Movies

Yesterday was awesome! Nate and I had a movie filled Saturday which we only get to do two times a year. This was an extension to our birthdays so we had to live it up! We both love movies so we did three yesterday. It was hard trying to make a decision but we narrowed it down to the three and I think we made a good decision. Here's what we saw:

We started at 4ish and the last movie ended around 2AM. I don't really have a favorite out of what we saw. They were all equally good in their own right! Avatar was a bit long for me and I had to get a second wind but it was definitely worth seeing! After we left the movies, we hit McDonald's for an extra early breakfast and then we thought we might was well stay up for the Federer/Murray tennis match. We didn't last long but I kept waking up to check the score. I was so bumbed when Murray lost but didn't lose any more sleep over it. I really want Andy Roddick to be in the finals but we were once again not surprise when he lost in the quarterfinals. So, with what's left of our Sunday, we're going to go for Nate's birthday (again) dinner at Red Lobster, pick up the girls, hang out with them maybe at Polaris, head home for dinner, and then for me, catch the second part of Jane Austin's "Emma" on PBS! Gotta love a Masterpiece Classic!

MPM

Monday - Baked Spaghetti
Tuesday - Chicken Nuggets
Wednesday - Hamburgers
Thursday - Pancakes
Friday - Pizza Night
Saturday - Tortilla Soup
Sunday - Subs

TJ's

Today I ran over to Trader Joe's with my mom. It felt like I was in one of those scences of "You've Got Mail" or something. I felt very New York. Laugh all you want but I was totally living it up! My mission was to try to find snacky type food that we could grab and go. Aiva needed something to put in her backpack for school and I needed something for snacks at lunch. What we got? Here it goes:

Not too shabby! All this for $15.49! Tomorrow I'm taking on the outsides of the store. Here goes nothing! Ready or not...here I come!

Natural

This past weekend, the girls and I went out for the afternoon with Nate's sister and her family. We had a great time and the girls had a blast playing at the play land at Polaris with their cousins. I wish we could do that more often...we miss having them in Westerville. Anyway, back to the "natural" conversation. I had expressed some frustration with Aiva being so sick and always having to go to the doctor or get meds for her. Amy has had some problems with her youngest, Saylor. She had told me what they were doing and all the research that she's done. They've chose to go to a more natural diet and eat more natural foods. She was telling me about all the stories that had come out of eating this way and it floored me more than the first time she talked to me about it a few years back. After hearing her, we've decided to give it a shot and try it until Aiva starts first grade in the fall and then reevaluate. Here are a couple of the things we're switching up:

1) We're going to start buying our bread at Great Harvest Bread Company. They use freshly milled wheat which is far better for you than the kind of bread that you would get at the store. To see the brochure that talks a little about their bread, click here.

Testimony #1

A 98 year old renowned doctor had never seen tonsils as small as a 9 year old patient. This 9 person family only had 3 doctor visits in 13 years. All of the kids tonsils atrophied.
Testimony #2

Tiffany Thompson, a stay at home mom has a 3 year old, with constant constipation, always running nose, ear infections, bronchitis, allergic to animals and she has all major allergies, along with eczema. Tiffany listened to the Bread Beckers, and within one week, no more runny noses, constipation, or eczema.

Testimony #3
Kim Davis, edits for Beth Moore, teaches Dr. Rex Russells Healthy Living classes. Kim had the beginning stages of Chrones disease. She had read in Hosea that, “my people parish for lack of knowledge”. She was facing sinus surgery, and chronic bladder and urinary tract infections and also had super high cholesterol. Once she started eating the bread, everything improved dramatically.

After reading and hearing some of these stories, we decided to go for it and we're already on our 2nd loaf. It's only been 3 days...so far so good.

#2) We're going to start drinking almond milk instead of cow's milk. This is what it says in Wikipedia, "It provides the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food." I believe that we're no different. Since we can eat solid foods, there are no reasons why we need a lot of milk. Also, when you drink cow's milk it makes your body produce an excess amount of mucus which of course is a breading ground for bacteria and all sorts of infections. The less mucus we have the least amount of infections we'll have as well.

#3) We're going to start eating more natural foods that are free of hydrogenated fats, shortening, margarine, aspartame and in return, eating natural foods, Great Harvest bread, more fiber, honey, etc…that sort of thing. We're going to start shopping around the outsides of the store and avoiding the middle part. Focusing more on the fruits, veggies, chicken and natural foods. Tomorrow I'm going to check out Trader Joes to look for some snacks that are good to eat and natural. Basically, we're going to eat how they did in the Bible. People lived longer because they ate better and their environment was better all around. They didn't have Doritoes and brownies so we're going to slowly take that out of our diet. The book we're going to try out is the Maker's Diet by Jordan Ruben. I've heard that some of it is pretty extreme but we're going to take it slow and see what happens.

I think that's it for now. I'll keep you up to date and let you know how it goes. I'm a little nervous to get this going but I want healthy kids and not have to worry about doing tubes again for Aiva. If you have questions, let me know. Want to join me? I'd love to have a partner do it with us!!

MPM

Monday - Potato Soup in the crockpot (recipe here)

Tuesday - Speghetti in the crockpot (recipe here)

Wednesday - Sweet & Sour Chicken

Thursday - Meatloaf in a crockpot (recipe here)

Friday - Pizza Night

Saturday - OUT

Sunday - Ham Sandwiches

Love

I had a thought on my birthday that I wanted to blog about before I forgot. Nate and I were watching TV really late and I was determined to finish this scarf that I was working on. I knew that I was only going to get it half way done but I wanted to get to the end of my spool of material so I could be done with that. This scarf is going to be for me and I love the material I chose for it and I used my new loom that my sister in law got me for Christmas. The scarf is going to be a great color plus it's really thick and heavy which is going to be so warm. I kept looking it over and running my hands over it. I asked Nate several times how he thought it was turning out...I asked him if he wanted to hold it. To put it simple, I am so proud of this thing and can't wait to have a finished product. At one point, I put it on our kitchen table and thought for a moment about bringing it upstairs with me. Nate looked at me and started laughing...I told him that I was debating taking it to bed with me that I loved it so much! As I was walking up the stairs to go to bed, I thought that maybe this was how God thought of us. He likes to run His hands over us, stare at us to where He can't take His eyes off us, so proud of us that he can't leave our side. For just that one moment, it all made sense how much God loves me. It's the kind of love that give you warm "fuzzies" all over. When I do have my scarf completed, I know every time that I put it on, I'll think of God. Think of Him wrapping His loving arms around me and keeping me safe and warm.

34

Nate's birthday was yesterday. I felt so bad b/c he was at home all day with the girls and we only really had a few hours in the evening. I knew he wanted pizza...shocker, I know! I called Pizza Hut and had them put together a special pizza for the occasion. Check it out:Do you see the 34? He was so impressed! I felt so sneaky and loved every minute. The girls and I got him a new OSU Rose Bowl mug and the book "Dance me Daddy" by Cindy Morgan and Point of Grace. He loved it...so much in fact, that he cried while I read it. He always dances with our girls so this was perfect for him! The card we gave him said that he was the "Pizza Pie of our Eye"! Clever I know!! After that we headed home and we all played Wii bowling and wakeboarding. The girls had a blast and it was fun to play together. Once the girls were in bed, we watched the movie "I Love You Man". It had a lot of language in it, which was a bit of a turn off, but it did have a lot of funny stuff as well. We had a low key evening but we both know that our birthday weekend is coming next weekend. My parents are taking the kids and we're gonna hang out, doing what, I don't know but I'm sure it will be fun! Happy Birthday Honey!

Recap

34 really isn't all that bad! My birthday was great! Other than the fact that I had to work, which I'm sure everyone has had to work on their birthday, it was awesome. I wish I got to hang out more with my family but I guess that one wasn't on my birthday wish list so I can't argue with that one. Working wasn't bad though...Nate and the girls surprised me with roses which I got to look at and smell all day so, as did everyone in the office so it blessed lots other than me. After work, we headed to O'Charley's for dinner with my mom and dad. I of course had to get a Shirley Temple, a staple for every birthday dinner! Dinner was fantastic and the company was great. Mom and dad got Nate and I a cake and they sang Happy Birthday to us, which of course is always embarrassing, but who doesn't love it??!! For my birthday my parents surprised me with...drum roll please...a sewing machine! To say I was surprised is an understatement. I've been making these scarves on my looms and I just had the thought that I needed to get something that I could attache all these scarves to make blankets. What better way then with a sewing machine! Here's what I got...My mom said that it comes with 5 free classes at JoAnn's so I'm so excited to get them scheduled so I can start making new creations! Just to keep everyone in the know, I know have received 2 of my wishes! To start a new hobby and to take a class at JoAnn's! Nate was pretty excited too b/c my parents got him gift cards for Foot Locker so he can get some new shoes. He's been talking about new shoes for a few months now so he can finally get to it! Thanks Mom & Dad for a great night!

32

32…WOW, I can hardly believe that I’m another year older. 32 seems different though. It seems like I’ve in some way crossed over to the other side. I know I’m still young but maybe this is what “mature” feels like. I’m not young but I’m not old either…I’m mature. Let me go along thinking that…I know some of you may have your own thoughts but hey…who’s blog is this anyway??!! I’m only kidding! Give me a little room for my own thoughts today…it is my birthday! SO, in honor of my birthday, here are my 32 wishes. I don’t just get one…I get 32. Remember, this is my birthday so I set the rules. Enjoy them, laugh at me if you will, or be inspired. Here’s to another year of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness!

1) To move in September
2) To be 32 pounds lighter
3) To save for our daughters future
4) To read 32 novels
5) To complete 16 (half of 32) long loom projects
6) To take a class at JoAnn fabrics
7) To make a new friend
8) To catch up with an old friend
9) To enrich my marriage
10) To learn something different in the 32nd book of the Bible…Jonah
11) To do something different with my hair
12) To bless 32 (or more) people
13) To go on a summer vacation
14) To go on a 10th anniversary trip
15) To have a family picture taken
16) To find a new hobby
17) To learn a new word
18) To make time for myself
19) To make time for Nate and I to go on dates
20) To go on dates with Aiva and Ana by ourselves
21) To ride bikes more
22) To get rid of our mismatched towels a get a complete set
23) To get a complete bed set that matches
24) To paint my nails more
25) To paint my girls nails more
26) To learn to like a new food
27) To buy more flowers
28) To buy flowers for others
29) To write more encouraging cards
30) To love deeper
31) To pray more
32) To listen more

Prayer

I forgot to add this on my original post so I'm sorry for three posts in one day! If you could pray for my brother & sister in law, Steve & Jessica Jacobus, I would really appreciate it! Steve took a job with Cardinal Health and they will be moving from Nashville, TN to Wilmington, NC this week. This was a pretty quick decision and move for them. His brother, Matt, who also works for Cardinal, got him the job. The people who hired Steve didn't even get his license or social before they told him he got the job. They know and trust Matt so much that they knew they wanted Steve. It's very exciting but at the same time very scary. They have two mortgages (one from their house in Florida and the other from their house in Nashville) and are moving to a somewhat unfamiliar area. Pray that one or both of the houses sells and that they have a safe trip as they move everything down south. Also pray that they find a church where they can get really plugged in to so they continue to grow. They were so much a part of their church in Nashville that I'm sure it's going to be a hard transition but know all things are possible with God. Thanks for your prayers!

MPM

I'm going to try something new to hold me accountable. On one of my blogs I read, they do Menu Planning Monday. Most the time I can get through 4 or 5 of the days but the other 2 or 3 days we eat out. You know how it is, you get home and your beat and the last thing you want to do is fix dinner. This is hopefully my quick solve but we'll see...here it goes:

Monday - Santa Fe Chicken with Spanish Rice
Tuesday - Chicken Parmesan
Wednesday - MY BIRTHDAY (Nate's choice!)
Thursday - NATE'S BIRTHDAY (My choice!)
Friday - Pizza Night
Saturday - Subs & chips
Sunday - Sliced Turkey, mashed potatoes, corn

This is an off week due to our birthdays being on Jan. 20 & 21 and we're going away the next weekend so hopefully by February we can have a more consistent schedule!

Kids

Do you have problems with the kids eating you out of the house? I tell you, this weekend my kids have been eating nonstop. I get breakfast out of the way and they ask for pudding. I get lunch finished up and they ask for another cheese stick. Dinner is done and they want ice cream. I went to the store on Thursday last week and I am surprised at what is left! After I get home from the grocery store, I wash all the grapes and put them in snack size baggies. I do the same things with pretzels, goldfish, any snacky stuff so they last longer. I'm starting to think though that this might not be the best way to go. I want them to last longer because most times, Nate inhales a whole bag of Doritos or the girls eat all the goldfish. I thought baggies would solve the problem by being a grab and go snack. I think they're ending up being a grab a few and go snack! I think the real problem this weekend though was that they were bored. There was nothing better to do than eat, so that's what they did. I need to nip that in the bud quick! It's a good thing I do coupons and got half the stuff they ate for $1 or less! What am I gonna do with these girls! Can't live with them...can't live without them! Plus, it's the only way I can justify MY fruit snack addiction!

Geocaching

This evening we did something that we've talked about doing but never tried. Geocaching! I found a couple coordinates and we were on our way. First thing to keep in mind if you do this is to go when you have plenty of light and probably when there's not a lot of snow. I wanted to get out earlier but I was just so comfy at home to get moving too much earlier. It was just me and the girls, so I explained what we were going to be doing the day before, so they were really pumped. I told them it was like treasure hunting so they were all about it...I think they've seen Peter Pan one too many times! The first cache we totally couldn't find and they didn't get the idea of driving and then looking. I figured that we could go on another day to try this one again. It was getting dark so I typed in the coordinated to our next cache and we were on our way. In the description on this cache it said that it was by a cemetery but not in it. Needless to say, we were right in the middle of this cemetery, I kept telling myself to put the thoughts out of my head that we were walking on these dead people and just kept my eyes pealed for this cache. The girls were real troopers too. They were walking in ankle deep snow but they both loved it...until their feet started to get wet. We were all over this cemetery and nothin! At one point I thought I was headed in the right direction when I heard, "Hey!". It scared me to death...I looked all over this valley of headstones to find my mom walking towards me cracking up. She knew she got me. I called my dad before we left and my dad knew where we were headed so he told my mom and she thought it would be nice to prank me...she sure got me! After she looked around for a few seconds with us she said she was headed home. I thought it was a good time to stop since it was started to get darker and the cemetery was no place I wanted to be at night. Aiva was pretty determined though that she didn't want to leave. She wanted to find her treasure! She thought some other kid would get it if we didn't get it tonight. I had to explain it again how the whole thing worked so it gave her a little piece of mind that there was still home. I thought she was good til we got to my parents house where she proceeded to tell my mom that she was really hoping that the next cache we look for has a "DS" in it. She has her heart set on getting a Nintendo DS that she'll do anything for it...including treasure hunting! All in all, it was an good time...the girls had a blast in the cemetery and I think I saw Ana smile the biggest smile as she was running through the cemetery in search of her treasure. She told my mom she was hunting for a red shirt...who knows where she got that idea but I'll let her go with it. Hopefully next time though we'll have better luck! Maybe we'll see you out there!

Faith

Nate and I just got down watching Julie & Julia and it made me start thinking a little...maybe a little too much. Faith is something that I've been struggling with recently. It's been difficult for me to turn things over and to have faith that God will catch me if I fall. Do you ever feel like this?

It's almost how I feel sometimes when my faith is wavering. When I try to take matters into my own hands and not have faith that God will work things out. It seems that Aiva has always had one medical problem or another. We've had a rough couple of years but we've always made it through and kept faith. For the past few days I've been so in awe of how Bob DeVoe, the President of Lifeline, is handling the situation with what's happening in Haiti and knowing his wife is there and he is here. Every time I hear him, he is extremely calm and is confident that God is in control and that it will all work out. Why do we waiver...why do we second guess? When God has proven himself over and over again why do we doubt? Satan knows just where to get us. He's sly and brings us to our knees...but it's when we're on our knees that we start to turn to God and we ask for help to trust that God will work in our lives. Has Satan hit you to where you're on your knees and you need to turn to God? I know I am...it's been a rough week and I've tried to go it alone his week. Forgive me God and help me to trust that you know better than I. Help me to fully rely on you to get me through each day. Thank you for loving me and for never leaving my side even though sometimes I stray! Thank you El Roi for being The God who opens our eyes!

2010

OK, so I skipped over most of December. So sorry about that. After being sick in December it was hard to get back into the swing of things but we did continue to celebrate the 25 Days of Christmas only on a lower level. We had an amazing Christmas and many memories that I will store away forever. We had Christmas over at my parents house with my brother's family and mom and dad. We had an amazing time. I was so glad we did it on a Saturday so it didn't feel so rushed and we could really enjoy being together.

Next came our family Christmas at home and it was so much fun. The girls played with their new toys, we made gingerbread men and watched movies and sang songs. It was a great day. I will never forget Aiva's face when she ran up to our room on Christmas morning to tell us that Santa had been there. She had come up those stairs quicker than I've ever seen her come up the stairs before. She was bumbed she didn't get the Barbie car she asked for but if she didn't change her mind on the 20th of December to include the Barbie car she may have had a good chance to get one. Next year she knows to turn in her requests early and keep to them! Ana too...she wanted a Dora kitchen and it never showed up from Santa. The vowed to write their letters next year and saw the repercussions from not doing it in 2009!!

After we had our family Christmas, the next day we drove to Nashville to be with his family for a week. It started out by going to the Rockettes which Aiva and I had a great time. It was a little rushed b/c as soon as we got into town we went to the theatre to see them perform. After the Rockettes we went to the Hiding Place which is a massive cabin that my mother in law gets through work and we don't have to pay for it. There are rooms for everyone that include our own bed and bathrooms. We LOVE the Hiding Place. There are 12 total rooms and we used all of them except 2 this year. I'm sure next year, all 12 will be used! We were there from Saturday until Wednesday night. It was so nice to wake up late and just be lazy and let all 7 kids run through the house. The loved playing ping pong in the basement or heading up to the third floor conference room, which for our time there became the "Girls Club". There are 6 girls and 1 boy! Thursday, the mom's and Danelle went to a movie (Up in the Air) and ran to get stuff for New Years Eve. We had the best spread of food and I think my head is still spinning from cutting up all that fruit for fondue. It was a lot of fun though...after many hands of poker (for the others...not me) it was time to ring in the new year. We saw the guy drive over the water to a barge and then watched the ball drop and then I called it a night. After that for the next couple days, all we saw or heard was football! With 5 guys (6 including Saylor) the girls were outvoted for what to watch on TV. Thank God there was another TV...Jes and I watched many movies, all of which the girl never ended up with the guy, but oh well. On Saturday it was time to head to the mall so we went to Oprey Mills...with all the kids. It was a little crazy at first but once I changed my attitude it was a great time. The kids rode the carousel and we shopped and ate. 2 pairs of crocks and 6 suckers later it was time to head home. I'm not sure what we did that night but I'm sure it had something to do with Poker! Sunday was the day we headed home which was a good and a bad day. We did have so much fun hanging out with family and not having to work but it was nice to get back to my bed and the quietness of two children...if that's any quieter than 7!

So sorry to anyone who is still reading this! I love to record my thoughts and activities because it helps me remember! So with 2010 at our door, here it goes: Happy New Year...better late than never!