Where the heck I have been!

I know that I have been a bit absent around here lately, but...

We have been working up a storm here at the old Fey household!

before we started the backyard over... again...

...after all the compost was worked in and sectioned off

We have our entire garden planted now, and we also have a bunch of new stuff in the front yard.

This is a closeup of the lilies of the valley that carpet the front. They were here when we got here... but were buried underneath years of neglect and decomposing leaves. Once we started cleaning up, we were amazed by these beautiful and incredibly fragrant wildflowers! They are now some of my favorites. My hubby doesn't like them because they are only in bloom for a few weeks and then they just kind of look like weeds... but I adore how our whole yard smells and looks for that glorious month.

So they stay!

It is an amazing thing what smell can do for you. Sometimes when arriving home tired, slightly frustrated from some family adventure, I will open the van door and suddenly feel better and realize that fabulous smell has already made me relax and feel the sense of home. That's a pretty sweet thing, as far as I'm concerned!

Not to mention how good I think it is for the kids to help and watch things to grow.

Playing in the dirt was always one of my favorite things to do as a kid, too!

My new initiative to get healthy for real is going very well!

I have been working on taking off this extra weight since Roscoe was born. It has been 18 months and with the hernia there was almost no exercise in the last 6 months before my surgery. I had a much harder time losing when my hernia started to get really bad, but maintained my weight. Although my food was not too bad... it wasn't enough. I needed to be able to move to get this thing going. So, once I was able to start really moving things started going pretty fast. I guess it was time to just get to it! Now that I am healthy enough to work hard... I'm hoping that this momentum keeps going!I have just this last week crossed a milestone and officially lost 50 pounds from the day after Roscoe was born. Wow! That's a whole lot of weight!

I really didn't realize how awful this hernia was, until now that it's gone and I don't feel horrible all the time!! HOORAY!! I can not tell you how easy it is to feel positive when you are not in constant pain! ...now don't let me fool you.. I have not been all dreamy cloud nine or anything... real life here ya know... but I am just now beginning to see how much this thing effected everything in my life, without me ever acknowledging it.

So, I have been walking everyday. I walk anywhere from 2-4 miles... depending on the day and circumstances. I walk to the park near my house(a little more than a mile) and then walk the mile track there. I have been speed walking... it feels really good to push my body and actually do it without horrible pain... cool! My muscles burn... and I am tired at the end of the day now... but that's a good thing. Of course less manic late night energy means that my blog time is pretty much cut down to nothing! But if that's what it takes then sadly for my blog... it is what I must do right know.

Also, I have mentioned the love/hate relationship I have with this HUGE tree in our back yard.. well this right here is a reason to hate it... this is EVERY SINGLE DAY!!

I kid you not... I have been putting in hours everyday raking and sweeping out all the little seedlings. It is also a reason to love the tree, a free and useful workout opportunity! It is good brain numbing physical work. It has a purpose and an achievable goal... which for whatever reason right now feels really good to me! Well, almost achievable... it is also a good lesson in laughter because as I am raking they are falling in buckets, in front of me and on my head...and it is definitely a laugh or cry moment... every time!!

I am thoroughly enjoying all this extra time that I have been outside and of course my kids love it too! I have also been taking them to the park every single day to play. They are feeling great and I want very much to instill a healthy love of the outdoors with them. I have always felt grounded when walking through or looking at nature... and I want my kids to feel the same way. I love to see them lose themselves in a field of dandelions gone to seed. Exploring the jungle gym at the new play area we've discovered. Watching ants carry food... being fascinated with a spider wrapping it's prey... the list is endless and watching them discover is one of my favorite things in the world.

So I hope that you can all forgive my definite loss of focus. For right now I am throwing myself whole heartedly into this new way of doing things. I am eating well, playing hard, working harder and enjoying the whole process. I am spending much less time on the computer and because of this I haven't had time to write nearly as much as I'd like to.

I've written a hundred posts in my head... so all I need to do is work on the technology that can take the idea from my head and put it straight up here for you guys and we'll be set! : )

I hope that you all are enjoying the nicer weather(and I hope that the nice weather has visited your area!). I wish all of you new beginnings and the freshness of spirit that the season requests!
OH YEAH, I almost forgot! I am getting my new tattoo on Monday! I am getting so excited! This is one that has been in my head for awhile now. I decided since this has come at my 50 pound loss I can label it my reward for hard work, and when I finally get the other 50 pounds off I will get myself another one! I think it is a nice goal for myself because it is something that I want and now I can work for it!
I hope that everyone has a spectacular weekend! : )

Today I am grateful for so many things it's hard to narrow it down!
I am thankful that we have had the ability (physicsally and financially) to put all this energy into our beautiful surroundings.
I am thankful that the kids and I have been able to go to the park everyday, and that we have such an amazing assortment to choose from here in the Burgh!