10 Things I Learned From the 30 Day Shred

This has been a part of my life for the past 30 days.

Via

Well even longer than 30 days actually because we started doing the video sporadically in March and then I took about a 2 week vacation from Jillian. Just couldn't handle her for awhile...but then decided to try and really stick with it and see what would happen.  This is what I have learned from the 30 Day Shred.

1) I truly despise exercise. I am serious, I really do. I am not one of those people that wakes up excited for a morning work out and so energized when I am done. Nope it is a chore every time I do it. And honestly if I could "think" my way to lean and firm - I would do it in a heartbeat!! 


2) Working out in the mornings is usually better for me.  When I started this Dominic and were working out together at night. But we couldn't eat dinner with the kids if we did and I was usually too sick after we were done to eat later.  Messes with my whole evening.  It was better for me to set my alarm a little early and do it before I shower.(Sans today in which I decided to write this post instead...which just means that tonight will be one of "those" nights.) Boo.

3) I don't remember jumping jacks being this difficult!  Jillian may say that she has 400lb people that can do jumping jacks so there isn't a need for a modified version of them....but when you haven't done them in 30 years you can't believe how difficult they can be!

4) Natalie and Anita are the real rockstars of the video!!  If you have done the video you know what I mean.  Not only do they do ALL of the moves the entire time (which by the way was difficult for me many days...) but they tolerate listening to Jillian in person without screaming at her. (Trust me...you will understand if you do it!) Which leads me to my next point....

5) Top despised Jillian phrases: "Isn't it buddy", "Don't phone this in" (said 3 times in Level 1) "I think I'll join you" (Oh NOW you decide to join us huh Jillian....when we are dying and want to quit?!) By the end of 30 days both Dominic and I were repeating most of what she said...you really get to know a person when you work out with them!

6) Get yourself an accountability partner!!  My friend Erin started doing the video around the same time I did. So we would text each other most days and share how it had gone (usually poorly) and talk about how we both hated and loved Jillian at the same time. (depended on the day and the Level) It helped me stick with it though because I would have to admit to someone else if I "cheated" and skipped a day. (Which in my 30 days I did twice....so it took me 32 days to get through it)

7) You will both love and hate this workout.  On day 1 I couldn't believe how very out of shape I really was. Every move was difficult and I couldn't finish a single set all the way through. By day 8 I felt pretty good. I was keeping up with the circuits (maybe not as tough as Natalie did....but I was doing it) Then I hit day 18 and a BIG wall. I was tired and wanted to quit. Level 2 really did me in....and then I went on to Level 3 and all the "jump training". I don't think I ever felt good about Level 3!! (Oh how I longed for the Day 8 feelings all over again! :)

8) I am going to have to learn to embrace my "mama pouch" because it isn't going away! Although Jillian said on day 21 that we should start seeing that 6-pack abs...I did not. I wasn't following her diet plan and admittedly had a cupcake for breakfast a time or two....but the one area I was hoping to see massive improvement is still very much a part of my body.  I don't love the ab exercises either....so it looks like I am going to have to learn to live with the after effects of 4 pregnancies! :)

9) I am stronger today.  That's the good news about this process. I do believe that I am stronger. I have more endurance. I did notice a difference in my legs and my arms. It IS working. And I feel good that I am doing something to increase my overall health.

10) This will forever ruin your ability to have guilt-free eating. It has become the joke in our home that when one of us eats something unhealthy we will say "What would Jillian say about that..." Well after a weekend back visiting family and a LOT of eating that included really yummy cookie cake (3 pieces for me)...we came home and Isaac had put this on the next Jillian video that we have started.

 Isn't he a kind and considerate son?! :)

So there you have it. We started "Ripped in 30" a few days ago. I will be on Day 4 when I do it tonight....unless I skip. ;)  So what is your favorite exercise video/workout? How do you stay motivated to keep going and what are some of your successes? I'd love to hear them!!

A Working Father's Day...again

I don't know if you remember this post I wrote last year...where Dominic spent the day doing a project for me...something that was my priority...on Father's Day.  Just one of the many reasons I am extra grateful for the husband and father he is today.

Well unfortunately for him this weekend was no different. We spent yesterday and today doing several different projects - in fact I am writing this while he is finishing something up quick so that we can run to Menards and get a few more things for another project. (It never ends!)

So among the things we did this weekend....

He and Isaac installed 2 new lights on the outside of the house.  We bought one for our old house and it sold before we got it on so it came with us here. Lowes still carried the light so we got another and replaced the two on our front porch.

Then he fixed the pillars on our porch. They were put together pretty poorly and had started to wiggle loose. They aren't load bearing but he shimed them up, tightened everything and then this afternoon we repainted all of them.  They are nice and sturdy now!

While I was painting we touched up the trim work around the front door as well.

I have wanted some hanging plants for the front of our house so when we were at Runnings buying some bug killer for our invasion of box elder bugs(and I am serious when I say MILLIONS of them in our backyard).....we went to the greenhouse area and all their plants were an extra 33% off so we got some hanging baskets and he got them up for me!

And it was a big weekend for Karlena too because we decided to move her from her crib to a "big-girl" bed!  We have had this captains bed since Gabriel was little and it is Karlena's turn to use it.  She is a little unsure about it right now....but she did take 2 naps in it this afternoon with no issues. We shall see how tonight goes!

And if that weren't enough he got to change an extra stinky, poopy diaper today too.  I think he said it was a full blown poop emergency!!

As you can see Karlena didn't seem to mind! :)

We are so lucky to have a wonderful father in Dominic. He is a dad that is involved, he takes the kids to the library to get books and reads them in funny voices, he is teaching Gabriel how to say the ACTS prayer and the Lord's Prayer. He stayed home from work when Elijah was sick this week....the list goes on and on. Today not only am I thankful for my dad, and my father-in-law...but I am ever grateful for my husband.

Maybe next year we should give him a day off of projects....what do you think?!

A Tribute to Both Parents!

Today is a day that we specifically celebrate our Fathers. I am blessed to have a wonderful father and mother. The whole month of May was pretty hectic for us and I didn't get a post done for Mother's Day like I had hoped...so today I want to celebrate both of them!

I think we were very fortunate growing up, we all that we needed, our parents took us on a vacation every year, trips to see our grandparents and camping all over the upper Midwest. We had dinner as a family - and not in front of the TV, we went to church and had Sunday get-together's with other families. They taught us the importance of working hard and saving our money for the things we wanted and most importantly they taught us about God and helped develop that relationship with God at a young age.

For many years my mom didn't work outside the home, so she was there after school to greet us. She always asked us how our day was, had snacks for us etc. She was present and she wanted to be a part of the things that were important to us.

My dad was a part of the carpool group of dad's that drove several of us neighbor kids to school.  He would always tell jokes and sometimes sing in the car.  I may have been a little embarrassed at the time :) but all of the kids loved him and always said what a great dad he was! And they were right!!

Both of my parents went back to school when they were "older". I remember when my dad went to school to become a PA. It was a huge change for him and for us. He was gone for extended periods of time up in North Dakota and my mom was playing the role of single mom. It was a sacrifice they both made - but it produced great results and was a good thing for all of us.  Then several years ago my mom went back to get her Masters degree.  I can't imagine going back to college now after being out so many years. But she did it and it was pretty cool seeing her graduate again.  They showed us that it is ok to work hard and go after something better for yourself - regardless of where you are in life.

And I don't know about your parents - but mine have become increasingly wiser as I have gotten older. ;)  I was, shall we say, a wee bit of a difficult teenager. Ok that's a bit of an understatement.  I pretty much made their lives miserable for many years.  But when I got married, had my own kids, they were the first people I would call if I had a question about something.

How do you make "Wayne and Kitty potatoes"?  "Where do we go to get this fixed on the car?" One of the kids is sick....what should we do?" "We are thinking of doing this...what do you think?"  And the list goes on.

I started asking those questions, making those calls because I was able to see all of the wisdom that they both had. The experiences they had gone through shaped who they were. They had grown and lived through difficult times and knew a thing or two about how to get through them.

I am SO grateful that we have a good relationship today. I am blessed that we have supportive parents who encourage us, will give us advice if we ask...but ultimately let us make our own decisions/mistakes.  My mom prayers for us at red stop lights and my dad has showed us through the years how to be selfless and give back to others.

The examples could go on and on. But the bottom line is I am fortunate to have loving, encouraging, supportive parents. Parents that have showed us how to love and grow. Parents that taught me how to forgive - because they have forgiven me....and parents that loved God and encouraged me to love Him as well.

How have your father or mother loved you well? I'd love to hear your stories as we celebrate this Father's Day!!

Weekend with Family

 

We had a weekend packed full of visits and family fun.  On Friday afternoon my aunt Karin and cousins Rachel and Andrew brought my grandparents through Marshall so they could stop and see Dominic's new office space!!  We were excited for them to see it and they really liked how everything came together.

They were all on their way to Sioux Falls so that we could celebrate my new nephew Gavin's baptism on Saturday.  We headed into SF on Saturday morning and met everyone for lunch. It was extra special because my brother Mark and wife Mindi also came home for a visit as well!!  And they are expecting a little one in their family also so our extended family just keeps growing!!

I can't even begin to tell you how exciting it is to see my siblings and their wives/husbands having families.  I am just thrilled for Mark and Mindi and would ask that you help me pray for them and their little one growing, that the remainder of the pregnancy would go well and that there wouldn't be any complications with the pregnancy, labor etc.  She is due in December so we will have a baby to celebrate at Christmas!!

 

Gavin's baptism was in the evening on Saturday.

 

Isn't Isabel adorable?! She is such a proud big sister!!

Gavin started stretching because he didn't like the water.

Then Beth and Jeff had us all over to their house for a huge dinner and fun in the backyard.  But before we ate we had to get a picture of grandpa and grandma with all of their great-grandkids!   It was really tough to get everyone looking the same direction AND smiling at the same time. This is the best shot I was able to get so I am hoping that someone else got a better one and will send it to me! :)

 

After dinner the kids went out to play in the backyard and in Isabel's little pool. Karlena (and Elijah) thought it would be fun to put rocks in her pool. (Yes we are always THAT family) ;)

 Karlena in her first bathing suit! I loved this one I found with the ruffles on it!!

Who needs a pool when you have rocks right?!

And of course she spent most of her time climbing the wrong way up the slide!

Oh and another quick Karlena story....she was wandering around Beth's house and found her way into the office area where the dogs have their self-watering bowl and proceeded to splash, empty at least a full gallon of water onto their carpet.  Thank you Karlena!! Such a proud mama moment!!

Sunday morning we had breakfast with my parents and Mark and Mindi and when we were done this is where we found Karlena....are you even the least bit surprised? I guess grandma's dining room table works well for her too!

Then we drove out to Parker to spend the day with Dominic's parents.  His brother Ben was there too and it was also his birthday, so we were able to celebrate a little with him as well!  Dominic's dad is building a new deck/porch area on the back of the house and it looks great. I meant to get out my camera and take a picture...but didn't. I will try and share it when it is complete...it should be a nice addition to their home!

We also got to dig up and take home some Columbine plants from Becky's garden and bring them home for our own! We got home pretty late in the evening...but took the time to find a place for them right away. First the daylilies my boss game me and now these....I am starting to get the itch to make my whole garden area pretty!

Wow...what a weekend! I am just a little tired just writing it all out! :)  It really was so nice to see so much of our family at one time though.  We don't get back as often as we'd like and the kids just really enjoy time with their grandparents and aunts, uncles cousins...etc.

How did you spend your weekend?

Getting Into Community

As I shared with you a few days ago...real community, stepping out there in faith, can be hard. Especially for women I think....men maybe I am wrong here, and please share if I am!! But really what was so interesting to me was that a couple of amazing, strong women left me comments/e-mails expressing that they have struggled with the very same things I do.  This shocked me really because I tend to believe that my "situation" is unique.

That awful desire to compare and feel less than, and then to isolate so we won't get hurt by other people.  The idea that people might be judging me and my family or their behavior etc is enough to keep me tucked away in the safety of what is comfortable here at home.

But these women also reminded me that we have this need for, a draw to, community - real community...and sometimes we just have to get out and go, even if everything isn't perfect. Even if we have just a bag of chips to bring to a potluck, even if our child throws a tantrum in the middle of the room. This is where we are right now in life and we need to be ok with it.

And what has really been playing around in my mind is that when I am so focused on me and how I am feeling or perceiving things I start to believe that lie that I can't trust anyone but myself....and I stop giving others the chance to be real with me.

God created us for community with one another.  Each one of us has special talents and gifts, unique abilities. Some of us can balance many small children with patience and grace (let's be clear....this isn't my strong suit), some of us can cook or have the gift of hospitality, some of us organize well and have creative talents.

Each one of us is different and has something special to share in community.  When we lived in SD we attended a great church with some amazing members. People that met us initially at really a low point in our marriage...people that encouraged us and supported us and showed us that we don't have to be wrapped in a pretty little package to be accepted and loved. They wanted us to be members, wanted us to be involved - defects and all.

Since moving here I have been a little reluctant to open up and trust that we will find that same acceptance here. But we love it here....feel like God led us to Marshall and to the church in Cottonwood and I am beginning to see that if I want that community that we had in SD - I have to be willing to step out and take a chance on people here as well.

And so that is what I am trying to do and while I am not quite ready to go jumping full into the waters of community just yet....I am dipping my toes in at the edge...and looking forward to what may come. It has to start somewhere right?!

Why I skipped the church picnic....

Today at church our pastor talked about some of the freedoms found through Christ. He shared that so many of us are in bondage to one thing or another but with Christ we can have freedom from those things. Freedom from the bondage of sin, Freedom from our past scars, Freedom from darkness, Freedom from the performance trap and Freedom from temptations...just to name a few.

Towards the end of the sermon he asked us to write something that we want freedom from on this paper and then during Communion we brought those papers to this bowl at the alter and he and some of the Elders would be praying over them in the days to come.

I wrote a couple of things, self-centeredness and this tendency that I have to always be comparing myself to others and feeling like I don't measure up.

They also announced at the service that we would be having a picnic today at a park outside of Marshall to celebrate the church's long history and that some bonds they had for the church building had been paid off earlier than expected.  It was supposed to start at 4pm. All good right?  The kids were excited and I even went out after church and bought the groceries to make this grape salad and some cupcakes.

But somewhere in between making the food and 4pm I had talked myself out of going all together. It started with us not really being ready to go on time and me realizing that we would be late. I HATE being late. I mean HATE it. I'd rather not go somewhere than be late. I know that sounds crazy and as I type it I can't understand it myself.....but I have always been that way.

Then of course it was "too hot"...and who wants to be outside when it is too hot. (Somewhere in that reasoning I had "forgotten" that I had spent time outside a few hours earlier reading in that very same heat)

No, the lateness and the heat weren't really the reason. The reason, if I am able to be honest even for a moment, is that you all scare me.

Come again?

Seriously, all of you families that have the perfect dish to pass, and the most well behaved children who never throw a fit and eat everything on their plates without argument, who are always on time and of course have mastered the art of comfortable small talk with people you only casually know.

You see I am none of these things. And compared to all of you I feel like I fall miserably short. And while I don't like that I compare myself to you...the truth is I do it.

ALL.THE.TIME.

I know that this is an area of bondage to sin in my life. That staying home and not allowing myself to step beyond my comfort zone and dive into community keeps me stagnant and alone.  That isn't what I want for myself. It isn't the example that I want to set for my kids.

And the sermon was so on point for me, especially today. And although I can write it down on paper...or in a blog post. Taking the next step and moving forward towards freedom in that area is something that I can't do alone.  

I know that this is an area that I will have to be in prayer about. And I am sure that the only way to step out in faith is to do that very thing that makes me most uncomfortable.  So while I did skip the picnic this time....hopefully with God's help and a little grace from all of you perfect people out there :), one of these days I will not only attend, but WANT to be there as well.

How about you....have you ever been held down by the burden of comparison? Afraid of real community? What did you do to move forward towards freedom?? I'd love to hear how God has worked in your life!!

Where we find her....

 This is where we find our little miss most days....

 She continues to climb and loves to be on the top of the table. In fact we went to a friend's house for dinner and joked that she would do it there and sure enough at one point she was climbing on top of their table.

 This particular night we had gotten out some spinach dip and crackers and she decided that she needed some also....on her terms. Oh and once we realized she was joining in we just got her a dish of her very own because she has NO concept of the taboo of double dipping.

 On this night Gabriel had left a bit of his applesauce in a bowl at his spot at the table and Karlena decided that she needed to try some of that too.

 I can't get over that smile....she was so proud of herself!

 Digging in and enjoying it!

Look Mom - all gone!

The past 2 weeks have been a blur and I would love to blog about several things....but I just don't have the time. So because I can handle this kind of post in about 5 minutes it will have to do for now! Happy Sunday afternoon everyone!