Happy Monday.

Good morning, all my lovelies!

I hope you rested well last night. I know I did! My hubby had a nice fire going in

the stove and it made the house so pleasantly warm and cozy!

We stayed up pretty late, especially since we had the whole time change thing

yesterday - I think I was up till 11pm which is still midnight in my mind and body

and for those of you who know me, that's pretty late for me!

We started watching the movie Eagle Eye - we apparently saw it back when it first came out

but I don't remember it at all and Beej couldn't remember it much either so we

started watching it again. So far it was pretty awesome! But of course,

we didn't make it through the whole thing! Way too tired, so we'll try to finish it up later.

Thank goodness for Netflix, I think we've already had this movie for like two weeks!

We also started working on my second song yesterday. Beej has put a lot of time and effort

into the track and I always feel a little scared to lay vocals because it sounds

so nice without them! Lol! I'm struggling with my vocals ever since we started

recording a few days ago. I know I'm rusty and out of practice. I used to

sing so much between traveling with my dad, practice at home and singing

on the praise team at church. Now I rarely do any of those except sing at home

occasionally. I've got to start taking more time to work with my voice because

I feel like I'm pushing to make anything happen when I sing. My voice seems weak

and sketchy. I feel like I'm having a hard time holding my notes strong.

But I finally got the first verse vocals laid yesterday and I think I'm pretty good with

them. I'm eager to finish laying the rest of the vocals, maybe tonight.

I'm going to work today on really stretching and warming up my voice and hopefully

it will sound good tonight. I feel like my vocals are so plain compared to all

the vocalists I admire these days. They all have something very unique and

distinct about their voices, I feel mine is a bit "common."

So today starts my second week of P90X. I have had a couple of things here and there

over the weekend that weren't the best option but I ate a small amount and

didn't over splurge but I haven't had ANY sugar. That is something I have

decided not to splurge on at all. It seems to me that if I keep my portions

in check when it comes to having a splurge here and there I'm fine, but sugar

starts packing on the weight in a matter of days! So even if I do have a little something

I shouldn't I make sure it isn't sugar. I've resisted s'more, ice cream, Halloween candy

and fresh baked chocolate chip cookies this weekend! Yes, I feel proud! The cookies

were the hardest! They smelled and looked SO good! But I kept reminding myself

how crappy I'd feel if I gave in and had any. That seemed to work.

But it's amazing how eating right and putting a little extra work into the working out dept.

really does help! This past week I dropped two pounds and lost 3 inches total!

So I'm pretty pleased with that! I am going to keep adding walking in

at least four times a week. Just walking around the yard with my iPod has been fun.

Adding walking with weight training really does wonders!

I have spent a good deal of time at the piano this weekend, just trying to finish up some

songs for the EP. I just had a few simple little piano ditties to practice on piano because

my new book hadn't come in. And honestly, they haven't held my attention much!

I was kinda bored with them after the first day. I need something a little more

challenging. Hopefully next week I'll get something a little more interesting!

But I did finish up a song, at least I'm pretty sure it's finished! And I'm pleased with it,

and hopefully we'll get it recorded for the EP!

I'm off to work out, peeps! I hope that this Monday treats you well and that you

are happy and healthy.

We aren't totally healthy here at the Carroll house, Bug has been sick

for awhile and she can't seem to shake it. All stopped up and snotty. No fun.

I keep pumping her full of vitamins but it doesn't seem to be doing much.

This house is so different then our apartment. It's colder and drier. And this time of year

Bug always seems to get sick. I'm fighting a bit of a cold too. But hopefully

all the vitamins I take will help to keep me from getting really sick.

Be encouraged as well. It is so easy to be discouraged. Our pastor spoke on courage

and discouragement yesterday at church. It's funny because that very

afternoon after hearing that message I allowed myself to become very, very discouraged

and it took me awhile to shake it. But the whole time our pastors words were

echoing in my head! It took awhile but I finally shook it and moved on.

Don't let people's words, opinions or self doubt affect you.

Don't let discouragement attack your:

Voice

Vision

Vitality

Voyage

or

Victory!