Home       About Me       About Us       Recipes       Contact

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Hunter Loves Summer

Hunter has really discovered a love for playing at parks. He didn't start walking until the end of July last year and so last summer he wasn't getting around real steadily. This year is a whole different story. He climbs, swings, and slides like a champ.

On Saturday, he actually got to go to two different parks. He had a great time playing with his buddy been earlier in the afternoon.












And there is your fix for the week of Hunter pictures :)

Monday, June 27, 2011

I Am NOT a Quitter!

So, remember how last week I called myself a quitter? Well, I think I was wrong. I had an amazing week after I “quit”. I didn’t feel so much stress or pressure to race to the gym after work every day. Instead, three days after work, I headed to the park with my mom and Hunter and picked up at week 5 of the C25K program.

And guess what… I loved it! It felt so good to just get outside and RUN! (After I capitalized all the letters in “run” I realized it made me sound super fast, if that’s how you took it too, think again, I am not fast.) It was so refreshing to push myself, enjoy the outdoors, and get lost in my own thoughts. I am not a “runner” by any means, but for once, I am starting to understand why people love it! I used to think runners were just sick in the head, I mean really, who really likes to torture themselves like that?! I can see myself really getting into it.

I won’t lie; part of my motivation to keep it up is the Warrior Dash, which is only a few short weeks away. I realized that I need to stick to my program and not skip any runs if I want to be ready for it by July 17th! I can’t really say I am looking forward to it by any means, but hey, it’s getting my booty off the couch, right? The dread I am feeling is just due to me being a little scared to be surrounded by a bunch of fit “runners” who will all stop and laugh at me when I have to stop and walk for a few minutes. And then after they laugh, the loud speakers will come on and announce that they have a “walker” on the Warrior course. A bit dramatic? Yeah, yeah, I know! :)

Sunday, June 26, 2011

I Got Baptized!

I thought last night was going to be a normal Saturday night at church. But boy, did God have different plans for me! Pastor Dean greeted Hunter and I as we walked in church, I took Hunter to the nursery, and then my friend, Shyla and I found a place to sit.

The worship was moving. But it was Pastor Dean's message that spoke right to my heart. He talked about being baptized. That salvation was not dependent on it, but God does ask for us to do it. It's an outward sign of our commitment to serve Christ.

Let me back up... I was baptized as an infant in the Lutheran church. I have felt a desire to be baptized as an adult for a couple years now. I just have never done it. I never really pursued finding out when the next baptisms at church were and it always seemed like it would be hard to find a time when Jesse would be there as well. I even had a conversation with Jesse at one point asking him to get baptized with me, but he has already been baptized as a teenager and didn't have a need to do it again. Okay, I'll do it someday, just not now.

Okay, back to last night. Pastor Dean talked about Jesus people who still had not been baptized. He said that believing was the first assignment from God and baptism was the second. I took it as, I had not fulfilled my second assignment, which was preventing me from future assignments. My heart was on fire. I knew immediately that I was going to be baptized that night. He went on to talk about how he had seen people walk through the front door with their children that night with a heart for Jesus, but had not be baptized. Hey, that was me and Hunter!! Right?! How did he know I hadn't been baptized?!

In my head I was thinking, how can I get baptized tonight? Jesse isn't here. I am wearing white shorts! And then Pastor Dean said something to the affect of making excuses, such as not wearing the right clothing or family and friends not being there to witness the event. Straight to my heart. I already knew earlier in the service that I would get baptized, but now I knew without a doubt that God was pushing me, gently nudging me. It was time for me to obey.

Towards to end of the service, the Pastor asked people to bow their heads, close their eyes, and raise their hands if they wanted to give their life to God. I prayed for those people who were making that decision that night. And then he asked for those who were already Jesus people that hadn't been baptized to stand up. I felt a sense of boldness overcome me. There was no self consciousness or worry, I immediately stood up without hesitation. I raised my hands to the Lord and I gave him my whole self. With loving hands praying over me, I committed to not withhold any part of me from the Lord.

There was a baptism tank outside where people were directed to. That is where I was baptized and declared my love for Jesus. It could not of been more perfect. Not if it was planned, or Jesse was there, or I was wearing a swimsuit under my clothing. It was in God's time which was the perfect time.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

What Would it Be Like...

If we gave God full control over our lives? What if we didn't worry about a thing because we had enough faith to believe in every word He has told us?

"For I know the plans I have for you" declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11

Would our lives be drastically different if we trusted the Lord with all of our heart? There would be very little stress, if any. We would pray about problems or future decisions instead of internalizing them and worrying ourselves sick about them. Our lives would be full of freedom and less of anxiety.

What if we gave God full control over our finances? Our society worries so much about having more and more money and objects. What if we consistently have God ten percent of what HE has given us in the first place and then gave even more when our hearts were pulled in that direction? Something tells me that we would have even more if we did this.

This is something that has been on my mind a lot lately. I have given God a lot of control in my life, but have I given Him complete control? Not so much. My prayers lately have revolved greatly around this. I want to be so faithful that at times it might look neglectful to the naked eye. I would love to not worry or to try to control my life myself. I would love to get to the point where I give when I have nothing left to give.

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. Psalm 55:22

Friday, June 24, 2011

Goodnight Hunter.

I think I have mentioned a couple times about how easy Hunter has been to put to bed. I just set him in his crib and he waves bye bye to me. That is it... he just reads a book or snuggles with his pal Scout until he's ready to fall asleep. Love it!

Tonight he wanted to bring his sippy cup with him, I said fine. He also wanted to bring his sleeping bag into the crib, that was fine as well. He laid right down and gave me the standard wave goodbye.

I am in absolutely no rush to move him to a toddler bed. He seems to like his little "cage" as I affectionately call it. And he shows no interest in trying to escape it. So, if that means that he's in a crib until he's eighteen, sounds pretty darn good to me! :)

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Thankful Thursday

It's been a few weeks since I did a Thankful Thursday post, but I think it's so good to sit down every once in awhile and really think about what you are thankful in your life at that point in time. This week, I am linking up with Undeserving Grace.

Things I am especially grateful for this week:

1. Being able to Skype with my husband a few times

2. My amazing parents who have been so good to me this week. They made it possible for me to run three times this week by walking Hunter while I ran, took such great care of Hunter while I was at work this week, and they also had me over for a couple ah-mazing dinners!

3. My son who is growing into a polite little guy. He has been using his please and thank you's like a pro this week! Sometimes he gets a little confused and says "You're welcome" instead of "Thank you", but hey, the thought is there! Love it!

4. The C25K program. I started running again this week and was pleasantly surprised to find that I was able to pick up where I left off at Week 5. Not in running shape? Check out the program, it's great!

5. Being able to have a serious disagreement with Jesse over the phone today without either one of us raising our voices or getting defensive. We have some very serious decisions to make in the next six months about our future and even though as of right now we disagree, I know that we will be able to come to an agreement eventually without disrespecting each other.

6. Hearing Hunter begin to sing some of the lyrics to "Our God", whenever it comes on in the car, he shouts out "Our God" and has even said "Our God izzz stronger". Can't wait to see this little boy to grow into a man of God!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

My Old Self

I finally feel back to my old self. Remember when I went through being in a funk? Well, I really think I kicked it's butt and now I am so winning this war! :)

I stopped going to CrossFit, which I will miss during my break from it, but I so do not miss the weekday stress that went along with it. This week has been awesome so far. I have gone for a run the last three days after work, enjoyed time with my parents, and gotten to play with Hunter stress free all week. It's been exactly what I needed.

It probably helps that I have a couple things to look forward to. Hunter and I are taking a trip up to Ketchikan, Alaska next week. I so need a change of scenery and Ketchikan is beautiful... perfect! I also have a little international travel in the works right now. That is definitely something that I am looking forward, too. Don't worry, I will share more on this once it's finalized, which will hopefully be pretty soon!

It's tough that it's been almost two months since I have seen my husband. But we are almost halfway done with this deployment and I am confident that the second half will fly by!

So, yeah, I am so enjoying life right now. I am full of energy and spunk. I have so many blessings in my life, it just seems silly to not let myself be happy. Gotta live in the moment and make everyday the best day possible.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Father's Day

Hunter and I went over to my parents house on Sunday to celebrate Father's Day with my dad and the rest of my family. We had great food and company, if only we could say that the weather was awesome as well. Oh well, two out of three isn't so bad.

Hunter loved playing outside with his two cousins, Grace and Gabe, and his Uncle Eddy! Grace and Gabe are SOOOO good with him. I've never seen older kids love to be around a little kid so much. They were so patient with him and included him in everything they were doing. I could tell that Hunter was so happy to be spending time with them!









Hunter found his Uncle Brandon's catcher's helmet from PLU and decided he wanted to wear that one. :)

Monday, June 20, 2011

I'm a Quitter

I haven’t been linking up with McFatty Mondays over at The Heir to Blair in the last several months. Usually it’s because I’m not doing very well with my weight loss, but that’s not really the case lately. I’m doing pretty well with my weight, I’ve been weighing in between 156-157lbs. I’m pretty happy with that.

What I’ve been stinking at is getting my booty to CrossFit. I told Jesse a few weeks ago that I wanted to quit. He told me to go strong for a week and then decide. So I did, I went three times that week and felt really good. But, then I stopped.

I have been struggling a little bit with anxiety at night. I think I’m just feeling really stressed and pressured by all the things I am supposed to be doing and it’s just gotten to be too much. It’s not the workout itself that stressed me out, that makes me feel better, it’s knowing that I have to leave work right on time, pick up Hunter, drive 40+ minutes feeling rushed, so that I can get to CrossFit in time for their last workout. Then once I get there I pray that Hunter won’t whine or cry when I put him in the kid area. I totally understand how dumb I sound, but with everything going on in my life right now, I just can’t handle that stress and tension after a 12+ hour day.

I know I’m making excuses. I’m not giving up on working out, but I am giving up on CrossFit until Jesse gets back in September. So, what’s my plan? I’m just going to start running. When I was doing the C25K plan, which I only made it through week 6, I really enjoyed it. I can do it with Hunter, I can do it anywhere and at any time, and I can enjoy being outdoors. I know that running isn’t the complete package to getting fit, but it’s going to have to be my complete package for the time being. I need to keep my sanity. So, I packed up my workout clothes with me today and hopefully I’ll be able to talk my mom into taking Hunter for a walk at the park while I run after work today J If not, I’ll use their treadmill.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

To My Husband, On Father's Day



Dear Jesse,

Happy Father's Day, love! I so wish that Hunter and I could celebrate with you today. You are such a wonderful and loving father. And you deserve nothing less than to be celebrated today for all your dedication.


I know that when we talked last night, you mentioned that you just don't feel like as much as a father when you are gone and that it's just not right. I understand that you are struggling with how it's not natural for families to be apart for months on end. You are right, it is not how most people have to live their lives as a family. But we are not victims, we are a strong and proud family. Yes, we have to deal with some unique circumstances, but in the end it truly only makes us stronger.


You might not be here every morning to get Hunter up and to give him his nightly bath. But, you are showing him what a hero is. Maybe most dad's get to show their kids love in their daily routines with them, but you get the less common blessing of showing Hunter what it means to sacrifice for your country. One day he will understand that you played a part in protecting our freedom and safety and he will be so proud of who are are and what you have done.


Hunter misses you and you are very much on his mind during this deployment. He looks at pictures of you everyday and shouts out "Daddy!". He just figured out how to press the button in his build-a-bear, so that he can hear your voice whenever he wants. Every time we open the garage door and he sees the truck in there, he gets excited and says "Daddy's truck!". Right before he goes to bed, we say our prayers and he repeats "God bwess daddy, thank you cheesus (Jesus)", Even at his young age, he knows, remembers, and misses you.


We love you and could not feel more honored to be able to support what you are doing. Hunter and I cannot wait until you are home again. Thank you for being our hero.









Saturday, June 18, 2011

Couldn't Ask for A Better Friday.

Yesterday, Hunter and I had a wonderful day with great weather and friends! Hunter's godparents and some of my very favorite friends, Nicole and Joe, came over and hung out at our place for a little bit. Then we headed over the downtown Puyallup for Meeker Days.





Then Hunter and I headed to the Point Defiance Zoo to meet up with the Smith's! We had such a great time looking at the animals and letting the two boys run around.
















And then we ended the day by going to dinner at Steamer's on the water. The food was awesome and so was the view!





Friday, June 17, 2011

He's a Talker

In the last week or so, Hunter's language has really taken off! He's starting to put together to for 2-3 word sentences. It's so fun to see how quickly he learns.

These are some of the phrases he has started to say without prompting: I'm stuck, come here, up please, goodnight, bye bye mommy, thank you, more please, good morning, and please don't touch.

He has really turned into my little buddy. He isn't quite so dependent on me anymore. This morning, I told him that we were going to go downstairs to have breakfast. He said "No, mommy." and then ran to the bathroom and pulled out the tooth paste and said "toof bruf!" (Tooth brush). He wanted to brush his teeth before going downstairs. And then he proceeded to brush his teeth all by himself.

I can't wait for Jesse to come home and see how fun, smart, and happy his little guy is becoming!

Monday, June 13, 2011

Summer Fun

Yesterday, Hunter and I went to a birthday party to celebrate his friend, Ryleigh's 3rd Birthday! Hunter had lots of fun playing with the kids!




I was unprepared for there being a kiddie pool at the party, so Hunter got naked and joined right in! :)







Pete cooked up some yummy burgers and hot dogs.



But, I'm pretty sure the kids were way more interested in playing in the yard than eating.





Hunter REALLY liked Ryleigh's new bike! He followed her everywhere she went with it.



But Hunter's patience expired soon afterwards. He really did not want to share Ryleigh's new bike with her. So it was time for us to leave. His tears in the car could only be consoled with... fruit snacks. Go figure.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Things I am Loving!

I will be the first one to admit that I am not feeling very "deep" these days. So you might keep some more of these fun, but not very thought provoking posts in the future. But hey, they are fun, right??

I thought I would share with you some of the things I am loving right now!

1. OPI's Elphantastic Pink.



I just got done painting my nails this color as Hunter naps.

2. Banana Republic Outlet

I have seriously found some of the cutest summer clothes at the Super mall for such great deals. I love how their clothes are trendy, but not hoochy. Anyone else sick of walking into a store looking for a pair of short and can't find anything with more than a 1" inseam?! Yeah, me too. Banana Republic has some cute ones that are more like 3-4" inseams. Perfect! But...it has also put a little bit of a dent in our bank account. Whoops. But just a little dent, because the prices are so good!

3. Toms... enough said. Love them!



I think Hunter might even need a pair. Thoughts?

4. Grande Iced Skinny Carmel Macchiato

How can something this good really only have 140 calories?? But don't get me wrong, I am so not complaining. I've been guilty of getting one of these a few times a week. Mmmmm



5. Words with Friends

Haven't gotten sucked in yet? Well, it's just a matter of time, my dear friends. It will getchu good! :)



Want to play me?? My username is: doylesdays Bring it!

Friday, June 10, 2011

Blah.

That's how I am feeling after surviving a 24 hour stomach bug. I seriously had some issues from sun up until sun down yesterday. It was horrible. I jumped on the scale this morning to see that I was down to 154lbs. I had lost 4lbs in one day! Talk about dehydrated!

I am feeling much better today, but still a little weak and worn down. So, that is my lame excuse for being a horrible blogger this week. I'm too tired. :(

Hopefully I'll have some super cute new pictures of my little guy to share with ya'll tomorrow! :)

Monday, June 6, 2011

A Wonderful Weekend

It truly was a great weekend for us. Jesse's mom, Renee, flew in for the weekend on Friday night. She came just in time for some gorgeous Seattle weather!

On Saturday, we started the day with some Starbucks, went to the Olympia farmer's market, walked around Capitol Lake, did some shopping downtown, watched Hunter play in the fountains, went to church, took a drive on the Tacoma waterfront and then ended the day with a little shopping at Target. Anyone think we missed anything that needs to be included in a great day? I think not. :)







Sunday was a wonderful day, too. We hung around, got some doughnuts, did a little shopping, relaxed, met my parents for an awesome king crab dinner, and then Hunter ended the day with reading "Llama Llama Mad at Mama" with his grandma.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Just a Picture.

Friday, June 3, 2011

The Sun Came Out

What a beautiful day in the Pacific Northwest and it's only supposed to get better on Saturday and Sunday! It's about time, Seattle!!

Sorry for my vomit of anger at my dog in the previous post. It was not a pretty morning for this momma. The dog pooped, my makeup bag went missing, and my GPS got me lost in Seattle. Lovely.

But...the day has proceeded to get better. Hunter spent a wonderful afternoon at the Woodland Park Zoo with my sister, nephew, niece, and dad. It was perfect weather and the kiddos had a great time seeing all the animals.












And then.... I booked a trip to Ketchikan, Alaska for Hunter and I to go visit some family friends. We will be leaving in less than a month. I cannot wait to get away for awhile and have some fun. I think it'll be just what the doctor ordered for this gal! :)

I Might Lose a Family Member

Don't worry, just the dog. I probably shouldn't even be posting right now because I am so angry. Henry has been a little shit since Jesse left, well big shit if I'm speaking literally.

This morning, I could smell poop and dread washed over my body. Sure enough, in Hunter's playroom, right on the new Pottery Barn Kids rug... there was two HUGE piles of dog poop. This is the fourth time Henry has done this since Jesse left.

I have been keeping that door shut, but I must of forgotten last night. Sure enough, more poop. He doesn't poop in the house unless he can poop on that rug. He hasn't had an accident in the last two years... until now. I seriously feel like beating that dumb dog.

Time to take down his picture from the front page of this blog? Hmmmm, right now I am screaming YES!!!! but I know that I am just made from having to clean up 5 pounds of dog poop and I haven't even faced the reality that it might stain.

Jesse might be coming home to a dog free family. ;)

Twitter Pinterest Email


Jesse is active duty Air Force and is originally from southern Minnesota. He has also managed to become a follower of just about every hobby known to man (which drives his wife crazy!).



Henry was born on July 4, 2007. His hobbies include playing with his squeaker toys, barking a little girls, dock jumping, going to the dog park, and being spoiled rotten by his grandparents.

Follow on Bloglovin

Search This Blog


 
Designed by Munchkin Land Designs • Copyright 2011 • All Rights Reserved