Current Happenings

     Wow! How has another month gone by already?? I feel like if I blink, I miss something! Life has been crazy busy this fall but I kinda love it :-)

     Rob and I made another trip to the zoo this month, my parents went away, a couple birthdays and a trip to the Orchard are just a few things that have happened this month. Also, I have gotten hard core serious about my work outs and my weight loss journey. So I have dealt with a couple injuries on top if everything else.

      I made a semi major purchase recently regarding my health. I bought a Fitbit. It is the most amazing little gadget! It tracks my calories burnt, how many steps I take a day, how many miles I walk and how many active minutes I have a day. So if I look at it mid-day, I know if I need to pick it up a notch or if I am on the right track. I normally wouldn't have spent that kind of money on some silly gadget but I decided to get serious and get healthy once and for all and I am so glad I spent the money!! I have had it for a little over a week now and I am finding myself parking further from an entrance or walking in place, going to the park to walk and just about anything to get my "steps" up! Finally!! Finally I am ready to make a life change for good.

     Last week was a little rough with my workouts because I went to the park on Tuesday with my dad and we did an 18 minute mile but I pushed a little too hard and tweaked my calf muscle a bit so I didn't walk my 2 miles on Wednesday. Thursday came and I had had a really rough day so I pushed extra hard on my workout and I felt fabulous!!! So I was doing my squats, and I was at 42 out of 50 squats and I felt my back get a little tight but I really really really wanted to finish that set and well at 47, I got stuck... in the squatting position, my back locked and that was the end of my workout. In fact, that was the end of ANY physical activity for 5 days!!! I couldn't stand up straight, I couldn't walk, and I couldn't bend. Nothing! Today was the first day I was able to get my 2 mile walk in and it was absolutely wonderful!! I loved getting back to it and I am really struggling with the fact that I want to do more! I want to walk again or something but I know I need to take it slow. The last thing I want to do is throw my back out again and be back where I was last Thursday. So for today, 2 miles is going to have to be enough... patience isn't my strong point.


     On Saturday, I was feeling really low and disappointed because I felt like I was working so hard and then I got hurt and I hit a wall. I stopped counting my points and I stopped working out (obviously) and I was just low. So I decided to make a comparison picture. I have a picture from July that I took while I was in Texas and I am really ashamed of this picture. I look ginormous and totally unhealthy... I can’t believe the difference in the two pictures. Sometimes it takes a side by side comparison to see that I am just in a minor setback. I have not hit a brick wall. I will continue to push through.

     So this past weekend, we went to the Orchard. My sisters, my mom, me-me, RJ and the kids went to our local orchard which was a petting 'zoo', bounce houses, climbing tires, wooden play sets and pony rides. The kids absolutely loved it and it was Abby's first time being out of the house (other than Dr's appointments). It was a beautiful day and only started to get chilly towards the end of the day.

     Well, I better go make dinner or I'm gonna be hungry tonight AND I will have one unhappy Dad :-)

{{Hugs}}

5%

Have you ever thought if how little 5% is? Jesus only asks for 10% of our earnings and that is such a little number and even so, 5% isn't really much at all.

Until you are trying to lose 5% of your weight in a month!! To some, that number may be really small but to others, that's a big number. I am in a weightloss group on Facebook and we are trying to lose 5% of our weight in 1 month. So for me, that is 10.25 pounds in 30 days. That's a really scary number as a whole but broken down into 4 weeks, it's only 2.5 pounds a week. This morning was my first weigh in day and I lost 1.8 pounds last week which is a little bit off from my goal but that just means I work harder this week. 

Last week was rough on me. I had a lot of stress which means I did a lot of emotional eating. This is my weakness and I know it. I have a fight with family, I crave greasy food. I'm under stress, I crave chocolate. I'm sick, I crave chicken and French fries. Okay so maybe not to an exact science but I know that if anything emotional happens, I am going to crave food that isn't good for me. I had every intention last week to eat healthy and really watch what I took in but life happened. Last Tuesday, I had made my mind up that I was going to make a healthy stir fry for dinner but when I got home, I had a major migraine and I was so stressed out that I didn't feel like going to the grocery store. Instead, I picked up my phone and ordered chicken Alfredo from Ninos. Hmm, not exactly a healthy stir fry... Wednesday was church day and instead of getting a salad for dinner, I got chicken and fries. Thursday was much better. Dad and I had subs and I got a pulled turkey with light mayo, lettuce and pickles and I only ate half. So I know deep down what I need to do and what is healthy for me, it's just a matter of me following through. 

This week I am trying something new. I have teamed up with another girl from my Facebook group and we are going to be each others accountability partners. I am hoping that between the two of us, we can help each other through the evil food cravings. I really want to lose this weight and make a permanent change in my life. 

Well, time to run. Jackson is almost ready to eat and I have to take Renee and Baby Abby to the doctors in an hour.

{{Hugs, Denise}}

I quit my job...

     As of Friday evening, I no longer work 3 jobs. I am now a full time stay-at-home Aunt and a full time Premier Designs Jeweler.
 
     All last week, I struggled with knowing what to do. I was awake almost all night Monday and Tuesday worrying and stressing about not having enough hours in the day. Working with my nieces and nephews is the most important job to me and Premier holds such a special place in my heart that I know I can't ever give it up and then my job making insurance phone calls... that was the job I struggled with. I really cared about my boss. He has such a big heart, a great sense of humor and an all around great guy. But I knew I couldn't continue to work 3 jobs but should I keep pushing? Should I quit? Should I try for another month? In my heart, I knew what the right decision for me was, but I struggled with wanting to make everyone happy. I am a big time people pleaser, so for me to let my boss down like that, was a really tough thing to do. But after praying (a lot) crying (a lot) and talking to my family, I came to the decision to step away at this time. I am hoping that in a year or so, I could call him and see if he would like to work with me again. Right now, the best thing I can do in my life, is be the best possible Aunt to my little ones. But if I am stressed out and not sleeping, my patience is low, my energy is low, and my spirits are low. Those things, do not make me the best aunt possible. I only have the kids for 5 short years before they go off to school full time and I want those years to be so special. I want the kids to look back and think "man, my aunt necie is the best!!" My parents have ALWAYS taught my sisters and I to always give the job you have !00%, nothing less. And by me stretching myself into 3 jobs, it was too much. I was not able to give !00% to any of them. That is what made me finally come to a decision.
 
     Tonight, as I sit at my desk in my office, I just sent over my last e-mail to my old boss and I thanked him for my experience and the chance to learn something new. I am also sitting here staring at a check for a couple hundred dollars with my name on it from him. I can’t say that I won’t miss the extra income every month, because I will. But again, I know I made the best decision for me.
 
     I am so lucky though, I have the most supportive family and friends that a girl could ask for, the night that I quit my job, I posted to Facebook "I had to make a really tough decision this week but God has given me complete peace about it. I just hate disappointing people and feeling like I let someone down." and I instantly had people texting me, commenting on my status and my (future) sister-in-law sent me a Facebook message that meant more to me, then anything else. "the world is full of people-(not saying your worthless! You're fantastic, but you can only do so much before you wear out!) so others can fill in gaps, k?? Don't worry about disappointing folks. People need to rely on God, not people, because people cannot always control situations and people are human and need rest.." And then, as I was driving later that night, listening to the radio, a song came on, that completely spoke to me and I felt as if God was saying, "hey, this was written for you. Take a deep breath, it’s going to be okay."
 
What are you afraid of?
Kerrie Roberts
 
"Being compared to the girl who has everything
Not living up when the whole world's watching
Being the last to get there and the last how know, ooh
You scream at the top of your lungs
When no one's listening
Being a basket case over anything
Giving your whole world for love
And the boy says no

So what are you afraid of
Show 'em what you're made of
The shadows that you're scared of
Are usually your own
They're not the great unknown
You don't have to wonder
You're not going under
Grace has got you covered
God is in control
Go on and let it go
What are you afraid of
Right on the brake of a breakthrough but you're frozen
Hurting somebody you love in that moment
No it's not living if you're always thinking of
The worst that could happen
So what are you afraid of
Show 'em what you're made of
The shadows that you're scared of
Are usually your own
They're not the great unknown
You don't have to wonder
You're not going under
Grace has got you covered
God is in control
Go on and let it go
Whenever it's the darkest (whenever it's the darkest)
Whenever it's the hardest (whenever it's the hardest)
Don't you stop before you started
If you're gonna dream
Dream it all the way
So what are you afraid of
Show 'em what you're made of
The shadows that you're scared of
Are usually your own
They're not the great unknown
You don't have to wonder
You're not going under
Grace has got you covered
God is in control
Go on and let it go
What are you afraid of?(afraid of, afraid of?)
What are you afraid of?"
 
     Okay, so not all of it is relevant but I have been struggling with making Premier my full time job and now that I no longer have the income from job #3, I need to kick it up a notch and this song really spoke to me about getting over my fears and just do it.

     What fears are holding you back?? What do you need to trust God about?
 
{{Hugs, Denise}}

 

Absentee Blogger

     I honestly do not remember the last time I posted a blog and I am sorry for that. Summer is so busy for my family and this year was no different. Between me traveling, working, softball games, spending time with family, working some more, and more family time... I just didn't have the time to blog.

Vacation

National Rally 2013

Hanging out with the kiddos

Movie Nights with my man

Cooking

Went to the zoo to celebrate 7 years together

     Hopefully, things will slow down enough for me to get a post out at least once a week. I am getting ready to drop one of my three job so that should clear up some of my time.  

     There is way too much to type in order to catch you up on the last couple of months so I am going to start fresh and just say what has been going on this past month. My two oldest kiddos (not really mine, but they sure do feel like it most days) started Pre K4 last month!! How did that happen!!! Wasn't it just yesterday that we were anticipating their arrival and going to the hospital to meet them for the first time?? They seem to absolutely love it! So far, we have only had one time out and tomorrow they will get their first "smiley" report. This is their cute little behavior report. They lose a smiley if the do something wrong. Let’s just say, I am anxious to hear who did what this week. There were lots of "stories" told in the backseat of my car this week. Ha-ha

First day of school

     Last Wednesday, September 4th, I became an Aunt again (4th time by blood, 7th by future marriage) Abigail Renee was born at 9:29am weighing in at 7 pounds 2 ounces and she was 21 inches long. She is amazing!! SOOOOOOO little! Kati is a very proud big sister and is very protective of her. I love watching her with Abby and seeing how she is like a little mommy.

It's safe to say that I am in love already!

My Girls!!

The Kinsey Family

 

     While Renee was in the hospital, I stayed at her house and took care of my Kati Girl. I got a very big taste of what it’s like to be a mommy. I got up every morning at 6am to make sure I got her up, dressed, fed and out the door to school on time. Then cleaned up after the whirlwind mess she made in the 45 minutes that she was awake before heading to the school to pick her and Logan up and then off the hospital to visit with her mommy, daddy and baby sister. Then it was back home to start the bedtime routine.

     Then, this past Monday, my dad, my mom and my fiancé and I went to Baltimore, MD to see an Orioles/Yankees game. Of course, I was NOT there to cheer for the home team. I am Yankees fan through and through. I have loved them since I was in 5th grade and that will never change!! I was in my glory! Sitting next to my man, cheering for my team and we were 16 rows off of the field. Plus! I have this amazing new camera that takes fantastic shots!! Score!!

 

Well, that is my last month in a nutshell... well, not really... but it’s the major events. A day in the life of me is busy. Always going somewhere. Taking someone somewhere, picking someone up, changing someone's diaper, separating a squabble, adding bling to someone's life or cleaning something. I love my life... most days :-)

{{Hugs, Denise}}



 

Diet or Lifestyle Change?

You are always hearing about someone that you know doing this diet or that. Trying this cleanse or this  crash diet. I am guilty of trying both of these things. I did a cleanse at the beginning of the year. I was so hungry that I was miserable. I have also tried South Beach Diet twice but I could never get out of the first phase because I didn't have the self discipline that it takes to basically eat nothing for 2 or 3 weeks.

I am trying something a little different now. I started doing Weight Watchers last year and saw immediate response and then life got busy and I stopped watching what I ate and I put the weight back on. I am getting serious again. My best friend and I are working our way through Bob Harper's book "The Skinny Rules" and I am also trying to include this in my weight watchers. There are 20 rules to add to your life and we are taking 1 rule at a time and working it into our lifestyle for 1 full week before we go on to the next rule. We are also encouraging each other and it really helps to have a partner in this journey. This week, our rule was drinking a full glass of water before every meal - No excuse. I will be totally honest with you, this is not exactly easy for me. Because if I find time to eat, I eat quickly and I really don't think about drinking water before hand... I really need to master this!!!

I finally came to the realization after reading one of Bob's books that because I do not have time to eat breakfast (thanks to 3 kids under 5) and I am eating a very little lunch, I binge eat all afternoon and late into the night. This is my major concern. That and I depend on fast food way too much. So last night, I bought everything that I need to make a meal replacement shake. I used a powder made by GNC, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, a tablespoon of ground flaxseed, 4-5 whole walnuts and half of a banana. Threw all of it into my Bullet this morning and made myself a healthy and really yummy breakfast shake. I had energy and it actually kept me very full for about 3 hours. I had a piece of fruit after that and I was good until my next meal. 

It's about 8:45pm and I'm getting a little hungry, for dinner we had steamed shrimp for an appetizer, grilled steak, grilled zucchini and squash and corn on the cob. An amazing meal but here I sit, hungry. Seriously?! I was going to make a bowl of popcorn but then I got on myself about trying to be healthier so I grabbed a bottle of water. When I get done this, I'm going to make my popcorn. Why? Because this is a lifestyle change. Not a quick fix. And if I deny myself and I sit here hungry, I will talk myself into thinking that this isn't worth it and that I am fine and can eat whatever I want and I would rather not be hungry all the time. So I am not going to start all in one day and deny myself. Small steps. One day at a time. One healthy decision at a time. Today, I did not snack and I had healthy, well balanced meals. So if I want to have popcorn, I am not going to bad talk myself, I am going to enjoy my popcorn n

and see if I can do a little better tomorrow.

{{Hugs, Denise}}

Be Still

We as Christians know that first part of Psalm 46:10 very well. Most of us can quote it from memory.

"Be Still"

The word 'still' means "remaining in place, or at rest; motionless, stationary"

Many times, life takes us in a million directions and we forget to be still. This week, I have found myself being pulled in so many directions that I started to feel overwhelmed. I started to feel like a failure because I wasn't able to accomplish any one task. I have 2 suitcases full of clothes sitting in the middle of my bedroom floor waiting to be emptied and the clothes washes. I thought I would take care of that Monday, but little did I know, a sickness that had held on for an entire week would knock me off my feet and leave me flat on my back all day Monday. Tuesday came, and my future in-laws invited me out to dinner that night and I didn't want to say no and miss out on time visiting with them. Wednesday evening I had church and tonight, Thursday, I had to work on my insurance calls.

Which leads me to my next hurdle. I wasn't finding much time to make my phone calls. I would make a couple here or there, but I wasn't sitting down for 1-2 hours making phone calls like I normally do. I had just had the last 2 weeks off and I come back and I am not able to give 100% because I was being pulled too thin in my time. Of course this is my own fault but you know how it goes. You make a decision and then feel guilty for it later.

I had also planned to start calling all of my past hostess' and tell them about the amazing new hostess benefits but yet again, I didn't have time for that.

You may or may not know this, but my mom deals with major health problems so I try and take as much off of her as I can. And when I can't do that, I feel so much guilt that I didn't do enough.

"Be Still"

Early this morning, the baby was asleep, Logan was playing at my feet and Kati wasn't here yet when I finally had my moment to be still.

God will never give me more then I can deal with. The family that I am trying to comfort, my jobs, my daily responsibilities. All of it. I can press on, because God has it all planned. 

"Be still, and know that I am God"

God's got this! So why am I stressing? Deep breaths!!

Four years ago, almost to the day, I was laid off from my full time job and God opened all the doors for me to stay home with Kati (4 months old) and Logan (2 months old), and start selling Premier Designs Jewelry. About 6 months after that, my moms health began to decline and again, because God had opened those doors, I was able to step in and help when I was needed the most.

About 3 months ago, I was sitting on my best friends couch, pouring my heart to her about my financial problems and worries. Seconds later, my cell phone rings and I am offered a work from home job. God had that planned out all along. 

I am so thankful that God reminds me to be still so I can remember just how good He is to me. 

By the way, the picture above is a necklace that my sweet future mother-in-law gave to me JUST last night. Do you think God was trying to tell me something?

{{Hugs, Denise}}

Rhode Island

I love a good road trip. I always have. One of my earliest memories as a child is taking a road trip to Disney World with my parents and my sisters. A couple of weeks ago, I took a road trip up to Warwick, Rhode Island with my future in-laws to visit family. This was the first family vacation that I have ever taken with them and I am so glad that I went. As with any family, there were fights and drama but there were also many laughs, inside jokes and tons of memories made. The special thing about this trip was my future brother and sister-in-law (John & Michelle) and their 3 amazing kids flew in from Colorado to take this vacation with us. Michelle is actually one of my oldest and dearest friends. Her and I were friends long before Rob and I got together so this trip was a special time to catch up. Anyway, the guys stayed at Uncle Bobs and the girls stayed at a hotel a couple miles down the road with they kids. I was lucky enough to be able to share a room with Michelle and her youngest, Malachi, so every morning, I had coffee and girl talk with my sweet friend. I hadn't spent that much time with her since high school so that time is very special to me. 

We spent 4 fun days together doing a bunch of different activities. From going to see fireworks, to grilling out, shopping, setting off fireworks at Uncle Bobs, going to the beach, sightseeing and just spending time together. Needless to say, when I got home, I took a 4 hour nap and that night, I slept 12 hours straight. But my life didn't slow down there. Two days after I got home, I flew out to Ft. Worth , TX for my annual Premier Designs, National Rally. But that is a whole different story for a totally different post. But until then, enjoy the pictures from my trip.

My love and I

6am and we FINALLY made it to Rhode Island

Uncle Rob and Malachi

Amber aka BatGirl

I don't even know...

Love this kid

Sparklers on the beach

We stole laundry... Not really but it looks that way...

Happy 4th of July

...Fireworks...

Psycho??

Two of my favorite people in the whole world

Homemade pancakes and fresh strawberries. Yum!

Josiah

Amber

Beautiful scenery

My little buddy

He hurted his finger...

Keeping it above his heart lol

Uncle Bob, Aunt Rosie and the 'Colorado' family

Dad v with the 'Colorado' family

I miss these kids already. They have a very special place in my heart.

{{Hugs, Denise}}