The night we met...as remembered by my hubby...

Just Me: The Meeting: " It was the day after Christmas in 1989. I had only lived in Clinton, IA since the first week of November and ..."

and this was my comment in response: 

Connie said...

I love you, "Steve"! My memories of that night are of you standing in the housewares department shifting from one foot to the other like a shy child hiding behind his mother and your smile which never left your face! The light in your eyes was magnetic.

I never thought anything about meeting in the bar of a hotel other than "What will I wear?" (I think I went shopping right after our meeting. lol)I remember chatting in the bar and our discussion of your uncle's idea of finding God in the wilderness... which concerned me a little. I am ever so glad we continued our discussion of God/religion only to discover we were in unison about salvation through Jesus as well as many other topics...one of the many endearing qualities of yours...the gift of conversation.

I vaguely remember the light ride but distinctly remember calling you Steve and MAKING you show me your drivers license! and the embarrassment of the whole situation. That is until your confession of not even knowing my name! What a relief! (by the way...I still think Aunt Barb introduced you as Steve! so I blame her...lol) It was funny and still is a fun story to share!

I remember throwing the snowball in your NEW GRAND AM!! I think you were a little irritated...but not enough to stop you from seeing me again thankfully! What a guy will do for a pretty girl...lol. It was a cool car and I felt bad afterwards so I am glad to know you enjoyed my "Abbott flirting"...

It really was a magical night and it has been one of only a few absolutly favorite events of my life. It ranks up there with the event of our wedding and the delivery of our two sons! hmmm think about it... if it were not for that night I would not have the other memories...
God truly had a plan!

I love you Scott...more and more every day!

Our story as told by my hubby on his blog...I love it!

Just Me: The Adoption of Our Bundles of Joy: "The first topic that has been burning on my heart here recently is adoption. I have 2 primary reasons for discussing this topic. One's name ..."        

                                                                                                                                                        

Welcome to Craziville...

I still am not handling stress very well.  The day was pretty typical running from one end of the school building to the other, chasing kids and keeping order and peace...all while trying to teach the skill of reading even IF they don't WANT to read... until... 7th hour...when all kinds of craziness broke loose!  I think they left the doors open to the local zoo and the wild animals wandered out and into my classroom!  I'm sorry...I was not trained in zoology...

Then my own children came after school with a boat load of homework!  I understand the thought behind homework and the need to practice certain skills at home and I have even been known to assign homework once in a while...but to tell you the truth...I HATE HOMEWORK!!!  are you kidding me...homework is very painful at my house!  We finally finished at about 6:30...yuck!!

Needless to say, this and a few other unmentionable situations this afternoon drove me to the mini snickers and chocolate cookie and by the time we took our number 2 out for "gotcha day" celebration dinner, I was so scattered and irritable that I didn't even WANT to try...all I could think was, 'let's just get this day over! eat food, drive home and retreat to our separate corners of the house until we can finally drop off to bed'...

Well... they are all in their own space snoring away and I am sitting here going over my points for the day and finishing the last minute chores before shutting my eyes for the night.  I am still behind and still don't have MY homework finished but I have given all I can today... I'm spent...gone...lost in Craziville...and off to bed to dream about a better tomorrow!

Gotcha Day - November 16, 2000

Ten years ago tomorrow our 2nd son came home and our lives have been forever gloriously changed.  Samuel Conner Hoffman born July 6, 2000 as Song Chang Jin in South Korea came into our lives and made a home in our hearts.  We are truly blessed to have Samuel complete our family!

We love you very much Sam and are grateful to your birth mom for giving you life and even more grateful to our Heavenly Father for allowing us the privilege of being your parents. You are an inspiration to our family and help us to stay active and young. You bring joy and sunshine and mystery where ever you go.  Your zest and love for life are contagious. Thank you for being you!  We would not want you to be any other way but just the way you are today. 

We pray that you will continue to grow in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.  May you learn to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your strength and with all your soul.  Trust in Him, Sam, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path!  You are never alone, son.  You will always have your dad and brother and me but even more you will always have your Savior, Jesus Christ.  He has promised you that He will never leave you or forsake you!  Be blessed, Sam!  Gotcha!

Love,

Mom

Why am I so fat?

12:03a.m.!!!  I have again stayed up way beyond what would be considered a decent bedtime.  My hubby and kids, even the dog! are snoring away!  (Some louder than others.) 

"Why?" you may ask, "did you stay up so late?" 

Well... I only wanted to check my email and face book accounts and enter a few grades and maybe pay a bill or two online...Ha! I am SOOOO easily distracted! 

I got through my email before too late but then when I went to Face Book, I noticed a friend's post telling me to visit her new blog she just created...I felt compelled to check it out! I wondered what she might have to say that would take more than the few lines allowed in a face book post and who knows...maybe just maybe she might mention my name???  Well no mention of my name in print so I am not famous yet, but I did find her post entertaining and wondered...hmmm...just how did she do that...  Next thing you know...here I am! I have created my very own blog on my very own site...well kinda... 
It was really pretty easy but I did have a few decisions to make about color, background, style, and then I had to create a profile and try to decide what are my favorite movies, songs, quotes and etc.. and the later it gets the more difficult it is for me to make a decision, something I already struggle with under normal circumstances. 
Thus the time has slipped away from me and now I am going to have one of those mornings...shoot! Getting up and going will be the most difficult but once I am on the road and after I have enjoyed a cup or two of my hubby's wonderful coffee, I really should be ok. Though not if I don't stop all this and go to bed!! 
You know, the last time I went to the doctor for a check up, he asked me about my sleeping habits and if I was getting enough sleep...to which I informed him that my only true quiet time to myself was after everyone else was in bed and so of course I just ~had~ to stay up late and no I probably wasn't getting enough sleep. This is when he informed me that it is very difficult for people who are trying to lose weight to do so without enough sleep. (hmmm just what was he implying??) He said something about your body not responding well to the lack of sleep...I of course don't remember the exact details but I do remember this one important detail: more sleep=better weight loss - vs - less sleep=poor eight loss. 

I googled sleep and weight loss and found a great article on WebMD http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20101004/sleep-loss-hampers-weight-loss-efforts  called Sleep Loss Hampers Weight Loss Efforts by Denise Mann.  She made a lot of sense which could explain why the results of my efforts are not quite as successful as I would have like them to be lately. I'd say they are being hampered...

I really should work on going to bed when everyone else goes to bed. After all, my intentions to get all kinds of productive things accomplished are often thwarted by the many distractions I allow to carry me away!  Tonight being a prime example.

So now here it is 12:44a.m. and I am still awake and NOT doing all those things I was planning on getting done before going to bed. I should have just gone to bed with everyone else.  The important things I was going to do would not be done, but I would be well rested and perhaps a little thinner.Ha!  

No Excuses? Really???

Good Saturday Morning! I have started to write blog posts many times before today but either end up erasing what I start out writing or talk myself out of writing before I even get started? Why do I do that!? I have so many thoughts rolling around in my head...It's not like I don't have things I'd like to say, just ask my hubby! lol Sometimes I think..well, I just don't have time...it will take too long to get my thoughts out and I'm just too busy...hmm sound like my excuse for not exercising...hmm...Sometimes I let the kids or household or job or phone or TV or just about anything distract me from writing...hmm, sounds like another of my many good reasons for not exercising...Sometimes I just don't know where to start, what to say or which thought I'd like to work on first..hmm....another excuse I use not to exercise..and of course there is always the old lie that pervades my thoughts..what does it matter- what good would it do- I haven't done it in so long, I don't know what difference it would make anyway and besides who would read it...the good old standby of I just don't have the confidence to do it....hmmm ANOTHER excuse not to exercise..Sounds to me like my excuses are pretty universal. They seem to fit just about any area of my life but lately, exercise has been on my mind. Just on my mind though...lol It is time to do something about it, time to give up the excuses and get out there and do it.

I have a few acquaintances that have been blessed with either a job that allows them the freedom to go to a personal trainer/gym/boot camp or they don't have a job at all and can go anytime they like. They not only have a schedule that affords them this luxury but they have the money to pay for it as well...I have been telling myself... sure if I had these blessings and didn't have to fill my day with work and then squeeze in family and household duties not to mention preparing meals, being on committees and helping out other family members..AND somehow find time for God, journal WW points, and of course check my email and face book (don't I sound busy!!) then I could exercise too...I'm jealous! I can't do what they can do...no fair!! poor me!!! but wait, think about that...I can't do what they can do, I can only do what I can do. So rather than do nothing (cuz that is also one of my "things"-you know-if I can't do it all the way I just won't do it at all-like clean the shower...you don't want to step in there if you don't have to...lol...not really...thank God my hubby cleans it for me once in a while! I love that man most of the time...lol jk dh luv u ALL time!)sorry, I digress...can't help those random thoughts that pop in there sometimes..so..where was I? oh yes, If I can't do it all the way then I just won't do it at all...I think that has been the biggest reason(excuse)I have been let get in my way, lately. If I can't go to boot camp then I can't do anything at all...If I can't give exercise enough time then I just won't exercise at all...If I don't have the right equipment I just won't do anything at all...hmmm doesn't sound like a good thought process.

ok.so I recognize my excuse now what do I do? I know what you are thinking... just get out there and do something when you can, Connie.

That sounds good but do I need a plan? a schedule? a routine? Well yes, but if I wait for the plan will that become another excuse?...sorry I can't exercise, I don't have a "plan"...lol...(sad, I know)

So, here's what I am going to do (cuz I need to do something!) I am going to get 30 minutes of walking in every day or as often as I can...that will be my "plan". I won't stop myself from exercising because of time, distractions, or the feeling like that is not good enough. See how I wrote that...determined and committed... I didn't even use the word "try" to get exercise into my day! WoW that's a good start, isn't it? Now off to dig out my walking shoes and the leash! My dog is going to be so happy!

Blessed

I just feel so blessed because I know that the Lord is watching over me. It gives me hope to know that he is always there and always watching out for me. He is always ready to catch me when I am falling or pick me up after the fall. This is His promise to me, to all of us! Embrace our Lord Jesus, look to the hills and find your hope in Him...knowing that you are not alone. He is there ready to care for you.

Psalm 121
A song of ascents. 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore