Monday Newspaper

In an attempt to break myself free from the bonds of the internet little by little, Monday will be my day to do my favorite thing: blog hop.  Only Monday.  I love blogs.  Probably way too much.  And much time is wasted in a virtual world, oftentimes causing a covetous heart and discontentment.  But, on the other hand, much can be learned and gobbled up by a good, Christ-centered blog.  So, I thought I'd share a few articles that I found.  

• 5 Ways to Breathe in a Breathless World {chatting up the sky}
• Be online.  But be offline, too. {simple mom}
• Are You Mom Enough? (Mommy Wars) {desiring god}
• The Woman Next Door {On Building Community} {passionate homemaking}

And a recipe of the day, just for fun. 

• Banana, Peanut Butter, Honey Muffins {the pioneer woman}

My Health Makeover

I have three weddings that I am in this summer.  Yes, three.  And all of them mere months after having a baby.  Although I'm giving myself some leeway, I really want to strive to be healthier and leaner.  My eating habits for 24 years have basically been eat what I want and make sure I run enough to keep it off my waist.  So instead of this quick fix diet and exercise program, I want to start developing healthier habits, especially when it comes to my diet (as this has always been a struggle for me).  And because I'm a rule and schedule person, type A, whatever you want to call it, I have to outline some dos and don'ts for myself if I want to succeed.

Eating Don'ts
1.  no candy, baked goods, or ice cream (no processed sugar or high fructose corn syrup)-- I'm doing this rigidly for 30 days, then allowing myself one or two splurges a week
2.  no soda or sugary drinks-- only coffee, tea, or water
3.  no white bread or rice
4.  no eating after 8pm

Eating Dos
1.  eat 1-2 servings of vegetable with each meal
2.  have healthy snacks (i.e. carrots, apples and peanut butter, yogurt and fruit) readily available
3.  drink at least 6-8 glasses of water (or more) a day--I'm not a water guzzler by nature so I have to make myself remember to drink it
4.  limit dairy intake to 1-2 servings a day
5.  try non-dairy milks (ie. coconut milk, almond milk) (NO soy!)
6.  try quinoa
7.  keep a food diary

Exercise Goals
1.  Run 5 days a week
2.  XT (ie. cycling, yoga, circuit training) 1 day a week
3.  Weight train (ie. push ups, chin ups, lunges) 2-3 days a week
4.  Do more Yoga (blech!)
5.  STRETCH

My husband and I have discussed and are going to attempt to do The Fresh 20.  Meal planning and grocery planning are loathsome chores for me.  I love cooking, but am often discouraged by lack of ingredients or lack of inspiration.  I also end up overbuying groceries to take into account different meals during the week.  The great thing about the Fresh 20 plan is that you buy 20 ingredients for the whole week that you make into 5 different meals!  I'm hoping that this will accomplish 3 goals: 1.  healthier eating habits  2.  cutting down costs  3.  NO complicated menu planning!!!  ***(Thanks to Chloe, who's doing this plan and pointed me to this website!)***

All of this sounds like a mouthful and looks insurmountable... but it is not merely a physical makeover, it is a spiritual one as well.  The Lord has been convicting me of my eating habits for years, and I have not budged.  So begins a journey of depending on Him and relying on His grace to give me self control.

My life verse/passage is Hebrews 12:1-3.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

Not only does it give me eternal perspective, but it gives me motivation, it gives me solace.  It gives me the ultimate goal in life.  It outlines a purpose and the way to achieve that purpose.  I repeated this verse to myself over and over when I strived to complete my first marathon, when I birthed my two beautiful babies, when I need to be reminded of the ultimate goal in life... to run the race of life, eyes fixed on His eyes, seeking to bring Him glory.

Please dear friends, if the Lord leads you, pray not for the accomplishment of my goals, but that by choosing to establish healthy goals, I would be bringing the Lord glory through the change in my heart to serve Him better.

Little Blessings...

Now, more than ever, it is so important for me to live life purposefully.  On days when I'm zombified by lack of sleep or days when my toddler pushes my patience to the limit... days when it's easier to sit in front of the TV or the computer to "zone" out because I "deserve" some peace and quiet.  But oh how the Lord is grabbing my heart and showing me the precious little blessings in life that are in front of my face to enjoy... if only I would take my blinders off.

I have spent the past few weeks in somewhat of a melancholy state.  My house was a wreck, the baby was constantly crying, my toddler was entering into a new stage which needed more discipline, my husband was starting Bar prep and needed me to deliver meals and coffee.  On top of all this, I felt the Lord gently pointing out sins in my life that needed to be dealt with.  By the end of each day, I was so tired and emotionally distraught, all I could do was cry myself to sleep.  This lasted for weeks, mind you.  And yes, I have the excuse of postpartum and sleep deprivation... but it was so much more.  It was an emptiness.  I needed the Lord's intervention.  I needed to repent.  I needed to LIVE not just survive each day.  I needed to refocus.  I needed the Lord's grace now, more than ever.

And oh how magnificently He came, gently swooping in like a knight in shining armor.  And I know things won't change on a dime.  I have to remind myself that it's a process.  And though it may feel like two steps back and one step forward, He promises that I will always move forward and I will always bring Him glory because I am His.  I am bringing my husband meals and coffee not only because I love him, but more importantly because I desire to please the Lord.  I am disciplining my toddler because I know the severity of eternity and the importance of his soul.  I am wiping butts and cuddling away tears because the Lord has entrusted this little human to my care.  We should tremble at the thought of losing those souls to the devil just because we took the easy road.  No more may it be, Lord!  Grant me grace for hardships and grant me eyes to see the little blessings that are indeed huge blessings.  Let not my life be spent in a wormhole of destruction, but let it be, now and forever, Yours for Your glory.

Bye Bye Beloved TV...

{where this pic belongs}

My husband and I had one of those nights where we stayed up talking for hours.  I love these times.  It's like falling in love all over again.  They are special times where you laugh, you cry, you talk about what's on your heart and mind... and the best part is that they happen mostly spontaneously.  But what we talked about most last night was whether or not to get rid of our TV... for good... at least for a while.  All of our reasons for keeping it, once we talked it through, all seemed stupid and selfish.  And once we hashed out our reasons for getting rid of it and prayed, it became crystal clear.  The Lord led us to say, "bye bye beloved tv."  And that's why we had to get rid of it... because it was truly becoming "beloved" in our household.   Too much time spent in brainless, mindless activity that had no eternal profit.  One of my reasons for keeping it was that it was my way to relax.  But after we thought about it, we discovered not only was it not relaxing, but it often times became a source of discontent and brewing bad attitudes!  

So, everything is officially listed on craigslist... the TV, the BluRay player, the sound system, the XBox... even the piece of furniture that holds it all.  And though my flesh will miss our Star Trek dates and the Food Network Channel, I am at peace and even relieved and excited for what the Lord has in store for our lives now that our eyes can see and our brains can think about the world around us... and ALL FOR HIS GLORY! 

I Got a Sketchy Package From China

On Friday, I received a sketchy duct taped package from China, complete with Chinese all over it.  But I couldn't be more excited! I had waited 10 days for it to come.  And sure enough, it was my new Beco Butterfly II baby carrier.  I've recently been on a new quest to diminish items in our home that aren't exactly what we want.  So we've been purging cheaper items in order to save up for better quality items.  And before I had my first baby, I registered for every single baby item there was only to find out, babies need food, sleep, and mama's love, not a million items of baby gear.  Baby gear should be an aid, not a source for clutter!  Since Benaiah, we have downsized our baby items and are in pursuit of more functional items that will last.  So, I researched for months on the "perfect" (perfect for us) carrier.  I carried Ben in a Baby Bjorn, and my back just KILLED after every use, so I never used it.  The choices boiled down to an Ergo, Beco, or Boba.  Then it came down to which one I could find for the cheapest.  After looking on Craigslist, eBay, consignment stores for months to find it, I stumbled across a Chinese "Amazon" so to speak.  They happened to have the Beco carrier for REALLY cheap... and free shipping!  With my husband's approval of both the security of the website and the product, I bought it.  I was surprisingly satisfied with the whole process: the website, the communication with the seller, the shipping, the product, everything.   And I can't say that I'm not super excited about the cute pattern =)

Us Over the Past Few Weeks...

Livin' at the Beach... One Year Longer!

It's official.  We will be staying in the Hampton Roads area for a little longer!  It took me by surprise when Max came home to tell me he had gotten a job with a Federal Judge in Norfolk, and I felt relieved and excited! Of course, we were so thankful for the Lord's AMAZING provision for our family, and it became evident (very suddenly) that the Lord wanted us to stay here.  So, a month before we were scheduled to pack up and leave for GA, we had to rethink our moving plan.  Thankfully, our apartment is letting us stay through the summer and we didn't end up selling our furniture (which was our original plan).  But the stress has definitely diminished... cross state moves are not only extremely stressful but very expensive.  Now, we'll just be moving 15 minutes away.

In 5 days, David will be a month old.  He officially moved up to size 1 diapers this week and is out of his newborn clothes *sniff sniff*.   I have realized I have been blessed with two cuddly boys.  David sleeps the best when he's nestled up beside me (and no, I'm not a co-sleeper parent.... only on rare occasions) or in the moby wrap.  He is my serious baby (he cries a lot), and I think he has some digestive issues we are trying to work out, but he's been doing great!  He's been sleeping really great for only a month old.  I've been blessed with several 7 hour stretches!  Nursing (which was my biggest fear of failing again) has been going pretty well.  I always second guess myself and question whether or not he's eating enough (since he constantly acts hungry), but I'm reassured by his diapers and the fact that he's grown out of his clothes already!

Now, we are gearing up for the end of finals and graduation week!  Max's family is coming up for the entire week, and we're hoping to spend a couple relaxing days with them up at their timeshare in Williamsburg.  My whole family is actually coming up just for the graduation.  I'm excited for my sisters to meet David!  I must say it has been hard being away from my sisters, who I consider my best friends...

Benaiah's speech is really taking off.  And so is his energy... whew.  But he remains as sweet as ever and is a great big brother, always showering David with wet, slobbery kisses.  He still makes Max and I laugh every day with his quirky sense of humor and goofiness.  And I often times underestimate how much he understands and remembers.  I find myself praying that I would be more wise in my words and attitude as he repeats everything we say.

I have decided to take a break from Facebook and really focus on our family.  To relax, I often just flip on the TV or spend countless, lazy hours online.  And with my limited energy during the day from feedings at night, I'm finding it harder to get myself to be productive in my down time.  I just want to do something brainless!!! But I end up wasting my life away doing something that has absolutely no eternal value.  That's not to say that all time spent on the computer is unproductive, but many times (for me), it is.  So, I'd rather spend that down time reading books or taking a nap or picking up the house or crocheting; something that benefits my family and my own sanity.  There are so many habits, motives, and clutter in my life that the Lord is bringing to the surface... I just pray I will seek the Lord to overcome these things.