Sheila's update

OK...I've been working on a "senior project" and I am having some trouble getting the resources I need.  I am needing pictures of my seniors.  One of my problems is that I don't have alot of NEW pictures of them so I am cramming to get as many as possible in the next 3 weeks!!!!  When I am done with my "project" I will put them up in my blog so you can see what I've been working on!

On a different note, my gym trip this morning was a little bit of a success.  I've lost another 4lbs.  So, I am at 185.  My goal is 160, so I still have a bit to go.  It's starting to slow down, and I told Claude that I don't think I will reach my goal by my birthday at the end of June.  However, I will be done by the end of the summer!  Thanks to everyone who's encouraged me and for all of the compliments!  

Here's One of the projects completed!

So...here is one of several projects that Claude has been working on that we FINALLY finished (after almost 2 weeks!):

The pictures don't really do it justice!  The new children's area is now called "Kid Quarry".  It's suppose to be the entrance to a mining tunnel!  All of the children will start checking in here!  We also have 3 large "mining carts" that will transport the younger children to their classes!!! Claude even wired up some "tunnel" lights that hang down from the center of the mine!   The 0-2 yrs old will be the "Pebbles", the preschoolers will be the "Rolling Stones", and the K5-5th graders will still be "The R.O.C.K".  Get it?!?!?!?  The idea is "upon this rock, the church will be built!  THE FUTURE CHURCH PEOPLE!!!!!  We will be launching all of this the Sunday after Mother's Day!

OK, I also have to share a picture of a great girl in our youth group.  When we first moved up here, Megan was in childrens church.  As a matter of fact, she was our first child in childrens church!  NOW, she is in 8th grade.  We ran into her and some friends at Taco Bell tonight.  She was dressed up for the 8th grade dance, but she didn't want to be normal and go somewhere fancy for dinner.  So, she and her friends opted to go to Taco Bell before the dance!!!  She's a nut, but man...did she look beautiful!  It's such a blessing to see them grow up, isn't it!?!

Anyway, before I start getting mushy, here's the picture!

One more thing I forgot...

Last Wednesday, when we weighed in at the gym, I weighed 191 lbs.  I know you can't believe that I am telling my weight.  But, something I am learning is that the first step of conquering a battle is to admit that there IS a battle.  SO... I have lost 20lbs (you do the math!), but I still have 30lbs more to go.  Well, Friday I wasn't feeling that great and I knew we had a LONG night ahead (more of the project we are working on!), so I skipped the gym.  I know, I know, it sounds like a cop out, but I read in a health magazine that a day off is NOT the end of the world.  And we HAVE been going 5 days a week faithfully!  So, I didn't feel too guilty about it!

Anyway, Friday night was a BAD night for me.  I had some popcorn at the movies, and I ate some fried sweet potato chips with my grilled chicken strips at dinner.  Now, THAT made me feel guilty!  Sunday at church, I was talking with my friend, Kim, and I told her I can see how an alcoholic could "fall off the wagon" because food is my addiction.  It would be so easy for me to fall back into my old eating habits.  

So, Monday morning I went and weighed in...I was nervous about what I had eaten.  SO>>> I lost 2 more pounds!  I am not sure why or how, but I was excited!  I am downed to 189lbs!  

So I have 28 more pounds to go!  Keep on keeping on!!!!!!

What is that?!?

Claude & I have been working alot lately!  We have a project that needs to be done by Mother's Day.  SO, WE ARE COMING DOWN TO THE WIRE!  Anway, here are some pics of what we've been up to!  You'll have to stay tuned for more pics and for the final product!!!

Time's almost up

Have you ever been going about your routine in life, totally oblivious to LIFE when something from out of nowhere stops you dead in your tracks?  Well, that happened to me last night.  Claude & I were on our way home from New Bern.  We were listening to his iPod and a song came on that brought me to tears.  The song is called "Hosanna".  The 2nd verse of the song says "I see a generation rising up to take their place, with selfless faith, with selfless faith..."  It hit me so hard that the next generation IS RISING UP.  In less than 2 months, we will be seeing 5 of our youth graduate from high school and go off to college/the air force/the army/etc.  I can't even imagine what it will be like without those seniors there every Sunday night.  Oh, how much I will miss them.  Is this what a parent feels when their child "grows up" and leaves?  Even now, as I'm typing this, I am tearing up!  I love those kids and I don't want to let them go yet.  I have so many thoughts running through my head.  Did we teach them enough?  Do they REALLY GET IT?  Are they prepared to face the world?  Are the prepared to face the spiritual war that they will be entering in college?  Can they feel Christ's presence?  Do they truly know what it is to have a REAL relationship with Him?  

With all of these thoughts going on in my head, I hear a voice (maybe the Holy Spirit?) reminding me..."Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."  Proverbs 22:6

So, parents, some of you may be struggling with "where did I go wrong?"  Why is my child doing this?  Even though I am not a parent, I understand a little of what you feel like.  The Bible gives us a command with a promise!  Pray! Pray! Pray!  God will keep them!  We just have to let go and let Him!  (that doesn't mean that I am not going to ball my eyes out at the graduation ceremonies though!) Thank you Lord for giving me "my" kids!  I love them and am so humbled that you allow me to share in a small part of their lives!

BTW, we have NO juniors, so I don't have anymore to cry over for 2 years!  Unless, of course, our sophomores start inviting juniors!

Here's another one Mom!

So, I talked with my Mom yesterday and she mentioned how Claude, Jason, and myself don't blog as much as we used to.  Well, Claude and I have just been busy.  I try to, but get busy doing other things and forget.  Like last week...I thought I had posted a blog about Claude & I going to Raleigh for a 2 day getaway.  I guess I didn't!!!  I had every intention of doing it, I just got busy and apparently forgot!

Claude has been busy doing church stuff!  New series, new graphics t-shirts, new stage project, new childrens church wing prep, etc.  It's been hectic, but hopefully it will slow down a bit after Mother's Day.

Jason's excuse is that he "twitters" now.  Personally, I think it's a lousy excuse!  But, hey, who am I to stand between a man and his techno addiction!?!  No, it's been busy for all of us!  So, I'll let Jason have that excuse too!!!!!

We are at Claude's mom's house tonight.  His brother and fiance' are in town from Florida, so we are doing the BBQ thing at her house tonight.  I felt a little weird, but they are having hot dogs, brats, mac N chesse, and baked beans. So I brought healthy food for Claude & me to eat.  Which leads me to my next item of what's been going on...

Claude & I have been working out at a gym for about 6 weeks now.  At the very beginning, we measured ourselves. Last Friday, we measured ourselves again to see what progress we've made.  SO...Claude has lost 20 pounds and 5 1/2 inches in his waist!!!!!!!  Now, here's the shocking part...I've lost 20 pounds an 4 1/2 inches in my waist!!!!  My chest size didn't change too much (much to my disappointment and Claude's pleasure!).  I was just shocked that I had lost as much weight and almost as much in inches!  Anyway, I am going to go with the trainer for another 5 weeks in hopes of losing more weight.  My goal is to lose 30 more pounds by summer!  I actually feel like this is within reach.  I haven't felt that way in a LONG TIME!!!

So, that's what's been going on for me.  I will TRY to do better blogging.  I promise!

So long Bruno...

Well, as some of you know, we were fostering a small horse - Bruno.  The 9month old Great Dane went back to his original owner last night.  I can't say that I'm really sad, just bummed that we couldn't make it work.  However, if it comes down to Bruno or my Jack-Jack, Bruno loses everytime.  You see, Saturday afternoon Claude was outside with the dogs talking at the fence with our neighbor, Sandy.  For no real reason (other than territorial dog reasons), Jack-Jack and Bruno got into it.  I mean, they REALLY got into it.  It was so bad, that Claude finally got Jack-Jack away from Bruno, but not before he ended up with a hole in his shoulder (Jack, NOT Claude).  Claude said that Jack-Jack just wouldn't back down and Bruno got ahold of his collar.  He said that Jack-Jack got slung around like a toy and Bruno's tooth just happened to be in Jack's shoulder during this sling-fest.  Anyway, it's probably a great thing that I was not outside when this was happening, because I'm pretty sure I would've gotten hurt trying to kill Bruno...

So, last night, the family that couldn't keep Bruno came back and got him.  I told the youth that we weren't going to be able to keep him and they were upset.  They wanted to make sure that we would be able to "visit" him.  In all honesty, Bruno was a very good dog.  He NEVER showed any aggression to anyone.  Jack-Jack was the aggressor everytime we had an issue.  I just couldn't take the chance that my Jack could get hurt again, or worse, be killed.  I know it may sound silly, but I felt like a mom who couldn't protect her baby.  My Jack got hurt and I couldn't do anything to make it better.

So, we are now back to 2 dogs, 1 cat, and a few tropical fish.  Our housesitter, Bethany, is happy about that!!!  She was nervous about the thought of having to deal with Bruno when we were gone!