Update on my status

Well, about a month ago I did a post about how I was going to start focusing on myself a little more for a change.  I'm happy to say that I have been successful for the most part. I completed one month of bootcamp, which was twice a week at 5:30am in the nearby elementary school parking lot. I hated every minute of it, but know that it's a required step to my end goal.  Last week I signed up for a new session of bootcamps, which is three times a week at 5:00am.  Yep, 5am! That means when my alarm goes off, it says four-something! I never thought I would be able to do it, but I don't even fight it anymore. This new bootcamp requires me to drive to the nearby town of RC, so it actually gives me a few minutes to wake up. Although, I am pretty quiet and don't talk that much during the session.  It's actually pretty peaceful, working out, under the stars before anyone (or the sun for that matter) has gotten up yet. And I think I'm actually starting to enjoy it; I get a little bit of a high from it and feel really good.  Jordan and I even went for a run this morning; I love all this new found energy!  I usually take a walk with the boys every evening, as I pull my big man (aka Chase) in the wagon and Austin chases us down in his Jeep.  I've even gone as far as nearly being talked into doing a 5K mud-run next month right before my big 30th birthday. I figured it was a good goal to set and work towards.  And I recently bought a Groupon for Jordan and I to go indoor rock climbing on our next date.  Making exercise fun, right here! :)

As for the healthier eating, I still struggle with it on a daily basis.  That's never been one of my strong suits, but I'm working on it. I'll do great for a few days, and then it seems I just fall off the edge and go crazy. I've definitely cut out almost all of my sweets, because I try to not even keep anything in the house to tempt me. Although, this does frustrate Jordan when he wants some cookies. :) So far, I've lost about 6 lbs. and my clothes are already starting to feel looser.  Vegas is quickly approaching, so I've got to stay focused!

On the health front, I've only had one episode of my heart racing since I was at the endocrinologist last.  But it's definitely better than it was.  However, when I met with her last month, we discussed the option of just going under the knife to take this big ol' thyroid out, along with the cyst on it. That way I wouldn't be having these episodes when my levels go all wacko on me. I'm most likely going to have to be on thyroid meds for the rest of my life, so taking it out will just ensure that I will have to take them forever.  I've been doing alot of research on it (damn you Google!) and after talking to my doctor, I think it's our best option. I don't like the way I feel with my thyroid being three-times the normal size, and this cyst is putting more pressure on my throat, making it a little difficult to swallow at times.  So, I'm going back in next month for another round of bloodwork to see how things checkout, and then we'll seriously talk about scheduling a surgery. But with my sister's wedding coming up in a matter of weeks now, I'll postpone the surgery until afterwards, just to make sure that I'll be 100% for the big day, and not have a fresh, noticeable scar on my neck. I'm not excited about going under to have surgery, most likely staying overnight, and having a scar across my neck, but I think it's what needs to be done.  Unless the doc can come up with a better solution, but I don't think that's likely. So please keep me in your prayers, that I make the right decision and that all will go well once I move forward with the surgery.

Change?

I've been thinking alot lately about a topic.  Maybe it's because I got a hateful letter last month, basically condemning me to hell and telling me what a terrible person I was because they didn't agree with some of my decisions.  The letter was hurtful and hypocritical, as it was slamming me for judging someone, when the author judged me for a full three pages based on one side of the facts.  It was definitely unnecessary and not helpful in making a difficult situation any easier.

Anyways, so I've been having a debate with myself.  Do I believe that people can change? Absolutely. Do I think that everyone can change, just because we wish that upon them? Absolutely not. I usually consider myself a positive person in life, a half-glass full kinda gal. I like to look for the best in people. But do I judge people? Yes, I'm human. As I think about it, we judge people everyday as part of our decision-making process.  When you're searching for a boyfriend/girlfriend, or a spouse.  You judge them.  When you meet someone and wonder if you want to become friends with someone. You judge them.  When you cast your vote in any election. You judge them.  You have to make decisions based on the facts at hand, and you're gut feeling or heart. 

When someone has or is doing something that I don't agree with or completely against, it's my right to separate myself from the situation. That doesn't mean that I don't want them to change. I do, but I don't have to stay around for any consequences in case they don't change.  For instance, I know several people who have been on the receiving end of verbal, emotional, or physical abuse in a relationship.  Myself included. When I was 18, in love, I thought I was going to marry someone. But all it took was a fight where I was thrown to the ground.  That was it. I deserved better than that, and removed myself from the relationship. But so many people don't. They think he won't do it again, or that it was justified for some unfathomable reason. But there is never an excuse to raise your hand to a woman, or to even make threats. Not anger, not alcohol, not even violence from the woman.  For those who choose to stay in those relationships, I do pray that they change, for both the man and the woman's sake.  But let's not be naive and think that it will never happen again, because most likely he will, no matter how many times he says he's sorry or that he loves you.

Same thing with alcohol and drug use. I've seen what both of those can do to people, especially my father.  I have very few happy memories with my dad, mainly overshadowed by all of the slurred speech, absences, and lack of any care or concern for me and my sister.  I turn 30 next month, so alcohol (and possibly still drugs) have affected his life (and those around him) for the past thirty years. But once I was old enough to make my own decisions, I have separated myself for him, almost completely.  I wish  that he could change, I do. But I don't think it will happen.  He's been affected by it too long. But it's my choice to make that decision to not have him in my life if I don't want those influences in my family's life.

I wish people would just respect my decisions.  You don't have to agree with it, but respect it. I've stood up for something that I believe in. And as difficult and heartbreaking as it has been, we have stuck with our decisions. But these are our decisions to make. I want to provide my family with the happiest and healthiest upbringing, and if that means excluding those who may put that goal at risk, then so be it. It's my right.

All Over the Place!

Whew! It's been over two weeks since my last post.  It's been busy, yet relaxing.  Work has slowed down, so I've been able to actually be 'part-time' and enjoy some downtime.  I've been trying to just enjoy life, take it all in, and not worry about blogging. So, sorry if you've been poking around here looking for an update. But here I am!  


What can I say, the month of April was full of little boys running around and controlled chaos. :)  Chase is full-blown running & walking everywhere.  He just has this look of excitement on his face the entire time, I love it. But along with all of this mobility, comes trips and falls, which a big one happened yesterday.  He slipped and fell at daycare yesterday, busted his gums and chipped his front tooth! He chipped a good chunk of it, so we ventured to the pediatric dentist this morning to get his checked out.  Chase was so good and mellow while they examined him and even got an x-ray.  The verdict was that the root was not fractured, and that they would be able to repair it when he got closer to 2. So in the meantime, we're stuck with a snaggle-tooth! It doesn't seem to phase him though.


This past weekend we ventured to the zoo for a birthday party and had a blast. Chase just enjoyed hanging out, while Austin ooh'ed an awe'd at the monkeys and tigers, and even got in a pony ride.  Usually every night after we get home from work/daycare, we spend at least an hour outside playing or going on a walk. We're trying to soak up the mild weather before the extreme heat sets in for the summer.  Austin loves to ride his Jeep, and Chase has finally mastered the little Cars 4-wheeler.


We're about nine weeks out from the big wedding, and there's so many little details still to be taken care of.  This next week, I'm going out on the hunt for some super-cute suits for the boys to wear as they perform their ring bearer duties.  And t-ball is about to start, so our schedule is going to be hectic. And then Vegas in 5 weeks, so excited!!  Here are a few pics over the past month, enjoy!

Austin petting the goats at the zoo

My silly boys playing in the clubhouse

If you look closely, you can see where he chipped off nearly half of his front tooth!

Looking like such a big boy these days!

Austin riding the pony at the zoo

My boys at Target, Austin's favorite place! :)

I found Chase up on the table one day in the playroom, just watching Barney!

All over the place, bringing me the remotes 

Silly boy with a fresh haircut!

Kat's Bridal Shower!

What a successful shower, if I say so myself! It was a bit of a madhouse Sunday morning, but the shower was beautiful and exactly how I envisioned it. I feel like I have been prepping for this event for months now. But maybe that’s because I had to do it in very small increments when I found time between busy season, the two kiddos, working out, and sleeping!  But it was all worth it in the end and really came together. 

When I sent out the invitations, I included a custom monogrammed recipe card (made by yours truly!), so that each guest could bring a recipe for Katrina to include in her stash to make some delicious meals for Logan when they’re still in the honeymoon stage. J And she got a lot of great recipes!  For the favors, I came up with the ‘He Popped the Question’ idea, and had flavored popcorn (grape and cheesecake) and cake pops for the guests to take with them when they departed.  And I made a super cute banner on my new favorite machine, too.

                       

As for food, I pretty much divided those responsibilities out to the other maids, since I was so focused on décor, favors, etc.  All the girls came through with quite a selection of yum-yums, including a signature purple beverage (alcoholic, of course!) for us to sip on during the shower.  It was so yummy, you couldn’t even tell it had alcohol in it, which is dangerous!!  For the cake, one of the maids, ordered it from the same bakery that’s doing the wedding cake, and it was amazing and full of flavor!

We played a game called, ‘How well do you know the happy couple’, which had a list of 20 questions with multiple choice. And we also put Katrina on the spot with the ‘Nearly Newlywed Game’, where I had interviewed and recorded Logan’s responses the week before and she had to guess his response.  Well, her responses were entertaining and provided lots of laughs!

When it came time to open all of the gifts, we found out that Target severely needs to improve the gift registry updating, as she got four crockpots, 2 Shark steam mops, and 2 glass pitchers.  And she got a lot of other great gifts which took several cars to load up. I’m super-thankful for everyone who came together and make this shower awesome for my sister, and for all the women that came out in the rain to shower the bride for the day. 

Now that the shower’s done and we’re less than 3 months out from the big day, I’m sure the bride has many more things on my to-do list.  Ahhhhhh!  But Vegas is in two months, so something to look forward to!



Hostess with the Mostess!

Yep, that's me!  Bridal shower for my sis is in less than 48 hours.  Today, I was running around like a mad woman gathering last minute items.  And I just finished making a few batches of cake balls.  You can be sure that I will throw one hell of a bridal shower for my favorite sister!  After all, she did name me 'Matron of Honor'. For some reason I feel like that makes me sound old.........matronly.  Hmmmm.  Anyways, I digress.  It's going to be a great gathering of some great friends and family to shower the bride with gifts, great food, a signature drink, and lots of laughs.  Although, I think Mother Nature has a full day of storms in store for us, so that won't be very much fun loading and unloading everything for the event.  Grrrrrrrrrr. 

Stay tuned for a full blog to follow on it! :)

In an Instant

Your life can change. In an instant.  I was quickly reminded of that this week and how precious life with our loved ones is.  Today, I had the unfortunate task of attending a funeral for a 2 1/2 year old that was tragically killed in a car accident on Easter Sunday.  One minute he was alive hunting eggs and attending a church carnival, then a few hours later he was gone in an instant.  What a heart-breaking thing to even think about.  After I saw the news all over Facebook Sunday evening, our classmates (and the rest of our small tight-night community) showed an outpouring of prayers and love for the parents.  I can't even fathom what I would do if one of my boys were taken away.  As I sat weeping at the funeral this morning, I couldn't help but having so much admiration and respect for how the parents were handling the situation and turning towards their faith for peace and comfort.  The father even stood for about 15 minutes giving a sermon and sharing memories of their sweet little Eli.  He emphasized the fact that we are all in a hurry in life, but need to take time to be the best parents we can and focus on the important things in life. And not to take any moments with our loved ones for granted.

I'm not a super-religious person and don't attend church nearly as often as I would like to, but I'm still a Christian.  I can't spout off 100 bible verses by memory, but I still know where I stand with the Lord. I know that God has plans that we may not always understand and we have to trust in Him and lean on Him, especially in difficult times.  I've been upset all week thinking about the pain that this family was going through.  I'm definitely hugging my boys extra tight tonight and thanking the Lord for each and every minute that I get to have with them.  They truly are my everything, and I try to be the best parent and role model possible for them.

I'm not perfect and have never claimed to be.  My kids are in no way perfect; they throw tantrums, talk back to me, and have an occasional 'scuffle' at school. But I love them unconditionally no matter what.  I don't have a perfect marriage.  Jordan and I have our fair share of arguments, but we love each other and are committed to making our marriage last a lifetime and hope to provide an example of a healthy relationship to our boys.  I don't think that we're better than anybody.  But we are proud of the fact that we both worked our way through college, paid for our own schooling (and will still be paying for many years to come), have good jobs, and have worked hard to provide for our family and live a comfortable life.  We have flaws and strive everyday to be the best parents we can for the boys and make decisions that have their best interest at heart.  Those are decisions that we have thought about and prayed about and are difficult at times.  We love our boys and would lay our life down for them in a heartbeat.  We're thankful for the wonderful support system of family and friends that we and the boys have, and will continue to cherish every moment we have with them.  Life is precious and we don't take anything for granted. 

Please continue to keep this grieving family in your prayers as they move forward in the difficult days/months ahead.  In light of their loss, I will continue to strive to be a better parent and treasure our time together.

Hippity Hoppity Weekend!

I can't believe that this week has flown by already and it's time for me to return back to work. But I'm feeling refreshed and ready to get back into a routine.  And it should be smooth sailing from here on out and working for 'part-time' schedule.  Anyways, along with my time off, Jordan also enjoyed a long 4-day weekend with us, which never happens, so we were happy to soak up every minute of it and enjoy all of the Easter festivities.  A few weeks ago, we ventured to the mall to visit the Easter bunny.  Austin didn't want to get near the bunny, saying he liked Santa Claus, not the Easter Bunny. I tried to convince him that the bunny and Santa were friends and all, but he wasn't having it. So, we settled for a solo pic of Chase instead.  Chase wasn't really sure what to think either, but he didn't scream, so we took what we could get!

On Friday, the boys had their egg hunts at school, and Jordan and I were both lucky enough to venture up there and snap some pics.  Chase refused to walk around at all during the hunt, opting to crawl, but he definitely picked up quickly on what the goal was here.  And Austin, well, he's a pro at hunting eggs by now.  But he would stop every few to open them to see if he got anything good, that silly kid!  Later in the evening, MeowMeow and LoLo came out to stay with us.  We grilled out, colored eggs, and relaxed.  On Saturday, we opted to go out for our Easter lunch; it was a relatively stress-free lunch out, with boys being on their best behavior.  When we got home, Chase hit the sack for a nap, while Austin went fishing at the pond with Daddy and LoLo.  I wasn't sure how he would do fishing for his first time, but he had a blast.  The big boys had their shirts off, so he insisted on taking his off too!  Once they got back, we had our little egg hunt in the front yard.  Poor Chase's allergies were terrible, so he wasn't in the best of moods.

Today, we ventured to celebrate the day with the Houghams.  Since the tornado struck Jordan's parents' house last week and it'll probably be two months before they will be able to stay there, some friends of their's so graciously opened up their home to us.  We feasted on a delicious lunch and then had to improvise with an egg hunt in the house due to the rain. We had a great time, and then headed home to chill around the house.

Now it's back to work this week, and getting the final preparations wrapped up for the shower next weekend!

First fishing trip!

So proud of his eggs!

Hunting at school!

Trying to get a pic with MawMaw & PawPaw

MeowMeow, Mommy, & Chase

Nobody better steal his eggs!

Our brave Chase with the Easter Bunny!

Daddy & Chase at school

Mommy & Chase at school

Mommy, Daddy, and our big boy!

Daddy jumping over Austin in his Jeep

Coloring eggs!

Love that face!