Keeping Hydrated

I have always heard that drinking plenty of water is essential to good health and especially weight loss. I don't mind drinking water.....I just know that I don't EVER get as much as I should. The teacher of the pump class that I attend says that you should drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water each day. I have good intentions....sometimes I even start the day out doing pretty well, but I get busy and simply forget. Well, no more! I just read about a fantastic idea, and just had to share.

Set your timer for 1 hour. Each time the timer goes off, you drink an 8 oz. glass of water. Not too hard, right? The only problem for me so far is remembering why the timer is buzzing!! That old age and memory thing~!! I am hoping this will be the beginning of a beautiful habit for me. Good timing, too with summer (supposedly) coming any day and needing to keep hydrated in the hot summer sun. Here's to hydrating and re-hydrating!

New Grandbaby Camryn

Camryn Alexis Melvin was born on Wednesday, June 8, 2011. She weighs 7 lbs. 8.3 oz. and is very cute! Momma Lisa and baby are doing well!

I was there for the birth and it was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced! What a miracle new life is. She is perfect in every way and is such a sweet little thing. She has a very husky, deep voice and is not afraid to let us know what she wants. Welcome little one!

Grandkids are the Greatest

Look at these darling babies!! Oh, being a grandma is the greatest thing ever! Dylan, Marisa and Cambria.

Trip to Disney World and Cruise to W. Carribean

This December was my parents 50th wedding anniversary! So we talked them into taking a two week vacation with us and my sister Sue and her hubby. We stayed in a condo in Florida and did the whole Disney World thing for a week, then left for a week long cruise to the Western Carribean. It was sooooooo much fun! I love cruising. I am ready to go again!

Bathroom Remodel

What a nightmare! We decided to re-do our Master Bathroom and also our Main Bathroom. These pictures are my impatience waiting for someone to come and do some demolition. I finally took a hammer and went at the tile. It was a lot of hard work, but it got the ball rolling!!

We have had extra floor supports put in (they were on 24 inch centers!!! now they are 12), new plywood subfloor, rebuilt the shower/tub area, refinished the cabinets, had the walls re-textured and painted. Tomorrow the marble company comes for the final measure and next week the tile guy will be here. Saturday I have someone coming to measure for new blinds. Then we replace the toilet and the cabinets and hang a new mirror and voila! Time to move on to the Main bath.... :( Can't wait to be done though!

Running with Ducks?

I have recently taken up jogging around my neighborhood for exercise. I started walking, but moved to jogging quickly when I realized my heart rate was only slightly elevated at the pace I walk!

About 2 weeks ago, on a beautiful spring morning I was jogging down a neighborhood street when I saw 2 ducks enter the street not too far ahead of me. I decided that if I continued at the pace I was jogging and they continued at the pace they were waddling, they would be across the street and out of my way before I reached them. Well, I don't know if you have been around ducks before or not, but as I approached they started to serpentine back and forth.....like ducks do, and not to continue on in their straight course across the street. I slowed to a walk, because they were a little unpredictable, but kept on going figuring they would continue on their merry way after I passed. Not so! They fell into step with me, the male occasionally getting under foot. I tripped on him once or twice. I turned around and stomped my foot at them, trying to scare them away (you know like you do to a cat or dog that is pestering you!) but they kept coming. I tried to run away from them, but they flapped their wings to sort of fly/walk to keep up with me!

It was about this time I noticed a lady standing on the sidewalk watching all of this, a little further on (with an amused look on her face, I might add!). I threw my arms up and shrugged my shoulders at her, to which she responded, "They're not your ducks? I thought maybe you were taking them for a walk!"

As my little entourage got closer to her, the dog she was walking became interested in my walking partners and began to bark at them, which luckily scared them off a little ways. However, the street I was on was a DEAD END. As I was contemplating how to handle the return trip without picking up unwanted company again, she suggested that I cross the park and continue on another street totally unconnected....which I did.

I'm not sure I'll jog on the same route again, but it made for an interesting morning!

MRI

I had an MRI on Monday and they determined that I have a bulging and torn disc....which basically means no more heavy, repetitive lifting at Costco. Don't know if or what they will have me do now. That still remains to be seen.

The good news is, the back can heal. The bad news is that it could take months/years for it to fully heal, and I still have osteo-arthritis which will always be a slight issue. Man, I hate getting old!

Old Age and Over-Worked Back Issues

About 2 weeks ago, on my lovely day off, I bent over to tie my shoes and something slipped in my back. It has happened before (several times). I always rest and in a day or two I am feeling much better. Well, I ended up going to the Chiropractor (twice), the doctor, the hospital (for x-rays, nothing serious), and finally a physical therapist. The x-rays show Osteo-arthritis and a possible herniated disk. I have been told to take it easy on my exercise (which is frustrating to say the least, when I am in the middle of a weight reduction battle!! 17 lbs. and counting) and I have been placed on FMLA from work.

I was able to move about fairly normally after 4 or 5 days, but am not allowed to lift more than 5-10 lbs. and "no bending, stooping or pulling" which basically means everything! And definitely not stocking shelves at COSTCO! There isn't anything there that only weighs 5-10 lbs.

I went back in to the doctor today, for some more paperwork for Costco and now he wants to do an MRI. They asked if I was claustrophobic....which I am. Not looking forward to that test....but what I am looking forward to is a more specific diagnosis, or prognosis. How long is this going to take? Will I be able to return to work and exercise the way I want to? Am I going to have pain for the rest of my life? Hopefully not!! I think probably attitude is at least 50% of the battle, right? Now if the stress-/frustration-/angry- EATING would stop, I'd be ok!! :)

Update on "30 day Shred" by Jillian Michaels

Ok, I just wanted to let you know that I have been doing this exercise video now for 3 weeks now...several times a week. Sometimes I do it twice a day (it's only a 20 minute workout) and sometimes I do 2 levels of the workout in one session (for a total of about 40 minutes). I really like it. It's tough! I have been using 5 lb. hand weights (which isn't very much, you know) but with these exercises IT IS ENOUGH and sometimes TOO MUCH!!

I like the 3,2,1 system of 3 minutes strength, 2 minutes cardio and 1 minute of abs repeated 3x for 1 session with a warm up and cool down. I think it keeps your heart rate up enough to burn extra calories the entire workout.

I like that there are 3 levels. I think I would be bored with just one. Each level has different exercises and increases in difficulty. If I do 2 levels of workouts, I just skip the cool down from the first session and the warm up of the second and go right on with the circuits. I also have used cardio from one of the easier levels for part of level 3 because I don't like the "rock star" jumps....they bother my knees. I figure cardio is cardio.

I love that it is only 20 minutes. It's easy to work into a busy day. Sometimes I do it in the afternoon before I make dinner. Keeps me from snacking a lot too, as afternoons are my "eat everything in sight" time of day.

I have lost a total of 8 lbs. so far (although I joined weight watchers 2 weeks ago, so the dvd can't take all the credit) but I sure think it has helped.

Exercise....who me?

For as long as I can remember (which at my age isn't too far back...) I have gone to the gym to work out almost daily. I love it! I know, that's weird, but I do. You'd think I'd be really thin. Ah, well.

Anyways, since my Costco "career" started (I start work at either 4 or 5 a.m.) I haven't been going very regularly. It went from almost daily at 6:00 a.m., to two or three times a week after work or evenings or on days off, to hmmm..... not since October!! So, with the new year and all-recommitting to my old exercise routine has been on my mind. Or at least, trying to maintain SOME kind of exercise routine.

I saw an info-mercial on Turbo Jam (which apparently is like a dance party in your living room! :p). There was so much hype and freebies and "if you call in the next 18 minutes..." that I couldn't even tell how much it was going to cost. Then I saw Jillian Michaels on the Ellen show. You know the tough coach from tv's "The Biggest Loser". I have been researching her dvd's. They are rated fairly high. People seem to like them. She's tough, but effective...so they say. So I took the plunge. I spent that whopping $9.00 at Walmart for the dvd "Jillian Michaels 30 day Shred"! Here is a link to a video clip of the workout at Amazon. I would be interested to hear if anyone has tried it. I watched it (literally...I laid on my bed and watched her workout. That's how motivated I am!) She looks pretty buff, and it looks a lot like some of the things I did when I went to the gym and took some pump classes, so at least I think I should enjoy it. We'll see. I'll update you if anything of note comes from it. First, I guess I need to do more than lay in bed and watch it! Wish me luck!

New Camera

You may or may not have noticed that I haven't posted lately. Besides being crazy busy with Christmas, etc. I got a new camera and don't know how to get pictures from my camera to my blog!! I guess that better be my project for this week, eh? Then off we go again...

Hey, thanks, PBS!!

We were driving in the car with several of our kids (I think we were on the way to Grandma's funeral). Our son, Matt was riding in the back seat with the little girls. He started to laugh! I asked him what was so funny and instead of answering me, he proceeded to ask Kelsey (our 5 year old) where she had heard that word. "Word Girl." came the answer. I guess I have PBS to thank for educating my baby! Apparently it was "sweltering" in the back seat! We could all use a couple more words like "sweltering" in our vocabularies! I think I will start watching "Word Girl" myself.

Thoughts on Ear Piercing and Parenting...

My girls have all gotten their ears pierced for their 8th birthday. Katie just turned 8 and couldn't wait for the big event! Kelsey will be 6 in February and really wanted her ears pierced, too. So, being the worn-out mother that I am, I figured "what the heck" and I let them BOTH get their ears pierced. You know, kind of a 2 for 1 deal....1 trip to the mall, 1-6 week stint of applying ear solution and twisting earrings. I guess am just getting old and tired! Well, you should have heard some of my other girls complain about it (who, of course, all had to wait until they were 8 for the blessed event...you would have thought I had just committed some major injustice!). Well, all I have to say is....."Get used to it, girls!" I am old, I am tired and if it's the easy thing to do I will probably do it again! ;)

I am finding that I say yes more easily and more often...which benefits all of them! I am still trying to be a diligent parent, but some of my hard and fast rules have become soft and slow!! Hopefully it is not only because I am old and tired, but because I have learned a little something about parenting that I didn't know before and discovering not everything I thought in the beginning of my life as a parent was accurate!! good or true. Here's to always trying to improve and hoping to someday get it right!

More Hallowe'en Pictures

This is my son Matt ("V" from V for Vendetta) and his wife, Kelli (ladybug!).

Left to right, Michelle, Matt, me, Stacy, Marisa, Dylan, Katie and Kelsey. Five of my seven kids, and two grandkids in this picture!

My sweet DIL, Kelli posted these pictures on her blog! Had to show you how cute my little family is! We went to their house before we went trick or treating and took these.

Grandma Sally's funeral

My grandma Sally, aka Clara, passed away last Tuesday morning and was buried on Saturday, November 15. She married my grandpa, Howard Oliver in 1980, and has been the only grandma Oliver most of my siblings and I have known. Our grandma passed away in 1970 when I was a young girl.

Sally always had the energy of someone half her age and she was always up for an adventure. I remember her loading us into the car and hauling us around shopping all day, or for a quick trip across the border to do a little Mexican shopping, or site seeing all over the place. We would get worn out, she was still raring to go! She loved getting in her car and driving...anywhere. No place was too far, it was just a little jaunt for her.

She was very generous and forgiving and genuinely concerned for every one's well-being. She joined our family almost 30 years ago and from the very beginning has made me feel like I really belonged to her. I never felt like I was a step-grandchild. I just always knew that she loved me. She accepted and loved us all just like we were her own. I'm going to miss her.

Yearbook Yourself

Oh, my gosh....how funny. Some of these could be out of my real yearbook! Like the first picture is supposed to be 1984....I looked just like that!!! Too much fun! Of course, some of these were from before I was even born! The site is called Yearbook Yourself....check it out!

I've been tagged!

Susette Fisher tagged me...and I guess I am supposed to name 6 quirky things about myself! I don't think I'm quirky at all...LOL!

1. I have never slept very well...sort of an insomniac. I had trouble falling asleep and sometimes would wake up in the middle of the night.....until this job at Costco (where I start work at either 4 a.m. or 5 a.m.). Now, I have NO TROUBLE falling asleep, and nothing wakes me during the night, but if I wake up at all.....I very rarely am able to fall back asleep. I might as well get up and get something done!

2. I have never found a food that I didn't like....except maybe some bad sushi at a chinese buffet!

3. I LOVE to exercise. I mean it, I really LOVE it. And not just afterwards, you know, when you are proud of yourself for doing it. I mean before, during and after.....I LOVE IT! If I had no other responsibilities, I think I would exercise several hours every day!

4. I sing all the time. I bet you didn't realize there is a song for EVERY subject. Sometimes things that people say will remind me of a line in a song and I can't help myself, I belt it right out! Maybe not at that exact moment, I don't usually like to sing for an audience (unless it's my family....they are so used to me singing I'm not embarrassed any more). Too bad I don't have a better singing voice!

5. I am kind of a perfectionist....but only selectively! I like things neat and tidy (I organize my spices alphabetically in my kitchen cupboard, sort my stamp sets by size of box, socks by color, you get the picture) but I can go a week without mopping my kitchen and not have it bother me...? Hmmm.

6. I can't stay awake in a vehicle while it's moving....especially on trips longer than about 15 minutes! Even if I'm driving! Aaaah!

So there you have it, I'm really not quirky at all! I tag you! Gina, Ginay, Dana, Deena, Stacy, Kelli, Susan and Janelle.

What a Handsome Group

This is a family photo taken with the Melvin crew that was at Grandma Vickii's house this summer. Todd's sister, Lorii was the only sibling missing, but lots of grandkids were MIA. Not a bad looking group though, eh? (We are Canadian after all!) Back row, left to right: Michael, Mitch, Laura, Todd, Julie, Lisa. Front row, left to right, Danny, Megan, Aimee, Grandma Vickii, Kelsey and Katie. I don't remember the dog's name (he belongs to a neighbor), but I'm sure my girls would.

First day of Kindergarten for my last!

Kind of a bitter-sweet day today! My baby started her first day of kindergarten.....I have such mixed feelings from ecstatic about having some time to myself (although Kindergarten in our district is only 1/2 day) to sad about never getting to do this whole process again! She was so excited! Isn't she a sweetie!? The little guy is Gina's youngest, Korden Bagley.

La Vie

Consider yourself tagged! Just copy the list below and bold all of the ones you have done! Have fun-can't wait to see more about you!

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby’s diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said “I love you” and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don’t
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge (actually rode bikes across and back again)
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name...when I got married
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one (miniature golf!)
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight (just went a little low...)
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera.
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hotel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter