the jolybla vent project

Manifest Flow

2012-02-07T19:55:00.000-06:00

Where have I been?

Over here...working;)

Keeping two blogs it TOO MUCH work! So if you are a regular reader you might want to follow me at Manifest Flow too. I will still be updating the progress pictures and posting cutsie pics of the kids from time to time, but my LIFE is FOCUSED on the FLOW...and I'm documenting it over there....so, you already know:)

Don't Stop, Get It, Get It

2012-01-18T09:01:00.000-06:00

"Beware of no man more than of yourself;

we carry our worst enemies within us."

~Charles Spurgeon

The raging battle against my mortal enemy...it doth continue. Can't quit fighting!!! I WILL kick me own arse into submission;)

Follow me, encourage me, fight your fight alongside me (HERE)2012...Still Gettin' It.

AND...some outtakes from the shoot. Man, I make some GOOFY faces!!

Catch-Up Volume 4

2012-01-05T13:38:00.000-06:00

Christmas Morning

Posed sleepy shot of the parents:D

Eli and Abigail wait patiently
behind the "Christmas curtain" for
the littles to wake up.

OKAY they are up...
can we come up now?!?

Examining the stocking loot.

You just KNOW he is
saying SOMETHING!

Setting things aside in "lady like" fashion.

Excited for glow sticks.

WHAT?!? Doesn't everyone put their
stocking loot in "order"?

Eli's sleeveless "game polo"...
he didn't love it. Said it was,
"Too cold."

Catch-Up Volume 3

2012-01-05T13:27:00.000-06:00

Martinosky Christmas was fast and furious this year. We drove down Saturday(thankfully Ethan didn't get called into work...or it would have been the SUPER fast and SUPER furious;D) and came home Sunday. But something is better than nothing, right?!? ;)

I didn't do the crazy picture frenzy as last year, but here are a few as proof that it did, in fact, go down in B-Town.

All the kids were LOVING uncle Ethan...
AND his phone games:D

My brother Clint's youngest.

My brother Jesse's youngest.

Just plain ol' cuteness.

Clint's oldest...
"Timed Out" a great deal.

Craig's youngest...
daddy's teachin' 'em the skills I see;D

All the boys.

Craig's 2, Jesse's 1, My 1, Craig's other 1, My other 1

Jesse's 1, My 2, Clint's 2, Craig's 1

Girls again.

How the kids must really feel at Christmas
navigating the path of adults:)

"She was back in the presents...AGAIN!!!"
hahahaha!!

Kids playing, football in the background, noise...lots
of noise, and food...lots of food.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Catch-Up Volume 2

2012-01-05T13:15:00.000-06:00

The older kids all stayed with grandma Helen and grandpa Don during the Tall Girl Slumber party. Originally it was just gonna be the boys, but Miss Abigail thought a couple days overflowing with soda and board games with grandma trumped slumber party so she joined them. The Sunday we picked them up looked to be a great time to "do Christmas" with them too so grandma made up some chili and we watched the kiddos open gifts and then, of course, played some of the new games.

Pretending to sleep while "Santa" delivers the gifts.

"Santa" gets to work.

Baby first:)

"Fank you gwampa"

Asher plays dominoes with grandma almost
the entire time he is on a solo visit...so now he
has his very own set.

The boy likes things with engines...
is an understatement.

Body language say,
"She likes it!"

Meticulously opening his gift.

Grandma's turn.
We spare no expense with gift wrap:D

Let me help you with that grandma.

Playing Eli's new game "Apples to Apples".
A little fun, I must admit:)

Best attempt at kids with grandma and grandpa.

Catch-Up Volume 1

2012-01-05T12:53:00.000-06:00

Asher gave me a scare back on December 15th. I walked in late having just finished up with Abigails basketball practice and Asher was flipping out crying and saying his neck was in pain. He had been having headaches after watching too much T.V. and not wanting to miss something "big" wrong I opted for urgent care. Urgent care was concerned of meningitis(this did cross my mind too) so they sent up to ER...after an hour and a half...and a few tests, the doc decided that he had just pulled a muscle. Thus the neck brace. A little ibuprofen and rest and he's good, but he sure gave me a fright:D

The Dark Night of the Soul

2011-12-26T16:58:00.000-06:00

Guest Blog

2011-12-23T17:24:00.000-06:00

*****

What on the Earth is going on here?
Okay who is the idiot that keeps on mis-quoting me and my son. I've been seeing these signs popping up all over, and I didn't say that stuff. You think just because you read my book you can speak for me? For example at first me and "Marty" were laughing at this one, but then we realized you were serious.

I don't care if my "name" is in it, but while we are on subject if you want to give me credit, let's call it "Christ-is-the-shitmas" then we will eliminate all ambiguity. It's a heart issue here and you totally missed the mark. I KNOW you were raised better than that. And another thing, the billboard that says "I miss you" ... not true. First I've been here the whole time and second, I see everything. Which means I get to see some of the stupid ass stuff you've been doing. What you really need to do is get your act together. Don't think I won't pull this globe over and come down there and straighten you out. How about you qoute me on that. And if I do have to come down there and knock you out again, you can "as sure as heaven" bet I'm gonna take more than your rib, grrrr. Just saying.

Happy Holidays

-God

****Blog administrators note: This is a TRUE "guest blog", but just to be clear...for those of you who were wondering...it was NOT God.

And if you can't laugh...then you are taking it all entirely too seriously;D

Tall Girls...Stay Up ALL NIGHT

2011-12-21T17:53:00.000-06:00

I've been busy with LIVING so it's time to play a little blog catch up:)

A couple weeks ago me and the Tall Girls had a slumber party. Silly me thought they would MAYBE stay up until 3 or 4 a.m. Oh but I forgot these girls are little Warriors...they(and I) were up until 6:30 a.m...and were talkin' bout staying another night when they got up at noon. Now every practice has at least one, "When's the next slumber party?" Good times!

Yep...they are always this crazy!

♫♫Ebony and Ivory...go together in perfect harmony♫♫

Did some nails...

...and make-up.

Gettin' creative with white girl make-up over here:D

The face of an Angel...literally;)

Posin'

G-L-A-M...she's glamorous!

WARRIOR!!!

AND...we danced.

...and danced...

...and, "Come on Joni, let's see your moves!"

Yep...I went there! haha!

Massages...

This is probably about when I realized that I
would be doing chair massages for over an hour:/

Don't forget the little one.

FIVE GALLONS of popcorn!!!
And can you believe that not one of them knew
what an air popcorn popper was...they thought
the microwave was the popcorn popper:)

ChillAAAAAAHHHX!

Puzzles.

Smiles!

A little crafty craft.

This was about 4 a.m....looking tired-ish.

But not too tired to make a video...well, one didn't make it to the end of the video shoot.
http://youtu.be/dBDL0qwBzqg

Wore my behind OUT!!! Had a slumber party hangover, but totally worth it:D

Tea Time

2011-12-08T14:25:00.000-06:00

A day home with the little A's + a LOT of left over oatmeal to make oatmeal cake with=TEA PARTY!

Yes...I AM sitting in a
chair the same size as Asher;)

We LOVE tea!!!

Pumpkin

Sweet Pea

Set your water to boilin' and join us:)

Onward with Courage

2011-12-07T19:58:00.000-06:00

"Today I am a Christian, tomorrow a Buddhist, the next day a Taoist, the next a Yoga, the next an agnostic, and the next.... We really aren't any of these, we are speck of spiritual energy in a see of possibilities. When we say we are this or that we really are saying from our background of this life I was touched by others who moved my consciousness to accept labels. Beneath all this is the inner perfection of God manifest as a teardrop in an ocean of human possibilities singing the song of self-expression. To love others as self wipes away the labels and reveals the miracle of man as an interpreter of life on earth. Do the right thing when in the house of others and be blessed by the internal Presence awaiting those who see others before themselves. This is the label with no label. Seeing nowhere to place a lamp stand one just holds the light and helps others who walk his/her way."~L.E. Madden

It is time to continue with the blog journey. Gotta be honest...anonymous and his/her judgemental words got me wondering about putting my business out here, but I knew before I stepped one foot on this road that COURAGE would be needed for the journey. So....

I'M BACK!

Putting my heart on the line with a genuine desire and effort being made to be in the flow of Divine Light and LOVE...the SOURCE OF ALL LIFE!

NaBloPoMo: Day THIRTY

2011-11-30T13:58:00.000-06:00

Last day of NaBloPoMo...THANK GOD!! I was considering a hiatus for the month of December, but thought better of it when I realized that there will be cutsie holiday pictures I want to post...but know in advance...this everyday post thing will not continue:)

As many of you know one of the "things on my plate" right now is building a massage business. What that looks like specifically is of concern.

Do I work my behind off to build it bigger, faster, stronger(haha)...and trust that the benefits for my children's financial security will outweigh the possible emotional distresses that full-time(really overtime working mom and overtime working dad) working mom present(which leaves less time for them...it just does...only so much time in the day)...or do I let it grow slowly while still allowing for one on one time to invest in my babies still at home(read...not school aged)...and get a couple after school days with my babies growing too fast(read...school aged). We won't even go into the single mother issues that are at the fore-front of my mind for obvious reasons...because these kids have an amazing father who wants their best also(read...we are still working as a TEAM in the parents of beautiful Blair babies department).

Still with "prioritize" being a buzz word in my mind as of late...KIDS trump business. Financially speaking they can at this point...and I make no judgements on others choices as I realize that at some points business may APPEAR to trump kids...but its likely that in this situation it is still the KIDS financial security that is the motivator. Gotta say...not largely motivated by financial security...so this decision was a no-brainer for me. Make the necessary cut-backs to allow for a couple days at home.

That said...there will still be a LOT of time when we are away from one another, and after EIGHT(six, four, and two...respectively) years of all day, every day with each other...these times away have been hard on all of us. So...I decided to make a little "token of love" that can be with them ALL day, EVERY day...and gotta be honest...made one for me too;D

Each one is infused with GENUINE MAMA LOVE...

to carry with them everywhere they go!!

*********

As I was pulling up the pictures for this post I saw some pictures of the quilts that Ethan's mom made for each of the kids when they were born(and two jean quilts for the olders...need something bigger than a baby quilt at some point;D)...as this being a "documentation" blog in some respects I thought it would be nice to have these in the book later...and you all can appreciate the lovely craftsmanship.

And this concludes NaBloPoMo 2011....oy vey!

NaBloPoMo: Twenty-nine

2011-11-29T20:08:00.000-06:00

Long day. Back to work...and working out...and running like a chicken with my head cut off all day, and then what, oh yeah...blog:)

I'm not even going to pretend to have anything of any importance to say tonight...headed to a hot bath!!

NaBloPoMo: Day Twenty-eight

2011-11-28T20:35:00.000-06:00

"Be who you are

and say what you feel

because those who mind don't matter

and those who matter don't mind."

~Dr. Suess

NaBloPoMo: Day Twenty-seven

2011-11-28T00:31:00.000-06:00

First things first...link to the soundtrack(I'm not tech savvy enough to just know how to have the music play automatically, and there isn't enough time in the day that it is a priority to figure it out...so, just click the link man;D)

http://youtu.be/LanCLS_hIo4

Okay, now that we have music we can carry on. Seriously...can you imagine life without music...travesty! Hmm. I think I may be stalling on the realio dealio of this post.

So I'm just gonna go standard Joni style and start writing what's in my heart. I will surely not do the subject at hand justice, as this is merely a peek into the heart of the matter, but I want to "document" said happenings. (you know, for the book...I know I make jokey jokes about "the book", but in all seriousness...I intend to, at the very least, print this all out for myself...and my children, to read in the future).

Over the past few months I have eluded to the many changes I see on the horizon, and have kept the references generic, on purpose, because there were people that had not been told of the aforementioned changes yet, and because, to be completely real, we wanted to be sure where we WERE before we let everyone else tell us where we were SUPPOSED TO BE.

After much prayerful, meditative, Love surrounded seeking what is for our greatest good, Ethan and I have made the decision to release each other of our marriage covenant both spiritually and legally.

As this is the "jolybla vent" I will only speak for Joni and if you happen to know Ethan in the real world you'd have to ask him where he is coming from...shoot, you prolly could ask me too, as this is the super abridged version comin' at ya;D

The decision made ten years ago was made with the intention of love and to live my souls purpose...the decision made now is too made with the intention of love and to live my souls purpose. I realize that there will be those who question this decision, but I cannot allow them to make this decision for MY life. In all honesty, with the knowledge of today, there would not have been a marriage of yesterday. Still I have NO regrets. I have had ten wonderful years with an amazing man who has taught me many lessons that needed to be learned before I would be ready for this step in life, and I know that no matter what comes along our future roads we will ALWAYS be friends...we were friends FIRST!

We had a simple vow releasing ceremony last night...and celebration today. We started by lighting a unity candle to represent our marriage covenant, after which we both released each other of the vows we made ten years ago, then put our rings on the unity candle. Vows released and rings off we both lit a single candle off the unity candle and together blew out the unity candle. There will still be a few months for the legal situation to reflect the spiritual, but we both are of the mind that this is just paperwork and that we are on single journeys now.

Of course these single roads will not be entirely diverged...there are still four little travellers on these roads and we will be co-parenting them with LOVE and positivity.

So we had a little celebration of our vow releasing. We all got dressed up...took some new family pictures...went to "fancy lunch"...drank sparkling juice...and even had a dance. Abigail keeps calling it our "Butterfly gift from God"...I agree!

"…in all the woods and forests,

God did not create a single leaf the same as any other…

People go against nature because they lack the

courage to be different."

NaBloPoMo: Day Twenty-six

2011-11-27T21:46:00.000-06:00

Aw snap!!!

Missed a day.

Yesterday was our last day in Minnesota so we enjoyed a nice relaxing morning and then hit the road shortly after noon. Follow that with a not so relaxing drive home, AND an eventful evening...which I will layout for you in my Day Twenty-seven post and you've got a recipe for...MISSED NaBloPoMo post.

I'm good with it:D

NaBloPoMo: Day Twenty-five

2011-11-25T19:40:00.001-06:00

After missing my 10k Thanksgiving morning I was feeling quite a lot of stir crazy by mid-afternoon...so I thought I'd get out of the house for a little fresh air and clear the mind. When the kids caught wind of this they all jumped on the bandwagon...so a moment of "solitude" quickly transformed into "quality time with my lovelies".

I brought the point and shoot. You. Are. Welcome.(I know I am biased, but, DANG, these kids are CUTE:D).

Everybody pose on the front step
before we leave.

A little "Urban wall climbing"...
what?!? You've never Urban Wall Climbed?
Missing out;P

Full coverage up here:)

Abigail thought she was slick hiding behind
the column, but Mama's tricky...yo;D

Mama needed new desktop wallpaper.

Thanksgiving isn't complete without a little
sibling competition...race line-up.

Anavah gets a head start.

And...they. Are. Off!!!

Hmmm. Someones taking a short cut!

Determination.

Abigail got some air on her detour.

Love Eli's face...he was a whole lap ahead
of everyone, but he wanted to kick their butts.

Go, baby, go!!!

Not so focused on the race. :)

"Come back for another picture."
"Aw...come on mom...no more pictures!"

Seriously...how cute are they?!?
Gotta take the pictures.

After walk cupcakes and coloring.

Hope everyone is enjoying a relaxing holiday weekend!!!

NaBloPoMo: Day Twenty-four

2011-11-24T11:03:00.000-06:00

Want to write something full of love, peace, joy, passion, and laughter, but having trouble forming the adequate words to express what is overflowing from within.

So...I'm gonna default to silly;P

And now to sort through this business...
BLACK FRIDAY here I come:D

NaBloPoMo: Day Twenty-three

2011-11-23T15:49:00.001-06:00

A little roadtrip peace in the backseat...with Kendrick Scott Oracle. Have a listen and relax with me:D

http://youtu.be/nK1Wqb8LeIQ

NaBloPoMo: Day Twenty-two

2011-11-22T22:31:00.000-06:00

I am super tired and would prefer not to turn my brain on tonight...so you're getting a 50 questions about me survey. Likely super BORING...unless you just been dying to learn some silly facts about Joni;P
(my kids will like it in the book:D)

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Not to my knowledge, but there is talk of taking letters from my mothers name lOrI JaNe...the caps...to form my name. Anyhoo.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Hmm...that's pretty personal for a "silly" survey thingy. I prefer not to cry...BUT, of course, I do. I think the last time was on my crazy emotional day last week. We had just told our parents our news(apparently blogger hasn't been told yet...and not to be vague and dash, but Ethan and I are separated...no "oh and ahs" of distress...we feel it is a step of growth for each of us individually AND for our family...yes we are still going with "family" for our children...come on, like you didn't already know we are "out of the box" people) and I was worrying about the effect on them...so I ran...until I cried.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
When I take my time yes...in a hurry...no, it's messy.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Fried bolonga will always have a special place in my stomach...yum!

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Four

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
I think so, but I know I can be brash, crazy, and all up in your face...so maybe not(just bein' real).

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM ALOT?
Absolutely...never!

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Sounds fun...but not sure...I'm can be a scaredy cat when it comes to things based off your weight. (fat girl issues)

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Raisin bran with fresh milk...straight from the cow. YUM! It's the extra special creaminess that does it for me.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
I usually just kick them off, but if I know that I will be needing them early the next morning I will untie them so that I don't have to do it in the morning.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
Fo' to the Sho...I am a WARRIOR!!!

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Chocolate...with brownies or almonds in it.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Eyes...followed by smile.

15. RED OR PINK?
Hot pink....fuscia, if you will:D

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
I worry too much about whether other people approve of me.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
Feeling pretty content currently...that the people in my life are there for a reason, and if they are not...there too is a reason.

18. WHAT IS THE PAUL MCKENNA TECHNIQUE THAT YOU NEED TO WORK ON THE MOST? Who is Paul McKenna...seriously, should I know who that is...must be something with the survey, or I'm just out of touch(it happens).

19. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
White gym socks...with grey toe and heel.

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
Cereal

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Pandora Classic R&B station

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Purple

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Lavendar & Peppermint, Brown Sugar, Coconut, Just after rain

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Miss Vickie

25. MOUNTAIN HIDEAWAY OR BEACH HOUSE?
Beach house

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Basketball

27. HAIR COLOR?
Strawberry-blonde

28. EYE COLOR?
Green/Hazel

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Most of the time

30. FAVORITE FOOD?
With no weight concern or health to consider...Macaroni and Cheese

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy ending...everytime. I do NOT like scary movies.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
What Dreams May Come...it's an old one I hadn't seen, and had read something about it recently so checked and found it on Netflix instant viewer. I enjoyed it.

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Purple

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Winter...rather bundle up in front of a fire or snuggle down in a heat blanket than completely naked STILL sweatin' me arse off;D

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Hugs from most people:)

36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Chocolate cake...

37. STRENGTH TRAINING OR CARDIO?
SEX...haha...the good kind counts as both. Come on, you know you thought it too;D

38. COMPUTER OR TELEVISION?
Computer...no commercials.

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
What's a book??! Slowly reading...The Kingdom Within: A path to eternal conciousness

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Black

42. FAVORITE SOUND?
WHAT?!? I guess water...like ocean, or river running, or rain.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
East coast

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
Sure...isn't it obvious...filliing out surveys.

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Bethesda, MD

47. WHERE ARE YOU LIVING NOW?
The Joe...holla;D

48. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR HOUSE? I think it's white...don't pay attention to such things.

49. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR CAR?
Tan/Goldish...I do not like it, but we got a good deal.

50. DO YOU LIKE ANSWERING 50 QUESTIONS?
Way better than exercising my own creativity to think up an original blog post...this must be how TV/Movie executives feel:) hahahahahaha!!!

Nighty night.

NaBloPoMo: Day Twenty-one

2011-11-21T21:43:00.000-06:00

The lady in charge of the gym I want to use for Tall Girl Ball has been out of the office for the last week...as such we've had our last two practices old school...OUTSIDE!!! I noticed that the court has lights so we may just continue on there...building strong little warriors over here;D

Starting out we are working with just some basic basketball vocabulary and rules as they come up...and stressing the importance of endurance. If you can't breathe...it don't matter whether you can shoot or not...so we are RUNNING...a LOT!!!

Now...as you all know...I'm not a "real" coach or anything so, of course, I don't have a whistle, but I am creative so I improvise..."Line up on the baseline!" I holler. "Woot woot!" means go....so I "Woot woot!" It sounds like you think it does. Go ahead, give it a try. Woot woot...shoot, who needs a whistle.

BUT...this week one of my girls had my back and brought her whistle for me to use:)

Woot! Woot!

Okay so they line up on the baseline ready to run...and then everyone gives a WARRIOR CRY!!!

Make space...don't want ya trippin' over
each other.

If you can zoom on this image
do it...warrior cry is the good stuff!!!

And away we go...

After the warm-up run it was time for the REAL running. Who can run for the LONGEST...not fastest...longest?!? This brought out some competitive heart...and one girl even mentioned that she was gonna work hard as she could cause she was gonna go to college on a scholarship(seriously...just plant the seed and watch it grow!!).

"ONE"(they had to hit my hand to "count" the lap)
Looking pretty happy to be running here:D

"Seven"...hmmm not so thrilled
by this point.

With a couple girls out of the running...
I got in there to encourage those digging deep.
Paparazzi didn't know they'd have to shoot fast to
capture this lightning. HAHA!

Even Miss Mae was keepin'
up with the big girls.

AND FINALLY the reward...to actually TOUCH the basketball:D

Take note...
superstars on the rise:D

NaBloPoMo: Day Twenty

2011-11-20T08:46:00.000-06:00

Little picture progess...yo:)

We did a SERIOUS photo shoot...even had a clothing change, was muggin' my cold weather gear for Lacey, but don't worry I won't subject you to that TOO!

Did some outtakes...haha...good times:D

RAWR!!!

Spreadin' my wings...
butterfly style.

More butterfly, but this one
makes me think of that old
Michael Jordan ad...you know, the hot one:)

This was per Eli's instruction.
Yes, I was uncomfortable.

Yeah, yeah.
What? What?

Did you get your tickets yet?
HAHAHAHA!!!

Weird top model arched back thing;)

Okay...just ONE cold weather gear.
Da booty shot is just for you Teresa:D

NaBloPoMo: Day Nineteen

2011-11-19T18:24:00.000-06:00

The Blue Room was AMAZING!

Darcus Gates was the featured performer of the evening. Here's a little taste(not our actual experience...stole this off YouTube):

http://youtu.be/C631zitqUhM

(again with the inability to embed properly...grrr!

Does anyone know how to fix that?

Help a girl out:D)

Birthday girl with Darcus:D

Me and the birthday girl...
good thing I had you with me, otherwise
they mighta made the white girl leave at intermission;P haha!

*********

And funny from supper:

It started with Eli dipping his garlic bagel(we work with
what we got) into his juice...
only to find out that he was pretending.

So Asher says, "I'm gonna REALLY
dip mine in juice."
(apparently he likes it)

To which Anavah says, "Ohhh nassssy."
(translation...oh nasty)
FUNNY!!

And, of course, gotta get some
Abs too...she know she cute:)

Never a dull moment over here:D

NaBloPoMo: Day Eighteen

2011-11-18T16:19:00.000-06:00

Girls night out is TONIGHT!!!

You know I got the boots. You remember the boots right...hot calf boots...hmmm guess that was facebook...so for those that are not my facebook friend...

Now what you can't see here is that they are open toe...so I was thinking I needed a pedicure. However, being the budget conscious lady that I am I could not bring myself to pay $30 for a pedicure...in the fall. I mean, seriously, they just gonna get jacked from my running shoes.

So we went the "do it yourself" route...

Anavah and mama had pedicure morning. Here are the best pics.

Must soak first.

Refreshments

"You dink cawfee?"~Anavah
"Yep, I like coffee."~mama
"I no like cawfee. I like shoooce."~Anavah
"We better get you some juice then."~mama

Learnin' the tricks early

We had a few spills so "do it yourself home pedicure" was LESS than relaxing...but the tootsies are shoe ready.

And I'm out;D

NaBloPoMo: Day Seventeen

2011-11-17T17:14:00.000-06:00

Aside from a few tiny things...and some sorely needed artwork(hint, hint, professional artists in the family;D) the office is ready to FLOW.

And on with the slide show!!!

Welcome

Manifest Flow
201-D

Right this way;D

View from the front door.

Wait area to right of front door.

Wait are to left of front door.
Will probably end up putting my massage
chair here.

My meditation/yoga corner...
adequate, but not finished.

View from corner.

My super fancy desk...and
top of the line desk chair.
(seriously though LOVE yoga ball chair)

Doorway to private room.

Private room from doorway.

Head of the table.

Foot of the table.

And view from the corner.

Your friendly neighborhood
LMT:)

NaBloPoMo: Day Sixteen

2011-11-16T23:09:00.000-06:00

Its the last day of week two in my "Ripped in 30" with Jillian challenge. Gotta say, by the end of it I was still NOT loving the plank-jacks, followed by plank mountain climber...and then in the next round plank power jump thingys...and I didn't even mention the high knees at the end. So I will be good and ready for some new pain tomorrow.

Today was double rough. Why you may ask? Well yesterday was a bit rough in the emotional department so I decided to "run it out" on my rest running day. Just did an easy mile and half...and then made myself weepy with half a mile worth of hills where I ran as hard as I could muster up the hill, then walked back down...repeat five times until you want to CRY!!! Raw emotion...ya dig;D

Anyways...after running I decided to do Ripped in the evening...and if you read yesterday you know how the evening went. That's right I stood Jillian up. She's not mad though cause I let her give it to me twice today.

I said I'd do FIVE times a week...so five times we are doing.

So the run down for Week Two is: Ripped on Thur, Fri, Mon, and twice on Wed...and 5 miles Fri, 3 miles Sun, 3 miles Mon, approx 2 miles Tues. We won't discuss the diet, but I am not by any means throwing in the food towel...just had a couple moments of BURY Joni...but I love that I RECOGNIZE when I'm doing it and STOP! There have been a couple moments this week when I've actually stopped mid-chew and spit food in the trash.

Tonight my little tough girls joined me for the first round.

Us being "tough"...not sure
what's up with Abigail.

And, of course, us
being silly.

And...PROOF that I really
do the workout.
As you can see...my girls sit it out a bit:)

It was a long day...shoot, it was a long week.

And I'm on to the next;D

NaBloPoMo: Day Fifteen

2011-11-15T21:05:00.000-06:00

Can I get a hot bath and an early bedtime...

Yes ma'am:)

Does this count as "blogging" for the day...

Yep sure does;D

NaBloPoMo: Day Fourteen

2011-11-14T20:51:00.001-06:00

Hmm. What scintillating subject shall we tackle this fine Monday?

Ugh. I am so tired. My brain is fried. I should write earlier in the day or you get these lame posts:P

Ooh. I know. Sneak peek of some art I'm working on for the office.

Elementary my dear Watson;)

Okay...for a little goofy side of Joni I will send $100 cash if you can guess the song I'm dancing to:

NaBloPoMo: Day Thirteen

2011-11-13T19:28:00.000-06:00

"The woman who follows the crowd

will usually go no further than the crowd.

The woman who walks alone

is likely to find herself

in places no one has ever been before.”

~This guy

Cue me waving good-bye to the crowd:D

NaBloPoMo: Day Twelve

2011-11-12T16:23:00.000-06:00

With the older kids outside enjoying the unseasonably GORGEOUS weather Anavah had to stay in with me while I folded the laundry. When I turned around and saw THIS...I knew I had my post for the day:D

Poor girl has NO IDEA;P

Happy Weekend All!!!

NaBloPoMo: Day Eleven

2011-11-11T21:17:00.000-06:00

"It's nearly 4:30 and the sun will be setting soon. I should have been here AT LEAST half an hour ago if I wanted to beat the setting sun. I know I run slow and my 5 miler will take nearly all of an hour...and with the sun setting it will be COLD, but I just had to do "one more" thing at the office before I hit it.

What are these guys doing walking in the MIDDLE of the driveway?!? Get over!! I KNOW you see this van comin' up behind you...move the hell outta my way...I'm racing against the SUN!!!

Seriously Joni...RELAX. Girl you absolutely NEED this run!

Garmin, Garmin, Garmin. Where is the Garmin? Ah, here it is! What the hell?!? Why is the power on?!? This, Ethan, is exactly why I don't want you to use it! I better not lose power during my run...grrrrrrr!

Hmmm...should I lock it up? I suppose so, I have all that crap in the trunk for the office. Yeah, like anyones gonna take that stuff. Oh, I do have the new phone...yep, better lock it. Where's the extra key? Man am I glad these pants have that little key pocket. What did runners do before someone thought of the little key pocket? HAHAHA...oh yeah, the fanny pack!! Man those things are dorky.

Okay ipod and headphones...and away I go. Are these guys just now getting up to my van? They sure are walking slow. That tall one would be cute if he would comb his hair. Dang boy aint' you got a brush for all that nap?!? Is he checkin' me out? Hmmm. I think he's checkin' me out. Focus Joni...it's time to run."

And this is when I hear it...

"That booty looking good though."

Say WHAT?!?!?

I had a good mind to turn around and educate the boy about disrespecting women, but truth be told I was all...

"Hell yeah this booty looks good...and if you're lucky when I start running I'll take it a little slow so you can enjoy it for a bit. HAHA!"

***I considered getting a fresh "booty" shot for you all to enjoy, but until it's rivalling Serena...I will NOT be pleased:D

NaBloPoMo: Day Ten

2011-11-10T20:38:00.000-06:00

Okay ladies and gentlemen...one week with Jillian ripping me is done, and we are on to week two. Gotta say...already NOT loving week two. Plank jumping jacks followed by plank jumps(think up/downs without the up...just back and forth)...with no breather...times two...KILLER!!! I was DRIPPING with sweat by the end of these. Guess that's the point though right....get some...haha:D

How did everyone else do this first week???
Are you still with me;)

I have been pretty solid with diet even with all the crazy running around getting the office set up...but today took a turn. I have been ravenous today...not good:/
Seriously...hide the freakin' Halloween candy. Why can't people just give ONLY non-chocolate treats? The kids don't eat the chocolate...THE MOM DOES...and she don't need it!

Did Jillian Thur, Fri, Sat, Mon, Wed:) My plan is to do five days a week with her...at least for this first 30 days of getting ripped.

I also ran three times this past week. A three-ish miler last Friday, a five miler Monday, and a three miler Wednesday. Took Sunday and Tuesday COMPLETELY off;D

********

In other news...

My business cards came in the mail today!!! Starting to feel like a REAL business owner over here:) Office is SUPER close to ready for pictures too...so I should have at least one day of NaBloPoMo covered for next week...ha!

I'm working on a more personal logo,
but this is what I've got to hold me over until
it's all perfected and whatnot;)

Hope you're all gettin' some...
hehe;D

NaBloPoMo: Day Nine

2011-11-09T08:32:00.000-06:00

It was a gorgeous early March day, the sun was shining with the early warmth of spring in her kiss, but the air was still crisp with the remainder of winter in her lungs. The little girl could feel the ball of excitement in her belly as she was led "eyes covered" to her birthday surprise. After being led down, what seemed like, the longest driveway in the history of driveways her eyes were uncovered and she let out a squeal of delight as her vision was filled with what her little heart had desired...her very own basketball goal!

As you may have already surmised the little girl here was me and at the tender age of nine, standing taller than every boy in my class and wearing shoes big enough to warrant Sasquatch jokes, I found a something to love that loved my tall girl behind back...basketball.

For the next five years I built on that love...week long overnight camps(kind of a big deal for shy little me...yes...I WAS shy;D), countless games on the driveway(best ones were one on one with Craig with dad officiating), and of course some dramatic inspiration watching Hoosiers...over and over and over. I thought that I would play FOREVER...but then, after a less than fun volleyball season, I was ready to quit sports. I didn't need some coach telling me what to do or how to do it...so young, foolish, me did just that.

As I look back with the clarity that only hindsight can give I see that this was when "the burial of real Joni" started to take shape. Now, with the spade in hand, as I unearth her one shovel full at a time the love of basketball deep in her heart glows like a ember in a nearly dead fire just waiting for a breeze to catch it and send it to flames once again.

So I play around with Eli and Abigail on the neighborhood court...then they get a brochure for a little league at their school...so I encourage them to play. Just then I think hear a whisper in my heart saying...coach...so I sign up to coach.

The ember turns to a small flame.

The next week I'm at a friends and meet some girls. I ask how old these girls are and find that they are just the same age I was when the basketball bug struck. Then I take notice...these girls are tall...just like I was. So I say, "Do you girls play basketball?" No, not really...but we sure would, was something of the response. And again I hear the whisper in my heart saying...take these girls...show them that tall girls ball.

The small flame grows.

And so it begins...this vision is big...so I'm just gonna take one step at a time.

Yesterday we took step one...it was cold and rainy...and I'd yet to make indoor court arrangements(better get on that...hello winter...I see you comin') so we just did a little get to know each other time at McDonalds. As you can see these girls are FULL of ENERGY!!! I love it!

We gonna have fun:D

Tall Girls Ball
Crew

Posin' for the paparazzi

So much Love and Light...
can you feel it:D

NaBloPoMo: Day Eight

2011-11-08T08:15:00.001-06:00

Is it hump day yet?!? haha I joke.

Good morning Tuesday...what exciting adventure do you hold in store?? So far you hold my four beautiful bundles of Love and Light rising from slumber at 5:30a.m.

Hmmm...Didn't see that one coming?
Whatever shall I do??
Make them a breakfast feast??
I think so:)

It's a bit gloomy on the other side of the window, but the sun is a shinin' up in here today:D

How are all my fellow "30 dayers" doing? Hangin' in there. I took Sunday as a rest day(with many more trips up and down the stairs...for some "real life" cardio)...BUT was back hitting it hard yesterday.

I had plans for a 5 miler in the afternoon...didn't realize it would be cold and rainy by the time I headed to the trail, but I LOVED it!!! Wish I could "rain run" EVERYDAY!! And feeling something like I've earned a new "runner stripe" by doing five miles in the cold rain:)

Here's my Garmin info on the run for those you interested in such matters:

For more detailed information click on "View Data"...

I had a nice little pace going for the first couple of miles, but, once again, about three miles in my knee started to bother me so I slowed my pace. Not trying to be UNABLE to run at all!! I also started playing around with my form a bit and plan to do some research here in the next day or two to see if that is some of my problem...anyways...BORING, I know:)

By the time I got home I was DRENCHED clean through ALL my layers...so I had to change for my SECOND workout. Yep. Jillian was all, "Get some!" haha...seriously she says that TOO MUCH in the video...starting to get on my nerves. No matter...I "got some"...then I got a hot bath and some Bio-freeze;P

Full day ahead...and remember...

"But the race is not, for the swift
But who really can, take control of it

...too infinity, too infinity, too infinity."~B.E.P

Nobody can stop YOU...but you;D

NaBloPoMo: Day Seven

2011-11-07T09:08:00.001-06:00

♫♫Tell me what do you see
When you looking at me
On a mission to be
What I'm destined to be ♫♫

http://youtu.be/WdH7IddpSo0
(Can't get the video to post correctly...harumph!)

Girl with a mission over here...BUSY about meeting my destiny!! So much going on I'm again thinking, "Seriously...blog EVERY day...you ARE crazay!!!"

But in the words of the wise sage Jesse "m-ffing" Martinosky...You CANNOT be hardcore...unless you LIVE hardcore!

Hardcore today is gonna look like painting, running, and getting ripped in 30...throw in some laundry, blogging, meditating, and huggin' up four precious gifts and you got a FULL day:D

And don't forget to BREATHE...the fire needs oxygen!!

NaBloPoMo: Day Six

2011-11-06T19:45:00.001-06:00

LONG day.
SHORT blog.

hahaha;P

p.s. Happy Birthday Daddy!!!

NaBloPoMo: Day Five

2011-11-05T23:14:00.000-05:00

Look deep into my eyes...
uh huh...that eye of the tiger.
Gettin' it;)

I was going to have today be my "rest" day. We moved a LOT of furniture today...and made multiple trips up and down the stairs so I figured it would be a good day to rest...BUT then I ate FIVE fun size Twix candy bars at 7:30p.m. I was still VERY tempted to call it a day, but the tiger whispered in my ear and so I had to answer back.

Sweaty post workout head...
EAT that Twix!!!

How did everyone else do?!? Hangin' in there.

I'm looking forward to the extra hour of sleep tonight and gonna hit some track and stairs in the a.m. Sleep well dear reader, sleep well:)

NaBloPoMo: Day Four

2011-11-04T20:37:00.000-05:00

Wow! I thought the phrase was "busy as a bee" not "busy as a butterfly"...never the less this butterfly had a BUSY day;)

First thing of note...I FINALLY got under 180lbs(I've been in the 180s for 6 weeks...so kind of a big deal). And, of course, proof:

Ignore the poorly needed pedicure...
Butterfly doesn't have time for such pamperings
(maybe next spring).

Second thing of note...I was somehow convinced to serve at a funeral meal at church(yeah I'm going to church now...maybe tomorrow I'll tackle that little nugget of interesting...maybe not...let's just suffice it for now to say that with my recent spiritual type awakening I'm feeling led to reconcile some things from my past with the things of my present...enter church). As such I had a tiny bit of a "wth" moment of...how am I old enough to be one of the ladies serving food at a church funeral. I got over it as soon as I realized that I didn't have anything to wear to such an event(that fits) and that I would HAVE to go shopping;)

AND...that I got my pants in SIZE 12!!! Woot! Woot! Regular old size 12 ladies and gentlemen. No more can I shop in the Plus Sizes....Cause they all TOO BIG!!! To put that in a little perspective for everyone...the last time I can recall buying size 12 pants...was in 7th grade. That's OVER 20 years ago!!!

So you know I gotta mug it;D

Old Church Lady...
not so much;)

*******

And for you ladies(or gentlemen) joining me in getting Ripped in 30...How'd it go today?!? I got my second workout in...and am currently fighting some cramps in my calves(just chugged a Powerade so hopefully the sodium and potassium will take the edge off)...and ran 3 miles this morning. IT. IS. COLD in the morning. Gonna have to get some more cold weather running gear...more shopping;)

NaBloPoMo: Day Three

2011-11-03T10:25:00.000-05:00

"Transformation is NOT a future event...it is something that requires action NOW."
~Jillian Michaels(paraphrased Joni Blair style)

With "Butterfly Stage Joni" emerging old patterns must be changed to move forward and make way for the new...else I will die within this cocoon. While there are many manifestations of this "new" way...one most pressing today is that I am no longer working with my trainer.

As of November 1st...Joni is all growed up and on her own as far as "being physically fit" is concerned. Grown Joni sees that this could present a slip back into old thinking if she is not diligent and as such....she has a PLAN(haha...that's for you Dwayne).

Enter stage right....Ripped in 30 with Miss Jillian.

Bring it Jillian...
Joni is ready for ya;P

Before we get started...

Fitness drink of champions...
COFFEE.

And I'm ready to go.

Day One(and I won't be recording everyday...just when I feel like it...or can't think of anything else for my "daily" blog this month)

Bringing the measurements out today ladies and gentlemen...for a little incentive...AND to see if Jillian is REALLY bringin' it.

Neck: 12 1/2"
Biceps: R-12" L-12"
Under bust: 32"
Waist: 35"(five to safe range...yeah I read all those caveats put out by the fitness authorities:D)
Hips: (at the fattest point) 41"
Thighs: R-23 1/2" L-23 1/2"
Calves: R-16" L-16"(and it has come to my attention that my calves are HUGE...ah, well...they are still my favorite part of my body)

Weight: 184lbs(as of the Monday before...not starting some second weigh in)
Height: 5' 9 3/4"(haven't done an "official" height since...hmmm...maybe high school physicals...so thought that would be a fun addition...and I was curious)

********

And now for a little challenge to you...dear reader(I'm looking at you Jessica Hill;D) For a little motivation, and accountability, I'm inviting any and all of you to get a PLAN for yourself...for the next 30 days...and join in making YOUR TRANSFORMATION....NOW!!! (if you're in you can let me know via comment, email, facebook, or smoke signals...although know that I only check for smoke signals around 3 p.m. so if they are sent at any other time I may miss them...haha)

********

May LOVE, PEACE, JOY, PASSION...and LAUGHTER...be the essence of your life!

NaBloPoMo: Day Two

2011-11-02T22:08:00.000-05:00

Oy...I is tired!

Not entirely sure that attempting to NaBloPoMo was the greatest idea I ever came up with...ah, well...growth opportunity knocking...sign me up:D

No idea what to write about tonight. I seriously just want to go to sleep. Hmmmm...How bout that Kim Kardashian?!?

Nope...can't even go there, not even worth the time it took to think about thinking about it.

Okay...I'm out. Clearly the sleepy haze has set in...will attempt an early post tomorrow;)

NaBloPoMo: Day One

2011-11-01T21:18:00.000-05:00

First day "on the job"...or something like that. It's been a long day and I'm not feeling super inspiring or poetic...so I'm going with PICTURES:D

First order of business...
find the peace place:)

From the hallway.

At the entrance.

From the main room corner.

My desk;)

From the private room.

Me...at my desk.

Self-employed...here we GOOOOOOO!!!

The Butterfly Stage

2011-10-31T17:06:00.000-05:00

The time is NOW!!! It's almost like someone screaming in my ear.
NOW! NOW! NOW!
What the hell are you waiting for?!? Can't you freaking hear me?!?!
GO! GO! GO!

The pandering is over.
The questioning is through.
You KNOW what to DO!
NOW....GO do it!!!

So I'm working hard to rip apart this freaking cocoon, and just as soon as I can get all the mucky bits off you gonna see this butterfly flying high...Somewhere over the rainbow(that's for you daddy) in the land of my dreams.

Stayed tuned for play by play cause I'm doing NaBloPoMo for November again this year. Maybe some of you were around back then...yeah it was something of the start of this little chapter in the journey. Well the cocoon chapter is coming to an end ladies and gentlemen...and the Butterfly Stage is upon us.

Excited...and scared as hell...I'm bout to get my fly on;)

Where....LOVE, PEACE, JOY, PASSION....and LAUGHTER will be my essence:D

********

184lbs is the weigh in this Monday a.m. Apologies for not posting last week....just not into it I guess. So I've stale-mated for TWO weeks...not good. But this butterfly has no intention of weighing herself down so the journey on the weight loss front WILL continue...just won't be the main focus of life. I will still post my weight each Monday on the "Proof" page, but the blog will likely be about other "Butterfly" type things:)

Lifting Illusions

2011-10-17T20:34:00.000-05:00

Who will I be when the illusion of the strength of man's judgement fails to put fear into my heart, and Divine Love and Light are permitted to flow from within my authentic self with a transparency that can be nothing less than Thy kingdom and will on earth as it is in heaven?

Will I be alone with my authentic self? That is the fear that drives it all isn't. That if I admit who I really am and what my truest desires are, that those with the "right" way of doing everything will banish me to the land of "authentic" crazies...and I will be ALONE there.

For the last, oh, forever I have let what other people think is right or wrong, or even just preferred to them, make MY life decisions for me. At times I would even go so far as to say that I have just completely silenced my own authentic voice so as to not have to find out that, if authentic, I am alone.

Oh sure, there have been instances when my authentic self has tried to break free from the bonds that I had so painstakingly locked and revealed glimpses of the true Joni...but without fail man's judgement has kicked her right back into the grave where I let her lay for far too long.

As I have spent much time in meditation this last few months my authentic self is getting louder and louder about the direction it would like to take me in...some in which I can only imagine what the judgement's will be, but that said, I'm putting aside those fears and embracing authentic Joni...or at least trying...one day at a time.

Which brings me to what most of you came to read about today...my Monday weigh-in;)

In allowing my authentic self to speak I absolutely still FEEL the FEAR of judgement...and with some of my leadings coming to a crucial "action" stage it seems that this past weekend I let myself make an attempt to silence authentic Joni with much eating and drinking. They are my "go to" protectors so it only makes sense that that's where I go, but funny thing is I didn't really realize that I was doing it until Sunday evening...my wake-up call...running, followed by a great stretch, followed my some meditation time. I know, right?!?

Okay enough of the psycho-analysis...let's get to the numbers. 184 lbs for a 2.4 lb gain...SUCKAGE!!! Not happy about these extra pounds that put me back a week in my progress, but really if it took a 2.4 lb gain for me to see that I could so easily slip back into "bury authentic Joni" mode then I'll take 'em...and grow with 'em, but let's get back to growth that doesn't require weight gain shall we:)

How about retail therapy? I think authentic Joni would LOVE THAT:D Yep. Feeling not so hot about my gain, and a little insecure with being authentic Joni, I decided that I NEEDED to get some cooler weather running gear so I went shopping...and if you're a regular reader you know that means. Photo shoot...yeah I thought that first bit was gonna be heavy so I brought some fun to even it out. You. Are. Welcome.

All about MAGENTA!!
(that's what us "retail therapy"
types call this color)

Over pose...me thinks so.

Yeah...I know I'm bad.

What? What?

Authentic Joni...coming at ya;P

More Progress Pictures

2011-10-11T14:26:00.000-05:00

As promised yesterday...today is all about you non-reader types(you know who you are) coming at you with a PICTURE UPDATE!!!

A couple items of note, or, at least, a couple items that made me say, "Hmmmm, I wonder about that?"

First off...August 27th pics weight was 192 lbs and October 11th pics weight was 182 lbs. So these pictures show an approximate 10 lbs weight difference. The pants are NOT the same as in August, but the shirt IS. It seems crazy that 10 lbs can make all that much difference...but see for yourself.

Secondly...Today's pics were taken post workout/pre shower(read NO make-up) and I was kind of surprised that I'm thinking I look much better without the make-up. Now maybe it's just that the "make-up" picture was...serious make-up...not the everyday dealo, but anyways....curious what you guys think about that. To make-up or not to make-up that is the question:)

Alrighty then(a little nod to Jim Carrey since apparently this is the image that is conjured from my August update pics...I'm looking at you Dwayne)...on with the pictures:

Awwww man...I didn't get an "End" shot. Next time:)

Some People Might Say...I'm Bustin' it Out

2011-10-10T10:12:00.000-05:00

Again with the short and sweet today. I will however let you regulars know that I have a "something deeper" in process...and plans for some update pictures this afternoon. Anyways. Back to the numbers.

181.6lbs this a.m. for a loss of 5.2lbs for the week. Feeling good about that number, but with a goal of 170 by November 1st(don't think I've mentioned that here as of yet, but I have a little "mini goal" of reaching the 100lbs lost by November 1st...for a little back pocket marketing campaign...and $20(I'm lookin' at you Darin;D)) so I must KEEP MY GAME FACE ON!!!

Laters...

Mayor of Crazyville

2011-10-04T21:00:00.000-05:00

186.8lbs for a 2.8lb loss for the week. Blah. Blah. Blah. I am so NOT caring about posting my weight right now. This does NOT mean I am "off the wagon"...actually I've been doing pretty good with watching my diet and I have a running schedule prepping me for a Thanksgiving Day 10k, so the exercise is good too.

So what is my problem...well it's not exactly a "problem" so much as a "not something I want to put out there". While on "facebook vacation" for the last month I have spent A LOT of time meditating...And while I feel I'm getting answers to some of my deeper questions I'm at a loss as to where to begin...and not entirely sure I want to go there....here, on this blog. I'm guessing that eventually I will. I mean, that's how I roll, or at least that's how I thought I rolled, but apparently there have been some buried bits of Joni(even unbeknownst to Joni)....so give me a little time to reacquaint myself with me and then we'll get back to ya.

I know, CRAZYVILLE population...ME;)

Lackluster...um hmm;)

2011-09-26T14:50:00.000-05:00

Good afternoon dear reader...

I am in a full on contemplation mode...with much to write, but...
Not. Yet.

However, don't want to leave you all hanging on the Monday weigh-in...even with one as lackluster as this.

189lbs....for NO CHANGE.

That's right folks. No gain, no loss, just same old weight as last week. I was down two pounds as of yesterday, and had my high sodium Sunday night staple(uh...yeah, Mexican) so I've probably already peed it out(too much info?) but it's the Monday MORNING weigh-in that counts....so it stands:)

Laters.

To the Point

2011-09-19T18:29:00.001-05:00

Sitting in my yard, watching the kiddos play, enjoying the gorgeous fall weather and being HIGHLY distracted from writing a witty account of this morning's weigh-in. As such, this post will be a bit dry and to the point.

189lbs. Yep. Under 190s...I'm not feeling such excitement about this as the dip INTO the 190s, but I am feeling good. My current "mind chant" in the rough bits of workout is "175", so that may explain the lackluster entrance to the 180s. Anyways. That is a 2.8lb loss from last week. This weekend included NO EXERCISE and PIZZA...so I'm figuring for a little "bump" tomorrow morning, but the diet and exercise are back on track today(and will continue...).

And the journey continues.

All the WRONG Angles

2011-09-17T19:10:00.001-05:00

On my previous post Mrs. Munchberry* left a comment asking where I put all that 191lbs(btw I am 5' 9"(ish) NOT 6'). It got me to thinking about the pics I post of myself. Now I don't think I'm really trying to "hide" my trouble spots, but I certainly don't broadcast them either...

UNTIL now.

Ladies and gentlemen allow me to go ahead and warn those with the weak stomachs...it's not pretty;)

Let's start with a few "typical" type pics...just so it's not all ugly(I gotta have a little self-respect):

Simple front shot...typical attitude.

Little bit sassy...
I can't help myself;)

As I was putting my make-up on today I had a
realization that I am starting to look a LOT more like my mom.
The mom of my childhood...thanks for these great genes mama;)

And now for the...still "typical" just not the same angles...haha:

Clearly some of the "hidden" poundage is more
obvious from other angles...haha!

Yet another "bad angle".

Two words...
Back. Fat.
...um, yuck.

Brachioplasty here I come.
(not sure about the tongue thing)

Inner thigh jiggle...not the good kind.
Bonus shot of the belly fat rolls,
lucky(think Napolean Dynomite).

So as you see...the fat is not so much "hidden" as it is angled out;)

You regular readers know how I like a good "end" shot, and I'd hate to let anyone down so I'll leave you with this:

Lacey...doesn't this shot remind you of the
night Ethan tripped over the lawn chair tryin'
to get some of that;)

*Check out Mrs. Munchberry's blog here... at I'm Just Puffy where she is chronicling her weight loss journey with equals parts of "get your s#!t together" and "laugh your @$$ off". Seriously check it out...you won't be disappointed:)

Back from "Whatever"-land

2011-09-12T17:13:00.000-05:00

After a FULL "whatever" day(think...Mexican, ice cream(two different kinds), crunchy Cheetos, wine, wine, rum, and more wine) and two full weeks of blogging everyday...I went with a "whatever" blog week last week. Your welcome for the much needed break from my blathering on and on about food, exercise, and the general excitement, or lack thereof, that is The Jolybla Life;)

I did, however, knock out my business plan for school so now I just have to get about 125 more clock hours and I'll be an official Licensed Massage Therapist. I'm excited, and a little overwhelmed, by what the future holds. I have some inklings, but I'm not ready to cast out my pearls just yet...too much trampling to be had...but stay tuned as I'm sure it will tumble out of my overflow eventually.

Okay, okay on with the task at hand. It's Monday...and we all know what THAT means...

Weigh day! Weigh day! Can we get some numbers please?!?

191.8lbs for a 3lb loss from last weeks dismal gain...so after two weeks it's really a .8lb loss. Not great, but moving in the proper direction at least.

(insert pithy comments about this weeks weight loss journey here...blah)

**********

This last week we had to send some pics of the family with the kids to school...something about learning...again...blah;) Soooo we took some pics, and Eli asked Ethan and I to pose with our hands making a heart for one...here it is. I heart it!

Chubby Bunny

2011-09-05T17:39:00.000-05:00

A rousing game of Chubby Bunny:)

What did you do this weekend?!?

Abigail gives four marshmallows her best shot.

Eli got five.

Mom stuffing deep in the cheek...yeah we do games
SERIOUS!!

Not so much appreciating the paparazzi:)

Fun times.

Oooofff!

Chuuuuhhhhy Bhuuuuuhhhy!

Cheeky;)

Game face....ON!!

Abigail clearly impressed by daddy's
super Chubby Bunny skills.

The "Whatever" Day

2011-09-05T09:31:00.001-05:00

Hmmm. Weigh in this morning is 194.8lbs...UP 2.8lbs!

NOT loving this, and absolutely blaming JONI for this. Too many "whatevers" this weekend....dang holiday and your mind icing ways.

So now I plan to have a FULL ON "whatever" day...and will get back to the grind tomorrow....AND I will do this with no guilt, knowing full well that I will probably have a week set back as far as LOSING is concerned.

Sometimes ya just gotta have a "whatever" day...ya dig;)

Happy Labor Day to all!

ENJOY IT:D

On the 7th Day...She Fell into a Black Hole of Music

2011-09-04T20:11:00.001-05:00

Food: 1396...total junk day. Been by myself ALL DAY!!! The solitude has been pleasant, but I've just been eating easy and junky...NOT GOOD:D
http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/nutrition_food_chart.asp?sidn=0%5EMGhm56+++++++TzM%5Bnkk%3F+++++++&iMTGoalNum=8210205&dteDateShowing=9/4/2011&bGetElementByID=TRUE

Exercise:
Took my Sunday for rest. I was gonna run today and take tomorrow for rest. However, with everyone gone I've fallen into a black hole of music(LOVING IT!!!) and have not been in the least bit motivated to quit for a run. Soooo...I'm resting today and will run on my holiday....again:D

And now...back to the beats:)

6th Miler of the Week

2011-09-03T19:50:00.000-05:00

Food:1980
Soooo....it was NOT a good food day!!! Cranky morning led to mid day snack attack in which my darling husband decided to make Spam sandwiches...funny thing is they are good. Not fried bologna good, but good...so I musta just been in a eatin' mood today. Add the rum...and the leftover pizza snack...and the mini twix and snickers....AND you are closing in on 2000 calories. Oy. I WILL do better tomorrow:)
http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/nutrition_food_chart.asp?sidn=0%5EMGhm56+++++++4Zx%3BNkk%3F+++++++&iMTGoalNum=8210205&dteDateShowing=9/3/2011&bGetElementByID=TRUE

Exercise:
Wasn't feeling much like running today...especially with all the crap I've eaten, but also wasn't feeling like charting a big ole "fail" for the "1 Mile a day" goal today...so I got out there. It was raining...refreshing:D
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/111606520

And now for a nice relaxing...evening of SOLITUDE!!!! YAY! Ethan took the kids to Nebraska to visit his family and hit the state fair(not really feeling that myself) and thought it would be a good time for me to get some MUCH NEEDED solo time. Yes...I KNOW I am blessed:)

5th Miler of the Week...and a Funny:)

2011-09-02T21:11:00.009-05:00

Exercise:
Friday is a running day with Apollo...hit the Hillyard Trail this morning for a 12 minute run details here: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/111362476

With Ethan home tonight...he joined me for my night miler. We went a bit slower so we could talk. Must say I enjoyed it muchly...thanks for your support babe;)
Details here: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/111362468

Now for the food portion of my little accountability project in diligence. The kids were out of school early today...as was I...and Ethan was off by 2:30(he was actually working a day he could have had off...that's just my hardworking hottie toughguy for ya). Having been VERY busy for the last...oh, 13 weeks, we haven't made it to see my grandparents in Falls City for....oh, 13 weeks, so we decided to make a surprise visit and have supper with them this evening. Now I haven't really covered this before because apparently it hasn't come up or wasn't a big deal before, but my grandma LOVES pizza...so with her having no heads up to be cookin' chicken and noodles, of course, we had pizza. Great for grandma, the kids, shoot even great for Ethan, but not superior for Joni. I mean it was okay, but seriously for the calories I would rather have had something more substanial and with a scotche less grease. Never thought I'd not want pizza, but it's really not doing it for me these days:(... or :)... guess it all depends on how you look at it.

To the numbers: 1617...not horrible considering that includes pizza:)
http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/nutrition_food_chart.asp?sidn=0%5EMGhm56+++++++TzM%5Bnkk%3F+++++++&iMTGoalNum=8210205&dteDateShowing=9/2/2011&bGetElementByID=TRUE

And now I will leave you with a funny. As you all know I take update pictures roughly once a month, with the latest batch being just last week. Well my Apollo has a little "Client Spotlight" on his website so I sent him my latest updates so he could refresh his site. After seeing the new pics he says my poses look cooky and that they remind him of Juiceman off In Living Color...can't say I entirely disagree...have a look:

http://youtu.be/j80wzRMvz3s --Having trouble with the embed code so this will have to do:)

So... Do you notice anything different about me today?!?

I'm INVISIBLE!! LOL:D

4th Miler of the Week

2011-09-01T21:04:00.000-05:00

Okay. So after yesterday's HOT run I, in my finite wisdom, decided to wait and run tonight...after the kids were in bed...on the street in front of our house. I soooooo wanted to just catch a nice hot bath, glass of wine, and bed....BUT I got out there and ran-ish(yeah it was slow...and frankly, still hot at 8:30p.m.) because....

I.

Am.

Moving a Mountain here.

Diligence and Patience...not withholding a little Faith...and those desires WILL BE SATISFIED;)

And to the stats, Exercise:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/111164419

Food: 1519
I was under my goal...but since my workout isn't until 8 tomorrow I'm gonna go ahead and have that hot bath....AND the wine(wine calories don't count if you drink them in a bath...right?!?! ha).
http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/nutrition_food_chart.asp?sidn=0%5EMGhm56+++++++4Zx%3BNkk%3F+++++++&iMTGoalNum=8210205&dteDateShowing=9/1/2011&bGetElementByID=TRUE

Over half way to the weeks goal...YAY!

3rd Miler of the Week

2011-08-31T20:24:00.000-05:00

Today was LOOOOONG!!!

I had four back to back to back to back massages today. With mere minutes to spare between I munched quickly on the fruit I packed to keep some calories burnin'...BUT I forgot to bring my water bottle, as I was in a rush to get out the door this morning, and accidently threw my PowerAde bottle away. Sooooo I decided to get a chocolate milk out of the vending machine. It was HEAVEN!!! And with over 400 calories it sure better have been:)

Food: A little over with 1592.
http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/nutrition_food_chart.asp?sidn=0%5EMGhm56+++++++4Zx%3BNkk%3F+++++++&iMTGoalNum=8210205&dteDateShowing=8/31/2011&bGetElementByID=TRUE

Wednesday is my "exercise day off", but with the "mile a day" goal I don't get to this week. After four massages and knowing I was gonna be rushing to get home, showered, and to an evening appointment I was NOT feeling like running today. Nevermind the fact that it was HOT today...and I didn't even see it coming(remember...no water bottle...yeah). Fortunately I only did a mile and there is a water fountain on the trail...but my legs are definitely feeling the extra miles....might have to get a 60 minute LEG massage:)

Exercise: Definitely not winning any races with these time, but it's the daily due diligence that counts here.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/110925987

2nd Miler of the Week

2011-08-30T18:36:00.000-05:00

Food: Calories 1244
LOTS of carbs today. We do family breakfast on Tuesday morning...which Ethan makes. Soooo we had fried potatoes. Then I had potatoes again for lunch. Throw in some brown rice for supper and you've got yourself a triple header carb day:D
http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/nutrition_food_chart.asp?sidn=0%5EMGhm56+++++++TzM%5Bnkk%3F+++++++&iMTGoalNum=8210205&dteDateShowing=8/30/2011&bGetElementByID=TRUE

Exercise:
45 Minutes with Apollo...lower body

Anavah wasn't feeling well today so we kept the littles home from daycare. As such I had to be home in time for Ethan to go to work...AND had to get my mile in BEFORE that. Fortunately I didn't have any afternoon appointments scheduled so I just left school a bit early and got it done. When I first started out today though I was draggin' behind(your welcome on the cleanin' it up;D)...this is when I realized that I hadn't eaten since breakfast!!! I usually have a small mid-morning snack...and have eaten a small lunch something. Ah well...buffeting the body...without buffets;) haha.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/110657130

1st Miler of the Week

2011-08-29T19:15:00.001-05:00

Food:
Weird food day. The kids got these Papa Murphy's mini pizzas from the doctor so that's what they had for supper....four was too much for them so I ate a few bites and figure one piece is adequate for caloric recording purposes. On the side I had my long awaited new potatoes and beans...YUMMO. I was NOT disappointed...totally worth the slow cookin' and not eating til two days later:)
I didn't actually have the rice cake with peanut butter yet....but I will, I will!

And the "official" record: calories 1286
http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/nutrition_food_chart.asp?sidn=0%5EMGhm56+++++++4Zx%3BNkk%3F+++++++&iMTGoalNum=8210205&dteDateShowing=8/29/2011&bGetElementByID=TRUE

Exercise:
Got a mile in after my morning workout on the trail north of the house(but didnt' have the Garmin so you'll just have to believe me) and got a second mile in before I headed home this evening on the Hillyard Trail near the little A's daycare. Don't love being that sweaty gross mom picking her kids up, but I'll live with it if it means I'll get to be the living healthier mom in the long run(pun intended;D).

And as you all know...I'm a big fan of PROOF:)
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/110450519

A Smorgasbord of a Week

2011-08-29T08:44:00.000-05:00

Panera, Jimmy Johns, Chinese Buffet, and Extreme Burrito. What do they all have in common? All were part of my diet this past week.

Now the real question is were they evil or acceptable?

If you recall from last Monday, I've been tracking EVERY bite with my sparkpeople nutritional calculator... So if you've been following along you already know that I went over my 1500 calories cap on not one day, but TWO days.

I also intended to run more this week. Recap there goes... 1 mile Wednesday, 1 mile Thursday, and 3 miles Saturday. For a grand total of 5 miles in the week....not exactly an entree, eh;) In my defense, for the past couple of weeks I hadn't been running much at all in addition to my workouts with Apollo so 5 miles wasn't exactly an appetizer either. It did, however, feel great to get out and run...amazing how much stronger I feel than when I first started huffing and puffing along in January...and these nice cool "fall-like" mornings, GORGEOUS!!

As you can see I didn't exactly hit it out of the park as far as meeting my goals goes, but then again as I type that I'm thinking, "Well ya didn't exactly just sit your a$$ on the couch and slouch either."

So I'm not giving myself the win for this week, but I'm not slating a loss either....that's right folks, I believe we have a tie;D heehee

And now for the numbers...

192lbs for a 5.6lbs loss!! Bet ya didn't see that one coming;) It probably goes without saying that I am pleased.

I think having this little "week long goal" helped keep my mind right so I'm gonna set another "week long goal" for this week.

Food:
I plan to continue tracking my caloric intake...with one free day(it is Labor day weekend coming up)...that will still be tracked, but I won't have failed by going over on that day;)

Exercise:
In addition to my workouts with Apollo I will run every evening...at least one mile.

And....I'm out!

Simplicity

2011-08-28T19:09:00.000-05:00

Keepin' it simple today:)

Food:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/nutrition_food_chart.asp?sidn=0%5EMGhm56+++++++4Zx%3BNkk%3F+++++++&iMTGoalNum=8210205&dteDateShowing=8/28/2011&bGetElementByID=TRUE
Calories of 1248.

Exercise:
Gave my body the day off.

Saturday on the Trail...leads to eating LOTS of Bread

2011-08-27T21:12:00.000-05:00

It's late(for me)...and I'm tired so I'll keep it short and sweet.

Food:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/nutrition_food_chart.asp?sidn=0%5EMGhm56+++++++TzM%5Bnkk%3F+++++++&iMTGoalNum=8210205&dteDateShowing=8/27/2011&bGetElementByID=TRUE
Total calories for the day...1626. So I'm over again, but still feeling decent about the tracking and whatnot.

Of note...I was starving after my morning run/jog and then Ethan did something that irritated me....so I went to the carbs. THREE pieces of toast...yeah, not good.

Then I went shopping with Eli while the other kids napped and Ethan cleaned...and made art(oweee...almost had a second go round;D). We didn't make it home until 2p.m....again I was STARVING, okay, just hungry, but I exaggerate...surely you've noticed this already. ha!

So Ethan and kids ran and grabbed some take out...seriously we don't usually eat out this much. He brought me a taco salad thing and I also ate some chips and salsa...I'm shooting in the dark on the calories because it wasn't from a chain restaurant so I just went with the Taco Bell equivalent, and got 800 calories...it may have been closer to 1000...still over;( hmmm...can you wink and make a sad face...okay I just did it....feels weird...lol.

The rest of the day was just the delicious watermelon from the farmer's market and a couple bites of my tasty slow cookin' NEW POTATOES, BEANS, AND NECK BONES....gonna really eat that up tomorrow! (oh yes and testing of hummus as I was making it...it's good)

Exercise:
The morning was GORGEOUS!! I had planned an easy three mile so I was pleased. I haven't been running to much as of late so I took it real easy...zen baybee;) Went well...enjoyed it much. Hips were a bit sore towards the end, but that's to be expected when the furthest you've run for the last month is one mile.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/109694828

Later homies;)

Picture Update

2011-08-27T18:45:00.001-05:00

Last pictures were taken July 24th and quick look-see at "Proof of the A$$ Kicking" confirms that my weight then was 202lbs. If you all remember from last Monday's weigh-in I was 197lbs then.

Sooooo....these pictures are showing roughly a FIVE pound weight loss. Funny thing is I also took my measurements(again I'll spare you the play by play on that) AND I've lost 11.25inches in the month as well. Isn't that crazy!!! Only lost FIVE pounds, but ELEVEN inches. Anyhoo. Here are the pictures. Apparently all those up/downs, jumping jacks, and bear crawls are trimming this body up;)

Face Changes

Okay...so a little note before moving on. With my previous "picture outfits" I was realizing that they weren't really showing the changes in my body. As I'm WORKING HARD...I am not having that;) Soooo...I went out and got a new "picture outfit". I got size 12/14 with intentions that it would be WAY too small...funny thing is they pretty much fit(of course I would NEVER wear them outside of the house or workout, but I was surprised). Anyways....they are still very form fitting and serve the intended purpose...and that is so you can see my progress(cause let's face it, just reading the numbers is BORING;D)

Front Changes

Side Changes

Sassy Changes

I was havin' a good time
with my photographer, and now
you get...the many faces of
joni:)

It's Something

2011-08-26T21:39:00.000-05:00

So I started my day at the track with intentions of running a SUB 9 minute mile. I wore the Garmin so there would be no question as to the preciseness of my victory...or lack thereof.

Now, of course, Apollo had to "officially" time it as well. I started at a corner of the track(out of the norm) and ran on the outside lane(again out of my norm). I'm running along glancing down at Garmin for a little reassurance that I was within pace, or for a little push when I was lagging a bit, and feeling like I am running with concrete blocks for feet. For some reason I was just "heavy"....but I kept at it and even tried to push a little harder in the last 100-150 yards. Finished...and wore the hell out I walked another entire lap to chew on the fact that Garmin read 10:19.

I was pissed!!!

I clearly remember seeing 8:34 and 8:47 at two of my "checks" so I couldn't figure out how the heck I managed a TEN frickin' nineteen. I ask Apollo what he got and he says, "After ten minutes I quit countin' cause it doesn't matter."

He's right if it's over TEN MINUTES then I was clearly WAY OFF a sub9 minute mile, and since his watch is the "official" watch...yeah it didn't happen.

BUT...I would like to link to MY Garmin read out here:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/109473789

Please direct your attentions about 2/3 of the way down on the left side of your screen where you will see "splits"...here you are gonna see an 8:54 for the first mile....heck yea. It's an "unofficial" sub 9 minute mile. Sure, sure I'll have to "prove" myself again for Apollo, but having Garmin on my side sure pushed the cloud over a bit and let some sunshine back on my day.

Well now, apparently we covered exercise first today:) That was pretty much it for today. I did a couple chair massages, but they hardly count as exercise so it was an easy day on the exercise front.

And then there was...Food:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/nutrition_food_chart.asp?sidn=0%5EMGhm56+++++++TzM%5Bnkk%3F+++++++&iMTGoalNum=8210205&dteDateShowing=8/26/2011&bGetElementByID=TRUE
With a total caloric intake of...1982, um, ouch! Yea, if you look under "lunch" you will see my culprit.

Once a month for school we go to the cancer center and do chair massages for the patients and their caregivers, as such we usually go to lunch. Well today was our instructors birthday so we let him choose where we were gonna eat. What did he choose....A BUFFET!!!! ACK!!!

I did eat a couple of naughty things such as crab rangoon and general tso's chicken, but I only had one or two bites. I mostly ate green beans(which let's be real were probably slathered in butter) and grapes. I started to try and breakdown my ACTUAL calorie intake and realized that I don't care that much....so 1000 calorie meal will suffice. It may have been a bit less...or a bit more, but I'd say 1000 is probably pretty accurate.

So...to recap...NO sub 9 minute mile...and WAY OVER my caloric intake for the day...I think we can call it a FAIL, but for the fact that I'm documenting it all and THAT was the goal...that's something at least:)

Have a fabulous weekend all!!!

Sandwiches Anyone??

2011-08-25T19:13:00.000-05:00

Today felt like a serious carb loader day...tortillas at breakfast, sandwiches ON BREAD at lunch and supper, but apparently it was the fat I went over on. It was definitely a spotty supper night, and as such I will be running a hot bath and heading straight to bed immediately after posting this.

HOT BATH....the anti-late night eating. ha!

Food:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/nutrition_food_chart.asp?sidn=0%5EMGhm56+++++++4Zx%3BNkk%3F+++++++&iMTGoalNum=8210205&dteDateShowing=8/25/2011&bGetElementByID=TRUE
Calories at 1486 is pushing those babies to the limit...but the bread...is worth it;)

Exercise:
45 Min with Apollo...beach body day(yeah right like this body is ever gonna be fit for the beach...I KNOW my limitations)...but seriously I did 75 PUSH UPS today. 5 sets of 15 with some other stuff thrown in the mix, but I HATE push ups....no hate is not a strong enough word...I ABHOR push ups. So when Apollo is all, "You used to say you hated push-ups and you just did 75." I'm all...yeah I still hate them, but then later I stop and actually process what he said....and I DID 75 PUSH UPS!!! Whoa!(Joey Lawrence style...go ahead pretend you never watched Blossom).

Running rest today....but gonna try to get a sub 9 min mile tomorrow. Full report...Friday;) Oh yes, tomorrow is FRIDAY! Yip, yip.

Wednesday on the Weigh

2011-08-24T20:58:00.000-05:00

Mama is TIRED so this is all ya get...

Food:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/nutrition_food_chart.asp?sidn=0%5EMGhm56+++++++4Zx%3BNkk%3F+++++++&iMTGoalNum=8210205&dteDateShowing=8/24/2011&bGetElementByID=TRUE
(And per Ethan's suggestion my total caloric intake was 1417...this is to save you who don't care about the specifics from clicking the nutrition chartage)

Exercise:
One mile run at trail
One mile walk at trail
60 Minute Deep Tissue massage---girl was SWEATING...deep tissue is NOT for the sissy massage therapist(and Craig I'm ready to bring you the pain;D)

Panera Within the Plan

2011-08-23T19:31:00.000-05:00

Sooooo with Eli and Abigail in school...and the little As in daycare, when Ethan was bumped from his overtime we decided to have a little lunch date. This, of course, was out. We went with Panera...I guess Ethan has NEVER eaten there. I KNOW?!?! I love Panera, but rarely eat there...mostly because I figure I can make those tasty sandwiches at home for half the price...so it was a treat for both of us, not to mention the fact that we were ON A DATE in the MIDDLE OF THE DAY:D

All this lead in is to point out that just because you are eating out doesn't mean you can't figure your calories and whatnot for the day and still stay within your "budget"...and enjoy the meal.

Okay enough already on with the numbers:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/nutrition_food_chart.asp?sidn=0%5EMGhm56+++++++TzM%5Bnkk%3F+++++++&iMTGoalNum=8210205&dteDateShowing=8/23/2011&bGetElementByID=TRUE

I'm happy with today's numbers. Yesterday I ended up eating about 100 calories too LITTLE...I know it sounds funny, but you can actually eat too little and not lose weight.

Today was just about to my max, but not....just right:) You may be asking yourself, "Yes, but it's only 7:30p.m. How can we be sure she won't eat more?" Well...you can't, but know that I am typing FROM MY BED...and intend to be asleep shortly after posting this. So there.

Exercise:
45 Minutes with Apollo-lower body and light cardio...first time with this belt thingy that has a bungee tail(I was wearing all black today and the contraption is all black...so I was feeling very panther like while wearing it...is this too much of the inner world of Joni?), I run(or skip, or shuffle) and he holds the line. He's gotta be pulling on it cause I feel like I'm working HARD and going NOWHERE! But it was fun...so I'm looking forward to doing it again.(Now that is a sign of an innovative workout.)...RAWR! lol

Tuesday. Out.

But the desires of the DILIGENT are fully satisfied.

2011-08-22T20:21:00.000-05:00

2lb GAIN!!!!

Okay now that we've got that sucker ripped off let's observe the wound a bit shall we...

I refuse to make excuses...they are for people that just want to feel better about their bullshit failure to accomplish what they've set out to do. Not that failure is bad. Matter of fact, I feel I've learned a GREAT deal this past seven months from my failures. That said, there is no good reason for excuses. Failure is FAILURE. It sucks and makes me feel like a big ole lump of worthless, but it is NOT the finish line of the journey. THANK GOD!!!

So ask myself....where did the failure come from?

Were fairies secretly feeding me candies in the night? Did some one pour the 1/2 and 1/2 out of its container and replace it with heavy whipping cream and my daily coffee calories have been rivalling a Starbucks specialty? Did I laze around all weekend drinking rum & cokes with lime whilst laughing at my running shoes whenever they called for me to put the on?

No, no, and no.

I made french toast from scratch and DIDN'T EVEN EAT IT...and...I exercised on BOTH of my days off...but...Truth is when I look back over the week I see a "meh" eating situation. No major overages, but not really keeping things healthy. We ate pizza out twice...which I didn't over indulge in, but come on...pizza is pizza and frankly if I am trying to LOSE...not GAIN...or even maintain...I can't really do pizza. Especially TWICE in one week. Add on the Mexican(oh, you tantalizing thing you, taunting me at every corner with your salty crisp corn chips and your spicy salsa) Saturday night and...well...you're surely getting the picture here.

I have not been DILIGENT. Shame on me, but rather than go on and on about the FAILURE...I shall redirect my energy to SUCCESS!!

In past rough spots I have redirected by getting back into the "counting calories" mode...

As such I intend to do this again, with one small difference. I will be posting EVERYTHING that passes into the cavernous wasteland here on my blog...for exactly one week. I am hoping this will encourage more diligent food choices....and I expect you to taunt me if I'm eating junk.

Secondly, I will track my exercise daily for the week. I feel like my workouts are pushing me, but since I'm now doing massages earlier in the day I've let the running slack a bit. No more...running is back at the exercise table...and she's now an entree not an appetizer. Again I will be expecting jokes of my amazing lack in athleticism if I'm not getting it done.

"Patience and Diligence, like faith, remove mountains."

~William Penn

And I say to the mountain..."MOVE THE F*@# OUTTA MY WAY!!"

Food:

I started typing it all out one by one and realized that was gonna take F-O-R-E-V-E-R...so I'm gonna see if just linking to my little Spark nutrition report will work. (everyone keep their fingers crossed) Okay so you'd have to click the link to see my daily progress, but it's still putting it out there-ish:) Right?!?

http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/nutrition_food_chart.asp?sidn=0%5EMGhm56+++++++TzM%5Bnkk%3F+++++++&iMTGoalNum=8210205&dteDateShowing=8/22/2011&bGetElementByID=TRUE

Exercise:
45 Minutes with Apollo--Upper body and light cardio
3-60 Minute massages(if you think this doesn't count as exercise...go give someone a full body massage and then report back:P)--One swedish/Two deep tissue

We now return you to your regularly schedule programming:)

Saturday Mornings are...

2011-08-20T15:47:00.000-05:00

First weekend of the school year!!! Kids and mama were up bright and early...gonna squeeze EVERY drop out of this free day:) So while daddy slept in I introduced my children to a time honored tradition in the Martinosky family(and seriously who didn't do this as a kid...if you didn't please course correct my thinking)...SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS!!!

Distracted and occupied this freed mama to get busy with the first surprise of the day...homemade french toast made with real french bread(no Texas toast crap here)...special recipe batter from my own mama...yummo!!! (All of you following my weight loss progress will be happy to hear I only ate ONE bite of the delectable dish...but have it on good authority that it was spot on in the flavor department.)

All filled up we were ready to get a little garage sale action...but before we headed out for the morning I was all, "Let's get a quick family picture...we haven't done that for awhile." Seriously...not sure why I keep attempting this feat. Here was our best turn out. Abigail's crazy eyes crack me up!!

We didn't bring our camera along to any garage sales...your welcome, but as such our sushi picnic action is now, again, merely documented with ipod photog:)

It had been drizzling during most of our picnic(fortunately under a sheltered area) so after we finished eating we thought a "RAIN ROMP" was in order. Off with the shoes and out into the "rain" we went. The rain didn't really cooperate and quit coming down just as we stepped onto the grass....oh well, "PUDDLE ROMP" it is!!

Shoeless, close to nature, cool water dripping on my skin...perfect opportunity to ground myself. LOVED it!

The End...of the first weekend of school

morning.

With Little A's at CiCi's

2011-08-20T15:12:00.000-05:00

With Eli and Abigail successfully navigating their ways about the first week of school...the little A's(as I lovingly refer to my littlest babies) were feeling a bit left out so I and my cohort(as I lovingly refer to my lo-ver) thought it might be nice to take them out for lunch...their choice.

Yep...pizza, "The one with the games!" Asher was adamant.

So off we went to Cici's for pizza...and GAMES. Funny thing is we NEVER even put any money in the games. Yes these kids got mama's active imagination so we are gonna keep ridin' the free game train til it runs outta steam:)

I'm so not in the "Blog every ever lovin' bit of life" mode so the pics are, meh, as they were taken with my ipod...but better than...NO DOCUMENTATION. Can you even imagine?!?

Go ahead and imagine the "Vroom, vroom!!" noise
because it WAS made:)

Smile Anavah...haha:D

Bookbags and Umbrellas

2011-08-16T20:41:00.000-05:00

Just home from my workout
and they are in the bathroom brushing their teeth...
WITH BACKPACKS ON!!
Apparently they ate their breakfast this way too:D

Eli's newest "pose" for the camera involves
him kissing his guns...crackin' up at my kids!!!

According to Abigail the hand gesture
she is making means, "Yo!"
So, yo...from Abigail:)

Clown!

The ever popular stand at your
front door and take a picture
before you head to school pose...
and you thought I was non-conformist:)

Gotta say it...
LOVE THIS!!!

Hey...wait for me!!!

Rainy first day.
Bookbags AND umbrellas,
what's not to love?!?

And away they go...

Scerrred!!!
No big brother to protect her from
the thunder today...guess mama will
have to do.

Fah-RICK!!!

2011-08-16T19:47:00.000-05:00

BUSY MONDAY...and a not so slow Tuesday means that Joni is a bit tardy with the "official" statistics for the week.

I am pretty much on task(my fellow students may differ, but I stand by the notion that "class clown" is a very important task that should not be entered into lightly...hope Abigail isn't reading this) from 6a.m. til 6:30p.m these days. With my state board under my belt I am in full-on....GET YOUR HOURS DONE mode....AND the freakin' cosmo students stole my computer lab of choice this phase(which began Monday).

Translation: Not so much time for Facebook, Google searching Apollo's crazy notion of the day, or updating my blog weigh in stats...all the while earning hours in my massage program. :P(big ole zerbet face)

I'm sure the fact that the damn yo-yo showed up in my bathroom Monday wasn't making me feel the need to share my wondrous accomplishment either:(

195.6lbs for an official GAIN of .4lbs....frick, frick, frick....seriously irritating. Thing is I know the...

Who? Frickin' mini twix candies,

What? Frickin' eating a couple each night too exhausted to fix a proper meal,

When? Frickin' after 7P.M....not good,

Where? Frickin' in my mouth and straight to the fat roll that lives above my waistline(seriously why does all the fat go there now...grrrr),

Why? Frickin' tired as hell and don't want to make something healthy to eat,

and the most pertinent

HOW??? Frickin' Joni getting lazy in the food department because she thinks she's got this and then a couple weeks of LONG ASS days and she's throwing the evening food plans out the window for some chocolatey, caramelly goodness with a delightful cookie crunch.

FRICK!!!

Seriously what else is there to say....NO MORE WOMAN!!!

The Most Broken Bone in the Human Body

2011-08-12T18:34:00.000-05:00

One word...CLAVICLES

Yo...NO!!

2011-08-08T11:42:00.000-05:00

So, yo, so, yo, ho -
check it,
double deck it
on a scale butt-naked*

Yes ma'ams and sirs I had a hot date with the scale this morning. So much has transpired in this last week...most of it having absolutely nothing to do with weight loss or my physical health. I have been spending MUCH time in personal contemplations and whatnot...so be warned. There may be some serious blog therapy on the near horizon, but, no worries, I'm not takin' ya there today;) You. Are. Welcome. haha!

On the weight loss tip, however, you may recall last weeks loss was pretty exciting for me as it "officially" put me under 200lbs...1.6lbs under to be exact with an "official" weigh in of 198.4lbs. For a loss of 3.6lbs for the week(Not sure why I feel the need to put all the numbers out there...I am so NOT a statistics girl, but whatevs...there you have the numbers;D)

Now, not sure how many of you are really paying attention to the "numbers" (OVER HERE) but July was a serious yo-yo month for me. As such I was ready to get a little more hardcore and eliminate the up swing in this game.

Point Joni...cause today's weigh-in was 195.2lbs for a loss of 3.2lbs for the week!!!(and Mr. Cannon(now that you're an adult I thought I'd show you the respect of a "Mister" and...keepin' it in code to protect the innocent)...I took that little bit of information you shared Friday as a personal challenge to be MORE HARDCORE than YOU...that's right brother there's a new Joni at the table...and she WILL weigh less than you;D)

So there you have it...and I'm on to the next one.

*(credit to Salt-n-Pepa for that...reworked Joni Blair style)

Popcorn, Candy, and Mexican...Oh My

2011-08-01T11:06:00.000-05:00

Friday night supper...popcorn and candy
Saturday night supper...MEXICAN
Sunday night supper...MORE MEXICAN

Not exactly an ideal food situation this weekend...AND with mama and daddy visiting I took TWO rest days on the exercise.

As you regular readers know I "unofficially" hit 199 middle of last week so I had high hopes for this Monday's weigh in to be a big ole "OFFICIALLY" in Onderland weigh in....

AND....

I DID IT!!! HAHA....I had to draw it out a bit;)

Officially in Onderland with 198.4lbs! For a loss of 3.6lbs this week. I feel like I'm finally hitting my stride with this weight loss thing. I mean, I REALLY did eat popcorn and candy for supper...and had big ole high calorie Mexican meals TWICE this weekend....BUT, BUT, BUT....I did those things while still remaining aware of my overall caloric intake and needs. YAY!

Un"officially" in Onderland

2011-07-27T09:49:00.000-05:00

It's not "official" until it happens on an official Monday weigh-in, but this girl is pretty excited to see a 1 in the hundreds place:D

Maybe there is something to this "work hard, see results" business...haha!

And seriously, DAD, no bigfoot comments;)

Obese...Shut yo mouth!!

2011-07-25T10:15:00.000-05:00

Good Monday dear reader:)

I was relatively productive yesterday and got some update pictures taken....however I didn't have time to make my little collage updates(and the rest of the week isn't looking to promising for that project either) so this little side by side from June 18th vs July 24th will have to do. My perfectionist side wants, neigh needs, to point out that in the side view from July 24th there is a shadow all along my back side...giving the illusion of larger-esse:)

Coming off a slight gain last Monday(up .4lbs) I was a bit discouraged with myself, but fortunately I am getting pretty good in the "fake it til ya make it" department...so I pulled up my big girl panties and carried on with myself.

I am so close to Onderland(apparently this is blogeese for weight in the 100s) I can feel it...in fact there are times of workout suckage that I think, "Don't stop Joni, you are so close to 199...and that little bit of push might be what takes you under!!!" (Yes I have quite an active inner dialogue...always...but especially in a workout mode;D)

BUT...I didn't get there this week:(

In all truthfullness I think I could have done it yesterday with a little extra workout and no rum, but it was the weekend and I'm not tryin' to get false numbers....so Onderland will wait a few. I'm good with that...praticing my patience if you will...resting easy knowing that it will come...all in good time:)

Okay, okay I hear you, "What's the number already?!?"

202lbs!!!! Yes ma'ams and sirs...Joni Blair is no longer OBESE. She is now merely overweight...with a long road still stretching before her, but suck on that BMI calculator!

So that is a loss of 2.6lbs for this last week. Chippin' away at it...

Keep on, Keepin' on

2011-07-18T13:34:00.000-05:00

After last weeks 10+lb loss...and being on the cusp of "overweight" instead of "obese"...in the back of my mind I was shooting for the 2lb loss this week that would be needed to put me over the line.

Friday morning I was down 1 of the 2lbs and hopeful that I could make it this Monday, but alas...we decided to hit the road and do a little fun trip to B-town.

As such drinks were consumed and food was eaten...and today's weigh-in was a casualty of said goings on.

204.6lbs this morning for a gain of .4lbs. I'm sure there is a bit of "extra salt" up in there making me retain a bit of water....so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will melt away, and then some, this week.

And now...Imma just keep on keepin' on;)

Girl got a Wild Hair

2011-07-15T17:55:00.000-05:00

I've been toying with going super short again for the last few weeks, and with this afternoon off at school and a babysitter at home...the ants in my pants overwhelmed me...and this girl got a "wild hair"!!!

And you know I gotta mug it for your viewing pleasure;)

I think they call it a KNOCK OUT

2011-07-11T09:54:00.001-05:00

We all know that last weeks weigh-in brought a gain:( And we all know I wasn't happy about it, but I also wasn't going to beat myself up for enjoying the holiday weekend.

That said Tuesday I was ready to hit it hard, and hit this week hard is what I did. I watched the calories going in, and pushed myself harder in my workouts.(side note....I even did a full push-up, nose to the muthaf#*king ground!!! Yes it was just one, but for anyone who knows Joni you know this was a huge win for me.)

Now I could draw this thing out and keep you on the edge of your seat, but I won't...all the hard work paid off in this morning's weigh-in.

204.2 lbs....yes you read that correctly. 204.2!!! That is a loss of OVER 10lbs. And puts me within a mere 2 lbs of NO LONGER BEING OBESE!!! Brings a damn tear to me eye I tell ya! Yes I'll still be "overweight" and yes I'll still have 57lbs to lose before I reach my goal weight, but there is just something about being able to say I'm not OBESE.

(big sigh)

That is all for today. Enjoy your Monday peeps;)

Documenting the Day--4.13.11

2011-07-05T16:43:00.000-05:00

Eli's birthday was April 13th...which apparently is National Scrabble Day(grandpa Craig didn't know this when he gave Eli the nickname Scrabble as a baby)!!! So there was strawberry ice cream cake eaten and Scrabble played at the request of the birthday boy.

Documenting the Day--3.27.11

2011-07-05T16:31:00.000-05:00

Asher's birthday included homemade mini-pizzas and root beer!!

Documenting the Day--3.24.11

2011-07-05T16:00:00.000-05:00

Mama and Anavah were in The Woods packing up our house on her 2nd birthday. Candy Craig and Aunt Lacey watched her for most of the day and got her a little cupcake to celebrate. Thank God for phones with camera or we would have no documentation of said birthday.

Slllliiiiip, Slip-n-Slide

2011-07-05T15:53:00.000-05:00

We had a Slip-n-Slidin' good time over the weekend...even mama and daddy got some of the action;)

All over their faces!!
Poor Sweet Pea was...yep, "Sceeerrred."

Whooosh!!!

Um, yes, mama would love an excuse
to Slip-n-Slide:)

Thank you JESUS for photo shop
cropping...haha!

Daddy's turn.

Oh yeah!
That face right there says it all.
Um, excuse me, I think you're HOT;)