I Love Running + I Don’t Like Watching My Babies Grow Up!

I’ve been a crazy lady (as usual) and I’m so frustrated that I haven’t been able to blog more!  So sorry.  I’ve just accepted the fact that right now, this is as good as it’s going to get (in reference to blogging), dang it.

Life is wonderful and I’m sincerely grateful every single day for the people and blessings in my life, but MAN, I’m looking forward to catching my breath one day.  I’ve decided it’s TOUGH to raise teenagers AND babies at the same time (not to mention all the kiddos that fall somewhere in between!)

When I just had little kiddos at home, they were 100% on my schedule.  I took them with me wherever I went, they did whatever I did, they were all on predictable schedules and I had a pretty good hold of things.  AND before I had our sweet baby #6, life was sorta kinda manageable too.  Yes, we were crazy busy, but my kids were all potty trained, they all entertained themselves pretty well (so I could get stuff done), and I could count on getting a decent night’s sleep most nights!

NOW, I’m a crazy lady keeping up with the busyness of teenagers (homework, sports, friends, curfews, driving them back and forth, etc.) AND the sleep depravity and lack of productivity that comes with a baby.  It is N….U….T….S!

Oh, and not to mention the fact that I’m training for a half marathon and I sorta kinda like to take time to exercise and eat well when I can!

Oh ya, and I’m a blogger.  Hee hee.

It’s insane folks, but I seriously wouldn’t have it any other way!  I’m also trying not to “wish away” these precious years of my life.  I know all too well how quickly kids grow up and it absolutely kills me.  I’m trying to “live up” and cherish each day of their childhood.

Soooo, in the meantime, I hope y’all can be patient with me as I figure out how to sorta kinda balance my life.

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Well, I thought I would give you all an update on this crazy life of mine!  First off, up until last night I was sticking to my healthy diet very well!  For the past 3+ weeks I’ve stayed away from most sugary things, have upped my fruit/veggie intake and have tried to just be more conscious of what I’m eating in general.

I’ve lost about 4 pounds (woo hoo!) and I can totally tell a difference.  I’m fitting into my clothes better and I even think my face looks thinner.  Seriously yay!

I’m here to say (for the umteenth time) that losing weight is hard, painstakingly slow and takes loads of patience and commitment!  There are so many people out there who want to lose weight….they dig deep, find their motivation, clean up the diet and exercise more.  BUT, then they either get burned out, the results don’t happen quick enough, they “fall off the wagon” and get frustrated, they get stressed out, etc., etc., etc. AND then they give up!

The KEY to permanent weight loss and healthy living is consistency…. not perfection…. consistency.  You have to make permanent lifestyle changes; eat more healthy food, eat less junk, accept the fact that exercise is a part of life, commit to getting sleep (tough one for me!) and just keep doing it…again and again!

Anyway, so I’m happy about my measly 4 pound weight loss, because I know those pounds add up!  I will continue to make small (and big!) goals for myself, start (and sometimes fail) new challenges, experiment with different “healthy diet” plans, try out different exercise regimens and in the process, I will learn more about myself and what works best for me!

Healthy living is a lifetime commitment.  It is not something you “start” and “finish.”  It is continually striving, trying, working, learning and growing.  Yes, that sounds cheesy, but it’s the truth!

However, I totally had a “pig out” moment last night.  It was very strange (but fun!)  I went to a fun event at Massage Envy last night.  I will be partnering with them throughout the year and I’m so excited!  I will tell you guys a lot more about that in a separate post and throughout the next year.  Anyway, when I got home last night, I guess I was feeling extra relaxed and carefree AND it made me want to eat treats!  Sooo, I did!

Kev and I went on a nice drive and got some fries at Wendy’s and some candy at the gas station.  SO WEIRD.  But, it was fun.  When I got home, I checked on my son who was doing homework and realized he had his candy stash out…..so I helped him eat it!

I don’t regret any of it, but I also know I can’t do that every day!  My half marathon is almost two weeks away, so I’m going to try my best to keep the diet squeaky clean these last two weeks!

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Running

I’ve really been loving running lately!  In fact, I think I’m enjoying it more than I ever have!  It’s still hard and takes a lot of time, but I LOVE getting out in nature, ramping up the miles, listening to inspiring music and working my body.  It feels sooooo good!

I went on another nine mile run with Kev over the weekend.  We decided to drive 9ish miles away and then run home.  I ate a banana with peanut butter topped with KIND Peanut Butter Whole Grain Clusters on the drive there…

It tasted so good to me and turned out to be the perfect fuel.  I really enjoyed our run and my body felt great; no aches and pains!  I’ve been getting a couple of blisters lately though. 🙁  I made the mistake of giving myself a pedicure a couple weeks ago and I filed down all of my calluses!  Usually that’s a good thing, but as a runner it’s not.  My calluses keep my feet from getting killed.  Soooo, moleskin and bandaids have been my friends the past couple weeks.

I also went on a wonderful five mile run a couple nights ago with Kev, Kev’s brother and our sister-in-law, who were visiting us from Idaho.  I only took ONE picture as I was running along…

That’s Kev and his brother ahead of me.  The scenery was beautiful, weather was perfect and I loved every minute.  I’m also happy that five miles seems EASY now!  One of the many things I love about running is watching my body improve and run faster and/or farther than I thought I could!

Speaking of “running faster,”  I’m getting ever so slightly a little bit faster!  I ran my five mile run right around a 9:00 pace and my nine mile run was in the 9:20’s.  It’s nice to see some improvement there.  I’m definitely a believer that weight has A LOT to do with speed of running.   I’m hoping that as I continue to lose weight, my running speed will continue to increase!

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Healthy Eats

So, the other day I decided to make a bunch of Overnight Oats (in the mason jars)….

I can’t say they’re my favorite thing in the world, but they’re decent AND they are quick, easy and portable!  I’ve been eating one in the car the past few mornings as I drive my kiddos to school.  Super easy breakfast.

My favorite flavors are Apple Cinnamon and Chocolate Banana.  YUM!

I also made some of my favorite Sweet Potato Chips and Guacamole a few nights ago.  I LOVE this combination and my baby’s been loving the guac!

I made my White Chicken Chili for dinner the other night and it hit the spot!  It’s one of my most popular recipes and I hadn’t made it in a long time, so I decided to make it!  All of the kiddos loved it, even the baby!

I made some homemade Pita Chips to dip in it and a salad to go on the side.  Love.

I even decided to make a new “pretty picture” to share with you guys because my old picture is pretty pathetic.  Ha ha.

I’ve been trying to make big salads for lunch lately!  I made this salad a few days ago and took it with me on the go…

GUYS, raisins taste so dang good on a salad!  Love them.  I also crunched up some leftover Pita Chips on top and they were the bomb.

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Random Things in My Life

K, so I painted my nails the other day and it has made me happier than it probably should have!  I NEVER paint my fingernails….never, ever.  My toes are always painted, but I always seem to neglect my fingers.  However, I found a very cute nail polish at Walmart the other day, so I decided to paint the nails.

I bought Essie Mint Candy Apple and I LOVE it so much!  I might become obsessed with painting my nails.  Hee hee.  Seriously, it took me only 5 minutes to do, but every time I saw my bright blue-green nails it made me smile.

I even took a pic…

That’s kind of a “sorry pic” of my fingernails, but you can see the pretty color!  Also, I must mention that just as I finished painting my nails, I realized I needed to change a poopy diaper!

Awesome.

I somehow managed to change his diaper and keep my nails unscathed.  I’ve got “skills” I tell ya!

I also have to say that the other day I was going through all of my baby’s clothes and getting rid of the things that he’d grown out of…

It surprised me how sad it made me!!!!  I’m not attached to all the baby things around my house; swing, bouncer, crib, etc., but when it comes to all the baby clothes….they have my heart.

I could literally feel my heart ache as I sorted through all of the cute clothes that he would never wear again.  I still have several things that ALL of my babies have worn too.  Sniff, sniff.

I seriously had to stop sorting and just walk away.  Then I called Kev in tears.  Yes, I have issues.

This whole “last baby” thing is SO HARD for me!  I’m a pretty emotionally stable person, but man, I’ve been a wreck watching this sweet baby of mine grow up.  He’s only EIGHT months old too.  Sigh.

I’ve broken down in tears several times throughout his short life.  I’ve assured Kev that I’m fine and I’ll survive, but I’ve also warned him that I’m probably going to cry throughout this last baby’s whole life.

Being a mom and having all of these sweet babies has been one of the greatest blessings of my life!  I’ll admit there is a small part of me that is happy and relieved to be done having babies.  It is physically exhausting and it feels good to slowly reclaim my own life again.  However, it RIPS my heart out to see this chapter of my life closing.  Auuuughhh.

I know my kids will always be my kids, but as they grow up I almost mourn the loss of those sweet babies.  It’s really strange and hard to explain in words.

My mom has THIS picture of me and my siblings as the background on her computer screen (we’re missing my younger sister who wasn’t born yet.)  I’m that little girl in white, btw.

She told me that she often thinks to herself (about her kids), “Where did you all go?”  Then she turns on the computer, sees all of our cute faces staring back and thinks, “Oh, there you are!”

When she told me that story, it pretty much broke my heart.  I can now relate so well.  I love watching my kids grow up, but I also hate it at the same time.  I also miss my own childhood and living in the same house as my parents and siblings.  Change is so hard.

Okay, I will end my sob story.  In fact, I need to end this post!  My blog redesign is “goin’ down” tonight and I need to get off of here, so they can redesign!!!  Yay!!!

I love you all.  Thanks for listening to me and all of my emotional issues.  Ha ha.  ‘Night.

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