Day 2 and 3 of Lean In 13

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Sparked Up Fitness

I am feeling incredible!

 

Day 1 Lean In 13

 

I started a new work out program today.  It’s called Lean In 13. 

Lean In 13…not 13 months, or 13 weeks, but 13 days!

I don’t have much weight to lose but I definitely want to increase my stamina, strength and DECREASE some fat content.

This is the perfect program for achieving all those goals as it has all the components of eating habits and exercise habits spelled out for you for 13 days.

Today, I followed the program for the 1st BURN day.  No carbs, only vegies, protein, lots of water, and the supplements. Plus cardio and weights.

I am definitely feeling lighter. My abdomen isn’t as bloated and I feel more energized!

I have 2 more BURN days then day 4 is REFUEL day. 

I will keep you posted as to my progress!

What programs do you use to reach your goals?

Wrestling Prayer

While I am gathering up my pictures for the finale of Winding Down for Fall, I thought I would let you know what I have been meditating on.

Do you meditate?

Here are some examples from scripture of those who did:

Genesis 24:63     He (Isaac) went out in the field one evening to meditate.

Psalm 119:15     I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.

Psalm 104:34     May my meditation be pleasing to Him, as I rejoice in the Lord.

meditate [ˈmɛdɪˌteɪt]

1. (intr; foll by on or upon) to think about something deeply

2. (intr) to reflect deeply on spiritual matters, esp as a religious act

3. (tr) to plan, consider, or think of doing (something)

[from Latin meditārī to reflect upon]

I like to think of it as chewing a thought over and over again. I write it in my personal journal, draw pictures sometimes with the words..(kinda quirky that way) and say it over and over again to myself until it becomes a part of the fabric of my being.

I meditate daily on God’s word, chewing, drawing, speaking.

I am reading a book right now called Wrestling Prayer by Eric and Leslie Ludy.

This book will take you back in time to the Mighty Men of God who understood the power of prayer, embodied the power of the Holy One, believed what God said in His Word and acted upon it.

It reads like a coffee shop conversation with the heroic bravery of William Wallace.

The words of this book, if read and meditated upon, will change the very core of your nature. You will be captivated with a spiritual swagger that only men and women of old ever experienced.

I am reading.

I am meditating.

I am being hit at the very center of my universe of thinking.

I am being persuaded that all my “spiritual sounding chitter-chatter” is repulsive to my Father.

I am being changed.

Here is just one of MANY quotes from this book:

“Spiritual sounding chitter-chatter tends to be self-centric in its banter, begging for comforts to be protected, deadlines to be met, surgeon’s hands to be guided, test so be passed, and food to be blessed. It’s always about us. And, whereas there is nothing wrong with praying about our own personal needs, prayer----real-life historic prayer----is otherworldly and built upon the notion of a forgotten self. It’s aggressive, growling, attacking, commanding, persevering, passionate, and feverishly unrelenting---it’s battlefield firing, as if every utterance is chipping away at enemy stronghold and every petition is moving God’s indomitable purposes forward in this natural realm.”

I am looking forward to the power of God to be unleashed in my life as I begin to grasp the incredible depth, width, and breadth of communing with my Creator.

What are you meditating on today?

Winding Down for Fall

Don’t you just love Fall? All the sweet smells, leaves falling, cooler days, the colors of crimson, orange and yellow wafting through the air like wrapped candy.

I love Fall, but it does mean the closing of yet another summer. I would have to say summer is one of my favorite times of the year, but Fall takes a close 2nd. 

I am partial to slowing down, harvesting the garden, canning, and getting ready for a season of winter rest. 

As the cooler days set in I reflect back on our summer here in the coop.  It was full…to say the least. I think I put about 7000 miles on our wings this summer alone!

And now we are winding down our hot and busy summer season here in the coop.  We have flown from coop to coop throughout the summer and have finally taken a rest on our own roost.

As much as I love to write, I also like to tell our story with pictures…for they are worth 1000 words.

We spent many a happy hour at Ranch Shekinah this summer. Riding, gardening, building, visiting, teaching the Word, summer camping, and overall frolicking in the sun

Once we landed in our own roost…. we face painted all over town.

This is our event at the Tigers Stadium for the Cornerstone Charity.

Our true blue youngest chick making balloon animals.

Doin’ the happy dance with the English D…for Detroit!

It was tiger faces and ONLY tiger faces for this event.

This is my 4th born chick painting a tiger face on a young lady.  This was her debut at face painting…she took right off!

Chick #5…looking right perky with the Tiger!

At the local preschool

The Romeo Peach Festival

My youngest rooster posing as the ominous Storm Trooper.

2nd debut for the chick!

Absolutely my most sought after bling for the eye!

 

 

My #5 artist chick (the one pictured above)…drew this little dog from a movie box.  She used pastel paints on the driveway…..got a budding artist in the nest!

She also made a clay model of a menu and fruit stand.  Can you see all the detail in the little fruits and vegetables?  Who said health class had to come from a book?

 

 

So you don’t get bored of my long post I will post more later of the rest of the summer and our events drawing us into the sweet smell of Fall.

How is your Fall shaping up?

The Hummingbird Moth

Mom, Mom! Come quick! There is this insect, flying, fast, looks like a hummingbird with stripes! You gotta see it!

Peeling myself away from the current blog I was writing I go out to our flowers and lo and behold there it is!

There were two of them…flitting back and forth as fast as a hummingbird would from flower to flower.  We have a rock bed FULL of flowers and they were gathering nectar.

Hurry…get the camera….sun is setting quickly and it’s getting dark!

We snap as many pictures as we can but man, oh man, are they fast!

We watched with abandoned delight as they sucked up all that juicy nectar in our flower bed.

Well, everyday is a school day here. So, we looked up this amazing creature.

And viola!

The Hummingbird Moth, Hemaris thysbe, the Little Bug Who Looks Like A Bird

Look! It's a hummingbird! No, a bug! No, a hummingbird...

This pic is from the website. BUT!!

Here is ours.  Can you see the one? His/her wings are justa fluttering!

Wow! How cool!

 

It's probably Hemaris thysbe, the Hummingbird Clearwing Moth or Common Clearwing (wingspan 38-50 mm), who so closely resembles a hummingbird when feeding that many people never really notice that it's a moth hovering over the flowers.
The diurnal nature of many of these moths (most moths are nocturnal) and its similarities to the hummingbird in size, foraging behavior, and feeding structures often makes it one of the most common cases of mistaken identity in nature.
Flying in the day in meadows, forest edges and flower gardens, hummingbird moths typically visit one flower for a very short time, then dart away to find another. With its clear wings and body shape and size, the Hummingbird Moth bears an uncanny resemblance to its avian namesake.
The Hemaris thysbe moth feeds through a proboscis, a long, straw-like tube kept curled under the head when not in use. Its range includes Alaska and the Northwest Territories south through British Columbia to Oregon, east through the Great Plains and the Great Lakes area to Maine and Newfoundland, and south to Florida and Texas. Central Texas residents know that its range incorporates the Texas Hill Country, especially in the spring.

Hummingbird Moths lay small, green eggs on the undersides of leaves in early spring. The eggs hatch into larvae with a prominent horn on the rear. After feeding on fruit trees, honeysuckle, snowberry and hawthorn, the caterpillars form dark-brown cocoons in the leaf litter. There may be a second brood in southern areas like central Texas.
These interesting little moths are not considered a threat to Central Texas gardens. In fact, they can be quite beneficial through pollination of many species of plants. When brushing against plant anthers while dining, the moths are dusted by pollen and their fuzzy little bodies are excellent pollen carriers. Popping over to another flower of the same species, the Clearwing transfers pollen from the previous plant, an exercise in cross-pollination necessary for the production of seeds.
To attract them to your garden, provide flowers with a strong, sweet scent and are white or pale in color. These garden varieties may attract several kinds of sphinx moths, including the hummingbird and one that mimics the bumblebee.
Just like so many other fascinating creatures dwelling here on the Edwards Plateau, the Hummingbird Moth is well worth a second look.

Greenfield Village

We had a lovely visit with my mom.  We decided not to work her too hard…she had originally come for our house warming party that got cancelled, so we took her on an outing instead.

We went to Greenfield Village.  This is a village put together by Henry Ford. If you ever get the chance to go you must!

The village is full of homes that Henry Ford bought and brought from their original homestead.  There are historical re-enactments going on all day long.

We watched as the “slaves” made home-made corn bread, corn dolls, and pancakes.

We observed the first working computer…a weavers loom.  Really cool!

We walked amongst horse drawn carriages down cobblestone streets with music from the 40’s playing in the background.

We visited Orville and Wilbur Wright’s home and shop; witnessed their airplane attempts and listened with marvel delight to the historical commentator eloquently give a detailed account of their journey into flight.

We ate (the kids did) ice cream and shooed bees away, tumbled on the grassy lawn, watched glass blowing, and sniffed home-made soap.

What an incredible day!

 

 

Diva’s in the hat shop.

Gangsta’s

The newest hat model :)

Hard at work thinking up those inventions…like how to keep ice cream from dripping down your chin and into your beard on a hot day.

Lest you think it was all an accident!

Those Farmhouse beauties

This pic is the true blue of these chicks!

One handsome rooster!

The City Hen and her grandchicks

The Farmhouse Chick Brood sitting in the village coop after a fun filled day.

 

We laughed, we walked, we talked, and we made memories.

Home with our son

Well, we did it! We managed to get our son home for a few days before his deployment.

We spent our time talking, swimming, reading, on long walks together, laughing, 4-wheeling, gardening, and just all around lounging out.

He shared his assignment with us.  He will be the Chaplain’s body guard.  He will go on all the convoys with the Chaplain and protect him from enemy fire. This is right up his alley! He is all about infantry…and as a mom I am glad he isn’t on the front lines!

He’s very happy about this because then he is able to get off the ship and fulfill his desire to protect. 

He was tied for first in his unit for marksman. He is a true blue Tennessee shot! He told us that he could put a grapefruit pattern on a target at 500 yards…open sights.

He spent many years shooting on the back 40.

He was always helping the little ones learn how to shoot also…here he is helping his youngest sibling to handle a bow.

He’s also a funny guy!

His dad and I are so proud of him.

 

We love you son. We look forward to the day you are back in our arms on American soil. We know that you are finally fulfilling your dreams. May they be all that you thought they would be.

Love, Mom