Some Things

Just some random things I want to share.

Found this site in the Costco magazine and have been drooling over it ever since. As soon as I can pick which items I want added to my chocolate I plan on ordering one and giving them a try. You pick what type of chocolate.. dark, milk or white and then pick from things like different nuts.. or fruits.. or candies or hey.. even things like bacon bits. You can make it pretty.. weird.. or just about anything.... Chocomize .... Would love to hear what you would pick for your chocolate bar.

I spent some time this last weekend working on some new items for my shop... I love making them and they seem to be a hit :) Rustic Garden Stakes. Finding stakes is a fun thing to do with my kids on our walks... and then I just carve a bit of a point on one end and a flat space on the other... wood burn the word onto the stick then spray with a lacquer... add some beads and they are ready to go :) * check out my shop here *

Talked to my lawyers office today about my shoulder... it is all so frustrating... shoulder is still hurting and keeping me from doing most things I want to do... need to find out what I should do now... it is better than it was before the surgery and the physical therapy .. but not getting any better... just sort of at a standstill.. and now with spring here and gardening happening... it hurting more and more... because I am wanting to use it... it is hard... when I am walking I still have to hold it by my side.. if I get to swinging it too much then the next day I can hardly move it... learned that shoveling is out of the question all together.. and waxing the car... no way... I feel like a lazy bum most the time. Hard to remember that the day we had the accident we were on the way to gym... where we played racket-ball at least 3 times a week... I can not even imagine playing that now. Thing is... there are a lot of things I can do... one if I am very careful.. two.. if I plan on hurting... not sleeping that night.. or doing anything the next day. I am starting to be afraid that this is how it will end up being...no way is that going to be ok.

Speaking of the accident... the jeep we were in when we were hit has been all fixed up and it is back on the road. It needed both front end and back end work since we were hit in the back so hard that it slammed us into the car in front of us. We were one week over having it back on the street 2 years after the accident. It took us awhile to collect the parts needed. Everything still worked.. the hood and tailgate.. still opened and closed.. they were just dinged up.. and both bumpers were smashed up... the only thing we had to get brand new was the radiator. I can not believe it was totaled.. but I guess with all the little parts and stuff and how much things cost that it just added up ... if we had replaced everything with brand new parts it might not have been worth it... being able to take some time and collect them off craigslist was awesome. Now it has tabs and is insured and we have driven it and there are no problems. I am still a bit nervous being in it... hard when my shoulder still hurts.. but I know if it had not been for the jeep being such a good car.. it would have been worse. I will get more comfortable.. I do love this jeep. I love the commander too.. but there is just something about this one that is nice. I think it was the fact that I went from years of crappy cars and mini vans.. to a grown up car... it has a special place in my heart :) *yeah I know it is a car* lol

Weekend Road Trip

The last few weekends we have been going on mountain road trips... 3 weeks ago we headed up highway 20, as far as it would let us go... and we took two of the kids with us.. That is my favorite mountain trip... you follow the river all the way up... just beautiful. They say it is one of the best places to see bald eagles in our area... but I saw fewer on that trip than in the local neighborhood We checked out a couple of parks/camp grounds.. and had a great dinner at a cafe... it was a lot of fun but we did not find any snow to play in. We did do some fun small hikes in the trees.

The next weekend we headed up to Mt Baker... this time just Dave and I... it was another beautiful sunny day...could not resist.... it was also opening day for the Olympics which are happening just on the other side of the border... so there were a LOT of border cops on this trip. We had to go all the way to the top of the mountain to get any snow and even then there was not much. We were able to explore some of the service roads off the main road... Can't wait to get the Cherokee fixed up so we can do some more exploring.. I get very nervous when we take the Commander off the main road... I hate it when it gets dirty :)

This weekend we took Dave's mom to her doctors appointment in Bellingham so on the way back we took the back roads... down Chuckanut drive and then through the flats to LaConner.... so pretty... saw some bald eagles... and lots of snow geese and even a coyote in a field.. not the same field with the snow geese, he was just hanging out by himself.
We also saw so many signs of spring.. the flowers blooming... it was really a nice day. We then spent the afternoon and all day Saturday working on the jeep and around the house.. did some spring cleaning... got the lawn moved... the cars all washed... the jeep is up and running good with only the bumpers and a water bottle waiting to be put on... (waiting on ups) so on Sunday we decided to get up and take off for another mountain run... this time we went up highway 2 across Stevens pass... then had lunch in Wenatchee.. we were looking for a hamburger joint.. but found a skippers fish and chips.. like the only one left in the whole state I think..... woohooo. We then headed over Blewitt pass... to Cle Elum.. stopped for a great milkshake... and came over on 90 over Snoqualmie pass. So now after hitting 5 mountain/passes in 3 weeks... I can tell you... there is NOT enough snow on them... this summer is going to be messed up... I expect our power bills to go way up.. and lots of water shortage... I expect to see more wild fires too :( I love the beautiful weather we have been having.. but... not looking forward to a dry summer.

One of the coolest things we saw on the trip this last weekend.. were some kayakers in the river... we had just pulled over to stretch our legs and check the river out and saw this.

And this is what they did :)

Terrifying Teens

I have been looking around and noticing that there are a LOT of sites/groups/clubs for people with toddlers... lots of support on how to get through the terrible twos... I have also noticed.. there is no where near as much help/support for parents of teenagers. I have 5 teenagers...they all used to be toddlers.. and let me tell you... terrible twos are nothing compared to the terrifying teens. I thought I would start writing a bit on my blog about some of the wonderful *cough* things about teenagers. Going to start writing once a week on it and hopefully there can be some discussion in the comments.. support and ideas and comments... I KNOW there are a lot of people out there with teenagers. I have also talked to my daughter and asked if she would be willing to post once in awhile with her thoughts and/or ideas on things.. I am just going to throw this up once a week for awhile and see where it goes.. will base it on the comments I get and if anyone is interested in any of this.

Why I think I will be good at this... I have 5 kids... 4 boys aged 20...19...18... and step son is 15... and my daughter is 16. I think we have covered just about every subject in this house. We have dealt with girlfriends.. boyfriends... sex.. drinking.. drugs... driving... death....sexual molesting... physical abuse... verbal abuse... split families... step moms.. step dads.. half siblings and step siblings...grand parents... extended family....health issues... grades... failing... living with us and not living with us.....we are now dealing with the military too.. pretty much I think we have covered every subject out there...there are a couple we have not had to deal with... does not mean at some point and time we will not.. that is the biggest thing about teenagers... at least for me.. you never know what is around the corner... toddlers will wear you out physically... lots of chasing.. keeping you up at night.. but a teenager.. will break your heart in ways you never dreamed it could be broken.... Seems like even at the times you are the most proud.. your heart will be breaking. Going to do some writing about those type of things.. would love your input. Please leave a comment! I really want to know what you think about this idea... will you get in on the comments and can we get a discussion started?

Michelle

Wednesday Weight loss

Well this is a big step... but Dave and I have decided that this is the year we knock off the excuses and we get in shape... We started it last year.. and we were doing really good... but... one day we could not work out because of whatever reason and it led to another day and pretty soon we were not walking every day and we were back to eating too much crap.. eating out, desserts, and soda are the big problems for us... so we are going to limit our eating out to once a week... and no more sodas.. and no more desserts... we will do some jello's and applesauce and things like that.. but no more cakes... or ice cream.... our two favorites. I am bringing my calories down to about 1500 a day... which if I am not really careful I can eat that in one small meal.... I have found that being sure to eat a small bowl of breakfast in the morning does help.. then I have my 100 calorie snacks on a schedule.. so I know they are coming and instead of being starving I can think about the fact that I AM going to get something soon.. getting one between each meal works out nice for me....I am also going to be posting here every Wednesday..... it will be an update on how it is going and my weight... nervous about writing my weight down.. but it will truly hold me accountable... Knowing that I will be posting my weight here and that others will see if I have lost or not.. makes me want to stay on track.. lol I know no one really cares.... but that is ok.... still makes me want to stay on track. I have been getting a lot of support from my friends on twitter too *thanks everyone* and there is a group of people all working on losing weight.. they are part of the #tweightloss @miacupcake got it all started... she was right on it tonight when I was whining about having A piece of almond roca instead of cheese cake.. great support... nice to know there is someone out there giving you a kick in the butt or a shoulder to cry on type of thing when you need it. *thanks Mia*

My goal.... is to lose about 60 lbs
get in good physical shape
be able to go for long hikes in the woods
wearing my chaps and coat comfortably enough for long bike trips
play racket ball
go swimming

my plan.....Walk everyday
eat less overall and more healthy
no soda
drink Lots of water
tone and strengthen muscles with weights and resistance tubing

weight.....current 262

Holding off Tomorrow

It is Sunday night.. moments before midnight... my eyes are so heavy that most of this will be typed with them shut. I wondered to myself what I was doing being awake and why I was playing some game on facebook when I could not even see the different colors. Well.. I believe I am trying to hold off tomorrow. I have had a wonderful long weekend.. lots of time at home... lots of time with Dave and the kids. We took down all the Christmas stuff and put most of it away.. Dave and I spent a bunch of time just being together... we went shopping.. bought a new treadmill, some new clothes, some grocery's, some other toys and we went out to dinner and spent some time having some serious heart to heart talks and then spent some time joking around and just being silly with some friends. It has just been a nice relaxing weekend were I felt growth in our relationship and friendship. Tonight we sit and work on our computers.. getting ready for the new week. We have some changes planned.. in our diets.... our exercise.. our schedules... this next year is going to be more focused on having some fun and getting healthy... I am really looking forward to the changes.. not that they will all be easy.. but we will do them together and become even stronger and closer. I think I was fighting going to be bed and waking up to tomorrow because I was trying to hold on to the time I had this weekend instead of enjoying it and reaching for the times to come tomorrow that will be wonderful. Off to bed I go now.. so I can wake up tomorrow and start some more wonderful moments.