Decorating Memories

Fall Brings on New Loves

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Ten things I'm loving right now.

That my kids are learning to cook for themselves
Crisp nights
The changing leaves
Homemade cinnamon rolls
Baseball games
Soccer games
The smell of laundry (It's weird, but I smell every item of clothing before I fold them)
Fall candles
The company of friends
Cuddling with my hubby

Five things I loathe at the moment

Cold mornings
Giving my 13 year old more freedom
Gnats that I cannot get rid of
Gas prices
I can't think of a 5th one.

Because it is the only picture I have to share right now.

"Let's Roll" - Remembering 9/11

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 12:00:00 +0000

"Let's Roll," an airline passenger's signal to attack the hijackers, became an anthem to personal sacrifice.

We learned how to pronounce "Osama Bin Laden."

Our new heroes are cops and firefighers. The image of firefighters raising the flag over the World Trade Center ruins appeared on everything from postage stamps to license plates.

Original Photographer unknown to me.

It was the day our way of life changed – maybe forever.

On Sept 11, 2001, America was stunned into war – this one against terrorism. The date has been chiseled into our consciousness since the terrorist attacks on that day. Eleven years later, it's difficult to remember the world before that day.

I remember sitting on the couch breast-feeding my 11-day-old baby, Hunter and listening to Joseph sing the Barney theme song as it was coming on the television. I got a phone call from a friend to tell me to turn on the news. A plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. My blood ran cold. I hung up the phone, tuned on the news and called my mom. At that time, I saw the second plane hit the second tower. I was in shock. I stayed tuned until both towers collapsed. Then came the plane that crashed into the Pentagon. Finally came another report about a plane apparently hijacked and perhaps headed for the Capital or White House that crashed in Pennsylvania because the passengers resisted.

An enemy had declared war against us. I knew that they had declared war before with other attacks, but until their war was brought to our very doorstep, I didn't really see it.

I will never forget how blue the sky was. There wasn't a cloud to be seen. I have become one who always watches the sky when I see a plane fly over. Now, since the incident, I feel more united as an American. I'm proud to be an American and I'm proud to see our country pull through during such an enduring time. It sounds cliché, but I actually do look at things differently. I feel closer to my children, husband, family and friends.

At the time of the hijackings, I was scared. Scared for my family. I brought two children into this world without forethought of what the future holds. Now, eleven years down the road, I have three children. I feel safe and do not dwell on the future. I live a joyful life and have so much to be proud of. We really have come a long way.

On May 2, 2011, nearly ten years after the hijackings, justice was brought forth. A small team of Americans carried out an operation that had us, Americans, celebrating. Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind behind the worst terrorist attack to date against America, was killed. A great victory for America.

Photo source was from this website, although they pulled it from another website that is no longer linkable.

The wonder of this country is that there are so many opportunities for people to climb out of their traditional pasts and have a shot at choice. I know very few American women who would change places with their grandmothers or great-grandmothers. That tells me that although this is the worst of times in some parts of the world, it is the best of times for most of us who live in America. I am proud to be an American woman living today.

I will never forget 9/11.

I will never forget the horror and heroism witnessed.

United We Stand.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all of those who lost a loved one on this day eleven years ago.

Birthday Photo Booth Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Since I have nothing better to write about. I'm going to post a couple of Hailey's birthday photo booth pictures that I finally got around to uploading to my computer. It's only been.... oh..... a month and a half.

Photo booth props come from: Party Goodies

Photo booth chalk board signs come from: Party City

Pennant banner come from: Oliver Blue Designs

They had such a good time with these props! There were a ton of pictures taken and it provided a good 60 minutes of entertainment with the girls.

His Shorts Smelled Like Pee!

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 12:00:00 +0000

1. Pulling the boat to Summersville Lake. 2. The kids swimming up on a rock.

3. Swimming at the hotel. 4. Jumping off of the waterfall.

We went to Summersville Lake over Labor Day weekend and had a great time! Normally we camp and stay in a tent, but this was a spur of the moment trip and the camp grounds were booked. So we stayed in a hotel and ate warm, free breakfast. It was quite nice, really. Other than we had our dog with us and she didn't like the hotel very much.

You see, Lucy - our dog, doesn't like to do her business on a leash. She gets stage fright, so we struggled with that. She finally had to let go of her pride and just pee already. Then she really made a breakthrough when she poo’d on the leash. She conquered great fear this past weekend. I am so proud of her.

Then when we went to dinner, she had to stay in the hotel room by herself. We shut the door and she started howling and crying like we were going to abandon her forever. RJ suggested that we go without him. He would be fine. (Lucy is his baby) Then the light bulb popped out and I thought it would be a great idea if our friend’s dog stayed in our room to keep Lucy company. We brought Gracie in the room and shut the door and Lucy didn’t whine at all, it was a miracle. I was a genius!

After we got back from dinner, I walked in our room and Lucy was pinned in the bathroom. Lucy whined when she saw me. Then Gracie, our friend’s dog, growled at her. Evidently, once Gracie saw Lucy go in the bathroom, she sat outside of it and wouldn’t let her out and every time Lucy whined or got near her, Gracie growled and showed her who was boss. It was quite comical and worked until the next morning when Hunter put on his swimming trunks.

I was helping Hunter tie his trunks when I smelled this horrific smell. I started gagging and couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. I leaned down to smell his shorts. I almost puked. It was THAT bad.

Me: “Did you pee in your shorts?”
Hunter: “I did in the lake.”
Me: “Ugh! I can’t believe it still smells bad. You must be getting sick.”
Hunter: “I’m not wearing these” Starts gagging.
Me: “Well, you have to, you only packed one pair.”
RJ: “It was probably Lucy that peed on them when she was stuck in the bathroom. He can wear gym shorts.”
Me: “Oh yeah. Hahahahahaha Sorry for blaming you Hunter. I didn’t even think of the gym shorts.”

RJ saves the day. Like always.

Hunter: “I knew it wasn’t my pee. But, I didn’t know what else it could be.”

Lucy showed us! His shorts reeked of pee!
Take that humans! That will teach you to never leave me alone again with Gracie.

1. Hailey jumping off of the rock. 2. Hunter getting ready to jump.

3. Hunter's hair after the wind blew through it. 4. Joseph swimming.

Oh, one catasrophe happened while we were at the hotel, other than the pee situation. Hailey smashed her finger, Saturday night, in the metal door of our room. After the swelling went down on Tuesday, I thought she might have broken it. Luckily she didn't. The doctor had to drill a hole in her fingernail to drain the blood from underneath the nail so it would stop throbbing. Hailey was scared to death! It didn't hurt her though.

All in all, it was a great weekend. I promise.

Fourteenth Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Today is RJ and my 14th Wedding Anniversary.

It has been an amazing 14 years.

Our marriage is not perfect nor easy.

It takes a lot of work, dedication and love to make a marriage work.

I hope to grow old and gray with him.

I love you RJ!

You are an amazing husband and father.

I couldn't ask for a better person to share my life with.

Fifteen Things on My Mind

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I'm sick again. This is twice in the last 3 weeks. My immune system must be way down.
The kid's homework is stressing me out.
Soccer is starting and I am so excited!
I can't wait to spend this weekend at the Lake.
I love hearing my co-worker laugh. Her office is at the other end of the hall and her laugh is so loud. I smile every time I hear her.
Hailey's room is a constant mess. I live with slobs.
I want to start painting over my red hallway with a light gray color and I'm sure it will take me forever. Just the thought of it taking forever has kept me from starting.
The kid's and I have an appointment this evening to get out teeth clean. I LOVE the feeling of scraped clean teeth.
I bought three lenses for my iphone. RJ doesn’t know yet. He’ll think I’ve gone crazy. But, I can’t wait to try them out.
I might start watching Sex and the City episodes from the beginning. I’ve seen the movies and loved them, but I’ve never watched the episodes.
I’ve been dying to run on the treadmill with my headphones, but our treadmill is buried in the basement. I need to dig it out.
I want to add on to the back of our house so bad. I’ve even thought about refinancing our house and add an extra $80,000 to do it. I want my kitchen bigger and a family room and an in ground pool. But, the fact that my house will be paid for in 4 years keeps me from doing it. My plan all along was to get my house paid off by the time Joseph goes to college, so we’ll have the extra funds to help pay for it. I’m torn.
Hunter has a major attitude lately. Joseph was the same way at his age. I can’t wait until we pass this stage. He went from being a cry baby to a mouthy kid. I want my sweet boy back.
I love watching Hailey with her friends. She used to be so shy and not very friendly with other kids and she has really grown to be a fun person to hang with.
I love my life. I am so blessed. I have no idea what I did to deserve such an amazing family, great friends and an awesome job, but I’ll take it and be very very thankful.

When She Turned Eight

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Hailey turned eight a month ago. As you can see I am really on the ball lately. (Total sarcasm)

Quick picture from my iphone

I had her party at a Holiday Inn Express. They swam, ate, played games, jumped on beds and had a ball. The staff only had to come and tell us to be quiet one time, which at that time, I was trying to get them to calm down and go to bed anyway, so it worked out perfectly. I told them that if they didn’t be quiet, we would get kicked out and have to go home. They all decided it was best to snuggle in bed and watch tv and they were out in no time.

Some games that they loved were:

· The sock game. I put something random in a sock and clipped it with a post-it attached with a number on it. They had 11 socks that they had to guess what was inside by feeling the object through the sock. Some objects that I put in each sock was a rock, finger nail clippers, American Girl doll shoe, hair clip, eye shadow case, miniature bubble container, beaded necklace, a spool of thread, a key, a sucker and a hair bow. They had a chance to feel each sock and write down on a piece of paper what they thought was in each sock with the number of the sock beside it. After they all wrote down their answers, we opened each sock and they got a good laugh at what was inside of some of them.

· White Elephant Gift Exchange. There were 7 girls at the party, including Hailey. I bought 7 gifts at the dollar store and wrapped them. I had the girls sit in a circle and put the gifts in the center. Each girl drew a number and that determined the order they got to pick their gift. Number 1 picked out the gift they wanted from the center. Normally, you would open the gift, but I made them keep it wrapped. Number 2, got to either pick a present from the center or steal from #1 and so forth. If number 2 stole from number 1, then number 1 would have to pick another gift from the center. The girls were stealing gifts based on what it looked like wrapped. It was funny. They all opened their gifts together once the game was over.

· Memory. I had 24 red solo cups on the table and each cup had one piece of candy underneath it. There were matching pieces of candy under the cups for a total of 12 winners. They got in a line around the table so they could all see what was being picked. The girl at the head of the table got to pick two cups up and if they got a match, they could keep the candy and move to the end of the line. If they did not get a match, they would put the cups back and move to the end of the line. They played until all matches were found.

· Photo Booth Session. I bought these photo booth props from etsy and laid them out on a table. They could pick any prop they wanted for a photo session. They had a really good time doing this and I had a good time taking their pictures.

Instead of favor bags, I bought a bunch of random gifts and candy from the dollar store and put all of the items into a box. They got in a line and could each pick one item out of the box and move to the end of the line. They kept going through the line until all items were gone. Luckily, no one fought over the gifts.

Another post will follow because I have a lot of pictures to post; I just have to take the time to go through all of them.

Do you have any fun party ideas? Hunter's party is coming up in two weeks and I need more ideas for boys.

It's Been Awhile

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 12:00:00 +0000

It's been awhile since I've sat down to write a blog post. What can I say, I've been enjoying life and addicted to Big Brother. When I'm not watching it on Thursdays, Wednesdays or Sundays, I'm reading about it. I can't stop; I've been sucked in.

Anyway... The kids started school last Friday. Joseph is now in the 8th grade, Hunter is in the 5th and Hailey is in the 3rd. Here is a picture I took of them on their first day.

And since all the cool kids were doing it on Instagram, I thought I would compare their last 3 years.

First up... Joseph. He has changed the most and cracks me up!!

His hair in the first one was so the style back then. In the 2nd one, he looks like he has some Indian in him. We had just got back from the beach and he tans really dark, obviously. The last one, he is so handsome.

I'm really loving the young man that he is maturing into. He is so thoughtful, funny and caring towards his family and friends and even strangers.

6th grade, 7th grade and 8th grade

Next is Hunter. He has grown a lot in the last few years, but his facial features have not changed as much as Joseph's yet. I'm sure they will in the 3 years once he gets into middle school and hits "that" age.

3rd grade, 4th grade and 5th grade

Lastly, is Miss Hailey. Her hair is growing, but she isn't growning much. She can still wear the clothes from 1st grade. She is losing her baby face as her facial features are maturing some. I've noticed a similarity in shoes in all three pictures. She loves the glittered sketchers. hahahaha or maybe I do.

1st grade, 2nd grade and 3rd grade

My pictures aren't clear because they were taken with my phone, but I still love the comparisons. I'm going to have to dig deeper from my computer and get all of their school pictures together for comparisons.

Do you all do the traditional 1st day of school pictures? It annoys my kids, but they'll love it once they get older.

P90X Month 1 finished

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I have a love hate relationship with this P90x workout. I love it one day and I hate the next. I feel like I'm doing a lot of work and with little results. It has bummed me out, so I took this week off to wallow in my sorrows. Boohoo

I did get some results, but definitely not visible nor could I feel the results in my pants. I lost a half inch in one thigh (yes only one) and two and a half inches in my waist and I gained 3 pounds. I know this is better than nothing, but I could probably do this with dieting alone. Needless to say, I was really bummed. I really don’t care about the weight or even the inches, I want my pants to fall off and I realize that isn’t going to happen in a month, but at least get a little looser.

So, I’ve reevaluated my plan and I’m starting all over. Yes, fresh with day one. It sucks, but I feel it is best.

I’m going to do the classic version instead of the lean version and I’m going to do the P90x meal plan, where before I did not do the meal plan, I only stuck to the calories. Hopefully by making these adjustments, I’ll see results.

I’m taking the weekend off from exercise and I’m going to plan my meals. Starting fresh on Monday.

If I still do not see results after another month, then I'll go strictly to cardio and try this again to build muscle once I get to my goal weight.

What I'm doing this evening...

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Just a little sneak peek of what I'm going to be doing this evening.

By the way, these were made with much love, but I was a little rushed for time.

Can't wait!

I Can't Believe

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I can't believe it is August already.
I can't believe school starts in 16 days.
I can't believe this season is the last season Joseph will play soccer for middle school.
I can't believe Joseph is going into the 8th grade.
I can't believe this is the last year Hunter goes to elementary school.
I can't believe my baby just turned 8 years old this past Monday.
I can't believe my sister just graduated high school and starts college soon.
I can't believe I'll be 35 years old this year.
I can't believe my dad was 35 when RJ and I started dating. I feel old because he was old then.
I can't believe summer is almost over.

Just a few things...

I started reading Interrupted by Jen Hatmaker two days ago. Yesterday, I was reading another blog and was forwarded to a blog post that she wrote on July 27th. It was amazing. I can't wait to read her other books. So, three days ago, I had never heard of the girl and now her name pops up all the time. Go read The Basement post now. I will be hiding in the basement with her also.

You all know that I've been doing P90x for the last month without any injuries. I'm so proud of myself. Anyway... yesterday as I was blow drying my hair, I pulled a muscle in my neck which radiates pain down my spine and right arm and causes my hand to go numb. From blow drying my hair! What the heck? It feels somewhat better today, though. Thank goodness!

Let's see what else??? Oh, I booked a two room suite at the Holiday Inn Express for Hailey's birthday party on Friday night. I'm about to par-tay with some 8 year olds. Should be fun!

And since I don't have any pictures to share, why not post an embarrassing picture of Hailey when she was two since it is her birthday week. She'll love it!

Is your life flying by like mine? I wish it would slow down, at least during the summer. Happy hump day!

P90X Week 3

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Week three was an easy, yet tough week. It's been my favorite so far. The moves are getting easier and my muscles hurt worse.

The first two weeks, I felt like I was just getting by; doing what I could and trying my best to keep up, but lacking. This third week, I was able to keep up and it felt good. My muscles hurt this week, but it is such a good feeling. I feel myself getting stronger every day. I’m starting to see little changes. I can’t wait to see what my body looks like come March, after I’ve done two rounds of this.

The first two weeks, I gained four pounds. This third week, I lost 2 pounds. So, I’m still up by 2 pounds, but I feel like I’m making progress. Patience is the key. I will measure myself at the end of this week to see if I’ve lost inches. I don’t feel like I have, though, and that is ok. I know I will in the end.

This week, my favorite workout was the Cardio X because it was only 40 minutes. I was most proud of myself after doing Yoga X because I was able to do all of the exercises correctly. My second favorite was the Arms and Shoulders workout, I felt so strong. I can’t wait to pick up the 10 pound weights from Kmart when I get a chance. I’m excited to increase my weight. I hurt the most after the Legs and Back workout; I did this workout Saturday and my body still hurts today.

I’m not looking forward to this week. I have to do Yoga X twice. Don’t get me wrong, I love this workout, but it is so long. I have to find 90 minutes in the day to do this workout twice this week. The good thing, I don’t have to do Ab Ripper X, which is a killer for me.

I can’t wait to share pictures of my progress next week. There isn’t really much to see, but there are slight differences.

Insta-Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I haven't posted my instagram pictures here for 2-3 weeks. So, I have a lot to share. :)

1. The sunset after a horrific storm we had a couple of weeks ago. This storm caused my mom to be without electric for 8 days. Thankfully, we did not lose our power.

2. A chocolate mud mask that Hailey and I did one evening while we were outside.

3. July 4th nails.

4. DQ lunch with the kids.

1. Enjoying Live on the Levy on Friday evening from the river.

2. Our view that same night.

3. Kids playing on the rope swing under the bridge, while we are lounging on the boat.

4. Hailey and I were freezing in our house one day and we dressed as if it were winter when I took her to gymnastics.

1. Hunter with braces on.

2. Hunter with braces off! He was so excited to get them off. He's had them for two years.

3. Hailey had a sleep over.

4. Dinner on the trampoline.

1. I had to take Hailey to work with me last week because I didn't have a babysitter. She decided she wanted to join me wtih pink hair.

2. Love this picture of her!

And just for fun, I didn't post this on instagram, but this is what she did to my office.

She made a chain out of paper clips and created two signs that read:

"No Trespassing or Ba-Bam!!"

and

"If you do pass prepare to be.... Ba-BAM!!"

_________________________________________________

I am linking up with Jeanette at Life Rearranged.

If you would like to follow me on Instagram,

my username is @branhumphr.

Raising a Confident Child

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I ordered a new camera lens and it arrived in the mail a week ago. I convinced Hailey to model for me in the back yard. After we were done and she had enough, I uploaded them on the computer and posted a few on facebook.
I received a lot of comments stating that “she is pretty” or “she looks like Hunter” or “She’s Brandy Jr.”, but one in particular got me thinking. One comment from my aunt that said, “Love the confidence she exudes (where does she get that from?)” My response was, “We’ve raised her to be confident, but not vain. I hope she continues to present herself that way as a teen and adult.”

After I posted that, I thought to myself, “how vain was that response?” And then I started thinking; how have I treated her differently than I do my boys? Joseph is a somewhat cocky kid who thinks he can do no wrong and Hunter is a little self-conscious of his actions and appearance. How did I find balance between the two and raise her with such poise? I still can’t answer this question; maybe it has a lot to do with their different personality traits. Maybe it is their age differences right now. I really don’t know.

I do know that I spend more time with Hailey than I do the boys. Hunter and Joseph have each other. They like to play the xbox or go outside and play ball with each other. All of our neighbors are boys, so they are constantly surrounded by friends. They’ve always had each other. Don’t get me wrong, I spend a lot of one on one time with them, just not as much as I do with Hailey.

Hailey is stuck with me most of the time, so we spend a lot of time together and we talk a lot. Maybe this has a lot to do with how she presents herself. I started reflecting back on our conversations and a few things that come to mind that might contribute to her confidence are the following:

I tell her that I am proud of her all the time. I am proud of her grades, I am proud of her hard work at gymnastics and I am proud of her interactions with her friends. I am proud of her even when she fails because she tried.

I encourage her to take risks and try things that she isn’t comfortable with. When she struggles with spelling words or a new tumble pass that she is trying to learn, I encourage her to keep trying. She will get it, it just takes practice.

I extend my trust in her. I believe in her abilities. I let her pick out her own clothes and always have. I let her walk out of the house if she hasn’t brushed her hair. I let her bake cupcakes by herself and only help if she asks for it. I trust her decisions and if she makes a mistake, she’ll learn from it. I let her know that she is capable of doing anything she puts her mind to doing.

I let her shine. She loves to show off her abilities. She is constantly dancing, tumbling, singing and wants us to watch. I spend most of my days watching her show off instead of watching tv.

I let her make mistakes and fail. If she makes a mistake, I never say “I told you so” or “you shouldn’t have done that”. I tell her it is ok, mistakes happen, that is how we all learn right from wrong. Sometimes mistakes are a good thing. Sometimes something better comes from a mistake, sometimes not. As long as she learns from her mistakes, then they are worth it.

I praise her. I don't just praide her on a task that she has done well, but the person she is. I praise her when she encourages a friend or when she does something nice for someone. I praise her actions and the person she is, not what she does well. I praise her and make her feel good for who she is on the inside.

I do these things with the boys as well, but not on a daily basis like I do with her. I always have talks or little lectures on life's lessons with my boys, but I should probably talk to them more often and learn what clicks with them, especially now that they are at the pre-teen and teen ages.

I can only hope that she continues to exude this same confidence as she enters the teen years when drama is at it's high in middle school and high school. Wish me luck.

Do you know of any other actions that are helpful in building confidence but not arrogance? If so, please share

Week 2 of P90x

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 21:00:00 +0000

I am a woman of few words these past weeks.

I have been living life though, to it's greatest and that is the reason for my lack of words.

But, as promised and to keep myself motivated, I'm going to give an update of my P90x adventure.

Week 2 sucked and it was so great at the same time.
I finished week 2 on Friday.
I took the weekend off and I'm starting week 3 today.

I'm still up 4 pounds and I've only lost 1 inch in my hips; nothing anywhere else.

Most would be discouraged with these results and I would be lying if I said I haven't thought twice about quitting.
But, I have a noticeable reduction in cellulite in my legs and that is keeping me motivated enough to continue for now.
I would be a happy camper if my thighs would stop rubbing together when I walked, though.
Maybe soon.

Week 2 was hard for me.
The exercises were a tad easier than the first week, but I had to force myself to exercise every day.
Ab Ripper X was a killer for me this time around.
Shoulders and Arms along with Legs and Back were my favorite videos this past week.
I went from 3lb weights to 5lbs and I'm now ready for 10lb weights.

I'm feeling stronger, but looking forward to some better results.
I'm 2 weeks down with 11 to go.

Friday the 13th

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Hi

I've neglected this blog for a couple of weeks now.
I just don't feel like logging on at night.
I've taken pictures, but they are all still on my camera.
I suppose I'm just lazy. hahaha

or not...

This is what I've been up to:

P90x

I started last Friday, so I've completed week 1 and I've gained 3 pounds.
How is that even possible?
I read on the web that adding new workouts can cause your muscles to retain water or something like that.
If you're interested, you can read that here. It made me feel better.

I hope that I can keep up with this workout and not get off track like I have in the past.
I am doing the lean version now, then I will do Brazil Butt Lift for 60 days, then I will do the classic version.
So in 240 days, maybe I will be in the best shape of my life.
I want to have abs of steel by March or at least a toned stomach.

I am not going by his eating plan, so my results may not be drastic or it may take longer to achieve. I'm ok with that.
I don't eat terrible, I just can't eat a ton of meat.
I love my vegetables and fruit.

Oh, something else I'm not doing is the pull up bar. I'm just doing free weights instead.

So, what do I think of the videos?

They are awesome and hard.
My favorite is Kenpo X.
I'm actually able to keep up with that one and do all of the exercises.
And I sweat like crazy.
Sweat makes me feel like I am accomplishing something.

I thought my least favorite would be YogaX.
I really struggled with this one at first.
I started it and when I saw that it was for an hour and a half, my mood totally shifted.
I did not want to do it that long, but I started it with a bad attitude.
After about 30 minutes, I turned it off and pouted like a baby.
RJ told me to get back in there because Yoga was probably the best video for me and I needed to finish it.
I argued and said no.
Then I googled hoping someone would justify my thoughts tell me that doing Yoga was not necessary.
I found the opposite; Yoga was necesary.
So, I went back into the bedroom and started where I left off.
I am so glad I finished it.
After I got over my mood and relaxed, it was exactly what my body needed.
The next day, I could really tell that my body was a tad more flexible.
I can't wait to see what I can do after 3 months.
I still hate that it is an hour and a half though. Booo

Ab Ripper X is HARD.
I could barely do any of the moves the first time I tried them.
The second time, wasn't as bad.
I could do a couple of the crunches.
I really hope I continue to improve and can do more than half after 90 days.

By doing P90x and 30 Day Shred with Jillian Michaels, I've realized that I hate the plank position.
I feel like all of the blood is rushing to my head.
Does anyone else feel this?

I took a before picture in a bikini but I'm too big of a chicken to post it now. I may once I see results.
For now, I'll post a picture I took with my iphone in my work out clothes after the first workout.

Stats on Day 1:
Weight: 153

Waist: 32 inches

Hips: 47.5 inches

Thighs: 25 inches

Now I will go hide under a rock for awhile.

Happy Friday. Joy Joy

This post took a turn for the worse.
I had no intentions of talking about P90x or posting pictues of my fat belly.
I opened up blogger to post my Insta Friday pictures.
I guess I'll catch up with instagram pictures next week.

Can't wait to get my workout on tonight!
Will you join me?
Let's make a deal to look our very best by next Spring.
I need a partner to keep me motivated.

4th of July Nails

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Last week, I posted 4th of July inspiration photos. Well, I decided to try one of them and added my own little twist.

I painted Hailey's nails red with the exception of her ~~ring~~ index finger; I painted those blue. I took a tooth pick and dipped it in white polish and made little dots on top of the blue polish. That looked really good, but then Hailey decided she wanted stripes on the red polish; I just freehanded it with a thin brush. This is how it turned out.

I could have made a few touch ups and removed the polish on her skin, but she didn't have time for that. She was thrilled with them just the way they were!

I love that small things make her so happy.

It's FriiiiiiiiiiDAY!

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Dear Maxwell House, thank you for your vanilla caramel latte. It gets me going in the mornings and it tastes oh so good, plus it only has 60 calories. I don't know what I would do without it.

Dear post it notes, thanks for being so pretty and keeping me motivated.

Dear park, how I love thee.

Dear sunset, you are the most beautiful thing I've laid my eyes on lately. Keep it up, especially on the weekends when we are out on the river relaxing.

Dear kids, I love that you are adventurous and enjoy a thrill, but it makes me a bit nervous at times. I don't like to let my fear seep into your veins becuase I always want you to be brave and try new things, but I need a small break from your Evil Kenevilisms sometimes, please. Thank you.

Dear Joseph, I love you. You aren't mentioned on this blog a lot because I like to give you your privacy, but you are awesome. During your sports physical, the doctor was cracking us up. He told you that there should be no reason for you to ever have an ungly girlfriend because your eyes have perfect vision. hahahahaha We laughed forever over that.

_________________________________________________

I am linking up with Jeanette at Life Rearranged.

If you would like to follow me on Instagram,

my username is @branhumphr.

I'm linking up with Ashley over

at Adventures of Newlyweds.

Life's a Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I had the pleasure of enjoying the beach once again this year.
My favorite part of the week was watching the morning sun stretching, hovering atop a sandy, grassy dune, looking at cresting waves from as far south as we could see to as far north as we could see. A twine of pelicans soared nearly effortlessly inches above the churning waves. The waves curled with a perfect balance of order and chaos; clouds drifted inland with more grace than ballerinas. Gentle winds caressed the beach grass, their plentiful, mature seed heads heavily, all pointed downwind and nodded to the rising sun.

The week was absolutely beautiful. Kites filled the summer sky along the beach. The sun showered the air with uninterrupted rays of summer heat and light, blessing bliss on the beach bathers, including myself. It was a good week to be alive and just be. The tide listlessly began to creep in around noon, which is when high tide was last week. Our sandy perch near the surf soon became inundated and we switched from sitting on the warm sand to strolling in the shallow surf. I sit there and contemplated the bizarre interactions between earth and moon causing this daily shift in the water level. I felt small. The ocean is obviously ignorant to time. As wave after wave peaks, rolls and crests, the astounding age of earth becomes a little more apparent.

You could hear all the children playing, shoveling sand, burying each other to their necks and riding the waves on their rafts. I loved watching the kids laugh, fall in the water and the waves splashing them in their face and seeing them get back up and do it again. I loved watching the people walking down the beach, some were running, some were strolling with children and every now and then I would see a hairy old man wearing a Speedo, flapping his arms with his bulge looking like a marble bag. And when this man walks past you, it causes you to do a double take and he brings you back to reality.

In the evening we would take a shower and get ready for the evening adventures. There is nothing that feels better than showering off all that sand and grease. It is kind of like taking off tight shoes at the end of the day.

Each evening the sky was alive with color. No human hand could have painted the sunset and captured its essence. The colors were too bright for mere paint, the textures too finely grained. Gold sparkled the edges of the distant streaky, white clouds. Nearer inland, their edges became far less crisp, having evolved into great wisps and swirls. Sunlight diffused through them in an array of pink and peach. Orange dominated the narrowing distance between the setting sun and the distant horizon.

As the sun got lower, colors shifted and illuminated the multi-layered clouds from varying angles. Peach turned to pinks, pinks turned to reds and reds to purple. It was art in motion.

This summer’s vacation was so beautifully sublime that it raised the being into a peaceful state of awe.

4th of July Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 12:00:00 +0000

4th of July by branhumphr featuring slip on shoes

Sources:

My Words Interests Life - Indulgy - Kiddies Corner Deals - Our Best Bites - Money Saving Queen - Babble - The Sisters Cafe - Second Chances by Susan

Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 12:00:00 +0000

If you follow me on Instagram,
you'd know that we were on vacation last week
and we had the best time!!

The following pictures do not need much words to go with them.
I think they speak for themselves.

Best vacation we've had in a long time.
Spending time with great friends
that we've just recently become close to was
(in the words of my son)
BEAST!!

We are so lucky they were led to us because they truly are great friends.

Most of these pictures are of Hailey for two reasons.
1. She loves getting her picture taken
and
2. The boys do not.

But, I really do need to make a bigger effort in taking pictures of the boys.
That is my goal for the coming years.

You can see my birthmark big time here.

More to come once I get caught up at home.

Baseball

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Joseph's baseball season has been a success this year. Their season was not undefeated, but their tournament has been. Their last game is this Thursday and it is for the championship. Here are a few pictures of him pitching. The one picture I have of him batting, was not on his good day. I need to remember to bring my camera on Thursday.

Good luck this week, Joseph. I hope you win.

Dear Weekend...

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 12:00:00 +0000

RJ and Lucy ~ A text from Hailey. I love her so much!!

Dear husband, let's please make our landscaping pretty this weekend, so everything will look nice for Joseph's birthday get together. No arguments, ok? Ok. Dear weather, please stay nice so we can get things done and maybe even get on the river for a couple of hours. Dear baseball tournament, let's win this thing!! Dear vacation, I am so looking forward to your arrival. Dear Hunter and Hailey, please clean your room or you will be grounded. Dear Boss, thank you for being the best and for your friendship!! Dear weekend, please do not disappoint. Dear friends, thank you for being you.

_________________________________________________

I am linking up with Jeanette at Life Rearranged.

If you would like to follow me on Instagram,

my username is @branhumphr.

I'm linking up with Ashley over

at Adventures of Newlyweds.

Awards

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I sat down at the computer yesterday and uploaded all of the photos from my camera. It was then that realized that I haven't posted any pictures that I've taken from my DSLR since March. So, I might just post pictures here and there without many words to get caught up.

These were taken at Hailey's cheer banquet. Her best friend, Phoebe, is in the pink. We, actually, just planned a summer vacation with Phoebe's family coming up soon.

The girls just come up with this master plan about college life. Phoebe, Hailey, Gracie and Lexi (also pictured here) were going to go to UK to cheer and the four of them were going to get a house together and be roommates. There was no mention of an education or work; just cheering and having fun. Ah, to be 7 or 8 again, with no worries. That was the life.

Corinthians - My Savior

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I woke up, Saturday, motivated and found myself aggravated. I wanted to clean off our back porch and RJ wasn’t willing to help me. He kept finding other things that we needed to do before working on the porch. We got into ~~an argument~~ a heated discussion and I found myself storming into the backyard pulling weeds, desperate to be alone.

The weekend was not starting off on a good note. I shoveled and used another tool that I don’t know the name of to get the weeds out. The kids kept coming outside to ask me questions or to watch and I kindly told them that I wanted to be alone. RJ come outside and offered to help and I kindly told him to get lost. It took me about 2 hours to clear our abandoned flower bed thanks to that darn crab grass. Crab grass is the devil of grass, it just takes over and there is no getting rid of it. Because of our heated discussion, I now have a ~~beautiful~~ empty flower bed, but empty is beautiful compared to a flower bed full of weeds. I will either plant flowers there or replant strawberries. Not sure yet.

After I was finished pulling weeds, I went to Joseph’s baseball game feeling accomplished and in a much better mood. I’m glad I chose to use my frustration on good rather than being hateful all day.

Sunday was my grandma and late grandpa’s anniversary. My grandma’s birthday is on the 6th and she wanted all of her kids, grandkids and great grandkids to accompany her to church. There were probably only about 30 other people there other than my grandma’s family so it was a very small service, but a great one.

The service was based on Corinthians 10:13.

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

I felt like they were speaking to me directly. I was tempted to continue the argument with RJ the day before and actually lost control of my temper, which is something that I don't normally do. God saw that I was desperate to find a way to settle my nerves, so he took over and found an escape. I was able to take my frustrations out on the weeds; pulling, yanking, shoveling, it felt great. And the outcome? The outcome felt accomplished and gratified.

After the service, we went to my grandma’s house for dinner. There, I noticed that my little sister had a tattoo on her foot that just said: Corinthians 13. I had to google it because I don’t have any scripture memorized.

Corinthians 13 states:

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

This made me smile. I felt at ease. God is by my side and he lets me know by throwing little hints here and there. I just have to see them.

We will all have arguments. We will all hurt, but instead of dwelling on the anger, we need to move our attention elsewhere. Take our frustrations out on weeds rather than each other. Love one another.

Everything.will.be.ok.

Don't sweat the small stuff.

After the dinner ended, we headed home. I was still feeling happy and energized and decided to pull weeds out of our other flower bed and replant some Hostas and Leriope, this time accepting RJ’s help.

Later in the evening and into the night, the kids played kickball and soccer in the back yard while RJ and I sat by the fire, next to each other, cuddled to stay warm. We both felt very much in love.

I cut back the leriope, which is still in the grass as you can see. The blocks in the bed are blocks of the kid's hand prints from 2008. I don't have before pictures, but just imagine both beds full tot he rim with tall weeds.