Proverbs 31 Woman – Virtue #2

So I found this nifty blog about the Proverbs 31 Woman who is an inspiration for most.  I touched last week or so, on the first virtue HERE.  I can tell you that event he first virtue was hard enough. I can say that I have still not put forth the effort that is needed. I do find that when I get my daily devotion email on my Blackberry I do read it – but do I pray on it or ponder it? No.  Man I need to get my butt in gear and get it right!  Anyone want to be an accountability partner for me in Alaska?  Even if just by email? 🙂

So onto Virtue #2:

2. Marriage – A Virtuous Woman respects her husband. She does him good all the days of her life. She is trustworthy and a helpmeet. (Proverbs 31: 11- 12, Proverbs 31: 23, Proverbs 31: 28, 1 Peter 3, Ephesians 5, Genesis 2: 18)

I can honestly say in my heart I do well for my husband.  I cook, I clean (and then kids destroy), love, and obey my husband. I do what he asks of me (for the most part) – but I do not do his laundry.  He complains that I don’t do it right. I am sorry – but if you want me to do it along with mine and the kids, you will have to make one sacrifice. I understand this is not the right attitude, but I am standing strong and he doesn’t complain anymore!  I mean really – I get up with him every morning at 4:!5 and cook his breakfast and make his coffee  because I love him – and I don’t have to be up until 5:45 – he can knock of the complaining on how I fold his t-shirts.

I can be a better duster, or floor sweeper, but for the most part the labor side of things is done.  We have come a long way in the trust department (this is on me trusting him, not him trusting me like is stated above), and I strive to be a helpmeet. One I thing I do also want to comment on. If I was not a working outside the home mom – I would make sure things were in line 100% and would fold his t-shirts just as he liked them. Yes, we have mac and cheese from the blue box for dinner sometimes, but if he is off early and my day runs long, tough. We both work and have bad days. I will still do my best to make everything work, but I am human and will allow myself that and so should he. If I am wrong I am sure someone out there will point that out for me on Facebook in a cryptic message. HA!

Fitness Friday

I by nature am not a runner. I used to say I would only run if chased.  I would even tell people they were crazy for wanting to run – you could do so many other things than torture!  Then one day I decided to run a 5K – the next day with no training. Um, yeah. Needless to say I couldn’t walk without a limp for a good week.  Stupid.

Then I realized it had beat me. I let something beat me that I had control over. I am trying not to let this happen. So I began running. Or walking with two seconds of running thrown in. I was awful. I never thought I would make it anywhere. Why was I torturing myself? This is silly!

Then I enlisted a friend to help me in the mornings. She would get up, bring one of her 6 kids over to stay at my house while my kids slept, and we would run. Petra and I had determination. We started around June and by July I ran another 5K and beat my original no training time by 4 minutes. I was very happy with that as it was like 99 degrees with 99% humidity.

I learned to sing to help with my breathing, I learned to eat healthier, drink lots of water – do things to help me get better!

Then we joined a run club in town where a bunch of people (We are now up to 160) get together and run a train in town. Pretty cool stuff.

Then last month sometime our mojo started to run out. Not sure why. Then Petra got pregnant and then neither of us wanted to get up in the cold anymore. Yes – this is something I will need to learn to deal with as I am moving to Alaska.

Last night we had our frist ever Zombiegeddon Human Hunt 5K 2011 – so cool.

I was excited for this, except for the fact that I was pushing my double stroller which I usually don’t mind. Being slow with zombies is not cool.

I ran and before I got to our turnaround I couldn’t run anymore. I was whooped. My lungs hurt, I was out of breath, and I couldn’t run anymore. What on earth?  A month of no training has left me back where I started. Feeling defeated. It is amazing how long it takes to get there and how quickly it goes away.

I believe that I have to make the choice to run, instead of going with the excuse to not run because my friend can’t do mornings anymore. I need to make the choice for myself. I will not let someone else’s choices make me lose something I worked to get.

No More Excuses

I will run again, and I will not stop.

What’s New Wednesday #2

I am slightly obsessed with my coffee. When I worked up at John Deere in Cary, the drive thru lady knew my order by the sound of my truck, as I am pretty sure I was the only F-350 Diesel Dually going through their drive thru every day.  I would volunteer to put the kids in the car at nap time and drive to Southern Pines for Starbucks just so I could use the gift card I asked for, for Christmas.  It is sad. I know. The gas cost way more than it was worth.

These days I brew my own or look for really good deals at the local coffee shop (they never happen) or Starbucks at nap time with my gift cards which are running out.  Our budget has shrunk since I changed jobs, changed jobs again, and have two kids in daycare.  So let me tell you how excited I was when Nick came home with my “We Brew It! You Do It!” Cup!

 

This way if I am running behind, or just don’t feel like getting up to make coffee – I can grab my cup and fill up for $1! They also have $0.49 Wednesdays (Hello – what is today??)  to get you past hump day. AND from what I understand – you can send a text message and you may get notice about free fill up days! Now this is a deal!

This is my way of feeling like I did something for myself. My little treat – and it is under $1 (As I will most likely only participate in the Wednesday deal). This goes right along with the deal they did this summer on free refills all summer for buying their special cup – that was an amazing deal. Way to go Pantry Corporation – you have my seal of approval!

Thankful Thursday

So sometimes money gets tight. Mainly because 2 years ago I left my job at John Deere. Still haven’t found something I have enjoyed as much (the job, not the situation).  I also haven’t found anything that pays as much as they did. Oh well, 8 years in at a company tends to pay better than 1 year in.

I have found out how to budget with the best of them. I mean – I coupon (not like some of the ladies around here though) and look for sales, but it still is hard when you have 2 growing kids, and a desire to eat healthy. Food is stinking expensive!

I now use Suave as opposed to Pantene (Suave is pretty darn good if I do say so myself!), I buy generic instead of name brand (except for macaroni & cheese – blue box please!).  Goodwill calls my name the two times year I go clothes shopping. I found name brands with tags for $3 each!  I am not ashamed for being frugal, I just wish I could do it more and be still be able to save some money each month!

So since my girls are 4 and 2 and winter is approaching (and a move to Alaska) new clothes are needed. Ryley is not big enough to fit into any clothes that are winter appropriate that were Abby’s, and Abby has no one ahead of her to give her clothes.  I began to worry about how I was going to get the girls clothes. I was kept trying to save to take them to Goodwill, but something just kept coming up.  I was honestly starting to worry.  Then one random day I come home to a big box on my front steps.

A box full of clothes from my mom.

Mom always knows – right?  Thanks mom – it was the perfect timing.

Abby's Famous Pose

She LOVES monkeys!!

 

These are some pictures of them in their new clothes….they are always up for a show!

Whats New Wednesday

So for Wednesday we are all kind of blah….the week is almost over, and we are on the downhill slide. It is just the middle of the week though. You don’t really feel happy, but you aren’t sad.  That middle of the road feeling.

I really would like to make this day one of new things I have personally found and tried!  By all means if you have something you have found and loved – let me know and I will try it!  I may even throw in a giveaway or two on this section of the blog!  Stay tuned as I look for some things to try and post about next week!

 

Proverbs 31 Woman

So I love to read about the Proverbs 31 Woman. I am so interested in what she did, how she did it, and how in it all she still had an amazing faith.  I want to be more like her and think that this transition to Alaska will be a great place to really put everything into motion. A new environment, a new start, and a great place to being – again.

I happened upon a nifty website the other day: A Virtuous Woman. It has a boat load of information and reference material.  I enjoyed it. Especially when I found the post on the 10 virtues of the 31 Woman HERE.  I am going to work my way through them over the next 10 Sundays (or try to!).

From the website directly:

1. Faith – A Virtuous Woman serves God with all of her heart, mind, and soul. She seeks His will for her life and follows His ways. (Proverbs 31: 26, Proverbs 31: 29 – 31, Matthew 22: 37, John 14: 15, Psalm 119: 15).

I have been following God for almost 5 years now. I have tripped and gotten back up more than once. He is that awesome that he knows what I will do and still loves me.  I have gotten up and prayed and I have gone back to sleep because I was too tired.  I know I need to have more strength of faith, because without it I have nothing. My goal this week is to get up and pray/read every morning. I already get up – I just need to use the time wisely.

Sharing Saturday

Saturday is when we hang out with friends, family, etc.  I decided to make it a sharing day.  Sharing some things I love, sharing friends blogs, etc. – if you got a friend who does something fun – tell me – I will share it!

My dear friend Michelle – she is one of the craftiest people I know and she is an awesome mother, giver, friend, person. Check out her blog – she is just plain fun to read and you get to oogle all her goodies too! She is on Twitter with me – she has some fun reads – you will smile every so often and who doesn’t like that?

I don’t personally know this on – but Gracie is fun too. She is doing what some of us only dream of doing! She is God-fearing, single, living in NYC, blogging, working, and giving. Check out her info on FreelyBe and she is also (Along with FreelyBe) on Twitter – more fun stuff!

My girl Donna who is a runner, jogger, and swimmer and is very honest in her abilities and her training. She may not be winning IronMan – but she is running in the one in Texas next year – Yeah – she is awesome. I am still coming up with ways to get out of running a half marathon I want to do.  Gotta love  a woman who knows what she wants!

Please check out my girls – you will love them!

Staying on Task

So with this move coming up it is harder and harder to keep a normal schedule! Cleaning for the realtor, appointment here, appointment there, paperwork, job search, daycare search, mapping the route, and oh yeah – you need a place to live too!  I actually had a HUGE stress headache on Wednesday and had to do nothing to make it better. That is the first time the whole situation has stressed me.  Yikes.

Tonight my dear hubby and I decided to have a date night that got us home by 9:15 – we are night owls right? We grabbed a quick dinner at Smithfields and then went and watched Footloose. I loved it.  It had the great one liners from the original and the same idea, but was far enough from being absolutely identical that it was good. The bad boy Chuck Cranston was played by a total douche bag so that kind of stunk, but Ren was adorable (why couldn’t he have been from somewhere other than Boston though, I mean really??), Ariel was cute, but Willard. Willard stole the show and had me laughing till I cried at one point. He stole the show. Miles Teller – you rocked it as Willard.

I am hoping that this weekend of family, pumpkins, and helping the food pantry will ease some stress and let me re-coup myself.  I need to be on the ball going forward to be able to help my family through this transition and be strong. I am excited for what is to come, but still a little worried about all the travel with two kids – I would be silly to say otherwise. But for tonight – I will leave you with this: “LET’S DANCE!”

 

Managing Monday #1

So Mondays suck according to most people.  It is the start of a long work week. It is the sign that the weekend is over.  I am going to share with you some of the ways that I have learned to deal with Monday to make it more bearable.

#1 – I get off work early on Mondays.  One day a week we get to leave at 2:00 – most people pick Friday which makes for a quite Friday afternoon for me. I picked Monday so the very first day of work that week is more tolerable because it is over with time to unwind. I take the afternoon to go to the park or run…just depends – sometimes I go home and nap – it is my day!

#2 – I exercise. I Zumba and I run.  I found that my anxiety has gone away and it makes me more able to face the week with a smile and gives me some time away from my kids and husband to reflect and think and even cry if I so feel like it. It is my free me time.

#3 – I plan for daycare on Sunday evening so I am not forgetting absolutely everything. I have a bag that gets packed with mat sheets, morning snacks, and juice cups get put in the fridge. Daycare – done.

#4 – I set out clothes for Monday the night before. I pick out two outfits Sunday night (sometimes 4 or 5) and place them at the front of my closet so I can just grab and go.  What I don’t pick usually gets worn later that week and I have saved that day some time as well.

#5 – I get up early. I am most productive in the morning. I get Nick his coffee and breakfast going, unload and reload the dishwasher, fluff and fold laundry, and get some quiet time in with my daily devotions on the front or back porch.  The quiet time makes me feel more calm going into a busy week.

I also find that planning meals for the week, the schedule for the week, and a few fun activities in there is helpful as well. People laugh at me and my lists, lists, and more lists – but you will find I am not a crazy woman running around with my head cut off.  I have found myself to be more tolerable and more helpful to my family and that is a huge plus to me.  I may not be the Proverbs 31 woman, but I feel like I am on the same page as her – and to me that is good!

Wow – October Already?!

So it is already October….wow.  So it has been crazy over the last month for us.  We found out Alaska is in our future. Either 10 December or 10 February – still not sure which.  2 months away is the first date, so I am unsure of when they will let us know.  So much for being in control.  What I have done to prepare has been to participate in 2 garage sales which total net me about $100 – not much, but when you sell stuff for $0.25 – that is what you will get.  I am, however, done quite a bit of stuff.  Sad to say – that is all it was, nothing really emotionally attached.  Makes you wonder why we buy the stuff we do.

I have slowed myself a little on running because of a bum knee and trying to figure out what we still had to put in the garage sale.  That being taken care of – I am back to running again. Last month I wanted to run 100 miles in that month. Needless to say it did not happen, so I want to make that happen this month.  I ran maybe 2 today pushing the girls.  That is tough for me. I plan to start running some more in the afternoon due to the cooler weather in the morning making it a little chilly.  I don’t have the proper cold weather gear yet – but I will be purchasing some.

I have started my Scentsy business back up, but am just not loving it yet.  It was free to re-join, so I had nothing to lose. I guess I am just not that big of a salesperson. Anyone want any Scensty? 🙂

With that being said – I will be blogging more than I did the last month. It keeps me more accountable and gives me something to do 🙂 – so you will see some weekday themes coming up, some product testing, and even some tips and tricks I have learned for running, work, life, etc.   I will leave you with some pictures of the girls and their yummy s’mores!

Yummy!

 

Gourmet Cook