Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Now that I’m a Momma, I notice a lot more kid-related things; one thing in particular is Dr. Seuss books.  I remember as a kid reading his books in the library at school when we lived in Nebraska, which now seems oh so long ago.  I remember loving the thrill of checking out 5 (that was the max!) books and reading them just to be able to turn around and return them to read more.  I was proud that my library card was filled back and front with stamps from when I checked out books.  Now I find myself buying books for Holden for when he’s a little bit older so we can read together.  Dr. Seuss books are an automatic go to.  How can you not love Green Eggs and Ham, Fox in Sox, or One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, and the ever popular, The Cat in The Hat.  So in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday (03/02/1904), here are some of my most favorite quotes of his.  J  I hope you and your little ones if you got ‘em enjoy them too! 

DietBet--Challenge Accepted!

So my good friend Jennifer brought this DietBet challenge to my attention today.  We had been talking about weight loss over the weekend, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.  Here we are 14 days into the New Year, and it only took me 2 weeks to get on a diet kick!  ;)  Not how I envisioned my year starting, and I had no diet new year resolutions....but whatevs! 

So what is DietBet you ask, well as in the title, there is a bet involved.  It’s a virtual online weigh-in game where you have 28 days to lose 4% of your body weight.  You pay $25 to put in the pot, and depending on how many members are in your game/group the bigger the pot will get.  In our group there are 32 players, so our pot is at $800!  If you win the challenge, you get the money fair and square.  But if you and three other people win, you have to split it.  Either way, it’s cheap and it’s a fun way to get you motivated to lose weight.   You had to submit a full body shot image and then yourself standing on the scale with the “word of the day” image.  This is so no one can cheat!  

According to my account it shows me that I need to lose 10.3lbs in 28 days.  That seems doable to me, it’s not a big number, so it’s not scary!  That’s what I like about this challenge, 1. I’m doing it with a friend so it makes me accountable, and 2. 10lbs isn’t a big scary number.  I think the more mini challenges of weight loss I have, I’ll be more successful!  So, here’s to me winning $800!  I think if I win I’m putting all that money in Holden’s college fund! All the more reason to kick booty!  I just hope there aren't a bunch of skinny mini's doing this and they win too!  lol  ;)

Brightest Blessings,
Valerie

I Don't Wanna!

The bewitching hour has struck.  The time has come.  The inevitable is here.  I have to go back to work.  I didn’t think going back to work would be so hard, boy was I wrong.  Being off work for 12 weeks on maternity leave and only being away from my son for about 2hrs at the most, they expect me to want to go back to work—no way José!  But, at least I’m only working part-time—every Saturday and Sunday 7a-7p.  I’m a Unit Clerk, which is a fancy word for Secretary, at a local hospital.  I had my first day back last Saturday—I cried on the way to work, while I was pumping, when I went to the bathroom, and on the way home.  I succeeded in not having anyone see me cry!!  Bonus!  My hubs Kenny will be watching Holden all weekend, so at least that gives me some relief knowing he’s not in daycare, and that he is having Daddy-son bonding time.  That warms my heart.   I just have to adjust to this working mom role.  I’m sure it will get easier, but these first few weekend will be brutal.  Kenny was so sweet, he sent me photo updates and texts to let me know how Holden was doing.   Of course the pictures made me teary eyed and miss him more, but it was nice to see his face.  I just wonder how the moms do it who works an everyday job M-F/9-5 gig does it.  I bet it’s just as hard, but I’m lucky to only have to work two days a week.  Well, I better sign off, I have to be up for my middle of the night pump, and then up at 5am for work.  Yippy!  NOT…..till next time….

Brightest Blessings,
Valerie

I'm Baaaaack!

Well it’s been a hot minute since I’ve written on this blog I left on in June of LAST YEAR!  So in the light of the New Year, I’m gonna get the blog motor up and running again.  I have missed blogging and I am excited to get back at it again, really excited!   I’ve been brewing up some ideas on what I want to blog about, doing some blog research, and checking what’s hip nowadays.  Ok, now that sounded totally corny when I typed it, but it sounded really clever in my head when I was thinking it. Whomp whomp!  I guess I better get to cracking on my mad writing skills before I get too far into this blog thing ya’ think?

With my new found blog enthusiasm, I can tell you my perspective on things are a teeny tiny bit different this time around.  Why you ask, oh just a lil’ something happened to me, a lil’ someone came into my life, a lil’ someone I like to call my son, Holden!  Holy hell, I’m a momma now!!!  AHHHHH!  Can you believe it!?  I am so elated I want to scream from the mountain tops.  You know people always tell you, (for all of you who aren’t moms yet) you’ll never know till you’re a mom, well damn if they weren’t right.  You really don’t know until you are a mom.  It changes everything, and I mean for the better.  Now, you’re talking to the girl who was all about me, me, me,---now I’m not talking materialistic me, but me as in I like to sleep in till noon on a random Tuesday, just because I can.  I’m talking about me, the girl who was all about my furbabies Bella & Chloe and what bandana they were gonna wear when we went on our next walk.   So yeah, you might say my blog topics might be a bit different that I would have ever imagined they would be.  That just means I get to reach a new group of people I wouldn’t have ever reached before, and that my friend is awesome. 

This year, I’m not going to make any new year’s resolutions, but proclamations!  I hope you are sticking to the resolutions you made!  I know we all do this every year, so let me share my proclamations with you!  They are as follows:

-Do my best to lose the rest of the baby weight (only a few more pounds to go!  Woo hoo)

-Have better time management---I’m not used to having to pack up for two when I leave to go on a
“quick” errand.  Those no longer exist by the way. 

-Make some new mommy friends---this is a feat I have not yet delved into yet—where do I find these “mommy friends”?  Lol

-Make an effort to get REALLY involved in my ladies bible study this year, not just be another person sitting and listening.

 Brightest Blessings
Valerie

10 Things I'm Grateful For

I was having my quite time yesterday, and I started to think of all the things I’m grateful for.  I’ve had a very good year so far, and it keeps getting better and better.  For myself, my relationship with the Lord has made a HUGE IMPACT on how my year has played out thus far.  I’m not a “bible beater” by any stretch of the imagination, but I am now no longer afraid anymore to state how I feel about the Lord or my faith. 

Before I only prayed when I needed something or wanted something to go my way.  How selfish is that?  I know we’re all guilty of it, we just don’t’ like to admit it.  Now, I never forget to pray every night before I go to bed and every morning when I wake up….because God doesn’t forget to wake up in the morning.  To me when I pray, I give my concerns to the Lord and ask for forgiveness for my faults, no matter how small or big. 

I know this is a popular topic to do around Thanksgiving, to say what we are all thankful and grateful for, but we need to remember to be thankful and grateful everyday of our lives.  So I encourage you all to do the same, you don’t have to share it, but just make a list for yourself!  Makes you feel amazing!  J

I’m grateful:        (in no particular order, just the way my brain spewed them out!)

1.  For my unborn son.  He is the biggest blessing in our lives, and in 4 short months we’ll be able to see his beautiful face and be a family for the first time.

2. For my beloved husband.  He is my rock, my shield and my provider.  He eats the meals I cook when they aren’t so good, with a smile. 

3. For the AWESOME relationship I have with my one and only brother.  He is my best friend.  He will always be there, no matter what.    

4. For having a job, in this economy they are hard to come by these days.

5. For being introduced to the Wives On Duty, a faith bases support group for LEO wives.  It has made a big impact on my communication with my husband.

6. For starting my blog.  I don’t have many followers, but I hope that this reaches the people it needs to reach, whether it’s for a good laugh, or if it touches their lives.  :

7. For all the faults and bad decisions I’ve made in life.  For if they had never happened, I wouldn’t have learned from them.  I wouldn’t have changed to be the person I am today.

8. For my Mother and Father.  They have helped me in many times in my lives.  They will love me unconditionally.  They have loved me through my many faults.  They are indispensable. 

9. For having all the amenities I need to live a comfortable life.  I have a home, cars, food and enough money to get by in life. 

10. For my two labs Bella & Chloe.  Funny thing about dogs, they never get mad at you and they always want to love and be next to you.  They got me through some rough times, when a snuggled is all I needed.

Brightest Blessings,
Valerie

It's a BOY!

We found out at 10a.m. on May 30, 2012 that our lil' nugget is a sweet little boy!  :)  Kenny is over the moon, and I am as well.  We would have been happy with either gender, but just finally knowing is all the more better!  Now we get to battle over names and I get to decorate the nursery!  YAY!  Can't wait!

Here are a few of our sonograms of our lil' fella we took that day, and one of my chalkboard signs for that week!  :)

Brightest Blessings,
Valerie

My Baptism

        I got baptized on Sunday May 20, 2012.  This my own personal choice, and  I know this isn’t for everyone.  I’m not writing this in my blog to tell everyone to go out and get baptized by any stretch of the imagination.  I just wanted to share my story; because maybe one day someone will read this blog, or maybe even share this blog and read my story and it will help them on their personal journey to their relationship with God.

          I won’t go too much into detail of how I came about to my decision to get baptized, because this would be a really long blog, and too much to write.  So I’ll give you the downtown (fast) version.  I had a few incidents happen in my life at the end of 2012.  Nothing I am proud of and something that I had to deal with.  It affected me, my husband and my family.  So in January I had I guess “seen the light” for lack of better terms.  I just saw life in a different perspective, I thought about things differently than I ever had before, and I saw that I needed to turn my life around and work on my relationship with God.  I had one, it just wasn’t as rock solid as it should be.  So in turn, I started to read the bible, actually read it and understand it.  I had my bible reading plan that I got of www.biblestudytools.com  After reading the bible more and working on my relationship with God, I decided getting baptized would further help me on my journey.  I would be sharing my testimony with the world and making a statement by living my life for the Lord.

          Below is my faith statement that I read.  I hope this speaks to some people and I hope this helps people out.  I put my soul into this, and I meant every word of it.  Feel free to share this with those you think needs a push in the right direction,  I encourage you to!

Valerie’s Faith Statement

          Before I surrendered my life to God, I was insecure in my faith, I didn’t know how to talk to God, I was dishonest more than I was honest with myself,  my family, my friends and my dear husband.  Most of all I felt separated from God because I thought I had made too many bad decisions and hurt too many people in my life.  I was portraying this persona of a person I wanted people to see on the outside, but inside there was turmoil and confusion on what I was doing with my life, knowing what the outcome would be if I kept making the same bad decisions and choices in my life. 

          My husband Kenneth and I made a decision that we wanted to join the church and become members.  At that time, we meet with Scott for the new member classes, and he asked us “if you were to die tomorrow, do you believe without a doubt that you’re going to heaven?”  My husband said yes, very confidently and with every ounce of his being, I however didn’t have an answer.  I felt ashamed and embarrassed.  My husband looked at me, took my hand and squeezed it and he gave me a big hug.  Trying to hold back tears, I knew I wanted to have a relationship with Christ and be able to answer that very same question like my husband did, with confidence and courage.

          My husband is a man of God and has been my biggest supporter and confidant.  Kenneth never shies away from a question I have to ask him about the bible, his faith or his relationship with God.  Kenneth has been right in front of my face for the past 9 years of my life, with the same beliefs from the day I met him.  I however have had a roller coaster of a ride with my relationship with God.  It just took me 9 years to realize that having Kenneth in my life and having him supporting me while I build my relationship with God has been biggest blessing, and I will never forget it. 

          I now am proud and confident to say that I have a rock solid relationship with God and I don’t feel separated from him anymore.  On this journey I have learned that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.   The Lord has gotten me through some very tough times in my life recently, and I know He will get me through anything and everything I am faced with.  Kenneth and I are expecting our first child in October and I am happy to be able to say that our child will be raised by two parents who live through Christ and who know Christ.

Brightest Blessings,
Valerie