December

Two years ago, in the month of December, Jason lost his job.  I still remember the pain of standing in line at Walmart returning most of my kids' Christmas presents (all but the socks and underwear that they needed) so we could use the money to buy groceries instead.  As a parent, that was one of the most difficult things I've done.  As I sit here today and look at our brightly lit Christmas tree, I see so many presents under the tree that we cannot fit any more.  Some are from grandparents, some are from aunts and uncles and some are from us.  I also see what a difference two years makes on a person's heart. 

Losing a job made us take a step back and realize what is important in life.  Made us realize the difference between wants and needs.  Makes us question each and every purchase we make.  For some people, they are too proud to admit that they spend too much.  That they want to keep up with the "Joneses".  That most of their purchases are wants and not needs.  So many people don't have a clue what it's like to wonder how they are going to buy food to put on the table the next day, toilet paper, laundry soap and gas for their vehicle to get them to a job interview when it comes around.  I'd like to say, "please feel sorry for me", but that is not how I feel.  I'm proud of how we changed because of these circumstances.  After Jason got a job and we were SLOWLY digging ourselves out of the pit (which we are still digging, by the way) we made a commitment to take how ever long it took to spend our money on mostly needs and let the wants go.  For over a year, we've been looking forward to December 2011 and the coming year of 2012 when we had things paid off.  I can proudly say that for an entire year, we have done an amazing job and we've made it to December 2011!  (even with an unexpected expense of replacing a tire on a vehicle a week and a half before Christmas!)

I am so thankful for a husband who realizes as much as I do how important it is for me to be home and available for our kids and not at a job relying on other people to take them places or care for them.  I am thankful for a husband who goes to work each and every day to provide for our family.  We may not have all the money in the world, but we've realized it's not money that makes a family happy.  It's spending time together, getting by with whatever God provides, and loving each other no matter what. 

Besides the budget changes, I have made other changes in my life that have changed me in so many ways.  I am eating healthier, exercising and can proudly say I am 5 pant sizes smaller than I was in 2010.  As I said in my previous post, my fitness goal was to log 2520 minutes of exercise in 2011.  I am officially at 2420.   (December 21st)  Last night I spent an hour on the treadmill.  2 years ago I had a hard time staying focused and staying on for 30 minutes. 

As I ponder 2011 and wait for the year 2012 to arrive, I can honestly say that even through the struggles and difficult times, I am blessed beyond measure.  I have an amazing husband who loves me, three beautiful children who are caring, loving people and whom I think the world of and God has provided us with a warm home, food in the pantry, friends and family and so, so much more.  I give God all the glory in all that we have.  He is faithful! 

Happy Birthday, Jesus!  We WILL celebrate your birth...the reason for the season.

A Better Me

Some people make New Years Resolutions.  I like to be different.  It seems like autumn and the changing of the colors makes me want to change ME. Last year in August I began an adventure...to change me, FOREVER!

I started this journey at 228 pounds!  A size 20/22.  That's me above at around 228.  By October, I was in a size 16 and weighed about 195 and by January 2011 I was 183 and in a size 12.  Although I am excited to still be in a size 12 (my wedding dress was a 14/16 so it was early high school since I've been in a size 12)  I want to keep going on this lifestyle change.  At this point it's not about looks.  It's about being healthy and taking care of me.  I have been a member of Sparkpeople.com for several years now.  It's a wonderful website that helps track your calorie intake, excercise, etc.  Plus it has tons of pointers, tips and help in losing weight and getting healthy.  So far this year I have tracked 2200 fitness minutes...and my goal for the year is 2520.  I think I'm going to exceed my goal!  There is no way I could have jogged on the treadmill for even a minute a year ago.  Now I have no problem getting on to walk/jog and before I know it I've been on for 30-40 minutes or more.  I am one of those weird people who actually likes to work out.  I love the way it makes me feel when I am finished.  I feel like I accomplished something.  I have more energy to get through the day. 

Some things that I have realized since losing 45 pounds:

I love being able tighten my belt, until finally it just doesn't fit any more.

I had to have my wedding ring resized - smaller and it's still too big.  I had to donate the rest of my rings.

I am able to keep up with my kids (and some times am able to out run them)

New under garments were a must

Buying new jeans while still losing weight is not recommended.  Yes, I did own a pair of jeans in every size from 20 to 12.  (I no longer have my bigger jeans as I will NEVER be in them again)

My seat belt fits better.
Being able to fit into clothes in the ladies clothing section and not having to go to the "big girls'" section is so fun.  (I still find myself going to the "big girls'" section out of habit)

I was able to actually tighten the seat belt in the airplane...and have quite a bit of extra slack!

I have had to get an entire new wardrobe, including jeans, shirts, undergarments, jackets, belts, etc.  I am still amazed every time I put on my coat that I once could not zip and now it's pretty loose, even when wearing a bulky sweatshirt or sweater!  Thank goodness for Goodwill and Salvation Army to help me along the way in my journey.

I could go on and on.  I plan to use my blog as an accountability tool to keep me on track thru the rest of the year and beyond.  I WILL break my fitness goal.  I am hoping to be in a size 8 or 10 by next summer when our family goes to Florida to stay in a condo on the beach!  I honestly don't remember EVER being in a size 8 or 10.  Maybe middle school?  We'll see.

My Journey....to be continued.....

Do Not Worry

Once again, God has softly spoken to me. 

Yesterday morning I received a phone call from an 800 number.  We have caller ID and always allow the answering machine to get these calls.  The call was from "Wells Fargo Fraud Dept" saying that we had some suspicious activity on our card....Long story short, I called this number and it ended up being a pfishing number and not actually Wells Fargo's Fraud Dept.  I got a red flag and hung up and called the REAL fraud department to report the two charges on my account that we did not make.

I spent the next 8-10 hours on the phone with bankers, waiting for a police officer to come to my house to file a police report, on the phone with friends and family who were so wonderful and were worried about us, etc.  The funny thing is, I was not concerned or worried this entire time.  God tells us, "Do not be anxious about anything" Phil. 4:6.  He spoke this to me all day and I truly knew this.  Our God is so much bigger than this tiny little issue we were having.  It's His money after all...so don't you think He'd be in charge of what was happening with it?  Of course He is!

Our good friend is a banker at Wells Fargo and had heard what we were dealing with, immediately called us and has been so wonderful in staying on top of this and watching our account throughout the day and making sure the correct process was in fact taking place.  SO thankful for him!  God knew this was all going to happen this way and put our friend in this position to help his fellow brother and sister in Christ, and as a small little human I stand in awe of HIS plan. 

Our account was drained by these people, and our account was overdrawn.  This morning I got up and checked our account.  One of the charges that were pending yesterday did indeed clear.  I immediately called the number I was told to call (the REAL fraud dept number).  Our account is now above negative and things are starting to look up. 

No need to worry...God had this chapter in our lives written long ago....and as His children, we have to trust  in His ending of this chapter as well.  (Surrender)

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap, or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?  Matt. 6:26

Oh what a comfort that is to me today!

What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?

It's Finally Fall

I love fall!

I am a blogger.

I love to check out other blogs.

I love my Pinterest!

(www.pinterest.com)



Pumpkins and Scarecrows

With all that said...and so many websites out there right now with such great decorating ideas...

Here is a great blog:  The Lettered Cottage with lots of fall decorating ideas if you scroll to the bottom of the page.  Since so many bloggers are sharing their Fall decorating, I thought I'd join the party.



Our fireplace mantel.  My favorite place to decorate.





a close up of the mantel



I love my scarecrow in his wagon.

Our cabinet in our kitchen

Happy Fall Y'all

God Spoke To Me Today

Yep, you read the title correctly.  God clearly spoke to me today.  No I did not hear his audible voice, but I sure felt his voice in my heart.  

A little over a year ago I was a witness to a crime while at work.  A little over a month ago I received a subpoena to testify as a witness against these two men.  Things like this just make me want to crawl in a padded cell and live safely in my soft place.  I have been terrified, anxious, worried, etc about walking in the courtroom with many eyes completely on me and having all these people's attention on my answers.  Makes me want to have an anxiety attack right now just thinking about it.  Guess what else has been going on the past month or so since I received the subpoena?  God has been talking to me. 
In my mind... a bible verse has kept repeating over and over every time I thought about the upcoming court date. 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:6-7

Hearing this in my mind, I was reminded to pray...and take these fears and anxieties to God and talk to Him about them.  Which I did.  A LOT!  This past Thursday I had to meet with the District Attorney to go over any questions he had and any questions I had.  I was told by his secretary that there was a possibility that the guy who's trial was coming the following Tuesday was considering a plea deal.  I didn't want to get my hopes up, but I once again took it to God and begged for this to happen.  I received a phone call on Friday from this same secretary saying, in deed, he took the plea deal and will be in the care of the justice system for 45 years.....NO TRIAL! 

This is not the end of the story.  Jason had already arranged to have Wednesday off (this was the day the District Attorney told me I'd be called as a witness).  So today....the day that I had feared for over a month, was spent on the bank of the Platte River with him fishing and me relaxing on my comfy lawn chair and bible in hand.  We enjoyed a wonderful picnic lunch, driving along the river, stopping in different spots so Jason could fish and I enjoyed reading.  This almost didn't happen as another answered prayer came the end of last week as Jason received word that he got the job he had been wanting for months.  He thought that his new boss would want him at work, but found out last minute that he would still have the day off. 

How did God speak to me?  He repeatedly put that verse in my mind and then gently whispered, "I told you the TRUTH." today as we enjoyed the unexpected blessing of spending the day together with no trial to worry about.  God really does mean it when He says, "do not be anxious about anything"....Trust in Him, he IS TRUTH!

Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?  Matthew 6:27

A perfect day?

     Today was almost a perfect day.  Woke up to coffee brewing (although my filter folded over, thus having coffee grounds in my coffee).  The temperature was cooler than normal outside and and we had slept with our windows open.  A chilly 67* in the house. 
After a few hours of doing my morning "stuff" I headed upstairs to wake the hubby and to take a shower.  Then we were off to start the day. 
We started by going to Starbucks.  I was just going to get my usual, and then decided to ask if they had Pumpkin Spice lattes yet.  YES!  So I happily left Starbucks with a Skinny PS Latte in one hand and a low fat cinnamon coffee cake in the other.  Aw! 
We then headed to Parker.  Denver is having their Parade of Homes so we had our list of addresses in hand, GPS aka LOLA and headed off to our first house.  We spent the next few hours touring a few million dollar homes and the rest were a little less expensive.  We got a lot of great decorating ideas that we won't be able to afford until we're 90, got some great exercise walking from our parking spot up the street to the houses and up and down the stairs in each home, and have decided we're pretty happy with the house God has blessed us with.  We then took a break from touring homes to take in the Nebraska Husker game at the Fowl Line.  For those not familiar with the Fowl Line, it is an awesome sports bar right here in Castle Rock owned by a guy formerly from Burwell, Nebraska.  Visit it on Nebraska game day, and you will walk thru the doors to see a sea of RED!  If you aren't a Nebraska fan, you might was well find somewhere else to enjoy lunch, dinner or your beer.  As if that wasn't a big enough plug for Fowl Line, they have the BEST sesame chicken wings ever!  GO BIG RED!  (in case you were wondering, the Huskers DID win)
We then decided to visit a few more homes here in Castle Rock that were part of the Parade of Homes. 
We are now home and I'm realizing after such an amazing day, how much I love fall. 
My top ten reasons why I love Fall:
1. The crispness in the air...and being able to have the windows open
2. As much as I love having my kids home during the summer, it really is nice to have the house to myself during the days after they go back to school.
3. The smells of fall.  Pumpkin, apple pie, Cinnamon, etc.  I have officially pulled my fall candles out and have two of them burning. 
4. PUMPKIN SPICE LATTES from Starbucks.  Nuff said!
5. Not a big fan of football, but there's just something about having my family all gathered in the family room and the sound of football on the television.  Me curled up under a blanket with a good book.
6. The colors.  From the changing colors of the leaves to all the fall decorations.  Love them!
7. Fall decor.  I do love my fall decorations!  There is just something about hay bails and scarecrows.
8. The beginning of a new season.  Not just weather, but also a life change.  Daily schedules change with kids going back to school, new bible studies are starting, etc.
9. No more shorts.  I love sweaters, sweatshirts and jackets. 
10. Snuggling under a comfy blanket on a cool fall evening with the windows open.
It is only Sept. 3rd so I do still have a few more weeks of summer.  Then I will gladly pack up the shorts and tank tops and enjoy fall as long as God allows it to stick around before the nasty white stuff aka snow starts to fall and ruin my enjoyment of fall.
Until next time, HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!

Is It Really August?

"Time flies" or "enjoy every second".  I used to get annoyed by adults telling me this all the time.  Now I totally understand what they were saying.  Did I take the advice of enjoying every second seriously?  No, I didn't realize they really meant it, until it was too late. 

Today was Back To School day.  All three of my kids started school. 

One a senior...I got a little teary-eyed when I had him pose by the door with his back pack on.  I had to bribe him and as the words left my mouth...it hit me.  "this is the last time you'll have to do this".  OH WOW!  How did this day come?! 

My daughter is now a sophomore and my youngest is a fifth grader.  Most people my age are sending off their grade schoolers, not high schoolers.  But I wouldn't take back a second.  As Sam hugged me good-bye for the day he said, "wow, you've gotten skinny."  Apparently the kid hasn't paid much attention when hugging me since I lost my weight, which was a year ago this month. LOL  Not that I would ever consider myself skinny.  Maybe skinnier is the correct way to describe me. 

Today I get to spend the day with an old friend.  No, she's not old...but she's been a friend for all but about 6 months of my life as a mother.  In May of 1994 Jason and I began our married life together and moved to Biloxi, Mississippi, where we met John and Becky.  The guys were both in the Air Force and Becky and I were both stay-at-home moms.  In fact, Becky was the one with Peyton when she took her first steps.  Jason and I had gone out for our anniversary and when we got back to pick up the kids, she told me that Peyton had taken a few steps.  I am not angry or sad.  I am glad it was Becky!

Now off to get ready for the day...it's 8:30am....I could still be sleeping if it wasn't for school.

This is the day the Lord has made;  let us rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:24

A Crazy Week

Whew, am I glad it's Friday, although this doesn't mean the end of the craziness in our house. 

The craziness in our house isn't a bad thing, just something to adjust to.  Tuesday, Thursday and today we've had the pleasure of having a two year old in our house.  Schedules have had to change according to nap time, trips to the potty, etc.  Not a bad thing, just not what we're used to these days.  He's a very good boy and we've had fun while he's been here.  We visited the library and got to go in the little kids area...haven't been in there for many years!  I have a sippy cup laying on the floor, Clifford the Big Red Dog on the television, and a cheerio mine scattered through out the house. 

Tuesday, Peyton arrived safely home from a week long trip to Montana with a friend.  I said a big thank you to God for their safe travels and a fun trip for them!  Another reminder that the phrase my mom repeated to me many times growing up is true:  Absence makes the heart grow fonder.  I sure did miss my "little" girl!

Wednesday I spent time trying to figure out what errands I needed to run in the next few days, making grocery lists, thinking about school supplies, driving Peyton, Doug and Sam to play golf, running to the cell phone store because in all of this my phone decided this was the day it was done working, and trying to clean house and get laundry done.

Thursday morning is kind of when the craziness got more crazy.  Two year old arrived early (like before 7:30am).  I am organizing the fall women's bible study at church so had to make some sign-up sheets, power points, etc and knew I needed to get them to church some time before Saturday.  Also on the agenda: go to Peyton's school to pick up pancake fundraiser tickets and run to the dollar store for some picture stands. (Wanna buy a ticket for a pancake breakfast at Applebee's on Sept. 6th?)  Hubby was working from home that day which always throws a small wrench in our schedule...again, not a bad thing, just an adjustment from our "normal" day.  As the family began to wake up and come downstairs...the day began.  Peyton came downstairs and informed us that she had made the decision to try out for American Idol.   WHEW!  That just thru a very large wrench in our plans for the next few days!  So we ran our few errands, came home and had lunch and then had to wade thru the paperwork and rules and regulations for one to audition.  My schedule did not allow me to take Peyton to Invesco Field during the afternoon to register and get her wristband.  We had our small group bible study at our house in the evening so were not able to take her then either.  So as the plans unfolded, it was decided to take her up there at 10pm after our small group left.  As I looked through the paper work, we realized in order for our friend to take her today, we had to get a notary to sign a release for guardianship.  Off to the bank at 6pm to get that done.
So around 5:30pm, Two Year Old's daddy came to pick him up, Jason left with Peyton and Jen to get the paper notarized,  and Two Year Old's mommy arrived.  Two Year Old and family left, Jason and Peyton got home from the bank and then we had to eat a quick dinner before people started arriving for small group. 
Just hit the start button on the coffee pot and our first guests arrived at the door. 
Small group left around 9:30-9:45 and a few minutes later we were in the car headed to Invesco Field. We got up there to find that there was NO line like we thought we might encounter.  They got the wristbands and the "low down" on what was going to happen today.  As we were walking out, the security guards asked Peyton if they could hear her sing so she gave us a two minute concert right outside the gates of Invesco Field. 

Peyton outside of Invesco

This morning Two Year Old is here again, Peyton is sitting in Invesco Field with Jen waiting for her section to get called for auditions and making a memory that will last her whole life!  I'm such a proud mommy!

The craziness doesn't stop there.  We have a hike scheduled tonight with our college bible study group and then they are all coming back to our house for pizza/hot dogs and to play cards.  Then tomorrow Jason and I are off to Loveland for HeavenFest.  We are both volunteering there and have different schedules.  Sunday our company arrives and will be here a week...and the following week my kids go back to school.  Do you have any idea how sad this mom is that summer break is coming to an end!!!?

So, I will cherish the craziness for the next week, because that means my kids are "home". 

Thank you, LORD, for my three amazing children who make me smile each and every day and make me proud to be called "mom"!

camping, family, birthdays, and friends

This past week was filled with camping, s'mores, hiking, family time, swimming, a birthday party and being with friends. 
Hubby was in charge of the men's church fishing trip and had no one sign up to go.  Which of course we saw as a blessing and took advantage of him having three days off right before a weekend.  We packed and headed south to go camping.  We found a great camp site right in the middle of the mountains.  Pitched our tent and that is where we called home for a few days.  The next few days were spent fishing (the river was right across the street from our campground), taking a day trip to Ouray to see Box Canyon Falls (BREATH TAKING!), eating s'mores and chatting around the campfire before hitting the air mattress and snuggling into the sleeping bags for the cold night ahead.  We camped in a campground that was right in the middle of an open range so we had cows walking by all day/night long.  The last night several of them got into our campground and walked right next to our tent.  No need to worry about the bears eating us!  Cows are much tastier!
We got home Friday evening and unpacked and got the laundry all washed from our dusty camping trip.
Saturday Jason and I took a trip to Goodwill.  Another wonderful trip to the Goodwill!  Lots of treasures were found...and bought.
In the afternoon we went to the pool.  Our pool requires kids to pass a swim test if they are going to be in the pool without an adult.  Sam was unable to do this and I was getting frustrated at the fact that he either had to sit out with me, or I had to get in with him.  So we decided to sign him up for private swim lessons.  His first lesson was the morning we left for camping.  He did a great job, but no where ready to pass a swim test.  Well, after spending a half hour with him Saturday working on what he learned at his lesson, he was ready.  He PASSED his test and is officially able to swim a whole length of the pool by himself. 
Today was spent at our good friends' house celebrating our little friend's 2nd birthday!  As I think back on all that has happened to bring us to this day, it makes me smile.  Watching this little guys' parents start dating.  Having his daddy live with us for a few months before they were married.  Although we had our trials, I'd do it all again!  Love that guy!  Knowing that he was going to propose as we all sat and waited for them to get back from their hike.  Then getting to watch as they said their vows.  I remember the day that little Solomon was born.  His first birthday as he dove into his bday cake, nose first!  And now he's two.  "two in June" is what he's been saying for the past couple of months.  Although these are friends, I feel as if they are our family!  Love them all to pieces! 

Feeling pretty blessed as I look back on the past week.  The beauty of His creation.  Mountains, water falls, mighty rivers.  The beauty of family.  The beauty of friendships that have grown closer each year.  How could you not feel blessed by all that He provides?

Just some thoughts

I really haven't had a lot to blog about lately.  Been feeling a little lost and not sure where I should be in life.  As a stay-at-home mom, I am just here, doing the dishes, folding laundry, and driving kids here or there when they need it.  Dinner is expected.  When we run out of toilet paper, milk, or bananas they run to me.  Sometimes it's a thank-less job.  But if you really think about it, although I don't get told thank you for emptying the dishwasher, being a stay-at-home mom is an important job. 
I slept in this morning.  Went for a 2 miles walk with my lil man.  As we walked, we got to talk.  Nothing deep.  But just spending time together walking and talking.  Precious!  I ate breakfast at 11am.  Yesterday I sat down and watched a movie with my daughter...in the middle of the day!  Precious!  Went for a drive yesterday with my oldest son.  I won't tell you why we were out for a drive, but we got to laugh and talk while we were out.  Precious!
I have realized that I am a schedule/structured person and without a schedule or structure, I feel a lack of importance or meaning.  I'm learning to enjoy these "unscheduled" things as gifts from God. 
I recently read a blog about Nebraska.  This person is from Colorado, but went for a week to small-town Nebraska to stay with a friend.  She talked about how relaxed and laid back it was.  How people enjoy the small things.  Feeding ducks, watching a small-town parade, corn fields, tractors and bug spray.  And oh those amazing Nebraska sunsets.  For a small second, I missed living in Nebraska.  But then realized that it's the idea.  And there is no reason I can't enjoy the "Good Life" right in my own back yard. 
I think I'll go make some Kool-aid.  Fill some water balloons.  Eat lunch on the patio with my kids. 

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:24

Summer

I've always said Fall is my favorite season.  I love the colors of fall.  I love fall decor with all the straw, mums, scarecrows, leaves and crisp air, etc.  But I'm starting to wonder if summer is really my favorite. 
Summer means:
my kids being home from school
laid back schedules
being able to walk to the pool on a whim if we decide we want to take a dip in the pool.  Even if it's only for a half hour.
grilling all kinds of yummy food and no fancy dinners
eating on the patio with my family
sitting near a lake reading a book while my family fishes
wrapped up in a blanket by the fire pit making s'mores with my hubby and kids
camping
the coolness of an air conditioner after you've been outside
the coolness of summer evenings
suntans...and sunburns.  (I happen to have both)
fresh veggies and fruits
road trips

I could go on forever, but those are just a few of my favorite things.  All from God.  Thank you, God, for all of these amazing things you bless me with.

Oh Goodwill, how I love thee!

As I sift through my closet to choose what I will put on for the day, I realize how much stuff I have actually bought at the local Goodwill.  Our budget has not allowed me to have a shopping spree at the mall, but I'm fine with that...especially when I can find clothes from Gap, Ralph Lauren, Old Navy, Eddie Bauer, Jones New York, etc all looking brand new.  I also have a few pairs of name brand shoes that I have bought at Goodwill. 
Today's outfit from the Gdub:
Jeans from Target via Gdub
Sweater tank from Gap via Gdub
Black jacket from Isabella Rodriguez via Gdub
Flower slip on shoes from Nordstrom via Gdub

Gotta love it!
Now off to Longmont to celebrate our nieces graduation. 
Happy Memorial Day to you all! 

Youth Ministry....is this what I am supposed to be doing?

That question was answered tonight as I served hot dogs and hamburgers to the teens in our church at our end of school year party.  There always seems to be one or two girls that just need a hug and to be loved on.  I found that girl.  She cried and talked...and I thanked God for allowing me to love her!  How sweet it is for God to use me in this way.

Jackpot at the Gdub!

Some of you may know that my newest obsession is visiting Goodwill, Salvation Army, or any other thrift store.  So much fun to see what kinds of treasure I may find.  Well, last night as the family was out running errands, we stopped at Goodwill.  I was looking for something with hooks that we could hang in the kids' bathroom to hang their towels on.  No such luck.  But I did spot a cute little "shelfy looking thing" for $5 that I loved.  When Jason asked what I would use it for, I really wasn't sure, but knew I'd find a use for it.  So, because I couldn't come up with a specific use, we passed it by and walked out of Goodwill empty handed. You know what they say while you are shopping and not sure if you really need something.  You'll forget all about it when you leave the store.  NOPE!  Not this "shelfy looking thing". 
I woke up this morning and you could actually see the light bulb floating above my head!  I knew what I wanted the shelf for!  It was the perfect size to display all my rubber stamps on in my craft room.  So I immediately texted my friend, Stephanie, who had asked me on Wednesday to go with her to run errands if she wanted to take a detour and run over to Goodwill.  So off we went.  I could feel my heart beating faster the closer we got...not knowing if my cute little "shelfy looking thing" would still be there.  I grabbed a cart and walked with a little more speed than usual to the back of the store where the furniture was.  As I rounded the corner, I couldn't see it so I turned around to Stephanie with my lip sticking out.  I walked a little further.  THERE SHE WAS! (no, not stephanie)  MY 'SHELFY LOOKING THING'!!!  I walked over and ripped off the portion of the tag that you take to the front counter.  VICTORY!  So, now that I knew I had the "shelfy looking thing" I had all the time in the world, so I told Stephanie I was going to go look at the clothes.  The last few times I had been to Goodwill, I hadn't found much in terms of clothes.  Well, I had a HEAPING cart load of clothes and headed to the fitting room.  Since I have lost weight, I hadn't bought a whole lot of summery clothes, and have needed some capris and short sleeve shirts.  I feel like I hit the jackpot today at our local Goodwill.  Five pairs of jeans/capris and four shirts, a "shelfy looking thing" and a cute little picture frame all for $38!  Oh and did I mention that a few of the pairs of capris still had the original store tags on them?!  Yeah for me!
Now to go put my "new" clothes in the wash and get my "shelfy looking thing" in it's place. 
Have I mentioned that I love thrift stores?! 

The bottom shelf looks crooked, but I just didn't have it in all the way.
Oh, and if you need a little Goodwill inspiration...check this out http://www.alittlejunkinmytrunk.blogspot.com/ or
http://thriftingdenver.org/

Ashamed?

I sat here this morning reading through the accounts of Jesus' last days as a human.  Something so big was about to happen that I will never understand, this side of Heaven.  But because of Jesus dying on the cross and rising from the dead, I am saved...I have eternal life, and He has prepared a place for me in Heaven. (John 14: 1-3) Oh how joyous I feel knowing that.

I was reading in John 20 where Mary Magdalene discovered the empty tomb.  She did not stop and think,  "what will people say about me if I run and tell them what I've just seen."   She immediately took off running to tell Simon Peter and the other disciple (whom some believe was John) what she had just seen. It made me start thinking about how we as humans in today's world are so careful as to not offend others, so we don't share our witness with them. 

What has Jesus done in your life?  Why not share that with others and give Him the glory.  Are you afraid of what others will think of you?  How does Jesus feel when we are afraid, embarrassed or ashamed to speak of Him?  I know I am guilty of this, and I have repeatedly asked Him for forgiveness and to help me "show Him off" more. 

It doesn't have to be some huge thing that He has helped you through, although He does this time and time again.  The other day I was late picking up my daughter and her friend from school...and as I drove to their school, every light I came to, turned green.  I thanked God for each one and smiled. (I'm sure the people driving next to me thought I was a lunatic driving with a huge smile on my face)  There have been other times I have hit every red light there is.  I often use red lights as my special time to talk to God, and thank Him for this special time He has created just for Him and me. 

If you are reading this, I would LOVE to hear what God has done for you in the past few days.  Open your eyes and see His work in your life.

My family, God's family

Once again I am humbled by being part of God's amazing family. 
Got up and filled the coffee maker...it didn't turn on.  No coffee for me.
As we do each Sunday morning, we went to church. I felt different as we drove to church (not because I didn't have my morning coffee), but I can't really explain it.  As I sat and listened to the sermon, I had tears in my eyes. (for those that know me, I DO NOT like to cry around anyone).  The sermon was about Jesus' amazing love for us.  Pastor Torrey did an amazing job explaining Jesus in the Garden.

 http://sc.fhview.com/sc_customplayer/seriesitems/1/118693  Click on Easter Series, The Garden.

 As we approach Easter, we should be thinking of what God did for us, not Easter bunnies and baskets.  He sent His Son, Jesus, (the reason we celebrate Christmas) to die for us on a cross.  He was perfect.  He didn't deserve that!  He had no sin.  But I do.  You do.  We all do.  None of us are perfect.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  Romans 3:23
We do not get to Heaven by being "good" people, because none of us are all that "good".  (what is good anyway?)  Jesus died on that cross, taking on all our sin, so that we may have eternal life when we believe in Him, and live for Him.
Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved! Romans 10:13
He gave us the ultimate gift, the least we can do is live for Him.
After church and running kids here and there, we had our financial class we've been doing for the past several months.  We pulled into the parking lot and I receive a text.  It's from a good friend, who asks if I am dropping Peyton off for Awana.  I tell her we already did and ask why.  She said she just wanted to see me.  Okay.  We go into our class.  Again, as the video is starting for the class, I'm feeling different.  I receive another text.  This time it's our daughter, asking if we can stop by church on the way home from our class, she has money for us.  I ask her what the money is for.  She said "just come by and get it".  I ask her who the money is from.  She said, "an angel".  By this time...we're 10-15 minutes into the video and the topic of the video is being able to give freely of God's money.  This is a subject that excites me.  I love to give.  Not always money because it's been pretty scarce lately, but I love to be able to help  and give of my time also.  I am not bragging here, God gifts us in different ways, and He has blessed me with this special gift.  Because of this past year's circumstances, we have not been able to do this as much as we'd like, and in fact, we've been on the other side of the giving more than we have felt comfortable.  It's a very humbling place to be.  So, again, I sit watching the video, thinking of the text, with tears in my eyes.  About 20 minutes later, I receive another text, from another good friend.  She asked if we could stop over at their house after our class.  I said yes.  The video ends and I have to go to the restroom to get ahold of my emotions and stop the leaky eyes. 
We leave the class, and stop at church.  Peyton hands us an envelope, with cash in it.  I asked her what it is for and she says, "it's for a new coffee maker, mom".  I again ask who it's from...she wouldn't tell me, but I guessed...and I guessed correctly.  So much for controlling my emotions and tears.  Again, they fill up.
So we leave church and head to our friends' house who asked us to stop by.  As we walk in their door, she hands us a large bag, with a coffee maker inside.  OKAY!  What is happening here?!  By this time I am bawling like a baby. 
The "feeling" I had felt all day long, is now explained.  God was very present with me throughout the day (as He is always), I was just being stubborn and not recognizing it.  God knew that Jason and I have been working really hard on our budget, trying to get things paid off so we can be prepared for any bumps in the road that may come our way again.  Ever since Jason was laid off, we have been very aware of every penny we spend and God also knew that a new coffee maker was not in our budget.  But with the help of some of our amazing friends, He allowed me to have a beautiful new coffee maker.
As for the cash I received to buy a new coffee maker, it is tucked neatly in a secret drawer, waiting for God to reveal to me who it needs to be passed on to.  Oh how it excites me to know that someone will be blessed by this, as I was when it was given to me.  After all, none of it is ours, it is all God's.  We will not take our material possessions with us to Heaven, nor will we need them. 
My prayer and dream is to some day have the extra money to share with those that need it, and for God to bless those that have blessed us in the past few years. 
Every morning, as I sip my coffee, I smile and thank my God...because that coffee, is from my Father in Heaven.  He fills my cup.

A Valley? Or a green pasture?

I have been reading a great daily devotional book that I received in the mail a while back. It has been a great encouragement each morning as I read it. It has prompted me to pull that prayer journal out of my drawer, dust it off, and start using it again. I sat at the table and read thru my entries. Not very many, but obviously important entries. I am just not much of a journaler, but it's been nice to look over my prayer requests since September 2009. I came across the time in our lives when Jason was laid off from his job and wanted to share it, in hopes that it would give someone hope, encouragement, and a peek in the lives of those who live for God, but are also sinners....and we stumble, only to be picked up by our Heavenly Savior, Jesus.
Friday, December 11, 2009 We got bad news on Wednesday, December 9th, 2009. Jason got laid off from Airstip Technologies. We are devastated, sad, angry, frustrated, helpless, etc. It's been two days and our friends have been amazing. I've been working a LOT. I was working when Jason came into the store and told me that he no longer had a job. I was working yesterday when I received a text from Jason. It was a picture of bags of groceries left on our door step from our very good friends. Amazing! They are struggling financially, and yet they buy us groceries. (God's children) Today, another good friend, walked into the store. She told me she's praying for us, is worried about me and that she loves me. (oh to hear those words when all you feel is hopelessness!) Then she asked what we needed. How do you answer a question so big? It came up that our car was out of gas and I needed to get to and from work each day. She asked for the keys and went and filled our car. When she came back, she slipped some money in my hand. Wednesday night as I closed down the store, another friend came in to keep me company, lend support, and brought me coffee. She stayed while I closed the store and walked me to my car. Thursday night, yet another friend came in to the store while I was working, brought me coffee and just wanted to let me know she was there for me. She also asked what bills needed paid or what they could do. Our true family, right here in Castle Rock. Our support...our brothers and sisters in Christ!
Dad has emailed or called at least once a day.
We spent yesterday morning taking Christmas presents back. Wow! That was depressing!
But One thing stays the same through all of this. Jason and I have both agreed that we couldn't handle going through all of this, without God as our Rock!
Thank you, LORD, for being in our lives, for showing your love through your children, our wonderful friends. I pray that you will show us a way to stay in Castle Rock, right where we all want to be!That you will provide for us, humble us, and keep our eyes on you, ALWAYS! I LOVE YOU!
I hope you find that as encouraging as I did as I sat with tears in my eyes reading it this morning. In those few paragraphs, is exactly what the bible talks about. Love, encouragement, answered prayers, trust, faith, etc. Jason has a job. We still live in Castle Rock. And God IS, WAS, and ALWAYS will be our Rock!
The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. Psalm 18:2

The Life of a Domestic Goddess

Are you ready for a great story about the adventures of a stay-at-home-mom-and wife? Whew! Strap on your seat belts, it's a wild, exciting ride! Okay...now that I got you all excited...here's the real story!
Woke up this morning at 6:45 to the sound of my husband and older two kids getting ready for their adventures for the day...work and school. The front door slams at 7:05. Again at 7:07 and for the last time at 7:15. Aw, the sound of my 17 year old son's 1966 pick-up...it really does sound tough and mean, but I'm sure the neighbors don't appreciate it as much as I do at 7:15am! I'm awake, I might as well get out of bed to start my exciting day too. On goes the workout clothes. (if I skip this step, the workout will fade away like the sunset behind the mountains!) Downstairs I go in my workout clothes. First stop, (after the bathroom, of course) is the kitchen. My first adventure for the day! I get to clean the kitchen, including all the dishes stacked from every one's bedtime snacks and drinks. About 20 minutes later, the dishwasher is unloaded, reloaded, crumbs and stains wiped from the counters, coffee is brewing and the table is wiped and made "pretty" again with the centerpiece in it's place. Whew! Kitchen cleaned...check! By this time, I hear a loud thud from above. Yep, it's the youngest jumping from his top bunk to start his adventures for the day. Shower is running, at least he'll smell good for his adventures...at least for a little while...until mid-morning recess where he'll run around outside and that 9-year-old boy smell makes it's appearance. (5 days until he's 10...as he reminds me each day as he counts down the days each morning) Meanwhile, I am making sure his lunch is complete, while eating my banana. Sandwich-check. Crackers-check. Orange-check. Capri Sun-check. Down he comes. The every-day-occurrence during cold temps is about to happen. The argument/conversation about it being cold outside that he needs a warmer coat. (light snow is falling outside during this conversation, just to give you a visual). So out the door he goes...on his bike, in the falling snow, in his hoodie.
Alone at last to put my feet up, eat bon-bons and watch television all day! What? Isn't that what you think stay-at-home-moms/wives do all day while everyone is slaving away at work and school? Stop daydreaming and let's get back to the "REAL" world. I didn't just put on my workout clothes to look like I exercised.
Off to the family room to jog 2.5 miles. (with the help of Leslie Sansone and her jogging workout video.) Now, that's better! What a great way to start the day! Cook an egg, put an English muffin in the toaster....clean up a few crumbs I missed on the counters and sit down at the table with my favorite book (The Bible) and my Esther bible study book, a cup of coffee and my eggs and English muffin. A little time spent with my Heavenly Father helps the troubles of the day seem a little more bearable. But first....go upstairs and get a load of laundry...put the clothes that were left in the washer in the dryer and start a new load in the washer. Now I can sit down at the table and eat my cold eggs and drink my cold coffee. The sound of the dryer buzzing is my sign that it's time for me to get back to work. One load in the laundry basket, one load in the dryer and a new load in the washer. Upstairs I go with a load of clean laundry to fold...picking up some things that need to go upstairs first and adding them to the basket. Fold laundry. Scrub toilet (did you know that you need safety goggles for this kind of work?! Yep....good thing I had my glasses on, or who knows what I would have in my eye at this point....glasses are speckled from the "stuff" that sprayed up as I was scrubbing and wiping.) Now on to that dreaded shower. I think I'd rather clean the toilet! Spray the shower, cough from the fumes, open window and back to the shower to scrub. This should seriously be a sport...or added to the list of strenuous exercises! Sparkling clean...well, kinda...as much as a not-cleaned-as-often-as-it-should be shower can sparkle! Right on que...dryer buzzes. Downstairs to put another load in the basket, dryer and washer again. Back upstairs to fold another load...picking up more things that need to go upstairs and placing them in the basket before headed up.
It is now 11am and so far no bon-bons have been eaten. Television was only turned on for the 33 minute workout and my feet are on the floor..not placed on a nice soft foot stool. I am, however, taking a break from my to-do list on the fridge that seems to have bright, flashing lights around it so that I don't forget to look at it each time I walk by, to check my e-mail and write my adventures down so that you can share in this exciting day with me. Stay tuned... The rest of this exciting day will continue. Day, after day, after day, after month, after month, after year, after year.

Friends

I LOVE MY FRIENDS.
I am truly blessed with the most amazing friends ever. I thank God for introducing me to these wonderful women in my life.
Today I got to celebrate my great friend, Patty's, 50th birthday. It was a surprise party filled with some of our other amazing friends.
I truly feel blessed when I get to share these times with such amazing women.
As I sit and think of all the friends in my life, I am overwhelmed. I have friends whom I've been friends with since 7th grade, friends I've met along the path of life, friends I've met over the Internet, friends I've cried with, shared my deepest feelings with, laughed with, shopped with, scrapbooked with, worshipped with, prayed with....the list goes on and on. I can't imagine going through happy times, sad times and hard times without my friends.

Thank you to the bestest friends in the whole wide world!

Thank you for listening as I tell you my struggles and fears.

Thank you for laughing with me (or at me).

Thank you for loving me even though you see my faults.

Thank you for your encouraging words and support.

Thank you for conversations over coffee.

Thank you for the hugs.

To all my amazing friends, THANK YOU!

I love you more than you'll ever know!

LORD, I thank you for these amazing women whom you have brought into my life!

Disneyworld

Yep, I went to Disneyworld yesterday with my friend, Stephanie. No, my Disneyworld is not in Florida, it's right here in Colorado, and not too far from my house. My 'Disneyworld' is also known as Salvation Army. What a fun and exciting place. The treasure that you can find there puts excitement in me! Since Jason was laid off last year and we had to tighten our belts, along with the tanking economy, the price of gas, groceries, etc., school fees and just raising three kids (two of them teenagers) has made us step back and realize that we need to watch how we spend our money. We have stopped going out to eat...only on a rare occasion do we splurge in this category. I rarely leave the house just to "get out of the house" because when I did, I would usually come home with something that we didn't "NEED". We want to be responsible with how we spend God's money.


So, last September I lost weight and went down four pant sizes. That requires "new" clothes. Ha ha...you should see some of those clothes on me. You know those diet/exercise commercials where it shows someone standing in a pant leg of their old clothes? Well, I can't quite do that, only lost 42 lbs, but it's still funny to try on those clothes and see how far I have come in these past months. Now that the weather is getting nicer, I have realized that I have NO summer clothes that fit. So off to "Disneyworld's" half off day! Yep, everything in the store is half price.


I woke up yesterday morning feeling pretty exited for the adventure to begin.

So off we went.

In we went.

Let the fun begin.

Shoes, clothes, knick knacks, oh my.

We each went our own separate ways and occasionally we would "run into eachother" and compare and share what he had found. This type of store is not one where you can shop together and look at the same things, because each person has their own "treasures" they find. That is why it's so exciting. I ended up with four short sleeve shirts (hey, it's a start), 7 work shirts for Jason, a pair of shoes (sprayed liberally with Lysol when I got home), and a few glass jars that will help in my home organization category. All for $28! (did I mention that several of the shirts I bought Jason were top name brand that probably sold for $60 brand new and they all still looked brand new?!)


They rest of the day was fun also. Got to eat yummy Panda Express for lunch with my friend and got to take secret pictures of people we saw out and about. ha ha...yes, we did in fact drive around the Target parking lot so I could take a picture of a lady walking out of the store. Did I mention that it was St. Patrick's day? This lady was decked out in her HUGE green hat and a very furry green feather boa and she acted like it was "normal". I had to get that on camera!

Last night I came home and washed all our "new" clothes. Now it's time to get some of them ironed, errands ran and, oh yeah, get dressed first.

Happy Friday everyone!
BTW...it's half price day at "disneyland" tomorrow aka Goodwill. Happy shopping. Here's to you finding your treasure!

Don't throw stones...

Let's set the scene:

Jesus was at the Mount of Olives, in the temple courts, with all the people gathered around him, teaching.

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. Now what do you say?"

When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away, one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared, "Go now and leave your life of sin." John 8:3-5 & 7-11

Just a reminder that we are all sinners. Lay your stones down... none of us can throw a stone at others.

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

THANK YOU, Jesus!

Valentine's Day

Not a holiday that I enjoy celebrating. Not because I don't love and want to be loved. Mostly because my birthday is a week before and our anniversary is the week after. That's too many gifts to give and/or receive. Not to mention my mom's birthday is a day before mine and our daughter's birthday is two days after. That's a lot of "gifting" going on. So, needless to say, Valentine's Day is just overlooked in our house.
Actually, I enjoy giving so much that it is hard to not give in some way or another. So last night I spent the evening baking chocolate chip cookies for our 9 year old to take to school for his all-boy Valentines Party. Then I baked some cinnamon muffins for my family for breakfast this morning. After they cooled, I placed them neatly on a cute little make-shift 2-tiered platter on the bar and then put a little wooden cutout that I found at Michaels that says "Love Muffin". I got up this morning and only two muffins were gone. I KNOW it was my husband who ate them both, because I had to keep him out of them last night. I don't think my kids appreciated my "love" gesture. I also made their lunches last night. I neatly used a knife and cut out a heart shape in one of their slices of bread....made their sandwiches and put them neatly in the fridge with their initials on the baggies. Again, I got up this morning with two of the three sandwiches STILL in the fridge. UGH! So much for my efforts that got ignored and shunned. Maybe this is why I don't like Valentines Day. It's just disappointing.
On the flip side, yesterday's sermon was about being thankful. It got me thinking that I have just been pretty grumpy lately. Not necessarily being grumpy to others, just feeling grumpy and ungrateful. As I sit here alone in my house, the sound of the washing machine in the background, I am overwhelmed with all that I need to be thankful for. SO MUCH! So, for today, here is my top ten:
1. My amazing husband that I have loved since I was 14 years old! He's my best friend, the love of my life, my hero, my supporter, my partner, etc. We will be married 17 years on the 25th. I love you, Jason
2. My wonderful kids. Even though it's the toughest job I'll ever have and most of the time it's really, really hard, it's all worth it! I love you Cody, Peyton and Sam!
3. Shelter. A beautiful house to live in, with the most important people in my life. It's not just a house, it's become our home!
4. Friends. Wow, what would I do without my friends? I have so many wonderful friends who I can laugh with, cry with, share my feelings with. I love my friends!
5. My mom. She has been there for me in so many ways. To encourage, love and support. She is a strong women whom I wish I could spend more time with and give her the hugs she deserves! I love you, mom! (if it wasn't for her encouraging me, I may not have been married to my hubby today. She's the one that encouraged me to tell him how I felt)
6. My church. I can't even put into words what our church family means to us. Our amazing family of God.
7. Living in Colorado. Ever since I was a really little girl I have wanted to live in Colorado. We would come out to Denver and Loveland to visit my uncles and family and I always knew I wanted to live in this beautiful state. THANK YOU GOD, for allowing this to happen!
8. For my wonderful craft room that my hubby just helped me redesign and organize. I love crafts. Scrapbooking, jewelry making, holiday decorations, etc. I love it all. And now I have a little piece of heaven right on the other side of the wall where my hubby and family gather to watch television.
9. For my health. Most of you know that I have recently lost 42 pounds since the end of August. I feel great. I now love to take care of this body that God designed just for me!
10. Last, but most important. I am thankful beyond any comprehension for the relationship I have with my Heavenly Father. October 2005 I gave my life to Christ. My life has new meaning since then. I don't know how people can go through life without Him in their lives. I mean IN their lives. Not just in their minds and saying, "Yeah, I believe in God". I mean really IN every little part of everything they do each and every day, hour and second. He has given me unconditional love (remember what Jesus did for us? Read John 3:16 & 1 John 3:16 Now THAT'S LOVE), power and strength that only comes from Him, comfort, encouragement, hope, joy, happiness.....I could go on forever. I cannot imagine my life without being able to kneel at His feet daily and just talk to Him. My favorite way to think about praying is thinking about a little kid crawling up on his/her daddy's lap and having an intimate conversation about anything! THAT IS MY GOD! MY HEAVENLY FATHER! AND HE LOVES ME! I can crawl up into His lap at any moment, and He is there to listen, help, encourage, love. How can we not be thankful for that?

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 4:8

But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

~Happy Valentine's Day~

Another week...gone!

Well, I made it through another week. It is now Friday. It's been an okay week. The temperature is rising, which makes everything sloppy, but on the plus side, I hate wearing a coat and was able to leave the house without a big bulky coat on. Yeah for temporary warmness.

Monday was my birthday. I have mixed feeling about my own birthday. It's exciting, but very disappointing. It's just not the same as when I was a kid. You know when you are really excited about an upcoming event and then it doesn't happen and then you have to go thru a let-down. I am not sure what I was expecting. Actually I wasn't expecting anything. I did get a few nice surprises from some of my good friends, got to go out to lunch with some other friends and my hubby took me to a burger joint. So, now I'm another year older.

Wednesday was my 15 year old daughter's birthday. Wow, I don't really feel old enough to have a child that old....but actually I have a 17 year old too, so that's even worse.

We've had to cancel both our women's bible study and our small group for two weeks in a row now because of cold temps and cold. I just found out today that I'm going to have to miss next Tuesday's women's bible study too. Confession time. I have not opened my bible for two weeks. And I can tell it. I have been kind of grumpy and just blah and that is how it always goes when I don't spend time with God, and reading the bible. So, now to get back on track!

I am currently doing 3 studies and just added another one on top of that. When in the world will I ever find the time to get them all done! But they are all ones that I really want to finish...so off I go to get some reading done.

Have a great weekend.

Good day

Well, today was a good day.
Took my oh-so-close-to-15 year old daughter to open a checking account, and then took her to the outlet mall to do a little birthday shopping. Hubby and small fry (our youngest son) came along also. By this time the snow was starting to really, really come down. Came home and had a really late lunch and then headed out to church.
On Thursday around noon, the fire sprinkler pipes froze and burst. Water was all over. Down walls, in the ceiling, on the majority of the carpet, etc. So the deacons, and a few other men and women, met out there to set things up for tomorrow's service. By this time the roads were really, really bad. But we got it all set and made it home. The evening was spent with Jason and Small Fry playing with Legos on the floor, me on the computer, our daughter in her room and Large Fry was working. We met him at work to make sure he made it home fine and he did a great job driving on the slick roads. I think I'm getting used to having a son who drives, which is a huge improvement from when he first got his permit.
God is good all the time! All the time God is good! I have really been focusing on this the past few days. Especially with all that has been going on with our kids, some other things in our life, and with the situation out at church. In all things God works for the good of those who love Him. Romans 8:26
Feeling very blessed to have friends who have encouraged us and given us some great advice in the past few days.
Tomorrow, is my wonderful mom's birthday. And Super Bowl Sunday. Go Packers!

One step forward, two steps back!

Well, I thought things were going to be okay for a while. But I am reminded tonight that we have TWO teenagers in the house. Which means we REALLY don't know anything and we are the WORST parents in the world who NEVER let our kids do ANYTHING!

Tonight, our 17 year old son came upstairs and asked if he could go to a concert next week. We asked what we THOUGHT were typical parent questions:

1. Where is it?
2. When is it?
3. Who are you going with?
4. Who is playing in this concert?

Are we wrong for asking these questions?
So we get partial answers. It's in Colorado Springs on a Tuesday night at 7:30 at a bar. Of course we'll let our 17 year old son go! We'd be the worst parents in the world if we said no, since ALL of his friends can go. ha ha, NOT! We then got on the Internet to look up this "venue". As Jason looked into things, in the comments was one comment that went something like this:
Great place to get crack and find some hookers in the parking lot. Well, duh, of course we'll let him go! NOT! So of course he got extremely angry and asked why. So we proceeded to tell him it is a parents job to ask these questions and protect our children. We then asked if he was in our position if he would let his kids go. OF COURSE HE WOULD! UGH! I need a super duper LONG mom cry, and then a vacation, far, far away! I want to give up!

A Better Day

Well, yesterday and today were better days than Sunday. Today we had a "snow" day because of the extremely cold temps.... 21 below zero as I'm typing this. Jason worked from home today too so we were all home and enjoyed snuggling by the fire, watching tv, playing on our computers and just relaxing. No school again tomorrow.
Jason and I just finished our 55 minute work-out. Whew am I loving this! Feels so good to get moving. We have been doing this work-out for over a week straight, minus 1 day when I was gone scrapbooking. 5 weeks to go!
Tonight I got all my card making supplies out and started making cards. 12 down....I love it when I get a creative streak and just whip out a bunch of cards in no time. It's really relaxing to sit in my craft room, watching Biggest Loser, and crafting away while my 9 year old sits at the desk playing on the computer. What a nice evening!
What will tomorrow bring? Two straight days stuck in the house all together. I'm hoping for another great day with my kiddos!
Hope everyone is staying warm and safe!

Failure

Have you ever had those days, or weeks (or even months) when you just feel like you have failed or are failing at everything you do? I sure hope I'm not the only one!

Today was a really, really bad day in the parenting category. I won't go into much detail, but today I am feeling like I have failed at being a parent. Teenagers can be so mean and difficult some times. Just when you think you are doing something to be a good parent, they throw it back in your face and make you feel like the worst parent in the world. They say mean things, do mean things and then turn around in the next breath and say, "what's for dinner?" REALLY?! You really expect me to cook you dinner after how you just acted? Go make your own money so you can buy your own food so you can fix your own dinner! BUT, as a parent we can't say or do that. Where is their respect? Where is their gratitude? What am I doing wrong????

This was all thrown on top of the heap of other stresses in our life. Why does it feel like I'm in a sinking hole with no way out?

On a positive note, I got to spend the weekend with some of my favorite friends scrapbooking. Great conversations, good laughs and 22 pages finished. Thank you, God for blessing me with these amazing friends!

Forgiveness

Having a hard time forgiving myself this morning...or just letting it go. Last night we finished dinner early and had about an hour and a half before Jason and I had to be at small group. So we got this crazy idea to go to Chilis to have dessert. UGH! Really? I haven't had much sugar or starches for over a month so this idea appealed to me, but in the back of my mind I kept calculating how much cardio I needed to burn this off. I justified doing this by thinking this was a little get-away date with the hubby...we like to do things spur of the moment and we haven't had the funds to do much of this lately. So off we went to Chili's, told the hostess we only needed a dessert menu and were lead to our table.
We ordered.
It came.
A large, heaping helping of chocolate lava cake with a beautiful mound of vanilla ice cream covered with hard chocolate on top. I stuck in my spoon and out poured that lovely chocolate lava. Yep....I filled the spoon, and before I knew it, that spoon was in my mouth, along with all that amazing chocolate and ice cream. YUM! Before I took another bite, I mentally drew a line in that cake to mark my portion of what I was going to allow myself to eat. I savored every bite of my portion and enjoyed my hubby's company on our little get-away date.
First thing I did after getting the kids off to school this morning was check out all the work-outs on our on-demand. (I have lots of work-out videos that I rotate doing on a daily basis, but wanted to try something different) I decided to try Jillian Michaels' SHRED. 30 minutes of a great work-out and 300 calories burned. Then I headed to the computer to record this in my daily SparkPeople exercise journal. THEN...I made the mistake of going to the Chilis website to look up the "nutritional" info on the lava cake! Holey Buckets!!!! Only 1020 calories!!! Good thing I only ate about a third, which is still horrible.
So, I fell off the wagon and am feeling a little bruised, but all I can do is focus on what I put in my mouth today, get another work-out in this evening and crawl back up into that weight loss wagon I will travel thru the rest of my life on.
Forgiveness. God so graciously gave me this gift...and forgives me. I know some people who have sinned, and can't seem to get past it and accept God's forgiveness. I feel this is offending God. Kind of like if you give a friend a gift and they hand it back to you and say, "no, I don't deserve this, I'm too horrible of a person to accept it", but only multiply this times thousands. I'm not saying it's okay to sin knowing that you can later ask for forgiveness, but we are all human, and all sin. Jesus died on the cross for us so that we are washed clean of this sin. Don't ignore it, confess it....and God will forgive.
Going back to the chocolate lava cake. I don't believe this was a sin against God. But I did a little research on the word sin. One of the definitions I came across: the state of having commited a violation. Eating this cake was a violation against me and my commitment to getting healthier. But I also know it's not healthy to dwell on this. I also know it was a time of spending some quality time with my hubby, which makes our relationship healthier. So, I forgive myself for eating this yummy dessert, and am glad I got to spend this time with my wonderful hubby.
Forgiveness is a healthy thing.
If you are holding on to something today, confess, and give it to God. He is a Forgiving God!

It's Monday

Made it through the long weekend. Kids were out of school on Friday, but didn't really do anything exciting. Saturday Cody had to work, Peyton was out shopping with her "big sister" and Sam was at a birthday party/sleepover. Jason and I decided to drive to Colorado Springs. We walked around Mardel and Target and came home. Then both of us were on our computers in the same room. So sad. haha
Last Wednesday Jason and I started Slim in 6 workouts. Every evening we've done them and feeling great. Sunday was just a really busy day. Between Church, a class in the afternoon and then Nuggets game, we didn't get home until 10 something. So we didn't get the work out in. But instead, we took the MANY stairs at the Pepsi Center instead of the escalator. Whew!

This weeks agenda:
Clean house really well and get laundry caught up. (I hear the washer running....I'm off to a good start)
Then to organize my craft room so I can decided what to take to my scrapbooking weekend at a friends'.
Put on a few more coats of Poly on our newly refinished kitchen table. (it looks so purty)
Work on my bible study each morning. If you haven't studied Esther, you really should. I have read Esther in the past...but didn't get a whole lot from it. This time, I'm seeing it in a whole new light. A really exciting story actually.
Workouts~EVERY day!

So off to start my week. Hope your week is amazing!
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

2011~ IS MY YEAR to WIN!

I love being motivated. In all aspects of my life.
1. I want to get my house more organized. I recently went through my closet and got rid of quite a bit. Clothes that neither fit, nor did I want to fit back into. It felt good to say goodbye to clothes that are too big, and say goodbye to that "bigger" person I used to be. I think I will sit down in the next few weeks and make a list of the different rooms I need to de-clutter and start over. (for those of you who started reading my blog at the very beginning, this is why I started blogging in the first place) Now to follow thru.
2. I want to get my body healthier. So far, I feel I'm doing well in this category. Down 41 pounds since August. Went from a tight size 18/20 to a size 12 and am not done! I know, some of you probably cringe at the fact of being a size 12, because you are a lot smaller than that. But for me, this is huge! I haven't been in a size 12 since high school...or maybe even middle school. (just telling you my size is a HUGE step for me and I'm not embarrassed to say it!) I'm pretty proud of me. :)
3. I want to get our finances under complete control. We are working really hard to accomplish this, by saying no to many things, cutting out certain things in our life that aren't wants, etc. We have been dealing with some pretty tough things since last Christmas when Jason was laid off and then taking a pay cut. It put a huge dent in our budget as the snowball kept rolling, and getting larger and larger. Teenagers aren't cheap. Having three kids isn't cheap. Living in Colorado isn't cheap. Driving a truck that drinks lots of gas isn't cheap. But is it all worth it? Absolutely! But it's time to make things better, not worse!~ We're on a path that feels pretty good.
4.I also want to work on ME spiritually. By becoming closer to God, becoming a women who God wants me to be. I've been really trying to focus on that second one, knowing that if I can work on this, the first will follow. I want to become a better wife, better mom, better daughter, better friend, etc. One thing that I've really been thinking about lately is how I can become more positive, which will affect all of my relationships. A pet peeve of mine is negativity. Occasionally we all find ourselves complaining or saying something we shouldn't be saying. I know of some people who talk only negative. Complaining about everything in their life. Talking negative about people, situations, etc. This makes me very sad for them. I find myself praying for them to find joy in their life. Unfortunately, I find myself in this category a lot. I also know people who have never said a bad word about anything or anybody. Think about it. Which do you prefer to be around? Someone who finds joy in everything, which God tells us to do, or someone who is constantly complaining and finding all the faults in people and situations. I don't know about you, but the ones that are full of joy make me feel uplifted and positive about life. When I've been around ones that are negative, I feel drained and depressed after I've been with them. So my goal is to find the JOY in everything. Look on the bright side. To have my glass half full. However you want to say it. I think if I can work on being positive, everything else in my life will work a little smoother. I'm not saying I won't have days that I want to dig a hole and crawl in, but I wish to have more mountaintop experiences in life than being in a pit feeling sorry for myself.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure....Phil. 2:14

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another. Ephisians 4:32

Let 2011 be YOUR year to win also!

Maintenance

I am officially onto a new phase. It's called Maintenance. Still no sugar and no starches, but I can have cheese and peanut butter! I have survived another round of this "diet" and have officially lost 41 pounds. Yeah me! Now to lose another 10-20 pounds just by working out. This time it'll be slow losing, but I'm okay with that.

Jason has been sick since Saturday. Stayed home from work yesterday and it home again today. I'm ready to get out of the house. Thank you God for bible study this morning. Speaking of....I gotta run, just wanted to check in...it's been a few days. ta ta for now!