Hats, headbands, headlamps, and hugs all around!

We visited Aunt Jill and Uncle Jay's home last weekend for our Christmas with them.  Meme had been in the hospital on the "real" Christmas Eve, so we celebrated a little late, complete with banyacalda, lots of yummy appetizers, and potato soup.  Meme and Papa gave the kids some hats for Christmas, and we had given Bryce a camo hat, so everyone sported their cute hats and I caught some pictures! We had lots of fun, and treasured our time together! 

A new year~2013!

I always look forward to this time of year, for renewal, a sense of order, and because things seem a little simpler and clearer in January.  This new year is different though, because it *really* is a new beginning for us.  Because of our move in December, we are still getting settled.  It's hard to believe we have already lived here for a whole month.  We spent our first night in this home on December 5th (with no furniture!) and now it's already January 9th.  We are still trying to get used to the changes.  There are so many things that I miss from Independence, especially our church family and our friends.  We have started going to a church here that we are enjoying, but sometimes on Sunday mornings my heart aches to hear Miss Erin's beautiful voice leading worship and Pastor Darren's words of wisdom and encouragement from Indy Nazarene.  I know this is silly, but I miss the muffins from our local coffee shop, Ane Mae's, and I desperately miss "coffee days" on Thursdays with my close girlfriends.  I know that God has a plan for this move here, though, and I know that it's a good plan, it's the ONLY plan that I want for our lives...so here we are...and it will be ok.

Speaking of plans...and changes...I have decided to JUMP back on my health wagon.  I have to confess that since my surgery in August I have gained all of my weight back plus 6 additional pounds.  I would love to blame it on the surgery, or the stress of the move, or the holidays, but honestly, it's because I have been eating a lot of bad food and not exercising.  I am one of those people who just has to be really intentional about things or I really slip.  It seems like as a Christian wife and mother of three, there are just SO many things to concentrate on that I feel like sometimes I need to let things go in order to be successful in other areas.  I know that if I am intentional about my health, however, that I will have more energy and JOY to put toward everything else.  I need to just really focus on this truth:  I feel better, am more joyful, and am a better wife and mother when I am healthy (exercising every day and not using my body as a garbage can).  I just need to get back to putting that 45 minutes aside for my exercise every day, and being intentional about the foods that I put into my body and into the bodies of the four people who I love more than anything else in this world.  I need to pray about it, I need to think about it, and ALLOW the Holy Spirit change me from the inside out.

Merry Christmas!

Hi!  Merry Christmas!  I have missed blogging so much but I have to tell you...SO much has happened since my last post!  We moved!  After 11 years in the Independence area, we moved to the Derby, KS area on December 5th!  Kris started working at the Derby Walmart Store in September, and we had been living apart for 3 days in a row each week since then.  We feel so very blessed to all be together again.  We are leasing a home in Rose Hill, KS, and we really like it so far! We are praying that our home in Independence sells soon!  The kids are adjusting, and mama is working on that too...I miss my best friends...but I know God has a plan for this move!  I just wanted to pop in and share some of our Christmastime pictures, and say Hi...and Merry Christmas!

 

Her children arise and call her blessed...

I think my children must arise and call me cranky most days...ha!  Is that the joyous life God has planned for me?  Probably not.  I have been reading through Proverbs 31, just over and over, to try and become the mom and wife I am supposed to be.  Today I was reading in the footnotes of my study Bible, and read this definition for blessed: One who enjoys happy circumstances and from whom joy radiates to others.  Sometimes I feel guilty for being happy, almost as if someone who would rather I be miserable is in the room with me, someone who secretly wishes for failure, drama and chaos.  I know who that person is...the enemy of my soul.  I need to realize that the lover of my soul, God, wants me to be blessed, to enjoy happy circumstances, to enjoy the blessings that HE has given me!  And probably just as much as he wants me to enjoy it, he wants me to share that joy with others, to let others see his light, his hope, his peace, and JOY that he brings!

Lord, will you please help me with this today?  I beg you to just fill up my heart for these children and this husband!  I beg you to give me energy, enthusiasm, and most of all a love and joy that spills out to my family and friends.  Please Lord, I trust you with this today.  Amen.

It's September!

This morning I am thankful for September, and the rest of the "ber" months, as my sister says!  There are just a million things I look forward to this time of year, pumpkins, candles, bonfires, football, falling leaves, apple cider...I could go on and on!  I just love it!  Autumn fills me with a new energy for homemaking, nesting, and mama-ing!  I think it's the promise of cooler temperatures, snuggly kids, and family time together that just brings so much JOY!

I have been meaning to update on my health, but every time I sit down to write about it I become discouraged, and discouragement is one of the enemy's greatest weapons, so I have been avoiding it.  I had a small "bump" in the road with my health and weightloss.  I had been noticing a lump on my belly, just to the lower right side of my belly button.  It seemed to be getting larger, so I talked to my doctor about it.  She ordered an x-ray, but didn't see anything abnormal in them.  Two months later I visited her again, after losing my first 20 pounds, and she said it was more noticable, and seemed larger to her.  She ordered a CT scan, and the results revealed a "small" hernia that was about 3 cm, that had already allowed a large amount of tissue to escape.  She referred me to a surgeon, and on August 6th I had outpatient surgery to correct it.  When I woke up from surgery I was shocked at the size of incision to correct my "small" hernia.  She said it was much larger than she initially thought, and the hernia opened up through my rectus abdominus muscle, and she had never seen anything like it before.  I think I slept for two whole days after surgery, and had a lot of pain.  I have been slowly getting back to normal, and the swelling from the surgery is just now down.  I am ready to get started again on my healthy living plan, but I feel like I have lost so much ground. I am determined, however, not to give up!  I need to go grocery shopping for some healthy foods again, and just get myself up in the mornings to begin walking again...I CAN still do this!  I just wanted to share this here, because I want to always remember the journey, even the "bumps" along the road!

Rainy Day Christmas Music...

We have had rainy days for the past two days...THANK YOU LORD! We were needing rain so badly, our town has been in water conservation/warning status for a few weeks, and it's just felt stressful. I am so thankful to be able to turn on the faucet and get clean, fresh water, and I can't imagine living in a country or situation without it. We are so blessed. Anyway, it's been cloudy, cooler, and rainy, so after church this morning I slipped into comfy clothes, put a pot of white chicken chili on the stove, and turned on my "Christmas Guitar" cd. It's Christmas music, with just guitar, and sounds from nature...I love it. It sounds like something wonderful but doesn't scream "pressures of the holidays"...I love it...did I mention I love it? Anyway, we are just hanging out this afternoon, it's snuggly and relaxing...love. I feel so blessed to be home, surrounded by kiddos (we have an extra Evan today!), even though our house is a disaster and Kris is not here with us, it's a blessed day!

Front Porch Face Lift!

I have been working hard this morning on our front porch!  The weather has been so much cooler that it has had me in the nesting and sprucing up mode!  I started painting last night, and finished everything up today while Claire was napping and Asher rode his bike around me in circles (ha!) I am really excited with how everything turned out.  I am still looking for a few more garage sale finds to finish it off, but I am excited about the changes I was able to make with just the cost of spray paint and some inexpensive cushions from Walmart!  Meme got this set for us as an anniversary gift.  It was cast aside of their flea market by the owner, and she offered to buy it.  It was a little rusty and a crusty greenish color, but I dusted it off and gave it a new coat of glossy black Color Place spray paint.  I picked the cushions up for around $6 for 4 of them, and thought the red might add a burst of color. 

I also cleaned up our old park bench.  Kris and I have had this old thing since we bought our very first home in 1999.  We bought it new, but it has been dragged to 6 different houses, sometimes exposed to rain and snow, and it has survived!  The cast iron was orginally a weathered green, but I thought it might look nice in black...because that's my answer to everything...black spray paint (ha!) I covered all the wood parts up with newspapers and painter's tape, and sprayed the iron black.  Next I took all of the paper off and put several coats of redwood stain that we had leftover from our swingset on the wood parts. I was so happy about how it came out!

I also painted up a pot with our house number on it.  I have seen these on Pinterest and just loved how they looked but couldn't figure out how to add the numbers without buying them in vinyl or hand painting them...but I had a brainstorm (which doesn't happen to often to me anymore) and decided to stick on scrapbook stickers and spray paint over them.  Before the paint was completely dry, I removed the stickers with tweezers to reveal the previously cream color of the flower pot! I was excited to finally have a house number flower pot!

Hope you've enjoyed our front porch!

First Day of 7th Grade!

Today is Katie's first day of 7th grade...I can hardly believe it!  Eight short years ago we sent our precious little sweet pea to the Bible School in her tiny navy blue and green plaid uniform for kindergarten, and now she is taller than I am!  She is beautiful inside and out, and we are so proud of the young woman she is becoming!  We love you Katie!  Welcome to Junior High!

Can I just share some of the blessings that are going on in our home right. this. minute?  Claire is in Asher's room dancing her little heart out to "Rise and Shine (and give God the Glory, Glory)" and I just heard her and Asher giggling like crazy down there!  We have electricity...for the air conditioner, and it's supposed to be 109 degrees today.  My beautiful , beautiful girl is hugging me as I type...right. now.  She just woke up.  I had coffee and read my Bible this morning.  My sweet boy came down from his fun room just to ask if I could "hold him"...be right back.  I got my kiss, hug, shakey-shakey and "shiggle" from my boy...my life is good...I am so incredibly blessed.

Thankful...

This morning I am so thankful for so many things...temperatures in the 70's this morning for my walk, kids sleeping in just a little longer than usual, Kris's legs getting better, a ripe tomato waiting for me on the vine this morning, mourning doves singing, our home, Kris's job, Katie being at camp this week (I think she was needing a break from us more than we were needing a  break from her pre-teen-age-ness), for some much needed spiritual growth and renewal that Kris and I are hoping and praying for, for the Lego house that Asher and I have been working on in the dining room, and last but not least...for coffee!  Thank you LORD, for everything you have given us!

true joy

things that bring me true joy:

• seeing Claire take her first steps (finally!)
• listening to Asher tell us what "love" means...his definition, "love is when you're happy when you're with someone" (he is amazing.)
• listening to Katie sing at the top of her lungs when she thinks we're not listening
• clean laundry
• a 10 degree drop in the hot summer temperatures
• coffee
• finishing a good walk with sweaty clothes (really.)
• when Kris gives me a random kiss on the back of my neck while I'm doing dishes
• watching Asher and Claire become close siblings (they truly love each other.)
• listening to k-love or kxoj online
• my good girlfriends~Crystal, Charisse, Sabrina, Stephanie, Pam, Emmalee, love these ladies!
• feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit in our home...that's truly the best joy in the world...

Just a closer walk with thee...

Walking...I've been doing a lot of that...sometimes 4 miles a day...and I can feel the effects of it.  I feel so much better, physically and mentally.  Even though my walks are benefitting me, they are not the "walks" that I am really needing to take.  The walks that I crave this morning, the ones I am desperate for are ones with my heavenly father.  I have to admit that I've been really distant with him lately...just kind of coasting along...praying sometimes...sometimes not.  Praising sometimes...sometimes not.  Giving/Loving sometimes...sometimes not.  I don't like it.  I just want Jesus.  There is nothing in this world that can satisfy my soul except him.  No amount of exercise, weight loss, compliments, financial security---nothing can fill this hole in me like he can.  His presence, his peace, his certainty can fill this need in me, if only I will let him in.  So...right here in this post...I want to ask him, to invite him, to beg him to come and be with me...to live inside my very being.

Dear Jesus, Thank you so much for all of the amazing blessings in my life, I know that every good gift comes you, my children, my husband, my family and friendships...you are the giver of these...thank you so much.  Lord, I need you.  It's so simple, I just need you in my heart, in my life...not just as a part, but as a whole...take all of me, Lord, please.  I don't want to keep treading water to stay alive, I want to be alive in you, Lord...please...please just fill me with you, Lord.  I am begging for your presence.  Please just help me through this life, be with me every step.  Lord, I invite you, I give you permission to just have my life.  I want a closer walk with you, Lord...so close that I can feel you holding on to me.  Please Lord, please.  In your precious name I pray, Amen.

Ok...time to GET IT TOGETHER...

I have been struggling so much with my eating and exercise during the past week.  I just let myself have some "treats" and it has gotten out of hand, and I haven't exercised for a few days.  I have been fighting a head cold/allergies/sinus stuff and just haven't been motivated to jump out of bed and go early in the morning like I had been.  I have got to get it back together first thing in the morning.  My plan is to just leave my Sparkpeople webpage open in a window on the computer all day, so I can enter every bite that goes in my mouth.  I was doing this so religiously at first, and I have just slacked off and I can definitely tell.  I need the accountability and structure.  I can do this...I know I can...I just have to get back on my feet, dust myself off and keep going!

We have had a good weekend.  Yesterday we went to a friend's birthday party and swimming at our water park/pool.  The kids had fun, Claire loved it!  She just loves the water.  Asher had a lot of fun playing with his friend, Evan, and my friend Charisse and I were able to visit and catch up.   Kris had to work today, so we made him a yummy lunch and the kids gave him his "Daddy Day" presents during his lunch break, they were so excited for him to come home!  They gave him two Coleman lanterns that we picked up at a garage sale.  He loves old Coleman stuff, lanterns, heaters, thermos', etc. so he was thrilled with our thrifty gift!  I "helped" the kids make a little card to go on the lantern, it says, "You light up our Life, Daddy! We love you!  Happy Father's Day!"

 We tried to take a family picture before Kris went back to work, but it didn't work out too well...ha!

Oh--and one more thing for today--today marks 7 years of blogging for me!  My first entry was on June 17, 2005, isn't that the craziest thing?  There have been times when my blog entries were so few and far between, but I am so glad I have kept it going!  It is amazing to look back at my old posts and have PROOF of God working in our lives...it's just overwhelming to see all He has done for us!

Summertime means Watertime!

We visited Meme and Papa's this weekend, and met up with my sister and her kiddos! The kids had so much fun playing together and swimming. We went to the new splash pad, and the kids loved it too! They were all so tired by the time we got home, but it was a nice weekend!

Katie lounging in the pool!

 Asher is armed with a water gun, and he's not afraid to use it!

 Can you believe Katie stood under these buckets on purpose?

Reese hanging out in the pool!

Reagan and her sweet toothless grin!

Katie and Rylee had a lot of fun together!

Oh my goodness...can I hit the "reset" button?

I ate too much today...way too much...ugh.  I haven't done very well during the past few days anyway, but today I feel like I really blew it.  Cookies.  Milk Shake.  Pulled Pork.  Curly Q fries.  Barbeque Sauce.  Coke.  Onion Strings.  RESET.  REFOCUS.  PRAY.  BREATHE.  It's OK.  Tomorrow is a new day...I can do this.  I can make excellent choices tomorrow, and the next day, and the next.  And all of this is since I hit the 20 pounds lost mark last week...why?  Lord, please help me...please help me forgive myself and MOVE ON.  I can do this.  I can do this.  I can do this.

A Note + a teeny bit of coffee + a haircut = WEIGHTLOSS!

I am so, so, so excited to report that this morning when I stepped onto the scale, I saw beautiful numbers!  I currently weigh 19.2 pounds less than I did on May 2, 2012!  Almost 20...can you believe it? 

-19.2

My title is kind of funny, but I think those things really did mentally help me this past week.  My sister wrote me a note, that said this:

"Hey there!  I just wanted to send you a little note to let you know how awesome I think you are for sticking with your healthy living plan!  I know it is not easy to break bad habits and to make time for exercising but you are doing it!  And doing it so well!  I am super proud of you!  You are making changes that are benefitting your whole family and I wanted you to know that I am happy for you!  Love you!  Love, Crystal"

This note was such an encouragement to me, it just made my whole day!  I try and read it every day for motivation! 

I had planned on going 1 month without coffee, just to kind of test the waters, and see how I did without it.  It felt horrible at first, and I just didn't think I could make it without it, but my coffee cravings slowly got less intense.  It wasn't just the caffeine, as any coffee drinker can tell you, it's the smell of it brewing, the way a full mug of hot coffee feels in your hands, the early morning quietness, and that first sip...oh my!  Anyhoo...I did it, I made it an entire month without coffee!  I decided to brew just a little bit the other day, and it was so, so, good and I didn't feel guilty, in fact, I felt liberated almost, that I could have coffee when I wanted it, without the guilt, without feeling like I had to have it every single day or I couldn't move.  I seem to have a lot more energy on the days I have been having it, mostly just because it makes me HAPPY! 

Oh, and one more thing that has contributed to my weight loss...a haircut!  There must have been a pound of hair lying on the ground afterward!  Ha!



Japanese Stack-Up Dinner

We had this for a Sunday School get-together once, and it was really good!  It has kind of an interesting combination of flavors!  I couldn't find a picture of it, but wanted to save the recipe!  It's kind of fun to encourage everyone to try ALL of the layers, and see what they think! JAPANESE STACK - UPS

Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1826,155168-225201,00.html Content Copyright © 2012 Cooks.com - All rights reserved. 3 c. Minute rice Chow mein noodles 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or chopped Celery, chopped Green onion, chopped 1 can crushed pineapple (or fresh pineapple is even better!) Slivered Almonds Flaked coconut 1 lb.  cheddar cheese, shredded Gravy: Chicken gravy 1 (32 oz.) chicken broth 3 cans cream of chicken soup Prepare gravy. Serve buffet style in preceding order, putting hot gravy on last to melt cheese. Fun for dinner parties.

weight loss (or gain)

I forgot to update in my last post about my weight loss journey.  I'm still going, just slowly...I did gain two pounds this week (I just KNOW it was that trout and hushpuppies--ha!) but I am hopeful that I can get back to losing this week.  I only logged a couple of days on Sparkpeople last week, and I can definately tell the difference.  I also didn't have my normal exercise routine last week, so this week will be better, I just know it!

It's Friday, and it's SUMMERTIME!

I couldn't be happier that it's Friday this week!  I worked in the church this week, and between answering the phone with loud kiddos in the background, and Asher running all over the place in his "fast runnin' shoes" I am pooped!  I have gotten so used to my homemaking routine, so used to the comfort of being at home, that I had started to take it for granted.  I will be so very happy to be back to a routine next week.  I am so very very blessed to be able to be at home with my kids.  God is so good to allow this for us!  We do have a busy week coming up, Katie is starting softball, and Asher is starting "Blast ball" for the month of June.  We have 4 or 5 games a week for the month of June.  It should be exciting!

Katie's garden is growing!  We have three big tomatoes growing and one new little addition, a green pepper!  Katie has done a great job with checking on them every day.  We are excited to make salsa!  I've been collecting recipes to try.

We had a really nice Memorial Day weekend.  We stayed at home, and tried a bunch of new healthy recipes.  We also had one "unhealthy" meal of fried trout (from our awesome fisherman brother-in-law, Michael) and homemade hushpuppies, and I have to tell you...it was so incredibly delicious!  One of our other favorite foods that we tried was grilling chicken with a dry rub on it...it was so good!  We have always marinated in an oil based marinade, so this was a little healthier option for us.

I got the Slip-n-Slide out for the kids on Monday, and they loved it!  Claire was kind enough to give me a funny faced pose while sitting in the water!  This is the face she makes all of the time, and it totally cracks us up!  She loved the water, and wasn't afraid to get right in the sprinkler part!  Asher never did quite get the "sliding" part of it, but he sure had a good time playing in the water!  Katie hurt her knee again with a bike wreck, so she didn't slide today...I think she felt like she was too big...which makes me sad.  She is really growing up.  She would rather just watch, and listen to her ipod.  She still listens to Christian music (most of the time) and still loves to listen to "Adventures in Oddessy" every day, and lately she's been watching Disney channel shows a lot.  The kids are all growing so fast, makes me feel the need to cherish each day!

Slow and steady wins the race?

I must be a turtle...ha!  I lost one pound...and it's ok!  I will do better this week.  I need to work on cutting back on the unhealthy fats and sodium, and concentrate on getting my calories from healthy foods.  I can do this!  I know that I can!  I have the best cheerleader, and HE is patient and kind, and will give me help in my time of need.