My Healthy Journey, Part II

Progress report since my last healthy journey post, I have lost another 6 lbs!  Woo Hoo!  I can’t say that I have been exercising any more, because I haven’t.  I can’t say that I am eating any better, because I’m not.  The only difference is an emotional one.  For years I have been dealing with some real self-esteem issues, brought on by many circumstances throughout my life.  Well, while in North Carolina, I had a great lifting of my esteem, thus, lowering my perceived stresses in my life. Many things are still the same from the outside looking in, but my outlook is what has changed.  I know that it has been medically proven that our thoughts have a profound effect on our health & I can now say I understand this completely. I still have a LONG way to go, but I can now say that for the first time in my life I truly believe I can do this, and anything I set my mind on.

Next Healthy Journey post – some healthy living tips that I use & have worked for me.

FOR AT WHATEVER POINT YOU JUDGE THE OTHER…

This verse (Romans 2:1-3) came back to bite me on the hind end today. I have been angry for many years at those who look down their noses at me because of my weight issues. Well, today the Lord spoke to me so clearly that I feel led to share.

Conversation between me & God

me-”Why do people, even people I am close to, look at me as though I am less than them, simply because I am over weight? I don’t buy their reasoning that it is so unhealthy, because there are plenty of people out there that are skinny & are still not healthy. Look at those who are thin & yet have smoked like a chimney all their lives. They just don’t like how it looks. It is that simple.”

God-”Aren’t you judging the very same people that you say are judging you? And aren’t you also judging those who smoke? “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.”

me-”My God, forgive me for my judgment. I cannot change how others judge me, but I can change how I react to it, with no judgment of them & their actions. It will be up to you to judge, not me. God will give to each person according to what he has done. (Romans 2:6)

Although the concept of judgment isn’t at all new to me, God always finds ways to remind His children not to cast the first stone.

My Healthy Journey, Part I

I have decided to devote some posts to what I like to call my Healthy Journey. I have been incorporating healthier ways of living over the last 2 years & after much research, replaced unhealthy cooking practices with healthier “clean” options & recently added an exercise routine to my busy, but not impossible, schedule.

This first post on the journey is an overview of me & my not too cooperative body. First let me say, that I do not shirk the blame off of myself in any way. I know that I have dealt with the stresses of my life in unhealthy ways, often eating too much. Mind you, I don’t binge, but a second helping of something I enjoy has never been off limits to me.

With that said, let me tell you of my medical predispositions. I come from a family that by all accounts has difficulty with weight issues. I also have a sluggish thyroid & my metabolism (I’ve been tested) is so slow that I can’t legitimately loose more than 1 lb a week or I would have to go below the recommended 1200 calories a day. I have been exercising diligently for 4 months now & have only lost 5 lbs. I am sure that most of you reading this would say that she must not have been diligent enough or she would have lost more. Well let me set that record straight. Almost every week I have gone to the gym & did intense Cardio for at least 40 minutes 4 to 6 days. Even my 19 year old daughter doesn’t push it like her overweight Momma. I also do a 30 minute weight training session 2 to 3 days per week. Once again, my 19 year old can’t lift the amount that good ole’ Mom can.

Ok, so now for a picture of me at my current weight. No I am not going to say how much that is, but I will say that I need to lose more than 50 lbs to be within a healthy weight. Encouragement is welcome along the way, but I reserve the right to delete any rude or discouraging comments.

This is me Christmas day 2007. I am only 5 lbs lighter now & 5 lbs really doesn’t show much.

I Love the OBX

Many of you know that we spent the last week of June on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Let me say now that if I could afford to live there all spring, summer & fall, I would. It is absolutely breath taking. We stayed in a large home right on the beach between the picturesque towns of Duck, TimbuckII & Corolla NC. These towns are a shoppers paradise with beautifully handcrafted gift items & unique OBX (Outer Banks) souvenirs. Of course, a trip to the beach isn’t complete without the customary tasting of salt water taffy & homemade fudge, so we all enjoyed a little of each. I am convinced that these delicacies taste even better in the salty air than in dry West Texas, but maybe it is just because I love the ocean so much.

We spent our days surf fishing, body surfing, boogie boarding, digging for sand crabs, walking along the beach, bike riding, kayaking & lounging on the beach. Jesse & David went out deep sea fishing with my 2 brothers, my dad & my cousin-in-law Tracy mid-week. Poor Jesse was very ill, even with motion sickness pills, but still managed to catch a few Tile fish. The men came back with a total of 250 lbs of Yellow fin (Ahi) Tuna, Tile fish & Dolphin fish (Mahi Mahi). They really provided for their women folk well that night! It was fish heaven. A few days later, my brother Danny took many of the clan out on a boat in the sound to go crabbing. They brought back some nice specimens that were a part of Danny’s Ciopino (Italian fish soup) that evening. I must say that my brother is one awesome chef. Everyone loved that soup.

We also enjoyed visiting the Wright Brother’s Museum at Kitty Hawk. It was very interesting to see where flight first took place as well as view life size replica’s of the first glider & first powered airplane. We then visited the Currituck light house, an unpainted brick structure still in use today. The children & I were also able to get up close & personal with the Wild Mustangs at the end of Currituck. All of which were great learning opportunities for our homeschool.

In all, it was a very eventful week & one that I know we will not soon forget. I have many pictures to share, some I took, but many that my family took & I must wait to receive. Look for them to appear soon.

I would recommend a vacation to the Outer Banks to any beach lover. It was amazing!

POPPY

Growing up, my father wasn’t always the cuddly type, but when I needed it, there he was, ready to give me a great big hug.

He doesn’t often offer advice, but if I ask him, he is more than willing to share his breadth of knowledge.

He worked odd hours & kept busy keeping up with chores, so I didn’t hang out with him all the time, yet I always felt his presence.

He dealt with my teen years with acceptance & understanding, never judging my actions, though he easily could have.

I always enjoyed his hobbies with him. I remember when he built a model airplane & we took it out to the dry lakes to fly. Oh how beautiful & majestic Pop’s handy work looked cresting that mountain…never to be seen again. Instead of being angry, he just laughed & chalked it up to experience.

He is a lover of the sea & I feel blessed to have shared in his love, sailing around in his own beautifully crafted boats, and then in larger sailboats that we would rent for several days at a time.

He is an exceptional wood worker & he has offered his talent to many people over the years, always putting his heart & soul into each piece he built.

He has always been an excellent example of a hard working man, working to provide for his family & then working even more to make sure that we had a well tended home. He is a true handyman.

So on this Father’s day, I want to say Thanks Pop, for being there through the years no matter what I put you & mom through. For showing me, the unconditional love that a father should have for his child. Even though you try to hide your heart behind that tough exterior of yours, I still see it & know that I am loved.

New Header

© All rights reserved.

I was playing around with my blog design & decided to change the header photo to reflect the summer season & to highlight that we will be going to the ocean soon! Yah! I’m so excited! Anyway, I took this photo on our San Diego Harbor tour in October 2007. What a beautiful day it was. Wouldn’t you just love to be on this ship? I sure would!

MOM! There’s water spraying everywhere out here!

This evening around 5pm, Jesse ran in screaming those words to me! It seems that while playing with the neighbor boys, they were getting hot, so they decided to have a water fight. Jesse ran to get the hose & well, our hose is really long & we need to get a new reel for it, so it was tangled. He pulled & pulled at it until SNAP! the plastic piece connecting the hose to the faucet broke in half & the faucet went flying from the force of the water spraying out. Of course, Dave is working tonight, so, with our neighbor’s help, I got the main water valve turned off & the connector piece detached so I could rushed to Lowe’s to buy a new connector. Back home, it took less than a minute to repair the damage & get my neighbor once again to turn the main water valve back on (It is old and rarely used, so very difficult to turn). Crisis averted!

Jesse is relieved that the hose is working again & it didn’t take an expensive plumber to come fix it!

Our Garden (Of Sorts)

Arielle decided to try her hand at gardening this year. We felt pots would be a good first step just in case she didn’t have a green thumb. I really don’t do all that well, but the two of us together managed to keep some herbs growing & a cherry tomato plant to yield very tiny cherry tomatoes. We are going to get a larger variety tomato plant next & probably plant it in a larger pot. Maybe next year we will build an above ground planting bed & try our hands at a few more vegies & maybe a pot of strawberries. YUMMM!

Great Concert!

Dave & I went to see Ornan’s Floor last evening. This is an up & coming Christian Rock band. We have watched them go from playing worship music Sunday mornings at our church, other local churches & youth events to producing their first worship album & now their first album of original songs.

Their sound is definitely geared to the youth of today. Of course, Dave & I are still in that category! <g> Actually, we do listen to a lot of the music that Arielle & Jesse listen to, but sprinkle in a mix of several types of music into our collection.

Blog Header

I thought I would mention that the beautiful header photo, Magnificent Monarchs on my blog, was taken by my talented daughter, who stood outside under our trees late fall 2007 until she got that perfect photo. It is just amazing to see the migration of these beautiful butterflies every year here.

Healthier Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookies

In my older blog, I had included a recipe for chocolate chip cookies. Well, since then we have made some adjustments to the ingredients, so below is the updated version.

WHOLE GRAIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Cream 1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter until smooth & fluffy. Add 1/2 cup raw agave nectar & 1/2 cup Rapadura & 1 1/2 tsp vanilla until combined. One at a time, blend in 2 eggs.

In a separate bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups Whole grain flour (I used equal parts 8 grain berries, Hard White Wheat berries & soft white berries) with 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder & 1tsp sea salt. Add this slowly to the above butter mixture until combined.

Mix in 6oz of semi sweet chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli, or Guittard)

Cover & refrigerate at least 30 minutes to overnight. (Important step!)

Place rounded tsp of batter (the original was larger, but the different ingredients didn’t work with the larger size.) onto greased or silicon mat covered cookie sheets & bake in a 325* oven (because of the agave & rapadura) for 10 minutes. Cool before removing from cookie sheet.

2008 so far!

What has been happening around here since my last post in my other blog? Read below for an update.

The first week of January, we went on a road trip to California to celebrate my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary. What a week! We drove round trip approximately 2500 miles in all. The travel was uneventful, no flats, no accidents, Thank the Lord. The Anniversary celebration was held at my Uncle Ron & Aunt Starr’s house. Starr did a fabulous job of decorating & the food was Terrific. It was wonderful to get together with some of my family members that we haven’t seen in so many years. Of course, Jesse & I got to see some of them at Kimmie & Dustin’s wedding in October, but Arielle & David haven’t seen them in at least 9 years & some we haven’t seen since our wedding 19+ years ago. As you can see by the pics, my parents really enjoyed themselves. We had 1950’s music playing & a slide show of pictures from their lives together. It was so fun to hear the stories about their younger days. The weather was beautiful & we were able to eat outside on the patio near the pool surrounded by citrus trees, which the kids went out & picked for us all to take home.

Jesse continued with the 2007-2008 basketball season with our homeschool group team. Their team won half of the games they played & were able to pull out a fantastic victory in their last game. We can only hope that there will be a team to play on next year. It is always difficult to say what our homeschool group will do from year to year.

On May 3rd, we all drove up to the Air show at the base where David now works. It was spectacular! One of the highlights of the show was the Air Force Parachute team. Those men & women stuck their landings so gracefully. We were all amazed. The show ended with a re-enactment of the Pearl Harbor attack, with explosion after explosion going off as the 1940 aircraft flew overhead. It was a real reminder of what so many of our men & women had to go through during that surprise attack so long ago.

Just a week later & we were back at Dave’s base getting Arielle’s yellow fever vaccine for her missions trip to Peru in August (More on that later). Since it is an hour & a half away, we decided to do a little shopping & have some lunch at Red Robin. It was a very relaxing day.

We took Arielle & Jesse to their first drive-in movie on the last Thursday in May. Again, we had to drive the hour & a half to the city where Dave works to do this. Because the double feature wouldn’t be over until well past 1 am, we decided to stay at billeting on the base there. We brought snacks, drinks, chairs, pillows & blankets & settled in to watch Indiana Jones & Iron Man. Although, we felt Indiana Jones left a bit to be desired, the kids loved the experience & can’t wait to do it again. We didn’t even have to worry about our van’s battery running low, since our MP3 players are equipped with Fm Radios. We did get to our destination early in the evening & decided to go to Abuelo’s Mexican Embassy restaurant for dinner. We had never been & were all very happy with the food there. Arielle said she doesn’t usually like Mexican food that much, but she does have 2 Mexican restaurants that she says are her favorites & she would eat at either one in a heartbeat. Abuelo’s & The Alamo Cafe in San antonio.

Well…that’s the low down on our oh so exciting lives. Until next time… Adios

2007 in Review

Wow! I can’t believe how long it has been since I posted last. I decided I should post what happened since my last post, so here goes on an update to Our Family Life.

As most of you probably know Dave was gone in Korea for almost all of 2006. He returned to us on January 21, 2007 & we had about 1 month with him before he began work at his next duty assignment, which is located about 1 1/2 hours from our home. He commutes for his 24 hour shifts. This has been very difficult on all of us, not to mention with the cost of gas…our pocketbooks have felt the pinch. He is the Assistant Chief for Operations at the Fire Department where he works. Also in February, we celebrated his 40th birthday with a quiet family night at home.

April 25, 2007, Arielle was baptized by her Youth pastor at our church. There were so many of her friends there along with Jesse & I. David, sadly, had to work that day, but Arielle was adamant that she had to be baptized on her birthday. A few days later we celebrated her 18th birthday at a local Japanese restaurant, then presents & cake at home.

On May 19, 2007, Our Little Arielle graduated High School. Our Homeschool group had a graduation ceremony at one of the local churches. My parents were able to come from California to attend. This meant so much to Arielle & us. Each of the 8 graduating seniors presented a slide show highlighting their lives from birth to present. Despite a ceremony awash with overwhelming emotions, each of the graduates parents presented their child with a High School Diploma. A reception followed the ceremony where each of the students had tables set up showcasing their hobbies, sports, interests & school accomplishments. It was such a beautiful & memorable day for all of the graduates, their families & close friends.

In June, David’s parents flew him home to attend his brother Jon’s graduation from the police academy. It was a great surprise to his brother & they all enjoyed a wonderful few days visiting.

Arielle spent the summer as an Intern for House of Faith Ministries. She was there from 8am until past 5pm most days preparing for the Childrens sports day camps & the overnight camps. The Interns were in charge of writing bible lessons, creating skits for the kids to relate to the bible lessons & keeping the children assigned to them in line & most importantly being there to love them. The love of our Lord is what many of these underpriviledged children need most & the House of Faith Ministries is often the only example of His love they see.

Jesse spent part of his summer as a Jr. Intern for House of Faith. He helped out with the football sports day camp & went as a helper for one of the overnight camps. He really wanted to help with all of the camps, but we thought he should wait one more year (age 13) before leaving home for what is essentially 3/4 of the summer.

David & I spent our summer as usual, working & keeping house. I spent the quiet days that the children were gone preparing the next school years lessons & activities & catching up on paperwork that had piled up a bit. David did take a short trip in July to Ohio for AFIT, a Fire Protection Management Applications course.

In September, David was presented with an Air Force Military Fire Officer of the Quarter Award for the months of July through September. Arielle, Jesse & I were very proud of him, but he was humble as usual & didn’t say anything until he brought his plaque home. He then won the award again for the months of October through December & we were elated at how he had been recognized for his outstanding service to his country.

The last 4 months of 2007 were very busy for us.In October, David went to Eagle Flag, an Air Force level expeditionary Combat Support Exercise at Fort Dix in New Jersey. He lived in a tent & practiced his combat skills for 11 days. Afterwards, his parents picked him up & took him home for a brief visit with his family & friends.

On October 7, Jesse & I flew to California to attend my niece Kimberly’s wedding at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. The wedding ceremony & reception were Phenominal! She & her husband, Dustin, were wed in the center of the “African Plains”. We stayed with my brother Ricky from the 7th to the 10th & then drove up for a couple of days to visit with my parents before Ricky, Kandy & Erick picked us up to get us to the San Diego Airport for our return flight home. Ricky & Kandy took us on a San Diego harbor tour that was terrific. It was such a beautiful day for October. Jesse was in heaven with all the puppies at both houses. He couldn’t get enough of them.

In November, David attended the USAF Incident Management Course in Montgomery Alabama. While he was away, I celebrated my 41st birthday. Jesse made me a “cake” (made of paper) & Arielle treated Jesse & I to Cheddars for a family dinner. Sadly, On November 23, 2007, my Grawmie, Edna, past away at the age of 87. I flew back alone on November 29 to attend her funeral on the 30th. I was able to see several of my relatives that I hadn’t seen in years. I just wish it had been for a happier occasion.

On December 6, 2007, Jesse received a new pet as a gift from my brother & S.I.L., Ricky & Kandy. A shiny new High White Albino Nelson’s Milk Snake! Jesse decided since he is a boy, his name is Nelson. He is a very docile snake, with beautiful markings. Jesse feeds him a tiny frozen mouse once a week (occasionally, Mom must feed him).

Our Thanksgiving & Christmas holidays were quietly spent at home enjoying a few moments of peace & reflection in todays hectic existence. Arielle cooked Thanksgiving dinner again this year. Arielle made fudge as our only Christmas baked good this year to give to our friends & neighbors. Dave worked on Christmas Eve, but returned early on Christmas morning to enjoy our traditional cinnamon roll wreath breakfast before opening gifts. Then I prepared Chistmas dinner. After dinner, we watched The Nativity movie.

A few days before the New Year 2008, my brother & S.I.L., Danny & Eileen together with my nieces, Abbie & Ellie, came to visit our humble home. We really enjoyed their short visit & were sad to see them leave.

We received free tickets from the base for the Armed Forces Bowl in Dallas on December 31. This was Jesse, Arielle & my first time at a semi-pro game. It was very exciting for all, even though we got stuck in traffic & missed the opening ceremony with an Air Force fighter jet fly over. (Sadly, we didn’t take any pictures at the bowl, but did get a picture in front of a house that we parked near!)

We rang in 2008 together at home, watching how all of the countries around the world celebrate the New Year & when the ball dropped for the Central Time Zone, we toasted to a Wonderful New Year with some Egg Nog & shared hugs & kisses.

Well, this ends the review of our year 2007. We want to wish all of you, our family & friends a fantastic, God Blessed, fulfilling New Year 2008! Praise our Lord for another year to do His good works.

Love,
David, Heather, Arielle & Jesse

Love Letter

My Child…
You may not know me, but I know everything about you …Psalm 139:1
I know when you sit down and when you rise up …Psalm 139:2
I am familiar with all your ways …Psalm 139:3
Even the very hairs on your head are numbered…Matthew 10:29-31
For you were made in my image …Genesis 1:27
In me you live and move and have your being …Acts 17:28
For you are my offspring …Acts 17:28
I knew you even before you were conceived …Jeremiah 1:4-5
I chose you when I planned creation …Ephesians 1:11-12
You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book…Psalm 139:15-16
I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live …Acts 17:26
You are fearfully and wonderfully made …Psalm 139:14
I knit you together in your mother’s womb …Psalm 139:13
And brought you forth on the day you were born …Psalm 71:6
I have been misrepresented by those who don’t know me …John 8:41-44
I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love…1 John 4:16
And it is my desire to lavish my love on you …1 John 3:1
Simply because you are my child and I am your Father …1 John 3:1
I offer you more than your earthly father ever could …Matthew 7:11
For I am the perfect father …Matthew 5:48
Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand…James 1:17
For I am your provider and I meet all your needs …Matthew 6:31-33
My plan for your future has always been filled with hope …Jeremiah 29:11
Because I love you with an everlasting love …Jeremiah 31:3
My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore …Psalms 139:17-18
And I rejoice over you with singing …Zephaniah 3:17
I will never stop doing good to you …Jeremiah 32:40
For you are my treasured possession …Exodus 19:5
I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul …Jeremiah 32:41
And I want to show you great and marvelous things …Jeremiah 33:3
If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me …Deuteronomy 4:29
Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart …Psalm 37:4
For it is I who gave you those desires …Philippians 2:13
I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine …Ephesians 3:20
For I am your greatest encourager …2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles …2 Corinthians 1:3-4
When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you …Psalm 34:18
As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart …Isaiah 40:11
One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes …Revelation 21:3-4
And I’ll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth …Revelation 21:3-4
I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus …John 17:23
For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed …John 17:26
He is the exact representation of my being …Hebrews 1:3
He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you…Romans 8:31
And to tell you that I am not counting your sins …2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled …2 Corinthians 5:18-19
His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you…1 John 4:10
I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love …Romans 8:31-32
If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me …1 John 2:23
And nothing will ever separate you from my love again …Romans 8:38-39
Come home and I’ll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen …Luke 15:7
I have always been Father, and will always be Father …Ephesians 3:14-15
My question is…Will you be my child? …John 1:12-13
I am waiting for you …Luke 15:11-32
…Love, Your Dad,
Almighty God

Knit one Pearl two

I ended up at the hospital with Jesse last night. Living in Texas has brought new dangers to him. All his friends have army knives, so we got him one. Well…of course, he had to sharpen it. Hmmm…Knife + 11 year old = …Nah, that is not a disaster waiting to happen! Ok, 3 sutures on the joint of his left thumb isn’t so bad, he could have cut the whole thing off! Anyway, we saw the same funny doctor that took the plastic pellet out of his ear a few months ago, so Jesse actually is beginning to enjoy the ER, not such a good thing for Mom though! lol