Here's to Getting Healthy

Two days ago I decideed to join the gym.

I have struggled with my weight for many years. Up and down, up and down and uP, Up, UP...

You get the point.

But this time it WILL be different. Why? It WILL be different this time because my goals are so much deeper than wanting to look good or fit into all of my old clothes. My goals are not founded by my fears of what people thnk of me or the way I look. This time my goal is health. My goal is being a great role model for my children. My goals are being able to serve HIM to the best of my ablity and not having my weight or body issues hold me back. This time it WILL be different because I am looking to HIM for help in my time of need. I am knocking on the door and I know HE will answer me. HE is the creator of the universe and the creator of my body, heart, soul mind and strength.

Next week, I will post my progress.

This time it WILL be different....

Home School Blog

My new home school blog is up! If you would like to check it out, just go to www.thehomeschoolers.blogspot.com. Thanks!

Home School

Most of you already know this, but....

We have decided to home school our kids! We are very excited about this new journey we are about to embark upon. The reasons are varied, but the bottom line is that this is the direction we feel the Lord leading our family. Our first "official" school day will be next Monday, August 10Th. We have spent a lot of time lately converting our playroom into our school room, picking out curriculum, buying supplies, etc. and we are having so much fun doing this as a family.

I would like to say thank you to our dear friends Danny and Kathy! They have been such a huge support and encouragement as we have made this decision and it has truly been a blessing to have you two by our side. Thank you!!!

I would like to start a separate blog for all things home school. I'll let you know when that's up and running...

Summer Vacation: Boston and Western Mass.

I am Finally updating my blog! Woo-Hoo!!! I halfway expected the computer to crash when I logged in and clicked on"new post."

David's Mom is from Western Mass. It has been a lifelong dream for David to take the children and I back to meet everyone. After getting connected with everyone again through Facebook one of his cousins decided to throw a HUGE fourth of July picnic on the family farm. His uncle graciously flew us and David's siblings and their families out. We had the most wonderful time. I fell in love with the family back there. I wanted to share a few of our favorite vacation pics. Now, by a few, I really mean twenty, so get comfy...


It was much cheaper to fly in through Boston, so we were able to stay a couple of days there as well. Enjoy...



Maya is the little tiny speck in the lower right-hand corner compared to this enormous tree on the farm.



My cuties in front of the Children's Wharf



Daddy and the kids in front of Fenway Park



Our little man



Boston



Boston



Eating seafood at the harbor



Christian,Maya and cousins Katelyn and Ashleigh in Hinsdale, Mass.



The Bed and Breakfast we stayed at in Hinsdale, Mass.



David and Popsie



Christian with his Great, Great Aunt. These two loved eachother!



Maya and Katelyn playing games at the picnic



Biggest smore ever!



Maya with Uncle Andrew and Katelyn with Uncle David watching fireworks



Family in front of Fenway



Me and my Sunshine



Daddy and Christian


All tuckered out



They LOVE Dunkin Donuts in Boston. They have way more of them than they do Starbucks...

I also decided that if I lived there, I would definitely have an accent. I wanted to talk like they did after only being there a few days:)

I'm Back..Almost

We are back from our vacation to the East Coast. We had a wonderful time with David's family. They are truly amazing people and we have created bonds that I hope will last a lifetime. I have so many stories to tell and pictures to post, however,right now, pneumonia has other plans for me. Just so you know pneumonia, when it is 115 outside is no fun. At all.

So for now, I will go back to bed. Thank you Mom for watching the kids so I can go back to sleep for a bit. And thank you David, for letting me stay in bed until noon on Saturday...

Meet....

My Mom! Yes, my Mom has started her own blog. So, pop on over and check it out if you'd like to see what Grandma says...

www.grandmasez.blogspot.com

New Tradition

I always envisioned being the type of Mom who wakes up early every morning and cooks a wonderful homemade breakfast each day. My husband and children would not wake up to the sound of the alarm clock, but rather the fresh aroma of bacon and eggs wafting up the stairs. They would excitedly run down the stairs and devour their food while David and I read the newspaper over coffee...

Now, here's how things really go. The alarm goes off, we hit snooze five or six times before we finally stumble out of bed. David makes the mad dash to get ready for work and head out the door. He doesn't even like coffee and the kids usually have to settle for oatmeal, toast or fruit. That's the cold, hard reality, so I came up with a new tradition.

We are going to have a homemade breakfast for dinner each Sunday. There just rarely seems to be enough time in the morning to make a nice breakfast, so why not? I started last week. Here's what we had:

whole-wheat waffles
lemon poppy seed muffins
scrambled egg casserole
watermelon

Next Sunday I'll try to post recipes for our brinner (breakfast+dinner)! I would love to hear what traditions you have started for your family...

I Love My Kids

The past two days our children have really brought me joy. The kind of days that make your heart swell and you realize that there is no greater joy in the world...

This morning I was taking a little extra time waking up. Christian came in and asked if he could go downstairs. Maya had crawled into our bed at some point the night before and was still sleeping peacefully next to me. About twenty minutes later
he came back in with breakfast for us! He made toast with butter and jelly and brought us ice-water. He did the same for my Mom. What a little sweetheart! The look on his face was priceless. He was so proud of what he had done and I was so proud of his thoughtfulness.



Last night as we were eating dinner Maya asked my Mom, "what kind of smile did you have on your face when I was born?" Next she went around the table asking each person if they were there when she was born. My favorite was when she asked:

"Mom,were you there when I was born?"

Let's see...yes, I'm pretty sure I was there!

Todays Goals:

1. Have both kids bathed

2. Have both kids dressed in a clean outfit that matches and not just something that they have come up with on their own (though the outfits they come up with do make me LOL).

3. Do laundry, so as to be able to accomplish goal number two.

4. Have both kids brush their teeth (how sad is that!)

5. Trim Maya's bangs because it is getting difficult to see her eyes and her habit of walking into walls seems to be worsening (maybe there is some correlation. Just a thought).

6. Cut Christian's hair because he is starting to resemble one of the Beetles. Yes the beetles as in "Yellow Submarine".

7. Go grocery shopping, so that the kids can stop living off the GINORMOUS thing of cheese balls that we got from Sam's. Why, oh, why did we buy that??!!

I feel pretty embarrassed of today's goals. But between being sick, trying to prepare for my Mom to come stay with us (another blog post in itself) and planning our trip in July , I have really neglected my most important job. Being Mommy to Christian and Maya. So today is all about getting their lives and routines back to normal. Maybe I'll post some before and after pics (of the hair, not the growing mountain of dirty laundry). Hope you have a great day!

Wishing I was at Church...

So the whole family has had colds for about a week now. The kids seem to be getting over theirs, but David and I are not... Mine seems to have settled in my respiratory system and I sound like a 75 year old chain smoker, the kids are a little frightened. Oh, well...

We really wanted to be at church today, but alas, here we are in our jammies, popping cold medicine and cough drops. Just hanging out while the kids run around making mess after mess. Oh, well...

Here's a little video to enjoy. I love this song and I think that Kris Allen did a great job singing it. I was also wondering if my favorite worship leader has heard this song before? I think she would do a great job singing it too! Now, where did that kleenex go?

My List

I chose this prompt from a writer's workshop. I realize that there are so many more important issues to be sick and tired of. I am well aware of that. I am simply choosing to focus on the petty things in my life right now. My brain hurts and I just don't feel like getting very deep. So here goes:

Ten things I am Sick of, in no particular order:

1. The fact that I never seem to be able to stay on top of my housework. Ever...

2. The fact that I can't justify hiring a housekeeper when I am a stay at home Mom:)

3. Kobe Bryant. My husband forces me to watch basketball, so, I'm just sayin. Sick of him.

4. My husband forcing me to watch basketball games, then the highlites of the game, sport-center before we go to bed. Oh yeah, as if that weren't enough, we also listen to sports talk radio in the car. Just so ya know, he read this and is totally fine with me posting this because he knows how much I hate it. I love him and, in spite of his basketball addiction, we've been able to make it work.

5. Flies, flies, and more flies! Our house seems to be the local hotspot for all of the neighborhood flies. As an attempt to fight back, we have resorted to hanging a jar out on the back porch that smells like rotting fecal matter. I'm really not sure which problem is worse.

6. Our dog that likes to run out the front door every chance she gets. Every. Single. Chance.

7. The guilt that I have in knowing that the only reason that she does that is because we never walk her. We're horrible pet owners. Terrible.

8. And then there's the whole weight loss issue. I'm pretty sick of that. Enough said.

9. Feet in general- mine, yours, any ones really. I've never been a big fan of feet.

10. That a certain Bank decided to extend their hours on Saturday as well as open an hour earlier on weekdays. That really chaps my hide.

Well that was fun. I'd love to hear yours...

In Loving Memory

Last Saturday, May 16th, marked one year since my sweet nephew passed away. We gathered together at my sisters house for a time of remembering the good times with him. We also had a balloon release in remembrance of him.

It is hard to believe that a year has passed since you left this earth. I remember your smile, your sparkling blue eyes. I remember when you were born. I remember babysitting you and thinking you were the cutest kid ever. I remember your froggy little voice. I remember watching you grow up before our eyes. I remember hanging out with you one day when you stayed home sick from school and wondering where all the time had gone... You were already a young man. A ladies man:) I remember the poster you made that said: "Ben, you are the man." I remember how much you loved your Curve cologne and how much you hated chocolate. I remember the way you always had your arm around your Mom. I remember how much my own children adored you. You always had time to play with your younger cousins. I don't think there is any way you could have ever known how much you meant to me. To everyone. We love you Ben and you will be in our hearts forever...

Happy Mothers Day!

I just wanted to take a few moments and wish everyone a happy Mothers Day. I hope it was a great day for all of you Moms out there...

My Aunt sent me this video and I just had to share it with you all. I may or may not consider her my avorite Aunt now:) Just click on the link below to see the video and send your own.

http://news.cnnbcvideo.com/?nid=if8sMUZFYIaHpvu7o8lvzjk5NjI2ODE-&referred_by=16599396-FErW22x&p=moveon

Faith

I have to admit that lately I have really been struggling with the issue of faith. For some reason I seem to have a hard time believing that God will take care of all of our needs. I don't understand why because he has NEVER let me down. He has always, always come through for me, yet, somehow I still have doubts.

Matthew 6:25-27 (New International Version)

Do Not Worry 25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"

So why is this so hard??!! The true battle of my mind is that I can't seem to distinguish when I just need to have faith and when I need to try to "fix" the situation or circumstance...I'll let ya' know if I figure it out. Oh, and if you have it figured out (or anything close to it), let me know...

Caught

Maya has a very cute doll that she got for Christmas.  This doll has, scratch that, had long, brown, flowing hair.  She has affectionately named this doll Kennedy, after her baby cousin. Today I notice that there are clumps of long brown hair all over the floor.  After I was assured that this wasn't Maya's hair all over the floor I ask:

"Maya, did you cut Kennedy's hair today?"

Maya: "No."

Me:  "So, who's hair is that all over the floor?"

Maya:  BIG SIGH, "Kennedy's."

Now excuse me while I go hide all scissors...

Happy Birthday Christian

I'm going to let go of the guilt and pretend that this is NOT over a month late...

Dear Christian,

I truly cannot believe that you are seven now. Where has the time gone? You are growing up right before my eyes, and I could not be more proud of you! I have always called you "my little man" and it is so amazing to watch you grow into the young man that God has called you to be. There are so many things that I love about you...

I love your fascination with life and the world around you. You are always eager to learn about God's creations and all things scientific. I love the fact that you know that it takes 200 muscles to take one step. I love that you are always looking around for new bugs to catch. I love that you wanted to dress up as a Stag Beetle (sorry again that I couldn't make that happen). Because of you I will catch the scariest looking spider and keep it in a jar for you (in my house!) just to see that look of delight on your face. I love that all you wanted for your birthday were things to learn about the human body. I love it when you say that you either want to be a doctor, a scientist or a professional mover.

I love the relationship that you have with your Daddy. You look up to him so much and you love spending time with him. I love that you two can spend hours playing golf together. I love that you love to wear a dress shirt and tie so that you can look like him. I love that you two can make each other laugh harder than anyone else.

I love that you are so sensitive and so concerned about other people's feelings. I love that when I say I don't like the food I ordered at a restaurant, you tell me that I shouldn't say that because you're sure they tried their best. I love how you take care of your sister and are constantly trying to teach her new things. I love it when I wake up in the morning to find Maya snuggled up next to you in your room.

Christian, you are who made me a Mom. You are my heart and I love you so much!

Love,

Mommy

Sound the Alarms!

Last Friday I was out running errands when I got a phone call from our Alarm company saying that the burglar alarm had been set off because the back door had been opened. I was pretty worried, but knew that if someone had tried to come into our house, they probably took off as soon as they were greeted by our 90 pound dog and the sound of the alarm going off. I arrived home at the same time the police got here. Thankfully no one was in the house and nothing was missing. However, I am ashamed to say that the only thought running through my mind was, they are going to take one look at the upstairs and think that we have been burglarized what with the clothes and toys strewn everywhere. You see, I am usually only able to keep one level of my house clean and its usually downstairs. If you ever come to visit me,I will try my hardest to keep you downstairs. Now you know why... And so does the Surprise Police Department.

God Gather 'Round

So this is what God looks like according to my seven year old son (Yes, seven! A Happy Birthday, Christian blog will soon follow).

Yesterday at our church, all of the gradeschoolers stayed in the main service as a part of the family service that we do on fifth Sundays. Since Christian is in first grade this year, he is now a part of this tradition. He partook in communion for the first time yesterday as well. Toward the end of our worship service, our worship leader, Kathy, had all of the children come up to the front and surround the stage while we sang our last worship song. It was such a moving sight to see so many children from so many different countries, all praising the Lord. Our church is so blessed to have such a diverse make up. The song we were singing, "Arise", was so fitting. One of the verses says, "Let love reach to the other side".


The service had quite an impact on our little man as well. When we got home he said that he wanted us to have a "God Gather 'Round" that night. We asked him what he meant by that and he said, "you know, like we did in church where we all gather around and sing about God". Our God Gather 'Round included:


1. Passing around the drawing of God and saying what each of us loves about him


2. Christian stumming his acoustic guitar and Maya strumming her electric Barbie guitar and singing: "God,God, God, we love God" (Repeat 58 times)



It's so exciting to see their love for God grow...

As I am doing Maya's hair this morning, she turns to me and says,

"Mom, I want you to make these ponytails as cute as possible."

Under Construction

Hello,

I am trying to give my blog a new look, so please bear with me...

On My Heart

Christian had his tonsils and adenoids removed today. This is my prayer tonight:

Thank you Lord for watching over Christian today and keeping him safe throughout his surgery. I thank you in advance for a speedy recovery. I pray that his time off school this week will be blessed and that we will have some great family time. I thank you for his sweet, tender heart and I pray that you will continue to protect it. I thank you for providing David with his insulin pump. I pray that it will be a new chapter in his life. One of health and joy. I pray that all of his days will be blessed as he strives to be the daddy/husband/man that you have called him to be. Please bless him in the workplace as we know that we look to you as our provider and not the economy.

Amen

P.S.

Please help us all to have a good night's sleep...

Babies...

Yesterday was a fabulous day! We cleaned out the garage! Yes, we are finally able to park both cars in there. This was quite an accomplishment and it took us most of the day. This is what poor David got to do on his day off. While we were going through boxes Maya found some of her old clothes. She quietly slipped into the house. A few moments later she reappears wearing a dress (size 18months) which now looks like a shirt and some shorts that now look like under-roos. She also found something else. She found her boppy (AKA her pacifier). She LOVED her boppy and it was permanently attached to her until about a 1.5 years ago. We let her play with it for a while and then told her to put it on one of the shelves in the garage.

This morning, as we were getting into the car, she spotted it again.

"Mommy, can I pleeeaaassseee hold my boppy in the car? I pwomise I won't put it in my mouth."

I tell her it's fine and we go on our way. I noticed that she was extremely quiet the whole time we were in the car, but every time I looked back she was just holding on to it tightly, never putting it in her mouth. She also has a sad little look on her face. Once we got back home I turn and look at her and ask what's wrong. No longer able to hold back the tears she begins to sob and says,

"I'm just weally sad that I'm not a baby anymore."

So we had a talk about all of the things that she gets to do now that baby's can't do and how she'll always be Mommy and Daddy's baby girl.

On a side note, our baby boy came home from school yesterday and took one look at the garage and said:

"Well, I have a feeling it will get messy again soon."

Silly Maya

This morning I was cleaning up the kitchen and Maya asked:

"Mommy, are we cleaning the house because it's the New Year?" Kind of reminds me of the time that she asked if we were moving because "this house was too messy".

Just so you know, I clean my house everyday. She's just very critical...