365...................

This was me 1 year ago...........




So today marks my one year mark of turning my life around. In the fitness department. One year ago I woke up and decided to do SOMETHING. I committed to myself to work out 1 hour a day for an entire year. Due to the last month of traveling for a death in the family. Then coming home and getting sick. I did not reach as many days as I wanted. And I can easily get hung up on that. But today, TODAY I am Thankful that the Lord has given me the strength, will power, and desire to make this change. I did complete 318 days....and for someone who has never worked out consistently, that is HUGE. So what are the results of 1 year committed to health? Well I have almost lost 20lbs. It's coming off S-l-o-w-l-y...but it is still coming off. No radical ways of doing it. I am just eating good whole foods and moving my body. I have seen 3.5 inches come off my waist alone, 3 inches in each leg and 2 on each arm. So the changes have kept me going. Even when I did not really want to go on. I can wear jeans all day and not feel like I am dying. I feel much better about myself. I can do a lot more things that I thought were possible. People tell me I am getting thinner and that is really nice to hear. But I did not do this for anyone but myself, husband and kids. So here is to a year. I can not tell you how much this one thing (exercising) has done in my life. I have a desire to be more disciplined. In everything isn't that GREAT? Well it has been great for me. Oh and one more thing this morning as I made homemade donuts for my family. I honestly did not desire them at all. I am content with my egg on toast. Now that was not the case last year. Last year I sat pinning and watching as they enjoyed them. So if that was the only change I would be grateful. Because my mind is in a different place. So since it has been forever and it is my anniversary I thought I would share with you all my fun experience.....and it will not stop here!!!!


Blessings,
Vicki


This is me in the same outfit. I don't seem to resemble the Pillsbury dough boy...busting out.

Just because it's been a month.......

OK I am so sorry that it has been so long. I apologize really I do. But life has just been happening like crazy here. I got 2 baby calves and they are work. I have a great story but maybe later on in the week you can hear it. We are doing a Charlotte Mason co-op that all of us just LOVE. We are also taking a Spanish class. So you may get some Espanol thrown at you. And I just recently took a quick trip to South Texas. My aunt got sick and then passed away. It was all so fast. But so incredible. We prayed her into the arms of Jesus. I really can not think of a better way to enter his gates. OK well we should be doing school so.....I will blog more later in the week. I miss you all:)

love,
Vicki

Gotta tell you about my new place!!!

OK so a friend told me about a place she heard of that was like a huge garage sale. I heart Garage sales. So I let her go and tell me if it was something to check out. We all went and we were immediately hooked. This place if you just look at it looks like it is filled with junk. But upon closer examination you will find treasures. We have now gone 3 times in 2 weeks. We have been blown away with our finds. It a garage salers heaven as I have described it on FB. There is a pile of clothes that is a mile high and I am not exaggerating. There are books, house things, old luggage's, nick knacks, furniture, toys, and stuff, stuff and a little more stuff! Here is a list of what we have bought on our trips thus far:

Trip #1
clothes
books
toys
bean bag chair
old fashion cake pan
a nice frame
We were new to the game. Total cost of that trip was 5.00

Trip #2
clothes
books on my CM book list!
a really cool old fashion toy box
a CD case
awesome knitted blanket
bowl
dog bowl
a lunch box for Bryce
mugs, mugs and more mugs
pop up tent
bread machine that she said was a dollar
helmet
football pads
a butter dish that I looked up online and it sales for 20.00
and much more 40 items total was 8.00 Each item was 14 cents.

Trip #3
a brand new router
a brand new kitchen aid tea kettle that's RED
a purse
a headphone set
book
pens
pen bag
2 large bean chairs
1 large blow up globe
a back pack
wicker basket thing for my mom
Today we spent 5.00 for all of this stuff. So today's items were 29 cents each.

Colin Plays Football......

We are not a sporty family. Let me just get that out. We have not ever had the desire to put our kids in the ugliness of organized sports. Some people are mean, crazy, over zealous and just plain weird. Now others are kind, encouraging and good natured people. But it's the craze's I have had no desire to be around. So we have played sports as a family or with other families. Anyhow Colin has been asking to play. Now when I say ask I mean for like 3 years. Not just this random thing. Well this year we decided that if it was what he wanted then we would definitely let him have the experience. This decision was made with much thought and prayer. The Lord worked out all the kinks and believe me there were some kinks. But now my son AKA My Love is a football player. Can someone please tell me how this has happened? I mean he is my baby boy that I love with all my heart and can see him as a little guy. The one that would come up to me and put my head in his little hands and profess his undying love for me. The boy that would tell me how beautiful he thought I was. The boy that was my little man. How in the world did he grow up? Well he has but he is still My Love. And yes I did embarrass him. Because after all that is what Mother's do. We say "be careful My Love, I LOVE you honey, got get the ball precious, you can do this Angel, Mommy's here if you need me son or Did that boy hurt my baby?" I mean really what would this world be without us mother's? OK well sorry for the rambling it is easy to do.......Here you go, here are pics of My Love...AKA The Football Player:)


They get the whole experience......



Team Meeting........



This prayer was for the Moms:) Jk but it was neat to see them do this!



Are you ready for some FOOTBALLLLL!!!



Let's go # 94 that's my baby:)


Who hit him??



I am so proud of him......

She found ME:)

Let me introduce you to the newest member of our Family..........

Her name is Hazel. If you know me at all you know that I should have been born in the 50's. I Love anything old! OK so back to the dog. I was visiting my brother's house. It was Friday night and it was just Lucy and me. So after eating dinner...Oh wait did I tell Aminta Thanks?......................OK I called her and thanked her for the wonderful meal:0 So now after eating we went outside to enjoy all the traffic. It's what you do in a small city. If there is any traffic..well it's worth checking out. The traffic was for the first Home football game. Anyhow we were sitting on the front porch when these guys passed by. Following them was the cutest dog. I thought she belonged to them. Well they kept walking and she stopped to visit. Instantly me, Lucy and Belen fell in love. After some time and the guys not even turning around......I took her home. I have Never done something like that. But I was alone and apparently cannot be trusted:) I bathed her for an hour she was flea infested. I sang to her, told her stories and just plain enjoyed her. I have felt for awhile that I was ready for a dog. A dog to love. Well I didn't go out to find her she found me....and I am not gonna let her go!! Just FYI we did walk the neighborhood to make sure she did not belong to someone. But as thirsty as she was, she drank three things of water. And how dirty she was I doubt it. So today we took her to the vet for flea medicine. She will be an indoor dog....I am SO HAPPY. She is an awesome dog. She loves us and we love her.......Take a look at my new baby!!!

Today we were COUNTRY.........

OK let me give you some background here...... Bryce had an extra job to go look at, so naturally(not really) we tagged along. I met this lady here at my house at a birthday party. Anyway we went out to their house to see this job. THEN they took us to their chicken houses....the 180,000 chickens. Yes I wrote 180,000 chickens were picked up last night to get processed. But we wanted to take a tour anyway. Well there were 4 chickens that got away they escaped being put on the truck.......So they gave us one. They offered us all 4 but we just decided to take Ralph! Bryce wanted to teach the boys how too process. It was so gross. I took pictures but had to leave when they were gutting it...So there you go. Explanations are good:) We, well I say we very loosely processed a chicken today. I will have to tell you how it tastes later...........Beware some of these pics are gross!!!!!
THE DEED




The Weapon......



Poor Chicken.....



my daughter stood there eating a Popsicle and did not even budge, her Daddy was so PROUD:)



Owen enjoying holding the chicken up.....not really.



He is so happy with himself!



My Fig tree will never be the same!



Really??? He was so excited to walk up to me with this new friend!




Boiled water makes the feathers come off so much easier.......



Plucking away....


Still plucking................



Yes this pic is blurry...Want to know why? Because my husband was chasing me with a chicken foot wanting me to give it a high five!!!



Tanner on the other hand...no pun intended was happy to slap a chicken's foot!



The finished project!!

A MEME: Well I was tagged what can I do but respond???




1. What do you normally smell like? Depends, after I work out like sweat...but then after a shower....well like me:)

2. How far away do you live from your parents?About 8 hours:(

3. Are you happy with your job? Yes, I am.

4. What did you get in the mail today? Nothing yet....still waiting on the mail man.

5.How do you like your steak cooked? Well done indeed!

6. What do you usually order at Taco Bell? Yuck!! I make my own Mexican food:)

7. Have you ever sat all the way through Gone With the Wind? Nope.

8. Have you ever been to Mt Rushmore? Nope.

9. Where is your favorite place (that you have actually been to)? We loved visiting The Grand Canyon....pretty amazing:)

10. What is your favorite candle scent? Pineapple Cilantro....so yummy

11. Have you ever smoked cigarettes? Yes, and sometimes...I still have cravings:((

12. Have you ever been to NYC or LA? Been to LA when I was a kid......I would LOVE to visit New York someday:)

13. Are you currently planning a trip? just got back from vacation...looking forward to spending some time camping in the fall!

14. Do you prefer to pack your own groceries? NO!

15. What is your favorite snack? Sunflower seeds






I tag: Jody, Judy, Jane, Gretchen and Shipra