Am I doing too much?

For the past seven weeks I have been functioning, quite inefficiently I might add, on a mere two to three, if I'm lucky, hours of sleep a night. My dearest mother was a great help while she was here visiting, alas she has gone home and I am left to this challenge on my own. My husband does much to help me, as did my mom; however, there are certain things they just couldn't do in my place. However, a great help they had/have been. While visiting, Mom helped with cooking, household chores, LAUNDRY, grocery shopping, entertaining a toddler, and pretty much making sure I didn't go insane. Her visit was far too short.

The endless laundry....

My husband helps with what he can with his limited time. He changes diapers whenever he's home. He starts laundry or transfers or folds or puts away, whichever happens to be left to be completed. He loads and unloads the dishwasher. He'll watch the girls so I can shower on some evenings or while I'm away teaching my Zumba® Fitness classes. Once in a great while he'll make dinner if I was unable to get it started before I leave to my class. He is solely in charge of El's bedtime routine. Bath, lotion, brushing teeth, bedtime story, prayers, all of it. There are other little things he does - prepare diaper bag, stuff cloth diapers, bring me coffee or food because he knows I put everything else before myself, etc... He's magnificent. Best of all? He never tells me that he shouldn't be doing these things because he's not the mother. That kinda thinking and attitude seriously irks me. So, blessed he doesn't think or act that way.

God bless this man!

Even with the occasional/limited help so lovingly and graciously given by my love, I am still exhausted. I have no real complaints really. I choose to breastfeed exclusively. I choose to co-sleep. I choose to use cloth diapers. I choose to work outside the home. I enjoy being involved and helping others. I enjoy contributing to causes and church and social clubs. Sometimes, okay, a lot of times, I hear from others that I should slow down. Stop adding more to my plate. Statements like that. Well, I know I have my hands full right now. I know I am struggling to keep up with my responsibilities. I am behind. I am forgetting. I am unable to complete new songs for my Zumba® Fitness class. I am unable to spend one uninterrupted hour making a couple flyers. I've been writing this post for a week now. It's frustrating really.

Let's see. What do I do? I'm a wife first and foremost. I try to be there for my husband in every way he needs. Friend, confidant, cheerleader, etc. Secondly I am a mother of a 2 year old and a 7 week old. I breastfeed exclusively, cloth diaper, attempt to cook every meal from scratch and clean/whole/real food as I attempt to move us away from all foods processed, and the dreaded domestic chores, bleh. Aside from home life and responsibilities I have committed to MOPS, LESC, being a Key Spouse, and being involved with my church. These things I have chosen to do. Made commitments. Lastly I chose to work outside the home as a personal trainer and a Zumba Fitness instructor. I love helping others.

Balance. Time management. I am a stranger to these concepts right now. I have been working on finding that rhythm to my new life as a mommy of 2. I'll get there. I don't think I do too much. I honestly think it's a matter of organization, motivation, a feeling of being overwhelmed, and being exhausted. With proper sleep and an attitude adjustment, I'm certain to catch up and do better. I'm stubborn and pigheaded. I don't give up easy or ever... that can be a bad thing. I know there is a solution to everything, I just haven't found them all, and try different approaches if the prior doesn't pan out. I can be annoyingly resilient.

The toddler years bring on new and challenging adventures.

My hats aren't fitting to well lately. I am certainly overwhelmed, but I wouldn't say that I'm stressed. I think there is a difference. With lots of prayer and with God's grace I got this!

Oh, and LOTS of coffee....

Encouraging Others in Parenting: Another 2014 Resolution

We chose to parent how my husband & I feel and believe is best for our family. Doesn't mean we think we are better or can do better than YOU. I believe if you are doing what you believe is best for your family, then our way shouldn't offend you or make you feel inadequate. We should encourage each other as parents, not break each other down. Today the Mommy Wars run rampant! Snide remarks and underhanded insults are common place. It breaks my heart that we can't encourage one another more often. I've had to explain again and again that I post as an accountability to myself and to inspire others. How can I truly believe in caring for my health and the health of my family if I feed my children junk? Why do I even need to explain wanting to feed my child only the best? Is it easy? NO! Is it affordable YES if you are willing to make sacrifices! I have given up much for my child's health and wellness. Giving up certain luxuries, such as cable, bi-weekly hair or nail appointments, etc, is not as terrible as it sounds. You CAN live without them. There's always something you can give up in the pursuit of your child's ultimate well-being and health. In the end those sacrifices are not missed. Sacrifices we have made include: no cable, no going to movies, no pampering like mani/pedi or eyebrows at a salon, my husband rides a bicycle or walks to work, I walk down to the store with my toddler in her stroller and insulated thermal bag for groceries. These are just a few of the things that can be done to make it affordable. If there's a will and desire, there is always a way. Do I think you are the worst for feeding your kids goldfish? NO! I think our food industry is shameful for making a profit off of endangering the health our children.

My first daughter at only a day old. The light of my life!

 
As a Personal Trainer and ZUMBA Fitness Instructor I promote health and wellness. I do so because I believe that as a Christian I should respect and treat the body God gave me well. I am heartbroken when accused of being a skinny-minny or that I have an eating disorder or that REAL MEN don't like skin and bones. I am here to encourage and motivate YOU to live cleaner, not to look like me. If you are offended by my appearance then I don't know what to tell you. I look the way I look. I am a healthy girl, who eats more than I grown man. I love REAL food like fruits and veggies, but I also have my guilty pleasure foods. I'm not perfect, but I am responsible for what God gave me. I am responsible for my body and the bodies of my children and even my husband. It is as simple as that. When we married, we became one another. He belongs to me and I to him. There is no individuality in marriage. We are one. We operate as one. Does that mean we are slave to one another? No. It means that we are to love and care for the other as if it were ourselves.

But I digress...

So I read this article...click here and it got me thinking. Why do we judge each other so harshly? Why should my way make you feel inadequate? I don't go around telling you what a bad parent you are for not doing something the way I would. I share how I do things and half the time if not most I'm saying I hope I'm doing it right. The only one I criticize is...ME. I'm very hard on myself and I expect only the absolute best from myself. When I fail it hits me hard. However, I know that I am human; therefore fallible. Making mistakes is just part of this life. I just gotta regroup my efforts, refocus, pray that the good Lord gives me wisdom and grace for myself as I try again.

Baby-wearing while on a family outing. She's only 3-4 weeks old here.

This New Year...make an effort to help a struggling mama or daddy. You know they're out there. I'm one. You are probably one.  No one has it figured out and no one ever will, but tearing down and being cruel is not the answer. Being offended and hurt over someone else's social media post or parenting lifestyle choice is a personal issue that needs to be looked at. I'm guilty of this too. Pinterest makes me feel inadequate at times. I'll spend hours a week wishing I could be like those mommies who post on Pinterest. The reality is I can't. I can only and should only want to be me. It doesn't hurt to try, but if you aren't as successful, it's okay. Try again or move on.

So this year will be the year we can encourage one another in parenting. Choose someone you know and pay them a compliment. A SINCERE compliment. Find something you think they do well as a parent. Send them a private note via mail or text or Facebook Messenger. Call them and ask them to coffee or lunch (your treat) and tell them about what you've noticed. Encourage them and tell them that you wish only the best for them in their parenting endeavor. Trust me, you just may make all the difference in the world to the worn out, beat down, given up parent, who wears a mask of "I know what I'm doing and I don't need help, support or encouragement". We forget that those who "have it together" are human too and feel the same as every other humans does. Affirmation is not feeding into the ego. Also, who are you to judge whether their ego needs inflating or not. The Bible doesn't say encourage one another, unless you think that person's ego is too big, then you can just skip that one. Again, you make assumptions and judgments. Don't mistake someone being appreciative of their blessing and wanting to share them as a sign of boasting. It's not always the case. You don't know the whole story or how much that person needed it or the pain they were going through before or during that blessing. Life is terrible and rough, but we have a God who is just and merciful and full of grace. During the darkest hours He can and will give us great blessings. And if we chose to share those, leaving out the bad, we shouldn't be cut down for it. Don't assume you know everything about another person. Don't assume you know another's heart. You don't. Only God knows the heart. Only God can judge.

Nursing my 15 month old at the Dallas-Ft Worth Zoo.

Make this year about uplifting and encouraging without bias. Choose someone you aren't particularly fond of and start with that person. It's easy to encourage and affirm or faves. The real challenge is being unbiased!

This is another one of my resolutions too. I'm all about praising those I admire and are nice to me. I'm changing my thoughts from "Why should I say something nice to them when all they do is put me down" to "They probably need this more than I do." I don't want anyone to hurt. Even when being vindictive I think about how I should be nicer. I'm terrible at revenge and I think it's 99% my own doing or fault. I put up a good front, but in the end I feel it's me. And because of this mentality I tend to get hurt when in a situation like this. So, This year I will concentrate more on dishing out the same grace, understanding, and mercy I desire and seek for myself.

Thank you for stopping by and enduring my inner thought rambles!
Lydia

New Year 2014 Resolution Part 1

I have many resolutions for 2014. Among those are living "greener". Now the great thing about being "green" is that there's really not too much or too little that you could do. Something as simple as recycling every week helps protect our planet. The choice is yours. Doing your part, even though small, makes a difference. My resolution isn't just to be "green" in care of the earth, but also be "green" in care of my body and health, and that of my family.

I plan on bringing my family to the point where we eat only unprocessed, real food. This means cooking from scratch, perhaps some backyard gardening, and rebudgeting in order to afford eating and feeding my family real food.

I also plan to eliminate all cleaning supplies with harsh, toxic and dangerous chemicals. I have begun to look into companies such as Norwex (I have a friend who sells, so I know more about this particular one than I do others at this point) and other ones that lay claim to being clean and healthy. I am also going to be experimenting with simple homemade cleaning remedies to see what works.

Another facet of being "green" will be to avoid using non-recyclable and disposable products. I'm already almost exclusively cloth diapering and using cloth wipes. I'm using reusable baby/toddler food pouches, instead of purchasing them, and I'm slowly convincing my husband to use a reusable water bottle with a filter at work, home, and when out (gym, hiking, running errands, etc) to keep use from spending money on bottled water that would normally not go into recycling bins when out.

There are many more ways to be "greener" and save not only the planet but our bodies and health too. I have always had hippie/tree hugging tendencies,  along with feminist tendencies, as well as a love for technology, a mistrust of the pharmaceutical industry, a tendency to seek holistic or natural methods/cures for illness, and just an outright flare for the extreme, and balancing those in my life is difficult at times. I'm not a middle ground,  neutral girl. I either love radically and unconditionally, without logic, or I don't. I have common sense about a lot of things, but logic eludes me at times. There's a huge difference between the two.

Not being wasteful & disrespectful either with the planet or the body God gave us, just makes a whole lot of sense to me. I love fitness and living a healthy lifestyle because it makes sense to care for one's body. It's not about being a size zero to me, but about respecting and loving the body God gave me. I believe that gluttony and laziness are slapping God in the face. "Thanks, God for this body. Now watch me misuse and destroy it". Same goes for the earth. "Thank you for this beautiful planet with this perfect life-sustaining atmosphere, but I think I'll pollute the air, poison the waters, and use up all natural resources". This enrages me, but I digress...

Another way I plan on being "greener" is financially, but that's another post and falls under another resolution.

I think I might be biting off a lot with a new baby on the way, a toddler, a scarce/deployed husband, and being a WAHM...but I figure it's doable if I give myself the whole year to experiment and perfect. The year 2014 will be filled with triumphs & failures, mishaps & "wow! I can't believe that actually worked", crying fits of frustration & victory dances, giving up & starting over. I'm looking forward to all the adventures to be had by myself and my family as I take us into uncharted territory and new beginnings.  I'm sure I will have many headaches and moments that will test not only my patience, but also my resolve. But it will be fun...right?

Well, I'm ready. I think? Bring it on 2014...I got this!

Also, if anyone wants to join me (at whatever level of "green") I'd appreciate the support and accountability.  Also, you know what they say, "Misery loves company!" Errr I mean, "The more the merrier!" Just comment below that you'd like to join me and what your goals are! I'd love to hear them and you may have a goal/method I'd like to steal, I mean, add to my plan.

Thanks for reading what's floating around in my noggin!
Happy New Year!
Lydia

I Like Being Wrong

I actually like being wrong. I MOST OFTEN am wrong about A LOT of things. But if I wasn't making mistakes, I wouldn't learn and grow. I'm FAR FAR from perfect and I am RIDICULOUSLY HARD on myself! Drives my husband nuts. If I didn't want to constantly be improving myself as a person, mother, wife, christian, friend, stranger, etc... I would just be. To me that's not good enough. I still make NUMEROUS mistakes on a DAILY basis and that's okay. My family and friends show me exceptional grace and mercy EVERY DAY (of which I am EXTREMELY grateful...thank you)! I focus mainly on my flaws and where I need improvement. But I also have had to learn to let go of certain things and feeling. I can't always be in control. Somethings are beyond my grasp. And if it has to do with another human being, FORGET ABOUT IT! I can't  change them. Only me. I can ONLY CHANGE ME. GOD WILL CHANGE MY HEART. GOD WILL CHANGE THEIR HEARTS. BUT ONLY IF ALLOWED TOO!

So I continue to concentrate on me! Lydia can only improve Lydia! I want to be the best example I can for my beautiful daughters!

Found on Google images. I do not own this image. I just really like it.

Thanks for stopping by to read what's in my head!

Lydia - A Girl of Many Hats

It's been a while...

I have a lot planned and I've been working on a complete revamp and relaunch of my blog. I've been feeling aimlessly and without direction for months now. Things have been so difficult lately. Since moving to San Antonio, TX, I have been on a roller coaster of life experiences. Unexplained headaches, a planned and very much wanted pregnancy, family issues, taking on or being involved in too much at once with health issues looming overhead, moving into a new house, dealing with dishonest renters and trying to cover a mortgage in Florida, ending up in the hospital for 2 days with a preterm labor scare, and just feeling an overall sense of failure. It has been a tough 8 months! However, God is good! He carries us through even when we think we'll never make it. I've felt so lost for 8 months. I know others have it worse, but this is my struggle and it has been a learning experience for sure.

Things are starting to brighten! Since moving into our new house on base, I have not had one - NOT one! - of those terrible headaches that I had been dealing with for 6 months. My husband has been amazing beyond words and has stuck with me through some tough family issues - I'm so thankful for him! Slowly but surely things are looking better and better for us.

With prayer and time things work out. Sometimes it takes longer than we would like BUT things will work out. God promises to see us through. I believe that promise. Christmas is all about a promise. A great gift was given to us. A promise was made. Dispite rough times and discouraging situations, you can find comfort at Christmas. You may not have money or tons of gifts under the tree. You may be alone or deployed. But one thing remains true...we have a Savior who came to earth, suffered and was tempted, and then died for our sins because of an unfathomable and unconditional love for us! We can rejoice. We can rest assured that all things are temporary on this earth, even the most terrible and heartbreaking situations will pass!

I am blessed with
• a godly and wonderful husband
• a beautiful, healthy, and intelligent daughter
• a new baby girl who I will get to meet in 37 days (give or take)
• an amazing church family
• a wonderful and loving family
• new and old friends
The blessings are endless. I just need to remember that I am truly blessed and trials are but fleeting.

If you are going through a rough time this Christmas, please feel free to share with me so I can add you to my prayer list. I, also, want to encourage you to keep your head up and things will get better.

Here is one of my favorite passages of Scripture:
Psalm 121 (KJV)
"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore."

Merry Christmas to you and yours!
God bless :)

31 Day of Eating Home Cooked Meals: Week 2 Update and Dinner Menu

I'm a little behind in posting and I already confessed that with the whole house being sick, we have stumble a bit. I swear, every time I set a goal and begin to work hard for it some obstacle appears. But that's life, right! There will always be roadblocks, detours, obstacles, etc... but what's a challenge without a little adversary? Makes you appreciate what you're fighting for that much more!

This week we are still eating leftovers for the most part. I have another menu, thanks to my friend at The Fresh Kitchen, that I need to buy ingredients for. She has been wonderful and VERY helpful. I have learned so much! I have even started to experiment on my own. However, I still seek her advise and well, basically, her approval! She's like my cooking crutch right now. Soon I'll be skilled enough to 'fly' on my own.

This week I may revisit the recipes from last week that were instant winners with my family. Until I am healthy and my family is healthy I may not try as many new things. I feel rundown and it doesn't help to have a new puppy, be preggers, and be hounded by a sick, clingy toddler. Oh an a sick husband. Sometimes I could just lock myself in a closet and hide for a good while. Or run off to a deserted island for a few days. Oh, that would be nice. Wait this turned into a complaining session....BACK TO FOOD!

The recipes I am looking forward to repeating are:

• Curried Coconut Tomato Soup - HUGE hit with the husband!
• Spanish Tortilla and a Side Salad
• Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables

The recipes I will be trying this week are:

• Puréed Celery Root Soup with Caramelized Apples
• Stuffed Acorn Squash
• Roast Chicken with Caramelized Shallots
• Spaghetti and Meatballs

I have only to find the ever so elusive celery root! I have been to 3 stores. Tomorrow I hope to shop for all the items needed for the new recipes and start that night. 

Here is my experiment .. Day 9 Lunch: quinoa with roasted sweet potatoes, sautéed onions, garlic, and apples, dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and topped with a fried egg. I seasoned with salt and pepper. It's good, but I feel it's missing something... on a side note it was my first time cooking quinoa and it cooked perfectly.

Thank you for reading!

Lydia

Getting Our Toddler to Sleep in Her Own Bed - Our Latest Adventure...Err Nightmare

So, My husband finally decided he wanted the baby (19 months old) to sleep in her own room. I guess he got tired of her being up until we went to bed and not getting to watch a movie with me or play a video game. I am indifferent to the matter because I HAVE to be able to accomplish all things I need to do during the day while she's awake. The things I want to do...well, I make it work.

My husband is a good daddy. But for most working dads coming home and not being able to do what you want or need can be frustrating...I guess. I wouldn't know. I am supportive in his decision, BUT I'm not doing it. I am not fighting with her or doing the night time routine. He will. He wants this, then he needs to work for it. I know...I'm just awful. Whatever.

I come from a childhood where my father did more then your typical father does. He was and still is amazing. I don't expect my husband to fill my father's shoes, BUT I did not make this baby alone or this mess on my own. I suggested months ago she sleep in her own bed and he said he couldn't stand not to sleep with her. Therefore, I don't think I should do it alone or at all for that matter. I will not hold his hand or micromanage him. He is capable of figuring something out. Also, I am not a rescuer. I feel that I would only add to the problem and she may think I am there to "rescue" her. In short the man is on his own. Muahahaha!

Here's the routine my husband has created with our daughter:

Dinner

Bathtime and brush teeth

Bible Story

Bedtime snack
(I don't overfeed at meals & I don't tell her no when she expresses hunger)

Bedtime at 8:00pm
(hopefully)

Tonight was our first night truly attempting this great feat. Eric wrestled with her about 30 minutes until she finally succumbed to sleep. What he did in that room was trying to figure out a method. He told me he tried making her lay down and when that didn't work he put on her show and held her until she calmed down. She began to nod off and her sat down on her bed with her still in his arms. Shen she was finally out he laid her down and walked out. Was this the "right" way? Who cares. We don't. I am very proud of him. Parenthood is a learning process. He's got to feel his way through and figure out what works for him and his daughter.

He is going to miss this...and so will I.

I think I'm going to enjoy being completely alone, except for the little one bouncing around inside of me, for 30 minutes a night! Well, this is one night down. I wonder how long it will take and how long or if it keeps. We are suckers for our princess.

Thank you for reading,

Lydia

Sick Household and 31 Days of Eating at Home Update

Something must be going around. I have a sick household. Our daughter seems to be feeling much better. My husband, on the other hand, has just started his bout of ickiness. I'm on my second week. I think mine is a sinus infection. My head is throbbing and I feel pressure behind my eyes. I'm just miserable. Despite how awful I'm feeling I've been able to keep up with our eating at home challenge. Well, almost. I couldn't muster up the will or energy to cook last night so my husband took us to Cheddar's. I know! I know! I feel so ashamed.

Except for last night's small blunder, we have been able to eat all other meals at home this week. Tonight will be no exception. Coconut Red Lentil Soup is on the menu for tonight. Looking forward to it. Even with my husband's unpredictable work responsibilities, he has been dedicated to our challenge and not bought any food for lunch. He has been able to come home every day for lunch. This week may not go so well but we are determined to continue eating home cooked meals and not spend money dinning out or in.

I'm still doing what I can to keep us as unprocessed this month. Because it was a last minute decision, I did not plan well; therefore we've been eating some processed food items. But this is a great motivator and I'm learning as we go. I've been doing lots of research and finding new ways to substitute processed items that have become key in everyday life. Eric really likes the idea of being completely unprocessed by the new year. He's been very supportive and even eating new things. My husband is very, very picky. It's quite a change from before. I have tried on many occasions to change our eating habits, but had received such resistance that I'd be discouraged.  I believe that this time around he truly understands the damage processed foods will have on our children. Food companies are getting worse.  Ingredients are becoming more and more man made. Another scary monster out there is GMO. I would love to get my hands on cookbooks from before the 40s.

Well, I can't think straight anymore, so I'm going to try and nap with my toddler. With any luck I'll be able to update in more details. I have some recipes to share.

Me Trying to Figure Out...Me

I mentioned earlier that I am trying to accomplish too many things. My guidelines are very strict and narrow. Instead of starting out slow and easy, I made it difficult. I took it upon myself to not only change my family from dining out/in to home-cooked meals, but to also do away with all processed foods and eat only REAL food. I put an immense amount of pressure on myself with our proper planing or prepping. I became overwhelmed and discouraged almost immediately. I gave up before I started, but I'm hardheaded and stubborn and refused to accept utter defeat. I kept trying. The more I tried without a plan or some direction I became frustrated and angry. Why can't I do this? It's not difficult. I'm not the best cook in the world, but I can cook...some. I started to pick apart everything about myself being a domesticated individual. I compared myself to my sisters, all of whom are excellent and skilled cooks. All three of my sisters are capable of raising children, keeping a clean house, making delicious meals, and other activities outside the home.

Here's their breakdown:

• The oldest sister is married, has 1 toddler, and goes to school
• The second oldest sister is married, has 1 kid which she homeschools, was very active in her church ministries and was a key spouse for over a year
• Then there's me...
• The youngest sister is married, has 2 kids under the age of 5, makes and sells jewelry, and is an active Zumba Fitness instructor

They are all busy and still capable of running a household properly...so what's my problem? I wish I knew. I know that organization is not a strong characteristic of mine. I'll write 5 lists a day and misplace them. I wake up eager and ready to be productive, but somehow plans fall through for me. I used to be so ashamed that I just couldn't be like my sisters. But now, I'm just trying to figure out how not to be me. I don't mean that in a derogatory way toward myself. I only mean that I'm trying to break the cycle I seem to be stuck in.

I took a personality and a spiritual gifts assessment and I have learned a few things about myself that may help me break this cycle. The personality test said that I was a high blue personality with some orange and green traits, but VERY low gold characteristics. According to this test, blues are feelers. Blues can be as extreme as a "bleeding-heart", I am not a bleeding-heart. I hide a lot under a tough skin, but underneath I'm all mush. Only person who truly knows me is my husband. He took the test and declared that I was a blue months before I ever took the test myself. Blues feel for others and are always considering the others feelings before their own. They only think of helping others. I do this a lot. We're having a gender reveal party for our second child and I have changed the date twice to not inconvenience others. I got things going to finally get a Key Spouse program for our new unit and to make sure not to offend or hurt anyone's feelings, I made sure the other lady interested was also involved. I allowed my husband to bring home an 8 week chihuahua, even though we have a toddler, I am 5 months pregnant, and I will be it's primary caregiver because I couldn't stand to see him sad about not getting a dog. In conclusion, a blue personality puts the feelings and desires of others before their own, even if sometimes it ends up inconveniencing the blue. That's me! I've given away Zumba® Fitness services because someone couldn't afford it and I couldn't stand to have them miss out on the benefits. I could seriously go on forever. Orange is a risk taker; whether in adventure, relationship, or business. An entrepreneur and free thinker. Green is all facts and no emotion. They are scientific and skeptical. They don't take things at face-value. They do their own research to confirm truth and validity. Gold. Oh gold. Gold's are the party-planners. They are organized. They tend to think they are in charge of projects. They plan, prepare, and think things through. I am SO not a gold!! It is my polar opposite! 

The spiritual gifts assessment pegged me as a servant, caregiver, and teacher. They serve and give to a fault. They want to help others. They are always looking for a way to serve. I believe that I chose the fitness and health industry as my focus because I want to help others. I have a heart for women. I like working with both genders, BUT I really LOVE working with women. I want every female I meet to live a healthy life! It's not about outside looks. It's about what's going on inside the body that is truly important. I love working in my church. I miss working on the mission field with my parents. If I'm not helping or serving others I feel lost. Incomplete. Teaching others about God or health and fitness are passions for me. I chose to be a Mary Kay consultant because I believe that I can help change women's lives! It's not all about the makeup - even though that's fun. It's about taking care of yourself. God gave us one body. Proper skincare or health practices are important.

Well, I'm still learning my strengths and weaknesses and how to maximize or minimize them. I'm nearly 30 and I still have so much to learn. I started this blog as an outlet for all my thoughts. I struggle with organization and direction. I am passionate about so many things and I want to do them all. I wear these hats every day, but I still need to work on wearing them well. I try not to compare myself to others, although it does happen. One day at a time. One hat at a time. 

So my journey continues...

Eating at Home Week 1 Update

SO FAR SO GOOD!!

For three days ALL meals have been at home. I know it's only three days in, how hard can that be?? VERY HARD for us. Especially my husband who's  work days are unpredictable and mainly because he refuses to take a packed lunch. However, we are striving not to veer or give in to temptation. I've had a couple hiccups like forgetting to buy an ingredient so I had to switch day 2 dinner with day 3 dinner. But I'm flexible and determined to not let my pregger brain be an excuse to dine out!

Came in kinda last minute but I joined the October Unprocessed Challenge.

We still have some processed food in the house, unfortunately, BUT I'm getting us there! My biggest roadblock is my dear sweet husband. He is supportive in my endeavor to make our family the healthiest we can possibly be, but these things take time. Baby steps for my love. I know we will get there soon. My ultimate goal is to be completely unprocessed by January 2014. I think it's quite doable!

Thanks for reading!