Thankful Thursday #2

1. Jadon sleeping until 9:40 this morning. 
2. Going to the Georgia Aquarium with my sister in law and brother in law.  We got a season pass so I will be able to go there with Jadon anytime I want. 

3. Watching Jadon learn and discover new things.  He loves to look at the world around him - he is so observant. He has started to grab at his toys and really check them out.
4. Josh's truck - he has 2002 Dodge Ram and it is still going strong!  He has dogged it out carrying palm trees, pavers, dirt, gravel, you name it! 
5. Going over to a friend's house for dinner - very nice to get out of the house and spend time with another family.
6. AT&T 2 wire modem and router in one.  Wireless is so much faster now.
7. Chick-fil-a right across the street.  I think I will walk there with Jadon later on today.
8. My new project - I am cutting out motivational quotes/phrases and articles from my running magazine and putting them in a journal. 
9. Josh rocking Jadon to sleep last night.  I was worn out - Jadon had nursed all day nonstop and would wake up the second I got up to put him down and want to nurse some more. 
10. For our new townhouse or house we are going to rent. All faith here - speaking it into existence.  :-)

Georgia Aquarium

I am a huge fan of zoos and aquariums.  I grew up going to Brookfield Zoo and the Shedd Aquarium. My favorite thing to do a Brookfield Zoo was to watch the dolphin show.  I loved it so much that I dreamed of becoming a dolphin trainer when I grew up.  At the Shedd Aquarium ,it was watching the Beluga Whale show.  The Beluga Whale tank is right on Lake Michigan, so it looks like the whales are swimming in the lake.

This past Sunday, my Brother and Sister in law asked us if we would like to go with them to the Georgia Aquarium.  Absolutely!

The Aquarium is set up by different regions or water climates.  Cold Water Quest, Georgia Explorer, Ocean Voyager, River Scout, and Tropical Diver.  Each one is unique and beautiful in its own way.  I love watching the otters play and see the brilliant colors of the tropical fish.  Ocean Voyager is amazing with its four whale sharks and the only manta rays in the US, not to mention all the other fish in the exhibit.  It was great to see wildlife specific to Georgia showcased in the Georgia Explorer section.  

Josh and Jadon
at Ocean Voyager

The Aquarium was crowded, so navigating with a stroller was interesting and was hard to linger at a tank to fully take it in.  I would have loved to a few minutes really looking at each tank without any disruptions. 



We were at the Aquarium for half a day, so that meant I would have to nurse Jadon a few times. One time I was standing in the Ocean Voyager observation room and nursed Jadon standing up.  I use a Bebe au lait nursing cover and after over 3 months of nursing, I am not nervous about nursing in public.  I try to be discreet and respectful to those around me, but if I flash someone accidentally, oh well. 



Lionfish



I was enjoying myself and was thinking about my next visit to the Georgia Aquarium (we bought season passes) - I will be going during the week next time!  We decided to go to Taco Mac by the Georgia World Congress Center instead of eating at the Aquarium - $5 for a hotdog  - I rather get real food.  The walk over there was about 5 minutes or so and it was enjoyable since it was cooler Sunday. 

Stingray - In a shallow tank
so you can touch them

When we got back, we decided to by tickets to see the Dolphin Tales Show.  I was excited because I love dolphin shows!  BIG MISTAKE!!!  Don't waste your money!!!!  The seats are VERY uncomfortable and close together.  It was difficult to see what was going on at the front of the tank.  The performance centered around a man singing and telling his story.  I would have rather the dolphins be the center of the show.  The performance had great special affects, lights, sounds, wind blowing, water spouts, etc.  For how much money was spent on the auditorium, the show was very disappointing.  The only good thing was that a mom that sat next to me said that she was glad to see me nursing Jadon and wished more mothers would nurse in public. 

All in all, I liked the Georgia Aquarium and will go back (we have season passes), but I won't be going to the Dolphin Tales Show again.

Funny Friday #1

1. My cats, Maggie and Webster's sudden interest in the washing machine.
2. Webster's hunt for obstacle courses to run through or hide in to attack Maggie.
3. Titan (another cat) increasing his presents to me.  He "kills" my shoes in my closet, drags them out, and tells me through his male call that he has brought me a present.  I have to go to him and pet and tell him he is a good boy.  I guess he is feeling neglected since the baby was born.
4. Daddy putting Jadon in front of the TV and playing Cars for him.  Jadon talks to the TV and seems to know who are the "good" cars and who are the "bad" cars.

Jadon Watching Cars

Thankful Thursday

1. Infant Advil - fussey baby after shots.
2. Little Tummies - relieves gas.  Now I know why babies smile after they pass gas!  I would too if I was that uncomfortable.
3. Vista Print - 30 Custom glossy invitations and matching envelopes with return address and shipping for about $30.
4. Psalm 91 God's Umbrella of Protection by Peggy Joyce Ruth.  Verse by verse explanation of this Psalm in a short, practical way that will build your faith and declare God's Word over you and your family.  There is even a kids version of the book!
5. New refrigerator! Finally after 5 days of the refrigerator part not working while we waited for our apartment complex to get us a new one; praise God that the freezer was still working.
6. A friend whose brother is a realtor that will help us find a place to rent.
7. Sleeping baby during grocery shopping.
8. My husband grocery shopping with me.
9. Air Conditioning on these crazy hot days.  We have so many comforts that many people go without everyday.
10. Friends faithfully writing Thankful Thursdays to help remind me of all the things to be thankful for and to open myself to allow God to be God so that there will be many things for me to be thankful for!

Embarking on a 15K Adventure

Today is Day 1 of Hal Higdon's 15K Training Plan.  I have 10 weeks to get ready for  the Iron Horse 15K (part of the Locomotive Race Series) on September 18th.  It sounds like a great race plus it is local with the the start/finish line at Town Center Mall.  Oh, and don't forget the after race party!  The race is family friendly, strollers are welcome.  Mark Vescio started the Locomotive series as well as other races in Kennesaw. 

For me the hardest part about starting to train for this race is starting.  Jadon started taking a 2 - 3 hour nap in the swing, so I figured that I could get my cross training and strength training done at that time.  The only problem is that I couldn't run while he slept.  My husband Josh suggested that I start getting up a 6AM and train at that time since Jadon had been sleeping till 7:30AM.  Yuck!  I hate getting up that early, but right now it is my only option.

Another obstacle for me is knowing how hard to train.  My brain still thinks I am a college athlete, but my body is no where near that kind of shape.  I did an "easy" workout and my legs were incredibly sore for days.  That is so frustrating for me and I get down because of it,  It is hard to stay motivated when I feel that way.  I have to keep saying to myself that losing weight and getting back into shape is going to take some time.  Make small goals and celebrate them!

Another race that has caught my eye is the Anything is Possible 5K.  The race is on 11/6/11 at 1:50 AM.  That is a strange time to start a 5K - the twist is that the race starts just before we are supposed to turn our clocks back 1 hour.  You will finish the race before you started!  Some proceeds from this race will go to the Hope for the Warriors .

Happy Training!

Thankful Thursday!!

1) I got in a 30 minute walk on my Treadclimber.
2) The times I spent working with Josh on landscape and hardscape jobs.
3) Jadon's smile.
4) Bouncy Seat!
5) Forgiveness.
6) Watermellon and feta salad.
7) Way FM radio station streaming through my computer.
8) Helpful strangers - one put my groceries in my trunk at Walmart.
9) A husband that is anxious to spend time with his son after working outside in the heat all day building retaining walls and laying pavers.
10) The view outside my living room window - waiting for my hummingbirds to come back.

Test post.

Welcome to Motherhood!



http://blog.gracobaby.com/2009/05/11/is-motherhood-my-calling/


I never knew one day would never be like the previous one (who told me babies are on schedules?  I think you lied!) - Welcome to Motherhood!

I never know when Jadon will be hungry - Welcome to Motherhood!

I never know when or how long Jadon will nap - Welcome to Motherhood!

I never know when Jadon has a blowout until after I pick him up - Welcome to Motherhood!

I never know how to plan my day - Welcome to Motherhood!

Hello Girls.  I never knew or dreamt you would get this big! - Welcome to Motherhood!

I never knew the clicking of the baby swing would be so soothing - Welcome to Motherhood!

I never used the pre wash cycle on my washer until today - Welcome to Motherhood!


This will not be my 4th purchase!



I never thought I would buy 3 different kinds of pacis and that Jadon would give me a "Are you crazy?! You want me to suck on that" look for each of them - Welcome to Motherhood!


I never knew that every decision I make would be with concern to Jadon (what size bed to buy, where we live, what food I eat, when to take a shower, do I need someone to come with me to get a pedicure/haircut, etc. - Welcome to Motherhood!

I never knew I would get so out of shape - Welcome to Motherhood!

What is your I never... Welcome to Motherhood?

Faith Shared

My friend Lisa wrote on her blog Modern Arabian Nights on the recent Faith Shared event.  I have never heard of  Faith Shared before reading about it on her blog.  I went to the Faith Shared website to find out what it is all about.  I didn't get very far before I came up with some questions and opinions, not about the group or event, but about different faiths and how people of different faiths can interact with each other.

First of all I am completely against blending faiths.  As a Christian, I believe the Bible is absolute Truth and anything that goes against the Bible is false and wrong.  I am for people of different faiths being able to live, work, play, learn, and have fun together. I also believe in sharing and spreading the Good News - Jesus bringing peace and salvation to people all over the world. Where these two ideas meet is where I feel uncomfortable. 
What if a friend of a different faith invites me to a religious ceremony?  Does attending the ceremony in support of a friend count as a sin or will my heart attitude of loving my friend in the hopes of one day she will know the Truth cover me?

I have never been in any of these situations, but I have often thought about what I would do.  Obviously you have to go to the ones who need Jesus and that means stepping out of your Christian circles.  Sometimes it is in an outreach type event where you are sharing Jesus with strangers and other times it starts off as a friendship and over time the course of the friendship, Jesus wins your friend over. 

Jesus calls us to be light to the darkness and to love others, yet He is a jealous God not wanting your attention to be on anything but him.  How do you be that light in the darkness and still remain true to Jesus?

I heard about a very successful missionary over in Asia.  I am fuzzy on the details, but he was known for adopting local customs - he learned their language, wore their type of clothing, ate their food.  He respected the people and their way of life and taught them about Jesus at the same time.  He developed relationships with the people- he truly showed he cared.  Because of the way he treated the people, he was loved and respected back which I think opened their hearts to receive Jesus.  They weren't turned off and ultimately hardened their hearts because of  arrogance or feeling that they were inferior. 

From his example, we need to know something about other faiths and customs in order to understand and respect others to develop the type of relationships that can open the doorways to Jesus.  It isn't a battle of whits or a logical debate on which religion is right, is is a battle of love.  And the love of Jesus always wins!