Rescued & Revamped....

...Thanks to Lindsay at Splat Designs! Evidently the Mr. Linky was the culprit in corrupting my blog. Did I figure that out? Oh please! Not a chance! I shot an email to my hero, Lindsay, and she fixed me up real good!

If you are in need of a little "revamp" yourself, or even an "extreme makeover", go check Lindsay out! She is really easy to work with, and does a great job! Check out her portfolio section on her website to see her designs!

Also, she is currently doing a contest for a free blog design! Be sure to go by and sign up! And please tell her I sent you!

Slacker 101...

slack·er /ˈslækər/ –noun

1. a person who evades his or her duty or work; shirker.
2. a person who evades military service.
3. an esp. educated young person who is antimaterialistic, purposeless, apathetic, and usually works in a dead-end job.


—Synonyms 1. malingerer, dodger, laggard.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.


Yep! That pretty much sums up how motivated I've been today. (well, except for the military service and the dead end job part!) I sooo need to be cleaning my house! From everything that's going on this week, it's in desperate need of a good scrubbing!....You wanna know what I'm doing right now? I'm taking a break from mopping. Yeah, pathetic, I know! Incredibly pathetic that I actually took the time to look up the definition of slacker and then write about it...Maybe I'm just after a little sympathy from my girlfriends?? Empathy maybe?

The good news is that one of the local rescue squads is hosting a rodeo this weekend, and we are hoping to take Carter for his first dose of Redneck entertainment tonight! Yee Haw! I really don't care too much for the rodeo scene myself. Horses are pretty, but the odor really turns me off to them. I know, strange for someone who writes about cows and chickens every other day, but I don't actually ride the cows and chickens, or even really touch them for that matter. That's the difference for me!

Anyway,...this slacker has to get back to her mopping before Rambo wakes up from his nap!

Fit4Life Friday

When I was in high school, I can remember getting ready for school on Friday mornings to the tune of all the "Friday" songs they played on the radio. The only one I remember any actual words to went like this...."I don't wanna work, I just wanna bang on these drums all day" They really pumped me up for the final day of the week! Are you still "pumped" about your Fit4Life journey? I sure hope so!

I am, but I found my nutritional habits this week leaving much to be desired. I don't know if it was hormonal or what, but I just wanted everything "bad" this week! ...and it isn't even "that time"...Oh well!

I did walk every day except for Sunday. Some days I also walked in the evening. My child gets hard to deal with sometimes around 7ish, but it's still to early to put him to bed, so we walk! He checks out the cows and tractors and dogs while I burn off supper. I did do my strength training 2 times and added in some ab work a couple of days too.

This week I lost 2.1 pounds, for a 5 week total of 20.7 pounds!

In the coming week I want to:

Lay off the junk food!

Keep up the walking and strength training.

Increase my "quiet time". I'm hoping for an hour!


I'm wondering this week, What's your favorite music to workout to? I'm loving TobyMac Portable Sounds right now. When I have to walk by myself, it keeps me moving!

I hope that if you are joining me in this journey, you'll post your progress and your goals for this week. If you are just joining this week, welcome! I'm so glad your here! Please remember to visit each other and offer encouragement and tips that work for you...and of course, don't forget to sign the linky and leave a comment!

Have a wonderful, healthy week!

Thankful Thursday......

Is it Thursday again already? My goodness! Time flies, doesn't it? This has been such a busy week and a sad one as well. Which brings me to my first thankful this week:

I am thankful for all the prayers that went up for my Mom (and also for the rest of us) this week. She seems to be doing okay so far. We are trying to make sure that one of us spends some time with her each day so that she isn't by herself so much.

I am very thankful that my Tahoe is FINALLY fixed! I got to pick it up yesterday afternoon.....It took them two weeks to fix it!

I know that I have mentioned this a time or twenty,..but I am VERY thankful for the warranty on my truck. I had to pay about a hundred dollars, ($50 deductible and $60 for a battery) but had I not had the warranty the cost would have been $1500.00! Very Thankful for the warranty!

I am thankful that I went to the eye doctor yesterday. It appears I have been driving my child around blind. The Dr. just kept saying how amazed he was at how much my prescription had changed in the last year. Evidently, the contacts I'd worn for the past 5 or 6 years had kept my prescription from changing, but the ones they changed me to last year allowed the change. I'm wondering,.....is there a warranty on my vision?...Can I be reimbursed for the loss of vision due to his suggestion last year? I'm guessing not. Anyway,..I'm thankful that I can see clearly today!

I am thankful that God gave me the idea for Fit4Life Fridays. It has given me the motivation I needed to better myself in several areas! And, the accountability helps tremendously!

I would be VERY thankful if someone,....anyone,...could tell me how to fix my sagging sidebar (if you look for it,..it's at the very. bottom. of . the. screen.) I don't have a clue how to correct it. Help me,...please!

For more Thankful Thursday, visit Iris at Sting My Heart!

Wordless Wednesday....

Enjoying the sunrise from my front porch.

My assets are sagging!....

..and I'm only 31, for crying out loud! I thought I had at least a few more years before things started drooping toward the floor!


Seriously! My sidebar has mysteriously fallen to the very bottom of the screen and I have no idea how to correct this....any suggestions?

Thank you in advance!


Also, thank you for your prayers. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you all!

From my knees.....

... I pray that God will give me strength. I pray that He will give me the courage and wisdom that I need so badly today. I pray that God will touch my Mother and give her comfort and peace during this time. Her longtime "boyfriend", Tony, passed away yesterday morning. I dreaded so badly telling her this news.

You see, over the course of my mother's illness, most of her friends have slowly dissapeared. But Tony was a friend to her when she had none. He was patient with her, and more giving than we ever imagined anyone could be. Thank you God for sending Tony into our lives. Even if it was just for a short season. I only hope that he knew just how grateful we are to him. We will miss him terribly. Mother will miss him most of all.

I am about to pick up my Mom to take her to the funeral home. I know I should have faith, but I have to tell you...I am so afraid of how she might react. As for the funeral tomorrow,..well,..I am terrified as to how she will react to that. I pray that my sister makes it back home in time to go with us to the funeral.

I also pray for comfort for Tony's family. I know he didn't get to see them much, but I know they are hurting as well.

Thank you,
In Jesus' name,

Amen

Fit4Life Friday...

It's hard to believe it's Friday again already! I hope everyone has had a great week! Hopefully all of your hard work is paying off with big results, and big rewards for you!

Last week I didn't get to meet up with my walking buddies, but I have done that 3 days this week. I did walk at home by myself a couple of days for a total of 5 days this week. I actually walked one day without pushing my son in a stroller and felt like I was on a break! It's amazing just how much it adds to a workout to push that stroller! I also managed to do some strength training 2 days this week as well.

I have really tried to watch my diet this week. I cut way back on the bread, and have been adding in as much water as I can possibly drink and cut back on the diet cokes. At this point I might drink one a day, but not every day. I think as you get used to not having them, you just don't want them! At least that's what I'm telling myself!

Drum roll please! This week I lost 3.8 pounds for a 4 week total of 18.6 pounds!

In the coming week I want to:

Continue walking and strength training.

Add in some ab work. This is an area I really want to work on. I do some crunches on a ball when I do strength training, but I have a great pilates video(Windsor Pilates, 20 minutes) that has worked wonders for me in the past...I hope it will again!

Continue to watch my diet and eat healthy foods. I don't want to hit a plateau anytime soon!

Wish me luck!

I hope that if you are joining me in this journey, you'll post your progress and your goals for this week. If you are just joining this week, welcome! I'm so glad your here! Please remember to visit each other and offer encouragement and tips that work for you...and of course, don't forget to sign the linky and leave a comment!

Have a wonderful, healthy week!

Thankful Thursday....

I am thankful that I have a warranty on my Tahoe. The guy who called me on Tuesday from the dealership to tell me that he thought it might have a cracked head is probably thankful for that too. He sounded like he was dreading telling me, until I reminded him of the warranty.

I am thankful again for my VW. I would be insane by this point had I been trapped in my house all week with Rambo (This is what our mailman calls my son. Quite fitting, actually)

I am thankful for Gary who sells fresh produce on the corner to those of us who are too lazy to plant a garden. He has the best tomatoes in the world.

I am thankful for my wonderful husband, who even though he works 12-14 hours every day, comes home and takes Rambo with him to check the cows and farm,...so Mom can have a little sanity break.

I am thankful that we have a roof over our head, food on our table, and live in a place where you can drive down the road and have people wave when you pass by. Or call to check on you if you miss church one Sunday.

I'm thankful for my morning walking buddies: Jenny & Lisa. Even though we are huffing and puffing around the track, it feels like a bit of a "break" before I start my day.

I'm thankful that even though Iris is on a break, Laurel is hosting TT this week. Please go check out everyone else's thankfuls, and maybe even post some yourself!

Too Tired to Sleep.....

...is that even possible? Evidently! My baby has been sick since Saturday morning. He doesn't really act like he feels bad, except for being a bit whiny, but he has the big "D" and a low fever. I'm thinking maybe he's getting more teeth....I hope they hurry up already! I have changed more diapers than I care to count in the last 2 days.



On the up side, I did get the bathtub cleaned. I wasn't actually expecting to clean it, but Carter has developed this new hobby. I had the bath water running, and was cleaning up the sink area and putting things away while I waited. I had collected all the dirty towels, washcloths, & handtowels from the other bathrooms and had them in a pile in the bathroom floor ready for the washer. The tub in our bathroom is deep with a wide ledge and he isn't anywhere near tall enough to climb in, so I wasn't really paying much attention to what he was doing, (obviously) That little stinker threw the towels in the tub (which was by now 3/4 full) He also threw in a hair brush, a book, a toy or 20, and the most fun of all.....2 full double rolls of toilet paper! ...Did I mention the jets were on?



What a mess! In case you were wondering,.....(and I just know you were!) The jets DO rip the toilet paper to shreds...The jets DO sling the toilet paper all over the sides and bottom of the tub and all the towels and toys which were also in the tub! ......and 13 month olds find this incredibly hilarious! I thought I might faint.

Toilet paper in our home will now be high up on a shelf.........very high.

Oh me, it's a meme!

I have been tagged by Mandy for the "8 Things You May Not Know(or care to know) About Me" Meme....and by the way, that word "meme" still makes me laugh. So, without further ado, here goes:

1. I am the oldest of 4 who is married to the youngest of 4. We started dating just before I turned 17 and married at 21. He made me laugh then, and he still does! We have been married for 10 and a half years, but my husband's brother and his wife have been married for 15 so she has seniority on me. Which means, when my mother in law gets old and has to be taken care of, the daugher-in-law with the most seniority has to do it! My brother in law who actually had been married for almost 20 years got divorced last year, so Tammy gets it by default. Congratulations!

2. I can play piano & banjo. (I don't do it much though, so I'm rusty) My Mom was a music teacher before she went over the edge, and she wanted us to be well rounded. She also made us take tap and ballet lessons. Tap I liked, ballet...not so much! I did always think it would be a hoot to play the banjo while tap dancing...you know maybe for a talent show or something, so as to mortify as many people as possible at one time.

3. My favorite sport in all the world is fast pitch softball. I played from age 5 all through school and I loved every. single. second. of it! If they'd had college softball at that time, I would have played that too, but that came a few years after I graduated. I played catcher, and loved it because I was part of the play, every single time! My second favorite sport is basketball. I played basketball from 6th grade until 11th grade and I loved it too. I did not, however, like my varsity coach, which is ironic since my son has the same name he does. His name was Carter Dale and he went by Dale. I always thought Carter was so much cooler and wondered why he didn't use it. So, I used it!

4. I can ride a 4 wheeler like there is no tommorrow! Several of the youth at church have been totally impressed with my riding abilities on more than one occasion. I can do great jumps, and don't blink twice when riding down a mountain that makes my husband seriously squeeze his cheeks! (yeah, those cheeks!)

5. I carry a gun. A Beretta 22. My dad taught us to shoot when we were pretty young. He would put a coke can (cause ya'll know every soda in the south is a "coke") across the pond and make us shoot at it from the deck. Probably 100 yards or so. I can also shoot a bow & arrow.

6. I do not like to talk on the phone. Which is weird since I have worked at 2 phone companies, one of which I sold cell phones!

7. I went to nursing school and worked at a hospital for almost 3 years. I don't think I am nice enough to be a good nurse. I am not the most compassionate of people. I saw what bad nurses were like, and didn't want to be one....so I quit. My dad was tickled, let me tell you!

8. I want to always be a good person. I have 2 babies waiting on me in heaven who will only know me by what I stand and give account for. They won't get to know me like my baby will.(does) I want them to be proud that I was their Mom.

You know, since I am the Queen of run on sentences, you actually got waaaay more than 8 things you didn't really want to know! Lucky You!! I will give you all a break as a reward for reading all this bloggity goodness, and not tag anyone...but if you want to share,...please do!

This was originally posted in May when I was tagged once before by Susanne, but since I have been up with a sick baby most of the night, I thought I'd just repost this one,.. I hope you'll forgive me Mandy!

Fit4Life Friday

I hope this Friday the 13th finds you feeling great, and getting more excited about your journey! Hopefully, you are seeing the results you want as you work toward attaining your "better you" goals! I know I sure am! I can feel myself getting stronger, and have even gotten a few comments on my weight loss thus far from people who didn't have a clue what I have been doing. Which is always nice to hear, right?

I haven't been able to meet up with my walking buddies so far this week, but I have walked 4 days this week, and rode my stationary bike 1 day. Since I haven't been making it to my usual walking spot, I have been walking at home this week. It is a challenge to say the least! Between our driveway, and the roads that go around our farm, I can really get in some distance. And there are lots of hills so it doesn't take long to feel the burn! Plus Carter loves checking out the tractors, trucks, cows, and dogs along the way from his stroller...Our 2 labs serve as our escorts!

Last week I mentioned that I wanted to add some strength training and make time for stretching. I did stretch before and after every workout and did some strength work one day this week.

And it paid off! This week I lost 3.7 pounds! For a 3 week total of 14.8 pounds!

In the coming week I want to:

Continue with my walks, and continue to add time and intensity to them as they become easier.

Add 1 more strength training session,..up to at least 2 a week.

Pay really close attention to my diet. I know that you loose more weight in the first couple of weeks of your diet, and I hope not to loose momentum by changing things up a bit. I definitely need to add more fresh fruits and veggies...and loose some of the bread! I did resist temptation tonight. My husband decided tonight as we left the grocery store that he'd like to have an ice cream...I drove him through the drive thru, ordered his ice cream (2 scoops), handed it to him, and drove him home while he ate it....never once did I want one bite! It was such a proud moment! (Confession:..I DID look longingly across the parking lot at the Wing Stop as I ordered his ice cream though!)

I hope that if you are joining me in this journey, you'll post your progress and your goals for this week. If you are just joining this week, welcome! I'm so glad your here! Please remember to visit each other and offer encouragement and tips that work for you...and of course, don't forget to sign the linky and leave a comment!

Have a wonderful, healthy week!

P.S. If you would like the code for the button,..to add to your post or to your sidebar, just shoot me an email. I don't know how to put it in one of those scroll things!

Thankful Thursday.....

It's taken me until 2:41 PM to manage to write this Thankful Thursday post, but with the kind of week I've had, I feel as though I should list my thankfuls,.....

• I am thankful for my healthy family.

• I am thankful for the prayers for my Mom's friend, Tony. We went to see him yesterday. He is bad. He is having a really hard time breathing and can barely hold his head up to talk to you. It's bad. Please continue to help us pray.

• I am thankful that my vehicle only overheated when I was sitting still yesterday, so we were able to make the hour and a half drive home safely. We just put down the windows and turned it off at every red light and stop sign. It was 90ish degrees. Fun.

• I am thankful that when my vehicle started overheating while I was actually driving this morning I was only 10-15 miles from home, and on my way to the dealership to have it repaired. I am also thankful that my husband could leave work to come get me and my child. I am also thankful for the tow truck that hauled in my vehicle to the dealership. I am also very thankful that it was 7:45 AM and not 97 degrees yet! And that none of the 157 18 wheelers that blew by us as we sat on the side of HWY 117 hit us.

• I am thankful that I still had my trusty VW Passat at home that I could use to do my business today. I am thankful that even though we hardly ever drive it, all it needed was to be boosted off to get it going.

• I am thankful that even though like a moron I forgot and turned off the engine (after only a few minutes of letting it run) at the dollar store, and it wouldn't start again, that I was able to use my trusty battery charger (Sams $40) to get it started again.

• I am thankful that with all the car trouble I have had the past week, I had an extra cell phone at home to replace mine when it died the other day.

• I am thankful that I replaced my camera that was laid down in water on the 4th of July last week. I can't afford it this week...lol

• I am thankful that now that I have depressed each of you, there are (legal!) drugs available to help with that.

If you would like to participate in Thankful Thursday, please visit Iris at Sting My Heart.

Wordless Wednesday....

Watch out Denise Austin!

...so a couple of days ago I was in the grocery store in a nearby town when I had a bit of a fitness revelation. I was checking out and this lady walked up behind my buggy where my child was sitting and she kindly spoke briefly to him. Well, of course I did the Mom thing and smile politely at the woman and proceeded to get my wallet from my purse while the cashier finished ringing up my stuff.

This woman mistook my polite smile for an invitation to spill her guts evidently. She proceeded to tell me that she had two children at home. Ages 3 and 18 months, if I remember correctly. They were currently staying at home with their dad while she ran to the store real quick. She doesn't usually get to go to the store by herself since she usually has the kids with her and she got a bit carried away just looking at things in the grocery store that day.

Now, at this point during her conversation...(I say that because I still hadn't uttered a word) I glance at the teenage cashier hoping she's almost finished. She's not. She's looking at this woman like she's nuts.....I'm hoping I didn't have the same expression. I don't think so,...mine was probably more of a perma smile type expression.

The woman then proceeds to explain to me all the purchases she was making that particular day...(lady, I ain't your husband....you don't have to 'splain it to me!) She was buying a package of teeth whitening strips, which if it were me, I think I would probably stash those with the other unmentionables at the bottom of the buggy! Who wants to admit to a complete stranger that you have issues with yellow teeth? Then she goes on to say that she bought a pregnancy test (also would be at the bottom of my buggy) since the box of teeth whitener said that you should not use while pregnant. And that she doesn't think she is, but there was that incident......

The poor teenage cashier thankfully chooses this moment to shout out my total! She was listening to the woman too, and apparently, from her tone of voice, this was more than her young ears could tolerate! Thank goodness!

Now, a couple of things. First of all, that woman needs a blog of her own. Really! Can you even imagine the fogged over expression on her poor husbands face after a few hours of that?! She needs a place to vent her frustrations and life experiences.

Secondly, (and FINALLY!) my fitness revelation. I read somewhere once that during the time of day when you are most likely to overeat, a good way to keep from doing so is by using those teeth whitening strips! You can't eat with those on your teeth,...and as a bonus...your teeth are whiter!....(just don't make it front page news when you go in to buy the things!...Trust me! No one else Really wants to know!)

72 And Sassy!

Last week my Grandmother turned 72. Now, my grandmother is not your ordinary grandma! Oh, no! She is feisty and sassy, and loves to travel, shop, visit with her great grandbabies, fish and play practical jokes!

Normally, you can't get anywhere near surprising her, but this year.....we got her! We reserved the back room at the local Mexican restaurant, where she loves to eat....the spicier, the better! Anyway, normally she would have saw all our cars out front but not this particular night! God provided us with thunder and big time lightning and a torrential downpour, just for the occasion! So she couldn't see anything in the parking lot, and was hurried into the restaurant for fear of a lighting strike!....nothing like a little scare tactics to pull off a great surprise! (thankfully, she didn't break a hip!...or worse!) Anyway, she was surprised by probably 45 or so friends and family!

Now, for the fun part...the gifts! You see, my family...or at least certain members of it (my grandmother included) has a bit of an odd sense of humor. At any birthday party, wedding shower, or even at Christmas, underwear made from strange things, or with odd details most always appear. This day was no different! See what I mean:

So as you can see, she isn't slowing down any, even at 72!...Ahhh...there's nothing like a bunch of Baptists at a birthday party for the deacon's wife!

Happy Birthday Grandmother!

He's my King......

I have been tagged for the "5 Things I love about Jesus meme" by Susanne at Truly Captivating and Patty at Girlfriends in God. Thank you ladies for this thought provoking tag. As I sit here thinking about this meme, I wonder...How in the world can I narrow it down to just 5 things?



1. Jesus loves me. How amazing is that? Jesus Loves ME!!!



2. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He made a way to the Heavenly Father for us, He didn't just point us in the right direction....He paved the way! He IS the way!



3.Jesus gives us hope in what is fast becoming a very dark world. I can't imagine living in these times without the hope I have in Jesus Christ.



4. He left the splendor of Heaven, knowing His destiny.

5. While on earth, He set the perfect example of how we are to live.....yet He loves us enough to forgive us when we fail.

Now, I am supposed to pass this on to 5 people. However, I think everyone should be able to share five things about Jesus without much thought!....So,...if you are reading this, consider yourself tagged! ....I'll do it on the honor system, ...WWJD?....Let me know when you post yours, I'd love to read it!!

Rockin?......

.....You betcha! At least according to my friends Lisa at The Preachers Wife and Susanne at Truly Captivating! I can't even begin to remember the last time I considered myself to be "rockin".....I'd probably classify myself as "rambling"(since my brain has turned to complete and total mush)...or "rummaging"(since I always seem to be looking for things these days). But hey! These ladies know their stuff and so if they say I'm "rockin" then who in the world am I to dispute that? (Even if it did take me a week to finish this post!) Here's what these ladies had to say:

The Preacher's Wife said:

Deedra at NSpiredByFaith - It is one thing to talk about 'being a better woman', (whatever that means to you) but another all together to do something about it. Deedra has started Fit4Life Fridays at her blog that challenges us to set goals and work towards attaining them. I know Deedra is working on hers because we run into each other at the walking track in the mornings! Let me tell you, it is some kind of dedicated woman that will get a 1-year old out at 8 am. Thanks for this challenge, Deedra!

And Susanne @ Truly Captivating said:

And last, but certainly not least, is Deedra at NspiredByFaith. This girl has my heart!! Her unabashed Southern Charm, and heart for Jesus make me feel right at home. She is such a blessing, and has recently started a Fit4Life weight loss challenge. If you haven't yet, you definitely need to check her out. Just pop on over and "set a spell"!! Her blog is just TOO darn cute!!!

Thank you both so much for this sweet award and for all the wonderfully sweet things you had to say! When I started this blog, it was mostly to post pictures of Carter for the people who I used to work with and still miss seeing everyday (although if they read it, they never comment! **hint VZW people!**), and of course to vent my daily thoughts to prevent my poor husband from experiencing "Deedra overload". Can you imagine if he had to come home everyday to the 118 posts so far? And that's just since March! In all honesty, this little blog here may just save my marriage, or at the very least prevent my husband the need for medication! Anyway, I never imagined anyone would care to read what I had to say, ...so to say I'm flattered that anyone reads this is the understatement of the year!

Now, to pay it forward: (In no particular order)

(I know that this has been around a bit, so if these ladies have already been dubbed "rockin" then just consider them "really rockin". K?)

Rita at The Jungle Hut. She and her family have been missionaries in Venezuela for years and were just forced to move out by the government there. Through this entire ordeal Rita's heart for God has stood strong and she has somehow managed to keep us all up to date through her blog! How rockin' is that?? Rita and her family's strength and courage are an inspiration to us all!

Next is Dee Dee at It Coulda' Been Worse. Fiddledeedee, as she calls herself, is one of my favorite blogs ever! She can keep you laughing in her posts about everything from PMS & zits to daily family life, and everything in between!...Her recent post, Can't touch this

transported me back to the high school dances of my youth. MC Hammer was hotter than hot, and can you even imagine a bunch of hillbilly white kids trying to dance to his songs? You Can't touch this is exactly Right!! Wouldn't want to! Anyway, thank you Dee Dee for keeping me laughing on a daily basis...you are rockin' girl!





Now, this next one may be a bit of a "cheat" but I tend to be a rule breaker. CNN has a weekly series called "young people who rock" and they do! The people featured on this column/blog are usually quite amazing. I love to read it! Except the part where CNN devastated me in their definition of a "young" person.....someone under 30! I may never recover....



I hope you enjoy reading these, I know I certainly do! Thank you again, Susanne and Lisa for passing this to me!

Fit4Life Friday....

....I hope this Friday finds everyone feeling good and excited about your journey! I sure am! This has been a busy and difficult week, but I still managed to get in my morning walks 5 mornings this week! Sat, Mon, Tues, Thurs, and Friday! I am definitely feeling better for the effort. I actually got a bit over eager on Monday and did a few too many squats and lunges. My squaters and lungers were reallllly sore on Tuesday!

I have been working on drinking lots of water, and I think this is really paying off! I feel much better, and my skin even looks better! This morning after my walk I had a nice healthy glow instead of looking like I had a big sweaty tomato head! Definite improvement, wouldn't you say??

I am trying to eat healthier and haven't done too bad this week, especially considering the holiday! I eat so much healthier when we eat at home, so I'm trying to eat out as little as possible....(Bonus!.....Dave Ramsey would be so proud! If you haven't read his book Total Money Makeover, you should...it's fantastic!!) We actually did eat out on the 4th but my child acted so terrible at the restaurant that I only had a few bites, so it worked out okay for my diet.....not so much for my nerves,..but that's a whole other post!


This week, (drumroll please!) I have lost 4.6 pounds, for a 2 week total of 11.1 pounds!


In the coming week, I want to:

Continue my daily walks, but I want to start adding a lap every week or so, and increasing my speed little by little.

Make time for stretching before my walks.

Add some weight training.

Focus on my quiet time, and journal my daily studies...(thanks for the idea, Jenny!) I'd love to be able to go back in a few years and see what I studied during a particular season of my life!


I hope that if you are joining me in this journey, you'll post your progress and your goals for this week. If you are just joining this week, welcome! I'm so glad your here! Please remember to visit each other and offer encouragement and tips that work for you...and of course, don't forget to sign the linky and leave a comment!


Have a wonderful, healthy week ladies!!

Urgent Prayer Request.....

....I received a phone call yesterday (Tues) morning about my Mom's friend, Tony. They say they are just "friends" but we know better! They have spent every waking weekend moment together for several years now. Anyway, Tony became very ill Monday afternoon and went to the Dr. He was having problems breathing and the Dr. sent him to a local hospital by ambulance...he was then immediately transfered to a large hospital an hour and a half away. The doctors have discovered that Tony has cancer. His lung and liver are "eat up" with cancer and the doctors aren't giving him alot of hope. They said it could be a matter of days...... but I know that prayer changes things!!

There is one kind of chemo used to treat this type of cancer and it may or may not work, he has decided to try it. His first treatment was to be at midnight tonight.

He doesn't have much family at all. Please help us pray! This man has been such a blessing to our family. Many of you know the situation with my Mom, and I'm just not sure how we would have survived the past several years without Tony's help.

Please pray for Tony, and for my Mom. I think she's still in a state of denial, or shock maybe....but it's going to be bad when she soaks this all in!

Thank you so much!

Wordless Wednesday....

Happy Fourth of July!

Thirteen Months....

Dear Carter,

Thirteen months have passed since your arrival. You are getting so big, so fast! It seems like you've turned into a little boy in the past month. You walk where you want to go, no need to dirty your hands and knees, unless of course, you want to! Your vocabulary is expanding so fast! You can say "thank you" (which is adorable!) and just last night, while pushing your baby cousin in her swing, you said "Maggie". I'll bet that Maggie wished she could talk too. She probably would have protested the speed at which you had her moving! She would have had to be quick, though. Because just a second later you were under the sprinkler with Max, getting soaked from head to toe (clothes and all) but having so much fun!

You have discovered that you love to talk on the phone. And, just like Daddy, you walk around with it constantly attached to your ear. You answer with "hello", then list off every word you know, and say "Bye!!" (very loudly).....then you throw the phone to the floor and laugh only to pick it right back up again and do the same thing again!...and again,...and again!

You never meet a stranger. Your favorite place to go is church, where you are surrounded by people watching your every move. (Sorry, preacher!) You delight in entertaining your public and never disappoint! Recently, at the mall, you managed to get everyone's attention without even trying! You were driving your stroller with its toy steering wheel with one hand while talking (yelling) into your lion cell phone with the other. It was the cutest thing! We'll have to have a talk about safe driving soon though,...maybe get you a headset!

You love to laugh and watch the dogs. You point and give them instructions. They listen. You have the sweetest laugh, and you laugh the loudest when Daddy crashes your toy tractors together. That really gets you tickled. You have seven teeth now and love to get them brushed...but! Mommy has to say "tickle, tickle, tickle while she brushes them, or you will press your lips closed. I really have no idea where you get your stubborn streak.

I thank God every day for blessing Daddy & me with you. You have completely changed our lives with a happiness that I never knew existed before you were born. I love you so much, Carter!

Love,

Mommy

Oh no he didn't!

...Okay so tonight at supper my husband and I were chatting as we ate while watching our child,who had already eaten, sit on the floor in the kitchen banging on two metal collandars with wooden spoons. My husband asked why I let him bang on them like that, and didn't it get on my nerves? To which I replied. Nope, doesn't bother me! It's the way I manage to get anything done while he is awake.....

.....you wanna know what my husband's suggestion was?...he said, "well, why don't you just take naps when he does during the day and clean at night." ....as in ALL NIGHT!..and I'm sure he also meant, EVERY night!

Would you like to know what my reply was?.....I didn't yell and scream and get all mad..noooo, not I. Being a true blogger at heart, I said to him. "You soooo just made my blog!"

He immediately cringed because apparently some of his buddies are closet readers of my blog and give him a hard time about it! ....In fact, he usually doesn't have a clue about what I even put on here until someone hits him up about it.....So! Guys....please give him heck about this one!

To which I say.....Thank you in advance!