tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27425137553806042192024-03-05T18:00:29.097-08:00Sailing my way through...Rebekahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550034649514622918noreply@blogger.comBlogger376125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742513755380604219.post-1946247253907141672024-01-29T15:53:00.000-08:002024-01-29T15:53:21.326-08:00Autism is no joke....Part 2!!Eventually, after several hospital visits and many tests, I finally thought I had some answers. I realized that Skyler NEVER had any of these seizure episodes at home. The teachers said that when it happens his whole-body collapses and he is unresponsive on the floor. They have to wait a few minutes for him to respond and then he gets up and sits on a chair. From there he is very weak and shaky. This gave me some clues. I even overheard one of the paramedics say that it could be a blood sugar issue. OF COURSE!!! With all Skyler's food issues, it had to be linked. I got to thinking. When Sky is home he has access to all his normal (for him) foods. He can eat when he wants and drink his milk. When he goes to school I do pack his lunch (there is no way he will eat any of the school food) but he cant necessarily eat when he wants because he is 18 and should be working. I couldn't be certain but I wondered if his blood sugar was dropping and causing him to have these episodes? <div><br /></div><div>I took him to his doctor and she did some blood work and suggested that we make sure he eats before the bus comes and pack some juices and snacks. I did that and here we are today, no further along than before in figuring out what is wrong with Skyler. He is still having those episodes ONLY at school and I am just beside myself. I no longer feel like school is a safe place for him to be with his health. I think that all these years of living on his limited food selections has taken a toll on his body. He lives on milk and carbs. </div><div><br /></div><div>Today I reached my limit. Skyler had an episode at school. I just started a new job and I had to call a family member to pick him up from school again. I cant do it. I just am so done. My anxiety level is so high. I am sitting at work wondering if I am going to get a call about Skyler fainting. I cant leave work because its a new job so I had to make a very hard choice today. I am going to ask the school to put Skyler on a home school program. This is the only thing I can think of that might work. He is 18 and still has a year and a half possibly two years left before he can graduate. He is so far behind. I cried a lot today. I am so sad. I feel like I have failed. I feel like the future is grim. I dont know how to move on. I am hoping the school will work with us. I am so lost and sad today. </div>Rebekahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550034649514622918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742513755380604219.post-30096640198985421522024-01-29T15:36:00.000-08:002024-01-29T15:37:51.188-08:00Autism is no joke...PART 1!!!!!I was at the gym the other night and one of the ladies I am friends with stopped me and said, "don't you have a blog?" It was so random. I couldn't and still can not remember if I had told anyone here in Arizona that I used to be a blogger. After she said that I suddenly remembered that I did have a blog. I wondered if it still existed. I remembered how much I loved blogging and pouring my heart out on the computer screen. It was a safe place to say what my heart needed to say. Why did I stop? What happened that I lost this wonderful outlet?<div><br /></div><div>I haven't been able to answer all the questions I just posed above but I think over time I will be able to unravel it all and put the pieces together. </div><div><br /></div><div>I recently purchased my very own laptop. Its been four years since I had a working computer of my own. With all the responsibilities I have now as a homeowner and a single mom of an autistic son, I just found it very important to have one. I even threw in a very nice printer so that I can print and scan as needed. I feel spoiled. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's been nearly four years since I moved from beautiful Colorado Springs to sunny Arizona. Me and my son Skyler moved here with our two dogs to build a new life. And so here we are four years later...a little wiser but nothing is easier for me. </div><div><br /></div><div>My son Skyler turned 18 on December 14th of 2023. It was a huge deal. A bigger deal, I think, than other kids his age. He has autism and although he is very high functioning in most areas, there are some areas that have become serious issues. When Skyler was born I did not know he had autism. He was not diagnosed until he was five years old. I just didn't know because he was never around other kids. When he started school the differences were very defined. I could tell so many stories about his childhood. I may have to write a book some day. </div><div><br /></div><div>One of the biggest obstacles for Skyler is his nutrition. When he was a baby he was so different than my other kids. He wouldn't eat any table food. He didn't want bites and he wouldn't eat any new foods. He went from formula to milk to peanut butter and honey sandwiches. He HATED baby food. I was so frustrated with him. I couldn't understand why he wouldn't just eat like all my other kids did. I was not the kind of mom who let my kids choose. They ate what I prepared, or they didn't eat at all. Skyler could not be convinced to eat any baby food. If I put it in his mouth, he would vomit or spit it out and cry and cry. It was the most frustrating time of my life. I took him to doctors and they would just tell me that the bread he was eating and the PeanutButter and milk was all fortified with vitamins and that all he needed to grow was a thin layer of fat around the brain and that he was "doing fine" nutritionally. This was so hard for me to accept. Socially, when I was around a new boyfriend or friends or family, they did not accept that Skyler was this way. They would say "give him to me for two weeks, ill make him eat."</div><div>It was a constant battle. I did manage to get him into food therapy for a good while. The only thing they were able to accomplish was Skyler bit into an apple once but then he spit it out. It was such a disappointment. </div><div><br /></div><div>As the years went on Skylers eating habits have not changed. Its been 18 years and he has never EVER eaten a vegetable or a fruit. He has never had a hamburger or spaghetti or any regular food. His food choices are very limited and have been the same for all these years. I did somehow manage to get him to eat Chick Fil A chicken nuggets. It was the first protein he had ever eaten. Unfortunately, the city we live in does not have a Chick Fil A. </div><div><br /></div><div>So here we are today. January 30th, 2024. About a year ago Skyler started having these fainting/seizure type spells at school. At first they were just happening once every 3-6 months. The first several times they would happen I would have the school call 911 and he would be transported to the hospital for testing. It was so scarry every time I would get a call at work. They would take him to the hospital and of course I would meet them there. The tests would include x-rays and blood work and glucose testing, and every time there would be no diagnosis and ultimately, they would chalk it down to an anxiety attack. Over time these episodes started to get more frequent. I could see the concern on the teachers faces. They wanted answers and I wanted them too but I just couldn't figure it out. </div><div><br /></div><div>Follow for part two.....</div>Rebekahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550034649514622918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742513755380604219.post-41036576444019353582020-10-07T06:41:00.003-07:002020-10-07T06:41:29.661-07:00Lets have coffee together!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Good morning!!! Its Wednesday morning here in sunny Arizona. The weather has still been consistently in the 90's (makes me so sad). This week could possibly be the week that we actually get to feel Fall. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So....I thought Id sit down and drink some coffee and write. </div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9P5-ktjdvIH42m0zYKsuxMO6wS9wuygiMzBqyPZczidry2gxY2zpDpMup1CTsxBqdnjqUj2S8UDZKfoNIz1Zh8zdDFcXisJDRjL5ZKSFMTPUmIMXHZwNdE_d-XrZUrSP-AsPTp8PhJyT4/s2048/IMG_5152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9P5-ktjdvIH42m0zYKsuxMO6wS9wuygiMzBqyPZczidry2gxY2zpDpMup1CTsxBqdnjqUj2S8UDZKfoNIz1Zh8zdDFcXisJDRjL5ZKSFMTPUmIMXHZwNdE_d-XrZUrSP-AsPTp8PhJyT4/s320/IMG_5152.jpg" /></a></div>I have struggled so much to make this little wonky town my own. Next month will mark my one year anniversary of moving here. ONE WHOLE YEAR!! I can equiviqually say that it has been (probably) one of the hardest years of my life. My downward spiral into depression from getting a divorce, watching my grandma die, and not being able to find my place socially and personally in this town has taken a toll on me in many ways. FORTUNATELY...I have a very strong will, and I refuse to live a MEDIOCRE life, and I REFUSE to stay in a space of sadness and weight gain and feeling unfulfilled. September was a very pivotal month for me. I decided to start dating again and try to create the life I want here even though I don't like this town. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The secret to my success will come from within me. My strength will come from God and the incredible person that I know that I am. Moving forward means moving through fear. I struggle a lot with fear. Anxiety has also been an unfortunate constant for me the past year. I struggle with it in the evenings when the world gets quiet and Im alone and it causes debilitating panic attacks. What I have learned is that fear causes my anxiety. Will I be alone forever? Does the guy Im dating really like me? Why can't I loose weight? And the questions that cause my fear go on and on and on. My goals for the next few months are to figure out how to move past my fear so that I can rid myself of the anxiety. Anxiety is a horrible thing. It hurts....its painful...and its scary. I believe fear and anxiety are the underlying culprits of addiction. I would smoke and drink so that I didnt FEEL my anxiety. If I could drink and make myself have a bit of a "buzz" then I didnt feel the pain inside of myself. Of course smoking and drinking were just making everything worse but In the moment of feeling so horrible inside it would make me numb to what I was scared to confront. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">These things are not easy to talk about. I really feel like a low life when I am over eating or smoking or drinking. I feel like I should be better than all of that and have already learned to deal with my emotions properly....but I just haven't. I don't know why. I know what I need to do but doing it is just so painful. Feeling the feelings of life are not easier. It feels easier to be drunk and carefree...but that is just smoke and mirrors. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So my goal is to be able to deal with life and all it has to offer without any addictions. I know I will never be perfect but I want to obtain the skills that will allow me to take myself to a peaceful place when anxiety and fear hit that is healthy not destructive. I want to experience what it feels like to live this life to the fullest. Sometimes I wonder why we are here? Why is it so hard? Why do I have to struggle so much? Is there a place in this world for me that is steady....without addiction...without anxiety. Fear will always be there but I want to learn to feel fear and not have it spin me into a place of destruction. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So I tell myself all the time now....when I feel panic coming on....."your ok...your ok...your ok." I tell myself "you don't need that to make you feel better...your ok...your ok." I talk to myself almost like I would talk to my kids when they were younger. This isn't easy. I turn 45 this month. 45!!!!!! Its the middle of my life now.....maybe even past the middle a little bit. I want to live the next 30-40 years different then the first half of my life. Im scared....I don't know how to navigate it....and there is nobody here helping me do it. Its just me and I want to figure it out. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here I am now. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqIRG_LG6BvTGZJ1jhujzuURlCHz20ZV6OU7OQGsVnAVEflJuTmB8yjSt-QkjFDyJ-eELRbsozDYBYW5pew9V3ABoyAai8zDyT_8Ae7I9bX6Im89PjVntMNaKIAEaiGD2X0Gg-ZDR4zOpc/s421/IMG_5153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="162" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqIRG_LG6BvTGZJ1jhujzuURlCHz20ZV6OU7OQGsVnAVEflJuTmB8yjSt-QkjFDyJ-eELRbsozDYBYW5pew9V3ABoyAai8zDyT_8Ae7I9bX6Im89PjVntMNaKIAEaiGD2X0Gg-ZDR4zOpc/s320/IMG_5153.jpg" /></a></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I went to Laughlin this weekend and someone snapped this picture of me. I was embarrassed to see myself. I weigh in at 225 pounds. Pictures can be very revealing. You don't REALLY see yourself. You tell yourself "its not that bad" as you continue to eat the pizza. You say "Ill start tomorrow." The lies we tell ourselves are just keeping us stagnant. Ill use this picture of myself for motivation. I will remember where I came from. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKa9ErS9T8VTlwrSX-hCiHppr-b8PqYoN2-UZ55jQwOxiNPFQkUkjgIrFA14HHlSk42NYyWjz2QcDsj8Buol573t8u53Uvm2ulYkBq8sSLiJ2wdrN_jzk6iq6-LRVdRwxNDHC_04hHog7m/s828/IMG_4869.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="828" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKa9ErS9T8VTlwrSX-hCiHppr-b8PqYoN2-UZ55jQwOxiNPFQkUkjgIrFA14HHlSk42NYyWjz2QcDsj8Buol573t8u53Uvm2ulYkBq8sSLiJ2wdrN_jzk6iq6-LRVdRwxNDHC_04hHog7m/s320/IMG_4869.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And I will remember that I am beautiful just the way I am. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2S0rmmnLBdvAWhk_5F4_Zt_bPlfNy609dX789wulFuX1HFkVPq4SPFs5JAIMpAE9x5jHsUDw59_hdBSwP_F3k53jrVS2SiF55h8lp9zK39ZyJpWjRkcBgTLiziVHBPGyNzK8aiEiow9S/s2048/IMG_5139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2S0rmmnLBdvAWhk_5F4_Zt_bPlfNy609dX789wulFuX1HFkVPq4SPFs5JAIMpAE9x5jHsUDw59_hdBSwP_F3k53jrVS2SiF55h8lp9zK39ZyJpWjRkcBgTLiziVHBPGyNzK8aiEiow9S/s320/IMG_5139.jpg" /></a></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is me at my new job this week. I was able to finally get out of retail!!! WHOOP WHOOP!!! Its taken me a year to find a job like this. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_h66ToHzbHnPusZ_VIdZDwKqcFggB93nAfoYsyrm0KqGIZWB4sYsXaYrcJ5T0ecbUQwmhLU0-3eINsmBKbwi_WIHXvYK0HuWiPPxGqepA4fMhyG3UGT6WIlaSo5FNJPfYnNpFyASnQfNN/s828/IMG_5111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="828" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_h66ToHzbHnPusZ_VIdZDwKqcFggB93nAfoYsyrm0KqGIZWB4sYsXaYrcJ5T0ecbUQwmhLU0-3eINsmBKbwi_WIHXvYK0HuWiPPxGqepA4fMhyG3UGT6WIlaSo5FNJPfYnNpFyASnQfNN/s320/IMG_5111.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And in conclusion....I will remember what I have accomplished in the past. This was a couple years back. I got my weight down to the 180's and I was able to participate in and finish a "tough mudder" race!! Never in my wildest dreams would I think I would accomplish something like this. Its not to late for me. I may be 40+ pounds away from this picture but I can get there again. I CAN DO THIS!!! Life is worth living...even when you can't find a single solid reason to live or even care about this life (I have been there this year)....there is a reason for it. You have to search for it and fight for it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Thanks for having coffee with me...Ill be back soon. xoxo</div>Rebekahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550034649514622918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742513755380604219.post-89715487366741595142020-09-02T18:01:00.000-07:002020-09-02T18:01:27.990-07:00The Next Chapter....<p> Ten months ago I came to this little town to take care of my grandma. If Im being totally honest here, I also came to make a new start and escape a marriage I desperately wanted out of. My grandma needed me, my family needed me and I needed all of them. It seemed like a good idea and in hindsight I suppose it was. I didnt understand all the lessons I was to learn from that decision but I did get some very good quality time with my grandma (who we actually have affectionately called Nana).</p><p>A little over a week ago my Nana died. I did not expect to be the one sitting by her bed alone when she took her final breaths but I was. I have never seen someone die. The night I went to her side after working all day I knew the time was near but I think I was ill prepared. I am thankful my mom was there not far across the room when it happened. After we were sure she was gone I remember looking around the room wondering if she was still in it. Maybe she was looking at us. We were singing to her "when we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be!" It was a beautiful moment. If she was looking at us from above her body Im sure she was just as curious as I was about death and what happens right after. I didnt feel any weird sensations when she passed. It wasn't dramatic....just peaceful. She looked like she was sleeping. We got to still be with her for two hours before they took her away. By that time the other members of the family were there. My mom and her siblings couldn't handle being in the room when they wheeled her out of the house. Me and my cousin Ashley watched for them. They were very considerate of us and my Nanas body as they carefully bundled her up and told us to say our goodbyes. We knew it was the last time we would see her. There would be no open casket upon her own wishes. </p><p>So my last living grandma is gone. She was in my life pretty frequently for all 44.5 years of my life. When I was younger I used to sometimes let my mind wonder about what it would be like when she passed. The thought of her being gone would make me so depressed that I would dismiss the thoughts immediately, and now...its happened.</p><p>I helped carry her to her final resting place. I didnt even know that was an option for me to do until they asked. I felt honored. I knew she wasn't there anymore but it felt right to be part of putting her body to rest. Her body that held my hand and hugged my shoulders too many times to count. She was so many things to me that I couldn't possibly go into them without writing a book. I am so glad I was able to spend so much time with her before she left to live in Heaven. Its bitter sweet. She knew she was dying. She had dementia and she would sometimes ask "am I dying? or am I ok?" We would always tell her that she was ok and she didnt need to be scared. </p><p>I guess this is what it feels like to have no grandparents. Ive never had this feeling before. Nana was always there. Just a phone call away. Even when I deemed myself a "not so good granddaughter" and neglected to call or write for a while it didnt matter. She always loved me. She learned to love people unconditionally because she had such a hard childhood and I know she never wanted anyone to feel the way she did. </p><p>Im not sure what to do next really. My weeks have previously been filled with working, single parenting, being a grandma, and carving out any time I possibly could to go care for my Nana. Now that piece is gone I guess a new chapter needs to be started. </p><p>If we could only get through covid!!!! Ill have to address that in my next blog. My son was just texted for covid. Sigh!!!</p><p>Here is my Nana and I being silly just a few weeks before she died. I told her to "stick out her tongue" and she did and then said "your silly!" Sadly a couple weeks after this picture she had a stroke in the middle of the night and was never the same. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgiKVX21y3bwqpBqHldk1t0poi4ervT2Hdjt1tm1cfl4q9s7lyrRtVZWXItI1EPs5QRtqoaQts5acy9UHV2SYy5WfS-N4s2y6mAv-yQ5pqgKyWdJAY-QCgnbygdIpV0qjksvECE88WRRdU/s2048/image1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgiKVX21y3bwqpBqHldk1t0poi4ervT2Hdjt1tm1cfl4q9s7lyrRtVZWXItI1EPs5QRtqoaQts5acy9UHV2SYy5WfS-N4s2y6mAv-yQ5pqgKyWdJAY-QCgnbygdIpV0qjksvECE88WRRdU/s640/image1.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1qi45oLCMMs3wgxPvfBnBbaMP_bMT5cKTrVhI8sf8qJOLm-431N9pIVdKOOJvlNNohefgbouYOpVCTthYQtBq2ZjuxTNqxSPhKZMWafnriOhnhdBgAVtAgadPJr-FLcScY2l3owDWBYg/s2048/image0.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1qi45oLCMMs3wgxPvfBnBbaMP_bMT5cKTrVhI8sf8qJOLm-431N9pIVdKOOJvlNNohefgbouYOpVCTthYQtBq2ZjuxTNqxSPhKZMWafnriOhnhdBgAVtAgadPJr-FLcScY2l3owDWBYg/s640/image0.jpeg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is me and some of my family members taking her to her final resting place. I am the one with black pants on and a flower shirt. The stress of the last ten months really shows in my weight gain. Im not mad about it, thats life. New starts can be amazing and I have recently been working really hard on some new goals. Isn't her casket beautiful? It had these velvet feeling flowers all over it. She was buried right beside my Pappy who died last year. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLuAhU-sCk6Sk9L7U3hJyJT0YrfTpDy58MpjFaemLherMA1u1CQohLDwEIBXH8Z2vLjtU0rsXNKdYd0TYaxtdLpEAeLCWemiZ5iqDKTWZpacFWP1IKUIEO7iBEgvuP7jcS8lEtBqAmNijX/s2048/IMG_7867.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLuAhU-sCk6Sk9L7U3hJyJT0YrfTpDy58MpjFaemLherMA1u1CQohLDwEIBXH8Z2vLjtU0rsXNKdYd0TYaxtdLpEAeLCWemiZ5iqDKTWZpacFWP1IKUIEO7iBEgvuP7jcS8lEtBqAmNijX/s640/IMG_7867.JPEG" /></a></div>Here we are today. This is me and Skyler (my 14 year old son) on our way to get him tested for Covid. Ill touch on that later. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisIRyEfLOE-tnt9XWPyWmrmXgu0OBTeX3wozP0jPOJEnl1vbZ2ZCE-NjmK11bbGamdRaHAhzgeDgypu3fxIZKZ211gPhD5J9CRH1NGzB5hRCCBM-47Y31_y21lJD_aHsdCvlZtK5imj1GX/s2048/62076237264__91840334-5B71-4108-865E-E4D7E483600B.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisIRyEfLOE-tnt9XWPyWmrmXgu0OBTeX3wozP0jPOJEnl1vbZ2ZCE-NjmK11bbGamdRaHAhzgeDgypu3fxIZKZ211gPhD5J9CRH1NGzB5hRCCBM-47Y31_y21lJD_aHsdCvlZtK5imj1GX/s640/62076237264__91840334-5B71-4108-865E-E4D7E483600B.JPG" /></a></div>In the meantime, squeeze your loved ones. You don't realize how fast the years go. Take care my friends!!<p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Rebekahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550034649514622918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742513755380604219.post-86179966042705808772020-08-17T08:41:00.000-07:002020-08-17T08:41:14.531-07:00Weight loss and more.....<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnkg4bb8K9T3RT3eVhm-Ik-Pk8MJHdXleprVRsl4IVuJbFC_qdovbKfzZqfHFXYXpeXPwcg-6bdb9WrPvLMfIki8d-vVTUI4k9RxfqZI_r7ciO1SI2ea1IVDOnGuTRprFz1bv-qNTxdjn/s2048/IMG_4370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnkg4bb8K9T3RT3eVhm-Ik-Pk8MJHdXleprVRsl4IVuJbFC_qdovbKfzZqfHFXYXpeXPwcg-6bdb9WrPvLMfIki8d-vVTUI4k9RxfqZI_r7ciO1SI2ea1IVDOnGuTRprFz1bv-qNTxdjn/s640/IMG_4370.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Good morning!!! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My sister came to visit this weekend. I missed her so much and was so grateful for the time we had together.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yesterday was my first day putting back into practice those healthy eating habits and using my new food journal for inspiration. It went well. Here was my first day. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1sr09jzBFrTnYv_jwDxFwOwnOYqGq3SW72VSkcmLIBwcZpK6HkM1kknwANWjSUdUhtWOuYTOrr4ZjYHVUr5obmLnOkeSnWGeYKX9y2AXI8jwwC2hpWRrcPGZu0FZ-inxajvZh3zAiavI/s2048/IMG_4413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1sr09jzBFrTnYv_jwDxFwOwnOYqGq3SW72VSkcmLIBwcZpK6HkM1kknwANWjSUdUhtWOuYTOrr4ZjYHVUr5obmLnOkeSnWGeYKX9y2AXI8jwwC2hpWRrcPGZu0FZ-inxajvZh3zAiavI/s640/IMG_4413.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I love how I can sit down at the end of the day and reflect on the day and the choices I made. Its very simple but it works. I am not tracking my food anywhere else but here. I am not even counting calories. The less pressure I put on myself right now the better. Im enjoying the freedom and also I still have all the knowledge in my head from loosing weight before. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The previous page in my journal was blank so I decided to jot down my "why" for this new journey. I have more than one why and when you read through them it might seem a bit negative but for me it is important to remember how it feels to be at this weight so that next time I decide to put aside all the healthy habits I know are good for me I can reflect back and remember how uncomfortable I am. Here are my "whys." </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3pInyF5hJiN7uIWqMfCLUwBX-a-QZBoL1kwOorYNxe_6kZWCGXxeu1QoYobk4Wu8kumIb5Ddzg15_0EICIpHTvN7bSUI8FKizkPT_BYlGF5YYWs-s3eQ6G0TRncXQl5dgdYvp1z6GqlXv/s2048/IMG_4412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3pInyF5hJiN7uIWqMfCLUwBX-a-QZBoL1kwOorYNxe_6kZWCGXxeu1QoYobk4Wu8kumIb5Ddzg15_0EICIpHTvN7bSUI8FKizkPT_BYlGF5YYWs-s3eQ6G0TRncXQl5dgdYvp1z6GqlXv/s640/IMG_4412.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I have a very nasty habit of night eating. Ive had it since I could remember. I have tried everything to combat it. I literally wake up in the middle of the night (usually around midnight or one) after sleeping soundly for several hours and get up and eat. My food of choice is usually a spoon, peanut butter and sugar free jelly with a glass of milk. I dip into the peanut butter and then into the jelly and eat it straight from the spoon. Sigh!! ALL my good intentions go out the window at this time of night. Its very frustrating. Ill keep you updated on my progress. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I like weighing in every morning. Some people say not to but I like too. It doesn't discourage me. I automatically know if I didnt eat well the day before then im going to see the numbers go up...but if I did eat good the day before then most of the time the numbers stay the same or go down. This is super motivating for me. I have a smart scale. I am proud to announce that I lost 2.4 pounds. Its amazing how just putting into practice good healthy habits can get you so far. Here are my results!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskJWJf1LTIwwYZj0n75N7fPZADckilOGl2tRv6g0vyUP7PqaTqYumx079RMxkVopZPzyY87PszEs6Wd1egY5WNhSf1zifMkaz1B5eiNHFZg6UBy5GsLeOuv1j3QNf1i850xlQwg9NHU38/s1792/Screenshot+2020-08-17+at+8.08.16+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1792" data-original-width="827" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskJWJf1LTIwwYZj0n75N7fPZADckilOGl2tRv6g0vyUP7PqaTqYumx079RMxkVopZPzyY87PszEs6Wd1egY5WNhSf1zifMkaz1B5eiNHFZg6UBy5GsLeOuv1j3QNf1i850xlQwg9NHU38/s640/Screenshot+2020-08-17+at+8.08.16+AM.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If you don't have a smart scale I highly recommend getting one. I got mine off amazon and I love it. When I weigh myself it goes straight to the app on my phone and gives all these cool graphs. I love keeping data on myself. Its a great way to keep yourself accountable. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So today my sweet Skyler started high school. If you have followed me for awhile you know he has autism (high functioning autism). This qualified him to start school today (just one day a week at this point but we are not complaining). It was weird putting him on the bus with a mask. This kid has grown so much. He is 14 and is six foot one. CRAZY!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUKc9Eft5l9Cx-39vRNvM4sGiHoGs4AwaP_9sQ9ObDTXArTu0dDlOdzAaFTUTHWs4sV10pJJcfQVc79R6Qp9BrFvW8uXElk7s-YZ0EZtL9Zlsv9IwV-NE_f9zfKQw7bKiCoJZUWrhleat/s2048/IMG_4406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUKc9Eft5l9Cx-39vRNvM4sGiHoGs4AwaP_9sQ9ObDTXArTu0dDlOdzAaFTUTHWs4sV10pJJcfQVc79R6Qp9BrFvW8uXElk7s-YZ0EZtL9Zlsv9IwV-NE_f9zfKQw7bKiCoJZUWrhleat/s640/IMG_4406.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Going to school is so needed. He has been cooped up in the house since covid started. We are so tired of being home. Our town is small and there is very little to do. He was very anxious to go to school today. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">That about sums it up. There is so much more I can share but I will will wait to post again. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I hope this post finds you all inspired to start your own healthy habits journey. Take care my dear friends!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Rebekah </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Rebekahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550034649514622918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742513755380604219.post-85558697326444346472020-08-16T07:09:00.002-07:002020-08-16T07:09:29.351-07:00Finding my skinny again!!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRhksJMhLL5c_3gBN7qlcrWaOznwlEJeeYXT7BfG1UV_8CcRRisVHzTS62MFM4z1gbn0TDETtm1Q0FNVtvd_po-LqWAMi7UCcaaadqRwhQ3svzhghyphenhyphen930iNfZDfWIG_pHQhTR8YqnudK4/s2048/IMG_4395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRhksJMhLL5c_3gBN7qlcrWaOznwlEJeeYXT7BfG1UV_8CcRRisVHzTS62MFM4z1gbn0TDETtm1Q0FNVtvd_po-LqWAMi7UCcaaadqRwhQ3svzhghyphenhyphen930iNfZDfWIG_pHQhTR8YqnudK4/s640/IMG_4395.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sometimes you just have to start over....from the beginning. Well....for me it isn't quite the beginning. For those that have followed me for awhile, in the beginning I weighed 319 pounds. That was eleven years ago. I have managed to keep off about 95 of those pounds but as you can see I have managed to climb right back into the 200's. Posting my weight is embarrassing. It can almost feel like failure but Im feeling so good about myself lately that I can't be mad....I just feel determined. My mental health is so fantastic right now that I feel ready to dive into improving my physical health. Its time!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Last week I put my name in for a contest on Instagram. I follow a sweet lady named <a href="https://lifeunbinged.com">Kristy McCammon</a>. (you can click on her name to go to her web site) She was giving away a food journal. Im a sucker for another cool journal and I was in need of a food journal to kick off my new healthy habits journey that I wanted to start. Guess what??? I WON!! I never win anything so I couldn't believe it. I chose this cover.....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTCmZQijQHVcZPqL2BeGKa2GS4LsHk3RL_TsHT36e5qY6E4olOn1qOSuKPvui5a4E7dKJTqNBMOA6hSscMbTt2Uql7vDKXf4I4-fkv_kpQ6clSRhESmI3G0S259fHElwPzkOl5CrMdWnCz/s2048/IMG_4383.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTCmZQijQHVcZPqL2BeGKa2GS4LsHk3RL_TsHT36e5qY6E4olOn1qOSuKPvui5a4E7dKJTqNBMOA6hSscMbTt2Uql7vDKXf4I4-fkv_kpQ6clSRhESmI3G0S259fHElwPzkOl5CrMdWnCz/s640/IMG_4383.jpg" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The inside cover has a place for a date...I chose today to be my start date.....</div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik1JmLFnW1753PaYkeyofudZw4rY3j-GWdsgNpiClmeckUsjwTAPqlyn399qmswM0Y2yL27VbJkMjPfkX424MZuA8bUADKKmMb-3PhOmrPO0XzqJPeGUtnU_xhYQx4S9uHaoVoXGjwBzhW/s2048/IMG_4391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik1JmLFnW1753PaYkeyofudZw4rY3j-GWdsgNpiClmeckUsjwTAPqlyn399qmswM0Y2yL27VbJkMjPfkX424MZuA8bUADKKmMb-3PhOmrPO0XzqJPeGUtnU_xhYQx4S9uHaoVoXGjwBzhW/s640/IMG_4391.jpg" /></a></div><p>The next page was blank so I personalized it with a quote that I could reflect on and I decorated it with fall stickers. I can't wait for fall!!!!<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTw7D1OZuBhixGDH7g74fwzcRPQFDnkJJFiwPJjGUfJtQXq-of26G4aYoOXLmN6EqoHocy-7K-OkCoekkAlxDbhneHobEisE9quwEusxMY9vC-LvJ1CMJQQvno7p9xNKL2-rFSHHikxOAE/s2048/IMG_4392.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTw7D1OZuBhixGDH7g74fwzcRPQFDnkJJFiwPJjGUfJtQXq-of26G4aYoOXLmN6EqoHocy-7K-OkCoekkAlxDbhneHobEisE9quwEusxMY9vC-LvJ1CMJQQvno7p9xNKL2-rFSHHikxOAE/s640/IMG_4392.jpg" /></a></div><p>The next page is your 100 day tracker chart. Ill just use this to be able to check off the days I was able to track my food. I do not expect perfection....but I do expect myself to be consistent and honest about weighting my food down. I also decorated it with some cute fall things. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5aaRz-6JiVLaCUKeYXfQWgzJQ15KoagWpU2YNljDokMTunkgPcWtFlXjyuNecGyie8wuxCx_OfvSe5Q4z5mc0-6EWlY0lNHNkWDBjp2sRPCjzR6AIssj4kJufUshw853XfuuWL1qqBLv9/s2048/IMG_4393.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5aaRz-6JiVLaCUKeYXfQWgzJQ15KoagWpU2YNljDokMTunkgPcWtFlXjyuNecGyie8wuxCx_OfvSe5Q4z5mc0-6EWlY0lNHNkWDBjp2sRPCjzR6AIssj4kJufUshw853XfuuWL1qqBLv9/s640/IMG_4393.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The next page is where I will write my food. I do have the myfitnesspal app but I do find that I am more consistent lately if I can write it down and not be so concerned about calories. I have tracked my food for so many years that I have a really good idea of what I should and shouldn't be eating and I know what good portion sizes are. This journal follows the "bright line eating" lifestyle but I won't necessarily be following that exactly. I will try very hard to keep its core principles in place and that would be 1. no sugar 2. no flour 3. no snacking. I will throw in snacks though because I work a lot and I sometimes need protein. </div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWz9e6rV8kQqGtFp07RNKHdO4J8flRKpZEziWbKFlhBkgTcwHF86hx5Q83H97cvGM6P5p3bE8RdpE1ERstQxd1mjQrU6DXBhHKd1pqL-9C2Y-QOzSYkdxBNkfoJEQschn4qZzAv2ol19w/s2048/IMG_4394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWz9e6rV8kQqGtFp07RNKHdO4J8flRKpZEziWbKFlhBkgTcwHF86hx5Q83H97cvGM6P5p3bE8RdpE1ERstQxd1mjQrU6DXBhHKd1pqL-9C2Y-QOzSYkdxBNkfoJEQschn4qZzAv2ol19w/s640/IMG_4394.jpg" /></span><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Over the last seven years I have been gazelle focused on meeting my weight goal. Its just been the past six months that I have lost focused. I could make a WHOLE bunch of excuses why I have gained the weight back (49 pounds to be exact) but that would do me no good. Life is just that way. You gain some, you loose some right? Im not mad about it. I feel great mentally. I am no longer depressed...but I want to feel great physically. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">GOAL WEIGHT 175 </div>Rebekahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550034649514622918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742513755380604219.post-52032828392529876992020-08-04T09:04:00.003-07:002020-08-04T09:06:14.882-07:00Guilt is the driving force of depression!"Guilt is the driving force for depression." my counselor said to me last week.<div>"What?" I said. "Can you say that again so I can write it down?"</div><div><br /></div><div>She repeated it and I wrote it down. It was such a profound statement for me that I had to hear it again and I had to write it down so I wouldn't forget. This statement summarized my entire life. I conditioned myself into depression at the age of 44. When I heard that it opened a door for me that I felt I could actually climb out. </div><div><br /></div><div>I am doing really really good.....mentally. Physically I am very over weight and I feel very uncomfortable....BUT....that is OK. I am being very gentle on myself in that area. There is NO WAY I would have been able to stick to a healthy eating pattern and loose weight in my condition just two weeks ago. I was way to debilitated mentally. </div><div><br /></div><div>I understand now why people go through "midlife crisis." Your 40s are truly the mid point of your existence. Its the point where you have lived about half of your life and you are able to reflect back at all the good....the bad...the ugly...the sad...the regret...and then turn all that around and from there you have two choices. You can look at the past and all the regret and pain and decide that you couldn't possibly recover from it and live the next 40 years in that same pain and guilt and regret....OR.....you can view the past as a sort of shaping of who you were really meant to be and use it as a stepping stone to help others and most importantly take your existence up a notch and be the best human being that you were meant to be. I always knew I was not meant to live an ordinary mediocre life. I knew that I was meant for greatness. That may not mean that I will be famous or rich...it simply means that I can and will achieve greatness within myself. I do not have to live in the past....but I can live with the story of the past as my tool to greatness. </div><div><br /></div><div>The past week has been absolutely wonderful for me. I don't know who or what to give the credit to. Literally two weeks ago I could barely function. My head was heavy, my brain was foggy, I had almost no energy and no hope for the future. I was getting prescriptions from the doctor to help solve it but the medicines made me feel worse. So, I decided to pray. I did it....I prayed and asked God to please help me. I told him I was incapable of living this life on my own and I was sick and I needed help. I also started taking a BUNCH of natural supplements and stopped taking any prescription medication. I am NOT eating healthy all the time yet and that is why my body is still puffy and im not loosing weight but my mental health is FANTASTIC!! I have energy, I have hope, I can dream again and set goals. Who do I credit that too? Ill credit it all to God because he gave us the knowledge for the supplements....but don't get me wrong....I am NOT about to embrace Christianity again....but I can pray. Thats simple enough for me. </div><div><br /></div><div> I find that I am still very erratic in my decision making. I don't like this part of myself. I heard one life give a lecture on the "stories we tell ourself." She said that when we feel sad its because of a story we told ourself, if we are anxious then its because of a story we tell ourself. In essence, we tell ourself these stories and it triggers a feeling. We basically have the ability to control our emotions based on the stories we tell ourselves. It sounds complicated but its really not. I started really paying attention to what I was telling myself, particularly when I would have an anxious moment or a guilt ridden moment. What I found was the stories I was telling myself were completely irrational. For instance, If I couldn't go visit a family member that I promised I would go see I would start to feel guilty after I told them I couldn't come. The guilt came pretty strong and to combat that I would start to think of ways I could make up for my lack by maybe baking some banana bread and dropping it off at there house or crocheting a couple dishrags and dropping it off. I felt so bad that I didnt visit and I thought that maybe they wouldn't like me anymore so I would have to do stuff to make up for it. The stories I would play in my head is that they wouldn't like me anymore because I didnt visit. This was the irrational part and completely not true but my brain couldn't comprehend that.....until now. I have dealt with this sort of guilt for ALL my life. Now that I am able to sit back and listen to the stories I am telling myself when I feel guilty or sad or anxious, I can stop the cycle right in its tracks and put myself on a better path. I hope to learn soon how to completely let go of all the guilt and anxiety wrapped up in these stories I tell myself but it will take practice. </div><div><br /></div><div>I have said all of this because as much as I want to loose this extra 50-60 pounds I have gained, it can not be done until I fix the inside first. Loosing weight is more emotional than physical. I know this because if you have followed me for awhile you remember that I lost 135 pounds all on my own.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am excited to be back loosing weight. Its soon. I know it is....I am so close to being ready. </div>Rebekahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550034649514622918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742513755380604219.post-86701921240129314642020-07-27T10:16:00.000-07:002020-07-27T10:16:23.820-07:00Mental Health UpdateI might as well been a pastors kid growing up. We were in church enough times per week to qualify me as a pastors kid. I went to youth group with the actual pastors kids and attended the same church for years. It was part of my being...part of who I was. I didn't really have a life or a social life outside of church. Everything I was taught at home and at church matched and it presented me with what I thought was a pretty steady life. I didn't know any different. I took on all that I was taught at church as gold and because my personality is such that I have a very black or white thinking...everything I learned and absorbed was truth. <div>
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One of the things I learned from Christianity is the principle to "always choose joy." This is not a bad principle. We should always look for the good in things, to always try and be positive. But it went further for me. I felt that as a Christian if I were not happy all the time then I wasn't putting Jesus first and I wasn't "casting all my cares on him," well enough. I always wanted to be the best christian and I never wanted to be seen as week so I always presented myself as happy. I wanted those around me to be happy and I didnt want to put a burden on anyone so I just created my personality to be spunky and always smiled despite what I was feeling inside. I felt that religion looked down on depression or sadness and as Christians we should be able to conquer our downward moods with Jesus and prayer and Bible reading. So my life became a series of stories of me never really knowing how I felt inside. It didnt matter how I felt because I just had to be happy. Thats what Christians did. In fact I even felt that depression was not really a real thing. I thought that people that claimed to be depressed were just maybe being lazy and that they just needed to choose joy and trust in Jesus. In fact, I avoided people that were sad. I didnt know how to handle them. What they said they were experiencing didnt make sense to me. If we were Christians then we had an unlimited supply of joy and we just needed to tap into it. This was a very judgmental way of thinking for me but I did not think that way intentionally, I was just taught to think this way through the preaching at church and the personal relationships I had with christian mentors. Mental illness, to me, was made up. </div>
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Fast forward to 2019. I was married to my third husband and in year six of our marriage I started having bouts of vertigo. I felt like my body was very heavy. If I stood up I would feel very unbalanced and my head would feel like it was falling forward and my body felt like it was sinking into the ground. I also started having feelings as if maybe I had a deadly illness and contemplated what it would be like if I didnt exist. As soon as I had the feelings of "not existing" I realized that I had a problem. I chalked it up to being in a bad environment and moved to Arizona. </div>
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Unfortunately because I did not understand mental illness and essentially thought it didnt exist I did not take the appropriate steps to treat it, its back in full force. </div>
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Nobody ever told me that depression was real. And nobody told me that your depression could start showing up as physical symptoms that are quite debilitating. </div>
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Life has a way of teaching you lessons. I never meant to be judgmental towards people but I was. I was never mean to anyone but I do remember telling people that they just need to "trust Jesus" or choose to be happy. I told people that being happy was a decision and they just needed to decide to be happy. NOW I KNOW THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE. You can not tell someone who is in the depths of depression to CHOOSE to be happy. It doesn't work like that. I am extremely saddend that I became such an insensitive Bible thumper christian. I am so sad that I wasn't taught that sometimes as humans we get sad and we don't have to be happy all the time. Im grieving for all the people that feel like I feel right now. There is now way, in my current state, that I can snap my fingers and "feel happy!" My depression has taken over my body and I have no control. I have never in my life felt like I had no hope, no energy, and no motivation. The worst symptom is the feeling of sinking into the ground and having my head feel wobbly all the time. This is absolutely my body presenting psychosomatic symptoms and I am shocked that because I didnt know or recognize it that it has gone this far. </div>
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Its hard to say this right now but I have so much empathy and compassion for those with depression...and I could have never said that before in my previous religious way of thinking. I understand how real depression is now and I understand that it isn't anything anyone makes up but I also do know that I am capable of pulling myself out of this. Its not easy but here are the steps I am taking to get healthy again. </div>
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I avoided medication for months. The doctor would prescribe them to me and I would fill the prescription and never take them. About a week ago when my symptoms were at there worst and I could barely work I decided to go ahead and start taking Zoloft. I am on day five of this pill. </div>
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I also started a regimen of supplements. I am taking B12, Vitamin D, Fish oil, biotin, and magnesium. I can not tell you how these supplements with the zoloft have helped. Yesterday morning for a split second, from somewhere deep deep inside of me I felt what felt like a little bit of excitement or euphoria. It lasted for just a second and It almost brought me to tears because I remembered that feeling and I missed it. I want it back all the time. </div>
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If I had any advise for anyone going through trama. I have had a lifetime of trauma. There have been no breaks for me, three divorces, adoption, abuse...you name it. If you go through anything like this please get support. Do not ignore your body, it will talk to you and your body knows best. Its ok to be sad but make sure you do not ignore how you feel. </div>
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I am super grateful for anyone who reads this blog. I look ever day to see if I have any viewers. Somehow it makes me not feel so alone to know that others are out there interested in my story. I love you all!</div>
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Rebekah </div>
Rebekahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550034649514622918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742513755380604219.post-85603735094997518882020-07-18T18:53:00.004-07:002020-07-18T18:53:30.933-07:00Tattoos and Amazon fails...<br />
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For the past few years, as I have discovered my own individuality, I discovered that there were no more religious rules on me and I could decorate my body however I wanted to. I discovered that getting tattoos was so much fun. I felt empowered and pretty. My latest tattoos are beautiful butterflies all the way across my chest and they are encompassed by two big flowers on the sides of both of my shoulders. I LOVE them. After I had them all done my mission was to find shirts that would modestly show them off. I searched everywhere for off the shoulder shirts. I went to Walmart and Walmart and Walmart again. I know that sounds silly but literally the only clothing stores in my small little town are Walmart and Ross. Its really quite boring. I did venture out onto the internet and searched Kohls and I found nothing. I decided to give Amazon a try. There were not many to choose from but I did find one that I thought was simply stunning and fit my style perfectly. I ordered this beautiful off the shoulder shirt a month and a half ago. It was literally coming from China so I would have to put my patience pants on and wait for it. And wait I did. Here is what it was supposed to look like.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBiI0mWYxdSJtR1mcACgY_DJzdPntT_vLg0EsAtKeXmtXdcT-P4-2cF0O2U2tm2R44U5IpoBOYuYfgaFpiG8KupznlumH3unR4_EvcH_RcWHMRt_xazEaROpyVie_CxJAHB8m8vWO4baI2/s1600/IMG_4154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1095" data-original-width="828" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBiI0mWYxdSJtR1mcACgY_DJzdPntT_vLg0EsAtKeXmtXdcT-P4-2cF0O2U2tm2R44U5IpoBOYuYfgaFpiG8KupznlumH3unR4_EvcH_RcWHMRt_xazEaROpyVie_CxJAHB8m8vWO4baI2/s320/IMG_4154.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>
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I couldn't wait to get it. I even ordered a strapless bra...and let me tell you that alone was no easy task. Getting these girls to stay up without straps was going to take some finagling....literally!!</div>
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I was so so excited when it finally came in the mail one month and one week later. I tore open the package and....before I was even able to try it on I knew it was NOT like the picture. It was stiff and the material was a bit shiny. I could already tell I was going to be disappointed. Never the less, a try on had to be had...so I put it on. I was less than impressed. Of course there were going to be some differences right? The picture above was a skinny blond girl with amazing legs, wearing shorts that I could have only pulled off when I was 12 and of course my boobs are much bigger then the girl in the picture, sigh, but I had hoped I would look halfway decent in it. But I didnt. Instead I felt like my body was not made to fit into this shirt. I felt like I was wearing a sort of mumu with bat wings. So disappointing. </div>
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I emailed amazon and asked if I could return it. To my surprise they said they would refund me and I could keep this AMAZING shirt for my wearing pleasure. Oh my!!!! So I got a free shirt. But not on purpose. Is it a blessing in disguise? LOL I think not. </div>
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I present to you....the way the shirt ACTUALLY looks on an average girl....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVUBF8-T-KMG9LIbfvBRWLqo8dmcqtYTVRMbYCykHSYcZAHqnGHRzoX1dOTkSo5jjco60GKxVC1hUrPs_Mtf1LNShx3xQ7qumMCGdyhwJhdZn8xX4AVnURq6e0c19FcZIKw7XgmC8YkXV/s1600/IMG_4131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVUBF8-T-KMG9LIbfvBRWLqo8dmcqtYTVRMbYCykHSYcZAHqnGHRzoX1dOTkSo5jjco60GKxVC1hUrPs_Mtf1LNShx3xQ7qumMCGdyhwJhdZn8xX4AVnURq6e0c19FcZIKw7XgmC8YkXV/s320/IMG_4131.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Rebekahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550034649514622918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742513755380604219.post-71151444499777864642020-07-16T21:32:00.002-07:002020-07-16T21:37:09.150-07:00Wavering faithI used to pray all the time. My days were consumed with connecting with God. I was always on the prowl to find whoever needed Jesus. I would be witnessing all the time...day and night. It was my mission, my passion, my reason for living. Jesus was my role model and God was my father. I grew up in this religious atmosphere. There was no other way to live for me; however, I was always ALWAYS falling short of what I knew the Bible and God and Jesus expected of me. I was having sex before marriage, smoking cigarettes sometimes, and drinking alcohol. I wasn't praying for an hour a day because It was hard on me to find time in the day to shower and eat being a single mom....but I tried to be THE BEST christian I could be.<br />
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When I was growing up in the church the message from the pulpit was always centered around how we needed to be a better christian and the only way to do that was to spend tons of time in the Bible (at least an hour a day) and to not cuss or drink or smoke or fornicate and to spread the good news to everyone I met. I believed with my whole being that this was absolutely the way I needed to live. Looking back at this upbringing and the messages being handed down to me from the pulpit I can see that it bred into me feelings of dislike for myself. No matter how hard I tried I could not meet these perfect expectations that I felt were expected of me by God, Jesus, my pastor, and my parents and christian friends. I began to battle with myself. I always had good intentions but it would never fail that I would let myself down. It could be something as simple as reading my bible in bed before sleeping and falling asleep before I was able to get the full hour of reading and prayer in like my pastor encouraged his congregation to do. When I would wake up in the morning and realize I had fallen asleep it would be the start of lots of repentance for my sins and ultimately lots and lots of guilt. I began to not like myself. I felt that I was the only one falling short of what was expected of a good christian. As I got older and started to struggle with other sins the feelings of shame and guilt just got stronger and stronger until I did began to medicate with cigarettes and some alcohol and sex with men. Of course this type of "medication" only proved to make me more disappointed in myself and the shame and guilt ran deep. I didn't think Jesus and God were happy with me. I knew that they would "never leave me or forsake me," (WHATEVER THAT MEANT) but I still knew that I needed to get my life right with God or I would not make it to heaven or if I did make it to heaven I would not have many rewards stored up for me. This may sound crazy to a lot of you but it is my truth and something I struggle with to this very day. Even this very night I feel like I am not a good enough mom and I am just falling deeper and deeper into this unsuccessful life.<br />
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About 3 years ago I made a HUGE decision to divorce religion. Thats right, you read that right....I divorced my religion. When I was growing up I heard from the pulpit CONSTANTLY that we were not religious but just in a "relationship" with Jesus. So I convinced myself for years and years that I was not religious. This was so far from the truth but I just didnt know any better. In the pentecostal/Baptist/non-denominational religions you are told constantly that your not really religious but just in a relationship. This could not be further from the truth. When I made the decision to divorce my religion I did it because I could no longer try and reach these expectations that were being put on me. I finally realized that I was never going to be this perfect christian. So I stopped witnessing, and I stopped reading the Bible and I started really digging into why I believed what I believed instead of just believing what other people told me. It was very eye opening. I learned so many things about the Bible and where it came from and how it came to actually be a Bible and who put it together. In some ways it was good that I was discovering the roots of this religion I had followed all my life but in other ways the information I was learning was really really sad for me. I felt very let down. I had to discard most of everything I knew and start from the beginning.<br />
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I still do not have it all figured out. I have put countless hours into research of God and Heaven and Near death experiences. Ive compared stories of people that have died and gone to heaven. I have spoken in person with people that have died and gone to heaven and come back to earth to tell about it and my mind was literally blown (if a mind can actually blow....Im not sure LOL). But this did put a huge rift in everything I believed.<br />
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I still believe in God. I don't necessarily believe that is his name because WE HUMANS gave him that name. To me he is bigger and different then the Bible portrays him. I still have trouble connecting with this God. I remember begging God on my hands and knees to please talk to me in a voice I could hear. I couldn't understand why he wouldn't just speak to me. I didnt want a "still small voice," I wanted a loud audible voice to speak to me. I felt I was worthy to hear something. After all I had spent ALL of my life pursuing this God....trying to reach him through my actions and love and prayers. But no.....not a single word.<br />
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This post is not to bash faith and Christianity...but I felt reflective tonight as I was looking at the shape of my life right now and just sorting out the pieces of my heart and trying to figure out what I am doing with myself right now. I actually thought that maybe if I reconnected with god that maybe I would gain some clarity. It has happened for me in the past. That is why I have not lost my faith that there is a higher being somewhere that cares about me. So I am not denouncing God....but actually wondering why Ive had to go through the things I have gone through and why do I have to be so confused? I am almost 45 years old. I would have expected to be settled by now and have a few things figured out....but I don't. I know I am not the only one with this story. I think its just the cycle of life. We all question our upbringing, but I think I dive a little deeper then some people. I question more than most and I don't settle for a mediocre life that seems to want to over take me. I want more...I want extraordinary. I think its possible.Rebekahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550034649514622918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742513755380604219.post-26995567203716542752020-07-16T07:47:00.002-07:002020-07-16T07:47:42.268-07:00Going OrangeI love that in life, one single thing can change the way you think about things and turn your life down a completely different path then you expected. I love to be on a schedule. Mornings are my favorite and if I am working or if I am not working, I like to be up by five or six and enjoy the quiet crispness of the morning. Its my time, before anyone else in the house wakes up, to just be with me. This habit was probably developed over the years because I have so many children and usually married. In my last marriage we had seven children, two dogs, two giant birds and two cats at one time, and I was the only one who enjoyed the mornings. You wouldn't catch anyone up at five am, just me, and I loved it.<br />
So that habit has stuck.<br />
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This morning I woke up at five am as usual and reflected on the past month or so that I have been unemployed by choice. Its been a good time to catch up with myself and just decide what I want in life. Did I figure it all out yet? NOPE! But Im closer. My therapist called me last night. I have not met with her yet. I am brand new to her practice but she wanted to check in with me and just tell me that she was looking forward to meeting with me in a week and a half and then she asked if I had any immediate needs. Oh my goodness...I really had to try hard not to spew all my emotions on her. Instead, I told her that I was struggling with boundaries with my family. I was hired on with Home Depot yesterday, YEP THATS RIGHT, IM GOING ORANGE, and now that I am working I will have to spend less time at my grandmas house helping out with her care. It was hard for me to set boundaries with my family. We do not have any outside help with my grandmas 24 hour care. My commitment to my family is that I would get up early in the morning and head to my grandmas at six and get her out of bed, changed, and fed for the day. I would then go home and spend time with my son, and go back in the evening and get her changed and back into bed. There commitment was to be with grandma throughout the day. My boundaries were that I would not be able to help out on the days I worked. For my own mental health and for the sake of my son, I felt it would be to much to keep my morning and evening commitment on the days I work. I told the therapist that I didnt feel like my family was happy with my decision to not help out when I worked and that I was struggling with THINKING that they didnt like me anymore or they were not pleased with me. (In case you haven't guessed, I need therapy pretty bad, I am a people pleaser). I could tell that my therapist had limited time but she gave me some homework. She said that each time I have those guilty thoughts, I need to write them down in my journal and the thought surrounding them. Ok, no problem, that was easy because I journal. She then told me to go onto Youtube and look up "distorted thinking," or "cognitive thinking" and watch some videos on that and we would talk about these things on in our first session. I thanked her and went right to it. I was shocked to find myself in every single one of the list these you tubers were giving. Just to fill you in on the basics of what I learned about myself. Here is the definition of cognitive distortions:<br />
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Cognitive distortions are simply ways that our mind convinces us of something that isn't really true. These inaccurate thoughts are usually used to reinforce negative thinking or emotions-telling ourselves things that sound rational and accurate, but really only serve to keep us feeling bad about ourselves."<br />
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This is really the definition of what my life has been. I didnt know that I had these broken ways of thinking and its probably the reason I can not seem to get my life going in a productive path. It was very enlightening and I can not wait to do some work surrounding this broken thought pattern in my life. Its amazing what five minutes with a professional can do.<br />
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So today is my first day at home depot. I start in about an hour and fifteen minutes. My position will be a cashier and I couldn't be more thrilled about it. Its only part time but that works perfect for me since I might be homeschooling my son if COVID doesn't figure itself out. 😾<br />
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Until next time friends.Rebekahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550034649514622918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742513755380604219.post-81571794737171650202020-07-14T17:55:00.001-07:002020-07-14T17:55:04.601-07:00Mental health and other things...Hello Friends,<br />
Ill be posting over on my other blog. Here is my latest post.<br />
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Much love,<br />
Rebekah<br />
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https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blogger.g?blogID=2932348263117273521&useLegacyBlogger=true#allpostsRebekahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550034649514622918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742513755380604219.post-90302834527956863132016-01-14T19:56:00.001-08:002016-01-14T19:56:42.962-08:00A thousand words...<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">A picture is worth a thousand words right? I came across this picture on my Facebook "memories." I'm sure you know what I am talking about. Facebook has this thing it does lately. It brings to your attention a memory from the past in hopes you will repost it. That's not such a great thing for me. My Facebook "memories" don't exactly bring back warm fuzzy feelings for me. As you can see from this picture it's me and my oldest son Matt. This picture was taken not long after I let both my girls go. My oldest daughter was angry at me for giving her youngest brother up for adoption. You can see in the background of this picture on my refrigerator. On my refrigerator I have displayed my youngest son with his mom and dad. They are extremely happy and just starting to build their wonderful family through adoption. My oldest daughter, like I said, was extremely angry at me for many reasons I cannot explain here, and asked to go live with her grandparents. In my weak mental state I allowed her to go. My second oldest daughter had started to rebel and asked me one day if she can go live with her dad. This caused me a lot of grief and sorrow. I knew she didn't belong to me, and I knew that her dad would except her with open arms.again, in my mentally weakens state from all the drama in my life, I let her go. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I let my girls go but I still had my boys. I held on to them as long as I could but... Matthew, the one scene in the picture below also became very angry with me and wanted to leave. I said no to him for many years until I couldn't say no to him you know longer and let him leave to live with his father. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">My oldest daughter lives on her own, but lucky for me, she lives in the same town as I do. Victoria and Matt still live with their dad. They are thriving and happy and doing extremely well. I miss them so much and when I see pictures on Facebook of me and them, I cry and cry. I did not have children to be separated from them. Divorce is horrible, distructive, and sad. I don't know if I will ever recover from the sadness in my life. Hopefully, I'll figure it all out soon. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1N89P3MF5sIbelLNmldro5e4D4m9sVauECdh88GR86kpJrfojmNSoMI3iOGOc0MnR_2B3ZapwBgbROY_dQvcrLJtqdMUDQ7zHWL0-K-VXHUITcl2zSxhAW9YZIlXU30L_tI9_zZP3vCnI/s640/blogger-image-1872514429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1N89P3MF5sIbelLNmldro5e4D4m9sVauECdh88GR86kpJrfojmNSoMI3iOGOc0MnR_2B3ZapwBgbROY_dQvcrLJtqdMUDQ7zHWL0-K-VXHUITcl2zSxhAW9YZIlXU30L_tI9_zZP3vCnI/s640/blogger-image-1872514429.jpg"></a></div>Rebekahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550034649514622918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742513755380604219.post-63329050346390384792015-07-26T15:35:00.001-07:002015-07-26T15:35:36.033-07:00Scale pic...<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I started my weight loss journey at 319 pounds. All along the way I posted my "scale" pictures as the weight came off. I really slacked off the past year so I am going to start posting it again. My new scale measures body fat which I never kept track of before. It's pretty exciting.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV3mhRlZcvYsYyMZ3BpSvcnNKKxOFNQ21siJR1ZRjoARn9C7MkhgNlwJFv-Xq0topQHZ5_B_j76ntQkKa-ek1-noRKKvNIFsmTCfimKsDrPjhIS8T7V_Hq5wVbptKAGBdTjSRYICExj8JE/s640/blogger-image-357973936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV3mhRlZcvYsYyMZ3BpSvcnNKKxOFNQ21siJR1ZRjoARn9C7MkhgNlwJFv-Xq0topQHZ5_B_j76ntQkKa-ek1-noRKKvNIFsmTCfimKsDrPjhIS8T7V_Hq5wVbptKAGBdTjSRYICExj8JE/s640/blogger-image-357973936.jpg"></a></div>Rebekahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550034649514622918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742513755380604219.post-72568170147349405112015-07-17T15:04:00.001-07:002015-07-17T15:04:42.968-07:00Nail polish<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-OhunLLmUrJ1as_CnCg59mNbH9d03NfBmmiYgDv3ZaBAfshhinkDW56wjhMRndQ4fw_J62T261sS1gG8E_6BOiJxr3RPgJGyW23p3p-7skf5wG1fnZ9q8JPKqxwgDqv4zPJqMPJxfI1wC/s640/blogger-image--1617900877.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-OhunLLmUrJ1as_CnCg59mNbH9d03NfBmmiYgDv3ZaBAfshhinkDW56wjhMRndQ4fw_J62T261sS1gG8E_6BOiJxr3RPgJGyW23p3p-7skf5wG1fnZ9q8JPKqxwgDqv4zPJqMPJxfI1wC/s640/blogger-image--1617900877.jpg"></a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">It's no secret that I am constantly looking for more ways to be healthy. One of those ways was trying to find a nail polish solution that worked for me. With regular store bought nail polishes my nails seem to crack and just flake. It's horrible. I tried jamberry nails, and I like them, but they are really hard to apply. I can only assume that the bad chemicals in nail polishes are the culprit for me. My girlfriend who I met in Zumba class actually makes non toxic polishes that do not contain any of these chemicals commonly found in store bought polishes (Tolyene-helps suspend the color and form a smooth finish across the nail. It also affects the central nervous system and can cause headaches dizziness and fatigue. It is also possibly linked to reproductive and developmental toxins. Impairs breathing, causes nausea, causes developmental damage to the fetus, and is linked to malignant lymphoma. Formaldehyde-found in some nail products such as nail hardener and is also known as the human carcinogen. It's used to embalm dead bodies. Camphor-exposure to this toxin can cause irritation, nausea, dizziness, and headaches. When ingested can be linked to seizures and in rare cases cause liver damage when applied to skin.) 😧 I do not want those things on my nails. Amy's polishes are mood changing polishes and change color from hot to cold. I LOVE them. I can't wait to buy all the colors. This one is blue/purple. One thing (among many) that I love about her polishes is they dry so dang fast. </span></div><div><br></div><div>You can visit her Etsy store here: </div><div><br></div><div>https://www.etsy.com/shop/AhHaNailLacquer?ref=hdr_shop_menu</div>Rebekahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550034649514622918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742513755380604219.post-8599400506237784932015-06-16T14:53:00.001-07:002015-06-16T14:53:44.333-07:00Six years old<div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">He is six years old today. </span></div><div><br></div><div>Most days I'm ok, but today the memories are getting the best of me. I have so much anger, and sadness, and regret....but then....I remember how great his life is right now and it settles my heart. </div><div><br></div><div>My mind takes me back to "birth day. " there was much excitement in the air. We had all come to love the family that would soon take the roll of mom and dad to my son. I had family and friends around me. I was showered with gifts, and I had a pretty darn good epidural going, so things didn't seem so bad. I thought "I can handle this." And guess what? I did handle it, but it was so dang hard. </div><div><br></div><div>After he was born we all held him and admired his beautiful features and his massive amount of hair. He had these dark eyes that were almost black in color. His hair stuck up in the air like it had hell in it. It was adorable. </div><div><br></div><div>The fun ended that day when the adoption agency's representative came in and said it was time for me to sign the papers. I had him in my arms when I signed away my parental rights. I couldn't keep myself calmed down. The tears flowed and flowed. And then, it was time to leave. I watched as his new mom and dad carefully placed him in their car seat and buckled him in for the first time. I remember being so happy that they were experiencing parenthood and all the fun "firsts." </div><div><br></div><div>We all were escorted out of the hospital at the same exit, and into the same parking lot. There was just one difference...try were going home with a baby, and I was not...and it was all by choice. I felt sick to my stomach and thought I might loose it in the parking lot, but I held it together for the drive home.</div><div><br></div><div>That was six years ago and the memories are so vivid. The pain is stil so real, but there are a few things that have changed. I'm not the same person as I was six years ago. I think I have gained so much within myself. I have been able to deal with the circumstances that made me a birthmom, and I'm ok with it. I made the best decision I could for my son. He has a good life and we have a wonderful open relationship. Hard times defiantly shape us and make us grow. I'm in a good place now, but I will never forget the pain of the past because it makes me who I am today. </div>Rebekahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550034649514622918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742513755380604219.post-60790375210653221682015-05-29T15:29:00.002-07:002015-05-29T15:29:17.404-07:00Headband ReviewYou can find Owl Be Sweatin headbands at www.owlbesweatin.com Use code Rebekahb15 for a 15% discount. I do not sell these, I only promote them because I love them. Check out my video below. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/id0MTdlD83M" width="560"></iframe><br />Rebekahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550034649514622918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742513755380604219.post-271891267373635842015-05-11T16:26:00.000-07:002015-05-11T16:26:07.928-07:00Skyler update: Autism and the Dentist<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IOYNIqCQhnI" width="560"></iframe><br />Rebekahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550034649514622918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742513755380604219.post-72668320985465713072015-04-09T10:15:00.000-07:002015-04-09T10:15:01.050-07:00My second weight loss challenge group starting soon.....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjCRIGqoVzSTs4WzXZsKbR188fTNihfGZYVSWnUIfyK57SxPOve4PVm_08Wc-OvKqfX913zPMoZM082cdPYHi83enK1RNX3xogaFKynvZoxxU3EWqYVHJjM_2z-a2x5pdeQIFHVBWNwQo/s1600/IMG_4355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjCRIGqoVzSTs4WzXZsKbR188fTNihfGZYVSWnUIfyK57SxPOve4PVm_08Wc-OvKqfX913zPMoZM082cdPYHi83enK1RNX3xogaFKynvZoxxU3EWqYVHJjM_2z-a2x5pdeQIFHVBWNwQo/s1600/IMG_4355.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="fsl">I am starting another online accountability weight
loss challenge group and I have a few spots open!! It officially starts on April 27th. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="fsl">My first group has a couple weeks left and I'm
gearing up for the next one!! By the way, one of my girls has already
lost 6 pounds and they are only two weeks in!! THAT'S INCREDIBLE!<br /> <br />
This group is designed to teach you how to live a healthy lifestyle by
learning portion control, eating the right kinds of foods, and also
short intense workouts that will get you results!<br /> <br /> There is a
financial investment required (to make sure you have ALL the tools you
need to SERIOUSLY rock this,) but there are a range of options, so I am
sure we will find something to fit YOUR budget needs.<br /> <br /> This is a
LIFESTYLE change, not a QUICK fix. I have lost 133 pounds by changing
my habits and practicing them every day. I want to pay it forward and
help others reach their goals. <br /> <br /> Respond to this invitation if
you are serious about changing your life and getting healthier. This is
an investment in YOU and YOUR future. I cant wait to work with you!!</span><br />
<br />
<span class="fsl"></span><br />
<span class="fsl"></span><br />
<span class="fsl"></span><br />
<u><b><span class="fsl">If you are interested you have several ways of contacting me below:</span></b></u><br />
<span class="fsl"></span><br />
<span class="fsl">1. Email=RebekahB1975@yahoo.com</span><br />
<span class="fsl">2. Facebook=https://www.facebook.com/rebekah.warebass</span><br />
<span class="fsl">3. My facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/FindingmyskinnyBeachbody</span><br />
<span class="fsl"></span><br />
<span class="fsl"><br /> <br /> Rebekah</span>Rebekahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550034649514622918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742513755380604219.post-25448488593735670872015-03-31T14:36:00.001-07:002015-03-31T14:36:51.024-07:00Our fun Saturday!<a href="https://youtu.be/xrcEvWqXPW8">https://youtu.be/xrcEvWqXPW8</a>Rebekahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550034649514622918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742513755380604219.post-50450354796121226012015-03-23T14:41:00.000-07:002015-03-25T08:17:27.944-07:00Get fit with Rebekah!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-GTf53uMkGL8XMlbtfS_Qg8BKzuaxD-iFUKmtF1uJuN7z5beqrcvQpiQVZGr3P-7rJ9xUYNTZJv4PaBUkzCQfoGe3Wj5Uedv2SuJey07qDZukQldkRB7Kna20G7Rrcm-KkPfrkRi_CRT/s1600/IMG_5006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-GTf53uMkGL8XMlbtfS_Qg8BKzuaxD-iFUKmtF1uJuN7z5beqrcvQpiQVZGr3P-7rJ9xUYNTZJv4PaBUkzCQfoGe3Wj5Uedv2SuJey07qDZukQldkRB7Kna20G7Rrcm-KkPfrkRi_CRT/s1600/IMG_5006.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
I am so excited to invite you all to my "Get Fit With Rebekah" challenge group.<br />
<br />
Opening up enrollment for my next fitness and nutrition bootcamp
starting March 31st! I am *so* excited for this group! We will focus on
proper nutrition eating wh<span class="text_exposed_show">ole, nutrient
dense foods; short, intense workouts that will guarantee results; and
working on making this a LIFESTYLE change, not just a crazy quick fix. I
only take a few new clients a month, so if you have been looking
to get started, now is the time!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
There is a financial investment required (to make sure you have all of
the tools you need to seriously rock this), but there is a range of
options, so I am sure we will find something to fit with YOUR budget and
needs.<br />
<span class="fsl"><span class="fsl"> <br /> Lets get healthy inside and out together. I'm so excited to walk beside you as your coach.</span></span></div>
<span class="fsl"><span class="fsl"><br /> </span></span><br />
<span class="fsl"><span class="fsl"> Find me on Facebook under Rebekah Bancroft.</span></span><span class="fsl"><span class="fsl"><br /> </span></span><br />
<span class="fsl"><span class="fsl"><br /> </span></span>Rebekahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550034649514622918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742513755380604219.post-88732166969198810452015-03-22T17:11:00.001-07:002015-03-22T17:11:23.158-07:00Tyrus<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxe7muEdh8gTgh0ySCOVXSkCvUnLk3znZgzhv5cHKHiSByX1Hau7FkkWlI1ItP6OrH70K0noyA8KPhr-UwJumiEvgQPvsod5yIYBAyq1hMC7Kc4BTKmQPHCjBp4_N3CFyZUKuBXnTOfBK4/s640/blogger-image--300700062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxe7muEdh8gTgh0ySCOVXSkCvUnLk3znZgzhv5cHKHiSByX1Hau7FkkWlI1ItP6OrH70K0noyA8KPhr-UwJumiEvgQPvsod5yIYBAyq1hMC7Kc4BTKmQPHCjBp4_N3CFyZUKuBXnTOfBK4/s640/blogger-image--300700062.jpg"></a></div>Rebekah posted this picture of Tyrus today. It literally stopped me in my tracks. Where did his baby chub unless go? You know that baby fat that kinda follows them into toddlerhood, until they eventually start growing up and start thinning out? He is way past that. The last time I held him he was still a little squshy and little and toddleish, but this picture clearly shows how big and grown up he is. When we talk on the phone he is so sweet. He talks very fast and I can tell he has so much to tell me but just can't say it fast enough. My heart longs to be with him, but I am so happy to see him doing so well. He sent me some pictures through the mail about a month ago. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZx9Hl9n7Xi04WIodCoizkXkxlzVcK0HYf-V-b3aCUGm-3mbGLQzJ2Uniw2dG1df9V_3jAenhRfo4Xo_bPzU6it2YOIpgtULeVHQzIDw2lWswOUCzMuzu__7nX-CyBV9DXnnt14nKmv8e4/s640/blogger-image--1437144365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZx9Hl9n7Xi04WIodCoizkXkxlzVcK0HYf-V-b3aCUGm-3mbGLQzJ2Uniw2dG1df9V_3jAenhRfo4Xo_bPzU6it2YOIpgtULeVHQzIDw2lWswOUCzMuzu__7nX-CyBV9DXnnt14nKmv8e4/s640/blogger-image--1437144365.jpg"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZx9Hl9n7Xi04WIodCoizkXkxlzVcK0HYf-V-b3aCUGm-3mbGLQzJ2Uniw2dG1df9V_3jAenhRfo4Xo_bPzU6it2YOIpgtULeVHQzIDw2lWswOUCzMuzu__7nX-CyBV9DXnnt14nKmv8e4/s640/blogger-image--1437144365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLg_Xo6D0eRvhnyAcZEBPfCtkZ2J6NCFeA6dhPRW7bj0mqwX2YK1A2pGnPFHVszXZyt8Jf-FU5yeW3_e1X8o8E28p0EfhAlucjfjblFthE1iWHAKpjqvUT_j-HicKPwO5COzrv35d3E_I/s640/blogger-image--2016753017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLg_Xo6D0eRvhnyAcZEBPfCtkZ2J6NCFeA6dhPRW7bj0mqwX2YK1A2pGnPFHVszXZyt8Jf-FU5yeW3_e1X8o8E28p0EfhAlucjfjblFthE1iWHAKpjqvUT_j-HicKPwO5COzrv35d3E_I/s640/blogger-image--2016753017.jpg"></a>I cherish these pictures and will keep them forever. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">My cousin recently brought to my attention an article that was written way back after Tyrus was born. The writer of the article interviewed me and Tyrus's mom. I think they did a wonderful job of depicting my side of adoption and also Rebekah's side of adoption. Unfortunately, they had to close the article down from any further comments because a war was started. It seems that some of the people that were commenting disagreed with my decision to give Tyrus up for adoption. Their view on my life was that I could have raised him, and I should not have given him up for adoption, and I hurt on my children by making the choice not to parent my sweet boy. And although I do respect everyone's opinion, and I do miss my son, things are how they are supposed to be. Tyrus belongs with Rebekah and Ben. Tyrus will always be the brother of my children. But if I didn't choose to give him up for adoption, Rebekah and Ben would not of had the pleasure of being his parents, and Tyrus's new brothers and sister would not have the best brother ever. To God be the glory. Things are how they should be. </div></div>Rebekahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550034649514622918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742513755380604219.post-21147383441384163532015-03-19T12:23:00.003-07:002015-03-19T12:23:52.320-07:00Food addiction...how do I beat it??I know this is not my weight loss blog...but I made this video because its really important to me. Fitness and healthy eating are my hobby...I find TONS of joy in involving my self in those things and I have a heart for those who have been through what I have been through and I just want to help. I figured if anyone follows this blog that may need to hear my words then I cant loose for posting it here.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hreQ49Ceryo" width="560"></iframe><br />Rebekahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550034649514622918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742513755380604219.post-75389472246861537542015-03-17T08:05:00.001-07:002015-03-17T08:05:26.287-07:00Real girls have grey hair....right?<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8ecFZ6PKgbw" width="560"></iframe><br />Rebekahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550034649514622918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742513755380604219.post-87160203324160353782015-03-14T19:54:00.001-07:002015-03-14T19:54:14.636-07:00InstagramI absolutely love Instagram. If you love it too then go find me over there. Here is a picture of my page so you can find me. <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0GlGio4SUVahKmUq7M8vnN0piSKHpjAnIsDKtHBjADGijRl4ygGfuYKwXbO4d8b8sS1glUDiuOAHGzWydu3mFxYprXxeHOdJx4EF5OaAPY4XbDMonIlBEkxk_vGF0NR9iQ5_WHRbv_rPn/s640/blogger-image--24044493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0GlGio4SUVahKmUq7M8vnN0piSKHpjAnIsDKtHBjADGijRl4ygGfuYKwXbO4d8b8sS1glUDiuOAHGzWydu3mFxYprXxeHOdJx4EF5OaAPY4XbDMonIlBEkxk_vGF0NR9iQ5_WHRbv_rPn/s640/blogger-image--24044493.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Rebekahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550034649514622918noreply@blogger.com0