Monday, March 11, 2013
Down With The Sickness
We have been very blessed in our lack of sickness this past year. In the summer and fall, through Christmas break, and all the way through the first few weeks of January, the four of us avoided colds and flu, stomach bugs and viruses, despite being surrounded by family and friends dropping like flies on a regular basis. We knew it would hit us eventually though, and Pete & the boys got a cold in the last week of January. It was so bad that they are still constantly coughing more than six weeks later. We've done the doctor visits, gotten the cough syrup, used the nasal spray, etc, etc, and it's not budging. It keeps them up at night which is especially hard for Nathan. The doctor says that it just has to run it's course and it may be a few more weeks yet. Poor guys! On Valentine's week I worked each day at the flower shop, business was crazy and stressful. The night of the 11th and morning of the 12th I spent cleaning up projectile vomit from a nasty stomach flu that hit Zack and then Pete. Luckily since Pete was sick too I was able to get to work still while the two guys stayed home and threw up together. Ew. On the 13th I got strep throat, just in time for the big day at work, but I powered through it and was acutally a little bit happy that I didn't have a voice to talk to anyone... I'm actually the lucky one through all of this, I didn't get the coughing or the barfing, so I could take care of everyone for the most part, which is a definite relief.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
The Japanese Experience
Nathan will be a world traveler when he grows up, I'm convinced of it. He has always been into geography, other cultures, other languages, and relentlessly asks questions about any country he can think of. Thank goodness that we can sit down together and Google most of his questions; Nathan and I spend oodles of time looking up all kinds of information while he cradles his globe beside the computer.
Right now in school, Nathan is studying Japan. He brought home a list of his classmates with their names written in english and japanese, and studies them regularly. Just like with most of the countries he learns about, Nathan has decided that he is going to move to Japan and live there as an artist and a ninja. For the last month (and still going), Nathan will say hello, goodbye, and thank you to anyone & everyone in japanese. Nathan brought home chopsticks on Tuesday, and for a few nights I made asian-style dinners to try them out. Nathan and I used chopsticks while Pete and Zack opted to go for a fork. Nathan is a fabulous chopstick user, by the way. I couldn't believe it.
Right now in school, Nathan is studying Japan. He brought home a list of his classmates with their names written in english and japanese, and studies them regularly. Just like with most of the countries he learns about, Nathan has decided that he is going to move to Japan and live there as an artist and a ninja. For the last month (and still going), Nathan will say hello, goodbye, and thank you to anyone & everyone in japanese. Nathan brought home chopsticks on Tuesday, and for a few nights I made asian-style dinners to try them out. Nathan and I used chopsticks while Pete and Zack opted to go for a fork. Nathan is a fabulous chopstick user, by the way. I couldn't believe it.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Weekend Of Fun
This past weekend was a fun one for our family! The four of us and my parents celebrated my mom's birthday on Friday with dinner and an evening at Laser Quest. It was the boys' first time playing laser tag, both Pete and I hadn't been there since we were in high school at youth group, and my parents had never been. We had a total blast. We played two games in a big group of 38, and it was super fun. I wish I could have taken pictures of us, we were probably quite a sight, haha.
On Saturday we picked up my Grandma and we all went to the Telus World of Science to take in the Star Wars Identities exhibit. The boys had gone once previously with my parents in November, but both Pete and I wanted to go as well and we were gifted with tickets for the four of us at Christmas. We had a great time at the exhibit; there was so much to look at and listen to and take in. All of the costumes and models were direct from the sets of the films, and even the original Yoda puppet was there. As they go through the exhibit, each person has an electronic bracelet that they use at different stations to create their own Star Wars character. It was so cool. The pictures that I got aren't that great, we couldn't use the flash, but this is just a small glimpse into the exhibit.
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Thursday, January 17, 2013
The Experiment
Ever had a moment of random sudden motivation to do something that you didn't think you could do?
Without really even knowing why, without planning or timing, I started an experiment. On July 20th 2012, exactly 6 months ago, I decided to see what would happen if I permanently changed the way I ate. DRASTICALLY changed. I would be lying if I said I thought it would be easy, but I decided that unless I saw no change in my body, I would completely overhaul my personal diet permanently.
I am not one of those people who was DYING to lose weight. To tell you the truth, I was perfectly okay with being fat. I have never been that fat girl who desperately (and unsuccessfully) clawed her way through every new diet and every fad weight loss trick. I know a very big girl who constantly talks to everyone she knows about how THIS new diet/exercise plan/zumba class is going to CHANGE her LIFE and she's going to be skinny and we'll all be jealous, but then she quits two weeks into it because she didn't lose any weight yet. I have never wanted to be that person. I hate talking about dieting and weight loss, which is yet another deterrent to do it. I was completely turned off by hearing dieters obsessing over calorie counts and weight watchers meetings and carbs. I think I preferred not to watch my weight at all because of that. Dieters become more obsessed with food than obese people. I am anti-diet.
Like I said before, I have always been fine with being fat. I was very matter-of-fact about being a big girl; seeing the "fat genes" in my family is easy, so I think I explained away any potential insecurities about my weight with the "fat is in my family so I'll never be thin and that's okay" response. I also just didn't want to give up eating what I liked, which added to the previous reasoning as well. Pete has never been fixated on my weight, so I have never felt pressure from him to weigh a certain amount, and he has always loved me and been attracted to me regardless of my size.
I still don't know how, but for some reason a switch flipped in my head, and I decided to do this. And here I am, exactly six months later, weighing SEVENTY POUNDS less and still going strong.
It was a quick decision; one I never thought I'd make in the first place anyway, so I jumped in right away just in case I lost my nerve. Besides Pete, I decided not to tell anyone at first. Fear of failure was part of it, but I also wanted to let people notice it on their own and decide whether or not they wanted to talk about it. It took three months and 35 pounds before the first person noticed and said something to me. Lots of people haven't said anything at all, and that's okay too. Weight loss is an awkward subject sometimes.
I've learned a lot in these last 6 months, and the things I've put into practice are things I already knew. I mean, I knew them, but I didn't KNOW them. It's not that I ate that badly. In fact, with having celiac disease, it's not very easy to eat poorly, since most processed foods are off the table anyway. But after 2 months, I discovered for myself that food was a very real addiction that I broke myself of. It wasn't until I stopped eating certain foods for long enough that I stopped craving them completely. Once I took a step back and truly listened to my body, I was able to respond accordingly in both the quantity and type of food I ate. I've now realized that for me, "fat genes" are a lie. It's just simply a fact that if you put more fuel in your body than it burns off, your body stores it. It you want to store less fuel, you have to burn more or fill up less. Some bodies burn up fuel faster than others, I just had to realize that I was one of the others.
After these 6 short months have flown by and these 70 pounds have come off, I've gone from a size 18 down to a 12, and an XXL to an L. I'm now in the same size clothing I was before I had kids, although I'm not the same proportions by a long shot. Pete and I were shopping the other day and Pete ran to the sporting goods section and we grabbed 70 pounds of weights just for an illustration. If you lose some weight, do that sometime. Even if you've lots 10 pounds, it's very encouraging to hold that weight and realize that you used to carry that much more inside of you.
Here are a couple pics I dug up and one I quickly took today... They're not that good, so the difference isn't insanely noticeable in these, but you can still tell!
More to come as I continue my journey!
Without really even knowing why, without planning or timing, I started an experiment. On July 20th 2012, exactly 6 months ago, I decided to see what would happen if I permanently changed the way I ate. DRASTICALLY changed. I would be lying if I said I thought it would be easy, but I decided that unless I saw no change in my body, I would completely overhaul my personal diet permanently.
I am not one of those people who was DYING to lose weight. To tell you the truth, I was perfectly okay with being fat. I have never been that fat girl who desperately (and unsuccessfully) clawed her way through every new diet and every fad weight loss trick. I know a very big girl who constantly talks to everyone she knows about how THIS new diet/exercise plan/zumba class is going to CHANGE her LIFE and she's going to be skinny and we'll all be jealous, but then she quits two weeks into it because she didn't lose any weight yet. I have never wanted to be that person. I hate talking about dieting and weight loss, which is yet another deterrent to do it. I was completely turned off by hearing dieters obsessing over calorie counts and weight watchers meetings and carbs. I think I preferred not to watch my weight at all because of that. Dieters become more obsessed with food than obese people. I am anti-diet.
Like I said before, I have always been fine with being fat. I was very matter-of-fact about being a big girl; seeing the "fat genes" in my family is easy, so I think I explained away any potential insecurities about my weight with the "fat is in my family so I'll never be thin and that's okay" response. I also just didn't want to give up eating what I liked, which added to the previous reasoning as well. Pete has never been fixated on my weight, so I have never felt pressure from him to weigh a certain amount, and he has always loved me and been attracted to me regardless of my size.
I still don't know how, but for some reason a switch flipped in my head, and I decided to do this. And here I am, exactly six months later, weighing SEVENTY POUNDS less and still going strong.
It was a quick decision; one I never thought I'd make in the first place anyway, so I jumped in right away just in case I lost my nerve. Besides Pete, I decided not to tell anyone at first. Fear of failure was part of it, but I also wanted to let people notice it on their own and decide whether or not they wanted to talk about it. It took three months and 35 pounds before the first person noticed and said something to me. Lots of people haven't said anything at all, and that's okay too. Weight loss is an awkward subject sometimes.
I've learned a lot in these last 6 months, and the things I've put into practice are things I already knew. I mean, I knew them, but I didn't KNOW them. It's not that I ate that badly. In fact, with having celiac disease, it's not very easy to eat poorly, since most processed foods are off the table anyway. But after 2 months, I discovered for myself that food was a very real addiction that I broke myself of. It wasn't until I stopped eating certain foods for long enough that I stopped craving them completely. Once I took a step back and truly listened to my body, I was able to respond accordingly in both the quantity and type of food I ate. I've now realized that for me, "fat genes" are a lie. It's just simply a fact that if you put more fuel in your body than it burns off, your body stores it. It you want to store less fuel, you have to burn more or fill up less. Some bodies burn up fuel faster than others, I just had to realize that I was one of the others.
After these 6 short months have flown by and these 70 pounds have come off, I've gone from a size 18 down to a 12, and an XXL to an L. I'm now in the same size clothing I was before I had kids, although I'm not the same proportions by a long shot. Pete and I were shopping the other day and Pete ran to the sporting goods section and we grabbed 70 pounds of weights just for an illustration. If you lose some weight, do that sometime. Even if you've lots 10 pounds, it's very encouraging to hold that weight and realize that you used to carry that much more inside of you.
Here are a couple pics I dug up and one I quickly took today... They're not that good, so the difference isn't insanely noticeable in these, but you can still tell!
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| Before. |
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| 3 months in. |
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| Today. |
More to come as I continue my journey!
Friday, January 4, 2013
Recovering
This Christmas was an especially stressful one for me. With adding extra hours in at the flower shop to get Christmas orders out in time and finding the time in between to bake and decorate eighty dozen sugar cookies, trying to fit in the "regular" Christmas activities and concerts among the other projects was almost too much for me. It seemed that this year in particular was even more busy than other years for most of my friends and family as well.
Once the pre-Christmas rush was mostly over, we went to spend an early Christmas with Pete's family in Rocky. We celebrated with Pete's grandma, brother, and sister-in-law who came from the US for a surprise visit. We had a great time with them! Staying there away from the chaos at home, we had the chance to really grasp that Pete's parents were moving across the country just one week after Christmas. We had a very short goodbye a few days ago and they are now on the road to Ontario.
Adding to our household stress level, we came home from Rocky a couple of days before Christmas to find that the water pipes heading into our house had frozen solid, leaving us with no running water until the afternoon of Christmas day. Luckily Pete was off work and was able to devote his time to thawing everything out; the poor guy was outside in the minus 30 weather for hours each day. But his cold, hard work paid off and we were relieved not to get plumbers involved. Our friends and family graciously let us take showers at their houses and move our Christmas celebrations at the last minute.
The boys had a great Christmas, enjoying their vast array of new gifts, and loving the time off to stay up late and have lots of playtime. They are starting to get bored of eachother now and excited to get back to their friends at school!
We had our annual New Year's Eve bash with a smaller amount of guests than usual this time, which made for a nice low-key evening. Just what we needed.
And now with our final weekend together before the normalcy strikes again, we are mostly recovered, relaxed, and ready to get back to it. We're excited to see what 2013 will bring!
Once the pre-Christmas rush was mostly over, we went to spend an early Christmas with Pete's family in Rocky. We celebrated with Pete's grandma, brother, and sister-in-law who came from the US for a surprise visit. We had a great time with them! Staying there away from the chaos at home, we had the chance to really grasp that Pete's parents were moving across the country just one week after Christmas. We had a very short goodbye a few days ago and they are now on the road to Ontario.
Adding to our household stress level, we came home from Rocky a couple of days before Christmas to find that the water pipes heading into our house had frozen solid, leaving us with no running water until the afternoon of Christmas day. Luckily Pete was off work and was able to devote his time to thawing everything out; the poor guy was outside in the minus 30 weather for hours each day. But his cold, hard work paid off and we were relieved not to get plumbers involved. Our friends and family graciously let us take showers at their houses and move our Christmas celebrations at the last minute.
The boys had a great Christmas, enjoying their vast array of new gifts, and loving the time off to stay up late and have lots of playtime. They are starting to get bored of eachother now and excited to get back to their friends at school!
We had our annual New Year's Eve bash with a smaller amount of guests than usual this time, which made for a nice low-key evening. Just what we needed.
And now with our final weekend together before the normalcy strikes again, we are mostly recovered, relaxed, and ready to get back to it. We're excited to see what 2013 will bring!
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Christmas Cookie Chaos
Monday, December 10, 2012
Family Photos!
We got our pictures back!
To see a whole bunch, I'm hoping this link will work, even if you're not on facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151355626831323.522722.699656322&type=1&l=8b17b8e155
Here's a quick preview, just in case you can't get to those ones.
To see a whole bunch, I'm hoping this link will work, even if you're not on facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151355626831323.522722.699656322&type=1&l=8b17b8e155
Here's a quick preview, just in case you can't get to those ones.
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| And here's the ring that Pete gave me for our anniversary! |
Friday, November 30, 2012
Ten Year Trip
On November 16th, Pete and I celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary. This year, unlike the previous ones, we actually did stuff!My parents graciously offered to take the boys over 2 nights this past weekend so that Pete and I could have a little getaway to Banff. We dropped the boys off at school on Friday morning, headed to the mountains, and got back late Sunday night. We spent lots of time relaxing and wandering through Banff and Canmore, just enjoying the view and eachother's company. The highlight was on Saturday afternoon when we took the gondola up to the top of Sulphur Mountain, and then climbed the path to the weather station on Sanson's peak. The view was fantastic, and the weather was perfect. We've decided not to wait 10 years to do this again.
The boys had lots of fun with Grandma & Grandpa, too. They were excited to live at their house for a few days, and their highlight was going to the Star Wars Identities exhibit at the Telus World of Science on Saturday. This is a world-touring exhibit with the original movie costumes and props, and Edmonton is one of only two stops made in North America, so it's a pretty big deal. The boys were (and still are) over the moon about it.
We also had professional pictures done for the first time since our wedding (pictures to follow soon!) and during the photo shoot, to capture my reaction, Pete gave me a ring for our anniversary (pictures to follow soon!). I'm super excited to send out awesome family pictures for Christmas this year!
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