So, today I woke up at 6:00 am to go for a run. Made it two miles. I would have gone farther,  but frankly I was running so slow that I ran out of time. After I came home I had a wee quite time and tried to go back to sleep. Ahhh, summertime schedule.

For breakfast I had a grapefruit. I missed the Coke Zero chaser that normally follows breakfast, but we had things to do today. Like go to Mardel and participate in teacher heaven which equates to 20% off all educational items. By the time we got home I was quite hungry so I snacked on a few pita chips and hummus while making the kids’ lunch and mine. Theirs was fun, mine was an avacado and tomato salad. Not fun, but delish none the less.

After lunch we headed to school where we preceded to take down the old bulletin board materials and the kids “played” school. I love that they enjoy that game. It seriously makes my heart happy. Now, I’ve had a glass of lactose free milk for a snack and we’ll be headed to Lorren’s for dinner. (She’s doing this too, so I know I won’t be sabotaged.)

I did however weigh myself. Two reasons, I want to know everything, if anything, this little experiment accomplishes, and secondly, I want to know how much weight I gained on our little trip to Napa.

Well, I gained a total of 7 pounds. So, I have that to mentally deal with. Still, the food in Napa was totally worth it. =)

Right now I am going to rest my eyes (as I call it) while the girls play. I am tired due to the lack of caffeine for sure.

***** a few hours later*****

Dinner at Lorren’s (an eggplant bake of some sort) was great! Topped the evening off with another glass of milk (good protein/low cal) and some sweet potato chips. Some, the whole bag, whatever. We were hungry. I’m a work in progress; don’t forget that.

All in all, I feel like I had a great first day. It was made easier by being busy the whole day so I wasn’t constantly thinking about hamburgers and fries. Plus the fruits and veggies I ate were fabulous. So far the only think I miss is Coke Zero.

How was it for you guys?

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the 30 Day Inconvenient Challenge. I went to Sam’s today and spent a fortune on fruits and veggies (and some cheese and yogurt for the girls.) We had our “last meal” of poppy seed chicken and buttery garlic bread tonight. And for good meausre, we went to McDonald’s for dipped cones for dessert. That was Lorren’s idea I’m sure.

Tomorrow morning I have a grapefruit waiting for me at breakfast after a run. I haven’t done a real run in almost two weeks. You may find me passed out on the pavement somewhere in my neighborhood.

I will be updating each day and letting anyone who cares to read know what we had and how we are feeling. The girls are actually excited about it. Ok, Reia is excited. Reese wants to know why we can’t have ice cream for dinner every night.

Let me know how you guys are doing and leave a comment so I can see what you are eating each day. After a week, I’ll need some recipe inspiration! Tomorrow night I have salad planned for myself since Terry will be at the Foo Fighters concert.

Here we go!!

We are having family pictures made at the beginning of August. In the pictures we will all be wearing white shirts and blue jeans. So, I am on the hunt for my white shirt that is summery and fun. Been looking all over Napa, Sonoma and San Fran. And while I have found lots of great shirts, none of them have been white. (Or less than $200 for pete’s sake. I’m all about paying a little more if you like something, but a limit…that’s way over it.)

I have found a great bracelet at Francesca’s whether or not wear it for the pics. =) See y’all back in OKC.

Needless to say I’m having a good time. Maybe because I’ve been spending some much needed time with Terry. Maybe because I’ve slept until at least 8 a.m. (that’s 10am in OKC) for the past two days. Maybe it’s because the temperature has finally gone from 105 to 75 here in the valley. Or it could possibly be because of all the amazing food. I’ve had some of the most delicious vegetarian dishes while here and a few thousand pounds of bacon for breakfast.

So, if you really feel like checking out someone else’s vacation pics (add turkey and a box of wine to view Seinfeld/Costanza style) then go here.

Otherwise, I’ll be checking in when we get back!

As I’m flying to vacation with Terry in Napa I figure I might want to get some of the guidelines down for the 30 Day Inconvenient Challenge down on my blog so A) I don’t wimp out on the whole idea and B) anyone who wants to participate in this crazy thing will know the “rules”.
I’ve talked to several of people about this and keep hearing that it sounds a lot like the Daniel Fast.  I prefer not to call it a fast though. For me, this is really more of an experiment that has been in my brain for several years. But I know it will be hard and there has always been something that stops me. Mainly, my appetite for cheese-burgers. =)
My friend Lori asked me whether or not I was going to do whole grains, and that comment got me to thinking about whether or not dairy is acceptable. I would really like to involve my kids in this so I’m going to allow for some exceptions to the whole “only fruits and veggies” premise.
Here is the list I have mulled over thus far. Please feel free to email me and let me know if you think I should consider adding/deleting anything. And also, let me know if you intend to participate so I can get my amazing man to help me with a little IC30 blog roll going on the side. It will probably be a short list. Haha! It may be just me. That’s ok too.
Fruits and Veggies—of course good ole’ fruits and veggies is what got me started on this so they are ALL included. Seems pretty obvious, but I’m listing them anyway. However, having them deep fried in cheese and dipping them in ranch or honey mustard makes them null and void. Even though I can think of nothing more delicious.
Dairy—I am going to include lactose free milk (Dairy Ease is my favorite), cheese if it is called for in a recipe in moderation and yogurt. I need to offer my kids some alternatives like string cheese and yogurt in the afternoons. I am going to try plain yogurt with berries mixed in or smoothies that have yogurt as apposed to Trix or Hannah Montana yogurt with all the extra colors and sugar.

The Bread Group—I am going to serve small amts of whole grain pasta, bread, and tortillas. I think whole grains are good for you and I can’t find anyone to dispute it, so there you go. I plan on finding fresh bread at my local farmer’s market  or health food store. If you happen to live near a Whole Foods or Central Market then you can get very fresh bread pretty reasonably. I have neither in OKC. Actually, lack of a really good grocery store is one of the things I would just about give  my left arm to change about the Metro. It may be worth a drive to Tulsa for a WF trip twice a month.
Nuts—Raw nuts if you will. This is something I can usually find in Wal-mart’s produce section. I love raw pecans and walnuts. Try to stay away from peanuts. There’s too much info on that to explain here. Maybe later.
Cheating—A good cheating snack is Ruffles, Lay’s or Fritos chips. I know this sounds crazy. But these particular chips are only potatoes (or corn), salt, oil. Except for the fat contents, they count. So if you feel like you need a taste of “real” food, go for it. Just don’t eat the whole stinking bag.

Terry and I already have dinner out plans during the 30 day period. I’ve begun planning what I will have to eat. And I am taking my own dressing whether they like it or not.
So, come July 17th—I’ve moved it back a day so I have time to go to the grocery store and don’t screw up the first day—the Storch family is all in.
How about you? Be prepared to share any great recipes you find and how you are doing.  I’ll be posting what we are actually eating every day and a skeleton menu plan for the first two weeks soon.
Oh, and one more thing…no weighing yourself. I’ll post on that later.
Still praying about it Cindy? =0)

I typed this in word and now none of the spacing is showing up. Naturally, I don’t have time to fix it. Maybe later. Hope it wasn’t too hard for y’all to read!!!

The last time Terry and I took a vacation all alone for an extended period of time was when Reia was 18 months old. Then we went to Hawaii for our 5th anniversary.

Fast forward 5 years and we are going to Napa Valley, California for our 10th anniversary. And staying here.

I can’t wait!

I have about 75% of the trip planned with 25% set aside for whatever comes up that sounds fun. So, if anyone has any must sees in the Napa Valley or surrounding areas, chime in!!

I was talking to my friend Richelle about my previous post and “the challenge”. We were discussing how God made our bodies to eat what He has provided. But the bottom line is, eating healthy is a) hard and b) expensive. I did just feed the girls and myself for less than $1.50 by using two packages of Ramen and two apples…and there is some leftover!

The bottom line is our entire lives are based on convenience. Especially when it comes to food.

Don’t get me wrong. I love to go out to eat; and, I love having handy things I can feed the girls quick so I don’t have to leave the comfort of my wicker chair in front of the computer. Frozen pizza rolls and Kudos bars are a mom’s best friend when it comes to after school snacking. It’s just easier. But what is the cost in the long run?

So, I have decided to call my 30 day challenge “An Inconvenient Challenge”.  Nice homage to Mr. Gore don’t you think? =)

Details to follow! Get your brain ready. It begins July16th.

By the  way, my friend Molly asked why I wasn’t doing 40 days. “Lots of things in the Bible were 40 days.” I promptly shoved a Krispy Kreme and Diet Coke in her hand and told her to just hush already.

This post is going to start out with a little TMI, but hang with me as I have a point I will eventually get to.

Last night after I showered, I didn’t bother putting on deodorant. After all, I was just going to bed and didn’t plan on doing much sweating. When I woke up this morning, I started cleaning and getting my niece and nephew ready to go home after their two week visit. Again, failed to put on deodorant. Needless to say, but I will, by the time 3 o’clock rolled around and I hopped in to get clean again, I was pretty ripe. (Please hang with me. I know it’s an unpleasant thought.)

While I was getting ready I started thinking about Jesus, and wondering if those in his day were stinky. They didn’t have deodorant and anti-persperant; and although scented oils were available, I’m guessing not everyone could afford them. Were they just used to the smell? Or maybe just maybe, they didn’t stink that badly.

Here is my thought, do we emit more odors because of all of the preservative laden, chemical filled, and over processed food we eat? What would happen to me if I only ate fruits and veggies for 30 days? As much as I wanted, but only fruits, veggies and lets throw in some nuts for good measure.

Here is my 30 day challenge to myself (and anyone interested in the experiment): from July 16th-Aug. 16th, I’m only eating fruits, nuts and veggies. I will add salt and pepper as spices or dressing of olive oil and vinegar…but I’ll get organic.

Don’t know what will happen, but I’ll keep a day by day post. The first week ought to be pretty ugly with caffeine headaches and all.

Any takers?

On Friday we are officially halfway through summer vacation. And up to now, I haven’t even begun to wipe down all the baseboards, or clean the blinds. Not even a fraction of my summer list has been accomplished. And in the next two weeks I will be getting ready for and going on vacation with Terry to Napa. Yay! I guess I’ll get to my list when I get back.

What I have accomplished this summer is visiting friends, some major sleeping in, and running. I am officially halfway through my 2008 running goal. And the crazy thing is, when I started running it was purely to get back in shape. And though being in better shape is a nice effect, I found myself running six miles the other day just because I WAS ITCHING TO. It was seriously like a drug took over my body. It felt great. And six Motrin later, it felt even better.

Right now I have a 10K planned in September at Lake Hefner, and I’m thinking, possibly, maybe, sometime in the future, about running a half marathon. I am not committing to anything just yet though. 13 miles just sounds like SO FAR. Because it is.

So, for all of my talk at the beginning of June, blogging has once again taken a back burner. I’m not quiting or anything, but I guess I’m not posting unless I have something (I deem) great to say.

Except this post. I didn’t have anything great to say; just thought I’d say “HI!” or “Come run with me! It’s fun! And I might be a lunatic!”

How are y’all?

Wow, it’s been a long time since I’ve done a real post. And right now, I’m trying desperately to cool off from my first 6 mile run, so I seem to have plenty of time to sit up in my desk chair and type. I am only using my fingers and not getting any furniture sweaty. And, I did not run the whole thing. Probably just 70%. Nonetheless, I feel pretty good about it. It took 1 hour and 10 min in case you were wondering.

I feel like I constantly have things to blog about, but lack the real time to sit and do so. Even now, laundry is waiting to be folded, dishes to be put away, and giggly little girls to be played with. But, I do have a few things I want to put here so the future me can go back and read it someday.

God has been changing my heart so much over the past year and a half I don’t even know really how to put it into words. We (God and I) talk about it a lot. Change that is. In me, in life. And the thing I seem to be getting most out of our conversations is “Be Where You Are”. Terry shared that line with me, and I would love to give props to it’s orignator, but I cannot remember for the life of me who it was.

For so much of my life, I have always looked forward to the next step. Graduation from high school, college, getting married, buying our first home, getting pregnant, then getting pregnant again…like little notches in the belt of life. When one goal was attained I began wondering what was next and when it would happen. I rarely just enjoyed where I was in that moment.

This was especially true when I didn’t like something about my life. Take the counter tops in the house in Corinth. (Ok, I know this seems petty, but it’s just one example.) HATED THEM. I couldn’t wait to move into a new house with better stuff. Granite was preferable really. And then God finally moved us. To downtown Dallas. I had granite alright, but my friends lived (what I considered at the time) crazy far away. And gas was like 2.75, so I didn’t have a dime to spare. Ha ha.

I had no idea how good I had it when every one of my best friends live within a mile radius. I had a tribe (as my friend Anne would call it) who I relied on when Terry was out of town or for anything that would pop up really. We all attended the same church and our kids were the same age. It was glorious, but I was too busy looking online at houses to really appreciate it.

So, here I sit in Oklahoma. I am much farther away from my friends and family than I thought I would be. I’ve gone back to work. And, still I have to keep myself from wondering what is next. Will we move again? Farther away? Will I get to stay home again some day if we do?

And quietly, God reminds me, “Be where you are. Enjoy the blessings of right now. Do not worry about tomorrow; it may not even exist.”

So, for now, I will enjoy the summer with the girls and Terry. Late evenings playing outside and having dinner with new friends. I will enjoy long daily conversations with my Dallas tribe, and trips to see them!

And God. I will enjoy Him and what he has to teach me while we are here for however long we get to stay.