Body After Baby

Good-bye, baby wieght.

Good-bye, poochy stomach.

Good-bye, draggy feeling.

Hello new health!

This will be the second Body After Baby Challenge that I have done with Samantha at Mama Notes. During the first one I lost a lot of weight and several inches and I felt better the whole time. I am not where I want to be and I miss the accountability that helps me to exercise more and to eat healthier. Over the holiday season I have let my diet and exercise slide. I have realized how much better I feel when I take the time for these things. So, to keep myself on track I am joining the next round of Body After Baby.

Here are my goals -

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  Drink at least eight glasses of water a day.
  
  
  
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  Get moving more. Through dance time with the kids, exercise, walking or stair stepping I want to get my heart pumping well at least once a day.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Loose another 5 pounds and flatten my tummy. After 4 c-sections I have a LOT of pooch left that I can't seem to tighten. Any ideas? Leave me a comment. Nothing I have tried has worked so far.
  
  
  
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  Ramp up my protien intake and decrease my sugar and carbs. This worked well for me last time around and I felt much better too.
  
  
  

Above all though, my goal is to be healthier so that I can be a better mom and wife and person. When I take care of myself I am better able to care for my responsibilities. And THAT is my number one goal.

Christmas 2009

I made (with a little help from my mother in law and a close friend) the girls matching Christmas dresses this year. I am very pleased with the way that they turned out. I am hoping to have a sunny day this week to get some better shots but for now this will have to suffice.

I hope that you all were blessed with a great Christmas filled with lots of family memories. We had a good week despite the fact that my poor sister had one of her cars set on fire while it was parked outside the barracks where she is stationed and then was rearended on Christmas day. It was a stressful time trying to get her back to base in time but she made it. Flying with a concussion on Christmas weekend wasn't fun and she could sure use the prayers of all of you faithful prayer warriors as she continues to heal. Even with these scary and devastating situations we were blessed with some great time with Erin. It was the first Christmas we have had together in years and it was great to have her with us. The kids got too much, and we ate too much but we sure had a great weekend!

Girls Day Out

One Tuesday, my sister Erin (in town on leave from Fort Polk, LA) treated the three of us sisters to a long over-due "girls day". We started out the morning with manicures and pedicures. It was so nice to sit and relax and be able to catch up with each other. Erin has been in the army for the past 3 1/2 years and our time together has been limited. This day was MUCH needed!

After our nails we went and got our hair done at a salon here in town. I LOVE having my hair done so this was such a treat for me. Then we had dinner at Olive Garden, just the three of us. As a mother to many small children the opportunity to eat a meal at a resteraunt without having to feed another person or cut someone's meat was very special.

We finished off the night with a trip to the beautiful Fox Theratre in St. Louis, MO. We got to see

Irving Berlin's White Christmas. 

The show was great! The day was great! The memories

priceless.

Christmas Season

Well, the Christmas season is upon us and most of the preparations are done. I am finishing  hoping to finish no, no, no MUST finish my Christmas shopping tonight. My scarves are made, the tutus for my girls are done, their Moby-style wraps are finally finished. My list is written and my cookies are baked. The props for Sunday night's Christmas program (which I am co-directing) are just about done. It has been a busy two weeks around here. But as I look back over them I am pleased. I have spent time with my children, my friends and my family. I have accomplished a lot this year.

I have seen two of my daughters baptized. I have explored the art of cookie decorating. I have blogged about some losses  and some lessons that God has taken me through. It has been a hard year for me in many ways but it has also been one filled with wonderful memories with my children.

I have shared with you many recipes  and homemaking ideas. So, as this year comes to an end I hope that you have been blessed here at "Our Heart and Home". While the name and layout of this blog have changed, my intentions of it reamain the same. I strive to share with you what God is teaching me. To encourage you in your walk with Him, and to share ideas, thoughts, and recipes for your home. Thank you for walking through this rough year with me. I am looking forward to 2010 with great excitement as I am hoping to start doing more giveaways, more link ups, and more posting in the coming year. There are only seven six more days until Christmas, but for my family we have one more big occurance before then. You see, in two more days Aunt Erin will be home. This is the first Christmas she has been home in three years. It will be her first Christmas with Josiah EVER! I am so excited. And to top it all off Daddy is off for the next 17 days. He has never had that long of a vacation and we are really looking forward to it.

All of this to say, We are wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope to share pictures of the cookies I am decorating for church but I am making no promises until January. Until 2010, take care and God bless!

Body After Baby

I just wanted to take a minute to thank all of my friends and family that voted for me, supported me throughout the eight weeks, and helped me to win in every way. I might have won the prize that Samantha  offered but I also won the prize of losing weight, accomplishing my goal and feeling better about myself. Again, thank you to all of you that helped make this possible. I couldn't have done it without all the love and support that I have had during this time.

Psalm 121:2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Preparing our Hearts

Have you ever thought about the sacrifice of Christmas? I mean, the sacrifice of Easter is something that we think and talk about every year. Christ died on the cross for our sins. We, in essence, sent him to that death on the cross. But what about Christmas? Have you ever thought of the huge sacrifice that was required of Christ of Christmas?
He left heavenly splendor for earthly stable. He gave up all of heaven to come to earth for you and for me. What a huge sacrifice! The stark contrast of heaven and a stable is easy to see. But He left so much more than just the beauty of heaven, He left his Father. He left, knowing what the end would bring. During the cruxifiction God had to turn His back on His Son and I know that was a sacrifice. But it wasn't the first time a sacrifice had been made. When Christ left heaven they both were fully aware what must happen for salvation to be accomplished. But, He left, He came to earth for you and for me. What sacrificial love!
This year, I find myself in awe of the sacrifice that Christ made for me through His birth. I have been convicted to let go of all of my "worldy" expectations that cause me to focus on decorations, traditions, and gatherings and focus on sacrifice. Not only His sacrifice but also mine. How far am I willing to go to live for Christ?
Am I willing to give up my "perfect" holiday to touch others in need? Willing to serve those that have nothing for nothing in return? So many are hurting this year. You don't have to look far to find them. What sacrifice are we making to make a difference? Christ' sacrifice had an eternal impact on those who will receive it. But our sacrifice holds no less value, for through our selfless love during this holiday season yet another soul might be brought to peace with our Heavenly Father. Wouldn't it be worth it then?
So, I find myself this year looking at finding the "joy" of the season in being Christ' hands and feet. I am choosing to go where He would have gone and to love those He loves. And I am finding true joy comes in sacrifice, not "picture perfect" holidays.

Homemade Diaper Wipes

To make your own disposable wet wipes all you need to start are just a few simple items that, if you have a baby, you probably already have on hand. Here is a step by step guide to make your own wet wipes.

First start with a roll of quality paper towels.

These need to be thick and durable

paper towels. I like the Bounty Basic

paper towels. They are fairly reasonably

 priced and yet hold up well. Next, cut

the roll in half. An electric knife

works well for this, but for years I just

used a serated bread knife.

Then mix 2 tablespoons each of baby oil and baby wash

in a 2 cup-measuring cup.Then fill it the rest of the way

with water.

Place the one part of the roll of paper towels into a vertical container.

Pour the water and soap mixture over the paper towels and allow

to sit for a couple of hours (sometimes I have only waited 30 min

or so and it was fine, when you need wet wipes you NEED wet wipes).

Then pull the now wet cardboard tube out of the center and the paper towels

will follow. Continue to pull from the center as needed.

You have successfully made wet wipes. These cost less than $1 per box to make and they last me almost a

month per box. Obviously your cost can change depending on the soap and oil that you buy and the brand

of paper towels. For most of us wet wipes are a daily need and I can't tell you how much I love the smell and feel and durability of these for such a cheap price.

Please don't forget to go and vote for me in the weightloss challenge over at Mama Notes I am one of the four finalist and I need your help to win. Please take just a minute and go vote in the poll titles "Body After Baby" in her right side bar. I am contestant #4. Thanks so much!!!

Body After Baby - Before and After Photos

Before - 150 lbs,  waist -40inches               After - weight 134 lbs, waist - 34inches

These are the before and after pictures from the Body After Baby Challenge that I participated in this fall. I am wearing the same jeans in each picture. I was able to accomplish a lot during the eight week challenge. I stuck to my diet with almost no cheating and the reward has been totally worth it. I now weight what I did when I got married and then (only six short weeks later) found out that I was expecting for the first time. Now, four children and eight years later, I have, in the past month, worn two different dresses that I had been saving all these years because they were my favorite ones. It was a mazing to be able to wear the dress that I got my engagment pictures taken in. I feel so much better about myself and with what I have learned doing this high protien/low carb diet I feel better and have more energy to devote to my children.

I can't thank Samantha enough for all the time and effort she put into the challenge. I couldn't have done it without the accountability that her blog provided. Head over to her blog to hear about all the ladies involved and to help me win the wonderful prizes that she is offering. Every vote counts!

Updated - Go HERE to vote for these awesome moms!

Not Me! Monday

I did NOT have a rvelation this week that included many funny facts about my life.

• You know you are a large family when more often than 3x a week you hear the phrase, "My you have your hands full."
• You know you are a large family when you must stop folding laundry on the love seat and move to the sofa because you are out of room for each pile.
• You know you are a large when you use a loaf of bread in one sitting.
• You know you are a large family when while you are shopping for a new vehicle the ones that you are looking at keep being reffered to as a BIG vehicle, a small bus, or a great vehicle for a group or organization.

Like I said, I did NOT have these thoughts this week because I do NOT have a large family. I do NOT love my life  no matter how crazy it seems to others.

Poster Print Giveaway!

What better to give this Christmas than a HUGE picture of the ones dearly loved! Head over to Raising Olives to enter this giveaway, but hurry it ends soon!

Please Help Me!!!!!

"i am mommy" is hosting a cute kid contest and the prize is a lot of beanie babies. These tiny little stuffed animals are a favorite of my children and I am hoping to win them as a Christmas gift. Would you please head over to "i am mommy" and vote for him please. He is number 12 and his picture looks like this -

Special Diet Cookies

There is a giveaway on "A Piece of Cake Decorating" for some cookies and mixes that are for special diets. I have entered this giveaway with a special little girl in mind. I hope that if you know someone that could also use these cookies to enhance their special needs diet that you will hop on over to their website and enter to win this $50 gift package!
Yes, to Cookies  - this is the company that is giving away the cookies. They sure look yummy to me!

Advent...Christmas Lessons

What do you do in your family to keep your focus on Christ during the Christmas season? Here is a list of the items that we use (or have used) to help our children learn to focus on Christ during this season. It is a busy time of year and being consistent is hard, but I have seen the fruits of these studies in my own children. I hope that you will find something new or be inspired to use the season of Advent to teach your children about the greatest gift of all....JESUS

• Advent Calander/Devotional Site - TeachingMom      Printable Nativity Scene      Candles and Scriptures   These sites offer lots of different ideas and methods that can be used during this season. While most of them go hand in hand using all of them might be a bit time consuming. I love the printable nativity scene and since my girls love to color we have used it for years now. The scripture readings are what we do every Monday morning and then we light the white candle Christmas morning prior to opening gifts. It gives us time to reflect on the true meaning of the day before the craziness starts.
• "An Advent of Ideas" I was gifted this book from a friend and I can't find it anywhere. It is what we have used for our devotions daily for several years. It gives a scripture, some thoughts and an activity to go along with it. It is a small spiral bound book but it is PACKED with great ideas and some awesome scriptures to reflect on this time of year.
• "The ADVENTure of Christmas" This book is written by Lisa Whelchel and is a beautifully illustrated book. While the stories in it are great at helping families see Christ in Christmas it lacks the "meat" or scripture that I am looking for. We use it along side of our Advent devotions while doing our normal Christmas traditions. It has a lesson, or a story, about everything from the lights to the tree to Christmas cards. Every lesson shows how each part of Christmas can remind of Christ in different ways. It has great craft and snack ideas that I have used for gifts. It is great book that I would highly reccomend and it is so pretty that you could leave it out all season and enjoy looking at the pictures with all the guests that take notice.
• "The Jesse Tree" by Linda Lawrence and Donna Hubbard This will be the first year we have done this book but I am really excited about it. Each devotion tells another part of the story of Christ and traces it from creation to fulfillment. Each lesson has an ornament that is hung to remind the children (and parents) of each lesson. There are 20 devotions one for each day except the days when you light the advent candles. So, this year we will be doing this book daily and then using the advent candles once a week.

So, there you have my list of Advent resources. I would love to see your post about what you and your family do each year to celebrate and keep Christ the focus of your Christmas. Leave me comment or link up your post and let's share some ideas.