December Projects

Well, it's DECEMBER and I can't believe the time has just flown by.
I am going to doing a fun CRAFT day here soon to create some presents and decorations for the home on the cheap inspired by PINTEREST.

Check out my upcoming planned 6 projects:

1. Sock Snowmen
2. Small Square Painted Canvas for a co-worker
3. Frosty Banner Snowflakes for the full country porch
4. Tomato Cage Christmas Trees (1) -not 100% sure if this is going to be a GO yet
5. Christmas Ball tree for my Dining Room Table
6. Ribbons on my Bathroom Cabinet Doors

Pictures:

New and More New and a little Old

New Workout- Well, working out has been great for me and I am proud that my muscles remember what to do because apparently my head is not always in the game. I fell off the elliptical last Wednesday AM at the gym and well, my left knee is swollen and hurts to walk much. I think I pushed too hard to try for physical fitness too early. Taking a break and letting it heal. Missing the gym! Now that is so new for me.

New building. We moved workplaces last week when the kids started back to school, I moved into East Shore II. It is really beautiful with less traffic going into inns brook and has an interior lake with animals. I love that there is all this internal space and the feeling of new. However; new office means new desk and that is taking some getting used to.

New School year, same old teen drama. So hard to wake a teenage girl that I begin to feel like I need a crane just to accomplish it. She did not want to take a back to school photo but finally let me. Here is a photo of her gym with the band and the cheerleaders welcoming the freshman class of 2017 into Hermitage.

 

I am not ready for a full fledge teenager. Where did the time go where she was innocent and so cute and adorable? Now it is all about cute boys, her classes, girl drama and honors HW and really in that order. (LOL). This girl, my girl, is such a beautiful girl that I worry about her future.

 

New class- Sunday school rotations started and I volunteered to teach 4 yr olds weekly vs. rotationally. It is very hard for me because it means a commitment to be at church each Sunday from 8:30am-12:30pm and then come back for Choir practice for winter musical at 4pm-5pm. Sundays were meant for God so I figure the time commitment is no big deal but my old bones have been finding myself "napping" in between the visits to church. Those little 4 yr olds can sure wipe a girl out. And speaking of that age, I am starting Awana Cubbies this year again on Wednesday and was devastated by the sneaky devil Sunday when I lost 1/2 of my helpers in one swoop. Praying for them all as their reasons were all valid but praying for me since I will have ~15 3-4 yr olds with little adult help until we move things around. Hope I don't scare off my newly volunteered mother in law who is one of my new helpers.

 

Here is a picture of the little ones swinging. Wish I could be so carefree.

New weather, not really! What happened to the cooling trend that was supposed to occur. I am ready for jeans and sweaters and my cute boots and fall jewelry. Not so much since the weather is 90 degrees. I mean what is going on with the weather. At least I can do my nails in fall colors and patterns until God sees fit to follow through on the weather.

Old, well to close the post. I am OLD! My nieces are growing up, my nephews are growing up and I have 1 remaining grandparent left. That really shows me how old I am getting. 40s can be the best years of our lives or so I am told so I am going to have to tell this OLD body to get motivated.

 

 

Fall Already, Wait?

Well, it is almost September and in so many ways I am ready to shed this summer and move into fall and in other ways, I am sad that this summer was not really a swim and relax kind of summer. This summer I did things I have never thought I would:

• Joined a gym as a family and actually went
• Studied like I was taking SATs again for my PMP exam
• Failed my PMP exam twice
• Took Bible and Philosophy online classes for 8 weeks of the summer and passed (Phil was hard)
• Directed K-5th grade crafts for WBC VBS (1st time I have ever helped with VBS)
• Got a new tattoo in Key West of a blue butterfly
• Signed up to direct Cubbies another year for Awana
• Decided I would rather not be promoted at work since I would lose overtime and vacation time (who knew?)
• Did Ravenchase at Busch Gardens with my team at work and lost
• Turned 40! Oh My.
• Saw my oldest niece turn 5 and my youngest nephew turn 2.

This Fall I have big plans. I am going to try 1 month of paleo clean eating at the resounding success of a good blogger friend, Nina. I plan on starting to hit the gym 8 times a week (Mon-Fri every AM before work to do the cardio and 3 nights a week for weights). I plan on finally saying enough and losing this weight so I can have my final hernia repair surgery and move on with my life. I am going to enjoy every moment with my family and friends as if It was my last.
I just did HS orientation with Danielle (Wow)- I have a high schooler. My hubby and my 2nd to youngest niece both share a birthday in September so I plan to enjoy more family time. Oh and one wonderful last thing, Our church is doing Financial Peace university and I plan on taking the class with the hubby on Sunday AM for 9 weeks. He really wants to do this together and I agree but I am sad since I committed to teach SS at 11am for the 4 yr olds and that means I need a temp backup teacher for that class. I am praying God will find someone to help out so the hubby and I can take this very valuable class together.

Here's to fall and a new start!

A month, wow, really!

Almost a full month has passed and well, my wish to post more has not been so successful. Here are some updates:

July 23rd came and my wonderful co-workers dressed in all BLUE to support Ms. Bailey Bullock who was in Children's Hospital in Philadelphia having reconstructive surgery following her battle with cancer. Love these guys and gals and so grateful to work with people who care and continue to ask about Ms. Bailey who thankfully came home today from MCV after fighting a fever.

 

I failed my PMP Exam. Bummer and totally depressing since I had to then spend ~$300 of my own dollars to reschedule it for 8/20. Please pray that I will pass this time.

 

My Dad got a new puppy, Raven's Peppermint Patty (Pepper for short). She was just so cute and cuddly. Was sad to find out that Lily, my hairless CC, was not interested in playing at all with our new little fur ball.

And well, Awana planning for the school year is in full swing and I have decided to Direct our cubbies group yet again. Excited to see the new curriculum I will be teaching and hoping I get my niece Kaylah as an upcoming cubbie (hoping brother will sign them up for the year). VBS is something I am also doing (this week in fact). I was asked to Direct the K-5th grade crafts and I was so nervous since I had never worked VBS and it had been years since I had any VBS memories. Well, I had no reason to worry. It has been fun even alongside the stress. The children love the crafts.

Will post more once VBS is over and include some pics.

 

Well, heading off to bed after a long day and wanted to just check in and update everyone on life in general. Here's to a great August---can you believe it is August!

 

Time to be Inspired

Folks it has been way too long since I have taken time to post. So I am going to be inspired by Mom Generations bloggers Sharon and Audrey and a work acquaintance whom I have grown to admire greatly through reading her blog, Nina.
Here is a quick catch up on my life:

• Turned the big 40 this year!
• Feel better about my life than I have in a long time, though overwhelmed.
• Been a member of Winns for almost 4 full years now and loving teaching Sunday School to 4 yr olds, Teaching the Awana cubbies program and about to direct and manage elementary age crafts for VBS for the 1st time ever. Did I mention, I love being part of the band and praising God with my voice each Sunday?
• Just took my second Key West vacation (loved it!)
• Lost a best friend to life and busy schedules
• Gained a best friend in my sister (daily calls are awesomely uplifting)
• Have a high schooler, ugg--9th grade in the fall....not ready
• Still at Capital One, though now I have my BPM certification, and getting my PMP certification to boost the resume
• Going to Liberty University Online to get my bachelors in Business with emphasis in Project Management--with the hubby
• Joined a gym as a family in Jan and they just opened this month, Been 5 times and plan to go more once my PMP test done (thinking 4-5 days a week)
• Now officially have 4 nephews (Nicolas, Turner, Jaxson and Chase) and 3 nieces (Leah-starting Kindergarten this fall, Kaylah and Isabella).- LOVE >3

So now on to the inspiration part. I want to be inspired to:

• Blog more
• Print my pictures out from my phone
• Set new exciting gym playlists on my phone
• Get to the gym more
• Lose weight
• Cook more and better food, really not a like of mine so this will be a struggle
• Enjoy married life and motherhood as much as possible
• Stress less
• Continue my professional development next year with Lean certification and then Agile Scrum master Certification