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!!

Day 11 of Blog Challenge

Today will be a quick blog...why you ask?? Because I have to go get all prettied up for my HOTT DATE tonight with the love of my life!! :) Can you tell I'm excited!? And one of Liam's favorite aunties will be watching him for us so we can enjoy a night out alone!

Anyways, today's blog is hard for me to come up with something...Day 11 I am supposed to write about the worst injury I have ever had and I really haven't had a major injury in my life thank God! lol So, I guess I will have to go with the worst pain I have ever been in during my life...and I think you all know what my answer will be...AFTER LABOR! I had a really great labor, and had an epidural, so the whole labor process wasn't too bad. The worst part was having to push 2 hours and that was after a full day of contractions. My day started at 7 am and I had Liam at 7:31pm, so I was in labor a little over 12 hours, with nothing to eat and it was the most exhausted I have ever felt in my life...having said that, I will say the healing part after labor was the worst for me. When they gave me my epidural, they went in a little too far with the needle and I had a spinal leak. Sounds worse than it really is, but for 2 weeks after, I had the most horrendous headaches I've ever experienced and the only way it would go away is if I laid down...and all of you parents out there can imagine how hard that is with a newborn. If I didn't have my husband helping me and people in our church family making us meals, I don't know how we would have done it.

So, yes...not really an "injury", but the aftermath of labor and healing was by far the worst pain I have ever had in my life...but what women say is true...after a while, you forget about all the nausea, sickness and pain when you see that miracle before you...I can't wait to do it all over again one day! :)

Alright, it wasn't as short as I had planned...I've got to go get ready now...Auntie Melissa will be here soon!! I will post a picture tomorrow of our special night!

Inspiration

Today may be a long post because I have to write about someone who inspires me.

I am blessed to have many people in my life that inspire me, so it is really tough for me to choose just one to write about.

At first, I was going to write about my husband because he truly inspires me in many ways...from being the most amazing father I've ever been around or witnessed, to pushing me constantly to be the best I can be and to run after God with all I am, but when I told him I was going to write about him, he said it was too easy to choose him and to choose someone that was not "a given"...so I am going to take his advice.

One person that has truly inspired me in my life, especially recently, is one of my best friends, Sabrina. We have been close over the past 7-8 years, but in the last 2-3, have grown closer than ever before. She has been through so much in her life and has seen me go through so much, and we have had that true, raw friendship where we are there for each other when we are at our weakest moments...never judging...never turning our backs on each other, no matter how dark or bad things got, but always encouraging each other to get back up and press on. About 5 years ago, I was backslidden in my walk with God and left my "covering" to do my own thing...she was the only person that never stopped trying to reach out to me, and show me she cared...not chasing me, or asking me to come back to God, but she was just there, as a friend, and was one of the main reasons I had the confidence to come back to God. Then, about 2 years ago, I was going through the darkest time in my life  and my marriage and made some horrible mistakes, but again, she was there...reminding me of who I was in Christ, telling me she believed in me and loved me no matter what. She has always been real with me and told me what I needed to hear whether I wanted to hear it or not. She has had a big impact on my life and I feel is one of the main reasons I never gave up on myself.

Because of her love for me and her friendship, I can sit here today and say that with the help of God, of course, and people like her in my life...I am more free than I have ever been and it feels amazing!

Another reason Sabrina inspires me is because I have watched her fight for her life over the years through a sickness that tried to steal her away from us too soon, and she is the strongest woman I know. Even in her sickest times, she still juggled maintaining her marriage, 2 sons and relationships and didn't falter. She had a great support system in her family and they stayed strong for her when she was weak. I have never met a more determined person in my life.  Death was not an option for her and she fought to the end and believed God for her healing and today, she is living life to it's fullest. We have an age gap between us, but when we are together it is like there is no gap at all. She is a motherly figure when I need it, a best friend to confide in and laugh with and a great role model in not only mine and Daneil's life, but also for my son, Liam's life. I am proud to call her my friend!

Isn't she beautiful!?

Food Philosophy??

Today is a great day! Not only because I got 9 hours of perfect, undisturbed, deep sleep; or the fact that we are only one day away from Friday, but because today's blog is about food and we all know I LOVE food!! :)

Day 9: What's your food philosophy?

This sounds like such a deep question regarding food, but I take my food seriously so I was looking forward to answering it!

Although Americans have more food to eat than almost any other people in the world, there are even more diets to keep them from eating it.

Now I'm not saying that we should go out and overeat every meal, or indulge in horrible foods every day, but I am saying that God gave us food to enjoy and gave us wisdom to enjoy it correctly and with a balance. I hear of so many people going on these "healthy eating" diets, or trying things like Weight Watchers, South Beach Diet, Jenny Craig, etc...I'm not against any of these programs and I think they are great for some people that stick with it, but a diet is just that and is only a temporary fix unless you continue with it forever. The definition of a diet is something a person eats; or the food a  person consumes. No where in that definition does it say, a diet is done for 60 days, 90 days, until you lose the weight you want, etc...you have to change your lifestyle of eating. If you diet just to lose weight and don't plan on continuing with the healthy eating lifestyle forever, you will just end up gaining all of that weight back and sometimes even more, so there is really no point.

Not that I am a nutritionist by any means, but for me personally, I am trying to lose my baby weight and get into a healthy eating lifestyle. I started by taking it slow and didn't try to cut everything cold turkey or I knew I would fail. I started by slowing down my fast food intake and then slowly cutting out my daily soda. Now I have been 2 weeks without fast food (other than chick-fil-a day) and have had a half of one soda. That is big for me and I plan to continue with cutting those two out until they are gone completely. I'm not saying I won't indulge every now and then, but I do not want it to be the norm for my diet. There will be times I enjoy a slice of pizza or two, or chow down on some fried okra or lasagna...just not as often as I was.

Recently, I have been going to the Farmer's Market to buy fresh produce and my husband and I have been cooking meals at home every day...that helps keep us away from fast food and also saves us money and we plan to continue that lifestyle. We will also be doing the same thing for Liam by making him fresh baby food ourselves at home once he starts solids in a couple of weeks...I think it is important to start them young so they know nothing different other than healthy eating :) Soon, we also want to start juicing once a day to ensure we are getting the proper nutrients and after a lot of research, we have realized how very healthy it is for us.

Ok, I didn't really mean to get into my personal new way of eating healthy, but there you have it!

The bottom line is...my food philosophy is to enjoy the food God has given us to eat and don't starve yourself because it is only a temporary fix. God created food for us to enjoy, but we need to learn portion control, to eat fresh foods and to only indulge every so often if you want to...it all comes back to one of my favorite words...balance!!

There are ways to enjoy foods the healthy way...do what works best for you and set attainable goals!!

Day 8 of Blog Challenge

Made it halfway through the work week so far and Friday is so close, I can almost taste it! I am more excited about this weekend than most weekends because I get to go on my date night with my husband finally! That means, I will be able to get all dressed up (with somewhere to go), have a nice dinner and end the night watching our favorite comedian, laughing together! I have butterflies just thinking about it! Come on weekend!

Today's question has really got me excited and ready for the future but also making me feel like I need to stop sitting around and get on it!

Day 8: How do you invision your life being in 5 years?

I'm sure God has some great things in store for my family and I in the next 5 years...Liam will be 5 years old...Oh.my.gosh!! That is crazy! In 5 years, I invision my life being even more amazing...I'm sure we will have at least one other child by then (God willing) and I would love to be homeowners with at least one new(er) car and be debt free with great credit. My dream would be that in 5 years I would have taken the necessary steps to get my own business started up and that I would be a well known Wedding Planner in Jacksonville. This time last year, I was going to get all the certifications I needed to get started, but I found out I was pregnant and wanted to save all of our extra money...so, I put the dream back on hold again. I'm thinking it's about time to get back on that, but it will be difficult working full time with an infant and keeping up with everyhing else. It's a sacrifice, and I want to make sure I'm ready for the sacrifice before I committ to it, so that I don't set myself up for failure. But, definitely in 5 years, I am praying that I have made that sacrifice and at least taken steps towards my dream.

I would also love to see my husband's business go viral within 5 years so that I won't have to work full time and can stay home with my kid(s) and pursue my dreams. God told me years ago, that although I have put my dreams on the "back burner" for now...and supported my husband in his dreams, he hasn't forgotten about mine and I will have my own business and ministry one day...this was confirmed a few times in different ways, so I know it will happen...It is all in the right timing! So, I will be patient until then.

Another dream of mine is to write a book...it's always been on my "imaginary" bucket list, but through this blog challenge and hearing about how people actually enjoy reading my writing (which shocked me, in a way...I mean, I have always loved writing, but more as a hobby and didn't think people enjoyed reading my writing as much as I did...lol) that desire has definitely come back strong, so I'm praying about what I would like to write it on. I've thought something about being a Christian mom and juggling family, church, work and life...but I'm still not sure...God will reveal it to me in time...but in 5 years, I would like to have at least started writing it.

So, I could go on and on about where I invision my life in 5 years, but I think I have given myself plenty to work towards so I will leave it at that. I do feel inspired and feel things stirring up inside of me just by writing all of this out. :)

Stay tuned for tomorrow's blog post...for those of you that know me, it has to do with food...and you know I LOVE me some food...it will be a good one...signing off until then!

Day 7 of Blog Challenge

It's a terrific Tuesday and time for the next blog challenge post! Can you tell I was in bed at a decent time last night and had almost a full 7 hours of sleep and I'm feeling pretty fabulous this morning?! I'm a night owl, so during the week, I usually go to bed way too late and regret it the next morning. I won't lie, it was still tough getting out of my cozy bed this morning...especially the fact that the room was quiet, dark, cold and Daneil was keeping me warm with his body heat (am I making you miss your bed yet?) but work has to be done and money has to be made...it was nothing a nice warm cup of coffee couldn't help me with. :)

Ok, on to today's question...

Day 7: If you could live in any time period from the past, when would it be and why?

This is an easy one for me to answer because I've always said, if I could live in any time period from the past, it would have been the late 1800's early 1900's...I think Titanic did it to me...all the women got to get all dressed up in their flashy, fluffy dresses and huge feather hats and drink tea! It would be like a tea party every day! What woman wouldn't love that!? Now, I wouldn't enjoy the whole girdle thing and not being able to breathe or bend over without passing out, but being able to dress up every day for no apparent reason and having that hourglass figure would make the whole "not able to breathe" thing worth it. I'm sure women from that time period may not agree if they had the opportuniy to wear the comfy clothes we have these days, but it still doesn't change my mind. Plus, being pale was considered beautiful, so I would have fit right in the beauty category with my pale skin and wouldn't have to pay for a tan anymore! ha!
Men would dress up in their Sunday best every day and wouldn't have their "pants on the ground" and wouldn't wear shirts that are 5 times too big for them...or better yet, these days...they wouldn't be wearing pants that are tighter than their girlfriend's! Men and women dressed for success in those days and I think it would be so much fun to "play dress up" every day!

Who wouldn't want to wear awesome outfits like this??

Day 6 of Blog Challenge

Why do the weekends always seem to pass by so quickly? It's already Monday again and I'm back at work, missing my husband and baby boy...especially knowing Liam isn't feeling too good, it was extra hard to kiss him goodbye before I left this morning, when all I wanted to do was pick him up, cuddle him and just stare at him for hours. I cannot wait until 5:00 pm!! But here's to a great Monday that goes by quickly!

Day 6: If you could spend 15 minutes with any celebrtiy, who would it be and why?

I can already hear my hubby and those that know me well enough, laughing at this question and thinking that right away I would choose Channing Tatum...well, for obvious reasons haha, but I'm NOT, so ha! Tricked ya! :)

If I could spend 15 minutes with any celebrity, I think I would choose Donald Trump. He is obviously a very wealthy and successful celebrity and I would take those 15 minutes to ask him how he became so successful and maybe throw in there at the end about sharing a portion of his wealth with me. :) Just kidding (kinda), but I would let him taste my husband's hot sauce (Keep It Saucy) and ask if he was interested in investing in his business or if he knew anyone that would be interested because Daneil is so talented and I know if one person with the right contacts and money got a hold of his product that his business would take off. Plus, once his business did take off, I would be able to open a business of my own and be a wedding planner and spend more time at home and in ministry like I have always dreamed!

So, yea...not sure how I would accomplish all that in 15 minutes with Donald Trump, but I would sure as heck give it a try!

I always remind myself of something a man of God said to Daneil a while back...and I hold on to this because I know, one day, we will meet "that person".

"You are one person away from your breakthrough" -Prophet Benjamin Smith

Day 4 & 5 of Blog Challenge

Yes, I missed my first blog post yesterday! It's hard for me on the weekends, because I usually stay pretty busy and when I'm not at work, I'm not at the computer much since my job involves being on a computer all day, plus...I've been taking care of my little boy while he is overcoming a cold so it's been a little crazy...please forgive me...I will put yesterday and today's post into one.

Day 4: If you could rid the world of one thing, what would it be?

This is a tough one...I first thought, I would rid the world of evil and then asked my husband what he would rid the world of, and he said he would rid the world of racism and that if the world had no evil, then we wouldn't know what "goodness" was...which made me change my mind...so, I think if I could rid the world of one thing, I would rid the world of hate. I feel like if there was no hate in this world, that a lot of things would be different. If we could all learn to love each other regardless of race, culture, beliefs, opinions, lifestyle, age, size, etc or what someone could do for us and learned to love each other the same way Christ loves us, everything we know would change for the better and we would would live "Heaven on earth". War would be no longer...strife would be non existent. I am constantly asking God to help me love those that are hard to love and to help me love others the same way He loves them...it is a hard thing to do sometimes, but with God, anything is possible...and with that, I will end off with my favorite scripture on LOVE :)

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, 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.

Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

Day 5: Post of picture of something or someone that made your day feel special.

Well, every day...my little family makes me feel special in one way or another, but tonight, as I watched my son being held by one of my closest friends in the world, and he slept on her chest during worship at church, I was just so overwhelmed by my love for my sweet baby. I was brought to tears as I stared at his angel face and saw the innocence on him. Just made me feel proud to be his mom, but also scared for him to find out how this world really is as he grows up and experiences things...I want to protect him from it all, but know that I can't...I will just do my best to raise him in a Godly home showing him love and protecting him from what I can, and just trusting God with the rest...so, today, my son, Liam made me feel special...like he does every day...but just a little extra special! :)

Day 3 of Blog Challenge

For those that know me really well, you know that I LOVE going to the movies any chance that I get!! They are so expensive these days, that I usually only go if I'm in need of a date night or if it is a movie that I simply can't wait to come out on DVD lol

Speaking of date night, before I get on to answering the question for today's blog challenge, I wanted to say how excited I am about my next date night! One of my best friends surprised my husband and I with two tickets to go see one of our favorite comedians next Saturday and we are going on a much needed date night...For those of you that read my goals for the month, this is checking one off of that list!! Right on track, and giving myself a pat on the back! :)

Moving on to the question for today...

Day 3: What was the last movie that you saw in theatres?

The last movie that I went to see in Theatres was Madea's Witness Protection Program! Madea is my favorite movie character when it comes to comedy and my husband and I catch every movie that comes out. This one was by far the funniest of all the Tyler Perry movies that I have seen. I would recommend to anyone in need of a good laugh or two!

And having said that, I will leave you with this....until tomorrow :)

Day 2 of Blog Challenge!

Well, I tried "prettying" up my blog a bit and I'm still working on some things, so hope you like the new layout! Today is day 2 of the blog challenge and I was excited about this one because it is near and dear to my heart! :)

Day 2: If you could offer a newborn child one piece of advice, what would it be?

Seeing that I have a newborn child, this question really got me thinking...and it is so hard to only come up with one piece of advice when I want to share all the advice I have with his innocent little self. I'm sure, through the years, I will be able to share it all with him though!

God is a huge part of my life and at first I was going to say something about always putting God first and never compromising your beliefs to please others, but I think that is always the expected answer, so I will go in a little bit of a different direction today. I learned while I was pregnant and especially now that I have a child, that people love to give advice on what did or didn't work for them, what is "right" and "wrong" when it comes to parenting, etc...but I've also learned that their advice was not always helpful to me in my own life or "right" for me and my situation....So, if I could offer a newborn one piece of advice I would say...Never follow advice, no matter how good it sounds or feels, until you know in your spirit that the advice is wise and right for you.

MIA for a While, but BACK!!

Do you remember me? The one that started a blog over a year ago and only posted 3 blogs before signing off for a year?? Yea, that's me!! And boy, have I missed blogging, but life has been very full of lots of surprises since I last posted!! To break it down; since my last blog post, I grew in my relationship with God, my marriage has continued to flourish, I've made a lot of great new friends and the biggest change, was that I got pregnant and had the most beautiful little baby boy on April 25th, 2012. We named him Liam Tristan and he was born at 7:31 pm at 7 lbs. 3 oz. and 21 1/4 inches long! Dr's told me I couldn't get pregnant a little over a year ago, but God had a different plan (and that is a whole different story for another time)! I had a great pregnancy and labor experience and my baby boy is already over 3 months old!! We are taking him to get his 3 month pictures done this weekend and I'm so excited!! Until then, here is one of my favorite pictures of him.

So yes, life has changed so much, in a great way over the past year! I love being a mommy!!

Since I got pregnant, I joined a couple of pregnancy boards and got to know some Mom's that were due in April just like me...after lots of searching, I found the most amazing group of women in a group on Facebook. I will refer to them as "April Momma's" or "April Aunties". We have shared so many things throughout our pregnancies and now mommyhood and as corny as it sounds, have really grown close as a group. I've never met any of them face to face (although, we totally want to plan a trip one of these days when we are rich), but I am truly thankful for each and every one of them. I don't have many people around me, my age, that have kids yet, so it is so nice to have a group of awesome ladies that I have that in common with that understand how different life is with a child or children. We have shared our hearts with each other and some of our deepest thoughts and have been there to support each other through so much! I never thought I would get so close to a group of people that I haven't even met, but even my husband says he is so glad that I have them in my life! He is starting to even know them by name because I talk about them so much! :)

A few weeks ago, one of our fellow April momma's mentioned something about blogging and asked if anyone was interested in doing a Blog Challenge. I love to write and put my thoughts and memories out on paper, so I of course was on board with that. So, today we will start a 31 day blog challenge! I will do my very best to keep up with this every day, but forgive me if I miss a day or two. :) Today is the first day of the challenge and I'm new to this so bare with me and I'm still working on making it pretty to look at!

Day 1: Write your goals for the Month

My goals for this month are as follows:

1. Continue working out 4-5 times a week
2. Eat no fast food (With the exception of today for Chick-fil-a Appreciation Day)
3. Keep up with my blog every day and continue with it after this challenge :)
4. Go on at least one date with my husband
5. Go treat myself to a much needed pedicure
6. Get pictures from my Pregnancy, Liam's Delivery and his first 3 month session printed and posted around the house and sent out to family
7. Deep clean my apartment
8. Begin my daily devotional
9. Start on Liam's Scrapbook
10. Go through Liam's newborn clothes that no longer fit and get out all of the 3-6 month clothes

I'm going to stick with that list of 10 things for the month. I hope to get it all done!!

Until tomorrow, I am signing off! Happy reading!! :)