weekly photo dump {week four}

Hi all,
I hope you had a great week!  Progress is happening at the Clark house.  The sheetrock and texture are just about DONE!  The contractors are stopping by on Saturday morning to finish sanding, and then that part is finished!!  I have to say, that I am so glad this part is almost done, because it is MESSY!!  So.much.dust.everywhere!!!!  I think I will be dusting for the next year.  The next step is doors (which should be arriving on November 6th).  It is a slow process for sure, but so happy to be making progress, one day at a time!

From left to right...
1.  The contractors had to cancel on Saturday, so I ran a bunch or errands and did my grocery shopping.  This was my lunch at 2:45 when I got home.
2.  Thankfully the contractors said they would work on Sunday, since they couldn't work on Saturday (due to the joint compound not being completely dry).  Here is Bella waiting for them to arrive.
3.  My fall issue of Magnolia Journal got misdirected during the hurricane.  I got it about 3 weeks late, and then got busy.  While I was stuck at home during the construction, I finally had a chance to look through it.
4.  The weather is cooling off here in TX.  We used our indoor fireplace for the first time (we have ordered the stacked stone for the front and I cannot wait for it to be pretty again!).
5.  They prepped everthing on Sunday for texture to begin on Monday, I didn't realize they wrapped  everthing.  Luckily I work from home, because I couldn't get to my stuff, (I did locate my toothbrush!!) LOL!
6.  We are super excited that Ashley and Nate are going to have a baby in March!  They found out the gender and did a reveal on Facebook...it's a GIRL!!!!
7.  Mike works nights a few nights every month.  Pete usually sleeps right next to me when Mike is not home.  Plus I have the pups and Dewey at the end of the bed.    
8.  I have been trying to eat healthier these days.  It has been a struggle since the flood.  It has been so easy to just order a pizza or get take out.  Things are slowing getting back to somewhat normal around here.
9.  The majority of my paper scrapbooks were ruined in the flood.  Mike and I were able to salvage about 2/3 of the photos.  Becky Higgins (Project Life), had a storewide sale a couple of weeks ago and I stocked up on products to get my photos protected and try to re-organize things.  Once I get started I will share my progress here on the blog. 

Enjoy Today! 

Happy Friday!!
I have been challenging myself to take more photos (I have missed documenting life, the good the bad and the ugly).  I did not use my big camera this week, but I did use my iPhone to snap a few things to remember this week.  

From left to right...
1.  Mike and I finally tackled the garage, after the flood, everything (that was salvageable) was just thrown in there until we had time to go through it.  Luckily we did not find any wet/smelly items.  
2.  When you work in the garage all day...this is what is for lunch.
3.  The best part of the weekend is sitting on our back patio with coffee.
4.  Mike and I went to church Saturday night.  It was the first time back since the flood.  We have been going to Woodlands Church, we really like it.
5.  The temps are cooling down (a little) here in Texas.  We used our outside fireplace for the first time.  I think it will get a lot of use in the future.
6.  The Sheetrock is up and we hired a contractor to come in and tape and texture.  I am so excited to get this piece done.  Still have a lot to do, but we have walls...hooray!
7.  See #6.  If you know me...construction is an unorganized HOT mess!  This is how I struggled getting ready today.  Luckily I work from home, LOL!
8.  These two are happy as long as they are with me.  I am so glad to have them...they help keep me somewhat un-stressed.
9.  I wrote this on my large chalkboard (I would have snapped a photo of it, but I had to take it off the wall, see #6)...it helps me remember that we are moving forward.  

Enjoy Today!

hello...

Hello...

I know this blog has been quiet for a long time!  Life gets in the way sometimes.  I thought it might be time for me to start documenting life again, after a long hiatus (do y'all still read blogs?).

Mike and I moved to TX back in April, purchased a new house, and then hurricane Harvey came through and flooded our neighborhood.  I will be documenting that here on the blog, to keep my family and friends update on our progress.  I have never been through anything like that and I have to say, I learned so much about myself and humanity through it all.  

More on that to come....

I don't even know where to start, so I thought I would add a weekly photo dump :)  Happy Friday the 13th!!

From left to right:

1.  Most of my scrapbooks were ruined in the flood.  I was able to save about 2/3 of my photos.  I was happy to find a few items that didn't get ruined, which inspired me to start taking photos again.

2.  Sophie is like a kid...she wants to go outside, then a few minutes later, she wants to come back in.

3.  These cuties are in Europe.  I am so jealous, but so happy they are able to experience this trip together.

4.  Mike and I made a Costco run over the weekend.  I can never get out of there under $200...gah!!!

5.  Since we moved to TX, something we have never had to deal with is...FLEAS!  Those little creatures are nasty!!  We ended up putting the pups on flea medication, which seems to work and they are tolerating it well.

6.  We enjoy our back yard, and so do the pups.

7.  I am such a creature of habit...I eat the same thing for breakfast every day (except on the weekends), Greek yogurt drizzled with honey, topped with blueberries and nuts.

8.  I lost my Social Security card, and to obtain a TX license I need it, so went to the Social Security office bright and early to get a new one.  It is just as fun as going to the Department of Motor Vehicles, LOL!

9.  My mom sent me some apples from CT.  I don't know what it is about CT apples, but they are the best (it may be that I grew up eating them).  

Enjoy Today!!!

I am still here...and an update on Josh

Hi all, I have been the worst blogger ever!!  

I have not given up on this old blog, I guess I have just been a little preoccupied with life at the moment.  

I thought I would update you on Josh's Cancer treatment 

(that is THANKFULLY coming to an end!!).  

Here is Josh's last email update (4/7/16):
I went into my oncologist's office today expecting to be admitted to the hospital for my next chemo. Unfortunately, my lab work came back and my cell counts were too low to start chemo today. We did have some good news from my MRI though (I had this test about 2 weeks ago). There is no sign of cancer growing back at this time. They did notice a little bit of fluid where the cancer was, but this is due to the surgery, as well as the previous radiation treatment. It should be gone in a few months. I will be going in to Ironwood tomorrow, Monday, and Tuesday to get shots to boost my white blood cells. I will be going back for my next appointment next Thursday, and I should be going in to the hospital after that. Only 2 more in-hospital chemo's left!

The past month has been a pretty nice break from chemo (although I am anxious to just finish). The break is due to the new chemo I started 2 months ago. It has a delayed cell death, so it requires a 1 month break in between chemo's. 

*ETA-Josh is actually in the hospital right now getting his last 

of 3 chemo treatments, so after this treatment, 

he only has 2 more left!!

(one in the hospital and one in the doctors office)   

Mike and I are heading to AZ at the beginning of May to celebrate 

him being DONE!  I cannot wait to see the kids!!!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I have so much that I want to blog about, so I am hoping that 

I can get my act together and start blogging again on a regular basis 

(because, I really do miss it!!), so don't give up on me yet :)  

I am almost done reading  THIS book (recommended by Ashley), and it resonated so much with me!!  I realized that we all need to cultivate creativity! 

I highly recommend it!!  

I think THIS one, is going to be my next read.

as always...

Enjoy Today!

meal prepping - getting organized one project at a time...

I have been on somewhat of an organizational kick around here.  Not just with de-cluttering my stuff, but also trying to live a more organized life.  

One of the ways that I am doing this is meal prepping.  I have always loved seeing blog posts and pictures on Instagram of people who prep their lunches for the week, but I am not going to lie, that looked very intimidating to me.  I have always made a meal plan for our dinners each week, but I have noticed that working from home, a lot of times, I would forget to eat (for reals, can you believe it?).  I get so focused on getting things checked of my work list, that I honestly stay at my desk pretty much from 9-5 all day.

I had put on a few pounds over the holidays, and I realized that even though I was not eating a lot, the weight was not coming off.  I decided to get more strict with my eating and pulled out my Beyond Diet program.  After just one week of eating breakfast, a morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner, I lost the few pounds I was struggling with.  I was not eating enough!!  So I have jumped on the meal prep bandwagon (in baby steps of course).  

On the BD program, you have your menu planned out for you for the week, you can switch things around that you like and leave out the stuff you don't like (this program had really worked so well for me!).  I am one of those people that is completely happy having the same snack every day (apple and almond butter...YUM!).  I also make extra for dinner each night, so I have leftovers for lunch the next day.

I have been doing this type of meal planning for 3 weeks, and it has made my life so much easier!!  It does take a little extra work on the weekend, but I love when things run smoothly throughout the week.  

Here is my meal plan from last week.  

And because it has helped me stay on track...

I am sharing it with you.  

Get the blank meal planning template HERE.

I thought I would show you a few pictures from last weeks meal prep...

I made a batch of gluten free banana walnut muffins 

(these are really yummy!  and even hubby approved)

and some jar salads for my lunch.

Do you meal prep?  What has worked for you?  

Have a fabulous week!!

Enjoy Today!

the life-changing magic of tidying up

Have you heard of this book?

I read it a few months ago, and it was such an eye opener for me!!  I consider myself  a pretty organized person, but the light bulb went on for me (several times) throughout the book.

I highly recommend it if you are wanting to get your life organized in 2016!!  I will warn you,  there are a few "wonky" things in there (I think it is culture related), but for the most part, this book really kicked my organizing up a notch! 

I am in the process of going through my junk, stuff, LOL!  And I have to say it feels MARVELOUS to get rid of stuff that does not "SPARK JOY"!! 
(Marie Kondo, the author, suggests not starting the process until you finish reading the book, it was REALLY hard not to start digging in!!!)

Mike and I moved into a new house in October, and then the holidays hit, so my progress came to a little bit of a halt, but let me just say that moving was so much easier with the purging I did do before the move.  

I hope you will follow me on my de-cluttering and organizing journey... 

Enjoy Today!

an update from Josh...

I hope you are having a great week!  I have been pretty busy with work, so I have not been able to post, but I do have some ideas for my blog coming soon :)

I wanted to thank you for all the sweet comments and emails regarding Josh!  It is so nice to know I have so many friends (near and far) keeping him in their thoughts and prayers.  

Josh has been sending out email updates throughout his cancer journey and I thought I would share his most recent update (I think he should start a blog).

I am definitely overdue for an update, but here it is...

I have been in the hospital the past 2 weeks or so getting 2 more rounds of chemotherapy.  (This leaves 7 more chemo's, 4 of which are in the hospital).  I am very excited to be done with going to the hospital...  I got out of the hospital last night, and I go in to my oncologist's tomorrow for my outpatient chemotherapy (they are really putting these things back to back now!).  I am still on track to finishing in March.

A month or so ago I noticed that my heart was feeling a little bit different.  Almost like it was weaker, or not working quite as it was before.  I notified my oncologist and he had me go in for another echo-cardiogram (heart ultrasound).  The results came back the other day while I was in the hospital and it looks like my heart is not working/pumping in the normal range at this time.  A cardiologist met with me and notified me it was congestive heart failure and that my heart was working between 45-50% (normal is above 55%).  They did not seem too worried, which was a relief and my cardiologist is optimistic that my heart should return to normal over time.  The cause of the heart issue is from the radiation treatments that I received (because they were near my heart) as well as one of the chemotherapy's that I receive called Adriamycine (which is toxic to the heart).  They recommend I keep active by walking daily to return my heart back to its original capacity.

**Edited...I spoke with Josh today and they are NOT going to continue with the Adriamycine, due to the heart related side effects.  They will give him another chemo medication in the same family but with less side effects for Josh's heart. (I am kinda happy about this!!!)

  

Jessica and I have been doing well since our last update.  We have mostly been in the hospital, so we cherish any time that we have at home together.  We are very excited to be nearing the end and we are planning out all of the things we want to do once this phase of our life is over.  Life is good.

I hope you are all doing well!  I will definitely try to send another update soon :)

Love,

Josh and Jess

Enjoy Today!