happy easter!

source

Life is wasted if we do not grasp the glory of the cross,
cherish it for the treasure that it is,
and cleave to it as the highest price of every pleasure
and the deepest comfort in every pain.
What was once foolishness to us—a crucified God—
must become our wisdom and our power
and our only boast in this world. 

~John Piper

{gasp!!!}

*gasp*  my little ole blog got a face lift!!!  you like?!?!?!?  (it was about time, right??)

HUGE thanks to my sweet friend in real life AND in BlogLand Leslie @ Our Joy...His Glory.  i love this lady bunches and miss her so very much!  check out her blog.    

thanks, Les!  i love it!!

and i love you too!!
*********************************

today is good friday.  

calling the day when the Son of God was brutally murdered good
is an oxymoron.
we know what happened after his death.
but those who witnessed his suffering couldn't even fathom a resurrection.
they wouldn't have called the day of his death good.

but we do.
it was a good day.
no, it was a great day.
we should call today Great Friday.  because it is.  because our Savior died.
for me.
for all of us.

doh doh keeps asking, why did He die for us?
what a great question.  He died...so we don't have to.
but He didn't stay dead.
everyone knows the story...but think on it.
and thank Him for His obedience to the Father.
thank Him for His sacrifice.

and after his horrific death, the best was yet to come.
amen?
it's friday.  but sunday is coming.
it's friday.  but sunday is coming.

i love this song.  if you don't know it, take a listen.
i've been singing it all week!  and i won't stop.
tree 63 singing Sunday.
sunday, hallelujah!  it's not that far.  it's not so far away!

gym talk

the other day i mentioned that i struggle with my weight.  yes.  yes, i do.

here's something else you might not know:  i love to workout.

like seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeriously love to workout.  

love.  it.

i workout 5 days a week.  if you live in the same town as I do, you already know this about me.  because every day i can be seen all around town in my yoga pants, and/or tennis skirt, and tank tops...all athletic gear...all the time.  and i workout hard.  and i love every sweaty minute of it.  i really just discovered this love about a year ago.  but i've found what i love to do.

so, not because you really care but i do get asked this a lot, but here's my daily routine......

three days a week i workout on the AMT.  it's kinda like an elliptical.  but you burn more calories during and after your workout.  {score!!}

source

i've recently started doing intervals while going forward and backward.  it helps break up the monotony....of course, i work out with a friend....we run our mouths the entire time.  that helps break up the monotony as well.  {snort!}

i usually burn close to 400 calories in 30 minutes, depending on my intensity level and stride.

anyway, after 30 minutes on the AMT i then do floor work/weights:  abs, arms, legs.  lunges, chest fly with barbells, plie squats, crunches with a medicine ball, tricep dips, bicep curls on the cable cross machine.....  the list goes on.  (if you don't lift weights, you should!)

ok, my other 2 days of the week, i take a class at my gym.  it's my new thing.....i just started REBOUNDING.  ever done it?  wow.  it's all cardio on a trampoline.  do NOT think Kathy Bates in Fried Green Tomatoes.  {oh my gosh....love that movie....love that scene!!!  watch that clip!}

source

the Rebounder is a different kind of trampoline.  no springs.  all bungees.  no harsh impact on your joints.  it's amazing.  i've tried to find a good video clip to share so you can get an idea of how intense this workout is.  however, not all Rebounding is created equal.  i can't really find any that are as intense as our workouts!  some youtube clips just show people lightly bouncing, etc.

uhhhh, that ain't how we do it.

seriously, it's the most intense workout i've ever done. 

well, besides tap dancing and singing at the same time.

you can go here and watch this video from the bellicon website (they sell the Rebounders...and no, i'm not getting anything from them for saying that!  i wish i was!  those trampolines are expen$ive!!!)  that clip is somewhat similar, although not as intense, as what we do in class.  

the key is to dig in your heels on the trampoline.  it's not really jumping...it's more like pushing.  try it.  seriously.  and if you live locally and want to give it a try, let me know!  i can hook you up.  bring a towel.  and a good bra.

it's fun...i promise.  and of course, we rock out to some major tunes.  our favorites lately have been all 80s.  because honestly, who doesn't want to scream "oh mickey you're so fine you blow my mind hey mickey!" while jumping on a trampoline?!?!?

this girl does.

let's play {catch up}

since it's been awhile since i've blogged, i decided it was probably time to play catch up.  

i mean, most of you so desperately want to know what's going on with my darling children.  right?!?!?!

soooo, there's this girl.....

we all kinda like her.  just a little bit.  or maybe a bit too much.

her brothers are completely smitten.  and her daddy....well, honestly, it's pathetic.  but adorably pathetic.

last night my man was working late.  i had all the kids fed, bathed, and they were running around like maniacs.  or rather, like kids who've been cooped up in the house b/c -- despite being Spring -- it's been too blasted cold to go outside.  {at least for this wimp}  so i decided to take an early shower.  

you see where this is going, right???

i kid you not....i had just poured the Burt's Bees facial soap in my hand, preparing to rub it on my aging face, when Bubba storms into my bathroom.  "Doh Doh's hurt!  She's crying!" he didn't need to add that last part.  i heard her wailing.  enter the dramatic Princess.

like any good mother, i immediately turned off the shower to tend to my child i continued on washing my face, telling her "brudder" to send the Princess in so that i could assess the damages.  let's just be honest, as mommas we know our kid's cry.  right?  and despite the volume level, she was fine.

i opened the shower door, peering down into her sweet, teary eyes.  and totally worthy of a Tony Award, she said, "bubba hurt me!" {dramatic sobs}  "it's his fault!"  {shaky breath, more sobs}  "i ran into him!  and heeeeeeeeeeeeee diiiiiiiiiiiid it!"

i was mesmerized by those sparkling eyes and adorable red mark on her chin.  so i playfully responded, "do i need to give him a spanking?"

here's where the Tony Award gets presented.

"noooooooooooooo!
because i love hiiiiiiiiiiiiiim!"

yes.  we love her.

she wears a Princess dress every day.
she loves Octonauts.
she is starting to pick out her own clothes.  {and y'all, it's scary}
she likes to watch movies in my bed with the lights OFF.
her little BFF thanks God every night in his prayers for her AND her purse.
she can quote almost as many Three Amigos lines as i can.
she's girly.
she's tough.
she's awesome.
she's our Bird.

daily struggles

i struggle.  every day.  with different things.  sometimes the same things every day.

but i struggle.

* i struggle with my weight.
* i struggle with feeling like i'm not doing enough with or for my kids.
* i struggle with kicking my Coca-Cola addiction. {they're just so good.}
* i struggle with depression through the winter.
* i struggle with getting up and reading my Bible every morning.  {i'm not a morning person.  at all.}
* i struggle with feelings of inadequacy.
* i struggle with wondering if i ever will or even should publish my novel(s).
* i struggle with my weight.  {did i mention that?}
* i struggle with keeping my house clean.
* i struggle with organization.
* i struggle with worrying that i'm not a good friend. wife. mother.
* i struggle with anxiety, something i never experienced before having children.

i struggle.  i know you do, too.

after becoming a mother, i found myself experiencing things i never had before.  i don't just mean strolling through Walmart with spit-up running down my cleavage.  or nursing my child while he was in his carseat as truckers blasted their horns as they peered into the backseat of our car.  

i found myself anxious.  nervous.  worried.

and i'm not sure why i'm sharing this with you today.  but perhaps you are struggling as well.  i'm a very carefree person by nature.  my husband calls me Mary Poppins.  sometimes even Pollyanna.  

it's so true.  but i have my dark moments.  and i hope this will encourage you.

"do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:6

spring cleaning: chalkboard

i'm spring cleaning.  and i love it.

of course, i prefer to clean on rainy days.  if it's pretty out then you know i'll be outside.  but if it's a rainy day....and i'm not engrossed in some delicious book....then i'm cleaning.  or snuggling with cute little ones.  or cooking.  or...well, today we're talking about cleaning!

friday i cleaned our bathroom.  i even shared a tip on cleaning bathtubs with jets.  i still have to clean the light fixtures and work on a few water spots on our cabinets.  BUT everything else is spotless.  love that feeling.

moving on to monday.....my boys are back at school after spring break.  i love school breaks.  i'm so ready for summer.  but until then i'm taking advantage of 2 of my big messy makers being back at school.

so how about another Pinterest cleaning tip??  in my kitchen i have a chalkboard door.  

i've been meaning to repaint it for over a year now.  it has desperately needed a new coat of paint.  {or so i thought!}

late one night i stumbled upon a cleaning tip via pinterest.  however, i didn't pin it.  {gasp!} after searching i think this was the pin.  but i found another one here.  

i always use wet paper towels to wipe off our artwork.  but i couldn't get rid of that stubborn chalk residue!  

i had planned to repaint, but instead i just used soapy water.  Dawn dish detergent and warm water.  that was it.  i scrubbed and scrubbed, even dumping the soapy water and starting with a fresh batch.  then i rinsed the door with clean water.

this was the after picture.  yes, you can still see white residue.  but it is AMAZING how much better it looks!  in this picture it still wasn't even completely dry.  {i'm impatient like that.}  but after it dried completely it was much better.  i plan on doing it again and trying to get off that pesky remaining residue. 

i even found a tip about using my beloved vinegar to clean it.

p.s. we don't have a dog.  or a cat.  i need to replace that door.  or get a dog.  but not a cat.  definitely not a cat.

so, how about you?  spring cleaning?  any tips to share???

spring cleaning has begun!

it has begun.  i've started spring cleaning.

my plan was to start next week.  but i can't stand it anymore.  so i've started in my bathroom.  i saw this pin today.

source

1.  Fill tub with hot water above jets.
2.  Pour in 1/2 cup bleach and a tablespoon of powdered cascade dishwashing detergent. (I didn't have bleach {rarely use it} so I used vinegar.)
3.  Run jets for 15 minutes.
4.  Empty tub.
5.  Refill with cold water.
6.  Run jets 10 minutes to rinse.

The above picture is not my tub.  And I didn't have nearly that amount of gunk.  Yuck.  But I did have this residue......

lots of little black pieces.  I'm currently in the rinse cycle.  

that pin just helped to jumpstart the cleaning.  yay!!  so i'm checking this one off my list.

***********************
i currently have 3 sleeping children.  and it's the afternoon.  they all spent the night at my brother's last night, playing with their cousins.  they came home exhausted.  so today i put them all down for naps...and i'm cleaning.  despite the fact that i desperately need a nap myself.  {sigh}

now i'm off to scrub my shower.  try not to be jealous of this glamorous life i lead.


************************
you can see my other cleaning pins here.  i haven't tried all of them but there's also a link to the dawn detergent and vinegar solution i use to clean my sinks and showers.

next week i have a great tip for you on cleaning your chalkboard walls, doors, etc.  works great and way easier than repainting it!!

happy spring cleaning!