….inside and outside of the studio.  I thank God for the angels He has placed in my life to help me to become the person He wishes me to be. I believe each person that comes into your life whether for a lifetime, a few years, months, days or even just a few moments has been placed there to teach you something about yourself…..good or bad. Before going to bed take a few minutes to reflect on the day and the people you came into contact with……what did they teach you?

The weekend’s weather called for thundershowers but once again the weather man was wrong!! and we were glad he was! It was boiling hot though, so the kids got in many hours at the swim hole. Some of the other activities included ladder ball, bonfires,  pot luck dinner, pinata, women’s iron skillet toss, men’s empty beer can toss, music, singing and lots of laughter. We are so blessed to be part of such a friendly, fun-loving parish where we have met and became close friends with so many wonderful people.

I couldn’t resist this “so ugly, he’s cute” ape, orangutan, gorilla…..not sure exactly what he is other than perfect for my topic today 🙂

I have a secret weapon in my arsenal of “staying fit” (I try not to say lose weight, because it is more about being fit and healthy; besides some “overweight” people are in better shape that their thin counterparts).

Do you know how many calories you eat a day??????

The only way to know is to track it…..which I have done in the past by writing everything down and looking up the calories in a book…..what a pain! It was very time consuming. But now, thanks to my fitness pal, you can easily track your calories, fat, protein, carbs, and other nutrients using your computer or better yet, if you have a droid or iphone you can download the app for free!! I have it on my droid and every time I eat something I add it to my fitness pal. I have yet to eat something that I couldn’t find in their database….even when you eat out!!!! You also can track the amount of water you drink a day, your workouts (and how many calories you burn), and enter your weight once a month.

You can choose how many calories you want to intake a day so that you know when you hit that mark. It really helps me to make wise choices when I eat…..going for the lower calories foods so I can eat more….let’s face it…..who doesn’t like to eat! It has also helped me to stop “mindless munching”….you know, when you are watching tv or on the computer and just mowing down on chips, popcorn, mixed nuts, etc. You would be surprised at how many calories you consume by doing this.

When you enter it into your droid or iphone it syncs to your online account so if you go to your computer the info you put in will show up. The computer version is more detailed. You can also add friends to help inspire each other to work out and be accountable 😉

I hope this helps you the way it has helped me in our forever quest to be fit!!!

It certainly makes my day to see nature outside my studio window. I just happened to look up as this beauty was walking along the edge of our property….so I jumped up and grabbed my camera figuring I would only have a second to get a shot. I took 5 or 6 pics then quickly popped the CF card into the computer and they were all blurry!!! I looked back out the window and the sweet lil’ fawn decided to take a rest in the grass. Then I knew I had time to use my tripod and get some clear photos. Thank you for posing for me bambi!! These moments are gifts from God 🙂

Once again another great Kogut camping week in Manistee, Michigan. The weather was amazing this year. It was in the 80s the first few days so we hit the beach. Then it cooled off the last couple of days with the high in the 70s and a crisp 53 at night….great sleeping weather!! I definitely caught up on my sleep….if only you could store those extra hours of sleep up and use them on the nights you don’t get enough rest!

Thanks again to John and his wife, Debbie, for opening their home to all of us for the week. If it wasn’t for the *#@ misquitoes, the week would have been absolutely PERFECT….but it was close enough 🙂

Sue from Michigan!!! You have won the lace wall hanging! Congratulations!

Yikes! I am late with this one! Only one week to enter the drawing 🙂 Sorry so late but your chances to win should increase since the drawing will be so soon! This is a beautiful wall hanging from Heritage Lace featuring my mix-media painting “Dream”. They really make a fantastic product and the colors are beautiful. All you need to do to enter is post a comment here on my blog or on my facebook page. Good Luck!