God Bless the Little Children....My heart and prayers go out to the people of Newtown Connecticut...

This was posted on Facebook: Twas’ 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38 When 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven’s gate. Their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air. They could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there. They were filled with such joy, they didn’t know what to say. They remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that …day. “Where are we?” asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse. “This is heaven.” declared a small boy. “we’re spending Christmas at God’s house.” When what to their wondering eyes did appear, But Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near. He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same. Then He opened His arms and He called them by name. And in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring Those children all flew into the arms of their King And as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace, One small girl turned and looked at Jesus’ face. And as if He could read all the questions she had He gently whispered to her, “I’ll take care of mom and dad.” Then He looked down on earth, the world far below He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe Then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand, “Let My power and presence re-enter this land!” “May this country be delivered from the hands of fools” “I’m taking back my nation. I’m taking back my schools!” Then He and the children stood up without a sound. “Come now my children, let me show you around.” Excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran. All displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can. And i heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight, “In the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT. ~ An Unknown Angel

Awesome.....well done Tim!

Source: gq.com via Donna on Pinterest

when he wore John 3:16 on his eye black to a certain game, over 92 million people looked that verse up on Google. That means over 92 million people heard the Gospel just because one man took a stand. Thank you Tim Tebow.

Work Out Fail....

I was all geared up to head to the gym for a run after work....but once again, derailed by the husband....it seems like he constantly throws my workout plans out the window....he just doesn't get it. He wants to pick up take out for supper, because he needs to get out of the house. I could run outside I guess, while he is gone to get dinner..but I don't want to..I hate running in the cold, by the time I get off work, get home and get changed, it will be dark and I don't want to run in the dark....I am a scardy cat! Oh, well...there are 4 more days left in the week. Guess I will have to work out the next four without taking a break. I hate that too!

Bah Humbug.....

Well, Christmas is almost upon us..that is if the end of the world doesn't come first....According to the Mayans, as I am sure many of you have heard, predicts the end of the world is to occur on 12/21...that is also my husband's birthday....guess if it happens he will be going out with a bang...lol...just kidding.  I don't believe in all that hogwash...seems like it was just yesterday we were celebrating Christmas, and here it is upon us once again. I am so not ready for it....as always, it is just a money issue. I don't have it...when you have little kids, they just don't understand it. I did put our tree up on Sunday....didn't want to bother, but I wasn't going to disappoint the two younger kids. Last night, one of them looked at me and asked where the presents were....I felt like crying...there are none yet. Not sure where the money is going to come from to get them. We have been behind the eight ball all year long since our trip to Florida in June...why? Well, they cut out all of my husband's over time...we had become dependent upon that to get by on....we had to get a new car this year, and our payments almost tripled...that hurt us a lot...and the list goes on. I missed some work a couple weeks ago, due to having surgery, with no pay....that was another big ouch...We never should have went to Florida...I know that now...my husband regretfully knows that too....we went on borrowed money and we just now have got it paid back. Never again....I am so tired of being stressed over it. It makes me hate Christmas.....

Max, my nine year old wants a guitar...we put one on lay away for him....that is all he is really getting..the guitar, a case and he asked for a video game. I told the boys 3 presents this year..as that is what the wise men brought to baby Jesus....I think they understand. Aaron, the 13 year old only asked for some headphones for his XBox Live and to renew his XBox Live subscription for another year, as well as new MP3 player and a C.D....The two older boys, well..they are adults now...22 and 19 respectfully, so they have to understand....I will just give them a little money and that will have to suffice. It is what it is....basically, I have to "borrow" money from the Mother in law until I get my tax refund check in the Spring...I don't know what I would do without her...she has been awesome.

As I said, I had surgery a couple weeks ago...no, not a hysterectomy..although that is probably coming sometime in the future..I had a laparoscopy done, to look for endometriosis, which the doctor found and cauterized....then he did a D & C and found a huge mass of stuff that he removed and sent to pathology....he said the likely hood that it was cancerous was less then 5%....I have been a huge bundle of nerves over that for the past two weeks...I never heard anything back about it, so I assume no news is good news. I go see him tomorrow for a follow up from my surgery and to have my stitches removed..so, I hope that it all goes well. I can't handle anymore bad news or stress....that would just put me over the edge.

On the workout front, I still do not have my stamina back and because of that and hormone therapy (birth control pills), I have gained 8 lbs....I am literally sick over it. I am so unhappy with myself right now...2 years ago, I was this muscular tight ass woman that in no way looked 40 years old....well, time has caught up with me and it sucks..let me tell ya! I went to the gym last night, ran 5 1/2 miles and took a Body Pump class..it literally kicked my ass....my endurance has dropped considerably...I am thinking of hiring a personal trainer at my gym., after the New Year..see if they can help me get my tired old self back in shape again. At least that is the plan...

If I don't post between now and Christmas...I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Wow...Over 3 months since my last post!

Hi, bloggers...Readers or anyone that just stumbled upon this lazy blog by accident!  Where oh where have I been you ask? Taking an extremely long break obviously....just being lazy and disinterested in this blog I guess. What is been going on since my last post?

Well...got the kids off to school...We have already had one grading period complete and Max and Aaron both did well. The older two boys are doing well also. My oldest Tim is just working right now..he took a semester off from college, his Junior year and not sure where that is going to lead. I really do hope that he goes back and finishes at some point..I would hate to see 3 years and all that money wasted and no degree to show for it. Justin, my 18 year old has started his Freshman year of college and is doing well. Grades are good and he works all the time. So that leaves me hardly anytime to talk or see either one of them.

I finally ran my 2nd Half Marathon...I ran the Purdue inaugural Half-Marathon in October...it was by far the best Half I have ever done....I didn't stop running the entire Half..all 13.1 miles with no walk breaks and I felt fantastic! I wanted to beat my previous half time of 2:22 and I killed it...my official race time was 2:04!  I was runner 705 out of 1510 people....I can't wait to next year to do it again.

My fitness level, time at the gym has really dropped over the past few months...I have gained some weight and I am far from happy with my physcial appearance right now. Not a lot....10 lbs....but enough...I couldn't figure out why, as I was still going to the gym 4 times a week minimum, still watching what I ate, with an occasional splurge every now and then...but nothing extreme...then I started noticing my stomach was really bloated, like 4 months pregnant bloated...I was starting to freak out...now, I am going to get a little personal here so if any guys are reading, you might want to stop right here....I have noticed along with the weight gain, my periods were coming earlier every month and were lasting longer....then a month ago, I started my period 10 days earlier then I was supposed to and I have had my period now, non-stop for 30 days..I did go to the Doctor (which is an entirely different story-had to find a new doctor) after 2 weeks off it...they tried to stop it with birth control pills (which made me sick as hell) and to no avail....my doctor couldn't see me until November, and because I felt that he just didn't give a shit, I did some research and found another doctor, who is awesome by the way. I called them and they got me in the very next day. I was feeling like poo and had no energy, felt exhausted and could barely eek out a 3 mile run...the bleeding was so severe that I had to wear a pad and an ultra tampon and change every hour....this was 2 weeks in.....so, anyway, I go to this new doctor and he checks me and confirms that I have uterine fibroids, determines I am also probably anemic due to the excessive blood loss and says the word no woman at my age wants to hear...HYSTERECTOMY!!!  Oh My....he ordered an ultrasound and blood work, had those done last Friday and now I am just waiting on him to call me back with the results and figure out a plan....

I am not going to lie, I am really scared...for a lot of reasons...the surgery, being out of work, the early onset of menopause and what will happen to my sex life....yes, my sex life...I am concerned, after all the  horror stories I have heard, that I will no longer have one....I am only 42 and sometimes, I still feel like I am 22...not ready to close the door and be a total old woman in that area. If you have ever had that done, please email me and tell me your experiences and how things are for you now. I could use the advise.

Enough of that..so, next week is Thanksgiving....and again, the big meal falls on my shoulders....don't get me wrong...I enjoy having my family all together..it is just that I spend all my time for 2 days straight in the kitchen and there is no enjoyment/rest for me....come Thanksgiving night, I am exhausted, being that I have to work the day before and after plus do all the cooking/clean-up....my family (the older boys especially) are going to have to step up and help me....I just can't do it all on my own this year.

So...I will stop here....if anyone has any advice for me regarding the hysterectomy, I would love to hear from you. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Dixie

Well..it has been awhile hasn't it?

I can't believe that it has been well over two months since I last posted on this here old blog...what a busy Summer we have had. Tomorrow, the boys start back to school....Max is heading into third grade and Aaron is heading off to Junior High....class changes, lockers and an entire new world for him. Justin, the 18 year old is starting his Freshman year of college as well....Damn, am I getting old. I feel it too....these pre-menopause hormones are wreaking havoc and throw in work stress...well, some things never change I guess.
I really hope the boys had a good Summer...I think that they did....we went to Florida the second week of June and a fun time was had by all..except for the drive...man oh man, that was tough. We drove home, straight from Florida to Indiana without stopping...18 1/2 hours by car and by the end of that trip, I was so ready to lose it....I will never do that again. That is way too long to be in a car driving...I was crying in misery by the time we finally got home.
The rest of our Summer was spent with me and the hubby working and the kids splitting up their time..Max with Keith's parents at their lake property and Aaron with his Dad in Terre Haute. My older two boys visits were limited, as they are working full time and have their friends and social life...so seeing Mom, well, that is not too much of a priority. I did have one good visit with them over the Summer and hopefully another by Labor Day....
I am currently training for my 2nd half marathon...the Purdue inaugural half marathon...I am very excited for the chance to do this, as my 18 year old is training to run it with me. Should be an exciting and fun time to be able to share such an experience with my son. I am still working out 5-6 days a week....and every day fighting to lose this 5 plus pounds I have gained since the Spring..I just don't get it....to work out as much as I do, not really eating any differently and still gain weight....pisses me off! Not sure if it is a health issue, or just getting older....hard on us women! Sucks....anyway, hope all of you, that still read my blog, if any..well, hope you had a great Summer as well...we have a few weeks left, then it's time for Fall...pumpkins, Halloween, football, campfires and Thanksgiving..then on to Christmas! Well, that is if we make it through 12/21 without nationwide death and destruction...lol...who believes that is going to happen? I really don't..but, in the back of my mind..there is just a tad of "could it be".......I pray the Mayans are wrong...I'm not ready for this to end. I hope to have at least another 40 plus years...Lord willing.

I'm back......scary thought, huh?

Hi, everyone...good ol' Dixie is still alive and well..just been so busy...taking a break from this blog has been good for me..no expectations to "have to post"....I have been working every day, busy as can be and still spending as much time as I can trying to maintain my fitness....which has not been going very well....I have gained about 8 lbs, haven't changed the way I eat too much and still working out about 4-5 days a week....not sure what is going on...middle age I expect..IT sucks BIG TIME....and I am so exasperated with the whole thing.... Anyway, my kids are all doing great...My second oldest just graduated from High School yesterday.....I am so very proud of him..two kids down, two to go..lol..anyway, he is starting College this Fall..majoring in Criminology....I am very excited to see what he does with his life in the future. Here are a couple Graduation photos: We are taking him to Florida this upcoming Friday....a brief stop in SC to see my Mom and family down there for a couple days, then driving to Sarasota....I am so looking forward to it....10 days of vacation...a lot of driving, but it will be so worth it.... Happy Summer everyone!

Yes..I am a slacker.....

Wow, it has really been a long time since I have blogged last...just not much to talk about. Same old story with me....no one reads this thing any longer anyway, so I feel like why bother. I have nothing to say..so this blog is now on a hiatus...maybe forever....

Spring is in the air....

And that totally puts a spring in my step....I have been so down in the dumps with winter...I am looking forward to Spring and Summer...we are planning a trip to Florida in June and it is so needed. The hubby and I are counting the days.

I know it has been a month since I last posted..but no news is good news and I have really not had anything to blog about. Everyone is doing good, with the exception of a recent death in the family. My husbands Grandmother passed away last Friday night...kind of unexpected but imminent...she was 97 years old and had lived a long and happy life. Regardless, it was still upsetting for everyone and the funeral yesterday was difficult...I know she is in a better place..and I only hope that when my time is up, that I too can live that long of a life and my children, family and friends will be as proud of me as we all were of Grandma Pete....

As it stands, at 41 years old....I feel less and less energetic then I did even 1 year ago....Working out as become such a chore to me...I got so lazy over the winter and getting back into the swing of things with healthy eating and exercise is really hard...I have gained 7 lbs and for the life of me, I just can't get rid of it...I try, then I over indulge in food and wine and the scale creeps back up..then I will drop a few and then it creeps back up again! It is so exasperating! Currently I am 115 lbs, 5 ft 2....and a 7 lb gain is very noticeable....So, I am going to hire a trainer at my gym...try to incorporate some new workouts for me, new diet plan...I think I have just reached a plateau and just running is not doing it anymore...I need to mix it up a little....

In other news....I have totally gotten hooked on The Hunger Games series...I read the first 2 books in 2 days each...and currently reading the 3rd...OMG...they are awesome and I can't wait to see the movie on March 23rd....Have any of you read the books? If not, you don't know what you are missing...I am also caught up with American Idol this year..there seems to be a lot of really good contenders this season, but it is way too early to tell who the front runners are going to be....

On the work-front...things have improved for me somewhat..."Mr. Burns" quit, kind of left me holding the bag, doing his job and my own right now...of course, no more pay for it....but, what can I expect...the good thing about it is my nerves are calmer then they have been in five years, no more stomach upsets or pain, so I know it was because of him and the stress I had to endure working with him...outside of the office, I had no problems with him, but he was a very difficult person to work with. Now, I still have stress, just a "better" kind, if there is such a thing..just from too much work and not enough time to get it all done. But..you can't have it all..if I could, I would be a stay at home Mom and Wife, working out during the day, keeping a much cleaner house, and cooking awesome meals for my family..ahhhhh, that would be the life....

Have a good rest of the week everyone and here is counting down the days until the weekend.....I am spending it sans kids, cleaning out our basement and working in the yard....let these 67 degree days continue.....Whoot! Whoot!

My Baby...he is no longer....

Today....I celebrate the 9th birthday of my youngest..Maxwell....oh, my how time has flown....I remember the beginning...down to the very moment he was conceived..the near loss of my pregnancy with him, not once, but twice...and his premature birth...how scared I was through it all...but how much I knew I loved him and wanted him...how much his Daddy, who at 39 years old, had never been a Father before...who thought he would never ever have a child, met me...fell in love instantly and we conceived this wonderful,funny, inspiring handsome little man....the little man that makes us laugh, when he begs to listen to the 50's channel in the car on XM radio...singing along to the Big Bopper, Jerry Lewis and the like...the same little man that goes to sleep at night..whose covers have to be "just so"...this pillow here and this one there and who is lullabied to sleep with his favorite Elvis CD softly coming from his own little boom box....and without fail..every single time, gets up again to tell me something, just one last thing, after I have already tucked him in...just like last night, to tell me you wanted a guitar for Christmas (and it is just now February..lol) and how you are going to dress all in black, and be in the talent show at school and sing Johnny Cash's I walk the line...your mind never stops working and I adore that about you...even though I may order you back to bed, I listen, I hear you....and I love you for it!

It is amazing to see how you have grown, to see what your interests are: You love your weekends at Grandma and Grandpa's...you are his little "butch" and you follow him everywhere...your 2nd home down there, especially in the Summer, you absolutely love...the fishing, the bike riding, the swimming..going to the Sprint Car Races with Grandpa...you are without a doubt, the light of their life...they can't stand to be without you...the same goes for me and your Dad...but those cherished weekends and Summers down at the lake, with your Grandparents are treasured times indeed and although I miss you on those weekends, and summer weeks, I know that the time you have to spend with them won't last forever...so those memories you will have and cherish one day...so, I let you go..and every time you come back, you seem to have grown up just a little more...

He has had his struggles in his short little live...his diagnosis with ADHD...and having to struggle his first two years in school while we tried to figure things out...how sometimes, our patience is stretched thin by his hyperactivity...his incessant talking, at home and in school...then there are mornings like today, his birthday...he is happy, taking his shower, singing Johnny Cash, I Walk The Line and Ring of Fire...just like the man in black himself..and I honestly laugh out loud at his innocence and his zest for life...and I realize, he is happy....and that sound, that laughter, his little voice truly resonates deep down in my soul...and I thank God for this little boy, and I hug him as he steps out of the shower, his wet little bony butt, with his towel wrapped snug and I breathe him in and wish time could stop...he is growing up too fast....he may no longer physically be a baby..but in my heart, my baby he will always be..

Happy Birthday Maxter....your Daddy and I love you to pieces...you are without a doubt a true Gift from God...and I can't wait to celebrate your birthday, tonight with your Birthday dinner at Red Lobster, your favorite restaurant and your family party at Grandma's and Grandpa's tomorrow.

You rock kiddo! Happy 9th Birthday!