Check out my slideshow from my new website for the photography!

feeling left out, jealous, and alone

Lately I have discovered these horendous thoughts of jealousy towards people who just have what I want falling into their lap instead of mine. I mean I am angry and hurt. We have tried to sell our house now for over a year. Others just put theirs up, sell in a week, find an awesome deal, and boom, life is good. Not so for us. After a year of screaming at 2 kids to constantly keep a house clean, cutting vacations short to show a house, having no family time whatsoever, open house after open house, missed appts of people who are not serious home buyers, money, tears, hard work, all my family photpos being gone, and exhaustion beyond manner we got an offer and the guy dies of a heart attack! I mean geez....what are we to do. My spirit is tired, I hate the house I divorced a year ago so I could sell it, not to mention my baby will now be going to a school I think is all wrong for him.

I am angry. I am bummed. I am depressed. I am tired. I am having a major pity party. I will get over this.

sweet release

one more thing

This week I have been in a fog...simply going from one step to the next hoping I can get something right! Today in class I needed a student to get the trash can for us and instead I said, "Would you get the laundry basket?"
WOOPS! I need to watch the diet sodas, they may be affecting my concentration!

Uhmm, is this thing on?

Hey everyone out there in cyber land! Is this thing on?
Do you hear me?
Just checking!
Dieting is going great! Lost 3.2 lbs last week and according to the scales here at the house, I have lost about 3 more! That would totally be awesome to lose 3lbs a week! Sammy has another ear infection and a sinus infection! Ouch!
Jeremy and I went to a marriage retreat at Ross Bridge Resort in Hoover this past weekend and it was awesome! We had so much fun with our friends, the Pitts and the Walters!
HAve a great week out there in cyber land!

A few humorous pics to help

Here are a few pics to help you out of your diet woes...
Kick the fat in the butt, not keep the fat butt, I always say!
May you be confident today!

My diet in progress!

Walked three miles yesterday and three today! Gonna do it this time, I have too much on the line. My children see me eat like crap, my husband has to see what eating crap does to my body, so I am saying right now, "IT IS FINISHED!" NO MORE FAT!

I also started Weight Watchers, which for me is the only way I can ever lose weight. Diets are hard on the mind. When I am so used to grabbing something to instantly satisfy my hunger cravings, I can't do it. No more chocolate, cookies, chips, breads, crackers, chocolate milk, godiva chocolate bars, Sonic blasts, Starbucks Specialty Salted Hot Chocolate with Caramel, no more!

I now officially give things up! Gotta do, rip the peverbial band-aid. GONE!

The diet blahs and whoo-hoos!

Started a diet this week! YAY! GO ME!~
I now remember why I stop dieting everytime I have started before!
Hypoglycemia! My sugar drops and freaks me out making me grumpy and irritated!
Oh well, it is so worth it! I am tired of being fat and people asking me if I am fat!
I have this goal in my head, I don't want to share it with anyone else but God right now. I know that if I do ever verbalize it, I no longer own it!

Also, on my mind right now is self-esteem and confidence! I had a walk yesterday with a very good friend and we talked about finding your voice. That inner part of you that is screaming out loud to everyone but no one hears it. How do you make people see who you are?
Confidence is really not something I have had an issue with as a teen and an adult.
Well, not really... :)
I think when I am described by other people, I am anything but insecure.
I don't like whining and griping about things I cannot or am not willing to change.
That is why I have to lose this weight. I have found myself griping about it, can't do that, nope, no way! No whiners here for me!

A Prayer of Peace through the HOLY SPIRIT

I just pray right now for whoever chooses to read this that you are blessed and changed for what God can and will do in your life. I pray your heart is now full of something that you want to share with everyone you meet. I pray that if you have not submitted your heart to Christ, you will do it now! What a blessing and a freeing thing that is. I pray for the peace of a calming sunset will overwhelm your heart right now and you will weep like a baby for what God is and has been.
AMEN!

What is God calling you to do today? Whose life will you change because you prayed this simple prayer?

Branching out...

For me, things sometimes are really hard to accept in the manner of change. I really want to change, but I always morph back into my old habits and feel like a total failure. Do you do the same?
God spoke to me so much today at church during the service. I sat surrounded by friends, family members, and some total strangers and cried like a baby. I was convicted, and for all the right reasons. I felt an amazing amount of love and compassion in my heart. I looked around the room and saw the faces of believers in Christ who just need to show the world that, "We WON'T BE QUIET, We are fallig for YOU hard and we can't stop!"
My heart is swollen and broken today for the mission of Christ. Jeremy and I have been led to start a Bible Study group in our home and we ignored it forever. But, the amazing thing was that God was speaking to us both, individually, and we both were fighting it. If we chose to step forward with it, we would have to step out there and put ourselves on the line and be held accountable. Our faults and fears would be open for the world to view and that is a hard bite to chew sometimes. We would have to accept that people may or may not come. And we may have to face a burden that so many leaders in a church face- the fact that it feels impossible sometimes when all you want to do is share the amazing message of Christ with others. You want to shout if from the rooftops!

The book of Ester

I bought a movie over the holidays called, "One Night With the King."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjLy-oYnXBo

(Watch this trailer for it! You will love it, I promise! I have it if you want to borrow it)

It is about Ester from the Bible. It broke a curiosity for me that I have been needing to scratch. Come to find out that the word GOD is not used in that whole book of Ester!

It is an amazing story about how the Jews pretty much are about to be annihilated (AGAIN!) and God intervenes by placing the right person in a sticky situation at the right time! She steps out on faith and listens to her heart. She even changed her name to Ester from Haddasah (a Jewish name) so that she would not be found out! But, in the end, things are turned towards her favor. If you have around 20-30 minutes, depending on how fast you read, check out the book of Ester. I would like to do a Bible Study on it some time. I am going to be studying in it and making notes and learning some things about it so that I can maybe teach it. We'll see!

You know, I chose to blog about this because Matt Pitts said to me one night, "Where are you in the Bible?" He said that Jack Alford had been his accountability partner on asking him where he was in the Bible. I liked that. People sharing what they are reading in God's word. That is basically what we do in our group when we meet on Tuesday nights!

Where are you in the Bible? Comment on this post and let the world know where you are in HIS WORD!

My latest photo shoot fun time!

I have someone I want you all to meet, his name is DJ Neal. DJ has been in our lives now for around 7 or 8 years. When I taught English at West Morgan High School, DJ was in the 7th grade. That was in like 2002. Time really flies quickly by!


DJ used to come by my classroom everyday and every free moment he had just see how I was doing! He joined up in the Drama Club that I had the extreme joy of sponsoring for 2 years. During that time, we had the opportunity to go to New York City on a drama/theatre tour! DJ got to go with us! You see, I have failed to mention up until this point that DJ is extremely talented. He can sing, act, and dance. He can belt out notes that make your heart melt and your ears beg for more!~

During our trip to New York, DJ shared with me that he always had a dream of singing on stage at the Radio City Music Hall of Fame. It came true! We were touring the place and I convinced the tour guide to allow DJ his time to shine! He sang the Star Spangled Banner and just brought tears to all of our eyes.

I was told in college when I was taking classes that I would look back over my career as a teacher and reflect on the rewards that I was allowed to reap from the lives of my students and the investments I sowed in their lives. I was very fortunate that I had all of those things early in my career. DJ was one of those life lessons for me. I am truly blessed to have learned so much from such a young mind!

He had the opportunity a couple of years ago to move to the Alabama School of Fine Arts where he graduated this past May. He then moved to New York to pick back up on a dream of singing and acting in the great city of NYC. He is living out his dream and living the starving artists' life in the process. He was able to come home at Christmas and we were able to spend some time with him. He met our boys and they made instant buddies! Sammy calls him PJ!
Me being me, decided that I had to take pics of him. He needed some head shots too, so here are a few of my favs. The light outside was a bit to contest with, but we made it work! Love ya DJ!

Jeremy and I are so proud of DJ. He stayed a constant in our lives and has been such a joy to know and be part of.

God Bless you in all you do!

Facebook

Okay, thanks Lynn Pittman!
I have obsessive compulsive disorder as it is and you had to go get me HOOKED on Facebook! I am hooked, like completely!
I may be riding the red eye express if I don't watch it!
Must go to bed, need sleep!
Seriously, Facebook is cool!
What next, Twittering?
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Claws, balls, and a broken colon

Whew...
It has been a lot around here as far as pain in the lower regions!
On Christmas day, Jeremy began having pain in his lower right area and ended up spending a night in the hospital, AGAIN! Almost a month to the day that he spent two days in the hospital for pneumonia.

They diagnosed him with acute diverticulitis and sent him home armed with antibiotics that should cure him.

Well, that did not seem to work.

He began the weekend last week doubled over in pain and having three doctors telling him three different things: diverticulitis, gall bladder, or appendicitis.
Jeremy had a colonoscopy today that revealed he had diverticulitis of the sigmoid curve in his colon. The doctor had to stop the test because he could not get past the inflamed area. OUCH!

As if we did not have enough going on in our scope, we added Maximus to the list of doctor visits. On Wednesday, our 14 week old kitten was declawed and neutered. Again, I repeat, OUCH!

He is pitiful walking around here like he does not know what hurts worse, his lack of male jewels or his now naked paws. The baby got in the bed with us last night and wanted to be held all night long.
Last night was Maximus's night for snuggling, so I guess Jeremy having had his procedure tonight, will expect his snuggling...
The things we do for the love of a man in pain!