If you found your way over here for the first time from my post on the DailySpark blog, I’m super excited you stopped by! Get acquainted by checking out a little more on what to expect when visiting FFF and who I am. Then, say hello so I can get to know you. If you’re a regular here at FFF, please check out my post on what motherhood taught me for a healthy lifestyle!

The outdoors this morning didn’t look too welcoming.

Blah. Dreary. Drizzly. Grey. Enough reason to stay in cozy wear. You already know I am not a fashionista by any stretch of the imagination, but this piece takes the cake!

The Italian Virgin Mary sweatshirt. It’s the biggest joke of a Christmas gift Peter received last year (gotta love random family presents!), but so soft.

Peter and I take turns wearing it and laughing at each other for the sheer ridiculousness of this fashion statement. Love ya, Mary…but you’re not exactly my fashion style. Makes for some good laughs at the very least!

Despite my super attractive get-up, I didn’t opt to laze about. I felt better about getting productive while so comfortable. The kids and I cranked up the music  and made our way through the house, cleaning up a bit as we went along the way. With breaks for dancing along the way.

It appears Makenzie has a serious affinity for the oldies. Okay, kid. Have at the Beatles. I wish I had some video footage of our dancing shenanigans – especially of yesterday’s disco dance party! My mom would be so proud. She’s a former disco dancer. No joke!

Can’t you see it?  

As the day went on, I eventually got my butt out of the sloppy wear. First for a run and then to look presentable for sister night.

Dinner tonight honored a craving of Peter’s. We just recently got another share of meat from our local source and he had a hankering to use some in tonight’s dinner.

He pulled out a top round roast to defrost and then cooked it up this afternoon. Once he got it to the perfect medium doneness, he sliced it thin to layer up on a baguette with some sautéed peppers and onions plus some provolone cheese. I guess you could call it a mock Philly cheesesteak?

Okay. Not really. But it was still good. Really good. I honestly think I can tell the difference in the quality of our meat. Or at least I can feel better about knowing the source. I served it up with some roasted green beans because we shall eat our weight in green beans this week.

That’s what happens when you find a 5 pound bag of green beans on sale. I don’t mind one bit. We have quite a bit of steak left too. Which means I know what I will be having for lunch tomorrow.  

Sister night with The Biggest Loser is calling my name now. Let’s see if the teams can take down Bob this week.

• Do you have a family member who always seems to find the most interesting “treasures” to give as gifts? Any good ones to share?
• What’s a way you try to help cleaning house more fun?

This morning, I wanted to go ahead and share the second installment of the “Stuffed With Emptiness” series, which means I never got the chance to share my great time from last night. We had a good one in small groups this week. Starting with the quintessential fall food: chili!!!

Too bad it wasn’t really chili weather. We’re back in the 80s here. Oh well. Air conditioning has a purpose and I couldn’t pass up this bowl of delicious from one of our group members.

I love me a good vegetarian chili, but a hearty, meaty chili like this one takes the cake sometimes. I even topped the classic chili off the classic way with some cheese and a handful of Fritos.

Yummm.

My pants couldn’t resist either.

My fingers still haven’t figured out how to hold onto things.

And my TMI threshold still hasn’t figured out an appropriate limit since I just posted a picture of my crotch on the world wide web. Crotch shots…pregnant in bikinis…cabbage stuffing bras…you get it all here, folks!

Moving on before I completely embarrass myself.

THE WALL

Last night’s discussion focused on the the topic of “faithfulness” – in the terms of persevering even in hard times.

In this past week’s sermon, our pastor shared the analogy of “the wall” that long distance runners face. The distance that suddenly wants to smack you down. The moment when you must decide to push on or give up. While much of our emphasis lay in persevering in our faith, even during trying times, I still couldn’t help but apply this concept to all areas of life.

It hit me that anything worth living for is HARD WORK.

Living a healthy lifestyle. Growing as a person. Developing a deeper faith. Training to achieve a goal. Being the best mom/wife/sister/friend you possibly can. Pursuing a passion. Loving someone.

All of those things we value most in life take time and energy. They often push us out of our comfort zones. They don’t always work out perfectly. They can hurt us. They can exhaust us. They can make us question everything.

You know what’s hard? Breaking through binge eating. You know what’s hard? Being a mom. You know what’s hard? Pouring yourself into a passion and having to sit back and trust. You know what’s hard? Having faith in something unseen.

We all have such things in life. But they make life worth living. We need faithfulness, perseverance, and commitment to reap the rewards. We’re made to break down those walls…and it will feel so good to come through the other side.

• Do you like chili? What kind and what toppings?
• What walls do you have to push through in your life?