two tips: back-up your laptop files & trust in God's timing.

welp, here i am!

i thought i'd have to take a much longer blogging vacation due to the kai-induced demolition of my laptop....BUT, thankfully, i have been blessed with a loaner. and it's not a netbook, so the screen and keyboard feel HUUUUUUUGE!! it's kind of nice for a change.

just an fyi to all of you (or any of you, i should say) BACK UP YOUR FILES. it's always one of those things you say you "should do," but never gets done until you actually lose valuable data due to some unfortunate circumstance (such as your 6 month old son chucking it onto your wood floor). i spent an hour on the phone last night with a very nice Dell support service consultant from India (it was 2 in the afternoon and 103 degrees out--yes i'm one of "those" people who ALWAYS ask those questions...) who jovially assisted me in extracting my hard drive so i could retrieve important data such as hmmmmm ALL OF KAI'S BABY PICTURES....among other documents and videos...AND my whole itunes library. (cuss word sigh).

lets just say i learned more about how a computer works in an hour last night than i've learned in handfuls of computer courses i've taken. in a sick way, it was kind of fun.

ok, enough of the laptop sob story. on to the good stuff.

I GOT A JOB!

(well, besides teaching yoga twice a week)

today i was offered a position as a test coordinator of sorts for Blue Mountain Community College (Hermiston extension). it's part time, two minutes from my house and the pay is extremely superior to any other part-time position i have applied for. when i say part-time, it's VERY part-time. like 10 hours a week, maximum. this is a good thing. i'm going to go through Kai withdrawls, so baby steps.

i have another potential part-time position pending as well. it's as program coordinator for the Hermiston School District's elementary (K-5) afterschool program. the hours for that postion are 2ish pm-6ish pm...still kind of up in the air about that one, but it WOULD allow me to work with the littles, who i have missed TERRIBLY since my school counseling days...i'll wrap up the application process tomorrow and then be praying about what to do after that.

i also submitted my application today to begin doing some pro-bono counseling/volunteering for Hermiston Pregnancy Care Services, which i am excited about.

i'd say today was a pretty productive day on the whole job-search front (happy heart--thank you Jesus!)

Now we just need a phone call for Gary...

a side note: i AM taking applicants for daycare providers willing to provide a few precious hours of care for my baby boy on the weekdays....if any of you out there have suggestions for Hermiston-based daycare (willing to take a 7 month old) please let me know...OR if YOU are currently a stay-at-home Mommy who wants to make some extra spending money, please inquire within ;)

********************************

so overall, i feel good about my slow crawl back to work. it's really worked out perfectly.

i always stress and fret over big decisions and all things "unknown" when really, it's a waste of anxiety, energy and time.

God's got it all mapped out.

it's just like a good GPS: i may not know where i'm going to turn, but i have to trust that the smokey-voiced woman in the computer will not lead me astray. SHE knows where i'm going, and i'm letting her lead me.

just as i trust "her" with getting me to my destination, i will trust God to provide, and trust in His timing...

after all, His perfect plan is much more reliable than smokey-voiced lady's direction cues

(thank GOODNESS for that!)

tired tuesday...

today could have been better.

i couldn't sleep last night. kai was up several times, and "up, up" at 6am. just as i fell FAST asleep while he was taking his morning nap his cries filled the monitor.

so. tired.

i trudged out to my messy kitchen and fed Kai the rest of his potato and broccoli for lunch and realized that i could not put off grocery shopping for one more day. i hosed him off (he was COVERED in broccoli bits and liquid turkey {gross!}) and got dressed. in my "fat pants" (that felt tight today, by the way) and bundled baby boy up for another dreaded trip to the local walmart.

i pull into the zoo of a parking lot and notice that it was PACKED...like, more so than usual. there were floods of people going in and out, every which way...i glanced down at my blackberry to check the date. sure enough, it's the first of the month. great. oh well. i'm already there, so i prepare for battle. it's what i get for putting it off, i guess.

i park in the far corner of the gargantuan parking lot,  rows away from all of the other cars, but close to a cart deposit. it's quiet where i park. away from the traffic and people. just me and kai and the blowing garbage. i pull kai out of his carseat and notice he's got dried food in his nostrils and around the creases of his nose. wonderful.

i see my reflection in the window of the closed car door and realize i haven't done my hair since, well, i can't remember. woops. oh well.

my cart was rickety and loud. kai kept touching the handle, and then putting his fingers in his mouth. he literally ate my shopping list. i bought a few random things, like dog toys and baby socks and i waited in line for longer than it took to get my groceries.

i came home, cold and feeling like i needed to soak in a hot soapy tub with kai to a {still} dirty kitchen.

i gave honey her toy and her over-the-top reaction reminded me of how long it's been since i've bought her a special toy or treat, and made me feel sad for how much {less} of me she gets now that kai has moved into the first chair and she has been demoted to second fiddle.

 i actually had tears.

i started our taxes. sorted through bills. made {strong} coffee (at 4:50pm).

i got a surprise visit from one of my besties {smile}.

kai was fussier than usual. like the "can't be put down" kind of fussy.

i fed him dinner, bathed him and then finally snuck away to the gym to do a little bit of cardio and teach my yoga class (where i think i lost myself in an overly long final relaxation pose).

that was my day.

tiring. ordinary. frustrating. overwhelming.

the kind of day that made me want to just pick up and move to costa rica (the book i'm reading says that costa rica inhabitants are among the happiest on earth).

the kind of day that made me long for summer.

a new season. light. warmth. change.

***********************************

as i conclude this day, i am thankful for tomorrow.

thankful for peace and quiet {for now} where i can shut my eyes and put this day to rest.

thankful that i'm not beyond the reach of God's grace.

thankful for hope.

thankful for a brand new day and for HIS joy which rises in me,

 right along with the morning sun.

saturday SPLURGE breakfast...

enjoyed on this beautiful, blustery MONDAY!

we were out and about all weekend, which left me here, on this monday morning with a messy house, backed-up laundry and a craving for a hot {sweet} breakfast.

G and i were both up with our angel-faced early riser around 7. i made coffee and asked him if he wanted (my all-time favorite go-to hot breakfast item) pancakes.

he said "na. BUT, babe, the cook offshore (from New Orleans) made this awesome stuffed french toast with cream cheese and raspberry jelly...oh man, you should make that!"

i quickly did the mental ingredient check in my mind (eggs, check, milk, check, bread, check, cream cheese, check, raspberry jam, check!)

i reached deep into my virtual cookbook (google) and found the perfect recipe.

Raspberry & Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast:

Ingredients

• 8 slices oatnut bread
• 1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 5 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 tablespoon butter

my modifications were: honey wheat bread instead of oatnut, vanilla SOY milk instead of regular milk (which we don't drink), 1 teaspoon of VANILLA extract instead of almond extract and of course, i sprinkled some cinnamon in the batter for good measure.

Directions

1. Spread 4 slices oatnut bread on one side with cream cheese. Spread remaining 4 slices on one side with raspberry jam. Press cream cheese slices together with jam slices, forming sandwiches.

2. In a medium, shallow bowl, beat together the eggs, milk and almond extract.

3. Melt butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium high heat. Dip sandwiches in the egg mixture to coat. Place in the skillet, and cook on both sides until golden brown.

 perfectly paired with {strong} brewed Starbucks Pike Place roast.

 delicious alone, or with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and drizzle of maple syrup!

yep, it's extra cardio for me tonight, but it was worth EVERY flavor-filled bite.

 Kai enjoyed his breakfast, too (mashed banana, then bottle).

he loves to touch our face while he eats, it's a comfort thing for him, i think.

{love}

now he's down for his morning nap, and it's dishes, laundry and bathroom-cleanin' time for me!

{praying to hear some good news this week regarding my interview last week

AND

for G's work to pick up!}

but regardless of work, phone calls and paychecks

i am constantly reminded that

we are in good hands.

HIS hands.

so i am {choosing} joy.

it's gonna be a good week.

purse-hooks, planks and red-heads.

another good weekend

full of family & friends....

love

&

laughter.

 saturday night i got to escape for a couple hours with some of my favorites

(sarah, heather & nanny...and wine and cheese!)

we listened to live music and shared a couple of bottles of wine and great conversation at Roxy Wine Bar downtown Kennewick. it is a great little place that offers a comfortable yet trendy environment.

(i left baby boy in good hands with Daddy and Grandma G).

i couldn't help but notice how much my stamina for the night life has been greatly compromised by motherhood. i hadn't been "out" for a year and four months and as i sat there i felt like an old shell of myself.

tired.

older. wiser.

{happier}

 yes, this is a PURSE HOOK.

sarah proudly busted this out of her purse (as i was kicking my bag under the table and letting it slide across the dirty bar floor...) and illustrated a genuine benefit of a seemingly ridiculous knick-knack. classic.

Plank Pose (Kai likes yoga, too!)

Kai has been really enjoying plank pose as of late.

he is taking the crawling business more serious with each day (boo!)

and we are cracking up over all of his efforts at movement.

he scoots on his tummy, rolls himself to where he wants to go,

but the plank has definitely been his fave...

Kai was born with a head full of fuzzy blondish hair.

we were SURE he would be a tow-head as we both most definitely were....

but with each day that Kai grew, his hair turned slowly from blonde

to blond(ish)

to {strawberry}.

his eyelashes and eybrows are invisible

until light is reflected onto them

and they are most definitley

blonde with the slightest tint of

{orange}.

my, how we love our busy growing little redhead.

whose giant gummy grin and big baby blues

has {brightened} our life.

 Kai and his five-year-old cousin Cole

 (who is trying to stretch Kai's chubby cheeks into a smile).

{adorable}

Cole has THE most kissable, adorable freckles sprinkled across his nose.

I'm hoping that Kai sprouts some of his own...

we will be going through TONS of sunscreen this summer with these boys!

"There is more, much more, to being a redhead than the color of one’s hair."
G. Adam Stanislav, red-haired photographer

"Of course, part of the problem with redheads is that there aren't enough of them.

They make up just two percent of the population.

So they're pretty extraordinary.

Redheads are too numerous to be ignored, too rare to be accepted."
Grant McCracken, author, lecturer, anthropologist

friday night LIKES

early morning yoga in a room full of sunshine.
a long brisk walk. just me and honey (like old times).
2 long naps (kai, not me...(i WISH!).
a successful interview for a job i WANT.
{finally} feeling pretty in dress clothes (that FIT!)
dinner with my mama.
wine and hot tub. {with G}.
bathtub bubbles and giggles.
sleepy time snuggles.
sweet baby breath on my shoulder.
the trusting grip of tiny soft little hands on my neck.
little smiles in sound slumber {good dreams}
couch cuddles and pay-per-view.

crawling into a warm bed on a cold night...

feeling blessed, hopeful and loved.

burn-out prevention (3 tips):

if you are going to dedicate an hour or two of your day to getting a workout in, you want to do everything possible to make it worthwhile.

i know that my gym-time changed BIG TIME after becoming a Mommy. i now have a LIMIT on the time i can spend at the gym. gone are the days of spontaneously being able to catch a fun class with a friend at a moments notice. gone are the days when G and i can hit up the gym together (sad!).

but guess what happened? Whitney learned how to get the job done and NOT waste time!

this doesn't go without saying there aren't days i just DREAD getting a workout in. most days i ANTICIPATE my gym time, and really look forward to a good sweaty, calorie burnin' sesh...but there's this unfortunate thing that creeps up on even the best of gymrats called "burn-out."

we've all experienced burn-out in one way or another, some of us a day or two, some of us weeks or (hopefully not!) months.  you know, the kind of days where we drag our feet about going to the gym, and then when we {finally} get there we shuffle around like a lost puppy, not really wanting to do anything, just "appearing" to exercise, but not really doing anything at all.

wherever you may be in your motivation cycle, here are few suggestions to get out--or help you avoid that inevitably approaching "rut":

1. go out and buy some new workout gear (that's right, GO!). maybe shoes are your thing, maybe you want some new running or yoga pants, a new bright-colored sports bra or some new tank tops or sweatshirts. it sounds silly but don't you remember how excited you were as a little kid to wear your "new" clothes to school? well, buying workout clothes to wear to the gym has the same effect (well it does for me, anyway!). a few months back i found that i needed some non-stinky "gym" shoes as my New Balance running shoes were dirty and gross from being worn outside so much. so (spurred on by the fabulously firm booty commercials, of course) i went and bought a pair of Reebok Toning shoes, (which i LOVE btw) and was definitely excited to try em' out in classes and on the cardio machines at the gym!

2. get out of your comfort zone and try something new. odds are, you are in a rut because you are doing the same stuff every day. challenge yourself to take a new class, break out that bicycle thats sitting in your garage, meet up with a friend once a week to do a fun workout dvd, sign up for a city-league team, go for a hike or start lap swimming. you could even sign up for a 5K, half-marathon or maybe even a triathalon and start training with a group of people with common goals for accountability! sometimes you just need something to work toward...

3. supplement yourself! check out Advocare or (my personal favorite) Bodybuilding.com (cheaper than ANYWHERE else!) for products that can enhance your fitness goals. i am a HUGE fan of pre and post workout supplements (energy boosting sups like Adovcare's SPARK for a pre-workout boost and a good low-cal protein shake for post workout recovery). do some research and find a few products that will assist you in getting even closer to where you want to be. i often find that if i'm going to invest money into my fitness regime, i'm opt to be more dedicated with my training and diet...

also making sure that you are eating several healthy meals and snacks throughout the day, drinking LOTS of water and getting enough sleep are {simple} but KEY ingredients to reaching your fitness goals, whatever they may be.

bad, lazy, self-loathing days will happen to all of us. expect them. prepare for them.

what matters most is our ability to OVERCOME.

the road to reaching your goals will undoubtedly be littered with MANY tempting parking spots threatening to sideline your ambition and progress.

don't park.

{{unless, of course you are buying yourself new running shoes!}}

5 rules for a BALANCED approach to a better bod:

i've received several emails/fb messages with questions pertaining to workouts, clean eating and weight loss.

i thought that i'd consolidate several of people's inquiries into a basic 5-point post, serving as possible motivation for you and a good reminder for me!

source

1. feeling the urge to chuck the scale off of a high rise building? do it! the number on the scale is SO, SO, SO not the way to judge progress. you are really going for losing INCHES not POUNDS. and when you lose inches, everything is "tightening" up, which means you are building MUSCLE, and muscle weighs more than jiggly fat...so screw the scale!!! judge your weight-loss/muscle gain and toning progress on how your clothes fit! if your larger sized clothes are getting baggy, GOOD! if you need to cinch up your belt to hold your pants up, GOOD! if you can finally pull those skinny jeans up, GOOD! be fair and honest with yourself and don't get wrapped up in a number on the scale. it's false advertising. i can personally say that my clothes fit BEST and i looked the best NOT at my lowest weight. you can reach a certain number on a scale, but still be flabby and soft, so please don't torture yourself trying to reach a certain number

2. don't deny yourself what you want. not eating will only set you back further, and make you cranky and irritable. crash diets result in crash binging. portion control and several small meals a day (pack a food bag in advance to assure healthy-choice availability!) are KEY in weight loss. if you have a sweet tooth, have a little sweet snack. the trick is satisfying that sweet tooth with "healthy" sugars like peanut butter on celery, sugarfree jello, a few m&ms with trail mix or dried fruit or sweet potato or cooked baby carrots drizzled with sugarfree maple syrup. don't beat yourself up if you need a sweet treat. small indulgences will not hinder you!

3. whatever you do, DON'T fall into a routine. you HAVE to mix it up. i see this happen all the time in the gym. you see the SAME chick on the SAME machine (treadmill, eliptical, stepper...) FIVE days a week. if you want to START or KEEP seeing results, you need to keep your body OUT of it's comfort zone--and doing the same thing each day is comfortable and familiar. {shock} your body by using different muscles! so...take a new class at the gym, get outside and run or cycle for a change, or even mix it up with a fun new DVD! switching things up every so often will also keep you from getting burned out, which is most people's demise when they set out with lofty fitness goals.

4. don't forget about the obvious but neccessary small things: drink LOTS of water. change up your ipod playlist often to push you through plateaus. stretch. replenish your body post workout with a good protein shake or bar. invest in some good cross-trainers (and a good sports bra!).

5. set goals for yourself. WRITE THEM DOWN and PUT THEM WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM! i don't know what it about writing your goals down, but that accountablility is often much more effective than just "telling" friends and family. i like to write my goals down and keep them taped just above my bedside table and/or the side of my fridge. and don't just set fitness goals, set a couple of  "fun" goals like reading for pleasure or picking up a new hobby.

source

it's all about maintaining a healthy balance...