some healthy treats....

I’m going to share 2 delicious and HEALTHY recipes with you….
Manpineberry smoothy

Strawberries

+

Pineapple

+

Mango

+

Peaches

+

a little orange juice

+

Ice

= Fantastic healthy smoothie! And a sweet treat!

This next recipe...I can’t remember the name of it…So I’m going to call it Mango delight! Let me tell you a little about this recipe….Back when I was in 8th grade, we had an Acteens sleepover at church and my cousin Pam decided we would make foods from other countries. This recipe was from another country although I can’t remember which one..It’s only been 13 years since then…I’m doing pretty good just to remember the recipe!

This is the perfect sweet BUT healthy snack during the day!

2 mangos
1 small tub of fat free cool whip
1 teaspoon of vanilla flavoring
Thinly sliced almonds
Orange juice

Put a little orange juice in a blender[just enough to cover the blade]. Cut up the mango, put it along with the vanilla flavoring in the blender and mix together. If it’s too thick add a little more orange juice, BUT you don’t want it soupy like liquid…It needs to be a little thick. Mix all of that with the cool whip, add the sliced almonds on top….AND you have a great dip! I personally like to eat it with celery. It’s the perfect healthy BUT sweet snack during the day…and low calorie:)

Do you have healthy snacks that you love? If so, I’d love to hear them!

Me, Kaz, and the capital of country music.....

Last Thursday, Kaz and I went to Nashville, TN! I attended the Blissdom conference and Kaz went along to  have a little RNR. Here’s a little about our trip…..

Thursday we drove….and we drove…..and we drove! It was a 9 hour drive but it wasn’t bad…Well, I say it wasn’t bad but I didn’t drive:) We got to Nashville and the weather was awful! It’s rained the whole time we were there. We didn’t do a lot Thursday night. We went to eat at Outback and then just watched a movie in the room! Now Kaz and I have been eating pretty healthy, so to go to Outback and have a blooming onion we felt very guilty afterwards so Friday morning we got up at 6 and ran 3 miles. He really pushed me…by the end we were both running at a 9 minute mile pace…That only lasted about 2 minutes for me:(

Friday was the conference![I’m going to talk more about it tomorrow!] The conference was at the Opryland Hotel. Have you ever been? It’s amazing! It’s huge and honestly you could spend an entire day just doing stuff inside! When I first walked in I was amazed because they have a rain forest inside[well really 3 or 4]. Below are a few pictures from inside the hotel…

[these pictures were taken with my phone]

One thing, that I LOVE is meeting celebrities! While I was there, I got to meet George Duran. He actually cooked for all the ladies:) The meal was delicious! I’m going to try to find the recipe online and share it with you!

Friday night, was the Harry Connick Jr performance at the Fuse nightclub inside the Opryland Hotel. Let me just say…I HAVE the best husband in the world. The conference was all women BUT I saw a lot of their husbands with them, so I honestly thought they would come to the concert that night…Well, I was wrong. Kaz was 1 out of the 3 men…OUT OF 300 women....I felt so bad but he didn’t mind at all! We didn’t stay very long….I like Harry Connick Jr but he said somethings that made me very disappointed in him, so we left.

BUT we then went to see Dear John! Now, I loved this movie but then again I’ve never read the book so I don’t know how the full story goes. I also liked the fact that it was mostly filmed in Charleston because we recongnized a lot of places!

Saturday, was the conference again. I finished up around 5 and Kaz and I headed downtown Nashville to find a place to eat. The whole time we were there I kept telling Kaz we needed to go to the Wildhorse Saloon. I remember growing up and seeing it on CMT, and used to always want to be there line dancing. We got there right when they opened and it was really neat because they taught us how to country line dance. There were people there of all ages…85 years old right down to us! We only danced 1 time, but it was fun to watch the other people. The food was great and we got to listen to a up and comming band from Myrtle Beach-Brother Trouble…If you’re ever in Nashville you should definitely check it out! It was a lot of fun!

Hey Carissa-I wore my yellow sweater:)

Sunday, our trip was over:( BUT we had a great time together…and I can’t wait until we visit Nashville again!

Hurt.....

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about hurt…We all have it….everyone’s is different….but SO real. I’ve been thinking about it lately because we have so many friends in different stages of life that are hurting…..

Right now, Kaz and I are hurting…We’ve been struggling through this journey of infertility for over 2 years now. It hasn’t been a fun or easy road, and at times I hurt so much I didn’t think it would ever end. I’ve cried more these last 2 years than I probably have in my whole life…BUT I’m at a place where I see our trial as a blessing. It’s nothing that I’ve done, it’s what the Lord has done in me[more on this in another post].

I have a friend who’s sister lost her husband in a car wreck Thursday night. When my mom told me, I couldn’t believe it….I couldn’t believe what this girl must be going through…What she has to tell their 4 year old daughter….Then I started thinking about my mom. She also at a very early age lost her first husband. It’s something we’ve really never talked about a lot, but I can imagine that at that point in her life she didn’t see how she could move on….She was probably mad, bitter, hurt, sad…just to name a few. She probably felt all alone and her heart at times was probably so heavy she felt like she was going to break at any moment….BUT the Lord healed her hurt[in time]. She married my dad, and then they had me. You see at the time she was hurting, she couldn’t see out of that…She couldn’t see the bigger picture…BUT the Lord had a perfect plan….Just like He has with ME and YOU…..

Without hurt, we would never grow….It’s not easy to go through…..and I wouldn’t wish tragedy on anyone….BUT right now I’m thankful for my hurt because the Lord is showing me so much and it has truly become a blessing in my life….I’m WAITING for HIM to show US the bigger picture….AND when HE DOES, we will rejoice!

Psalm 30:5
For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may remain for a night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning

If you are hurting right now, please email me. I would love to pray for you and help carry your burden.

Makeup....and a dilemma....

I don’t know about you but makeup stresses me out…

All throughout high school I was a Clinique girl….Everything was Clinique BUT then for some strange reason the foundation started breaking my face out so I went back and forth between various name brands, none of which I liked.

In college, I went to South Africa one summer and my parents came over to visit. One of the girls on the trip[we happened to be roommates] used Estee Lauder. I tried it one day and fell in love with these 2 products, so I asked my mom to buy them and bring them over.

Estée Lauder Signature[Silky Powder Blush]
This may sound crazy BUT I promise I’m telling truth….This blush was the best $40 I may have ever spent[well really my mom]…It LASTED me 3 years. SERIOUSLY! I just finished using it…as you can tell from the below picture! AND I used it everyday….sometimes twice a day!

Double Wear[stay in place foundation]
I LOVE this foundation because it last so long throughout the day!

So these are my favorite makeup products, BUT my dilemma is always[when I run out] whether or not to pay that much money for them or buy cheaper, inexpensive products….As you can see with the blush I ran out…and I ended up buying cheaper products from Wal-Mart because I wanted to save money….What do you do? Do you buy the same products regardless of the cost, or buy an okay product that is a little cheaper? It ALWAYS stresses me OUT!

Take a look at Kelly’s Korner [Show us your life Friday today] to see what hundreds of other women use in makeup, and other products…

My cousin, Pam.....

You  have to read this post by my cousin Pam! It will definitely inspire you....They even read it on the radio:)

I don't have any brothers or sisters, BUT growing up I was blessed to be so close to my cousins on my mom and dads side. Me and my cousins[Pam being one of them] grew up living right next door to each other...Pam is like a sister to me. She has always pushed and encouraged me in my walk with Christ. From the time I was a little girl through high school, she led me at church as the leader of Acteens and taught me in depth about 1 woman in the bible which is now my favorite bible story[Esther]. Last September, we had the opportunity of going to New York together and had a blast! I'm so thankful for Pam, and for the Lord putting her in my life. I hope that you enjoy her blog post...I KNOW you will!

A country girl at heart....

I’m a country girl….I’m from a town called Patrick, SC. Have you ever heard of it? Probably not…

It’s about 15 miles to the closest town[gas station, grocery store, etc]…although Patrick does have its own Fire department and Post Office….More about Patrick later….SO since I’m from the country, of course I’m crazy about country music! I LOVE It! Well, right now I can’t get enough of these 2 songs….I honestly DON’T know why I like them SO much, BUT it’s gotten SO bad that if I’m talking to Kaz on the phone and 1 of these songs comes on, I will get off the phone with him! Haha!

Jason Aldean
“The Truth”


Zac Brown Band
“Highway 20 ride”

Miley, Miley, Miley....

Miley made me laugh so much yesterday I had to post this…

She is like my little shadow…She’s become very needy when she’s inside, always wanting mine or Kaz’s attention, always wanting to be rubbed, and lately begs and whimpers until Kaz takes her on a run. This weekend it rained a lot, so naturally since she LOVES water her first reaction when put outside is to run and jump in the mud puddles. She loves it….So Sunday, Kaz was outside with her and she played in the mud puddles so much she was completely covered from head to toe[well really paw:)] in mud. So we gave her a bath which she loves, BUT by the time we finished the bath water was completely black!

Well, I try to keep her clean as much as I can after a bath….So since Sunday every time she wants to go outside we will put her on the lease and walk her….Yesterday afternoon I had her in the backyard…She’s a funny dog-She really is….Well, she started playing tug of war with the lease…She’s a strong dog. There was nothing I could do. Normally she will tug at it for a few minutes BUT yesterday she did this for 20 minutes AND I couldn’t get her to stop…She was pulling so hard that she drug me from one side of our yard to the other. She was growling and pulling just as much as she could, with her tail wagging the whole time. Every time she would growl, I would start laughing so it was a fun little time. Here’s a few pictures…

She goes crazy over birds and planes[well really anything she sees in the sky..]. So she was looking at a bird flying over us…

In the mud….

Just Miley:)

Oh yea, she loves the bathtub…I think I’ve mentioned before that if you are taking a shower and she’s loose in the house, you need to shut the door or she will pay you a surprise visit! This is where I found her the other night…..In the bathtub! You can see a little how dirty my bathtub was after we gave her a bath…

A pearls kind of girl….

With earrings are you?

More traditional[hoops, studs, etc]

More modern and stylish

Or plain like me:)

See I wear pearls all the time[big ones, I don’t like small ones]. No, they are not real pearls but they are my safety net! I have tons of stylish earrings of all colors but every morning I always pick the pearls…What about you?

A watery saturday.....

Yesterday, I saw a LOT of water....both outside and my own tears...I honestly don’t know what came over me....Let me know start from the beginning....

Yesterday I had a wedding in Myrtle Beach. Now, I’ve mentioned before how I don’t like leaving home for out of town weddings because I leave Kaz at home...It makes me sad because I want to be with him, and at the wedding I’m reminded of all the happy couples, so it’s very hard for me to leave...ONCE I leave I’m fine...It’s just the initial leaving part that gets me......So anyway, I was getting ready to leave to go to Myrtle Beach and once again I got sad AND scared. See the weather yesterday was awful[raining and in some parts of SC freezing rain, sleet, and snow]. I wasn’t worried about driving in the rain, I was worried about driving back late at night in the rain[Myrtle Beach is about 2.5 hours away from us]. SO before I walked out the door I started crying[I’ve never cried before when leaving so Kaz didn’t know what to say at first. I’m just usually sad...BUT never cried]. He kept comforting me, etc and the tears kept coming....I got in my car and left and I still kept crying. Kaz had offered several times to go with me BUT I felt awful asking him to go. It was his day off and I wanted him to enjoy it and just relax and rest! So I got about 5 minutes down the road and I called him still crying....He told me to turn around and he would go with me...Now I was going to be busy from 1130-7 SO that’s a lot of time for him to do nothing. He reassured me he could work at a Starbucks, go to a gym, etc BUT I still felt awful. IF that wasn’t enough, I started crying because we had left Miley at home for 12 hours in her crate. I mean my neighbors had said they would let her out but still it made me really sad because we’ve never done that, SO I cried for about the first 20 minutes of the trip.....

Before the wedding, I was able to meet up with an old childhood friend, AraLeigh!  We grew up together but then went to different high schools and lost touch. I saw her a few weeks back at a wedding and since then we’ve been emailing a lot which I’ve loved! So we got to meet for lunch yesterday since she lives in Myrtle Beach. We had a great time chatting and catching up...

SO then it was wedding time...The wedding was beautiful BUT at the reception miss emotional Amy started crying not once, not twice, BUT 3 times during the reception...First, I cried because there was a young girl there in a wheelchair. It was clear she couldn’t walk, so during a song some of the bridesmaids lifted her and carried her to the dance floor. Even though she couldn’t dance they held on to her and made her feel like she was dancing away. It honestly touched my heart so much that I lost it....She was SO HAPPY and I’m positive that moment made her entire month! It was so touching...SO I cried...Then I cried when they did the anniversary dance. It always gets me[this isn’t the first time I’ve cried at a wedding]. I LOVE seeing people from all ages who are married dance especially older people. So I kept crying...I can only imagine what the guest think of me when they seeing me crying....LOL! When I tell Kaz about these moments it doesn’t surprise him at all. I’m a crier whether I see something or someone happy or sad...I cry....BUT the thing is I always cry when I tell him the stories. SO I cried again! What can I say....It’s who I am....

So yesterday was a great day...I saw a lot of water BUT I’m so thankful that Kaz made the sacrifice and went with me. We had a great time together, and Miley was happy to see us when we got home!

A negative test...and HOPE

So the last 2 weeks I haven’t been motivated or focused on anything...I didn’t really understand why until today when I was taking a shower[that’s the place I think the most...I don’t know why it just is]. So lately, I’ve been having some female problems...I waited for about a month before I called the doctor[which was last week]. When I talked to the nurse, she said first you need to take a pregnancy test and if’s it’s negative then you need to schedule an appoitment to come in. Also before I called, I was talking to a few friends about what was going on and they all said you may be pregnant...Well, I don’t know why I EVEN intertainned that thought but for about 3 hours[until I took the test] I couldn’t get it out of my mind...I thought about every possible thing even down to what the nursery would look like....DANGEROUS. Of course, it was negative and my HOPES were crushed. 

Since then, I’ve been in this fog and haven’t really put the pieces together until today...I’ve wanted nothing to do but watch tv[because I don’t have to think]...I’ve procrastinated on a lot of work that needs to be done.....I haven’t been as focused on eating healthy and exercising...and I haven’t wanted to really pray about our circumstances...I just wanted to do absolutely nothing...

Well, today I was really convicted about my sin...You see even though I KNOW that having children won’t make me happy or fully satisfy me sometimes it’s easy for me to believe that. I am so BLESSED...I have a wonderful home, healthy family, great support from family and friends, a job, food...Everything that I NEED...BUT the one thing I WANT is to hold my child. I read an article the other night about a couple who were unable to get pregnant and for 25 YEARS...did you catch that? 25 YEARS they went through all types of fertility medicine. The husband said in the interview that every time the procedures failed it took 10-11 months to get over and that the last 25 years of their life was a living hell. It made me really sad when I read it....BUT sometimes I do the same thing. I get so down and discouraged about where we are at...and at times feel like I have no hope. BUT the TRUTH is the Lord really does have a perfect plan for us. No, He hasn’t called us to be parents yet....BUT He’s calling us right now to so many other things. What WE WANT is to be parents....What HE WANTS is for us to seek Him with our whole heart, trust in His guidance and plan, and believe and KNOW that He is good. He wants obedience....My flesh wants only what I can see.....

So even though I’m really struggling right now, I still have HOPE. AND I have so many people praying for me and Kaz daily, and encouraging us as we go through this hard journey. 

My hands are raised high while I pray this prayer:

Ephesians 3:20 

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us...

The world of photography.....

So I have a question....What do you look for in a photographer? Do you want someone who knows what they are doing, someone who has great quality but is expensive, someone who you like their pictures okay but you really like their price more, etc? I’ve been thinking about this question a lot lately because I’ve been helping a friend who is getting married[I’m in the wedding] find a wedding photographer and also helping my sister-in-law in Japan find a photographer to take some newborn pictures of their baby boy in April. I must say it’s got me looking at photographers in a whole new light....

My philosophy has always been[and I hope it continues]... I would rather have lower prices so that people can afford me and not be forced to make huge sacrifices for a photo session. I’m a little different than most because my photography income doesn’t have to support our family, so my prices can be a little lower. I definitely have to make money to cover expenses, equipment, taxes, and bring in income but not as much as most other photographers. 

It’s very interesting to me to look at other photographers....Everyone is so different...and there's nothing wrong with that.....

It’s just a very interesting question that I find myself thinking about a lot...There’s no doubt about it...The LORD wanted me to do this...HE clearly gave this talent to me which I never knew I had, placed the right people around me to help create my business, gave us the right amount of money to get the basic equipment I needed, and really has used all of my financial education to help me start and run my business. I’ve LEARNED so much on my own and I’m really trying to learn and soak in everything I can to make me better at my job and calling....I love seeing people happy....and I love being able to capture those special moments in life for them....

On Monday, I called Kaz really upset. I was upset because I felt like other photographers don’t care at all about your growth[I'm not talking about anyone in particular] because they see you as a threat and competition....I was down and discouraged because in my mind I felt like I NEEDED to change ALL these things in order to fit in with other photographers...I was doubting my ability and my talents way to much and I was[in my mind] trying to CONFORM to someone and something that I wasn’t....It made me think about the bible says:

Romans 12:12

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.....I NEVER knew this would apply to my work environment....BUT it so does! The Lord has called me and put a desire in my heart to minister through photography to a certain group of people[I’m not excluding anyone here]. He has called me to have a certain philosophy that I stand by and it’s satan throwing lies at me to make me doubt this incredible ministry and talent that He has given me.....So while I may change things that I do to become a better photographer....I also “Press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus..” Phil 3:14

Computers and Customer Service….

So, I must say that I HATE customer service [I know hate is a strong word…but it’s the truth]. Every time I even think about having to return something, or calling a company’s customer service something in my stomach tightens and I just don’t want to do it…Kaz say’s I have no patience and he’s right…See I used to be a personal banker with Bank of America, and for a lot of things that needed to be done I would have to call customer service…Now MOST of the time they were really helpful BUT the customer wasn’t always so nice which in turn made me DIS-LIKE my job….When I have to deal with customer service, I TRY to be nice because I know that makes a difference BUT this is what makes me UPSET…When customer service doesn’t believe me or doesn’t want to do their job…THAT’S what GETS me. SO…..this brings me to my story….

Back in May 2009, Kaz and I purchased a new computer. It wasn’t cheap because we got one that would be beneficial to us and that I could use for my photography business. We compared prices and found the computer we wanted to get....It was HP, 1 tb, 26 inch screen, wireless mouse and keyboard…VERY nice. We ended up getting it from Sam’s because there prices were a little cheaper. I was stoked about this computer! Well, it only ran properly for about the first month. It started making the craziest noise when it cut off, it kept getting slower and slower[and I save everything on external hard drives, so there wasn’t a lot of stuff on the hard drive itself], and it would literally take about 20 minutes for the computer to come up. That’s not normal for a 3-6 month old computer…I took it to the IT guy at work and he did everything he knew how….and nothing changed. So last night, I got fed up with the computer and decided I was going to call Sam’s. In my mind, I honestly didn’t think they would do anything BUT the manager was so nice and said they would give me a FULL refund! So Kaz and I took the computer to Sam’s and they followed through on their word. They GAVE US a FULL refund. The customer service was so nice I cried when we left because that never happens [well it happened one other time with the tax assessor’s office…and I cried then too!].

It really was a blessing from the Lord…I mean I use this computer everyday and need it for my business…

SO today I’m going to get another computer…NOT an HP because I just had a bad experience….BUT an Apple! We should have just got it to begin with…and we really talked about it BUT the HP had a bigger hard drive so we went with it..

Really, I hope this story gives you encouragement that the LORD is GOOD. HE does care even about the SMALL things in life….and can teach us lessons even through customer service:)

Jeremiah 29:11
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

My obsession with reality tv….

I have SO many things that I WANT to blog about today….SO I’ll start with reality TV!!!

First…Last night on Keeping up with the Kardashians, they aired the part that was filmed at the Luxe Hotel [where we saw Khloe and Bruce!] Thankfully, they didn’t show me and Kaz in the background…I think I would have looked like an idiot in my star struck moment…BUT I was so surprised because not only was Khloe and Bruce at the hotel BUT the whole family was! They were ALL staying in the room right next door to us…Turns out they were having a press conference at the Hotel regarding a celebrity boxing match! I can’t believe we were that close to celebrities and didn’t even know it:) Makes me laugh….

Second, I watched The Pregnancy Pact last night on Lifetime. Now, I’m not a Lifetime girl BUT I’ve been seeing the preview for this movie for awhile and I really wanted to watch it! The story is crazy…It’s based on the actual events of a group of teenage girls making a pact to get pregnant at the same time. More than 150 pregnancy test were given out at this school in a year!!! In a year to high school students…1 girl who actually became pregnant confessed that the father was a 24 year old homeless man. Families were torn apart….It’s a crazy story. I remember hearing it on the news but seeing the movie last night made me want to read more about it…I would be interested to know what the girls think and feel today….To read about this story click here.

Third, tonight GREEK comes back on!!! YAY, FINALLY! I’ve been waiting in expectation to see what happens….This show always leaves me hanging…I know Kaz is ecstatic…[did you catch the sarcasm there]…

And last, I’m super excited about a new reality show about Kelly Cutrone! If you watch the Hills or the City, she was [and is] Whitney Port’s boss at People Revolution. I don’t like her personality at all…She’s very harsh at times but I’m interested to see more of her life. The show starts next week!

Ok, so enough with my love for reality TV [even though Greek and The pregnancy pack aren’t reality TV]…..

Overwhelmed….

I think the word overwhelmed is an understatement….My life the last 8+ months has been crazy! The Lord blessed me with photography, and it seems like within a matter of 2 months I had more work than I could keep up with on top of working a full-time job, being a wife, friend, and daughter! I honestly never knew that having a business would be so much work BUT it really is! I feel behind all the time…There’s always something that I NEED to do! Going into 2010 I knew that January and February would be my slowest time[I have 40 weddings THIS year-27 of them between April-July!] So I’ve been looking forward to these 2 months for awhile, honestly more than anything just to be able to rest a little….WELL, Yesterday I became so overwhelmed with things that needed to be done photography wise that I literally didn’t even know where to begin. That never happens to me…I’m usually really good at placing priorities on things and making a list, BUT yesterday I made a list and just looked at it for a good 30 minutes+.

In 2009, I wasn’t the best at keeping up with mileage, expenses, etc so I’ve had to go back and try and re-create all of that. Lesson learned…2010 will be dealt with day by day! So I’m working on 2009 tax stuff[I’m almost finished!], a couple sets of pictures to edit, 2 engagement picture books to make, organize all my files because I just got a new file cabinet, along with some other miscellaneous stuff! The word SLOW makes me laugh…Things haven’t slowed down at all! I guess that’s a good thing though…

What to do about lunch.....

Ok, so I HAVE a problem….I don’t know what to carry to work for lunch:( Now I know this may sound silly, BUT honestly it’s a dilemma in my mind. For a very long time, my safety net for lunch has been SmartOnes. I would take them everyday…Occasionally[a little more than I should] I would go to Moes[right across from work] and grab lunch, but what I eat there is $8.00 and I can’t spend that everyday. These are things I’ve tried, and the problems I have with them:

Baked spaghetti[I only like it the day after it was originally cooked]

Peanut Butter sandwich[I feel guilty eating it more than one day because of the fat]

Salad[get tired of it…and hate preparing it everyday]

Smoothie[don’t ever want it once I get to work because it’s not as filling or it doesn’t sound as good as regular food]

Egg sandwich[love eggs, but the whole heating it up thing after it’s been cooked gets to me]

Are you starting to see my dilemma? I’m a little picky……..
I’ve thought about Chili-I love chili but am trying to cut out a lot of meat…..I HONESTLY NEED HELP! What is something good that I can take for lunch, low in fat and calories, healthy, and taste good:)

 Please help……

Galoshes.....and Zumba.....

So I got these galoshes over Christmas and I have been dying to wear them!!! I got my chance yesterday:) I LOVE them BUT they are REALLY REALLY heavy. I got a workout just from wearing them! My cousin Alan has a pair and when he was little he used to jump in every mud puddle because he had on his galoshes. I felt like him yesterday:) I didn't mind walking in mud puddles because I knew my pants or shoes wouldn't get wet! If you don't have a pair of these....YOU NEED to get a pair:) They will make you feel like a child again!

On another note, I went with a friend to a Zumba class this morning at our gym. It was so much fun! I can't wait to go back! I have NO rhythm whatsoever! BUT the whole class I just pretended that I looked like the other people in class who knew what they were doing! EVEN though in reality I looked nothing like them! I plan on attending Zumba next week:) It was a great workout, a lot of fun, and maybe will help me on my dance moves[that I NEVER use]! HaHa

Hope you are having a terrific Friday!

How do words affect you?

Right now, Kaz and I have been praying for some pretty big things....at times I don't believe they will happen BUT other times I'm completely trusting in the Lord and His faithfulness. I don't see HOW these things can happen, BUT AGAIN make sure you read the I part...That's a feeling NOT the truth!

Yesterday, I was having an okay day. I've been battling some lies but I've also been trying to fight it with the truth. I was talking with someone about 1 of the things that Kaz and I are praying for. When I mentioned it, I was really trusting and had no doubts that the Lord wouldn't come through on this. The response...negativity, not-truth, non-encouraging words...

My reaction for about 15 minutes was I just got plain mad. I started doubting...I got mad and had a pity party about the place we are at in life....I started thinking that the Lord wanted nothing but to punish us, and nothing good was going to happen. Did I mention I had a pity party?

Then I remembered something that someone else earlier in the day had said about her life...She said something to this affect "I can't control how other people act, what they choose to do or say...I can only choose how I react and respond." I started thinking about that a little...Why did I automatically react to the negative talk so poorly...What was said didn't change truth....it changed my feelings....MY FEELINGS AND THE TRUTH ARE NO WHERE NEAR THE SAME THING!

How do you respond to negativity? I encourage you to fight through it...Don't let it affect you...My words[and yours] have the power to build someone up or tear them down...Which would you want to be responsible for? Believe truth and fight to keep your faith EVEN when you can't see HOW something is possible OR what's in store for you.

Psalm 19:14
14Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Proverbs 18:21
21 The tongue has the power of life and death.

30 day shred.....

Well, I haven’t lost any more weight pound wise…BUT I definitely have continued building strength, losing inches, and toning up! I’m fitting into old jeans and all of my clothes are a lot looser:)

On Monday, I ran 6 miles. It was my long run for the week and it felt great! My problem with running is I get really bored sometimes…It doesn’t matter if I run inside or out, at some point I get bored so I really have to work through that. Monday I ran on the treadmill…thankfully all the treadmills at my gym have TVs on them so I can watch TV while I run! It was definitely hard, and I pushed my body BUT I did it! I’ve still been running 3-4 miles 4 days a week[and then a long run on the weekends]. This weekend is 7 miles. I’ll let you know how I do:)

Something else I’m super pumped about is 30 day shred! I love the biggest loser, and Jillian[the trainer] leads this workout. Here’s the thing: It’s 30 days, 3 levels, 20 minutes per day. Not bad at all! I mean don’t get me wrong, it’s hard BUT I can handle 20 minutes. I always buy workout videos like Slim in 6, P90X, etc and I love them for a little while, but the part that always gets me is the length of the videos. I don’t like working out in my house for 45 minutes every day. AND I don’t like videos that do tons of lunges, or tons of arms. 30 day shred is a great mix. Jillian combines strength, with cardio, and abs. This is what it looks like:

3 intervals.
3 minute strength
2 minute cardio
1 minute abs

Every interval is different. I really like it a lot! Today was day 2! I actually got up at 5:45 this morning to do it, which shocked Kaz completely. I woke him up…normally he has to pull teeth to get me up in the mornings! Miley wasn’t quite sure of what I was doing…When I started doing jump-n-jacks she came over and started jumping on me:)
There are a lot people doing the 30 day shred. To read about other people on this journey click here.

Finally, Kaz and I have continued juicing. We started adding spinach in our drinks. I can’t taste it but it definitely turns the juice greener[I had to get over the fact that it was green:(]. I actually want it in the mornings now for breakfast. I don’t even think about anything else…I know that’s it so good for me and I’m enjoying it. We went to Barnes and Noble this past weekend and I found a book about the top 100 juices. As I was reading it my mouth was watering. I can’t wait to try some of them and share with you:)

If you’re on a healthy journey, keep it up! Your goal is reachable!!!