Week 2: It's a comin' off!

Well, my week one weigh in was less than impressive. According to my scale I had lost a little over a pound in my first week. At my weigh in it showed I had only lost .04lbs. so that is what got recorded. Bummer. I was kinda bummed I hadn't lost 4 or 5 lbs like some of the other girls but after talking it through with a few people I realized I wasn't eating enough protein and fats. Once I got my diet sorted out man oh man has the weight started to come off! I am losing an average of .5lbs a day!! I am almost out of my XL shorts and into my LG shorts!! I like that I am not hungry all the time and that I can eat frequently! Oh and the recipes are still great!! I actually ate Cottage Cheese (mixed with protein) and it wasn't too bad. The workouts are great! They are tough but not the bouncing and running around kind of tough. My body is sore afterwards but its not joint pain kind of sore. It is actually my muscles waking up!! All in all this Weight loss Challenge has been pretty easy to do. Eat right, show up and work out and.... Whala!! I can't wait to post next week!!

Getting Started

Well, Im not one that can come up with cute little names for my blog post so this one is about me literally getting started. I am getting started on weight loss and I am doing a 20lbs in 6 weeks challenge at Fitness Revolution.

 Last night I did my first workout there and honestly it was great. I thought I was going to be the only lady or the only chubby one there but I wasn't!! There were a bunch of us chubby gals around my age. I guess we all have babies we can thank for our extra weight :) Like I said, last night was fun. I built my confidence in my movements again and when I left I felt strong. I like that feeling. The one you get when you arrive at the end of a workout and you say, "yeah, I did that". I am one of those people that think weight loss and working out is mental, spiritual and then physical. Think you can do it, feel in your deepest of soul that you can ROCK IT, OWN IT or whatever it is that gets you going, and then your body follows through and proves the first two right!! I have done work outs where my mind and soul have been elsewhere and I have simply gone through the motions and honestly, the workout ended up being mediocre bc I wasn't ALL there. So moving on, I was ALL there last night and WOW!! The soreness! Ha ha it is awesome. I love it and hate it. I really do. I like to feel my efforts after a workout and it has been too long since I was last sore. I didn't do any crazy exercises. I just did them right and with effort and attention. Loved it!

Now for the hard part for me :( The diet part. I don't mind eating clean, really, I don't. It is the prep that I am finding hard for me right now. I think I will have it down in a week or so. I forget to have my snacks while chasing two little guys around and meeting all their needs during the day and that leaves me with a MAJOR hunger headache come lunchtime. The upside to the diet though is that I got a big ole list of yummy recipes!! They have a wide variety of stuff to eat so I'm not just eating chicken for 6 weeks. All in All I am excited about both the working out and the diet. Now I can just relax and watch the weight fall off :) Oh and stretch.... Lots and lots of stretching!! Stay tune for my weigh in next week!!

Our Much Needed Vacation!!

Last week Tater, Tot and I went on a family vacation with my side of the family. It rained the first few days but we made the best out of it. The last three days we hit the beach hard and got every minutes worth of fun available!! Below are some things I learned from our vacation. Enjoy!! 

1) Family should be the most important people in your life. If you cant be honest, open and SILLY with them, who can you be honest, open and silly with?!?!

2) Marriage is one man and one woman (leaving and cleaving) with God. Working to create a wonderful thing that is to be taken seriously and treated with the utmost caution and care. Engagements on the other hand should be stressful, elaborate and the plan executed by family with Navy SEAL like timing and precision!! 

Oh, AND

3) Sisters are an absolute blessing. No one will understand your more, know how to make you laugh in any situation (or cry. Sorry Ash) or love you unconditionally like a sister. I would not trade mine for anything in the world!! I love being the "cream in our Oreo" :) 

4) Boys never grow up. They just get bigger and get jobs. The Boy is still in there and sometimes he comes out when around "certain" company. 

5) Love is an emotion and it can fade. Marriage is a choice that requires one to refresh and renew your love for your spouse on a daily basis. Even when on vacation lol!! Isn't he sexy? He is my hero!!

6) Last but definitely NOT least. These two goof balls have my heart and are the most important thing the Lord has given me to serve, love and draw closer to Him in any way He sees fit. Without them my "family" would not be complete. 

Summer Reading

So I think I am going to make a summer reading list. I have never done it before and I don't really know if there is a right or wrong way to do a summer reading list. Any ideas or suggestions are welcome!! I am starting with a book Tater and I wanted to read called, "The Power of Prayer to Change Your Marriage" by Stormie Omartian!! So far it has been great. I will post a review as soon as I am done. Any books that you have read that you think I may enjoy please let me know!

April 2012 Update

Well, how time flies when you are having fun!! Just a quick update on our family.

Chad has gotten a new position at FedEx and has been moved from WHQ to Bailey St location. He likes it but there have been a bunch of changes in his new dept. that have made it difficult to get started on projects, learning the ropes, etc. He has started Discipling men in our home on Wednesday nights and he is doing an amazing job!! I have never seen Chad as a teacher but because we are all called to disciple people Chad has really challenged himself in "doing right" by these guys. He has the patience of Job with them and is very faithful to live life with them. So Proud!

Tot is growing like a weed and is learning like crazy! I get so frustrated trying to teach him. He doesn't want to be still long enough to learn anything. His PreK teachers do some sort of magic bc he comes home telling me things that leave me in awe!! The other week he stood at his breakfast and busted out the Pledge of Allegiance! It almost makes me sad to see how independent he is becoming. I am trying to cling to this last year of his before he goes to kindergarten. Man that makes my heart ache. I worry so much about that time. I am so afraid that he is going to get picked on or that school will change him and he won't be the same tender hearted boy I know now.

Not much to update in my area. I am still keeping kiddos from the home and trying to stay "happy hearted" about it. Not that I don't love the kids I watch but sometimes I just want it to be Tot and I all week every week. I am discipling a great group of ladies. They are actually the wives of the guys Chad meets with. I am finding that nothing holds you more accountable in your walk with the Lord than pouring your life and knowledge into others. You ABSOLUTELY have to be filled w/ the Lord before you can pour into others or else you leave yourself all dried up w/ nothing left for yourself or your family. I am also learning that a whole new kind of demonic attack comes your way when you are teaching others and faithfully going deeper in your relationship with the Lord.

I am doing a garden this Spring/Summer. Mostly to have fun w/ Tot and teach him how to grow stuff but also bc it gives me something to do during nap time.

OH we have an addition to the family!! We rescued a lab mix from a shelter and Chad named him Diesel. He is getting HUGE! We love him and Tot just adores him. He is so calm and relaxed for a puppy it is amazing!

That seems to be it in a nutshell for us. I will post more pics and updates soon.

End of the Year Review

Well as the year is ending I thought I would post some pics and share some things we have experienced in order to reminisce over this past year we have had!!

I would say first and foremost we have thoroughly enjoyed Tater having a normal work schedule!! He is now working at FedEx World Headquarters and though it doesn't meet all of our needs financially it is definitely meeting our needs as a family. He is no longer so tired from working that he can now enjoy fun playtime with Tot and myself!!

(A Reynolds family tradition)

I guess one of the other major changes we have had in our family is that Tot has started PreK. Tater and I had noticed that Tot had some severe social shyness (swimming lessons were a challenge) and after seeking some council we thought it would be best if he was socialized in a small christian class environment. We found the perfect place and, as the Lord worked it, the school/church is right across the street from our house! He has changed SO much and he absolutely loves it!!

(Tot and Aunt Kiss at Swim Class)

(Tater and Tot on his first day of school)

We have also been blessed by being "assistants to the teacher" of our awesome Bible Fellowship Class. We were asked almost a year ago by Frank and Virginia Roberts to consider helping them out with their class. Of course our answer was yes! It kinda odd to serve the people in our class because we get such a blessing out of it. You would think that it would be difficult with so many people from so many different backgrounds but our class is SO amazing!

(Robert's/Reynolds BFC Camping Trip Tishomingo State Park 2011)

So many other things that have happened this past year but that would take me forever to blog! As always, I hope to be more faithful on my postings but I am a busy woman and my blog is so far down on my list of "things to do". So, ya get it when ya get it :)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Gettin' Crafty!!

So Fall is upon us and it makes me feel like getting a little crafty!! Now I never like spending much for doing my crafts so the Dollar Store and Hobby Lobby sales are style! Here is a pic of some things I made for Bunko (Bunko girls if you read this you just ruined your surprise!!).

I have some burlap a friend gave me FOR FREE so I am looking for a neat craft for that. I am thinking a door wreath or pin board!! I will post a pic when I am finished :)