the here + now

Weigh loss edition. This is a season. Weight loss. I've been staying away from writing about it on the blog. The whole I've been there. That shame from being here again. But I am here. And while I am in the season I might as well write about it. So for today I wanted to take time to share 5 of my current favorites in my weight loss endeavor. 1.  Water + Lemon. I always hated lemon in my water. That was until I started drinking A LOT of water. I eventually want to get up to drinking 100oz of water a day, but  some days every day coffee kinda gets in the way of that. I will never stop being a coffee lover.  2. Spin Class This is a new love. At the beginning of the year my husband got us a membership at a small gym in our town. They offer spin class, I gave it a try. I was scared. Like no joke S.C.A.R.E.D. but I survived and love it. And I am finally at a point where I no longer need the seat cover. {Because I will warn you if you have ...

Cleaning can be a difficult thing for me. I go from being overly carefree and relax about it to obsessed and overwhelmed with the feeling that it all needs to be perfect. I tried cleaning every room every day. Like clean it. Not just a spot check. That was just making me delirious by night time every day. I decided to read The Fly Lady to see if it could help. In the book she talks about not overdoing. She talks about schedules. And she talks a lot about de-cluttering "getting rid of anything that doesn't bring you joy". She also talks about taking care of yourself. You can't be and do it all if you're ignoring yourself. Exercise. Painting your nails. Reading a book.  So I went into a different type of to-do lists. Have I ever shared how much I ADORE planners & to do lists?! Because I do!! So very much. It's taken some time but I'm finally at a place I'm mostly happy with. Still need to work on cleaning those baseboards. With a dog - oh gros...

Can I just say staying under 3 minutes is hard when you just get to talking.  Oh I completely forgot to mention a change is coming to the blog! Yayyyy!! Soon! I'm linking up with  Ashley  and you should too!!

I will not be doing a vlog this week.  I am a serious hot mess. Not my usual frumpy momma hot mess, but runny nose, sore throat, manly sounding hot mess. So I'm just going to do you a favor and forgo the vlog. If we were having coffee..... ~~I would most likely whine about said sickness~~ ~~I would probably ask you if you've listened to the song WORDS by Hawk Nelson and if you haven't you should...I'll even help, here it is, just listen to it! ~~ ~~I would probably update you on the foster care process:  We had step one of Home Study on Tuesday. What came out of that was A LOT of paperwork.  Next Tuesday starts individual questions. There are 12 questions that apparently take 4 hours. ummm.....~~ ~~We have received a lot of random encouragements from new friends, old friends, strangers on our journey to foster care. It has been lovely and so encouraging, because honestly there's so much negativity about it from ...

When I first saw in an email that Ashley wanted different blogs to talk about lies they've overcome or lies they are working on I immediately emailed her back saying I'd love to. I was pretty pumped that night, I so should have wrote then. But I waited. And then I started feeling overwhelmed. And the lies started. Katie, You are not a writer. You talk all jumbled. Do you really think anyone cares what you have to share. You are not good enough. And this is the lie I am going to share about. This is huge for me. This is probably the most paralyzing lie I feel. This lie causes me to put up my guard with my husband, children, friends, family. This lie reminds me that I never have it all together. This lie hurts. When my kids aren't listening and I'm feeling like I'm talking to the walls -- " you're just not a good enough mom " When I use my tongue to tear my husband down -- " you're just not a good enough wife ...

It's Tuesday!! I started the day extremely stressed with our first home study today so I just gave it to Jesus this morning and tried to relax. The first part of the home study is pretty easy. Ok, I lie. It's a lot of paperwork. And I'm so not kidding when I say A LOT. But we are so energized and excited for what God has in store for our hearts. Big things are happening. Our hearts and being broken, shaped, and molded for more. Anyway.... onto  Tell Me Tuesday What is something about you that you absolutely love yet at times absolutely hate? For me it's my "I-wear-my-emotions-out-on-the-line" Sometimes I love that I can just love freely. But as times I have definitely hurt others, by feeling the need to unload my emotions on someone when it wasn't necessary.  I love with a fiery love. But I also hurt with deep hurt.  Now it's your turn. You tell me!

Hey y'all  {No, I'm not from the south, but I'd rather be} It's Friday which means  FrIdAy CoFfEe DaTe If we were having coffee what would you tell me? If you're posting for Friday Coffee Date don't forget to link up with  Alyssa

Oh yes this is THAT Valentine's Day post where I share a bunch of us pictures. Oh yes and I shall explain every goofy, lovely, us picture to you ;) Mount Vernon Nazarene University PSU We went through a phase where we played A LOT of pool. We got engaged New Years Eve 2004. This is one of our engagement pictures a couple months before we got married. My favorite picture from our wedding. That pastor right there. Him and his wife mean the world to us. He was our youth pastor. His wife, a woman I will always look up to as a wonderful example of a godly wife and mother. A women who does not hide behind her faults but extends grace to herself and others around her. Dancing at our reception. This is called we have 5 month old twins and are barely surviving. The only anniversary we actually celebrated. Alex and Olivia were born the day after our first anniversary. This was right before their first birthday (I struggled being ...

What is Twensday you ask? It's a mix between Tuesday & Wednesday because I completely forgot yesterday to post a Tell Me Tuesday post. And now I understand why people write scheduled posts in their planners. So for this week which will be Tell Me Twensday ..... Do you play games? Board games? Computer games? Video games? And what is your favorite? We are a family of playing. We love games. We even have the closet in our spare bedroom FULL of board games. My favorite board game is Dominion . But a new game we have is Telestrations  which is also lots of fun. With the kids our favorite is  King of Tokyo . Have your ever played these? Do you love to play games? What are your favorites? We are always open to try new board games.

Because it matters. It matters when it brings joy to others. Encouragement. Conviction. It matters. If we are making more of Him through our messes, mistakes and trials. It matters. 

Hey YOU, yes YOU. You are loved. You are cherished.  You have purpose. God has big plans for your life.

This shift in life. The goal was the American Dream. To be able to pay all our bills without fear. To have house guests. To buy what we wanted, when we wanted. Somehow that American Dream, it just falls short. I want more than that. More than the fulfilling lie of the American Dream. What I won't lie about is it is great to be able to pay our bills. No more paying this and then we'll pay that next pay check. We are in a sense "there" But my heart no longer cares. My heart wants more. More than the selfishness of the American Dream. There are children dying. Children being forced into sex at the age of 5. Marriages falling apart. Families starving. People feeling so lost, who just long for a hug. I want to love so deeply it hurts. I want to forgive freely. I want to walk in His joy & love & mercy & grace. I want my toxic thoughts out. I want His fullness in.  I want to speak life into others, not my fears or rejection. The pa...

So I'm taking the plunge. I'm starting a series for my blog. I'm not sure how long it'll last. But the idea popped in my head after Annie's class through The Influence Network so I'm taking the leap. As you can see above it's  {YOU} Tell Me Tuesday I'm going to ask a  question. Light or Heavy. Silly or serious. Random or impossible. I'll answer and you can answer. Explain your answer when you can, if needed. Today. YOU tell me.... When did you start blogging? And was there a reason? I started with good ole xanga years ago, like almost 10 years ago. I stayed there and eventually moved to blogspot. I didn't really understand the "blogging world" and that blog didn't last long for me. I went back to xanga. It didn't take long for me to see that is not where I was to be. Over a year ago this little space got started. I was open to the whole blogging world and actually trying to create community. I blog because ...