Thankful Thursday

Psalm 31:24 – Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.

Today I am so thankful for our home, electricity and good weather. My prayers are with the families who are enduring the floods and weather challenges due to Hurricane Issac. I remember all to well the impact of past Hurricanes in that area and our own. I pray that the storm winds ease up and the rain cease so that help can be given.

On a personal note I am thankful the first week of school has gone pretty well. That the kids are handling the early mornings and after school activities. I am excited for this 3 day weekend as we get to spend some family time together. I am also thankful for today's half day of subbing. While I have a lot on my agenda this week I was so grateful the job became available on the first week of school. I am thankful to have two full days already scheduled for September.

I am thankful for the motivation I continue to have to eat right and exercise. It is not always easy to get my 30 minutes in on the treadmill. I am thankful for mornings like today when I realize it is truly the first thing I should do once everyone leaves the house for school/work. I hope you have a wonderful Labor Day weekend, remember to keep our economic crisis in your prayers as you celebrate with family and friends.

Walk it Off Wednesday

I am trying very hard to exercise, eat right and be fit. I have decided after reading a post from a fellow blogger, Misty, at CEOOFME that I would start trying to write about my adventure once a week. Thus, I am starting Walk it Off Wednesdays.

I have been using MyFitnessPal.Com for the past few months. I have done really good the last 30 days logging everything and trying to make better decisions. I will say it really makes me think about that Sonic Drink, the can of coke, the snacks I eat. It also makes me realize that I need to exercise daily. 

At first I didn't realize that I needed to eat a little more if I am exercising and that was why I was not pulling the last few pounds off. I didn't get that I needed to replenish the calories I am burning. However, that being said I need to make smart choices. 

So it will be a long journey, one that I hope will just be a life change. I really want to be healthy so that I am here for a very long time to enjoy the lives of my children, grandchildren etc.  

This weeks challenge - carb dinners. My children need the carbs for track/cross country. I on the other hand don't. I am trying to come up with some healthy alternatives to what they eat. For example not having the tortilla when they have a burrito, that cost me 210 calories for dinner Monday night. 

 

Tackle it Tuesday

Sometimes in life we have to make hard decisions. Mekenzei has had Stout for a very long time and it seems that he just will not let the chickens be. He had killed two of her favorite birds. It was time to make a decision, and hers was to let him go. This was them saying goodbye. I had tears in my eyes..so did she. Monday night she cried herself to sleep, which took a very long time.

This is one of the hens from the little chickens she got. I could not believe she was given 2 sets of these little guys.

This was the way that she tried to deal with her loss, a picture partially done of her favorite chicken.

A family nearby contacted me and let me know that she had some hens for Kenzei. Her happiness returned. Later in the evening we went back and they gave us four more hens. SO now she has some cute little chickens- 2 sets, and 4 brand new hens. For now until we know if another dog/cat etc are causing problems they are all being caged. Just the roosters are in the open.

First Day of School

First Day back to school. They went to bed on time, got up early without complaint. Adjusted well to making lunches and eating breakfast at home- typically we get free lunch and breakfast at school, I am hoping we can get that sorted out. Then they indulged me for a picture or two before they headed off to load the bus. One a junior in high school, the other two are 8th graders this year. My daughter doesn't even know her schedule yet since we had to make adjustments last week. I am praying she gets great teachers. I have a menu made for dinner this week. I have beds made, the house fairly clean and all this started at 5 am. Now I am off to do my devotion with a house in order, get some exercise time in and then work on a quilt for a child who's father passed away this year, he was in the military, had cancer and was only 40 years old. Please pray for this family, for the wife who has lost her spouse way to early, for the children who lost their dad and will go through life missing so much, for the parents who lost their son and for me as I try to piece some shirts together and create a quilt of memories for all of them. Have a wonderful Monday.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday 

Burrito Supreme

Tuesday 

Fish, Mac N Cheese, Scalloped Potatoes, Cream Style Corn, Green Beans 

Wednesday

 Spaghetti, Garlic Bread and Green Beans 

Thursday 

Soup and Grilled Cheese

 Friday through Sunday- Camping Foods

 

WordFilled Wednesday

Our family has been deeply blessed from our friendship with a family that I have only met online. We have never gotten together, we live in separate states. We have a relationship through the same basic love of Christ. We have the same principles for our children and our marriage. I truly love being able to provide warm quilts for their children so that winters are more manageable. We once bartered a quilt for soap. That soap is still something I am using. I still have a CONTAINER full of it. It reminds me of Jesus with the fish, it just keeps going and going..I hope she will entrust her daughters quilt with me also.

Matthew 6:19-21
19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Proverbs 22:9
  A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.

Luke 6:35
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Luke 6:38
"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Tackle it Tuesday

I have been so honored to make quilts for my friends children. She is such an inspiration to me on how to be a Proverbs 31 woman. This quilt is for one of her son's.

I wrote and told her I had a mint green flannel that was just sitting, being that is a quilt for a teenage boy I was a little worried, but she said it was just fine.

I don't know what it is about this shirt but it was my favorite one. Therefore, I had to get a picture of it alone. One thing really cool about this quilt is it has two of the same tshirts in the other quilts I have done for her boys.