Week 6- Project 52!

Lexi fearful of the next snowball Dad might throw her way LOL! Gotta love that anticipatory smile! It was nice getting 2 and a half inches here this past weekend. It doesn't matter how many times I see the white stuff while traveling the world...seeing it in my own neighborhood is like seeing it anew...for the first time again. Beautiful!

5 Years Later...

So it's been five years and one month between the day this first photo was shot and the following one. Do we really look FIVE years older? We are definitely five years closer ;-)

I thank God so much for putting this friend in my life. This was definitely a friendship made in heaven and sustained by our Lord through all the ups and downs, ins and outs and tribulations and achievements. I pray that I can do another post 30 years from now...and I'm sure we'll still look this hot then too. ;-) HA!

Excavators and Bull Dozers...Imagine that!?

I DID have a little girl, right? HA HA! I love that Lexi bug is so well rounded. She's got her girl side and her "tomboy" side I tell ya and this week she embraced the "tomboy" just a little. Take a look at my little princess here operating a massive excavator. I mean, I shouldn't even know what an excavator IS! I have a GIRL. HA! Lucky for us "Uncle Paul" is in CAT sales and he has given Lexi an official CAT initiation. So yes, my baby is inside that bull dozer riding over the dirt below!

Lexi is picking up and dumping this sand with Uncle Paul! That thing is actually MUCH bigger than it even appears here. We definitely had fun and memorable times at Cherish's house. So much so that Lexi told me I can go home tomorrow and she'll stay here by herself! wow. Maybe she didn't really mean it. Lucky for me however she is stuck with me ;-).

Progesterone!

You see, even the title of this post is a nice example of why I needed my own blog...just for my "girlies" (as Lexi would say when she frequently tells me, "We're my Daddy's "girlies", right mommy?" LOVE IT!). So THIS depleted hormone (for me anyway) is supposed to be the reason my "cycles" are too short to get preggo. And so I have begun the journey into bioidentical progesterone pills to fix what feels like a significant problem and hopefully help conception to occur. I'll keep you all posted on what the little pill does for me. So far? I've been peeing like a race horse for 10 days! It's a amazing how much water I've had on my body these past several months. Maybe this is exactly what I've needed. Is this a symptom of old age my friends?

I found the following on a website about the "stuff"... While I'm on day 9 of "the stuff" I'm hardly able to speak with authority on the subject. So at some point I'll post an update on how this is going for me.

In addition, progesterone also aids in:

• Serving as a natural anti-depressant
• Fostering a calming effect on the body
• Acting as a natural diuretic thereby preventing water retention or bloating
• Normalizing blood sugar levels
• Maintaining libido
• Promoting regular sleep patterns
• Restoring proper cell oxygen levels, thereby improving mental acuity and memory

Week 5 of Project 52

A little hasty you might think considering the week has only just begun and I'm already posting "The photo" of week number 5. Perhaps I'll post again when the week is through (bonus ;-)) ...but perhaps I will not. This is a photo of me and Lexi bug. Reunited. And we are in our hotel room here in Melbourne, FL all snug in our bed. She is pretty excited to be here with me. But will she ever sleep? HA! She lies awake next to me as I type this in the dark room.

John flew back to Altanta today and I stayed behind with Boo Bear (did you know I call her that sometimes?). Tomorrow I'm meeting with the director of my old graduate school program to see if we can work out a "deal" to barter for some training material he wants from us and another professionally shot DVD or two that we'd like his professional crew to film so we can then add to our sales collection. We'll see what tomorrow holds but since I was in town from the cruise ship it made sense to stay another day to see where this could go.

Tomorrow (after the meeting) we'll drive to Jacksonville where Cherish and I have some big decisions to make regarding the direction of our company. I do so feel that God's footprints are ALL. OVER. this week! No matter how it turns out! I am convinced this week will be a "turning point" even though I have no idea of what to expect and no feeling that anything BIG may even happen. I feel God's presence all over this week (which hasn't even really yet begun) and despite how it "feels" when the week is through, I know this is a stepping stone in the path my Lord has laid for me. And that is how I know this is a "blog worthy" post despite what may seem like premature posting for week 5. ;-)

Week 4 of Project 52

January 26th, 2010. Between 6-6:30 AM. Choosing the photo this week was not easy. This is the sunRISE on a Tuesday morning on our way into Labadee. I chose this photo to represent our week of cruising because it represents my favorite time of the vacay...getting up between 6 and 6:30am, sitting on our balcony with a cup of freshly brewed coffee and my Bible study; starting each morning with our Lord! You might think that on a vacation one should sleep in. For me this was a way to ensure a restful/peaceful and enjoyable day...every day. And it was. God spoke to me in the lessons EVERY. DAY. And man was it crazy. It was EXACTLY what I needed to hear and the timing was perfect! It was as if Beth Moore had written each day's lesson for me when I went to bed the night before because she had a front row seat in my mind from which to create the study. Isn't our Lord so faithful and isn't His Word so ALIVE?! (P.S. You can check my "main" blog for more photos of our vacay.)

Week 3 of project 52

January 23, 2010. We left Friday for Orlando, FL stopping overnight in Valdosta for some shut eye. It was the "funnest" drive we've ever done to FL. Stopping made it feel so short and John got some great sleep (which he never would have gotten at home). We arrived in Orlando mid afternoon Saturday. My niece and nephews came over and Lexi loves her cousins! They played and played until after 10pm we HAD to get Lexi off to bed. Most of you know that Lexi is staying with Mama and Papa this week while John and I take a much needed "childless" vacay! But don't feel bad for Lexi just yet...she is going to Disney World every day with my sister!

Today

Today I worked in GA for the first time in a long time. I started with a family here who has two boys with autism and they receive complete coverage from their insurance for services. It was nice for multiple reasons with a main one being that I get to stay in town while working and also how great it is for a family to get FREE services through their insurance company. I love it. It wasn't an easy consult but it was fun. John took Lexi to school in the am and I picked her up. The only problem is how long she has to stay in the after school program. It is almost dark outside when I picked her up today at 5:30pm. It just seems too long. I know this happens when I travel too and John picks up the bug after school. It just hits home more when I am here to experience it. The bright side is that Lexi was ecstatic that I picked her up from school. She showered me with kisses and oh I loved every bit of it! I was so happy to get her after being gone working all day that we just played and read books when we got home. It was definitely quality over quantity time. I hope this continues for the rest of the week while I'm working in Atlanta.

While the photo above wasn't taken today, I thought I'd publish it with today's post. It's always more fun to read a blog with a picture don't you think? I love this little girl.

I love my family- thanks for a great birthday guys!

Wow. It is really hard to make sure all these posts end up in the right blog. They are both connected so many of them are going to the other one first. Oops. I think I've got it figured out finally. So on to the topic of this post...

My AWESOME family. Have I ever told you I have the most awesome husband ever? He always does everything to try to make me happy. Even when I am grumpy or moody or just plain ugly, he is always so loving and shows me what unconditional love really is. I don't deserve this man but I am striving daily to treat him how he deserves to be treated. So this afternoon when I got back from Montreal I was greeted at the door with a lit ice cream cake and some really great singing from my two favorite people.

And on top of all of that I got presents too! Lexi picked out the cutest coffee mug for me from the Christian book store. It says "believe" on the cup and it has a little bow on the handle. John said she was hell bent on getting me a mug. She is a smart kid and knows how much mommy loves her coffee. John got me a new ipod (mine was on it's last leg) so I can listen to my bible studies in the car on my way to the chiropractor. And he got me a gift certificate for some shopping. And since only my closest "peeps" are reading this blog I can say that I am saving the gift certificate for when we actually conceive #2. That way I can get the clothes which will be needed the most at that time. I'm so glad the Loft has maternity.

After my wonderful greeting we went outside so Lexi could show me how she went "sledding" with daddy while I was gone. You see our driveway is still one big sheet of ice and my hubby took my kid's boogy board and pushed her down that sheet of ice into the drive way repeatedly while I was away. LOL I was really scared about this before I saw it with my own eyes. And especially before I actually DID it with her! Man was that fun. John is a fun dad!

Week 2 of Project 52- More from a great "girls birthday weekend"

This is the "photo of the week" for week 2. My "money" shot. Yes, I could have posted the amazing view from the Summit at Mont Tremblant as the winner, but for me, just a great time with my best friend was the highlight of my week. The fact that it happened on my b-day was a bonus. :-) (Is it cheating that this picture was ACTUALLY taken about 120 minutes before week 2 actually began?)

And so in case I did not mention it earlier, Cherish and I headed to Mont Tremblant after our workshop in Montreal for the purpose of celebrating our birthdays together. Hers was in November and we had been planning this since that time. This blog is sort of a "scrapbook" of our time there. Before I get started though take a look at this ice cream cake the hosting party in Montreal "surprised" me with. It was so sweet of them! OK so the top picture above is from dinner the night we arrived in Mont Tremblant after the workshop. Then the photo below is about half of our hotel (the Fairmont Tremblant) and all those little buildings to the left of it is actually a little town. There are all bars and shops and it is a FUN place to go in the evenings. If you look to the side of the hotel you can see a ski run right there. One of the ski runs came out immediately next to the hotel. Everything was so close and completely in walking distance. So if you take a look at the pool RIGHT next to the ski slope you can maybe even see some of the crazy people HA HA. That brings me to this next photo... If it looks like a covered and indoor pool, well that is because we are taking it through the window because WE were inside. These "crazy people" were in MINUS 40 degree weather with bikinis on and they were swimming in the heated pool. was especially weird to see skiers come flying down the slope and be practically standing next to a person in a bikini. Cherish and I were so cold we thought you could have just broken our limbs and our fingers off b/c they were so frozen. That brings me to the next photo. We had plenty of fun staying INDOORS at this spa LOL. After this fun day we met up and went for drinks with some people we know through work who were also in Tremblant. Today we dragged our (no longer 29 year old) bodies onto the plane to fly home. And here I am in my living room in absolute heaven, eating pizza that John went out and got for me, sitting on the couch and blogging. See my next blog (above) also because that fills in the missing details between getting home and dinner and my awesome family. One could not ask for a better birthday :-).

From the Summit at Mont Tremblant

This "girls weekend" is turning out to be amazingly fun and beautiful! We are staying at the Fairmont Hotel at the bottom of the mountain in Mont Tremblant. There is a whole little town right outside our hotel of shops, bars and restaurants. It is a whole different life here at this ski resort. We are cold. With the wind chill factor it feels like -40 degrees Fahrenheit. That is not 40 degrees that is MINUS forty degrees I am talking about. I've never experienced this cold of weather since Alaska and I think even that wasn't as cold. Last night Cherish and I bought snow boots just to walk around the town. We made it to the bottom of the sloped town in our high heeled boots and bought the snow boots to make it back up HA HA! The snow boots made a world of a difference. Where as we were going to "Turn in" at 9pm after putting on those cozy boots we turned back around and hiked it back to the bar where we stayed till 11. It's really fun when you aren't miserably cold. LOL This morning we had breakfast at the Summit (that is the top of the mountain). We took a gondola up there (that is like a ski lift but your seat is covered and surrounded by glass) and we had breakfast in the ski lodge. French crepes. Yummy! This was our view from the mountain top at b'fast...

Thankful

We just finished presenting a three hour mini workshop for a group of parents here whose kids attend a particular autism center in Montreal. We were the people who were asked by the center to come in and change the minds of 20 angry parents who don't want to switch over to the methodology we use to teach kids with autism to communicate. They were "angry" before we got there because they were being asked to make a change they thought they didn't want for their children. The operative word here is "thought". By the time we left we were told they were ASKING for the very thing they were previously resisting. Almost everyone stayed late to ask us questions after we finished presenting. We left after 9:30pm!

I am thankful. I mean look at me. In my personal life I have so much difficulty in so many areas. But in the area where I've allowed God to use me (work), man oh man has He done a work in and with me. I am thankful to a God who has taught me so much and allowed me to be a blessing to others. A God who has shaped my behavior through my life circumstances and the path He's drawn for me and has enabled me to communicate effectively and convincingly to people who previously so firmly believed something different. I am thankful that children's lives may improve as a result of three hours tonight. All of these rewards and can you believe that I actually get PAID for this as well?! How great is our God?! I love that I love what I do for a living. I am thankful.

#1: The first official blog of "Project 52"

This week Lexi resumed school at Wood Acres. She was assigned as the "snack leader" on Monday in celebration of her birthday so she got to bring in a special snack and one toy for show and tell. She was pretty smart about the toy because she proudly selected her new bike LOL. Can you just imagine her bringing a big huge bike for show and tell? HA! Somehow I managed to encourage her to choose something a little smaller and she brought her Tiana doll instead.

So take a look at our "snack". She is very much loving the Princess and the Frog right now so I tried to come up with this froggie cupcake idea I saw on line. Do you think they look like frogs?

Lexi did such a great job helping me with these. I have to admit it was difficult for me to relinquish total control over how the little guys came out but I did it! I fought the OCD. LOL This likely seems like no big deal to most of you reading this but when you have OCD tendencies, MAN is it difficult to relinquish control. HA! I'm laughing but at the same time I'm serious. So Lexi helped me. She put the m&m on each marshmallow and placed them all onto the cupcakes. She did eat a lot of candy in the process but man is she good at this crafty stuff. And I must say it was a lot of fun.

I leave for Canada tomorrow through Sunday. I'm giving a workshop in Montreal with Cherish for three days. Then were off to a place called Mont Tremblant for some R&R for my 35th birthday. We were going to do all this outdoorsy snowy stuff but then found out the high is 5 degrees. And yes, that is Fahrenheit. So now I'm thinking that coffee and Baileys by a fire place sounds good. HA! I'm packing the camera so I'll take lots of photos and post one or two for you when I get back.

A New Start

OK blog friends, please keep this blog on the down low. I didn't want to password protect my site (because it sends emails out to all my readers when I post) but I wanted to restrict my site to just those closest to our family. Therefore, I've started over again and this time only a few are getting the link. I just want my blog to be a place where I can share and not have to feel like I'm editing everything I say for fear of what others might think. With that said, you should find more frequent photos here and hopefully one photo per week of just "what is going on" with our fam. Those of you who have read Angie Carley's blog will know where this is coming from. I'm taking her advice and creating a record of the year. I can't quite commit to a project 365 (one pic per day) like she does given my hectic travel and work routine. So I guess you could call mine a project 52 so to speak. When I travel, I'll try to post a pic from my journey so that I have an on-going record every week and so that YOU, my dearest friends, can see what is going on in my life. I'm going to post about work. About family. About our adventures. I'm excited about this "new start". So lets see if I can live up to it :-).

I truly want to wish you all the most wonderful 2010 that you could possibly have. I know each of you deserve it more than words can say. I believe God has great things in store for us this year. I hope to spend MORE TIME with each of you too. God bless you all!