Britt Nicole - Walk On Water

Special Camp

It's been awhile since I posted anything and my mind is racing of all the things I want to share....

But first on the list is Tyler and his week at Special Camp for Special Kids.

He was so excited each day for the new adventures he would undertake...he could hardly sleep, yet was so tired from each days activities.

Each day special camp goes on a new adventure. This year they went to Boomers, the beach, Chuck E Cheese, Knotts Berry Farm, San Diego Wild Animal Park, visited the fire station, and bowling. I get tired just thinking about all those activities.

He had a special friend all week who was so great with him - Noelle. He could never remember her name, but loved hangin' with her nonetheless!

On the second day of camp, Abi really was wanting to go to his camp and asking questions why she couldn't go. Trying to explain to her that it's for "special" kids with "special needs". And reminding her that she went to cooking camp and Tyler couldn't go to her camp. Luckily it all work out. LOL!

Tyler & Noelle

Noelle gave him the Best Bear Hunter Award for the week. He would get up in the front of the bus everyday and lead the group of campers and counselors in the Bear Hunter song.

So grateful for such a wonderful opportunity for Tyler to experience!

From the mouths of babes...

Girls don't like getting old....no matter what their age!

Yesterday, Abi found some spots on her know and freaked out.

"Mom, what are these?!!"

"Those are pimples, dear."

"No Mom!!!! They can't be!!"

As she was now crying.....Abi said.... "Mom, I can't be getting old. Being old is not okay!!!"

Oh the mind of a five-year-old girl and oh boy, have we got a tough, long road ahead of us. LOL!

Markus and his great humor sat her down and began to tell her the facts of life, the process of growing up, and just how life goes.

Needless to say it didn't really help the situation because she was so focused on not wanting to get old.

It made me smile, none the less!

Amazing!

I really can't explain to you how amazing I feel....I have never felt this way ever in my entire life!

I feel so accomplished. I feel so proud. I feel just plain amazing...like flying on clouds. I can't tell you how amazing I feel. I feel like I can conquer anything. I feel so strong...emotionally.

This week, something changed. I'm quite sure what it is. Maybe, it's that I can really now see a difference in me and really feel different. I feel lighter. I even had to get those "thin" clothes out the garage that I've kept, knowing someday I would fit into them again. I have lost a little over 30 lbs in 6 weeks. I also have dropped 2 pant sizes! Wow...what a difference! My clothes aren't tight...they are actually pretty loose.

I am a third of the way to my initial weight loss goal! I've made it and I have the energy and drive to keep going. I'm making this ridiculous liquid only diet work for me! I signed up for Curves this week and have really worked hard. It just feels amazing!

And after 10 months of being away from my hair dresser; whom I have been going to for over 9 years, gave me a new hairdo. I'm 75% blonde! It feels amazing. I've never been this blonde in my life before and I love it. I love how it makes me feel. I feel so light and pretty.  It is an outward expression of how I'm feeling on the inside.

Trust me, this hasn't been an easy road. I hate exercising. I am not good at giving myself priority. But, I can finally say that I am starting to like to exercise. I am feeling and seeing the results of all my hard work and boy is it worth it all! I'm so excited to see what the next few months hold and how my body continues to downsize and how I become the new me!

Summer Time!

It's summertime here at the Hempell house.

We finished school the end of May. It was a glorious day for us all! I (and Tyler) survived a whole year of homeschooling. I have to say it was a year of adjustment and learning what to do and what not to do. My only goal for the year, was to have Tyler reading something. I didn't care what it was or how well, I just wanted him to be reading. Well, my goal was accomplished. He has read through the whole Level 1 of the Bob Books. I can't be happier! Although, we accomplished so much more than just reading, we achieved my only goal. Some highlights was that he completed all 1st grade math and learned curvise writing and has a curiosity for learning about space.

With school behind us, we had a few weeks to just relax and really have very little on our schedule. Our next venture, was going on family vacation with my family. It's a tradition that we do every year with my mom and stepdad and 3-5 of my siblings and their families, and my cousin and his wife. This year there were 18 of us! It is always really crazy, but oh so much fun and so many memories. We went to Phoenix this year, trying to cut costs for all the families. It was bloody hot, but we could always be found in the A/C or by the pool or the lazy river. You can imagine at 108 degrees, we got a lot of sun. Fortunately, no one got sunburned. During the week, we ate dinner together as a whole family, played games, talked, and laughed till our tummies hurt. Wednesday we took off to a local lake and rented boats. What a blast...all the kids were swimming in the middle of the lake, went on the intertube for the first time, the big boys (dad's) were showing off on the wake board, and the mom's were sunbathing! On Friday night, my mom and stepdad and sister watched all 7 kids while the married siblings go out for a date night. What happens on date night, stays as a memory of date night. LOL! This year was tame, but we had a great time having dinner at a local, organic restaurant and then went bowling.

We have some other great things planned for the next few months...

I have enrolled in a city sponsored pottery class. I have always wanted to make pottery and learn how to use the wheel. It's now that time to do something for me! My class is 4 hours a week for the next 10 weeks.

Markus and the kids will be going to Vacation Bible School at our church. I have volunteered and have been Tyler's "shadow" for the last few years and I just need a break. So, Markus is going to try it out. Please be praying for him - the week of June 28. I am thoroughly looking forward to a few hours a day with no agenda and no kids...it will be glorious!

Abi has been taking a cooking class on a weekly basis and absolutely loves it. It's the first activity that she really likes and I think will stick with it. I don't have to bribe her each week to go! It's fabulous! What's even greater is that it is an hour and a half and is a drop off program. She seems to not be getting enough of it, so she is going to their summer camp for a week.

Markus and I are going to a business conference in Palm Springs for a few days. It will be good to get away....without kids! The plan, right now, is for my dad and stepmom to take the kids while we are there. From there, we will leave and meet my dad and stepmom and join them in Kern River for the week. This also is a traditional activity that we do. We have tons of fun fishing, hiking, and rafting. Tyler also gets in some archery time with Grandpa.

We found a camp (Special Camp for Special Kids) last year that Tyler can attend on his own, that we are doing again this year. It's for kids with any type of special needs. Each child has a one-on-one counselor and each day for a week, they go to a different amusement park. It's a grand time for both Tyler and mom! It's the longest break I get and the best time for Tyler!

Lastly, Markus has a trip planned the end of August....a biking/camping trip with my 2 brothers and my cousin in Oregon. A new adventure for him, but one that he is very excited to do!

We might have a few camps and trips planned this summer, but school will be starting back up next week. We took a little break, organized the school room, and I planned the next few months of school for both Tyler and Abi. We will only be doing school on M,W,F...but school nonetheless. It's good for us all to keep some type of schedule and for Tyler not to forget everything that we have learned this past year. I'm excited for new opportunities with teaching both the kids and experiencing more field trips this year.

We pray your summer will be filled with rest and lots of fun. Be safe and enjoy your families!

Discouragement.....Pressing Forward.....

Oh I am so frustrated....so many thoughts and frustrations running through my head!

I am still trecking forward, but I feel like I'm at a standstill. Some days I loose a pound or two and then the next day I gain a pound or two. This has been going for over a week now. I'm frustrated about not eating "regular" food....and then I cheat here and there.

I'm anxious about our upcoming family vacation. You see, my family of 18, go on a vacation every year. This year we are going to Phoenix....we leave in 3 days. I was hoping to loose 30lbs by that trip...I had 5 weeks to do that. I'm close, but I'm not there yet.

But, on those trips there is lots of eating and drinking. We eat family meals together. All my siblings and their spouses go on a date night while Grammy and Poppy watch all the kids...and you can only imagine what happens on that night! :) I've already been asked by my brother if I can join them in our usual drinking habits and of course, I had to say no, not this year. So, I ask myself, what will this family vacation look like for me? It hasn't even come yet and I'm already feeling left out. I want to be a part of it all, but I also don't want to sabatoge all that I've done so far.

I know I am not giving myself much credit, but frustration is still at the forefront.

Yes, I have lost 25lbs so far. This week I have been averaging 500 physical activity calories a day. I have never done that much in my life on a consistent basis. I can fit in clothes that I haven't been able to fit into in over 7 months. I feel good about myself. I see a difference in me. My sister even saw a difference the other day when I saw her...she was the first person to notice and I was shocked and flattered at the same time. What I'm doing is making a difference...slow going these last few weeks, but still going in the right direction!

I guess I also get frustrated each week with myself if I don't loose 4-5 lbs. It's just plain discouraging for me and makes it harder to keep on track. Drinking my 5 "meals" a day is getting harder and harder as each week goes by. As the weather gets warmer, its extremely difficult to not eat fruits and vegetables. That's what I have always enjoyed about the summer and warm weather...more fruits and veggies.

I was so discouraged with myself, that I got out and walked 3 miles! I have never done that in my entire life.

I know that I'm at a cross-roads. I know I need to keep pressing forward. I know that loosing weight doesn't happen over night. I know that I need to keep my goal in mind. I know that I need to be proud of where I have come. I know that I can do this.

Fit for my King

So, I have been reading a new book...Fit for My King. It's by Sheri Rose Shepherd. It's been very eye opening and keeping me accoutable each day, making me think about God and His role in my weight loss journey.

Here are some tokens of truth that I have been pondering...

Finding the root cause of why I battle with my body image and discovering the keys to break free from food controlling my life....

Setting my mind on my royal call, not on my cravings...

Help me Lord to hunger more for you than for food.

I am destined to live an abundant life!

No food tastes as good as being healthy feels!

Honoring the One who created my body.

I tried with all my strength and willpower to control my unhealthy, compulsive-eating behavior, but the harder I tried to break out of this bondage, the more bound I became.

I am beginning to allow  God to define my worth...I am choosing this day to believe that I am who God says I am...and praying that He will help me walk in His confidence, not my own.

I am praying my way through each passing day. Praising God for giving me the means to loose this weight and the determination to keep on track. The layers of this onion are being peeled away....one layer at a time. I am trying to instill Truth and new habits in this new life I am creating. I don't want to get to my goal weight and then gain it all back, so I am trying to break the bondage of sin and receive forgiveness and receive grace.

I surely don't have this all figured out, but I'm exploring, pondering, and receiving.

Faith looks back and draws courage; hope looks ahead and keeps desire alive.

Self help is no help at all. Self sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. ~Matt. 16:25.

The thief's purposw is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. ~John 10:10

For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory! ~Deut. 20:4