Sweet Dreams?

As I posted a few weeks ago, I have had to slow waaaayyyyy down on my exercising. (You can read more about that here.) I had great intentions of doing some walking and weights. Then, my one year old quit sleeping through the night and I quit waking up early to work out.

To be honest, I really miss sleep. I love each and every one of my five kids but I really miss sleeping the whole night through.

The other night everyone was in bed by eight but one of the twins had a nightmare and then just as I was about to climb into bed the one year old woke up screaming and I was up with her until two. I may or may not have cried at that point.

For a while I was beating myself up for not pushing myself harder and exercising more even when I was tired but here's the deal, my body is healing. The last thing that I need to do is push myself right now. I am going for walks with my family, not as long as I always want to go but my body is still moving. I might do a small resistance workout or a stop drop and give me 20 throughout the day but I'm not doing what I had in my mind. However, I'm not giving up on myself at all!

I got released to workout more and it looks like my levels are all good so I am going to redeem a Groupon and get back to working out . I want to see some muscle growth and regain some strength that I've lost in the last month.

I'm also working on getting my sleep under control and working some kind of Sandman magic to get my daughter to sleep too.

Anyone out there have some sleeping tips for a restless daughter?

Dessert for Dinner

The other night my kids were asking me to make a pie. For a typical family that to is no big deal, however for our family that is one of those questions that I dread. My oldest is gluten intolerant, probably Celiac but I haven't tested him for it. He is also allergic to Soy and a host of other things so I can't just go grab a gluten free pie crust and call it good. I have yet to find a gluten free pie crust recipe that we like and I was late on time. I stood in the middle of the grocery store and debated what to say to my kids as they stood there asking me for pie.  

I don't want my kids to grow up with food issues because I won't let them eat "junk food" on occasion, I also don't want them only eating "junk food". I want them to have a healthy view of food and a healthy relationship with food. As a country we have become so enamored with diets, crazes, cleanses, purges, and fads that very few people have a normal relationship with food. I am vowing to not pass that off to my kids. 

Therefore, I grabbed a box of gluten free cake mix and decided that I was going to make a "Dump It Cake" for dinner. I didn't despair over the amount of sugar in the mix, I didn't cringe at the cost of the mix, I didn't stress about the fact that my kids were not getting the most nutrient dense meal, I just decided to have a treat with my family. 

A few years ago, back when I was yo-yo dieting every few months a cake for dinner would have been unheard of. Now that we eat real food most of the time, this is not a big deal. My kids have adapted and are healthier and better off for it. I quickly whisked up our Dump It Cake but dumping a huge jar of canned peaches out of the pantry into a bottom of a 9X13 pan and topped it with our gluten free cake mix. I topped that with a bunch of Kerrygold butter, cinnamon, and some sprinkles of water and baked it until the top was golden brown. We decided that it was most like a cobbler, which in Texas is basically a pie (right???) and we enjoyed it. It was a special treat that we got to enjoy a few times throughout the week. 

Cancer, Death, and Pain

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. Our family had a rough Summer and I think I did myself a disservice by forcing myself to bounce back too quickly. I didn't want to burden anybody with my pain, fear. or anger. I spent a lot of time focusing on my family and my business but ended up burnt out and exhausted. I've slowed down a lot and my husband and I have spent a lot of time praying about where to go from here. 

All of these decisions became crystal clear when a friend of ours lost his 13 month battle to Brain Cancer, he was three. Our family drove to Dallas and attended the Celebration of Life Service. I sat in the church pew and cried as we sang some of the little boy's favorite songs. I hurt for this family and the fact that they won't see their sweet little boy this side of Heaven ever again. However, I am so happy that he is no longer in pain. There will be no more radiation, chemo, surgeries, or other treatments.

God spoke very clearly to me during that service. He called me on the carpet for my easy peasy life. I balk when the pain comes. I try to find a way out of it. I really dislike pain. Yet, with the pain comes the refining so that I am a newer image; a Kelli 2.0. I am not promised a life of ease on this Earth and I need to quit trying to find the easy pain free way of life. 

Well Done

After 20 years and 10 months of service, Sarge has had his final formation.

We spent the last weekend in May celebrating and honoring his service.

His certificate (yes, a cheesy pose waiting for the photographer to take the pic =) )

His final address to his soldiers.

Even I got a certificate.

Just for putting up with all his deployments and weekends away from home!

And of course there was cake to celebrate.

We were happy to celebrate this weekend with family and friends.

Mom

Mentor

MN friends

In Sarge's words:

It is finished. Not a bad career for a medically unqualified weekend warrior. So here is the box scores for you sports fans:

20 years 10 months total service

8.5 years of that on some sort of active duty

Service in Germany, Thailand, Afghanistan and Iraq

200 or so combat patrols

3 MOS's

6 different schools graduated with honors or distinction

2 time Battalion NCO of the year, 1 time CACOM NCO of the year

E8 selected for E9

Filled CSM and CPT positions 

1 Bronze Star, 2 Meritorious Service Medals, 4 Commendation Medals and 7 Achievement medals

Jump wings

2 different German qualification badges 

1,000's of goats and sheep dewormed and given vitamin shots

Many schools and hospitals repaired/built, wells dug and how to run a local government advice given

Countless times protected by God's grace

20 more years before I see my pension

All that and still denied 3 times of my dream of becoming an officer for medical reasons...I guess it all worked out though

Maple Syrup

No, this isn't a post about how much better for you pure maple syrup is.  It's a post of how that liquid gold makes it to your table.

For as long as I can remember, maple syrup has been a part of my life.  

My dad's family has been making maple syrup since the early 1900's.  It's a tradition that has been passed down for four generations.

So how does it happen?

It starts in the woods in the spring when the sugar maples are tapped and the buckets hung.  And then you wait for the weather to be perfect.  The days need to be warm enough (about freezing) and the nights below freezing for the sap to start running.

Then the sap needs to be collected- which requires lots of manpower!

Once the sap is collected, it's taken back to the cookin' shack where it's filtered and pumped into the cooker.  The sap is cooked (water is evaporated off) until it hits 217 degrees.  At this point, it's pulled off the cooker and taken back to the house.

Here it's put into a smaller cooker and heated to a specific gravity of 32.  Then it's filtered one last time.

Once it's been filtered, it's heated to 220 degrees and bottled.

And there it is, liquid gold from the tree to the table.

Maple syrup time isn't just about making the maple syrup.  It's also about spending time with family and passing traditions on to the next generation.

My grandpa's tractor- the first one that was used on the farm, restored by my cousin.

When I Grow Up

"When I grow up I want to have a dragon army!" 

"I want to be the President and a Navy Seal, maybe a pilot too!"

"I think I'll be a dog."

"I'm going to be a princess!"

This was a discussion that I recently had with my kids earlier this week when we were reading a book about a little boy and career day at school. I really don't remember the name of the book, it was a random book the boys had picked out. 

The conversation twisted and twirled around in a typical fashion that discussions twist and turn with kids ages 10, 7, 7, and 3. By the end the boys had decided to start a band together, own a pet store, and an ice cream shop while the three year old was pretty sure that she was going to be a princess and live with her brothers. They all agreed that the baby would live with them too and she didn't argue with their decision. 

I love these moments, curled up together reading and talking. I love stopping long enough to savor conversations versus rushing through life moment by moment continuously checking off my to do boxes. I've spent the last year and a half doing schoolwork alongside teaching my kids, I had a baby, graduated from IIN, started a health coaching practice, enrolled in another program to specialize my practice, and I struggled to take those moments of lighthearted conversation. 

I wouldn't trade the last year for anything though. I have watched the boys mature and grow sometimes literally in front of my eyes. I've watched my daughter grow and become a sweet big sister. I have realized that my kids are intelligent and dependable. I don't think that I've done anything spectacular on this mothering journey that I'm on. I haven't followed any special rules or outlines in fact I've screwed up more than I ever thought I would. I'm just thankful that my kids show me grace for every time I've messed up. 

Death Star Challenge Recap

This weekend my Moms Run This Town chapter decided to do a virtual 5K. It was put on by another chapter leader in another state but it was The Death Star! Who wouldn't run for that?

We all signed our families up, or at least our boys, and met at a local trail to have some fun. 

I hosted it and my kids all slept in that morning so when I got home my family and I hit the road and got in our 3.2 miles. Can I just say that running with kids is way harder than doing it by yourself???

The kids all loved getting out and "running a race" though and they are even more in love with their medal than I thought they would be!

Now that they have a taste of the bling they want more so I see a lot of family races in my future. 

Listening To My Body

The last few weeks I have been focusing more on my body and listening to it. 

I've been run down for the last year and whenever I mentioned it to a doctor I was reminded that I was pregnant or that I had five kids. I was then told to eat healthy and get plenty of rest.

Well, I eat extremely well and get as much rest as I can plus I exercise between 3-6 times a week. 

Adrenal Fatigue has been popping up a lot in my reading for my clients and the more I read about it the more it resonated with me. I made an appointment with a doctor and talked to her about what all was going on with me and asked her to do some tests on me. 

Guess what? I do have Adrenal Fatigue and a few other "issues" that I didn't quite see coming.

I know a lot of people have been diagnosed with this recently and some doctors don't see Adrenal Fatigue as a "real" disease but the more I research the more real it seems to me. 

We are all overtaxing our bodies and since our bodies are not nourished well so our Adrenal glands are overworked. We use caffeine to stay alert instead of resting. Our phones and other electronics never give us a minute to really take a break from work and so we are constantly stressed by demands.

So here is what I am doing for me and my family so that I don't get worse and so that I can have energy to raise my five kiddos, run a business, and most importantly be a great wife to my husband.

First of all, I am getting off of coffee. Yes, to everybody that just gasped I am off of coffee for at least the next month. 

Second, I am drinking lots and lots of bone broth. It is so nourishing and healing. I now sip a mug or two each morning. 

Third, I am staying away from Nightshades, grains, sugar, beans, nuts, and seeds because they can all cause irritation and inflammation in the body. 

Fourth, I am drinking LOTS of water, kombucha, and kefir which are all healing. 

Fifth, and probably most importantly I am getting lots of rest and listening to my body. I am still exercising but if I am exhausted or hurting instead of pushing myself to prove I am Wonder Woman I take a break and go for a walk. I am trying to get as much sleep as I can and some days I even take a nap when the girls do. 

I am sure that I will be blogging more about what I am doing so if you have any questions please ask and I will answer them in other posts. 

Transformation Tuesday: April

Kelli and I want to start sharing transformation stories with you. So, here's our first one =)

So my sweet friends Lynette and Kelli asked me to put some thoughts together about weight loss, health and such things!

I was always a thin person (probably too thin!) and I've always been tall as well. My height is deceptive because I can gain a little weight and it doesn't show as much as a shorter person. Growing up, I did not enjoy PE (I *think* I tried to get a doctor’s excuse note to get out of PE) or sports of any kind and I was pretty lazy.

However, I've had 4 boys and with each one of the pregnancies I struggled to lose the baby-weight. But I was also kind to myself…it took 10 months to grow a person, I did not expect to lose it all within a few weeks. I gave myself some grace and gave myself a full year after having my babies to begin to lose weight. I nursed all my kids, some of them an extended amount of time…maintaining a sufficient milk supply became much more important than getting back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Once I hit a year, I would try to lose some weight…a few times I followed a certain diet or plan. However, with my first 3 pregnancies, I didn't even try to included exercise into my weight loss plan….I just dieted.

In addition to my weight loss efforts, my sweet husband has high cholesterol, diabetes and is overweight. He was a baseball player in high school and college…but just like me, over the years he’s come less and less active. Having a long life with my darling husband became #1.

Our family moved a couple of times in the most recent years and I turned 40!!! It felt like time was ticking away for me to take care of myself (after year and years of caring for other people). So this year, I made a plan to really get things in order and get *our* health under control. (I’m healthy but have developed allergy induced asthma…did you know Chattanooga is the ‘worst’ place in the US for allergies??? Nope, neither did I and not being able to breathe is super scary!)

We joined a local Y during their no-sign-up-fee event and applied for a scholarship. During the school year, the hubs (who was working from home) would go to the gym in the morning. I would go after my little part time job, but before I had to get the kids from school. We met with trainers and got work-out ideas. We’ve both lost a few pounds (weight loss was only part of our goal). We had already taken more processed foods and artificial ingredients out of our diets, but this year we started eating many more vegetarian meals (like, most of our dinners are vegetarian). No more sodas and junk food.

The hubs had his most recent blood tests done…his A1C was within low/normal range, his good cholesterol was better, his overall cholesterol was lower AND his triglycerides went from over 300 to low 200's……we have never seen results like this!!! His doctor was quite pleased and encouraged him to continue doing what he’s doing and they would discuss adjusting some of his meds at the next appointment!!! That is AMAZING!!!

For me, I've noticed that I can see muscles I've never seen before…like triceps!! And my bat-wings (you know, the flabby part of your under arm!!) aren't as big anymore. I can see three different muscles in my upper arms ya’ll!!! That is AMAZING!!! I had zero definition before this year…I can also lift much more weight that when I started and can do more machines as well. And generally speaking, I feel stronger!! I can carry my 30 pound 3 year old across the parking lot without having to put him down or stop to catch my breath. I have more energy and feel like I can keep up with my kids!! Before, we would stay home and watch TV. Now we go for hikes and walks and play outside.

We've had some challenges getting to the gym during summer since all the kids are home, but our kids keep us busy and moving!

So when it comes to weight loss and health, here are my thoughts…

• Give yourself some grace…
• Make sure your goals are realistic!! I will NEVER be as thin as I was in college (and that’s really OK). You may not ever get back to your pre-pregnancy weight and that is OK.
• If you happen to be a nursing mom (high five to you!!), try to keep baby nutrition your priority! You need calories in order to make milk…if you’re starving yourself to lose weight, your milk supply will certainly be affected!!
• Fad diets or plans are just that…fads and they will not last.
• Vegetarian meals are really tasty and are easy to make (I use www.budgetbytes.com A LOT, A LOT!!!)
• For fitness, find what works for YOU…could be a scary gym, could be a local Y, could be a running group, could be working out at home lifting canned goods…find something that works for you and your family…it IS a team effort!
• Surround yourself with people that can encourage you (like Lynette and Kelli)…
• Forgive yourself if you make a bad decision today and start again new tomorrow.

If you would like to share your transformation story, please let us know! We would love to highlight your success!

Life with five...

is a little bit harder than I expected.

People keep on asking me how things are going and I don't want to be negative but to be honest getting in a groove has not been easy.

Emma will be a month old this week and I get a shower about half of the time.  

I'm counting that as a win!

I've taken all five kids to the grocery store by myself and I returned home with all five kids. 

I'm counting that as a win!

Some days are easier than others and those are the days that I just go with the flow.

My older kids are getting really good at grabbing a yogurt and Granilla Bar for breakfast, 

Kamron can make a great cup of coffee for me, and Anna has started curling up with me while I nurse. 

Emma seems to instinctively know when meal times are and wants to eat then.

In my over achieving mind I had planned on doing all kinds of exciting things this Summer.

In reality we aren't doing much of anything on my list, oh well!

However we are still having fun.  The kids enjoy swimming in the pool in the backyard. 

They have become good friends with the kids in the neighborhood and have spent countless hours playing. 

The boys are planning out our fall garden and we are even expanding the plots.

Kamron and Rusty start guitar lessons this week.

Play dough has been played with, a lot!

All in all, I would count that as a win.  We are all a little sleep deprived but we are all growing as a family.

Things To Do While You Wait...

I am not a very patient person and waiting for a baby to come definitely shows how impatient I am.  

For some reason in my head I think that my kids should come "early" since my firstborn came at 38 weeks.  That's not how it works and I know that but a girl can still hope and pray and dream. 

When you've had Braxton Hicks off and on for a month you really start to hope that you will go into labor soon.  However, in the meantime you have to stay busy and relax so here's a list that I've compiled of ways to get your mind off of your belly. 

1. Get your nails done
2. Get a massage
3. Rearrange your furniture
4. Have a Jane Austen movie marathon
5. Bake cookies with the kids and share them with your neighbors
6. Bake brownies with the kids and share them with your neighbors eat them all
7. Get an adjustment from your chiropractor
8. Drink gallons of Red Raspberry Leaf Tea
9. Walk around your neighborhood and admire all of the flowers
10. Walk around your neighborhood and make fun of the street names
11. Hang out in the pool
12. Walk every aisle at Costco
13. Bounce on the exercise ball in the hopes of bouncing the baby out
14. Buy your kids new shoes because they outgrew their old ones
15. Cook in double batches so you have less to cook when the baby comes
16. Decide that you are going to eat the food you froze the day before because you are tired of cooking
17. Take a nap
18. Research ways to kick start labor
19. Eat the biggest and spiciest burrito EVER from Qudoba
20. Wake up in the middle of the night with the worst heartburn ever from a burrito and watch old episodes of Friends while waiting for Peppermint oil to work
21. Debate eating other spicy foods
22. Get into an argument on a natural parenting board and type ALL IN CAPS
23. Decide that parenting boards aren't worth your time 
24. Read some really good books that your friends have recommended
25. Write an outline for your business plan
26. Rethink your business plan and rewrite it
27. Harass your husband by asking for the millionth time if he thinks the baby has dropped
28. Rearrange your bathroom cabinets
29. Work in the yard Supervise your family working in the yard
30. Do as many squats as possible 
31. Soak in the bathtub because your legs hurt from squats
32. Do as many lunges as possible
33. Take a shower
34. Ignore phone calls, texts, messages, and neighbors asking; "When are you going to have that baby?"
35. Watch Zoolander and laugh through the ridiculousness of it 
36. Get addicted to Dr Who
37. Get your husband to rub your feet with Clary Sage oil 
38. Dance to 80's rap
39. Take each of your kids on a date
40. Surprise your kids with "gifts" from the new baby in the mail (you know your baby is shopping on Amazon right now)
41. Let your kids pick out a gift for the new baby
42. Journal
43. Have an "Art Day" and make a mess
44. Go on a date with your husband and don't complain about how you feel, how hot it is, and the fact that you are still pregnant
45. Meet a friend for coffee 
46. Get your nails done again because everything was starting to chip
47. Let your kids paint your belly
48. Sleep in
49. Have a pajama day
50. Make popcorn on the stove and read a bajillion books to your kids

Home Again

As many of you know, we spent the last week in WI visiting my parents.  

Since we're there for such a short time,  we try to pack as much fun as we can.  This trip was no exception =)

The first night we were there, Papa pulled out his old reel to reel player.

Put on a little classic Johnny Cash and danced with the girls.

This weekend we also celebrated Sarge's birthday and Papa's birthday.  This called for cakes.

For Sarge, the kids made a rice krispie cookie with plenty of frosting and worms.

Grandma and Girly making oatmeal cookies.

Papa's cake...  Chocolate with worms.

Sweet Pea enjoying the cake.

While the girls were busy in the kitchen, the boys were busy in the woodshop.

Girly even got in on the fun when they started painting.

We spent some time at the park.

Sweet Pea was excited for the ice cream that came after the park.

And the main reason for the trip...  The race with my dad.

All in all, it was a good trip and makes me realize how important time is with family.  I just wish that the weather would have been a little bit warmer lol!