6/9/2012: Catching Up

As I mentioned in a previous post, our granddaughters, ages 6 & 7 (almost 8) are keeping us pretty busy.  They live in Salt Lake City with their parents, Andrew and Rebecca, and their two little brothers.  We get to see them two or three times a year, but they are so far away that the visits are always too brief and seem to be too far apart.  We knew it would mean a lot to us if they could come spend a couple of weeks with us and we hoped it would work out for everyone else, too.  We're grateful that it all worked out and the Rebecca was willing to meet us about half way, in Denver.  So last Friday night Jack and I took off after work and drove about 6 hours, making it to Colby, Kansas.  The next morning we made it the rest of the way to Denver by about noon, Kansas City time, picked up the girls and headed home.  We stopped in Colby again, for a late late/early dinner at the Village Inn.  This picture is of Jack and the girls at the Village Inn.

Jack and our Granddaughters

We made it home late Saturday night and then spent a fairly quiet day settling in on Sunday.

Monday the real excitement started.  The girls are going to summer day camp at Shawnee Mission Park and are having a great time.  I'm able to get into work a little late and Jack is able to leave work a little early, so I'm dropping them off in the mornings and Jack is picking them up in the afternoons, which is working out well.  The girls are there for all of the fun stuff, but don't need to hang around too much in the mornings or afternoons before and after the activities start and end.  They are making new friends, going on field trips, swimming, and love riding the school bus.  All in all, it appears as if summer camp is a hit!

Monday evening we took the girls bowling with us and they made a new friend there.  They are looking forward to seeing Bob again next Monday.

Wednesday evening Brianna and Kyle arrived for their Missouri wedding reception and they are here with us until tomorrow.  It's wonderful having the house full of family.  We are all having a great time!!

Of course, being a parent again is exhausting.  The girls are incredibly well behaved and pretty much take care of a lot of things themselves, but as the adults in charge, Jack and I are engaged in what is going on around us every minute.  There is no such thing as "down time" until they are in bed and then I go down right after they do.  It's making getting up at 4:20 in the morning to exercise difficult, but so far, I have not missed a scheduled day of exercise since they have been here.  Today's exercise is going to come after dinner, but I think I will still be able to get it in.  Luckily, the food hasn't been too difficult to maintain.  We are eating out a little more just because I am tired at the end of the day, but I am not having a problem making good choices, either a grilled chicken breast and veggies or a salad.  I have noticed lately that my attitude towards dinner has changed.  I am no longer looking for a big meal at dinner, instead I look for a little protein and just enough food so that I won't be hungry when I go to bed.  Even if the food is really good, for the most part I am not having trouble keeping my portions small at dinner time.

All in all, life is grand!  There is nothing like taking care of a couple of precious children to help put life in perspective.  All of our children are doing well, following their individual paths in life, and our lives are full of love.  That truly is what it is all about.

Following is my calorie recap for the last couple of weeks.  My goal is to consumer about 1,500 calories a day and exercise for an hour a day, six days a week.

Sunday May 27th:  Calories Consumed - 1,313 ; Calories Burned (75 minutes (5 miles) brisk walking) - 566;  Net Calories - 747

Monday May 28th:  Calories Consumed - 1,666; Calories Burned (55 minutes weight lifting) - 496;  Net Calories - 1,170

Tuesday May 29th:  Calories Consumed - 1,296; Calories Burned (100 floors on stair master and 2,500 strides on elliptical maching) - 523;  Net Calories - 773

Wednesday May 30th:  Calories Consumed - 1,307; Calories Burned (55 minutes weight lifting) - 496;  Net Calories - 811

Thursday May 31st:  Calories Consumed - 1,541; Calories Burned (jogging 5 minute miles for 53 minutes) - 638;  Net Calories - 903

Friday June 1st:  Calories Consumed - 2,005; Calories Burned (50 minutes weight lifting) - 449;  Net Calories - 1,556 (Excess calories were dinner out at 75th Street Grill, Turkey burger and a salad, on the way out of town to get the girls.  I ate more heavily than normal because I knew we would be up until midnight and I did not want to snack too much while on the road.)

Saturday June 2nd:  Calories Consumed - 1,384; Calories Burned (Day off from exercise - moved it to Saturday because we spent the day driving to Denver to pick up the girls) - 0;  Net Calories - 1,384

Sunday June 3rd:  Calories Consumed - 1,252; Calories Burned (Jog for 65 minutes approx 5 miles) - 779;  Net Calories - 473

Monday June 4th:  Calories Consumed - 1,219; Calories Burned (55 minutes weight lifting) - 494;  Net Calories - 725

Tuesday June 5th:  Calories Consumed - 1,387; Calories Burned (Day off from exercise) - 0;  Net Calories; 1,387

Wednesday June 6th:  Calories Consumed - 1,385; Calories Burned (55 minutes weight lifting) - 494;  Net Calories - 891

Thursday June 7th:  Calories Consumed - 1,683; Calories Burned (100 floors on stairmaster and 2500 strids on elliptical) - 559;  Net Calories - 1,124

Friday June 8th:  Calories Consumed - 1,244; Calories Burned (55 minutes weight lifting) - 491;  Net Calories - 753