Treasure Your Today

Do NOT Give Up or Give In

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 16 Jan 2014 02:05:00 +0000

We had a pretty crazy summer this year!

We had one daughter who had just left for an 18 month church mission to Germany.

Celebrating Austria, Germany & Switzerland

Our oldest son returned from serving a two year church mission in Missouri & Kansas.

Excited to be Home!!

Our daughter graduated from high school and was a little schizophrenic about choosing a college-

Graduation Day- Ready for a new stage in life

We had swim team, with everyday practices and weekend meets-

We bathe in chlorine...

... strive for the perfect dive,

... take time to enjoy a friend,

... and pray we don't start too early!

Blah, Blah, Blah...

Does your life ever sound like this???

Well, we thought we had things all planned out,
so the summer could be balanced with some relaxation
in the middle of all this chaos-

until one kiddo changed her mind on where she was going to college,
and the plan-
my perfectly thought out and prepared to execute plan,
the plan that took me to Hawaii for a week in September,
got put to rest and we scrambled for a new plan!

All of a sudden we had just a few days to figure out how to get the college kiddos & and all their belongings to Utah in the small car we were letting them take with them.

So in a mad dash trip,
my hubby and I packed part of their stuff, our own stuff & our three younger children
and set off for a wild (and very short) drive half way across the United States.
Unfortunately for the kiddos,
I have been on the warpath to reduce the amount of screen time in our lives-
so I was determined to limit what time they spent on their phones, i-pods, i-pads-
anything portable, with an on/off switch and a screen!

So the hubs decides to get some books on tape-
which my big three kids used to LOVE for road trips
when they were younger-

But these three kids
(who I admit have grown up just a little different than their older siblings)
balked and moaned
and acted like we were pulling all of their teeth out through their ears!

I mean seriously-

The hubs ALMOST gave in,
and by almost I mean, he totally gave in!
He turned the radio off and uttered a threat to take ALL screen away for eternity because they were too dependent on visual entertainment!

Luckily this momma had a little sense to stop this carnage
before it turned into blood shed-

So I suggested that we give the book on tape a chance-
that we give it twenty minutes.
If they hated it, they could nap and earn 20 bonus points towards the screen time they wanted
(I made them EARN their screen time on this drive)-
AND if they loved it-
well, if they loved it,
Mom got ice cream in Little America, WY :)
(a mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do, and I took one for the team)

Yum... I did get my ice cream cone!

Anywho...

As I quietly sat in the passenger seat,
listening to the story of the Wizard of Oz,
I was mesmerized by the sweet peace in our car.
We were ALL in our own little world,
but yet we were sharing the same experience.

Occasionally, someone would ask daddy to pause the tape so we
could explain the differences between the movie and the book adaptation-
or they would share their thoughts as they saw connections from the book to the
Broadway play Wicked!

On our way to see Wicked

We would have a little chat, and quickly move on to the book!

A nice & peaceful 17 hours in the car

It was nice-
really, REALLY, REALLY nice!

Let's be realistic, at some point everyone falls asleep in the car

And there is always someone who sprawls out

But it was something we ALMOST gave up on!
The conflict and the opposition was more than hubby could bear,
so this moment-
this really long moment of peace and serenity
ALMOST didn't happen!

This experience,
plus the one I will share tomorrow
have made me keenly aware of my life and my reactions to situations.

I guess it is easy to hit what looks like a brick wall and decide to back away and
try another approach-
but I wonder,
how often are these brick walls made of made of sponges instead
and are easily knocked over?

Our families are the single most important thing in our lives,
but we get distracted and discouraged,
maybe a little too easily-

Don't give up,
Make the changes you know you need to make in your family,
with your spouse,
with your children,
with your community-

I promise,
it is SO worth it in the end!

Stopping in for some delicious Kansas City BBQ

Arches National Park; an unexpected detour

A Nugget in My Pocket

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 08 Nov 2013 14:15:00 +0000

For the past several months,
I have been in Yoga Teacher Training-

I love what yoga does for my mind and my body,
I love that yoga provides for me something that
NOTHING else can even compare with.
I love the concept of yoga,
the poses of yoga and the
application of yoga to daily life-

I guess it's safe to say that
I <3 YOGA!

So while I am in my
"What do I want to do when I grow up" stage,
I thought doing Yoga Teacher Training would be fun!

I have loved it,
BUT I have to confess, that it has really
taken me on an emotional road of
self discovery and self awareness
that I was TOTALLY unprepared for!

I'm not sure if this happens to everyone-
or just someone like me who is carrying more
garbage than they know about or
want to admit.

One thing that has just been KILLING me
over the past several YEARS
is some decisions that my hubs and I have made
that have me really conflustered!

Because going into them would take all
the cloud space google has to offer, I will
spare you the details-
but in a nutshell, I just can't seem to find any
peace or comfort in this one set of questions.

Well, as I was studying one day,
I had a distinct feeling that I needed to
Quit counting LOSSES-

Devastating MN bridge collapse

HUH, what do you mean 'counting losses'?
It didn't take long before I understood-

Beautiful lesson in the value of family, wellness and gratitude for each day

Over the past 5-6 years we have moved
from wonderful home,
to temporarily living in a friends basement,
to dream home,
to 21 hotel rooms,
back to dream home,
to temporary housing in CA,
to rental home,
to another 4 month temp stint in a hotel,
to dream neighborhood (not so dream home),
to temporary housing in TX,
to TX home...

Did you keep up??
Yeah! Me either!!

Sometimes a blessing is just around the corner of that little maze of life

Anyway,
we have tried really hard to have good attitudes-
we've teased about many of the dynamics of
each crazy living arrangement.
We've laughed, we've joked,
we've made the best of EVERY situation-
until now.
And for some reason, the emotions of the past
several years have crept up and gotten a tight
grasp on a lot of our hearts.

So as I was studying and pondering the impact
of all these moves on my courage and faith to move
forward in uncertain situations, I realized that I
am more cautious, more timid and less trusting
and outgoing than I normally have been.
And I've realized that I kinda don't like it!

I realized I have been counting losses that have
been accumulated over the course of all this change-
loss of stabilty,
loss of friends,
loss of connection,
loss of time due to acclimation,
loss of time due to emotions left unchecked,
loss of..... the list is long-

But by counting all these losses,
I was completely and totally neglecting
all the GAINS of the past several years-
gain of experience,
gain of knowledge,
gain of travel,
gain of friends,
gain of perspective,
gain of empathy,
gain of.... and the list can go on and on-

Annual 4th of July Bike Parade

Friends from birth-

It was such a simple switch,
such a simple & beautiful concept,
and such an empowering concept,
that for some reason I had completely missed it all
while out planning my own Pity Party.

I wish I could declare to friends and family that
this life is all about wonder and beauty and blessings
and abundance and ease and comfort and security
and health and wellness and goodness-

Blessings abound in every obstacle we might face

It just ain't
(that was life before the apple)

BUT
even amidst it's trial and testing and challenges
and obstacles and doubt and confusion and
frustration and disappointment and
unrealized dreams and hardship and loss
and suffering and pain-
LIFE HAS
has elements of Heaven wrapped up in every day-
we might have to look,
we might have to do a little digging and
for sure, definitely, and most likely
we might have to put on different colored glasses
to see it-
but I know like I know nothing else that
mercy, grace and absolute love
FILL our very existence
every day, every hour, every minute-

Do you see gross dog germs or the faithful companionship between a girl and her dog?

It all depends on if we are going to pick these
little nuggets up and carry them away in our back pockets!

Parenting 101: Find a Worthy Mentor

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 14:46:00 +0000

This is the FIFTH post in a series of SIX

about simple tips that have made a HUGE

impact on the way I have chosen to raise my

children.

I've definitely offered the disclaimer that perfect,

I AM NOT-

However, I am 100% confident that these simple

nuggets of advice have made ALL the difference

in how I have raised my children.

This little Parenting tidbit originates in the Bible-

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is training us on

how to be better people, better stewards and

ultimately how to become like Him.

Matthew 7:9-10 offers this counsel,

"or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread,

will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?”

I think on this often as I consider the relationship

I have, or want to have with my children and

as I ponder over the specific needs that they might have.

Too scared to go on and too courageous to quit

Someone to give a little one on one encouragement

These verses are especially helpful to me

when I am faced with a difficult situation with one of our children,

I try to think more on how my Heavenly Father would

handle the situation rather than how I WANT to handle the situation.

In every situation we find ourselves in,

our Father wants to provide a way for us to learn and

to become better.

I try to keep that same focus when I need to council

or even reprimand our children.

Heavenly Father really wants only what is best for us,

and we can be sure that He will never give us any less than that.

I find it so much easier to serve and help my children when

I keep things in perspective of how our Heavenly Father

constantly loves, serves, teaches, and guides us.

No matter what the situation, if I slow down long enough

to ask myself how a perfect and loving Father would handle

this exact moment, this exact trial or this exact behavior-

I receive the words I need and the understanding required

to teach a righteous truth to my children.

It is these moments that always seem to end

positive for both parent and child.

Balancing weight, size and the center stability

Another aspect of this scripture that I love is that as

I try to align my parenting style with that of my Heavenly Father,

my relationship with Heavenly Father increases tremendously.

I become more aware that everything we are given,

whether it is a blessing or a trial is a gift from our Father

and intended for nothing more than our good and our experience.

I have more faith when things are tough, because I am learning

that He loves me and only wants what is best for me.

For me, I have chosen my Heavenly Father as the
pattern for my parenting.
However, I will say,
there are A LOT of people that I know have sincerely
impacted who I am and what type of parent I want to be.
It would be horribly misguiding if I left the influence of
many friends, family members and leaders out of the mix.

The old adage that says 'It takes a village to raise a child'
is right on the money in more ways than one.

Extended Family at a Group Obstacle Course learning the value of team work

Me about to go through the final hole in a spider web of challenge! Honestly the things we can accomplish with teamwork

But ultimately, it is YOU who will influence YOUR children
the most!
At least, in my opinion, that is what I aim for.
There are too many scary and dangerous influences that
have the ability to touch our children's lives
(but that is an entirely different matter altogether)

Find your pattern, mold yourself to it
and do not stray from your values,
your ideals,
your instinct in raising wonderful children.

Parenting 101: Create Oppurtunity

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 15:31:00 +0000

Today, I have the fourth post in my Parenting 101 series :)

If you want a re-cap of what I've suggested already

start here for the introduction and

Tip #1 is here
and tips #2 is here

Before I go on, I just really want to let you know

that my home is NOT perfect,

my kids are NOT perfect

Family Photo Flop #12,459

and by all means...

I AM NOT PERFECT- not even close!

What brings me to sharing this advice

with whoever will listen is an overwhelming sense of

gratitude that I was not alone in raising my own kiddos.

Every good picture is found in a batch of 250 not so good pictures

Though, I don't want to take away from

any effort that my hubby and I put into raising our children,

there is NO way I want to take the credit for most of

the habits and attitudes that we created in our home.

EVERYTHING I have done or will continue to do has been

a direct result of help from above!

I have been prompted to start a habit and not until

several years later have I seen the results of that habit formed.

If I deserve any credit at all,

it has merely been that I've been a good listener.

Nothing more-

But I promise you that these Parenting Tips are the very core

of how we've raised our own children-

and though they won't create perfect kids-

they will create a more peaceful home environment!

That much I can testify to with all my heart.

So now on to the meat of the matter!

Proverbs 22:6 councils parents to

“Train up a child in the way he should go;

and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

I live by this mantra with my kids-

Create in your homes the opportunity to feel the

benefits of a job well done

(and by benefits I don't mean a candy bar or

ice cream cone if they get their homework done)

Create in your home the very personal opportunity to

feel the spirit and receive answers to prayers.

This does not just happen naturally in a busy home,

you have to actively seek and create these opportunities.

It is important to be prepared at all times to bear testimony

of the principles you value and want to help your children

appreciate and value as well.

If we can teach them to find their own

testimonies while they are in the protection of our homes,

they will be better prepared to bear that testimony to their friends

and to stand firm when faced with temptations or trials.

Long ago I had a dear friend give me some council that

shaped my thoughts and attitudes.

She is older than I am, she married a little later in life

and never had children.

I was bemoaning that she had so much time to dedicate

to personal study and worship.

She said, “Treisha, you were called to be a missionary

and trainer to SIX of God's most valiant soldiers

that will certainly be needed in our Heavenly Fathers

army standing for what is truth and righteousness.

I was called for another work. It’s important that we EACH

fulfill our callings to our better than best ability.”

I love that she viewed motherhood as missionary work.

I think my outlook and approach to parenting changed

a lot that day. I started to view my role as a mother as much

more than an endless “To Do list” and more of an endless

“To Teach” list!

Don't discount the small stuff you do in your homes.

Dedicate one night a week as Family Night,

a night when NO other commitment can interfere,

including email, texts and social media notifications!

Enjoying an FC Dallas game in Texas

Study the scriptures together-

your kiddos WILL learn from them and with instruction

WILL learn to apply them to their own lives.

Enjoy family meal time- nightly if possible.

It is around the kitchen table to that I learn the most

about my children. They may not tell me they've had a bad

day when I say "How was school", but when they are at the

table and I can SEE their demeanor is lackluster-

I know to push a little harder and get to the core of their needs

BEFORE I send them off to bed to fret over their concerns.

Raising a Family is truly a TEAM effort- maintain strong family bonds

Consider if you clean your house once a year-

It's a long, tedious & unpleasant job.

But, if you do just a little cleaning each day &

with the help of others it goes quick, and

sometimes you end up having a little fun along the way!

The same is true with teaching and raising our children,

especially where spirituality is concerned.

If we teach spiritual matters in our home infrequently,

it is a tedious task for our children and we tend to lose their attention.

But if we share spiritual thoughts and teachings,

a little each day, we earn their attention and

they have room enough to receive what we teach.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says, “And these words,

which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children,

and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house,

and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down,

and when thou risest up.”

So basically ALWAYS is a good time for teaching your children

the truth that you want them to learn.

Huddled together on a very COLD day at the beach

ALWAYS is the time for guiding them and instructing them

on becoming the Adults you want them to be!

One of the scarier moments in my parenting career- I no likey heights!

And ALWAYS is the time to build and fortify the values

that will keep your children safe, secure and prepared

for a life of joy, peace and fulfillment.

Parenting 101: See What Your Kids Cannot

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 14:00:00 +0000

If you've been following this little Parenting Series,
than Welcome Back!

If you've just found this post,
you might want to catch up with
this post
and than this post.

When I was asked to share my thoughts and advice
on Successful Parenting, my initial reaction
was sheer and utter PANIC-
Every error in judgement, loss of temper
and irrational consequence I ever issued
came flooding back into my memory as if
I was in the middle of a Bad Parent Documentary!

After the initial shock and awe of the assignment,
I decided that I would go directly to the source
of those most affected by my parenting style and decisions-
THE KIDS!!
I know, a little scary right-
I was braced for some pretty haunting tales...

My 20 year old son said,

Fresh off his 2 year Mission- Happy and Eager to see everyone

“I'm really appreciative that you had a high standard for us-

you always expected success; there was never any question or second thought about

what we could accomplish, you knew we had potential

and you wanted us to know that too - and we do!

But you also taught us that whatever we accomplished was OK as long as we tried our best.

So there was a good balance there.”

My 17 year old daughter said,

Graduated Top 10 in her class and off to college she goes...

“You put a lot of trust in us, treating us like you really

believed in our goodness and obedience. This makes it really

hard to break the rules or disappoint you.”

My oldest daughter said,

Parting shot as she heads off to serve an 18 month mission in the Alps!

“Failure and giving up just weren't an option.

It isn't that you drove us to the brink of perfection, but you saw so much

in us that it was hard not to see a little of that too. When things got hard,

you were right there supporting us and guiding us until we could stand on

our own again. I know that I did more and stretched further because

you saw in me more than I saw in myself."

So in honor of them, my second parenting tip

is to see the Potential in your children that they can’t see in themselves

and emulate for them a work ethic that will lead them to this potential.

With your pattern of living and your expectations,

they will rise higher than they think they can. When the Savior

came upon several men in fishing boats, He saw more than fishers.

He knew of their goodness and their potential and He had a vision for

them that far exceeded what they thought they could be.

Though what He asked of them was hard, they followed Him

and they became great men.

In Jesus, they had a great example of how they should live their lives.

Our children do not come equipped with a vision of who they are and

what they can become.

It is up to us, to see in them what they can’t see in themselves,

and to gently guide them in the direction of their success.

And like Jesus did to Peter who faltered when trying to walk on the water,

it is up to us to catch them if they start to sink.

I do believe that for the most part, our children will live up

to the expectations given to them. I know this is true when

we are actively praying for guidance as we rear our children.

We have a loving Heavenly Father who has promised us that

He will never give us more than we can bear. If we choose to emulate

this wonderful promise for our children, they can be sure that

we will never ask them to reach further than we know they can go.

Parenting 101: Create a Vision

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 21:10:00 +0000

I shared here about an opportunity I had to
speak to a large group about Successful Parenting-
Creating a Vision was the first suggestion I offered to them
as one family habit we have that has made a BIG
difference in our lives...

I am a huge advocate of being a Visionary
when it comes to our own personal lives.

Just like a Mission Statement helps a family, school
or company identify what it is the group
wants to 'DO' and accomplish,

a Vision Statement for an individual
helps identify who we want to BE
and who we will BECOME on this journey
we call life!

We might be DOING what we want to be doing-
but unhappy or dissatisfied because we are NOT
BEING who we want to BE! However, without a
Vision Statement how would we know we
were off target?

Work together to create a vision for your family!

Proverbs 29:18 councils us “where there is no vision, the people perish.”

Where do you see yourself, your children

and your family in 5, 10 or 30 years?

What do you need to do to get there?

What do you feel is important for your children to learn and become?

Involve your children, regardless of how old they are

with your FAMILY VISION STATEMENT-

When your children are involved in the family vision,

they feel a sense of ownership and they have

an increased desire to support the success of this vision.

Having a family vision helps us to set priorities in our

family’s resource management.

It helps us determine where to spend our time, money and efforts.

Good questions to ask yourself when trying to decide

how to make a family vision and where to focus your efforts are:

1) does it keep us on track to return as a family back to Heaven Father’s presence and

2) does this bring our family closer to reaching our divine potential?

Having a solid family and personal vision will help the family

and/or the individual know how to prioritize their time,

choose wisely the activities they engage in and

make wise social decisions BEFORE the decision actually

becomes an issue.

We have seen the value of this Vision Statement in a few

different types of situations that seem to recur on a fairly

frequent pattern in our home:

1. The first place our Vision Statement comes in handy is

when we are trying to decide if we can successfully add

another regularly scheduled lesson or activity to the calendar.

One of the VISIONS for our family is having a strong sense of

unity and family bonds.

To ensure the best environment for this cohesiveness to be nourished,

we strive for five nights per week that we can ALL be home

for scripture study and family prayer (with teens, I KNOW this

is hard! It's what we strive for and by the way,

nobody ever said parenting was EASY).

If a new activity looks like it will compromise that VISION,

we don't add it the calendar-

it doesn't even get PENCILED in!!

If the activity is very important to someone,

we look for ways to add the activity that WON'T have negative

impact on our family, or we look at what we can CUT from

our lives to make room in our schedule.

2. The second way that having a VISION STATEMENT has proven

valuable is in the blessings that come from seeing ALL that has

already been accomplished from previous VISION STATEMENTS!

It is nice to see how far you've already come on a goal or a vision.

This is ESPECIALLY helpful at times when life gets a little discouraging-

when the bumps and bruises of life deflect from the good and beautiful.

Having a Vision Statement will help keep us focused when life gets a

little out of balance.

And it helps us see the bigger picture when we feel we've

gotten off track of the important stuff of life!

Life can get really busy. Life can get really hard!

It is important that whatever we add to our lives

adds JOY, allows us to find and share HAPPINESS

and brings us to a state of peaceful accomplishment-

Black Mango Salsa

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 14:30:00 +0000

I'm going to be straight forward on this one-
maybe if you know how I felt about it first,
you won't be so hesitant to try it for yourself,

If I saw Mango Salsa on a menu,
I would have avoided the dish it was with!
The first time I was served it at a friends house,
I politely declined dishing it up!
And I NEVER would have looked for a recipe
for Mango Salsa-
it just wasn't on my radar-
I think fruits are sweet,
and I didn't need no Heat to my Sweet!!

And than I got trickered-
and I partook of that sweet fruit,
mixed in with some serious spice-
and I found myself a little bit hooked!

So yesterday,
as I was peeling mangoes,
and thinking they were absolutely perfect-
and I saw the kiwi in the fruit bowl,
and the blackberries on the counter-
I knew I had to get me a mango salsa FIX!
"Hey Kids, who wants mango salsa and pita chips
for afterschool snack today?"
I can ALWAYS convince myself,
that my needs really meet the needs of others-
it's the mother in me!

Ooh La LA,
That's all I have left to say,
okay except for
Isn't it beautiful?

Mango Salsa

4 mangoes, peeled and cut in dices
10 blackberries, cut in half if they are big
2 kiwi, peeled and diced
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 red onion
zest of 1 lime
juice of 1 lime
jalapeno, large minced
1 TBSP. crystallized ginger
small pinch of sea salt (I actually skip this, but I'm not a salt lover)
(My recipe calls for fresh pineapple too, but I left it out this time,
and I really liked it without)


after the blackberries had time to spread their love of color

Parenting 101

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Oct 2013 14:00:00 +0000

A few months ago, I was asked to speak
to a large group of adults in our area.
My topic was "Successful Parenting"
If that wasn't intimidating enough-
the gentleman who asked me said,
"Now what we are really looking for
is practical tips and ideas that can be taken
home and implemented immediately into
the homes of those who attend. We want
them to feel empowered and successful."

Yumminess at Millions of Milkshakes

HOLY COW! I stopped breathing and
IMMEDIATELY had a non stop movie
playing in my mind of ALL the things
I've done to completely scar my children!

If you're going to fight, You're going to be glued together at the hip :) until you can get along

I've spoken to big groups before,
I've spoken about really sensitive topics-
but Parenting, this is a very personal topic!!
Parenting is one of those things that can stir
a lot of emotions- people can easily feel judged,
inadequate, defensive--
and when any of that happens,
lots of people just turn off and come up with
a million reasons why "that won't work at my house!"

He's FINALLY Home!!! Dinner at Chuy's

Man, this felt like a heavy task-
and I didn't want to get it wrong in any way!

I started with a great big prayer
(and a zillion little ones)
and thought about the wonderful gift
that parenting is to me!

Take Part in Fun Family Activities

It is hard, it is often thankless,
and it is always EXHAUSTING...
but if you can step back out of all of that
and realize what a gift it is to be able to influence
the direction, course and outcome of someone's
life- to be THE person that someone thinks of
when they think safe, secure and happy!

Graduation, NOW on to College

My friends,
I KNOW parenting is a gift.

Family Photo Shoot a Million Years Ago

After much thought,
I came up with a defining moment in my
own parenting journey.
It was the realization that my focus needs to be
on a "To Teach" list and not on my normal "To Do" list!

Fun and Happiness, No Matter where we are!

It was when I began to look at my role as a mother
in this way- as a teacher and guide of my children's life journey
that I realized nothing seemed burdensome or tedious anymore.
Nothing seemed trite or menial in my day,
I found an increased desire to help them GAIN something
out of our time together and we found reason to
incorporate joy, team work and beauty into every day-

More than Anything, my hope is that my children are Friends & Lifelong Support Staff for each other

Because let's face it-
"Men are that they might have joy" 2 Nephi 2:25

Relaxing Together & Working Together create a Family that Stays Together

I shared five suggestions that seem to have
made a positive impact on our family. Because
they are very general, there is plenty of room to customize
these suggestions for your home and family life.
Watch for more detail on each suggestion through the week:

Suggestions for Successful Parenting

1. Create a Vision for Your Family

2. See the Potential in Your Children that they often
can't see in themselves

3. Create in Your Homes Opportunity for Children
to recognize the Spirit of the Lord early in their Lives

4. Hold Regular Family Councils AND Involve the
Children in Big Decisions

5. When BIG Issues Arise, Follow after the Parenting
of a Loving Heavenly Father- His ways will ALWAYS
show you what is needed in your home

Blueberry Salmon

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 20:59:00 +0000

I'm having a bit of an affair with Blueberries right now,
besides all the hub bub about anti-oxidants
and all the yummy goodness they spit out,
I just heard that they are a natural anti-inflammatory,
and I have me some dumb old
Lupus/ arthritis inflammation-
so instead of a bunch of pills,
I'm going for a bunch of blueberries!!

I found a recipe for Blueberry Salsa
and honestly for a month I was obsessed!
The kind of obsessed that bugs people,
and they say things like
"Seriously Mom, you've mentioned that
blueberry salsa like 20 times today,
just make it already"
"OK, OK little miss smarty pants,
if you're going to insist,
I'll get busy and make it."

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,
it was sooooooooooooooooooooooo,
good!! OH SO GOOD!!!

We have served it with tortilla chips,
eaten it with pita chips,
put it on sandwiches,
served it as a topping for our
favorite Blueberry BBQ sauce,
and just last night,
ate it on our Ginger Lime Salmon

Now that's some good stuff

(and all this in one week)
Yeah you could say OBSESSED
Are you ready for it,
'cuz here it comes...

Blue & Black-berry Salsa

1 cup fresh blueberries
10 blackberries
1/4 red onion
1 teaspoon lime zest
juice of two limes
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 avocado, chopped (I left this out this time)
salt and pepper to taste
Combine blueberries, strawberries, onion, lime zest, juice and cilantro in a food processor or blender and pulse. Process to your desired consistency. I tend to like a little chunk to my salsa's. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Well just in case you want to know what little
miss smarty pants said after I made it,
it sounded a lot like
"Seriously mom, all that obsessing was
like TOTALLY worth it"

The Blossom of a Flower

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 14:30:00 +0000

I have been thinking about this for several days
and decided that the thought needed to be put
into writing- maybe just for me-
but hopefully for you too.

I am almost 100% sure that I am not the only
mom/woman/human/adult (pick your noun)
who worries about the life they are living
and if it is the life they should be or COULD be living!

I have been really been struggling since we made
this most recent move!
It's been almost 2 years, for crying out loud-
and I just can't seem to get any semblance of
BELONGING!

Honestly it is the weirdest thing...
I wish I could explain it without sounding WEIRD!

Anyway,
I have offered many prayers on this matter and
a few days ago, I feel that I got a mini-answer
Maybe not an answer,
but definitely a little bit of an understanding.

You see,
I feel like I've been holding back since we moved to Texas-
definitely not on purpose,
and definitely not on everything...
but I've been holding back those things that I love-
love to share, love to create and love to do!

For 9 years we lived somewhere that we loved-

Our beautiful home in small town MN

kind people, great friends, awesome experiences!

Pig Roast in a garage- classic MN entertaining venue

I loved to decorate, craft, scrapbook, sew

Ten years of Ornament Exchange ornamentation- my favorite tradition EVER!!

and mostly I loved to host...

Andover Ward Ten Year Anniversary

ANYTHING and EVERYTHING-

I loved to find a reason to have a bunch
of people together laughing and having a good time!

6th Annual 4th of July Bike Parade

We had a lot of space,

Human Foosball at our 'Nothing Like a Good Friend Party'

a lot of flexibility

Ice Hockey on our Front Yard Pond

and it was simply what I LOVED to do...

Every good Bike Parade ends with a game of Water Baseball

I started hearing some pretty unkind criticism of
the things I loved to do,
and I noticed that I started to hold back and feel
anxious when I wanted to host a party or an activity-
I tried so hard to not allow the unkind remarks of some
to influence my heart,
but I fell prey to human emotion
and the remarks left a sting.

And then we moved...
No one knew me, which meant
no one knew what I did in my spare time
or what talents or skills I had or didn't have

and I found that I became a different version of ME!

We became Beach Bumms to the MAX

To be honest, I liked this version of me quite a bit too...
weekends at the beach,

Muscle Beach... always a FAV

Any Day is a Beach Day

lunch with friends, shopping in the city-
my husband has teased that I was on a 3 year play date :)

And because I felt like a blank slate,
I incorporated some things into my life that I hadn't
taken enough time for before-

Yoga moved from an exercise routine to a way of life

Over time, I started to add some of the old me back
into my life and things were really starting to click
that this could be my new HOME!

Pasta Parties before a Swim Meet

Kids in the Kitchen cooking classes

AND THEN WE MOVED AGAIN!

and I feel like a clean slate that just doesn't dare to be
inked up or colored on.
But I also feel a little lost and a lot lonely-

Now I want to take a minute to say, that
there are some things that I have added to my life
because of where I am emotionally that I LOVE-

So I'm not a male accordion player- but I do spend a lot of time in peaceful contentment

and honestly I wouldn't trade these things for the world-
or for either of my past lives!

But it doesn't change the fact that I feel a little disconnected...

So as I was praying one day,
desperate for guidance or understanding,
I envisioned a beautiful flower-

alone in a meadow.
Though the flower was alone amongst all the green foliage,
it was blossoming in it's full glory-
big, colorful and full of God's splendor.

I realized that not for one moment did that flower
hesitate to bloom,

never once did it question how long it
would be able to sustain that blossom nor did it ask
how many people would get to see it's beauty-

The flower blossomed because it was time
AND that is what it was created to do-
to reach it's full potential,
to magnify the measure of its creation.

I thought about this ALL day-
and I asked myself a lot of questions.

Why am I holding back?
What am I holding back?
Who am I waiting to give me permission to live the life
I want to live?
Why do I think it matters where I live to fulfill the full
measure of MY creation?

I loved this visual aid that Heavenly Father gave me.
I do better when I can SEE the lesson-
and I could SEE this!
Not only could I see the flower imagery,
but I could apply it into my own life.

I understand a little more why I feel so disconnected
AND more importantly,
I understand what I need to do to fix it-

I need to consider my life as a wonderful journey-
similar to a walk in a park with little kids!

My kiddos could walk along and gather
anything and everything-
rocks, sticks, leaves...
At the end of the day they were the same
beautiful kids they were at days beginning
(probably a little dirtier)
BUT they had a lot of little treasures to take home with them!
Some we kept,

It's not what you do, but who you do it with that really matters

some we tossed

These treasures weren't tossed, they just all moved on to their own bigger and better

and some were precious enough to display...

Some people come into your life long enough to make a forever imprint on your heart

I just happen to be walking through a much larger park :)

I just need to remember that we have gathered some amazing treasures over the years

Enjoy your day
Enjoy where you are right now
And never let a single day pass by
without living up to the full potential of THAT DAY

Banana Muffins with a Boost

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 14:00:00 +0000

*** I've had a senior moment- I can't find my pics, so imagine yummy muffins,
I'll get back to you on the pictures.

My family used to look like this

Parents included...

and now it looks like this...

Granted there are no parents in this pic...

One kiddo is serving an 18 month church mission

The morning of departure

and two just left for school in Utah

Kiddo #1 and #3 off to USU

So needless to say,
my grocery shopping looks a little different lately-
and I have a lot of bananas that end up looking like this

rather than this :)

I've been making a lot of things out of BANANA,
bread, muffins, cake, smoothies...

You get the idea right??

I decided to go a little crazy one day when I saw this cereal-


Sorry for the fuzziness; it says Cinnamon Hazlenut

I have used it's sister cereal to make cranberry muffins
for like a ZILLION years!

Cranberry Almond Crunch

So I figured I could come up with a yummy recipe using
a cereal with a name like that!

To borrow a phrase from Mary Poppins-
these were Practically Perfect in Every Way...

The second time I made them,
I made them in Jumbo Muffin Tins and
topped them with a chunky cinnamon streusel.
We took them to a school breakfast-
EVERYONE who ate them wanted to know where
I had gotten them and they were the first muffins gone
(this up against the HUGE Costco/Sam's Club Muffins
that are more of a dessert than a breakfast food)

Try 'Em-
You won't be disappointed

Banana Muffins

2 1/2 c. flour (I use a combination of wheat and white)
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 t. baking soda
1 box of Post Cinnamon Hazelnut Cereal
(Or Post Crunchy Pecans Cereal)
2 eggs
2 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. butter
2 ripe bananas, mashed

2 TBSP. maple syrup
1/2 tsp each, cinnamon & nutmeg

Beat eggs and buttermilk together & syrup.
Stir in melted butter.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, soda, cereal and spices.
Add milk mixture and stir with as few strokes as possible.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, adjusting cook time to size of muffin.

*** My littles request these to be made with chocolate chips-
which just makes them YUMMY TOO!!

Not Gonna Take That Opinion

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 28 Sep 2013 14:30:00 +0000

I went to the doctor the other day.
My arthritis has really been raging
and my allergies are LIKE
way out of control- which is causing
a whole myriad of issues that I
would like to get under control!
So I took this opportunity to try
out a new doctor...

I am desperately searching for a
local doctor that can handle my
health & my wellness!!

I take my health care a little like the good ole'
Donny & Marie song,
"I'm a little bit country,
and a little bit Rock n' Roll"
but more like,
"I want a little bit Western medicine

and a little bit Eastern thought"

I have a health issue-
but I don't want it to define
me in any way-
but it's there, and it has
to be considered when thinking
about the whole me-
but let me say again-
I DON'T WANT IT TO DEFINE
WHO I AM OR WHAT I CAN DO!

There is a very fine line,
and a very special balance
between the two...

So I am looking for a doctor who
can manage my lupus,
but more importantly can support my
personal health & wellness goals.

I had just such a doctor in CA,
and she was a gem,
but I just can't seem to find one here
YET! It'll come, I know!

But in the search,
I have found some real doozies!!
(is that a real word?)

The guy I saw a few days ago,
was one such doozie!
After making me wait over an hour
(that don't impressa me much)
and proceeding to talk about
everything that didn't matter to me,
he explained that the reason I don't feel
quite as well here in TX as I did in CA
is because of the constantly changing
barometric pressure,
especially here in North Texas!

Okay, okay, I can believe that weather
plays a PART to how I feel!
He should have stopped there,
I MAY have gone back for a follow up!

But poor guy,
opened his mouth again
(oh such a mistake)
and said the absolutely
WRONG THING
to me-
"I'm afraid that here in North Texas,
this is as good as your gonna get!"
"Umm, what did you say??"
"Oh, sir, you don't know me very well,
this ain't as good as it gets BUDDY"

Don't, I mean, DO NOT
ever take "this is as good as it gets"
as an answer in ANY part of your life.
If I share one piece of information
that is very valuable concerning
health and wellness, it is this-
If you don't like the advice,
it isn't for YOU!!
What sounds ok to one person,
is not ok for another!!

You and ONLY YOU own your
health! Take control, be picky
about who you allow to handle your
health!
Know your body, and if you don't-
get to know it.

We get one body, and it is precious.

Being knee deep in flare ups for the past
10 years has taught me one of the most
important lessons of all-
this body is a gift,
a beautiful gift-
it houses a beautiful spirit
full of more good than any of us
can even imagine!
Treat your body good, respect it,
love it and NEVER abuse it!!
If you do that-
you will know NO limitations
spiritually, mentally and physically!

Take a minute and ponder that truth-
and maybe take a minute to think
of all the good that this body has given you!

Maple Glazed Almonds

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 14:30:00 +0000

Do you ever crave something?
I mean CRAVE something????

And then do you ever
panic when you go to make it
and you don't have what you need?

This happened to me today.
I wanted a salad with Glazed Cashews-
I toast them in a pan with a VERY small amount of butter,
when they are getting a pretty golden color,
I add in some agave nectar-
they get this yummy, crunchy, sweet flavor
and they taste AMAZING on any salad,

one of my favorites can be found here

I had no Agave,
and I only had salted cashews...

But I'd already made the salad
and I was hungry-

So I went made two substitutions
to a three ingredient recipe
(technically, is that even a recipe)
I used Slivered Almonds instead of Cashews
and Organic Pure Maple Syrup

I was NOT disappointed-
they were so Yummy!

I topped the salad with equal parts of
Grapeseed Oil and Cranberry Balsamic Vinegar

(I've mixed the Cranberry Balsamic with Black Currant
Balsamic and then used an equal portion of Olive Oil too)

Orange Zested Sugar Snap Peas

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 14:30:00 +0000

Oh sweet wonderful oranges,
and limes & lemons-
Yes ma'am, I do,
I love Citrus,
I love the colors, the smells,
the juices, the flavor.

I even love the smell
of the citrus trees in bloom!
Yes, yes it's true,
I love Citrus.

I love to add citrus zests when
I cook and prepare food.
We use it in our salad dressings,
we use it in our sweet treats,
and we almost always add
a zip of citrus to our fresh juices

Behold the ingredients to my favorite Juice; beets, apples, lemon & ginger

and smoothies!

Strawberries, Lemon & Banana!

I've been trying to increase my veggie intake
to try to lose the dumb 5 pounds I found during
a crazy, crazy August of travel, kids and school stuff.
This is one of my favorite, quick, easy and
wonderful veggie dishes.
I make a big batch and munch on them all day-
it keeps me out of the M&M's and Chocolate Chips
that have no place in my house anyway!

See 'em up there at the top! Oh, mummy, they're yummy!

It's another one of those recipes that
I feel almost silly sharing because it
is soooo easy-
but oh soooo yummy!

This recipe makes a wonderful companion
to a simple family dinner as well
as a delightful side for any special occasion-

I have served it at home, at church functions,
and for big groups-

it's a winner that's for sure!

Orange Zested Sugar Snap Peas

2 pounds Sugar Snap Peas
2 TBSP. butter
Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
1 orange

I use a saute pan;
Add sugar snap peas with
a very small amount of water,
just enough to allow steaming,
add the juice of 1/2 the orange
and the sea salt (I use Maldon sea salt flakes)
and cook for maybe 2 or 3 minutes.
I like my veggies al dente,
cook longer if you want them a little
more cooked.
When cooked to your liking,
zest the orange onto the beans
and top with butter.
Stir and serve!!

Small & Simple

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 19:25:00 +0000

I read this quote a few weeks ago-

   "A life is not important
       except in the impact it
      has on others"


Two beautiful women enjoying the simple joy of being together

It has totally had a HUGE impact on my heart!

This idea is something I think about a lot-

My daughter is currently dedicating her time
to full time service as a missionary for our church-
But she's NOT doing anything HUGE or GRANDIOSE-
She is simply serving the people she meets,
showing beauty to people that they've forgotten they have,
and spreading a message of LOVE & HOPE!

Spreading this sweet smile across the Alps

My mom was AWESOME at the impact she
left on people's hearts.
I didn't realize this when she was alive,
but in letters I received after her death,
it became apparent that the one common
trait that ALL of her friends loved about her
was that she was always thinking of others,
thinking of ways to serve, to care
and to show her love for those around her.

No one was an underdog when my mom
was around-

I think people like this are a rarity these days.
It's a busy, all consuming world-

We've moved a lot in our marriage-
It's kind of easy to feel a little
unneeded when you are a lot unknown.
As a result I've really wondered if I will
leave the impact that I should
or that I would like to leave.

Hubby and I have been talking about this lately
as he is feeling WAY overwhelmed with new
work and church responsibilities. He feels a little
like the well for water is dry-
How do you give when you have nothing left to offer??

Well, today at the gym, I was hit with an overwhelming
gratitude for the simplest act you can even imagine!
It reminded me of the adage
"By small and simple things are great things brought to pass"

A simple flower and warm, fuzzy socks helped when a very homesick daughter needed to feel loved

I was doing something and all of a sudden my neck
kinked up, my back locked up and I couldn't GET UP!!

As I struggled out of the gym,
a friend (who I only socialize with at the gym)
ran after me to see if I was ok-
Another followed with ibuprofen
and another followed with ice and advice to get
through the rest of the day-

To me,
at this moment in time,
these SUPER SIMPLE acts of service were HUGE-
but to these women,
I can almost be sure they seemed like NOTHING!

Taking flowers to a lonely and sad friend

When I got home,
hubby had completely cleaned up the breakfast dishes
that I created!
I was running late and left the kitchen a mess,
so he stayed long enough to get things put away,
dishes done
and counters washed off-

He knows I hate coming home to crusty dishes,
so he took the extra time to clean up for me.
He had no idea I would hurt myself at the gym,
no idea I would come home and want to rest-

When I thanked him,
he said it "Your welcome, it was no big deal",
it took him less than 5 minutes-

HELLO,
To me, this was worth far more
then the 5 minutes-
it was a priceless gift that allowed me
the ability to relax,
ice my neck
and recover from a massive migraine!
No Big Deal, MY FOOT!

Double Rainbows always remind me that great things ALWAYS follow a Storm

So I wonder,
how often do we give something so simple away
that we don't even realize we have just been
the answer to someones prayer,
the life line they've been pleading for,
the ray of hope that someone needs to move one step forward?

A quick hike to a beautiful place helped erase the emotions of a disappointing week

If you're like me,
stop underestimating how BIG
those Small and Simple things can be-

A million dollars couldn't have bought the joy we felt this unexpected SNOW filled day

My Mom's Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 14:30:00 +0000

It is something simple,
but I had a huge hankering
for a BLT sandwich a few weeks ago-

It was completely crazy what your brain
can do sometimes,
in my case convince me to eat something
based on my memories-

Read about my BLT memory of my mom here

BLT on Steroids- Seriously So Good

Grad School or Yoga?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 12 Sep 2013 14:30:00 +0000

I have wanted to go back
and get my Graduate Degree
for about as long as I can remember-
which nowadays, ain't that long

After years of praying and pondering,
it finally felt like the right time and I jumped.
I decided, applied to grad school, got accepted,
enrolled in classes and started my first day
all in a matter of a few short weeks!!

I was so excited,
I had dreams,
I had vision,
and I had nerves going everywhere-
but I was convinced I was
right where I wanted to be-

And then something unexpected happened
and I didn't LOVE it-
I was doing fine, learning lots,
getting good grades and
lots of commendation for my thoughts and ideas-
but I JUST DIDN'T LOVE IT
AND
I am a FIRM believer that if you don't love
what you are doing-
you should stop doing it-
It's a mantra I live by wholeheartedly!

So I was freaking out a little-
actually A LOT-
like all summer long lots!!

After more prayer than I can count
more late night discussions with my hubby
PRO's and CON's lists a mile long-
I made a decision and offered up one final prayer-

I chose to NOT go back to school fall semester
and pour my heart and soul into OTHER things
that I have wanted to do for years.
If Heavenly Father has something He wants me to do,
I explained that this would be a good time to point me
in the direction He needs me to go-

If I find something
HOORAY!
If not, I go back to school and
HOORAY-

I have struggled with this decision
because...
well, you know,
I am 43 years old
and apparently don't know what I want to be when
I grow up!
But I hear that's not too uncommon

So with faith, I moved forward
and within a few days I was drawn to YOGA
more specifically,
Yoga teacher training-
which I also have wanted to do for several years

yoga on the beach in destin, florida

Miraculously, there was a program that I could enroll in
and have completed before Spring Semester starts in January-
I'm super excited,
though I feel a little weird when I tell my
Academia focused friends-
they look at me like I've just announced that
I'm going to Pixie School to earn my pixie dust!

It going to take a lot of faith
to trust in some unseen path,
but this is something I learned from
my 17 year old daughter this year-

I am on a journey that leads to great and
wonderful things for me, my family
and each and every person that touches my life-

Now if you'll excuse me,
I need to go find my yellow brick road!

A Day For Heroes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 19:40:00 +0000

A few months ago,
my husband and I walked into a theater
for date night to see a movie that neither
of us had heard of.
It was a sport movie, so hubby was excited.
It was date night, so I was up for anything
as long as it involved a treat!!

"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives" Jackie Robinson

The movie was about this athlete and
how much he had to endure to become
who he was- and he was one of the GREATS!

Last weekend we went to see another movie
that left me feeling a little cheated.
It was a movie that covered the life of a man
during the later years of Southern servitude,
segregation and racial hostilities.

I didn't feel cheated by the story line or the
accuracy of the film-
I felt cheated because at the very end,
when we had a chance to see the impact
this man's family had on history-
the producers turned the movie into
a political statement-

Now, I'm seriously not here to post about
politics, social issues, or even opinions-

But today, September 11, my heart has been
touched by some of the clips, songs and stories
of the attacks on America 12 years ago.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/adriancarrasquillo/50-powerful-photos-of-humanity-and-solidarity-in-the-years-s

I have been pondering all day why I get so
emotional in movies that highlight the stories
of great people who overcame horrific hardship-
When I say I get emotional,
I mean, I GET EMOTIONAL!!

This morning I realized why I didn't like the
most recent movie I saw, why I LOVED the
first movie I mentioned and why I cry at
Country Western songs and so many other things!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/adriancarrasquillo/50-powerful-photos-of-humanity-and-solidarity-in-the-years-s

I love a hero story-
I know there has been so much suffering in this world
and I don't have any intention of minimizing that-

but this is a world of heroes!! And that's what I love!
I love a story where someone took lemons
and made lemonade.
I love a story where the underdog comes out ahead.
Not rose colored glasses kind of love either-
I realize with 100% awareness that heroes are
made out of hardship
and most of the time, the hero in them
was a choice NOT because they had
super hero training

Pioneers hoping for a better life for their families

This is the admiration of someone who knows how
hard it is to wake up in the morning when all hope
seems to be lost!
But there is a choice group of people
who when all else seems to be falling apart-
they get to work and BECOME a hero.

Sad as it is,
hardship happens to the best of us-
tragedy impacts or lives whether we like it or not-

http://www.buzzfeed.com/adriancarrasquillo/50-powerful-photos-of-humanity-and-solidarity-in-the-years-s

but out of hardship, trial, adversity, sin,
warfare, cruelty, persecution and ignorance
HEROES are made out of normal men and women.

I ask myself every day,
would I have the strength and the courage to stand
for something when everything around me
was pushing me down

I hope I would
and I know we ALL could-

Happy Heroes Day
a day to celebrate the brave men and women
who often give their lives for something they believe in!

What I GET to be!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 12:30:00 +0000

When I was a young mom,
in the days of feeling overwhelmed,
frazzled and exhausted-

Not all mine, but my house often had more people than we could count

I had a dear friend who told me
to enjoy EVERY day that I have
the privilege of raising my children.
Her reason-
'because one day they grow up and
move away

Proof that they do go away- leaving for an 18 month church mission

and you are left wondering how the
time slipped so quickly away'.

Many a day chaperoning field trips

I am going to be honest and confess
that at the time, I looked at her and thought
'buddy, you're off your rocker'

But not long after,
on a particularly frustrating day,
I stopped and thought about what she said.
And I realized that the wisdom in her
sentiment was the secret clue to mothering
(and parenting)

I changed my perspective from thinking
in terms of 'Everything I have to do in my day"
to thinking of "Everything I get to do in my day"

This helped me a ton to realize that being
with my kids; serving them, playing with them,
being present when they need it most-
all of that is a privilege, a blessing and a gift.

I met some amazing people through classroom volunteering

Just recently, one of my college kids needed
me to cover some expenses that had not been
adequately budgeted for. The money HAD been
there, BUT some really cute clothes, in some
really cute stores seemed to have gotten in the way!

I was a hair irritated,
(to say the least) and was a little less than
wonderful when I had to write the check-

As plain as can be, I had the realization that for
YEARS while I've been raising my children,
I have prayed that we would have the resources to
help them if they ever need it- time, money, talents-
whatever they would need, I pleaded that we
would have the ability to aid them in their
personal development-

Leaving two kids at USU this fall... man do I miss them

and here was a child,
who needed some help
and I had the means to help
AND YET, I was grumbling!!!

Boy oh BOY,
did this message strike me to the core?!

I realized that all the little things we do for our
children and our families can seem really
annoying and bothersome
and it's easy to feel like more like a servant than a
contributing member of society--

Just today, I had to take two lunches to kids at
school because they had left them on the counter-
This used to upset me so much-
I'd go the whole "natural consequences" direction
(if it was recurrent, I would try to fix it)
and refuse to bring the lunches!

The thing is,
I'm a stay at home mom-
have been for 20+ years-
I've played, frolicked, napped
and enjoyed so many WONDERFUL days
because of my MOMHOOD-
why would I have any time to fret
the times I am asked to be up to
bat to score one for the team??

One more at USU

Mommy-ing can be a little exhausting and
it can seem very thankless at times-

but try to switch your perspective from
everything you have to do each day
(especially those things you have to do
EVERY day)
and focus your attention on all the great
things you GET to BE-
a friend, a confidant, a healer, a hero,
a day rescuer, a wiz at knowing the answer,
a game player, a sounding board
and more important than anything else

an example of EVERYTHING good & virtuous

Here's to MOM's everywhere!

Hurry Up & Wait

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 10 Sep 2013 18:39:00 +0000

I was in a big, all-purpose store the other day-
Maybe you've been there,
it's the one where no matter what's on your list
or how short your list is,
you can't make it out of there
spending less than $75.00!

strawberry pickin' circa 2004

I heard a mom say,
"Connor*, come on"
and cute little Connor replied with the phrase
that I hear more than any other-
"WAIT, mom"
He was occupied looking at something
or something else-
I'm pretty sure he didn't even know what he
was looking for,
he just knew something had caught his eye.
*Names have been changed due to my bad memory*

The word "Wait" comes out my youngest kiddos mouth
ALL THE TIME!
And sometimes it drives me crazy-
Unfortunately, I catch myself a lot saying
"I don't want to wait- how about 'RIGHT NOW"
*not my finest parenting :(

There was an online article that traveled around
Facebook a lot a few weeks ago-
The post that went along with it read something like,
"What's the worst word you can use with your kids- 'Hurry'"

time to hang around!!

I'm going to step out right now and declare-
I didn't open the article, I didn't read one word-
but I have imagined many times what it might have said!

There is a lot that we tell our children when we say "hurry"
and it's not always the message we want to send.

So when I heard the same one word declaration,
that I often hear from my own son
I couldn't help but think of the complexity of those two words
             HURRY
                  &
               WAIT
Elder L. Tom Perry spoke at the BYU commencement
and encouraged graduates to seek balance in their lives
as they move forward into adulthood:
        “The choices you make will make all of the difference in
         what you want to achieve,” he said. “With all of these new
         decisions and challenges before you, could I encourage you
         to seek and find a balance in your future life.”

Finding the balance between HURRY and WAIT is more important
than we realize. I find it not at all surprising that you most often
hear adults say "Hurry" and young children say "Wait"!

But there is beauty and wonder in "Wait"
A beauty that can only be seen when we
slow down to take a minute to really live a
life worth living. The life worth living can
be found on walks in the park,

A special blessing to catch two kiddos sharing a little love & joy

or at the beach

Nothing to do but ride the waves

or in a garden

Nothing better than wild berries growing and bursting

and even on the way to school,

I am so grateful for the people with green thumbs so I can enjoy beautiful flowers

Life is about beauty,

Duluth, MN- we would drive 2 hours just to enjoy some WAIT time!

it is about joy

... and don't ever forget it!

Don't let the HURRY up in you
get in the way of seeing the WAIT
that is there for our pleasure-

The WAIT is the tender mercies that
The Lord puts in our paths
each and every day-
every moment of every hour
to boost us when we are feeling low
or give us hope when we are feeling fear!

Next time you get ready to say "Hurry Up"
count to TEN and LOOK around-
Take a moment to WAIT-
because I promise, that is ALL it really takes
to see the beauty of the right here and right NOW!

Save Me Some... Granola

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 15:00:00 +0000

I posted this Granola Recipe on
My other blog

I decided to share it here as well.
I really do love this recipe for a
good, all natural, better for me
GRANOLA...

I have been avoiding Wheat and Wheat Products
for quite some time.
I can tell within two days when I am cheating
because my fingers and knees HURT,
my ankles and hands swell and I feel all over ACHY!

I can tell I've gone really too far outside of my
eating goals when my ears start to itch, my nose runs
and I break out in an all over rash (this is usually when
I am eating wheat and sugar). Add in soy to the mix
and you will quickly find me in an all over body rash
that has an itch to it that rivals poison ivy-
Though there is NO WAY
(at least that I know of)
to prove that preservatives and additives also make
me sick (its hard to find a food with preservatives that
does NOT contain one of the aforementioned products).

For me, this ain't NO DIET TREND-
it's a Quality of Life Trend!

But anytime someone asks me for menu ideas for
going Gluten Free, I panic just a little bit-
Gluten Free is a much bigger topic than simply
avoiding wheat products-
Gluten can be found in a wide range of products,
including make-up and deli meats.
For our friends with Celiac Disease (an auto-immune
disorder that causes damage- to the small intestine and
disrupts the absorption of foods; gluten is responsible
for the damage) being gluten free isn't a trend or a
dietary statement, it is a way of life.
I also highly advise those with Lupus or Crohn's Disease
to avoid gluten as much as you possibly can!

I can't guarantee the Gluten Free-edness of this
Granola Recipe-
BUT I can totally guarantee the YUMMY factor
that this recipe holds-

Really, granola is about as individual as the person
who makes it. Add whatever you like as fillers, I'm just
sharing my favorites.
I know you can buy granola at the store-
and it may even be comparable in cost-
But for me-
there is nothing like knowing what is in the food
that I eat and what I feed my kiddos!

It's a simple recipe, use whatever add ins you like best.
I love that this has no junk in it- it's just good for me,
good for you, good tasting...
It's simple Goodness
Now for Goodness Sakes go make some quick before
the kids get home from school!

Save Me Some... Granola

8 cups oats
1/2 cup brown sugar (I use coconut sugar or sucanat)
2 cups add ins *
*** Mix these ingredients together.

In a small pan, combine
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup water
*** Heat these four ingredients until butter melts
(P.S. The last time I made this,
I added some cranberry balsamic vinegar that I LOVE-
the granola had a darker color, but tasted so good)

Pour over the oat and yumminess mixture.
Divide between 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper

My 12 year old made this batch. How easy is that?

Bake at 300 for 30 minutes (I almost always
cook it longer than that!
Store and Enjoy

Makes me want to grab a ramekin and dish up...

Oooops! I guess I did grab a ramekin...

* Really, the sky is the limit for add ins.
If you like it,
I say it is fair game for granola!
My favorite mix ins include, but are not limited to...

Sunflower Seeds, Flax Seeds, Pignolias

Chopped Pecans & Large Flake Unsweetened Coconut

Coconut Oil & Pure Maple Syrup


Extra Thick Rolled Oats & Dried Berry Medley

The Complete Cast of Characters...

Sunday Sundaes- TK Style

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 08 Sep 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I'm going to tell you about it someday!

One day when I am sure that I can speak about it
with some level of confidence and humility-
right now it is still pretty personal,
But I joined An Addiction Recovery Program.

One reason I don't want to talk about it
YET...
Is that my Addiction is a widely debated topic
in the diet, nutrition and addiction fields

Some say "ABSOLUTELY" and others
laugh and scorn and say things like
"You don't know what you're talking about"

So I've kept it relatively to myself-
I've teased with my friends for a long time that
I was going to do it,
and Finally, I decided it wasn't a joke
(at least, it wasn't to me)
and I joined a program sponsored by my church-
You can learn more here if you are interested

My addiction is to Sugar-
To me it is a real, powerful and to easy to ignore problem-

But like I said,
more on that later!!

I have found that there are a few things I can
do to enjoy Dessert Time with my family on
Sunday evenings.
This is one of my Favorite-

The Waffle Bowls are Homemade

My Hubby is the Master at Waffle Bowl Making

and are made with alternative ingredients for me
but honestly, I don't often eat mine anyway
(I've just learned I'd rather not eat,
than deal with all the substitutions sometimes)

I add some delicious Fruit-
a hearty and healthy serving thank you very much!

I add lime juice and lemon & lime rind 20 minutes before I serve it

I top my "Sundae" with Plain Greek Yogurt
flavored with Cranberry Balsamic Vinegar
or Vanilla Bean Paste and Lemon Extract

What's Not Fabulous About This?

The last time we had ice cream Sundaes,
three of my five kids at home
opted for my version and said no
to the ice cream :)
Oh happy DAY

I'll take a Prank with some Family History on the Side

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 19:53:00 +0000

Last week, it was my privilege and
opportunity to take two of my children
off to college, to get them settled in
and to watch them anxiously pull out the
scissors and
CUT my apron strings!

Kiddo #3 at graduation

Kiddo #1 Home from his mission

They are attending the same university
that both my husband and I graduated from,
which also happens to be near my hometown.
So while there,
I had the great blessing of getting to spend time with
my Grandma!

I love this woman more than anyone can begin to explain.
There is not one single day that goes by in my life
where I don't see the residual impact of her influence
on me and my family.

Silly Faces for Family Pictures

She has had two courageous battles with breast cancer
and has come out victorious,
but her age and her battles of life have taken a toll.
As we chatted, I realized that she has
NO IDEA how wonderful she has been
and what a strength she is to so many people.
Nor does she realize that she has a wealth of
love and information that I don't want to lose
as time moves quickly forward...

So I decided that we would embark on a life challenge-
Every day, we will chat about life-
hers, mine, aunts, uncles, friends...
Whoever and whatever comes to mind-

Today it started out with a simple question-
How did the April Fools Day tradition get started?

She was a HUGE prankster when it came to April Fools Day-
and somehow I fell for it EVERY YEAR hook, line and sinker.

Well, it turns out that it all started with a silly prank that her
Aunt played on grandmas family and it turned into a tradition
in my grandmas home that extended to my son, who loved
grandmas example and came up with a new prank each year!

I'd like to depart and say
"Oh, how I hated those pranks"

It's funny the things we can learn when we talk to our family
and especially to those we admire.
I admit, my glasses are definitely rose colored when
I think of this grandma,
she can do no wrong in my opinion and
I wouldn't have it any other way.

This life is so busy-
there is so much to do and to be and to get...
but really none of it really matters!

The thing that matters is the people we will meet on the
other side-
the relationships we build,
the people we lift and strengthen,
the energy and the love we foster because we care-

I think I can say-
that is the secret of life,
of youth
and definitely of LOVE

Focal Point

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 31 May 2013 03:43:00 +0000

I had myself a little bit of a nervous breakdown yesterday!
I didn't mean to give in,
I tried to be strong,
I tried to believe,
I tried to wait on the Lord's time table

But I had a melt down and I just couldn't help it!

Now that's a SNO CONE: Ham Lake, MN

I'm very grateful for a husband who just listened,
and offered a shoulder to cry on
and offered to be a punching bag
if I got really out of control!

I don't want to send the wrong message,
I feel really, really, REALLY blessed!


Ward Birthday Party: Ham Lake, MN

But we've had some losses over the past five years
And sometimes the only explanation I have is
that we failed-
which doesn't make sense when I
take the time to pray
and ponder my life experiences.

Annual Favorite Friends Gingerbread Party: Ham Lake, MN

Well, we are in a situation that is going to require
us to make a housing decision and we have only
a few days to make this decision!

A Glimpse at My Eternal Family: Ham Lake, MN

I'm tired of moving-
I'm tired of relocating &
I'm tired of the stress and sadness that being
"The new kid at school" causes my children.

So I had my little emotional breakdown,
and then I did what I do best,
I pulled myself up from my bootstraps
and put on my big girl panties
and I got over it!

Four Daughters: Newport, CA

I woke up early to read some scriptures
and found great comfort in Alma chapters 57-59,
Found in the Book of Mormon.
While I straightened my frizzy hair,
I listened to this great talk by Henry B. Eyring
And then I went to Yoga
** This is my prescription for dealing with challenges in life **

The studio I went to today has a mirror at the front of class-
I no likey mirrors in yoga class :(
During a standing balance pose, I stumbled and
Could NOT regain my balance!
I had taken my eyes off my focal point and
allowed myself to be completely distracted by
the many reflections in the mirror.

The trouble is, those reflections had absolutely NOTHING
to do with me, my stability or my practice
yet I let those distractions occupy my thoughts
and as a result, those distractions took me off balance!

I realized this is what was happening now-

I have healthy, happy, resilient kiddos,
they love each other, they love their parents
and for the most part they obey and
work each day to reach higher than the day before!

Beach Therapy: Ventura, CA

For a brief moment, I lost sight of the fact
that we all have a Heavenly Father who knows
what our limits and capacities are-
AND with all my heart,
I know we will never be pushed further than we can handle.
I also know without a shadow of doubt that
He who loves us more than we can earthly fathom,
also wants NOTHING more than to see me
succeed and conquer the trials that
push my weaknesses into strengths.

If I believe in these two simple truths,
than I need not FEAR!

And this says it all: Newport, CA

I will let you know how it goes...

Small Tender Mercies

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:48:00 +0000

Monday's are hard!
I mean HARD-
and lately they I have been REALLY hard for me!

Like curl up in a fetal position and
lie in my closet with a box of Oreo's hard!

I'm going to blame it on hormones,
and age- because I can promise you
it is NOT pregnancy-
though that is EXACTLY what it feels like!
And I'd rather blame it on hormones
than say I'm just an emotional basket case!

So hormones it is...
that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Any who...
So today is Monday!
I woke up and knew I was in for a doozie
of an emotional day-
so I decided to skip the gym and go back to bed
once everyone left for school.

Luckily for me, I had a lot of inner dialog going
on that convinced me to haul my pity partying hiney
to the GYM and get me a good Tabata beating!

I am so glad I did! The girls at the gym
are seriously my life savers right now as I try to
juggle my life and stay somewhere in between
crazy and insane!

When I got home, I found myself sinking again.
I pulled out my phone and tried to hide my
feelings in digital media-
To my great joy and happiness,
I had emails from both of my wonderful
missionary children.

My son's letters are always short,
but he never fails to tell me how much
he loves me and how grateful he is
that I am his mom.

Be still my emotional heart-
if that wasn't just the thing I needed, I don't know
what was!

As I poured out my heart in a prayer of gratitude,
I was reminded of an experience I had
a few years ago on a pioneer trek for my church.
You can read about it here-
and I would say, if you are feeling at all
frustrated, discouraged or downtrodden;
you should TOTALLY read it!

I think I am in one of those times when my
Father in Heaven knows I need to be left alone
to labor and toil and struggle-
I know my family will be stronger and better for
the effort we put in, even though it is a source
of great concern for me now.

But I was reminded today, that even though
I may be left alone right now-
He, who loves us more than we can ever know,
is watching from above and preparing angels
with just the right information and at just the right moment-
to step in and push me up the mountain!

Today, I imagined that He knew that I would
get to this point in my battles
and He knew Monday's would be hard for me-
Today, I believe it is no coincidence that
BOTH of my missionary kiddos get to write me
on MONDAY's! Nor do I believe it is any small
matter that my hardest- and most fulfilling workout
class occurs on Monday morning AND that
the very smiling faces I have come to glean
strength and energy from have decided to
attend this class too!

He can't change the Monday hard right now,
this is part of my challenge and I have things to learn-
But He can prepare a source of strength to appear on
Monday's- to carry me through to Tuesday-
and that small mercy is worthy of notice and praise.