She enters BEAST MODE!

Okay, not REALLY "Beast Mode", but I feel SO awesome and PROUD of myself.  (Lots of caps, I know...really excited!!)

Week 4, Day 3:  I'm just about halfway finished with the last week, and despite the obstacles (Campmeeting, fatigue, sick kid), I have been faithful to this challenge.  Admittedly, I am going a little nuts on the diet part right now...but still maintaining my calorie intake (so far!!!)  

I ain't gonna lie to you all...the compliments I'm getting sure make me feel even more "BEAST"!!!  HA!!  (Is that term even still popular with the teenagers?  I am so old--another blog post for sure...)

Things I'm enjoying with this new body I am working to create...

1.  I have GUNS!  For real.  I have some very nice biceps developing.  Don't be shocked if I ask to feel my muscles.  I am super proud of them!  

2.  My face is thinner!  Woot!  I didn't even realize that until a friend pointed it out.  I haven't lost all that much weight, but I guess I'm toning down my face too!  YAY!  

3.  Speaking of face:  My skin.  It's getting clearer!  Sweating may actually be GOOD for you.  Who knew?!

4.  My waist.  I love my new waist.  It feels so teeny tiny.  And in way less than 30 days.  Totally awesome.

Campmeeting!!!  

This year has been fun because we were able to bring our trailer (our house!) to Campmeeting.  There is NO COMPARISON to staying on the grounds.  Simply a blast!  My son, has been riding bikes and running around until he comes in every night with sore legs and sunburned nose & lips.  I imagine by the end of the week, his legs will be worn down to nubs!!  HAHAHA!!  

Ella was having a great time herself until she got the dreaded allergies.  UGH.  Since Saturday night, it has been a whine-fest and snot party for us.  Boo that.  Thank you, Lord for inventing Advil.  

Last night, Jon gave me some of the greatest news!!  He helped pray a little boy through to the Holy Ghost!  There is an 8 year old little boy named Greg who got a new birthday to celebrate last night!  WOO HOO!!  I am so proud of him!  

I was going to try to post some photos, but I can't seem to get them to download, so you will just have to take my word for it that I'm having a good time!

Oh!  And by next week I will have final stats from my challenge!!!  As well as Before/After photos!

She begins...Week THREE!

The last couple weeks has had me CONSUMED with working out and tracking food and counting calories.

I started week 3 of my 30 Day Challenge today AND also started Day ONE of another Biggest Loser Challenge.  WOOT! 

I have scheduled a different challenge within my Facebook Weight Loss Group to begin August 6th.

Obsessed much?  Uh, yeah.  Kinda.

This is the reason I was a wee bit hesitant to start a REAL workout routine, because I tend to lose track of EVERYTHING else in order to be consistent and continue with the program.  *sigh*  It's my firstborn nature...

So, update on the results:  Not much change.  Boo that.  In fact, I seem to be GAINING weight.  Go figure.  LOL!  I am only slightly convinced it is muscle because the inches are slowly coming off and my clothes are fitting much better.  

However, I recently downloaded the MyFitnessPal app for my iPhone and I'm giving it a try.  I am really impressed with the app and I like it much better than the Weight Watchers app I was using.

Now, along with all of this health stuff, I've been preparing for our Campmeeting (clothes for the kids!!!) and trying to make all the necessary lists.  

AND....I am also trying to pre-prepare (haha) for our Philippines trip.  We are leaving August 18th!!  AAHHHH!!!!  I am excited and ready to be there already!!  

Actually, the diet and exercise has been a nice distraction to keep me from going nuts about packing, making lists and etc.  HA!  Not to mention, I am getting stronger.  :D

My most favorite non-scale related success?  Dead-lifting Ella (40 lbs) from a sitting position.  I was sitting in a booth and picked her up and over my lap in order to put her in the booth.  I couldn't believe I was able to lift her without grunting and hurting my back.  WOOO!!!!  Being able to lift my 2 yr old is definitely a HUGE victory!  HAHA!!

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!!!