Getting healthy update

I started my 2nd week with Bradon, my personal trainer today. It's been a week since I started, so I had to get on the scales today. I've lost 3 pounds! He told me to just continue with my liquid diet and it would keep falling off. I'm so excited!
The liquid diet hasn't been hard at all to follow. Probably the easiest diet I've ever been on. You are supposed to drink 10-12 oz of water before every meal, another 10-12 during the meal and another 10-12 after the meal. This way, you're stomach feels more full and you're not taking in as much food. I'm eating a snack in between breakfast and lunch and another between lunch and dinner. I don't have to worry about the liquid intake as much with the snacks.
For breakfast my choices are: egg whites, oatmeal, fruit, whole grain fruit bars.
For lunch my choices are: grilled chicken, salads, brown rice, couple scoops of peanut butter, yogurt, veggies, fruits
For dinner: pretty much the same as lunch. Except NO BREAD/starches for dinner for sure.
No dinner after 9pm. 1 diet coke a day (I've been having trouble with this one- I've been more like 1-2, which is still good for me!). Can have little bits of 100% fruit and/or veggie juice with snacks if I want. Eat everything in small portions except fruit. I can have all the fruit I want.
And that's it. I'm normally not very good with diets but I'm doing really well so far. Maybe it's because I know I have someone else to be accountable to now. I LOVE that!

Winning Writers

The boys both participated in the principal's writing contest at their school this past month. And we just found out on Friday that they both won! I think they had a few winners in each grade. They had their names called over the PA system at school to go to the office and get their prizes. They got a ribbon and a prize. Braden's prize was a bug set with plastic bugs. Rhett's prize was a book with toy cars and a big poster of a race course in the back of the book. We are so proud of the boys!

I couldn't get the boys to pose with their prizes to save my life. Rhett was holding his ribbon and they each had one of Braden's toy bugs on their heads. Boys will be boys, right?

Camping Pics

Gracie loves to go camping and loves to get dirty. Here's a picture of her on Saturday morning before me and Jason even had breakfast cooked.

Rhett loves to ride his bike. He rode for miles this weekend! Braden and Daddy played football. (Once again, my pictures are chosing not to upload properly... sorry for the head tilt but I don't have time to try to figure out the problem...)
We had a family party with Bammaw Julie, Uncle Roger, The Wilkersons and the Presleys. They were all camping this weekend too. Braden picked a Razorback theme, so we had these cupcakes made. Here is a "tail" cupcake. In the container behind, you can see one of the "heads" cupcakes. So cute!
Bammaw calling the Hogs before the party. Braden said he was so embarrased.
We had face tatoos for the kids.Braden blowing out his candle! I can't believe my baby boy is going to be 8 years old tomorrow!

Gracie and Rhett love to eat yummy cupcakes!

Braden inspecting his present from Bammaw. She had some fancy redneck wrapping paper... whatever she could find at her campsite. A cereal box and duct tape. He was seriously worried he was about to get a box of cereal. He kept saying, "I don't even like this kind of cereal!" There was really a Wii game inside!

Weekend Fun!!

We had an awesome time camping this weekend. We had unbelievably gorgeous weather the entire time. Warm during the day and cool at night. Just how we like it!
We got there after dark the first night, so nothing much to report there. Saturday morning, the kids were up before dawn, which is pretty typical, so Jason got up with them, got them ready and they went to go fishing with Jason's mom while I got to stay in bed! WooHooo!! I never did go back to sleep, but I stretched out over that bed and laid there for a very long time. We made a nice breakfast later in the morning together. This was the first camping trip ever that I didn't gorge myself on bacon cooked in the cast iron skillet. I had 2 pieces. I had to have a couple, you know. Before lunch, we had Braden a little birthday party with "Hogs" cupcakes that I had brought. All of our family that was there got him GREAT birthday gifts that we are so thankful for. He has been playing the new Wii and DS games he got. He LOVES all of them. That's actually all he's talked about since we got home! Thanks to Bammaw, The Wilkerson's and The Presley's for thinking of Braden on his big birthday!! I got a nap on Saturday afternoon. Saturday night, Jason cooked us some steaks on the grill and hot dogs for the kids. The best steaks ever. And I had to have a bite of a hot dog. They were also the best hot dogs ever. We still can't figure out what he did different, but they were darn good.
We sat by the fire and drank hot chocolate until Rhett curled up in Jason's lap and fell asleep.
Sunday, we put Gracie in the seat on the back of Jason's bike and them, Rhett and I rode our bikes all over Roaring River. We went down to check on Bammaw and Braden fishing, we went to see and feed the fish at the hatchery and we enjoyed the beautiful scenery.
We were exhausted by the time we packed everything up, got home and unpacked everything... but so worth it. The kids were able to have a fun weekend for a change, and that was the most important thing.
Currently, Jason has all 3 kids at the boys' soccer practice and I'm HOME ALONE!!! I'm supposed to be doing laundry, so I better get off here. Don't tell Jas I was blogging when I was supposed to be folding, OK? :-)
I'll post pics of the weekend later when I have time.
Oh, and I start week #2 with the working out in the morning. I'm so excited. The diet he has me on is going well too. I will weigh next week, so for now, I'll just keep plugging along!

Strong in the Grace

I get a daily devotion emailed to me each morning from Christian Women Today.
I can't even tell you how much I needed this one today. As always, God knows exactly what I need. And for that, I am SO thankful.
I just had to share this. I pray that each of you who read this will have a blessed day.

"...This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Timothy 1:9, 10). "You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 2:1) How is your strength these days? If you are like me, some days you feel energized, eager to work hard and easily patient, then other days it seems like a smile and a kind word require monumental effort that you just don't have the power to accomplish. God knew our own human strength fluctuates and eventually fails us. That is why He instructs us to be strong in the grace. The grace of God is limitless. It never runs out. It is always available. Therefore, rather than relying on our own strength which depends on our physical health, how much sleep we had last night, our mental and emotional well-being, the stress in our family, the time of the year or simply the time of the month; we are called to rely on God's grace. His grace gives us strength. Knowing that God loves me and Christ died for me gives me the energy to face today. When I am physically tired, I can find strength to forgive because God in His grace has forgiven me. When I am emotionally wrung out, God's word strengthens me because it reminds me of His grace. Meditating on God's grace rejuvenates my spirit, the way a good night's sleep or regular exercise revives my body. I encourage you to spend time today thinking about God's grace and asking Him to strengthen you by it. ~God, Please strengthen our hearts by grace. Show us how to live and rest in Your grace. ---By Suzanne Benner

Day One

Today was Day One of working out with my personal trainer. I can't even tell you how excited I am about this. Not even close! But, I am super stoked. Brandon, my trainer, is one of the nicest Christian guys I've ever met. He's easy to talk to and we get along great. Plus, he used to be a Razorback football player and he's super buff, so he looks qualified. :-) Seriously, though, he will definately keep me motivated to reach my goal. So, to get back to what I weighed when I got married, I have 36 pounds to lose. That's the official goal. He took my measurements and I about cried when he wrote them down. I really don't remember what my measurements were back in the day, but I know my waist was 27 and lets just say I have more than a few inches to lose there... and we won't even touch the hips...
At the end of the work out, we did abs. I did pretty well on the crunches. I think I can still crunch with the best of them (for a couple minutes, anyway!). But then he "stood" on my feet to keep them flat, with me laying down and told me to go all the way up. I already knew that these massively-stretched-by-babies-three-times "used to be" abs of mine would never do that. He said, "Come on, give me 12!" And boy was I fired up. I took a deep breath and nearly popped my eyeballs out trying to get all the way up. I finally made it and he said, "Alright, good, just give me 6!" He realized that I clearly was not going to give him 12 no matter how hard I tried. So I went down and prepared to go for #2 and it just simply would not happen! I was trying so hard, but I just couldn't do it. I was actually laughing so hard at this point, I had to compose myself. This flabby belly is more flab than I realized! There is very little muscle under there at this point. So, being so kind, Brandon said, "Come on, 1 more!". I mustered up some strength from my toes or something and managed to get all the way up. PATHETIC!! I was almost embarrased. But, I will get better. That's the point of this whole thing, right. To get healthier and more in shape than I am now. I even told that horrible large number on the scale "Bye-Bye". I even said it outloud. I don't ever want to see that number again. I know it's going to be hard, but I'm motivated to do it. I'm so thankful that I have a helper now to keep me going. I'll keep you posted!!

I Love My Mom

My mom came to visit me today.
She was at my house when me and Gracie got home from Mommy and Me soccer. She babysat Gracie so I could get out of the house by myself for a little bit and I got to go eat lunch with Rhett at school. He has been begging me to do it and was so excited to see me. I got to see my big kindergarten boy in action. He was so good. Without being prompted, I watched as he ate his lunch that I packed for him. First, the PB&J sandwich on homemade bread with no crust, then the all natural cheetos, then the orange slices, then the 1/2 of a Hershey bar. I have to say, I was impressed. He ate it all in the right order all by himself! I try so hard to pack healthy lunches; I think it's really important. As I looked around the table, there were kids that had nothing but snacks. One child had a king size candy bar in his lunch box. He ate that first, and I'm not sure if he ate anything else...
Rhett has been griping that his food is "different" and he wants to go back to eating the "old food" but today, he scarfed up his healthy lunch without saying a word.
In a time that I have felt very down as a parent, it was a nice feeling for me today. I felt like maybe I am doing at least one thing right as a mother...
Then, I picked up Mom and Gracie and we ate a delicious lunch at Chili's. I had the turkey sandwich. It was probably the best turkey sandwich I've ever eaten. I highly recommend it! And she bought lunch, which was an unexpected, and super nice treat!
We planned to go shopping, but Jason called and work prevailed, so we came back and while I worked, she watched Gracie AND did laundry AND cleaned my bathroom, AND did my dishes, AND swept my floor. And probably most importantly, just kept me company and gave me someone to talk to and have fun with.
When my dad got off work, he came over and we ordered pizza (Papa John's, of course) and just hung out.
It was so good for the kids to see them and get to spend some time with them.
And it was good for me too. I guess I needed some parental visiting more than I realized. Today, was a good day.
I can't wait for the next "Me Me visit day"!

Things I Love

My friend Marci posted a list of "things I love" on her blog and asked "what do you love?"

Here's my list of "things I love" in no particular order:

The way Jason looks at me

Watching Braden and Rhett play sports

When my kids hug and kiss me without being asked

Putting bows in Gracie's curly hair

Going on "dates" with my sons

Worship Service at church

Smell of fresh baked bread

Football

Diet Coke

Looking at old pictures

Freshly washed sheets

My friends and family

Fall

Naps

Christian music

Candles

Hot Baths

Laying down in my bed after a long day

Watching movies with my husband

Food Network

Cheesecake

My mom's spaghetti and potato salad meal

My mother in law's cookies

Shopping for new clothes

Higher Ground weekends- especially the Fall retreats

What do you love??

A New Me?

I have been trying to lose my "baby weight" ever since Gracie was born. Almost 26 months ago. During my pregnancy, I gained 41 pounds. At one point I had lost 20 of it. Then right before the holidays last year I decided to "take a break" from the diet and enjoy the holidays. I ended up REALLY enjoying myself during the holiday season. I gained back almost all of that 20 pounds. Since then, I have lost up to 12 of it again. Then I tore the ligament in my ankle in May and since then, I have put almost all of it back on. AGAIN. So, as I sit now, I haven't weighed myself in almost 2 weeks, but last time I weighed, I have 33 pounds to lose to get back to where I was when I got pregnant for Gracie. So, we joined the gym and I have been going. For the first time ever, I have access to a daycare so that I can drop Gracie off and go work out. I've been trying to go 3 or 4 times a week and get my heart pumping and sweat as much as I can for 45 minutes to an hour. Without hurting my ankle, of course. I've been feeling really good about myself just for getting up and going. I've been doing decent on my eating, until the weekends and seems like I pig out on bad stuff too much when we're back in BV working... I'm trying. I'll get there again.
I'm thinking about hiring a personal trainer to help me. I saw him the other day and asked him about it and he said I could have a 4 pack by my anniversary. I told him that I would love to be able to wear a bikini (and look good in it!) by my 10 year wedding anniversary, which is on May 29th.

(Jason and I would love to go on a vacation just the 2 of us for the first time since our honeymoon, to celebrate this big anniversary. On our honeymoon, we said we'd renew our vows and re-honeymoon every 10 years. So, I'm trying to put money back and we're hoping that we can work out the details to be able to do that.)

The trainer said no problem, there's plenty of time for that. I can't hardly believe it could be true, but it excites me to think about that. I'm sure he charges a million dollars for a make-over like that, so I might not do it, but I'm sure going to look in to it soon.
I talked to Jason about it, and he said, "Baby, don't worry about it. You just put that bikini on when we go on our trip no matter how much you weigh. You'll look fine. You're too hard on yourself." I couldn't help but laugh. If you haven't seen me lately, I'm no where near being in bathing suit shape, much less bikini shape! He told me that he didn't care, but said it would be nice to keep it under 400 lbs. Ha! I'm still laughing at that one! But it is such a blessing to have a husband who really does love me no matter what and really doesn't care what size I am. I will always be thankful for that. I know women who don't have husbands like that and I just can't imagine...

Spoke too soon??

Today Rhett came home with a "pink slip". He had a check mark next to 2 items.

1. Disruptive behavior during class/circle time.

2. Trouble keeping hands to himself.

He had to miss recess. Next pink slip means a conference with the parents, teacher and child. I'm praying there's not a next time.

Just when I thought Rhett was getting over some of this behavioral stuff... I love him so much, but sometimes being a Mom is just SO hard.

We went to Sonic for happy hour after school because I had some errands to run and while driving down the road in after-school-Springdale-traffic, which I hate (almost as much as going-to-work-Springdale-traffic and after-work-Springdale-traffic) apparently Rhett didn't like something Braden said, and spit lime slush at him thru the straw. From the middle seat to the front seat. Lovely. This happened right after I tried to take a drink of my Rt. 44 Diet Coke and the not-on-all-the-way lid came off, the cup ripped and it made a huge mess and left me soaked, the console sticky and 3/4 of an inch of liquid in my cup holder. Praise the Lord I held it together and didn't get in a wreck.... Just like this morning after I dropped the boys off at school. I was driving down the road, talking to Jason on the phone and felt something creepy crawly on my leg. I looked down and it was a nickel-sized bug/spider thingy. I did the best I could to get it off me and keep it off me, all while making it to my parking spot at the apartment and talking to Jason except for the last 15 seconds in which I deemed it unsafe to be on the phone any longer. (Ya think?!) I found the buggy-thing and promptly sent it to it's final resting place with my shoe.I couldn't figure out exactly what it was. I've never seen anything like it. So gross. Praise the Lord I didn't get in a wreck.

I need a massage, a manicure, a pedicure, a new hair cut and whatever else I could pile into a day at the spa. If only it wouldn't cost a gazillion dollars to do all that, I'd be all over it. Maybe I'd settle for a DAY OFF.

On a happy note, my 3rd cell phone in 6 months pooped out on me last weekend and I finally got the replacement phone in the mail and got it all hooked up today. I am so glad to have a phone that works! For today anyway...

Lord help me.

Rhett's Awesome Day!

Rhett came home one day last week with this little lady-bug sign that said "Rhett- Awesome Day!" Were we ever proud! He has done so well this week. Monday he came home with another "Awesome Day" sticker. He hasn't cried to go to school all week! AND he has only had 1 night terror since last Wednesday night. Yeah! Go Rhett! And THANK YOU Jesus!!!!!

Home Improvements

We spent our Labor Day weekend working on the house in BV.Here I am painting. This was the first room I have ever painted. I have to say, for such beginners, we are doing a pretty good job. After working this past weekend also, we only have the kitchen and the new part of the house left to paint and that chore is done. Thank goodness!! Here's Mynette and Gracie "helping" Luis with the painting!
Here you can see the difference between the old nasty white walls and the new pretty "bramble" walls. It is looking SO pretty! I hope someone will think it's pretty enough to buy!!!

Pics from the Naturals Game

This was our view of the field from the suite. Sweet!

Braden with Strike the Sasquatch. Is that not the funniest mascot name ever?
Jesse took this pic of me and Jas. We were cracking up because Jason was trying to showcase some PDA right before he took the picture!
Are these not the 2 cutest 5 year olds in the entire world??? Rhett and Ela had fun at the game!
$3.75 bowl of ice cream in a KC Royals Hat. YUMMY!
Rhettster is such a silly boy! He was so excited that we let him eat some ice cream too!

I was trying to get a picture of Jason and Luis, but Rhett jumped his head into the picture being silly. You can tell that Ela was enjoying her ice cream too!

Here's Braden right after the game was over. He really had a great time!

Another BIG thank you goes out to Uncle Jeff for inviting us to this great family fun day at the ball park.

Also, thanks to MeMe for babysitting Gracie and Tre while we were off having fun at the game. AND for sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, cleaning my sofa, and doing my laundry for me while we were gone. We Love You MeMe! :-)

The Faith Guarantee

We were in Berryville this weekend working on the house. We made a lot more progress with the painting. We should be able to finish the painting by next weekend! Woo Hoo!

We went to church Sunday morning and I just have to share this with you.

You know how sometimes the message seems like it's just for YOU? Well, the message Sunday was just for US!

Here goes:
Pastor has been speaking on the topic of faith for a series of messages. This week's title was: "The Faith Guarantee" and the text was out of Hebrews 11.

Here are the notes I copied down:

When you live a life of faith things begin to happen in your daily existence that are beyond explanation. This doesn't mean it's easy. There is no neutral/coasting/park in the life of faith. Furthermore, there is no reverse- only full speed ahead. Sometimes when you are living a life of faith it leaves you with fear or makes you sick to your stomach. Because we don't know what's coming next. We need to learn not to worry. If there are obstacles, they are temporary. We don't live by our feelings- We live under the provision and protection of our God. Faith is something you decide and do.
If you live a life of faith, the Bible promises:
1. You will be pleasing to God. v.6. It's our faith that keeps us connected to God. He wants us to love Him, to need Him, to depend on Him. That's why He respons to our faith. You can't put your faith in God without being personally involved with him.
2. You will sometimes abandon security to enter parts unknown.
3. You will be called upon to prove yourself. v.17. There will be times of testing, but it won't last forever.
4. You will be called upon to make sacrifices. There will be seasons in the life of faith when you're not on the receiving end of God's blessings- but on the giving end of personal sacrifices. During that time of waiting, it is absolutely essential that you remain faithful.
5. You will see the power of God unfold before your eyes. v. 29 & 30. God is able to make the impossible happen.
If we want faith when we need faith, we have to live faith everyday.

With everything that has been going on in our life lately, I really needed this message. For me, it painted a picture of what I've been feeling but maybe couldn't put into words or make it make sense. It all makes sense now. (For now anyway! :-)

As you know by now, we took a huge step of faith to move our family to a new town and essentially, a new life. We "heard the call" in our hearts, and we were moved in less than a month after that. Not easy. But totally necessary.
Here's how our life corresponds to this message:

1.We have definately had fear and been sick to our stomachs quite a bit lately! We are encouraged that we are pleasing to God due to our living out our faith.

2. We definately abandoned security to enter parts unknown. I know we're not trudging our way through the jungle or the desert on another continent like some, but we are in new territory. Me not knowing where things are and having to print out mapquest maps before I go to the Electric Company, Water Department, etc. qualifies in being in "parts unknown" in my book! The boys having to move to another school also qualifies, for sure. We are so proud of them for adjusting so well. Rhett slept all night last night and didn't cry about going to school at all this morning. Praise the Lord!!!!

3. "You will be called upon to prove yourself". Ummm, yeah. I feel like we've been doing lots of proving lately. As if enough hasn't been going on, I got the kids all buckled in to go to school this morning, and my car wouldn't start. Without the reminder of this message yesterday, I might have broken down in tears, but instead, I just laughed and said, "Are you kidding me?" Chalk it up as another "test" of faith. Thankfully, Jason was only about 15 minutes away and was able to come get the boys and get them to school. They were late, but the teacher's were still calling roll when they walked in, so they didn't miss much.
Jason jump started my car and I took it to have the battery, starter and alternator checked and everything checks out fine. So bizarre. Thankfully, we were reminded that this won't last forever!

4. I know my "sacrifices" are nothing compared to many, but to me, they are sacrifices none the less. I believe that God knows that too. Here's a few. 1. 900 sq ft has already gotten mighty small in the last 5 weeks since we've been in the apartment. There's 5 of us and we're trying to run a business and our lives at the same time, out of this tiny little space. The kids have no room to run and we're constantly shushing them so as not to bother the neighbors. It's definately different than we're used to. 2. Since Rhett has been having sleep issues, he's been sleeping in our bed. Jason still can't sleep with him because he can't help but lay awake and watches him most of the night, so he's been sleeping with Braden. I don't get to see my husband much (although now more than ever) and we don't get to spend a whole lot of time together, between work and kids and life; so not having him next to me at night is so hard for me. I feel like I miss him all the time. Definately a sacrifice in my book. 3. The sacrifice of free time. With us being so busy all during the week and on the weekends too; with working on the house, etc. We feel like we never have a free moment. One of mine and Jason's favorite things to do together is watch movies. Before we moved, no matter how busy we were, we never went more than 2 weeks without taking time to snuggle on the couch and watch a movie together after the kids went to bed, and usually it was at least a movie a week. I've lost count, but it's been at least 7 weeks since we've watched a movie. I miss that so much.

5. "You will see the power of God unfold before your eyes". We believe with all our hearts that we're where God wants us to be at this time in our life. We are trusting Him with all the details involved. Selling the house, buying a new one. We know that He's got all those details figured out and it will work out when it's supposed to. We trust that there are bigger and better things out there for us.
In the meantime, we're just going to do our best to live out lives of faith each day.
I hope you will do the same!

When it rains, it pours...

With all this Gustav-related rain, plus the craziness of our lives lately, I felt this title appropriate...

It's been a week since I've written, and since that time, Rhett has had night terrors all but 2 nights. It's like God knows we need a break every few nights or something, which we are SO thankful for. He is still sleeping in our bed and Jason has retreated to Braden's bed for a couple nights to try to get some sleep. He wakes up every time Rhett moves or makes a sound when he's in our bed; he's just so worried that Rhett's about to "freak out" as he says it.

I have been very thankful for the rain this week. Again, God knows what we need. He knew that I needed my husband home to help me this week. Jason has been home the last 2 days because of the rain. We haven't gotten much accomplished, but just being able to be together has been WONDERFUL.

In the midst of everything else, Rhett and Jason both have staph again. Jason has a spot on his leg and Rhett has one on his arm. We spent 1/2 the day in dr's offices today getting them all fixed up. We have lots of good medicine, so hopefully they will start feeling better soon. Rhett missed his 3rd day out of 10 today. I'm praying that he doesn't have to miss anymore anytime soon. I know it's hard for him to be missing out on things. Jason is feeling very weak. He's planning to stay around the house and catch up on lots of office/computer work tomorrow, so he can rest and hopefully be on the road to healing. I'll spare you a picture of his "boo-boo" 'cause it's really gross, but here's a pic I took of him the other day when he was doing paperwork in his "office". Ha!

**I have tried 3 times to upload this picture right... it's saved as a horizontal shot on my computer... I don't know what the deal is... you'll have to tilt your head :-)**

On a happier note, last Saturday we got to enjoy the Natural's game in the comfort of a Suite. Wow. That's all I can say. Man, I could SO get used to that! Being rich must be fun. For a day, we all enjoyed it so much. Especially with the 1 hour rain delay. We were nice and cozy inside. I was sitting on the couch. The kids were playing and there was plenty of delicious food and beverages to enjoy. SO fun!

"Thanks Uncle Jeff. That was a once in a lifetime thing for us and we appreciated you sharing with us!"

(I can't get my pics to post for some reason, so I will post them later.)