YEAH!!!!

My nephew Scott had graduated from high school. It has been a struggle for him. Life has been hard from him with parents that pull him in all directions and not always in the good direction either. However he prevailed and this weekend he graduated. I am so very proud of him, so VERY PROUD!!!

  

 

 

Mike came home a hour early (he first made sure he had over 5 hours of over time in before he asked for to get off an hour early), anyways, Mike loves his grandma. I had to take this picture as they were walking back to the car.

 

Scott and his two most favorite people. His brother Kevin and Mike.

No more graduations now for a while. I wonder what’s next for these boys. Kevin works in Wisc right now with a construction company and Mike in Fergus Falls for RDO, a John Deere company and Scott….well where ever he ends of working I know that they company will be blessed to have him. He works hard and gives his all.

Just had to share all the awesomeness of “my” boys.

Just a weight check in….

I don’t want you guys to think I’m not working on this even though I’m not talking about it so just a quick check in.

When Deb and I started working on this together we both were 206+ March 11th, today she is 191.2 and I am 192 even. So we are still working on this. The scale is moving and the fat is leaving. Just ever so slowly.

Cardio is awesome for us both, strength and stretching isn’t. So this month coming up we will be working more on that. Not sure exactly what but we’ll do it. Having a buddy has been awesome. We may live over 1000 miles away from each other but with today technology it’s all possible.

Life is good, life is so full of blessings. Live is manageable and difficult and wonderful and everything is possible with patience and support.

My nephew graduated, Mike came home for the weekend, the garden is planted, school is over except my driving continues for another school (except tomorrow I am off to take my parents to the cities to visit my mama’s sister and to see the flower show at the conservatory), moving day is fast approaching and so is my trip with my scouts to the BWCA. Life really is good.

Take care my friends and have the most awesome and blessed week.

My hubby’s greenhouse…

Since this year my thumb is not green Jim has taken over the seedlings and has grown a few dozen tomato plants. The ones I grew did so well until I transplanted them and put them in my green house where I forgot to open them up and they all died…all 75 plants. He’s transplanted them into 5 gallon buckets and use an old snowmobile crate and shrink wrapped it to make a portable green house. It’s sorta cool that he’s able to do these but also sorta yucky cuz I keep hearing about how his are thriving and mine are crispy critters. Oh well, it’s normally not this way …. just this year so far.

Anyways take a peek. I really like his idea.

Hope all is well with everyone. Today being a sunny day my solar energy built up so I got tons done. Between bus routes I shampooed the livingroom, hall and bathroom carpets.  Than tonight I mowed for 3 hours. I cleaned out my car for an upcoming trip to the cities. I got the sheets washed, hung out and now back on the bed and made two loaves of banana bread for the bus drivers I work with for a treat. Now it’s time to drop off to lala land.

Take care my friends. Have a blessed TGIF!!!

Wordless Wednesday…

 

Evan Walk….

2 years ago a kindergartener was killed by a bus. Can’t fix it, can’t change it but can help support a great cause. Today I did a 5k along with our bus drivers from Crosby and about 150-200 other participants. The 2nd running of the Evan Lindquist Memorial 5K and 2 mile was on the Paul Bunyan Trail beginning at the Information Center in Pine River.  Proceeds from this event are starting a scholarship fund in Evan’s name with the funds being held until 2022 with Evan’s classmates being the first recipients. So far they have raised $22,000.00. The parents said a few words and the heart break is just as fresh today as it was than. I can not imagine losing a child. It was raining and a very cool 50* but there was love and laugher and lots of prayers for the family.

Our bus drivers and family, C-I Transportation                      My time wasn’t the best. I have done better, I have done worse. But I walked with Amanda who doesn’t jog/run but didn’t want to go alone so she was my partner.  She made it 1/2 way before having to slow down and just walk slow so I took off and jogged the last half of the race. My time was 44:25:04. It’s okay I have another race June 8th, now I have a time to beat.

Mike came with today and was there for me and all of us. It was so awesome to see his smiling face at the end of the race. It’s so nice to have him home for the weekend.

So today was a great day. A blessing to little Evan that isn’t going to grow up but a name and little boy that no one will ever forget.

Life gets in the way …. and I let it, UGH!!!!

It’s hard. I know for everyone it’s hard but so many are able to do it while I seem to just flounder around. This is my third summer (which seems to have arrived now) to be working on losing my weight. It hasn’t gotten one little bit easier and in fact I think it’s harder now than before though I know how hard I worked to lost my first 40 lbs. Not a huge amount compared to so many others but a good chunk for me.

So I have decided that the first 40 don’t count anymore. Well they do but not from where I’m sitting today. I’m going to start all over. From the beginning. Now when I first did my weight loss there was Allan and Steve to help me get started. Now both of them are off doing what they must so this time it will be me, myself and I.

I am going to quit blogging about it, I’m going to go back to the basics and just relearn and redo and in another years time I will have lost another 40 (well I can really hope and try).

I am sorry to Nicole for dropping out of her challenge but I just don’t have it in me to try and keep up with my blogging, my family, my life and soon daycare and everything else. I am just going to put me first and learn to take care of me. Marc, you started this. Marc wrote a post this past week about taking care of yourself and it has been sitting in my heart and brain and just festering to beat the band. His comment to me was sweet and to the point and … well I think I’ve learned a bit.

Now I’m not going to quit blogging, I am not quitting on Deb and I (we are partners in this until we have gotten to where we want to be), I’m just not going to blog anymore about weight loss. You do get to hear about the 5k’s I’m planning, you do get to hear about what I’ve learned, I’m just not going to be posting weights, diet plans, ideas (unless they work).

I can’t keep up with the Jones, so I’m just going to keep up with me. I know very well I can do this. I did it for about 4 months without anyone and made a good start. Then came Steve and Allan who both helped me so much. Now it’s just time to put this knowledge to good use and learn more along the way.

I will be stopping by everyone that I always do, I will be following along, cheering you on, sharing my knowledge, learning from you but for now, I have nothing to teach, nothing to show and nothing to share about a lady who just can’t get herself together.

Me first, it has to be otherwise I’m not going to be good for anyone else and with my dad’s health declining day by day, my mama just hanging on, my sister who by the grace of God keeps living even when her body refuses so much. For my son that has grown up and has started the most awesome life, for my husband that sticks by me and has learned a bit about me and needing space. Well this year is for me.

So today is day 1.

Mike, family, crafts, kids, bussing, 5k’s, my miles and goals, recipes, and so much more to come…..just not diet. Sorry if I’ve offended, sent away, not helped, not inspired, not lived up to whomever expectations of me. It’s just time for me.

Take care my friends. I truly do hope you stick around and visit me.

Grad pic….and….

Had to share.

One more day home and off to his new job. A bit scary, and the anticipation, wow!

Hope your all having a most awesome weekend.

 

God really blessed me the day Mike came. Happy Mother’s day to anyone that is part of a child’s life. You don’t have to be Mother to understand and be loved like one.

 

P.S. Spring might be coming…..I found two of these this week….they are going to be Trilliums.

Just pictures of what’s happening…

So Mike had some friends over and they target practiced and blew up some stuff. Mike is selling his dirt bike so he can buy a smaller car with better gas mileage. Anyone interested? It’s a 1996 Honda CR80, with two tires (paddle tire and regular one) and it runs good.

 

Mike and Jim have been working together on many different projects. Mike had to work on his exhaust manifold and Jim was wiring my Envoy for a trailer plug.

Sunsets are my most favorite and this one, it’s awesome. I love the reflection on the lake. Jim and I are either going to build or buy a camper trailer we can haul with our smaller vehicles. We are just looking right now.

  

Mike and I went on a hike. A very long one and though Mike really hates walking he always goes because I ask him to take me. In the distant you can see a tower, we started there and went to the top of Cuyuna Lookout.

 

Here’s my boyfriend. He’s really my daddy goose but he “loves” me. HE is the most noisiest goose and follows me everywhere. When I’m outside he’ll come over from daddy’s house to see what I’m up too.

 

Lots of steps in each day except this past weekend when a migraine kept me close to the toilet and house. This past weekend one of our local green houses finally got to set up. We are so far behind this year in planting or getting ready too. I loved this.

 

I have Joss every Wednesday for library day and playtime and lunch to give her mama a break and this past week we celebrated May day with a craft and a May pole.

 

Mike got his new tool box. He’s working on filling it with the needed tools to start his new job. We took Terri to Olive Garden for her birthday this past Friday. Though it was the most awesome food I don’t think it’ll be someplace to go often. A bit expensive and not to good for the diet.

We had game night at grandma’s last week. Mike’s favorite food is spaghetti and malts so grandma spoiled him rotten and of course Mike’s dog scout is so happy to have him home. Another trailer we are looking at to maybe build into a camper trailer instead of buying a premade one.

My garden just this past weekend. The snow is just about gone and my rhubarb is coming up.

Today I set up my green house cuz my tomatoes really need to get out. They need sunlight, they are pretty darn wimpy. Hopefully now that our day time temps are in the 50-60’s just maybe things will thaw and we can have some spring.

So that’s what’s been happening between driving bus, working on a bit of this and that to keep a household running, and enjoying having Mike home.

I hope all is well with you all. I will be back next week once life is back to an empty nest. Blessings!!

So little time left….

I am sorry I haven’t been around to do any posting or visiting but I am spending all the time I can with Mike and family and friends before Mike heads off to his new job and new life a little ways from here. Life has been awesome, the diet not so much but Deb and I have been chatting and when Mike heads away I will be back to doing what I am suppose to be. It has been over a year that I have had anyone to cook for, eat with and enjoy meal time with and right now that is exactly what I’m doing. So that means the scale isn’t going to like me much though I am teaching Mike how to cook more healthy foods and portion control but I’m also fixing things he hasn’t had in a year and not all of it perfectly balanced to the healthy side. It is what it is and I am not regretting a single meal or time spent enjoy it with him. So a break I’m taking and after the 13th I’ll be back with a vengeance to deal with all that I need to.

Just wanted you to know what’s happening.

Take care and have a blessed week.