Saturday, December 19

Suprise!

Today we had a pleasant suprise. I popped in at Camrys modeling agency to drop off headshots and comp cards and coincidentally a model by the name of Miles Miller happen to be there too! The end result was Camry got about 45 mins of one on one time with Miles.

Miles trained at the same place Camry did and has been in the industry for about 2 years (I think). He has done some cool jobs including british GQ. Miles was VERY genorous in allowing us some personal time with him. Camry got the opportunity to ask really specific questions, and get specific feedback. It was so very beneficial.

Miles was a picture of kindness and honesty.... Miles if you should ever happen to come across this post, please know how deep my gratitude runs. It was beyond kind of you to allow Camry the opportunity to meet with you. Thank you very much.

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Monday, December 14

Camry

Camry's event in Dallas went really well. She nailed everything she did. On Friday of that week it really hit me hard that my 16 year old was auditioning in front of agents from LA and New York. I spent some time thanking God for the opportunity he gave Camry and for his grace toward us.

The sad news is that we didn't come home with a contract (which is what our goal was) but it's not to say we won't get one, it just didn't happen while we were in Dallas.

So for now we will continue in our local market and continue to make contacts in the larger markets of Dallas and maybe Kansas City. It will give Camry time to graduate, and by the time she turns 18 she'll be well prepared.

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Sunday, December 13

Finally

My oldest daughter accidently transferred a virus on my computer from her flash drive. :( But I found an app for my iPhone to be able to blog. So this is my attempt to see if it works!

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Monday, November 9

One down!!

Sierra's tryout is over. We arrived on Thursday afternoon without incident with plenty of time to acclimate.

She was super nervous, not sure if the coach could tell, but Mom and Dad sure knew it!! She shot a few hoops for warm-up and did great. One shot after the other, swish, swish, swish. She was amazing!! The coach called for everyone to come together. I forgot we were at a Christian college. They started with prayer, then moved into practice....


They worked out hard for an hour and a half. The main concern was that Sierra wouldn't be able to keep up. They are a run 'n gun kind of team and Sierra isn't the fastest girl on the planet, but she did well. She did get tired toward the end, but so did the one other high school girl that was at the tryout as well. After practice, Coach ask us to meet with him the next day.

Then Sierra was off to enjoy the other activities scheduled for campus days, and Patrick and I left her to enjoy college life for a night!!

For me, the next day couldn't come quick enough. I wasn't antsy, but I was ready to get the whole thing over with. We ended up having to wait until after lunch to be able to meet with the coach, but it did finally happen. The end result was that not only did she make the team, but they also offered her a scholorship!! I was elated. It was all I could do to keep my tears back, but I did succeed!! I guess it's not official, official until they call her tomorrow night to find out what her answer is, but in Sierra's mind it's concrete. She'll be wearing purple and gold next year, playing for the Southwestern Assemblies of God, (better known as SAGU), Lions.

We are so very proud of her, she worked hard to increase her skills and speed and as a result she has earned a spot on the team.


Way to go C!


Monday, November 2

November is finally here!!

Well, this is it. This is the month that my life has been revolving around for several months. We have worked hard, planned, practiced, and all kinds of wonderful things to make sure we were ready, and now November is here. Sierra's fate with the SAGU basketball team will be decided in a few days. Camry's future has the opportunity for huge change in just two short weeks. And change for me personally will become very concrete as the month plays out. I'm still not sure what God has in mind, but I'm willing to walk whatever path he put in front in of me!! Change isn't always fun, but it is so very necessary! :)

Monday, October 19

LIFE

Wow...life is taking me on a ride! And, let me tell you, it's full speed, not just a little jaunt in the park!!

Camry's modeling is going well. We are preparing for the expo in Dallas, lots of details and extra classes to attend. It's consuming a big chunk of the schedule, but I'm okay with that. It's just a moment in life. :)

Our oldest daughter Sierra is preparing for her basketball tryout in 2 weeks. We're looking forward to some exciting times there!!

Logan, our oldest son is deep into football season with only 2 weeks left. He's having a great season. Starting as a 7th grader on a 7th 7 8th grade team. We're very proud of him. :)

And the youngest, Spencer, is enjoying cub scouts for the first time. I am glad he has something to focus on that is worthwhile.

As you can see I am running everywhere tending to my children, but it's worth every moment I'm investing. I know this is just a season and all seasons come to an end. I must admit "Empty Nest" is looking like a whole bunch of fun right now!!! But, let's not count our chickens before they hatch!!! :)

Friday, September 4

goal met!

I've been pretty hesitant to post this, but today I finally decided it's really true. I have really done it!! I have officially hit 300 pounds. which mean over the last 6 months I have lost 17 pounds. Not the significant loss I was looking for, but it's absolutely better than gaining!!!!

I've been toying with 300 for 2 weeks now, but I wouldn't post about it because I was sure it was too good to be true!! (Oh ye, of VERY little faith!!) But after 2 weeks, it must be true. I'm now anxious to get below 300 and stay there; which is my next short term goal.

Looking forward to positive results. Ready. Set. GO!

Wednesday, September 2

Camry's Modeling

We've had some exciting news about Camry! She attended a closed audition last week and got the call back. Very exciting!! this November she will be attending an exclusive expo in Dallas where she will get to audition in front of national companies. This is a really BIG deal. If you think of Camry over the next few months please pray for her. Camry has decided that she would like to have a career in the fashion/entertainment industry and this expo could be a defining moment for her!







Friday, August 21

The iron thing

Well, I'm thinking the iron transfusion worked. It has been just over a week since I got the transfusion and the last three days have been unbelievable. I am usually very "nap" oriented. Even though I may not always take naps, I always feel like I need them. Anywhere from 15-20 mins up to 2 1/2-3 hours. The last three days I have been going on 6 1\2 to 7 hours of sleep per night with no naps during the day. Admittedly, this evening, I'm pretty tired, but wow I can't believe the energy I have. It actually reminds me of when I was taking Concerta for my ADD issues. (Commonly known as speed!) I didn't take it very long, I just couldn't get over the fact that I was taking narcotics, it just bothered me!! But I really liked the benefit of being wound. I could really get a lot done and had tons of energy. After this week, I'm convinced I've found a much better drug....

It's called IRON!! :-)

Thursday, August 13

Iron Transfusion

Been having issues with my iron levels for over a year a now. Finally seen a Hematologist and he decided that since I obviously can't absorb iron through my digestive tract, we would completely bypass that system and go direct into the blood stream. So yesterday, I spent about 5 hours hooked up to an IV (thank goodness for pediatric needles!!) getting iron pumped into me. It was not a big deal, just time consuming. I do have a bit of a tan from getting the iron. They told me since the iron is bronze in color that my skin would turn a little bronze from the super saturated levels for about a week while my body got it all stored where it belongs.

So here we are at the end of the summer and I have a really cool tan that I didn't have to sit in the sun for. BONUS!!

I am thrilled to say good-bye to anemia, and I am looking forward to days that are not so tired and sleepy!!! Thank God for iron transfusions. :)

Monday, August 10

Sabbatical has ended...

Today is my first day back to the "real" world. Admittedly I am not ready. I have truly enjoyed being drama free, but life must go on. I cannot expect to "hole up" and still do effective ministry. If only it were that simple. So off I go again, life is rushing toward me and I intend to hit it running full speed.

God has spoke to me often the last three weeks (or, it's more likely I have listened often!) but regardless, communication has happened. My life is going to change dramatically over the upcoming weeks. I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around what my new schedule is going to look like, but rather than trying to figure it out, I am just going to start walking, one step at time, embracing every moment.

Bring on the CHANGE!!!

Friday, July 31

off to General Council '09

We leave tomorrow for a 2 day trip to Orlando. I'm looking forward to it, it will be lots of fun. Everything is ready, we just need the clock to catch up with us and we'll be off!

Good times will be happening in Orlando. We will get to see one of the youth compete and we are expecting him to do very well. He's an incredible guitar player. The other youth are participating in an inner city missions outreach for 3 days. And Patrick and I get to go to a leadership conference. We're really looking forward to that.

Of course, we are in Orlando, and there will be some down time, it won't be rush, rush, rush for Patrick and I, so maybe a trip to the beach will be in order at some point! And the youth will be going to Sea World for some fun as well.

Good times, good times....

Tuesday, July 28

Phone Meeting with Mark Batterson

Patrick and I just finished a phone meeting with Mark Batterson. It was a little awkward since we've never met, but after getting past the weirdness it was very good conversation. Patrick is writing a book and Mark is already published, so Patrick asked some questions there and got some really good info. We also had a bit of time to talk about leadership skills, sabbaticals, and then touched briefly on multi-sites there in Washington, D.C.

I like the flow of information that God is giving me during this sabbatical. Just enough to keep me digging in, but not so much that I'm overwhelmed and can't see the forest through the trees. Also I finished reading The Shack, it too was thought provoking. Gives you the opportunity to really grab hold of God and who He is!

Monday, July 27

Sabbatical-Day 8

Today my black and white world became a little gray!! The death of a long time church member, John, brought new bridges to cross. John has not lived in the area for sometime, but the family will return to our church for the funeral. To complicate things, Patrick is out of town until late, late, Tues night which means he won't even be able to talk to the family until shortly before the funeral at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday morning. So, we did what we had to do. It was a little weird being back at the church and tip toeing around my conversation with our Associate Pastor. I had a million questions, and I had to choose not to ask. No way to continue winding down if I just keep rewinding myself. :-o

The last seven days have been rewarding, I have a complete peace about the things God has been talking to me about, but trust me, that Peace didn't come without me kicking and screaming for a few days. I must admit, it's so much easier to submit to God instead of holding on to our own way!!

Tuesday, July 21

Sabbatical has started!

We arrived yesterday without any problems. I immediately got busy on one of the two classes I need to finish for my ordination. Not difficult to finish, just need to spend time focused on them. :). Also started reading In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day. I had planned on starting with The Shack, but because of our schedule I had to rearrange some of my reading. This first week will be spent reading both books Mark Batterson has out. The other is Wild Goose Chase. In A Pit With A Lion On A Snow Day is already challenging me!


Here's a pic of the cabin we are staying at, well actually its a pic of the "lake" in front of the cabin!! (when does a pond become a lake??) We send a huge thanks to the Oklahoma Assemblies of God District for allowing Oklahoma Pastors to stay. It's a perfect setting for vacation/sabbatical. We couldn't have chosen a better location!! Thank You OK A/G District!!


Tuesday, July 14

Sabbatical

Monday begins a 3 week sabbatical for my husband and I. Patrick will still be working his secular job for the first 2 weeks, then the 3rd week he'll take vacation time and be off from both jobs!! But for me, I will be completely disconnected from the church for 3 weeks. No phone calls, no texts, no emails. Whatever will I do???

Honestly, (even though I was being a little smart mouthed about it) the closer it gets to Monday the higher my stress level is getting. I feel like I have to get everything done and I know not everything is going to get done and things are going to be happening while I'm gone and what if the staff can't handle it, and what if the sky turns green, and what if someone has drama and I'm not there to answer their questions, and what if new visitors come to the church while we're gone, and what if............

I think you get my point, all the drama that envelopes me is going to go away, starting Monday. I'm so used to it being there, I'm not sure what it will feel like not having it there.

Now on the other hand...I am very much looking forward to down time for some reading I haven't been able to do. There's one book specifically I have wanted to read and thanks to Gigi, I will be getting to it starting Monday. I have intentionally not read it while I've been so busy because I want to be able to absorb what it is going to speak to my heart. I am anxious to hear God's words through whatever venue he wants to use!!

This sabbatical is the strangest thing I've ever done, but I know God is going to speak to Patrick and me and I am chomping at the bits to hear from Him!!

Friday, July 3

Blood Drive

We had our semi-annual blood drive yesterday. It didn't go as well as last year, but we did have 20 people show up to give and 14 units were collected. Last year 24 units were collected, but we did it on the 3rd instead of the 2nd, so next year we might plan that a little differently. We did have 4 new donors, and that's always a good thing, more donors equals more life giving blood!!

After having a transfusion last year in June, blood drives have a whole new meaning to me! I may not be living had it not been for someone taking the time to go to a blood drive and donate. I appreciate everyone, even the ones who attempted, but weren't allowed to donate. Thanks for being a part!!

Monday, June 29

Fireworks Tent

It's time for fireworks tent again!! If you were following me last year you might remember the post where our tent almost blew away, rescued by myself and Christina (our associate pastors wife). My one lesson from that?? Grab the cash registers and credit card machine, then go inside!! The rest can blow away without me or my help!! I can guarantee you I won't hold the tent up again during that kind of weather. That was a horrible experience. :)

But, on to this year.... I have made a mental decision that I'm going to kick back and enjoy this. Now, there's no doubt that a fireworks tent is a lot of hard work, but there's also no doubt that it can be tons of fun as well. So I have chosen to get my mind off the junk and on to the fun!! I'm even up earlier than usual today because of it!!

We do need your prayers though, the company we work with has given us an ultimatum. We have to sell $10,000 this year or they won't let us do it again. So if you live near Welch, get your fireworks from us!! If you live light years away, pray that God will supply the need. It's a great service to our community and we hate to lose the opportunity to help out.

Happy 4th of July!!

Friday, June 26

Revival with Don Couch

We just finished up two days with our evangelist Don Couch. We have two more to go. It has been good so far, we are all anticipating even more. I became acquainted with the Couches through working with our District Women's Department. Don's wife, Kay is quite the woman! She's beautiful, health conscious, detail oriented, and a servant at heart. Don is blessed to have such a woman of quality as his wife! Congratulations Don! Also congratulations to Don and Kay who have been married 35 years, they just celebrated an anniversary last week.

So, back to revival.... Last night Don specifically targeted about 4 or 5 people and gave them a word of prophecy. As a Pastor it was exciting to listen to his words, knowing the whole story of each person he was talking to. I am so anxious to see each prophecy fulfilled in each of their lives. :-) I eagerly await Saturday and Sunday to see what God is going to continue to do.

Until then...be blessed!!

Sunday, June 21

Graduation and pics are here!

Camry's graduation from "Female Modeling 1319" is over. The ceremony was super short, but Camry was beautiful. Turns out there were only 2 girls who finished the classes, and it just doesn't take very long for two girls to do a little ramp routine. But regardless of the length of the program Camry was beautiful as always.

We also were able to pick up here pics from her second photo shoot. Here's a couple the agency director liked!








Friday, June 19

One Step Completed

Camry "graduates" from her modeling class tomorrow. We have invited family to view the presentation. It is a ramp show with two different outfits; dressy casual and after five. Camry is a little nervous...there's one particular swirling move that can make you look awesome if you do it correctly, or there's the potential of missing a beat and then you don't look so good :-/ !! Her instructors have also told her that clients sometimes come to graduations, so she's a little nervous about that too! Her grandma & grandpa are going to be there (with bells on I would imagine!); they will no doubt be busting their buttons while Camry is on the ramp.

This is the completion of step one of Modeling School, next will be the portion of the training that covers television and print ads. She's VERY excited about these classes. I'll be sure and post some pics of her graduation and let you know how it went!

Thursday, June 11

Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to us!! Patrick and I have been married 21 years today. I've always said, if I could pick a spot on the time line to start my life over, I'd start the day I got married. It has been a fabulous 21 years. Patrick you're the joy of my life. I thank God for providing me with the best of the best!

Today I am reminded how blessed and highly favored I am!!
I love you Patrick...

Wednesday, June 10

Upcoming photo shoot

I'm excited for my second daughter Camry, she's preparing for her second photo shoot this coming Saturday. This one is to have 2 looks, classic and high fashion. Classic is easy. Camry does that every day of the weak. Classy and timeless comes natural for her. Edgy and high fashion a little more difficult. We've spent some time preparing for this shoot. It's been fun buying things that Camry wouldn't normally wear. Mixing colors and styles that are very much on the edge for my classy young lady.

So Saturday we'll see a mix of purple, black, and yellow, with hats and scarfs and blingage. I can't wait to see how they turn how. She's really excited and working hard to be prepared as she can be. If the shoot goes well, these pics will be added to her portfolio for landing paid jobs.


It will be fun, I'm looking forward to it!!

Tuesday, June 9

That was scary!!

Have I ever mentioned I HATE tornado season?? Have I ever mentioned I HATE it even more when my husband is out of town and I'm at home alone with the children and the tornado sirens go off???


Yes, well that was my life tonight. I wasn't even watching the weather. Didn't even have a clue bad weather was coming. We were shutting things down getting ready for bed...all of the sudden we hear the tornado siren. Boy did we jump into action. I will say we all know what the plan is and that's a good thing! :-)


We checked the computer and discovered there were several cells to be concerned about. It wasn't pretty for about 45 mins. One cell would dissipate and another would pop up. Quite frankly it made me a little nervous when they were all heading straight for Welch. I try to remain calm in these situations, but you can always tell I'm a little tense!!

But,an hour and half later, all is well. I thank God, literally, for He is the creator of all things, I thank Him for sparing our town once again from a mighty display of His creation. Natural disasters always make me ponder the idea of the power of God. If a tornado can wipe out a home or even a community, how much more is the power of the One True God? How much greater is His love for us? He is truly an amazing God.



Thank you God for sparing our home...our community.

Monday, June 8

More about exercise

I recently took a road trip to western Colorado and discovered that 10 pounds weighs more in Colorado than it does in Oklahoma! Now logic tells me that facts are facts and 10 pounds is 10 pounds. But reality tells me that it was much harder to work out in Colorado than it was in Oklahoma. The ONLY explanation for this is that 10 pounds is heavier in Colorado. I know it has nothing to do with the higher elevation because that would mean I'm out of shape and that could certainly not be the case! lol!!

All this to say my cousin took me to her gym and I got to work out while I was gone. I was happy about that!! I expected to only get to walk some and it turned out I was able to do my full workout two of the three days I was there.

Life is good!!

Thursday, May 21


2 days in a row. And things are looking great for today. It's going much better this time!!! And I'm close to reaching the 2nd of my original goals. Under 300. Can't wait for Friday's weigh in! It will be close!!!!

Monday, May 18

Back on track???

Well, I'm not sure if I'm back on track, but I do know I was at the gym today and burned over 1400 calories. I haven't forgotten I set a goal to do this for two weeks and hopefully today was day 1!!!

I have struggled terribly to get back in the gym. It is a constant battle everyday. I have more and more people pushing me which I need badly. Sometimes even with them pushing me I have still chosen not to workout. It has been a very dark time in my journey toward better health.

But even with all the negative, I'm happy to say today was an easy comeback. If tomorrow goes as well, getting back on track might come easy this time! :-)

Sunday, May 3

Joico Hair Show

Camry had the opportunity to audition for a hair show this weekend and she was chosen to be one of 3 models for Joico products. It has been a really long weekend requiring us to get up around 5:00 am both Saturday and Sunday. I know how it is when you work all weekend, this week is going to feel weird. We are, of course, accustomed to attending church on Sunday, but this was an exception, and not being in church on Sunday is going to make everything feel weird. But enough about me, let's talk about Camry!!

She had the time of her life!! This was her first paid job as a model. It wasn't tons of money, but it was tons of fun. :) She'll be able to use her paycheck to invest back into her modeling career by having some head shots since she now has a portfolio!! (I'm excited about that!!)

Joico's Artist is from Long Island, NY. Her first name is Stella and we LOVED Stella. She is awesome. We also got to meet Robert who is from Dallas, he worked with 3 other models using ISO products. (Robert is also an awesome Artist.) Here's Camry's start picture...



This started several hours of getting beautiful and bonding with the other models, Joico advisers, and of course the awesome Artists, Robert and Stella. They did something called prelightening. When this was finished, Camry's hair was a beautiful golden yellow blonde. ( I thought Camry was going to flip out at this point, of course, it was simply phase one and only a step in the process, but Camry couldn't figure all that out and was really, really nervous!! I just smiled and told her not to worry...) I will have to admit that Camry should never choose this as a final color, she does look hideous in those lovely warm colors!!


Do you see the "Oh my goodness what have I got myself into?" look in her eyes??? I can. She was thinking she would be a hot, gorgeous, blonde and at this point she's thinking I'm a not so hot gold-i-locks. YIKES!!!


She hates this particular picture. She'll be completely annoyed with me posting it, but it just shows what an incredible job Stella did. Now don't you dare jump to the end to see the finale`....

btw...this is Jessie, she is a Joico adviser. Also a very awesome person. She did lots to help Stella out with all three models and she also helped Camry out with her make-up for the stage.

After the golden blonde was dry, there was a waiting time while Stella worked with the other two models. Then they moved on to more foiling and applying the toner. It was really quite amazing. I get my hair and nails done a lot and although I'm certainly no expert, I learned some really good information I can't wait to pass on to my hairdresser (Joico has some really neat products! Yeah! I can't wait to try them!!)

Here's Stella and Jessie both working on Camry. They were applying the toner at this point. Getting rid of all that beautiful gold. Ahhh, that's too bad! :-( j/k
After processing it was a matter of shampooing, (and I learned a new term), "blowout", flat iron, more flat iron, flat iron again and then just a bit of cutting. Then we were sent off home to get some black clothes, get some sleep, and then head back to Tulsa the next morning. It's about an hour and half, so it made for a very early Sunday morning since we had to be back at the hotel where the show was being held at 7:00am. It was nice for Camry, she had strict instructions not to wash her hair. Don't do anything to it. She was also to come with only foundation and in casual clothes. She rolled out of bed at 5:20 and was ready to go in about 10 mins. If only I could have slipped on a hat and a pair of sweats. 10 mins would have worked for me too!!

Sunday, 7:00 am arrived and we were at the hotel. It was off to the prep room to get ready for the big presentation. More cutting and flat ironing, and flat ironing, and flat ironing. A little more cutting, one more flat iron and OKAY, you can do make-up now!! On with the stage make-up, smokey eyes and lipstick with a pop. It was great fun and Camry loved every minute of it. The following are the end results. Enjoy!! I'm sooo proud of Camry--she's doing a great job.

One final thought...a huge thanks to all the people with ISO/Joico. They treated my daughter very well...she can definitely work for them again!! It was truly our pleasure. :-)








Monday, April 20

My oldest daughter's first prom


Sierra's not much of a girly girl. So dressing up for prom was quite the event!! Of course everyone was so shocked to see her with her nails done and make-up on. But there were no high heels. Sierra is tall any way so matching kicks were her choice for prom shoes!! They better suited her need for comfort anyway!!

I think Sierra rates boys right up there with make-up, it okay, but it's just not necessary right now!! So she and her friend Tayler made a night of it. They had a good time and made it home safely. I was very much okay with that!!




Friday, April 17

Twitter


I joined the twitter freaks last night. Not sure I'm going to like it. I'm not really in to telling people every little thing about me. We'll see what happens. Maybe I'll find something new and exciting on this little endeavor. lol Right now, I'm not liking it so much can't figure out how to get everything to work. The website appears to be user friendly, but doesn't seem to be working correctly. Maybe I just have a glitch this morning...

Saturday, April 11

Update on better health

After meeting my goal of 21 days of consistency, I haven't been so consistent!! That stinks doesn't it??

I have recently come to the conclusion I need another goal. My 2nd short term goal hasn't worked out so well either considering I'm losing weight very, very slowly. Turns out my short term goal of getting under 300 pds is going to take a lot longer than I thought it was. But the good news is...I'm actually losing weight and not gaining!! Yea for me!! :-)

I have gained in other areas though, and I am very pleased about that. I am definitely getting stronger. Today during my workout I even upped (is that a word?) the weight on several different exercises AND I burned 1400 calories today. I have been burning around 1200-1300 so that was a change as well. Of course the reason I'm burning more calories during my workout is because I'm keeping my heart rate closer to the target rate of 85%. One time a few days ago, I even hit 88%! That was a first and caused me to do a double take!! LOL

Even though it's not showing up on those stupid scales or in my clothes, I know I'm making progress and I choose to continue on my journey toward better health. I am very happy with this new direction and see no reason to go back to my old ways.

So, Here's to me! Keep on keeping on!! My new goal is to burn 1400 calories during my workouts for at least 2 weeks. I'll let you know what happens!!

Tuesday, March 24

Camry was beautiful!!



Camry did very well at her first fashion show. It was a prom show for Dillards. She had a ton of fun getting her hair done, doing her make-up, trying on all the different dresses.... It was truly a dream come true for her. Her friend, Kayla, came along to join in the fun. Kayla, thanks for for being there for Camry. You're such a good friend!



I loved every minute of it. Camry was a confident, beautiful, classy, and gorgeous young lady. I am so very proud of her. :-}

Wednesday, March 18

Almost there!!

Tomorrow will be 21 days of consistency. 1st short term goal achieved! Yea for me. :-)

The road has been relatively easy. A few bumps, but not bad. There was only one day that I truly didn't want to go to the gym, but with just a small nudge from my husband I was off to workout.

My major issue to overcome is psychological. When I weighed in yesterday I had only lost one pound. That means that in almost 2 1/2 weeks of working out and monitoring calories I have only lost 2 pds. Because of this I can hear the voices taunting me...This isn't worth it. It doesn't matter how much you work out you're never going to lose weight. You're just wasting your money. Why bother working out for an hour, 30 mins will do, you're not losing weight anyway? There's no need to push, it doesn't make a difference anyway.

So I choose to fight with everything in me against those voices. I know those voices are NOT TRUTH. I know the choices I am making are for long term change, I did not end up overweight overnight, and I will not end up healthy in just 3 short weeks!! This doesn't make the road easy, it just gives me the opportunity to win every time I walk out of the gym. As long as I don't give in, I will win every time I work out.

Monday, March 16

My beautiful daughter



Our second oldest daughter has been going to modeling classes, she has really learned so much just in the few short weeks she has attended. With less than 1/2 her classes completed she was given an opportunity to attend an audition. So we did everything that we knew to do and anticipated learning a great experience in order to be prepared for future tryouts closer to the end of classes.

Much to our surprise, Camry not only auditioned, but she made the cut!! We were so surprised. You aren't supposed to make your first audition!! :-o On top of that, she not only made the cut for the show she auditioned for, but also got invited to do a different show this Saturday. We were thrilled!

I am so proud of Camry. I can't tell you how much she has changed over the last year. Her self-esteem is going up and up and up, and I am elated. Tonight when she walked on that runway during the tryout she exuded confidence. I couldn't have asked for more. You know this modeling class isn't free, but I can guarantee you that Camry is worth EVERY penny we are investing in her. She such a good girl.

CONGRATULATIONS CAM...YOU DID AWESOME! I love you...Mom

Thursday, March 12

The good news is...

...I'm not bitter! Still a little sore from getting wrote up, but we'll survive. I moved on. What's done is done. :-)

Today was Day 14 of my journey to better health. I am 7 days away from completing my short term goal of 21 days of consistency. SWEET! Admittedly I have struggled during this second week of working out. It seems like I'm more tired now than I was before I started, but according to what I've read in the past this is normal. So I have just pushed through, and stayed motivated. I am encouraged by my heart rate today. It stayed between 75-80% most of my workout. That is good news and a first for me. I'm looking forward to tomorrows workout, I should see some of the same. Also, I discovered that at a higher heart rate, I burn more calories. SWEET! (No, I said sweet not sweat :-o...) I can't wait for this stuff to start showing up on the scales and in my clothes.

It won't be long now....

Wednesday, March 11

Did I say I was angry???

I've calmed down...I decided a few hours ago I was just irritated and not angry now!! :-0


Seriously, I did come to discover why I was so upset. It's really important to me to be the best daycare we can be (preferably in our entire area, if not the entire state). And getting wrote up over so many things really ticked me off. If we were the best we wouldn't be getting wrote up. :-(

So, even though I didn't like it, we got a good swift kick in the pants. Although we provide very good care, after fixing all the issues they want corrected we will be even better, even stronger.

Striving for Excellence...

Good is my enemy!

ANGRY. I took it personally...

Yesterday was not a good day. I woke up this morning still fuming about it.

Our church has a daycare facility (3 star, I might add) :) and we had our first regular visit from DHS (governing state agency) since our director change in December. Now understand, our previous director had been with us 3 years when she left. Our new director, although she has been a teacher with us for three years under the previous director has never been in a leadership position. So it has been a huge change for our new director. And on top of all that, the leadership styles between the two are completely different.

So...for the past three months our new director has been trying to get stuff straight. She's pretty detail oriented and probably pushing the line on being a work-a-holic, therefore she's has spent LOTS and LOTS of extra hours trying to get everything lined out (oh, and did I mention that day care workers are seriously underpaid???). Well, according to what happened yesterday none of that was good enough. Yesterday was the first time in three years that we have had a visit that lasted for 3 1/2 hours and according to her she wasn't done, but was going to go ahead and leave because "we were sick of her being there". WOW! One other time we had a new DHS person come with her supervisor and they were there 2 1/2 hours, but they were done. The supervisor was training the new DHS person and I guess they chose our facility to do it. I would take that again any day over what we experienced yesterday.

Don't get me wrong. The DHS worker wasn't ugly, she was professional in her duties, she wasn't even cold or uncaring. My complaint does not revolve around her attitude. My complaint revolves around the extent to which she judged our facility. Now, I'm a very black and white person, and I have no problem with following the rules which is what this lady is requiring, but yesterday she judged whether or not we had met EVERY rule in the entire book without exception. And if our new director didn't know that it was a rule we got wrote up for it. That's my problem. It's not like my new director hasn't spent nights at home with the licensing manual trying to catch everything that needed to be done. Admittedly she missed some things, although she has corrected sooooo much. But again, it wasn't enough according to yesterday's visit.

It would have been much better for the DHS lady to go through things and help our new director get it straight by pointing out the things she had missed, rather than writing us up for every little detail. I could see if she had been to our facility before and asked for things to be corrected and then came yesterday and nothing had been done. You know, it's one thing if our children's care was being compromised, if our facility was unsafe, if our teachers were providing inappropriate care. That's not the case. We were being wrote up over loop holes and details. I'm just not okay with that. The system is warped. I'm angry.

Friday, March 6

New Levels--New Devils!!!

Week one of my journey to a lifestyle change has ended. Yesterday was day 7. I was so excited, I did it. I completed one week. Woo hoo!

But now week two has started and and today was not so good!!! I struggled the whole time, having to push, push, push to even keep my heart rate up in the 60 percentile range, I think I only hit the 70's once!! That's soooo bad compared to last week. :-( But even in my struggle, the good news is I didn't quit. I wanted to sooooooooo very bad. I gave myself all kinds of excuses. All kind of alternate plans. But I would not achieve my goal of 21 days of consistency if I didn't finish my work out today. Thank goodness for short term goals. It was my kick in the pants for today!!

My workout is over and I'm off for tomorrow for a day of "rest" (at least from the gym!). I'm looking forward to better days ahead. I didn't like having a bad day.

Wednesday, March 4

Biggest Loser Wannabe

My quest for being the Biggest Loser may have ended, but my desire to be healthier has not!

While preparing my video for the audition I had to do some soul searching and I discovered some things about myself. I have always said I was okay with being overweight, it wasn't a big deal to me. Well that was hogwash. The first time I had to put my weight and height down for someone to see, I was NOT okay with it. :-0 That was a very humbling experience. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out I'm overweight, but actually telling my exact weight...well no one needs to know that!!!

So I have set a long term goal of losing 190 pds. That will put me at 125 pds and in a size 8. I have 2 short term goals---1) don't vary from the workout schedule for 21 days 2) get below 300 pds. Yes, if you do the math you'll know my starting weight!! ;-)

My main push for losing weight is simple math!! By monitoring my caloric intake and then monitoring how many calories I'm burning during my workout, I can make sure that I'm burning more than I'm eating, thus I will lose weight. This is an avenue I have never tried before, but it's been working so far, and seeing all those calories burned during workout has been a huge motivator!!

So, I may not be a television superstar, but I will be a Biggest Loser. I can't wait to achieve my first goal!!!!!

Thursday, February 26

Game Over Thanks for Playing

My dream of television fame died a horrible death last night!!

Just kidding! I did audition for Biggest Loser at the open call in OKC, but did not get a call back. So I spent the next 4 days making a video to send in. Somehow, someway my video files got corrupted. I'm pretty good on a computer and I truly have no answer as to what on earth happened, so I'm taking it as a very clear answer that ends with a closed door!!

I had been in a dilemma as to whether or not I was to continue on this quest and go to Dallas to audition again and deliver my video with the long application. So I concluded last night when my brother couldn't fix the video either that I had my answer. I am okay with it, it's been an interesting experience, full of casting directors and filming jargon.

So here's to The Biggest Loser, thanks for giving me the opportunity and introducing me to world I didn't even know existed!!

Wednesday, February 18

The biggest loser audition

I've decided to audition for The Biggest Loser! It is this Saturday and I'm pretty nervous. I watched the show last night and all kinds of voices were screaming at me that I could never do those things and why bother, I won't win the game any way!

I choose not to listen to those voices. This is something I really want to do. I have been focused on a healthier lifestyle for several years and though I have made some progress I have not made significant progress. The Biggest Loser will give me the opportunity to make significant progress. I'm going to give it my very best, that's the most I can give. If my very best doesn't get me on the show, then it just wasn't meant to be.


I'd appreciate a prayer or two if you think of me this week. This is definitely pushing me outside my box, but I feel confident about my decision and I'm looking for positive results. :-)

Monday, February 16

Hmmmm

My husband's father passed away on Saturday. Here are somethings I find odd:



We have not seen or spoke to him in several years...



His current wife couldn't even prepare an obituary because she didn't even know where 2 of the brothers lived...



The "boys" (there are 4 of them) aren't sure if they want to have a memorial service...



It all seems a little strange to me. I can't relate to any of it....

Thursday, February 12

Update on Camry

It's been 10 days since her Ablation and she's doing great. The incisions have healed up nicely. It's a little difficult to tell whether or not the flutter was fully corrected since Camry was asymptomatic to begin with. We return to her Dr. in late March, they will be able to check her pacemaker and find out whether or not she's been having any more atrial flutter. Until then, I am looking forward to better days. My desire for Camry was for this procedure to change her quality of life and I am anxiously awaiting for those signs to appear!

Thursday, February 5

All is well

We are home. Camry will be going to school today. She went to youth group last night and did fine, so hopefully she'll be good at school as well. She's missed out on 3 days of work and that always makes her feel pressured as she hates to miss school!

I decided not to return to work until today. I started out with plans to return yesterday, but I'm just plain tired! I feel more rested today than I did yesterday, I am thankful for that. We'll hit the road running again today. Life must go on!

Thank you God for protecting Camry during her surgery and recovery time. You are such a good God. Thank you for taking care of her always...I love you.

Tuesday, February 3

Camry

Last night (Monday) was a rough night coming off the anesthesia. She was nauseous until after midnight, throwing up several times before that. It was sooooo exciting---NOT.

Beyond that she is doing well. They unhooked the IV. She still has a hep lock (sorry, don't know the correct spelling for that!), and is moving very slow. But we are thankful she's moving. Hopefully she can eat this morning and hold something down. If all goes well we should be dismissed early afternoon.

Patrick slept at the hotel last night while I stayed at the hospital. We switched around 7:30 and now I get some blessed uninterrupted sleep. The hotel has been generous and allowed us a late check out.

so for now...goodnight!

Friday, January 30

My Friend Michael

Well, Micheal is now at a different Teen Challenge facility much closer to home. We are all very thrilled about that. We can now see him occasionally, but more importantly, he will be able to see his family more often.



I pray this will help tremendously. Micheal still has big, big issues to overcome, but as much as I believed in him when he first left, I still believe in him today. He can do this I have no doubt!

Thursday, January 29

Camry

Our second oldest daughter will be having an Ablation (which is a heart procedure, similar to a heart cath) this coming Monday, Feb 2nd. I am asking each of you to pray for her. Among other things, Camry has atrial flutter. This procedure has the potential to correct the flutter and make it go away, which would be a blessed relief for Camry.

Thanks...

Sunday, January 25

Followers

Okay, so I know you're out there, because I see you and hear from you.

And about my "Followers" link....

It's not that hard to just click the little link. There's no form to fill out, no donations to my retirement account have to be made (but they are appreciated!!) It's just really not that hard. The least you could do is patronize me.

So there you have it. That is my very indirect way of inviting you to click on the link on the left and let the world know you're following my blog. It's really okay to do this! It will only boost my ego and trust me I could use some extra fluff right now!!

Just kidding...

click the link....K?

Friday, January 23

Puzzling Information
















I'm so excited!!! We just kicked off a puzzle fundraiser and I wanted to share it with all my readers!!
We are trying to find 100 people/businesses/churches who will sponsor a puzzle piece. (Puzzles pieces can be sponsored for $250, $500, $750, or $1000.) Each puzzle piece will have the sponsors name written on the back of the puzzle piece and at the end of the fundraiser we will encase the puzzle in plexiglass so both the front and the back can be viewed. We will also prepare a wall plaque with each donors name engraved on a name plate. $250 donations will be Gold, $500 will be Silver, $750 will be Blue, and $1000 will be Red.

Our church is very focused on our community and this fundraiser will help us meet the needs of our community in a much bigger and better way! I can't wait!!!!!

If you would like to sponsor a puzzle piece just click here to make a donation.

Saturday, January 3

A Big Scare

Do you remember my friend Micheal? If not, he's made some bad choices and landed himself in a Teen Challenge facility in Minnesota. His parents went to visit him this weekend and left their oldest son, one of Micheal's brothers, David with some people in our church. Now why would David need to be left with people in our church? Because David had seizures when he was a toddler and had permanent brain damage.

David is now 21ish (I say "ish" because I'm not exactly sure how old he is! I'll have to check on that... :/ ) Anyway, David hasn't had a seizure for years, but since Mom and Dad were out of town, he apparently decided today was a good day to have one. Thankfully he pulled out of it on his own. He was at church tonight, a little low-key for David, but overall he seemed okay.

I cannot imagine the strain his mom and dad went through when I called and told them to check in the "sitters" and why. Hours and hours away and their son is back home having huge drama. I am so thankful we know Jesus Christ. I cannot image walking through this life with no one to lean on or help with the hard times. He is truly a Life Saver!

A New Normal

I have determined finding a new normal is necessary. Minor changes have happened which require a change in my precious schedule. For those who read my blog and don't know me personally, I am completely and totally ADD. This means that schedules are incredibly important and necessary to keep me functional.

For those of you who work closely with me you've heard this a million times, but for those who don't I'll repeat my standard phrase..."You know I don't care what the plan is, I just want to know the plan!" So with a change in the daycare director, a change in my oldest daughter's schedule, hopefully a positive change in my lack of attendance at the gym (hehe), and a handful of other little, tiny details, I'm having a hard time pulling it all together.

I've been exercising in the evenings, so far that's working out okay, I don't know what will happen when I have something scheduled every night for weeks on end, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it! Today I organized the fundraiser our church is starting. (I'll tell you about that later.) And hopefully I helped our new director get some things done and off her back. I can actually see the top of my desk in one area!!! Isn't that amazing. I'm so impressed.

So, I'll keep pushing. Wading through the mush, and wrapping up details one item at a time. Eventually it will get done or become unimportant and drop off the list!

I will find a new normal once again. ;-0

Finished painting

So here we sit in my beautiful new home. Okay, so it's not actually new, but it sure feels different!! New carpet, new walls. Wow! It really makes a difference.

We picked up paint on Saturday, moved everything away from the walls and started in. A few short hours later we were back in business. My dining room used to be purple, so I had lots of purple flowers. Now my walls are mustard and I was sure the purple would have to go. But to my delight, purple is an excellent accent. Its very nice.

I am thankful for the beautiful colors God created for us to enjoy. It's funny how a little splash of color can create so much pleasure. Enjoy His creation. It's beautiful!!!

Serenity...or Surrender?

We arrived home last night from a wonderful vacation that didn't last quite long enough! I'll have to admit I'm not ready to return, but ready or not, life is rushing toward me!!

We've had a change in our daycare director and that leaves lots of opportunities to make sure we aren't missing's all the details I haven't tended to for some time now. Theres lots to take care of, but our new director is very capable and will soon have things running without me again. :-)

We also have a pastoral staff retreat coming up shortly and there's lots to plan for that as well.

Then, finally, we were given some used berber and while we were gone a few in the church laid it for us. It's a stark difference. The old carpet was green, the new carpet is cream. My walls are painted cream as well, so that is definitely going to change. So off to the paint store I will go today and we'll get the walls painted a different color. It will look so much better.

And let's not forget I'm scheduled to preach tomorrow, have a lunch appt on Monday, our new School of Ministry starts Mon night.... Like I said life is rushing toward me. So, here we go. 2009, bring it on!