Ready to try again!

I had been thinking that I would give the everlasting 'cold' two weeks after Bry & Mark left to go away enough before beginning the P90X - again.  I really felt a lot better at the end of last week, so I started on Monday the 26th.  I feel great!  With the candy-type protein bars and the whey powder shakes of chocolate, I don't feel like I am giving anything up.  That's amazing!  I am not hungry and eat right when I do eat.  One of the main requirements to the program is to eat - I can do that no problem.  I am a little sore with beginning the workouts, but otherwise, feel good physically.  My struggle is endurance, but that will begin improving as I stick with the program.  Today was a Yoga day and I felt rejuvenated when I was done. 

All I have to do is think of my 'before' pictures and motivation isn't a problem.  I see a difference already and am excited to see how much of a change it will be when the complete program is finished.

Next week I begin my 4-day work weeks.  I chose to reduce my hours at work for a couple of reasons.  1) I could really use another day in a week to get stuff done at home that I really never have time to do {like the book work for Fred's offices and cleaning}  2) the school district needs to cut expenses wherever they can and with most purchasing put on hold, there goes most of my job.  I pay all the bills for the district, so if they aren't buying things then there aren't bills that need to be paid.  I also have stream-lined a lot of what I do to be more efficient. 

Now that we have a full month of school done, I am finally settling into a grove.  It takes a while.  When school starts, so does the early morning seminary class I teach to youth from church who attend our school district.  5 am comes awfully early each day, but it's a great way to begin a day.  Then I started the exercising and time goes quickly.  Lots on my plate or should I say 'plates' and it takes a little time to adapt to it all and have it run smoothly.  I'll be very glad when this homecoming week is done, too!

May everyone have success in accomplishing all that they need to do!

Love ya,
Bren

Hoping to feel better

I am STILL trying to kick this cold, or whatever the illness is.  Today begins week 6.  My voice is almost back to normal and I can complete entire days without needing a nap.  I am, however, still feeling worn out and usually cough up a lung in the evenings.  Not back to my exercise program because of the coughing.  I will give it another two weeks, then I begin the program again no matter what.  If I keel over during exercise at least I go out doing what helps me feel good.

I haven't been slacking, though.  The harvest is in from our garden.  62+ quarts of tomato juice, 28 quarts stewed tomatoes, 21 quarts spaghetti sauce, 28 pints salsa, 7 quarts tomato soup, 4 - 2 quart jars of refrigerator pickles and lots of shreded zucchini in the freezer.  Don't worry, we're not done yet.  I will do another batch or two of soup.  Then there is the outrageous amount of butternt squash we have to bake, mash and freeze.  This is Meg after picking all the squash with Dad.  Some of the squash are spaghetti squash, which will be fabulous with my homemade sauce!

Bry & Mark were home for a week, just enjoying a restful week with family.  We really didn't do much just hang out together, have a baby shower, and take a day trip to Dave's Falls about an hours' drive north of us.  It is a beautiful place with great scenery, rocky outcrops, white water rapids, lots of trees and just gorgeous.  We took some of Alexa's senior pics there.  Can't take a bad pic with scenery like that.  Bry is so cute being pregnant.  She has 9 weeks to go and everything looks good.  I only worked 1/2 days to spend time with them.  Adult children are so wonderful to be around.  Teenagers really do turn ito human beings again.  :)

Have a great week and we get further into the Fall season!
Love Ya,
Bren

Still trying to kick this cold

   This has been a long illness.  That fact alone is driving me crazy.  I had to suspend the P90X program, which disappoints me because I did see results.  Nothing too dramatic, yet.  My arms look thinner - lost quite a bit of the 'bingo wings'.  Yippeeeee!!!!  My legs slimmed down a bit, too.  I notice my pants fit a bit looser in the hips.  Another Yippeeeee!!!  No real slimming in the waist - darn it.  Until I get well enough, working out just isn't possible coughing through the whole thing.
   Bry & Mark are coming home for a visit on the 11th and I have HAVE to be better by then.  So the P90X is on hold until after their visit.  I am super excited to get going again though.  If 2 1/2 weeks can have the results above, what will 13 weeks' results be?   Makes me want to dive right in again!!!!!
   School has started, tomorrow we start seminary and we are canning like crazy.  Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes.  We froze lots of zucchini.  We will have tons of butternut squash. We'll also be able to make several batches of salsa.  Not sure what kind of green chili peppers I have, but it will be a great salsa.  Our Roma tomatoes are finally ripe enough for a batch - just at the same time the green chili peppers are ready, too.  Then there are the cucumbers we didn't know we planted.  Fred thought he bought melon plants.  He did get melons, but a few less than he thought.  The darned cukes have been quite prolific.
   Scott is submitting his Eagle project proposal this week.  He is building dog exercise pens for the Humane Society in our county.  It is a big project, but a very beneficial one.  The state passed a law saying all dog shelters/kennels need to give each dog 2 hours of exercise a day.  That's hard for a humane society to do.  The dogs are lucky to be walked twice a day for 20 min each time.  Takes a lot of volunteers.  The dog pens will allow the dogs to be put outside for extended periods of time - without all the volunteers.  He will have to fund-raise the money needed to purchase the materials.  He hopes to have the pens built by the end of May, best case scenario would be by the end of November. 
    Alexa is in cheer again and busy every night of the week with practice and a game on Friday.  Not sure when we'll finish her Senior pictures.  Soon, I guess.  We've taken some, but would like to take more.  Never really a free day for any longer project.

Just keep swimming!  It's better than going with the flow.  :)

Love Ya,
Bren