That's right! I am officially logging my weight loss progress on my blog. I am on a mission to be down 30 lbs by my birthday (mid October),and for sure by our 10th Anniversary, June 2012. Along time ago I told Mike I needed a good motivation and was feeling frumpy and not happy with my body. He came home from his trip to Brazil and had a great motivator for me! I was shocked and excited and insulted all at 1x. (But I wasn't-I was actually thankful that he was aware of my frustration with this stagnate weight loss) and not going anywhere!
Here is the challenge- I have a BIG sweet tooth which has slowed my weight loss down! However, I am determined! I am finding "healthier" sweets to eat and making this weight loss happen. I have done Weight Watchers (in the past) and that works and  I am still following much of it. But I am making this a "life" change. It's not a new diet. As my friend, Lorelei, shared from her Body Boot Camp Weight Loss Program....The first 3 letters in Diet are D. I. E....and it is so true! We are so sad to be kept away from all those foods we love, but the "diet" won't allow. I really believe God wants us to eat everything in moderation, but to ultimately take care of our bodies and be aware of our portion control. I think I should have lived in Bible times. Only Fruits and vegetables, fish (which I can't stand), and of course homemade bread....but no such thing as ice-cream, cookies (you get it)??!  Therefore, I am making more conscious choices on all that we eat. I have no problem cooking from scratch. I am sad that to be healthy it cost more, but it is SO worth it. I find it a battle about 2x a week in my mind "If I eat this brownie then I have to run 3 miles to burn it off and then do some additional workout!" I usually only give in once to that. And the other times I pat myself on the back for walking away from the brownie. I need to  keep working on  my sweet tooth! I am the first to admit that it is my number one weakness. I am sure if I completely cut out all carbs and NO sugar of any kind I would drop it all in 2 months- But I am losing it a little bit slower, and watching my carb intake and enjoying my life with the boys and taking care of this body.
Here is the Motivation (PRIZE)-Mike and I will officially celebrate 9 years of Marriage next Wed. This time  next year, I am hoping to be back to the original size 6/8 that I was when we first met AND if I lose it all He will take me to ITALY!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is right-he came home from Brazil, handed me a book on Italy and said here ya go! We can go when you get down 30 lbs & and also celebrate our 10th Anniversary!!
It has been a passion of both of ours to go there! We have never been away from the boys (except for a 24 hour get-a-way last June) and we need to do this for our Marriage and  I need a BIG motivator! As much as I dislike his business trips with GE...the air miles are banking up fast! Looks like there will be enough air miles for this trip next year. We have many other dreams but this is something we need to do for us. I hope it does not seem selfish or a waste of money (and thankfully we should be debt free by then)-and so it will really be a 3 fold trip, (10th Anniversary, debt free and Jenn's weight loss)! 
It seems impossible right now to get to two of these goals, my weight loss and completely being debt free! But I am trying really hard to be more driven and make it happen FAST!
I am so thankful for Mike, loving me (for me and never being critical of my baby belly etc) and loving me for me & great friends running with me(Samantha & Joy),and Lorelei for getting me signed up at the YMCA almost 3 years ago! Still going there regularly and taking classes! :)
I have finally found some classes at the YMCA that are working :) Monday nights-Spin, Wed night-Zumba & Thursday night- (my least favorite) Total Body boot camp....(It is GOOD)!~ I have that love/hate relationship with that class. And on top of the classes I also make sure to run or work out on the eliptical and do 4-6 miles a week. So, no excuses why I can't get this weight off by October, Right?!
So now I am adding some cyber accountability! Just being real and hoping to encourage some other mommies out there. My friend Laura and I are both on a mission to be down to our goals by October. (We are both October babies) Want to join us??
Hop on over and pass her on a note of encouragement...she is doing awesome and has cut our all sweets! (I need to be like her-she is my biggest inspiration) We went to college together and had a blast being suitemates my sophmore year! I think She and I will have to have a celebration some time when we reach our goals :)
I weighed in today and I was down 3 pounds since last Wed. I am thrilled!
Since I started this new workout plan and healthier food intake-I am down 6.4 lbs.
So, only 23.6 lbs to go by October.
Thank you to all my sweet friends for helping me and keeping me motivated.
Italy 2012 Here I come....(30 lbs lighter :)

OK, we have been home for almost 3 weeks-and on April 21, I started drafting this blog! Here it is May 7 and Ugh! I finally have had the time to sit down, upload photos, debrief our trip and finally publish.

I love that we got to visit my family. But there are some "not so good" moments that always occur while we are away-and as my mom says, "it will make me laugh SOMEDAY" -so I better blog about them for now. 'Cause I don't laugh in most of my stressful moments when we are away OR HOME for that matter! Oh, the joys of being a parent. :)

There was so much that occurred and so much to remember. But not one part of our 10 days makes me regret going. You can not put a price on being together with family, and it is treasured much more when distance separates us. :)
 So, I collaborated all our "peak" moments and put them into a top 10 list.
10."GATE-PASS" The whole reason this trip was "somewhat" successful, is all because of the gate pass we got Mike. (Well the prayers from all of you and family was what really made it a success.) But if you have to travel alone with small children you need to call the airline and add a "Gate Pass" for your spouse or 1 family member to assist you all the way through the airport. I could  not have done this flying trip with both of the boys and no assistance from Mike or my dad. What a huge blessing it was.
I am the first to admit: 1.NO, the flight was not relaxing for me
2.No, I do not recommend flying with a 15 month old who is ACTIVE,
3.NO I do not like changing a poopy diaper on a plane in the bathroom,
4.NO, I do not like having to ask for assistance from strangers for help with the boys.
5 BUT I LOVE having that Gate Pass and we may just do it again (but hopefully not for a while!)
THANK YOU-Air Tran.
(FYI: You can not walk up the day of travel and get a gate pass, it has to be scheduled ahead of time).




9-Trip to the ER...you know when we go away that somebody always gets sick! Well,Kaden didn't sleep the whole first night....he was coming down with double ear infections. Our second day in Chicago he spiked a fever (101)and my dad and  I took him to the local ER.  By the time we arrived his fever had spiked to102.3. Dr. Diagnosis=Double Ear Infection & Upper Respiratory. Poor little guy was miserable :( I have to give a shout out to the Alexian Medical Staff from the hospital. We got in and out in 45 min!!! Unheard of for a trip to the ER?!!

We were VERY Impressed. I cringed that we had to miss a family cook-out, but I am so glad we had Kaden seen.






6-Friends! I had a great visit with a great friend from College, Jen and her kids. They drove an hour to come and see us and we had a blast hanging out at my sisters house. It was amazing that it had been 10 years since we had seen each other, but good ol' FB has kept us in touch. Jen's kids were adorable and the girls played great with Parker. Her youngest little boy, Maverick is just about 5 weeks older then Kaden, but go figure-he looks like he is months older in the photo. It is always a tradition when we are home to get together with Family friends..The Hutchins. And I love catching up with Becky and seeing
Mom :).



 

5. Sisters-I had a sweet time visiting in Chicago with ALL my sisters in Chicago & bonding with 2 of the three in MI. We even got lucky one night and had a Sister only dinner...and splurged with face masks and just relaxed  with some good ol'chocolate! :) I always wonder what life would be like if we all lived near each other? :)



4.Kodak Moments-we took so many photos while we were away...but these are some of my favorites. I am so thankful for Modern Technology and being able to capture these moments.






3, Uncle Richard-My heart sank, when I heard that Great Uncle Richard was not going to make it around the end of March. He was SO precious to the Wilson family and he was the glue that kept us all connected. Even though distance kept us apart, it was still so fun to get duplicate Christmas Cards from him, have calls from him once in a while and have that "grandfatherly" care from him. My grandpa and Great Uncle Richard had a rough upbringing and I am amazed that  they did not let history repeat it self. They left us so many stories for us to cherish forever. It was an honor to be at his memorial service and then able to attend his Internment service. He served in World War II and I was speechless and in awe of the tribute that was given to him that day. I always get chills when I see military men and women folding the precious red/white/blue and then presenting it to the family. My Aunt Mary was given the flag and I know she will cherish it forever. All of us Wilson girls got bracelets to wear (from my mom and Aunt) as a sweet memory of Uncle Richard's love to us (and they have a little heart on them).  You are deeply missed Uncle Richard-Thank You for the beautiful legacy,financial example,godly wisdom,advice, and most of all your love and care to our family. :)




2. Sleep (on vacation)-Kaden was cutting 4 teeth while we were away (on top of getting over his infection) so he did not sleep the greatest :( Unfortunately, most of the family was affected by a screaming 1 year old when the Motrin wore off nightly (eek) but thankfully, near the end of the week-we all started getting some sleep...and the Hallway closet that we had Kaden sleep in was perfect :) He needed a private room to be in and get accustomed too LOL (It was not working sleeping in the same room as mama :)

1. My Family, THANK YOU for all the love and hospitality while we were away!



 A shout out to my awesome Brother-in-law,Eric for getting us rooms (suites) at the hotel. It was so much more "homey" for the long weekend. My parents aged a bit more with the activeness in Kaden (but it was a blast to be with them for 10 days). And the week in MI could not have been more fun for Parker and Kaden, with a special shout out to my Sister, Jodi, brother-in-law John and Grace and Josh for putting up with us for the week and allowing us a blast on the family "farm!"






Ok, I have finally debriefed and now I can't believe it...my mother-in-law is begging me to get on a plane and fly up with the boys the end of June for a family baby shower!!!
Hmmm?? I wonder if Mike is going to go for this trip.
FYI- that sleepless night in the hotel, Mike's cell phone was flooded with me venting via-text message. Again, I can't say it enough-if you have to fly alone with small kids, get a gate pass for a member in your family to help you~Thanks again to Mike and my Dad for making the trip much, much easier. We will keep you posted on the next trip :)

(I must say that part of my delay has been issues with blogger photo upload.) Anyone else struggling with this??! So annoyed :(

Every girl has hopes and dreams. Growing up, it was SO much fun to sit and dream about what I was wishing for. I will just say that many of my dreams have come true!  Now that I have grown up "a little," my dreams have turned into prayers. I have seen God say, yes to some, wait, and no to some!
But I have had one very special prayer request since 2006. I am in the midst of seeing this dream/prayer coming true! However, God is answering it in a way that I would have never dreamed! It involves a very,very dear friend! I can honestly call her a "best friend". She has been my support, encouragement, confidant, listening ear etc. you get what type of friend I am talking about!


Their second try for a baby took place last year and there was no success. (sigh).
They were planning to try for their 3rd and final try in the spring of this year.
BUT God did the "IMPOSSIBLE!"
(Do you have goose bumps yet? You know what I am about to write?!)
 They got pregnant on their own in Feb!
 God IS the God of Miracles. Ephesians 3:20 "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." This is just one way I think God shows his power by answering this BIG prayer!  This has been my "other" dream/ prayer since we became friends in 2006! I have longed for her to be a mommy (and Rick a daddy).
 Lorelei is my friend that is: so self sacrificing, drops her plans to help me when she can, nurtures my own boys when the are in her care, accepts  them almost as her own, spoils them like CRAZY, and loves them. Never once has she shown resentment toward me for having babies. Often friends can get so envious of what the other has. Not Lorelei!
Her love and care for our boys has been so special to us! Not having family around has been easier on us because they have filled that gap.
Well, there is MORE News!
Here is the BIG Prayer Request:
They just had their 20 week visit and it is a BOY due on 10/31!
BUT-they got some devastating news at what was suppose to be "perfect 20 week check-up."
Little Baby Boy, Hoeye has Spina Bifida
What? A medical illness?
OK! Rewind~Didn't I just share that this is my dream for my friend to just be a mommy and finally have a baby? I did! And I have been praying for this prayer for 4 years! I guess I wasn't clear with God! I meant a Healthy, Perfect baby!
 Ah-God heard my prayers. I know he did! He answered in HIS time!
Jeremiah 33:3  'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'
This is all part of HIS plan!
Oh-right. God's ways are not always our ways!
(Easier to hear then often to live).
Wow~this is a little angel that is perfect in God's eyes!
Baby Hoeye has been knit perfectly together in his mommy's belly. God already has his whole life planned. ~Psalm 139:13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
He does not no any other life. His life is perfect and  in God's eyes he IS perfect!
Psalm 145 talks about the Lord being good to all he has created; and the passage ALSO talks about the Lord hearing our cry.
It is a very comforting passage to me at this time. I am just her friend, and though I am not going through it-I am still on this journey and want to be of support to her!
Well, their 20 week appointment did not give them the news that they or anyone would want to hear!

Lorelei posted an article on her FB page that talks about what it is like to have a child with special needs!This is somewhat what is happening to their dream...and they are accepting it, getting ready to move on and give Baby Hoeye the best world that they can give him!
(Here is the article)
 Welcome to Holland

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability – to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this…
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip – to Italy. You buy a bunch of guidebooks and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum, the Michelangelo David, the gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!" you say. "What do you mean, Holland?" I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy.
But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to some horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.
So you must go out and buy a new guidebook. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It's just a different place. It's slower paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around, and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills, Holland has tulips, Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy, and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life you will say, "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
The pain of that will never, ever, go away, because the loss of that dream is a very significant loss.
But if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things about Holland.
Written by Emily Perl Kingsley

I feel SO inadequate at times, because my life does seem so perfect (yet it is far from it) compared to her world!   Lorelei reassures me that I am doing everything I can do for her. It is just a healing process and a waiting window now.
Today, they are seeing the neurosurgeon who will be performing surgery on their little boy! I am praying that the news is not more severe then last week!
Will you please sign up here and commit to pray for Baby Hoeye and his family?



I will keep you posted on their journey.
Feel free to share this prayer with others and Link them to this sign up list!
 I would love to have 24 prayer warriors for the 24 hours in the day. 
She is in the midst of working on a blog, but is still going through the emotions and shocking news.
In the meantime, you can look her and Rick up on FB *(Lorelei-Lori Oates Hoeye/Rick Hoeye) or send her and Rick a card.
 If you want their address or email please contact me and I will get it to you!
I only know that God wants me to be a comfort and support for her. It is my job to pray and I am seeking some special prayer warriors for them! I know that some of you have been in their shoes!

Thank you in advance to those of you who have been praying for them.
I will continue to keep you updated on their journey.
Thanks for letting me share a dream and a BIG Prayer request.
Keep following our blog for an update on Baby Hoeye!
Seeking Him,
Jenn
( and the Hoeyes  too!)

Last Wednesday, I kept Parker out of school for a special visit! My friend Christy (from college) was in the area. So, I took Parker and Kaden to meet her and her kids. We got together last July when they were up from FL visiting family. When were last together, Christy and I were both expecting. So, it was neat to finally meet their newest addition, Noah! We enjoyed the day at the park, lunch and of course special cupcakes...that Parker picked out~ sure wish they were closer so we could do it more often!

Saturday night we went over to Kayleigh Bugg's house *that is what Parker loves to call her now! We had one last visit at their house~ They SOLD their house! (Sigh :( and we are so happy that it finally sold after 2 years.) They are not going far for now. They will be moving to downtown ATL till the Lord directs them to a new house. (It is something they have always wanted to do, and it will be a fun place to visit this summer!) So many fun memories over there, and it seems like it was just yesterday that Parker and I stepped foot for the first time in it! WOW ....time is flying by. I am so grateful for the fun friendship that Parker and Kayleigh have established and of course the friendship with Liz and Craig is a blessing to me and Michael!

 This past Monday, Parker got to celebrate his Summer birthday with his classmates.
I think he will be in school for his birthday going forward. GA is about to move the start date to the beginning of Aug. so he will be able to celebrate the real birthday at school! (Not sure how he will like that!?) I made a treat based around the weekly theme "Sun, Moon &Stars!" I made round sugar cookies, frosted them yellow (the color of the week) and sprinkled them with stars! ( I try when I can to be creative :) grin! All the kids loved the cookies and Parker enjoyed wearing the special Birthday hat!

I can't believe how much occured in the month of April! So, I will have to make a couple posts to share on our many adventures.

The beginning of April we became the proud owners of a mini van!