Snowmaggedon 2011

This winter season has been particularly nice. We haven't had any major ice storms. The weather hasn't been too cold. In fact, just last Saturday, the weather got up to 76 degrees...in January!! It was such a BEAUTIFUL day! I really thought we were going to make it through an entire winter without major weather. From last year's crazy winter, it was time for a nice break from ice and snow storms!

On Christmas Eve 2009, we had a blizzard. They said the probability of a blizzard occurring in Oklahoma is one every 300 years, and I actually got to experience it! Because blizzards never happen here, no one really knew just how bad the storm was until they began driving in it. We are used to ice, not 3' snowdrifts!  There were cars stranded EVERYWHERE! Thanks to having to dodge tons of cars already stranded, my vehicle ended up getting stuck in a snowdrift. Fortunately, there were firefighters helping people get their vehicles unstuck, so they were able to help me get out of the drift and I went back to work to park in the parking garage, shielded from the weather. A coworker who drove a 4-wheel drive Chevy Tahoe offered to take Sarah, my close friend and coworker, and me to her house. Needless to say, his Tahoe got stuck in a snowdrift, and it took quite a bit of time before someone was able to help us get unstuck. I ended up having to stay the night, on Christmas Eve mind you, at work. This ended up being the first Christmas I wasn't able to spend with my family. This was the Blizzard of 2009.

This past week, the weathermen have been predicting a decent winter storm. They said there could be a possibility for moderate snow accumulation with high winds.

Yesterday, we entered into a Blizzard Warning, with thundersnow heading the storm.

Today, we received roughly 10" of snow (where I live. Other parts of Oklahoma received more, with one area getting 21" of snow!), with 3'-5' snowdrifts, temperature of 9 degrees, wind chill @ -20 degrees, and winds gusting to 50 mph. It started around midnight at my house and when I woke up this morning, it was snowing pretty hard.

I'm so thankful I was able to stay home and just enjoy the snow! Other times, I had to drive to work in it, so this made for a pleasant day!

Here are some photos I took from the storm:

This is the view looking out towards the front yard.

 

This is looking out the front door. The winds gusting to 50 mph made for some seriously blowing snow.

 

Can you see Coki's tail? It is barely sticking up from behind the snowdrift. She was running all along the edge of the fence. This was earlier in the morning.

 

I decided around 5:30pm to go outside and do some shoveling of my driveway so I could make it to work in the morning. I spent roughly 30 minutes outside trying to clear a path for my vehicle. The snow was light and fluffy, so it wasn't as difficult to shovel as the Blizzard from 2009 was, but because there was a large amount of snow, it still took some time and effort. The temperature outside was 9 degrees, with the wind chill at -12 degrees while I was shoveling. It was extremely cold! Let's just say, when I came inside, my legs were extremely red and splotchy. I immediately took a bath to warm up and I had to gradually warm the water because it was burning my legs so badly. My face right now feels like it's sunburned (more like windburned).

 

This is my foot in the snow where I was shoveling. It seriously looks like my foot fell into a black hole.

 

This is what my driveway looked like after I stopped shoveling. I was bringing it All. Day. Long. Oh snap!

 

I was feeling pretty impressed  by my snow shoveling job and how I wasn't out of breath, nor did I have to stop at any point to rest. Perhaps I'm not as in bad of shape as I imagined!

Or so I thought...turns out my legs are feeling a bit sore already and my shoulders feel like I've just lifted some serious weights. I definitely got in my workout today. My trainer would be so proud!

After I finished shoveling, and since my clothes and shoes were already wet, I went into my backyard to stand in a big snowdrift and take some pictures.

An example of the snowdrift in my backyard. It was pretty huge!

 

 

These two pictures are of me standing in some of those snowdrifts from my backyard. They don't even show when the snowdrift was up to my hip. MY HIP! Crazy! (And please ignore the baggy sweatpants. It was the thickest pair of pants I had for staying warm in such dangerously frigid weather!)

 

While I was standing in huge snowdrifts trying to take pictures, Coki was running and hopping through the snow. She would run from the back porch out to me and then back to the porch. She couldn't get very close to me before the snow would be too tall. It was so funny watching her!

 

We hit a record of 11.8" of snow in one day in the month of February. The total snowfall was 12.1". Our peak wind gust was 58 mph! What a day!

Be safe out there and stay warm!

Happy Snowmaggedon!

Brain Dump

Today is (and feels like) Monday. I finished work day 8 of 12, and I'm starting to feel it. The gym was completely crowded when I went at 4:30pm. Gas stations were running out of gasoline as people were preparing for Blizzard 2011. We are officially in a BLIZZARD WARNING! Saturday was an absolutely beautiful day! The temperature actually reached 75 degrees! Today? It's 28 degrees and dropping.  I can feel it getting colder in my house. These next few days are not going to be fun for travelers.

1. I am NOT looking forward to Snowmageddon. We were doing so well this year without any bad weather. Now it appears we are going to receive 6-12 inches of snow with 4 foot drifts. Crazy!

2. The fortune cookie I received last night said, "You will become more passionate and determined about your vision." This is really interesting because at work this past weekend, I was talking with my friend about being impressed with people who have a passion for something. It may be cooking, astronomy, music, biblical history, sports, or anything else. Whatever it is, I think it's fantastic listening to people discuss their passion. I'm praying that God will open my eyes to what HIS will for me is so I can make that my vision. Then I want to pursue it passionately.

3. My Bible In a Year Plan is going well. I just finished reading about Joseph making himself known to his brothers. It's interesting reading the stories I haven't heard in a long time. I'm so glad I decided to do this!

4. I purchased a new flavor of protein powder: Banana Cream. It SMELLS like banana pudding; I wonder if it TASTES like banana pudding. Time will tell. I was needing a new flavor in my life; chocolate and cookies-n-cream were getting pretty old.

5. If you aren't reading Jon Acuff's blog (or tweets or fb), you are definitely missing out on hilariousness! He CRACKS. ME. UP! Seriously, he should hire me as his publicist. I have mentioned him in conversation daily for the last few weeks.

6. I hope Green Bay wins the Super Bowl. I seriously don't want to see the Steelers win the Super Bowl in Cowboys Stadium. That would be TERRIBLE! I'm hoping next football season will be kinder to my Cowboys. This year was U-G-L-Y!

7. I bought a new organizational planner a few days ago. Let's just say, I am DEFINITELY creating my own. I found a few planners with sections I like, so I need to tweak them and get my own made. It makes me laugh how many different planners are available, yet they are all basically the same.

8. I have been craving cheese, milk, and Coca-Cola lately. What's the deal? How do I make the cravings stop for these three marvelous items?

9. I am very disappointed I haven't been able to blog daily. I am going to spend the rest of the evening deciding what I'm going to post. I have some great ideas for posts and I can't wait to share them with you!

10. I didn't go to the gym all weekend, and I felt like a slacker. I'm really supposed to minimize my workouts this whole week. Thankfully, the weather will help with making that happen.

Now is a great time to curl up with a blanket, have your pet(s) by your side, and enjoy time at home.

Be safe and stay warm these next few days!

Motivation, Where Are You?

Why is it the more I want something, the more I seem to struggle?

I've been eating healthy and going to the gym almost every day of the week. I have made working out my number one priority. I've been completely and totally into health. I actually LOST weight during the Christmas season!

After Christmas, my motivation disappeared. While I've still been going to the gym daily and meeting with my trainer three times a week, I have been eating out almost every night. I'm back to drinking Coca-Cola on an almost daily basis. I'm fortunate I'm still losing weight, even with the setbacks.

Where did my motivation go? One minute, I'm feeling as though I am going to conquer the world; the next moment, I am whining non-stop to my trainer, and I have no drive to push myself further during my workouts.

Recently, several people have commented on my change in appearance. I even had people tell me they were INSPIRED by me! Wow! What a huge compliment! Now that people consider me an inspiration, I definitely want to give my fitness and health 110% effort. People depend on me now. There is no room for failure.

My trainer recommended I basically take next week off from the gym. Here's what I heard in that conversation: "..... time off..... 20 min of cardio ONLY..... only cardio on days I train with him..... maybe just train once next week ......"

I have to admit, when he mentioned this at the end of our workout session today, I felt unsettled. What does this mean, exactly? Will this really help with my motivation? Has he finally had enough of me?

I realize I have lost some weight. I know I am stronger now than I was. But I have so much more work to do before I reach my goal. I greatly desire to be physically fit and healthy. I know everything I have to gain from working out, pushing myself at the gym, and eating healthy.

What will it take to jump-start the motivation again?

Music Me

I love music!

Whether it's Christian or Country, Rock or Alternative, Christmas, Punk... I love it!

It's amazing how much money I've spent on music. Thankfully (or tragically) iTunes wasn't around when I was in junior high or high school; otherwise, I would have spent all my money there. I have over 200 songs in my wish list on iTunes right now! It's crazy! That is not including full albums I want, nor does it include many other songs I have been wanting to check out over the last month. As I've mentioned before, there is not enough time in my day to devote to music-listening.

Because Tuesdays are when new music hits the stores, I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite songs at the moment. Hope you like!

• Chris Tomlin - And If Our God Is For Us (This song reminds me of just how powerful our God really is. Great song!!)


• Taylor Swift - Speak Now, Dear John, Last Kiss (her new album is definitely one to purchase. While the songs aren't as pop-ish as her previous albums, she definitely created some songs with more intense lyrics. It's a more "grown-up" album.)


• Red - Death of Me (great workout song! I'm super pumped Red will be at WinterJam!)


• David Crowder Band - How He Loves (This song rocks my world! When the bridge plays, I turn the music up really loudly and I. Rock. Out! I probably look like a crazy person as I'm driving down the road, singing at the top of my lungs and flailing my arms around as though I'm a guitarist, drummer, and worshipper...all at the same time. Awesome!)


• The Classic Crime - Salt In the Snow (great lyrics!)


• Jason Aldean - Heartache That Don't Stop Hurting (I really like Jason Aldean's music.)


• The Harters - I Run


• Train - Marry Me (The older I get, the more I'm becoming a hopeless romantic.)


• Joshua Radin - You Got What I Need (very nice sound)


• 30 Seconds to Mars - The Kill (great workout song! I love music like this, where some parts are quieter and the chorus and bridge get loud. Dynamics (piannissimo and fortissimo) make music more passionate. Love it!)


• Brad Paisley - Any song he sings makes me happy! I can't get enough of his music! I heart you, Brad Paisley!


• Sent by Ravens - A New Fire, Salt and the Light (new Christian band. Really like their music!)


• Skillet - Hero, Awake and Alive, Forsaken, Savior, Whispers In the Dark (great workout music!)


• Sick Puppies - Maybe (This song is about change. Good stuff!)


• Go Radio - Goodnight Moon (This is my trainer's fault. He introduced me to some new bands, and this is one of them. When I first heard this song, I wasn't really into it; now it is played on a regular basis.)


• Casting Crowns - To Know You (I would love to break this song down by where the verses are found. Awesome lyrics!)


• Bent Tree Bible Fellowship - Stand Amazed (By far my favorite version of Amazing Grace.)

Right now, I am needing to update my playlists. I have heard the same songs over and over so many times I am about to go crazy. I always have to prepare myself before diving into iTunes. Once I start purchasing music, I usually don't stop until all my money from my gift card is used.

All I can think about as I'm checking out music to purchase is, "What will it sound like as I'm driving in my vehicle?" Listening to music while I'm driving is so exhilarating! I really can't explain just how much I enjoy it. It's similar to reading a book and getting caught up in the characters and the storyline. The amazing part of music is that it relates to me personally as opposed to fictional characters, and each song can evoke completely different thoughts and feelings.

This is just a small glimpse into my world of music. I have tons more songs I listen to which deserve to be mentioned here, but this list will have to do for now. Perhaps I will get creative and build a playlist for you to see which will be updated weekly. That's my plan, anyway!

What are your recommendations for music? Anything that's drive-worthy?

 

 

Reverie

Sunday is here. With the football game on and my dogs by my side, I am enjoying this afternoon.

1. This is my first blog post in a week, and I have to admit I'm very sad I haven't blogged sooner. Beginning today, I am going to start posting 6 days a week. I really enjoy blogging, and it doesn't make sense to not spend more time doing something that makes me happy.

2. After doing cardio this morning at the gym, I decided to step on the scale. I have been eating out A LOT the last few weeks, so I wanted to see where I was in terms of my weight. I OFFICIALLY HIT MY GOAL #1 WEIGHT!!  I was completely surprised! In fact, I stood on the scale for several minutes, checking to make sure that it was actually accurate. The last few days, I was reminded of how many people were watching me to see how I am doing on this weight-loss journey, and seeing my first goal weight being reached was very motivating! It's so exciting to finally reach the first goal! Now I can finally purchase new gym clothes and shoes! (I wouldn't allow myself to do it until I reached this milestone. Trust me...I need new clothes! The last several times I have been on the treadmill, I actually had to get off the treadmill and go to the locker room to tighten the drawstring on the pants I was wearing so they wouldn't fall. Pretty awesome!) Look out, trainer! I'm baaaack!

3. I am starting two bible studies this week. The first study is "Experiencing God" by Blackaby. The headline for the study is "Knowing and Doing the Will of God." I have been told this study is fantastic, and I can't wait to dive into it! The second study is the book of Romans. I have been wanting to study the book of Romans for YEARS now, and the opportunity has finally presented itself. It's such a foundational book of the bible, and I'm ready to be amazed at what God will teach me!

4. My Bible in a Year plan is right on track. It has been very interesting so far. I finished reading the entire book of Job, and now I'm back in Genesis, learning about Abraham. Genesis 22 was a very interesting chapter. This chapter discusses Abraham being tested by God to sacrifice his son, Isaac, as a burnt offering. I can't imagine what was going through Abraham's mind as he set out that morning! And Isaac... what was he thinking as his own dad, a strong believer in God, bound him, laid him on the altar, and grabbed the knife to kill him? The book of Genesis never mentions what Isaac was thinking during that time, nor does it mention what Isaac's conversation was with his dad as they were walking back to the servants. What do you think of that chapter?

5. I really like my iPad. I downloaded two books so far, "LoveHampton" and John MacArthur's "Romans" bible book study. I thought of purchasing the bible study at the bookstore, but with highlighting capabilities and note options on my iPad, I figured I would give it a shot. And I must say, Angry Birds in HD is pretty awesome! I am wanting to download the Mac version of MS Word to use (Pages). That way I can have access to all my documents on it without always having to have my laptop. I love technology!

6. I am in serious need of a playlist remodeling. I have around 200 songs on my wishlist, but the majority aren't what I would generally listen to while trying to do cardio. What are your recommendations?

7. Football season is almost over, and it makes me sad! I'm curious to see if the NFL will actually extend the season to 18 regular games and two less preseason games. That would make me happy! I'm really hoping my Cowboys will step it up next year and play well. This year was not a very good one (to say the least), but I have big hopes for next season. Cowboys fan forever!

8. With football season coming to an end, I will now have to start watching College Basketball. March Madness is fast approaching! Because I don't watch the games until football season is finished, I don't really know enough to fill out brackets. I would end up being like that girl from SNL (during the Peyton Manning taping) who chose the teams based on obscure info. That whole show really made me laugh. You should definitely watch it. Peyton Manning is super funny!

9. I will have plenty of posts coming soon on my trainer and some of our sessions. Stay tuned!

10. Why is it so hard to find a decent organizational planner? Seriously!?!? There are 10,000 planners available and they are all basically the same, just with a different design. That makes no sense to me. I am definitely needing to get started with creating my own.

11. Speaking of creating my own....why is it not possible to have your bible custom-designed? The bible is the most amazing and interactive book I will ever own, yet I can't customize its design to fit me. I would like a bible with a specific type of leather, wide margins that are lined (for writing notes), a blank outline at the front of each book so I can write in my own words what each chapter is about as a quick reference, thicker pages so highlights and pen writing won't bleed through, cross-referencing, and the greek and hebrew meanings of certain words for further studying (this is where an iPad app would really come in handy. I do have the YouVersion Holy Bible app already, but it's a really basic app. Plus I can't access live sermon notes like the same YouVersion app on my iPhone. I'm ready for that update so I can use my iPad during church for taking notes instead of my iPhone. But I digress.) There are several bibles which own individual characteristics, but not one bible encompasses all these. I actually called Zondervan (the bible publishing company), and they told me there is no option to customize my own. I also called FedEx Office, and explained to the girl what I was wanting to do. I'm not kidding. She told me the only way I could do that is if I typed out the entire bible, since there were copyright laws which would prohibit them from making copies of any bible. (I don't have the time nor the energy to type out the entire bible. That would take forever! Plus I would have to have an editor to make sure there were no typos. I guess I am going to give up on that idea.) I am looking at getting the NIV Study Bible with wide margins and renaissance leather. I guess I can put in my own sheet of paper at the front of each book to create my own outline guide. I am thinking of using this bible as my main bible and maybe purchasing the New Inductive Study Bible (NASB) as my other bible. NASB is more word-for-word translation, so it's a great bible for word studies. (This bible is the one I mentioned earlier which provides the blank outline at the front of each book and it also leaves the title of each chapter blank for you to fill in what it is.) At the end of the day, I want my "forever" bible. I want that bible that 50 years from now (Lord willing I live that long), it will be so full of notes and highlights and be almost falling apart. What an amazing gift to pass on to future generations! Which bible do you own? What's important to you in terms of your bible design?

After all this bible talk, I need to pull out my bible and get started on my bible studies. Be on the lookout for upcoming posts regarding the studies. I'm excited to share what I learn from them!

Happy Sunday!

 

The Initial Meeting

I remember the day I made the call to the gym to request a personal trainer.

It was a beautiful day outside that Saturday morning. The sun was shining brightly and there was not a cloud in the sky. Mom and Mema were in town, and they drove to my house to pick me up so I could spend some time with them while they were running errands.

I was feeling so frustrated with myself. Why was I not physically fit? Why, if I really wanted to be fit, was I not doing anything about it? I don't know what sparked those thoughts that day, but the more time went by, the more upset I became.

After a few hours, they took me back to my house and decided to come inside for a few minutes. I started up again about my wanting to lose weight. While mom and I were talking, I decided I was going to call up the gym and request a trainer. As soon as she and Mema drove away, I made the phone call.

A lady answered the phone at the gym. I told her I was wanting to lose weight and would like a trainer. She then asked me what type of trainer I wanted. I explained to her that my ideal trainer would be fairly tough on me, but I didn't want someone who would yell at me or talk down to me. (I have very limited tolerance for either of those things, so if they were to happen, I would completely shut down and my stubborn streak would take hold. Plus, that's just nonsense!) She asked me if I had a preference for a male or female trainer. I told her I wanted a male trainer, but if a female trainer fit the description of what I wanted, I would be willing to give her a chance. The conversation ended with her telling me that someone would call the first part of next week to schedule a training session. And that was that. I hung up the phone and felt relieved and excited. I'm going to do it this time! I am going to succeed! This is it! I'm not just going to talk about losing weight and being fit and athletic anymore; I am going to do something about it!

Not 30 minutes after I hung up the phone with the lady at the gym, a trainer called me. I spoke with him for a few minutes, and we settled on a day to meet and begin training. Anxiety began to creep over me as I thought of what this trainer would be like. What kind of trainer will I have? How will he treat me? Will he ask me to do jumping jacks? When will I have time to train? How much will this cost me? What if I don't succeed? At this point, I knew this was it; there was no turning back.

On Tuesday, it was gym time. I pulled into the parking lot and nervousness swept over me. I'm actually meeting my personal trainer today. What will he think of me? I look like a slob! Why didn't I go buy new gym clothes and shoes? Oh geez! This is going to be disastrous! I got out of my vehicle, took a deep breath, and walked into the gym.

Upon entering the gym, I told the lady at the desk I was there to see the trainer. He then came over and introduced himself. Oh no! He's nicer than I expected! Great. Now I REALLY feel like a failure. Where's the mean, 'roided out guy I was expecting? My anxiety rose as my self-esteem fell through the floor.

He walked me over to where his desk was, and he had me sit down so he could talk with me. We first discussed my goals. What was I wanting to get out of the training sessions? He appeared somewhat surprised by the specificity of my goals. (Purchasing training sessions was not something I thought of on a whim; this was something I've had planned for a while.) The discussion then turned to dieting and what I should(n't) eat/drink. Pop limitation was the biggest downer of that conversation. (I drank tons of pop at that time, Coca-Cola to be exact. Not diet, but REAL Coca-Cola.)

After the initial discussion, he had me do a few exercises. To be honest, I really don't remember what they were. I do know I had to get on the treadmill for a few minutes. I was having a self-esteem crisis, what with seeing all the physically fit people everywhere I looked and knowing I had some hard work ahead of me before I would reach that point. Once the session ended, we scheduled the next few sessions and I went home.

Once home, I remembered sitting on my couch thinking about the session and what changes were going to happen now that I started back to the gym. Healthy living will be my new lifestyle. Maybe I will finally be able to join a basketball and softball league. Perhaps I will finally regain the self-confidence I've been lacking to start dating again. My life will soon be changing for the better! I'm so ready!

I felt satisfied. What a relief it was to have taken the first step towards improving myself! Not looking on the outside the way I felt on the inside was really taking a toll on me. Not only that, but I was tired of feeling undisciplined. It was time to make a change.

This was the beginning of the rest of my life. This is where it all began...the initial meeting.

Equal Parts Inspiration and Creativity

While searching through a Pottery Barn catalogue (I just love PB!), I stumbled upon this page. I love the buffet and the overall look, but the black chalkboard tiles really caught my eye.



How fun would it be to have twelve chalkboard tiles (20.5" wide x 14" high) on the wall to create, write, and draw whatever comes to mind! Anything can be put on the tiles: favorite bible verses, motivational sayings or poems, song lyrics, Facebook or Twitter posts, a funny joke...the sky's the limit! This would be a great way to add a creative touch to your home.

Wouldn't it be exciting to have guests come into your home and see something like this?! It would be a great conversation starter, not to mention an excellent opportunity to share with your guests something of great importance to you or something that makes you laugh.

I may just have to make a purchase!

Tell me, what would you put on YOUR chalkboard tiles?