A Day of Celebration
Veterans Day is coming up this weekend, and on November 11th, the United States will observe a federal
holiday in honor of those who have or are serving in the Armed Forces. It is unfortunate that the
significance of this day is lost on so many people, and that the history of the day is generally unknown.
This day has huge historic significance, and it is important that we know what it means so that we can
honor and thank our veterans appropriately.

Veterans Day was originally called “Armistice Day,” and it was first created on November 11 th, 1918,
when the United States signed a peace armistice with Germany which signified the end of World War
1. One year later in 1919, President Woodrow Wilson decided to make the day a Holiday, and Congress
made it official in 1938. In 1954, Congress changed the name of the day to Veterans Day, and opened it
up to celebrate not just veterans from World War 1, but from World War 2 and the Korean War as well.
Today, Veterans Day is a special holiday set apart for the purpose of celebrating all members of the
United States Armed Forces, both living and dead. This day is different from Memorial Day, as Memorial
Day is specifically set apart to remember those who have died in service to this country.

Making Veterans Day Special
This year, get involved with Veterans Day celebrations and spend the day thanking those who have
served our country. Here are a few ways that you can enjoy the holiday:
1. Parades – A lot of cities and towns host parades to honor those who have sacrificed and served
our country. Attending one of these parades is a great way to get to know the people in your
community who have served and to thank them in person. So many people have sacrificed
to protect the freedom that we sometimes take for granted and it’s important that we show
our thanks. Parades can be great fun for the whole family and are a great way to spend your
Veterans Day morning.
2. Give Service – Volunteering around your community or neighborhood is a great way to show
your support for our vets. Many towns have memorials or dedicated parks that are in place to
honor community members who have served. Volunteer to clean or work at one of these sites
for a few hours and help to keep your community beautiful. This is a great way to show respect
and support for our troops.
3. Host a BQQ – For families who want to spend the day together, a BBQ is a great way to get
family and friends together to celebrate. Many families have members who have served in the
Armed Forces, and spending time with family is the best way to thank them and show that you
appreciate their sacrifice. Invite neighbors and friends over to meet your family and thank those
who have served.

This Veterans Day, do more than is expected and show your community members that you are grateful
for their efforts and sacrifices. Be active in your area and support those who have risked their lives for
your well-being and freedom.

Courtney Biltmore writes about VA news for MilitaryVALoan.com, a resource for veterans and
service members to learn VA loans and VA refinance options to save money.

Long awaited I'm sure

So I finally have some down time, since D now rides the bus to school and that give me an extra hour almost each day. I had planned on doing an update last week, but well hubs had other plans. He had a surgery on 18 OCT, and well has been having problem after problem and went to the ER and ended up being hospitalized. So YAY for him. He's home now, so hopefully we can get him better.

But back to an update. Hubs came home from his 2nd deployment in July. Yay. So glad that we got through that one partially unaffected. As with any deployment, there was some tears and frustration and other related issues. But thanks to great friends, D and I survived. He was home for two weeks and then we had our vow renewal. But I wasn't allowed to call it that, it was a wedding. We had it at our church and some family and friends from back home made it. I even got to have the awesome dress. Then we went on a short honeymoon to Colonial Willamsburg. In the 3 1/2 years that I've lived here, I had never been up there. So it was a great little trip for us to take alone. Thank goodness for D's godparents taking him for a few days and the help of some awesome baby sitters to help out when we needed them.

Fast forward a few weeks and boom, a BFP or a big fat positive pregnancy test. We had planned to try for number two when he got home from deployment, but I didn't think it would be so fast. As much fun (well not a whole lot of fun, I did have some complications with D) as another 9 months of being pregnant could be, we were excited. And hubs gets to be home for this pregnancy, since he was deployed during the last. Being home for the birth is up in the air right  now, but for most of the pregnancy he will be home. Yay.

And now on to D. He started preschool on 1 OCT. He was getting speech and occupational therapy in home once a week, but since he was turning 3, he was eligible for the VA Beach school system's early education program. So while we miss his speech and OT therapists, (who we had for quite a while), it's been great for him to be in school. He is starting to blab on a lot more and is finally speaking words that we can understand, and he knows a lot of his alphabet. It's great. I'm hoping that the communication continues to improve and potty training can start to go better.

Well I think that is the quick version of events of the last few months. Hopefully now that D is gone for like 4 hours each day I can at least post once a week, once I'm done with my reading, and cleaning, and running around and stuff. :) :)

MilSpouse Fill In

Well I haven't posted in awhile, tons of things have been going on, and I plan on working on a post to share all of our news, but in the mean time, here is a MilSpouse Fill in from Wifey at http://wifeofasailor.com/author/savvyprchick/

1. What’s one thing in the past month you would have changed? Hubs having the surgery that he had, he is still miserable and it’s been two weeks.

 

2. What was your favorite thing that happened in October?  D, the 3 yr old, is now a preschooler and started school on the 1^st.

3. What dish makes the Thanksgiving holiday for you? (Bonus points if you share the recipe.) - Courtesy of  To the Nth  My mom’s stuffing, which is a bag of Pepperidge Farm stuffing, cererly and onions which are sautéed in butter and then mixed in with the stuff and a can of chicken broth, baked on 350 for 30 mintues and tastes yummy.

4. Check out my post from yesterday... will you be participating in the MilSpouse Secret Santa? Thinking about it.

5. What are you looking forward to in November? We will find out sex of Baby Deux.

:)

Wow, it's hard to believe that it's been over a month since Hubs came home. Can ya tell? I've not been around a whole lot, go figure. We had homecoming, then 2 weeks, then we had our Wedding/Vow Renewal. I can't wait to share the pictures from that day, but it will be a bit for that. Don't worry. Hubs and I took a short honeymoon to Williamsburg. Our first date was in Gettysburg, so we had to keep with the tradition. Hubs is finally back at work so I'm slowly getting back into our normal groove that D and I had. It's good to have him home though.

I had a whole lot to type, but I'm suffering from a brain fart at the moment. Guess I really need to make my notes. But just wanted to jump in here and say HI, I love all my readers, and can't wait to share some fun things that are coming up. :) As soon as I can get my thoughts in order I'll post about homecoming and our vow renewal and all that fun stuff.

My Imaginary Jesus by Matt Mikalatos

I loved this book. I have been a Christian all my life, and in the last year have been actually trying to figure out what that really means. This book took me on an adventure as Matt tried to figure out who the real Jesus is. I know that I'm in the beginning stages of that search but this book helped me to think about things that I hadn't thought too much about and reinforced some of my favorite things from the New Testament. I enjoyed Matt's humor, I didn't think a book about finding Jesus would have so many quirky moments to it, but on the cover it did say something along the lines of "Think Monty Python meets C.S. Lewis...." (Relevant Magazine) Now I'm not too familiar with C.S. Lewis yet but I am with Monty Python and there is a good bit of humor throughout. I was particularly touched by the reason that he had been trying to figure out Jesus more, since my husband and I had suffered a miscarriage a few years ago and it was hard for us. But reading this helped me to understand a little better that Jesus is always there for me, even if I don't always think so.

I used to be....

well I used to be a lot of things (ie: skinner, tanner, more energetic, younger etc etc, I think you see where I can go from here), and organized was one of them. Now some may laugh when you see the disarray that my home is currently in, but there is a method to some of the madness, and then there is just the piles of stuff. I have wanted to have a spot just for me to relax and chill and read and spend time with God for a bit now, but I just find a place and spend my "ME time" where I can, which usually involves at least one toddler or cat coming to find me.

So as I've been reading I Used to Be So Organized by Glynnis Whitwer, I've been coming up with ways that I can make my own space and try to get rid of some of the stuff that has built up over the years (yes there is a lot of stuff that has moved cross country twice and still not seen much light of day, that needs to be fixed). I am one of the people who holds on to things for sentimental reasons, or that we may need it one day, or well we'll find a place for it. But that never happens so I need to just let go. My goal for when hubs gets home and we get rid of some of the stuff that I want to be done with is to purchase a couple of new pieces of furniture, such as this Armoire to make my own "office" and this filing cabinet to use as a nightstand (I dont use the drawers of my current one so why dont I get something that I'll use, right?)

So I would love to hear how you find ways to organize your home and keep from becoming a closet hoarder. (Yes one day I may end up that way, but I'm not in denial anymore and I admit I have issues with holding on to things :) )

So much to do

so little time seems to be a theme song for me right now. Seems like I had all these great plans for this deployment, but well that didn't work out the way I thought so now as the deployment is coming to a close, I feel like I am scurrying around to finish things. I love that I had ambitions. I love that I tried to keep up with some of them. I am not proud of the fact that I wasn't able to stick with a fitness plan. Depression is a part of my life and with that involves emotional eating. But this week I finally realized that the plan that I had was not working out, so now I'm going back to tracking my food in a food journal. I did rather well the last time I used a food journal, so here's to hoping.

Thank goodness Homecoming is almost here. I have really missed Hubs and I know that D has too.

time to make some changes

Well I've been hiding out so to speak for awhile now. I made a post to FB yesterday, and was touched by my friend's responses.

Sometimes I just don't understand me. I like to be social and be around people (and out of the house), but seems like I've just become a homebody (when we don't have the few things we do). I miss friends, I miss being around people, and I miss adult conversation and having D play with others. I hate that I've not been a better friend and mama. And I hate that I just can't seem to suck it up and ask. But if I'm going to get better, I need to make amends and get out there and see people. Here's to hoping that I'm able to do it.

It's not even just hiding out from people here, it's also been hiding out from social media. I use to be on twitter a lot, and now I do post some things to FB, but not as often as I use to. I use to even blog more. I'm still trying to figure out what is going on with that. I know that I've been trying to spend more time with D, I've been reading and doing more Bible study, but still I feel like I've fallen off the whole planet. So as a goal, I'm working to be more present online (when I'm not busy with D or my other things) and catch up with my offline and online friends. Friends are so important, and I've been neglecting that. I hate imposing myself on others, but if I don't ask, then I wont know. So, even though I plan on being more present in social media, my "in-real-life" relationships will be worked on first and foremost :). I miss chatting with people and keeping up with everyone and I'm planning on fixing that. Please bare with me while I work on this. :) Thanks for always being there for me

May, where did you go?

Wow, it's almost the end of May. Well it's the end of May. How crazy is that? I mean, some days it seems like it was yesterday when I was thinking how long it was until the end of this deployment. And now, it's almost over. I mean there is still a lot of time left, but it's not as long as it was.

Preparations are in somewhat of a swing towards the upcoming vow renewal. There is still much to be done, like getting shoes and sending out invites, and other things. Can I just say that I'm somewhat glad that we didn't do a big huge to-do the first time around? We aren't even planing a big event, but it's still a lot. But I did find the dream dress (well to me anyway) so that's all that matters, right? It's supposed to be all about the dress or some crap like that. But for me, well, it's about standing in front of the people I love and letting them know that I choose to keep Hubs for as long as I can and to let him know that I am darn proud of the life we have.

I had every intention

I love how I want to be able to do all these things, but when I want to, something happens. Take for interest last week. I had a post ready to go for the Mil Spouse Blog Hop. But thanks to the electric company (or whom ever it was that cut my cable line in my back yard) I did not have any cable services that day. They sent someone out the following day and were able to get my cable hooked back up, but still no internet or phone. I had to wait till Tuesday to get a new router, and then after a 40 minute call to their customer support finally was able to get back online. So today I had the bright idea to try and get my printer (which is wireless) back online. Well by trying to do that, I did something to cause my internet to go out. OMGosh. We have had the service for a year now, and up until last week when our line was cut, we had no problems. So after another 45 min call I finally got back online.  BLAH. oh well, I will just print the old fashion way (aka find a USB cable and plug it into the printer) until I decide I want to try it again. Hmmmm.

Well as if that didn't make for some fun, D and I both caught colds. I think I've got the worst of it (or I hope so). Hopefully we'll feel better in time for church on Sunday. If not, we will be trapped in the house for like a week or two, and I am not prepared for that. But besides all that drama, each and every day that passes means that Hubs will be home. We are getting closer and closer to Homecoming. It's been going a little faster now, that I've climbed up to the top of the Half Way hill and started my way down.

And as promised (a few weeks ago) I have a pretty awesome announcement. Hubs and I are finally having a wedding!!!!! Wait? What you might say? Yes, we did get married 5 years ago (this month), but it was in the JOP's living room with just her, her husband and us. And that was fine and dandy at the time, but not so much anymore.And hubs promised that we would have a wedding/vow renewal, possibly around 5 years. And to boot, Hubs is planning it. And when I mean planning it, I mean myself, my bridesmaids (or attendants however you want to call them in a vow renewal) and our Sunday School class are making most of the plans. But I ordered my dress last week and I'm very excited. Some of our family and friends from out of the area are going to be making the trek down here and I can't wait.

Boston

A few years ago, right before I met hubs, I was having a hard time. Work was hard, life was hard, etc. Not being able to have a good man in my life to support me was hard on me too, and looking for love in all the wrong places was even worse. But this song seemed to help me deal with some of the things that were going on, and before long hubs found me and became like my Boston. He became the new start that I needed, and a change that has been amazing in my life ever since. I don't know if will ever realize how much he saved me back then, but I'm blessed every day since that he is mine.

"Boston"

In the light of the sun, is there anyone? Oh it has begun...
Oh dear you look so lost, eyes are red and tears are shed,
This world you must've crossed... she said...

You don't know me, you don't even care, oh yeah,
She said
You don't know me, and you don't wear my chains... oh yeah,

Essential yet appealed, carry all your thoughts across
An open field,
When flowers gaze at you... they're not the only ones who cry
When they see you
She said...

You don't know me, you don't even care, oh yeah,
She said
You don't know me, and you don't wear my chains... oh yeah,

She said I think I'll go to Boston...
I think I'll start a new life,
I think I'll start it over, where no one knows my name,
I'll get out of California, I'm tired of the weather,
I think I'll get a lover and fly him out to Spain...
Oh yeah and I think I'll go to Boston,
I think that I'm just tired
I think I need a new town, to leave this all behind...
I think I need a sunrise, I'm tired of the sunset,
I hear it's nice in the Summer, some snow would be nice... oh yeah,

You don't know me, you don't even care, oh yeah...

Boston... where no one knows my name... yeah
Where no one knows my name...
Where no one knows my name...
Boston...
No one knows my name.

Forgiveness

Lately I've been trying to deal with my past. Not something that is easy for me because I have chosen to block a large bit out. But while I was doing a study at church, it brought up some issues that I really should deal with. A big thing was with forgiveness. I have been one to hold a grudge, who hasn't really. But that is not a way to live, it tears at you and leaves you broken. So in my process of trying to forgive some people in my past, I figured I also better ask for forgiveness from someone I had hurt in the past. It's not something I took lightly or easily, but I finally did it the best that I could. And as far as I can tell it was welcomed. I didn't realize that the events that had let up to that had been hiding away in my heart and just waiting till I was ready. It took a long time and I'm still trying to process it all. I'm hoping that by asking for forgiveness, maybe I'll be able to finally forgive. But how can you forgive many, many, many years of pain, suffering, abuse, etc? I guess that will be something I will learn here soon hopefully. And it's awesome that the next sermon series at church is about forgiveness. Man, God is really speaking to me right now through my presence at church, and I tell you what, it feels great. I have spent some many years suffering from depression (among other things), but by letting God back into my life I have found some happiness that I haven't had in a long time. God has been helping me through this deployment, and missing hubs and the trying times with D. And I don't think I would be doing as well if I didn't have the friends that I have, the activities that I have, the communicate that we have this deployment (which is still hard to get use to) and God to guide me through.

April is here

Well we are almost to that point again in deployment, the half way mark. It seems like it has taken way too long to almost get there. I know for some people the last few months have seemed to fly by, but not for me as much. I've done what I thought I should do, stay busy. Some times it seems like it's too busy, but at least I'm doing something. Being involved with church, NWCA, FRG, D's classes and speech and now OT,  and friends (well when I'm not doing everything else).

Thanks to a study that I've been attending on Wednesday night and with reading that I've done, I've been thinking about a lot of things that I've done in my past. I wasn't always the nicest person, or did the right things, but I think a lot of people have pasts like that. I think that as long as you can make a positive change and atone for what you did, then it can help you to have a better future. I need to let go of somethings that have happened, need to apologize for somethings, and so much more. But I think that in order for me to completely heal these are important things that I need to do. Now if I can only get my head wrapped around where to start and what to do. At least I've got some alone time when D is in bed (when I get done with my reading) to figure it out.

Hopefully in the next few days/week or so I'll have some awesome news to share. (NO, we are not pregnant. Not yet anyway. Kinda hard when the love of your life is out sailing around the world. Without you might I add. But it's for a good reason and we are very proud of him.) We are waiting to get all the final i's dotted and t's crossed. :)

But YAY it's finally April!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Hunger Games.... spoilers ahead

Well, it took awhile, but I got sucked into the Hunger Games Trilogy. Guess that would have happened at some point. It's funny because I really had no intention of reading them. I didn't know much about them, other that there was movie coming out, and that hubs had picked up the first one to take with him on deployment. But I saw a trailer (during Twilight BD, P1 of course) and it's been in the back of my mind. So thanks to wonderful friends, I got to go yesterday and D got to hang out with his Godfather, makes for a great day.

****************************SPOILERS AHEAD**************************************

All in all, it was an awesome movie. I had recently read the books, (all three in like three days) so they were fresh in my mind. I wondered how they (the filmmakers) could make them big-screen worthy. I would have like to have seen more about Katniss' father, but that's just me. I think they did a great job staying close to the story. I had hoped that we would see Katniss drug Peeta so she could go to the feast, or saw more of the lovey dovey stuff, but hey I guess it wasn't really about that. I'm not a fan of violence, sure not when kids are killing each other. I liked the books for the love story that developed, but I guess that is also from me missing the hubs (we are almost half way done with this deployment, but that's another post). I think that the casting was done well, even though there were plenty of people who had offered rude and cruel remarks about the castings of Rue, Cinna and Thrash, but if you read the books you would know (or maybe it's because I watched the trailers before reading) how those characters were protrayed. But that's just me, people will always find something to complain about or be unhappy with. I can't wait to see how the rest of the series will turn out. I think that adding the uprising in District 11 (even if it did take you back to the civil rights era) was good to show what we can expect coming in the next 3 movies. I think that it was a great movie, they even did the dresses and outfits for Katniss as well as they could. :)

I am Second

I AM SECOND by Doug Bender and Dave Sterrett.

This is a great book about people from all walks of life learning to follow Christ. So many of the stories in there are simple and yet profound. Reading about the emotions that these people felt can make just about anyone think about their own lives and own faith.

I was very excited to read the story about Brian “Head” Welch since I had been a huge fan of the band that he was in. I can remember learning that he had left the band because he had found Christ. It seemed crazy to me at the time, but I can now see it as something inspiring. So many people have their own stories about how they found their way to Christ, and it's so awesome to know that people can still learn to follow Him at any point in their lives. To read the story about how one man who had been so driven by hate that once he found his way to Christ, his life changed so much for the better. And Bethany Hamilton, the girl who had lost her arm from a shark attack and how her faith and Christ's love kept her from giving up. If you are looking for some warm good feeling stories about how people have changed their lives by learning Who is first in their lives, then I AM SECOND is a great read for you.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Supportive Family: Guest Post

Supportive Family

Contribution by Stevie Kirby

I’m really lucky to have such a supportive family. When I thought my parents I wanted to start my own business they told me they would help me in any way they possibly could, and they have been my biggest financial backers since day one. I don't know how I would've made it this far if it hadn't been for the check from mom and dad but they are truly my biggest cheerleaders and I could never thank them enough for that. When I decided to look into t1 in my area my that was right there by my side… I don't know a lot about technology so it's really important to me to ask the right questions and do the right thing research. My sister even volunteers to walk my dog for a couple of weeks while I went to Morocco to research my products. I'm just really lucky to have such a wonderful support system because it has made starting my small business so much easier than it could have been otherwise.

Football Widow

Football Widow

Content by Mauricio Benson

My husband just doesn’t get it – he doesn’t really understand that I need more support from him. When he gets home from work he immediately gets online and starts playing those video games and on the weekends he’s all about his Cable Sunday Ticket. We’ve got three kids and I work forty hours a week, too, so sometimes I feel like he doesn’t really understand how much pressure I’m under. I just wish he would help me out with chores and do more to make home a welcoming place for me – he’s gotten to where he doesn’t even ask me how my day was anymore! I know this is the classic story of husband and wife I just really thought things would be different for us since we both came from such untraditional families. We were best friends in college and now it feels like we’re becoming less like husband and wife and more like roommates which is the last thing I wanted to happen to us! I know some of y’all out there can relate…

Just a few more weeks till #b90days starts here

It's just a few more weeks until the start of my Bible in 90 Day Challenge. Don't know what I'm talking about? Check it out here. I am so excited to lead this journey for others. I can't wait to start, but I know that with everything that is going on in my life the next week or so, it is much easier for me and for anyone who wants to share this journey with me to start then. If you are interested in joining, please comment on the blog, or tweet me, and fill out the contact info so that I can get you added to the email list and to the FB group. 

I know that the Bible in 90 days challenge is just that a challenge. But if you really want to have a life changing experience with God's Word, then it is SOOOOOOOOOO worth it. Just some quick tips that I found helpful my first time reading:

1. Make sure that you either can set aside a block of time (45 mins to an hour or more depending on how you read) or take your Bible with you wherever you go so that you can read if you are busy. I found that the YouVersion App was a lifesaver when I'd have to put D to bed and he didn't want to go to sleep right away. 
2. Have a journal or notebook or some paper handy in case you want to remember something for later. I used Comp books and took notes of things that I wanted to come back to. Remember this is not a study but a reading, you are reading through the Bible, so if you don't understand something or want to know more, make a note and come back to it.
3. Have a highlighter or pencil or pen handy (along with your notebook). I highlighted so many passages the last time that I sort of want to use another Bible to see if I found the same things as interesting the first time around.
4. Don't get too frustrated if you get behind. It can happen. There are two grace periods in this challenge so if you get behind it will be ok. At one point during my reading I was almost 2 weeks behind (thanks to being ill and then a hurricane), but I caught up. Read a little more when you can, and remember to take your Bible with you (or an app on your phone) and just read when you can.
5. Also remember that even if you might not finish in the 90 days, it still should be a goal for you to finish no matter how long it takes. It will be something that you can be so proud of. 

Ok that's all I've got for now, I know I'll think up more. I'm just so excited about this, I know that reading the Bible has made a powerful impact on my life and I'm sure it can on yours.

SP Healthy Reflections

Valuing time before it is too late

Often our days are busied with worry, stress, complaining, work, and a general wasting of time. Once we finally realize the value of our time, often for many of us it is too late. While your life might seem like a long time in the midst of it, truly it is a blink of an eye. Today, make more time to be present in your life. Even small moments--enjoying a cup of tea, calling a friend, reading a favorite book--should be enjoyed. Restructure your day so that you can get all of your work done, but allow for extra time to be spent on personal matters. Stop procrastinating!

Know the true value of time; snatch, seize and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness...never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.

- Lord Chesterfield 

Challenges, Challenges and more challenges

Well I always start out the new year with great plans and hopes and motivation. Then, something happens. I'm not sure why or what, but something seems to jump into my way. And I'm sure that this year is not going to be short of some type of diversion (deployment being the biggest one). But I'm hoping that I can excel past all the traps and succeed in my goals and plans for this year.

3 in 30 Challenge- Yep I'm trying this one again but since so many of the goals are the same in these challenges it should make it easier (right???). Anyway with this one, you pick 3 goals to focus on for 30 days and make them habits instead of goals. Seems like a great idea. Check it out here.

31 Days to Pray for Your Spouse- I've been wanting to pray more and better so I thought that this would be an awesome challenge, since I'm sure I'll be praying for him alot when he's gone. It started Jan 1, but it might not be too late to get started.


Hello Mornings- I've seen this as a hashtag all over Twitter and thought "Wow, what a cool concept." Now I've looked into it more and think it's an amazing concept. It involves getting up early, taking time for yourself; spending time with God; planning your day and working out. I'm hoping that I will do well in this one, I have a hard time getting up in the mornings, but I know that I'm going to need me time with deployment.

Bible in 90 Days- This is a challenge that I'm really excited about. Mainly because I'm going to lead a group through this. I finally completed the challenge last summer/fall, finishing in 85 days despite all the things that were thrown at me. I hope that I can help others to complete such an amazing task. I will be starting on Feb 6, but there are plenty of groups that are staring now if you are ready to go. Check them out at Mom's Toolbox.

Jumpstart January with SparkPeople. - I love SparkPeople, I think it's one of the greatest things out there to help people lose weight. And I do the bootcamp or whatever they call it every January to get back on track. This year is no exception. SparkPeople is Free too, so check them out.

As you can see, I am pretty busy for a minute. All of this, plus taking care of a 2 year old and myself, my church groups, NWCA, FRG, etc. I also signed up to be a 31 consultant, and I'm hoping that I can excel at that as a business too. So if you are interested in purchasing any Thirty One Gifts, let me know, I'll be more than happy to add you to my FB group so you can get updates on deals and specials and stuff. I hope that everyone has a wonderful New Year. I'm planning on trying, even if my better half is spending a good deal of the year away from us.

Blog Dare prompt Jan 1

Well it's a new year, I can't believe it's another year. As also I've got tons of goals in mind, but that is, always my plan. Well for the Blog Dare writing prompt is about My Social Media Goals for 2012. Wow, well I'm not totally sure what I want to do, but that doesn't mean I've not thought about some things I want to do.

I want to participate in the Blog Dare daily prompts, when I have something to say about the prompt. It can be hard to spend some time on the computer, but it's just a small part of my overall plan for the year.

I am going to be more active on Twitter. I have a smartphone (that sometimes is smarter than me lol) and I have Twitter on there, I should be able to tweet. So that is my goal.

I have signed up for several challenges this year, such as the Hello Mornings, 3 in 30 and Bible in 90 days (which I am going to lead a group). So I've got to keep up with those goals and be supportive of my friends and followers and such.

Well I am not sure what else I'm going to plan on, but these are a few that I plan.