We had a great Father’s day weekend.  I love my Ter-Bear and he’s the best Daddy and I love watching him and Connor bond over they boy things.   I’d love to have another….it’s funny how your mind works and forgets things.  But I know everything is in God’s timing.  Right now we feel blessed to have our Connor boy.  We waited 8 1/2 years for him and I know we can have patience if God decides to bless us again.  Parenthood has been the best thing ever and I feel so blessed to have my family.  Each day is a precious gift.

My Daddy is the most loving soul.  I’m so thankful for him and his giving spirit.  He always does for others and really goes out of his way to serve.  I love you Daddy!  Sorry I didn’t call you on Father’s Day (I’ve been almost a week without a phone!)  I called Verizon yesterday and they overnighted me a new one.  I now have service! Yay!  Thank you “Quaniquid” or however you spell that….he was hilarious.  “Oh no girrrrrrl we cannot have you going without a phone that long honey I’m going to overnight another.  That is crazy.”  – Great Verizon peeps right there 🙂

So Saturday night we got together with my in-laws and extended family for dinner.  We grilled out while all the cousins played in the backyard.  It’s such a joy to watch all of them growing up together and building loving relationships.  Terence has a brother and two sisters, so we have lots of nieces and nephews and it continues to grow!

Terence and his brother Paul aka “Grill masters”

Connor jumping off the tree trunk.  This went on for about 10 minutes.  Who knew???

Connor and Ellie will always share a special bond.

Even though he’s in school now he talks about his Ellie every day.

Not having my Mom and Dad here is rough some days,  but I have to say I have been blessed with the most loving, self-sacrificing, giving in-laws.  They are the next best thing to my own Mommy & Daddy and I’m glad we have them here to talk to and spend time with.

Pop & Grana with all the grandkids

We gained a few extra kiddos while trying to take a photo

Ellie jumping 

We call our Grandpa “POP” so I brought him some “Pop-Its” to play with

We love our Pop Pop

We got Daddy a photo of us to put on his desk at work and I got him a “Like a Boss” mug 🙂

Connor also made him some sweet things at school.

I love the mug Connor made….look at the hair!!!! LOL! ha ha!

HOPE YOU ALL HAD A GREAT FATHER’S DAY!!!!

My child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away
And he was talkin’ ‘fore I knew it, and as he grew
He’d say “I’m gonna be like you dad
You know I’m gonna be like you”

And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin’ home dad?
I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then son
You know we’ll have a good time then

My son turned ten just the other day
He said, “Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let’s play
Can you teach me to throw”, I said “Not today
I got a lot to do”, he said, “That’s ok”
And he walked away but his smile never dimmed
And said, “I’m gonna be like him, yeah
You know I’m gonna be like him”

And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin’ home son?
I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then son
You know we’ll have a good time then

Well, he came home from college just the other day
So much like a man I just had to say
“Son, I’m proud of you, can you sit for a while?”
He shook his head and said with a smile
“What I’d really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys
See you later, can I have them please?”

And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin’ home son?
I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then son
You know we’ll have a good time then

I’ve long since retired, my son’s moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, “I’d like to see you if you don’t mind”
He said, “I’d love to, Dad, if I can find the time
You see my new job’s a hassle and kids have the flu
But it’s sure nice talking to you, Dad
It’s been sure nice talking to you”

And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me
He’d grown up just like me
My boy was just like me

And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin’ home son?
I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then son
You know we’ll have a good time then

Weight loss.  Lifestyle change.  Diet.  UGH.  These are all terms that make me shudder   My journey with weight loss has been a roller coaster to say the least.  It has always been easier said than done.

I’ll start by giving you a little bit of history involving my personal weight loss/gain story.  I tend to fluctuate back and forth and it has been years since I’ve been at my ideal weight.  The charts say I’m borderline obese….umm what?  Me???  I don’t feel that way, but I know if I don’t change my habits now that it’s going to bite me in the badonkadonk thirty years down the road.  I was pretty skinny up until I met my husband–I blame him for taking me out on so many dates and saying I could order dessert 😉  When we first met I was a svelte size 4-6 and about 118 lbs.  Slowly the weight trickled on over the next couple years, and by the time we got married I was about 25 lbs heavier.

Don’t get me wrong, I still felt good in my own skin.  We’ve now been married for almost 12 years and all I can say is that if I continue down the path I’m on now I’m in trouble.  When I was pregnant with Connor I gained a whopping 70 lbs!  The good thing is it was mostly water and swelling and luckily, it seemed to fall right off afterwards.  Of course, the 14 months of breastfeeding didn’t hurt.  I was actually 10 lbs. lighter than before I had Connor while breastfeeding.  Then I stopped breastfeeding and the weight trickled back on again.  Sigh.

Some of you may remember that at the beginning of the year I started a link-up called “The Biggest Loser: Blogger Challenge”.  That was so much fun and I was really motivated by reading all of your stories.  I lost 8 lbs. during the challenge.  It’s not a ton, but it did help get the wheels turning, along with taking off some of that Christmas weight gain.

During the past few weeks I’ve had some inspirational people come into my life.  I really think that people can make a difference just by sharing their personal stories with you.  Relating to someone and hearing their point of view can do wonders.  So, one day I woke up and decided I was going to stop eating all the candy around me at work.  It was/is hard, but I’ve been doing it.  Then, instead of having 2-3 crescent rolls I could just have a half or one and cut my portion sizes down.  I started counting my calories in a journal.  I am using my fitbit zip (this is wonderful tool!).  I can’t say enough about it!  It counts your calories, steps, and distance every day.  It helps keep me accountable.

So, right now I’m down about 5 lbs since the beginning of the month.  If you can get past those first couple of weeks it makes such a difference.  If I can do it while working 40+ hours a week, taking a child to and from school, folding laundry, cooking dinners & lunches, keeping a house clean, and so much more…..anyone can!

The biggest thing for me is remembering to eat.  Sometimes I’ll work through lunch and then I’ll get home and start shoveling whatever I can into my mouth because I am STARVING!  That is so wrong.  I know my body needs protein and energy to make it through the day so I don’t feel dragged down.  If I’m in a pinch and don’t have a lot of time I’ll grab a Slim-Fast out of the fridge (my favorite flavor is chocolate).  I get my sweet fix and I feed my body so it’s not so deprived when I get home.  I feel better and I am starting to look better too!  That’s just the cherry on top!

So now it’s your turn!  What is your conversation in your head about losing weight? (The funnier the better!) Leave an answer in the comments below and you will automatically be entered into a drawing to win a $1,000 SpaFinder gift card!  Entries will be pooled between participating blogs and two lucky people will win!

For more information you can visit Slim-Fast’s website here or their Facebook page here.

Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

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b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.

Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 6/13/13 – 6/30/13.

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My sweet boy.  The days go by so quickly it seems & you are growing up right before my very eyes.  You are learning new and exciting things about life and it’s such a joy to sit back and watch.  God has shown me so much through you and your life.  I can’t imagine not having you.  You are the best thing I’ve ever done.  Yes, you have your moments….but that’s just part of living and learning.

You have the biggest personality and it shines through wherever you are and with everyone you meet 🙂

What did we do before you?  People always say that, but it’s true.  The weekends aren’t long enough & the weeks are too long.  I wish I could be there to hold you and protect you always.  You have my heart and you know it….you run to me when you are hurt or need a snuggle.  Your Daddy is your play buddy, but Mama is always there to hold you and love on you!

• You are loving school and the crafts you make.  You planted a garden last week and are watching it grow.
• I have to drag you out of bed in the mornings….yes eventually that day has come!
• You like to eat anything with peanut butter or cheese….or sugar…..ugh……
• Every time I ask you what your favorite color is you change between blue and green.
• You want to read the same book EVERY night.  Cars “Look & Find” book.

MOST OF ALL DON’T FORGET HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU!

AND NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO WRONG, YOU WILL ALWAYS BE THE BEST THING I EVER DID!

Live every day and enjoy every second.  It sure does fly…………