Team Jack

Wow, I just realized what big smiles we all have on our faces. We just finished a 6.2 miles walk, running the very end of it because we wanted to finish within 2 hours... To be here, and be a part of this really meant a lot to me. I don't know Kevin and Taiya (the couple to your left) very well, but when the opportunity came to walk for this cause - Neil and I jumped right on it. As you can see, we are the only non-family members here... but we felt like family, and it will be a day I will never forget. (Taiya and Carly swear they didn't plan their outfits for the day - but come on!)

Kevin and Taiya lost their baby in child birth just about a month ago. Taiya heard of the March for Babies event, just a week before the walk...and the 2 of them decided to go for it. They got their team set up, and set a goal on an amount they'd like to raise. I mean, with only a week... they each put a low dollar amount. Kevin told me, during the walk of course, that he kept jumping up his goal because it kept being surpassed. How great is that?

The Fallons have many plans for next year already....team shirts, loading up on carbs the night before....I can already see this being a yearly tradition, and I am so happy to be a part of it.

Brooke-lyn

One of my bestest friends Brooke came and surprised me on my birthday. (I know this is late, but I just now got around to uploading my photos from my camera.)

Now...my goal of taking more pictures this year - didn't exactly happen while she was here. But I did take a few...
Here we are at the Erie Zoo. It was super dreary this day...as you can see.

This is us at Niagara Falls... It was cold!!! It was so amazing though.

And here is Neil trying to feed this black squirrel. We have never seen a BLACK squirrel!! We were freaking out. And then it was actually going up to him.



**Oh, and on a side note - this is me with Flat Kobe.

I just re-read my last blog.
Whoa.
Today, I was running around town trying to get pictures for my nephew Kobe - he sent me a colored picture of himself, "Flat Kobe" and I needed to take him around my community for a class project. So, today was the day. I really hope I'm not all that late returning this to him... (On the letter it said, "please return before school ends in May." What does that really mean?

Well. As I was walking along Presque Isle with my bestest friend on four legs - Cali - I started to appreciate my life, and was thanking the Lord for all that He has blessed me with. I know there is a lot I need to work on in my heart, but I do feel blessed.

I may complain a lot. I tend to be dramatic about stuff...yes, I do realize I'm dramatic... But a majority of my life has been about God's timing and living life with the attitude of the glass half FULL. Not sure what's going on with me, or with my attitude, but I don't like it.

Patience

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God...
...for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances."

-Philippians 4:6 & 11

I have an issue. I am not a patient person. And I really feel God is teaching me patience. Actually, it's more like a Class on Patience, with a student count of ONE...and I'm on the 3 year plan. I'm not happy about it. I find myself fighting. Like, actually fighting in prayer. That doesn't make a bit of sense, I know. It ends w/laughter because who can really fight the Almighty?
It's literally one thing after another, after another....after another. From buying a house, decorating the house, to buying a car, to having kids, down to the construction of my teeth ....everything has been this waiting game. And just when we think something is going to come through - bam! There's a hold up. (Now, we have a home - and thank the Lord every chance we get for it.) But everything else... my patience is wearing thin.

I NEED HELP!!!
I am literally going crazy. I feel like, everything I ask for - gets put on the back burner.

(I know this isn't true, and I know in due time - all of the desires of my heart will be answered.)

Neil and I cannot begin to count our blessings, for we are truly blessed. This blog is mine, and mine alone - and I can vent if I want.

I just hope God will give me my degree already, and let me pass...

Thank You?

So...funny story. I was asked to work today in the office. It's Friday. I never work on Fridays, but I don't dare say no at an opportunity to earn extra money. Of course. So, since the beginning of this week - we had the most amazing, perfect weather - high 70s, just gorgeous. I started to dread coming into work today.

I said a little prayer: "God, please let there be crappy weather on Friday since I have to work, and I can't embrace this Spring weather you've blessed us with."

Yeah. I said crappy.

Well, as I left for work this morning - it started to snow. Thank you Jesus...I think. Snow though? Oh well. Bad weather is bad weather, right? (At least it's not sticking....)

On a fun note, this is what I drive up to when I get home....So pretty.

Brace Face coming to an end....

.....and I'm bittersweet about the whole situation. I had an orthodontist appointment last Monday, and my doctor, Dr. Cardot said "See you in a month, and we'll schedule the day to take the top braces off."
I'm slightly FREAKING out about the whole situation. So many emotions....

March Maaadness

I started the month off slowly getting off the "healthy eating" train...and within hours of landing in CA, I was completely off. (There was no way I'd be in CA for 5 days, and eat healthy...who are we kidding?) Weeks that followed, I did not improve these old habits of snacking, drinking soda, laziness... nope, I did not. Why? Birthday. I had it set in my head that my Birthday week would be filled with crap eating anyway....why eat healthy now?
But guess what? Birthday week is over - and boy did we celebrate!!! I'll have to post more about it in another blog because I have a few pictures to share - that I'm just too lazy to upload at this very moment (hence the word LAZY)...but it was a good time. Ate a LOT, and didn't make it into the gym all that much. (I even slept for 3 hours today, 3pm-6pm...with no attempts to make it to my 6:30pm Weights Class....laaaazzzzy and bleh.)

Neil and I, as you all know, love food. With the history in Neil's family, he should not be eating the way he eats. And we've come to the decision to eat healthy together. When I started the year off eating "clean" I did it alone. As of tomorrow, according to him "what you cook, I'll eat." We've decided that during the week, only healthy eating. Saturdays and Sundays, we can venture off a little bit. I mean come on, Spring is here - and grilling season is around the corner.... Burgers and hot fudge sundaes... We couldn't do without!

Today is Neil's last day of Spring break, and we're ending the vacation on a sluggish, but oh so yummy note: Chinese take out! And yes, today is Monday. But vacation ending trumps Monday. So there.

*Plus my goal of becoming a runner by the end of the year isn't going to happen on it's own. But now that the weather is nice, I'll take the attempt to the streets....

Tomorrow is a new healthy day! (I hope so anyway)