A new chapter...

A new chapter in our life is starting.  It's extremely bittersweet.  It's a step I've been praying for.  Been dreaming about.  And now it's happening. 

In 6 weeks we are moving to the Central Coast of California.  I am a mess of emotions.  I LOVE our church here.  It's the best ever.  And our friends.  And Shane's school.  I love our little house that we've made home. 

But all along for these two years I've known, this house isn't our last.  I had a feeling God wanted us to do something big.  I was totally okay and happy with the thought of us staying here in this city, at our church, and the great school for our boys.  But I just kinda have a feeling He wants us to do something big for Him :) We were open to staying here, moving to our home town, being in the ministry, or my husband working a secular job.  BUT, We've been praying about starting a church in the Central Coast for a couple years now.  We aren't ready to do that just yet, but it's so neat to see God leading us to the area in which we prayed to live! My husband will be working at a church up there.  It's a great church and a great school, and I'm just SO SO thankful they would have us to come!!! A good school was top of our prayer list.  That's our boy's future. 

Moving is always emotional.  Making new friends, getting settled, a new area to learn.  Did I mention it's ALWAYS been my dream to live by the beach?? God is so good!!!! Really, I feel like a giant hug was given to me :)

It's been my dream as a Mom, to get settled somewhere.  To buy a home.  To live there the rest of our lives.   And although that is still a few years off, I dream of buying a home.  I want to buy a house, and live there forever.  I want my kids to bring their kids to our house.  I want them to sleep in their old rooms.  There is just something special about a warm familiarity of going home for a visit.  I am so glad to be moving to the area in which I really think we will stay, and be PLANTED there.

I am so thankful to God for answering our prayers.  I dream God will use us there, and that one day we can own our own home on a small peice of land (it's super expensive there I know but God can do anything), so we can own a milking cow (go ahead and laugh, lol, I WANT lots of raw milk for my 4 growing boys!!!), lots of fruit trees, a big garden, and some chickens for fresh cage free eggs.  I dream of a big tree in the back yard with a swing on it.  I can get real specific with my prayer requests for a house, lol, but I won't list them all ;-)  I don't desire to be rich, or to own a fancy car.  I desire our own home, with all the above!

Hey boys eat A LOT, and it's expensive to feed them this stuff.  But I want and dream of the best for them.  :)

So that's our big news. 

PS. I want to lose 10 lbs by the time we move.  I am FOCUSED. With His help.  I can do it. 

Week 2 Day 2

I didn't lose any weight last week. I didn't expect to.  I wasn't "trying" to lose weight {I will be trying after we get groceries!}.  I ate and prepared what we had, and we ate out twice.  I logged everyday but two.  Here's the big news.....I RAN! I got winded, I was SORE...and it felt so good.  I can't wait to go again. Okay so I walked/ran. More like walked...but I did attempt to run from time to time. I did just over 2 miles in 38 mins. I went alone...huge treat for this mama :) 

I have a cold, and so do the boys, and its revival at church, so I'll have to wait a few days before I can go again, but really, I'm pumped about it.  I listened to the "Half Size Me" podcast while walking, which I just found! Hello! Motivation! You should look it up on iTunes. 

I had a super frustrating day yesterday.  Besides my body fighting this cold, I had things to do for my hubby, when I get an email saying my BLOG WAS DOWN! Grrrr! I spent literally allllll day (crying many times) trying to fix it.  Google is an answering machine.. So for now, my blog is back on blogspot.com. So instead of www.chroniclesofacurvyhousewife.com its www.chroniclesofacurvyhousewife.blogspot.com
All the stress got to me. I burned dinner (not on purpose), so I ran out to get Mexican food.  I also really really wanted a donut.  Or three.  Okay five.  {I shared, I promise}.
What? This is the last donut I'll ever have I'll have until the next time I fail, and start over again.

I got to the donut shop and the Vietnamese lady owner is so sweet.  She remembers me from my regular visits while pregnant with Shane and Cody {that explains the 66 pounds gain eh?}, and she says, "Oh you have baby?!" I had Will with me so I hoped that's what she meant. Not that she thought I was pregnant again, because I do still look six months pregnant.
Then she says, "You go to grocery store too? Or you just come for donut?"
(You mean people don't usually go to donut shops after dark?)
I said, "Just for donuts!" Then she laughed and gave me a free donut. 

I had to have one last sugary hooray before we cut it out of our diet. Right? 

I am finishing up my meal plan and will be going shopping tomorrow.  I am trying to make it as nutritious and "real foods" as possible, with out braking the bank.  Let.Me.Tell.You.  Not easy.  I've been reading Sally Fallon's book "Nourishing Traditions" to get recipes and great info.  Some of the stuff is like: WHOA.  Other stuff is like: HUH?
I know I've written blog posts about eating Organic on a budget, but I'm now stepping into a whole new world....No processed foods or sugar. 

I reeeeaaallly believe the key to successful weight loss and healthy eating is not feeling deprived.  Well for me at least.  My husband has been sugar free for almost 3 weeks now! We all will be too very soon.  It's surprising how many recipes call for sugar.  It's taken me HOURS to find recipes that: A. Don't look like cardboard B. Don't have crazy never heard of ingredients and C. Don't cost $20 for ingredients for ONE recipe. 

Wish me luck!

Dresser Makeover!

I got an itch to spruce up my living room. I've been wanting to paint this dresser, which has been mine since I was 15.  We use it as a TV stand. 

I also wanted our coffee table to match! 

First I remove all hardware. 

Then I started by using my husbands electric  sander and lightly sanded them both. 

Then I used a primer. 

It went on smooth and clear on the dresser but thick and white on the coffee table. Hmph. I was perplexed! 

I let the primer dry, then I sanded the coffee table again. 

Then I painted them both! Here's the secret!!! I used a roller over all of it except the small corners & edges. 

I used two coats of Valspar "Quarry Pond". One quart was more than enough for both. 

Dresser makeover! 

Furniture before and after 

Weight Loss diaries the real week 1 day 1

Gulp. 

Here it is folks. 

My weight. 

Starting weight: 214.3 lbs 

BLAH! 

Will turned 11 weeks yesterday, and it's time to get it going. 

It's week 1, and I'm doing baby steps. 

Step 1. Log all food even if I'm over calories, and to exercise twice this week. 

 Today I ate 2,158 calories. That's 158 over my goal (because I'm breastfeeding my goal is 500 higher than it would be). It's ok. Im just gonna get in the habit of logging my foods. I am much more aware of every bite I put in my mouth when I log them! Really I thought I'd be under..but oh yeah that extra coffee creamer and that Hershey kiss (or kisses) oh and bites if the boys food...yeah...

** {future steps will be to eat totally clean, real foods, run again, ect, but we are doing BABY STEPS!} 

it's humbling to have to "start over".  To have lost 80 lbs, to have run 2 half marathons, to now... 11 weeks postpartum and have gone so much backwards. I let myself have too much leeway while pregnant. 

It's sad that I was at 165 last spring now I'm back up here again. In the 200's. Where I said I'd never go again! 

Praise God for new mercies everyday. He helped me do it once, I can do it again. I WILL. 

It's on like donkey kong baby. 

(I have no clue what that means or what it's from but I always hear people say it and it sounds cool.)

Anyways...here's a cool little feature of My Fitness Pal. You can see all your past weigh ins! Here's what it looks like. 

You have to be ready.

To lose weight, you have to be ready. Mentally, strategically, and spiritually. 

Jan 1 was a good day to start again. Will was almost 2 months old. Fresh new year. New start. 

But I wasn't ready.  

Strategically I was. But mentally I wasn't. 

I lacked the heart. The motivation. And the prayer time about it. Sometimes heart comes after I start. That's what I was hoping for. But I just didn't get excited. 

And um...life with 4 boys 5 and under is busy. Very busy! Losing weight is a full time job. I have to WANT it passionately and have the heart to follow through. 

Now is the time. Today is the day I NEED to start. 

Anyone ever been here? You want to...you plan to...but then, you just don't?  I'm tired of waisting time. I'm tired of looking 6 months pregnant.  

I know what I need to do. Badly. I need to run. {or wog. ie walk/jog}. ;) 

An instructor in college use to say, "It's better caught then taught". He was talking about witnessing to people for Jesus. The more you do it, the more burdened you are for people. You can't teach heart. You catch heart! 

So, if I start running again, like really sweating, for a purpose..I know how good I'll feel! It's addictive! How far can I go today? 

The rest will follow. 

Because there's nothing more annoying than burning a few hundred calories just to eat it right back in Oreos. Right? We've all been there. Hello? Am I alone? 

Before I even worry about my food, I'm gonna go move. Really move, like sweaty, red face move like I use to in spin kinda move. Like...oh stink I'm gonna barf kinda move. Ok I don't want to barf but you know.  

I'm gonna go catch some heart. 

Love, The Curvy Housewife 

That was scary.

Thursday was a scary day. My husband has been getting regular migraines for about a year, like once a week. Thursday he had to stay home from work and was in bed all day. 

He's seen two doctors for them, the preventative and the pain meds don't work. The doctor said if they persist he will see a neurologist. Of course that scares the daylights out if me!! 

He was so bad I ended up taking him to urgent care. He got a shot in the rear for pain and felt better Praise Jesus! I am taking him to a natural doctor today and Wednesday he will see his doctor again for referral to neurologist. 

He's officially off gluten and sugar. And processed foods. This just got real. I'm determined to make a real food plan that fits with in our budget. 

I believe the migraines are triggered by stress, weather, diet, and lack of sleep. But the thought of  something serious terrifies me. Having to rule out a tumor or something is so scary. Prayers are appreciated. God is good. I believe he is using this as another wake up call to get our eating right. 

I haven't weighed in, but I have been logging In to My Fitness Pal every day! And Wednesday I ate no gluten and less than 60 grams (46!) of sugar. That was tough lol. I'm making little goals an sticking to them and it feels good. Will weigh In ASAP! 

Got to run. Sorry for typos :-) 

Love, Me

Let's be real.

Let's be real for a sec. Mkay?

I'm sorry in advanced if you hope my blog is another "I'm a natural mama with all the answers" type blog. For real, I'm still learning {and I share what I learn and what's worked for me} and I'm so far from what I want to be.

For real, I'm an overweight mama to 4 little boys who feels like I barley have enough time to shower let alone grind my own wheat. Although I want to. {I may have spent all morning looking on Amazon for a wheat grinder that doesn't cost a fortune. But then I said, "Who you kidding! You're not gonna grind wheat!" But then I said, "Self, I just may grind wheat if I had a wheat grinder!"}

If I was being real I'd tell you I'm not doing good on the weight loss wagon. 

If I was being real I'd tell you I'm a bit, (ok a lot), stressed out. 

If I was being real I'd tell you, I feel like crud from eating junk. Headaches, stomach aches, nausea, fatigue, my teeth bothering me and more. It's not just me. My husband has been getting regular migraines. He has had a cold for weeks as well as the three older boys and myself. 

If I was being real I'd tell you I'm so sick of telling myself "It's ok. You'll eat right tomorrow." 

If I was being real I'd tell you, I'm so overwhelmed with information of what we should and shouldn't be eating it makes me want to cry. Should I cut gluten again? Should I cut sugar? Should I just cook everything from scratch? Should I just count calories? Should I eat Paleo?? 

"Grains kill your brain" "Dairy is for baby cows" "Raw milk grows healthy families" "You must eat fermented foods" "grains are ok of you soak them" "Nuts have phytaste" "Soy is from the devil" "you should only eat organic" "grass fed meats only". Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! 

I'm being real. I KNOW what my body is screaming. It's telling me to STOP eating processed foods. 

I know the power of nutrition. I do! I mean, I healed a cavity. Hello. 

But REAListically, I want to eat whole real foods. It's a HUGE burden on me, what I feed my family. But I have a very small grocery budget. Realistically, it's really REALLY hard to get grass fed, organic foods. 

But you know what? God is NOT the author of confusion. 1 Cor 14:33 

He is peace.  He wants us to eat real, whole foods. He owns the cattle on 1,000 hills! I think he could provide some of that grass fed beef for His children!! ;) He created us! He knows what our body needs and He never meant it to be a secret. 

I have to STOP stressing because I'm listening to the enemy whisper "You can't afford to eat right, so why try? Your family is fine. You can eat whatever you want." 

If Satan can't have our souls then he wants to ruin our lives so we can't serve Him. 

Well I choose LIFE. Not just mediocre life, but ABUNDANT life. 

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, And that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10 

I will never be perfect at eating. Or running. Or being a homemaker or a mom or a wife or a Christian.  

But if I lose weight, or do anything good, it'll be because of Him. My flesh is weak but my spirit is willing.  

"Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" Matthew 7:9-11 

Creamy Shrimp Alfredo from Scratch

Oh this is yum. 

My boys loooove shrimp. Love. I made this the other night, no recipe or anything! Pretty proud of myself :) here it is. 

Creamy shrimp Alfredo from scratch-->

What you need: 

2.5 cups raw wild shrimp 

1/4 cup Butter 

Noodles 

2 cups spinach 

1 cup Cream 

1/4 cup Olive oil 

Garlic salt 

Pepper 

Cook the noodles. 

Wash the shrimp & cut off the tails.

Fry the shrimp in the butter until it's no longer opaque. 

Add the cooked noodles in the pan with the cooked shrimp. 

Add the spinache. 

Add the cream and olive oil. 

Season with garlic salt & pepper. 

Stir.

Cover and keep on low until spinache is cooked. 

Turn off and serve. 

Eat. 

Say, "Yum". 

1 cup equals 415 calories 

TOM'S, Modest Fashion, and Resolutions

I found this website that sells Toms for super cheap!! Some less than $20!!! Heellllooooo bargain! Do you love Tom's? Have you heard of them? So cute.  OK HERE IS THE LINK.  In case you don't want to read the rest of the post.  In case you find cheap Tom's more appealing than me.  You probably didn't read anything except the sentence in all caps.... me either. 

Wanna hear something sad? I picked out some clothes for myself for Christmas and didn't try them on.  All XL.  Tried them on Christmas day....... They are too small! UGH.  THANK GOD I started  my 5,678th diet today. 

Day one went well. More on that tomorrow.  I am really looking forward to wearing those clothes I bought...MOTIVATION.

I've been considering making a "Modest Fashion" tab {with actual cute, modest clothing...not like Amish or anything...come on now {no offense to any Amish...I love you all. You're awesome and I can learn a lot from your simple living. you probably aren't reading this because you all don't have computers. Or cellphones. Or light switches}).  But like EVERYTHING else... I feel unqualified to do it.  Everyone would say, "What does she know about fashion?!"

Did you know I use to work in fashion?? yes, yes I did.  I use to work for Nordstroms.  I often got the opportunity to work directly with the buyers (that's what I wanted to be). 
In fact I went to school for it my first year in college.  I have always LOVED fashion.  I was voted "Biggest Wardrobe" in junior high...LOL.

What happened? Oh yeah I got pregnant with Boy 1.  And super fat.  Then pregnant with Boy 2 right away.  Now 4 boys later....I hate to confess that I often wear dull, boring, whatever is clean and whatever fits kind of outfits.  Sigh.  Well NOT ANY MORE! It's a New Year's resolution.  Yup...it's on "The List" (serious background music). 

Ok enough of my ramblings. It's late, and I'm tired.  Boy 2, 3 and 4 are asleep, and I'm gonna go to bed soon.  Well actually after I watch Biggest Loser on Hulu. 

"She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple." Prov 31:22