My Daring Adventures

As a follow up to my ABC's, I thought I would post some rare pictures of me doing things that are a little daring. This first picture is from New Year's weekend in 2000. I went to Texas with my dear friend, Pam Clark. The story is quite funny...you see, her mother worked for US Air and we got really cheap tickets flying stand by. We wanted to go to LA, but that was pure foolishness. We flew from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh where we checked all the available flights to the west and then started sitting at gates. We finally made it on a plane that took us to Dallas. We rented a car and got a hotel room for the weekend. This picture was taken at the Fort Worth Stock yards.
This man was walking up and down the street. He would let people get on the cow for pictures. Pam (who had lots of experience riding horses) was able to get right up there on the cow. Now, for me it was a little different. The man (standing there next to the cow) said, "If you can get your foot up in that stirrup, I can get you on that cow." Being the daredevil that I am, I said, "No problem!" I stepped up as high as I could and got my foot in the stirrup. Then jumped. He pushed. I pulled and you know, I got on that cow. Great picture, don't you think?
Pam and I had so much fun on this trip that we decided to do it again. In my next posting, I'll show the infamous "Sylvia on a mule" picture from when we went to the Dude Ranch in Montana. I am really thankful for my adventurous spirit. I am especially thankful that even though I have a lot of "body" I have enough muscle to do just about anything I want.

My A B C's

A: Attached or single--definately attached!

B: Best Friend--Eric

C: Cake or Pie--definately Pie--key lime or cherry preferrably.

D: Day of Choice--Saturday (don't have to go to the office, can do what I want, when I want)

E: Essential item--anythng with some bling!

F: Favorite color--Pink, yellow, purple, I love them all!

G: Gummy bears or worms--Gummy bears, especially the cinnamon ones--I love those things!

H: Hometown--Fairfield, Ohio.

I: Indulgence--full body massage (have not had one for a long time, desperately need one now!)

J: January or July--too hard to choose, January has two holidays because I am a government worker, July only has one since we don't live in Utah, I guess I vote for January.

K: Kids--4 boys and a girl--Lad, Bullseye, Kit Kat, Snickers and Oreo. What can I say? They are my babies--Oh, and then there is Eric, but according to him, he is pretty low on the totem pole.

L: Life rule--Everything's better with glitter! If your paper's too plain, stamp on it!

M: Marriage--Feb. 20, 1987 Jordan River Temple--the first time in my life I really felt like a princess.

N: Number of Siblings--5 sisters and 3 brothers.

O: Oranges or Apples--Oranges! There is nothing better than getting all sticky and smelling really yummy.

P: Phobias--large crowds, like at the race track or Walmart on Saturday. Big ugly spiders!

Q: Quote--"That's messed up!" Boog the grizzly bear from "Open Season" also, "You look like my Barbie" Olivia from "The Holiday"

R: Reason to smile--I'm taking two vacations this year!

S: Season--definately Summer--I need the sunshine, now!

T: Tag Six--I am always the last one to get with the program so I am guessing that everyone has already been "tagged" or "it" so I am changing this category to Trip--my most memorable trip was to a dude ranch in Montana. It was my firt time to ride a mule--someday I'll post the picture.

U: Unknown Fact about Me--My second year of college I was on Academic Probation while also serving on the Academics Counsel--Yes, my major was campus wildlife--Who'd a thunk it?

V: Vegetarian or Carnivor--Vegetarian, most definately, which causes some issues with my Carnivorous husband!

W: Worst Habit--I don't have any of those...I only have good habits...ok, ok, Eric says it is backseat driving. Can I help it if I want to get there safely? Hmmm?

X: X-ray or Ultrasound--never had an ultrasound so I have to go with x-ray.

Y: Your favorite food--Pizza, hands down! I could eat it anytime, all day, every day. Can't ever have too much.

Z: Zodiac--Leo. Couldn't you tell?

Spring is Almost Here!

I was thankful for the snow last week. It gave me a chance to scrub my kitchen floor (which was seriously dirty). It gave me an excuse to reorganize some of my kitchen cupboards and get rid of some things I have not been using. I also cooked more than I have in a long time.

The end of Feb. I got sick with a really bad ear infection and I had to slow down. I was making good progress on my goals, but since then, I have lost my momentum. Having to stay inside last weekend, gave me the time to get things back on track. I will confess that I usually hate snow. I like the way it looks and how peacefully it comes down from the heavens, but once it starts hanging around on the ground, it begins to create problems for my life. We have been blessed with a really good neighbor who will clear our driveway with his snowblower. He has saved us many times this winter. He was able to clear the driveway on Friday evening, but after the big snow on Saturday, his snowblower froze up before he could get to our driveway. I ended up shoveling it myself which was really good for me. I enjoyed the exercise--which I have to say, before starting my walking program, I wouldn't have enjoyed shoveling all that snow.

This afternoon, as I walked out to the car from church, I saw the sun shining, I heard the birds chirping, I breathed in the fresh, slightly crisp air, and I got excited about the arrival of spring. I am so thankful for this time of year when things are fresh and new. It gives me hope that I, too can begin anew. I can make the changes I need to make to become what I want to become. I am thankful for this Easter season. I am especially thankful that this year it comes early because I feel like I really need that reminder right now.

Last Sunday, Eric and I held our own Sacrament meeting and read several articles from this month's Ensign magazine. I was thankful to read the testimoy of President Hinckley. This morning as I was getting ready for church, I reflected on that and then thought about General Conference which is coming in a couple of weeks. I am looking forward to hearing from President Monson. I am thankful the Heavenly Father loves us enough to give us prophets and leaders who love us and desire to help us live the gospel so that we can be happy.

Serving in the nursery has given me some really choice experiences. As many of you know, it was hard for me to accept this calling. I have struggled with this like no other calling I have ever had. I can't even tell you exactly why. It has been a challenge for these young children to adjust to being in Primary. I have worked hard to make the atmosphere inviting and also establish a routine but despite this, we still have some that cry.

I want you to know how much I love these children. They are so sweet and it is wonderful to see their progress each week. I am amazed at what we have accomplished in such a short time. Today, they played together so well. They are singing more of the songs and the funniest part of class is when we do moving to music from the Primary 1 CD. The children are really great and I am thankful that Heavenly Father has given me a chance to get to know them. I am looking forward to taking them outside for walks when the weather gets warmer. Spring will be here soon and I am so thankful!

A FEW THINGS TO SHARE

I have really been away from blogging for a while. It seems my schedule is pretty crazy these days. Here are a few updates...

After making my first goal to get my shoes, I set another goal to do 3 miles every day for two weeks. Unfortunately, I didn't make it. I had some family things that happened and I just didn't have the energy to do it all. Despite that, I moved forward. When I knew that I wasn't going to meet that goal, I just walked as many days those two weeks as I could. Last Tuesday (2/12/08), Maura came over and we were doing the 3 mile walk which consisted of playing my 2 mile walk one full time and then going to the one mile mark a second time. Well, we got busy talking and I missed the one mile mark. Maura finaly said, "I think we have finished the 3rd mile." I looked at the video and sure enough, we were past that mark. I joked about doing the whole thing twice and she agreed, but then I told her we had to get to work so I stopped.

The next day I was thinking about how easily I could have gone on, so when I started walking, I just kept going. I went through my 2 mile walk 2 complete times. It was amazing to me how easy that last mile was. So I did 4 miles, each day the rest of the week. On Sunday, I decided to pull out my 4 fast miles DVD and see how I could do. It was challenging, but I loved it. So I am now doing 4 fast miles every day. I can keep the pace pretty good, but still not able to do the high impact. I can really tell a difference in my core and abdominal muscles. So I am really excited about this. When Maura came over this past Tuesday we did it together and let me tell you, she is awesome.

I am thankful for all the support and the positive feedback. I have not stepped on a scale in a while because that is just too frustrating right now. Maura and I reviewed my progress since starting in December and found something really interesting. In December when I started, I walked a total of 10 miles. In January I walked a total of 42 miles. As of today, I have walked 57 miles in February and if I keep on track, I will have walked over 80 miles by the end of the month. That is exciting to me. The 4 fast miles is a faster pace and I can really feel the difference. There are good things ahead.

On Wed. this week 2/20/08...Eric and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary. In some ways it is hard to believe that we have been married that long. In other ways, it seems like just yesterday. He is my biggest supporter and I am thankful for his encouragement as I work toward acheiving my goals. I don't think I realized when I married him, what a treasure I was getting. However, as the years have passed, I have been blessed to have him in my life. He really brings out the best in me. Eric, honey, thanks for everything. I love you so much. Here's to the next 21 years!

Mama Got a New Pair O' Shoes!

I have been really diligent about keeping my goals so far this year. I have charted my progress and am really proud to say that I have done better this year than any other year in my life. Still with keeping my goals I wasn't seeing the weight loss that I wanted. I was doing the diet and really giving it my all---to no avail! So I took a que from the pampered princess and decided I was going to increase my activity level...

Last week I walked 3 miles every day---21 miles total. I have to say it was hard some of the days, but I knew that I wanted to obtain my reward so I just ignored the pain and went on. At one point, I got up from my desk slowly because my muscles were stiff and my co-worker asked if I was ok. I explained my goal and she was very supportive because she had also lost 100 lbs a couple of years ago and understood the sacrifice it took to do this.

I am happy to report that today I went to the store and bought my reward--a new pair of running shoes. That isn't even the best part of the story...I was going to get them on Saturday, before I had finished my goal, but decided I wanted to really earn it so I waited...Today after work, Eric and I went to Shoe Carnival. I had planned to buy him a new pair of shoes also so I knew it was going to cost me, but I had earned my shoes and didn't care about the cost.

When we got to the store, we started looking at the shoes. Over the PA system they announced an in store special...buy one pair, get one half price--even on the clearance shoes. This was something we had done there before, but today it wasn't advertised. It was just that store, at that moment. I found a pair of Nike runners that was regularly $65, on clearance for $54. Eric got a pair of New Balance (the only kind that he can wear because his foot is so wide--4E) for $59. My shoes were half price---$27. As we left the store, I exclaimed "Thank you Heavenly Father for another tithing blessing!"

Not only did I reach my goal and get my reward, but I also was blessed to get a great deal. I am thankful to report that I put on the new shoes right after I got home and walked 3 miles in them. WOW--what a difference a new pair of shoes makes! My next goal is to walk 3 miles every day for the next 2 weeks. I haven't decided on a reward, but it will be a good one. I am going to force my metabolism to respond!

I do have to admit that even though the weight loss isn't there, I can see my muscles toning up. I also know that muscle weighs more than fat so I am willing to go with it. Thanks for all your support. This is going to be a great year as I finally accomplish my goals.

Sorry I Was Away So Long

Hello friends,

After the holidays, my life got really hectic. I was focused on my goals and work has been absolutely crazy so the last thing I wanted to do after coming home was sit in front of a computer again. Sorry, I have been away so long. I have missed reading your blogs. This morning I woke up early and decided to write a few things.

The first is that I am proud to say I have been really good at sticking to my goals for this year. I have been keeping a calendar and writing things down. I have spent more time reading, not only the scriptures, but also some other good books that I have wanted to read. I have kept my exercise goals (though some days I just didn't want to do it) and have lost about 3 pounds. A decent start considering that I have a long way to go and I want to keep it off. I am most thankful to Maura for her support. She has been one of the biggest reasons I have stayed with the exercise. It is great to have a buddy.

Second, I was really thrown for a loop by the calling to serve in the Nursery. This was the first time in my life that I really struggled to accept a call. I literally cried for days. It wasn't that I dislike being there, it was more that I had been looking forward to studying the Book of Mormon with Gospel Doctrine and I was really looking forward to the Joseph Smith RS lessons. I have served in other callings for so many years that I can't remember the last time I started and ended the year in SS and RS. When I was set apart for the nursery calling, I was given a wonderful blessing and I will say that I have been comforted by this. This past Sunday was my first week and I think things went pretty well. I find it ironic that I had just cleaned out my office in November and moved all my Primary stuff to the basement. Now I have to bring it all back upstairs!

Third, and most of all...thank you to all my friends who have been there to offer love and support. This is a big year for me. I have much to accomplish and I know that as I continue to work on my goals, I will see the fruits of my labor. I am thankful especially to Eric. He has always been a great support for me. I love him so much and can hardly believe that next month we celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary. Time flies when you are with the one you love.

With all that said, I will try to be more regular with my posts. I love blogging and I definately will need your support and encouragement throughout the coming year.

New Years Is Over! --Now get to work!!!

Many of you know that I started a walking program in December. I must confess that I did really well unitl the week before Christmas. I think the stress of the holidays just really made it hard for me to stay focused. Thankfully, I got back on the wagon New Year's Eve. I woke up that morning and informed Eric that he was going to walk 1 mile with me, whether he liked it or not. It was a good thing, too, because we went to two parties that night and pigged out! We also stayed out way too late and when we did come home we stayed up until 2am watching tv...don't ask why--we don't know. Probably because of all the sugar we consumed.

Anyway, I dragged myself out of bed around 9am on New Years Day and commenced to cleaning off the desk in my office, which needed to be done before I could make any kind of resolutions. A little later on, Maura came over and we walked 2 miles together. This was too much fun! Then we went to work in my office, cleaning and clearing things out. After she left, I was feeling really good about what we had accomplished and I was able to sit down and think about my goals for 2008.

I got out a 3 ring binder and put a picture of a new Dodge Avenger (which is the car we plan to purchase this year if our finances will allow it) in the front and proceeded to write out my goals for the year. Then, I got another piece of paper and wrote down the action steps that I will do each day to meet my goals--this was inspired by a great talk on goals that was given in Sacrament Meeting last week--Thank you Jamie! I printed out calendar pages for each month in 2008, added them to the binder, and have been logging my progress each day.

I am proud to report that so far, I am on track--I know it is only the 4th, but I have actually been tracking my progress in walking since December. I am feeling comfortable with a 2 mile walk and am working on increasing the distance by a mile each month. My goal is to be at 195 pounds before the end of the year. The last time I weighed that was when I was in college which was more than 20 years ago. I am ready to do this and knowing that I have a family reunion this summer and a special trip in October with my sisters has given me the incentive. So next time you see me, ask me how I am doing. I will love to share my success.