Saturday, December 12, 2009
Life Change!
The hubby is getting ready to deploy withing the next year or so (again). I am one of his units ombudsmen so I am very excited about having more time to spend with him and more to help the other families...especially those that may be experiencing this for the first time.
I am also very excited to be able to do more things as a wife and mom. This is my FAVORITE part of this life change and a part of my life that has been neglected far too long.
Another thing that I think I am going to try is to Vlog occasionally. (Video blogging) We will see how that goes! :)
Hope you have a great day!
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Life List Update
Just an update:
Places To Visit:
Wyoming
Colorado
New York
California
Vegas!
Grand Canyon
Canada
Alaska
Hawaii
London
Venice Italy
Rome Italy
Madrid Spain
Tahiti
Jamaica
Bahamas
Cancun
Cozumel
Key West
Pennsylvania - Hershey Park & Historical Sites
Bora Bora
Things I Would Like To Do or Learn In My Lifetime:
Play the Piano
Play the Guitar
Fly A Plane
Go on A Cruise
Rock Climbing
Hike Up A Mountain
Snow Ski
Speak Spanish
Learn Sign Language
Swim with Dolphins
Fly in A Helicopter
Fly in A Hot Air Balloon
Finish Nursing School
Get some sort of degree (if not in nursing)
Start A Business
Write a Book
Go to the Oprah Show!
Ride Horseback on the beach!
Pay off Tahoe!
Pay off old Credit Card Bills!
Around The House
Organize my closets
Clip & Organize articles out of my old magazines and toss magazines!
Paint my kitchen
Paint my living area
Organize all of my pictures
Scan all pictures in and put the on CD's
Organize & paint laundry room
Organize all cabinets – bathroom & kitchen
Organize Baylee's room….again!!
Books to Read or Read Again (In 2009):
Dear John – Nicholas Sparks
At First Sight – Nicholas Sparks
Three Weeks With My Brother – Nicholas Sparks
True Believer – Nicholas Sparks
The Wedding - Nicholas Sparks
Predator – Patricia Cornwell
Trace – Patricia Cornwell
I Heard That Song Before – Mary Higgins Clark
No Place Like Home – Mary Higgins Clark
Ghost Ship – Mary Higgins Clark
Before I Say Goodbye – Mary Higgins Clark
Mount Vernon Love Story – Mary Higgins Clark
Yada Yada Prayer Group (Re-read my old ones and catch up on the new ones)
Mitford Series – Jan Karon
Step On A Crack – James Patterson
Judge & Jury – James Patterson
Little Women
The Secret
Harry Potter Series
The Adventures of Hucklberry Finn
Beloved
The Catcher in the Rye
The Good Earth
The Sound and the Fury
Health Goals:
Teeth cleaned!
Cavities filled
Eat more fruits & vegetables
Drink 8 glasses of water a day
Exercise at least 30 minutes everyday
Lose 10 lbs
Lose 20 lbs
Lose 30 lbs
Lose 40 lbs
Lose 50 lbs
Lose 60 lbs
Lose 70 lbs
Lose 80 lbs
Lose 100 lbs
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Jingle, Jangle, Smack, Clip, Clip...
Well I tell you that you can HEAR EVERYTHING in my office. Jingling of peoples bracelets, smacking, typing, etc. One thing that has driving me NUTS these past few months is the sweet old man in the office right beside me. I believe he is in his last 70's and he constantly talks on speaker phone. (Crazy, right?) Well he just isn't used to being in our "glorified cubicles". His office (and several others) had mold in them and he is working in the empty one next to mine until his office is finished. As if speaker phone (and other noises of the office!) weren't bad enough what really gets me is "clip, clip" "Clip, clip clip" "CLIP CLIP CLIP"...can you guess? Clip clip is the sound of fingernail clipping. Can we say gag? Every time I hear it all I can pictures is this sweet little man in their clipping his old man fingernails and little bits flying everywhere! Man his nails must grow fast b/c he does this all the time! LOL...well at least it isn't his toenails...I HOPE!
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Here We Go Again...
**UPDATE** It was negative when I retested. :(
Sunday, July 19, 2009
MISSISSIPPI...YOU ARE FAT!!!
I hereby dedicate myself to at least 30 minutes of exercise daily!!
Come on Mississippi...Let's Go Walking!!!!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Life List
Places To Visit:
Wyoming
Colorado
New York
California
Vegas!
Grand Canyon
Canada
Alaska
Hawaii
London
Venice Italy
Rome Italy
Madrid Spain
Tahiti
Jamaica
Bahamas
Cancun
Cozumel
Key West
Pennsylvania - Hershey Park & Historical Sites
Bora Bora
Things I Would Like To Do or Learn In My Lifetime:
Play the Piano
Play the Guitar
Fly A Plane
Go on A Cruise
Rock Climbing
Hike Up A Mountain
Snow Ski
Speak Spanish
Learn Sign Language
Swim with Dolphins
Fly in A Helicopter
Fly in A Hot Air Balloon
Finish Nursing School
Get some sort of degree (if not in nursing)
Start A Business
Write a Book
Go to the Oprah Show!
Ride Horseback on the beach!
Pay off 4-Wheeler!
Pay off Tahoe!
Pay off old Credit Card Bills!
Around The House
Organize my closets
Clip & Organize articles out of my old magazines and toss magazines!
Paint my kitchen
Paint my living area
Organize all of my pictures
Scan all pictures in and put the on CD's
Organize & paint laundry room
Organize all cabinets – bathroom & kitchen
Organize Baylee's room….again!!
Books to Read or Read Again (In 2009):
Dear John – Nicholas Sparks
At First Sight – Nicholas Sparks
Three Weeks With My Brother – Nicholas Sparks
True Believer – Nicholas Sparks
The Wedding - Nicholas Sparks
Predator – Patricia Cornwell
Trace – Patricia Cornwell
I Heard That Song Before – Mary Higgins Clark
No Place Like Home – Mary Higgins Clark
Ghost Ship – Mary Higgins Clark
Before I Say Goodbye – Mary Higgins Clark
Mount Vernon Love Story – Mary Higgins Clark
Yada Yada Prayer Group (Re-read my old ones and catch up on the new ones)
Mitford Series – Jan Karon
Step On A Crack – James Patterson
Judge & Jury – James Patterson
Little Women
The Secret
Twilight Series
Harry Potter Series
The Adventures of Hucklberry Finn
Beloved
The Catcher in the Rye
The Good Earth
The Sound and the Fury
Health Goals:
Teeth cleaned!
Cavities filled
Eat more fruits & vegetables
Drink 8 glasses of water a day
Exercise at least 30 minutes everyday
Lose 10 lbs
Lose 20 lbs
Lose 30 lbs
Lose 40 lbs
Lose 50 lbs
Lose 60 lbs
Lose 70 lbs
Lose 80 lbs
Lose 100 lbs
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Lead By Example
Sure makes a momma's heart proud. My little sweet girl!! :-)
The Root
A farmer once planted two fruit trees on opposite sides of his property. One he planted to provide a hedge to hide the unsightly view of an old landfill; the other to provide shade to rest under near a cool mountain stream which ran down beside his fields. As the two trees grew, both produced and began to flower and bear fruit.
One day the farmer decided to gather the fruit from the tree nearest his house " the one used to provide a hedge from the landfill. As he brought the fruit inside the house, he noticed that it was a little deformed " the symmetry of the fruit was not very good, but still the fruit looked edible. Later that evening, while sitting on his porch the farmer took one of the pieces of fruit for a snack. Biting into the fruit, he found it to be extremely bitter, and completely inedible. Casting the fruit aside he looked across the field to the other tree over by the mountain stream.
After walking across the field, the farmer took a piece of the fruit from the other tree and bit into it. Find the fruit to be sweet and delicious he gathered several more pieces of fruit and took them to the house.
The fruit was greatly affected by the nutrition of the root. Just as the tree grew by the landfill to be bitter, and the tree by the stream produced sweet fruit, so the Christian has a choice. He can either put down his roots into the soil of the landfill of fleshly pursuits, or into the cool refreshing stream of the person of Jesus Christ. We must understand that the root bears the fruit. The fruit of the Christian is the outward evidence of the inward motivation.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Crazy, Crazy, Times!!
He and I have been taking A&PI this summer and he takes his final tomorrow and I take my next Tuesday. I am SOOO nervous. I am coming up with every study tactic I can find. I wish I could just lay my head down on my book and "soak" up all the useful information. It just seems like as I have gotten older I can't absorb as much as I used to. I also think I really do have adult ADD. What were we talking about again???
We have been dealing with some family issues lately. I have just hated seeing my husband so sad and hurt. I too have hurt but I have tried all I can do. I just wish it was easier for everyone to get along. The bad thing is that we WANT to be closer but we just keep being pushed back. So sad. :-( There is one family member I talked to this morning that I think being the mom of a boy that is closer to Brian's age understands more. She doesn't even know what has been going on (that I know of) and you know I always just feel good when I talk to her. She has a lot going on in her life right now with her own little family and I am remembering to say prayers for her everyday!
Hmmmm....what else, what else...oh Brian will be leaving to go out of town for 2 1/2 weeks for the USCG. He will come home for a week and then be gone for another whole week! Whoa is me...life of a military wife! :-) I do plan to go down and visit him and get some beach time in during the next couple of weeks. We will see how that goes...
Later!!
Monday, July 13, 2009
The Desires of My Heart
"Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. IHave you ever read something or heard someone say something and think, "Wow, that could have just as easily come out of my mouth!" I would consider myself a good Christian. We have slacked off on our Church going a little because we are in Church limbo. We love the "family" church we are members of and are having a hard time saying goodbye. There is a church closer to home that we really love but it is like we are scared to dedicate because it almost feels like we are "cheating" on our Church family. Our response to this has not been a good thing. It has been that we have slacked off on going to Church all together. This is NOT the answer and I know it. We are just going to have to make the tough decision...no matter what we decide.
realized tonight that I had let the desires of my heart keep me from delighting
myself in the Lord."
In saying that, I have also let other "desires of my heart" get in the way of my love of God. I have a lot of things going on in my life right now. I can't really go into a lot of detail (nothing bad just STUFF..LOL) but reading this quote on my friend's blog has put me in the mindset that I need to be in.
Put HIM first and all other things will fall into place!
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Summer Camp = Sad Mom!!
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
The Faith of Rick Warren
In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:
People ask me, What is the purpose of life?
And I respond:
In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven. One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity..
We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going
to make sense. Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now,
you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.
The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than
your comfort; God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in
making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but
that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ
likeness. This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also
the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer. I used to think that
life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the
mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore. Rather than
life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a
railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in
your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always
something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things
are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems: If you focus
on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which is my problem, my
issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your
focus off yourself and onto God and others. We discovered quickly that in
spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to
heal Kay or make it easy for her- It has been very difficult for her, and yet
God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other
people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people. You
have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life. Actually,
sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past
year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me
instantly very wealthy. It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had
never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety
for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease. So I began to ask God what
He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two
different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm
72. First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our
lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases. Second, about midway
through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church. Third, we
set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant
churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the
next generation. Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in
the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was
liberating to be able to serve God for free.We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)? When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know
You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do
list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're
called human beings, not human doings.
Monday, June 22, 2009
The Ups & Downs!!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Motivate Me Monday: Getting Right In Hard Times
On June 27th and 28th 2008 I attended a conference in Atlanta called Deeper Still. Internationally known speakers Kay Arthur, Beth Moore and Priscilla Shirer were there and I looked forward to a special time of worship and having God convict me of my sins and lead me to areas in my life where I need to change. I have been to similar conferences for years, although none this large and with so many well-known speakers. There were over 20,000 women in attendance at the Phillips Arena in Atlanta - they said it was the largest crowd ever. I had an idea of what to expect from the conference, but nothing prepared me for what actually happened. I feel led to share my experience with family and friends. This is important, so stay with me!
When Kay Arthur took the stage you could just tell that her spirit was heavy and there was a certain "heaviness" in the atmosphere even before she started to speak. She said that she had been literally physically sick to have to bring us this message and right out the gate she said, "We are in grave danger." She said that God had revealed to her that a literal famine is coming to America. Physical, not spiritual. She said that God is moving in judgment against our nation. I know I can't describe this well enough, but the atmosphere was ominous.
She went on to give 7 things that Christians must do during this time and I am going to give those to you now:
1. Jer 4:3- Break up the fallow ground- return to Me. Repent. Get on your face before God and ask him to break your heart with the things that break His heart.
2. Mourn- Jer. 9:17-18 and Ezekiel 9. It is time to weep because our nation's sin is incredible.
4. Love God's Word- Jer. 20. You MUST love the Word of God and be in the Word of God. I was particularly convicted here because I know I have not been as deeply in His Word as I need to be. She said we must get serious about this.
5. Love others as Jesus loved them. Jer. 31:3 and John 13:34.
6. Introduce people to Jesus Christ. It's time to get serious about this. This is no time for timidity. Jer 31:31; Jer 33:1-9 and 15 and 17.
7. Rest. If you will do these things, then rest in the fact that you have done God's will. She said that it is going to be vitally important for us to get enough physical rest.
She said that this is going to be a calamity (she used the word calamity in such a way that you knew this is going to be no small thing for our country), and gave many more scripture references, but what I have given you are the main points that she made.
I hope you know that I would not have sent this to you if I had not been profoundly affected by it and feel it is of great importance to share it. Thank you for taking the time to re ad this and I hope you will do with this information what you feel led by God to do.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
OuT oF sHaPe...
So we start off good...seat a little uncomfortable (which is odd seeing how much padding I really DO have back there) but I go for it...pulling out of the driveway on two-wheels like the road queen....turned the corner and took off the back street behind my house..was doing good...patting myself on the back. I am awesome...this is not a problem. So then we approach the hill. I decide to get tricky and I stand up on the bike and start pedaling as fast as I could so I could make it up the hill. Got about ¾ of the way up and had to get off and walk. I was fine but just couldn't go any further. So I tell them (Brian running and Baylee on the other bike) go on I will catch up. Just give me a second. So I keep walking the bike. Well the further they got away from me and then out of my site the more I couldn't breathe.
...wwwwhhhheeeezzzzeeee....wwwwhhhhheeeeeezzzeeee...chest hurts can't hardly move but I know I am getting ready to go down a hill and I am like...okay...I got this. I make it to the top of the hill and jump on and WEEEEEEEEEEEE......all the way down to the bottom. I let the bike coast until I almost stop and then I have to jump back off. THEN I have to walk the bike the rest of the way. I made it the whole mile and ½ but couldn't hang on the bike the whole way. What is sad is they made it all the way back home and then WALKED and met me about 1/2 mile before I got to the house. Geesshh...talk about out of shape. Now I understand why people on the biggest loser literally get sick from working so hard sometimes...I sure almost did. Seriously. I mean I gotta do something about ALLL of this b/c I will die of a heart attack!!
WFMW: Soft Feet & Fixing Squeaks!
Soft Feet
Monday, March 16, 2009
Motivate Me Monday: The Prayer Garden
(The Lightening bug stops and is a little hard to see, but watch where he lights and click on him. You must click on the bug before you can move the key)
This is Awesome and Very well done.
View when you have a little time to spare so you can really enjoy it.
Start with the lightening bug it will be your guide through the garden...
Unlock the door with the key (drag the key to the lock),
When you enter the Garden, click on the littleLighting bug and follow instructions.
You will start at the fountain with the sontes.
Click on the lightening bug again and it will take you to the river and the sticks.
(Click on the lightening bug again.)
You will go to the table and the scrolls.
Click on the cup and then each scroll.
When you finish the scrolls click on the book.
Then on the lightening bug again.
Then on each leaf...
Then the fire...
Then the book on the stool...
Top Right is the Exit
THIS IS REALLY BEAUTIFUL
Sunday, March 15, 2009
~DO RE MI FA SO LA TI DO~
Friday, March 13, 2009
..Gloomy Days...
It has been one of those weeks. This past weekend I had a baby shower for my sister-in-law, cooked out with friends and then visited with the in-laws. I really enjoyed it but boy did it get to me. I have been exhausted ever since. I missed work this week b/c of not feeling good and Baylee missed one day of school. Thank goodness I didn't get the flu like my mother-in-law did. Poor thing! Seems like she always catches something. If it weren't for being worried about bringing something home to Baylee and Brian I would go over and take care of her. It is the pits to feel bad and then be locked in the house all alone. :-( I am feeling better but I have been fighting a headache for the better part of a week and a half. That and dizziness. Couple that with not feeling good and being exhausted for some strange reason and you have one gloomy girl. The weather is gloomy today as well and they say it is going to be a 60% chance of rain tomorrow. Hooo-Huummm. Well at least it will good napping weather.
Bring on the spring days PLEASE!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
WFMW: Fast Meal Tips
So ladies (& guys??) this is a quick and easy tip (and not originally my idea but can't remember where I got it from - if it is you please let me know so I can give proper credit!). Sorry I haven't put too much effort into it this week. I have been sick and my brain just isn't functioning like it should!!
My tip is pick things that your family may like that you can have on hand for several different meals. You can cook it and freeze it ahead of time so when you are in a crunch (or haven't made that dreaded trip to the grocery store), you always have something on hand.
For example, taco meat (browned, seasoned and frozen - just defrost and look at the possibilities:
- Nacho Omelets for Breakfast
- Meat for tator skins
- Quesadillas
- Put on biscuits and add cheese for a quick snack/lunch
- Tortilla Pizza
- Mexican Sloppy Joe
- Add to melted block of Velveeta
- Tortilla roll ups
- Add to Chili
- Add to Soup
- Add to Meatloaf
- Short on hamburger meat for burgers - add to that!
- Add to a box of macaroni & cheese for a quick meal that kids love in a crunch!
- Add w/spaghetti sauce
- Out of shells but have lettuce...taco salad!
Just a few ideas of what to do in a pinch!