Mid-Summer Reality Check

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It's true. I spend many days of my "summer vacation" planning for the upcoming school year. While some of this does include adding to my Teaching board on Pinterest, it also includes many other school related activities. For instance, I work on various classroom projects, organization, school open house materials, etc. This year I decided to tackle a project that I've been contemplating for the last couple of school years...a personalized planner. I've purchased several different types of planners over the years and none of them have had exactly what I want. This year, I decided to invest a little time into making one of my own. I was inspired by several types of planners on TeachersPayTeachers but didn't really want to put out additional money for them, especially since I would have to pay for the paper and ink. I thought surely I could come up with my own, design a layout that works specifically for my needs, and then have the ability to revise it as needed.

 

Thanks to free clip art from MyCuteGraphics, I was able to get a design I liked, and aside from what I have invested in time, paper and ink, I have a wonderful, inexpensive planner that I am super pleased with.

 

 

 

My planner includes a place for lesson plans, monthly calendars, parent contacts, and grading. I've already begun putting together some lesson plans.

 

 

 

 

It's crazy to think that the summer is half way over. I really thought I would have accomplished more by this point. We have countless home projects that need to be tended to. Maybe July will be more productive in that area. Despite not having accomplished many things on my "to-do" list, I am glad to say that I've made many memories with my daughter. She is growing up so fast and the school year will begin again very soon, and truth be told, a teacher's work is never really done...

 

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4th of July Festivities 2014

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I hope everyone enjoyed their 4th of July festivities and took time to give thanks for the freedoms we have while remembering the sacrifices made to keep them. We had a wonderful time celebrating with friends.

 

Last year G was too little to enjoy the fireworks, and since my hubby was working, she and I stayed home. It's amazing how much she has changed in a year's time.

 

 

 

For the last couple of days G has been on a weird eating kick, as in she's not really eating much of anything...which is NOT our child. From what I've read, this is pretty typical in toddlers, but for a mom of a notoriously good eater, it can be a little concerning (and frustrating). I began our morning with omelets, which she normally loves, but only ate a couple bites, and some fresh fruit, of which she ate about a half cup. (I'm certain most of you could care less about my child's current eating habits, but I also believe a lot of you can relate.)

 

After breakfast we had some family time until G went down for her nap. At that point my hubby and I did a couple things around the house. Since our previous plans of a cookout at a friend's house fell through, we decided to treat ourselves to the savory goodness of a local BBQ restaurant. The establishment is fairly new...and by the taste of their food, they should have no trouble sticking around for a long time. If you are ever in the area, you should definitely stop by Smokehouse Henry's*. You will not be disappointed!

 

(stock photo)

 

The Messy Pig (pulled pork-AMAZING!)

Brisket Sandwich

 

After our yummy lunch, we began getting things together for the evening's festivities. Mid-afternoon G went down for her nap and my hubby and I took advantage of her sleep time to get ready ourselves. Once she woke up, we grabbed the rest of our fireworks watching gear, loaded up the Jeep and headed out. We drove a little over an hour to join up with some of our friends. After enjoying some downtime at their house, we headed to Graves Mountain Lodge for fireworks. The show was decent (although we were told it has been much better in years past) and the time together was a blast (no pun intended).

 

 

 

G loved sitting in her chair and playing with the big kids.

 

About this chair...we got her good buddy one for his birthday last year. The other day during our play date, she discovered the chair and loved it! We decided to purchase one for her and it has been a huge hit!

 

 

 

How did you celebrate the 4th?

 

 

7.4.2014

 

 *I was not compensated in any way to share my opinions of any of the mentioned establishments or products.

 

 



Thoughts for Thursday

Holy cow! It's July! Where has the summer gone?! Tuesday, July 1st, was Second Half of the Year Day. I've already heard someone pass along the total of shopping days until Christmas. What?! Also, on ABC Family they are having a "Half-mas Merry-thon" where they are showing some of their Christmas themed movies. Good grief! I'll be sticking my fingers in my ears and humming "This is How We Roll". (Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas, but I'm just trying to survive the summer.)

With all that out of the way, I'll be joining Annie and others to officially start my Thoughts for Thursday :)

[1]

As many of you, we will be celebrating 4th of July with friends and a cookout. Last year G was too little to enjoy fireworks. I'm interested to see how she responds this year. She did enjoy the flames at our last hibachi meal...can you say firefighter's daughter? Along with all of the celebrating it is important to remember the cost at which we maintain our freedom. Praise God for those who devote their lives to our freedom and safety.

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[2]

These next two weekends hold a lot of fun and excitement. This weekend we'll be celebrating a very special little boy's 2nd birthday, as well as a milestone birthday for his mom. We can't wait! We'll continue the celebrating the following weekend with the 3rd birthday of another precious little one. I still can't believe that she'll be 3 years old! I remember sitting with her mom just a week after she was born. Time goes by far too quickly.

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[3]

I've begun a new devotional...and I love it! It was given to me by a parent at the end of school. It is filled with truth and comic relief...just what I need. If you are looking for a short daily devotional...this could be the one. Check it out!

Out of the Spin Cycle by Jen Hatmaker



[4]
I found this recipe for Chicken Club Lettuce Wraps earlier this week. I paired them with sweet potato tots and it all made for a delicious meal. When you check out the recipe you'll find that she made a honey mustard dressing to top them off. We opted for ranch. (This is a stock photo from her website. In all the chaos leading up to dinner I didn't get to take a picture of my finished product.)

I have some other 'happenings' coming up that I hope to share with you later. Have a blessed 4th of July!

*I was in no way compensated for my recommendations or opinions.



5 Things Every Couple Should Discuss Before the Vows

With so many new marriages and some on the horizon, I've been thinking back to my own wedding and marriage. Before marriage we participated in premarital counseling with our pastor. I highly recommend premarital counseling prior to saying "I do." You will learn so much!

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Regardless if you go through premarital counseling or not, there are a few topics that every couple should discuss in detail prior to tying the knot. I'll be honest, some of these are not easy and some can become down right uncomfortable,  but remember,  it's necessary. Even if you don't have all the answers at the time, you will have at least had the conversation. Here are a few items that both my husband and I saw as important and helpful to discuss prior to getting married.

1. Finances. Yuck. Money can be the root of some serious problems in your marriage if not discussed ahead of time. Decide if you'll keep separate accounts, joint accounts etc. Discuss having both names being placed on separate accounts if you choose to go that route.  In the event of an emergency you want your spouse to have access to the funds. Discuss a budget and how bills will be paid. Of course there are oodles of other related items but these are some of the high spots.

2. Children. This is a big one. Knowing that I wanted a large family predetermined the type of response I would need from my future spouse. Fortunately the Lord blessed me with a man who not only loves children but would like a good sized family as well. Children are not necessarily for everyone.  If you long to have kids but your future spouse is adamant about not wanting children, you need to consider how that will impact your marriage...and it will. The number of kids isn't necessarily important. You'll figure that out as you go.

3. Discipline. If you plan on having children or will be bringing kids into the marriage,  discuss how you both view discipline.  My husband and I have similar views on discipline but due to certain things in my past and related experiences, my views slightly differ. We decided on a plan that appears to be working for us thus far.

4. Holidays. Combining two families with their own traditions on top of trying to start your own can be a major juggling act...especially if you've never considered how you'd make it work. I've learned that while you want to remain respectful and considerate, you can't let the dream traditions you have for you own little family be cast aside. Compromise is going to be huge with this one. Don't be surprised if feelings are hurt at first. Life will go on. Also note that while yes, you can adjust as the years go on, do remember your first round of holidays after marriage begin to set the expectations for later gatherings...just saying.

5. Personal Expectations. Talk about what you wish for your marriage. There may be things you don't see eye to eye on and it will be important to know what these things are. Be realistic in your expectations for your marriage and of the other person. Also talk about dreams that you have. This can be a particularly fun conversation.  My husband and I never tire of talking about hopes and dreams we have for our family.

I hope you'll consider having these conversations. Marriage is meant to be forever. Handle it with care.

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Monthly Weight Loss and Pictures

I won't even pretend that I've given a praiseworthy attempt at losing weight or accomplishing my goals this month. In fact, since I'm being completely honest, this month I hit a wall. I've been facing a weight loss plateau and I let it get the best of me. Curse this back and forth sway of 1-2lbs. I lost focus. I got caught up in the traveling, and while wonderful, I didn't eat like I should, nor exercise, during those times. I allowed being away from home to be my excuse for extra snacking and high calorie food options. I was on vacation!

We've also been facing some personal matters and I've found myself settling into old habits. More than once I caught myself turning to food for comfort. Remnants of my Emotional Eating surfaced but I refused to let them stick around.


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I've tried not to be too hard on myself...that would only crush what motivation I have left. While this last week has held many wonderful things, it has also held it's share of stress, anxiety and disappointment, but I did my best to not allow these feelings overrule my better judgment. I've gotten in a little more exercise this past week and I'm feeling better about greeting July (if you don't count the fact that half of my summer will be over ::tears::)

So while I wish I had amazing results to share with you this month...I do not. I know in order to move forward that I can't focus on "what I should have done."

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I did, however, have a memorable moment...my hubby and I took our first "real" date since the birth of our daughter over a year ago...and I wore "the dress". This dress has not been worn in almost 3 years. It fit better now than it ever has...I consider that a major accomplishment.

With all that being said, I've decided to take a step back from social media for a while. I feel that I need to be devoting myself more to some of my relationships and health and I need to get myself going forward in full motion again. I'll still be blogging, but maybe not as often and as for Facebook...don't be offended when I look clueless if you tell me about something you posted. More than likely I will have missed it. As much as I love reading updates, I have some updating that I need to do outside of the technological realm. God bless and I hope all of you are enjoying your summer!

 

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Thoughts for Thursday

For the remainder of the summer I'll be joining Natalie and others for Thoughts for Thursday. This particular Thursday (ok this whole week) has held a lot of ups and downs. It's nice to sit and reflect on some of the "ups".

[one]

This week held a lot of fun. One of my most favorite moments was the day that included these two sweet little babes. G and I drove over the mountain to visit my dear friend and her precious little boy. I love the girl time we get to spend together. Our time has only been sweetened by these two redheads. As they get older their interactions become that much more entertaining. Today they enjoyed some water table time. 



Puppy kisses

 

 

 

 Could these two be any cuter?!

[two]

On Tuesday I sent my hubby down the river...okay, he went on a river trip with some buddies for work. Being the perfect wife that I am (you may laugh now), I could not send him off without some goodies. That's just not my style...and lets face it, his work buddies have grown quite accustomed to sweets being sent their way. I pulled out my homemade Choc It To Me Brownie recipe. I have not made this in forever! Truth be told, these rich, fabulously delish confections probably add 10lbs with each batch, but they are so worth it. I made another batch this week to take to a friend and her adorable family. You will only be doing yourself a disservice by not making these ASAP.

 Click on the link for the recipe. Enjoy!

Choc It To Me Brownies

[three]

On Sunday I had a major mommy fail. After church I took G out for a Mommy and Me lunch. She was great. We then headed to Walmart to grab a few things.  Upon leaving and putting her in the car, she asked for Bella, her best buddy, the moose. Bella was no where to be found. I searched the parking lot, the vehicle,  every bag, etc. No Bella. I called the restaurant. No Bella. I cried, she cried.

We came home where she continued to look and call for Bella. This mommy's heart was broken. I posted my fail on Facebook and a while later my friend called. She had seen Bella at Walmart!  Bella was on a display case near the sporting goods. I was elated! My friend called the store and had one of the workers go see if she was still there. Bella was safely retrieved and placed in customer service.  We had to forgo normal bedtime and made the 30 minute drive to town to pick up my baby's best friend. Thanks be to God for His goodness. Mommy and baby went to bed happy. ("Back Up Bella" arrived in the mail yesterday...just in case.)

[four] 

Speaking of our little gem, she took her first steps...completely independent of any assistance...this week! She took 3 steps earlier this week and then took 5 more today! It may not be much but it's progress!

 

 

 

 

Ta-da!

[five]

In an attempt to clear some clutter, I went through some things and have decided to put forth a little footwork to participate in a large local consignment sale this August. I've been to this sale several times, both in the fall and spring, and I always make out really well. I'll not only be shopping this year, but I'll also be cosigning. If you are local or close, I hope you'll also take advantage of this great sale that benefits many in our community through financial giving and item donations. Take a moment to find out all about KidzKraze!

Go To What You Know

This week has held a lot of highs and lows for me on a personal level. In venting to my amazing (and I can't stress that enough) best bud, I was given some advice. I know she will be rolling her eyes because of her humble heart when I say this, but she is truly a source of reason and sensibility. I never face judgment and I always hear truth. Tonight's tidbit?  "Go to what you know..."

 

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Sitting here alone this evening, I've had a little bit of time to reflect on those five words. With what has been on my heart and mind these past few days, it just seems timely and completely appropriate that I focus on what I know as reminders to get me through these moments. This is not an exhaustive list but it is a place to start...It is my hope that you'll find encouragement, just as I have, through the power and truth of God's Holy Word.

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-His mercies are new. Whatever short comings I face today (and I admit this week has been filled with many mommy fails, wife fails, friend fails, etc.) His love and mercy endures. He finds me where I am and will not leave me there to wander.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail. They are new every

morning; great is your faithfulness.

Lam. 3:22-23

-This too shall pass. The things that I'm facing today, tomorrow, haunts from yesterday...all of them are fleeting. They are moments in my life that God can use to mold me. They are also moments that I can use to glorify God, build my testimony and deepen my faith.

For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long.  Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever.  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.  For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

2 Cor. 4:17-18

-There is victory. Regardless of disappointments, short comings, and the like, there is victory in Jesus.

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Cor. 15:57

-I am blessed beyond measure, even when my heart hurts.

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.

Jer. 17:7-8

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Matt. 5:4

 

 

-His timing is perfect.

Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Ps. 37:4

 

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