day forty

day forty!!  its here and its so exciting!  blogging almost daily has definitely been the most challenging of the 'four things' and is a discipline i don't intend to continue.  i am looking forward to a good dessert this weekend, not as much as scott is though. :)  i don't really have a monumental thought for this final day, i am just hopeful for this 'inspiring' phase to continue to be an encouragement to me and anyone else.  this isn't the end of the journey for me... it has inspired me to do another little challenge! and this time scott is joining me.  our 'three things for thirty days' are to continue P90X, no TV in the evening, and praying together for our future.  what three things to do you want to be intentional about?  let's hoist our sails!!

day thirty eight and nine

tomorrow is day forty!  i am so excited.  i feel like i have begun a new chapter in my life. :)  not because of these four things, but because these forty days have taken place during a transitional time in my life.  i have experienced an amazing peace that is beyond understanding during a time when things in my life didn't unfold as i would have planned.  i planted that disappointment in the peace that God gave me and it has grown into contentment and anticipation for a plan much bigger than mine.

day thirty seven

scott and i made our valentine's reservation today, we got all of our info together for our taxes, we scooped our driveway, we did everything together today... including huggin on sadie.  one of her favorite things to do is to lay on her back and hold her arms up and say 'daddy daddy' until he puts his face right next to hers and then she says 'mommy mommy' until i put my face on the other side of hers and we have a big heller hug.  i am thankful for today.

day thirty four, five, and six

someone that has been very inspiring to me lately is a lady called 'the pioneer woman.'  she has a website http://thepioneerwoman.com  she is a great writer, photographer, and cook.  she was a city girl who met a real cowboy and married him and now lives on his ranch.  she writes their love story and titled it 'from high heels to tractor wheels.'  its a great love story... like a book that you can't put down.  the aspect of her website that inspires me the most is her cooking.  she takes great pictures of each step in the process of every recipe.  last weekend i bought and chopped my first fresh garlic clove and onion, and minced/chopped them myself... thanks to the pioneer woman.  this evening we had some delicious 'pan-fried' pork chops made from one of her recipes.  the website is fascinating and practical all at the same time... i love it!  and i love having renewed excitement for cooking.

day thirty three

i could write about how i found out today that i am approved to take the marriage and family therapy licensing exam, or about the baked potatoes that we had for dinner tonight, or about chopping an onion and mincing garlic for the first time (i have always just used the dried onion flakes and garlic from the spice section), or about really enjoying my day at work today because of a wonderful co-worker that i have.  however, i am exhausted and i cant think very clearly.  so, i am going to watch last nights episode of 24 with scott and then i am going to bed. :)

day thirty two

some of the p90x workouts require bands or a pull-up bar.  i have some bands that i received from a chiropractor that i went to for a short time in college.  i had a pain in the middle of my back that wasn't ever going away, so i went to see if 'getting adjusted' would help.  i think he only did the scary neck-twisting-back-cracking-thing once... thank goodness!  however, he taught me a lot about different posture exercises.  these posture techniques made a huge difference in my life.  this experience was about seven years ago, and i still do some the things he taught me and i haven't ever had back pain since! ...except when i was nine months prego.  anyway, one of the main things that i learned is about core support, which takes the pressure off your back and shoulders.  you stand with your feet shoulder width apart, tighten your glutes, and your lower abdominal muscles (if you touch the abs that are directly between your hip bones it will help you get the right muscles going).  then put your shoulders back and relaxed, take deep breaths to help you relax.  then reach the crown of your head up and don't stick out your chin, keep it back.  think of making your spine as straight and lined up as possible.  this can also be applied when you are sitting and laying down.  always being conscience of keeping your spine straight and supporting your upper body with your core  is not only good for your body, takes undo stress off certain areas, but its also looks better!

day thirty one

toward the beginning of these forty days i mentioned sarah palin's 'going rogue' and that i would share more about it at some point.  today we have come to that point. :)  there are multiple aspects of this book that i like.  1. i always enjoy a good love story, and her and her husbands is a good one  2. she makes government issues easy to understand  3. to introduce the first tragedy that her and her husband experienced, she starts off by saying, "i loved the fact we had planned so well and that events were falling neatly into place in our well-ordered lives," and then the unexpected changed all of that.  this is an aspect of her life that i, along with everyone else that experiences different tragedies, could really resonate with.  4. learning about the people, culture, and geography of alaska was fascinating  5. she refers to jeremiah 29:13 which says, "when you call upon me i will hear you, when you serch for me you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart." and she displays this with her life.  this book was an easy read and i would recommend it to anyone.