Pay it Forward Challenge

I got this Pay it Forward challenge from my sister-in-law, Rachel's blog. I thought it was such a great idea and am way excited about it.

If you would like to join me just follow the instructions below.This is how it works: The Pay it Forward Exchange is based off of the concept from the movie "Pay it Forward". I will send a hand made gift to the first three people who comment on this post on my blog requesting to join the PIF Exchange. All the gifts will be made and sent out some time within this year. How exciting to not know when your surprise package will arrive! What you need to do in return, is pay it forward by making the same promise on your own blog. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PROMISE TO POST THIS SAME 'PAY IT FORWARD' MESSAGE ON YOUR BLOG, WHICH MUST BE ACTIVE IN ORDER TO PLAY. YOU WILL PAY IT FORWARD TO 3 PEOPLE WHO COMMENT ON YOUR BLOG. I'd love for you to join me. Will you? Other comments are welcome but only the first three will be my Pay it Forward recipients. Come and join me, who doesn't love a gift or giving gifts???

New Shoes

My kids get new play shoes about once a year. Tax time. It is a very exciting time in my house! They get to go to Target and pick out the ideal pear of play shoes. They get to find out how much their feet have grown. And did I mention they get to pick them out themselves (the most important part to them).

This year Eric chose Transformer shoes. He was quick to point out to me that they do not have ties because he has been wearing his hiking boots for the last month or two since he wore out his other shoes. He knows how to tie them, but he doesn't tie them tight enough for them to stay tied for very long. That means he has to stop and tie his shoes a lot during the day when he wears the hiking boots.

Sean knew before we even left for the store that he wanted Spiderman shoes. When he found ones that light up, that was an extra bonus!

Noel had a simpler agenda. She wanted PINK. She picked out some pink shoes with sparkles, and is absolutely convinced that they are "Cinderella" shoes.

Living with Hypothyroid

In my quest to feel better and healthier, I emailed my doctor yesterday to request a new prescription for my thyroid medicine and ask questions about my lack of periods in the last 7 months and inability to lose weight. For some reason I didn't think that me not taking my meds would affect my body that much. I was totally wrong.

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in my early 20's, and I was told that was the reason I was having problems getting pregnant (we tried to get pregnant for two and a half years before I got pregnant with Eric). In my naive ways, I just took that as not a serious thing and went on my way.

I have taken myself on and off my meds several times since then. This is the first time that I have really noticed a difference in how I feel because of it. I often feel depressed, light headed, and unable to concentrate on simple tasks. It can be incredible irritating for me.

After receiving an answer from my doctor today, I was relieved that I can actually fix my problems. He has agreed to give me a new prescription and have me come back in for lab work in 6 weeks to make sure that I am on the right dosage. He also let me know that my state of no periods without pregnancy is from not having enough of the thyroid hormone in my body. I was glad to know that getting back on my meds should help me to lose weight as well.

My next step was to look up "hypothyroid" on the Kaiser website so that I can actually feel informed about this medical problem that I have been dealing with for nearly 10 years and will continue to deal with for the rest of my life. I was surprised to learn that, by not taking my meds, I am actually putting myself at risk for heart attack and stroke. Yikes! Maybe if I had been told that sooner, I would have been more willing to stay on my meds. At the end of the article I read this:

"Hypothyroidism can cause many different symptoms, such as:
Feeling tired, weak, or depressed.
Dry skin and brittle nails.
Not being able to stand the cold.
Constipation.
Memory problems or having trouble thinking clearly.
Heavy or irregular menstrual periods"

Other than the brittle nails, this fits me exactly, especially the last 6 or 7 months. I am going to do my best to stay on that yucky medicine now. I am going to stop believing that I can "cure" my problems with exercise (that doesn't mean I will stop exercising though).

8 Things About Me Tag

I guess that I have been tagged since I read Tara's.

8 Favorite TV Shows
1. Biggest Loser
2. Lost
3. Law and Order
4. Heroes
5. Bones
6. House M.D.
7. I really don't watch a lot of TV lately, so I can't even think of any more.
8.

8 Things I Did Yesterday

1. Talked to my sister
2. Took Eric to school
3. Picked Eric up from school
4. Visited Facebook
5. Watched a movie
6. Took down my Christmas stuff
7. Cooked dinner
8. Struggled to get Noel to go to sleep

8 Things I am Looking Forward To

1. Losing weight. I am determined to make it happen even if it is only a few pounds.
2. Finishing the books I got for Christmas so I can read the next Twilight book
3. Seeing the new Harry Potter movie
4. Finishing the scarf I am making for myself. (It is a long process when I make stuff for myself.)
5. Eric being done with first grade so we don't have to deal with this teacher anymore.
6. John being done with school
7. Tax refund
8. Painting my house

8 Favorite Restaurants

1. Fazoli's
2. Wendy's
3. Burger King
4. Olive Garden
5. Tokyo Joe's
6. Pizza Hut
7. Papa Murphy's
8. Dairy Queen

8 Things on My Wish List

1. Maid service
2. John get some kind of raise
3. Noel to go to bed with out me laying down with her
4. More time by myself (I mean time that I don't have to wake up early to get.)
5. Getting everything fixed around the house
6. NO MORE MICE IN MY HOUSE
7. A balanced budget
8. Traveling somewhere I have never been

If you read this, you've been tagged. You're it!

Hairspray

OK. I know I am a little behind on my movie watching. I don't get to pick the movies very often, so I am usually stuck watching something John picks or something the kids pick. That is not always a bad thing. I just don't get to watch my girl movies very often. That was my original reason for signing up for Netflix. Now I can watch the many movies I have been waiting to see.

Last night I finally got to watch Hairspray. I used to watch the one with Ricki Lake with my mom and sister all of the time. We loved it. We rented it so often, I wonder why my mom never bought it. I was a little worried to watch the one that came out in 2007 because remakes are rarely as good as the original. I would have to say I was pleasantly surprised! The movie was not exactly like the original, it was better. The songs were full of energy. The transitions between scenes were smooth. John Travolta totally nailed the part of Edna Turnblad! I would recommend this movie to anyone. It is just plain fun!

Goal Check

I am doing great at my journal writing. The personal journal that I am writing is helping me out quite a bit. I seem to be the kind of person that lets every little thought keep me awake at night. Now that I am writing everything down, I seem to be sleeping better.

My exercise goals or getting onto a good track. I managed to workout 5 times last week even though Saturday was a short workout. I am going to up my goal this week by saying that I want to exercise for at least 20 minutes 6 days a week.

I was successful in having my kids listen to the Book of Mormon 4 mornings last week. I am going to try to make it five mornings this week. I already have a good start because I succeeded this morning.

What the Heck?

On Thursday, I decided that I was going to start keeping track of my weight again. Thursday morning I weighed my self before taking my shower to get an idea of where I was starting. It was depressing, but workable. I figured that with all of the exercise that I have been doing that those numbers would start going down soon. Friday I weighed my self again. I weighted .5 lbs more than the day before. No problem. I had breakfast before I weighed myself that time, so I just decided that I would blame the food and water. I skipped weighing myself on Saturday because I just plain forgot. This morning I weighed myself again. I had gained 3 pounds in one day! I didn't think that was possible. We did have McDonald's for breakfast and Wendy's for dinner (something we rarely do) and I only got 1.7 miles on the Gazelle, but holy cow. I guess that will teach me. I am usually very good at making dinner for my family. We had just decided that it would be fun to treat the kids for the first time in about a month. I guess we went a little over board.

"I Have Learned it All Already!"

John and I have been trying to figure out why Eric not only doesn't want to go to school, but he doesn't seem to want to go to church lately either. We both understood that at 7 this stuff is boring, but it seemed to go further than that. No matter what I would say to him and no matter how I asked him why, his answer was always, "It's stupid." This was very upsetting to me. I didn't know what to do. John, last night, talked to Eric and asked him the same questions that I have been asking for weeks. Eric actually gave an honest answer that we could work with this time. "I have learned it all already, Dad," he said calmly. John just gave him a hug and explained to him that there is still more to learn, even for Dad. As they continued to talk, John and Eric had a moment that was much needed. I couldn't believe that my son actually opened up to someone, and the best part about it was that he opened up to his dad, and his dad opened up to him. I am so glad that John knows how to talk to my boys and make them feel like he truly understands and is listening to them.

My Change in Attitude

I have been feeling great the last couple of days! I have been getting up early and getting the things done that I want to do for myself. I was worried that I wouldn't have the energy to get through the day, but it doesn't seem to be the case. Just the fact that I get some "me time" seems to help with my outlook. I have been getting more done around the house, spending more time with the kids (meaning they are not just put in front of a movie as often), and actually enjoying doing things for my family. I could never have imagined that just having an hour to an hour and a half to myself would make so much of a difference in my outlook!

Exercise Inspiration

When I watch the Biggest Loser, all it makes me want to do is more exercise. I am not able to watch it at night when it comes on, so I watch it from the shows web site. I see those people and how much they work out and the fact that they are losing weight period, and I think, "I can work hard and lose weight too." I know that I don't weigh as much as the contestants do when they start the show, but when they start getting under 200 pounds, I really take notice.

I am currently about 40 pounds more than I weighed when I got married. My dream is to be back down to that weight and size. I know that won't happen if I don't change anything. The easiest and cheapest thing to change is the amount of physical activity I include in my day.

I don't have the money to join a gym, but lets face it...I wouldn't go even if I did. I have a Gazelle at home thanks to my good friend asking me to "store" it for a while. I have four or five videos, and I even like one or two of them. I also have Netfix, where I can access a lot of different videos online basically for free since I am really paying for the movies that get shipped.

My problem is that I lack motivation on most days. Today, I watched the second episode of this season of the Biggest Loser. What an inspiration. If they can do it I can do it. All I am requiring of myself is three miles on the Gazelle or twenty minutes of a video 5 days this week. I missed my chance on Monday and Tuesday, but I am determined to get it done the rest of the week. Who knows, maybe it will lead to me actually watching what I eat.

Goal Check

This may get a little old for you, but I really think it is helping me to accomplish my goals.

I am happy to report that I have been still writing in my journals daily. Even though it is incredibly difficult on the weekends, I still manage to find the time. I honestly believe that the time alone that writing and reading and praying gives me is helping me get through my days.

As far as exercise goes, I did get it done 5 days in the last week. It was a challenge to find the time to do it, especially on Friday when I had the two kids that I was watching dropped off between 9 and 9 :30. I had to do my exercise at night. I have found that I feel a sense on accomplishment when I finish a hard work out video in the past, but I am finding more recently that going at least 2 miles on the Gazelle gives me more of an accomplishment. This week I am going to make the goal again of exercising at least 5 days a week. I am going to challenge my self father by saying that I need to go at least 3 miles on the Gazelle or do at least 2-10 minute segments of the videos that I have been doing on Netflix.

When it comes to having my kids listen to one chapter of the Book of Mormon a day, this one is difficult. I found that Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I did great in the morning. Thursday I knew I was forgetting something, but couldn't put my finger on it until later. Thanks to a great suggestion from a friend, we listened to it during dinner that night. Friday, I remembered to have them listen. Over the weekend however, I forgot. I think that I am going to make a goal of reading it to them at dinner time at least 3 days this week. That leaves room for error on my part and a way to feel good about accomplishing my goal.

What Do You Think?

For a while I have thought that Dieter Uchtdorf looks surprising like Barry Bostwick. Granted they have different values so it is quite evident that they are not the same person. Dieter Uchtdorf is a member of the first presidency of my Church. Barry Bostwick on the other hand is an actor that apparently posed at least on the cover of Playboy (I found that out when I googled pictures of him). Here are their pictures. What do you think?

Dieter F. Uchdorf

Barry Bostwick

Birds

On Thursday morning, while the kids were eating breakfast, I looked out our back door to see a bunch of birds (I think crows) lined up on the fence. When I opened the back door to get a picture, they of course flew away along with even more that appeared to have been on the roof and other unseen parts of the fence. Watching this flock fly away was such and awesome sight that I had to take a lot of pictures. Here are a few.

French Bread

I don't know why, but for some reason I have always been intimidated by the idea of making French bread. I used to make regular bread all of the time to save money. Whenever we have rolls at home, I make them. For a little while I would make our hot dog and hamburger buns just because I could. Then I would just look at the picture of French bread and think, "There is no way I would be able to make that!"

Today, I decided to work past that insecurity and make the French bread necessary for our dinner rather than buy it. It was surprisingly easy! I googled "French bread recipe" and of course came up with several options. A few of them were going to take way to long (and I was starting around 3). I finally came across a recipe on ask.com that not only had written instructions, but a video to go with. So I set out to make the bread. It turned out great! Who new it would be one of the easiest breads that I have made?

It's Not Fair

I like that my kids need me. They keep getting more independent. That part I like. Sometimes they get too independent too fast.

Noel started dressing herself when she was barely 2. When Sean did the same thing, I was happy because I was 8 or 9 month pregnant. Noel may be my last baby though, and I wasn't ready for her to grow up.

Sean practically potty trained himself. It was only about 3 or 4 months before he turned 3, but for some reason I wasn't ready for that step yet. We had run out of diapers his size, and it was payday. That means that we were going to have to wait until Daddy got home to cash is check and go buy diaper. Noel's diapers were only one size smaller so I just figured he could wear those until we could get more his size. He did not agree. He didn't want to wear "baby" diapers. He wanted to wear "big boy pants." It only took about 2 weeks to potty train him (that part was nice). I just wanted to wait for a while because I was still had a 6 month old. I wanted her to be a bit older so I could give him the attention I thought it would require.

Eric doesn't want me to walk him to the gate at school anymore. He decided today that he was too big for that. Not fair! I can say that it is nice to stay in the warm car, but isn't he supposed to need me a little longer? I was totally caught off guard when he told me this morning that he didn't want me to park in the parking lot. He just wanted he to drop him off at the gate.

What is a mom to do? My kids are getting more and more independent. It is fun to see them grow. It does give me more time to get other things done. I just didn't think it would happen so fast!

Mrs. Vickery

This lady is amazing! She is one of the many paraprofessionals at Eric's school. She greats the kids as they get to school every morning by the playground. Some how she is always chipper no matter how cold it is. The most amazing this is that she greats each child individually. I am not talking about just saying, "Hello," as each child passes by. I am talking about greeting the children by name. I am good at remembering names and faces, but that is a lot of kids to remember! She even greats Sean as we drop Eric off in the morning. Sean doesn't even go to school there! I am glad that Eric goes to a small town school where efforts such as this are made to make him feel welcome.

I Feel Loved

As many know, my husband has a WEbook account. He originally got on there to get some feedback on his poetry, but it seems to me that he blogs more than writes poetry. To give him some space and privacy from my ever watchful eye, I stayed away from his blog entries considering them the closest thing he has had to a journal in a long time. Today, I broke my rule. I got on and read some of his blog-type entries. To my surprise, the two random entries that I decided to read both had some good things about ME. In both he called me his sweet wife. In one he was talking about one of my personality traits that I always found a downside and said that he loved it. In another he called me beautiful. Wow! It just made me so twitterpated!

Goal Update

I am doing great at the journal writing. It has been a great outlet for me, and a good way to really focus on who I am and what I want out of life.

Exercising has been a challenge for me. I did exercise 4 times in the last week. I really enjoy the variety of exercise videos available instantly on Netflix. Taking time to so them is a different story. I have realized that other than housework and chasing kids around, I don't get much exercise. When the weather was nice I was walking to and from the school in the morning and afternoon. Now it is either too windy or too cold most days. I need to exercise more often. I am going to make a goal this week to exercise 5 days. That is just one more day than last week. It should be easy.

As far as a new goal for me this week. I am going have my kids listen to the Book of Mormon during breakfast. There should be enough time for them to listen to at least one chapter a day.

Eric is 7!

Am I really old enough to have a 7 year old? I must be because 7 years ago today at 11:34am Eric Matthew Crumpley was born.


Eric has always been stubborn. He was a breach baby (head up). When I was 37 week pregnant with Eric they tried to turn him, but he kept slipping right back in the direction he was comfortable. After talking to doctor about our options, we decided that it would be best for me and the baby if I were to have a c-section. Eric wouldn't even turn then, so he was born bum first. Eric was 6 pounds 1 ounce.

Now he is still as stubborn as ever (hence all of the problems at school). He is also sensitive and sweet. He loves his family and his family loves him. I couldn't imagine my world without him!

Robb's

I have been looking for ways to save money lately. Groceries are always a concern in my house. Not only do I have my kids to feed, but I have one little girl that I watch 3 days a week and my nephew when my sister's day care falls through (hopefully she will find a more reliable day care soon). That means that on any given day I could be feeding 4 kids and a toddler, and only two of them are not picky about what they eat. I am not complaining about the work, just explaining the situation. That means that if I can find a way to get kid-friendly food for less money I am up for anything.

A few months ago my step-mother told me about this little store in Brighton called Robb's. They sell clearance food and other household items. I was a little reluctant to try it out. Today, I decided that I would just see what they had. To my surprise they had stuff on my grocery list for way less than I could get them any where else. Yes, the box of Stove Top was slightly squished and the box of cereal was ripped a little, but I can deal with that. The main part of the packages were still sealed.

This is not the kind of store that someone could plan on specific items being there. It is a little like going to the discount bins in the back of the store. I ended up saving a good amount of money an getting a few extra goodies for Eric's birthday dinner in the process.

Notice the Clothes

This is Eric when he was 3. He has always been a little small for his age.
This is Tommy today. He is 13 months. He is big for his age.

Eric's Letter

Eric's birthday is on Saturday so, just like any other first grader, he wants to bring treats to class on Friday. I told him that I would write a letter to the teacher to make sure, but I didn't think that would be a problem. He insisted on writing the letter himself.

Goal Update

I know that I just wrote about my goals last Thursday, but I have been working on writing in my journals for about a week now. In fact, today was day 7. I also figured it would be easier for me to remember to have goal updates on Monday rather than Thursday.

As far as journal writing goes, I have written in all of my journals everyday for the last week! I can't believe how much easier it is getting to find stuff to write daily about myself.

The prayer journal is helping me focus on the things that are important in my life. It is amazing how rather or not John is up playing his game until all hours of the night has become less important. I am able to see the little things that he has been doing for me a little clearer. That doesn't mean that I don't get frustrated at his selfish behaviors sometimes. It just means that I have been more likely to notice when he does stuff like make lunch for the kids.

The hardest journal for me is the scripture journal. I feel like I need to write something profound about the scriptures that I read. I don't always feel like that particular scripture has a specific meaning to me. I found myself yesterday just recapping what the chapter heading said.

My personal journal has been wonderful. I can get all of the little things off of my mind so that I can sleep at night. I have been struggling with feeling like I need to stick to one topic in my journal, but sometimes I want to write more. I guess that I should just do it. It is not like someone will come to me some day and say, "Shame on you for writing too much on this day."

Exercising is another story. I think that I have exercised once since last Thursday. I am determined to do better. I think my goal for this week will be to do it at least three times in the next week.

I am a Mormon

In the search to find out what make me, well, me. I have known one thing for sure. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. That is one thing that will never change. I am not going to risk my membership to learn more about myself. In fact, I am leaning more to the values and habits of my youth.

I was born into this Church, but that is not why I believe in the concepts and principles that I have been taught. I believe because that is what I know is right. That is what makes me happy. The church was one of my constants in my otherwise crazy teenage life.

Recently I was invited to join a group on Facebook. It is called "Why Yes, I AM Mormon, thanks." I liked and agreed with most of the statement on the main page. I liked some of them so much that I wanted to share them. For my non-Mormon friends, I hope this helps you understand me better and I hope that you will continue to respect me and my beliefs.

You most likely know one. Whether you're aware of it or not.

Our real name is The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter Day Saints. Which means we're Christian :)

Sometimes we go by LDS. Mormon is a nickname given us because we believe in the Book of Mormon. We usually go by Mormon because that's how people know us...

We don't drink.We don't smoke.We don't drink coffee... and if you see one of us doing that, slap them and say "NO!"

Joseph Smith was the first LDS prophet.

Brigham Young was the second.

BYU is a Mormon college...There are 3 of them - one in Utah, Idaho, and Hawaii. BYU stands for Brigham Young University.

Not all of us have been Mormon our whole lives...

It's true. We make the best green jello salad and casseroles you've ever tasted.

We think Mormon jokes are funny.

We give talks in church in front of 150-300 people. how's that for public speaking?

We love to sing and dance.

If we ask you to go to an activity, it's NOT a conspiracy thing where we're trying to convert you. It means we have fun and we want to share that with you. Likely the church won't even really be mentioned while you're there.

If we ask you to go to church, it's because we care enough about you to want to share with you what we know and the blessings we've received.

If we give you a Book of Mormon, we're giving you the most precious gift we have. It may not have the same meaning to you at first. That book has changed lives for the better and when we see you going through hard times, we want to help. This is the best way we know of helping you. So don't be offended. Even if you don't want it, know that we care about you THAT much.If you turn us down, it's OK.If you think we're pushing you, tell us to knock it off! We'll stop.

If you ask us what we believe, only for the sake of arguing, we won't tell you. It's pointless to engage on that when you're not going to open your mind and listen.

Asking you to go to church, an activity, or giving you a Book of Mormon is incredibly hard. It's like a guy asking out his crush. Some of us are more comfortable in doing that than others. It's hard. So if we do it, be NICE! :)

Donnie and Marie? Mormons.

The Bat Commander? Mormon.

Steve Young? Mormon

Gladys Night? Mormon

We're not perfect. No one is. We make mistakes. We slip. Try not to judge us by one person who is struggling.

LA's Totally Awesome Cleaners

I love these cleaners! Over the summer I picked up the orange cleaner at the Dollar Tree thinking that it was worth a try for only a dollar. I had yet to meet an orange cleaner that I didn't like and hoped that would be the case for this cleaner as well. I LOVED it! It is the best orange cleaner ever. It cuts through grease and grime on the stove like no other cleaner. Yesterday, I went to the Dollar tree to pick up some more and get some other much needed cleaning supplies. I was looking for some sort of Soft Scrub type stuff and something like Magic Eraser after reading the comments on me previous entry. I didn't find that kind of stuff, but I saw that there was some LA's Totally Awesome Bathroom Cleaner. Once again, I figured that it was worth a shot. I would only be out a dollar if it didn't work right? Much to my surprise not only did it work, but it got the gross stuff off of the bottom of my shower! I just sprayed it on then scrubbed it a little with my scrub brush, and now the shower floor is white again. This stuff is truly awesome! Now I can't wait to try their entire line of cleaners.

Goals

I have come to the conclusion that there are two main reasons that I don't keep my goals. The first one is that I make them unattainable. Because in my mind a year is long enough to do just about anything I desire, I tend to set goals that are difficult to fulfill within the time that I have. The other reason is that I don't give myself a way to track my goal, and therefore I have not accountability. I have come up with a plan. I am going to set weekly goals for a while instead of yearly goals. There are many things that I would like to do to better myself. I think that by tracking my progress on here and making myself accountable because people do actually read this, I will be more likely to reach my goals.

I am going to start with two small goals. My first goal, and one that I started a few days ago, is to write in my journals daily. The second is to get at least 10 min. of exercise a day.

I have three journals that I have been bouncing around. The first one is a prayer journal. I find that I think better when I write. I seem to be able to express my feelings better that way. I have been writing my prayers like letters to God in a journal. It is interesting to go back and see how they are answered. The second journal is a scripture journal. Until a few days ago, I had only made a few enrties into this one. In the scripture journal, I write down my thoughts on the scriptures that I read that day (this also helps me read scriptures daily). The third journal is just a regular journal. I have kept a journal on and off since I was a teenager. I have don't better at this since my mom's death. It really hit me that I couldn't read her journals and know what was going on with her through the years that she wasn't being much of a mom. When she died, I wanted a way to be close to her, and I was denied that because my aunt threw her journals away. I have been determined to at least try to keep a journal since then. I do sometimes go months between entries. I want to write in it daily, even if I am just writing trivial things.

When it comes to exercise, I haven't been doing very good at daily exercise since the contest that I had with some friends ended. As soon as it ended, I just stopped doing everything that I had worked so hard on. I think that by starting small with just 10 minutes a day and slowly working up to more time, I will be motivated to work harder.

I will try to make an update on my goals and tweak them as necessary weekly.