30 Day Blog Challenge Day 6 Someone who does not live in your country

This is easy also. That's because I don't know anyone that doesn't live in this country. I know several people who are FROM another country but thankfully, they live here now. I guess this is something I need to work on--meeting more people. Hopefully I can make new friends when I start doing missions abroad. :)

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 5--Three things you like about your personality

This is pretty easy.


1.  I love that I am deeply spiritual. I know that annoys people that are unbelievers but that's their problem. I cannot imagine where I would be without my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, His Father and the Holy Spirit. I am not always perfect but I know without a doubt that I am saved by grace through my faith and I do try to live my life not to earn anything from Him because I can't. I live in a way to thank Him for the freedom He paid such a high price for me to have.

2.  I love my sense of humor. I absolutely LOVE to laugh and I can find humor in most things. This also annoys some people, especially those that have NO sense of humor at all. But again, that's their problem. I'm thoroughly convinced that laughter has helped to keep me as sane as I am and yes, I know I have my moments so can you just imagine how messed up I would be if I didn't laugh as much as I do?

3.  I love that I have just the right amount of self-confidence and determination. I know my limitations but I also know how to work around them, compensate for them or overcome them. I'm not cocky (unless I'm playing around) or self-centered (okay, maybe sometimes but that's not intentional) and even though I have my moments of doubt and despair, I always pull myself up by my bootstraps and keep going. I mean, what else can I do?

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 4 Twenty-five things to do before your next birthday...

I'm trying to catch up since I started a few days into the month. I want to be able to finish this challenge so I can start a new one next month.

Anyway, 25 things to do before my next birthday. Since my birthday was last month I have quite a bit of time to finish this list, thank goodness!

1.  Lose 85 pounds!
2.  Lead a LIFE group (doing that this Fall)
3.  Go to the beach
4.  Go to Alabama Adventure
5.  Go tubing
6.  Go rafting
7.  Go to Spring Valley Beach
8.  Pass 3 more classes in grad school
9.  Do more outreach work
10. Buy a new couch!
11. Buy a new bed!
12. Get Brooke a car
13. Get Kayti another car
14. Read at least 15 books
15. Buy some new clothes.
16. Go to Israel (or at least have a trip planned)
17. Write a book
18. Get a tummy tuck (this is contingent on me first losing the 85 lbs)
19. Take a road trip
20. Move my daughter to her apartment in Tuscaloosa
21. Pick a more defined career path
22. Visit a vineyard/winery
23. Visit some smaller churches (not that I'm leaving Highlands but I want to support some of my friends churches/church plants, etc.)
24. See more old movies that I haven't seen.
25. Get my finances in better shape.

Now, to see how much I actually accomplish!

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 3 My Day in Detail

My days tend to vary usually and they are never what I desire them to be so I'll share both.

Typical Day:

7:00 a.m. FINALLY force myself out of bed. Hop in the shower or a quick little bird bath, depending on if my hair needs washing or not. It's actually bad for my hair to wash it every day, thus another reason not to exercise! :) I fix my hair, find something to wear, slap on some makeup, let the dog out, make my coffee, take my medicine, crate the dog, locate all my items that I need for the day and I'm out the door! Sometimes there's an argument with one or both of the girls thrown in there just for added fun!

7:35-7:45 leave for work, arriving at around 8:10-8:15 depending on traffic. Later if it's REALLY bad. I now I hate that I'm never on time for work. Just ONE MORE THING I need to work on this summer.

8:15-10:00 Work

10:00 break time when I usually eat breakfast.

10:15-12:00 Work

12:00-1:00 Lunch. Usually spent at my desk eating, studying, bible study or doing some task like addressing invitations, balancing my checkbook, paying bills, etc. Occasionally, I will go out for lunch with a friend or two but not often.

1:00-3:00 Work

3:00-3:15 break time and a snack and usually not a healthy snack

3:15-5:00 (sometimes 5:15-5:30 if I was REALLY late that morning) Work

5:00-5:35 (or later, depending on traffic) drive home.

5:35- later    Sometimes after work I have things to do like run by the store, take Brooke somewhere, LIFE group  (that's over for now though) or study (also over for now) Otherwise, I cook dinner, go workout (rarely), play on the computer, read, watch TV, do some housework or just whatever I feel like. 

10:30-12:00 try to go to bed. I just can't wind down in the evenings and it's something I'm working on.

Now what I would LIKE my days to look like:

4:30 a.m. Wakeup,  have my quiet time, get dressed and go to the gym

5:00-6:30 Work out

6:30-7:15 Get ready for work

8:00 arrive at work on time

8-5 can't really change anything here so see above

5:00--leave work, go workout again but either do zumba or something different than I did in the morning

7:00--dinner, housework, a little entertainment

9:00 get in the bed!

The tricky part to all this is changing my sleep patterns and making myself workout. I'm working on it!

30 day Blog Challenge Day 2 Something I'm looking forward to in the next 12 months

Honestly, I have a lot that I'm excited about.

I'm thrilled for my daughter to be moving to Tuscaloosa to attend the University of Alabama in the Fall. But I will miss her, too. I'm excited for her to be out on her own and to start a new chapter in her life.

I'm looking forward to Brooke's second year in colorguard and all the excitement that she enjoys in high school.

I'm looking forward to the possibility of going to Israel for a mission trip.

I'm looking forward to leading another LIFE group and serving on the Prayer team.

I'm looking forward to Cokes and Ice Cream on the lawn at first Wednesdays for Church of the Highlands this Summer and looking forward to serving at each with the Events team.

I'm looking forward to the possibility of a new job.

I'm looking forward to reading all the books on my TO READ list.

I'm looking forward to tubing, rafting, Alabama Adventure and Spring Valley Beach.

I'm looking forward to Gulf Shores at the end of this month!

I'm looking forward to starting back at UNA's MBA program in the Fall.

I'm looking forward to spending time with nieces and nephews.

I'm looking forward to more exercise and a healthy eating plan so I can finally GET THIS WEIGHT OFF! In fact, I've started a blog to document my weight loss journey. You can read it HERE.

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 1-Basic Things About Myself

I'm not sure how many basic things I am supposed to include or how basic they need to be. I'm better at just answering questions. But I'm pretty much an open book so if I don't tell you something you want to know, feel free to ask.

1. I'm a 44 year old single mom to three AMAZING kids--a son, Dylan, and two daughters, Kayti and Brooke.

2. I always knew I'd be a mom. When I was in High School I wanted to adopt and still did up until about three years ago when I realized it just wasn't in God's plan for me. But I still have a heart for adoption and am blessed to know many people that have built their families through adoption. It's been great reading and hearing their stories and meeting their precious children.

3. I am a child of the One True King. I love my heavenly Father and Jesus with all my heart. This past year has been the most amazing part of my journey. I've grown even closer and learned so much more than I ever did before. I'm blessed to attend Church of the Highlands where there is so much going on to increase the Kingdom of God. I've been involved with the Divorce Care ministry and co-led a LIFE group. I served as an Intercessory Prayer Team member at the LIFE retreat and it was a great experience. I plan on leading another LIFE group in the Fall and I just recently joined the Events team. I also plan on getting involved with Prison Ministry.

4. I am a huge Alabama football fan and always have been. Now it is even more special to me because my son is starting his Senior year there and my daughter will be a Freshman in the Fall. I love going to games when I can and tailgating!

5.  I love to paint. I don't care if it's rooms, canvas or rocks, it relaxes me. I also like to sew and dig in the dirt (I can't really call it gardening). I just haven't had much time for these things lately.

6. I love being around water. The beach, the lake, the pool, tubing, rafting, on a boat. I don't care. I LOVE the water!

7. I love to read. During the school year, I am usually reading MBA stuff. But I try and make a little time here and there for pleasure reading. My list of books I want to read is long and ever growing. I like to read Christian non-fiction and fiction but I also like Joshilyn Jackson, Fannie Flagg, John Gresham, Nicholas Sparks (although some of his stuff can be quite sappy) and other well-known names.

8. I DO have a bucket list. Actually two. One is places I want to go and the other is things I want to do.

9. My favorite foods are Mexican, shrimp, steak and pasta--almost any kind of pasta. I also like some Chinese food (if I know what its prepared with) and Japanese food is awesome. I have even acquired a slight taste for sushi.

10.  My favorite tv shows are (in no particular order) The Big Bang Theory, Survivor, Criminal Minds and the toned down, PG versions of Sex and the City. Yes, I know, the title itself makes it an inappropriate show. And even though I would love to have the full set of all six seasons on DVD, I don't buy it because it would be the uncut version. While the book and the real-life NY column it's based on is all about sex, the show itself really isn't. It's more about the friendships of four women and their relationships. And while I've never been a fashionista, I love looking at their clothes. And yes I know it's a 10 year old show but Alabama is about 10 years behind in everything!

11. Other favorites:

Movie--It's a Wonderful Life
Actor--Tom Hanks
Actress--Julia Roberts
Color--Crimson and Houndstooth! (or red)
Number--3 (the Holy trinity, the number of kids I had...just a great number!)
Place--the beach
Car--a mustang convertible (go figure! but I wouldn't mind a camaro either)
Shoe--flip flops
Thing to do--laugh

:)

Busy busy busy...

Beginning with the last week in April until the end of May I'll be doing good if I have time to take a few showers here and there! But it's wonderful and so far, only ONE meltdown! That's significant progress for me!

Let's see, after Easter weekend, we had the Spring Musical which starred my lovely and talented youngest child...

The Clay-Chalkville High School Theatre Department put on Honk! for their Spring Musical and Brooke was "Penny", the girl swan that Ugly rescued and then fell in love with.  She was great! She sang a solo and did all her lines beautifully. She was also a farm fowl in the chorus and a fish!  We were all extremely proud.

Then it was finals week for me as well as the final week before LIFE retreat. For extra fun, God decided to unleash some tornados, I had a clogged ear and Brooke was doing poorly in Geometry. So we've had arguments, late nights of no sleep, achiness and major anxiety.  Of course, part of it was the enemy and his feeble attempts at trying to keep me from serving as an intercessor at the LIFE retreat. It didn't work. Even though I felt terrible physically, all was well with my soul and I poured as much as I could into three straight hours of prayer and worship Friday night and six hours Saturday! I've never felt more drained but at the same time at peace because I had the blessing of witnessing others experience the same freedom I did last semester. Over 75 were saved and more baptized. Amazing!

As for Geometry, I spoke with her teacher and she thinks Brooke can pull it out. I sure hope so! And I finished all my classes for Spring semester. Grades have not officially been posted yet but I should have on B and two A's! I'm happy.

After the LIFE retreat was dance recital for the girls and it was Kayti's 15th and final one! We were so emotional. It has been so much fun watching her develop as a dancer and grow into the beautiful young woman she is. From time to time, it's been frustrating--curling hair, doing makeup, trying to get it paid for, making costume alterations, painting shoes, running back and forth from dressing rooms, etc. But as a mom, seeing her stand on stage and thank her wonderful teachers, accept her HUGE trophy and perform her solo I can say it was all worth it. I am so proud of her. I hope she continues to make dance a part of her life. Maybe she can teach it somewhere or just do zumba or something. But it's been a great outlet for her, especially in the last few years. I would hate for her to lose that.

Now we are ready for Brooke's voice recital, Divorce Care Leadership Training, graduation, the beach, and a sweet 16!  

Maybe I'll get a nap and a shower at some point!