Fat-burning FOOD??

I've been working hard-core on my fitness/weight-loss goals and have worked out for 8 days in a row now!  And now recently I've been looking into the benefits of interval running and now foods that can help burn fat too.

Oh yes, you might have heard this before, but there are FOODS that can burn fat for you!!  How cool is that! "Some foods require more calories to digest than they contain. Also, some foods boost your metabolism thus causing you to burn fat faster than just diet and exercise alone"

So I was looking through the 101 Fat Burning Foods list and trying to make meal options using only things on the list, and it's so do-able!  Now don't get me wrong, there's a lot there I DO NOT LIKE, like hot peppers, eggplant, fish, sardines, etc.  But there's a lot there I normally eat anyway, like blueberries, cranberries, apples, spinach, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, turkey, and so much more!

Here are some meal ideas I came up with using only the list (granted it's FINE to not JUST do this list but I was just playing and seeing what can be made with JUST THIS):

Breakfast

1. oatmeal with fresh blueberries

Lunch

1. spinach salad topped with cranberries and nuts and an oil dressing, fresh cauliflower

2. turkey/spinach sandwich on whole grain bread, beets (I used to like them when I was kid, maybe I still do??)

3. tuna sandwich on whole grain, broccoli, apple

3. bean soup, or white chili soup

Dinner

1. pork chops with light seasonings

2. lemon-pepper chicken

3. chili

Snacks

orange (citrus fruits are even more effective on an empty stomach), milk, peaches, green tea, caffeinated coffee actually helps burn calories (but not if you load it with sugar and cream like I do!)

Check out the links and leave me some more meal ideas!!

5 Fat Burning Foods and the science behind it

15 Fat Burning Foods to help boost your metabolism

101 Fat Burning Foods!

Creativity.

How's that for a very NOT-creative title for a creativity post?  LOL  I happened upon this piece of boxing down in the basement the other day and thought it would be fun to let Eli paint it.  I thought it looked like a little city, but as Eli was painting it he was calling it a castle.  So a castle it was!  We added some flags and called it good.  Now if I were REALLY creative, we could've added more STUFF, but I'm just not that good.  So here's our castle.  (The picture's a little bad, I could NOT get it to be in focus!!) But I encourage you, tap into your inner creativity (it's there, trust me! we were ALL children once!) and help your child create something FUN!

Monday Meanderings - Apr. 25

Alright, this week I HAVE to get with it!  Last week I did so bad in the homemaking department! In one week span, we were down to ONE diaper, ONE diaper wipe, virtually NO toilet paper, and the last trash bag!  ACK!  I guess with Outage (AKA having to drag the kids with me EVERYWHERE) and also the increase in gas prices, I've been avoiding errands.  A little too much so, I guess!  So I need to get back to my lists. Ahh, lists....

Bible Study... Genesis.  

Memory Verse... 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (I'm going to keep this for the whole month, I think, instead of changing it every week)
"And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."

Husband Encouragement...

♥ Wash sheets.

♥ Laundry washed AND put away so it's not all folded all over the couch when he wakes up and has nowhere to sit.

♥ Tidy up.

♥ Prepare the lawn for being mowed.  It needs done soooo badly now but he just hasn't been home to do it, and it takes more hours than what I've got kid-free.

♥ Be supportive.

♥ Prepare a nice dinner for his day off.

Train Them Up...
* Reading time with Eli.

* Get outside as much as possible. (we played in the rain last week!)

* Have Kevin put Carter's car seat together (which means I need to bring it up from the basement so it's right THERE for him and we don't forget)

Personal Goals...
* Read next chapter in marriage book.  I kind of lost motivation.  I have such a HARD time concentrating on more than one thing.  For awhile it was reading that book and now lately it's been working out.  I have a hard time allotting a little bit of time to several different things.

* Daily Bible reading.

* Run 3.1 miles (5K) in increased time or with slight incline.

New Habit of the Month...  {APRIL} Spray down dining room table nightly.

MUST Do...

* Trim the bushes. (I started this a couple weeks ago and it was more difficult than I thought.  Hard to reach and the branches or thicker than I expected so they're hard to cut)

* Write a thank-you note to the Clarks for hosting us for a wonderful Easter!!

* Call the school to confirm Eli's participation in kindergarten roundup.

* Prepare something for the MOPS newsletter.  (last one for the year!)

* Return library stuff.

Zone(s)... Dining room.

Menu -

M - ham, green beans, fruit salad

T - steaks, roasted potatoes, cooked carrots

W - salad?

Th - TBD

F - brats?

S - friends' house

FUN THINGS! 

* No preschool today because of Easter break.  Always nice not to have a schedule to keep.

* MOPS picnic Tuesday. And a short visit from Kevin's aunt in the afternoon.

* Kevin's home Tuesday night!

* Hannah's going to my friend Nikki's house during preschool time, and it will be my turn for a break!

* Going away party for a close friend of Kevin's on Saturday.

3 things I'm thankful for today...

1. The RISEN Savior!
2. A fantastic Easter celebration with friends.
3. A lazy day today.  =)

New link: Kids Can Have Fun

I just found a new website this morning that I'm quickly falling in love with as I continue to browse around.  It's filled with tons of fun printables from motivational charts (kind of like a chore chart), All About Me booklets, Cut and Paste activities (cutting pizza toppings, ice cream cones, spring planting supplies, and tons more), beginner drawing pages, craft ideas, puzzles, printable games (there's a balloons n slides version of Chutes and Ladders you can just PRINT off! looks super cute) and tons more.  So go check it out, Kids Can Have Fun.

The End of the Beginning...

This is one of my favorite songs, by David Phelps.  The entire gospel in one song. Especially love the end! Makes me tear up almost every time--God is just so amazing, so powerful!  "His death wasn't the end but the beginning of life that's completed in you. Don't you see, He did all this for you" Happy Easter everyone!  Christ is RISEN!! (note: you might have to pause the music on the previous video first, because  apparently it automatically starts)

Oh glorious day.

3 MILES!

So I just started running a couple months ago, not really following any sort of plan.  I'd heard of the Couch to 5K program but I thought I'd just try things on my own.  Having a treadmill I'm able to run to music or how we have it set up in the basement with our old TV and DVD player I'm also able to watch movies, and for me having that distraction makes a huuuuge difference!  Plus I still keep it set at zero incline, which also makes a huge difference in these states of rolling hills.  I was able to knock out my goal of 1-mile no-stopping right away, I couldn't believe myself!  When I DID used to run back in the day (high school) I was just a sprinter and the most I did was one lap (1/4mile).  Then pretty soon I did a full 2 MILES without stopping (!!!), and the new goal was to run 3 miles.  And guess what y'alls!!  I did that last night!!!  I RAN 3 MILES WITHOUT STOPPING! After having done several runs with music I went back to a movie and was nearly done with 2 miles before I even knew it, so I kept going to see how far I could get and made it all the way to 3 and then stopped, and still felt GOOD!  Tired but not gasping for air--I finished with a half-mile walk as I continued to watch my movie and was sooo proud for accomplishing such a big goal for myself!  And guess what,  5K is only 3.1 miles, and I can SO do that!  Doesn't it just sound cool to call it 5K instead of 3.1??  LOL  Now no, I will not be signing up for tons of races--remember I run at zero incline zoned out to a movie or music in perfect weather conditions.  I'm not there yet, but maybe someday...

So there we have it, #11 is crossed off my 30 Before 30 List!!

27 days

Alright, guys, it's time for me to kick into high gear.  My family is heading to the beach in 27 days so I'm going to use that as my motivation to start getting into better shape FOR REAL! Cuz who wants to go to the beach for the first time in years feeling the heaviest and chubbiest in years?!  Not like I'm going to spend my days laying out in the sun; it's a family gathering in which I am SO EXCITED for, but still.  You know what I mean, right?

So here are the details...

Goal: To lose belly flab and 10 lbs before beach time.  (total weight loss goal is actually 17-20 lbs but for this time frame, 10 lbs  in 27 days is pretty hefty in itself, for me anyway) Think I can do it??

Why? So I can fit into my current clothes better and not have to buy new clothes to hide trouble spots (my un-toned stomach!)

Things I'm willing to give up for 30 days:

* coffee (except for donut days, notice how I'm not giving up the DONUTS? LOL C'mon I just like the plain kind, no frosting, so I can dunk!)

* pop (We don't EVER have any in the house except for birthday parties, but we DO end up going out quite a bit here and there, in which I almost always get a pop with it, therefore I end up drinking more pop than I probably realize. And yes, I call it POP and not soda or anything else people call it)

* home pizza.  I eat pizza ALLL the time. I just love it and every brand/restaurant has its own flavor. I won't give it up COMPLETELY cuz when it comes to friends events, with the few options we have around here, pizza is a common choice!

* Fast Food (more specifically, the fries and hamburger kind)

Exercise... Every day even if it's a casual walk. When I don't have much time I can do... The Shred (it's only 20 min) Up my running distance (also means budget in more TIME to do that) and add in some dumbell strength training.

Food choices...

* Drink more water.

* Buy lots of fruits and veggies.

* Start the day with high-protein breakfast

* Write down what I eat and count calories when possible.

To help meet my goal I need to...

* Get to bed earlier so I have energy.

* Take AdvoCare Supplements. Whatever ones I have left still.

* Try on old pants every couple days so I remember what I'm doing this whole deal for!

So here we go! This is hard for me.  I've always LOVED going for walks (practically impossible these days, or casual sports, also impossible these days) but HATED working out!  But I'm trying to learn to like it.  And trying to learn how to establish a consistent routine with it.  Soo hard to do in these early parenting years, but there IS time, it's just been a matter of committing to it and being productive!  Cheer me on! I need all the support I can get! And if you want to join in with some accountability, LET ME KNOW!!

My purse smells like puke.

That pretty much sums up my life these days.  Although yes, my purse does literally smell like puke.  Oh the joys of being a mom.  Several of my "fun things" I've had planned lately have fallen through, and I've been left feeling so bummed, in tears actually.  The kids have been so disobedient and I am just so frustrated.  I was maybe going to reschedule our children's museum visit for tomorrow, but after we got home from another bout of miserable errands I decided they don't deserve a big outing like that right now.  And we'll stay home working on obedience instead.  Whatever that means.  For real though, we need to get serious. And by we, of course that means ME. 

Ugh, some days I just really hate being Mommy. Three kids simultaneously needing my attention nearly every minute of every day. I go upstairs to do make-up and within a minute I hear crying or fighting downstairs.  I go to the basement to put the laundry in the dryer and before I'm back I hear yet another fight about something ridiculous, like who gets to sit in the rocking chair or who hit who.  I go to set the dining room table for breakfast and the baby has gotten in the cupboard and has dumped Cheerios all over the floor, and everywhere I step I crunch something. And when you put the kids in bed and then go back to check on them and literally can't find your daughter anywhere upstairs, that's AWESOME. Only to find her hiding in the very very back turned-in corner of her closet. Sheesh! There is literally no break.  And it truly feels like hell on earth sometimes trying to train these little ones. So so challenging that's for sure.

But now, I must return to life and 3 kids zoned out to Strawberry Shortcake on Netflix because for now that's what it takes.

Sunday Psalm

Psalm 16

Keep me safe, O God,

for in you I take refuge.

I said to the Lord, "You are my Lord;

apart from you I have no good thing."

As for saints who are in the land, 

they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.

The sorrows of those will increase

who run after other gods.

I will not pour out their libations of blood

or take up their names on my lips.

Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;

you have made my lot secure.

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

surely I have a delightful inheritance.

I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;

even at night my heart instructs m e.

I have set the Lord always before me.

Because is at my right hand,

I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;

my body also will rest secure,

because you will not abandon me to the grave,

nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

You have made known to me the path of life;

you will fill me joy in your presence,

with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

For you musician friends...

I'm sure you've heard of composer, Eric Whitacre.  Well, check this out... People sending in their YouTube recordings of a single part (soprano part or tenor, etc) of a choral piece and then synchronizing all the videos together to create a virtual choir of 2000 voices!  Amazing and sooo wonderfully put together!

(it's a long video but soo fascinating, stick with it to the end!)

Looking back {hair stuff again}

Continuation from yesterday's hair post... So I figured out what makes Picture 2 so different from Picture 1. The bangs. In picture 1 they're swept from the side, covering most of her forehead--I like that a lot! Whereas picture 2, her forehead is showing--what my hair always does.  Is there a way it can NOT do that?? Like can I just style it differently, or am I just doomed?

Anyway, I've had my hair short before, so I spent some time today looking back through all our old pictures, and bleck.  I don't really like it, and I don't think I especially liked it at the time either!  Take a look (and please ignore the crappiness of some of these pictures and just look at the hair)...

When Eli was little it was short but not super layered.  Not too bad, but I don't like the forehead.

And here's what it looked like when it part of it was up.  The bottom part just flipped out.  I think the bottom part flipped out no matter how I had it, actually.

Then before Hannah was born I got it cut again and they said it needed lots of layers or something because of how thick it is, and this is how that turned out--super butched, I don't like it. And I don't like the short "bangs" that are with it.  Too short considering they just split anyway.

(by the way, I'm 38 weeks here)

And then after several months it was a little bit longer and I started liking it again...

one of my favorite pictures ever

So what do you think? Is there any hope of my hair ever looking like this??

Was it just cut wrong before? Or is my hair just not made for that?? Can I ever even wear my hair down without tucking it behind my ears or is that forever in my nature to do that??  Or should I just go a little bitter longer where I started liking it again??

Thinking of...

...getting my hair chopped for summer.  I've really liked having my hair long and fixing it up in long loose curls. BUT My hair is simply too THICK to leave down EVER in the summer. Yet it's too long to really even put up because it won't smash into the hair tie, and that's all I know what to do with it.  So I'm thinking a cut is needed and then it can gradually grow back out again if I want it to.  But I'm never any good when it comes to styles, so help a girl out here! 

My hair type: VERY thick, a little bit wavy, I have a definite part off to the side and if I try to have bangs, they split where the part is. 

Here are some styles I like, but I'm not for sure how they'll look on thick hair.  I don't like poofy.

#1

I think this is my favorite of the bunch, but I'm afraid it won't look like that.  Cuz how could it? That would be too easy, right?

I'm pretty sure this is a front view of the previous picture?

 #2

this is a little bit safer if I'm too scared to chop as much as picture #1

 #3

also pretty safe, though my part wouldn't be down the middle

 #4

this looks really similar to cut #1, except in my hair color, but it looks more matronly, or something. what's different about this cut that makes it looks so different from the first??

Votes?? Or should I just keep my hair long? Or send me the link to a completely different picture you think I might like!  Thanks, friends!

Absolutely Amazing.

Click over to watch this video, living proof that God makes all things possible!

The best book EVER.

A story of love and redemption. Struggle, promises, and hope. Faith and prayer. Sacrifice. Forgiveness.

The Bible.

You see, I'm a Christian, a live-it-out-daily (or at least I try) kind of Christian.  My faith is personal, not just a church service.  BUT I am not very good at sitting down and reading my Bible.  The biggest reason is not because I don't want to or because I don't have time, because I DO.  There's ALWAYS time, even when we don't think there is. The biggest reason I don't read my Bible very often is because I don't have a clue what to read!  It's a big book, where do I begin? I always find myself in the New Testament because that's what speaks most to us in this day.  I often use Bible Gateway.com to look up a specific topic area, writing down all the verses that apply to it.  I love that.  It is helpful.  It does speak to my heart. But, as I've been learning recently, the Bible is more than that.

"We mistakenly treat the Bible as if it were arranged by topic--you know, the world's best compendium of human problems and divine solutions.  So when we're thinking about marriage {for example}, we run to all the marriage passages.  But the Bible isn't an encyclopedia; it is a story, the great origin-to-destiny story of redemption.  In fact, it is more than a story.  It is a theologically annotated story.  It is a story with God's notes.  This means that we cannot understand what the Bible has to say about marriage by looking only at the marriage passages, because there is a vast amount of biblical information about marriage not found in the marriage passages. In fact, we could argue, to the degree that every portion of the Bible tells us things about God, about ourselves, about life in this present world, and about the nature of the human struggle and the divine solution, to that degree every passage in the Bible is a marriage passage." (Paul David Tripp, What Did You Expect?)

SO.  I've always wanted to do this and now I'm more motivated once again to read the Bible, the ENTIRE Bible, cover to cover.  To tie together the origin-to-destiny and everything-in-between story.  I've got my chronological Bible reading plan printed and I will plow through it bit by bit.  I don't care if it takes me a few months or more than a year, I just want to read every word. But it's all part of the great story.

TUESDAY Meanderings

I had this written out in my journal yesterday but our Internet was down and I was busy getting things ready for today's MOPS meeting.  Now the meeting is over (LOVE that group of women! including the older women who help with our children), so I thought I'd get this posted.  I'm having a friend over for a movie tonight so I'm keeping the kids up from nap so they'll go to bed well, no getting-back-out-of-bed issues.  After a busy morning they're now having some down time watching Tinkerbell movie and I might take a little snoozers on the couch.  Just being real.  =)  So here we go...

Bible Study... I'm still back at Genesis 5. 

Memory Verse... 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (I'm going to keep this for the whole month, I think, instead of changing it every week)
"And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."

Husband Encouragement...

♥ Wash sheets.

♥ Work clothes clean and folded on top of his dresser. They may just be scrubs but I still iron them if they're REALLY bad.

♥ Make a treat for him to bring into work for everyone.  They've ALL been working so hard and deserve a little sweet something from home.

Train Them Up...
* Play WITH them.

* Get outside as much as possible.

* Practice reading with Eli and letters with Hannah.

* Discipline Carter, if necessary, for diaper changes.

Personal Goals...
* Work out 4 times this week.

* Daily Bible reading.

* Read 3 chapters in marriage book.

* Get out spring decorations.

New Habit of the Month...  {APRIL} Spray down dining room table nightly.

MUST Do...

* Finish lesson plans and get things packed up and set up at the church.

* Trim the bushes.

* Clean off couches!

* Go through baby clothes. Starting to get another big pile that needs packed away.

* Plant seeds.

* Put winter coats away.

* Take recycles to town (the thing was full last week when I tried)

* Wash Carter's "new" (Hannah's old) car seat.

Zone(s)... Living room and kitchen counters.

Menu - TBD

FUN THINGS! 

* Kevin's day off Monday night.

* MOPS Tuesday. 

* Movie night with a friend tonight (we had to postpone last week).

* Eli's preschool has track and field day tomorrow (weather permitting).  He is sooo excited! Going to have to video Eli's events so Daddy can see.

* Children's museum with friends on Thursday.

* Sleepover at friends' house Saturday night.

3 things I'm thankful for today...

1. Everyone involved in MOPS. It's such a great ministry!
2. BE-U-TIFUL weather today!! Days like this seem rare lately.
3. Kevin helped me with several things last night as I was getting MOPS stuff finished.  So thankful for him!!

Your love is better than life.

Windy is an understatement.

It's been INSANELY windy the last two days here in the midwest (and all over, from what I hear), especially at our house on the top of hill in the middle of the country with no wind break, and finally tonight I'm happy to report that it's finally died down and much more pleasant.  But it's dark out so what good does that do??  Well, after 2 days of constant gusts that practically knock you over and cause you to cancel errands with kiddos, our sandbox is folded in half because it was trying to blow away but held down by just enough sand.  A friend of mine shared this video on Facebook, and it was hilarious, so I'll post here.  Those poor little duckies!!!  I only laugh because they're perfectly fine and strong enough to handle this sort of harm!  =)

Monday Meanderings - Apr. 4

Alright, back to it this week...  

Bible Study... I've been inspired lately.  I want to start a read-through of the whole Bible.  I've never completed it before, and I don't care if it takes me 90 days or 1 year or probably longer, I just want to read the whole story, the great origin-to-destiny story of redemption. I hear it's an amazing book!  =) Going to follow a chronological plan, but mostly I want to read however much I want to read.

Memory Verse... 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (I'm going to keep this for the whole month, I think, instead of changing it every week)
"And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."

Husband Encouragement...

♥ Clean out his truck. (trash and maybe even a wipe-down)

♥ Work clothes clean and folded on top of his dresser.

♥ Tidy up the living room.

Train Them Up...
* Stagger naptimes just a little bit and that will give me 1-on-1 time with each of them.
* Play outside as much as possible.
* Read with them.
* Keep to routine.
* Make Easter cookie jar with them.

Personal Goals...
* Print April workout calendar. Work out 4x this week.
* Keep up with daily reading in marriage book.
* Paint my nails.

New Habit of the Month...  Spray down dining room table nightly.

MUST Do...

* Send mail to the Grandma's.

* Prepare and mail out MOPS postcards.

* Prepare MOPS lesson plan. (have a lot of ideas brewing already. landed on a great website last night--don't you love when that happens?!!)

* Take recycles to town.  (when it's not so WINDY!!) We have a stack of cardboards that are in the way of the laundry and it's driving me crazy.

* Schedule Carter's Dr checkup for next week.

* Clean up the grill for the season so we can maybe use it Wednesday on Kevin's day off.

* Return library books (due TODAY!)
* Order Hannah's new car seat.  Want to have both her and Carter switched before our big trip to SC next month.

Zone(s)... Living room and kitchen counters.

Menu - TBD

M -
T - enchiladas
W - chow mein
Th - something with ricotta cheese because we need to use it up
F -
S -

FUN THINGS!
* Movie night with a girlfriend tonight!!  We're going to watch Life As We Know It-- have you seen it yet??
* MOPS planning meeting tomorrow--excited to see some of my favorite gals.  And maybe a park visit afterward.
* Kevin's day off Wednesday.  I think we might actually get to SEE him this time!
* Maybe taking Hannah for a preschool visit Thursday.
* Birthday party for Grady on Saturday.

3 things I'm thankful for today...

1. I got to have a lunch date with my beautiful sister-in-law Holly on Saturday, just the two of us, not all the kids, and it was sooo nice!  Thanks, Holly!!

2. SPRING!  Grass is almost green, we've been playing outside all the time, windows are open (not today though!), and I feel MOTIVATED!  It's wonderful!!

3. My husband.  He's been working so hard. And still getting things done for our family in the little bit he IS home and loving on us.  And he's such a blessing.

30 Before 30

I saw on someone else's blog (was it you??) a list of 30 goals to complete before she turned 30.  And since I AM approaching the big 3-0 in TWO years, I thought it was a fun idea (easier than 101 goals in 1001 days) and figured I better get started already!  So here's the list, in no particular order...

1. Lose 15-20 lbs so I'm back to pre-babies weight. (I'm almost there, about 3 lbs to go)
2. Go white-water rafting.
3. Tube down a river.
4. Make a 1-year baby book for each of the children. (YAY!!!!)
5. Get photos taken as a family.  I have several friends who have started GREAT photography businesses! Completed Fall/11
6. Scrapbook my Europe trip I took in college.  Nothing fancy, just want to get the pictures and memoirs out of the shoebox they're currently in! (this is STARTED!)
7. Get curtains hung throughout the house (dining room, downstairs bath, upstairs bath, master bedroom, guest room)
8. Read through entire Bible.
9. Go for a bike ride.
10. Clean out old baby items and other "to go" items we no longer use.  Completed 6/12
11. Run 3 miles without stopping. (my previous goal was 1 mile and I made it 2 instead.  So now I'm shooting for 3) Completed 4/23/11!!!

12. Start singing on worship team at church. Do this regularly now in 2012
13. Play French horn for church special music. Also do this regularly in 2012
14. Plant a flower garden.
15. Update my "mother ring" to include Carter's birth stone instead of mine. 3/13
16. Take a picture of sun rays breaking through clouds.
17. Register to receive a local newspaper.
18. Volunteer to help at local library. (it's NEVER open because it's only volunteer-run! or something like that. Would love to help it BE something more, and if it means bringing my kids along, so be it!) I did and it doesn't seem to need help!
19. Finish wedding scrapbook.
20. Get a full-length mirror for our bedroom.  I never know WHAT I actually look like from head to toe! Completed 6/12/11
21. Commit to 30 Days of The Shred.
22. Explore the nearby state parks. Completed Summer 2012
23. Go tent camping as a family. Completed August 2011
24. Get a bedroom lock. (I feel so embarrassed to say that publicly.  But seriously, having little kids changes everything.)
25. Learn how to grill. Completed 5/11

26. Surprise a mom friend with a meal delivered to them, just because, not because of a new baby.
27. Invite our neighbors over to dinner.
28. Get in the habit of getting up before the kids.  School definitely did that for me!
29. Go serious clothes shopping with a girlfriend. 6/12
30. Buy a cute pair of shoes.

I'll link to this post on the sidebar and you can check back occasionally to see how I'm doing with my completions!

Sunday Psalm

Well today's "psalm" isn't from the book of Psalms.  It's one of David's songs or prayers found in 1 Chronicles and what the Bible opened itself to this morning.  One of my favorites...

1 Chronicles 29:10-13

"Praise be to you, O Lord,

God of our father Israel,

from everlasting to everlasting.

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power

and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,

for everything in heaven and earth is yours.

Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom;

you are exalted as head over all.

Wealth and honor come from you;

you are the ruler of all things.

In your hands are strength and power

to exalt and give strength to all.

Now, our God, we give you thanks,

and praise your glorious name."

I'm still here.

Except for yesterday's quick post of photo shoot pictures, I haven't spent much time on here lately.  I even missed Monday Meanderings, which I DID do but it didn't make it out of my journal and onto the blog.  Sorry, but I'm not sorry for my absence.  If you're curious as to what I've been up to, you CAN read about it on the family blog.  Basically I've been staying busy with the kids during the day and totally vegging out in the evenings because I'm so exhausted.  Especially the last two days because I haven't had nap time (for myself) either day.  Yesterday afternoon I was doing the photoshoot and today nap time was in the car so I was driving for an hour.  Man, I'm EXHAUSTED when I don't get that down-time in the afternoon.  Sounds so selfish out loud, but at some point every day you have to stop and breathe and have a wee bit of quiet even if the kids are still awake doing something else for the moment.  And with the weather being nice for a little bit, we've been play play playing as much as we can!  LOVE IT!

Aside from all THAT, I think I've finally figured out Kevin's "love language"... SLEEP!  With him working so much lately I've been letting him sleep later (8 hrs instead of his usual 5.5hrs) and he's a whole different person when he's awake!  Affectionate and ready to be with his family instead of still needing quiet time and being withdrawn.  It's quite amazing that thing called sleep!

But seriously though, I have also been reading a marriage book called What Did You Expect? by Paul David Tripp (not to be confused with TEDD Tripp, author of Shepherding a Child's Heart), and so far it has been excellent as well.  Teaching me so many things about MYSELF and my ugly sin nature and how that affects my life and marriage.  I have much more to learn, and I do hope to share as I finish the book (which I'm not even close to yet!) so sit tight.

I've also been trying to get motivated... about exercising, about housekeeping, about finishing projects, about creating.  I feel better when I'm super productive than I do about a Facebook comment, yet why is that I still choose Facebook over productivity??  AHH!  Working on this...

So that's where I've been.  Hope you're well, dear friends!

Photography: Grady, 1 YEAR

But not quite a year, as his mama would say.  =)  Cuz that "1-YEAR" title just sounds sooo much older! Introducing Mr. Grady James AKA Mr. Blue Eyes...

snuck in one of big sister Millie too.  LOVE that smile.  =)

Grady was great, but holy moly, is it hard to photography a 1-yr old!  Especially when you're mostly limited to indoors {it was sooo windy outside!} Catching a baby constantly on the move.  Carter was the same way, so I was prepared.  Still hard though, trying to get pictures that aren't a blur because settings are so low in order to catch light.  Whew!  Let's just say Jess was AMAZING for chasing Grady down, continuously setting him back in place only for him to crawl away again!  LOL  Happy with the end results though!  He's a cutie, and it's soo fun watching him grow side-by-side with Carter!