Tuesday, January 12, 2010
For your viewing pleasure
I grabbed these from the year end DVD that documented the football season for our nephew Brandon (Cyndie's brother Gene's son). He's quite the stud! He's the quarterback, #8. In the super bowl, he was the MVP!
Neal's Healthy Living Challenge Recap
Here's what we've come up with so far ...
Eat Healthier
Eat Healthier
- Eat smaller portions (smaller bites, chewing longer, using a smaller plate)
- Two snacks a day to help manage hunger (morning and afternoon). The snacks must be either fruit or vegetable ... no carbs (a notorious DeVries week spot)
- Drink lots of water
- No snacks after the kids go to bed
- Decaf coffee in the morning (probably unrelated to weight at all, but I have been taking blood pressure medicine, so I don't think I need the caffeine.
- Go to bed at a decent time (hard to measure this one, but it's important)
- Work out four times a week
- What can I use for a goal ... suggestions (of my own and from the peanut gallery): measurements, distribution of weight, how I feel, how I look in the mirror.
- Me, Cyndie, my sister Laura. I've heard from others of you, but so far no one else that wants to go on record!
Another Deep Thought ...
Two deep thoughts in one day, I think my head is going to explode!
So before Christmas, I was contemplating the fact that even though I'm working out consistently, at least three times, usually four, per week, I'm still gaining some extra pudginess around the middle. So I mentioned to Cyndie that we need to make a few changes when we got back from Christmas vacation.
We're back ... I guess I need to do something.
I think the problem is that I eat too much. For the most part, we eat pretty healthy food. Not much in the processed food category. We don't eat out (especially fast food) much. We eat a decent amount of vegies and fruits. But man, when the food is good at dinner, it is easy to take a second helping (and sometimes a third)! I also have been having "after the kids go to bed snacks" quite a bit too. Now, I'm not a workout nut, or someone with a crazy body image, but I do want to be healthy.
I think I need to take some steps in the food department to start some better habits. So here's the plan. I'm going to eat healthier, and in much smaller portions (I've heard that taking smaller bites and chewing longer helps this ... also using a smaller plate). I'm going to cut out eating anything after 8 pm. I'm going to continue the 4 times a week work outs. We'll call this Neal's Healthy Living Challenge.
Now I need a goal. I don't really care about my weight, and we don't even have a scale in the house. But how to measure success? And really, this should just be the start of the process, not a destination. Hummm. Are there any suggestions from the peanut gallery?
And more importantly, does anyone out there in the ether want to join me in this effort?
So before Christmas, I was contemplating the fact that even though I'm working out consistently, at least three times, usually four, per week, I'm still gaining some extra pudginess around the middle. So I mentioned to Cyndie that we need to make a few changes when we got back from Christmas vacation.
We're back ... I guess I need to do something.
I think the problem is that I eat too much. For the most part, we eat pretty healthy food. Not much in the processed food category. We don't eat out (especially fast food) much. We eat a decent amount of vegies and fruits. But man, when the food is good at dinner, it is easy to take a second helping (and sometimes a third)! I also have been having "after the kids go to bed snacks" quite a bit too. Now, I'm not a workout nut, or someone with a crazy body image, but I do want to be healthy.
I think I need to take some steps in the food department to start some better habits. So here's the plan. I'm going to eat healthier, and in much smaller portions (I've heard that taking smaller bites and chewing longer helps this ... also using a smaller plate). I'm going to cut out eating anything after 8 pm. I'm going to continue the 4 times a week work outs. We'll call this Neal's Healthy Living Challenge.
Now I need a goal. I don't really care about my weight, and we don't even have a scale in the house. But how to measure success? And really, this should just be the start of the process, not a destination. Hummm. Are there any suggestions from the peanut gallery?
And more importantly, does anyone out there in the ether want to join me in this effort?
Nice Evening, and a thought?!
So here we are, back in the swing of things. The kids did the school thing and came through unscathed. I went in to work and made it back in tact. Cyndie survived a day of running errands and trying to get some work done. I'm not sure that any of us was 100% successful, but we all made it and felt at least somewhat accomplished!
We had a fun little get together with our friends Erica and Nils and Laura and Gow after the kids went to bed last night. Erica and Nils left their kids with Nils' parents and Laura and Gow put Sally and Daisy down at our house, and we had an adult meal and just hung out. It was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, it was a last hurrah as Erica and Nils are on home assignment ... they're missionaries in Mexico ... and are going to spend the next half year or so with Erica's family in Minnesota. Total bummer!
Which leads to my deep question of the day ... why does is always seem that people are moving away right when we are getting to know them? I have to qualify that by saying the Cyndie and I are certainly guilty of initiating that ourselves (see move from OC to WI). Man, we are a transient society. I guess it is both the blessing and the curse of having so many travel options available to us, making the world a smaller place. Not only that, but with the way communication has changed, we're just more aware of what is going on in the world ... leading me to take a job in WI, or Nils and Erica to have a heart for the Mexican people, or our friends Mark and Monique to sense an opportunity to start a church in the Dallas area. Frustrating!
We had a fun little get together with our friends Erica and Nils and Laura and Gow after the kids went to bed last night. Erica and Nils left their kids with Nils' parents and Laura and Gow put Sally and Daisy down at our house, and we had an adult meal and just hung out. It was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, it was a last hurrah as Erica and Nils are on home assignment ... they're missionaries in Mexico ... and are going to spend the next half year or so with Erica's family in Minnesota. Total bummer!
Which leads to my deep question of the day ... why does is always seem that people are moving away right when we are getting to know them? I have to qualify that by saying the Cyndie and I are certainly guilty of initiating that ourselves (see move from OC to WI). Man, we are a transient society. I guess it is both the blessing and the curse of having so many travel options available to us, making the world a smaller place. Not only that, but with the way communication has changed, we're just more aware of what is going on in the world ... leading me to take a job in WI, or Nils and Erica to have a heart for the Mexican people, or our friends Mark and Monique to sense an opportunity to start a church in the Dallas area. Frustrating!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Vacation Pictures
Alrighty then, here are some random pictures from the trip with a little commentary:
Papa Lee picked us up at the airport in his motorhome. This picture really doesn't do it justice, it's a 40 footer and very cool with two pullouts. It comfortably housed us, Papa, and Grandma Kim during our Glamis trip.
Here's Cyndie, the kids, and Papa at the Lake Arrowhead Village, looking out over Lake Arrowhead.
Emma and Timmy loved hanging out with their older cousin Brandon. They spent quite a bit of time sledding in the vacant lot next to Brandon's house.
Here's a picture at the bottom of the hill at Snow Valley ... Papa Lee, Brandon, Gene, and Tim.
Timmy going down the bunny hill. It was nice and long and, I think, he learned a lot!
Here's Emma and I at the top of "her" run (lift 13). We spent quite a bit of time on this one, and really enjoyed it.
Cyndie, me, and Emma headed out for a ride. Emma did great!
Timmy and Papa Lee on his newer dune buggy.
Here's me and Gene hanging out after Gene hurt his ankle. He still managed to go on a couple rides after this. He found out it was fractured when we got back to civilization.
Emma and some of her buddies from Fountain Valley (backrow - Neve, Emma, Meaghan, Maddison; frontrow - Caitlyn, Samantha). She renewed many friendships while we were there!
Cyndie and some of her lady friends ... Julia, Laurie, Sheryl, Cyndie, Elise.
Me and the boys (and Maddison) ... Jim, Greg, Maddi, me, Paul, Youndy. It was really good to be able to spend time with everyone, though, as is the norm, it was not enough!
The kids enjoying the beach (followed up by a trip to Ruby's on the pier).
What a fun trip!
Papa Lee picked us up at the airport in his motorhome. This picture really doesn't do it justice, it's a 40 footer and very cool with two pullouts. It comfortably housed us, Papa, and Grandma Kim during our Glamis trip.
Here's Cyndie, the kids, and Papa at the Lake Arrowhead Village, looking out over Lake Arrowhead.
Emma and Timmy loved hanging out with their older cousin Brandon. They spent quite a bit of time sledding in the vacant lot next to Brandon's house.
Here's a picture at the bottom of the hill at Snow Valley ... Papa Lee, Brandon, Gene, and Tim.
Timmy going down the bunny hill. It was nice and long and, I think, he learned a lot!
Here's Emma and I at the top of "her" run (lift 13). We spent quite a bit of time on this one, and really enjoyed it.
Cyndie, me, and Emma headed out for a ride. Emma did great!
Timmy and Papa Lee on his newer dune buggy.
Here's me and Gene hanging out after Gene hurt his ankle. He still managed to go on a couple rides after this. He found out it was fractured when we got back to civilization.
Emma and some of her buddies from Fountain Valley (backrow - Neve, Emma, Meaghan, Maddison; frontrow - Caitlyn, Samantha). She renewed many friendships while we were there!
Cyndie and some of her lady friends ... Julia, Laurie, Sheryl, Cyndie, Elise.
Me and the boys (and Maddison) ... Jim, Greg, Maddi, me, Paul, Youndy. It was really good to be able to spend time with everyone, though, as is the norm, it was not enough!
The kids enjoying the beach (followed up by a trip to Ruby's on the pier).
What a fun trip!
Let's Talk Vacation
Whew ... what a fun vacation! We're back, and attempting to re-enter the "normal world" after having had a most excellent 2 1/2 weeks of fun in the sun in SoCal. Let me recap:
**Emma learned to ride on "Cyndie's Quad". This is the same Honda 125 that Lee bought Cyndie when she was in elementary school, and that she remembers riding with the fam at Glamis 20 years ago. Fun. Gene said that all his kids have learned to ride on that quad.
***Sand Drags - picture this, hundreds of motorcycles, quads, buggies, etc lined up about 50 yards apart, add 3 - 5 vehicles at a time racing down the middle at around 50 - 80 miles per hour, craziness!
- Glamis* - Man, that was a blast. I had heard about it from Cyndie before, but didn't really get it. There were a lot of people to contend with in the camping area, but once you hit the dunes, things really spaced out and there was plenty of room to roam. I variously road in a dune buggy, on a quad, and in Gene's ranger (a glorified four wheel drive, gas powered golf cart). All fun, but the quad was by far the best. I'd ridden a bit before, but never in the dunes. So fun. It was almost like snow skiing in some ways ... following the contours of the dunes, rushing up and down ... hard to describe, but a blast. I definitely want to do that again. Some highlights ... Gene (Cyndie's brother) fracturing his ankle when not wearing his seat belt and rolling the ranger, Emma learning to ride a quad all by herself**, Lee (Cyndie's dad) fun new dune buggy, watching the Sand Drags***, digging Josh (Cyndie's nephew) out of a hole at the top of a dune during a night ride. Glamis was great! Many thanks to Lee and Gene for making it possible.
**Emma learned to ride on "Cyndie's Quad". This is the same Honda 125 that Lee bought Cyndie when she was in elementary school, and that she remembers riding with the fam at Glamis 20 years ago. Fun. Gene said that all his kids have learned to ride on that quad.
***Sand Drags - picture this, hundreds of motorcycles, quads, buggies, etc lined up about 50 yards apart, add 3 - 5 vehicles at a time racing down the middle at around 50 - 80 miles per hour, craziness!
- Fountain Valley - a blast seeing friends, going to our old church, hitting restaurants that we miss, enjoying the great weather (70s most of the stay), going to the beach. We stayed with our good friends the Zones. The only negative was that school was back in session, so that kind of restricted the time we were able to spend with friends (and their kids).
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