I chose the Christmas card from 2 of these pictures

the dreaded DIET

I go back and forth all the time on working out, eating healthy, trying to lose weight versus being engrossed in schoolwork, being lazy, and relaxing frequently. I do well with working out and eating healthy for about a month and then I get bored of eating the same things all the time, so I splurge and it takes me a while to get back on the weight loss bandwagon. I don't have enough will power to stay motivated to lose the weight that I want to do. I am the kind of person that if I don't see results right away, I give up. I have decided that after the soda I currently have in the refrigerator is gone, I am going to try to start drinking diet in hopes that eventually I will give up soda all together. The two things I love the most are the first that need to go in order for me to lose weight, they are: soda and all junk food. :o( I know, I'm an adult and I should be able to have the self-control and will power to overcome these evil things, but so far I have not had too much success. I use the busy thing as an excuse all the time...I'm busy doing homework, cleaning, working, playing with the kids, whatever but the truth is, I could spend the time that I'm normally playing around on the computer and do some exercise, eat a healthy snack instead of a snickers bar and eventually if I stick to it, I believe I can lose the weight that I want to lose. I know you probably are wondering how much I am wanting to lose and the answer is 50 pounds within a year. That's less than a pound a week. Sounds pretty reasonable, don't you think? I'm going to pray that God helps me to stay motivated because I want to be a healthy mom for my kids, I want to be able to run around and play with them and right now I just feel like a fat, lazy blob. It will change, you'll see! (this is a pep talk to myself!)

Learning Something New

As I have mentioned many times before, I am currently in a marketing cluster. We just had to do a paper on personal branding and I found it to be very exciting. It has given me an idea of who I am, what I want to be perceived as, and which direction I want my life to be headed. I am having a hard time deciding what I want to do whenever I get my degree whether I want to try to do an office job such as accounting, or at least something with numbers, or if I want to be risky and start my own business.

If any of you know me well, you know that I am not a risk taker...at all! However, while sitting in church a few weeks ago, Pastor Erik was talking about taking risks and doing what God has called you to do instead of just sitting by taking the easy path because it is safe, secure, and much less risky. I know the idea of starting my own business has a lot that would go with it but at the same time, I truly believe that it is where I am the most gifted, the most talented, and I absolutely love it.

In this class I have learned that sometimes it is okay to take risks. If you fail, you learn from your mistakes and move on. I think my problem is the failing part. I choose not to take risks because I am afraid to fail. Through my wonderful Pastor and my current professor I have learned that failing is part of learning and growing. If I don't have a clear vision of where I want my business, life, marriage, whatever to go, it will fail. If I listen to God and define the vision that I believe he has set before me, I believe I will be more successful than I could have ever imagined.

I am willing to take the risk, as soon as I finish the marketing plan and the vision for our future!

Sweet Hook-up!!!

Today I had to go do a focus group on Sparkle paper towels. In the marketing class I am currently in the teacher makes us do a focus group or a mystery shop. I tried doing the mystery shop and nothing ever seemed to work out right, so I called up Lucas Market Research in Earth City and asked if there was a focus group I qualified for. I know boring...snore! Anyway, I got put on a list to do a focus group for this morning and in preparation, they sent me a journal that I had to do for 5 days! It seems like a lot of work but really it's not. We were getting paid $25 for our journals and $75 for doing the focus group. If we got to MLR early, we were put into a drawing to win an extra $25 and guess who won!!! That's right, my name was pulled right out of that basket and I just beamed. Yeah, I know it's only $25 but I WON! So I was all happy waiting to go sit in the room with these 6 other women to talk about the paper towel that we all "love" when I hear the receptionist tell me that someone wanted to talk to me. I thought to myself "uh-oh, they found out I work at Sams and aren't going to let me do this group (you couldn't work at a place that manufactured, distributed, or marketed paper towels. To my surprise, the lady said in a whispering tone "we accidently overbooked this group so we are going to pay you and you get to go home!" I couldn't believe it! Not only did I win the $25 drawing but I get paid $100 to go home?!?! God never ceases to amaze and take care of me and my family!

More Pictures

I just can't help myself. On nice days I love to go out and take pictures of the kids, scenery, whatever, I just LOVE taking pictures. I'm trying to get better at the editing, but right now with being in school it is difficult to find extra time to read up on editing photos. So, in the meantime, enjoy what I have done with them so far!

Nothing much to say

Here are some more pictures from this month. If you haven't already, you can check out: http://thepatrickmahoneyfamily.shutterfly.com/

That website I update once a month with all the pictures from that month.

Halloween

So, Halloween is just around the corner. It is my least favorite of all the holidays. I hate to be scared and so I only remember ever going trick or treating twice in my entire life and one of those times was when I was a teenager. I have yet to take my kids trick or treating either. Thankfully this year, our church is doing a Halloween alternative that we are super excited about going to. It is a carnival from 5-9 and there are rides, games and food and the best part is that everything is FREE!!! I don't know about you, but I LOVE free! Also I have the entire day off so I can't wait to sleep in with my hunnie and just relax until going to the carnival.

Other than that I have just been drowning in homework. I've been trying to make sure I can get everything done before the middle of November because we have a 20 page paper to write (our marketing plan) instead of a final at the end of the quarter. As much as I despise tests, I'm not sure I'd rather write a 20 page paper than take a quick test. Oh well, the professor didn't give us the option. So, I get to do my first focus group on Friday November 6th. It is a requirement for this class so it should be interesting. The cool thing is I get $100 for doing it AND I get 30 points for the paper I write on it in class! I just keep pressing on and looking forward to our 4 week break over Christmas and New Years!!! We only have one more year until Pat and I are BOTH finished!!! We can't wait!