Week Three!!!

Aloha from Maui!! 

Doesn't that sound so exotic?? Like I am on a continual vacation?? I AM!! All I do is go to the beach and sip drinks with little umbrellas in them! I thought I would let you all see some pictures of our REAL life!

Here is our neighborhood. We can just swim on over to borrow a cup of sugar. It's so convenient!

Time for dinner! We are all about Ohana - which means family - so we invite people over every night for luau after luau. Let the kids spill! The tropical fish will get the crumbs!!

Oh, look! The girls are coming home from school! They have fully embraced the Hawaiian lifestyle and never want to go to the mainland or a real mall ever again!

Time for worship team practice!! I'm the one with the long brown hair. We hula to every song but that comes very naturally to me. I'm a dancer in my soul!

It's staff meeting time! We wear our native dress and greet each staff member that comes with a traditional ALOHA greeting! It helps with morale!

Here are Brian and I on our way to church. I still can't believe he has to wear a suit, but we try to enjoy our Hawaiian life anyway!

I almost forgot Jake!! He is loving the water! Can't keep him from the beach! Why play Minecraft when there is surfing to do!!!

It's only been three weeks since I've started Weight Watchers and I think I look pretty good! I feel great! Don't I look happy?? I know you will all want to move here and live our Hawaiian lifestyle! Who would blame you?? But I think it is sacrifice that very few are called to. You must be sure you are ready for non-stop relaxation!

I'm sure you may have guessed that the above stories are about as true as my love for cats, as displayed below.

The only true part is that it is week three!! I had a great week! I exercised three times! That is MIRACULOUS!!! I lost 2.2lbs and have had some great prayer times. It is that early morning prayer that is still the hardest for me. Especially when we have had such a busy week and I've been getting to sleep so late. But God will sustain me and give me strength if I spend time in His presence. Pray with me that I will continue to make that a priority. Love to you all!!

Week 2!

What a great week! Not Weight Watchers great. Or Exercise great. But it was Brian's birthday week!!

His cake looks like it is on fire! I guess technically it was since there were candles on it, but there weren't that many on there! I could only find so many in the junk drawer because I'm always super prepared! Oh, wait..... ;) Being only my second week on WW, I may or may not have tracked very carefully during what Jake has entitled, "STEAK WEEK." I was up .3lbs. Not too bad for this week! And I was inspired enough this morning to actually TAKE A WALK! When I got out of the car after dropping off the fam at school/work, it was kind of cloudy and breezy so my "IT'S TOO HOT" excuse was not going to fly. I ran inside and put on my tennis shoes and by the time I was back outside, it was sunny and hot. Whaaaaaat??? But I persevered! Of course, now it's cloudy and breezy again, but whatever.

I had some great prayer times this week and am feeling myself SLOWLY start to turn my frown upside down. God is so faithful to us, isn't He? This whole accountability thing may actually work. Go figure. When I remember that I will be checking in here every week, I make better choices. Well, most of the time. ;) Let's go week three!!!

Change is HARD!

Well, week one is done! WooHoo! I haven't completely changed my life yet - but I am moving in the right direction. I tracked on Weight Watchers all week. ALL WEEK, PEOPLE!! That hasn't happened in a while. That means I ate more salad this week than I probably have in the last few months combined! I forgot how much I love spinach salad. A few dried cranberries, a little bacon. YUM. So I lost 3lbs this week. It seems small, but I know I have to keep plugging along and all of those 3's and 2's and 1's will add up to a healthier me. I also am so thankful I can eat candy as long as I track it!!

My devotions went pretty well. Not perfect, but I have high expectations. Not that you should all think me a heathen who doesn't read the Word or pray. I just want a more serious prayer time. That is what I think has been missing. That refreshing that comes from spending time in His presence. I find it difficult at 5am, but the Lord has been waking me up at 4:45, so I am attempting to listen to Him instead of rolling over and going back to sleep. Easier said than done.

Ah, exercise. How I don't love you. I didn't exercise this week. I only accomplished 2 of my 3 prongs in my 3 pronged plan. That's only a 66% and you all know I am not a D student. But I gave myself a break this first week. And maybe the second week. We will see. I would love any input on what gets you all motivated to go exercise because the motivation has NOT hit me yet.

Anyhoo - here's to week two! Let's go!!!

I LOVE CHANGE!! Wait - no I don't.

I am an all-or-nothing kind of gal which tends to mean I like to start 20 things to improve myself all at once and then fizzle out in about a week. I need to lose weight and get in shape, so I will be exercising two hours a day six days a week and only eating chicken breast and water until I weigh the same as I did in High School. Doesn't that sound like a GREAT plan?? I need to buy all new work-out clothes because THEN I will work out everyday for two hours! (Brian won't be falling for that one again anytime soon!) I should do an indepth study of the whole Old Testament and maybe get ordained at the same time and get my Master's too!! You get the picture. I remember going to my friend, Marcy, once with probably 17 things I wanted to start because I was INSPIRED!! She wisely said, "Maybe you should just tackle one thing at a time." Whaaatttt??? Who does that???? Oh - people who actually change.

I really don't want to take that advise. I want to start everything now and with unrealistic expectations!! But I can hear a voice in my head saying, "How has that worked out for you in the past??" Shut-up smart voice in my head. I am laying out a plan for change. Small steps to get me where I feel God wants me to be. Nothing drastic. (where's the fun in that?) But with God's help, and yours, I will succeed!! I am going to document my journey for all of you to see even though that means revealing ugly truth that I would rather hide, but I LOVE CHANGE!! Wait - no I don't. But I need change, and God has spoken very clearly to me about what needs to change, so here we go.

1. I have to get up early and have a devotional time. This cannot be accomplished when I stay in my bed and it's dark. That is "praying" with parentheses. Not actual praying. Here are my excuses so you can feel free to help me counteract them.
     a. Lately, Jake falls asleep in our room and I don't want to wake him up with the light.
     b. It's really dark and I want to continue sleeping.
     c. I can do it later.
Wow - those are lame. Like Nike always says - JUST DO IT!

2. I need to go back on Weight Watchers. Here are my excuses.
     a. I can't eat anything I want, in any portion I want, at any time I want.
     b. It's not as easy as eating anything I want, in any portion I want, at any time I want.
     c. I have to buy more fruits and veggies and they are EXPENSIVE!
     d. I can't go to McDonald's and hang out with my nemesis, French Fries, as often.
     e. I don't have my friend, Tammy, to go to the meetings with me. :(
Well, only letter "c" is a valid excuse, and the money I save not going to McDonald's should make up for the difference!

3. I need to exercise. Get ready, because my excuses are plentiful for this one!
     a. I can't do it before work unless I get up at 4 something and that just ain't happening!
     b. It's so hot in the afternoon when I have time to do it.
     c. I get all sweaty and have to take a shower and do my hair again and it's HOT!
     d. I'm super out of shape and it will take forever to get back into shape.
     e. My ear buds hurt my ear when I listen to music. (I'm reaching now)
     f. I would rather sit on the couch in my small window of free time.
I just can't wait to hear what you all have to say about those excuses!

So there it is! My three pronged plan. How I will do it, I don't know yet. I think accountability is good and checking in here with all of you will help me. I thought of starting Weight Watchers today since it is the first of the month, but then Brian brought home bags of candy from the Halloween adventure at the church. Stupid Halloween. Who made up that holiday anyway??? I digress. Today I will have my devotional time since I don't have to work and I have time! Yay! One thing done! Tomorrow I will begin tracking! Yay! Exercise??? We will see. Baby steps, people - baby steps!!