Summer Fun!

We still don't have any adoption updates, but I wanted to post something fun since my last post was a downer!  :)  Dan and I have been loving our summer and are making the most of what might be our last summer as just the two of us!  I finally got a new camera, so I have been taking a lot more pictures now...

We had a great camping trip with our friends in early June. We went to Savannah Portage State Park.  We had a canoe-in campsite, so it was super quiet, peaceful, and beautiful being right on the lake! 

The men fishing. We enjoyed a few meals from their efforts!

Trying to put a worm on a hook

Yummy lunch!

Waiting for lunch

 I came across this huge spider (he was eating a moth!) while washing my hands in the shelter.  Dan and I both hate spiders, so the guys came up with a plan....  Enter the Air-Soft gun!

Early morning canoe ride with my love

 We came across this turtle on our way home.  He was huge and was hissing at Dan when he picked him up!

Dan and I both enjoy fishing, so we've been going a lot more lately.  Here are a couple fish Dan caught on our latest trip.

I have had a few days that I babysat for some friends.  Here is Dan  playing our piano with my little buddy, Emma.

We recently had a get-together at my parents.

Wesley is getting so big!

 Mom broke out the 'miracle' bubbles and the boys had so much fun trying to pop them.

Grandpa's tractor rides!

 I can't believe June is almost over!  Summer is going by fast, but we have lots of fun to look forward to!  Birthdays, weddings, showers, camping trips, vacation, fishing trips.....  I hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

Updating Our Home Study

I got a packet of papers in the mail yesterday from our agency because we're coming up on 1 year of being home study approved.  (Home studies are only good for 1 year) Updating our homestudy....  Something we were hoping we wouldn't need to do; financially and emotionally.  We are hoping that this will be the only time we need to renew it...

The waiting has been difficult, I'm not gonna lie...  It has been a big test of faith and patience.  Some days are more difficult than others.  It is a weird feeling loving someone you've never met before; a feeling like your child is missing, and you don't know how to find them. It is an emotion I have never experienced before, and sometimes it just downright takes my breath away.  The constant "Any news?!?!", although appreciated for the thought and concern, begins to make the lack of news feel even more painful. The realization that we've been at this for almost 1 year, and now we have to fill out more forms and pay more fees. 

We would appreciate your continued prayers.  It isn't always easy to stay optimistic when all we hear are crickets chirping from our agency.  We are both getting antsy for this baby to arrive!    We know God has His perfect plan, and I just pray for strength to get through the rest of our seemingly endless wait.

Fitness: Get Moving!

When I first started my journey towards getting healthy, I did not like working out.  I didn't like it because it was hard for me!  After not excercising much for a year, I was really out of shape!  Even rollerblading was difficult for me.  I really had to push through, and now, a couple year later, I love to work out hard, and I feel weird if I 'skip' a workout day. 

I had to start slow.  Don't fly out of the gates with sprints!  We got a gym membership, and I started with 20 min. of jogging/walking on the treadmill, and then I did some weight training.  As I progressed and got in better shape, I increased the intensity of my workouts.  We haven't had a gym membership for the past few years, so now we workout at home. I do high intensity cardio and heavy lifting.

One thing I will say to women, is don't be afraid of lifting heavy!  Many women are stuck in the "run on the treadmill" cardio mode, and don't touch the weights, thinking that weights are for men.  They're so afraid of getting 'bulky' and 'looking like a man,' but really miss out on the benefits of weight training.  Well, it is simply impossible for a women to get big unless they are taking steroids and eating like a horse!  Lifting heavy (lifting to failure) actually burns more calories than cardio does!  That should be motivation enough!  Also, when you build muscle, that muscle burns more calories, thus increasing your metabolism.  Muscle is what you want to be building, because it will help you loose the fat, keep it off, and look lean and toned.

I do best when I can follow a routine.  I like to know what I am supposed to do each day instead of just making something up.  Bodybuilding.com has a ton of great programs!  It is an awesome free resource for everything fitness related. Both Dan and I have done a few fitness programs from that website with great success.  We have also completed the P90X DVD workout series.  That is a great at-home workout program, and I would definitely recommend it.   They are challenging and fun workouts, and we both enjoyed them a lot.  Also, we've just recently started doing some Insanity workouts.  The name says it all, they are insane!  We have never sweat as much with any workout as we have with these.

So really, just find something you enjoy doing.  If you don't like going to the gym (like me) or can't afford the membership, find an at home workout program and buy some equipment for at home. Keep a balance of cardio AND weight training.  Both are important in a healthy lifestyle. If you don't enjoy working out, start small, and work your way up, and hopefully you'll come to enjoy it as you see the results you're getting! 

Remember, if you're not putting the right stuff in your body, the workouts aren't going to give you the results you are looking for!  Diet is 80% of weight loss, so don't think you can get away with just working out!