Preparation

^{Mark 12:29-30}

²⁹ “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.^{[e] 30} Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’^[f]

The woman's retreat is fast approaching.  I'm getting anxious and more than a little nervous.

I'm in the process of researching and reading for my talks.  One is on Spiritual health, one is on physical health, and the other is financial health.

Dave Ramsey is a great resource for the financial.  I love his teaching, writing, and straight forwardness.  I'm planning to draw a lot from his writings and website.

Overall, I feel confident on the physical aspect.  It's just narrowing down the information and making it follow a dominate thought vs wandering through all the different sub topics.

While brainstorming with the spouse, we talked about the spiritual aspect.  This one is difficult simply because I want my main theme to be about stewardship.  Taking care of these different aspects of our lives.  Jared mentioned that it would be easy to veer off into legalism and even heresy if I wasn't careful.

Yikes!  This is difficult!  I know that with prayer and hard work it will work out and ultimately be for His glory.

I have a new found respect for Jared and all the hard work he puts into preparing his sermons each week.  I can't fathom doing this on a regular basis.  

Contentment

I'm overflowing.

I am just so thankful for so much.  The big things, the little things and everything in between.

My coffee tastes phenomenal this morning.  My children are playing peacefully in the living room together.  My sweet husband is snoozing and enjoying some extra sleep on his day off.

We both have been having some neck issues and Jared's known for his headaches.  Last payday I splurged and purchased a $17 pillow.  I was about to purchase a new mattress so this seemed like an inexpensive thing to try.  My 4 week neck pain subsided over the course of a couple nights.  Yesterday I picked up the same pillow for spousey.  He didn't snore a fraction of what he has been.  He got up for a second and said he slept great and has no headache so he's snuggling back in for a bit.  YAY for new pillows!

I get to work today :)  I've been shadowing Ebony (a personal trainer at the Y) in the evenings and today I get to meet with my very own clients for the first time!!  I have 3 appointments scheduled for this evening and I'm giddy!  If you've been following my journey towards certification you know this is a long time coming.  I was certified in September, employed in October, and now training in January!  I'm nervous, but so excited.  We need the cash to help with car tags and it all seems to be working out just in time.

God is good all the time, all the time God is good.

So Much For That

Our littlest went through a potty training spell a couple months ago.  Naive me thought we were on the verge break through.

After about a week she decided she was really over it and using diapers was MUCH easier...for her anyway.

Today I decided to break out the Dora panties since she took off her own diaper, pulled out a wipe and wiped herself this morning.  She announces when she needs changing and keeps removing her diaper.  She proved before she has the ability to control herself.  So here we go.

Anneliese LOVES Dora.  So I told her, "We don't pee pee on Dora Sis.  We potty in the potty."  I must have told her 20 times.  Within about 15 minutes of putting her Dora panties on she asked to potty.  I scooped her up, took her to the bathroom, and she successfully "pottied in the potty." 

About 10 minutes passes and I hear a shout from upstairs.  Anneliese is yelling in a happy sing songy voice, "Mommmmyyyyy, I peeeeeeeed onnn DOOOOORA!!!  I peeeed on DOOORA DOOORA DOOORA  de duauahhdnndnaaaa!!!!"

Translated, "Dora Dora Dora the Explorer!"

Something was lost in translation.

A Little Bit of Everything

-Aunt Sonya spoke at church Sunday for Sanctity of Life.  I was so very proud of her.  I love you Sonya, and am so thankful for your dedication to your ministry.  I was either on the verge of tears or crying all morning.  Obviously with our 5, we believe children are truly a gift and a life that should be cherished.  Thank you for all your work on the front lines in this war on abortion. 

-It may seem silly to some, but the simple concept of a sandwich has made me happy.  My children have never been cold sandwich eaters.  On a whim, I purchased some hoagie rolls, ham and cheese.  Apparently they didn't realize what they were missing and now  ask for ham sandwiches for lunch.  Yipeee for easy and healthy lunch alternatives!

-We received our papers in the mail to renew our tags.  Not real sure how, but ours is higher than last year.  I'm thankful we have cars that are 5 & 6 years old, I can't fathom what it would be like if we had new cars.  As it is, it's 1/2 a house payment.  Holy Cow!  We aren't prepared for that.  Hopefully the Y will get in gear and give me some hours ASAP.

-I went and got my eyes checked today.  I purchased a pair of frames online and haven't decided whether I'll use them or not.  I have issues with freckles on my eyes and pinguecula spots and both get worse with sun exposure.  If I don't use them for every day, I'll likely have shaded lenses put in them to protect my eyes from further degeneration.  The funny thing is, when I showed the doc my frames to see if they'd make good sunglasses his response surprised me.  He said, "They're not really appropriate for a pastor's wife.  They're too blingy for every day." My gut reaction was to have them filled and wear them for every day just out of defiance.  What do you think?

I resisted my defiant behavior and waited.  I have another pair of frames that will be here early next week from Wendy.  I'll make a decision once those arrive.  Apparently, Minister's wives aren't allowed to be trendy?

Obsessed

I am slightly obsessed with Gina's Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili served over her Cilantro Lime Rice.

Last week I made a batch and on some days ate it for lunch and dinner.  I love cilantro and the chili has 1/4 cup and then it's in the rice as well.  I also like to top each serving with a leaf or two.  I'm telling you this stuff is amaze-balls. 

My mom came over the other day and I told her I had a yummy lunch for her.  At 10:30 I was watching the clock because I couldn't wait to eat it, seriously.  Don't worry, no issues here.

There is a white crock pot sitting on my counter simmering with Mexican goodness.  I can't wait to eat it, unfortunately I didn't put it in until 9.  Lunch will be around 2, but I'll be super hungry and will enjoy every little morsel!

Be careful when visiting Gina's site because you'll want to stay all day and then head directly to the grocery store.  The site may be called Skinny Taste but I promise you there is no skimping on taste.  These recipes are delish!  I can't wait to try her Cuban Style Black Beans.  I love me some black beans.

Hey Keepin It Under Controllers!

It has been my goal over the last few weeks to workout 4 times a week.  I decided that in order to firm back up I would much rather add some activity vs seriously skimp on my food intake ;0)

Katie R, Amy C, Wendy P and I have started a text accountability phenomenon.  It's working out pretty well.  When I work out I let them know via text.  I tell them how long, and what type of exercise and they do the same.

Today I spent 35 minutes on the treadmill doing running intervals.  It works because of the competitive nature as well as knowing someone is going to ask.

While I was running,  I was thinking of all the reasons I would much rather run outside.

1.  No interruptions.  I'm not very patient or understanding when I'm at the peak of an interval, huffing and puffing, and a little body comes in and asks me for something. 
2.  The scenery is significantly improved.  I love the chocolate color on my walls, but if I run before Jared gets up I can't watch TV so my ear buds and the chocolate wall keep me company.  Yuck!
3.  It may be cold outside, but it's stinking roasting in my room after about 20 minutes.
4.  When running outside, I run away from my house.  Therefore the temptation to quit at any given moment isn't an option.  I have to get home some how. 

If you want in on our accountability let me know, I'd love to receive texts about your creative workouts.  Shoveling snow seems to be the activity of choice lately :)

Comedic Short Ones

-Brennan has started telling the younger kids, "Do what she (Mom) says!  Don't you remember Stanley?"  To which the kids reply, "No, who's Stanley."  Brennan says, "EXACTLY!"

-While playing Wii Brennan says to Tanner, "Come on you can't let a girl beat us!!  Our reputation is on the line, and by "our" I mean "your"!"  Apparently there was a computer character they were fighting against that was female.

-Brennan came and got me out of bed this morning.  He pulled the cover down off my head and said, "Mom, sis needs changed."  Apparently she had just gotten up and smelled foul.  I walked in to the living room, she spotted me, grinned ear to ear and exclaimed, "MOMMY, I'M POOPY!"  Well, good morning to you too :)  After changing her she walked up to the bar stool and said, "I hunnery (hungry) I wanna bite."  I'm not sure what happened in the night but now my girl speaks in full sentences. 

-During prayer last night Graham was praying his typical prayer.  He thanked God for his brothers, for his Daddy, and  "everyone else."  He was laying on my lap and looked up at me and then added, "And thank you for my mommy, for her being just the way her is right now."  Sweet boy.

-Yesterday mom and I took the kids to the Legends to allow them to burn some energy.  They ran around a bit, but Tanner has money left from his birthday and was on the hunt for a Kirby "figure".  Not a doll, I was corrected.  It's an action figure, not a doll! 

We went into Claire's since they have some odds and ends.  Tanner eyed some super cute YooHoo characters (again, not dolls).  They were on sale so I encouraged him to get two.  Unfortunately, just as he headed towards them 2 pre-teen girls walked up and started going through them and commenting how cute they were. 

Tanner went into stealth mode.  He wasn't going home without them, but he wasn't about to let those girls see him.  I said, "Hey Tan, let's hurry" due to Anneliese requesting to purchase everything in the store.  Within moments she had two necklaces, a bracelet, and sunglasses on.  Tanner gave me the look.  I immediately recognized what was happening.  I didn't want to embarrass him so I collected sis and waited by the counter.  He showed up quickly with the goods and then headed to the door with NeNe while I purchased them.  He's entering into the pre-teen awkwardness himself.  Still very much a child, yet understands he needs to be and soon will be growing out of this stage. 

TGIS?

-It's Saturday!  That's all.  I'm always thankful for "days off" of school :)

-Today I headed to Nortonville to speak to a group of women about exercise and weight loss.  I was really excited to share a bit of my journey and help some ladies with exercise technique and offer some encouragement. Jess Thomas rode along and kept the kids and I company.  I received an email this afternoon from the host.  She was very pleased with what I offered.  Ahhh, relief :)

-Several ladies from church showed up at Jose Peppers Thursday night for a girls night/Birthday celebration for Ashley B.  I was able to go last minute do to Wendy spending more time with family and coming over later than planned.  I needed it and I really enjoyed it.  Finding a $20 in the parking lot didn't hurt :)

-I have had a sore neck and 3 different pulled muscles (in my neck) over the last month and a half.  I'm not sure whats causing the issues but I can say with confidence that I'm over it!  I purchased a new pillow yesterday and I'm praying that it will be the solution I need.  Last night felt pretty good, so we'll see.

-I have cried more this week than I have in a really long time.  I'm exhausted.  I called Wendy today to check on her and we just talked for a hour.  Needless to say, after hearing the news of another loss in our church family, I am desperate to keep those I love close.  I'm feeling thankful for each of you and have an overwhelming desire to convey just how much I love and need you in my life.

-Jarod and Laura A. welcomed a new baby boy to their family.  Congrats on a healthy bundle!  Seeing his tiny face on Facebook was a real blessing.  I can't wait to see more.

Daddy's Girl

My heart has been through a whirl wind of emotion this week.  Tonight Wendy and Danny will be staying with us due to her Dad's funeral being tomorrow.  I'm thankful for the time I've had with my Georgia friend, yet terribly sad for the circumstances.

One evening, Wendy called and told me of the precious moments she was able to share with her Dad as he faded.  She held his hand for hours and in those moments he was her "Daddy" again.

I get that.

Even though I never lived with my Father, he was always my Daddy.  I cherished him, revered him, even idolized him at times.  I love him with a love that no amount of absence can diminish.

I've been thinking a lot about our earthly Fathers and who they are meant to be to us.  They are meant to show us a glimpse of our heavenly Father's love for us.  In the bible He is called Abba, which translated means Daddy.

In the 29 years I had before my Daddy passed I always longed for him.  Desired to be with him, to be close, to be his.

During class last week we discussed a similar draw to God.  Ever since I was a little girl I heard Him.  I was desperate to be in the church, to be with His people.  As a teenager I was drawn to Jared because I saw how much his family loved Him.  I was a mess of a child.  I had a rebellious heart, and even when they tried to show me truth I wanted to run, but I didn't.

I was being wooed to a Father who knew my name.  He knows how many hairs are on my head.

Luke 12
6“What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. 7And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

After my Dad's passing I struggled to understand the "why" of it all.  Why I didn't have more time, why couldn't I talk to him, why did this have to happen, why couldn't I have known him more, and on and on.  The song He Knows My Name came to mean so much more to me.

I have a Father, and he knows my name.  He sees every tear that falls, and hears me when I call.

What a precious reminder of who our Heavenly Father is and who we are to Him.

I am so blessed to have a husband who cherishes his role as Daddy.  In Anneliese's life I have been given a chance to watch on as a man, who is dedicated to Christ, loves his daughter as God loves me.

When I watch her precious face light up at the sight of her Daddy, I am reminded of my Abba.

We girls are meant to be Daddy's girl.

Thank You For Your Prayers

Wendy's father passed away in the night last night.

The funeral will be Friday and then Wendy and Danny will make their way back to GA (where Danny is stationed) only to begin the process of moving to Ft. Leonard Wood.

This newly married couple has been through a lot and I would greatly appreciate your continued prayers as they continue the grieving process together.

Sweet Baby

Daddy's spot, just right!

The boys and I were all dressed and ready for church.  The girl typically sleeps in and we have to wake her to get her ready for church.  At 8:30 I heard her crying out, "Mommy, Mommy!" 

I was concerned because she is a really happy little girl when she firsts gets up and for her to be crying is not a good sign.

When I entered her room she was shaking, red cheeked, and covered in yuck. 

I pulled her from bed and began stripping her down for the bath.  She's vomited 4 times this morning so far and twice it was directly on me.  NEAT :) 

On a positive note, she watched Cinderella for the first time and absolutely loved Gus Gus and Lucifer (the cat).  It was precious to me because it's one of my favorites of all times.  I purchased it while she was still in the womb. 

This really seems out of the blue.  We were all sick around Christmas and she never really got it.  It's odd that she would have it now.  Apparently we're dealing with something new.  Again...NEAT :)

Jared and I went to the hospital to meet Wendy last night and I am hoping to go back this afternoon if she wants me to. 

Obviously this situation has nothing to do with me, but at the same time it has a lot of parallels to my Dad's passing.  Please pray I can be what she needs and use my experience to help her and not bring my baggage along.  I would covet prayers for strength on my part, and for comfort and peace on Wendy's.   

Please Be in Prayer

My friend Wendy just called.

I would greatly appreciate prayers for her in the coming days.

She received the dreaded phone call.  A call very similar to the one I received 4 years ago.

Her dad is in the hospital.  It's bad.  She's on her way to KC with her new husband to sit next to her father who is expected to pass in the next 48 hours.

Jared and I are planning to meet them there. 

We would greatly appreciate prayers.

New Hair!

After 68 hours I finally was able to wash my hair. I was supposed to wait 72 but I couldn't handle it anymore so I washed it when I got up this morning.

Not only is my hair silky soft and smooth, but I was able to make it look like this in less than 5 minutes. I simply blew it dry fresh out of the shower.  What I did is called the Keratin Complex or Skinny Hair. 

These pics are from Jared's phone so the color is a bit off, but you get the idea. Calics and fuzz are gone! I could stand in a steam room and it wouldn't change much!

If you'll remember, humidity was not my friend. This pic is at a wedding outside and it had rained all morning. My hair looked super cute when I left the house, and then this happened:

Such a cheesy picture! 

Hey Keepin It Under Controllers!

It's the first of the year and there will be a lot of people who join the gym, get new sneakers, and attend for a month or less. 

I've been really thinking about this battle of weight/health a lot lately.  In preparing for the retreat, God has been taking inventory in my own life. 

While talking with a friend I mentioned that I have the desire to drop 10lbs.  There are times when I think, UGH just 10lbs and then I'd be so much more content with myself!  She challenged me. 

She said, "Do you need to lose it for health reasons?"  Um, no...  "Then why, vanity? Competition?" 

Well, I guess if I were to be completely honest with myself, both.  Yikes!

I strongly believe that these bodies that we have are not our own.  They belong to our Creator and are simply on loan.  They, our bodies, and anything else we possess are to be used for HIS glory.  Our desire for health and fitness should be based in stewardship and nothing else. 

If your friend lent you his Bentley how would you treat it?  Would you fill it with trash?  Refuse to wash it?  Be careless and even destructive while it was in your care?  If you answer "yes" shame, Most of us wouldn't conceive of giving it anything but the royal treatment. 

How much more value does a person have than a luxury vehicle?  Whether you believe you personally have value or not doesn't really matter.  Your Creator cherishes you and you are more valuable than rubies in His eyes. 

Romans 5:8 (New Living Translation)

⁸ But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 

My challenge to you is this, take care of this body.  It is not yours, it's simply on loan.  The owner will return soon and will want to know how you cared for His prized possession.  

1 Corinthians 10:31 (New Living Translation)

 ³¹ So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Favorite Products of 2010

I'm always looking to try new and exciting things that people love.  So here's a blog that reveals and reviews some of my favorite products/services of last year.  (These are simply things I used, not necessarily new products to 2010).

-I have super dry skin, as do my babies. Winter is usually the time we struggle the most. This winter I have been slicking us down with baby oil fresh out of the bath. Before you dry off, try slathering yourself in baby oil and then pat dry. It has kept the kids' eczema under control and I don't have the itchy scratchy skin of winter that usually takes over by now.  If you're worried about spilling the oil, you can try the new baby oil jell and it works the same!

-Bare minerals!  I love love love bare minerals.  I started using them and I will never go back!  I highly recommend going into one of their stores, having someone tell you what you need and then buy it off eBay.  I saved 30% at least and I love all of it.  Before you get all worried about the cost, I can promise you that it works out.  Whatever you spend at Wal-mart is about what you would spend on Bare minerals simply because it last SO much longer.  It's not a 1 to 1 ratio.  My foundation lasts 6 months with bare minerals.  

-For simple dish washing I have become a big fan of Cascade Action packs.  The older two boys have started loading and unloading the dish washer and I have no worries about over dosing each cycle with these.  My dishes are clean and I am happy :)

-In the last year my face got the impression we were going through puberty again.  I have struggled more with acne this last year than I ever did as a prepubescent child.  I had tried Proactive and it helped but I'm not a big fan of having stuff shipped to me until I cancel it.  I always end up with months worth before I get around to canceling (Can you say Gevalia?).  So I started with Wal-Mart's version AcneFree.  It's a 3 step process and I always ran out of step 2 and didn't want to purchase the whole thing again.  Thankfully, they started selling step two all by itself and in a huge bottle.  So my face is back under control thanks to Acne Free Oil Free Purifying Cleanser.  I can get an 8 oz bottle for under $6 (vs $18 for the 3 step kit).

-I have poo problems.  Sorry, but it's true.  Thankfully this year I was encouraged to try Acidophilus Pearls.  I am cured.  You cannot fathom the life long issues I have had.  The tests I've endured, the meds I've taken.  The horrible cramps from the meds etc.  I can only imagine what I now experience is "normal" and I have no cramping, no misery.  Thank you LORD!

-I am always working towards nice teeth/breath.  It's kinda a thing with me.  I want Jared to have a nice smile and I really would like to be the owner of one myself.  It's not a vanity issue.  It's a hygiene issue.  Bad breath is not conducive to face to face interactions.  It could seriously be a turn off to ministry.  No joke!  So here's my favorite mouth wash.  I believe it not only has whitened our teeth, but it seems to promote yummy smelling breath!  Listerine Whitening Original Pre-Brush Rinse.

 -For all you fellow frizz heads out there, Redken Smooth Down Heat Glide is a great product.  It comes in a 5oz bottle and it will last you a year or more.  I use it daily and have had it for 4 months and there's barely 1/4 of the bottle gone.  It will last forever and it rocks!  It not only protects your hair from a flat iron but it gives a nice shine.  I love this stuff.

-Got dry hair?  Another product I use about twice a week is Potion 9 by Sebastian.  It's a leave in conditioner that makes your hair silky soft.  I use a flat iron most days and that can be devastating to hair health.  This restores moisture and prevents breakage.  It's a great product and like the Smooth Down, it lasts forever.  One tube lasts me a year.

-Our house has A LOT of traffic.  Between 2 cats, 1 dog, 5 kids, 2 adults, and weekly bible study there are countless feet that cross our path.  Our carpet is 7 years old and I do my best to keep it up.  It would cost thousands to re-carpet our house and while I know it will have to be done eventually, I do what I can to postpone it.  Brooke's Chem dry is my hero.  In our 7 years here we've had them out 4 times.  I would love to do it at least once a year but there always seems to be more pressing things for our fundage.  Kenny is the guy who typically does ours and he does a great job.  If you need carpet cleaning and want it done right give them a call and tell them I sent you :)

This is just an image, not an actual link.  The link is in the paragraph above.

I'm sure there's more, but I want to keep this a somewhat reasonable length :) Do you have a fav product or service? I shared, your turn! Leave a comment!

Miss Me

-We get back to the Wednesday night swing of things tonight!  I'm so excited.  I miss my friends!

-Envy is a dangerous thing.  I was blissfully ignorant about the world of high priced denim.  At Thanksgiving our cousin came to the celebration adorably dressed.  She had on white stitched denim jeans, high heals, and a super cute little jacket. 

At Christmas my niece and sis n law came to the celebration with similar adorable jeans and Hannah enlightened me.  I decided to search on eBay for the super cute jeans and found a pair for $35.  I was thrilled since they can run as high as $150.  Something no one told me is that they run small.  Like for teenagers who haven't had 5 kids (hopefully).  They are what size I normally wear and they don't even come up over my rump.  So I have declared that "Miss Me" jeans are stupid.  Case closed...

-I am really looking forward to the Woman's retreat.  It's a fun day and a half of giggling and fellowship.  There are a lot of people that go that I don't get to see regularly and it's a blessing to reunite and spend time together. 

-I now have "skinny hair."  I have been researching this treatment for fuzzy hair and was able to find the products and have Natasha apply it saving me hundreds.  For my length of hair it would cost $3-400 to have it done in a salon.  I'm eager to see what it looks like when I'm finally able to wash it on Friday.  You read that right, Friday.  I really miss washing my hair :)  I'll post pics post bathing.

Reflection

It's the first of the year and, like most, I am pondering.

Thinking about why I do what I do, if I'm going to continue to do somethings, add new things, regain a love for old things etc.

I love reading over at Prior Fat Girl.  If you follow the link you can read about how she has been reflecting back on why she started her weight loss journey.  That, of course, got me thinking about the before of it all.

Many of you may not remember this:

Hannah and I

This was before kids.  A lot of people remark, "Well, you've had 5 kids!"  My issues started far before children.  In this picture I weighed in around 220lbs (I'm Rain Man when it comes to remembering exactly how much I weighed and when, no issues here).

As with most women my weight only went up during pregnancies and I sky rocketed to 267lbs during my first pregnancy.  This is right after Brennan was born.

It wasn't until after Tanner's birth that I decided I was far to young to have let myself go.  Now that I've been "thin" for 9 years I tend to forget why I decided to make a life change in the first place. 

The bigger I became, the more invisible I was to those around me.

The last 9 years has been a journey.  In that time I've been way too thin (25lbs lighter than I currently weigh) and overly obsessed with self.  My issue went from overeating to over managing.  It was all I thought about and all I spent time on.  This is me at my thinnest (and most unhealthy emotionally, spiritually, and physically).

Elijah and I

The thinner I became, the more invisible God and family were in my life.

It has been a roller coaster.  It's been a struggle to find balance, to find peace. 

This year I took on the challenge of running a marathon only to end up injured in the last 3 weeks of training.  That was a devastating blow to ego and to my will.  

So, what will this year hold for me?  How will I handle this battle for my life both spiritually and physically?

It is my goal to handle it with grace.  I am entering a stage of my daughter's life where how I handle this becomes a building block for how she will manage it in her own life.

I have decided to sign up for a 1/2 marathon in May.  It's a more reasonable goal and will allow me to have the drive to continue in my exercise.  It's a chance to bond and engage with my Christian sister's verses just doing it for my own physical benefit.  I have a couple friends planning on the same race and we're going to travel together.   

On Feb 18, Mission Lake Christian Camp has a woman's retreat and I have been asked to speak on being F.I.T. physically, spiritually, and financially.  I feel like for the first time I am finding balance in this area of my life and can use my 9 year journey to help others.

A Winter Wedding

I had to take pics with my phone, but you get the idea ;)

I'm super pleased with how it turned out & now am ready for a long winter's nap ;)