Bad Blogger...BAD BLOGGER

So...I haven't been on here for a while.  Obviously.  Excuses?  I have none.  

Life...much like all of you, life has not stood still for me.  I do miss blogging, though.  I miss sharing all the wonderful events that I've been blessed with, seemingly, on a daily basis.  

I hope to catch up the blog on all the fun things that happened this summer, but for now, here is a quick recap:

We got a kitty.

A few weeks ago we adopted a little female kitten from the Humane Society.  We call her "Maybe," since that was the answer to all our questions about her.  

Should we get a cat?  Maybe.

Should we get this kitten?  Maybe.

Will she ever grow out of her toilet paper fetish?  Well, maybe we should have named her "Doubtful."

We had a lot of fun with our other furry companion, too.  Sophie discovered her love of fishing.

That right there is my favorite fishing duo...ever.

We got to do a few fun things, too.  We took the kids to Elitch Gardens.  Clint and I were like kids there, too!

That same trip we took the kids to Casa Bonita.  

We hiked a LOT and found history in them there mountains....

The views were always beautiful.  So many memories made....

Clint faced off some prehistoric critters at the Denver Museum.

And this doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of it all.  There is so much of the past to share, and we have some very exciting new developments ahead as well.  This blog, my friends, has not ended.

It has just begun.

I'm Still Here!

 Really, I am!  See... 

 

Clint hasn't thrown me off a mountain...yet! 

We've done so many incredible things I've wanted to share with everyone, but I promise, I will get to it all in due time.

 For example, we've had a few magnificent days of skiing in the most beautiful places I've ever been.  I took this picture on the continental divide at Monarch.

I've been MIA for good reason, and not just because we've been busy skiing (and recovering from skiing).  I'm just about through a pretty tough semester and surprisingly enough, have straight A's for the time being.  I just hope I can end the semester with that track record.  Pathophysiology, Microbiology, Anatomy & Physiology II, and a psychology class I had to retake because they wouldn't take my A in it from 15 years ago.  Plus, I've been working full time.  I wasn't sure I could do it, but so far I've been able to pull it off.

One thing I do know for certain is that I couldn't have done it without my wonderful support system.  Clint has been amazing.  He's been working a lot and having to study for a certification test for work, plus he takes care of all our finances and does more than his share around the house with cooking and cleaning, especially when I have tests and papers due.

Did I mention my husband is amazing?

Okay, I just wanted to make sure I made that perfectly clear.  On top of all those things he managed to find us the perfect little commuter car for when I start school.

We needed something inexpensive, dependable, in good shape, and with great gas mileage.  Check, check, check, and check!

Then, as if I wasn't already spoiled, he built me this suburbanite-style chicken coop!

Many more pictures soon to come, but here's a little preview.  I miss all my animals so much that this really meant the world to me.  As soon as the snow storm passes this week I will be planting strawberries in the planter.  I've always wanted a raised strawberry bed, too!  Two wishes in one!!

I definitely plan on elaborating much more on all our recent events, plus writing much more in the future.  My semester ends the beginning of May, so if anyone is still reading, please check back in again soon.

We never know what the future holds, but I do believe it will hold for the both of us many great things.  This blog is far from over.

 Until our paths cross again,
~J

Eat to Live

My diet has changed drastically over the last year and a half.  In the past, I pretty much ate whatever I wanted, and what I wanted was LOTS of fast food.  I'll admit it, I LOVE fast food.

Hello, my name is Jessie, and I am addicted to fast food.

"Hello, Jessie."

Now I eat fast food less than once a month and that less than once a month, 99% of the time, is Chipotle.  

Hello, my name is Jessie, and I am addicted to Chipotle.

"Hello, Jessie."

Where am I?

Oh yeah.  Well, now I eat at home.  I bring my lunch to work.  I eat to live, rather than live to eat.

Breakfast is almost always eggs.

Eggs are cheap and easy.  A whole egg is 70 calories.  An egg white, by itself, is only 16 calories.  I cook in a non-stick skillet using zero-calorie cooking spray, so as to not add extra calories.  Here are some of the combos I cook up in the morning:

2 "fried" eggs (in zero-calorie cooking spray) with 2 pieces of dry toast (using multi-grain 45-calorie per slice bread).  Calorie total: 230

Scrambled eggs (using one whole egg and two egg whites) with several spoonfuls of homemade cilantro-salsa.  Calorie total: 120

Omelet using one whole egg and two egg whites, one slice of processed American cheese (70 calories), and sliced mushrooms.  Calorie total: 200

If I don't feel like eggs, I have one serving of oatmeal with 2.5 tsp of Splenda brown sugar, 1/4 cup of skim milk. Calorie total: 220

Mid-morning snack is always a Clif bar.  240 or 250 calories, depending upon the bar flavor.  

Macadamia nut is my favorite :)

Lunch is almost always a grilled chicken breast and a banana.  Sometimes I pack salsa for the chicken breast.  Other times I put hot sauce on it. Any way, it's awesome.  Clint always grills up a bunch of them on Sunday and we eat them all week.  Calorie total: 310

Afternoon snack is usually popcorn.  We found a brand and flavor that backs four full cups in a serving for only 140 calories.  That's a fulfilling, buttery, salty snack!

Supper is the meal that varies the most at our house.  Clint and I seldom fix a meal on the weekdays.  We usually eat salad or a sandwich.  Calories vary, but my favorite sandwich is 45-calorie bread with low-cal ranch, half an avocado, turkey, fresh spinach and roma tomato slices.  This substantial sandwich is still less than 400 calories!

We go through a LOT of avocados.  While they are high in calories and fat, they are GOOD calories and fat and they have a creamy, satisfying taste.

To satisfy my sweet tooth, I drink diet cherry pepsi, and every morning I have coffee with Truvia and sugar-free peppermint mocha creamer.  If I get really hungry I cut up an apple and dip it in peanut butter, which is a surprisingly filling snack.  Overall I try to keep my diet under 1400 net calories.  The more I work out, the more calories I allow myself.

Clint and I tend to have one "splurge" on the weekend.  This weekend we treated ourselves to ice cream.  Last weekend was Chipotle.  Imagine that.

Dieting is not a piece of cake,
~J

On the Horizon

Since my move to Colorado in October, things have really been streaming along.

1.  School starts tomorrow.  I'm taking my remaining prerequisites for the nursing program online so my schedule is free to work during the day.  I'm terrified and excited at the same time.  I had to request special permission to take three science classes at once, but those three, plus a psych class, were the ones I needed to start the nursing program this summer.  

I went to Pueblo this week and purchased my books.  $500+ later, they are sitting on my desk in the office, ready for use.  Science is expensive!  Here's what is on the agenda this semester:

Anatomy & Physiology II

Microbiology

Human Growth and Development

Pathophysiology

Wish me luck!!

2.  I've been working a lot (including three on-call cases this weekend), but I love my job!  I work with some really incredible people.  The other techs, nurses, and doctors are always so supportive and helpful.  These people are my inspiration.  I can't wait to become a nurse!

3.  I tried burpees for the first time last week.  All I can say is WOW.  Oh, and OW. And holy COW.

4.  The playoffs...I feel the same way about them: wow, ow, and holy cow.  These games have been more interesting than I can remember the Superbowl being in many years.  And yes, I felt obliged to root for the Broncos.  That's why they lost, I'm certain of it.

Sorry, Ponies.  But look at it this way.  At least you're not the Chefs.

5.  I have the most amazing husband in the world.  That is all.  Over and out.

To infinity and beyond,

~J

Temple Canyon

Only a couple of miles from our house is a vast network of trails known as Temple Canyon.  Last weekend Clint, Sophie, and I decided to go check it out.

We planned on going a couple of miles.  Two miles quickly turned into four plus with this kind of scenery!

We had to walk across several frozen streams.  I kept saying "light as a feather, light as a feather" and I didn't fall in.  I told Clint, "I must be magical."  His reply was, "Honey, you walk on ice, not on water."

Smart alec.

A little ways into our hike Sophie found a very cool little animal cave.

She was bound and determined there was something in there.

It wasn't long before a bone flew out from the dust.  Looks like a humerus   Clint said it was human, albeit a small human.

He can be humorous himself sometimes.

After all that digging, Sophie needed a drink, but she was too chicken to get too close to the hole in the ice, so Clint helped her out.

He can be really sweet sometimes, too.

The rock formations in Temple Canyon were amazing.

The ice formations were pretty neat, too!

The trail goes on for miles.  There is so much more to explore.  It would be amazing on horseback!

Eventually our trail led to a beaver dam with a view.

We plan on going back to Temple Canyon when the weather warms.  It was such a serene and adventuresome afternoon.  It was inspirational....

"...lovely, dark, and deep.

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep."

"Frost"ed by nature,

~J

Ski Daze

The weekend after Christmas, my incredibly brave husband led a troop of very green, very novice skiers to Monarch to try out our snow legs.

I have never skied a day in my life, but I am proud to say I made it down a green not once, but twice and managed NOT to kill myself.

Obviously.  

Actually, you never know.  I could be a ghost writer.  Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.

(My writer friends will get that).

Anywho....the kids and I had never skied before.  Clint's niece had snowboarded once.  Clint has practically lived his life on them, but he was an incredibly good sport and took the day to teach us all the basics, which included, luckily for us, a very cool "lift" called the Caterpillar. 

We used blades instead of skis.  Clint said they were easier.  It was still as difficult as all get out but I had so much fun I can't wait to go back!  We didn't get a lot of pictures, but we did get some very cool videos:



Click on my youtube channel to see them all!

We had so much fun.  The conditions were perfect and it was the perfect way to spend our first Christmas together as a family.  So many wonderful memories were made!

I'm hanging onto him for dear life and I'm never letting go!

~J

Resolutions

2012 was a wonderful year for me.  I could have never resolved to change my life so dramatically.  I feel like luck has smiled on me and I was fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time and in the right place in my heart and in my mind to be open to change--the kind of change that turned my life upside down and show me what true happiness is.

So what's left to resolve?  Actually, plenty.  I have always felt that part of leading a full and happy life is to never become complacent--to always strive for personal growth.  So...after much procrastination I am finally getting to my list of resolutions.

1.  I resolve to lose (more) weight and get fit(ter).

     ~I've reached my first and second weight goals.  My third and final goal is to lose 15 more pounds.  One would think that if I've lost 55 pounds already, that 15 more would be a breeze, but 'tis not the case my friends.  These last few pounds are holding on for dear life and aren't going to give up without a fight, apparently.  But they haven't faced an opponent like me.

Oh wait...yeah, they have.  Hmmm....

Anyway, my goal is to shed these last few pounds and get a bit more toned, especially considering we have summer boating plans in the near future.  Not sure if I can get away with swimming in a turtleneck. *Gulp*

2.  I resolve to be more positive.

I've actually been working on this one for a long time as well, but there is always room for improvement.  I am making a concerted effort to change negative thoughts into positive ones.

For example, when I had to stay late at work today, I didn't think, "I have been here since 6am Oh. My. God. I WANT TO GO HOME."  Instead, I thought "Oh good, I'm glad to have the hours while I can get them and before school starts."  In this case the silver lining wasn't difficult to find, but I do know the more I practice at finding it, the better I will get at turning lemons into lemonade...or lemoncello, which is even better!

3.  I resolve to be the best wife and step-mom ever.

This one isn't hard to decide to do, and I would certainly be committed to being the best wife and step-mom anyway, resolutions or not, but it is so important to me to be the kind of person those I love most deserve, to never take them for granted, and to always be there for them.

4.  I resolve to make a couple bucks.

Not exactly what I meant.  

Actually, this is not about money at all.  It's about bucking the status quo, so to speak.  My life has changed so much because I was willing to swallow my fear and head into the unknown.  I want to continue to face my fears and take on new challenges as they present themselves.  

5.  I resolve to enjoy the little things.

Yeah, something like that.

Resolved to evolve,

~J