Category / Project 115

by Bethe

More hodge podging

So much to write about, but not sure where to start…

First off – I have lost a little bit of weight! Praise Jesus! I’m down five whole pounds from my peak last fall, and last week I wore a skirt I haven’t been able to fit into for much too long. Of course, I had to wear it a bit higher on my waist that normal, but it zipped, and it didn’t look obscenely tight on my hiney, so I’m calling it a win. This morning I hit a number I haven’t seen since last spring. What a wonderful feeling. It only took eight weeks of half marathon training to finally see a difference. Maybe now that the ball is rolling, the rest will melt off. Right? A girl can dream…

Speaking of half marathon training… we’ve hit that point where we do long runs on the weekends. As in, I have to run eight miles on Saturday. Nine miles next Saturday (but that’s about 900 calories). Gulp. It’s totally doable, I just listen to books on tape and try to distract myself from the monotony. We run five miles, twice a week, on weeknights. That takes me a full episode of the Kardashians AND E-News with Ryan Seacrest. I know way more celebrity gossip than I ever thought possible because it’s the only thing showing at the gym, and it keeps me from losing my mind from boredom on that treadmill. Oh how I wish for the day I can get Hulu on my iPhone and catch up on all my favorite tv shows… maybe then I can do a marathon. Maybe.

Mr. Right and I became ESL certified this weekend. We’ve done our training a bit out of order, accidentally taking an advanced two-day course last summer, leaving us utterly confused. But now we finally know the basics of lesson planning, choosing curriculum, how to structure our class. And I realized that everything I did last semester was completely wrong. My bad. Through God’s grace my students learned English anyway, and loved coming to class, and they still learned about Jesus, so I’m calling that a win (like my too-high skirt that finally fit).

Speaking of ESL, I’ve been praying a lot about our new semester, which launches in a few short weeks. I desperately miss my students, and I’m feeling a huge burden for internationals right now. Like, my heart aches to help them. We had our dear friend Timothy from Nigeria spend the night at our place Saturday night (he lives in the seminary dorm, so we try to have him over occasionally to give him a change of scenery and a home cooked meal). He has turned into a wonderful friend, and I have learned some wonderful things about his home country. Someday I’ll have to share some of the misconceptions he says he had about Americans. It’s fun because we have some of the same misconceptions about Africans. If you’re a praying person, please pray for his country, which is suffering from some major violence toward Christians right now.

Oh, and speaking of internationals… Mr. Right is going on a last minute international mission trip in February. For TWELVE DAYS. I was home alone for just two nights in December while he visited a friend in Oklahoma, and the house was a wreck, the dishes were dirty, and I was wearing his old t-shirts around the house as I moved from craft project to craft project. So please start praying now for both of us as we’re apart for such an extended period of time. I do so love his company. But I’m also wildly excited for this opportunity for him. All of my girlfriends can expect dinner invitations during those two weeks, and it’ll be a great opportunity to finish a few quilts (and start one for my nephew). And read a book or two.

I should start a list…

by Bethe

I know what you did last summer: summer bucket list update

Summer 2011 is officially over. Not only was it the hottest summer of my lifetime (68 days of 100 degree temperatures… holy cow!) but it was my first summer as a newlywed, and it was full of adventures.

Remember our summer bucket list? Here’s how we did…

1. Swim

2. Watch fireworks


3. Take a picnic




This may have been our most romantic date yet – Mr. Right packed us the most amazing picnic (with homemade potato salad and chocolate chip cookies… swoon), and we rode our bikes down to Trinity Trail in Fort Worth. We sat on our picnic blanket for hours and watched the sun go down and talked about life, our first eight months of marriage, and what we want to do this fall. It was maybe my favorite date ever.


4. Go on a bike ride

5. Watch a sunset


6. Go to the lake


7. Eat a leisurely dinner on a restaurant patio (too darn hot)


8. Host our cousins for a visit (we went and visited them in OKC instead)


9. Go to Will’s mall (We didn’t make it there, but Will’s grad school is doing a cover story in their school newspaper about his evangelism efforts at this particular mall which has an international flair… I’m so proud of my man, and can’t wait to go with him there soon).


10. Ride the train to Dallas

We decided to switch out the train ride for a day in Dallas at the Dallas World Aquarium and dinner at Iron Cactus… I highly recommend both! It’s not on the train route… so we drove.

11. Eat dinner on our back porch  We substituted breakfast, and Labor Day morning was the first cool opportunity ALL SUMMER to do this… but we snuck it in just under the wire. I had waffles. It was glorious.

12. Discover a new restaurant – My favorites were Cafe Medi and Twisted Root and Lili’s Bistro. We were also treated to a very nice dinner at Del Frisco’s, which counts since it was Mr. Right’s first time to eat there.

13. Cook a brisket – Mr. Right rocked this in our crock pot. He was so cute… I bet he checked it 87 times because he was brimming with excitement. I happily ate the product of his laborious toil.


14. Watch the newest Harry Potter


15. Lose 15 pounds – FAIL. I lost 4…


16. Eat at Cowboy Chow – just never made it over there… but this rolls over to our Fall Bucket List.


17. Cheer on the Rangers – twice… I’d post a picture but I was having a terrible hair day. Both times. I’m growing out my bangs… so this is a frequent occurrence.


18. Compete in a triathlon (Will) – I watched. And cheered. And drank coffee while my cute man swam in spandex shorts.



19. Date night on Trinity Trail (see #3)


20. Spontaneous ice cream date – there were spontaneous ice cream dates, spontaneous snow cone dates, and spontaneous fro-yo dates, which is why I failed at #15.


21. Use our crock pot – there’s a brisket somewhere under all those goodies… Mr. Right has been on a kick with the briskets. I don’t mind.





22. Eat Argentine food – My own personal chef (husband) made us homemade empanadas inspired by his summer living in Argentina. He used pizza dough… super easy. You should try it.


23. Eat Colombian food – This is rolling over to our Fall Bucket List


24. Eat Indian food


We completed 18 of 24 items… not bad for a crazy summer! We did much more than what this list covers… we took a trip to Florida, two trips to Oklahoma (Mr. Right made three), two trips to Midland, two weekends hosting an out-of-town guest, one week of house sitting… and we flipped and sold a house. I discovered spin class (and even – gasp – wore spandex), finished a quilt, sewed hundreds of yo-yo’s, went through ESL training, assured a dozen people that I am NOT pregnant, and had many fun dinners with friends. And only had two pedicures (look at me roughing it… I’m such a girl scout).


It was a very good summer indeed.

The cold front that hit over the weekend (thank you Jesus!) has inspired me to start brainstorming ideas for fall, which will definitely include a lot of quilting, finishing a Pinterest-inspired wreath, and lot’s of snuggling with Mr. Right in front of the fire. 


Ciao summer… bring on the fall and its tall boots, colorful scarves, fire logs and hot chocolate. 
by Bethe

Oh, true love



You know you’re married when you have this conversation…

“Honey, come over here and let me hug you before I go get sick.”
Ahh, yes, the romance is still alive.
Mr. Right loves to tease me with little surprises – he’ll send me text messages throughout the day to tell me he has some surprise or other waiting for me when I get home. He loves to tantalize me and make me guess, never revealing any hints or clues, because he knows it drives me absolutely crazy.
I love it.
Yesterday was no different – I got a text late in the afternoon letting me know I’d be coming home to a surprise. It was just about the same time, as I was sitting at my desk, that I started to feel a bit puny. I was worried that the sickness I have battled all year was coming back, much to my dismay, since I’ve been so healthy for six whole weeks and was finally feeling confident that my new meds can be a long-term solution. But there was no mistaking that the feverish, achey, crummy feeling was returning, and it didn’t look good.
And then it got worse, as I walked to my car in the 100-degree heat. And worse as I ran to the grocery store to get our healthy-diet essentials. And as I checked out… I knew it was about to get ugly.
So now you can picture the scene – I come home, and my sweet husband has hand-picked the most gorgeous sunflowers, and sitting next to it is another one of his amazing love letters. I was almost in tears, it was so kind. Except I knew I was about to lose my lunch.
Welcome to marriage, and all the realities it brings. Thankfully I think I just ate something bad, and don’t think I’m coming down with that stupid sickness again. And once I had gathered myself again, I was able to thank my sweet husband for his thoughtfulness, and then ask him to make me some oatmeal so I could eat something while laying on the couch.
That’s true love.
I’ll tell you what else is true love. Waking up at 3:45 a.m. on a Saturday to go watch your husband run a triathlon. That’s a full four hours earlier than I normally wake up on Saturdays. But I did it because I love him and because I really like that his favorite hobby also keeps him healthy, and because I don’t mind a good excuse to see him wear spandex head-to-toe.
Mr. Right did GREAT at his race, and I was brimming with pride for my triathlon-competing man. I also LOVED the people watching that goes with any sort of race – they bring out all kinds of characters. I can happily say that running in a triathlon will NEVER make my bucket list because (1) I don’t like to get my hair wet, (2) I haven’t worn all spandex since I retired from cheerleading, and I am happy to leave those fashion-days in the past, and (3) it takes me a really long time to get ready, so rushing around in the “transition area” to switch from the swim to the bike, or the bike to the run, just seems stressful and unnecessary.
And so I will be content to go watch my man compete instead, while I sit in my lawn chair and sip my morning coffee.
PS–I have to confess that I have missed my first two workouts of the week. The first, because I was exhausted from the weekend (not only did we have the triathlon, but then we drove straight to Oklahoma for a whirlwind trip to visit family, and then drove back home at 5:30 Sunday morning). The second, because I was still a bit nauseous from last night. I cross my heart and hope to ice cream that I WILL get up tomorrow at 5:30 for some P90x cardio. There, now I feel better.
PPS–I know what you’re thinking… I’m not pregnant. I feel I have to throw that out there anytime I mention feeling under the weather.
by Bethe

My A.D.D. version of updates

1. I’m still going strong on Project 115. I did the P90X legs workout and the Ab Ripper X this morning. I feel thoroughly ripped, and may not be able to walk well tomorrow, but I’m certain that my legs will someday look like hers.
2. One week into Project 115 and I’ve gained two pounds. I’m hoping beyond hope that it’s muscle, because I’m already noticing some new definition. So, 13 pounds to go. Crud.
3. I have a new favorite restaurant – Zoe’s Kitchen. Their spinach wraps are to-die-for. No kidding. I may or may not have been there three times in the last 10 days.
4. If you’re not on Pinterest, you’re missing out. It’s like Facebook for creative girls. Please join so I have more pretty pictures to peruse over. My list of crafts I want to conquer is ever-growing… can’t wait to tackle a few.
5. After introducing my husband to Pinterest, he told me that this is the “dude version.”
6. Speaking of husbands, my sweet husband brought me a Sonic drink today at work. I’m so in love.
by Bethe

Project 115 – Week 2

It’s the beginning of Week 2 and we’re still going strong on Operation 115 (or, as my husband likes to call it, Operation Righteous Cowboy Lightening). I worked a full day on the house on Saturday (and finished! hallelujah!), and I’m hoping that all the cleaning I did burned some calories. Surely.

Today Mr. Right and I forced each other to get up for the official kick-off of Week 2 workouts. This morning I did 45 minutes of P90X yoga, and then 250 crunches. Note to self – next time pull out the yoga mat… my Pottery Barn rug wasn’t made for the reverse runner’s pose.
I’m taking Tuesday morning off because I’m playing in an early morning golf tournament, but I figure six hours of golf should count for the daily workout. Wednesday I have a very early morning meeting, so I’m taking that as an off-day. I promise you, my faithful blog buddies, that I’ll be back up at the hiney-crack-of-dawn on Thursday and Friday for a leg workout and then more cardio. You have my promise.
As for the weigh-in… I’m a little scared to get on the scale, but I’ll get the nerve up sometime this week.
Observations:
1. I hope I get used to waking up at 5:30 a.m., because I am so exhausted by the time evening comes. Friday night I had a big date with Mr. Right, and I ended up zonked out 9:30. They say you get used to it.
2. I already feel better about myself – the guilt of not working out is almost as bad as the 15 new pounds sitting on my rear. I already feel stronger and feel like I’m carrying myself with more confidence. #WIN!
3. I’m drinking a ton of water, but to make it more interesting I squeeze a few drops of lemon juice into it. It makes it a lot more fun, if you can ever describe water as fun.
4. If anybody could see me working out, including my husband, I’d be mortified. P90X doesn’t have the most flattering moves. Just try looking cool doing a “crazy jumping jack” or “steam engine.” Yeah, not possible. But worth it.
by Bethe

Project 115

I’ve officially started Project 115, and I hope to stay accountable by posting about it here.

It all started one week after the wedding, when I got sick for the first time. Four months of basically going from work to bed and bed to work meant (1) I wasn’t able to work out, (2) I ate a lot because I felt sorry for myself, (3) I lost all of my muscle (or so it felt like) and with it my metabolism, (4) the more weight I gained, the frumpier I felt.
I became an old married lady before I’d barely even been married. I peaked at a brand-new 15 pounds. It was 10 pounds heavier than I had ever weighed before. None of my clothes fit, and I was too frustrated to buy something new, so I just wear the same thing over. And over. And over.
Blah.
But now I’m healthy and determined to get back to my January 8 wedding weight. Mr. Right is also determined to shed a few pounds, so we’re holding each other accountable.
Even though I didn’t start the new workout regimen until June 2, I did lose four pounds in the past two weeks from our never-ending home renovation project. Who knew that 10-hour painting sessions could burn so many calories?! Yea! So beginning yesterday, June 2, I had 11 more pounds to go.
I’m calling it Project 115. You can probably guess why. 🙂
Since Mr. Right and I lead wonderfully over-scheduled lifestyles (like this week – we worked on the house two nights, and had two fabulous dinners with friends… so no time to hit the gym after work) we have decided to work out BEFORE WORK. Like, at the crack of dawn.
I’m the one most likely to hit the snooze button, so we’ve agreed to hold each other accountable and force each other out of bed every single weekday morning at 5:30. The first day our alarm went off that early, Mr. Right jumped out of bed and flipped on our overhead light. There was no turning back after that.
So far, we’ve done two early-morning workouts in a row, which I think should count for extra credit in the form of extra weight loss. This morning, as we struggled to peel ourselves out of bed, I had to tell myself “We’re getting HOT. It’s going to be worth it.”
I’m doing P90X right now, simply because I don’t have to leave my house and I can happily sweat in the comfort of my air conditioned living room. If I get bored, I’ll tag along with Will at the gym. At this point, I’m just determined to get up and do SOMETHING every morning.
And so it begins. After two workouts I feel sore (nothing a little Advil can’t fix), and stronger, and I already feel better about myself. My goal is to lose the other 11 pounds by September 1.
Let’s do this.