Manic Monday

Well Happy Tuesday!

 

Okay, so it wasn't horribly crazy or anything, just BUSY.

 

And Monday that we work when most everyone else is off (government/federal holidays) are busy for us. But we like it!!!! And our patients like it cause they don't have to take the day off.

 

There's no Good Morning picture from Monday cause the girls were out of school, still at Sardis, & probably still asleep.

But I started my day at the gym......

 

.....& did this:

 

 

Which means I ran 4.67 miles in that time.

 

 

I also did 75 sit-ups with a 10 lb. plate:

 

At lunch during this Manic Monday, Cathy & I hit the gym.....

 

....I rode 8.3 miles in 42 minutes.

 

 

After our full day at work, I finally got to see my little cuties again!!!! We rushed from the office to the house cause all the dance shoes got left; & then took Jamie to dance. Kayla & I went & gassed up my SUV cause she said she didn't want to just sit there. After Jamie's dance class, we rushed to McDonald's to quickly eat dinner:

 

While we were there, each of the girls saw one of the boys from their school & everyone was excited to see each other!!!! Then Jamie & I took Kayla to dance & headed to Kroger for our weekly shopping. She loves driving the car cart:

 

On our way home from dance classes, Kayla started complaining of a bad headache. Usually when she says that, you've got to get her to the trash can fast as her tummy is going to be upset....this time was no different. I am very thankful we made it to the house before she actually got sick!!!! It made me so sad:

 

She had absolutely no fever & only got sick the one time.....so we are chalking it up to eating too quickly, food not settling, dancing around, & getting too warm.

 

Was your Monday manic, or relaxing with the day off???? 

 

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Have a Sunshiny Day,
~Tasha Sunshine
>

Weekend Wrap-Up

Happy Monday to you!!!!

Here's your Good Morning Friday picture:

Kayla was SOOOO excited for a few reasons: to be dressed like a cowgirl (with her shirt, belt, & boots), getting to go to the library at school, & taking Clifford for Show and Tell.

If you recall from my blog posted on Friday, I saw every hour from the time I got up Thursday morning to workout until midnight. Well, it continued that way into Friday morning. See, hubs went duck hunting with a friend, but left Thursday night so he didn't have to get up crazy early to drive. And no matter how much he has gone hunting or been away for BBQ contest, I just do NOT sleep well if he's not in the house. So I didn't sleep a solid hour.....getting up Friday morning tired before I did a thing.

Given that my normal morning routine was out of whack with no sleep & hubs not being there, Kayla & I did our Friday Morning Mother Daughter Breakfast as a Muffins with Mom during our devotional time. I made blueberry muffins cause that's Kayla's favorite muffin flavor.

For our devotional, we read about David & Goliath & talked about how no matter how big we think our problems are, God is bigger....to not be afraid cause God is with us....that our battles/struggles are not our battles cause they're God's battles (as long as we give then to Him) & He always wins His battles. We also took time to read Jesus Calling for Kids.....which reminded us not to worry about anything, to always pray, & give thanks for everything (good & bad). I just love learning more from God with her!

Friday at work was easy since the boss man wasn't there. Cathy & I took a long lunch cause I NEEDED some new scrubs. All of mine could be described as falling off of me or swallowing me whole. I was REALLY excited about it & almost cried tears of joy cause I dropped not one, but two sizes in scrubs. Now I know those things are cut big, but still, it was exciting!!!!!

Getting new scrubs also meant lunch at Panera Bread. Well, we could have gotten lunch anywhere, but picked Panera cause it's right next door, yummy, & we rarely go there (like only when we're buying new scrubs). 

That was YUMMY!!!!! It was the Pick 2: 1/2 Roastes Turkey & Avacado BLT with a cup of Broccoli Cheddar Soup. Cathy & I also split a Cinnamon Roll cause I has a free birthday pastry that would be expiring.

We have a Lake House (our old trailer on an acre of land) with my MIL & FIL (aka: Gree & Poppie) down at Sardis & we've got pine trees that are starting to look a little iffy as to if they are going to stand up to any high winds. So we've decided to cut them all down. So when Kayla got out of school, Gree took the girls on down. Poppie headed down once he got off. And after hubs got home from the duck hunt, had a nap, & I got off work, we headed down too. The girls always have a blast down there & it is LOTS of relaxing for the rest of us. We let the girls stay up late & given that I had not slept a solid hour since 4am Thursday morning, I started getting delirious & giggly.

But thankfully a good night full of sleep came & the girls didn't get up till about 7:30. After the rest of us got up, we headed down to the Lodge for breakfast.  These 2 love going down to Sardis & LOVE getting to go to the Lodge!!!! 

Apparently 1 night of sleep was not enough for me cause I dozed & napped for about 3 hours on Saturday....I told you it was nice & relaxing down there.

Meanwhile, the girls planned & had their nap. Then Gree & Poppie got ready & headed to meet some of their friends from their school days for dinner. Hubs, the girls, & I headed to one of our FAV restaraunts down there: Como Steakhouse.

Kayla with her Daddy

Me with Jamie

The girls decided they wanted to do silly face pictures too:

And Kayla even got Daddy to do one with her:

Thankfully I was saved by the food....Jamie didn't ask me to do one with her.

Speaking of food, it was DELICIOUS as usual!!!!

When we got back to the Lake House, it was about time for the girls to go to bed. Once they were down, Hubs & I enjoyed a movie: Ocean's Twelve. I need to watch it again though case there's some stuff I missed. Once Gree & Poppie got back, we headed home. The girls were staying cause everyone is off work & out of school on Monday, but we open our office (it's one of our busiest days of the year). So they will be enjoying some of Monday at the Lake House till they have to come home to get ready for Dance.

 

Sunday morning, we got up & got to spend some good, quality time with our Church family! I love those people the more & more time I spend with them. Sure you're not going to agree with everyone 100% of the time; but spending time in God's presence with them focused on God is such a wonderful thing!

 

The rest of our Sunday included relaxing, NFL Championships & the fire place being on.....not cause it was really that cold or anything, but just because it is so relaxing.

 

I decided to head back to church for Discipleship Training & Evening Service. Those were great & I learned so much!!!!! And when I got home, this was waiting on me:

 

Yep, I'm spoiled!!!!

 

So how was your weekend????

It Happened Thursday

Oh SOOOO glad it's Friday.....started unusually with out of whack routine, but you'll hear about that on the Weekend Wrap-Up next week (here's to me being able to get it done).

Here's your Good Morning Thursday Picture:

But before Little Miss Happy Happy Happy got up, I hit the gym for stretching....

.....69 sit-ups with 10 lb. plate.....

....& weights. Then I got up that lovely little girl. We were almost late cause that little sweetie likes to do things at a slow pace. I hate to get her up any earlier! I'm thankful there were no arguments, but I still don't like her being that close to being late. Nothing out of the ordinary happened at work. We helped people see & no one got upset with us!!! At lunch Cathy & I hit the gym for a short ride......

....& then we had Mexican; where I practiced strict portion controls.

After work I picked us up a pizza (which I only at one slice of)....all meat cause it's the girls' favorite. Once we got everything cleaned up, we decided to break out Kayla's Christmas present that hasn't been used yet......her Easy Bake Oven. Since it was her present & it was the first time we've used it, I let her do most everything & have Jamie the option of watching a show or watching us. She decided to watch us.

We were ALL excited to get started!!!!

Stir it up!

Watch it bake.....okay, they did not stand there the whole 16 minutes (maybe a whole minute & a half); but it was cute for a picture.

And once it was baked & cooked, I attempted to decorate it. I need some practice but I have a feeling I'll get plenty with this thing.

The girls were excited to get to eat their Red Velvet Cake.

They wanted to add the sprinkles & I was thankful for my cover up.

Then it was time to eat the cake:

After dinner we watched part of a movie for bedtime quiet time....these girls love the classics:

And then, I saw every hour on the clock until the day ended & into today.....more on that next week.

Just Keeping it Real

Good Thursday Afternoon to you!

 

Here's your Good Wednesday Morning Picture:

 

Jamie was so excited she looked like a Dalmatian (her label not mine) with her hood up since it has ears on it. Kayla was excited her class was going to Art!

My morning started with a trip to the gym & it felt GOOD! I got in stretching,

sit-ups with 10 lb. plate,

& weights.

The morning with the girls went pretty smooth; but I think I have some of the slowest eaters on the face of the earth. Work was steady but not overwhelming so it was good overall.

At lunch, my co-worker & I went to the gym to hit the cycles

Since it was Wednesday, we did our weekly pre-church dinner at a local spot called The Hut.

Have you ever had a decision in your life you were trying to make & you begged, even pleaded, & sometimes tried to bargin with God saying "If You'll just give me a Mack truck size flashing neon sign, Lord, I'll follow Your plan"??? Well, I know I have (like when I was trying to decide on wish college to go to, or about changing my major, or about making a career change). God always answers our prayers, it just may not be in the way or when we expect Him to.

And sometimes God just gives you a wake up call. Or puts something so heavy on your heart you know He's telling you what to do. 

Well, I had one of these smack me in the face wake up call moments on Tuesday night that pertains to my usual Wednesday night routine. My Wednesday night routine since last spring (or maybe before) has been to take the girls to their church activities & then I run or walk the neighborhoods (or parking lot when it is dark) or hit the treadmill at the gym. A time or two I've sat in on a Bible study so I could get the information or book & do the study solo during my personal quiet time with God. 

We'll not any more....God made me stop & think: what kind of example am I setting for my girls if I just drop them off & leave the church instead of participating in what the church has to offer for me?!?!?! I'm telling them it's okay to just drop your kids off & leave; that you get enough on Sunday mornings but your kids need to be there every time they can be. I'm telling them it's okay to put anything & everything else in front of your time with God & spending time learning about Him through His people.

WHAT?!?!?!

This is NOT what I want my girls to get from me!!!! Needless to say, God spoke & I listened. So I went to the Bible study, prayer meeting, & Bible study lead by our preacher. I'm excited about the 1st Bible study as it is based on faith, food, fitness, focus, & friends. The prayer meeting will help me have more specific prayers for the members of our church. The Bible study lead by our preacher is also interesting.

My plan was to go home & get on the treadmill; but I was just TOO tired once the girls got into be & I did my usual night prep for the next day. So I decided on Mondays & Wednesdays (the nights we have activities), I'll hit the treadmill instead of doing weights.

Speaking of my workouts.....here's your WIN & WOW Update:

 

 The Weigh-In

 

I’ve been logging into My Fitness Pal for the last 520 days in a row as of yesterday (Wednesday, Jan. 16).

 

As you can see, I’ve lost a total of 37.8 lbs.

I'm now at the maintain the weight but shape up stage.

 

 

The Workout

 

 

***Here is what the last week has looked like for me***

Wednesday Goal = Run/Walk

January 8

Stretching

Day 8 squats & push-ups challenge

Cycling 8.1 miles in 42 minutes

Running 3.53 miles in 40 minutes

Burned 713 calories

Thursday Goal = Rest from Run

January 9

Stretching

48 sit-ups with 10 lb. plate

Weights

Cycling 8.5 miles in 42 minutes

Burned 688 calories

 

 Friday Goal = Run/Walk

January 10

Stretching

54 sit-ups with 10 lb. plate

Weights

Cycling 9 miles in 44 minutes (cross-training)

Burned 705 calories

 

 Saturday Goal = Cross-Training (anything cardio other than run/walk)

January 11

Stretching

Running 3.76 miles in 45 minutes

Burned 372 calories

 

 Sunday Goal = Run/walk

January 12

Stretching

Running 3.84 miles in 45 minutes

Day 9 & 11 squats & push-ups challenge (I'm officially WAY behind on this)

10 lb. kettlebell with girls

Burned 776 calories

 

Monday Goal = Run/walk OR Cross-Training (anything cardio other than run/walk)

January 13

Stretching

58 sit-ups with 10 lb. plate

Weights

Cycling 8.4 miles in 40 minutes

 

Tuesday Goal = Cross-Training (anything cardio other than run/walk) OR Run/walk

January 14

Stretching

Walking 1.99 miles in 45 minutes

Burned 152 calories (light day due to growing pains)

Goals

I said it before & I’ll say it again (& you’ll keep seeing it): Someone once told me to keep my goals in front of me. And as bad as my memory is, it's REALLY hard for me to remember my goals if they're not in front of me.

Personal Goals:

1) Make healthier meal choices when eating out.

2) When indulging in something that's not a healthier choice, practice strict portion control!

3) Eat at least 2 fruits & 2 veggies daily.

4) Drink 72-96 oz of water daily.

 5) Workout 5 days a week.

6) Log EVERYTHING into My Fitness Pal every day.

7) Be comfortable enough with my body to wear a 2-piece for Summer 2014, even if I don't actually buy one.

8) Walk different 5Ks throughout the year.

Wish List.....so far:

March 15 Run or Dye (registered)

March 29 The Glo Run (registered)

April 5 80's Retro Run (registered)

May 10 Foam Fest (registered)

June 13 Glow in the Park

 

I'm sure this list will grow!

9) Walk/Jog Half Marathons.

Planned:

April 26 St. Jude Country Music Half Marathon in Nashville (registration transferred from Memphis Half Marathon cancelled Dec 2013)

December 6 St. Jude Half Marathon in Memphis

10) Stop weighing/measuring everyday....don't be number-driven.

11) Be less self-conscious & more confident with myself. [I think I will always be working on this]

 

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This post was a link up with

Weigh-In Wednesday

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Have a Sunshiny Day,
~Tasha Sunshine
>

Tuesday's Happenings

Well Hello There! It's Wednesday afternoon & if I get to finish the blog & publish it, that will be 3 days in a row for ya!

I have TRULY missed blogging & it feels good to get back to it.

FYI: I'm having to do this one completely from my phone cause either the website & I aren't gettin along or my laptop & I aren't getting along or a combination of both. That being said: excuse if things have different alignments in different spots.

Here's what happened on Tuesday. But 1st, your Tuesday Good Morning Picture:

So most all of my morning (especially during the week) since December 10 have included some sort of workout (weights at the gym, treadmill time, or Just Dance at home). So imagine my surprise when I felt I HAD to have the morning start with this: 

a bubble bath....ok, so it could have just been a soak with no bubbles; but that's no fun! I woke up just like I went to bed on Monday experiencing growing pains in my legs. Yes, you read that right! Not cramps, growing pains. I can accurately describe them like this cause I experienced them as a child. I'm not actually growing taller now, but I am growing muscle.

The rest of my day was pretty typical: work & come home. I did get a chance to get some stuff done around the house. I like getting a little done each night so if we are lucky enough to have someone pop in, I don't panic about the house. And I really hate doing the cleaning marathon day. It feels like a waste of a day....but that's just me.

We were able to sit down & have dinner as a family. Dinner conversations at our house consist of our blessing ("God our Father, God our Father, once again...".....you know you just sang that with me if you know it), everyone's 2 favorite & 1 least favorite part of their day, & how our day went. Last night we got to talk about Kayla's 100th day of school family project. We're excited about suck feathers.....you'll have to stay tuned for more on this one as the thoughts develop more.

I've also recently added something I'm trying hard to stick with. A few years ago I read a blog with a suggestion of what to do with te Christmas cards you get. It said to saw them in a box & each night pull out a card & pray for the family. So each night that the 4 of us are home for dinner, we do just that. Sometimes we have to explain our connection to the family to the girls; but it's REALLY fun on nights like last night when we pull out the card of a family we know well.

It was so fun last night talking about fun memories & things we LOVE about the Rockholt family. Oh how life has gotten in the way lately & we wish we could spend more time with them. Praying that opportunity opens up.

Well, I can't contain myself any more about leaving those of you out who don't follow me on other social media. I'll post my daily picture here just like I do other sights. Then on my WIN & WOW Updates each week, I'll just list what I did (sorry if I bore you). But this will also allow me to share my feelings about the workout if I have any (like I do about Tuesday's).

Tuesday was a LIGHT day of stretching & walking a slow 1.99 miles in 45 minutes at lunch time. I did this as a stretch given the pain I was having. At some point, my sweet & inspiring friend who is battling breast cancer for the 2nd time posted what's in the bottom half of that picture as her status on Facebook.

It spoke volumes to me about how I needed to take it easy since my body was hurting. And you know what, I didn't have any pains the rest of the day. I think the light walk was a good idea to stretch it out.

How was YOUR Tuesday?

Monday Monday

Happy Tuesday to you!

 

How was your Monday?

 

Mondays are a little busy for me; but I wouldn't have it ANY OTHER WAY!

 

Here's your Good Morning World Picture from Monday Morning:

Yes, there is a random crayon in the floor & yes, I have asked them to pick it up several times cause their sweet little dog is going to eat it.....but I don't pick up after them......so it still sits there. One of them will either pick it up or cry later cause it's missing cause the dog ate it......life lessons.

 

 

Mondays are busy for us cause I work, both girls have school, & both girls take dance with their classes falling on Monday night. Given their age difference, they're in separate classes.

 

 

At 5:00pm every Monday, Gree brings me the tiny dancers & we head to Oakland.

 

Jamie has her dance class 5:15 - 6:00. She does Ballet & Tap. Jamie has some friends from school there with her, friends she has met just through dance AND a new friend joined her last night.....Kayla's best friend's little sister. Jamie loves going to dance & is excited that there is going to be a big show! It's in June so this excitement will carry on for a while.

 

 

When Jamie gets out of dance, we head to a quick fast food dinner.....FYI: for all of you who pay attention to my food & workout stuff, there ARE healthy options, you just have to pick them OR have strict portion control.

 

Last night's choice was McDonald's (bad blogger & Momma, I didn't take a picture)....which has now been deemed THE BEST McDonald's by the girls all because it has a play area. It's actually the only one we go to often that has a play area. What's funny is they've never actually gone up any of the steps or done any of the slides: 1) Kayla was too scared & Jamie was too little the last time they had the chance; & 2) We do NOT have time between dance classes for them to play on it. You see I have two of the slowest eaters & we are pushing it to even get to eat dinner. But they like to sit & look at it while they eat. I told them if they would go a couple of Mondays in a row of not picking McDonald's then we would go back one evening or Saturday when we had time to play.

 

Kayla has her dance class 6:45 - 8:15. She does Ballet, Tap, & Jazz. Kayla has one friend from school with her (her best friend mentioned above) & the rest are friends she has met through dance. Kayla also loves going to dance & is also very excited that there is going to be a big show in June! She informed me last night (& reminded me this morning) that she must start practicing every night at home. I told her I couldn't wait to watch her practice!!!!

 

 

While Kayla is in her class, Jamie & I usually do our shopping. But this week felt partially more accomplishing than most. Here's what I mean: one of my friends has come to realize her gift from God is organization & she has decided to share what she knows with us that follow her on blogs. It's some stuff I've heard before, but it's more personal cause I actually know her in real life; AND she's sharing/starting with details like their weekly menu which leads to her weekly shopping trip; AND she is a full-time working mother of multiple children with a working spouse. On Sunday, I actually sat down & figured out our lunches & at-home dinners. Which lead to me actually making a detailed list......which means our trip was mostly smooth.

 

The reason it didn't feel completely accomplishing or smooth is because Jamie & I were asked to go to Walmart for a specific item. I just don't know that store layout as well so I had to do some backtracking and I couldn't find that specific item. Life goes on.

 

 

After dance, we got home, groceries dealt with, & girls to bed.

 

 

And then.....I got growing pains in my legs when I went to lay down in the bed. Yes, you read that right: growing pains....like kids get. I know to call it that cause I had them BAD as a child. Okay, not so bad that my Mom had to take me to the doctor or anything; but I do remember waking up at night with pain MORE than once.

 

 

PS.....do you know how hard it is for me not to blog about my workouts daily???? But I don't want you to be bored when I post my WIN & WOW Updates.

 

 

So how was your Monday?