2014 Done, 2015 Bring it on!!

      

As 2015 begins, I believe it is important to look back and acknowledge our successes and failures. Learn from them and move on to the next chapter. 2014 was a year of great ups and downs. I reignited a friendship that had been hurt. I became more involved in my new church. With some past hurts from church people this was pretty hard for me. I still have not fully allowed myself to let go and really enjoy the possibility of new friends. I am still incredibly guarded. I lost people this year. More then I wish to suicide. That really breaks my heart. I know how it feels to be that low, but I don't ever want to cause that kind of pain to others.


I had an amazing beginning to the summer vacation time. Kayaked on the lakes. It was AMAZING!! Look at the smile!!












But then I looked at my tummy and was very unhappy...


At the end of that time I also witnessed my son's life explode. It is the hardest thing to watch your child hurt. I have been happy to see him recover. It was pretty hard though.


After vacation I decided time to deal with my weight. I went to the doctor to set up a plan. I lost 25 lbs! Yay! Finally under 200. Shortly after this I further injured my back. Requiring this time that I get the surgery. Emotionally it took a toll. But physically I am feeling better. I just still have to take my time to rebuild muscle and strength in my back. I maintained my weight loss under 200.




I embarked on some things on the house to try new ideas to really organize it, they have been great. I have never kept a really neat home. But not terrible either. Now I am looking to take it a step further. Where things are neater then ever before.


2014 also included some very unwelcomed medical news for family. We ended the year with cancer, infections, and many other maladies in my extended family. My brother even having hyperbaric chamber treatments!! How crazy is that! We really can't do anything to change any of those. But we can decide to continue to lean into being healthy! Which IS my plan!

Also not on list is to get my garden going again this year!!



So here are the basics for the New Year Goals.


Do Daily Bible studies


Track Eating to continue to lose weight
Hike 2x's a month
Kayak 2-3x's a month once water temp rises to 50 degrees
Continue organizing my home
I would love to have people join me for hikes! I have maps of many local trails. Some I have walked already others I have not.

End of year Assesment

Well as we come to the close of 2013, I am unsure how I feel. You could say I have had the worst year. But the problem is that is not true either. I have had some serious lows but had some real highs also. I can say for buying an inflatable kayak was a major high! Leading to the buying of a full size hard core kayak!!

I can also say seeing myself in Christmas pictures was a major low! I refused to delete them although posting them was hard. Sometimes I guess you need to see exactly where you are!

This body just doesn't match how I feel on the inside. So this is not about a New Years resolution. I must fix this! I do not want to injure myself doing the things I love! So I guess this is what I must focus on. I know it seems boring. But to make the dreams of my future come true I can NOT be miss tubby! So how do you guys take care of yourselves. What do you do to get your health back? I am not an indoorsy kind of girl. I need my body to match my mind and spirit! 

The Rest of the year.

The Rest of the year. Once I got home from all these travels. I finally decided it was time to go the hospital. I found out that I had a ruptured disk, between my L5 and L4 vertebrae. What were my options: surgery or lay on my right side until it heals…. I choose to lay on my side. So many people discouraged surgery, including the surgeon. He said he would have his own wife wait it out and only do it if after 6 months it wasn’t better. I spent the next few months laying on the couch. I was doing very little. The garden had died in the heat wave. Thankfully other than an occasional tomato or cucumber we harvested. I didn’t have to worry about it. By October I could feel my leg again. I was able to stop taking the nerve pills and the pain pills. It came time for Ariana to leave for Basic.

I felt as though I was losing Donnie all over again. She was this awesome connection between him and I. I also was going to officially be an empty nester once she left. Having her live with us had given me a bit of a break from that. We had our annual Halloween party, it was good.

I missed Donnie and Ariana though. November came with a pain and a bonus. My poor Rachel had to have surgery which wound up being much more invasive and painful than anyone expected! She really had a rough time. I helped as much as I could. Donnie was coming home for Thanksgiving!

It was so nice to have him here for the 72hr leave! Knowing in December both Donnie and Ariana would be home was great! I loved seeing them see each other at the airport! Now we have almost 2 weeks together!

December was all the normal holidays.

Watching my grandchildren open presents was so sweet. I love seeing Beth and Rachel as the wonderful mothers they are!

Donnie and Ariana were here to share them with us. That was an awesome way to end the year! I got to meet Ariana’s biological sister Katie.

That was a very special moment. So December was a massive whirlwind. The year of 2013 began with having to take them back to the Airport and say goodbye.

I took a few days and literally crashed, I was so sad. Looking back on 2012 I had some of the best most memorable days and some very difficult ones. I watched my children grow up, I hiked the North South trail, I took an amazing trip with all the ladies then with Ariana and my husband. So I can’t look back on 2012 with any regrets. I will not start this year that way either. I am looking at a new church, working out at the gym. I only have one major goal for this year. Get my health back!

Garden bug....

Today was so pretty here, after being sick I just couldn't stay inside for one more second. I decided I was going to get my burn permit and burn up all the twigs in my yard. I then started looking at moving my old compost pile. Transferring it into a new bin my husband Don is building me. I rake and moved all the top parts out picking up sticks and things. Well it exposed some wonderful rich soil. I am excited to plant watermelons and pumpkins there in the spring. They will do great there. We are working towards getting our garden back in shape this year. I have not put any focus outside for a while. I am so satisfied with getting things prepared for spring. I believe working outside is a great way to be close with God!~~~~big long sigh of satisfaction ~~~~

Oh and I figure this is a great workout for me as well!!