Our Merry Little Christmas/Boxing Day

Merry Christmas everyone! I would like to share with you a bunch of pictures having to do with how my family celebrates Christmas. It starts with Christmas Eve service.

Here are some pictures of how we decorated the church for the candlelight service...This is actually on boxing day as I was way too busy to take pics at the service. I didn't include how the piano was decorated with five hurricane candle lamps or the beautiful table that had the food on it...Trust me, they were gorgeous! Anyhow here are a few:





So that was our Christmas Eve...Now I would like to show you our Christmas tree and some of the food we had. Now I mentioned last year that we don't do the traditional turkey supper. Instead we each choose a favorite dish or two and that makes up our meal...So here is what you are seeing...First you are seeing our Christmas tree. Of course front and center is our awesome nativity scene...You can click on the pics to see them bigger (I hope). Then you see our napkins and some raspberry bubbly and my favorite pop...Pineapple! Then there is our supper. We had surprise spread, shake and bake chicken wings, stuffed mushrooms, homemade beef jerky, curly fries (4 yr old's pick), chocolate covered strawberries, grapes, steamed carrots and asparagus, some pickles and olives and some ham coil and a bit of imitation crab. It was so yummy. To decorate the table I moved the nativity scene to the center of the table to help us remember why we are celebrating. It was so yummy. I have TONS of food left over!





Finally, I would like to share another tradition we have. A lot of people have Christmas stockings...and in those stockings is usually a piece of fruit. Well instead of the traditional apple or orange that my husband and I grew up having...We decided to always have a pomegranate in the toe (however this year we opted to have pomegranate juice) and then we choose a different fruit to share/learn about and we eat it at breakfast on boxing day. This year we had a Dragon Fruit. It was pretty good. It seems to be a cross between a kiwi and a pear. Here are the pictures of it:





Well, that is just a little picture of our merry little Christmas...How was yours?

My Community

I have to say...I LOVE where I live. My community is so loving and caring. Here is just one example of why I really love this community:

Word got out that a family (not a rich family, poor family, popular family...one with significant influence etc.) needed support. So my community that I love stepped up. This family recently found out that their eight year old boy has cancer. This means that he had to travel to a different city to receive radiation and chemo treatments. Now, the Dad of this family is with his son while living at the hospital which leaves the Mom at home with her daughter (who my daughter danced with last year) AND her newborn daughter who is just six weeks old. To top it off, the Dad just recently donated a kidney to a family member so took time off of work to heal and he was just getting back to work when his son got sick. So here is what my wonderful community did:

1) The call went out for prayer. (This was pretty much the first thing that happened)
2) A group (the kid's school, the Dad's company and a community program that the kids attend) organized a benefit brunch.
3) A trust fund was set up at a local bank for the family.

Today, my family attended the brunch where a silent auction was set up. It was just so wonderful to see so many people come and surround this family. I was able to see the Mom, hug her and let her know that we are here for her. I live in a wonderfully supportive community.

After the yummy brunch, we headed to church where I was able to spend time with my church family. I feel full in every way today. God bless my community and church family who make my life so rich.

An Update

Hello everyone...

I am sorry it has been so long since I have been here. Tis the season! It is super busy these days and yet I am feeling calm and peaceful.

Our kettle campaign is going well, hamper applications are in, our "Adopt A Family" program is well on the way and our hampers are being put together! This is a very generous community and I feel blessed to be a part of it.

Also, my Mom and Dad were here for almost a week. We did such a wonderful job of creating a holiday feel that it seems like Christmas should be over already. I am glad it is not.

This year is different. Last year was our first year as Salvation Army officers and the Christmas season was very different. I felt tense because I was learning all about ministry here. Now with one year under my belt, I feel GREAT! I feel organized and as if I have a good handle on all that takes place during the Christmas season here.

Although Christmas will never be the same as I remember it as a kid...we are creating new traditions and I still enjoy the entire Christmas season. It is super fun!! Well, I have to admit...I am so exhausted so my post is quite thoughtless and boring...I will get back into the groove later... :)

What are you doing for Christmas?

Kick Off CRAZINESS!

Yesterday was a crazy day. It was the kick off for our kettle campaign. This year we launched a new campaign called "Cash for our Community". We asked companies and individuals to take a jar and get creative on how to fill it. They were asked to come down to the Canadian Tire and drop off their jars between the hours of 12-5pm...Anyhow...Here is what went crazy...

We woke up that morning excited to "kick off our kettles" and that morning the guy we had hired to drop off/pick up kettles called in sick. What made it worse is that we had to assemble the new stands as well as drop them off. I also had to scramble to find someone to take the shift he signed up for from 10-2!! Anyhow, not a big deal...We just had to do what we had too. So we would get our girl to daycare and then drop the kettles off and race over to Canadian Tire to set up for the kick off. WELLL...we went to start the van to transport some larger items we needed for the kick off and...Yep! You guessed it, the van would not start! GRRRR! Thank God for a man in our church who has a truck and offered to help us out. I am thankful.

Anyhow, as the day went on we only received a total of 5 jars. We think this happened for a number of reasons: it is a new campaign so it will take a bit to catch on, we had a horrible cold snap, people just forgot...We know that there are more jars out there and the radio is going to remind people to bring them down to us sometime. Anyhow we set our kick off goal higher this year but we did not meet it. That is very disappointing but it is a new campaign still. We did manage to bring in about $4500-$5000 so that is GREAT! Even though it was down $3000 from last year, it is a good way to start our campaign. Plus we feel good about having our own campaign instead of copying another organizations campaign. So that in itself is a success.

Anyhow, I am officially counting down...After today I only have 19 days of kettle shifts to fill!! Actually less because of the "Adopt A Kettle" campaign! THAT has been very successful so far! Well, that is all I have for you today. I am going to go and look over my sermon and rest a little bit! Take care.

A Divine Meeting and A Spiritual Awakening

I wanted to tell you about a divine meeting I had on Monday. I woke up ready to head to my little girls daycare to have a meeting with the daycare director. We were going to talk about the daycare participating in a program that is new for us this year called "Adopt A Kettle". Also since the daycare is in a seniors home I wanted to invite the kids to join us as we do some caroling and pass out sunshine bags to the residents.

Well...God had different plans. We started our meeting by just talking and before we talked about the business we had planned, the daycare director ended up responding to God by giving her life to Him. Our meeting was right in the cafeteria and at that moment the cafeteria became holy ground. At that moment, this very ordinary place was transformed into a life changing place. It was here that we bowed our heads as she surrendered her life to Jesus. I am amazed at what God does.

I have always known that God doesn't always bring others to Him solely in the church. Actually recently it seems that more people are coming to Him outside of the building. Whether it was at the Thrift Store counter as was the case with one of my employees, sitting in my office with the mother of a member of the church, on the telephone with a woman recently widowed or in a cafeteria...God works wherever we allow Him to. We just have to be sensitive to God leading us and He will in turn lead others to Him.

Be open, be sensitive, get out of the church and be ready for the divine meetings.

Hi. I have a prayer room. Well, I have a prayer room in the making. It isn't all set up the way I want it yet but it will get there. The important part is that I have a place of my own that I can go to read God's word, meditate, worship, journal and of course pray. It has been such a blessing. I make sure to wake up earlier then Mike...which isn't hard and I slip into the room and spend some time in there before making breakfast for my family.

This room is important for so many reasons but the biggest perk for me is having my four year old wanting to join me in the morning. It was on the second day that I went in to my prayer room when my little girl asked if she could come too. I have two comfy chairs, two shelves and soon a coffee table...Anyhow, I walked into the room with my girl in tow I sat in one chair and she sat in the other. I opened my Bible and she quickly ran out of the room and came back holding her Bible. So together we rocked in the chairs and I read my Bible and she "read" hers...(flipped through looking at the pictures). I found myself lost in prayer as I rocked in my chair with my Bible placed open on my chest. I forgot she was in the room until I opened my eyes to see her eyes closed, rocking in her chair with her Bible open as she hugged it to her chest.

So my prayer room is not just a benefit for me. I have always known that it is important for kids to see their parents in action spiritually but and I have really experienced this truth. Seeing my daughter spending time with God is wonderful. One day I was busy in the kitchen getting a meal ready and my little one came to me and said, "Mom, may I go into your prayer room so I can have some God time?" I was so touched. Especially when I looked in on her and she was there rocking in her chair and flipping through her Bible. What a blessing. Now any time that I walk out my bedroom door in the morning she rushes out of her room to meet me and together we go into the room and begin our day...

A New Life Begins

God is good!

So I went to the office today as usual. I was answering phones, paying bills, signing people up for kettle shifts, getting ready for 24/7 prayer meetings held at our church, scheduling more meetings, booking food bank appointments and returning phone calls. Well today I returned a phone call to a woman who wanted to volunteer her time doing whatever we needed. We got to talking and I learned that she was recently widowed. She is trying to fill her time up and keep busy. Anyhow, I felt God telling me to speak to her about Him. So we got to talking and she shared a lot about her past and her life. Well, today was the day that she was ready to give God her life. She was ready to allow God to help her heal she was ready for Him to take away her guilt and other baggage that she was carrying...So over the phone we prayed together and it was then that she asked the Lord to take her life. I have not met this woman before and I am thankful for the telephone. We have set up an official meeting for Monday. I am excited to meet my new sister in the Lord! Not only did she give her life to the Lord, she signed up for a kettle shift every day (except Tuesdays) until they end...This is another blessing from God. So Lord...Thank you for this day. Please surround my new sister in the Lord with your love and peace this night. Thank you for your love. :)

A Beautiful Life

Those who know me know that I love life. In fact I have two shirts (in different colors) that say "Life is beautiful" and it is! I am blessed for many reasons but I consider myself really blessed because God allows me to be with people as they walk through their lives. I encounter some people who are riding the highs of life and I am also blessed to walk with people who are struggling to keep their heads above water in the seas of life. God seems to put me "in the right place at the right time" and this happens on numerous occasions. Allow me to share the most recent one:

Mike and I were up at the local TV station chatting with people after we finished an interview. As we were there talking to people, a young man walked in. He looked familiar (he had come to the church once) he wasn't in the habit of going to church but he was staying with a friend who came one morning so he tagged along...Anyhow, turns out he remembered us and we got to talking. Sadly, his Dad had passed away the night before and his Mom was sitting in the truck. He asked if I could possibly go and talk to her. She had just moved here from another province and had no one else. Without hesitation I went out to the truck to say hello while Mike stayed and talked to the young man. I listened to her share her sorrow and I was able to be there for her. It turns out that she was having a tough time feeling at peace with her husbands decision to be cremated. After our talk, I ended up at the funeral home with her. Her son didn't want to view the body so I offered to go with her. The look of relief on her face was so rewarding. So right after our talk I hopped in the car and met her at the funeral home. I went in the room with her and watched as she said her good byes to her dear husband. I watched and listened as she talked to her husbands shell of a body. You could tell she loved him dearly. If she could have taken him out of the casket to hold him, she would have. She kissed him and told him she loves him. I felt honored to be with her. After she said her good byes I got a tissue (for both of us) and I prayed for her as we stood before her loved ones casket. After that she wanted me to be with her as she talked to the funeral director. After the meeting we embraced. We exchanged phone numbers and she said she would like to come to church. I really hope she does so she can feel the support of others around her during this difficult time. So that was my most recent experience.

So as you can see, I lead a beautiful life because my life is not my own. I have committed it to God and have asked Him to lead me. I pray that He gives me many more divine appointments like this one. It is during these times that I can share about Jesus and the beautiful life He offers!

Creative Pumpkins

So...We just passed Halloween and I wanted to show you our creative pumpkins.

First here is Mike's pumpkin...It turned out really well!


It was game day for the Rough Riders so he thought it was an appropriate choice. I think so too.


Next was my idea. This is what would happen if a pumpkin ate too much candy!


I put bits of candy in the pumpkin guts and I placed candy wrappers all over the step! I think it is yucky but also creative and fun!


Then of course there is our 4 year olds pumpkin. She specifically asked for it to have two teeth and two tongues...So there it is!


We had a lot of fun this year. It is also a wonderful opportunity to share the love of God. One year before we had a kid, I made up treat bags and put a nice Scripture verse on the outside of the bag and a church business card on the inside for the parents. It was a way to share about our church.

After our kid came along, we made sure to trick or treat in the area where the church was. As people were opening their doors to share their candy, we took the opportunity to share the love of God by introducing ourselves and passing them a little flyer about what The Salvation Army was doing in their community. It was super awesome and many people wanted to chat. So you see, a holiday is what you make it. Our founder (of The Salvation Army) William Booth once said, "Why should the Devil have all the good music?" In the same way, why should the Devil have all the good holidays? As Christians, we don't make Christmas about Santa (well we don't anyways) and as a Christian, I won't make Halloween about Satan. However, I will take this opportunity as people are willingly opening their doors to us to give a smile, meet my neighbors and share the love of God where I can!

Well, that is just my view of Halloween. There was a time (many years ago) where I would lock myself downstairs with the lights all off and ignore all those freeloading kids out there who just wanted my chocolate bars! Not anymore! I see it as being a part of my community and I will take advantage of getting out there and sharing God's love when ever the opportunity opens the door!

Oh, The Masks We Wear...

This sounds like a post that could be really deep. Well it is NOT! I simply wanted to show you a project that my hubby is working on. He is super creative...





As you know, Halloween is tomorrow. We enjoy dressing up and going out as a family as our lil one trick or treats...Well, she is only 4 so she doesn't do any tricking...I hope as she grows up she doesn't start tricking either. Or I hope she doesn't get caught by me anyways. :)

Alright back to my creative husband...He is making a mask. A Batman mask to be more specific. He has shaped it out of wire and then he covered it with duct tape. Next he will spray paint it and it will be done. Isn't that neat? When it is finished I will show you the finished product...He is always coming up with fun things.

At a later date, I will share some pictures and share some other ideas that we have done on Halloween in order to share God's love during this day.

Anyhow, are you doing anything special for Halloween? We are doing the normal "candy walk" and visiting some people from the church. Should be fun! Take care and be safe!!

A Rewarding Day

So yesterday was a rewarding work day. I tried to take yesterday as my study day and for sermon prep...and well...you know how that goes! Instead of getting my study time in, I found myself dealing with two people who are dealing with very emotional incidences that had occurred during the day/evening. One was with helping someone in the Corps and the other was with a very dear friend. I like that part of my job. I like that I am a person that people can come to with tough life issues. It is always nice to have someone there for you. Anyhow...after dealing with these situations, I was going to settle down and get some more work done and then just relax for a few moments before bed when the phone rang at 10:30pm. It was the police station wondering if we (The Salvation Army) had some blankets, sleeping bags and pillows that we could take up to the high school. Apparently a bus full of a high school football team was heading to an out of town game and because of the HORRIBLE weather here (storm watch) the bus hit the ditch. This left 55 people stranded in our town. So instead of resting and relaxing, off I went into the blustery weather to see what I had for blankets at the Thrift Store...Between us and a hotel we were able to make sure each person at least had a blanket. I wanted to make sure that the team had some hot chocolate for the night so I packed up all the things I needed for that and headed to the high school. Once I was satisfied that everyone was alright I made the trip home and by this time is was well after midnight. Of course I couldn't sleep when I got home...To pumped up from the day/evening.

So the day was rewarding. Sure, I had planned it one way but it ended up being MUCH more fulfilling because God planned it better. :) Well...I am tired. I might try and nap.

Challenge # 15

So today marks the half way point of this challenge. I am glad I decided not to do one a day. I have taken much longer to do this challenge and I am glad. Some of these challenges are difficult. Also, I am extremely busy these days so I don't get to blog as much. But here it is...

The person I miss the most...

I don't know who I miss the most. I miss many people. I miss people who have passed away, I miss people who are still living. So I don't really miss one person more then the other.

However, tonight I was talking to my bestie and I could say that right now, I miss her the most. My bestie has been through some tough situations lately and I really wish I could be there for them. I say them because I consider her hubby to be one of my besties too...He is actually my husband's best friend but really the four of us are really close. I think they would agree with me! Actually there have been times where I have called to talk to her and I end up talking to him much longer then her. I love them both dearly and I miss them. I wish we lived closer so we could support one another more as we serve God. Anyhow...I miss you besties! Love you.

The picture above is of my besties reading my daughter what happens to be his favorite story. :)

My Funny Girl

For all the parents out there...Or future parents...Have you ever been afraid that you were going to ruin your kid's life? Well, I have to tell you that yesterday I didn't just ruin my 4 year olds life...I ruined her WHOLE WORLD! Here's what happened:

I had to punish her for a bad choice she made and as she was in her room she yelled "Mom, when you get me in trouble you ruin my world!" Soooo being the mature adult I am, I informed her that when I have to punish her it ruins my world too! Even though she was serious, it was cute.

Another cute thing from her today...

Megan (holding her pink bunny hug)"Mom, may I wear my hunny bug today?"

Too cute.

Challenge # 14

There may be some weird sentences but I DON'T care today! LOL!

I thought I would remind you of the challenge I am working through...Here it is and I would like to see you take it up:

30 Day Challenge: Tell a little about the following...

Day 1 — Your Best Friend
Day 2 — Your vices
Day 3 — Your parents
Day 4 —Your siblings
Day 5 — Your dreams
Day 6 — Someone that inspires you
Day 7 — Your job
Day 8 — Your favorite internet friend that you’ve never met
Day 9 — Someone you wish you could meet
Day 10 — Someone you don’t talk to as much as you’d like to
Day 11 — A deceased person you wish you could talk to
Day 12 — Your dream vacation
Day 13 — Something you’re looking forward to
Day 14 — Someone you’ve drifted away from
Day 15 — The person you miss the most
Day 16 — Someone that’s not in your state/country
Day 17 — The place you wish you were from
Day 18 — The person that you wish you could be
Day 19 — Something that makes you different
Day 20 — Your favorite television shows
Day 21 — Someone you judged by their first impression
Day 22 — Your pet peeves
Day 23 — The last person you kissed
Day 24 — The person that gave you your favorite memory
Day 25 — A life changing moment
Day 26 — The last person you made a pinky promise to
Day 27 — The thing you most enjoy doing
Day 28 — Someone that changed your life
Day 29 — Your talent
Day 30 — Your reflection in the mirror


Someone I have drifted away from...

I have drifted away from many people that I really didn't want too. You know how it is right? Well, I hope I am not alone in this! But the truth for me is that life changes. It doesn't just change, it morphs into something completely different! Let me explain...There are a few people that I love so dearly but I have drifted away from because life happened. My life before I met God was completely different then now. For example, before I met God I was into drinking and partying...and some other activities that I am not proud of. So what happened is I hung out with people who accepted what I was doing...I hung out with people who also drank and partied so we got on very well. BUT my life changed and I found my fulfillment in God and didn't need the drinking and parties any more. So naturally what happened was I drifted away from the the friends I drank with. I remember being younger and I would get a call to go to a party but at that time in my life, I was more excited to go to youth group. I would try and invite my buddies to youth group but they opted for the parties instead. I felt the sadness when eventually the phone calls stopped. Do I miss those friends? ABSOLUTELY! I had a core group of girl friends that I considered close to me before I met God. I do keep in touch with two of those friends as much as possible now that we are adults but I am sad that I have drifted away from the others. I think of them often and I pray for them. So to "my" girls...Angela, Becky Charma and Tara...I may have drifted away but you are thought of often. Well,I could talk all day/night about this topic because there are many more people that I have drifted from...All I can say, is I miss them.

Challenge # 12

Something I am looking forward to...

Hmmm, I haven't really thought about anything immediate. So I will go into the future: I am looking forward to seeing my daughter grow up and I am looking forward to seeing what God does in her life. I am also looking forward to seeing what God does in my personal life and in the life of my husband, I am looking forward to growing old with my hubby (God willing). I am looking forward to seeing the kingdom of God!! I am looking forward to seeing my extended family members come to God and serving Him...I look forward to spending time with God and getting to know Him more and more...Well, that is what I am most looking forward too.

I am sure I have other exciting things coming up but to be quite honest I have learned not to get too excited over things that may happen because as life has taught me...things change. Plans change and that is just part of life. So instead of getting excited about what may happen, I choose to get excited about the things that I KNOW will happen...Spiritual growth and the things of God. THAT is what I look forward too! God never disappoints! :)

Challenge #12

Picture 1: Camping up North
Picture 2: Trip to Alaska
Picture 3: Hawaii

My Dream Vacation(s)...

I have a couple of dream vacation scenarios:


1) The 1st scenario would involve my hot husband (just the two of us), a beach, clear blue waters, HOT weather, romantic sunset walks on a beach, candle lit dinners (that I didn't make), no agendas, no planned sight seeing or schedules...etc. So that is the romantic me's dream vacation...Not too original is it?

2) The 2nd scenario would involve my husband (shocker) and my sweet preschool daughter. I would love to take my daughter on a Disney cruise. I just think it would be a fun family vacation. Now to be fair, we did go to Hawaii together and that was absolutely beautiful! So I am not sure if this dream vacation will ever happen but you never know. To be real, anywhere I go with my family is great! We can have fun together anywhere.

3) The 3rd scenario would involve me and maybe 1-2 close friends going to a spa resort. A weekend get away. That would be FUN! This one doesn't seem too unattainable. I am not so great at doing things just for me so I am not sure how quick this would happen...We shall see.

Well, that is what I have...I would also REALLY love to visit Italy, Scotland and the Holy Land. HUGE dreams I know. But, like I said, where ever my family is I am happy. Camping, long road trips, staying at hotels, swimming...it is great.

Well that is that. :) Where would you like to go?

Challenge # 11

A deceased person I wish I could talk to...

Well, right away I think of my Grandparents on my Fathers side. I have so many fond memories about hanging out with them. As a small child I can remember wearing a HUGE over sized hat and going out into a raspberry patch to pick some berries with my Grandma. I can remember going to their home to visit and being welcomed with a piping hot bowl of borscht that was made just because we were visiting...YUMMM. My Grandpa taught me how to scale a fish and he had the BEST pool table downstairs. Whenever I see a pool table I think of my Grandpa with his tongue sticking out as he concentrated on the shot he was making during pool. Even now, it makes me smile. I can also remember being told that I would get a rug burn on my...bottom if I kept sliding down the stairs like I did...

I miss the good times. Both my Grandparents died while I was still young. So yes, I miss the good times but now that I am an adult I miss them more because I would really like to talk to them, get to know them. I want to know where they came from. It is like our parents. Most kids don't see their parents as people who have memories as well. They are just your parents but they had lives outside of you. Same with my Grandparents. Sure they spoiled me and gave me many wonderful memories but now I wish I could know some of their memories, what games did they play as kids? Where did they live? What were their parents like?...As an adult I want to know where my family has come come. I want to know where I came from. All the bumps and bruises all the successes and failures. I want to hear from them what their lives were like. I have been making it a point to talk to my Mom and ask her questions about her childhood and her life. Now that I am an adult and a Mother, I realize more than ever that my Mom is just as much as a person as I am. She had (has) a life outside of Motherhood....I want to know her. What about you? Who would you want to talk too?

Pictured above is 3 generations of girls that I hope get to know each other well!

Monday Check In

Hi. :( Not too happy. I gained a pound. That is disappointing. I don't want to say too much but I think part of the reason is because my doc and I have made a change to a medication I was taking. Don't worry, I am alright. :) I will just have to work harder and be more conscious about what I am eating and how much I exercise. Well that is all for now! Take care.

Challenge # 10

Someone I don't talk to as much as I'd like to...

Well...my family. I have many family members that I don't get to talk to as much as I would like too. I have Aunts and Uncles and many cousins that I have lost track of. It really makes me sad but it is a part of life. I have learned not to feel guilty or to take all of the ownership on myself for keeping in touch. What is that saying? "The road goes both ways"? Well...So does the telephone line. To be honest with you, I don't even talk to my own parents/in laws as much as I would like too. My siblings are also people I don't talk to as much as I would like. I have two nieces and four nephews that I don't talk to enough either...The list goes on. So yes, my family.

Many people come to mind...Neen, Becky S., Angela T...

A specific person that I would like to talk to more and I don't is my sweet friend Shauna. Her and I go way back and I view her family to be my family. We have known each other for many years and ANY time we talk it is as if there has been no time separation. I really like that about our relationship. So Shauna, if you happen to be reading this (which I doubt you are because you are a super busy person) lets try and talk more alright? Email, phone...what ever it takes! I love and miss you my friend!!

To all the people I would like to chat with more, lets try and do that alright? Drop me a line and I will write back...Or pick up the phone so we can chat! We CAN do it. :) Take care.

Check In & Meal Plan

Hello!

Sorry it is late but I just got home. Well for the first time I don't have great news. :( It seems that I have gained 1.3 lbs. I am disappointed but I am not giving up! It was a crazy busy week and I had ZERO time to exercise and I went out for supper a couple of times where I could have chosen better...In my opinion. I mean I didn't eat fried food or anything but I did have potatoes at least 2 times this week and I did have some dessert. I don't feel guilty which feels GREAT! I will get back to eating healthier. I miss my exercise. Anyhow, I hope to report next Monday that I lost what I gained...Wish me luck and send a prayer up for me.

Here is my meal plan: You will see some repeats because I didn't get to use them last week.

Mon-We went to Apple Bee's I had steak tips, veggies and mashed potatoes (again with the potatoes) LOL!
Tues-Grilled Chicken Salad
Wed-Quesadilla Torte
Thurs-Sloppy Lentils (fresh buns) raw veggies
Fri-Borscht (beet & cabbage soup)
Sat-Chicken Wraps
Sun-Potluck (Haven't decided what to make yet)

Well, that is all for now! Have a good evening or day... ;)

A Day Off

Hello Friends!

It has been a few days I know...Sorry. We have been SUPER busy and by the time the evening comes, I have no energy left to spend with you. However, today I am taking the day off!!! An actual real day off!! I get teased a lot because of what I call a day off. For me a "day off" would be going into the office without my uniform on and working...often hard cleaning the building or paying bills...what ever it is, I spend the whole day there. Well, today I am not doing that. Today I am going to hang out with my family. My Mom is here visiting. PLUS the last week has been crazy! I have been going hard since last Tuesday! My hours during that time were 9am-9pm...The odd evening during the week I was able to get home in time for my little one to go to bed. Here is why it was a crazy week:

-Sick staff so I had to cover
-Prepping for our 15th Annual food drive (which fell on the same day as our 1st Thrift Store Fall Fashion Show)
-So naturally I prepped for the Fashion Show
-I prepped for our prayer service for Human Trafficking
Then throw in 4 meetings that week and I was running constantly!

It was a lot of work. Here is how it went:

-The staff is slowly getting better...Thank GOD!
-The food drive began at 10am and was great in the way of volunteers! They were quick and we were very organized. Last year we were left to bring the food to the back ourselves...This year it was all sorted and brought for us. It was brilliant!
-Our Fashion Show which was at 2pm on the same day as the food drive was a HUGE success! I am still on cloud nine about it. God is good! We had a sold out crowd and had to turn two people away :( That was sad. Anyhow the cupcakes were amazing!! I heard so much wonderful feed back from the venture. One lady said, "I'm not waiting a whole year to come to another one! You have six months for the next!" Good feeling. At first we weren't sure how it was going to go because many other events were happening that day. Even another fashion show!! We went from selling only 20 tickets to having a sold out crowd!! I didn't have my camera but I will ask around so I can show you some pictures of it. Anyhow, it went wonderfully!!
-The prayer service was also good! Many people came out and took the time to visit the prayer stations I set up. It felt good.

So after this marathon of a week/weekend, I am going to spend time with my family. They are still in bed as of now so that gave me the time to spend with you! OH and I have yet to step on the scale and report my success/not so success...I will make sure to do so today soon! So check back sometime today for that update as well as my meal plan! :) Blessings!

My Busy Day

Today was a fun day. It was super busy...I ended up going to the office by myself today for Food Bank appointments. After that I went and picked up Mike so we could go for nice lunch together and catch up on what is happening today...You know, we wanted to connect. Except that is not what happened. We found out during lunch that our appointment just after lunch was moved up so we had to rush to that meeting...To top it off, the lunch date we planned changed as well...I will leave the details about that event out for now. After the one meeting I had just enough time to make our yummy supper pictured above. Fettucini Alfredo with Garlic Shrimp, cucumber and cherry tomatoes. I literally had time to eat supper but I had to leave the dishes for my family (thank you family) to do because I was late for another board meeting tonight. Then I left that meeting and went to the prayer meeting at our church and now I am home! It was a fun and busy day!!!

I have a little more work to do tonight before I can really relax. I have another meeting first thing tomorrow morning that I need to prep a bit for...SO I need to sign off for now. Take care. :)

Challenge # 9

Tell a bit about someone you wish you could meet...

Who would I like to meet? I think I would like to meet many Biblical "characters"...A lot of us think of the people mentioned in the Bible as just that...characters. Well, once I stop and think about these characters I stop and think, "WOW! These are REAL people, people who have been through many trials and have fascinating lives! People who have rubbed shoulders with Jesus!!" It is a long thought I know! One person from Biblical days I would really like to meet is Paul. If you don't know his story you should pick up a Bible and read about him go searching, you will find it!...What a story he has! He went from a person who persecuted Christians severely by putting them to death in a brutal manner, to becoming a missionary!! What a life change he had and I would love to hear about his travels and hear all about his trials of beginning a church. He was not always a liked man but he made it through and I believe he has heard God say, "Well done! Good and faithful servant." So, that is my pick. Paul. Would you like to meet someone from the Bible?

Three Posts in ONE day!!! WOW!

This is crazy! You may think I have too much time on my hands but really it is the opposite...I am very busy that is why I have three posts on one day! LOL! If I would have planned this post out I would not have to do three separate ones. Anyhow, I said I would post my meal plan so here it is:

Mon-Pizza out at Yellow Grass (Church family Games and Pizza Night)...
Tues-Baked fish with rice and veggies
Wed-Homemade chicken veggie soup with homemade buns
Thurs-Grilled Chicken Salad and garlic cheese toast
Fri-Spagettini with homemade beef/chicken meatballs & tomato sauce
Sat-Quesadilla Torte

Hmmm, just noticed that I normally try and do two meatless dishes in a week but this one seems to have only one meatless dish (Quesadilla Torte). I may tweak this so one of the meals ends up being meatless.

What are you going to be eating this week? Anyhthing you are excited about??

Opps NEW total...

The new total of weight loss is 14.9! Almost 15 lbs. The last time was 11.4 so plus an extra 3.5 would be 14.9 lbs right?!? Lets just go with that! LOL!

Monday Check-In

Hi!

It is early but I just checked my weight and it looks like what I didn't lose last week...remember I stayed the same? Well it came off this week! I lost 3.5 pounds!!! So that brings me to 14.5 lbs total! Yippee! I needed that too boost me and encourage me to keep on track! :) I was thinking that I would like to share my meal plans for the week with you. That is another way of remaining accountable...Would that be alright with you? If so, I will post my plan for the week a little later today...

Have a good day and I will most likely be back later!!

Challenge # 8

Tell about my favorite internet friend I have never met...

Well this one is easy. I don't have one. I have not made friends with anyone on the net that I don't know already...It may happen someday!

Let us move on to the day I had...
"It is church day!!! YAYYYYY!!!" As my 4 year old says. She LOVES going to church. However, today we had to stay home due to her fever and cold. She developed a cold the day before and we can't seem to get the fever to stay away. It was so hard because I sent my hubby off to church without us. Both my daughter and I wanted to go...especially because I was excited to do Sunday school with my kids. We thought of every possible scenario...Keeping her in the office by herself (away from the other people) but we figured that it wouldn't be fair because her Daddy would be preaching and I would be having fun with the kids downstairs. :( And the people who could have sat with her at church today while we did our thing are the ones who really can't afford to get sick as they are recovering from surgeries. And the other lady needs a lung transplant and needs to remain healthy...Turns out that we made the right decision by staying home because I found out that many families were away this morning due to sickness anyways. So if I brought her hoping for some people to watch her, we would have been in a jam. Plus it isn't fair to allow people around our sick kid. Anyhow, it was a challenge to stay home...My hubby did just fine. We hope to have her back on her feet in time for our church family hang out night tomorrow evening! She has been getting lots of sleep and I hope that tonight she stays asleep...Selfishly so I can too!! Well that was my day. I think I am going to curl up with my hubby, relax and watch a movie...Take care!

Challenge # 7

Tell a bit about my job...

This is a picture of my family last Christmas...Thought I would share it with you. It was taken in our church.

Well for starters, my job is my calling. I am an officer (pastor for those who don't understand the term officer) within The Salvation Army. I adore what I do because of WHO I do it for. I minister for God.

At times it is very trying and I have learned early on NOT to ask God for patience!!! Why? You may ask...Well it has been my experience that if you ask God for something He will give it to you and the best way to give you patience is to place you in situations where you have to exercise patience. :) This has been the case for me. I am a work in progress and as I serve God it is my desire to continually grow closer to Him.

I do have the wonderful privilege of working with my best friend and the second(God being the first of course) love of my life...my husband. We work so well together. We balance each other and we absolutely LOVE spending as much time together as possible so this ministry for us is perfect! We get to go to the office together, and we get to leave together (most of the time). We are partners in life and work with God as our boss in both areas. I feel blessed and very privileged to be doing what I do.

In our particular ministry my hubby and I are responsible for the church, a thrift store and a food bank (the only one in our town). There is tons of potential in our little town of 10,000 people and we are excited to see what God does this year!

Can what I do be tough? It almost always is...Would I have chosen this life for myself? Nope...But since when do I know what is best for me? LOL! God knows best and He needed me. People are coming to understand God and His love and forgiveness and His grace. He has given me so much...How could I not give back? If I had a choice would I change my job? NO! Never. Partly because I know that if I don't obey what God as asked me to do, I would be horribly miserable. More importantly I would not change my job because I genuinely like what I do.

What about you? Do you like your job?

Challenge # 6

Tell about someone who inspires you...

Who inspires me? Wow. That is a question. People in general inspire me. Particually people who endure hardships and are positive throughout it. I can think of a couple of people right away. My Mother & Father in law inspire me for many reasons...But I am not sure I can share much more about why without their permission first. So here are two others:

My school days friend Darcy from "Snips & Snails and Puppy Dog Tails"...I read her blog and as she was raising a young family she was also losing her bestfriend and husband to cancer. I followed her story through the ups and downs of her husband finding out he had cancer to the very sad announcement that she had lost him. To make matters worse, she lost her father I believe within days of losing her husband. Double the greif. She inspires me because all through this time she clung to our Father in heaven. She continued to remain faithful to Him. She shared her raw emotion with us and always directed her face to the Lord. So a shout out to you Darcy! You inspire me to be a better person, to look to God and to always remember that He will be with me. Feel free to look on my blog list and follow her blog.

Shannnnon & Jeffy. My besties inspire me. If you have been following my blog you know that these two people have been dealing with many difficult issues regarding infertility and adoption. Yet they seem to remain as positive as possible. Yes, Shannon will share how hurt she is and she shares how she has cried until her eyes are sore. She is real and her tears teach us that it's okay to have emotions. I am believing for them that they will have a child. God will give them one. Will you believe with me? Will you commit to pray for them with me?

Many other people inspire me. Today these are the three people that I have chosen to share with you. I may do another post oneday about some others...Take care and remember to inspire others with your care and concern and with your very lives.

Challenge # 5

Tell a bit about my dreams...

Well, it is obvious that I was stalled on this question...

I am choosing to take this as what I hope and wish for. Not what I dream about while sleeping or what I day dream about during the day.

To be honest with you, here is why I stalled...I haven't really thought about my own personal dreams. I do have dreams but my dreams are for other people. So I guess my dream is to see my dreams for others fulfilled. I realize that I need to dream for myself as well and I probably should learn how to do that. Make sense? Until I learn how, here is what I dream:

For my best friends to become parents. For 7 long years I have journeyed with my best friend as she tried to conceive a child. I was with her (mostly on the phone) as we cried together as she discovered once again that she was not pregnant. And again when she found out that the likelihood of her getting pregnant was not good. She has allowed me to journey with her as they decided to adopt a child. It has been a roller coaster ride from the beginning. Just recently we were at the peak of the roller coaster as they found out that they were chosen to adopt a fantastic little boy. Well, just yesterday the roller coaster crashed. Again, we were together crying with heart break. If you want to know the story feel free to read her blog. It is on my list: "Thoughts and Feelings of a Wanna-Be-Mother". After all, it is her story to tell. But please, pray for my best friends...They need your prayers.

For my child to grow strong in the Lord and to serve Him with all her might. I want my daughter to grow up knowing who she is in God. I want her to know how precious she is to her Heavenly Father. We are doing our part as best we can as we raise her to know God but I dream of the day where she is living her life FOR God.

Hmmmm, I noticed that I am still very emotional about the journey my best friend is on and I can't really concentrate on this post. So I need to stop blogging for now so I can chat with her for a while. I hope to finish this another time. Meanwhile, please lift my best friends up in prayer. Thank you.

Monday Check-In

I didn't lose weight but I didn't gain any either! I stayed exactly the same. I think if I would have exercised more this last week it would have been better. Hopefully this week is better. :)

How are you?

Day # 32-The End...Well Not REALLY...

Hello my blogging buddies...

Well, I have reached day 32! I was wondering when I was going to stop blogging about/taking pictures of my various meals. Sadly, I have decided that tonight will be the last. This DOES NOT mean that I will be giving up this healthy lifestyle...It just means that you will be seeing less of it. I will continue to share my weight loss progress with you every Monday. From time to time I may share a wonderful meal we have had as well. Or something new we have done. :)

As you can see, I did take a picture of this meal. It was supposed to be Baked Salmon but I didn't have salmon. I used cod. It had spinach, fresh tomatoes, mushrooms and some Italian dressing mixed together and placed on top of the fish and baked. The cod tasted very strong but the flavor that was on the fish was very nice. Again with it was some rice, beans & carrots. The sauce from the fish would have been really nice on the rice but I just wasn't that hungry. Now...To conclude my time of sharing this journey I would like to share some things I have learned and will take from this.

1-Anyone can change how they eat and live. We are VERY busy people yet we still managed to make time to eat healthier and to get some family activity in. I have learned that I am worth it! I need to take the time to take care of myself and my family. YOU are worth it too! YOU should take care of yourselves!! Don't use the "I'm too busy to make prep for meals..." etc. because the truth is, you CAN do it. You may just have to adjust how you spend some of your time. I was so impressed with myself (sounds like I am bragging a bit) because not once did we eat out because "I ran out of time..." if we ate out, we chose to earlier in the day. :) So You CAN do it! You ARE worth it!!

2-I am shocked that I have eaten chips only twice during this whole time!! If you know me, you KNOW I LIKE my chips! Once was at camp and I only ate maybe 5 tops! The second time was because I was curious as to how my body would react. So I sent the hubby out to get the chips. Not just any chips...Salt & Vinegar! They blew my mind! The amount of salt was CRAZY! I drank so much water that night! Same kind of deal with the sugar. We have used pure maple syrup and honey (actually from a man who makes it here) which is the purest form. I have had one chocolate bar during this time and I have to say that I got a headache from it. I couldn't believe it!

3-Potatoes. In the old days, I would have made potatoes at least 3-4 times a week for meals. :0 I have not made potatoes once for a meal during this time. Whatever I ate for potatoes came from eating out. Now we did try eating couscous and quinoa and my family was alright with it but they sure enjoy the rice. I may add potato once a week but I know I will try different types of grains and rices.

4-I REALLY like beans.

5-I have not missed milk all that much.

6-How I eat determines how I feel. As a Mom I have felt so good knowing that I am teaching my impressionable little girl how to choose foods wisely. We have involved her with the shopping and we have discussed why some foods are not the best choices. As a wife, I feel great. I know that I am making choices for my family that will enable me and my hubby to be around longer. This means we can enjoy life together and most importantly, serve God and be good stewards of what God has given to us, this means our bodies as well.

7-Losing weight has been great, but feeling healthy is better!

Well, I thank all of those who have journeyed with my family as we did this challenge. I want to thank Alison for challenging us! We have changed our diets and we have changed our lives. We no longer eat out of cans or boxes, we have introduced beans and legumes into our diets, we have let go of sugar and salt and we have benefited for it! So, although the journey of blogging faithfully about this journey is coming to an end...Our new lifestyle will live on! I will be sure to update you when I feel the need. :) As I said I will continue to share my weight loss progress. This will also help me remain accountable...

Alright...If you are interested in learning how to begin this simple yet life enhancing change, just look at my blog roll and click on "Hospitality Haven" and ask Alison to hook you up with your personalized plan!! You won't regret it!

Again, thanks for following and continue to follow as I continue to share about our lives! God Bless!

Day # 31

Our girl was sooo hungry she almost ate the plate!!
Hello...I will apologize in advance for this quick post. I don't have so much to tell you really. Our supper was good. I have made it before it was cantonese chicken, rice, corn and broccoli and cauliflower. Of course I made enough for left overs. I am super tired now because my family and I went out for a loooooong walk. I am about to sit down and do as little as possible! :)

OH I do want to tell you more about another switch our house is making. We are investing in some non toxic cleaning supplies, shampoo, toothpaste, even our vitamins are changing for the better. These products are so safe that none of the products have saftey caps on them...I know they won't hurt my kid/pet. But like I said, I am tired but I will tell you about them in another blog. I actually don't have them yet...They were shipped today and should get here on Monday...Until then, Chat later.

Day # 30

Hello. Another busy day. I managed to get home and make supper tho! We don't have too long before we have to be out again so I wanted to get this update to you. Our lives will be pretty busy until...Well who am I kidding? We will ALWAYS be busy and I love it! Anyhow, I wanted to let you know that since we have taken up this challenge to eat only wholesome food, we have felt so good! I even managed to prep tomorrows supper.

Tonight we had Creamy Qunioa Primevera. Ummm, at first sight of it, I was not impressed. The taste was good tho! It was qunioa cooked in chicken broth and after cooked I added some cream cheese. I sauteed some garlic, onion, carrots, red & yellow peppers, mushrooms and added some spinach then after they were soft we added them to the qunioa and then topped it with a bit of cheese! It is a very filling dish. Well, I have to go and get ready for the next item on my agenda. We will chat tomorrow! =)

Day # 29

WoW! 29 days have passed by fast! Today was a super crazy busy day. We had a "day off" today. Well what we call a day off anyways. We went into the office not in uniform and I cleaned part of the basement. Well a corner of it anyways. LOL! I made an area for our kids in the basement complete with two love seats a mat, and area for playing, a book shelf, a TV for some of our lessons...I am very happy with the little area. I am SURE my kids will love it too. Now, my body is sore! I did hard labor and it was worth it!!!

After our "day off" I can home for a short rest and then went grocery shopping so I could be prepared for our suppers. I was SO tempted to go out for supper but I really wanted something from home instead. So I grabbed some herb and garlic salmon from the freezer (M&M Meats) It was just sitting in the freezer and I needed to use it up. I was running out of time before our prayer meeting at the church so I just took some left over rice and threw in some peas and then did the left over corn. It was quite good. I also managed to make some bread...I substituted 1/4c of flour for flax seeds so we will see what happens with that recipe!

Have you tried anything new?

Day # 28

Hello People.

Just thought I would tell you that today was a very busy and unpredictable day. I didn't get home today until 8:30pm. I left the house at 9:15 this morning. It seemed as if everyone needed us today! Anyhow, I didn't even get a chance to get home to make supper so we went out. I had a pork slovakia with a baked potato and some peas and a slice of garlic bread. It was good. I couldn't finish the baked potato, it was so big!

Anyhow, I am looking forward to being home tomorrow to make a yummy supper! Take care. I am tired. Going to unwind for a bit before bed. Take care!!

Day # 27

Hey!

Well today has been such a nice holiday. I have done almost nothing. I say almost because I did get a lot done around the house. I have not gone out at all today and it was nice. Even better, it is raining out so it makes it easier to be home.

For supper tonight I made a yummy spaghetti & bean sauce. It had so many veggies in it as well as some beans. For veggies in the sauce we had onions, yellow peppers, carrots, broccoli and zucchini. It was very filling. I wish I would have had a salad with it. The garlic cheese toast was filling but the greens would have been nice to have. I have my meal plan all made out for this coming week so lets hope that we have good success.

I should also report that on Mondays we weigh ourselves to see our progress...So I stepped on the scale waiting to see if the Rotary lunch or pizza suppers affected my weight loss. I am very happy to report that the Rotary lunch and the pizza suppers did NOT affect my plan (which is to lose weight & feel healthy). In fact it did the opposite. I ended up losing another 4.2 lbs bringing my total loss to 11.4 lbs! Very satisfying. However, I am thinking I may see the pizza next week. I also thought I would see some weight come back on after Officer's camp...but I still haven't seen that. So that is good news.

Ok, so that is my report. I am going to go and join my family as we watch our lil ones baby videos...Take care my friends.

Day # 26

Hi!

Well I have to say right off the bat, if there was a day to fail...Today was it. For supper we had pizza. I had two small pieces of ham, mushrooms and black olive pizza. It was made by a family from our church. It was good. I find I am drinking lots of water due to the salt intake. Other then supper I was good well sort of. We had an omelet, a waffle with fruit and a fruit smoothie for breakfast. We were too full to eat lunch (not good to skip meals I know) but we did have a snack of fruit before we set off on a nice hike through the trails around our little ones daycare. We were out exploring for about 40 mins before the nippers (mosquitoes) got to us.

Tomorrow we have a potluck at church and I am hoping that there is a lot of wholesome food. I know I am bringing some soup so I will be satisfied with that. What do you do at potlucks to make sure you eat well?

Day # 25

Hi!

I have to make this short because I have a date to watch a movie with my hubby. That will be nice.

So today was a good day. I tried to have a day off...That never works. Oh well. I enjoy what I do. Ok, for supper as a family we made chicken kabobs. We each got to make our own and then we had rice and corn with it. It was really good. That is all I have for you. Later.

Day # 24

Today we had minestrone soup (instead of canned tomatoes I used fresh). With it we had homemade garlic cheese toast. It was a tasty. I think next time I would use less pasta. But it was good. I plan to use the Wii again for my activity. I find it to be really fun and I get a good workout, depending on what I do. Well, that is all I have for you today. I am tired. Sorry for the boring post....I am sure they will get better! :)

Day # 23 & 30 Day Challenge # 4

Hi!

Just to let you know that tonight the family went out to do some visiting tonight. A family from our church just opened a pizza and coffee bar so we drove out to check it out. We also had to support them by eating there ;)! So we ordered a pizza and it was good! They get all their ingredients fresh and they make their own pizza dough so it felt good. It wasn't a greasy pizza either. Just some ham, mushrooms and black olives and of course cheese! I think the only thing that came from a can was their sauce. Anyhow, it was good. Sorry I don't have a picture. I am happy to report that I was full quick! I have also already gotten in my 30 mins of activity for the day. Feels good. What do you do for activity?

Challenge #4: Tell a bit about your siblings...

Well ok...I have two older brothers. One is 5yrs older and the other is 7yrs older...I think. Anyhow, my bros mean the world to me! We are close. Our age difference when we were younger was challenging only because my bros usually didn't want their bratty sister hanging around. Now, we would do almost anything just to get together and catch up. I love them, even now when I think of the two of them I can't help but smile. Jason and I hold so many funny memories in our hearts and we can laugh for hours on end. We can also pick ANY random object and figure out a way to kill you with it so ummm...Don't tick us off! LOL! As for my bro BJ, I would say that our relationship tends to be more serious. We can talk about all the serious stuff and encourage one another to grow and shape up. I have felt bad about the way I have treated BJ in the past but I have come to realize that I treated him poorly sometimes out of my frustrations about where he is with God. We both know he should be serving God in different ways but I have learned to to love him better. I have learned to pray for him. The three of us are tight! We got each other's backs. When the tough times come, I KNOW I can call on my brothers and it is my hope that they know they can count on me. So here is a shout out to my bros!!! LOOOVEEE YOUUUU!

Now I do have to mention the siblings that I have inherited. BJ has given me a wonderful sister in DJ. She is a wonderful Mom and a beautiful sister. She is extremely talented at anything she touches...baking, toffee making, quilt making...etc. I love her. Jason...Welllll, Jason is working on getting me a new Sis...and from what I know of her, I am going to LOVE having her in our family! :) Hurry it up Jay! *kidding*...sorta'. Mike also has two bros that I have adopted as my own. Both are wonderfully talented. Ray can sing the phonebook and I would listen. Bill is ridiculously intelligent and too wise for his age. Both have married wonderful women who I adore. Bill's wife is so tender. I can talk to her about almost anything. I like that. Ray's wife is a fire cracker! We get along well. She is funny yet serious. I am so thankful for my siblings! So a HUGGGE shout out to you all! I love you!

Day # 22 & 30 Day Challenge # 3

Hi!

Today was very good. I have felt FULL alllll day! Our supper was super yummy. It is called Ranch Chicken. Basically brown some boneless skinless chicken breasts in some olive oil. Add some chicken broth and some ranch dressing. I added onion. Cook the breasts through and then add a fresh diced tomato. Serve it with some pasta. Top the chicken with a little cheese. I added some peas (our lil ones choice). The sauce is yummy on the noodles as well.

The other picture is of the leftovers. I just diced the chicken breast that was left over into the two dishes with the pasta and peas. I topped it with cheese and there is our lunch. I think I will make something like this for the potluck on Sunday. It is something I know we can eat and get full and it will be a hit with others! For my Bestie...just take away the tomato and you will be fine! Just make sure to add a fruit or veggie to your plate for nutrition and color! :)

I am going to play on the Wii tonight for my activity. My family is doing it now. I am next! Now for the 30 Day challenge # 3: Tell a bit about your parents.

Well, I could say a lot about my 'rents. First, they are strong! Things have not always been easy for my family but my parents have remained strong. I am VERY proud to say that my parents are still together after MANY years of marriage...38 I believe. There have been times of trial but what I can say is that my Dad is a HARD worker and was always a wonderful provider for our family. My Mom, although not always the healthiest has been there for us kids. She was home making suppers, doing laundry, listening to us when we needed to talk. Now that I am an adult, I like to reflect on all of the wonderful memories I had as a kid. All the camping trips and fun vacations. When I was little, I can remember my dad filling his boat full of water just so I could swim on a hot day. So yes, while there was some trials (as almost all families have) the good outweighs the bad (if you let it)...I love my parents and I am glad that God gave them to me!

Day # 21

Ok, so my numbers are a little wonky! LOL! I just noticed that I completely missed the # 7 in the mix because today actually marks three weeks of our new life style. Anyhow, I am on track again.

Drum ROOOLLLLL PLEEEASSSSE.....I lost another 1 lb! This is great news. I was not expecting that! So within the last 3 weeks I have lost a total of 7 lbs. :) I am happy. Our area commander commented that she said it looked like I had lost some weight. THAT feels good. I like that it is noticeable.

Tonight my family and I played on our Wii Fit. We had a good time. Tonight's supper was a big hit! I made Baked Fish Florentine. Our lil ones comment was "yummm, that's my favorite!" Mike also really enjoyed it. There was none left! Along with it was some rice, corn, brussels sprouts and raw orange peppers. VERY filling and great!

Again if you want to see any recipies let me know...I can get them to you. Have you tried a new recipe lately?

Day # 22

Alright so today we did well. Kinda' a cleansing day. We had a piece of toast for breakfast with lots of fruit. I had a fruit smoothie and some nuts for lunch and then for supper I made a meatless dish. 6-bean and cheese quesadilla. It was yummy! Basically it is a smaller version of the Quesadilla Torte. So good. Tonight I might have some more fruits and veggies.

The other picture you see is our lil one eating what she calls "spaghetti" it is actually apple peels. I am making some apple sauce and our girl LOVES eating the peels! We shall see how it turns out.

Well that is all for now. Take care. I step on the scale again tomorrow. I have a feeling camp and that time of month may not be kind to me...I will fill you in tomorrow! :)

Day # 21 & 30 Day Challenge # 2

Hi!

So tonight we went out for supper with our DC's. It was a good time. I ended up getting a steak, mashed potatoes that I didn't eat all of and some veggies. I did have a small piece of cheesecake. I feel waaayyyy too full but I feel like I was able to pick and choose. I could have had the garlic toast that came with it, I could have had the soup that came with it and I could have had the potatoes smothered in gravy but I didn't. I also could have had a pop as well but I did not. SO although I did go out, I didn't do as bad as I could have. So I am happy.

30 Day Challenge # 2: Tell a little bit about my vices...

Wow! My vices. Hmmmmmm, Welllll I really don't know what to say about it. I don't want to pretend that my life is perfect because it is not. I am not addicted to facebook, I don't play video games... So if I have a vice it would have to be food and blogging (about food) LOL! Now I really don't believe I am addicted to food...anymore. The food does not control me because I control it! I am feeling as if I am in a good place right now. This is a lame post but that is all I have for you right now. I will check back later. Most likely tomorrow! Have a great evening (if it is evening for you) and have a GREAT Sunday.

30 Day Challenge # 1

Challenge 1: Write a bit about your best friend.

Ok, so I could talk about my husband or Jesus but I really don't think that this is the way I am going to interpret this. I am going to tell you about my BFF "Best friend Forever" Shannon.

Shannon and I have known each other for a number of years now. We met through our husbands who also are best friends. How often does that happen?!?

Anyhow, I am almost speechless when I think about her. She is a picture of beauty and strength. We have laughed together, cried together, talked until the wee hours of the night/morning, shared our struggles and fears. She saw me through some scary times as I gave birth to my daughter and all that happened after that! We have camped in the rain, swam in lakes ;), travelled hundreds of miles just to spend some time together. We have prayed for each other and have kept each other accountable on some tough issues. Together we have grown. We have grown closer to God and our friendship has gotten stronger through the years. There is not one thing that I couldn't share with her. Friends like her are hard to find and I am glad that I did.

So to you my "bestie"...Thank you for all of the memories past and for all the new ones coming. Thanks for being the one that I share with, have fun with and pray with. Here is to you, who can make me laugh (sometimes so hard I cry) and to you, the one I know I can cry with. I raise my cyber glass of...water in honor of you and our friendship. I love you.

There, challenge one is done. That is enough mush for one evening don't you think? Who is your "bestie" and why are they yours?

30 Day Challenge

Alright!

In addition to updating you about our healthy lifestyle change, I have decided to take up this other challenge...I am to write about each of the topics on the list below. Now I can't promise it will be everyday but it will happen! Maybe you can take up the challenge as well. Let me know if you are so I can follow it. Here is the list:

30 Day Challenge: Tell a little about the following...

Day 1 — Your Best Friend
Day 2 — Your vices
Day 3 — Your parents
Day 4 —Your siblings
Day 5 — Your dreams
Day 6 — Someone that inspires you
Day 7 — Your job
Day 8 — Your favorite internet friend that you’ve never met
Day 9 — Someone you wish you could meet
Day 10 — Someone you don’t talk to as much as you’d like to
Day 11 — A deceased person you wish you could talk to
Day 12 — Your dream vacation
Day 13 — Something you’re looking forward to
Day 14 — Someone you’ve drifted away from
Day 15 — The person you miss the most
Day 16 — Someone that’s not in your state/country
Day 17 — The place you wish you were from
Day 18 — The person that you wish you could be
Day 19 — Something that makes you different
Day 20 — Your favorite television shows
Day 21 — Someone you judged by their first impression
Day 22 — Your pet peeves
Day 23 — The last person you kissed
Day 24 — The person that gave you your favorite memory
Day 25 — A life changing moment
Day 26 — The last person you made a pinky promise to
Day 27 — The thing you most enjoy doing
Day 28 — Someone that changed your life
Day 29 — Your talent
Day 30 — Your reflection in the mirror

Days # 15-20

Hi!

Well I am back from camp. I am sorry but I ended up not taking pictures of the food. I forgot the first night and then the next so I thought I would just tell you about it. I have to say that camp food is good by many peoples standards. I did find the food to have tons of salt and sugar. I always left food on my plate. So I was conscious of what I was taking for portions and then I left some on the plate as well. We had meals such as:

Turkey dinner-I asked for a half portion of potato, more veggies and a small amount of gravy.

Tacos-I made sure to have lots of lettuce and minimal meat. I did use salsa and sour cream. I had a bit of cheese with it.

BBQ hot dogs, sausages, hamburgers: I chose a hot dog. BAD mistake. I did not finish it because the salt almost killed me! All of the salads were covered in sauces (coleslaw, mayo etc...) So I found it challenging to eat that day. I will confess that I took a few potato chips and some beans in tomato sauce. Can't say I really enjoyed the chips. However they were not horribly salty so that was a bonus.

Roast Beef Dinner: Came with veggies and potatoes. I am grateful that the gravy was on the side in a dish because I am SURE it was made mostly of sodium!! For dessert there was fruit in a waffle bowl topped with whipped topping. I didn't catch the server in time to ask for no topping so I picked through the topping to get to the fresh fruit. I ate some fruit but not the bowl. As a side note it was a wonderful time with the Commissioners of The Salvation Army and a nice service to install our new DC's.

It was a challenge. for snacks I was happy to see some fresh fruit put out. One night the snack was popcorn and sno cones!!! The snack was at 9pm and the KIDS were allowed to have SNO CONES!!! My kid did not have one. I actually decided to try one. Couldn't finish it all. HA!

I think this experience has taught me that I won't always be able to control what I am eating. I can control things like portions, if I have seconds (which I didn't), whether I eat dessert (I did, sometimes like the fruit bowl or once I had a cookie with a tiny bit of ice cream) my stomach did not like me much. I also learned that it was alright for me to ask for honey so I could have honey on my oatmeal in the morning instead of brown sugar.

Oh, it was really hard to exercise as well because our time was jammed packed with sessions. Any free time I had entailed trying to get our daughter to nap. That was a challenge especially because Mike and I REALLY wanted to explore the camp and the walking trails.

I am sure this week has affected my weight loss for the worst but I will be back on track now! By the way I stepped on the scale before I left for camp and it showed that I lost another pound so that would be a total of 6lbs. That is great.

Tonight for supper I made Maple Salmon you can check out the recipe here: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/maple-salmon/Detail.aspx
Along with it I made dill carrots, brussels sprouts and some salsa basmati rice. Yummy.

When you are away from your normal routine what do you do to make healthy choices?