What is a Veteran?

 

November 11th, 2013  the 11th day  in our 30 day thankfulness challenge. It has not really been a challenge finding things I am thankful for. Today is extremely easy. It's veteran's day and I would like to take the time to Thank all Veteran's and their spouses who have been apart of any armed forces. Past, current and future. Sometimes Your selfless sacrifices seem to go so easily unnoticed. I know this as an Ex military spouse. Today, I want you ALL to know your scarifies are noticed not only today, but everyday. The husbands, wives, children and parents of these soldiers are 100% in our thoughts, hearts and prayers. If you have not been the wife, the husband, the child, the parent or the solider you cannot understand the worry, heartache, loneness, the struggles of geographical single parenting. Each person has their own part with their own joys, struggles, their own feelings of pride. There is not one of these roles you can minimize the emotions.  As a proud mother, sister, daughter, cousin, ex-spouse and granddaughter of an armed forces member who has or is serving. I salute you ALL for you daily selfless sacrifices! I pray you and you loved ones are blessed beyond measure not just today but everyday. And remember when you see a service member not just today but everyday Thank them for their service. We are only the home of the free because of the brave.

 

Thank you to All Veterans, spouses, children and parents of the brave.

Remember Life is short, God is good and coffee is your friend.

Hollie Kate.

 

Single Parenting and Thankfulness!

I promise you, if  anyone knows the struggles, trials, disappointments, joys, and loves of single mothering I do. Single parenting is hard. It does not matter if you are a single mother or single father, It's hard!!! And I understand what you are about to read goes both ways. This is just my journey. And I pray as you read this you will be blessed.   November is the thirty days of thankfulness.   Each day I post something or someone I am thankful for on my Facebook page.  I am thankful for these things/people  year around. I try to the best of my ability to let it be known how thankful I am. With Thanksgiving being this month, we just want to remind ourselves and others what thing we are thankful for. Because we all know sometimes it's nice to be reminded. Some of these things can be large to us and others may be the smaller simpler things in life. However, this does minimize our thankfulness at all. It does help when you are focused on a full thirty days of thankfulness to not dwell on the negative things that we don’t find worthy of gratitude at the exact moment were living it and staring it in the face. With all this being said, I have to express my thankfulness to the Men who walked out of my children’s lives. Yes, both men.  The ones who voluntarily gave up their parental rights in court. The ones who never call, who never send cards, who never show remorse for the decision to abandon their own flesh and blood. I know so far this sounds harsh. Just bear with me, for a minute. I am not degrading, ridiculing or judging them at all. It’s taken many years, even more tears and much heartache to get to this point of thankfulness. I am not saying I don’t have a day where a little anger or maybe a lot,  is stirred. I’d be lying if I said that never happened. Especially when my children look at me with their teary eyes and broken hearts asking questions, why. The day of the daddy daughter dance, donuts for dads or when I catch them gazing over at the fathers days cards every June. Even how they bow their little heads almost as if they are shameful, that they are "fatherless".  So in all honesty, YES!! I do have some stirred anger. Not for my own selfishness. Like in the past. But, only for the hurt in my children’s eyes. So today I choose not to be angry, upset or to wallow but I chose Thankfulness. Without their decision to walk out and say no, to be absent in every important day in my children’s lives. I or they wouldn’t be who or where we are today. If they wouldn't have disappeared I wouldn’t be the independent, strong, successful individual I am today.  I wouldn’t have a front row seat to every amazing, sweet, unique wonderful big and little thing they have done, said or accomplished.   I wouldn’t have learned to depend upon God. I wouldn’t have known the different, deep, connecting kind of strong love for my children I have known. I am not saying mothers and fathers who have both parents together in the homes, do not know a strong love. I am saying it’s a different kind of love. I wouldn’t have known the love of going hungry so they could eat. I wouldn’t have known the love of sitting up watching for strangers because you are sleeping in your car. The love of locking that Conoco door and hurriedly bathing and brushing teeth in the sink to be at school on time.  I promise I am not complaining. I am truly thankful. I am thankful for the good, the bad, the highs and lows of single mothering.   I am thankful God truly blessed me in so many ways. My only regret is not seeing these blessings till later. And I will daily thank the Lord for blessing me in a way one he can through my trials, struggles and accomplishments. Because, Like Matthew 19:26 says “ALL things are possible with God”.  I know we are all in different seasons of single parenting right now. And it may feel like you will never be to the point of realizing even the negative things are blessings. However, Keep in mind. God will never allow us to go through anything he is not willing to help us through. Be thankful!!!

 

Remember God is good, life is short and coffee if your friend.

Hollie Kate.

Deciding today is the day!!!

I feel qualified to write and post this. Not because I have a degree in this area. But I have lost a hundred pounds, gained some back, lost it again and gained again. I’ve not ever gained it all back. Five weeks ago I decided today is the day! Not to diet but have a lifestyle change. I joined weight watchers, a gym and made changes at home. I do not strictly do weight watchers. I like the accountability of the weekly meetings and weigh in. The weekly weigh in keeps me from obsessing over the scale at home. I do still use my home scale, but I do NOT obsesses over it.  If, I am not satisfied with my weekly weigh in, I measure. And, I like the weight watchers app. Which automatically tracks my weigh in’s and I add my measurements. I love this. It’s a slow process. I have to keep reminding myself I didn’t gain it overnight and will not lose it that way either. Even if your weight loss process is slow remember process is process. As long as you are not gaining; you are doing GREAT!! There are times the scale barely moves but I can see myself changing. This is why I encourage working out with weights. With all this being said. I decided to write this because, I constantly see all these ads on the internet especially social media advertising get slim quick pills and diets. This makes me laugh. There is absolutely no such thing as a quick fix when it comes to your weight and health.  There is not a diet that is a permanent fix.  When looking for the definition of diet I found.

 diet /di·et/ (di´it) the customary amount and kind of food and drink taken by a person from day to day; more narrowly, a diet planned to meet specific requirements of the individual, including or excluding certain foods.di´etary

 There is NOT a special diet pill that will magically dissolve belly fat, or herbs to quickly rid your body of the fat. They do however make you shake, increase your heart rate and cause dizziness and sometimes fainting. This obviously cannot be good. I know, I'm guilty because I’ve done the prescription and OTC “magic pills.” I promise the side effects are not healthy and cannot contribute to your health, in a positive manner.

All “diets” will help you lose weight. Introducing an exercise including a weight regimen. This will increase the weight loss and help with ROM and muscle mass which also increases metabolism. However, most use diets as a temporary fix. This just does not work. It has to be a life style change.  Change your eating habits, increase your water intake. Increase your fruit and vegetable consumption, and your lean proteins. Try to avoid processed foods whenever possible. Decrease your sugar intake as well. Do not deprive yourself of the sweets you love. It will backfire on you. Then you will binge on those yummy, sinful treats. I try to keep on hand a bite size of my favorite candy for the “sweet monster in the afternoons”. I still occasionally visit my local Starbucks. However, I do request non-fat milk and I have down sized from a venti to a tall. Which only has 100 calories. This was a big adjustment for me considering I am shamelessly addicted to caffeine. And I decreased my visits from four to five times a week to once a week. Which helps me pay for my gym membership, Win win I’d say. I am not saying any of this is an easy journey. But a journey worth it. A journey to self-discovery, finding my fitness, and a journey to spiritual and emotional healing. It’s an amazing journey. One in which I wouldn’t exchange a day. I hope this has been positive and encouraging to y'all.

 

Remeber life is short, God is good and coffee is your friend.

XOXOX

Hollie Kate