Celebrating My 23rd Birthday

My Birthday was on the 1st of this month. I turned 23, but I still feel 19, well, actually better than I did at 19.  God has blessed me so much in the past year and I just feel overwhelmed when I think about it. It is so easy to look at life and wish that this or that were different, but if I look over just the past year I can see God's fingerprints all over it and when I look through His eyes I can see all the blessings. I read once that comparison is the thief of joy and I have found that to be oh, so true. So I choose to not compare myself and what I have with someone who I think has it better. Instead I choose to look at the amazing blessings God has blessed me with and recognize the fact that I deserved none of it. I recently saw someone make the comment to a person that, "You deserve better!" I'm sorry, but that is not true. What I and every other human on the face of the earth "deserves" is a miserable life, an agonizing death and eternity in hell. It is only by the grace of God and the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross that we can escape the horrors that Satan had planned for us to endure. Jesus came that we might have LIFE and have it more ABUNDANTLY! He has set me free from the laws of SIN and DEATH and given me LIFE! When you come to that realization you will become overwhelmed by the blessings that He has bestowed upon you!

I had so much fun on my Birthday and I know it's really late, but I just had to share my blessed day with you all!

After driving past Panda Express hundreds of times and wondering just what kind of restaurant it really was, we finally stopped there for lunch!

I would describe it as a Chinese version of Subway. I ordered orange chicken and it was the most amazing, mouthwatering, chicken I have ever eaten!

They even gave us fortune cookies, which I am always childishly excited about!

This one was mine...

...and here's Trey's. Now we're talking! That's my kind of Birthday fortune!

We drove right past the arch, but didn't stop. We'll save that for another day; it was very cloudy anyway, so there wouldn't have been much of a view.

This was my first time visiting the St. Louis Zoo and also the only time I've been to the zoo in winter with all of the waterfalls frozen.

I hope he never grows up...

The hippos were the first large animals that we spotted. 

They were all swimming and when they floated to the surface the steam would just roll off their skin. Once they jumped so high out of the water that it splashed over the retaining wall and sprinkled us!

The hyenas were next. Something about them makes the hair on my neck stand up. They look like they have massive upper body strength.

I'm glad there was a fence separating us!

The elephants. Always a personal favorite...

A random four eyed fish...

 It took a moment for me to realize that butterflies and moths were actually hatching out of these cocoons. So amazing!

I could have stayed in the butterfly house for hours!

My favorite was a beautiful blue one, but it wouldn't sit still long enough for me to take a picture.

 I was beginning to feel a little out of place in this subtropic climate.

The grizzly!!!

I really wouldn't want to meet him in the wild...

The seals were absolutely AMAZING! I could have stayed there watching them for the rest of the day!

They are such beautiful and mysterious creatures...

But, I caught this one winking at Trey and that was the end of our visit with the seals. 

(Just kidding, I'm not that territorial!)

A little girl started throwing her glove in the air and several seals began to play with her! I had never seen seals interact like that with a human that wasn't their trainer. It was so much fun to watch!

The prairie dogs were adorable!

 This city squirel was caught red handed stealing the prairie dog food!

This bird was ridiculously loud, especially for his size!

And now for the monkey house!!!

I call this utter relaxation! 

Am I the only one that thinks this orangutan looks like a human dressed up in a monkey suit? 

He was humongous and so friendly that it was almost scary!

He came right up to the glass to say hello to this little girl!

When it was time for them to head inside for the night they went right in.

Love monkeys!!! Please let me live with them! 

(I hope Trey and I look this cute together!)

I could have stayed in the monkey house for the rest of my life, but it was closing time.

On our way out we stumbled upon this outdoor ice skating rink that is usually open to the public but they were having their annual hockey tournaments. We had a lot of fun just watching!

The drive home was long and it was late, but we still had presents to open!

Trey got me some amazing gifts!

A Parcheesi game in some amazing, bright colors! It's always fun to learn a new game.

Ahhhhh... Every household needs one of these relaxing head messagers!

I finally have doughnut pans!

You can bet I got busy with these the first chance that I got! I love the feminine flower print beads and the sweet little fox!

I'm not usually one for fake nails, but when I saw the aztec pattern and two of my favorite colors I was sold!

My Husband blesses me so much!

I was a little sad because Trey forgot all about a Birthday cake. (Okay, I'm totally spoiled by a Husband who always makes me a cake of some kind on my Birthday.) He completely made up for it the next day by making my favorite dirt dessert!

I think I almost set off the smoke alarm this year!

I have been blessed by God in so many ways this year but if you have been living in sin and disobedience to God, please turn to God and accept Him and the blessed life that He is just waiting to give you!

Blessings!

~Clair

Make Intentional Conversation: There’s More To A Person Than How They Make Money

So often we only identify those around us by what they do to make money. We’ve all asked the “normal” question, “So, where do you work?”. We’ll even phrase it differently by saying, “So, what do you do?”, but we mean the same thing.

What you do to make money is important, it is essential to your existence, but it should not be the first and only question we ask someone upon meeting them. It’s one of those easy small-talk things we say that just skims the surface of who we really are. I know these things and yet, somehow I too find myself asking that oh so familiar question and leaving it at that. It’s the easy way to make conversation. Passion evokes emotional responses therefore we stay inside our comfort zone as long as no one talks about things they are passionate about.

 Why not say “How do you spend your time?” or “What kind of things do you love doing?”  

As a stay at home wife and keeper of my home I have a hard time answering that “normal” question. I get really flat looks when I say, “I’m a stay-at-home wife.” I sometimes even get the question, “Oh, well, what do you do?” In our culture what I do is not the norm. I can’t answer that question in one sentence! Nearly everyone I know has a title. The normal answer to that question is I work at Walmart, I’m a lab technician, I’m a carpenter, I’m a realtor, I’m a truck driver, I’m a piano technician, I’m a receptionist, etc. If I said I’m a … and I told you what ‘I am’ based on what I “do” it would sound something like this: “I’m a broom pusher, a toilet scrubber, a happy face and a hug and kiss when my Husband gets home, a woodstove loader, a listening ear to my Husband, a garden weeder, a furniture duster, I hang three different coats of my Husbands up everyday, and I declutter closets…” and that would sound really silly! If you were to ask me “So, what do you find exciting and inspiring?”, I would be shocked into two seconds of silence and then you would still get an ear full because I would most certainly not be able to answer in only one sentence! It would blossom into a heartfelt conversation and we would leave with a much greater knowledge of who we really were. We would leave inspired and encouraged by one another’s passion even if our passions were on opposite sides of the spectrum.

So I challenge you…cut the small-talk and make intentional conversation.

Be inspirational and be inspired!

~Clair

Joyful Living...

     

Two of my best friends...My Husband and my mother.

“Let us make one point, that we meet each other with a smile, when it is difficult to smile.

                                                          Smile at each other, make time for each other in your family.” 

                                                                                                                                                                                      - Mother Teresa

New Life + Loss

I have a secret...

 We found out we were pregnant the Friday before Christmas! I cannot even begin to express the joy, and utter amazement that we felt. It was the most perfect Christmas present ever! I actually did the test myself and revealed it to Trey in the form of a gift.

 Before we were married we decided that we would accept however many children God blessed us with. Sadly, that is abnormal in our culture, but that is something to talk about another day. Nearly four years came and went. We lived in this awkward place of being content with what God had for us at the time and also desiring for the Lord to bless us with children. It’s one of those things that you can’t grasp until you have been there yourself. We had our moments of impatience, but for the most part we felt so blessed by the Lord and He was and is still doing a work in us! He is helping us grow and discover ourselves and His plans for our life.

I was amazed and could hardly comprehend that I was actually pregnant! It was overwhelming to think that a little life was growing inside of me. I thought of things I had never thought of and felt things I had never felt. I began devouring anything that I could get my hands on that contained information on child bearing, delivery, breastfeeding and anything related to this new phase of life I was entering. We had told several people that we were expecting but I used secret boards on Pinterest for the first time ever, as we had yet to publicly announce our wonderful news. I began to learn the most amazing things about pregnancy and childbirth! Trey dug in and began learning right alongside me as we both wanted to be informed and know as much as possible about the process so that we could make the best decisions for our little baby, myself, and our family as a whole.

We celebrated four years of marriage on February 14^th! The next morning I awoke from a fitful sleep and discovered that I had begun spotting. I remained calm but as the day progressed I began to cramp more and more. I knew it was all in God’s hands and I prayed that He would help me keep this baby or help me to let it go. Things remained pretty much the same until around 8 o’clock on Sunday morning. My cramps then grew in intensity and I began to bleed heavily. I tried to stay lying down as much as possible, but I had to keep getting up so that I didn’t make a mess. I passed out twice and felt miserable. I kept hoping that everything would be okay, but I knew it was possible that I was losing the baby. My heart broke. There are no two people alike and I realized that if I lost this baby there would never be another person like it. The world would miss out on what this baby would grow up to offer to those around it. I would never know just what its personality was like or how it looked. I wouldn’t even know if it was a boy or girl.

We decided to stay at home unless the situation became an emergency. I’m so glad that we did. In the midst of this terrible physical and emotional pain I was able to be in the most peaceful, restful, and relaxing place. Trey took such good care of me. He was my rock. He saw to all of my physical needs and offered his loving support and encouragement. One of the best things that he did was to play his guitar and sing softly and quietly. It took my mind off of the pain and helped me relax.

I finally miscarried on Monday afternoon. My heart was sad and I felt so empty. One of my first thoughts was that our suffering was so little compared to what Christ suffered for us. He took on the sin of the world, our sin and died in agony on the cross. He was patient and willing in spite of the physical and emotional pain. Our sin separated Him from his father. God could not even look upon him. He did that for us and he was there with me through my pain. He was with me all the time.

I cannot explain the days that have followed. God has poured such peace and joy over us! I know it sounds strange to say that we have been joyful, but it is true! Trey and I have laughed together more these past two weeks than our entire married life so far. God blessed us with time to spend together to draw strength and comfort from one another. There have been moments of tears and sadness, but the joy of the Lord always overwhelmed our sorrow. Friends and family have brought food, sent letters, called to check on us and visited us. We have been lifted up in prayer by so many and we are truly blessed.

God numbered the days of our child before it even was with us. I wouldn’t trade the last few months for anything. God blessed us and our child was a blessing to us while it was here. I will always love my baby and one day I will meet it for the first time in Heaven! God has amazing plans for our lives and I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us! Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Never take for granted the life giving power that you wield and may the joy of the Lord be your strength! 

~ Clair

My Trim Healthy Journey...

Last October I shared this post after receiving my copy of Trim Healthy Mama in the mail.

I'd like to tell you a little about my journey so far! I am sharing this personal information, in hopes that it will in some way encourage you to live a healthier lifestyle; so that your days upon this earth will be blessed with abundant good health and vitality!

I've been eating the Trim Healthy way for over a year now and I can honestly say it has been the most wonderful year of my life (food and health wise). I’m 22 years old and I have PCOS. I have been married to my wonderful Husband for 3 ½ years. I've struggled with my weight since I became a teenager and every year the weight seemed to inch a little higher. On my wedding day (I was almost 19 years old) I weighed around 175 lb. and after two years of marriage I reached my highest weight, 205 lb.!

Me at my highest weight, 205 lb.

             I felt sick all the time, I had terrible neck and upper back pain that would NOT go away, I had heartburn almost everyday, irregular monthly cycles, my body sent the signal that my tummy was full hopelessly late and therefore I over-ate. I slept restlessly every night with terrible nightmares and felt stressed and exhausted upon waking each morning like I had worked all night long. All of that extra weight was plain uncomfortable and it became harder and harder to feel comfortable in my own skin!

            My Husband and I tried a special diet for 5 months. It involved juicing, eating mostly vegetarian, non-dairy, etc., etc… It was full of rules and just plain horrid! My Husband got too skinny and I lost about 25 lb. It was not practical whatsoever! After realizing that we could not continue eating that way we stopped cold turkey and I quickly gained most of the weight back and began to feel miserable again.

            One day my Husband surprised me with an unexpected package in the mail. It was an interesting looking book that I had been longing to read; it was Trim Healthy Mama!

            Trim Healthy Mama was a super easy read in spite of containing 650 pages. It was full of wisdom gained from much research and study and delivered in such a fun and often times humorous way. I wanted to give this thing a try and see if applying the principles in the book would actually work. I made my first on-plan meal on October 23, 2012. I began my Trim Healthy Journey at 192 lb.

Me at 192 lb.

 In the next few months I would begin learning how to nourish my body in a healthy and slimming way and yet never feel deprived! I enjoyed cooking more than I ever had before and honestly, I enjoyed what I was eating more than I ever had before!

By our 3^rd anniversary, in February, I had lost 12 lb.!

Me at 180 lb.

For four months I yo-yoed and plattoed. I did my first fuel cycle at the beginning of June and lost 4 lb.! I learned so much from that fuel cycle. I realized I had been having too many “Heavy “S” meals, not enough “E” meals, and too many off-plan meals. It was time to get serious. I passed my wedding weight and stalled at 174lb. in August, but after a fuel cycle at the beginning of September the pounds once again began to slowly melt.

Me at 174 lb.

This Thanksgiving I weighed 163.8 lb.! I was fourteen the last time I weighed that much!

Me around  160 lb.

I actually lost weight over Christmas and I've made it to the 150's!!! This week I weighed in at 157.4 lb. That means from my heaviest I've lost a total of 47 lb., with 35 of those pounds being lost after reading and applying the principles found in Trim Healthy Mama! That means I'm over halfway to my original goal weight! It seems almost unreal to me that I have made it this far and without ever feeling deprived!

 I may yo-yo slightly, I may even platto for a while, but I now have the knowledge of what to do when that happens! I know that if I keep taking it one meal at time I will eventually make it to a healthy weight for me! I’m 5’ 3 ½” tall (yes, exactly), and my original goal was 130 lb. It may end up being more like 120 lb., but I’ll know when I get there. When Trey says, “Honey, you’re getting a little on the skinny side…” it’ll be time for some crossovers that will help me maintain. Oh, but wait, there is so much more than weight loss, that’s only part of the blessing that Trim Healthy Mama has been in my life!

            I feel AMAZING!!! My neck and back rarely hurt anymore, heartburn-a thing of the past, my monthly cycles have become regular, after eating a moderate amount of food my body actually signals that I’m full, and I sleep like a baby most nights! I feel calmer and more in control instead of being up and then down all the time. I feel free and I can think clearly! Over all, I just feel like superwoman!

            I can't express my thankfulness enough to the authors of Trim Healthy Mama and the changes that it has brought in my weight and overall health. I wish I had a million free copies to give away to anyone who was willing to give it a try, but I don't. My hope is that after reading this you will be encouraged to get serious about your health and that just maybe you will give Trim Healthy Mama a try.

Before and During...

  Lovin’ this Trim Healthy Journey! Come join me!

~Clair