Thanksgiving at Papa and Gram's!

On Wednesday we loaded up the car and set out over the hills and through small towns to get to Papa's and Grammie's house....ALL 8 HOURS! (with a 2.5 year old).  We survived thanks to Angelina Ballerina and Sesame Street videos.  Yes, we were those parents that played videos non-stop (please tell me other parents have done this)!!  We planned to stop every two hours for a little break and then half way we stopped at a park to eat our lunch and let Faith play on the playground.  It worked out great!!!  Faith had such a wonderful time and loved all the extra attention of course. ;)

These car pictures make me laugh every time!

Bright-eyed and ready to go by 7:30am!

7 hours into the ride with no nap

On the way home, with no nap and exhausted from all the spoiling at Papa and Gram's house

(Yes, she is wearing the same outfit home.  We did laundry, so no smelly kid was involved in the taking of this photo)

Fun times in Oklahoma!

We hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving!

Happy Halloween!

My cute little Ladybug

A little party with some friends from church

I want to encourage you to Get In the Picture!

Fall

It has quickly turned into Fall here in the mid-west.  We had a crazy warm summer and early fall.  It was just 80 degrees on Wednesday and today it was a high of 50 and low of 38.  Hello cold!  Brrr!  I have to say, I do prefer weather of the warmer variety, but I do love the different seasons that we experience here.

I don't think I will earn Mommy of the Year because we didn't make it to a pumpkin patch with Faith.  Do you think she will be forever scarred?  We did however, make it to the grocery store around the corner to look at pumpkins and sit on the biggest one.  That counts, right?!  Actually, Faith loved it.  So, I am calling it good for Fall 2012.  Next year, when she is 3, I don't think I will be able to pull the ol' "let's just go to the grocery store and look at pumpkins, k?"

See just like the pumpkin patch. 

Remembering Mom

This is the last picture that I have of my mom.  She was on a steady decline when this picture was taken.  Faith was just five months old and had just begun smiling.  The joy I will remember from this picture is of the pure joy shared between my mom and daughter even while realizing they would never know each other beyond a few more weeks.  It has taken me two years to share this picture.  Mom died October 7, 2010. It is very hard for me to not look at this picture and be filled with sadness.  I pray that someday looking at this picture will become easier.

Mom you are missed, loved, and treasured.  We hold all our wonderful and dear memories close to our hearts and we will rejoice in the day we meet again in HEAVEN.

But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of heart through all generations

Psalm 33:11 

I feel like I can finally sing this song.  

Day 20 Body and Soul Boot Camp

The day has arrived!  It is complete! Today, is the last day of the Body and Soul Boot Camp. Can you believe it?! It went by so fast.  I just want to say from the bottom of my heart, "thank you for following along, encouraging me, and being a motivation for me."  I am SO thankful.  A big "THANK YOU" to Katie over at Dashing Dish.  She was so gracious to allow me to link her recipes, workouts, and devotionals here on my blog.

To end, I wanted to do something a little different.  So, instead of blogging here with writing, I did a little video for you.  I just prayed before I pushed record that God would just fill me with His words to share with you and to give me the confidence because recording myself is a wee bit out of my comfort zone. :)

Click the HERE for my closing video

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- his good, pleasing, and perfect will."  Romans 12:2

Have a wonderful day!

Blessings,

Me

Day 19 Body and Soul Boot Camp

Happy almost weekend!  One more day on this boot camp!!  I have almost made it.  You have almost made it if you are following along.  YEAH!!  What have you learned through this process?  I hope to share with you on Monday my final thoughts, so stay tuned.

THE DEVOTIONAL

I haven't really been reading ahead on the devotionals.  I just take each day as it comes and I have to say this is the perfect verse for the second to last day of our Body and Soul Boot Camp!

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at a proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."  Galatians 6:9

It would be easy to just stop doing the workouts and devotionals when the boot camp is over.  However, I feel like this is a great jump start to continue the race to get more healthy in my body, mind, and soul.  I hope it is a jump start for you, too. There are days I am weary and I get frustrated because I don't feel like I am where I want to be in my body and mind, but then God reminds me that this is a marathon not a sprint.  It is like He is saying, "Leah, don't let the weariness stop you, keep working out and reading my word, because at the proper time, you will reap the harvest if you don't give up!"  It is important for me to be realistic in my goals and pray that my "harvest" is His harvest not what the world says is 'perfect' for my body and mind.  Keep pressing forward my friends!  Please read Katie's devotional for day 19.  It is so good!

THE WORKOUT

Yes! I got in my workout today!!!  Wahoo!  I ended up doing the treadmill for 30 minutes.  The time went by so fast with some ipad videos as a distraction!  It was great.  I watched some different music videos from my favorite artists and then God brought one of Katie's videos to my mind.  Please take a few minutes to watch it.  Towards the end she mentions worship music.  God first used His music to wake up my soul and melt my cold heart.  I remember going to church each Sunday in college (when I was seriously seeking the Lord) and listening to the music.  Each song would melt my heart a little more and a little more for Him.  And, I soon began to realize I was lovable.  That it was okay to feel love, and starting with Him was the safest place of all. It was songs like this that really brought me to my knees for HIM.  Praise Jesus!

Jump over here and watch Katie's video.

THE DESSERT

It's Friday ya'll...time to feature a dessert.  I have to say Katie has made this very difficult for me.  I had all the recipes I was going to feature planned out when I first started this boot camp, but then she kept coming out with new yummy things of course, so I had to do some chang'in up because I had to try the peach shake and then I had to try the 1 Minute Peanut Butter Cookie for One!  It says it is for ONE, so yeah, I don't have to share. :)  Mmmmm!

And, YES you are going to want to make a heart out the peanut butter chips because you are going to love it that much!  Seriously, it is so good you just may fall in love. :)

Have a great weekend!
Blessings,
Me

Day 18 Body and Soul Boot Camp

You know those days when you just want to take a nap?!   Well, that is the kind of day I had and well...I gave into the nap.  Yes, I did.  I know, I should have gotten in my run, but I confess I didn't. :(  Anyone else guilty of this?!!!

This morning we had our mommy group at church.  It is so nice to connect with other moms at church and have a little mommy free time while the kids go to the nursery/classes.  Today, they showed this video to start.  Pretty funny and I am sure it will/has gone viral as they say.  Coming from a big church, there is always new moms to meet.  I am really looking forward to connecting with some new moms I haven't met yet. It will be wonderful to see what God has planned for this group!

THE DEVOTIONAL

"And, the result of God's gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man's sin.  For Adam's sin led to condemnation, but God's free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins."  Romans 5:16

In one word, REDEMPTION!  Through the death of Christ for our sins, we are forgiven of every sin--past, present, and future.  Wow!  Of course, it doesn't mean to go out and keep sinning the same sins, but thankfully we have Christ to forgive us because we are not perfect.  I love the use of gracious here.  The Lord is so gracious to us even though we don't deserve it.  He still loves every part of us--the good, bad, ugly, and pretty.  His gift is FREE we just need to humble ourselves before Him and ask for forgiveness of our sins and then ask Him to come and live in our hearts.  Head over to Katie's Day 18 devotional. for more.

THE WORKOUT

As you read already above, I didn't get in my workout.  Sigh... :(  However, my 1 hour nap was wonderful!   Thankfully, tomorrow is a new day!  Hooray!  And, it's Friday. Oh, and it's dessert feature day!  Seriously, not much better than that!

Have a great day!

Blessings,

Me