Delays

Well, my 'project' isn't going too well at the moment. Things just keep coming up and it gets pushed to the back burner. I have to get up very early in the morning to have fun day with Candy's family at a park tomorrow. Cool huh? However it's three hours away, so we have to be up and at 'em.

Please stay tuned...it will be interesting.

More updates

Well, I haven't lost any weight yet. Unfortunately I seemed to have gained a little, but I think my scale is messed up, because each day it's so different. One day it'll be 225, then 229, then back down, and I doubt my weight is fluctuating that much! Not in just a day or two anyways. I have been pretty sore, and my girls didn't cooperate with me Tuesday so I could get the exercise in. I shall do my best to get it in today. I did enjoy it and felt good afterwards then, but the next day,well, OUCH!

I assume that since I do eat healthy besides the sugar, that my eating is ok, and I need to focus on exercise. I do need to drink more water that's for sure, so hard for me to remember! And I don't eat a lot of food at each meal...not sure what the deal is.

However, I am working on a project and will have pictures posted soon, thus the reason for my absence besides having a generally busy life.

To be continued....

How am I doing?

I did exercise today! I have been putting it off for so long and I finally just did it--- for about 25 minutes...I am sadly out of shape, but not as bad as I thought. I don't feel like jello, but more energized. If I can keep it up I'll be hunting some harder tapes soon. The sugar is ok, not totally absent from my diet today, but it's a gradual process :)

Weightloss Ticker

Alright, so I put my ticker up there for all to see. I know there aren't many people who read my blog at this point, but still, putting it up there for all the world to see is humbling. I was thinking that if I did that, then it would be a sort of accountability. Here is some background on my weight. I have always been a big girl, except at birth. I am just a big o' tall girl with a large bone structure. In highschool I was Miss Athletic with muscles and at my leanest, yet I still weighed 190lbs and wore 14/16 clothes. I gained weight after I graduated and wasn't in sports as much. After I got married I lost about 40lbs, weighing 175lb. Then came the first pregnancy, we had problems, I was on bedrest and instructed to eat a lot, so I gained about 60lbs. Three months later, I became pregnant again, gained 30lbs. I now had two daughters age1 year and newborn. I have always eaten healthy food during this period, mostly healthy that is. When daughter #2 was 11 months I conceived again, miscarried a few months later, conceived again 5-6 months later, did NOT gain weight! I lost weight on that one, and gained a total of 10lbs the whole pregnancy. I had daughter #3 in March 2006. So, now, I finally feel like I can do something about it.

I have tried many diet plans, some worked, some did not, and most I couldn't stay with for one reason or another. The things I have always done: eat whole grains, quality fats, plenty of fruits/veggies, lean protein, water and a balanced diet in general. However, as of late, we do eat more sugar than we should. I discovered I like baking, as in not just eating the goods but the process of making baked items. My favorites would be- scones!!! Biscuits, homemade bread, oatmeal cookies and muffins. I hardly ever make brownies and really sweet things because I know I will eat a bunch. I do love them though and have a great recipe. Occasionally I'll make a pie, usually pumpkin or a fruit pie. Sometimes even a cake, like once every 3 months.

My plan is to reduce the amount of sugar I am ingesting- what I put in coffee/tea, any jam I put on bread, whatever. Also I am planning to get the exercise going. I've had a tape called Fat Burning Yoga for awhile. I like it, but it's long, and hard to fit in the time. The thought just occurred to me that my kids might enjoy it too, so I will be doing a combo of that and a stationary bike. I hope to get my hands on some Firm tapes that I've heard about. I need to get into better shape first though.

Interestingly enough, the past year I have stayed at a steady 240lbs, and within the last month or so my weight has gone down to 225. I have no idea why or what happened. So that's helped me get in the 'mode' of trying harder to lose the weight. According to those charts, I my weight goal should be 150lbs or so, but for me, just to get below 200 would be wonderful!

So, there's the history of my weight in general. I hope to make it change a lot soon!

My Cleaning Routine

Over the last couple of years I've been looking for the perfect system of cleaning the house. I've done the all day clean-a-thon, very tiring and not very efficient, and I've also done the clean one room of the house each day of the week. Personally, that method seemed like I had a lot of work to do, and I didn't like dragging out the vacuum cleaner several days in a row. I've done no cleaning, er well, no cleaning except sweeping/vacuuming and a quick swipe of the toilet/sink. (when pregnant or with new baby) Recently I've been doing task by task cleaning, and so far it really seems to fit my life.

Here's what I do:

Monday- take apart and clean stove top (believe it or not I didn't know this was needed or how until recently), wipe down appliances(coffeemaker, toaster,mixer, microwave,oven, dishwasher, refrigerator,washer and dryer), deep clean sink. I also do a general tidy up from the weekend.

Tuesday: dust, wipe screens, mirrors, screen doors, wipe down tables/banisters and surfaces in general

Wednesday: tub, shower, toilets, sinks, wipe down tiled walls

Thursday: sweep and mop hard floors

Friday: vacuum whole house, and do any touching up on bathrooms, kitchen etc.

I've also been following a laundry schedule:

Monday- bedding and possibly one other load

Tuesday-towels, washcloths etc.

Wednesday- kids' clothes

Thursday- more kid's clothes

Friday- Matt and my clothes

Now, this is just a general schedule, I don't always get it like this, inevitably there are interruptions that put me behind. But for the most part, all has gone well this week. Amazing considering my baby had a temperature of 106 Tuesday night! I had to take her to the doctor the next morning and she has double ear inflammation (not quite an infection) caused by a virus, which turns out to be Roseola. She has been very irritable this whole week and wanting me to hold/rock her. Also not to mention all the antics the other ones have been up to. A lot of my cleaning got done during nap times and with the older two helping me. They did a great job with the bathroom cleaning, especially getting in the shower to clean it and cleaning the base of the toilets. Sometimes my girls amaze me in a good way!

Being Sneaky

I have been seriously working on training my children the last few days. Well, it's a lot harder than you might think, since I have several small ones, they seem to be all over the place all at once.

Anyways, Alexa is my middle child and is 3.5 years old. She is also smart and mischievous. Yesterday evening, just before her daddy got home, I was talking on the phone (with him) and she was misbehaving. She does not like being isolated, so I had her go sit on her bed in her room. I was feeling very tired and had a headache, so I laid on the couch for a bit. After awhile I called her back to the living room only to see her covered in baby powder. I went to the baby's room, which is where the powder 'lives', and this is what I saw. There is very little powder left in the bottle.
So, her punishment was to clean it up and go to bed.

Failure

Some days are just a bit more challenging than others. Yesterday went unusually well- I had all the laundry done, all the other cleaning done, we did some 'school' with my preschoolers, had some outside fun and ended it with a BBQ at the park with Daddy. Things were great.

Today, well, I could hardly drag myself out of bed...the kids were grouchy because they went to bed very late last night, and the baby is battling fever. I felt quite foggy in my brain, but I still managed to get most of things done I needed to.

Then, while I was making bread, I noticed my oldest girls were giggling a lot. They were supposed to be looking at books, however, my middle child snooped through the desk and found a yellow highlighter and a permanent marker. They were taking turns marking on themselves, face, arms , feet and book. They looked like natives ready for battle. Thank goodness they didn't start marking the couch. There was some major disciplining for that one.

Then it was nap time. Overall the girls have been a handful today, more so than usual, and I've not been as loving and patient as I'd like to be, meaning the voice got raised and lots of corner time. I start comparing myself to other moms and then start to feel like I've just totally failed. This is the worst thing in the world to me, to fail at something. My biggest fear- failure. That I couldn't handle the job, didn't measure up, wasn't smart enough or competent to not only pass, but to make the A+. I was always the A student and went the extra mile to get those extra points. To have been below that would have been humiliation, because I knew I was capable of being the best. I guess it's carried over into my mothering and homemaking as well. To be the best at everything.
Dumb, I know, certainly not practical, and not a healthy way to view one's self. Sometimes the only way to learn is make mistakes.

Well, I am learning. I forget that I'm only human, and that God does promise to forgive us 7 times 70 everyday! Maybe Alexa's middle name is Grace because she and I were both going to need a lot of it! Meanwhile, I'm going to take a more serious approach to child training in the coming weeks...

What's the Purpose?

The Girl I used to be

She came tonight as I sat alone
The girl I used to be....
And she gazed at me with her earnest eye
And questioned reproachfully;


Have you forgotten the many plans
And hopes I had for you?
The great career, the splendid fame,
all the wonderful things to do?


Where is the mansion of stately height
With all its gardens rare?
The silken robes that I dreamed for you
And the jewels in your hair?


And as she spoke, I was very sad
For I wanted her pleased with me...
This slender girl from the shadowy past
The girl that I used to be.


So gently rising I took her hand
And guided her up the stairs
Where peacefully sleeping, my babies lay
Innocent, sweet and fair.


And I told her that these are my only gems,
and precious they are to me;
That the silken robes is my motherhood
Of costly simplicity.


And my mansion of stately height is love,
And the only career I know
Is serving each day in these sheltered walls
For the dear ones who come and go


And as I spoke to my shadowy guest,
She smiled through her tears at me.
And I saw the woman I am now
Pleased the girl I used to be

Author: Rowena K. Lewis
Copyright March 9, 1997

The first time I read this poem, I was very touched. It described exactly how I was feeling at the moment. When I was a little girl, all I dreamed of doing was being a mom to MANY children. Of course, this was before I understood how the babies got here, and wasn't really interested in having a husband and didn't know anything about bills and such. As I grew, I bought into the idea that I need a career, to do something with my life. Mostly I wanted to teach, or be a Christian counselor, but in highschool I fell in love with chemistry and calculus and wanted to go that route.

I forgot my dreams of being a wife and mother, or at least envisioned as second to my all important career that would change the world. I went to college and found I didn't fit the mold at all. I was not happy, and wanted to go into 'full time ministry' with Youth With A Mission. (YWAM- their main base is here where I live)

God had other plans.

I distinctly remember saying "I think it is so stupid for girls to get married right out of highschool." Boy did I eat my words! During the fall of my first semester of college, a man I had known for at least 10 years decided to pay me some attention. He had become a friend of my family and we also went to church with him. (he is the music leader there) We were engaged on New Year's Eve and were married April 21, 2001- LESS than a year since I had graduated. HA,HA, does God have a sense of humor! Not the path I had chosen for myself, but it was God's, and it was good.

I now have the babies I so desired as a child, but it's not quite what I thought it would be. Simply put, it is HARD! We do have special circumstances that make it more difficult. My oldest had problems in utero and we had an emergency c-section and she continues to have developmental delays. More on that later. Our second daughter was born 11 months after the first. We had a miscarriage after that, then our third daughter was born the next year. All by c-section.Four pregnancies in 3 years, and did we get comments! So, we have a lot going on. It is hard to see the big picture and it's easy to feel overwhelmed and pity for myself.

God entered me in a different kind of school. I have learned far more than I ever thought possible since I married and had little ones. Things I probably wouldn't have learned had I gone my way. I have become much less selfish, and have learned to die to my own desires, sometimes not so willingly. My husband and I have been refined in the fire, through all the trials we've dealt with our oldest and my close pregnancies etc. I am so thankful for all I've learned, now. I wasn't at the time I was going through it.

Thank you Lord that You created me with a specific purpose in mind. Even when I feel insignificant and that I'm not making a difference, I know that I am right where I'm supposed to be, and that You are in control.

Kitchen Tip Tuesday

On Tammy's Website, she has Kitchen Tip Tuesday, where readers can submit various tips and tricks for the kitchen. This isn't profound or anything, but when I am cutting and chopping veggies etc. I use a garbage bowl. Sometimes I will just use a paper plate, or even the container that ground meat is packaged in, and as I'm peeling potatoes or chopping, or opening cans, I put the trash in the bowl, rather than making several trips back and forth to the trashcan. And if it's disposable, then it all goes into the trash, or even if you use a bowl, it just needs a quick wash.

My Personality Type

ESFJ - "Seller". Most sociable of all types. Nurturer of harmony. Outstanding host or hostesses. 12.3% of total population.

Free Jung Word Test (similar to Myers-Briggs)
personality tests by similarminds.com

I saw this on Lori's blog and decided to do it. I think it's pretty accurate, as I very much like to host things in general. I don't thank I'm good at selling things however...

A Day in the Life of Me

Since Candy invited her readers to participate in her Internet Reality project, or a day in the life of me, I decided to give it a try. I'm typically more of a routine person rather than a rigid schedule. Fridays are generally the day I do an Emergency Quick clean, which isn't so quick with the littles around. My husband leaves for work at 7:30, and since my oldest was going to school and had to be ready by then too, we just keep on getting up early out of habit, even though it's summer now.


Here I am, dressed for the day. The skirt I'm wearing I made a couple of years ago- just two panels with an elastic waist.

Making breakfast...whole wheat blueberry waffles today. It is 6:30 am by the way-- my children are early risers.


Unloading the dishwasher... I am so thankful I have one :)

This is the kids' play area BEFORE they are up- nice and tidy.


Good morning Sunshine! Sarah is wearing a nightgown I made for my second daughter when she was her age.

Up and at'em bright an early! Notice the room...sometimes they quietly destroy it before I realize it. Nice bed hair :) Alexa has had a hard time giving up her pacifier (yes she is 3.5) so she found this plastic doll one as a replacement.


Time to eat! They are very excited about the waffles.


Helping mama clean up.

Here's my other 'helper', thanks Fergus. Yes I do wash the highchair tray after the dog cleans it for me.
Starting up the washer...Leiah is helping.

Making the bed and tidying the room.

Time for the quick cleaning....mop, vacuum, dust, wiping mirrors and surfaces...

Gleaming white sinks...

Today we go to the goat farm to pick up our raw goat milk. It's in the next town and takes about 30 minutes to drive there. The kids love going- they get to see the goats, chickens, horses, huge turkeys, ducks and dogs.

We're back home and ready for lunch. Today it's leftover veggie soup and sandwiches, with goat milk of course :)
Time to reboot the laundry, with my right hand lady again. Thanks Leiah!
Relaxing before naptime, watching some Little Bear. I am sitting in the recliner with Leiah.
Well, the kiddies are taking naps. I decided to boil some potatoes for potato salad later. I planned to finish cleaning the bathrooms and work on the dress I'm sewing, but since I only got a few hours of sleep the night before, I took a nap too.

Kids are up, time to play!

Matt made it home. It's been a long week...
The girls set the table and are ready to EAT!
Hot dogs, tater salad, and veggies with dip.
Then while I cleaned up the kitchen, Daddy played the letter game with the girls. They take turns repeating the letter on the card, and when they say it or attempt to, they get the card. Leiah, our 4 year old, is very speech delayed, so this is a very helpful exercise for her.
We got a movie rental gift card, so we decided to go rent some. Here is what the backseat in our Tahoe looks like.
On our way back home, we saw these beautiful clouds.

Back home, watching the movie, eating popcorn and milkshakes. This is a BIG treat, our girls normally go to bed by 8pm or earlier. Sarah was too tired so she went to bed.



And now it's way past bedtime. Good night girls. Matt and I decided to just go to bed too, so that's all the pictures for this day.

Anne of Green Gables

As I'm sure anyone who has visited here has noticed, the actual address to this blog is anneatheart, or Anne at Heart. My middle name is Ann, but doesn't have anything to do with it. I love Anne of Green Gables. When the series first came out, in 1990 or so, I was about 9 years old. I was glued to the show. Thus began my fetish of anything old fashioned. I would dress up in whatever I had the resembled the clothing of that time period, pretend to have tea with my little porcelain tea set and stitch my sampler.

As I got older my mom bought me the actual set of books written by Lucy M. Montgomery and they have been put to good use. They are wonderful and while the show is accurate and does capture the spirit of the book, nothing compares to the written words. The author was very gifted in descriptive language and paints beautiful word pictures of the island without going overboard.

As much as I would love to dress myself in full Edwardian Anne Shirley garb, it's not too practical here in East Texas where the humidity is awful at the moment. Add to that the fact that my husband probably would refuse to be seen with me in public. I relate with Anne, as I have never stopped imagining things different from what they are, for fun. I also, especially as a teenager, had a knack for getting myself into 'scrapes'. I've gotten much better in recent years :)

oops

Oops, my pictures got cut off, will have to fix that later.

Weekend Fun

Here are my kiddies having fun in their pool. My girls love dirt, and they love water, and they LOVE mixing them together. I could see right away in order to survive this summer we would need a pool and a sandbox. Unfortunately we've been having unseasonably cooler weather and lots of rain and thunderstorms. So, the fun in the water and the sand has been delayed. The water was pretty cold, but they didn't care as you can see.