Six Years...

This weekend, my husband and I celebrated six years of marriage. I am very thankful to be married to a man who is so selfless and who is patient with me as I learn to be.

Here is our engagement photo...

His birthday gift from the end of last year was corrective eye surgery but we couldn't schedule it until this weekend so...our anniversary has been carefully planned to be in our room mostly, relaxing, sleeping, and talking while he rests his eyes. Kiddos are home but being cared for in shifts by Granny, Sister, & Antie. It is so very nice to be able to "kick it" at the house with one another. It's been like vacation at home. Our anniversary was actually Saturday but we've been lazing around for three days. Can someone say W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L.

It's so rare that we just do nothing. I'm grateful for this time, for my marriage, and for my very own personal "gentle giant".

Weight Loss Journey 4/8 - 4/14

Weight Loss This Week - .5 LB

Current Weight Loss - 25.5 LBS

LBS to go - 3.5 LBS

Eating Diary...
This week was terrible...absolutely terrible. I actually was not going to post the eating and workout diaries at all out of embarrassment at not being able to stick to my goals. Then I remembered that the reason why I post is a) to help someone else on their journey and b) to hold myself accountable. If I'm going to be held accountable, even it it's only by my actions in print, I've got to be honest.

My main problem...once again...was lack of planning. Last week's plans didn't exactly come into fruition. I was on the run too much and ate out too much. I drank too little water and didn't eat near enough fruits and veggies. So that's my diagnosis of the problem. Next week let's pray I learn from this week's mistakes :(

Sunday (Easter)
My stomach has strunk a bit so I couldn't overdue it to bad. Let's just say we went to a brunch and I had a smattering of everything. I tried to fill a plate with a sampling of different desserts but I couldn't only have a bite or two of about three things. It was too sweet!

Tuesday
Breakfast - Smoothies and Toast
Lunch - Two soft chicken tacos
Early Dinner - Amy's Enchiladas
Dinner - Salmon Caesar Salad (ate out with family)

Wednesday
Breakfast - None
Lunch - Cheeseburger meal from McDonalds
Dinner - Chicken Sandwich + Small Caesar

Thursday
Breakfast - Go Lean Kashi
Snack - Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Lunch - Turkey Sandwich w/cabbage slaw
Dinner - not hungry

Friday (Start of Anniversary Weekend)
Breakfast- Apple + Chicken Biscuit
Lunch - Chicken w/spinach & tomato (Macaroni Grill's Lite Fare)
Dinner - None

Saturday
Breakfast - Waffle, eggs, toast, & OJ @ Waffle House w/Hubby
Lunch - none
Dinner - Steak, Potato, & Salad @ SaltGrass Steak House


Workout Diary...
Had lots of trouble getting in my groove this week. I was sleepy all week - probably because I wasn't working out or eating my best. So I didn't workout b/c I didn't have enough energy because I didn't work out....(sigh)...my head hurts.

Tuesday - 30 minutes elliptical + pushups + situps + leg lifts
Wednesday - 30 minutes elliptical
Thursday - no workout...too sleepy
Friday - no workout...too sleepy
Saturday - no workout...too sleepy

One Reason I Love My Teenager...

Teenage years are often spoken of in terms of what goes wrong with the children that a parent has worked so hard to raise. Although I completely agree that this time can have many twists and turns both for the young adult-to-be and their mother and father, I also believe that this can be a wonderful time too. It's the time where I'm allowed to see my precious little one blossum into adulthood. Like peering into the inner sanctuary of a cocoon, I get to watch the metamorphosis up close and personal. It isn't always a picture of perfection but it certainly is awesome to watch the transformation. Because we homeschool, I have the pleasure of observing many moments where I just can't believe the baby I brought home from the hospital is a woman.

I think the most important thing that a parent can do while there children migrate the transition into adulthood is to CHOOSE to look for the wonderful things that comprise their personality. Your teenager NEEDS to hear what they are doing right. They NEED to know that you still think highly of them. They NEED to believe that they still hold a precious place in your heart.

So sweet "Gracie" this post is for you :)

One reason I love my teenager is that she is compassionate and caring. She always shows concern and looks for ways to be sensitive to the desires of others. We work hard around our house, partially just because we live here and we should take care of our home, but mostly because we live here all day and messes just naturally occur. We make three meals a day plus snacks and so our kitchen always looks like we've just finished a meal.

Gracie is a whiz in the kitchen and cooks at least one dinner a week as well as breakfast two or three times. There are a couple of meals that I just don't do anymore and for that I am grateful. One of her meals is pancakes...always on Friday. She makes perfect pancakes with bacon (broiled in the oven) and doesn't even want me in the kitchen when she's at work.

Little brother likes to bother help me when I am in the kitchen. Sometimes I shoosh him away; sometimes I allow him to help. But when I turn around and see my teenager loving on her little brother without coaxing from me, my heart jumps for joy.

Every Friday morning we make pancakes for breakfast. On this Friday morning, "Sister" is letting her little brother help her...

Gracie also has learned how to play the guitar this year. Little fingers now seem to be heard at the most random times strumming her guitar in secret. Instead of getting mad and ranting about how the littles in our house keep messing with her stuff, Gracie make time to let them play...legally.

There is so much to be thankful for during this season of life. Albeit, sometimes you must choose to LOOK for what is wonderful about this person who is growing all the way into their skin. So today I'm going to look. I'm going to look and after I complete this blog I'm going to march into the kitchen, hug my wonderful daughter and tell her how great I think she is to be so compassionate and caring. You be sure and do the same with the precious gifts you've been given.

Buyer's Remorse

After balancing my checkbook tonight, I've had to take a bag of items and put them in the back of my car. It contains a few things I purchased from a an outlet store a couple of weeks ago. It's in my car because I need to return them.

While I was in the process of walking around this kitchen store and picking up various "neat" items, the thought did cross my mind multiple times that "I just didn't need the stuff". I shoved that thought to the back of my brain because I wanted the stuff and I deserved the stuff.

I didn't buy anything too frivolous - just a couple of pans and a Santuko knife. At the time, I figured I just had to have that knife because I've wanted a better knife for a long time. I figure that better tools will make me a more consistent efficient cook. The problem was I didn't NEED them and I actually bought the items without taking a look at my checkbook and counting the cost. Now, a couple of weeks later, I've decided that the items I purchased really weren't necessary and that I'd rather have the money to spend on other things. Now I've got to find the time to drive 40 minutes back to the outlet store to return my purchases.

Why do we do this? You know, wasting money on things we want or desire only to realize later that we spent our precious resources on products that just aren't that important when compared to other things that are more crucial. I can't even count the number of times that I've experienced some level of buyer's remorse. The high from spending unwisely doesn't last long at all.

This little spending escapade reminds me of how I feel when I spend money on food that "hits the spot" so to speak but holds absolutely no lasting value or nutritional content. Why do I do that?...spend money (and precious calories) on something that gives me a moments pleasure?

I am reminded of the scripture from Isaiah that says...

Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. - Isaiah 55.2 (KJV)

I love this version from The Message:

Why do you spend your money on junk food,your hard-earned cash on cotton candy? Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best, fill yourself with only the finest.

The fact is that in this day and time, the world is full of wasters - wasters of money, wasters of food, and wasters of time. We spend our resources and our years chasing after thrills, must-haves, and oh-I-want-its. Unfortunately, many folks end up near the end of their lives, only to realize that they have a giant case of buyer's remorse and the time limit for redeeming the years of bad choices has run out.

Life is too short to live looking back at regretful decisions. It's too short to mess up by making bad choices when there is a better path. We are not perfect beings and so we will have moments where we trip up. However, I don't want to live a life where I regularly trip over the same cracks.

Spending money I don't have doesn't bring joy.

Eating food with no nutritional value doesn't bring good health.

Wasting time and energy outside of my purpose and calling doesn't bring fulfillment.

Living to please anyone other than the Lord doesn't bring eternal significance.

I asked my paternal grandmother (who I fondly call Two Mama) what she would change if she could live her life over again. Her answer is etched in my mind forever. "Well, I didn't do things perfectly, but I did the best that knew to do at the time".

What else can we do but the best we know to do. My fault lies in choosing less than the best even when knowledge of the best choice exists. The result is always REMORSE.

So how do we avoid remorse. How do we avoid the feeling that we could have done better, avoided disaster, or steered clear of disappointment. The precious Word has an answer for that too:

Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Isaiah 55.6 (KJV)

And again, The Message is a wonderful paraphrase:

Seek God while he's here to be found,
pray to him while he's close at hand.
Let the wicked abandon their way of life
and the evil their way of thinking.
Let them come back to God, who is merciful,
come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness.

"I don't think the way you think.
The way you work isn't the way I work."
God's Decree.
"For as the sky soars high above earth,
so the way I work surpasses the way you work,
and the way I think is beyond the way you think.

Just as rain and snow descend from the skies
and don't go back until they've watered the earth,
Doing their work of making things grow and blossom,
producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry,
So will the words that come out of my mouth
not come back empty-handed.
They'll do the work I sent them to do,
they'll complete the assignment I gave them.

There is a simple way to avoid buyer's remorse. Follow God's instructions. His knowledge about life and it's twists and turns way surpasses ours. There are so many regretful decisions that we can avoid and pitfalls we can sidestep if we just stop to get instructions. God's Word truly is a light and a lamp that will guide our everystep if we will only use it.

His Word addresses everything, how we spend money, how we spend our time, and even how we should treat our bodies (NO OVEREATING).

I imagine a life where I'm free of that sinking feeling because I've made an avoidable decision. That life is possible if I following the directions I receive from Somebody that's already been there and back and is more than willing to be my Guide.

I imagine my life - a life lived without unnecessary pitfalls. I imagine a surrendered life - a life lived in humble submission to the direction of Another. I imagine my life - a life lived without buyer's remorse.

Weight Loss Journey 4/1 - 4/7

I'm slowly making changes to this site to personalize it a bit more since all my blogging will be done here. Sooner or later I'll get my weight loss ticker up. In the meantime, here are the stats.

Weight Loss This Week - 1 LB

Current Weight Loss - 25 LBS

LBS to go - 4 LBS (to meet short term goal...then we have to reset the goal...but one thing at a time :)

Workout Diary

Monday - didn't work out :(

Tuesday - 30 minutes on the elliptical machine

Wednesday - 30 minutes on the "elliptical machine and 15 minutes on the "sit-down bike". Situps and pushups (don't remember how many) and squats.

Thursday - Walked/Ran through the neighborhood for about 30 minutes. There's something about running on the street that makes you feel like you can't stop and walk with people looking you know :) Didn't overdo it b/c I was sore from Wednesday!

Friday - 30 minutes on the elliptical machine, two sets of pushups (20 each), and two sets of situps (25 each). Then I jumped on the bikeTraining session with Cophie. 30 minutes of cardio - 10 minutes elliptical and 20 minutes walking on an incline.

Saturday - Stayed home with a sick baby.

Eating Diary

So this was my second week without sugar. I'm really getting the hang of not eating any. It is so funny how putting action before feelings really does the trick. I'm gonna have to apply that philosophy to the rest of my life. I did have some sweets on Easter Sunday but they just didn't have the same effect on me. This was the goal - getting to the point where the cravings of my flesh don't control me...getting to the point where what my spirit wants for my body outweighs the wants of my flesh.

I do have to say that I didn't put a whole lot of energy into meal planning this week and I just got plain bored. I snacked alot but I chose healthy snacks because the Oreos in the pantry that have been staring at me for the last two weeks weren't an option.

I have learned that eating to live is a completely different mentality than living to eat. Every meal is not entertainment, nor does every meal have to be tantalizing to the tongue. Sometimes you just eat because it's time to eat and because you recognize that your body is a machine and has to have good fuel to run. That means that I was able to eat oatmeal w/o butter and sugar (I took mine out and then doctored up the kids version) because I was eating for a purpose and not for a taste. The same thing applies to popping raw veggies. I'm cutting up broccoli to steam for the kids for lunch and putting a few to the side for myself. I admit it tastes very "green" but again...the idea was purpose now taste...imagine that...developing a completely different mindset....hmmmm...

I've found my husband making a trip to Whataburger and calling me to see if I want him to bring me anything. I never in a million years pass up a hand-delivered fast food dinner/lunch/late night snack. But now,....it is unsettling to think of eating that junk on a regular. If I do eat it (which I have once during the past month). I'm irritated at myself for putting the junk in my mouth. On Thursday night, we drove through Whataburger. I ate a few of hubby's fries (because if you didn't know...Whataburger has the BEST fries in the world) and then ate a salad with HALF of the dressing they provided.

I'm falling in love with how I feel about me AFTER making a good decision. That feeling is a whole lot better than the feeling of being full of stuff that doesn't do my body good.

I am doing sugar this week. Trying to see what things look like when I try to operate in moderation. We'll see how this goes :)

Next Week's Goals

• Better Planning
• Exercise five days through a combination of gym plus at home workouts (Pilates DVD or a walk outside.
• Keep better documentation of what I eat...Seeing it in print is a wake up call :)
  
• Getting more rest!

Below the Belt...

Ummm....let's just say that today I was hit below the belt on my no sugar thing. As I have said before the no sugar thing is mainly for refined sugars and "sweets", but I have been trying to eat healthy in general though. The idea has been to watch my carbs and eat lots of veggies and a bit of fruit.

Well today, my oldest daughter, who is becoming quite a whiz in the kitchen, hit me below the belt.



For crying out loud....NO FAIR~~~

These are our "Pumpkin Muffins". This is how we cook pumpkin bread when we are in a hurry and don't want to wait on the loaf to cook. Divide the batter into a muffin tin, and ~VOILA~... same tasty goodness in less than half the time.

Whenever these are cooked up, they whisper sweet nothings in my ear from across the room, gently whooing me in their direction. I've had two since this morning...so far...

As you can see, I'm not the only one enjoying these...or am I :)

Pray for me!

This recipe is from my Mom who is the ultimate whiz in the kitchen. We grew up eating tons of it at Christmas time and sharing tons of it with friends and family during the holiday season. Per my four year old''s request, these are officially no longer reserved for a certain time of year.

The now is to limit my snacking so that these muffins don't literally show up below the belt!

My Baby Seester...

Sometimes you just have moments of pride, you know?

My sister sent me these photos a few days ago. She is a Bible teacher and just recently did a Lifeway Women's Event called Deeper Still where she spoke alongside, Beth Moore, and Kay Arthur , encouraging thousands of women to walk closer with the Lord. Lifeway will also be partnering up with Priscilla's ministry, Going Beyond Ministries, to do Women's Conferences across the country.
I keep looking at these photos and wondering if this is the same sister who used to fight with me at night over whether or not to keep the door open
or closed when we went to bed.

Is this the same sister who would make up games with me after our Daddy had told us to go to bed?

Is this the same sister that would steal my clothes out of the closet and then lie and say she hadn't taken them?

Is this the same sister who didn't like to read and that has now written 3 books?

Is this the same sister who always talked too much....is she now talking for a living?

Is the the same sister who used to fight with me about whose turn it was to do the Sunday dinner dishes?

Is this the same sister who, when it was her turn to make lunch for all the kids, ALWAYS made egg sandwiches (to my great dismay)

Is this the same sister who took great pleasure in beating me to the shower because she knew I hated not to go first?

Is this the same sister who has been with me through thick and thin? Is this the only sister that knows about my whole history...good and bad....? Is the only sister I have that I will cherish FOREVER!????

Yes....this is my sister....
I am proud of my whole family. Links to their websites are listed along the leftside of my blog. Oh...and I'm proud of my brother Anthony too who is visible in the second photo.

The Art of Napping

One of the beauties of doing school at home...When you need a nap, you don't have to put your head down on a desk.

Seven Days Without Sugar....and Counting!...

I made it! and I'm going to keep going another seven days.

As I wrote in the original post on this "No Sugar Journey":

I'm committed to going 7 days without refined sugar. I might stretch it to 14 days and then to 21 but right now I can't think that far. I'm avoiding "sweets", allowing myself natural sweetener on occasion (honey in tea for example). No oreos, no ice cream, no brownies, no sweet tea, no candy bars, no chocolate chip cookies (Lord help me), no Starbucks, etc..

This past week was challenging as I practiced the art of not putting certain things in my mouth out of habit, circumstance, and just plain 'ol lack of discipline. I tried my hardest to avoid situations that would provide the greatest temptations. The biggest problem was that life still goes on even whilst I'm attempting to become more disciplined!

Wednesday nights my sweet hubby takes the kids to church and I get a night off. It's really not a night off because I have a part-time WAHM job and I actually get work done when it's quiet around here. However, it's quiet here none the less. I take the opportunity to treat myself to dinner. You know, no kids, no sharing, and hot food - all brought to me while I sit, and taken away when I'm done....HEAVEN.

Normally, when I treat myself, the word TREAT implies that my scrumptuous dinner will be followed by....you guessed it...something sweet...preferrably something with chocolate...like a cookie served a 'la mode....WHEW!...IT'S GETTING HOT IN HERE!

I didn't do it. I didn't cave. I sat down, looked at the menu and opted for the Salmon Caesar Salad.

On Friday, we had a family birthday party. My little cousin turned 3 and we celebrated at Chick Fil A (my digital camera is broken or else I'd have a pic or two). This was all out war! Cake was served as well as ice cream. What did I have? a salad...without my beloved sweet tea. My sister ordered a Oreo Cookie Shake and sat right in front of me slurping it up. How encouraging :(

Self-denial is empowering. Not only did my foray into no sugar land result in a week of victory, but eating sugar is somehow connected to eating bad in general. I was more empowered to avoid white flour, fried foods, eating late at night, and other detrimental norms.

Overall a good week. My indulgence was homemade wheat pancakes on Friday morning (our norm around here at the end of week), covered with a measured amount of pure maple syrup (oh and a vat pat of butter). I also did eat fruit during the week for good carbs, energy, and fiber. I thought about extending my little project into refined carbs but then I decided to take one thing at a time. I did good...but not that good...

So here we go...Week 2. I've already decided that on Easter Sunday I'll allow myself a furlough but I think I'm good for a 3 Week Commitment.

How's it going for those of you who were going to join me?

FYI for those that have been following the weight loss journey from the other blog, my weight didn't change last week. I am in the process of moving things over and I hope to have the weight change ticker up here soon! For now you can view it here.

Story - Part IV

For Part I of this story, CLICK HERE; For Part II , CLICK HERE; For Part III CLICK HERE

It started with a jacket - a jacket with a small tear. The sea captain was a stickler about his appearance and immediately wished to fix his uniform. Although his mother would do anything for him, "anything" did not include sewing. It would ruin her manicured hands, so she thought, and so she avoided manual labor of any kind.

The captain's Mother, we'll call her Mrs. Henderson, vaguely remember overhearing from some other folks in town that her neighbor Olivia was a great seamstress, and prompt in doing the job and returning the garments. She also knew of a more established seamstress in town, who had a storefront and was a custom clothesmaker for people of status. Considering her son of high status, she mentioned both women, one for reputation, the other for proximity, all the while gently nudging her son to go into town.

The captain, definitely a man of class, was also fond of practicality. He chose proximity.

On the day that he planned to deliver the jacket to Olivia, he planned to wear a clean white shirt with khaki pants. Glad to be home, he relished the opportunities provided him to "dress down" when he was on furlough and away from commanding people and things. But instead, he donned his uniform because he was going in public, to the home of someone he did not know, and he didn't want to appear too familiar. He check himself in the mirror, picked up the jacket to be mended and headed out the front door.

Olivia was sitting at her window, with a mending job in her lap, needle in hand. She focused intermittently between her work and the children who were in her plain view. Quietly moving her lips, she recited Scripture verse to herself, Psalms 34 to be exact, ..."Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name...". This was her way of staying encouraged, continuing to be grateful, and keeping that pleasant smile on her face.

Although Mrs. Henderson and Olivia were neighbors, the houses were not exactly close together. There were still quite a bit of beautiful foliaged land in between houses and each house itself, although modest in size sat on a couple of acres. The captain strolled slowly down the street towards Olivia's house, taking in all of the sights and sounds of home. It was not often that he had the opportunity to take a walk without the weight of business concerns. This furlough would last almost two months and he intended to enjoy every moment of it.

His shoes crunching underneath him on the gravel path that led to the house, the captain broke a small sweat. It was quite a warm day already. He noticed Olivia in her window, noticed her smile, and her moving lips. He paused for a brief second, half wandering at her simple natural beauty and half wandering if he had stumbled onto the property of a person not having a full deck. He remembered his mother's recommendation and knew she would have been aware if this was the case. The captain called out to her as he held up the arm holding the jacket.

"Hello, mending work?"

Olivia looked up. "Oh, hello. Sure...come on up. Children we have company."

Quickly, a six year old girl immediately stopped her play and ran into the house ahead of the captain. Another girl, about four years of age ran up the steps leading to the house and grinned broadly at the captain as he approached the porch. "Tank 'u fo comin' to owa howum".

The captain laughed aloud and said a hearty, "You're welcome!" He climbed up the steps and entered the house. There Olivia was, standing to greet him.

"Now what can I do for you captain?"

"Well, it looks as if I've put a rip in my jacket and I was hoping that you could mend it for me. I've heard from around that you do a great job."

"I do try my best. Let me take a look at the damage". She gently took the jacket from the captain's arms and ran her slender fingers over the spot in question. "Well, captain, this jacket is very well made and this rip ought to be easy enough to fix. I can have it ready for you in about half an hour if you like".

"Half an hour! Indeed, I heard you worked fast but I didn't realize... Miss, there is truly no need for such a hurry. I can pick it up tomorrow morning if it is all the same to you."

Just then, the six year old, walked proudly into the room with a glass of iced tea. "Captain, please enjoy something cold for such a warm day". Charmed the captain bowed just a tiny bit to the little girl who in turn curtsied and took the tea.

The captain turned to compliment Olivia on her training of her children. "My what a job you've done with your young ones. So helpful and well behaved."

"Thank you Captain." Olivia smiled a little and glanced down. "The jacket will be ready for you in the morning. Feel free to come by after nine."

The seamstress named the price to which the Captain happily agreed, and he turned to walk out the front door, glass in hand. Walking onto the porch he paused for a second, and brought the glass to his lips. Olivia stepped onto the porch after him and made her way behind his back over to a white rocking chair . She settled in with his jacket, needle, and thread in hand.

"Oh, Miss, I don't want you to stop working on your previous project to fit me in. Once again, I need my jacket in no hurry".

"Captain, it's no problem at all, I was only mending one of my own dresses. I will finish it later. Please, have a seat and enjoy your tea."

He took too large steps and sat down in a brown wicker chair near the door. They sat in silence and peace for about five minutes. Nothing really was said. Nothing needed to be said. Here on this porch amongst paint-chipped wood, and mismatched furniture was peace. Children's laughter, trees bustling, and sun shining, peace seemed invited and hovered over this little spot. Olivia worked quietly. The captain sipped the tea ever so slowly, enjoying the calm and the unexpected sense of comfort. He drank every last drop, put the glass on the wood floor, and rose to his feet.

"Thank you for the tea and I will see you in the morning."

Olivia nodded and smiled. The captain walked down the steps and back onto the gravel driveway.

As he rounded the bend in the road and gradually lost sight of Olivia's home, he smiled at the memory of the children chasing each other through the yard. He loved children. He hoped to have some of his own one day. It was just a matter of meeting the right person.