New Year-New Me

Well it is the begining of a new year, 2011 will be blessed beyond measure.

I have started a new bible study to read through the bible in a year, I am really looking forward to the blessings and revelations I will find as I progress through this year.

I want to give a big thanks to my awesome sister-in-law, I really prefer sister as that is what she really is to me, for leading me to find some awesome websites that are really speaking to my heart right here and right now.

I am praying for not only a spiritual change but a physical change as well, it is time for me to have a spiritual heart change I have gotten away from the FAITH I know and love as for the physical there are big plans in place for 2012 and I want to get to a healthy weight for that trip.

So as I commence on my spirtual and physical journey for 2011, I will commit to praying for blessings for my family and friends. I will also try to post once a week on where I am and where I am headed just to stay accountable.

As for my family, Juston is entering his 2nd semester at KCKCC and is doing really well, he is looking forward to this semester as he will get his first class in Criminal Justice. Bill will have a spot removed from his neck on Wed 1/5, it is skin cancer but as my sister can attest God is good and this will be a small bump in the road Bill will be fine and we will praise our God for his graciousness.

Love to all

Senior Year

Well I am not very good at this blogging thing but it is a great place to put down my feelings and thoughts.

Juston is a Senior this year and he will be 18 on Sunday, wow two things I have dreaded and looked froward to all at once. I still struggle with the thought that my mom should be here for these milestones, but the good Lord above had a different plan, do you ever think about asking if he could give us a heads up to his plans, so they are not such a shock to the system when they happen. I know his plans are bigger than my own but it sure would have been nice to have mom here to help me through this year. That's where the rest of my family comes in, Bill is such a big help with my dad, he has taken on the role of care giver for the most part as he is home more than I am anymore, dad has not felt well the last week and Bill has shuttled him to the VA and ran after anything he needed. He is my lifeline when the road is rough and right now I feel like I am drowning.

The bands first marching competition is Saturday at K-State and we will be missing 10 kids due to injuries and the swine flu, man that stuff can stay away from our house. Then on Sunday it is Juston's 18th, Breanna has the whole day planned for him, hope he enjoys it!

Right now I am having to decide how many senior announcements we will need good grief it is only October I don't want to think about that yet, get with me in the spring and then I will decide, guess that's not going happen is it?? Nope I don't think so, oh well guess I better ge that ready to go back to school tomorrow.

The football team is on a high right now they are 4-1 on the season, the best record we have had since we moved out her 5 years ago, that is an awesome feeling for the 21 Seniors we have especially Juston, this will most likely be his last year for football and when the season ends he will be devoting his extra time to music.

Well I guess that is all for now, love to all, Dawn.

These Days

Everywhere you turn these days, you hear about lay offs, and home forclosures and all of those depressing things that are being drivin by our economy. Here at work we have done some lay offs and who knows if we are done or not, anything is possible, we hope everytime we make a change that it will be the final change before an up swing begins.

In these tough times our faith in a good and loving God must remain steadfast, and I will be the first to tell you that mine waivers at times, it is not always easy or convenient but we have to make it that way, he will see us through anything that is happening. Tough times can make for an eye opening and awakening spiritual walk if we will just follow the path, it is not always the smoothest or the fastest but it is there. We must align ourselves with good and godly people to help keep the faith up, some of these people are the rocks I lean on at these hard times, friends and family alike. I have been very blessed with a son, sister-in-law and good friends that are my rock and sounding board when I need one.

When doubt and fear close in it makes for a very small space to work in, and even if you know you are not being considered for a lay off or you are not having financial issues you will still feel the effects and wonder if at some point you and yours will be next. The only thing I can say is put the prayer warrior in action and watch good things happen. Sometimes I just need to take my own advice to heart and lay it all at the feet of the one who can control it.

May everyone be blessed with good times, less fear and concern, and lots of love!

Memories

Wow I can't beleive it has been a year since mom passed away, the year has went very fast it seems like it was just yesterday. It has been a year of ups and downs and firsts and lasts.

Firsts consist of, Juston playing varsity football, my first trip to the west coast, first holidays with her gone were the hardest, everyone says it will get easier with time but sometimes I wonder if that is true or not, the sadness seems to hit me off and on, just a word or a conversation can get to me.

Lasts consist of not seeing her everyday, hearing her get on to me for being to hard on Juston, getting mad at Bill and dad and all of those fun things she loved to keep me in line for. Hearing her laugh, and give everyone a bad time, just so many things I can't even think of them all.

Ups were we did get through the year it was tough at times but we did make it, downs were I lost weight which I am still working on.

I am looking forward to the rest of this year, Juston will be a Senior in the fall which I can't decide if I am ready for that or not, another year of football and all of the fun things that go with an active teen, he is an awesome kid.

I was reminded recently that no matter what is going on in our lives GOD is in control and he will always walk beside us through good and bad, I am sure that once this life is through and I move on to the next that I will look back on the last two years and see that he carried me all of the way

he is faithful to be there when we need him and even when we don't think we do.

May your life be blessed by the faithfulness of a MIGHTY GOD!!

Love to all!!

Dawn

New Year!!

Happy New Year!!!

I hate to say it but I am really glad 2008 is over, it has been a long and trying year from losing my mom to starting a diet, but I have persevered and am ready for a new and great 2009.

Many thanks to friends and family that have stuck by me and cheered me on through all of the wild things that have happened. The hardest part of losing mom was that it was so unexpected and I was not at all prepared, although I am not sure any of us are ever prepared for the loss of a loved one be it human or pet. This has definitely been a year of losses for our family, my mom, Kevin and Elizabeth's wonderful dog Stoli, and our dog Sadie, who moved in with a friend when we moved to mom and dads, as her hair aggravated moms allergies, we found out yesterday that she had to be put down due to a large tumor growing that was ruining her day to day life and she was suffering, I have always heard it said that deaths come in 3's well that is my three and I am praying that 2009 holds happy times and little stress. I have been about as stressed as I can get and not sure I can take much more at this time. Well enough for my whining.

2009 what can I say but that I have a lot in store for me this year!!

Juston will be finishing his Junior year in high school and looking forward to his Senior year which I will definitely not be doing at all, he should not be that old yet. Bill will be looking for a job as he has been released by the doctors finally, and with God's provision it will be a short and relatively painless process.

As for me personally I plan on losing more weight with the good Lord's help and pushes and pulls from my biggest supporters, you know who you are. I also plan on this year being a year of spiritual growth and quiet time spent with my heavenly father who only gives us as much as we can handle, although I do question him about it at times, you know me have to have the answers or it drives me crazy. I am also looking forward quiet and fun times spent with family and friends, days of shopping included.

Today I begin my 100 days Weight Loss challenge, we will see where I go with it, this will be a time of finding inner knowledge and strength and also a time of finding myself again, I have been lost the last couple of years with all of the challenges that have come our way. I plan for this challenge to help understand why I eat when I really don't need to and even some things that don't even have anything to do with weight loss I believe many things will be revealed to me.

My wishes and prayers for family and friends is that all are blessed with good health, happy times and wonderful memories. Love to you all!!

Dawn

Another Week!

As I am on my weight loss journey to weight loss joy, I am reminded how harsh we can be with ourselves, sometimes that is a good thing and it motivates us and others and at other times it can be very harmful and detrimental to our own good, we must know our bonds and we must know and recognize who and what we are, we are all children of a risen KING and he loves us no matter what we look like or what we think of ourselves. His book of life encourages all of us to take care of ourselves and to help take care of others in the process. The last two years have not been easy but I have grown through the process, and I am still growing, the loss of my mom taught me that I have to take care of myself now before it is to late to do it, and I so much want to be there for my son when he is my age, 41 is to early to lose a parent, no matter how old that parent is.

So at this point in my journey I have lost a total of 31 pounds, this has been an up and down process but I will perservere and make it through, I am determined to. I have an awesome support system through my husband, my son who is very athletic and through my sister-in-law who encourages me daily to keep going.

At this time of year I am constantly reminded how precious life is and how much God gave up when giving us his son, I know my mom is gone on to a better place and awaits us all.

Well not much else to say except 7 days until Chirstmas and Jesus's Birthday!!

Chirstmas Is Almost Here!

I am not real sure how I feel about Christmas this year. This will be our first Christmas with my mom gone, it has been a long year without her and some of my days are really easy and some days are very hard. Thanks to friends and family especially my sister-in-law Elizabeth, on the days that are hard she is there to pick me up and inspire me to keep moving and keep praying, that is encouragement we all can use.

My real inspiration right now is my son, he is such an awesome kid, has great grades and is very supportive with my weight loss ups and downs. I just can't believe that he will be a Senior next year it just seems like yesterday when he started school. His Junior football season is over now and he lettered for the 2nd year, but now he is working on getting ready for Powerlifting, he really enjoys this sport as it is very much about beating your personal best, it really keeps him in shape through the winter months for football and it also keeps him very active, which is awesome so that he does not just sit at home all the time and play video games, although I must say he does seem to find plenty of time for that.

May we all be blessed during this Christmas season, and may each one of us remember the real reason for the season and may we all be thankful for the things we have.