Running the Race

Last fall after listening to a friend talk so much about the hit show "Biggest Loser" I set the dvr to record each episode. Adam & I were hooked from the start! It was so shocking to see the effect that weight had on the contestant's health. I mean, don't get me wrong, I've always known that the more "physically fit" you are the healthier you must be. But I had no idea the extent of it all that it even controlled how your body ages on the inside! Wow! Each week as we watched, the trainers even worked with each contestant on their mental health...their mental stability...the issues that ultimately brought them to the point where they were with their weight. It really got me to thinking. Here I was 27 years old, mother of 2 beautiful & healthy children, but Adam & I looked so "sloppy." Of course, we were nowhere near the people on the show, but I felt so yucky like that. So by the end of the year I decided that I really wanted to make a change...but this change had to be an ALL-AROUND change. I couldn't change my body without changing my mind as well. We, as Christians, know that God wants us to be healthy--to take care of His temple (our body).

After connecting all the dots and thinking real hard about what it was going to take for me to make the necessary "life-style" changes, I knew I had to go from "head to toe" from the very beginning. Since then I've tried to remind myself that becoming/staying healthy cannot be about LeAnn looking good, but it has to be about being what God created me to be including, but not limited to, what my husband needs, my children need, etc. If I don't take care of myself who will take care of them if I'm not around to do so? So when I do a workout video & it starts to get a little tough I focus on the pictures of my children on the mantle & 2 pieces of decor. One simply reads "Blessed" and the other "Never, Never, Never give up." I mean, how can I not do my part after everything God has done for me? I truly believe that we are to condition our physical bodies just as much and as diligently as we do our spiritual bodies. Now, I've seriously slacked along the way this year but am trying to get back on track now. Which has led me to a new book that dad has been mentioning quite a bit over the past few months called "the me I want to be--becoming God's best version of you" by John Ortberg. I'm anxious to find out what exactly that is...God's version of me! I know that I am nothing without my God so I try to make every little thing I do about/for Him...keyword there is try. I'm not there yet, but I'm working on it. I'm running the race He has set before me...making my way to THE prize. And trying to bring others in as I do so. :)

"Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. All athletes practice self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step."

I Corinthians 9:24-26a NLV (emphasis mine)

I'm baaaaack...

Well, it's been quite a while since my last post. I was just reading through that last one and thought, "Wow. I sounded motivated." haha :) You wanna know how long that lasted? Actually, I'm happy to report I did very well in the spring with that new found motivation. I started a new morning routine after getting Landry off to school and from mid-February to May I lost about 15 lbs and was feeling so great! I even ran my first 5k in April! It was so much fun!! :) We even finally got to take a little trip back to the beach when school got out, and I felt so good & COMFORTABLE walkin around & playin in the ocean in my swimsuit. It was such a nice change!

But...yep, you knew there was a but coming huh...when we got back from the beach and the next week I had gym camp ALL WEEK from 8-5:30 my motivation quickly wore out because I was worn out! Plus, with no school & no gym classes for the summer we didn't exactly have a "regular" schedule. So unfortunately, I allowed myself to get out of my routine. Thankfully, even though by the end of the summer I felt like I had gained back every bit of the weight I had lost I had only gained 3 lbs but still! The inches are what felt worse. I was very glad last week when school days started up again & this week we started gym classes so I could get back on track w/ my routine. Hopefully, I can discipline myself even more so that when "breaks" come I'll continue w/ my routine & stay committed. Because something that I definitely learned in the spring is that I need to do this for my family-my children...I need to stay healthy for them because they depend on me! So even though it is about me feeling good again (& feeling like I look good) it's about being what I need to be for those I love! Yay for my motivation back! :) I am excited to report that I will be running another 5k tomorrow morning. Wish me luck because I haven't been running much. haha

I'm glad to be back on the keyboard again so hopefully you'll be reading much more about Coach Hudd & our mini-me's.

ahhhh.....

Another year...another birthday...ehh no biggie. ;) I honestly have yet to get that "freak out" feeling that I'm creeping up on the dreaded "30" mark of my life. I really don't feel any older for the most part. Although, it's very evident in my body that I'm getting older & therefore, changes are necessary. hehehe! Change is always good right. But we humans are creatures of habit...correct? Well, this creature has hit her limit of using that old excuse that I never had to really "worry" about watching my weight or really "trying" to stay in shape, work out, eat "right," etc. I ABSOLUTELY MUST quit being so lazy & create new habits for myself!! Ahhh!! So why the mess am I still so sluggish & feel so blobby?! What will it take for me to get "with the program" & make some lifestyle changes? I really don't know. I say that I think it would help tremendously if I had a partner in crime, if you will. A fellow needer to lose weight & get healthy pal that will help me stay accountable for my intake & exercise, etc. Yeah well...haven't found one yet. And I can't afford a gym membership so that makes it a little more difficult to find a buddy like that because we can't both get on my treadmill at the same time. And honestly, by the time I'm home with my family I'd rather not leave again.

And I need more than to just get my body in shape...I need to get my mind in shape again!! Woah do I ever need to get my mind in shape!! I really wonder what happened to that girl that used to be so determined about something that no matter what I'd get something done or accomplished. Adam & I have a dear friend that we rarely see or speak with but when we do it's always so good to see him or talk to him. And it's especially nice for he & I to talk because this friend has always challenged me intellectually. From our very first year at Belhaven this guy challenged my faith, and he helped me to understand how imperative it is for us to really KNOW why we believe what we believe! And on a further note, this friend is unfortunately not a fellow believer...he doesn't necessarily not "believe" he just doesn't BELIEVE...know what I mean. Every opportunity I get I share with him what God has done in mine & my little family's lives & I pray that one day he will come to know the Jesus that so amazingly LOVES him!

Now don't get me wrong my role as a mother is EXTREMELY important & most definitely one that I would never exchange for anything!! But sometimes I feel that I've allowed the fact that I have been a "stay-at-home" mom to dwindle my desire to learn. Does that make sense? I mean, here I worked so hard to earn a degree in an area of study that I still feel so strongly about but I haven't done a thing with it since that paper was awarded me. I just know that I let my being a mom stop there when I could have continued my process of learning & seeking knowledge. So anyway, that's where I am right now. 2010 has big things in store for my family I have no doubt about that! Now it's time for me to start living up to some great expectations as well!!

Another good one!

Another Christmas has come and gone. It went by so fast it seemed. This year our plans ended up being a bit scattered...at last minute we ended up at Adam's parents' in Brandon on the 23rd then as usual at my parents' on Christmas Eve. It was for the most part the same routine except for a few specific things...lil Jerry is overseas & Grandaddy in heaven. We did, however, get to spend almost 2 hours "with" Jerry via skype which was good. In the past few weeks especially I've been missing my brother and anxiously awaiting his return which turns out will be sooner than I had originally thought! :) I've kinda done pretty well emotionally as far as Grandaddy being "gone" is concerned. It really didn't "hit" me until we were opening presents. When I opened the gift bag from with the usual envelope my grandparents & it was signed "Love Gramma." Not Gramma and Grandaddy...just "Love Gramma." And we didn't get done w/ Santa Clause real quick in order to get dressed & ready to head to Union Christmas morning so we could visit & be ready for Christmas dinner at the prompt hour of 11:00 a.m. And like Laini has already said we didn't get our "Chrima Joy, Chrima Joy" from that old familiar voice that always brought a smile to your face.

Regardless, it was another good year with some extra special "homemade" gifts that dad & I agree need to be apart of our tradition from now on. Those "homemade" things seem to be so much more special & neat! And I don't know about everyone else but I had a ton of fun getting them ready & "creating" them! :)

(Thanks Annie again for all of your help & encouragement!)

I hope that each of you had a very Merry CHRISTmas & a blessed New Year!!

Look what I found!!

WOW!! Now, that was a loooooooooooooong time ago! Seriously, it was at least six years ago and I'm sure maybe seven! Woah!! SO MUCH has happened since that "time" in our lives. It's crazy where life has taken us since then...where God has taken us since then. And quite honestly, I NEVER thought that we would be where we are right now (i.e. married with 2 beautiful kids in MS). Yeah, yeah, yeah, Laini says she never wanted this whole picture but that's a bunch of MESS and she knows it! haha! I was most definitely the sister that NEVER wanted kids, mess, I NEVER wanted to get married!! I had way too much to do--to accomplish! Well you know that old phrase "Never say never." Yeah, that one pretty much came back to bite me in the rear. hehe :) And even though we didn't start this union the right way, I really believe we've made decisions that have brought us back into the path where God is leading us and let me tell ya that is what is the GREATEST!!! No, we are NOT perfect by ANY means--we DON'T make all the right decisions, but I do believe with all my heart that because of the path we chose after our initial "failure" that God has truly blessed us and continues to bless us even though we so don't deserve any of it!

Adam and I have two beautiful, smart and healthy children that I have been so blessed to be at home with as they grow instead of missing all of their little bits of growing up because of work. It most definitely has not been easy to make that choice to stay home and I do have to remind myself why I'm making that decision almost every day, but I wouldn't change it for anything in this world! I've just been so blessed. Oh yes, there are days that I just want to scream...days that I'd really like to be at an outside job so I could actually have "me" time...some days even that I think why in the world didn't God give me a second chance when I know people who went WAY further than I ever did and they're still a goin with no major consequences or others that have families now too but can go out and buy whatever they want for their kids or take them places, etc. Then I catch myself and think, "How dare you?!" There is no comparison of sin...no level...sin is SIN!! And I have an AMAZING life that so many would give up so much to have. Even though I know that God would have still rather I not made the decisions that deserved my "consequences," He made something so beautiful out of something so ugly!

Adam and I recently (Sunday actually) celebrated our six year anniversary. It has been most definitely an interesting, many times DIFFICULT, six years. But I can honestly say that I love him more today than I did even the day we exchanged our vows, and THAT is how it should be...in my opinion. Now that doesn't mean he never drives me absolutely NUTS or me him, but I so appreciate the man he is still becoming and the amazing father that he is to our children. And again I say that I am SO BLESSED!!

A Few Things continued...

The last picture from the last post was on the swing on our front porch at the "new" house. This was right after we had taken some family pictures at the church.

Now as you can see we had a ghost & a kitty cat for Halloween. I tried so hard to talk Landry into being the Scarecrow so Andee could be Dorothy because Aunt Laini wanted to be the Wicked Witch of the West (lol), but his mind was set on being a ghost...a white sheet ghost! haha! Anyway, they were cute & had a good time.

The next two were taken at Camp Dixon last week during Thanksgiving break when we went to help Granpaw load firewood. My sister, brother & myself used to LOVE playing on the trees that dad cut down for firewood. As you can see Andee was serenading the whole grounds at the "top" of the tree. As for master Landry...he really surprised me that day climbing up into the already cut branches that we had stacked for a "burn" pile actually. Uncle Jerry, he fell a few times & never end cried! Can you believe it?! ;) They had a lot of fun & it was fun to watch them follow in our footsteps. hehe :)

We are looking forward to a "homemade" Christmas this year. I'll try to get as many pictures posted as possible!

LOVE TO ALL!