Lately

It’s been a melancholy week around here.  First the death of Kidd Kraddick and then a high school friend’s little 3 yr. old girl is losing her battle with brain cancer.  They thought she was out of the woods and then out of no where, it’s returned.  She’s been given 2-8 weeks.  Her 4th birthday is August 16th.  You can read Phoebe’s story “Atypical Miracle” here.

It’s the strangest feeling to be so sad about the death of someone I have never met.  I am not alone in this feeling.  We all have “I remember” stories about Kidd Kraddick.  Mine is listening to him on my way to work at Best Buy every morning.  I had a very long drive and he just about killed me with Pooladsanj.  That was by far my favorite.

I couldn’t sleep Sunday night/Monday morning.  I woke up just heart broken for Amey, Phoebe’s mother.  And I was heartbroken for Kellie Raspberry.  Losing her best friend, where does she go from here? What about Emma Kelly?

Finally I just had to turn off the show they did Monday morning….I had to focus on something else.  Or at least try.  It’s been hard to shake the feelings of melancholy.

Please pray, send good vibes, energy, healing thoughts to precious Phoebe and the Fair family.  I can’t imagine their heartbreak.  There are many many sick children and hurting families in the world, but sometimes there is one that really cuts you to your core.

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On a lighter note:

Aidan…..my sweet, loving, calm, smart as a whip, clingy, will probably live with me till he’s 30, introverted Aidan…..has been moved upstairs at church with the other 1st graders.  Well on Sunday we got up there at just the right time to catch everyone and their grandma dropping off or picking up kids.  It was chaos!  Now, I do not blame him one single bit for refusing to go in there.  I was a little unnerved by the situation as well.  So after trying to get him comfortable to no avail, I took him into the nursery with me.  I was volunteering and let our coordinator know the sitch.  We are in desperate need for volunteers so she was more than happy to allow Aidan to “help”.  He loved it so much!

This little one was completely smitten with my Prince Charming.  Followed him around, tossed the ball, asked him to rock her, rocked him.  It was priceless. My coordinator said he could come in anytime he was having a rough day but now I am afraid every Sunday will be a “rough day”.  He was a little annoyed by all the fussing and fighting and diaper changing I was having to address, and wasn’t too happy about me not tending to him.  He’s been asking for a baby sister.   So maybe this put the kibosh on all that.  I know it does for me!

Jeremy cooked out for us last night.  YUM!

We were super low on groceries so Luke and I went through my spices to find a good combination. We decided just to use several shakes of Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute and several dashes of Worcestershire.  We had a blast trying to figure out how to correctly pronounce WORCHESTISHER!!!! WERCHISTSER!!!! WORCHESTSHIRE!  They came out scrumptious though however you pronounce it! This week I am going to add shredded zucchini and onion.  We also had some Alexia 98% Fat Free crinkle fries…..<——- NOT GOOD.  I added about a ton of seasoned salt and baked the mess out of them and they were still super mushy and not very crispy on the outside….

Anyway…..I was up early this morning for a run.  It was so lovely.  This summer has been so mild.  Poor Jeremy gives me the look of death when I say that.  I always have to say “RELATIVELY!” and that its been much cooler in the morning than years past.  He gives me that much.  I still don’t know how they manage to survive in those uniforms in 110 degree heat.  No thank you!

After my run I showered, ate an apple the size of my face and a Luna Bar then headed out for a much needed grocery trip.  You know you are hungry and grocery shopping when “Diet Food” ends up in your basket.

I never buy stuff like this. Ever. Now before you go thinking “Ugh, eyeroll “Food Snob” my reasons are many but the biggest reason is that 9 times out of 10 stuff like this tastes like crap.  Sorry, but seriously.  So I was VERY pleasantly surprised to find (after ravenously tearing open the box, tossing one in my purse and then before even getting out of the parking lot, had half of it eaten) it was really REALLY good!  I will for sure buy more of them.

We were helping our friends paint inside their new house this afternoon so I was not in the mood to whip up dinner and we were all starving so we decided to head to Chick-Fil-A.  I was so hungry I forgot to snap a photo but I  have been getting something different lately.  They changed my usual side salad to something incredibly awful, so I had to find a new go to meal!  I love the Grilled Market Salad.  I switch it up a bit by asking for the reduced fat berry vinaigrette and asking them to leave off the blue cheese.  It is so delicious!  I love it.

It really looks like this when you order it.

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Lately I have been noticing things randomly placed around the house.  I always think “You know you are a mother of boys when….”

The other day I found a plastic tarantula on the floor by Luke’s closet and just picked it up like it was no big thing.  I had to stop and giggle a second thinking that “You know you are a mother of boys when you don’t even flinch at a gargantuan tarantula nor do you hesitate to pick it up with out even kicking it a little, you know just in case”

Last night I found this just hilarious…..maybe it’s just me but the simplest of things tickle me pink.

Running on fumes

So I have pretty much come to the conclusion that the reason I couldn’t sleep last night was because of these little gems.

Dashing Dish: Healthy Peanut Butter No-Bakes

Exactly how many healthy cookies are you allowed to eat before they are no longer considered healthy?  I’m not sure, but I don’t think it’s very healthy to eat so many you go to bed with a stomach ache. 

So I did end up going on that run and it was glorious! I think it was the new tunes and possibly the carb-loading I did last night.

Breakfast

I was super hungry by the time I finished my run and showering.  This is what I have been eating for breakfast all week.

Egg beaters & turkey bacon with a laughing cow wedge spread on a sandwich thin.

Delish!

We had some errands to run this morning.  One place was Lowes for the chair railing Jeremy is putting up.

These boys are so bored anyplace other than outside, our house, or the pool. But they do a good job of entertaining themselves!

I also did some work on my new office

…..and had some lunch.

Nothing exciting, just a turkey sandwich.  I also had an apple that I ate before I decided to make a sandwich….

That brings me to something I wanted to write about.

One of the reasons I stopped blogging for a while was because I needed some time to figure out where I wanted to go with the blog.  I was conflicted about a lot of things and there were some things I wanted to change.  One thing was sharing everything I ate on here.  I want to model healthy eating habits and behaviors.  I also want to be honest about everything and show that I don’t eat perfect all the time and that I still struggle pretty much every week to stay on track.  But the way I eat isn’t how every one should eat.  Everyone is different.  What works for me may not necessarily work for another.  I also didn’t want to feed the comparison trap that plagues social media. I spent some time researching different styles and eating philosophies. There are some new and different things I have incorporated but mostly I found the old saying “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” to be true with me.  So…..I am back to the old routine that works for me.

All that being said I am not going to post every single bite I take or snack I eat unless it’s new and/or mind blowing.  Besides, pictures of apples and almonds gets old.  I pretty much eat the same stuff everyday in rotation so….yeah….snore fest!

So YEAH!  I am excited again about writing, I do love it.

and also….

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And look, if I want to talk about I will.  If not well, I will just say I don’t want to talk about it!

Making the most of it….

I guess that waking up at 3 am would be a fitting time to type out a post.  I have been wanting to post for many weeks now but something very pressing (like a nap) seems to get in the way of that.  Just as I thought I was settling into our new house, getting back into my routine & feeling normal again, every thing changed again when school let out.  The summer started lovely and then one week into it Aidan got swimmer’s ear. Being woken up at 1 am to my extremely easy going 6 yr. old screaming is quite alarming and I was traumatized for days.

…..While it’s been a lovely lazy summer, I have reached the point where I am counting the days till school starts.  One month my dears, ONE MONTH!  I am determined to make the most of it and not go completely insane.

Anyway…..what’s one to do when they wake up at 3 am?

1) Make tea

2) Buy some new tunes for that 6 am run you planned but now aren’t so sure about….

#Beautiful – Mariah

Can’t Hold Us – Macklemore

Closer – Shawn McDonald

My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark – Fall Out Boy

Royals – Lorde

Sweetly Broken – Jeremy Riddle

Trouble – Travis Tritt

Undertoe – Sara Bareilles

3) write a short and sweet blog post in an attempt to remember how to do it……

It’s best just to not fight it and get productive…..

Smoothies, Playlists, Gadgets, Oh My!

I think its safe to say I have caught the running bug again.  I go through phases.  Phases when I am completely obsessed with running, then I start hurting and I have to back off, then I start doing videos and sometimes I get sick of working out all together…..  But I have come full circle and found my deep love of running again.  It’s so simple and highly effective.

We have a lovely little running trail in our neighborhood!  I jogged/walked (so out of shape) 3 days last week, as well as today, and I plan on it tomorrow as well!

My old heart rate monitor started acting up so I got a new one!  Nothing like a new gadget to motivate me to workout!

Polar FT4

I also made a new playlist.  Music fuels me more than food.

• Anything Can Happen – Ellie Goulding
• Blown Away – Carrie Underwood
• Catch My Breath – Kelly Clarkson (OOOOHHHH Kelly Clarkson!)
• Hang With Me – Robyn
• Hello, My Name Is – Matthew West
• Mirrors – Justin Timberlake ( I can’t stop listening to this!  I am listening to it now as a matter of fact!)
• Next To Me – Emeli Sande (can’t stop this one either)
• Sweet Nothing (feat. Florence Welch) – Calvin Harris
• Times – Tenth Avenue North
• Wake Up- All Sons and Daughters

I feel so amazing, beautiful, confident, & on top of the world after a good run….Runner’s high maybe?  I wish I could bottle it.

The Smoothie Gods have been kind to me lately as well.  Listen, I have dumped many a concoctions down the sink.  But lately, I am obsessed with this smoothie.  I actually wrote down a recipe as well so I could recreate it!  Mostly I just dump stuff in and pray for the best!  <<<<—— clearly not a good technique.

It’s based on Dashing Dish protein shakes.  It’s her Peanut Butter Maple version that I used as a guide.

This one has……

• 1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese
• ice (that I didn’t measure, possibly 1 cup of crushed ice?  Follow her number if using cubes)
• 2 tablespoons of vanilla protein powder
• handful of spinach
• 2 tablespoons PB2
• 1 tablespoon sugar free butterscotch pudding mix
• 1 tsp. maple extract
• 1 packet Truvia
• 3/4 cup light vanilla soy milk ( I usually use unsweetened vanilla almond milk but ran out today )

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As a side note:

A while back we found out Trixie has bladder stones and rather than pay $2,000 for surgery, we decided to try and manage them with diet.  She started acting really strange last week but wasn’t presenting any of the symptoms we were told to look out for.  Then one morning (about day 3 of the strange behavior) she came in from using the yard whimpering.  That afternoon Jeremy took her in.  I couldn’t bare the bad news I knew was coming.  I asked that somehow God would intervene. I didn’t know how in the world he would, but I asked anyway.  Jeremy came home and made the boys go to their rooms and brought me into our bedroom.  I felt tears welling up and my throat closing.  He said “They have to come out.”  I said “We cant….” He said, “Dr. Franklin said he would do it for this….” Then he handed me a sheet of paper.  The total was circled.  $342   I was so overwhelmed with joy!!!  TRIXIE LIVES!!!!!!

So Wednesday morning she is scheduled for surgery!

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Indeed.

Baked Eggs

What?  Yeah that’s what I thought!  But listen, I will never traditionally boil another egg.

One day while trying to find a technique to boil “The Perfect Egg”, I came across this….

Alton Brown’s Baked Eggs

Hmmmmmm, intriguing!

I like boiled eggs.  I don’t like having to deal with the actual boiling of the eggs.  Do I bring the water to a boil THEN put the eggs in?  Do I put the eggs in first then bring to a boil?  How long do I boil them for?  How long to I let them set?  Do I boil them in water that was cold?  So confusing?!?!?!

Baking Eggs is the only way to go.  It’s easy.  Just put your eggs in a muffin tin, bake at 325 for 30 min. When they are done baking  put them in an ice bath and peel as soon as they are cool enough to touch.

This is what I have found. They are easier to peel, there is no delicious sulfur smell, and they are always a creamy texture.  They also just taste better to me!

I eat them with some salt and pepper, or paprika.  Eggs are the perfect complete protein and a very healthy “fast food”

Focus

I think it’s very safe to say things have been…..CRAY….around here.  I know a lot of people hate that term but guess what….I LOVE IT! Everyone says “Oh things are crazy…”  But to me that’s like saying “Oh, I’m so busy!”  Guess what?  Everyone is busy.  But to say CRAY instead of crazy, means like seriously crazy.  I can’t even recall what I have been doing for the last month since I wrote last.  I can’t even believe it’s been a month.  Let’s try to recall……

The movers damaged just about everything I own in the move…..ok that is an exaggeration….they shattered the glass in my china cabinet, scuffed up my dining chairs, dented my washer and dryer, damaged Jeremy’s table saw…..It’s ok, they have all been repaired….

Jeremy had to replace our master toilet the first week we were here…..I honestly do not want to re-live the details of it…..but lets just say…..ugh…..never mind.  He is a champion and that’s all there is to that.

Scrubbing filthy grout that we thought was brown until I was cleaning base boards prepping for painting.  After the grout around the base boards dried, I realized it’s beige grout.  Jeremy bought me a steamer…..

McCulloch

so that my life would be easier.  Indeed.  Have I ever mentioned how much I love to clean?  It’s an obsession.  But….after hours and hours of steaming my grout…..I am over it.  I still need to go over some areas that were seriously bad, but I am taking a break and moving onto other tasks for now.

Painting…..choosing a shade of beige for most of the house proved down right impossible.  We had about 20 swatches taped up all over the wall for a week.  Different lighting, different moods….so glad that choice has been made.

Desert Fortress

It looks a little pink in the picture but it’s more of  a warm beige color with grey undertone.  It’s perfect and makes me happy! We have the largest part of the house all done so now we can move on to the smaller jobs.

I set the burglar alarm off while I was talking on the phone to the school nurse.  While I am alone in the house during the day I keep the alarm set. (I know it sounds weird, but keep in mind that I am married to a cop) We have terrible reception in the house so I stepped out onto the porch…….I don’t understand WHY it has to be so so loud!  I mean I seriously thought I was going to have a heart attack.  After I had turned it off, I called the nurse back but the alarm company kept calling me!  The nurse was questioning me as to why Aidan was wearing glasses…..don’t get me started on that….to say the least I was very annoyed and trying to reassure her that he indeed needed glasses and that I needed to get off the phone.  I called the alarm company back to let them know I was ok and not to send the police.  But low and behold an hour later the police show up……Stressed spelled backwards is DESSERTS.

Speaking of Aidan’s glasses…..

After a well-child exam early March, our Pediatrician told us to get Aidan’s eyes looked at.  We knew this was inevitably looming but we prayed and prayed for his eyes to be spared.  Jeremy’s entire family has poor vision.  I tease him saying he has Special Eyes but seriously…..I have never known anyone with vision poor as his.  Think –12 prescription…..at risk for retinal detachment……Lasik completely out of the question….yeah bad.  Aidan has never presented any symptoms of vision impairment but I think it’s because he has never had clear vision. When we took him into the optometrist we learned his prescription was –2.50!  I was shocked.  That’s worse than mine!  She said it will only get worse as he grows so we have to take him in every 6 months now.  Bless his sweet heart.  It was so heart warming to me when he first put on his new glasses.  His eyes lit up and the sweetest smile came on his face.  He was seeing the world for the first time.

Anyway…..I could go on and on…..

So, FOCUS…..that is what I have been lacking.  I feel like my schedule and my days have just been all over the place.  I long for routine which I have been hanging onto by a thread. I also am HATING this cold weather that just keeps lingering and lingering like an unwanted house guest.  I am dreaming of the 110 degree Texas heat!!!!

Each week I tell myself, ok Little Miss….this is your week.  You are getting back on track….getting back to your schedule and routine.  Following all of your own advice and healthy habits…..and then low and behold….a wrench gets thrown in.

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A field trip, a dr appt, a dentist appt,  a damaged furniture appt, a phone call from the nurse followed by setting the house alarm off and a friendly visit from the local police department…..replacing a toilet, nursing a migraine, you name it. Then at 8:30 pm, I am taking a shower thinking…man….I have got to get it together!  For a short time I even thought that maybe this is just a season of change in my life and I need to take a break from working out and eating like a champ.  But who am I kidding?  Not working out and not eating right makes me down right depressed, unfocused and feeling crummy emotionally and physically.  A sweet friend of mine and I decided we were going to start P90X again last week….yeah I did Mon-Wed before life got in the way of that.  We both admitted neither of us “brought it” but would do better this week!  So….here is to time management & making exercise and eating right a priority.

Everybody has their 15 minutes

Goodness!  It’s been a WHILE since I last wrote.  Sufficed to say, I’ve been busy.  I hate that word.  “busy”.  It’s way over used.

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Triple Crown Leadership <—– great piece on “being busy”

The word itself doesn’t even look like it’s spelled correctly.  Busy…..Bussy?  Bisy. Bisie, Bizy?  Anyway, I hate busy.  HOWEVER!  That being said…..I have been busy in a good way!

Right now I should be packing.  Why?  Oh maybe because we are moving in 2 days.  I am at the point where everything that can be packed is packed.  Everything else has to wait until the last few mad hours before we leave for good.  So I thought I would write……it may be another month before I get to again.  I can’t WAIT to be back into my normal routine.

I think I will start with probably one of the most exciting things to ever happen to me.

There I am!  It’s finally out!  I didn’t think it would be out until today actually but much to my surprise it was early!!!  I was talking to my friend on the phone last week and she said “So, I saw your article in Women’s Health”.  I screamed “WHAT!?!?!?!?!”  I may have made her ear drums bleed.

“JEEEEEEREMY!!!!!  GO GET THE MAIL GO GET THE MAIL!!!!!”

“WHAT? WHY?  What’s wrong?

“MY ARTICLE!  CHERYL…..ITS HERE….MAIL!!!!!”

He makes a mad dash out the door.

And there it is!  Crazyness I tell you…..crazyness.  What an honor.  What a moment.  What validation.  Wow.  Jeremy went out and bought two additional copies at the store.  I am not ashamed to admit I will be laminating that bad boy, framing it and making it a focal point in my house.  Ok, maybe not a focal point, but it will be on the fridge, inside the pantry, folded in my purse, in my journals, and for sure framed in my office.  Not because I am trying to brag or show off, but as a reminder, when the days are dark and my mind tries to go back to the places I never want to return.

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One day I can show my clients, hey look at this….I UNDERSTAND!!!!  I can help, you can trust me, I have been there.

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So, here are some other things that have been going on…..

Oh the blasted crane…..I finally did it!!!

Valentines Day Happiness

Cuddles with Cici.  When Aidan was learning to talk, he couldn’t say Trixie so he would say Cici.  That’s become her nickname…along with BRAT.

Aidan’s 6 yr molars started coming in and his gums swelled up in the most alarming manner! Apparently it’s totally normal for that to happen.  Poor guy.  OUCH!

Even though it’s been weeks since I have had a proper workout, except an occasional sporadic run, I have been getting plenty of physical activity in the form of packing and pushing boxes around…..so my foam roller and I have become BFF’s.  I am not sure what I ever did with out it.  Oh yeah…..I laid on the floor for an hour stretching and complaining…..

I was fixing Aidan’s hair one morning and I see these two “bobbed” spots. He says bobbed instead of bald. I can’t bring myself to correct him. He also says thair instead of fair. Sometimes his cuteness is overwhelming.  Anyway, as a mother, my mind goes straight to “OMG what disease does he have?”   As I am looking at the spots he lets me know he doesn’t have some rare incurable disease, he just gave himself a little haircut.  Whew!!!!  Thank goodness!

So as I was packing one evening I came across this little box of gems.  My past.  CRINGE! Look at those gallon zip locks of notes!!!!!  I didn’t read all of them but the ones I did read were awesome. They are priceless. Filled  with drama and silliness.  Lots of “oh my gosh…..I can’t believe I wrote that.” was said aloud.   I was a different person back then that’s for sure.

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The last few weeks I have been reading a book called May Cause Miracles by Gabrielle Bernstein. Finding it was a bit serendipitous but I am convinced it’s also one of those things that I was meant to read.  I heard about it a while ago and thought, Hmmm….that looks interesting, I will have to check it out.  Then while browsing at B&N one day I walked right into it.  SIGN!!!!!!!   It’s a little on the hippy dippy side but it has REALLY opened my eyes to so many things I was blind to.  The first two weeks were are about overcoming fears.  I was able to discover some fears I have that I never realized were there.  Being able to identify them has been life-changing.  In one of the first chapters she says this about fear.  “Love did not create this.”

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That simple sentence has altered my entire world.  I wish I could expound on how and why but….yeah…..you know…..too personal.

Just the other day I read this little gem of a passage…..

Yes, yes and more yes.  Many have misconceptions about this.  Forgiveness doesn’t mean reconciliation or relationship.  Ex. I have forgiven the man who took Daniel from us,  but I am not going to go have coffee with him. Forgiveness means that you have let go of the hurt and bitterness that once poisoned your heart and mind.  You are free to love and live the life you were meant to live.

I highly recommend this book.  It’s so good!  Read it with an open mind and get out of it what you can.

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So then there is this little thing we did yesterday!

WE CLOSED!!!!!  So excited!  We signed papers for AN HOUR!!!! But….honestly, it was quite fun!

I can’t wait to start a new chapter in our lives.  I will be sad to say goodbye to our first house together. Sad to say goodbye to our sweet neighbors.  It will be an adjustment getting to know the new house.  I have said several times this week “I am going to miss my stove and microwave.”  Little things like getting used to what light switch goes to what.  Learning how to use the sprinkler & alarm systems.  I anticipate hilarity to ensue concerning those! Especially if I am the one operating them!  But I am excited about being able to take the boys to the neighborhood pool and play ground all summer.  Sitting on my covered porch that has a ceiling fan on those HOT summer days.  Enjoying our fireplace on the cold and dreary ones.  Getting to know some new friends in the neighborhood.  There are walking trails & several ponds with water fountains throughout the neighborhood as well.  I can’t wait to explore those.

Hopefully it won’t be another month before I write again but until then……

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Oh Uncle Si…..you’re the best.

Relatively Speaking

You know how when you go without something you appreciate it that much more when you get it back?  Going without sleep for so long when the boys were babies makes me appreciate it so much more now.  I appreciate my husband being home at night because he worked nights for so long.  I appreciate the abundance of healthy food that I have because I ate so poorly for so long.  I appreciate the health of my children after they have been ill.  I appreciate a shower that stays warm all the way til the end when the weather warms back up.  And now, I appreciate the complete peace and serenity I feel now that the hard part of selling/buying a house is behind us.  Actually packing and moving is going to be a cake walk, relatively speaking.  I am looking forward to having a “normal” life again.  No interruptions.  No making sure the house is spotless before I get on with the rest of my day.  No more having to be out of the house for hours at a time when all I want to do is sleep and watch T.V.  No more wondering if today’s appointment will be THE ONE.  Having to read on a daily basis why someone doesn’t like your home. No more circling the neighborhood when an appointment is going over their time, having to pee so bad you are willing to pull over and squat.  Did I just say that?  Yes I did.  I never ever ever could have imagined how difficult and stressful this process would be.  You know when you go to visit a new doctor and they have you fill out that form asking if you have experienced any of the following in the last year?

• Divorce
• Death in the family
• Loss of Job
• Serious Illness
• a MOVE

Yeah, I get that now.

It’s a miracle and by the grace of GOD that Jeremy and I are still married.  No I am kidding, but seriously…..it IS by grace that Jeremy didn’t leave me!  On the contrary, we are closer than ever so I wouldn’t trade the last 4 months for anything in the world.

Good news first…..we got the house we wanted.  Praise God.  But not without a fight.

The house we wanted had been on the market for 280 days…..nothing wrong with it at all just priced a little high, market slow…..honestly, I believe it was saved for us.  After seeing it again last week and loving it, I said “We need to put an offer on this place immediately, like this minute…”  I knew it, I could feel it….someone else was going to offer soon…possibly even that moment.  Mike reassured us that there was no other offer on it but I just knew….. Our offer was low but we weren’t asking for closing costs and accepting it in “as is” condition.  There were a few minor things that need to be addressed, light bulbs out, nail pops exposed etc.. …..nothing we haven’t fixed on our current home. I felt comfortable with our offer.  We had some issues getting our paper work emailed back to Mike so he was going to come by our house late that evening after work to pick it up.  It was 7:30 pm, I was feeling down right anxious because I knew we needed to get that offer in ASAP.  Sure enough, sometimes I swear I am psychic, Mike calls.  “There is another offer.”  My heart sank and my stomach churned.  I may have teared up a little. There goes the sweet slumber I was hoping for.  Thankfully because we knew about the other offer and hadn’t turned ours in yet…..we had the upper hand in the matter and were able to change our offer last minute to a more competitive one.  Ultimately, we won the house!  HIGH FIVES ALL AROUND!  We are set to close March 11 and will be moving out the next few days after that!  What a great way to spend Spring Break!

The very last stress inducing event was our buyer’s inspection on Friday morning.  I started out the morning with a clogged potty.  Then the milk for my oats boiled over and burned in the stove. We opened up the back door to let the smoke air out and Rya the cat escaped.  On her little adventure outside she ate some grass which induced vomiting…..of course not on the tile but the carpet.  I said out loud with a smile and in a very friendly manner to who or whatever was causing the issues.….”Nothing can shut what the Father has oooooopeeeened!  Just so ya know!”  That fixed that.  I felt good leaving the house that day. Confident that no issue would arise.  We haven’t heard anything back about the inspection and Mike said when there is a problem, they address it immediately.  No news is good news.  We have the inspection on the new house Wednesday morning and  I am confident that will go smoothly as well.

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Aidan turned 6 on Saturday.

We had a very low key event.  There is no denying that he is my child.  I asked him a month ago if he wanted to have a “Pump It Up” party and invite all his classmates and friends.  His response?

“Ooooooh noooooo way.  It’s too loud in there and the kids get super duper crazy. I just want you and me and Daddy and Luke and Rya and Early and Trixie at our house where its peaceful and quiet.”

What?  I didn’t think I could love this child anymore than I already did.

On Friday morning I asked him what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday.  His response?

“I don’t want a cake, I don’t want a party, I just want white donuts.”

Wow…..

He does love him some chocolate chip cookies so I made him a giant one, and yes, I did pile a bunch of white donuts on the birthday platter and served it to him for breakfast.

I am so happy right now.  I can’t even explain it.  I am just over the moon.  I feel so light and full of excitement.  I can’t wait to start packing.  I can’t wait to start making our new house our own.  I am so happy to be thinking happy thoughts again instead of “Good God, when will this ever end?  Are you even there?  Have you forgotten us?”  Or worse trying not to think at all.

This week I will be getting back to my P90X.  I had to put it on hold while we dealt with life last week.  Each day I set aside the time for it and it just never got done.  I really tried to follow the diet at least but even threw that out the window this weekend.  It was too much.  But…..I am getting right back on that horse and galloping my way to being bikini ready!

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123 Days

The last 123 days have been some of the hardest days of my life and I wouldn’t change a single moment of any of them.

I have gone from bright eyed and full of hope and excitement!

To questioning whether Jeremy and I were doing the right thing.

To whether or not I deserved the abundance that God promises me in His word.

To being angry at God, then having buried emotional baggage rear it’s ugly head at me.

To suddenly coming to the understanding that the trials I face make me stronger.

To completely surrendering to God’s plan, not mine, for my life.

To having a peace in my spirit that surpasses all understanding. Believing beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am deserving of His abundance and trusting Him more than I ever have in my life.

Finally finally, in an interesting turn of events, we have accepted an amazing offer that was over and above what we ever expected. God is GOOD.

One day last week I had a last minute showing request.  I almost didn’t accept it.  But…..I did anyway.  I drove down the street (without shoes on) and watched a man drive up to our house, walk around our property, go into the house, come out and leave.  What in the world?  Jeremy called Mike (our realtor) and asked if that was normal.  Apparently it is….so I was like ok whatevs……that night Mike called us with an offer from that man!!!  Turns out he was from an investment firm who buys houses and rents them out.  The offer was ok….better than the Lowballers (funny story about that another time).  So we started working on accepting the official offer and then went to look at houses the next day.  With this offer there were a lot of hoops we were going to have to jump through.  A lot of things that were on their terms. First, they weren’t going to give us time after closing to close on our own home.  Then they weren’t going to do any inspections, then they were…..

The morning we were going to meet with Mike to look at houses we got a showing request for that afternoon.  I sort of laughed it off.  I checked to see who it was, to see if it was a second showing or not, and I didn’t recognize the name.  I approved it but we didn’t take any extra measures to make the house show ready like we normally do.  I mean we cleaned like we normally do but not with OCD-like detail.

When we met Mike he said “Hey guys you know that showing you have today? They are going to make an offer.” Jeremy and I were so confused.  Say what?!  They had been to see the house before but had a different realtor. That’s why I didn’t recognize the name.  I am going to assume they weren’t happy with her, called the number on our for sale sign and were assigned one of the agents who works in Mike’s office.  When he spoke with their realtor he told her “It better be something significant because what they are entertaining now is real pretty.”  That afternoon after looking at 5 houses, only one of which we liked that was also way overpriced, we were feeling really nervous.  We were looking at having to be out of our house in a month & having to rent something!!!  Not what we had in mind.  …..The cash deal was making Jeremy and I feel very uncomfortable.   I told Jeremy that ultimately, this was our house to sell and it would be on our terms, not theirs.

Ever true to his word, Mike called us later that afternoon and told us he had sent the offer from the couple via e-mail.  Sadly, it wasn’t any better than the cash offer and we were a bit disappointed. Then  I remembered something I had just read about making offers.  “The buyer’s offer will be low and is only an invitation to start negotiations.”  I told Jeremy, “They don’t know what the other offer is. They had to start somewhere. Let’s counter.”  They had asked for closing costs so we accepted the offer minus the closing costs.  That would have us making 2,750 MORE than the cash offer.  It ended up being exactly what our asking price was.  There were so many things to consider.  I felt the need to devour a bag of Peanut M&M’s.  I told Jeremy that if it weren’t for the cash offer we wouldn’t think twice about this.  We would be stupid not to take the extra cash.  The worst thing that could happen is that it could all fall through and we would be back on the market.  And you know what?  So what.  We’ve been doing it this long, we can keep doing it.  We are not desperate, we have 5 or 6 other people out there who have loved our house and will be back.  Decision made.

That night I couldn’t go to sleep nor stay asleep.  We accepted the offer officially and now….WE HAVE THE BIG FAT RED PENDING BANNER!!!!!!

But wait, there is still the issue of not having a house to move into……

Since we started looking at houses 4 months ago, there has been one favorite that has remained.  The only problem was that the living room was set up in such a way that wouldn’t allow for our oversized furniture.  We have a HUGE living room and we filled it up with huge furniture and a gargantuan entertainment center that took Jeremy almost a year to build.  Out of the blue, I am convinced it was divine intervention, Jeremy said,  “Amanda…..our couch comes apart.”  “What?” “Yeah, LOOK!”  He unconnected it and we moved it apart.

I couldn’t believe it!  With what I am sure were Puss N Boots eyes,  I said “JEREMY…..this changes everything!!!!”  So we got on the phone with Mike and got all the goods on the house.  We are going to look at it again tomorrow at 2!!!!!  YIPPEEEE!  I have this intense sense of urgency to put an offer on it because I can just feel other people’s eyes on MY HOUSE!!!!

But…..deep in my heart.  I know.  That.  It has been on the market all this time, if He has been saving it for us….He will continue to do so.  If not, then He will provide something else.  Even if we have to rent some little shack for a few months…..the trust is there.

Accepting an offer on our part is only half the battle. We still have inspections to pass and our own offer and inspections to get through.   I remain confident that it will be easy sailing from this point forward.

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….and the saga continues

Friday night we got an email saying “HOA Guy” was interested in making an offer.  We haven’t heard anything else from him.  “Late Low ballers” countered OUR counter with 2,000 less than our counter AND they want our fridge.  We had 4 showings Saturday and have one tonight at 5:30.  I am over it ya’ll.  That’s all I got to say about that.

P90 is going much better this week.  Jeremy and I did Kenpo X (I kept calling it Kempo…until I saw the DVD ) on Saturday morning.  I loved it!  It was so much fun!!!  I can’t wait to do it again.  I don’t think Jer feels the same…Yesterday was my second chest and back workout and I did much better this time.  My chest is still tight, my gluteus maximus is still pretty sore but over all I am feeling much better.  This morning I decided to do Plyo first thing before I ate breakfast.  Saturday I did Kenpo first thing and felt so much lighter and had more energy.  So I thought I would try PLYO on an empty tummy.  “They” say that cardio on an empty tummy burns more fat too so….that’s a plus.  It was MUCH easier today.  I didn’t peter out in the end.  I was able to complete most of the exercises, got super sweaty and burned about 100 more calories this week! 

My friend posted this on her Facebook today and I can’t stop laughing at it!

I am so in-love with this program.  Even though I am borrowing it right now, I am planning on buying one for myself.  I think it will be a great tool to use when I am training and counseling.  When your 11 year old says, “Mommy!  Look at your arms!”  “Let me see your abs…..MAN!”, you know the program is legit.

We were so busy this weekend & I wasn’t able to get all my food in but tried my best to stick to the plan.

Friday night I made some ground chicken with homemade taco seasoning.  I served it over 2 cups of spinach and 1 1/2 corn tortilla.

Saturday after Kenpo I made my protein shake, showered and then had to leave because of a showing, so I grabbed a protein bar.  This was DELICIOUS!!!!!  Love it.

Clif Builders Bar

I read that these are a good substitute for the P90X performance bars so I grabbed a couple to try.  Impressed!

Saturday afternoon I took L for a B&N/Ice Cream date.  We hung out looking at books & drinking coffee (don’t freak out…decaf/fat-free/white mocha for him) like hipsters for a few hours before heading to Braum’s for the best ice cream in the world.

He got Peanut Butter Ice Cream

I got Pineapple Almond fro-yo.  Probably the best thing ever……

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Aidan is my little workout buddy.  He hangs in there like a boss most of the time! Yesterday he was lifting this 15lb weight up over his head, making me super nervous!  He also did 40 “push-ups”.  More like 1-2-3-4-567891011123940!  Watch out Arnold!  I have a secret dream that he will be my actual workout/running buddy when he is grown up!

Today after PLYO I made my protein shake.

Later I had a snack of 1.5 oz. avocado, 1 cup cucumbers/carrots, 2 light cheese sticks and my daily vitamins.

about 30 min later……

A Luna protein bar.  YUMS

I am sort of off on my eating schedule today since I didn’t eat breakfast but I am sure I will make up for it later!!!

I have to get going so I can get the house “show ready” *eyeroll*.  I should be thankful for lots of traffic, but look, I am not.  I just want the Lowballers to accept that we aren’t going accept anything less than what we countered with!

On the bright side….I had a game changing conversation with Aidan’s preschool teacher on Sunday.  It was definitely a God thing that we ran into each other and had some time to talk.  What we talked about is possibly why we haven’t accepted an offer yet.

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Speaking of church….As I sat in the service a young lady and her little baby girl (~3 months?) sat a few aisles over and in front of me.  I kept looking at that sweet baby and thinking how beautiful it was to see a young woman holding her little baby.  My womb ached a little.  Then I went to volunteer in the nursery.  I held a crying baby for two hours and changed a poopie diaper….ache no more my friends, this kitchen is closed!!!!

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