this pretty much sums it up................

this is how i feel lately. 

my eating is crap.  i'm a vegetarian - i love veggies, love greens, love beans, love grains!!!!  i could be the poster child for vegetarianism!  but nope - it's been highly processed - hfcs laden crap for me lately and i feel it.............everywhere.  i'm sluggish, i'm overweight, i'm weak. 

i'm 41 and holy cow the womanly changes that occur are wigging me out!

its winter and lack of daylight and cold days that keep me inside depress me

add to that the fact that dh is still unemployed and i'm trying to get my stuff together to get on the sub list in our district.........so that stress is being piled on.

all that makes me a less than patient mom and that saddens me too

but - the only thing that doesn't suck right now is my attitude.  while i may have my moments - overall my attitude is optimistic. i'm grateful for that gift - the gift of hope.  i like being a "glass half full" person.  but sometimes a positive attitude isn't enough.  its time to get my rear in gear.  being positive is not making my thighs any smaller - my muscles any stronger or my motivation any.......um.......motivating? 

so its time - and i'm making myself accountable by posting here.  i am changing my eating.  i am going to exercise and get outside at least 15 minutes every day.  i am going to limit my daily computer use too.  last year during Lent i got online only once a day.  it was a  hard 40 days but it was an eye-opening 40 days.  even though i wasn't on a lot - being online more than once a day sucks a lot of life out of you.  so i am going back to only once a day online....well except for the 2 days a week i am at work. i am going to nurture myself.  heather is giving a week of ideas that are wonderful!!!!!

i am also giving the green smoothie challange another shot.  and i am posting it all here for awhile.......

so there!  God willing i have another 40+ years left to live - years that i have total control over.  i have one body.  i know there will be ups and downs - but i am determined to always look up when there is a down and not give up.  i always tell my husband that i have faith that one day i will kick myself in the ass and get back into shape........lets hope its this time ;-)

on a side note - check out the Hearts for Haiti update on blanket donations!

A lot going on! The Hearts Campaign (hearts for haiti)

i have started a new blog focusing solely on the hearts campaign. that is what i am calling my new mission to make a connection to a child who finds himself a victim of a disaster - by providing them with handmade heart pillows and dolls (and blankets - but i will provide more info on that once definite) in an effort to make them feel there is hope.

i'd like to keep this blog separate.  i just feel weird posting happy times and family crafts one day - then discussing disaster and sadness the other!  but i'll still use this to link over when need be!

i am so excited to be starting this initiative!  this is the the first step in my desire to do mission work oversees sometime in the future (after my boys are grown and out on their own!)

finally - i was looking at a vision board i created last year and right there in the bottom right corner was a whole section of mission work pictures - images i was drawn to and wanted to see manifest themselves into reality. 

looks like now is the time!!

i can't sit back this time............Hearts for Haiti

when disaster strikes - locally or internationally - i want to help

but i never know what to do

or if i have an idea - i don't know where to start

this is my year to just jump in

i spent last night thinking about what i can do for the children in haiti

the scared

the lonely

the orphaned

my heart goes out to them

and this is how i got my idea for hearts for haiti

my idea is to make heart shaped pillows - each with a pocket on the back that holds a doll.  the doll is a very simple one with either a skirt or pants sewn on and heart on the chest (the heart on the doll matching the fabric of the pillow)  i would use recycled fabrics as much as i could.

lisa from rosamund is interested in helping with this idea of creating something personal for the victims in haiti. 

i am going to present this idea to my boys' home and school association and my church to see if i could get the children involved b/c quite frankly its for children and how special to receive something from children!  wouldn't it be great if we could get children from all around this country to make these pillows?

i have no idea how many we'd actually make or how we would get them to haiti and into the hands of the children.............but quite honestly i think if we just make the pillows - God will do the rest.

will you consider joining?  even if your family wants to make a pillow/doll and send it to me to add to whatever we make that would be wonderful!!

edited to add - i am starting a new blog to focus solely on the hearts campaign with our first project being hearts for haiti! come join us!