but today I would NOT have chosen this one for anything.
It snowed A LOT {again} last night and I LOVE taking pictures of the beautiful snow, especially first thing in the morning before it's been walked on and gotten messy. So when I got up I grabbed my camera and proceeded to get ready to take the dogs out. Our puppy is very hyper when she first gets up in the morning, I mean it makes sense, she's been in a crate all night and is ready to stretch her legs and RUN!
So as I'm trying to open the basement door, with camera in hand and hyper puppy + older dog next to me -- she jumps up on me which knocks the camera out of my hand and it crashes to the floor.
I get downstairs to let the dogs out and turn it on and yep, it's broken. Really broken.
I cried. I mean really cried.
Now before anyone thinks I am obsessed with my 'things' you need to know that there is hardly anything in my house that I am really attached to. I mean, aside from my family of course! But if my house ever had a fire the only things I would wish to grab {if I could} would be my scrapbook albums, my camera and our computer. These are my links to all the memories we have made over the years. Pictures remind us of good times and bad. Pictures show me how much my precious girls have grown. Pictures are really my only worldly 'possession' that I care very deeply about. And not having a camera to capture these things just breaks my heart.
The other reason I'm so upset is that I waited for YEARS to have a good camera. We are not a family who has a lot of extra spending money and buying a $400 camera is something that took a LONG time to happen. Now I've had it for less than 2 years and it's broken. I'm not even sure if it's fixable or not and if it is I'm sure it will be costly.
So that is why I'm crying today. Call me silly. Tell me to get over it if you wish. But I'm very, very sad and not taking it too well. And that's just how I feel.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Winter Fitness
***BEWARE*** Unflattering pictures below! LOL
OK friends today I want to talk about winter fitness and all the hows, whys and wheres of it. {sorry about the bad grammar!}
One of my focus words this year is the word 'time' and I'm focusing on the idea of using my time MUCH more wisely than I have done in past years. In doing that it hits me square in the face that I have been making excuses for years about exercise. One my my biggest excuses? Because I'm a homeschool Mom, I just don't have time for exercise, I mean, my kids are here at home with me all day long and it makes it hard to go to a gym or anything like that.
This year I have decided I'm done with that lame-o excuse. Yes it does make things more challenging but it isn't impossible. So here is what I'm doing this winter, I hope it will encourage you in your healthy lifestyle.
*Use the snow to your advantage. Get out there and shovel it, play in it, build with it, tromp through the very deep stuff, sled with your kids {walking back up those hills burns a lot of calories!}. My former excuse was that I hated to get cold or for that matter get sweaty under all those layers of clothes. Now I just suck it up and know that yes I will get sweaty and feel icky but a simple solution is coming inside to enjoy a hot shower and a hot drink. And your kids will LOVE you for being out there with them!
*Take a winter hike in the woods. Around here we have several places where they have trails through the woods so even when it's snowy you can still walk there. Just wear snow boots and dress in appropriate layers {again you WILL get sweaty - just suck it up!} and if the conditions are icy consider using YakTracks which slip right over the bottom of your boots and allow a lot more traction. Since our puppy is very high-energy we've been taking her on hikes and it's great for ALL of us to get out and get some fresh air.
*Do something indoors. I'll admit, most days of the week my workouts have to be indoors. Partly because we do homeschool and partly out of convenience. My girls are old enough now that they can play together for a while so that I can get my exercise done. Keep in mind that you don't have to belong to a gym in order to get a good indoor workout.
What can you do indoors?
*Use a machine - if you have one. You can get a great indoor workout on a treadmill, elliptical machine or stationary bike. We have an elliptical machine. I sort of wish we had a treadmill because I'd rather run, but I recently realized that I can get a very similar workout to running on the elliptical - so once again I'm going to suck it up and just use what I have.
*Use hand weights, stability balls, floor mats, etc. You can find TONS of exercises to do by searching youtube or through health magazines.
*Use videos. Either ones you own, or one you borrow from the library or even free ones you can watch online or on netflix. One of the toughest DVD's I have is the Shred by Jillian Micheals and it only cost me $10 at Walmart. Videos are very affordable and easy to use. It's up to you to just pop in the DVD and commit to doing it! One of my faves is the TurboJam set by beachbody.com. Another great one for beginners or those who can't do something too vigorous is the Walk Away the Pounds series by Leslie Sansone.
Other tips that have helped me:
*eat a good healthy breakfast before exercise.
*stay hydrated
*have high energy, motivating music available - it's amazing how music can make you want to move faster, keep going and can really be a great motivator. I have a very small MP3 player that cost about $30. I keep a wide variety of music on it and play the really high energy stuff when I'm working out. {who doesn't love a little 'I like to move it, move it' when working out?!}
*invest in good workout clothes - now some may argue that this has NOTHING to do with getting a good workout but for me personally I feel like it's very helpful. First, have good quality clothing that wicks away moisture - NOT a cotton t-shirt! Wear items that allow for the most comfort and movement - NOT jeans! Wear good, supportive footwear - NOT flip-flops or slippers! Take care of that hair - as in pull it back out of your face - there is nothing worse than hot, sweaty hair on your neck - ICK! {I don't know how those women in the workout videos do it, that would drive me nuts!}
Back in the fall when I was running more consistently I knew that I was *hoping* to continue my fitness into the winter time. This is a first for me as most years in the past I've simply gone into hibernation mode and become very lazy and stagnant for the winter months. This year though I wanted to be different. And I knew it was going to get cold. So I invested in a really good set of workout clothes. It was costly, I'll admit. The top and bottom are from Under Armour and I'll just save ya the trouble of looking them up - they each cost $50.
Also, it's not a pretty sight - as you'll see below - the pants certainly accentuate my large thighs and my pear shape. And I'll spare ya the horror of seeing my backside. ;) But when I wear these clothes I feel GOOD, I can move with ease and the clothes feel GOOD on me. Whether I'm running, walking, hiking, biking, etc they allow for comfortable movement. And that's more important than my large thighs. {which hopefully will shrink as I keep working out! ha!} But I gotta say that I LOVE the Under Armour stuff! The hot pink shirt is sorta cute and it has a nice long torso and nice long sleeves {something I find important}. The inside of the shirt is super soft which feels great on the skin. Having a great workout outfit actually makes me want to work out more! For the record, I do have some other items I wear for working out but this outfit is definitely my fave. I sometimes wash it everyday so I can use it again the next day!
You can also see in the pics that I wear a scarf to keep my hair back. I hate having sweaty, sticky hair on my neck while I'm working out. I also hate when those little tiny pieces of hair fly in my face. So the scarf just keeps it all back and out of my face and also catches a lot of sweat!
{I warned ya it ain't pretty! Good thing I don't mind a little self-humiliation!}
This is my tough guy pose! hahaha - just being silly!
Hope took this pic of me on the elliptical ... yes it's blurry - sorry! And yes I have gloves on. Our basement is always SO cold this time of year and my fingers get so cold until my body has really warmed up. So I wear my warm running clothes and my gloves and all is good!
Well I think that's all for now. For some other great healthy lifestyle tips I highly encourage you to check out Lysa TerKeurst's Made to Crave webcast. It airs on Monday nights at 8pm EST but you can catch it again on Tuesdays at 12noon, 3pm, 8pm and 10pm if you missed it on Monday.
OK friends today I want to talk about winter fitness and all the hows, whys and wheres of it. {sorry about the bad grammar!}
One of my focus words this year is the word 'time' and I'm focusing on the idea of using my time MUCH more wisely than I have done in past years. In doing that it hits me square in the face that I have been making excuses for years about exercise. One my my biggest excuses? Because I'm a homeschool Mom, I just don't have time for exercise, I mean, my kids are here at home with me all day long and it makes it hard to go to a gym or anything like that.
This year I have decided I'm done with that lame-o excuse. Yes it does make things more challenging but it isn't impossible. So here is what I'm doing this winter, I hope it will encourage you in your healthy lifestyle.
*Use the snow to your advantage. Get out there and shovel it, play in it, build with it, tromp through the very deep stuff, sled with your kids {walking back up those hills burns a lot of calories!}. My former excuse was that I hated to get cold or for that matter get sweaty under all those layers of clothes. Now I just suck it up and know that yes I will get sweaty and feel icky but a simple solution is coming inside to enjoy a hot shower and a hot drink. And your kids will LOVE you for being out there with them!
*Take a winter hike in the woods. Around here we have several places where they have trails through the woods so even when it's snowy you can still walk there. Just wear snow boots and dress in appropriate layers {again you WILL get sweaty - just suck it up!} and if the conditions are icy consider using YakTracks which slip right over the bottom of your boots and allow a lot more traction. Since our puppy is very high-energy we've been taking her on hikes and it's great for ALL of us to get out and get some fresh air.
*Do something indoors. I'll admit, most days of the week my workouts have to be indoors. Partly because we do homeschool and partly out of convenience. My girls are old enough now that they can play together for a while so that I can get my exercise done. Keep in mind that you don't have to belong to a gym in order to get a good indoor workout.
What can you do indoors?
*Use a machine - if you have one. You can get a great indoor workout on a treadmill, elliptical machine or stationary bike. We have an elliptical machine. I sort of wish we had a treadmill because I'd rather run, but I recently realized that I can get a very similar workout to running on the elliptical - so once again I'm going to suck it up and just use what I have.
*Use hand weights, stability balls, floor mats, etc. You can find TONS of exercises to do by searching youtube or through health magazines.
*Use videos. Either ones you own, or one you borrow from the library or even free ones you can watch online or on netflix. One of the toughest DVD's I have is the Shred by Jillian Micheals and it only cost me $10 at Walmart. Videos are very affordable and easy to use. It's up to you to just pop in the DVD and commit to doing it! One of my faves is the TurboJam set by beachbody.com. Another great one for beginners or those who can't do something too vigorous is the Walk Away the Pounds series by Leslie Sansone.
Other tips that have helped me:
*eat a good healthy breakfast before exercise.
*stay hydrated
*have high energy, motivating music available - it's amazing how music can make you want to move faster, keep going and can really be a great motivator. I have a very small MP3 player that cost about $30. I keep a wide variety of music on it and play the really high energy stuff when I'm working out. {who doesn't love a little 'I like to move it, move it' when working out?!}
*invest in good workout clothes - now some may argue that this has NOTHING to do with getting a good workout but for me personally I feel like it's very helpful. First, have good quality clothing that wicks away moisture - NOT a cotton t-shirt! Wear items that allow for the most comfort and movement - NOT jeans! Wear good, supportive footwear - NOT flip-flops or slippers! Take care of that hair - as in pull it back out of your face - there is nothing worse than hot, sweaty hair on your neck - ICK! {I don't know how those women in the workout videos do it, that would drive me nuts!}
Back in the fall when I was running more consistently I knew that I was *hoping* to continue my fitness into the winter time. This is a first for me as most years in the past I've simply gone into hibernation mode and become very lazy and stagnant for the winter months. This year though I wanted to be different. And I knew it was going to get cold. So I invested in a really good set of workout clothes. It was costly, I'll admit. The top and bottom are from Under Armour and I'll just save ya the trouble of looking them up - they each cost $50.
Also, it's not a pretty sight - as you'll see below - the pants certainly accentuate my large thighs and my pear shape. And I'll spare ya the horror of seeing my backside. ;) But when I wear these clothes I feel GOOD, I can move with ease and the clothes feel GOOD on me. Whether I'm running, walking, hiking, biking, etc they allow for comfortable movement. And that's more important than my large thighs. {which hopefully will shrink as I keep working out! ha!} But I gotta say that I LOVE the Under Armour stuff! The hot pink shirt is sorta cute and it has a nice long torso and nice long sleeves {something I find important}. The inside of the shirt is super soft which feels great on the skin. Having a great workout outfit actually makes me want to work out more! For the record, I do have some other items I wear for working out but this outfit is definitely my fave. I sometimes wash it everyday so I can use it again the next day!
You can also see in the pics that I wear a scarf to keep my hair back. I hate having sweaty, sticky hair on my neck while I'm working out. I also hate when those little tiny pieces of hair fly in my face. So the scarf just keeps it all back and out of my face and also catches a lot of sweat!
{I warned ya it ain't pretty! Good thing I don't mind a little self-humiliation!}
This is my tough guy pose! hahaha - just being silly!
Hope took this pic of me on the elliptical ... yes it's blurry - sorry! And yes I have gloves on. Our basement is always SO cold this time of year and my fingers get so cold until my body has really warmed up. So I wear my warm running clothes and my gloves and all is good!
Well I think that's all for now. For some other great healthy lifestyle tips I highly encourage you to check out Lysa TerKeurst's Made to Crave webcast. It airs on Monday nights at 8pm EST but you can catch it again on Tuesdays at 12noon, 3pm, 8pm and 10pm if you missed it on Monday.
Monday, January 24, 2011
1,000 Gifts {284-316}
I missed doing my 1,000 gifts post last week, but since I printed out the pages from Ann's blog I have been recording them on paper every day. So I'll just back up a little and do 2 weeks worth here today. Sorry, no pictures today - it's been a busy week.
- the snowiest January we've ever had since I've lived in CT
- sledding at the golf course with my family
- my amazing husband who loves to cook, helps with running errands, plays with his daughters, etc. I can never express how thankful I am for him.
- getting some 'Mommy' time to sew and watch a girly chick flick
- fantastic winter walk in the woods with Bob and the puppy - it's beautiful to take a hike in a winter wonderland!
- another HUGE snowstorm - we're kinda getting used to this!
- fun playing out in the snow with the girls, tromping through DEEP snow, building snow forts, making snow angels and snowballs
- a nice, warm home to feel safe and secure in - the outdoors are great, but once I come in I want to feel warm and secure and I'm so thankful that we are blessed with a wonderful home.
- crafting
- an afternoon at our friend's house where the kids played in the snow for hours and the Mommies got to scrapbook and chat
- hot chicken sandwiches
- getting home safe when the roads are slippery
- a nice clean house
- seeing my brother, sis in law and niece to celebrate Christmas - sometimes our visits are too far between but it's nice to catch up again in person
- Sunday mornings - need I say more? It's my favorite day of the week!
- our church family
- worship time
- a great Sunday school meeting where a lot was accomplished
- a fun Christmas celebration with Bob's brothers and their families
- getting to see his brother {and family}'s new home
- coffee and chat with an old friend who I haven't had a chance to catch up with for a long time
- playing wii just dance with my girls {and suffering with sore calves ever since!}
- getting a good workout on the elliptical machine
- 'The Heart Mender' by Andy Andrews - what an amazing book, I just can't stop thinking about it and how much I loved it!
- seeing how much the girls have learned and grown since we began homeschooling
- the great basement clean up and how good it feels to have some organization again!
- attending a memorial service for a great man of faith - the example he gave will leave a lasting impression on me for a long time
- the gospel message presented by several people at the memorial - not pastors - but regular people who knew Sean as a friend and who were led to the Lord by him - when I think of how amazing that is it just makes my heart break that we have lost such an amazing ambassador for Christ
- Hope scoring 2 baskets at her basketball game - she is loving it and doing so well!
- having great friends who I can trust to watch my kids for me - and knowing that my kids will have so much fun there that they won't miss me one bit
- a LAZY Sunday afternoon
- Hope's braces. They have brought her a fair amount of pain this past week - one day to the point that she was just sobbing in pain. But her teeth literally moved overnight and are already looking fantastic. I'm thankful that even though we sometimes have to endure pain that is when the real work happens.
- it's been absolutely freezing here lately so I can't say enough times how thankful I am for a warm home, heat, comfortable furniture and beds, lots of warm blankets, layers of clothes, warm coats/hats/mitts for when we go out, etc... Many are not so blessed and I don't take for granted how blessed we are.
{1,000 Gifts #284-316}
Would you like to become part of this gratitude community? Check out Ann's blog {and BOOK!} and begin counting the many, many gifts that come in the everyday moments. You don't even have to have a blog to do this. Just start a list on a piece of paper and purpose to find things to be grateful for every day. I promise once you get started you will see multiple things every single day that will make you grateful.
- the snowiest January we've ever had since I've lived in CT
- sledding at the golf course with my family
- my amazing husband who loves to cook, helps with running errands, plays with his daughters, etc. I can never express how thankful I am for him.
- getting some 'Mommy' time to sew and watch a girly chick flick
- fantastic winter walk in the woods with Bob and the puppy - it's beautiful to take a hike in a winter wonderland!
- another HUGE snowstorm - we're kinda getting used to this!
- fun playing out in the snow with the girls, tromping through DEEP snow, building snow forts, making snow angels and snowballs
- a nice, warm home to feel safe and secure in - the outdoors are great, but once I come in I want to feel warm and secure and I'm so thankful that we are blessed with a wonderful home.
- crafting
- an afternoon at our friend's house where the kids played in the snow for hours and the Mommies got to scrapbook and chat
- hot chicken sandwiches
- getting home safe when the roads are slippery
- a nice clean house
- seeing my brother, sis in law and niece to celebrate Christmas - sometimes our visits are too far between but it's nice to catch up again in person
- Sunday mornings - need I say more? It's my favorite day of the week!
- our church family
- worship time
- a great Sunday school meeting where a lot was accomplished
- a fun Christmas celebration with Bob's brothers and their families
- getting to see his brother {and family}'s new home
- coffee and chat with an old friend who I haven't had a chance to catch up with for a long time
- playing wii just dance with my girls {and suffering with sore calves ever since!}
- getting a good workout on the elliptical machine
- 'The Heart Mender' by Andy Andrews - what an amazing book, I just can't stop thinking about it and how much I loved it!
- seeing how much the girls have learned and grown since we began homeschooling
- the great basement clean up and how good it feels to have some organization again!
- attending a memorial service for a great man of faith - the example he gave will leave a lasting impression on me for a long time
- the gospel message presented by several people at the memorial - not pastors - but regular people who knew Sean as a friend and who were led to the Lord by him - when I think of how amazing that is it just makes my heart break that we have lost such an amazing ambassador for Christ
- Hope scoring 2 baskets at her basketball game - she is loving it and doing so well!
- having great friends who I can trust to watch my kids for me - and knowing that my kids will have so much fun there that they won't miss me one bit
- a LAZY Sunday afternoon
- Hope's braces. They have brought her a fair amount of pain this past week - one day to the point that she was just sobbing in pain. But her teeth literally moved overnight and are already looking fantastic. I'm thankful that even though we sometimes have to endure pain that is when the real work happens.
- it's been absolutely freezing here lately so I can't say enough times how thankful I am for a warm home, heat, comfortable furniture and beds, lots of warm blankets, layers of clothes, warm coats/hats/mitts for when we go out, etc... Many are not so blessed and I don't take for granted how blessed we are.
{1,000 Gifts #284-316}
Would you like to become part of this gratitude community? Check out Ann's blog {and BOOK!} and begin counting the many, many gifts that come in the everyday moments. You don't even have to have a blog to do this. Just start a list on a piece of paper and purpose to find things to be grateful for every day. I promise once you get started you will see multiple things every single day that will make you grateful.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
1,000 Gifts Video
I just wanted to share the video that goes with the One Thousand Gifts book I was talking about. It looks amazing and from all the reviews I'm reading I believe this will be a life changing book. Like I mentioned before, the book is only $10, really affordable if you ask me. Please consider joining me in reading it and following the book club! {I get no credit for saying this, I simply think it's going to be soooo worth it.}
Let me know if you need any other information. The actual discussion won't start for another 2 weeks so there is still plenty of time to get yourself a copy!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Questionnaire
Just for fun ... saw this questionnaire on another blog and thought I'd play along!
Are you a morning or night person?
I used to be a night person but the older I get I'm becoming a morning person. I love being up before the kids, having my coffee and quiet time and seeing the sun as it starts streaming through the windows. I love the new-ness of a brand new day.
Which do you prefer, sweet or salty foods?
Sweet! Love cookies, cake and all of those kinds of things. Wish I didn't like them quite so much!
Are you a collector of anything?
Pictures, memories and books. I think that's all ...
If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
Unlimited energy!
What's your favorite color?
Turquoise! You should see our downstairs bathroom! Someday I'll have to post pics of the lovely wall color I chose! heeheehee
Do you believe in extraterrestrials or life on other planets?
Um, No.
Do you believe in ghosts?
Again, no.
Ever been addicted to a video/computer game? Which one(s)?
Yes, Bejeweled on facebook is pretty fun and addicting.
You're given 1 million dollars, what do you spend it on?
Taking care of my Mom and Bob's parents and our brothers and their families. Paying off our debts and probably buying our 'forever' home. Invest any that is left ... a million dollars wouldn't go too far in today's economy!
List 1 thing you wish you could change about yourself.
{only ONE thing?!} ;)
Probably my insecurities.
Any tattoos or piercings?
Both ears are pierced and I used to have my belly button pierced but took it out when I got preggo with Hope and never put it back in.
What's the first thing you notice in the opposite sex?
Beautiful eyes and a great smile.
Are you mostly a clean or messy person?
Mostly clean but I certainly have my messy moments!!
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
I'd probably stay pretty much where I am but have a vacation home somewhere fun like in Bermuda.
If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Some day I'd love to see Europe.
List 5 goals on your life's to-do list
1. Get married
2. Have kids
3. Serve the Lord
4. Have a creative home-based business
5. Have Grandkids
Name 1 thing you miss about being a kid.
I miss the simplicity of it, just knowing that all is taken care of for you and you don't have to worry about finances and mortgages and raising kids and stress and all that stuff.
What's your favorite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon?
RELAX, rest and sometimes be crafty. Or visit with friends.
If you could have 3 wishes granted, what would they be?
1. Be debt free
2. Be healthy and live a long, happy life
3. For my girls to grow to know and love the Lord
Wanna play along? Just copy and paste these questions to your own blog and change the answers to fit your own personality. =)
Are you a morning or night person?
I used to be a night person but the older I get I'm becoming a morning person. I love being up before the kids, having my coffee and quiet time and seeing the sun as it starts streaming through the windows. I love the new-ness of a brand new day.
Which do you prefer, sweet or salty foods?
Sweet! Love cookies, cake and all of those kinds of things. Wish I didn't like them quite so much!
Are you a collector of anything?
Pictures, memories and books. I think that's all ...
If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
Unlimited energy!
What's your favorite color?
Turquoise! You should see our downstairs bathroom! Someday I'll have to post pics of the lovely wall color I chose! heeheehee
Do you believe in extraterrestrials or life on other planets?
Um, No.
Do you believe in ghosts?
Again, no.
Ever been addicted to a video/computer game? Which one(s)?
Yes, Bejeweled on facebook is pretty fun and addicting.
You're given 1 million dollars, what do you spend it on?
Taking care of my Mom and Bob's parents and our brothers and their families. Paying off our debts and probably buying our 'forever' home. Invest any that is left ... a million dollars wouldn't go too far in today's economy!
List 1 thing you wish you could change about yourself.
{only ONE thing?!} ;)
Probably my insecurities.
Any tattoos or piercings?
Both ears are pierced and I used to have my belly button pierced but took it out when I got preggo with Hope and never put it back in.
What's the first thing you notice in the opposite sex?
Beautiful eyes and a great smile.
Are you mostly a clean or messy person?
Mostly clean but I certainly have my messy moments!!
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
I'd probably stay pretty much where I am but have a vacation home somewhere fun like in Bermuda.
If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Some day I'd love to see Europe.
List 5 goals on your life's to-do list
1. Get married
2. Have kids
3. Serve the Lord
4. Have a creative home-based business
5. Have Grandkids
Name 1 thing you miss about being a kid.
I miss the simplicity of it, just knowing that all is taken care of for you and you don't have to worry about finances and mortgages and raising kids and stress and all that stuff.
What's your favorite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon?
RELAX, rest and sometimes be crafty. Or visit with friends.
If you could have 3 wishes granted, what would they be?
1. Be debt free
2. Be healthy and live a long, happy life
3. For my girls to grow to know and love the Lord
Wanna play along? Just copy and paste these questions to your own blog and change the answers to fit your own personality. =)
Made to Crave, Bloom and MckMama
OK friends, bear with me as I might be all over the place today! I have 3 things I really want to talk about/share about.
OK, next up - do any of you follow any of the following blogs; Ann Voskamp's Holy Experience, The Mom Creative, Bring the Rain or {in}Courage?? If you DO - maybe you've heard all about the Bloom book club and the fact that they are using Ann's book for their newest book choice! Her book about One Thousand Gifts has been getting rave reviews and has been moving up the top ten list at Amazon.com. Her blog is the reason I started counting my own list of 1,000 Gifts. I ordered the book and am sooooo excited to take part in this online book club community! My question is ... are any of you planning to do it too? The book is really affordable at only 10 bucks! Please comment here if you plan to participate!
OK, I know I've given you a lot to think about and comment on so let's hear it!
First, have any of you heard of Made to Crave by Lisa TerKeurst? It's a new book and Bible study she has out. She's been doing a LIVE webcast about it every Monday night. The book teaches you how we were made to crave God, not food. It's not a diet book per se ... but helps teach you how to re-direct your thinking. I have NOT bought the book yet, but have watched the first two webcasts and they were really good. And if you miss the webcast on Monday nights you can catch it again on Tuesdays. If you want to watch on Monday night it's on at 8pm EST and just go to madetocrave.org to view it. I was thinking about buying the whole study and doing it with some friends. Just wondering if any of you were following it too? I'd love to post about it and chat about it if anyone else is interested.
OK, next up - do any of you follow any of the following blogs; Ann Voskamp's Holy Experience, The Mom Creative, Bring the Rain or {in}Courage?? If you DO - maybe you've heard all about the Bloom book club and the fact that they are using Ann's book for their newest book choice! Her book about One Thousand Gifts has been getting rave reviews and has been moving up the top ten list at Amazon.com. Her blog is the reason I started counting my own list of 1,000 Gifts. I ordered the book and am sooooo excited to take part in this online book club community! My question is ... are any of you planning to do it too? The book is really affordable at only 10 bucks! Please comment here if you plan to participate!
Lastly, I have to bring up something I really don't like to talk about. I really like MckMama's blog, love reading about her gorgeous kids, seeing her beautiful photography and seeing her passion for Jesus. But lately I'm feeling like I really want to stop following her blog. The really sad thing to me is that it has absolutely nothing to do with her or her blog. It's the readers and the comments! It's not often that I actually read her comments but when I do I'm so saddened by how cruel and mean people are. And sometimes she responds to people's questions, like she did on this recent post - and you can see by many of the questions that people are being just downright mean and cruel and trying to call her a liar and accuse her of being something she's not. The whole thing just makes me really sad. I know I can't control all the mean people of the world and I know it's not really a valid reason to 'leave' her blog over - but I find it makes me angry and becomes a real stumbling block for me. Thoughts?
OK, I know I've given you a lot to think about and comment on so let's hear it!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Valentine Craftin'
My house was sooo ready to move on from winter decor ... so I've been checking out some cool crafty Valentine ideas online lately and decided it was time to jump in on the fun.
I used all items that I already had to make 2 really cute Valentine frames.
This is what I started with - cute, yes - but the photos are old and I liked the long frame so I decided to re-purpose it ...
Then I popped the burlap covered poster board back into the frame ...
I had these glittered hearts that I bought last year AFTER Valentine's day for about 75 cents ... I decided to use one of the small ones for the 'O' in LOVE.
Then I cut out the l, v, and e by drawing the letters on white paper, then flipping them over and tracing them on the wrong side of some cute scrapbook paper I had ...
After the letters were cut out I backed them with some white cardstock to give it a little more pop ...
And added some glittery jewels with hot glue ...
Then I used hot glue {again} to attached the letters and the heart in place on top of the burlap! I "love" the finished result!
Next project! I used another frame I already had and some more scrapbook paper ... I glued the paper onto the back of the frame ...
This is a close up of the paper...
OK - I skipped a couple steps when I was taking photos, but then I layered the glittery heart over another piece of white cardstock - then added a cute tag that says 'Because you love me' and voila!
And those, my friends, are my two crafty Valentine projects! As soon as I get my house in order and finish decorating I will show you where I decided to display them in my home.
I used all items that I already had to make 2 really cute Valentine frames.
This is what I started with - cute, yes - but the photos are old and I liked the long frame so I decided to re-purpose it ...
First, I wrapped some burlap around the poster board that came with the frame. I used hot glue to hold the burlap in place ...
Then I popped the burlap covered poster board back into the frame ...
I had these glittered hearts that I bought last year AFTER Valentine's day for about 75 cents ... I decided to use one of the small ones for the 'O' in LOVE.
Then I cut out the l, v, and e by drawing the letters on white paper, then flipping them over and tracing them on the wrong side of some cute scrapbook paper I had ...
After the letters were cut out I backed them with some white cardstock to give it a little more pop ...
And added some glittery jewels with hot glue ...
Then I used hot glue {again} to attached the letters and the heart in place on top of the burlap! I "love" the finished result!
Next project! I used another frame I already had and some more scrapbook paper ... I glued the paper onto the back of the frame ...
This is a close up of the paper...
OK - I skipped a couple steps when I was taking photos, but then I layered the glittery heart over another piece of white cardstock - then added a cute tag that says 'Because you love me' and voila!
And those, my friends, are my two crafty Valentine projects! As soon as I get my house in order and finish decorating I will show you where I decided to display them in my home. Have a great weekend friends!!
I'm linking this post to the Weekend Wrap Up Party at Tatortots and Jello ... go check it out!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Menu Plan {and other stuff}
Hey friends! Sorry for the lack of posts this week. It's been a busy week and we've had a lot going on. I have a few random things to share but I'll do the menu plan first ... so if you're not interested in the menu just skip to the bottom!
Mon - since it was a holiday we spent the day with Bob's family so we could celebrate Christmas together. So we didn't get the menu written until Monday night and then groceries bought today ...
Tues.
BF - Cereal & Yogurt
SN - Bananas & PB
LUN - Meatball grinders {using up leftovers from Sun.}
SN - Fig Newtons & Peaches
SUP - Soup & Salad
DES - Pudding
Wed.
BF - Oatmeal & yogurt
SN - Pears
LUN - Deli Sandwiches
SN - none
SUP - early, easy supper before we head out for Awana - Ravioli
DES - Apple crisps
Thur.
BF - Eggs & Toast
SN - Bananas & PB
LUN - Spagettios
SN - Fruit cocktail
SUP - Pork tenderloin {in the crock pot so it will be done when we get home from basketball practice}
DES - Jello
Fri.
BF - Muffins
SN - peaches & cool whip
LUN - @Grandma's
SN - @Grandma's
SUP - Girls @ Grandma's - hubby & I DATE night!
Sat.
BF - waffles
SN - yogurt
LUN - not at home
SN - ?
SUP - Chicken Parm & pasta
Sun.
BF - eggs sandwiches
LUN - at a friend's house
SUP - ?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I asked you all to pray for our friends from church awhile ago. At the time the husband, Sean was going through pancreatic cancer. I wanted to share with you that Sean was called home to glory last Tuesday night. Would you join me in continuing to pray for Jen {his wife} and their two precious boys, John & Hunter? I'm so thankful that 'Because HE lives, we can face the tomorrow' and I know that Jen CAN and WILL face tomorrow and WILL get through this with the strength of our Father's hand. But I also know that grief is a terrible thing that can knock you down and crush you under it's weight. I know Jen would appreciate your prayers on her behalf. {The funeral will be this Saturday morning if you'd like to pray on that morning.}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our oldest daughter Hope scored her first basket this Saturday! She is playing basketball through Upward which is a fabulous Christian organization. The first week she got hit in the face by a ball in the first 15 min and since she has braces the ball made her braces cut her lip. She was very much shaken up. But this week went off without a hitch and she was THRILLED to score a basket!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We have had a lot of snow this past week. The girls have been loving it and even though it's been freezing cold, they've been out playing in it pretty much every day. I'm so glad they can get outside, the fresh air is so good for them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I've been doing a lot of reading and crafting lately. Trying to make reading a priority as I have so many awesome books and I want to read them all.
Well, I sorta feel like I'm rambling. Hope everyone is having a good week!
Mon - since it was a holiday we spent the day with Bob's family so we could celebrate Christmas together. So we didn't get the menu written until Monday night and then groceries bought today ...
Tues.
BF - Cereal & Yogurt
SN - Bananas & PB
LUN - Meatball grinders {using up leftovers from Sun.}
SN - Fig Newtons & Peaches
SUP - Soup & Salad
DES - Pudding
Wed.
BF - Oatmeal & yogurt
SN - Pears
LUN - Deli Sandwiches
SN - none
SUP - early, easy supper before we head out for Awana - Ravioli
DES - Apple crisps
Thur.
BF - Eggs & Toast
SN - Bananas & PB
LUN - Spagettios
SN - Fruit cocktail
SUP - Pork tenderloin {in the crock pot so it will be done when we get home from basketball practice}
DES - Jello
Fri.
BF - Muffins
SN - peaches & cool whip
LUN - @Grandma's
SN - @Grandma's
SUP - Girls @ Grandma's - hubby & I DATE night!
Sat.
BF - waffles
SN - yogurt
LUN - not at home
SN - ?
SUP - Chicken Parm & pasta
Sun.
BF - eggs sandwiches
LUN - at a friend's house
SUP - ?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I asked you all to pray for our friends from church awhile ago. At the time the husband, Sean was going through pancreatic cancer. I wanted to share with you that Sean was called home to glory last Tuesday night. Would you join me in continuing to pray for Jen {his wife} and their two precious boys, John & Hunter? I'm so thankful that 'Because HE lives, we can face the tomorrow' and I know that Jen CAN and WILL face tomorrow and WILL get through this with the strength of our Father's hand. But I also know that grief is a terrible thing that can knock you down and crush you under it's weight. I know Jen would appreciate your prayers on her behalf. {The funeral will be this Saturday morning if you'd like to pray on that morning.}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our oldest daughter Hope scored her first basket this Saturday! She is playing basketball through Upward which is a fabulous Christian organization. The first week she got hit in the face by a ball in the first 15 min and since she has braces the ball made her braces cut her lip. She was very much shaken up. But this week went off without a hitch and she was THRILLED to score a basket!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We have had a lot of snow this past week. The girls have been loving it and even though it's been freezing cold, they've been out playing in it pretty much every day. I'm so glad they can get outside, the fresh air is so good for them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I've been doing a lot of reading and crafting lately. Trying to make reading a priority as I have so many awesome books and I want to read them all.
Well, I sorta feel like I'm rambling. Hope everyone is having a good week!
Monday, January 10, 2011
1,000 Gifts {aka photos from our week}
*working with fantastic friends at the flower shop on NYE - they make work so much fun!
*hosting a group of fun friends here at our home on NYE - good food, good friends, lots of laughter - good times!
*a day to rest and re-group
*brownies and coffee on a Saturday afternoon
*watching movies together 
*dinner out with my family {and awesome hush puppies w/ maple butter - YUM!} 
*ice skating with my family {ie. PE class!} 
*Panera with a good friend 
*a fantastic music teacher for the girls!
*hosting a group of fun friends here at our home on NYE - good food, good friends, lots of laughter - good times!
*a day to rest and re-group*brownies and coffee on a Saturday afternoon
*watching movies together*a Sunday school that is bursting at the seams
*groceries to fill our pantry and fridge
*dinner out with my family {and awesome hush puppies w/ maple butter - YUM!}*a brand new school semester
*a chilly winter walk in the woods
*being back to routines
*ice skating with my family {ie. PE class!}*yummy hot cocoa
*a good chiropractor for when you're silly and injure yourself tripping over a cardboard box
*Panera with a good friend*a great walk by myself in the cold winter air - a good time to reflect, pray and just be at peace with my thoughts
*a really great school week - accomplished SO much more than I had hoped for the first week back
*a fantastic music teacher for the girls! *enjoying my cup of eggnog coffee while I read 'Bringing up Girls' and take notes
*the blessing of being part of our MOMS group 
*an awesome hubby who likes to cook and doesn't mind doing it even after working all day 
*American Girl tea parties with my girlies on a snowy, cold, Saturday afternoon 
*laughing, giggling and being silly together
*the blessing of being part of our MOMS group*the gift of good health and an able body
*an awesome hubby who likes to cook and doesn't mind doing it even after working all day*Hope's first basketball game - and even though she got injured early in the game - she overcame and stuck it out with her team till the end.
*being part of a sports organization that cares more about the kids and their character than about scoring points
*American Girl tea parties with my girlies on a snowy, cold, Saturday afternoon*LOTS and LOTS of fresh snow this week!
*laughing, giggling and being silly together*going to a birthday party and seeing friends we haven't seen in a while
*more ice skating! yay!
*more ice skating! yay! *the whole family helping me grocery shop
*learning to wake up early - and finding the most gorgeous blessing of it when I look out and see an amazing sunrise!
*girls who LOVE to read!
*My Dad - who has been in glory for 7 yrs as of today - he was an amazing man, who taught me so much and had faith that would move mountains. 
*my friend, Lynn. She has been the hands and feet of Christ in a BIG way lately - she is truly a fantastic example of Christlikeness to me and I'm so thankful to have her in my life.
*how simple pleasures, like pudding in a fancy glass, can bring smiles aplenty!
*learning to wake up early - and finding the most gorgeous blessing of it when I look out and see an amazing sunrise!
*girls who LOVE to read!
*My Dad - who has been in glory for 7 yrs as of today - he was an amazing man, who taught me so much and had faith that would move mountains. *My Mom - whose faithfulness, strength and Christlikeness are such a great example to me.
*my parents - who together had a wonderful marriage and raised me to know and love the Lord. I am forever grateful!
*my friend, Lynn. She has been the hands and feet of Christ in a BIG way lately - she is truly a fantastic example of Christlikeness to me and I'm so thankful to have her in my life.
*how simple pleasures, like pudding in a fancy glass, can bring smiles aplenty!*puppy hiccups
{{1,000 Gifts #246-283}}
Menu Plan Monday
OK friends, one of my new things I'm trying to do is be more on the ball and intentional with my menu planning. I feel that we spend less and eat healthier when I plan ahead and have necessary items on hand. Since I was successful with this last week I figured I'd try again this week. My family and I all sat together at dinner on Saturday night and made a plan for the whole week. I love that we ALL contributed to it!
Here we go!
Monday
BF - Muffins/yogurt
SN - 100 calorie pks/applesauce
LU - Deli sandwiches
SN - granola bars
DIN - Chicken Chimichangas
SN - pudding
Tuesday
BF - cereal/yogurt
SN - bananas & PB
{the girls spend Tues afternoons with Grandma and Grandpa and my hubs is at work - so I'm on my own for meals that day}.
LU - @Grandma's
SN - @Grandma's
DIN - @Grandma's
SN - @Grandma's
Wednesday
BF - Baked Oatmeal
SN - apple & cheesestick
LU - Ravioli
SN - smoothies
DIN - Sandwiches {Awana night so it has to be simple}
SN - apple crumble
Thursday
BF - Eggs/toast
SN - canned fruit/ fig newtons
LU - Soup
SN - bananas/PB
DIN - Crock pot whole chicken {cooks while we're at basketball and ready when we get home}
SN - jello
Friday
BF - cereal/yogurt
SN - crackers and cheese
LU - deli sandwiches
SN - smoothies
{family movie night}
DIN - homemade pizzas
SN - sherbert
Saturday
BF - waffles
SN - yogurt
LU - leftovers
SN - **treat**
DIN - turkey burgers and fries
SN - Prob won't have one since we eat dinner kinda late on Saturdays ...
I'm sure we will add in some side dishes and veggies to most of these days - but at least we have a pretty good idea of how things will go. Last week I wrote **treat** on Saturday afternoon and the girls were begging ALL WEEK to know what the surprise treat would be ... they were very excited when I pulled out brownies from the freezer and we had them with an American Girl tea party on Saturday afternoon!! {more on that later!}
Here we go!
Monday
BF - Muffins/yogurt
SN - 100 calorie pks/applesauce
LU - Deli sandwiches
SN - granola bars
DIN - Chicken Chimichangas
SN - pudding
Tuesday
BF - cereal/yogurt
SN - bananas & PB
{the girls spend Tues afternoons with Grandma and Grandpa and my hubs is at work - so I'm on my own for meals that day}.
LU - @Grandma's
SN - @Grandma's
DIN - @Grandma's
SN - @Grandma's
Wednesday
BF - Baked Oatmeal
SN - apple & cheesestick
LU - Ravioli
SN - smoothies
DIN - Sandwiches {Awana night so it has to be simple}
SN - apple crumble
Thursday
BF - Eggs/toast
SN - canned fruit/ fig newtons
LU - Soup
SN - bananas/PB
DIN - Crock pot whole chicken {cooks while we're at basketball and ready when we get home}
SN - jello
Friday
BF - cereal/yogurt
SN - crackers and cheese
LU - deli sandwiches
SN - smoothies
{family movie night}
DIN - homemade pizzas
SN - sherbert
Saturday
BF - waffles
SN - yogurt
LU - leftovers
SN - **treat**
DIN - turkey burgers and fries
SN - Prob won't have one since we eat dinner kinda late on Saturdays ...
I'm sure we will add in some side dishes and veggies to most of these days - but at least we have a pretty good idea of how things will go. Last week I wrote **treat** on Saturday afternoon and the girls were begging ALL WEEK to know what the surprise treat would be ... they were very excited when I pulled out brownies from the freezer and we had them with an American Girl tea party on Saturday afternoon!! {more on that later!}
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Happy Birthday Gracie-girl!
Our puppy Gracie is ONE year old today!
This is the photo we got of her when we were trying to choose a puppy - we loved the mix of colors on her face and just thought she was adorable so we chose her to be ours! Her name was already Gracie and even though it rhymed with our other dog's name {Casey}, we decided we liked it and kept it for her.
This is her first day at home with us! She was so cute and cuddly when we picked her up!
Some of the early days when we first had her ...
Casey looks HUGE compared to her in this photo - Casey looks like she's protecting her! hahaha
When she was little she would LAY DOWN to eat her food from her bowl - we thought she was sooo lazy!
She would sleep in her crate with her head hanging out ...
These two girls simply ADORE her!
This picture cracks me up ... I have never known a dog that actually liked to sleep on it's back - but Gracie does! She still does it even now! She will still snuggle on my lap and if I start petting her she will roll over on to her back, spread her legs and want me to rub her belly! Then she'll fall asleep like that and snore away! She loves it! Too funny!!
The girls put socks on her one day and it was so funny!
She loves to lay on or sit in her bowls, this girl is always hungry and just sits there until someone gives her something! hahaha
This is the photo we got of her when we were trying to choose a puppy - we loved the mix of colors on her face and just thought she was adorable so we chose her to be ours! Her name was already Gracie and even though it rhymed with our other dog's name {Casey}, we decided we liked it and kept it for her.
This is her first day at home with us! She was so cute and cuddly when we picked her up!
Some of the early days when we first had her ...
Casey looks HUGE compared to her in this photo - Casey looks like she's protecting her! hahaha
When she was little she would LAY DOWN to eat her food from her bowl - we thought she was sooo lazy!
She would sleep in her crate with her head hanging out ...
These two girls simply ADORE her!
This picture cracks me up ... I have never known a dog that actually liked to sleep on it's back - but Gracie does! She still does it even now! She will still snuggle on my lap and if I start petting her she will roll over on to her back, spread her legs and want me to rub her belly! Then she'll fall asleep like that and snore away! She loves it! Too funny!!
The girls put socks on her one day and it was so funny!
She loves to lay on or sit in her bowls, this girl is always hungry and just sits there until someone gives her something! hahaha
There have been some crazy moments this year when I've literally thought that I wanted to give her away. She's a very high-spirited dog and can be so crazy and out of control sometimes.
But she's also a sweetheart who loves to cuddle and who we have really enjoyed having in our family. She cracks me up almost daily with her funny antics. Sometimes she gets so revved up that she will crash into walls because she's not paying attention to where she's going. Last night the girls and I were playing Chutes and Ladders and were spinning the spinner thingy - suddenly Gracie leaped onto the table and went after the spinner! We all jumped because it totally took us by surprise! She does funny things like that all the time.
So despite the moments when I want to kill her ... she really is a great addition to our family and we love her very much!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRACIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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