we didn't spend a lot on our rings.)
We made our vows and took the leap
Now fifteen years ago

(Now 30 years ago.)

We went dancing in the minefields
We went sailing in the storm

(and never dreamed the storms could get worse after 30 years)
And it was harder than we dreamed
(is this really what we signed up for?)
But I believe that's what the promise is for

"I do" are the two most famous last words
The beginning of the end
But to lose your life for another I've heard
Is a good place to begin

'Cause the only way to find your life

Is to lay your own life down
And I believe it's an easy price
For the life that we have found

And we're (still) dancing in the minefields
We're (still) sailing in the storm
This is harder than we dreamed
(but, God never promised "easy")
But I believe that's what the promise is for

So when I lose my way, find me
When I loose love's chains, bind me
At the end of all my faith, till the end of all my days
When I forget my name, remind me

'Cause we bear the light of the Son of Man
So there's nothing left to fear
(not unemployment, not lack of insurance, not loss of relationships)
So I'll walk with you in the shadowlands
Till the shadows disappear

'Cause he promised not to leave us
And his promises are true
(We cling to this.)

So in the face of all this chaos, baby, 
I can dance with you

More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/a/andrew_peterson/#share



Happy Anniversary, Jim.

You are still the . . . 

Love of My Life.

Praying that we find our way . . .
out of these minefields very soon.

Mt. Rainier National Park

When we went camping last week, we stayed at 

Alder Lake State Park,

but spent Saturday afternoon at 

Mt. Rainier National Park.

We used to live near there when the Big Kids were little,

so we had camped at Alder Lake many times in the 1990's,

and had visited Mt. Rainier with them.

But, the Young Ones hadn't ever visited Alder Lake or The Mountain.

Tents, Campfires, S'Mores, Swimming, Reading, Enjoying the Sun

The kids and I had a GREAT time, 

camping at Alder Lake State Park Thursday - Saturday.

This is the only picture I have of the lake . . .

because Hosanna and I spent a lot of time

IN the lake with the younger kids.

(It was about 95 degrees Thursday and Friday.)

Headed Out

Mama and the Kids have been anxious to Hit the Road this summer,

but clearly our finances are holding us back from another

Cross Country Road Trip or even a Southern California Beach Trip.

However . . .

The Trailer is Packed

Mama's Dream Machine is Ready

The temps are supposed to be in the 90's the next few days.

And, we are headed to a Lake.

Woo Hoo!

The Big "D" in Adoption

This is absolutely the best post about Adoption Disruption / "Failed" Adoptions that I've read . . . and it's written by an Adoptive Mom who has NOT experienced it.  Thanks, Angel, for sharing your heart on this most challenging topic.

Here are a few excerpts . . .


"It's the thing no one wants to talk about.... Shhhhhh.... Disruption.  

I guess in the world of adoption this is the unforgivable sin right? And now I'm finally gonna talk about it. "

"These people were absolutely broken. These families had put blood, sweat and tears into adopting these children just like I had. These people wanted it to work. What they were doing was a nightmare for them. They held a belief that this is what was best for that child. 

As I walked this journey the thought occurred to me, "Why is it that the adoption community frequently offers virtual sainthood to a birth mother who makes the decision not to parent for a perceived good of the child but is ready to stone an adoptive mother who does the same?" 

Filling the Freezer

Berries, Berries Everywhere!

We have almost finished filling the freezer with this year's berries.

We picked #67 of Strawberries in July,

but only #22 of Raspberries,

(because we had several bags left

in the freezer from last year).

We picked #45 pounds of Blueberries,

but really need to go pick another #15-20 this week.

The kids are all such good helpers when it comes time for Berry Picking;

they know that they will enjoy them all year long.

We LOVE to eat 

Apple/Blueberry Pie.

How about you?

What is your favorite Berry?

What is your favorite thing made with Berries?

My Boys the Builders

There has been an ongoing construction site

at our house for many months, now.

The boys have continued to add on to their city,

which grew to include a Shipping Port,

a Police Station, a Fire Station, a Subway Sandwich Shop,

and the local Pond (complete with a Palm Tree).

On the wall they drew a poster of the 

background mountains of Missoula, MT.

(The Shipping Port is on the river . . .

the Palm Tree, transplanted from CA?)

This week . . . they displayed their City at the Local Fair.

However . . . the allotted space was much smaller than their city.

So . . . the boys had some hard decisions to make.

Josiah displayed the Shipping Port,

complete with a Boat, a Semi-Truck,

a sign that reads "Clark Fork Docks",

(the name of the river in Missoula)

construction paper Water,

and a Police Car filling up at the Gas Station.

Elijah displayed his Police Station and Fire Station,

complete with Cars, Vans, Fire Truck, Parking Spaces,

Firemen and Police Men working and resting at their station.

They were so excited to be able to display their months-long project.

Great Job, Boys!

Do your boys like to build with Legos or K'nex?

Have they ever displayed their creations at a Fair?

One of Those Days

Have you ever spent hours getting ready for a 

Family Photo Shoot

only to have the kids end up a bit grumpy?

1996

Those Were The Days . . .

A Busy Blog Week

I thought I would post a little Week in Review for the blog, since I posted a LOT of posts, and you may have missed a few.  (smile)

Last Sunday, during my very, quiet afternoon, I pre-posted a lot of posts for this week.  Then, I thought of things to add all week.  Thus . . . a lot of Mama's Ponderings to read.  Hope you all enjoyed the Busy Blog Week.

Here are titles (linked), so you can pop back to read any that you might have missed:

Monday:

"The Wedding Album"  Lots of pics of the Wedding Scrapbook that I made for Gregg & Kayla, and the beautiful custom scrapbook cover that I ordered online.


Tuesday:

"Blocked By Trauma"  An excerpt and link to my friend, Lisa's Blog, where she shares how her daughter's trauma has blocked the healing process for attachment disorder.

"Residential Care Facility vs. Residential Treatment Center"  An explanation of the differences, and why our Little Miss is living at an out-of-state Residential Care Facility.


Wednesday:

"Gregg & Kayla's Reception"  Lots of funny fun pictures (taken by the kids) from last week's Wedding Reception.

"Playing in Snow in Shorts & Flip Flops?"  Answers to Readers questions, like "Isn't it cold?"


Thursday:

"Laugh Out Loud"  The 24 second video of Mama's Sledding Adventure.

"Do You Have the Courage?"  An excerpt and link to Hosanna's Post.  Powerful.  Encouraging.


Friday:

"Diet Details"   More information about Mama's New Weight Loss Journey.

"Made to Crave"  An excerpt from a great book that I am reading as I walk my new Takin' Care of Mama Journey.


Saturday:

"Diet Dilemma"   The daily challenges and sacrifices involved in working to go from Morbidly Obese (oh how I dislike that description . . . but I'm doing my best to be real with you all)  to Slender & Svelte (doesn't that sound like a nice goal?).

"One Tough Week"  Requesting Prayer, as every. single. area. of. my. life. seems to be going through a TOUGH spot right now.


Sunday:

"On the Run"  Elijah set a Personal Record in the Mile by running it Barefoot in 6:32.

On The Run . . .

The kids are still LOVING their twice weekly Track & Field this summer.  They have done the Monday Night Track Meets for about 5 years, but this year the Parks Dept. added a Wednesday Night "Practice" where the kids are put on "Teams" where they work on all of the Track & Field events.  It has been a GREAT addition to our summer . . . since we haven't been able to take any vacations.  (Oh how we are all MISSING our Cross Country Road Trips.)

Hosanna got ahold of Mama's Camera this week.  Not a lot of running pics taken, but a lot of cool pics of what Monday Night Track really looks like.

One. Tough. Week.

Have you ever had a week where you just want it to be over as soon as possible?

There wasn't really anything BIG this week . . . 

but it's just been TOUGH . . .

really TOUGH.

The Marriage is in a TOUGH spot.

Relationships with Big Kids are in a TOUGH spot.

Younger Kids are going through a TOUGH spot.

Close Friends are going through TOUGH stuff.

The Diet Journey is a TOUGH journey to walk.

Diet Dilemma

The most frustrating part of my journey to lose  weight is that nearly every minute of every day is focused on what food I need to eat and when I need to eat it.  

I would have assumed that in order to lose weight I would need to NOT focus on food . . . but it is the exact opposite for me.

Before starting this new weight loss journey, I didn't hardly think about food . . . to the extent that I would often find myself at 2:00 in the afternoon realizing that I hadn't taken a bite of anything all day.  Seriously.  Happened all the time.  My body just does not get hungry.

I would often eat just 2 meals per day, and never have need to snack.

What this did, though, is to put my body into "starvation mode".  I couldn't lose weight because my body never knew when the next bite was going to come.

Now . . . I must pay close attention to every bite that I'm going to eat.

Made to Crave

Have any of you read Lysa Terkeurst' book, "Made to Crave"?  It is an excellent book to read if you are on a weight loss journey (or even if you are just desiring to get your spiritual life on track).

I thought I would share just a few excerpts today, from the Introduction.

"If you want to be perfect (whole), go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow me."  (Matthew 19:21).

Jesus didn't mean this as a sweeping command for everyone who has a lot of money.  Jesus meant this for any of us who wallow in whatever abundance we have.  I imagine Jesus looked straight into this young man's soul and said, "I want you to give up the one thing you crave more than me.  Then come, follow me." . . .

Diet Details

Several of you have asked for more details about the Weight Loss Plan that I am using.  Keep those questions coming . . .  I would love to help / encourage you on your Takin' Care of Mama journey.


I am using the Xyngular Ignite: Fat Burning System.  I am a distributor of the product, so let me know if you are interested in purchasing it.

The program is based around an 8 Day Ignite Program, which gets your metabolism burning. (Many people lose 8-12 pounds in the first 8 days.)  I "only" lost 7.8 pounds in the first 8 days, but believe this is due to the fact that my eating habits did not need to change as drastically as most people.  You would probably lose more if your body was used to filling up on sweets and starches.  After the 8 Day Program, most people figure out which of the products they want to continue using . . . which products are most helpful for their individual needs and metabolism.

My friend Sarah and I have a lot of weight to lose, so we have decided to start each month by doing a new 8 Day Ignite, to kind of kick-start the metabolism again.  We also use the products throughout the month, as part of our on-going Healthy Eating Plan.

Do You Have the Courage . . . ?

My sweet 15 year old Hosanna wrote a powerful blog post this week:

"Do You Have the Courage . . . to Tell the World?

Let me share an excerpt:

Here we are another time. Another day. Another post. But what is it all for? 

Is it so we can have lots of followers? 

Is it so we get lots of comments? 

Is it because we have nothing else to do?

 Is it because we just like to write?

 Is it so we can share our photographs?

 Is it because we want to feel in with the crowd?

But most importantly is it a place where all the glory goes up to God?

Here on my blog. My little corner of the interwebs. I hope all the glory goes up to God. 

I hope that you all can see that I love and serve the creator of the universe. 

Some people think that one day they will be able to tell the whole world that "all the glory goes up to God". 

They are waiting for the day when the whole world is watching to say 

"I give all the glory to God!"

Laugh Out Loud

One more quick look at 

Mama's Sledding Adventure . . .

My favorite part is hearing Gregg and Elijah's voices.
You can tell that they want to laugh hysterically;
but there is a touch of worry at the same time.

Playing in the Snow in Shorts and Flip Flops?

Several of you have asked some great questions this past week, 

about all of our recent pictures in the Snow . . .

#1  How do you play in the snow in shorts and flip flops?  Isn't it cold?

#2  If it is hot out, why doesn't the snow melt?

Yes.

Correct.

Snow is cold.

However . . .

#1.  Mt. Baker (a 90 minute drive for us) has the World Record (1,140" = 95 feet) for annual snowfall, and they have broken their own World Record once or twice.  They average over 700" (almost 60 feet) at the Ski Area every year.

#2  This past winter, the Mt. Baker Ski Area got over 800" of snowfall.  This means that, over the course of about 6 months, it snowed over 65 feet.  That is a LOT of snow.

#3  In March, it snowed over 260" (over 21 feet . . .  in 1 month . . . in the Spring).

Therefore . . .

even though the snow does melt when the weather heats up,

there is a LOT of snow to melt.

Gregg & Kayla's Reception

Warning:  Picture Overload

It was fun uploading "my" pictures from Saturday's Reception,

because "I" did not take any pictures.

Nope.  

Mama didn't even pick up the camera;

I just enjoyed spending time with friends and family.

So . . . let's see what kinds of pictures my kids came up with.  (smile)

The reception was held at the home of Kayla's Grandparents,

who live on the water near Gig Harbor (150 miles from us).

Saturday was the hottest day of the year (at 88 degrees).

The Sunshine was beautiful.

The Water was beautiful.

Mt. Rainier (in the background) was beautiful.

Noah keeps getting CUTER every day.

While Grandma would have LOVED to spend the day holding Noah,

there was some fierce competition for the task.

Noah was BLESSED to have at the party:

1 Grandpa

2 Grandmas

2 Great-Grandpas

2 Great-Grandmas

3 Great-Great-Grandmas

Uncountable number of Aunts, Uncles, Cousins,

Great-Aunts, Great-Uncles, 2nd Cousins, 3rd Cousins, etc . . .

While this grandma does live nearly 3 hours away,

the other grandma lives 7 1/2 hours away,

so she doesn't get many weekends

with her precious grandson.

I gladly let Kayla's Mama take care of this little cutie most of the day.
(actually being held in this picture by one of the great-grandpas)