When I make commitments, I usually fall short. For some reason, I just can't follow through with my goals. I don't know if it's because I set my goals too high, or if I feel too much pressure and give up, or what. Normally when my original goal becomes difficult, I either lower my standards or give up entirely.
So, imagine my surprise when I made a goal to read the entire Book of Mormon in the month of February ~ and actually did it! I was reminded of a few things and inspired for my next goal (see below), but I am just as happy that I made a goal AND achieved it. While it's fine to shoot for the stars and hit the trees, sometimes it's nice to actually hit the mark.
Now don't get the wrong idea. I did not study the Book of Mormon in a month ~ I just read it...or listened to it. Still, that was my goal. I have been struggling with my personal scripture study and felt like this would be a good boost. Also, I wanted to honor President Hinckley's love of the Book of Mormon. He truly was a great man and prophet, inspiring me to reach for the Constant Star.
While February was a Fast and Furious Feast, I ended the month yearning for something deeper (and wanting to scratch my new itch for goal-achieving). So, I have amended my Spiritual Challenge. For the month of March, I plan to study the scriptures for at least a half hour every day. THIS WILL NOT BE EASY FOR ME. Apparently I not only have Scale Fear, but a Commitment Fear as well (and I've been married for how long??). It's okay to just do something, but to commit to do something is a whole other story.
Let's just hope this story has a happy ending.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Word Cloud
I was a little skeptical of how my Word Cloud would turn out, but Becky's looked really cool so I thought I'd give it a whirl. To my surprise, I think mine reflects My Journal pretty accurately. My favorites are, "Free Fun Girls," "One Original Peanut," and "Think Throwdown Time." I also like "Healthy Home," which makes a great motto. Overall, they seem to summarize my life right now pretty well. Whoever wrote that program could really make some money as a psychiatrist, don't ya think?
Monday, February 25, 2008
Is My Husband Lucky or What?
To me, luck is something you either have or you don't...and I don't. I used to play games and participate in raffles and all that, each time holding on less and less to the idea that I'd win, until finally, I just stopped.
Fortunately, I am married to someone who is lucky. If I'm the girl who never wins, he's the guy who always wins. Saturday was proof.
First, Brady takes the kids to a Convention Center for a Home Show his company is doing. While meandering through the rows and rows of booths, Brady notices one with a sign, "Free vacation." Never one to pass up something free, Brady stops. In order to win the vacation, you have to spin a giant wheel with all kinds of lame prizes in large triangles (like Wheel of Fortune), and the trip in 2 teeny, tiny slivers. What are the odds, right? Well, apparently not high enough because Brady won! It's a 2-night stay in some to-be-determined location, but still ~ it's better than the coupon I would have won for 10% off the As Seen on TV gadget for cleaning silver!
Not long after, Brady's trick-or-treating with the girls (that's what we call it when the girls collect candy from all the booths), when a man stops Brady. He asks Brady if he has kids and hands him this HUGE box of Black & Decker Construction Toys ~ like 100 pieces! The girls freak out 'cause it's like Christmas, but Brady says to wait until they get home to open it (he also told them I'd want to sell it on ebay or save it for someone's birthday ~ which is EXACTLY what I said).
Don't stop reading, yet ~ Brady's day gets even luckier!
We decided to go out for dinner as a family to a Sports Pub we had a coupon for (Brady's restaurant.com adventure). Just our luck, we are seated up front next to a lobster tank (probably in an attempt to keep us quiet). However, this is no ordinary lobster tank! It's like that arcade game where you use a giant claw to grab a stuffed animal and drop it down the chute, only with lobsters. The moment I realized it was a game was also the moment I knew Brady would be playing.
Early in our soon-to-be-eleven-year marriage I may have protested the use of money for such a gamble. But, time and time again I have been humbled at the ridiculous odds he overcomes to win these things. Those rare times he doesn't win, I think maybe he'll learn his lesson, but it's usually then that he wins an even BIGGER prize, and the momentum continues.
Needless to say, a very short while after arriving at the restaurant (we didn't even have our drinks yet), Shelley was petting the lobster that would soon be our appetizer for the evening. When a second lobster "moved into place," we almost had lobster for dessert, too, but I think even Brady was afraid to push his luck that far. Don't feel too bad, though. Something tells me Brady will be no stranger to that Pub (more specifically, the lobster tank).
A few years ago, Brady won one of those GIANT stuffed animals (I think it was a dolphin) from a Sea World arcade by knocking down all the stacked milk jugs with a baseball. After he did it once, he knew he could do it again...and again...and again...and again...as many times as he wanted, in fact. There was a 1-win-per-day maximum, so of course we had to make multiple trips. Once, we even "stopped in" just to win one, like picking up milk at a gas station on the way home from work.
He's also done weird things, like guess the EXACT circumference of my pregnant belly at Fred Meyer to win a Supersaucer for Kelsey. Or, win the BINGO jackpot on our cruise. Or, win almost half the raffle prizes at a golf tournament he didn't even pay to be in.
Or, my favorite, being lucky in love...he married me!
In no way am I a perfect wife ~ or even close (he'll be the first to agree, I am sure). BUT, I have come a long way in the last 11 years. I now wear makeup sometimes (hey, that's better than never), my wardrobe includes more than just baggy overalls (the bank account now suffers for that), I handle raw meat (although it's still a little gross), and I only burn an occasional meal (I can usually scrape off the black stuff before he even notices).
Now that's luck!
Fortunately, I am married to someone who is lucky. If I'm the girl who never wins, he's the guy who always wins. Saturday was proof.
First, Brady takes the kids to a Convention Center for a Home Show his company is doing. While meandering through the rows and rows of booths, Brady notices one with a sign, "Free vacation." Never one to pass up something free, Brady stops. In order to win the vacation, you have to spin a giant wheel with all kinds of lame prizes in large triangles (like Wheel of Fortune), and the trip in 2 teeny, tiny slivers. What are the odds, right? Well, apparently not high enough because Brady won! It's a 2-night stay in some to-be-determined location, but still ~ it's better than the coupon I would have won for 10% off the As Seen on TV gadget for cleaning silver!
Not long after, Brady's trick-or-treating with the girls (that's what we call it when the girls collect candy from all the booths), when a man stops Brady. He asks Brady if he has kids and hands him this HUGE box of Black & Decker Construction Toys ~ like 100 pieces! The girls freak out 'cause it's like Christmas, but Brady says to wait until they get home to open it (he also told them I'd want to sell it on ebay or save it for someone's birthday ~ which is EXACTLY what I said).
Don't stop reading, yet ~ Brady's day gets even luckier!
We decided to go out for dinner as a family to a Sports Pub we had a coupon for (Brady's restaurant.com adventure). Just our luck, we are seated up front next to a lobster tank (probably in an attempt to keep us quiet). However, this is no ordinary lobster tank! It's like that arcade game where you use a giant claw to grab a stuffed animal and drop it down the chute, only with lobsters. The moment I realized it was a game was also the moment I knew Brady would be playing.
Early in our soon-to-be-eleven-year marriage I may have protested the use of money for such a gamble. But, time and time again I have been humbled at the ridiculous odds he overcomes to win these things. Those rare times he doesn't win, I think maybe he'll learn his lesson, but it's usually then that he wins an even BIGGER prize, and the momentum continues.
Needless to say, a very short while after arriving at the restaurant (we didn't even have our drinks yet), Shelley was petting the lobster that would soon be our appetizer for the evening. When a second lobster "moved into place," we almost had lobster for dessert, too, but I think even Brady was afraid to push his luck that far. Don't feel too bad, though. Something tells me Brady will be no stranger to that Pub (more specifically, the lobster tank).
A few years ago, Brady won one of those GIANT stuffed animals (I think it was a dolphin) from a Sea World arcade by knocking down all the stacked milk jugs with a baseball. After he did it once, he knew he could do it again...and again...and again...and again...as many times as he wanted, in fact. There was a 1-win-per-day maximum, so of course we had to make multiple trips. Once, we even "stopped in" just to win one, like picking up milk at a gas station on the way home from work.
He's also done weird things, like guess the EXACT circumference of my pregnant belly at Fred Meyer to win a Supersaucer for Kelsey. Or, win the BINGO jackpot on our cruise. Or, win almost half the raffle prizes at a golf tournament he didn't even pay to be in.
Or, my favorite, being lucky in love...he married me!
In no way am I a perfect wife ~ or even close (he'll be the first to agree, I am sure). BUT, I have come a long way in the last 11 years. I now wear makeup sometimes (hey, that's better than never), my wardrobe includes more than just baggy overalls (the bank account now suffers for that), I handle raw meat (although it's still a little gross), and I only burn an occasional meal (I can usually scrape off the black stuff before he even notices).
Now that's luck!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
We Did It!
Our FIRST 5k ~ together!
Come to think of it, this was the first time in our 26 years of sisterhood we even ran together (except when we were kids and I chased her out of our room)!
Although she and I have run several 5k's individually, this was the first time we came together for one ~ and I'm sure it won't be the last (you know it's true, Caroline!). She claims she's "not a runner", but she totally rocked the run ~ especially considering she's been doing mostly elliptical workouts, with a once-a-week run on my treadmill. Oh, and she had a baby almost 10 months ago and another one 16 months before that and got married 11 months before that and moved to Florida 2 months before that. Needless to say, she's been busy!
It's true I love running, but running with someone is all the more sweet ~ and sharing that with my sister was like the cherry on top! She's my best friend...I mean, she's gotta be. Who else could know me so well and still talk to me (or at least she pretends to listen anyway).
Having said that, she's in BIG Trouble ~ with a capital T! After all the yelling and motivating and butt-lectures I gave her while running ~ she's hardly sore!! "No, I can't go faster. This IS fast for me." Yeah, yeah. You got off easy THIS time, but next time if you're not sore I'm gonna kick your booty so hard it will be!
Speaking of next time...I found a race on March 22nd that WE'RE gonna do (I'm the big sister, I say what we do). She's gonna get a PR...
...and so am I. That's right, me too. I can't talk the talk, unless I walk the walk, right (or should I say run?)?
A couple of times during my Motivational Mumbles I found myself choking back tears. She set a goal, she worked at it, and she blew her training speed out of the water! I've never really pushed myself like that, but seeing Caroline yesterday inspired me. She stepped out of her comfort zone to reach for something she wanted. I want to do that, too...
...and I'm not waiting to start tomorrow.
Although she and I have run several 5k's individually, this was the first time we came together for one ~ and I'm sure it won't be the last (you know it's true, Caroline!). She claims she's "not a runner", but she totally rocked the run ~ especially considering she's been doing mostly elliptical workouts, with a once-a-week run on my treadmill. Oh, and she had a baby almost 10 months ago and another one 16 months before that and got married 11 months before that and moved to Florida 2 months before that. Needless to say, she's been busy!
It's true I love running, but running with someone is all the more sweet ~ and sharing that with my sister was like the cherry on top! She's my best friend...I mean, she's gotta be. Who else could know me so well and still talk to me (or at least she pretends to listen anyway).
Having said that, she's in BIG Trouble ~ with a capital T! After all the yelling and motivating and butt-lectures I gave her while running ~ she's hardly sore!! "No, I can't go faster. This IS fast for me." Yeah, yeah. You got off easy THIS time, but next time if you're not sore I'm gonna kick your booty so hard it will be!
Speaking of next time...I found a race on March 22nd that WE'RE gonna do (I'm the big sister, I say what we do). She's gonna get a PR...
...and so am I. That's right, me too. I can't talk the talk, unless I walk the walk, right (or should I say run?)?
A couple of times during my Motivational Mumbles I found myself choking back tears. She set a goal, she worked at it, and she blew her training speed out of the water! I've never really pushed myself like that, but seeing Caroline yesterday inspired me. She stepped out of her comfort zone to reach for something she wanted. I want to do that, too...
...and I'm not waiting to start tomorrow.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
The Human World
...it's a mess! (Sebastian from The Little Mermaid)
Apparently, I am being welcomed into a new world I've never known. My sister-in-laws were surprised this week to see me in the Human World as I gained weight on the scale and struggled to re-gain control of my eating. What they don't know is I've been here all along, struggling with the rest of you.
Isn't it funny how we create these worlds for other people that seem to have everything, especially the things we don't?
I'm not overweight so surely I don't struggle with my weight, my body image, self-esteem, cravings, moodiness, impatience, and every other sign of The Fall. No, I float over that on my own little cloud.
One advantage to living far, far away from all your family is that you're like the Heirloom Fine China that gets taken out once a year (or less) ~ everyone talks about how lovely it is and feels special when they get to see it (okay, that may be an overstatement, but you get the point). When really, it's just another dish, with scratches and dents like the ones you use every day. People don't always recognize that, though, because they see them so little.
That's what I LOVE about this blog and My Food Journal. It will surely put to rest all the misconceptions about my life that are fabricated from being seen so rarely (this would also happen if more reunions were held in Florida ~ just a little more expensive :).
So, welcome me all you want. But, I've been here a while ladies ~ and I'm probably not going anywhere soon.
Apparently, I am being welcomed into a new world I've never known. My sister-in-laws were surprised this week to see me in the Human World as I gained weight on the scale and struggled to re-gain control of my eating. What they don't know is I've been here all along, struggling with the rest of you.
Isn't it funny how we create these worlds for other people that seem to have everything, especially the things we don't?
I'm not overweight so surely I don't struggle with my weight, my body image, self-esteem, cravings, moodiness, impatience, and every other sign of The Fall. No, I float over that on my own little cloud.
One advantage to living far, far away from all your family is that you're like the Heirloom Fine China that gets taken out once a year (or less) ~ everyone talks about how lovely it is and feels special when they get to see it (okay, that may be an overstatement, but you get the point). When really, it's just another dish, with scratches and dents like the ones you use every day. People don't always recognize that, though, because they see them so little.
That's what I LOVE about this blog and My Food Journal. It will surely put to rest all the misconceptions about my life that are fabricated from being seen so rarely (this would also happen if more reunions were held in Florida ~ just a little more expensive :).
So, welcome me all you want. But, I've been here a while ladies ~ and I'm probably not going anywhere soon.
I Feel Like Crap
I was up .4 yesterday and 2.6 today. That's 3 pounds since Monday's weigh-in...
...and I feel like crap.
...and I feel like crap.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Food Is NOT My Life
So why was it taking up so much space in My Journal?
I'm still going to be accountable for what I eat and post my recipes, but just not here. Check out my new blog @ kariannsfoodjournal.blogspot.com, or just click here.
Now, on for the best news of all ~ I found a running buddy! I was up early this morning trying to muster the strength to run outside, when what do I hear...the pitter-patter of feet outside our study window (and going at a nice clip, I might add). It was a runner!! I hopped my shoes on and was out the door in 2 seconds flat!
She's someone I've known before (a former Dog Watcher) but she's recently lost 30 pounds by running and eating well. She runs 10-12 miles most days and makes me look much less like an amazon. While she's tiny (she's 5'1" and weighs 103 lbs), she's definitely got some kick ~ and she loves to talk! She runs from 5 -7am every morning and she's practically OCD about running ~ which makes her The Best Running Partner To Have!
I also saw Post-Surgery Girl, Sherry, from last year and had to explain my MIA status. Everyone agreed my life was a bit over the top for a while, but that it was good to have me back.
With My Food Journal in it's own space, it's nice to write about my real life again. It IS good to be back.
I'm still going to be accountable for what I eat and post my recipes, but just not here. Check out my new blog @ kariannsfoodjournal.blogspot.com, or just click here.
Now, on for the best news of all ~ I found a running buddy! I was up early this morning trying to muster the strength to run outside, when what do I hear...the pitter-patter of feet outside our study window (and going at a nice clip, I might add). It was a runner!! I hopped my shoes on and was out the door in 2 seconds flat!
She's someone I've known before (a former Dog Watcher) but she's recently lost 30 pounds by running and eating well. She runs 10-12 miles most days and makes me look much less like an amazon. While she's tiny (she's 5'1" and weighs 103 lbs), she's definitely got some kick ~ and she loves to talk! She runs from 5 -7am every morning and she's practically OCD about running ~ which makes her The Best Running Partner To Have!
I also saw Post-Surgery Girl, Sherry, from last year and had to explain my MIA status. Everyone agreed my life was a bit over the top for a while, but that it was good to have me back.
With My Food Journal in it's own space, it's nice to write about my real life again. It IS good to be back.
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