I did it! I did it!

I made my own "Larabars"!!

I've had the intention to do it for a long time, but finally did it today.

It's so easy. Kinda fun. And very frugal. Here is the mixed up and rolled out blob of dates and nuts.

I simply threw some dates into my mini-food processor and then into a bowl. Next in the food processor went the nuts. I mixed them together with my hands and then rolled it all out with a rolling pin, of course :)

Next, I sliced them and individually wrapped them in cling wrap.
I made two different flavors today-the cashew cookie, and banana bread. The cashew cookie flavor was simply cashews and dates.
The banana bread flavor was almonds, dates, and bananas. I'm keeping those in the freezer.
While they don't taste EXACTLY like the real Larabars,( I need to adjust my nut to date ratio) they are scrumptious. I think today I will make the Peanut Butter cookie flavor and Pecan Pie flavor.
Peanut butter cookie flavor consists of peanuts and dates.
Pecan Pie flavor contains pecans, almonds, and dates.
Other yummy versions to come in the near future:
lemon bar
pistachio
apple pie
cinnamon
coffee & cocoa

EIGHT YEARS? wow. REALLY? yup.

I've got a feeling that many of the people who read this know the dilly-o about our marriage. It's a pretty unique story. Some think we've made parts of it up. Not so.

For those who don't know, or for those who need a recap, here it goes.

It was 2001. I drove out to Colorado from Wisconsin that February. He drove out from Louisiana that July.

I was working at a Rehab and Wellness Center wayyyyyyyy up in the mountains. One EARLY July morning (5:45 am), with my still wet hair pulled back into a ponytail, face sans makeup, donning an unflattering scrubs uniform, and eyes half open from exhaustion, we met.

Romantic, huh?Not quite!

He was assigned to "shadow" me for the day, since he was the new guy. We worked our 12 hours shift together, doing seriously mundane and mind-numbing tasks.

By the end of our 12 hour shift, he pulled out a phonebook from behind the nurse's station, and expressed his interest in finding a vegetarian restaurant to take me to.
I was flabbergasted. Shocked. Almost offended. Ok-very offended.
After turning 12 shades of red I think I was able to utter, "um, I'll think about it."
When I was really thinking, "What?! He's known me for 12 hours and is asking me out! Does he think I'm easy!?"
Skip to 6 weeks later on September 8th (Bruce's birthday). He proposed. I accepted.
Skip to 8 more weeks later on November 17th.
We were married in Green Mountain Falls, Colorado in front of family, friends, naysayers, and doubters, and skeptics.
Our first kiss was when the pastor said, "You may now kiss the bride."
Yup. From meeting to marriage it was a grand total of 4 months.
Here we are 8 years later. Bruce's son Tyler was 14 when he moved in with us. He's now 19 and in college.
Our daughter Trinity is now 6 years old.
It's been an interesting adventure full of unique experiences and we're determined to make it last NO MATTER WHAT.
Why?
Because marriage is a covenant. Not a contract.
Love you Bruce!!

Is that a football?!

Check out this beauty!

That right there is 2.63 lbs of sweet potato goodness. Isn't she glorious?!

Last night Bruce and I went to the grocery store and about 3.7 seconds after I got done telling him how much I've been loving sweet potatoes, this monstrous tuber caught my eye. Right then and there I knew I had to have her. *sigh*

My phone is there for size comparison.

Of course I won't be able to eat her all in one sitting. So, I decided that the options of fries, chips, and baked like a normal potato would work best.

I cut a third of her into fries and chips. The other two-thirds mass is in the fridge awaiting my next craving.
MMMMM....even Dora and Boots are excited to try some! Look at them grabbing for my fries!
And here is a yummy sweet potato chip. I decided to season them differently. Some have Cajun seasoning, while others have either cinammon or chili powder.
A short lesson in vegetology (yes it's a word): Yams and sweet potatoes are NOT the same vegetable. Botanically, they are not even related.
It bugs the snot out of me when sweet potatoes are advertised as "YAMS."
I'm hit again with the inaccuracy when I get my receipt....2.63 lb YAM, or when I see cans of Bruce's Yams (yes that's an actual brand!).
I want to proclaim,"NO, IT'S NOT A YAM!" (click for a picture)
Yams can grow up to 8 feet in length and weigh up to 154 lbs,
and although my football sized sweet potato is pretty darn big for her species, she is in no way a yam.
Anyway, since it's nearly Thanksgiving, be sure to get plenty of sweet potatoes and make them in creative ways. They are oh so healthy and chock full of vitamins A &C, B6, and fiber.

Dinner and Indian Summer

For those who are concerned about vegans obtaining adequate nutrition, behold a salubrious (look it up) and delicious meal!

Black eyed peas: great source of fiber and protein, calcium, potassium, folate, and iron

Spinach: wonderful source of vitamins A and K, protein, decent source of iron, good source of calcium, and yes, more fiber!

Carrots: another good source of fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, folate, and potassium

Brown rice: another good source of potassium, fiber, protein, calcium, and manganese.

So, yes, we can get more than adequate amounts of calcium and protein without eating animal or animal by-products, which seems to be a concern of non-vegans.

A gorgeous 70 degree day in November. Rare. Appreciated. Taken advantage of.
Picking up shells that have washed ashore.

Family and Friends

Family and Friends....the two most important things that I've been blessed to have on this earth.

After all, life is all about relationships isn't it?

We develop and nurture our relationship with God and learn to treat others how He wants us to.

That's it. :)

Anyway, Trinity had her birthday party today.

Several of her friends couldn't make it, but we still had TONS of fun!

Yes, we went rollerskating! I cannot remember the last time I went, but the skillz were still in tact! And the smell of the rink brought back lots of childhood memories. Does every rollerskating rink smell the same?!

Trinity and her buddy Christian. Technically, I think he was her first friend :)

And then there's my family. I look quite tall since I had skates on, and Tyler and Bruce didn't.
Tyler and his 2 buddies actually got on some skates and got out on the rink. Of course Bruce had to bribe him with $20 to do it, but hey, I think he had fun!

I am flippin' exhausted. I forgot how much of a workout skating could be. What fun!

Freebies!!!

We ALL love freebies, right? Right.

While perusing the Bragg website I stumbled across the free sample section.

Ooooh! I had always wanted to try nutritional yeast, but didn't want to buy a whole container only to have it go to waste in case I didn't like it.

So, problem solved. I filled out the info on the website and a few weeks later-voila!

My nutritional yeast, liquid aminos, Sea Kelp seasoning, and organic spice pack arrived.

I have no photo of the nutritional yeast, because in my excitement and impatience, I used it right away.

I like it-ALOT! So, thank you to everyone at Bragg for the freebies. I will soon be purchasing a more substantial package of vitamin B packed nutritional yeast :)

My baby's birthday :)

Well, she's not a "baby," but she'll always be MY baby.

Thanks be to God that she is over her illness and has regained her appetite, her energy, and her voice.

My dad ordered Trinity's birthday cake and it is LOVELY.

I wish I could tell you how it tastes, but of course with my intolerances I will never know.

I'm confident that it's as delicious as it is beautiful.

It even came with the crown.
And here's the birthday princess with her newly adorned cake-some Dora toys. That was her personal touch. Silly girl.

Thanks so much for all the birthday wishes and gifts!

I highly recommend Suzanne from Suzanne's Sweet Artistry out of Belleville, Wisconsin if you want a tasty, unique, and gorgeous cake.

The number is 608-424-1963

Her website is www.sweetsuzannes.com

happy birthday-part one

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRINITY ROSE!!

I've been quite lax on my blog posting lately.....many ideas, just no motivation. I've been dealing with a very ill little girl. Ugh.

After her soccer game last Saturday (at which she scored another goal) she had no appetite and was a bit lethargic.

Late that evening she had no appetite whatsoever and was feverish. On Monday she completely lost her voice :(

So, after 5 days and 2 visits to medical facilities (because I'm a worrier, ahem, I mean very thorough), the fever broke and she regained her voice!

The 4 day fever had me very concerned and the laryngitis had Trinity upset. I think it freaked her out a bit.

In the end, the nasty cold that caused 5 sleepless nights, 5 days of missed school, a loss of one voice, and a nasty fever and cough, was all a distracting prelude to her 6th birthday!!

I don't know what it is about the month of October,but she was very ill this time last year also.

THAT trend better end NOW!

Birthday pics will come later of course.

See you soon!!

NERDS

Quote for the day:

"It's funny how all you food nerds read each others food blogs and look at each others nerd food." by Bruce.

awww....thanks, Honey!

Superfood

Generally, Trinity is not a juice drinker. She's a water girl all the way, all day.

But, when I was shopping yesterday I spotted some Pink Poetry Odwalla juice with no added sugar and thought it might be a nice treat for her. Mostly because it was VERY pink-nearly glowing, and pink is her favorite color.

For 11 ounces of pure juice and a few added plant extracts, it didn't cost too much either. ($1.50)

I wanted to get a shot of how gorgeously pink it was, but that little chica chugged it down so fast, I didn't have a chance!

I was actually surprised she liked it so much, since it was a bit too tart for me.

Ingredients: plums, apples, oranges, banana, cherry, pink guava, hibiscus, cranberry, green tea extract, rose hips, vitamin E, vitamin C and ferrous sulfate(iron).

So, I guess from now on it will be a twice a week treat that can be sent to school in her lunchbox.

Oh Vinnie-How do I love thee?

Let me count the ways....

As in VINEGAR, you sillies....sheesh!

Anyway, This is probably the most versatile liquid known to mankind, aside from water. It is cheap, abundant, and non-toxic.

What other household cleaner can you use in your hair, on your face, in the toilet, and as a salad dressing?

There are literally thousands of uses for vinegar, white, apple cider, balsamic, and many others. Let me share with you the ways in which I use it daily.

(I keep a 70/30 ratio of vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Very handy.)

1-disinfect fruits and vegetables.

2-disinfect countertops in bathroom and kitchen(Vinegar has been shown to kill 80 percent of viruses, 82 percent of mold, and 99 percent of bacteria.)

3-clean out lyme-crusted coffee pot (white vinegar only)

4-fabric softener in the rinse cycle of the the wash (white vinegar only)

5-facial astringent. oh my gosh! the first time I used this (sprayed onto a cotton ball) I was like "ewwww, look at that!" Then I was like, "Dang! that really works!!"

6-hair conditioner. spray on. let soak for a few minutes. rinse. happy hair!

7-clean toilet bowl

8-balsamic vinegar and olive oil for salad dressing

9-clean toilet bowl

10-cleaning windows and mirrors

One use I'm super psyched to implement is to use it as an ice preventer on the windshield of the car!! YEAH-I'm sure I'll get to use this soon. NOT psyched about that.

Spray onto windshield the night before the anticipated freeze, and your windshield should be ice free in the morning, saving you time and frustration as you get ready to leave for the day.

A great website with more tips on how to use vinegar can be found

HERE

Leftovers with lentils

It's raining, it's pouring, my husband is snoring

It's cold outside

Leftovers cry,

"I want to make your tummy warm-y"

Lame, I know, but the original version of that song was stuck in my head due to current circumstances. Yes, it's raining. Yes, my husband is snoring. He works nights, so he's allowed to be asleep at 10 in the morning!

Remember all those roasted veggies from a few days ago, well, after the initial big serving, I was snacking on them throughout the past few days and barely made a dent.

How to convert them to leftovers?

A-HA!

Cook up some lentils and throw them in the pot, too. I added even more veggies like tomatoes, onions, and spinach.

What a nutritional powerhouse of a meal, eh?

In the pot with all the veggies

I've got a total of 11 veggies going on here.

Got your steel-toe boots on?

Cuz I have a feelin' I'm gonna be "steppin on some toes" here.

*DISCLAIMER* This is not meant to be a personal attack on anyone's beliefs or practices; merely another perspective to consider.

With keeping in line with the title of my little ole bloggy, let me remind you that "perspective is everything." Most of the time, people will default to a perspective that is based on their own personal experiences. That's cool, but...

Ideally, it is my personal goal to have a perspective in line with God's personal perspective, as is represented in the Bible.

O.K., the subject at hand: halloween. *big sigh*

There are A LOT of perspectives, opinions, and attitudes about halloween both in the Christian and the secular world.

There is also a lot of history surrounding halloween, which can be pretty obscure and debatable. For that reason, I'm going to leave the history aspect of this "holiday" out of the equation. There are a lot of websites and books that have different historical data about the origin, the purpose, and the evolution of the day. Some also explain how this pagan celebration coincides with the Christian celebration All Saints Day, which honors Christ's believers through the years.

Some find halloween to be a benign, auspicious celebration with no spiritual ramifications or consequences. That is one perspective. But, what is God's perspective?

Imagine for a few minutes, you are in Israel 2000 years ago. Seriously.....picture yourself in your little town, maybe it's Bethlehem or Nazareth. If you're more the big city type, maybe you'd live in Jerusalem with a great view of the temple.

It's early evening and after a long day of working at your particular trade and having a meal with your family, you step out the front door of your flat-roofed home with dirt floors. The desert sun is finally starting to recede for the day and you take in a deep breath to relax and reflect. You overhear neighbors conversing in Hebrew, Aramaic, or Latin.

Some, like you, are new followers of the controversial man Jesus of Nazareth. Maybe you were a heathen and had previously worshipped the gods of the Greeks. Maybe you were born into a religious Jewish family and were brought up hearing and believing the teachings of the Torah.

You and all the new believers are all convinced Jesus is truly the Son of God, and are excited that He has provided the Messiah in your lifetime. You become a part of "the Way" and are enthusiastic and committed to representing Jesus in any and EVERY way, as He commands.

Now, on this particular evening there is extra excitement in the air. There is some sort of event going on, and you can hear from neighboring courtyards children begging their parents to hurry to get ready. You walk out of your courtyard to investigate what is going on. You see homes decorated with fake witches, goblins, devils, vampires, and other monsters. There are fake skeletons hanging from trees, and huge spiders clinging to fake cobwebs on doorposts-the motivation being to induce fear and an atmosphere of spookiness.

Some of the children are dressed similar to the decorations. Some are dressed in more benign costumes like animals and fishermen.

They are soon sent out to go house to house asking for treats....maybe back then the treats would be candied figs or raisins. :)

As you stand back assessing what is going on, you see The Master! He and his disciples are walking through the town. Maybe they are going to have dinner with a new believer, or maybe on their way back from delivering someone from evil spirits.

What must He think of this parade of spiritual mockery? It's as though by making light of these things and minimizing the spiritual influence of demons and real witches, His work is parodied.
I think He is probably looking at those involved with compassion and some sadness. Compassion because of their spiritual naivete, and sadness because all the decorations endorse fear of death, when as His believers, we should have no fear of death whatsoever.

Do you really think the disciples who walked with the Lord would participate in this "holiday"? Or would they and He, renounce it, and use it as an opportunity to teach more about living for God and being different than the world?

When you walk back to your home and greet your family what are they doing? Are they too dressed as those very things Jesus came to invalidate and counteract? Are they too on their way to a party where games are played that induce fear and promote superstition?

Again, both of those things are contrary to Jesus's work and teachings about renouncing the occult, witchcraft, and all spiritual manipulation.

Could you invite Him in to visit on this night? What would He see you and your children doing? How would He see your house decorated?

Would he laugh and brush off that you choose to dress "questionably," watch movies about evil spirits and witchcraft, play Ouija boards and Tarot cards.

I understand not everyone celebrates halloween this way.

Usually, the little ones are dressed as princesses and Bob the Builder, but how do you explain to your child as you take him door to gruesomely-decorated door, that we don't believe that stuff is ok, we're just here to have fun and get candy? So, don't be scared, Honey, it's just for fun.
Really? Fun? hmmm.

And as they grow into pre-teens and are invited to halloween parties with the spooky movies and death-oriented decorations, are they still going to want to dress as princesses and construction workers? It can get hazy and confusing.

A common attitude of teenagers and adults about halloween is summed up in a quote from the movie "Mean Girls."

" In the real world Halloween was a time for little kids to dress up in scary costumes. In girl world it was the one night a year a girl could dress like a total slut and no other girls could say anything about it."

Dramatic? Over the top? Exaggerating? I wish. Sadly true, actually.

Maybe you are convinced that by separating your little ones from the "holiday" all the other children are participating in, you are going to traumatize them or have them end up resenting you. If that's really your motivation for your and their involvement, perhaps you could create an alternative to this worldly celebration.

Have a special day for your kids and their friends where you can all dress up and play games that have nothing to do with superstition and fear. I know Trinity's been to several like this already! Many churches have harvest parties to distract from the secular celebrations.

I have a hard time compromising what Jesus taught and expects us to exemplify, and being involved in things that represent things contrary to His teaching.

(John 15:19, 1 John 2:15, Matthew 7:13-14)

You can choose how and if you will be involved in halloween, and if you are, please, as a representative of Christ, honor HIM.

Falling for Roasted Veggies

Oooooh, it's an awesome Fall day for letting the oven warm up the house and enjoying the smells coming from therein!

After Trinity's soccer game, (at which she made a GOAL!!!), we came home and

I decided to roast a bunch of veggies and threw in tons of garlic! mmmm hmmm!

I drizzled all these glorious vegetables with olive oil and sprinkled them with some salt and pepper. This is pre-roasting:

This is post-roasting:
This is my personal bowl of earthy goodness.
I've got a bit of broccoli,cauliflower,yellow squash,sweet potato,brussel sprouts,carrots,baby red potatoes, and garlic.
When it was all ready to eat, I topped it off with a little bit of nutritional yeast-a great source of B vitamins for us vegans.
There are a lot more things I was planning on throwing in there(bell peppers, onions,parsnips, &beets,) but ran out of room....my roasting pan is only so big :)
I may just whip up some gluten free pumpkin muffins a little later.
Want one?

A more Beautiful You

I've heard this song alot on the radio lately, and every time I hear it, its message becomes more powerful.
As a mom of a nearly 6 year old daughter, who has already been concerned with "looking pretty" when a picture is taken, I'm very diligent about letting her know she's beautiful the way she is, because of WHO she is.
This world around us bombards us with images of airbrushed unrealistic "perfection." It's sad.
I really wish this song would have been around when I was growing up....I think it would have prevented me from some pretty self-destructive attitudes and behaviors.
I pray that all of you with little girls will listen to this song, WITH your daughter and talk about it, too.
My new plan is to print out these lyrics and tape them to her bedroom door, so that she grows up learning these lyrics and keeping them in her heart.

Great Wolf Good times

Yes, this will be my 3rd post about our Great Wolf adventures.

I can't help it....it's always a great time and we LOVE making Trinity happy.

Going up to Wisconsin Dells was a surprise to Trinity, and her reaction once we told her was worth the torture we endured by keeping it a secret!

After a couple hours of waterpark fun, we got dressed up and headed to downtown Dells to go to the Moosejaw restaurant. They accomodated my food allergies beautifully. I was assured that the baked potato, steamed broccoli, and in-house freshly made salsa would not touch another piece of food in the kitchen and would be allergen-free.

The waitress was very patient as I explained exactly what I needed and checked up on me regularly to make sure it was up to my standards. God Bless her!

Bed jumping? Us?! Of COURSE!
Gramma Donna joined in, too :)
She mastered this thing so well, eventually she didn't need to hang on, and could cross in about 5 seconds!
In the wave pool with Gramma Donna and Papa Bob. We even convinced them to ride the howlin' TORNADO, which is a toilet bowl shaped ride that is 4 stories high and will take your breath away both climbing the stairs and being "flushed" down! (click the orange tornado link. You'll see why the whole time on the ride, my mom was screaming "WHAT!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? WHAT?!")
The first day of the visit from our Colorado family. They came to Trinity's soccer game all geared up! Do they look related or what?

I love how statuesque I feel standing next to my sub-5 foot tall mom. She's convinced I'm taller than 5'3". I'm not. She's just not convinced she's only 4'10"!!

I admit, I have a bit of a waterpark hangover. It really takes a lot out of you dodging waves in the wave pool, hauling your tubes up 4 stories of stairs to ride the tornado which is over in about 12 seconds, and playing air hockey in the arcade ;)

We LOVE the Great Wolf and I'm sure will be back very soon.

Happy Friday

It's Friday already-again!

Now that I'm back to work, the weeks seem to fly by.

Trinity has another soccer game tomorrow! My MOM and stepdad are driving in from Colorado and should be at the game! She is gonna LOVE that. :)

Today I took a trip back to the Willy St. Co-op to get some hard to find (around here) goodies.

Generally I stick to fresh unprocessed stuff--about 80 % of the time, but I do make exceptions. As long as the processing is minimal and not drowning in sugar and preservatives, I'm not gonna deny myself :)

Today I got some more Larabars, a Cliff Z kid granola bar for Trinity, kale, an avocado, some protein powder (to add to my morning hot rice cereal), gluten free noodles, and tempeh.

Also, as soon as I get a decent food processor, I'm going to start making my own Lara-type bars.

I mean, why not, it's just nuts, fruit, and spices! No cooking, dehydrating, chilling, or freezing involved.

I had never had tempeh (fermented soybeans) before and actually really enjoyed it.

Thankfully I'm not allergic to or intolerant of soy-I love edamame, homemade soy yogurt, and now tempeh :)

My gratefulness is heightened by the fact that I've concluded, based on trial and error, that I'm also intolerant of corn. *sigh*

OOOOH-I almost forgot. I stopped at the hyuge St. Vinnies store next to the Willy St. Coop and got some super cute Wisconsin sweatpants. Go Badgers!

I'll feature those in another post along with all the other really great thrift store finds I've purchased in the past month.

Are you ready for some Futbol?!!

Yes, I spelled "Futbol" correctly....that's the spanish word for soccer :)

Today was Trinity's first soccer game ever and it went much better than we expected!

We were fully anticipating her to be the "meltdown" kid. You know, the one who runs off the field mid-play in frustration and/or embarrassment.

We were pleasantly surprised that she was NOT the meltdown kid (yes, there was one), but instead had a fabulous time playing!

Coaches are giving a pep talk after the "gear check." shinguards? check. cleats? check.
GO Trinity!!

Waiting mid-field to have it passed to her

She and Elijah were always rotated in at the same time and play really well off each other.

She's getting ready to steal it.

Getting ready to make the pass after it went out of bounds.

WHOA! brakes!

She is hysterical. Every time she'd kick the ball she would say "Hi-Yah!" as if she were karate chopping the ball. She's loud, too!

Again, she and Elijah working together. They're also in the same kindergarten class.

So, all in all, it was a great game and she had lots of fun. Which, of course is the most imortant part of playing :)

Justifying the Junk

Some people have asked why I've taken such a "sudden" interest in health,nutrition, a chemical-free, and frugal lifestyle.
It's not sudden really, it has been evolving gradually over the past 10 years or so to where I am now, and has COMPLETELY been a result of "following my gut." Total double entendre, considering all my (former) digestive problems, as well as questioning all the commercialized cleaning and beauty products we use day to day.
And....I've always been kinda frugal. It's my nature.

As far as food and beauty products, I used to be one of those "normal" people that didn't really give a second thought to the chemicals in the food I was consuming or in the products I was using on my body. It's how I grew up, what I was used to, and it was the "norm." I didn't really know any other way, and all those people that only ate organic food and used organic/natural products, I considered extremist weirdos. For shame, Heather, for shame! I know!!

For as long as I can remember, I was able to justify all the genetically engineered, pesticide laced, hormonally modified food I ate. I was also able to justify all the chemical infused toiletries and cleaning products I used to make myself and my surroundings "clean" and pretty.

How?

I thought, "Our bodies are able to handle all these chemicals, additives, preservatives, and pesticides....it's how they were made....sturdy enough with our superior immune systems to withstand all the onslaughts of the post Industrial Revolution era food and product industry." SERIOUSLY?

Where did I come up with such assinine, insane, RIDICULOUS justifications?! Of course we are NOT able to handle all that junk! Why do you think so many people suffer from various cancers and other ailments and diseases!?

The cells in our bodies are constantly regenerating, and with what are we fueling that regeneration? You are what you eat. Really, you are.

Because of all the research I did on nutrition and food allergies, I gained new insight into the food industry and how it affects our health and vitality. Scary stuff. Remember that movie with Lilly Tomlin, "The Incredible Shrinking Woman."? I haven't seen it since I was little, but what I do remember was that the doctors told her that because of all the modified food and chemically drenched products she had been using throughout her life, her cellular structure had changed, causing her to shrink.
All this research and revelation has led me to adopt a lifestyle of eating vegan, eating as little processed food as possible, eating organic as much as possible, and using as few chemicals in my toiletries and cleaning products.

I also think that having Trinity nearly 6 years ago has completely changed my outlook on health, longevity, and thriving in the world today. I want the best for her and the best starts with having a healthy body, mind, and relationship with God. I want her to serve God in every area of her life and do it with as much vigor and health as possible.

Being healthy and PREVENTING health issues in the first place, is a good place to start.We can focus more on spiritual things and serving God when we're not tending to sicknesses and ailments that drain our energy and vitality.

I'm a firm believer that what we eat affects EVERY aspect of our lives, incuding mental, emotional, and physical health. It affects not only the quality of our lives, but the quantity. I don't think everyone is destined to live to 100, and I know our bodies are finite and will eventually "wear out." But if you could thrive in your old age without fragility and senility starting at 75, wouldn't you want to?

An awesome article that summarizes the link between cancers and diet is HERE. It's an easy read and is very clear and concise.

Labor Day Fun-El Finale

The last stop on our Labor Day excursion was to the Willy St. Co-Op for some "Heather" food, as Bruce likes to call it.

Trinity had to tell Ellen that she liked her outfit. But was too shy to tell her by herself.
This crazy metal sculpture was actually on the way to the Co-op.
I was so hungry after shopping and had to try this chocolate coffee Larabar.
Oh my goodness. When they say chocolate coffee they mean COFFEE!! This thing had me wired for hours. Do NOT eat one of these late in the day if you want to sleep well!

This is my "booty" for the day. Not much, but it was fun getting it!
The big bag on the left is the egyptian red henna to dye my hair. It's a pound and should last me a very long time. Thanks Dad (he bought it for me).

I wanted to try some hemp milk since I've heard about all its wonderful health benefits.

And mmmmm...almond butter!

I got 3 more kinds of Lara bars-peanut butter cookie, pecan pie, and Cocoa Mole.

These bars rock since they are gluten/dairy/casein/egg free. They basically consist of nuts, dates, and spices. That's it!

Oh yeah, those little colored rectangles are soap samples. Patchouli,Chocolate mousse, and Primal Defense.

Thanks for coming on the labor day fun tour!

Labor Day Fun-Part Dos

After our adventures on State Street, we headed to the State Capitol. Who knew the Capitol building could be so fun?!

When you have a 5 year old who thinks the world is her playground, and a dad who is like-minded, everything becomes um..interesting!

To get a really good shot of the domed ceiling of the capitol, you need to get low-really low!

It's beautiful in person.
Me, taking a photo of Dad taking a photo

Me, copying Trinity's pose :)

Capitol Craziness!!

Labor Day Excursion-Part Uno

This is gonna be a 2 (maybe 3)part post, since there were nearly 200 pics to choose from as my dad, Trinity, and I headed to Madison to do a little bit o' shoppin'! Bruce was sleeping, due to the whole night shift thing now :)

I needed to go to my favorite State Street store, the Soap Opera, to get a henna to dye my hair. I realized that I've been using henna on and off for about 17 years now. Dang. That makes me feel old.

I don't know what I was photographing....but my dad was photographing me.

I'm spying on Trinity
Many of the shops were closed for the holiday. This one sure had some cute socks and purses though!

Yay! The Soap Opera! This place smells divine.

Headin' in.

These are all the buttons at the checkout counter next to the little drams of oil. They are to the right and of course I had to put on some vanilla.

Of course they had soap.

And more soap! My dad actually bought the blue bar with the skull and cross bones.

Trinity decided to join me in spying

Beet Hummus

I got the idea to make beet hummus after seeing it on a few different websites. It's so purty, isn't it?! It's quite tasty, too!

Identifying Your Ikigai

Do you have an ikigai?

(pronounced "icky guy")

Ikigai is a word that Okinawans use to define their purpose in life. It is the driving force behind the reason they get up in the morning, live a fulfilling life, and not just survive, but thrive. It is an essential component to the health and longevity of the centenarians (those who live at least to 100) there.

I think many people, especially us Christians, can identify a general purpose, or ikigai.

To me, it would be to serve and love God by serving and loving others.

Aside from a general purpose, I believe we have ikigais that are "seasonal." When one season or phase of life ends (i.e.becoming a stay at home mom, becoming a student, or even retiring from your job), we need to adapt and adopt a new ikigai.

But,what is your personal, unchanging, consistent ikigai that transcends every season of life? This is, I believe, the most important ikigai. It is the one that will continue to motivate you and encourage you despite your circumstances.

The personal ikigai is identifying and it is how people could describe you. It is a passion, a gift, or a calling that could, for us Christians, stem from our general ikigai.

Identifying your ikigai is important, because seasons, situations, and circumstances change.

To live a life with purpose that sustains our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health, we need something that is independent of different "seasons", and circumstances.

I've heard dozens of stories of husbands and wives passing away within months of each other, from a "broken heart", and of people dying within HOURS of retiring from their jobs.

I believe that because their seasonal ikigai was gone, so was their will to live. So when you retire, remember it's from your job, not from life.

Remember the P.I.E. post? I think that woman in New Orleans who sought out others to help, even as her own world crashed around her, had an identifying personal ikigai. It was probably to help others, no matter what. She was-a helper.

So what is YOUR ikigai? Can you identify it? What will drive you and motivate you to get up everyday until the day you die?

I pray that it is something of more than just earthly value, but of an eternal ,everlasting , legacy-leaving value.

I mentioned that the Okinawan centenarians identified several components to living a long, healthy, fulfilling life. There are many cultures around the world with record numbers of centenarians and they all have the same basic components:

Common components among 4 cultures with many centenarians are:

Stay Active

Be optimistic

Embrace an "ikigai" or sense of purpose

Eat a plant-based diet with minimal animal products

Maintain a strong social/familial network of people you can rely on

Frugal Fashion and Earth-grown eats

I've been having fun with alliteration in my titles lately, can you tell?! Tee hee!

Anyway, on Saturday I went to the thrift store called St.Vincent dePaul, which we locals affectionately refer to as St.Vinnie's.

Oh boy did I make out good! I got Trinity some sweatpants,a water bottle for her lunch box, a dress and sweater for me.

This is my dress. 50 cents y'all.

Isn't it just so cute?

This is Trinity and me (in my "new" dress) after church today.
This is my brand new hoodie that I found at St.Vinnie's. It had the tags on it from the department store where it was originally purchased. I'm the first to wear it! Yay!
I think the combination of the Jolly Roger design and the hearts is just silly and funny.

And last night's dinner before it was thrown onto the grill. Sliced up eggplant and kabobs.

I peeled some garlic and put them on the skewers....oh man that was goooood. I still smell a little like garlic. Ooops.

Taste the Rainbow!

And NO, I don't mean Skittles! :)

I just love how gorgeous vegetables and fruit are. As I was asessing my recent collection of produce, I asked Trinity to help me make a rainbow. This is only a small percentage of what we have, and doesn't include the apples, oranges,plums, beets, broccoli, strawberries,edamame,and spinach. I felt that a few representations of each color would suffice.

Peppers,tomatoes,nectarine,banana,snap peas,cucumber,blueberries,eggplant,avocado, and garlic.

As I mentioned in an earlier post about cooking dinner, I'm usually left to fend for myself ,but I really don't mind. I'm not big into actually cooking meals. I love baking goodies, but cooking meals...not so much. I'd rather just grab and go. But, I had a request to make stuffed peppers and I couldn't refuse. We had such a gorgeous array of peppers sitting around and it was another good way to get veggies into the tummies of my family members.
This is a simple sauce that is spread over the top of the rice or rice and meat mixture (for those who eat it) mixture once the pepper is stuffed.
The peppers are stuffed with rice, ground beef (the red one was mine and meat free),sauteed garlic, jalapenos, and onion, and then topped with the sauce shown above.
Ta Da! My yummy stuffed pepper. VERY filling and very nutritous.

I just can't help but appreciate God's handiwork in creating all these gorgeous foods for us. All the nutrients we need are right there in nature, not created in a lab by some franken-food scientist. Thank you, Lord :)

Family Fun Interlude and Major Milestone

It has been quite a significant month for our family. Lots of ups and downs on this

"rollercoaster of life."

I'll spare you the downs, but the ups, I'll gladly share!

I started a new job working for a family in town, whom I've grown to love dearly. The Martins are a special little clan of two like-minded, God-fearing parents with 5 adorable kids.

Bruce is starting a new job soon....nightshift-yikes! He's done it before, so we all know what to expect. In the big scheme of it all, this is a very good thing.

And the major milestone that we just can't get over is that Trinity learned how to ride her bike without training wheels! It didn't take long at all (minutes)and we are constantly impressed by her natural athletic ability.

I had to jog, and at times, run alongside her while she was still getting the hang of it. I'm pretty sure I logged about 3 or 4 miles of jogging that day!

Late in the evening, when we had declared it was time to come in for the day, there was nearly a UFC style smackdown to actually get her off the bike. This is a whole new world to her and she was not about to give it up for the day!

Earlier in the month we made a visit to Mt. Olympus waterpark in Wisconsin Dells. It's our favorite outdoor waterpark,by far.
We took advantage of the free tours on a WWII era "Duck". It's an amphibious vehicle that the army used to transition from land to water and back. Of course the most fun part was when the driver gunned it as we splashed into the water from the road.
Trinity enjoying one of the slides.

Trinity being a monkey!

Trinity lovin' on Daddy. awwww!

My cousin Eric and his wife Nicky invited us over for a cookout, and Trinity had a great time with their two daughters Ellie and Mia.

Nicky's a vegetarian, so there were plenty of good veggie eats for me to enjoy :)

As August comes to an end, and school starts again soon for both Trinity and Tyler, we are refelecting on these milestones and family fun with fondness.

Veggie Delights

My lentil stew lunch!

Ooooh it was so yummy and filling with its spinach, carrot, tomato,onion, and garlicy goodness.

The eggplant is from my cousin and I'm trying to figure out a tasty way to prepare it before it goes bad. The last time I had eggplant was about 10 years ago and I really did not like it.

But, since then my palate has changed and I bet I can find some spices to jazz it up so that I can enjoy its nutritional values :)

I made quite an elaborate and time consuming dinner tonight for Bruce, Trinity, my dad, and myself. This is a rare occasion as I usually am left to fend for myself at dinner, with Bruce cooking up some kind of meat on the grill. It was also significant because it required having the oven on for over an hour and there is no air conditioning.

Despite those obstacles though, I was inspired to get as many veggies as possible into the tummies of my family. (Also, there wasn't any meat in the house except frozen bacon!)

My dad brought us some freshly picked jalapenos, a neighbor brought over freshly picked cherry tomatoes, and we still had potatoes that I had picked from my day at the farm with the Martins.

The little plate at the lower left is Trinity's. She has spinach,carrots, tomatoes, roasted potatoes, and a corn muffin.

The bowl at the top right has my leftover lentil stew which I made at lunch.
The beautiful centerpiece is roasted red and gold potatoes atop a bed of spinach and tomatoes.

The top right is corn and corn muffins.

Bruce even did the dishes!!

It has been such a busy and productive day! I started by "surfing" the web a bit and of course blogging.

I made Trinity breakfast and gave her a bath. This was the first time I used the baking soda and vinegar on her in lieu of regular shampoo and conditioner. She wasn't sure what to think.

I then made some lentil stew, which is pictured above.

Next, Trinity and I made a cake that I promised her. We went to a birthday party on Sunday and had to leave before they had the cake. NOT a happy camper. So, today, from scratch we made a yellow cake and chocolate frosting. From what I hear, it's pretty good. My dairy, casein,egg, and gluen free tummy could not enjoy this special treat.

I went to the store to get more bananas and apples. They do not last long in this house.

Stopped at the library and picked up The China Study again. I should probably just buy that thing!

Next, off to the "You Pick" garden about 1/8 of a mile from my house, to get some peppers. Stuffed peppers are on the menu for tomorrow!

Oh yeah, made the dinner pictured above, did some laundry, dusted, and I'm soon off to lift some weights.

It was a good day:)

Fun Frugal Follicles (of hair) :)

Oh my gosh you guys, I just found the best shampoo and conditioner EVER!! They weren't in the health and beauty aisles at the local department store. There are no exciting, music-laced commericals touting its special properties, and overly enthused women with waist length hair frolicking on the beach. No bright colorful pretty plastic bottles that hold these newfound cleansers and conditioners, either.

I found them in my cupboard. :)

Yes, baking soda as shampoo and vinegar as conditioner. Not very exciting, huh? Well, I don't really base my hygiene products on slick marketing strategies and pretty eye-catching packages anyway.

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I'm a passionate all or nothing kind of person. When I go for something I believe in, I'm gonna share the mission and bring all who are willing along for the ride! Remember that whole "becoming a Christian" thing? Some people thought was a phase I was going through. Well, it's been 12 years and I love and trust Jesus more each day. It's not a phase, because neither is eternity. I digress.....

So, in keeping with my frugal mission, I did some research and found the most cost-effective and carcinogen/toxin free alternative to shampoo and conditioner.

But, Heather, that's not very convenient! No, not really. But, do we base ALL our purchasing, environmental, and health decisions on convenience? Yeah, I guess most Americans do. But, I am NOT most Americans.

But, Heather, I LOVE my product already and it works well, and I recycle the plastic packages it comes in. Ok, great, but have you ever looked at the ingredients in your great working product and done any research on what those chemicals and toxins are?

But, Heather, I like to pay at least $4 a bottle for my hair care products that only last a month or so. Ok,well then I guess you're not interested in a 75 cent box of baking soda that lasts about 5 months or a $3 bottle of vinegar that will last several months as well.

By the way, about deoderant....new homemade recipe sitting in my bathroom as we speak. Toothpaste is next.

Basically, I'm sharing my experience of frugality and elimination of non-necessities (including chemicals and toxins), and inviting you to join the ride. There's plenty of room!

Big Finds in a little Town

Having the food intolerances I do, along with choosing a vegan diet, makes finding suitable pre-made snacks a serious challenge. That challenge is magnified when where you live is a tiny midwestern town in which few people actually understand what a vegan or gluten free diet is. *sigh*

But, our little Wisconsin town was blessed with the arrival of the Oskri Organics manufacturing plant and retail store!! Oh the joy I experienced when I realized what I had stumbled upon only a half mile from my house! Organic, gluten and lactose free, vegan snacks abound in this modest facility.

Ideally I prefer to make my own snacks from scratch and avoid processed food as much as possible. But, there are some things I just can't seem to master just yet (like granola and snack bars), and the processing of these bars in very minimal. So in the mean time when I come across something affordable and delicious, I grab 'em up! These are affordable big time, too. $1.20 is the most I've paid for any of the snack bars.

My favorites thus far are the Almond Cranberry Granola bar with dark chocolate, the Cashew Cranberry bar, and the Flax Seed bar (pictured above). Granted, not every bar is vegan(some have honey), but they are all gluten free-yay!

They also have nuts, spreads, coffee, dried fruit, and oils.

So, if you live in the area, and need a special organic treat to meet your dietary needs, stop in! Or, you can always order online, too. http://www.oskri.com/

NO, I do NOT work for Oskri in any way, shape, or form. I'm only hear to spread the goodness of this wonderful company. Thank you, Oskri :)

Random Things In My World (part 2)

Once again I have documented some odd, amusing, and unusual things in my little world.

I love these things! Bruce is always bringing Trinity home some silly little toys from work. These never fail to make me laugh :)

This is some fine artwork by my dad that he displayed on our driveway. Nice, right? It's still a mystery as to why he never got that art scholarship back in the day! :)

The lovely 25 pounders with which I like to do some curls, push presses, and lunges.

Ahhh...some of the books I've gotten my hands on. I love the Share library system. It allows you to borrow books from all across the state. I will be reviewing these books as soon as I'm finished with them.
A gift to Trinity from my dad. I actually used one when I sliced open my calf on that broken vase in the trash.
I suppose I should include something of Bruce's, too. It is quite amusing as he has Trinity trained to tap the doll's head when they watch Brewer games, and Braun is up to bat.
The Ms.Pac Man game!! Yes, in Trinity's eyes it has made me a superstar of sorts. I've gotten quite good and she has declared "you're so good, it's like you're famous!"

And the spastic fish, Callie. Ah, Callie, you make my mornings as you flip and thrash around excitedly awaiting your breakfast pellets. She loves me.

Trinity teaching Grandpa how to play the board game "Sorry." Yeah, he was sorry when the game ended and she didn't win! He didn't know he wasn't supposed to. She's not a good loser!

ZOO

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo

How about you, you, you?

You can come too, too, too

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo!

Well, we actually went last Sunday, but you could have come if we asked you!

We didn't do our usual lay around, nap, and rest up for the work week routine. Trinity said she wanted to go on a nature hike, so we took it to the next level and surprised her with a "safari nature hike." I think she was confused as we drove closer and closer into the city and kept asking just where are we going on a nature hike in the city??

She figured it out once she saw the ZOO signs.

My little earth lover :)

Hangin' with the bears
There was plexi glass of some sort between her and this lion, but it was so cool to be that close! It was also VERY sunny, so there's a lot of glare.
Pet a snake? No problem!
My little "Joey"
Yee-haw!
I think she may have had more fun at the zoo's newest addition of a ginormous playground

There was a lot of pouting when we left this area. It DOES look pretty fun though. Bruce is helping her get down off the "rock"

And when Daddy's with, there is always a souvenir to be bought! My cheapskate ways would have been satisfied with the pictures. But, Daddy knows really well how to cater to the desires of a daughter's heart. She was exhausted and fell asleep with her new Cheetah mask on.

We didn't see MY favorite zoo animal, the hippo, but we saw Bruce's (otters) and Trinity's (giraffe). After the zoo, we did some grocery shopping and I got lots of fruits and veggies, nuts, seeds, and dried berries. It was a great day.

Frugal Food

In my ongoing effort to be frugal and find ways to make things that could otherwise be bought at the store, I've had an interesting time in the kitchen baking, mixing, and freezing.

Yes, there are the store bought dairy/casein/egg and gluten free ice creams, but I figured I could come up with something with my own ingredients, with exactly the flavors I wanted.

This is my banana, cocoa, peanut butter, rice milk, spinach ice cream. Yes, I said spinach! You can't even tell it's in there. But, all the health benefits are there!

I don't have pictures of the brownies and muffins I made with these huge zucchini, but Trinity was very helpful. Actually, so was Bruce, as he grilled several slices for us one night. VERY tasty. Thanks for the veggies, Brenda!
OH MY. These are my new favorite snack. Kale chips. It's a shame the closest place I can find Kale is Madison. I simply tore the kale into chip-sized pieces, and massaged onto them a vinegar and oil mixture. Then I sprinkled on salt and baked for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Crispy, tangy, salty goodness.
This is before they went into the oven.

This is before they went into my mouth!

I've also decided it would be more cost-efficient to make my own rice milk. I also have more control over what goes into it, avoiding fake sweeteners and preservatives.

It has been so fun to find recipes and come up with my own to accomodate my eating habits.

I have so much more control over what I put into my temple and know exactly what is going in.

This morning I also roasted some garlic and added it to some mashed garbanzo beans to make homemade hummus.

Later, I will be using up the tomato, onion, and jalapeno to make my own salsa.

Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food

That quote by Hippocrates, the "Father of Medicine" is sound advice.

I am now thoroughly convinced that it is my destiny to become either a nutritional anthropologist or nutritionist! Even if I never receive a degree from a university or community college in either field, I'm sure I will have studied and learned as much as those who have. I am passionate about food and nutrition and how it is the foundation of so much of who we are. You are what you eat, right!?

A while ago, my teenage (step)son saw me in the kitchen putting together my own personal dinner,and of course had to remark. It was one of the most memorable and complimentary things anyone has ever said to me. He said, "You don't eat like an American." My first thought? "THANK YOU!"

Yes, thank you, because if I did, it would mean that I'd eat a lot of processed, fatty, nutrient-stripped food, treated with antibiotics and hormones, barely with barely any nutritional value left after the addition of added sugar and sodium.

I have been devouring information and books on nutrition and dietary practices of peoples from around the world and my current favorite is The Vegan Diet As Chronic Disease Prevention.(click to see book)

The very first page starts "America is one of the sickest nations on the planet. Despite our wealth, access to educational media, natural resources, and opportunity, most Americans accept atherosclerosis, cancer, hypertension, osteoporosis, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other degenerative chronic diseases as a part of the normal aging process."

It lays out so much information about what different cultures past and present have eaten, and the diseases and ailments present and absent.

Trust me, I know I'm gonna be "stepping on people's toes" so to speak, by laying out this information. I already have.

People take their food VERY personally. The representation of childhood memories, emotional and physical comfort are at stake. Americans do not want to change how and what they eat. They feel they deserve that greasy fried salty fatty processed piece of "whatever", because hey, they work hard and play hard and can do whatever they want with their own body! Yeah, ok, you deserve it? So, then do you believe you deserve the consequences of eating that way?

So many people I know want to lose weight. Sure, they're up for the challenge of lifting some more weights or running an extra mile. But, changing what they eat-don't even mention THAT! Yeah, you'll lose weight going low-carb and high meat/protein. Being thinner does NOT mean being healthier.

I am currently on my own journey of converting to a Vegan diet, which eliminates all animal and animal by-products. The by-products part isn't so hard, considering I'm lactose intolerant anyway!

Every single vitamin, mineral, and nutrient needed to grow and thrive is found in plants, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and grains. And no, you do not need cow's milk to get enough calcium. In fact, many green leafy vegetables have a calcium absorption rate of 50%, while milk has only a 32% absorption rate.

Everything I've ever read supports Veganism as a healthy way to eat. Have you ever heard of a medical report claiming that a vegan diet resulted in high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, or obesity? Of course not. Ever hear of one claiming that a diet including meat and animal by-products would result in those ailments and more? Thought so.

You can be strong, muscular, athletic, and smart eating vegan. There are some pretty famous and successful athletes that are Vegan. Ever hear of Carl Lewis, winner of 10 Olympic track medals? Or Tony Gonzales, the 247 lb member of the Kansas City Chiefs football team? UFC fighters...sure, Ricardo Moreira. Bodybuilders? You bet...Robert Cheeke.

There will always be naysayers and those who question your dietary restrictions/limitations. But, as I posted here and here, "limitations often create freedom." As far as the vegan diet goes, there is freedom from gastric distress, allergies, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and multiple other ailments-provided you have no allergic reaction to certain grains, legumes, or plants.

I mentioned earlier how and what different cultures eat. There are people living in Pakistan's Hunza Valley who until the 1970s, were seemingly living at the "fountain of youth." They ate primarily home-grown, plant-based foods and rarely if ever eat animal products. Never did they eat processed, bleached-enriched food products. These people had NO chronic diseases and NO need for hospitals or dentists, until 30 some years ago, when modern technology allowed paved roads and the acquisition of processed, packaged, bio-engineered food into their society. And just to touch on the point about how what eat affects our behavior and mentality, they had no need for police, prisons or mental health institutions. They had people in their culture over 100 years old with smooth skin and all their own teeth before the "coveted" westernization infiltrated.

It sounds impossible doesn't it? I had to do much research to confirm this, because this made me very skeptical. But, it is real.

An example of how American eating styles negatively affects another culture is that of Japan becoming "westernized." They adopted not only the eating habits, but the diseases and ailments that accompany those habits, which were previously rare and almost unheard of.

It is so sad to me that we Americans hold on so tightly to our associations of food that we're willing to sacrifice our health, quality of life, and longevity.

Like I said earlier, I know this information is gonna really hit close to the heart. Do your own research. Google these things. Read some books. Educate yourself.

Wanna know something hysterically ironic? I wrote this sitting at a McDonald's playland. Why? To have a cup of coffee and let Trinity run around and play. What did she have? Water. :)

The final countdown....

Well, here we are entering the last 3-4 weeks of summer vacation, and for the last two weeks, the busyness has continued at a steady pace! I'm hopeful that by this coming Monday, things will have slowed down, we can catch our breath, regroup, and focus on the impending start of school once again in September!

Tyler will be heading back to Whitewater in just 3 short weeks, this time as a sophomore and sharing a suite with two other guys. Triple the stinkiness! Ever been in a boy's dorm room?!

Trinity will be heading to full day Kindergarten, September 1st!

But, in the meantime, Tyler's been working and playing softball. Trinity had swimming lessons and summer school come to an end, and Vacation Bible School start up. She went for 3 1/2 hours a day for 5 days! So much was taught, learned, and so many prayers were offered up and answered.

The first day of VBS...Trinity, Madison, and McLaine

There was so much to do and so much to make! Here we are in the craft room :)
They even had a science lab. This was her favorite part. They did alot with eggs for some reason. That was a stinky room!
Trinity and Madison waiting for the science class to be dismissed.

And yes, we were "allowed" by Tyler to attend his softball game.

He's a great athlete and does so well at whatever he puts effort into.

Great reflexes!

So, the next step in the final countdown to summer ending and school starting up again is the purchase of all the fun school supplies and new clothes! Trinity is supposed to get a mat for napping. Yeah, like that will happen!

She and I have also been having fun experimenting in the kitchen, making things that most people buy processed and premade. That may be what my next post will be about! Probably soon.....I've got so much to write about, since I've been so occupied the last two weeks.

stay tuned!

Summertime, and the livin' is.....busy.

That's not exactly how the song goes, but I'm pretty sure Janis Joplin didn't have kids to cart around to activities and events all summer either!

It's not even 6 weeks into the summer of 2009 and we have been involved in and a part of so many events and activities, that it's almost a blur.

Although, today we had an unexpected slow-down to our daily routine. Trinity went to bed last night with a fever and woke up this morning with a slightly lower temperature, but still high enough to keep her home from summer school and swimming lessons.

After getting her in to the doctor, and calling Daddy at work to let him know how brave she was, he brought the princess home some new "Melissa and Doug" brand wooden/magnetic dolls to play with!

We had an impromptu visit from big brother Ty Ty this past weekend! How funny that they were both sportin' moccasins!

Grandpa took Trinity to the farmer's market downtown and they rode the horse-drawn wagon. She's been asking to do that since last year. Yay Grandpa!
The Mallard's baseball game was SO fun! Trinity and some other kids got to go onto the field during the 7th inning stretch and sing "Take me out to the ball game." A potential American Idol?
Our friends the Colvins, had a 4th of July party and yes, there were little girl tears when we had to leave.
The first day of swimming lessons was an exciting day, despite the shivering and blue lips.

Town and Country Days was anticipated by all! We actually made it out of there without going broke.

Father's day brought Tyler over again. He's a pretty busy guy, but took time out of his schedule to make an appearance!
The first Tball game and Trinity's warming up with Coach Frey. She throws pretty well, eh?

Here's where summer vacay all started-the last day of 4k!! Trinity and Mrs. Davis had a kodak moment before parting ways. Thanks for being a great and memorable teacher!! As it turns out, Trinity was blessed enough to get Mrs. Davis as her summer school teacher as well. :)

Exhausted yet? That's not even all of what we've been up to-just a brief synopsis. This Sunday we'll be going to Tyler's softball game here in town. The next 6 weeks have as much in store as the first. As summer school, swimming lessons, and Tball all commence for the year, we have new activities on the horizon. We just signed Trinity up for soccer, which doesn't start until September thank goodness.
But, before then we have Vacation Bible School for a week, a day trip to Wisconsin Dells, a weekend in LaCrosse, a visit to the Henry Vilas zoo, some horseback riding, a couple birthday parties,and perhaps Ella's Deli-the most fun and tripped out Alice in Wonderland kind of deli on the planet :)

Vegan? Really?

Yes, really! I'm not making any kind of political or social statement by this attempt to eat only plant-based, minimally processed foods. And although I'm sure PETA would be proud, I have no affiliation with them, either.

I'm doing it simply for my health. Seeing as how I already have an intolerance to or allergy of gluten, casein, dairy, and eggs-I figured why not take this to the next step? No meat or animal products at all? Hmmm.. we'll see how this goes. Bacon and yogurt tend to be my food "cryptonite."

Also, when it comes to vegan diets, there ARE tons of studies of the benefits, and how some people have even eradicated the big "C" from their bodies. Very inspirational.

Have you ever wondered why vegetarians and vegans like to take so many pictures of their food? It's because it's so naturally beautiful! All those glorious God-given colors just scream "healthy! vitamins! minerals! nutrients! antioxidants!"

Ever get that from a greasy cheeseburger? Didn't think so.

Anyway, today I made a beautiful looking and great tasting smoothie with spinach, blueberries, bananas, and peanut butter. This Oster blender is 35 years old and works like a charm. It doesn't quite puree as well as I'd like, but it gets the job done.

The tall glass o' goodness!

Tonight we are going to a minor league baseball game which includes all you can eat free ballpark food. Yeah. No thanks. So, I'll have something of a bit more substance before we leave and take along this pretty plate of food. I got a pound of snap peas at the Farmer's Market the other day and after this, they'll be gone.
I've also prepared this rice cake topped with hummus, guacamole (sans dairy) and shredded carrot.
Since switching to a 98% Vegan diet, I'd have to say that the best compliment I've had so far was from Bruce, who told me that my skin glowed. :)
So, once again, if you offer me something and I turn you down. DON'T take it personally. Unless it's something straight from your garden or something a lactose/egg/gluten/casein/corn intolerant person can eat, I'm gonna pass.

Fun on the Fourth!

It's Independence Day again here in the good ole U.S.A.!! Although our relatively young country has a tumultuous history and is currently unstable financially and morally, I appreciate the liberties granted me.
Alot of people are expressing the sentiment of "God Bless America." Yes, He surely has blessed us!
But, I challenge you to change your sentiment to "Bless God, America." Bless Him with loving your neighbor and doing unto others as you'd have them do unto you. Bless Him by sowing your money into organizations that help people and by buying things that are honoring to Him. Bless Him by praying for the leaders of our nation. They need it! And don't forget to thank a current soldier or veteran for defending and serving our country.
So! Amid those thoughts we celebrated with some friends in town and had a grande time!

Trinity and I before leaving for the party-and waiting for Bruce to get ready!

My patriotic food. YUM-O!
Trinity being oh so festive! Liberty was actually a name I had considered for her before she was born.

On the trampoline at the party. My jeans didn't make it through the straddle jump portion of the routine.....split right down the back. Can you say "embarrassing"?

All the kids on the playset...Trinity's in there somewhere in her pink swimsuit.

Bruce is diggin in to the burgers. The food was great.

Sarah, me (with new jeans on), and Rebecca chatting. I think we were probably talking about food or gluten or something we women can relate to!

Bruce and Trinity having sparkler fun!

Sparklers sure get smokey!

Of course the night was topped off with the fireworks display put on by the city.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY U.S.A. and Bless God, America!

MULBERRIES.....

When I started this blog I didn't really know what it would turn into or how I would set it up....just that it would be about me, my family, what I like, and experiences in life.

It seems to have become alot about food, exercise, spirituality, and family. That's cool....that's who I am and what I'm about.

Anyway, today I ventured out back to the mulberry tree and assessed it's fruit-strained branches. How would I gather all these little blackberry/blueberry type bulbs of nature? I initally laid down a towel and shook the branches. I found out quickly that this woke up hundreds of blood-deprived mosquitoes. Not good.

Well, it's too late to avoid them now, so I resumed shaking and plucking the stubborn ones off their stems by hand.

Many minutes and mosquito bites later I hauled my booty with my berry-stained hands into the house

I decided to do another cobbler/crisp dessert for Bruce and my dad. So, I thoroughly washed them off in a strainer and had Trinity help me make the crust and topping of the cobbler.
It's not even baked yet and the brown sugar smell is emanating through the berries!

After the topping goes on it goes into the oven. The house smells incredible.

If you want the recipe, you can use the template of the rhubarb crisp recipe-click here But, you'll need to reduce the amount of sugar, because of the natural amount found in the mulberries. :)

Limitations that Create Freedom?

That kind of sounds like an oxymoron doesn't it? Well, as far as my food intolerances and allergies, I've found it to be an extremely accurate sentiment. I've grown quite fond of my culinary limitations and learned to embrace them. I guess there's some sort of freedom in having boundaries and limits to protect you. (there's some sort of spiritual/Biblical application there, but I'll save that for another post.)
From what am I being protected? Well, I believe that because I'm forced to eat mostly plant-based non-processed foods, I'm being protected from all sorts of hormonally modified, enhanced, altered, and overly processed food. Also, I KNOW I'm being protected from destroying my gastrointestinal tract even further by avoiding the gluten that was creating holes in my intestines. That's my perspective anyway!
I've come to realize that my food intolerances and allergies have become far more frustrating and perplexing for others than myself.
So, to my family members and friends who are tired of being turned down after offering a taste of their newest kitchen creation.....DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY.
I can't eat eggs
I can't eat dairy (except for yogurt. thanks to the happy little bacteria that bop around and eat up that nasty lactose). :)
I can't eat wheat, barley, rye, or oats (gluten)
I can't eat casein (a protein found in dairy).
So, I've dedicated this post to all those who wonder, "well what the *bleep* DO you eat?!"

I can offer a pictorial synopsis of a fragment of what I eat and offer some explanantion.

Being a creature of habit, every morning for breakfast I whip together a heaping bowl of Cream of Rice, Natural Peanut Butter, and cinnamon. The ginormous coffee mug is a gift from Tara. I love it! Usually the Rice Chex are eaten as a snack, but I figured I'd include them in the breakfast portion of the tour. :)

Edamame (soy beans) are a favorite. They look like snow peas, but have the depth of flavor and texture of a bean. Very high in protein.

This is a filling entree with rice, corn, beans,tomatoes, and onions.

My new favorite fruit (after apples) is the avocado. Yes, it's fatty,but it's healthy fat. Essential fat. Brain food, if you will!

A new staple that has somewhat replaced the bread portion of my diet. I can put nearly anything on it, and for being prepackaged and processed, it's actually quite healthy. Ingredients: puffed rice and salt. I love taking avocado and smearing it on the rice cake, adding some salsa and beans. nom nom nom.

Potatoes. Lots of vitamins and minerals. Top em with green veggies and they're even better.

Frank's Red Hot Sauce. Cayenne pepper,vinegar, and garlic. It's become a staple and makes nearly any savory dish even more tasty.

These noodles are Simply AWESOME.

I have yet to try this highly acclaimed gluten,dairy,egg,soy,casein free frozen delight. From what I've heard it even rivals the ice cream giants Ben & Jerry's. Next trip to Whole Foods and I'm all over it!

Remember back on my Easter post (click here) the shrimp boil that I took pictures of? That was delish and completely allergen free with shrimp, gluten free sausage, corn, and potatoes.

I eat all sorts of chicken, tuna, and salmon. The only thing I need to be cautious of with those foods are the seasonings on them or the broth in which they're packed. I can avoid those issues by buying only fresh meats sans marinades.

I eat all sorts of rice and bean mixtures.

Chex cereal has recently removed the gluten containing ingredients from nearly all their cereals-except of course the Wheat and Whole Grain Chex.

I don't even have to visit over priced specialty stores to get the staples of what I need. But, those stores do carry a few items I'd love to try.

There are also many soy-based products readily available, but those products are so processed and tend to have some sort of offending allergen in them, I just steer clear.

Do I miss some stuff? ABSOLUTELY! Fresh baked homemade bread still warm and crusty with a slab of butter....yeah...drool...

BUT, I am NOT like those moronic rats in obesity studies who would cross an electrified floor just to get another M&M when it's not even hungry!

I've endured enugh gut-wrenching pain and residual effects to avoid the offenders at all costs.

My livelihood and health are far more precious to me than a piece of bread.

Today's eats.......

Breakfast:

Cream of Rice, 2 Tb peanut butter. Coffee.

Snacks:

yogurt and Chex cereal

Lunch:

apple, cherry tomatoes, rice, broccoli, spinach, and peas (with Frank's Hot Sauce)

snack:

coffee, rice cake and salsa

Dinner:

(later tonight)

chicken, beans, rice, salad

after dinner snack:

fruit

Where a Kid can be a kid

Celebrations! Woo hoo! Sometimes they are for things others take for granted, especially this one. This milestone in Trinity's life has been a long time coming. She spent 7 entire nights in her own bed for the first time ever......and in the midst of a major life transition. We figured our recent move would be a great way to start off anew and have her in her own bed.
She had been in bed with me since birth, since I was nursing and Bruce worked nights. It was convenient and cozy. Well, the weeks, months, and years passed, and she was still in our bed. We have to admit, we enjoyed it. We loved having her there just to admire and listen to her talk in her sleep.
We offered her a reward if she could go 7 nights alone in her bed and gave her the choice of her reward. The verdict "Chuck E. Cheese." I had never been there as a kid, so I took full advantage of acting like one while there......I'm pretty sure Bruce did, too!

BEHOLD, the sleeping beauty :)

The beauty enjoying her pizza before taking off to acquire mass amounts of tickets.

Yes, I got to be a "kid", too!

She's posing for her V.I.P. fashion card.
The simplest things can make them so happy.

Another ticket spewing game.

"Bowling" with Bruce

Things were winding down, and it was time to.....

CASH IN THE TICKETS!

I think between all three of us, we amassed somewhere around 637 tickets. Sounds like a lot, but it only amounted to one Chuck E Cheese kickball. That's ok. Sometimes the process is far more enjoyable then the end result.

Brat-Fiesta!!

Bratfest 2009 has come and gone and we're already excited about next year's "hot dog party" as Trinity likes to call it. It's our family tradition and is way more than just brats, hot dogs, and long lines. It's similar to a carnival with several musical acts performing all around the grounds. There were kayaking lessons, a mechanical bull (which I WILL try next year!), and lots of games to play.

Bruce is enjoying his "Double Johnny" which is two brats in one bun, while Trinity is enjoying the "best hot dog I've ever had."

I guess I should have put this picture first since this was in the 15 minute long line just to get the brats!

Trinity on the Gravity Storm. She tried to flip, but it took all her coordination and energy just to bounce!
Woohoo! I got to enjoy the Gravity Storm as well. I was able to do back flips and it was so fun! It was also exhausting. When at the full height of the bounce, I'd say I was about 20 feet up. I could see all of Bratfest!
Trinity and I as "the captains" of Dragon train.

We raced down the giant slides and Trinity declared a tie.

Bruce and Trinity on the carousel. She named her horse Ella.

The princess bounce house.

MOVING

UGH.
Really, There are not very many positive things I can say about this inevitable circumstance in life. The reasons can be wonderfully awesome, but the process is anything but.
We are in the process of this very event. AGAIN.
I'm trying hard not to complain. Trying is the key word here!
Bruce told me yesterday that since he got out of the Navy in 1992, he's moved 15 times.
I did my own calculations, and since graduating high school in 1993, I have moved 16 times.
Not bad, really. When I think of my friend Jacqueline and her family having moved at least that many times in the span of about a year, I should just shut up and be grateful!
There is one significant benefit to moving though.
DOWNSIZING. right, Jacqueline?!
Ahhh...it feels so good to get rid of all those "things" that are in closets and drawers, under beds and in basements that really don't have much relevance anymore.
The catch? Having a 5 year old that prioritzes EVERY ITEM SHE OWNS, and knows who gave her every item since she was two years old.
I guess there might possibly be a few things that get "lost" in the move.

So, HOW MANY TIMES SINCE BEING OUT ON YOUR OWN, HAVE YOU MOVED? DO TELL!

Another Side

Exercise and Diet.

I'm a big fan and have been for a long time now. It's a HUGE part of who I am. I truly enjoy nourishing my body and brain with the things that will fuel and replenish them. It's a science really.

As far as working out, I LOVE feeling my muscles engage in weight-bearing exercise and am seriously addicted to the endorphin rush of cardiovascular interval training.

One of the rewards of combining the aforementioned components is a physically fit body. Yeah, I like being in shape, a little muscular, and dare I say a bit lean.

I'm not trying to toot my own horn or pat myself on the back, or any other phrase that describes egotism.

Quite the opposite. Often times I find myself feeling a little guilty for enjoying it so much, and for investing so much time and energy into achieving my fitness goals. But, if you want to work smarter and not necessarily harder, you have to learn what works and what doesn't. That takes time. Boy does that TAKE TIME! I've learned the hard way what works and what doesn't.

MMMM....I could eat my bodyweight in spinach.....and peanut butter.....and yogurt. Ok, back to the issue at hand-feeling guilty. Why do I feel guilty? Well, I've heard so many other Christians sincerely and wholeheartedly spiritualize their fitness endeavors. They grow closer to God in the process. They use that process to glorify God. Through their training and diet they understand Him better and see Him more clearly.

Me? Not so much. Honestly, I just love eating well and exercising. I wouldn't say I'm dishonoring God by what I'm doing. I've just tried so hard to justify my motives by spiritualizing them also. Sure, I could totally spiritualize it by citing that I'm taking care of my temple, etc. etc. But, honestly, the kind of training I enjoy goes above and beyond JUST taking care of my temple. And, when you get down to the bare bones of it, I do it because I love it and would probaby go a little nutty if I didn't!


I respect and appreciate all different styles of training and body types. Just look at that first picture! All those beautifully made shapes and sizes-all fit and athletic.
I'm not losing sleep over the issue. I mean, it's just another aspect of who I am. I have a soul, that is led by a Spirit, and I'm in a body. All three require intensive care. I guess I should start referring to myself as an ICU (intensvie care unit)!

RHUBARB CRISP!

This is the second spring/summer we've lived at this particular house, and I didn't find out until late last summer what the 4x6 patch of plants were at the back part of our yard. It's rhubarb! What a delightful surprise. Growing up I remember my grandpa growing rhubarb and eating it right out of the garden. A little too tart for me, but it sure does make a tasty dessert. Below I have documented the process of making Rhubarb Crisp.

Fresh from the garden! It's so pretty with it's pinkish red stalks.

Trinity getting ready to help mix the crisp ingredients.

After it's mixed, we coated the pan and added the rhubarb.

Trinity is mixing some sugar, cornstarch, water, and vanilla to pour in the pan.

Next, we put the remainder of the dry ingredients on top.

Hot and bubbly right from the oven. I sure hope Bruce enjoys this!

Rhubarb Crisp-4 cups rhubarb

Mix in a large bowl:

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup flour

3/4 cup oats

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup melted butter

Mix following in a sauce pan on low until cornstarch and sugar are fully dissolved:

1 cup sugar

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1 cup water

1 tsp vanilla

Press half the oatmeal/flour mixture into an 8x8inch (or heart-shaped) pan.

Add rhubarb (4 cups)

Pour mixture from saucepan over rhubarb

Add the rest of the oatmeal/flour mixture and crumble over top

Bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees.

Enjoy!

Why "I" Am Celebrated!

It's Mother's Day once again.....I'd like to thank the "little people!" Without you none of this would be possible....You like me, you REALLY like me!
Ok, enough of the acceptance speech nonsense!

I thought I'd give a pictorial synopsis of the past 5 and a half years of why I am the recipient of homemade cards, meals of my choice, and a day exempt of housecleaning!

Here's where it started......

About a week later, Trinity Rose in my arms.

They become so inquisitive so early, don't they?!

I think every child at one point sleeps like this. How it's comfortable, I don't know.

Ahhhhh.....technically, I was Tyler's stepmom before I was even pregnant with Trinity. So, I guess he was my first child. :)

Her big blue eyes are really compatible with closeups.

Monkey see, monkey do....yoga!

Enjoying a little snow

For being 13 1/2 years apart, they really do get along well.

Sleepyheads.

Thanksgiving 2007. I really DO have a lot for which to be thankful.

Christmas 2008. Handsome children if I do say so myself!

Enjoying the fine summer weather and expressing it in song.

On the way to school, and I'm so thankful she loves it.

The obligatory sibling Easter pics which they were so enthused to have taken!

Ready for church on Easter morn.

Since having Trinity in 2003 and having Tyler come live with us in 2004 it has been a wild ride of motherhood. It has been exciting, challenging, frustrating, surprising, scary, and full of proud mommy moments.

Happy Mother's Day to every mom and mom-to-be. Don't worry about not being the perfect mom. Just do your best and let God do the rest!

Personality Paradox

Lately I've been realizing how "seemingly" contradictory my personality can be and how that can affect achieving my goals.
You see I'm the kind of person who does not like to be in the spotlight or be the center of attention.
Even at my own bridal shower I asked my mom to "ham it up" to help take the focus off of me.
Yet, I don't like to look like, be like, or act like anyone else.
This is a paradox since it tends to draw attention. I'm not trying to stand out, I just don't want to be typical.
I love to exercise and eat healthy. I enjoy taking care of this "tent" for my soul and spirit.
I remember a couple of years ago as I was making my own dinner, Tyler walked over and said, "You don't eat like an American." I took that as a compliment!
I love to lift weights and take it to extremes at times, which is one goal I'm working on now. It should be challenging both mentally and physically. There will be nothing typical about the result!
I don't have good skin. Never have. I'm in my 30s, still break out ,and have eczema. Yet, I hate wearing makeup. Oh, I'll give in and wear it occassionally, but what a time-consuming pain in the rear!
I'm not big on having a lot of "stuff." I'm pretty satisfied with a few essentials and don't care to be bothered by acquiring a lot of things. I'm constantly purging my house of things that haven't been used or played with in a while.
It's just more stuff to take care of which means time away from achieving my goals. Yet, I love lighthouses and my Kim Lawrence statues and collect both.
I love good healthy nutritious food, yet hate cooking! I also don't trust anyone else to make it to my particular preference. Quite a paradox, huh?!
I'm NOT a risk taker by any means. I'm calculated, methodical, and practical. But, I married Bruce four months after meeting him! Now, THAT'S risky! We've been married 7 1/2 years and have a beautiful family, so well worth it.
So, here I am trying to find a balance between my paradoxical personality and achieving my goals. Oftentimes they clash, but in the end, as long as the goals are in line with God's will, I am confident no amount of personality paradox will prevent them from being achieved.

PERSPECTIVE IS EVERYTHING (P.I.E.)

Have you ever had one of those days where you just can't suck it up anymore and you give in to feeling sorry for yourself? Lately, I've had several. Your "brave face" is replaced by one of defeat and desperation.
In this world of sin and selfishness, it's really not hard to feel defeated is it? The world is growing increasingly God-less and more SELF-ish.
Generally I am an extremely grateful and thankful person, and resist every tempatation to feel hopeless and ungrateful. I remind myself of all the good things in my life and especially of God's unending grace and new mercies every morning.
I try to keep my eyes on Him and not on my circumstances. This can be so much easier said than done.....but, like the title of my blog says, "PERSPECTIVE IS EVERYTHING."...i like the accompanying acronym too....P.I.E.
I guess some days I need more P.I.E !! :)

To help myself get out of my "funk" and not wallow in self pity, envy and selfishness, I try to see things not only from God's point of view, but from others in this world. P.I.E
I am so inspired by stories of people who have/had very little and yet continued to serve others and were some of the happiest people around.
I remember after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast and thousands of people lost everything they had ever known and worked for.
Yet, there was a story that arose from all the pain and suffering which really caught my attention. It was of a woman in New Orleans who lost her home and her business, yet refused to feel sorry for herself. She kept her eyes on God-NOT HER CIRCUMSTANCES-and continued to serve Him by serving others. She knew that no matter how bad SHE had it, someone else had it worse. P.I.E
So, she spent her time and energy (invaluable resources) and helped OTHERS rebuild their lives. She had such an optimistic and selfless spirit. Amazing!

Another story I love is of a woman who was "depressed" and went to see her pastor for counseling and advice. The pastor gave the best "medicine" that could have ever been prescribed. He then sent her on her way asking her to come back in a couple weeks.
He found out during their session together that she was a great baker and loved to make pastries, pies, cookies, breads, etc.
He told her to start baking and find people to bless by giving them her goods. Well, a couple weeks went by and she never showed up for her follow-up appointment. He called her and asked why she never came. She told him she didn't need to! She had been baking and delivering her goods to people who were in need. She said that she wasn't depressed anymore!
Sometimes we just need to take our eyes off ourselves, off our circumstances, off what we don't have, and focus on God, on what we can do and bless others. P.I.E.
I love this strategy and it has been effective for me every time I've implemented it.
Feeling blue? Find someone else to bless and remind them to have some P.I.E!!

"Where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing is there."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NANCY!!

TODAY IS MY MOTHER IN LAW'S BIRTHDAY!! Happy Birthday Mom!

This special lady, the mother of my husband and grandmother of my kids, is one tough cookie.
She has been through so many trials in her life and yet continues to give to others as if there was no tomorrow. I truly admire her strength.
She has been there for us through thick and thin, plenty and want. She is one of the most grateful, giving and forgiving women I've ever met.
The picture below is a passport photo from 1970 of her and her son Chris. It was taken so she could travel to Panama with her military husband. Two years later, while in Panama, she would give birth to another son, my husband, Bruce.
Who would have thought that this precious little girl would grow up to be my mother in law?! I see a lot of Trinity in this picture.

Nancy has been so open-minded and open-hearted since the first time I spoke with her on the phone. I remember I was in a department store in Colorado Springs, Colorado with Bruce. We were there registering for our wedding gifts and Bruce decided to call her and then hand me the phone. We had only been engaged a few days, after only knowing each other two months. I can just imagine what she was thinking!

She was sweet, charming, welcoming, polite, and out-going. Two months after that call she came to Colorado from Louisisana to attend our wedding.

Again, nothing but welcoming.

Nancy has always been grateful to God for her answered prayers, and is eager to share with me how I fit into that agenda!

She came to Wisconsin the very day Trinity was born. The first night we brought her home from the hospital I was exhausted, weary, and frazzled as I sit in Trinity's room trying to nurse her to sleep. Nancy insisted she take Trinity and lay with her so I could get some rest.

She brought Tyler up to Wisconsin from Louisiana several times to visit us, and eventually moved him up here to live.

I would need several blog posts to write about all the ways and times Nancy has supported and provided for us. Many, if not most, of those times are documented in Trinity's journals.

Thank you Nancy for being you and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

An Unconventional Day

Yes, it's Easter, or as some call it "Resurrection Day." Two thousand years ago in Jerusalem it turned out to be quite an unconventional day for the disciples and friends of Jesus.

I'm sure the last thing the 2 Marys expected to see when they visited the embalmed and linen-wrapped body of the Lord, was an angel sitting there instead.

The angel told them to go tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead and they would see Him in Galilee.

Indeed He appeared to His disciples as a flesh and blood Man, ate with them, performed miracles and wonders, and taught them many more things.

We too, had an unconventional day of celebrating Easter. We participated in the traditions of coloring eggs, having a basket for Trinity, and enjoying a church service. When it came to the dinner......it was unconventional all the way.

Generally, here in Wisconsin, the Easter dinner consists of a glazed ham, mashed potatoes, "deviled" eggs, and casserole. For us....a good ol' Lousiana (say it "Loo Z ana") shrimp boil with Cajun seasonings permeating shrimp, red potatoes, corn on the cob, and sausage.
Bruce is stirring up the seasonings....it smells sooooooooooo good!

Tyler enthusiastically helps his dad prepare the food.

Ooooh, look at that sausage.


Behold, the corn, potatoes, sausage and lemon-accented shrimp!

Enjoying the fruits of our labor. We were so happy that my dad joined us at church and to partake in our unconventional Easter dinner.

With a stuffed belly and a grateful heart, I wish you all a very happy Resurrection Day! Praise God He is alive so that we can TRULY live!

Talent

When I was a youth group leader at a church in New Jersey, I met this girl named Stephanie. Very sweet gorgeous girl. Well, she is now in her 20s and looks like an even prettier version of Katie Holmes.
This woman also has talent. I am currently obsessed with an animated video she made. The first several times I watched it, I had tears in my eyes. Turns out, it didn't only have that effect on me.
I showed it to Trinity and she sat quietly mesmerized as she watched. When it was over I saw she had tears in her eyes, so I asked what was wrong. She said, "It almost makes me want to cry." I said, "Why?" Her reply in a shaky voice...."Because it's so sweet."
Trinity is still in the process of learning to read, and wasn't able read the words in the video. Just the body language and facial expresssions of the characters were enough to help her understand.
So, here it is....
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/video/video.php?v=52739647750

Leaving A Legacy

When I was little my grandma had a small black date book in which she wrote very minimally the goings-on of that particular day, I guess just what she thought was significant. She didn't do it for very long-a year maybe, but it inspired me to do it for Trinity. I think a physical piece of paper is a nice alternative in this day of technology and cyberspace.

Well, now, after 5 1/2 years I have several little notebooks with thousands of days of goings-on . Some entries take up several pages, as there was a lot that happened that day, or a lot that I had to say about something that happened. I have not missed a day since I started!

The entries contain things from the mundane-we ran errands today and you took a long nap, to the silly, you took a bath and pooped in the tub, or to the significant, you had the flu and had to stay in the hospital overnight.

I like to also include the weather for the day.

My hope is that one day as she is older, she will have a firm grasp on who we are, how we raised her, who she is, and how much we love her. She will be able to tell her kids about how it snowed 16 inches on Feb.6, 2008. Or how Grandpa stopped over and brought her some cookies.

I'm not sure how long I plan on doing this, but I think at least until she's 18. Yes, that's a lot of little notebooks! But, maybe when she's an adult, she can look back at the notebooks from her teenage years and better be able to relate to her own teenager(s)!

It's funny how Bruce loves to check up on the day's entry to see if he made it in there....."I want her to know about all the stuff we did together after I die." Yes, Hon, you're a GREAT daddy.

"We can't all leave a prestigous background or lots of money to visit our children, but we can leave them a legacy of love." Naomi Rhodes.

So, while I'm sure I won't be able to leave her with lots of "things" when I die, I know she will have a strong character and knowledge of how much SHE brought into OUR lives, and how much we love her.

A GRANDfather

If it's not already playing, I suggest listening to song #4 on my playlist to the right..."MY WISH" by Rascall Flats. I believe this would be my dad's song to Trinity :)

My dad and my daughter....what a special pair these two are! It started about 5 and a half years ago when I was pregnant and my water broke. I was home alone, and I think my dad was the second person I called. I was pretty calm, yet excited about it. I remember him saying, "WELL! NOW WHAT DO WE DO?!" Ha ha ha ha!! "WE"!? He later told me that as he was on the phone with me, he was frantically walking around in circles in the middle of his living room. Silly Dad.
About 26 hours later Trinity Rose arrived into the world, and Bruce called my dad from the hospital to let him know. Bruce said, "Hey Pops, she's here!" I asked Bruce what he said, and I guess all he heard was some crying. Awwww....Dad!
Anyway, Here are some highlights from the past 5 years...

Taking advantage of the unexpected nice weather and playing TBall...


She has yet to actually go on a ride with him. By her age, I had been riding for over a year!
He's so proud of her!

This was a picture taken to make his Christmas present. Whenever she wants a treat, he makes her say, "Grandpa, you're so handsome." So, we took this picture and had a shirt made with those very words on it!

Silly reindeer noses.

Trinity wearing the infamous black boots!

This is from a trip we took to the ginormous Cabela's store in Richfield, WI. The place is more like a museum!

Enjoying some ice cream

I think this is one of my dad's favorite memories of Trinity. We put his birthday cake in front of him, and about .3 seconds after the candle was blown out she just dug in face first!

This was actually one of the first times he got to babysit. He was afraid to move!

I have so many more pictures of these two together, so be prepared for more special posts about these two!

GREAT WOLF '09

This week Bruce is on vacation, so we decided to spend the first part of the week at the Great Wolf Lodge and indoor waterpark in Wisconsin Dells. We've been there a couple times before, but never for 2 days in a row. We were so excited! We swam and jumped and floated on the lazy river.
We sat by the fireplace, went out to eat, and played in Wiley's Woods-the Great Wolf themed indoor "Chuck E Cheese" type playground.
Apparently just the thought of heading to the Great Wolf exhausted Trinity! This was on the way there...

This is the big bucket drop that Trinity and Bruce braved....most kids stand directly under the waterfall, but I think that would've knocked Trinity's little 40 pound butt right to the floor!

The day before Trinity was having so much fun jumping from bed to bed, so I decided to join in on the fun!

Here she is lookin' like a superhero, jumping back and forth from bed to bed.

These are Trinity's favorite slides, because she doesn't need a life jacket and can do them on her own.

I'm helping Trinity cross the logs to the other side. She's almost there! Daddy and Trinity are dodging the waves in the wave pool. When I was in there with her I'd hold onto her, and she'd say, "let me go....I need to save the day!" The superhero theme is consistent with her bed jumping!

This is nearing the end of day two....somebody is getting tired!

By the evening of day two, Bruce was in bed by 6:30 pm! I thought for sure he'd be up by 3 am. Nope, he slept a good 13 hours! Sheesh. I wonder what that's like.

On day 3 we packed up and headed home with our souvenirs, great pictures, and fun memories.

Adapting....

Here you find my very first gluten and egg free chocolate cupcake. Mmmmmmmmmm!

Last night as Bruce and I were watching "Celebrity Apprentice" and he was eating his delicious smelling fresh made pizza, I nearly started crying. The two teams had to make cupcakes. Oh man did they look good! I got such an intense craving for cupcakes that, with tears in my eyes, I resolved right then and there that I WOULD find a way to make an edible cupcake that someone with my food intolerance issues could enjoy.

Today my decision was solidified as my dad, so graciously gave us 4 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. None of which I can enjoy. The hits keep comin'!

Considering I am lactose intolerant, gluten/wheat intolerant, casein, and egg intolerant I knew the cupcakes would be a challenge, but I was up for it! So, today I gathered my ingredients and information and set out to make some chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting all from "scratch". I had everything I needed and was only a little apprehensive about the egg replacer. I had to use flavorless gelatin. Tricky, but it worked!

I have to admit, the frosting was better than store bought stuff. The real test, would Bruce eat one? He knew the flour was made from fava beans, sorghum, garbanzo beans, and potato starch. He knew there was no egg in the batter. This manly military man from Lousiana actually ate one!

So, I had my cupcake craving filled. And it was delicious!

Black History Month

So, what does Black History Month mean to me? Well, it's a kind of Memorial Month dedicated to those of African-American descent, as well as "black" people from other parts of the world. Because not all black people are African-American and not all African-Americans are black!

It's a time to reflect on the positive contributions of a race that has been oppressed, repressed, and struggled to rise above it all to be treated as equal human beings created by the one true God.

I could list many famous people from history and even from the present who have made significant contributions in the world and helped shape it. But, I'm gonna focus on my grandpa, Max Johnson.

In the picture above, the man standing next to my grandpa covered himself in mud. Why? Maybe because imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?!

My Grandpa has been, and probably will be, the most significant black man in my life. My dad's dad, was an orphan for many years before being "adopted" by several different families throughout his childhood. I put adopted in quotes, because it was bordering on being an indentured servant.

I had the privilege to read many reports from his childhood from orphanage case workers that would routinely check up on him in each new foster home.

They concluded he was a well-behaved, clean, polite, yet nappy-headed negro, who was allowed to sit at the dinner table with the white children. Strange to read some of that considering it was around 1914, not 1814.

I also got to read some heartbreaking letters he wrote as a 10 year old pleading with the orphanage case workers to allow him to stay with a particular family whom he loved.

My Grandpa Max grew up to enlist and serve in the U.S. Army, be in the Korean War, learn to play the guitar and be in several bands. The Grand Ole Opry even asked him to join their association, but he declined. He had a beautiful deep singing voice, very Johnny Cash-esque.

He had many jobs as a farm hand, a semi-pro wrestler, and eventually started his own successful lumberjack business. I still have some of the lumberjack company stationary with the Johnson and Nagle letterhead!

My grandpa was not perfect by any means. He had a very distant relationship with his 6 children, one of whom is my dad. But, the man I knew was very different from the man his children knew. My uncle even said to me one time, "Your grandpa and my dad are not the same person." I knew what he meant.

My grandpa was loving, attentive, and involved. For many of my early years we lived with him and my grandma. He taught me how to tap trees for maple sap, fish, canoe, "hunt" for nightcrawlers, grow a thriving garden, build a smoker and smoke fish,along with many other things. I was often his little white shadow! I loved being with my grandpa and often called him Daddy.

I have so many wonderful memories of my Grandpa that I could dedicate several blog posts to him. And although there are MANY pictures of me in my preschool and adolescent years, there are few of him and I together, because he was taking the majority of the pictures.

He developed Alzheimer's disease and passed away in 1996. I still miss him and I know I always will.

Random silliness.....Tyler style

So I realized I have few things about Tyler on my blog, with the exception of his graduation last May and his exodus to UW Whitewater last August. In all honesty he hasn't been around much since then, so there's little to report. But, I figured what the heck, here's an oldie but a goody. In honor of my silly stepson and his cohorts Charlie,Nate,Clayton,and James, I present the "DEAF WOOKIES."
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP6zgzoYKnA

So, what CAN i eat?!

I have been a part of the dairy-less community for over 10 years now....but I never thought I'd be a member of the gluten-free population, as well. Yes, my digestive system is seriously imperfect, and I have the symptoms to prove it. I'll spare you most of the details about that, but I will say this, I am soooo happy to finally find out what has been the cause of my gut-wrenching reactions. There would be days I would lay on the bed clutching my abdomen in agony wondering, "what did I eat that is causing this?!" I know how to avoid dairy to the fullest, including eggs, so I was completely perplexed and becoming seriously discouraged. After compiling data which included all my symptoms,doing thorough research and having tests done, the diagnosis was a serious case of , GLUTEN INTOLERANCE.
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye and is indigestible in folks such as myself. The symptoms manifest themselves as eczema, rashes, severe painful bloating, lethargy, easy bruising, and thinning hair to name a few.

Thank goodness peanut butter doesn't have gluten, because the above is what I found when I recently opened my cupboard after Bruce cleaned out Sentry's natural peanut butter supply!

So, what foods contain gluten, you ask? Nearly every processed food on the store's shelves contain gluten. Bread is the most obvious culprit, as well as pretzels, crackers, pasta, cereal, soup, creamer, frozen meals, pizza, tortillas, salad dressings, stuffing, pastries, and pancake mix. There are also some very inconspicuous sources including spice mixes, soy sauce, gum, some toothpastes, chocolate, some lunch meats, broths, and condiments.

Between the lactose intolerance and gluten intolerance, I'm left with a short list of "acceptable" foods, but they do exist and overall are probably healthier choices anyway. All fresh fruits and vegetables, lentils, rice, beans, legumes, nuts, nut butters, nut flours, tofu, kasha, fish, minimally processed natural meat, corn products, and even jello are on that list. There are some dairy products that are gluten-free, but are not relevant to me unfortunately.
There are so many companies now that specialize in gluten free products that serve as alternatives for the gluten-challenged! A favorite is Rice Chex cereal.

It will be an interesting journey as I enter in a phase of life without "normal" foods, but as long as I stay in the produce aisle and stick to whole fruits and vegetables as much as possible, I should fare well.

Random things in my world!

Remember Rocky? This hyalophora cercropia made his temporary home on our garage last September. I have an entire blog post dedicated to him. Well, in about 2 months now he will emerge as a beautiful red and black moth. I hope we don't miss the big show!

This is a yummy treat that I've fallen in love with. As you can see it has 85% less fat and 40%less calories than regular peanut butter. It takes care of my sweet cravings quite thoroughly, despite not having any refined sugar added to it!

So, this is the note Bruce left on our dry erase board. I went out one night with friends, less than a mile away and practically on the same road we live on. I love how sentimental he is. :)

I tried to save this picture zoomed in really close, but I haven't figured that out yet. This is a metal tractor Bruce bought that you obviously stick corn cobs on. He came home all excited about this new find, saying enthusiastically, "It will look like the squirrel is riding a tractor!" Ok Bruce, settle down! I always think of Tara and giggle when I see Tractor squirrel, because squirrels at her house are one of the most unwelcome of God's creatures! We enjoy watching them for some reason.

This is the dirtless plant Bruce bought for Trinity at the farmer's market last fall. All we have to do is soak it in water 2 to 3 times a week and it's fine. We keep it in a small wicker basket.

Cell phones, laptops, Ipods.....OH MY!!

Technology is great, isn't it?! This morning I checked my email, downloaded songs onto my Ipod, and called my dad on my cell phone. All this after watching a little local news on t.v.

Technology helps us to communicate, educate, learn, accomplish tasks, improve our physical health and even lengthen our lives through medical advances. What BLESSINGS!

And yet, as we acquire more and more of these gadgets and gizmos, the more of our time, money and energy is diverted toward these things. I think we need to be very careful and very conscious of how we allow these things to influence us in our lives.

There are already so many obligations in life that can distract us from spending time with God and hearing His voice....jobs, sports, hobbies, school, maintaining our homes and vehicles. The list could go on.

God's voice is a voice of truth, and a "still small voice." (1 Kings 19:12). But, the voices of this world are loud, insensitive, deceitful, and bombard us with ideas contrary to God.

So, as we utilize all this wonderful advancement in technology, let us be mindful in how we use it, how much we use it, and why we use it. I, myself am guilty of putting technology before God. Instead of going to God in prayer, I've found myself going to the computer or t.v. when I have some downtime. I've called someone on the phone when feeling anxious or bored to distract me from my feelings, instead of calling out to God. Instead of soaking up the peacefulness of a quiet house and the opportunity to hear God's voice, I've blasted music from my ipod speakers.

Don't get me wrong-all of these those activities in and of themselves are not bad!! There is a time and place for everything. But, how often do we choose to have our thoughts, time and energy diverted from just being still and listening. Listening for God's voice.

So many people I know tell me, "I can never hear God speak to me." Well, how often are you actually listening? It's hard to be aware of His voice when your mind is wrapped up in the cares of this world and the readily available distractions of technology.

Like I said earlier, technology is great! But, we need to be careful in how we allow it to influence our time and energy. When I first moved to Colorado 8 years ago, I moved in with my mom in the mountains on the end of a 6 mile dirt road. I was 8 miles from the nearest "town." There was no computer, I had no Ipod, and there were limited books. I called Jacqueline crying and complaining. She said, "I guess it's just God and dirt!" It took me a while to appreciate it, but I eventually did. I did a lot of praying and spent a lot of time in the Bible. It was a time of great spiritual growth, with few distractions.

Let us consider how we are spending our time, money, and energy. I pray our souls become rich in godly experiences and endeavors. Let us feed our souls with the eternal goodness and life-changing influence of God.

Jesus said:

"For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his sown soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" Matthew 16:26.

from the song Life Means So Much, by Chris Rice

Everyday is a bank account

And time is our currency

So no one's rich, nobody's poor

We get twenty-four hours each

So how are you gonna spend?

Will you invest or squander?

Try to get ahead

Or help someone who's under?

Teach us to count the days

Teach us to make the days count

Lead us in better ways

Somehow our souls forgot

Life means so much