Moving On Up!

Please follow me on my new blog

Garden of Niedens

See you there!!!!

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

Merry Christmas!!

I don't mean to brag or anything, but we had a white Christmas!

Okay, so maybe I do mean to brag.  I think it is completely justifiable, though.

My first Christmas with the love of my life, in the most beautiful place on earth.  Life. Is. Good.

Happy Holidays to each and every one of you!

~J

A Great Move

While it wasn't easy at first, this move has turned out to be probably the best decision we possibly could have made, and it's not just because of the beautiful scenery, although, the scenery is beautiful:

These deer were foraging not even a mile from our house.  It's not often you see a buck like that without a Cabela's neon sign hanging behind him.

I feel very lucky to live in such a beautiful place, but I also feel very lucky for all the good fortune we've experienced since moving here a tad over two months ago.

Shortly after making the difficult decision to leave the farm, I found out that the nursing program at the nearby university has an accelerated degree program, which shortens my education goals by an entire three years.  It's not often that you find exactly what you need for less money and less time.

Then I found out that the application deadline to the program was the day before we were set to move, so I hurriedly got the paperwork in and then waited...

...and waited...and waited.

Finally, last week, the letter I waited for FOREVER came: I was accepted!  So, come May, I begin my 14-month journey toward my Bachelor of Science in Nursing.  Last month I resigned from two of my three jobs due to lack of hours in the day, but I will continue working the job I kept--GI Lab Technician--full time while finishing my prerequisites this spring.  As summer approaches I will be taking on less work hours and more school hours, so it works out perfectly.  I love my job and am learning so much there as well--it's an ideal situation!

Just when I think life can't get any better, that same week Clint got some well-deserved, long-awaited news of his own--he accepted a job offer from the city.  He had been working at a "pay the bills" sort of job that was way below his skill level.  I knew it wouldn't be long before someone recognized what he had to offer and nabbed him up--I'm just glad it was sooner than later!

I've lived long enough to know that when things go right, it's best to embrace and appreciate those times as much as possible, because life is not a climb up just one mountain; it has all the ups and downs of an entire mountain range.  However, I know Clint and I could not have gotten to this point without each other's love and support.  I may be experiencing a streak of luck right now, but I know, and will always know, the luckiest thing to ever happen in my life was meeting him.

Love and Luck to All,
~J

Tanner Trail

We live right up against the base of the Greenhorn Mountains.  Being native Kansans, this is very thrilling for both Clint and I.  I mean, we live in the freak'n mountains!!

Sorry about that....

Anyway, since living so close to the mountains is still quite novel for us, last Saturday Clint and I had the idea that since we are relatively fit, healthy, not-too-old people, we could tackle an "advanced" trail.  Luckily for us, Tanner trail, which goes straight up into the mountains of San Isabel National Forest, is only a few miles from the house.

We took Sophie, of course.

I mistakenly believed the trail was 7 miles roundtrip, but it actually was 7 miles UP, and then 7 miles DOWN.  We didn't leave early enough, so we ended up only going 4.3 miles up the mountains, then of course 4.3 miles back down.  Even only at a little over halfway, we still scaled up 2600 feet in elevation, offering spectacular views.

The land is nice-looking, too.

Clint took a picture of me as well, which fortunately does not show the exhaustion I felt physically after hiking over 6 hours.   I needed a horse!

For some reason Sophie wouldn't carry me.  Swine dog.

It was fun and quite an accomplishment for us, even though we didn't get all the way to the top.  It leaves us with a goal--one day we will get there! Until then, or at least until I get some sort of more cooperative means of trail transport, we'll keep working up to it.

~J

Weight For It

Fair warning: this is a brag post.  If I had the technology I'd create a blatant bragging badge so you could prepare yourself by gathering your air sickness bag,  map of Indonesia, and a pair of swim goggles.

I have no idea what the goggles are for, but one can never be too prepared.

Anyway, here it goes: in the last year and a half I have lost 55 pounds, 3" off my waist, and 5.25" off my hips. 

I've gone from a size 16....

...to a size 10.

I'm not quite done yet.  I'd like to lose another 10-15 pounds, but last weekend we went on an 8.6-mile hike in the mountains, climbing over 2600 feet in the span of six hours.  I couldn't have done that (and lived) 55 pounds ago, so I'm pretty happy I've been able to make this change in my life.

Not only that, but I recently accepted a position as a fitness instructor at the local hospital.  Right now it is only as-needed but I hope the position will expand so I can combine a career in healthcare with my new-found passion for health and fitness!

How did I do it?  Well, I had to tell myself often to be patient.  The best changes take time, and anytime I tried to starve myself for quick weight loss it never lasted long.  So, this time, I didn't get in a hurry.  I made one small change at a time.  Like a very wise woman once told me, all you have to do is be 10% better each day, and in 10 days, you'll be 100% better!  In other words, small changes add up.  Remember, there is no such thing as small change!

The closer I get to my goals, the more strict I have to be.  Since my wedding I've lost another ten pounds thanks to having a wonderful husband who is as dedicated to a healthy lifestyle as I am (or wished I was at times)!  We support and push each other.  Once in a while we will splurge together, but then we help each other get on track so we can achieve our goals.  It's always an easier journey with support.

I've also recently found an app for my iPhone I highly recommend called "My Fitness Pal."  It is free and allows you to track your caloric intake and output and lets you know where you are at all times based on your weight loss goal.  After breakfast and my morning hike I was actually at negative net calories for the day--talk about motivation!!

Ultimately, though, I had to make a decision.  Anytime I think, "I deserve this bean burrito with extra cheese because I worked hard today," I have to stop and realize how ridiculous that is.  I never deserve to sabotage my health!  I deserve to feed my body good things because I deserve to feel healthy and energized.  I deserve to like how I look and I deserve to feel great!  I deserve the best and I need to treat myself accordingly.

Not that I don't have slip-ups now and then.  Heck, if it was easy everyone would do it, and with the national obesity epidemic, obviously, maintaining a healthy weight is NOT easy.  But I'm trying, and I'm doing.  And there it is, folks, my shameless brag, and a little public reminder to myself to keep moving forward so the scale dial keeps going down.

And by the way, I need an entire new wardrobe now, so if anyone wants to nominate me to "What Not To Wear," my ensembles resemble a bag lady at this point--I'd be great show fodder, I'm sure (hint, hint).

Mind over platter,
~J