Random

-I only have one more early morning!  Monday is the last one and I don't believe I'll agree to do it again multiple days in a row.  YUCK!  It's just too much with all my other responsibilities.  The good news is, we'll have Christmas for the kids and a little extra to get caught up on things.  Now that it's about over, I think it was worth it :)

-Black Friday was insane.  I left my house at a quarter to five and the Legends looked like a Friday night when the weather is 75 and sunny.  It was ridiculous!  I'm usually the only one at the gas station and you should have (and probably did) see all the sleep walkers staggering to the coffee like cattle to the trough.   Not so shocking however was the snails pace at the Y.  Very few people made their way to the gym the day after Gluttony Thanksgiving.  A quick shout out to the Moore family!  You guys made it!

-Hey all you "Keepin It Under Control" -ers.  How did you do over Thanksgiving?  Did you succeed?  I went to my moms and filled up on turkey and just had small portions of my favorite foods.  I had a little bit of her sweet potatos (MY FAV), and a tiny sliver of two different pies.  I didn't leave stuffed.  I was pleasantly full.  I pray you all achieved your goals and if not, recognize that jumping right back onto the wagon is what defines success!  Keep up the good work!

-Our Thanksgiving break from school is coming to an end and due to work it didn't feel like much of a break.  That kinda stinks, but honestly working a full 40 hour week and school would have been far worse.  The kids seemed to really be enjoying their time off.  Like any kid, school = torture.

-My mom is coming over today and I'm really looking forward to being out of the house and walking the Legends a bit.  We'll bundle up and let the kids burn some energy.   I pray you all have a blessed weekend!

Keepin It Under Control?

Hey guys, I thought I would check in real quick.

I've been working a lot and the blog hasn't been top priority.  Fortunately for you, my spouse is at the KU game tonight and I have a sec.

I started Weight Watcher's points the other day and I'm starving.  I know it's all in my head, but I'm just sure I'll waste away to practically nothing if I don't eat soon :)

The scale and I haven't met yet.  I've decided to have a few days of "being good" before I brave that reality.

How are you guys doing?

Working brings new challenges.  I have to prepare or I starve.  It's shocking how hungry I get when I start my day 4-5 hours early.  So far so good.  With the bad comes good, I don't have anything to snack on while at work and that helps.


In a total aside, It seems as if my little girl just might be potty trained.  We're on day two without accidents.  Today in fact, she went successfully and declined her M&M's.  She apparently doesn't need a bribe :)  Could I possibly be done with diapers?  I'm not sure what to think of that!

Beautiful Babies

My mom brought the boys a haunted house kit.  They loved it!

We're serious about eating bananas!

New Challenge Recipe #2!

This is another gluten free pumpkin recipe!  SO GOOD!

I have been drinking these nightly and can't get enough.  Unfortunately for the fair skinned, you do have to have some restraint.  Years ago I went through a barrage of tests checking everything from gall stones to pancreatic cancer.  I drank so many of these shakes that I looked jaundiced head to toe.  Come to find out I had the worst case of carotenmia the doc had ever seen.  He even requested a picture of the palm of my hands to show his med students.  As my sweet Alisa would say, "Neat!"

The pumpkin pie shake!

1 cup pureed pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling!!)
1 TBS sugar free fat free vanilla pudding mix
1 cup of ice
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup splenda
1tsp pumpkin pie spice

Blend it up and enjoy!  Top it off with a touch of fat free cool whip and you'll wonder why you ever ate a 9pt piece of pumpkin pie when you could have all this yummy goodness for 4pts!

New Challenge Recipe!

Pumpkin Pancakes!  Gluten Free no less!  AND THEY'RE DELISH!!!

You need 1 cup of oats (make sure it's guaranteed gluten free if gluten is an issue)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup of cottage cheese or Greek yogurt
3 eggs and 1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp of cinnamon
dash of nutmeg

Put the oats in a blender until fine.  Add additional ingredients to blender until somewhat smooth.  It's a bit lumpy as you can see on the sides of the blender.

I poured mine out onto a griddle next to the "normal" pancakes.  The kids definition of course :)

They take longer to cook so don't try to flip them too soon or this will happen:

Have no fear, by then end I mastered it!

I topped them with some sugar free syrup and they were really good.  The outside was a bit crisp but the inside had the texture of pumpkin pie.  The only thing I would do differently is add a little splenda to the batter.  They just weren't quite sweet enough for me.

These are 100% Core or Filling foods for all you Weight Watchers out there.  I was really surprised at how moist and filling they are.  They are a great source of protein and fiber.  Let me know what you think!

Random

-D-D-D-D-D-Do-ra, my little girl LOVES Dora.  It's the cutest thing ever.  She walks around the house singing and once in a while asks for the BB (TV) to be turned to her favorite show.  She makes her request and then runs to the recliner, climbs in, and waits.

-Yesterday I wandered around Kohls and Wal-Mart sans kids.  I just window shopped but it was nice to take a break from everything and just be alone with all the Christmas shoppers :)  I really need to keep to our budget for the kids Christmas this year.  I could've done some damage yesterday for Anneliese's first real Christmas (she didn't pay much mind last year).  Just at Wal-Mart I found Dora pj's, a super soft pink polka-dot blanket (I think Zach has the blue version).  She loves clothes, and she LOVES soft blankies.  Then there was the Dora sippie cups.  It's just so hard to reign it in!  This is the first time I've been able to do this and it's crazy fun!  I walked out of Wal-Mart and Kohls without purchasing a thing.  That has to be some kind of record.

-We're heading to Great Grandma Jean's today.  She's having an issue with her computer.  Jared is going as tech support and we're going for Grandma support :)  When I told the kids this morning the were giddy.

-Speaking of Christmas gifts, Jared has so much fun each year getting the boys special little things.  He shops and shops online and different sales looking for the best deals on video games and other tech stuff they like.  I always buy them either sleep pants or a hoodie of some sort.  They're a lot like their mom and love soft clothes.  This year there may be socks and undies in their stockings.  They are growing like weeds and all our socks from last winter are worn out and tiny!  Our Tanner is wearing a 14 (he's 8)!  It won't be long before they're taller than I am.

New Challenge! Keepin' It Under Control...

I've overheard several people expressing anxiety for the upcoming holiday months. I wish I'd have thought of this before Halloween and the 15lbs of chocolate that entered my candy free zone.

Jared and I have made a pact to weigh in before the holidays and keep each other accountable to maintain our goals. My goal is to maintain my weight and incorporate exercise back into my life 4 days a week. Through my personal training I have learned that in order to maintain health you need to burn at least 300 calories most days of the week.

If anyone wants some accountability state your goal in the comments or you can message me privately.

We'll check back in after Turkey day and in the meantime I will be posting Thanksgiving recipes that have a healthy twist.  I'll entitle those posts "New Challenge Recipe" so keep an eye out!

Posting my pop challenge publicly helped me a lot with accountability. It helps to know someone else is aware of your goal and may possibly ask you how you're doing :)

What are your goals?

Thank You

Jared and I respect our service men and women so very much.  Thank you for your service, dedication, and sacrifice.

Here are two soldiers near and dear to our hearts.

Grandpa Ted

My Dad

Thank you for fighting for our freedoms.  I pray that my children will be just as brave and honorable.

I DID IT!

I made it!

Yesterday was the 30th day without pop. 

Not a single sip.

I could have had pop today but didn't realize it.  That is a huge success.  I may run to QT for a reasonably sized soda to celebrate :)

It feels good to exercise control over such a silly aspect of my life.  It's not so arbitrary when it begins to take control.

How are you doing with your 30 days?

Success?  Congrats!

Slip up?  Have no fear, you only fail if you refuse to keep trying!

All Crazy Things Come to an End!!!

The weekend is over!

Jared, the boys, and I all headed up to camp Friday noon.  Ms. Jess went with me to help cook and I was super thankful for her company and amazing dish washing capabilities (anyone who knows me knows...if it doesn't fit in the dishwasher it's probably not going to get clean).  Our sweet girl spent some time at G'ma Nita's and then headed to the Rice farm for the remainder.

All the food turned out great.  We only had one issue.  Saturday lunch, our ovens weren't cooking hot enough and our stuffing didn't set up right.  It was crunchy on top and kinda gooey underneath.  All in all I felt it was a success!

We all headed home Saturday afternoon exhausted and the kids were filthy.  Sweet Jess headed home and I started in on laundry, hair cuts, and baths.  My house is still in disarray.  We all headed to bed early due to fatigue and an early Sunday morning.  I was on the worship team and Jared asked me to sing an old song of mine to go with his sermon on the I Am statements.

We left Sunday School 10 minutes early in order to head to Topeka for  Zach's 1st birthday party.   It was a Cat in the Hat theme and so cute.  The kids LOVED it and were so well behaved.  Happy Birthday little man!  We are so blessed God gifted you to our family.

 It was fun going back to Gage park.  My mom took us there a lot when we were really little.  I have an image of my dad pushing me on a swing. 

This is my dolly on the same swing at about the same age:

 Once we arrived home, around 5, we prepared for bible study at the Moore's.  Anneliese was so exhausted and Graham has been struggling with his asthma.  We did a quick bath for Sis, and a treatment for Graham and headed out.  I'm really glad I went.  It's such a blessing to sit with people and just share our prayer concerns.  Small groups really do make life long connections.

We all slept in this morning and are committed to a lazy day at home with Daddy.  Other than school work we are doing NOTHING.  All that laundry and housework is just going to have to wait another day.

Men's Retreat Menu

For dinner tonight:

Pulled pork on homemade rolls

Fireman's Baked beans

potato salad

Late night snack:

Lots of hot homemade cookies fresh out of the oven!

Coffee, and milk

Breakfast Saturday:

Homemade drop biscuits

sausage pan gravy

homemade cinnamon rolls

coffee, milk, juice

Lunch:

baked chicken and stuffing!  The stuffing will be made from fresh bread. 

plus a veggie of some sort :)


The spouse is preaching and I'm feeding!  Please come and be nourished physically and spiritually!

Anything and Everything!

-Post number 900!  That's something, isn't it?

-I was given a gift from my spouse.  He has a wonderful tradition, when he performs a wedding ceremony he gifts any payment he receives to me to spend how I please (can't be spent on bills).  When he performs a funeral he uses any payment towards books and writes the family's name in the cover.  I purchased a ring to wear in place of my wedding ring due to the allergy issues I've been having.  I'll post pics if it ever arrives (this sentence deserves a blog all it's own, long story).   

-This weekend is the men's retreat at MLCC!  I am going to prepare the meals for the men.  We've already purchased a ton of pork butt and I'm going to rub them down and start cooking them this evening.  Dinner tomorrow night will be pulled pork, home made buns, potato salad, and whatever else I can think of!  YUMM

-I'm still pop free.  I only have 6 days left of my 30.  I am going to go back to drinking pop.  There are just some foods that taste better with soda.  My goal through all of this is to gain control and practice moderation.  My days of 52oz buckets is a thing of the past.  This has been good for me.  I've recognized just how much control I was allowing a beverage over my life.  Ridiculous!

-I'm not planning on going into a lot of detail, but... I have started taking a probiotic.  I have a lifetime of GI issues that I've seen several docs about and been through a barrage of tests only to be told they don't know why.  I go through spells of being miserable about once a month and it lasts for more than a week.  Since I've started taking the probiotic all my issues have been slowly fading away.  The only reason I blog this is to inform.  If anyone else out there has GI issues, you know how consuming and miserable it can be.  Try a probiotic, the pills have a much higher concentration of live bacteria than the yogurts that are out there.  I am currently taking Sustenex but when I finish it I'm going to try the Pearls.  I'm so thankful!  I just thought I'd share.

-My boys are finishing up lesson 50!  The weeks fly by.  Elijah is learning by leaps and bounds.  He really seems to have the same kind of intellect his Daddy has.  He captures things so quickly and permanently.  There are some things that he's picked up on much quicker than either of his older brothers did.  It's really fun to see how unique each of them are.  They each have very different strengths.  Brennan LOVES science and history.  Tanner LOVES reading and math.  Elijah also LOVES reading and math.  1st grade is still pretty basic so Eli's interests will be more obvious next year.

-I only worked on Monday this week.  Monday was such an awful day I've really enjoyed not working since.  With the men's retreat this weekend I didn't ask for more hours.  I've had 4 days in a row to wake up with my family and feed them breakfast while enjoying a cup of coffee.  That was something I used to take for granted, not anymore!

Great Balls of Fire!

Our sweet Papa Richie brought us a fire pit Thursday.

Most of my fondest memories of my Daddy are around a camp fire.  I've told Jared for years I would love to have a fire pit in the back yard.  I can remember eating pizza on a Friday night in June sitting out back at Dad's with a fire going.  Yes, in June...in the dessert.  We just sat far enough away not to feel the heat :)

Let alone all the actual camp fires.  Most of our time with Dad was spent in the mountains camping.  Dad cooked my first rainbow trout over a camp fire.

As soon as Richard unloaded it I started planning for our first camp fire!  Cindy C. called and was chatting and I told her all about it.  Since our hubbies had a board meeting we decided to try out the pit together and make a meal out of it!  She brought us some hot dogs and marsh mellows.

I attacked our brush pile for lots of kindling and we had a fire roaring in no time!

What a blessing to have a huge fenced in yard where the boys can just run!

Anneliese really loves to have her picture taken :)

It meant a lot that they loved it as much as I do!

"Nate Coke-ah"

Best buddies, Liesey kept asking him to sit by her :)

My goal is to remove the dying lilac bush next to the deck and make a patio from paving stones that connects to the stones at the base of the deck steps.  It would be a beautiful addition to our backyard and small piece of my dad I can share with my kids.

Thank you Papa Richie, it means more than you could ever imagine.  I love you!