Mind of a Child

Oh, if we all thought the way that children do!

I absolutely l.o.v.e. how children think.  I love hearing them talk and explain everything, especially when they are still young, innocent, and untainted by the world and all the events occurring around them.

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So, why am I all of a sudden writing about this?  Well it is because of something that happened back on Tuesday, March 20th.  And come to think of it - being that this was the first day of Spring, I now realize an even deeper meaning to what happened.  {Spring brings new life and blessings all around us!}

So around 4 P.M. on Tuesday, March 20th, my mom and I went to Cook-Out to get some dinner to take home.  Well, if you have ever been to Cook-Out you know that you can either go through the drive-thru or walk up to the window to order.  I wanted to walk up to the window because the drive-thru was busy, and I did not know exactly what I wanted, yet.

After deciding what we were going to get and placing our order, we stood by the window waiting on our order.  Well, a car was coming from the drive-thru around the building, and in the backseat, there was a little girl about 1.5 or 2 years older {guessing here, but she was still in a booster type car seat}.  As the car passed us, the little girl waved at my mom & I, so we waved back and smiled.  Then, she blew us kisses.

My smile got even bigger, and I all I could think was that God was sending me a blessing through this little girl.  I saw His love and grace in this little girl's face, and I sent up a prayer for the little girl and her family and a thank you from me for the small blessings in life.

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You see, children {at a younger age} do not see race, gender, social or economic class, or cultural differences.  I love this!

I wish we could all have the mind of children, so that we could all learn to love and accept each other the way we are!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

Today, I am linking up with Jamie, @ This Kind of Love, for What I'm Loving Wednesday!

I'm loving...

...the cooler weather & 70 degree temperatures!

...that I can drive with the windows down now (& not sweat like a crazed person)!

...that I have one week left in this class, and I get to start a new one.

...that fall is right around the corner - yay!

...that my birthday is in less than a month!

...that it is Wednesday already - halfway through the week!

What are you loving today?

Happy Birthday James!

September 1, 1983

A beautiful baby boy was born!

He was perfect.

He still is perfect.

His name is James Bradley Yow!

He is my brother.

Today is his 28th birthday.

Or, it would be.

But, he is no longer living on Earth.

He is now living in Heaven.

Even though he is no longer with us on Earth,

I still wanted to wish him a Happy Birthday!

*I do not have a pic on my computer of my brother as of this moment, so I will be adding it later, or it will be added to the post on September 18, 2011 about the 15th anniversary of his death.  Or, both!*

I've been so bad....

Sorry I haven't posted in a while - I have been enjoying time with my niece :)

She took her first real steps by herself the other night - yay! - and we have been trying to get her to walk by herself since then

But, she is too smart for that, so she just plops down on her butt & laughs :)

Over the past couple of days, I have lost 3.8 lbs b/c of her (you know - playing, running around, nerves)

In addition, I have failed to complete any kind of homework assignment or anything else b/c everytime I get on my computer she wants to jump in my lap to play on it with me!

So, now you know where I have been, but I promise I will be back, soon!

*I am still completing items from my "101 in 1001" list.  I am having so much fun doing this list.  I am really excited about all of it, and I am reading one of the books on my list. So, I will have some detailed posts coming up, including a book review or two!*



Grandma's birthday dinner

So, today is my Gma's bday.  She is a great woman and grandmother.  I love her with all my heart.

We had a family dinner to celebrate her day.

Thankful Tuesday!

I missed out on the post last week, but that is okay.  I am always thankful and gracious for the blessings that I receive from our LORD and SAVIOR!

*I am thankful for the rain and the storms b/c they remind me how powerful our LORD is!

*I am thankful that I received confirmation that all is good with my Associate's Degree application, it has been processed, and I will have my degree in hand in a couple of weeks!

*I am thankful for the weight and inches that I have lost, and for the knowledge, strength, endurance, and health benefits that I have gained through this new journey in my life.

Expectations & Realizations (part 1)

So, you want to lose weight?  Yes, of course, would be the response of most of the individuals that I know.  I, too, want to lose weight, and over the past 8 weeks, I have lost several pounds and inches, and I have learned a lot.  I have had many expectations, both in the past and now, with my eating, exercise, and weight loss.  I have also had many realizations from what I used to do, to what I do now, and what I have learned through it all.

Many of the expectations I used to have about weight loss, working out, and eating have gone out the window.  I have completely changed the way I think, act, and live, which has helped me tremendously on my journey to becoming a better, healthier person.  In turn, I am recognizing that many things I used to think were bad, are not (but, some still are), and I am arming myself with the knowledge to create a healthier, more fulfilling lifestyle for myself, and hopefully, for others as well.

Expectation #1: I am going to lose weight quickly (over night, in a week, or in a month).
How many times have you jumped straight ahead, full force into a new diet plan or weight loss regimen?  Too many to count, right?  Well, that used to be how I was.  I used to think that the fat would just "melt" right off of me (as you so often hear in commercials about weight loss pills, equipment, or videos).  But, then, a few days, weeks, or months into this new program, I would give up because I was not seeing results.  Has this ever happened to you?

Realization #1:  Weight loss takes time and effort, and results are not seen immediately.
Results will not be seen overnight.  As a matter of fact, depending on your size and how much weight you want to lose, you may not see results within the first month or even a couple of months.  But, trust me, if you are eating right and exercising, the results are there.  Many times you will feel the results more than you will see them.  You will feel stronger, healthier, and happier for sticking with it and changing your life.

Expectation #2:  I need to eat a low-carb (or fat, or sugar) diet to lose weight.
How often have you jumped on the newest fad diet, such as the low-carb diet, the low-fat diet, or the high-protein diet?  How often has this worked for you?  Not very often, huh?  This is because when we restrict ourselves too much, we will want everything that we are not eating, therefore failing with our diet plan because we are eating foods that are considered restricted with the plan we are on.

Realization #2:  I can eat carbs, fats, and sugars.  I just have to eat them in moderation and eat the right kinds.
Carbs and fats can be good for you, if you are eating the right kinds.  Complex carbs fill you up and turn into energy to help you maintain daily bodily functions, while most simple carbs turn into sugar, which in turn causes you to gain fat and weight.  Complex carbs are brown rice, wheat bread, and vegetables.  Some simple carbs that can help you lose weight because they help you fill full are fruits and dairy products.  To read more about why carbs are good for you, check out this article.

Expectaion #3:  This is going to be easy b/c I know what I need to do and how to do it.
So, you think it is going to be easy in the beginning.  But, as you progress through your diet plan or weight loss program, you start to lose motivation and struggle while working out.  You really want to give up, at this point, but you shouldn't.  Everyone goes through struggles and wants to give up at one point or another, even me.  To read about some of my struggles, check out this blog post.

Realization #3:  Changing your life for the better may not be easy, but it will be worth it.
So, you had some struggles, you ate something you shouldn't have, or you skipped your workout today.  This means you should just give up, right?  Absolutely not.  Just because you slip up, don't quit.  You have to motivate yourself and push through the slip ups and mistakes.  Never give up.  Read this blog post to learn more about slip ups & staying motivated.

*So that this blog post does not get too long, I am breaking it down into more than one post (note the title), and I will continue to post my (our) expectations & realizations about weight loss, dieting, and exercise.*

My struggle through relationships and love!

Ever since I can remember, I have wanted to get married, settle down in my own home, and have children.  This was my dream as a little girl, and as I got older, it did not change, like others' dreams did.  I still want to find my soulmate, buy a house, and have the perfect little family.  Although, I know perfect is not possible, I believe with all my heart that the rest is.

I thought that by the time I was in my early 20's, I would be married, and already have at least one child.  Well, that has not happened so far.  I am 24, and I am not even in a relationship right now.  Sometimes I think, where did I go wrong?  What did I do to mess up my future and dream?

I have had many relationships, some long, some short.  My most recent relationship was almost 4.5 years long, and we lived together for the first 3.5 years.  It was never perfect, but I thought that we would be together forever, at first.  Then, it got crazy between us, and we were headed in completely different directions.  I wanted to settle down, and he, well he wanted other things.  Again, I wondered why this was happening, and what I had done wrong (even though I broke off our relationship)?

But, then I think about it, and I realize that I am exactly where I am supposed to be in my life, right now.  I realize that my plan was not God's plan, and His plan is always the best plan for our lives.

After I broke up with my most recent boyfriend, I went back to college.  If I had not been single, I would not have been able to complete what I did through school because of the relationship.  In addition, I would not be as close to God as I am now, if I were still in a relationship.

I have learned so much through the past year of being single.  I now know that I can accomplish anything, as long as it is God's will, and I have Him on my side.  I know that I do not need a guy in my life for me to be happy and loved.  I know that I am a strong, independent woman, and I have learned to trust in God, ALWAYS, no matter what is happening in my life at the time.

I have been through struggles, I have had my ups and downs, but I now have faith in God, and I am happy where I am at the moment.  Although, I am still praying for my soulmate, but I am waiting on God's time, not mine!

Thankful Tuesday!

It's back!  I cannot believe it has been a week, it has gone by so fast.  I am super excited, though, to list more blessings that I have to be thankful for.  The Lord is always there for me, even when I am not there for myself.  So, I am still thankful for all the things that were listed in my last Thankful Tuesday post, which can be found here.  In addition to these blessings, I have many more this week, including:

* I have now lost a total of 12.4 lbs.  Thank you, Lord! (To read about my recent weight loss, click here.)

* I live in a country where I am free to be me, free to serve and worship the Lord, and free to go to church, say pretty much what I want, and free to live.

* I have recently finished (on Sunday) my last two classes for my Associate's Degree in Elementary Education.  I am just waiting on my final grades, so that I can apply for my degree.

These three items are the main blessings I am thankful for today, but there are many, many more, and I will probably update this post to include those as the day goes on!

Thank you Lord for all your blessings, even those I do not recognize at first!

Happy Mother's Day!

To all the beautiful mothers, I want to say thank you and Happy Mother's Day!  Our service today at church was about six great women and mothers in the Bible, and it was amazing.  Mothers are made in the image of God, as is everyone, but Moms lead their children in God's path and will!

Thank you to my Mom for always being there for me, supporting me, and pushing me to do my best.  I love you!

National Day of Prayer 2011

Today, May 5th, is the National Day of Prayer.  It always occurs on the first Thursday in May, which happens to be Cinco de Mayo.  I thought about today and how so many people will be celebrating by going to bars and drinking, even if they are not of Hispanic origin or from Mexico.  Well, I just found out that today is National Day of Prayer, and this is a much better way to celebrate today.

The link to the website is under National Day of Prayer.  Through this website, you can learn the history behind the day, the mission, and how you can get involved.

Today, I will be praying for many items, including the nation, the government, the current education system, and many other personal requests that I know about.  Please join me today & PRAY!

Easter Sunday! - Christ is risen from the dead!

Easter is of course about Jesus Christ rising from the grave, after dying to pay for our sins!  Well, Easter, to me, is also about family, friends, and love.  Since we spent Saturday with the girls, we went on and gave them their Easter baskets, filled with simple pleasures!

Cazzie & Shayna's Baskets

Stormi's Easter Basket

Momma & I after Easter services & lunch :)

Just me <3

Birthday Party for the Nieces!

Saturday was Cazzie's birthday, and Tuesday is Shayna's birthday, so they had their party together on Saturday.  They had a blast and got plenty of presents.  It was an overall fun day, filled with cake, ice cream, cupcakes, presents, and love!

 Shayna (left) & Cazzie (right)

Cazzie's Cake (Spongebob Square Pants)

Shayna's Cake (Princess Dora the Explorer)

 Although it was not Stormi's birthday, she got presents too, because on Friday, she turned 11 months old!  She is spoiled rotten, and she loved opening her presents.  I cannot wait until it is her birthday, so that I can see her rip into all her presents.

Cazzie & Shayna opening presents! 

I love her laugh & smile!