It's Baby Week at I ♥ Faces, and I was recently blessed with my first baby session just 2 weeks ago. Yeah! Here is sweet baby Coen and his beautiful mama! 2 month old babies should not have such intense eyes!! 
As Always, Head over to I ♥ Faces and check out all the other beautiful babies!
It's been a little over a month since I've seen the boy. And Saturday is our 2nd Anniversary! YEAH! I am a little bummed that we aren't together to celebrate it, but I will keep with our tradition and go out for sushi at our favorite little Suki Cafe. It is only 20 more days until I make the trip down to San Antonio to see him! And I am so excited I want to leave right now!! But I can't. So in the mean time, I will be keeping BUSY!!
I've been able to be behind my camera every single week since Sean has left. I've mostly been taking pictures of the garden and our trees so I can show Sean how everything has changed while he has been gone. 
But my favorite thing is that I've had 2 photo shoots!! Both were so much fun and both entirely different from each other. My first session was with the beautiful Benton family of 9--yes, I said 9! It is the most people I've ever shot at once and was a little challenging keeping 7 kid's attention, but it was a success!
My second session was with my good friends, the Nate and Alyssa Bosch who are just starting their family! 
Look at little Coen's eyes! They were so intense the whole session!
I've also been out kayaking, fishing, hiking, biking, helping friends move, and entertaining family up from Arkansas. I've got plans to go rafting on the Middle Fork of the Flathead next week with my friend Meagan, and I'm hosting a Pampered Chef party 2 weeks from now. On top of all that, I'm busy at work, running a few times a week, pulling weeds and watering the garden, and keeping up with the house chores! Man do I miss having Sean around to split the chores with!
So needless to say,I've been busy busy busy! And these next 20 days are going to fly by as I have many things planed to keep me occupied.
My biggest project has been a bike build. Sean and I found an old Raleigh M-30 frame in a dumpster the day before he left, and I have been occupying myself fixing it up and researching what parts I need to put on it to get it up and running. I am waiting on a few more parts to come in, and I will blog about the build once it's finished.
As always, keep Sean and I in your prayers as we are so far apart from each other and only have 20 more days left!!
God bless!
Sean's made it half-way through Basic! Yeah! Only 30 more days until I get to see him and I can't wait! WOO!!
So keep us in your prayers that all things go as planned for him to graduate on time and that this month quickly passes us by! June 30th can't come quick enough!
No, I'm not talking about the smelly little black and white skunks that like to spray you if you get too close. I'm talking about the skunk when you are left with nothing on the end of your fishing line. 
Yep, Tuesday morning, 6:15 am, I send the boy off for 7 months. Yikes. I am a little excited and nervous and when he gets home from his last workout I will probably be a wreck! So I ask that you all say a quick prayer for the both of us. Pray that Sean has a safe travels; pray for an easy and painless 2 months of Basic for Sean; pray for his leadership opportunities during BMT; pray for my sanity and ability to adapt to living on my own for 7 months; pray for our dogs--I know, it sounds silly, but they really LOVE Sean and will miss him horribly. Finally, pray for all our military--there are so many wonderful and talented young people in our military who are giving their all, every day, for the freedom of our nation.
It's time to Shape Up! Well at least for Sean. As I write this, he has just 15 days left before he heads off to BMT. And the reality I think just hit him last night--he is not in the shape he thinks he is. There is a little weight for him to lose, which he will drop in about 10 minutes--seriously, why can't a woman drop weight by just thinking about it? But the rest of his fitness is struggling. We ran a little over a mile last night--him jogging behind me while the dogs and I ran ahead. When we got back to the house, he was huffing and puffing and said "my legs feel really good. The bike polo is helping me with that, but the rest of my body does NOT feel good at all."
It took all my will power to not start an argument with the 'I told you so' statement and ended up giving him the 'I told you so' face without repercussion from it.
Sean is a master procrastinator for sure! He has known for at least 6 months now, that he needs to get into shape for BMT mostly so he doesn't look or feel like the '28 year old man' around all the 18-19-20-year-olds he will be training with. He was serious at first--going to the gym a few times a week to begin with, but when he realized how much time he had until May 4th, he put it off. He has now waited until the last 2 weeks before he leaves to try and get into shape. We have hit panic mode for sure!
Last night, we made a promise to run every day until he leaves. Hopefully this will help him not only lose some weight, but get his lungs and legs into shape. It is also helping me to commit to my promise to myself to continue training for a marathon at the end of the summer. My first 3 Mile race is this Sunday--the annual Great Falls Ice Breaker. Hopefully it will be as nice and warm as this past weekend!! So keep Sean and I both in your prayers over the next 2 weeks. We definitely need them!
It seems recently that there has been a HUGE push for people to pay more attention to their families diet. With the increase of obesity, it is understandable. While some reports point to diet others point to lack of exercise. Personally, I believe it is a combination of poor diet and over-stimulation from our culture. So many people, myself included, have become over-stimulated by all the new toys technology and entertainment is bringing us, that we overlook our personal health.
iPods, Facebook, WI-FI, Twitter, Cellphone apps. and of Reality Shows have drawn us indoors, and made us lazy people. How disgusting is it when a woman's greatest ambition in life is to set a Guiness Book Record for weighing 1000 pounds. And how much more disgusting is it that people are supporting her in this endeavor by sending her food and McDonald coupons!
I am appalled by how we have allowed our culture, or lack of culture for that matter, to direct our lives.
Well it's not for me anymore!
After a little consideration, I've come up with a list of things I am going to do, starting today, to change my unhealthy lifestyle!
1. Give up my web-surfing for a month. While I'd like to give up all computer contact, my work relies on a computer, so I must sit in front of it for at least 9 hours a day, but I don't have to allow the easy internet access to consume me. I will give it up at home with the exception of looking up new recipes to try.
2. I LOVE to garden, so this year I am going to dedicate some of my hard work to Plant a Row for the Hungry--while some people are so self-absorbed with becoming famous (the previously mentioned 1000 lb. woman, or the whole cast of 'The Hills') there are some people who are truly struggling in life. Plant a Row for Hunger is a nation-wide program dedicated to growing fresh produce for those who can't afford good healthy food--homeless, jobless, shut-ins, and the every day family just struggling to make ends meet. I'm planting 2 of everything this year, with all produce from 1 plant going to the Food Bank or the Mission. And the overflow once my pantry is filled will go to Meals-on Wheels.
3. I am running a marathon. I've been saying 'I will train for one this year' for the past 3 years! I get out and run for a few days at a time, but it's easy to make up an excuse and allow technology to distract me, and I fall away from my goal. Well not any more! It is on paper now, and I will do it.
4. I LOVE photography and have been playing around with it for a while, but haven't had the courage to step out and pursue it. I would love for it to be a full time-endeavor, but right now I know that is not realistic. So my goal is to get out and shoot at least once a week--faces, places, beings and things. I'm going to take some classes to hone my skills. And if anyone reading this wants a free photo session with me, I'd be glad to pull out my camera to shoot your beautiful face and family! I think I will look into selling my scenery pictures as well.
5. The Great Outdoors is calling me. And I am answering. Every week for the next year, I will spend at least 1 day out in God's good creation--and I don't mean working in the garden or the yard. But out of town, on the river, in the mountains, on a trail away from the constant buzz of every day life. I am going to get out while I still can!
6. Bible and study--I think in the past 6 months, the only time I've opened up my bible is at church on Sundays and Wednesdays. I MUST change that. I need to fall deeper in love with God and his word as I think all Christians should.
This list is just the tip of the iceberg! I am sure there will be many more ideas to add to this list in the future. I encourage anyone reading this to come up with a simple list for you and your family to start your healthy living today.
