Psalms 118:8

It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.

I took Granddaddy for show & tell!

So yesterday was suppose to be a great day. We finally got an appt. to a specialty hospital to have Sawyer looked at. For those of you that don't know Sawyer got Salmonella at 11 weeks old and it was in his system for 2 months and he has never been the same as far as eating and pooping. So we packed up and took off in the wee morning hours because it was a 2 1/2 hour trip. But, before we left we were notified by a friend that my Grandfather that lives about 45 minutes away from where we were headed was hospitalized there as well. So after Sawyers appt. we made a special trip to see my Granddad. The last time I saw him I was 6 months pregnant with my second child that being Sawyer. He's never met Sawyer and has only met Memphis once. We didn't take the kids all the way into the room because we were originally told that he had pneumonia but we let them stand by the door to say hi and for granddad to see our newest but 10 months old addition. They became a little fussy but a hospital was no fun to begin with so after a little talk of don't touch ANYTHING because EVERYTHING has COODIES!!!! Brent walked them up and down the halls. I sat and talked with my granddad for a bit and couldn't help but cry. They actually weren't sure if he had pneumonia or not and they did a MRI he couldn't breath and didn't have all the answers yet. My granddad has lost a ton of weight since the last time I saw him and he looks so frail almost as if a simple hug would break him. I love my granddad so much! I really can honestly say that out of all my grandparents that I have a special place for him in my heart. When I was very, very little he use to make a monster face for us and creep and crawl down the hallway with his back arched. When I was eight years old and we lived in the Philippines he came to visit and I took him for show and tell. See...I'm not sure how it goes but my great, great, great grandfather was king of Samoa! So being eight and a little girl I went around telling everyone I was a princess. I think in his eyes and I was so thankful that he had come to my class to tell everyone the story. As I grew older I came to him if I had gotten a speeding ticket and didn't want to tell mom and dad or he would occasionally give me a little spending money. We have had an on going joke my entire life that I rubbed off his hair in the spot of the top of his head because I always swirled my finger there. When we spoke he could hardly catch his breath and looking at him knowing that even if he did feel better and headed home that he is still elderly and tired. I couldn't help but cry because it made me sad that when I picture him I still see this strong man giving me strong hugs. Oh! Please! I still picture my STRONG dad mowing the lawn or still in his military uniform smelling like baby lotion that he used in his hair or chap stick that he use on his lips and heading to work so early in the morning. He's now in his mid to late sixties. Also, my mom with her long flowing hair and this silly orange shirt that says "The Beast" with her dancing around the house to her "Oldies" music.She's older now and doesn't dance around the house and has frequent colds and a occasional liver spot on her hand that she says she dislikes. I still picture me as a little girl sometimes when I hold certain conversations. I will probably do another post about the rest of our day but I just wanted to sit and remember how great my grandad is! You would only be lucky to have a granddad half as great as mine!

Here is Kentucky! Actually his name is Danny and he is the newest employee at my husbands work. He was kind enough to grace us with his presence for dinner along with Ranell which is a Co-worker at hubby's work to but of course not new. So I whipped up some porterhouse T-bone steaks, baked potatoes, sauteed onions and Mushrooms, corn on the cob, mozzarella and tomato salad and some fresh hot bread and for dessert we had Brownies over ice cream. We had a great night! It was nice to meet someone new and hopefully I didn't scared him away by my 20 questions ie: How old? Married? kids? girlfriend? parents? brother and sisters? go to church? I forgot to ask if he had pets! All I have to say is that everyone new he was coming over here.....they should have warned him first! Danny if you are out there....I still have one more question or maybe two or three??? Also, I'm sorry my kiddo dropped his drawers and wiggled his booty to the bathroom yelling I have to make Pee! Pee! Welcome to my world!

So today is day number ten and here is my Amish Friendship bread. I scooped out my four starters. You know...the three to give away and the one to keep. I think I know the three people that I'm going to be giving the starters to and I hope they in fact take it! If the don't I will soon be opening my own Amish Friendship Bread company because each "bag" or should I say "batch" yields two loaves. So as someone posted previously that they do multiply like gremlins! Mmmmmm! Good eating! Oh! I added Craisins to mine.

I had someone ask where I got the Golden Corral recipe from and here it is!
Golden Corral Rolls
1 envelope Active dry yeast
1/4 cup Very warm water
1/3 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Butter or margarine
1 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Scalding hot milk
1 Egg −− lightly beaten
4 1/2 cups Sifted all−purpose flour
2 tablespoons Melted butter or margarine −− for brushing rolls
Sprinkle the yeast over very warm water in a large bowl (Very warm
water should feel comfortably warm when dropped on wrist.) Stir until
yeast dissolves. Add sugar, the 1/4 cup butter or margarine and salt
to hot milk and stir until the sugar dissolves and butter or margarine
is melted. Cool mixture to 105 to 115 degrees. Add milk mixture to
yeast, then beat in egg. Beat in 4 cups of the flour, 1 cup at a time,
to form a soft dough. Use some of the remaining 1/2 cup of the flour to
dust a pastry cloth. Knead the dough lightly for 5 minutes, working in
the remaining flour (use it for flouring the pastry cloth and your
hands). Place dough in a warm buttered bowl; turn greased side up.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/4
to 1 1/2 hours. Punch dough down and knead 4 to 5 minutes on a lightly
floured pastry cloth. Dough will be sticky, but use as little flour
as possible for flouring your hands and the pastry cloth, otherwise
the rolls will not be as feathery light as they should be. Pinch off
small chunks of dough and shape into round rolls about 1 1/2 to
1 3/4 inches in diameter. Place in neat rows, not quite touching,
in a well−buttered 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan. Cover rolls and let rise in
a warm place until doubled in bulk, 30 to 40 minutes. Brush tops of
rolls with melted butter or margarine, then bake in a 375 degree oven
for 18 to 20 minutes or until nicely browned. Serve warm with plenty
of butter. This recipe yields about 2 dozen rolls.
Golden Corral Rolls 181

Coming soon...I feel like a big girl!

Today is a day of spending time with the hubby before he goes scouting for Turkeys because Turkey season comes in tomorrow. Also, a short afternoon play date with a stop to an old country store for a sausage dog on the way. But, tomorrow we will be having company. There is a new employee at my husbands work that has just moved here and is staying at a hotel until he finds a house to move to. So we will be having him and another friend from work that my husband car pools with over for dinner. I feel like Samantha from Bewitched! I'm a big girl now with dinner plans. I hope nothing goes wrong. Besides hubby will be cooking the steaks and it's not possible for me to screw up a key lime pie and brownies...I think?!?! I'll keep you posted and if Kentucky isn't to shy then maybe I can get a photo of all of us!

The first time the boys really played together!

I'm so glad that I was able to catch this moment with my camera! This was the first time that the boys actually played together. Memphis always tries to play with Sawyer but Sawyer just doesn't get it. Tonight Sawyer was chasing Memphis and Memphis loved every minute of it! You can hear Sawyer screech with excitement! To bad it happened so late at night when they both should have been in bed!

My sweet boys!

I'm not sure if you have ever seen those bumper stickers that say "I love my wife" but here's the website. I got this pink "I love my husband" shirt Saturday and they also make gray ones that say "I love my wife" here's the site www.livethelife.org/

Continued! Journey to the new me...Never make fun of the instructor!

I'm going to sound like a radio host and say I'd like to give a shout out to Wade....Hollar! Apparently, I have some fans at my hubby's work or they might just be reading this blog to figure out how sorry they should feel for him because his wife is a Wack-a-doo! Either way I'm good with it! What I'm not good with is how my body feels today! I never mentioned this in my last posts but besides the Zumba class I took last week and the Yoga class. I also took an Ab's and back class. Yup! That's what it's called "Ab's and back" I never went back to Zumba because of all the jiggling meaning "my fat" but I have been back to Yoga which is still great....except for that same size one, pink, pony tail wearing girl of course (I think I'm over exaggerating now because I think I said she was a size 5 last time). Anyways, this is my second A & B class that I have taken and HOLY COW this is without a doubt the most painful!I'm gonna give you a visual. When I took the class last Tuesday I thought to myself that it might be easier to sit next to the door just in case I wanted to sneak out....Hmmmm....not so much! Here in walks a very toned and kinda ripped (abs of course) shorter African-American man! The name is Pomeroy he said! He was crazy! He was way to funny! Yikes! He was trying to make me vomit! I think he saw me staring at the door and that's when he walked over and shut it and stood in front of it! IT WAS THE MOST PAINFUL HOUR OF MY LIFE! This is coming from someone that's had two C-sections! How is it possible that I'd rather rip 20 kids from my stomach then take one Ab's and back class...alright I'm sticking with initials..A & B class! So, through out the week I started to feel a little better and told the hubby that I was for sure going to stick with this class.So here's my point to my post. Monday I was at the front of the gym near the desk and heard "Pomeroy" talking. He was being silly and going on and on asking if Tuesday the day of his class which was ST. PATTY'S DAY! Would they in fact be closed. I finally heard so much coming from his mouth that I had to (yes, I said HAD to and if you know me that's true) I had to say "Oh! Yes! They close down every where for St.Patty's day for everyone to drink green beer and Oh! watch out for Cinco DE mayo! I heard that they are making them both federal holidays! So start stocking up on Corona now! (Ahhhhhhh! there's that stocking word from a previous post) Anywho I'm in so much pain and I think he tried to make me shed some tears. I think I might have but didn't let anyone see. Strictly only shed a tear when I was in a crunch position or was I in the fetal position.....either way he didn't forget what I had said to him the night before and he made sure that I was aware of it! Never make fun of your fitness instructor!

Silly Sawyer & Anna!

Should I post everyday?

Okay so it's official! My friend has gotten me addicted to blogging and blog stocking! Did I say that right...stocking? Hmmmm! It looks weird and it sounds weird so it must be wrong. Oh! Well! Anyways, I sat here for a couple minutes wondering what I should write today and if I actually had anything interesting to say. Probably not! So, I decided to blog hop. Blog hopping consists of me hitting the key "Next Blog" and I wish I new about a billion more different languages so I could understand what I'm actually looking at. Then I actually steal ideas from their blogs and coping and pasting their little Html thingy's thus my scripture of the day and my back ground. Is that okay?? I'm guessing so! Wow! These people really have a gift of writing and I almost wish that half of them were writing our newspaper and not a blog because I'd might be a little more well informed about what's going on in our nation! Anywho, my gift would be hospitality! My Ma Ma said so..Ha!Ha! It really is though! I love to cook and I love to take care of people. My poor husbands Co-workers little do they know that they are my Guinea Pig's and believe you me not everything comes out tasting great! At church I try and sign up for anything that has to do with me cooking ie: food for the nursery workers, food for the sick, food for new mothers and families. I not sure if everyone has clicked on the thoughtful Thursday square on my blog but I never posted what I actually did. I made dinner for the kids (I say kids because she is 18 and he is 24 although I still think I'm 20!) next door. A full on meal and just walked up and handed it to them. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, and I halved our loaf of fresh bread. They probably are thinking I'm a quack and little do they know that they have now officially become my cooking tasting Guinea pigs too after I also dropped off some pumpkin muffins....third time, third recipe! The first night that they moved in I was in the process of trying to master golden corrals yeast rolls and I did...the second batch...then the third ended up awful! Either way they got about 6 of the yummy ones! I'll make it short! The point I'm getting at as I'm blog hopping is I'm amazed at others gifts speaking, drawing, writing, cooking, loving, singing! There are just so many amazing people out there and some great stories and some sad ones to. So I spend part of my time smiling and the other half praying for these unknown people. Also, now that I have written this I'm thinking about my friends and wondering if I can pick out their special gifts because everyone has one. I do think that food is for sure a great way to meet people! Who doesn't like to eat?!?! I also wanted to tell everyone Thank you for their comments and explain that you weren't just speaking to me! If you get my drift! As for blogging passer bye-er's "stockers"...Thanks!

A long day of birthday parties & St.Patty's day parties!

A little bit about me and believe it when I tell I still say "Oh! God why me!"

Hang on ya'll you are in for a roller coaster of a ride if you are going to read this! I'm going to start off by telling you a little bit about me. My mom says that I shouldn't share so much on the Internet but to me it's like talking to a total stranger at a park...which she would do! Actually she would talk to anybody and anything and I too would have a full on conversation with a door knob and still say "Hey, door knob thanks!....Same place, same time tomorrow?" That is our gifts and it is our flaws to. I am super loud and have the uncanny ability to get even louder if I'm not the center of attention and all eye's aren't on me! Wait, I need to look up the word "uncanny" before I use it...nah! that would take up to much time so I'm using it anyways! I never think before I speak and sometimes it hurts peoples feelings. My intentions are always good even if they don't seem to be! I have a very low self esteem when it comes to my weight and swore to my self I'd never say to my kids "Does this make mommy look fat?" Because really no child wants to say "Yes, mom you look like a porker!" After I had my first child I slipped right back down to a size five but I also use to smoke 1 1/2 pack a cigarettes a day and managed a restaurant working about 50-60 hours a week. I know alot of you must think that because I worked in a restaurant that I would be able to eat but no you are mistaken big time!! I do complain about my weight but it's usually while I'm holding a sandwich in one hand and five donuts in the other...thus me going to the gym everyday now!! Lastly....I have a ugly bad past of alcohol, drugs, theft, hate, and a TON! TON I tell you! Of stuff I just am not ready to tell anyone unless they needed me or were sitting in front of me. I got through it all and here I am with a wonderful husband, two kids, loving friends, great family and a great church family. I like the line what I been through made me who I am today! I think that is the line EVERYONE uses. But, honestly I wish I could have just gotten here with out all the struggles. I'm not going to lie and tell that I still don't struggle because I do. Here is where the "Oh! God why me?" part comes in. I did and still do occasionally say it. I don't understand why I made the decisions that I made when I was younger (Not that much younger though) and I still don't understand why my child almost could've died from Salmonella at 11 weeks old. I don't understand why at 9 months he's still not right and we will be heading to Shands hospital soon. I don't understand why it seems when we almost have an extra dime in our pocket something huge like are car breaks and we are broke again. I say why me Lord for alot. Here where it hurts! I say why me alot and then there are people like little Joshua (my friends, friend son) that is 2 1/2 years old and has stage four liver cancer and is struggling to live and his mother is such an amazing believer and loves the Lord and believes he is going to be healed! She doesn't say why me or why us! A good friend or should I say customer (regular) of Brent and I's (Brent use to manage a restaurant where we use to live to) a few days ago was walking across the street and was hit by a car that then drove away and then he was hit by three more cars and this was the day after his 70th birthday. It was 7:00am in the morning! Here's the reason why I wrote this. Someone has contacted me and asked me if I had remembered him from the 9th grade and I do. I remember that I considered him a friend and I remember he was quiet. I remember he wasn't to tall and I remember him having great reddish/ brown hair. I skipped school with him one day and we walked ALL the way to his house just to turn around and go back to the school again....he lived a ways away or atleast it felt like it! After he contacted me he said "It's okay if you don't remember me" But it sounded a little sad. Why would I not remember you...of course I do! I have a great memory and I think about everyone that passed through my life. A few days later I received a letter (e-mail) saying I need to be honest and up front with you and he explained a life of drugs, pain, prison and self hate. I wonder if he think I'd be floored but I wasn't. We could probably "play the one up you game" but we won't. I was happy for a second for his honesty and happy that it's been about a billion years and he started his conversation with that! Then I was sad because he sounds so unsure about himself and sounds like he needs something in his life. You and I know what he needs but does he??? I wonder? Being a woman and a married one at that....I can't really tell him the good news of how the Lord forgives all! That nothing is to big to forgive. This is the one that blows me away..Here we go...That a lie and murder are judged the same (I'm not saying he murdered someone you all) I'm just saying that one is not greater then the other. He forgives all! He forgives everything! He is truly amazing! I don't think or I should say that I'm not sure if he is a Christian or gave himself to the Lord. But, I do know that he mentioned that he's not even sure himself if he could stay clean. I just want to say one more thing that I mentioned last night at fellowship group. Isn't it strange that we can love our mom's for carrying us around for 9 months in their belly but we are to scared or just plain don't want to LOVE this amazing GOD that made us that gave us that Mom that loves us! We are always looking for love and here is God with open arms saying "Bring it!" and "I got the best bear hugs ever!" and "Yes, it doesn't matter I still love you and forgive you and let's hug it on out!!!!" Why would it be so hard to love a God that loves you! Anywho, I know this is long and I'd like to add that I have added this person to our prayers chain at church. I have yet to write him back and I have also asked for guidance for what to say. Maybe I'm not suppose to say anything at all. Unfortunately, I can't do that! I love you for the person you are and for the person I remember. One thing that I'd like to add is that I think you were sad back then and I'm sorry that I wasn't more of a friend..."Oh! Why me God" Why couldn't I have been a better friend!

Alright, I got my Amish friendship bread starter from Mrs.I just as promised! Now lets get our bake on! If you aren't sure what I am talking about refer to my old post about Amish bread wanting to kill me. I'm pretty excited about mushing the bag. Maybe it'll be a stress reliever but before I do that I did ask her if you could mush it to much!

Wow! What a difference a day makes!

What a glorious day! I know that already this sounds way different from yesterday. I almost wanted to start yesterday's post with a couple potty mouth words and I can't even remember the last curse word I said...except I'm known for throwing around the word Ca ca poo! Why does life seem so much easier when my hubby is home? I didn't get to sleep in and I snapped at him for trying to load the car before I had a chance to see if I had everything since we were going to be out for majority of the day. Maybe because I got to drink a full cup of coffee?!?! I usually have to keep re-heating it in the microwave because I'm running after two kids.Well doesn't matter much other than I love it when my husband is home! We met up with some friends at a St.Patty's day festival on this nice warm day. The kids played and played! I entered a couple drawings for some stuff and won....a T-shirt! We headed to a birthday party of a friend of ours little girl that turned 3 yr. today! I'm not going to lie because I ate and ate... alot! Two hot dogs, chips, cake and a soda. Does it help that I only had a yogurt with Grape Nuts in it for breakfast? Actually it was the off brand called "Nutty Nuts" I had to tell you that because I think it just sounds funny.."Nutty Nuts"! Ha! Ha! This is no real inside story to this post other than it's to let my hubby know that he's great and that I love him and that my days are so much better with him around. Today I stood there at the park kinda tuning everyone out and thought to myself as I stared around that things could be some much different and not in the good way. I could be alone, no kids, never married, Hung over from a night of drinking at a club, still asleep on this beautiful day that I would have missed, Married and still feeling alone, divorced and feeling alone, Not a Christian and envying everyone else's life. I can just keep going and going but I will tell you that I stopped and looked at my husband that was holding a friend of mines infant daughter as he was talking man talk to another gentleman that we met. Memphis was playing with play dough at a picnic table and blowing one of those birthday tooter horns and Sawyer was playing a game of look what I can do by throwing his toys on the ground and having me pick it up a million times and thought that there is no where in the world that I would rather be than right there! On the way home I made sure that I leaned over to my husband and tell him how much I appreciate him being so wonderful.I know there are times when I am just a poop head and should just hush up and realize what I have and need to take the good with the little bit of (I'm not going to say bad)not my ideal perfect!

Take advantage of this opportunity!

Just wanted to encourage you to take advantage of the Easter Holiday coming up. If you go to http://www.desiringgod.org/ there are all sorts of great things you can do to reach out to your neighbors. My friend is giving these great books by Jon Piper as gifts to those we want to reach.I too got quite a few from her as well to do the same! You can get books at a special rate by ordering in large quantities. So she ordered 100 of these!

Memphis & Sawyer sleeping...I want to squeeze their bum bums! Its to cute!

Ugh! Something good has to come of today...Oh! Wait! I'm alive!

Alright...So I have tried to write this a couple times now and can't seem to get it together! What is wrong with me??? Memphis woke with a sassy mouth that he apparently is keeping all day. Sawyer won't let me put him down today. When I tried to get dressed I put him in his crib and he got so mad and cried so hard he vomited...everywhere. I have a ton of laundry to do. I haven't gotten a chance to clean the two bathrooms and Memphis apparently thinks he's playing asteroids with the back of the toilet seat. Comcast cable hasn't received our payment and it was sent 2 1/2 weeks ago and I'm going to have to put a $25.00 stop payment on the check and this is the THIRD TIME in 3 years this has happened and ONLY TO THEM!!!! Wal-mart refused to take my $5 coupon that I printed off the huggie's website and said that they don't take them anymore...strange since I just used one at the Thomasville road Wal-mart!!! BTW I had them do a refund for the diapers and as I was leaving one of the other employees pulled me off to the side and asked if I could e-mail her the site so that she too could print some coupons. I hope she doesn't try and use them at her place of employment!!! I will of course e-mail her. I then headed to the mall to get Memphis a pair of flip flops at Old Navy. I had a coupon that was 30% your entire purchase. The flip flops were on $5 for two pairs....nice! She handed the coupon back to me and I asked if she needed it and she told me that I can use it over and over for 4 days! Yeah! Me! So I did something that made me feels better (and the cashier was okay with it). I stood in line and gave it to the person behind me and then they gave it to the person behind them and again and again. I think about four times or so and one woman said she barley had the money for what she was buying and thanked me. Now a second woman ...this one at Old Navy gave me her e-mail address and asked if I could e-mail her the site with the coupons too. I too will be e-mailing her. I called and asked my husband to pray for me because I am just having an over whelmingly (is that a word? Doesn't matter I'm using it!) bad day. I am thankful for my friends and my husband that I am able to call them and share with them. I'm glad that they are also able to share with me. I know things could be much worse and they have been before. I also have a bad "why" me habit. I know that this too shall pass and eventually things will be better and then maybe a bump in the road once again. I'm not sure if you all have had a day like this...lately. But, how did you deal with it...other than cry! What am I suppose to take from today. I guess that is my plan. I am going to sit and try to figure out the good and the great in today's happenings and I'll get back to you!

I'm not a perfect mother and just realized Jesus mother Mary wasn't either!

I probably could write about the journey to the new me everyday...at least the painful..been to the gym...can't walk..part of it! But, I figured for those of you that do read this then you might get bored. I'm not sure how most everyone else's brain works but mine goes a mile a minute. Thoughts pop in and out of my head like as if I'm reading three novels all at the same time. Like on the way home from the store I thought about how sweet it is that when someone loses a hub cap that people lean it up against a tree to see if anyone is going to maybe claim it. Then I started thinking about my new hair cut and about how frantic I was when I went into a "Cuts By Us' to get it fixed (yes, fixed long story) and usually I wouldn't have gotten my hair cut by the person that did it (I'll get to why in a minute) but she was the only one available that second before my head exploded. Reason I say this is because I look at others hair and think... Hmmmm... If you walked out of the house thinking your hair looked good then what the heck are you going to do to mine! Yikes! I'm the same way at the gym. If I were to pay for a trainer then I would want them to look crazy fit! Not like what I already look like....It's obvious that I know how to eat! Helloooooo! Anywho, the journey to the new me is also about my journey to being a good christian too. Someone who loves the Lord (yes, Brent, I capitalized LORD this time) That is able to talk about how I was saved and how I love Jesus and want an everlasting life in heaven and how he has forgiven me for all my sins....which I still struggle with. Heck! I struggle with everything. I go to Bible study on Wednesday mornings and our Pastors mother teaches it. She is a hoot! She just the right amount of silly and smart just to keep you hanging on her every word. We talked about spreading the word to people that don't know who our savior is. I'm of course not real comfortable with that quite yet and still even taking small steps with this with my children. I'm one of those people that probably could if I and/or them shared our life stories and then I'd surely be able to but I can't just walk right up to someone and say Hey Girlie! Do you know God? They probably would expect great things to come from my mouth and maybe a scripture here and there and that just wouldn't happen! I'm also scared that God is going to bring someone into my life that needs me to talk to them and bring them to the Lord and I'm just going to screw it up and scare them away. Hellooooo! If you are listening...I'm not quite ready...Big Guy! One thing that Susan said today is that some people might get scared away by throwing out to much scripture to them at first and don't I know it! My mother loves to call and say...Gina...can I just read you one thing. I know, I know, my mother is sweet and means well but just because she's in prayer time and feels that she MUST call me and read me this it is sometimes hard for me. I have excepted Jesus into my heart and all this is amazing to me. But, I still need baby steps in my learning process. I also realized everyone is different on who they are and how they are and what they do. I also realized everyone takes scripture differently too or am I just taking it wrong...see! As for my title to this post...I love to read "The boy Jesus in the temple" Luke 3:41-52 Am I wrong for saying that it just cracks me up that Mary and Joseph lost Jesus. But, he wasn't really lost and he was he was in the temple courts it reads listening and asking questions. How amazing is that! He was twelve! Okay...I'm still laughing that even Jesus mother thought she had lost him but something great came out of this story. Every parent wants great things for their kids. I know my mother wants my brother and I to meet her in heaven one day and I know that I want to teach my son's starting from an early age about Jesus. I want them to grow in the Lord and I don't really care what they choose to do as a career in their life. I do know that I want them to be good people and to love others and to do what is right . I struggle everyday wanting to be a great mother. I try hard to be a good person and Memphis Mimics EVERY WORD I say. Thus, the sassy "Do you understand me ..Sawyer is sleeping...yes sir!" which I got in the car today. I know I reeled some of you all in with my witty gym stories just to trap you into a talk about God! Maybe it was meant to be that you read this then. I will leave you with one thing though about the gym last night (see all over the place I tell you) I took an abs & back class last night and it was the MOST painful thing that I have ever done. Mainly the abs of course. But... anywho...there is nothing worse I found out then taking a class like this with a cute, thin, college student all dressed in pink. As we walked out of the class ( I slithered out) I hear her say "Wow! That was great and really makes the hour go by fast" I want to add that she was kinda be-bopping out like she was at the spa and just had a massage. I thought to myself how can she think that was great and how do you enjoy a slow painful death and yes I too was happy that it did go by fast...but it didn't! Go by fast that is! Holy Cow I'm old!!!

Yoga & the day that Amish frienship bread almost killed me!

I didn't get a moment to post about my day yesterday because there just wasn't a second to spare. Yesterday it was time change "spring forward" day to which didn't help my crazy day either. I don't have a problem with getting up early it's just the getting everyone else motivated that killed me. My mom use to play this crazy annoying song on the Christian radio station to get us going and it's still etched in my brain forever! I should try and find it.Good morning! Good Morning! Good morning! It's time to rise and shine! Good Morning! Good morning! Good morning! I hope you're feeling fine! Get out of bed you sleepy head..blah blah blah! UGH!!!!!! Anywho, between church and then lunch for everyone and then the gym, dinner, then we were off to fellowship group and back home again! There ya go! I'll start off with church and tell you we are in the book of Luke but I found myself reading ahead while Erik our pastor was talking. Although, I stopped occasionally to hear his comical stories and his trial and errors of life and learning and family and the bible. He's a hoot and I am able to learn alot about our lord and the bible from him because of the way he teaches and preaches! After church we headed home for lunch and then after that I headed to the gym. Here is my update to the new me.....I took another class and it was Yoga! I never thought that I would try Yoga because I wasn't so sure about all that "Dog in window stance" and "Butterfly twisted taking a poop stance". But... I took it and I loved it! It was me and about 8 elderly woman which put me to shame. I didn't know my body could twist and turn and stretch like that and I needed it after the last few days of jumping back into the gym. But WOW!!!! these other woman where amazing! I found myself wobbling around about a million times and they where like statues. A couple times I had to check to see if they were breathing because they were so still. The instructor stopped for a second and said to me in the middle of the class in a dim lit room...Oh! did I mention that? They use a little lamp for a soft dim room effect. Anyways she said "Oh! I didn't realize that we had someone new..welcome" After the class she came up to me and asked what I thought and I told her I really liked it. For those of you that know me then ya'll know that I am off the hook crazy and can't sit still! She asked where I had taken classes before and I explained that this was my first. She was very surprised and said that I had amazing balance and flexibility. I told her I usually hold a 9 month old in my arms and a three year old by the ear, cook up some food and clean a toilet all at the same time. It's all about multi-tasking! Isn't that what Yoga is all about as well. Leg turned to the right, arm up, waist twisted and then a somersault. After the class I walked for about 45min. on the tread mill. I then headed home to spend sometime with my incredible family on this awesome sunny warm day and then we headed to fellowship group later that day. Before I explain the whole Amish bread thing I would like to mention that since the journey to the new me started I don't keep to many sweets in the house. Just a bunch of fruit and the snacks I have for Memphis I only buy what I don't and wouldn't eat! Smart..huh! So at fellowship group someone always brings sweets and non sweets and Mrs. I (not using her last name) had made some Amish Friendship bread. HOLY MOLY! It was GREAT!!!! I think I ate a ton! I say I didn't because it was cut into small pieces..but...I'm not going to lie to I did! There goes Sundays diet! Mrs. I said that it's a funny little bread that you have this whole crazy mushing of the bag method to it and next Sunday she'll give me a starter piece. See you take that starter piece and add new things to it every few days and everyday you kinda mush it around in a ziploc bag. I think after about ten days it's ready to be baked but you separate it it into 4 portions and save one portion (starter) for yourself and give the other portion (starters) to your "friends" Thus being Amish friendship bread. Honestly, if you were my friend you could just bake it up for me every ten days and cut out all the work I'd have to do! Love you!!!! I am going to do it though and yes I will be handing the dough out like a sneeze giving you the flu! Tallahassee is going to be a Big Ole' fun loving Amish friendship bread baking town and it's all because of Mrs. I's recipe!

Zumba....I guess my husband can dance!

Okay, so this post is going to be all over the place! Kinda like how I was taking a Zumba exercise class at the YMCA this morning. So...like they said to me...try and keep up! So, on the quest for the new and improved me I decided to take a bunch of classes at the YMCA to figure out which ones I want to stick with. I have heard so much about Zumba and how it's the new hip dance/exercise class! I figured that being from Miami and also loved going clubbing and dancing growing up that this would be the class for me. I was soooo wrong but I still might try it again. Okay, so now I'm going to jump around. I woke up early this morning (not by choice of course) about 5:45 am or so and started to get the house cleaned a little and spend some time with Sawyer before everyone woke up. Only one thing...I couldn't bend! I AM SO SORE from going to the gym yesterday! Sawyer and I had a stare off and I was almost at the point of begging him to jump into my arms because MaMa just couldn't bend down quite yet.....Ouch! I broke my body on the first day and yes I drank a bunch of water...Missi! I did get to the point to where I felt a little better and I headed to the gym around 8a.m. I walked on the tread mill for 45 minutes and decided I was going to take a Zumba class. When I walked in I saw a girl sitting on the ground and asked if she was the instructor or a student and she said she was a student. She told me it was her first time to the class to. I was so happy to hear that and told her that I was going to stand next to her for moral mess-up support! So in comes the instructor and started very quickly with no introduction of any sort. She was spunky and could see I was struggling with the "Get your freak on moves". I also realized that next payday I will be heading out to buy a sports brawl! (Did I spell that right?) Either way if I didn't ....They did look like they were fighting! The music is loud and fun and the instructor is jammin' and I am so lost..Oh! wait now I'm not...Okay I'm lost again. I then turn to look at the other new girl and she is breaking it down! She is awesome! I gave her a shrug like what the heck and she then stated...Oh! I have taken dance my entire life and I then called her a jerk and politely smiled and scooted away from her! Okay, I'm going to jump around again and talk about how I love to dance again. I really do love to dance. Every night of the week growing up I was at a club. In Miami or when I lived in Destin. I was a bartender and danced around the bar to while the music was playing. After I met Brent we went to clubs and danced together and I would make fun of him and tell he danced like a goof. He would then tell me that I look silly because when I dance I look up at the ceiling. On that note... I have just figured out that I shouldn't have taken the Zumba class at all. See I have always loved to dance and thought that I was good at it but Brent says I look up at the ceiling. But, Maybe I have no rhythm at all and can't dance at all and haven't noticed because I don't look down!Maybe I just don't know what the bottom half of my body was doing all this time! Maybe I can't dance and Brent can!!!!! So now I'm not sure about anything anymore and apologized to Brent when I got home and told him if he wanted to shake his groove thing that he is more than welcome to anytime. I will keep my groove thing hidden for a while until I figure out what I'm doing.

The journey to the new and improved me.

So everyone say's I have to come to terms with the fact that I have had two children and you don't always go back to looking like the original you. I miss the old me and I miss the old me's clothing for sure. I have a closet full of the cutest clothing and of course my favorite pair of banana Republic Jeans. You know the kind you pay a bundle for that look as if they have been dragged behind a car. I am posting here for the world to see and here that I weighed myself this morning and I weighed 158.2! I have lost 3 pounds but I am not even close to fitting into my clothing. On that note... I might add that I have also started as of today going to the YMCA. I loved it! The whole experience! from the second I got into the car I rolled down all the windows (I never do this with the two kids in the car) Then I realized I can listen to something other than the veggie tales. So, I turned it to a station that was playing Beyonce'. As I am bouncing and bopping to "If you like it you should've put a ring on it"...I think that's how it goes. I quickly found myself at the gym. It was soooo quiet even with the sound of clanging equipment. I thought for a second...Hmmmm...I don't have to have a conversation about vomit or sippy cups or even poo. Well, that is until the gassy elderly man stood next to me and I wanted to ask him if he needed to go make poo poo. Either way and all in all it was amazing to be out for a bit and walk on the tread mill and lift some weights. I am hoping to lose some of this baby weight and be the hotty toned up girl for my hubby once again! At the same time feel wonderful being out in public and just being me for a second. I came home today and started to tear up and told Brent how much I thank him for watching the kids and how important this was to me. For me to feel like me again! I think he started to tear up to and just quietly said "Then that makes me happy if you are happy". I'll will keep everyone update on the progress!

I was wondering what Tammy was doing?!?!

I was wondering what Tammy was doing. I saw her talking to someone at story time and thought who was she and what was she talking to her about. Tammy usually introduces me to one of her millions of friends and then they of course become mine. This time she didn't! Although I had one foot out the door to chase Memphis. I'm so glad that she is my friend and she makes me want to be a better person everyday. She is my spiritual friend. The one that I want to talk about God with and where my place as a wife and mother and friend is. She is that friend that will put me in my place with her honesty and always makes me look at myself when I complain about others....it's usually me that I should be complaining about! I truly love her and her amazing heart. I will also incorperate Thoughtful Thursdays into my life. Please read the story of Kayleigh and add the link to your blogs as well.

Below is Tammy's post from her blog!!!


My Thursday was spent with friends. I did not know what to do for my Thoughtful Thursday. So I made up a goodie bag and grabbed a book by Billy Graham. I walked up to a mom I never met at the library today and told her why I was participating in Thoughful Thursday. I gave her the link to Kayliegh's blog and ask her to go on line and read her story. She just smiled and said thank you. But I know she will go home and read her story. One more person will be blessed by this little miracle!

I spent the rest of my day with Gina and her kids. We had a picnic and enjoyed what felt like a true Spring day.
Posted by Tammy On the Go at 11:33 AM 0 comments

Thoughtful Thursday's and what it means

Okay, here is how our "Thoughtful Thursdays" works.

You all are going to go out in to this crazy world and do something EXTRA nice for someone else. You can do something nice for someone you love, someone you don't love, or someone you you have never had the chance to love and come back here to share about it each and every Thursday.

God has shown Himself through Kayleigh and we need to glorify Him in all that we do. We need to touch other people with our kindness and spread the love of God with Kayleigh's story to everyone we possibly can. When you deliver your good deed to someone, let them know that they were touched by Kayleigh and share her website with them, so they too can join in on Kayleigh's journey and our "Thoughtful Thursdays" to glorify God.

NOW...You you have got to think outside the box and come back and share it with us and the world. Be creative and make your stories stand out. You never know, you may win a creativity award and get recognized for ALL to see.

Here is what I did:

I had the opportunity to talk with a young man who was only 17 years old. He had been having a lot of problems at school and was easy to open up his feelings to me. Normally in my life growing up, I never was one to offer good advice, but since I have matured in my life and faith, I was able to direct him down the right path.

He was burdened with friends who were making false statements about him and he didn't know how to act or react to the situation at hand. I was able to lead him down a path that Kayleigh's journey had led me. That was a path of forgiveness. I told him that the people who are giving him a hard time were not his true friends and the people he needed to hang out with were people who encouraged him to do the right things as Jesus had taught us.

I told him that we live in this world to prepare for eternity and I explained how people have not been so nice to me on Kayleigh's blog, but I had to delete the negative comments and continue spreading the word of God and serving that purpose without the devil getting in the way.

I told him to follow Kayleigh's blog and to look deep in to what she has taught us and how all the people who follow her story are the true friends he needs in his life, the one who support and love you through the good and bad parts of your life. He felt encouraged and I felt fulfilled with God's everlasting love.

Okay, now it's YOUR turn.

Here's how you get your link on our blog for "Thoughtful Thursdays"

Go to YOUR blog, create a new post for "Thoughtful Thursdays". Start by copying and pasting all the following HTML code at the beginning your post.(NOTE: Make sure you are in HTML mode or view when you paste in HTML code!):

UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Beware of falling brain matter! So, I am a complete fool when it comes to anything that has to do with reading, writing, spelling, computers, technology.........So bare with me!

In the beginning......


LOVE, Gina