Merry CHRISTmas

2011 CHRISTmas greetings to our family and friends!

With all my good intentions of the past years, I think I will actually get this news letter completed!  We have finished our Christmas gift giving for 160 children in our community and have one more activity tonight when we have a Christmas party for the 30+  children in our Family Bible Club!  We are very grateful for all the help of others  making it possible for   our small church group to  do more than we could ever imagine! That’s just the way God does it!  When God is in it little is much!

My extended family got together on the 17^th for Family Christmas. I should say that as many as possible were here!  We had another VERY EXCITING family event occurring. Our oldest niece—Mom’s oldest grand daughter Shannon gave birth to twins that day! We were ‘watching’ on the sidelines via text messages keeping us updated! Both little girls arrived safe and sound. Nana Mary is delighted and is retiring to help care for them! I have pictures on my face book site.

We are getting together at our home Christmas Eve for our traditional Jamaican Christmas dinner with Calypso Christmas Music and all!  We are expecting most of Richard’s extended family who still live in the area, our nephew Cameron who flew in from college in California,  as well as Rebekah & family and a number of her/our friends!

Our New York Family:
Deborah, Danielle, Raquel, Ayanna, Jay

Our daughter Deborah, her husband Jay and daughters Raquel (15), Ayanna (13) and Danielle (11) are back settled in their home on Long Island, NY. They had a brief time in Washington DC and an even shorter time in Baltimore a year ago. The great news was that Mom and I got to go visit them in Baltimore last October, 2010! They are keeping busy with their consulting business, Deborah teaching piano, lots of sports, music, and dance lesson!  They are delightful grand daughters!!! It is hard to believe that in a little over 2 years Raquel will be starting college!  We love and miss them very much. We enjoy our phone  calls. They Skype with Great grandma to her delight! Hoping to see them in Seattle in the coming year!

 

Mom will be celebrating her 98^th birthday this February! She is still bowling on two teams. She lives with Martha and Jack. Martha bowls with her on one of the teams. Jim and Kathy take her to their home whenever they can as we do too. She is so grateful for children who love and care for her so much!  We are blessed to have Mom with us! We’re all planning on helping her celebrate her 100^th  Bd. in a couple years!

Rebekah, her husband Keith, Isaiah (11), Justin (9), Kya (7) and AJ (5) do live near by and we get lots of grandma and grandpa time with them! Keith & Rebekah have just launched a new online business: ProBodySupplements.com

Which is in keeping with their health and fitness focus. Both Rebekah and Keith have competed in figure and physique contests and have each place 1^st! The children are doing well in school, and with their sports. Football, Basketball, Soccer, track, ….Isaiah is a super soccer player while Justin absolutely loves football---ran in a 93 yard touch down as well as many other TD’s this year!  Kya is dancing queen & AJ just being his charming self! Rebekah has blessed me by updating my wardrobe and helping me coordinate everything!  Now she’s helping her Papa!  He doesn’t know yet that she wiped out all his size 36 and 38/ XL baggy saggy slacks/shirts! However, she has replaced them with some very nice ones that fit so well AND are still comfortable too! Comfort is a priority to Rich!!

Richard is keeping fit and healthy doing his elliptical every day. On top of that our big yard and garden are another source of exercise. We continue to pastor Seattle International Christian Fellowship, with Family Bible Club, Sunday services, Saturday nursing home Bible Studies and food bank 3 times a week.  There are lots of opportunities to share His love! One of Richard’s favorite pastimes is watching the Soccer channel!  He’s up on all that’s happening around the world of Soccer!  He will be quite blown away by the quantity of packages under the tree for him this year!  But with his closet wiped out, he was long over due for a new wardrobe!  His argument that he already had too many clothes, no longer applies thanks to Rebekah!!  (He really did have too many clothes he couldn't or shall I say shouldn't even wear!!

Over the past year and a half I have stepped out of my comfort zone with a quantum leap! Having become tired of carrying around a lot of excess baggage----on my body----I joined a boot camp September 2010!  I go for 45 minutes of very intense exercise at 5:45 AM before anything else can railroad my plans! All my efforts and humorous challenges are recorded in another outside my box site---my blog: http://babyboomergrandmagettinfitandhealthy.blogspot.com/  All that I could do when I started was a plank from the knees, holding it 3 seconds before I dropped to the floor exhausted!  I have come a long way in that time, including losing 70 lbs!   It is great to have more energy, stamina, and strength!  I still have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming! Especially when Rebekah brings some of her clothes over and they FIT ME!!! I love playing outside with the kids. I can run, jump, play basket ball with them and wrestle the big boys down to the ground! I know that will be short lived with how they are growing in both size and strength!

            I was determined to enter Medicare this September in my best health in years!  I’m considering that the new 65 is the old 45 and I’m going to live like it!  Rich and another friend whose wife goes to boot camp with me came to watch us recently.  He was impressed—also noting that I was the oldest there and my 10 year ‘junior’ friend was next in line for that honor!  I love to encourage those who are struggling as I was. I love to challenge the younger ones not to let MOM beat them. Now my challenge is to maintain what has been lost!! Boot camp 4 times a week and spinning class for cardio on the other two helps. Sunday is my day of ‘rest’!! At least I’m not working out at the gym. 

            Wishing you all the joy of knowing Jesus as we celebrate His birth which is the Reason for the Season!  We cherish the relationships carried through the years and trust this New Year of 2012 will be everything you hope and pray.

Love and hugs to all,

 Richard & Susan

Thanks to my baby boomer grandma friends for letting me share this with all my family and friends not usually on my blog. I will Be back on with more posts soon!-----
BBG Susan

Boot camp's challenge to our amazing bodies!

I remember doing classes at big box gyms and for some reason the routine was the same every time. In fact I think we could have done it without the instructor after a while! 

BIG PROBLEM however----our amazing bodies adapt to whatever we are doing and the effectiveness of the exercise diminishes over time.  The solution?  Don't do the same thing every day.

At Renton Results Boot Camp that is never the issue!  Today's boot camp is such a great example of this fact. I just started doing the floor ladder a week ago.(I now know it's called the Agility Ladder!)lol Already I know about 5 different ways to challenge my body on just that piece of equipment. I hopscotched and tiptoed the length of it last week, but today? I did side moving in and outs two feet in and two feet out traveling the length of the ladder. Sprint back to the beginning and this time do bear crawls making sure BOTH hands go in each ladder space!  Sprint back and repeat. I'm thinking this ladder length must be about 15 to 20 feet at least!  Believe me, my body had adapted to NOTHING with the ladder!  And I know Luka has not even touched the surface of what can be done with just the floor ladders, not to mention everything else we do!

Ropes are another example. I love ropes, so figured I'd start with them since I'd have 3 rounds of 50 seconds and only two rounds of the superset push up burpees. WRONG----I've never been so exhausted on the ropes------one arm waves--HIGH waves as I jumped with each wave. I learned that if I give a little slack in the rope I can actually get a higher wave!!! So after 50 seconds high waves I'm feeling dizzy----no not 'dizzy blond' mode-(my blond is gray now anyway--I mean silver!!) --but wow that was hard mode!  Not quite to wanna 'puke' point, but almost!! On to burpees with a pushup--really s---l-----o-----w  on what I can usually whip out quite a few of in 50 seconds!  10 seconds 'rest'--I think they call it recovery---and back to the waves----repeat the burpees and then the waves to finish that station! I guarantee you that my body has NOT adapted to the ropes!!!  My idea of doing the 'easier' ropes first really backfired on me today!  I can hardly believe that I was wishing for more burpees and less ropes!

After that the TRX pull ups were a relief and I even did them hands together with the progression of straight arms up to one side as I pulled up!  Again, something new for me. Though the lunging band pull aparts were not fun, they too were a bit of relief to catch my breath!!!

So what had I started with?  The first station was a combination kettle bell gobblet squat and dead lift with 35 pounds. So glad I didn't do the 45 pounds. Rebekah did that one, so I felt real good about 35!  Pair that with pushups---did full body for a while then regressed to the knees. This was a new kettle bell exercise for me. I had done each separately, but not the two together!

Let me tell you, my body has NEVER had a chance to adapt to anything at boot camp!!! Luka always keeps it mixed up so much that my body has no clue what's coming next!  I think I lost count of all the new moves that assulted my body as well as my brain today!

I must say that even with as hard as it was, it was a good day!  A friend comment that her goal was to work so hard she was exhausted as much as I was in this picture!!! My butt in the air!! Guess one of my claims to fame is that picture!  Whatever I can do to motivate my friends!!



I left it all on the turf that day!

Hoping you are mixing up your routine and getting the most from all your effort! 

God bless all those efforts and may you see lasting results!
Baby Boomer Grandma Susan

Thanksgiving Dinner!!!

Thanksgiving Day 2011

Last year’s Thanksgiving was a no brainer for me when it came to eating.  I had just lost 22 pounds. I was totally motivated to continue the momentum achieved in the Back to School Weight Loss Challenge!  I continued to maintain and even lost another 6 pounds by Christmas!

This Thanksgiving was different. I have lost 66 pounds and am almost to goal so any little ‘cheat’ really shows up!  There’s not so much ‘fluffy fat’ to cover it up! To help off set this I did boot camp 4 days in a row.  I’m learning how to adjust my eating to incorporate more carb and still maintain my current progress. It is a big challenge for me to keep those carbs limited!  One even healthy carb can often lead to another! Again I find that being prepared and planning ahead makes for a more successful day! I don’t know that there will ever be a time I can just ‘wing it’ and stay on track!  

We had lots of choices for dinner!  So I majored on the turkey, ham and green beans with a little bite of mashed potatoes with gravy, stuffing, mac & cheese, fruit salad, sweet potato salad—skipped the dinner rolls. It all tasted soooooooo good! And I did not feel guilty because it was planned and it was moderate!  I tried a couple of bites of dessert from my husband’s plate!  My challenge came later back at home with eating too much fruit and eating some more dessert!  Why?  I hadn’t planned beyond the TG dinner! 

Love that Jamaican cooking, ususally!!

On Friday I made a  big pot of Jamaican Red Peas Soup using the Thanksgiving dinner ham bone, Jamaican spices, and kidney beans!  It looked so good and I figured that a small bowl of the soup would be great!  My bowl was very small compared to my husband's. He had a serving bowl full of the soup!  However, about 10 minutes after eating the soup, my belly started growling and swelled up to way over twice its size. YUK!!! Not a nice feeling! I think it might have something to do with the fact I have not eaten beans for a year and a half!  All I could do was take a couple of “Beano” tablets---which are supposed to be taken BEFORE, not AFTER the fact and head for bed!  Even 15 hours later on  Saturday at boot camp as I did the table top hold, I did NOT have my usual flat belly!!!! So much for Red Peas Soup. Rich gets to eat the rest of it and he will gladly comply!!

We put up our icicle lights along the eves today. I always do the ladder work while Rich sets it up and makes sure it is steady. How was it different this year?  With 66 Pounds less of me, the ladder didn’t even sink into the ground at all! Wow! What a pleasant surprise!!!  In the past it sank to the first rungs!!! LOL

This week’s boot camps were extra brutal according to Luka, our trainer. He wanted to counteract any over-eating!!! Four days in a row were quite a challenge for my body, but I enjoyed doing some new things. We did the floor ladder—hop-scotching the entire length of it, sprinting back and repeating for 50 seconds. Also did pushups with slide pad under our hands. All the regular exercises had progressions to challenge us to a new level!  I could do some of them, others will have to wait for another day. The bottom line?  I’m making progress each time---still doing a few more reps and making my body do those last moves and not quit early.  I'm watching my form and trying to get the most from each session!  

A big plus of boot camp are all the friends who work out with me. They are such an encouragement and I am able to encourage them as well. It really helps to be accountable to friends who are concerned for my health and fitness!





Before TG dinner!!! LOL



Hope you have some friends to encourage you too-------  
May God's
Abundant blessing 
bring success
      in all you do!          Babyboomergrandma Susan

Time to catch up!!

 It's been a long time since I have added anything to this blog!  You've probably given up even checking on it or me!!! I've participated in another transformation weight loss challenge, changed to a different eating plan, lost some more weight and gotten closer to my goal of health and fitness! 
So to begin with I'd like to introduce you to my team mates who encouraged me and pushed me and let me encourage and push them for 8 weeks of the Vigor Ground Team Transformation contest. All of us are over 50 and I'm the oldest at 65! So, we call ourselves the Booomer Babes!  There are 5 of us, Jackie, Connie, Donna, Mulu, and Susan!  It was a fantastic 8 weeks as we saw a lot of progress toward our goals.

 

Our pre-picture:  September, 2011

 

8 weeks later!
Our super-star with 18# lost was Jackie who
couldn't be there for this picture!



In all we lost over 54 pounds. The team concept was a first for us and it worked very well. Even though the competition has ended, we still consider each other team mates!  Everyone one of them made progress they didn't realize was possible!  They worked through challenges of pain, vacation time away, eating out challenges, sickness, all the obstacles that present themselves when we decide to change our lives for the better! And everyone came out winners!  All are continuing on the road to health and fitness---working to maintain the momentum and keep their eating clean through Thanksgiving,Christmas and New Years! Why not!!! There's always going to be something coming up that tries to derail our progress.  The holiday season is good practice for all of us!!

With my daughter
Rebekah at the Team
transformation party.



A Couple of Christmas's ago!

I have reached the point of 178 pounds on a given day! We all know that can fluctuate wildly some days!  At any rate I take the 178!  It is 1 pound under what I weighed in 1973 just before I delivered my first baby, Deborah!  I have to laugh because I'm much smaller now and far more fit than I was then, pregnant or not!  So again, that number is just that---a number that gives a bit of guidance or reference, but not a final or difinitive reflection of who I am!


Along with turning 65 and joining medicare I was given a 'free' gym membership and chose a local gym where I can do my cardio on Tues/Thurs when I'm not doing boot camp.   Today I delivered my grandkids to school, then stopped by early for a spinning class. Since I had about 45 minutes before the class, I was able to do a lot of foam rolling and stretching. I added to that our usual boot camp dynamic warm up and a lot of ab work!  Like 12 reps of each: While on my back on the mat--lifting large ball over my head with my feet, v-ups, runners sit ups, pilate like sit ups, bridge, etc. What is so encouraging is that they are pretty easy for me to do because we do a lot of these at boot camp and are challenged to do them to the point of failure!  Therefore 12's a breeze!

I went into the spinning class warmed up and ready to do intervals---15, 30, 45, 60 seconds of sprints with recovery; lots of hills and other intervals. Was able to push myself and if sweat is any indicator of effort, I put forth maximum effort since I haven't sweated this much at cycling for a while!!!



Leaving it all on the turf at Boot Camp!

 Let me be quick to say it does NOT in any way replace boot camp!  I'm forever sold on boot camp and the opoportunity to challenge my body to do a bit more each time! I'm far stronger than I was a year ago, but not nearly as strong as I can or want to be! I can do 12 full body push ups before I have to start doing cheater push ups and then regress to the knees totally!  And if I just stick with the knees---I think the sexist term is 'girl push ups'----I can keep those going for a long time! Last year? Could hardly do 1 from the knees. I can do jumping lunges now--last year? Maybe a partial---like hardly bend the knee partial----static lunge on one side at a time!  Burpees?  No longer dreaded and usually I can knock out quite a few at a time! Bear crawls? Getting better all the time. Even trying them backwards on occasion! Still LOVE the ropes even when we have to do them some crazy new way! Sprints and side shuttles? I hold my own---just trying to keep from tripping over my big feet!!! But I do know how to fall!  Have gotten some practice at that lately!!! Kettle bell dead lifts, swings, farmers walk, etc. challenging my form and weight all the time. 

My size 22 jeans!!



6 months and into size 14 jeans

There is so much I can do this year that I thought would be impossible when I began a year ago!  It's fun to look back from where I've come, but even more enjoyable  to share with others that it is possible for them to do it too!!! I love to see new people at boot camp and to encourage them to keep coming, to not give up, to set goals, to celebrate the little achievements along the way;  If I can do it, they can too!


 

After the last team transformation!
Total of 66#  lost!!

 

Just a reminder! This IS BEFORE!!!!

My hope as you read this is to encourage you that you can do more toward your health and fitness than you are presently doing. I challenge you to get going right now. Don't be tricked into thinking it will be a goal in January. The sad truth is this: If you can't get started right now even in the midst of holiday eating challenges, you won't be any more successful in January either. It takes a made up mind and determination---a choice, not a preference, a conviction from the gut that you will succeed, you can do it-----and when you have that?  Holiday eating is no more an obstacle or help than a new year!  So work on that head, what's on your mind, your self talk---get it into the right place. I know you can do it---others knew I could do it even when I had doubts. So go ahead with my confidence in your success and get going on it!!!
Happy THANKSgiving------
                                     Babyboomergrandma--Susan

I even made the "front page"!!!

Trans4mation---

Trans4ming my eating as I’m trans4ming my body,

trans4ming my mind, and trans4ming my life

Diet vs  exercise---bottom line: 

No exercise or diet program = 0 pounds lost/probably gain 
Exercise only programs = 4.4 pounds lost
Diet only program = 15.8 pounds lost
Both programs combined= 19.8 pounds lost

It may look like exercise is not as important as diet in weight loss.  However, there’s a lot more to the story than that! 

I affirmed the usual statistics way back when I tried to lose weight for my daughters’ weddings. I exercised my tail off—not exactly the right kind of exercise I realize now---- but I worked hard on it at the gym every day! My big mistake?  Not changing my eating habits. Thus, I put on muscle under the layers of fat and my body just got bigger!! Not what I had hoped!  Pretty discouraging at the time trying to fit into my mother of the bride dresses!

The other side of the coin---all diet and no exercise has resulted in baggy saggy skin or lots of wiggle-jiggle for some of those who have lost the weight! --- Not to mention lack of muscle tone, strength, and stamina to name only a few missing results. I've heard it called the skinny-fat!  When someone is thin and looks great in clothes, but is all flabby underneath.

For me, the diet was critical, but I do not discount  exercise at all. Both the diet AND the exercise SHOCKED my body those first few months. Over the past 10 months as I have taken off over 60 pounds, the shape of my body has changed dramatically. I’ve never had narrow hips and thighs even at my smallest. I had this very small waist---23” when I got married, but hips that were way out of proportion to it! I believe they call it a pear shape! lol

Best boot camp ever!!

Vigor Ground Fitness and Performance

1222 Bronson Way N, Suite 250

I am much more proportional now and that change I credit to the exercise.  They work hand in hand! The diet has taken off the pounds, but the exercise has kicked up my metabolism—internal fat burning machine, burning calories, as well as ‘sculpting’ and transforming  my shape!! The boot camp work outs that we do with trainer Luka Hocevar at Vigor Ground Fitness and Performance provide successful results that no standard run-of-the-mill fitness center with its machines and rubberstamp classes can even come close to doing! There is absolutely no comparison.  The workouts even 11 months later continue to have a shock factor for my body every session! Never ever the same-old-same-old workout  any of the 4+ days I go each week!

I mention all of this because my focus in this blog is on diet and I don’t want to minimize the importance of the boot camp workouts. That said, we will get to the point of Trans4ming our eating!

I followed a plan called ‘green faces’—a high protein/low carbohydrate eating plan. NOTE: This is not an easy eating plan because of the difficulty of compliance. It worked for me, but I am now branching out to add more carbs and even more variety to my eating. What really worked for me at the time is that it is simple and easy for me to use. It was trial and error for me when I started.  I had a list of foods to eat and ones to avoid. I had the verbal and a bit of written instructions concerning some of the how-to’s, but for the most part I had to figure out how to get it to work for me.

My daughter Rebekah was helpful in making some suggestions and others I just had to find out for myself.  This trial and error process helped me learn how to personalize the plan for my needs and my lifestyle. Following are four key factors that after 3 different Transformation Weight Loss challenges have made a big difference for me. You can learn from my mistakes & successes and avoid some of the struggles I experienced!

The biggest challenge for many in following ‘green faces’ is that of  being 100% compliant during the first 21 days of the plan.  There is such a mind shift needed and the potential for slip ups that totally cancel the good of those 21 days.  Some of the instructions I read told me to start over on the 21 days if I didn’t stay 100% compliant. 100%--not even a single bite outside the plan! Can you imagine getting to day 15 and having to start over???? That in itself was pretty motivating to do it right!

I had to be a bit gentle on myself since that first 21 days I unwittingly included items not allowed! But I did my best staying very compliant even while on a 2 ½ week trip.  The next time I did the 21 days a couple of months later, I was totally compliant!

I have heard it said that if you do not see results in those 21 days you are not doing it right!  You may swear up and down you were 100% compliant and you feel that you just happen to be the exception to the rule! We all want to be special don’t we??? !!! LOL  The following suggestions will work for any good eating plan. They are basic to what we should be doing anyway!

One big question:  “Did you write down EVERYTHING you ate??? Usually not. Did you ask someone who would tell you the truth to hold you accountable?  I’ve been told “I can’t journal—I can’t write it down.”  My response? Then you’re not serious about regaining your health and fitness—you’re not desperate enough yet. Sorry—but that’s just the hard truth!   You needed to hear that!!  And, by the way,  just how has doing it your own way worked for you so far?

By this time in my life, I was desperate. I didn’t have much hope left and if this didn’t work, I felt like I was relegated to a life of obesity! Yes obesity!  That is a hard word for me, but my weight, even with my tall stature had crossed over into OBESITY. Yes, I was desperate!  And I was willing to do whatever was required to make it work whether it was convenient or not; whether I liked it or not; whether it made sense to me or not!

So here are  4 Trans4ming factors that helped me start my new way of eating--the diet component of loosing weight:

1. I learned that frequency of eating is as important as what I eat. In the first days of adjusting to my new way of eating, I set a timer so I would eat every 3 hours. If  I didn't, it would be 5 hours later and I was busy doing something else! This is a total deal breaker in  resetting the metabolism and getting on track to take off pounds! Once my stomach got used to regular eating, it now tells me when it's 3 hrs! 

2.  I make a point of eating something within the first hour of getting up. Since I need to take a thyroid med on an empty stomach, I have those set out with water in the bathroom so that when I get up I take those meds. This makes it possible for me to eat pretty quickly upon rising for the day.



Glass of water ready on the window sill

 3. I drink LOTS of water. I started with at least 8/10 cups daily and this last weight loss challenge I kicked it up to 16 cups—I keep track with a check off system in my food journal. 

·       To get these in, I drink a quart of water first thing in the morning. On boot camp days--M-W-F and Sat.  I drink my 3 cup water bottle during and right after boot camp as well.
·        I drink 2 cups before each meal/snack!  Limit my water after 8 pm to not have myself up all night!! LOL--NOT funny at 12, 2 or 3 AM ! 

·       I keep a full 17 oz. glass on the kitchen window sill. It’s easier for me to drink a filled glass than to stop and fill it first. As soon as I empty the glass I refill it immediately!  Leave it full last thing at night as well.

·       I use glass. There’s something about plastic that just makes it hard to drink all the water I need.

4.  Plan, Plan, Plan!  I have been most successful when I have written out my menu for the week.  For me, simple is better.

·      I develop my shopping list from the menus. These menus can be repeated every other week or so. I shop one day and cook the next day, packaging everything for easy access. When I'm hungry, I might grab whatever is handy whether it’s healthy or not!

·       I zip loc package a peeled hard boiled egg with some cucumber slices or snap pea pods and store in the frig. I can grab it very fast if I have to run out the door quickly.  It's amazing what can suddenly require me to go someplace on the spur of the moment and derail my plan!

·       I always have my water bottle full for the same reason.

·       During a contest I record my food intake. It’s good for me to do this whether in a contest or not because I find it pretty easy to lose track of what I'm eating if I don’t record.  My journal is very visible on the kitchen counter!

                                                                       

Water bottle ready to go!!

I hope these first  4  points will make a difference in your success.

Next time I will share the following:

• What do I actually eat?  
• What's on my grocery list?
• How do I shop?  
• What recipes work for me?
• What are my steps of preparation? 

On second thought,  I probably won’t be able to share quite all this at once!!! But keep checking back in and I will continue showing you  how this baby boomer grandma is making it work. Until next time, may God richly bless YOU!

THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING!!

40^th anniversaries are something special to commemorate especially in the times we are living when commitment seems to have a different definition than when we exchanged our wedding vows:  "in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, ‘til death us do part."

So did we take a trip or go some place really nice to celebrate? To understand our practical mentality I’ll take you back to our first year of marriage. We got married on the Saturday of Memorial Day week end—it was convenient with 3 days off! We spent the night at my grandmother’s beach home on the ocean. Went back to work the next Tuesday!

In August we had a ‘honeymoon’ trip to visit friends and see the sites. We drove to San Francisco and back to Seattle in 117 degree weather with no AC in our car! 



Day after our wedding



One of the sites: Alcatraz!
!



Trees of mystery



Fisherman's Warf

Could we have taken a deluxe honeymoon trip to Jamaica? Sure could have! My husband had money in the bank BEFORE he married me!  LOL      
But instead, we decided to use that money as a down payment on the home we bought five months after our wedding and that we still live in today! With our nice neighborhood, convenient location, view of Lake Washington, five bedroom house and big yard, with an increase in value of 15X+, I’d say that was a very good investment wouldn’t you?  Plus, everyday we know and appreciate the fact that we live in the home that “honeymoon” money bought!

So being practical people what would we do to celebrate 40?  Take trip to Jamaica? Go to some week end luxury place? Go out on the town? Take a cruise? You guessed it---none of the above!!

We went to REI and purchased matching Novara Jaunt comfort bikes! We are looking forward to exploring the Cedar River Trail’s 11 miles to Maple Valley and many of the other cycling paths in our area. We will get great exercise and fresh air, doing something fun together, exploring new places and meeting new people. It is the gift that will keep on giving! 



Novara Jaunt Comfort Bike

Our first venture out was to the Boeing parking lot near Renton Stadium. This is so hilarious because that’s where my husband took each of our daughters for their first practice drives after getting their learner’s permits!  Now it’s us doing the practice driving----on bicycles!

We were relieved to find that we could still balance a bike and not fall off! In fact we got so comfortable that we took a quick spin along the trail that ends where Cedar River empties into Lake Washington!

Our next venture will be to tackle part of the Cedar River Trail with our grandchildren. Last time they were on bikes and we walked/ran to keep up with them. This time we will all have wheels!!!

This is baby boomer grandma—hoping you too will reward yourself with a “gift that keeps on giving!”  Until next time-----May God richly bless YOU.

WHEN I STUMBLE

I didn’t say if because being a human being I will not do it all right all the time!

This morning I was looking over my journal entries from the beginning of my weight loss challenges. It was very encouraging and motivating for me! I need to faithfully journal because it is one more tool to help me be consistent as I chronicle my progress.  It also reminds me ‘from whence I’ve come!”

So I begin today (June 27^th, 2011) with my struggles of yesterday. I was not prepared for the day with an eating plan. The failure to plan is a plan to fail and I proved it. In fact this whole week has not been very good for me.

My side tracked eating has included a couple of pints of ice cream, 6 ice cream bars, a dozen or more home made cookies as well as half a dozen large Safeway chocolate (3)  and snicker doodle (3) cookies!  And I don't even like them that much!! Chocolate covered raisins finished off my binge! What I thought was for one day has lasted a week!  And where did it all go?  To my belly!!!

So what do I do? Wallow in my self-pity? Keep it going? Beat myself up? Spiral down into a cycle of regret and what ifs? Or “look what you’ve done now, Susan, maybe you’d better give up??? Lots of possibilities, but only one good choice:

“Today is the first day of the rest of my life"---so what am I going to do with it?

Yup, my donkey cart fell off the road this week. In fact it probably lost a wheel and broke an axel, BUT I’m getting back up on the road, repairing what needs repaired and continuing this journey. The negative alternatives listed above are not a choice I will make. I’ve come too far to turn back now. I’m right around the corner from a big break through and I can’t give up when I’ve got so much to attain by persevering!

As wonderful as this journey has been so far, there’s always going to be a few bumps in the road. That’s called life! It’s what I do with the obstacles or the bumps in the road that matters. Do I let then totally derail my journey? Do I let them turn me around and head me in the wrong direction? Do I go back to my old ways?

Or do I recognize that getting back up and dusting myself off is part of the growing process that makes me stronger—makes me MORE not less successful in the long run. We need both the rain and the sunshine! They work together.  Too much of either can be bad, so in the process of this journey I am learning balance! I’m not proud of myself for choosing to eat such unhealthy foods. I’m not happy with what others might think of me for losing control either! But then haven’t I been learning to “Be secure without the approval of people”? That’s why I’ve been reading John Bevere’s book “Breaking Intimidation”!!

So what am I to do? This is a new day, an opportunity for me to start fresh and new. The mercies of the Lord are new every morning and His compassions do not fail!  Great is HIS faithfulness! As I get up and get going I put my plan into action. It is 8:30 AM and I have 3 ½ hours before I need to leave for church. I have most of my meals cooked and will finish up the rest of them. I will get those menus up and working, leaving NOTHING to my imagination. I believe that the indulgences of this past week and especially yesterday will help keep me on track in the future. I don’t like going to bed feeling bloated and gassy!

I’m choosing to forget those things that are behind me and press on to the goal—to learn from this past week, but not dwell there in my mind. I choose to jump off that spiraling, vicious cycle of regret. I affirm that I am more than a conqueror and that I CAN DO all things through Christ who strengthens me! When I am weak He is strong in me. I will not try to do this all on my own, but I will stop and call out to Him for help. Knowing what I can do on my own and what I need help with is a sign of strength, not weakness! “I look to the hills for my help. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth! (From Psalm 121—The Bible)

Once again this  is "Babyboomergrandma" trusting that my honesty and vulnerability has helped you. Thanks for visiting with me!  It is indeed a life-time journey taken one day at a time!  Until next time, may God richly bless YOUR life.