Camping with the Custers & Weigh In Week Two

I mentioned previously that my first week on Weight Watchers was going to be while we were camping.  I knew it would lend itself to some challenges, but I was up for the challenges and knew that I would have a great support system. 

On Monday, we left for Missouri to spend a week staying in cabins with our dear friends, the Custers. We became close to Scott and Fiona in Tampa, soon after John and I got married, in June of 2008.  Fiona and I became close and so did John and Scott. It is a rare friendship to find, where you get so close to a girlfriend and your husband gets so close to her husband.  We have the type of friendship where we can get super deep and share what is really going on, while at the same time, laugh until we cry.  It is truly a treasured friendship.  Not only that, but Hannah and their daughter, Livvi, are exactly 1 month apart.  Since Fiona and I went through our first pregnancies together, that brought us even closer. 

 Then

Now :)

They moved to Colorado when Hannah was only 3 months old and the move was so hard.  However, we have continued to stay close and so when we get together, it as if we have always been living in the same place.  In addition,  we just happened to be pregnant the second time around together as well and Abi and Megan are just under 3 weeks apart in age! It has been a blast!  Not only that, but both Scott and John are back in school now, so we have even more that we can relate to and talk about.  :)

Photo from Fiona Custer

Needless to say, the camping trip was full of so many memories we will cherish.  Although the rustic cabins were a little out of our comfort zones at first, we became comfortable in that environment and the time went by quickly.  I grew up tent camping, so this was a step up, however, Missouri is known for its ticks and chiggers, so always having to keep an eye out for these things, plus seeing our share of cockroaches (so what if I spent 6 years in Florida, it doesn't mean I'm comfortable around them!), made the time filled with more wildlife than I came in contact with camping in Northern Michigan! 

We arrived Tuesday evening and started to set up our cabins.  I ran into town for dinner items, but forgot things to get dinner going, so we decided to eat out.  Challenge #1! Praise God there was an Applebees around the corner of the state park! Applebees has a great 550 calorie or less menu as well as an actual Weight Watchers menu! I was easily able to find a tasty, filling meal within my points for the day- Parmesan Chicken for only 12 points . I was so happy for my WW tracking app on this trip! It made looking things up and keeping track of things so much easier.  VERY different than my first time doing WW when I had to write down everything and going to a restaurant meant looking up the approximate meal in a restaurant guide given by WW.  Now, almost all restaurants have nutritional facts online for easy calculation of points.  While at Applebees, I decided to look up a meal that I used to think was fairly healthy- Fiesta Lime Chicken. Fiona has recently started eating gluten-free and had the special menu there with the nutrition facts all in it.  I was able to easily look up the Fiesta Lime Chicken and use my tracker app to calculate the points. The 1200 calories and 66 grams of fat quickly told me that this was NOT a healthy meal! Calculating it showed that the meal was a whopping 32 points! 20 points MORE than the option I chose! I never, ever would have known the difference if I hadn't had access to that nutritional information. It was, to say the least, very eye-opening.

We all headed back that night to go to bed pretty early because we were tired out from the long days of traveling. 

Wednesday was a rainy day, but it made for a relaxing, cozy day of just hanging out.  Fiona and I went to the grocery store in the morning to get the remainder of our food needed for meals for the week.  We didn't even discuss getting any sort of treats.  It was great! After the store, we headed back.  The girls all went down for really long naps, as did the husbands (they needed it, both of them coming off a year of busy school work!), and Fiona and I had time to catch up. That evening, we had burgers.  We had corn on the cob for the side, no chips or unhealthy options.  And I put Laughing Cow cheese on my burger.  I totally forgot how much I LOVE that cheese! A whole wedge for only 1 point! And it tastes like good, creamy cheese which really helps too! 

Coloring on a Rainy Day 

After that successful evening, the adults got ready to play Rook after we put the girls to sleep in our cabin.  Livvi and Hannah had hit it off right away, it was such a joy to see, and so they all had a bit of a difficult time falling asleep, but they did and we were able to enjoy some adult time.  Previously, during these hours of late-night card playing while camping, we would have brought out the chips and other junk food.  Fortunately, Custers also just finished a 30-day detox and have gotten on track with eating healthy (you can follow Fiona's blog posts about it here) , so the topic didn't even come up.  

Thursday was a beautiful day, so the guys went golfing (something they really enjoy doing together) and we took the girls to the beach and for a picnic lunch.  Liv and Hannah played and got all sandy while Fiona and I sat on a blanket with the sleepy babes. 

That evening, we had a lean, scrumptious chili topped with avocado and tortilla chips.  I was even able to have the chips.  The major difference now is that I count out how many I can have and CONTROL my portion size.  Before, I would have just sat there taking handful after handful. If I get to a point of really wanting more, I think about how it will affect my body and pray that God would give me the strength to fight against the craving. That night, we went to Custers campfire to make s'mores.  I had saved points for these, so it was an acceptable splurge.  It was the ONLY night we had any snacks and sweets! 

Friday was another great day.  We got up early and made a big breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and bacon.  Again, I had saved points for it, and I didn't stuff myself on eating too much.  The portion was plenty and I felt satisfied after eating it. 

Making breakfast

 We all headed out for a hike after eating it, which was great timing.  I think John got the biggest workout, carrying Hannah who didn't want to walk much of the hike at all.  

 Ready to hike!

Kinda done with hiking by now ;) 

Upon returning, we made pizza tonkas over the campfire, another camping tradition.  Previously, I would have had at least 2 of them, but this time, I had one and was totally satisfied.  I filled up on other foods, like watermelon and grapes, to fill me up. 

Lunch time

 While the guys stayed back with Abi and Megan and they took naps, Fiona and I took Hannah and Livvi for pony rides.  Hannah was in her glory! I'm very glad we did it because Hannah is still talking about it...we were talking to my mom tonight and she asked Hannah what the pony's name was.  I didn't think she would remember, but she easily responded,  "Angel." It truly showed how much she remembered the experience and loved it. 

In her element

We stopped at the store for the rest of the dinner items for that night and then returned to have the older girls take naps while we started packing things up (sniff).  

That night we had a delicious grilled chicken dinner with quinoa. Fiona has some GREAT recipes from their detox and I forgot to get them.  Fi, if you're reading this, I need to get those recipes! ;) After dinner, we packed up the cars, put the little ones to bed, and set up Cars on the DVD player for the toddlers.  This gave the adults a final opportunity to talk and enjoy some genuine conversation before heading out in the morning.

Watching Cars 

It was truly a memorable week, and not at all centered around eating large meals and junk food, as it might have previously been.  If I snacked throughout the day, it was on dried fruit and nuts, an occasional granola bar, fresh fruit, and Nearly Naked Popcorn (yum!!).  And I tracked E.VER.Y.Thing. 

That is the thing I really learned this week- that it is SO important to track it ALL.  Otherwise that handful of almonds here and that extra 4 chips there really adds up quickly and that is where mindless eating and where food had control of me previously.  It feels so good to be taking charge and not letting it control me anymore!

After arriving home Saturday evening, I weighed myself Sunday morning.  And, I was very pleased.

My current weight is: 291.6! Exactly 5 lbs lost in the first week....even a week of camping/ vacation! Wahoo! 

I'm even more excited to continue this journey back home, my first full week back into a routine.  Yesterday I shopped for TONS of fruit and healthy snacks like hummus, carrots, and plain popcorn, and I planned out some great meals for the week. Tonight we went to the gym and I felt so good working out.  

Today's dinner was one that I have made many times before, and it is so flavorful and simple! You would think that the chicken had so many extra points, but it doesn't! Just the chicken and olive oil count for points! I got the original recipe for Sweet and Spicy Chicken here, but I have tweeked it a bit.  Instead of the full amount of sugar, I just do 1 tsp, and I do half the salt it calls for.  I also only use 1 tbsp of olive oil to cook it in, and don't add in any butter.  Yum! I recommend trying it...even Hannah loves it, and she is a picky meat-eater! 

Have a great week ya'll! This week's lesson: write it down and control your portions! Don't let the food control you! 

Free Time?

It's funny how "free time" changes once you have kids. I was talking to my neighbor yesterday and she was saying that she had an entire free weekend and didn't know what she was going to do with herself. An entire weekend free...I don't know if that will happen again until I'm old and gray. I'm not complaining, though. It's just funny how "free time" becomes a totally different concept.

John has given me the entire day today to do whatever I want. It's really a beautiful thing--and I need to make sure I take time to relax. But of course, I'm sitting here at Panera making a list of all the things I should do. And, I'll do some of them...yet I'm also going to make myself sit by the lake and read, get a pedicure, and take some time to reflect and pray about various things.

Thanking God (and John!) for today and hoping I make the most of it!

A Crafty Christmas

So I need to be better about posting...I'm on my computer enough, you would think I'd be better at writing on my blog. I have a few to catch up on, but I'll start with the fun I had with my Christmas gifts this year. I don't know if it was just that I got motivated earlier, or that I became addicted to Pinterest (probably both), but I had a great time making some DIY gifts this year.

Here they are below:

For my dad and brother: I've seen the last-name letters for awhile now, and always thought it would be fun to try. I had a great time finding the "letters" around South Tampa and using them on these plaques. ("Marcus" is my maiden name, for those of you who don't know). I was just going to frame them, but all the frames with 6 frames were too large and too expensive, so I found 2 wooden plaques for $6 each at Michaels, painted them with black paint, and then added the letters with Mod Podge. I love the way they turned out.

For my mom: This is a little difficult to see, but it is a vintage memory bracelet for my mom. I found pictures that would be signs of my mom's childhood. From left to right: our Dutch hometown (Holland, MI) festival "Tulip Time" is represented with a lady at a tulip farm, a tennis racquet (similar to the one my mom had) while she played tennis through high school, an old photo of downtown Holland, Holland's lighthouse, "Big Red", a photo of my mom's parents on the beach when they were newly-weds, Holland Christian School's logo (my mom's alma mater and where she now works), and a piece of vintage sheet music, "Blessed Assurance," one of my grandpa's favorite hymns (he passed away a year ago at Christmas). The pictures were printed on Shrinky Dink printer paper. I then hole punched the holes and baked them to harden and shrink. I then put the bracelet together with jewelry links.
For my sister-in-law: yarn knot headband. I saw this on pinterest. So easy and fun to make!

For my dad: license plate bird house. My dad loves bird houses and loves license plates, so I used a $3 birdhouse from Michaels, my old license plate, some paint and a rope to put this together. :)

For my father-in-law (sorry it's sideways): Hannah's handprints with this quote I found online, and framed.

For John and I: Every year I buy a new ornament for our tree. This year, I decided to make one. I used 3 plastic ABC blocks that I had laying around, painted them, printed a picture representative of each month of the year, decoupaged them on, attached with ribbon, and added a little charm at the bottom that says "2011 Memories" again used with Shrinky Dink paper.

The last one (pictures coming soon) was, believe it or not, a last-minute gift that I really had wanted to do for Hannah and only got to it right before Christmas. But I'm so glad I did it! A "Quiet Book" is what I've seen it called in places like Pinterest. I had one when I was little as well and absolutely loved it. Hannah has also really enjoyed it. One thing I'm planning on doing is putting a zipper all the way around the outside so the little pieces stop falling out and getting lost.

A Vegan Thanksgiving

Now that that "Nasty Nasty" has left our home and we're finally back to some normalcy, and now that I can actually talk about food again, I thought I should blog about our Thanksgiving this year. Eating vegan now, we knew the holiday centered so much around food would be difficult, but as our perspective on food is changing, it became a bit easier. And actually, when the day itself came around, it wasn't difficult at all.

We were in Tennessee with John's entire family, which rarely happens. His dad even dropped in on his way to Virginia to spend it with his sister. We had a wonderful time together---and the focus was much more on being thankful that we were together and the conversations we were able to have.

Still, I knew it would be fun to get creative and create some Thanksgiving-type foods vegan, gluten-free, all-natural style. And I was VERY happy with the outcome. I'll give a brief description of each below, and if you want the recipe for anything, let me know. :)

I realize the pictures aren't the best quality....I didn't think about taking pictures until after everyone dug in, so not only is everything half-eaten, but the lighting wasn't good. This at least, though, gives you an idea of what we had:

Sweet Potato Casserole.

My original recipe calls for eggs, cream, and sugar. I just baked the potatoes, mashed them with almond milk and brown rice syrup, toasted the pecans and added some honey, and put the casserole back in the oven for 30 more minutes.

Green beans and bell peppers.

Sauteed in a little EVOO with garlic & sea salt. Simple as that.

Cranberry sauce.

Cranberries cooked on the stove with honey, apple cider (I just juiced my own apples), cloves, cinnamon, and a bay leaf.

Corn muffins.

These are adapted from a fairly basic recipe, but substituted with rice flour, honey, flaxseed meal (for the eggs), and almond milk. The other ingredients included baking powder and baking soda, xanthan gum (to replace the gluten), potato starch, and cornmeal.

Not pictured: cabbage cooked with vegetable broth that my mother-in-law made. Also delicious.

And dessert was my favorite.

Pumpkin cake.

YUM. I adapted it from this recipe. I substituted almond milk for the soy, my rice flour/ xanthan gum/ potato starch mixture for the all-purpose flour, agave for the sugar, and coconut oil for the canola oil. I also used my cashew frosting (cashews, water and agave in a blender) instead. I added some walnuts too.

Like I said, the food turned out nice, but the best part of the trip was spending time with John's whole family.

DIY Musical Instrument

When my parents were visiting this weekend, Hannah got a hold of an old aspirin bottle that my mom kept her vitamins in. Hannah loved shaking it and twisting the top, so my dad suggested removing the vitamins and filling it with dried beans instead. We did, and she loves it. I thought I'd make sure to distinguish it from our actual medicine bottles by fancying it up a bit:

Hey, I might not have time for all the fancy crafts on Pinterest at the moment, but things like this will do for now. :)

so....what do you DO?

I get asked this question a lot and have been meaning to post for awhile about my job and how it works. A lot of people wonder how in the world I do what I do and what it all includes.

When I tell people that I teach online, their first assumption is that I teach at the collegiate level. They are a bit in awe when I tell them that our school is online for Kindergarten through 12th grade (thus the name, "K12"). It is hard for people to understand how students can do ALL of their education from home and on a computer. It's interesting to hear people ask how these students have any sort of social interaction and if it's good for them to be working on schoolwork from home without a teacher right there. It definitely is preparing me for when I will be answering similar questions when we homeschool our own children.

Virtual education is not for everyone. I have some students who probably shouldn't be in this setting, so it is my job to work with them more to keep them motivated and engaged since they might not have as much parent involvement as they really need to have. However, it does work for many others. I have students whose parents are in the military and they need to travel a lot. This prevents them from having to switch schools frequently and then be at a different place in the curriculum each time. I have students who are in our hospital homebound program and if it weren't for this option, would be missing too many school days to have a quality education. I have students who were bullied and now feel free to learn and succeed. I have had the bullies- those who were in the principal's office too many times to count and were too busy disrupting class to pay attention to what was being taught. These students have been able to put aside the negative classroom behavior and instead focus on their education. I have numerous students in sports who travel all over for competitions and events. K12 even had a student who was on American Idol this past season!

Virtual education is a great alternative for those parents who want to be able to have their children at home for school but who don't feel comfortable teaching the material or looking for the material on their own. It provides a standard for the students and a plan for the family. And it works very well when the children and parents are both on board.

A lot of people wonder what my role is in all this. For the middle school students, they have a daily plan to follow which includes offline book work and interactive online work and assessments. I don't teach these students anymore, but when I did last year, I was responsible for checking to make sure they were completing their daily plan and check their online assessments. I also held conferences with families once a month and would have students answer questions for me based on their offline work so that I could make sure they understood the material. If not, then I would try and find ways to help the learning coach (usually the parent) by giving strategies that might work to help the students succeed.

Screenshot of my Online School

Last year, I had this role along with teaching high school English. This year, I am able to focus on my English students, and also teach a on a different platform for middle school intensive reading. My role this year includes a lot of phone calls to students who need extra encouragement and motivation, meeting with students one-on-one in my online classroom to provide reading strategies or help with English. For instance, today, I met with one of my AP English students who was struggling to understand the story she had just read. We met and discussed the story. I also do a lot of grading of papers and assignments. In addition, I answer hundreds of emails each week from students and parents. Lastly, I hold something called "ClassConnects" each week which is an online lesson with direct instruction. Students log in to my online classroom and I teach them some sort of reading strategy or English skill. This is an interactive time of chatting, using microphones and tools to go over a lesson that I usually put together using PowerPoint. It is sort of difficult to picture what it looks like unless you were to log in to my room and check it out.

My Elluminate (online) Classroom

How in the world do I balance this with taking care of Hannah?

I receive this question a lot. I admit, it can be overwhelming. And if not for the grace of God and the support of my husband, I would go insane. I tend to be a perfectionist when it comes to my work, being a good wife and mother, and keeping my home "just so." This job has definitely challenged me to put everything in the hands of God and realize that sometimes something just might not get done when I want it to. I might have a sink of dirty dishes for a day, and that's okay. I might not get all my phone calls made because Hannah woke up from her nap early. And that's okay.

If you are wondering what a typical day looks like, though, when my time management skills are working well, this is the ideal schedule:

6:30- Wake up, do devotions, shower
7:00/7:30 Hannah wakes up
7:30-9:00 Breakfast and play with Hannah
9:00-9:30 Check emails (Hannah watches some Sesame Street)
9:30 Hannah down for a nap
9:30-11:30 Phone Calls and Meetings with students/ faculty meetings
11:30/12:00 Hannah up from her nap
12:00-12:30 Lunch
12:30-2:30 Play with Hannah (check email periodically)
2:30 Hannah down for a nap
2:30-4:30 More phone calls, conferences, meetings
4:30 Hannah up from her nap- wrap up the work day

(on Tuesday and Thursday, from 11-2, I have a babysitter for Hannah and this is when I teach my ClassConnect sessions)

Yes, I know I am blessed with a great napper/sleeper!!

After Hannah goes down to sleep at night, I do most of my grading and other required paperwork and planning. This doesn't bother me because, as a teacher, regardless if I were doing this online or in the classroom, I would have work to do in the evening. Since John is also a teacher, we definitely have an understanding of what we need to do with grading and planning in the evening. We just make sure we also spend a little time unwinding together. I do also have to do some work over the weekends, but again, as a teacher, this would be the case regardless.

It may be a balancing act, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I can't even imagine going back to the classroom and having Hannah in daycare. I try not to complain about it because I know there are many mothers who wish they could be home with their children.

My "office"

Emotions in Boxes

As I sit here among tons of boxes, I feel many different emotions as we get ready to move:

Overwhelmed: I feel like no matter how many boxes we pack up, there are still many more to go. It's amazing what you can accumulate over a matter of only 2 years in one place! John already made a trip, with a very large load, to Goodwill, and we're going to take another one here soon. Good grief!

(a little) Sad: Although mostly ready to move, I am a bit sad to be leaving a place where we've made so many memories- learning to live with each other as newly weds, hanging out for hours with new friends that became close friends, taking home our daughter to her first room...good memories.

Content: I'm feel so blessed with a happy daughter who sleeps well (when she's on her normal schedule) so we can get a lot done, blessed with a spouse who has helped pack up so much stuff (and doing it the way I'd prefer it...organized in categories in boxes and labeled and not just tossed in big black garbage bags (story for another time)), and blessed with the fun we've had packing- laughing and goofing off together- it's been wonderful.

Excited: For a fresh start in many ways. Although the place we're moving to is nicer (thanks Custers ;)) it has considerably less storage space. We have had to purge so much stuff and really re-evaluate whether some of the stuff we have is necessary or just taking up space. Much of what we have stored is just extra stuff---mugs from over the years like the one from Mount Rushmore I got when I was 10, books we haven't seen or read since we've moved here, vases, duplicates of things like george foreman grills, and the list goes on. It has felt so good to simplify and get rid of stuff. I'm also ready to get better at my routine. I know that it's something I'll always be working on, but I started feeling more motivated right before we began packing up and when you're getting ready to move, a good routine kinda goes out the window.

So, I think that more than anything, I'm ready for a change and a fresh start.

New Nightly Routine

I've decided I need to do more with my evenings. Typically, after Hannah goes to bed, John and I sit around talking for awhile and then it inevitably ends in us both on our computers. He'll be catching up on sports and I'll be reading blogs and mainly just bumming around on facebook. Now, I don't mind him catching up on the sports...we do make sure to take time and talk for awhile first, but I'm just sick of night after night staring at my computer when I could be doing more productive things. So, I'm forming a new nightly routine. I'll still allow myself a little time on the computer, but 30 minutes MAX. Otherwise, I want to be doing one of the following:

* Reading

* Working on Hannah's scrapbook

* Sketching or painting (I'm going to join the Sketchbook Project as something fun to do on the side)

*Other crafts I've wanted to do

*And in the next few weeks before we move to our new apartment, purging things we don't need

(the new place doesn't have as much storage area, which I'm trying to see as a blessing and a way to live more simply. We have waayyyy too much stuff, particularly books that we don't read anymore).

Of course, I'll continue to blog. I'd like to say that eventually I'll have a good routine where I work on one particular thing each night (Read on Mondays, scrapbook Tuesdays, blog on Wednesdays) but I also don't think that will happen. I want freedom in it and I know that there might be a day I really want to blog and another day that I might want to sketch, depending on my mood. So, I'll leave it flexible there.

There you have it, folks. I'll keep you updated on how it goes.

Lazy Rainy Sunday

Not much greater joy than watching your baby girl sleeping on your hubby's tummy. I think I could get used to this new life. ;)

Old-Fashioned Summer

With 40 weeks coming and going, and as I wait patiently for our little girl to grace us with her presence, I have been enjoying time relaxing and hanging out with my parents and treasuring the moments John and I have with just the two of us until she becomes part of the family. While John works during the day, my parents and I have enjoyed lounging around and doing some good reminiscing like we usually do :)

This morning as I checked my email, I received an article from Real Simple, my favorite magazine, about how to have good old-fashioned fun in the summer. This sparked another conversation of reminiscing with my mom. Memories of summers in Michigan flooded my mind as I was brought back to those long, wonderful days. Summers in Florida are not quite the same. We really utilized our summers in Michigan, mainly because they were not as hot as here in Florida (although some days did reach into the 90s) but also because they were short. Part of June, July, and August were the three months during which it was hot enough to really go out and enjoy the heat. As we thought back on these summers, my mom and I began to go through my scrapbook that she so lovingly put together for my high school graduation. The book contains many pictures of those summers. I have scanned some below, although the quality might not be so good, they still hold so many wonderful memories behind them.

Lemonade Stands

Running through the sprinkler

Playing on the swing set
(with my cousins Jamie and Shannan)

In those days, we played outside all day. My brother Charlie, and our neighbors Jeff and Jill would spend many days together. I had other friends that lived close by--Lori, Chelsea, Liz-- and many days we'd meet on our bikes and then have wonderful adventures. We'd go out and do all sorts of great things, come inside for dinner and as soon as we were dismissed, head back out until night came and we could no longer see the ball we were playing with or whatever game we made up. Well, most times...daylight hours in Michigan reach well into the evening: at the height of summer, we had light until between 10 and 11pm!

We were also very fortunate to live close to Lake Michigan. If you have never seen one of the great lakes, it's hard to describe the beauty of it. Imagine an ocean, but with fresh water. I have a shirt that says "Lake Michigan: Unsalted" because it looks as vast as the ocean, but is still only a lake. It's also different than the ocean because despite the summer heat at times, the water never really got that warm. It was always refreshing to take a dip in the Big Lake. My mom, brother, and I spent many days going out to the beach, especially with our cousins Sarah and John David and our Aunt Sandy (the dads were still working...) and playing for hours in the water. Blessed with a boat my whole life, we spent many summer days out on the lake as well.

Our family went on summer camping trips, almost without fail, every summer. Our favorite place to go was Burt Lake State Park, way up in Northern Michigan. Even to this day, my parents rent a cottage on the lake. John and I are excited to go for a trip up there next summer...with our daughter who will be a 1-year-old by that time! (crazy to think about especially when she's not even here yet :))

"Summertime in Northern Michigan"

Today my parents and I re-lived some of those memories. We went for a walk down at the new Baywalk park down by the river in downtown Tampa. It was a beautiful day, even though it was in the mid-90s. It felt good to walk around (hopefully getting this little girl to move down!). We did get a bit toasty though, so, like the children-at-heart that we are, we splashed around in the little water park area for awhile :)

Then, after plopping our soaking-wet selves into the car with childish grins on our faces, we headed off to the Dairy Joy to get some ice cream.


















Ahh...what a refreshing summer day remembering those good days of running around barefoot in the cool grass, biking around the neighborhood, and playing games til dusk while the crickets chirped in the background.

Building the Nest & Letting Go

I think it's time that I finally sit and relax. Since school has been out, I have constantly been on the go. Really, I did it to myself. I knew that there were a lot of things I wanted to get done before "Bunny" arrived. Plus, I am not one who sits waiting well. My husband has a hard time understanding why I must always be doing something because he's wonderful at just sitting back and taking in life.

I'm a list-maker. I thrive at making detailed lists, including what days I will accomplish everything. Most days I even break it down by the hour.

And even more semi-OCD of me, I will translate everything onto my calendar so that I always have the list with me. I know, crazy. But even as crazy as it seems, it's what keeps me sane!
As you can probably tell from my list, it included everything from cleaning walls (what?! who DOES that?) organizing closets to making meals to freeze for after Bunny is here. And the list is finished. Well, aside from cleaning the oven to washing sheets and the couch cover one last time...but Mom will be here soon and she'll need something to do, too! Just kidding! Sort of...

Things I've done:

Cleaned out the measly little pantry I have. Some might see the limited space as a huge inconvenience. I see it as a great organizing challenge. And I'm happy with what I've done :)

Organizing is great fun for me, yet even more enjoyable is painting and baking. These two hobbies are truly how I relax. Cooking is fine...I made a couple of dishes and froze them for later, but baking, I LOVE. I find joy in it and in the smell of baking breads...especially on days like we've had lately where it's pouring rain and I'm in the coziness of my living room, smelling the muffins baking. Yum.
I had some berries and bananas frozen for a day when I had time to actually bake. Like today :)

This is the first time I've made scones...I think they turned out well!
My aunt's famous banana bread/ banana muffins....mmmm. I want to eat them up now. However, in the freezer they will go....I know that they will taste much better on mornings when I don't even want to make a bowl of oatmeal :)
Painting is even more relaxing for me, and not something I do often, because it takes some sort of vision to come to me first. I've had a vision of a painting that I have wanted to create for quite some time. It's been wonderful to sit back and actually enjoy completing that vision. The inspiration comes from Jeremiah 17:7-8, which is on the bottom of the painting: "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

And now comes the hard part. Truly sitting back and relaxing, without feeling guilty. To sleep 12 hours at a time (when my hips will allow it...how loose do these joints have to get?!), to watch episodes of shows that I would normally not crowd my mind with, and mostly, hopefully, spend time with God, praying for our daughter, and soaking up His Word. Why is this the hardest to do? Why is it easier for me to watch mindless trash rather than be in His Word? I really pray that I can turn off my computer and open up my Bible multiple times in the next couple weeks, or at least until our little Bunny is here. And continue it after her arrival. Lord, I pray that I do this, especially dedicating her to You since You gave her to us!

Speaking of giving our daughter to the Lord daily, I've really been struggling with giving control to God lately. Honestly, I have always struggled with giving control to God. However, I have never felt more out of control than now. Not knowing what labor will be like. Not having even a little clue as to how we will get through the next few months financially. Not knowing much of anything past what I'm doing tonight.

But really, I have to remember, do I REALLY even know what I'm doing tonight??? God could completely change something in my life right this instant. What is the point of worrying about the future?? "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Luke 12:25). I need to remember that even though being out of control freaks me out and is the scariest thing ever, it's in these times when God will be glorified most and will be able to work His plan out in my life. Wow, it's hard to remember. I just keep on reminding myself of this over and over and over again!!

Besides, if my calendar for August looks like this, what great things can God pen in for my future?! Wouldn't I much rather have the Creator of the Universe creating my schedule than myself??