It's Been Awhile...Hello!

Hello out there. Is anyone still out there?

I popped in for a quick update. I'd love to say I'll be back soon or Daniel will but only time will tell.

So, here goes!

I've been on food journey for quite a few months. In September, while on vacation at the beach, I read an eye-opening book, The Whole 30. On October 1st I began the Whole 30 journey. I completed another round right after Christmas. What sprung this on? My health. I wasn't feeling top notch, had some tummy issues and just didn't like my relationship with food. I still don't like my relationship with food but some days it's not such a burden. I do pray it's something I don't pass onto my girls, though. After the 30-day experiment (that's what it was to me in October) I realized it was truly life changing. I had way more energy, a few inflammation issues I have struggled with for a decade or more were gone and I just over all felt like a better version of myself. And I lost 17 pounds in 30 days. All by eating real food and exercising a little. Amazing! I went through the 30 day program again in late December into January and lost 12 pounds. I still struggle with food but I'm much more conscious of what I'm preparing and eating. We tend to not have contraband food in our home quite as much. I control it, since I do the shopping, so it stays in the store where it belongs. On my food journey, I did learn that I don't tolerate dairy very well, gluten or large amounts of sugar. I don't have allergies to it but my tummy and my head appreciate when I stay away from those food items. I try to stay away from those items as much as possible. It's still a daily struggle but I feel like I'm getting the hang of it.

Nyla started an art class back in August through a local homeschool enrichment program and she has absolutely thrived! The picture below is all the pictures she drew from August-December. It's been so amazing to seen her confidence bloom through that class. She had a great second semester and is looking forward to taking the class again this coming Fall. 

Homeschooling is what I expected to be and not at the same time. How that's possible, I don't know but it's how I feel. I'm finding myself enjoying the process. We love the unhurried mornings, the spur-of-the-moment playdates with our friends/neighbors and quick field trips to our local zoo. There is a huge learning curve with homeschooling but I feel like it's right where we need to be. I'm not patient enough or smart enough but I do feel like this is where God wants our family. Our vision is to instill truth, beauty and goodness into the lives of girls, to create an active learning environment and help them feel loved and inspired. In my mind, homeschooling is the right fit for these conditions. It's right for our family. 

The big sisters, Nyla and Naomi, are best friends. I'm so thankful for that. Nyla loves "doing school" and having lots of free time to pursue her interests, like art and crafting. She's beginning to read and is gobbling up books. We take weekly trips to the library and come home with a huge box of books. Naomi is beginning the process of reading. Even at 4.5 years old she still struggles to recognize all the letters in the alphabet but All About Reading is helping with that tremendously. She loves the program and the zebra puppet (we are using the Pre-Reading with her) and having her little school time. She won't officially be in Kindergarten until the Fall of 2017 so we have lots of time, but she's shown an interest and I'm going with it. She also loves to draw but her real passion is books. She could sit all day on the couch or the floor and read read read. She wants to flip through books constantly and have me read just as many. She really enjoys playing outside and jumping on the trampoline. She always finds the biggest sticks or logs outside and carries them around. She never walks anywhere (always running, jumping, prancing, or walking on her tiptoes) and she has a great big imagination. She is a funny girl who has us laughing constantly.

The picture below is one of the many examples of their love of books. Today we sat on the floor for an hour in a row and read a bunch of books. And then continued to read on and off throughout the day. We don't watch TV or movies so reading is a favorite in our home!

And since we're chatting about reading, here's my stack from February. I bought this stack of Ruth's books when she was having a bundle sale. The Unstuffed book is just a little sneak peak. The actual book just released a couple weeks ago and I've yet to get my hands on it. But I will. There's so much wisdom in her books about spending less and getting rid of clutter. They are books I'll come back to time and time again. 

Nyla and Naomi got big haircuts a couple months ago. Nyla's makes her look so grown up. They are just like their mama loving big haircuts!

Here's Natalie. She's so big. She is 20 months old today and she's everywhere. She thinks she's as big as her sisters and does keep up with them pretty well. She eats anything I put in front of her, loves to jump on the trampoline, she's also and avid book lover and is the happiest girl. In 2013 I really felt like someone was missing from our family. Not a boy, just someone else. And she's definitely been the missing piece. She is so content and does so well with our ever-changing days. We can tote her anywhere and she's ready for the ride. I'm thankful for such an easy 3rd child since we're out and about frequently these days.

And there's our big update!

Love Languages

A good rule of thumb: When you think you're doing a pretty good job at this parenting thing, that's when you are getting ready to learn something new or, in this case, re-learn something old. Such was the case with us Monday evening.

At bedtime, Ginny likes to ask our two big girls three questions: 1) What made you happy today? 2) What made you sad? 3) What did you learn? We could tell Nyla was feeling off Monday, just not the typical 5-year old she usually is. After some poking and prodding, Ginny was able to get a tearful Nyla to admit that she did not get enough hugs and kisses from Mommy. (Not what you want your child to tell you.) Nyla also tearfully told me that she wanted Mommy and Daddy to draw her pictures. You see, Nyla loves to draw. I mean, she enjoys it so much. I have at least a dozen pictures in my cubicle at work that she has drawn for me. And here she is, crying that we haven't drawn her any pictures.

We are proponents of the book The Five Love Languages. It's a great read and great way to find out how you feel loved and express love. For instance, my top 2 love languages are words of affirmation and physical touch. Ginny is quality time and acts of service. Nyla, we determined, was receiving gifts and probably acts of service. You see where I'm going with this, right? Her "love tank" was empty, because she didn't get any gifts! Here she was, drawing pictures for us, and we were ignoring that as a sign that she needs to get gifts, too! Thanking her for them and telling her how pretty they are weren't enough. Needless to say, Ginny and I felt terrible. I held Nyla at bedtime and told her that I was sorry for not drawing for her, because she draws many pretty pictures for us.

So naturally, I drew her a picture that night - a picture of Madeline (from the books) and three toys. I wrote a note telling Nyla I loved her and asking her what toy she thought Madeline should pick. As you can see from the picture, my drawing (and love) was well-received.

Yesterday, she was back to being our sweet, happy Nyla. Nyla, Naomi, and I sat down at the table last night and learned how to draw birds, a sailbot, a rocket, a bat, and an elephant. (Thanks, Pinterest!) The lesson here is to always, always, always be mindful of how your child (or spouse or family or friends) loves and feels loved.

-D

The Birth Story of Natalie Grace

Obviously, this is a touch late. I worked on this just a couple weeks after the birth of our third daughter, Natalie Grace, but life got me so I never finished it. But here it is. I hope you enjoy!





It's 4:30 a.m. and our alarm is going off. It's time to get up, shower, get dressed and get our things in the car. It's baby having day!

The ride to the hospital only takes us fifteen minutes and it's just after 5:00 a.m. so there's very little traffic on the roads. Daniel and I chat about the process we'll be going through for the morning. Since Naomi's birth was a scheduled c-section we know what to expect this time. We'll be separated for a good hour or more while they prep me in triage.

We arrive at the hospital right at 5:30 a.m. We take the elevator up to floor number two and I'm asked to fill out a little card and told by the woman up front to have a seat and I'll be called back in a few minutes. As we sit in the waiting room I update my status on Facebook because I know everyone wants to know that we're at the hospital. :) About fifteen minutes later we get called back for our insurance cards and chat with the woman in records. She sends me back to the front where another woman tells me she'll take me back to my triage room and Daniel has to go sit up front. They'll bring him back when it's closer to time. We part ways which is always hard. I don't want to go about any of this process alone. The hospital is cold and sterile. While the faces are friendly it's not somewhere I want to spend a lot of my time.

I get to my room and the woman hands me a bag and tells me to remove all my clothing and any jewelry and put it in the bag.
"A nurse will be with you shortly." she says.
"Thank you so much, "I tell her.
Even as uncomfortable as this process is I still put a smile on my face and am friendly to everyone I encounter.

I undress, place my stuff in the bag, lie on the bed and patiently wait. Thankfully, I don't wait long before a nurse comes.
"Good morning," she says.
I reply, "Good morning."
"Who's here with you today?"
"My husband is."
"Before we start, is there anything you need to tell me in confidence?"
"No ma'am."
"Do you feel safe going home? Do you feel safe taking your baby home with you?"
"Yes and yes."
She hooks up the baby heart monitor. These are the last few moments I'll hear Natalie Grace's sweet little heartbeat from my insides. It's been such a joy being able to carry another little person in my belly. While I've been very uncomfortable for the last 10 weeks or so and the weather turned hot on me, it's truly been a joy carrying this precious life inside of me. I know there are so many who can't or won't ever be able to experience what I've experienced in carrying 3 healthy children. This is never far from my mind as I know a few woman personally who have struggled with getting pregnant or never could get pregnant. I am thankful.

Next, what seems like one hundred questions, begins. It's everything from, "Do you have a religion preference?" to "Do you have a living will?"

Dr. Li comes in and asks how I'm doing. I tell her, "I'm good and ready."
"Do you have any questions for me?" she asks.
"Nope, just take care of me." I say.
"I will," she says.
And I believe her. I'm thankful for my doctor and know that she will take care of me. This is our third c-section together so I have every confidence in her.

Dr. Li leaves and the questions continue by one nurse and the other is poking me with a needle to get my IV going and apparently I'm a "bleeder" because out shoots a good amount of blood. I look but quickly turn away. Blood doesn't make me queasy but it was quite a lot and it's just after six in the morning and I've not eaten anything. I think it best to not look at what's going on. And she got it all over my hand, the bed and the floor. So, yeah it was quite a bit.

Finally, my IV is in, some fluids and medicines are starting and the questions are over. I ask when my husband can come back and not long after Daniel arrives in the room. Finally! I have his smiling face next to me and we can chat to pass the time.

Waiting in triage

I can't imagine going through this with any other person. I thank God for him and that he's next to me. We talk about our last guesses of how much and how long Natalie Grace will be. He's sticking with under Nyla's birth weight (she was 9 pounds 8 ounces) and I say she'll be a bit bigger but not ten pounds, though I did dream a couple weeks ago that she was 10 pounds 5 ounces. A nurse comes in and tells us it's almost time. She leaves and I ask Daniel to pray for us, just as I did with the other girls. Tears roll down my face as he's praying. I am so thankful for the spiritual leader of our family and thankful for his words during this time. Tears of anxiousness and excitement. Tears to say goodbye to being a family of 4 and hello to being a family of 5. Life as we know it is about to change. As the time has passed today, the more nervous I've gotten. I know what to expect this time and while knowing ahead of time usually makes me feel more comfortable (I'm an introvert after all), this time it has not. I'm not looking forward to the spinal or the surgery. I'm ready to get it over with and praying I don't have a similar recovery to Naomi's.

It's just before 7:30 a.m. and the time has come. It's time to move into the surgery room. I know Daniel and I have to part ways for another few minutes and this makes me more nervous but I know he'll be by my side before long.

The room is very cold and sterile. I move to a thin, hard table for the surgery. I have to sit back and hunched over to get the spinal. I'm nervous. The anesthesiologist talks with me about what to expect, what I'll feel and the order it all goes in. He's really nice and comforting. It helps a little to have him tell me each step. His assistant does the actual spinal and he keeps talking to me. She presses on my back to find the right spot and this is fairly uncomfortable. The shot to numb the area comes next and it hurts. My nurse, Lindsey, is there next to me. I'm hunched over holding a pillow saying, "ouch ouch ouch." I have a very low tolerance for pain yet I take pregnancy and all that comes with it like a champ. At least I think I do. Next comes the actual spinal. I'm glad I don't see the needle because I expect it's fairly large. I feel quite a bit of pressure from the needle and I'm thankful when it's over. Now I have to lay down and my legs are going numb. It's such an odd sensation. I remember with Naomi I went numb almost instantly and I don't this time and it worries me. I don't want to feel anything and I don't want to get incubated because the spinal doesn't work. Thankfully, it starts to kick in as they're prepping me. The next thing I know the sheet is coming up in front of me, my chest feels heavy and it's hard to take deep breaths. It feels like I have an elephant sitting on top of me. The assistant anesthesiologist pricks me here and there and asks if I can feel anything on different areas of my body. Most importantly, I don't feel below my chest so I know I'm good to go!

He's ready!

Daniel comes in and sits down next to me. I'm thankful for his calming presence. We are ready to meet our baby girl.

Anxiously waiting

I don't hear too much around me. Well, really, I'm blocking it out and trying to talk to Daniel. I want him to distract me so I don't hear anything that scares me or freaks me out. I feel quite a lot of tugging and pulling for a few minutes. I keep thinking Natalie Grace should be here, I don't remember it taking so long with Naomi. Dr. Li says I have a good bit of scar tissue and that's why it's taking a bit longer. Well, that explains it. But soon enough I feel tons of pressure on my chest. It's almost as if someone is sitting on me to pull her out. "You'll feel lots of pressure," someone calls out. I definitely do. Then I hear, "That's a big baby!" And then I hear her cry. There is nothing quite like hearing your baby's first cry. As I did the two times before, I cry tears of joy. Natalie Grace is here. Each girls cry are so very different and I just love that. I know I won't ever really remember exactly what it sounds like, just that it's one of the most beautiful sounds in all the world. Thankful. Grateful. Full. Joyful. Loved. All my emotions hit me at once. This pregnancy is finally over. Natalie Grace is finally here. Praise God for this little life.

She's here and she's beautiful!

Yes, you're reading this right. 11 pounds 9 oz.
We had so many comments on her weight. I would proudly tell people she's not my first 11 pound baby. Naomi was 11 pounds 4 oz. :)

Big girl!

Coming Soon...

September 2014 to be exact...

BIG SISTER!

She told me, "I hate you."

A couple nights ago I was in the kitchen getting dinner together, the girls were sitting at the table and Nyla turned around and looked at me and said, "I hate you." She had a little smirk on her face. I asked, "What did you say?" "I hate you" she said again.

I know she doesn't understand what she's saying. She's three. She's trying out words and seeing what they look like to her and seeing our reaction. I didn't overreact. I told her we don't use that word because it isn't nice. Then I turned around toward the counter and began to cry. That word from my precious, loving three-year-old. How can she already know that word?

I went upstairs and immediately hit my knees and prayed for her and for me. How do I handle this? How can I explain how hurtful that word is to me and to others?

The last thing I wanted to do was talk to her or even look at her. She cut me deep with one simple phrase. I know she doesn't know what it means but that doesn't make it any less painful to me. I never thought I'd hear, "I hate you" from my three-year-old, not this soon in our walk together.

Daniel sent her to her room after all this so we were both in our rooms crying. Like I said, the last thing I wanted to do was talk to her but I felt God pulling me to go in her room and hold her. He extends grace to me every single day and I knew I needed to extend the same to her. Forgive her. Love her. Hold her. So I did.

I scooped her up and we sat in her chair and cried together. I explained in few words that hate is a hurtful word that we don't use on anyone. We speak of love in our home not of hate. She told me she was sorry and we cried some more together.

While this isn't something I want to experience again, I'm sure I will. And just as I did, I'll extend grace and love, just as Christ does for me.

One Goal

Every year I have a nice long list of goals that I want to complete before the year is up. Just a few weeks ago I was looking over my 2012 goal list and while it wasn't as ridiculous as lists in the past, it still had too many items on it. The good news? I actually did complete some items on my list and am still following through on a few more. The bad news? There were still too many to count on one hand that didn't get done. A few years ago I would've beat myself up about it and made another list. Yes, really!

Over the past couple of years I've tried to not be as "listy." That's my word for being a big list maker. :) I've tried to pick six things each day and if two or three don't get done, so be it. They roll over to the next day. And if they don't get done that week? It doesn't matter! What matters is my man has a yummy dinner after work, the girls feel loved and were cared for all day and D and I spend some quality time together each night. As long as though three things are accomplished, I feel accomplished.

This year I have one goal. Be intentional. That word felt a little heavy when first thinking about it. To be intentional with my life will take some effort but effort I'm willing to put forth.

Being intentional is just paying attention and making an effort. I want to lose weight but without running and paying attention to my eating habits, losing weight will never happen. If I want to save money on groceries and have a nice dinner each night then I have to plan for it.

This year I want to pay attention and make an effort. I will go forth and be intentional!

What are you 2013 goals?

A Heavy Heart

Friday was a day of broken heartedness with the events from Connecticut. We cried on and off in our home most of Friday afternoon and held our girls so close. I know if we didn't have the girls we would've felt grief for the families but having kids, it hit closer to home.

I cried while I watched pictures flash on the screen, listened to a piece of President Obama and watched him cry for the families, when the girls woke up from their naps and then cried again while Daniel and I were talking later that night. It was a hard afternoon.

Thankfully, I find hope in Jesus Christ. Hope amongst the pain and grief. I pray that everyone affected find it too. He's there, waiting on us to find Him, waiting on us to talk to Him. It makes the pain a little easier to bear but the grief for the little ones and their families is still heavy on my heart. And I know it will be for awhile and that's okay. I can cry out to God and know He's there, there's comfort in that. We'll never know why it happened, never know why that young man was so angry he felt he needed to   take the lives of innocent people.

I pray we learn from this experience. Are we doing enough as a community to help prevent this in the future? It's hard to say we're learning when it seems someone is shooting up a school at least once a year or someone is taking their own life because kids are cruel to them. What else can we do? What aren't we doing for our kids that we need to be doing? I hope we take a good hard look and keep this day fresh in our minds so we can be compassionate to those who have a need. We need to see their need and not turn away from it because it seems too hard, too daunting. Intervene and save a lives, not just one but possibly many.

I know I can't save the world and save x amount of children. I do know that I when I see a need I step in and do what I can. In the future the girls will bring home friends that may not come from a loving environment. I know that we can provide one for them. We can be a shelter in their storms of life. I hope that when they walk into our home they know Jesus is a part of our lives and see Him acted out in our lives. I pray that they can talk to us and we can listen and pray with them and for them. I pray we can stop the cycle of hate and neglect in our home, one kid at a time. And even if it only ends up being one child, so be it. Because of that one child how many others can live to see another day and grow up and live the lives their parents imagined for them?

Love starts with Jesus. I can't love others without loving and knowing Him first.

When the Girls are Away...

This past weekend, Ginny and the girls abandoned me left for a weekend trip to visit G's grandmother in the great town of Griffin, GA. Sunday was her birthday, and they wanted to spend a weekend with Grammy.

That meant I had the entire house to myself Friday through yesterday. "What did you do with your time?" you, the fair reader, will ask. And my response to you is an emphatic and resounding...

NOTHING
Other than going to church Sunday and to Dairy Queen Saturday night for a Blizzard, I did absolutely nothing. I sat on the couch, watched TV, watched way too many YouTube videos, and ate junk food.

I'll be the first to admit - the house was just too quiet. Sure, I enjoyed sleeping past sunrise. But I missed my girls. All 3 of them. I enjoyed the time to myself. Don't get me wrong on that. But 3 nights was a long time away from them.

Thankfully, they made it back safely yesterday afternoon. Promptly, Nyla and Naomi both scooted over to me, wanted to read books, and played with Daddy for a while.

When the girls are away... Daddy misses them!

-D

First Family Trip

This past Thursday we traveled to Slidell, LA for a family wedding (Daniel's cousin's and he was in it too). This was our first time traveling with both girls and let me tell you it was interesting. They both did great in the car which I was a bit surprised by but all four of us in one hotel room was tough! I'm even more thankful for our modest 1300 square foot house. It seems HUGE to me now!

In our room we set up Naomi in her pack-n-play in a dark corner of the room and Nyla slept in a bed surrounded by pillows while Daniel and I occupied the second bed. We planned this to be the sleeping arrangements before we got there, as you should plan most everything when little ones are involved. :) The first night seemed like it would last forever. Nyla kept peeking into Naomi's bed and Naomi kept standing up in her bed laughing at Nyla. It was all fun and games until Naomi got overtired and started screaming. And overtired Naomi is one of the worst things imaginable. I'm sure the people on either side of us pretty much hated us for awhile. Daniel got Nyla settled down and I did my best to settle Naomi. It took a good 30 minutes (at least) and each of us to handle Naomi to settle her. Thankfully, Nyla was asleep and nothing could wake her by this point. I finally got Naomi under control and she slept great. And then 5 a.m. rolled around and they were both up. Yuck! Thankfully, sleeping got easier for them and by our last night they both went down with no trouble, of course!

Since we planned an extra day in our travels we were able to drive over to New Orleans for a few hours on Friday morning. I have never been and Daniel was a kid when he went so we were both excited to head over there. I didn't take as many pictures as I would've liked (typical me) but that can be hard to do when it's flippin hot and we're having to wrangle to little ones. I do what I can do. :)

First stop: Cafe du Monde for beignets.
This was a must and they didn't disappoint either. The girls gobbled them up too. :)

St. Louis Cathedral

Daniel and Nyla outside St. Louis Cathedral

This place was beautiful on the inside and outside. It was an overwhelming experience walking into such a big and beautiful church.

"Moonwalk" or Riverwalk by the Mississippi River

Bourbon Street

See, I told you I didn't take a lot of pictures in New Orleans.

We walked around for probably 2-3 hours in the sweltering heat and practically melted. We also searched for a bathroom someplace that didn't have a sign out that said, "For paying customers only." Nyla is day potty trained and the last thing we needed was her to have an accident there. Right after we visited the cathedral we started looking for a bathroom so we didn't get in an emergency situation. Thankfully, we found one after a few minutes of searching. It's so hard traveling when you have little ones and you have to think about those things. Don't even get me started on places to change diapers. Ugh! I appreciate being home with a changing table and a bathroom that's always available. 

Friday also meant rehearsal for the wedding! Daniel and I were so excited that Linda (Daniel's mom) said she'd watch the girls so we could go to rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner without the girls. It was such a treat to be kid-free and be served dinner. I didn't have to cook or clean up the kitchen. It was pretty great.

The future Mr. and Mrs. John Gafford

I took no pictures of our dinner so I'll tell you what we ate.

Salad: spring mix lettuce with walnuts, grapes and apples with a wonderful tasting vinaigrette

Soup: I had a sausage gumbo soup and Daniel had the corn and crab bisque

Main course: I had steak and Daniel had the Mahi; both were served with a roll, asparagus and mashed potatoes

Dessert: I had the creme brulee (wow) and Daniel had the white chocolate bread pudding

The dinner was at an old house that only serves breakfast and lunch but opens for dinner for special occasions. They had 2 servers for 40-ish people and they did a wonderful job. They really knew what they were doing there. The beautiful place was called Sunset.

And now we've come to Saturday the wedding day. Because Daniel was in the wedding he was only with us until 9:30 a.m. when he and his brother had to leave for pictures. Thankfully, Linda was able to help again with the girls. We went out and ran around and had lunch together and she helped me get the girls ready for the wedding after their naps. I couldn't have done it without her! 

I, unfortunately, didn't get any pictures of the bride and groom but you can check out the wedding photographers (Erin Rachel Photography) website and blog. She doesn't have anything up quite yet but I'm sure she will in the next few days. Her and her "second shooter" did a great job capturing John and Sarah's big day. 

Here's a few of the pictures I was able to get with two busy and tired girls!

Naomi, Daniel, Andrew, Linda, Nyla and Ginny

Family picture

Daniel and happy girl Naomi

Ginny and Naomi (she's always happy, I promise!)

Ginny and Nyla (the tired toddler)

"Gigi" and her girls

The reception was held in an old house and it was beautiful. The place is called Patton's but I don't believe that is the original name of the house.

Gigi and sweet Naomi

Haha!

Me and my beautiful girls

I love this funny face!
Thank goodness there was yummy wedding cake. :)

We left Sunday morning and were able to meet my mom's good friend, Mandy, in her hometown of Brookhaven, MS. She saw Nyla in early 2011 and I was barely pregnant with Naomi so she hadn't seen her yet. I'm so glad we were able to have a visit with her even if it wasn't long enough. Thanks Mandy for suggesting to meet us!

Naomi, Mandy, Ginny and Nyla

We had a wonderful, first-time traveling experience with our girls. We look forward to many more adventures as a family but for now we're glad we're home and resting. I'm appreciate and am much more thankful for our small home. We have plenty of room to spread out and play separately and it doesn't feel so small anymore!

Congratulations to John and Sarah Gafford. And thanks to the Rick Gafford family for making us a part of their son's special weekend. We are thankful!

Setting Realistic Goals

Three weeks ago I began the journey of weight loss... again. 3 years ago Daniel and I joined Spark People and loved it. I lost 20 pounds before getting pregnant with Nyla and then about 10 more before getting pregnant with Naomi. Daniel continued to eat well and exercise and has lost about 60 pounds in the last 3 years and kept it off. And now, we're back on it again.

I've struggled with my weight all through my 20's. I played basketball in high school but the second that was over I quit exercising and kept eating the same foods and the same portions. This, of course, was not a good combination and I quickly gained 15 pounds. Ever since then I've just gotten bigger and exercise has become less and less.

Getting married and having two kids has made me realize that I want to be around a long time for my family. I want to have energy all day to keep up with my girls and I want to show them how to live an active lifestyle and teach them portion control. I struggle with emotional eating as well and I want to show them that you can control this and it's possible to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It's not all about being super skinny to me, it's about living a healthy life and being around for people. Type 2 Diabetes runs in my family and that's the last thing I want too. I don't want to have to struggle with this all my life.

In the past when I've set goals for myself it's been too many and too much. For example, "lose 50 pounds in 30 weeks" has been one. While that's definitely doable that's not giving myself any room for error. I like sweets and pizza and that's not something I'm willing to give up. But, I know I can have all that in moderation. And I do. Another one is "exercise for 30 minutes 5 days a week." While this is a goal I may try and have in the future it's again not very realistic for me. I've set that goal SO many times and SO many times I'll work out 2 days a week (which is great) but beat myself up for not working out the other 3 days. What's the point in continuing to beat myself down about it? It's not helpful to my emotional eating or my self-respect. I've set too many unrealistic goals in the past, this time I wanted to set realistic ones.

My 3 realistic goals this time are:
1. COMPLETE the 'Couch to 5K" program. That's right, just finish it. It's 3 days a week building up to run a 5k. All I want to do is complete this program. I've set no mile times or anything, just finish it!

2. Track my food intake on Spark People 5 days a week. Seven days a week would obviously be better but sometimes the weekends get away from us so I'm not so good with the tracking.

3. Lose 1 pound a week. I know that's not much but I can still eat what I want, in moderation, and not beat myself up about not losing 2 or more pounds some week. Slower is better with weight loss anyways. I'm not looking for a quick fix. I'm looking for long-term weight loss and then maintenance after that. While I would love to lose a bunch of weight quick I just don't see that helping me long term. I've set a goal on Spark People to lose 10 pounds at a time so I don't get bogged down with the 80 that I really need to lose. Eighty pounds sounds so daunting but ten pounds isn't as scary. I've set my tracker to lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks and then I'll adjust. If I happen to lose 10 pounds before the 10 weeks are up, I'll readjust and set it to lose another 10 pounds in 10 weeks. It seems so simple. And I wonder why I didn't get to the realistic goals sooner? But I'm not going to beat myself up about it. I'm going to keep trekking along and lose weight.

I'm thankful for an encouraging husband too. I told him I couldn't do it alone and since he's been wanting to lose a few more pounds and get more exercise he immediately jumped on board. I'm also thankful for my sister for getting up at 5:00 a.m. three days a week to train with me. I'm thankful she's my timekeeper and encourager when those hills get tough!

I am 80 pounds overweight with plantar fasciitis in both feet and a bad left knee. I'm pushing through the pain to accomplish my goals. And it's a daily struggle to keep my eating in check. God is constantly with me and I'm praying before each run and during each run. I know He's with me through all this. How many times have I left God out of my journey? Too many, but not this time. I need Him to accomplish my goals!

What are some realistic goals you could set for yourself? Have you set unrealistic goals in the past?

Note: Check out Spark People. It's free and easy to use. You can track you food, your fitness and your weight loss goals. You set your goals and they set your calorie intake for the day. You can join teams to constantly be encouraged and find people who struggle with what you struggle with. You can read encouraging blog posts and create your personal page to connect with people. The site also has tons of information on doing weight loss the right way and making it a lifestyle change and not a diet. It's such an encouraging site!

Some Days...

Some Days...

I don't want to get out of bed.
I want to take a long, hot shower without the interruption of babies needing my attention.
I wish the laundry would just quit; I think it multiplies while we sleep.
I wish the kitchen would clean itself as there are always dirty dishes to clean.
I wish our house were one to two rooms bigger.


But then I remember I'm thankful for my little blessings...

I'm thankful I have two healthy girls who want to play with me and snuggle, as this won't always be the case.
I'm thankful I have a place where I can take hot showers at the end of my exhausting day.
I'm thankful I have more than one outfit to wear as many people just have one or maybe a scrap of cloth that somewhat covers them.
I have more food in my pantry, fridge and freezers right now than some people probably eat in a year.
I'm thankful for the house we have. Everyone has their own bed. We have warm blankets and fans to cool us off. We a big back yard to run around in. We live in a quiet cove where we can run up and down the sidewalks. We have nice neighbors who look out for us.

Some days it really is hard to get out of bed. I remember the life before we had children, how quiet, laid back and easy life was. Now we have kids who yell, "Mommy" because they want one more snuggle before bed or wake up in the middle of the night because of a bad dream. But that word, "Mommy" is a wonderful sound to me. I know some women will never hear those words because they are unable to have kids. I am thankful for my girls.

We have babies who can't feed or dress themselves and who need attention a lot during the day. Some day they'll be able to dress and feed themselves and won't want any help from me. They'll be content playing in their room or with their friends and won't want me around. I'm thankful for the short time I have them because it's flying by. I want to enjoy every minute I have with them even if they fuss for the two hours before bed.

I'm thankful for the good times and the hard times.
It means I'm doing something right.


Currently reading Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis.

About Us

Hello and welcome!

We're the Gafford family! We are a family of 4 (Daniel, Ginny, Nyla and Naomi) who love Jesus, our sweet little church and hanging out as a family. You'll find two people blogging here... Ginny and Daniel.

I, Ginny, started this blog about four years ago and the content has continued to change since day one. I like to menu plan, cook and bake, look at recipes, try new recipes, keep the house picked up, iron, sit down with a good book, get pedicures (which are rare), keep the girls busy, organize and declutter our small home and journal. You'll find me blogging about the week's menu plan, old and new recipes, funny things the girls say and do, mothering little girls and trying to live a simpler life in this crazy, on-the-go world.

Daniel joined this blog in May of 2012. He has a blog of his own but he wasn't doing much with it so he asked me if he could write on this blog a couple times a week.  I gave an enthusiastic "yes" and 'Gabbing with the Gafford's' was born! Daniel likes all things University of Kentucky sports, March Madness is his FAVORITE time of year, playing golf, the weather, technology, a great pair of sweat pants, hanging with his three girls and Ginny's cooking. You'll find Daniel blogging about priority time, technology stuff, what's happening with global warming the weather, book reviews and any other random thought that passes through his smart little mind.

We hope you'll stay awhile as we figure out this joint blogging thing. Our blog is ever-changing as we frequently enter new phases of life with our growing marriage and our growing girls. We love the Lord and strive to serve Him personally and through our little church. We are constantly talking to one another about how we can improve our everyday life through our marriage, raising our girls as disciples in Christ, keeping our home clutter-free, living a self-sustaining life by gardening, shopping locally, etc., homeschooling and slowing down our lives in this fast-paced world.

We are imperfect people in this imperfect world and you'll see that on this blog. You'll see our hearts, our struggles, typo's and real-life stuff. Our life is by no means "perfect" and we are constantly changing how we do things to honor our God and improve our quality of life as a family of four.

Thanks for stopping by!