Wednesday Blog FAIL

     Well, if you actually read this every day you already know that my effort to blog daily failed Wednesday.  I have a feeling this trend will continue each Wednesday until we're finished with our regular Wednesday programming.  I'm just beat by the time I get home at the end of the evening.  We have an awesome program on Wednesday nights where our kids learn to serve others through a variety of projects. They do an outstanding job.  This week one of the group surprised Sandy and I by making chocolate covered pretzels for us.  Not great for the diet, but I will admit they were some of the best chocolate covered pretzels I've ever had.  Way to go Cooking Team!
     I feel like I'm in the middle of a time where I have so many things on the "to do" list and none getting done.  Part of it has to do with our trip.  If you don't know yet, Spencer and I are traveling with my entire family to England and Scotland at the end of May for almost 2 weeks.  We are very very excited about our trip.  Trips like this don't just happen though.  There is much to get done and that's where I'm getting hung up.  We've got to go get our passports.  However before I can get mine I have to go get my name changed on the social security registry.  Yeah, never did that when I got married.  Then when that's done I can do the passport thing.  I've still got to pay my dad for our plane tickets from London, England to Glasgow, Scotland, we've got to buy our tickets from Omaha to Denver (where we'll meet the fam) and we've got to save for all the fun stuff we want to do there as well as the cost of housing and food.  It'll be so fun, it's just a little overwhelming right now.
     Another thing I have to do is file our taxes.  It's my first year filing minister's taxes and I was too nervous to do it myself.  So, I set up an appt with H&R Block for next week.  I had no idea being "clergy" would mean so many things to the tax world.  I've got to keep track of mileage, housing allowance, pay taxes four times a year, and all that, and then wager in the part of the year I worked for Kid's Club plus the housing allowance and Spencer's W2= too much work for me.  I'd rather pay Mr. Tim Tobias of H&R Block to do it for me!
     Today was fantastic.  I real lazy day which is something I don't feel like I've had for a long time.  I slept in for a long time.  I won't tell you how late it was when I got up because I'll either make you jealous or you'll make fun of me for it.  I made lunch (spaghetti= 419 cal) and caught up on Biggest Loser from Tuesday.  Then I read my book for awhile... loving that.  I had a 2 blueberry muffins for snack (240 cal) and went to the church for a little while to finish up stuff from last night.  I should probably explain that Thursdays aren't normally my day off... Fridays are.  While we wait for our new office manager to start we've all been taking turns covering on Fridays.  So tomorrow is my day to cover and I got today off instead.  I came home and was down right productive.  I put away laundry, started more laundry, did dishes, cleaned up the kitchen and dining room, and started getting the guest room ready for Preston.
     Then I made dinner, Pesto Chicken roll-ups (185 cal), sugar snap peas (40 cal), applesauce (100 cal), and brownie minis (75 cal)!  Yum!

Total calories for the day= 1059.  Maybe waking up late and not eating breakfast paid off! 

Comfy and Cozy

     It's been one of those days full of events.  Maybe the week has been like that.  Yeah, I know it's only Tuesday.  I attended a funeral this morning for an elder in our church.  He'd battled health problems several times during his life.  This time, he finally won!  It was a great service and I think Jerry would've been so honored to have heard the things people said and to have seen all that were in attendance to remember him.
     It's also the month for planning things and beginning meetings.  Since I'm in charge of all children's ministry events I'm in the middle of planning the Easter Egg Hunt, a 4th and 5th grade service weekend, preschool camp, soccer/cheer/volleyball camp, and Music and Drama Camp.  I'm gonna be all camped out!
   To add to all that's going on, Spencer and I are getting a roommate.  Preston (Spencer's college roommate) is moving in with us for a short time.  He has accepted the position of office manager @ StoneBridge and needs a place to stay.  His wife Lauren is going to remain in KC until their apt lease is up in June.  If you think of them say a pray.  I think it'd be hard to not see my husband Monday-Friday of every week for the next 4 months.
     And finally I feel like a failure of my healthy eating today.  I haven't added up my calories yet... and I'm not sure I want to.  I'm not an emotional eater, or a stress eater.  Thank Goodness!  But there are just certain times when I have the munchies.  I'm actually constantly hungry for a few days at a time sometimes.  I try to tell myself I'm not... myself never listens!
     All this just goes to say that when I got home from work today, all I wanted to do was put on my tea kettle and curl up in bed with my book and read.  I've rediscovered the library.  Turns out that you don't just have to go there to research a paper or work on a lesson.  They have enjoyable books there too!  Alright I'm being a little sarcastic, but I truly stopped reading for enjoyment when I started college and decided I was going to start reading again.  I went to the library about 2 months ago and checked out some books by my faves (Beverly Lewis and Judith Pella).  They both write Christian historic
romance-y novels.  Beverly Lewis writes a lot about the Amish people.  Her books and the history in them fascinate me.  The last Judith Pella book series I read was set in the 1800s.  Also great reads.

Alright, I better get on with my calorie count.  Breakfast- Cereal=180 cal  Lunch-Turkey on wheat, fresh fruit, pasta salad, angel food cake=318  Afternoon snack- fruit cup and rice cakes=200  Supper- Two turkey tacos w/ shredded cheddar, fresh pineapple, one brownie mini= 505  GRAND TOTAL= 1203!  Holy Moly!  I'm surprised.  My lowest calorie intake day and I felt like I'd done horribly.  Hmm.... maybe I'll have to treat myself to something... we'll see.  Can't reward good calorie counting with food now can I?

Oh the Inspirational Blog

     Small disclaimer as I begin... I had in mind what I was going to blog about before my friend Hannah commented on my previous blog.  I was just realizing today how motivational reading other people's blogs can be.  Everyone seems to have their own theme or twist to blogging.  My friend Miranda is doing something awesome by taking a picture for every day of the year.  Then she posts the picture and blogs about it.  She also comments a lot about her battle with keeping her dishes clean.  Miranda, I feel your pain.  As a result of Miranda blogging about her dishes, I've tried so hard to stay caught up on mine.  I've run the dishwasher every day and taken care of the rest by hand for 3 days.  In Miranda's honor, I've taken a picture of my clean dishes.

   My friend Stef has been blogging about her adventure with weight watchers.  I read her blog to inspire me to continue eating healthy because I know she's doing her best to eat healthier too!  Not to mention that she's doing all this while still being WAY busier than me.

     My friend Hannah is training for a triathlon.  Yeah, a triathlon!  I could run... if something were chasing me.  I could swim... if it was to save my life.  And I could ride a bicycle... if it were for a lazy Sunday afternoon outside, but compete in a triathlon?  I can't imagine.  Hannah is my workout HERO!  I continue to do my workouts... not to achieve any fantastic goals such as completing a triathlon, but simply to take better care of my body.

     I guess all I'm really saying in all of this is that you may not know who you are inspiring by simply journaling a little every day.  But, I find encouragement, sincerity, and motivation in all of the blogs I read daily.

PS:  Please don't be offended if I didn't list your blog.  I only mentioned a few.

Another PS:  My husband has lost 20 pounds already.  He's doing an amazing job!

     Now for my calorie counting today.  Breakfast was a bowl of cocoa wheats.  If you're not from Nebraska you probably don't know what Cocoa are.  They are good.  Think chocolate cream of wheat but way better.  Cocoa wheats=190 cal.  We had a staff meeting all morning @ Fox Hollow.  I had a 12 oz. non-fat caramel macciato= 190 cal.  Lunch was 4 oz chicken and 2/3 c of green beans= 140.  For an afternoon snack I had a fruit cup= 80.  Honey-Chili Chicken, corn, grape juice, and biscuits was for dinner= 621.  One brownie mini for dessert= 75 calories. DAILY TOTAL= 1296!  I love a day under 1300!  Success

Call me the Cupcake Queen

There are times when I just have this insatiable appetite for delicious baked treat.  Today that craving comes in the form of cupcakes.  I don't know what it is about cupcakes.  They are tiny, and cute, and piled high with frosting and I want to eat gobs of them.  The vast array of flavors available: key lime, red velvet with cream cheese frosting, chocolate with chocolate frosting!  Yum!  See?  Do you see why I love cupcakes?

Yet, in my oven right now I am baking six precious little 75 calorie a piece Pillsbury Brownie minis in a hope that will cure me of my cupcake need.

You'd think after all this talk about cupcakes I would likely have had a terrible calorie intake day.  Not so bad though, really.  I had a Kashi bar for breakfast= 120 cal.  For lunch I had a 4oz steak, 1/2 a potato, and 2/3 c. mixed veggies= 352 cal.

I haven't had supper yet, but I'm planning on eating a cajun turkey sandwich on wheat with Lays Baked Southwestern Ranch chips, a fruit cup, and baby carrots= 490 cal.  Plus the two little brownies I'll have to eat= 150 cal and the small bowl of cereal I had for snack= 160 cal, if I control myself I'll finish this day of rest and cupcake longing having eaten a whopping total of=1272.  That's right only 1272 calories and that included brownies!

I may not get my cupcakes today, but I'm pretty proud of how well I did.  Stay tuned for more calorie counting fun!  If you have a meal you'd like me to try fixing a "slimmed down" way, shoot me your idea.  I'll take it as a challenge!

Good night calorie counting friends!

Adventures in Healthy Eating Days 1 & 2

     So as you're all well aware it turns out that I'm a terrible blogger.  I've decided after much thought that it has to do with the fact that I'm not sure what to blog about.  Well I WASN'T sure until a stroke of genius hit me!
     Since Christmas time Spencer has been trying really hard to watch what he eats.  He's been carefully cutting down his portion sizes and began working out at the beginning of January.  He told me that he does much better with this sort of thing if I participate to encourage him.  Knowing that I have a few pounds to lose and a lot to gain by choosing healthier foods, I jumped on board!
     So that's what I've decided to blog about, my great low-cal finds, easy substitutes we've found when cooking, and our adventure in healthy eating.
     We've been doing this for 2 or 3 weeks now and I think I'm starting to get the hang of things.  Last night we were both craving a good burger.  Unfortunately for the burger, we've cut out red meat all but one time a week.  So we had to get creative.  We enjoyed a fantastic supper of Garlic Herb Turkey Burgers and oven french fries.  SO GOOD!  Calorie Count= hamburger bun (120 cal), turkey burger (160 cal), oven fries (140 cal) TOTAL: 420 calories.  I added ketchup, Spencer added mustard.  We both loved it!
     After our delicious meal we each worked out.  We've been doing the P90X program.  I'm working on the lean program and Spencer's working on the fit program.  We each work out for an hour a day 6 days a week.  Usually I'm toast by the end, but feel so good when I'm done that it's worth it.  I should probably mention I spend half the time working out mouthing off to the guy on the videos.  I hate being told what to do!  :)

     I rewarded myself for my good caloric intake and workout ethic by treating myself to a FAB new find: Pillsbury Brownie Minis.  I paid more than I should.  But here's the deal, I've got a terrible sweet tooth and living without sweets just isn't an option, so I find great ways to work them in.  These Pillsbury Brownie minis are 50 calories a brownie.  The best part is, they're good!  Overall, I'd say Friday night was a success.
    So today, (hang in there with me, I won't normally blog two days at once), we had to get up and go clean the church with our small group.  I had a bowl of cereal w/ skim milk.  For lunch I had a pesto turkey panini on wheat (super good), a tropical fruit cup, and a glass of water.  For supper we had spaghetti.  Spaghetti usually has a lot of sugar, sodium, and calories.  That's because most of us buy spaghetti sauce in a jar.  Spencer and I decided to save calories and money by making our own.  We just added a palm full of this and a palm full of that till it tasted good to us.  (Lg. can crushed tomatoes, small can tomato paste, 2 cloves garlic minced and toasted, 1/2 white onion minced and sauteed, 1 c. water, 2 T. sugar, a palmful of oregano, a palmful of garlic powder, a palmful of basil, and a sprinkle of parsley.  We let this simmer on low for 2 hours.)  Of course instead of ground hamburger we subbed in ground turkey.  Total calories for this delicious new meal? 2 (dry) ounces of linguine= 210 cal, 1/2 c. homemade sauce= 209 cal, 2/3 c. green beans cooked= 30 cal.  TOTAL= 449 calories!
   Thought you should know, I snacked on two brownie minis= 100 cal and 1 Crystal Light Popsicle= 15 cal.
     I hope you'll follow me as I blog along in my adventure of healthier eating!

Welcome to Russell!

So,  I know I've been gone for awhile, but now I'm sitting here with not  whole lot to do and thought I'd blog to the world.  Spencer and I have had the WORST luck with vehicles lately.

1st:  Wednesday night right before we headed home for Spencer's brother's wedding, he was rear-ended on his way to our church.  My car was totaled.

2nd:  The insurance company took TONS of time and we still don't have money back from them.

3rd:  We bought a new car to replace said rear-ended car.

4th:  On our way back to Omaha from Colorado, we get pulled over.  The tail-lights on the Element are out.  We are not going to be allowed to proceed any farther.  The cop tells us we can go as far as the next town where there is no 24-hour store and where we'll have to spend the night.  So here we are, in RUSSELL, KANSAS with our dog, in our hotel room.  What an exciting time right?  Ugh!

I Wish you a Merry Christmas

     For those of you that don't know, I'm one of those people that wishes Christmas was every day of every year!  I usually begin listening to Christmas music by October (though I might note that I held off this year due to the unseasonably warm weather), I wait expectantly for the Christmas commercials to come and TV and as soon as I see the Christmas M&Ms out- I buy a bag.  

    Yesterday was fantastic.  I attended my first Christmas party of 2009.  My friend Stef had an All About Christmas Party where several vendors came and sold their goods.  It was a great time and I got some yummy treats and cool crafts.


     I've already begun to decide where I'll put the Christmas trees (yes there are two) and which ornaments should go on each and what I need to buy now that we have a house.  I started stamping my very first stamped Christmas cards 2 weeks ago.  The dog ate my scrapbook tape... needless to say, production has slowed some.


     Then, to make things even more exciting, I got home and went to the Target website (which I do often) and they have Christmas stuff on the home page!


     Speaking of Target, while I was there the other day I splurged and bought The Santa Clause DVD.  I LOVE that movie!  


     It just seems to be Christmas all around and I'm so excited.  If people wouldn't make fun of me, I'd probably already have my tree up.


     So even though it's only November, MERRY CHRISTMAS!