This is my journey - Update #1

It's time for an update on my new journey with Plexus because there is already something to update on only 10 days in! I also want to tell you a little bit about a cool opportunity to try Plexus Slim and learn more about it!

Let's take a look back at that list of woes and see what Plexus is already up to...

All-day Nausea - this went away at about 15 wks pregnant but it was replaced with a general feeling of... well the best way I can describe it is "yuck." This yuck disappeared within a couple days of just taking Slim!
Debilitating fatigue - Oh I still am tired, I mean I'm growing a child! But I haven't crashed to the point of uselessness in days! 
Depression - I still feel unmotivated sometimes. I know this isn't depression but it is usually the stepping stone. The overwhelming desire to do nothing followed by feelings of uselessness and frustration and failure has significantly decreased! 
Anxiety - I believe God was giving me victory over this before Plexus. But Plexus has helped with leveling out my emotions which was totally unexpected!
Excessive weight gain - Well I am pregnant so weight loss isn't the plan. But slowing down the weight gain would be nice. We shall see at my next appointment but I'm not holding out hope as I have not helped Plexus with this at all!
Mood swings - As mentioned above, I've noticed a leveling out in my emotions! Now I still lose it way more often than I should, but I'm so grateful for the small victories!
Brain fog - I'm not sure about this one yet.
High blood sugar - I passed my second glucose test with flying colors! And I didn't change a single thing about my diet. I simply added Plexus exactly one week before the second test.
Insomnia - Restless legs still make falling asleep difficult, but once they calm down, I sleep so much harder than I was!
Restless legs - Not much improvement here... yet.

The bottom line is that there has been an improvement in almost all the areas that I struggled with most! I've also noticed a significant decrease in appetite! Which is a huge bonus for this lover of food.

I wish I hadn't waited so long to join Plexus! It's truly been a God-send and I just can't help talking about it! And there's so much more Plexus could potentially help you with... skin issues? diabetes? allergies? stomach pain? detox from chemicals like chemotherapy? ???

What health struggles are you having? I don't in any way claim that Plexus is the all-around miracle cure! But I'm blown away at how it is helping me and countless others out there. Maybe it's not for you, but how will you know unless you try??

Here is a super easy way to give Plexus a try: 

It's a Facebook bootcamp! Here are the requirements:

• Sample a 7 day trial pack of Plexus Slim (Contact me to order!)
• Participate in a closed secret Facebook group with the other bootcampers.
• Give me HONEST feedback at the end of the 7 days.
• Get a 60 day money back guarantee if you don't think it's for you.

You can ask questions and learn all you need to know about the Pink Drink that is Plexus Slim. You have nothing to lose! (Except maybe a little extra weight??) 

Will you join me for just 7 days beginning October 10? Leave a comment, message me on Facebook or Instagram, or text me! 

There's so much more I want to talk about but I will spare you. Until next time at least ;) 

Confessions: #losethebabyweight2014

Sweet baby Roger is 7 weeks old already! The day he turned 6 weeks old, I went for my first run since February. Managed 1.5 miles and would have continued if it weren't for the mosquitoes!

I love running.

How did I manage my weight during pregnancy? It was a struggle. I definitely failed in so many ways. It was frustrating, too, because I kept up with workouts and ate better than any other pregnancy and still had the second highest gain of the four pregnancies. I still ended at the lowest weight so at least there was that! I don't know why it happened but now that is in the past and it is time to get my body back!

The day Roger was born.

I am actually having a little trouble typing right now because my arms are still shaky from my first postpartum weights workout earlier today! I'm exhausted in a beautiful way! You know what it's like after a workout when you feel all toned and skinny? Then you look in the mirror and realize that there is absolutely no visible change from before the workout? Ugh, I used to get so discouraged by that! Not that I expected to actually look different, but just being reminded of what I actually look like as opposed to how I felt was annoying. But God has really been growing me in the area of how I think and feel about my body.

My body rocks.

I carried 4 extra large babies followed by 4 complication-free surgeries.
I have breast-fed all 4.
I can run.
I can lift weights.
I can breathe without effort.
You get the point.

Thanks be to God for this rockin' body!!

That being said, I'm still very ready to get rid of the excess! So the weight loss journey begins once again. Would you join me? If you have some baby weight to lose, ((even if it's been 20 years since you last had a baby!)) and you are in need of some encouragement and motivation, check out the hashtag "losethebabyweight2014." I will be using that with any and every Instagram (DandLJacobs) post I post related to the journey. It might show up on Facebook now and then also. Please use the hashtag also! It doesn't matter how you are going about this weight loss, we could all use the encouragement!

I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139:14

((Want to stalk me? Find me on MyFitnessPal and MapMyRun))

Our Summer (so far) in a Tiny Nutshell

We finished (or better, I decided we needed to be done!) school on Thursday, May 22!

To celebrate, I surprised the kids with a trip to the zoo! Which just so happens to be how we started the year.

Memorial Day weekend was spent in Ohio with the family. Always a wonderful time there!

Then the most adorable little man was born on June 9, weighing in at 9 pounds, 9 ounces. ((I am just now noticing all the 9s!))

Birthdays were celebrated...

Dear friends visited...

And, as usual, a trip or two to the fair!

Up next we have another quick trip to Ohio so the family can meet Roger Douglas, and some more birthdays to celebrate!

It has been a very busy but very blessed summer! Derek has been an amazing help with all of our babies. Best Dad Award. The big kids absolutely adore their new brother, even Kempton!

I am looking forward to starting school when I find the time to plan for it! I'm also very excited to start working out again when I can find the time for that! Life with 4 is crazy busy but I love it.

Time for a slow down...

In 5 weeks from today, we will officially become a family of 6.

We are very blessed.

This whole pregnancy we have been so incredibly busy. We've been busy with great things, for sure! But I know that our family of 5 is suffering a little for it.

So I'm making it official: the Jacobs family is slowing down for the next 5 weeks. And probably several weeks following!

We need this. I need this.

I need to just hang out with my big kids (Kempton is a big kid now!) and their dad.
I need to spend more time with the Lord.
I need to do some laundry and maybe make dinner.
I need to have the patience to finish out the school year.

I need peace and quiet.

And maybe as a result we will all be able to enjoy the last 5 weeks of what could be my last pregnancy.

Please don't be offended if we turn down an invitation or don't volunteer for something. If you don't hear from me very quickly, know that it is because my family is being prioritized right now. I'm not saying we won't be doing anything or going anywhere! I'm just saying that we might turn things down just for the sake of keeping our lives quiet.

image source

Vacation Recap

We had an absolutely amazing time! What a gift! Here is a very quick rundown:

The kids were so well behaved during the super long drive.

Heading out - Indiana

Heading home - Florida

Here is our Ohio picture at our favorite park in Dayton...

Then we stopped to see my bestest and her new babe!

Followed by me being superhuman and driving the 12-4am shift.

Here is our Florida picture...

We found a park near the resort and felt like it was sooo hot at 74 degrees!

The resort was incredible. We had our own suite so we didn't have to all stuff into one room! That's always nice. And there were so many different pools and places to walk. We spent basically the whole week swimming! And the kids finally started making strides toward actually swimming.

First Day

Last Day

Kempton has always loved to swim!

In the middle of the week, Honeygram, Marie, and I went to Magic Kingdom! Worth every penny!

Meanwhile, the boys went to Gatorland which was much more interesting to them than Disney World would have been. Jack still talks about it.

The week flew by much too fast. We were so blessed to spend quality time with family in the sun. Does it get any better?

Here is our Georgia picture...

Here is what I'm calling our Kentucky picture (even though it was technically just inside Ohio)...

We never got a Tennessee picture even though we stopped to sleep there down and back.

Here is Marie's map she worked on on our way down.

She really seemed to understand what we were doing, and now she recognizes the word "Florida." She also has plans of going back to see the princesses "next week."

We didn't have a little bit of fun. We had a "BIG FUN!"

Last week we had a super busy week of spring cleaning, appointments, and playdates. This week we are back to real life! And I'm definitely ready for it.

Hope you all had a wonderful spring break and Easter!

Weight Loss Update {Part 2}

I promised you an update after Kempton's 1st birthday. My goal was to be wedding day weight by his birthday. By the grace of God, I saw that pretty number on that day! Woot! And I continue to hang out right around that weight.

I still have 6-8 pounds I'd like to lose and am continuing to work toward that. But otherwise, not a whole lot has changed since this post over on my sister-in-law's blog. So if you haven't seen it, go check it out!

Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20

The evolution of the Jacobs Garden

In the beginning was the first Jacobs Garden:

2011

After beautiful success, the expanded second Jacobs Garden was born:

2012

Not only were we blessed with another successful season, but we found that we really love to garden! So we tackled our biggest project yet...

The Jacobs Garden of 2013

 Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. Jeremiah 29:5