Nuts & Berries Update

So last night was the second night of healthiness! The first night my dad tried to tell me that we had only walked a little over a mile... well, I proved him wrong. I took my car on a little spin, and it turns out we had walked quite a bit further... no wonder I almost died! : )

It was so hot last night, however, that we decided to swim instead of walk. Have I mentioned how much I love having a pool? Anyway, after a good hour long swim, we played a game of croquet, and then my mom, my aunt, and myself went for a mile long walk. It went better than the night before, but my shins were killing from my body adjusting to actually moving! : )

I do believe that some of my family members are faltering with the nuts & berries idea. First off, let me say, that my dad has been begging me for months to work out with him because he needs someone to motivate him. Well, last night after a healthy dinner of chicken and brown rice + a salad, we did the dishes and dad went to the couch. As much as I tried to persuade him to come outside with us, he claimed he was too tired! So much for motivation! : )

Next up, Brittny. Granted, she is already pretty skinny, but she has gained some weight since coming to our house, go figure! : ) So, she has been pretty motivated to lose weight with us. Last night, my uncle Mike came over with strawberry pie, and Brittny caved! But that wasn't the only caving I saw. Instead of walking with my fam, she took two drumsticks (the ice cream kind) and went to watch TV... a few hours later, I see her with a third drumstick! Good grief!

That leaves my mom and myself.... I hope this works! : )

Nuts & Berries

My whole family has decided to become "healthy." My question, why isn't it more fun to eat carrots than it is to eat the chocolate cupcakes staring me in the eye at my desk? Our plan of action is to eat fruit for breakfast, a low cal/lean lunch, and a sensible dinner (sounds like a Slim Fast commercial). :) We are also going to be working out at least three times a week if not more.
I was hoping that we could walk a mile three times a week, and then supplement with swimming the other couple of days; however, last night I think that I almost died trying to chug up our hill. Let's face it—I am athletically impaired. Ever since I was a small child, it was apparent that sports was not my thing. When the T-Ball coach made me slide into first base, I was done with baseball. Last night I think I gave up walking! : ) Ok, maybe it's not that bad. On the way down our hill, I was cruising! I thought to myself, "This isn't so bad." What was I thinking?

There are three large hills that you have to go down when walking around our house.... that also means that you have to walk up three large hills to get home. The first hill... not so bad... a little heavy breathing... the second hill I barely made it. I really thought that my folks were going to have to call the ambulance... the third hill I think my heart was beating out of my chest... I was gulping so loudly that Brittny turned around and grabbed my hand! : )

To make matters worse, I think that someone sends out an alert to all of our neighbors to let them know that we are going for a walk. Seriously, everyone was sitting on their front porch... I wanted to pass out on the road, but I couldn't because Bill and his sister wanted to talk about the 90 degree weather! I wanted to shout, "Go inside and enjoy the air conditioner!" No such luck.

I made it home (it was a miracle)... I sat on the couch for about 30 minutes until my heart rate returned to normal. As much as I need to get into shape, I might kill myself doing it! Make sure to look for me on the side of the road! I will be the short chubby one gasping for breath! :)

She's Leaving

Today is a weird day for me. My parents have been involved for some time in foster care. For several years they have taken quite a few kids into our home. Last year around this time, a girl, also named Andrea, came to live with us. I have to admit that I felt some trepidation about this whole process... we have had some crazy, and I do mean CRAZY kids that have stayed in our home. I remember when my mom told me that "Annie" was coming to live with us, I was upset. I was ready to be free from the constant madness that can sometimes occur.

The first time I met Annie, she was sitting on our couch watching some teenage soap opera - I think it was Summerland. I thought to myself, "At least she doesn't look crazy!" That was in June. In July, we decided to take Annie's older sister into our home as well, and then in August, we added yet another sibling, Deven (the younger brother). I have to be honest that I really enjoyed every single moment that I got to spend with all three of them.

Sadly, earlier this year, Deven was adopted by a family who the kids knew pretty well. He was excited — I was just sad. Then in May, Brittny graduated, giving her the freedom to spread her wings whenever she so chooses. And now here comes June, and Annie is being adopted by the same family that has her brother... am I sad? You bet! Last night as they moved her first load of stuff, I remembered back to that first day I saw her sitting on the couch... She was more than just a kid I had to put up with for a few months, she, Brittny, & Deven became the siblings I always wanted but never had. I know, perhaps it sounds corny, but I don't care. Psalms 68:6a says, "God sets the lonely in families." I used to think that only applied to those who didn't have families... the widows, orphans, etc. I have found just the opposite to be true. Even people in families get lonely and that's when God brings a family to you.

I Never Thought I Would Say This...

...I miss school. The sad part about all of this is that I haven't had a break from classes since I got home from Youth With A Mission in 2003. I have been immersed in college ever since. Granted, I am only going part time now that I have a full-time job, but I have been looking forward to this summer break since I started working on my degree.

There is something about learning that makes me excited. Even though there are days during the semester when I wish that I could fast forward a few years to when I am walking across that stage, receiving my diploma (I will be pushing 30 at that point). I think I enjoy the challenge of writing papers and studying for exams. It is exhilarating to think that you bombed an assignment to then see a big red "A" on your paper.

Yesterday at work, we were all amazed to learn that Antioch College was closing, a school founded on the ideals that each student is an individual. They don't have a curriculum plan, they don't assign letter grades (merely pass or fail), and they simply learn. I wonder if the reason they are closing is because most students are like myself— they enjoy the thrill of working for that letter grade and drawing a line through the class when they are through with it... who knows, but it does make me wonder.

I am still deciding exactly what it is I want to do. I have changed majors in my mind a thousand times. I am sticking with English simply because I can get through it the quickest, and I enjoy reading (though grammar is NOT at all my strong suit). Do I go on for my master's degree? I would be probably be 40 by the time I finished that! : ) All thoughts to ponder as I travel through life!

A Place to Write for an Introvert

For many years, I have loved to write. I may not be terribly good at it or even remotely interesting, but I enjoy it. Namely because I tend to be introverted—not that I don't enjoy people, but I do enjoy my time alone. It takes me longer to process information... I have to think things through. I recently read a book called The Introvert Advantage. This book alluded to the fact that being introverted is a gift. I can't remember the exact statistics but the majority of the people in the world are extroverted. We bring the balance to the chaotic life of extroverts. I, however, have, and still do, see being introverted as a disadvantage. While my boss is firing her tenth task for me to do, I am still writing down and processing task three. The sad part about all of this is that extroverts don't care and don't understand why we aren't like them. They only know that they move faster, get things done quicker, and are completely frustrated that the introverts haven't kept up with them.

If you aren't as familiar with the introvert/extrovert concept, I highly recommend The Introvert Advantage (You can just read the intro that explains the two concepts). Many people think that introverts are simply people who don't like to talk and are completely backward—not true! You can be the most outgoing person in the world and still be introverted (I tend to doubt it, but anything is possible). If you get your energy from being with people and bouncing ideas off of them, then you are most likely an extrovert. However, if you are like me and enjoy processing things by yourself, and are easily overwhelmed with long amounts of time spent with people. then you are probably an introvert.

Anyway, all that to say, I am glad to have a place where I can be my introverted, processing slowly, thinking things through by myself. I welcome any comments!