I Must Confess

I don't cook my own dinner anymore. Since our team in FHTM has grown and we are now traveling 5 nights a week; making dinner has become a tough thing to work into my schedule. I was online one day looking for a simple delivery service and found a lady who prepares 3 meals that are supposed to last 5 days (DINNER :-) It is wonderful and only costs $75.00 a week. It has really helped me budget for food! AND I don't have to worry about eating out and the cost of that. Its amazing. I'm so very thankful for Jessica who makes our dinner.

I totally recommend it!

THIS WEEKS MENU: 

Cauliflower salad with green olives and capers

Supremas de pollo (Breaded chicken breasts)

Ricotta Tart

Mixed green salad with mustard shallot dressing

roasted filet of salmon

brown butter apple cake

Spinach salad with goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette 

Creamy polenta with roasted tomato, chickpeas and artichoke

Citrus almond biscotti

Kelly Paige Childress

I didn't think that I needed another sister. Lindsey Kay Ratliff was good enough for me. When I married Kyle I got another one and her name is Kelly. Kelly and I have grown very close over the last few months since she is back in the area. She consistently makes me laugh and is a true joy to be around. I am very thankful for Kelly and especially for what she did last night. 

Let me begin.....

Once upon a time Kyle and I were called to a home in New Braunfels to do a meeting for 6 people who were ready and willing to see what we do. Upon arrival at 4:30 four out of the six had cancelled so I ended up presenting to the other two with promises that more would be arriving. Approximately 5 hours later I received a text from my mother-in-law that simply said, "CALL ME NOW!!!" So, I stepped into the other room (even though no meetings were taking place and we were basically wasting time) and found out that Miss Kelly had locked herself out of her house and that we were the closest ones who could come to the rescue. We came to the rescue yes we did. I have never in all of our 18 months of being in the business seen Kyle pack up his stuff so fast. We were looking for a way out of there and Kelly provided it. 

Within 40 minutes we were standing at 114 Phalarope. 10 minutes later Kyle was climbing through a window and saved the day for Kelly. Kyle was/is our hero. Kelly is my sister! We all had a laugh! 

We are family! 

Motivated

 I started working out again with a 1.5 mile walk. I was going to do Pilates too but I ran out of time. I will start my day tomorrow with 20 minutes of Pilates and a 20 minute "Slim in 6" video. For the past 2 months I have been wanting to lose the 10 pounds I have put on since I left teaching in May. I'm really gonna do it this time. I am making a new dream board and gettin' to it. Since attempting to do that cleanse I have a new appreciation for food and for making the right choices (that is where my problem is). Today's menu was:

Breakfast- 3 egg whites/ 1 cup grapes

Lunch- egg salad/ 2 pickles

Snack- 1 chicken soft taco (Fresco) from Taco Bell that I had to gather change up to buy (we are replenishing our envelope system when we get paid on Friday) 

Dinner- Broccoli and shrimp salad with balsamic vinaigrette

I'm feeling great!

Quitters Never Win

I already quit that cleanse! Whoa Whoa..its definitely not something that you decide to do on a whim (like I did). 5 hours into it the vomiting began. 20 hours into it I ate a meal and said, "no thank you Beyonce-get-ready-for-Dream-Girls diet". I lost 3 pounds during the endeavor and plan on pushing through to losing the other 7 of the 10 pounds I have put on since I quit teaching. I know how to do it. And I will. Just want to be able to fit back into all my cute spring/summer clothes. 

I love the picture that I found to go along with this blog...my body was definitely not winning and I wasn't willing to persevere another 9 days. 

I am very proud of Dani Breehl who has already lost 6 pounds by day 4. YOU ARE DOING fabulous. I told her that if she can do this she can complete a marathon. 

The Country

Its official..but we all knew it! I just took a quiz on facebook (and we all know that these are the most accurate) the facebook quiz says that I must live in the country. Doesn't the description sound exactly like New Braunfels? Soon enough...Soon enough!

The country

You are tired of living in a crowded place where there's too much concrete and not enough green. You want to live out in the country, preferably somewhere with a barn, a river and lots of wide open spaces where you can unwind and enjoy the quiet.

$15.97 ?!?

That's how much the Shady Maple Farms certified Organic PURE Maple Syrup (U.S. Grade B) costs at the HEB Plus in Kyle (shout out to Whitney). Why would I spend that much on maple syrup??? M.A.S.T.E.R. C.L.E.A.N.S.E! I know blame it on the girl on my left. Her name is Dani Breehl and she needs some support so im goin' in. Yep! The next 10 days I will be living on salt water, lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, water, and laxatives. You should probably just stay away :) BONUS: I am allowed peppermint tea for my breath! Here's to my next challenge. I think this might be harder than that marathon. Gonna go enjoy a bowl of ice cream now...before the cleanse. 

Got Cha!!!!!

WHEN I FIRST STARTED TRAINING I REALLY DIDN'T BELIEVE I WOULD EARN THIS JACKET. THE SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT I FEEL IS AMAZING! 

I GOT CHA JACKET BUT I COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT WONDERFUL ENCOURAGING FRIENDS (JENNY, JULIE, NOCONA) WHO WERE CHEERING FOR ME THE WHOLE TIME. 

ALL GLORY GOES TO GOD IN HEAVEN WHO PUT THE DESIRE TO RUN DEEP IN MY HEART. MAY ALL OF THE THINGS THAT I STRIVE FOR IN MY LIFE BRING HIM ALL THE GLORY. I AM SO AMAZED EVERY SINGLE DAY BY WHAT HE HAS DONE IN MY LIFE. HE SAVED ME AND SOUGHT ME AND I WILL RUN WITH ALL MY HEART AFTER HIM. 

THANK YOU LORD. THE DISTANCE CHALLENGE IS YOURS. EVERY SINGLE STEP!!!

Finishers Award

Tomorrow after church I will be on my way to RunTex at Riverside to pick up my finishers award for completing the Austin Distance Challenge. I will post more pictures tomorrow. SO EXCITING!!!!!

Reflective

I have spent this rainy day in a very reflective mood. It has now been over 2 years since I married the LOVE of my life and every single day I fall more and more in love with Kyle Martin Childress. He doesn't read my blog and probably couldn't tell you how to find it but he sure is my biggest fan. I have learned so much about how the Lord loves me because of how Kyle loves me. Kyle and I have learned the sweetness of mercy and grace and the patience of hurt and sorrow. We have conquered fears with prayer and love love love through God's holy word. I am blessed beyond words in the way that Kyle believes for our future. He gets up every day and fights for our financial freedom and I am blessed to be able to be in business with my very best friend. I can't say enough about my beloved. 

Love you Bubba (he hates when I call him that)  :)

Learning to Breathe

Just spent the last few days in San Antonio at our company conference. I will blog about all of that when I get home tomorrow. For now I want to leave you with the lyrics to a song that came into my mind. It speaks pretty clearly of the weekend I just had!

Learning to Breathe

-Switchfoot-

Hello, good morning, how you do?

What makes your rising sun so new?

I could use a fresh beginning too

All of my regrets are nothing new

So this is the way

that I say I need You

This is the way

This is the way

That I'm learning to breathe

I'm learning to crawl

I'm finding that You and

You alone can break my fall

I'm living again, awake and alive

I'm dying to breathe in these abundant skies

Hello, good morning, how ya been?

Yesterday left my head kicked in

I never thought I could fall like that

Never knew that I could hurt this bad

I'm learning to breathe

I'm learning to crawl

I'm finding that You and

You alone can break my fall

I'm living again, awake and alive

I'm dying to breathe in these abundant skies

So this is the way

that I say that I need You

This is the way

That I say I love You

This is the way

That I say I'm Yours

This is the way

This is the way