A Mother's Love

There are just some things that you won't understand until you're older. I remember my mom telling me this through the elementary school years of bullies, divorce and fair weather friendships. This rang true as a teenager as I muddled through broken hearts, others' poor choices and shattered dreams. Even as I became an adult there were things that I did not understand.  One of those things was her sincere unconditional love. It didn't matter that I had faults, that I didn't become a doctor or that I didn't remain close to home. There has never been a moment in my life that I was not certain that I was loved.

Now not everyone can say this and my heart breaks for them. To know wholeheartedly that I would be loved and accepted no matter what gave me the confidence to move forward with my goals and dreams. I never truly understood or appreciated this until I became a mother. From the moment those two lines showed their colors on my pregnancy test I began to love my child with a fierceness that I have never known.

As I look back on the year that has passed since my first Mother's Day, I am that much more in love with my daughter.  I want her to know that I will love her no matter what. I value her. I support her. I am her biggest fan.

Mother's Day 2013

I also thank God for a mother who continues to be my best friend and a strong supporter of my dreams.

This Mother's Day was spent with my husband and daughter. I was treated to lunch at my favorite restaurant and a new cellphone, which I love. The sweetest moments however came in the snuggles before bed and the firm grasp of my husband as he held my hand throughout the day. I cherish those little moments.

There is nothing like being a mom. It is truly the hardest but most rewarding job in the world. It is an amazing feeling to wake up everyday and do what I know in my heart I was created to do.

Five on Friday:Dinos, Dining and Darlings

While the school year is winding down, we still have a lot to push through in the three remaining weeks we have left. While the weeks have been flying by, the days seem so long. Needless to say, I am grateful for Friday. I'd love it if you'd join me and others for this week's Five on Friday.

 

 

[one]

This week is National Teacher Appreciation Week. I am so blessed to work with the staff, administration and families that I do. Not only do we have an amazing staff, but we also have a phenomenal PTO. This week we were showered with all sorts of gratitude. The PTO brought in an Olive Garden lunch with desserts. The school board provided Pizza Hut for lunch one day, and this does not include the other delights that were delivered to us by various parents and partners from our school community.

 

The GOTR team made us posters for our doors

The PTO sent treat bags for all of the teachers

 

[two]

Our little red head has gained quite the independent streak as of late. She does not want Mommy to help her eat. She wants to do it on her own. While she's been eating finger foods for quite some time, she has only toyed with her utensils. Well...toy no more. She officially feeds herself with a fork. Where did my little baby go?!

 

[three]

At the beginning of April, my friend Shannon and I made it through the Hoos Heal 5k. You can catch the recap here. We had a blast! Races are a lot of fun even if I hate training for them. I'm still not sure how a person who hates to run/jog convinces herself to participate in races that center around the same activity. There's really no logic. So naturally I would be looking for another race. We've scoped out a couple that may pose possibility while we're in Georgia in June. We're just not sure if time will allow it. For now, I've convinced another friend of mine to participate in The Baby Run 5k. We're registered and ready to go. Proceeds from this race will benefit an agency that I've helped to sponsor in the past and hold in high esteem, the Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center. If you're local, I hope you'll join us on May 17th!

[four]
This week we've been doing some extension activities in class. The focus? Dinosaurs! I've always been fascinated by these creatures and I love to share this interest with my students. During one of our discussions on fossils, trace fossils to be exact, I had the students create their own "trace fossils" out of salt dough. It's amazing how three simple ingredients and a few plastic dinosaurs could excite and educate at the same time.

 

To make the salt dough, you'll need three simple ingredients: 2c flour, 1c salt, and 1c water. Mix them together well so that the mixture forms a well worked dough. From there you can decide how you use it. To make our trace fossils, each student was provided with a ball of dough. They flattened it and "walked" their dinosaur toys through it, leaving impressions. Dry overnight, flip over the next day, and dry one more night...and ta-da!

 

 

[five]

Finally, I want to send a huge shout out to my mom friends. I have several friends expecting and some who will be celebrating their first Mother's Day. It has been such a blessing to see these dreams come to fruition and to watch them grow. May God continue to bless and keep you all.



 

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Cinco de Mayo 2014 Food and Flair

As promised, here are the tidbits from our Cinco de Mayo "celebration". (Side note: I had many more plans but found out late Sunday evening that my hubby would have to work and would not be home until Wednesday...I opted out of some of the decorations and I put our engagement dessert in the freezer for a later date. I couldn't eat it alone...it just would not be right. I'll be sure to share as soon as possible.)

I'll begin with the simple, modest décor.

It began with a delightful bag of mini peppers in beautiful, festive colors. I put them in the base of one of my punch bowls...and it worked quite nicely. I discovered this adorable (free) Fiesta printable at The 36th Avenue. There are several fun printables that you could utilize at next year's Cinco de Mayo bash.

 The red candle holders added a little extra flair.

I ran across another fun printable by The Idea Room. I used these to make napkin rings for my cutlery. The plates and colorful cutlery meshed well with my red place mats.



Now for my favorite part...the food!!!

I chose to make one tried and true recipe while experimenting with another. I'll begin with one of my new favorite creations, Mexican Confetti Rice. Of course you can find oodles of recipes for rice under similar names consisting of various ingredients. I chose to go with some of my favorite flavors, mixed it in a pot, and TADA! To view and print this recipe, click here or on the picture below!

Mexican Confetti Rice

Ingredients: 2c brown (or white rice) 1 3/4c low sodium chicken broth 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies 1/2c whole kernel corn 1/2c black beans, rinsed 1tsp cumin 1 clove garlic, minced 1tbsp oil Directions: Cook the rice according to the package directions using the chicken broth instead of water. In a skillet, heat your oil and sauté the garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Add the corn and beans. As they begin to heat through, mix in the tomatoes and chilies. Stir in the cumin. Allow the vegetables to cook through. Mix the vegetables in with the rice. Serve with a dollop or two of sour cream. Makes 8 servings.

It's not like the Mexican Confetti Rice isn't hardy enough to stand on it's own, but this girl likes a little more protein. I paired this rice with one of our favorites, Tequila Lime Chicken. It's super simple, easy on the waistline and oh, so good! You can find this delicious dish here or by clicking the picture below.

Tequila Lime Chicken

Ingredients: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1/2c tequila 1/2c lime juice 1tbsp honey 1tbsp minced parsley Directions: In a zip lock gallon size bag, combine the tequila, lime, honey and parsley. Seal the bag and squeeze the bag to mix the ingredients. Add your chicken. Allow to marinate at least 4 hours, although overnight is better. Preheat your grill to 400. Grill the chicken about 10 minutes on each side or until the juices run clear and there is no pink left in the chicken. Allow to rest 5 minutes before serving. As much fun as it was to put this meal together, the highlight was watching my daughter become quite the pro with her fork. She may learn good table manners after all.

Cinco de My-oh-my

While many of you may be going out to celebrate with a margarita or two, we'll be eating in. Even so, we have a lot to celebrate!

7 years ago today, my amazing husband (then boyfriend asked the question that would change our lives. On bended knee at the base of the Clock Tower, the love of my life asked me to marry him...and of course I said "yes!"

The place of our proposal

All smiles!

Happily engaged!

Just a quick side note...just hours a part on that same day, one of my dearest friends and her boyfriend also got engaged. When we talked on the phone that night we could not believe we had the same type of news to share! She and I could not have found better men and to make things even better, the two of them clicked during our dating years and we've all been friends ever since!

One of our annual fall trips to a local orchard



It's hard to believe that it has been 7 years since that day. The Lord has blessed our lives immensely and for that we remain grateful.

I've put together a festive menu and some fun décor for tonight's dinner that I look forward to sharing with you soon. On the list is the same dessert that we had the night of our engagement (only it will be homemade, so let's hope I do it justice).

How will you celebrate the 5th of May?

Eyes and Ears

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I've been at home since Friday (with the exception of a doctor's appointment) with our daughter. She's been fighting a vicious virus for the last few days and we've been battling a relentless fever. At it's peak, her temperature maxed out at 103.4. Yesterday it stayed around 102. Finally, today, it has stayed between 98-100. Did I mention that she is also cutting three teeth at the moment? Needless to say, I've been continually disinfecting and trying to keep her hydrated. Thankfully, her appetite and willingness to drink began to come back last night.

In the midst of caring for our clingy one-year old, I began to tackle our office. I have about 11 days to get it turned into a playroom. I'm hosting a new Life Group at our home and one of the needs that must be met is a place for the kids to play while we meet...plus, I'm sure G would love to have a playroom and I know we will love having the majority of her toys and books in a location other than the middle of the living room...but more on that later. While going through some of the things on our shelves, I ran across my high school yearbooks. Oh the memories.

I flipped through my senior yearbook and ran across the quote that I had selected to represent me in the Senior Section. I chose Philippians 4:8.

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

 

I reflected fondly on most of my time in high school and then found a safe place to put those memories. This morning, however, that verse came back to mind. Missing out on fellowship with my church family is not something we do often, but in cases like this, it is necessary. So, while singing "Jesus Loves Me" with G this morning I began thinking about how I can't wait to hear her sing those words someday. These sentiments carried through to lunch when she began using the phrase "uh-oh" in full force. She has a limited vocabulary outside of her constant babbling, but today "uh-oh" was added to the list (which also consists of "buh" for bug, "nana" for all things food, "this" for anything she points at besides food and bugs, "momma", "da-da" and the occasional "zizzies" when pointing at the kitties or "duh" for the dogs.

I had to giggle at her "uh-ohs" and then the God moment came. The verse I had reflected on yesterday came back to mind. G is picking up on all of the things that she hears. Are the words that she is hearing True? Noble? Lovely? Admirable? It's easy to overlook her little ears when the radio is playing or if the television is on. I do not use profanity and try to keep myself mindful of what I say regardless of whether or not G is around. I try to be an example always...granted I am human. I have flaws and despite my best efforts, I still mess up.

Since having G, from the time we brought her home, I have become acutely aware of what is being said/shown on television and movies. My husband is a die hard action movie lover and unfortunately it does not seem that you can watch one of those films without continuous vulgar language and inappropriate scenes of  violence and nudity. While I know G will be exposed to these things at some point in her life, I want to shield her while I can. I also want to ensure that I am setting a good example. I, like all Christian parents, fight evil everyday in the name of my child (and all other children). That doesn't make me a superhero. It makes me a mom, a woman, seeking God's heart and will in my life, in the life of my daughter and in my family. Taking a stand and making steps in the right direction can be as easy as changing the channel. We don't have the television on very often and when it is you'll usually find it on the Disney Channel or Food Network. However, I can honestly say that those are not ALWAYS on our television. We each have to decide what we are willing to allow in our homes.

To help get you started, make a point to be conscientious with what you watch, whether in front of  your children or not. When it comes to television you can easily change the channel. As for movies, I've become diligent in checking ratings and the reasons for those ratings. I use the wonderful website

Kids-In-Mind*

 

This website shows reviews as well as the amounts of and types of sex/nudity, violence/gore, profanity, substance abuse and discussion topics. I highly recommend using this prior to watching or renting your next film. Advocate for the good of your family.

::via::

(*I was not compensated in anyway for recommending this website.)

Five on Friday

While I'm up before dawn (as always) on this Friday, I won't be heading into work today, at least not to stay. G has come down with something and we'll be headed to the doctor today. So for me it's a 40 minute drive to work to get sub plans together and then from there I'll go about 1 1/2 hours to the doctor's office (I know the distance sounds crazy but my work and our health care facilities are in opposite directions-it's not as complicated as it may seem)...so as not to bog myself down with details, worry and mile long lists, I'll focus on this week's Five on Friday. Click on the FOF logo to view other wonderful Five on Friday finds.

[one]
I've been looking at lesson planners for next year. I've come across several designs that I really like. I'd love to find one that is pre-bound but so far, I've not found one that has all that I want included. I have been keeping my eye on these adorable designs for printable planners from A Modern Teacher.

[two]
I've made it through 4 months of my weight loss journey without any major set backs. I'm back in a dress that I love and can't wait to wear out on the town...if only we could nab a babysitter.



[three]
A while back I heard this song playing in our dining room. I came in to find my hubby playing this song for our daughter. My heart melted. We have deemed it her song and now I'll play it, just because...(you can view it here if the video doesn't work)

Daddy's Little Girl-Michael Buble

[four]
Life has been a bit of a roller coaster lately. Sometimes I need that small little reminder that He is in control.

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[five]
My daughter is IN LOVE with the squeezable food pouches. I grabbed a few a while back and have been spoon feeding them to her. The other day I thought I'd see what she'd do with one on her own...admittedly I expected a huge mess. To my surprise, she used it like a pro and only became frustrated when it was empty...I don't think she left a drop in it. These little pouches are not cheap. I've begun researching some reusable pouches. Thus far, I've read a ton of reviews and I'm leaning towards these Squooshi Reusable Food Pouches. They seem to have good reviews for the money. Any suggestions from those who have used these or other brands?

Monthly Weight Loss with Pictures

A month filled with multiple birthdays and Easter celebrations has the potential to do a number on one's weight-loss. While I know I should have been more cautious and said "no" more often than not, the damage has been done. Praise God for a new day...a new month.

::via::

As you'll soon see, I don't have much in the way of weight-loss to celebrate this month, so instead, I'm focusing on the non-scale victories.

::via::

Here are some of my non-scale victories thus far:

-pants are looser

-I can wear clothing that I wasn't even able to wear pre-pregnancy

-my rings are looser

-2 inches total off of my waist

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The month of May is already filling up. The end of the school year is drawing near and with that comes assessments, multiple check lists, and farewells. I was out on maternity leave this time last year...lucky me. It's funny how quickly I've forgotten all that comes with this time of year. However, as I prepare to send my precious first graders onto second grade, I also look forward to what the summer will hold.

We have multiple home-based projects and hopefully a mini-vacation or two. I'm also looking for ways to keep motivated as the hot weather settles in over the next couple of months. My hubby and I are planning to go visit my mom and sister in Georgia in June. We've found a couple of 5ks that we are interested in. We may just add one of those to our to-do list while we're down there. If this does not fall into place, I'll begin looking for a couple for this fall.

I'm also continuing to focus on losing inches. This month was not what I had hoped for in the way of weight-loss, which I take complete responsibility for. However, I did lose a little and I also lost .5 more inches in my waist. That totals 2 inches!

My biggest victory this month however is this...I really struggle with self-confidence (no, this is not my victory ha ha...I thought I'd give a bit of a backstory). I have a huge list of insecurities that influence a lot of areas in my life. I gained a little bit of myself back this week (okay...here it comes!) I bought a little black dress about 3 years ago. I wore it once for my birthday that year. I was working hard at losing weight and I was determined to wear that dress. I did. I have not worn it since. It has been hanging silently in the back of my closet just aching to be worn. I was cleaning out my closet this weekend and pulled it out. I looked at it longingly, wishing so badly to be able to wear something that I could feel good in. I decided to try it on to see just how far I had to go...and to my surprise...it fit!!! It fit better than I remember it fitting 3 years ago! I didn't want to take it off! I am currently working on a special date night that will allow me to doll myself up, put on some heels and wear this dress. I apologize for sounding so superficial, but this was a huge deal for me! While I'm still a ways off from wanting to splurge on a new wardrobe, I do have a non-scale victory that has given me some much needed motivation.

My "little black dress"

With all of this in mind, I am still working towards the weight-loss goals I've set for myself. I'm also eagerly trying to cross off more of the items on my 30 before 30 list. One of those items is to lose 30lbs and I'm getting there...Here are the numbers for April...

You can check out the rest of my weight loss journey here.