Fall 2012

Yeah, the title says it all....I'm so far behind that I have to do a post over an entire season! Aye, aye, aye....what can I say...I am one busy WORKING girl these days! I'm just sub nursing for the school district, but boy does it keep me busy! I'm not complaining...it's exactly what I need right now, & I do love it. But, I'm making the most of this OFF day!!

Where to begin?? How about the big cross country season finale?? Yes, the season has already come & gone. A part of me is glad to have our Saturday mornings back, but I sure do love to see Payton run & love to cheer on our team. We're so happy that she fell in love with running & truly hope it's something she'll stick with for a long time. Look at this smile -

We've also been spending time with friends

Then, there was the corn maze with Payton's church group. This is the 7th grade Springdale girls. I have the privilege of being a parent leader for this group & enjoy every minute of it! I'm so excited to see these girls grow in Christ & to be able to shepherd them along the way. Makes my heart smile :)

Halloween!! Just when you think your kids have outgrown costumes & trick-or-treating, think again! Hey, I don't blame them. I'd put on silly clothes & go door to door anyday for a bag of chocolate...
Payton went with her buddy, Peyton, & her dad, Vance. These 2, along with Bridget, make an awesomely fun family! Just ask Payton. She practically lives over there these days!

And, Holland went with a group of buddies, but this is the only pic & have & I had to steal it off of her phone! Guess they had better things to do than take pictures....

So, a few weeks ago, H & E came up with a plan to have a bonfire. They set the date, invited all of their friends, & advised us parents as to what was going to take place. I'm still not sure if we're all really cool parents, or just push-overs.... Anyway, we made it happen, & it was a blast! There was Chick-fil-a, hot dogs, cookies, smores....all the good stuff! And, there was football watching, trampoline jumping, hide & seeking, marshmallow roasting, & a whole lot of gathering around the fire. It was a lot of work, but our girls are totally worth it, & we'd do just about anything for them (obviously) :)

Elkins meet

Saturday #2 of getting up early to go run...I must say, I've been very impressed with Payton's enthusiasm when it comes to these meets. She definitely gets up with her game face on! This weekend's meet was in Elkins - a little bit of a drive, but the weather could not have been more perfect, and the course was short - BONUS! Actually, not that much shorter than 2 miles, and it had sort of crazy terrain, so we were all very pumped when Payton came in with a time of 15:47!! An entire minute faster than last week!

Kind of hard to tell, but she's in front of the girl in red -

Celebratory muffin after the race :)

And, this gives you some idea of how intense these things are! So proud of the Central boys AND girls - FIRST place for both at this meet! YAY!!

Run like the wind!!

How happy am I to have another runner in the family?? Extremely!! Payton decided that she wanted to run cross country this year for Central Jr. High, so we discussed it, talked about how much time and effort she would have to commit, and let her make up her mind if it really was for her or not. She decided that it was, and gave up many summer mornings of sleeping in to train with the team and see just how strong of a runner she could be. We've been impressed with and proud of her dedication and the progress that she's making every time she gets out there! This past Saturday was the first official meet at Shiloh. This girl ran 2 miles in 16:49! Now that's awesome!!

Just look at the pride on this face :)

Payton & her buddies, Jack & Olivia

This Saturday we're headed to Elkins. So excited!! More pics to follow :)

Back to school 2012

Unbelieveable that we have a 7th & an 8th grader this year. Time just keeps marching on, and they just keep getting bigger and prettier everyday :) First day of school pics -

I was sooo anxious to pick them up and hear how their first day went, and everyone had great things to say (except for the part where Payton had to eat lunch with whoever was beside her in line-crazies, according to her- and, Holland's lunch got changed at the last minute, she couldn't find a place to sit in the cafeteria, and only had one Reese's cup for lunch. We made up for that with an after school Sonic run....)!! I've got a feeling this is going to be a GREAT year!! I'm praying for good things to happen to and through these awesome girls!

Body Overhaul: Day Whatever

I've officially thrown in the towel. Bottom line is: food makes me happy. Sweet tea & chocolate, in particular. And, I've confirmed what I already knew - I'm a creature of habit and love routines. I just want to go for a run or to spin class in the morning, go by McDonald's and get my tea for the day, come home and have yogurt, berries & granola, eat a light lunch, then enjoy carbs and bread and dessert with my family. Is that so bad??? Yes, I'm a failure, but I'm past the denial stage and into the acceptance stage where I am quite content :) Lesson learned: don't spend money on anything that takes me out of my comfort zone. Sincerely - the girl with OCD.

Body Overhaul: Day 8

Well here we are....one week into it....and, still kickin'! I won't lie and say it's been easy, but it's definitely getting better as far as the sugar/bread/pasta cravings go. We were discussing it last night, and said that if we don't get anything else out of this, we'll at least be switching to whole wheat breads and pastas. I was dreading even trying the whole wheat, brown spaghetti with the sauce made of only tomatoes, garlic, and onion, but it's a change I think we can definitely make! Yesterday I was craving a burger something terrible, so I made turkey burgers on whole wheat buns with tomato, avocado, and grilled onions. The bread is softer and just as flavorful. Who knew??!! I've really had to draw from my creative side (didn't know I had one) to come up with meals that aren't bland and boring. Saturday night we had "turkey bowls" - turkey breast, brown rice, squash, onions and mushrooms. It's been interesting to say the least, but a part of me CANNOT wait until I can have REAL italian, mexican, and bbq again. As far as the cheating goes....I've been eating bananas, which are forbidden, but sometimes you've gotta buck the system :) I also had one bite of Holland's snowcone the other night. Oh.so.good.

We ran errands with the girls on Saturday, and they wanted to stop for lunch, so we went to Marketplace knowing that they had good salads. Scott had the grilled chicken (with cheese and croutons), and I had the chicken berry (with the most heavenly bacon ever). Yes, we cheated. And, the world didn't end :)

Today is day 8, and the first of 3 days of the dreaded fiber drink :( BUT, starting on day 11, we get to add back in beef and potatoes! WOOT WOOT!! I already bought the ribeyes. It's gonna be a par-tay!!

Body Overhaul: Day 3

I'll have to say that yesterday, day 2, was not an easy one. I would've done just about anything for some CHOCOLATE!! I'll be the first to admit that I'm addicted. It can be something as small as a "fun size" candybar, but I've gotta have it! I made due with my apple and almond butter (surprisingly good, by the way) and pretended it was just as good :( Supper was tilapia from the new Fresh Market, with rice and mushrooms. Again, wishing that I had chocolate, I settled for watermelon thinking this has gotta get easier....

Today was day 3 of the (gag) fiber drink, BUT I have discovered that adding it to fruit juice instead of water makes a world of difference! So, I choked that down for breakfast. Then came lunch.....
Chick-Fil-A has made quite the stir these days as the president of the company is openly speaking out against gay marriage. This prompted Mike Huckabee to declare today CFA Appreciation Day, calling all christians to show their support by eating there. We never need a REASON to eat CFA, so you give us one, and you better believe we'll be there! Being that we live in the Bible Belt, we knew that people would come out of the woodwork for this event, and we were right!

It really was an awesome sight to see, and I'm glad we were privileged to be a part of it. Now, you may be wondering...what exactly did you eat at a place known for their deep-fried goodness?? Well, here you go -

I ate the chicken, lettuce, & tomato off of a grilled chicken sandwich and a fruit cup. Have to say, it would never be my first choice, but today, it was perfect :) And, I knew I had this to look forward to for supper -

We sure do love us some sushi! This was also from the Fresh Market (LOVE this new place) and it did not dissapoint. Yes, the cream cheese was cheating, but the roll was just too pretty to mess up. And, dessert was more fruit. Now, if I can just get these sugar cravings to go away, my life will be soooo much easier!