Day 172 of 175

I'm nearing the end of my "no sweets" ...thing... Here, I don't even know what to call it.

A while back I had talked about giving up sweets for 6 months. I had a couple of people say they didn't think I could do it, or I was crazy, or I shouldn't give it up cold turkey. Well, I did do it and I did give sweets up cold turkey and I've been doing it now for 172 days.
Saturday is Bryan's birthday. The day I said would be the end of my anti-sweet diet. And I've got to say, I'm a little nervous. It has become easy for me to pass on dessert. Even at my mom-in-law's, who makes incredible desserts every time.
But now that it's getting closer, I find myself thinking about sweets a little more than I have been. And each time I do, I become a little more nervous to taste a sweet once again especially come this Saturday.
In fact, Bryan has already had one birthday party, and I passed on dessert there, then this weekend we'll have another, but I may pass again until next week when I try my hand at some cookie ice cream sandwiches.
The whole point in me doing the 6 months of being sweet free was to "reprogram" myself when it comes to sweets. I feel like it's my drug and my go-to. And, so, I will just have to watch everything until I can get a handle on eating sweets again.
During my 172 days there have been times when something will come my way for me to taste. Someone would point out that it has sugar in it and to not eat it, but I'd have to remind them that this wasn't a sugar-free fast, it was a craving fast. Some things I could have like my caramel frappachino from Starbucks while others, say the chocolate cherry mocha sinful goodness coffee at Starbucks, I'd have to pass on. And it was okay. I would just say, "Welp, can't have that again." and I wouldn't.
So maybe I just have to take those kind of lessons and apply them generously at day 175 and on. Maybe now I can just have a little and not over eat every delicious thing in front of me. Okay, so it wasn't that bad. But I do need to have better self control. And that was the whole point. And truthfully, I'm giving all props to God. Because, without prayer, I wouldn't have made it past the first week, let alone these 6 months.
So, now, after reading this, y'all probably think I'm crazy, or making a big deal out of nothing. I can assure you, though, it wasn't nothing to me. I don't want to turn to a giant warm cookie topped with delicious ice cream instead of taking my stresses to the Lord.

And that is the point.

It has been far too long.

Recently I've been busy working on a painting for our church.

Since May of 2009 we have been without a pastor. For a year we've had a committee dedicated to prayer and allowing God to lead us to the new Pastor that he had in mind for our church. During the prayer process, the committee came to a verse that we have adopted as the church's reminder~

Behold! I am doing a new thing... Isaiah 43:19

Around last December, there was talk to find a vinyl lettering to place at the back of the sanctuary, on the balcony wall, so you'd see it as you left the service. After finding that there wouldn't be one large enough, they were going to have a member in the church make one with a Cricut machine. But that wouldn't be able to make one large enough either. So then they came to me, told me what they were thinking, and asked if I'd be willing to paint it. I was. I really, really was.
Well, having a year and a halfer running around made getting to it very difficult. I kept putting it off and putting it off. Until finally I decided to just get it done. I found a font I liked, printed it off, got a transparency of it, ran it past the Wonderful lady in charge of the whole thing, and after she loved it from the first moment I was determined to get 'er done, as in the words of my beloved dad-in-law.
So I got started.
My plan was to have the larger black lettering done in the first week and the smaller blue lettering done in the second. Yeah, well, that didn't happen. I did get the larger lettering done in two days, 8 hrs for that first week. {Praise the Lord for nap time and a hubby that works from home.}




So after I got the "Behold" finished, I was going to wait to start the blue. But I couldn't. I just wanted to keep working. So I went out and got a blue paint and got to work. I finished "I am doing a" in 2 days, 6 more hours. That's when I had to call it a week.



Come Saturday, A got sick, then Sunday I was down with her. I was disappointed to not get to see everyone's reactions that day to the big black lettering on the wall behind them. But I was informed by my friend, who's also the Youth Pastor of the church, that everyone was thrilled at what was being done and gave an applause. Not to be boastful but I am proud of myself.

The next week I really wanted to continue on. Once I get on a project, I really want to finish. It's hard for me to take a break. Even when I am sick. So by Thursday, I got back to the church. I got "new" done in 2 hours. Progress.


That next Sunday, my family and I went down for the weekend to visit my family. So, again, I didn't get to see everyone's faces. Oh, well. As long as everyone was liking it, I was excited. So last week I finished "thing..." because that's all I had time for. But this week I finally finished it.

All in all, it took me approximately 24 hours to finish since the blue needed three coats to cover. But I'm happy and proud of myself for what I've accomplished.

So that's about what I've been up to this last month. Hope y'all are having a great weekend.

Aaaaaaaaand I'm back.

It's already April, and look at me, I just am now getting to blog. It's true.

So much has been happening between now and the end of January I don't even know where to begin. So, taken from my lovely friend Emily, I will now lovingly subject you to bullet points :)

• My baby girl is nearing 19 months. She is getting so big so fast. She's such a little girl.
  For summer, I went and got her a sandbox and she already loves it. Soon we'll be getting her a swimming pool which I know I'll never get her back inside when that comes along.
  
• My mom and stepdad are up for a visit. It's been fun, exhausting, creative, and with laughter infused times. My mom has even gone and bought A some new outfits for the summer. One being a new bathing suit that is absolutely adorable. She's just too cute anyway.
• I have such amazing family and friends. I am blessed.
  
• In February, we celebrated our 6th engagement anniversary. We do that instead of valentine's day. That way we beat the rush of couples, we get to avoid the mass hysteria of buying cards and candy, as well as celebrating one of our special memories.
• In March, my younger sister got married. Happy 1 month and 4 days :)
• Spring is here and the warm weather, sprouting flowers, and greening trees makes me happy.
• My girlfriends and I are planning a vacation in July to Chicago that we are super excited about. Sometimes, though, I can't tell if we're more excited about Chicago, getting away kid-free, or the food we will be consuming. Yay!
• My hubby and I sold the car he bought me when we were dating to my sister. With that he was able to buy himself a guitar. It's a beaut. And he's happy.
• I was able to participate in a weekend for the youth girls to come together, bond, hang out in girl time, talk, discuss and learn more about God. It was a fun weekend full of great conversations.
  
• Last time I mentioned that I was going off of sweets for 6 months. Well I am 3 months and 10 days strong. At first it was hard and I would struggle with it a lot. But I kept praying about it and giving it up to God. He has really gotten me through the hardest parts and there is a day here and there when I would just love to have some chocolate but I can tell my mindset is changing about sweets. When the day comes that I allow myself to have sweets again, it will be few and far inbetween.
  

Anyway, that's all I've got for now.. not entirely but it will have to be because I am tired.
Until next time... have a wonderful day!

What?? It's January? And it's almost over??

It has been way too long since I last blogged. I wouldn't even know where to begin to try to catch up. How 'bout a sum-up.

December:
Christmas with the Pitts
Christmas with the in-laws
Christmas with the ..not.. in-laws

January (so far):
Trip down to Joplin to see a friend get married.
Way too long of a trip.
A hated the drive.
Broke down and bought a dvd player for the car.
Was glad to be home.
Don't know if I could do it again.
But happy to have seen everyone that I saw.
Lots of friendly old faces :)


Thursday night I held a spa party with a lady who is a Beauty Control consultant. Waaaay better than anything else I have ever tried. Loved it. So did the ladies I had come over. Two friends are going to be having their own and I get to go to theirs too! It's so needed and way underrated. A pamper night with your girlfriends and no hubbys or kiddos!?!! Please, gimme that once a week and I'd be a happy girl.

Then last night we had a spontaneous girls night out. Went to a movie at 9 at night. Saw Did You Hear About The Morgans? Cute. I dug it. Some good funny parts. It was just fun hanging out with those girls and a snuggie. Don't ask.
Then we went to Village Inn for some pie. Gooood time. Fun times. We were out until midnight. And on a Saturday night!! We all still made it to church.
Next time we'll have to invite more ladies!

Also, I am off sweets for six months. I know, I know. You all think I'm crazy. But I'm not. It's not a diet. It's not some crazed thinking. It's me, reprogramming myself and how I think of sweets. I can too easily sit down with a pie and lovingly eat half of it in a sitting. Put some of my mom-in-law's cookies in front of me and I'd gladly pack away 20 of them. This is why I'm doing this.
Six months. No sweets (i.e. desserts, chocolate, shakes and the like. Anything that could strike me to eating way more than my share.) Not only am I doing this for myself, I'm doing this for my daughter. I want to teach her the proper way of eating desserts. That it's okay to have a cookie here and there, and it's okay to have one piece of pie, but then we're done.
So six months, then I will gradually allow myself to have a small dessert on special occasions, like birthdays and our anniversary. See? I'm not going forever, but I am doing this to better myself and to not let sweets be my go-to.
That's another thing. I would go get something sweet if I was stressed. I don't need that. I need to turn to God before sweets. And it's slowly working.
I've also been working on working out. Exercise. I don't want my daughter to be a couch potato who can't control her sweet eating habits. I have to set the example. I can do this.
See? I'm not crazy for doing six months of no sweets.

I'm already heading into week 4.

We made it.

We're home.
We're tired.
And sick.
All three of us.
And we shared it.
It was fun.
Everyone made it.
Plus some.
Had a good time.
Glad to be home.
Going to bed.

Good night.