Hiatus

Like a the title says, I am taking a little Hiatus from the blog world.  


I am going to be spending the rest of our summer, playing with the kids, working, & getting them ready to go back to school.  We have a freshman this yr in the household, so things will be different.  This said freshman also has 2 books & 1 project he needs to get working on before the 15th of Aug.


I may do my Daybook post & I also need to do a post about an accident that happened over the weekend,  (keep you in suspense until then.) other than those post, I am not going to be around much.


I am so ready for fall.  I do not like this heat.  Heat index is suppose to be 112 today.  That is just yucky.  :(  


Everyone enjoy the rest of your summer & please stay safe.


God Bless You!!


Lauri

Happy Birthday

Tyler & I on the day he left for Korea.

Wishing my nephew Tyler, who has is spending his 21st birthday in Korea, a happy birthday.  He is like another child of mine & holds a special place in my heart.
 
He graduated out of the Army's basic training & military police training May 26th & was deployed to Korea June 10th.

Tyler on graduation day.

I thank him for the sacrifices he is making for our country.
I hate that he is spending his BIG birthday there without his family, especially without his new fiance.  They were engaged 2 days before he left & will be married next June.  They are both wonderful people & we are so blessed to have both in our families.

We are so proud of Tyler & cannot wait for Mack (nick name) to be part of our family.  Be safe & enjoy your birthday.

Love, Aunt Lauri

HodgePodge Time

Another HodgePodge Wed.  I am having so much fun with these questions.  So, here we go.  :)

1. What is the most useful book in your house?  
The Bible is #1.  Other than that, I actually turn to Google for finding answers instead of books.

2. What's worse-being too hot or too cold?  
For me, being hot is worse.  I can always put more clothes on.  However, if I can't cool off, then I am a bear & you don't wanna be around me then.  


3. Share something that made you smile this past weekend.
Watching my kids have a great time at the Waterpark.  Just us 6 went & we had such a great time.

My baby coming down the slide.

 4. How do you like your hamburgers? Or don't you?
I love a good hamburger from the grill, cooked with A1 sauce.  Med well with cheese, onion, pickles, ketchup & mayo.  We had some great burgers this weekend.  Yummo.


5. What's your summer beach read? If it's not summer in your part of the world then tell us what book you're reading in front of the fire while sipping hot cocoa.
Debbie Mcomber's, "Manning Grooms."   I don't get a chance to read it at the beach this yr, but I am reading it on my lunch break at work & I read some at the waterpark this weekend.  :)


6. How was your birthday celebrated when you were a kid?
My mom had a friend that made great cakes.  I remember a huge one with clowns on it.  We always had a small party at our house.


7. What's something that is totally uncool that you love anyway?
According to my kids, it would be my constant picture taking.  I love taking pics & they don't.  Hee hee.


8. Insert your own random thought here.
We had a great family 4th of July.  We spent most of our time, just the 6 of us.  Fri. we went to church for a fireworks show.  Sat, we went to a Water park.  Sun, 3 of my kids went with their dad to a big family party & my DH, stepson, & I went to a friends party.  Mon, we hung out at home & had a cookout, went for a bike ride, then went swimming.  Later watch the fireworks on the front porch.  Great weekend.  :)


For more HodgePodge answers, please go visit Joyce @ From This Side of the Pond.


God Bless
Lauri

Happy Independence Day

Pray that everyone has a safe & fun filled 4th of July.  

Thank you to all the servicemen & woman that fought to give us our independence.  

"Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

2 Corinthians 3:17 

GOD BLESS AMERICA

Lauri

HodgePodge...A day late.

Another HodgePodge post.  I really like answering these questions, even though I am a day late.  It gives me a chance to ponder on things.  Well, here are my answers.  Enjoy.


1. What makes you stand to your feet and cheer?  This is easy.  My kids, when they are playing sports.

J-Bird at JamFest Competition

Bubba, catcher at his softball game.

BMX Kid after winning 1st place @ Warsaw National BMX races.

Big O, learning to ride her bike.  She doesn't play sports yet.

2. What's your favorite patriotic song?  "God Bless the USA" by Lee Greenwood.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q65KZIqay4E

3. Do you believe that opposites attract? If you have a significant other are you opposites?  I thought I did in the past, but my ex & I got divorced.  In my case, no.  

4. You're going to get a behind the scenes look someplace...where would you like that someplace to be?

HEAVEN.  I would love to see a before hand shot of what heaven is like.

5. How far would you have to travel to ride a carousel (merry-go-round)?  About 20 min.  We have one at our local Zoo.  

J-Bird @ The Halloween at the Zoo

6. When was the last time you saw fireworks? What was the occasion? Do you enjoy fireworks?  Last year at our house for the 4th of July.  Someone is our neighborhood had some huge ones.  I love them.  We are going to a church Friday to watch a show.  Then down to our downtown waterfront for another show Mon.

7. Of all the 'beauty products' you own, what item do you consider to be the most overpriced?  Probably my foundation.  I use one from CoverGirl & it cost around $11.00 a bottle.  However, it does last me almost 6 months.  

8. Insert your own random thought here.  Went to visit my Mom at the cemetatary yesterday.  It was my BMX Kids 14th birthday.  

BMX kid putting flowers on Nanny's grave.  The headstone just came in last week.

Happy Birthday.  Silly kid!!!

For more HodgePodger's, please go visit Joyce @ From This Side of the Pond.

Everyone have a bless day.

God Bless You.

Lauri

Lauri's Daybook

Outside my window... cloudy & quiet.  Rain might move in later again.  The hot weather is coming back this week.
I am thinking... about how pride I am of myself for taking that 1st step last week & joining a Zumba class.  Not letting my self-doubt win this time.

I am thankful for... a great friend that God sent my way, to get me out of my sinking pit I was in.

From the kitchen... kids are eating breakfast at Grandma's this morning when I drop them off.  Dinner will be shake n bake pork chops, green beans, corn, & cornbread.  

From the learn room...working on multiplication with J-Bird.

I am wearing... knit pants & BMX t-shirt.  I need to change in my work clothes though.

I am creating...organization in my home.  Need to get piles of laundry folded & put away.  Doing this again this week.

I am going... to work.  After dinner J-Bird starts tumbling classes again, then to the YMCA for Zumba class, if Bubba's game is cancelled.

I am reading...Debbie Mcomber's, "Manning Grooms." & devotionals.  

I am praying... for a dear friend of mine, who lost her mother yesterday morning.    

Around the house... laundry.  

One of my favorite things... lazy Sunday's.

A few plans for the rest of the week... today: work, J-Bird's tumbling practice, Bubba's game, & Zumba.  Tues-work, then Zumba later.  Wed- off day.  I think we are going to a water park.  Later BMX-Kid has a race.  Thurs-work, then Zumba.  Fri-work, nothing else planned.  Sat-Zumba, then not sure.  We may go to a 4th of July parade.  Sun- church & who knows.  Not sure what we are doing for the 4th of July holiday yet.

A picture I would like to share with you... Worked a 1/2 day last Fri. & took the girls to the Zoo.  We never get tired of this place.  Thank God we have a Zoo membership. :)

For more day book entries, please visit The Simple Woman.

Everyone have a blessed Monday.

God Bless!!

Lauri

Lifestyle change is beginning.

Hey Company Girls.  Like the title says, I am making some changes in my life.

#1...let God be in control and #2...to lose  weight & get into shape

Let me show you some pics of me, before & after.

O.K.  I am the chic in the orange/black shirt.  This was Feb 2009.  All 4 of us have b-days a few days apart.  I weighed 173 & was wearing a loose 14 in pants.

Below was in Dec 2009.  Weight 134, size 8 pants.  Yes I know, huge difference.  My doctor told me I was obese & put me on a prescription diet pill.  This was the results.  Love it.

 May 2011-this was 2 weeks after my mom passed away.  My daughter's First Communion.  Weight back in the 170's.  178 to be exact.  Dress size 14.

O.k. so as you can probably guess I am a yo-yo dieter.  As of Monday, I was at my heaviest weight, 180.6. lbs.  

I guess you can say I am emotionally unattached at the moment.  I have been grieving the loss of my mom with food.  I have been eating like crazy.  I can barely get myself out of bed.  I was making excuses on missing work and I quit going to the gym.  I quit spending time with my friends.  I would make excuses to go to the store, just so I could buy junk food, and I have only been to church one time since her passing.  It has gotten pretty bad. :(

So what is going on now.  Well, let's just say a family member made me open my eyes.  I went to my cousins, to get my hair cut & we started talking about losing parents.  She has loss both her parents & just this past March, her brother committed suicide.  

She starting telling me how she finally reached rock bottom when her brother took his own life.  While talking, I cried, cried, & cried.  I couldn't stop.  She was telling me that my mom would not want me suffering like this.  My mom would want me to accept that she is with her Savior & she is in a better place.  She told me I needed to pick a goal & starting living again.   She told me that the worse thing I could do, is not attend church.  I sat there listening, not talking, just listening & crying, for the whole 2 hrs. 

I came home after my hair appt. and talked to my DH about our conversation.  He held my hand & listen to me.  He said something that hit my heart so hard.  He said, "I want my wife back."  He wasn't meaning the skinnier wife, he meant the happier wife.  The wife that got out & had fun with him & the kids.  The wife that cooked a big weekend breakfast, because she wanted too.  The wife that workout in the basement & was so happy with her results.  The wife that went to church.  The wife that loved the life that God has chosen for her.

So...with God's help, I took back my life, from the grieving pit I was stuck in.  Last week, I started watching what I was eating.  I actually started back on my Slim Fast diet.  I am NOT taking diet pills and I am keeping a journal of food, calories, & exercises on lose it.com.  This week, I started back at the gym.  I use to walk on the treadmill, but this time I am doing the workout classes they offer.  I started attending the Zumba classes on Tues.  I have gone 3 nights this week already & I am going again tomorrow.  I have also attended 1 yoga class.  

I already feel a big difference in me mentally.  I am in a better mood, happy with my goals I have set, & I am starting to smile again.  My eating has been under control this week, as well.  

I have also started getting together with friends again.  Most importantly...this Sunday, I will go back to church.  

Life is starting to look better.  :)

I guess you can say I reached my rock bottom a couple of days before that appt., when I sat home and ate 2 cans of pringles.  Yes you read that right...2 cans.  I was so sick to my stomach & I was soooo mad at myself.  I am so thankful I made that hair appt. cause I really think that God used Pam to pull me out of the sinking pit, I had fell into.  

I feel my mom is really smiling down on me now.  My heart feels so big with all the love I have been given, in the last 2 months.  Thank God for family member & friends.  And I thank God for having the most amazing, wonderful & caring ANGEL, watching over me...MY MOM.

Rest in peace Mom.  Love & Miss you deeply.

"I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me."  

Philippians 4:13

Please stop by & visit more Company Girls @ Home Sanctuary,

Lauri