Anna Maria Island

On Saturday we leave for Anna Maria Island in Florida. Our plane leaves bright and early at 5:40, not 6:40 like I had originally thought! We will board our plane with our friends Casey and Jessica, and Chris and Erryn. We will fly into tampa and then drive to the island. We are all looking forward to spending a week kid free relaxing and being kids ourselves! We couldn't have done this without the help of our family and friends. Thanks guys for watching our kiddos so we can go!!

We are staying in this duplex. Doesn't it look so fun! Sunday we will run in a 5k to support the Children's Academy of Southwest Florida. The rest of the week we will lay on the beach, go shopping, play games, swim in our heated pool, the guys are going to a baseball game in tampa, go on a catamaran snorkeling trip, sleep, eat, and all that fun stuff! We are sooooo excited! Here are some pictures of the island, doesn't it look lik paradise!

4.27.09

Outside my window....have the window open, nice breeze I love it!


I am thankful for...completing the relay at the OKC Memorial Marathon yesterday, it felt great!



From the kitchen...
Making some banana muffins, peanut butter balls, and whatever else I come up with today
Mon-Jambalaya
Tue-Chicken pot pie
Wed-Sandwiches
Thur-Grilled chicken, baked potatoes


I am reading...the power of a praying wife



I am hoping...that my kid's behave while we are out of town



I am creating...Hoping to finish a project I've been planning for the girls room



I am hearing...bird's chirping out the window



Around the house...Laundry, cleaning, packing us and the girls for a week



One of my favorite things...finding dishes put in the wrong places in my kitchen, this mean my husband has been doing the dishes =)



A few plans for the rest of the week...
Mon-Watching the gray's kid's, getting my baby fix, maybe softball if it doesn't get rained out
Tue-Packing for my trip, cleaning house, and taking my car to get some work done
Wed-Working, lifegroup
Thur-Finish packing
Fri-Lovin on my kid's before we leave for our trip, one hair appt., and taking the kiddos to my parent's at bedtime
Sat-Flight leaves at 6:40am for FLORIDA!!!
Sun-Running in a 5k in florida, a great way to start our vacation!!



My photo to share....

The only picture I got on my camera of yesterday. I'll have to post some more when Erryn sends me some. This is us right before our relay.

My Burden

A while back Craig did a message on Godly burdens, actually it could have been a couple of years backs. For the life of me I can't think of what it was called but he talked about our personal Godly burdens. This has stuck with me all this time and I think about it often. My personal burden is hurting people. I have such a heavy heart for those going through troubled times, a broken marriage, losing a child, or dealing with a sickness. I often lose sleep over things like these. Lately it seems that there is something like this always going on for people around me. My problem is I don't know how to deal with my burden other than praying for these people. I always want to do MORE.

What is your Godly burden?

How do you deal with your burden?

Curtain project

A quick and easy project I did for my girls room. It was super easy except I suggest measuring before you get your supplies. I ended up making two trips to hobby lobby before it was complete. =) I started with two plain black panels. I love the black because it keeps the light out of the girls room while they sleep. But I wanted to make it a tad more girly.

I started by picking a print fabric that matched the colors of their room. I wanted trim to hang down onto the black part of the curtain. I picked this plastic circle and bead trim.

You can sew the fabric and trim directly onto the panels. Or if your lazy like me just iron the rough edges of the fabric down and hot glue to the panel. Repeat by hot glueing the trim the the print fabric. That's it, it's super quick and you get a unique look that can't be found in the stores.

My plan of action

My last post got me to thinking about what steps I need to take to follow through with my realization. So I've decided to make a list of the things I need to change so I don't fall right back into the same habits. I would love for whoever else that struggles with this to do the same.

1. Develop a stronger relationship with Jesus

2. Go to scripture when I feel Satan attacking me(I would love for anybody that comes across scriptures about self-image to send them my way)

3. Stop letting the number on the scale dictate the way I feel about my body

4. Eat healthy so I can take care of my temple God has given me(at all times)

5. Do not and I mean NEVER say anything negative about my body.

6. Accept compliments(especially from my husband)

That's all I've got for now, I will keep writing them out as I think of them. If you have a list you can leave a comment or e-mail it to me at aliruhman@yahoo.com

Lessons From Children

I had one of those moments today that made me feel like I failed as a mom. Over the weekend Lily said something to someone that wasn't very nice. Today as I was telling Brad about it he said, you know where she learned that? I was like where? DUH from you, he said! In that moment when he said that, I could just feel my heart sink I didn't even realize that she was picking this up from me. It was just little comments that I make almost daily that she has heard me say.

Are you wondering what she said? I'm not going to tell you exactly what she said but I have taught her through my bad self image the word FAT. How awful is it that already at the age four I have started teaching her a bad self image. Because pretty soon she is going to start looking at herself and saying those same things I say. After having my eyes WIDE open today I am no longer going to say those things about myself. I want more for my children, I want them to know that they are beautiful in Jesus's eyes and it doesn't matter what their outside apperances are. I want them to go through life knowing that they are beautiful inside and out.

So please pray for me as I try and change my whole outlook on myself, I know that God can work on my heart in this area. I also challenge anyone else who struggles with this especially if you have little ears listening to everything you say. Watch what comes out of your mouth because they pick up on everything! Let's try and speak positive words into our children's life so they grow up knowing the truth.

1 Peter 3:3-4 (New Living Translation)
Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.

"Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly."

~ St. Francis De Sales

"To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world."

~ Unknown Author

Happy Anniversary!!

Exactly six years ago today I married my best friend. I can't imagine what life would be like if I hadn't. I'm one lucky girl. Not only do I get to spend the rest of my life with my best friend, I got two beautiful little girls in the last six years. Thanks baby for a great six years and many more to come! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!!