Just A Few Things.....

You may not know about me....

1. I LOVE animal print (yes, I'm one of THOSE girls)!! Don't worry, I'm not a fanatic, it's not plastered all over my house, just a rug here, a pillow there. My purse has an animal print, and my new favorite jacket happens to as well. I just simply gravitate towards it...

2. I believe I was born into the wrong family! I think I was meant to have a Mexican heritage. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Mexican food. I'm like a hamster, I will eat it till my stomach is about to explode. I could seriously eat it every day for every meal.

3. I'm addicted to reality TV (shamefully so). Project Runway, Top Chef, Next Network Star (ok, so those aren't THAT bad are they???), BUT, the killer, I'm totally into all the Housewives shows, OC, Atlanta, NY (now you can roll your eyes). I just love seeing the personality conflicts....

4. I completely dislike rain. I would be happy if it stayed dry the rest of my life. Now, I know, realistically that will never happen and that we need rain for a multitude of reasons, but if I could have a sit down with Mother Nature I'd make a deal with her that rain can only happen from 9pm till 6:30 am. I really am like the wicked witch of the west, I get hit with a drop and you hear "I'm melting........."

5. If I could have a daily guilty pleasure, I would get a message everyday. Spa days with girlfriends are very few and far in between, but I LOVE them....

Can I Tell You How Much I Dislike......

Buying fitness clothes....

I know, an odd post, but since my work out clothes are a few years old, I thought with the Christmas money I was given I'd break down and buy a few things... hm....

Off to Target I went. Two sports bras and two tank tops would have cost me almost $60.00 (and the sports bra's were on clearance). I just can't do it. Even though I spend a majority of my time in my fitness clothes, and I would love to have darling little matching outfits, I'd rather spend that money on "street" clothes!! Half way to the registers I turned around and put them back.

Off to TJ Max I went. I was able to buy three pairs of running shorts for - get this - $20.00. I really do need more tops (unfortunately not a good selection at TJ's), so, I'm hoping this Sunday Target's will go on sale. I'll pay $9.00 a shirt, but $15.00, that's just too much for me...

Lets Call Them "Improvements"......

Personally, I do not like the word, "resolution". Although one definition of the word is: the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, ect. My definition is: failure. If I make a resolution, I typically do not keep it. Therefore I've decided through the years that I need to make "improvements".

So what, you may ask, are my improvements for this new year?

First and foremost, I want to give more attention to my children at bedtime. Quiet honestly, I hit the "I'm done" stage around 7:30. My husband is really good at spending time with them in the evenings, so It's not like they're neglected. My son is 10, my daughter 9. Pretty soon they'll be busy with social lives and they'll be too cool for Mom - I need to spend every moment I can get with them. So, my game plan is to start spending 15 min laying in bed with each of them every night so we can talk about whatever may come up.

My husband. I need to spend more time with him. Starting a new business consumes all his time, life consumes all mine. We need to spend more time relating as husband and wife not just as mother/father, business owner/sounding board.... My game plan here, to have at least two date nights a month.

Two years ago we started Sunday family days. We would do an activity during the day, and then have our family meeting at night. During our meetings we discuss the good and bad things that happened during the week, our upcoming week's schedule, and any other family issues that need to be discussed, then typically we would end our day with a board game. Over the past few months our family day has become any other day, and our family meetings are rushed. Game plan: Sunday's will once again become our family day - they will be restored to the priority they were when we first started them.

What new year wouldn't be complete with out "self improvement" changes??!! I intend to get the holiday weight off by eating better, exercising consistently. Except for the sugar cravings, this is an easy one to get back into the swing of things (especially once the kids are back at school next week). There is a change to the exercise game plan however: Instead of running a quick two miles after my Wed and Fri classes, I will run at least three. Mon and Thurs are my "run" days, I will run at least five miles both those days, and add Tues into the mix, running at least three miles. This will bring my weekly miles logged to at least 19 miles. I would like to get back up to at least 25 miles a week. I also plan on throwing in a few more days of strength training. I would love to have really toned arms, shoulders and back.

I could go on, and maybe I will in another post, because, why do I need to decided on all the changes at once? After all, Isn't life all about continual self improvement???

I've been Tagged...

Blog buddie, Luis, at Muddy Runner tagged me! I'm to put down my five favorite things to do on New Years Eve....

Well, let me give this a shot.....

5. Contemplate changes I would like to make in the new year
4. Reflect on the year past - my kids achievements, their growth, etc.
3. Hope I can stay up to watch the ball fall at midnight
2. Hang out with my family (they're my favorite people to be with)
1. Kiss my husband at the stroke of midnight - what a wonderful way to end one year, and start
another...

Happy New Year everyone! May 2009 be filled with all the best - family, friends, love and laughter!

Dawn

Faith....

As I state in my profile, I am a Christian. Although I grew up believing in God, a heaven and hell, Jesus, it wasn't until I was in my early thirties, and pregnant with our first child, that I came to understand that merely believing is not enough, and what true faith entails.

Our journey began when friends of ours invited us to attend a series their church was having called "Raising a G rated child in an X rated world". In a nutshell, after the series ended, we continued attending, and in time, both my husband and I committed ourselves, our marriage and the raising of our children to the Lord.

As I also state in my profile, sometimes my faith comes easy, other times not so much. It is so very easy to praise the Lord in times of joy, in celebration, when everything is just as it should be. Not so easy when times get dark, difficult, rocky...

I believe the words in the bible are God breathed, therefore I believe they are all true. So words such as, "Do not be afraid or discouraged..." Deut. 31.8 (NLT) can be tough to follow, real tough.

My husband and his partner started a new business venture earlier this year. They have developed a coffee that is infused with whole natural ingredients that makes their coffee not only a great tasting cup of coffee, but a healthy one as well. Drinking one cup of their coffee gives you the same amount of anti-oxidants you receive from eating 6 to 8 bowls of blueberries. What does this have to do with the above verse, you ask.....

Everything... and I mean everything... God has opened amazing doors, and I believe with all my heart His plan is for this company to succeed, but of course, that is not happening at the speed we would like. God has graciously put my husband and his partner in front of some very impressive potential investors, but then, unfortunately, our economy took a dive, and everyone has become very weary of handing out money (respectively so). Discouragement.

My husband the other night talked about how most successful business men found themselves in the same position we are in right now - over extended, in need of money. He then proceeded to tell me how Kernel Sanders lived in his car before striking it big ---- ummmm -- I don't want to live in my car. Fear.

Becoming a christian does not entail an easy life, in fact, the bible tells us trials are guaranteed. If life did not have it's share of hardships, 1. we would already be in heaven and 2. what would be the point of faith? I know that this is a growing time for me, but it is scary none the less. What if God intends plans for our life that I never intended? That is when I have to hold close the promise of the remainder of this verse, "the Lord is the one who goes before you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor forsake you." Deut. 31:8 (NLT). Faith.