Labor of Love

"You're Crazy" is something I hear pretty often. Usually followed up by "you're so busy".
I do my best (and usually fail)not to let those statements hurt me or annoy me. My life is my life and no one else really needs to be concerned with my schedule.
I will admit that I sometimes take on a little more than I can handle. I've learned over the years how to juggle my schedule.  I think I am getting pretty good at it!
I am currently working on a fundraiser project that has earned a lot of "you're crazy" comments. I developed "Cookies For A Cure" a number of years ago. It's not an actual business. No business cards or business bank account. It is simply a title to mass cookie making and selling to raise money for something I care about.
I believe in God. I believe He gives each of us talents and we are given a choice on how to use them. Do I believe God has given me the talent of baking? It may sound ridiculous but I truly believe He did. It is a skill I have learned over time and I believe He has placed the desire in my heart to use it for a bigger purpose.
My current "Cookies For A Cure" project is definitely a labor of love. Although 80+ dozen cookies seem overwhelming to others, I find it exciting and humbling. I am thankful I am able to help a deserving family. I spend hours and hours baking, making royal icing, coloring royal icing, thinning the icing, filling the cookies with the icing and waiting for them to dry before I add the details. I absolutely love every moment of that. But the dishes... I don't love the dishes. I simply deal with them as quickly as possible.
Do you have a project that can you consider a labor of love? Surely I cannot be the only "crazy" one out there...

Street Preaching

Something really bugs me every time we go to an Anaheim Ducks game. There are always people out front with signs and bull horns preaching. I've also seen this at most of the races I've run in.

I am a Christian. I love God and Jesus with everything in me. I *hope* I show God's love in everything I do. I am not even close to being perfect. I am, however, honest about my faith. People who know me, know I have a relationship with the Lord and that it comes first in my life.

All that being said, there is something about street preachers that really bothers me. Perhaps its the signs that say " God punishes sin" on one side then "Jesus loves you" on the other. To me this sends a mixed message. You're telling people that God is going to punish them while in the next breath you're telling them that Jesus loves them.

Are there consequences for sin? Yes.
Does Jesus love you? Yes.
Does God want people to be alcoholics, druggies, liars, adulterers, greedy, etc? No.
Does God still love you despite those sins/imperfections? Yes.

I've never been an "in your face" kind of person or Christian so the bull horns and giant signs are a big turn off for me.

I understand their intentions. Especially at sporting events because there are thousands of people in a concentrated area so you can, potentially, reach more people in a short amount of time. I get it. You want to see people come to Christ and serve a mighty God. Do you really feel yelling at them is the right tactic?

The other night Jared and I were waiting in the security line at the Honda Center and one of the street preachers was arguing with people in line. Arguing. Not exactly the way to "win" someone over for the Lord. Neither of us disagreed with what the man was saying but we definitely disagreed with how he was saying it. He wasn't the first one I've seen acting this way. He won't be the last.

You can be passionate. You can be excited and bold and honest. Jesus was a patient teacher. He loved people. He loved through His words, His actions, His life and His death. How many times did Jesus take simple things like a mustard seed and turn it into a story. Jesus sat amongst the people and talked with them. Jesus loved the unlovable. I wish those with the bull horns focused more on the love of God than on the wrath. There is so much negative, anger, hurt, fear in this world. Why make God look like this angry God that just wants to punish people. Have you forgotten that sin breaks God's heart? Have you forgotten that God is merciful and loving? We are His babies. He wants to hold us close and calm our fears. He wants to give us an abundant life. Offer hope to people out in the world, not more fear. Think before you preach.

50/50 Plan: Update

Week 50 has come and gone. I did not meet my weight loss goal in that time.

Strangley, I am OK with that. It was a goal, yes but it won't break me. I have lost over 38 pounds so far and I am still going strong. I've learned so much on this journey and I will continue it until I meet or beat my goal.

In the last year I have run 2 half marathons, multiple 5Ks, a 15K and a 10K. My mile time has dropped from about 11:20-12:00 min/miles to about 1045-11:15/min miles. A few seconds or even a minute may not seem like much but it means a lot to a runner. A PR (personal record) can be missed by 1 second. It is frustrating, trust me.

I've definitely learned the balance of eating healthy but enjoying what I eat. Most days I eat really well. I definitely have my days where all I want are cookies, crackers, chips etc. Occasionally I give in. I don't even feel bad about it. I work hard and I allow myself some freedom in what foods I eat.

The holidays were OK. I think I gained around 3-4 pounds. Honestly, I wasn't paying too close attention to it. I knew I could gain and I was ok with that, too. This is a life journey. I plan on eating well and working out for as long as I can. This means I can make those splurges and not feel guilty about it.

So, the journey continues. I am excited for what 2013 holds!

Celebrating 3 Years!

I'm only about 2 1/2 months late in writing this...

On July 1st Jared and I celebrated 3 years of dating. This year we actually had 4 1/2 days off together. A few days before our anniversary, we started by hitting up the Del Mar Fair. We aren't really into the terrifying rides so we stick to the exhibit halls and check out the many many products being sold. We particularly love the ones with free samples! OH and the mini donut booth!! Have you ever been to that? They make the most uhhh-mazing mini donuts that are hot and covered in cinnamon sugar. We may or may not have eaten a whole dozen.  I had a $4 corn dog... or what I like to call a mini corn dog. It looked like half the size of an average hot dog. Lame! But when in Rome, have some fried food at the fair. Including a deep fried Snickers. Delicious!

Thursday was a pretty low-key day. Jared came over to my place and I made us lunch. Italian Panini's. We watched a couple movies then got ready for our fancy-smancy dinner at Pamplemousse Grille in Del Mar. We've only been there twice but the food is incredible. And expensive. SO worth it though. I've been on track with my weight loss so I finally got to wear a dress I've had for 2 years. Jared's smile told me it was worth the wait. He looked pretty hot himself.. dress shirt, tie, slacks... Oh yes. He looked good! Our server was so nice and very helpful.

Here's what our dinner looked like. Pictures don't do it justice: 



Appetizer: Tempura Rock Shrimp w/Plum Sauce



Jared's Dinner: Koby Beef burger w/ Truffle Cheese and Truffle Fries

Jared's Dessert: Stone Fruit Cobbler w/ Oatmeal Crumble and Toasted Coconut Gelato



My Dinner: Mixed Grille of Ahi, Salmon and Seabass







My Dessert: Chocolate-Caramel Cake, Salted Caramel Sauce

Vanilla Gelato

 

Friday we were supposed to go ice skating but one of us fell asleep. It may or may not have been the blogger herself. I'm never gonna tell! At any rate, Jared made dinner for us and we lounged all evening. Those are some of my most favorite moments!

Saturday we had a "fun" filled day at the reptile show. Not exactly my cup of tea but my guy loves him some reptiles. The things we do for our men I tell ya! Only one near heart-stopping moment when a little girl shrieked. Moments before I had noticed a woman holding a tarantula and I was certain it had gotten loose, causing the little girl to freak out. I nearly bolted for the door. Thankfully the lady still had the disgusting furry spider on her hand. (Shudder!)

Sunday was our actual anniversary. Funny thing is, we had nothing planned for that day. We really didn't do much but we did spend the day together.

Every day I thank God for blessing me with a man like Jared. He is by no means perfect and neither am I. I could go on and on with the mushy, lovey-dovey things but I will leave it at this:

So many years I prayed, cried and asked God "why" He hadn't brought the right man into my life yet. On July 1, 2009 I knew exactly why He had me wait and I would do it all over again. Jared is truly my other half. He reads my thoughts, knows my heart, completes my sentences, hugs me when I cry, apologizes when he was wrong and loves me so fully and completely every single day. Thank You God for this incredible gift. I cherish it.

Focused in February

I am happy in my life. So happy, in fact, that sometimes I can't believe this is my life. God is so good! That's not to say that there aren't daily struggles or trials etc. but I am remembering more and more that we have a Lord and Savior that holds us in his hands every single day. He knows what He is doing, even if we can't figure out what is going on.

In February I want to focus on a few particular things. Things that are important to me and that I feel need a little more attention than I have been giving them. It's like I know I should be giving it more attention but I am waiting for it to happen on its own. It is said that after 3 weeks (or 21 days), something becomes habit. I want better habits in my life.

*God: reading daily devotions and spending more time in prayer
*Jared: praying for him daily and encouraging him as much as I can
*Nutrition: Saying goodbye to processed sugars. i.e. cookies, candy, cakes etc.
*Cross Training: working out 6 days a week. Whether it is push ups and sit ups at home, a long run or hitting the weights at the gym

What are some things in your life that need more of your attention than you've previously been willing to give? I challenge you to focus on those things during the month of February.

To remin myself of what I need to focus on in the coming month, I've written myself little notes. One to put by my bedside , one in my wallet, one on my fridge and one in my bathroom on the mirror.

The 50/50 Plan Update: Week 2

Week 2 wasn't stellar for me. I slacked quite a bit, wasn't diligent in watching what I ate and definitely didn't work out as much as usual.

Honestly, I didn't feel guilty about indulging at Bucca Di Beppo. It was my guy's birthday celebration and I wasn't going to eat celery and brown rice while he chowed on Eggplant Parmesan. We ate and enjoyed.

Wednesday was the worst food day by far. The other days were ok but not great.

Mentally I feel clear and ready to keep going on this journey. I am happy and proud of myself. I still have confidence in myself that I will reach my goal of 50 pounds.

I decided that I need a reward system for myself. At first I thought maybe pedicures and a massage. Maybe a new shirt or new pair of pants. What I finally decided on was a new wardrobe. After I lose 50 pounds I want to toss out all of the clothes I have (donate, not throw away) and start a new wardrobe. By that time none of my current clothes will fit me.

I've opened a second savings account and I am putting $10 in for every pound lost. So for week 1 I put $50 in there. During the weeks that I gain or lose 0, no extra money will go into the account.

So here it is... the numbers:
Starting weight : 191.00
Ending weight: 191.5

Gain: 0.5lbs
Total Lossed: 4.5lb in 2 weeks

I am not stoked about that half pound gain BUT that just keeps me going. I can't change anything from week 2.What's done is done. Now I move on and keep pressing towards the goal.

Braving Black Friday

I've come to realize that people have very strong opinions about shopping on Black Friday. Me? I don't really care about it either way. Sure, there are things on sale and a few killer deals out there but chances are, I am not looking for any of that stuff. Plus, most of the items will continue to be on sale until the end of the Christmas holiday.

On the way home from Nana's house I thought I'd cruise by a few stores, just to see what it was like. Jared is a sweetheart and offered to go to Toys R Us with me Thursday night. He was worried about me being out late by myself. The line was insane! I mean, wrapped around the building and the whole nine yards. Lines longer that those at Disneyland. No thanks! Plus it was cold and I am a wimp when it comes to cold. I didn't need or want anything that bad.

I slept toasty warm in my bed then heading to KMart Friday morning about 6am. Unfortunately I have aquired the "early riser" trait form my mom. So I wandered the store and found a few things that I had been looking at. The store wasn't busy at all. I had zero waiting in line to check out.

My oldest brother, Jimmy, called to let me know a particular item I had been looking for was at the Target in Escondido. They grabbed one for me and I went down there. I was shocked at how empty the store was. I thought it would be crazy. I walked around for a bit and checked off more items from my list. It felt like a normal shopping day at Target. The shopping center also had a Toys R Us. I was a little more nervous to go in there. People can be down right nasty when it comes to toys.

Much to my surprise, the store wasn't busy. Similar to the crowd at Target. I walked around and found everything I wanted. People helped me get things down that were too high for me, I helped someone pick up a display they knocked over. A few of us joked around about this and that. It was actually... fun. I know I won't get this lucky every year but I am happy with how this year turned out. It is really the first Black Friday I've ever tackled. I may or may not do it again next year.

I think a big part of it was my attitude. I didn't have to get anything or everything. I didn't have to spend hours upon hours looked for the one special item. I had a "well, let's see what happens" attitude. I have a lot of fun Christmas shopping. I know Christmas is not about the gifts but it is one small , fun, part of it. What really made my day great was being extra nice to those working at the stores and thanking them for their help and working on such a crazy day. I can only imagine the mean things people said to them at the wee hours of the morning.

With all that said, shopping is fun but I definitely don't want to miss out on the true meaning of the holiday: The Birth of our Savior, time with family, time to give, time with our friends, cherishing sweet moments. Every moment.

Holiday To-Do

I love the holidays. Mostly Christmas but I enjoy Thanksgiving also. I feel that the Thanksgiving holiday gets the shaft every year. We amp up for Halloween then speed race past Thanksgiving and dive right into Christmas. I want to savor every moment I am able to spend with the people I love.

So I thought of some things I would like to do between now and the end of the holiday season. In no particular order:

* Host a "Crafts and Cocktails" night
* Buy a cup of coffee for a stranger
* Give to someone in need. i.e. "angel tree" or the like
* Linger in the mall while Christmas shopping, enjoying the decorations and music
* Spend an afternoon listening to Christmas music and wraping gifts
* Watch "Elf", "The Holiday", "A Christmas Story" and "The Family Stone"
* Watch classics like Grinch, Rudolph and Frosty with my nieces and nephews
* Bake cookies
* Attend December Lights
* Drive around neighborhoods, checking out Christmas lights/displays
* Make a special dinner for Jared and spend an evening decorating the Christmas tree
* Volunteer for a toy drive or charity
* Drive up to Julian and nibble on Apple Cider Donuts and sip hot coffee with my dear friend
* Mail Christmas Cards
* Attend Alissa and Justen's Choir/Orchestra/Band winter concerts
* Roast a turkey

It is a tall order but I am excited about it! What are some things YOU would like to do this holiday season?

10 Years Ago...



9.11.01 Never Forget.



Ten years ago I was a Resident Assistant and  Sophomore at Vanguard University. I was up early getting ready for class. It was a normal morning. Until the knock on my dorm room door. Pounding is more like it. Pounding and yelling. A lot of yelling. "Shannon we are under attack! The United States is under attack". The girls from my floor gathered around a tiny television set and watched the footage. Shortly after my mom called to check on me. We only talked for a few minutes and I remember regretting that later in the day. Everything was so uncertain and I had only spent maybe 5 minutes on the phone with my mom.

I proceeded to class where everyone sat in silence. Tears flowing , eyes big with fear and uncertainty. Our professor could barely speak. We joined in prayer as a class then proceeded to Chapel where the entire school gathered and prayed. And prayed. And prayed some more.

Ten years later the emotions are just as raw. The memories just as alive.

This morning I stood in my shower and cried. Grieving, like it just happened today, for the thousands of lives lost. Civilians, Fire Fighters, Port Authority, Police Officers, and Military. Not only on that day but since.

What was meant to cause chaos, fear and uncertainty drew a Nation together. We've stood strong, fought back and overcome.

I will never forget 9.11.01. I will remember every day for the rest of my life. To those that gave their lives that day and who continue to fight for our freedom and serve our cities/states/country... Thank You.

The Name Game and a Giveaway

Ok soo here's what I want... a new name for my blog. I am working on a full blog makeover. It will take time though.

 What I am hoping for:
1) Legit name options. Things that represent me, my faith, my job, my hobbies ... things along those lines.
2) LOTS of options

After the ideas are given, I will post a poll on my blog for you, the faithful few, to vote on. I know this doesn't sound super exciting (yet) but the person that comes up with the winning name, will also win a prize: A homemade gift, from me to you. A Big ole THANKS! How does that sound?

So make sure you put your name and email address when you add the comment with your name idea.
*** Please make comments on blogger only, not facebook. It is too hard to go back on facebook and see who left comments.*****

A Little Bit of Change

You may or may not have noticed that I changed the look of my blog. It is still a work in progress. Truth be told, I don't really know what I am doing. I can peruse the basic layouts that blogger offers and click " add to blog" no problem. The thing is, I don't really love any of the backgrounds offered. Oh well. I will keep looking.

Something I've wanted to do for a while is change the name of my blog from "Adventures in Shannon". I want something that expresses who I am. Not just the baker in me or the dispatcher or my faith but something that encompasses all that I am.

Sadly, I am drawing a blank. So I come to you, my faithful few, to help me rename my blog. Leave a comment with your suggestions. After a little bit of time, I will choose my top 5 choices and have all of you vote on it.

And if anyone out there knows how I can venture from the very limited selection of blogger templates/backgrounds, please please puhhleeease let me know!

Sometimes in Life...

Sometimes in life things happen that kind of rock you. They make take a look at all you have in your life and remember that a bad day is simply that, a day.

I recently stumbled upon a blog and her husband passed away suddenly. She encourage everyone to make a Peanut Butter Pie in his honor and the blogging community stepped up and honored Mikey. (Please take a moment to follow that last link to see everyone that paid tribute. I hope it touches your heart like it did mine)
She has touched my life. I am so sad for her. It made me realize, even more, how precious life is. I cannot imagine losing Jared. The very thought makes my heart pound and tears fill my eyes.

Last month my fire family lost a dear friend. I can't believe it has been just a little over a month. It feels like yesterday but also a lifetime ago. So many people are still hurting and they are walking around in a fog.

A yound married couple I know is really struggling. One willing to throw in the towel while the partner fights with every bit of strength they have. They aren't communicating well and it is putting a huge strain on the relationship.

A friend is having to make a very difficult decision about a relationship in their life. Walk away or stay? Both options are very painful but which one is the best choice?

Three friends have just announced their pregnancies. They are all nervous, excited and occasionally puking. It is an exciting and joyful time. I am so happy for each of them!

Through all of these things, all of them have remained hopeful and positive. They remember all they have and all that is yet to come. Although I am sad for some of  them, I find each of them so encouraging. They've reminded me how much I have and how blessed I am by the many wonderful people in my life.

I may not get to see my friends every day (or even talk to them) but they are still there. They always will be. I have a best friend that is beautiful, talented and has the most precious kids but we get very few days together. Regardless of time, we are in eachother's hearts and minds always. I love her and my life wouldn't be the same without her. I have a friend that emails me weekly to talk about life, God, the future etc. Even if we talk about the same things every week, I look forward to the emails. Some friends only contact me via facebook and thats how we keep up on eachother's lives. There are friends from high school and college that are always on my heart. Sweet people that I care about and know my life is better just by having them in it.

My family lives no more than 10 minutes from me but we don't get much time together. It stinks sometimes but that just makes our time together that much sweeter. No matter the time, day, place or specifications of the need, they will always be there for me and they will always drop what they are doing to help me or someone else. They bring a richness and a fullness to my life.

I have an incredible man in my life that would do anything for me and I for him. We've been learning alot from our Love Dare Devotional. We are communicating better, learning to be more patient and take everything one day at a time. He has a family that is wonderful and I love them. I couldn't ask for better (future) in laws.

I am blessed beyond measure. I am so very thankful. I love my life and I cannot thank God enough for all of you that are part of it.

Celebrating Two Years: Part 2

For dinner Jared decided we would go to Troy's. A Greek restaurant in the Allied Gardens area. We had our favorite appetizer of "Soggy Nachos" (the real name is Saganaki)

Fresh Pita bread and sizzling hot cheese...oh so good



We enjoyed Gyros, Rice Pilaf, Chicken and Beef too. I love that place.

Since Jared and I each planned half the day, he was in charge of planning something after dinner.
Jared hasn't had the greatest track record when it comes to planning stuff. He's not a planner by nature so it really means a lot when he plans something. Unfortunately things just happen when he does. He planned an outing to Balboa Park for Valentine's Day, it rained. He planned a trip to the zoo, he got a flat tire. This time... he planned a bon fire and smore's on the beach after dinner.

He may or may not have forgotten a blanket to sit on and skewers to roast the marshmallows on. Oops. We stopped by the store to get the ingredients for dessert and we were certain we would find a couple beach towel and metal skewers.It is summer after all and those are staples for just about anyone , right? We struck out at Vons but we just knew Rite Aid would have what we needed. We did one lap and found nothing. We split up and searched every aisle. Nothing. We finally settled on wooden skewers and Jared promised to hold mine so I wouldn't catch on fire. There were no beach towels or blankets anywhere in site so we settle on a couple of $10 beach chairs. If I hadn't been wearing a dress, we would've just plopped down on the sand.
45 minutes later we were on our way to the beach. When we got there we found there were no fire pits available. We saw one from a distance so we high tailed it over there only to be beat out by a couple of guys that were about 50 yards ahead of us. Darn it.

Dessert plans set aside, we walked along the boardwalk for a while and stood by the jetty. It was the same place we went after our first dinner date. I was still in the mood for dessert so we walked through Belmont Park and found an ice cream shop. The lady scooping  ice cream was quite generous with the servings. I kid you not, we each got about 4 large scoops. We could have  shared one. regardless, it was delicious.

We couldn't help but laugh about the fact that when Jared plans, something goes wrong.
On Saturday we did a bit of a do-over date at my place. We made dinner, watched a movie and made ghetto smore's.. aka roasting marshmallows over a candle.

They weren't fancy and they weren't on the beach over a bon fire but boy did they taste good! We decided next year we are just going to stay home and chill.
Happy Anniversary Jared. Thank You for everything you have brought to my life. I love you!

Celebrating Two Years: Part 1

On July 1st Jared and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary. Two years... wow. Where has the time gone? We decided to split up the planning responsibility so I planned the first half of the day and did the last half.
I wanted to plan something I knew he would really like.

Much to my dismay elation, there have been an abundance of comic book movie that have come out this summer. Thor, The Green Lantern, X-Men First Class, and soon Captain America. We've seen the first two and I knew Jared wanted to see X-Men so I looked up show times and we went. I will be honest, I didn't love it as much as I did the first ones. I was confused on who was who. What is it with doing the prequel after the other movies? For those of us that don't follow comic books, it is a little frustrating. Oh well. I am sure I will watch it again some day... 20 years from now.

After the movie we headed to the Birch Aquarium. Jared has always enjoyed the aquariums at Sea World so I knew he would like this. I thought the place would be bigger but we enjoyed ourselves. We saw a lot of strange things like:

Rock Fish

Entirely too many types of jelly fish...

An Octopus:

It is in the top Left corner



Leopard Sharks and a Giant Sea Bass:

And some really beautiful aquariums and tide pools:

 We also had a great view of the ocean:

We were only there a couple of hours but we definitely had a good time!

The Reptile Show

You know you really love someone when you go to a place that hold your worst nightmare withing its four walls. I don't like reptiles. Especially snakes. They scare me and creep me out. Unfortunately I have a boyfriend that really likes reptiles. Joy.

A couple weeks ago the "Reptile Super Show" was in town.. exciting, right?...

I knew Jared would want to go so in an attempt to be a good girlfriend, I told him about it. Surprise of all surprises... he wanted to go.

So, we went.

I did find this ginormous Iguana kind of facinating. Simply because of its size. I couldn't tell it was real at first. Then it moved.

Rest assure I did not get as close as this picture seems. Thank you Lord for zoom.

I stood well back while Jared investigated the many many many MANY (too many!!!) species of snakes they had on hand.

I didn't even bother going down this aisle. Talk about my worst nightmare...

Yeah, those are all snakes. That's not ok.

I didn't want Jared to rush through the show on my account so I hung back near these guys so Jared could take his time looking around.



If you can't tell, that's a tortoise of some kind.

It wasn't all bad. Aside from the hundreds of snakes and huge spiders, There were a few things that were sorts of  cool to see.

Like this:

And these little guys (so cute!)

Jared had a great time to it was well worth the couple hours of torture reptiles. If I had the chance, I would do it all over again simply because I love him.

Sweet Summertime

It is officially Summer. Although I am not a lover of the 100+ heat, I enjoy the longer days and cool breeze of the evenings. I don't generally do too much during the summer months (other than work) but this year I want it to be different. I want to do stuff like :

* Drink more lemonade and iced tea
* Lay on the couch with my love, a lot.
* Visit the Birch Aquarium
* Go to Sea World and see the new Sea Turtles Exhibit
* An evening on the beach cooking smore's
* BBQs with friends
* Quality time with my best friend
* Take my nieces and nephews to the Zoo/Wild Animal Park
* Picnic
* Do a 30 day photo project
* Do the P90X program ( I know... not exactly fun but definitely a goal)
* Color with some kiddos
* Read
* Try a new restaurant or two
* Walk on the beach
* More Ladies Nights Out

I've Been "Biebered"

OK don't hate me for selling out to this "teen sensation". Not all of his music is annoying. In fact, he really does have a great voice and is quite talented. I can't bash the 12 year old girls that burst into tears at the sound of him clearing his throat. Fact is, in High School my friends and I were obsessed enjoyed some boy band music. We may or may not have spent countless hours making signs for the concert or driving around San Diego like lunatics trying to win the Channel 93.3 scavenger hunt. There were front row tickets and back stage passes at stake, after all. We may or may not have shed a tear (or two) during "God Must Have Spent".

So when I heard this Justin Bieber song and watch the video, I sort of found a small place in my heart for the kid. It is a beautiful song and, in my opinion, a thought provoking video. It shows things we don't want to think about. We know they exist but as long as we don't see them, all is good.

Take a few minutes and watch.

Sticks and Stones

Who ever came up with the phrase "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" was sadly mistaken.

Words are sharper than any knife, faster than any bullet, more dense and destructive than any bat or frying pan. Words reach into your heart and pierce the very center; leaving a gaping hole that takes a long time to heal. Days, weeks, months... sometime years. Words don't just have the power to hurt but to destroy. They have the power to take all sense of self worth, hope, trust, joy and peace right out from under you.

Usually I choose my words carefully but I do have a temper and I don't always control what I say. Whether I meant what I said or not doesn't matter. I still said it and I shouldn't have.

I've tried to live my life with no regrets. All of that has changed with one sentence. One sentence has made me regret the decision to speaks the words I didn't mean. In the process of my poor decision making, someone was hurt. Badly. I can't take the words back. I can't take the hurt away. I can't help but be so disappointed in myself for uttering words, that I didn't mean, while I was frustrated.

This has been the most aweful 24 hours of my life. I've hurt someone so precious and dear to me. I've tore a whole in the heart of a beautiful person that loves unconditionally and would do anything for their friends or family. I know how much I am hurting over this so I can only imagine how much worse it is for that person.

So friends, be careful with your words. Stop for a moment and think before you speak. Don't say things you don't mean. Learn from my mistake. The stakes are high and it is not worth the gamble.

Blogging Madness

Over the last year or so I have started following more and more blogs. Most of them have something to do with baking or cooking. These women are all amazing and I wonder, how in the world, they have time to raise a family, bake some incredible desserts and blog just about every day. How??

My blogging is sporadic, at best. There's nothing consistent about it. In fact, I do a lot of blogging while I am at work. It is currently 1:21am and I am sitting in the dark at my work station typing away. My days off are so full of stuff... although it is hard to ramble off a list of things I did when someone asks. My brain is mush these days. Maybe it has something to do with the fact I work an average of 200+ hours a month? Noooo. It couldn't be. **whoops... tangent, back to the topic at hand**

Every.Single.Blog. I follow is inspiring to me in some way. I have flound some pretty amazing recipes and ideas on these blogs. I thought I would share some of them with you. I don't know any of these women personally but they feel like friends. They share their joys, frustrations and lots of laughs. I hope some of them can inspire you like they did me.

Tidy Mom
Bake at 350
Sweet Sugar Belle
I am Baker
I am Mommy
Food For my Family
Bluebonnets and Brownies
Little Bitty Bakes
Eat Live Run
Bakerella

Falling Behind/Biggest Winner Halfway!

Oh dear... I am so behind on my blog. I haven't posted a picture since March 21st?!? I have a whole 10 days work of "Photo a Day" pictures to post, Oye. Where did my days off go?

In other news, last week marked the half way point in the "Biggest Winner Challenge" through Ramona Fitness Center. My goal was to lose 6 pounds in the first 3 weeks. That's 2 pound per week.. a healthy rate. Of course I would love to shed the 10 at a time like they do on "The Biggest Loser" TV show but that just isn't healthy for me.

As of the half way weigh in, I have lost 5.8 pounds. A mere .02 pounds from my goal. Someone told me I should just round that to an even 6. I might do that for my personal records but that is the official number for the competition. At the half way mark I have lost about 2 inches on my waist and about an inch on my hips. I am pretty happy with my numbers so far. It has been a lot of hard work but definitely worth it.

A lot of people have been asking me how I am staying motivated or how I got motivated in the first place. Well, one day I decided that I wasn't happy with how I looked and the only person that couldchange it was me. I didn't want to do some crash diet. No slim fast, no Atkins or South Beach, no Trim Spa or Hydroxy-cut. I simply wanted to eat the things I like and get moving. You know what? It has worked. I cut down the portions and I changed the way I cook things. I set small goals for myself like eat 2 additional servings of vegetable a week or walk for 10 minutes one time this week. The more I achieved those goals, the more excited I became and the motivation continued. Of course there are always those days where you don't want to do anything. On those days I made myself go anyway. Even if I did an easy walk for 5 minutes, I was there and doing something.

You know that saying "Mind over Matter"? It is so true. The biggest battle is getting yourself off the couch or out of the chair and doing something. Don't have money for a gym membership? Go walking. It's raining? Find an indoor workout online from Bob Harper or Jillian Michaels. The thing is, you will always find an excuse not to do something. I'm sore, I'm tired, I don't have time, I don't know what to do. Well, if you're sore drink a lot of water and get moving. Best way to ease the soreness is to get those muscles warm. If you're tired it is partially because you're not up and moving so you're losing energy. If you don't have time, wake up just 5 minutes earlier and start the day with a few jumping jacks or sit ups. And if you don't know what to do, use your resources online or the people you know that work out.

If I can do it, you can do it. It isn't easy. There are days when you want to quit. It is, however, rewarding. So like Nike says "Just Do It".