Picture Perfect

Grayson and his bear bear

This is what I live for! There is only one thing I wanted to be when I was a kid and that was a MOMMY! I love my life, I love my job, I LOVE my Army Brats!

Fat Tuesday

Well, it's Tuesday again. This week, I started training for a 5k. I have never run in a real race before, I thought I'd start small and work my way up. After I complete a 5k, I'd like to train for a 10K and then a half marathon. I don't think I want to do a full marathon, although, who knows how I will feel after running a half. When I was running before, (pre Grayson pregnancy) fat was just melting off of my body. It was amazing. I do hope to lose weight (LOTS OF WEIGHT) but more importantly, I want to be in good physical shape.

Today, I ran about 2.7 miles in 30 minutes. My goal is to get up to 3 miles in 30 minutes. I believe that is a reasonable goal :). My food today, consisted of eggs with hot sauce for breakfast, coffee (can't seem to give it up), lunch meat, celery, zucchini, carrots, and honey dew melon for lunch, a chocolate no-bake cookie for snack (okay I gave in to temptation....but I just had ONE!!!), and chicken for dinner. Breakfast and lunch were GREAT, but I admit, I may have eaten a little too much for dinner and the cookie was a fail on my part....BUT....May we all be reminded that not long ago, I would have eaten 3 or 4 cookies, and done bad for breakfast and lunch too. SO....I AM doing better. I did REALLY good yesterday (almost perfect) and I can do even better tomorrow. And I don't feel like I totally failed today. ANYWAY..........

MY challenge this week is for everyone to go check out the couch to 5k running program at http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml and give it a whirl!

9/11 Heroes Run in San Diego

On September 11, 2011 there will be a race dedicated to the heroes of 9/11 in about 15 different states across the US. They want people from all over the country to come together to honor the heroes of 9/11. The motto is "Honor the fallen by challenging the living." I just wanted to give it a quick plug because, my childhood bestie is helping to organize the race in San Diego, CA, and because I think it is an awesome way to honor our fallen heroes. You can visit their website at http://www.911heroesrun.com/.

Also, you can go to the San Diego Race's facebook page and post a picture of your favorite American Hero (military, firefighter, police, EMT, etc.) https://www.facebook.com/pages/911-Heroes-Run-San-Diego/234426383240554?sk=wall

My hero is the one pictured on the right! :)

Fat Tuesday

To weigh in or not to weigh in.....well, I haven't yet today, and I kinda don't want to. My mother in law was in town last week and she is from the south and well, you know what they do down there?? They fry stuff, that's what! Granted, I did stay pretty active, for the most part, and I feel good. I don't want to go weigh in today, though. I just don't want to be disappointed! Anyway, today I really have not felt that hungry ( due to a weird little stomach bug) so I haven't eaten much at all. I know they say you need to eat in order to lose weight, but I just don't see a point if I am not hungry. When I DO feel hungry, then, I will eat a small meal, when I DON'T feel hungry, I won't eat. One of my problems with why I gained weight was because I ate all the time....even when I was not hungry. I feel that in order to break that habit, I should ONLY eat when I AM hungry. Makes since to me. So, all that being said, I am not weighing in today. I feel good right now, I know I am making positive choices, and I'll just weigh in next week.

On a different note, I have been playing Dance Central on the KINECT today, and whoever said that dancing is a great workout was SOOOO RIGHT! Just like last week, I am having a great time while working out. I love it! Although, dancing is NOT my forte, I am having a blast....by myself, of course. It really makes me miss my friends back home because I KNOW they would be dying laughing right along with me. Anyway, gotta go for a run tonight and my workout for today will be complete.

This week, I challenge you to laugh, whether it be at someone else, or at yourself. (Laughter is proven to be good for you) Lighten up, let go of the worries of the world and just LAUGH! :)

My Lost Wedding Ring :(

A few weeks ago I lost my wedding band. It made me so sad...I cried. I absolutely LOVED that thing. It was a simple ring, white gold with about 10 tiny diamonds going across the top of it. Matt gave it to me last May after we made it through a terrible storm in our marriage. The original band is a wrap around band that goes with my engagement ring. I had intended to have those two saudered together to make one ring when he gave me the new band, but I never got around to it. I still have the engagement ring and wrap, the problem is, that since I was pregnant, my finger has been too fat to wear it. I feel so naked without a ring on my finger. For now, until I replace my lost wedding band, I guess I will have to wait until my finger loses some fat so that I can wear a wedding ring again. :( Anyway....hopefully my dear husband will be eager to replace the band and I PROMISE to never lose a ring again. :)

Where You Go I'll Go

This morning, I read the book of Ruth in the Bible. I LOVE that story! If you have not read it, you really should. It is a very short book in the Bible, but the story is touching and has big meaning.

It is about a woman named Naomi who had 2 sons. Her sons both were married and before they were able to bear children wih their wives, both of them died. When Naomi's sons died, she told her 2 daughters in laws to go home back to their families and start over. One of the daughters in laws did as she was told, but Ruth refused. She wanted to stay with Naomi, even if it meant she would not ever be married again. So, faithfully, she followed Naomi. The two women lived together and a little while later Ruth met a man named Boaz. The two got married and Ruth gave birth to a baby boy named Obed.

First of all, the summary I just gave is just that...a summary. The story itself is much more in depth. What I love the most about the whole story is how Ruth's faithfulness to her mother in law was rewarded with God's blessings in more ways than one. It would have been so much easier for her, I am sure, to just have gone home. But, becasue she was committed to her husband and his mother, she chose to take her chances and follow Naomi instead. Because of that, she was able to meet Boaz and fall in love all over again and have a baby....Obed....who happens to be the grandfather of King David who happens to be in the family line of Jesus himself! Now tell me that God did not have his hand in THAT!!!!

I feel like I can relate to Ruth in a way.....As a military wife, I am called to follow my husband wherever he goes. Like Ruth, I have to have faith that God knows what he is doing and that HIS plans are bigger than mine. Sometimes, just going home WOULD be easier. But, what blessings will I miss out on if I take the easy road? Our husbands need to know that we will follow them...wherever they go. He IS my family now, and God will bless me for being faithful to him.

Fat Tuesday (on Wednesday)

So yesterday, I didn't have a chance to blog for Fat Tuesday....so here it is today on WEDNESDAY! :)

This week I have been helping out at Soccer Camp for my church. Mind you, it has been almost 10 years since the last time I kicked a soccer ball. I was a little intimidated at first, especially since I was "coaching" with a girl who played all through college. But apparently, playing soccer is like riding a bike...you just don't forget. It felt so good to be doing something that I used to love so much. It felt so familiar and it made me feel good.

So what does all of that have to do with Fat Tuesday? Well, if you know anything at all about the game of soccer, you will know that it is a VERY physically demanding game. As much as I hate running and exercising, I LOVE playing soccer. So, it got me thinking that I need to start incorporating things I enjoy doing into my workout routine. If the kids, Matt and I went out to a field and ran around with a soccer ball for an hour, the whole family would get a good cardio workout while spending time together and having fun all at the same time. You really can't beat that....3 stones in one!

So my challenge to you, this week, is to get outside with your family or friends, and do something you love. Go swimming, play a game of basket ball or (like in my case) kick around a soccer ball. You will be burning calories and having fun all at the same time! :)

Current weight: 196 (i lost 2 lbs!)
Goal next week 193

My Best Friend's Wedding

One very hard part of being a military wife is packing up and leaving home. When we left South Carolina 3 years ago, it was hard. I missed my friends and family like crazy. No amount of time can change that. Now, 3 years later, I still miss them all very much. Living so far away, I have to make hard decisions concerning visits home and stuff. One super hard choice I had to make recently was to miss my best friend's wedding. When I made the decision, initially, I knew that missing the wedding would suck, but I didn't expect it to suck this bad. I wish I could have been there...I really really do. I know she was upset when the news broke that we were not coming. Understandably. She says she is no longer upset about it, but I have not heard from her in a few weeks, and I can't help but feel like she is still mad. I have two other friends who I have not spoken to either, in a while. I cant help but feel like I am losing them. I don't want to grow apart... I love them, and can't imagine my life without them in it. Seeing them having fun there makes me sad. I miss those times. This is confusing for me....am I just being a crazy person, or what? What can I do to hold on to the precious friendships that I hold so dear to my heart. Going home more than once a year is out of the question right now, since we live 17 hours away. I don't neccisarily live in a fabulously exciting place for them to come and visit...although, they are welcome to come any time. I know that leaving home and moving on is what people do. Especially people in the military. And I have made GREAT friends here, and I look forward to creating new bonds with new people for the rest of my life, but no bond will ever replace the life long bonds that I have made with my girls back home. Anyway, I am having a bit of a pity party tonight becasue I am so very sad that I missed my best friend's wedding yesterday. :(

Sunscreen Beware!

I took Grayson to the pool on Sunday and put the Coppertone baby sunscreen on him. Almost immediately, he broke out in HIVES all over his face and neck, his nose started running, his eyes got watery and red. I was so freaked out! I immediately tried to wash it off, but because it was waterproof, I couldn't get it off completely.

I wasn't sure what to do, so I posted about it on Facebook. One girl told me that she only used Aveno for babies. So, I went to Wal-Mart and got some. Today, we went to the pool again, and I put it on him. It was GREAT! No hives, no red eyes and NO SUN BURN!!! I met a lady that said she also knows someone who's baby had an allergic reaction to the Coppertone. I'm totally not hating on the Coppertone, by any means, but it must have SOMETHING in it that is causing this. I plan on doing some research on the ingredients listed to conclude what caused my boy to break out like that, then I can avoid ALL products with that particular ingredient. I will post an update when I search further for an answer. In the mean time I am just so thankful to have found a sunscreen that works, as we plan to spend LOTS of time outside this summer.

Fat Tuesday

Okay, so I know I said I was gonna be patient with myself through this whole weightloss thing but MAN it takes forever!! Isn't it funny how in a day I can gain 5 lbs. but it takes me 2 weeks to lose those 5 lbs. The fact is, that TRUE weightloss only happens over time. Because of this, I have concluded that I need to small weekly goals. That way there will always be a light at the end of the tunnel!!!

This week's Fat Tuesday Challenge is to try this recipe for a Green Smoothie that I got from The Beauty Detox Solution by Kimberly Snyder ( http://www.kimberlysnyder.net/blog/tag/the-beauty-detox-solution/ ). Don't be turned off by the ingredients. At first, I totally thought it was gonna be hard to swallow, but I was pleasantly suprised at how tasty it actually is!!! It's also a really GREAT way to get in your daily veggies!!!

Yields 60 oz. (one serving is approx. 16oz. you can refrigerate or freeze leftovers)


Ingredients
1 1/2 C. Water
1 Head Chopped Romaine Lettuce
1/2 Bag of baby spinach
3 Stalks of Celery
1 Apple cored and chopped
1 Pear cored and chopped
1 Banana
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions:
1. Add the first 3 ingredients to your blender and blend on a low speed until smooth.
2. Next add the celery, apple, and pear at a higher speed.
3. Last, add the banana and lemon juice
4. ENJOY!!!

This Weeks Goals:
1. To lose 3 lbs. by next Tuesday
2. To replace lunch, everyday, with a yummy green smoothie!!
3. To workout 6 days this week!

Weight to date: 197

Tornados

For all those who have been wondering or worrying, we were not near the big tornado that hit Joplin, MO last week. We are actually about 3 hours east of Joplin. My heart is broken for those people, though. The stories I have heard make my stomach twist into knots. Havign something that big and devastating hit so close to home has woken me up and made me realize how suddenly everyting in know and love could be gone. It could happen to us, here in Fort Leonard Wood, just as it happened to them. Everyday is precious. Every minute I get to spend with my kids and husband is priceless. There are people in Joplin, MO, right now who would give everything for just one more minute with their lost loved ones.

Last week, on the last day of school, I was in line to pick up Regan. It was raining and the skys were dark. It began to hail and the tornado sirens started going off. I was so scared. I was in my car with my baby and my 4 year old, and all I could think of was, "what the hell am I going to do if a tornado comes my way". Then I saw other people getting out of their cars and running into the school. So I followed them. I got Jordan and Grayson out of the car and ran with them across the parking lot into the building. My heart was pounding in my throat the whole time. When I got into the school everyone was in a bit of a panic. Mom's and dads were looking for their children. The kids were all lined up against the walls in a duck and cover position. I found Regan and sat next to her. Thankfully, the tornado that caused the alarms to sound didn't do any damage. I was glad to be safe inside the school with my kids at the time.

These things are scary. In 10 short minutes a whole town can be destroyed by a tornado! My heart and prayers are with everyone in Joplin. I pray that God wraps his arms around these people and comforts them as they learn to cope and heal. I will cherish every minute that I get with my loved ones, and I will try to (an I encourage you to try to) remember everyday to not take one single minute for granted.

Fat Tuesday

Well, one week has passed and I must say I have done TERRIBLE!
I started off all hyped and ready to lose weight. Of course, I worked out the first day and semi ate right then I just fell off the wagon. In fact, I fell off so bad that I didn't even get back on until yesterday! Getting started is the hardest part about starting a weight loss plan. But I must say, that today was the best day yet.

Sooooo....that being said, I have really not lost any weight this week. I didn't gain any (Thank God!) but I didn't lose any either.

 I also decided that I am not going to post a new picture until 40 days has passed since I took last weeks picture (which will be June 19th). I chose 40 because in the Bible, it seems like 40 is the magic number. Moses went up onto the mountain for 40 days....Noah built the ark and it rained for 40 days....Jesus spent 40 days fasting....so, 40 seems, to me, to be a good goal. My goal in the next 40 days is to have lost at least 10 lbs.

My friend, Billie, gave me a GREAT idea for Fat Tuesdays. Every Fat Tuesday, I am going to post a Fat Tuesday Challenge at the bottom of the blog. I will do the challenge and I want everyone who reads it (no matter your size) to do the challenges with me and then comment about it. Let's support and encourage each other. This could be fun!!

So....I look forward to this week! I feel like I know what my weaknesses are a little better today than I did a week ago. My goal for next Tuesday is to lose 2-3 lbs. and to be able to tell you all how great I feel!

This weeks Fat Tuesday Challenge is - While watching TV, this week, do 50 crunches during each commercial break! :)

My Regan

I had a conference with Regan's teacher today, and I received some of the BEST compliments a mom could ask for. Not only is my little girl smart, but she is also well behaved, and a good person. I mean, I already KNOW how very special she is, but when you hear it from someone else it just makes my heart so HAPPY! I am so so proud of my little angel. I can not believe that she will be out of Kindergarten in less than 2 weeks. It seems like just yesterday she was born. 1st grade is for the big kids....she's not a baby anymore. When your precious child grows up it is so bittersweet to say the least. I am so very proud of the girl she has become but I miss the sweet little baby that she was. All I want for my kids is for them to be happy, healthy, and to love the Lord. I hope that I can teach them how to love others and be joyful givers. My little Regan is already that kind of person. I am so so very proud of her!!!! :)

 Regan Brooke Helton born June 21, 2005

My sweet baby girl- 2 months old

Regan holding her baby sister Jordan 

hahaha...I loved this shirt :)

Regan on her 1st birthday

Regan on her 2nd Birthday

She has always been a little princess :)

Her very 1st haircut (age 3)

Regan on her 3rd birthday

Regan and her friend, Amaya (Spring 2009)

The summer before kindergarten (5 years old)

her very own style! :) (age 5)

Regan's 1st day of Kindergarten!!!

Look how much she has grown!!!

Regan at school during lunch time!!

Regan holding her baby brother, Grayson

Our little singing angel :)

And this is her now....almost 6 years old!!!
I will cherish these years, because they go by way too fast!!

Random Ramble....

There is just so much on my mind right now, I can't sort it all out. SO...I'm just gonna blog. It seems to get things kinda sorted....at least a little. Anyway, bear with me...this could be a little bit of a random type thing where I just randomly ramble (as I am doing right now).

Today (and yesterday, and everyday for that matter) has been a major FAT day! UGH! I just feel sluggish and lumpy and I hate that I can feel my tummy rolling over the top of my pants when I am sitting down. I only WISH it was just a muffin top....shoot! This thing is a spare TIRE! Nothing is comfortable. And you can forget the diet this week! That went out the window when I went to a pampered chef party and ate like 4 of those s'more bites! And then it took another turn for the worse when I had Papa Murphy's Pizza and buffalo chicken dip the other night. My problem with weight loss is not exercise. I can do that! It is FOOD! Food is my drug. I eat when I am happy, when I am sad, when I am bored, and when I am celebrating. Rarely, do I eat just because I am hungry. I am pathetic when it comes to food. Really, I know that food should NOT be the enemy. But over the years, I have let it become just that. I let it control me...every part of me. I never realized how bad it was until I started trying to eat better this week. Never in my life have I had to work THIS hard to lose weight. And, please, spare me the "but you just had a baby" talk...I had a baby 5 MONTHS AGO! I could have at least lost 10 lbs in that 5 months, am i right?? Instead, I have GAINED 5 lbs. No, the weight I have to lose now, has NOTHING to do with a baby. It has everything to do with my horrible food habits of overeating and boredom snacking. So what now....well, I can tell you one thing, I am NOT posting a pic this Tuesday for Fat Tuesday. I will, however, let you know how Monday and Tuesday go. Other than that, I am just going to take it one day at a time. I am going to find someone here who I can call when I am feeling like I need a food fix. Someone who won't judge me...someone who KNOWS how I feel. Then, I am going to read my Bible and pray. See, one thing I have recently realized is that I have allowed my obsession with food (whether it is about eating it or not eating it) totally become the one and only thing I think about ALL day. Which means, I am allowing it to be my god. The Bible says not to put anything before God, and that is what I have been doing. It also says not to worry about ANYTHING....and I worry about food all day. Whether I am overeating or dieting, it consumes me. So, that's just it. I need to replace all of that with God's word. So, from now on...I am going to pray every morning that God helps me to know when I am truly hungry and ask him to guide me in making nutritious choices for my body. Then, I will bless my food (because my MIL says that if you don't bless your food you get double the calories....yikes!). Then, all day, when I am feeling bored or depressed, or happy, or celebratory, I am going to open my Bible and read. I am going to do this for 40 days. (According to the Bible, 40 days is the magic number, right??) Throughout that time I will blog my progress (minus the picture)...and after that 40 days, I will take my 2nd picture. What can you do?? Well, if you want to go on this journey with me, I would LOVE to hear from you. If you don't then I would LOVE it if you could just pray for me. I want this to not only be a time for me to shrink physically, but to GROW spiritually, as well!!! 1 Timothy 4:8 says, "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." That is my answer, straight from God himself!!!

Wow! I totally did not know that I would come up with all of that. Really, I just wanted to complain about how horrible I have done this week on my weight loss journey. Instead, I complained a little, and came up with a solution in one sitting! Well, I didn't do anything. I believe that God allowed me to sort out my thoughts just enough to get a clear head so that He could tell me what I needed to do in this situation. So...I am done rambling for now and....I actually DO feel MUCH better! :)

Project Baby Food

         I have recently started to make my own baby food. I have experimented with different things and that has been kind of fun! The problem I was having was that Grayson was not wanting anything to do with jarred vegetables. In fact, the only things I could get him to eat was bananas, apples, and pears. I started wondering if he was getting all of the nutrition that he needs just eating fruit all day. So...I decided to try making MY OWN recipes, and Voilà! he was eating VEGETABLES!!! 


       First I started with sweet potatoes, he LOVED them! I did, however, sweeten them a little bit of all natural brown sugar and cinnamon. This morning, I made butternut squash sweetened with a little bit of honey, fresh mangos (YUMM!), carrots (sweetened with a little brown sugar), and apples! Not only did my house smell WONDERFUL while I cooked the fruits and vegetables, but they all tasted really yummy. I got the approval from two of the best (and most honest) taste testers in the world, my girls. :)


          Not only was making the baby food really fun (I love to cook), I also KNOW what I put in it, how much, and where the vegetables and fruit came from. I know that my baby is getting the most nutrition and no preservatives. I am also saving a ton of money. Initially, buying all of the produce cost more than buying a weeks worth of jar food, but in the long run, the food I made out of the produce made WAY more baby food than 1 weeks worth. 

Here are the recipes for the stuff I made today...

MANGOS

• Make sure the mango is ripe (soft when you squeeze it)
• If you buy a mango that is not ripe yet, set it in your window sill and it will be ripe in a day or two, depending on the state it is in when you buy it. 
• Peel the skin off of the Mango with a potato peeler
• Slice it up and put the pieces into your food processor or blender
• Blend!
• If you want a smoother texture you can add a little bit of soy yogurt to the mangos before you blend it.
• I didn't add ANYTHING...Mangos are so sweet, they are delicious by themselves.
• After it reaches the consistency of your liking, spoon it into an ice cube tray
• Cover the tray with plastic wrap and freeze until frozen
• When frozen solid, transfer the mango cubes into freezer safe bags 
• Keep the bags in the freezer and get out what you need when you need it!
• A great way to thaw your mangos is in warm water (you can put the mango cubes into a baggie and place the baggie into the warm water)
• Try not to microwave, as that kills the good stuff!!!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH

• Preheat the oven to 425
• Peel the squash with the potato peeler
• Cut in half length wise
• Spoon out the seeds
• Cut into smaller pieces and place the pieces into a baking dish
• Add about 1/2 inch of water in the bottom of the dish
• Sprinkle with brown sugar (or whatever tickles your fancy)
• Cover with foil and bake until squash is soft enough to cut with a fork.
• Spoon pieces into blender (add some of the juices from the baking dish) and blend!
• I added a little bit more brown sugar for taste
• Let it cool completely BEFORE freezing (freezing warm food can cause bacteria to grow)
• Follow the steps above for freezing and storing!

CARROTS

• Preheat the oven to 425
• Place baby carrots in baking dish (you can use regular carrots but baby carrots were way easier)
• Pour about 1/2 inch of water into bottom of pan
• Sprinkle with brown sugar 
• Cover with foil and bake until carrots can be cut with a fork
• Spoon carrots into blender and add juices from pan and BLEND!
• Cool completely BEFORE freezing
• Follow steps above for freezing and storing!

APPLES

• Preheat oven to 425
• Peel apples with potato peeler
• Cut and core the apples
• Place into baking dish with 1/2 inch of water on bottom
• Sprinkle with cinnamon
• Cover with foil and bake until apples can be easily cut with a fork
• Put pieces into blender (DO NOT add juices or the apple sauce will be too runny)
• BLEND to the consistency of your liking
• Let cool completely BEFORE freezing!
• Follow the steps above for freezing and storing!

          I hope you find these recipes helpful. You can sweeten the vegetables however you want to. Use as little or as much as you like. Everyone is different and every baby id different. Like I said, my boy would NOT eat the veggies until I made them myself (prob has a little to do with the sweet I put into them). Don't be afraid to let your little one have a little bit of sweet. Use natural sweeteners (DO NOT USE ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS!!!) And most importantly......ENJOY! 

Picture Crazy

Jordan likes to play with my camera....so for today's post, I am just going to share some of her awesome photography :)

Fat Tuesday

Every Tuesday, I am going to blog about my weight loss progress...I'm calling it Fat Tuesday! Since having Grayson in December, I have lost nothing other than the actual baby weight (i.e. baby, fluids, etc. etc.). To be honest, I haven't really tried very hard. I keep going on little binge diets where I lose 5-10 lbs. and then I go off and instantly those 5-10 lbs. are back. I have not been exercising frequently enough at all, either. So, I vowed, this week, to start exercising daily, and watching what I eat. Pound by pound it WILL fall off...it may take a few months, it may take a year...either way, it will come off. I also decided to post my weight AND a picture of myself. If you know me, you KNOW that is a HUGE step for me. But, I decided that I am going to stop pretending and lying about my weight! The truth will set me free...right!!!

So far, this week, the diet part has been hard, though, I have been more aware of what and how much I was eating. Monday and Tuesday were both really good workout days. Tomorrow I plan on going running with FIT (a workout ministry at my church). Next Tuesday, I will have a better update for you since I REALLY just started this on Monday. For now, I will focus on staying with it and we'll see, next Tuesday, how much weight I will have (hopefully) lost in a week!

My current weight is 200 lbs....YIKES!

Next Tuesday I plan to be 197

My weight loss goal is 50lbs, making my goal weight 150 lbs.

Week 1 (May 10, 2011)

YIKES!!!

My Mother's Day

Since Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest, and Mother's Day is the one day I don't have to do ANYTHING, I decided not to post yesterday. So, that is why today, I am going talk about MY Mother's Day!! The girls were so cute. They were super excited about it being Mother's Day. The day started with Regan bringing down the gift she made me in school. It was adorable. A little paper flower pot that said "I Love You" with a popsicle stick coming out the top and a package of flower seeds. She was so proud to give it to me and I was so thankful to get it. She also drew me some pictures. Jordan drew me some pictures and told me Happy Mother's Day about 57 times throughout the day. I could tell that they were really trying hard to be super good and they were pretty successful in that. I love that they understood the day and made such a huge effort to make it special for me. Matt gave me a 30 minute foot rub...AMAZING!....and took care of everything while I napped and vegged out all day. The day was great! I am so blessed to have such an awesome family.

The Fairy God Monster

The other day, Jordan and I thought it would be a good idea to walk to the commissary from my house (keep in mind it is only a mile and a half away). Well, it turned out to not be such a good idea, after all. The whole way there, she cried and fussed about her legs being tired. She ended up wanting to push her bike rather than ride it most of the way. So what should have been about a 20 minute walk one way, turned into a 45 minute walk one way. On the way back, the chain on Jordan's bike came off. The rain clouds were forming in the sky, and I was frazzled! All I wanted to do was get home! I contemplated leaving her bike there and coming back to get it with the car later, but she did not like that idea. So, being desperate to beat the rain, I picked her bike up and began carrying it while she ran along beside me. Here is the picture....I am pushing a stroller with one hand, carrying a bike with the other and my 4 year old is bawling crying, literally running to keep up. It was a disaster! Cars zoomed past, people probably laughing at us from within. Then our fairy god monster arrived! Literally! A Monster Energy Drink semi pulled over on the side of the road, out jumped a Monster delivery man to our rescue. He fixed Jordan's bike for me in less than 2 minutes. I was so thankful...I still am! What a good Samaritan. He didn't have to stop...he was in rout on deliveries. But he DID stop. He stopped, and helped, and I am so grateful. I decided that I was a true Monster fan from now on. He was our fairy god monster! So....if you are at the store looking for an energy drink, pick up a Monster!!!

Redeeming Love

Today is the one year anniversary of the day I found out that I was pregnant with Grayson. What a life change that brought about! It's awesome to look back and remember where I was just one year ago.

One year ago, today, I was in a very dark place. My husband and I were going through a separation (but still living together). I was two weeks away from packing up and moving to California. I wasn't talking to God anymore...and I just felt lost. I was feeling sick on this particular day, so I decided to take myself into the doctor's office for a check up. Of course, they did a routine pregnancy test, which I thought was so stupid. I just KNEW I was NOT pregnant! As I sat there waiting for her to return, the clock ticked loudly. She came in, looked at me and said, "Mam, you are pregnant."
Instantly, the blood left my head and went straight to my feet. Pregnant?
I asked her if she was joking, and she just looked at me like I was stupid or something. In that 2 minutes, my mind raced.
What was I going to do?
 How on Earth was I going to leave now?
I think that the doctor could tell that I was unhappy because she looked at me and said, "You know, there ARE options, like abortion..."
Never in my wildest dreams would I ever think I could consider an abortion...especially after having my girls...but in that time of desperation the horrible thought crossed my mind.
The rest of that afternoon is all kind of a blur to me. I made an appointment with planned parenthood...I felt so sick. I didn't want to even be considering the worst, but I was, and it made me sick.
The next morning, I woke up still feeling sick and very confused. I had not told Matt yet, but I felt an awful tugging that I needed to.
That was when I heard God's voice. It is hard to explain what you feel when that happens....I mean it's not like an audible voice that you hear with your ears, you hear it deep inside your heart. Some people would call that a gut feeling....I call it God's voice. All He said was, "DON'T YOU DARE!" I tried pushing it away. But I heard it again, "DON'T YOU DARE!" It scared me. I like to call it the fear of God....it was definitely frightening. All I know is God was telling me that if I get an abortion, something bad was gonna happen. At about that time, Matt walked in, and I lost it. Tears just fell and I cried for a few minutes. Of course he had no idea what was going on, so he was a little freaked out. Then I told him..."I'm Pregnant!" He sat next to me, we both sat in silence.
"What are you gonna do?" He asked.
"I can't leave you now, I guess we are gonna have a baby", I said.
Silence.

That was one year ago. Life changing! I hit my knees that day and asked God for a miracle. My marriage seemed done at the time, but I have to say, it has NEVER been better. God put this little baby into our lives as a lesson to us both. God brought us both to our knees during that time and through the little life of our baby boy, He taught us how to love each other again.
I love Matt Helton more today than I EVER did before. I feel like I am a better mom today, as well, and I look at my baby boy and thank God everyday that I have him. The very best thing that came out of the whole thing was that I have a deeper relationship with my Lord, Jesus Christ today. I know, now, that through HIM, nothing is impossible.

Isn't it neat that one little baby, in his short little life, has already served one of God's many purposes for him?
I can't wait until he is old enough to hear this story. God sent him here for a reason, and what a BLESSING he has been already.

I will remember this day for the rest of my life. It is the day of redemption for me and for Matt.

Let Me Explain....

So, I never intended for the last blog to make anyone from home feel like I don't love or care about them. If it did...I am deeply sorry. The point was to share how I have come to realize that I can move forward and set roots in many places. That home to me is wherever God wants us to be. Th point was to share with others that moving forward is okay and not devastating. I have deep roots in South Carolina. I grew up with the same girls and we have stayed friends for years and years. My husband is the same way....except he grew up with boys (lol). I love those girls, and the memories we share are priceless. That being said, I AM excited about the freedom I have recently found to move forward with my life and set roots in other places and make more meaningful friendships. That is all. So, if I made you feel pushed out (you know who you are), then I am sorry. In a perfect world, I would have a private jet and I would fly to see you all once a week. Magen...I am sorry that I am missing your BIG DAY. You will make the MOST beautiful bride and I promise that I will pray for you that morning, and I will think of you all day.

Home Sweet Home

When we left our hometown three years ago, I was devastated...especially because I just knew I was gonna hate this place. I didn't know how I was going to live without my friends and family. Years one and two passed and I chose to stay miserable, closing myself off to everyone, and not really wanting to make new friends or set any roots in this new place. I guess, when we left "home", I essentially thought that my life was over. For some reason, I believed that I already had all of the friends I needed...besides...what was the point of making new friends when your just gonna have to say goodbye to them eventually? All I could think about was the next time I was gonna get to go "home". I really made myself (and my husband) miserable.

Then, this past year, it all changed. I became close to a few people in my MOPS group and my guard against new friends slowly began to lower. I realized that these people were just like me. We shared a lot in common...being moms, and military wives were two huge similarities between us. Although, I still yearned to go "home", I didn't really hate this place so much anymore. Then, in March, I went "back home" for a 3 week visit. At first it was great...I really enjoyed seeing all of my friends and family. But, after a week, I was done. I wanted to leave...I missed my home here.  That's when I discovered, for the first time, that "back home" just wasn't MY home anymore. In fact, it wasn't even a place I got super excited to visit anymore.  I realized, while I was there, that just because I left there, things didn't stop changing....people didn't stop changing. Everything and everyone seemed so different this time. I felt a little depressed, at first, after realizing that I didn't have a place back home anymore....but then it hit me and I realized that I too had changed, and that no matter where we lived, home was where my husband and my three children resided. Like they say..."Home is where the Army sends us"...and it is true. Call it a growing moment if you must.  I feel so free now. Free to make friends, build deep relationships, and set my roots. I have such a long life ahead of me...and I know now that life definitely DID NOT end 3 years ago...in fact, it just began!!!!

Bye Bye Facebook.....For Now

Starting at 5:00 this afternoon, I will be taking a sabbatical from facebook for the summer. I have a few personal reasons, but the main one is that I just spend so much time checking up on other people, that I feel like I am letting this precious time of raising little ones pass by. I was looking at old pictures from when we first moved here to FLW, and I realized how much my girls have grown since then. Regan was just 3 and Jordan was 18 months. I was shocked at how fast the time has gone by, and it made me reflect on the past 3 years. I realized that I have not done enough to soak up every minute of this time in their lives. Part of that is because of facebook. I spend way too much time on here mesmerized by what everyone in the world is doing. It is almost like an addiction...a trance of sorts. I am hoping that this 3 month break will make me less enthralled with this social network and more plugged into the three most important little people in my life!  I do love the connection I get with my close friends and family, so that is why I am going to continue my blog. Please pardon the way it looks right now as it is under cosmetic construction....but, I do hope that the people who are interested in what we are doing will take a minute and read my posts each day. I promise to post pictures as often as I can. I plan on doing something fun each day this summer with the kids. So, I am sure I will have lots to write about and even more pictures to post. Follow the blog by typing in your email address at the top of my site...that way, you will get notified every time I post something new. Also, I plan to share all of my posts on facebook, because I can do that by clicking share and I never even have to log in. I do hope everyone enjoys their summer as much as I will. See you in August!!!! :)

The Resurrection Egg Project

With a little help grom Google, I made some Resurrection Eggs to do with my kids today and then I paraphrased the Easter story from the Bible into a kid friendly version. So I thought I would share it so that others can use it. The girls loved it! I made the eggs and numbered them 1-12, and hid them all over the house and let them hunt for them. Then they took turns opening their eggs as we went through the story. Here is how to do it:

Items needed:

• 12 plastic eggs
• Sharpie Marker

***Number the eggs 1-12 ad place the following item into the numbered egg***

The Eggs

1. A Leaf
2. cotton ball sprayed with pefume
3. a small cracker
4. 3 dimes
5. a small cross ( I made mine out of toothpicks)
6. thorns (i used a broken up toothpick)
7. a leather strip or small dice (either works for this one)
8. a nail
9. a q-tip dipped in vinigar
10. a small peice of cloth
11. a rock
12. leave it empty

****when you have filled and numbered the eggs, print out the following story and hide the eggs around the house. (dont do like I did and forget where you hid them lol)****

***Let the kids find all of the eggs and one by one let them take turns opening each egg as you read the story to them. For example, open egg #1 and read story #1 etc. etc.****

The Story

1. People loved Jesus. He healed them when they were sick or hurting. Every time he healed someone, word spread.  The people began to praise him. Jesus rode on a Donley into Jerusalem. As they entered Jerusalem, the people placed their cloaks and branches from palm trees on the ground for the donkey to walk on. All of the people shouted, as Jesus entered Jerusalem, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” Some people asked “who is this man?” and the others answered, “He is Jesus, a prophet!”

2. Jesus and his disciples went to dinner at the home of Lazarus (someone who Jesus had raised from the dead). Two women named Mary and Martha were there. Martha hurried around serving Jesus, while Mary sat at his feet and washed them with perfume.

3. Jesus’ Disciples got a place ready to have supper with Jesus on the first day of the feast of the unleavened bread. That night, Jesus and his 12 disciples ate supper together. They had bread and wine. Jesus told the disciples that this would be the last time they would have supper together. He said, eat this bread as a symbol of my body and drink this wine as a symbol of my blood.

4. Jesus knew that one of his disciples would betray him. See, there were some people who did not like Jesus. So some soldiers offered, Judas, one of the disciples, 30 silver coins in return for information about Jesus and where he was. So, Judas took the coins and told them where Jesus was so that they could go and arrest Jesus.  Later, after Judas did that, he felt bad and went back to return the coins. But it was too late. They had already found Jesus and arrested him.

5. So the soldiers took Jesus and made him carry his cross. They were going to crucify him by nailing him to the cross that he was carrying.

6. They laughed at Jesus and tried to embarrass him by placing a crown of thorns on his head while they made fun of him, mocking him for saying he was king of the Jews.

7. They stripped him naked and gambled for his clothes. Then they beat him up and whipped him.

8. Then they took Jesus and nailed his hands and feet to the cross and stabbed him in the side. Jesus was bleeding.

9. When Jesus was hanging there on the cross he called out to God. One of the people ran to give Jesus a drink of wine vinegar from a sponge on a stick. Then Jesus called out to God again and then he died. When Jesus died, the whole earth rumbled and tombs where other people were buried split. Many people who had died before went to heaven. This frightened the people who saw, and they said, “Surely, He is the Song of God!!!”

10. They took Jesus’ body down from the cross and wrapped him up in linens with spices.

11. then they took his body to a tomb and laid him in there. Then they rolled a heavy stone in front of the tomb.

12. 3 days after Jesus died, the stone was rolled away and Jesus was not there!! The tomb was EMPTY!! Jesus had risen from the dead and gone to Heaven!!!  Now, because Jesus died on the cross and went to Heaven, we too can go to Heaven! God has forgiven us with Jesus’ blood!!!! 

Would You Like Some Cheese With That Whine???

In my Bible reading this morning, I read Exodus 16-19. If you have never read it before, it is during the time that Moses is taking the Israelites out of Egypt into a better land. This journey is no piece of cake. In fact, in an earlier chapter, they have to cross the Red Sea while being pursued by an Army of Egyptians! I, however, have a BIG problem with the behavior of the Israelites in the last few chapters I read. For one thing, they are so whiny! I mean, I know that crossing the Red Sea is not easy but at least (Thanks to God) they got to cross it on dry land. I mean, if I saw a sea separate into two walls of water with a dry pathway for me to walk across, I would be pretty amazed....and thankful, especially if I was being pursued by an army of Egyptians! So then they get across the Red Sea and everyone is praising God. Then they go a little further into the desert and they become thirsty.....fair enough, right? Well, instead of remembering the miracle they just witnessed, and asking God for some water, they start whining and complaining and telling Moses that he should have left them to die in Egypt......really, people??? So our loving God tells Moses that he hears the people's groaning and then instructs Moses to perform another miracle. After that, the people were happy and praising God....until they became hungry. Groan, whine, groan, whine...."Moses should have left us to die"....and then there is another miracle. Food literally falls from the sky! So, I ask myself, why couldn't these people just see that God was in control and all they needed to do was trust Him and ask for what they needed. And there it hit me. I am the same way! I go through life praising God for all the good in my life. But when one thing goes wrong, I lose faith and begin to whine and groan, just like the Israelites. I forget, during hard times, that God is in control of everything. And if he can rain food from the sky and part the Red Sea, then he can handle the small mishaps in my life as well. Thank you, God, for reminding me of that.

Sick on Zyrtec

I am soooooo sick! I have had this cold/cough thing now for a week. Last night was the first night I took some Zyrtec (prescribed by the doctor) and I think it  made me feel worse. I woke up this morning feeling drunker than a 21 year old birthday girl! I then had to drive Regan to school and by the time I got home I was so drowsy, I could hardly keep my eyes open. I think the Zyrtec made me feel worse than taking nothing at all. At least the past few days I was able to get stuff done, but not today!