Juice fast Day 1 start

So it is 6:46 am and im starving as usual, im about to go and grab brrakfast which today will be orange juice that i made last night, not sure how that is gonna affect my empty stomach ... We shall see i suppose. Im very excited about this fast! Zack is even doing it with me , although i will still be cooking for chase. I am however a little nervous about going without actual food around people/ away from the house. At home i can control my cravings, if im hungry i can go make a juice for myself, but away from home, i can't. So thats a little disconcerting. I did decide that for my birthday instead of going out for a big expensive fatty meal followed by a sugary cake an or dessert, we will treat ourselves to a juice/ smoothie at a tropical smoothie, this was im getting somwthing sweet and getting out of the house for my birthday, its enough of a present to myself to loose at least 30 lbs before this diet is over, my goal is 60 lbs, so that may take a couple months, which is fine by me as long as it works, and i am able to KEEP the weight off, i really really hope i can. I dont think that we eat bad or unhealthy, i think we are not active enough and therefore arent burning any caloriea that we are eating so for the most part we maintain our weight and when we indulge, we gaib weight, thats just what i think. Well for now wish me luck, im going to need luck, lots of prayer and a steady flow of juice to get me through the next two months! Love and hugs and happy juicing!

Day 5 of the Gratitude challenge

Take five minutes to write about how grateful you are for all of the wonderful things that you currently have in


your life. Don’t long for what you don’t possess—instead, take stock of all the blessings you already enjoy...
 
So its been a while since i started this, but i stumbled upon it and decided to continue what i started...
 
I am grateful for everything that i currently have in my life... Everything i have is a blessing that has been given to me from God. My family, friends and physical belongings are all part of that. As i sit here and write this and listen to my son cry his self to sleep, i think about how grateful that i am, to have that son that is crying, how grateful i am to have the house i am sitting in, and the computer that i am writing on, and the internet service that allows me to share this with anyone reading it. I am immensely grateful for everything that i have.

Learning to live

So i have discovered that ever since Zack came home from Iraq, that I am having to find more and more things to do during the day to keep me occupied. Before, i could just run to Ashley's house and we could watch tv together, and i wouldnt be alone, and i would have entertainment, and Chase and Kailyn would play together. Now, Ashley has moved on to a new post at Fort Rucker, and I am left here left to my own devices... haha. Chase has recently taking a liking to Elmo, so i am now stuck with Elmo playing all day long, simply because it keeps him calm, and out of my hair for attention. Zack and I have decided that he has taken to my cling syndrome as Z so affectionally refers to it. He constantly wants attention or to be picked up. He actually sat leaning agains Zacks leg while he was getting dressed today because Zack wouldnt pick him up. He just wants to be touched, and i can sympathise with him, simply because i feel the same way 95 percent of the day. lol. Chase is getting bigger and wants to play more and sleep less, which is causing me to have more headaches, and get less accomplished throughout the day. :)

Day 4 of the Gratitude Challenge

Today i am suppose to write about something negative that i am grateful for.

I would probably say that the negative thing that i am grateful for was my C-section.

My C-section was an extremely painful procedure. In germany you dont receive pain medication , or any type of comfort while you are recovering from such a procedure ( AWFUL). Due to my loss of blood during the procedure, i had to receive Iron shots ( again painful) for two weeks after Chase was born. Which resulted in a slow recovery.

I am grateful for this because it probably saved my sons life. When Chase was born it was discovered that his umbilical cord was about 8 inches long. which is VERY VERY short for an umbilical cord.

If it werent for my gut instinct, and the nurses advise, i wouldnt have had a c-section, and something awful may have happened. To think that I could have lost my chase, or something happend to me as a cause of trying to have him naturally with his umbilical cord that short, it makes me extremely grateful for that C-section!

My lil Miracle is the best thing in my life!

Day 4 of the Gratitude Challenge

Well today i am suppose to write about something negative in my life that i am grateful for.

I guess I would probably say that I am grateful for the C-section that i had to have with chase. That was an EXTREMELY painful operation, and i really dont want to ever have to do that again. I would not wish that pain on anybody ( this is mostly applying to women who have to have this done in Germany, since in Germany you dont get pain meds, and in the states its a completely different process).

However, that painful operation probably saved my sons life.
When Chase was born, it was discovered that his umbilical cord was around 8 inches long. VERY VERY SHORT! So if i would have tried to have him naturally, more than likely something would have gone terribly wrong, and there would have been extreme complications if not his or my death ( who knows what could have happened). Not to mention i had an extreme loss of blood, (which inevitably made me take things easier)

I am eternally grateful for the nurses advise, and my gut instinct to have the c-section after 3 hours of labor with no progress. If it werent for those factors, i might have tried to have him naturally.

SO, although the c-section caused me to be in extreme pain for a lot longer than i would have been, had i had him naturally, I am extremely grateful for the lil miracle that Is my Chase today!

Gratefullness

So for Day 3 of the Gratitude challenge I am suppose to write about something i am grateful for. Today, Im going to say that i am grateful for my friends. Without them, i would be a completely different person. 3 girls inparticular have changed my life. Brittany Freeman, Kelly Lord, and Ashley Stewart have made my life so much more enjoyable. Over the past 4 years Brittany and Kelly have been my best friends. We were suitemates in College, and are now seperated by an ocean. But that doesnt stop our friendship.

Ashley and I's friendship is a new one. When our husbands deployed we quickly became best friends and have done everything together since! Without my girls there for me for support, i wouldnt have made it in this deployment.

Being pregnant while Zack deployed and then having my baby here in Germany, was quite a challenge, without the help and support of my friends, the past 6 months would have went quite differently. So to my friends who have helped to support me in the past few months, thank you , I am so grateful for all your help!

The Gratitude Challenge Day 1 & 2 (* www.gratitudechallenge.com *)

Day 1.. Why am i doing this..

Id like to see what all in life i am grateful for, and to harp on those for a while! Living in the negative, is not something i want to make a habbit out of.

Day 2... The ABC's of being grateful

Using the ABC's as a rubric, create a list of the things you are grateful for.

(* www.gratitudechallenge.com *)

A- Aunt Alicia, She has been by far my best friend/relative for as long as i can remember being in the United States. My very first memory is of her giving me a piggy back ride at the Airport. She sent me birthday cards when no one else in my family ( excluding parents) remembered it was my birthday.. .IN fact she sent 8 cards.. haha... I love her like i would love a sister, she is absolutely wonderful and i am extremely grateful for her!

B-Brittany Freeman, Brittany is the Godmother of my son Chase. She is a one of a kind type of woman. She has an innocense about her that is so refreshing . In College we were suitemates, and in life we are the best of friends. Living in Germany is especially hard without my friends, but brittany is a friend that has kept in touch with me, even over the years, and the miles... ( we met in 2005). I love her so much and am so grateful that she is my friend.

C-Chase, My son Chase is by FAR the best gift i have ever been given. After trying unsucessfully for 2.5 years to get pregnant, God finally blessed Zack and I with Chase. He is the light of my life, and the reason i get up in the morning ( more than just because hes crying.. haha) I am eternally grateful to God for giving me such a precious gift.

D- Dog, Rusty is like, the best dog ever, he made me smile on days when i didnt have a reason to smile. He has days when i want to throw him in teh street and forget about him, but for hte most part, Zack and i were truly blessed with him. I am grateful for my dog rusty!

E- Earrings, I know this is cheesy, but i really am grateful for earrings. To me they make an outfit, and let you express yourself by the type of earrings you wear. I mean think about it, If your wearing pearl studs, you obviously arent feeling like a rockstar, but more pretty, and if your wearing HUGE silver/gold hoops your feeling a little on the ethnic side, and if your wearing Bright pink leopard print star earrings you are probably feeling a little rockstar ish.. I love the way that i can express myself with earrings!



F- Facebook, For some strange and unapparent reason, i have switched my focus from Myspace, to facebook, and i am strangely grateful for the change. I like having a way to keep in touch with my friends, and family!



G- God, well duh! This one is kinda obvious. Without him, i would be nothing, i would not exist. My biggest gratitude would go to him. He is the reason for my being, and the reason i have everything that i do. I am eternally grateful for having such a wonderful loving father, friend, and God.



H-Home, I am grateful that i have always had a place to call home. Whether it was at home with my parents, at home with my roomates, or at home with my husband, and currently at home with my son. God has always provided me with a home, and i am grateful.



I- Internet... This alone has to be the best invention EVER, over the car i swear! Without internet, my life would be COMPLETELy different, and completely horrible. With internet i can keep in touch with my friends and family since i live in Germany, and i am able to see and talk with my husband everyday while he is at war in Iraq.



J- Jasmine... She is my niece, and as cute as a button and smart as a whip.. I love her to death!

K- Kelly, OMG, where do i begin. Kelly is one of my rocks. Especially for this deployment. The first night , which was absolutely life changing, she was there for me all night, while i cried, and typed my heart out. She has kept me upbeat this whole time, even while dealing with her own issues and deployment issues... I love her to death, and i dont think she will ever know what she means to me! I Love you Kel!



L- Love, WOW... who isnt grateful for this right? Without love, my life would be horrible. I love my family, my friends, and especially my husband and son. I dont think life would be worth living if it werent for love.



M- Mom, She has her days. But for the most part, i love her to death, and dont know what i would do without her. I love you mom!



N- Nights rest- I am really grateful for the nights when i get to just rest. When chase sleeps early, i enjoy that time just to sit on the couch and read and rest... its nice just to be able to sit with no distractions, and have " me time"



O- hmmm O....Oatmeal rasin cookies They are my favorite cookies like ever! Gimme an oatmeal raisin cookie and a glass of milk, and i am a happy girl



P- Prayer, I am so grateful that i can talk to God through prayer, and know that he is listenting and i have someone to talk to at all times.. 24/7



Q- Quirky husband... Haha, there are some things that just work your nerves .... and when they are gone, you miss them REALLY bad... Well the quirky things my husband did when he was home.... I mess extremely and am very grateful that i have those things to miss.. and to look forward to for when he comes home!



R- Reading.. I love love love love to read! It is a great distraction from the world, and always gets my mind off of whatever im currently thinking of! I love a good book!

S- Stewarts wife Ashley... haha... couldnt think of how else to get her in here. Ashley has been my best friend through this deployment. We have talked to eachother everyday since Day 1 of the deployment. I dont think i would have made it through this deployment without her.. Love you Ash!

T-Television, I am thankful that someone created TV, i just wishi had it! haha

U- Umbrellas? Hey, who likes to get wet when its raining right? Just a thought...

V- I am drawing a blank......

W- Weddings, I am grateful for that one special day when you get to dress up, have a party, and see your soulmate standing at the end of that isle going " wow " i cant believe im getting married, and that its my best friend! LOVE weddings!!In em, see em, have em, throw em... they rock!

X- hmmmm? porn.. haha j/k dont know anything that starts with X...

Y- Young Harris College, I met some of my best friends here. And i can honeslty say it was one of the best years of my life!

Z- Zack.. :) My best friend, my soulmate, my husband, my lover, and all in all the best person i know! I would not be the same person that i am today, if i hadn't met Zack. He is my everything, and i Love him with all my heart.. Forever and Always..