In the Storm

hello monday | 01 2013

hello new year. 2013. new word to live by. fresh start.

hello no co-op. we get excited when our fridays are ours.

hello outsiders. we've been looking forward to reading you for so long. now it's here.

hello moving more eat well. i continue the journey this week.

hello water. i'm planning to fill my body with your goodness.

hello cozy socks. perfect for the 30 degree temperatures and chill in the air.

hello games. we are planning alot of hours of enjoyment this week.

hello to simplifying life...my one little word for 2013.

hello 40 recipes in a bowl. cheesy garlic baked grits and hot wing soup. yum!

i'm linking up with lisa.

last minute decision

i decided to do project life scrapbooking.

i have a spare album. it's turquoise.

i have document protectors from two previous-purchased, never-used, albums that i will make due.

i will use the seafoam collection both traditional and digital. elise and ali got me hooked and excited about doing this.

i will document our memories, weekly, monday - sunday, simply, not much fluff.

just the basics. photos. journaling. life notes.

excited! now that i decided.

 

Confused about Project Life? Start here. It's a unique approach to scrapbooking. And a simple, amazing way to document life.

move more eat well 2.0 | joining the revolution

source

i'm signed up. i'm excited. i'm ready to say hello to revolution. no resolutions. just moving more, eating well, meeting goals, tracking changes, seeing a difference not only in my weight but my attitude. and loving me more and more.

january 1st continues the revolution. it's a continuation of this past years successes. no need to start over. just move forward. move more eat well 2.0 is a big picture classes online class - and i bet i'll be joining thousands again this year for a revolution. it's not necessarily about weight loss. it is about change. changing attitudes. changing how we move, how we eat, what we feel... and i'm so pumped for this revolution.

i mentioned some of my goals for this years revolution in a previous post: more water, more swimming, more greens, vegetables, fruits, adding weights, and walking more.

i'm ready. even for the weigh-ins and tapes. i can do this!

i'll be creating an album of my successes. and my failures. i see failures so differently now.

will you join the revolution!

reverb12 | daily prompt twenty-eight

december 28 | defining

Describe a defining moment or series of events that has affected your life this year.(Author: Kathryn Fitzmaurice)

this past year I enrolled in an online class called move more eat well with cathy zielske and big picture classes. It was, it became, the defining series of events to how I looked at myself – finally! Not as fat. But as someone who is moving more, eating better and doing something…for myself. I no longer see this task of losing weight as daunting. I’ve only lost 20 pounds this past year but man, it has been a good 20 pounds of success. I’m so hyped
for move more eat well 2.0 it’s crazy! I absolutely hate the tapes and weigh ins because they remind me too much of the military when I struggled with my weight and had to weigh in but I’m gonna’ hang in there because I need the successes and the failures to continue to define the experience. Each aspect of this year long process helped to define where I was, where I am at and where I’m gonna be next year at this time.

One of the class assignments last year had us do 5 things we wanted to do, change, apply that month (or even over the course of the year). This year I know what my 5 things would be:

1)  Drink more water. I basically drink none right now.

2) Swim every week.

3) Add more greens, vegetables and fruit to my (our) diet.

4) Now that I’m not limping walk more

5) Add a weight routine in (start with 2x a week)

Defining moments are sometimes hard to define. But when I look carefully I realize there are many to be found.

52photos | in my bag, photo, & short

my 52photos capture  |   in my bag

in my bag. 12.27.12. change purse. checkbook. mini bible. journal of 10000 reasons. hearing aids. hearing aid batteries. feminine product. cell phone. prescription for naproxin. one pen. and keys.

of course this is after i cleaned out the multiple grocery, department store lists, the extra napkins from some restaurant, and some expired coupons.

my 52photos capture  |  photo

my capture of a photo is my favorite wedding day photo. it was lying around on my desk because i like looking at it. the photo is worn and beat up with scratches but i love jeff holding my hand and leading me forward. he still holds my hand often, especially on dates or walking together, even just into the grocery store. and he still leads me and our family.

my 52photos capture  |  short

ok. admittedly i didn't take this photo. but it captures the essence of short to me. at 15, john and jarrod are taller than their dad. he is shorter. i don't think the boys are done growing either and thus they will become even taller and he even shorter. of course, doesn't mean less - just short

source

 

reverb12 | daily prompt twenty-seven

december 27 | compliment

what is the greatest compliment you could give? Are you worthy of the same praise? (Author: Lee)

you reflect Christ; you're a godly woman/man.

when asked of my husband, "why do you love me?"

his first answer is always because i am a godly woman. so i guess the answer is yes - i am worthy!

reverb12 | daily prompt twenty-six

december 26 | travel

How did you travel in 2012? How and/or where would you like to travel next year? (Author: Tara Hunt)

travel was limited this year. we traveled to south carolina for my nephews marine corp graduation, and we traveled south to family for thanksgiving. i would love to travel to charleston or st augustine for a long weekend. i’d like to travel somewhere to go white water rafting. if we can put the money together I’d like to travel to alaska for christmas next year – but we’ll see.

reverb12 | daily prompt twenty-five

december 25 | gift

At this point in the year gift giving is everywhere. What is the most memorable gift, tangible or emotional, you received this year? (Author: Holly Root)

the most memorable gifts this year have been the surprises from jeff. like, when he got off work early for our date night which was planned but he planned something special: a dolphin tour and dinner to a favorite restaurant on tybee island followed with a walk on the beach after dark. lovely. another surprise was more recent when he planned our date night with dinner downtown at a lovely little restaurant and then surprised me with a night of it’s a wonderful life at the lucas theatre downtown. of course, i love my Christmas gift, a new laptop. while it was much needed for our family it was in itself a wonderful gift.

reverb12 | daily prompt twenty-four

december 24 | photograph

Take some time and wander through all of the photos taken over the past year. Which is your favorite? What emotions do you associate with it? (Author: Lee)

i have to say that this photo invoked some heartfelt, memorable emotions. i almost cried. ok, i did tear up after taking this photo. do you know when you get this overwhelming feeling of emotion because something just touches you. this photo does that. but, not just this photo alone.

it's partly because i have memories associated with this photo in 2003 when it took both boys to drag our tree and even then they couldn't get it all the way but needed assistance from jeff. and now, this year, our 7 foot+ christmas tree was carried one-handed part of the way by just one of the boys (john). over the years as we've gone year after year to brewer's tree farm to get our christmas tree we've watched and enjoyed the changes that have occured with time - and growing.

reverb12 | daily prompt twenty-three

december 23 | alone

Have you had any alone time this year? Do you seek it? Does it make you comfortable or uncomfortable to be left alone with your thoughts? Where is the best place for you to be comfortable by yourself? (Author: Lee)

i am never uncomfortable being alone. mostly because of my introvert-ness (is that a word) i think i'm good being alone. i never get bored being by myself. when the punks and jeff go on boy scout camp outs I am always left to myself. except for bedtime when I don’t really like being alone, i enjoy the quiet, just me, and I do whatever catches my fancy. i’ve not found going away by myself to be something i relish at all though. i’d rather time away with jeff, so not really alone but alone, just the two of us. i wouldn’t mind a retreat, maybe an overnight, on the beach, just me and God. that would be something special that I might actually try this year. I have to say though that I love swimming laps in the pool, alone in my lane, just swimming lap after lap, silent. alone with my thoughts. pretty cool.