Fail seems to be the popular search word on you tube these days so I figured my first post back I could do a blog post fail. I feel like I am coming back to the diary I stopped writing in several months ago…Dear Diary…I can’t believe it has been so long since I wrote. I read your never supposed to blog like that, but maybe it’s okay if you Dear Diary it. So – here is my attempt at becoming a blogger again. Inspired by my dear blogger friend at Jenny on the post (insert high tech link to www.jenyonthespot.com here) I swear I will figure out how to link, I know it’s not hard. Okay – so my plan is to start blogging my next 11 weeks back to the stage. I competed in my first bodybuilding show last May and am competing again in 11 short weeks. My as well be accountable here as well! Watch for more!!
Make Me Laugh Monday March 9, 2009
In honor of make me laugh Monday and my new career as a “bodybuilder” – I say that with some trepidation and I do not know why, I must linky link for Jenny on the spot this timeless Jim Carrey piece. He is playing his character “Vera De Milo” the Bodybuilder from the classic In Living Color.
Enjoy
Jenny On The Spot February 3, 2009
Look at that Jenny – I even put your whole blog name right in my title. Now that is some great blogging. So Jenny – my esteemed blogging friend from the great state of WA is having a drawing at her site. All you have to do is head over there at:
http://www.jennyonthespot.com/2009/02/hes-just-not-that-into-you-cd-and-hoodie-giveaway/
and give her a shout out. She will put your name in the list for the “He’s just not that into you” soundtrack and a cool hoodie!!
Love the giveaway Jenny!
Christmas Letter 2009 January 8, 2009
It has been a very long time since I wrote a family Christmas letter. It seemed like a good time for an update. In keeping with my character, all of my Christmas cards are ready to go out the door, it’s three days before Christmas and here I am – at the computer. I have always worked best under pressure.
I remember when my children were babies and people with older kids would say: “just wait, it get’s busier”. I just didn’t believe them – how could it feel busier? Well, now I get it! Baby time was busy as in I’m holding a baby and cooking dinner at the same time, and I don’t sleep. Now life is busy like “get in the car, we gotta go, hurry up, were late, basketball, baseball, football, snowboarding, dances, friends house, go, go, go, hurry up” There just never seems to be enough time and life is moving by at an alarming rate. It seems so cliché, but it is so true. How did my boys get to be 12 (Erik), 10 (Josh) and 7 (Lucas), when only a while ago I was at the pond throwing rocks with them and giving them rides on the four-wheeler or snowmobile. Now they are riding the four-wheelers to their deer stands, shooting their first buck (Erik + plus 2 does), and as soon as the snow is on the ground, the snowmobiles are packing it down. If there is an untouched piece of snow on our property – these three are not happy about it. Being 12 this year, Erik will be our third driver which will enable us to take some longer snowmobile trips.
Rodney spent another fun season of coaching football for Erik’s team with another undefeated season. We also got to watch Joshua as he is finally old enough to play the sport he was born to play! Both Erik and Joshua competed in the Punt/Pass/Kick competition and both took home 1st place. It was nice that they each ended up with the same size trophy – not that there is any competition. We are now into the basketball with Rodney coaching the 6th grade and Joshua playing 4th grade we will spend the next 10 Saturdays in different cities. Lucas has made the concession stand his favorite sport, and we are waiting patiently for him to pick up the basketball as well. He is the tallest kid in his class and one of the youngest. Lucas is now in 2nd grade which is okay, but he would so much rather be at home with his mom.
Besides Coaching as his volunteer position, Rodney has been busy growing the Rockwell Industrial Plant Services group from 2 people working out of our shop to now over 40 employees. He manages it all very well and when you don’t find him in dress pants and shirt you will find him with grease up to his elbows, probably buried in a snowmobile or a car that he is restoring.
The past year also brought us a challenge. On March 31st, Joshua was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Many of you may know that Type 1 diabetes is an Auto-immune disease and his pancreas will no longer produce insulin. Joshua uses an insulin pump to manage the disease and his Glucose Meter is never far away at any time. This has been an epic roller coaster ride to say the least but as a family we rise to the occasion and will help and support Joshua to live a very long, active and healthy life. And as all Type 1 Diabetics, we are hoping and praying for a cure.
As for me I continue to be the chauffer, chef, accountant, laundress (sounds better), and the Queen of this Castle. Any time I start feeling like life is crazy I do manage to get a few hours in here and there at St. Mary’s walk in mental health Crisis Clinic as a therapist. I am always assured when I leave that indeed we have a very healthy family and we are not very crazy at all. I have found a love for blogging and social networking (facebook) and would love to keep in touch with any of you that way as well.
I must quit now – as you can see I have never been one short on words.
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!!
Love,
The VanBaalen’s (vanbaalen5@msn.com)
Rodney, Lisa, Erik (12), Joshua (10) and Lucas (7)
bodybuilding January 8, 2009
Oh yeah, and I am for sure doing a bodybuilding show. AGGGGHHHH
Super scared to death. May 16th (or 17th).
Your Type 1 Diabetes lesson for the day!! January 8, 2009
So Tuesday was the big visit to the pediatric Endocrinologist. We go every three months to check in with him, see how things are going and have Joshua’s A1C’s ran. A1C’s are kind of like a report card. They are the average of your blood sugar over the past three months. A person without diabetes has A1C’s under between 4 and 6%. Lower A1C’s directly correlate to less long term complications. Joshua had great numbers in December. We were very excited to see his A1C.s and were sure that they had dropped a bunch. We were too optimistic. Although Dr. Miller says we are doing a Fabulous job (he used the word Fabulous, not me). It only went from 7.9 to 7.8. So, we plug along and try to continue our roll of good numbers hoping to see that A1C continue to come down. Next update will be in April. I never liked report cards!!
Mom
LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH, HA November 17, 2008
In honor of Make Make Me Laugh Monday I am going to launch off of Jenny’s sign that made her laugh. I will share something that made me and my sisters almost pee our pants one day. We were putting one of those Wall Words up on my mom’s wall – something really inspirational – like “Believing is where it all begins” is how I think it went. We launched into a hilarious discussion about what should really be up on the wall. Phrases that reflect real life…..here are two of our favorites. Over the kitchen “YOU GET WHAT YOU GET AND DON’T THROW A FIT”, and over the door heading out “IF YOUR NOT WEARING IT YOUR CARRYING IT”. I’m sure you could add your own on here. They could be in all pretty font and swirly, curly – it would be great! Thinking you could start a business called REAL LIFE WALL WORDS – but maybe we just really don’t want reality on our walls, we just want to try to remember to LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH!!
Sugar coma…. November 10, 2008
So as could have been predicted, I return to the home of my youth for the weekend and act just as I did when I was a child – candy, sugar, junk. Just one day. I did great on Saturday, and even on Monday, but that darn Sunday in between…..agggghhh. The warm cookies out of the oven led to the awesome fudge from Door County which led to a little red wine with it. Then the vicious cycle just starts over. I was feeling pretty sick by the end of the night. Today I will not be wallowing it – I will just start right back at my goals. The interesting thing will be to watch how many times I start over, how many times I just say – oh well – and just start over. Let’s assess the damage over the next week, shall we. What cost was the sugar binge? Okay – off to have some coffee with cream only – no sugar or fake sugar.
Reminiscing November 8, 2008
this evening as I am waiting for my husband and oldest son to leave for Opening Deer Hunting. The memories are so vivid of the years when I had three very little children hanging on me as dad walked out the door for hunting, three weekends in a row. Time seemed to drag by like walking through quicksand. Those weekends were as long as the whole week he would be at work. Now it seems that time has sped up…..I sometimes feel like I am in a swirling vortex of time passing me by so quickly. Erik is now old enough to hunt all by himself for the very first year. For him, this moment also seemed like it would just never get here. Within a few years, I know that I will be sitting here alone. I am sure that I will enjoy the peace and quiet of those weekends…..but not as much as I thought I would all of those years ago.
An Amazing Man, An Amazing Country November 5, 2008
I have been a supporter of Obama from the beginning of this election season, (by season I mean almost 2 years). His sincerity and wisdom has always impressed me. I second guessed myself a little between Obama and Hillary, but was so glad with my choice. I am not a passionate politician. I generally do not get into debates and I do not try to change peoples opinions. To each their own. But, watching that acceptance speech last night, I was blown away by this man that I am predicting will go down in history as one of the greatest presidents of our time. I felt as though I was watching history being made before my eyes. Democrat or Republican, how could you not have been moved by the significance of this event. I believe there are many people who were a little caught by surprise at how emotional of exerience it truly was. I must also say how impressed I was with John McCain’s concession speech. I had always like John McCain and would even have considered voting for him for president prior to the campaign that they ran. Last night, that John McCain was fully present and delivered one of the most patriotic and honorable speeches I have ever heard. Last night I was proud to be an American and have hope that our country will again be respected around the world. Today is a good day. I must say – President Obama has a very difficult job ahead of him. Be careful what you ask for many would say. But I believe that he truly has the desire, knowledge and wisdom to turn this country around. God Bless America
