miss you mom.. love you forever

Where have I been...

..around... Life is busy.  Really busy.  Busy with 4 children.  With birthdays.  With homeschooling.  With outings.  I think you all get the picture!  Halloween came and soo very thankfully went.. but alas the huge bowl of chocolate and goodies that stared me in the face every single day has dwindled down to a couple of handfuls (which I am soo very thankful for!).  Weight process... is well still a process.  I will admit I gained 2lbs over Halloween.. may not sound like a lot to some of you.. but for me it was frustrating.. because I could have lost another 2lbs NOT gained them!  But I am happy to report that I am back down to 172lbs.  22lbs more to go.  (oh and by the way.. I don't know why but blogger isn't allowing me to change my info on my layout.. so only my ticker is updating... oh well)

Running is going well.  I had a race about a week ago..everyone keeps encouraging me and telling me I did wonderfully.  But frankly I feel like I failed myself.  I got a WICKED stitch .. and had a walk for a minute or two.. so that put me JUST over the 30 minute mark -- bblllahh... disappointing for me.

School is going well with Ava... and I am see Gabriel and Grace 'learning' everyday as well.  Just in the everyday little things.  Gabriel likes to set the table.  All three children are thrilled to take their plates, cutlery and glass to the counter after each meal (yeaahh for me.. keep that up kiddies even in the teenage years!).  I feel we have a good routine going, a good balance between school, play, scheduled activities and getting together with friends.  I certainly have my moments and wonder why I am homeschooling.. but it is then that I feel evil spirits trying to discourage me.  So I pray.  And I feel confident that we are following Gods plan for our family for this time of our lives.

Jay was offered (and signed papers today) to become FULL TIME PERMANENT!  Praise the Lord - God is soo good.  Its been a long road.. but we followed the road that God has placed before us.  And I believed He rewarded our obedience.

Home/decorating front.. I've been painting and painting and painting (shisshhh I swear that is one of my other FULL TIME jobs!).  I am happy with the results.. love it.. BIG changes.. with LITTLE cost.  Again God is soo good!  I am content with what He gives us.. we enjoy opening up our home to friends and family.. sharing what has been given to us TO share.

Well that's about all I can think of at 12:24a!  Yikes!  Hubby is off tomorrow due to remembrance day (so I hope to sneak a nap in somewhere).

Remember.. 11a ... be silent... say a prayer.. be thankful for all who did what they had to do for our freedom.

Blessings,

My 4th baby..

Happy 1st birthday to my fourth baby!  My second boy.  My first home birth.  My second winter baby.  Linden Isaac.  You are sweet.  You are gentle.  You are patient.  You are so very loved.

Love you soo much! 

Mommy xoxoxox

FINALLY! God is soo Good ☺

 ⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7

After 2 1/2 years of going from contract to contract, waiting, praying, hoping, crying, being stressed and letting our emotions get the best of us at times.  My hubby was finally offered (and accepted - of course ☺)  A full time PERMANENT job.  With VACATION!  BENEFITS!  SICK DAYS!  PERSONAL DAYS!  PENSION.  God has taught us a lot about ourselves.  To depend on HIM always.  We have had a 4 year roller coaster ride.  Like I said we've learned a lot, our faith has been deepened.. but I would be thankful to just stand on the side for a while ☺☺

We moved 4 hours from my family, 6 months after my mom passed away.. following God.  Following what His plan was for us.  Moved to a contract job.  With the knowledge that the hospital would likely be closing units and that jobs would be lost.  But we moved.  Moved on our faith.  Faith that we knew God would provide.  Faith that we knew this is where God wanted us to be.

God is good.. in ALL circumstances.  But in this one in particular, we are thankful.  Thankful for His provision.  Thankful for granting us our hearts desire.  Thankful for Him to direct our lives.

me VS Cadbury, Nestle, Hershey etc etc etc

I was good today.  VERY good.  NO Halloween candy for this gal.  That was TOUGH.. really TOUGH for me.  I've been able to continue on my weight loss journey partly because I have been very diligent about not keeping *too* many *treats* in the house.  Cut back my baking CONSIDERABLY.. only enough for the kids to have a snack or two.. then they are gone.

This is hard for me.. because I AM SOO IN LOVE WITH CHOCOLATE.. wave a bag of chips under my nose.. and I will snub it off.  Dangle some twizzlers.. nope not for me.  But CHOCOLATE.. OH MAN!!  That kills me!  But this morning.. I woke up and told myself 'no Halloween chocolate, candy, treats ANYTHING for me today'..  and I did it.  8:05p and I did it...

I was soo desperate to get this candy down to a normal amount that Monday night I bunked the big bowl in the middle of the table for our small group to enjoy.  And they did.  And I was glad to get rid of some of the goodies.

I have to say.  I know I've come a long way.. because honestly 6 months ago.. I would have cracked.. and cracked and cracked.  And I would have thought to myself.. 'well it wasn't meant to be to loose the weight'.. or I would have told myself 'life is about ENJOYING what is around us.. '.  Excuses.  Excuses.  Excuses.  I now know.. I was just fooling myself.  What I was really saying to myself all those years is.. 'Your not worth the effort.  Your not worth the time.  Serve others.. and don't bother with yourself'.  But I know I am worth it now.  I know I need to take care of my body because my husband can not and my children can not.  I seriously pray to God continuously to give me strength on the days that I just don't want to be out there.  Or the days that I just want to eat and eat and eat.  He is my strength.

Happy Halloween!