August Goal Recap

As you may remember I set a few goals for myself over the month of August with the hubbs being gone. Over all I didn't do to bad, however there were a few area's I didn't do great in at all. Dear running injury you really cramped my running this month. More on that in a bit. I'm a little late at getting my recap posted for August, so September's goals will be up with in the next day or two.
To jog your memory here are my August Goals.

*Running- Well I most certainly didn't meet my 75 mile goal. But for good reason, well not by my choice that is. I sadly ended up straining my hip flexor and that kinda cramped my running. I made it through about half the month and totaled 29 miles. Not were I wanted to be at all, but it happens. I've never had this problem before and let me tell you it absolutely sucked. It hurts, so bad to even walk sometimes. So the rest of the month consisted of lots of stretching and icing my leg / hip. I added in a couple different work out routines at home though to kinda of make up for not being able to run and I've got my plank time up to 2 minutes and 31 seconds. I'm quite proud of myself. :)

*Saving- I actually didn't do to bad on this goal at all. I kept track of everything I spent and made sure I didn't make any unnecessary purchases. As funny or silly as it might sound it felt so good coming home at the end of the day and marking $0 on my calendar for that day on not spending anything. I was able to put a little extra aside into our savings accounts like we had planned and make a few purchases for the hubbs Welcome home gift. Not to mention I put some fun money aside for when the In-Loves come in town next weekend.

*Classroom--Success!!! I completed my classroom updates and set up. Shelves & Cubbies are labeled, Pictures are put up on wall and my centers are relabeled and they look so much better. There are a few small things that I still need to do to get ready for our be yearly evaluation coming up in November. Classroom art project, a on going art project with the kiddos, print and hang pictures from last weeks events. I completed all of their evaluations to see were they stand and have started working with them one on one in the area's they are struggling in. Over all I'm pretty happy with were I stand in my classroom.

*Eating Out- This one was a complete SUCCESS, I am happy to say I didn't eat out not one time. I did stop and get a tea from Sonic a time or two which was much needed dealing with my kiddos sometimes. But aside from that I either ate at home or at work. (lunch is provided to teachers when the kids eat) I did have a girls night out for dinner one night but that fell through. Another night I went out with a group of people from our neighborhood to a local bar. A few people ordered food and offered me some and I so kindly declined. This past weekend T from the neighborhood invited me to meet up with her and her friend J at Dunkin Donuts for girl time and "coffee". I don't drink Coffee and wasn't going to eat so I took my lemonade in with me. That same evening T invited J and I to grab dinner and then over to her house to work on a little project. I went with them to dinner at Zaxby's but ate before hand so I wasn't tempted to eat while I was there. After about a month of no eating out it really wasn't as hard as I though it would be to. Will power I tell you, it WORKS!!!! 

*Sweet's & Baking- Another SUCCESSful goal in the books. This one was hard let me tell you!!! We / I don't eat a lot of sweets but goodness every now and then everyone needs a piece of chocolate or some Froyo. The weekends were harder than the weekdays. Being home working around the house or veggie out on the couch every so often I would get a sweet tooth itch. I pushed through and didn't give in. There was no baking done in that oven of ours either. Boy that was a hard one, with the Pinterest randomness searching I found a few…ok many new yummy sweet treats that were so tempting to try but I didn't.

*Puppies- I actually did even better than I had planned out for myself on this goal. I walked the pups every day through out the month of August with the exception of only 3 days. Another one I kept track of on my calendar and made me fill good about myself by marking it down each time I'd come home from our walk. Our 3 days we didn't walk were because 1) it was raining one evening, 2) my horrible hip injury, 3) a late night errand run. We ended out the month with a 5.2 mile walk this evening at a local park / walking trail here called the Greenway. It was our (the pups and I) first time there, it wasn't to bad at all. It was really pretty and the whole trail area that we took was shaded. Next time we'll have to check out the other side of the trail. There were a couple of days I took them on two walks which I know they loved. It def. made me feel a bit better considering I couldn't run.

August shaped up to be a pretty good month even with the hubbs gone. I am looking forward to September and what it has in store for us both. I've defiantly been focusing more on my health and fitness here lately and its been going great. Makes me feel so much better about myself.
Here's to SEPTEMBER, its my brothers birthday month so its bound to be a good one, oh and the IN-LOVES are coming in a week YAY!!!!!! 

Back to School….

…..For this girl. After I can't even think of how long I'm heading back to the classroom. To be completely honest this is something I should have done forever ago. I wish all the time I would have gone back before now. But better now then never I suppose. I've been given this amazing opportunity through my new school were I work and I'm glad I took them up on it. 

I'm taking a 30 hour course at APSU - Austin Peay State University. I'm going through the TECTA program. TECTA is funded by the government and helps further your career in early childhood education. The course goes through the end of September. Short and Sweet but it slowly eases me back into the groove of things for the Spring. When I'll start two classes a night for  the next two - three years. I'm excited to finally not only have my CDA in Early Infant and Toddler but I'll also have it in Preschool as of December 2015. After the first two full semesters and receiving my Preschool CDA, I'll continue further towards my Associates in Early Childhood Development. My long term goal is to become a Kindergarten or 1st Grade Teacher. Like I said I sometimes wish I would have done this many times before but no going back now. I'm pushing full force forward from here and really focusing more on me and myself. Not only with my health and fitness but my schooling and future as well. 

All classes are in the evening which allows me to continue working full time. Actually because most of the programs are funded through the government you are required to still work a certain amount of hours per week to qualify for the funding. 

I was super excited to start this new me, but I was scared to death that I was going to get lost driving on campus. I was freaking out on the inside worried I'd be late because I couldn't find the classroom or I would have to walk forever because I couldn't find parking. I worked straight through my shift today vs. taking a lunch so I could leave a hour early. This way I could go home, walk the pups, grab some dinner, get ready and still make it on time. Whelp I tell you what…..I was early- 15 minutes to be exact, I found parking right outside the door, the classroom was right to the left when I walked in and I was greeted by the instructor. All that stress and worry for nodda thing. I'm not complaining though. I braved it up and walked to the middle of the room and took a seat. Any other day before I woulda stuck closer to the back, I'm trying here though, really trying. 

Classes are every Monday and two Saturday's (BLAH) except this next week because of the Holiday we are having class on Wednesday. 

Of course I had to take advantage of my "First Day of Preschool" plaque I made for my kiddo's. 

The first day of class went well, and I'm looking forward to what's in store over the next several weeks. 

Still Adjusting to our New Home State

While I've been living in the Upper South (we'll call it that), for 2 and a 1/2 months now….I'm still trying to adjust to life here in Tennessee. We are enjoying the area, finding new things to see and do every so often. Trying out new restaurants, local shops on the weekends and checking out the new homes being built in our neighborhood when we go on our evening walks. It's almost about done (give or take to the end of the year) and it will be complete, which means no more construction traffic. Thankfully it really hasn't been to bad. I'm sure I'll change my thoughts on that once they start building directly in front of our house. It's officially been 1 week since the hubbs left for training. Although it seems like he's been gone for much longer but at the same time this past week has gone by pretty quickly. So that's a good thing right?!?!? I've still be on the outs with making friends and meeting new people. Its a daily struggle that I've been going through, life I suppose. I have met a couple girls at work that I've become pretty well comfortable with chatting and getting to know. However nothings gone past work yet. I did have dinner plans this evening with one of them but that fell through last minute. Should have seen that coming I suppose. I'm really trying not to let it get to me and remind myself that it just takes time. I was in such a funk when we moved from Hawaii to The South that I didn't give myself a chance to enjoy the first 4-6 months I was there. I am determined not to let that happen here. I'm really trying to focus on me and making a better life for myself and my husband. We like the city we are stationed in and hope to make it home for a good few years. Since buying a house here I really want us to be able to enjoy it and make a ton of wonderful memories here.
This past weekend I went down to the Cumberland river which has a beautiful running / walking path over looking the river. A large marina, filled with all different boats that make me giddy, a boat ramp, several parks, a pond with a mile paved / wooded path around it and a large dog park. It really is a beautiful place to go for a run. I for see many more miles being ran there in my future. Unfortunately I am suffering a minor injury right now that I am having to wait for it to heal before I can hit the pavement. Nothing serious at all, thank goodness because I'm not sure what I'd do if it was. Running is a huge part of my life and a great therapy session for clearing my head. Hoping to be back on the streets next week adding those miles.

Sunday morning I woke up and made myself a fabulous plate of Banana Pancakes. They are seriously my favorite go to meal that I love to indulge into. I enjoyed them out on my back patio deck with the pups. It was a beautiful morning, listening to the birds chirp and the wind blow. Add in there some Peach Tea and Pandora the only thing that would have made it more perfect would have been if the hubbs was here. Soon enough though, I'm trying to make the most out of my days and by doing so I've been catching up on past TV series lol. Of course nightly walks with the pups and dinner on the patio. Its my new favorite place to spend my evenings unwinding from work. I'm wanting to add curtains to one side of the deck, to have a bit of privacy from our neighbors on that side. Its just figuring out how I want to do it. Well that and breaking down and actually following through with it. 

We did know one family here before getting stationed here, we were all stationed together in Hawaii. In fact they were a big reason on why we decided to come here for our next duty station. Any how there two sweet kiddos went to the same preschool were I am working at now. That's actually how I found out about it. Any how little O started back to school on Tuesday. B starts school in a couple weeks and she has two classes were she has to go to campus for them so O will come to school Tues. & Thurs. He's not in my class sadly, he's a few years to young but I am so excited that I now get to see him a couple times a week at work as well. He really is such a wild fun child and makes you laugh!!! Today was his second day at school and he did much better today. I snapped this pic of us today on the playground. 

While having dinner out on the deck this evening there must of been a number of people walking by in the front. The pups kept pacing back and forth from the gate and a little gap under the fence. Bailey eventually laid down and stuck her head under the fence. It was to funny, she just laid there and watched them. Some times in moments like these they really do melt my little heart. :) 

Tomorrow's Friday, and even through I don't really have any plans for the weekend I'm looking forward to it. I might make a trip to the Farmers Market, depending on the weather. Its looking like its suppose to rain. Fingers crossed it doesn't. Hope you and yours are doing well and having a great week!

Off My Game

The hubbs left yesterday for a month give or take, training. Army Calls and he Goes. At least when we were On The Trail and he was a Drill SGT he would go away for a few days every so often but he was always on post just a few miles away. Most of those nights I'd take him dinner or a drink so I still got to see him. Not this time around, he's thousands of miles away and has crappy cell service at that. Blah. When he moved out to TN and I was still in the South we were apart for just over a month but that was by choice. By no means was it any easier, it still sucked but at least we had a say in that part. I took a long lunch yesterday from work to go take the hubbs to work and say our see you soon's. :( It was no bueno, I had a huge lump in my throat when I had to tell him bye yesterday. Its been over three years since we've had to be apart from each other for longer than a couple weeks at a time. Life On The Trail, Tradoc. Welcome back to the real army were duty calls and they go. Blah!! I headed back to work shortly after I dropped him off and it hadn't really set in yet. It wasn't until I was walking out of work that I "remembered" he was gone and I'd be going home to a empty house. Well plus the pups. There goes that lump in my throat again, I held back the tears as I made the drive home. The one good thing about working 15 minutes from home is the fact that it gives me time to think, clear my head, gather my thoughts.

I'm still getting used to staying in our new house by myself. During the day its no big deal but at night its another story. We live out near the country, so there's a million different noises being made all through the night. Creepy!!!! I know a couple people in our neighborhood but no one I'm close to. It is a safe nice area, so that makes me feel comfortable being here alone. This morning was normal, he's always gone when I get up for work so nothing different there. But still the though knowing he's not going to be here when I get home from work just gets me down. Today at work was just a off day for me. I'm sure it didn't help that I was up late last night. My class was in a funk, I kept having to get on to them for stupid little stuff and then my co-worker (one of my only friends at wrk) was leaving early and I'd be there pretty much by myself. Who was I going to talk to?!?! Then there was my run, I go on my lunch every day. I headed out, had a plan in my head just as I always do and it started off just fine. That was short lived and failed right after the first mile. I pushed through and kept going, around mile 1.50 I was hurting my leg was feeling tight and I wasn't myself. I tried telling myself it was all in my head and pushed on through another 1.50 miles and that was all I could manage. I hated more than anything not finishing what I set out to do but that happens. Its only been the 2nd bad run I've had in two months but still I let it get to me more than I probably should. It happens, it will only make me stronger in the long run. I am always reminding myself that life's not perfect and so not all of my runs are going to be. I think since I'm not training for a big race right now I forget about the bad days. I know tomorrow's a new day and I'm calling it a early night tonight. I did take the pups on a walk this evening just as I had planned, didn't spend any money today and even cooked dinner. Night two done and over, sure there's many more to come but two less to go through. Not that I'm counting or anything. 

Well enough of my rambling nonsense. I'll leave you with a picture of us from yesterday. 

I'm hoping to get back into the whole blogging thing more, now that I have don't have a lot going on in the evenings. I've been slacking something crazy. :-/

August Goals

The hubbs is going away for a month (august) bummers (darn you army and your training schedule)!!! So I'm taking full advantage of it, well the best I can and setting some personal goals for myself. I came across the idea from one of my fabulous fellow bloggers Tamara who wrote a set of goals for herself for the month of August. I might start a monthly goal post's here, simply to help keep myself accountable. We'll see. I really can't believe this starts the 3rd month (4th month for the hubbs) that we've been living in Tennessee. Were has the time gone, we've settled in quite well and are enjoying our life here but I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss living in the South!!! There's not a moment that goes by that I don't wish we were there still.

*Running- I've been doing really good with my running, adding miles and dropping my pace. It's still a work in progress and that's ok with me. It'll always be a work in progress. I took some time off so right now I'm just working on getting back to were I was. Over July I ran a total of 60 miles, for August my goal is to run 75 miles. I've calculated it out and its completely doable, staying with the same routine I've been doing. I also have a time goal set for for my 5k time. I'd like to get it down below my fastest 5k time which is 31 minutes. I'm not a fast runner by any means but Its something I love to do and gives me a since of accomplishment and pride. I've got 3 minutes to drop and I'll be at my first goal time. I'm determined to get there by the end of the month.

*Saving- I'm (we're) always about saving, this is a on going goal. We have 4 different savings accounts set up. I'm kinda OCD about our finances (as I'm sure a lot of people are). #1- savings account that we put money in each month from BAH to pay our Mortgage. #2- savings account for our home, the long term goal with purchasing a home is/was to build a nest egg for our future. We pull money from BAH to go into this account as well. #3- savings account for the hubbs, we call it the Gun Fund. Each pay period we put a certain amount in it and he uses that for what ever wants for his gun / reloading hobby. #4- our main savings account that we put the majority of our funds into. The one we don't touch, we've worked so hard to build it up. So while the hubbs is gone, we will be spending less on gas, food, going out, and shopping etc. So my plan is to divide that up evenly into our savings and buckle down even more on what we put aside. In hopes to help us reach our end of the year savings goals even sooner.

*Classroom- Its going on the 3rd month at my new job, in my new classroom and it still seems to be a work in progress. When I started I took a week and worked with it the way it was. This way it allowed me to see what worked and what didn't and what I wanted to change. Once I figured it out I made the changes and adjustments needed. It worked well but there was always something that I still needed to finish up, last minute touches on this or that. Last week was our transition week, with school starting up this week. Meaning I have 15 NEW kids in my class. Just as I was getting settled, a routine, a groove, art work up, window theme's done…..I have to take it all DOWN. AAAAHHHH, of course I knew this was coming but seriously come on. I've gotten a lot done but of course there are still a few things that have been put on the back burner, for one reason or another. I'm determined to get my classroom completely set up and finished by the end of August. Sure there's always going to be art work to put on our art boards, monthly window themes to do. However the basics cubbie labels, birthday boards, napping charts, child portfolios' etc are done. One big project I keep putting on the back burner is relabeling all the shelves / toys / centers with pictures and labels. Its a big job and its going to be time consuming but I want / need to get it done. It will free up so much more time for me with the kids.

*Eating Out- Simple as that, I'm NOT doing it!!!! The only exception to this one will be if I'm invited out on the weekends to dinner with friends. Although the chances of that happening are slim to none. (more on that later) I went to the commissary this past weekend and picked up plenty to hold me over and cook through out the next few weeks. There really shouldn't be any reason to eat out. This one will be a struggle at times I'm sure. Cooking for one isn't always easy but by not eating out it will help with my Savings goal!!!

*Sweet's & Baking- NOT happening!!!! I think that's pretty self explanatory. I love love love baking but I'm not going to while the hubbs is gone. No particular reason here, just a goal for myself. Will Power People! On top of that…...NO sweets eating at all. Cookies, Cake, Cupcakes, Candy, Ice Cream, anything that could be consider a "dessert". We don't eat a whole lot of sweets to begin with but I'd be lying if I said we didn't at all. Really anyone that says they don't eat sweets is crazy. So cutting it all out for this month (on top of no eating out) while he's gone will help with keeping off a few extra pounds.

*Puppies- Oh those sweet, furry, four legged no good for nothing, hair shedding, barking dogs are our babies even when they do annoy the living crap out of me sometimes. I'll always love them. Truth be told we slack in the "dog walking" department a good bit. Partly because we both get home from work after 5pm, I do dinner, dishes, get ready for the next day, watch a bit of tv, sometimes end up falling asleep on the couch and then the next thing you know its 8pm or later and to dark outside to take them on a walk. So while the hubbs is gone my goal / plan is to walk the pups every evening after I get home from work. I'll give myself the weekends off, if I choose to. ;) Our neighborhood is a small circle, similar to a "U". The total distance starting from the entrance and back around is a mile. Of course I'll have to wait till closer to 7:30-45pm-ish when the sun starts to set and its not blazing hot outside. It will help me from being completely lazy and seeings they'll be home all day by themselves it will get them outta the house. They still have so much energy, it never seems to end. A mile power walk around the neighborhood every evening will be a good addition to staying in shape and building my strength.

Here's to a new month, goals, and finishing what I've starting and sticking with what I've got planned. I I (you) can do anything I put my mind to, and I plan on working hard to stick with and maintain the personal goals I've set for myself. I know its only going to better help me, my husband, and our future.
PS: Did I mention I start taking classes at Austin Peay State University at the end of the month, talk about a full plate. Again more on that to come later.

And just because everyone loves a good selfie!!