Long Week

Let's start with the rough:

Sunday.. no, let's back up, Friday night we went over to Bryan's brother and sister-in-law's for dinner and ended up staying until 11. We had a really good time, however, we also had A with us and her bedtime is 8:30.

She's a lot like me and doesn't just fall asleep with so much going on. I wish she was, but she's not, so she was up til 11 right along with us. That made for a hard Saturday.

Saturday, we got up and picked up the Pitts', because they're just cool, and we all headed west and south to a pumpkin patch.

There we did a corn maze, jumped hay bales (those large round ones are still called "bales", correct?), pet a cow (well, I did), and picked out some rockin' pumpkins. Ours has warts. Lots of warts. And I got some gourds and made a pretty display on our dining room table.

Later Saturday night, Bryan and I were finally able to see his brother's band in concert. They weren't too shabby. Okay, they were pretty good. I dug 'em.

Out again late, and Sunday we had church, them off to take Bryan to the airport. For NC. For a week.

*sigh*

I was able to occupy my mind that night by hanging with Em. But Monday was hard. Really hard. It was a crappy day. In fact, it just sucked. But I was able to write three letters for three really awesome people who celebrated their birthday's that night. And I got to give it to them. The end.

Tuesday was the start of a much better week with A and I getting along, me having the patience to be mom without the support and loving breaks my husband so graciously gives to me. And we had a pretty good rest of the week. We got to do dinner with my favorite 80 y/o, some Youth Group, Bible Study, lunch with a sweet girl, and helping a friend get her dresses finished to sell.

My momma and gramma even came up a day early to help me out. It's so nice. I'm typing this in quiet...

Tonight I get to pick up Bryan but before then there will be painting of the kitchen, a photo shoot with a dear sweet friend and her very nice hubby, hanging with my kin folk, and, more than likely, cleaning.

Next week will be another long week but I won't be thinking about that until Monday. I'm just going to sit back and enjoy the next three days.

2 more days

We just got back from a really nice weekend with my family. We just spent the Saturday hanging out and around but Sunday was busy. Good but busy.

It was my cousin Mattie's 9th birthday on Sunday. She also wanted to get baptized the same day. So we headed to their church to watch her born again. Praise God for her faith. She is the sweetest kindest little girl. She has a heart of gold and a personality to boot. Plus she's beautiful. Inside and out. Love her.

I did get to see one of my best friends from college. It had been since him and his wife got married. In between our last visit my hubby and I had a kiddo, and him and his wife had a son followed by a set of twin boys. And how handsome they are. Well, I only got to see one twin, but he said that "If you've seen one, you've seen them both." Heh :)

After church, my aunt and uncle had a little party for her rebirth. We had pizza and cake, then wrote our memories of our own baptism day. It was a very good (and large) celebration.

My mom and sister Courtney, A and I soon left to head back to my mom's where we met up with the rest of the family to celebrate Miss Mattie's birthday. She got to open gifts, then we just hung out and around the house. My family plus Courtney left for home around 6.

We didn't get home til 11 and I felt sick with exhaustion. I slept through til 9:30 this morning not even hearing our kiddo wake.

Yeesh.

Bryan and I also have to do 2 more days of Phase 1 to make up for the weekend. We tried to stick with the MD but it's really hard when you're away from home. We have all of the foods we need for phase one but can't expect everyone to have the same. So, we went off of the MD knowing we'd have to make up 2 days for it.

We had pizza twice in two days and it felt so heavy. We haven't had grains for nearly two weeks by that point and it just felt like too much.

We also had some sweets. So I did not feel well by last night and was happy to start healthy again this morning. So today and tomorrow, we'll finish the first phase, then move on to phase 2. It'll be nice to add in lots of fresh fruit to our eating habits. We're restricted to berries, cherries and grapefruit in P1. I've never been more excited to have my choice in fruit!

Day 6, Phase 1 and a Quick update

Day 4 is always hard. Always. And I always want to give it up. I'm so hungry at that point and I want a heavy meal. Something yummy with bread and ends with chocolate. But this time I read a friend's health blog and she talked about cleansing and that's when I remembered that's what the first phase is, a cleansing.

"Oh yeah," I thought, "I can do this... I can do this with God's help."

He got me through eating sweets and He can get me through a cleansing.

And in the end, this change of eating habits does work. I've already lost a few lbs, so it is worth it.

A had her 2 year check-up on Thursday. She did pretty good. I mentioned my slight concern for her tininess but the doc said she was healthy and tall so there was nothing to worry about. Sounds good to me. But will I need to bring out her 18 month winter clothes? Or suck it up and buy those pricey jeans with the adjustable waist?

We're home this weekend. We were suppose to head to my family's for a friends wedding but we wouldn't get to see my grandparents. That would mean that it would be 3 months before we'd get to see them again for Thanksgiving. I can't not see them. And only having the funds to get down there once this month sealed the deal.

So, I'm gonna go enjoy my Saturday with my little family. Have a great weekend!

Here we go again...

Things have been a little crazy around here. My baby girl turned two, my hubby left for a Men's Retreat on friday and returned on Sunday, my awesome friend celebrated her birthday, I'm working on things for the improvement of the nursery and starting a new thing for the youth group, as well as returning to my love/hate Maker's Diet.

So to update quickly and briefly on the subjects... A'sbirthdaywasacompletehitAllthekidsenjoyedthemselvesaswellastheadultsWehadbonfirecakeandicecreampresentopeningandagoodoletimeBryanhadagreattimeattheretreatandAandIsurvivedwithouthimBarelyWeareveryhappythatheishomeIdon'tknowwhatwe'lldowhenheleavesforhisbusinesstripsoIthinkwe'llgovisitfamilyEmandIcelebratedwithsomeHuHotItwasjusttoogoodnottohaveforeverybirthdayfromhereonoutThenurseryisselfexplanitoryandthenewthingfortheyouthgroupisn'treadytoberevealedyetAndI'mbackontheMaker'sDiet.

Whew!

Hello, Maker's Diet. How I've not missed you. But it seems to be the only way to lose weight. The hardest part is to get through the first 4 weeks. After that, it becomes much much easier to survive. I just always feel so hungry all the time. I need to stock up on strawberries :) And the bad thing is that the one place that I can find goat milk placed a sign that read the company will no longer be making milk products. So I am now dairy-less for four weeks. So, now what?

I don't know.

I'm also going back off sweets. I can't seem to handle it. I have a hard time saying no because I just like it so darn much. I did so much better and it was easier for me to be off of it consistently for those 6 months. So here I go again. September 20th marks day one of no sweets as well as Day 1 Phase 1 for the Maker's Diet.

Pray for me that I don't eat my foot.

To my baby on her 2nd birthday

My sweet, sweet girl, you are two today. Two. I can't believe you are already two. It has been a remarkable two years. You are so amazing in how much you've grown, have learned, have mastered, can now understand. You are awesome.

Just the other day I heard you say "love you" for the first time. My heart skipped for joy to hear those two little words.

You still speak a lot of gibberish but you are using more and more words in context. It's so much fun to hear you say what you are learning! Guess I better not use the word "crap" around you anymore.

Yesterday afternoon I really felt like a mom when I called you to the dinner table. Then you even responded with a "Kay!".

You are a rascal when it comes to changing your diaper or brushing your teeth. But it's gotta be done. No one likes a saggy bottoms-monster breath baby- No, big girl.

You still love to watch a few television shows here and there but you really love to read. And you really love to play with your baby dolls.

You have a beautiful heart that is full of compassion. You show it with a concerned "she sad" whenever a baby (or doll) cries, the dinosaurs in your book show tears, or someone in a book has been splashed. At least you care :)

You still love instruments and play like a rockstar on the guitar. You have no idea what to do with your left hand but you strum like a pro with your right.

You are infatuated with shoes! You wear momma's shoes all the time, dancing around in my fancy gold shoes with all the bead work. I fear for their lives! But you've got great moves and have improved your "slide".

You know how to shake your groove thang and have become an excellent hopper.

You are very good when it comes to praying before meals, although you tend to sneak a bite or two, and you listen when momma prays with you before bedtime.

You have become a "daddy's girl" and he finds it hard to work from home when you're too cute not to play baby doll's with.

You still have your beautiful curls and they manage to disguise how long your hair really is.

You officially do not like baths.

But you love to swim.

As long as you don't get splashed.

You're not dramatic at all...

You have a beautiful singing voice and awesome dance moves, especially in the car. I love hearing a "momma!" only to turn around to see you showing me how your groove to the song.

I love when you read out loud to yourself. And even to momma or dadda when we were trying to read to you in the first place.

You're very good at sharing... when you want to.

You're a good "momma" to your "babies".

You always seem to request one more book at night even though we've just read four. And I always seem to be suckered in.

You love to squeal and run away. Especially when we're trying to get you ready for the day.

You have a funny thing of running back and forth between the tv, landing on the couch.

You love your new bean bag chair. You even dragged it from your room to the living room.

You're a good listener. Especially when I start counting to three.

You had a naughty streak of saying "two" if I said "one" in my countdown.

You're loving, kind, and compassionate. A wonderful little girl and I hope to have 10 more just like you.

I love you so much, my sweet baby girl. You'll always be my baby, no matter how old you are.

Momma