Crafting

For Christmas this year I decided to get my creative juices flowing and CREATE! My first plan of action was to browse Pinterest for ideas, and boy did I find ideas. I like gathering ideas and then creating my own version of that idea. Often I have a vision in my head of how I want something to turn out, and very rarely does it turn out the way I thought, BUT...I am typically happy with the end result. Here are some of the gifts I made.

Post It Note Holders

Scrapbook Wooden Letters for some of our nieces and nephews

Grandkid Picture/Art holder for our parents

This is one of those things where I had a vision, and it turned out differently,

but I was pleased with the end result. Aaron helped me with the chalkboard paint.

I enjoy crafting, and I enjoyed making these gifts!

Operation Christmas Child

For those who don't know, Operation Christmas Child is an organization that ships shoe boxes full of toys, goodies and the gospel to children (ages 2-14) all around the globe. What a joy it was this year to take Jason along to fill a shoebox for a 2-4 year old little boy. I know he won't remember doing it this year (thus the picture), but I do hope to continue to do this with him throughout the years. I pray it will instill in his little heart the desire to give cheerfully and generously.

The Lord has richly blessed my little family this year! We have received blessing after blessing and we praise the Lord for His goodness to us. It is our desire and prayer that we will generously use our time and resources to bring glory to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Dallas Turkey Trot

Keep in mind that this hideous picture was taken at 6 am.
I was going for functional, not cute!

It sure has been awhile since I blogged last. Must have been all the running I was doing to prepare for my 5k. ;) Or...maybe it was just that I have been busy with other things and this blog isn't high on my priority list. Whatever the case, I am back to tell all of my faithful readers about my very first race.

With God's help I successfully completed my first race ever on Thanksgiving day. I ran the 5k portion of the Dallas Turkey Trot. I am happy to tell you all that I actually ran the whole thing. It wasn't really FAST running (mostly because I don't run fast but also because there were 40,000 people there). I finished the race in 34 minutes, and since my goal was 45 minutes, I was thrilled with my time!

The race started at 9 am, and I didn't get across the start line until 9:46. The first 8 mile runners had crossed the finish line before I even started! That wasn't frustrating at all -insert sarcasm-!! But once I crossed the starting line, I was able to weave in and out pretty well. I did manage to run into a parking meter, talk about ouch!! The biggest bummer of all was approaching the finish line and seeing people stop, and having to push through to finish. I know it was due to the thousands of people there, but still, I wanted to finish strong. I almost cried when I finished because I still couldn't believe that I had actually ran a whole 3.1 miles!! God gave me the strength and endurance and I am thankful to Him.

After crossing the finish, I ran over to the 8 mile finish line and watched my oldest sister and her husband finish. I got there just in time to see them finish (they ran the 8 mile and were able to start closer to the front.)

It was a cold and foggy morning in Dallas! It was a great temperature for running! All in all it was a fun time. I am not sure I would run in that particular race again, but I will if the Lord permits, be running more races in the future. Thank-you to all of you who prayed for me and encouraged me as I prepared for and ran the race.

C25K

6 weeks ago I downloaded the C25K (couch to 5K) app onto my phone and began my running journey. I spent 2 weeks on week 1, so I am currently on week 5. The goal is to get someone (like me) from couch potato to running a 5K in 9 weeks. I know several people who have used the C25K program to get started with running/get into shape. I do not have a strong desire to be a runner, but I do have a strong desire to get into shape.

At first I told no one (except Aaron of course) that I was going to do this. I kept it to myself because I didn't want to be embarrassed if I failed. As I got into a routine, I decided it would be great to have some friends praying for me, praying that I would be able to accomplish this challenge. I also decided that I should participate in a race at the end of the 9 weeks that would give me something to work towards.

Here is the truth on how this C25K is going for me. It is HARD!! I am ridiculously out of shape!! But the good news is, I AM DOING IT!! I am putting on my shoes, getting my keister out the door, and I am accomplishing the run for the day. My running is really jogging, and I am 100% positive I look crazy while running! I am struggling through my current week, trying to get to the 5 minute mark and failing. I am getting back out there and trying again!! I am discouraged that I have barely lost any weight, but encouraged that I am feeling great and that my body is getting in better shape (though it still looks out of shape). How am I doing this?? I am relying on the Lord. I am getting my strength and courage from Him. I am singing praises to Him while I run!! "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

So that race I mentioned above...it just so happens that I will complete the C25K the week of Thanksgiving, so what better race to run than the Turkey Trot. YES!! I am going to run the 5K at the Dallas Turkey Trot. I love the name Turkey Trot as I will probably be trotting along. I will be there, for better or worse. I may be the last to cross the finish line, I may not be able to run the whole thing, but I am going to give it my best effort with the Lord's help! The cool thing about the Turkey Trot is my sister and brother-in-law will be running as well, and quite possibly some others of my siblings.

I plan to continue running even after I finish the C25K, to keep in shape, to continue in my weight loss journey, and to stay in a groove.

God is good! He is my strength and my help! To God be the glory!!

Dinner Disaster

We had some excitement at our house last night and let me just tell you, it wasn't good excitement. Jason didn't take off walking or anything like that. I was heating up some olive oil in a frying pan so I could cook some pork. It started to get really smoky, but I just turned on the vent fan and continued to let it heat up. Aaron commented that he thought something was wrong, and I had never seen oil smoke like this before, but I kept right on with what I was doing. I was starting to dump the chunks of pork in the pan when the pan when the oil in the pan went up in flames. It looked like a Pei Wei grill on our stove. I was so grateful that Aaron was home!! I am terrified of open flames like that, and had he not been home, I'm not sure what I would have done. We probably didn't do the right thing in the way we put the fire out, and Aaron could have been hurt pretty badly, but we praise God as our Protector, that He kept us and our home (and our neighbors home) safe from the flames. The pan was destroyed, the house reeked (and is still not smelling the greatest) of smoke and burnt oil, and the smoke alarms were going off for a good while. I took Jason outside to get him out of the smoke and away from the noise, and to calm myself down. After putting out the flames Aaron went right back to watching the Rangers game like nothing major had just happened.

There is a silver lining at the end of this story. Only one piece of pork (that one piece was char-broiled in just seconds) made it into the pan, so I was able to cook the rest of the pork for dinner. I made rice, broccoli and a sweet and sour sauce, and it was delicious. As for what went wrong??? I really am not sure. I cook with oil often and this has NEVER happened. Maybe it became too hot before I put the pork in the pan?? Regardless, I NEVER want that to happen again!! I am purchasing a fire extinguisher today for our kitchen!

Fall Fun

Our Sunday School class had a fellowship at the Express Clydesdale Barn. The barn is BEAUTIFUL!!...and the Clydesdale's are absolutely GORGEOUS!! They are HUGE!! We are new to this ss class, and we had such a great time getting to know everyone better. Josh, our ss teacher, is the general manager of the Express Clydesdale's.

Here is Jason petting one of the Clydesdale's, Ace. Jason showed no fear petting the horses.

We took a ride in the stage coach...lots of fun! Prince William & Princess Kate rode on this stage coach this past summer.

So we took a ride in/not on (I was too afraid I'd fall if I tried to climb on top) the stage coach.

Jason and I in front of the barn

We had fun!!

Channeling My Inner Girliness

While shopping a few weeks ago I came across a majorly huge (for me) and super girly girl purse...here's the clincher...I LIKED IT!! I am the girl with 3 purses to my name, all of them are rather small, they are tan and/or brown, and very rarely would you actually see me carry them. So what was my deal??? I was suddenly in love with a pink purse with a huge flower on the front of it and zebra print on the straps and on the flower. I couldn't believe I was liking the purse. This purse was $34.99 and I have never paid more than $10.00 for any of my purses, just the fact that I considered purchasing it was so not me.

I came home and told Aaron all about it. I told him he would be shocked if he saw me carry this purse. He just looked at me and said "you have more girly girl in you than you think you do, and I think you just need to let it out." He told me if I liked the purse I should buy it, and then he went so far as to bring me to the store to purchase it. I was still hung up on the price tag, listing all the things I could get for that price that would be much more beneficial than a purse, and he just kept telling me to get it. We get inside the store and guess what folks???...the purse was GONE!!! Tragedy (not really)!! SOLD OUT!! NO MORE!

I could have driven to another of that stores locations, but I decided to look elsewhere for a girly purse that would be cheaper yet still allow me to access my inner girliness. I found this very pink purse that I love, and I carry it proudly with me wherever I go whether I need it or not.

I've noticed over the last couple years my earrings have gotten much more dangly, and I did just wear this really pretty necklace that was given to me awhile back that I thought was "too girly" for me. I have always enjoyed things like getting my hair done, or getting a pedicure, and I do wear girl clothes (duh), but just lately I have been taking my girliness to another level. Adding a touch of fru-fru here and there (NO LACE!!). Pink purses, dangly earrings, make-up even at home, actually enjoying shopping...who knows where else this will lead.

Maybe this stems from having 2 males in the house. I want to make sure I remain feminine. Maybe it stems from the fact that I am getting OLD!! Hmmm...whatever it is, I am enjoying it.

Baby Food

I have been pureeing my little heart out the last two days and boy howdy it feels great to be done for awhile. I don't really mind doing it, but it can be messy and it is time consuming. The money saved is worth it all.

Keeping up with Jason

My little Jason is sure making tracks these days. He has the army crawl down to perfection. He will occasionally get up on his hands and knees, but he doesn't really have that concept down yet. He is into everything and "exploring" everything. He has plenty of toys, but he would rather get into all the things he shouldn't. For instance, our guitars...he is always going over to them and looking at them like "I know I am not supposed to touch these, but I am going to give it a try anyhow just to see if I will get a spank." It is cute, sad (to see his little sin nature coming out), naughty, but cute, wearing on mama, but oh so cute to see his little hands reach out and lightly touch the guitars. Then we say no and his hand pulls back. Then he reaches out again and goes in for a bang. Then we get up and give him a spank. Then he reaches out AGAIN and takes another swipe. Usually after the second spank he will turn around and head to something else. I am thankful I have him to chase around the house, but he sure wears me out! It is hard to believe that 7 1/2 short months ago we would lay him down and he wouldn't budge. Everyone tells you to cherish each moment because the time flies, and I believed them, but I didn't really realize how fast time flies until I experienced it for myself. I am cherishing EVERY moment (even the naughty ones)!! I am thankful that God has given me this sweet boy to raise for His glory, and I pray daily that I will be faithful in this task. I am blessed!

Heading to find trouble!

Just look at those sweet blue eyes!

In other news (of the Jason sort of course), he has his second tooth as of yesterday morning. Now he has his front two bottom teeth. Those are sharp little buggers!

Ahhh!!!

Vacation!!! I LOVE vacation! We just returned from a busy, too fast, but very fun 10 day trip to Michigan and Ohio. We enjoyed every minute, including all the travelling. It was a 15-16 hour trip to Michigan, another 8 hours to Ohio, and then another 18 hours from Ohio to Oklahoma. This doesn't include all the driving back and forth while there. Jason was such a good traveller again, he only cried the last half hour of our trek home.

While in Michigan we stayed at our camper on Fremont Lake. We enjoyed walks, ice cream dates, a swim in the lake, some movies, and a couple games of Mexican Train.

Some of the highlights of our trip:

Getting to spend time with my two favorite guys! I love road trips with Aaron because we have so much time to just talk.




Getting to meet our two new nieces, Meredith & Naomi. They were so sweet! Jason got to see all his cousins from my side of the family minus Noah.

Another highlight was spending time with my best friend, Andrea!

Some might tell you that eating these scrumptious bread sticks was the best part of my trip...the truth of the matter is, they ranked right up there. Of course seeing my family and friends was the BEST part!!! Back to the bread sticks...we had them twice while in MI., and they were everything I remembered them to be and more. :)

MOVING ON...




We went to Lake Michigan one day with family. It turned out to be a red flag day (the undertow was bad) due to the high winds and waves. We were all covered in sand in a matter of minutes, and we were there only two hours before we called it quits. It was miserable (especially for the moms and babies), and we brought home enough sand to make a beach in the bathroom. Aaron did get to play with the kids in the water for a bit, so it wasn't a total bust. Jason loved the sand. He was crawling (army style) all over the place. Speaking of beaches, he probably created one in his tummy with all the sand he ate.

My friend Laura and her family were in MI while we were there and they came up one afternoon to the camper for a visit. It was fun to see her again and to meet her daughter Hailey who is 4 days younger than Jason. They were cute to watch together.

We were able to visit with longtime family friends, the Johnson's minus Micheal (who didn't feel we were important enough to grace with his presence. ; )) We had dinner with them and my siblings and their families one evening.




Jason and I had breakfast with Stephanie and Nadia one morning. I hadn't seen Stephanie since our wedding. It was fun to catch up and to meet her daughter Nadia.

What is round on both ends and says HI in the middle?

OHIO!!

Sadly, this riddle played in my mind often while we were away.

We decided around the time that Jason was born that we were going to try to get to Ohio this summer for the Palmer family annual pig roast. We have wanted to get up there since we were married, but for one reason or another it hadn't worked out. We didn't tell anyone about our plan to avoid disappointment if it didn't work out. We were for sure going to MI to meet our new nieces, and since it was only an 8 hour drive from MI-OH we decided to plan the trips together. So, we surprised the entire Palmer clan, including all our immediate family. It was great to finally meet Aaron's extended family.

We stayed in a hotel while in Ohio and made the drive (it was a curvy, hilly, beautiful LONG drive) back and forth to where the family was. The pig roast was fun. There are no pictures on my camera of the pig, but I did get to see the dead pig in all of its nasty deadness before it was roasted. Before the trip I had seen on FB a friends picture of a pig being roasted. The head was still attached with apples stuck on for eyes, nose etc...and the pig was on a spit being roasted. So I had this lovely picture in my head upon arrival in Ohio. Well, it turns out the Palmer's have a more dignified (in my opinion) way of roasting the pig, and it didn't include the head or a spit. Don't get me wrong, it was still quite nasty, but it sure did smell good and taste great in the end

Here is one of my favorite pictures taken in the two days we were in Ohio. This is Aaron's Grandpa Palmer (Pap), Aaron's dad (Papa/Grandpap), Aaron (Papa to Jason) and of course the cute little man, Jason (we just call him all kinds of things, Jace, J-Ry, Jason Ryan, J-Dizzle, sweet boy, big boy, handsome, precious...he answers to all...:))

Top Chef and Knives

My brother-in-law recently lent me a season of Top Chef. I really enjoyed it, and more than that I learned a thing or two. One of the things you always see the chefs doing is sharpening their knives. Not just once a month, or even once a week, they sharpen them all the time. After a couple of episodes I was like, hmmmmm...I wonder what would happen if I sharpened my knives after 3 years of NEVER (yes, you heard me right, never!!!) sharpening my knives. To be perfectly honest with you, I've never even thought to sharpen them. What a novel idea to actually sharpen my knives. So, I have sharpened my knives!!! All of them!!! They cut so much better!!! I sharpen them before each use just like the chefs do (I at least pretend to be doing it the way the chefs do. :)).

Bubbles!!!

Jason and I went to the mall yesterday. While we were there we stopped by Gymboree to buy the BEST BUBBLES EVER! We use these bubbles at BSF which is where I learned about them. They are absolutely incredible and I am NOT exaggerating!! It only takes a little to make tons of bubbles that don't just pop the second they are blown. They last mid air for a long time and sometimes you find them an hour later sticking to the wall or carpet...! Great bubbles and great fun!! They are $6.50 at Gymboree, and I highly recommend them.


Jason enjoying the bubbles

The little things in life

I love me some fresh flowers!!! They add so much color and spunk to a room. Aaron surprised me with flowers and a sweet card Saturday night. I sure do love my husband!!!

Boo Bear

Right after Jason was born we were given a boo-boo bear (see picture below). I put the little ice cube pack in the freezer and the bear in the cubbard with no intention of needing it for a LONG time. 6 months later I find myself scrambling to the kitchen to retrieve the boo-boo bear in hopes of bringing comfort to Jason's "boo-boo" (which is NOT the word I use, almost anything is better than boo-boo in my opinion).

It broke my heart to hear him cry when he hurt himself! I always thought my initial reaction to my child being hurt would be panic (maybe in certain situations that will be my reaction), but the Lord gave me a great peace, and I was able to calmly deal with the situation at hand. Right after I calmed him down and was giving him snuggles, I began to cry. I realized that no matter how hard I try I can't keep him from getting hurt. I didn't have some crazy idea that my kid would never get hurt if I always kept close watch of him, I just didn't think it would happen at 6 months old. He's an active little boy and he is bound to encounter some scrapes and bruises along the way, and I am going to have to learn to deal with it.

FYI-He is just fine! :)

Hallmark from Home

For over a year now I have been making my own cards and I am thouroughly enjoying it. I love the creative aspect to it, but more than that, I love the money I save by making my own cards. Here are just a couple of the cards I've made.

Pops

Last weekend we visited a place called Pops on Route 66. We have lived here for over 2 years and just recently had learned about Pops. It was fun to go see, but it would have been more exciting if it hadn't been so busy/crowded. It was a Saturday afternoon, and there was a HUGE wait to eat at the diner, so we just walked around, bought some pop, took some pictures and left. We will go back another time (not a Saturday) and stay for lunch. We certainly enjoyed the family time!

Aaron and Jason in front of the huge Pops sign

The pops we chose to drink. I drank Vernors (a childhood
favorite) and Aaron chose Black Cherry

The windows were lined with Pop Bottles
of many flavors. It was pretty!

Redhawk Baseball

We bought tickets to 7 Redhawks games this season. The first 2 games we left early because it was FREEZING!! This last game was finally more like baseball weather (HOT), and we were able to enjoy the game not bundled up. We sit next to a father and son, and they are super friendly. We are so thankful not to be seated with a rowdy crowd.

Watching the fireworks after the game

The Redhawks lost, BAD!!

Ready to watch the game. I've been waiting
to take a picture like this for a long time!

Jason loved when everyone would clap and cheer.

He had quite a few fans of his own! :)

Sweet boy!