Category Archives: Family

Is It Thursday???

Good evening!

Somehow I missed a day some where within this week. Not that I am complaining, but when I found out that it was already Thursday, I almost WHOOT-WHOOT’ed!! I am so thankful that Friday is tomorrow, I am really looking forward to getting one day closer to my weekend!!!

My dad had his medical procedure today for the prostate cancer he has been dealing with, and people have been coming out of the woodwork to send our family their prayers and best wished, which I am just so thankful for! I haven’t heard how he is doing yet, but his wife has assured me that she will let me know as soon as they get back to the hotel. I hope it is soon, because I am waiting on pins and needles for some good news.

The sun has done it’s best to peek out through out the day, and although it is still pretty chilly it is started to look a little like Spring around here today. There are flowers starting to bloom, and my sweetie decided that he would barbecue this evening, which I TOTALLY LOVE!!! We are having some grilled steak tonight, and a HUGE spinach salad! YUM!!! Which is perfect because I have been dealing with some anemia, and I have got to really increase my iron intake, and I hate taking iron pills – they always make me nauseous!!

Talking about needing more iron in my diet, I am going to have to do some research tonight to find out which foods are high in iron. Maybe I will post my finds tomorrow for anyone else who may need more iron in their diets. I will keep you posted! 😉

Did I tell you I have received a summons for jury duty??? I received it in the mail yesterday. I have never had jury duty before, which is pretty good seeing that I am 35. Anyone else have any jury duty stories!??

Anyway, I can see that this posting is getting a little long, so I am going to go wait for a call about my dad’s progress!! I will make sure to update you as soon as I hear anything!!!

 

Dad’s Procedure Update:
OK, I have just gotten a call from my sister, Alice, and my dad’s procedure went well. They inserted d 50 seeds into his scrotum with a needle – OUCH!!! (is that TMI???), which sounds like a lot but they could put in between 45 and100, so 50 is GREAT!! He got to hang out with his legs up in stirrups all afternoon – now he knows what our gyno visits are like. 😉 His physician said he shouldn’t have to go back again unless his blood platelets don’t go back down to zero like they are supposed to. He can’t be around kids, or pregnant women for more than 15-20 minutes at any given time for the next 4 months because he is radioactive. Talk about being a party animal!!! 😉

I am just so thankful that he is doing well, and I hope he is just able to get comfortable and get some rest!!

WE LOVE YOU, DADDY!!!! 😉

Have a FABULOUS evening!!! 😉

Note to Chunky Dunker’s Club: Make sure when choosing foods to eat, make sure to eat from every color of the rainbow. Cherries, carrots, blackberries, broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, various bell peppers, red potatoes, squash, all sorts of lettuces, etc. I think you get the idea, but the more varied the colors in your diet the more likely you are to be getting a better variety of your daily vitamins that you need to feel great!! Remember, YOU CAN DO IT!!! 😉

 

A Day of Prayer!

Good morning!

I just wanted to post a quick note this morning before I zipped off to work! Actually this posting is more like a request:

My dad is going in today, at 3 pm, to have his procedure for the prostate cancer that he has been dealing with. Would you mind praying for him today? I know that he is going to be alright, I can feel it in my bones, but I know that he could really use some prayer today – prayer for health, prayer for peace, prayer for rest, and  prayer for a quick recovery!! I really do LOVE that dad of mine, and I just could not imagine my world without him!!

This would mean so much to both me and the rest of my family!

Thank you!!!!

Have a FABULOUS day!!! 😉

Change is A-Coming!!

Good morning!

WHEW!! We have had a lot of excitement in our lives within the last 12 hours!! A lot of decisions to be made, a lot of changes. All for the good! I can’t divulge any of the specifics right now, but I can tell that my husband and I are going to be hopp’ for the next 6 months or so!!!

I am feeling a little better today, but that might be because I am pulsin’ with adrenaline this morning!!! I have my medication with me and I am heading to work. This morning, I am going to consider work a break!!! WHEW!! (Have I said that already???)

Anyway, here is your friendly reminder that the Chunky Dunker’s club meets tonight at 6pm, here! I will post a new Chunky Dunker’s article ever Wednesday evening, and you can have the opportunity to comment, and cheer each other as you each go through your journey to get fit and healthy!!! We will discuss hints, tips, and ideas on losing weight, staying motivated, and achieving your fitness goals, whether that is to lose 5 pounds, to do 10 sit-ups, or just incorporate some healthy habits into your daily life!! I hope to see you there!!!

Have a FABULOUS day!!

A Day of Visitors!

Good evening!

I am still under the weather today, but I am determined to snap out of it and get my booty to work tomorrow!

As for who all of these visitors are? Well, early this afternoon my dad and his wife Trudi stopped by for a visit, as they were headed up to Portland, and then on to Seattle. My dad has prostate cancer, and will be getting his radiation treatment up in Seattle. Not the best way to get some vacation time, that is for sure!! But, I was thankful that they stopped for a few hours so we could catch up!! I am hoping he is feeling up to stopping back by as they head home on Friday!

This evening, I am waiting for my husband, my sister, Alice, and Taylynn to get here. Alice and Taylynn will be spending the night and then they will be on their way home tomorrow morning. I hear Taylynn is very talkative, which I just love!! I think 7 year olds should be talkative, it shows inquisitiveness, and that is the perfect age to be curious about EVERYTHING!! I am pretty sure I was!!! 😉

Anyway, things should be mostly back to “normal” by tomorrow – whatever that means!!

Have a FABULOUS evening!!! 😉

Note to Chunky Dunkers: Do just one healthy action more than you did yesterday, the accumulation of days will soon ad up, and before you know it you will be feeling fitter and healthier than you have in a long time!

A Very LATE Post!

Good evening!

I have been pretty much down and out today. I don’t want to go in any details, but I just really don’t feel so good, and have slept most of my day away with a heating pad, ibuprofen, and my two girls!! Still not feeling much better! :-/

I got a surprise this evening, my sister Alice is spending the night, and I didn’t hear about it until about an hour before she got here. When she did get here she filled us on what she was doing, Jason and her are heading up to Forks, Washington tomorrow and back. They are going to help an old friend of a family get through a difficult time. So when they come back tomorrow, we are going to have a little somebody with them, and I can’t wait to meet her!!

Anyway, I am hoping that tomorrow gets a little back more to “normal”! I will be single for the day!! That can sometimes be fun!! 😉

Anyway, as I get back to spending time with my sis!!!

Have a FABULOUS evening!!! 😉

A Productive Saturday!

Good morning!

I am pining for the Farmer’s market this morning!!! Not only do I love the scenic drive to get to our local farmer’s market, but I am just sighing to browse through luscious fruits, hunt for crisp veggies, pick up some fresh flowers, and just get a start on Spring! I love Summer, but I am really missing my sunshine!!! The Farmer’s market is always a fun place to go walk around for an hour our two, listen to some Parisian music, and enjoy the all of sights and scents.

As for what I am REALLY going to do today, well I have quite a few things that I want to get done today, not to mention the regular house chores. Jason is picking up our nephew Christopher, even as we speak. Chris is going to spend the day with us, swimming, playing video games, watching some guy movies! You know, uncle-nephew bonding time!! Fortunately they are going to let join them in some of thier fun!!! Thanks guys!!! 😉

I also want to get our grocery shopping for the week done today, re-design my craft room/office, since it looks like telecommuting is going to become a bigger part of my working life, and I am hoping that I am able to finagle a nap sometime in my day today!! Oh, and getting some reading done too would be AWESOME – I haven’t taken some serious time to read in a while, and I miss it!!! 🙂

I will keep you posted of my progress, and hopefully I will have a few pics to post for you too!!!

Have a FABULOUS day!!

 

Note to Chunky Dunkers: Take a little time today to go for a walk. Just walk for as long as you comfortably can, as fast as you comfortably can. Every step you take adds up – and honey, you can do it!!

The Chunky Dunkers Club!!

Good evening!

I wonder where that phrase comes from “Hump Day”???

Anyway, I momentarily got sidetracked!! Today is the day that I get back on track with making healthy life choices!! I know, what a novel concept, but for some reason I have become the QUEEN of excuses!

  • I don’t have time
  • I am too stressed out
  • I deserve this cookie
  • I have had a bad day
  • It’s rainy
  • It’s too cold
  • I don’t wanna
  • I will start over tomorrow
  • I just conditioned my hair – really, I use this one to get out of swimming!!!

All of this procrastination will leave a girl worse off than when she initially started in the first place!!! Which is EXACTLY where I am at!!!

“If your mind believes “I can’t,” you will sabotage your own efforts. You won’t do what is required to realize your goal. But when you believe “I can,” you follow paths of behavior and thought that help ensure that the dream will be fulfilled. The psychology of dream fulfillment includes the mindsets of hope, motivation, commitment, confidence, courage, concentration, excitement and observation.”

~Jerry Lynch and Chungliang Al Huang, Thinking Body, Dancing Mind

SO…

Today officially starts the first day of the

Chunky Dunker’s Club

This is the name that my husband and two youngest sisters came up with for our new get healthy support group!!! Chunky dunkers is what we call plus-sized women who skinny dip – get it??? Well, when they suggested this name I just couldn’t stop laughing, when I realized that this is the PERFECT name for us!!! A group of people who want to have fun getting healthy, and remembering to laugh is where our success is going to lie!!! 🙂

I will post a new Chunky Dunker’s article ever Wednesday evening, and you can have the opportunity to comment, and cheer each other as you each go through your journey to get fit and healthy!!! The articles will have hints, tips, and ideas on losing weight, staying motivated, and achieving your fitness goals, whether that is to lose 5 pounds, to do 10 sit-ups, or just incorporate some healthy habits into your daily life!! This meeting every Wednesday will be win-win for me and for you, so let’s get started!!!

So, I call to order the first weekly meeting of the Chunky Dunker’s Club!!

Are we all present and accounted for??? I am sure we are!

Tonight, I thought I would share my health coach’s 10 Tips for Speeding Up Your Metabolism with you this evening! I found that there are a lot of things that we know, but may not be doing, and a couple of things that might be new that might be fun for you to incorporate into your day!!

10 Tips For Speeding Up Your Metabolism

Weight management is a balancing act between taking in calories and burning them up. New research suggests that the way your body burns energy may be at least as important as how much you eat. Try these tips for keeping your body’s idle speed high.

1. QUIT STARVING YOURSELF

When you deprive yourself of food, your body reacts protectively against an ancient threat: famine. Your resting metabolic rate — the calories you burn just to keep your body going — drops to a lower level to conserve energy. Your body works harder to preserve the food it gets by storing it as fat. That’s why people who regularly diet have higher percentages of body fat than non-dieters. Instead of counting calories, focus on cutting back on the fat and sugar in your diet.

2. GET EXERCISE

Exercise helps you lose weight in several ways. It raises your resting metabolic rate, thus offsetting the lowering effects of dieting and helping you burn more calories even when at rest. Strength training is especially important here, because it increases the amount of muscle you have. And muscle cells burn more calories than fat cells.

3. EXERCISE LONGER

After 30 minutes of low-intensity exercise — walking, bowling, gardening — your body begins to burn stored fat for energy.

4. EXERCISE LARGE MUSCLE GROUPS

Choose high-energy exercise — such as walking, bicycling, cross country skiing, swimming, step aerobics — that gives your arms and legs a good workout.

5. VARY YOUR WORKOUT

Your body gets efficient at doing the same exercise day after day and you burn fewer calories. Try alternating gym workouts with outside activities. Or change your routine every six weeks. You’ll burn more calories — and you won’t get as bored.

6. EAT A GOOD BREAKFAST

People who skip breakfast burn 5 percent fewer calories than those who eat a healthy morning meal.

7. AVOID ALCOHOL AND SMOKING

Both may inhibit the loss of abdominal fat. That’s why drinkers and smokers tend to be bigger around the waist than abstainers.

8. RESIST PMS CRAVINGS

The evidence is that women’s bodies burn more calories between ovulation and menstruation. That’s why sugary snacks look so good then. Don’t starve yourself, but if you can resist the cravings for high-energy foods, your body will burn fat stores for energy.

9. EAT LESS FAT

Your body is very efficient at turning the fat you eat into body fat. It takes a lot more energy to turn carbohydrates into fat. That’s why cutting back to less than 30 percent of your calories from fat can help you reduce your body fat more than just cutting total calories.

10. EAT THREE MEALS

Studies show that eating only one or two large meals tends to lower your resting metabolic rate. Make sure you eat three small meals and a healthy snack or two.

Come on ladies and gentleman, we can do this!!! Try implementing just one or two of these things this week, and add additional items only after you are comfortable with the changes you have made thus far. In the comments, let me know which changes you are going to implement, and I will do the same thing!!!

We will meet again next Wednesday evening!! and if you watch my blog daily, I will make sure to post some words of encouragement under my signature line just to keep us going, and to remind you that I am in this with you!! YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!

Until next week GO CHUNKY DUNKERS!!!

Have a FABULOUS evening!!

Note to Chunky Dunkers:
If you find that your path to healthy living hits a speed bump, reach out to someone who you trust for support and ask for some encouraging words – you don’t have to go it alone!!! 😉

Life Needs More Green Lights!

Good evening!!

I have had a day, but enough about me!

Tonight I thought I would do something a little different! I have this sign on my living room wall, and it says, “Life needs more green lights”. It is one of my FAVORITE pictures, but tonight, I wish this sign said, “Life needs more laughter!”

They say that laughter is the best medicine, and today my co-worker reminded me of this fact. In the middle of a rather stressful afternoon, Chris stopped and sent me something that really just made me almost fall of my chair laughing!!!

Here is that little ditty:

I was in Starbucks  recently when I suddenly realized I desperately needed to fart. The music was really, really loud, so I timed my farts with the beat of the music. After a couple of  songs, I started to feel much better. I finished my coffee, and noticed that everybody was staring  at me….

Then I suddenly realized that  I was listening to my  I-Pod.

Oh my goodness! That seemed to do it! We both busted up into a fit of laughter, and it seemed to really just lighten up our afternoons! None of the demands, or issues actually  went away, but laughing seemed to really put it all into perspective. This too shall pass.

I have always heard that laughter was the best medicine, but I decided that I wanted to look into it a little more this evening, and just see if I can find what the benefits actually are. Here are some of those that I found:

  • Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
  • Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
  • Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
  • Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

Isn’t that AMAZING??? It would be so handy to bottle up little fits of giggles in pill form, so we can take, as needed!! Life would be a funnier place, I think!!

Have a FABULOUS evening!! 😉

A Savvy Life Morning!

Good morning!!

I woke up early this morning, and straight away picked up a book that I just started reading last night. The book is called Living the Savvy Life: The Savvy Woman’s Guide to Smart Spending and Rich Living by Melissa Tosetti. So far, it is a pretty good book! I think it is going to be a short and sweet read, but it is basically a reminder of a lot of things that I already know, but haven’t taken advantage of in my life. I will have to keep you posted on how that goes!!!

I am off to work late this morning!! I think I am near hitting burnout, and if we weren’t so short-handed I might have taken a personal day today. Instead, I decided to just let myself take an easy extra half an hour and don’t let myself get too anxious!! Work is still tricky right now, and I am not sure I see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I am sure things will work out – they always do!!!

OH, and I am saving the BEST for last!! It is my girlfriend, Dawn’s Birthday!!!

WHOO! HOO!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY CRAZY, ZANY, WACKY FRIEND!!!!!

I hope you have all that your heart’s wishes come true – ESPECIALLY TODAY!!!! I love you, CHICKA!!! 😉

With that said…

Have a FABULOUS day!!!

My Dad’s Performance!!

Good evening!

As promised, I have my Dad’s singing performance from church last night!! I have gotten permission to post this here!! I hope you enjoy, I know I did!! 😉

 

I have memories of my dad singing ever since I can remember. My dad, would get together with my grandpa (his dad) and sometimes my auntie, and they would all play their various guitars, and ukuleles, and they would all sing all kinds of music – INSTANT PARTY!!! Matter of fact, music is something that always permeated our home growing up. We would sing ALL THE TIME!!! We would sing loudly, softly, on key and off, oldies, jazz, christian, country, we would sing together, sing in rounds, and we would even harmonize. We would sing anything and everything that we knew the words to. Singing was just something that seemed to be passed down genetically, to most of us that is!!! Some of our family members couldn’t carry a tune on their own, but did GREAT singing with anyone who could – which made the rest of us pretty handy!!! My dad would take us caroling at Christmas time, and make us sing performances for church services – we all just LOVED, and most of us still do, to sing!!!

Thank you, Dad! Singing and music is a gift that we all carry around with us wherever we go!!!

I love you!! (oh yeah – and don’t forget who your favorite daughter is!!! uh, hello? me!!!!!)

Have a FABULOUS evening!!! 😉