Welcome Daisy!

We have been working with the Golden Retreiver Rescue of Cincinnati since June trying to find the perfect new dog for our family and yesterday that all came to fruition.
We traveled down to Louisville to meet two potential dogs yesterday. We got out of the car at the first house and it got ugly really fast. The other dog was very aggressive towards Mickey and we had to go put him in the car fast, calm down the kids and wipe their tears and we headed over to the other house. I was joking with Tim saying: "Mickey must be thinking, thanks a lot guys, you drive me two hours to meet a dog that kicks my butt, thanks a lot!!!"  : )
Well, the next house was a household with two children and a beautiful Golden Retreiver with curly hair who is now our new baby........ Daisy.

Isn't she the cutest!?! She and Mickey look like brother and sister, only she has the curls (just like Lauren in our family). Lauren thinks she has found her soul mate with another curly haired girl in the house. Luke LOVES her because she is so friendly and constantly drops a ball at your feet to have you throw the ball for her, and Tim is happy because he finally has "his" dog (Mickey is definitely my dog, always attached to my side). Daisy is getting along great with Mickey and even with our cat which I didn't expect to happen to soon. She has fit in tremendously already and we feel so blessed to have her!

It's Time To Get Real

I was reflecting on old pictures of myself today (from my 30th birthday) and I started getting very upset with myself......... I have let myself go. No, I'm not obese by any stretch of the imagination but I am a lot heavier than I was on my 30th birthday. I attribute that to lack of consistent exercise, lack of a healthy diet most of the time, not drinking enough water and my recent obsession with wine. I was not one who drank in high school or college, but about 3 years ago when my job got stressful I started indulging in wine and lots of it. I have a large glass with snacks EVERY single night. That can't be good for weight loss.
So...... it's time to GET REAL. I'm going to be brutally honest here so I can update you all on my progress because I feel I need some accountability right now.
When I started this weight loss adventure I was at 151 pounds (I only started this two days ago by the way). I am currently 150 pounds, my goal is 135 pounds.
For the record I have always been blessed with "good genes" so I have NEVER stuck to an exercise and diet regimen in my ENTIRE life, so this will be tough for me.
My guideline is my "Lose It" application on my Iphone. I input my goal of losing 15 pounds and it is giving me 1500 calories per day. It allows me to input everything I'm eating and my exercise/calories burned. I am also going to cut out wine during the weekdays, weekends only for now - if I find I am hitting a plateau then I will re evaluate and cut it, I'm THAT serious.
So............... wish me luck.............. I really want the "old" Lesley back, it's time!!!!

Happy Anniversary!!!

This Saturday Tim and I will celebrate our 12 year wedding anniversary.

I think back to our wedding day 12 years ago and think how little we knew. When you are young and in love you don't truly understand what it takes to have a happy marriage. We are selfish human beings, always looking out for "number one". You don't know how to argue effectively and love unconditionally. You don't know how to be a parent, how to balance your time so that you can be a loving spouse and a great parent at the same time.

We had to learn a lot and I am so proud of where we are today. In a world filled with divorce I am so proud that Tim and I not only are still together after 12 years but that our marriage is stronger now than it has ever been.

I realize there are certain things that have gotten us here. First and foremost our love for the Lord and putting him first in our marriage has been our glue. Having the faith to know He will provide for us during difficult times has always been our rock.

Here are some others:

LAUGHTER!!!!

Ever since our marriage Tim has made me laugh each and every day (often many many times per day) and I try and do my part to keep him smiling as well. We have (as you can tell from the photo above) taught that love of laughter and finding humor in life to our children. Having a family who is always laughing together makes you one strong happy family unit.

UNSELFISHNESS:

Having been married now for 12 years we know what one another needs and likes. Being unselfish in marriage is just picking up someones laundry when you know they have had a long day. It's picking up wine or drawing a bath for your wife when you know she's had a hard day at work. It's surprising your husband with something he has wanted for a while for no reason. It's arranging a date night spontaneously so you can spend some quality time together. Allowing your spouse to sleep in while you get up and take care of the kids.  It's a constant give and take and predicing what the other one needs and meeting that need without being asked to do so and the important step here, is doing so WILLINGLY and out of LOVE for the other person, not because you want something in return or feel obligated to do so, just doing so out of LOVE

COMMUNICATION/FRIENDSHIP:

My husband is my best friend in the whole world. I can tell him anything and he knows that he can tell me anything. I love having a relationship in this world that I know I can depend on no matter what. I know he has my back and will always be there for me. Our friendship has developed over the years and has made our marriage stronger.

TIME ALONE:

This was EASY when we first got married and didn't have kids, but it took me some time to understand the TRUE importance of this once the kids arrived. As a working mother I always felt guilty scheduling date nights since I never saw my kids during the week. Tim would sometimes book a hotel without telling me just to get me to go away. Now that the kids are older we enjoy frequent date nights and I just love that time alone. Even when we go on vacation to Disney each year we make sure we utlize the child care services to get away and have a night or two just "us".  I had to come to the realization how important this time for us to connect is and what kind of parents would we be if our marriage isn't strong for our children? For our ten year anniversary we went away for an entire weekend and it was wonderful! I look forward to future adults only weekends we have planned, I just love getting away just the two of us.

Tim, Happy 12 year anniversary. Thank you for being the most amazing best friend, companion, father, and husband a girl could ever ask for. I am truly blessed to call you my husband. I look forward to many many more years and good times together in the years to come.  I love you!!!

Ending on a POSITIVE note

It was a ROUGH baseball season for Luke this year. His team had a wonderful year in our Kings league last year so they were bumped to a VERY competetive Knothole league this year. We were playing teams that were hand selected with the best players, using big barrelled bats and teams that travel to other tournaments. Our team is full of boys who have been playing with one another since t-ball, no hand selection, no big barrel bats, just good old fashioned baseball for fun.


Well, it wasn't fun this year. It's not fun being run-ruled EVERY single game. It's not fun striking out against great pitchers. It's not fun to FINALLY get a hit but playing against teams who are so perfect in the field you don't have a prayer of getting to first. It was a LONG season for the boys AND the parents.

We were THRILLED that when it was tournament time  the league took a look at our record this year and bumped us down into a bracket we could actually compete at..... and we WON the championship game last night.

 

 

 

Luke found out it is FUN playing in the outfield knowing you aren't going to get KILLED:

 

He found out that it is FUN to get a hit, make it to first and get ready to steal second with your dad as your first base coach:

 

 

He found out it's FUN to make it to third and then STEAL home and score for your team as your family and team cheers you on!

 

 

Baseball can be FUN, and it doesn't hurt to go home with a big trophy either : )

GRATEFUL!

I have so much to blog about and don't want to go on and on forever so I decided instead to just make this into a grateful journal of sorts.
Right now in my life:
-I am grateful for a strong and healthy marriage, being married to my best friend who makes me laugh, take deep breaths and appreciate life daily.
-I am grateful for my two lovely children who are growing up (against my wishes to stop time) into wonderful human beings.
-I am grateful for the Lord blessing us so we are able to go on many wonderful vacations together and create memories to last a lifetime.
-I am even grateful for going to Girlscout camp, enduring 95 degree temperatures and sleeping on the floor on an empty stomach to look over and see my daughter smiling and hearing her say "thank you so much for taking me here with you momma!"
-I am grateful to have summers off with my family.
-I am grateful for the beautiful days without humidity. The blue skies, cool breezes and birds chirping arent lost on me, I love every minute of it!
-I am grateful for the ability to lounge by the pool, and put goggles on and play games under water with my kids.
-I am grateful for my family, living close to my family and Tim's family and all of the blessings and memories we have made together and the wonderful effects it has had on Luke and Lauren.
-I am grateful for ice cream.
-I am grateful that my kids still reach out and hold my hand as we are walking ANYWHERE together, even in front of their friends.
-I am grateful for great friends both old and new.
-I am grateful for the way my dog loves me and is my faithful friend, and for a purring cat who rubs lovingly on my forehead as he sits on my chest.
-I am grateful that God created wine : )
-I am grateful for Luke winning a baseball game!!!!
-I'm grateful for movies like Toy Story 3 that let me experience a full range of emmotions including crying like a baby knowing my babies are growing up.
-I am grateful for summertime bonfires under the stars in our backyard, and of course Smores.
-I am grateful for the Lord, my salvation and knowing that I will see loved ones again.
I am just so blessed, so GRATEFUL, and enjoying life.......... so GRATEFUL! I encourage you to make your own "grateful" list, I think you will be amazed at how truly blessed you really are.

Off to our Happy Place!!!!

It's my FAVORITE time of year, school is almost out and we are going to get in the car and head to the Happiest Place on Earth in 7 days!!!!
I'm so excited because we are actually pulling off a surprise for the kids this year. We are staying one night at the Nick hotel and they have NO idea, can't wait to pull into the parking lot and surprise them. We are also going to the Blue Man Group show, we scored 2nd row PONCHO section and we are going to the show on my birthday, can't wait!
More than anything I can't wait to just make Disney memories with my family:

It has become more and more apparant to me lately how quickly my kids are growing up. Luke actually held my hand on a long walk the other day in our neighborhood and I was thinking to myself that my soon to be 4th grader won't be caught dead holding his mom's hand soon. Lauren is entering 1st grade and I just can't believe how fast they are growing up. So I am ready to escape with my family and enjoy some good old fashioned family bonding in the Happiest Place on Earth.........

BRING IT!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm Freaking Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am a huge Jason Mraz fan and read his blog daily. Something he posted this past week has stuck with me and I have been showing it to others and watching them smile and decided I had to post it here.
Why is it in this life it is so easy to put ourselves down, and think negatively of ourselves. What happened to our innocent selves in our youth who LOVED ourselves!?! Imagine what it would do for your life and your self esteem to start your day off like this young lady in this Youtube video, JUST LOVE THIS... I think she has it all figured out (sooooo reminds me of Lauren):


So.................. start singing your own praises...............