Over the River and Through the Woods

What's something you can do on an absolutely gorgeous Saturday morning? Why hike of course! It's the perfect way to get in some great exercise, take in God's creation and make new memories. To top it off, I got to do all of these things with our Youth Group. Talk about an awesome group of young people. The Lord has blessed our church with a growing number of teenagers on fire for the Lord. What an honor it is to walk with them through the journey that the Lord has them on.

We met at the church early this morning. After loading the kids onto the church van, we were off. We made our way to the trail head at Crabtree Falls. I've done several hikes in our surrounding area and this was another great one to add to the list.

Everyone grabbed water and their packs and we were on our way. There were several lookout points along the trail which made the ascent well worth the effort. The elevation change was just enough to give a little burn to the muscles but not enough to make you want to turn around and just roll back the way you came (I've encountered some of those steep climbs.)

We stopped for a few photo ops along the way. The kids had a blast (as did the adults).

After about an hour, we reached the top.

The falls were gorgeous and the view was breathtaking. I'll never understand how anyone could think that this amazing work of God art was formed by anything other than our Creator.

Here are a few of my favorite sights from along the way.

 

And our view from the top.

We eventually made our way back down and patted ourselves on the back for making the 4 mile round trip.

My day didn't stop there. My little red-head and I headed to a local farmer's market to grab a few items. While there, we discovered that there was a folk trio providing entertainment. G loved the music and proved her excitement by kicking her feet to the beat and clapping her hands. She tried to "sing" between bites of her peach ice cream.

G intently listening to the music

 

Clapping and singing to the music

 

Peach ice cream...yum!

Afterwards we headed home where we both grabbed a nap. I grilled out for dinner and played several rounds of tickle monster, sang Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes and grabbed some sweet baby snuggles before bath and bedtime. Tomorrow should prove to be just as wonderful. We have church and then will be heading to my work's end of year cookout. Have a blessed weekend everyone!

Five on Friday!!

It has been a FULL week and I'm exhausted. While next week will prove to be just as busy despite the fact that school is out for the summer, I'm choosing to focus on this week and remain grateful that I survived the chaos. Find out how I and others have spent the last week by checking out Five on Friday!

[one]
 

I have to begin this week's five with the best thing ever!!! My friend Sarah (you can check out her special blog at Taber Family Travels) gave birth to her long awaited rainbow baby this past Friday (23rd). It has been my honor to pray her through this pregnancy. She and I met through an infertility support group and have been connected through our journeys ever since. It is with great joy that I present to you Caleb Isaac. He is absolutely perfect! Praise God for this miracle. Congrats Sarah!

[two]
 

The next best thing (granted I don't think you can ever really top the birth of a baby) is that today marks the LAST DAY OF SCHOOL! This means more time with my little girl...and for a brief time no grading papers. Lesson plans and other items for next year will be worked on throughout the summer, but I like the idea of not having deadlines.

::via::

 

[three]

 

I reached a major point in my weight loss journey. You can check out the details here :)



 

 

[four]

 

Happy (Belated) Memorial Day!

G and I spent the holiday at home. We enjoyed the sunshine, some rest and some wonderful quality time. I just can't get enough of her!

 

All American Girl

 

I also made some goodies to send to my hubby's fire department. These tasty treats are so simple!

 



 

You can view and print the recipe for these Patriotic Sugar Cookie Sandwiches here.

[five]

The weather has been much more summer like lately...and with it comes a lot of fun things to look forward to. I finally put together our Summer Chalkboard Printable and it is now on display.



Monthly Weight Loss with Pictures

I cannot believe the month of May is almost gone! I've entered into my last week of school and with that comes even longer days, less family time, mounds of paper work and overly rambunctious children. We'll have the student Field Day, First Grade Fun Day, the Spring Awards program, Fifth Grade Graduation parade...and I know I'm forgetting something(s). Now is also the time of year when people begin making comments about how teachers get the summer off, it must be nice not to work, etc. Trust me. It only looks that way on our contracts and, while I can only speak for myself and fellow co-workers, the summer is filled with prep work for the upcoming school year. Our work is never done and it always manages to come home with us to some degree. I'll stop there and save this soapbox for another time.

::via::

For now, I'd like to share with you this month's progress. We've been dealing with a few things personally and in the midst of trying to find ways to make our dreams reality and finish up half started projects around the house, I've been trying to make some weight loss progress. Stress levels have been a little higher this month (which good things can be stressful too) and our mornings, days and nights have been filled with things that keep us busy. I've not been able to work out like I'd hoped but I've tried to maintain at least some type of activity almost every day.

I had also gotten down on myself over not meeting my 20lb goal. I was really struggling with the plateau that I had hit. I had to do something. I wanted to reach that goal!

I had gotten out of the habit of "honestly" tracking my food. I might put in a few things each day but I had stopped entering in everything I was eating. I am still amazed at how quickly I lost sight of healthy eating. My snacking had also become an issue. Instead of keeping healthy options on hand I went for quick, high calorie grabs. I refocused my attention to healthy choices. Here are some examples:

It all boils down to poor eating choices this month. These past two weeks I've really tried to get back on track.

To build some momentum, I've decided to throw in some mini goals for June. This could be a little tricky with some traveling that we have in our plans, but I'm determined.

In June I will...

1. Make SMART snacking choices

Satisfying-it fulfills the craving and tames the hints of hunger
Managable-it can easily go with me and/or doesn't require a lot of preparation
Appetizing-it tastes good (duh!)
Right size-caloric intake is worth the serving size/portion control
Thrifty-on sale or inexpensive

2.At least 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week

3. Create a motivation collage. I had one of these in college and it really helped my motivation to see some of my goals and words of encouragement each day. I had mine hanging on the refrigerator.

Now that I've got my goals before me, it's time to take a look at the numbers from this past month. I've lost another inch in my waist (that's a total of 2 inches since I began tracking March)...and since December 2013...drum roll please...

 

I feel like I'm finally starting to see a difference, not just feel it.

 

While the numbers are always exciting, it is also important to identify some of the non-scale victories that I've also accomplished.

-I completed a 5k with my daughter (you can catch all of the fun here!)

-My bra size is smaller (don't tell my hubby)
-I need a belt for almost every pair of pants I wear
-A couple pairs of my pants literally fall off as I walk or climb the stairs. I've put those to rest, hoping to never go back to them.
-I'm fitting into clothes that I couldn't even wear pre-baby...some of which are now almost too big!

With this month's weight loss, I've reached my 20lbs goal...and this means I get to splurge on a goody! When I began this journey, I created a Weight Loss Goals board on Pinterest to keep me encouraged. I'm so excited about purchasing this water bottle. I would not typically spend this type of money on a water bottle, but that's what makes it special right? I really want to dive into a dozen donut holes, but a water bottle will be much more beneficial. Here is the water bottle I'll be enjoying in the very near future!

Tervis Whimsical Owl Water Bottle

If you struggle with your weight, you are not alone. I had to change a lot of my weight loss perceptions and set realistic goals. I've had to rely on my own inner strength, the encouragement of others and the power of my God to push through. I am almost to my 30lb weight loss goal. It can be done. I've had to look at it this way...I'm losing weight to get healthy, not skinny. As I become healthier I add quality to my life and that is more important than the size of pants I wear. Every pound counts. Every exercise minute matters. I am worth it!

 

::via::

 

Five on Friday:Food and Fun

How quickly time does fly! It's once again time for Five on Friday and I hope you'll join me and others for this week's link up.

[one]
This just has to be said...1 week of school left!!! Bring on summer break!

::via::

 

 

[two]
Today our first grade team will be hosting Career Day for the students. We're really excited about our special guests and we're certain both they and the kids will have a great time!

Possibly one of the best jobs ever!!!
 

[three]
Warning: This is not a watch your waistline recipe...sometimes you need to just be able to enjoy something that will more than likely stick to your hips...ladies and gents, l present to you the Marlboro Man sandwich!

You can find the Pioneer Woman's full recipe here. Side note: I used a little less butter and added minced garlic to the meat.

 

[four]
G and I completed a 5k this past week. It was challenging but the message of hope given by the cause for which we participated was worth it. Please enjoy the recap here.

 

[five ]
Thursday night began my first ever Life Group Bible study class. While the turn out was much smaller than planned, the fun, laughter, conversation and fellowship were wonderful!  God brought to light several things through our discussion and I feel challenged as a mother, wife and woman of God to dive deeper. We're going through the Prayer Warrior Mom study. It can be done in a group or as a personal devotion.  Either way, there are God moments to be discovered.

Synopsis and Review

Run Baby Run!

I thought I'd go ahead and share the results of this weekend's 5k. This coming week is slammed and it is unlikely that I'll have time to fit it in otherwise.

My day began at 5:30 4:00a.m. when G decided she was ready to greet the morning. We eventually made our way downstairs and began collecting everything we'd need for the day. Today was a big day. It was an important day. G was participating in her first 5k ever and I was participating for a very special cause.

I made this onesie for G

It was not just the important purpose behind The Baby Run 5k (that you can revisit here) but I was participating in honor of a very special family, the Dennis Family. Please read their story. Their lives are living testaments of God's goodness even in the most bitter and pain drenched moments of life.

G and I headed out about 7:00a.m. We drove about an hour to the registration site. Upon arriving, we made our way to the registration table where we were greeted by some very enthusiastic volunteers.

Side note: This race was dreamed up and facilitated by a local high school group as their end of year service project. This service project also included a couple of car washes and some other events to raise money for the BRPC. I was so impressed by their organization and attention to detail. The course was mapped out perfectly and their enthusiasm was contagious.

As I sifted through my packet, I found some great information, a handmade prayer bracelet, and...a voucher for a free t-shirt!!! I had planned on purchasing a t-shirt at the event, but I ended up being one of a lucky few who won a free one.

After hanging out with some of the participants, the race began. This was the first time I have ever pushed G in a race...and it may quite possibly be my last. The course was SO HILLY! It was quite a struggle to make it up some of those hills pushing my one year old...fortunately, around the 1.5 mile marker, one of the teens caught up with me and we chatted for the remainder of the race. She definitely helped me keep my momentum.

We finally made it across the finish line, grabbed a banana and rested in the grass as they presented the awards. This was definitely my worst time (about 51 minutes) on any given course, but considering the constant elevation increases and pushing a toddler, I haven't been too down on myself. I at least finished. I had hoped to stay within the 30ish minute range but pushing the stroller definitely added a good 5-6 minutes per mile to my time.

After leaving the race, G and I headed to town to grab some breakfast. She entertained guests nearby as she insisted on using her fork to eat. After breakfast, we dropped by the Strawberry Festival at a local elementary school. We were both so tired that we didn't stay long.

We came home...and napped.

We then headed out to the elementary school closest to our home for their Backyard BBQ event. We grabbed dinner, talked it up with some friends, and then returned home to call it a night. We were both exhausted...in a good way. I cherished every moment of the Mom and Me kind of day.

Watching the big kids play

Soaking up what was left of the evening...