Livi prefers to wear pajamas while joining Aiden at the bus stop.

I would too if I didn’t think I would look like one of “those mothers”. LOL.

Can anyone name that quote?  Anyone?  Anyone?  Well, I’ll leave it up in the air and you can discuss.  😉

So last week we went to church camp with our church’s young people and the two kiddos.  We had a fabulous time filled with friends, food, and fellowship.  Not only that but we got to try a few things we hadn’t before and have some neat adventures.  That being said, I’m a little battered and bruised from all the fun.

It started with a giant swing.  You read that right.  You get completely harnessed in for safety, including a helmet (although the helmet is not pictured here).

Once you are safely fastened to the structure you are then hoisted up very high in the air until you reach the top.  This is adventure by choice so you have to pull the release yourself (or make your husband do it if you’re a big weenie – thanks babe!  He he).  You free fall until the line catches you, then you swing back and forth until you slow down and are unhooked.

This is the structure.  There is actually another one across from it and you swing toward another couple of people.

If you know me, then you know that I couldn’t do anything 100% normally like every other person out there.  From the time I sat down I never felt good about where I was in the seat.  When we were pulled up I felt too far back and like I was off balance.  The countdown ended and Gabe pulled the release.  I found out that I am not a screamer in a free fall situation, I’m a teeth clenching grimacer.  We hit the bottom and started the upward swing, which definitely felt better.  That is until I fell off the back of the swing.  I FELL OFF THE BACK OF THE SWING.  Please reference the video to see my feet in the air and my head upside down.  Upside down.

That was an adventure to put it mildly.

After letting my stomach and nerves calm down, as well as eating a little lunch, it was time for another new experience.  Next up was the zip line.  I wish I had gotten more pics of it or some of us on it but I didn’t want to take my phone out in the woods for fear of dropping it.

To say it was AMAZING is putting it mildly.  We had to hike out through the woods in to a field.  We then got harnessed up again (see the above picture!) and had to climb a large telephone pole up about 30 feet.  Once up there we were harnessed to the zip line and just had to sit down and let go to swing high above our friends and end up back at camp.

This is a picture taken at the stopping point.  If you look off through the two poles you can see another two poles and a platform out in the distance.  That’s what we zipped off of to end up here.

I liked the zip lining SO much better than the swing for a lot of reasons.  I would have gone right back out and done it again if we had had the chance.  It was really neat to be so far up and just zoom right down.

All these adventures did come at a price.  Now to tie this all in to my title.  After camp was over I started noticing a few bruises on my body and within about a day I realized I was covered.  Here is a collage of just a few.

Aren’t they pretty?  Yep, every one of these came during our adventures at camp and they were all worth it.  I’m battered and bruised but I had FUN!

Okay, I have to admit, I am a HUGE “Beverly Hills 90210” fan.  And I’m not talking about that new thing out there.  I’m talking about the Brandon, Brenda, Kelly, Dylan, Steve, Andrea, Donna, and David original.  I can’t help it.  Don’t judge me.

This show started just as I was on the cusp of becoming a teenager and it kept me company throughout my teen years.  I remember discussing the SHOCKER episode of Dylan’s father being blown up the next day on the bus.  I remember being so upset when Kelly told Brandon no the first time he asked her to marry him.  It was all so good!  I would still watch reruns if I could find them on and have definitely watched a marathon before when it was shown.

That’s why I was super happy to see this commercial hit the airwaves.  As a rule I do NOT like commercials.  I tend to read or do other things while commercials are on and basically avoid them whenever I can.  The other night I happened to catch one that just made me smile.

I almost cheered to see Kelly, Brandon and Dylan back together again.  I’m not proud of it but I will definitely take it anyway.  🙂

Today was a big milestone in my first born’s life.  The first day of kindergarten.  Ugh.  Just typing that makes me tear up.  I can’t believe it.  How have over five years gone by since the day he was born??  How can he possibly be ready for this step??

To say he was ready would be an understatement.  From the time he graduated from preschool last Spring he has been talking about when he would be heading to kindergarten.  Every week he knew he was one week closer.  Last week we were at church camp (which I will write about later this week) and all week long he talked about how when it was over he would be going to kindergarten.  And every time he talked about that, I started having palpitations.

Last night we talked about kidnergarten and prayed for him to have a good day as I tucked him in to bed.

This morning I stayed up after Gabe left for work at 5:40.  I was too anxious to go back to bed.  I made pancakes and bacon for Aiden’s first day of school.  I wanted him to have his favorite breakfast to start the day out right.

Once breakfast was done getting him up wasn’t 100% easy.  He was excited for school but he also wanted a few extra minutes.  I did get him up though and he decided he wanted to eat breakfast in the dark so I obliged.

He got to watch Sonic Underground (one of his favorite shows) while eating breakfast, which seemed like a good way to start the day.

While Aiden was eating I decided to go ahead and get his lunch all put together.  I don’t know the menu of the school yet so taking his lunch definitely seemed like the best way to go on his first day.

Once it was all together it was time to make sure we had everything before getting dressed.

Next was getting dressed and getting Livi up to eat something and head on out.  Even the ride to school was a thing of excitement.  The kids pointed out every bus we saw and I’m pretty sure Aiden couldn’t wipe the smile off his face.

Arrival at the school was a little anticlimactic, as it was raining and we had to stand in a line outside to get his name tag and check him in for the day.  That didn’t dampen his excitement though.

After just a few minutes of waiting (and getting to see Mamaw Denise!) we were in.  A very nice lady took us down to his classroom and before we knew it Aiden’s backpack and lunch box were safely stowed in his cubby and he was happily sitting at a desk with his name taped to it coloring away.  That was about the point I might have lost it but my big brave boy just smiled his toothless smile, waved his sweet little hand, and said “bye!”.  The nice classroom helper said that was usually the best time to leave and I was inclined to agree.  I snapped this last pic before heading on my way.

As I held Livi’s hand and we walked out the door all I could think was that in 7 short hours I would have my little guy back.  I think I might be able to handle this after all.

I have major issues with food.  Sometimes I feel like I’m alone in this but I know I’m far from it.  Why does food have such a hold on so many people??

I have gone up and down and up and down for the last 10 years.  I will lose weight and then gain it back.  It feels like a never ending cycle.  I do well with exercise, I schedule time to take care of myself, and I focus on making healthy choices.  Then life happens and work is stressful or there is a death in the family or school is freaking me out.  That results in studying for long hours, working at crazy times, or just plain not caring because it doesn’t seem important in the face of a tragedy.

And then I end up where I am now.  Three years after working really hard to be healthy and lose weight and I’m back where I started.  I thought for sure I would get back where I needed to be this summer.  I would have all this free time when not in school and could spend lots of time exercising outside.  Of course this has been one of the hottest summers in Indiana history so me and the kids have been stuck in the house most of it.  We’ve been busy and pretty much just eating whatever happens to come along.  Yeah, that doesn’t make for a healthy lifestyle or a slimmer Brandy.

I haven’t been particularly liking what I have seen in the mirror lately but I had been ignoring it.  Until yesterday when I got on the scale and the number pretty much slapped me in the face.  I ignored the bacon in the fridge and had oatmeal for breakfast, I had a yummy grilled chicken salad for lunch, I measured and weighed my pasta dinner and wrote everything down for the day.  I tracked it to see what I was doing.  I was proud of myself by the end of the day but I was also a bit miserable.

I was craving junk food like I can’t even tell you.  I wanted something greasy and fatty and maybe something filled with sugar.  I didn’t need it.  I wasn’t hungry.  I was full and done eating for the day.  All of that didn’t matter because I LONGED for something horrible for me.  I wasn’t hungry.  I didn’t need it.  I just wanted it for no good reason, something I wish I could explain.  I’m going to say it again, I DIDN’T NEED IT.

I can happily report that I didn’t eat any of it.  I left the chips alone.  I didn’t dig through the freezer for ice cream.  I track using Weight Watchers and I was well within my points for yesterday.  While I wanted something bad for me I talked myself out of doing it.  I ate good food and enjoyed it and fought my cravings instead of giving in to them.

There have been a lot of studies about sugar and fat being addictive and I absolutely believe that to be true.  My body doesn’t need it but when I try to get some of it out of my life, I feel a horrible urgency to eat them.  I feel like I’m trying to detox my body away from those things.  I am drinking more water and putting healthy food into my body.  I’m hoping the next 2-3 weeks goes by quickly as I try to break the habit I have created of eating junk.  My body doesn’t need it and I don’t want to be dependent on it any longer.