Thursday, August 25, 2011

Thoughtful Thursday

First of all...someone pay the Migraine Fairy to leave me alone. Please? I have a client due in a week or so and you know I get headaches before someone goes into labor but this far in advance is seriously annoying. I'm getting caught up on my rest and all but this is getting ridiculous. There is a slim, slight, tiny, minute, remote chance that this is just another one of those symptoms of menopause. Yep. I said it. And there will be blogs about it. No hiding from it!!

Just finished watching the final episode of The Glee Project on Hulu.com. My daughter needs to be on this show. Like...really. Have to figure out how to make that happen. Then maybe all the catalogs that keep coming in the mail from NYU won't seem quite so daunting.

Had dinner last night with my friend Adam Vignola who was in Atlanta for a few days and drove down to see me. Adam lives in L.A. where he works for Classic Wines of California and also has done enough to garner his own IMDB page. He is as charming as he ever was and we had a good time stopping by the Pickle Barrel  to chat for a minute with the guys from Filmaholics.net about our top five vampires. Then it was off to dinner at Downstairs at the Loft where I learned about the economics of corkage, and we ate yummy food. At dinner we ran into Robbie and Stacey Bishop who are two of my favorite Baby Bumps clients EVER! Afterwards, we walked down to the Uptown Vault to chat for a minute with Brenda and Adam even got to meet Hanson!! Adam had to head back to Atlanta to get ready for a meeting this morning so we said goodnight and I sat down for a few texts with my sweetheart before bedtime.

Interesting note: Five minutes after I walked in the door I got a text from one of my children that said "Don't you have a boyfriend?" The answer is yes. And I'm allowed to have friends. Even friends of the opposite sex. We trust one another to not do anything to jeopardize that relationship.

So how do you and your significant other handle friendships with the opposite sex?



Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Top Ten {Tuesday}: Ten Things To Do Today

Top Ten {Tuesday}

I'm a list maker. I admit it. I own it. I do NOT suffer from OCD. I embrace it. As a result, I make excellent lists. If you were to inherit my computer, you'd find lists (made almost exclusively in Excel) that cover everything from Thanksgiving menus/shopping lists to packing lists for camping trips...broken down by family member. I keep the lists because they are a good reference tool for future events. Its just the right thing to do.

To celebrate my first Top Ten {Tuesday} I'm going to make a list of the things that I have to get done today just to share with you how this list thing works.

1. Eat some breakfast: Yeah it will probably be a pop tart but that's fine. I have to get something in my system before I go to work because I only work part time but that means that I don't get a lunch break. If I forget (did I just admit that sometimes I forget to eat? <--special kind of stupid) to eat, I'm a raving lunatic by the time I get home at 3:30. On behalf of my customers and co-workers, pass the pop tart. (Strawberry frosted in case it matters.)

2. Read the Bible: I'm doing the One Year Bible Challenge at MyChurch and I'm behind. Like a week behind...maybe more. That's not too bad but frankly I don't like being behind. The plan is to read three days worth every day til I'm caught up. It shouldn't take too long and I'm really enjoying reading it. I'm just bogged down in 2Chronicles. Loving Romans though!!

3. Wax my eyebrows: Specifically my left one. I worked on the right one the other day and got bored distracted half way through. I have that special guest coming tomorrow though, and he might notice if my face is lopsided. It's been years since he has seen me but I'm betting his memories of me don't include one bushy eyebrow.

4. Water the plants in the living room: I'm pretty good at getting the ones in the dining room because I see them. Okay I'm good at noticing when they're starting to look bad and thinking to myself, "Better get some water on those before your dad sees them and freaks out!" The living room plants...not so much. So now and then I have to make myself go into that room to check on them.

5. Put the dishes in the dishwasher: The sink is starting to be full. It just looks bad. Seriously.

6. Hang out with Justin: Some days when the J man gets home from school, I've got other stuff going on so we kinda just both do our own thing. He is growing up SO fast (they all are!) and if I don't make sure to stop and take the time, I'm going to miss out on it. I'll be glad when the weather cools off some so he and I can go back to our afternoon walks.

7. Watch my Hulu: Yeah this one SOUNDS easy but it's not always as simple as it seems. Hulu doesn't just let stuff pile up. No-sir-ee-bob. They pull stuff down (specifically my soaps) after a few days. That may not seem like a big deal to you but do you realize that there are only a few DAYS left of these shows in their present form??? AMC and OLTL are going OFF THE AIR at the end of August!!! Just had a little panic attack when I realized what day it was... Breathe...

8. Check in with my fall clients: One client is due soon. Like her EDD is in early Sept but I think she's going to have the baby on the 31st. I've been pretty good about picking the dates of the last several. We'll see how this goes. I need to see how October and November and doing as well.

9. Clean my room: It's not dirty. Not in the way that you'd expect a room of mine to be (if you knew the old Kim) but in that "cluttered and things are starting to stack up on surfaces" way that just drives me nuts now. I know...right?

10. Watch a movie: Going to hang out with the Filmaholics tomorrow at podcast time and I need to have something intelligent to add to the conversation. These guys are all so funny and smart that I never want to be left sitting there with nothing to say...lest I say something anyway and come across as a complete moron! If you haven't checked out their site yet, please do so. Great blog. Great podcasts. Great fun!!

Time for me to go tackle this list. Poptart is almost done so I'm off to a good start! What's on your list of things to do today??

Monday, August 22, 2011

Just One Of Those Days

Ever have one? I know you have. Just one of those days where things are "off" a little bit? I woke up at 4:15 this morning and couldn't go back to sleep. I did a cool scrapbook thingee from ArtsCow.com that might turn out to be the best Christmas present ever. Ssshhhh....

Decided to go to lunch with Bons and Mads but then I couldn't find my keys. Took me a half an hour to find them and then on the way to Ulta/Jason's Deli, my Jeep started over heating. Came home after picking up the new Ulta gift and some lunch (priorities?) only to hit EVERY red light on the way home. My poor Jeep is out there in this weather (hotter than the surface of the sun??) waiting to cool down enough for me to refill the water.

And I have a cold. Seriously? In this weather? I'm going to chalk it up to lack of rest and take a bunch of vitamin C related products to get it back under control. And maybe some Claritin because it COULD be seasonal allergies sneaking up on me.

Just need to get out from under this funk. I've been snarky to my sweetie and that's not a good thing. I have company coming in from out of town on Wednesday to spend the evening downtown doing the dinner thing. I'm excited in the appropriate amounts and I'll let you guys know how it goes (and who it was!) when it's over. You're just going to have to stay tuned to find out what fabulous celebrity I'm entertaining this week!! Ha Ha!!

What are you most looking forward to this week?? Comment and let me know!

Friday, August 19, 2011

Friday Faves: Fall Foods

friday favorite things | finding joy

This morning I ordered some Tastefully Simple products from the new Fall/Winter line so that we can play around with recipes when Allen gets home in a few weeks. I gotta tell you though, I don't know whether I'm more excited about him or this food!! (Okay you know that's not 100% true. LOL)

Here is what I ordered:

Apple and Pear Slush Drink Mix (will be good warm with our bourbon in it!)
3 packs of Bountiful Beer Bread (can never have too much of that on hand!)
Chicken Tortilla Soup Mix (looks good!)
Chipotle Queso Dip Starter (have to get some of that good cheese to try this with)
Creamy Portobella Warm Dip Mix (TOTALLY for him... LOL)
2 packs of the Dreamy Irish Frozen Dessert Mix (this is discontinued but everyone loved it last year and I didn't get to try it)

Samples of:
Bountiful Beer Cheese Soup (half size)
Caramel Cinnamon Sprinkles
English Toffee Cheese Ball (full size)
Peppy Papaya Salsa (6pk)
Roasted Onion Warm Dip Mix (full size)
Savory Beach Brandy Glaze (6pk)
Shanghai Stir Fry Sauce (6pk)
Spicy Harvest Salsa (6pk)

What are you dying to try? What kind of fun ideas can you think of for us to do with these products?? Comment and let me know!

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

{semi} Wordless Wednesday: Weight Loss





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Remember yesterday how I said I was excited about "4. Bathroom scales:"? Wordless Wednesday seems the perfect time to show you what I mean!


This is the day before I started at SFH in 2003. I weighed 255 that day. I know this because I had to weigh for my physical. Some things get stuck in your memory forever! LOL

This is Kevan and I at the Christmas party in 2005. I was going in the opposite direction of good at this point. I'm pretty sure that's the year I finally changed my drivers' license to say I weighed 250 which was just a blatant lie at that point.




Smallest I ever got was when we did Weigh Down Columbus and I got to like 230. 










At my sister's wedding on Jan 1, 2010. I was about 277 here and that suit is a size 22.
Last summer at my class reunion. I was probably 260 here.

Memorial Day this year. Had just gotten into a size 16 and I was about 220 here.










GNO with Niki, Hope, and Stephanie in July. 212 AFTER pasta and dessert. LOL















Today I weighed in at 205.5. I'm ALMOST down to where I was when I started WW last time...before I turned 30. I've lost over 70lbs. I have a long way to go. 

P.S. I used to be a skinny girl. LOL In this picture I weigh 125lbs and am 4 months pregnant with my third child!! 

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Taking a page from...

Kerri Mann always has the coolest blog. She makes it look effortless although, I assure you she is laughing as she reads this! But because she inspires me... I'm going to attempt to do a better job of keeping my blog current. I can only repost old and discarded blogs for so long before I have to give you some new content, so here goes my first:





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Ten things I am excited about!

10. Football season: The weather, the Friday nights in the stands screaming myself hoarse, the Saturdays enjoying wings and ribs, the blankets, the friends!!! I'm STOKED about this year! Perhaps it is because its Kirin's last year at Shaw, or maybe its because I missed so much of last season but I'm ready for some football!!!

9. Upcoming babies: Its no secret that I love birth and babies. I'm ready for the fresh crop of fall babies I have lined up! There's going to be some sweet baby bumps to love on real soon!!

8. Turning 44: Its a good number! Even, divisible by 11, a palindrome... 44 is going to be as awesome as 43 has been +1!!

7. Menopause: Seriously!! I'm READY for this thing! Let's get it on and done!! I never thought I'd be ready to give up my reproductive rights but I reached the tipping point a couple of years ago and I'm emotionally on board for the whole shebang.

6. Visits from old friends: Not only is homecoming right around the corner, but an old friend from L.A. is coming to visit next week. I love catching up with folks and showing them how much Columbus has grown. I'm proud of my hometown!!

5. A new blog: Can't reveal too many details yet but you'll enjoy it! And I'm having fun getting ready for it!!

4. Bathroom scales: I currently weigh less than I have at any point in this century. This millennium, even!! There are people who have known me for years who have no idea that I used to be skinny. Three of my children don't even know that. Not that I ever want to be skinny again, mind you. Just want to be healthier and I'm on the way! As of this morning I am down 70 pounds from Jan 2010 when I moved in with Niki. Two Lenten seasons, a couple of Growth Groups, a bunch of great ladies who encourage me, a job at the store that keeps me moving, and enough water to fill Lake Oliver. I wish I could tell you that I was living at the gym or eating vegetables (okay I really don't wish either of those things) and that I was taking it very very seriously...but I can't. There's a reason it has taken almost 2 years. Lifestyle changes...even small ones...make a huge difference! (And there WILL be a huge blog post about that first number in my weight changing from a "2" to a "1"!!!)

3. New career opportunities: I am blessed to have some seriously talented, smart, and energetic people in my life! Its no surprise that I love positive people and that I try to surround myself with them. I'm excited about the future possibilities of parlaying that into a revenue stream!

2. My relationship: I'm in one. Seriously. Sweetest, funniest, hottest, smartest, most superlative guy man I've ever met. He is a blessing to me. Every. Day.

1. Christmas: I can't tell you the last time I was excited about the holidays. I don't REMEMBER the last time I was excited about the holidays. It has been at least 5 years??? I'm ready for the good this year. And it has nothing to do with the previous nine list items. This one is about making the decision to  embrace it and enjoy it and celebrate it.

So there you have it! My first Ten on Tuesday! Pop over to Crafty Life and read someone else's list...or make your own!!

Monday, August 15, 2011

I'm not who I was...

I finally bought a ring back tone. When I have some minutes on my phone you should call and listen to it. I promise not to answer so that you can hear the whole thing. Don't leave a message though because I'm telling you now...I'm too cheap to check it. The decision to have a ring back tone was easy. All the cool kids have them. The decision as to what song to select however, was agonizing. I am here to tell you that I thought about this for a LONG time. As referenced earlier in this paragraph, I'm too cheap to spend $2 on a song that might not be exactly what I am looking for or that might convey the wrong message to the receiver.

So I picked the song "I'm Not Who I Was" by Brandon Heath. Here's the video in case you want to listen (and I suggest you do) because the message of the song is really powerful and the tune is really catchy.

Okay so now lets look at how appropriate this song is. A year ago I was in a different place. Physically, emotionally, spiritually... just different.

Physically I was in the house with my kids and my ex husband. The situation worked for a while. It made fiscal sense and it gave me an opportunity to spend a lot of time with my children and to trust that their dad, while I may not always agree with his method of execution, really does have their best interest at heart. As of the start of the new year however, I'm in a new place with my friend and her two kids. I miss my kids constantly. I need for them to know that. My heart aches for them and I want to be with them but it's just not working out that way right now. I don't know whether this is a trial run to see how we do 3 miles apart in case I have to move 300 miles away, or whether God is just getting me ready for the eventuality that they'll be leaving for college and their own lives soon. He definitely knows me best and He knows that I have a hard time separating from people and things so this may be His way of doing it gradually to keep me from losing my mind in a couple of years. He knows what He is doing. I trust that!

Emotionally I was in a completely different place last year. I wrote that I was talking to someone that I thought was very special. He is special. He is, as predicted, a tool that God put into my life to help me understand what it is that I'm looking for in a partner. And what I'm not looking for. I feel like I'm more emotionally stable right now and that I'm "almost" ready for the person I'm supposed to be with. Sometimes God allows us to experience things that prepare us for the bigger picture. Some people say that "everything happens for a reason."

Recently I feel like God and I went on a test drive for the new relationship thing and we kicked a few tires. New guy was shiny and pretty and smelled good but there was something a little too familiar about him. He reminded me of the previous model with whom I have all these kids. The experience taught me that I am still not quite ready because I wanted it too much. I was willing to overlook the signs that I was stepping into a relationship that almost identically mirrored my previous marriage. While I can appreciate that a lot of what failed in my marriage was my fault, I have absolutely no desire to repeat the process and try to fix what went wrong. I'd prefer to start fresh if possible.

Spiritually...I am a work in progress. This time last year I was looking forward to going to a new church that was about to launch on Jan 25th. I paid for a chair for $30 on the internet which turned out to be the best thing I ever could have done. Because of that chair, I felt like I had a right to be there. Of course I would have had a right without purchasing the chair but I took some ownership in the church and it helped me to overcome some fears about going into an unknown situation and feeling comfortable there. I'm sure that when Jeff Murphy realized they weren't going to have chairs he probably panicked and prayed about how to get some in the building. But because of God's plan...he gave us a way to claim our little piece of property in the physical sense that got us in the door and gave God a chance at our hearts.

MyChurch is about to celebrate it's first anniversary this Sunday. I told Niki a couple of weeks ago that I've been thinking a lot about how much I love MyChurch. I mean literally...it is my church because I am God's child and I am a part of His congregation. It's not about the building. I like that we don't have a permanent physical place that is massive and awe inspiring. I know that when I go on Sunday that I am being touched by God and not by an architectural firm. I know that wherever we end up...in ten micro churches with a mega vision... I will always call MyChurch my church. The church is not the building...it is the people inside.

I'm sure I'll think of a million different ways that I could have expressed this later on today. For now though, just listen to Brandon Heath singing and smile...

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Aloha, Y'all!

I didn't want to go to church this morning. I was in a bad mood. I was irritated that I wasn't getting any responses to text messages. I was feeling sorry for myself. And I was having a bad hair day. Add to that the fact that we were having a luau and I was wearing a shirt that instantly added 10 years to my appearance. It was just not a good thing.

Sent out a text message to "the man with whom I spend a lot of time" (TMWWISALOT? TMW2ISALOT?) which said, "I don't want to go to church." No response. "I guess that means that there is something that I really need to hear that the devil doesn't want me to hear." No response. "Fine. I'm going. I'm already wearing the shirt."

Jeff talked about how the stuff that the devil did to mess with people in the Bible is a little antiquated since we have all new ways for him to mess with us now. He didn't mention technology specifically...but let me tell ya. Nothing plants the seeds of doubt like failed technology. Think about how many relationships have been ruined via text message. It used to be folks waiting around for the phone to ring but now...texts.

But I digress. When I got to church I instantly felt better. Ugly Floral shirt and all. Got to see my Rachel. Found Pam and Julia, and Allen's grandparents. The band was rocking. And then I saw her. Standing in the center aisle next to the third row on the right. She was about 2 1/2 years old. Couldn't tell a whole lot about her because it was dark, but it didn't matter. She was HAPPY! She was dancing! She was really getting into the music and she was full of joy! Pam and Julia leaned out to watch her dance. The people in front of us were smiling at her as well.

When the time came for the message to start, her mom took her back to the nursery. Obviously she just really likes the music and wants to be a part of that. Who can blame her? (If you've heard our band, you know what I mean!) At the end of the service, her mom brought her back in for the last song. And she danced some more.

I sometimes suffer from Baptist Arm Syndrome which make it difficult to raise my hands higher than shoulder level. I want to be that kid. I want to be so full of God's love that I'm willing to go all in and not care what it looks like to throw my hands up in the air and dance around in joy.

If that means wearing floral print shirts...so be it.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

It's only an island...

Definition of irony: Noun: The expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.


Irony rears its ugly comic head in my life all the time. I never planned to have kids...and I have four. I never planned to have to use a computer...and I'm rarely away from  mine for more than 6 hours. I have a degree in business...but God wants me to help people have babies.


This latest twist is making me look at life in a whole new way, though. Since I was about 10 my favorite movie has been Jaws. I love EVERYTHING about this movie. It is the best movie ever made in my not so humble opinion. It is the ultimate story of man overcoming his fears to accomplish a goal. Best line in the whole movie (and my philosophy on life) is what Brody says when Hooper asks him how a guy who hates the water can live on an island. His reply?


It's only an island if you look at it from the water.


Seriously? How DEEP is that? It's all in how you look at things. If a problem looks insurmountable, look at it from a different direction. 


But I digress...So because of this whole Jaws obsession, I have often joked that it is written into my contract that I don't go to the sharks' office and they don't come to mine. I'm just not a beach girl. That being said, I DO think it is a beautiful place and I greatly enjoy a frosty adult beverage while sitting by the pool or in an air conditioned condo LOOKING at the beach. I just don't want to go into the ocean. At. All.


This is a conundrum for many of my friends. They go on cruises and feel bad for not inviting me. Not a problem...I don't want to go. The sharks WILL find me. The mere planning of a beach vacation on my part brings about stories of shark attacks in the very city I was planning to visit. As a result, I spend a lot of time alone during the summer while my friends are off enjoying the sand and surf.


Now for the irony: The man with whom I have been spending a great deal of my time wants to live on an island.


Does this mean that he is not "the one" for me? No. I really don't think so. What I think is that God wants me to abandon the fear that has held me back for so long. Not just the fear of the ocean and the creatures that live in the depths, but the fear of relationships and of leaving my life in Columbus. I feel "safe" here and that isn't necessarily a desirable state for growth. I want to grow. I want to experience all that life has to offer. I want to live the life that God wants for me. Even if that means catching babies on an island somewhere.


After all, once I'm ON the island...it's just land with some water nearby!