tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25367480253245306352024-03-13T04:08:16.369-07:00Peanut and ChickenNicknames for my two babies who aren't babies anymore...and don't go by these nicknames anymore! Heather Forceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124279901831950997noreply@blogger.comBlogger775125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536748025324530635.post-26965851047906443282024-02-01T15:00:00.000-08:002024-02-01T15:00:04.473-08:00It's Been a Minute<p>Goodness gracious it's been a minute since I've posted. I went down a bit of a nostalgic rabbit hole because I had to look up the anniversary of my dad's death. I refuse to put that particular date into my memory. I can remember MANY other dates, but I block that one out. However, I knew I had blogged about my dad. I logged into the blog...and rabbit hole.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7o0yXY8aaKiqsXIftORIwoaT6ZO4udHGvPrwikTyuwRPns0rWWWBEzCX7Qs5LAE4306pc51BGgLg6SzdCTsqnq13NZpI_BjCRy6GqVcyvb5TciTozMP3tjDk3bWjfVjeiATas7Ok4R2utNbS9SNKTdbOusQz8F8lwn4O5ZTrKfk2OfcoNyI4YX9Uqvoc/s3088/IMG_6496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7o0yXY8aaKiqsXIftORIwoaT6ZO4udHGvPrwikTyuwRPns0rWWWBEzCX7Qs5LAE4306pc51BGgLg6SzdCTsqnq13NZpI_BjCRy6GqVcyvb5TciTozMP3tjDk3bWjfVjeiATas7Ok4R2utNbS9SNKTdbOusQz8F8lwn4O5ZTrKfk2OfcoNyI4YX9Uqvoc/s320/IMG_6496.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Quite a bit has changed since 2018! I'll keep this first return post brief. It's mostly for my benefit anyhow!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Eric and I will be married for 21 years in April. He's put up with me for nearly 22 years altogether! The picture was taken right before he joined me in a 5K run at Woodward Park. I am fast and loose with the term run! He might not want to run with me, but he'll always attend and support me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's the update on the family.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Eric</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">He just turned 55 this past Thanksgiving. He is the IT Director for the City of Hanford with two employees working for him. He recently had shoulder surgery and just finished several months of physical therapy. He drives a giant truck that is loud. He loves it. He enjoys car shows on tv, relaxing, and his girls (Boxers Ginger and Luna). He is the glue that holds our family together and is always taking care of all of us. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Heather</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I stopped working at OLPH after the 2019-2020 school year and took over as principal during Covid for St. Joachim School in Madera. It is surreal to be back in the town where I once lived and worked. I work with amazing staff and get to lead an amazing group of kids. The parent support is fantastic, and it is an adventure each day. It's the hardest job I've ever done, but also the best. I still read like crazy (131 books in 2023), I still journal, and I still worry about everything! I also polish my nails, love bubble baths, and am trying to make this last year of my 40s the healthiest yet. I'm on a bit of a quest to improve my overall health and wellness. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8X6QGk65E1C2OA91WYSL500hbBpq4SUPHwjZTqimO-v9IInyQG-KvNlsu9dIVs3MEdmygd65g_UUmzZGTpCJ_76vFgzv4cbEeUcHL1QLfhdWDZm7Q3PlicoMAuC-uOix10RZYSxGkpKC1DXmEPyzT69r4qNdlILWQv6oeARf967Jqb62HBvkHVK6I0w/s3520/IMG_6374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1980" data-original-width="3520" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8X6QGk65E1C2OA91WYSL500hbBpq4SUPHwjZTqimO-v9IInyQG-KvNlsu9dIVs3MEdmygd65g_UUmzZGTpCJ_76vFgzv4cbEeUcHL1QLfhdWDZm7Q3PlicoMAuC-uOix10RZYSxGkpKC1DXmEPyzT69r4qNdlILWQv6oeARf967Jqb62HBvkHVK6I0w/w444-h250/IMG_6374.JPG" width="444" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our boys have GROWN! This photo was taken in Mazatlan on our family cruise this past December.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Evan - pictured in the Nike shirt.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Evan is now 19 and in his second year of college. He is studying business/finance. He works at an aquatic pet store, goes to school, works out, and hangs out with his friends or his girlfriend of three years, Mia (pictured next to him).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hudson - Pictured in the grey shirt.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hudson is 16 and a junior in high school. He drives, works out, gets good grades, and also works at the pet store. Hudson always has some place to be whether it is the gym, school, hanging with friends, or going to Cane's for food.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I really do not understand how my babies got so big and grown and mature. They are both just the most awesome sons anyone could ask for. Eric and I joke that we have two roommates now instead of sons because they have individually very busy lives that don't revolve around us anymore. I am so proud of them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That was the condensed version of life in the past five years. Maybe I'll continue to blog more posts. I'd like to. It's fun to look back at how our lives evolved. It's fun to reminisce. It's good to be back.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Heather Forceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124279901831950997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536748025324530635.post-88679382834371046152018-06-08T14:01:00.003-07:002018-06-08T14:01:54.238-07:00Nine Years<div style="text-align: center;">
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It has been nine years today since my dad unexpectedly passed away. Nine years of life that just kept moving on without him. Nine years of highs, lows, sickness, successes, sports, graduations, pets, holidays, birthdays and accomplishments. Nine years of life he didn't get to share with us here on Earth. I know he is sharing it with us from Heaven, but let's be honest...that just isn't the same.<br />
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I don't get overly emotional about the death of my dad anymore. It's been nine years. I've had a lot of time to process, to grieve, to remember, and to cry. If I'm being honest, June 8 rolls around each year, and I sort of forget it's the date of his death, but then I panic thinking I forgot it, and I have to poke around the internet to remind myself that his death did indeed occur on June 8. I don't like to remember this particular date. I'll never forget his birthday. I'll never forget my mom and dad's anniversary. But the date of his death? I don't like to remember it.<br />
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I get emotional over my dad on unexpected days. For instance, I can be driving near Fresno State in the Fall with the Bulldogs getting ready to play a big football game. That has reduced me to sobs. Another "out of the blue" crying jag will hit me when I heard any song by Josh Groban. I swear it's my dad talking to me through his songs! I think of you when I see cows and trains. In my head, I count the train car colors and thank the cows for my milk. I think of you when I see mailmen. I think of you when I go on a candy binge and eat circus peanuts. I think of you when I see old fashioned hard Christmas candy.<br />
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Dad, we miss you so very, very much. Gosh, you would have been so stinking proud of Evan and Hudson. Evan's graduation day was hard without you there. You would have been beaming with pride to see your grandson earning the most awards and reading his letter to the whole congregation. You would have loved seeing Evan play basketball. You would have been so excited to see him win contests this year. It's been a really neat year for that kid. We still have that little sea lion that you gave Evan from the post office. I don't keep a lot of things, but I'll never give that away.<br />
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Hudson reminds me of you quite a bit. I see those dark brown eyes of his and remember those last pictures I have of you and him at Easter with you wearing bunny ears. You would have been the best grandpa to sit and listen to Hudson's crazy long-winded stories. You would have loved to see him play flag football and basketball. You would have been so proud of what an amazing reader this kid is. You would have been so proud of him getting straight A's in school.<br />
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I hope you would have been proud of me. I'm finally going back to school to get my administrative credential. I'm not sure of my plans for the future, but I want to be ready for it if an opportunity presents itself. I hope you would have been proud of me as a mom and wife. I hope you would have been proud of me as a teacher.<br />
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Sometimes I think back and wonder if you were aware of what was happening that last day. I also wonder if you were in pain before that day, but for reasons only you will know, you didn't go to the doctor to have it checked out. You were in pain most of your life. It hurts my heart to think of you being scared on that last day. It happened so fast. No warning. No idea that you were hurting. I know that you heard me when I saw you in the hospital that night. You squeezed my hand and made a little squeak to let me know you were with me.<br />
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I know you are still with me. I just wish it was here. It sucks not having you here. I am having a hard time processing the fact that you have been gone for nine years. That first year was filled with so many "first times without Dad" moments. Then life moves forward and we get busy with the day-to-day job of bills, school, grades, dinner, sports, and more.<br />
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I just wish we had had more time. It comforts me to think of you watching us from Heaven. There was one very specific incident where you "spoke" to me. I know without a shadow of a doubt that you were telling me that you were with me. I'd love to "hear" from you again!<br />
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I just want you to know that we are good. Eric and I have been married for 15 years, we are raising two incredible boys, and we have puppies. Oh my word you would LOVE the puppies! My great sadness is that Evan's memories of you are fading and Hudson was only a year and a half when you left. I keep you alive through stories. The kids know you. I just wish they had had the chance to know you here.<br />
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Keep watching over us. I love you, Dad.Heather Forceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124279901831950997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536748025324530635.post-82978562822722698342018-06-07T08:20:00.003-07:002018-06-07T08:20:48.342-07:00April 2018 Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The month of April feels like it was so long ago given the fact that May was CRAZY busy, hectic, emotional, and long. I'll post several different stories about our May happenings later this week...or at least that's my goal!</div>
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I enjoyed Easter Break. Coffee in bed with the first coffee cup I ever purchased. Side note: I go through phases where I break free of caffeine. I think I have gotten myself to a point where I enjoy one cup of coffee each morning...but no more. Afternoon caffeine headaches are not fun.</div>
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Hudson enjoyed late mornings snuggling in my bed.</div>
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For the first time in many years, my school held a Mother/Son Dance. I went to one with Evan when he was in first grade. #hatedit All we did at that dance was run around like loons and sweat. I wasn't overly interested in attending this year's dance, but Hudson was quite adamant that he wanted to go.</div>
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Actually, the conversation went something like this:</div>
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Mom: Hey Hudson, were you wanting to go to the Mother/Son Dance?</div>
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Hudson: Of course I want to go! Why wouldn't we go?</div>
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Mom: (fake cheer) Oh yes, we'll go! </div>
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I wasn't about to disappoint the child, so Eric and Evan headed to Evan's basketball game and Hudson and I got ready to dance the night away. If anything, it gave me a reason to do my hair and makeup.</div>
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Just a bit of truth talk...my body image is at an all-time low at the moment, so I try to appreciate the times when I feel positive about myself. I liked how I looked for Hudson's dance.</div>
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Silly faces before we head out.</div>
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It's hard to understand how my youngest is 10 and getting ready for 6th grade. When they are little it feels like they'll never grow up.</div>
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I was glad that the theme of the dance was "sports." I had a Warriors shirt on and Hudson wore a basketball shirt. However, I apparently didn't get the memo of being "matchy-matchy." Honestly, it didn't even occur to me to try to match each other, but it seemed EVERY OTHER MOM instinctively knew to do this. There were matching mom/son outfits everywhere. #mamatried</div>
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The dance had super cute decorations. The big hit of the night was the bowls filled with bubble gum. We took lots of gum home. There wasn't much dancing. Hudson and I literally only danced ONE time. I tried to get him to dance more, but he was much more interested in hanging out with his friends and running around outside. At least I didn't have to tie a balloon to my ankle and have small children try to pop it like I did years ago. That was horrible.</div>
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I sat at my table eating candy and talking with an aide that works at our school that I haven't had a chance to get to know very well. It was nice learning more about Monica, so I'll call the dance a success, even if there wasn't much dancing.</div>
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The rest of April consisted of lots of AAU basketball games for both kids. We had Friday/Saturday night games pretty much every weekend.</div>
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We were really proud of Evan this year because he got selected for the "B" team, but through hard work and dedication, he worked his way up to the "A" team and got a lot of praise from his coaches. Often times, they used him for both the A and B teams. There were some weekends where we were going to seven basketball games between the two kids!</div>
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Hudson had a fun AAU season and has steadily improved in his basketball skills. He enjoys his friends that he has made on the team and helped lead his team to a couple of wins. </div>
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Spring AAU is over, but we have moved into the high school level AAU for the summer league. That is only for Evan. He is training anywhere from 2-4 times a week and will be starting daily weight training and skill classes. I really have fun watching his basketball games, even though they are getting more and more stressful as the play becomes more and more intense.</div>
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Apparently, we had a cold April day where I broke out a heavy winter sweater!</div>
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I did a little bit of exercise. Clearly, I enjoy it. #noidont</div>
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Sometimes I ate healthy meals.</div>
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My little Huddy Buddy. He still gives me great hugs.</div>
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Eric and I celebrated 15 years of marriage. Wow! Feels like an eternity, and it feels like yesterday all at the same time. We have grown so much together in 15 years. And we looked so young!</div>
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We don't typically do gifts for our anniversary, so I was super surprised when I got roses delivered to me at school! I gotta admit, I really loved it! Getting flowers delivered is such a girly thing that makes me all gooey inside!</div>
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We spent our anniversary at my school's Open House. Then we went out to a late dinner at Tahoe Joe's, so that part was fun!</div>
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That's the wrap up for April. </div>
<br />Heather Forceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124279901831950997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536748025324530635.post-45205689013966662302018-04-05T08:20:00.003-07:002018-04-05T08:20:38.157-07:00Heather Goes Back to College<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My view every morning when I get up early and work on college stuff. I don't turn the tv on while I"m working. It's on only because I'm on Spring Break.</div>
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I started back to school this past January to obtain my Administrative Credential. Boy is it rough! Not the classes. They aren't rough. The classes are great. I like the teachers, I am enjoying the books, and I like the time spent with the other students working in discussion groups.<br />
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What is rough is the time spent on all of it. Hours and hours of time on top of an already decently busy life.<br />
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I have to give ALL the credit to Eric for literally taking care of everything from the house to the laundry to the cooking to the kids to me. He is taking this on like a true hero. I try to help out, but I never quite feel like I am doing enough. The extra time spent reading, writing papers, and physical time in class is just a lot for all of us, and there is no way I could do it without help from my family.<br />
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It's taken me a few months to figure out, but what seems to be working best for me is getting up at my normal 4 a.m. time and working on the reading and paper writing until 5 a.m. This is taking the place of what used to be my personal pleasure reading time, but I had to make a sacrifice with something. I am pretty worthless in the evenings, so working in the morning is helping me get stuff done.<br />
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One of the seven(!) books we are reading for Wednesday night's class. I am internally struggling because we haven't yet read any one book in its entirety! What?! I keep telling myself I am going to go back and finish up these books...because I really like them. These types of books are right in my wheelhouse. I'm just not sure when I'll have the time to do this...this year, anyhow.</div>
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The classes are every Wednesday and every other Monday. They are in Visalia from 5:15 to 8:45ish. That is rough for someone who is worthless in the evenings and who goes to bed in the 8 o'clock hour! I'm somehow making it though. Thursday used to be my favorite school day because I like my schedule that day. Now it's my most tired day!<br />
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This is the second book we are reading for Monday night's class. I'm working on the paper for this class that is due on Monday.</div>
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The program is one year. I'll be done before Christmas next year. I'm not sure what I'll do with the credential after I get it, but it will allow me to have options should I want them.<br />
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The toughest part (besides the time spent) was teaching myself how to "write" again. Writing a blog post or a letter or a lesson plan or even an accreditation document is very different than writing papers for school. And I've had to write papers EVERY SINGLE WEEK! I've also had to learn to be less wordy. We generally read 1-2 chapters out of a book and then need to summarize and reflect on the reading in 1-2 pages! One to two pages?! I have so much more to say! It has been a learning process to cut through the junk and get to the point in a concise and clear way.<br />
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We are less than a month from finishing our first semester. We take one class in the summer and then finish up with two more classes in the fall. I know I'll look back next year and be proud of doing this. Right now, it's a struggle to keep up with life!Heather Forceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124279901831950997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536748025324530635.post-6323709475750422672018-04-04T07:17:00.000-07:002018-04-04T07:17:19.575-07:00Life Lately: In Pictures and shortish captions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's been a while since I posted, and since I like my blog for family purposes, I figured I'd take a few minutes to update our life.</div>
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In June we worked out together as a family at the gym. And Eric made breakfast.</div>
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Hudson and I played a lot of board games during the long summer afternoons.</div>
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We got a bowling summer pass that allowed us to play three games each day. I got pretty good at bowling!</div>
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We went to Universal Studios in July to see Harry Potter Land. It was Hudson's dream vacation.</div>
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We splurged and stayed in the nice hotel. It was walking distance from the park, which made it nice to take an afternoon nap.</div>
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I started a third round of Whole30 when we got home. Spoiler: I didn't finish this round.</div>
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In August we got ready to go back to school. It's Evan's last year of uniforms.</div>
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Both boys got the experience of a facial and haircut. They loved it.</div>
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First day of school: fifth grade, 8th grade teacher, 8th grade.</div>
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I realized that it will be all too soon before these two are no longer sitting at my breakfast table.</div>
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The kids got to see the solar eclipse at school. It was really cool.</div>
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Having Evan in my 8th grade class has been fun.</div>
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The boys hanging out in my classroom.</div>
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Hudson turns 10.</div>
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Eric gets a Goldwing.</div>
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Eric bought me a record player so I can listen to my dad's old records.</div>
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Eric got a new Goldwing. There were issues with the white one, so he got a newer red one for a great price. Her name is Lucille. We took her to Nevada to buy her a special seat.</div>
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Evan turned 13 in October.</div>
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Eric took Hudson to school and the field trip to the fair on Lucille.</div>
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Eric and I took a day trip to Sequoia National Park.</div>
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Having a good hair/makeup day.</div>
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Hudson and I dressed up for Wacky Day during Red Ribbon Week.</div>
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Probably my favorite picture of myself this year.</div>
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Eric and Hudson made his costume.</div>
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I was Mrs. Potato Head for Halloween.</div>
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The 8th grade students were the toy soldiers from Toy Story.</div>
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Both boys got trophies for flag football.</div>
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I started drinking hot tea.</div>
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Eric turned 49.</div>
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Evan's artwork was selected for the month of June in the Valley Air District calendar.</div>
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Coach Washington got me the best T-shirt ever! Everyone at school pretty much knows I don't like to be touched. </div>
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The boys altar served at the Christmas Eve Mass.</div>
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New pajamas for the Forcey Family.</div>
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The boys both got hover boards! </div>
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Mom and I had a great lunch and movie day. Animals flock to her. It's almost like they know she is the one person who doesn't want to touch them!</div>
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I became obsessed with this movie and saw it three times in the theater!</div>
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We took a second trip to Universal Studios in January.</div>
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Hudson was in the school Talent Show in February.</div>
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I turned 43 and the junior high threw me a surprise party and made me a princess.</div>
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Evan took his graduation photos in March. I seriously cannot believe that he is going to graduate from 8th grade and go into high school in less than five months.</div>
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I finished the yearbook. This page was my favorite layout of the year.</div>
<br />Heather Forceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124279901831950997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536748025324530635.post-29018178271918223002017-08-07T03:30:00.000-07:002017-08-07T03:30:04.838-07:00Whole30 Round 3...or should I say Whole45?I started a third round of Whole30 on Friday, July 28. I'm a week in and feeling a mixture of feelings!<br />
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Here's a link to my <a href="http://peanutandchicken.blogspot.com/2016/11/i-successfully-completed-my-first.html" target="_blank">FIRST Whole30</a>.<br />
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This was Day 30 of my first round. I felt soooooooooo good!</div>
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I completed my second round right before my birthday. Yes, I actually decided to celebrate my birthday early and start a Whole30. I felt just as great the second time around as I did the first.<br />
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First off, for those who aren't sure what Whole30 is, go to this <a href="https://whole30.com/" target="_blank">LINK</a>. In a nutshell, a Whole30 is an eating program where you eliminate many foods that could potentially be a problem for 30 days. Then you systematically add those foods back into your diet in a controlled way like a science project to see if you have any problems. It's a complete and total reset for your body. <br />
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My reasons for doing Whole30 have always been to get my food addictions and cravings under control. There are a lot of nice side benefits such as weight loss, glowing skin, energy, clear head, motivation, improved mood, and so much more.<br />
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My summer was a little weird. I had some medical stuff going on for the first few weeks of June. Then I taught summer school for six weeks. Then we went on a short vacation. I knew I wanted to get back to healthy habits after the vacation. And that's literally what I did. We got home on Thursday night, and I started Whole30 the next day.<br />
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Why am I calling this round a Whole45? Because I plan to keep up with the plan for 45 days. Why? It has to do with getting back into an exercise routine along with healthy eating.<br />
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Last November, my friend Laura asked me to join a Boot Camp gym with her. It was a groupon and the price was good. I didn't really want to do it, but I agreed, and loved it. I loved it so much that I signed up for a year!<br />
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With the medical stuff going on back in June I wasn't able to work out for several weeks this summer. I finally started going back to boot camp this past week. Man, am I sore, but man do I feel good!<br />
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One morning while I was working out, I was thinking about how I started boot camp with a six week groupon membership. I remember feeling stronger after three weeks and noticing the improvements after six weeks. I told myself to give it six weeks back at boot camp. It's a mental game I'm playing with myself. Just six weeks. Six weeks is 42 days and I add the three days of Whole30 that I did prior to exercise and that takes me to a nice round 45.<br />
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I thought pretty hard about my exercise goals. (Eating goals were taken care of through Whole30, but I'll have to refine that for life after Whole30.) Anyhow, after a bit of contemplation I came up with boot camp at least three times a week and running at least three times a week. I want to build back up to a half marathon or maybe even a full marathon! Bucket list.<br />
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Okay, now that you have all that background...how am I doing? Well, I haven't cheated. And I won't.<br />
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But man, the past few days have been a struggle. It's back to school time. There's just a lot going on with putting together classrooms, trying to figure out where we are going to put 32 seventh graders, and ordering enough supplies for everyone. I feel like I'm having internal meltdowns.<br />
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I was working in my classroom this morning and I just had that urge to eat all the things that contained sugar. I'm not about to mess up my Whole30, but man the stress just hit me and all I wanted to do was drown the anxiety in sugar. It's my biggest weakness. I thought to myself, what else can I do besides eat? Exercise. I can exercise. (And write a blog post!)<br />
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Even though it was a little inconvenient and out of the way, I drove home, made myself a salad bigger than my head, and changed into my gym clothes. Then I came back to school to work. I'll hit the gym before going home. Let's see how that approach to stress and anxiety work for me!<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MP0lkaYpjwY/WYTvJOCxX0I/AAAAAAAAMCk/BypkSLvr_MUGxki4B9p_w1uwwif6D9pWwCLcBGAs/s1600/2017-08-04%2B14.35.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MP0lkaYpjwY/WYTvJOCxX0I/AAAAAAAAMCk/BypkSLvr_MUGxki4B9p_w1uwwif6D9pWwCLcBGAs/s640/2017-08-04%2B14.35.57.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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The salad I made after leaving school and taking a short mental break.</div>
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Here are some other photos from this round.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PEB6x9kUH48/WYTvG6IshdI/AAAAAAAAMCA/sfdVvwkabK4Z5VjPv8u1KRko6aKA7MnfwCLcBGAs/s1600/2017-07-28%2B08.13.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PEB6x9kUH48/WYTvG6IshdI/AAAAAAAAMCA/sfdVvwkabK4Z5VjPv8u1KRko6aKA7MnfwCLcBGAs/s640/2017-07-28%2B08.13.45.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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One habit I hung onto from the very first round was drinking black coffee! So strange even to me since I didn't even drink coffee until about two years ago!</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y8IYRefle3U/WYTvHQZC4OI/AAAAAAAAMCE/m-zKaKMPgCQn4ZnM8_4YIf75Ozs9500lwCLcBGAs/s1600/2017-07-28%2B11.05.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y8IYRefle3U/WYTvHQZC4OI/AAAAAAAAMCE/m-zKaKMPgCQn4ZnM8_4YIf75Ozs9500lwCLcBGAs/s640/2017-07-28%2B11.05.39.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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It's easier to snap a quick picture after finishing a run to remember my distance. Not far, but I'm literally starting from zero.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2wxaY6SLbaI/WYTvHfbj9II/AAAAAAAAMCI/pIi9Mnq9AQg7YQMFqaWfZvaBlUGb37fVQCLcBGAs/s1600/2017-07-28%2B13.04.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2wxaY6SLbaI/WYTvHfbj9II/AAAAAAAAMCI/pIi9Mnq9AQg7YQMFqaWfZvaBlUGb37fVQCLcBGAs/s640/2017-07-28%2B13.04.59.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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These types of salads are an absolute staple for me. Salads bigger than my head. I pretty much put anything in there but the kitchen sink.</div>
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New to me spice from Trader Joe's. I really like it!</div>
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Giant salad #2.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CWeCTlRm2Lc/WYTvIS11JWI/AAAAAAAAMCY/MrFLn7pNZAEhvi4dbfmPNgD8wPK-rLvVgCLcBGAs/s1600/2017-07-30%2B18.07.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CWeCTlRm2Lc/WYTvIS11JWI/AAAAAAAAMCY/MrFLn7pNZAEhvi4dbfmPNgD8wPK-rLvVgCLcBGAs/s640/2017-07-30%2B18.07.36.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Mango salsa and chicken. Pretty tasty.</div>
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Another gym run.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Cd1TOv6WFk/WYTvI-L22JI/AAAAAAAAMCg/tYGmF3UUe-0uwPckw3s1GaTz8ost71RQQCLcBGAs/s1600/2017-08-03%2B12.22.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Cd1TOv6WFk/WYTvI-L22JI/AAAAAAAAMCg/tYGmF3UUe-0uwPckw3s1GaTz8ost71RQQCLcBGAs/s640/2017-08-03%2B12.22.55.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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This stuff let's me feel like I am drinking a soda, even though this is NOT my idea of a tasty soda! Don't get me wrong, I like how these taste with a meal, but it's not satsifying my craving for sugar. It does fill the need for carbonation.</div>
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Anyhow, I just felt the need to document the stress of the day and write out how I was feeling in regards to needing junk to calm myself down. I resisted. I fed myself tons of healthy food. I took a mental break. I did some blogging. I'll be going to the gym in a bit. I think those are all really strong, positive steps towards change.</div>
Heather Forceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124279901831950997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536748025324530635.post-67295827157388887352017-08-04T04:00:00.000-07:002017-08-04T04:00:08.921-07:00Friday Favorites - Back to School EditionI officially start school today, and my kids go back to school next Thursday.<br />
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In some ways, I'm ready for structure and routine. In other ways I don't want summer to end. I like structure and routine, but I also like lounging in my house. And I didn't get much time to lounge this summer because I taught summer school. I like the start of a new year, but it's also crazy hectic and time consuming to get up and running. Oh well. The lament of all teachers.<br />
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But since this is Friday FAVORITES, I should focus on the good stuff! Here goes.<br />
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1. Hot lunch. I like it when the kids choose hot lunch at school. That being said, I don't have much room to complain, because over the last year, I trained them to pack their own lunches. They are in 5th and 8th grades, after all! Still, it's nice not to have to think of anything for a few mornings each month.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JS0p4Gb0CGI/WYN1sx87V4I/AAAAAAAAMA4/SgmCr0N_P2wXqBcKBrQ9JN8ACXg0PI44QCLcBGAs/s1600/2017-08-03%2B12.10.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JS0p4Gb0CGI/WYN1sx87V4I/AAAAAAAAMA4/SgmCr0N_P2wXqBcKBrQ9JN8ACXg0PI44QCLcBGAs/s640/2017-08-03%2B12.10.46.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I was surprised that Hudson only chose three lunches this month and none of them pizza! Is he thinking of his health? Did he just not like the choices listed? I don't know. I don't care!</div>
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2. A new lesson plan book. All teachers at my school are required to submit lesson plans through a program called planbookedu.com. I've been using this electronic lesson plan for years and love the versatility and ease of submitting the plans to my principal. However, I also like to have a pencil/paper planbook for long term planning and calendar items. Ah, the wonder of a blank book!</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YtBszE_67TI/WYN2y9BEl0I/AAAAAAAAMBE/7RDpeV9QFo0GRBLEDMx5H8y1VUHqy-onQCLcBGAs/s1600/2017-08-03%2B12.16.32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YtBszE_67TI/WYN2y9BEl0I/AAAAAAAAMBE/7RDpeV9QFo0GRBLEDMx5H8y1VUHqy-onQCLcBGAs/s640/2017-08-03%2B12.16.32.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I've gone the expensive route with an Erin Condren planner in the past. I loved that planner because it was so pretty, but I didn't use it enough to justify the cost. I chose to go less than $20 for this version at GW School Supply. If I don't use the planner the way I have it planned in my head, I'm not out that much money. It's my goal to actively use the paper planner every day at school as reminders for upcoming things on my to do list.</div>
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3. New Day Planner</div>
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Again, I've had two different pricey day planners in the past and just didn't use them as much as I dreamed I would. I still wanted a planner for life purposes, appointments, bills, etc. I just didn't want to spend a lot of money. This one was from Target...I think.</div>
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The start of a new school year is like my New Year's. I typically get goal oriented and have desires for organization. It doesn't always happen, but it's where my mindset is this time of year.</div>
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Excited to start using this day planner.</div>
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4. La Croix - I feel like this is the new "it" drink. I see people all over my social media feeds drinking this stuff. I started drinking it last fall when I started my first Whole30. (I'm currently in the middle of my 3rd Whole30.) I like this flavor and pomegranate. I need to branch out from Wal Mart to find more flavors.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qwmzlRzDHLQ/WYN4h2dVzdI/AAAAAAAAMBU/9q_ZvdksEE4ALZm7xNqm-PHUCZD_-HeYgCLcBGAs/s1600/2017-08-03%2B12.22.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qwmzlRzDHLQ/WYN4h2dVzdI/AAAAAAAAMBU/9q_ZvdksEE4ALZm7xNqm-PHUCZD_-HeYgCLcBGAs/s640/2017-08-03%2B12.22.55.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I prefer to drink these with meals as a replacement for other beverages I can't have. I'm not as big of a fan drinking them without food. Yesterday, I was busy helping at school with registration and it was hot and I was tired. There was a kid in the room with a fresh bottle of Diet Coke. I swear, I wanted to trip him and steal his soda! Cravings suck!</div>
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5. My new sparkle shirt. I haven't bought a new OLPH Shirt in quite a while, so I treated myself to some bling!</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rFQn-illEkA/WYN5Fr30BQI/AAAAAAAAMBY/vfZKcTCwfRAhGrX83_8UEQmjYv4FSgxbgCLcBGAs/s1600/2017-08-02%2B10.09.49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rFQn-illEkA/WYN5Fr30BQI/AAAAAAAAMBY/vfZKcTCwfRAhGrX83_8UEQmjYv4FSgxbgCLcBGAs/s640/2017-08-02%2B10.09.49.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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The shirt also has a little glittery Cougar paw on the back! So cute! I am also glad to get back in gear with school because I do my hair and makeup each day. If it's a casual summer day, I'm not putting in that type of effort, but I always feel better and more confident about myself if I'm put together.</div>
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6. New uniforms. As much as I hated the task, I made the boys try on all the uniforms in the house. It was a major process. Then I was able to snag enough at the used uniform sale that I only needed to buy two new polos for Hudson. #win</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pm30GJr8snY/WYN5_CakyUI/AAAAAAAAMBk/LjdGOD9-gdYPho7XMfPGt4OurXou0q_SwCLcBGAs/s1600/2017-07-30%2B16.30.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pm30GJr8snY/WYN5_CakyUI/AAAAAAAAMBk/LjdGOD9-gdYPho7XMfPGt4OurXou0q_SwCLcBGAs/s640/2017-07-30%2B16.30.50.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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This is only a fraction of uniforms that I store in closets until they fit my boys. #storagebinsfordays</div>
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I feel like I "won" at the used uniform sale! Only had to buy two blue polos at the new prices. And even then I had a coupon!</div>
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Back to school we go. Here's to early mornings, routines, homework, grading papers, lesson planning, and hanging with my best teacher friend at school!</div>
Heather Forceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124279901831950997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536748025324530635.post-7793907868369380942017-08-03T11:05:00.002-07:002017-08-03T11:05:40.970-07:00Why, Hello There! Yes, I'm Alive!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's an actual, honest to goodness post! I have no intention of keeping up regularly on this blog, but I have some time today, my laptop was actually on, and I figured I'd do a multi-month update.</div>
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The only part of the blog that I actively keep up with is the Books Read tabs. Go there to see what I read last year and this year.</div>
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So, what have we been up to? A long hot summer.</div>
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I taught summer school for six weeks. We took several day trips to the ocean. We took a mini vacation to Universal Studios. Now I'm getting back to business at school.</div>
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We spent last Wednesday at Universal, and we took it easy on Thursday. We were originally going to go back to Universal on Thursday, but there was a little mix up with ticket blackout dates. No problem. It allowed us to sleep and swim!</div>
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We were so tired from the trip the day before. It was nice to sleep in and spend leisure time at the pool. The weather was perfect for Eric and me to lounge on a chair poolside.</div>
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Hudson enjoyed the pool.</div>
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I love it when my boys get along.</div>
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Love those smiles!</div>
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So relaxed.</div>
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Messy hair, no makeup, new sunglasses. It was pretty nice.</div>
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We stayed at the Universal Sheraton hotel. It's probably the fanciest hotel the boys have stayed in. I love a striped pool towel that makes me feel like I'm at a private resort!</div>
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I got spiffy new Beats that match my phone, my watch, and my iPad!</div>
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While it would have been cool to be in a room way up there, our room was awesome as well because it had a sliding door that opened directly to the pool!</div>
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I'll do a whole separate post on our day at Universal Studios another day. Here's a few other things happening in 4C world.</div>
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One of the very few days this summer that I didn't get up at 4 a.m. I enjoyed coffee in bed. I love it when Eric gets up and makes me my cup of coffee and delivers it to my nightstand! That's love! I was really enjoying my coffee, blanket, and bed this day.</div>
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I started my third round of Whole30, but I'm pretty certain that I'm going to make it a Whole45. I'll write another post talking about why I'm doing that. We shop at Trader Joe's each week for groceries. I've seen this seasoning in various Instagram posts and needed to try it out for myself. So good!</div>
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I made the kids try on every last living piece of uniform clothing that we own. They <i>loved</i> it! It's not anyone's favorite day, but it is a must to see what we have and what we need. I was able to grab a used items at school and only had to buy two polo shirts for Hudson. #majorwin</div>
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Mango salsa with bbq chicken. Thank goodness I like raw veggies in a salad.</div>
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This is what I was able to snag at school from the used uniforms. I was super happy to get most of what we needed.</div>
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It always cracks me up when I see this dog upside in his bed!</div>
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I took this picture yesterday and sent it to Eric because it has been a while since I've had hair and makeup done! I'm also liking my new sparkle shirt!</div>
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I'm not looking forward to the stress of working, but I'm looking forward to days filled with purpose and routine...if that makes any sense! I love what I do. I just don't like to get stressed. The beginning of the year is always awesome with new beginnings, but it can definitely be stressful.</div>
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As always, I'd love to blog more, but other stuff just seems to get in the way. One thing that might help is an idea that we have to redo our family room concept. I'm hoping to give myself a dedicated spot to do work (school work, laptop, blog, etc.). I don't have a space like this at home, and I need one!</div>
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I'm not putting any pressure on myself to write regularly, but I never want to let this little piece of our world go!</div>
Heather Forceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124279901831950997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536748025324530635.post-33594353911269219612017-01-24T16:28:00.000-08:002017-01-24T16:28:08.156-08:00Show and Tell TuesdayI'm linking up with <a href="http://www.momfessionals.com/" target="_blank">Andrea</a> today at Momfessionals to discuss the topic of Steal vs. Splurge.<br />
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Typically I am a pretty thrifty person who is uncomfortable with spending money. However, after being married for nearly 14 years to a man who has no trouble spending large amounts of money, I've come over to his side on a few things!</div>
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There are so many areas in which I don't mind one single bit at saving money. </div>
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Clothes - I wear clothes from Kohl's, Target, Old Navy, or any place where I can spend less than $30 for pants. However, I did make a conscious effort to look nicer for work last year and spent a bit of money at New York and Company buying nice outfits. But again, NY&C is not really high end. I like their stuff and it has lasted well over a year, but I'm not breaking the bank buying a pair of pants and a blouse.</div>
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Shoes - I've got lots of shoes, and most of them are from Payless Shoe Source. Well, my heels for work are from there. I will spend more on good running shoes. It's important to keep your feet happy.</div>
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Hair - I color my own hair with dye from a box. I go to the cheap hair cutting place at the strip mall to get trims.</div>
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Groceries - Wal Mart Neighborhood Market is where it's at! Especially with their Savings Catcher app. I let them comparison shop for me. We usually earn back $50 every six months or so! </div>
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Books - I love the online library borrowing system. I like to purchase my "make me better" books, but I'm all for reading fiction for free.</div>
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Gas - Costco gas cards all the way. Cheapest gas in town.</div>
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Exercise gear - Every time we go to Dick's Sporting Goods Store, I lust over the Calia line by Carrie Underwood. But I just cannot make myself buy a pair of leggins for $80. Not when I can get Champion brand leggings at Target for $20. This is a category where I just might swing to the other side...someday.</div>
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Exercise Bra - That being said, good support up top is of extreme importance (in my opinion) and I spend quite a bit on my Enell bra. Worth every penny. It's not that pretty, but it gets the job done.</div>
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Purse - I'm always buying cheaper purses at Kohl's and they are ripping within a year. My husband wants to buy me a nice expensive purse. We'll see. He believes you get what you pay for.</div>
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Bubble Bath - I LOVE LOVE LOVE my bubble baths. And I like lots of foam. I buy the 1/2 gallon size of bubble bath at Wal Mart for $3. I never feel guilty about dumping tons of suds in for a bath at that price.</div>
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Nails - I quit getting my nails done last year and switched over to polishing them myself. I like to splurge on OPI polish. </div>
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Makeup - I have a sun spot on my cheek that drives me bananas. In an effort to cover it up, I went to Ulta and the girl (with rhinestones glued to her eyelids) recommended IT makeup. Tried it. Love it. Worth it.</div>
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Exercise Bra - see above</div>
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Groceries - While I mainly shop at Wal Mart, lately we have been heading over to Trader Joe's for better quality meats and produce. They are pretty comparable in price, so it's not a huge over splurge.</div>
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See? I'm bad at the splurge side! It's okay because my husband will spoil me so I don't have to do it myself!</div>
Heather Forceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124279901831950997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536748025324530635.post-8919792551713717542017-01-17T11:46:00.002-08:002017-01-17T11:46:37.833-08:00Tuesday Talk - Kids in SportsToday I'm joining in with <a href="http://tabanderika.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Erika</a> and <a href="http://www.fancyashley.com/" target="_blank">Ashley</a> for Tuesday Talk.<br />
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Today's topic is completely wide open. I was giving it some thought as to what I was going to write about and came up with kids in sports. It's a topic that is NEAR and DEAR to my heart! The crazy ups and downs that come with sports, the nutty parents (me), and the lessons learned are all a part of our life. It seems like a natural topic for me to start with today.</div>
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A little background:</div>
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We have two sons. Evan is 12 and in 7th grade, and Hudson is 9 and in 4th grade. Both are very athletic. They both started playing sports at a very early age. I think Evan was playing outdoor soccer at four, and I'm pretty sure we had Hudson playing indoor soccer at age 3. Both kids played soccer for their school teams, played competitive travel soccer, ran track, played flag football for school, basketball for school, and they are now getting into competitive basketball.</div>
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I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd be a soccer mom. I never played soccer, didn't understand soccer, and certainly didn't think I'd be screaming my head off on the sideline hoping and praying for a goal!</div>
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Evan the soccer stud.</div>
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We truly didn't know what we were getting into back when Evan was in 2nd grade. I can clearly remember being at his little school soccer game and contemplating "looking into competitive soccer" after the school season was over. Evan's best friend was already a part of a travel team. We asked the friend's dad about it that day, and he basically encouraged/pressured/suggested/cajoled us into going out to the competitive soccer game the very next day! We went, not sure if the team was looking for more players (they were), not knowing if Evan was good enough (he was), and not sure of what was expected (we learned quickly)!</div>
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It has literally been a whirlwind since that day over five years ago. Evan quickly became a strong defender and we had some of the best times traveling up and down California with our team going to games and weekend tournaments. Hotel stays with the other parents were a blast!</div>
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Winning a State Cup Title was a blast!</div>
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My husband quickly jumped in with both feet becoming the manager for the team, organizing events, helping with fundraisers, and being at every practice rain or shine. If Eric was involved 110%, I was making it to 95% of the practices and events. It took over our lives. And then Hudson got involved as well. Two kids with two practices each week each lasting two hours and countless hours on the weekend. An hour game come with an hour warm-up, half time, and after game meeting. It was a minimum three-hour committment for games...and that was when we were in town. </div>
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After five years, I was EXHAUSTED! And I didn't even know it. This sporting lifestyle was also on top of participating in regular school sport teams, volunteer work, full time jobs, church, and trying to have some sort of down time every now and then. A funny thing about soccer (in my opinion), is there isn't really a season. It just keeps going, and going, and going. We never really had a break. In five years.</div>
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There were many parts about their time in soccer that I loved. Watching games is fun, hotel stays, winning state championships, watching my kids grow athletically, watching my kids make amazing friends.</div>
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These two have inseperable since they were five. Evan is the blondie.</div>
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There were many parts about their time in soccer that I hated. The time committment was endless. The extreme weather of dealing with an outdoor sport. I am not so much of an outdoor girl. I burn in the summer and freeze in the winter. The cost. This stuff is NOT cheap! That's another reason my husband got so involved...it helped to defray some of our costs.</div>
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Watching a State Cup Championship in a rain storm. Good times.</div>
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About a year ago, there were some changes in the soccer rules and regulations that changed the age brackets for the kids. It changed the structure of the team and things just weren't the same. Evan came to us this past summer and said he wanted to take a break. So we did. And it was GLORIOUS! I didn't realize how run down and ragged I had become until the child helped us all to stop! He needed a break, we needed a break. He said he wanted to focus on basketball. So we are. And I love it.</div>
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We put both boys into a summer basketball and a fall basketball camp. Very little committment and they both had a lot of fun. We are now nearing the end of the school basketball season and will put them in a spring camp before starting competitive leagues. </div>
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You may be wondering why? I just got done moaning about the competitive soccer, so why would I start this all over again for basketball? Plain and simple, because the boys like it and they want to participate.</div>
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Hudson is playing for his school team.</div>
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Get it, Huddy!</div>
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Hudson earned the Sportsmanship ribbon that week!</div>
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I'm a firm believer in the value of sports. I think the lessons that kids learn from working together as a team, winning and losing, dedication to practice, working to get better...it all makes kids more well rounded. Physical activity is especially important. We have noticed a HUGE difference in Evan's attitude when he gets physical activity. He's a whole different kid. Pleasant, funny, and easy to be around. When he sits around all day, watch out! He's cranky, listless, and nasty.</div>
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Is the money, time, and energy worth it? Will these kids move past high school level sports? Yes, it is worth it for the reasons I just mentioned. Will they make it past high school? I can't answer that. However, I always say, someone's kid has to. Will it be mine? I don't know. But if playing college or professional sports is a dream of either of my boy's, then I'd like to do anything I can to help them get there.</div>
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For any of you out there with littles just about to get into sports, I'd say a very important thing to do is listen to your child. We listened when Evan said that he wanted to take a break. However, it was a break. He did not quit in the middle of a season. He knew he'd be going back to a sport in the fall whether that was soccer or something else. And he knew we valued his opinion on what he wanted to do. I think those lessons were important for all of us.</div>
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Plus, it's fun! We just won 2nd place in a basketball tournament, and we are all still riding high on the fun of it from the weekend!<br />
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Evan is #15 in white.</div>
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I love it when I catch him smiling while playing. That is what it's about! Having a good time doing something you love.</div>
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Two years in a row going to the Championship Game! Second place winners!</div>
Heather Forceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124279901831950997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536748025324530635.post-63463515023319913312017-01-13T17:01:00.003-08:002017-01-13T17:01:48.533-08:00A Little Bit of This and That<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Hudson was back to school after one day home. A good night's sleep did him wonders. I, however, have been fighting cold symptoms for six weeks. I finally took myself to the doctor this week and got antibiotics and steroids to clear up the severe congestion. I'm finally feeling a little more like myself.</div>
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We did an art project with our Jr. Kinder buddies and then all walked back to our classroom for some partner reading. My class was wall to wall kids that afternoon!</div>
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I love my Apple watch. I was impressed with myself on the 5th because that green ring means I got in at least 30 minutes of activity and the blue ring means that I moved each hour.</div>
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Laura and I went to Boot Camp and then we headed to a church meeting. The Pastoral Council is starting six different areas of ministry that are designed to revitalize the church. We are interested in the Religious Education ministry.</div>
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I've been using this app to keep track of my water intake. </div>
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I put Christmas away last weekend. It sucked. I hate taking down all the pretty Christmas ornaments, lights, and sparkles. Eric took all the boxes out to the shed before that massive rainstorms hit our area all week. I hated doing it, but I'm glad it is done.</div>
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This second week back to school was rougher for me than the first week back. It could be because it was raining ALL WEEK LONG! We aren't used to this much water falling from they sky. It made me want to get home, change into pajamas, and burrow into my blanket. And that's pretty much what I did all week. I didn't work out, I crashed under my blanket, I read books, and I ate a bunch of comfort food.</div>
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I've been keeping up with lesson plans, grading, and responsibilities really well over the past two months. For some reason, I didn't keep us as well this week. That is also quite frustrating. It will just take a few hours of concentrated effort to get back on track, so I'm trying not to beat myself up too much. I just hate falling behind.</div>
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We have a basketball tournament this weekend. That will be fun, but it takes us an hour out of town on both Saturday and Sunday. Evan is fighting a cold, so hopefully he'll make it through the tournament without too much struggle. </div>
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Besides wanting to do nothing but read and be in my pajamas, things are good! We get a few days break from rain and then are scheduled for three more days of rain next week. It might sound goofy, but the rain wears me out!</div>
<br />Heather Forceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124279901831950997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536748025324530635.post-70358239492166599302017-01-04T14:06:00.001-08:002017-01-04T14:06:08.395-08:00Chicken Little is Home SickSecond day back to school and I had to bring Hudson home because he threw up in class. Ew.<br />
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To his credit, he found me in the resource room during morning prayer and told me he felt like he was going to throw up. Is it just me, or do we try to convince our kids that they really don't feel that way?<br />
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I started in on all the reasons why he probably felt sick: at the doctor yesterday for his cough and wheezing, medicine is making his tummy funny, take off sweatshirt if too hot, tired, and on and on. I did tell him to run out the door if he really needed to puke. He didn't take that advice and threw up on the floor at the front of the classroom. I owe a huge present to his teacher.<br />
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I updated some lesson plans and got my classes covered and brought him home. He is feeling much better. I tried to get him to sleep. He is still resisting. Guess who is going to bed really early tonight?!<br />
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At least Harry is happy to have someone's lap to be in for warmth.</div>
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In other news, we all survived our first day back to school/work after vacation. It was a good, but tiring, day.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qgFRpkrEFHg/WG1t24NW9HI/AAAAAAAAL4g/t1UfbuAA78QSG3Nd5fVI4ayMRzw1n5nBwCLcB/s1600/2017-01-03%2B11.18.14%2BHDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qgFRpkrEFHg/WG1t24NW9HI/AAAAAAAAL4g/t1UfbuAA78QSG3Nd5fVI4ayMRzw1n5nBwCLcB/s640/2017-01-03%2B11.18.14%2BHDR.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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It was also a little hectic because I needed to get Hudson to the doctor to get ahead of the wheezing and asthma that always accompanies his colds. Luckily, I was able to get him in during my teaching break. Of course, he wanted a "treat" on the way back to school. I'm a sucker and got him a McDonald's cheeseburger.</div>
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So much for this being the year of bright and bold lipstick! I completely forgot to put any on yesterday!</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V9je0-jzp8A/WG1t8Gi4ebI/AAAAAAAAL4o/rNvjEWCpEssrmkxqVOrgjUlSBXzW3TigQCLcB/s1600/2017-01-03%2B12.22.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V9je0-jzp8A/WG1t8Gi4ebI/AAAAAAAAL4o/rNvjEWCpEssrmkxqVOrgjUlSBXzW3TigQCLcB/s640/2017-01-03%2B12.22.04.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I did, however, remember to pack lunch! I'm back on my Whole30 plan at least until the end of January. As much as I loved vacation, I'm ready to feel more alert, less lethargic, and have less cravings for sugar.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ixpZLl88oFw/WG1t97U-7rI/AAAAAAAAL4w/I3vU7aKhVhgopEkx5VytGxEp-hjylO4_gCLcB/s1600/2017-01-03%2B12.23.29-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ixpZLl88oFw/WG1t97U-7rI/AAAAAAAAL4w/I3vU7aKhVhgopEkx5VytGxEp-hjylO4_gCLcB/s640/2017-01-03%2B12.23.29-1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I got quite a bit done yesterday. I've got my planner, my salad, my new scarf, my water, and Hudson's medicine!</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dp9PYCqh2jY/WG1uBepdoiI/AAAAAAAAL40/lBIsgiqPIasqPWu5iEVZHhwgqsMEayR3wCLcB/s1600/2017-01-03%2B19.53.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dp9PYCqh2jY/WG1uBepdoiI/AAAAAAAAL40/lBIsgiqPIasqPWu5iEVZHhwgqsMEayR3wCLcB/s640/2017-01-03%2B19.53.28.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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My partner teacher surprised me with a Christmas present on my desk at school. Inside were three Lush bath bombs! I was so excited! I've been wanting to try these things for weeks. After boot camp I came home and thoroughly enjoyed my bath with this thing. It smelled so good and made the water this super pretty purple color. I'm going to have to teach myself to make these because I could seriously use one every single night. At over $6 each, I think even Eric would start to tell me no! But oh how I enjoyed it! </div>
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Now I have to decide if I'm going to use the other two bombs right away or if I'm going to spread out the indulgence. I want them now!</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5iCGRdmbyH8/WG1uKngC47I/AAAAAAAAL5E/WPQk-lPMSf0qZ0sZQCJ0UkPTqaGRg2uuwCLcB/s1600/2017-01-04%2B06.04.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5iCGRdmbyH8/WG1uKngC47I/AAAAAAAAL5E/WPQk-lPMSf0qZ0sZQCJ0UkPTqaGRg2uuwCLcB/s640/2017-01-04%2B06.04.50.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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My January goal of making my bed each day is going strong on day four. The dogs aren't really pleased with me as I kick them out of their warm spots. That bump is Harry who wiggled under the blanket in search of warmth.</div>
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Buddy opted to lay on top of the soft blanket at the end of the bed. I laughed at how laid back he looked resting on his side without a care in the world!</div>
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Fingers crossed that Hudson is okay for me to return to work tomorrow. As any teacher knows, trying to create sub plans is not fun. Sometimes it's just easier to suffer through and be at school. I do have to say that the iPad program makes me being gone a lot easier. I simply upload work and directions directly to the kids. I just need someone to monitor them. </div>
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In any case, I am getting quite a bit done at home. Silver lining.</div>
Heather Forceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124279901831950997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536748025324530635.post-52557117931933574922017-01-02T11:41:00.001-08:002017-01-02T11:41:33.375-08:00Top 16 in 2016I have seen so many people who have sworn off the past year as the worst year ever. I highly disagree. I understand that every person has their own experience of a year, but I think there is always room to grow and learn from each moment we live on this earth. I know some years can be tougher than others (2009 - the year my dad died was a TOUGH year for us as a family), but there is also good in the previous 365 days.<br />
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I saw <a href="http://www.runsforcookies.com/2016/12/top-16-of-2016.html" target="_blank">THIS</a> on a blog that I follow and wanted to do my little part to remember that 2016 was indeed a great year! My entries aren't in any particular order of importance. They are just 16 great moments from last year.<br />
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1. We had a great time at the Tulare Basketball Tournament in which Evan's JV team placed first and then Evan also got to help the Varsity team take 2nd place!<br />
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<img height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8bgcFy0ZJa0/Vpx0icMqMRI/AAAAAAAAJ2c/UuBMMp3vl7M/s640/2016-01-17%2B18.37.01.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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2. We enjoyed a fun Catholic Schools Week, and I had the best time wearing my veil and tiara for Crazy Hat Day! I haven't worn my veil since my wedding day, and I felt so pretty all day pretending like it was my wedding all over again!</div>
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<img height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jredGbAHYps/VrIF-AoMsXI/AAAAAAAAKVo/uYQ8AqQ5Fng/s640/2016-02-02%2B16.41.26.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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3. An AMAZING family trip to Disneyland that also included a fun dinner at Farrell's Ice Cream. We saved and saved and Eric worked two side jobs to pay for this fantastic trip. It was so nice to play and play and eat and play and not worry about paying for the fun. Loved this family trip!</div>
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<img height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e-ZtSnO8Ryw/Vtxqi7vUeGI/AAAAAAAAK5I/Tk2W6NOpOpQ/s400/2016-02-29%2B14.50.24.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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<img height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--TqVgkftZOM/VtYs9vuHTwI/AAAAAAAAKz4/6U-scRv11n4/s640/2016-02-27%2B20.32.24.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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4. I am blessed to work with some seriously awesome people. My teaching partner, Amanda, is the best of the best. She has a heart of gold, infectious energy, and is such a great friend. I am so lucky to plan days with her. Plus, she's always up for a selfie!</div>
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<img height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6pUxg5stlSs/Vul6Z0BUePI/AAAAAAAAK9A/QAjl6uAee-EKS3jcSKv29xBZP1eLvFs7A/s640/2016-03-15%2B07.59.33.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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5. We went to Stacey's wedding in Pismo, and stayed a few extra days to enjoy Easter at the coast.</div>
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<img height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mr3-tRxqwvU/VvrpkQrvK4I/AAAAAAAAK90/3ffRmGVWRUY-yiLTXEaEs-L64KYZT_VlQ/s640/2016-03-26%2B12.35.05.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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6. Eric and I participated in the California Classic. We did a 35 mile bike ride on Saturday and walked a 5K on Sunday. We both got our interlocking medals. Such a fun time for us to enjoy being together.</div>
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<img height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NOkdkLqWXFs/VziDRIokkBI/AAAAAAAALEo/uELXQBMdTtcM77a09FsLv1q8n_vCLXnPgCLcB/s640/2016-04-02%2B11.16.42-2.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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<img height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A57uGtjg6XI/VziDT29vw_I/AAAAAAAALFQ/xwQZfwtuhtMqlOCfBnXEnDP8nZEIAtOngCLcB/s640/2016-04-03%2B08.04.18%2BHDR-2.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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<img height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5JrmDotA3Tc/VziDbWrJdFI/AAAAAAAALGk/_GFZUhxQRos2g6-rPwhwyXmWXorusKhTACLcB/s640/2016-04-03%2B09.20.49.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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7. My annual trip with my 8th graders to The Ronald Reagan Museum and Disneyland. It was extra fun with these friends this year.</div>
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<img height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SEIgdFUtsKA/Vzh3YfPEUDI/AAAAAAAALD4/XDLP0s2nBEwGer8VdYGezbw8aLRjkZKmgCLcB/s400/2016-05-12%2B19.56.55.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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8. Eric and I attended a Dave Ramsey SMART conference for a second time. We love the inspiration and motivation we get from these conferences.</div>
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<img height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZwL5nghSYNk/Vzh3WEDMywI/AAAAAAAALDc/99fpXD4y5SgDlmL1k2UqVunRk0xiTLvbACLcB/s640/2016-05-07%2B10.56.20-1.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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9. I participated in the Spring Concert by playing the piano with two of my 8th graders. I was so nervous, and it was so much fun!</div>
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<img height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ywGKH_aF7bo/Vzh3Vg64zlI/AAAAAAAALDU/jY31H-OQChUDeaWonDVMnsol0J26BzD8gCLcB/s640/2016-05-04%2B11.40.48.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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10. We went to the water park as a family for the first time ever. Since losing weight, Eric is much more comfortable and excited to do things like this with us that he could not do before!</div>
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<img height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NvTXzXVkkvI/V1WALnnIkcI/AAAAAAAALNQ/utjYJLiDn5g51vIW2oykw_Kp0VlTkdBtQCLcB/s640/2016-06-03%2B14.26.37.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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11. Lots of cycling.</div>
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12. We took a baby beach vacation before school started.</div>
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<img height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ObRuG55zu1c/V6iHaqVyAkI/AAAAAAAALcc/uQv5eSfU9JYsJ37iqo7E6jzfp6zRfsnTACLcB/s640/2016-07-28%2B13.05.23.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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13. My principal gave my partner teacher and I the go ahead to remodel our classrooms into a desk free zone! It was so much work, but so worthwhile! It gave me such inspiration to go back to school in August!</div>
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<img height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-onA8E33UhyU/V6-eZ7-XtVI/AAAAAAAALis/35ZnfgESKkEejufzVYXKnz48MiUroG20gCLcB/s640/2016-08-03%2B13.14.16.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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<img height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RztiYg8hwlY/V6-edKFN32I/AAAAAAAALjQ/hTm4PzfYnhAcObdG868hQ0iiKT_vo-GXQCLcB/s640/2016-08-13%2B10.51.28.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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14. First day of school. I am blessed to be able to teach and have my kids be at my school. I have not missed an event in their little lives! I also marvel at each year of growth that my kids experience.</div>
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<img height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wwHdtortpV4/V7ENk1ICSOI/AAAAAAAALmQ/EUI6Phdy5eoM2k-nV_L0x_yxFZtIi6lHACLcB/s640/2016-08-11%2B12.13.57-1.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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15. I successfully finished my first Whole30 and it brought me better health, clarity, and vigor for life! Yes, it really did!</div>
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16. We enjoyed vacation time as a family. This is my new favorite picture...all of us in matching pajamas!</div>
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<img height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QynpJBfSobE/WGXEXKdN34I/AAAAAAAALzg/7GiR0R7ApFQi6mXNrp-r2AoHE-HBdhOHwCLcB/s400/2016-12-24%2B19.02.13.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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There are many more happy, inspiring, and growth moments that I could have chosen, but it just proves to me that through the bad times, there are always ways to look up and be grateful for the good times we also experience.</div>
Heather Forceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124279901831950997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536748025324530635.post-64952532770744373302017-01-01T17:32:00.000-08:002017-01-01T17:32:01.418-08:00Happy New Year! Welcome 2017!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Happy New Year! I have to admit that I hate the week in between Christmas and New Year's, but once the year rolls over, I'm all better! There's something exciting about a fresh start, new goals, and a whole new year to contemplate.</div>
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Last month, Gwen at <a href="http://www.sunnysidebicycles.com/" target="_blank"><b>Sunnyside Bicycles</b></a> began a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/sbfitnesschallenge/" target="_blank"><b>#sbfitnesschallenge</b></a> group on Instagram. She posted a theme for each day, and we were supposed to post our pictures each day while working towards our goals.</div>
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She posted the January themes. Here they are:</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FYK6OcuRPK4/WGmmjYzJcYI/AAAAAAAAL34/KRRuWtf7BEkWd0t9RK2is9Lq11wbpNtIACLcB/s1600/2016-12-31%2B19.15.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FYK6OcuRPK4/WGmmjYzJcYI/AAAAAAAAL34/KRRuWtf7BEkWd0t9RK2is9Lq11wbpNtIACLcB/s400/2016-12-31%2B19.15.00.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
There are some great days listed there! Can't wait to get started and make progress on my goals.<br />
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I decided to make short term and semi-easier goals for each month, while also focusing on some long term year-long goals as well.<br />
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Here are my January goals:<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WWzlNlK2TqQ/WGmmjsdBUfI/AAAAAAAAL38/CdtpgMlb9uEPW_3zxrVhJ-P_FYb2BYGUACLcB/s1600/2017-01-01%2B14.47.06-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WWzlNlK2TqQ/WGmmjsdBUfI/AAAAAAAAL38/CdtpgMlb9uEPW_3zxrVhJ-P_FYb2BYGUACLcB/s400/2017-01-01%2B14.47.06-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm really bad at making graphic posts! Look at how crooked my letters are! I need to find an app that will let me make cutesy memes.</div>
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The goals are pretty self explanatory, but let me give a bit more detail on a few. </div>
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1. I want to see the green ring on my Apple Watch make a complete circle each day. I'd also be happy seeing the two other rings make complete circles, but the main goal is the green activity ring.</div>
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2. Continue working through the schedule of Couch to 5K.</div>
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3. Hydrate!</div>
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4. Self explanatory.</div>
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5. I have some sort of mental block when it comes to attending a spin class. I'm so intimidated by it. I want to get over that at least ONCE!</div>
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6. Follow Matthew Kelly's Prayer Process each morning for ten minutes of prayer time. I really enjoy getting my coffee and sitting in a corner of the couch under the Christmas lights to read and pray each morning. It's so peaceful and quiet, and I'm really able to focus and absorb. I'll need to provide myself with some soft lighting in that corner once I take down the Christmas lights. It's a really nice way to start the day.</div>
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7. Read at least 10 pages of a book each day. I slumped on this last summer, but if I remain steady with it this year, I should be able to top the number of books I read this year. I'm shooting for finishing at least 70 books.</div>
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New pajamas for a new year! And yes, I totally wore these in the car as we drove across town to get cheeseburgers and shakes from In N Out drive thru. These pj's are the softest and most flattering I have ever owned! And they are purple!</div>
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I'll share my long-term 2017 goals in another post.</div>
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Happy New Year!</div>
Heather Forceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124279901831950997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536748025324530635.post-16961017176048308382016-12-30T11:50:00.001-08:002016-12-30T11:50:12.828-08:00Beyond Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We have had a very low key and relaxing vacation. Eric was able to be home with us for the whole break, so we spent lots of time meandering around town, watching tv, and resting! Just what we all needed.</div>
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The kids got Uno, Phase 10 and Life for Christmas, so we played games.</div>
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The spinner was tough to spin! Not like the old days.</div>
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Eric and I were out shopping one day when I saw KangaRoos shoes at Payless! Oh my gosh! I wanted a pair of these so badly in third grade, and I got them! Not only did they make me run faster, but they had a pocket for my quarters so I could buy a cupcake or popcicle at school!</div>
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Hudson woke up on Wednesday just long enough to snuggle with on the couch and fall back to sleep in my neck! I posted the black and white photo on social media. Sleeping kiddos always get lots of "likes!"</div>
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I treasure these moments. I know they are going to be few and far between as the kids grow.</div>
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We went bowling on Thursday. I broke 100 in both games and won both times!</div>
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Bowling was a lot of fun. We only have a few more days of vacation. Sad. But it's been a nice two weeks of family and relaxing.<br />
<br />Heather Forceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124279901831950997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536748025324530635.post-45606465262360162262016-12-30T11:42:00.000-08:002016-12-30T11:42:00.465-08:00Christmas Day 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We had a really nice Christmas this year. Times are definitely different with the kids being older. While they may not squeal at the top of their lungs at the site of all the presents under the tree, they are still surprised and thankful for the gifts they receive.</div>
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Santa made his visit! I love how the tree is completely empty until Christmas Eve night. It's fun to go from bare to overflowing!</div>
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I must have missed a spot with the lights because that weird shadow is in every picture of our tree this year!</div>
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Both boys came out holding a dog!</div>
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I swear Hudson has pj pants on! He gets hot in the night and it is always a mystery as to what I am going to find him wearing in the morning!</div>
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He got an iPod touch!</div>
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Evan taking it all in!</div>
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I told Huddy to at least put a shirt on for pictures!</div>
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Hudson got a Sunnyside Bicycles sweatshirt! Now he is like the rest of the family!</div>
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It was an Apple and Nike Christmas.</div>
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The kids failed at passing out the presents correctly, and Eric accidentally opened up one of mine! He's going to look good in pink workout pants!</div>
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He got the slippers he wanted.</div>
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And he got Justin Ropers! He's been saying he wants a pair for a year now, and I was super happy to surprise him with these!</div>
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Now he needs Wranglers!</div>
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The happy mess.</div>
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I am not normally one to clean up in a hurry, but it was easy to fold up all the boxes and stick them in their spot.</div>
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Hudson was already going to town on his iPod and Eric is looking at the Apple Watch that he gave me for Christmas! I love it!</div>
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This dog has been so spoiled this vacation. He is pretty much curled up in Eric's lap every moment of the day. He's going to have a rude awakening on Tuesday when we all go back to work!</div>
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Ropers and pajamas! It's going to be the next trend.</div>
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After enjoying the morning for a few hours, we all got ready to head to Bakersfield to spend the day with Eric's parents. We had a nice day visiting with them, eating a yummy lunch, and playing on our new toys.</div>
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We got home around 7ish and Eric curled up on the floor in front of the fire.</div>
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Whereever Eric is, Harry is not far behind.</div>
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This dog is loved and spoiled.</div>
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Those faces!</div>
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Hudson had to get in on the snuggle action!</div>
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It was a really nice, low-key, fun loving, and joy filled Christmas.</div>
Heather Forceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124279901831950997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536748025324530635.post-69443743746723598192016-12-30T03:00:00.000-08:002016-12-30T03:00:01.648-08:00Christmas Eve 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We had a wonderful Christmas Eve in Chowchilla with my family and ended the night at our church for Mass. We snacked all day on yummy food, played games and opened presents.</div>
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I love the weenie dog slippers that my mom gave me!</div>
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So cute!</div>
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Evan and Hudson with Grandma before we left for church.</div>
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Last year we got to church at 4:30 and barely got a seat in the last row! I didn't want that to happen this year so we got there early. Like we had our pick of parking spots early! We actually moved the truck three times looking for the best spot to make an easy exit. Our church parking lot is not the easiest to navigate!</div>
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We had our choice of pews. We sat in the fifth row with a nice view of the altar.</div>
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Since we got there so early, I let the kids play on their phone and tablet.</div>
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Evan and me.</div>
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Apparently, Evan didn't think Hudson needed to be in the photo!</div>
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The church suddenly filled at 4:35 and there were tons of people standing. That's when we put the electronics away and started singing carols. Mass was wonderful!</div>
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After we got home, the boys were allowed to open their Christmas Eve gift.</div>
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I really love matching pajamas!</div>
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So much so that Eric and I got matching pj's too!</div>
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Christmas Eve family photo 2016. My new favorite picture.</div>
Heather Forceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124279901831950997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536748025324530635.post-72716674152714650452016-12-29T18:10:00.000-08:002016-12-29T18:10:17.852-08:00The Days Leading Up to Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We had a whirlwind three weeks of school in between Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. The public schools around here were in session all the way up until Dec.23! Luckily, we got out on Dec.16. It was nice to have a full week of break before Christmas and one after Christmas. </div>
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Hudson was a shepherd in the school Christmas production of Lessons and Carols.</div>
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I hope someday he'll look back and be grateful to see me in his photos. I read about the phenomenon of moms always being behind the camera and not in the photos. I want my kids to see all of us in pictures.</div>
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After somewhat of a lag in my reading, I jumped back into it with the hopes of ending this month with a total of at least 60 books read for the year. (I'm proud to say I accomplished this!)</div>
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The school staff got together to enjoy a Christmas party at a restaurant with some really indulgent food.</div>
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By Thursday of the last week before vacation, I was in a bit of a slump. In my defense, I had been sick all the week before and was having a bit of a relapse. (I'm still not running at 100% four weeks later!) Hudson and I were a bit tired during play practice.</div>
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Hudson made us a pretty Christmas ornament for the tree. It's made out of a toilet paper tube!</div>
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On our first Sunday of vacation, we did the Sunnyside Bicycles breakfast ride. Hudson made it all the way out to the restaurant. No flats this time!</div>
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Rock star! The payoff is getting to order pancakes for breakfast!</div>
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A perfect winter night: fire, Christmas tree, lights, and reading with Kid #2 and a little dog!</div>
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One of my new Christmas decorations. I bought about four or five things this year. I try to be very purposeful about adding new things to my collection of decorations. I have to really love them to buy them.</div>
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It's a Christmas miracle! I managed to not have to wrap most of our Christmas presents. Gift bags and pre-printed boxes to the rescue!</div>
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I did not get tired of this view all December.</div>
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Hudson and I had a movie date to see Sing.</div>
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We went to MB2 to race. That included both Eric and me as well! We got a groupon for four, so mom and dad got in on the action for the first time. It was fun, but I'll go ahead and say drifting and almost hitting the walls is not really my thing!</div>
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I made my Christmas bread and Hudson helped me punch down the dough. Actually, both boys helped me roll out the dough into braids for baking. They were a big help this year. Eric took videos that made us laugh.</div>
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I'm still liking my dark hair. I'm now becoming infatuated with bright lipstick as well. Maybe 2017 is the year of bold, bright lips for me!</div>
Heather Forceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124279901831950997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536748025324530635.post-47987235662277312852016-12-19T11:03:00.001-08:002016-12-19T11:03:10.139-08:00Catch UpI can't possibly catch up with everything that has been going on, but I'd like to give it a go since I've got more time being on vacation!<br />
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I started exercising. I'm doing a boot camp called FitForLife Solutions. I love it and have signed up for a year membership. I feel strong. I'm also building up my running and cycling again. Feels good to feel strong.<br />
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Slow and steady. Doesn't matter if I only ran/walked 1.77 miles. The point is I moved.</div>
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I think one of my goals for January is to hit 10,000 steps each day.</div>
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We got the house decorated. I put up the gold tree and the small blue tree in the game room. The red tree came to school to be enjoyed there. I love having decorations in my classroom!</div>
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I love a simple vase filled with ornaments and lights. Happy.</div>
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Messing around with borders and captions.</div>
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One of my girls is moving over the break, so we threw her a potato bar party. She always says, "Oh potato!" when she gets frustrated, so that's where the potato bar came in! I felt so kitchen accomplished!</div>
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And I felt pretty and confident that day!</div>
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All the potatoes!</div>
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It's nice to have the convent kitchen to work out of for parties such as these.</div>
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OLDDDDDD oven!</div>
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It had a turn dial for the temperature setting! Made me chuckle, but it worked well!</div>
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It's been cold lately. My mom gave me blankets for my classroom. I use them!</div>
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Potato party was successful. More importantly, I'm going to miss my kiddo that's leaving.</div>
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Whole30 is over, but I'm still trying to make good food choices.</div>
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We bought Harry a sweater. He likes being warm. He hates the sweater.</div>
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Now that we have to purchase plastic bags in California, we invested in these large Trader Joe's bags. I love them!</div>
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Mr. Skinny taking the bag off the tree.</div>
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We got the tree and I decorated it.</div>
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My favorite areas in the house right now.</div>
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Rocking the sweater.</div>
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I'm starting a Nutcracker collection. I have four. The gold one was from last year. The red one was a new addition. Love him!</div>
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A boy and his dog.</div>
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Sweetness.</div>
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Eric's new ornament.</div>
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My new ornament.</div>
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Hudson's new ornament.</div>
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Evan's new ornament.</div>
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Where I sit every morning to drink coffee and read by the light of the tree. Hallmark moment? I think so.</div>
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Buddy came to lick my head when I was on the ground after a workout.</div>
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One of my favorite little girls didn't feel well at school. Her auntie had to come rescue her from Christmas play practice.</div>
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This one stopped for a snuggle on the way back from the bathroom.</div>
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I think that is enough photo catch up for one day. I'll post more, hopefully, in the days to follow. I really do like looking at old posts and pictures, so I want to make sure to keep posting!</div>
<br />Heather Forceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124279901831950997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536748025324530635.post-50212605506782287032016-12-18T20:16:00.002-08:002016-12-18T20:16:49.271-08:002016 Goals UpdateI love to make goals and resolutions. However, I'm not always that great at following through with them. Last year I made a big ol' list of 100 things I wanted to work on or achieve. Let's see how I did. I'll BOLD face the ones I actually finished.<br />
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1. Read at least 10 pages a day of a self improvement book.*<br />
-Not everyday, but made a really good effort at this one.<br />
<b>2. Read at least 30 books this year.</b><br />
<b>Will be over 60 before the year is over.</b><br />
3. Drink at least 80 ounces of water each day.*<br />
<b>4. Give up soda. Diet included.</b><br />
<b>This finally happened at the end of the year.</b><br />
5. Hit goal weight.*<br />
6. Run at least five half marathons.<br />
7. Run one marathon.<br />
8. Wash, fold, and put away one load of laundry each day.<br />
9. Never leave dirty dishes in sink overnight.<br />
10. Wipe down both bathrooms each day.<br />
11. Dust once a week.<br />
12. Change sheets once a week.<br />
13. Organize shoes.<br />
14. Pay off half of student loan.*<br />
15. Post macros every day.*<br />
16. Run at least three times a week.*<br />
<b>17. Develop and be consistent with a weight training program.*</b><br />
<b>Joining FitForLife Solutions for the last six weeks has made this happen.</b><br />
18. Run in as many local races as possible.<br />
<b>19. Start volunteering at Poverello House.</b><br />
<b>The entire family! Best feeling ever to serve those in need.</b><br />
20. Vacuum and mop floors at least twice a week.<br />
<b>21. Lesson plans finished by Thursday each week.</b><br />
<b>This has been happening the past two months.</b><br />
22. Read the Bible each day/find an app for this.*<br />
23. Find an online Bible study to participate in.<br />
24. Take vitamins each day.*<br />
25. Meal plan each week.*<br />
26. Never start a Monday without grocery shopping.<br />
-Pretty dang close on this one.<br />
27. Complete Insanity DVDs.<br />
28. Complete PX90 DVDs.<br />
29. See three movies this summer by myself.<br />
<b>30. Wear a bathing suit.</b><br />
<b>31. Go to Wild Water as often as possible.</b><br />
32. Make bed each day.<br />
<b>33. Make "girl" doctor appointment.</b><br />
<b>34. Get mammogram.*</b><br />
35. Track miles ran.<br />
<b>36. Enroll in or find online iPad training classes.</b><br />
37. Attend Mass over 50 times (not including Fridays).<br />
38. Pray each day.<br />
39. Finish will.<br />
40. Blog each day.<br />
41. Begin #myjoyproject2016 on Instagram.<br />
42. Look into options for printing #dailyforcey2015.<br />
43. Compliment someone each day.<br />
44. Get blood work done.<br />
45. Cook at least four nights each week.<br />
<b>46. Don't leave classroom without a clean desk.</b><br />
<b>Once I remodeled my room, I started making this a priority.</b><br />
47. Clean classroom once a week.<br />
48. Don't leave office without a clean desk.<br />
49. Finish letting go of items that don't spark joy.<br />
50. Be patient with kids.<br />
51. Send cards to people.<br />
52. Send out Christmas cards.<br />
53. Go to Yosemite.<br />
54. Do a squat challenge.<br />
55. Do a push up challenge.<br />
56. Work up to being able to do five minutes of planking.<br />
57. Watch at least 10 old movies I haven't seen before.<br />
58. Walk at least 70,000 steps each week.<br />
<b>59. Start working on outdoor landscaping.</b><br />
60. Begin planning Summer School in May.<br />
61. Check Hudson's folder every night.<br />
<b>62. Figure out how to reorganize makeup.</b><br />
63. Decorate office at school.<br />
64. Decorate for Fourth of July.<br />
65. Find interesting/informational podcasts.<br />
66. Don't let the counter get cluttered.<br />
67. Plan out remaining weeks leading up to Academic Decathlon.<br />
68. Do my Aca Dec homework to help kids.<br />
69. Plan two Buddy activities before the year is over.<br />
70. Start yearbook before January is over.<br />
71. Organize school photos.<br />
72. Color<br />
73. Maximum three weeks between nail appointments.<br />
74. Snuggle with boys at least twice a week.*<br />
75. Start playing piano again.<br />
76. Wash face/use night cream every night.<br />
77. Floss/brush every night.<br />
78. Eat more soup.<br />
79. Clean inside of car once a week.<br />
80. Look into cost of getting car detailed.<br />
81. Run at least 500 miles this year.<br />
82. Use planner more effectively.<br />
83. Complete at least one destination run.<br />
84. Stretch or do yoga at least once a week.<br />
85. Never miss a Monday of exercising.<br />
86. Don't go more than two days without exercise.<br />
87. Purge kids clothes/rooms at least twice this year.<br />
88. Decorate for Fall.<br />
89. Come up with one "to do" each night for the next day.<br />
90. Look at school planner every day.<br />
91. Find one new app each month to use with students.<br />
92. Pray intentionally for my Prayer Pal.<br />
93. Make at least one Fourth of July Pinterest inspired craft.<br />
94. Be ready before kids each day.<br />
95. Be ready before sitting down to relax each day.<br />
96. Think positively.<br />
97. Don't gossip.<br />
98. Fill all picture frames with photos.<br />
99. Keep dresser clear and pretty.<br />
100. Clean out purse once a week.<br />
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Looking at my list, I was an utter failure. But I don't look at it like that. I think I was a "tad" bit overly ambitious. Many of the items are not bold faced because I didn't do them "all" the time or "every" time I said I would. That doesn't mean I didn't do them some of the time. <br />
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The goals I did complete were important to me, and I am very happy I completed them. <br />
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I do know, however, that my goals are going to be a bit different this year. And waaaaaaay paired down. I don't think I'll do a 100 list this year! I've already started giving it some thought as to what I'd like to accomplish this next year.Heather Forceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124279901831950997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536748025324530635.post-17045333052629983682016-11-22T10:07:00.000-08:002016-11-22T10:07:01.669-08:00I Successfully Completed My First Whole30!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gMbg8x6NN2s/WDRWZTgfmyI/AAAAAAAALs0/hEnfZp-IQgA3MQFYTrrKwZxwsAtmdybSACLcB/s1600/2016-11-21%2B18.38.03-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gMbg8x6NN2s/WDRWZTgfmyI/AAAAAAAALs0/hEnfZp-IQgA3MQFYTrrKwZxwsAtmdybSACLcB/s640/2016-11-21%2B18.38.03-1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I did it! I successfully completed my first Whole30! I didn't cheat, I didn't break, and I didn't quit! It feels a little weird to brag about myself like this, but I am REALLY proud of myself! This picture was taken right before I ate my last official Whole30 dinner of lemon pepper chicken salad. I feel so great in this picture. So accomplished, energized, and proud.</div>
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Last official Whole30 Dinner. Lemon pepper chicken cooked in olive oil, salt, and pepper with tons of veggies and some nuts sprinkled in.</div>
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What is Whole30? First off, it is not a diet. It is a total food reset that eliminates many food items that are known to cause problems for some people. After 30 days of eating very, very, very clean, you reintroduce those foods to see if you have issues or sensitivities to them.</div>
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I was really trying to do some reflecting yesterday on Day 30 of this journey, and I was trying to pinpoint exactly why I wanted to try this plan. It wasn't to lose weight. I had already been doing Weight Watchers for a few weeks and was having success.</div>
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I don't have any major medical issues that I was hoping to improve through better nutrition. (One issue I do have is a lack of a gallbladder which sometimes makes it hard to digest fatty foods, but overall, that doesn't impact my life too much.)</div>
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When I really try to pinpoint my reason for doing this, it narrows down to my addiction to sugar and my inability to control cravings or food. I typically feel so out of control when dealing with food and sugar specifically.</div>
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I borrowed the Whole30 book from the library back in August, but was too afraid to try the plan. Seriously! I was afraid to give up so much stuff: no sugar of any kind, no dairy, no legumes, no wheat, no alcohol. How would I survive? I don't like vegetables! How would I manage to eat?</div>
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But the idea of gaining control of my cravings and food was so intriguing that I finally just jumped in at the end of October. The first few days were ROUGH! But I kept going.</div>
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I never ventured into trying any fancy recipes. Most of my meals were pretty much like this one or a giant salad. I only ran into food boredom a few times, so that was good. I just kept mixing it up.</div>
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My first attempt at eating out. Chili's was more than happy to accommodate my needs.</div>
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The fact that I kept going and didn't quit was pretty uncharacteristic for me. That sounds terrible, but I have a habit of jumping into a plan/exercise routine/hobby and quitting after a bit. I lose interest. But I did not give up this time, and that was something else for me to ponder. Why was this different? Where did the motivation come from to not quit when I am notorious for doing so?</div>
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I came up with a few reasons for not quitting.</div>
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-After the rough start with headaches and cravings, I started to feel really good.</div>
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-I started gaining confidence in being able to handle this.</div>
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-Evan made a huge impact on me. He had a private conversation with his dad about being worried about me quitting this plan. I couldn't let him down. I HAD to show him that his mom was going to stick to something.</div>
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-Evan had a conversation with me and told me I seemed happier. I love the compliment, but it was sad to hear because that means I was less happy before.</div>
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Anyhow, I was in the best mood yesterday on Day 30. I think my Tiger Blood finally came roaring to life! I literally woke up in a good mood and it lasted all day!</div>
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<u>Improvements</u></div>
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1. I lost just over 10 pounds.</div>
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2. I have more energy.</div>
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3. I sleep better.</div>
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4. My skin looks better.</div>
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5. I have (for the most part) busted my craving for sugar.</div>
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6. I have the urge to exercise again.</div>
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7. I have more patience.</div>
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8. I wake up early.</div>
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9. I am not hungry for snacks in between meals.</div>
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10. My clothes fit better.</div>
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11. My confidence has improved.</div>
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12. I've become a champion label reader.</div>
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There are so many more improvements that it would be hard to list them all. </div>
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<u>Hard Moments</u></div>
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There were definitely some hard moments. The first week was a mess of headaches, cravings, and overall crankiness. I just had to power through and hope that it got better. It did.</div>
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Halloween was not that hard. Of course I wanted some candy, but it was not all consuming. I handled it.</div>
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One of the hardest moments was when Eric and I went to a very fancy dinner for his job. We were literally treated to some of the best food around this area. Waiters were pouring the wine (which I did not have). I drank club soda and lime. I had to modify the salad to just olive oil and vinegar while everyone else was eating these amazing looking blue cheese wedges. I had to ask the waitress to modify my halibut while everyone else was eating butter sizzled entrees. And the dessert! Oh my heavens the dessert. I just smiled. That would have been a totally WORTH IT meal to enjoy. That all being said, my meal was absolutely delicious the way I ordered it. </div>
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The last weekend was also hard. I am officially on Thanksgiving Vacation and in the past, vacations equal food fests. Not this time.</div>
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<u>Proud Moments</u></div>
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There were several proud moments.</div>
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I made it through three days of parent/teacher conferences without snacking on junk and without getting home feeling emotionally and physically wrecked. I was tired, but not wiped out. That was a huge accomplishment!</div>
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I made it through Halloween.</div>
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I made it through chaperoning a junior high Halloween dance with tons of junk food in sight.</div>
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I made it through the fancy dinner for Eric's work. I felt really pretty that night. Even though it was hard not to enjoy the delectable side of that meal, it was still a really nice evening.</div>
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I made it through a field trip to Los Angeles without snacking on junk on the bus.</div>
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This girl (Kaitlinn) didn't ask for the job of coach, but I self-appointed her as my coach and mentor. She is a health nut and eats very carefully. Besides Eric, she was my number one person to whine to, bounce ideas off of, and share my successes with. She really was great at cheering me on and believing in me! I owe her many thanks! She was great inspiration.</div>
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I made it through not one but two Thanksgiving Feasts at school. I brought my own food!</div>
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I also have to say something about my husband. He is the BEST! He knows my penchant for jumping in to things with both feet and then giving up. He never judges when that happens. He is always up for me to try new things. He never tells me no. I asked him yesterday if he thought I was going to finish this and he honestly answered no. I wasn't offended in the slightest because even though he didn't think I'd follow through, he supported me 100%. One weekend he even went with me to FOUR grocery stores to buy various brands and veggies to keep me satisfied. Let's just say grocery shopping is not his favorite! He teased me by telling me I was eating dirt, but he never tempted me to stray. 100% behind me always. I couldn't ask for a better husband! I really hit the jackpot when God led me to him.</div>
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I went out to eat several times and became more and more comfortable with asking waiters to modify my meals without apologies. That was hard at first. I was over-explaining and apologizing while trying to order. By the end of the month, I simply asked for what I wanted and was done with it.</div>
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I even made it through a lunch at my favorite pizza place with just enjoying the salad bar and only smelling the pizza!</div>
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I didn't quit.</div>
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I didn't cheat.</div>
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I didn't give up.</div>
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There it is! My first Whole30 is complete. I feel great, my energy is up, I feel in control.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-710OV3wEoIE/WDRhYLSAtVI/AAAAAAAALtQ/-ZExy4UR3lIJInhG9QcFWRrmOtdcvVS1wCLcB/s1600/2016-10-29%2B10.36.52-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-710OV3wEoIE/WDRhYLSAtVI/AAAAAAAALtQ/-ZExy4UR3lIJInhG9QcFWRrmOtdcvVS1wCLcB/s640/2016-10-29%2B10.36.52-1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I have more patience as a mom (although the real judge of that would be my kids)!</div>
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I ate some very non-typical breakfasts. My favorite breakfast was rib eye steak! This picture was the day I tried uncured no sugar bacon. It started off grey, but tasted good. Eric refused to eat it. It was good because it was bacon!</div>
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My energy skyrocketed. Twenty mile bike ride? No problem!</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5gDxH2RsIS0/WDRhjhI1TlI/AAAAAAAALt0/3IlLq5GCluMIi7gakfnxRwS_0VjEHE4tACLcB/s1600/2016-11-20%2B13.21.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5gDxH2RsIS0/WDRhjhI1TlI/AAAAAAAALt0/3IlLq5GCluMIi7gakfnxRwS_0VjEHE4tACLcB/s640/2016-11-20%2B13.21.14.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I wasn't afraid to be silly!</div>
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Some thoughts and worries I have going forward are how to maintain a relatively healthy diet. I need to reintroduce the foods I have been abstaining from to see if I have any sensitivities to them. I need to evaluate whether those foods are worth it to me moving forward. I'm nervous about this. I'm not sure how to do this. It will be a work in progress for sure.</div>
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I am so happy I did this. I know I'll do another Whole30 in the future. I'm not sure when, but I'm thinking about some time after my birthday.</div>
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Today is Day 31. I have no plans to stop eating this way until tomorrow night when we celebrate Eric's birthday at a fancy restaurant! And I plan to savor every bite!</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1LkrkteWQDM/WDRhmVlRovI/AAAAAAAALuA/OExDTlaY6hMQ4IwcDS2T4kRQXEDk5_5rgCLcB/s1600/2016-11-21%2B14.10.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1LkrkteWQDM/WDRhmVlRovI/AAAAAAAALuA/OExDTlaY6hMQ4IwcDS2T4kRQXEDk5_5rgCLcB/s640/2016-11-21%2B14.10.54.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I want to remember how great I felt on this day!</div>
Heather Forceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124279901831950997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536748025324530635.post-67688226176056491092016-10-26T09:55:00.000-07:002016-10-26T09:55:23.405-07:00Whole30 - Day 3Phew! Day 3 was rough! I was struggling from the second I woke up until the second I went to sleep.<br />
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The struggles were mainly due to a splitting headache, lethargy, and lack of appetite.<br />
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I am all for medication when it comes to pain, but for some reason I don't want to use medicine right now if I don't have to. I just suffered through.<br />
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I didn't experience any food cravings, but I sure noticed all the food and drinks around me that are off limits: chicken fried steak, candy, cake in the break room, cups of soda, whipped cream. You name it, I saw it. It's like when I was pregnant...I noticed every pregnant person walking around! Right now I see all the food. It wasn't so much that I wanted the food, but more irritating that I wasn't allowing myself to have it. I'm not sure if that even makes sense.<br />
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I was pretty irritable yesterday as well. A few work related things had me stressing big time and I wasn't sure I was going to be able to fix all of my tasks for the day. That didn't help my headache!<br />
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Food was pretty similar to the days before.<br />
Breakfast - sausage, potato, onion, red and green pepper<br />
Lunch - chicken<br />
*I had a salad that I didn't have time or feel like eating. However, by 3:30 I was feeling hungry so I pulled out the salad and ate it while watching Kid #1 play football. I had to chuckle at the comments I got at how good my salad looked! And it was good! I was very happy at that moment eating my salad.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RWFBd-WSrl4/WBDeMNAEQbI/AAAAAAAALr0/KM6CMEBDjW8-TncN32YPCFBWrpZi-NRKgCLcB/s1600/2016-10-24%2B12.48.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RWFBd-WSrl4/WBDeMNAEQbI/AAAAAAAALr0/KM6CMEBDjW8-TncN32YPCFBWrpZi-NRKgCLcB/s640/2016-10-24%2B12.48.08.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Dinner - taco (the family had traditional tacos with seasoning and tortillas while I portioned out my meat, sprinkled it with salt and pepper and wrapped it in a lettuce leaf with Eric's homemade salsa)<br />
Snack - fresh roasted pumpkin seeds<br />
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Besides not eating enough at lunch and needing to eat my salad at 3:30, I wasn't hungry yesterday...just grouchy!<br />
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I feel much better this morning.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a4Xj24wq8vY/WBDeMEfCBzI/AAAAAAAALr4/rsZv_YJhOpQwXtVHL_CNEkNVYVYmPi4LACLcB/s1600/2016-10-23%2B18.21.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a4Xj24wq8vY/WBDeMEfCBzI/AAAAAAAALr4/rsZv_YJhOpQwXtVHL_CNEkNVYVYmPi4LACLcB/s640/2016-10-23%2B18.21.48.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I'm also loving these tomatoes from Trader Joe's. I'm heading to Sprouts this weekend to see the selections of healthy foods they carry.</div>
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I slept well last night...at first. Then I randomly woke up at 2 a.m. and had the hardest time getting back to sleep. I finally drifted off around 4. Ugh. Not sure if it is food or detox related, but it wasn't fun.</div>
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This morning, I was tired of sausage so I made myself a rib eye steak for breakfast. Yesterday, the thought of the sausage wasn't appetizing, so I figured I better take a break from that for a few days.</div>
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Evan was pretty interested in my steak. My plan was to eat half for breakfast and put the other half into my salad. I ended up giving half to Evan for his lunch. I'm not sure how many 7th graders get to take rib eye steak in their lunch! Lucky kid.</div>
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And now for a few random photos of our last few days.</div>
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We bought a pumpkin for Hudson to carve. Pumpkin carving is a "dad job" in our house. It's just not in my skill set!</div>
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Hudson got to wield the knife as well. His pumpkin turned out really cute.</div>
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That boy loves to use the lighter.</div>
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Spooky!</div>
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Morning snuggles with Buddy.</div>
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Buddy was sure loving the attention before we left for school this morning.</div>
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I've got all my food for the day, so I should be fine. I weigh in tonight at Weight Watchers, but I'm going to tell them not to tell me my progress. I don't want to see numbers until the Whole30 is over.</div>
Heather Forceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124279901831950997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536748025324530635.post-39278585458514950582016-10-25T05:28:00.001-07:002016-10-25T05:28:16.347-07:00Whole 30 - Day 2 FinishedI finished Day 2 with somewhat ease. I had enough food. I wasn't overly craving stuff I couldn't have.<br />
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I was slightly grouchy because of a headache. No caffeine or sugar to battle it. I'm somewhat reluctant to take any ibuprofen and I'm not sure why. I am a strong believer in medicine, but I think I want to see if the headaches subside through better food choices.<br />
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Like I said, I wasn't craving particular foods, but I sure did notice all the food around me, especially soda cups. Sigh. I'm not sure I'll ever get over my want for soda.<br />
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Breakfast was the same sausage hash as before but with peppers added in. Yum. And a banana.<br />
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Lunch was the prosciutto wrapped chicken from the night before along with a salad. I was planning to eat a pear, but I ran out of time and I wasn't hungry.<br />
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Dinner was supposed to be tacos or pork chops. However, Eric was full from lunch and the boys had their last basketball practice so they ate cereal. I ended up having an apple with almond butter before practice and I cooked two scrambled eggs after practice.<br />
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I'm typing this on the morning of Day 3. I don't feel fantastic. No Tiger Blood around here. (In the book it talks about how you feel on top of the world and like you can accomplish anything. They call that Tiger Blood. I'm looking forward to some of that.)<br />
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Two days down. 28 to go. Heather Forceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124279901831950997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536748025324530635.post-75944971586814860622016-10-23T19:18:00.000-07:002016-10-23T19:18:08.299-07:00Whole30 Day 1Day 1 has been decent. I made it to the evening hours. I have not had any major food cravings, I'm not struggling to figure out what to eat, and I'm not regretting embarking on this plan.<br />
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The day started out really early. We unexpectedly had three extra boys in our house to spend the night. Like any good preteen mom, I ran to Wal Mart and bought a bunch of snacks...cookies, soda, chips, donuts, and chocolate milk. Even with all that junk in the house, I'm not overly tempted by it right now. I got up early because Evan and I were heading to volunteer and the boys were getting picked up early. </div>
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I started my day with black coffee. I have only been a coffee drinker for a few years and that is with lots of Splenda and creamer. Suddenly switching to black coffee was a bit of a shock to my taste buds. But I survived. And it was the jolt I needed that early especially considering I am not getting my caffeine fix from Diet Coke.<br />
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Yeah, that was me prior to this morning. I love me some flavored creamers! I am currently missing my pumpkin spice creamer.</div>
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Anyhow, I felt decently successful managing this very first important coffee step. </div>
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All the teenage boys left and I quickly cut up a small potato, onion, and sausage for breakfast. I wished I had remembered to buy a red pepper to put in the breakfast hash. It still tasted great.<br />
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A red pepper would have made it prettier, too! I plan to eat this each morning this week. I may or may not add in scrambled egg. I think that will depend on my food for the morning. I have been wanting to figure out healthier breakfasts for myself for a while now. I ate protein bars for months and months and months. Lately, I've been eating Special K cereal that still has a lot of sugar. This seems like a great compromise.</div>
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Getting meal one finished really made me feel like I was on a roll!</div>
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Evan and I volunteered at the Poverello House for three hours. We cut up lots of fruit. At one point, Evan helped serve the breakfast line. I stayed in the back cutting onions and talking to a girl attending Fresno State. There have been a lot of kids getting hours for college requirements.<br />
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I wasn't hungry while working. After we got home I was feeling pretty hungry. Eric started teasing me saying I'm eating dirt. Ugh! I'm not eating dirt. But the stuff that comes from dirt is some of the best stuff to eat!<br />
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I made a salad with olives, almonds, salami, olive oil and vinegar. It was good.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XKL7QuNTjaQ/WA1p6TowJWI/AAAAAAAALq0/gDRmfgTHtXgT8wj4I7yaEbXe2ncQfw4RgCLcB/s1600/2016-10-23%2B12.40.16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XKL7QuNTjaQ/WA1p6TowJWI/AAAAAAAALq0/gDRmfgTHtXgT8wj4I7yaEbXe2ncQfw4RgCLcB/s640/2016-10-23%2B12.40.16.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I love eating salads, but I do have to say I miss my blue cheese. It just adds such a tang to a salad. But again, I'm doing just fine without cheese.</div>
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I cut my arm and have no idea how I did it. That little scar above the new cut was another random thing that I have no idea how it occurred. And that one took forever to heal! I wonder if healthier eating will help this scratch heal faster?</div>
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Eric and I went shopping in the afternoon at Trader Joe's. I got a bunch of produce, some meat, and some almond butter. And then I started getting really angry. There is sugar in EVERYTHING! And I mean EVERYTHING! It is in salad dressing, in tomato sauce, in crackers, in salsa, and in pretty much every single prepackaged meat product. WHY???? Why is there sugar in roast beef? It just seems gross to me.</div>
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And it makes me so mad. There does not need to be sugar in 99% of the items. Is it a bulking agent? Is there actually a purpose? Does it enhance flavor? WHY? The one that sent me over the edge was McCormick taco seasoning. Seriously? Sugar in a taco seasoning? Jiminy Christmas. </div>
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Rant over.</div>
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For now.</div>
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We made chicken thighs wrapped in prosciutto. There is a dividing line in the above photo because the family had theirs sprinkled with garlic salt....which has SUGAR! Mine were sprinkled with plain old salt and pepper. The prosciutto really enhanced the flavor of the chicken, so I felt fully satiated. Plus I've got left overs to eat this week.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P1yP52pCMHg/WA1qDRNcHtI/AAAAAAAALrE/ZnEUxZ0VLRUz83INhD4QWIste1EkNwvHQCLcB/s1600/2016-10-23%2B18.21.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P1yP52pCMHg/WA1qDRNcHtI/AAAAAAAALrE/ZnEUxZ0VLRUz83INhD4QWIste1EkNwvHQCLcB/s640/2016-10-23%2B18.21.48.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I also had a bowl of medley cherry tomatoes in a compliant dressing.</div>
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Thoughts so far.</div>
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I like the idea of eating healthy, but I'm not gonna lie...it is an effort to find compliant prepackaged foods and it is a bit overwhelming to think of making everything from scratch. Plus, shopping makes me angry. See above rant.</div>
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I have a bit of a headache and I am so very tired. I don't know if that is from new food choices, or if that is from being up early with teenagers, standing on my feet for three hours cutting fruit at the soup kitchen, and spending a lot of time walking around the grocery store. Regardless of the reason, I'm tired.</div>
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Like I said, there have been no cravings. I miss blue cheese in my salad, but it was not an overwhelming craving. It was a little irritating to see chips and Oreos on my counter and not be able to eat them if I wanted. But again, not a big struggle.</div>
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My hopes at the moment for the end of this plan: I'd like to kick the soda/diet soda habit for good. I'd like to avoid fake sugar as much as possible. What I am pretty sure of is that I'm not going to lose sleep over trying to eliminate all sugar. I'd drive myself crazy reading labels and getting mad. I also hope to rely less and less on prepackaged food. I'm getting the feeling that prepackaged deli meats aren't the best choice.</div>
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Tomorrow's plan is to eat hash for breakfast, salad with chicken for lunch and either pork chops or taco in a lettuce leaf for dinner.</div>
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Heather Forceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124279901831950997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536748025324530635.post-7560669743109636562016-10-23T06:29:00.001-07:002016-10-23T06:29:49.607-07:00Whole30...The night before I begin<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PLZlJGL_m9o/WAy4rntBuVI/AAAAAAAALqE/VaZdjPIgqaYXUNpLqQTsyXoF-bB1MLsdQCLcB/s1600/2016-10-22%2B15.42.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PLZlJGL_m9o/WAy4rntBuVI/AAAAAAAALqE/VaZdjPIgqaYXUNpLqQTsyXoF-bB1MLsdQCLcB/s640/2016-10-22%2B15.42.18.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I'm about to do something crazy...well crazy for me. I'm going to start a program called <a href="http://whole30.com/" target="_blank">Whole30</a>. In a nutshell, it is a program where you eliminate sugar, dairy, artificial sweeteners, beans and more from your diet for 30 days. It is a way to reset your body with real food. It's a reset if you will. It's a way for me to break my horrible sugar addiction, and it's a way to be more in tune with foods that don't treat me well.<br />
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It's not a fad diet. It's not designed to last forever. It's not a carb free diet. You are encouraged to eat healthy fats, natural carbs and lots of protein. It's also not a weight loss program.</div>
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I want to do this for many reasons. </div>
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1. To break my sugar addiction.</div>
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2. To reset my body.</div>
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3. To train my taste buds to adapt to new tastes. </div>
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4. To prove to myself I can do something for 30 days.</div>
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5. To learn which foods don't agree with my body.</div>
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*It's not a weight loss program, but I will not be unhappy if I lose pounds or inches in the process.</div>
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My fears:</div>
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1. Giving in to temptation </div>
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2. Not planning enough in advance to have on-plan food accessible to me</div>
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3. Food boredom</div>
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4. Not seeing real results</div>
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The reasons to do this far outweigh my fears. I start tomorrow.<br />
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And in true "addict" fashion, I had a "last supper" of Cherry Vanilla Pepsi and Chewy SweetTarts.<br />
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And guess what? It didn't make me feel great. It didn't even satisfy some internal craving. The only reason I chose those items is because I knew they'd be off limits for the next 30 days. I didn't choose them because I was having a sugar craving. It's like I was trying to get ahead of the craving. So dumb.<br />
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I felt bloated, fuzzy and ridiculous for eating that junk.<br />
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I'd like to keep track of how I'm feeling each day and the progress that I am making. I'll still be weighing in at Weight Watchers...I rejoined about five weeks ago and have been having good success. However, when they weigh me in, I plan to tell step on and close my eyes and have them not tell me my weight. I don't want the number to influence how I feel internally about the better food choices.<br />
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I also plan to point out my food to make sure I am getting my 30 points. That is not something you are supposed to do on this plan, but I'm deciding to do this for myself. On the off chance that I gain weight, I at least want to make sure that I am getting enough food. <br />
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You are supposed to eat enough at meal 1, 2, and 3 to be able to avoid snacking. I like that idea for a few reasons. The snacks are where I often fall apart. I also like the idea of my body knowing that it will get fed again in a few hours and not need to constantly graze. It's also easier in terms of planning. I'm planning three meals, not three meals and three snacks. And I would always gravitate towards fruit for the sweetness element.<br />
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I've been thinking about doing this since summer. Finally taking the plunge. My last day will be Nov. 21 which is just before Eric's birthday and Thanksgiving. No one wants to eat fake butter on Thanksgiving! Another good reason for doing this now is to avoid the temptation of Halloween candy and the endless snacking that we tend to do during parent teacher conferences.<br />
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There you have it. My reasons for embarking on this crazy-for-me food plan. I am hoping to feel great, have energy, bust the sugar habit, jump start a bit of weight loss, and learn to like new foods.<br />
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*I took my measurements and did a last weigh in that I'll see, but I'm not sharing those specific numbers. As open of a book as I can be, I do draw a line at body numbers!<br />
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Hudson is skeptical! Ha! He doesn't even know what's going on. I am not forcing my family into this new plan. If I think they'll like a certain food or recipe, I'll make it for all of us. If I know it will not fly, it will just be for me. </div>
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Wish me luck!</div>
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Heather Forceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124279901831950997noreply@blogger.com0