Simon

I’d love to introduce you to Simon! Doesn’t he have the best smile? :) Simon is at risk of aging out of an orphanage overseas. He is a handsome 16 year old boy & desperately needs a family!!

Taken from his page on Reece’s Rainbow:

Simon needs a family IMMEDIATELY — he has until October 2013 to be adopted, otherwise he will lose his chance for a family.

From someone who met him in 2012: Simon was so bright, he is amazing! he has great potential and has expressed his desire for a family. He loves gadgets and computers is a typical boy like that! He managed to get into my camera bag (even though it was high on a cupboard) and took my mobile phone apart! He was truly mortified when he couldn’t get it back together and was so sorry…he came straight to me very shamefaced and repentant.

He cannot walk at all; he does not feel his legs and they are very wasted, but he gets around brilliantly in his wheel chair. He talks and is picking up English and draws and writes. He is in the first happy home there with 8 others and so is getting amazing care for his situation.

Simon would make an amazing son! Could he be the missing member of your family?

Ways to Help:

• Share Simon’s profile or this post. The more people that see him, the higher the chances his parents will find him! Or blog about him yourself!
• Donate to Simon’s adoption grant HERE
• Pray!! Pray for Simon’s heart as he waits for his family, pray his parents will find him soon, pray for the children everywhere who spend each day waiting for the love of a family!

Life In Fast Forward

I wrote this yesterday afternoon, but never got to post it ~ my days have become busier than ever overnight! :)

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Holy cow!!

This was not the post I had planned for today, but I am seriously about to burst & need to get it out! The job my husband is currently in is temporary while the full time girl is deployed. Since it is up in January, sending out resumes has been a regular thing around here. At first it looked like we’d be moving north, but that fell through a few months ago. Then, within the last couple weeks, 3 new opportunities popped up: one a few hrs away from where we currently live, one less than 2 hours from Disney World & right smack dab on the beach & the other across the country and less than a day’s drive from my family.

Today, the door shut on 2 of those options & the door for the 3rd was thrown wide open. As in, we need you there tomorrow kind of open. This is a huge answer to prayer, as we have been praying non-stop for God to open & shut doors so clearly that we would know right where He wants us! I kinda feel like I’ve got whiplash, though, from how quickly this has all progressed!! I have lived on the east coast for almost 6 years (it will be 6 in July) & my husband has never lived “out west”. We feel God’s peace & are beginning to get excited, but I think we’re still in shock lol!

We are still ironing out the details, but it looks like we’ll be hitting the road as soon as this month (meaning May)! I’d really like to keep everything documented on this blog, but we’ll have to see how it goes!! I definitely feel like my mind is in fast forward (with all the to-do’s) while my body struggles to keep up.

Telling our families will be so fun!! :D

MOM

2 Peas in a Pod :)

We always have so much fun together!!

dancing in the living room with the big stereo, rocking out in the car, gettin’ down at my wedding::hot chocolate before school::circle in the sand::gem shows::santa monica pier::hurricane harbor::weekends in san diego & vegas::cancun vacation fail::vicente the fish::the best broccoli stuff in the world::kermie & miss piggy::wherever you go, whatever you do::trips to the beach::Moooom, Sarah & I have a question!::driving across the country::giant bird made of trash::exploring barns::Disney adventures::borrowing each other’s clothes & jewelry, forgetting to give ‘em back (ok, ok so I’m the only one “forgetting” ;), movies on Christmas day:: I do it for you::fun salads from whole foods::overflowing easter egg dye::oxnard pumpkin patch & hay rides::decorating cookies::flipping backwards off the papasan chair but managing not to dump your plate of Thanksgiving leftovers::tuna sandwiches & fritos::getting locked out of the house on christmas eve::hydroplaning home from school (ok that wasn’t fun – that was scary!)::getting new belly button rings for mother’s day::watching tv & movies on your bed::Mommy! Heather!::countless phone calls::chocolate chip milkshakes from Baskin Robbins::hiking at griffith park::watching fireworks from the parking structure::that time we saw the wolf::breakfast at harry’s & tallyrand::seeing the little mermaid at el capitan::sneaking ginger on the bed while you pretend not to look:: watermelon nails::the coolest christmas cast ever::the gluten free chocolate cake from trader joe’s::pomegranate green tea in your fancy glasses::bugs bunny & tweety bird stockings::making our reception look totally amazing::doing my makeup::pinning my veil in place::and many, many, many more!!

Here’s to all the fun memories we’ve made so far & all those yet to be made! You are the BEST.MOM.EVER & I love you soooo much!!

XBOX!!

The Haps

My dad has, for as long as I can remember, always asked “what’s the haps?” rather than “what’s happening”. I never really gave it much thought before, lol!

But since y’all probably won’t be seeing much of me this week, I thought I’d share the haps :)

 

First of all, I am so happy it’s spring!! I love the flowers, the sunshine, the shorts, tanks & flip flops & the WARMTH!! Woohooo!!

The Husband & I began remodeling our home this past weekend! I am sooo excited :) This place is looking great! After spending 5+ hours with a screwdriver on Saturday, I set out to find some pink work gloves for my poor, raw hands. I didn’t have to look far – thank you Lowe’s!

(yep that would be the “remove this before exiting the store” security tag. They didn’t remove it & I didn’t feel like going back in!)

Sooo, anywho, this week has been filled with screwing (yep, that sounds bad. But I can’t say drilling if I’m using a screwdriver! Someone help with the terminology please! :), sweeping, lifting (totally making up for the lack of formal exercise this week), magic erasering, trips to the hardware store & so on. And it’s only Tuesday!

But that’s the haps!

 

WIAW: Tasty Eats from Last Week

Hey guys! I just wanted to quickly share a few of my favorite eats from last week!

Of course I am linking up with Jenn for:

What I Ate Wednesday!

(sorry for the upside-down pics! I am out of patience – and time – so I am leaving them as is!)

Starting from the top:

• a yummy gluten free/dairy free/reduced sugar vanilla cupcake. That little treat hit the spot!
• My go-to snack of veggies roasted in coconut oil with sea salt. This bowl included: cauliflower, rainbow carrots, butternut squash & sweet potatoes. YUMMO!
• Spring Smoothie: water, kale, peaches (check it out!! This girl was able to add a new fruit back to her list!!) & plain yogurt. Tart & delicious!!
• Crumbled homemade “Better Than A Larabar” (recipe coming) with plain yogurt & frozen blueberries. This kept me full for hours!
• Eggs on top of roasted veggies & topped with Pickle Kraut. Ok, I know it sounds gross, but oh man!! This is definitely one of my all time favorite breakfasts!!
• My plate of BBQ goodness! I went out to lunch with our CAP unit & was fully expecting to eat what I wanted & pay the price later. Well, I ate… and ate… and ate… with NO issues!!

My B-Mac & The Awesome April Challenge!

Last Monday I started a challenge for myself: from March 25 – May 17 I want to exercise at least once a day (working my way up to 2x), drink 3+ green smoothies a week & about 60oz of water daily. I also want to be prepared with healthy & filling snacks for when I’m out & about.

This little challenge of mine has kind of a weird name – my Baby-Maker Apparatus Challenge, or my B-MAC for short ;) I suppose I owe an explanation… The endometriosis is gone, (PTL!!) but when the surgeon was in there he noticed my uterus has a funky shape. I see the specialist for that on May 17 (which is why my B-MAC is “ending” then… even though I will continue with these healthy habits!) I’ve also got e.x.t.r.e.m.e.l.y tight muscles in my pelvis & legs that tend to freak out if I’m stressed or haven’t exercised in a few days.

Even though these are all goals I have been working on anyway, I always find a challenge to be good motivation. Plus a fun name always helps! ;)

Which brings me to…. The Awesome April Challenge brought to us by Awkward Girl Gets Fit!

I am excited to participate in this challenge as part of my B-MAC!

According to the challenge guidelines, we are to choose a goal for each of the 3 categories (food, fitness & faith).

I briefly shared my goals above, but I want to break them down now. Plus I love lists & bullet points. And the chance to add color whenever possible :D

* have a green smoothie at least 3x a week – remembering to rotate my greens!

* drink 60oz of water a day – fill that water bottle in the morning & remember to keep it with me!!

* keep healthy, yummy & satisfying snacks in the house & car for when hunger strikes!

* do both my stretches & workouts once a day – working up to 2x daily!

* keep up with a devotional & get in the Word daily

*begin my own 40 Days of Prayer – I saw this on Katie’s blog & really loved it. My 40 Days will focus on a topic different from hers, of course!

Do you enjoy challenges & accountability or do you prefer to work on your own?

What are your goals for this new month?

This post is linked to: Count Me Accountable

A Psalm of Praise

Today, I began a new Bible study on prayer with She Reads Truth. The passage for the day was Psalm 8. I read it from The Message & found it so beautiful! As I read, I kept picturing each part in my mind. I think I may copy the Psalm into my journal & try to illustrate it.

Anyway, I wanted to share it here:

Psalm 8 (from The Message)

A David Psalm

“God, brilliant Lord,

Yours is a household name

Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you;

Toddlers shout the songs

That drown out enemy talk,

And silence atheist babble.

I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous,

Your handmade sky-jewelry,

Moon and stars mounted in their settings

Then I look at my micro-self and wonder,

Why do you bother with us?

Why take a second look our way?

Yet we’ve so narrowly missed being gods,

Bright with Eden’s dawn light.

You put us in charge of your handcrafted world,

Repeated to us your Genesis-charge,

Made us lords of sheep & cattle,

Even animals out in the wild,

Birds flying and fish swimming,

Whales singing in the ocean deeps.

God, brilliant Lord,

Your name echos around the world.”

 

A Longer Break Than I’d Intended…

So nice to be back here on R&SL! It’s been exactly 3 weeks since my surgery to check for/remove endometriosis. I had all these big plans to work on my blog during recovery, but somehow the thought of resting the laptop anywhere near my tummy squished that idea flat ;)

But I’m here now & ready to get a move on! I was cleared from all restrictions the other day & have done waaay to much lol. So here’s to accomplishing all I want while remembering to take it easy!

#easiersaidthandone