Google reader... a bygone era

Just wanted to remind everyone that as of 1 July, 2013 Google Reader will be a thing of the past.  If you haven't already done it you may look at a couple of options such as Feedly or even BlogLovin' as a means to continue following all of the blogs you were following in Google Reader.  I'm not going to lie to you... currently I am using both for my personal blog following.  My personal preference... I would have said BlogLovin' until just a day or two ago when I remembered that I had a Feedly account.  Imagine my surprise when I really got into it... I LOVE IT!!  I love the fact that I can save old posts and can modify the look of how I read the posts.

I know some of you have already signed up to follow me in Bloglovin' but if you haven't already signed up to follow me through another means I would love it if you signed up to follow me via e-mail subscriber or Bloglovin' or even Feedly.

Have a wonderful evening!  (and yes I have some posts in the works... i have to admit projects have been few and far between as my husband has been out of town and just holding down the fort has taken priority... looking forward to connecting with you all again SOON!)

A Celebration.... in honor of 4 years, 200 posts, flying the coop, and high school!

Let me start this off by saying WOW!  4 years next Monday?  How did that happen?  Only 200 posts? LOL sorry but that just strikes me as completely humorous!  NO one ever said that I wasn't a bit ADDish when it came to my pursuits!! Which is more than evident is my posting or more oftentimes lack of posting... but that is okay by me.  :-) It has been a progression, kinda like my life!  Trust me I don't regret starting this blog one little bit!!  I've made some truly wonderful life long friends... some of which I've had the pleasure of actually meeting in person (yes that would include you Jen, Karianne, and Missy and some who I am still waiting to meet in real life... huh Mel (just to name one!)  Yes lady one of these days we will actually meet.  Okay the same goes for Donna and.. another lady who has truly blessed my life... oh the list could go on and on!

 (glorious sunrises)

And get this... today is THE last day of the school year... how did that happen?  Seriously... it just leaves my mind reeling!  Yep, a whole lot of change is going on here... sweet hubby is getting back from a trip to Haiti where he helped to build a church/school on the top of a mountain where there was no centralized meeting place of any sort.  Then he will be off to Quantico, VA for 5 weeks... FIVE whole weeks!  I know it is nothing compared to the deployments he used to go on but still 5 weeks??? I am hoping it will go quickly as the boys have pretty busy schedules this summer.  Well, kinda busy... especially in the late afternoons/evenings.  Yes we have marching ban practice and tennis pre-conditioning starting tomorrow.  And speaking of tomorrow, or rather this afternoon we will officially have a senior in high school as well as a freshman in high school and one just arriving at Ft Benning, GA for Army basic training.  Yes my baby will be in high school!!

(stormy nights)

Okay now on to one of the things that I've had to sit on for weeks... my first born has actually flown the coop? I dropped him off at the recruiter's yesterday afternoon.  Yes, our eldest Ian enlisted in the Army and got the job of his dreams...  he has an Army Ranger slot!!  He was over the moon happy!!  So now he is currently on a plane flying to Ft Benning, GA to start his many, many months of arduous training.  We would greatly appreciate ALL and ANY prayers for him as he has chosen a path that few are willing to undertake and even fewer actually achieve.  However this has always been the way he has done things!  Ian is definitely a man not afraid of hard undertakings!!  (ugh I was going to post a recent picture of him but realized the only one I have is one I promised to NEVER publish!  its too funny but i won't do it! lets say we were all being silly and its just kinda weird looking! ha ha!)

(summer blossoms)

Keep an eye out because I have more news later on this week!  Some surprises concerning the actual 4 year anniversary of this blog... and the ever present ADDishness of my pursuits!  There might just be giveaway involved as well (or maybe even two! because if there is something this girl is consistent about it is making things for others!!  yep love me some surprise gifting!!)

On that note I hope you have a wonderful Monday!

(french sea gull.. the same the world over!)

The Journey... to a more fit me.

Hello!  And how is everyone today?! Yes I'm feeling rather perky this morning... which is quite an accomplishment for a full fledged night owl!!  I have to admit I am feeling great!  Why? you ask... well, you see, there is a reason I have disappeared, once again, from the blog world and FB for that matter as well.  The story goes like this... back in during the winter I started to prepare for a trip to France with our middle son and the French program at his high school.  You know, doing things like trying to add in a little more walking (because our house is smaller and it takes minimal steps to get from one end to the other) and deciding what to wear.  I noticed some of my favorite spring outfits had gotten a little tight over the winter... hmm.. yes I did the inevitable!  I got on the scales!!  And do you know what?  I did NOT like what I saw... then I took a good look in the mirror, wearing minimal clothing.  THAT did it!  I mean seriously how could I have gotten this out of shape!!!  We won't discuss how much I weighed (that will be many months done the road... just know it wasn't pretty!!!)  So I started to walk a little more... and cut out the late night snacking.  Fast forward to France... oh the food was delicious but the serving sizes were smaller.  Trust me that wasn't bad at all... in fact they were the perfect size.  Yes I kept up with the group but then I got home and saw the pictures of me... that did it!  NO more couch potato!!

Yes that is me... a rather unflattering me... 

(please excuse the impassive expression and bad hair... ha ha!)

The big thing that I took away from that trip was the need for more exercise!  Fast forward to the beginning of May when I realized I had slipped back into the old routine... dinner, dishes, hours on the computer, then bed.  I did not gain anything but I was stagnant and sluggish feeling again.  Things had to change...  Fast forward to now, May 28th, 2013... a mere 8 weeks into this new trek.  I'm down 13 lbs, have lost several inches, and most importantly have tons more energy!  What am I doing?  Well first of all I am limiting my computer time... all game apps have been deleted off my FB page, browsing is kept to a bare minimum, and I no longer sit on the couch for any computer work.  Yes the couch was my safe place, my comfy place... the place I could spend hours on the computer.  Not any longer!!  OH this means I am getting to bed earlier as well and getting up earlier.  Am I in bed every single night at a reasonable hour? No, not by any stretch of the imagination but it has gotten to the point where more nights than not I am in bed and asleep around 11:00 p.m.  The addition of exercise (an arm work-out, a core work-out, and a walk every single day!!) has really been beneficial as well.  I do the arm work-out twice a day right now because I really, really want to see results!  Yes, jiggly arms be gone!!  (I'm looking forward to wearing shorter sleeves this summer!!)  Some of my additional exercise has come in the form of taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking at the opposite end of the parking lot from the store entrance, and parking at the very opposite end of the mall when I have to stop in for something.  Each extra step really adds up!  

However the biggest change has been in the kitchen and what goes in my mouth.  No, there is no non-fat, super low calorie processed foods in this house!  There has been the addition of more whole grains (preferably sprouted for ease of digestibility), more vegetables, chicken, fruits, and nuts... and LOTS and LOTS of WATER!!! Do I treat myself with food any longer?  Not so much.  I've discovered my craving for sweets has diminished tremendously and when I do eat something super sweet.. it is just that SUPER sweet!  To the point of being too sweet.  If I do have a true craving, do I deny myself?  NOPE not one bit but moderation is the key.  I've found that by eating just a single bite or even two is typically enough to satisfy that craving.  In fact that is all I will put on my plate or in my bowl.  Then I use either a demitasse spoon or a baby spoon and slowly eat my indulgence.  By slowing down and truly savoring each and every tiny bite I've learned that I don't need all that much to satisfy me.  

Do I reward myself with food any longer?  NO, No, and no!  But I do reward my self... a pack of gum with xylitol, a new bottle of finger nail polish, or repotting cuttings from a friend's succulents.  I know the finger nail polish is a crazy one, right?!  Well, if you knew me you would realize it is!  But do you know what?  At 48 I am discovering it can be kinda fun to be a bit girly!  Yes, this coming from the "girl" who has lived in a house full of males for the past 19 years!!  (and I wasn't all the girly before they came along! ha ha!) OH the third thing for me has been accountability...  I have a friend I talk to pretty close to every single time I got for a walk.  I am part of an on-line fitness group where I check in once a week with my progress as well as daily (if necessary for encouragement) as well as part of a tiny private group that encourages each other to get to bed on time.  

That being said you will be seeing more of my fitness routine, new recipes, progress updates, and photos from my walks.

(yes it is super fuzzy... that is what happens when one is laughing while trying to take a self photo while standing on a chair! lol!  Oh those jeans were too tight for me to wear while in France!!  They are now even a tiny bit loose fresh out of the dryer!)

So feel free to keep up with the progress being made!  If you are wondering what finally propelled me to get in shape after 13 years... well it was the realization that I am not getting any younger and that I finally.. FINALLY wanted to do this.. not because anyone was pressuring me but because this is the body the Lord has given me and I need to take better care of it!  I might be 48 with a teenager who is leaving home next week to begin his own journey in life as an adult but that doesn't make me old... there is still life to be lived! So I'm getting off my duff and getting back into the game!!

Have a wonderful day!!

Pointe du hoc, omaha beach, and points in between

Mere words can not express the raw emotions I felt on the day we visited Pointe du Hoc, 

Arromanches-le-Bains, Omaha Beach, the American Cemetery in Normandy, and points between.  Somehow the cold blustery day was befitting the solemnity of the visit.

Pointe du Hoc

Arromanches-les-Bains

Normandy American Cemetery at Omaha Beach

Paris at night

Twinkling stars

paris nights

magical moments

shared alone

looking forward to the time when we go together

artwork 

memories

shared & treasured

Scenes from France

Hello!  or rather Bonjour!... the greeting made to/by EVERY shop owner in France.  The past few weeks have been a true whirlwind of activity.  End of the term, Easter, preparations for a trip to Washington D.C. with the 8th grade class made by my husband and Evan, and then all the preparations for the trip to France that Sean and I made with the high school French program.  A whirlwind hardly describes life for the past few weeks.  After 8 days in France with 40 high school students and 10 adult.... well let's just say I am typing literally typing with my eyes closed right now.  And sleep, what's that?  Yes I am currently in withdrawal mode.... but I'm enjoying it.  The weather is fantastic here at home... in the 60's (something we did not see in France at all... in fact it was unseasonably cold... we even saw snow!)  but is was simply beautiful! oh i am not enjoying the withdrawal from good coffee though.  I kept my beverage of choice consumption to a minimum because I knew once I returned home the withdrawal symptoms would be monumental.  No not from the lack of caffeine but rather from the lack of good quality coffee.  It has been so long since I've had a truly wonderful cup of coffee.  One that was so smooth... so incredibly smooth that no sugar or cream was needed.  no trace of bitterness, just pure decadence!  Yes I miss my coffee!!  So if any of you have ever been to France, currently live in France, or have ever had that sublime coffee of France before please, please offer up some advice.  Yes I am willing to pay the price in order to get that kind of coffee once again.  With no further adieu I present to you but a few scenes from France.  There will be more to come in days to follow... days where I am more wide awake and can actually type with my eyes open.  days where the washing machine isn't whirring continually in the background.  Days where soft music is playing, bread is rising, and projects are underway once again.

Just a few shots from our last evening in France.... spent in Montmatre and the Eiffel tower.

the shops

Montmatre... the classic view of the city

eiffel tower on our final night

 the quintessential carousel of France

Snow day!!

Just a few quick photos to share of our spring "storm"

(not the prettiest as I wasn't willing to venture out in pjs while waiting for the laundry to finish)

(more to come as the day progresses!)

Through the front window... our Korean Lilac bush

Drifting a little anyone?

Where is the step and the dog's bowl?

Snow anyone?

12 inches and still coming down!

As you can see I didn't venture out the doors yet... maybe once the boys are up!  

Have a wonderful day!