Continue reading »]]> In the car the other day, we were playing the alphabet game by saying something nice about people in our family. We get through A-D and it was L’s turn to go with E. C leans back to suggest something nice about me and here is their conversation:

C: (whispering) tell Mommy she has pretty eyes
L: What?! No! Mommy makes good eggs!
Me: laughing…thanks L
C: You can still tell her that too!
L: No, that’s not nice to say to Mommy! Mommy, C wants me to tell you that you have Bloody eyes!
C: No, I said pretty eyes, not bloody eyes!!!
These kids crack us up!!!

H: Momma, can I have some chips? The ones with red on the bag?!(showing me a Fritos bag)
Me: yes, those are called Fritos
H: (opens bag and stands a chip on end) Momma, is this the ‘Freet” part and where are the “toes?!”
Me: (quietly laughing because he is sensitive to people laughing at things he say) Honey, those are just “Fritos”
H: oh, huh, FRITOS! (Pause for a moment) So where are the “toes?!”

“I didn’t mean to lock it, it just locked!” Sometimes in the midst of parenting you find yourself in need of a pair if bolt cutters or a spy…because a little someone gets curious about the lock to the shed…the one in which the mower resides, the one in which the keys to the shed are currently.

Another Awkward moment brought to you by the letter H! After telling H not to give the water softener guy a hug because we don’t know him, H proceeds to tell him by name:
H: Hey Eric!
Eric: yeah!
H: um, my mom doesn’t want me to give you a hug.
***I am officially hiding in my pantry until he leaves***

Me: (me singing) I like to move it, move it!
H: no! Don’t sing, “I like to move it, move it!”
Me: How come?!
H: because…it makes me want to shake my booty!

“I called God, Corban and telled him you are being mean!” Hayden

Since Bible Class was canceled tonight we read the story of Esther to the kids at home. When we asked questions about the plan to kill the Jews of all ages – old, young, women & children, Corban replied with, “How rude!”

It’s the little things in life that bring so much joy! Like for instance: Being envious of my 7 years olds ability to “limbo” under a bathroom stall(this being an entirely different story) especially when my 4 year old has locked himself in the potty at Target(while needing my assistance…ahem) to which I decide to forgo any “limboing” and just shake the door until it comes loose. My 4 year old sharing with the people at the Running store that he is currently wearing “Incredible” underwear along with his cowboy boots and he is ready for the “Cowboy BarBQ at church.” And my 5 year old holding her breath at the dinner table until it turns bright red and eventually tells us she is an “angry buffalo ready to charge.” I think I need to submit an entry to Reader’s Digest…it can be listed under the column “All in a Day’s work!”
On the way to school this morning:

L: (singing Baby Your a firework)
C: oh brother! You are being annoying…you are getting on my nerds!
Me: oh really! What are your nerds?
C: I don’t know…they’re in my brain
H: I have nuts in my brain!
Me: really?! How did that happen?
H: that’s just how God made me!

Continue reading »]]> We are about to be entering another new phase of life. After this summer, I will have all 3 kids in public school. I distinctly remember thinking that when they were babies that I would be changing diapers for the rest of my life and life would be stuck on rinse, wash, repeat forever. Don’t get me wrong, I have loved parts of each stage of having children, but when they are so small and defenseless and uncommunicable, life can be overwhelming a lot of the time. Now that we are entering the world of guiding them through new experiences away from us most of the day I often find myself feeling sad that they are growing up so quickly. I long for more snuggles and cherish each moment that feels like everything else in the world easily fades into the background. I feel like I have literally watched them morph from cute baby chubbiness to sweet, sometimes stubborn & curious little people over night. Their hands are so precious and their voices are so small(maybe not in the car, but you get my drift).

They are changing.

We are changing.

Life is changing.

I want to remember it all. I want to tell them how they make my world so good. I want to make time stand still and store it in a box that I can pull out on a rainy day to push replay. Sounds simple, especially in our world of high technology, but thankfully not possible. I know that there would not be enough data storage available, nor time to relive these moments. So, I just thank God that I am getting to live them in real time. I thank God for the tears of joy and sorrow and I thank God for another tomorrow! God is so Good!

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Healthy Shrimp Scampi with Spinach & WHole Wheat pasta

Ingredients

4 tsp olive oil
1 TBSP Butter
1 1/4 pounds med shrimp, peeled (tails left on) and deveined
6-8 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup minced parsley
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Whole Wheat pasta noodles, cooked

Directions

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil and butter alternative. Saute the shrimp until just pink, 2-3 min. Add the garlic and cook stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. With a slotted spoon transfer the shrimp to a platter, keep hot.

In the skillet, combine the broth, wine, lemon juice, 1/4 cup of the parsley, the salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Boil, uncovered, until the sauce is reduced by half; remove from heat. Add spinach to sauce until it turns bright green, then add cooked noodles and shrimp to skillet.

Enjoy!

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A Spicy Twist on Traditional Chicken Salad

Continue reading »]]> This recipe is inspired by my never-ending love for chocolate and my extreme obsession for most all things coconut mixed with my compulsion to try to make everything a tiny bit healthier.

Ingredients

8 oz. Dark Chocolate Almond Butter

1 cup quick oats

1/2 cup agave nectar

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

1/2-1 whole cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions

Mix the first four ingredients together, then roll into 24 small mounds coating them with shredded coconut. Store in airtight container in refrigerator or freezer.

Continue reading »]]> Hi Everyone! I have had several participate with me on Facebook to complete the 2 week Meal Planning Challenge. The first week we shared our favorite dinners and ways that we can make them “healthier.” I also posted some healthy side recipe ideas for those wanting to mix things up a bit. Some people posted recipes to share with everyone! It was great to see ideas getting sparked. It seems to be a great forum for those who get stumped when it comes to planning, saving, using all their groceries before they go bad among other great topics. So great job and keep it up!

This week I am posting my week of dinner ideas below so you can see how I plan out my week. Since most everyone who participated successfully planned out their week of dinners I decided to broaden our planning to adding in meal planning for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner. On our 2 Week Meal Planning Challenge Facebook page I posted my sample of this weeks Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner. The challenge for those participating this week is to submit their menu’s for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner and I will choose one to feature on my blog next Sunday. So stay tuned for some awesome menu’s all for your viewing! If you want to join us, just search on Facebook for 2 Week Meal Planning Challenge and I will add you to our group. Can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with…my mouth is already watering!

Dinner Ideas for this week

Sunday - Taco Soup – http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-taco-soup/

Monday – Butternut Squash Coconut Soup – http://easynaturalfood.com/2011/10/29/butternut-squash-soup-w-coconut-milk/

Tuesday – Leftovers

Wednesday – Broccoli Beef Stir Fry with Brown rice – http://www.food.com/recipe/healthy-beef-and-broccoli-stir-fry-240716

Thursday – Chicken Alfredo with Brown rice noodles – http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=2101784

Friday – Whole Wheat Homemade pizzas topped with chicken, feta cheese, homemade sauce & veggies – http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=64550

Saturday – Thanksgiving Dinner with Family

Continue reading »]]> Who wants to join me in a Two Week Meal Planning Challenge?! It is a great way to save money at the grocery store and cinch back a belt size during the holiday hustle and bustle. Meal planning doesn’t have to be a big chore or need to be a week full of labor intense meals. It can be as simple as looking ahead on your week and finding a quick and easy way to fit in your favorite family meals.

For example, my family loves chili this time of year, but we don’t always want to eat red meat. So for a simple healthy swap we trade out the ground beef for ground turkey.

Okay, so here is the challenge.

1. You are to start off by planning out your dinners for a whole week. Yes, 7 days. 1 meal of the week can be marked as “Dine out.”

Tips for planning:

- Grab 2 blank sheets of paper. One for writing down the menu for 7 days that can be placed on your fridge for easy access. And one for your grocery list.
- Do a quick scan of what you already have in your fridge and pantry so that you don’t forget key ingredients
- You may also want to plan to make double recipes so you can have leftovers for easy lunches or freeze the extra for a quick and easy dinner later in the week.
- Don’t worry if you plan to make one particular meal on Monday night and you have to “Dine out” instead. Just move that meal to the “Dine out” spot on your fridge calendar. The schedule is not set in stone, just a plan to help you eliminate some stress at dinner time.

Who is with me?! I do hope you will join me and let me know how you are doing on the challenge. Also, if you have any favorite healthy dishes that you want to share, please do! Can’t wait to see you all be successful!

Recipe of the week - Beefed Up Mini-Wraps




Ingredients

8 thin Roast beef slices
2 small avacados
2 cups raw spinach leaves
2 small apples
1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

Directions

Place beef slices on smooth surface. Spread avocado over each piece of meat.  Layer with spinach & apple wedges.  Sprinkle with rosemary & oregano.  Roll carefully to create wraps.

Continue reading »]]> Soccer season is afoot (Pun intended) and we are loving every bit of it!  The competition level has been stepped up a notch and so has the challenges of juggling coaching and parenting at the same time.  Joshua is coaching Corban’s team while I am coaching Landice’s team. It is surreal to see how much the kids have changed and grown just since last season. They are faster, funnier and and a little more insistent that they know what they are doing without our help. I cannot relate to this at all:)!  My Dad coached me during a few years of my recreational soccer days.

Along with coaching our own kids comes adding new kids to the mix with new personalities. I had to laugh when some of the boys challenged Joshua with asking him if he can “arm-fart.” He was quick to respond with “I use to think that was fun when I was a kid” which immediately skyrocketed his status to just under superhero. The kids immediately asked him to do it with them and he just replied with “I think it was more fun when I was a kid.” I can only imagine their dejected looks pondering a day that “arm-farting” would no longer be fun.

I am having so much fun co-coaching with another mom on Landice’s team.  It has been at least a year since Landice played her first season of soccer.  She is much more taken with the game now that she is older and can play with her friends from school.  Getting to coach your own kids a unique experience.  Finding a balance of mom/coach can be challenging, but it is fun to see them progress in practice and in the games.  It is weird to look at the team picture of the girls because I can catch a small glimpse of a more teenage version of my sweet baby girl.  They are growing up too fast.