We have embarked on a new adventure around here.  RV living!  The kids and I are staying in a small RV during the week in an effort to save time and money traveling back and forth to school.  We were spending at least 10 hours a week in the car, not to mention the time wasted in my office waiting for practice to be over.  Now we have a place in town to stay overnight or to sit during practice.  It's been an adventure, with frozen water, running out of propane, broken pipes, etc.  We are learning a lot.  We have spent most evenings at the table playing cards or backgammon.  The boys have their xbox and this week we discovered the library has movies to check out.  If the temperature dips below 0, we head home but if not we just brave it!  We have learned to heat water in the microwave for a quick rinse and to shower at night before it drops below freezing.  I think we are managing quite well.  Some nights if I am lucky, I can convince my daughter to sleep in my bed which means her little dog climbs in as well.  Those are the warmest nights because he loves to snuggle.  I will gladly deal with her kicking and teeth grinding as long as I get the pup! 
I hope the kids look back on this time with fond memories and realize the sacrifices we are making for them.  I hope RV living provides them with extra time to spend with their friends, on school, or playing cards with their family.  And I hope I remember why I am doing it also, especially on mornings like today and yesterday when the windchill was -6.  Brrr, it's cold outside!

New year's eve was the first day of my WOE plan. (Way of eating) I survived a stressful appointment,  a close basketball game, and new years eve party. I am sore from working out. I stayed on track despite stressful events that would have sent me into comfort eating. I brought in the new year in a healthy way. I ate my lucky peas. We are almost back home with all our guests safely delivered.

Looking forward to another year. What do you have in store for me 2014?

Over the holiday, I have been reviewing things that worked in the past to help me in any number of ways. This blog was one of the things that I think helped me. I have tried to stick with "it" for years. You know "it" means get skinny, get healthy, get in shape, keep the house clean, stay organized, etc. When I turned 40 in September I had a goal. I watched 40 come and go along with my goals. Then I begin to hurt. The pain was different from what I have felt before. The pain stayed with me all day. It hit me when I got up in the morning no matter if I had worked out the day before or not. It hit me after 8 hours or sleep or 4 hours. It hit me after standing all day or sitting all day. It hit me after walking, resting, treadmills, weights, naps, or life. It felt like the flu in my joints all the time. It was my hips and knees that felt the worst but some days it was my hands or my wrists, others it was my ankles or my shoulders. It was always my hips and my knees. Some days I felt swollen but didn't look swollen. Some days I felt stiff. Some days even the sheets or my clothes hurt me. I tried to eliminate foods. I tried to eliminate activities. I tried ice and I tried heat. I tried pain medicine. Finally I tried the doctor.

He asked me about my sleeping, well it's never been good. He asked me about my depression, well it's not under control. He asked me about my pain, and boy did I tell him. He ran tests and took 5 vials of blood. He told me to stop running and see if we could get my pain under control. I didn't want to tell him I had already tried that. He gave me some medicine to help me sleep. I have tried that medicine before and it does make me sleep, for days. He thinks getting my sleep under control will be the first step no matter what the test results tell us.

Then came the holidays so we wait for the test results. In the meantime, I decided to look back over the past years when I had success with "it". I also decided that I am going to hurt no matter what so I decided to run anyway. I know that no matter what, I need to be in shape to face the test results. The best shape I have been in included running and weight lifting.

I also know that in 21 days you can develop good habits so I am not looking any further than 21 days into my future. I am on day 2. I hurt and I am sore but I am proud. I am excited for the next 21 days. I am excited for 2014. I am excited to finish out the 40th year of my life. I will take on the test results and I will be healthy and fit when I do.

See you on the road!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

12 weeks to 40.  Yikes.  Working my plan and I will be where I want to be when 40 gets to me.  It is a tough plan but it is workable. 

Where did the time go?

Go Jill, go Jill! I made it to rest day of my 2nd week and so did my daughter. We have gotten all our workouts in and diet has been good for me. We are just trying to focus on healthy eating and exercise with her so it's been great. I wasn't sure how long she would last but today for her reward we are going to buy her some shoes. She has been running in her school shoes which were her basketball shoes(not high tops). They are probably okay but have already been washed several times and been around the playground a few hundred. Hopefully we can agree on the price and the color while still finding her a good running shoe.

I am getting myself a new pair of capri tights. My legs aren't what they used to be and I have enjoyed running in the pair of capri tights that I have. Seems to give me the coverage and the support I need right now. I would love a pair of the compression tights but can only imagine how that would be to get them on.

Today I am celebrating my long week at work and my exercise by relaxing on the porch with coffee in my favorite mug. There is a cool breeze and the temperature is perfect thanks for last night's storms. I started the sprinklers and pulled a few weeds. I have already made pancakes for the guys. Now I get a little me time on the porch before the demands of the day begin.

Except for the flu like feelings in my joints, I have really enjoyed the last few days of working out with my baby girl.




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My middle child will be a freshman this year so that means summer workouts for football. He has been kind enough this week to go extra early since we are short a driver due to my oldest being at camp. We live about 10 minutes away from the school in the country which makes it about 20 minutes of drive time. Yesterday's workout only lasted 20 minutes. I had gone out to the pasture to get my run in so I asked my husband to go pick him up when he finished. This worked out yesterday because my husband didn't have to go in to work until a little later. Last night due to a storm, my husband had to work most of the night so I knew I wouldn't be able to count on him for a ride for this morning.

I felt extra brave so I decided to park my car at the school and run in town, yes, where people could see me. I did an out and back run on a little town street. I had to jump to the side, otherwise known as a ditch to avoid some traffic. It was a little muddy due to the rain last night but not too bad. I was able to get almost back to the car when my son called for a ride. I had left the keys for him at the car so it worked out perfectly.

I am not sure I wil be brave enough to do that every day but I sure felt good about it today.

Rearranging my life, one child at a time. But he is worth it!

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