It Won't Be Like This For Long.

There are four times I can recall truly breaking down and crying over my daughter. I am sure there are many other times I shed a tear or two, but these four times stick out in my heart and I am afraid they are wounds that may mend, but never truly heal.

1. The day I became a mother, the day she was born. That feeling will never be replaced by any other living being. She was the beginning of the rest of my life.

2. The day I stood in the hallway at her preschool and she cried and screamed for an hour but I knew if I waited each day it would get better and better, and it did. The guilt I felt for taking one college class that semester (which was all we could afford) will never leave my heart. The tears that rolled down my face will never be forgotten.

3. The day Lance wrapped his arm around me and pulled me down the Kindergarten hallway as I walked away crying my eyes out from Mrs. Hall's class. Taylor was so happy and not nervous at all! She actually would of let us drop her off at the curb I think. That day I knew she was going to be the strongest woman I will ever know.

4. This past Friday, June 5th, 2009. Taylor became ill and was unable to attend her last 2 days of 4th grade. I then brought ice cream to her class (as promised) and picked up her things and awards she missed out on at the ceremony. I was fine, had accepted the fact she was a 5th grader now, and going on to a new campus. Then I got in the car and this Darius Rucker song was on, "It Won't Be Like This For Long". I then glanced at the playground and realized that was the last time Taylor would have ever played on a playground again at school. The last time, on Wednesday, without knowing she would get sick and miss her last two days of school, was the last recess she will ever have. Of course I am sure they get to run around and play kickball, and get their energy out at her new campus, but it's not the same. It's not the brightly colored playground equipment, it's not the same angelic faces. Some of the faces will have lip gloss on, or a little bit of blush. Some of those faces won't want their hair to get messed up, or their clothes dirty. I just lost it and will always remember the way I felt as I drove away from that campus for the last time for Taylor.

Listen to the words and hold your children close to your heart, and your daughters just a little bit closer. They are the ones that have to learn to hold their own children one day. What a great gift God has given me?! Taylor.

Thank God It's Falling Off

Man, I had such a busy day yesterday with Tay being sick and getting her ready for camp that I forgot to blog my TGIFO!

I will keep it brief, it was my third week and I feel fantastic! I think I have only lost 4 lbs but I feel amazing! I think I have gained some muscle because Lance says I look slimmer. I can feel it in my arms too!

So, next week I have decided to kick it up a notch. I work out three days a week with my team, but this coming week I am going to add 2 days of working out at home or at the gym as well. I plan on reporting EXCELLENT results next Friday!

*Oh, and at Moms Night Out this week I did not eat any bread at Outback, no cheese on my salad and I chose the Outback Griller Combo plate with steak and shrimp over a bed of rice with grilled veggies and pineapple. I normally would of chosen the rib eye, potato and bread! Small steps Julie, small steps!

Lance is my own personal chef!

Some of you have had the pleasure of Lance's grilling skills. Well, he keeps on trying new things and it just keeps getting better! I brought home a Food Network magazine and today he looked through it and found this recipe for a little "fun" to pour over our steaks. I didn't take any pics because I was unsure if he could even nail it the first time out, and "oh boy" did he ever! It was divine! Here is the recipe for a Balsamic Sauce you pour over your steak of choice. We did it exactly as it directs except we left out the sugar and next time, for two people, you can easily half this recipe.

To make the sauce, simmer 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 2/3 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup honey, 2 sliced shallots, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon allspice, and salt, pepper and sugar to taste until thickened, about 15 minutes. Strain, then whisk in some butter.

*we chose to place our New York Strips over a bed of brown rice with a fresh corn on the cob hot off the grill! Then you pour the sauce on top.

Enjoy, I know I did!

Kitchen Inspiration

This is my inspiration kitchen for my summer project: We Shall See!]

This awesome kitchen is from the Lettered Cottage! You can view her blog if you scroll down towards the bottom right and click on her button!

Terrific Tuesdays!

Blast from the Past

Cash's first pic ever!

2005

For Today Outside my window... It rained a little bit, then got hot again!

From the home office... Nothing, it’s a mess! HA!
From the Kitchen... Tonight is our famous “Make Your Own Night”. I think I will warm up a Weight Watchers Meal.
I am reading... Nothing! I need a break from thinking.
I am hoping...to finish the organizing my mom started today! I am about to take the first steps in the kitchen remodel and remove the cabinet doors on top for open shelving!
I am creating... Space in the house!
I am hearing... Sunny 99.1
Around the house...My mom cleaned out Cash’s closet today and my pantry! WOOHOO! Cash’s closet looks amazing!
One of my favorite things...is knowing I have Lance!
A few plans for the rest of the week... Well, my little girl will be a 5th grader in a few short days and she is having a slumber party to celebrate it! I have to get these kids over to Mudpie to make Lance’s Father’s Day Gift because she leaves for camp Monday for 2 weeks! ;o(
We are having a Family BBQ this weekend and surprising her with a cake!
Prayer Requests... Holly’s Dad is still very ill and needs all the prayers he can get! Big News, Chase and Brandy are engaged! I wish them nothing but the best and pray for their strength as a couple and as parents always!

Confession Time and Upcoming Contests and Giveaways!!

I have a wild and wacky week coming up! Once I get Tay's school year, her "I'm a 5th Grader Now" slumber party, a family BBQ and her dropped off at camp over with I can officially begin my summer!

Remodeling, decorating and painting, here I come!

Confession Time: I have not eaten Beef since Memorial Day! What does this mean? I don't know, but this working out thing has me spinning! I even got chicken and mushrooms on my pizza last night at Movie Tavern instead of my usual Pepperoni! I get home all excited and Lance says, "You big dummy, Pepperoni is pork"! I said, "Oh". (It was my Jessica Simpson moment) I am not swearing off Beef, but I have found myself cooking my usual "beefy" meals with ground turkey or chicken and making wiser choices when I eat out. I think, now, no one quote me on this or ask for my blood, but I think I am going to save beef for "rare" occasions! ;o)

Upcoming Contests and Giveaways!

1st off, my 100th blog post is around the corner! Watch out for an exciting contest with some AMAZING favorites of mine off of Etsy! Here is a teaser!

Then, the giveaways! Oh, the giveaways! I will be going through my collection of serving pieces I have collected over the years from Southern Living and more. I will be selling some for "STEALS" and others I will simply giveaway by getting you guys to leave quirky little posts on here for me! Anyone that knows me, knows I have a large collection of serving pieces, so get ready for some fun! Unless I add on another room to this house, this stuff has to go!

Thank God It's Falling Off

Well, here goes my first official Friday, TGIFO, post! It is week two of my weight loss journey and while I have not weighed yet, I feel FAN-Flipping-TASTIC! I just realized that I have not had red meat since Monday, (BIG DEAL FOR THE JACKSON HOUSE) and I am still alive! I have made two dishes this week that I would normally put hamburger meat in and I used ground turkey or chicken instead and we all loved it! I attend my Team Weight Loss class three days a week and I will admit Wednesday I thought I was going to die because I missed Monday due to being out of town still and man, did I pay for it! Today was much easier. I am jogging 2-3 minutes at a time, at an incline I might add, and I am still alive! I feel leaner and taller. I feel more energy already, and I am sleeping better. This all comes down to healthy living. I wanted to share a typical day of my menu so you can see what I USED to do and what I do NOW.

OLD MENU

• Breakfast- uuuummm, nothing, or a Vitamin water. I was just not hungry, so why eat.
• Lunch- I was starving, so yes, let's eat! Vitamin Water, A Cheeseburger, Mexican Food, Box of Mac and Cheese, Fast Food 9 times out of 10.
• 
  
  Dinner- The Big one! Vitamin Water, Hamburger Steak and Gravy, Rib Eye, Pizza, Fast Food, Maybe some Chicken, always a starch, something along these lines. I always had one of these fatty foods, or I would pick a good meat and eat TONS of starch on the side.

(Do you see I ate no snacks, no vitamins and not alot of fruits or veggies)

New Menu (I will post what I did yesterday).

• 
  
  Breakfast- Water, vitamin, 1 blue berry waffle torn in half and I took 2 turkey sausage links and wrapped the waffle around each one and ate two little breakfast wraps! SO YUMMY!


• 
  
  10:00 A.M. 1 and only Vitamin Water for the day, I was running the roads but knew I needed to eat something. I ate 1 Spring roll (had shrimp, rice noodles, romaine lettuce and dipped it into peanut sauce) So yummy and the fatty part was the sauce, the wrap was practically no calories. (I will blog Spring Rolls next week)


• 
  
  Lunch 12:30- Met Lance for lunch at a Mexican Restaurant. Had a YUMMY chicken salad with a Catalina type dressing.


• 
  
  3:00 P.M. Banana


• 
  
  Ok, tricky part, knew we were eating dinner LATE with family, so around 5:00 I grabbed a handful of nuts and ate them.


• 
  
  Dinner 7:45- Spinach Tortilla Wraps with chicken and loaded with lettuce! SO GOOD! At a local Mexican Restaurant.


• 
  
  Bedtime- 11:00 had 3 crackers, 3 squares of cheese (precut squares) and a cup of 2 % Milk.

Ok, can you see the difference in my eating habits? I am eating all day long now and it's AWESOME! I feel amazing already and it's only been 2 weeks! I also entered a cooking contest at my gym tomorrow. The winner gets 12 weeks of free nutrition classes! Wish me luck!