Lost Tooth (365-4-23)

Nadine has been anxiously awaiting the event of this evening! About a week ago, she proudly exclaimed that her tooth was loose! Just before heading to bed tonight, it finally came out! She is so excited to have the tooth fairy come and give her money! We've told her the tooth fairy only comes for little girls who stay in their beds ALL night long. 

Oh, and I must tell you that yesterday I received a call from Chaplain Command. I have officially been accepted as a Chaplain Candidate in the United States Air Force Reserves! I was so excited. I emailed my recruiter, who proceeded to call me because he was so amazed and excited about it.  He said he has never seen the accession go so quickly and also has not seen Chaplain Command personally call someone and tell them only an hour after the decision was made. 

It all seems quite surreal right now.  The next couple of years will definitely be a journey. I'm excited to see what God is going to do!

Time at the park...(365-4-20)

The kids and I went for a 3 mile walk today at the park.  Well, Jourdyn and I walked with our friends, Tina and Jenni, while Rowan and Nadine rode in the wagon.  Of course, the wagon was pulled by mostly Tina and I.  Boy, did we get a butt-workout!

After walking, the kids spent some time playing on the playground.  It's amazing how as little children we are so open to meeting new people and making new friends.  Rowan found a little boy there to play with almost immediately.  They spent time chasing each other and dropping his toy car down the spiral slide and then jumping on the slide himself to try to beat it down. 

As I looked at this picture, I couldn't help but see how quickly Jourdyn is growing up! She has changed so much in the past year.  This second picture was taken last year at the same time! Do you see what I mean? All of them really are growing way to fast! But Jourdyn in particular is really becoming a young lady! (sobbing)

Track Meet (365-4-14)

Jourdyn's first track meet was today.  We had to venture over to West Toledo because the meet was at Whitmer High School.  I haven't been at the school in years.  The biggest difference check out the turf in the background! WOW! It's a great field and track. 

Jourdyn ran the 200 m today.  I unfortunately missed it because I had to head out for Bible study (since I'm the leader) and they were running behind because one of our hurdlers was injured. She was taken to the hospital.  Jourdyn tells me that she doesn't know her time or place, but she wasn't first and she wasn't last.  We are so proud of her. She's been running the park with Rob when she is home and he goes running. 

This was her running the warm-up lap.  This was the first time she was able to use her new track shoes, since her school practice track is gravel and the shoes can only be used on real tracks.  So I, of course, had to give her "the don't walk in the bleechers or the concrete with your shoes - in fact, just don't put them on until you are on that track or in the field."

The bottom picture is of Jourdyn and her friend Madeline. Madeline is such a sweetie.  She was one of my cabin girls last year for 6th grade camp.  Both of them only had one event this meet.  They are hoping to get their shot at pole vaulting very soon!

A Returning Visitor (365-4-12)

Last year we had robin try to next on our front porch. She built a beautiful next, even laid three eggs in it. However, because of the foot traffic she abandoned the next. Well, this year we've had a robin build another beautiful next.  In fact, it's bigger this year.  We don't think there are eggs yet. There might be though. We aren't getting close enough to see.  We are hoping that she will be able to use this thing that took her all weekend to build!

Rob told me that he contemplated knocking it down this weekend, but he didn't because he knew that Nadine and Rowan would tell on him and mommy would be mad. 

He was right! If it was the stinkin' black birds I wouldn't have been, but she is a robin. So she can stay!

I was very excited to play softball this year.  We got the schedule and found out that our team plays majoratively 9 pm games through the season. I can't do that with the kids, so I'm not playing or I will be playing on Crystie's team.  Last year she played with us. This year are league was able to squeeze the Alliance chapel into the schedule, so she will have her own team.  

Busy Weekend

It was a fairly busy weekend around the McQueary house.

Rob and I sorted all the Girl Scout cookies and they have all been picked up! So my kitchen and dining room are looking like they are getting back to normal.

These are some pictures from the Couples Valentine's Dinner that I put together.  My friends, Larry and Evelyn shared their story with us.  It was really good! I firmly believe that we are required to share our stories as part of the Gospel. The Gospel is incomplete without us.  I think Paul in I Corinthians highlights this wonderfully.  I Corinthians 15, verses 3-4 contained the meat of the Gospel message and it is no mistake that Paul points out that what he is telling them is something he learned himself. In fact, if you read through verse 11, you'll see Paul tell a brief synopsis of his life story.  Storytelling is how the OT was passed down for generation to generation.  Storytelling is a part of our lives! It is a part of our life in Christ!

"For what I (Paul) have received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised

on the third day according to the Scriptures."

I Corinthians 15:3-4

These are the roses that Rob gave me for Valentine's Day! Aren't they beautiful? So they are my Sunday picture of the day (365-45).  We didn't do anything out of the ordinary for Valentine's.  We spent the evening at our care group playing games. 

Monday was a great milestone in my journey to a better me.  I hit the 10 lb mark! However, I regressed this morning a little bit, which was a bummer! But I'll get over it! I believe it's water-weight!

CookieTime (365-44)

Cookies have invaded our home!!!! And this is only part of them! Our Daisy troop sold about 1000 boxes of cookies this year! That is awesome for our first year.  I am so proud of my girls. They did a fantastic job! 

Last night and today were filled with tempation.  We had a Girls Night Out last night at Traci's house.  It smelled so wonderful, however, I have no clue how it tasted because I was good and didn't touch a thing!

Today I picked up all these cookies, then picked up the cupcakes for the event I had this evening. And to top it off spent the evening at the Spaghetti Warehouse. I did this all without touching a thing! I took apples to snack on at the restaruant.  It was a great night.  And I am very proud of myself for not cracking under pressure!

Ronda and I planned our Valentine's Dinner & A Story! It was fantastic.  We share a dinner together and then on couple shared their story with the group! We gave out awesome doorprizes and lots of laughs together!

Snow Day #2 (365-41)

Snow Day

Our school district had its very first snow day today! When we woke up there wasn't even snow on the ground yet! They cancelled in anticipation for the coming storm.  And boy, has it come! In fact, every school in the area closed today.  Businesses are closed and events have been cancelled all over town.  

My pic of the day (365-40) is one of my Blue-Jays stocking up for the storm. The wind was blowing pretty hard. He was having a really hard time holding on.  I haven't seen them in a couple of weeks. They've probably been here, I've just missed them. But their feathers are much brighter than before, is this a sign of winter or of spring being around the corner??? I don't know!

 I put a ticker at the bottom of the page for updates on my progress.  I feel really good! I didn't think I would feel this great. Being only my second day of the restrictive diet, I didn't expect to be full when eating my lunch and dinner!

Lunch: 3 oz of chicken breast with Franks Red Hot, about a cup of cabbage (boiled w/salt & pepper), 1 melba toast and 1 cup of organic strawberries, sliced with Stevia to sweeten them. 

Dinner: I got a little creative! 3 oz of chicken breast boiled, 1 1/2 chicken broth boiled with a cup of celery, salt & pepper.  So it was chicken noodle soup minus the noodles and onions.  I chose to stick with my strawberries for dinner as well, since they were so good! And of course, my one piece of melba toast.

I've discovered that I like organic green tea.  I don't like Lipton Green Tea in the bottle, so I was hesitant to try hot green tea. But it's great! I'm learning to drink my coffee nearly black, instead of nearly white.  And I'm wondering what I ever did without Stevia. 

Jourdyn has been hovering over my meals, wanting to eat what she can of them.  Right now, I am cooking and eating before I cook and feed my family.  I think this is the best way. I am one of those eat what's in front of you type of girls and I know if I wasn't already full, I would be licking my fingers, sneaking bites of no-no foods! So this is working for now!

I was excited to see that I have lost 3.4 lbs already! YEAH!!!!! Can't wait for tomorrow!

Man Vs. Food (365-38)

It's Super Bowl Sunday!!!! For guys that might mean something. Heck for girls it might mean something, but for someone who doesn't watch pro-football, it really doesn't mean anything other than a great party and funny commercials. And really this year I didn't even watch the commercials!

The party was a Man Vs. Food Hamburger party.  It was quite funny the guys were outside deep frying just about anything they could get there hands on - french fries, cheesecake bites, mac n cheese wedges, and much more.  At the same time they the grill going outside and the griddle going inside.  They blew fuses, set off smoke alarms and just all around had a fun night proving how manly they were, in there ability to eat hamburgers as big as my pic of the day! (365-38) I don't even want to count the calories contained in this beast of a burger! It's bun consists of texas toast grilled cheese sandwiches. In between those is two burger patties, a fried egg, bacon, onion, jalapenos, BBQ sauce, and I'm sure much more. We ladies were ready to vomit at the sight of them.
 
There were no massive heart attacks and it was all done under the supervision of several nurses and an ER doctor!  The ladies hung out with the kids. We chatted and ate somewhat more appealing food creations throughout the evening. 

These are just a couple of the people we journey in life with at this point - Brian, Brandon and Tim.  But I have to give you another picture of Tim because it was just hilarious! He was serious about eating him a beastie burger!  It's amazing how competitive guys can get over food! And how their manliness has to be proven by the amount of food they can intake in one setting! Oh, well! They had fun! We came home at about 8 pm because Rob has to work tonight and the kids have school in the morning. 

I said this yesterday, but it is so great to this journey called life with other people.  We were created to be in relationships! And that just thrills someone like me, because I love people!!!!

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing,

but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)

Lifeline Community Dinner - February (365-37)

"You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the

same way, let your light shine before othrs, so they may see your good works

and give glory to your Father in heaven."

Matthew 5:14-16

This evening was the February Lifeline Community Dinner at the North's home.  My pic of the day is a picture of their house as we left.  Rob wasn't able to go this time, so I rode along with Char and a couple of her kids.  The food theme was italiano! It was good!!!

It is indescribible to be in a place of community, a place where you feel as if you are part of something bigger than yourself, a place where everyone's passion is about loving others, justice and equality in God's eyes.  I can't explain it but as you begin to talk to someone you've never met, it's only minutes before you feel as if you've known them for years.  The North's are truly people who can from all I've seen say, believe, and live out the reality that nothing that we have is ours; it's God's.

A couple of guys came and played music.  I was able to videotape one song, but the audio isn't very good for some reason. I apologize.  The little boy in the video is Chance! He's such a cutie.  He was opening the door for everyone and showing them where to put their coats.  He is going to make an excellent greeter one day! Heck, he's great now!!!

Make a Smilebox collage

A Journey to a better me...

Tomorrow I will embark on a journey towards a healthy, thinner, more fit me! I'm excited! I even had to buy a new scale (365-36), since I through mine out years ago.

I'm inviting you to take this journey with me. I am going to see if I can add a bar on the side that records my weight loss over the coming months.

If the diet I've chosen works, I'll tell you about it in depth. Wish me luck! My goal for right now is to lose 30 lbs. and see how that feels and looks on me!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rowan and I finger-painted today! This was his first time! It is amazing to watch him and sometimes quite funny. He didn't want to get dirty. I put paint on his face and he was upset with me. I've noticed this before in other things but right now he is my neat freak. He can't stand to be dirty. Well, he likes it in the moment, but immediately needs to clean himself up.

(I've also began to use labels. I'm not really sure what that does but thought it might help organize this thing a little bit)