Memorial Day

Today for memorial day we took all the ranch boys to a beautiful river to BBQ, swim, and tube some small rapids. Davey thought it would be fun to take Shane and Cody down some small rapids nears our camp set up. Well the first time was great, the boys loved it. The second time...Davey slipped and fell at the top of the rapids, and accidentally let go of the raft [which by the way, was a twin size blow up mattress!!]. So there go the boys, drifting down the rapids all alone. I started screaming, jumped off a rock I was on to take a picture, into the river (fully dressed) to rescue my babies. By the time I got to them, they were near the end of the rapids but I did manage to keep them from hitting a huge rock. The boys were a little scared during the ride because they saw their Daddy fall, then they heard me screaming. Once we were all safe, the boys were laughing and wanted to go again. We all went together the next time. It was fun.

That was the first time in a couple months since I've really swam!! Felt like my first triathlon, freezing water, where you can't breathe. Fun stuff!

Cody is the next Michael Phelps. He is. Barley two, and already learning to swim. You can't keep him out of the water!! That is one reason we ALWAYS keep a life jacket on him. Later on in the day, we were all playing and eating. I turn around for a second, turn back, and Cody is floating down the river. Yes. No lie. He is smirking and enjoying it. The current is strong and there were more rapids down a little ways, so again, I scream and a ranch boy grabs him. Can't you just picture Cody floating down the river in his huge yellow life jacket smiling?

When we were packing up to leave, I hear a ranch boy yell, "SNAKE!!!" and sure enough, a Copper Head (poisonous) snake was right on our camp, right by where the boys were playing earlier. They killed it. Feww. I am thankful for the Lord's protection. All this outdoors mountainious activities are dangerous. ;-)

On a sad note, our dogs got out about 5 days ago and we still can't find them. I've done everything I could. I think someone dogknapped them. :( I am depressed about it. But God knows where they are, and why they are not found..yet.

Happy Memorial Day!! I love our Troops!!

Love, The Curvy Housewife

Never Going Back

I was laying in bed last night, and had this Light Bulb moment.

I am never going back to the way I was. EVER!! I have changed my life already. Even though I am still not at my goal weight. Even if, God forbid, I gain ALL the weight back in the next 6 months of this pregnancy, I will lose it all, and get to goal. I will. Running the half marathon truly changed my life. All the triathlons, the bike races, everything, each one I proved to myself that I CAN do A N Y T H I N G. I am no longer scared of gaining weight or of the scale. Although I am still striving to, for once, have a healthy weight gain at the end of this pregnancy. This is the most awesome thing I have ever realized about this journey:
I AM CHANGED!! I AM NEVER GOING BACK! I won't be a couch potato (although this trimester has put me on the couch more than I would like) watching others go by doing great things, because I already know, I CAN DO THEM.

I've always been obsessed with my weight, even when I was 140 pounds. But.... I get it now!!! I can't tell you how good it feels to accept where I am, with confidence, knowing I can and will achieve any goal I desire to. Yup. I will run another half marathon, even if I have to start training from scratch. I will run a FULL marathon like I had planned. I WILL do a Half Ironman like I was training for. [Lord willing for all this of course].

These things changed my life.......

My first ever race. Avia Wildflower Triathlon a year ago this month. My first ever 5K. Santa Monica classic, a year ago this month.

My 2nd Triathlon, See Jane Run, Sep 2010
My first HALF MARATHON!! & my favorite race ever. Huntington Beach Ca Feb 6, 2011
Can't forget my third triathlon, my other 5K's, my 10K which was the first race I ever ran the whole thing, and my Oceanside 26.1 mile bike-a-thon. Yes I had to list them all. ;)
Since my very first race a year ago this month, I have lost about 30 more pounds. And 57 all together. There is NOTHING I can't do, and there is nothing you can't do.
I thank God for giving me the strength to finish all these goals, and for all the weight I lost, and that I know, HE will help me finish. I have had a changed mind, a brain change, a break through. I won't ever stop setting goals and striving to achieve them.......

I am never going back.

Love, The Curvy Housewife

Exercise

Or LACK thereof. I have been B U S Y. To say the least. My Mom visiting, trip to Alabama, finally home, trip to Georgia with the ranch, home again, busy day today working ALL day. Seesh. I am
T I R E D. My house is in shambles, and I have piles of laundry ceiling high in every room. So I am sitting on my couch right now writing this blog, and I am thankful for the rest.
Two weeks ago (? can't remember anything these days), I signed up for the Jogger Mom Marathon, to run 26.2 miles before May 31. I saw it on Turtles blog and thought it was great motivation. How far have I ran you might ask?? ZERO. That's right, big fat 0. Ugh. Sad, but it's okay, because I've been so busy. It's not that I didn't want to.
Visiting with my sis and her family, and my mom was so much fun. The boys had such a blast with their cousins. Davey was so busy last week, he didn't get a day off until we had left for AL, so we didn't have any time together last week, and none since we got home really. We are itching to get some family time.
I hope things will settle back down soon and I can get into a regular running routine again. I want to run the Country Music 1/2 marathon in April which is only 4 months after the baby is born, so I have to stay somewhat conditioned.
I am already showing. I tried to put it off as long as possible because you know, the phase. The phase where you look bigger, but it's not noticeable that you are pregnant. So I just look FAT. Apparently you can't put off showing when your pregnant. But it's okay. I'm actually really happy to be showing cause I can eat and get full, then not have to worry about sucking it in. You know? I just look 4 months pregnant after dinner instead of 3. And, of course I am thrilled the baby is growing and my body is taking care of him/her :)
Can't wait to find out the gender! 6 more weeks. Yay!!
Let's talk about the heat real quick. No no not that one, you silly. The heat outside!! Yuck. I miss the dry heat. The heat brings out bugs and SNAKES! I've already seen too many on the road while driving. Davey told me the other day he saw a snake crossing the road near our house and he tried to run it over but he missed. I said, "UGH!! Why do snakes even try to cross the road??" Davey says, "To get to the other side. Bahahaha!!!" and he cracked up for like 5 minuets. So not funny. I hate snakes.
So, I gotta get my run on. I HAVE to figure this out.

Love, The Curvy Housewife

Weigh in & doctor

I think I lost another pound. Think because I am super constipated... gross I know... and weigh the same as last weigh in, with clothes on. Then at the doctor I was the same, w shoes and after I ate. So anyways, I say I lost a pound.

So happy I was able to see the doctor!! Finally getting our insurance situated. Got to see our beautiful healthy baby on the screen and his/her strong heart beat. My appointment started with them taking like 7 vile of blood. Seeing white, head getting hot, going to pass out.... But I didn't. I'm pretty tough. Must be all my extra cushin. Then I had to get a whole body physical, thank God it was a woman, you know what I'm saying? It was actually a mid-wife. Pretty neat! Never seen one.

The nurse couldn't find the heart beat on the sound monitor, but she warned me it might be too early.. didn't comfort me. I was freaking inside. So the mid-wife ordered an ultra sound, where I saw our healthy bun. Praise the Lord! The lady that did the ultra sound randomly said, "so you have two boys?" and I said, "yes, we are hoping for a girl!" and she said, "Well it's really early, but I don't see any boy parts. But remember it's really early." How exciting!!! I can honestly say though, I would love another boy. Boys are easy and awesome and drama free. But I am not gonna lie, I really want a girl. PINK PLEASE!! As long as the baby is healthy, I am happy :) I feel so blessed. God is so good. Here is what the baby looks like right now at 11 weeks.
Tomorrow my Mom, the boys and I are going to my sisters in Alabama for two nights. My sisters baby shower and my nephews birthday. So excited!! But I will really miss my love. He's been working like crazy so I've barley seen him. Have a great weekend!!

Love, The Curvy Housewife

MOM

My Mom is here!! Yay! Picked her up from Atlanta Airport last night. So happy to have her. She made the boys each a cape, one Superman and one Batman. [my boys, not the teenage ranch boys. Although they would probably enjoy running around with capes on] They LOVE them. =)

She is making the ranch boys dinner tomorrow night, and I am excited. They always ask me why I cook so good, and I say, "My mom, and my Grandma taught me!". I also learned a lot from my Mother in law. But some of the things I've made for them has been my own learning. And that's the fun part of cooking. Cooking for 20 people is very time consuming and sensitive...I mean you can burn something so easy because you are busy doing the side, or main meal.

My Gallstones have been really bad. Lately I can't tolerate even 5-8 grams of fat. And do you know how hard it is to eat NO FAT all day everyday?? It's such a pain. Literally. Can't wait till this little baby is born so I can get it taken care of. I can feel stones in my back, and they hurt.

I have a feeling I have lost more weight. I'll weigh in soon.

Love, The Curvy Housewife

God, Life, Love, Marriage & Kids

Up & down. Up & down.

That's me.

I have not been like this, well in...ever. If you read my blog, please bare with me. I won't be like this forever. I promise. Blue sky is coming!

One day I am okay, getting things done, the next I am depressed and not getting ANYTHING done.

I know these emotions are caused by circumstances, and hormones. I totally sympathize with people who struggle with depression. You really don't understand it unless you've felt it. The only time I have really been depressed is when I had "Baby Blues". I was so sad and weepy even though I just had a baby! Made no sense, it was my hormones!! But reading God's word, and time healed that.

You know what is awesome though? Jesus knows how we feel. He was homesick and missed His Father. He was depressed, lonely, and cried a lot. Imagine the loneliness He felt when He took the whole worlds sin upon Him and His Father had to turn away from Him. He had it worse than any of us. He wants to comfort us and for us to tell Him how we feel. I am ashamed to say that a lot of the time I don't turn to Him, instead I yell at the boys, get mad at my husband for being so busy with work, then I sulk for hours.

I was reading a missionary wife's book, and boy did I feel like a brat after. I am thankful to be in the USA, to have a great house, job, and family. So thankful for my marriage, I love my husband so much and he puts up with all my ups & downs even though he is thoroughly confused by them. I am thankful my kids are healthy, happy, and that I get to be their Mommy. I am thankful my kids love me know matter what. Even if I don't get dressed all day or brush my hair.

I am thankful for God and His will for us!! I am thankful He loves me despite all my flaws. I am thankful for my life, and that this life doesn't have to be a sad, miserable life, that God can bring us out and show us true joy.

Cody turned two on the 9th! We went to Chuck E. Cheese just us four. It was awesome.

I love my God, my life, my marriage, and my kids!!

P.S. God is so good. Someone donated a ton of gym equipment to the boys ranch and guess where it's going to be stored?? mi casa. Si senorita. Yay!! Praying a nice treadmill and spin bike come. But I have NO idea, it could be all weight equipment, and old. We'll see :)

Love, The Curvy Housewife

Running Pregnant

Today, I ran a 5K.

That was a biggie for me. I've been worried/overly paranoid to a annoying point, about this pregnancy. I know all the books and doctors say, if you have been running, it should be okay to continue. But life was so busy with moving and all that I haven't ran at all in 6 weeks. We walked two miles last week, but that was mainly walking. Today, I ran a lot of the 3.1. I can't tell you exactly how much I ran. I ran unless the boys needed something, or unless I felt like I needed a break. I know I could have ran the whole thing.... but again, worried/overly paranoid, so I took it easy.
Okay this was so hilarious and totally out of character for me as a mom, but this really happened today....I normally always lock the boys up, buckle them up, make them ride in car seats (of course!!) and even in the stroller have their belts on. Well the jogger had been in the garage for a month getting spider webs all over it, so in my new country brave woman self, I faced those webs because, dang it, I was going to run. I got all the webs off and washed the stroller with water. So, it was wet on the boys seats. I brought towels. Obviously a little hard to get their seat belts on with the towels, so I let it go. I was running along at a good pace when all the sudden Cody just fell out of the stroller and I literally ran him over with the stroller. Yes. The wheels ran him over. Oh man. Of course there were people standing right there speculating this whole catastrophic event. Cody is so tough. He doesn't really cry unless he is really hurt, and thank God he didn't cry. This is what he did when I quickly picked him up off the concrete, "Ouch Mommy. Owie." In a clam voice. I can't stop laughing about it. Luckily his head didn't hit the ground, it stayed off to the side. He had a scrapped knee. Poor baby. What kind of mother am I?? I did buckle him in after that. Geeze.

Anyways.........

I am E X C I T E D. Because I know I haven't lost it. I felt good while running. And I know that I can continue to run while pregnant. I will listen to my body though. I think, 3-4 miles will be my max pregnant mileage at a time, unless I walk the whole thing, maybe 5.
2 miles may be what I do on most days, and I might walk one of them. Doesn't matter, no shame in walking. What does matter is that I keep it up, so when I deliver, I will be in shape physically, and when I am healed postpartum, I can begin training. Training for what you might say?? Oh I have a few ideas...here is a couple of them.
April, 28, 2012- 1/2 marathon. It's a huge one. People come from all over for this!! Excited!
Then, if it's in 2012& it's in July when we have our summer break, I will register for this one!! And it will be my first Full marathon!! We only have 10 days off so it would have to be during those 10 days, otherwise I'll have to find another one.
And there will hopefully be a few triathlons and road races.

Today was a better day. Happy mothers day to you all!! And a special mothers day to my Mom, Laurel, my Grandma Linda, Aunt Linda, and Mom in law, Vickie! Love you all.

Love, The Curvy Housewife