I am 16 going on 17 …

Well … except that I am not! I am actually 29 going on 30. In about a month I will turn the big 3 – 0! Aaagh!

Well to be exact …
 


I honestly cannot believe this is happening.

I should thank my Mom for reminding me about this.
I figured that turning 30 could be better if I feel better about me …. so …
by the time I turn 30 …

* I want to lose 10 lbs. (atleast)
* I want to clear up my skin. (Thank you Proactive)
* I want to stop biting my nails.

I figured if I put it on my blog I would be more likely to stick to it.

I thought I was going to start on Monday with my weight loss plan by running but in my neck of the woods it has been raining every – single – day! I do not have a treadmill so I was out of luck.

I did start using Proactive on Saturday night and I am already feeling so much better.

The nail biting thing is a little more tricky. See in May (of last year .. obviously) my boyfriend said something about me biting my nails. He asked me if I would want to show of my engagement ring (when I get one) if I have ugly bitten finger nails? He had a point and I figured the ring would be coming soon.

I did stop biting my nails for about 8 months .. the ring never came and I once again began biting my nails. They are ugly and short. And it is a bad habit.
So once again I am going to stop biting them … for me and for the hopes that I will get engaged on my birthday … maybe … hopefully! I mean come on I will be 30 and we have been dating for 3 years.

So … there you have it. These are my plans for the next month and four days!

Any thoughts or ideas on weight loss? Clearing up skin? Stopping my nail biting? I want to hear from you.

Easter Sunday

We had a beautiful Easter Sunday!

With each holiday that we have I feel how blessed I truly am to have a wonderful family.

On Saturday we colored eggs (I didn’t get any pictures … boo) and made cupcakes.

On Sunday morning we woke up early and the boys had a blast seeing what the Easter Bunny left for them.

Way too much candy … hee hee!

Then we went to church at 9 a.m. The service was wonderful. Our pastor, Ron Zappia, spoke about the Doctrine of the Bible. It was a wonderful message to hear on Easter morning.

After church we went to brunch at Taphouse Grille. The food was wonderful. I could have eaten all day .. but I didn’t. We had custom made omelets, bacon, chicken fingers, chocolate fondue with fresh fruits, and mimosas!

D-E-L-I-G-H-T-F-U-L!!!

After lunch the boys played with the crane machine and each got stuffed animals to take home. (Did I ever tell you how much I dislike stuffed animals? I DO!)

From there we went to my Mom’s house and did an Easter egg hunt.

It was a beautiful day and I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

Here are some pictures from our day …

Christian & Jacob

Christian, Matthew, & Jacob

My Mom & Me

Hill of Calvary

I am so glad that we decided to put our own Hill of Calvary together!

Jacob has had so much fun putting it together, planting the seeds, and watching it grow.

We finally put the crosses in today … just in time for Easter!!

Here are some pictures of the process and our final product.

The seeds have just been planted!

Seeing some growth … 3 days later!

Finally, some real growth!

B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!

Freed from sin because He died for us!

A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That

Just a few updates of what is going on in my little world.

* Jacob got his finger slammed in between two doors. There was a lot of blood and his fingernails is all different shades of black and blue. I am sparing you a photograph but let me tell you it is ugly! His finger is super swollen and extremely sensitive. I put a finger splint  on it and it seems to be helping a little bit. When I brought him into school this morning we talked to the nurse. We both feel that it is best that he doesn't participate in p.e. or recess today. She also told me to keep an eye on it for infection. Her son got a staph infection when something like that happened and need surgery. Please pray that it doesn't come to that.

* I am taking my big Content Area test on Saturday ... please pray for me to pass!!

* My University Supervisor is coming to observe me tomorrow. I feel like I didn't have enough time to prepare but I am praying that all goes well. Will you pray for me too?

* Our church is discussing biblical truths about our finances. I loved the sermon on Sunday and I got a lot of information. Later this week I will be able to post what was said. They are doing a financial seminar at church on Saturday but I have my big test so I cannot go. The pastor said that he will be discussing financial business again next Sunday so I am sure I will have another post for you.


Have you noticed I have been posting more lately?? I am trying I really am.

Hill of Calvary {Step 1}

I have read so many great posts lately. I have been looking for an Easter project to do with the boys and I stumbled upon Janna at Mustard Seeds: Growing a Big Faith in My Little Sprouts.  She has a bunch of great Easter posts to do with the family.

My favorite one is called the Hill of Calvary. She gives a complete tutorial on how to construct it. It looked easy enough so I knew I had to try it.

We have constructed it and now we are waiting for the seeds to grow.

This is what we have right now …

I can’t wait for it to look all pretty and grassy.

It should look like this.

Photo Credit: Janna at Mustard Seeds : http://mustardseeds.typepad.com/.a/6a00e554ba6033883401310fa2c8da970c-pi

If you want to do this at home go to Janna’s post by clicking here to get the step by step instructions along with photos.

If I see anymore Easter posts I will be sure to let you know.

Another Dawn by Kathryn Cushman {Book Review}

When life gets complicated, Grace Graham runs. She’s left romantic relationships, friendships, and even her own family after the death of her mother. But now her sister, Jana, is giving he one last change. Come home and help care for their father – whom Grace still blames for her mother’s death – or never show her face in Shoal Creek, Tennessee, again.

With her son, Dylan, in tow, Grace returns home from California. But is she returning for the right reason? And when costly decisions from the past suddenly put her son’s life and the lives of other children in town at risk, will she have the strength to stand strong and await Another Dawn?

First of all, I read this book in two days. It was such an easy read and each page made me want more. I loved that this could be a real life situation.

This book hits on hot topics such as organic living and vaccines and how it is seen from multiple points of view.

This book describes the life of Grace who is the single mother of a four year old named Dylan, which instantly made me interested. It goes into the family dynamics she has in her own family and in her romantic life as well.

I really related to Grace as a person and as a mother wanting to do the right and best thing for her child.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the plot line of the story I would have loved to have heard more about her past and why she feels the way she does now.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a good Christian Fiction read.

{I was given this book by Bethany House Publishers to review. All these opinions are mine.}

Touches of Spring

Here in Chicago the weather is not freezing but definitely not warm.  The gloom outside hasn’t stopped me from bringing touches of Spring inside!

Daffodils placed in mason jars! Love it!!

 

Pretty, aren’t they?

 

I even added it to my mantel!

I love daffodils!

Now Spring just needs to be outside and not just inside my house!

My First Works For Me Wednesday!

I have been spending quite some time reading through what works for everyone else over at Kristen’s blog We Are THAT Family. I love seeing creative ideas from Mom’s that works for them. Sometimes I know the ideas won’t work for me but sometimes I know that they will.

So with that in mind I have completed my very first Works-For-Me-Wednesday!

What works for me is a supplies center!

Before the art center I had a container on the counter filled with pens and pencils. Most of the pencils were not sharpened and they were missing the erasures. The pens were not any better they either didn’t work or were leaking ink at the bottom of the container.

I also had to scavenger the house looking for glue, scissors, paper, notebook paper, markers, crayons, colored pencils.

It was exhausting!

So when my beautiful cousin Tanya offered me a bookshelf she was not using I knew I could use it.

This bookshelf now houses all of my school supplies.

The top shelf holds cookbooks, binders, and chapter books. The boys are really enjoying the Magic Tree House series. To think I got these books from a resale store for $6!

The middle shelf right now is housing things bills that need to be paid, a stapler, and a basket filled with things that still need to be put away.

I didn’t think it looked this messy but I guess it does.

The bottom shelf is my favorite. I have a love of mason jars and I had a huge collection. So now all my jars (mostly collected from jarred spaghetti sauces) hold all our pens, pencils, markers, colored pencils, scissors, rulers, and crayons.

See …

Here is our change jar and our school fundraiser jar. The school fundraiser jar holds box tops and pop tops.

Markers and crayons.

 Scissors

Colored Pencils.

The two doors at the bottom of the bookshelf houses paper, staples, notebooks, dry erase boards, glue, and a ton of other miscellaneous things.

So this is what works for me!

What do you think?

Words …

Relief

My midterms have been taken which means that this semester of school is almost over! This has been my hardest semester and I cannot wait until it is over. Also, this is my last semester of classes. I cannot believe that two years have flown by so quickly! Next semester I will be student teaching!! Yay!

Fear

I have put off taking my Content Area Exam because … I don’t like tests .. at … all!! I am taking it the last day possible which means that I won’t know where I am going to do my student teaching! I have to pass this test otherwise I cannot student teach until the Fall of 2012. Please pray that I pass!

Lonely

Jacob has been in Florida with my Mom, little brother, Grandma, cousin A Dizzle, Aunt T and Uncle B. He has been there since Wednesday and I miss him like crazy! He on the other hand is having so much fun that he has only been able to spit out a few words at me on the phone. It has been the best trip of his life. He is learning how to skim board and he is thrilled. He comes back on Tuesday morning and I cannot wait.

Hope

I made the decision to see my dad. I haven’t seen him in over three years but we started off writing letters and then I allowed him to call me. He has been calling me a lot and we decided to meet. We met up for a few hours. He seemed … good! He was relaxed and didn’t fidget about. It was a little awkward to find something to talk about but I am sure in time that will come.  I am feeling hope for him now, which totally makes me nervous. I am trying not to get my hopes up too much just in case but I really want things to get better for him.

Love

Dan has been wonderful! He has pitched in with dinners and helps with cleaning the house. He has been so complimentary with how I look and how I am putting the house together. He is amazing! He does not take me for granted and I love him more and more every day!

Jacobisms

Jacob has been in Florida with my Mom for almost a full week.

Every now and then my Mom calls me or texts me to tell me something funny that Jacob has said.

Here are the two that I have just heard.

Security Agent at Airport: Hi. How are you?

Jacob: Good

SAAA: How old are you?

Jacob: I don’t know …. short!

Ha Ha …. obviously he was not paying attention!

My Mom: Jacob how was your hot dog?

Jacob: It was good but there was one thing wrong with it.

MM: Oh no, what was wrong with it?

Jacob: It was too short!

Hilarious! Obviously he has a thing with measurements.

I sure do miss him. I cannot wait for him to come home tomorrow.

Randomly Random

I had no intentions of being away for so long. As with everyone, my life is moving at a crazy pace and many days I feel like I barely accomplished anything.

You may follow me on Twitter (@MindyMay) so you may know a little bit of what is going on.

~ Jacob turned 8 in February! I cannot believe how fast my little guy is growing up!

~ I am finishing up my last semester of school before I student teach in the Fall.

~ I will officially be filling bankruptcy this week. I am terrified at the prospect of this but I know I will feel better once I get this all taken care of.

~ We have been having some issues with Jacob in school. I do not want to get into all the details but I am extremely disheartened. I feel like I have been failing as a parent and I am at a loss of what to do. I do feel that his behavior is directly related to his dad and his plethora of girlfriends. I have gone into it before but this new behavior started at the same time his dad started hanging out with a new “friend”. Jacob is now meeting with a social worker at school once a week. I am hoping that Jacob can express what he is feeling to her and that I will be able to do what I think is right for him. Please pray for me and Jacob as we are struggling right now.

~ I am looking into different ways to treat Jacob’s ADHD type behaviors. I do not want to put him on medication but he feels dumb and stupid and I am not really sure how to help. I read a statistic once that it takes 20 tries to get the medication correct to treat ADHD. I feel that I can change his behavior and therefore help his self-esteem by possibly changing his diet. I am not sure what this is going to entail but I want to do something.

~ On a happier note, I am teaching myself to sew. Dan picked me up a great sewing book that had patterns as well. I made this bag …

What do you think?

If I let you look up close you would see swiggly sewing lines but from far way it doesn’t look too bad. I cannot wait to make other things.

~ Soccer season starts on Wednesday. I cannot believe that I am adding more hustle and bustle to our schedule. Jacob is thrilled. He gets to wear a white t-shirt which he says is awesome. I am just imagining all the grass stains I will be struggling to get out.

~ Easter is quickly approaching and I am determined to make it more memorable for all the right reasons. Does anyone have any ideas that can do that?

Well if you stuck with me through this long list … Thank you!

I promise I won’t stay away so long next time!