Sunday, February 5, 2012

13 miles this week!

This weeks running schedule has me running a total 13 miles, not all at once mind you but crazy to think that in just 14 weeks I will be running a half marathon for Haiti! I am hoping to have the donations button working on my sidebar this week. I am also hoping that some of you were able to check out some information about Heartline!
This snipit is from Heartline's Blog:
We’ve had a lot of babies born in our program since the start of 2012. Nurse/midwives like Melissa and Sarah, volunteer midwives, and Jen our pediatrician give their abilities and time to be the guardians of safe birth. Why? Why would professionals split their time and energy to spend months at a time here? Because they know it makes a difference. Birth can change everything.
We don’t just birth babies. We birth women. Women who spend over a year in our program and receive the gospel, learn how to exclusively breast feed and keep their babies close, women who learn to child space so they are not giving away babies that they can’t afford. Women who will hopefully have a skill, make money, send their kids to school.
Our maternity program is thug prevention. Agathe, our Haitian co-worker, teaches moms on how to raise their sons! She teaches them how to promote respect for women, respect for others, she teaches them how to model these qualities for their children. She does it by word and example. Always with a baby at her breast Agathe promotes mother/baby bonding and security.
A bonded child who is well loved and knows how to give love back is less likely to shoot others. A child who is not raised in an overcrowded house with not enough to eat is less likely to steal. A child going to school will be doing homework rather than robbery.
That’s why we stay up for a few days at a time helping women through birth. Birth is a tiny fraction of what our program is all about. It’s the prenatal care, the child development classes and the teaching that make the difference. Safe birth is only a day, albeit an important one, in that journey.
We’ve had a lot of boys this month. Boys who have a better chance at being well bonded, secure, well fed, educated and be successful contributors to their country. As I look at Harbor House and see successful teen moms I see that most times providing a map is all a woman needs. She can make the journey, she will take the right routes, all she needed was a guide.
A relationship with Christ, an empowered education on life skills, a chance to make a living can result in a healthy family. We teach women to choose men who will love and stay with their family. They can teach their boys to be those men someday. Save the families, save the country.
Beth McHoul Heartline
(*If you check out their blog you can see a picture of the women with their babies)
The passion that they have for the women and children of Haiti is driving me to run this marathon! Thank you Lord for transforming me and teaching me to be more like YOU!
As average as I am I am trying to grow and have faith in what I am called to do!
BE BLESSED!!!

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Running~

Here is my two cents today! I need to treat running like a job, keep going and
Enough said right there in the sign, right?! Today not only am I running, but I am supposed to go to a Tone Zone class tonight. I am not feeling the best today, but trying not to complain and stay motivated~
Pain will pass, maybe running will get easier and my quads will stop randomly twitching! lol! All in good timing, praying today ends well~
Have a wonderful day and Be Blessed!

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

New Beginnings and a Half Marathon

I have been working out and trying to get in shape, it is not as easy as some make it look! I am not wanting to get in shape for anyone but myself and then for my family. I want to feel better about myself and I want the message my kids see is me taking care of myself. I am finding it increasingly difficult when I tell people about my plan, I am becoming more self-conscious. So if I confess my plans here I can be transparent and kick these voices I hear from time to time. I have the opportunity to be training for something specific, not just getting fit myself. I being the non-runner I am, have signed up to run a half marathon for Haiti. I have to tell you if you asked me a few months ago if I would be training for a half marathon, the answer would be not right now! Maybe when I am in shape, okay....um guess who just signed up for their first one? Yep that is right, it's me~
I am running for Heartline, they are in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. They provide a safe and clean place for women to come and have their babies naturally and by c-section. It is also a place that the women and children in community can come to that is a safe place to learn about Jesus and to adopt life-skills. Check out their blog! It typically costs $800-$1000 for a safe and clean c-section. I am praying that God will be able to use this run to bless Heartline and their ministry serving the women and children of Haiti!

So I am praying not only that training will go well but that I can kick this negative self-talk and specifically address it. What am I allowing the devil to take control of? Am I afraid of not finishing? Well, yes, but I am putting in miles during the week and following a plan so if I continue to do the distance in training, I should make it all 13.1 miles.

Today, I went to the gym and ran inside for 2.66 miles on the treadmill and then I went outside because it is really nice weather for January, anyway I ran 1 mile in a little over 10 min. and I came home huffing and feeling like I could get sick. I didn't but I am praying I get past this 4 miles feeling stronger and like I can breathe and not vomit at the end of my run! I have 279 more miles to log before the race. The marathon is scheduled for May 6th, pray for me if you have a moment! Thanks so much!
Many of you know after I went to Haiti, my love has grown and I have tried to find ways to get back and ways to impact them, well here is my next venture for Haiti! Please pray about supporting them while supporting me in this run. You can donate directly through Heartline. I will have an application on the side of my blog for donations for Heartline! I'll post when it is up and working! Allison from Heartline is getting it ready for us to use to start raising money!
(*Me feeding one of the babies when I was in Haiti in April)
Here's to getting in shape and saving lives!

Monday, January 30, 2012

Meal Plan!

Monday: Spinach and Mushroom Pizza
Tuesday: Mac&Cheese made with Cauliflower and Veggies
Wednesday: Roast with Carrots and Red Potatoes
Thursday: Chicken with Broccoli and Salad
Friday: Vegetable Lasagna
Saturday: Out to eat with Friends
Sunday: Tilapia with Rice and Peas
This week is very simple meals~
Hope you have a wonderful week! Be Blessed!!

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Weekly Meal Plan!

Welcome!
Happy New Year and I am back from an amazing vacation refreshed!!!
Here is my menu for this week, pretty anti-climatic since coming back from vacation and a cruise! My family is going to get used to one main dish and not a menu to order from. :)
Monday:Tilapia with rice and peas
Tuesday:Easy Crock pot Italian Chicken (recipe found on Pinterest)
Wednesday: Meatloaf with carrots and red potatoes
Thursday:Cafe Rio Chicken with Black Beans Corn and Cilantro Rice
Friday: Vegetable Lasagna with Salad
Saturday: Pork Chops with green beans and rice
Sunday: Baked Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Veggies
Have a wonderful day, enjoy your week! Be Blessed!!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Heely's Review

I had the wonderful opportunity to review a pair of Heely's. I thought this would be great for Brooklynn to try! So we looked at the options that Business2Blogger and Heely's sent us and she decided on this pair!


Have you heard about Heely's? If not let me tell you a little about them and our experience with them! When you open the box you see these directions on the inside of the box!


Heely's are a great two for one, shoes and skates! They are super stylish shoes and are quality made to last. As shoes, they are nicely made, the sole is thick and is sturdy. They seem as if they will last a long time, which is a plus with this mom. One aspect of the shoe that I love, you can completely take out the wheel and put the bracket back on so it is functioning only as a typical shoe. Great because I don't have to fight in the morning before school trying to tell her she can't wear her new shoes to school because they have wheels! Plus, it literally takes seconds to switch from shoe to skate mode. You can be ready to ride in no time!

Brooklynn was very excited about the new shoes but was also a little nervous to use them. We watched a few tutorials on the Heely's website to make sure we knew what we were doing before going out to the driveway. I helped Brooklynn roll down the driveway a few times holding onto her arms to help her balance. Okay so here is a real problem we encountered, because she has skated before she wasn't used to needing to lift up her toes. The first few times weren't that easy and she had a hard time keeping her balance.


After using the Heely's a few more times she is starting to get the hang of it which was great. It is just going to take more practice and maybe even time practicing in the house. It is also about feeling confident enough to take off running in the Heely's to zoom like the videos displayed. Brooklynn happens to not be much of a risk taker, which means we need to practice more to build up confidence after she fell outside!


We do think it will be a lot of fun and very good exercise once she masters the skill!


If you are interested in your own pair of Heely's they have a great deal coming up! Heely's is throwing a Black Friday special!! Between Nov 25-Nov 28, Buy any pair of Heelys, get the second pair for $25. Or buy a Nano, and get a pair of shoes for $25, and get free ground shipping on all orders!


Want to watch for future deals they may have? Follow them on facebook, on twitter, or on their website!

Disclosure: I was sent a pair of Heely's in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received. All opinions were honest and my own.


Thank you to Business2Blogger and Heely's for this opportunity!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

"Dirty 30"



Okay, with me turning 30 this month (ahhh), I wanted to come up with an idea that would make this upcoming birthday something to look forward to rather than dread it! Really I am having an issue with this birthday!!! I not only feel old, gasp, I found a gray hair....yikes! Really does this mean I need to dye my hair, okay, step back and breathe....worry about things I can change!

Okay! So, instead of celebrating my birthday I had an idea! I have heard many birthday ideas from friends and I am customizing my own idea using a similar name.

Ever feel like sometimes you are playing tug-of-war with your life? Let me explain here. I think I have things pretty well managed, but sometimes I feel like I am being drug in a direction I don’t need or want to go. I want to get a hold on these feelings instead trying to block them out. I am not trying to impress anyone with this; I just want to go down a different road where there is no tug! I want to better my life but in turn better the lives of my kids. A better me equals a better them and is a better bigger picture!

The Dirty Thirty, no it will not be the dirty thirty parties some of you may have heard of! Mine will not consist of any going out bar to bar, but simply tasks or items that I have wanted to get at and attack! Some of the things I made a list of are my "Dirty" little secrets, some are my wants as far as my house, and some are some habits that I would like to instill in my daily routine!
No they aren't dirty and yes this may seem silly or weird, but listen folks, its better than stressing and causing more of those little white friends to pop up!! The reason for it being a dirty "30" is not because I am coming up with thirty things necessarily, but they should take about 30 min. If it takes more than 30 min, it will be a weekend project! Also for something to become a habit you need to do it at least for 30 days for it to become natural!

So here is my list:

House:
1. I want to get rid of my junk drawer. (Yes my secret drawer- I stash things in so it's hidden, please let me know I am not the only one that stashes things from time to time!)
2. I want to re-organize my china cabinet (it stresses me out)
3. I want to get rid of all my skinny clothes, no I will NEVER be a size 2 or 4 again!
4. I want to get rid of all my unmatched sheets.
5. I want to box up all the kids’ clothes that don't fit.
6. In our basement, I want to get my laundry area all sorted.
7. Hang up our smoke detectors (please don’t ask!)
8. Replace light bulbs in basement
9. Flip mattresses
10. Build railing for front porch steps
11. Get fencing for side of house to hide the hot tub!
12. I want to get a storm door for the front door. Really I have wanted one for the last 8yrs.

Personal:
1. Wake up at a consistent hour everyday (I used to be good at this, by getting up early before the kids to do my devotions, needs to start again)
2. Walk/Workout three days a week (This is to get healthy, not because I want to fit into the previously mentioned size 2/4 clothes!)
3. Spend more time in bible study (I do our group bible study, but I want to make sure I am doing more, seeking more)
4. Keep up with my zones-Fly lady! Especially on days I work!
5. Specifically spend time with the kids doing something with them without the distraction of phone/computer/television. During the summer it is easier to be an “unplugged” family. I want to be more intentional about our time together!


Here's a bonus to this, I feel guilty already about sharing that I have so many things I want to regain focus on; but if it isn't too shameful I will post pictures of before and after if I have some wonderful organizing tips, etc. Again, I will never say I am perfect, but sheesh this makes me feel bad to admit some of the stashing....does that mean I need therapy? I hope not!


BE BLESSED!