It's been a week since I've posted!

Honestly, I don't know how the days fly by so quickly! It doesn't feel like it's been a week. . .but here we are.

So for Mother's Day Ken bought me a digital picture frame that cycles through 40 pictures! He even uploaded about 15 pics into it so I could turn it on and enjoy! *Most* of the pictures in the frame were pictures of a picture, since we didn't have a digital camera until recently, so nothing was saved on a disc or in the computer. Here are a few!

Ken and I on July 20Th, 1996. Seriously, this feels like a LIFETIME ago!!


Even a little further back still---this was from our dating days.

Onto the next subject!!

Can you see the tree leaves flying sideways here!? Yesterday was SOOOO windy--I guess this isn't really the best picture to show it. . .but I tried. Notice the cat crouching down on the railing, bracing himself against the gusts!!

WHIRLY BIRDS! AGH! I can't stand them. There are two BIG trees in neighbor's yards that let these things go. My gutter shields are loaded with them and I'm constantly picking them out of my potted plants.

Ok folks, I promise to put forth ALL THE EFFORT I can muster up to get the next post up before next Thursday! (HA!) Seriously, maybe this weekend!!

Another issue to fix. . .

I just noticed that the time stamp at the bottom of my posts is wrong. It's off by 2 hours. I'll have to see how to fix that.

Never too late

I titled this post as I did becuase I went out for a walk at 2 in the afternoon today. *MY* logic (not that I ever claimed it to good logic) is that if I can't get a workout in before a morning shower, then the hopes of working out is pretty much lost for the day. I had a slow morning today and wasn't feeling ambitious about ANYTHING. After I had rasin bran for lunch I was a bit more awake/alert and the desire to get outside and enjoy the gorgeous day was nearly overwhelming! I got dressed, pulled my hair into a low ponytail, filled my water bottle and walked out the door. IMMEDIATLY I felt better! Seriously, like two steps out I was feeling HAPPY. I walked my 'long' walk route and felt FANTASTIC every step of the way!

I'm not saying it wasn't work.

I'm not saying I didn't sweat.

But I felt so great for getting out there and working hard, even though I was in 'normal' clothes, not 'workout' clothes. (Another piece of 'logic' I need to surpress.) I pushed my overweight self up the rolling sidewalks and pulled myself past doubt and fear. It felt SO GOOD to feel the warm sun, the warm breeze and to know that I was really doing something good for my heart, lungs, arteries, and though it all I was burning up the excess feul that happens to be hanging all over my body. THIS, ladies and gentelmen, is what it is going to take for me to lose this weight. Oh I know, I know---that last sentence might not exactly be a breakthrough thought to you, but something really clicked in my head today.

New plantings

Once these plants take off and fill out, everything is going to be beautiful! I'm so excited :) In this pot there is a sun colius, a vew vina vines, white allysum, and I don't know the name of the orange and red ones in the middle. (Remember, click on the pic and you'll always get a closer view.)



These hangin pots will have allysum spilling out over the front and geraniums popping out the top! The greenery is asparagus ferns, which will also get much bigger! At the foot of the planter are pots with merigolds in the front and LOTS of wave petunias all around it! The will COVER those tan pots and all you'll see is flowers!

This hosta is one of my biggest. . .it's not done sprouting yet!

Once these vinca vines really start trailing down I"ll take a pic of this from the grass. You are looking at one of four planters hanging off the back of my deck. Vinca vines on either side a gerbera daisies in the middle. Hm. My grass looks decent in this shot.

I can't wait to see everything take off!! I'll throw in a few shots here and there as I get excited! (Who, me? Excited? noooooo. . .)

New title

I was reeeeeally getting bored with the first title for my blog, so I came up with a new one. This blog is more than just about art work and weight loss---it will be all about my life, day to day as well as long term. It's a journey through life. As for the destination, I know my eternity is safe with God!

Keep on keepin' on

I was watching Joyce Meyers this morning after the kids left for school, and I've gotta tell ya how much her sermon spoke to me. I take notes when I can, although most of the time I wish I knew short hand because I can't keep up! I try to get one thought down and she's already on the next sentence!

Look and see what God *IS* doing in your life, and don't be negative about what's NOT happening.

When you decide to do the right thing, God will meet up with you and help you to get it done.

Let me stop here for a second and interject; she went on about 'doing the right thing' as what God wants for you. In other words, pray about something before you decide which road to take, and God will tell you what is in His will for you. Yes, we all have free will (which means we can take God's advice or choose to do things our own way, in our own strength, and our own time) but God's will for us is ALWAYS in our best interest, and when we choose HIS way, it's done in HIS strength, and HIS time. Praise God.

The next thing she said is soooooo true for sooooo many of us! We'll be doing the right thing. We'll do it again and again and AGAIN. Then we start whining, don't we? We talk to God, ask for guidance, ask for a different way, ask what we should do. If we're doing what he wants us to do, He just may say "Do it again." There were examples in scripture of people that had to 'do it again'. And again. And again and again, and EVENTUALLY it worked---in God's timing. (Which, by the way, is always perfect.) She said, " 'Do it again. This might be the time that it breaks the devil's back.'" Amen!

So keep on keepin' on, but check with God first that you're on His path for you. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you', declares the Lord, 'Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans for hope and a future.'"

Peace is defined by Dr. Creflo Dollar as this: Security in the midst of turmoil. I also loved how Pastor Dollar said, "Go to God FIRST, not last! Don't go to Him only when all else has failed and you're desperate."

All of these things spoke to me today, and I just had to share them. I pray they open a door for you.

Read 1 Peter 5:7

God Bless xoxo (flower pictures tomorrow!;)

May is here!

Hello fans! (the ones who haven't given up on me!) I'm back, and I'm ready to start blogging again!

I've got so much to share with you. Right now it's getting dark out so I can't take pictures, but I will tomorrow; I've been busy in the yard--it's going to be beautiful once everything starts taking off and blooming!

The kids are almost done with school and I have a good amount of plans lined up for the summer.

The kitties are getting so big! You won't believe it when you see them!

I've been scrapping in my albums a little bit, and haven't worked since February or March--I NEED to get going on work again! I'll share that once I get to it.

So I'll be here more often now! :)