Eleven pounds GONE!

   I am so dang excited! I have lost 11 pounds since the last post! I know it doesn't seem like a lot of weight, but it is to me. You really have to consider the fact that I have started this journey SO MANY TIMES over the past few years with no real progress. I have not been at my current weight in about a year. I finally see a light at the end of that tunnel! Woo!
   What am I doing differently? Well, it happened like this: I caught the stomach flu, or at least I think that's what I had. It wasn't horrible, I managed to get through it and still take care of my kids. I didn't drop a ton of weight, but I noticed my appetite was suppressed -a lot. I didn't eat very much while I was sick, and although I feel better physically, I have adopted the mentality of not eating very much. I don't hate it! I have noticed that if I just eat half of what I normally do, I lose weight! What a concept! (haha) I still steer clear of breads, potatoes, and sugar-I always will, they make me feel yucky . When my parents visited a few weeks ago, I started to slip back into old eating habits. It was a day after they left that I got the stomach flu-what timing! So, with eating less (I usually eat between 1200-1500 calories a day) combined with running just 2 miles 3x a week, walking 3 miles every night, and beginning a weight training regimen, I'd say I am well on my way to a healthier me!

Food Addiction

I have always loved food.

Food was a large part of my childhood. My mother, being a great cook thanks to her Italian heritage, made sure that food was always homemade, delicious, and available! I was also in love with sports my entire childhood so weight was never an issue back then. Once I started college in Idaho, I noticed the 'freshman fifteen' wasn't a myth. I had gained 20 pounds over the course of my freshman year. I freaked! I tried Slim Fast ( so unhealthy) and lost it all over the next few months. I felt beautiful. I was around 140 lbs and wore a size 9/10. Around this time I turned 21, started drinking heavily,  and found out Jack In The Box
stayed open 24 hrs! I gained about 10 pounds that summer. Fast forward to meeting my first husband, who's love of food matched mine perfectly. We were married just about a year before I became pregnant with my daughter. I gained almost 100 pounds. It wasn't pretty. I felt big for the very first time. I would eat anything, mostly McDonald's McGriddles on my way to prenatal aerobics, no less. I weighed 245 when I delivered my baby girl via emergency cesarean. About a year later my mother introduced me to the Atkins eating plan. I loved the thought of eating most of my favorite foods and losing weight! I tried it, paired with daily 4 mile walks and what do you know, it worked! I was able to get into a size 10 again. I also managed to keep it off  throughout the highs and lows of my divorce and custody battle of my daughter. I still loved to munch. My favorite snack? Graham crackers dipped in frosting...oh, baby! I have a major sweet tooth. I went on to meet my current, amazing, hunky husband and within 5 years of our first kiss, we had two babies, 15 months apart! One girl, one boy; my life is complete with all three babies. Now, my son, the baby, will be three in October and I still haven't lost the pregnancy weight. I cannot express how sad this makes me. I'm not depressed, I love to exercise, my life couldn't be better! I'm just addicted to food. I think about it a lot; what should I bake, i wonder what this Pinterest recipe might taste like, I'm craving cookies; let's bake some! My culinary gift is also my curse. If I can't buy it, I will make it...with lots of butter. So, it's no wonder that I sit here weighing over 200 pounds with my 9/10 jeans packed away in a dusty Rubbermaid bin. I have begun this weight loss journey so many times in the past three years, I really hope this is the last time.
The plan: Atkins again!
Walking 3-4 miles per day and lifting weights
Here we go! I look forward to the day when I can again slip on those jeans  that are probably way out of style.
XO- Joy

Little black door

We have been seeing these gorgeous black interior doors all over blog land and Pinterest, so we decided to give our back door some class. We love it! What do you think? I will post how we did it soon-we are literally out the door right now to see Smurfs 2. Woohoo!
Before: White and disappearing into the wall...

 And then with a little Onyx paint from Glidden....

 

LOVE IT!

XO-Joy

Good Mother

What is the definition of a 'good mother'? Is it the mother who sits in with her Kindergartner's class every Wednesday afternoon to pass out paint supplies, and cheese sticks? Is it the mother who chose to leave her career she worked so hard for, and focus on her growing family? Is it the single mother who works two jobs and still makes time to help with math homework she doesn't even understand? Is it the mother who has been away from her babies for eighteen months because she feels that defending their freedom is first and foremost? I sometimes look at my children while they are asleep, and I wonder, do they think I am a good mother? Did I show each one of you enough affection today, so that if for some reason I have to leave this world suddenly, you know that I loved you? Do you know, my sweet babies, that even though I have given life to you, it is you who gives me life now? I spend my whole day feeding them, making sure noses are kept clear of boogies, diapers are tended to, homework is correct, clothes are clean, everyone is sharing, a favorite blanket is found in time for bed, and teeth are brushed. But, do they know how much I love them? Do they? I hope so, I really do. If it weren't for them, I would be empty.

Sigh...just needed to get that out.

On another note, I made bread! It took two tries in my bread maker (the one that I have had FOREVER, and managed to lose the instruction manual...nice) but, the end result was YUMMY! I followed this recipe:Honey Whole-Wheat Bread, instead of bread flour, I just used whole-wheat.

I highly recommend it! Nothing makes me feel like a better mom than nourishing my family with healthy food that came from my very own kitchen. Abby even said, "You don't have to buy bread from the store anymore!" No, I don't, and that is fantastic!

I hope you all have a fun-filled weekend!

xo-Joy

Happy Friday!

Friday is the day that I reserve for me. Of course, I take care of my babies, but I do things that I want to do, or that I have been holding off on. Today, I skipped my workout and chose to declutter instead. I focused on the plant shelves in my great room. I loathe them. I just don't know what to do with them. So, after taking down all of the odds n ends up there, I was left with this:

I thought about this for a little bit and decided to kill two birds with one stone. We have another issue at Clegg Castle that cannot be overlooked any longer:

BOOOOOKS! We have two very large book shelves in our great room. Books are Boo's best friend. She looooves to read, and tear, and bend, and drag, and throw them. Ugh, it has to be delt with. So, I have an idea...a beautiful one. Take a look!

I.WANT.THAT.
I do, I really, really do. Of course, this isn't my house, just a gorgeous design I ran across on pinterest. Chad is gonna love the idea, too, I just know it! (at least, I hope he does...he IS the one with the tools.)

What about you guys? Any ideas on what to do with plant shelves? If you have them, what have you done with them?

Have a great weekend, all! I'm off to watch Elmo...again.

xo-Joy

Chace

   My baby boy recently turned seven months. I am happy and sad. I am really going to miss holding him in my arms, kissing his chubby feet, playfully biting his chunky cheeks, and nursing him. That last one is happening sooner than I had ever expected. He shows little interest in nursing anymore, and it saddens me. My son is growing up right before my eyes. He is rolling around everywhere, and in a few months he will surely be crawling circles around us. Every time I look at him, I want to cry because my heart can barely hold all of the love I have for him.

Rain

There is something about the way it smells when it rains in the desert. The cool rain meets the warm earth, and then something wonderful happens. It doesn't matter what kind of mood I am in, or what my day has been like, that smell sends me into a dizziness of serenity. All is calm here at Clegg Castle, as the macaroni-turkey bake is in the oven, baby boy is napping, and my girls are peering curiously out of the front door until the booming thunder sends them running!  I hope everyone has these calm moments now and then.

xo-Joy