2013 RECAP!!

I am STILL in shock that this year is gone! I knew it would go quickly; it always does when you're trying to get things done! I reported on my goals this year and it still seems crazy that I was able to accomplish them. In that post I promised to relate the things I learned, gained, lost, and loved about 2013. In no particular order, priority or meaning, here it is:

1. I LEARNED that I can set and accomplish HUGE goals!!
2. I LOVED walking with a purpose!!
3. I GAINED a TON of self-esteem!
4. I GAINED myself!! I thought I knew who I was and what I wanted. I thought I was independent. Boy, was I wrong!!
5. I LOST almost 50 pounds!!! I didn't set out to do that necessarily, but it was an AWESOME byproduct of all my walking (and taking a chance in January to join Weight Watchers). I will forever recommend both Weight Watchers and Leslie Sansone Walking Workouts!!
6. I LEARNED endurance!! In June I accidentally jumped on a nail. I managed to walk the rest of the year with a hole in my foot. I refused to see a doctor on the chance that I couldn't finish my goals. Hindsight tells me that I'm an idiot and I should have gone right after it happened. But the good thing is that I made an appointment to have it looked at as soon as I finished that last mile!!
7. I GAINED (maybe) my own apartment!!
8. I LOST some of my big fears: being alone, pain, the unknown, change (that might be a bit of an exaggeration). I still fear snakes, but that's life! The rest still cause some natural anxiety, but none of them hold me back. I'm no longer a hostage of my circumstances.
9. I GAINED a deeper and stronger testimony of Jesus Christ and of His Atonement. How incredibly grateful I am for that!!
10. I GAINED a grateful heart for the things I have.
11. I LEARNED to do with less.
12. I LEARNED that all experiences are for our benefit and learning.
13. I LEARNED a lot about family. They are SO IMPORTANT to me and I'm so blessed!
14. I LEARNED (as in memorized) "The Family: A Proclamation to the World". It is such an inspired and wonderful document. I recite it frequently and understand a bit more about our Heavenly Father's plan for us and our families. It also reminds me that having a family of my own is truly my ultimate goal!
15. I LOST my sanity a little bit. Multiple times I'm sure I was on the edge of a nervous breakdown.
16. I LEARNED that it is okay to say "no". I learned this primarily because of #15.
17. I LEARNED the importance of prioritizing and organizing.
18. I GAINED incredible insights and experience through my personal study, school, the YSA conference I attended, institute, church....you name it!
19. I LOVED the kids I've gotten to spend time with. I often feel lost in crowds, but somehow kids I know find me and make me feel so important. I LOVE that!!
20. I LEARNED how important it is to set patterns of righteous living now!!
21. I LEARNED that the words "I can't" are self defeating! So many times this year I turned around and did the very things I said I couldn't. Don't allow yourself to fall for this trap!

There are definitely more lessons, but this covers the high points! 2013 was an AMAZING experience. I'm not sure if it exhaustion setting in or gratitude in my heart for these experiences that are causing these tears creeping out my eyes. I thought "I" was setting these big goals for myself and taking steps in the right direction, and I guess that isn't untrue, but I've seen the hand of the Lord in my life as I've gone through this year. Had I not started in January with these goals, there is NO way I would have been prepared to start school, and that's only one example, there are SO many! I'm so excited to see the things that I  can accomplish in 2014. Stay tuned for the updated goal list!

My Reward - Surprise!!!

This almost feels weird, but it is my blog so I guess I'll get over it. You know that reward I mentioned for finishing 500 miles?? Well, I asked my very talented sister-in-law, RJ, to take some pictures of me.The surprise? These were for my parents for Christmas (my picture at their house was a little dated). I LOVE how these turned out!! And I think it's a pretty great reward! Can't wait to do it again...perhaps after the next 500. :)

Another One Bites The Dust

While it may sound like a negative thing, this would be in reference to yet ANOTHER goal completed this year!! I just finished reading the Standard Works today which includes the Old and New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price! What an incredible journey it has been!

I am glad that I was able to finsih it around Christmas. I realized what an incredible gift it is to have the gospel of Jesus Christ restored to the earth to bless each of us! It helped me see that without the our Savior being born all those years ago, we wouldn't be where we are - I wouldn't be where I am! I am so grateful!!

Merry Christmas!!

2013 - November Recap

Here we go again!! Another month gone...and though I can't believe how quickly it's going, I'm so excited!

Walk 500 miles: I made a goal to walk 50 miles in November just to help December go a little easier (I got a little bit behind). Believe it or not, I DID IT!! That only leaves 33 miles for December...33!!!!!

Read the standard works cover to cover: I needed to make it through Doctrine & Covenants 100 and I did it too!! Only a little bit more and I'll have this one completed too!

Grow my hair out to donate it: Still hanging in there on this one!! I'm hoping by my birthday next year it will be good to go!

I can't even begin to describe how amazing it is to be this close to reaching all of these really big goals. I'm so glad I didn't give in to the voices in my head telling me to quit, or that it was too much, or for the voices of others who told me I didn't have to push it so hard, or that I made the rules and could easily change them. I did this for me, to BECOME someone more, and hopefully better, than I was before!

I'm so excited for December!!! I'm excited to finish! I'm excited to find yet another new beginning at the end of my finish line!!

2013 - October Recap

It occurs to me that I totally missed my September recap. So, before I report on October, let's do that...

SEPTEMBER:

Walk 500 miles: I only managed 33 miles. Not quite what I was planning on, but it IS better than nothing. Also note that I started school in there, so while it is still just an excuse, I feel it is pretty valid.

Read the standard works cover to cover: I was supposed to make it to Alma 36. Would you believe I only made it to Alma 35?!? Talk about LAME! I'm not sure where my brain was when I stopped reading, but I missed that one. That's okay though...and I'll tell you why in a minute.

Grow my hair out to donate: STILL growing...and I feel like it is taking forever!!!

As I mentioned, I did start school again which puts me on track to accomplish yet ANOTHER bucket list goal - graduate from college with a degree! Granted, this goal will take a bit longer than a year (by a LOT!), but at least I am on my way!!

Now to the fun stuff!!

OCTOBER:

Walk 500 miles: I made it 46 miles!!! During October I also walked my 400th mile! As of tonight (because let's face it, it's already late and there is NO way I'm working out!), I have completed 416 miles!! That is only 84 miles to go between now and December 31! It's certainly not time to get complacent...or to break a leg...but I feel like I can really do this!!

Read the standard works cover to cover: I wasn't about to pull a lame stunt like last month and miss my goal by one measly chapter. The goal was to read through Ether 15 and I made it through Moroni 6. That is a nice start to the next month, but again, it's no time to be casual. There is much work to be done!!

Grow my hair out to donate: I haven't given in yet!! And today I even took a picture!!

Yeah, that's my LONG hair. Seriously, I don't even remember the last time it was this long. If I remember correctly I need to have 8 inches before I can donate it. I'm a heck of a lot closer to reaching this goal than I was in January, but we're not out of the woods on this one. Does anyone have any good suggestions of how to make it grow faster??

School is still going well! I'm one night away from finishing one of my classes!!! YAY!! And since it's my blog and I can...I'll totally brag that I'm still pulling straight A's!! Now THAT is a HUGE improvement since the first college experience!!

Here we go...bring on November!! I'm thinking of tackling "no candy November"...I have a few hours to decide. We'll see...

Monthly Recap - July

Good grief!! It's August! As much as I'm looking forward to the end of this year (or more accurately the beginning of next year), this is going just a bit too quickly! I'm only a couple of days late this time, so let's not waste time - let's get to work!!

Read the Standard Works cover to cover: I got behind toward the middle of the month, but I really got excited about reading again and I'm doing much better about staying on track. My desire to read has increased, and as that desire increases, so does the personal growth, revelation, and inspiration! Have I mentioned how much I LOVE the scriptures?? More on that another time. To stay on track for July I needed to make it to 2 Corinthians 13...SUCCESS!!

Walk 500 miles: Okay, here is the best thing!! I "only" completed 33 miles this month, but I think that isn't too shabby, all things considered. I'm still working on healing my foot, and I had some quirky back thing happen, so there were a LOT of bad days, but I still made 33 miles. And, even better than that?? I completed 300 MILES!! This is so much fun!!

Grow my hair for donation: I'm still hanging in there...sort of. I got a trim (I can't remember if I did that before or after my last monthly recap, so it may not be news...), but I'm really trying to tough it out. I want to do this to help someone. I want to do it to prove to myself that I can.

This has been an incredible journey, and continues to be! I'm down to the last five months...only five pages left on my wall. I could NEVER have predicted the outcomes that this year of goals has brought. But I'm so grateful!! I want to inspire others to make BIG goals and then work to make them happen. In all seriousness, if I can do it, ANYONE can do it!! Here we go with August!!

Fruity Pasta Salad

Another great recipe from Josi Kilpack's culinary mystery series. This one from the book "Key Lime Pie". Out of all of the recipes, this is one that made my mouth water from the very first day I read about it...YEARS ago...and I JUST got around to making it. I made a few "adjustments" to suit my current dietary needs which I'll notate below. Here you go!

Ingredients:
2 cups mayonnaise (I used 2 cups vanilla greek yogurt)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 cup honey (I used 1/2 cup agave nectar)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2-3 chicken breasts, diced *
1 (16-oz) package tri-colored pasta (Rotini, wacky mac, penne, etc.)
2 (15-oz) cans mandarin oranges, drained (Shawn likes fresh mangoes, for a more tropical taste) (I used fresh mango...HIGHLY recommended!!)
1/4 lb. sugar snap peas, sliced diagonally
1/2 cup chopped green onions
Chow mein noodles (I skipped these entirely, but I imagine they would be fabulous)

In a medium-sized bowl, mix the mayonnaise, minced garlic, celery seed, honey, salt, and pepper together. Cover and place in the refrigerator. Cook the chicken in a pan, then dice and place in a large bowl. While the chicken is cooking, cook the pasta, then drain and add to chicken. Add the mandarin oranges, sugar snap peas, green onions, and mayonnaise sauce (greek yogurt sauce) to the bowl. Gently mix together until everything is covered with the sauce. Refrigerate for one hour before serving. Top with chow mein noodles.
Serves 12.
*Can use canned chicken in a pinch.

If you go ahead and use the greek yogurt in place of the mayo, don't refrigerate first. I did and it soaked in to the pasta and was dry, but it was sooo good at the very beginning. That, or make extra sauce to serve on the side after refrigeration. Either way, I think you'll like this one. I know I did and without trying to sound entirely selfish, that's what it is all about. :)

Monthly Recap - April

April has come and GONE!! This is insane! Here's a status update on my 2013 goals!

Read the standard works cover to cover: According to my handy little chart, I needed to read through Proverbs 27. April was not good for me as far as staying caught up goes. I would read everyday, but fell behind a little. And by a little I mean that I had to read over 150 chapters in the last 5 days. But I'm happy to say I made it and I will not get that far behind again!! Stressful!

Walk 500 miles: The minimum goal for walking is 42 miles per month. I made it 50! And I'm happy to say that this includes a few days off due to vacation where I walked a lot, but didn't track any of it! Not a bad month if I do say so myself!

Finish sewing a baby blanket: I sort of failed this goal for April. I got a little sidetracked and didn't get as far as I would have liked. But I did make some progress and I am going to finish it...sometime this year. :)

Grow my hair out and donate it: Another month down and I haven't cut it yet!!! I have started curling it to give myself some variety and I'm finding that I really like it! The only problem I have is that I saw a picture of myself with really short hair the other day and I realize that I miss it... A LOT! So, I'm going to avoid those pictures of myself and take more pics with this long hair.

Attend General Conference in person: Yep, I did that!!I can't believe it was just a few weeks ago - time really flies when you are having fun! Attending General Conference truly is one of the highlights of my life! It was an awesome experience. If you are planning a trip to Utah, make it coincide with conference and go! You won't be disappointed!

May will bring many new adventures and I'm so excited! I get to go to Boston for a week (!!!!!), I have at least one temple trip planned, activities for YSA, progress on all of these goals and I need to come up with a new monthly goal for May. I guess I had better get that figured out in the next few hours so I have plenty of time to get whatever I decide to do done! Bring it on!

I'm Losing It



I've been debating about whether or not to post this, but I'm way to excited not to share. When I started my journey of walking 500 miles in a year, that's all it was meant to be - no goals or ulterior motives. I just wanted to prove that I could do something HUGE in my life! On January 11 I figured that by walking so much, I just might lose weight and I decided that I should document this journey with pictures, just in case that was true.

On January 23rd, I had an "aha" moment. I had never really tried to lose weight. It was always something I wanted to do, but it was too daunting to me and I didn't know how to start. I also knew I wasn't really committed to it (if you're committed you find a way...and I hadn't yet). I figured that since I was TOTALLY committed to completing my walking goal, this year would be the best chance I would ever have at TRYING to lose weight.

So, I joined Weight Watchers online and let me tell you, I was hooked from the get go. I lost 8 pounds the first two weeks and then evened out and was steadily losing 1-2 pounds per week. This truly has been an amazing journey and continues to be. This is only the beginning.

Jan 11, 2013

 Feb 3, 2013

Mar 5, 2013

 

April 26, 2013

This week officially marked 20 pounds lost...TWENTY POUNDS!! I never thought I would be able to do this, but it was pretty easy! And I'm not done yet! I feel so good! I feel happy, I have energy, I am confident in my abilities to do the things I set my mind to. This also comes after working crazy hours, eating out more than I'd like (ah, work lunches), and vacations!

I have established new habits in my life. I rarely sit and watch TV without doing some sort of exercise. I try to be home every night before 8:15 so I still have time to get in a workout before bed. I eat really good food and have found (and invented) some really strange but delicious and healthy recipes. I've also started substituting foods so I can still eat great and get more. Instead of drinking skim milk in my smoothies, I drink almond milk. Instead of regular bread or tortillas, I eat pitas (AMAZING stuffed with a stick of string cheese, turkey pepperoni, and bell peppers). I have cut out a lot of sweets but still enjoy them as often as I allow myself (about once or twice a week), but the portions are a lot smaller and I generally choose to make it as healthy as possible. I even eat fish now...and like it (as long as it isn't too fishy). Basically, I eat whatever I want, whenever I want...I just have to "budget" and it has been AWESOME!!! I'm excited to see what the next three months bring!

 

The First 100

As I'm SURE you know by now I have a goal to walk 500 miles this year! On March 8th (or 7th, I can't remember exactly) I made it through the first 100!! See all the x's on my little chart!!

 

And this is a picture of my happy face after completing 100 miles (though not "right" after - I promise I don't look ANYTHING like this after I finish working out!)

 

 

I figured I had better acknowledge this accomplishment before I do my March recap!

2013 - February Recap

How about it? March is here bringing with it a very successful February! Let’s recap the success of my goals!!

Read the standard works cover to cover: According to my handy little chart, I needed to read through 1 Samuel 21, and that's exactly what I did!

Walk 500 miles: February was a little slow in the walking department. There were a couple of long days (in to work before the sun came up and not home until way after the sun went down – VERY LONG days!!), a trip to Orlando and that little thing where my knee wouldn’t let me walk at all and I learned how to limp along. Luckily, it seems to be getting better and hopefully March will be a powerful month. The good news is, I was able to make it 30 miles this month!
Go a month without chocolate: This was a surprisingly fun challenge. I made it all 28 days without eating chocolate (though I still feel a little guilty about the chocolate covered strawberry incident from a few days ago). I learned some interesting things about myself.

1.       On a regular day, I don’t actually “crave” chocolate. I eat it just because I can.

2.       When I do crave chocolate, I am usually tired or stressed. I really only missed chocolate this month when I had those really long days at the office and there was no chocolate.

3.       I learned that I have been a weak person when it came to chocolate. You see, in my office in the cabinets behind my desk, we have a candy drawer (see, it looks tempting, doesn't it??). The folks I work with expect me to keep it stocked (this isn't up to par). This has been the hardest part of this whole month. It used to be a habit to eat chocolate. Basically if everyone else were eating it, I was going to partake as well. This month proved that I don’t need it (surprise, surprise), and in fact, most of the time I don’t even WANT it. And the coolest part of all was that when I filled up the drawer this week, the overwhelming smell of sugar and chocolate made me gag.

So, I get to cross that off the bucket list. I proved to myself that I could do it! I haven't quite decided on March's goal just yet, but it'll be a good one, wait and see.

2013 - January Recap

A full month down! I can't hardly believe it!! Because we've made it through January we now get to say that Lori will be home in LESS THAN A YEAR!! Not that I'm excited or anything...

If you'll recall, I set out to make 2013 a GREAT year! I've set a kajillion goals, some that will be year long, others that will go month by month.

Year long goals:
Read the Standard Works (Old & New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, Pearl of Great Price) cover to cover. According to my outline, I needed to read through Numbers 15 by January 31. I made it to Numbers 20.

Walk 500 miles: This to me is a completely attainable goal when looked at in small chunks. I figured I would need to walk a minimum of 10 miles per week to reach this goal. Well, January started out a little rocky. I had to deal with (and for that matter, am still dealing) with a ridiculous and pretty painful health complication that I'd happily eliminate if only I could. That put me a full week behind. I've done my best to catch up to my goal and as of January 31 I walked 42 miles! Which, conveniently enough, is exactly what I need to walk to put me just over 500 miles at the end of the year!!

Monthly goal:
Visit Pike Place Market in Washington state. This one was supposed to be "in the bag". I had plane tickets purchased, time off work - there was NO reason to suppose this wouldn't happen. But then life threw a curve ball and I ended up cancelling my vacation and working right on through. So, back to the bucket list it goes...but it WILL be taken care of one day!

February will bring more challenges, but lots of GREAT opportunities! My monthly goal is to go the entire month of February WITHOUT chocolate!! Everyone is questioning why on earth I would pick the month notorious for chocolate gifts as the month without chocolate. Two reasons: 1 - no one will be buying me chocolate this Valentine's day (not bitter - just a fact) and 2 - I'm doing something better for my heart than eating something shaped like a heart. And for a third - February only has 28 days, a full 2 -3 days shorter than any other month. Seems perfectly logical to me. So, here we go!!