Creative little stinker!

While hiding out under a large bin playing what I thought was "fort" games, this little stinker decided to be creative.  At least his mouse (top picture) came out pretty cute! I'm going to have to keep an eye on this one!

Apparently, he wanted to draw and didn't bring any paper under there with him, so this was the next best thing.  At least he knew not to draw on my bin! Crazy kid!  Got to love him!

Daddy Time!

Helping Daddy and spending time with him is a favorite time of the day!  Even if you have to improvise!  Monkey is just now starting to like being on the mower, because she can drown out the noise!  Love how they puff out those cute cheeks!!

He can't wait for this to be his job in quite a few years!

Here, let me get that for you!

I want the kids to be helpful around the house and grow a servant's heart for others, but this wasn't quite what I had in mind!  At least they are learning the importance of cleanliness!

Little Mommy

Monkey loves her babies.  She loves playing with them, pretending to be their mommy and ever since I bought her a care kit, she loves changing their diapers, feeding them "food" and a bottle. I love watching her connect and be a little mommy to her own babies. The love she has for these stuffed animals and the way she takes care of them warms my heart. I look forward to the day (25+ years from now!!) when she has her own babies and loves them to bits like I love her.

Putting a diaper on her baby

Yes, the perfectionist in me had to move the hair out of her face!  But no, I didn't wash the strawberries off.

Admiring her baby

Loving her little one

Mahwidge, Mahwidge is what bwings us twogetha twoday!

 My kids are obsessed with getting married.  They like to get dressed up and come into the room and tell me they are going to go get married now.  Um... what?!??  I know, they are kids and these two are so imaginative that it is all part of the fun and explorative play, but I always have to remind them that God has someone special for them to marry and that they are not going to marry their brother/sister or even their mommy/daddy.  They go back to playing and I am satisfied that they know where marriage comes from.  Yes, we have had deeper conversations about this in the past, so now each time it is more of a refresher for them.

Mommy! We are going to get married today!

A prince always kisses a princess.

Those adoring eyes of her big brother.

Playing a wedding song.

LOVE HIM!!

Adorable little girl!

And the wedding dance.

A Stirring in my soul

I feel in my heart that God is doing something big.  I don't know what it all means, but all around me, people are standing up for their faith.  They are standing up and saying, "Yes, God! I will obey!" or "Send me! I will follow you to the ends of the earth." And yet, what do I do? I sit in my comfortable home with heat and clean water (though horribly chlorinated these days) and shed many tears as my heart aches to be one of those. And yet I still sit. I'm still and I don't use my voice.

God?  What are you leading me to do? Am I to be taken from the comforts of home and friends whom I have come to love so much to do your work elsewhere?  What does this all mean for our family?  Is there something here that I can do?  Oh how I hate to move my children again and uproot them.  And then... I read this post by Amy.  I worked at camp with her husband.  They are moving to Africa to be missionaries there. Her words in this post and many previous ones touch my heart so deeply, I cannot even begin to understand it all.  But when she says, "So I'm praying that God will help my mommy-heart to remember that it's ok if my kids aren't happy all the time. It's ok for them to dislike the food. It won't scar them for life if they have a tough time in school or if they miss their friends. God will take care of their hearts the same way he's taking care of mine, and they will ultimately be in His hands every moment, just like they are now. "  I am blown away.  It really IS okay for our kids to be out of their comfort zone and really? Their lives and hearts are in God's mighty hands, I just get to hold them for awhile.

God, my heart aches for you. To do YOUR will, not mine. I don't know where this is all leading, but I am excited! I am frightened and I am in awe of how you work in our hearts to follow you.

As the tears fall, Lord, please keep my heart open to you.

Corn Maze!

Backlog of posts coming up....  Backlog #1 = Mid-October!

We drove up to a semi-local corn maze, but the parking lot was almost full and the line to get in was at least 20 minutes long.  Even though it is a fun place, it just wasn't worth waiting in line for.  So, we drove the 45 minutes back home and to a corn maze and fun place just down the road. Next year, we'll know better!!

The kids had fun going through the maze and choosing which way to go.  I loved watching Sweet Pea go through the mental deductions of which way to go next.

Sweet Pea: I can choose now?
Me: Yep!  Whichever way you want to go!
SP: Well, if we go to the left, it could be a dead end and then we would be stuck and have to turn around.  BUT, if we go to the right, that could also be a dead end. But then again it might not be.  We keep going to the top of the maze (I showed them a picture of the maze before we went through), so maybe we should keep going that way, but it would also be away from the end. Mommy? I think we should go to the right.

Great choice, and to the right we went!  Sweet Pea showed such intelligence and analytical thinking, it was amazing to listen to him and watch him come to his own conclusions and for him to be happy with it, no matter the outcome!

At the end of the maze, I twisted my ankle, so the kids played in the big sand pit and picked out pumpkins and then we went home. Next time, I'll watch out for the pot holes and we'll do all the "other" stuff first before the maze!

All in all they had fun though!

Living Without

There is a magazine called Living Without.  It is a magazine dedicated to those with food sensitivities and allergies.  Perfect for someone like me who is trying to live a more Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free life.

Even though I've mentioned the magazine, which I think is great... the name of the magazine is what caught my eye this morning.  Living Without. What does that really mean?  I found the tab open for the magazine, amongst my other 43 tabs and thought to myself that I really hold on to so much.

* I hold onto so many tabs on my browser, because I haven't had the time to look at them yet and if I bookmark them, maybe I will never come back to it.
* I hold onto magazines because there are so great articles, I don't want to forget about.
* I hold onto items that are filling up our garage, because we may need them someday. (no I am not a hoarder!) Realistic items!
* I hold onto clothes that no longer fit, but since I have been trying to get more healthy, the budget-wise person in me doesn't want to go through the process of buying a new wardrobe. The woman in me does, though! :)
* I even hold onto friendships that their season is dying out, but I'm holding on in hopes that it wont.  God gives us friendships.  They need to be nurtured and cared for. If one or both parties lets the ball drop, the season of that friendship starts to die out.  Sometimes you just need a break as you both are in the process of learning about yourself and then you eventually find your way back together, but sometimes not.  I have many such friendships that come back and some that haven't.  It is hard to feel like I am not a failure because those friends are no longer an integral part of my life.  But really, I know that God has something amazing in store for me, so I just count my blessings for the time I had with that person and learn to move on.  Holding on to that hope can eat at you!
* I hold onto the hope that someday I will be the woman God wants me to be, instead of being the woman He made me for right now. Still, working towards that other woman, but being content now is the key.
* I hold onto past hurts and angst, which need to be let go of as they do nothing but hinder me in my walk now.
* I sometimes hold onto my children too tightly.  They need to be free to explore and learn and grow, but this mommy wants just a few more snuggles or a few more years of this cute stage before they go off into the real world - like Kindergarten next year for Sweet Pea! Yikes!
* I hold onto the resources that we have. So many children and people out there need to be fed and clothed and yet I worry if my children are going to get "enough" at Christmas or have "the best" birthday party.  The woman in the blog doesn't think of herself, she thinks of those around her. What if I just let go of the idea that everything has to be perfect? Let go of my desire to fit into the right scenes or social circles and really focus on what is truly important?!

There are so many other things and ideas I hold onto, but need to let go of.  It's just scary to think what is around the next bend. I am reminded constantly of the scene in Finding Nemo when Dory and Marlin are inside the whale's stomach... 

Dory: He says, "It's time to let go!". Everything's going to be all right.

Marlin: How do you know, how do you know something bad isn't gonna happen?!

Dory: I don't!

I don't know what is going to happen next, but I have to trust God that He is in charge, not me! And He will lead me in the right way, even if I have to "let go" and be vulnerable. The next time you see me "holding on", feel free to gently remind me to let go. And if I'm not listening? You have my permission to smack me upside the head.

Here is to a new season! A new season of garage sales, friendships, an eventual new season of new clothes *yay*, a new season of letting my children explore more, a season of godly growth, of listening, obeying and carrying out His plans instead of holding them all to myself.  A new season of giving more. More time, more resources, more wisdom and letting go of the fears that holds me back.  Letting go of the stacks of papers and magazines that clutter up my home and my thoughts. I can Live Without so much if I just set my eyes and heart in the right places and focus on the important things. It is time to be real and focus on the important things that are laid ahead of me, not the ones I place in my path.

Proverbs 21: 2, 20-21 KJV
2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.
20 There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.
21 He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.

Happy? Nope!

It is amazing how quickly moods can change.  I mean, our kids can be completely joyful and happy one moment...

 ...and then bursting into tears the next!

 

Oh how hard it can be to be a kid, sometimes!  She's still as cute as can be, even with a scrunchy sad face!

Menu for 9/19 - 9/24, DF & GF

With the change in the way we eat, we have had to become more diligent with the way we shop.  I have been lactose-intolerant for over a decade, but have only recently been actually trying to follow the body cues to dairy.  So... really no more dairy for me!  We still give the kids yogurt and cheese, but it really isn't as often as we used to.

We've also changed how much Gluten we eat in our house. While the kids like sandwiches, they are generally pretty easy about going without.  For lunches at school, it is usually a sandwich or yogurt for the main part of their meal.  I hate always giving them these things, but they are kids and they still need some nutrients (yes, I know many of you would argue with me, but this is the choice we have made for them, if you have ideas for meals that picky eaters will eat, by all means, send them along to me!)  Anyway, bread & bread-like items are hardly ever in the house, so we've had to be creative with meals.

One of the things I have to be careful of, is that there are two kids in Monkey's class at school that are allergic to nuts, etc. So, I plan their meals for those two days to be without nut butters or nuts in their trailmix. It can be tough!

On top of becoming more dairy free (DF) and gluten free (GF), I've added in an anti-inflammatory (AI) diet. Wow! With so much to consider, it's a wonder we can even figure out meals at all!  With that said, below is our tentative menu-plan for the week.  In trying to be diligent in this way of eating, when there is a recipe that has breadcrumbs or sandwich bread, etc I am omitting that for myself, but at times my family will be eating those items.  We are also trying to be diligent about eating at home. While there are so many amazing restaurants out there, the way they prepare their food is not up to par with how I want to eat, so this week is all at home!  We'll see how it goes!

Sunday 9/19/10:
Breakfast: eggs, ham/bacon, banana, OJ (me: eggs, ham, banana, water)
Lunch: leftover pizza for kids (me: salad w/ tons of veggies)
Dinner: Bean & Veggie Enchiladas (me: Enchilada filling on spinach)

Monday 9/20/10:
Breakfast: Chocolate Smoothie drink (using Almond Milk and Whey Protein) and Kashi Cereal
Lunch: Grapes, Pudding, Hummus with carrots, and half a PB&J (me: salad)
Dinner: Crispy Zucchini Dippers, Sirloin, Applesauce (Chicken Nuggets for kids)

Tuesday 9/21/10:
Breakfast: Oatmeal & Bacon
Lunch: Turkey Sandwiches, trailmix, oranges, broccoli with ranch (me: Spinach Salad)
Dinner: Italian Chicken, Salad, Baked Beans

Wednesday 9/22/10: We have Music & Missions, so need quick evening meal
Breakfast: Yogurt & homemade cereal bar
Lunch: Ham & Cheese rollups (no tortilla), veggie sticks, crackers & banana chips  (me: salad)
Dinner: Breakfast for dinner - Eggs, Fruit and Morning Glory muffins

Thursday 9/23/10:
Breakfast: Chocolate Smoothie drink (using Almond Milk and Whey Protein) and Kashi Cereal
Lunch: Oranges, Pudding, Hummus with carrots, and half a PB&J (me: salad with leftover Italian Chicken)
Dinner: Crockpot BBQ Chicken and BBQ Onion Rings (made with almond flour and shredded parm instead of flour and breadcrumbs), Green Salad w/ spinach and veggies

Friday 9/24/10:
Breakfast: Almond Flour pancakes, strawberry/banana smoothies made with Whey protein
Lunch: Cracker cutout sandwiches (think lunchable), fruit & pudding (me: salad with leftover bbq chicken)
Dinner: Kids Night Out (pizza) - Date Night for us

For more meal ideas, go to Org Junkie's Menu Plan Monday!  So interesting that she went DF/GF too!

Here, Piggy Piggy!

What to do on a rainy day?  We were thinking of going to the FMC to play, but opted to stay home for some good ol' arts and crafts.  While cleaning *gasp* (shocker, I know!), or shall I say organizing... I ran across a binder I made as one of my final projects in college.  It is FULL of arts and crafts pages ready to be copied or used as projects.  The kids couldn't stop flipping through the pages.

Monkey was excited to color INSIDE the lines and to use the scissors.

Sweet Pea did a great job coloring in the lines as well and made a fun piggy mask.  On, to the clown masks next!

Berry Picking!

In the fall, we took the kids apple picking. It was fun, but they weren't as into it as we wanted them to be were. Maybe they were a little too young to appreciate it, but I read other friend's blogs about how much fun their kids (same age) had.  So, maybe it just wasn't their cup of tea or something.

Last weekend, we decided to give the picking process another try and took the kids to go get strawberries. It's pretty much the end of strawberry season around here, but we thought we'd give it a try anyway.

We were able to get a few pounds of strawberries, but the kids just didn't seem to be enjoying themselves. They were hot, they were tired, they seemed hungry and thirsty.  So, The Hubster and I picked them and we took the scenic drive home.  Ho hum.  Maybe we'll try blueberries or peaches next?

I love picking fresh fruit from the farms!  Hopefully someday the kids will enjoy it as much as I do.  Until then, they'll just have to deal with me dragging them with me.  It's a learned process, right?

Can we go home now???

Cold, hard, fats! I mean, Facts!!

I grew up playing sports.  Soccer, swimming, track, dance and gymnastics for a short time, baseball (yes, baseball, not softball) and just running around to and fro wherever I was to go. Then, I entered college and the midnight runs to In-n-out and a local diner became a norm.  You all know what I am talking about.  Either that, or the big thing of ice cream and chocolate chips my roommates and I would eat while watching tv together.  Basically, unhealthy eating and knowing partially that it was bad, but not knowing completely what the late nights and the bouts of bad food were really doing to my body.

It's almost like one day you wake up and realize that your life is no longer on the path you thought it was going to take and a new pair of jeans are needed because you fell victim to "The Freshman 15".  Through the years I have shifted from losing the weight and gaining it back, still never completely knowing what I was doing.  One program would tell me that "this" is okay, but don't eat "that". Another would be the exact opposite.  What is someone to do with that information when they don't have a background in nutrition and are confused by all aspects? Well, eventually, hopefully... you find Crossfit (or an excellent chef). 

For me, I need the trainer. I need the person who has more expertise than I do and can help me figure out my own body and what it needs, with me. I've been working with a trainer and going to Crossfit classes 3 days a week since January.  The verdict? I LOVE IT!  Seriously, I am addicted to going to the workouts, getting my butt kicked, feeling sore the rest of the day and sometimes the next and always going back for more!  Crossfit is all about getting a full body workout, including cardio in a shorter amount of time.  You go all out for 12-30 minutes and you're done! With a bit of strength training or gymnastics and flexibility beforehand, you're all set for your WOD (workout of the day).

Every so often, Lindsey (my trainer), does a challenge.  It's basically an "eat your best" challenge, but with it applies Paleo and Zone principles.  As a family, we have tried hard to cut out a lot of different foods that just aren't good for us.  When we bring them back in, even for a short time, we realize that our body just doesn't feel the same.  I'm proud of us.  We've done really well.  Of course we have some slip ups, but we are still trying and plugging forward.  With the last challenge that is ending this week, I think I am finally starting to breakthrough and understand a bit more about it all!

My stats (what I have lost) in this 8 week challenge:
Weight Lost: 9 lbs
Hips: 1 inch
Bust: 1 inch
Waist: 2 inches
Around Belly Button: 3 inches
Right arm: 1 inch
Right thigh: 1 1/2 inches
Butt: 1 inch
Fat: 4.8%
BMI: 2.8%

Max weight lifted:
Shoulder Press: 63 lbs
Dead Lift: 163 lbs
Power Clean: 81 lbs
Back Squat: 143 lbs (Yep! That's me! Getting into my back squat. Only about 73# on the bar at that time)

Never in a million years would I have thought that I could lift that much weight and even know what those terms meant!  I still have a loooong way to go, but the fact that I have found a niche for me. A program and a way of life that works for me and my family, is amazing!  It is such a supportive group of men and women, all in different stages of healthiness and walks of life, but we all have one thing in common. Crossfit!  When I walk out of class, I feel like I have accomplished something great and am ready to start my day. I challenge you to try a class near you!  Believe me, you'll be hooked!

What have you accomplished lately?

Complete silence can only mean one thing....

I am amazed that in the few minutes I ran to check my email, my two beautiful munchkins became very very quiet.  After getting sucked into sending a response, I noticed it was eerily quiet in the house.  Where were they?  Oh what a pleasant surprise to find them curled up together playing their Leapsters.  What a joy it is to have two kids that enjoy playing together and can find activities to keep themselves occupied!

Pure bliss!