Trailer Photos

*Note I figured out why the camera wouldn't focus and why it was washing everyone out - but I'm not going to go take new pictures and these are the FIRST shots - you know when the kids were excited. I thought going out again, opening it up, sliding it all out and trying to recreate their excitement would be anti-climatic. It was that same little switch Heather found before...this time it didn't flash F but it took strange photos. LOL

Arielle and Stacia are Happy

We all had our favorite amenities to exclaim over!

Nolan thinks the outside sink, stove and awning are cool!

Jamin takes advantage of the dinette


Several commented on the BIG freezer and fridge (as compared to the pop-ups)

Stacia loves the new hiding spots - this one between the bunks in the back room

Josiah likes the music options

I began to worry that we weren't all going to fit in this now that Stacia sleeps in a bed...we weren't sure the bunks would be long enough for Jared. They are. We've got four nice wide bunks in the back. We have several options for sleeping. I don't think they are big enough for the over 6 foot crowd...so we may put Jared and the four younger ones back here, Cy on the pull out sofa and Jamin on the dinette bed...

I must admit I share Zander glee at an INSIDE toilet....no more 2 a.m. jaunts to the restroom, potty training with the facilities 1/2 a mile away, mid-night walks with bears, porcupines, armadillos....but then again I've come to LOVE seeing the night sky at different times of night, the peace and tranquility of those middle of the night runs....but NAH....ultimately I share Zander's glee at the toilet. ::snort::

Several have mentioned over and over that they suddenly have an urge to go camping....and this will probably grow as the trailer sits in the front yard. ::snort:: It's all here waiting for you Mike. The other photos were to washed out to share (our room, pass through storage spots) it's nice...and it was 8K less than blue book! Yes! Co-op newsletter is done, tables are set up, baskets are out...I'm going to bed.

Oh - things that make a mom go "Hmmm"...the control panel...you know with the switch for the slide outs etc...is in a toddler height cupboard as you walk in the trailer. That will HAVE to be child proofed somehow.

NAME THAT R.V.

Here it is - outside my front door...and here it will stay because I can't get it in the driveway, which slants and the ally is narrow. It will stay here until Mike is home to move it....or until someone else who knows how to drive these things wants to move it. ::snort:: I'm a bit worried about the mailman and the neighbors...but if they ask I'm going to say, "Does your dh know how to drive something like that???" I am simply NOT moving that thing an inch further.

Mike grew up in a camping family. They tent camped, camped with tarps, had various campers, and even a little motor home. Grandpa Earl called his motor home the "dream boat". We are in the midst of coming up with an appropriate name for this trailer....maybe dream boat....one of my nameless children suggested "big rolling turd". OK - I explained that his suggestion was in bad taste (and I laughed - sorry) and that we wanted a complimentary name. We've thought Road Whale - which is a term Darshia's dear husband introduced us to when we were camping at Mt Denali. Send in your suggestions....winner gets a family of 11 parking outside THEIR home for a week and using their water and electricity. ::snort:: OK - nah I'll think of something for the winner. LOL

Josiah went to pick up the older boys from their ministry team. I'm sure they'll all want to open it up and look - so we'll take some more pictures, but I knew the girls and Mike would want to see evidence of the purchase asap....

I sure hope someone doesn't sideswipe the slide out when I show the boys...hmmm.....

MANNERS PLEASE

I've been working on a variety of issues with Zander. Polite speech. Obeying. Manners.

He earns tickets when he gets it right - and 60 tickets earn him play station time. He's dying today to play Lego Star Wars....and he needs another 30 tickets. He's been saying "Thank you, Mom" for no reason at all. This last time I asked him, "for what?"

He replied, "Thank you for making me listen." LOL

Weigh In - Wednesday

NO, I don't plan to bore you to death with thoughts on weight loss - I joined a yahoo group with friends who are in the same boat as I, and don't mind my boring THEM. ::snort::

However, I've been thinking and praying a lot about this weight loss thing. I've done the Weigh Down and Thin Within route for nearly 10 years. I'm the type of person who follows these sorts of directions pretty much to the letter. I don't do so in any other area of my life (snort) but I tend to think that the weight loss experts have some secret that I'm unable to crack. When they said "don't eat unless you are hungry", I didn't eat until my stomach growled. I've been telling people I don't eat much and that I work out and I KNOW they thought I was deceiving myself. I wrote it all down for a month and saw the dietitian. You know this part. She said I wasn't eating enough. You know that too. I struggled with this whole "eat whether you're hungry or not, your body needs fuel" because for 10 years I've been led to think that to eat when you weren't stomach hungry was gluttony...and it may be....

Somewhere along the line, however, my body quit giving hunger signals. It did. I've known others who say that their bodies were hungry all the time so they couldn't do Weigh Down/Thin Within....but I think I'm the only one who I've heard say "I'm never hungry - that won't work"....because when they said not to eat until your stomach growled....I didn't. I easily went 2 - 3 days without food. I often had one meal a day and my portions were small.

However, since you hear repeatedly "If you aren't losing weight it's simply a matter of eating less and working out more", I continued to cut back on food and up the work outs...with no results. I was sure that my portions were the "right sizes". I know that many of share how "small a portion really is" but I've been surprised at how "big" a portion really is.

I was TERRIFIED to add 3 more eating times to my day.....because I've been so CAREFUL and have either gained weight (6 lbs in one week), lost huge amounts in one week or stayed the same for so long....even being very careful. I prayed about it. I decided I would try it for a month and see what happened.

After the first two days I realized that I simply COULDN'T add all that food at once. I was sick, bloated, and felt terrible. I am supposed to be getting 10 - 12 servings of produce a day, adding two snacks and breakfast (they can be produce). Debbie really stressed breakfast and said it could be a serving of fruit if that is all I could make myself eat. She shared that there ARE studies that show that there are cycles as to when YOUR body will handle food best. She shared that she can have a glass of OJ in the a.m. and her blood sugars are way off (diabetes) but if she has the same OJ in the afternoon her sugars remain stable. SO....she said I may not be a breakfast eater but I should at least be sure to get my water and fruit in. Since I couldn't make myself eat those snacks when I wasn't hungry, I decided to focus on the breakfast and be faithful with it. IF I do feel hungry or want a snack, I make it produce. (Except for the Chocolate Toffee Almond that is my nightly deployment surival reward).

The first week I stayed the same. I was thankful that I'd not gained a ton but was feeling like this was really not helping me and I may need to do it "my way". I continued praying and felt that I had committed to one month. Today was weigh in day again. I lost three pounds this week. I'm not hungry. I'm eating a LOT (by my way of thinking). I have more energy. Hmmm.....I'm guessing she was right and that you can't eat the way I was eating for an extended period of time without your body going into survival mode.

The Thyroid Diet book I'm reading really stresses the importance of speeding up my metabolism....because it's sluggish. I don't think I'll try all the supplements she mentions - I shy away from those. But the nutritional thoughts she shares match the things the dietitian said. I think I'm on to something....I'm optimistically hopeful to actually REACH my goal this year.

Fashion Sense

We dressed Stacia in a darling outfit...little fitted jacket with fur around the collar....

SHE stripped the jacket off and went for Arielle's jacket. ::snort:: Sort of washed her out, didn't I?

Cel-e-bra- tion time, C'Mon!!!!

Yay! They are DONE for another year! 2006 taxes are flying through cyberspace. I remembered the Children's AK PFD money at the last moment and had to fix that, but I think it is all done! I found enough deductions with the help of Turb Tax to get quite a healthy return. I've proposed to Mike that the $400 filing fee that several friends have been quoted should go to ME! I could buy a new grain mill and dehydrator....or I could go to a Wing Chaplain's conference with him I suppose.....though, oh yeah, I'd need to figure out what to do for the little ones....that's right...that's why I don't go with him on these business trips. LOL We had one blessed year when the older girls were still living at home, driving, and not minors....and we took advantage of it. LOL

Workout!

I usually wake up, do Bible Study, stagger into the kitchen and make the fabled "breakfast" that my children must have, and THEN...the older 3 begin school, Arielle and Nolan clean up the kitchen and Zander plays with Stacia...*I* go work out...either a bike ride or lately a video.

This a.m. I woke up with so much extra time that I decided to work out before breakfast. Zander and Stacia are the first ones up. Well...NO...Jamin is up writing but his writing time is sacred.

Against my better judgement I let Zander in to the room where I was "werking". He watched. Carefully. Then Stacia was pounding on the door. I let her in. She must be in the middle of things. I was avoiding her, still not babying my should so not doing arm movements, trying desperately not to step on Stacia instead of the step...you get the picture.

Zander cheered me on with encouraging comments such as, "Alright MOM - do the arms like this" and "Mom they are better than you are!"

I quit at 30 minutes today....I think I deserve some sort of credit for surviving that long with my audience. ::snort::