Challenge Me: Week One, DONE!

My last post was about a challenge I was going to be participating in.

I do several challenges in my weight loss group on Facebook.  It's called Weight Loss Winners Who LOVE being LOSERS!  We are the Loser group, and it's FILLED with losers.  :)

However, one of those members recently started doing Beachbody.  Actually, she's been doing it several months and has done 2 rounds of P90X.  I've done Slim in 6 years ago, but when she asked if I'd join her challenge, I just felt something in me say: "DO IT!"

So, I signed up.  I had NO plans of getting up early and sweating.  I was thinking I'd work out in the evenings when it was cooler.  Wrong.  I've been getting up every day since Monday and working out at 7:00 am.  Seriously, this could not be any more shocking to me.  HA!

But, I LOVE IT!  I work out while it's cool and everyone is still asleep.  I eat breakfast alone (which is amazing!!!) and I feel like I have a whole day to myself--every day of the week!

So, I have to tell you what my results have been in one week.

Weight:  Down 2 lbs.

Bust:  Down 1 inch

Waist:  Down 2.5 inches (2.5 INCHES!!!!)

Hips: Down .5 inch

L/R Arm: Down .5 inch ea

Legs: No change--yet.  :)

I've lost 2 lbs and 5 inches in a week.  

I think next week will be more weight loss and fewer inches, but I'm okay with that.

I am super proud of myself already.  I have finished one week and I'm actually looking forward to Monday's workout...already!!  :)

I am hoping to be lean and mean before we leave for the Philippines and while there, start another challenge in my Weight Loss Group on Facebook.  If you'd like to join my group on Facebook, you have to request to be added.  It's a private group, as we discuss sensitive weight loss topics.  :)

Something else I am prayerfully considering...becoming a Beachbody coach.  :)  Yes, these workouts are THAT addicting.  Feels GOOD!

Challenge Me!

Great News!!!

We are DONE with 3rd grade!  WOOOOOOO!  Jon finished up school on July 4.  Not a bad way to celebrate our freedom, if I do say so myself!  HAHA!!  Now to start worrying and pondering what I'm gonna do for 4th grade.  AAAHHH!!!  

On a more personal note, I, Amber Marie Dunn Gilliam, will be doing a fitness challenge starting THIS MONDAY, July 9.  Some of you know I have a Weight Loss group on Facebook.  This has been HIGHLY motivational for me (as well as others), but I really do need/want to take it up a notch.  So, I committed to doing a workout with one of my members.  She is a Beachbody Coach and on Monday, I and a few other ladies will be doing the Brazilian Butt Lift program from Beach Body.  I am so excited, ready and quite frankly--scared to death.  Well, okay not "scared to death" more like "scared to worry".    I have done another Beachbody program in the past: Slim in 6, and I had great results and once I really committed to it, I loved it.  I am hopeful that in 30 days I can say the same thing about Brazilian Butt Lift.  

This challenge will keep me busy, and no doubt SORE right up until the time we leave for the Philippines, so this is perfect timing for me to do something for ME!  

Trent has mentioned (rather casually) that he'd do it too...but whether he does or not, I am determined to MAKE THIS HAPPEN. 

This is my "before" photo I submitted to Beachbody.  It was taken June 3, 2012.  

My BEFORE before photo is still used as my profile photo for this blog.  So, I have come a long way...but still want to look even better.  

Wish me luck!!

The End is Near!!

Day 160...out of 170.

It's not that I HATE homeschooling, it's just that we have NOT got the hang of it--even this far into the year.

I am fairly certain it has to do with the curriculum choice we went with.  I am not saying this curriculum is horrible and has no value or worth, but I do feel like it's my duty to record my thoughts regarding it so that future homeschoolers can make a more educated decision about what curriculum will work best for their child(ren).

In 10 more school days (5, if I can ever convince him to do two classes a day and actually have a summer vacation this year...), we will have completed Abeka Academy Grade 3.  We are using the DVD program.

What I LOVE:
* It's HOMESCHOOL!  No getting up early (we travel a lot and have LOTS of late nights with church)
* The memory verse work.  Honestly, I did NOT think my son would be able to memorize 4 & 5 verses at a time and be able to recall them for a test.  However, he can quote nearly all of Hebrews chapter 11, which is TOTALLY AWESOME!  He really surprised me and I am SUPER proud of him.
* It's pretty straight forward learning.  Repetition (which works for Jon) and building on each concept as you go along.  This is especially true with Arithmetic.  (Jon no longer uses the word "Math", he prefers "Arithmetic", which I think is kinda cute/cool.)
*Jon really enjoys the Bible class stories.

What I LIKE:
* I really like the Science, History & Health, Safety & Manners classes.  These are the classes Jon has been MOST excited about.  He is quick to let us know something he has learned nearly EVERY day in one of these classes.
*They keep my grades and I don't have to do much work, other than grading and sending in the info.  This is only a minor hassle, but gives me a chance to review again what he is learning and see if he is "getting it".

What I HATE:
* It is a LOT of work.  I mean a lot of busy work.  The "Seatwork" is a long list of additional work that you can assign (or eliminate) as needed per student.  It did not take long until I started creating my own Seatwork list, which MOSTLY consisted of him copying Spelling words only.
* The Bible class pushes a trinitarian doctrine throughout the year, pretty strongly.  I use it as an opportunity to reinforce the Oneness doctrine and so far, I do not think he has any confusion because he already had a strong understanding of the Oneness of God, however it is not something I'd want him exposed to continually.

Overall, I'd say this curriculum is BEST suited for students that REALLY enjoy school to begin with.  I was one of those weird kids.  I think I would have LOVED doing Abeka and would have finished the entire year in half the time.  But, admittedly, I am kinda weird.  I have a friend whose daughter has been doing Abeka since Kindergarten and her daughter is doing REALLY well.  She enjoys all the memorizing, the work, the setting, etc.  She even enjoys the Art class.  We eliminated the Art class VERY early in the year, as it had zero appeal to Jon whatsoever.

Jon tolerates school.  He is a decent student, but some of it doesn't come easily to him (as it did me).  Abeka, pushes the student to a maximum learning potential and I feel like it's just too much pressure for him.  He does not test well with Abeka and with no grades counted for daily work, his test scores are KILLING his grades.  He does well on quizzes and daily work, which obviously do not count for as much in grading.  This is frustrating for me, as a parent.

I am "shopping around" for an alternative for next year.  The good news is, that after completing (almost!!) one year of homeschool, I have a better idea of what I want and what Jon needs.  This is where I was hoping to start my search from last year.  So, we've struggled quite a bit this year, but at the same time, it's been a great learning process and I can't be upset about that.  Jon is learning responsibility and accountability this year and that is definitely a bonus.

Homeschool is not really an option for us.  We HAVE to homeschool with our weird travel schedule, but just because we have NO CHOICE about whether to homeschool or not, does NOT mean I have no choice about how it's done.

Ultimately, I hope to become more confident and do a mix n match of various curriculum and get involved in a charter school type scenario where he can attend a classroom setting at least once a week. However, I have not quite landed on the perfect solution at this point in the game.

My son's education (and eventually Ella's) is the 2nd most important thing I have influence over in his life.  First, his salvation & personal walk with God, then education.  These are the best tools I can offer him for life.  I don't want to mess it up.  And with God's help--we will get all the kinks worked out and my kid will grow up and be thankful and proud of what he has learned.

Earlobes

Have you ever had one of those questions where you really needed an answer to it, but knew you'd have to wait until you got to Heaven to ask the Lord personally?

I wasn't even aware that I had no real explanation for them...until this girl came along.




You see, I now know PRECISELY why God made earlobes. It's because this kid really loves them! If she can't get to yours to hold or rub, she will tug on her own. But, she really prefers yours.

I was also shocked to discover just how big my heart was--the day I became mom to my sweet boy. This is what he did for me all by himself for Mother's Day.





And this (long overdue) post could not be complete without me mentioning my amazing mother. She is so creative, witty, emotional, prayerful, generous, hard-working and most importantly a godly Christian lady and I am proud to call her mine. And the apple doesn't far from the tree--as my Grandma is pretty awesome herself!





So thankful and blessed to be a mother. I wouldn't trade this job for anything. I love my little babies!!




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Too Much...is TOO MUCH!

I realize that my title is probably the MOST profound title I've ever come up with...but really how often do we think about too much being TOO much?

I can't really say that God has been dealing with me with this...but maybe He has (in His quiet, gentle way) regarding stuff...

I have a lot.  Too much, in fact.  How do I know I have too much?  Because I don't have a place for EVERYTHING.  Now, you must realize that my space is much smaller than the average Joe's space, but still, quite large and yet I am constantly CRAMMING my stuff into every nook and cranny and finding as many nooks and crannies as possible to cram stuff into.

It's ridiculous.  And overwhelming.  And frustrating.

Yesterday, I purged my closet.  Again.  For the THIRD time this YEAR!  Yes, since January, I have purged my closet 3 times.

And I still have too much.  Well...at least more than I need.

Oh, I know....you are all thinking:  "What about your bag collection?"  HAHAHAHA!!  Really, I keep that all tucked away nicely under my bed, so it's NOT in the way, therefore is exempt from this discussion.  So there.

"Oh sure, Amber, so what about all your SHOES?"  Well, I'll be honest.  I don't have nearly as many as I used to.  I have a slight obsession with boots...and I possibly have way too many of those, but shoes...well, over the last couple years, I feel like I've pulled the reins in on my shoe obsession.  Am I cured?  HA!  No.  I would not consider myself cured, but I've realized that a cute pair of shoes that don't get any "air time" are worthless and a waste of space.  Again, this DOES NOT apply to my bag collection because...  Well, it just doesn't

I am pretty sure this entire blog post or thought stems from the fact that I am indeed convicted of my bag collection.  *sigh*  There.  I said it.  I am trying to condense, eliminate, organize, rearrange, etc in order to "display" my bags in order that I might actually use them more often.

Chances are...before 2013 rolls around I will be having a "bag sale". But I can't think or talk about that right now.


All of that to say this:  If you have too much, are you thankful for it?  Truly thankful?  Or do you just take it for granted and let it collect dust?  Does it irritate you that you can't see all your stuff?  Are you a disorganized mess because there is just SO much and you can't wade through it all?  Do you wish you were utilizing the things you KNOW you have, but cannot find?

Trust me, I am going somewhere with this thought...but it will require more research and study before I can put it into words.

PS:  Have you seen my sister's blog?  You MUST check it out.  She is writing us a story.  Each post is a new chapter.  It's about a gal named Margo.  I love her already!!!

She waits

She got all her smarts...from me.

My little sis...who I have always looked up to.

You certainly do look sweet tonight!

She has been on a blogging frenzy lately.  She makes me think.  She makes me smarter.  She is the strongest person I have ever known.  She and I have the same sense of humor.  She is fearless.  She is honest (sometimes, brutally so).  She is my sister and she makes me proud.

My thoughts on waiting.

Her thoughts on waiting.

Yeah, chances are we really are related.

Alicia and Gavin and my little furry nieces (Eunice and Iola)

A Meal and a Message

I know this is going to be shocking to most of you that know me, but I, Amber Marie Dunn Gilliam, am beginning to actually "get in" to cooking.  I know, I know...  Several of you have just fainted away.

I am a lot of things...but a cook is NOT one of them.  And it's not because I don't like to eat, but it's because I HATE cleaning.  HATE. IT.  If kitchens cleaned themselves after we cooked, you wouldn't be able to get me out of the kitchen...and I'd be posting about my continuous struggle with weight loss (HAHA).

For Christmas, I requested...no, I BEGGED for a new set of pots and pans.  There really was nothing wrong with the ones I've had for 13 years, other than they were "stainless" steel and not non-stick so cleaning them was even more of a nuisance.  Well, my mom heard my cry and bought me the Paula Dean cookware set!!  :)

I also got a new cookbook.  This is actually my 2nd cookbook.  The first one I got several years ago.  It's for crock pot cooking.  I do not own a crock pot.  Yeah.  The first cookbook is totally useless to me at this point in my life.  Never fear...I do have plans to buy one--I just keep forgetting.

My mom and I made a trip to Ponca City to a book signing.  Not just any book signing.  We met Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman!  I follow her blog, follow her on Facebook, on Twitter and Instagram. Yeah, she pretty much intrigues me.  I am fascinated at how this one woman can do SO much!  She home schools her children, cooks and has a cooking show, she blogs, she does photography, she lives on a cattle ranch, writes books and SO MUCH MORE!  I thought I was a busy lady--but compared to her, I am a sloth.

I actually assisted mom with dinner one night and made Pioneer Woman's Mashed Potatoes.  This was my second attempt at preparing a PW recipe.  My sister and I prepared a meal for New Years day that consisted of PW's mashed potatoes, PW's Chicken Fried Steak.  I will say this one thing about her cooking--if you are lactose intolerant, you CANNOT eat this food.  They are loaded with dairy, cream and cream.  L  O  A  D  E  D.  But sooooo delish.

So, 2012 looks to be an adventure into the realms of cooking for me.  Which frightens and excites me.  I am hopeful that some of the new recipes I've discovered can be converted into more Weight Watcher friendly versions--otherwise, I'll be posting whine-fests about how I cannot seem to lose any more weight!  HAHA!

**********

This is just a quick note to say that my brother is awesome.  I've known this for a long while.  Well, probably since we were kids.  Aaron was "the good kid" and the only boy, so he was SUPER special.  Like nauseatingly special.  HA!!  He was also a genius.  His high school GPA was over a 4.0.  He's always been someone I admired and respected because he has always given 110% to anything he has ever attempted and/or accomplished.

Last night, he preached a message titled:  "Move Over Mediocre".  It was awesome.  It was inspiring.  It was challenging!  There is no time to just half-heartedly move through this life and not doing ALL we physically, mentally and spiritually can to survive.  We must be wiling to be the VERY BEST we can be, no matter the cost.