Our New Normal

In like a lion...

noreply@blogger.com (KAM) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:09:00 +0000

March has definitely roared its way into Kentucky this year. Friday, schools closed early, including several universities in the area, to prepare for the impending tornadic weather. I didn't think much about it until they sent us home too. The university doesn't close for anything. Needless to say, I was starting to get a little scared. Thankfully, my end of town didn't see much of anything but a few minutes of really hard rain and some light hail. It was over and gone in ten minutes. Unfortunately, the southern part of our county did get hit, although we didn't actually have a tornado. The next county over wasn't so lucky.

West Libery, KY - Main St.

Aerial View

There are videos out there from locals that caught the tornado coming through town. You can search "West Liberty tornado" on youtube and find several. I honestly felt like I was watching the movie, Twister. It's hard to believe this happened so close to home. To make matters worse, this is what we woke up to today...

Some areas are reporting over 6.5 inches. This is more snow than we've seen all winter! Welcome to March in Kentucky, where it's 70 degrees one day and 28 the next.

The one shining beacon throughout the past few days is the immediate action taken by everyone in the area. It's a great feeling to see your community, as well as other communities around you, pull together for a common cause. Even the university is getting involved.

I ask that if you've got a minute, please take the time to send out some positive thoughts or a short prayer to those affected by these storms. They truly need all the help they can get.

Little Piece of Heaven

noreply@blogger.com (KAM) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:45:00 +0000

My little piece of Heaven after a month of no sugar and carbs.

Thank God for Girl Scout cookies.

Keep on movin' movin'

noreply@blogger.com (KAM) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:06:00 +0000

I am happy to say I have lost 17 pounds! Can you believe that? I can't. Really, I can't. It's starting to get a little easier living without all the sugar and carbs. I still have my moments, especially when I smell brownies or pizza floating through the air, but I've resisted. I'm also allowing myself one "cheat" meal every 2-3 weeks. I've noticed it helps keep some of those sugar and carb cravings away. Plus, I find that I'm barely eating half of what's on the "cheat" plate anyway. I've had to pull out old pants that haven't been worn in ages because my others don't fit. That in itself is enough to walk away from that slice of pizza. What a great feeling! For the first time, I actually believe I might be able to make it to my goal weight at some point this year. Woo Hoo! Go me! LOL

Carbs!

noreply@blogger.com (KAM) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:55:00 +0000

Carbs will be the death of me. Since my last post, I broke down and went to the doctor. I pleaded insanity as to why I can't lose weight (please don't reference the B-dubs post). The result is I've lost 9 pounds in little over a week. Can you believe that? WOWSERS!

Unfortunately, in order to do this I've had to significantly cut my carb intake and up my protein (no it's not the Atkins diet). I am a carb addict. Honestly, I truly did not realize this until a couple days ago. I have been aching for pizza, scones from the bakery in town, garlic bread, pasta, if it's a carb, I want it. I ask myself during these cravings, "Are you truly hungry? Do you want to sit down and eat a meal?" The answer is always no. I'm not actually hungry. My body is just in serious carb withdrawals. I have definitely been a bit grouchy here and there. Of course, when you feel like you're climbing the walls crazy, you would expect to be a tad on the irritated side. LOL

Despite my cravings, I haven't broken over. I've stayed true to what the doctor and nutritionist told me to do. It's obviously working. I just hope these cravings subside soon or I'll drive myself and my husband to the mental ward. ;)

Woops

noreply@blogger.com (KAM) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:11:00 +0000

My employer has a health/wellness program that is attached to the cost of our health insurance premiums. The idea is to get a certain number of points which will equal a certain amount of money off the total cost of your premium. Over the next couple months, we have been challenged to keep a food journal. It's worth 6 points. WHOA! That's a lot for one challenge. I've done well so far, eating healthy, despite the fact I can't seem to lose one stinkin' pound. That is until this weekend.

The hubby and I decided to go out for dinner on Saturday. I had kept my calories in check and I knew I could splurge a little. We went to Buffalo Wild Wings and I felt the desire to have a Buffalo Chicken Wrap. YUM! It was so good. Unfortunately, I forgot to check the wrap's calories first and I didn't log until this morning. Imagine my surprise when that wrap came in at a whopping 1,020 calories and 60 grams of fat!! WHAT?? NO WAY. There is NO way that wrap was that bad! But, apparently it was. Wow. No more buffalo chicken wraps for me. Ever. I'm dreading the scales. Hopefully I didn't ruin all of last week with one wrap. Ugh. Why does it have to be so hard? LOL

Check them out!

noreply@blogger.com (KAM) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:30:00 +0000

As most of you know, I have four sisters. One of those sisters, Amanda, lives in OKC. For the past two years, she and her friends have flown out to Park City, Utah for the Sundance Film Festival. Those of us here in KY enjoy living vicariously through her crazy tales and fun pictures. So, I thought I'd share them with you as well. Check out her blog, Half-Blog, Half-Amazing. You can also check out her friend, Tia's blog, aMUSEing, as well. She has some great stories from their recent trip to Sundance. Enjoy!

Just had to share

noreply@blogger.com (KAM) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:35:00 +0000

Feeling good today. No reason for it. It's even gloomy and raining outside. It's been a long time since I've felt like this...good just because. Thought I'd share.

New Bling!

noreply@blogger.com (KAM) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:23:00 +0000

Last weekend, I attended my first Premier Designs rally in Columbus. Wow, is all I can say! What a great company. They really make you feel like family. If you are looking to make some extra money and love jewelry, girls' nights, and fun then Premier is definitely for you!! ASK me and I'll tell you all about it!

Our new spring collection was just released this past weekend as well. So cute! Take a look.

I love this watch. It's one of my favorite pieces. The picture doesn't do it justice. It's shiny, sparkly, and very pretty! Can't wait to get it. I love being a jewelry lady!!

The Mighty Migraine

noreply@blogger.com (KAM) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:10:00 +0000

When it looks like this outside

or this

I feel like this

FB = The Devil

noreply@blogger.com (KAM) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:44:00 +0000

Sometimes I wonder why I ever get on Face.book. Glutton for punishment, maybe? This time last year was hard. New babies, pregnancy announcements, perfect and blessed lives (or so it seemed). This year, those babies turn one. This year, there are new pregnancy announcements and new baby bump pictures. I find myself face.book stalking all the pictures and the only thing it does is make me sad, but I can't stop myself. The hubby had to get me out of the house last night. I needed some adult interaction away from any and all baby/child related activity. So, we went to the local steakhouse, sat at the bar, ate yeast rolls covered in honey butter and hammed it up with some of the other patrons. :) It was nice - a good distraction. I'm thinking about giving up FB for Lent. I'm not even Catholic (the hubby's parents are), but it seems like a good idea. Granted, that doesn't start until a month from now, but it gives me a good reason to give it up for awhile. I wonder if I can do it? I'm going to try anyway. We'll see.

January Dinner Menu

noreply@blogger.com (KAM) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

January 2012 Monthly Menu

As promised, my January dinner menu. Hopefully, I'll have February's menu up before the middle of the month. LOL

1 - NYD

2 - BBQ Chicken Sandwiches/Veggies/Baked Fries

3 - Crockpot Pot Roast/Potatoes/Carrots

4 - Beef Stew (with leftovers)

5 - Lean burgers/baked fries/veggies

6 - Cracker Barrel Chicken Tenderloins/Baked Potato/Veggies

7 - Out

8 - Turkey Meatloaf

9 - Baked Pork Chops

10 - Spaghetti w/marinara sauce, salad, garlic bread

11 - Chili

12 - leftovers

13 - Chicken Fajitas in Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker

14 - Tater Tot Casserole

15 - Homemade Pizza

16 - Crockpot Chicken with cajun seasoning

17 - Homemade chicken noodle soup (with leftovers)

18 - Cajun Chicken Pasta/salad/garlic bread

19 - Taco Salads

20 - out of town

21 - out of town

22 - BBQ baked chicken

23 - Pulled BBQ Pork Sandwiches

24 - Pioneer Woman Meatballs (Made in crockpot. Roll in flour, freeze, & place in crockpot when ready)

25 - Turkey Goulash

26 - leftovers

27 - BLTs (We bake our bacon until crispy)

28 - out

29 - Creamy Chicken Noodle Bake

30 - Beef and Noodles (crockpot)

31 - leftovers

New Profile

noreply@blogger.com (KAM) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:33:00 +0000

Over Christmas break, we decided it was time to update our profile. I guess we could have waited until it was time to update our homestudy this summer, but we were feeling a tug to go ahead and do it now. I just got them in yesterday and I love them! For the most part, it's the same profile. I simply updated the theme I used and added some newer pictures. Here's a little sneak peek of a couple of pages.

Adoption Tax Credit

noreply@blogger.com (KAM) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:10:00 +0000

If you know an adoptee, adoptive family or a family interested in adoption, please take the time to sign this petition. It will take less than a minute and will be greatly appreciated by many (including me!!).

Make adoption costs fully refundable in the 2012 & 2013 Tax Years

No words

noreply@blogger.com (KAM) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:57:00 +0000

Waiting, waiting, waiting. Today, my heart is aching to receive that call. My husband keeps telling me it will happen at just the right time. Why can't the right time be right now? LOL Patience is a virtue, right?

This past week has been emotional at times. When I read about the news anchor saying such horrible things about potential Republican nominee, Rick Santorum's stillborn baby, I took it as a personal attack on all bereaved parents. In other words, I took it very personally. I don't know their situation. For all we know, they chose to take their child from the hospital to the funeral home and needed to stop at their house for something. Grief doesn't know time. I'll never forget my dad asking me if he could take Josey from the hospital to the funeral home. I told him he didn't have to do that, but he wanted to. He said it was the only thing he could do for her as her grandfather.

Maybe it was just supposed to be a quick stop that turned into a couple hours. Who knows? One thing I do know is that I sure wouldn't judge them for it, regardless of the reason. In fact, Josey stayed right next to me all night. It was the only time I would get to be her Mom with the two of us in the same room. It was important. Further more, my entire family got to see her and hold her as well.

Even worse than the news story are the comments attached to them. I can't believe the horrible things that people have said and written. The saying is true - ignorance is bliss. These people have no idea and part of me is thankful they haven't experienced it, but it wouldn't hurt to have a little empathy once in awhile. It also drives me crazy that people are making this about politics. Really? How in the world does politics play into the loss of a child? Oh, those crazy Republicans wanting to spend time with their dead baby, they say....well guess what? I'm a Democrat, and a liberal one at that. So there. Grief doesn't discriminate. Just plain ridiculous.

Anyway, thus is life and we must keep on moving, right?

TVD

noreply@blogger.com (KAM) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:33:00 +0000

Tonight. Can't wait. That's all.

Day 2

noreply@blogger.com (KAM) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:31:00 +0000

found on Pinterest

Diet - Day 1

Yesterday wasn't too bad. I drank my water. Logged my meals. Went to zumba (still feelin' it, by the way). All in all, day 1 was a success.

Diet - Day 2

Ugh. As the day goes on, the soreness is sitting in and I can't move. I don't mind that though. What is killing me is the headache from what I assume is sugar withdrawal. This always happens. Thankfully, I planned for it. I knew by 1 or 2 that my head would be throbbing. Unfortunately, it started hurting about 12:30. I tried to hold off as long as I could, but I broke down and ate my snack. I'm already feeling better and hoping that it will hold me over until dinner. I have to be careful because if I don't stop these headaches, they eventually turn into migraines.

Oh, and talk about perfect timing (insert sarcasm here), it's Girl Scout Cookie time. How can you turn down those sweet little girls? I mean, it's not the cookies. (Again, sarcasm). I ordered 6 boxes. Go ahead. Judge me. They won't be here until the end of February. I think I can eat a cookie or two by then, don't you? (At least I hope so...)

Happy New Year

noreply@blogger.com (KAM) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 20:44:00 +0000

Happy New Year! I can't describe how much better I feel about this year and it's only day 2. DH and I are so thankful that we're both healthy and happy. This is a big year for us. We have so much planned.

As of yesterday, we are officially in pay off, pay down and save mode. By this time next year, I hope to say we are debt free or at least close to being debt free (not including our house). I also hope to say I'm down 30 pounds. LOL We'll see how that goes. Between pregnancy and depression, those 30 pounds crept up fast. Tonight, this lazy butt is going back to zumba. Zumba is the only thing that's ever helped me drop the weight. I'm also going back to my WW meetings beginning next week. I tried to do it on my own, online, but I just don't have the discipline to hold myself accountable.

To help me lose weight, as well as save money, we are planning out our meals. I hope to post our monthly menu to my blog each month. This helps me stay accountable at two different levels. It would be great if all of my faithful readers could leave their favorite recipes as well. I'm going to link each day on my menu to a recipe, so once I post my menu, please feel free to send me your favorites!

Another thing that's been on my heart lately is paying it forward. The one thing I would do if I won the lottery is either create or work for a charitable organization. As a teenager, my youth group traveled to several different places doing mission work. Some of it was here in the US and some was outside the US. It was some of the best and most heart warming experiences of my life. While I can't run off and do mission work, I can pay it forward in some ways. I haven't decided exactly how I'm going to do this - monthly/seasonal, etc. - but I hope to pick one, participate in someway, and share it with all of you. I already have a few chosen, so we'll see how it goes.

As far as the adoption goes, still no news. We spent last week redoing our profile. I like our new version so much better. I've already ordered new books and plan to send them to our agency as soon as we get them. We're also looking at contacting adoption attorneys in Indy. This past week we reviewed their informational dvd and we're leaning towards going with them this summer, as well as our agency. I feel like this is our year to bring home a little one. I just hope I'm not kicking myself for saying this, this time next year. I sure don't want to jinx it, but it's just a feeling I can't shake. I've decided to keep my eyes open for any and all good deals on baby furniture, car seats, etc. Before, I didn't feel ready to purchase any baby things, but now I'm not so worried about it.

It's going to be a good year. I just know it! I hope it is for you too!

DIY/Crafts

noreply@blogger.com (KAM) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 20:28:00 +0000

Like everyone else on the planet, I am addicted to Pinterest. There are so many great ideas out there, especially all the DIY projects and fun crafts. They make it seem so simple. Luckily for me, some of them are, because I got a wild hair yesterday to make my own "everyday" wreath for my front door.

I first wanted to make one of those cute yarn wreaths with the felt rosettes, but Wal-Mart didn't have any foam wreaths. They did, however, have $3 grapevine wreaths. Here's my first attempt at being crafty.

I think it turned out pretty well, don't you? DH finished up my bathroom mirror frame. I got that idea from Pinterest as well. It took a little more detailed work than the wreath. In fact, DH pretty much took over, which was fine by me. I picked out the crown molding and paint color and he did the rest. I think it cost us just around $20 to finish the frame.

The hubby did all the work with the power tools and then we glued the sides together.

We let it sit overnight. Once it was dry, we stuck double-sided outdoor tape all around the frame.

Then it was time to spray paint. I chose satin nickel to match the handles and fixtures in our bathroom. We are very pleased for our first try. In fact, we've already decided to frame our other bathroom mirror.

BEFORE

AFTER

I still have some work to do on the bathroom, but it already looks so much better. Who knew? I'd love to see some of your crafty projects from Pinterest!

2011 Wrap Up

noreply@blogger.com (KAM) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

I can't believe 2011 has come and gone. I honestly thought 2011 would be much better than 2010, and in some ways it was, but there was still a lot of heartache and stress to go around. I thought I'd do a quick wrap-up of our year to date, mainly as a way to see how far we've come. I've linked to a few posts throughout the year as well.

January

DH's radiation treatments. He threw up and I cried.

February

More radiation.

March

Both of us are feeling better despite hitting the 1 year mark of being hospitalized. I was running almost everyday. I swear the endorphins got me through it. Note to self: need to start running again.

April

Josey's one year heaven anniversary. Heartache. Depressed. Miserable. However, my office and my sister's 4th grade class surprised us on her birthday by decorating our yard with butterflies. Made our day.

May

Depression officially set in for me. The last year's events hit me really hard. I started suffering, again, from PTSD. There's nothing like flashbacks of the physical pain, as well as emotional pain, that lasts for hours. Ugh.

June

Much better month. Warm weather. Boating season. And most importantly, we became officially homestudy approved!

July

Pretty good month. Some mixed feelings as I hit my due date. We should have been planning a one year old's birthday.

August

Back to school around town. Love that feeling, even though I'm not in school anymore.

September

DH is 6 months cancer free! Could it be we can actually start to breathe again? Oh, and my sister got married on the hottest day of the year - outside. My nephew had his 1st birthday party and I had a meltdown at the Cave Run Storytelling Festival.

October
Beach vacation with the girls. Just what the doctor ordered, and Mom and I were able to visit with our Florida family.

November

Thanksgiving in Pigeon Forge, TN. Different, but fun.

December

Finally given the all clear after 1.5 years. Don't have to see the inside of a doctor's office for an entire year! Definitely a great Christmas present! I also hit 100K visitors on my blog. So exciting!

2012 to come...
Here's to hoping for lots of smiles and good times in the upcoming new year.

Ack!

noreply@blogger.com (KAM) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 06:15:00 +0000

It's after 1 am and I can't sleep. I swear I have restless leg syndrome. Tonight is intolerable. I can't relax at all. My eyes are heavy, but my legs are so uncomfortable. They just want to move. I've tried everything. I even got up and did the "Burn 100 Calories" thing from Pinterest. You know the one.

http://pinterest.com/pin/233483561901116024/

I've done lunges, calf stretches, yoga, ran in place, you name it. As long as I'm moving I'm fine, but as soon as I try to relax and go to sleep, it starts up again. I finally gave up. There's no sleeping for me tonight. I HATE nights like these. Thank goodness I don't have to work in the morning or else I'd be an A#1 grouch!

I guess I can look on the bright side. I got in some good exercise. LOL I just hope this isn't a regular occurrence. It does happen on occasion, but this has been by far the worst. What I'd give for those compression things they made me wear on my legs in the hospital. Gonna have to Google those. Maybe I can find something similar. It's a good thing I don't drink a lot of caffeine. I'd never make it.

Winning

noreply@blogger.com (KAM) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 12:57:00 +0000

It's time to pick a winner. To be fair, I used a random number generator. Plus, it's a lot faster. ;) Without further ado, drum roll please...and the winner of the gorgeous Premier Designs Night Life necklace and enhancer is...

KRISTEN from My (In)fertility Blog!

WOO HOO! Congrats, Kristen!!

I want to thank everyone that entered! I hope you had a very Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Eve

noreply@blogger.com (KAM) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 13:11:00 +0000

DH putting together our nephew's new
Lightning McQueen.

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone. I have to say waking up and seeing toys under our tree, even if they are for our nephew, makes my heart smile. It just feels right. I really, really hope it's a sign that the next two days will be just like old times, full of happy holiday cheer. Lord knows I've been struggling the last couple weeks. I'm ready for some holiday cheer. We have a long day ahead of us. Christmas starts for us in about an hour and goes just about all day. I'm actually looking forward to it. Tomorrow isn't as crazy. I think we're going to take in a matinee. Might as well enjoy these vacation days we have together, right?

From my house to yours, Merry Christmas!

Christmas List

noreply@blogger.com (KAM) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 00:21:00 +0000

I only have one thing on my list this year. I'm sure you can guess what it is. While it doesn't look like I'll be finding this precious gift under my tree on Sunday, I'm holding out for next year. Come on, Santa. I've been a good girl!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/78595703/santa-baby-hat-photography-prop-hat-baby?ref=sc_1

Holiday Cheer

noreply@blogger.com (KAM) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 19:57:00 +0000

Ahhh, Christmas. Two week vacation. Good food. Gifts. No counting calories. This year, I've purposely stayed away from baking. I've made a few batches of peanut butter fudge and I tried my hand at jam cake, but that's it. I don't even have chocolate in the house. However, today I was aching to get in the kitchen and bake something, anything, but I wanted it to be simple. I decided on banana nut bread. I found a really simple recipe. It seemed almost too easy, but it turned out great. Very tasty! Even the hubby liked it and he's not a banana fan.

Now that I got my baking fix, I have no motivation. The dog and I are curled up on the couch watching the Cats play. I'm thinking about a nap. DH got me up early this morning to run errands with him. We picked up our nephew and took him to my parents' house. He was so excited to go for a ride with us. He sang his version of Jingle Bells and danced in his car seat all the way to Mom and Dad's.

Yesterday, he stopped by and decided he wanted to play my guitar. It was so cute! He would try to strum it while he sang. Then he'd look up at me, smile, and clap his hands. Too sweet. I'll have to teach him to play someday. Maybe he'll be the next Brad Paisley/Keith Urban. Of course, if that happens, he'll need more than me because I'm only good for a few chords. LOL

Time to get back to the ballgame. Merry Christmas everyone!

Time for a Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (KAM) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:56:00 +0000

I can't believe it, but I've hit 100,000 visitors on my blog! To celebrate, I am giving away a gorgeous Premier Designs necklace. This is one of my favorites. It's called Night Life. You can dress it up or dress it down. Very versatile.

Night Life is 17 1/2" long with a 2" extender. It comes with the cute magnetic enhancer. This is a $59 value! You know you want it! All you need to do to enter is 1) follow my blog if you don't already, and 2) leave me a comment on this post. If you'd like an extra entry, post a link to my giveaway on facebook, twitter, or your blog. Be sure to let me know! I'll draw a winner on Christmas Day.

GOOD LUCK!