4 Down. 173 To Go.

Today, when I weighed myself, I was 191.5 lb.  If you're keeping track with me, that means I've lost 4.9 lbs.  YAHOO!  I've done my almost hour-long workout every day since Tuesday, and I actually feel really good...and am still motivated...AND don't see any reason why I would stop moving in this direction any time soon.  Why are these "lifestyle changes" so difficult for me?  I tend to self-sabotage when I succeed.  In the past, if I've lost 5 lbs, I've decided to make a batch of cookies and then proceed to eat some of the dough AND a few of my brilliant (if I do say so myself) cookies.  Cookies.  Cookies.  I LOVE cookies. 
This time around, things feel different to me.  The large number on the scale is definitely part of it.  I've never been in the 190's when I wasn't 8 months pregnant...So I'm desperate to bring the actual number associated with my size down.  The other difference has to do with the fact that I don't want my kids to know me like this any longer.  I want them to think of me in a healthy way and as a mom who always offers healthy options for them. 
As far as my spiritual health, well, I have to admit that I'm still slacking.  I've learned of some really serious prayer requests since I last wrote, so I have been talking to the Lord, but I still haven't been reading the Word at all.  Something just occurred to me.  With the way I've stopped eating "bad carbs", I should seriously be seeking out the Bread of Life.  I would probably have been so much nicer to my kids while my body has sugar withdrawal. 
So this week - tomorrow is Sunday - I'll add the spiritual disciplines to my physical discipline.  Who knows?  There may be some serious changes in me - inside me, outside of me, and most importantly inside inside me.
Good night.

The First Day of the Rest of My Lives

January 2 was the first day of the rest of my life.  When we make “New Year’s Resolutions”, do we really believe we’re going to keep them?  2012 was a year of UNdiscipline.  I ate pretty much whatever I wanted, watched too much television, surfed the internet too much, and didn’t do enough of the really healthy things for myself or my family. 
 
That’s just it for me.  My life is not my own.  I have a husband and five children to think of.  My life is seven lives.  That sounds crazy, but it is certainly true.  When I don’t take care of myself, inside or out, I can’t take care of the other six lives properly. 
When I don’t read God’s Word, I am not getting my Daily Bread, and the Bread I received on Sunday morning is getting stale.  Sunday morning Bread isn’t ever going to be enough to sustain my life, let alone six others.  So, for the inside of me, reading the Bible, aka God’s Word, Daily Bread, is essential.  Along with that, I need to pray more.  I  need to pray for my other six people.  Like, really PRAY. 
 
Why don’t I pray for my husband?  I think about him all day long.  He needs protection when he drives.  He needs safety where he works.  He needs favor from the people he works with and with his clients/students.  I am so grateful to the Lord that He has given me a man who gets me...most of the time.  He works so hard to provide everything we need as a family.  Many days I don’t work nearly hard enough to provide what he needs from me.  This is not me being self-deprecating.  This is me being honest.  So why don’t I pray for my husband?
 
Why don’t I pray for my kids?  There are five of them, so I’m going to lump all of them into one paragraph.  They need protection.  They need wisdom.  They need peace of mind.  They need a LOT, and I can’t give it all to them.  It has to come from their Heavenly Father, right?  They are my pride and joy, and my windows.  They are my windows to the past.  I see so much of myself and Mike in them.  Besides their appearances of course, they are doing so many of the things that he and I used to do as kids.  So I get a new perspective because I see what my parents saw - the good, the bad, and the ugly.  On the other hand, they are my windows to the future.  They all have big dreams, and I can’t wait to see where their dreams take them.  So while I’m praying for these five, their protection, wisdom, and peace of mind, I also need to pray for their future spouses and best friends who they’ll be doing life with along the way.  They need all of these things, right?  So why don’t I pray for my kids?
I do pray.  I pray for the requests I see on my facebook home page.  I pray for the people involved in news stories I see on tv.  I pray while I’m getting ready to lead worship.  But I am not disciplined in this area of my life; this most important area. 
 
So reading the Word and praying.  Those two things will help my inside inside (yes, I meant to write “inside” twice). 
 
My other disciplines have to do with my inside.  My physical health.  My diet and exercise.  I have been SUCH a slacker.  So since yesterday was the first day of the rest of my life, I ate a LOT less calories than I have been AND I actually burnt calories - on purpose.  I woke my muscles up.  I got my blood pumping.  I drank green tea instead of diet Coke.  I’m looking forward to seeing a lot less of myself in the coming months.  If I’m being honest with myself and you (my one reader), I weigh the most I ever have while not being pregnant.  If I’m being honest, I weighed 196.4 lbs on my scale yesterday.  UGH. 
Now, I’ve been able to lose weight and exercise before.  I’m setting my goal weight at 145 lbs.  HOLY SMOKES! That’s 51.4 POUNDS!  How in the world did I get here?!  Oh yeah, I was UNdisciplined.
 
So here’s the deal.  My husband’s FORTIETH birthday is June 29th.  That is 177 days from now, and I want to have a big party for him to celebrate.  This is going to take a LOT of discipline to reach my goal, isn’t it? 
 
I’m going to chronicle this journey here...on my blog that I’ve only ever shared with one person.  So am I adding writing a blog to my list of disciplines?  I guess so. 

Dear Lord, Thank You for new mercies every morning and for the new year with which to get my act together.  I want to be who You have called me to be.  I need Your help.  Doing things on my own absolutely does not work.  Let this Year of Discipline for my family be one that changes our lives forever...one that puts us on the path to realized dreams - the dreams You’ve put in our hearts AND the ones we don’t even know about yet.  Lord, I’m so grateful that you even hear this prayer.  It comes from my inside inside.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Only 2...

It's Christmas Eve Eve, and I still don't have all of my shopping done. Don't worry, this is typical. Mike and I thrive on the last-minuteness of it all. Christmas for five kids is a challenge, but the rewards are infinite. We're pitching in with my parents for a basketball hoop for the family...I mean, the kids...I mean, the boys...I mean, for me. :) Who knows, maybe I'll master the layup at 34! It could happen, right?
Its time to get up and do a sweep of the house...make beds, start laundry, vacuum, clean mirrors, sanitize door knobs. When I'm done with that, I'm going to do some baking. I haven't decided what all I'm going to make, but I'm looking forward to getting on a role and being completely domestic today.
Hopefully, I'll have photos and details to share tomorrow...if I remember to share...
Only 2 weeks 'til the boys go back to school!!
I mean, only 2 days 'til Christmas!!!

Best Month Ever?!

Am I bad mother because I don't look forward to this time? An entire month off for the boys. They're in year-round school. It sounds crazy doesn't it? Here's how it works: Their current school year started on July 7, 2009. They attended until July 28. Then they were off until early September...attended through the day before Thanksgiving...were off through New Year's...have been on since then...now they have no school until May 4...and finish their year on June 24 - I think.
We do have some road trips planned. I'm actually really excited to take my kids and husband back to Mountain View and Sunnyvale where I grew up. I haven't been back there since my senior year in high school.
We're also planning to do a little camping. Mike wants to camp on the beach in Half Moon Bay. My mom wants to go to Yosemite. Both will be amazing.
Okay, so maybe I am a LITTLE excited for this next month.
There are definite possibilities.
Oh my! AND my girls' joint birthday party is on 4/17!!
Do you ever have to talk yourself into things?!
What is wrong with me?!
This could be the best month EVER?
OH!! AND I have two potentially very successful Stella & Dot Trunk shows booked!!!
Please don't think I'm insane. I'm just a Five-Time Winner with A LOT on my mind...
OH! And I've worked out the last two days and feel GREAT!

BEST MONTH EVER!!!!

What am I doing?

My grandma died last Monday. She was sick for a very long time with high blood pressure and didn't really tell anyone until the damage to her heart was irreparable. She was the most godly, amazing, funny person I've ever known. She was so sensitive to the Holy Spirit that she would be brought to tears when she prayed over family meals. She (along with my other grandma) is the reason I want to be a good cook and baker. Her secret ingredient in everything she made was love.
So as I reflect on her life, I'm thinking about me and where my life is going with my family. We are a fun unit. But I'm in a holding pattern. I need to step up my business. I need to make some more money.
I need to read my Bible and pray every day. There's no better guide (for mind, body, and spirit) than that. So if I know that - to my core - why don't I do it?
I gave my blog the name "Five-Time Winner" to remind myself of how incredibly blessed I am. I'm healthy, strong, capable. Why haven't I gotten up a little early to read and pray. Why don't I sit down and make 10 phone calls to grow my business?

Today is the first day of the rest of my life. So far, I've eaten a South Beach Diet breakfast and WAY too many cookies...

I'll start my lifestyle change (not diet) at dinner with something deliciously balanced. I'll finish the house cleaning between now and 6:15 (when Mike gets home), I'll read my Bible (and pray while I clean and listen to worship music), and do full body pilates before I go to bed. That sounds productive, right?

What am I doing? See above list.

Day 1

My decision to write a blog surprises me more than anyone. I am a mother of five, wife, daughter, sister, friend with a LOT to process - like, I really want to get up at 6 to workout. I should call Carrie today. I should call Heather and Caroline today. I hope the boys have clean underwear and socks today. What am I going to make for dinner. I wonder what Grandma's oxygen saturation was this morning. So now I have a blogspot to keep things straight. We'll see how it goes.

Right now I'm sitting on the love seat while my husband, Michael, is sprawled out asleep on the couch. All the kids are in bed. Mom and Dad are asleep (Oh, the seven of us live with my parents), and I should be folding the laundry on my bed...well, you know what I'm doing.

Tomorrow I get to go to church with my family. There's nothing better...except maybe if our church were located on the beach...in the south of France...

Now I'm babbling.
Good Night.