"IN IT...TO WIN IT!"

My last post was about the 12 week challenge Trey and I are doing at Gold's. Once again, so proud of his dedication and early am workouts he is putting in!

When Trey signed up to do it I had no desire...just being honest. It wasn't that I had no desire to get healthy I just wanted the competition to be all about him and supporting him along the way...until he looked at me and said, "have you seen the girl that won last year? She is bigger then you are currently, and I really think you could win it." Me: "Really? Nah." Well, I guess my husband believed enough in me that I said ok.

I brought out a few bikini's and decided on the one was I was going to "model." And I say "model" very humbly because boy was it a sight to behold. The REAL humbling part came when I got an email with all my measurements and then there was me in my little teal bikini--front side and back side...I think I screamed in horror!
Mind you, the last time I wore a bikini was pre-Bear and pre-Trey, so like 4 years ago....and I really don't care anything about wearing a bikini now...BUT, if after this 12 week challenge I look like a new woman physically you betcha I will be proudly wearing my little teal bikini! I even say that modestly because I certainly will not be wearing it for the wrong intentions or so that I can plaster pics all over the place but more about the accomplishment. I CAN DO IT! Sometimes you just need to give yourself a pep talk. For real.
Well, actually, my pics may be plastered all over Gold's gym when I win this thing! ;)

At the end, of these remaining 11weeks, my goal is to have shed 20lbs.--that doesn't include inches lost and muscle gained. I have already lost 45lbs. and 20 of that came off pretty quickly after having Bear--I call that 'The Bear Weight..and then some' & then there's 'The Trey Weight.' LOL
So, you do the math... a total of 65lbs gained over the last few years. YIKES.
I'll never forget when a member of Trey's family noticed with in months of me living here that I had already gained weight. I laugh now because I was like maybe 5-10lbs. heavier...and then it started adding up. What can I say love and the south did something to me! :)

On a serious note, I really hated that I gained some serious weight only because I knew it was a struggle for Trey. I didn't help in the least bit like I said I would and for that I have carried around some guilt. However, I am thankful that times have changed and that's not the case anymore. Our lives have changed for the better and we are taking back our health & our bodies!

Here's to another New Year's Resolution and the 12 week challenge....

~Jenni~

P.S. I have been blessed with a coach at Gold's who is also a trainer and teaches the Turbo class I take along with the ab class and a few others. She technically wasn't assigned to me but the other lady is pregnant and, well, not sure how much of a help she's going to be, ya know? I'm "IN IT...TO WIN IT," and need a hardcore coach. Extremely thankful that Natasha has taken me under her wing! She actually did my weigh in on Monday and before I got on the scale I asked her how much she thought I weighed. She preceded to grab my arms/shoulders and my legs and said her guess. I chuckled but thought I sure hide my "junk" well. She was off by 10lbs. That's totally ok because those 10lbs will be off before I know it.

By the way, I totally realize that I am super transparent and I don't hide that. I have nothing to hide and believe that someone will read this blog and need the encouragement to know that they can "lose it" too. If that's you...YOU CAN DO IT!

The MOLARS.

Well, Bear's 1st set of molars have cut through up top; poor guy. That explains the fever Saturday evening and the fussy boy we've had on our hands for the last few days. As much as I hate him being in pain Hurricaine gel & some extra cuddles for me make for one happy momma and hopefully, a some what relieved Bear.
However, I totally hate it for him, but it's one of those things that has to happen. You know, because walking around toothless would be pretty odd and would REALLY gross me out. Sorry, I have a thing about teeth.

So, here's to 10 teeth for my, going on, 14 month old. He may be pushing 12 real soon as his bottom gums have been hard for a while now, and I am beginning to feel those little suckers start to make their appearance as they begin to penetrate his tender gums. Bless him. I say, "HURRY UP."

Happy Monday!

~Jenni~

P.S. My poor husband is serving at jury duty today. I'm praying that he doesn't get picked like a friend of ours was. He is in superior court which is where all the murderers, rapists and crazy people go. Needless to say, I'm saying a few extra prayers for him today.

Proud Wife!

Trey and I have been working out A LOT. Honestly, if I had worked out this hard 10 years ago I probably would have weighed 115lbs. and been RIPPED; however, I wasn't then and I'm certainly not anywhere near that right now. Plus, 10 years later came marriage and a baby...and, well, we all know, ladies, what that can do to your body! Unless, of course, you are naturally skinny and/or have the financial freedom to go get everything nipped and tucked! Neither of those apply to me...but that's OK. I'm enjoying reaping the benefits of getting healthy on my own and seeing my body change gradually...

Moving on, this blog is not about me but my husband. Up until recently he had been on a "diet" that was not really focused on how much food you were putting into your body but about what you weren't allowed to eat.
I don't know about you but if I am told I can't eat this or that it is the first thing I crave on day 1. Know what I mean?
Anyways, he had done that "diet" religiously and I was proud of him for sticking with it...however, I was concerned that he wasn't losing because of the amount of food he was consuming. I asked him if he would consider counting calories with me and to be mindful of what sort of foods he was taking in. He said, "ok!"

After a week of being on the new plan, he weighed in this morning and lost 7LBS. WooHoo! He has been working incredibly hard at the gym and I couldn't be more proud of him!
So, thankful that my husband desires more out of his health.

Bear and I decided that we would encourage Trey just a bit, so we got busy using Post-its. We wanted Trey to know that we were cheering him on every step of the way so we posted some inspirational stuff on his bathroom mirror. That way every morning when he looks in the mirror he sees himself as a conqueror...who is able...because he was made for victory!

 **That's me on the left and Trey on the right! ;)

We do believe in you and we  love you more then words can say. We are cheering you on every step of the way and can't wait for you to reap the benefits of your hard work!


Here's to 12 weeks and the rest of our lives! Go get em' babe!

"My Soul Sings...

My soul sings...how I love you!"

I tweeted these song lyrics a few days ago and last night my soul was truly singing; in fact, it was worshiping a God who I know loves and cares for me and my family more then I will ever physically, emotionally and spiritually be able to ever comprehend.
God is good!

As the night was coming to an end for American Idol there was one last contestant who needed to be heard. The glimpse of the young man, with curly dark hair, covering his ears had a powerful story that he was about to share. The moment Ramiro said, "“I wasn't born normal. I came out a bit different." I looked over at Trey and said, "he was born with the same thing Bear has." The commercials aired and then he was back to disclose his full story, excuse me, his testimony. As we listened Trey kept saying, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus." Tears grew bigger and bigger in my eyes and then he sang Amazing Grace. WOW. The tears were rolling down my face by the time he was done. 
God is good! 

Trey and I on so many levels can relate to this young man's parents. The unknown's of what Bear was up against when he was born left us speechless and heartbroken BUT God is good. I can still hear the words spoken to me by a good friend-Lauren- the Sunday before Bear was born. She looked at me and said, "The Lord wants me to tell you that Bear is going to be quick to hear slow to speak....BUT when he speaks he will speak with wisdom beyond his years." Mind you we had NO IDEA what we were about to face when Bear was born that Thursday morning--no idea. So, that was my hope in what seemed like a hopeless situation. God is good! 

This morning at the gym I got to share of God's goodness to some other mom's about Ramiro and Bear. Might I just add that Bear is a BIG SHOT in the nursery at Gold's. The mamma's and girls that work there have nothing but sweet things to say about my boy. So glad to know that he is loved on while I'm being worked to death in Turbo. :)
God is good!

This has been my biggest prayer for my family that despite what life throws us, which it has handed us some pretty heavy blows-that blog will come later, that God would be glorified in our midst and that people would see his faithfulness and goodness despite the trials.
God is good!

Remember that the next time you are faced with a situation that has left you feeling depleted...cling to the only source of HOPE who IS ABLE to extend his love and grace, who IS ABLE to speak words that won't ever come out wrong but will be uplifting and encouraging!

Here's Ramiro if you weren't able to watch American Idol last night!

God is good!

In just a few short years (I say "short" because I know they will FLY by), my boy will be old enough to have a CT scan of his ears. From there will be the determining factor to see if he is a candidate for canal plasty (where they go in and create an ear canal in each ear); however, I am clinging to hope that my son has ear canals and that the canal plasty surgery won't be necessary. Until I'm told otherwise I choose to believe and walk in faith. 


1 Corinthians 1:27 
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

Believe and walk by faith! We are commanded to do so. 

Have a great weekend y'all!

~Jenni~

Carrots & a little "Peek-a-Boo!"

A few post back I made mention that Bear LOVES carrots. The boy can throw some down.No.lie.
Here's a few pics to prove it.

Something must have been really funny here...

...And I can't forget about a little friendly game of "Peek-a-Boo!" The boy cracks me up and definitely has a personality on him...no doubt about that one. He knows what he wants...it'll just be nice when he actually can speak, with words, what he wants. This is Bear hiding his eyes/face from me. 

"PEEK-A-BOO!"

"I'm not done yet, mom!"  I tend to do what he "says" in cases such as this one... I just keep playing along with him until he is tired of hiding his face. 

There are days, many of them, when I just look at Bear and see God's grace and favor. Last night as we sat around the dinner table, as a family, I looked at Trey and said, "Can you believe it? He is apart of us." He is our flesh and blood in his own person. It's moments like these that take me back to our first pregnancy. As sad as miscarriage is I still believe that God's grace and favor rest on those of us who have experienced that sort of loss. When you think about the complexity of creating a child it TRULY is by God's grace that we are even able to conceive. Know what I mean? So, when I look at this sweet face I am reminded that much more of God's grace and favor on our lives. If you are a woman who has a child or children, whether by conception or adoption, you are blessed and highly favored. Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him. Psalm 127:3

Bear closes this blog out with saying, "PEEK-A-BOO!" I'm thinking this is a game that will never grow old to him. In fact, I picture him running around this house hiding from us & jumping out of a room to say, "PEEK-A-BOO!" 

Happy Thursday!

Savannah, GA

What a time we had in Savannah. It was our first mini vacation since Bear was born. It was good for me, good for Trey and GREAT for our marriage.

Seeing as though Trey does business with hotels he was able to get us a deal on a hotel that backed up to the river- The Grand Bohemian. It was absolutely beautiful--different, but beautiful!
We walked, saw a Christmas Musical, ate at Lady and Son's, ate some more, saw New Year's Eve and just really enjoyed the time we had with each other. No real worries....reality kind of left me for those 2 days and it was nice.

It was as if I was a teenager again and the only worry I had was putting gas in my car. I laugh at that thought. You know what I mean?

Here's some pics to highlight our trip!

 That was our view from our room.

Me and Trey with Paula. Something is wrong with this picture..She and I look the same size and I'm pretty sure she is a tad bit bigger then me. Observation made solely on watching her "cook in the kitchen." :)

Man vs. food recently appeared at Sweet Potatoes. They are known for their banana pudding but their Peach BBQ sauce was so TASTY! It was a very light sauce and the peach added some sweetness to it. YUM!

Our last night in Savannah...we ate at Vic's on the River. By far the best food we ate on our trip. Great ambiance, prices were very reasonable and it was just the two of us. It was a great way to end our trip!

Looking forward to our next getaway!

A Little Hiatus...

I made the decision when our church called for a 21 day fast that Facebook along with food would be part of my fast. However, I am keeping everyone abreast via pics of Bear, my weight loss & exercise regimen and my blog. I figure if I'm not able to know what's going on in y'alls lives via Facebook then I'll let you keep up with mine...if you want too, of course.

A week ago Sunday was the last time I was on FB... I even deleted the app on my phone as well. Some of y'all probably think I'm crazy because, whether you want to admit it or not, FB has sucked us in & for the majority of us it consumes/wastes our time.
I love looking at pictures of those who I don't see on a regular basis and friends who I haven't seen in forever. That's pretty much all I like to do on FB besides posting status updates. Trey would tell me I am a "picture stalker" and there is probably some truth to that...but I can't help it I LOVE looking at pictures! I take that back I can help it and I am doing it!
I guess I am the type of person when I commit to doing something then I do it and complete it; I have my strong will to thank for that!

Please don't feel as though I am ignoring you if you post something and I don't respond...for a while. Everything I post is through other means on my phone. Instagram gives me the option to post to fb & so does the myfitnesspal app.

With that being said, know that I miss all of you in FB world and I hope the New Year has been good to you thus far.


Here's to New Resolutions...

~Jenni~

P.S. May I just add that not having the FB app on my phone has done wonders to my battery life! ;)

Pediatrician Change

I made a switch-a-roo regarding Bear's Pediatrician. There were some concerns that we had regarding Bear and I needed a Pediatrician who was on the same page as us when it came to the well-being of our son. I'm not saying in the least bit that the former pediatrician we had was bad, she was just more of the "wait and see" approach, and, well, that's not exactly how I "roll."

I was introduced to our current pediatrician by a lady who works with my mother-in-law. She told me Dr. Dickerson was phenomenal and was up-to-date & very knowledgeable about children with special needs.

So, I made an appointment with her as I felt it was necessary to interrogate her just a little bit. :) Oh.My.Word. I was overly impressed and the fact that she applauded me for being on top of things reassured me that much more that she was for the well being of my son too! Can I get an Amen?

She had a plan in place for Bear and it was one that we had already decided on for him...we just needed a doctor who believed what we believed and she did! It honestly was an answer to pray.

I didn't care that her office is in Newnan...as a mom I am willing to do whatever it takes, go wherever I need to go to have that peace of mind that my son is being seen by someone who cares about his health and well-being just as much as we do.

She was patient, took her time with us and even shed a few tears with me! Ummm...hello?

Needless to say, I was convinced she was God sent and we are thankful that Bear is under the right care for his needs moving forward.

HE DID IT!

I obviously have  a lot of catching up to do but as my boy continues to grow and various things transpire in the Sheneman household I will definitely have to squeeze those in. So......

Here's a squeeze in blog!

BEAR TOOK HIS FIRST FEW STEPS ON THURSDAY!!! 

Trey was at work...and, well, I couldn't hide it from him and I knew he would see him anyways...so I called him! His response, "did you push him down?" Umm...NO! I certainly didn't want him to think that he shouldn't walk...instead I held out my arms and he came "running," a little wobbly but he did it nonetheless.

He showed off his skills to his daddy later that night at the gym. Trey watched as he, more confidently, came to me taking at least 5 steps that time. His posture was more controlled and he looked like a pro!
Quite honestly he should look like one...the boy is able to sprint with his walker. I laugh because he seems to be so dependent on that walker as an older person is to their's. Not worried though as I know that his walker will soon be a thing of the past as he runs around the house chasing me and Trey!


As I type, can you guess what Bear is doing?!??! You got it...pushing his walker around at lightning speed! He tires me just watching him. :)

Happy Saturday...enjoy your time with your loved ones!

~Jenni~

Playing Catch-up!

So, my last post was about the highlights from the end of last year till now. My goal is to play catch-up and really detail those highlights with pictures and more than just a sentence description.

All about our "1" year old and his "1st" BIRTHDAY BASH...A Winter ONEderland...was his theme! 

 We were blessed to have some pretty awesome people in our lives who helped us make his day so special! The cake was made courtesy of Amanda Cabe & the wonderful photography was done by Courtney Wilkerson over at www.twinklingeyephotography.com

 My hubby had a wonderful idea...he went and bought cupcakes to ornament Bear's cake table. I love that man & his creative ways.

 You can't have a Winter ONEderland with out some make believe SNOW AKA Epsom salt. Courtesy of Pinterest.

 Our Winter ONEderland banner that I made..l.because I refused to pay $25- or more from etsy. I just hated that you can't see it in the picture! My husband wrote the words out...and he did great!

 Party favors for Bear's friends...Bear even personalized it, on the back of their stocking, by thanking them for coming to his party...which they can hang on their Christmas tree every year as a remembrance of Bear's 1st Birthday! :)

 Courtney is great & so creative...have I mentioned that before?!?!?!

 I wanted those who were in attendance to write something special to Bear that he will be able to open (hence the box wrapped in Winter Wonderland paper) on his 18th Birthday!

 My beautiful family. Who I thank God for everyday.

 This sweet face makes our lives so much richer!

 Seriously. Is that not the cutest picture you ever did see?!?!? LOVE it.

For the adults & kiddos--cake pops! Something sweet for them to indulge their sweet tooth!









After just one taste he had officially become a lover of sweets...too bad for him he won't get anything like that until his 2nd birthday! Ha. Remember via my last post we are on a journey to eat healthier as a FAMILY.



We were so very thankful for all of those who came out to celebrate with us! Bear has some pretty wonderful & supportive people in his life and we couldn't ask for anything more!

Totally love this picture of these two! Shiloh is Courtney (our friend & family photgrapher) & Jeff's daughter. She was born just a few weeks after Bear was born. I sure hope that their friendship will be life long as well as all of Bear's other friends.

Son, here's to your 1st year of life. We celebrate you, your accomplishments (even at this age) & all that God has set before you in the years to come.

We are blessed to call you ours. We love you to infinity and beyond!

Momma & Daddy

The.New.Year.

So, do I have lots to write about? Of course. However, blogging is the last thing I ever think about doing, so kudos to those of you who make it a priority in your life.

A lot has transpired now that we are in the year 2012 and the last time I blogged was in 2011, November to be precise...22nd I believe. Maybe? I dunno. It's.been.that.long.

Some Highlights:

-Bear turned 1 back in December 2011
-Changed Pediatricians
-Trey took me to Savannah for a few days (without Bear) towards the latter part of December--it was awesome...BUT I definitely missed Bear...we both did.
-Celebrate Christmas Eve at home..Gigi & Poppa were with us this time around.
-Rang in the New Year at home with friends!
-Started letting Bear cry it out (New Year's Eve).
-Bear has made remarkable improvements in so many areas. God is good!
-Bear loves him some carrots & apple sauce and he is growing fonder of table food
-I completed the Love Dare
-Reading a book titled "Made to Crave"-AWESOME...so far!
-Currently on a 21 day fast with my church
-Trey asked me to join the Gold's Gym Challenge with him, so I said sure!
-More aware of what Trey and I are eating. I can't say that sweets will no longer enter my mouth because I would be lying...however, they are much less.
-I'm refraining from Facebook and have for the last several days...and may be for awhile. So, if you need me email me, text or call! :)

I think that sums up what's been going on in my life. Eventful.I know.

Happy New Year to You and Your's!

~Jenni~