Hill Country....Here we come!!

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

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.......

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

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

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....

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

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

More later!

Fondly~ Fit

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

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

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:

1. I have four children: two in high school, one in middle school, and one in kindergarten;
2. Said four children are involved in the following activities: basketball, marching band, Upward cheerleading, drum lessons, etc.;
3. I work full time;
4. My husband is a school teacher, which requires ALOT of time (teachers DON'T get paid enough!);
5. I am in school;
6. 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?

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

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.....

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?

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!!

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!!

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?

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

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...

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

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???

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