Monday, April 30, 2012

Last Week In Photos



I spent the week praying and seeking the Lord regarding a huge decision I needed to make
It sure it tough making decisions without my Mark


We had a little baby shower for my Daughter In Love at work
K~Baby is due to arrive this Friday :)


Went to a business meeting where my employer was speaking


Took K~Bel to the Phoenix zoo
With my niece and two of her kiddos


We took this same photo 5 years ago when
K~Bug and Gabs were about the same age as these kids


Went to my K~Bugs school open house
She and her daddy made three hydraulic machines

Spent the weekend working in the yard
It never ends

Loving Life
Grateful for Decisions
Can't wait to meet our newest K

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Do Weeds Speak?


During the past week
I have chosen not to blog much
I didn't even share my
Weight Loss Wednesday
Instead
I have been seeking the Lord
For answers regarding a difficult decision I needed to make


This morning I decided to get outside
And tackle the above mess
No matter how hard I work around my house
There is Always another job to be worked out

Since this side yard is not a place I frequent
I didn't realize how tall the weeds had become
As I began to dig, whack and pull
The Lord began to gently speak to my heart

Cindy
Sometimes you have to dig, whack and pull
The weeds that clutter the beauty of your life
But sometimes you have to turn your back on
and walk away from the clutter that hides the beauty of your life

During the past several months
I have been digging, whacking and pulling at weeds
Which have been cluttering my life
Facing them head on
Digging up the root causes
Whacking at the stubbornness
And pulling what is left

Today
I have been released to turn my back
And walk away from all that has held me captive
All that has hidden the beauty of God's creation
And all that has cluttered my thinking

Today
I didn't make my decision
Today
I committed to the decision
God made for me several weeks ago
Today
God is stronger than my weakness
Today
God is more powerful than my fear
Today
God reigns mighty over weeds


Tonight
The weeds are gone
And God is Glorified in the Peace
He has filled my heart with

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

16 Months


Though I miss my Mark
Every Single Day Of My Life
Today
As I ponder 16 months on this earth without him
I thought I'd share just a few
Of the more 'light-hearted' moments we shared!

 Getting ready to leave for the Symphony
on our Anniversary
 Leaving my brothers place
After a Wonderful Easter Sunday
 Hotel at the Grand Canyon
Our son 'caught' the expression
After I told my hubby that
I was NOT Bossy :)
Feeding him just a bite of My birthday cake

I miss him so much
But I am SO thankful for more than 30 years
With my soulmate and bestest friend

Father, Thank you for Your Blessings!

Monday, April 23, 2012

Sharing...


 








Tonight,
I am sharing some of my favorite
Pinterest Pins

Between my sister and I
We have 7 girlie granddaughters
So I'm sure you understand why
I just love these for birthdays

mickey and minnie cupcakes!!!

Minnie Mouse Cake!

minnie mouse cupcakes

And
Because RED is my favorite color
Why I love these
Are these just not the cutest little red shoes....

adorable.

Too Cute

Below are a few things that
Just make me giggle out loud

*giggle*
Think about it Girls
joyful

Too Cute
One of my Absolute Favorites :)

Below are a few things that just say
Awwwww...

Relaxing with a friend...

So Cute

This is how I always pictured my marriage :( Makes me so sad he's gone!!

I always wished my hubby and I
Would make it to this age
So Precious

Ok, so those are just a few of my favorites
Now you know a little more about me

Follow me on Pinterest
And I'll follow you

Don't have an accout?
Just ask, and I'll send you an Invite
So you can be addicted too

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Getting Ready

I remember as a young girl
Preparing the night before the first day of school
It was so much fun to lie out
All of my new clothes and to
Decide what I would wear that first day

Everybody in the house would have their little spot
Where their 'new' outfit would await the morning light
We would rise early and
(sharing 1 bathroom between the 5 of us)
(eventually 6 of us)
We would take turns washing up, brushing teeth and hair
And then putting on our new clothes
What an exciting time it was

In some respects I continue to do the same thing
However, it's not to prepare for the first day of school
Or even the first day of work
Now days it's usually to prepare
For a special time to be spent before the Lord

Not the regular day in and day out kind of time before the Lord
But the It's time to set aside some
First day of school time before the Lord

Tuesday will be 16 months since my Mark went to Live with the Lord
I'm kind of jealous you might say
The first year without him was (let's just say) AWFUL
But the depth of grief I felt has subsided
And there are days of joy and
The ability to smile at the memories

Yet, 4 months into this second year
Has its own set of challenges
Mostly, trying to figure out who I am
And what I want to do when I grow up :)

So, I have come to this place
Of preparing
Of getting ready
Of laying out the 'tools'
For the first day of
A Special Time before the Lord


There are Praises to be Offered
Thanksgivings to be Raised
Prayers to be Asked
And answers to Seek

Looking forward to.........

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Cool, Dark and Quiet


No you silly peeps
I didn't say
Tall, Dark and Handsome
I'm not quite ready for that yet
Well, unless that is,
You have some wonderful
Tall, Dark and Handsome Man
Who would like to spend the rest of his life with this
Not so tall, fair and fluffy woman :)
I may think about it

Yet, I Digress

Cool, Dark and Quiet
The Secret to a
Three hour nap


This nana has learned
That keeping her home cool (76 degrees)
dark (curtains closed)
and quiet (soft music or golf)
has given me 2-3 quiet hours on Thursday afternoons
To get lots of work done

Or
To just take a nap when my little K~Bel does

I love Thursdays
But
In just 2 weeks
They will change for sure ......


Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Weight Loss Wednesday #4

It is funny how when we are young and are waiting for a special day to arrive, we think it will Never get here.  And then as we age, it seems we cannot slow time down to even catch our breath.  So it is with my Weight Loss Wednesday posts.  How quickly the week passes and how slowly the scale moves.

No, I didn't really throw the scale in the pool last week but I wish I had.  I haven't lost a single pound during the past 3 weeks.

15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] I want to do what is right, but I can’t.  Romans 7:15-18

As I ponder the scripture above, I find myself saying those exact words, "I don't really understand myself".  Not in all things of course, but in this area of my life, I struggle with doing what I KNOW will be healthy and beneficial and succumbing to the temptations around my world that are Very unhealthy.

So, I continue on, seeking His guidance and attempting on a daily basis to do what is right, healthy and good for my body, and at the same time trying not to beat myself up when I do err.

How about you?  How has your week gone?  Have you made any life changes that are helping you to become a Healthier You?  Please share!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

For All of my Married Peeps :)

I have a beautiful friend!

An 'In Real Life' friend!

Her name is LeeBird!

Really her name is Lee Merrill!

But her friends call her LeeBird!

She is a prayer warrior!

Her blog is Prayer Gifts!

Today she shared a prayer for all married women!

I'm so honored to share it with you!

Prayer Gifts by LeeBird ~~~

Monday, April 16, 2012

Momma Turns 76

It seems in recent weeks
My life has been revolving around work
And a series of Family Events

This past weekend was no exception
Here are just a few of the 163 photos I took
At my momma's 76th birthday party







Happy Birthday Mom
You Are The Rock!!!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Weight Loss Wednesday #3

It is true that my swimming pool is located only 4 feet from my bedroom window
It is also true that it would only take a gentle toss for my bathroom scale to reach the bottom of said pool

Enough said:)

With that in mind
I choose to make WLW a function of success
And not of failure

Instead of focusing on the scale and actual weight loss
I have decided to focus on two goals per week
Which I will work toward

Over the next week these will be my two goals

I am taking the above 2 lb each weights to the office
I will use them a couple of times per day
It will be healthy for me to take short breaks from long projects
To use these weights to help reduce stress
And strengthen my arms, shoulders and back

My second goal will be to reduce my soda/sugar intake
I am pre-diabetic
My blood sugar is high but not quite in the diabetic range
My plan is to Not allow it to reach that range

Drinking caffeinated drinks is not something that I ever do
However, Sprite has become a daily habit
Do you know how much sugar and how many empty calories are in a 20 oz bottle of Sprite?
Let's just be honest and say: A LOT

So, cutting out the Sprite this week is my main focus
Using the weights at work is my second focus
I am excited to see how God unfolds the week ahead
And I look forward reporting back next week
With my progress as well as another set of goals
AND...
Maybe I'll just get that scale out from the bottom of the pool

Join in if you have a tip or goal to share
I'd love to support you

Blessings for a healthy week!

Monday, April 9, 2012

Just Had To Share...


Some of our precious kiddos





Yes,
We sure know how to wear them out :)

Saturday, April 7, 2012

More Than Ever

Tonight

More Than Ever

I wish I could

Look into your eyes

And share my heart

I miss you So Much


You are sharing your Easter with Jesus

But I so need you here

Tonight

More Than Ever

Friday, April 6, 2012

Humbled


Forever Humbled
At All The Cross
Means

My greatest desire
Is that you would know Christ
And the fullness therein

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Eph. 3:19 (nlt)

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Rom. 5:6 (nlt)

You Are Loved By God!!!

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Weight Loss Wednesday #2

I have not photo to share with you tonight!
It's been a busy week and I just ran out of time.

It is also true that my weight did not go down this past week.
Yet, I made some healthier choices and feel good about them.

Thank you for your great comments and encouraging words to my last WLW post.
How would you like to join me?

I am looking into adding Mr. Linky or one of those link up thingies.
What are your thoughts?

Would you link up and share your story?
How about recipes and health tips?

As I am being encouraged to get healthy
I would love to be an encouragement to many of you.

Please leave comments and let me know.
I sure would Love for you to journey with me.

One thing I did do this past week was to visit my PCP.
I have my labs done and just got the results back yesterday.

As they are not sitting in front of me I may not remember much
However, I do know that my:
Cholesterol was high, but not as high as it has been in the past (228 this week)
Glucose was high and I am still pre-diabetic
Vitamin D was quite low (16) should be more than 30

I'll be making more changes to my (poor) eating habits in the weeks ahead
And praying that in 3 months, when we retest, I will see some marked improvements in my numbers

I still need to make that appointment for my mammo ~~~
Ok ~ Ok ~ I'll do it soon!!!

So, that's my WLW update!
Please join me in becoming a healthy partner in life!!

Monday, April 2, 2012

Still Makes Me Smile

Little by little
I have been going through my husband's garage
Which is now my garage
Filled with his treasures


Although Mr. Hubby didn't have lots of stuff
I am finding he really did
He was a closet (garage) hoarder :)


This afternoon I began the process of going through
Each little drawer of his wall mounted bin holder
It's time for me to make sense of
And re-organize so I know exactly where everything is

I cannot express the Smile that came across my face
And my heart when I opened one little drawer
Because to my surprise


Hidden inside I found these
The two coat hooks that hung in our children's bedroom
When they were just tiny boys

My Mr. Hubby had kept them in his treasure drawer
All These Years
And that is where they will remain

I Love That Man