Life in our house......

Running

Oops!  It's been awhile since I gave an update...  I think since July.  Better late than never.

Let me just say this whole running thing has it's ups and downs.  In August we were so busy there were weeks where I only jogged once and I think when we went to Silverwood and then on to Montana I didn't jog for almost 2 weeks. 

Then lately it seems like I have other things on my mind so much that it has taken a back burner for me as well.  I jogged Saturday and Monday this week, but since July I haven't upped my distance at all and I've been lucky to keep it at 2 miles.  So I usually go between 2-3 miles and about 1/2 mile of that is walking. 

But I'm not quitting and I still like doing it once I get going.  I like how my legs look leaner.  Now if something could magically make my stomach disappear I would love that.

So for the jogging I am pretty much at the same place I was in July.

BUT there is GOOD NEWS!  I've been watching my calories really well since I got back from Montana (I gained 4lbs on that trip I think) and I've lost about 11lbs.  YAY ME!

I have about 12 to go until I get to where I was at my lightest weight after doing Weight Watchers in 2005.  So I feel pretty good about that and I haven't been this weight in at least a couple of years.  I do have to say the amount of calories I consume to lose this weight is ridiculous.  It's crazy how little I have to eat to do this.  So I'm hoping to slow down the pace a little a eat a little more and hopefully be more consistent with the exercise.

I'm gonna start doing px90 with my friend Sarah next week after dropping the boys off at school.  That will be a little switch up in the routine and help me with more resistance training too.

So I feel good and am keeping it up! 

If you are doing something to lose weight or get in shape how is it going for you and what are you doing?  I love reading all my comments always and look forward to what you guys share!

This time I almost did die

Seriously

Ok not seriously, but I was so freaked out I thought I might die.

ACK!!  Can you even believe this spider??!!  Ok, I guess I have no scale but I'm telling you this spider was about 3 inches from one end of it's leg to the other.

So I was in my bathroom getting ready to meet Jace for lunch last week and I come out into the bedroom and I see this HUGE spider on the wall almost to the ceiling.   I freaked out! 

I had to quickly decide what to do.  But I couldn't leave it there because what if it crawled into my bed while I was gone?  

I had no choice but to do something.  I was so mad!  Why do these spiders know when I'm home alone!

So I got a folding chair (I've never wanted to be 6 feet tall in all my life, but I did that day)  and then got a shoe.  I must have been in pannic mode because I didn't make the choice of shoes I was going to kill this monster with very well.  I picked a ballet flat.  STUPID!

Anyway, I reached up and you know how ballet flats kinda curl up at the toe if you've worn them a few times?  Ya.... well...  I went to hit the spider and it just injured him and he came flying off the wall towards my hand!!!!

He luckily for me, crawled into the shoe and I grabbed the shoe (because I had flung it when the spider was near my hand crawling into the shoe) and ran screaming down the hallway with it. 

Not sure what I was going to do once I got downstairs with it...  But I knew for the time being I would chuck it outside.

But nope, the spider started to crawl out!!!   AGH@@$$@@&*??!  Expletive! Expletive!

I threw the shoe down on the stairs, the dog started chasing me and barking and the spider was limping away!!  So I finally got the shoe and beat the spider down! 

It took awhile for me to kill it!!  It was a toughy. 

I thought I would die my heart was beating so fast.

I think I even went to bed early that night, I was so worn out from the duel.

But again, I'm still alive and breathing.  :)

Lake Tapps

Yesterday we picked up the boys at school then headed with our friends Brad and Sarah to Lake Tapps.  Brads brother Scott and his wife Kristy have a house there.  It was supposed to be 90 degrees, so we figured we should make the most of one of the last hot days of the year.

It was so much fun!

This photo is a bridge that you can jump off of.  Actually you're not supposed to jump off of it and we kept worrying about the Po coming to get us.  But we made it.

That's me ( looking at the water wondering why I said I would jump off of it, because it always looks so much shorter when your in the boat than when you are on the bridge about to jump off)  Brad, Scott and Jason.

This is Scott and he is crazy.

Again with the crazy.  That's Brad watching.

Brad almost doing the splits going in the water....

There are photos of me jumping in but I can not bring myself to post them.  They make me want to throw up in my mouth a little.  But I did jump and once I did it I want to keep doing it!  It was so fun!

None of the kids would go.  Last time they were there Brad and Sarah's son Eli  (who is Sam's age) did it a bunch of times, but not yesterday.  Ben went up and looked over, but decided against it.

Then we went to a place where they have a huge rope swing and it may not look huge, but it is.  I didn't even consider doing it. :)  Ben did, but again decided against it. 

That's Scott again.

Brad on the rope swing.

This one might be my favorite photo of the day.  The tough guy with all the tats has to plug his nose going in the water.  :)  Just kidding Brad, it's funny...  just funny. 

I love it how everyone is watching in the background.

Jason going in with Ben watching. 

Jason wouldn't go to the high platform and jump off.  Brad kept saying "you're going to regret it, just do it" and guess what was the first thing Jason said when we got home?  "I really regret not going off the platform."   But Brad said it looks ridiculous when you are up there and super scary. :)  Next time for Jason.

Then we went to another bridge to jump off and I know this photo looks like nothing... But there is a story...

So It was just Brad, Scott and I that were going to jump off of it.  The climb up those rocks is pretty steep and slippery.

So I was going up second and Scott had just said "Jill, grab my hand" and I was just reaching for it and I barely touched it and I just fell straight backward.  (Scott said later it was just like the movie "Cliffhanger")

And apparently Brad did something to ease my fall, but the only thing I remember was thinking "Oh I'm just going to hit water, it will be fine" and the next thing I know I hit this hard and sharp pointy rock, right on my backside (kinda above my hip and to the side). 

Brad kept saying over and over that he saved my life, but I really don't recall that. :)  He said he was just waiting to look down at me and there would be a huge stick coming up through my chest, that's how bad it was.  So maybe because there was no huge stick impaling me, that's what he means by "saved my life".

Anyway, we only jumped off that bad boy one time. :)

Here are just a couple more from the evening.

My studly husband.

Don't worry, Scott's a firefighter.

We had a little bbq, then headed home with tired boys and boys who really didn't want to get up for school today.  It was worth it though.

9

Guess who turned 9 about a week ago?

Yep you guessed it.  :)

He's asking a lot of questions about college, jobs and where he will live when he grows up.  It's really funny.  He recently decided that he wanted to work where his dad works and do what his dads does.  I think he is so much like his dad.  He would be a great engineer.

School has been going great for Ben and it's a bit of a rude awakening for Sam, but he is starting to get into a groove I think. :)  Poor Sam.... Just like his mama.

I'll be back

on Monday...

Thanks for wanting me back.   :) 

Thought I'd have all the time in the world after the boys started school, but I just found out that most of the things I've been putting off,  just got bumped to the top of the list now that they are away during the day~!

I'll be ready to roll next week for sure...

Mojo?

Have you guys seen my blogging mojo?  Because I can't seem to find it. 

I will let you know as soon as I find it...

And if you find it first let me know...

There is a reward.

First Day of School!

This is so typical of my children.

Ben trying not to smile and Sam cheesin' it up. 

Hmmm... one takes after Jason and one takes after me...  Can you guess who matches who?  :)

They are in 1st and 3rd this year.  I just can't believe how big they are getting. 

I'll probably walk around aimlessly today, but tomorrow it will be a little easier and I may actually get something accomplished....  We'll see. 

Weight Watchers Veggie Soup

Have you guys ever tried it?  It is seriously good and only 62 calories for a cup...  If you do weight watchers it is actually no points.  I've been writing down my calories though, so I'm counting it as 62 calories per cup. 

But the nice thing about it is that you can make up a big batch and then eat it for a week or so at lunch time and you can add different stuff every day, so it's not like your eating the same thing over and over.  I like to add Turkey Keilbasa, Turkey or Chicken.

Here is the recipe:

WEIGHT WATCHERS ZERO POINTS GARDEN VEGETABLE SOUP

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time to table: 1 1/4 hour
Makes 9 cups

6 cups broth

Cooking spray
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
4 teaspoons garlic (from a jar or substitute four cloves minced garlic)
1/2 cabbage, chopped (or use a bag of slaw, the biggest chunks you can find vs the fine, don't skip the cabbage for it somehow makes the soup)
1/2 pound frozen green beans
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 large zucchini, diced

Bring the broth to a boil in the microwave. (This is a time-saving tip that can be skipped if there's no hurry.)

Spray a Dutch oven with cooking spray and heat on MEDIUM HIGH. Add the carrots, onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add all the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the zucchini and bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce the heat to MEDIUM and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the beans are tender. Add the zucchini and cook until the zucchini are tender. Serve and enjoy!

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Cup: 61 Cal (3% from Fat, 24% from Protein, 73% from Carb); 4 g Protein; 0 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 13 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; NetCarb10; NetCarb10; 52 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 701 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol;

I forgot to get zucchini at the store, so I added a bit of corn... probably ups my calories a bit.  But that's okay.  That is the fun thing about this soup, you can add anything to it and it's super yummy.

Starting to feel fallish around here, so it was a good day to make it.  :0)