'Bout Ready to Rant the Pants Off Somethin'!

Ready for a rant???????? I AM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know I just posted about being more kind and speaking softly, but this just needs to come out of my system. 

Things that DRIVE ME CRAZY: and not in a good, britney spears kind of way:

1. Peep toe boots.  

Do I really need to elaborate on this?  No?   Too bad, I'm going to anyway- First of all, they're ugly as sin.  Second of all, they're hideously impractical.  Third, they're ugly as sin.  I am getting old and do not understand the "young folks and all their trends."

2.  People who compare raising a child to caring for a pet. 

 The other day I was talking to a woman who has a dog.  I did not know this woman personally, but somehow she felt it was appropriate to tell me how similar taking care of children is to owning a pet....... ya know.... 'cause they both potty train, and you have to teach them obedience and stuff.  Uuuhhhhh, what?  PEOPLE ARE SERIOUSLY POSTAL IF THEY THINK THAT IT'S THE SAME.  It's not.  Do you worry about the morals and values that your dogs are growing up with?  Do you worry about your dog's college tuition? Do you agonize and wonder if you're teaching them discipline, values, hard work, religion, and doing a good job of it?  Does every decision you make concerning your dog weigh so heavily on your heart that sometimes you think it will burst under pressure? 

Uh, no.  I don't think so.

Teaching Fido to sit ain't really that difficult.

Please note that I really am an animal person- I think you can love them and they can TOTALLY be a wonderful part of your family.  But don't equate raising them to raising a child.  It's not the same.

3. Stores that congratulate you on buying their goods or using their services.

 I couldn't figure out how to get this picture to a landscape, sorry.  Tip your head to the side and read the first sentence.

This little note that my hubbs got with his glasses made me irritated.  A congratulatory note? Really?  Shouldn't WE be congratulating YOU on the fact that you just got a crapload of our money? 

So, that's it for now. I feel better!

I'm thinking of making this a weekly rant.

 hehehehehehehehhee.

 What drives YOU crazy? 

Week Three diddly dee

The commandment:

Exodus 20:7:  Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Once again, we're going with another loose interpretation as it applies to my life.  I don't LITERALLY take the Lords name in vain.  My parents would have KILLED me when I was younger if I did, and as I grew up, my love for God and my testimony precluded me from blasphemin'. *( hehe.  imagine me saying it in a southern accent.  it's funny.)

So, taking the Lords name in vain......

The confessions:
(Janet, stop reading) Sometimes I swear.  I know, I'm like- 13 or something.  I say the D-word.  and the S-word.  And last weekend, in a hormone fuelled rage, I said a REALLY bad word.  "The mother of all dirty words" as ralphie so eloquently put it. I know, right?  Seriously? Who am I?   Anyway, sometimes it happens. 

Also, sometimes I yell.  I HATE yelling.  I think it's kinda ridiculous.  And yet, I do it. 

The epiphany:
I shouldn't swear.  Duh. And I shouldn't scream at my family.  Duh. Both things I know I should have taken care of years ago.  Oops.

The goal:
This week I'm going to work on keeping my MIND free of all my blasphemin' as well as my tongue.  I'm going to count to 10 and not yell.  I'm going to work on being a yes mom, instead of an angry, no mom. 

Hope for the outcome:
I know swearing isn't that big of a deal (well, I don't think it is).  But, I hope that by cleanin' up my dirty mouth I will gain more sensitivity in my language.  I hope my words (in general) will be less harsh, and I will speak with more love and kindness. 

A scripture for inspiration:
Proverbs 15:1 "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger."

Week TWO, baby!

The commandment:

(Exodus 20:4)

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

You'll have to go with me on this one.  Like I said, this is a creative interpretation of how I can relate these commandments to my daily life and personal goals. 

Graven Images.

What comes to your mind when you think about modern day graven images?

For me, it is the media.

The confessions:

I sometimes allow myself to compare my own physical body to the bodies of women on TV.  I wish I were skinnier, I wish I were more fit, I wish my hair were thicker and my skin were clearer, I wish, I wish.....

It's not that I'm thinking "Oh, I really need to get healthy!"  It's more like "Oh, man!  I wish I looked a little more like her..."

I'm worshiping an unatainable image of what the media is portreying as healthy and attractive, and that is in NO WAY comparable to what God (not to mention my husband) thinks is healthy and attractive.

I'm sure the girl below is really nice, but none of us need to be as skinny as her to be happy and healthy! I think about the young women I work with at church and it frightens me that these are the images of what is pretty these days-- Incredibly, unatainably skinny.

Also, it's industry standard to photoshop these women, so not only is she tiny as can be, she's digitally altered to look even smaller, not to mention flawless.  It's completely false,

and yet, sometimes I worship at the alter of being skinny. 

I have been reading a lot about media literacy lately and how important it is to teach our daughters and sons that the media is selling something.  That world is not reality! It's what we DO, not how we look that makes our life worth living.  I need to start practicing if I'm going to be a great example of this for my cute kiddos.

I don't want them thinking that looking good is more important than DOing good.

The epiphany:
When I focus more on a false, decieving image of someone else,  rather than the health of my body, I'm not reaching my full potential and living my best life.  I'm also not being the amazing mom that I want so badly to be. I love the gift of the body that I have been given!  I can run, dance, sing, jump, create, or do anything I want because I have been given this gift.

The goal:
I have a friend from highschool who started a company which helps women realize and find joy in thier life through authentic living.  One of the things she talks about is "practicing fierce self-love."  

This is my goal for the week: Fierce self-love!  I'm not going to say negative things about my body.  I'm going to love the way I look and be thankful that I have two great kids that helped my body get this way.  I'm abstaining from media as much as possible too- less TV, no magazines, and little internet.  I'm going to also work on my goal of health by loving myself enough to get off the couch and dance! Or go to a fitness class, or go running, or whatever makes me happy on the day. 

Hope for the outcome:
A hightened awareness of my self and my own good attributes.  Less negative thinking, more positive giving to myself and others.

Week 1- The OFFICIAL Report

Week 1A- Not so good.

Week 1B- Better! But not great.

The Good:

This has definitely been an eye opening experience for me.  I have recognized some things about my personal nature that are going to be difficult to change, but recognizing is the first step to changing a bad habit. 

The Bad:

I didn't make my bed even one time in the morning.  I made it, but usually it was at about 3:00pm.  As long as it gets done, right?

The Ugly:

Still, my hair.  No, really- it's really long right now and I think I must run marathons in my sleep because it is hilariously awful when I wake up. 

Week 1 Report....... uh, well, for the first time....

Ok, let's be real here folks:  This 10 commandments challenge thing is kicking my trash.  I am having THE HARDEST time with it.  Although I've made progress, I haven't accomplished my goals as much as I would have liked.  I guess 29 years of bad habits is hard to break out of in only a week. 

I've cut myself some slack and decided to give myself another week to work on this.  Because it's important to me, and I want to get it right.  I'll give you a full report (again?) on Sunday when I post about my 2nd commandment challenge.

So, my official report:

The good:
I've been waking up earlier and I've made a conscious effort to be more productive throughout the day. 

The bad:
I have not been waking up as early as I would like, or going to bed as early as I need to. 

The ugly:
My hair in the morning. 

The next weeks are easier (I have some planned already), and are not as big of a lifestyle/ habit change as this one.  I think I can accomplish those in a week, but frankly, this one might take me a lifetime.  At least I'm striving for something better, right?  Thats all I can do.  PEACE OUT, YO!

Because I Don't Want to Forget

My Half Marathon- A detailed timeline:

I know, it's like a labor story or something.  I also know you probably don't care.  But, I do.

October 28, 2011

 10:00pm- I go to bed with my nerves going nuts.  It is hard to sleep.  I set the alarm on my phone and check it 19 times, but I keep waking up throughout the night thinking I am going to be late. 

October 29, 2011

 3:55am- I wake up and get dressed.    After I am dressed I grab the baggie with home-made bread and jam from Lenore, a bottle of water Ron insisted I take, and a packet of Emergen-C that my hubbs gave me.  I am ready..... kind of. 

 5:15am- I realized the night before that I had forgotten my sports bra. No way I was running 13.1 in a regular bra. Eeek. I'm wandering around Wal-Mart in Orem, Utah looking for band aids, gloves, a hat, socks, and a sports bra.   I'm not even tired, thankfully.  Adrenaline? 

5:45am- I load the bus at University Mall.  I realize then that I left the gloves I just bought in the car. Doh! I'm freezing.  At least I bought a hat.  It's even Micky Mouse, so I'm "in costume." Mike told me not to bring anything with me or I would have to run with it..... Little did I know you could check a bag at the starting line.. oh well.  I'm here now and I can't go back. 

6:25am- We get to the top of Provo Canyon.  I quickly run from the bus to the tent, about 1/8 mile away.  By the time I get there I swear my body is going into convulsions because I am so cold.  The tent is loud and there is no where to sit except the grass.  I wander around pretending to look for someone, then find a spot and sit down by myself.

6:35am- I miss my husband and curse the stupid torn ligament in his foot.

7:00am- I open my bread with jam and it tastes really good.  I'm thankful for Mike's grandparents, Ron and Lenore.   I am still cold, even in the heated tent.  I wish I had a sweatshirt. I'm ticked that we have to sit in this stupid tent for 3 hours. 

7:15- I play angry birds on my phone.  I people watch.  There are lots of people in crazy costumes.  The 3 little pigs, a group of witches with shirts that say "why ride a broom when you can run?", The Village People, and several butterfly/fairy/winged creatures.  It's pretty amusing.

7:30- The tent is filling up.  I get a call from my brother in law, Adam, but there are too many people to figure out where he is.  I text Mike and let him know where Laura's car is.  I'm paranoid he won't be able to find it. 

7:35- Someone taps my knee.  It's a random guy who asks "Do you want to join our group?" Oh crap, I think.  I'm supposed to have a group? "Uuuhhhh, sure?" I say.  He assures me I don't need a group to run with, just to socialize with.  He introduces me to the two other girls he's sitting with.  One is Pippy Long Stocking, and the other is a Ninja turtle (I think).  He's not dressed up.  We chat about life, about races, running, our experiences.

8:15- The race coordinators do a costume contest up on the stage in the back of the tent and declare winners according to who gets the most cheers.  I am too cold to cheer, really.  I am grateful that time is passing more quickly, though.

8:55- The boy (Kent?) is fast and is in the first group of runners, so he leaves me and the two girls.  We decide we should go out of the heated tent and brave the port-o-potties.  The lines are long and the top of Provo Canyon feels like it's 40 below.  I am chatting with the two girls.  I mention that I forgot my gloves.  Pippy Longstocking offers to let me have hers.  "But I'll most likely never see you again," I say.  "It's fine," she says,  "they were a dollar at Albertsons, and I have these cool cuffed sleeves, so I don't need 'em."  I am filled with LOVE for Pippy.  LOVE, I tell you!  No idea what her real name is.... sorry. PS- Dear Pippy, if you ever read this- thank you so much for your gloves.  I would have frozen without them.  It was really nice of you.  Leave me a comment if you want your gloves back.

9:00 We are still in line for the potty, but we hear the start gun go off for the first wave of runners.

9:10 I finally get back in to the heated tent in just enough time to stretch, drink the last tiny bit of my water, and get my ipod in my ears.  Then me and the ninja turtle and Pippy start making our way to the start line.

9:20- Bang! Start gun.  I am running.  I run with Ninja Turtle for a while, but quickly realize she is faster than me.  Pippy is already long gone.  This is her 8th half marathon or something. 

Mile 1- I'm thinking "Wow, that was pretty fast- I can do this."  It's all down hill. 

Mile 3- Down hill is hurting my knees a little bit.  Ninja turtle starts getting ahead of me. I start getting tired.

Mile 5-  I see a guy up on some rocks on the side of the road peeing.  There are thousands of people passing and he decides to whip it out and pee.  Ok, whatever.  I want to tell him to hide a little better next time, but I restrain myself. 

Mile 6- I can feel the blister on my pinkie toe hurting.  I walk for the first time.  My knee has a weird pain.  My right knee.  My left is the one that was bugging me during training, but whatev.  Lefty is fine now, and righty is giving me fits.  I keep running. 

Mile 7- I find a rock to sit down on.  I take off my shoe and look at the band-aid on my pinkie toe.  I take it off, thinking this will make it feel better.  It doesn't. But, when I look up from the rock, I see this:

I know I am more than half way there.  I can do this. 

Mile 9- I slow to a walk and then text mike so he knows what time to be at the finish line.  I adjust my ipod playlist. 

Mile 10- "Only a 5K left." I think.  I get a text from Laura.  It's 11:11am.

Mile 11- My feet hurt by now. My blisters are stinging.  My calves are starting to get tight.  I try to stretch them, but slowing down makes them hurt worse. 

Mile 12.  "Only a mile, only a mile, only a mile, only a mile, only a mile, only a mile," I am thinking.  I want to be done bad enough that I decide not to walk any more.  What's the point?  I'm not going to be in LESS pain by walking, and I'll get done faster if I run. 

Mile 12.5- I see a couple with a sign that says "The only reason your feet hurt is because you're kicking so much butt!"  I am motivated. 

Pre-finish line- I see Mike, who is holding Nolan, as I'm running, but he doesn't see me.  I wave to try to get his attention.  Finally he sees me and gets out his camera.  He gets a picture of my butt. 

Finish line- I cross it and immediately start thinking about food.  Someone hands me a bottle of water.  Seriously?  Just water?....  But wait!  I see the buckets of oranges!  I practically dive for them.  I take 3 or 4 wedges and don't even care that I'm being greedy. 

11:45am- I find Mike, Adam, Laura, Stephanie and Steph's sister.  We take some photos and make our way to the car. 

12:15pm- I take a shower at Laura's house, then fall asleep on her couch.  I can hardly walk when I wake up. 

It takes my body a week to fully recuperate from running that far, and still for some reason I feel like it was worth it.  At least I did it.  I accomplished a goal.  I finished what I started.  And that feels good. 

Week 1

Hey peeps: read the previous post first or this one will be confusing :)

 

 

WEEK 1:

The commandment:

(Exodus 20:3)

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Obviously, I don't worship any god except my Heavenly Father.

But this commandment got me thinking about the things in my life that maybe I place in higher priority than getting closer to my Heavenly Father.

It took a bit, but eventually I thought of one thing I value more than almost anything else.......

sleep.

I have loved sleeping in my whole life.

I can't STAND not getting a full night and I am big time cranky if I am inturrupted.

Having little babies was/ is hard for me.

I always make excuses and say things like "i'm just not a morning person" and "my body doesn't function on less than 8 hours" and blah blah blah.

The personal confessions:

I usually lay around in the morning and don't get things done.

I hardly ever (really, pretty much never) get up before my kids.

And I've struggled with remembering morning prayer for forever (insert *gasp* here).

The personal epiphany:

When I place sleep above productivity, scripture study, and prayer I'm placing other things before my worship and study of God.

The goal:

I will get up every morning this week at 6:30am. My kids don't wake up until 7:30 or 8 usually. I will read, pray, get dressed and MAKE MY BED SO I CAN'T CRAWL BACK IN TO IT.

Hope for the outcome:

Greater spirituality and motivation to get things done throughout the day! Go me!

And a scripture for motivation:

Doctrine and Covenants, Section 88, verse 124: "Cease to be idle; cease to be unclean; cease to find fault one with another; cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated."

The Ten Commandments

So, since we've moved to Colstrip, I've had this feeling that I need to change. 

Everything about my surroundings and circumstances has changed in the past year (several times), and while I've grown a lot from the experience, I have not become the person I want to be yet. 

Have any of us, really?

 I've been journaling a lot lately and it's helped me become more introspective.

A few weeks ago I was writing my thoughts and I started getting sad because I seem to fall short in so many important areas.

Then, I was reading my scriptures and I had this wierd idea.......

I'm calling it

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS CHALLENGE

I'm going to use it as a way to make goals and be held accountable for them via the internet.

(Don't ask me where I got this- I know it's cuckoo.)

Most of you know that I am a religious person.

I don't keep it a secret.

I don't talk a whole lot about it on my blog, however, since it's something I hold dear and it's deeply personal.  But, for the sake of self growth- I'm going to suspend my rules.

FAIR WARNING:

I will be blogging about my shortcomings (oh my!)

And, at times, possibly my testimony/ religion (shocker!)

SO, here's the deal:  For the next 10 weeks I'm going to work on one commandment a week.

I'm obviously tailoring these commandments to my personal shortcomings, so that I can work on what my needs, and my family's needs are. 

I'm going to start tomorrow (monday) and hopefully blog about it every Sunday. 

The blogging will help keep me on track, since I'll have all of you telling me I can do it (in the back of my mind).  I KNOW (read: really really hope) I can do it.

Wish me luck, and try not to judge me.  Seriously, you will cringe at some of the things I'm working on and say to yourself  "Wow, I haven't struggled with that since I was 5!" or something. :) 

 I'm a little slow on the uptake.

Work in progress here, peeps.

Love ya!



13.1

Where do I begin? 

 Last Saturday, October 29, 2011, I ran my first half marathon.   

Mike's excellent picture taking skills are responsible for this stellar picture of my large booty. 

I ran the Provo Halloween Half Marathon. 

IN COSTUME, NO LESS!

When I signed up for it, my original intention was to lose the last 10 lbs of baby weight and help my husband shed a few as well. 

Neither of those things happened.

And because of all the craziness of the past 2 months, I didn't train as much as I would have liked. (Read : I hardly trained at all.....)

Not to mention,  Mike pulled a ligament in his foot a month ago and couldn't run.

I still count myself successful, though. 

Because I finished.

And that is a big accomplishment for me.

I ran farther than I had ever run before in my whole life.

I kept going, even though my knees hurt and my toes had blisters.

And I finished.

Go me.

This pic is of me and the finish line.

And my IPhone

And my chapstick.

(Both of which I ran with)

And the two oranges and one green banana I ate after the race.

And some of the orange is on my lips if you look close.

Obviously, i wasn't worried too much about my appearance after 13.1 miles.

My official time was 2 hours 29 minutes and 19 seconds.

My only goal was to finish, but I was sort of hoping to finish under 3 hours,

and I finished under 2 1/2.  Wooooooooooot!

I'm hoping to train harder next time. Because there will be a next time.  And it will be awesome.

Happy Halloween!

Last weekend we did some pumpkin carving!

Last night we had our new friends over and went trick or treating.

 

Happy Halloween!

This is Cecily, Avery and Addy.

They were ALL Tinkerbell. 

They were all darling.

 Our new friends have the same last name as us.  Funny huh?   Who'd have thought in a random tiny town we'd find our long lost cousins?  And, even though we have NO CLUE how far back in the line we're related, we are glad they're here. 

Avery is Cecily's age and they get along swimmingly.  Addy is a little older than Nolan and he terrorizes her swimmingly as well.  He does it out of love, for real.  He follows the little flock of girls saying "AAAAAAAAY-vee!  AAAAAAAddy!  AAAAAAAy-vee! AAAAAddy!" 

Speaking of Nolan..................... he threw an absolute-screaming-crazy-flailing-kicking-wild-fit when we tried to put his pirate costume on him.... So, for 2011 Nolan was a Nolan.  He was cute.  Except for the screaming.