Happy Memorial Day!

This long weekend was jam packed FULL of stuff!
Thursday Adam took a half day off at work and we drove up to Kentucky and stayed at a Bed & Breakfast . Friday was my birthday, I entered my late 20s. We spent the day at a winery and Adam took me to a 1800s themed restaurant for dinner. Saturday after an amazing breakfast we headed to Nashville to see my brother, Nico, and Lindsey. We stayed the night there and everybody came over to David's house for a cookout on Sunday after the kiddos played in the kiddie pool outside all morning. We got home yesterday afternoon and got ready for the week. Today we woke up and spent the afternoon at the pool, came home for naps, and then our small group from church came over for a cookout this evening. We need a weekend to recuperate from our weekend!! Happy Memorial Day!

Pictures from all of these festivities will be posted soon(er or later)!

Smell of Summer

Swim Lessons

We are doing swim lessons religiously during this summer on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Adam doesn't know how to swim and is too terrified of water to learn so that gives me A LOT of motivation to make sure our kids know what to do in water.

baby birds
It is what the talk is about around our house these days
4 baby birds have hatched outside our kitchen window and we get excited to see the Momma bird feed her babies.

We have lots of trips planned... some family trips and then some just me and the kids. you would think Adam would like the break? No, he pouts and says its lonely :(Happy Summertime!

The Beach

Me and my friend Jessica went down to the beach for a week with my 2 kids and her 3 kids... that equals 5 kids!!! We met my friend Stacy down there that had 3 kids... that equals 8 kids!

we were bsy to say the least!

Gulf Shores Zoo

My kids played hard... and slept harder!

We had lots of fun with our friends!

Our Dancing Tumbling Diva

It is the end of the year at The Little Gym and Emma got to show us her stuff last week at Show Week! She did awesome and we are so proud of her!

Mothers Day

I hate to brag.... but my Mothers Day was awesome.

My husband cooked me a quiche and made me a homemade strawberry yogurt parfait (with strawberries cut into hearts) for breakfast and gave me roses with the sweetest homemade card from the kids! I felt truly appreciated! He also took me to lunch and cooked a wonderful dinner!

I feel like this is what God has called me to do. Be a stay at home mom to my kids. I have my moments where I wonder if I am doing the world any good and if I would contribute more by working. The answer is no. It feels so great to feel appreciated by the father of my beautiful children! Thank you Adam!

End of a chapter and the start of another

It's the end of the "school" year for our kids. Last week was their last week for the school year. Eli will go back to MUMC preschool next year, but this is the end of a chapter for Emma. She will start going to Little Madison Academy next year!

I am looking forward to getting out of our strict routines and having some fun in the sun this summer with my babies!

Pictures are from Emma's end of the year concert at preschool= she did awesome!

Hopper

Last week we had a lady come to our house who was part of MARF- Madison Animal Rescue Foundation to look at Hopper. He had been aggressive with our kids if they came close to him and then also other people's kids that were visiting. The lady was very nice and agreed with me that Hopper did not like kids and needed to be put into a home that was kid free. She found him a new home with an older couple in Harvest. I cried. Emma cried. Adam was very sad. Eli... well, he still thinks Hopper is outside and will randomly ask me when Hopper will come back inside. It was sad but I really think we made the right decision.

It was something that I said I would never do. The lady from the MARF also assured me that I was doing the right thing because he had not yet bitten a kid and once I dog bites, nobody wants them. He will be deeply missed, but I hope he has a less stressful life with those crazy kids running around.

Tornado Relief/ Rebuilding Efforts

You may be looking at these pictures thinking how devastating and sad they are to look at.

There are no words.

Last weekend Adam and I got the opportunity to go out and volunteer in the Treemont subdivision in Athens, AL and this is what we saw. It is one thing to watch You Tube videos and see pictures of the damage, but to be standing in it and trying to help and watching people sift through the remains of their house for the things that are most precious to them- it is HEARTBREAKING. Never in my life have I been more grateful for the roof over my head. Very humbling experience.

This is such a comforting site to see... utility workers working around the clock to restore power. True Alabama heroes!

This is what we were doing on 4/27/11 when people were going through a tornado and losing their homes. I put my kids in their bike helmets and let them run wild in the hallway thinking that the sirens were just a little over dramatic since they had been going off all day long. Never again will I be desensitized to a tornado siren. I have had my wake up call!

Adam spent this weekend in the Lockhart community in Harvest, AL volunteering where people have no insurance. Very proud to be the wife of such a giving man that actually goes out and is the hands and feet of Christ!

Click here to see a video that our church played at church this morning. Once you click on it then click the rebuild picture to see the video. We were blessed to be a part of this yesterday. It was devastating to see all the horrible debris filled homes. It was great to have the opportunity to be the hands of Jesus and help these people. I have pictures and will post them later this week. I am exhausted today after this very busy weekend. Hope everybody enjoyed their weekend and had a Happy Mothers Day!

"Where Do you Get your Motivation From?"

Since I have reached my weight loss goal and let the world know all about it I have gotten approached A LOT. Some people want tips and advice that I give harshly because there is no "easy fix". My favorite people that approach me though are the ones that ask me about my motivation or what drives me...

Hello people... look at where I was at 285 pounds and look at where I am at now! But when I am running and I want to stop because I am tired but I know I should push myself there are a few things I do:

Thinking about this outstanding crowd can pretty much keep me going...

Music is SO motivating to me!

Adele's song speaks to my soul- I know it is cheesy- but oh so true. I picture my fat self singing it to my new improved "skinny" self. I ran my first ever 9 minute mile to this song. I put the lyrics on here if you want to read them. It is not the tune of the song that speaks to me or the beat- it is the words. Because ladies and Gentlemen... I am without a doubt Rolling In the Deep and now I feel like I can really have it all now that my weight is not in the way anymore.

"Rolling In The Deep" (click here to watch/listen to it)

There's a fire starting in my heart
Reaching a fever pitch, and it's bringing me out the dark
Finally I can see you crystal clear
Go ahead and sell me out and I'll lay your shit bare
See how I'll leave with every piece of you
Don't underestimate the things that I will do

There's a fire starting in my heart
Reaching a fever pitch
And it's bringing me out the dark

The scars of your love remind me of us
They keep me thinking that we almost had it all
The scars of your love, they leave me breathless
I can't help feeling
We could have had it all
Rolling in the deep
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
You had my heart inside of your hand
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
And you played it to the beat
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)

Baby, I have no story to be told
But I've heard one of you
And I'm gonna make your head burn
Think of me in the depths of your despair
Making a home down there
As mine sure won't be shared

The scars of your love remind me of us
They keep me thinking that we almost had it all
The scars of your love, they leave me breathless
I can't help feeling
We could have had it all
Rolling in the deep
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
You had my heart inside of your hand
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
And you played it to the beat
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
We could have had it all
Rolling in the deep
You had my heart inside of your hand
But you played it with a beating

Throw your soul through every open door
Count your blessings to find what you look for
Turn my sorrow into treasured gold
You pay me back in kind and reap just what you sow

(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
We could have had it all
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
We could have had it all
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
It all, it all, it all
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)

We could have had it all
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
Rolling in the deep
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
You had my heart inside of your hand
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
And you played it to the beat
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)

You could have had it all
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
Rolling in the deep
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
You had my heart inside of your hand
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)

But you played it
You played it
You played it
You played it to the beat.