You are Worth More

It has been a couple of weeks since I blogged, but today I was inspired to write because my heart is hurting for a friend of mine in a horrible situation and I feel like God wants to say some things through my writing this morning. So, although my friend inspired this and although it involves a certain situation, it doesn't mean it isn't for anyone else's situation. I asked for permission to write about this before I did, so I'm not going to mention names, but I will mention details.

This situation is near and dear to my heart for many personal reasons that I will not share, but I just want to firstly say...when a man puts his hands on a woman, for ANY reason...it is NOT ok!

I will refer to my friend as "Ashley" for writing purposes.

Ashley is a beautiful, sweet girl that fell in love with a man that thinks it is ok to hurt her and put his hands on her. Ashley loves this man with everything she is and has started a family with him. This man has a hot temper and on multiple occasions here recently has punched Ashley in the face, choked her, pushed her around, and left marks on her. This breaks my heart, but it also makes me feel optimistic that WHEN Ashley gets out of this situation and let's God heal her heart and emotions, that she will be a testimony to women out there in similar situations and will one day be able to share her story and bring freedom to other people's lives. I am confident that she will get there one day because what I do know is that Ashley is a strong woman...she will be able to fight this and win...she is a great mother and will make the best decisions not only for her life, but for her kids. :)

I heard a song by 3rd Day for the first time on the way to work this morning and I do not think it was by coincidence. I feel like it speaks directly to the situation. Here's part of the lyrics:

I Need a Miracle

Late one night she started to cry and thought "He ain't coming home"
She was tired of the lies, tired of the fight
But she didn't wanna see him go
She fell on her knees and said
I haven't prayed since I was young
But "Lord above I need a miracle"

(Chorus)
Well no matter who you are
And no matter what you've done
There will come a time
When you can't make it on your own
And in your hour of desperation
Know you're not the only one
Prayin' "Lord above, I need a miracle"
I need a miracle

Here is what I feel like God wants many of us in tough situations to know and be reminded of...

 

You are not alone...God is with you
He will never leave your side
You are not in to deep and God can bring you out of your situation and circumstance and will carry you through the pain make you stronger for it
Love is not settling for anything less than someone who loves you as much as you love them
The Bible clearly states what love is..."Love is patient, love is kind... It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7
If you are in any type of relationship that does not line up with what the Bible lists above, then it is not what God has for you.
He has so much more...you are worth so much more...you are beautiful in His eyes.
You deserve to be loved, cherished, and with someone who will tell you how beautiful you are...how much you mean to them...and they SHOW you with their actions that you are their Queen.
God will turn your morning into dancing, and will heal all of your scars.
The pain you are enduring at this time in your life will not last forever...You will see a brighter day...you just have to stop trying in your own strength and hand it over to God.
A new start is sometimes necessary in life, to get you to a place of true freedom and pure joy.
Nothing is impossible with God...He is holding out His hands, waiting for you to run into His arms and get the strength and wisdom needed to conquer anything thrown your way.
Let go and let God...He will never let you down...


I have been reminded today of where I would be if it wasn't for God intervening in my situation a couple of years ago and not letting me give up on life. I laid in bed with Daneil last night and just said thank you to him....for being the father he is to our son...for loving me through all my faults and treating me like a queen...for never raising his voice to me, calling me names or hurting me. It may sound corny and mushy, but I just had to tell him thank you for who he is. Guys like him are very hard to find these days and I'm so blessed to have found him. So, ladies (and gents) if you have someone in your life that treats you with respect and loves you like there is no tomorrow...don't take it for granted...and take time out of life to just step back and tell them thank you or sorry...those three words can go a long way!

When Two Become One

I know I have really not been blogging as much the days, but boy have I been busy! I will try to post more often! :)

Last night, someone submitted a topic to me for discussion and it is a topic that is very near and dear to my heart...my marriage so I had to write about it :) Here is the submission.

"What do you love about your marriage and what do you love most about being married to the love of your life? Tell those who have never been married yet, but hope to one day and give advice about marriage, the pros and cons. Just tell us about the married life."

Being married has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life, but at the same time, I'll be honest, it can be one the hardest things you will ever work at. But, once you find that one that is worth working at it with, you are set for life!

I'm just going to warn you, this is going to be a LONG post. I am going to share our story from the start and we have 8 years of history, so if you make it to the end, you rock! :)

I met Daneil shortly after I moved to Jacksonville back in 2004 at church. It is so crazy how things happened because before I moved to Jacksonville, I was so far into drugs and alcohol and in straight party mode. Living my life how I wanted to and having no purpose. My dad worked here as a Store Manager and one if his Employees (those of you that remember Kevin, he is the Employee...RIP), invited me to come to his youth group one Friday night. I had no friends in Jax and nothing to do, so I thought, why not? The day came that I was supposed to go and I almost backed out, but my mom said "go, I have a good feeling about this...what have you got to lose"...that was the best advice she gave me, because I went, gave my life to God that night and it was the start of the rest of my life. I still feel like Kevin was an Angel sent by God to save me...he is in Heaven now enjoying his reward and dancing with the Angels, but looking back and watching how God set it all up, still amazes me.

The first time I saw Daneil, he was on a pink kiddie car thing riding around the church...being an immature 17 year old boy...I thought to myself, "wow, what a loser"...but as I continued to hang out with him, we became best friends...and one night, over a bonfire, I found out he was 17 and I was 18 and that was close enough for me! I remember coming home one night from church and laying on my mom's bed with her and my brother and I didn't even know Daneil's name so I called him the "drummer boy" because he plays drums at our church. I told them, and I quote "I don't know what it is about him, but I'm going to marry that drummer boy one day". Little did I know, I was prophesying over my own life! :) We continued hanging out and were pretty much inseparable from that point on and one day as he was telling me about these girls flirting with him, I decided I had to tell him how I felt about him because I was falling for him and the moment I told him he was in shock and said he thought I was way out of his league and would never go for him. We started dating back in December 2004 and he asked me to marry him on his birthday in November 2007 while we were at my parent's house. We got married in June 2008 and we had a small, simple wedding, but it was beautiful!

Now, onto the actual topic...marriage...I won't lie to you, the first two years of our marriage were the hardest. There was a lot of attacks on our marriage and we went through some very hard times that a lot of people hopefully never have to go through in their marriage. In 2010, I was ready to walk away and throw in the towel, but every time I would try, my heart wouldn't let me. Another thing that kept me fighting was the fight I saw in my husband. He told me, "when he said "I do" I meant it" and he was not going to let us fall apart. We made a pact when we first got married that Divorce was not a part of our vocabulary. It took a lot of fight, a lot of forgiving, a lot of tears, a lot of counseling and putting God back as first priority in our marriage, but we came out on top and stronger than we were before. I have shared this at our Ladies meeting and with a few friends, but I got to the point where I had to realize...Daneil is not perfect...but he is MY perfect and I wouldn't want to share my life with anyone else.

Today, we are the parents of a beautiful baby boy and have become closer than ever and formed a bond that no man can separate. God continues to be put first and we work very hard at keeping things fresh and keeping that "chase" going. One piece of advice I would give newlyweds is to never stop the chase. Once you get married, keep yourself up, dress up from time to time just because and want to look nice for your man or woman. Just because you are married doesn't mean you don't have to try anymore...keep him/her wanting more of you! :)

To those of you that have yet to meet your prince charming/your princess or to get married...DON'T SETTLE! God has your Prince/Princess out there and is preparing him/her for you, and if you wait on him/her, you will not have a statistical marriage...you will have a love story that never ends! Don't rush it...you have plenty of time to be married...enjoy where you are now...whatever season that may be...it is just that; a season! Enjoy every piece of the puzzle that God has made for your life. Before you know it, that season will be over and I know it may sound crazy, but you will miss it one day.

Marriage is not a fairy tale...it isn't how they portray it in the movies...sometimes it is hard; really hard...a lot of the time, it is so amazing but when you share it with the one that God created for you, at the end of the day, they are worth every moment...your hard times will make you stronger...your good times will remind you of why you fell in love with them in the first place and if you both put your whole heart into it, you will never be shaken!

I thank God for Daneil every day...He has my heart, always and I am devoted to him and our marriage. What God put together, let NO MAN separate!

I love you, Daneil Hinds, and I thank you for being the man of my dreams, for loving me no matter what and for never giving up the fight for us. You are the strongest man I know and I am honored to call you my Husband! :) I wouldn't want to grow old with anyone else!

Our First KISS after the "I do"

Back in 2010 after one of the hardest times in our marriage

This picture represents SO MUCH today...the ribbon tying are hands together was BLUE...2 years before out little miracle was born! :)

Love this one! :)



Confident Momma

There was a shift in my life this weekend...and it was good! :)

I can't really put my finger on exactly what it was, but something is different. God convicted my heart this weekend on some areas in my life that I have been slacking in and although since I found out I was having Liam, I have been really excited to be a mom and loving him with my whole heart, it wasn't until this weekend that I actually "felt" like a mom to him and a new confidence just swept over me. I want to do this right! I want to raise my son loving God with everything that He is and I have to be that example to Him. Not that I have been doing a horrible job in this area, but I could have been doing better. So, last night we started a new routine. We feed Liam his last solids and a bottle, bathe him, take him to his room with lullaby's playing and either oil him down or lotion him down to relax him. Put him in his pj's, read a book and say a prayer together with Daneil and I. I know it sounds corny, but the whole process was just beautiful. Daneil and I do a really great job teaming up together and because he is such a great dad, I found that I was feeling insecure in my parenting and pulling away, letting him do most of the work instead of recognizing my weaknesses and working on them. So, this weekend I tried being more hands on and doing things myself and it worked well.

Then, last night, as we worked together to bathe him, I got him all ready for bed and then we all 3 sat together and had story time and said a bedtime prayer and Liam was so relaxed. He only slept in his crib for about 45 minutes before waking up screaming twice in a 15 minute time span, so we decided to bring him in our room in his pack-n-play and he slept the rest of the evening and was still snoozing this morning when I left. We will keep trying and we will get there!

This new found confidence of being a momma is great and I just finally feel like it is all sinking in for me. I am Liam's mother and there is no one that could be a mother to him better than I can because God gave him to me and entrusted his life with me, so it is my job to be the best I can be and raise him up in the ways of God. I know there will be times I fail and will be times that I don't feel so confident, but God gave me a scripture to lean on in those moments as I was laying in bed last night thanking Him for all I have in my life and when the enemy tries to come in and tell me different, I can remind him...It is written! :)

This brings me to one of the topics submitted that I wanted to write about today. Humility in hard times!

In my situation, I basically had to get over myself and stop feeling sorry for myself because I felt like I was "failing" at the whole motherhood thing! It was time to humble myself.

Humbling yourself, to me, means that you are willing to put others ahead of yourself. Not building your self up...especially at the expense of others and being willing to do things for people without expecting anything in return.

I had to come to a place where I acknowledged my weaknesses as a mother as well as my strengths and stop dwelling on only the weaknesses. Once I began to look at the things I'm really good at as a mom, the confidence just began to grow and still is. I read this quote recently and it really touched my heart. "True humility, is having an accurate perception of your weaknesses and your strengths, and keeping both in perspective."

Another way to look at this is Without God we can do nothing and with Him, anything is possible. If we are not trying to do things in our own strength and we leave it in God's hands and follow his leading, we are humbling ourselves, or having humility.

For example, if you are dealing with have a bad attitude towards God, or family or friends for that matter...you have to humble yourself and recognize that you do have weaknesses and hand those weaknesses over to God so that He can turn them into strengths and give you the wisdom to get through that situation. Anytime we humble ourselves before God, He will not fail us...we just have to be willing to let Him do His work in us.

Back to my story...I felt like I was not doing a good job parenting and I humbled myself before God, cried out to Him and laid it at His feet. He has given me new ways and ideas to bond with Liam and continue to feel more confident as a mom. I am so excited and refreshed about what He is going to do with me in this area and by the grace of God, I will continue to live in humility so that I am always allowing Christ to strengthen me and transform me into who He has called me to be. The choice is ours to be arrogant and stagnant or humble ourselves and flourish! :)

Fall Cleaning

So, I'm back to the daily grind after a few days out in the country with family. I wasn't able to blog because when I say my parents live in the middle of no where, I mean we maybe saw 6 people (other than family) within a 10 mile radius of their house the 4 days we were there! The closest gas station was 8 miles away and grocery store was 15 miles away. Needless to say, Internet was very scarce so I wasn't able to get on to write.

We had a great time! Got to break in Daneil's new gun and shoot some other guns my parents have, and I actually really enjoyed shooting! Daneil is already having me get my concealed weapons permit, but I have never really been a fan of guns until I played with some this weekend! Now, I am looking forward to learning more about them. I got to see both of my brothers and my sister and nieces on Saturday, which was lovely to be all together and laugh and catch up again! Daneil and I went on a lot of adventures around my parent's house looking for deer, wild boar, bob cats, bears...we pretty much wanted to see anything...we heard lots of scary noises that ran us back inside, but never saw anything other than some fresh prints in the dirt road. My parents took us to Lake McCormick and some other Lake (I forgot the name) and we took Liam with us to see and it was beautiful! Ate a lot of good food and had fried okra twice! My mom makes the BEST homemade fried okra and that is my all time favorite food! They live in a beautiful brand new house with so much space and it made me that much more excited to get in a bigger place in a couple of months...I am so over being crammed in our little apartment!

We came home yesterday and of course the weekend went by way too fast. As soon as we got home last night, I unpacked and got things ready to come back to work today and was in bed early, which was good since we were up a lot last night with Liam. Our apartment is so unorganized and it is really bothering me so tonight while Daneil and Liam are at church, I'm taking some time to myself to organize some things. I am feeling very overwhelmed and our lease is up in November, so we have got to get organized before then so we can move and have a clean start. I am going to go through and get rid of Liam's newborn clothes (well, not get rid of them, but put them away and pull out all his big boy clothes) and go through my closet to get rid of stuff I no longer need or wear. Then, I have to tackle the 4 or 5 loads of clean clothes that have been sitting in Liam's room for a while (don't judge, I have been busy lol) and get them put away once and for all. So, yea...feeling a bit overwhelmed with all that needs to be done and just needing some time to myself, alone, to get in the zone and get it done and then maybe get in a cat nap (not likely, but a girl can dream)...so, tonight is the night!

I have been slacking on eating healthy and exercising with all the traveling we have been doing, but we are done with that for a while...so on Payday Friday we will be stocking up on healthy foods for the house and Monday I am starting Insanity again and going to do my best to stick to it for 60 days! Thank God that even with my slacking I lost a pound, so here's to hoping it will continue in that direction in the next few weeks and months!

I'm out of vacation mode and onto organization mode! When I feel like my house is messy, I feel like my whole world is messy and it makes me so stressed, and I'm too blessed to be stressed! I can't really get it to my standards of organized because it is so small where we live, but I just keep reminding myself in 2 months we will be in a bigger place, with room to put things away so my life doesn't feel so cluttered all the time so now is the time to prepare!

Liam is still waking up a lot at night so the broken sleep is really catching up to me and I am feeling exhausted! We are transitioning to his crib tonight and trying a new bedtime routine, so wish us luck that we will get some more sleep and uninterrupted sleep at that! We both need it since we feel like zombies these days!

I'm not going to write about any specific topic today because I think I've said enough with my venting on being overwhelmed, tired and ready to get things back on track in all areas of our life! I am motivated and Daneil is on board with me so together we will get there! Tomorrow I will write about a topic that was submitted...until then, keep them coming and happy reading! :)

Balance

Life has been crazy busy the past few days so I have been a slacker! Ever since Liam stayed with his grandparents last weekend, he will not sleep through the night. He will barely stay in his pack and play and only sleeps if he is in bed with us. We were going to transition him to his crib 2 nights ago, but we couldn't get the baby monitor working right, so yea...that makes for two tired parents! lol We will have to buy a new monitor soon so we can get him transitioned ASAP because I do not want a baby in the bed with us! lol

Today after work, we are leaving to go visit my parents and I couldn't be more excited. They haven't seen Liam since he was about 3 weeks old, so I can't wait for them to see how much he has grown and see his little personality. Plus, my brother who was in jail over a year, just got out and it will be his first time meeting Liam and the first time all of us siblings have been together in years! My parents live in the country in FL about an hour from PCB so we will be doing the country living thing and riding 4 wheelers, going shooting, eating some good southern cooking,  fishing and just hanging out. We may go to PCB to the beach one day...but we will see! I took Monday and Tuesday off so it will be a nice long weekend and I am so looking forward to being with my crazy family and relaxing! I will try to blog while I am away, but my laptop at home is down at the moment, so if I can get to a computer, I will make it happen :)

I had a couple of people submit a similar topic to me on balance, so I wanted to write about that today. Here was one of the submissions:

"What is it like balancing work, motherhood, wifehood (this was her made  up word and I love it... lol) while spending intimate time with God and tips on how to balance life?"

I am honestly still trying to learn the whole balance thing. Especially being a new mom and still trying to keep up with my husband, work, my house, church, friends, etc...it is tough! I feel overwhelmed sometimes and like there are not enough hours in the day. I have had to sit back and re-prioritize a lot of things in my life. Do I miss hanging with my friends every chance I get? I definitely do...do I miss having a clean house? More than anything, but I married Daneil so I had to give up on that a while ago haha! Do I miss date nights more than once in a blue moon? Very much so...but I am only one person and I can't clone myself unfortunately, so I do what I can in each area. Someone at work recently told me, "you do not need to define yourself as a "mom" but as a child of the King." Great advice! That is my first priority. My husband is my next priority and keeping the spice up in our marriage...it is definitely not easy sometimes with a baby, but we make it work and actually do a really good job at keeping things fresh...after 8 years together that man still gives me butterflies. Liam is a huge priority in my life and it is my job to protect him, provide for him and be the best mom I can be to him. If that means missing out on fun times sometimes, then, so be it...it's all a part of the job and he is worth it. :)

It has been really difficult to get used to this new role, especially when I don't have many people close to me that can relate, but God has really given me the wisdom I needed to re-prioritize....learn that I don't have to excuse myself, feel bad, or apologize for being a mom. It is what I am now and life has to change. People around have to adapt to the new Jess...and those that are worth it, will still be there!

Changing my perspective and way of thinking has really helped me along the way. Like I said, I am definitely still working on this all, but I am taking the steps, trusting God and getting better at it every day! :)

Hardest Thing to do as a Leader

Well, I have missed blogging the past few days, but really enjoyed my time away with my family and friends!


Savannah was amazing and we had a really good time :) The food was out of this world and the history behind it was just so cool to learn about!! It was really hot and we got a little dehydrated, but it was definitely a fun time! I will definitely be going again some day! Liam will love it when he gets older! Here are a few of the pictures:


This was downtown Savannah...it was breathtaking!                                                                                                                                                                                  

This was before we went out to dinner Saturday:



 This was a view of where we parked....loved it! :)


This was a view of the candy shop we went to...they were making fresh taffy! :)




Today I'm answering one of the questions that was submitted to me:What was the hardest thing you had to do when becoming a leader?

When I was becoming a leader in the youth group, the hardest thing for me would have to be feeling like you have to be perfect for the world. I know, we aren't supposed to put on a mask or be something we aren't, but when you are a a leader, there are times you may be going through something in life and you have to put it on the shelf and walk through the doors and continue to give out even when you feel like you have nothing left to give. You have to be there for those people that look up to you and  encourage them in their times of weakness. It is hard sometimes to do that, especially if you are going through your own things, but God gives you the strength to get through it all and it makes you stronger in the end and usually speaks to you about your own life even as you encourage and minister to others. 

I had to come to a place in my life where it wasn't about the title of a "leader"...it wasn't about having it all together and being "perfect"....it was about living a life as God would call a leader to live, whether the title was there or not and being who you are in His presence. Laying it all at His feet and staying faithful! I have come such a long way from my first days as a leader and I wouldn't take any of it back...It made me who I am today and I am honored to have anyone want to follow the life I live... I do my best to live a life that others can follow.

Final Day of the Blog Challenge

I'm going to share my heart this morning. Last night was a tough "mommy" night for me. Because I work full time and Daneil stays home with Liam, I already deal with feeling like I don't get enough time with Liam...but last night, was a really tough one for me. When we got home from church and gave Liam his last bottle, I tried to put him to sleep...he fought it and fought it and whined and cried for a while. Daneil came over, took him from me and he was immediately calm in his arms and fell asleep. This broke my heart and made me feel like I was failing at the whole mom thing. I talked to my "April Momma's"  about it and they made me feel so much better (thank you ladies so much)...I am so grateful for a husband that takes such good care of my son and for a job that provides an amazing income for someone my age...especially someone without a college degree...but, I long to know the little "secrets" of Liam. Most women would pay to have a husband that was so in tune with their child, and I am in no way complaining for what I have...I just sometimes wish I had that bond too. I know I have a different bond and I will learn to embrace that over time, but I think it has just been tough for me to see where, because I'm working 40+ hours a week, and Daneil spends most of his days with Liam...he is going to know some of the little quirks about Liam that I may not know. I have to remind myself it doesn't make me any less of a mom, or a failure to Liam...but that I am providing for my family and doing the best I can to be the best mom I can be to Liam. So, yea...it is tough to keep my head up in that situation...but I know this is what God has for us in this Season so I need to embrace it. Just needed to write it out so I wasn't bottling it up anymore...feels so much better to get it out! :)

We took Liam for his 4 month check up yesterday. He got two shots, which he took like a champ...cried for about 30 seconds and was all smiles the rest of the day. He is perfectly healthy and right on target with his weight and height. He is actually in the 81st percentile with his height and finally up to 36th percentile with his weight. He started at 2% when he was born. For those of you that don't understand the percentiles (because I didn't before I had a kid) ...that means he is taller than 81% of babies his age and weighs more than 36% of babies his age. The pediatrician said, whatever we are doing, to keep it up because we are doing it right. His growth is soaring and looking great. So those of you that think I starve Liam...yea, he is getting plenty! :) We start him on solids today and will do rice cereal for breakfast every day for 5 days, then introduce something like bananas for lunch for 5 days, then add in something like sweet potatoes for dinner. So in 10 days he will be eating solids 3 times a day and getting his bottle...he is about to pack on the weight even more! :)

Day 30 - Yup, that is right! This is the final day of my 30 day blog challenge! I did it! I missed 2 days the whole time (which were Saturdays) but other than that, I did it and so enjoyed every moment of it. I have gotten into the habit of blogging now and learned that it really helps me write out my thoughts, feelings and get a lot out. Plus, it is awesome to be able to look back and see what I wrote and remind myself of different things in life. I want to continue writing about how it is to be a full time working mom with a stay at home dad...writing about Liam and his growth and all of his milestones big and small...expressing my thoughts and opinions on things in life and just being real. I will continue to blog. It may not be a daily thing, but I will definitely be blogging a few times a week.

On to blog post for today...what is your morning routine? I will just write about my weekday morning routine since I have already written a story book. During the week, I wake up around 6:40 to get ready for work. I brush my teeth, shower, dry my hair, straighten it, put on my makeup and get dressed. I try to grab a cup of coffee before I leave, but sometimes I forget or there is no coffee made so I just get it at work. Just before I leave the house I kiss Daneil and Liam goodbye and I usually caress Liam's face for a moment and whisper to him that I love him as he sleeps. Then, I head to work. I get here at 7:45 and open up everything and get ready for the work day...then, I blog...and that is pretty much it before I start working! :)

Starting next week Tuesday, I will begin to blog about the ideas/questions/topics that some of my readers submitted to me. I will answer them one by one, in no particular order...and may combine some if I feel like it works better. I so appreciate all of you who have followed me the past 30 days in this new project, supported me and my writing and encouraged me with texts, messages and FB wall posts...they all meant so much to my heart and have inspired me to continue...so thank you! I hope many of you continue reading and following my blog! This could be the beginning of something new for me. Some changes to the blog will be coming soon...be on the look out! :)

Signing off until next week!

Famous for what?

It feels like my calf muscles are tearing every time I stand up to walk! I've had to wobble around almost like a pregnant woman to bear through the sore muscles...it must be working! ha!

Last night was a little different for us. Usually, after Liam's last bottle (anywhere between 9-11) he falls asleep and sleeps through the night. Well, last night his last bottle was at 9ish and he was asleep by around 9:45-10:00. Daneil put him down in his pack-n-play and we hung out and watched some tv a little longer. Then at about 10:45 Daneil jumped up off the couch and ran to the room. Right as he jumped up I heard Liam crying (Daneil has "mommy" ears now). We decided to shut everything down and bring Liam to bed and try to get him back to sleep. It took a while, but he fell back asleep and then at about 5 this morning he woke back up again. Daneil, being the amazing father and husband he is, let me sleep and got up to try and pat him back to sleep which usually works on a normal night. Well, it wasn't working this time, so Daneil brought him back in bed with us to try getting him back to sleep and he eventually did.

I know we have like the easiest baby in town, that loves his sleep, so I am not complaining, but because he is usually so great, when we have nights of broken sleep like that, I feel so exhausted the next day. I'm sure all the momma's with non sleeping babies want to punch me right now, but seriously...this morning was by far the toughest in a while for me to get up out of bad. I even kept my eyes closed as I made my way to the bathroom and brushed my teeth. I took a cool shower to try and wake me up and it helped, but coffee is definitely next on my list to get in my system this morning.

I've got a lot to do tonight...we have to take little Liam to his 4 month appointment after I leave work today to get his shots :( and from there we head to church and when I get home I have to do laundry and start packing for the weekend because we leave right after work on Friday and have some long overdue dinner plans tomorrow night! So, no time for being tired! :)

Day 29 - If I could be famous for one thing, what would it be and why?

That is a good one. When I first thought of this question, I thought to myself, if I could be famous for one thing, I think I would want it to be for helping and loving others. Kind of like the same way Mother Theresa was famous. When I was younger, I used to wish that I could be famous for something like singing or acting...but I wouldn't like to not be able to lead a normal life like going to the store or the park and having paparazzi follow me every where. That would just be annoying!

Anyways, after some thought, I changed my mind about what I would want to be famous for. It would be nice to be famous for something like Mother Theresa was famous for, but if we are talking personal passions, I would have loved to be a famous dancer. Like a back up dancer, or a dancer in movies like Step Up. I wish I would have stuck with dancing when I was younger and pursued it more because I think I would have really enjoyed it. I may not have become famous from it, but if I could be famous for one thing, it would have to be dance. :) Most famous dancers make really good money, but don't lead a life where people follow them and are all in their business. So I would be able to get paid to do what I love to do and make lots of money doing it, without the annoyance of being in the limelight. Yup, that would be awesome!

Dreaming

Today I'm supposed to write about the last dream I remember having.

I don't remember too many of my dreams, but when I do, I usually remember them in detail. Sometimes I feel like they mean something and I try to get an interpretation of the dream, but sometimes, I feel like they are really random and weird or just dreams based on what I saw earlier in the day or maybe something I'm nervous or stressed about.

The last dream I remember having was last week. It was about Liam and I think had to do with the fact that we are going out of town to Savannah this weekend and it is our first trip without baby and I am nervous about it.

In my dream, Daneil and I were leaving to go to Miami for a vacation and we stopped by his dad's house to drop Liam off. When we got there, I remember staring at every part of him and bawling my eyes out because I was going to miss being without him so much. Then, I don't remember clearly how it all happened, but Liam kept falling on his head and we were freaking out. He was never hurt, but again, I think with our weekend away I'm just being a paranoid mom. I know Liam will be in great hands with his grandpa, but it will be my first night spent without him and it isn't just one night, but two. I don't want to think about it anymore because it makes me all sad already. I know we will have a fabulous time away and it will be really refreshing and is much needed, but I also know on Sunday I will not be able to get that sweet boy in my arms quick enough! Oh Lord help me to enjoy this time away and not cry over him the whole weekend! LOL I'll be fine!


My whole body, from head to toe, is sore today. Insanity is definitely the toughest workout I have ever done, but it is also my favorite. Last night I hit a level that I never thought was possible. We were in the middle of the workout and I physically didn't feel like I could continue on, but I closed my eyes, concentrated on the main guy (Shawn) and pushed as hard as I could. I screamed out for help a few times, but I pushed through as much as I could. It helped having Melissa saying she couldn't believe I was still going and Daneil saying "that's my baby momma" haha! I love him! This morning I can feel my body screaming, but I know things are happening. I feel so great and I tried putting on my pre pregnancy jeans last night and I could button them without sucking in! They are still a little snug, but I know I will be in them very soon and that is what keeps me encouraged! I never thought I would be able to stick to working out, and I won't lie it has been very hard some days; but I'm proud of myself for sticking with it and so blessed to have Melissa there to encourage and push me not to give up!

Finished the first book of Hunger Games this week and moving on to the Second soon! I love this series! I don't know what I'll do when it is over! If you have never read it, I highly recommend it. Even if you have seen the movie, it is so much better to read the book. You get to know the characters on a different level and get in the mind of Katniss a lot more. It's a really great read, and I hear gets better with the second and third! So excited to move onto the next one!

Blog Challenge is coming to an end in a couple of days...but I have lots of ideas and questions that were submitted that I will begin to talk about next week. I will be taking the weekend off to spend time with the family, but on Tuesday, I will get back into it! If you have any ideas or questions that you want to see me write about, you can still send them my way! :) Thanks everyone for reading! It means the world!

Most Memorable Vacation

Firstly, I want to say I'm praying for all of the families that are being, will be or have been affected by Hurricane Issac. I'm the first one to welcome a nice storm from time to time, but I have to say we are blessed to be out of the radar for this Hurricane in Jax. It seems like it is getting pretty intense and I pray for everyone's safety in it's path.

Although, we aren't getting a direct hit, we are being showered with storms. It was extra hard getting up this morning because it was so dark outside and dark and cold and cozy in our room! Praying the rain goes away soon! I have to go see my baby boy at lunch time! :)

It's Monday again and I had a busy, but nice weekend. Got to go for my spa day on Saturday and it was divine! Daneil cooked us a nice dinner and then we had church yesterday, so it was just overall a nice weekend! Here's to a great week!

Liam has found his feet! :) He hasn't made them to his mouth yet, but he is always holding onto them now! When I see him do new things, it just makes me fall in love all over again. Just watching him grow and learn, is such a blessing! I don't want to forget these moments! Thank God for blogging so I can write about them! :)

Today I am supposed to write about my most memorable vacation. I haven't had many "real" vacations in my life. We have had a lot of visits to my parents for a long weekend, or trips to NY to visit Daneil's family...but as far as a vacation, just the two of us, we have had one of those and it is definitely my most memorable.

I was about a week away form being 6 months prego at the time and we went on a Carnival Cruise - Carnival Paradise out of Tampa, FL. It was a 4 night cruise to Cozumel, Mexico! I was nervous to go on a cruise for a few different reasons. One, being that I was 6 months pregnant and in case anything happened, a hospital would be far away. Two, I wasn't sure how I would feel with the motion of the ship. Three, let's face it, when you are pregnant, you really can't do many of the things you normally can, so I wasn't sure I would have fun. I can definitely say, we had a great time and it was nice to finally have a vacation together, just the two of us, before we welcomed Liam into this world.

We started off by driving to Tampa the night before and got a hotel room to spend the night so we could just head to the port the next day. I was super nervous...it was both of our first time cruising and we weren't sure to expect. We were at sea on two of the days and in Cozumel one of the days. Once we got to our room, we saw that our "room guy" was named Baggus. We couldn't stop laughing at the name because they lost one of our bags for a while, so Daneil kept making jokes using the guys name and we were rolling laughing. Each night at dinner we had different servers and the cool thing was all of them were from different places around the world, so it was so cool to experience all of the cultures.

Although, I didn't have many options as far as excursions go, since I was pregnant, we decided to go to a Mexican Cooking class in Cozumel, because well, what pregnant woman doesn't love food? So we were paired up with each other and taught how to cook a delicious Mexican meal. The teacher was hilarious and so much fun. He taught  us how to properly wash our hands while singing "La Cucaracha"! We made an appetizer, entree and dessert and decorated each of our dishes. We then went up to a room that overlooked Cozumel beach and we were served the dishes we made. I was shocked at how good mine turned out. I'm still questioning if they switched mine out with their cooking! haha! After we ate, we got to lay on the beach for a couple of hours. Got photographed with a parrot...it was just a great time! By far my highlight of the whole trip!

On the ship we ate lots of good food, (including a couple of late night trips to the 24/7 pizza bar and Ice cream bar), went to a couple of cute shows and the morning we got into Cozumel, we woke up just before sun came out and went to the top of the ship to watch the sun rise as we saw Cozumel on the horizon...it was breathtaking! Holding each other as the cool breeze blew threw our hair and we talked about life and how excited we were to become parents. I felt like I was on top of the world!

I will never forget that amazing vacation and cannot wait to tell Liam about it one day. He has already traveled to Mexico and been on a cruise! It's just the beginning! :) Here are a few of my favorite pictures from our vacation! Can't wait to go on another as just the three of us!

This was before our Captain's Dinner!

This was during our cooking excursion in our Chef gear!

Cozumel beach...our feet and Liam poking out! :)

Playing Catch Up!

I'm sorry, I missed yesterday's blog, but hey, missing 2 days out of the 26 so far isn't too bad!

I have a lot to do before bed tonight, so I am just going to get right to the challenges for yesterday and today.

Day 25: What's in your purse?

What is not in my purse these days? haha...other than the norm like my wallet, car keys, lip gloss and chap stick, I have The Hunger Games so I can read whenever I get free time, my work badge, mascara, pens, random papers...that is pretty much it. I need a new purse soon too...so anyone who wants to buy me one, go ahead! :) I never buy stuff like that for myself...I just feel like it is a waste of money, so I just use the same one until it falls apart! LOL

Day 26: Post a picture of something yellow.

I'm not sure if I'm supposed to take a picture of something yellow and post it, but I ain't got time for that tonight, so I googled "something yellow"and found this and thought it was puuurrtttyy....

Ok, time to get ready for bed...Monday comes again so quickly! :( Goodnight!

Bringin' it back old school style!

My friend Melissa and I have been doing the P90 for a little over a month and we decided yesterday that it was just getting a little boring for us and the guy who does it is quite annoying...so, we thought we would try out insanity! We did the fit test and both sweat more than we have in our lives! It was kind of crazy but at the same time really exhilarating! It's all about cardio and cardio burns fat, and I like burning fat!

As you are pushing yourself, you physically feel like you cannot go on, but the guy who does it, is really encouraging and motivates you to push through! You go at your own pace, which I really like, and although I couldn't do near as many reps as the people on the dvd, I did what I could...pushed myself...and felt great afterwards. Yea, I got dizzy and lightheaded and felt like I could puke, but I like that kind of workout...where I know I'm not wasting time and getting things done...oh, and did I mention that was just the fit test?! Lord help us when we get to the real thing! LOL! We can do it!! I just keep thinking, RESULTS!! They will be worth it...I took a before picture last night so I can watch the transformation!

Made it to chapter 3 of the Hunger Games yesterday and it is getting good. Of course, I have seen the movie so I know what to expect, but the way it is written is so awesome...keeps the imagination going...I will definitely be reading when I can in between calls, emails and meetings at work today, and spending some free time this weekend on it. So, come Monday, I'll probably be ready for the next one! :)

Also, I am so excited for tomorrow! Not just because it is Saturday, but because I am redeeming a special Spa Day gift that my friend Danielle got me for my birthday back in May! Yea, I am just now getting around to using it...but it is definitely needed so I am looking forward to a relaxing day tomorrow focused on pamepering myself! :) What woman doesn't love that? And it is so important to do nice things for ourselves from time to time! Especially when you are a parent and you tend to forget about yourself sometimes! My friends are the best!

Oh and another thing...I posted an idea God gave me on Facebook yesterday...to have people message me questions or topics they would like for me to blog about once this challenge is over. Nothing is off limits and I feel like I could really get some good input. Within a couple hours I had enough to talk about for a long while! So, I am definitely excited to start getting on the list of questions/topics submitted! Keep them coming! I'm loving it!

Day 24 - Who was your childhood celebrity crush?

Well, I had a couple of them. JTT was a cutie, Hansen (Unfortunately), Leonardo DiCaprio, all the boy bands (NSync, 98 Degrees, Backstreet Boys)...wow, I had more than a couple! haha! But I would have to say my top celebrity crush was none other than...Wait for it...

That's right!! ZACH MORRIS - AKA Mark Paul Gosselaar
He was the most awesome guy on the planet to me when I was a child. I will never forget what my sister, Rachel did to me one day. We were riding down the road with our parents, and she looks at me (knowing my "deep love" for Zach Morris) and she says, did you know Zach Morris died? I freaked out of course, and said no?? She continued on saying he died in a car wreck and I was in tears. She finally started laughing and told me it was a joke, but I was so distraught and still in shock. I wonder if she remembers doing such a mean thing?? :) Rach, if you are reading this, how could you? I still need counseling after all these years! haha! Guess that is what sisters are for!

Why do I even remember that story? I have no clue, but it obviously left an impression on me! Wow, I just googled "90's Teen Heart Throbs" and it took me on a trip down memory lane! (Ladies, you all know you are about to do the same thing...don't judge)...

The favorite part of my day!

One more day until the weekend and 8 more days until our weekend getaway; but who is counting? ;) Determined to work out again today no matter how hard it is to get motivated and Daneil is going to cook a nice lamb and veggie dinner tonight so I'm already looking forward to that!

Last night at church I finally got my hands on the first copy of Hunger Games so today I am going to start reading it and I can't wait to get into it! I've heard the book is a lot better than the movie (as usual) and the movie was awesome so I'm looking forward to judging it myself! I can't wait to buy me a Kindle so I can read more often! Ever since I got pregnant, I started to love reading again...geez, motherhood has changed me! I used to spend my free time on other things and now I just want to read and write! :) Guess it isn't a bad thing!

Speaking of writing, I posted on Facebook last night that although this blog challenge is coming to an end, I really want to continue with another one next month. I'm going to continue checking Pinterest and other websites to find a really good one and for those of you that want to continue reading, you can. :) Stay tuned...

Day 23 - What is your favorite part of the day and why?

The answer to this depends on the day. Monday through Friday my favorite part of the day is getting off work and rushing home to see my favorite boys! Almost every day I come home Daneil will have Liam waiting at the door for me so that right as I walk in the door he is the first thing I see and I get so many smiles and giggles! I love grabbing him as soon as I get home and kissing him all over and squeezing his chubby little cheeks. I could be having the worst day at work ever, the most stressful day or just having a bad day altogether and seeing him smile makes all those worries go out the window and I can automatically feel my stress level decline.

Now, if we are talking weekend (Saturday for the most part), my favorite part of the day is when Liam first wakes me up. I love my sleep, but on Saturdays when Daneil leaves for band practice, I will usually have Liam come snuggle with me in bed and we snooze a bit longer and when he wakes up he is so sweet. He just coos and ahhs and smiles from ear to ear and it's just me and him in that moment; looking at each other and taking it all in. Ahhh, I love Saturday mornings!! We are rushing out the door for church on Sunday mornings so we wake up Liam right before we have to leave and I don't get many snuggles, but after church when we take our Sunday nap, we let Liam lay in bed with us and all three cuddle, so that is my favorite part of Sundays. I have to say that having a child has been the most rewarding gift I have ever received and I couldn't have asked for him at a more perfect time in my life. :)

Who wouldn't love seeing this every day! I am one blessed lady!

Pet Peeves

Finally got back into working out yesterday after almost 2 weeks of slacking and although I was definitely not motivated, I'm so glad I did it and I have so much energy this morning and I feel so good. I was even able to keep up (for the most part) through the whole workout without doing the modified versions. I'm so determined to get in shape again, so no matter how unmotivated I am, I have to push myself...the end result will be worth it!

Liam had a better day yesterday...he was still a lot more fussy than usual, but not inconsolable. We are taking our first weekend trip to Savannah next weekend and Liam's grandpa will be watching him for us and I'm praying Liam gets through this fussy phase so I don't worry about him all weekend! I know he will be in great hands, but I don't want him to stress them out. It's making me nervous just thinking about it....wooooosaaaahhhh!

So looking forward to church tonight...so ready for a Word from Heaven and to get my praise on! Perfect mid week pick me up!

Today I am supposed to write about my 3 biggest pet peeves. Is it bad that this was one of the easier ones to answer? :)

At the top of my list as my biggest pet peeve would have to be repetitive sounds...a lot of people know this about me and like to make those repetitive sounds, like tapping on something, to see how long it takes me to notice. It's so weird because it's almost like I hear it subconsciously and then all of a sudden, I notice that I've been hearing it subconsciously for  a few minutes and I freak out! lol I know, I'm weird! People have asked how I married a drummer, but when the repetitive sounds make music, it doesn't bother me...so it works.

My second biggest pet peeve would have to be when people don't follow through with their promises or commitments. I will admit, I have broken promises before (one even being Monday when I promised my friend I would work out and I didn't...but I fessed up..sorry Melissa...I love you!). Growing up, I experienced a lot of broken promises and it would always make me so irritated. I know things happen sometimes, but when it is a pattern is when it becomes a pet peeve. Just don't promise unless you are almost positive you will follow through. I try my best to make sure I'm following through and if I'm not that I'm at least fessing up to it and apologizing. I do not ever want to promise Liam something that I can't follow through with. I will do my best not to because I want him to trust my words.

Lastly, my third biggest pet peeve is people that suck up. I don't know why, but it just irks me. I can totally tell when someone is sucking up to me (which doesn't happen often) but even that gets on my nerves. I watch other people suck up to people and wonder if it irks them as much as it does me watching it. It kind of takes me back to the "Teacher's Pet" days. I was kind of a teacher's pet, but not from sucking up...just from getting good grades and not being a troublemaker (until high school, that is). For example, when you are in a meeting and you have that person that always shhusshes everyone...seriously, I'm going to have to ask you not to shuush me because I'm an adult! lol Or when someone agrees with everything you do, even if they don't really agree but they want to be stuck up that person's behind! Ugh, very annoying!

So, yea...don't be a brown noser...it's annoying for those that have to witness it and isn't a good look for anyone...If you have to suck up for someone to like you; then they only like you for what you do for them. Be yourself...if they like it, great...if not, who cares?!

And for those of you reading, telling you my pet peeves doesn't mean to start testing them out on me to see how annoyed I get...that would be mean...and I don't like mean people...that's my 4th pet peeve. :)

Day 21 - My thoughts on Body Image in the Media

Last night was a better night of sleep for us. No interruptions until about 6 this morning when I woke up for no apparent reason and by then, it was almost time for me to get up for work so it was hard to fall back asleep for the little bit of time I had left.

Yesterday was a rough day for our little Liam...he is teething and was crying all day and up until bedtime. We couldn't put him down without him screaming and even sometimes while holding him he would scream and those of you that know my baby, you know this is NOT the norm for him. I have a very happy baby and he hardly ever cries! I blame our friend Tracy because he asked us at church Sunday if Liam ever cried...so Liam was proving a point...thanks Tracy! ha! J/K...but yea, I felt so sad and hopeless and wanted to help him, but nothing was working. We tried rice cereal for the first time...that was hilarious...he seemed to like the first couple of spoons, but then started acting like it was gross so we stopped. He had just had a bottle so we gave him a little bit of water, thinking maybe the formula wasn't satisfying him enough, but that didn't work either...we decided around 8:30 to get out of the house and drive to the beaches and stopped in at a place called Dick's wings to enjoy some waffle fries and see if getting out worked and he was pretty happy until right before we left...so we fed him his last bottle and went home...Daneil was so patient and rocked him, held him and cuddled him until he was calm enough to fall asleep and they were still both snoozing away when I left again this morning (luckyyyy). Teething is no fun and I'm hoping today will be easier for my little man. Praying we get through this quick!

Day 21 - What are my thoughts on body image in the media?

Hmm...well, my thoughts are firstly, the media shouldn't be the decider of what body image should be and what is considered "beautiful". There are so many people in this world with body image issues due to the media and it is really sad to me. It shouldn't be about how skinny or tan you are, or what you wear (or don't wear for that matter) and how much makeup you have on...as long as you feel beautiful in your own skin no one should be able to tell you anything otherwise.

Being a mom now, this is an even more  important issue to me. I never want Liam to feel like he has to live up to anything the media tells him to be. God created him just the way he is and that is perfect for him and I tell him daily how handsome he is and will continue doing that forever, or until he tells me to stop. hehe! If I have a little girl one day (God willing), I will do everything I can to instill in her that she is beautiful and you don't have to show skin or starve yourself to be beautiful. God made us all different, and all unique...in all different colors, shapes, sizes and we should embrace it, and as long as we are taking care of our temple (the body) the way God has instructed us to, then we should stand confident in who we are and remind the media that we, the children of the King, are royalty! :)

Heavy heart...

Do you ever feel lonely?
Do you ever feel like you don't fit in anywhere?
Do you ever feel like you have no idea where your life is taking you and would pay money to find out?
Do you ever feel pressure to "perform" and have it all together?
Do you ever wish you could see the whole puzzle and skip the whole "not knowing" process?
Do you ever feel like no one understands where you are or how you feel?


I do. I have been feeling a lot of these things recently and have been asking God to reveal His heart to me. Sometimes the hardest times in life are those that you are putting all of your faith and trust in God and allowing Him to lead you into your next season. Sometimes, I want to give up, sometimes I want to do my own thing and forget about waiting on Him...but then, just before I decide to do things in my own strength, God shows up. He gives me the strength and hope I need to press on...to keep my eye on the prize and to just be still and know He is God.

The past two weeks have been the toughest for me as far as trying to find my place in this new life I have as being a mommy. But, as I continue to press in, trust God and make him priority; He continues to comfort me, and slowly reveal where He is taking me. I'm excited and although there have been many moments of tears and loneliness, I know God is doing something big and my mourning will turn into dancing. I will not give up...I will not be shaken!

He has spoken through so many people in my life recently and assured me I am on the right path...my dreams are not shattered...I am just moving into a new season and it is going to be even more amazing than the last. I cannot long for the old season or feel bad for one season coming to an end, but I have to embrace the new and be confident that God knows what he is doing and when one door closes, another will open. It's very hard when you only have pieces to the puzzle and you want to put it all together, but I have to allow God to put those pieces together for me.

He also reminded me:

I'm never alone, for He is always with me.
I do fit in with the body of Christ, and this is just a part of the transition
He will reveal to me where He is taking me and as long as I keep my eyes on Him will not lead me astray
I can be who I am in His presence. I don't have to succumb to pressure. I just need to follow His voice and leading.
I walk by faith and not by sight, and the process is what makes the final puzzle that much greater
He understands my heart and exactly how I feel and He is my comforter, my strength and my joy!

I wouldn't want to imagine my life without Him...he is truly amazing and my best friend in this life. I have to stop putting so much pressure on myself and learn to embrace the process...He knows much better than I do what is best for me, His daughter, His princess...and I trust Him.

Best and Worse Dates

I slept horrible last night! :( I think Daneil and Liam slept just as bad because every time I woke up, they were moving aroung too. I kept having the weirdest but worst nightmares and just couldn't sleep well. It was tough getting up this morning and I know I'll be in bed early tonight!

Last week, I was slacking with my workout routine since Daneil was out of town and I had a lot going on, but this week I am getting back on it! :)

So, today I am supposed to write about my best date or my worst date...bonus points for both though, so I'll write about both.

My worst date - This would probably have to be back in high school with one of my loser ex boyfriends. Firstly, I had to pick the guy up because he didn't have a car or a license...then, we got to the nice restaurant (that he picked out, might I add) and we were out for my birthday. When the check came, little did I know, I would also be paying for the dinner. Yea, that really happened to me..paid for my own birthday dinner! The saddest part is, you would think that would be my sign, but unfortunately, I didn't break it off right then and there...it took a couple of years to realize I had not yet met my "prince charming", but eventually it ended (thank God) and I moved to Jacksonville where I did get to meet "the one". :)

My best date - I would have to say my all time favorite date was with none other than the man of my dreams, Daneil Hinds. Every date with him is the best because I'm with him! (ok, mushy moment over)
If I had to pick out my best date with Daneil though it would have to be on Valentines Day back in 2007, I believe. I had a room mate at that time and asked her to go out for the evening so I could have the apartment to myself. I got all dressed up in Daneil's favorite dress on me and cooked him a nice steak dinner over candlelight. He came over, we had dinner and then he said he was driving me somewhere but it was a surprise. We got in his BMW, kept driving and driving and he stopped at a private beach here in the Jacksonville area called Mickler's Beach. It was my first time there. We got out and he walked me to the end of the dock. (I secretly thought this was the night that he was going to propose to me, but that didn't happen until 9 months later lol) Once we got to the end of the dock, he came up behind me and held me and we just looked at the stars and talked about life. The night, from start to finish was just lovely and it stands out in my mind. If I picked a recent date, it would have been the night we went to see Jim Gaffigan because we had such a good time, ate good food and laughed until we couldn't breathe! It was our first official date night since Liam was born and we really had a good time, but I didn't want to pick that one because I had already talked about it in my blog but that is definitely on the top of my list of best date nights! Here's to many many more!

My Special Someone!

Today I'm supposed to write about someone who is special to me...and the first person I think of is my husband...so although he would tell me it was an easy answer, I am going to write about him.

He is the most amazing person that I know and loves God with his whole heart and is always an encouragement for me to hunger for more of God! He is my best friend and makes me laugh even when I'm upset with him. He is the best father to my son and has exceeded all of my expectations of how a father should be and I really couldn't ask for a better father for my son!

We have been through very hard times in our marriage and our relationship the past 8 years, but he has never given up and fought for me when I didn't deserve it. He is my Heaven on earth and I am madly in love with him! He has my heart now and always will and he still gives me butterflies.

I hear horror stories of other husbands or fathers and I am reminded of how very blessed I am. I thank God every day for choosing me to be the one to stand beside Daneil in this life and start a family together!

I could go on and on about how wonderful he is to me, but writing about him is making me want to go spend time with him so I will leave it at that. :)

Thank you Daneil Hinds for being my prince charming, my everything and my something special...I love you with all that I am and love the thought of spending my life with you...thank you for who you are to me handsome! You make me smile every day and I love you!

The adventures of Daneil and Jessica wouldn't be anything without you :)

Most embarrassing article of clothing!

Phew!! Last night and today has been a super busy! We got the cars cleaned (mine still needs to be washed), groceries bought, went by the farmer's market for fresh produce, deep cleaned the house, paid bills, ran errands, and I'm working on finishing the last couple loads of laundry while Daneil is making us a nice dinner! We got a lot done and even though we still have a little more organizing to do, I am happy with the progress for today, so we are going to relax for the rest of the evening!

Today is going to be a short post, because we are pretty wiped and I want to have some family time this evening.

I am supposed to post a picture of my most embarrassing article of clothing. I will post a picture of Daneil and I in our "Twister" onsies...haha! I think it is more embarrassing for Daneil than me, but whatever!! Don't hate...we bought them for a PJ party a couple of years back! I'm sure I can't even fit in it anymore! lol I need to find Liam one so we can all match! haha!

Here it is!

It's TIME!

IT IS TIME!!!!

I heard clearly this morning in my quiet moments with the Lord that it is time for a cleanup in my life! Time for order and time to get things organized. So, this weekend I will be doing just that. Deep cleaning the house, getting rid of things we don't need and detailing both of the cars. I'm even thinking it's time to clean my desk at work although it stays pretty clean, but it could use a little dusting!

Things have been a little crazy since having a baby and over time have just gotten messier and messier and it started really getting to me the past couple of weeks. Plus, our apartment is pretty small so even when we straighten up, it still looks messy all of the time...so, I am going to do something about it and I'm not allowing myself to have any weekend fun until I get it done! :) Starting after work today, the "Summer" cleaning begins! I can't wait to have order again!

Day 17: Post 7 Random Facts About yourself.

That was hard to think of, but here we go:

1. Flowers are my favorite gift on a normal day
2. I love to dance
3. I have a step sister I have never met
4. I laugh....LOUD :)
5. I don't cook well
6. I cannot stand Peanut Butter
7. My favorite color is PINK

What have I never done that most people have?

The weekend is around the corner and I am so ready to sleep in! I have to get up every morning and watch Daneil and Liam snoozing away and wishing I could be snoozing with them. So, Saturdays are my only days to do that since I work Mon-Fri and get up early for church Sunday...so I'm definitely excited for extra snoozes on Saturday! 2 more days!

Today at work we have a baby shower and people brought so much unhealthy food...buffalo chicken dip, chili con queso dip, meatballs, cupcakes, cheesecake, BBQ pulled pork sliders...I could go on...needless to say that is not until 3pm today and I have a lunch meeting where they will probably be providing a not so healthy choice for lunch, so today will be a bad day for my healthy eating plan and I am determined to get back to working out next week...I was a slacker this week with everything going on.

I.WILL.NOT.GIVE.UP!


Day 16: What's one thing you have never done that most people have?

This one really got me thinking...I know there are a lot of things I've never done, but it was hard think of something I have never done that most people have. Sometimes I wish I could say I never experienced drugs or alcohol or did some of the bad things I have done over the years, but I am grateful for where I came from and what God brought me out of because it made me who I am today and I can minister to people through my freedom and understand what they are going through, relate to them and be an encouragement that freedom is attainable.

So I will have to stick to something a little different...I guess I would have to say most people have probably seen Twilight or Harry Potter or Star Wars and I have not seen any of them and have no desire to. Part of me at one point wanted to see what all the hype was about with Twilight, but another part of me didn't want to do it just because almost everyone and their grandma was...so I never did and do not plan to ever watch any of them.

I have also never lived in a house that was owned; not rented. We moved a lot when I was growing up and always rented. This is the first time I've lived somewhere longer than 5 years in a row...and I'm going on 8 years this year...I have no plans to move anytime soon. So, I'm sure most people can say they have lived in a house that was owned, whether it was their parent's house or a house of their own. I know most people haven't moved around as much as me, especially those that are not in the military...we moved over 25 times in my life and I'm only 26! When I turned 18, I was done moving and ready to create stability in my life...and I love having a place to call home now! :)

Good deeds!

There is such excitement in the air for me today! After work yesterday, I rushed to get home to my hunny bun and once I got there and he got Liam down for a nap, we got to sit and just talk for about an hour...no technology, or distractions, but just a good chat. To talk about his trip and things that God revealed to him during this trip and how it was so in line with things God has been revealing to me and wow, I will just say, we were both so encouraged and although there is still a lot that has yet to be revealed to us, we know God is about to do something big in our lives and we couldn't be more excited!

It all started with a few confirmations through the Word of God, prophecy and prayer...then, confirmed some more this week with a dream a close friend of ours had about Daneil just before he left to go visit that friend this week...then, Daneil and I both had a dream the next night that had a lot of similarities. I won't go into detail about the dreams because we are still getting revelation from it, but I'm sure one day we will share how it relates to our future testimony. Anyways, our friend gave Daneil a dream interpretation book and he wrote out all three dreams while he was out of town and the interpretations for things in the dreams we had and wow...it was just so in line with where we are in our lives and was so on point for the direction we feel God is taking us. So yea, not to get off on a tangent, but God is really calling us to seek His face about some things in our lives and I feel like we are about to get a HUGE download and I was too excited not to share! lol Living for God is always a fun ride!

Now onto what I'm supposed to write about today...Day 15: What was the last good deed you did for someone/someone did for you?

I don't know if I would call it a deed, but someone very close to my heart has been going through a very tough time with their health and God laid it on my heart during church a couple of weeks ago, to put together a list of healing/strength scriptures using her name as an acronym. I put it together on a board and decorated it and gave it to her to speak over her life daily. It felt so nice to bless her, since she is always giving out and blessing my family...it really did bless me to see her encouraged by it.

Last good deed someone did for me?? Hmm...Maybe my husband last night...Liam was very fussy right before bed time and I have not been feeling very good this week, so he took Liam out of the room and let me get some rest and calmed him down and got him to sleep. He does this almost on a daily basis, so I could have used another example, but this was the last good deed someone did for me lol. God has blessed me with great people in my life so I'm always surrounded by people wanting to do nice things! :)

First night without daddy!

Last night was the first night ever that Daneil spent a night away from Liam and I will say it was a tough one for me. Before having a baby I didn't like being away from my husband overnight, but since then, it is so much harder. It's almost like after a baby we have developed a deeper bond in our marriage and life just isn't the same when he isn't there. I had no appetite, I laid in the dark for a while with tears in my eyes just wishing he was there to snuggle. I started to realize how much help he REALLY is to me especially after a long day at work...he does so much for me and Liam and he takes a lot of stress off of my plate...Liam's bath time wasn't the same, his evening snuggles weren't the same...I just so appreciate him and all he does even more now! And I'm so blessed to have people in my life that are willing to be there for us when we need them. I do not know how single moms do it, but I have so much respect for them! I was talking to my Spiritual Mother last night and telling her how hard it was and how when you are so in love with your best friend and soul mate, it is hard to enjoy things without them. He was all I thought about last night and although I missed him like crazy, I put Liam in bed with me and held him in my arms all night...he wasn't feeling very well because he is really starting to teethe and that made being without Daneil even harder, but being close to Liam and smelling his baby smell comforted me so much! However, I cannot WAIT to get off work and run into my husbands arms again!!!

I woke up this morning not feeling so well but I had a busy day at work so I had to suck it up and I'm pushing through. I'm on my lunch break now and hoping the next 3.5 hours fly by for me!

Ok, Day 14: Do you have any birth marks, scars, tattoos, piercings?

I have what they call a "stork bite" on the back of my head which is a birth mark...it's just a red birth mark and all my brothers and sister have it...and now little Liam has it too! :) I don't have any scars that I can think of and I don't have any tattoos...I've seriously considered getting a tattoo on my foot or behind my ear, but I know I could not go through with it because it is too permanent for me and I feel like I would change my mind and regret what I got eventually lol Daneil really wants one though but I am not sure he will ever do it...if he does, I might but it will be something that can be easily covered. As far as piercings go...I have two in each ear and my cartilage pierced in my left ear. I had my belly button pierced for 10 years, but when I got pregnant I took it out and it closed up! :( I may get it re-pierced if I ever get a flat tummy again! ha! I would love to get another in my ear, but that's about it on the piercings!

Rich or Healthy?

Monday comes again...Always so quickly, but I'm alive and well and today I am super busy (so this will be a short post...for real lol) and the day is flying by so I can't complain...just looking forward to getting a hold of my cuddly baby boy in a few hours!

Day 13: Would you rather be rich or healthy?

I thought about this one for a second and thought, well, if I was rich, I would be able to pay for whatever I needed to be healthy again, but if it was something incurable or that money couldn't buy to fix then that would be a different story...So, I would have to say I would rather be healthy, because although money can make life a lot easier and more enjoyable and less stressful, you wouldn't be able to enjoy any of it without your health and sometimes you can't "buy" your health. Plus, I have never been rich, and I have a pretty awesome life without being rich, but when I think about living life without my health it wouldn't be so awesome! Money is not the key to happiness in my opinion.

So, today I thank God for my health...and I am grateful that I serve a God who always provides for my needs...rich or poor...so money really doesn't mean as much as my health.

Day 12 of Blog Challenge

Well, it is late and I am exhausted but I had to get my post in! :) I am proud that I didn't miss any posts this weekend!! I'm getting good at this! ha!

Just to update as promised, we had a wonderful date night last night! Jim Gaffigan was hilarious and just being out with my husband was so much fun! We definitely needed it!! Thank you Melissa for such a great gift to us...I looked over at Daneil at one point last night in tears, just telling him how happy I was and how much we needed that time out alone! It's great to have people in our life that we can trust with that sweet boy! :)

Here is a picture from our night out on the town!

Ok, on to the question for today....Day 12: Write about one of your biggest accomplishments in life.

If I have to choose one, I think I'm going to go with becoming a mommy! I know I have written about my pregnancy, mommy hood and all that a lot already, but honestly it is my life so I can help but to talk about it all the time! I never thought I would be good at the whole mom thing and I never saw myself being a mom. Ask anyone in my family, and they will tell you that growing up I always told them I would never have kids! When I first got pregnant, I was definitely a little nervous...but, as I had a little life growing inside of me, I just became in awe of God and his wonder working power...going through each week and reading the developments of my baby just left me speechless and more in love with God because He really did think of everything when it comes to creation! Now, I know why God gives us 9 months to get used to the whole idea...I think it took me that long to kind of accept how much my life was about to change and when I felt that first flutter, I just knew I was made to be a mommy! Now, I can't imagine my life without being a mom and I'm seriously loving every minute of this ride called life! Watching Liam learn new things every day and engaging with me and smiling and cooing at me...it just makes me one proud momma and so glad that I didn't stick with my original plan of having no children because he is seriously the most amazing gift I've ever received!!