Still sick with the sickies...

Elisabeth has complained of a headache every time I saw her today. After school we went somewhere and she fell asleep in the van. She's been asleep since we've been home now too! I'm feeling like crud and want to curl up and sleep until we're all better. Work was okay, but I felt like I was walking around like a zombie or something.

Wow, I actually can't think of anything good to talk about, so I'm going to stop now! (I know, shut up, I don't need your smartaleck comments about how I usually ramble....going now.....really, I am!)

Would everyone just get healthy already?

I missed the preview service yesterday, and now I'm home AGAIN from work! I can't believe this little virus is such a pain! Elisabeth still had a fever this morning, and woke up with a headache and saying her neck was hurting. She fell asleep around 9 a.m. and didn't wake back up until after 12:30 p.m.!!! Yikes! I really need to go back to work tomorrow, I'm out of sick time now. Jerry just called awhile ago and asked if this cold/virus thing starts with a mega sinus headache----yes, hon, it does!!! So basically we've all got it. Nick's had it longest and he's still coughing quite a bit.

On the weight-loss note...I did really well yesterday, and kept my calorie intake under 1500 again, and had plenty of water to drink. Now if I could just get myself to exercise regularly!!!

Well, That Wasn't So Bad

I survived day one of my healthy eating and stayed near my goal of 1500 calories. I didn't drink enough water, but I'm working on a fourth bottle right now. I didn't get any exercise in because I ended up with a fever and aches, along with a sore throat and cruddy coughing. This is going to be difficult I'm sure, but I know I can do this! :) I found a devo for dieters (see my sidebar), and figure I'll add it to my reading...I was looking at the archives and a couple of days ago it had a great statement... "Once we decide something is wrong, (being overweight, for exam-ple), then doing that thing is sinful. Some may say, 'Well, the Bible doesn't say obesity is a sin.' The Bible does tell us that anything we do that makes us less than God created us to be is a sin. To be pure in heart means to try to do everything we know we ought to do."

On another note.....SOCCER.....Nick's team lost their first game today with a score of O-1. They'll probably be knocked to 3rd place, depending on the outcome of other games. But hey, he's actually had a winning season compared to previous years, so he's okay with it. Elisabeth didn't play today because she was still running a fever this morning and took 2 naps today. But, Jerry went to help coach the team and said they did really well, they won 3-1! :)

And on yet another subject, tomorrow is preview service #2 at Grace. I'm praying that I will be feeling fine in the morning. I'm helping with the Children's ministry for awhile, until it gets going and more people get involved. I'm just so excited that God has presented us with this opportunity and that He's not through with us when it comes to working with youth. I so miss doing that on a regular basis, but it's coming very soon. We already have one youth who is a junior who is very committed and her mom told me she's excited to start working with Jerry in helping to build the youth group! (This is actually a girl who visited our old youth group with a friend about 3 years ago, how weird is that? She was already going to church with her parents elsewhere, but just visited with her friend. Her mom is actually in charge of the Children's Ministry at the moment.) Anyway, it's neat how God brought us back to the Tampa area, gave us our jobs back, led us to work with Grace Community, and is now giving us the opportunity to be back in ministry. Our desire was to stay in this area, we felt we were obeying God when we left for the East side of the state, and were devastated but at peace with how we ended up coming back over here. There was a reason, but with our finite vision of "the here and now" it's hard to see what possible blessings and purpose our hardships can have. I know things won't be easy, but I am finally content with our situation again. (My bad, I haven't totally learned to be content in "whatsoever state I'm in"...but I'm working on it.)

I'm Definitely Not Anorexic!!!

I went in to work today to pick up my paycheck (after skipping out all week LOL) and decided I'd better weigh myself for the weight-loss challenge, since I missed it Wednesday. Yeah, uhhhhhhhh, yeah! I think I have gained 10 pounds since last year's weight-loss challenge at work, that's so NOT how it's supposed to work! But then again, I'm a stress eater and there's been lots of stress......thus lots of eating. Oh well. Anyway, so tomorrow I am starting on the big weightloss adventure. I'm sure this will not be easy, but it MUST be done. I think we'll be joining the Y within the next few weeks, once everything settles down a little bit. I used to go 4-5 times a week, and of course I weighed about 30 pounds less than now too. So yeah, I'm thinking that needs to be a priority soon. Until then, I've got a couple of videos and we have a nice flat neighborhood to go walking/jogging. So my goal between now and April 5th is to lose either the most pounds or the highest percentage of weight, there's cash at stake!

To get there, I am going to make weekly goals. There are ten weeks total, so my goal is to lose about 3 pounds a week, if not more. I know, I know quick weight loss isn't good, but I want to win this so badly I can taste it!!! I'm going to eat healthy, and exercise my butt off (literally, I hope). I'm thinking "Biggest Loser"! LOL My week #1 goal is to drink water or sugar free drinks only, and cut out on snacking unless I'm hungry, along with greasy and sweet foods. I also want to exercise 6 days a week. This first week is actually shorter than it should be by 3 days, so I'm already behind and will only be able to exercise 4 days (since this challenge is going from Wednesday to Wednesday).

Okay, so I said it.....now I'm gonna do it! I want to be in my size 10 jeans and shorts by summer, and maybe even the size 8 shorts I bought at the Gap 3 years ago and have never worn!

Me is Purty Smart!!!

But what I don't get is how I can be "below average" in logic? WTH? Oh well, I'd still be put in Gifted if I were in school, so I didn't get stupider.... LOL

Your IQ Is 135

Your Logical Intelligence is Below Average Your Verbal Intelligence is Genius Your Mathematical Intelligence is Genius Your General Knowledge is Exceptional

A Quick and Dirty IQ Test

Sorry, I had to change the colors in the table!!! I'm such a perfectionist, it's pathetic, isn't it? Yeah, that's me honestly... a perfectionist, who doesn't bother doing something if it can't be done perfectly! So then I procrastinate instead. Yup!

Crazy Week...

It all started with the soccer games on Saturday (doesn't everything seem to do that lately?)... Nick woke up cranky, fell back asleep on the sofa, and I woke him up to go to the soccer games and he was HOT!!! 102 temp. He didn't want to play because his head hurt and he was dizzy. I gave him some Tylenol and he went back to sleep while Jerry and Elisabeth left for her game (with him coaching it). About 15 minutes before his game, I woke him back up and he wasn't feverish, didn't have a headache and he wasn't dizzy. He asked if he could go, let his coaches know he might not feel well, and try to play anyway. Of course, with me being the competitive mom that I am, and this being a big game (a team we were tied for 1st place with), well how could I say no?!?!?!? So I took him to the fields, and he played awesome and almost scored two goals!!! (It ended in a tie game, unfortunately.) He felt fine for the rest of the afternoon and evening, so I chalked it up to some unknown phenomenon and that was that. ....or so I thought! Sunday he had a headache again, and a temp againg too. We ended up staying home, and even missing a get-together with people from our new church. He ended up staying home from school through Wednesday, and a trip to the doctor's office revealed that it was not a sinus infection but some virus that would have to be waited out.

Now, when the kids stay home from school, I'm usually the one to stay home too...so I missed 3 days of work, and a new long-term sub was starting and could've probably REALLY used my help to get organized and all. But what can you do, right?

Then yesterday evening, as we were waiting for Jerry to pick Elisabeth up to go to soccer pratice (See? There is is again!), I put Little Mermaid on for her to watch. She came in and asked me to turn it off because her head was hurting..... Yup, you guessed it, now she's got it! Her temperature was 101 at that time. So she stayed home and Jerry went on to practice, since he's the assistant coach and all. This morning she woke up at 6 a.m. (such an ungodly hour of the day) and her head was hurting and she was restless, and she was burning up. I gave her some Tylenol and she never did go back to sleep, but she felt much better once it kicked in. We stayed home from school today and she's been watching movies and coloring pictures. (I've been wasting time changing my blog and myspace. LOL) I'm figuring that I'll probably end up staying home again tomorrow, and that will make a whole week off work for me, and will take us back to Saturday and soccer!!!

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On a side note, and an awesome thing to report too....as soon as the T's are crossed and the I's are dotted, Jerry will offically be on staff part-time at our new church, a brand new church plant in our town!!! We have the second preview service this coming Sunday. God is good!!!

More Soccer Talk...

Elisabeth has been one tough little cookie lately! Last Saturday she collided with another player and had a horrendous bloody nose....she ended up going back into the game a little later, but it was tender and slightly bruised for a few days. Then, at practice Wednesday evening, she and a different teammate (luckily) collided, and she ended up with the big fat lip you see pictured here. She went back to practicing once the blood cleared. What a trooper! But you've got to admit, she's cute even with a fat lip! hehe

Then, soccer today....Elisabeth's team lost 4-1, so they're solidly at 3rd place in the league. Nick woke up, was grumpy and said he had a headache and went back to sleep after I gave him some Advil. When I woke him up to get ready to leave for the soccer fields, he was really hot, so I took his temp and it was 102. He opted to stay home, so Jerry took Elisabeth to her game. A little later, I woke him up to see how he was feeling, and he wanted to play in his game, and said the dizziness and headache were gone. He no longer felt feverish either. So I took him, he almost scored two goals, and they ended in a tie game....their team's still tied for first in their league. We've been home since the game, he feels fine and no fever! Go figure! (Me thinks it must be sinus/allergy related.)

Life's been busy and I've been fighting a week-long migraine, so the blog wasn't on the priority list, sorry! BTW, we do have another vehicle too. "sigh" Now to get the van to keep from dying until we can get it looked at. (Transmission leak, it does fine as long as we add more fluid! LOL)

Soccer Wroks and Football Sucks...

I just have to brag on my kids a bit (and I'll scan their soccer pics later this week, no scanner at home)....

Nick's on a team, the Mutiny, with the same pair of coaches he had two years ago, and they're currently in first place in their division. (Two years ago, they came in last or next to last!) He's learned a lot from these coaches and is having a really good season. And of course he's happy to be on a winning team for a change, since the team he was on last year tied for last or something like that too!

Elisabeth is just making me so proud every week she plays a game! Two years ago she played on a U4 team, and to get her to participate in the games I had to get out on the field with her. So frustrating. Last year we didn't have her play, but she was not happy about that after sitting through Nick's games every week. So we decided to give it a try again this year. She hasn't fussed about anything, and she gets out there and does a pretty good job. She needs to be a little more aggressive, and have a stronger kick, but I'm so proud of her. She got out there today and played defense, and I have to say she did a pretty darn good job at keeping the ball away from the goal!

Now about football....all I have to say is that the Bucs are a pretty young team, we'll be back in the mix of things next year, so watch out!!!

Good Things Come In Threes, Right?

Well yesterday I checked the mail and there was #1--a refund check for $20 that was unexpected, and #2--a $25 gift card to Steve and Barry's, which I won in the daily drawing (entered on 12/23). So I'm going to have to say that #3 also happened, just today. We got a second vehicle, a "new to us" Mercury Sable. I'm really picky, so I wasn't being overly positive about it earlier today (sorry Jerry!), but I am glad we were able to get it. (I had higher hopes of a newer car, but we're trying to stay on a better budget.) It seems like it will be a good car for us for awhile, and Jerry's just ecstatic that it has A/C and a working stereo! (Unlike the nasty van)

So yeah, there! Something positive to say for a change!!! (Even though I was being negative earlier because getting a car is a stressful process.)

God is good.

My Heart Breaks...

for my former home state.

West Virginia

We were up last night watching the news following the Orange Bowl when the news that 12 miners were found and alive. Jerry and I had been thinking and praying for them all day long and were so glad to hear the news. Then, 3 hours later, a news update came up saying that all but one. No, it's not the "miracle" that Governor Joe Manchin was hoping for, but it's still a miracle.

I feel so badly for those families, having heard confirmation that their loved ones were alive, and then having to deal with the devastation of the reality of their deaths. I would be angry too!

I heard somewhere that people were mad at the Governor for agreeing with the announcement that was made, but he was only going by the reports he'd heard also. He seems like a pretty good guy, and having gone through it with his uncle dying in a mining disaster, I'm sure he would never have announced that had he thought it not true. (Side note---I had the privelege of meeting Governor Manchin at a West Virginia Power baseball game in July when we were on a mission trip with our former youth group. He and his wife were very friendly.)

So now, my thoughts and prayers are with the families involved in this tragedy, and Randal McCloy, Jr. to have a full recovery from this ordeal. Praying for West Virginia!!!

Hmmmm....

Okay, I've read two different blog posts today that made me think about this, and the last one really makes sense. The first blog was a friend's and she's been pretty good at challenging me the past year---just from reading her blog posts, and the second blog (which I just happened upon today) was what just pushed me over the top. I have decided to read James the way Amber describes in her post, and see what happens, and it's because of the insight I gathered from Faithchick.

This past year, I've been so very negative, and what do I expect from such an attitude? "We ought to only speak blessing and truth. As we do, those very things begin to reign in our hearts and minds. For example, do you get down on yourself? Prophesy failure over yourself. I'm no good. No one likes me. I'm a failure. I'm never gonna or I always.... Then you're mad or surprised or disappointed when things go exactly as you predicted them." Yep, that would describe me pretty well, dontcha think? I haven't been all negative, but overall, I've had a really hard time being positive amidst all of the negative things that have happened to our family. I keep rehashing "what went wrong" over all of the situations, and I need to look forward and..."declare, 'Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is established in heaven.' He will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory."

I need to claim my favorite verse MUCH more often too, and quit being so negative..."For I know the plans I have for you,...plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord. --Jeremiah 29:11-14a

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And, on a different note......for today, and today only, our home is not in need of any repairmen to come and do something!!! I just wanted to make a note of it, so I could come back to this moment and reflect if need be! The A/C guy came and fixed the A/C*furnace unit, the plumber guy came and fixed a major leak under the kids' bathroom (from the hot water line.......niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice!). So yeah, now that we have good water (water treatment systemS--yes, two of them--were installed last week) and everything else seems to be doing okay, maybe I can have some peace for the rest of my Winter Break!!! Tree needs to come down today, and then I want to do some sewing later this week.

Now, if we could just get another vehicle, things MIGHT (err....I mean...WILL...) be good for awhile!!! (Pray about that one for us, okay?!?!?!?!?!?) (Oh yeah, speaking positively..."We ought to only speak blessing and truth."...we will be blessed with a second vehicle very soon!!!)