Whatever. . .

Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things.
Philippians 4:8 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)



Today has been a crazy busy day. For me it started out around 4:30 with a nightmare that wouldn’t let me go back to sleep. My mind started thinking about my day ahead of me and it just kept on full speed ahead.



Tonight my son who is a 5th grader at the school I work at will have his 5th grade Celebration/Awards Night. Our school goes to 6th grade; however, most students leave and go to one of the other 6th grade middle school in the county. We have chosen for Jesse to stay here unless he moves up on the waiting list at the other charter school in our town. However, either way the fact still remains that my son – my baby son is old enough to go to middle school. Where did the time go? Just thinking about it now makes me want to cry. As I thought about it this morning I realized I didn’t ever really cry when either of my children started Kindergarten. I did cry a little on Sarah’s 1st day but not for that reason. You see I was in the hospital after having Jesse the day before her first day of kindergarten. I was not home to take my baby girl to school and I was at peace with that. (Even though I really did want to fix her hair and get her dressed.) On the morning of her first day of school my husband called me at the hospital to tell me that she was running a little bit of a fever. Well-being that I send children home from school with a fever for a living I told him that he could not send her to school that day. He told me that she was already dressed with her book bag on and that he did not have the heart to tell her that she could not go to “mommy's school” today. Well of course being hormonal as most new mama’s are – I began to sob. Not that she was or wasn’t going to school but because I wasn’t home to “fix this”. This of course caused my husband to get emotional as well. Finally I told him to just wait until my mom – a nurse – got there and let her check her temp again and make the decision that I wasn’t able to make. Needless to say grandma wasn’t about to tell her that she couldn’t go to school either – so Sarah went to school that first day! Meanwhile I sit in the hospital and wondered what everyone was going to think about me for sending my sick kid to school her first day of school! Kevin did check her out early so that she could come see her little baby brother and she got to tell me all about her day.



I do remember the days I did cry though. . . I cried on the way to school the first morning that her daddy took Sarah to middle school & so did he! I also cried a couple times when I rode by the high school the summer before she started there. I also cried sitting in my car waiting to pick her up that first day she went to high school. I also cried this morning after getting up early and thinking about how I am fixing to be sending my youngest on that same journey. Truth be told – I am crying all over again just rethinking about it.



Even though right now I don’t know if he will be here next year or somewhere else the one thing I know for sure is he will be right where God wants him to be. I am not going to worry or stress over it. However, I will instead reminisce on the good things like the fact that I was able to bring both my babies to work with me every day for the last 11 years. So I am not going to worry about tomorrow for tomorrow has enough worries of its own . . . instead I will dwell on whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise.

I am also grateful to share my story with you. Glad that I can write it all out and express myself without finding comfort in foods like chocolate, chips or even an extra healthy good-for-me snack.
Today's foods: oatmeal w/ half an apple, other half of the apple, salad w/ chuncks of chicken, yogurt, grapes, salad w/ shredded chicken

Today's exercise: Sit-ups, 25 minutes Wii workout, 45 minutes weights at the gym.

Deuteronomy 6:5 ~ Words to live by!

Hello. My name is Tina and I am a starter-of-project and a finisher-of-few. I am sure there are a few others like me out there. I know that I have missed blogging for over a week now and I can say I have really missed it. Blogging is a project that I started many years ago because I thought that it would be fun and then I got overwhelmed with the fact that I didn’t know anything about blogging which intimidated me every time I started to write something which led to an empty blog page for a couple of years. Then in the last several months I began doing the 17 Day Diet and I decided that I was going to use my vacant blog as my accountability partner and I stuck with both for a good little while. Then my life got really busy and I started missing a day here and then two days there. Over the last few weeks I have really been more busy than usual. I have spent many extra evening hours at work along with all the other stuff that my family has been involved in. I think in the last two weeks there has only been about 2 days that I have gotten home before 9 pm and those few occasions it was shortly before 9 when I got home. This has made blogging almost impossible. I could have blogged but I would have given up packing my kids lunch, folding clothes, or just setting down for a few minutes with my family to just rest a bit before bedtime. If you really want an idea of how behind I really am – as I type this I am watching DVR-ed episodes of past shows I tape and I just heard Oprah say “Thanks for watching and have a Happy Easter everyone.”




So here I have found myself on Sunday afternoon during a holiday weekend with nothing special going on and thought that I would try to sit down and get back on track. (as I play catch up on my dvr-ed shows – lol) I have been thinking about my blog a lot lately and I do think that it has evolved into something more than just a 17 Day Diet plan. I would like to think that my blog has been more about sharing my ups and downs with getting healthy. It has been a way to hopefully encourage others who read it to know that all of us are alike in our struggles. We may choose different ways to try and lose weight or just get healthy but we can all benefit for seeing that our struggles are not just our own. So over the coming weeks I hope to change a few things up. I do still plan to follow my 17 Day Diet Plan because I do believe in the healthy way of eating that it calls for. I do plan to still record what I eat and my exercise because it helps me to have a place where I know others are reading what I am doing. However, I plan to incorporate other things that I am learning about living a completely healthy life. I want a healthy body but I also want a healthy mind, soul and spirit. After all Deuteronomy 6:5 says Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. I want to live my life – my whole life – with this in mind. I don’t want to simply lose weight. I don’t want to simply get healthy. I don’t even want to just do the right thing all the time. I want to live out my life striving to Love the Lord with all my heart, soul and strength. I want to be obedient to what He calls me to do. Whether that is to stop running to sweets to make myself feel better or to meet my fitness goals for the week through the strength that God gives me or to sharing what God has lain on my heart to others to encourage them to make better choices or even fall into God’s grace when we don’t make those better choices.



This is one project that I don’t want to not finish. I want to do this as long as God puts it in my heart to share my everyday life and as long as He gives me something to say that can help others along the way.



Hope to be talking with you again real soon!

Diets and celebrations ~ they just don't go together ~

Celebrations – they are supposed to be a happy thing. They are supposed to be fun! However, when you are trying to stick to a certain diet they can be so difficult. Tonight we had our end of the year celebration for the Ra’s and Ga’s at our church. Tonight’s party included pizza, chicken nuggets, cookies, chips, & bread sticks. None of these things are on my diet. Tonight I wanted to celebrate with my children. I wanted to sit at the tables with my children and eat the pizza and cookies and enjoy myself. I wanted to laugh and have fun and eat. However, instead I hid in the kitchen and eat my Subway salad where I didn’t have to see the other foods. I didn’t have to explain my meal to anyone. I just hid out and ate my salad and then later came out and went back to partying.




I am glad that I didn’t cheat. However, I am not happy that I spent that time alone in the kitchen eating and hiding from food. I love my Girls in Action group. Those girls bring joy to my heart and smiles to my face. They are a bright spot in the middle of my week. They allow me to be a kid again with them and just enjoy being around them and their silly ways. However, tonight for part of the time I had to be the grown up on a diet for a while. This is something I do hate about being on a diet. Yeah – I could have cheated tonight- and maybe I should have cheated tonight. I feel like I missed out on the part of the fun and quite honestly it feels so unfair. Maybe I am making too much out of this. Maybe I am just having my own little pity party. Either way – I feel like I missed out on something tonight! I hate that!



All in all today was a successful diet day. Again today we had teacher appreciation luncheon. I brought my lunch home for my family. I brought the hamburger home for my hubby for dinner, my dessert for SAM to eat after school and the chips home for my son to have for snack tomorrow. I had a child bring me a piece of one of my favorite ~ black berry wine cake ~ and I brought it home for someone here to eat. Then tonight I ate salad instead of fun stuff. . . Now that I think about it I guess I just hate the fact that all day long I have said no to all the wonderful things offered to me because of my weight. Looking back that is probably the reason for my pity party – I just hate that of all the things I had to give up tonight – it was dinner with some of my FAVORITE people. . . all my little ladies that bring me so much joy!



Today’s meals: Strawberry oatmeal, roasted chicken chunks, salad w/ grilled chicken, veggies w/ hummus, apples, roasted chicken salad, yogurt, soy nut energy mix.



Today’s exercise – weights at the gym for 40 minutes

Oh No - Not again. . .

Today has been one busy day. I feel like I have been running myself in circles trying to play catch up. This morning my son had a dentist apt. and that put me getting to work late which kept me behind all day. Of course any time I have to take my kids anywhere in the morning it always means they want to go out for breakfast. However, I have got to say that breakfast has become the easiest meal for me to say no to when we are eating on the run. It has been so long since I have let myself enjoy a biscuit from a fast food restaurant that I really don’t enjoy them anymore. Don’t get me wrong – I didn’t skip breakfast. I had already gotten up and prepared my oatmeal so I didn’t need a biscuit. I am glad neither of them wanted fries though. Some days I do still have a craving for them.


This week is the week that our school celebrates Teacher/Staff Appreciation week. Today they had breakfast. Since I was running late I texted a friend of mine and asked her to save me some fruit, yogurt and coffee. She was so sweet to save me some. That was my breakfast. I still had my oatmeal but I never found time to eat it today. I ended up taking it back home with me at lunch and I had that for lunch. That is how crazy busy my day has been. Today was not so bad with temptations but tomorrow and the rest of the week looks to be trouble. Tomorrow will be dessert day. They will be setting up all kinds of cakes, cookies, ice creams and other sweets in the cafeteria for all the staff to enjoy. I however will need to be prepared to just say no. Tuesday is not a day that I get as a cheat day. Also, Tuesday night is when we have our Made to Crave Bible study. I don’t think I want to go to that tomorrow night and share with them all the wonderful desserts I could not say no too. I guess that is a good thing that tomorrow is dessert day.

This Wed. and Thursday we have parents who will be fixing out lunch. I know that one day is a cook out day. Hamburgers, hot dogs, & chips – they are not on my diet. I am not sure what the other day is but I am sure it will involve some kinda of sandwich and a rich dessert with a side of chips or pasta. Don’t get me wrong. I think it is wonderful that they are doing all of this for us. Last year I would have been in heaven with all these daily treats. However, this year I have my sights on something better and that something better is a smaller me!

So today I did what I was supposed to do. I got up and did my Bible study. I didn't eat the biscuits that my children or my collages ate. I ate all the right foods and denied myself all the wrong one. I went to the gym and not only did my weight training but I also rode the bike for 30 minutes. It was not easy. There were some choices that were not to hard but all in all the day as a whole was difficult. Why? Because today I had to make the same old choices again. Sometimes it just gets old. Today it has just gotten old! However, I didn't give up I just pressed through it. I will go to bed annoyed with it all and hope to wake up with a better attitude about it all. The good thing - I did what I was supposed to. I didn't give up on myself just because I am in a mood. I have accepted my mood and hope for a brighter tomorrow. Thank you Lord for a successful day - a successful - busy - annoying - bad mood kind of day. Thank you that you don't give up on me when I have a bad mood kind of day. No matter what I do you still stick with me and give me a promise of hope. I need to be able to do the same thing that you do - and not give up on me either. I need to hold on to every promise of hope you give me regardless to my mood.


Today's Foods - few strawberries and apples slices w/ yogurt dip, oatmeal w/ apples, 2 pieces of homemade turkey sausage, yogurt w/ fiber one, grapes, grilled tuna, bbq chicken, potato, cauliflower & carrots, yogurt


Today's exercise - 45 weight training, 30 minutes bike ride.

It's Friday and temptation is everywhere

My Party Plate

It is Sweet – Sweet Friday again. I am so glad that it is Friday too. I am in real need of a weekend. I do believe that I will have to make some time to come to work over the weekend but that isn’t to bad as long as it gets me ahead of the game. Have I told you recently how crazy it is in a school office in May? There is testing, fieldtrip, book fair, collection envelopes from past due moneys, awards to be typed, programs to be done and even before the year ends – next year has to be planned and put into place. So I think a few hours of quiet time in my office over the weekend are just what I need. I hope so at least. Heaven knows there is not time for quiet time in my office from Monday – Friday.




Today we not only had the candy bar “Sweet – Sweet Friday” fundraiser but we also had a birthday party for May birthdays. We also had someone coming in from the next town over who was willing to bring me lunch from Chick-Fil-a. Oh my, my! I had to do a lot of saying no today. I even got a piece of homemade pound cake with strawberries and whip cream given to me. It is still in the fridge and I know my daughter is going to love it as soon as I get home with it. It was a great thought and I almost ate the fruit on it – but I knew if I unwrapped it I would talk myself right into eating it. It WAS just a small piece after all. (I have said that before.)



I did have a small plate of goodies from the birthday party. I had a few strawberries, 2 crackers with some spinach dip, some spicy pecans and 1 small homemade cookie. I even took a picture of it and texted it to my accountability partner from Bible study and said – this is what I got and please pray I stay out of that room the rest of the day. I did stay out of the room too. I did have someone bring me some of the pecans back for my afternoon snack – but that was it. So of all that was offered to me - I don’t think I did badly at all. I did opt to eat my party plate as my breakfast and I saved my breakfast for my lunch. Then I also decided not to eat the snack I brought for this afternoon because I had eaten the pecans. All that took some will power but it wasn’t as hard after I had sent my picture text to my accountability partner. Her prayers along with knowing she is going to check in with me tomorrow at church was enough to help me stir clear of going and getting another plate. ACOUNTABLITIY – it is a great thing. If you don’t have any you need to consider finding you a good friend who can balance encouragement with doses of truth to help you on your journey.



Thanks also to all of you who take time to read my blog too. Each time you mention something that I have written it helps me to know that someone else out there is watching me and I need to stay strong.



Today’s meals – strawberries, 2 crackers w/ spinach dip, pecans, small cookie, oatmeal w/ apples, 2 homemade turkey sausages (these turned out really good!!!), pecans, yogurt, grilled chicken and asparagus, few roasted potatoes, yogurt



Today’s exercise – walking 10 minutes, running - 42 minutes

Yesterday's post - Blogger has been down for a while.

I am so excited. Tomorrow is Friday. Not only is tomorrow Friday but my husband is getting off early to go to Jesse’s game and it is his last weekend working 2nd shift for a long while. I hate him being on 2nd shift. For one he is usually my biggest supporter when it comes to all things healthy. He makes sure I get a chance to fix dinner, work out, and am able to go shopping for the things we need to make this diet work. Without him here not only am I shorthanded but I also lose motivation a little more quickly. Not to mention we don’t get to talk much. I’m not sure texting is really a good communication tool in a marriage. The verdict is still out on that one. It is fast and convenient but not reliable and sometime things can be miscommunicate. So I am super glad we only have a few more nights of 2nd shift.




I am also excited about the weekend being right around the corner. I have a couple of baby showers to go to. I also have a fun event to go to this weekend at church. They are presenting a “Fashion Show” and some of my favorite people will be out there showing us all about fashion. I fittingly do not have a part in this fashion show because quite frankly I do not have any fashion sense. I don’t mean it as a slam on myself – I just mean it as – you gotta know your strengths and fashion is one I know I don’t have. That is ok by me. However, one of my favorite friends is giving her testimony at this event. I am so excited for her because I know that God has been leading her to do this for quite some time now. Isn’t it amazing how God works – he leads your heart gently nudging you in a certain direction and then he gives you a desire and a want to for His will and then after He has prepared your heart and your will then He gives you an opportunity to do what He has given you the desire to do.



I feel the same way about my desire to get healthy. God has been leading me for years now. I look back at pictures from a few years back and I see the person that I use to be and think to myself – hey that’s me – why couldn’t I see myself for what I really am back then. I am a daughter of the King of King’s and Lord of Lords. Psalms 45:11 says “The king loves your beauty. Because he is your master, you should obey him.” (New Century Version) He tells me in His word over and over of His love and His protection. He reminds us that we need to listen to Him and do His will to have victory. “Every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what gives us this victory. 5No one can defeat the world without having faith in Jesus as the Son of God.” 1 John 5:4-5. I think the verse that God really used to make me see that the way I was caring for my body was wrong and that started this new desire in my heart to get healthy is in Romans 12:1-2 “Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That's the most sensible way to serve God. 2Don't be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.”

I love the way The Message puts it . . . “Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”

God says through His word that we are to take every part of our life and put it before Him. We are to choose His ways over the worlds. Usually that is not easy. You not only have to fight what your own desires but you also feel like you stick out like a sour thumb. You know that feeling when all eyes are on you and you just wish you could disappear. Sometimes that is what God uses to make others see His glory. So even though I look at the few old pictures I have of me and hate that I ever let myself get to that point – I know that everything God is changing in me will be a testimony to His power and His glory. I want the people who see a difference in me to be able to see it is God who made that difference in me. For instance running – anyone who knew me knew that running was not ever something that I would choose to do. I never ever would have imagined that for myself. Now I look at running as a gift from God. I don’t take it for granted ever because I know it was Him who gave me the desire, plan, discipline and strength to do it.

I fully believe that He has guided me every step of the way from working out at the gym for the last 4 years with my husband, to running and even this last diet plan that He shared with me through another Christian friend. It is hard to see my size before as part of these gifts but it really was. Without my need I wouldn’t have cried out to Him and He wouldn’t have had a need to answer. Without this need there wouldn’t be a class full of other Christian women in our Tuesday night Bible study (Made To Crave) learning more about how we can live our lives to Honor Him. So whatever your problem may be, your craving may be, whatever your issue is – look at it in a different light tonight. Look at it as a great place to start all over with God. Look at it as a place to ask Him to show you the way to go. He is faithful.



Today’s meals – eggs, roasted chicken, salad w/ tuna, apples, soy nut energy mix, yogurt, oven roasted chicken w/ broccoli, carrots, cauliflower and cheese, home-made turkey sausage (ground turkey and seasoning), yogurt w/ fiber one.



Today’s exercise – weights at the gym for 50 minutes.

Sweet - Sweet Temptation

"The Candy" that is lurking around every corner at work!

Today has been a struggle for me. Today stress has just about gotten the better of me. Today I battled the temptation to eat chocolate all day long. I am grateful to say that I did not give in to the temptation but I must say that it really has gotten on my nerves that after all this time I can still have days when something like this can almost take over your brain.




I really want to blame the chocolate candy bars sitting on my co-workers desk. We are selling them as a fundraiser for school but they are constantly looking back at me and trying to lure me in. The thing is I really don’t want them. When I think about how I will feel just 5 minutes after I first open the wrapper – I know that there is more than chocolate in there. There is also guilt inside that wrapper. I would dare to say there is also condemnation in there too. You know that voice that say stuff like “you know you were not supposed to eat that”, “that is not on your plan”, “you may as well give up because you are never going to succeed” and “you are such a failure.” Those things are hiding up under those pretty wrappers. Their packaging says “you’ll love me and you deserve me” but that is just a lie to lure you in. Why do we let them drag us in? Why can’t we see the lies they are telling us quickly and just be done with them?



So today I have had to rely on prayers much more than plans. Thank goodness for a well laid plan before today or else I don’t know that I could have remained faithful. I am grateful for this 17 Day Plan I have been on for several months now because I know exactly what I am supposed to eat and I have it all mapped out before me and all I have to do is continue on the path set before me. I know what I get for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. I know when to plan to eat my fruit and yogurt which have become my sweet treats throughout the day. I am able to not get stuck in eating the same old thing because I have figured out a couple of different ways to make things work on this plan by changing up just a few things to make it work. For example when I want Mexican – I can make me a taco salad. With turkey meat and some fat free sour cream along with all the other good-for-me veggies I can be satisfied. If I miss spaghetti I can make me some turkey meatloaves with spaghetti sauce on top (and usually a little fat free Mozzarella melted on top). If I want pizza I do the same with a thin baked chicken breast as the crust and the pizza sauce and veggies (and even a little bit of turkey pepperoni – really just a few cut up and the fat free mozzarella). I have gotten pretty good at jumping the “what’s for dinner” hurdle. I just think about what Kevin and I would like and then tweak it to something we can make work in the plan. However, I cannot tweak a chocolate candy bar into the plan no matter how hard I try. Thing is I really don’t even want it. . . Really I don’t . . . I would much rather have something homemade than processed. That is how I know my stress lying to me and for that there is only one plan and the only book it is found in is my Bible. God is supposed to be my comfort, shield, protector, portion and even my rest. That is why that candy bar is lying to me. It cannot provide any of that to me. It can only give me empty calories, a quick fix and a long lasting guilt trip. So today I am glad I took my temptation to God in prayer.



I am also really glad for good friends that walked all the way with me all through my day from beginning to end to help support me. I had another gift sent my way today from a friend and this one I got to eat this afternoon. It was a delicious apple along with a sweet encouraging note. What a great way to begin a day!!! Then tonight was Bible study. So I also got to end it with a great group of ladies who are battling the same stresses that I am! They understand how we are all tempted and we are learning how to take our battles to God! We are reprogramming our minds, hearts and our wills to go to God rather than food or any other comfort in this world. What a great way to end the day – with sweet sisters in Christ learning to submit our whole lives – food and all to Him who has done so much for all of us.



Sweet notes and Sweet friends – now those are two “Sweets” I don’t want to live without!



Today’s meals: eggs and chicken breast, salad w/ tuna, oranges, apple, yogurt w/ fiber one, chicken and veggie soup, yogurt w/ fiber one.



Today’s exercise: 45 minutes at the gym lifting weights, 15 minute bike ride, 20 minute walk.

May = Stress! Now how do I break the habit of eatting away my stress?

Everything is starting to get back to normal around my house. After two weeks of dance recitals we are completely done with dance. As much as I love to watch my daughter dance I do love to see the dance season wind down to an end. For me May and June are two really busy and stressful months so anything that I get to take off my calendar is great. Tonight I still had a ball game to go to but having to do for one child is so much less hectic then trying to do for both. So this afternoon after our chiropractor appointments we went to Subway for a quick dinner and then headed to the ball field. So no matter what I can mark off of my calendar – most assuredly there is something else waiting to be added on.




Today has been really tough for me. After enjoying myself on Mother’s Day and taking a break from all the serious dieting I really wanted to get things back on track today. I am glad to say I was successful at doing so – but it took a great big effort. One of the wonderful ladies I work with came in this morning before 9 with a snack size baggie of homemade chocolate peanut clusters. It was all I could do not to make those my breakfast. Oh My Goodness! They are so delicious – but I had to put them away as soon as she left the room. The good thing about these is that they will keep until I have another day where I am willing to cheat a little. I just got to put them up and keep them hid.



I also had to do some quick praying today. I am telling you – stress makes me eat & May = stress for an elementary school office manager. There is a whole lot of hurry up and wait. There is just as much of waiting on someone else to do their part. The problem with that is there are usually a whole lot more folks still waiting for a finished product from me. Then there are those people who just have 52 questions they want to ask and they must ask me. For me all of this equals stress which leads me back to the chocolate covered peanut clusters hiding in my bag. No – I never did even open the bag up – but I fought the urge hard all day long! There were a couple of times I just had to whisper a quick prayer for strength to leave the sugar alone.



All in all I had a successful day. The only sweet I had today was a bite of my daughter’s cookie she got at Subway. They have a new flavor of cookie – which I want even tempt you with by describing. My daughter wanted to try one and of course she wanted me to try it too so we could compare notes. So I did take a bite and it was delicious. However, that is the only bit of sugar I got today. Thank God that He is faithful because He answered my prayers and I did not turn to food to calm and sooth me today. To Him be the praise and glory for that.



Today’s meals: oatmeal w/ apples, salad w/ tuna, frozen berries, veggies and dip, apple, yogurt, Subway roasted chicken salad, (nibble of a cookie), (nibble of 2 Doritos my son left open on the kitchen table), 3 mini turkey loaves.

Today’s exercise: None – there really was no time today and I hate that. I will get back at it tomorrow though.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother’s Day!

I hope that everyone has had a wonderful day today. For me today has not only been about celebrating my own mother but also celebrating the gift God has given to me in being a mother as well. This Mother’s Day instead of waking up and thinking about how my kids and husband should love on me and appreciate me for all the things I do – I truly woke up humbly grateful to God that He saw fit in His master plan for my life to make me a mother. You see of all the things God has blessed me with – I have got to say that my children are right there near the top of my list of “best ever” blessings.



I have a daughter who I swear looks just like me but somehow she has turned out absolutely beautiful! How is that possible – that she could favor me so much but her beauty way out shine me on my best day ever. She is witty and funny too. Even as a little child she was always a ham. She loves making people laugh as much as I do. She says the things that fill your heart with joy and your mouth with laughter. She is very smart too. She would say that she isn’t because she is always comparing herself to her brother – but she really should not. I would say things come much easier for him at times but that doesn’t make him smarter. It just makes it easier for him. She has learned to apply herself and to me that is one of the smartest things a person can ever do. When things come naturally to you – they are called gifts but when you work at them and make them yours because of hard work and determination then that my dear is called using your brain! That my dear IS smart! I am very proud at how hard she works and her working at it doesn’t make her any less smart than her brother or anyone else for that matter. She is an amazing dancer and watching her perform is one of my favorite things. She also is a beautiful singer and I am thankful that she uses that gift to praise the Lord in our churches praise and worship choir. She is very active in our church and she loves God and loves serving others through our church.



My son is a complete nerd. I joke about it but it is true. He is a thinker. He is at times an over-thinker. I have no clue where he gets it from but from a very early age he was always been thinking, processing and thinking some more. He is very much like me in the fact that he loves for things to have order and to follow that order. He doesn’t like it when people don’t follow the rules or when things don’t happen the way they should. I know that is something that we all have to learn to overcome to some degree in life but there is also something commendable in that trait in this day and time. He does what he knows in his heart is right and wants others to do the same. Think about how much different our lives would be if that trait was common in everyone’s life. My son is as cute as he his nerdy. He has a head of hair almost as thick as his mothers and it is one of my favorite physical characteristics I love about him. He has a quirky sense of humor and most days he is really quiet. Then there are other days it is like someone has turned a switch on in him and he will talk to you about everything. One of the most amazing things about my son is his love of the Lord. He prays the most amazing prayers you have heard come from the mouth of a child and some nights I will go in his room and catch him reading his Bible and it just blesses my heart. To get a child to read is hard enough but to have one reading God’s Word in the quiet of his own room for his own benefit – that blesses you beyond words.



I am so grateful to God for the blessings of my two children! There is nothing in this world that I have ever done to deserve such a gift! Most days I truly feel just like that “Wretch” Amazing Grace speaks about. I have always loved God as far back as I can remember in my own life and as inconceivable as His sending His own child her to Earth to save me and give me eternal life was not enough – He also decided that He would teach me how much He loved me by given me the gift of a child just like His own that He gave up for me. What kind of love does that? Lord, I am so glad Your word tells me that your ways are higher than my own – because I don’t have any way of comprehending that kind of love Lord. Even with as much as I love my own children – your love is way above that! So today – this Mother’s Day – has been much more about a grateful heart to the Father for the gift of being a mother then it has been about being appreciated for being a mother.



Thank you Father for the gift of Your Son & and for the gift of my own children as well!



Today’s meals – well I am all about a good celebration - so I have no shame in telling you . . . .

Yogurt and apples, steak, salad, potatoes, toast, bake beans, strawberry pie, almond joy, apples, London broil

Today’s exercise – 30 minute walk while I chatted on the phone with a “soon-to- be mama” that I miss a lot!!!!

Friday - Friday

Tonight's dinner - grilled chicken w/ zucchini & onions

Is there anyone else out there doing a Friday Happy Dance besides me? I know you are probably surprised with all I have going on that I would have energy to do a happy dance but I can honestly tell you that today I increased my coffee intake from 2 cups to a pot of coffee. It was over the course of the whole day and if there was ever a week I needed to it was this one. I had three cups this morning and another cup and a half this afternoon after work. Jesse and I sat down on the couch and tried to get caught up on some American Idol and I was idol for too long and almost went to sleep. That is when I decided to perk myself a cup to perk myself up! That is how I have energy to do my happy dance.




Also, I got to say I skipped out on dance recital tonight which means I have time to do a happy dance. I honestly felt guilty about skipping tonight’s performance and even asked SAM a dozen times if she was ok with it. I have never missed one but I didn’t have anywhere for Jesse to go tonight and he had to sit through it all last night so I just opted to stay at home and just chill. Well not really. I have been cleaning here and there. I have also cooked dinner for tonight and prepared marinate for my London broil for tomorrow. It is in the fridge soaking up all that flavor. I made a to-do list to work on as I try to watch and delete my backlog of DVR-ed shows.



So I feel like I haven’t even scratched the surface of all that I need to get done but that is ok. What needs to get done will get done. The rest will wait. Maybe one day I will get good at taking things off my to-do list instead of adding them on. I joke and tell others that “I don’t just sit around well” and quite honestly that is true. I get it from my dad – who couldn’t stand to see me doing nothing. If he saw me he would always find something for me to do.



I am happy to say that I am still on plan for this week. I have avoided all the temptations of “Sweet – Sweet Friday” at school. (a fundraiser on Friday’s where we sale candy bars to help raise money for educational projects.) I also managed not to eat the half of a Snickers candy bar my son left on the counter in a zip lock baggie because he didn’t want the whole thing. (have you ever?) I have even refused to be tempted by the mini candy bars hiding in the drawer in my room that I bought to go in to dance recital goodie bags. I am holding out for something better than “sweet”.



Tomorrow morning I am running in a 5K at our local college. It is a fundraiser for their scholarship program. I have been getting excited about it and now my excitement has turned to anxiety. You see the course is VERY hilly. I am not talking about a lot of small hills either. I am talking about several big hills. I have been training for weeks now up and down hills to get ready but now I am getting nervous about it. I am already slow enough – I don’t need any reason to become slower. I can honestly say I have always really enjoyed the ‘aloneness’ that comes with running. The few times I have run in a race I have gotten nervous about running with other people. I am so very slow that I don’t even want to seem like I am trying to compete against anyone. I get to point where I would almost rather walk then feel like I am running to beat someone else. I know it is weird and I shouldn’t be anxious about it so I ask that if you don’t mind to say a prayer for me to help ease my nervousness. I keep telling myself that it is just a fun way to raise money to help students go to school . . . it doesn’t have anything to do with my time. Also, if you happen to pass me tomorrow – when you loop back around cheer extra loudly for me! High five me or something to let me know – good job!



Today’s meals – oatmeal w/ blueberries, salad w/ tuna, frozen berries, yogurt, roasted cauliflower and carrots, soy nut energy mix, grilled chicken w/ zucchini squash and onions.



Today’s exercise – weights at the gym 45 minutes.

Table Talk

My house is quiet – well almost. There is the sound of the dish washer and the washing machine that fills the room but everything else is quiet. I am sitting here at my kitchen table looking around and thinking “what have I done here in the last 2 – 3 weeks?” I look at my TV that I can see from my table and think about all the episodes of Biggest Loser, American Idol, Secret Life, Bones, & Criminal Minds that are waiting for us to watch. I bet the next American Idol will have a platinum record before I get a chance to see who won.




I look at my table and think – who can eat here? I have a couple of bills that I need to run around town and make payment on. There is also a recipe that I want to make my husband. Then there is my grocery list that I keep writing things on and wondering when I will get a chance to go shop for. I also have my Runner Magazine still folded over on page 37 where I stopped I know over a week ago. I have put it in my purse several times hoping to read it while I wait somewhere but I have been too busy to even wait. I also have my camera sitting in the chair beside me waiting to be charged to take more pictures with this weekend. There is also a great Coach purse that I got at a yard sale I would love to get cleaned up so that I can use it and beside it is the cover that I need to put on my seat in my Jeep. There is also my Made to Crave Bible study – which I must say I have done early this morning. Keep in mind all the things that I just listed are JUST the things that sit right in front of me on my kitchen table or before my eyes right into the next room. That doesn’t even count the rest of this house. . . However, it is a shows great symbolism for how my life is right now.



It is time for school to end and a new year to begin. Those two things use to be separate but they aren’t any more. I can’t get one group of kids finished before I have to start getting another group ready to take their place. Every day is something new and chaotic from now till June. I often feel like everyone wants something and somehow that something always comes through me.



Then there is all the after school activities and test to be taken and exams to prepare for that are only followed by school and church camps and vacation plans. I keep looking ahead for a quitter time but I don’t really see that. I keep thinking as soon as I get through this I can do that. However, this and that are all running together. Maybe I am just tired and over thinking things. Maybe a good night’s sleep is just what I need. However, it doesn’t change the fact that my life is as busy as my kitchen table. All these things that are here are good things. There are some things I have to do, some things I want to do and even a few things I don’t want to do (those bills ) – but here they are – part of my reality.



Needless to say – I am proud that I could talk my way through them with you tonight rather than eat my way through them alone – right here at my kitchen table!!!!!

Whew – Now I can go to bed and sleep.

Good night!

Today’s meals – eggs, yogurt, tossed salad w/ tuna, frozen berries, oranges, veggies and dip, grilled chicken and green beans(from KFC – so glad I could go out to eat somewhere other than Subway and still eat on plan.) yogurt.

Today’s exercise – 10 minute walk and 30 minute run.



My Kitchen Table



Goals and Rewards

Goals and Rewards




These are my two words for this week. Of course it is week two of dance recital and my daughters schedule is taking over our lives. It is ok though – I promise – I can deal with it one more week. After all the money and time we have put into dance so far it is worth it in the end. I know that it builds strength, character, confidence, and self-esteem and I think all of those things are more important in life than most people give them credit for. Quite honestly I have come to believe that attitude and confidence are two of the most important characteristics a person can have. You can have the looks of a beautiful goddess or the smarts of a brain surgeon but if you lack confidence or proper attitude those things are worthless. However, you can be just your average Joe and have the confidence and positive attitude that will take you places your mind and looks will never take you. So I am fine with my daughter’s schedule for another week. It is all worth it in the end to watch her dance like it ain’t nobody’s business.



However, I really do want to do better than last week. I do want to get my work outs in where ever I can. I also do not want to let my exhaustion get the better of me this week. I do not want to run to sugar to help me cope with the stresses in my life. I don’t want to eat smart all day just to ruin it after bed time rolls around. So this week I have decided to incorporate these two new words in to my plan. Oh yeah, last week I had Plans and List but this week I have added to that Goals and Rewards! My plans are pretty much the same – make my list, prepare each day to stick to the list of foods and planned exercise and do my best! However, I have set a couple of goals in there.



1) No late night binges. Regardless to how bad I feel I will constantly remind myself that binging is not an option this week. I will journal, work on my Made to Crave Bible study, or go to sleep but I will not find my comfort in a candy bar, donut, or happy meal.

2) I will do whatever exercise I can fit into the time I have. I want to get to the gym 3 times this week and run 3 times this week but I know that is more than likely not going to happen. I can however, go for a walk when other options are not looking good. I can also do the Wii work outs I have here at home. There is surely something I can do to get some movement into my day.

3) Other than my oatmeal I will be eating from the first 17 days foods list. I really do want the scales to move and me to feel like what I am not doing is this in vain. I know that eating this way is balanced and healthy so I just need to remember what I learned Tuesday night in Bible study. We need to look at healthy options not as depriving ourselves but as empowering ourselves. Can you imagine if every time we chose not to eat the candy bar or cookie we didn’t say “woe is me – I can’t eat that” but instead we considered it as empowering and knowing that choice has made us stronger and healthier. I do believe that eating 2 fruits and the veggies on this diet along with 3 servings of lean and healthy proteins and lots of water makes a healthy balanced diet. Now my goal this week is to live by that.

Now for my rewards – Yippee! If I stick to this completely this week without turning to the candy dish or the dessert tray I am going to go and get my nails done! I have a friend who has had this new manicure done. She has worn gel nails as long as I have known her and they look so pretty. She was telling me they have this new thing where they do your own nails with this gel nail treatment and it is just like false nails without the pain or higher price as getting them done the other way. She also says they stay painted just as long as false nails. I am so excited. I loved how my nails looked when I had them done a while back but I hated the way they felt. So this week that is going to be my reward. No sweet rewards for me. . . nope I am going for something a little better than a fun size almond joy or two (or three. . . )

I will keep you informed on how these goals and rewards work for me as my week progresses.



Today’s meals – blueberry oatmeal, salad w/ tuna, frozen mixed berries, veggies and dip, apple, yogurt, homemade stir fry chicken and veggies, soy nut energy mix, yogurt



Today’s exercise – 45 minutes weight training.

Welcome back . . . again!

I feel like it has been forever since I blogged anything. I am so sorry that I have been so quiet but the last several days have been more then I could handle. My daughter had her dance recital this weekend. She also had the prom this weekend. We also gave her an extra special gift this weekend – her first car. We had found it a week ago but because my hubby is working 2nd shift we didn’t want to give it to her and him not be home to see it. We decided that we would give it to her for her recital gift. My husband tied the keys to the end of some balloons and after the recital gave them to her. She was so excited. I do think the only person more excited was her father.




Needless to say my very long, hard week was not over once the last dance was done because here we go again. We are in week two of dance recital and let me just tell you I don’t know when I have ever been so tired. I literally went to be so tired Friday, Saturday and Sunday that I felt like crying. Which this morning I got up extra early and fixed my coffee then took it, my bible, journal and pen out on the back porch and did just that – had a good cry. I was so tired and I knew the same week that was behind me was for the most part ahead of me again. No, there isn’t any prom but there is a new bible study and there are a couple of ball games. I even got a call today reminding me of dentist apt. for my kids. Oh Joy. Well I just sat out there on my porch this morning begging God for some kind of mercy and relief. I started listing all the things I had to do as well as the things I would like to do. Then I started listing questions.



Lord – How can I do all of this?

Lord – Why did you put Kevin back on 2nd right now?

Lord – When am I going to get my exercise in?

Lord – Who can help me – other than just my dad?

Lord – Where can I leave something off?

Lord – What can I do to glorify you in the mist of it all?



These were my questions. Then I opened my bible and started reading in Ecc. 3 where it talks about there is a time for everything under the sun. Well if I ever needed a planner that tells me how to deal with everything under the sun it is right now. God gave me several things while I read. One of the things that I saw was in chapter 4 verse 6 – Better to have one handful with quietness than two handfuls with hard work and chasing the wind. I guess I really have got to figure out ways to add quietness into my week. I know I didn’t have much time for that last week and it had gotten the better of me by the weeks end. I guess this kind of addresses the “where can I leave something off” question – because I am going to have to leave something off of my “want to” if I am going to find any quiet.

Then there was Ecc. 5:3 –“ Too much activity gives you restless dreams; too many words make you a fool.” Can I get an Amen? The few hours of sleep I felt like I did get last week were fitful. I want to be able to get the most out of my sleep this week . I don’t want to waste my precious down time stressing my brain and keeping it awake.



Next one that struck me was Ecc. 5:7 – “Talk is cheap, like daydreams and other useless activities. Fear God instead.” I found it interesting that the Bible calls day dreaming a “useless activity”. Surely I am not the only one who finds themselves sitting and just dreaming about how life could be different if. . . I didn’t have to work, had more money, was better organized, could lose about 30 pounds, look like her, had a husband like that, had children who did that. . . the list goes on and on depending on who you have found today to compare yourself with. God calls it “useless activity” – well there is one thing I can cut out of my week.



The last one I will share with you probably stuck with me the most. It was Ecc. 5:20 – “God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past.” Well the one question I had the hardest time writing down this morning was “why Lord did you decide to move Kevin back to 2nd shift right now?” I felt guilty about even asking it – but I know He knows I feel it anyway so I should ask it. I remember even stopping after I wrote it and said out loud “Lord – I don’t mean this in a cruel and bratty way – I am just so tired and I really wish he could help me out.” Well when I read this verse I felt like God was giving me an answer to this question. You see all the things he has made my life so busy with are wonderful things. I really would not ever choose to complain about watching my daughter dance, seeing her dressed up in her prom dress, giving her a car, or watching my son play baseball. These are wonderful things. I don’t even feel the need to complain about all that I have to do around my house because I know that I am blessed to have a home. I am also grateful for the wonderful job I have and the wonderful people I work with. It has just been the intensity at which everything has been dumped on me at once that has gotten the best of me. However, this verse spoke to me today and was like God said I am just showing you all these blessings one right after the other so that you cannot broad over past mistakes. How can you broad over anything when you look at all these blessings I am giving you one right after the other. It was just what I needed to hear this morning.



Another reason I needed to hear it is because I found out something about myself this weekend. I can take just about anything and stay on plan except exhaustion. Every single day – I stayed on plan without fault until the end of the week – the end of the day. Friday, Saturday and Sunday around 9:30 I fell completely off the wagon with sugary foods. I was exhausted and I turned to candy bars and other sweets to make me feel better. I would even go as far to say that had I not had those 3 sugar fixes I would have gone to bed crying. However, I would have felt better now just crying it out. I ended up doing that this morning on the back porch anyway. The candy didn’t solve any of my problems or give me any encouragement or share with me any promises – but crying out to God on the porch this morning did. So this morning I begin again starting this week eating healthy and mostly out of the list of foods for the first set of 17 days. I am thankful that God still speaks and finds every question I ask Him worthy of an answer. I hope to be able to blog more this week as well. This really does give me the accountability that I need. I knew on those nights that didn’t end till midnight at I wouldn’t be blogging and that made it all too easy to eat one more sugary snack.



Today’s meals – oatmeal w/ apples, salad w/ chicken, yogurt, apple, carrots and dip, soy energy mix (soy nuts, almonds, dried cranberries mix, chicken w/ marinara and cheese, salad



Today’s exercise – none – I hate to say it but there was no time today for exercise with work, dinner and then a ballgame. I am not going to beat myself up about it. There is nothing I can do about it and I am choosing not to brood over it.