Nine Days

Nine days until I am Jamaica bound. Nine days! I can't believe it. Seems like just the other day I signed up to go on this mission trip, and now it's just right around the corner. How quickly the days, weeks, months pass by.

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, you can click here to read about the Jamaica mission trip and what we will be doing while we're there.

Over the past couple of months, our mission team has met twice a month in order to prepare for the trip. We've discussed the differences between our culture & the Jamaican culture, we've shared our testimonies with each other, spent time in prayer, worked in groups preparing for Vacation Bible School, and talked about the importance of relying on Christ for everything.

Still, there is only so much we can do to prepare for this trip; we are still going on this mission not knowing exactly what to expect. But that is okay because we have Jesus to depend on. We are trusting in Him knowing He is with us and will guide us. He will comfort us when we feel discouraged or homesick. He will renew us and strengthen us when we feel weak or tired. He will break down the barriers and give us the ability to communicate clearly with the people we will meet. He will protect us. He will work in the lives of the people there and change hearts. We just need to be open and willing to let Christ lead us. I'm so excited to see what God has in store.

Would you please continue to keep me & my group in your prayers as we get ready to leave for Jamaica next Saturday? Here are a some specific things you can pray for:

• While we are in Jamaica, there will be a group graduating from the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf. We are currently gathering gifts to be able to present to the graduating class to help them out as they start their new jobs. Being able to get a job after graduation will be almost impossible because of the increase in unemployment in Jamaica, so if the graduates have their own supplies {instead of the employer having to provide the supplies}, they will have a better chance of being hired. We wanted to try and help them out as much as possible. Please pray for God's provision as we continue to gather supplies.
• We are all still in the process of raising funds for the trip. Please pray for God's provision over the next week and a half.
Please pray for me as I prepare to leave my little munchkin. This will be the longest I've been away from Noah, and I'm having a hard time dealing with it.
• Please pray for the safety for our group as we travel and as we minister in Jamaica.
• Please pray for each of us to develop close relationships with the people there.
Please pray for God to remove the obstacles that may come up before we leave or while we are there.
Please pray that the Holy Spirit would continue to prepare the hearts of those in Jamaica to whom we will minister.
Please pray for us as we minister to the children through Vacation Bible School. Pray that we will be clear in communicating God's message and that what we teach will have a lasting impact on their lives.

I am not sure right now if I will have computer/internet access or the time to blog while I am in Jamaica, but if I have the opportunity to blog, you can be sure I will! If I can't blog while I'm over there, I'll definitely do it once I get home.

Thank you so much for your support and your prayers! I appreciate them so much.

Dear Noah,

I love you.

How much?

SO much.

How much is 'so'?

Way, way more than you know...



I love you as brilliant as each sparkling star,
and as way out as space, I love you that far.

I love you as gigantic as a great lion's roar,
and as deep as the ocean, I love you much more.

I love you as awesome as a thundery sky,
and as soaring as mountains, I love you that high.

I love you as steady as the earth rounds the sun,
though some days of life are the farthest from fun.

I love you being nice, and when you're cranky, too.
I love you without liking the naughty things you do.

I love you sick or able. You're always you to me,
the one I love forevermore. Undeniably.

I love you near or far. I love you high or low.
My love is there with you wherever you may go.

I love you.

How much?

SO much.

How much is 'so'?

Way, way more than you know...

p.s. You can find the book here.

What is Working for Me?

This week I am starting my 4th week of doing Weight Watchers. Crazy! I cannot believe how fast the days & weeks go by. Let me just start by saying, I feel amazing. I still have a looong way to go to meet my goal weight {I try not to think of that often}, but the journey of living a more healthy life and seeing the changes my body is making is worth every minute of it. I cannot say enough about how wonderful Weight Watchers is. I know these are lofty words for being in the program for such a short time, but I honestly believe Weight Watchers has changed my life. The program has helped me get motivated and stay motivated, which was my biggest weight loss challenge. The living healthy part has been easy. It's the "getting started" part that always held me back. But that is all behind me now; I am not looking back. I just wish I had signed up a loooong time ago, but you live and learn.

Tonight, I thought I'd share with you what has been working for me in my weight loss journey. But first, I'd like to share with you my stats:

I have lost a total of 11.8 lbs, which is 5% of my total body weight, in 3 weeks. Three weeks!! When I first started, I honestly thought it would take me forever to lose weight. But I have been pleasantly surprised at the progress I've made so far.

So, what is working for me?

1. Regular attendance at Weight Watchers Meetings: going to the meetings every week has been a huge, huge help! Every Monday morning I go to a meeting, which usually lasts about 3o minutes. It is exactly what I need to relax, refresh myself, and get motivated for the upcoming week. It is "me" time. Being a part of a group has been great because it has provided me support and I have learned a lot from the discussions. Every week we talk about different weight loss topics. Like for instance, one week the topic might be strategies for curbing stress eating, and the next week it might center around sharing favorite foods or recipes. But, I have to be honest and say the "weigh in" is my favorite part of the meeting. The weigh in helps me track my progress and also helps me stay accountable to myself. I value the meetings and think they are an important part of the program.

2. Support: I know I wouldn't be as successful as I am today without the support of my family. I have an amazing family who wants the best for me and has been nothing but encouraging. Josh has been a wonderful support. He has eaten every single meal I've cooked without a complaint. He helps me cook on the nights I don't have enough time to squeeze my work out in before he has to go to work. And my parents have been an encouragement to me as well. Every week I call them after my meeting to update them on my current weight loss. And I know they have been praying that God would give me strength and determination to succeed. And He has and does every day! I am so blessed to have so much support in my life.

3. Plan Ahead: Having a menu planned out for the week and knowing what we will eat every day has playing a huge part in my weight loss success. I usually plan my menu for the upcoming week over a couple of days rather than planning all in one night. From experience, planning a whole week of meals can get a little overwhelming when you try to do it in one night.

4. Celebrating the Small Steps: As much as I would love to lose 5 lbs or greater every week, the reality is, it's not gonna happen. I have to remind myself daily that it is going to take me a long time to achieve my goal weight. But that's okay. Every day I get closer and closer to where I want to be. So, I set small goals for myself. I have made it through two 5 lb losses the past couple of weeks and today I was able to celebrate losing 5 % of my total body weight. The small goals add up. I plan to reward myself with a pedicure when I reach 10%! I am looking forward to that day!

5. Weight Watcher etools: Sooo beneficial! I won't go into great detail because I don't want to bore you, but the amount of information on that site is unbelievable. Some of the resources include: thousands of recipes, recipe builder, weight loss tracker, success stories, fitness information, suggestions when eating out, and the list goes on and on. I just can't even begin to tell you how resourceful this site is! It is amazing!

6. Exercise: I know, exercise, ugh. I've never been big on exercise either. It's just uh not fun. But, as much as I hated doing it when I started Weight Watchers, I made myself go at least 5 or 6 days a week. And now, I have found that I really enjoy going. I am even starting to get to the point where I feel guilty if I don't go. That is a miracle right there! But I feel so good after I work out. This past week I have even bumped it up a knotch and worked out for an hour each day I exercised. Hello? Where did that come from. But, it sure does feel good! We've all heard the saying, "To lose weight you have to burn more calories than you consume." It sounds so simple, huh. But really, we should all be exercising whether we need to lose weight or not just for the simple fact that it is good for our overall health. There are a lot of fitness options out there. I'd like to eventually try yoga and kickboxing!

7. Pulling out the Skinny Clothes: Really, what better motivation than to pull out one of my favorite size 6 dresses? I have it hanging up in my bedroom, so I can look at it everyday for motivation. I am determined I will fit in that pretty little thing again. The only time I wore it was on our honeymoon, so it is in perfect condition to wear again!

8. Skinny Libby: Imagining myself skinny again motivates me like you wouldn't believe it. If I am having a hard day, I think about myself when I was in a size 6, and suddenly I get a surge of motivation. It's amazing how helpful that can be!

9. Vacation: I am going to Mexico with Josh in November. Yep, just the two of us. Ahhh! I'm so excited. And of course it goes without saying, I want to be his hot momma. Haha.

10. Josh & Noah: I want to lose weight for myself obviously, but I also want to lose it for Josh and Noah. I want to be a healthy wife & mother. I want to make my husband proud; he deserves a wife that cares for and loves herself. And I want to be that woman and wife my husband needs. I also want to be a good example for Noah and our future children. If I am living a unhealthy life then my children will too. I want my children to live long and healthy lives. I have been limited in so much already because of my weight and insecurities, and I don't want to live that kind of life. These two boys are my greatest motivation.

Okay, now that I've written a novel. Ha.

Goodnight.

It is Official

I
am
addicted
to



Josh & I literally spent our whole evening
watching the first season together.

It
is
so
good.

I think I uttered the words,
"Please! Just one more episode,"
about a hundred times.
No lie.

Where have we been all this time!?
Do you watch LOST?

My Little Ray Charles

Cupcakes Galore

I can't get these pretty little cupcakes out of my mind.



Tempting, huh?

I mean, technically it is a holiday weekend,
so you're supposed to splurge, right?

No, Libby.
Those lovely, delicious looking cupcakes
will go straight to the hips.

Okay, I guess I am resisting this time.
They probably don't taste very good anyway.
Or at least that is what I keep telling myself.

Want to try them out for me?
Click here for all the recipes.

p.s. Have a wonderful Memorial weekend!
And a big thank you to our Veterans
for all of their courage & sacrifice.
We are so very thankful for you!