TCEA 2012. The experience of a lifetime.  Okay, that may be a bit drastic, but let me explain.  Over a year ago, I started out on my EMDT journey.  Along the way, I learned so many amazing things, met interesting and quirky people, and gained a new skill set, the value of which is still being revealed.  During Month 12, we had to apply to present our year-long action research project at a major conference or apply to have our work published.  I opted for the presentation.  I wish that I could tell you it was for some noble reason.  It wasn't.  The application was just easier, and at that point in my journey I was exhausted.  Fast forward 2 months.  It's July of 2011, and I have been back in Houston about 4 weeks since attending my graduation.  The news comes.  They picked me!  Awestruck doesn't begin to capture how I felt in that moment.  As I began to put together my presentation, I realized the caliber of work that I had done with my Action Research, and I knew that I would be a huge success. 

When I arrived in Austin, Texas, I don't think anything could have prepared me for the sheer size of the conference.  Attendance was close to 10,000, and I had a prime presentation slot: day one, after lunch.  I arrived 2 hours early, just like they told me to.  I checked my presentation at least 20 times, and I calmly and patiently waited for the start of my presentation.  When the time finally came, you won't believe what happened next.  The internet went down!!  Let me be more specific, the internet in MY presentation room was down.  Apparently, the bandwidth was not enough to handle my presentation.  They actually told me that I was using too much technology.  And here I thought it would be okay to embed several videos into a Prezi to use, considering I was at a TECHNOLOGY conference!!  How exactly can you show people how to incorporate digital storytelling into a classroom without showing examples, guiding them through the process, etc.  Needless to say, it was a great moment for a Q & A session.  After they called in for backup (literally) and got me up and running again, the remainder of my presentation went off without a hitch.  As a matter of fact, I received so many compliments when it was over.  Not only were people impressed with the work that I had done and appreciative of the knowledge that I shared with them, many of them wanted to commend me for how I was able to handle myself in that situation.  One of those people was the Director of Educational Technology for my school district.  She talked to me afterwards about my work, my Masters Degree, and even offered me the chance to present district staff development based on my Action Research.  And just when I thought it couldn't get any better than that, I walk downstairs into the exhibit hall, find the Full Sail booth, and there is Dr. Fun (Daniel Siegel) himself in the flesh! 

Not only did I represent myself and my school district well during this week, I was also a shining example of EMDT Alumni at Full Sail.  Being able to answer participant questions on the spot, for 20 minutes in the middle of my presentation was not easy.  If it had not been for the preparation that went into the project, the comments each professor made every month, the umpteenth revisions that Roxanne made me do to my Lit Review, the raking of the AR site with a fine tooth comb by Dr. Bedard, the advice given by Dr. Deason every time I found him on iChat (which, trust me, was quite often); if it had not been for all of my experiences at Full Sail that helped prepare me for my final presentation before the panel, I would have not been prepared for Austin.  When all of your notes are on the internet, and the internet crashes, you find out just how much you know.  And I found out that I really knew my stuff. 

This experience taught me a lot about myself.  It also made me grateful for every step that it took to get there.  If I could give any advice for current and/or future EMDT students and alumni, it would be this: take advantage of every opportunity.  Don't put your AR (Capstone) project on the back burner.  Balance your time, find a way to make it to Roxanne's extra Wimba sessions, do whatever it takes to make sure that your project is done in excellence.  Remember, we are the future of education in this country.  We are the change agents.  And as one of my favorite professors always says, "Go out and make ripples!"  Through my project, I affected not only the students involved.  Sharing my research allowed me to make ripples that are now reaching across the state and even the country.  I'm making ripples in my pond.  Go out and make ripples in yours!

The Polar Express!

So, check it out.  I got back onto the saddle all the way this week.  Already, I  had bought a new pedometer, and started consistently hitting 15,000 step per day, 5 days per week.  I have been running 1x per week, Monday to be exact, for the last month.  I've really been enjoying it.  I'm a regular at my local gym, the friendly staff knows me, and my boys LOVE the playtime in the kids room.  However, for me, I've wanted a little bit more...to take it to the next level so to speak.  I have been toying with the idea of ramping up my workout routine, but I have yet to figure out how to do it.  Where do I get the time?  What about Maurice and the boys?  What about work?  Well, this past week, I decided that it was much too cold to take the boys out just for me to run for 2 miles.  My oldest had strep, the other 2 had no idea, and no desire to slow down, and my hubby had no strength to do it all by himself.  So, like the good wife and mother that I am, I stayed home.   It did help that I'm wearing my real hair and I didn't want to sweat it out, lol!  So guess what I did this week......

I pulled out my $100 plus dollar Shaun T. Insanity DVDs.  And guess what...our love hate relationship is still there.  I hate him when I'm working out, but I love him when I'm looking in the mirror.  It's not for you, though, don't worry.  I did all of this for me.  I knew what needed to be done to get me to place I want to be.  And, after all, since the title of my blog is NO MORE EXCUSES, it's about time that I really had no more excuses.  It's been a while since I can say that I lived that one.  But this week, I definitely did!! I went all out too! I'm talking tracking EVERYTHING I ate this week: the good, the bad, and the ugly. And my hair held up quite nicely might I add!

I don't know how much of a difference it has made in my weight.  To be honest with you, I've made the decision to no longer live and die by the scale.  It causes too much mental anguish.  I don't need that.  I need to know that I'm living and doing what I should be living and doing.  The rest will come.  If I do lose, that's great.  If I don't...well I doubt that is really possible.  But, if I don't then who cares?!?  I have already lost big.  I lost crazy mindsets and rhetoric that was holding me back.  I lost self-hatred, I lost low self-esteem, and I lost emotional eating.    And the weight that came off in that process was just a bonus.  

So my Christmas message, if you will, for this blog entry is this:  Jesus came into this world, was born of a virgin, so that we could live!  I mean really, really live!!  Take advantage of that very thing.  Decide this day, at the moment that you are reading this that because Jesus lived, you can too! Let go of everything that is holding you back.  Love yourself enough to get off the couch and do what is best for you.  Put down your excuses, and live!

Merry Christmas!!

Get Up!

My favorite tune to motivate me...my alarm on my phone to wake me in the morning....Enjoy!

I stopped making excused, and I got it done!!  Yes sir and yes ma'am, that means that I, Ashley, am working out regularly.  How you ask?  Well that's a wonderful question.  I'll be glad to answer it, but first I'd like to share the journey with you.  

The last time we talked, I told you that I wouldn't post again until I had put my money where my mouth was.  I went out that same weekend and bought what I thought was a new pedometer.  Now, any sane person would have tried to use theirs right away.  Not me though; I waited until Monday morning to try and take it out of the box and put it on.  Of course, that's when I realized I had purchased the wrong product.  Then, somehow my schedule was so jam packed that I couldn't exchange it for an entire week.  I know none of the people reading this have ever done that before.  You all have it all together all the time.  So just bear with me and my adventure if you are one of those people.  

Fast forward to the 2nd week of October.  I have my pedometer, and things are looking good.  I set a personal goal to hit at least 10,000 steps per day.  That's what every website and all the research has shown we should aim for to be healthy.  Well, I blew that right out of the water.  I hit 13,500 on my first day wearing it.  The 2nd day, I set a record of 18,450 steps, which I have been trying to match ever since!  Something about wearing the pedometer makes me want to get up and move more, so I have done exactly that.  

I also began to do my Insanity workouts again the same week.  Have I mentioned to you before that I HATE Insanity...nothing against Shaun T.  I promise, the annoying quality of his voice is only a minute part of the reason for my detesting the workout.  I love the actual workout.  I love the way I feel afterwards.  What I hate, I mean what I absolutely detest beyond any feeling I have ever before experienced....that would be the warm-up.    Who warms up like that?  The warm-up drives me the most crazy because it makes me feel like I'm doing a DVD.  Running in place, jumping jacks, the Heisman, lol, and the rest of them are so completely confining.  I am an outdoors person, and that makes me know that I am stuck in my house running in place.  The workouts remind me of something I could have done in the gym or back in the day at my peak.  Those I can handle.  The screaming through the pain is all me!  But that jogging in place is for the birds! I'd rather run around the block and come back and stretch than do that mess.  

And that brings me to my next point, why do people have to infuse yoga into every workout they sell??  I don't like yoga, nor do I truly agree with all of the centering it asks you to do.  Why do I need to do the downward dog to stretch my back?  Is there not another way??  

But all my complaining to the side, I've done well.  I have not been able to do everything that I want to do, but I have done 10 times more than what I had been doing.  I'm proud of myself.  I will continue to move forward.  I think I'll start by setting a new goal.  Last year I was all pumped about the marathon, until I remembered how much I hate running distance, lol!  Seriously though, I have to set some new goals to keep me motivated.  I'm going to think on them over the week and get back to you soon!  

I fulfilled my goal of coming back...honestly, without excuses, and on the road to success.  If you care to join me I'd love to have the company.

Special shout goes out to Frankie J. for letting me know that my blog posts helped to motivate her.  Knowing that I am making some sort of difference in somebody's life is what keeps pushing me to keep posting.  Feel free to drop me a line and let me know if I help, if you have questions that I can answer, or if you just think I'm silly and you can't hold it in any longer! 

Until next time....

Hello...Is It Me You're Looking For?

Well, you may have found me at the Texans game today!! I spent all of my time planning for the birthday surprise of the century!  I had a great time, and I did a GREAT job of moderating how much I allowed myself to indulge in the atmosphere.  You know what I'm talking about....giant nachos, footlong hotdogs, turkey legs bigger than your head!!  Well, I only had 2 things, both of which I split with my wonderful husband.  If that's not called self-control.  I don't know what is!  

On another note, I must admit that this school year has been THE hardest yet.  For the first time in a very long time (ahem, wve days, ahem) I actually wanted to quit.  Employee morale is sooo low....which surprisingly helped me out.  Somehow, knowing that everyone else on my campus is as disgusted and disheartened as I am made me feel better.  It's not onen of those "misery loves company" kind of things.  It's more like a "I'm not crazy; this is not just me" kind of thing.  Which, now, I'm sure you can see why it made a difference.  I understand that change must come...but all change isn't good.  I wish people understood that more.  But, I must confess, this has made me even more dedicated to my students.  It's going to be one of those "close my door and mind my own business" kind of years...I can see that already. The saddest part of it all is this:  a lot of good teachers have NO interest in returning to our campus next year.  How do I know this?!  Well let's just say that when anyone in my profession tells you "I'm keeping my options open," that really translates to, "I'm looking for a job, and if I get an offer I'm outta here!"    What am I doing you ask?  Well, let's just say I'm keeping my options open, lol!

My action item for this post is: developing an exercise routine/schedule.  I know what you're thinking, and yes, I too have trouble finding time to exercise.  With no marathon to train for this year, I haven't had the motivation that I'm used to having.  But, where there is a will, there is a way.  So the next time you hear from me, I'll be updating you on what I am doing to make sure that I find time to exercise.

On a final note,  I want to stress to you that God is able to exceeding, abundantly above all that you can ask or think.  I know that He can do it for you because He does it for me EVERYDAY! 

Until next time....

Maybe today is lonely, maybe the sky is gray. Morning Will bring the sunshine...

Tomorrow really is another day...it's not just that corny song that we learned in 6th grade that went on to be the song at the end of Forest Gump!  

Well for me, tomorrow is day 1 all over again.  Like most people who experience extreme weight loss, I have had a struggle with my old habits trying to resurface.  A candy bar, some ice cream there, and the next thing you know, I put on 5lbs!  Well to most people 5lbs isn't much.  To me, 5lbs is a HUGE red flag that some things need to change.  So tomorrow, I recommit.  Tomorrow, I pull out the pedometer and hit my 10,000 steps during the day.  I'm wearing my walking shoes to school so that I will have no more excuses (pun intended)!  Best of all, I'm tracking.  What's that?  It's the process of writing down EVERYTHING that I put into my mouth.  Everything has to be written so that I am accountable for it.  It's funny how differently I eat when I know someone is watching, even when that person is me, lol!  So, lunch has been packed, snacks included.  And tomorrow is officially the 1st day of the rest of my life.  I know I can do it, now all I have to do is ACTUALLY do it!

Here's the biggest challenge, and by telling you this I'll be letting you in on a little secret.  I know how to eat healthy, and I pack my lunch everyday when I go to school.  The biggest secret to my success is: EATING WHAT I PACKED!!  Yep, that's the key.  You can pack all you want, but if you don't eat it what's the point?!  It's like that apple I carry around in my bag "just in case."  Amazing how I've somehow never needed it.  There always been an "easier" way.  But the truth is, my mother was right.  The road to hell is paved with good intentions!  I guess it's time for me to make good on my word, and put my knowledge into action.  Faith without works is dead!

Until next time.....

Renewing the Committment

Well, this is kinda awkward.  We haven't talked in a year.  To be exact, it's 1 year and 12 days.  I would love to tell you that I have written these amazing unpublished posts that just haven't been edited, but sadly that is not the case.

I can say, however, that I have been extremely busy.  How busy you ask?  Well, working/teaching full-time and 2 different grade levels, earning my Master of Science degree in Education Media Design and Technology, raising 3 beautiful boys, being a devoted wife, daughter, and friend, and moving into our first home just to name a few. I have had amazing intentions for writing more often, but somehow I never got it done.  I can tell you for sure that I, too, fell victim to the "facebook is easier" syndrome.  But somehow, I always come back here.  I read my old posts.  I become inspired again!  

For a very long time, I have compartmentalized my life.  Professional, person, public, etc.  I have never allowed the two (or 3 or 4) to cross over, and I must admit that it is a bit overwhelming.  I had a blog for my class, a blog for grad school, a blog for my kids, a blog for my professional portfolio, and I think I may have had another one for a dog that I don't even have, lol!   

So I've decided that this is it!  I have to put my foot down and tell myself that enough is enough.  I stopped the boys blog because Facebook was so much easier.  My dad and mom and sisters and in-laws all have pages.  So that one, I'm kinda ok with.  This blog, though, was my lifeline.  It was my weight log, my journal, my voice.  And so, I've decided to pick it back up if for no other reason than to give me an additional sense of accountability.  It also helps that I now HATE Facebook, and if I can get a good rhythm going here, I may just delete my account altogether.

So I invite you to join me again, on the journey of my life; the journey of a mother of 3, wife of 1, and full-time teacher.  The journey of a woman on a mission, determined to have EVERYTHING that God has for me; the journey of a woman who is discovering that all of the power that I need to be successful is already on the inside of me.  I'm excited about sharing my life with you again.  I sincerely hope that you are too!

Goals and Dreams!

So it happened!! I met my goal weight, and then I decided it wasn't good enough.  Don't get me wrong. I'm very happy with the progess that I've made, but I had to look at why I set my goal where it was.  It was derived from fear and insecurity.  It was a fear that I could never get smaller than that number, and the insecurity that caused me not to be able to see myself in that way.  I knew that I deserved to lose weight and reclaim my life, but I didn't feel like I deserved to be the size that I really want to be.  If you consider that fact that most people never believe my starting weight when I say it out loud (204lbs, btw), and add to it the fact that most people think I should just be happy with the weight that I've already lost, you can see how listening to other people affected how I thought and how I felt.

Well, I'm pleased to announce that I have been delivered!!  I see me how I want to see me, and not how everyone else thinks I should see myself.  One of the things that really helped me get to this point was when someone said to me "Run your race". (thanks Becky!)  It took something that simple, and we were actually talking about running, not my weight loss. But it was then that I truly realized that my life is my own race, and that only I can run my race. No one can run it for me, no matter how badly they may want or even try to.  This is my body, and I am the one who has to look in the mirror and be satisfied.

Well, with that revelation and some major help from the Holy Spirit, I blew past my original goal, and I have my eyes set on the prize.  I originally said 50lbs in 50 weeks.  I'm sticking to it.  So far, I'm down 44, so that leaves 6 more pounds to go.  And though I may not make it before my birthday (which is in 2 days!!!!) I will definitely make it before the end of my 50 weeks, so that's alright with me.  I met my original "by my birthday" goal in June. I will continue to set small short term goals until I cross the finish line.

Thanks for cheering me on! And if you're not doing anything on January 30, 2011 you can come cheer more on again at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon, where I will be kicking some major half-marathon butt!!  Training is going well. I'm actually training for a race that is fast approaching (in 10 weeks to be exact).  I'm pretty sure that if I can hang through that one, I'll be good to go in January.  I'll just have to think of a way to make it up to my dear sweet Maurice, since I'm running the half-marathon on our 6th wedding anniversary.  What better way to say "I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you" than to take care of my body and get healthy?  I'm sure I'll think of something else that can be a close second.


Until next time.........