Weigh In Wednesday

I'm following Sara in her Weigh In Wednesday and am desperately trying to stick with some sort of plan to help me loose some baby weight. My goal is to loose 17 lbs. putting me at a healthy 145. My 8 jeans are feeling quite snug and I would like to slim down a bit. I did a BMI calculator today and this is what I found:

Your Height: 5'11"
Your Weight: 162
Your BMI: 22.6

Underweight = <18.5
Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
Overweight = 25-29.9
Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

So I still fall into the healthy category, but I would rather be near the lower end of the range. Even more important to me would be to feel more toned. Do to being so weak and fatigued, I'm very limited on what I can do but I feel my muscle beginning to atrophy, not fun. I would like my arms, core, legs to be stronger and would like a flatter tummy and smaller thighs (come on, who wouldn't!).

My question is, do you have an eating or exercising program

that you follow, used to follow, or are in love with?

I would love some advice as lately I have been watching my portions sizes closely, but then end up eating more before the day is over because I am sooooo hungry from skimping earlier. Grant literally sucked the fat right off of me, but I was more active then too. This time things are different and the lack of mobility is killing me. I really look forward to getting some great advice from you ladies!!

Faith in Action Friday: My Grown up Christmas List

How often do we as Christians approach God like how as children we approached Santa Clause?

This past week, I started a Bible study at the church I attend MOPs at, titled Discerning the Voice of God. In this first week we talked about how different people believe God speaks to them. Whether you believe He speaks to you through His word, through those around you and opportunities that He opens or closes, through a silent feeling, or with a booming voice from above, God does speak to us.

The real question is, ARE YOU LISTENING? I know that I am totally guilty of going to God in prayer when a hard time arises and I need some help or I go to Him, like Santa, and say I need this, this, & could you give me a little of that. I try to manipulate God ......like we can do that.....to get what I want. I'm always talking, my husband will agree, but if I'm asking all this stuff, why am I not taking time to listen to His answer. Many times I ask for His will and direction, and then immediately go do what I think is best....why did I even consult God if I already knew what I was going to do? Also, I notice, many times, I've already made up my mind long before I even ask, hoping that somehow I'll get God's blessing on my decision, so heaven forbid, I don't get His wrath poured out on me.

It's very hard in our busy lives to truly slow down and just listen to what God's direction is for our lives. We know where WE want to be and what WE want to do, but we are missing out on God's amazing plan for our lives by pushing His will away. I encourage you to listen to God. If you ask Him a question He WILL answer. It may not be the answer you want or in the time you planned it...... but that's another week!

Are there areas in your life that you have made a snap judgment call and then regretted it or realized that you went against God's leading? I know I have, especially when it came to family decisions, it's hard, but we need to ready ourselves like Habakkuk and wait.

Habakkuk 2:1
I will stand at my watch
and station myself on the ramparts;
I will look to see what He will say to me,
and what I shall answer when I am reproved.

Please join me if you like in Discerning the Voice of God!

This post is orginally from my Faith in Action blog, but I will be sharing it with you here on

Faith in Action Fridays!

Thrify & Nifty Thursday

Today was our monthly Le Leche League meeting here in Muskegon and as usual, it was very fun and informative. We talked today about the benefits of breastfeeding. This is the first session in the four part series that LLL revolves around. Sometimes they focus on benefits to mom, sometimes benefits to babies, but today we talked about the benefits to the world around us and how breastfeeding impacts our governments, families, and the Earth.

There were some startling facts thrown out that shocked many of the moms there today, here are a few. Now I have never bought formula so I'm not really sure how much it cost but after discussing all these number and facts, most of us were wondering how many people afford it and one mom brought up, how much of our tax dollars are going toward paying for formula for babies.

• It cost on average $1000.00 in formula to feed ONE baby from birth to 12 months (that doesn't include bottles and other supplies you need for a formula fed baby)
• It cost the government $33,000,000 each MONTH to provide formula for babies on the WIC program
• By breastfeeding for 6 months a family can save $400.00 in doctor/insurance cost (all those wonderful immune boosting, bacteria killing enzymes!)
• Formula containers, bottles, scoops, and all the things that go with formula feeding cause more trash that has to go into landfills (also think about the cost to create, pack, and store)
• Breast milk is ALWAYS available (When Katrina happened many moms were without clean water to mix bottles so LLL worked with many families to re-lactate mothers during this terrible crisis) I think that is super exciting!

These are just a few of the highlights from our meeting today and the overall costs to families, the government and the impact that breastfeeding has on the world around us is astounding....I was shocked. So I'm grateful to the Lord that I have been able to breastfeed my baby boys, not to mention the money we have saved, the healthy start it has giving them, and the fact that I know no matter where we are, I will always be able to top off their little tanks!

How Thrifty!

Fall is on it's way!

I feel fall closing in on us. I am so not ready for the cold weather. There were frost warnings on two day this past week and Tom has started wearing some layers for his ride to the hospital at 5am. We all headed to the park last night after Tom got off work and we had to put on our coats. I invested in winter coats for Grant and myself this past week, so I'm getting prepared. I love love love the summer so I'm sad to see it slipping away. We didn't have much of a summer this year, it was beautifully hot when we left Oklahoma but we had to put on the heater the first week we arrived here and there has only been one day over about 80....we went to the beach!!!

I'm so excited that it's time for the school year to start back because I get to start working with Grant on his lessons, not that we don't learn every day together, but it just signals to me that I can get back out the schedules, have a plan for each day, and not spend all my time working on silly things. I thrive on lists and structure so this gets me excited. (Man I'm lame!)

Morgan seems to be a little happier, so I'm hoping this means I will get more accomplished each day besides getting basic meals cooked, enough underwear clean to get through the week, and getting a movie popped in for Grant before I wrestle the beast the rest of the day. Please pray that Morgan stays happier this week, it's still overwhelming.

The house is coming along but there is still so much left to do. The upstairs is almost finished being drywalled and we are almost ready to paint, I cannot wait!! Then its down to the basement to work on the playroom. I'm so ready to get that spray painted graffiti of male genitalia off my wall!!! I know!!! I was hoping we would be a lot further along on everything but with Tom's schedule, Morgan being a hand full right now, and my symptoms flaring up do to lack of rest, it's about all we can do to make it through the day and working on the room for an hour to an hour and a half before bed.

We are really enjoying Michigan, despite the cold, but really miss our family being close. I am very excited about Thanksgiving because Tom will be off, my parents will be coming up and hopefully the house will be in better shape for them to see. Even though I hate the cold, I love snow, so I'm looking forward to a REAL snow this year and seeing Grant enjoy playing in it! I so want to post some after pictures of the house and especially of our front garden, it is beautiful, but I've yet to find the camera cord and now the camera is dead because that is how it charges too....so you will just have to wait and deal with the suspense, sorry!