Confessions and Wonder Fall

    I confess! I went to Olive Garden and ate Pumpkin Cheesecake and I liked it!
(The Pumpkin is the veggie, cheese is the protein and cake is the carb... How balanced can a diet get? The nutritionist didn't quite agree with that. Wonder why?)

Kim videotaped me the other day eating pumpkin cheesecake at Olive Garden and then she emailed it to a friend of mine who goes to the same gym as I do. I'm sure my weight loss coach will see it when she heads back to the gym to this week. Way to hold me accountable!  I am so dead! Last time the whole team had to do holding squats because I had twinkie pie. (I can't help it if I have sweet tooth and it did have fruit!)  I am in a rebellious streak.

 Go ahead take those videos, take those pictures of me feeling bad. "For the first time in my life I feel wicked" (Elphaba - from the musical Wicked) Is that a bad thing? I have made healthy eating choices this week... a few bad ones? Yeppers! And it was so good! I have such a major sweet tooth. And honestly I do feel stressed... and this week I just got really, really, really lonely for David. I am psyching myself up to the fact that he might be gone for another year. I want him home so bad but him being unemployed scares the bejesus out of me.

I eat my emotions... and man! do they taste good! Pumpkin cheesecakes and midnight truffle blizzards from Dairy Queen. YES! Bring on the happy...

My healthy eating choice this week: I really really like black bean tostadas with shredded lettuce, tomatoes and cheese! I think I could eat them everyday. My goal is too have a vegetarian lunch everyday...well at least most days.

Exercise...although it is hard to admit is kind of starting to feel better. This week my heart rate has not shot up to 166 on the treadmill and I haven't felt like a fish out of water gasping for air... I haven't had to use my emergency inhaler very often either. But shhhhhhh! I can't admit that its helping - not yet. I am still too skeptical. I doubt myself... Where is my confidence?!!!

On to the start of the sixth week of fitness class. Halfway point. I think we have an endurance test this week. I have made it halfway! Wow! I wonder if I can do my holding squats while leaning against a wall... HA!

Walking down memory lane and started to feel blue... not because it's fall. I love Fall and the wonder of Fall.  The weather starts cooling off, the leaves start turning into the rich colors of olive green, dark reds, browns, oranges, burnt umbers, etc. All my favorite colors. When Fall comes there is an excitement in the air... another year is coming to an end, Christmas is just around the corner and the season of giving thanks begins. (It's also the season that my birthday falls in). No...I'm feeling blue, cuz this time last year hubby and I took a Fall trip.

We had no destination in mind we just took off driving, stopping where we wanted, taking pictures of the fall colors. Our trip led us to Breckenridge where we stayed at a cozy bed and breakfast. The owners had two standard poodles as the mascots of the Inn. Loved it. It was so peaceful. Jacuzzi tub in the room. Huge King size bed. I was just getting over a bout of pneumonia so walking around Breckenridge was not too easy but I did it. Our trip also led us to Estes Park, where for the first time we got to see the Inn where The Shining was filmed... (not the one with Jack Nicholson the modern one). We took the ghost tour but we didn't see any ghosties. Might be fun to spend the night there someday. We went during the Elk Fest and actually saw an Elk get loose and run down the road right next to our car.  We had so much fun on this trip - totally spontaneous, relaxing and enjoying each others company.  This year he's working overseas again.... and I am really missing him being home. You'd think 21 years as a military wife would desensitize me to his being gone... Nope... Absence does not make the heart grow fonder.

Stress this week also came from busy traffic and stupid drivers... Bills needing to be paid. Chores needing to be done... and I found myself actually looking forward to going to my TEAM Weight Loss Class. Mostly, because I am beginning to realize how much of a stress releiver it is to do a workout.

Ahhhh... life is good!

Be blessed

Sometimes It's Hard... Sometimes It's Easy

Uploading a video while I type this. Hopefully, it will upload OK. Had troubles getting it to upload on Facebook so maybe with blog spot I will have better luck. How long does it take a video to upload? This seems like it is taking forever.
Yea... looks like it might have worked... We shall see!

Anyways, the video is of my little Chihuahua boy - Journey. He has this nighttime ritual now of wanting to get up on the bed and trying to jump up. After a couple of tries he starts whining. He comes around my side of the bed, tries to jump and whines some more. Sometimes, I will tell him 1...2...3...BIG JUMP... and he makes it... Other times, when I can see he is getting frustrated, I will tell him to assume the position, which is to turn around, so I can scoop him up by his belly and put him on the bed... for which he is forever grateful and I get lots of dog kisses. However, when I have food or a doggie treat for him... he seems to have no trouble whatsoever jumping up on the bed. Then he very gracefully comes over the top of the bench at the bottom of my bed.

Life lesson learned from my dog.... in life... sometimes everything is going along great! We are able to jump up and get on with the daily routines, reaping the rewards and blessings of all that God has to offer. Then are times... when we try and try and try again... to jump up and we just can't make it. So we listen to the words of advice from our friends... Just Jump... Just Do IT.... but sometimes it seems like nobody is really listening or really truly cares. We run around trying to find a way to just get up to the top... but it is not until we stop, "assume the position" in a humble, attitude of prayer and graciously accept God's help, that we will finally feel God's hand around us... carrying us forward and upward in glorious victory.

Thanks Journey for that life lesson. You're right... once again, I need to stop worrying and stressing over the little and seemingly "mighty big problems" - finances, health, etc. and just let God pick me up.

Quote: "Grant that it may not be in the power of any to rob me of peace that results from a firm trust in Thee. Whenever crosses or troubles are met without, may all be well within." Susanna Wesley

"We want our strength in public to be explained by what goes on in private between us and God." Elizabeth George

Psalm 121:1-2 - I will lift up eyes to the hills - from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord.

Seriously?

Seriously? I love saying that word... seriously? I think if I ever had another dog I would name him/her Seriously. Not that I want to get another dog anytime soon. Since December 27th, when the six puppies were born, I now am back to my original four. All of the puppies have gone to good homes and I would like to thank everyone who has taken one or two. What would I do without you? I am at peace knowing that they all have found good families and will be able to fulfill their purpose of loving their owner. Goodbye, Gizmo, Tuck, Charli, Dexter, Lucy and Skippy. You will forever be remembered....

Seriously?

On to scrapbooking. I am kind of not on speaking terms with my sister until she apologizes, which I hope she does because I do miss talking to her... I made her a birthday card yesterday...

Unfortunately her birthday was yesterday and the card is buried somewhere under piles of stuff in my scrapbook room. Oh...look there is that word seriously again...

Kim and Brent made it back to California safe and sound with all of their 5 dogs. I miss her being here but I know that she should be with her husband. We had fun when Brent was here. We went to Cow Day at Chick-Fil-A. If you dressed up like a cow you would get a free meal. I used my Cricut and made three cows...two with the Create A Critter cartridge and one with the Old West cartridge. I taped paint stirrer sticks on the back of them to make them look like masquerade masks... and amazingly, we all three got a free meal. Cheapest dinner I have had eating out in a long while. I love Chick Fil A too!

I made scrapbook pages with the cows I made. Seriously? Yup

I had the traditional black and white cow



Kim wanted the brown and purple cow




Brent got a manly cow - the longhorn steer

Anything in this economy to save a buck. It pays to be creative.... builds memories

Seriously?

You betcha



Summer Heat

Lying on my bed

     Air circulating from the air-conditioner

          And two fans

              Yet, I'm still hot

                    and sweaty...

                       and SLEEPY

     I have the coolest room in the house

         And it's all worth it

               Cuz of the dog

                    At my feet....

Unconditional

After arriving home from a late night of scrapbooking at Archivers, I was standing in the kitchen with Kim and Peggy Sue and surrounded by a sea of dogs. I remember stepping back and hearing one of the dogs yelp! I didn't know which one it was and I didn't think nothing of it since they are always getting underfoot. It's hard not to when you are one of eleven dogs... (Kims four, my four and three puppies).

The next day (Saturday), Kim and I noticed that Hallee was limping and not using her right front leg at all. Kim tried to check the leg but Hallee was in a lot of pain and let Kim know it. I tried to look at it but she wouldn't let me touch it. We took her to the Banfield Emergency Vet and they x-rayed her leg and found out that she had two broken toes... Poor thing. They had to muzzle her and give her pain medications that made her drool like a St. Bernard because it was making her nauseous, put a splint on her leg clear up past her elbow and made us tie an IV bag around her leg every time she has to go outside so the bandages don't get dirty. And on top of all that they made her wear the Cone of Shame! (See the movie UP).

I feel so humbled... I stepped on her paw and broke her toes, putting her through some excruciating pain and multiple vet visits. Yet through it all... she still loves me...unconditionally.  Why? Because that is her purpose... to love her people no matter what...

Dog spelled backwards is God...

Kind of makes you want to stop, bow the head and bend the knee to thank God for His unconditional love...

I am so sorry Halle Bug

21 Years...

I love making cards and working with paper... I love choosing the right colors, a layout, what embellishments to use, what technique to use to make the card, and what purpose the card will have when I am done with it.

Wow! That's how God is with us. He creates us in His image. He chooses the right color, the perfect layout of our lives, the embellishments that makes us unique. He also knows the purpose that each of us has.

One of the best thing about making a handmade card is that the creator can personalize the card however he/she chooses.

My youngest turns 21 in a few days. (Sooooo hard to beleive). I don't tell him often enough but I am so gosh darn proud of that man. I didn't know, back when I was 24, why I got pregnant 8 months after having my second child... but now I know. God gave me the best "card" ever in the birth of my third son. I wish he were here and not half a world away right now so I could give him a big huge hug.

In my scrapbook room the other day... I was able to get three cards done. The first one was for my son. The second I will probably send to my mother-in-law and the third one is my hubby's Father Day card. What an amazing man he is... he has and always will be a great Father to his kids.

I love the military moose. I tried to make it look like the moose was stepping over the threshold of turning 21... into the life of being a full-fledged adult.

I am sending this one to my mother-in-law. I don't write her as often as I should. I used my Stampin Up owl stamp and punch for this card. I made a boo-boo with the pearl ink for the dot of the i... but I fixed it. Isn't it great that God doesn't make mistakes?

Last but not least... I made an L-shaped card from my Card Makers Kit from Annies Attic. These are acutally quite fun.

Well...thats all. If you like any of these cards let me know and I can make a kit for you. Have fun making cards...

Homeschool Reflections: On Patience

            Before I started homeschooling, back when the kids were little, when the oldest was going to public school and my middle child was attending special needs preschool, I would’ve laughed at anyone who told me that in just a few years I would be homeschooling all three kids. I would’ve laughed even harder if they had told me that I would continue homeschooling until the youngest graduated from high school. Me? Homeschool? Riiiigggght….. I have no patience.

            Today, I hear from mothers who have professed an interest or desire in home educating their own children but end with the same reason I did. I have no patience. Well, this blog is to help debunk that excuse. Patience doesn’t happen overnight. Just as a child goes through stages of development so too patience develops as we go through life’s stages. As parents of young infants we walked the floor with them when they could not stop crying, we changed diapers over and over again, we waited until they were done eating. At times…we might have felt frustrated but we were patient because the situation at the time called for it. We were probably not even aware that we were being patient.

Patiently, we have helped potty train our children, taught them to recite their ABC’s, learn to spell their names and tie their shoes. We have waited (and waited) at myriads of doctor appointments to get our child a round of antibiotics or to get their next immunization. We have nursed skinned knees and have waited through many tantrums. We have waited in traffic, helped our children with homework and have sat through many teacher/conferences, PTA meetings, and school programs. Everyone, who reads this, can add to this list according to their situations. Clearly, the key is that patience is always at work. Patience is a character trait that requires everyone to exercise it.

Homeschooling is not sitting around the kitchen table or establishing a “school” room in your house and becoming a rigid task master. Homeschooling is a way of life and a very viable form of education and Mom or Dad, if you feel like you should homeschool do not be deterred by thinking that you have no patience because you are already practicing it and it takes practice to become “perfected”

 

By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope… Romans 5:2-4

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Hebrews 12:1-3