Sweet Saturdays...

Today was a sweet day. The boys were gone last night and this morning to "Fathers and Sons campout" with two other families. They had a blast. We girls laughed, talked, ate breakfast, cleaned, and went out with some of our girlie friends to lunch. It was a great day. I still have a lot to do to get ready for tomorrow. But when all my little boys came home we threw them in the bath, so they are ready for shirts and ties and church in the morning.

I just LOVE time with my girl. Every year sometime in the spring or summer the boys go camping and we are girlie girls...shopping dinner, lunch out....back to reality NOW, but oh how we love that time!

#234 Reason I see the hand of Heavenly Father...he made such a beautiful relationship between mothers and daughters and sons and dads. I love that my husband works so hard to nurture his relationship with the boys (and his daughter too). And I love the special relationship I have tried to build with each of my children. Nurturing goes far beyond the early years of spoon feeding and diapers. I love that I get to be part of all that.

Make it a great day! Only YOU can!

Friday...

Yeah! It's Friday! Had a great mommy daughter date with my girl tonight. We headed to Claim Jumper and it was so yummy. I got her the special this week and we shared. I had one rib and one shrimp and then I ordered a salad and had grilled veggies. We laughed and talked and had SO MUCH FUN! Man I love that girl of mine!

#235 Reason I see the hand of Heavenly Father in my life...he gave me my beautiful daughter. I am of all mothers so very blessed!

Make it a great day! Only YOU can!

No Sprouts for me...

Well, I got a little ambious yesterday and dusted off my sprouter. I cleaned it all up and added sprouts and my mouth started to water with the thought of fresh sprouts in the not so distant future. That beautiful dream was dashed to pieces by the same individual that uses everyones toothbrush in the house, fills the toilet with WHOLE rolls of toilet paper and empties the small bathroom trash into the toilet as part of his daily "chores". He is under 3 feet and you wouldn't think someone SO small could wreak such havoc. But he can, and he does.

Today, he climbed up to the counter top, and got ahold of the sprouter. He then pulled the entire sprouter, new simmering seeds and all everywhere!!! The floor is now clean, and he got an extra nap. But YEAH me, I didn't scream, yell or act like a lunitic...I just put him in bed, and calmly cleaned up the mess. No Sprouts for me, but I am thrilled with the patience I am acquiring!!!

#236 Reason I see the hand of Heavenly Father in my life...I know that when I ask for help to be kind he gives me strength beyond my own, today was a good example of that.

Make it a great day! Only YOU can!

Turkey....It isn't BEEF!

My good husband is trying really hard to help me lose weight. I am actually very grateful for his support. In the last two weeks we have had burgers twice. He gets me the "thins"...they are thin round flat bread that can be used in lieu of a bun. This month he decided to get me these turkey patties too. They aren't bad, they just aren't BEEF. I am a beef girl. I love beef. I love a good steak. Why does that stuff have to be so darn fattening? :( Boo Hoo! I guess it will be turkey burgers for awhile, at least until I lose the last 40 pounds! (Dad, remember our trips to LOVES for ribs? YUM, YUM, YUM!)

#237 Reason I see the hand of Heavenly Father in my life...I have received so much internal and emotional support in this effort to get healthy and lose this weight. I know that support is coming from him and I feel his love and help.

Make it a great day! Only YOU can!

Yep...she kicked my bum!!!

Jillian Michaels KICKED my bum!!! You can click on her name to check out the link to the video I am using that is sold by Target (or several other retailers...I just provided the Target link). No doubt about it, it is a WORKOUT. Do I resent her? Nope. Am I grateful...YEP! Well, I am sore, but when I lose the last 40 pounds I will be even more grateful (I am down 41 pounds since my youngest son was born...but to get to a healthy weight I have about 40 more to go).

#238 Reason I see the hand of Heavenly Father in my life...he gave me a wonderful and amazing body, and when I treat it right, it can do great things.

Make it a great day! Only YOU can!

I feel sick...

#239 Reason I see the hand of Heavenly Father in my life is that he has blessed me with a love of water, and that water is actually good for me, and my organs, and helps me so much, especially with weight loss!

But tonight I feel sick at my stomach. The water is floating around in there. I can feel it. I just drank too much, or too fast...or something. UGH! I am grateful for water. But don't try to drink three of your glasses of water for the day in a row if you are behind. Take my word for it...just don't. I feel like I am drowning in my stomach! Gurgle Gurgle... Anyone else ever been here? I think I should go to bed and sleep it off :)

Make it a great day ! Only YOU can!

Out Wit, Out Play, Out Last...

I don't watch much TV these days. I don't even have cable. For the last 9 months I haven't even had my old TV hooked to the digital box. But I confess I have watched many seasons of Survivor over the years. There were a couple recent years that I decided it wasn't worth my time (Plus...it was something the kids and I watched with my parents...and it wasn't the same without my mom here). But this season Boston Rob was playing. It was his forth season trying to win the million. My children and I curled up on the couch after I hooked up the digital box and had a great time watching! I won't tell you who won...don't want to spoil it for anyone that might not have seen it....

But I do want to share this. I sat there with my daughter right next to me. When the final votes were almost ready to be cast the subjects came up by the jury that ALWAYS come up... Loyalty, lies, breaking trust...etc... and my daughter turned to me and said, Mom I could never play survivor. She loves to watch the game. And YES it is a game. But I was grateful that my daughter felt that she would never be comfortable playing a game where she would have to lie or deceive anyone! That makes me so proud of her!

# 240 Reason I see the hand of Heavenly Father in my life...integrity and honesty in the real world...he teaches us to be of our word, and that word and integrity makes all the difference in our real relationships.

Make it a great day! Only YOU can!

Just a bite...

Ok...all my life I struggled with self control... Eating a bite of anything YEAH RIGHT! When I was a size 6 (the first 26 years of my life) and 125 (my heaviest in college) I could eat whatever I wanted. Everyone that knew me ... KNEW how I loved to dance. In college I started country dancing and I would go 2-3 nights a week and dance (I never stopped dancing all night) for 3 hours at a time. Talk about Cardio ;) So when I made trips to the gas station around the corner from my apartment for moose track coconut ice cream...it didn't matter because I burned it all off and then some. Then came a husband, and a desk job and NO dancing (married to a man with 2 left feet, and so in love with him that I don't want to dance with anyone else.)

So the girl that LOVES to dance, hates the gym... What to do? It is about motivation I guess and I wasn't motivated. I have worked on that. 12 years of marriage and five children later, I am finally starting to find my happy place (sometimes that place is pumping up the country music and dancing in the living room with the baby or even my invisible partner)...other times it is walking the dog, eating less, or moving more. But the good news is, I am getting there.

In the past I did all or nothing diets. Guess what (no news flash...I KNOW) they don't work. So this time around I am using nutrition. I eat fruit and veggies, meat (but sparingly) and grains. I drank 10...yes...10 glasses of water yesterday. I read years ago that when you want to lose weight drink your 8 glasses (this is what your body needs to help all organs properly function) and then add a glass for every 25 pounds you want to lose. I am no doctor...so ALWAYS consult a physician, but I have 40 pounds to lose so it will be 8-10 glasses for me until I get there.

NOW to the theme of a day...JUST A BITE...

So often in the past I set these insurmountable goals like...YOU can NEVER have....(fill in the blank). Guess what this always led to cheating. But not cheating with a BITE, cheating with a whole cake, or bag of cookies, or tub of ice cream. See what I mean? Ever been there?

Anyway, I have been doing really good on this eating plan. 1200-1500 calories, walking 3-5 days a week and if I want A, ONE, UNO bite of something I have it. I just don't do it all day, and I just have ONE! Today it was a BITE of cake and it was good. The frosting was the wedding cake kind, sugary heaven...YUM. But guess what? I am pretty sure bites two, three, and four, you get the point...wouldn't have tasted any better than that first bite that I savored. So far, so good. And Thanks D.L. there is really something to that intuitive eating thing...I am just sorry it took me 8 months to get it...I probably would have been to my goal if I had listened sooner! :)

For anyone interested: Sparkpeople.com is awesome, free, weight and exercise management tracking and so much more (support, recipes...etc). I hope for those of you looking for something like that, that you will check it out! One little spark can light a flame.

#241... Reason I see the hand of the Lord in my life....he has helped me to gain more self control in my life than I could have imagined. I am grateful!

Make it a great day ! Only YOU can!

Yeah...for technical support

This is going to be short...I just cleaned 3 bathrooms and popped myself some popcorn in the airpopper. I am going to find something to watch. But I want to give a shout out to whomever the great person is that fixed blogger. I missed being able to post. I did still write and I will post those tomorrow.

#242 reason I see the hand of Heavenly Father in my life...has to do with technical support...look at the knowledge and progression of this world. All things denote that there is a God, even when he doesn't do things the way I want. I stood at my mother's grave the other day. Her spirit is not there and it is a dismal place at times. But she took my children to her mother's grave and made it a happy time. So I do the same, to honor her and they sing and laugh and I realize that God did not do this. I hate cancer, hurry up doctors, we need a cure!

Make it a great day! Only YOU can!

Victorious!!!

(Written while blogger was down...)

Victorious...Today I was Victorious! I didn't buy fast food even though I really wanted it. I have been miffed ALL day because blogger is down, and for a daily blogger this is extremely frustrating. Hopefully it will all be ok? I knew I should have printed everything. Guess I am really glad right this second that I keep a daily journal. But my blog, ok, learned my lesson, if it is all there, totally printing it!!!

#243 Reason I see the hand of Heavenly Father in my life...resistance...he helps me with it on so many levels of my life. As I listen and wait, I learn. I am grateful for that.

Make it a great day! Only YOU can!

Beautiful Day....

Beautiful day...(new post...written while blogger was down...)

Today was a BEAUTIFUL day! We got to be with our dear friend, celebrate her, laugh, cry, smile, play! We had a nice lunch together and the children brought hugs, and kisses, and presents. There was joy in the air so thick you could cut it with a knife and we loved being together. Easter goodies were passed out as well. And the restaurant brought a huge piece of chocolate cake for the children to share. It was perfect. We followed up lunch with I Dream of Jeanie, Bewitched and Waltons, while E.N. and I got in a nice visit.

After the trip we went to the Riverside National cemetery (a tradition with the children)...where they sang a song to grandma, laughed, smiled, told her they missed her and ran around. Then we piled in the car and headed home. One of those perfect days. Only Bad NEWS is blogger was on the fritz so I had to write this on my computer...if you are reading it, they fixed blogger ;)

#244 Reason I see the hand of Heavenly Father in my life...Where the tragedies or sadness of the world close a door, God opens a window. E.N. is a mommy that lost her child. I am a child that lost my mommy...The way I see it, God, my mommy and her child did a pretty DARN good job of matching us up.

Make it a great day! Only YOU can!

Tired...

Today I was just tired all day long. We have been blessed with SO MUCH OVERTIME...but really enough for a minute. I am grateful for my sweet friend that let THREE of my boys come play at her house for almost 4 hours today. I got a lovely 2 hour nap while the baby slept and I am truly grateful.

Tomorrow is a new day...I can't wait.

And E.N. We are so excited ;) Belated Birthday party, here we come.

#245 Reason I see the hand of Heavenly Father in my life...honestly...overtime...even though I am a little tired of it, it has blessed our lives so many times since we became homeowners. Even when no one else at my hubby's work is getting it, he still seems to and I can't be anything but grateful...WELL tired...AND grateful. :)

Make it a great day! Only YOU can!

Chicken and Dumplings...

Yesterday morning my darling husband had to work overtime into the morning. So he was home just in time to dress the children for church. This is something I very much appreciated, because most weeks that is my responsibility...since his church calling takes him away very early Sunday mornings. But even with that said, I was a little bummed. By the time we got home from church he had been awake for over 30 hours. So I sent him to bed and tried to decide what to eat for dinner. Lately I have been missing my mom fiercely and so I have been making chicken and dumplings once or twice a month. Cooking things she cooks makes me feel closer to her. Each time my recipe has gotten a little better. Mom used to use canned chicken broth. But when one of my sisters came to help me when my last baby was born she taught me how to make my own.

So here is my chicken and dumplings recipe...and not to toot my own horn, but this batch was awesome! I wish I had made a double batch ;)

First I buy two rotisserie chickens. We eat all the meat off the first chicken for dinner and save the carcus. The next day I boil the carcus in a pot of water. This time it was so much better...what I did differently was I boiled it on medium for about two hours. Then I strained it. I then add all the meat (de-bone the other chicken meat), that I removed and finely chopped).

To this large pot of broth and chicken, I added 1/2 a large finely chopped white onion, (fresh) finely diced handful of chives, Basil (fresh) about 6 leaves chopped tiny. I brought all this to a boil and seasoned it as I like...pepper, sea salt, no salt (costco), and crushed more dried basil into it. After it was boiling I added several cups of chopped baby carrots and a couple finely chopped stalks of celery. I let this boil until the carrots were tender. Then I added 2 cans of drained peas. Although frozen peas would work as well. Then I made 1 1/2 servings of biscuits on the bisquick box recipe. Then a little trick my mom taught me...before adding the water I seasoned the bisquick with sea salt and pepper...and then something mom didn't teach me, but I do...I add a little cinnamon, it gives the dumplings a pick me up. Then add water and mix. I take a teaspoon and scoop out a spoonful, more than a golf ball, less than a baseball and plop it into the boiling mixture. Keep up the pace as quickly as you can, so they cook evenly. Add all the dumplings and then cover and turn the heat down a notch or two. Wait a few minutes and then carefully take a fork and turn them over to cook on the other side. It was so yummy, my mouth is watering as I write this. So come visit me and I will make you chicken and dumplings, I just need two days notice.

#246 Reason I see the hand of Heavenly Father in my life: He makes things grow and they are so good. There is nothing like fresh chives and basil, I was so grateful for them this past week! Yum!

Make it a great day! Only YOU can!

No Sweeter Name...

No sweeter name has crossed the writer's pen, or the child's lips than Mother. She is the keeper of life and faith. She is the giver of strength and hope. She bears the burdens of the world as she holds the hearts of her children in her own heart for the span of her life and into eternity. She is an angel on earth, on God's errand, raising his children. She is a healer of hearts. She is humble and meek, and never recognizes the thing God always knew...How magnificent and wonderful, how graceful and wise, how truly breathtaking she is. Why else would he have entrusted her with every one of his spirit children. She has the capacity to love, nurture, teach, build, and magnify each precious life brought into this world. She is Mother. She comes in every shape, size, color. She is mortal and imperfect. But she comes with a great capacity to love. And her love is unconditional and reaches to the very edge of a cliff to rescue the most lost of any soul. Hours on her knees she petitions heaven for her children. She ask little, she gives contantly, and she loves unconditionally. Looking to her face is like getting a glimpse of God's love on this earth. She is MY mother.

(* My dad came from a family where my grandma was mentally ill. I reflect on his upbring and what he missed in NOT having the kind of mother I had and I just want to say today, that I LOVE HIM! He did the best he could with what he had. I believe that was her test in life, to deal with mental illness. I am sure one day she will bath her children's feet with her tears as she asks forgiveness and gets the chance to love them as a mother is intended to love her children.)

#247 Reason I see the hand of Heavenly Father in my life...no greater gift could I have in this life than to be a mother and love and raise children. I love each one. My sweet mother had such a capacity to love. Some children came "federal express" and some came "parcel post"...from the love we felt you wouldn't have known the difference. I thank God for her still and frequently.

*If you had the kind of mother I had, CELEBRATE her today! If you didn't, be that kind of mother (even when we do not have our own children, we can find ways to mother...it is a gift from God to have those nurturing tendencies), or for the men out there...be the kind of man who helps elevate a woman to that stature God intended for her.

Make it a great day! Only YOU can!

**And for a good mother laugh...click here to check out the awesome Calvin and Hobbes comic my friend posted today. I LOVE Calvin and Hobbes....and I love "the Mud Mom!"

Speechless...

Today was a day that I could go on and on describing...but the words would remain insufficient to express the magnitude and glory of the experience. So all I can say is C.H....Congratulations. I love you. Thank you for letting me be part of your special day! You are amazing!

#248 Reason I see the hand of Heavenly Father in my life...watching my friend, touched so deeply today by his love...it was impossible to deny.

Make it a great day! Only YOU can!

Haircut and Tears...

Today I cut three of the boys hair. The baby managed to escape the ritual since he had received a bath and I was too lazy to bath him again when I decided to dole out haircuts. Everything went well until I was down on my knees cleaning the floor and thinking about the weekend. Then that led to Mother's Day. And I am very grateful to be a MOM so don't get me wrong. But Mother's day with NEVER be the same with my mom gone. I just started to bawl. Right there on the floor, rag in hand...like a baby. Just for a couple minutes and then the more intense part of the hurt let up and I finished my mortal task of cleaning the floor. I thanked the heavens that this separation (though it sucks!) between her and I isn't permanent...and I did what I often do...I told her I loved her, missed her and such. E.N. I love you too! And though our hurts are different, in some ways they are the same. Thank you for loving us! I know my mom and your boy are smiling knowing we have each other. I often ask them to check on each other too ;)

#249 Reason I see the hand of Heavenly Father in my life...MOMS...need I say more?

Make it a great day! Only YOU can!

Grateful...

Today I am grateful... Grateful for...

My faith, my God, my Husband, my children, my family, my life, my parents, my siblings, my support system, my friends, my home, my talents, my abilities, my mind, my eyes, ears, nose, and all senses, my spirit and determination, my memory (my dad and I had a fun stroll down memory lane...playing the do you remember? game.) I am grateful for technology, computers, genealogy, flowers, plants, fruits and veggies, chocolate, children laughing, our sweet dog, books, books, books...

I could go on and on...but I am tired (Maybe tomorrow I will tell you about my NEW personal trainers...they are kicking my bottom!).

What are you grateful for?

#250 Reason I see the hand of Heavenly Father in my life...as I recognize his hand, he blesses me even more and then I am more grateful and so forth. That doesn't mean my life is without trials or challenges...but they are sure easier for me when my hand is in his.

Make it a great day! Only YOU can!

Diamond Rio...

This is more powerful than anything I could write today...



#251 Reason I see the hand of Heavenly Father in my life... I live in a nation...that no matter what the news says, the majority "still trust" God.

Make it a great day! Only YOU can!

Short and Sweet...

Have 9 will play...

Today I had my friends children over. The kids played and then watch Yogi Bear. It was actually a really cute movie and they all enjoyed it. It was NOT the Yogi I grew up with. But I admit I was pleasantly surprised.

We ate radishes in the salad tonight from the garden again and I can not express the feeling of eating something I grew. It is just amazing. And I love it. I don't think my children ever would have enjoyed radishes (they are an acquired taste)...but since they grew them, they think they are the best radishes on EARTH!

I love children (even my #3 that is on the floor throwing a temper tantrum as I write...sometimes you just have to ignore it!). I love to hear them laugh, play, smile, and tell each other about life and adventures! They are so very wonderful!!!

#252 Reason I see the hand of Heavenly Father in my life...Children...Oh...what a joyful sound.

Make it a great day! Only YOU can!

God Bless America...

I haven't seen the body...

I don't even know if he's gone...

Some say he was already dead...

I don't care.

But I just want to say a few things...

GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.

Today in the hullaballo of it all my heart turns toward the 9/11 victims, my heart turns toward their loved ones and their families. My heart turns toward all the men and women that give their lives for our freedom. All the firefighters and police and emergency servants that tried to save lives...and did save many lives, but lost their own lives. My hope, my prayer is GOD BLESS AMERICA. Please, bless America. Protect us not only from foreign threats, but from any threat, even threats and conspiring men or women on our own free soil. Let us fight for the freedoms that we deserve under the constitution. Let this be a wake up call. Let us go read the Declaration of Independance, the Constitution of the United States of America, the Preamble, The Pledge of Allegiance. Let us remember WHO WE ARE, WHAT we represent, and the GREAT freedoms that are afforded to us in this great nation.

God Bless America, land that I love. Stand beside her and guide her. Through the night with a light from above.

I have included several links. I hope you will take the time to check them out. You can click on anything blue or red to follow the links including songs and the constitution.

#253 Reason I see the hand of Heavenly Father in my life...our founding fore fathers. They had a vision. I know that vision came from God. May he continue to keep us in the hallow of his hand.

Make it a great day! Only YOU can!