FitAfter4

TGIF

2011-06-17T12:08:00.003-05:00

Boy, am I ready for the weekend or what??

The last few weeks have been intensely crazy. My oldest graduated from school and has committed to a GAP program to serve in Costa Rica with missionaries. My second oldest just got his first job and is starting to understand the words, "i just walked in the door....can i just relax for a few minutes?" My dear daughter is perplexed on life and how to handle all the drama between friends. My youngest just got his summer mohawk and is precious (as always).I am almost done with school....Praise the Lord! Only 6 more courses and I can close this chapter in my life. I look forward to having some of my time back...studying takes up A LOT of it. If I keep up the pace I'm at now, then I may be able to graduate Magna cum laude....yipee! We'll see--the last several courses are going to be very difficult and time consuming.

Well...I'm signing off for now--homework is waiting!

fondly,
fit

Back in the Saddle

2011-06-16T09:05:00.002-05:00

Well--it's been almost a YEAR since I posted anything. Seriously?? Wow.... Life is just whipping past me!

I am starting up again and will (hopefully) do a better job of updating (who am I kidding?).

Updated facts:
1. Celebrating my 42nd this year
2. Still married to the most wonderful man in the universe
3. Oldest son graduated last week and will be taking a 9-month mission trip to Costa Rica
4. Next oldest son is a senior this year
5. Baby girl will be a freshman at Rowlett High
6. Baby boy is going into 2nd grade
7. Will be completing my degree in May 2012---only six courses left! Yea!
8. Still love my church
9. My baby brother and his family have moved back home
10. Still gaining weight --- Boo!
11. Still trying to lose weight --- Boo!
12. God loves me anyway

Will update more later....can't give you too much too soon..... ha!

Fondly,
(not so) fitafter4

Shake it like a polaroid picture.....

2010-06-29T09:08:00.002-05:00

For those music buffs, such as myself, I assume you KNOW where I got the title of today's posting......right?!?!? If you are not so "dope" as me (that means cool BTW), you should google it and feel enlightened. LOL

Update on weight loss and workout regiment:

Still losing (not enough) and loving my workouts. I am running every other day and doing cardio and strength training in between. So weird---I HATE to sweat normally, but LOVE to sweat when I work out--- go figure.

Oh well.
fondly,
fit

Friday, June 25th

2010-06-25T09:25:00.002-05:00

196

It has officially begun!

2010-06-22T08:11:00.013-05:00

I'm {officially} back to running.

The word "officially" is in brackets due to my enormously out-of-shape self.

I started with the 1/1 scenario (one minute run; one minute walk) and did 3 miles last night. Wow--believe it or not, it was a bit easier than I had expected! The treadmill is usually more difficult for me as opposed to running outside due to the "boredem" I experience while running in place for 45 minutes. However, given the 100+ degrees outside, I can deal with my mundane surroundings. [smile]

Speaking of 100+ degrees....summer is here in full force! And with the heat comes our annual mohawk hairstyles. Jake's mohawk is about 6 inches high and black and gold; and Nick's is about 3 inches with a touch of green. I have become the family hairstylist...and have become well-versed in liberty spikes and french braids (ha!).

Our family just returned from a WONDERFUL vacation with 19 of my family members, including my parents, my siblings and their families. A great time was had by all. In fact, it's amazing how well we all get along. All the cousins are very close and they take good care of each other. We played lots of games, played golf, swam, etc.

Here are a few pictures.

I am definitely blessed to have the family that I have.....

fondly,

fit

Vacation is over...

2010-06-21T13:25:00.002-05:00

197.6

I'm back up a couple of pounds---but this is post-vacation....so I'm not too upset. Started running again, so it should start declining.

Signed up for a 10K in September....Yikes!!

June 3rd

2010-06-03T09:55:00.002-05:00

195

June 1st

2010-06-01T12:35:00.002-05:00

198

May 27th

2010-05-27T09:53:00.002-05:00

201

...and so it begins...

Living Proof......

2010-05-27T09:29:00.003-05:00

I have decided that I am living proof to the theory:

"Stress can cause weight gain."

Yes -- it's true. Whereas I have a very large frame for a woman (confirmed by the Dr.), my target goal weight should be around 155 lbs to 160 lbs. I know what you "little" people are thinking...."big deal--that should be EASY!" Well, my sweet little friends--it's not. You see, I have so much stress in my life right now that, based on the above theory, I'm surprised I don't weight 350 lbs. I'm going through a terrible battle with my ex-husband over my three oldest children. I won't even burden you with the details, but suffice it to say, the situation is ridiculously awful and has shook me and my kids to the very core.

Okay ~ back to my weight. I am going to go out on a limb and reveal my deep, dark secret that I don't tell ANYONE (not even my husband)....I weigh almost 200 lbs. Whew...just typing it makes me want to cry. Seriously. Now--I have been even heavier in my life at 226 lbs. I lost over 70 lbs once, too. I was 29 when I lost all that weight and I must admit, I didn't really do it the healthiest way either. I used massive amounts of ephedrine (which is now linked to heart issues and is banned--who knew?). It's 11 years and one more kid later----and my metabolism is at a snail's pace. Yep - for sure. All my kids eat much more than me, believe it or not, but I am still gaining weight! So frustrating.......

Due to all the stress and fatigue, I have found myself NOT exercising. Exercise is the key to (my) weight loss. I know that...but tell that to my body who would prefer to lay in bed. Plus, with four children and all their activities, it's hard to get a minute for myself anyway. About a year-and-a-half ago, I was on a steady regiment of running in the mornings at 5:30am. And I enjoyed it. Somewhere along the way I got sidetracked---about the time I was in a car wreck and couldn't exercise for several months. That wreck totally busted up my desire for any type of pain--even the good kind that makes you healthier.

So--here I am, pushing the scales again. And I MUST make a change. PERIOD. So, in following another blogger's idea, I will be posting my weight until it gets down to where it needs to be. I'm not so concerned with the "number" per se, but I want to feel well and in shape. God has blessed me with a tall frame that is able to camoflauge most of this weight, but I feel awful.

No more!!!

So, my blogger friends, prepare to watch my shrinking number, okay? Oh, yeah, and encouragement is certainly appreciated.

fondly,
fit

Blah Blah Blah

2010-05-03T11:49:00.015-05:00

Yep - the title just about sums it up. I can't believe how fast life is going right now! Let's see....

March

My little girl turned 13. For her birthday, she and I went to see The Phantom of the Opera. She loves musicals and The Phantom is her favorite; so I surprised her. Had a blast. Here is her beautiful picture--

Here are some pictures from her birthday party. She had six friends stay over at a hotel. We had so much fun! We surprised her with a Hummer limo (I got a REAL good deal!)

April

My Tyler turned 16! We took he and some of his friends paintballing. [I had coupons!] We had an incredible time...killing each other was f-u-n! LOL I don't have any pictures because I had to leave my phone in the car. We had some bruising and bleeding --- but not too much.

Nick started T-ball. Wow...let me just say that T-ball parents can be extremely competitive! In all my years of kids' sports -- I have NEVER seen parents get so worked up over a little game of baseball! For goodness sake, they are FIVE and SIX years old! Here are a couple of pictures of my little man. Isn't he adorable?!?

May

This month has already taken off...

Tyler starts baseball this week. His first game is Wednesday and they've only had two (2) practices! He hasn't played since he was 8 years old, so I'm proud of him playing despite his intimidation of the other kids that have been playing for so long! And--let me say, I know that he is tall, but seeing him in those baseball pants REALLY makes him look tall and slender! Good grief!

My nephew, Lucas, graduates this month (tear!). He is the first of the grandkids to graduate and I'm not real sure how his mom will hold up. LOL He is the valedictorian (of course) and probably has the highest grade point average of any GCA student for the last 13 years. Literally, he has received the academic achievement award every year since Kindergarten! I am so proud of him. He received the Dean's Award and full-scholarship to John Brown University. I can't believe he's already graduating....he was just born the other day!

As you can see -- life has been BUSY! God is good.

fondly,

fit

.....Post Edit....

2010-04-23T09:47:00.001-05:00

I must post edit my last entry...

April 21st -- not a good day. I was already struggling with my "anniversary" of my car wreck. On the way home, I received a phone call from my husband..."honey--I'm okay, but I've been in a wreck."

UGH. Not really the way I wanted to end my day. I'm sure he didn't either.

It gets worse...

"honey--I've called the police. The guy hit me and ran."

"and--I think the car is totaled."

"Oh--and it's at the same intersection where you had your wreck last year."

YEP--same day; same intersection.

Could we possibly be more unlucky? LOL

So--here we are...less one vehicle, and we have to pay the deductible; and the money we will get back won't pay for another car.

Let's just suffice it to say that life has been frustrating.

I must, though, end this posting on a positive note===Robert was only slightly injured. Praise God that he is okay. He's sore and shook up (and a LOT mad), but he's okay.

fondly,
fit

One year ago TODAY...

2010-04-21T11:27:00.002-05:00

...I was in a serious car accident. Don't get me wrong--it could have been MUCH MUCH worse; but still serious. I was heading to work, minding my own business--when the guy behind me thought it would be worth his time to text while he was driving. I was at a complete stop and was hit full force at about 40-45 mph. He hit me and I ended up in the back seat of a smaller car. All in all, five cars were in the wreck. There is NO doubt in my mind that if I had not been there and the guy had hit the lady in front of me, she would be dead. So--does that make me a hero?? LOL

Regardless, I still suffer from the wreck. I find myself having occasional panic attacks when someone gets too close to me in traffic. I'm sure that's normal. My back and neck will never be the same --and that really frustrates me.

Probably the most frustrating is the guy's insurance company is fighting my claim. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? We have a court date in AUGUST. I've had to fill out an affidavit stating I was alert, not medicated, not on the phone, etc. Huh??? I don't believe I had anything to do with the fact that the 19-year-old punk behind me had no regard for anyone around him. In fact, he wouldn't speak to anyone at the scene.

Seriously. He didn't even care enough to make sure I was okay. Yep --- punk.

Here is the verse I am claiming today (as I find myself very emotional):

I Thess. 5:23-24
"May God Himself, the God of Peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it."

fondly,
fit

"What do you mean...you don't think my kid is the cutest thing in the world?"

2010-04-20T09:00:00.006-05:00

Well ~ I have gone and done it. Yep...I have entered my youngest son in a photo contest. I've never done that--with any of my kids. Naturally, he will win. Because he is the cutest kid in the world...bar none. *smile* Okay~ for all my many many readers (ha!), I know you have children, but I don't think I'm being biased here at all, right?

For those that are interested in following suit...here is the link to add your child's info (must be age six and under). [OK, Krister--I know you're about to follow my lead...and I agree that little angel of yours is precious...but don't cry too much when Nick wins, ok?] Just so you will know the stiff competition you're up against, here are just a couple of his photos:

Pretty cute, huh? Like I said---he will win. Just keepin' it real, peeps...

All kidding aside, I don't really care if he wins or not, I just thought it would be cool. Who knows, right?

hugs,

fit

JV Panther Basketball

2010-04-19T09:34:00.001-05:00

#41 is my son, Jake.....He's my pride and joy. God has given him extreme athletic talent!

Love you, baby!

mom

Still no answers...but I remain hopeful!

2010-03-22T12:28:00.002-05:00

My previous post was heavy....I know....but regardless, it was necessary to put into words what I have been feeling in my heart and head. I long for the kind of eagerness and dedication in my walk with Christ (as demonstrated here). I came across this blog through several other blogs and I saved it as a favorite. I don't know the author personally, but her words speak to me and cause me to think about where I am in my relationship with Christ. Her authentic desire to study God's Word and her immovable stance on what God requires of her is amazing. Several times I have typed up an email asking her "how" she got to the point where she is....but I never send it. I guess it's based mostly on fear of hearing the answer and not being able to follow through. I know that God is not the "author of fear" but sometimes (nope--most-times) it's easier to stick-my-head-in-the-sand rather than possibly fail at something.

My blogger acquaintance posted not too long ago that she was starting a new Beth Moore study, Breaking Free. I think I'm going to start it, too. Maybe it will help me work through these issues-----

fit

Raw Honesty

2010-03-02T12:58:00.004-06:00

It's been so long, I'm not even sure where to start. I've had some great things going on---and some not-so-great. I must admit that I often wonder where my walk with Christ is going.

Please understand that this blog entry today will be raw and honest.
[I may not have any readers anyway--due to my long absence *smile*]

Why is it that people (me) base their relationship with Christ on "feelings"? Are we pre-programmed that way or is it by-product of our need for visual stimilus or something "tangible" we can touch and feel? It's no secret that I have always struggled with the concept of God. Believe me, I have done studies, attended classes and asked questions--- but regardless, I fall back into the mindset of, "where is God?" I don't like that mindset. So why can't I stop?

You know, it would be very nice--and extremely helpful-- if God had a videocam or something like that. Heck, I'd settle with a red bat-phone--just some way of hearing Him, seeing Him, or something tangible. I've heard others proclaim their instances of actually hearing God speak to them. So, exactly how do I place an order for that?

Lately, I have felt that my prayers (albeit simple, short, and occassional unfortunately) have "been bouncing off the ceiling" so-to-speak.

Do you think that God still hears them? Does he sit on His throne laughing at my half-hearted attempts? Is He in his "judging-mode" or His "mercy-mode"? Is it wrong to beg for a "sign" from Him?

The sad thing about this situation and all the questions I have posed is that I KNOW all the answers---IN MY HEAD.

But not in my heart--and therein lies the problem.

I have gained much head-knowledge of God over the years having come from a "bonefied Christian home." Where I struggle is the *heart* part of everything. So....how do I fix it?

fit

Summer Photos...Continued

2009-08-26T09:20:00.006-05:00

Here are a few more:

WOW! Have I really not posted anything this month?

2009-08-21T12:37:00.005-05:00

Well---guess I've been busy. No--let's say "taking a break from blogging." [yeah, that sounds better]

Summer is over! Although my children are completely bummed, I am THRILLED! Yes--structure again....wonderful. I know that there are many mothers out there that are enormously ready for school to start again. It baffles me how that my children can stay up so late and sleep until 1pm! And~ some days they take a nap after they eat "breakfast." Those were the days~

I will be posting many different pictures from our summer. Some from our family vacation, some from our hair coloring party with the cousins, some from swimming in the lake and jumping off the boat, etc.

Here are a few pictures from our summer:

Interesting Notes...

2009-07-30T16:20:00.002-05:00

I always:

try to eat breakfast. The only reason I would miss is if I couldn't get my hands on something edible.
tell my husband "i love you" before hanging up the phone.
refer to myself as the "traumatized middle child" -- even though I wasn't (LOL)
color my hair --due to the amount of grey that has suddenly appeared (how'd that happen?)
try to encourage my children in whatever activity they want to try.
feel blessed when I see the loving functional family that I grew up with. Thanks Mom and Dad!

I sometimes:

wish I were taller.
long to live in another state.
think juggling would be a fun activity to master.
take my kids (and their friends) to toilet paper houses!
wonder what it would be like to work on a cruise ship.
think I'm trying to do too much.
imagine what it would be like to not have to watch what I eat.

I never:

take my family for granted
forget a face. Now, a name -- that's different!
thought I would be turning the big 4-0! Geez, I'm old...
second-guess when I feel the Holy Spirit laying someone on my heart. I immediately pray for them.
thought I would find the love of my life...but I did!
say NO to chocolate.
thought I would love fish as much as I do.
want to look back on my life and have regrets.

Living in Fear

2009-07-29T09:10:00.004-05:00

You know...I came to a realization yesterday. For the last several years (8 or so!) I have battled so many adversities! I find myself now -- absent any major drama -- living in fear of what the future holds and waiting for the "other shoe to drop." Intellectually and spiritually I know this is not the right attitude to have; however, emotionally I find myself living in a defensive position. How can I break this?? It's easy to say that God will take care of me and that "everything works together for good..."--but can I really say it and believe it?

Hence my quandry.....

I pray that I can break the cycle and just live my life (with or without drama) to His glory. It's going to take some work--but if I remain faithful, I can do it.

So, okay----"if" the other shoe drops...I hope it's a nice high-heeled beautiful slipper!

fondly,

fit

My Favorite Person in the World

2009-07-28T11:18:00.003-05:00

I love you, BooBoo. Thank you for the date night to see Dave Koz and Brian Culverson in concert!!

Nick-isms

2009-07-28T09:28:00.003-05:00

I'm going to start posting various sayings ("Nick-isms") that my five year old comes up with.

Upon seeing my nephew, Luke, who is turning 18 next week, he noticed that Luke had grown out a fashionable goatee and beard (he looked really cute!). Here's Nick's comment:

"Don't worry, Luke, I forgot to shave this morning, too!"

How cute is that?!?!?

fondly,
fit

FUN FUN FUN!!

2009-07-28T09:08:00.002-05:00

The end of summer is nearing---boohoo. But, it's been filled with lots of fun and it will hopefully keep us going until winter break!

Here's a quick recap:
June: The three older kids had camp (which cost us a small fortune!). The boys went to Panama City, FL for Camp Beach. Jake settled his doubts about salavation (PTL!) and was baptized in the ocean by our Youth Pastor and Senior Pastor. They both came back excited for the Lord and definitely changed. My daughter went to camp as well and was treated extra special given her status as a graduating 6th grader. [I still can't believe she is going into the youth group!] We had Vacation Bible School, were Nick was able to attend for the first time as a graduating Kindergartner. He felt so grown up! Miranda had her week-long stint as a LoneStar Princess with the Miss Texas Pageant and was required to dress up in formal attire and wear her tiara. I'm sure that was difficult for her...NOT! We lost my father-in-law, but we were able to spend some quality time with family which was very theraputic. The month was also filled with various basketball tournaments for my oldest.

July: The older kids have been on vacation with their father and have been able to go to Las Vegas for Jake's teams basketball tournament. Robert and I have been able to do some cosmetic changes around the house and it's looking really good! The kids come back this Friday wherein we leave for a quick vacation to NW Arkansas for my cousin's wedding. We will then spend several days with Mimi and Poppi and all the rest of the family. We will celebrate Nick's 6th birthday while we golf, swim, dance, play games, etc. with the family.

As soon as we return, we will start back to band camp for Tyler, off season basketball for Jake, volleyball tryouts for Miranda and back-to-school shopping for Nick. Not to mention that I'm starting two new courses for my schoolwork. Help!!!! LOL

We have had an AWESOME summer~
fondly,
fit

"Godly talk does NOT make one godly"

2009-07-22T09:17:00.001-05:00

Wow....How is that for a quote?

Think about it.
fondy,
fit

Lone Star Princess

2009-07-14T12:20:00.004-05:00

As you may or may not know, my daughter was asked to be a Lonestar Princess for the Miss Texas Pageant. It was quite an event!

Unfortunately, during the very first day of rehersal is when I received the phone call that my FIL had passed away. My Mother-in-law was adamant that she not miss any of her pageant activities since she had been looking forward to this event for months. So, we let her stay with her dad for a few days while we were gone while he made sure she was at all her events. She looked absolutely beautiful! I managed to snag a picture of her while the photographer was taking her portraits (I know--I cheated...).

This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for her -- one she will NEVER forget! She truly is a princess--whether it's "Lonestar" or not...

Love you, Princess!

fit

R.I.P. Bob Teta

2009-07-07T08:50:00.003-05:00

The last few weeks have been hectic (more than normal). We received a call on Saturday, June 27th, that Robert's father, Bob, had passed away suddenly. He had been ill for quite some time, but had been doing much better. Robert left to go home (Louisiana) immediately and I stayed back to take care of some things with the kids. [more on that later!]

Bob's rosary and mass were in Leesville, LA and his burial was in Stigler, OK. Robert's brother, Richard, has been in Iraq, so we had to contact the Red Cross to get him home. He arrived about an hour before the rosary! Things were stressful and emotional, but everything went okay.

I have some pretty interesting stories, but don't have time today to go into. I will post more later.
fondly,
fit

Location, Location, Location!

2009-06-09T10:41:00.004-05:00

New tattoo location.....did you guess it??? I only wear my hair down at work, so no one will see it [unless I want them to]

Robert calls me his "butterfly"---

fondly,

fit

P.S. It's really hard to get a picture of the back of your neck, by the way.

Mid-life Crisis or Creativity?

2009-06-05T09:52:00.002-05:00

I am a person who loves tattoos. Period.
Now--having said that, I love them "within reason." Some are just plain ugly and offensive---

I was raised by parents who are completely against tattoos. The verse in Leviticus sums it up:
"Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD."

But look what it says in the verse right before that:"Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard". According to this standard, is it a sin that my husband shaves his beard and trims his sideburns? ~food for thought......

Anyway, I "marked" my body again the other night. I have been wanting another one--and had a good idea of what I wanted and where I wanted it. Since I work in a corporate environment, I have to be careful of my appearance.

Can you guess where I put my tattoo?
fondly,
fit

My ABC's

2009-06-01T11:12:00.006-05:00

A - Age: 39 and holding!

B - Bed size: King

C - Chore I hate: dusting

D - Dog's name(s): Princess & Cooper

E - Essential start my day item: Contacts and toothbrush

F - Favorite color: Green

G - Gold or silver: Silver

H - Height: 5'9"

I - Instrument I play: I own a guitar---does that count?

J - Job title: Executive Assistant, Wife, Mother, Daughter, Cook, Hugger, etc.

K - Kids: (4) Jake, Tyler, Miranda and Nicholas

L - Location: Dallas, TX area

M - Mom's name: Mom

N - Nicknames: Tonee, Ton

O - Outing most remembered: My first date with my husband...amazing!

P - Pet Peeve(s): fake people

Q - Quote from movie: (1) "You can't handle the truth!" (2) "negative, Ghost Rider, the pattern is full..." (3) "I can tell you I don't have money, but what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills that I have acquired over a very long career; skills that make me a nightmare for people like you"

R - Running or walking: Running!!

S - Siblings: Ness & Josh

T - Time I wake up: 6:00 am

U - Underwear type: thong or commando (LOL)

V - Vegetables I like: cocoa bean, broccoli, green beans, squash, etc. (most of them)

W - Ways I like to be romanced: weekend getaways with my honey

X - X-rays I have had: head, heart, back

Y - Yummy favorite foods: anything with chocolate!

Z - Zoo animals I like: monkeys

Shoes or Skis?

2009-05-29T13:18:00.002-05:00

As I've said in my earlier posts, my oldest son (16) plays A LOT of basketball. As a result, he seems to go through shoes in the blink of an eye. I am always on the lookout for a good deal on basketball shoes; and I found a couple of good sites: Final-Score, Finish Line, and EastBay.

Jake plays on the Garland Owls team and their colors are black and gold. The generally accepted practice is to purchase shoes that match the school's colors. Interestingly enough, there are not many shoes out there that are black and gold (I'm just sayin'. . .). When I find some, it's a good day! Well, I found some and purchased them on-line and they arrived today. The first picture doesn't really give a good indication of HOW BIG these shoes are (size 14), so I took a picture of my shoe next to it (they are lined up, even though from the angle of the picture it looks like mine is further back). Now--I wear a size 9 to 9.5, which is pretty big for a woman. AREN'T THEY ENORMOUS! Here's another piece of trivia. Jake's best friend, David (who is younger than him), wears an 18!!

Tyler, my just-turned-15-year-old ALSO WEARS A SIZE 14! I ordered his shoes, too, and they should be here next week sometime. I'll try to remember to take a picture of it, too!

Have a great weekend!

fondly,

fit

So - where have I been?

2009-05-27T10:46:00.003-05:00

Much apologies -- life has been busy and every time I would start a posting, I would get interrupted (darn that work!). I would come back to it, but it would seem like "old news". LOL

S0, here I am---trying to figure out where to start....

Been doing LOTS of basketball watching. My oldest son plays on a select team and it is tournament season. Whew! There were several days that he had 3 or 4 games in a row! Got another one this weekend (of course), but I might be taking a hiatus. My son plays basketball EVERY day at school (spring training) and then practices with his select team (the Garland Jaguars) twice a week in the evenings (usually). Ironically, on his days off, all he wants to do is go up to the gym (Lifetime) and play basketball!! You'd think he might get tired of it---but nope! Guess you could say he loves it, huh?

My girlfriend, Kristi, turned 40 a week ago. A group of us went to dinner then to karoke. Wow---what fun! I've already told my husband what I want to do for my 40th (in September). We have a friend from church who is a DJ. I told Robert that I want a HUGE party with dancing and fun! I want to invite a ton of friends--some from church, some from my younger years, family, etc. It's going to be a BLAST! Although I enjoy a good glass of wine, this party will be non-alcoholic....since I have some friends and family members who don't partake. PLUS--my kids and some of their friends will be there and I don't think it would be a good example if someone were to drink too much. [I personally believe that drinking in excess is wrong...but not everyone holds my same opinion and I want to be able to relax and enjoy the party!] Anyway...should be a blast!

I know that Jennifer is ALMOST there----ready to deliver those beautiful twins! I can't wait to see the pics. If they look and act anything like Max, they will be gorgeous! Good luck, Jen....my prayers are with you!

fondly,
fit

All He Wants is My Time...

2009-05-13T12:30:00.002-05:00

On the way to work this morning, I listened to the WORDfm 100.7. This is unusual for me, because I'm such a music nut. I felt the Lord speaking to me to turn it on...so I did. Whew---did I feel convicted! The speaker was talking about how God is not impressed by our talents, our abilities, our outgoing personalities, etc. What He wants is our time! The only way to do that is to be in His Word and pray.

I think I have mentioned before about my struggles to stay in God's Word. It's more of a mental block for me. I grew up with "Bible drills", church 3 times a week, and the "read the Bible before your feet hit the floor" mentality. For those that know me, I'm NOT a morning person. I had a hard time understanding WHY I had to read the Bible first - even when I'm not awake yet! The speaker on the radio emphasized that God wants our time---whenever that is. We just have to be disciplined. He challenged us (me) to focus on Bible time for 7 days in a row. So--I'm going to rise to the challenge! [I can tell you it won't be first thing in the morning, though!]
fondly,
fit

Let's get up-to-date, shall we??

2009-05-06T08:16:00.003-05:00

I've been taking a little hiatus from blogging. Since the wreck, my life has been even more hectic than usual. I've been dealing with multiple doctor appointments, medication, ice bags, etc. on top of my usual activities. As of today, the doctor has limited my hours at work as well. My boss is in Paris, so I'm not sure yet what his opinion is about the whole situation...guess we'll see, huh?

On the positive side, we were able to purchase another vehicle to replace the totaled suburban. Although we didn't get as much on the settlement, we were able to pay cash for an Excursion, albeit older. Regardless, it's PAID FOR. Woo Hoo...no car payments. Thank you, Dave Ramsey! There's no doubt in my mind that if we had not gone through Financial Peace University (Ramsey's program) that we would find ourselves in dire straits--seriously. We have much more to learn, of course, but we have made huge strides from where we were a couple of years ago. Praise God!

I'll post more later with pictures!!
fondly,
fit

Much has happened since my last post...

2009-04-28T10:52:00.004-05:00

So, there I was minding my own business driving to work. I had just dropped off my youngest son at school and it was seemingly a normal day. I stopped at a red light and glanced in my rearview mirror out of habit. Apparently, the car behind me decided that he didn't want to stop. BAM! He hit me going about 35-40 mph which threw me into the car in front of me, etc. It ended up a 5-car accident. My car is totaled. The car in front of me is totaled. Guess what I found out about the guy that hit me?!?!? His insurance is expired. Yep - so now I have a totaled car of which I still owed money on (It was almost paid off) and am getting low-balled on the value of my car. After all is said and done, here is the scenario:

After the payout on the now-totaled suburban, we will have about $5k. Obviously, that is NOT enough to purchase another vehicle (we require a large car!).

I have insurance - he did not. All he got was a citation. I got the bill for paying for my car.

I also get the bill for all my medical claims. I have learned that I am NOT "superwoman" and that sustaining an impact of this size DOES cause health issues.

I had to miss four days at work - I get to use my limited sick days. He doesn't work, so he gets to go home to Mommy's and put his feet up on the couch and eat cheetos.

His Mommy will pay to get her bumper fixed -- but it's not necessary due to the fact that he also has a large car so the only damage to his vehicle was his front bumper.

Oh, yeah--I just remembered...we have a $500 deductible. Great -- now I get to pay that, too.

I have therapy on my back 3 times a week, which means I will miss more work.

I had begun my running regiment again -- but that's on hold now, too. So now I get to maintain my BMI, which I was trying to reduce to get to a healthy weight in order to add to the family.

Can you sense some hostility????

So-- my current project is MYSELF. I am praying for God's peace to cover me. I pray that I will seek His face and be reminded that my life belongs to Him anyway. The car--not mine; my job --a gift from Him; my health --lies in The Healer's Hands; and, fortunately, my children were not in the car.

Remaining faithful in my walk with Christ is what matters. Understanding life is not.

Matthew 6:34 (The Message) "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."

Book Three!

2009-04-13T09:02:00.003-05:00

Well...I am on book three of the Twilight series--about halfway through. It's very good! I'm sure my husband wishes I would finish the series so he could have his wife back! LOL
Actually, it's a funny role reversal. My husband loves to read and reads almost every night. Just a few weeks ago, his head was constantly in a book and I made a comment, "you spend more time with that book than me..." OOPS... He remembered that statement and used it with me the other day.

gotta run--
fondly,
fit

Consider me sucked in...[pun intended]

2009-04-09T08:06:00.004-05:00

Thanks to my friend, Lori, I am now sucked into the Twilight series. If you know me, you understand the irony in that sentence. Historically, I am not your average "girl"--I'd say I'm more of a tomboy, but one that wears make-up and cares about what she looks like. Other than that qualification, I am usually the exception. I don't care for fru-fru stuff, I can't stand to shop (only when necessary), I love athletics more than watching t.v., and I would pick a good basketball game over pretty much anything.

Anyway, my friend started talking about the Twilight series about a year ago. I didn't think anything of it. Then, the movie was announced. She immediately started getting a group of girls together to go to the midnight showing on the first day it was released. I seriously laughed and thought she was crazy. Afterwards, I heard about how WONDERFUL the movie was multiple times, but was quickly told is paled in comparison to the book. Again, I didn't think anything about it--not for me.

My daughter had a birthday a couple weeks ago and was given the movie as a gift. She begged me for several days to watch it with her--but I declined. Finally, she and I were the only ones home one afternoon and I agreed to watch it with her. She promptly fell asleep (slumber party the night before!), but I continued to watch. Really--it WAS a good movie. A little on the eerie/outlandish side, but nonetheless good.

The next day I decided to take a break from my normal routine (craziness) and sit and read a good book. She brought me the Twilight book and told me I should read it. This challenged me to see if the book actually was better than the movie. Suffice it to say, I read the book in about two days. [I love to read, just don't normally have the time...] And it was better... Sunday we went to Lori's house and she gave me the next book in the series, New Moon. I started reading it Monday and will finish it up tonight. It's good, too....and, I'll probably be part of the next "group of girls" that drags their butts to the movie theatre at midnight-----
fondly,
fit

Hijacked Blackberry!

2009-04-06T13:03:00.008-05:00

A few days ago, I was going through my phone, deleting old messages, etc. It was then that I came across several unusual pictures. Apparently, my youngest decided he wanted to play photographer with my phone. There were many more, but I thought I would spare you the pain of looking at random cars and red lights.

Also, yesterday was hubby's first baseball scrimmage with his new team, the Chicago White Sox. He played very well--especially considering the wind was gusting up to 40 mph and it was freezing! Although a couple of the other wives were there, they were sitting in their cars. I, on the other hand, braved the elements and sat in my lounge chair looking like an eskimo with only my eyes and nose showing. Regardless, it was fun seeing him play---he hasn't played in amost eight years. He's had numerous shoulder surgeries that have prevented him playing, but the last surgeon fixed it all (so it seems) and released him to play. Being an athlete myself, it makes me VERY proud to see him play (and kinda excites me, too....TMI!).

Here's a picture of my favorite White Sox on the way to the game. Yummy!

So, now were are involved in THREE sports...baseball, basketball and volleyball. Go, White Sox, Jaguars and Serve-ivors!

fondly,

fit

Fru-Fru-ness

2009-04-02T13:29:00.004-05:00

I am the mother of an Official Lone Star Princess. What is that? Well....let me tell you!

On Tuesday, I received a call from my dad. He said he had a friend that wanted to talk to me. Jim proceeded to explain to me that his daughter, Tiffany, was crowned Miss Denison/Sherman. She wanted to know if my daughter would be interested in being her "Loan Star Princess" for the Miss Texas pageant. Beginning June 26th and continuing until July 4th, my daughter will be rehearsing for the pageant program! She will escort her "Miss" in the pageant and will wear a white gown and an official tiara.

I'm sure she will outshine everyone....LOL. Since she's a Princess, doesn't that make me a Queen??

fondly,

fit

Prayer is. . .

2009-03-30T14:03:00.002-05:00

...A conversation; not a performance.

...An encounter; not a task to complete.

...An ongoing conversation; not a pre-set appointment.

I thought of these words this morning. I have them posted at my desk as a reminder. At church yesterday, I felt a real conviction regarding my Christian walk. I feel I've grown stagnant--and I want to do something about it. All day, I have been reciting Isaiah 26:3 - "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee."

I pray that I will seek God's Will in all that I do. Some days, I just have to be reminded.

fondly,

fit

Back to reality...

2009-03-25T09:01:00.012-05:00

Well...we're back from our amazing vacation! We had a WONDERFUL time - especially enjoying all of God's creations. The scenery was unbelievable and really put into perspective how great our God is. I took a million pictures, so I'll only share a few:

Only TWO more days!!

2009-03-12T11:32:00.005-05:00

Durango, Colorado....Here we come!! Our family is going on a Spring Break trip to the mountains. We have never been to Colorado as a family. I went during my teen years, but none of the kids have been. I can't wait to see all the snow!!! I'm sure I'll have plenty of pictures to share when we return.

In the meantime, here are a couple of pictures of Nick getting a hair cut:

Isn't he just PRECIOUS?!?!?

And--here's a picture of Jake's JV basketball:

Game Day!

2009-03-06T13:03:00.002-06:00

My daughter has her FIRST volleyball game tonight! She's so excited...and so am I. I am coaching her team this year, along with her aunt (my ex-sister-in-law). The team is made up of 10 sixth grade girls, most of which have never played. We've only had two practices--and the first one was basically going over season details, etc. Honestly, I'm not sure they even know how to rotate on a volleyball court! Needless to say, tonight will be an adventure. I have stressed to the team parents that this season is going to be F-U-N. I'm going to teach the basics, but I'm not going to go over the top. No suicide drills, drop and roll drills....

I'll let you know how it turns out!

fondly,

fit

Jake + Coach = Nosebleed!!

2009-03-04T13:02:00.007-06:00

Jake had his end-of-year basketball banquet and I had to share this picture...

"So," you ask..."what's so significant about the picture of Jake and his Coach?"

Well...think of it in these terms: Jake is almost 6'5"......

Had you goin' with the title, huh? You probably thought his coach hit him, didn't ya? LOL

Overwhelmed. . .

2009-02-17T12:57:00.002-06:00

Just returned from Dr. Fertility's office and feel completely overwhelmed. What used to be a VERY simple process for me (I am fertile-myrtle), is not anymore. When the doctor was talking with us, he went into detail everything that would occur if we decided to proceed. Let's just say that we must take some time to digest everything.

Ultimately, I MUST give this situation to God. He is in control, no matter how much I like to think that I am. I'll post some more later--got to put my arms around this today.
fondly,
fit

UPDATE--Doctor Appt moved up!

2009-02-16T14:20:00.003-06:00

I have received some feedback from some of you that my blog wouldn't allow comments -- I have fixed that now (I hope). I got a new blackberry and must have messed up something when interfacing with blogger (??).

Anyway. . .

The fertility doctor's office just called me and moved up my appointment to TOMORROW at 10am!! Huh?!?!? That means I have to leave work early today to go by the hospital to pick up my operative report from when I had my tubal. Is it weird that I'm nervous? I guess since we've been talking about this for over a year now, I can't believe that I'm actually seeing a professional about it. It kinda makes it seem like a REAL possibility. Wow.......

Prayers for guidance is certainly appreciated. I want to make sure that the Lord wants this...not just me and Robert. Either way, I feel I'm ready. [maybe...LOL]

fondly,

fit

Upward = Completed

2009-02-16T09:31:00.005-06:00

Another year of Upward basketball is over. Our youngest played this year for the first time. Honestly, teaching 5 year olds the fundamentals of basketball is like pulling teeth on laughing gas. You want to laugh, but it's excruciating at the same time. Oh well, I've been through this before...it gets better. Here is Nick with his trophy:
Ever since the Disney movie, Cars, came out, he refers to all trophies as "Piston Cups." Here is an excerpt from our conversation:

Me: "Wow, Nick, did you have fun?"
Nick: "yeah, that was lots of fun!"
Me: "I like your trophy..."
Nick: "It's not a trophy, it's a Piston Cup."
Me: "HAHA, no it's actually called a trophy."
Nick: "Mom...mine is called a Piston Cup!"

So -- from here on out, all trophies are called Piston Cups, per Nick.

fondly, fit

I still get butterflies. . .

2009-02-13T14:59:00.004-06:00

Growing up I often wondered if "love at first sight" was true or a myth made up by someone who was lacking teeth and lived in a trailer and longingly waited for Mr. Right to come along...

Well, I have the answer. YES--it does exist. And my husband is my proof! He's is an incredible man. Today, he surprised me at my work with a dozen roses. We have a secured building which doesn't allow him access. He was able to get the administrative assistant's phone number and have her let him in. I was in the conference room getting ready for a meeting, when I look up and saw him coming down the hall with the roses in his hands. Needless to say, I didn't care who was looking --- I planted one on him right there and then!

At that point, I think he might have grabbed my butt (which is a joke between us---we try to pinch each other's butts in the most unusual places so as to embarrass the other one) [Note: he is winning in this game...he often grabs my behind in CHURCH and says, "hey, we're married; God doesn't mind..."] LOL

He is an amazing person. I am truly blessed to have him in my life. Not sure what I did to deserve him, but . . . he's ALL MINE!!

Okay....I'm not sure who all reads my blog (maybe two of you??), but I am going to pose a question to get some feedback. It's okay to ask it in this forum because my family doesn't read this blog-------

I talked to Kristi about it the other day (She's my counselor. Hey Kris - the check's in the mail). I like to talk to Kristi for several reasons: 1) She's hilarious; 2) I've known her my whole life and am proud to call her my sister; 3) She's an amazing and courageous woman who loves the Lord and makes it evident that she is His child; 4) etc.

Anyway, here's the question: Is 41 too old to have a baby? First off -- NO, I'm not pregnant (don't freak, Wendy). However, we have an appointment with a fertility specialist in a couple weeks to see if it is a possibility. I had my tubes tied when my youngest was born since we didn't plan on having any more. But, we've been talking over the last year or so (every once in a while) about maybe having another one. Here's the scoop:

When the older three are at their father's house, the youngest is left alone and REALLY misses them. This would give him companionship. Also, we currently have ONE girl and four boys. She has been asking for a sister her whole precious life. She would be too excited for words~ But, most importantly, we want another baby. Hubby thought I was opposed to it, so he didn't want to bring it up. But now, he's getting so excited! So, on March 2nd, we meet with a specialist to see if it can happen. Good news is that if we don't have one of our own, I think we're going to try to adopt.

Okay ~ all you in blog-land...help a sister out?!?!? Thoughts? Am I crazy?

fondly,

fit

Hill Country....Here we come!!

2009-01-29T11:19:00.002-06:00

Today is Friday for me....because I'm on vacation tomorrow! Hubby and I are enjoying the weekend free from children. Our anniversary is Sunday (yes--super bowl sunday) and we usually go out-of-town to celebrate.

Random numbers for today:

30 minutes on the cross-trainer this morning

1 video showing on the gym's television that was HIGHLY offensive

1 email to General Manager of gym to complain (if they want to claim to be a "family" gym, then they need to act like it!)

60 minutes from the time I sent the email to the time the manager called me!

Dozens of phone calls and emails complaining about the same video

Immediately expect to see the video gone! Woo hoo.... [it was awful, seriously]

4 pounds I've lost

10 hugs I received from my son who was allowed to acquire my smartphone (I upgraded)

4 weeks until my daughter starts volleyball

4 weeks until I start coaching my daughter's volleyball team

That's all for now!
fondly,
fit

2009-01-23T12:34:00.002-06:00

It's that time.......time for the Biggest Loser event at work. We are in teams of three and we have chosen a team name. Our name is "MacNPeas" [one mac-daddy and two peas in a pod]. We weigh in today, so I am eating a big lunch before I go. The numbers will probably make me want to cry....but I must do it. Weight just kinda creeps up on ya. It's just not right....

I shall be lighter!

Wish me luck,

fit

Still Not Recovered.......

2009-01-22T13:38:00.005-06:00

Last week was our Annual Sales Meeting of which I am part of the team that coordinates. While I didn't have much pre-planning responsibilities, I was considered "Command Central" (CC) for the event. OMG! I haven't worked that hard in my life! Let's just say that I was typically the first one up and the last one working. I had to keep up with how much I worked and I logged over 83 hours in a week. Anyway ~ the meeting is over and all went very well.

I arrived home from the hotel on Sunday around 4pm at which time I promptly took a shower and put on my pajamas. The worst part was that when my alarm went off the next day, I had to go back to work! Ugh.

No weekend = No fun

I am looking forward to this weekend! Friday night, my oldest has a basketball game and my daughter has a volleyball clinic following. Saturday, my youngest has Upward basketball and that night we are going over to our friends' house to hang out. Sunday will be our usual agenda: church, lunch, nap, etc. Hopefully, I will regain my mental and physical strength that was exhausted at the sales meeting.

Oh yeah, I just remembered.....yesterday I took the corporate jet to our manufacturing facility in Arkansas. It was NICE! I've been in it before, so I knew what a treat it would be. We boarded at Addison airport, after we drove into the hanger and parked our cars, and hopped on the plane. I went with two of our European managers from France (I could listen to them talk ALL day!) and a couple of our engineers. The flight was only about 45 minutes long, but lots of fun. I took a couple of pictures:

I could certainly get used to being jetted around the world! Oh well...back to reality--and back to work!

fondly,

fit

Today's Random Numbers

2009-01-12T08:56:00.002-06:00

5 The time I got up this morning to head to the gym

1 person I saw at the gym I recognized

1 recognized person scared and running after seeing me first thing in the morning

2 injuries during our family Wii tournament last night (LOL)

0 minutes we were late to church yesterday....MIRACLE!

20 days until our anniversary

18 days until we leave for our anniversary trip...Yay!

42 days I have to lose 25 pounds for the Biggest Loser contest at work

500 dollars (or more) that I could win for the contest!

9 weeks until we leave for our family trip to Durango, Colorado

Have a wonderful day.
fondly,
fit

Our Family...November 2008

2009-01-07T14:23:00.002-06:00

Well.....here it is!

God has blessed me with a wonderful family. Here's just a glimpse of us!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The Year 2009....

2009-01-05T14:45:00.002-06:00

Why does the start of a new year cause a sense of nostalgia??

I guess I'm beyond the whole new year resolution thingy...mostly because I never seem to stick to it. However, this year, I'm sensing a few areas that I should focus on:

For one, my weight has got to get under control! As a result of a couple injuries, I haven't been able to exercise like I'm accustomed to doing. But, I believe the injuries are healed, so I'm back to the drawing board/treadmill!

Secondly, I feel I have let my prayer life diminish. I get so busy with myself and my life, that I forget to pray. I'm going to listen to the Holy Spirit more...and get busy with what He wants me to get busy with.

Okay ~ so I left the CD with all the pictures from our lovely family shoot in the computer at home. I will try to upload some tomorrow.

Happy New Year!
fondly,
fit

Family Photos 2008

2008-12-22T14:31:00.001-06:00

Here is one of the 622 photos taken at our family photo shoot....

More later!

Fondly~ Fit

The Holidays....already?!?!?

2008-12-17T13:07:00.003-06:00

Here it is -- December 17th and I'm realizing that I haven't posted since September! Time flies, huh?

We have spent most of the last few months completing a house project. Due to some "unmentionables" (as my dad calls them), aka termites, we were forced to gut the downstairs bathroom and part of the kitchen. The bathroom is almost completely finished, except for some difficult tile work we keep putting off; and the kitchen is done. Everything looks GREAT! Now...on to the next project...LOL

We are in the midst of Basketball season. Jake plays for JV at Garland High School and Nick just started Upward (age 5). Jake's games have become exciting. I admit, I get a little loud sometimes..... By contrast, Nick's games are hilarious!! Needless to say, I have labeled them as "organized chaos." But--let me brag for a moment..... ahem.... MY son scored three baskets and was named offensive player of the week! Woohoo! Seriously, if he wasn't picking his nose, he did well.

We had our family pictures taken this past weekend, so I will post some as soon as I get them back. It was a lot of fun....

Random Numbers:

7 shopping days left until Christmas

9 days to begin shopping for next year's Christmas

622 pictures taken by the photographers during our photo shoot (really!)

13 days until I get to see my precious nephews and nieces (Josh's kids)

4 pounds I've lost since last week

3 pounds I gained at lunch today (LOL)

0 miles I have run since November (I've gotta get back to running~)

1 Christmas program Nick was in (and his first!) [he sang his little heart out...]

We are supposed to get the pictures tonight, so I will try to post some.

More later....

Fondly,

fitafter4

2008-09-22T08:39:00.007-05:00

For my faithful readers (all two of you) ~

My only excuse for not posting is simply lack of time....

Let me remind you of my hectic schedule:

I have four children: two in high school, one in middle school, and one in kindergarten;
Said four children are involved in the following activities: basketball, marching band, Upward cheerleading, drum lessons, etc.;
I work full time;
My husband is a school teacher, which requires ALOT of time (teachers DON'T get paid enough!);
I am in school;
I've been involved in our corporate olympics (5K, softball, volleyball).

That's all I can think of right now - although I've probably forgotten a few.

Here are some of the highlights from the last month (since school started).

My baby started Kindergarten!

Tyler (and his best friend, Jacob) in his MOB (Mighty Owl Band) Marching Uniform:

Jake - came to visit me at my office.....

I don't have any pictures of Miranda right now -- but I'll post one as soon as possible.

Anyway ~Life is good - hectic - but good!

fondly,

fit

Has it REALLY been almost a MONTH?

2008-08-20T18:03:00.003-05:00

Sorry, dearest blog readers....time has slipped by! I had two back-to-back vacations (one long and one short) and simply have NOT had time to post. I would love to say that I have a ton of pictures to add to my post; however, that is not the case. Our camara has issues. Not sure what they are...but looks like we might have to purchase another one.

Our first vacation was the first week in August in Branson, MO with my WHOLE family.....all 20 of us! My mom and dad, sister & family, and brother & family all met us at a resort. It was very nice and relaxing. We didn't really do much---which was exactly what we preferred. We swam alot, ate alot, played games alot, sang alot, etc......WE HAD A BLAST! I'll try to get some of my sister's pictures to post. I was able to spend some quality time with my nieces and nephews who live in Northwestern Arkansas. I must admin--they love their "aunt tonee". Can you blame them? lol

One of my fellow bloggers, Kristi, mentioned in one of her posts a few weeks ago about a park that she took her sweet girl to. She refers to her fear of her daughter catching some kind of parasite, given the amount of children running around naked (yuk). For those that are aware, the North Texas area has had a breakout of Cryptosporidium, an evil parasite that hides in the intestines (lovely, huh?). Apparently, it started out in a lake and spread to everyone that happened to be at that lake that day. Before those recipients were aware of the parasite they carried, they took it to other locations--public pools, daycares, etc.

*So....what does that have to do with me?*

Well....while we were on vacation in Branson, my youngest son came down with a terrible case of diarrea. Little did I know..... When we returned from vacation that following Saturday, I had contracted the nasty bug. [still oblivious to what it was] It wasn't until Monday morning when I took him to school that I saw the HEALTH DEPARTMENT warning that there had been an outbreak of crypto. Nice.... Let's just say that it has been at least two weeks since I was infected and I still don't feel well. Gross, Gross, Gross.....

So, Kris....wanna send Olivia over to play? lol

Anyway, once we got back from Branson, we were home for a few days and then headed off to "the World's Largest Water Park", Schlitterbahn, in New Bransfels, TX. We met my best friend, Susan, and her kids at a real nice resort. We spent one day floating on the Comal River (bbrrr...) and one day at the water park. Had a great time! Came back Sunday afternoon and started preparing for the beginning of another week. Ugh--reality.

So---I'm back at work trying to uncover from all the mounds and mounds of stuff I missed. Aside from all that, my next class at LU (distance learning program) started Monday. I'm still waiting on my book; hopefully it will be here tomorrow!

Now that I have returned from the blogger's land of the lost, I will attempt to catch up on everyone's posts and respond to a few.

Hope all is well---
fondly,
fit

2008-07-24T10:21:00.001-05:00

Found this article this morning....priceless!

Olympic athlete's grandmother, 78, chased and caught a mugger
The 78-year-old grandmother of an Olympic sprinter has shown that athleticism runs in the family, after she chased and caught a mugger who stole her purse.

Pearline Williamson, whose grandson is 100m runner Simeon Williamson, was out shopping when a young woman ran past her, pulling the purse from her hand.
Without a thought for her own safety Mrs Williamson sprinted after the woman, believed to be in her early 20s, and managed to catch her.
The furious pensioner then shook her attacker in front of fellow shoppers in Edmonton, north London. The thief dropped the purse and escaped.
Mrs Williamson said: "She must have thought I was an easy touch because I'm elderly.
"When she took my purse I had to do something so I ran after her and grabbed her as hard as I could. She said she hadn't taken it at first, so I shook the life out of her until she finally gave it back."
Olympic hopeful Mr Williamson, 22, said: "It's typical of her as she stands up for everyone else, so it's no surprise she stood up for herself.
"She can be very friendly but also pretty scary when she wants to be – you wouldn't have wanted to be the thief.
"And there's no controlling her – you just have to stand back and hope she's alright as she doesn't think about the consequences."
Mrs Williamson said she had her purse stolen four-years ago on a bus and since then she has vowed to fight back against criminals.
She added: "I have never been scared of anyone. If I see someone being taken advantage of I do something.
"It makes me so mad when people try and take your things. Back in my day you had to work so hard for every penny. "My kids tell me not to get involved, but you have to try – if you don't do anything then bad people get away with bad things."
Her grandson will race at the Beijing Olympics as Britain's number one sprinter. He clocked a personal best of 10.03sec at the recent Olympic trials.
Mr Williamson said: "Her attitude would make her an Olympic gold medallist if she were just a few years younger.
"She's from a different generation and had to work for everything she has, so if someone takes what's hers then she will defend it. "It's that sort of stubborn belief that makes you a champion and that's exactly what she is."

It MUST be me.....

2008-07-23T09:42:00.002-05:00

It's H-O-T!! And--it seems that I can't escape the heat. I received a call from my husband yesterday that our air conditioner at home wasn't working. Ugh. The temperature DOWNSTAIRS was 89 degrees...and who knows what it was upstairs. We have a supremely old unit, so there is only one for the entire house. We are trying to let it limp along--since it's covered under warranty. Eventually, we will get two new units for each floor; however, we have too many expensive projects going on right now to update the house!

So, one of my co-workers followed me home last night and was able to diagnose the problem. We were able to locate the part that was faulty and voila~ it was fixed! We decided to stay at a hotel last night since it would take all night to cool the house. My job puts me in contact with many people, one of which is a nice hotel chain manager. He put us up in a nice suite for free. Can't beat that! Okay -- so I'm walking into work this morning and guess what?!?!? The air conditioner isn't working!! All I could say was, "You've got to be kidding me..." It was 85 degrees in the office. Finally, it was fixed and it's tolerable now. I'm almost afraid to drive my car---should the a/c quit working!

Last night we had planned on going over to some friends house, but the whole a/c thing put a kink in the plan. We decided (after much deliberation) to go ahead and go, even though it was much later than anticipated. We had a great time....and it turned out to be very therapeutic!

Here are my random numbers for today:

9 - days until my kids are all home

15 - minutes it took for the judge to shoot down my ex-husband's attempt to gain custody of our three children AGAIN (fourth time)

15,000 - dollars my ex owes my attorney for his repeated attempts

infinity - times I will thank the Lord for his protection from repeated attempts

250,000 - dollars a U.S. citizen can be fined for having Cuban cigars

10 - years in addition to the $250,000

1 - acquaintance who has said cuban cigars

0 - times I will admit to knowing acquaintance who has said cigars to anyone who asks

1 - day I've been back on the weight-loss-bandwagon

0 - pounds I have lost...lol

Have a great day!
fondly,
fit

It's Monday--- ALREADY?

2008-07-21T15:47:00.006-05:00

Where did the weekend go? Seriously....

Had a great weekend, but I couldn't tell you what I did. I know I took a really long nap on Saturday--FOUR hours. Whew! I was tired! I know we went to church yesterday. But aside from that--it's all a blur. Oh well, I guess some weekends are just like that, huh?

Oh yeah, I remember -- I took Jake to basketball practice. Yet AGAIN, his father fell through on taking him. I find it interesting that since he's been at his father's house the last 3 weeks, I have taken him to practice all three weeks. Hmmmm....Can you say non-committal? self-absorbed? convenience-minded? yeah--all those things [and more]

Speaking of Jake, he's playing in the Primetime Sports National Basketball tournament this weekend. Over 700 teams are expected to play from across the country (ages 8 and up). He's very excited. Last year, it was reported that over 300 college scouts were present at the tournament. Talk about great exposure!! Anyway, his first game is Thursday morning at 8am. And guess what?!?! His dad can't take him. Imagine that. So--I'll be taking off work to make sure he gets to the game. I'll probably keep stats for the team, too. Oh well, I keep telling myself that Jake WILL remember who supported him. Right?!?

Here is Dirk Nowitski, Jr.--he's actually grown several inches since this picture. He's 6'4" (maybe a little more) now. He's the tallest on his team as well as the youngest....lol. [Okay -- enough bragging...]

Church was good yesterday. We haven't been in a few weeks due to all our traveling, so it was good to be back in the Lord's House.

Sorry for such a boring post....I'll do better next time.

fondly,

fit

T-G-I-F!!

2008-07-18T08:24:00.008-05:00

Love this picture...it really depicts my week (and maybe even my hair). Been a tough one--but it's almost over!

Not quite sure what exactly has made it so tough. I haven't seen much of my sweetie, which I'm sure has added to the situation. And--it seems like when I saw him, I was a total crab. [sorry baby] I haven't seen my three older kids in a week. Work has been busy. I was given clearance to run by my doctor (Yay!) after a cortizone shot in the foot (ouch!) and some orthotics for my running shoes. Still dealing with the ex-spouse (referred to as "bump") and his insanity.

Maybe I'm feeling just a bit nostalgic today....so bear with me. I came to a realization yesterday that was very upsetting. I grew up with a close-knit group of friends. We have known each other for practically our whole lives. Well, some have moved off and we all have different lives now...duh. I miss having that closeness. I miss being able to be myself with someone and not feel judged or evaluated. I came to this realization after I had an emotional situation come up yesterday and had no one to call to talk to. My husband is my best friend, but he was tied up at work; and I grow tired of dumping my problems on my family. I have prayed for years for God to bring a friend into my life that I can laugh with, share with, cry with, support, etc. I have a wonderful friend (probably my closest aside from my husband), Susan, but she lives in Tyler and I never get to see her. Most of the ladies in my class at church have "get togethers" during the day with all their kids (none of them work outside the home) and it leaves me feeling isolated and alone. Then, there's the issue of having a wide range in the age of the kids. I have teenagers AND a preschooler. I know, I know....quit having a pity party.........................Okay - I'm done.

Anyway, I have a friend who refers to her belly fat (you know--the part that hangs over your pants when you sit down?) as "muffin". I think that is hysterical and I laugh everytime she uses it. I would like to introduce you to "the shelf", as I call it. You know---it's the fat that hangs over your c-section scar? Yeah, it looks like a big blob of fat hanging over a shelf. Now--all you that had "regular" births won't really understand. However, if you've had a c-section...you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. [Unless, of course, you have less than 10 percent body fat. If that's the case, then I hate you...no offense.]

I wanted to post a few more "before" pictures of the house:

I plan to take some pictures this weekend and give you some idea of the progress....

Have a great weekend!

fondly,

fit

Ouch!!

2008-07-16T14:31:00.003-05:00

I like to run. More importantly, I like to run with no pain.

I went to see a foot and ankle specialist yesterday to find out why after about 1.5 miles of running my foot is in escruciating pain. Well--now I know.
I have "neuromas" on both feet. Here is the clinical definition:

"A neuroma is the swelling of nerve that is a result of a compression or trauma. They are often described as nerve tumors. However, they are not in the purest sense a tumor. They are a swelling within the nerve that may result in permanent nerve damage. The most common site for a neuroma is on the ball of the foot."

Ouch!

My doctor, Dr. Korpinen, [http://www.premierfootankle.com/], is very good. He came highly recommended from a co-worker and fellow runner. Although I had done a large amount of research before the appointment, he was very informative on my condition. He gave me a cortizone shot in my foot (P-A-I-N!) and put me in orthotics for my running shoes. I'm supposed to continue running (supposedly with no pain...) and come back and see him in 3 weeks. If I'm still having trouble, then he will proceed to Plan B, which is deadening the nerve itself. But--all in all, he seemed very upbeat that it was not an issue that would keep me from running. Yay! Now--since it's been over a month since I last ran--it's going to be interesting to see how out-of-shape I've become! I've done "some" cross training; however, I haven't wanted to overdo it, so it was minimal. I have a 5K on September 14th and a 10K on September 20th. Guess we'll see, huh???
fondly,
fit

Pleasing God or Trusting God?

2008-07-15T09:25:00.003-05:00

I found this devotional this morning and it made me stop and take a look at my relationship with the Lord. I have decided that I give more effort to "pleasing God" rather than "trusting" Him. Read this -- it's quite insightful:

TODAY’S VERSE “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
TODAY’S MESSAGE In their book “True Faced” the authors pose this following scenario. “As we’re walking down life’s road, we arrive at a tall pole with signs pointing in two different directions. The marker leading to the left simply says Pleasing God. The one leading to the right reads Trusting God. It’s hard to choose one over the other, because both roads have a good feel to them. There is no third road. We must choose one.”

At first glance it seems obvious to me. I want to “please God” more than anything. I want to bring Him joy and thank Him for everything He does. Or at least that is where my mind starts. In truth, who is “pleasing God” really about? Is it really about God and how much I want to thank Him by pleasing Him? Or is it really about me and how I want to make God happy with my behavior?

The real answer is we should take the “trusting God” fork in the road. Why? Because with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we already please God. Paul reminds us that we are saved by God’s grace, not by any of our own works. No behavior on our part could ever please God the way His own grace does. God loves us and we don’t need to earn it by “pleasing” Him. Instead, when we really realize what grace is all about, we will want to trust Him fully. When that happens, it will be our praise and adoration that pleases Him, not our vain efforts to gain His love.

******

WOW...I think I just had an "ah-ha" moment! For many of us, we concentrate so hard on pleasing others that it naturally just rolls right over into our relationship with Christ. The fact that I accepted His precious gift of salvation pleases Him most. All I have to do now is trust Him. Sounds so simple....but can I do it?

fondly,

fit

State of the Union...or rather Dis-Union

2008-07-14T13:21:00.004-05:00

For those of you that know, we are remodeling our house. We bought for a great price as an investment. It needed some serious updating, but was in really good condition. Well-this endeavor has proven to be a L-O-N-G and drawn out process. I'd love to say that it's because we're "just doing things right" but truthfully....it's a matter of $$$!! Everything is SOOOO expensive! Anyway, we just re-did our living room floor--removing some OLD, yucky, gross carpet and replacing with wood floors, or rather, laminate. It's looks very nice, but I'm not quite used to the "clicking" sound.

In our kitchen, we have put in new counter tops, new oven, new stove, new sink and a new floor is on the way. I will post some before pictures --and when the living room and kitchen are done, I will post the after pictures. It seems that all we do is work on the house. Every bit of spare time is jammed full of work, work, work. Ugh. I know it will pay off, but good grief! I'm tired!

Here is the living room with the carpet pulled up:

I have more to post, but have run out of time.....see ya tomorrow!

fondly,

fit

26 and Counting...

2008-07-08T14:23:00.002-05:00

Only 26 more days until I see the kids....

Here are my random numbers for today:

5 - Number of times I woke up during the night

5 - Really weird dreams I had!

2 - Number of loads of laundry we were able finish before the washer broke...AGAIN.

24 - Hours until the washing machine guru looks at it to see how much $$$ it will cost to get it fixed.

0 - Number of contacts I could put in my eyes this morning....My allergies are terrible!

25 - Number of people who asked if I "just got glasses"

10 - Amount of push-ups I can do (that's pathetic!)

27 - Days until our family vacation

0 - Amount of money saved for vacation

This past weekend we were able to drive to Shreveport to see my brother-in-law who has been in Iraq for the last year. It was wonderful to see him! The sacrifices he has made for his country are unbelievable. He missed his firstborn's birth, Christmas, New Years, etc...while he was gone. Besides that, during the end of my sister-in-law's pregnancy she developed some serious problems and had to be bedridden [she lives about 1000 miles away from "home"]. Her parents were able to be there during her labor and delivery and then promptly packed her up and took her to Shreveport so they could help her. While there, she received word that a pipe had burst in her home and completely flooded it. She had to drive back home and deal with that huge problem. All by herself, brand new baby, flooded house, etc....Can you imagine??? Needless to say, this whole ordeal has given me a real look at the enormous sacrifices our troops make AS WELL AS THEIR FAMILIES.

We took a ton of pictures, so I will try to download some tomorrow. There are some beautiful pictures of their daughter's baptism Sunday. My brother-in-law was quite emotional....it was incredibly moving.

I tell you what, though....my little Nicholas had a real tough time "sharing the spotlight" with his new little cousin! He's used to being the only little one around......and getting all the attention. Whew! It took some real patience to get him to understand that the world doesn't revolve around him....lol.

Check back tomorrow...

fondly,

fit

2008-07-03T11:10:00.002-05:00

How cool are these pictures??? My brother's church in NW Arkansas had a "Freedom Fest" this past Sunday. They all met on the lawn outside of the sanctuary and watched fireworks over the lake behind the church. I wasn't able to be there, of course, but the pictures of the event look incredible!

We don't have any plans for tomorrow, July 4th, but on Saturday we plan on going to see some family. I'll write more on that later...

Have a great holiday weekend!

fondly,

fit

All Alone???

2008-07-01T12:15:00.004-05:00

The last couple days have been W-E-I-R-D. My friend, Susan, and her family came to visit this past weekend. She asked if she could take Nick back with her for a few days and I agreed. I had no idea how strange it would feel without him around! He's four (almost five!) and although independent, he's very much into EVERYTHING.

Anyway, I called yesterday to check on Nick and Susan asked if he wanted to talk to me and he said, "Noooooooooo!" Apparently, he was playing a spying game and hiding behind furniture and shooting at the t.v. with his nerf gun. Needless to say, he was too busy to talk to Mommy. LOL

Last night we decided to take the older kids to see a movie before they shipped off to their dad's house for a month. While we were watching the movie, I received a text message from Susan with a picture of Nick:

"Swimming in the bathtub!"

I know he is having a BLAST at Aunt Suzie's house.....She loves children and, in fact, was a preschool teacher for a number of years. Susan and I met when we were both on a Nursery Committee at a church we both attended. I was immediately drawn to her fun personality! Her oldest daughter, Katie, was our babysitter. Even though she moved away about 7 years ago, we have stayed in contact. My car can probably drive to her house on auto-pilot! She has been there for me through many, many trials. I know I can always go to Susan for whatever I may need. She's helped me through some very tough situations by praying for me and holding me through my tears. It now seems that the tide has reversed and now she is needing me to be there for her. She has endured much hardship over the last two years and it seems to have come to fruition in the last couple months. I pray for her as often as I can remember----that God will put a hedge about her and help her make it through the difficult times with His love to carry her.
So--tonight I will be parting with my sweet kids around 6pm. After that, I'm ALL BY MYSELF!! Robert has to work tonight....so it's just me. I can't tell you the last time that has happened. Seriously. It's gonna be weird.

fondly,

fit

July - A Hot and Depressing Month...

2008-06-30T09:14:00.002-05:00

So you say..."I get the 'hot' part...but what makes July depressing?"

Well ~ I'm glad you asked!

July is the month that my three older children go to their dad's house for summer break. I don't get to see them except for a couple days out of the WHOLE month! It's like I'm a fish-out-of-water. I wouldn't go so far as to say that we close off their vents to the rooms (lol) but I will say that I don't even go into their rooms unless absolutely necessary. It makes me too sad. If it weren't for their cell phones, I probably wouldn't talk to them at all. It's almost like they get over to his house and feel like they have to completely forget me and focus entirely on him so as to not hurt his feelings. Whatever....

Anyway, I think July is most difficult on Nicholas. He hates it when his siblings are gone. A few days---he can handle; but a month?!?!? He's getting to the age that he understands that "Mr. Gene" is their dad. What he DOESN'T get is when we see him, he feels compelled to run to him and give a big hug. Ummmm.....I don't think so. I know that he's a child and innocent, etc.--and I should get over it--but the way that "Mr. Gene" continues to hurt me, my husband AND NICHOLAS, is more than I can handle!

He actually had the "kahunas" to get on the stand the last time we were in court (for the millionth time) and state (under oath) that Nicholas was out-of-control and bratty. First of all, the instance he was referring to was when Nick was 18 months old and had a tantrum about something--as 18 month olds do. *&^%! He also testified that my husband abuses the kids. Don't even get me started on that one. And--that I'm a bad mother and I puposefully keep the kids away from him. Actually, there are so many issues that I can't go into all of them. Let's just say that he's a sad, bitter, pathetic man who needs the Lord. [I'm seriously NOT trying to sound overly-religious...it's just true]

**********Let's move on, shall we??**************

July is usually the month that we try to get as much done around the house as possible. We like to "surprise" them when they get home with something we've done to the house. One year we remodeled the entry way; one year we put up new fans throughout the house, etc. It's kinda fun to see if they can figure out what's new around the house!

After they return, we are planning a big vacation with my family to Branson, MO. Well, all of us EXCEPT for Tyler! I'm so bummed! That is the week that the MOB (Mighty Owl Band) starts their intense marching practice and it's mandatory! We planned this vacation over 6 months ago (or longer) and had no idea it coincided~ It really sucks. Tyler's extremely disappointed--he loves his cousins and they have so much fun together. We thought about flying him up there when practice is over, but by the time he got to Branson, we would be driving home. Oh well--nothing I can do about it, I guess.

Have a great Monday everyone!

fondly,

fit

Signed in Blood....not really!!

2008-06-25T12:48:00.005-05:00

I had a revelation yesterday. [Yes--occassionally it happens...]

We have four children at home; three of which have cell phones. "Why?" you ask.... We live in a time where technology is taking over the younger generations. We also live in a time where crazy people surround us. So--why not use today's technology to our advantage? Give a kid a cell phone and you can basically hunt him down any time you need.

When the kids are at school, out and about, or over at the dad's house (ugh), I can reach them anytime. Now---- the problem comes in when there are no boundaries. If you don't set limits (on anything, for that matter) then you're not doing right by your kids if you expect them to handle the cell phone responsibly. I guess there is SOME kid out there SOMEWHERE who can be trusted with raw technology without screwing up. NOT MY KIDS.....lol

Let's just suffice it to say that one of my kids (tyler) messed up bigtime last month. For the month of May (just to be clear,--31 days), my precious child talked 58 hours. To whom? About what? Are you kidding? Not only that--he texted over 10,000 text messages. Yeah--this is an issue.

So....... I came up with a cell phone contract that each of the kids had to sign. I know this is not a new concept, but nonetheless important.

I know it's probably too small to read, so here are the eleven points I made:

I understand that the cell phone does NOT belong to me; it belongs to Mom and Robert. Once I start paying the bill, that will change;
On school nights, the cell phone will be turned OFF at 9:00 p.m. unless otherwise stated by Mom and Robert;
During the summer, the cell phone will be turned OFF at midnight unless otherwise stated by Mom and Robert;
I will not send nor receive any inappropriate pictures or texts, including but not limited to, any nudity or profanity;
During the school year, my texts will be limited to 1,000 per month;
I will not go above 50 peak minutes per month as outlined in cell phone bill;
Any overage of minutes per month will be paid by me as well as any accountability or punishment accompanying the overage;
I will NOT access the internet;
I will NOT purchase ringtones, unless otherwise stated by Mom and Robert;
Cell phone is subject to review at any time. Mom and Robert will ask before taking cell phone;
Unless absolutely necessary (as determined by Mom and Robert) phone should not be used for long distance calls. All long distance calls should be made from home telephone (long distance is free).

I understand and agree to the above items. Failure to follow the above stated rules will result in cell phone confiscation for one week or over, as determined by Mom and Robert.

I understand these rules to be in my best interest and accept them as a means to learn responsibility.

Hey ~ in this day and age, you have to protect your kids...from themselves. What's sad about this is that most of their friends are allowed to do whatever they please when it comes to cell phones. I don't understand it!! Example: one of Tyler's friends came over several months ago. He is a nice kid, but definitely doesn't have the parental guidance he needs. He left his phone in my car, so when it rang, my husband answered it (he wasn't sure who it belonged to since we had several of tyler's friends over). What was discovered was a very inappropriate text/pic message including nudity from one of his "friends." My husband was livid! He decided to do some more digging and what was on his phone was AWFUL! After he discovered his phone missing, he started calling our house to retrieve it. I called his mom (whom I had not met--that was a fun way to meet her) and made her come over with him and get his phone. I would not give it back to him. I handed it to his mom and told her that we didn't allow that type of behavior in our home. Of course, she was embarrassed; but I really don't care. It's my house and I will control what comes in it! [whew....let me take a breath. I'm getting all worked up!]

Bottom line: A cell phone is just like a car. I wouldn't hand my kids the keys without equipping them with the knowledge and responsibility to drive it. The same rule applies to a cell phone. They are dangerous and should be treated with care.

fondly,
fit
chairperson of MAIM
(Mothers Against Inappropriate Mobile usage)

Camp is Over ~ the kids are home!

2008-06-24T10:55:00.004-05:00

I mentioned in my post on Friday that I was to pick up the boys from camp around 1:00 a.m. Well ~ they actually pulled into the parking lot at 3:15 a.m.!!!! They were tired, smelly and, quite frankly, a little grumpy. [how is that different than any other day??]

When Jake was walking towards the car, I noticed he was limping. I asked him why and he said he had scraped the top of his foot playing basketball. I found that puzzling since you normally wear shoes while playing basketball....

Tyler was fine--just a little tired.

Anyway ~ we finally gather all their stuff and headed home. We arrived about 3:45 a.m. Jake stopped me on the stairs and asked me to take a look at his foot. OH MY GOODNESS! Not only was the "small scrape" infected, he had a serious case of sun poisoning in his feet and they were swollen almost twice their normal size! He had put sunscreen on his whole body, but forgot his feet. So, needless to say, his feet got sunburned and he didn't wear shoes all week (which meant he got MORE sun on his sunburn...duh). Actually, the whole barefoot thing was normal. The camp is right on the beach, so everything they did was in the sand. The basketball courts are outside, too, so naturally, he didn't wear shoes to play.

He seemed rather blase about the whole thing so I didn't want to overreact. Needless to say, at 4am I was looking for the hydrogen peroxide, antibiotic ointment and bandaids.

I finally fell asleep about 4:45 a.m. only to be awakened at 5:45 a.m. to leave for our family reunion. [for you non-math geniuses, that's ONE hour later lol] It was very difficult to get up and get going and even more difficult to get the boys out of bed! I had prepped them before they even left for camp on this scenario. They put their big, tired, smelly bodies in the car along with mounds of pillows and blankets. They were back asleep before we even backed out of the driveway.

The family reunion was non-eventful [boring!] It was nice seeing everyone, but honestly, I could have done without it. Due to Jake's swollen feet, he was unable to wear any shoes. I'm sure we were a real sight to see. All of us (except Nick, of course!) were exhausted--and part of us were quite fragrant (not!). I'm surprised my relatives didn't feel compelled to take up a donation for our low class, smelly family! LOL At one point, I looked over at Tyler and he was asleep sitting up. Jake was sprawled out on two chairs asleep. We were quite the entertainment.

Will post more later.
fondly,
fit

TGIF!

2008-06-20T10:25:00.003-05:00

Friday has finally made it here! It seems as though it's been a long week---

Here are today's random numbers:

5,280 pounds of material delivered to my house yesterday from Lowes

4 times my sweet hubby had to go to Home Depot while trying to fix the shower faucet. [He persevered and it works!!]

8 times my son, Nick, asked to ride his bike then play baseball in the front yard

8 times I told my son to "Wait!" lol

1.7 miles I ran last night before my foot starting hurting. Ugh.

1 (a.m.) is the time I have to be at the church to pick up the boys from camp

7 hours of driving to go to my family reunion tomorrow. Don't really want to go, but I know how much it means to Dad.

120 dollars to fill up my gas tank [outrageous!]

24 cuss words from my boss' mouth when he called me from the airport in Paris on his way to Athens, Greece....he was just a little upset at American Airlines......

That's all for now!
fondly,
fit

Today's Random Numbers

2008-06-19T09:13:00.003-05:00

6 Pumps of Sugar Free Vanilla in my coffee this morning (yum)

18 People in our Bible study at lunch today

22 days my boss will be traveling internationally. Yee-haw!

21 days I will be leaving early....lol

51 is the percentage of space left on our tivo after clearing
several recorded shows last night

6 cell phones in our house

94 days until the Tour de fleurs 10K

2010 is the largest number in Nick's vocabulary. If he says he "loves me 2010 (pronounced 'twenty-ten')"...that's ALOT!

4 months until my son turns 16 and starts driving [*WARNING*]

have a great day!

fondly,

fit

More Pics for my Long-Lost Friends

2008-06-18T16:14:00.009-05:00

In an effort to catch you up to the happenings in our family, I thought I'd share a few more pics....

This is Tyler (on the left) with his friends at his 8th grade graduation dance. [YES--we dance...] lol

This is Miranda at her 5th grade graduation.

This was taken on our family cruise last year.

This is Jake's basketball picture last year (9th grade - 6'5")
Nicholas helping Daddy dig a hole....

Day #2--So far so good...

2008-06-18T09:03:00.002-05:00

The day started well. I am recovering from a calf injury, so I've been on hiatus from running (which I love). The doctor told me I could start back today. I ran about 1.5 miles since I didn't want to overdo it. Calf feels okay --- but really tight. Ugh. It sucks getting old. I'm convinced that my calf injury is due to my weight gain. Ugh. It REALLY sucks getting old. Unfortunately, I don't have the metabolism of some of my peers (I hate you Kris and Wen *smile*) and have battled weight all my life. I'm extremely fortunate to be tall, which assists in masking some of the pudge. After my second child was born I contracted a virus which, in essence, killed my thyroid. I literally gained 50 pounds in one month....no joke. I've been on thyroid medicine ever since......thanks Tyler. lol

We are in the process of remodeling the house. We are almost finished with the kitchen, but still have a ways to go. Over the weekend we made a trip to Lowes to buy all the materials for the rest of the downstairs floors and we spent almost a small fortune. The materials should be delivered tomorrow and I'm exhausted just thinking about all the work ahead of us. It will look really nice when we're done, but I sure wish I could contract the work out.....

I really miss the boys [they're at camp this week]. It just about killed them to leave their cell phones at home, too. haha I have come to the realization that I sincerely miss texting them. That's kinda our way of communicating, especially on the weekends they are with their dad. It helps me feel connected to them, but doesn't intrude on their time with him.

Here's a picture of my youngest...he's so precious. I'm not a big Dallas Cowboy fan, but his preschool put him in this outfit....

fondly,
fit

I can't believe it's almost been a year!

2008-06-17T12:15:00.004-05:00

Life is crazy....seemed like just yesterday I was in the habit of blogging. Guess not, huh? Been wayyyyyy too busy. The older my kids get the busier they become. I've become "mother taxi". I've also gone back to school--which is something I've talked about doing for years.

Well ~ hopefully my hiatus is over!

I thought I'd give an update of my life over the last year and where I am now:
1) supremely happy in my marriage;
2) amazingly proud of my four children;
3) profoundly thrilled to be called a child of God;
4) cautiously aware of my limitations in every aspect of my life;
5) vaguely conscious of storms heading my way (I'll explain later);
6) completely surrendered to what God has in store for me.

To explain further:
1) My husband, Robert, is truly an amazing person. He has weathered some pretty incredible storms throughout his life and he's fought his way through them. It has been a year since he settled his doubt about his salvation. Since that day, he has developed a desire to know God's Will and execute it.
2) My four children are absolutely incredible. My two oldest are at church camp this week having a blast, I'm sure. My daughter just returned from camp yesterday and is still trying to recuperate! My youngest is on a skating field trip today with his pre-school.
3) God is ever-present in my life. I do my best daily to reflect Him in all I do. He is first and foremost and I find myself having to "die to self" constantly. Regardless, He is an awesome God and Friend.
4) My need for more than 24 hours a day has increased. There's just so much to be done! Now that I'm back in school, I have to devote much time to reading and studying (which I don't have).
5) The storms that I am referring to are yet another court battle with my ex-husband. He's a sad, bitter man who, from all I can tell, doesn't know the Lord.
6) I feel that I'm at a crossroad in my life. I am completely unchallenged and BORED at my career and feel I am being called elsewhere......where--I don't know. Either way, I have to surrender to God and ask for His guidance on where I need to be.

The fam:

I must sign off for now-----back to work!
fondly,
fit

Power of the Mind...

2007-07-03T13:25:00.000-05:00

Good grief! Where did my willpower go?

I LOVE SWEETS----simply said. Could it be genetic I wonder? Give me a hot chocolate chip cookie with a BIG OLE glass of milk and I'm in heaven........[my mouth is watering]

The latest fetish of mine is dark chocolate covered almonds. Yum. I found some at the store the other day and quickly grabbed them and put in my basket. I figure--almonds are good for you and dark chocolate is good for you.....how can I go wrong?!? Well, I could eat the whole can in one sitting...that's what I could do!

I'm doing well with my exercise. I started doing "2's" on the treadmill...two minutes running following by 2 minutes walking, etc. I'm also focusing on strengthening my quads as that will help with my knee problems.

Well--better get back to work.
fondly,
fit

Determination!!

2007-06-28T09:36:00.000-05:00

I've decided it's time to get serious. Serious about my diet, that is.

Initially, I lost about 60 pounds (7 years ago), but it's been slowing making its comeback. In reality, I need to lose about 15 pounds to be where I feel good, look good; optimum performance. I think if I get back to exercising like I was, it should be attainable. But, therein lies the problem. Getting back into the groove of exercising seems to be difficult for me! Either way.....it's gonna happen!

My goal is to lose 15 pounds. How I'm going to do it? Establish accountability and get busy.

Wish me luck!
fondly,
fit

MFFL

2007-05-02T12:34:00.001-05:00

Dirk is the MAN!

Long time; no type

2007-03-19T12:35:00.000-05:00

Seems like I've been gone forever.....okay, maybe not forever---but definitely a while. I've been a tad busy with my new job (promotion). I really like it, so far....[knock on wood].

I have to say, though, that I REALLY miss the guys I worked with before I moved up the ladder. They (except for one!) made my day fun. Even when things were extremely stressful, I could always laugh it off with them...or better yet--laugh AT one of them. Fortunately, this position is within the same business unit, so I can "watch out" for them (I report to the BIG boss now).

I've decided that I miss blogging.

I'm going to do better.

I'll start Monday.
fondly,
fitafter4

2007-02-05T12:52:00.001-06:00

Something's in the air.......

Something that's making me feel awful! I'm not sure if it's Mountain Cedar or some other tree or grass; but it's taking its toll on me.

I wanna go home and get in bed!

Fit

2007-02-01T09:40:00.000-06:00

Storms make trees take deeper roots.
- Dolly Parton

I found the above quote and really liked it. Feels like it describes the continuation of my life! Kinda goes along with, "What doesn't kill ya makes you stronger..." which I've heard countless number of times. If that's the case, then I'm the female Hercules! Just kidding...Honestly, I am very blessed. God doesn't promise His children a life void of problems, just the support and love to make it through them. {I like that quote much better, thank you.}

Well, today is our official 5 year anniversary. Whew! There were a few times I didn't think we'd make it to this point, but I'm glad we did. I referred in my post yesterday about how difficult our journey has been up until now, so I don't want to repeat myself other than to say that I give God the credit for bringing us together and keeping us together. I have learned so much in this marriage; much more than I learned in the 1st! Maybe it's maturity; maybe it's personalities; maybe it's timing---I don't know. All I can say is, I have discovered that I am a very difficult person to live with! [just being honest] Fortunately, my husband has learned how to get through all my issues and help me learn how to be realistic with myself.

New subject. . . . . .

*****

I found this picture this morning and thought it was funny.

Have a wonderful day, world!
Be blessed and give blessings.
Fondly,
Fit

2007-01-31T14:26:00.000-06:00

Got a major headache today! I attempted to go without my caffeinated coffee this morning and BAM! ...headache central. What was I thinking?!?!? How pathetic am I that I have to have caffeine to jump-start my day?

It probably doesn't help that I've been dealing with condescending jerks today either. I normally have patience for "that type of person" but NOT today.

I can't wait until tomorrow! It's our 5th anniversary and I'm taking a vacation day on Friday so we can go to our special anniversary spot. No kids, No stress, No work....BLISS. I will miss the kids, especially Nicholas, but parents have to take care of their marriage, right?

The last five years have been extremely difficult but extremely fulfilling at the same time. My husband and I have handled unbelieveable stress, including custody battles (FOUR), loss of employment (for 3 years!), foreclosure, health issues, etc. There is NO DOUBT in my mind whatsoever, that most marriages could not endure the trials and hardships we have been through. I can't say I haven't thought about just "walking away" when things seemed unbearable, but I knew that God was ultimately in control of our lives and our situation. I cling to the promise that "all things work together for good..."

Actually I try to remember that every day.......
Fondly,
Fit

Countdown to Lobsterville

2007-01-26T14:40:00.000-06:00

Welcome to Lobsterville!

It's our 5th anniversary next Thursday (Feb 1st) and our tradition is to "get away" (NO kids!) and relax. We have found a quaint little cabin in the woods in Oklahoma with absolutely no one around---and it's WONDERFUL! The cabin is fully equipped, including large t.v. and DVD player and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, a hottub on the back porch. We usually sit in the hottub just about the whole weekend and drink wine. The best time is at night with all the stars shining above--that's our favorite. When not in the hottub, we take a bunch of DVD's and chill out on the couch.

However, one of the biggest highlights of the weekend is our traditional lobster dinner we prepare. We bring live lobsters with us (we usually name them--haha) and on Saturday night, we boil them up and enjoy!! I would venture to say this is one of our biggest highlights of the year. All I can say is...bring it on, I'm ready!

2007-01-11T09:40:00.000-06:00

"The moment of victory is much too short to live for that and nothing else."
-Martina Navratilova

Well....I've got my class tonight at the gym. 60 minutes of intense cardio-fitness. Ugh.

It's hard while I'm going through it, but I feel great afterwards!! This class, called "Team Weight Loss", meets three (3) times a week and includes a Nutritionist (aka Summer) and a Personal Trainer (aka Rob). There are about 6 consistent people in my class, one of which is my "buddy", Gretchen. She's seems to be really nice, but I'm starting to see a chip on her shoulder. The first few classes,I thought her negativity was most likely attributed to the difficult regime we were being put through; however, it has certainly intensified and I don't think it's far from her normal state-of-mind. Here's why I say that: One of our other classmates is "cute", "blond", and "thin" [not to mention airheaded]. Our Trainer, Rob, tends to show her alot of attention, much to my buddy's dismay, who is NOT "cute", "blond", and "thin". This scenario has caused much discussion on her part, and I seem to be the likely listener, since I am her buddy and work along side her. I try to be a good listener and show her I care...but the fact is---I DON'T. Get over it already. I'm so done with the "I'm-not-cute-so-anyone-who-is-stinks" attitude!

Truth is, I'm there to get in shape and feel good (and hopefully lose some pounds along the way!). I'm not there to win a contest or compete with others while I'm gettin' sweaty!! Puleez!

Well, I've gotta run for now......

Fondly,

Fit

2007-01-10T15:05:00.000-06:00

"Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you

are a good person
is a little like expecting the bull not to attack you

because you are a vegetarian."

-Dennis Wholey

[I've decided to try to have a different quote every day.....we'll see how it goes!]

Today has been a really weird day. After arriving to work and do my normal, every day kinda things, I came back to my desk to see a group of my teammates standing around, arms folded, giving me this "what-do-you-know" look. [You see--I'm the "Administrator"--which means I have the inside scoop to many things...] It turns out, my boss was F-I-R-E-D this morning. Yep. Gone. I was asked to pack up his office and send his things. As you can imagine, it came as a real shock to everyone; not because there wasn't just cause, but rather surprise that management FINALLY did something about it!

It's my belief that said-boss is bi-polar. He had extreme temperments and you never really knew which boss you would see at any given time! He had made MANY enemies and I think it finally caught up with him. It's sad to see anyone get canned; but sometimes you have to come to the conclusion that someone brought it upon themselves.

Either way, it's been a strange day!
Fondly,
Fit

Mom Desiring Normal Routine!

2007-01-09T15:25:00.000-06:00

Thank goodness school started back today! My kids were going stir-crazy. Whether or not they will admit it or not, they were glad to be back at school. At least--I was. There's only so much television and PS2 that's good for them, ya know [although they would beg to differ].

I'm not sure our new PUPPY likes that he's back to being all alone again. [pic below]

I was able to download a few pictures from Christmas and New Years. Here are some of them:

I will post some more tomorrow.

Fondly,

Fit

Random numbers for the Day!

2007-01-04T10:17:00.000-06:00

Random numbers:

2 - Extra kids at my house right now. My friend's kids, Alex, 16, and Emily, 14, decided to stay with us a couple extra days;

5 - days until my children return to school!

19 - people in my family that gathered on New Year's Eve to play games and bring in the new year;

19 - people who were in a family photo shoot. This is the first time we've all been present for a family picture.

200 - dollars spent on our cat, Simba, who had an abcess in his leg when we returned from vacation! Yuk!

0 - pounds lost over the holidays...even though I'm in a contest to lose weight! Weigh in is next Tuesday--doesn't look too good, huh?

2 - days until my in-laws come to visit.

Happy 2007!

2007-01-04T08:11:00.000-06:00

Happy 2007!!!

It seems that every year I say, "I can't believe it's 200_!" Well, in order to fulfill the prophecy, here goes..."I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S 2007!" Seriously, this past year literally FLEW by. It's pretty much a blurr; although that's not necessarily a bad thing. 2006 was a very difficult year. In fact, probably the most difficult I can ever remember. Welcoming in the new year is really a blessing. It signifies a "new beginning". I pray that God will bless us this year.

Not to be "clique-ish" but it IS the time of year for resolutions. I'm not real good about keeping my newfound commitments, but even if I can keep them for a little bit, that's good, right?!?!

1) I resolve to work on reading my Bible every day. I'm not going to commit to a certain time, but rather just the act of reading itself.

2) I resolve to be a "half-glass-full" person and look at the blessings of life rather than the trials.

3) I commit to making sure my children know EVERY DAY that they are loved more than words can show.

4) I commit to being a good friend.

5) I pledge to learn to love myself - good and bad.

6) I pledge to be a faithful person in ALL things.

7) I will strive to read more!

I don't want to overdo it, so I'll leave it at the seven above.

I'll go for now....

fondly,

fit

Get in my way and I WILL throw an elbow.... but Merry Christmas anyway!

2006-12-15T15:21:00.000-06:00

It's time to brave the crowds and get some Christmas shopping done. Ugh! I'm not a big fan of shopping, mostly because I don't have any money to spend and I want just about everything I see! I DO enjoy buying gifts for people, but it's the shopping part I have an issue with. I simply cannot stand people who think "it's all about them". [Examples: those that take their time walking down the CENTER of the aisle or those that allow their children to run lose throughout the store, etc.] I'm NOT a scrooge, I just don't have patience for inconsiderate people. I have four children, so I feel I can confidently give my opinion----Parent, control your kids or get a babysitter! I have done that plenty of times. In fact, it's quite relaxing to just be able to "stroll" around and shop (never minding those that I've knocked over...).

Anyway, this weekend we are going to try and get most of our shopping done. I've written and re-written the "list" numerous times. Actually, the list isn't as long as most people's (from what I hear), but when you ain't got money....well, you know how it goes!

Hubby and I are not going to exchange gifts (as usual), but that's no big deal. The older kids will be at their dad's over Christmas, so we don't give them their gifts until we pick them up on the 26th at noon. I'm off work the WHOLE WEEK between Christmas and New Year's and I'm very excited. We've got so much traveling to do, that I'm sure the time will whizz by.....

Well, I'd better sign off. So much to do, so little time!

fondly,

fit

Can I go back to sleep?

2006-12-12T10:19:00.000-06:00

Ever have one
of these days?!?!?

Random Numbers:

100 - percent sure I'm tired today!

3 - Times I had to go back home to get things I forgot on the way to work.

4 - times I've had to fix my make-up because my eyes won't stop watering!

50 - dollars we are giving each of the kids to buy Christmas presents for family. Last year, we gave the kids money and a list of each person they were buying for and set them loose in Target. It was very interesting seeing them budget their money and their creativity in their choices of gifts! It was FUN for all! They are already looking forward to doing it again this year.

13.5 - ounces of Olay Body Quench lotion my husband bought me to keep at my desk at work. My skin gets SO dry during winter!! ouch.

The heat will kill you...

2006-12-11T13:34:00.001-06:00

Funny!!

Random Numbers for the Week

2006-12-11T09:56:00.000-06:00

Here are my random numbers for the week (so far!):

41 - Number of minutes I was late to work! Left the house late and had a parking lot on George Bush Freeway.

2 - Weeks until Christmas!

3 - number of gifts bought...

1 - paycheck left until Christmas.

99 - dollars spent on new Christmas tree. HAD to buy one this year. Fortunately, we found a great deal at Lowes for a pre-lit tree.

10 - number of loads of laundry I have to do tonight!

0 - number of my niece/nephews' basketball games I've been to this year. Gonna try to make one very soon.

2 - helpings of dinner I had at our ABF Christmas party last night. The food was catered and was DELICIOUS!

41 - percentage of space used on TIVO; I must catch up on all my shows!

670 - miles to travel at Christmas to see family!

Weirdness galore...

2006-12-08T15:14:00.000-06:00

In another blog, I noticed an interesting topic:
List six (6) things about yourself that might be considered weird or unique. This prompted me to contemplate what I would consider those 6 things to be and quite frankly, I don't know! Regardless, here is my attempt:

1) I love sushi; however, I can ONLY eat it in the evenings. Why? I don't know. How do I know this? My husband took me to have sushi for lunch one day and it just didn't taste good. I eve felt a little naseau. Had it the next day at dinner---loved it. In fact, that's happened a couple of times. Weird?

2) I CAN'T STAND to unload the dishwasher----but I can load it all day!

3) I am a "coffee snob". There--I said it. I prefer only high quality, artsy-fartsy coffee. Basically, you'll never see me drinking coffee out of the office coffee pot. Yuck. No can do. Maybe I'm this way because I didn't start drinking coffee until I was 34 years old!

4) I could travel around basically every weekend! I love making little road trips and staying in quaint little hotels. I love finding neat little out-of-the-way places to tell others about.

5) I want to go back to school, but I'm too chicken. I've been considering it for several years, but I'm so out of practice as far as studying and retaining (key word), I'm afraid of failure.

6) I'm scared to death about forgetting people's names in public! For instance, I'm introducing my husband to someone I work with and, BAM!, their name is totally lost! I would almost say I am somewhat compulsive in my fear of it. Not sure where it stems from...

****************

Well, that was my stab at it. Who knows, I might add more as I contemplate longer.
Fondly,
Fit

Whew...it's FINALLY Friday!

2006-12-08T08:52:00.000-06:00

It's almost party time!

AND----------

Arrived to a CLEAN HOME last night....pure bliss! I was actually able to just "sit" on the couch and relax with no visions of the list of house chores to be done. I could REALLY get used to that feeling..........

I realized that I forgot to upload pictures from our Thanksgiving "Turkey Bowl". It's our family tradition to have a football game every year. We always have a lot of fun.

The gang!

One of my favs...my son and nephew gettin' some height!

Me and my neice! (I'm the older one)

Here's another picture of my neice (and nephew), all dressed up for her Christmas choir concert.

Seems like they were just toddlers running around the house!

I see pictures like this and I feel OLD! But, completely blessed.....

I have a great family. A family that knows how to love each other and have fun, too. I'm so thankful that my kids have such a great relationship with their cousins. They LOVE spending time with them and look forward to holidays, especially, because we have extended time to get together.

Well, better get to work! I'll post more later!

Fondly, Fit

Is it Friday yet?!?!?!

2006-12-07T10:31:00.000-06:00

Why does this week seem to be dragging on and on?

Maybe because I have an AWESOME weekend planned! It starts with TONIGHT... I have the housecleaner coming today--so I will be going home to a CLEAN HOUSE! Yippee! Tomorrow night is somewhat uneventful (see previous statement re: clean house!).

Saturday afternoon, hubby and I check into a really nice hotel and get ready for my work Christmas party (at the hotel). Party starts at 7:30pm and ends at 2:00am! Lots of food, fun, dancing, casino games, etc! Getting all dolled up (I'll post a pic later) and going to party!! Whew hoo! Our favorite babysitter is coming over and have a slumber party with the kids. I think they may be more excited about the evening than me!?!

Check out time is noon on Sunday. Then, that evening is the Christmas party for our ABF (adult Bible fellowship). It will be fun! So..................you can see how much I'm looking forward to the weekend and WHY this work week seems to be dragging on and on! *sighs*

I've gotta get back to work......post more later!

Fondly, Fit

Remember me?

2006-12-05T10:59:00.000-06:00

Sorry it's been so long! Not sure where all the time has gone...........

But - as my kids keep reminding me, it's 20 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS! Ugh! I have no clue and no money; not a good combination. Such is my life! In looking for some great gift ideas for the kiddos, I came across some hilarious websites, one of them being www.choiceshirts.com. My oldest son is into funny t-shirts, so this seemed very appropriate. Here are few captions:

There are many more...and they're hilarious! In fact, there are a few I'd like to have!

This day has passed way too quickly! I will have to write more tomorrow.

Fondly,

Fit

10.31.06

2006-10-31T12:47:00.000-06:00

Happy Halloween!!

I enjoy this holiday so much.....
I love seeing all the creative ideas that people come up with. In fact, I usually find myself laughing and saying to myself, "I need to do that next year!" If I were smart, I would write all the great ideas down and file them away somewhere. Ya know, I think that's what I'll do. Here are a few ideas:
1) Bubble gum - Pink sweatsuite with balloons stuffed inside with a shoe on top of your head;
2) Grapes - purple balloons taped all over with a green stem hat;
3) Grandma Hooter's Girl - need I say more?
4) Marge Simpson - Put an object on the top of your head and pull your hair up around. Spray paint your hair blue and your face yellow.
5) Energizer Bunny - Pink sweatsuit with drum in front that says "Energizer";
That's all I can think of for now. I'll post more later.

I haven't been able to post the last couple weeks---been really busy. Busy with work; busy at home; busy with kids; busy with church; etc...

Tomorrow I'll post pictures from our eventful Halloween night!
Fondly,
Fit

Let's pretend it's yesterday - 10.16.06

2006-10-17T09:49:00.000-05:00

Since I missed my posting yesterday, I am going to pretend I didn't and it's actually Monday, October 16th. That's permissable, right?
***********************************************************************************

Happy Birthday to me!!!! Okay, so it's not MY birthday, but I DID give birth on this very day 14 years ago! I can't believe it...seems like it was just yesterday! [I know that sounds very clique, but it's true] Here's the birthday boy:
Handsome, huh? He's awesome. It's amazing how much I've seen him grow, physically AND emotionally! I enjoy his company immensely........

Happy Birthday, Baby!!

It's Friday----and Monday's coming....

2006-10-13T10:48:00.000-05:00

Doing the happy friday dance! I can't wait until quittin' time. The weather is going to be great and I hope to have some fun family time outdoors; maybe a walk to the park. My oldest has a birthday on Monday, so he will be doing "birthday stuff" this weekend.

On a more serious note, I just heard from my parents that my little brother is in the emergency with heart issues. He was born with several congenitive heart defects and is, actually, a walking miracle. He was born with two (2) major holes in his heart as well as tychardia/disrythmia and something else (I'm not a dr.). I just know that his condition went unknown until right before he went to college. He was told that it was unheard of someone with his multitude of problems to still be alive! He ended up having several heart surgeries, with one of them being open heart. The last year he has been having problems with tychardia (sp?) and has been under Dr.'s care. He was rushed to the ER this morning and that's all I really know. I'm very concerned, but trust the Lord to take care of him. My brother is a minister and has lived to tell his story and witness to others. He's very young to be having severe heart issues (age 30) and has a beautiful wife, three young children and one on the way!