Skip to main content

Happy New Year!!

I just love New Year's Day.  There is something refreshing about a clean slate that comes with the start of a new year.  Over the last week, the girls have been playing with new toys and wearing new clothes.  The house has been restored to a pre-holiday state, the decorations safely stored away for another year.  My scale breathes a slight sigh of relief since I am about 40 pounds lighter.  My closet has been thinned a bit as well, with my largest sizes in a bag ready for a trip to Goodwill.  I have also been fiddling with my new toy, a brand new Nook Color from Barnes and Noble, my hard-fought winnings from our family Biggest Loser challenge.  (A tip of the hat and a "thank you" to Tracy and Missy for pushing me all the way to victory!)

I am excited to see what 2011 holds for us as a family.  I still have about 80-90 pounds to go to reach my goal weight.  To help along the way, we are planning on Season 2 of our Biggest Loser challenge.  I am also registered for a Warrior Dash in March.  The Warrior Dash is a 5k race on steroids, with 13 various obstacles along the way (think mud pits, fire jumping, cargo net climbs, etc...).  We are also looking forward to seeing what the local Y has to offer to keep our family fit and active.

Professionally, I am hoping to give some wings to a personal business, Chisholm Trail Foods.  We will use another side business, S Bar C Catering to accomplish this goal.  All of this of course will only be possible if I can manage to reduce the travel my day job currently requires.  There seems to be plenty of reason to believe that is possible though.

Grace and Hailey continue to grow into beautiful little girls, inside and out.  They are at a fun age right now and developing into 2 really distinct little jewels.  Both are blond haired beauties, just like their beautiful mommy.  But both show plenty of me in their personalities.  Hailey has an independent streak and fearlessness that I definitely recognize.  Grace has a palate that grows more sophisticated by the meal.

A review of the family budget shows that we won't be able to do everything we want to do, something that is hard for me accept.  But I can see that we are certainly not lacking and I count it a joy to name my blessings as a remembrance.  Big dreams, supported by ambitious plans and unyielding faith will show itself in plentiful fruit.  That to me is what makes New Year's Day such a great day.

Here are my New Year prayers for you.  May you and yours be blessed beyond your comprehension in the year to come.  And may your efforts be rewarded, your love returned and your laughter contagious!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

C'mon Mom, it's just PB and J!

When Mommy makes Grace a sandwich, she takes lots of time to cut the sandwich in small, manageable pieces for Grace. Mommy also has a thing for clean fingers, clean hair and hopefully clean ears. There is certainly nothing wrong with this approach. I applaud her enthusiasm for Grace's manners. However, sometimes... well, come on... really. It is just peanut butter and jelly. At this point, I should probably take a moment to thank the sponsors of this particular blog entry, Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Gramma's Strawberry Preserves. Gramma's Strawberry Preserves and Peach Butter is only available at a small pantry in Tyler, TX. She doesn't advertise, she doesn't sell her products online, heck, she doesn't even sell her products period... But those in the know, know where to go to get their jelly fix. Since I am down to my last jar of Strawberry Preserves, and I am completely out of Peach Butter, it must be about time for another journey to East Texas. Since Gramm...

Learning to make things grow

Grace is Granddad's girl when he is not at work. Given a choice, she would rather be with Granddad than just about anyone, especially if he is going to be outside! With the warm temperatures in Texas this week (it is supposed to be about 75 degrees today), it is a good time to be working in the yard. Granddad built a raised bed this winter and now it is time to get the bed ready for planting. There is something truly special about watching a toddler as they explore their new world. Today, she may just be playing in the dirt, but as the year progresses, she is going to get to see the planting of seeds and bulbs, followed by the sprouting of new plants and hopefully, the harvest of fresh veggies and herbs! Best of all, she will be able to share all of this with her Granddad. That is something absolutely priceless. I can think back to my childhood, spending weekends and summers with Pa, there were a lot of weekends that we worked really, really hard. Whether it was planting seedling...

Type 2 Diabetes - An Inconvenient Journey

I wish I wasn't the type of person that needed to get hit in the head with a 2x4 before I take action.  I really do want to be the type of person who heeds the warning signs that appear when someone else is walking through a challenge and is able to apply them to my own life.  I am 44 years old and I have a literal lifetime of warning signs, sounds, flags, banners, smoke signals and alerts that have been going off all around me. It isn't a news flash that obesity causes a variety of health-related issues.  I took health in junior high and high school.  I have been told many times by teachers, trainers, coaches, doctors, and nurses that I cannot outrun or outlive poor choices in diet and exercise.  As an adult, I have read many books on topics of health and self-improvement that encourage healthy habits and stress the importance of using daily exercise to reduce stress, improve cardiovascular health and increase energy.  I have read about the importance of...