reflecting briefly on 2015

This year has been a year of lots of changes:
I went from nursing exclusively to weaning at the beginning of November--Yonah went from 6 months old to 18 months old! He's a big growing boy!
We settled into our apartment and worked for Lifeway for most of the year, then at the end of September, Ben resigned and we started looking for jobs. We found a job listing in a newsletter called the Fishwrapper for a sales position that sounded too good to be true: well paid, company car, small Christian company. Ben did two interviews, and they offered him the position. He started at the beginning of December, just finished training last week, and is selling now. So far he loves it!

I have some comparing pictures to show you. These compare photos that I took of myself in January and then in mid December. I decided I wanted to be really intentional about documenting my body changes (although not excessively).

Between these two pictures, I lost 37.5 inches and 26.5 pounds. Take a look.

January 2015 (left) through December 2015 (right)

Although I lost some weight at the very beginning of the year, the majority of the pounds I lost were in the second half of the year, from July, and then really starting in November, when Yonah weaned.

I also started using myfitnesspal to count my calories and watch my portions, but most importantly, allow myself to actually eat and not deprive myself too much.

It was very challenging for me to lose weight while nursing. It is not for some people, but my body would not let go of the weight easily, and I would not let go of my portions easily.

This year for exercise, I have continued to use T-tapp as my main exercise system. With videos ranging from fifteen minutes (and still effective to lose inches), to slightly over an hour, I have lots of options. I don't kill myself with exercise, but I do attempt to be active over four hours in a week.

Before I had kids, I would run as my main exercise and I have not been able to run (except for a very brief period in 2013 with Laura) since having kids for various reasons, the main one being they are heavy and need to be entertained and so we have not run. When I found T-tapp, short videos that do not injure but instead heal the body and encourage spinal alignment and muscle density, I knew that I needed to try it. I love the videos and that I never reach a plateau with the exercises because they continually challenge.

I also have been dry brushing, which exfoliates the skin, stimulates the lymph, reduces cellulite, and can tighten skin. Let's be honest, I am banking on the tightening of the skin! Two pregnancies, and so far, sixty pounds gone and thirty to forty more to go, I need the tightening of the skin.

Dietarily: I have started going lighter on the gluten (and grains in general). Now, when I plan the menu, we will have rice or pasta for half the meals and the other half will have potatoes, either white or sweet. We buy organic whole wheat pasta, but I have started trying to decide if we should just get the brown rice pasta instead, because the kids like it just fine, and it doesn't take as much energy to cook (you boil for two minutes, then let it sit covered, in the pot for 12-20 minutes, off the heat).

If my husband were writing this blog, this blurb of information would have been first and the focus. We are studying modern Hebrew with several tutors, with the goal to be fluent and the goal to use it in some way with a job, and to teach it to our children.

   !שלומ! אני והבּאל שלי לֹומדים עִברִית! אנחנו ללמידים לילדים שלנו

Yes I did just write that with my Hebrew QWERTY keyboard, so if it's not grammatically perfect, waa waa. I am learning.

Ben had a cyst cut out of his side this year, and we took a beating for the bills, but we were blessed financially this year, so it wasn't anything we couldn't bear.

I memorized James and the beginning of the year and have been working through 1 Peter with my mom's group (but not memorizing it at this time) and am going to start 2 Peter on Wednesday.

I think that's all the summary you need!

Be blessed this year!
Grace