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I WAS IN PRISON DOCUMENTARY

3 Tips for a Toned Booty in 20 mins!

Exercise and losing weight are a beautiful thing, but if you are anything like me, the first thing to leave along with the pounds is my booty! I started working on my butt and thighs in the last couple months and have had great results, so I wanted to share my tips! Here is what I have been doing....

**** Please note, I am just a mom, sharing what worked for me, this is not medical advice, always consult your doctor. Carry on..****



1. 100 squat and presses. I use 5 lb weights in each hand and just do a regular squat, but when standing up do a press up with your weights. Don't start with 100, you will never make it through all of them without passing out, start 40 and work your way up. This not only gets your butt and thighs, but also makes sculpted shoulders.
2. I do this video, it is only about 12 minutes and is very well rounded (no pun intended, hehe)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awnHbinfGr8&feature=share

3. Don't forget cardio! You won't be able to see all your nice, new sculpted muscles, if there is a bunch of fat laying on top! All you need is about 30 mins, 4-5 times a week.



Not Meant to be Tamed

In the last almost 5 years that Dustin and I have been married, I can count on less than one hand the amount of fights we have gotten into. Ask anyone who knows us well, they will tell you. We have never gone to bed angry, and while we might have disagreements from time to time, we always resolve them very quickly way before they escalate to a fight. Ok, ok well actually we do fight, A LOT..... Play fighting of course, it is a lot more fun than real fighting, hehe. Anyway.... why do we get along so well? It is because we don't try to control each other!! Very simple, but very eye opening, and letting go could save your marriage!

When God created human beings he gave us a free will. We are not made to be controlled by anyone, not even Him. The only person we need to control is ourselves.

A lot of couples could save their marriages if they realized this one thing. You can't control your spouse! God did not create them to be controlled, and that includes using manipulation. Manipulation is a form of control, because it uses tactics to force someone to do something you want them to do. This usually comes as some form of "punishment" for not getting what you want. For example, "I am just not going to talk to him" or "He is not sleeping in the bed until..." or "I am not going to have sex if he is not going to..." I could go on all day with examples, but I think you get my point. If you are doing any of those things, I would encourage you to stop because God cannot be involved in helping your marriage if you try to control your man. 

God knew when He created us that we would grow to resent Him and be angry with Him if he controlled us, and since He loves us, He wants us to FREELY choose Him!

Let your spouse freely choose you. I have done this with Dustin and he chooses me over everyone. TOGETHER we are able to have conversations about anything, we got baptized last Sunday TOGETHER, and we don't make any major decisions about our kids without EACH OTHER! If you love someone, let them go, right?? No! You should never trap them in the first place! Let them choose to be there. Pray for them instead of controlling them, and watch how your relationship grows!

xxoo

Life as a Firefighter's Wife: Finding Consistency in the Chaos

The lifestyle of being a firefighters wife, with two little kids, a part time teaching gig, and a step daughter who is home every other week, is similar to the feeling of living out of a suitcase. I can't even begin to discuss the logistical chaos that my day to day life entails.

I was feeling overwhelmed tonight as I finished my last load of dishes at 10pm, after a long day of non-stop crazy. I thought about it and quickly realized my life is nothing like most people's. I sometimes envy wives who get to spend every night with their husband, and have their help with the kids. I wonder what it is like to have your husband sleeping beside you every night. Being a firefighters wife sometimes feels like being a single mom. I knew when I married this man that his profession would keep him away every third night, I also knew that by marrying him I was also marrying his little girl. Crazy schedules are all we have to work with around here. Fast forward some years, and a couple kids later and I now find myself trying to figure out how to cope with a lifestyle that is anything but normal.

I like routine. I like order and organization. I like consistency. I think all of us thrive when we have all of these things. So how do you thrive when you don't have all of these things? Well I can tell you that this life is not for everyone. Marriage is hard enough on it's own! Dustin and I have come up with a few things to do that keep our life consistent, even in the chaos.

1. Regularly scheduled date nights. It is not a luxury around here, it is a necessity. I have had a lot of friends tell me they can't afford to do date nights. That is only because it isn't a priority to them. We budget money for date nights and if the money isn't there, we find creative ways to get out, and spend less. Last night we went and played pool and darts. I think we spent a total of $30. If you want to keep your marriage happy, you have to be consistent about dating your spouse.

2. Dinnertime. We eat a meal I have cooked, at the table, together as a family. This may seem simple, but in our crazy society of constantly being on the go, many people don't even cook! It is very important to Dustin and me that our kids eat healthy, and also that we have that time together at the end of our day. So many problems in families could be fixed if they just ate dinner together.

2. Bedtime. We are very consistent about bedtime. Our kids are in bed by 8:30 on a regular basis. We have started the routine of reading them a couple stories from the bible every night before bed. We do this together as a family, and not only do they learn something important, but we get the quality time with them.

3. Chores. The girls both have a list of tasks they are supposed to accomplish every day. They have become routine for them, and most of the time I don't even have to ask them to get it done! This teaches them responsibility and their role in the family, and also helps with tasks around the house!


These are just a few ideas, I certainly hope to add many more things to help create a stable and consistent environment in our home. I would love to hear from you! Any firefighter's wives out there? Give me your ideas!

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