Stop.......breathe

What an amazing weekend and Holiday that blessed us.  We so missed Kori.   Kyle is back at UNLV, kids are back to school.  Tree is up, and I might say that it is a lovely tree indeed.  My boys definitely questioned why we weren't using our old decorations, but understood my desire for preserving them to some day pass on to them.  I must admit, it's different looking at our new tree.  But a good different.  I had to just sit and stare at it in the dark after putting it up last night and just thank God for all he has done for our family.  We are truly blessed.  Shannon got to go help minister yesterday, the Chiefs won, and we got a new tree put up and we got to see Kyle play in his worship band at his church!   Plus!!!!!........everyone ate leftovers!! Ha!  I now have room in the fridge!!  How great a day was that!!  Ohhh.......I so love appreciating God in the everydayness of our lives.  OK, I know that's not a word but I'm making it one today!! :)  So....stop.....breathe.......and take in all HE has done, appreciate HIM in EVERYTHING!!  Even the leftovers, because HE is an amazing provider!! :)



This week is going to be crazy for me at work.  Feel free to drop some prayer lines on my behalf!!  Boys HS swimming begins, and we have two Level II events on the books for this weekend!!  Still waiting patiently for God to bring me someone who would love to be apart of this business.  We have two meetings on Tuesday and an EVENT on Thursday!!  Crazy huh?  Looking forward to NEXT Monday!! ha! 

Just sayin

To the lady driving next to me today........please don't apply your mascara while driving!!  You scare me!  There are two lanes and your weaving into mine!!  And to the person behind me in the parking lot......I was backing up because it was full!!!  Full = no more spaces.....dead end zone.......gotta back up......  So thankful I have a small car that has a great turn radius so I could flip a U and get out!!   Just sayin........

It's Official!!

So today it's official, at least in my opinion.  The official first day of the Christmas Season.  Some would say that's it's black friday but that's just a hoopla mass media retail frenzy day, to me at least.  I'm excited about this Christmas season.  It seems like every year I can appreciate it more than the previous one.  I know that it's because I strive to continue my growth in Christ so as I learn to know Him better, my appreciation deepens.

This will be the first Christmas in our new home!!  So.....I've decided to do some other things new too!  I've decided to put some things of old that I dearly love to rest (for a while at least) and bring in some new.  Every single year for as long as I can remember (with the exception of our silver foil tree as a child) we have decorated our tree with handmade ornaments made by my amazing grandmother and grandfather.  They are precious to us all, especially since they both passed some time ago.  Every year our tree reminds me of their love for us.  They were truly amazing influential people in my life who produced the fruit that allowed me to know my savior.  Words could never express how their prayers covered my life nor how amazing they were in my sight.  Anyway, this year we are going to start a new tradition for our tree.  I have no idea what it's going to be, but it's time.  I believe that as my boys get older and begin their own lives, I will begin gifting the ornaments to them so that they may always have a piece of what has blessed me for so long.  Looking forward with anticipation and some sadness to our new decorations!!

 

Switching gears......hit the treadmill this morning and logged 3 miles!  Felt good.  I've been fighting off some gunk, it's the kinda thing that doesn't put you down but is present just enough to make you feel like yuck.  So far so good, it hasn't gone full blown so I'm winning!!  But it has made me feel just bad enough not to work out as much and that makes me feel even worse.  So easy does it for me.......but I refuse to let it keep me down any longer!!  

The day after

Does anyone one else feel fat today?  Not that I feel totally tub-o but....just saying.  I purposely wore clothes that fit yesterday to remind me not to over eat.  I think I did pretty good.  The spread was HUGE!!  The limit was a small sampling of everything, which of course added up to ENOUGH.  My limit was two deviled eggs and ohhhh was that one tough!  Patting myself on the back here......my deviled eggs kinda ROCK so it's so hard not to totally scarf.  Now if I can just keep away from them until their gone!!  Bad thing good is that I have to go to work today so access denied!! ha!  Looking forward to getting back on track with my workouts!!  Thinking it is Chalene Extreme/Turbo Fire/Treadmill/Swim kinda season.  Ohhhh, I can't decide because I love them all!!  Also wondering who I will give the gift of fitness to this season!!  Gotta pay it forward you know!! So.....hi ho hi ho, it's off to work I go.  I'm sure SOMEONE needs a swim suit today!! 

Good Morning THANKSGIVING!!

Turkey, stuffing and pie oh my!!  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  May today greet you with joy, abundance, and thankfulness in your heart.  There isn't enough time in this day to list all that I'm thankful for, so I'll just say this.  He paid a debt He did not owe
I owed a debt I could not pay
Amazing Grace~ and for that I stand THANKFUL today and always!

Abundantly Blessed, Present, and Loved
LaDonna

I will rejoice and be glad

This is the day the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it!!  The enemy will take NO residence upon me today!!  I claim a joy so deep that it causes me to weep before the Lord!!  OH MY!!  I absolutely love love love love worshiping God!!  It places me right into HIS arms.  I can let the tears flow without even knowing where they come from.  Being in His presence is so amazing!!  My mind can honestly not even conceive of his greatness.  My heart breaks for the lost.  My heart breaks for all those who don't know what I know or who choose not to believe.  His love is so great like no other and His mercy unstoppable.  Today I will stand in the gap and cry out names before the Lord!!  Why must they be so stubborn Lord?  In the depths of their souls they know, there is a feeling that something is missing, there is a great mystery, there is a searching taking place Lord.  Seeds have been planted, shower them with rain like none other!! Surround them with your greatness! 

Oh yeah!!  Did I mention that I'm a Jesus Freak!! :-)
I'm not a church freak, or a religion freak, just a Jesus freak.


It's okay, I try not to go deep on this blog but sometimes I can't help it!!  If you knew my story, you might understand......but we ALL have a story don't we?  We all have gone through stuff.  We have all fallen, stumbled, sinned, and are broken.  That's why I'm so thankful, for all He has brought me through because I"M STILL HERE!!

Well, I have a bird calling my name........I'm going to actually try some new seasonings this year.  Okay okay, I will admit I've never seasoned my turkey before, it always tasted good!  BUT.....I tasted some seasoned turkey last year at church and OH MY!  It was yummy!!  Funny how you never really know what your missing until you try something new!  I want to learn to make my turkey taste like that, so wish me luck! 

So much to say..........

Yeah, like everyone wants to hear what I have to say!!  Of course you do....you just don't know it yet!! ha!  Hey, it's okay, sometimes I don't even want to hear what I have to say!!  Yet still I speak.  I am woman, hear me.  Notice I didn't say, I am woman hear me roar.  With age comes wisdom and I am now wise enough to know that while a ROAR may get attention, it's the sweet whispers that gain listeners.  So let me sweetly whisper in your ear so that you will hear me. :)  I'm just another one of God's amazingly beautiful women whom he designed to be in relationship.  Relationship means to relate, so yes, we talk!!  It's okay and I fully embrace it and of course I give all you women out there that same grace to speak.  After all, we do it so well. ;-)
I'm excited!!  So excited!! Wow, what an amazing season I am walking in!  Looking back....wow~ what a huge storm I walked through to get here!!  Yeah, unfortunately, they usually go hand in hand.  Isn't it interesting the seasons of our lives?  Hmmm.......I dwell on that thought often.  Sit in amazement.
Anyway...trying not to get all deep here, I'm excited for the Holidays.  Thanksgiving is actually my Favorite holiday.  It embodies everything a Holiday should.  Thankfulness, Family, Friends, Fellowship, and Food!!  Some things about me you may not know.....I don't really enjoy cooking, but I've totally convinced my family that when begged enough, I can do it and they love it!!  All good moms know how to do this.  So they are convinced I can actually cook and that's it good!  he he  However, I do LOVE to bake, but rarely do it anymore. :(  Back to seasons.....remember that nesting season?  The one where you just loved totally being a mom, and cooking and baking and taxi driving and living totally for your kids and for those of you blessed enough to have anything left at the end of the day....your husbands?  Those were my baking years and I sooo miss them!  Shhh....don't tell my kids I'm no longer in that season!!  I work hard to convince them it's all about them.! :)  I feel like maybe God is getting ready to move me into a nesting phase again!!  OH MY!!  There go my THIGHS!!  While I've gained strength in so many areas of my life, the "Just Say NO" to my amazing chocolate chip pecan cookies has weekend with age!!  I find every justification to say to self: "It's okay to eat more than one.....you have a gym downstairs and you can go workout!!......don't worry, you can always do a shakeology clense next week and lose 8 pounds!!......if I eat them till there gone, i won't have to worry about them anymore!!  Speak up now!!  Don't leave me hanging here!!  Like I'm the only one out here in cyber space with all my justifications!!  It's okay.....I'll be alright.  I've got a coach that will kick my butt right on out of that nesting season that's sooooo calling my name!!   My excitement remains for my Favorite holiday.   And yeah......I WILL WORKOUT!!  I WILL HOLD MYSELF ACCOUNTABLE!!  the day after!!  he he!! 

Here's to a new thing

Who am I and what am I doing here??? A good friend of mine suggested that I start blogging! Okay, okay, okay, she has suggested this many times actually and I'm just now listening. Grrrr......Not because I'm some amazing writer or anything but because I guess I'm ready to step outside of the box and try something new. So if you've linked to me via facebook, you probably already know me or are in some way related to me. If you've linked to me via twitter, well then, Hello.....nice to finally meet you!!
So why am I here? What do I do with this thing? *me pondering* Well I guess I"m here to create a brand. A brand you will want to read and follow and interact with. Meet new people, network opportunities, learn new things, and become part of the social media movement. After all......everyone says social media is where it's at....so I guess I'm here to give it a try and get me some too!! :) So what brand will I create? Well only the BEST ONE POSSIBLE for me of course. That would be a brand called ME!! After all, I've cornered the market on me, no one else has it but me, no one else can market me but ME!! So....with that being said, hang on because those of you who just thought you knew ME, are going to be amazed and confused!! he he, just kidding....maybe.....you never know what will come out when the finger do the talking!!
So..come join me on my journey to the top!! (if you dare) I've always heard there's plenty of room up there, so your all welcome to join me. I'll even give you a hand if you ask. ;-)