Healthy Hump Day tips #8-Inspiration

We all need it and I have a few videos tucked away to watch when I get down and need some motivation.  Pretty much, you can google "Tony Horton video" and find something inspriational.  He's not all about the looks, he wants and loves to help people feel better.  Chalene Johnson is another trainer to google.  I promise she will get you fired up!

Click on the picture to watch my "go to video" lately since she uses all three of my favorite workouts.

Have a great day!

Texas trips

     Since summer has started I have packed and unpacked my suitcase 11 times.  I've already blogged about our trip to the Frio river and to Bandera but somehow never got around to the third leg of the trip.  Summer (and these car trips!) is getting the best of me.  

     Before leaving Bandera, we spent the afternoon driving around in the middle of nowhere looking for Polly's Chapel.  We got a tip from a friend that it was a interesting and quiet place to experience.  After getting a little turned around, we asked for directions from the nicest man working alongside his fence.  He was so excited and friendly that it made me think he probably hasn't seen anyone drive down his road for days.  It was so out there!  Kind of strange since that area is only about 30 miles outside of San Antonio.

Hubby and I had such a peaceful time wandering through the church and around the grounds.  

No kids and no specific time that we needed to be somewhere.  It was like heaven.  I'm so glad that hubby didn't give up on finding it and asked for the way.  

He knew that I really wanted to see it and it was like getting a present that day.  

After getting off the beaten path, we made our way to the other side of San Antonio and spent the next few nights in New Braunfels with some friends in their condo.  We ate great food and floated a little stretch of the Guadalupe river.  Still in a drought, the float wasn't the best but we had fun anyway people watching and chatting.  We even got in a game of Bingo one night.  

I had no idea what I was doing!  They make that game so stinking complicated and fast.  

Nothing like feeling like a moron while playing Bingo.

Then we enjoyed dancing over at Riley's Tavern.   

Claimed to be the oldest bar in Texas.  

photo credit

Texas isn't all cowboys and horses.  But I sure like the places that are!  

Thanks for coming along with me on this Texas tour.  

She can't be 6 already!

She just can't be.  But she is.  My baby girl turned 6 on Friday and there is no turning back.  She's already talking older,  except when she talks like a baby to annoy her brother.

Happy Birthday my sweet girl.  We love you more than you know.

Healthy Hump Day tips #7

Pre-washing your lettuce makes it so much easier and quicker to fix up a salad.  I don't wash it right when I get home from the store because, let's face it, I'm good to get the cold stuff in the fridge and I usually have to do the other bags later.  It works for me.  But whenever I take that head of lettuce out to tear a piece off for my hubby's sandwiches, I try and clean the whole head and put it in a big baggie with a paper towel.

The lettuce should last for about a week.  

I timed myself and it only took me three minutes to do.  

To be honest, this is one tip that I need to remember to do more!

Have a great day and I encourage you to think about some of the ways you are already making your life healthier and concentrate on those.  Be proud of those!  I have read a few blogs lately where the author is so down on herself (for basically not being perfect) and these women are on my mind today.  We can only do what we can do and God asks us to come to him everyday for forgiveness and grace.  He loves you so much for who you are and not what you do.  I have no idea why lettuce has led me to this but I hope that someone might get some encouragement today.  I know that I needed it this morning and I got it from a blog I read earlier.  It's like a big wonderful circle sometimes.  

Summer birthday party #2

We celebrated the Roo's 6th birthday on Wednesday.   Hubby is still working shift work and has a crazy schedule so it needed to be during the week.  I'm so thankful that my sister has the summer off and can still bring the cousins!  Roo wanted the same slide as J-man since she didn't get one last year.  When you're in Texas and you don't want all the kids in your house the whole time during a summer birthday party, a water slide is a must!

A sudden rain shower didn't put a damper on the party since most of the kids decided to stay on since they were already wet.  It was such a good rain and we so needed it!  Roo was not one of the ones to stay on because she doesn't like to be cold.  Just like her mom.

  We moved them all inside for cake and presents when we heard thunder.  

*****my gorgeous girl*****

And another picture to add because I love it.  Earlier in the week, we had some friends over for dinner and after hearing that Amanda is a real artist, Roo got all of her paints ready and decorated her easel for them to create together.  I love the "concentrating" technique (-:

Texas River tours Part 2

I didn't expect it to take me this long to get to part 2!  Summer is really throwing me for a loop but we are having fun!

So we said goodbye to the kids in Concan as they headed off with Pops and Grandma for a week full of fun at their house.  Around here, we call it Camp Grandma, named from the days when hubby would go with his Grandma for a week.  I guess only Great Grandma is named because Great Grandpa was still working at the time.   Since Pops is retired, Grandma gets a little help with our kids and the little cousins.
Our "just us" trip started out in Bandera, Texas.  Our future town.  A place where we own 2.48 acres of pure Texas.  We drag out the lawn chairs and a few Shiner Bocks to help us watch the sun go down over our land.  One day, we'll get to build a house to grow old in together.
This year some dear friends met us out there and we talked and talked and talked.  It was wonderful!

The area was formally a huge ranch but is now sectioned off for us lucky ones that get to enjoy the view at a fraction of the cost.  We were able to rent out the ranch house for a night.  I love everything about this house.

the fireplaces (all 7 of them!)

the windows, the beams...

the original floors....

and the gorgeous view!

You can't help but love this little town!

We would have loved to float the beautiful Medina river that runs right through the town and our neighborhood of lots but this river was too low also.  I don't think you want to see a picture of just rocks so I will show you a picture of me last year.  This wasn't even in the deep part.

It makes me sad that all of the rivers are low but I know that it is just a cycle that we are in. We still pray for rain everyday right now.  There are many towns around us right now that are banning fireworks shows for the 4th of July.   Speaking of, I wish you a day of rest and relaxation as we celebrate our many freedoms this weekend.  I didn't intend for there to be a part 3 for our Texas River tour 2011 but I just had to share about our little future town.