Busy Busy Busy

Whew! It has been a crazy last several days. I left on Thursday of last week to head to Charlotte for my sister Melissa's bachelorette party. To sum the weekend up - it was a total BLAST. Anytime with my sisters is fun time. I can't say enough how much I wish we were closer because there just aren't other relationships in my life like that - they are incredible.

Some pictures from the festivities:

Bowling at Strike City Charlotte

Having some laughs - it's what we do best when we are together!

Tim and I found out on Thursday afternoon that a dear family friend (Bob Yoder) of the Taylors' had lost his ongoing battle with cancer. I sobbed like a little girl in the car when I found out because he was just such an awesome man. I know people always go on and on about people after they die but I swear to you - this man was salt of the earth. When I think of the Taylor's church I see him and Tim's grandad as two of the major heartbeats of the Scott Depot Christ Fellowship family, you know? He was eager to talk to newcomers, always happy to see Tim and I and welcome us home, he was always affectionate and attentive to not only his wife but his three daughters and the list could go on and on. Please be in prayer for his wife Rita who is now left behind with three daughters (Katherine, Mary Beth and Elizabeth). I find encouragement in knowing that he is most surely in heaven and will be reunited with them all one day. Below is a picture of the Yoder family at their eldest daughter Katherine's wedding.

I attended Bob's visitation on Sunday evening - yes, I drove from Charlotte to West Virginia and was back in the car on 5:45 Monday morning to get back for work. Tim left for work in Philadelphia on Sunday morning and I wanted one of us to be there. I am so glad I was able to be there and just love on the family even though it was for a short while. I hate that Tim and I both missed the funeral because I have heard from my in-laws that the service was wonderful.

If it wasn't for our incredible babysitter we would not have been able to swing this arrangement. Once Tim left Sunday morning, Chelsea came to our rescue. Kennedy got some serious quality time with Chelsea all day Sunday and into Monday morning. Praise the Lord for not only a good babysitter but an awesome selfless friend. I knew we couldn't afford childcare and she didn't hesitate to reassure us that payment wasn't needed - she wanted to help us. Well, help us she did and it looks like my princess had fun! Can y'all believe she is getting so big? Oh my goodness - big girl!

I took my p90x out of town (I know, I know - call me dedicated, huh?) My sister Melissa did the Kenpo-X video with me and it put a hurting on her. She really liked it though. This morning, I was up at 5 to do Plyometrics X - lets just say plyo is more like plyouch! Billie and Abby - all I have to say is that is love sisters, because if I wasn't meetin y'all for dinner I wouldn't have gotten up so insanely early. This will be my third week and then I start a new rotation of videos and its funny how perfectly thats timed because I am rapidly getting sick of my current rotation. Courtney is hiking the Appalachian Trail but when she gets back, we plan to start pounding some pavement again and I think Chelsea might try to join us. I ran with my sister Catina this past weekend and I am quickly getting out of running shape. Nothing like a good ole running wake up call. Unfortunately I can't really report anything in the way of weight loss with P90X thus far and I think its because its heavily weight training emphasis right now. I think as I incorporate more cardio I will see more results. I will say my arms are much firmer. They feel much more toned - when they haven't been too sore to touch them, that is. Ha!

One week down...11 to go & Happy Mothers Day

I have officially completed an entire week of p90x. I am still standing....well swaying is more like it. I most definitely am sore, but I am happy about it - it means it's working, right? Saturday was Yoga X day and I hated every second of it. I am addicted to cardio so stretching for an hour isn't exactly my thing, you know? The video was a flippin' hour and a half long too. Who decided it should be more than an hour like the other videos? I don't know but I don't like him/her. I am pretty sure that I am the only one on the planet who can make mental checklists in her head and have mean thoughts about her yoga instructor all while deep breathing and stretching at the same time. I was so thankful when it was over. I should add that I can only dream about my body one day being flexible enough to actually perform most of the stretches in the video. Oh well - you gotta start somewhere. Yesterday was Kenpo X and Chelsea was game to try it with me. We did giggle like little teenagers at some parts but for the majority of the 60 minute video we were in it to when it and you could tell afterwards by how drenched we were. It was a killer workout that left both of us spent. Unfortunately after Kenpo we needed to do Ab Ripper X again. We vowed to be more serious than last time and really try to do the moves. Well - we had good intentions but the reality is we just aren't strong enough to do what all is in that video - it is killer! I am just hoping I get stronger and stronger and the result of that will be being able to do some of these seemingly impossible things as I get more into the program. This morning was back and legs and I just want to say it's painful to put on pants, to tie shoes, to put on earrings - I hurt all over. I had planned to go a full week through after missing a video last week but I don't know if my body can take it. We'll see.

My weekend wasn't all work and no play though. Saturday night Janine graduated from PT school @ University of Kentucky - Go Neenie! Not only did she graduate - she was honored with an award from her professors. I am so proud of her and so happy for her. She has worked very hard and I am glad this chapter of her life is over for her and she can move on (she was really sick of studying). It was great to see she and Josh - we have missed them terribly since they moved to Benton, Kentucky. She and Josh are vacationing and then she will return for some more class but after that she is gone for good. It is a bittersweet thing for me. I am happy for her that she will be with Josh and she will be working and doing what she loves but I am sad that she won't just be a hop, skip and jump away any more and this time it's final. Anyhow - here are some pictures from before and after the graduation.

Tim, Chelsea and I went to church yesterday and had lunch at Rafferty's on the patio (it was gorgeous out). We had some awesome salads and then after our workout we filled up the pool for Kennedy and relaxed which is something I rarely do and usually when I try I don't succeed. I just stared at my beautiful baby and felt thankful that I get to be her Mommy. Motherhood is a beautiful thing - there's nothing else like it. Happy late Mother's Day!

Does my girl know how to work a "babysoup" (as she calls them), or what?

Day 4, er.....3

Today I did the Shoulders and Arms section of P90x. I was supposed to do it yesterday but I couldn't get my butt out of bed and Tim got home late last night. So...I did it this morning. I did, however, get a run in yesterday afternoon with Chelsea which makes me feel a little better about missing a day. It was hot and humid but I pushed little Kennedy along and got a good ole' workout. My calves are kind of sore today but it could be from the "death by plyo" dvd (as I have affectionately called it) that I did Wednesday night. I am not kidding you - it was so flippin' hard. I was all kinds of nasty sweaty when I was done, BUT - I felt like a rockstar which is a much different vibe than my day one dvd left me with. Anywho, back to today - as if my arms weren't already sore enough - today made them even sorer (is that a word). I just keep thinking - bridesmaid ready arms before summer: yeah! I have decided that someone could most definitely not just pick up this workout series and do it. You gotta be in some kind of decent-good shape to be able to do this stuff: its tough. I got myself a pull-up bar at Walmart yesterday only to realize that my door frames are apparently larger than normal and it won't work. Luckily there were no pullups in todays workout - praise Jesus and all that is holy! I got me some heavier weight too and I am glad because I used it for the majority of today's workout. I will have to do the ab dvd tonight and I might take a little walk but other than that I have sort of survived my first week of p90x. Woo hoo.

Just in case you all are sick about hearing about my workout ventures (I know, I know - it's pretty exciting stuff). I will leave you with something absolutely precious! To my mommy-readers, have a wonderful Mothers' Day on Sunday.

Day 2

Since I promised to blog some more I thought I would hold to it. Unfortunately I don't have much to report. Kennedy is either cutting teeth and or has a cold (I mean - you really never know: do you hear me fellow Momma's?) so she was up several times last night. Tim had to leave early for work so my alarm was set for 5 AM and when it went off I just couldn't do it. Do you ever have those mornings? Ones with fantastic intentions and then you just need 10 more minutes and then 20 more, etc. etc. until you have missed your window of opportunity? Well - hello - thats me for this morning. Luckily our evening is open (well, thats relative when you have a kid, but you know what I mean). After dinner Tim is doing Daddy-duty so I can do my plyometrics video.

Last night I went for a walk with Kennedy and Chelsea and then we attempted my Ab-Ripper X video. You are supposed to do the Ab Ripper video in conjuction with your daily assigned video three times a week. The video is only 17 minutes long - how hard could it be, right? WRONG!!! It was ridiculously hard. Chelsea and I were so out of breath - so uncoordinated, and so lacking abdominal strength that it was comical really. We did the best we could but it was rather pitiful and I was praising the Lord when that thing was over. I am a little sore from it today despite my lack of abdominal abilities. My arms however - oh my goodness. Don't get me started. It's painful just to turn the steering wheel and sadly I am not kidding. Who knows how I will be feeling after tonights "beating". I have to keep chanting "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can" and it's only day 2 folks!

Day 1

So...after having my cousin in all weekend and totally loving every minute of it today was the day to start P90x. I was kind of dreading it to be honest. I have just heard horror stories about how incredibly intense and difficult it is. Well....I am hear to confirm what I have heard - it's super duper tough. Today was chest and back day - 60 minutes of it to be exact. Essentially the entire workout was push ups and pull ups. Push ups have always been a weakness for me because they bother my wrists (I know, I know - toughen up,right?). Plus - pull-ups, where do I begin?!? I hate them, have never been able to do them and am seriously questioning Tony Horton's statement about how everyone will be able to do pull-ups by the end of P90x. I forged through the work out even though I felt like a big wimp every time Lorraine did more reps than me - which by the way was EVERY SINGLE time! Argh! I decided two things rather quickly - my little exercise band is not going to work for substitute pull-ups, I need a pull-up bar for sure and I am also going to need heavier weight.

I wasn't dripping with sweat or dying of thirst afterwards like I anticipated but I was feeling like a primo wimp and am thinking once I get the right pieces of equipment on hand - it will be killer. I got in the shower and decided that at least I am working my way in slowly, right? And then - I tried to lift my arms to wash my hair and I realized very quickly how much of a work out I had actually just gotten. I am going to be super sore tomorrow but day one is officially under my belt: woot!

Nutrition-wise you are supposed to decrease your carb intake and increase your protein intake for the first 30 days. That is proving already to be difficult for me. I LOVE fruit which is high in carbs and natural sugars. I also am a solid Kashi waffle eater in the mornings - well, no more. I had an egg white omelet this morning and rather than fruit + protein for my mid morning and afternoon snacks I have had a vegetable plus protein. Tonight - I haven't decided yet. We have tons of leftovers and I am determined not to let them go to waste regardless of my need to shed some inches. So...we'll see how the rest of the week goes. I promise to try to post more regularly now that I have begun this challenge.

I will say that my goal is to be -10lbs when this is all said and done. Wish me luck!