Multitude Monday

276. new shoes

277. running with my hubby

278. anticipation

279. opportunities

280. a beautiful door (quickly installed) where there was once a brown wall

281. a gorgeous view of my kids playing and the mountains out my new back door

282. the thrill I get when I sell stuff I don't need on ebay, craigslist, or the local pawn shop!

283. celebrating that Christ is Risen with my family

284. 1/2 birthdays

285. cute brothers in plaid shorts

286. family time

 

Check back next week for another installment of Multitude Monday. God is Good...and gratitude precedes the miracle...

Running Update

Dear accountability friends,

It's been 17 days since my original post about my new running goals. I have only run 7 times. I ran 5 minutes straight yesterday - twice. I know sad. Well, it WAS hilly.

Today I traded in my beautiful girly blue running shoes for some ugly manly red ones. Really - men's shoes. Makes me sad. But when I start running tomorrow and don't get cramps from my toes to my hips I think I'll get over the ugliness. Too bad I couldn't just keep the cute blue ones to wear to WalMart but had to trade.

Let me just say that I really hate running. I have enjoyed the time alone and do feel like I've accomplished something when I'm finished. However I really love to eat. I eat when I'm tired, I eat when I'm not. I eat when I'm down, I eat when I feel good. I eat when I'm alone, I eat when I'm with friends. I secretly eat. I really love to eat. It's hard on my joints to be 50 pounds overweight. I mean if I'm going to go through the effort to try and get in shape and actually run you would think I would be motivated to stop stuffing my face. Doesn't seem to be the case. I've gained a few pounds in the last 2 weeks.

The last 2 times I've run I have had to spend the entire day saying to myself - "but it MIGHT actually work", and "I have 250 people holding me accountable," and "I really do want to run and hike with my husband this summer". UGH...and there I go.

Well, if anyone has any great and brilliant advice, have at it. I'm just hoping these shoes make it so I don't have cramps in my feet and calves the ENTIRE time I run and walk.

I'll keep you "posted".
AM

I will not leave you as orphans...

"I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you." John 14:18

God does miracles through this woman. She is such a testimony to me. Her complete trust in God that HE CAN move mountains.

Matthew 17:20 "You don't have enough faith," Jesus told them. "I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible."

Nothing is impossible. You just have to have the faith. I'm not sure most days I do. But this woman does. This is a follow up to her request for money and a family to adopt precious Vanya.

Check it out here. Amazing...Our God...Amazing...

Flashback Friday

Happy Easter!

Kenny ~ Easter 2007

 

Ellie and Isaac ~ Easter 2007



Multitude Monday

265. one little girl reading bedtime books to her little brothers

266. tea at Glen Eyrie castle with my little Brownie and her Girl Scout troop

 

267. lazy Saturdays

268. an invitation to a sneak peek at "African Cats" at Tinseltown with my kids - 1 week before it opens!

269. watching my kids interact with the animals at the zoo - feeding giraffes, feeding birds, and calling otters (we watched them wander around looking for that Ellie otter)

 

270. jogging with my big girl

271. helping my little girl finish her first sewing project

 

272. accountability (I really hate running)

273. celebrating a sweet, happy adopted cutie

274. sun kissed cheeks

275. finishing huge time-consuming projects

Check back next week for another installment of Multitude Monday. God IS Good...and gratitude precedes the miracle...

Flashback Friday

Happy Adoption Day Kenny!

Kenny's adoption into our family was official 2 years ago today. He was almost 3 years old! If you want to read more about Kenny's story, you can go here.

Multitude Monday

253. the sound of the trash truck - which means that the trash man is taking my garbage away - which in turn brings me joy!

254. little boys sleeping in till 8:00

255. great friends to share special times -  man they love my kids

256. a day at home with cousins - a spontaneous gift that was such a blessing

257. loving on my little 8 pound nephew while he sleeps in my arms

258. each of my kids making a card and wrapping their gift for Daddy for his birthday

259. running alone
260. winning a day at the spa!!!
261. curls

262. pink toes - that remind me of my Gram everytime I look at them - true.
263. reading a book (a grown-up book) that my 7 year old told me I really should read after she read it - "Heaven Is For Real"
264. my work-out buddy (Kenny)
265. a husband that cares if Multitude Monday happens - "otherwise", he says, "it's just feels like Monday"

Check back next Monday for another installment of Multitude Monday. God IS Good...and gratitude precedes the miracle...

Go Ahead...

If you have been following this blog for any amount of time you know that I have a heart for kids - kids that the world has been really really hard on, kids that don't have the love of a Mommy and/or a Daddy, kids that have been abused, kids that have been neglected, kids that deserve a family - a loving family. So today I have an opportunity for you to give back - to give to a kid that deserves a family. I hear so many people say "I would love to help but don't know how or where to give or don't have time or..." Well here is your chance...no more excuses. Head over to Adeye's website and give to Vanya's dream of a family that comes to get him out of his dreadful situation. Or you know...maybe it's you. Maybe God has been tugging at your heart to adopt from a foreign country but you just don't have the money. Give a little and have the opportunity to win some amazing things. Go ahead...just go check it out...if nothing else Adeye's website is amazing and inspirational. Go ahead...
http://www.nogreaterjoymom.com/2011/04/dream-come-true-giveaway.html

Flashback Friday

Ellie Hiking with Daddy
Spring 2006

I DID IT

Apparently I need some accountablity - big time. It's a bit of a risk. This post. But here goes...I did it. Today was my first real work-out in a year. It was very minimal to most people's standards for sure. But to be quite honest - it kicked my butt. According to the BMI on my Wii Fit I am currently 60 pounds overweight. It's April 5th. My goal is to run the 5k "race" with my husband on July 4th in Sterling. Key word being RUN. I've walked it many times. Once I even jogged a little bit but never have I run that far without stopping. I honestly cannot even wrap my brain around actually doing that. I printed off a 6 week training program from Weight Watchers. Supposedly in 6 weeks I should be able to run a 5k. I'm giving myself a little more time but I will do everything I can to stick to the program. Running is the hardest physical activity I've ever done. I'm guessing it would be easier on my joints and my body if I was not 60 pounds overweight but let's hope the eating right and running helps that too! My real goal is to hike a 14er or two with my husband this summer (and not be miserable doing it). I love to spend time with him and I cannot think of anything better than spending time with him doing what he loves.

Josh and I on top of Mt. Princeton
a week after we met
June 1998

So far my work-out buddy has been very helpful and encouraging. He stuck with me today.

So I guess the point is - ask me in 6 weeks how the training for the 5k is going. I considered "before and after" pictures but I'll spare you. I'm so tempted to just delete this whole thing cause the accountability freaks me out. What if I just get really fatter???

Anyone ever start a rigorous work-out program 60 pounds overweight? Or something similar? Any advice?

Multitude Monday

235. warm sunshine on my face

236. a sunburn on my arms

237. a family game of baseball in the backyard

238. grilling for the first time this year

239. boys helping daddy in the yard

240. brothers laughing in the dark

241. daughter singing thanks to God in the tub

242. mismatched silverware

243. a big girl so happy with her step-mom here from Alaska

244. meeting our big girl's step-mom

245. my new favorite places to be in my house

246. sleepytime tea

247. flavored creamer for my morning coffee

248. a little girl who loves to read

249. family movie night with popcorn on our big red couch

250. a new sweet baby nephew

251. Two Rivers Merlot
252. snow boots and flip flops by the door

Check back next week for another installment of Multitude Monday. God IS Good...and gratitude precedes the miracle...

Flashback Friday

Ellie and I ~ March 2007
In Sterling for my Gramma Fry's funeral
I miss her.