Be an After!

"19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

As a Christian, my body is the temple of Christ and I should use my body for service to him. And by having a healthy body, I can stay in service to him longer. And as a Christian mom, I want to teach my children to respect their bodies, not just in purity, but also in taking care of God's temple. So, I should be an active example, and practice what I preach. This revelation led me to realize that I needed to get healthier. I want to be able to play on the floor with my grandkids and to run around with Rylan and Jacob when they are in high school. I want to be healthy so I can do stuff with Jason as we get older. I don't want to be on a lot of medicines as I age. So all of these desires led me to the decision that it was time to get healthy. And getting healthier for me, meant losing a little weight. Enter Weight Watchers...

This is Kim, the Before picture taken on March 1, 2008. I am with my dear friend Holly (it's her Before picture too!)

Above is the Before - taken March 1, 2008. I am with my dear friend Holly.
And here is the After!!! Taken June 21, 2008. I have lost 33 pounds and Holly has lost over 20 pounds!!!
How did this healthy weight loss happen? With these tools for success - my new favorite things! If I was Oprah, I would give them away to all my audience! hahaha

My favorite WW cookbook, Skinny Cow ice cream (which I eat every single night!), trusty food journal and pen, Diet Green Tea, Fiber One bars, lots of fruit and BBQ thins from WW.

And my another favorite WW tool for success... the menu!!! This trusty notepad was in the dollar spot and I bought 6!!! I plan 2 weeks of food and go grocery shopping. I go back after one week for more fruit and milk for the boys.

This photo was taken on July 9,2008... the day I reached my lifetime goal!!! So now I am in the middle of 6 weeks of maintenance and then I am considered a full lifetime member of WW. Then I have to stay at this weight. And one of the most important tools for success... my friends!!! Heather, Tamara, Holly and I have been attending meetings together since March 3, 2008. And we all have had great success on the scale and off the scale! And our group has also grown! There are about 6 other people who have joined the WW healthy bandwagon since we have started.


So once you reach lifetime what is your prize - you know, besides all of the healthy things?!?! A cool key chain for losing 10%, a hands clapping charm for attending for 16 weeks, a weight charm for losing 25 pounds and the best... a gold star with WW on it for reaching lifetime.

And another perk... smaller clothes! I NEVER thought that I would see this number in my clothes again!!! Yipee! My old clothes looked like clown pants! So smaller clothes, means a little shopping spree too! :)
So here is the new Kim - 33 pounds smaller, a TON healthier, more full of energy and confidence, ready to serve the Lord for many, many more years. My first goal was to get healthier so that I can play on the floor with my kids and run around the park with them for many years. I want to keep my temple clean and healthy out of respect for God. And with having my priority on making my body better prepared for years of Christian service, it has made the actual weight loss icing on the sugar-free/fat-free cake! I have loved trying new recipes, telling people that if I can do it anyone can do it. WW is not a crash diet, or eating pre-made foods - it is about making healthy choices. And hopefully I can also teach Rylan and Jacob to make healthy choices from the beginning. Thanks to everyone for their encouragement. And if you are wanting to be healthier and lose a little weight too, I highly recommend WW! :)

She's One!

This weekend our precious niece turned one year old! Evan is such a sweet little girl with the cutest dimples! Her party was pink and purple cupcakes. This was the cake the guests ate. KK (her mommy) made a large cupcake shaped cake for Evan to eat by herself.Here is the princess in her new chair.
KK, Evan and Justin... one sweet family!
Back to the cake... Evan did a great job of smashing it all over her face, arms and the floor!
After the cake eating Evan crashed! Then we sat around and visited for a long while. The party was so much fun! It was nice to get to see all of Karyn's side of the family and to celebrate Evan. Jacob and Rylan are so blessed to have a cousin so close in age. We know they will have many fun times together! Happy 1st Birthday Evan!!!

A Day in our History

July 24th is a special date in our history! For those of you who know me well, you know that I am very weird about remembering dates and numbers. My first grade BFF - still know her phone number. 8th grade locker combi - still know that too, 18-24-36. Date of Prom - April 29. And don't get me started on birthdays... if we've met, I probably know your BD. So it is not unusual for me to ask Jason, "Do you know what happened on this day ___ years ago?" Bless his heart - he usually plays along with me. But this date - July 24 - he remembers too!

10 years ago he proposed to me on July 24th!!! We went to dinner at La Hacienda Ranch in DFW - which was delicious!!! Then when we got back to his parents house he said , "Let's go out in the backyard and talk." So he got out a blanket and we were laying on it looking at the stars and planning our future when he jumps up and said he forgot something inside. He comes back out with a pink and black heart-decorated gift bag. Up to this point in time, July 24 th was no where near a gift-giving occasion, so I was puzzled. He handed me the bag and as I was opening up he was getting on one knee. I was sitting on the blanket, so he was still taller than me though! Inside the box was a Kim Anderson figurine of a little boy holding roses with a heart-shaped box at his feet. Inside the heart box was my ring! Then he said a lot of wonderful mushy stuff and of course, I said yes!!!!! Below is the scrapbook page of the night and my ring ceremony at HU.Flash forward to 2006 - I was 27 weeks pregnant with our twins. Everyone said to take maternity pics at 31-32 weeks, but I was paranoid of bed rest, so we got them done at 27 weeks... on July 24th. And it was a good thing because my water broke on August 9th (don't worry, there will be another trip down date memory lane coming August 9th) at 29 weeks and while I was in the hospital, these pics could never have been taken. A family friend took them and she did a very tasteful job! These are the ones on our bedroom wall...
This one is my favorite!
And now - this is us 10 years later!!! Some things have not changed a bit in 10 years... I still laugh way too loud, Jason is still the calm one, we still pray together every night, we still lay on blankets and plan our future and we still love Mexican food! But one thing has definitely changed - I am much more full. Not in monetary terms or the size of my tummy after supper, but in the fullness of my love for my husband... the fullness of my heart for my miracle babies, and the overwhelming richness that God has blessed Jason and I immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine. What a wonderful God we serve who loves us!

Pink Birthday 2008

There are 7 of us in a little circle of friends and we have been having 7 birthday parties for several years now. This year we decided to have one big party to celebrate our friendship and each other... so we lived 36 hours of glitz in the Galleria!

After much traffic, getting stopped by a cop, touching a cop, driving through the parking garage for what seemed like hours, we finally made it into the Galleria!With 7 girls, one of which is pregnant, Mango Tea at LaMadeleine and many Starbucks, there were lots of potty breaks! We could not resist this photo op in the Saks lounge (notice it is not called restroom). There was this leopard BED-looking couch that we all piled on amidst looks from other patrons... but aren't we cute?!?!?
We said no gifts, but Holly is turning the big 4-0 this year, so the rest of us pulled off a HUGE surprise for her! She is, after all, the original Marathon Bird, so her gift from us was running-centered. We got a runner's medal, otherwise known as "running bling," engraved with HBD. We also gave her a coupon for ALL of us to do a race, of her choice, this next year. ALL of us is a big deal because this bird can't run to the mailbox and back!!! hahaha We also got shirts made for us to wear in the race. And the last part was a scrapbook of how much we love Holly! We took the letters H-O-L-L-Y and came up with attributes, her favorite things, etc that started with each letter. Then we each made a personal page with pics and a letter from us to her.

Pulling this off was a MAJOR task! The shirts were late getting printed...like late enough that when we picked them up they were still hot! And the girl had not made the medal yet. Then sneaking the shirts into the hotel with Holly in the same car as us was also a sight! Robyn and I took an extra long potty break at dinner to wrap all the gifts and give them to the manager to deliver to our table. But it was SOOOOO worth it! Holly was so surprised and excited! Happy 40th Dear Friend!!!
Said dinner was not a WW friendly event... but it's only your BD once, right?!?!?! We ate at a certain Factory that is famous for Cheesecake. We ate a delicious main course, but dessert was what we came for. We got Godiva, Carrot Cake, Kahula Coffee and Key Lime cheesecakes to try. We would take a bite and pass it until all the plates were clean! It was worth every point and more!!!!!
The Girls! Holly, Lacie, Robyn (and Baby K), Heather, Me, Maria and Deanna
Saturday was full of shopping. I discovered Ann Taylor Loft and let me say...I love it! One of my favorite shopping memories was getting properly fitted at Nordstrom's. It started with just me and Lacie in the dressing room and before long, 5 of us were all crammed in! It was a LOUD, funny, full of laughter hour. And I must say that I am very pleased with the purchase. Oh, notice our pretty toes? We also all got pedicures!
A few of us with our bags!
Friday night we stayed up WAY past our bedtimes.. giggling, planning, praying, doing facial masks, snacking, telling stories... you know, typical girl stuff. Oh, and I got my picture made with Lisa Leslie of the LA Sparks! Thank you sweet husbands for letting us get away for 36 hours to get rejuvenated! It was such a treat and a great time to celebrate each other! Happy Birthday 2008!

Horsin' Around!

Who needs a real horse when we've got Daddy?!?!?!?!?

"Giddy Up Neigh-Neigh!!!!"
Seriously, this is the best part of the day!
Yes, brother, I agree. Riding on Daddy's back ROCKS!!!

Just Jacob

From head...

to toe...
He's just Jacob!
Gotta love his style!!!hahahahaha

Influences

A wise person once said, "You are always an example - whether good or bad." And she was right! This past week some dear family friends came down for a visit. It was the first time they met the boys and we were all bursting with excitement to see them! Our visit was perfect, just too short.

Now let me tell you a little bit about these two wonderful people, Ron and Nelda. When I was little Mom and Nelda were BFF. They did everything together - from shopping, to cooking, to visiting the shut-ins at church, the list goes on and on. Nelda was always like a second mom to me which was fabulous since she had two boys, so I was her princess! She would teach me craft-y things, make the COOLEST gifts, laugh a genuine laugh and tell the best stories. I always remember her singing soprano and you could hear her beautiful voice praising God throughout the auditorium. Nelda is LOADS of fun - then and now. And when we went to Nelda's house, we always went in through the garage and peeked through the window at the top of the door. I thought that was the neatest. They also had these bar stools that she would let me spin on for hours as she and mom chatted.

But the thing that always stood out to me about Nelda is her servant heart. She was always behind the scenes taking care of the widows or the sick. She is extremely thoughtful and always had "a little something" for everyone who entered her door. As I have become older, I have looked back on the influence she had on my life. From Nelda, I learned to be faithful... to teaching children, to loving widows, to your husband, to your kids, to your friends, to spreading the Word. I have learned to be thoughtful. I still have notes that she mailed me when I was little. The hand-written word is so powerful and such an encouragement. I also have learned to be dedicated... as our preacher once said, " She is old faithful and you are young faithful." She has cooked a million covered dishes for anyone who needed it... and never once called attention to herself. So I guess that also has taught me to be selfless.

In almost every Bible study I have done, at some point the author tells you to write who has been a positive influence on your Christian walk. Nelda is always the first person to come to mind. As I read about the Proverbs 31 woman, Nelda pops into my mind.

Here is Nelda reading a book to Rylan and Jacob.
Ron, Rylan, Nelda and Jacob
Jacob, Mom, Ron, Nelda, Dad and Rylan
The Fab Four... Ron, Nelda, Mom and Dad
We all have had wonderful Christian women who have taught us lessons. Nelda is not to only one for me. Many come to mind... Have you thanked them? If not, I challenge you to sit down and write them a note to thank them for helping you to grow into being a strong Christian woman. And remember, someone may be watching you, so be a woman of faith!

Portrait of a Runner

It's official... running season is here! Yes, I know that you can run year-round, but "real runners" train for events and a lot of the events are in the winter so the summer means the beginning of the "season." Last year, my sweetheart became a runner! He completed his first half-marathon in January. We were all so proud of him! Several of my friends are runners and they have persuaded their sweethearts to become runners this year too. Jason is super excited to have Scott and Troy join him this season.

Now last year when Jason decided he wanted to do the half, he told me that running was a "free sport." That was the BIGGEST LIE he has ever told me!!!!! You have a fee to join the running club, you have to buy shoes, a watch, Amphipod, MP3 player, GU or sports beans, Gatorade, special tech shirts & shorts, socks, pay a race fee... and the list goes on. But is all the stuff worth it for this "free sport?" ABSOLUTELY! All of the gear makes the training easier and more comfortable. And all of the purchases have been very well used. Even though running is not free, I 100% support Jason and he endeavors. (He supports my "free hobbies" too... you know scrapbooking and card making!)

So what does a runner look like in full gear? Here is my runner - ready for his run tonight. He is sporting his new tech shirt and shorts from the Under Armor outlet in San Marcos.

The shoes are a big, fat hairy deal! Last year Jason developed plantar faciatis, which was MISERABLE, so he sprung for a even better shoe this year... it's a Mizzuno.
And the MP3 player is a must. Running 4 times a week for at least 30 minutes warrants a little bit of jamming! He has loved loading songs and creating a diverse library to listen to as he runs... a lot of U2, some Bon Jovi, the Killer's, Foo Fighters and more! And the arm holder thingy is also a must!
Now you would think your regular watch would do... but not if you are training! The coaches tell you what intervals to run... 5 minutes walk, 1 minute run, etc. The watch beeps at you so that you know when to switch.

And that yellow bottle is his Amphipod... the fuel belt. It has 3 bottles that are usually filled with Tiger Gatorade, any flavor. This is also a MUST... a runner must stay properly hydrated!
This is new this year... the sweatband. Sweet Jason is quite the sweat-er, so he is trying this out to see if it helps. The jury is still out...
So that's what a runner looks like... or at least my runner! I am so proud of you Jason!!! Keep running and the boys and I will be cheering for you along the route this January!

(If you are interested in what a girl runner looks like, check out Holly, Maria or Heather in my side bar - they run like the wind too!)

Bible Power Hour

I mentioned earlier that our church is doing a summer program called Bible Power Hour. We meet every Monday for an hour. The kids sing songs, hear a Bible story, watch a puppet show, do a fun craft, eat a small snack and get prizes for the Summer Reading Club. It is kind of like storytime at the library, but Bible-based. I started another blog devoted to teaching kids the Bible. Check it out! ( I don't know how to make it so you click on the link! Oh to be more techo-savvy! But it is linked in my sidebar.)

www.kidsandthebible.blogspot.com

If you have any great ideas to share, send me an email and I'll add it to the blog. It is my desire to create a place where we can share things that we can do at home and in Bible Class to teach kids about the Bible. I plan to put the Bible Power Hour lesson each week and the things that I do/did with first graders at church.

If you have any tips, let me know!!!:)

I heart Eric Carle!

What would cause someone to squeal in delight when walking into Kohl's? An Eric Carle display, of course!!! Mom and I ran in to Kohl's with the boys and I actually scared some of the patrons! This is what I HAD to purchase today!
You see, as a former first grade teacher and mom, I have a LOVE for all things Eric Carle! While I was pregnant, Jason read Brown Bear every night (along with Green Eggs and Ham and at least one Psalm) to my growing belly. As a teacher, I love the rhythm and rhyme in his books. The pictures are breath-taking. And the words are repetitive and predictable. All in all, perfect books for children!!!

Back in 2000, I got to meet Mr. Carle. He came to a local children's book store. You had to purchase a book from their store and then he would autograph a total of three books. So below is his signature inside of Does A Kangaroo Have A Mother Too? He also signed Brown Bear and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
I was very proud and excited because inside VHC he not only wrote his name, but he also drew a little butterfly. As I was talking his ear off about how much I loved his books and that we made a class graph of our favorite books (VHC won) he kept drawing. The copy of VHC was mine from childhood.
Here's my scrapbook page from the meeting...
And here is most of my collection of Carle books! Can you say obsessive?!?!?! I know that I have a few more, but could not track them down for the photo. As I was pulling them off the shelf different memories came to me.

Jason gave me Dream Snow one Christmas before the boys. I love how it plays a song at the end. I read Slowly, Slowly every year when I taught about the rain forest - one of my favorite units! Did you know that a sloth only goes #2 once a week? (Sorry, that is gross, but always the kids favorite fact!!!) When we read The Mixed Up Chameleon we would use water colors to paint a new mixed-up creature. I had stuffed characters for Polar Bear, Polar Bear and we would retell that story a hundred times every January. Oh I could go one for hours!
So if you have a Kohl's near you, go today and get your hardback books and matching stuffed animals for only $5 each!!!! Hurry, go now!!!

What is your favorite Eric Carle book?