It has been almost three months since I posted about losing weight. It was supposed to be my motivation to get my butt into gear. Maybe post about it once a month with my progress, but three months later.........
no blogs
I have been using my treadmill when I can, and strangely enough, I've actually enjoyed it (shhh, don't tell anyone!). I'm still working on my ankle issues (I got an appointment with a specialist....in September - that was the first appt. available) (and now it is my other ankle hurting too, maybe it is time for new shoes, but they cost $$) but I'm running.
At my yearly girly exam one month ago I still hadn't lost any weight. How frustrating! I was told that even though I'm only 32, age does start to take a part in how we lose weight and how/where we hold onto weight. UGH!
and there is the fact that I love food!!
So....
I've pushed a little harder. Along with the treadmill a few times a week, I've been doing those Biggest Loser DVD's. Mostly the BL Yoga and I recently got the BL Boot Camp - it is great and terrible all in one. My first few times of doing level one I was reminded of muscle groups that I had forgotten about.
I have actually lost a few pounds this past month. I'd love to have lost more (never happy, I know!), but being in the 30+ age group now I guess I'll have to be happy with a few pounds.
So, what the heck does 13 1/2 minutes have to do with losing weight?
Let me give you a little history before you laugh. I am not a runner. In my younger days (like Jr. High) I enjoyed sprinting races and I won many times in PE, even against the boys. I don't have the endurance for lengthy races. OK, I don't have the endurance for even the 1 mile race. In high school, I always passed everything on the Presidential Fitness Test, except the mile run. They only required you to run it in about 8 minutes, but I always got around 11 or 12 minutes. I'd try (probably not very hard), but could never get it done.
Fast forward 15 years (oh my goodness, has it been that long?)
When I started running on the treadmill in January I would walk/run a mile in 25 minutes. Yep! You read that right, 25 minutes. And I was winded, exhausted and sweating like you wouldn't believe. So-out-of-shape. I've pushed and pushed and pushed and finally got it down to 15 minutes - I was very excited about that accomplishment.
But tonight, I ran (and walked a little) in 13 1/2 mintues. Whoo-Hoo!! I was huffing and puffing when I got done, but recovery was quick. I did enjoy it and walked an extra mile afterwards just to keep my heartrate up.
Maybe an 8 minute mile (and some more weight loss) is in my future???
...I'm gonna go get a snack to reward myself for this accomplishment, or is that the wrong thing to do?
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
A Sad Sunday
OK, not really sad.
Only sad for a silly mommy.
Mac headed to Sunday School today for the first time.
Our church starts the 'new year' at the beginning of June. The past two weeks we have been at the beach and today was the day.
Jason thinks I'm crazy (maybe I am), but it makes me sad that this was the first Sunday I've been to Adult Sunday School in 9 1/2 years without a kid. :(
I wasn't at all disappointed that Ms. Laura had to bring him to me (crying) with 15 minutes to go.
OK, not a sad Sunday, just another step up for my kiddos.
Only sad for a silly mommy.
Mac headed to Sunday School today for the first time.
Our church starts the 'new year' at the beginning of June. The past two weeks we have been at the beach and today was the day.
Jason thinks I'm crazy (maybe I am), but it makes me sad that this was the first Sunday I've been to Adult Sunday School in 9 1/2 years without a kid. :(
I wasn't at all disappointed that Ms. Laura had to bring him to me (crying) with 15 minutes to go.
OK, not a sad Sunday, just another step up for my kiddos.
Monday, June 22, 2009
the Last Night of Vacation!
Without going to the beach with another family, we didn't get many group shots, but the last night we were going to eat at Beef O'Brady's. The boys all were all very proud to wear their beach shirts for this outing. Before going out Mommy tortured them with a family photo on the dock. We just set it up and hoped for the best. This is how happy they were as Mommy was testing the set up.
And this was the final result.
A few random shots from that time on the dock.
And the kids (it was amazing how much darker this looks, even though it was only about a 10 or 15 minute difference from the family photo)
And that is the end of our June 2009 - Week at the Beach!
And this was the final result.A few random shots from that time on the dock.
And the kids (it was amazing how much darker this looks, even though it was only about a 10 or 15 minute difference from the family photo)And that is the end of our June 2009 - Week at the Beach!
...and everything else
I will jumble together the rest of our extra curricular activities from our trip.
Of course, Jason took his X-box. He got to play some by himself, but was usually bombarded by the kids because they wanted to play also.
The house had a few toy baskets that the boys enjoyed and for some reason, they wanted me to take pictures every time they set up all the soldiers. 
The kids played "Musical Beds" all week. Each night they were in a different bed from the previous night. All except Mac. He slept on an inflatable mattress in the closet, which worked out great.
The kids enjoyed way too much cable TV, but Jason said it was ok because they don't watch a lot of TV (we only have PBS) at home.
While 'hanging out' at the house there was a lot of coloring (I was so relieved that I brought lots of paper and new markers with us). Capps, my big 
colorer, was found on the back porch many times coloring while the others kids were glued to the TV. (yes, he is standing while coloring??)
colorer, was found on the back porch many times coloring while the others kids were glued to the TV. (yes, he is standing while coloring??)We tried to venture to the big playground in The Village one morning, instead of going to the beach, but it was so hot the kids wanted to leave shortly after we got there. This is Mac is all his hot and sweaty glory (he wore these sunglasses most of the week, even holding them in his hand during naptime).
After the playground was so miserable, we took the kids over to The Fountain to cool off. It is 15 different water sprayers that shot up out of the ground at various speeds and height, constantly changing. The kids loved it and we ended up cooling off there a few different times.
The Brown tradition is to eat at The Backporch in Destin, but we decided it was a bit too expensive to try this year. Jason and I love Beef O'Brady's which is in Sandestin - they make a yummy burger! (kids eat for 99 cents on Tuesdays). 
For Father's Day, not only did Jason get to drive us home, but he also got a Beef O'Brady's T-shirt that was my idea, but the kids were so excited to be a part of sneaking off to get it and pick out which color they thought Daddy would like.
the Porch and the Dock
I think I'm a morning person. I usually can't sleep in, but Jason says he isn't sure I'm a morning person because I'm not very cheery in the morning. I'd prefer getting up early while everyone is asleep and drink my coffee and/or read in quiet or go for a run. Then, by the time others start to stir I'd be ready for their company.
The kids enjoyed eating breakfast out there most mornings.
In the evenings, if you went out to swing in the dark you could hear the frogs loud and clear. There were plenty of lizards and frogs around the house. Jason and I saw a snake one day and we were told that an alligator had recently been spotted in the lake. I don't know what frogs were making all the noise, but the ones that we actually saw were so tiny you almost missed them. Here is one next to Jason's finger just to give you an idea how small they were. 
The porch also looked out at the dock. We didn't use it that much because Mac made a valiant effort to fall in each time we went down there and it was right in the sun with no shade. The boys (mostly Daegan) bugged Jason to take them fishing. So one evening, Jason got the fishing rods that were at the house to take the boys fishing for their first time. They really couldn't believe that you didn't just catch something right away. I'm not sure it really lasted that long, but they now can say they have been fishing.
The first morning I went for a run, but I'm not a dedicated runner and even at 6:00 AM it was too hot and humid to make it enjoyable. That was the only time I went for a run, but I did go biking a few evenings.
Anyway, the porch! The screened-in back porch was one of my favorite things about the trip. It had a gorgeous view. It looks out on Crystal Lake which has a fountain spraying in the center. Each morning I would sneak out there about 6 AM and just relax on the swing until the kids started showing up one by one.
In the evenings, if you went out to swing in the dark you could hear the frogs loud and clear. There were plenty of lizards and frogs around the house. Jason and I saw a snake one day and we were told that an alligator had recently been spotted in the lake. I don't know what frogs were making all the noise, but the ones that we actually saw were so tiny you almost missed them. Here is one next to Jason's finger just to give you an idea how small they were. The porch also looked out at the dock. We didn't use it that much because Mac made a valiant effort to fall in each time we went down there and it was right in the sun with no shade. The boys (mostly Daegan) bugged Jason to take them fishing. So one evening, Jason got the fishing rods that were at the house to take the boys fishing for their first time. They really couldn't believe that you didn't just catch something right away. I'm not sure it really lasted that long, but they now can say they have been fishing.
the Pool
The house we were at was right next door to the pool. It was wonderful to be so close and we went each day (usually after dinner) and sometimes we went twice. It was a smaller pool, ranging from 3 ft to 5 ft and the water was similar to a warm bath - for our family, it was perfect!
Somehow, I don't have any pictures of Tavis at the pool. He is really too cool to wear swimmies, but was fine to hang out where he could reach. If he wanted to go deeper he would put on a life vest. Daegan was unashamed! He wore this vest and goggles everywhere - beach and pool. 
The first few times Capps hung out at the steps. Then when we finally convinced him that his swimmies would hold him up, he was going everywhere. He didn't even mind that his 'muscles' were pink.
I didn't grow up swimming. My mother is terrified of the water. I don't think we really had the opportunity to go to a pool a lot when we were young. I think we (meaning my siblings) were all self-taught, which means we probably don't have the best technique, but we can survive.
Last summer I took the kids to swim lessons. Mollee was in level 3, Tavis and Daegan in level 2 and Capps in level 1. If nothing else, it helped them learn some technique and, basically, not be afraid of the water. Mollee does fairly well. She does well to get where she wants usually going under water. 
The first few times Capps hung out at the steps. Then when we finally convinced him that his swimmies would hold him up, he was going everywhere. He didn't even mind that his 'muscles' were pink.Mac was fearless, not that this surprised us! Once he figured out how to keep his face out of the water while floating, he was a maniac. He would jump in, go to the steps and climb out and jump again. If Jason or I tried to catch him or be too close to where he was jumping he would tell us to move. He wasn't perfect so we had to be right there to help if he got sideways or inhaled too much water, but he did pretty awesome by himself.
Needless to say, by the time we left the pool each evening, Jason and I were exhausted. An hour or two of hearing, "catch me" or "watch this" or "swim with me" was tiring, but great fun!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
at the Beach!
I'll start my 'beach blogging' with the beach! Jason is not a beach person. He says that he really doesn't mind being at the beach, he just hates hauling all the gear to the beach (of course he did most of the hauling this week) and then dealing with the sand clean-up afterwards. As for me, I could go from sunrise to sunset. I love to just sit there, maybe read a book (which I couldn't do at the beach because I was trying to watch five kids at once), listen to the waves, watch the people around me (which can be very entertaining sometimes), enjoy the salty breeze (unfortunately there was no breeze this week), etc.
We've only been to the beach a couple of times with kids, so it was hard to guess who would like it and who wouldn't, but I had a pretty good idea. Here was one of the highlights of the beach, riding the golf cart to the beach (doesn't Capps look excited!). This was a perk we've never had before. It was great because we could just sweep the sand off the cart and not have it in the van.
To start off each trip to the beach, Jason, Capps and Mac were under the umbrella. Jason watching the kids/reading and Capps and Mac sitting on the
edge of a towel digging in the sand. Capps doesn't usually like to get messy, so he sat there until he got bored and then would venture out to the edge of the water (but only going ankle deep) digging holes that usually didn't last long and then back to the towel for a Capri Sun or to fill an old sprite bottle with sand and dump it out and fill it up and dump it out.... Mac was bribed to sit under the umbrella with crackers and juice (mommy was trying to avoid too much sun for my pale Scottish son) as long as he would sit. Once Mac got up he would just chase the water - running after it as the waves went back towards the ocean and squealing as it came after him again. Unfortunately, I couldn't get much of it on film because the humidity was so bad I kept getting a 'condensation error' message and it wouldn't work. UGH!
Daegan, Mollee and Tavis loved it all and were always going from one thing to another. From boogie boards to digging to building a castle to searching for shells to using the goggles to see the fish to whatever they could think of next. Daegan wore a vest, which made me much more relaxed as they went out on the boogie boards. He also was very involved in finding seashells. He spent almost an hour one day just digging up sand at the waters edge and sifting through it to find shell pieces.
Tavis loved the boogie board most of all
and Mollee (unlike brother #3) loves to get messy and was usually covered in sand from head-to-toe by the time we headed back for lunch each day.
We usually tried to get out to the beach by 9:30 or 10:00 (and it was already hard to find a spot) and then went back to the house for lunch. That was long enough, plus I didn't want to try to take lunches for everyone and have to fight the sand. We took snacks and drinks and that seemed to work for us!
We've only been to the beach a couple of times with kids, so it was hard to guess who would like it and who wouldn't, but I had a pretty good idea. Here was one of the highlights of the beach, riding the golf cart to the beach (doesn't Capps look excited!). This was a perk we've never had before. It was great because we could just sweep the sand off the cart and not have it in the van.
To start off each trip to the beach, Jason, Capps and Mac were under the umbrella. Jason watching the kids/reading and Capps and Mac sitting on the
edge of a towel digging in the sand. Capps doesn't usually like to get messy, so he sat there until he got bored and then would venture out to the edge of the water (but only going ankle deep) digging holes that usually didn't last long and then back to the towel for a Capri Sun or to fill an old sprite bottle with sand and dump it out and fill it up and dump it out.... Mac was bribed to sit under the umbrella with crackers and juice (mommy was trying to avoid too much sun for my pale Scottish son) as long as he would sit. Once Mac got up he would just chase the water - running after it as the waves went back towards the ocean and squealing as it came after him again. Unfortunately, I couldn't get much of it on film because the humidity was so bad I kept getting a 'condensation error' message and it wouldn't work. UGH!Daegan, Mollee and Tavis loved it all and were always going from one thing to another. From boogie boards to digging to building a castle to searching for shells to using the goggles to see the fish to whatever they could think of next. Daegan wore a vest, which made me much more relaxed as they went out on the boogie boards. He also was very involved in finding seashells. He spent almost an hour one day just digging up sand at the waters edge and sifting through it to find shell pieces.
Tavis loved the boogie board most of all
and Mollee (unlike brother #3) loves to get messy and was usually covered in sand from head-to-toe by the time we headed back for lunch each day.
We usually tried to get out to the beach by 9:30 or 10:00 (and it was already hard to find a spot) and then went back to the house for lunch. That was long enough, plus I didn't want to try to take lunches for everyone and have to fight the sand. We took snacks and drinks and that seemed to work for us!
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