Taco Tuesday

We ate some pretty amazing tacos for dinner. They were two for two bucks. A deal.


This kid still makes me smile and one day, I will write a mommy Monday post. Why do I always miss posting on Mondays? Exhaustion per chance? Mondays are hard.

Spiritual Sunday.

Just a few thoughts from when I was sitting at church today listening to a talk. In the talk, the speaker mentioned how maple syrup was made. I keyed into this as I fondly remember my grandpa making syrup every spring, while I was growing up in Wisconsin.

It takes about 60 gallons of maple sap to make one gallon of maple syrup. Not only does it take that precious amount of sap, but it also takes extreme heat.

This can be compared to us. We have a goal to be the best person we can be by the time we leave the world behind and go into eternity. We have "60 gallons" worth of tests and trials. While in those trials, we get to prove ourselves in the midst of pain, heartache, anger, etc. This is the extreme heat. We get to show the kind of person we will become through these tests. Then, in the end, we are a stronger and better version of ourselves, just like that maple syrup.

Remember that next time you are having a hard go at things. From experience, I know that things always get better after they are hard. I also know that by facing trials and hardships with faith, not only are those hardships easier but you are a better person because of those trials. God doesn't punish us with trials, but he allows us to experience them because he knows we will become better people. He also is always right there to comfort and guide us through both good and hard times. What a great blessing to know that.

I really like maple syrup. Mrs. Buttersworth just won't do after you have had the real thing. That has nothing to do with the subject at hand by the way. I was just missing real good Wisconsin Maple Syrup. Maybe I will get to enjoy some while home in December for the holidays.

Cheers.

Super Stupendous Saturday

1. Letters from Taiwan-I got a postcard from my niece who is serving a mission there.  It made my day.

2. Ellis changing everyday-This week humming is new, and he is getting so strong.  He can sit up with help.

3. Carrots bought by Reub- he remembers the small things.  I mentioned that I like crinkle cut carrots and bought more of them for me.

4. Coming home to Ellis-I could stare at that face for hours and often do!

5. Fall walks-the sunsets are amazing this time of year.  I love that God is a great artist. 

6. Badminton and badminton challenges-the kids love to try to beat me.  It rarely happens.  It is easy to teach PE and badminton.  Not much refereeing that needs to be done.

7. Amazing dinners made by Reub-He made this amazing chili this week. So tasty.  I made breakfast on Wednesday and it was a disaster.  Oh well.

8.  I love how google saves all my emails.  It is fun to search and find blasts from the past!

9.  Weight Watchers- Going back to meetings has gotten me focused on my goal again.

10.  Kari-She is an amazing friend who watches Ellis for me.  She made it possible for date night last week and makes it possible for me to get to Weight Watchers.

11.  The end of the week- I am so glad I have a job where I get the weekends free.  I am lucky and blessed.

12.  Music-I am loving the 60s, 70s, 80s Hits station.  It is so soothing.  Ellis is also a music lover.  He still loves his baby playlist that has three whole songs on it.  Music is powerful, no?

13. Fleece blankets- I had a nice nap this morning on our futon with my new one.  Ellis was lightly sleeping and I worried that if I got back into bed it would wake him.  Why is my bed so creaky? 

14.  Alarm clocks- I would be lost without mine these days.  Better yet, Alarms that are Sugarland.  

15.  Being able to schedule blog posts.  I am a few days ahead!!

Well, cheers!

Fitness Friday

We are focusing on food these days.  Sure I am exercising more, but at this moment in time, I need to train that natural woman to not eat all the ice cream in the world everyday.  I have done well with this the past few weeks.  I have lost about 4 pounds.  Only about 36 more to go in the next three months.  Who's idea was it to start this weight loss journey(again) during the months of November and December?  Hello, Thanksgiving and Christmas are in this time frame.  Oh well.

Maybe you are curious why I have three months to do this?  Well, I am a lifetime member of Weight Watchers.  Most of you know about this.  Basically, I got to my goal weight.  When you do that, you don't have to pay to use the program anymore.  Well, then I got pregnant.  WW does not let you participate while you are creating a human inside of you.  I guess it is a good thing for safety issues and such, but it was hard for me to healthily gain weight, so I just gave up and ate whatever I wanted.  Old Alice was back.  Now, I am battling to get little New Alice to be running my brain.

Food is everywhere.  And food that tastes real good usually is not great for us.  And if somebody is thinking about you, then this applies(my Weight Watchers leader, Michelle always says this):
"Sugar + fat = love!"  So I am trying to be better at giving people nice little non-food items this time of year.  That is hard.  I am also good at throwing food away.  It isn't that I don't appreciate sugar and fat treats, I just know I will eat it all and not eat a cookie a day.

I also need to remember that it is about "the butts in the seats, not the food on the plates."  People are important.  Food is crucial, but you do not have to have ice cream every. single. day!  Of course,  I say this and will be eating a burger and fries tonight at Red Robin with peeps from work to celebrate getting paid.  It is hard to be social without food.  Of course, I will have the petite burger, which cancels out the all you can eat fries, right?

Moderation is still the key.  I can be good 80% of the time, which I calculate to be Monday thru Friday.  Then I can play a bit on the weekends.  Of course, like I said before it is a balance: calories in, calories out.  So, if you play TOO much, you have to move more.  Is that brownie worth an hour on the exercise bike?  See skinny people have to work to stay that way, just sayin'.

You choose your hard.  It may be hard to be overweight.  Sure, it is.  It is also hard to lose or maintain weight.  You get to choose your hard.  And don't lie to yourself and just say it is in the stars or your genetics.  You still choose that brownie or carrot.  You choose.  Isn't it great to have a choice? Of course, we complain about it at times, don't we, but we have the power to be what we want to be, we just have to choose to be it!

Like tomorrow when it is time to exercise.  I will complain, but I will also choose to do it.  I must because Mama is cooking on Sunday, and seriously...I will eat her good food lovelies because they are divine.  Thanks Mama!

And here is to another good week and the end of my ramblings.

Cheers!

Throwback Thursday...

...Thanksgiving 2009. (I'll be doing a little Thanksgiving throwbacks this month.



Long before being married or a mother, maybe I had a thing for Edward Cullen.


Long before being a mother, I loved kids. Here's O.


Having an adopted family with younger siblings is awesome. Josh is all grown up now and serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in England


Spencer was my favorite. He still is my favorite kid from another mother besides me. I miss that cuddle bug and his fashion sense.