Lil C goes to the movies and mommy goes to a meeting

It is no secret that I LOVE Chick-Fil-A. The reasons are far to many to list but I really love the Winder CFA. They host free events almost weekly...and yes I buy food so the event is not completely free but I would eat there once a week anyway :)

 

Thursday (6/13/13) the events team hosted a mommy and me morning. The kids made some crafts for Father's Day.

 

 They really do love each other...

 Charlotte loves the cow! Here she is saying..."Hi cow, hi cow, hi cow"

 

 

After the crafts, Kelsey and I thought it would be super fun to take 5 kids 5 and under to the movies! But seriously our local movie theater has a summer kids series and I thought it would be a great test run for Charlotte at a movie. She actually fell asleep! So it was pretty easy :) 

 

 

Later Thursday night I attended a business opportunity meeting in Monroe with my AdvoCare team. I was surprise asked to share how I am building my 4G business and starting to grow a full time business. I hate surprises like that but with AdvoCare there is no need to rehearse my "story", it comes natural and freely because it true and real life. I don't feel like I need to add fluff because the product results and business results tell themselves.

Park fail, winning mail-NO EXCUSES

Yesterday I mentioned I was going to try out a park side bible study. We went and I tried to listen but Lil C is in the stage where she wants to play at the park but she still needs my help and she was not about to let me listen and then play. So I would take her to the swings and then listen and repeat for the 2 hours. Unfortunately I think I will have to stick to bible studies that provide childcare until she can play independently in that type of setting.

I was kind of discouraged but then I checked the mail! It was a great mail day!!

For our anniversary J bought me a Birch Box subscription. I love it!! I'm not sure which I love more the cool samples or getting a box monthly giving me something to look forward. My favorite sample this month was the nail polish (which I have become obsessed with lately). This picture doesn't give the nail polish color any justice. It's a neon peach...excited to try it out soon :)

I also got the books I ordered YESTERDAY!! I love amazon prime!!

Lil C has some developmental delays. She caught up mostly in gross motor but is still catching up in the speech and communication department. She is super super smart and always figures out a way to get what she wants or needs but that will not always carry her. She needs to learn to adjust to the world around so she can become more independent. I bought Raising A Sensory Smart Child to help me help her figure out this sensory overloaded world. After reading the first chapter I would recommend this book to anyone. We do live in a very fast world and it can become overwhelming to anyone but imagine that you are unable to communicate your feelings and needs? The world has moved on before you can get your thoughts out? How scary and frustrating that must be!

 

I also got my new bible study, Bad Girls of the Bible. So excited to get that started in the morning!

 

Before I go to bed I am catching up with my Advocare team and catching up on some excellent videos created by some of the greats and leaders in Advocare. The common theme tonight throughout the call and throughout the videos...NO EXCUSES. If you want something there is no excuse that should be able to stop you!! As I go to sleep I will be praying on this and thinking on this...what excuses are stopping me and what are those excuses stopping me from gaining and changing in my life?

Blogging woes, magicians and raw bars

My approach at blogging is not working! New approach- blog daily. What's on my mind that day, in that moment. Random maybe but it can't be any worse than how I blog now! I want to record our days for J and family to see and I want a record to look back on. I remember writing in a diary and how freeing that is, so why not treat my blog that way?

I've been feeling so bogged down with worry and a feeling of always waiting for the other shoe to drop, so to speak. The answer to overcoming that has always been right there but I wasn't ready to see it yet. Almost like holding on to the aching feeling was easier than facing why I was feeling that way. I wasn't ready to face that if I spent my life in the moment and not in constant planning of the next moment I could still have fun while not in complete control. So if I'm not in control who is? God. It is that simple. Pray, turn over the worry, give the Lord my fears, read the Word, wait for the moments. When the moments are scary and worrisome-pray for the strength. When the moments are amazing and blessed-praise Him.  "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matt. 6:33) I am setting my alarm to try and wake before the kids to seek Him first before the Spark, before the laundry, before my mind has a chance to slip into the type A place it often resides in. I'm certain things will change and I can become a better wife and mom.

 

 Today I started reading Faith Deployed and researching bible studies. I've decided to try Bad Girls of the Bible to add to the bible study J and I do together. While researching I was invited to a bible study in the park with other ladies and kids. Obviously a God thing! It starts tomorrow and I am so excited to see how it goes. When we were on post I was involved in PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel) and loved learning from other women in my place in life.

 

 

In other news- the local library is doing a Dig into Reading summer reading program. The kids are loving the special guest and the prizes for reading. Today's guest was a magician that read/danced/sang. The Cs loved him and Lil C actually paid attention the whole hour!  

 

 

 I grabbed a book for myself while we were there.  Z: A novel of Zelda Fitzgerald. Stay tuned to see what I thought of it:) It was compared to the Paris Wife which I loved so hopefully this book will not disappoint!

Another random piece of info...I have to eat before I work out...is that weird? Maybe it helps me get through or maybe I like to think I must work off those calories I just ate. Who knows but I do eat before I workout so I love to find the healthiest option. In February, AdvoCare introduced the Raw Bar and I read somewhere on group or page to add a smear of peanut butter to the top. What a clean protein full snack to fuel me for my workout! Which was fabulous today. I did ballet boot camp and man will I feel that in the morning!  

This picture makes it seem like there is a ton of pb- while I love my pb I promise there was not that much ;)

 

 

Happy 2nd Birthday Charlotte!

Dear Baby Girl,

Well you are officially a toddler my dear. You have had a huge year! Since your first birthday you have learned to walk, started talking and learning to overcome challenges ever day. As a family we moved from California to GA and said goodbye to Daddy for a year while he serves overseas.

At your 2 year check up you took your shots with lady like grace. You are still a short little thing at 30 inches (less than 5%) and 28 lbs (50-75%). People are always shocked that you are 2.

You are shy but so loving. Very sensitive but aggressive at the same time. You love your brother and Dora and Choo Choo trains. You are finally eating more that baby food textured foods and we are steadily working on that. Potty training is not really on your radar but with time I know you will catch on. You still sleep in your crib and will for some time to come, you are quite the wiggle worm!

You have overcome so much this year. You are so strong and determined. When the doctors were concerned that you may walk, talk, communicate and play a little behind your peers, daddy and I knew you would be just fine. While you have done things in your own time, you have done them. You speak with what seems like your own language but with such heart and patience for those of us that can't always understand you!

In the next year we will spend some quality time together while big brother goes off to kindergarten. We will conquer that potty and excel in therapy. We will learn through play and make new friends. We will welcome Daddy home and most likely move again. We will fight and make up. We will read and color and play and make friends. I'm so excited to see how you grow and change and blossom into a preschooler.

Happy Birthday Charlie Grace.

My kids on Advocare

 It is no secret that J and I love Advocare products and use them daily. After we saw the results and felt the difference in ourselves I started researching the products for our kids. They were on a multivitamin but it was an over the counter brand that had ingredients I wasn't familiar with and certainly did not have a scientific medical board backing it. It was also imprtant to me that we found something that could grow with them and that I trusted to be safe even if they continued to use during sports later in life. Since AC is tested with Informed Choice I knew they would be safe.

So what do we give the kids?
Clayton:
-Rehydrate/Spark mixture (not a full serving, less than half actually)
 

-Probiotic Boost (which is being reformulated) or Probiotic Restore
    The Probiotic Restore comes in a capsule so I break it open and mix with the Rehydrate/Spark

- Purple Champ
- Citrizinc
- V100

Charlotte:
- 1/2 of each chew: Citrizinc, Purple Champ, V100
-Rehydrate with Probiotic RESTORE

I also love to give the kids the snack bars as a portion controlled snack. I love to give them the Raw Bar with peanut butter spread on the top. Great option with high protein and all natural ingredients.

Day 1 of 365

There is really no words to explain what it feels like on day 1 of a deployment.

There is a part of me that wanted the deployment to start so that we could get it over with, but then the other part was breaking knowing what was ahead.

When we moved to GA I knew J was leaving but there were so many changes and I let a tiny bit of hope slip in that something would work out where he would be able to stay. Obviously that didn't happen but we feel like this separation was at as good a time as this type of things can ever happen and we had prepped the kids (Clayton) for it, we were ready.

J left March 2 from the airport in Atlanta. It was so different from last time. There was no rally point, no weapons draw, no bus and no group of families feeling the same way I was. Instead it felt like he was going on trip, he left with a few bags and no weapon, he was the only one and I had my family and J's family there to support me.

If you have ever gone through a deployment or something like this you know the few hours before is the worst! I didn't want to feel to much to soon. I wanted to act as normal as possible and show J and the kids I totally had it together.

 

While I didn't plan on the word "change" to be behind us in these pictures I think it was very fitting.

 

Today we are right at 300 days left and while that still is a really hard number to swallow I try to focus on the fact that everyday we get through is one day closer to this being over.

 

 

Gatlinburg

Back in February, right after we moved back to GA, my mom invited us to Gatlinburg for the weekend with my aunt and some family friends. We went up on a Wednesday and came home on Sunday. It was a really fun weekend, but the start was a little rocky, no pun intended.

Our first stop was Tallulah Point Overlook.  

After the overlook we we went on to the super cute country store in Tiger, GA that I love. They have amazing muscadine slushies...they were closed...Wednesday only. And so began the rough start. My mom had this entire path of fun places to stop and everything was closed or shut down or just not feasible. It became humorous but so annoying.

Goats on the Roof was one of the places we wanted to stop but was closed. It's this little store that literally has goats walking all over the roof.

 

 

After the goats we stopped at the Dillard House which is a great place to eat but our purpose was to let the kids out of the car for a bit and to pet the animals.  

We spent most of the time in the cabin because the weather but we did go to the aquarium. It was a great time of year to visit, and in the middle of the week we were practically alone with the fishes. I was able to let Charlotte out of the stroller to explore.

Another day we ventured up to OberGatlinburg and watched the skiers and ice skaters.

Of course we also ate...A LOT! One of my favorite places in The Apple Barn. The have apple juleps and apple fritters waiting for you when you arrive. Charlotte must have eaten and drank enough for everyone.

 

On the way home we stopped at a Chinese buffet where the kids ate a plate full of lychee fruit. Somewhere near the GA/NC border and right before the rain hit, Charlie Grace projected her lychee fruit all over herself and her seat. J and I stood in the rain until our undies were SOAKED cleaning the seat enough to get her home. So while it was a great trip with a funny start the ending was less than perfect.