My Family's Coming...My Family's Coming!

My mom, dad, brothers, and one brother's girlfriend are coming a week from today! I cannot wait! I live 900+ miles from home and really miss them terribly. Here's a list of things I'm looking forward to about their visit:

1. Mom's backscratches.
2. Making fun of Dad.
3. Caitie (my brother's girlfriend) keeping my brothers in line.
4. Jake (my baby brother) daring my husband to do really stupid stuff.
5. Tastykake binge.
6. Prospect of a Shady Maple trip.
7. Eating cheese steaks.
8. Being critical.
9. Showing off my domestic skills.
10. Overeating.
11. Having my dad make decisions for me.
12. Talking face-to-face.
13. Psychological tickling.
14. Making fun of Luke (my middle brother) with the help of his girlfriend.
15. Repeated water ice runs.
16. Showing off my family at church.
17. Mom's nicknames for me.
18. Mom helping with dishes.
19. Being lazy.
20. Overeating.
21. Talking about Weight Watchers after overeating.
22. Using the phrase "get back on the wagon" after overeating.

Most of these things mean nothing to you. Oh well, brain dumps help me get even more excited.

Melissa and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Did you ever read Alexander and Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day ? That is sort of how my day went. Or at least it felt that way. I won't go into details because they aren't really important, but it was a crummy day.

At the end of the day, I dragged my feet everywhere I went. When I got home I ate a large quantity of jellybeans. Then my husband took me to my favorite Mexican restaurant to cheer me up. I only finished 1/3 of my meal. That says something right there (either that or I'm catching a bug). I actually almost threw up in the restaurant. Ben says it's because of Weight Watchers. My body wouldn't let me "pound through the plate." His terms, not mine.

All I know is, I'm weary. This quote encapsulates my day quite well. I need to remember it.

Source: traceysthoughts.tumblr.com via Melissa on Pinterest

A Facebook friend of mine, who is also a teacher, posted this reminder the other day from Scripture:
                     
Colossians 3:1-3 (ESV)

Put On the New Self
 3 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Hmmm...maybe my petty worries don't matter in the grand scheme of things. I know I'm learning some valuable life lessons in dealing with difficult people; that's for sure!

So, should I keep wallowing in the misery of my day? No. Will I? We'll see.

Easy Cheesy Enchiladas

This delicious recipe is my specialty. I originally found it on the back of a can of Old El Paso enchilada sauce and have since tweaked it to fit my taste. It's super-easy and super-tasty. It's a great meal to take to a new mom! Try it and find out!

Easy Cheesy Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 1 package of 10 flour tortillas
• 16 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cans enchilada sauce (I prefer Old El Paso brand, but any will do)
• 3/4 c. chopped onion, opt.
• l lb.  ground beef cooked, seasoned or 4 chicken breast cooked, cubed, seasoned, opt.
• Salsa, sour cream, lettuce, tomato as garnish, opt.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Prepare meat as desired.
3. Pour 1/2 of one can of ench. sauce in one 9x13 pan and then pour the other 1/2 in a second 9x13 pan.
4. Place meat down the middle of a tortilla.
5. Sprinkle meat with cheese.
6. Sprinkle with onions.
7. Roll up tortilla and place fold down in pan.
8. Repeat steps 4-7 until pans are full.
9. Pour 1/2 of one can of ench. sauce over tortillas in one and then pour the other 1/2 can over the tortillas in the second pan. 
10. Spread sauce evenly over tortillas.
11. Sprinkle tortillas with remaining cheese.
12. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and insides of enchiladas are warm.
13. Garnish with sour cream, lettuce, tomato, salsa, jalapenos, etc.

Bound and Determined to Write

So, on my chore chart I have a little row for writing. So far I haven't missed a day. I have a recipe post ready to go, but I had a rough day and don't have the brain power to craft a recipe that is lodged away in my brain. So, this is a post about how I'm trying to write about not feeling like writing.

I had a good day...once I got off work. Everything went wrong today. I was late on all my deadlines, which doesn't usually happen. Grrr...I don't want to talk about that.

When I got home, I convinced my husband to take me to a redneck (at least as redneck as it gets in PA) town for supper. We had Sonic, and our battery died because we left the accessory power on too long. Oops. Then we went to Sears and bought Ben some wrenches and a toolbox so he stops throwing his tools in the trunk of his car willy-nilly. Did you know that willy-nilly comes up as spelled wrong but it suggests willy-dilly and willy-filly? Who on earth says willy-dilly?

Then we returned my 16-days-overdue library books. I have a serious problem getting my library books back on time. I blame the newfangled receipts that replaced the unloseable stamps.

Then I washed dishes. Then I folded clothes. Then I tracked my WW points. Did you know Sonic tots are only three points? That has to be wrong. But I will not be researching it any further and will live in blissful oblivion.

Now I'm writing about my boring day so I can put a glittery sticker on my childish chore chart so I can get a writing magazine subscription so I can be inspired to write worthwhile posts instead of drivel. Well, hope you weren't bored to tears by this awful post. Although, sometimes crying is very cathartic and is even better when you aren't really sad about anything. So maybe I helped you out. See, this is a worthwhile post after all. I better stop before I start sounding like my 6th graders.

Week 1 Weight Watcher's Progress

Well, this morning was my weigh-in morning. I officially lost 1.6 pounds this week. I know that number would make someone on the Biggest Loser burst into tears or even get booted off because it is so small. But, the healthiest way to lose weight is a little at a time. So I'm pretty happy with it. I have gained weight the first week in the past, so I'll take this number. I did really well. I need to cut back on my breakfast, and some of my snacks need to be lower point snacks. Yesterday I had 58 points saved up for a party. I definitely didn't use all of them. It was nice not having to worry about it though (especially since one of my friends brought some amazing choco chip cookie dough cupcakes).

This morning I checked back to the last time I weighed myself for Weight Watchers. I have gained 25.8 pounds since then. How on earth did I let myself do that? It totally puts in perspective how far I let myself go. It blows my mind how neglecting your eating habits and weight causes you to spiral out of control.

One big area I really need to work on is how I view food. Right now I'm using my stubbornness to ignore my obsession with food in order to lose weight. In the past, I would get content with my weight loss and then tell myself that I DESERVED to eat whatever I wanted because I had worked so hard for so long.

I need to re-train my brain to understand that I can never stop thinking about it. I have to work at it all the time. I don't need to obsess over my weight because we all know where that leads. I do, however, need to be careful not to avoid thinking about my weight. Some people don't have to think about their weight, and they stay skinny. Not me. If I don't think about it, I balloon out of control. I have several months, maybe even a whole year to still lose weight. I need to be changing my mindset in that time.

So here's my game-plan for the duration of my weight-loss program:
          1. Track EVERY SINGLE DAY.
          2. Weigh in weekly.
          3. Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week (I have to be realistic).
          4. Blog weekly about my journey.
          5. Read (and later subscribe to) Weight-Watcher's magazine.
          6. Watch weight-loss shows on TV for inspiration and motivation.
          7. Work on attitude towards food.
          8. Reward my progress with new clothes, not fattening food!

If you're reading along, please send encouraging comments my way! I love encouraging comments. Or, share your weight-loss story with me as well. Maybe we could even work in a guest post.

Real quick before I go, here's a shot of my progress in my chore chart. I'm so proud of myself. ; )

The Therapy of Fishing

I look like a little girl here...ok, ok, I am still a little girl.

Yesterday, I posted about my little excursion to a new fishing spot. Today, my husband and I spent the morning fishing there. It was like therapy (of which I know nothing about, but imagine it to be this good). We woke up kind of late because Ben worked overnight. It was supposed to rain, but we were desperate to be outside and to be outside together. So, we ran to Wal-Mart for bait and Subway for lunch and hit the pond. I almost stayed in the car to read because it was pretty chilly, but I decided time with Ben was more important than being cold.

Look at that posture! My mom would be so proud.

I'm so glad I made that decision. Ben and I each caught five fish. He even caught a little pickerel. I only caught one fish last summer, so I was pretty excited. The best part was being outside away from slow-moving traffic, obnoxious PA accents, and abrasive people (In case you didn't know, PA is filled with slow-moving traffic, obnoxious accents, and abrasive people.) It's like I was filled to the brim with peace. God led us there. There's no other way to describe it. On the way home, I kept saying "I haven't been this happy in a long time," or "I can't even begin to describe how happy I am right now." Spending quality time with my husband outside away from the pressures of real life is absolutely priceless.

Trying to humanely release his pickerel. I'm sure it's floating on top of the pond now.

 One thing that really struck me was how "ugly" everything technically was. The lily pads were dead, the reeds were dead, the dam was falling apart, the sky was overcast, there was a dead fish rotting next to me. But you know what? All of that ugliness transformed into beauty for me. God allowed me to see past the ugly in order that I could find the beauty. So that rotting fish carcass became beautiful to me. Those dead reeds made the coolest sound when the wind blew through them. The overcast sky kept the people away.

What a stud-muffin!

Tomorrow I'll deal with the beautiful mess created by the worms spilling in the back of my car. Of course I just had to detail the inside of my car last Saturday. Oh the joys of perfectionism.

Turtles, Lilypads, Beaver Dams...and oh, Doritos Locos Tacos

I had a rough parent/teacher conference via phone this afternoon. It exhausted me body and soul. It ended well, but I really had to stand my ground. I think I missed my calling as a hostage negotiator.

Anyways, my husband took me to Taco Bell because I was too tired to make the enchiladas I had planned. We tried the new tacos with shells made out of Doritos. They were okay. It was a little like eating Sour Patch kids for breakfast, though (My husband said that my analogy made no sense. It's probably because I used up all my good ones in my p/t conference.)

photo from foodbeast.com

After that, we went "exploring." The boyfriend of one of my husband's co-workers suggested a new fishing spot to him. My husband is OBSESSED with fishing. We decided to check it out to see if we wanted to go there tomorrow for a few hours. It was actually in the middle of nowhere. There aren't a whole lot of places on the Eastern Seaboard that can fit that description.

We decided to walk around the little pond once there to scout out some good fishing spots. My husband always looks for fish whenever we come across a body of water. It's so cute. We thought we saw some catfish, but then they surfaced and we discovered they were turtles. I almost cried. I know that's kind of lame. Somehow this reptile appeared beautiful and peaceful in the midst of my long, long day. God put those little guys right there to lift my spirits. A little bit later we found a beaver dam/house/pile o' sticks and some half-chewed trees. Once again, being in nature restored my spirit.

I don't know how you can appreciate nature and not appreciate the God who created all things. I know I'm always reminded of how great God is every second I spend reveling in the nature God provided for us to enjoy.

Here's hoping the rain holds off until the late afternoon so we can spend some quality time in the great outdoors.

Dream Job

I just read a post on another blog about how the author feels as if she missed her dream job. She feels stuck. She feels that life just swept by her. She wants to write, but feels there are too many hindrances in the way.

I'm fairly young. I'll be 25 in June. I have a lot of life ahead of me. There is still so much for me to experience and accomplish. I'm worried though that life is going to sweep right by me. I'm worried that I'm going to be too busy wallowing in self-pity over my life circumstances (which are not pitiful at all) that I miss my life's calling. I'm worried that I'm going to be too busy playing it safe that I don't take risks.

I've mentioned before here that I have planned my life "perfectly" thus far. I graduated on time, got married on time, started my career on time, didn't start a family too soon, etc.... Now, I know that I didn't really cause my life to work out this way. I know plenty of other people whose lives turned out completely different. God blessed me with my life path and helped me make wise choices. I don't really know why God has allowed me to follow my "special little path" so well up until this point. The problem is, I'm starting to doubt the wisdom of a certain part of my special little path: my career.

When I was in high school, I labored over my career decision. I was determined to stick with whatever path I chose. I wasn't entirely sold on being a teacher. I felt like I was selling myself short. I felt like I was capable of so much more. (This is not to say being a teacher is an easy, worthless job. Believe me, I know better now!) I started leaning towards teaching because I really liked the field of education and always enjoyed school. In college, I soaked up my education classes and could not wait to get into the classroom. I had a partially awesome student-teaching experience (one of my coop teachers was...well... nevermind). I enjoyed teaching for the most part my first two years. This year I've really enjoyed parts of teaching, and I've really loathed parts of teaching. Dealing with unreasonable parents really squelches your love of teaching.***

So, I started thinking back to my real passion in life: writing. The thing about writing is, it's risky. It doesn't carry a guaranteed paycheck. If your work gets rejected, it's like you are being rejected. It requires great discipline (and you already know what a lazy perfectionist I am). My husband is all for it. He is constantly encouraging me to write. My dad has been my biggest champion in my writing. He always edited my papers in high school and told me I was a good writer. So, I started this blog with hopes of really pursuing my future in writing. I figure that I need to write with some sort of audience if I'm ever going to get paid to do it in the future.

I hope I don't chicken out. I really want to write. I'm hoping this blog gives me the courage and practice I need in order to succeed in writing. I know it sounds cliche, and that everyone hopes their blog turns into a book. I'm not necessarily hoping for that. I just want to write, write, write.

***Note: I'm not planning on quitting my job anytime soon. A good long summer vacation will surely cure what ails me. Teaching really is a wonderful career. : )

Day Three Of Weight Watchers...plus an Ode to Diet Coke

Well, in case you missed my incredibly boring post title, today is day three of Weight Watchers. I've been doing pretty well for getting the hang of it. The thing I hate about watching what I eat is the fact that I have to watch what I eat. I wish I could eat without thinking.

The great thing about Weight Watchers, though, is that I can eat normal food. I just have to be careful how much I eat. Tracking what I eat really helps me stay accountable and brings into focus what I put into my body.

I've also been exercising daily. I bought a line dancing exercise video at Wal-Mart over the weekend. I had a ton of fun getting the steps down. Then, Ben surprised me with a new Wii game called Country Dance 2. It's similar to Just Dance only with country songs. I don't really like the music on Just Dance because it annoys me, but I LOVE country. I can't wait to try it tonight when Ben gets home from work!

I know Diet Coke isn't the healthiest drink in the world and probably eats holes through your brain. The thing is, it's my one guilty pleasure while dieting. I feel like Diet Coke is the one constant during a diet. Without it, I think I would quit right away. So thank you, Diet Coke, for saving me from misery and despair.

Source: ny-image2.etsy.com via Melissa on Pinterest

I really am a tree-hugger at heart. ; )

My First Car Story

This is a really cool website that allows you to make an animated cartoon of your first car experience. I had so much fun making this and even more fun watching the cartoon afterwards. Check it out!

My First Car Story

Starting Weight Watchers...again

Today I started Weight Watchers for the fourth time. The first time I was in high school and did it unofficially using my dad's tools. The second time was while I was student teaching and preparing to get married. The school I was teaching at had an at-work program that I joined. I was really successful and had a lot of fun going to the meetings. I also tanned during that time, so I was looking pretty good by the time my wedding rolled around. They even had to take my wedding dress in at my final fitting! That doesn't happen too often. When my brother-in-law, Tim, saw me at our wedding rehearsal, the first thing out of his mouth was "Man, Melissa, you really lost weight!" It was the best compliment I received on my weight loss. After we got married, I started packing on the pounds because we were poor and ate a lot of rice and cheddar cheese.

The third time I started was last school year in about February. I was miserably overweight. I could have sworn I felt my double chin grow every time I bent my head down to read a book. My clothes were too tight and nothing my mom bought me for Christmas actually fit. So, I joined Weight Watchers online. I was quickly successful. My parents joined me and did well too. Everyone raved over how much weight I lost, and I felt good. But I felt too good.

I soon fell off the wagon over the summer and started packing on the pounds again. I just loved food too much to want to limit myself in what I ate. The past several months I really ballooned. I've been eating more fast food because Ben is making more money these days, and I'm exhausted after working 9 to 10 hour days with students needing my attention for all 9 or 10 hours.

I've had enough. I'm at my absolute heaviest, and it's pretty heavy. I'm going to start eating right again. This time I'm adding in exercise both at home and the gym, which is something I've previously neglected because I hate it! I'm still a part of Weight Watchers Online. I've also created a board on Pinterest of motivational quotes, weight loss ideas, and Weight Watchers recipes. I've got to make a change. I'm hoping to start having children within the next few years and want to get my weight under control before I become pregnant and gain a ton of weight.

I'm hoping by blogging about this occasionally that this will help motivate me. Here goes!

Source: someecards.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Buffalo Chicken Pockets

Last Sunday night I was wracking my brains for something quick and easy to make for supper after church. I searched through my tiny freezer to see if I had anything that would work. I just happened to find some leftover buffalo chicken from this pin on Pinterest:

Source: mykitchenapron.blogspot.com via Melissa on Pinterest

I liked the buffalo chicken when I had it on hoagie rolls, but it was a little intense. I decided then to make buffalo chicken pockets using the leftovers I had. Here is the recipe from My Kitchen Apron:

Ingredients:

 3 lb. bag of frozen chicken 

 1 bottle Frank's Red Hot Wing's Buffalo Sauce (I used Aldi's Louisiana Hot Sauce)

 1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Dip Mix.

Directions:

 1. Place frozen chicken in crockpot (the best part is you don't have to defrost it first)

 2. Pour entire bottle of hot sauce over chicken.

 3. Empty entire packet of ranch dip mix over chicken and sauce.

 4. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours.

 5. Remove chicken and shred with two forks.

 6. Return to crockpot and cook on low for another hour. (You can also add a couple of tablespoons of    butter at this point, but I didn't)

Serve with chips, hoagie rolls, tortillas, whatever.

Buffalo Chicken Pockets

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. leftover Crockpot Buffalo Chicken

4 oz. cream cheese

1 can crescent rolls

Directions:

1. Unroll crescent rolls and separate into triangles on cookie sheet.

2. Spread small amount of cream cheese (about 1 tbsp.) on widest part of cresent roll triangle.

3. Drop small amount of buffalo chicken on top of cream cheese.

4. Roll up into a ball, pressing sides together.

5. Bake according to time and temperature on the roll of crescent rolls.

Fighting Back the Lazy

I've been really frustrated with myself lately. I've been incredibly lazy. More so than usual. Even though he never says anything, I think my husband is starting to get a little annoyed with me. I decided I had to treat myself like an unruly child and create a chore chart complete with stickers. It includes categories like waking up on time, doing my daily and weekly chores, doing my devotions (which isn't a chore, but needs to become a habit), tracking my Weight Watchers points, exercising, writing, hobbying (which isn't a word), etc. I'm hoping by disciplining myself to be more productive I will be less miserable and more Christlike. How will I ever be a good mother if I don't start acting like a grown-up?

Some of my rewards for myself are TV time, Internet time, guilt-free shopping, magazine subscription, Kindle books, etc. I really hope this helps. Here goes!

Body Image- Through God's Eyes

I just spent the weekend in Baltimore attending my husband's cousin's wedding. I felt very insecure the whole weekend. I'm a country bumpkin and was mixing and mingling with classy city people. Every time we went out of our hotel room, I felt like the entire city was staring at me and laughing. It was like I was a teenager all over again. This short video puts the whole concept of body image into perspective. I wish I would have watched it before I left.