Sit ups---they are no fun and I have to admit that I was terrible at them when I first started boot camp. I guess having 6 years of infertility treatments (you have to be really careful with ab workouts during infertility treatments because you can torque your ovaries because they are so overstimulated) and finally having a baby...my stomach muscles were shot!
We would be doing sit ups and I would be thinking "Holy Toledo--these are hard!" In fact, I had a really hard time doing a full sit up. I was better with just stomach crunches, but a full sit up was sometimes next to impossible!
Well, last week I turned a corner...I can now do full sit ups without a problem! I can cruise all the way up and down and keep going with some momentum that I did not have a few weeks ago. Wahoo!
And, I do feel like I am finally starting to loose some of that pregnancy belly I had just hanging out there. I carried my son all in the front when I was pregnant, just a basketball and then a watermelon sticking out in front of me as I walked. People would tell me they couldn't tell I was pregnant from the back but WHOA Nelly when I turned around, I might take out a few innocent bystanders! Anyway, after I gave birth, I had all this extra flabby skin just hanging around, it reminded me of an extra brain just sitting on my tummy because of the stretch marks and the way it looked. ( I realize that I am painting a lovely picture here folks....sorry!) I wondered if it would ever go away or if I could even get rid of it since it was just flabby skin...well now maybe I can make some progress! I do feel like my waist is thinner, and I REALLY want to get rid of my thickness. When I look at myself in the mirror front ways, I think I look basically the same, then I turn sideways and I have a lot more girth to me now than pre-pregnancy and pre-infertility.
My goal: Get rid of the girth!
But really, sit ups are important because they keep your stomach strong which helps with a weak back. So, just sit down and so some...then do some more the next day...then go for a minute straight and see how many you can do....then keep doing it 4 days a week and see how much you can increase your numbers. Then, do the same with push ups and work on those triceps too...you know the under part of your arm that keeps waving long after you do!
:) And....only eat one piece of cake...I know you want 2 or maybe 3 but limit it to one...or better yet, eat some fruit...but I know that is asking a lot...so just eat some fruit with your cake!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Fun for Kids: Polka Dot Pumpkin
Hello! Happy Hallow's Eve...or is that tomorrow night? hmmm? dunno...
Anyway...we had our ward craft day a few weeks ago and they provided a nursery for the kiddos. One of the activities was a polka dotted pumpkin....all you do is take a normal pumpkin from the grocery store and give the kids some golf tees and a play hammer! Then, they can proceed to hammer in the golf tees and make a polka dotted pumpkin. You can leave the tees in the pumpkin or take them out and reuse them to make another hole. This is low maintenance, you don't have to gut the pumpkin or anything...just let them at it.
I would suggest adult supervision anytime a hammer is being used, even a toy one!
Have a great, happy, and safe Halloween! If you come to my house, there is a really good chance you will get fruit snacks and yogos instead of candy...I am trying to encourage healthier eating! ( I know, what a DRAG!)
Be beautiful! It becomes you
Heather
Anyway...we had our ward craft day a few weeks ago and they provided a nursery for the kiddos. One of the activities was a polka dotted pumpkin....all you do is take a normal pumpkin from the grocery store and give the kids some golf tees and a play hammer! Then, they can proceed to hammer in the golf tees and make a polka dotted pumpkin. You can leave the tees in the pumpkin or take them out and reuse them to make another hole. This is low maintenance, you don't have to gut the pumpkin or anything...just let them at it.
I would suggest adult supervision anytime a hammer is being used, even a toy one!
Have a great, happy, and safe Halloween! If you come to my house, there is a really good chance you will get fruit snacks and yogos instead of candy...I am trying to encourage healthier eating! ( I know, what a DRAG!)
Be beautiful! It becomes you
Heather
Recipe: Cake Pops
I found these today and they are totally and amazingly cute!
For the full view, go check out Bakerella at http://bakerella.blogspot.com/2008/10/trick-or-treats.html
And one of my favorites The Pioneer Woman gives you step by step instructions with pictures on how she makes them at http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/
I think I will have to make these this weekend....I will have to do 20 extra push ups for boot camp if I eat a cupcake but I may just throw caution to the wind and eat one anyway....way cute!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Halloween!
Happy Upcoming Halloween Everybody--
I always thought Halloween was a fun time to dress up and be creative, my sister LOVES Halloween and currently has a yard full of decorations, including an 8 ft tall spider! My husband hates Halloween, he thinks some people take advantage of the holiday to just act stupid and try to get away with things...I can understand his point of view because he has seen some examples of that behavior. I just think its fun to come up with best and most creative costume!
Most people would expect me to make Landry's costume but this year I got it easy. My sister called me up a few weeks ago and said "Does your son want to be an elephant for Halloween?" her daughter decided she wanted to be a fairy princess instead of an elephant so I said "Heck ya, he wants to be an elephant!" Its a great costume and it involves minimum effort on my part! (Wahoo to that!) My sister's husband actually made the costume...he pulled out the old sewing machine and made a monkey for one of the girls and an elephant for the other....and boy did he do a great job! This is one well made and very cute costume.
So, to the men out there who say real men can't sew....my brother in law defies you!
I always thought Halloween was a fun time to dress up and be creative, my sister LOVES Halloween and currently has a yard full of decorations, including an 8 ft tall spider! My husband hates Halloween, he thinks some people take advantage of the holiday to just act stupid and try to get away with things...I can understand his point of view because he has seen some examples of that behavior. I just think its fun to come up with best and most creative costume!
Most people would expect me to make Landry's costume but this year I got it easy. My sister called me up a few weeks ago and said "Does your son want to be an elephant for Halloween?" her daughter decided she wanted to be a fairy princess instead of an elephant so I said "Heck ya, he wants to be an elephant!" Its a great costume and it involves minimum effort on my part! (Wahoo to that!) My sister's husband actually made the costume...he pulled out the old sewing machine and made a monkey for one of the girls and an elephant for the other....and boy did he do a great job! This is one well made and very cute costume.
So, to the men out there who say real men can't sew....my brother in law defies you!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Recipe: Cream Soups
I got this from the blog my friends and I share about recipes. http://recipestop.blogspot.com/2008/10/cream-soup-mix.html
This sounds like an econmic way to make Cream Soups (like Cream of Mushroom or Chicken).
She got this recipe from her Sister-in-law. she says it is SO much cheaper than buying creamed soups and takes up less room in your pantry too. (she has not figured the exact price but she thinks she has about $5 into ingredients and made the equivalent of 27 cans of soup...wow, that is value!!!).
2 c. powdered milk
3/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 c. bouillon granules (chicken for cream of chicken, beef for cream of mushroom, etc)
2 T. onion flakes
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. pepper
Store in an airtight container. When ready to use combine 1/3c. of the mix with 1 c. water. Cook and stir until thick. Makes 1 can of soup.
Mix makes the equivalent of 9 cans of soup
This sounds like an econmic way to make Cream Soups (like Cream of Mushroom or Chicken).
She got this recipe from her Sister-in-law. she says it is SO much cheaper than buying creamed soups and takes up less room in your pantry too. (she has not figured the exact price but she thinks she has about $5 into ingredients and made the equivalent of 27 cans of soup...wow, that is value!!!).
2 c. powdered milk
3/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 c. bouillon granules (chicken for cream of chicken, beef for cream of mushroom, etc)
2 T. onion flakes
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. pepper
Store in an airtight container. When ready to use combine 1/3c. of the mix with 1 c. water. Cook and stir until thick. Makes 1 can of soup.
Mix makes the equivalent of 9 cans of soup
Recipe: Southwest Chicken Salad
We had this at a ladies function at our church a few months ago and it was great! This is my friend and workout buddy Angie's recipe....
Southwest Chicken Salad Romaine
Heads of Lettuce 1-2 (depending on size)
2-4 Grilled Chicken Breast
3 Roma Tomatoes - chopped
1 Red, Orange and Yellow Bell Pepper - sliced or chopped
1/2 bunch Cilantro chopped (not too fine)
1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan cheese
1 can Black Beans - rinsed and drained
1 small bag Frozen Corn - thawedTortilla Strips - you can buy them or you can fry strips of flour or corn tortilla in oil
Southwestern Caesar Salad Dressing - Look for it at HEB/Grovery Store (you can also substitute with plain caesar dressing if you need to)
You can layer salad or toss all ingredients together just before serving. Tip--add romaine lettuce after tossing the other ingredients so that it will stay crisper.
She served this is a large clean bucket and it was so festive!
I hope you enjoy it! Its a great salad meal...one of those yummy salads with enough stuff it in so you feel like its a meal and not just rabbit food!
Southwest Chicken Salad Romaine
Heads of Lettuce 1-2 (depending on size)
2-4 Grilled Chicken Breast
3 Roma Tomatoes - chopped
1 Red, Orange and Yellow Bell Pepper - sliced or chopped
1/2 bunch Cilantro chopped (not too fine)
1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan cheese
1 can Black Beans - rinsed and drained
1 small bag Frozen Corn - thawedTortilla Strips - you can buy them or you can fry strips of flour or corn tortilla in oil
Southwestern Caesar Salad Dressing - Look for it at HEB/Grovery Store (you can also substitute with plain caesar dressing if you need to)
You can layer salad or toss all ingredients together just before serving. Tip--add romaine lettuce after tossing the other ingredients so that it will stay crisper.
She served this is a large clean bucket and it was so festive!
I hope you enjoy it! Its a great salad meal...one of those yummy salads with enough stuff it in so you feel like its a meal and not just rabbit food!
Holiday Music
I posted on my Facebook page today that I was "listening to Christmas Music." and I got a few comments that it was too early and that I was a sick woman, etc....
Well, I joined a choir at work....yes, this year for our annual December meeting, they are going to have a choir perform and I decided to join. I haven't been in a Christmas Choir in a long time...at least 3 years...and I LOVE Christmas music and regret it every year that I do not participate in a choir. So, here we are. We practice every Tuesday at lunch time and its been such a great experience. There is something so nice about taking a break from the everyday grind and singing some beautiful music...and I work at a university, so we must be politically correct and all embracing of cultures and religions and such so we have a Hanukkah song, a Kwanzaa Song, a generic winter medley, jingle bells, and a Christmas song. We have only learned about 2.5 songs so far but I have to tell ya that the accompaniment on the Hanukkah song is just beautiful and I have grown to really love this song.
You know, when it comes down to it, they all carry very similar meanings. They talk about family, friends, being together, traditions, beliefs, and unity...all good things and something we can celebrate together. I think this would actually be a really nice thing to have in a church meeting that talks about embracing other cultures and being a member of the human race as opposed to being white or European or African or whatever. I know that deep down in our core, we all seek similar things and want the best for our loved ones...these songs speak to that with these lovely tones and chords. They are messages of peace, no matter what circumstances are surrounding us.
So, break out the Holiday music and feel the heart song of the holidays...even if it is just almost Halloween. I think it is a message we all need to hear and be reminded of....year round.
May your Holiday Season be one of love, kindness, and peace.
Well, I joined a choir at work....yes, this year for our annual December meeting, they are going to have a choir perform and I decided to join. I haven't been in a Christmas Choir in a long time...at least 3 years...and I LOVE Christmas music and regret it every year that I do not participate in a choir. So, here we are. We practice every Tuesday at lunch time and its been such a great experience. There is something so nice about taking a break from the everyday grind and singing some beautiful music...and I work at a university, so we must be politically correct and all embracing of cultures and religions and such so we have a Hanukkah song, a Kwanzaa Song, a generic winter medley, jingle bells, and a Christmas song. We have only learned about 2.5 songs so far but I have to tell ya that the accompaniment on the Hanukkah song is just beautiful and I have grown to really love this song.
You know, when it comes down to it, they all carry very similar meanings. They talk about family, friends, being together, traditions, beliefs, and unity...all good things and something we can celebrate together. I think this would actually be a really nice thing to have in a church meeting that talks about embracing other cultures and being a member of the human race as opposed to being white or European or African or whatever. I know that deep down in our core, we all seek similar things and want the best for our loved ones...these songs speak to that with these lovely tones and chords. They are messages of peace, no matter what circumstances are surrounding us.
So, break out the Holiday music and feel the heart song of the holidays...even if it is just almost Halloween. I think it is a message we all need to hear and be reminded of....year round.
May your Holiday Season be one of love, kindness, and peace.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Food: Pizza is a beautiful thing
Howdy Folks---
I love pizza...and I love pizza lots of different ways...from your average pepperoni to a fancy dessert pizza...love them all!
The pizza in the picture is one that my son and I made tonight for our Family night and dinner. At his school, they are talking about food and where it comes from and how to make things. They asked us to make our child's favorite dish and bring it for them to share on Tuesday at lunch. So, we and I spent a good part of the evening making pizza for his class and our dinner tonight. The ones for his class are just plain pepperoni with cheese. The ones we made for us have that normal pepperoni and cheese but I also caramelized some onions, yellow and orange bell peppers, and mushrooms to put on ours. It was good....but really, how can pizza sauce with cheese and bread ever be wrong?
I have also made a barbecue chicken pizza. You just use barbecue sauce (I like the KC Masterpiece) in place of the tomato sauce and toss the chicken in the bbq sauce as well. Spread it on a pizza dough and top with some shredded fresh basil and mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Its a breeze and so yummy.
I also love a good fruit pizza, the ones with a huge sugar cookie as the crust with the cream cheese and marshmallow (mixed equal parts together) frosting as the "sauce" and sliced fruit as the topping.
Then you can always jazz up some regular old pizza dough with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon and have a cinnamon roll pizza and drizzle it with royal icing. Yep, its low fat...I knew you were asking!
So, get in the kitchen with someone you love and make pizzas...all sorts...and make memories too! Take pictures and get creative on a few toppings. This is also a fun idea for a party...have all the "fixins" out and everyone can make their own personal pizza and cook it in the oven while everyone stands around the kitchen and chats (everyone ends up there anyway, might as well make it a focal point...maybe someone will even do the dishes!)
If you have some great pizza recipes or ideas, I would love to hear them!
FHE-Jesus Washes the Apostles Feet
Family Night Lesson
Jesus Washing the Apostles’ Feet
Supplies: Wash Cloth
After Jesus had eaten the Last Supper with his Apostles, he put a towel around his waist and poured water into a small tub that was used to wash in, and then he began to wash and dry the Apostles’ feet.
When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter asked Jesus why he was washing his feet. Jesus told Peter that he would not understand then but that he would know later. Peter told Jesus that he didn’t need to wash his feet. Then Jesus told Peter he needed to let him wash his feet to become part of Him. Then Peter asked Jesus if he would wash his hands and head also. Jesus told him that he only needed to wash his feet.
When Jesus finished washing the Apostles’ feet, he said, “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done unto you”.
Jesus was the Master and greatest among His apostles, and yet He showed His love to them by serving them. Jesus taught us that regardless of who we are, whether we are small or great, we need to serve and help one another. By doing this, we will become more like Him.
St. John 13:4-15
Jesus Washing the Apostles’ Feet
Supplies: Wash Cloth
After Jesus had eaten the Last Supper with his Apostles, he put a towel around his waist and poured water into a small tub that was used to wash in, and then he began to wash and dry the Apostles’ feet.
When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter asked Jesus why he was washing his feet. Jesus told Peter that he would not understand then but that he would know later. Peter told Jesus that he didn’t need to wash his feet. Then Jesus told Peter he needed to let him wash his feet to become part of Him. Then Peter asked Jesus if he would wash his hands and head also. Jesus told him that he only needed to wash his feet.
When Jesus finished washing the Apostles’ feet, he said, “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done unto you”.
Jesus was the Master and greatest among His apostles, and yet He showed His love to them by serving them. Jesus taught us that regardless of who we are, whether we are small or great, we need to serve and help one another. By doing this, we will become more like Him.
St. John 13:4-15
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Food-My new favorite snack--apples and cheese
Hello folks--
I hope you had or are in the mix of having a great weekend. I had one of those weekends without a schedule (which is a rarity during football season but it was an away game...hallelujah!...and we won the away game so that is also a rarity during our poor "rebuilding year"...anyway, I digress) where my little boy and I had some things to do with no definite schedule and if we got a good nap in on Saturday...all the better!!! My hubbie was driving a group of students down to our Galveston campus to do some lab work down on the big ship, the Clipper II, so he would be gone all day. So, my little one and I went grocery shopping, then to the mall for a quick run in to check on a dress, then to the local half price books to get us both a good read..then home for a nice healthy lunch and then nap time....I love me a nice nap, especially when we both get one, but of course, he got one and I didn't...but I did get to relax a little so that is okay.
Anyway...I have this new favorite snack that I thought I would share...its healthy and easy and colorful to boot! Its apples and cheese. I like the tartness of a Granny Smith and the cheese is a perfect juxtaposition to the tartness. I have found these little Babybel cheeses and they are so cute, fun, creamy, and yum. I bought a whole slew of them at Sam's...so its a good thing I liked them...and now I want to go buy a few more bucket fulls. And its fun to open them since they come in their own little wax ball that you peel off....its fun and cheese all rolled in one!
Here is my son demonstrating...he thinks they are pretty cool too!
These are a great healthy snack! ( By the way, my son is not in a padded room, that is an inflatable mattress leaning against the wall from the company that just left. )
Oh, and by the way...I am still sore from boot camp...but that's a good thing! Its my muscles telling me they love me...its tough love!
I hope you had or are in the mix of having a great weekend. I had one of those weekends without a schedule (which is a rarity during football season but it was an away game...hallelujah!...and we won the away game so that is also a rarity during our poor "rebuilding year"...anyway, I digress) where my little boy and I had some things to do with no definite schedule and if we got a good nap in on Saturday...all the better!!! My hubbie was driving a group of students down to our Galveston campus to do some lab work down on the big ship, the Clipper II, so he would be gone all day. So, my little one and I went grocery shopping, then to the mall for a quick run in to check on a dress, then to the local half price books to get us both a good read..then home for a nice healthy lunch and then nap time....I love me a nice nap, especially when we both get one, but of course, he got one and I didn't...but I did get to relax a little so that is okay.
Anyway...I have this new favorite snack that I thought I would share...its healthy and easy and colorful to boot! Its apples and cheese. I like the tartness of a Granny Smith and the cheese is a perfect juxtaposition to the tartness. I have found these little Babybel cheeses and they are so cute, fun, creamy, and yum. I bought a whole slew of them at Sam's...so its a good thing I liked them...and now I want to go buy a few more bucket fulls. And its fun to open them since they come in their own little wax ball that you peel off....its fun and cheese all rolled in one!
Here is my son demonstrating...he thinks they are pretty cool too!
These are a great healthy snack! ( By the way, my son is not in a padded room, that is an inflatable mattress leaning against the wall from the company that just left. )
Oh, and by the way...I am still sore from boot camp...but that's a good thing! Its my muscles telling me they love me...its tough love!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Boot Camp II-The first week
Well, I have finished my first week of my second round of fitness Adventure boot camp. It wasn't much of a week because I had to miss a day of boot camp and another work out day because I had family visiting and a shower to go to for me future niece....both good reasons to miss because I wanted to spend time with them all, and I did go running one night, so it wasn't all a loss.
Anyway, so I finally made it to boot camp on Thursday and Friday and I hit the ground running. Have I ever mentioned that I am NOT a runner? In fact, when I was much younger and just out of college, I met a cute boy who was a runner so I thought..."Hey! I can be a runner!"...and I had him do some running/training with me so that I could become a runner like him....ahem...failed miserably! My body just wasn't cut out to be a runner...my short legs had to do double time to keep up with his longer sleeker ones and I just could never quite "get it". I did a 5K run/walk and probably ended up walking more than running because I started suffering from leg cramps the week of the run...but anyway, I decided then and there that I was NOT a runner...never would be, just have to face the facts ma'am...not a runner am I.
So, when I joined boot camp, you have to pick which group you are in...the runner group or the walker group. Ha! No problemo--those runners were looking pretty fit and fabulous anyway---I will stick with the walkers...my people...the slower heal-toe people are my friends! I stayed with the walker group all of the first boot camp and am at home there. Like I said earlier
Heather=not a runner
So, Thursday when I was at boot camp, I was going to push it extra hard since I had missed some workouts and was needing to get back in the swing of things. So, when they split us into groups, I went with the runners.....huh?....what was I thinking? Remember?...not a runner! but for whatever reason, on Thursday, my something thought I was a runner and walked me over to that group.
.....I actually did it...I competed with the runners and wasn't lousy....I am no FloJo...but I wasn't an embarrassment either. I was so proud of myself! I felt quite a sense of accomplishment...and tiredness...as I proudly drove home from my workout.
I am so glad I did this whole boot camp thing...if you have the choice to live healthy or not...why choose not? This way, if I ever do want to have a chocolate chip cookie (my all time fave) than who cares? Its just a cookie and I will work it off later. Before, it was never just a cookie, it was just a batch of cookies or a plate of cookies or a ....I will never be able to work this off if I do jumping jacks the rest of the day kind of cookie eating. But now, by golly, if I am going to work out, I might as well feed my body the things it needs to get through the day and give it the nutrition to do so! I have found that my whole mind set has changed. I can eat just one cookie...I do throw a heck of a lot more vegetables on my plate or in my dishes when I cook them. I do try to make more tomato based pastas instead of cream based....it all is coming together!
Click! The light is on! Someone IS home! And its not that fat girl that I hate in the mirror....its a healthier version of myself that DOG GONE IT will be healthier and more fit and will do her darndest to get back down to a single digit size! I don't care if it takes a while...I didn't get this way in 3 weeks so I can't expect it to fall off in that amount of time. In actuality, it took 6 years of infertility medications and a TON of stress having to do with the infertility meds that did this (in addition to the aforementioned cookies).
Its not instant....it does take hard work....and planning... and energy...but I feel FAB-U-LOUS! Better than I have felt in a really really long time.
One of my dorm-mates in college was trying to loose her "Freshman 15" and had some motivational quotes up on her door. One of my favorites was "Yell it! Spell it! Fat is hell!"
I agree, its no fun to be fat! While I am not overly fat, I still hated being flabby or muffin top-ish in jeans....or sausage like in some things. Now, things are firming up....muscles are under those layers and I feel them on a daily basis...my clothes are fitting better and I am anxiously awaiting when I can go down a size and get one step closer to single digit clothes.
I have a dress...you all probably have something similar...its a dress that I LOVE and that I could wear when I was skinny...or at least skinnier. I am not sure how long I have had this dress, I bet its been at least 11 years...believe it or not, If I could fit in it today then it would still look stylish because it was one of those classically beautiful dresses...its black and red and lovely at Christmas time (probably won't be worn this year but maybe next)....I can only fit in it when I am smaller and the size I am probably supposed to be per the doctor's books. I want to wear that dress again...and I will. I will take a picture when I do and post it. Me and that dress have a date with destiny.
So, do something healthy...make yourself feel better....then do it again the next day and then add to it and keep it up. I think I have mentioned that I had to "get used" to being sore every day. I still do after a month of boot camp. In fact, there have been times today that I probably looked pretty awkward picking up things in the grocery store because I am unusually sore today. I just look at it like that is my body saying THANKS in a little bit of a painful way....but it tells me I DID SOMETHING...I didn't sit and watch tv or eat a plate of cookies or cupcakes...I went and sweat a pool's worth of sweat and at times felt like I couldn't do one more thing and I pushed through it and did it! And WOW did I feel good afterwards (those endorphins are amazing!).
So just do it...yes, you! Just do it! Step away from the computer and tv and go for a walk, a jog, get some green beans cans and start lifting them over your head and doing tricept reps so your underarms don't flap in the wind....just DO IT! DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!
Be beautiful...it becomes you!
Who loves ya?!! That would be me!
P.S. the next day at boot camp I went with the walking group and did a super fast walk and jog combo...the runners were all the trainers for boot camp and that intimidated the hoo hoo out of me and so I went back to my crowd. But fear not, I will be a runner again...I might even become a runner permanently...wow, strange things happen when you stop lying to yourself. :)
Be good, be happy, and be healthy!
Anyway, so I finally made it to boot camp on Thursday and Friday and I hit the ground running. Have I ever mentioned that I am NOT a runner? In fact, when I was much younger and just out of college, I met a cute boy who was a runner so I thought..."Hey! I can be a runner!"...and I had him do some running/training with me so that I could become a runner like him....ahem...failed miserably! My body just wasn't cut out to be a runner...my short legs had to do double time to keep up with his longer sleeker ones and I just could never quite "get it". I did a 5K run/walk and probably ended up walking more than running because I started suffering from leg cramps the week of the run...but anyway, I decided then and there that I was NOT a runner...never would be, just have to face the facts ma'am...not a runner am I.
So, when I joined boot camp, you have to pick which group you are in...the runner group or the walker group. Ha! No problemo--those runners were looking pretty fit and fabulous anyway---I will stick with the walkers...my people...the slower heal-toe people are my friends! I stayed with the walker group all of the first boot camp and am at home there. Like I said earlier
Heather=not a runner
So, Thursday when I was at boot camp, I was going to push it extra hard since I had missed some workouts and was needing to get back in the swing of things. So, when they split us into groups, I went with the runners.....huh?....what was I thinking? Remember?...not a runner! but for whatever reason, on Thursday, my something thought I was a runner and walked me over to that group.
.....I actually did it...I competed with the runners and wasn't lousy....I am no FloJo...but I wasn't an embarrassment either. I was so proud of myself! I felt quite a sense of accomplishment...and tiredness...as I proudly drove home from my workout.
I am so glad I did this whole boot camp thing...if you have the choice to live healthy or not...why choose not? This way, if I ever do want to have a chocolate chip cookie (my all time fave) than who cares? Its just a cookie and I will work it off later. Before, it was never just a cookie, it was just a batch of cookies or a plate of cookies or a ....I will never be able to work this off if I do jumping jacks the rest of the day kind of cookie eating. But now, by golly, if I am going to work out, I might as well feed my body the things it needs to get through the day and give it the nutrition to do so! I have found that my whole mind set has changed. I can eat just one cookie...I do throw a heck of a lot more vegetables on my plate or in my dishes when I cook them. I do try to make more tomato based pastas instead of cream based....it all is coming together!
Click! The light is on! Someone IS home! And its not that fat girl that I hate in the mirror....its a healthier version of myself that DOG GONE IT will be healthier and more fit and will do her darndest to get back down to a single digit size! I don't care if it takes a while...I didn't get this way in 3 weeks so I can't expect it to fall off in that amount of time. In actuality, it took 6 years of infertility medications and a TON of stress having to do with the infertility meds that did this (in addition to the aforementioned cookies).
Its not instant....it does take hard work....and planning... and energy...but I feel FAB-U-LOUS! Better than I have felt in a really really long time.
One of my dorm-mates in college was trying to loose her "Freshman 15" and had some motivational quotes up on her door. One of my favorites was "Yell it! Spell it! Fat is hell!"
I agree, its no fun to be fat! While I am not overly fat, I still hated being flabby or muffin top-ish in jeans....or sausage like in some things. Now, things are firming up....muscles are under those layers and I feel them on a daily basis...my clothes are fitting better and I am anxiously awaiting when I can go down a size and get one step closer to single digit clothes.
I have a dress...you all probably have something similar...its a dress that I LOVE and that I could wear when I was skinny...or at least skinnier. I am not sure how long I have had this dress, I bet its been at least 11 years...believe it or not, If I could fit in it today then it would still look stylish because it was one of those classically beautiful dresses...its black and red and lovely at Christmas time (probably won't be worn this year but maybe next)....I can only fit in it when I am smaller and the size I am probably supposed to be per the doctor's books. I want to wear that dress again...and I will. I will take a picture when I do and post it. Me and that dress have a date with destiny.
So, do something healthy...make yourself feel better....then do it again the next day and then add to it and keep it up. I think I have mentioned that I had to "get used" to being sore every day. I still do after a month of boot camp. In fact, there have been times today that I probably looked pretty awkward picking up things in the grocery store because I am unusually sore today. I just look at it like that is my body saying THANKS in a little bit of a painful way....but it tells me I DID SOMETHING...I didn't sit and watch tv or eat a plate of cookies or cupcakes...I went and sweat a pool's worth of sweat and at times felt like I couldn't do one more thing and I pushed through it and did it! And WOW did I feel good afterwards (those endorphins are amazing!).
So just do it...yes, you! Just do it! Step away from the computer and tv and go for a walk, a jog, get some green beans cans and start lifting them over your head and doing tricept reps so your underarms don't flap in the wind....just DO IT! DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!
Be beautiful...it becomes you!
Who loves ya?!! That would be me!
P.S. the next day at boot camp I went with the walking group and did a super fast walk and jog combo...the runners were all the trainers for boot camp and that intimidated the hoo hoo out of me and so I went back to my crowd. But fear not, I will be a runner again...I might even become a runner permanently...wow, strange things happen when you stop lying to yourself. :)
Be good, be happy, and be healthy!
Children's Book
I have a love for Children's books. I have some that were read to me as a child and others that I have grown to love since I have had my son. We had an enrichment night once where we had a teacher do a class on children's books and what her favorites were. I thought this was such a great lesson because it opened up my world of books to a whole new group of books and it also taught me to broaden my horizons. She talked about books of different cultures and different kinds of stories and themes, different lands, and holidays I had not celebrated. It was really wonderful!
I would also suggest that if you do this kind of activity, that you have people write down their favorite Children's books and pass out the list to everyone so that they can go to their nearest library or book store and start broadening their reading horizons as well!
Here are a few of my faves....
The Story of Ferdinand (I think its also called Ferdinand the Bull) by Munro Leaf
Bertram the Bad
Where the Wild Things Are
Whose Mouse are You?
The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone
Santa Mouse
The Velveteen Rabbit
Click Clack Moo. Cows that Type
The Lady with the Alligator Purse (not sure if that is the correct name)
So, tell me what your favorite children's books are....I will try to look up the authors of these books or scour through my bookshelves to find them.
You could even do a book club with a group of children's books just to mix it up a little!
Have fun and read! It does a mind good!
I would also suggest that if you do this kind of activity, that you have people write down their favorite Children's books and pass out the list to everyone so that they can go to their nearest library or book store and start broadening their reading horizons as well!
Here are a few of my faves....
The Story of Ferdinand (I think its also called Ferdinand the Bull) by Munro Leaf
Bertram the Bad
Where the Wild Things Are
Whose Mouse are You?
The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone
Santa Mouse
The Velveteen Rabbit
Click Clack Moo. Cows that Type
The Lady with the Alligator Purse (not sure if that is the correct name)
So, tell me what your favorite children's books are....I will try to look up the authors of these books or scour through my bookshelves to find them.
You could even do a book club with a group of children's books just to mix it up a little!
Have fun and read! It does a mind good!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Boot Camp-Back in the Saddle Again and other randomness
I start boot camp again tomorrow. It actually started earlier this week but I have had my sister and her girls in visiting and my husband had some meetings so I wasn't able to go the first day and tonight I went to the movies so I will be hating life tomorrow around 6:00pm! I haven't had a boot camp work out (except for the ones we did at church) for a week and a half so my muscles are in for a rude awakening. I have worked out pretty regularly, but for 30 minutes instead of an hour.
Anyway, I am looking forward to feeling great, losing weight, and fitting in my clothes better. I am hoping that by Christmas I will have lost 10-15 pounds or at least a dress size or two.
I love that the weather is cooling down and its starting to be "soup" weather. I love weather where you just want to come home and cuddle up with a blanket, a bowl of soup, and a good book...I love it even more when I had time to do that!
While we were at the movie tonight, a cold front came in and it was quite a bit cooler and so nice! Fall weather in Texas is great because the humidity is low, the temperature is cooler, and its football season....such a great combination.
Football season...ah, the fun days of the gridiron! The problem is that my teams are stinking up the place this year...both of them. The Aggies are in a "rebuilding" year and the Cowboys have been in an ugly stump for at least the past 3 weeks...its downright sad when we were hoping to be Superbowl contenders...and I haven't given up hope....but I am also not holding my breathe.
I have neglected my blog a little over the last week....I have to tell ya that life has been hectic! Work, home, church, and family life has just had a lot going on....its been a fun and really great 2 weeks, I have just been pooped by the end of the day. I do feel really blessed for all that I have...I know there are plenty of people in this world who have nothing, so I am grateful for what I do have and hope I can remember from Whom it came.
We are heading up to Utah over the holidays so we are starting to make hotel reservations and get our plan in motion. We are driving this year, first time I have ever driven the 22 hour or so trek to Salt Lake but my husband assures me it will be fun. I just hope that OPEC doesn't go with the Venezuelans and Iranians and raise the oil prices again, I was just being content with paying $2.50 a gallon again! Plus, it would save me a whole heck of a lot of money when you consider the trip is something like 1600 miles each way!
I have some projects to finish and pictures to post, so bare with me and hopefully over the next few days I can get them finished and posted.
I am also super stoked about my Scrap booking retreat that is in less than 30 days! This is such a fun time for me...my sisters and friends go to a lodge out in the country and we scrapbook for like 2 days...its wonderful fun and we laugh and don't sleep much...but we accomplish a lot! We always have a few moments where we are all laughing so hard that we can't stop and then once we regain control, we can't keep it for long...laughing does a body good!
So, look for beauty in all things today or whenever you read this...the leaves are changing and the weather is getting cooler and the holidays are just around the corner.....mmmm, I can smell the pumpkin bread now!
Anyway, I am looking forward to feeling great, losing weight, and fitting in my clothes better. I am hoping that by Christmas I will have lost 10-15 pounds or at least a dress size or two.
I love that the weather is cooling down and its starting to be "soup" weather. I love weather where you just want to come home and cuddle up with a blanket, a bowl of soup, and a good book...I love it even more when I had time to do that!
While we were at the movie tonight, a cold front came in and it was quite a bit cooler and so nice! Fall weather in Texas is great because the humidity is low, the temperature is cooler, and its football season....such a great combination.
Football season...ah, the fun days of the gridiron! The problem is that my teams are stinking up the place this year...both of them. The Aggies are in a "rebuilding" year and the Cowboys have been in an ugly stump for at least the past 3 weeks...its downright sad when we were hoping to be Superbowl contenders...and I haven't given up hope....but I am also not holding my breathe.
I have neglected my blog a little over the last week....I have to tell ya that life has been hectic! Work, home, church, and family life has just had a lot going on....its been a fun and really great 2 weeks, I have just been pooped by the end of the day. I do feel really blessed for all that I have...I know there are plenty of people in this world who have nothing, so I am grateful for what I do have and hope I can remember from Whom it came.
We are heading up to Utah over the holidays so we are starting to make hotel reservations and get our plan in motion. We are driving this year, first time I have ever driven the 22 hour or so trek to Salt Lake but my husband assures me it will be fun. I just hope that OPEC doesn't go with the Venezuelans and Iranians and raise the oil prices again, I was just being content with paying $2.50 a gallon again! Plus, it would save me a whole heck of a lot of money when you consider the trip is something like 1600 miles each way!
I have some projects to finish and pictures to post, so bare with me and hopefully over the next few days I can get them finished and posted.
I am also super stoked about my Scrap booking retreat that is in less than 30 days! This is such a fun time for me...my sisters and friends go to a lodge out in the country and we scrapbook for like 2 days...its wonderful fun and we laugh and don't sleep much...but we accomplish a lot! We always have a few moments where we are all laughing so hard that we can't stop and then once we regain control, we can't keep it for long...laughing does a body good!
So, look for beauty in all things today or whenever you read this...the leaves are changing and the weather is getting cooler and the holidays are just around the corner.....mmmm, I can smell the pumpkin bread now!
Movie-The Secret Life of Bees
Its been a long time since I went to a movie with girlfriends and just soaked it in.
They went and made one of my favorite books into a movie so some friends of mine and I went and saw "The Secret life of Bees".
Its good, its really good.
The characters are done so well...in so many ways they are perfect. The women who play the Boatwright sisters are younger and smaller than I pictured them when I read the book but their characterization is so dead on that you feel they are those people. The British woman who played May is especially poignant and gave May more personality and intelligence than I had and I liked her version better...it was dignified and lovely.
My brother even went and saw it and liked it.
So, grab some gal pals and go see this movie...I took a hanky and used the whole thing, so beware...but they are happy and sad tears and I knew what was coming so that probably added to it.
Treat yourself...go see a movie!
They went and made one of my favorite books into a movie so some friends of mine and I went and saw "The Secret life of Bees".
Its good, its really good.
The characters are done so well...in so many ways they are perfect. The women who play the Boatwright sisters are younger and smaller than I pictured them when I read the book but their characterization is so dead on that you feel they are those people. The British woman who played May is especially poignant and gave May more personality and intelligence than I had and I liked her version better...it was dignified and lovely.
My brother even went and saw it and liked it.
So, grab some gal pals and go see this movie...I took a hanky and used the whole thing, so beware...but they are happy and sad tears and I knew what was coming so that probably added to it.
Treat yourself...go see a movie!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Random Thoughts--Straight Hair
I am a curly headed girl...have been pretty much since I was a little girl, in fact my hair is probably curlier now than when I was little. I am not one of those curly head haters who hates her curly hair...on the contrary, I love it and it has done me well over the years....especially in the 80s when big hair was queen and Stiff Stuff was a girl's best friend. However, everyone wants a change now and then and I really like some of the new straighter hair styles. I have had a straightener for years, just a Revlon Ceramic one that I thought was probably pretty good and possibly equal to those Chi's that everyone raves about. My Revlon one was getting worn out and just not doing the job anymore, so I started to look around....
Say hello to my new best friend....
Say hello to my new best friend....
This little object may not look like much but it packs a powerful punch!
This is a Chi Hair Straightener by Farouk. These things are expensive...I have never seen them for under $129 I don't think, you might can find them on sale for $99 occasionally. I have had a few hair straighteners in my time and NOTHING compares to the Chi. I have a friend of a friend who works for the Farouk company so she got me a steal of a deal on one and I figured I might as well try it. This thing works wonders on my hair....yes, it actually straightens it! This is no small task! not only does it straighten it....the straightness hold all day long. Before, I would straighten it and it would look fine in the morning but by noon I was a fuzzy head and by 5pm I was a combination of fuzz and flat all rolled up into one...not anymore.
The thing is amazing...and worth every penny. Chi, I am sorry I ever doubted you.
Its changed my life. I now can wear a page boy haircut and look in style and (hopefully) cute and know that I can achieve this hair even in Texas in July. Amazing.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Craft:Tile Picture
Hello Folks--
My sister called me tonight and said "You need to post something, I am tired of looking at that turkey!" So, here goes. She also wanted to see all my projects from my Craft Day but I haven't finished them all, in fact this is the only one that is really finished. This looks like a kitchen tile that has had a painting put on it...it is the coolest thing. Its probably been around in Utah for years but we are a little far from Utah and it takes a few years for those cutting edge crafts to come out way.
This is a picture I took out of a calendar that I bought at Half Price Books last week. I will probably pic up this calendar in a few months and wonder what ever happened to November, since it is now missing! Anyway, this was a calendar of French cities and paintings and I have many French pictures and such hanging in my house. We went to France on our honeymoon so it hold a special place in our hearts.
While this project is easy, it is time consuming and does require measuring. I am typically not a big measurer when it comes to crafts, I kind of wing it, but this one takes some exactness so that the lines on your picture line up.
I will have to see if I can find instructions online on how to do this. first you take a board and you saw the "grout" looking grooves into the board. Then, paint the grooves whatever color you want, I chose black which is no big surprise. Then basically, you find a picture you like...we had all sorts...pictured of Families, Christ, Flowers, Calendar pictures, etc...and you cut it out just like the size of each square (yes, you have to measure each square) and you glue it on the board with a plain old glue stick. Its really important to make sure the corners are down well. Then, you pour a large amount of epoxy over it and smooth it out, blow out any bubbles, and then let it sit. Come back every 20-30 minutes and blow out bubbles and look over epoxy. After a while (depends on the humidity) it will start to harden a little, when it does this, you take a Popsicle stick and you drag it through those grout grooves to give the "tile" look of each square. Let it dry over night and you are done. It is shiny and so pretty and looks so classy!
Now I just have to figure out if this really is a Christmas gift or if it is going on my wall!
Put something beautiful in your house...it already has you, so just add to that beauty!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Recipe: Broiled Turkey Breast Loin
Hello,
Sorry for not having posted in a few days. This week my friend Angie and I are doing a little "boot camp" of our own for the ladies at church. It is Monday through Friday at 5:30am so I am having to wake up at 4:55am to get up and get to the church in time to open up. It hasn't been bad but last night it caught up with me and by 10pm I was falling asleep on the couch. Plus, today is our Super Craft Day for church....we do a morning and afternoon session and people have a choice of what crafts they want to do. There is a cost associated with all the crafts, but it is a great way to knock out some fab Christmas presents. I will take my camera with me so I can post some of the masterpieces!
The recipe I have for you today is for a Broiled Turkey Breast Loin. When I first looked at it in the store, I thought it was a pork roast because it was packaged in the same vacuum packed packaging that they come in but upon further inspection, it was a Ginger Lime Turkey Breast loin. I decided I would try it and see how it was. It was great! And, it was easy! You could bake it in the oven for and hour and a half or you could broil it for 35 minutes. I decided I only wanted to wait 35 minutes so I tossed it on a jelly roll pan covered in foil and popped it in the oven, turning it at 15 minutes. It came out caramelized and crusty goodness! I think you could do this with a plain turkey breast loin and add one of those salad dressings or salad dressing like marinades and it would work too...I think you definitely need a wet marinade for this.
Anyway, it had a little caramelized crust on the outside and was tender and juicy on the inside. I bought mine at Sam's in a 2 pack for $13 and there was more than enough of one of those to feed 3 people, you could probably feed 4-5 people with one loin, maybe 6.
Stay tuned for pictures from craft day! I hope you can make it a beautiful day!
Heather
Monday, October 13, 2008
Recipe: Instant Hot Chocolate Drink
As I mentioned in the below post, one year I gave Hot Chocolate mix as a gift. I actually called it "Snowman Soup" and there is a poem that goes with it that I copied below. I attached a candy cane as a "stirring stick" or you could do a cinnamon stick.
Snowman Soup
Was told you've been real good this year.
Always glad to hear it!
With freezing weather drawing near,
You'll need to warm the spirit.
So here's a little Snowman Soup
Complete with stirring stick.
Add hot water, sip it slow.
It's sure to do the trick!
As I was looking up the poem, I also came across a site that has a printable gift tag, so here is the link for that http://organizedchristmas.com/image/view/636/_original
Here is the recipe I used...
Instant Hot chocolate Drink
1 pound chocolate flavored drink mix
1 1/2 cups powdered nondairy creamer
1/2 cup powdered confectioners sugar
8 cups of powdered milk
Mix all ingredients until well blended. Store in tightly closed container. Use 1/4th cup mix per cup of hot water. Makes 12 cups of mix or 48 servings.
I bought Mason jars and filled them with the mix, attached a cute card with the Snowman Soup Poem and mixing instructions, put some fabric over the top and attached a candy cane with ribbon or twine.
Voila! An easy and inexpensive gift and you can make a bunch of gifts from one batch!
I got some nice compliments on the hot chocolate mix as well, people seemed to really like it. Just make sure that you have the mixture well mixed before you start to put it in the jars so that every jar gets an evenly mixed batch....you wouldn't want someone to get no sugar and just lots of powdered milk. After you fill one jar, I would be sure to remix the big batch just to ensure a consistent product.
Snowman Soup
Was told you've been real good this year.
Always glad to hear it!
With freezing weather drawing near,
You'll need to warm the spirit.
So here's a little Snowman Soup
Complete with stirring stick.
Add hot water, sip it slow.
It's sure to do the trick!
As I was looking up the poem, I also came across a site that has a printable gift tag, so here is the link for that http://organizedchristmas.com/image/view/636/_original
Here is the recipe I used...
Instant Hot chocolate Drink
1 pound chocolate flavored drink mix
1 1/2 cups powdered nondairy creamer
1/2 cup powdered confectioners sugar
8 cups of powdered milk
Mix all ingredients until well blended. Store in tightly closed container. Use 1/4th cup mix per cup of hot water. Makes 12 cups of mix or 48 servings.
I bought Mason jars and filled them with the mix, attached a cute card with the Snowman Soup Poem and mixing instructions, put some fabric over the top and attached a candy cane with ribbon or twine.
Voila! An easy and inexpensive gift and you can make a bunch of gifts from one batch!
I got some nice compliments on the hot chocolate mix as well, people seemed to really like it. Just make sure that you have the mixture well mixed before you start to put it in the jars so that every jar gets an evenly mixed batch....you wouldn't want someone to get no sugar and just lots of powdered milk. After you fill one jar, I would be sure to remix the big batch just to ensure a consistent product.
Columbus Day & Preparing for the Holidays
Well, Happy Columbus Day! And thank you Christopher for taking a chance and sailing across that big ocean of ours!
Its early, about 6:41 am and I just got back from doing a Ward Boot Camp. This is our week off of our normal boot camp that I participate in and so we thought we would offer a similar program to the ladies at church during this week and hopefully motivate some people to be more fit. My friend Angie and I are leading it and we were concerned at times that the two of use would show up and no one else...but low and behold we have 10 lovely ladies show up today to work out with us! Way to go ladies!
We hope they were glad they pulled themselves out of bed this morning for a 5:30am workout out...I know I feel energized and ready to go for the day!
Now...did you know that Christmas is only 73 days away?
If you haven't started thinking about gifts...you need to start now. A gift doesn't have to be something expensive, just thoughtful. Really think about the gifts you give this year and try to cater them to the person's needs and wants. For instnace, my little sister is one of the busiest people I know and she also has 2 cute little toddler girls. Last year I have her the
" Gift of Time." I made her 6 freezer meals that she could stick in her freezer and use any time she had a busy day and didn't have time to get a home cooked meal on the table. All she had to do was stick it in the oven and add a can of veggie and she was done! I did 3 different dinners and I doubled them, so she had chicken and rice casserole, lasagna, and Mexican lasagna or enchilda casserole. She thought it was a wonderful gift, she even got a little teary eyed (which for those of you who know us IRL (in real life) you may not find that surprising). It was also nice for me to be thinking about her the whole time I was preparing her meals.
So, really think about the gifts you give. You may find that you can save some money and the gifts are more meaningful to the receivers because you can tell them why you got them the gift and how you were thinking about them during the process.
Other gift ideas
Its early, about 6:41 am and I just got back from doing a Ward Boot Camp. This is our week off of our normal boot camp that I participate in and so we thought we would offer a similar program to the ladies at church during this week and hopefully motivate some people to be more fit. My friend Angie and I are leading it and we were concerned at times that the two of use would show up and no one else...but low and behold we have 10 lovely ladies show up today to work out with us! Way to go ladies!
We hope they were glad they pulled themselves out of bed this morning for a 5:30am workout out...I know I feel energized and ready to go for the day!
Now...did you know that Christmas is only 73 days away?
If you haven't started thinking about gifts...you need to start now. A gift doesn't have to be something expensive, just thoughtful. Really think about the gifts you give this year and try to cater them to the person's needs and wants. For instnace, my little sister is one of the busiest people I know and she also has 2 cute little toddler girls. Last year I have her the
" Gift of Time." I made her 6 freezer meals that she could stick in her freezer and use any time she had a busy day and didn't have time to get a home cooked meal on the table. All she had to do was stick it in the oven and add a can of veggie and she was done! I did 3 different dinners and I doubled them, so she had chicken and rice casserole, lasagna, and Mexican lasagna or enchilda casserole. She thought it was a wonderful gift, she even got a little teary eyed (which for those of you who know us IRL (in real life) you may not find that surprising). It was also nice for me to be thinking about her the whole time I was preparing her meals.
So, really think about the gifts you give. You may find that you can save some money and the gifts are more meaningful to the receivers because you can tell them why you got them the gift and how you were thinking about them during the process.
Other gift ideas
- Free babysitting one day a month for 6 months so the couple can go out on a date. This would also be fun to go in with someone and get some movie passes or something so they have a free "date".
- Prepare a meal for someone on their busiest day of the week.
- Do 4 versions of soup! During the Winter, prepare four different varieties of soup for someone one day a week for a month, or one day a month for four months.
- Bake a fresh loaf of bread every week for a month.
- Offer to take someone's children to school for a week or to early morning seminary.
- Take a bouquet of flowers to someone to brighten their day.
- Make a canister full of hot chocolate mix and give them 2 hot chocolate mugs and some candy canes to keep them warm through the Winter.
FHE-Receive the Holy Ghost
Receive the Holy Ghost
Supplies: Picture of a Dove or stuffed animal dove
When Jesus Christ lived on the Earth he followed all of Heavenly Father’s commandments and was perfect in all he did. He was an example that all of us can follow.
Though he was perfect, and having no sins to be forgiven, he knew he needed to be baptized just like we have been commanded to do. So Jesus sought out a man called John the Baptist and asked him to baptize him in the river Jordan. John agreed, and having baptized Jesus he brought him up out of the water and the heavens opened up,
“and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.” (St. Luke 3:22)
In this scripture, the spirit of the Holy Ghost is symbolized in the form of a dove descending from heaven and given to Jesus Christ. Just as Jesus received the Holy Ghost, we can also receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost when we are confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints after our baptism. This is a special gift of a companion and a comforter to lead us in our lives when we are worthy.
see St. Luke 3
Supplies: Picture of a Dove or stuffed animal dove
When Jesus Christ lived on the Earth he followed all of Heavenly Father’s commandments and was perfect in all he did. He was an example that all of us can follow.
Though he was perfect, and having no sins to be forgiven, he knew he needed to be baptized just like we have been commanded to do. So Jesus sought out a man called John the Baptist and asked him to baptize him in the river Jordan. John agreed, and having baptized Jesus he brought him up out of the water and the heavens opened up,
“and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.” (St. Luke 3:22)
In this scripture, the spirit of the Holy Ghost is symbolized in the form of a dove descending from heaven and given to Jesus Christ. Just as Jesus received the Holy Ghost, we can also receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost when we are confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints after our baptism. This is a special gift of a companion and a comforter to lead us in our lives when we are worthy.
see St. Luke 3
FHE-Journal & Record Keeping
Record Keeping
Supplies: Journal
The scriptures are a very important part of our lives. Heavenly Father has commanded us, through his prophets, to read them. When we read the scriptures, we learn about people who lived many years ago. The things we can learn will help us in our lives today. The scriptures can bring us peaceful feelings and bring us closer to our Heavenly Father. In the scriptures it tells the many people of long ago to keep records. They were commanded to write things down. If they had not obeyed, we wouldn’t have the scriptures today.
We should also keep records of our lives. Today, many people call this type of record a journal.
In a journal we can write about many things. We can tell about our families, our pets, our feelings, our talents, our hobbies, our home, our friends, and our church. When we get older, it will be fun and interesting to read our journals and to see how we have changed and grown. Many people who live after we do will also enjoy reading our journals. They will be able to learn from our experiences like we learn today from people who lived before us.
D&C 21, 76, 85
Other ideas:
Supplies: Journal
The scriptures are a very important part of our lives. Heavenly Father has commanded us, through his prophets, to read them. When we read the scriptures, we learn about people who lived many years ago. The things we can learn will help us in our lives today. The scriptures can bring us peaceful feelings and bring us closer to our Heavenly Father. In the scriptures it tells the many people of long ago to keep records. They were commanded to write things down. If they had not obeyed, we wouldn’t have the scriptures today.
We should also keep records of our lives. Today, many people call this type of record a journal.
In a journal we can write about many things. We can tell about our families, our pets, our feelings, our talents, our hobbies, our home, our friends, and our church. When we get older, it will be fun and interesting to read our journals and to see how we have changed and grown. Many people who live after we do will also enjoy reading our journals. They will be able to learn from our experiences like we learn today from people who lived before us.
D&C 21, 76, 85
Other ideas:
- You might have a journal there to give to every member of the family so they can start their own journal and report back in a week what they have thought about keeping a journal.
- You could buy spiral notebooks and decorate them for the activity portion of your Family Home Eventing.
- If you have a story about one of your ancestors or family members that was kept in a journal, you could tell them the story and talk to them about what a great story it is an how we would not know the story if someone had not recorded it.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Boot Camp--Done!
Well, I am pretty excited! As much as I have been dreading this last day of boot camp and running the mile test, it was not bad at all! I finished the mile in 7 minutes and 45 seconds...which I realize will not break any world land speed records but I jogged almost the whole way and probably would have jogged the whole way if I had known I was almost to the end. I had never run the course before so I wasn't sure how much was left until I turned that last bend. It was so much easier than I ever expected it. In high school, I DREADED having to run, we would run Old Mill Run and it was about a mile and a half and I HATED it...I probably hated it because it always hurt so much because I had those stress fractures, but I truly just hated it so I was totally dreading it today. But really, it was not so bad and when I do it again at the end of next boot camp, I should be able to shave some more time off of it! Wahoo!
I also had a push up test....you have to see how many good push ups you can do in a minute and I did 41. I did do the girlie ones where you use your knees instead of your toes because with some back issues in the past, I am not sure I trust my lower back yet....but still I was proud of 41...those are good pushups with your hiney tucked in and your body flat...no butts in the air!
So, in retrospect...I am so glad I did this! It was worth every penny!!! They give you one week off before the next one starts so your body can recover and heal and then we go at it again!
One of the girls has been doing this 3 boot camps and she has lost 2 sizes but only 4 pounds...so, its not about the weight...she looks great and she has converted a lot of fat into muscle!
So, if you are looking for something healthy to do....JUST DO IT!
You know, I think my grandmother would be really proud of me. She always hated that I gained some weight in college. She even paid for me to have a gym membership for a semester in college so I could try to loose some weight. She showed me a picture once and told me about the time in her life when she was fat...she weighed....are you ready....125 pounds! The horror!! So, Manna...you were right, I should have done this long ago! And oh, to be 125 pounds...I am pretty sure that is not ever going to happen...
Love ya!
H
I also had a push up test....you have to see how many good push ups you can do in a minute and I did 41. I did do the girlie ones where you use your knees instead of your toes because with some back issues in the past, I am not sure I trust my lower back yet....but still I was proud of 41...those are good pushups with your hiney tucked in and your body flat...no butts in the air!
So, in retrospect...I am so glad I did this! It was worth every penny!!! They give you one week off before the next one starts so your body can recover and heal and then we go at it again!
One of the girls has been doing this 3 boot camps and she has lost 2 sizes but only 4 pounds...so, its not about the weight...she looks great and she has converted a lot of fat into muscle!
So, if you are looking for something healthy to do....JUST DO IT!
You know, I think my grandmother would be really proud of me. She always hated that I gained some weight in college. She even paid for me to have a gym membership for a semester in college so I could try to loose some weight. She showed me a picture once and told me about the time in her life when she was fat...she weighed....are you ready....125 pounds! The horror!! So, Manna...you were right, I should have done this long ago! And oh, to be 125 pounds...I am pretty sure that is not ever going to happen...
Love ya!
H
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Recipe: Cookbooks & Pumpkin Bread
I have a lot of cook books, in fact you could probably say I collect them. The one pictures above is one of my favorites. I got this as a gift, a graduation present from my Hubbard Cousins and it is one of the best cookbooks I have encountered. Its a cook book put out by the Texas A&M University Press and it has all these great recipes that Aggie Mom's submitted. Its got a little bit of everything in it. Two of my favorite recipes are Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas and Pumpkin Bread. They are both winners and SO GOOD! I made the pumpkin bread on a lark one day it and it now a tradition in my family to make it every year during the Fall and into the holidays. I could eat it every day for breakfast...its moist and flavorful and I will admit that people rave about it...hopefully they are telling the truth! You knowa cook book is good when you look through it and almost every page has some kind of food splatter or stain on it!
I also have some church cookbooks that I use a lot. our Young Women at church have done a fund raiser twice where they put together a church cookbook. I have loved these cookbooks! There is some confidence in making something that you know the "chef" is a great cook. There are companies that will take all your recipes and put them in a cute book and put tabs and everything in them...or you can just go down to the local Kinko's and they can help you get it together. If you wanted to go a cheaper route, you could compile everything and just save it to a CD and people could print out whatever recipes they want. There are lots of options!
So, here is the famed Pumpkin Bread Recipe...eat and enjoy the smells, tastes, and temperatures of the Fall.
...
Pumpkin Bread
by Martha Rutherford, Deep East Texas Mother's Club
...
Ingredients:
3 cups of sugar
1 cup of vegetable oil
4 eggs
2/3 cup orange juice
1 (16 oz) can of pumpkin or pumpkin pie
3.5 cups of all purpose flour
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1.5 teaspoons of salt
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
Optional ingredients:
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup of raisins
...
(I have made it with pecans and it is good. I don't do raisins...I think they are scary!)
Combine sugar and vegetable oil in a large mixing bowl; blend well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well. Add orange juice and pumpkin. Blend in flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in nuts and raisins if desired. Pour batter, evenly divided, into four 1 pound coffee cans that have been well greased and floured. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F. Test for doneness with toothpick; longer baking is sometimes required. It is also a good mailer.
Now, I have never made it in the coffee cans, I have always used loaf pans. I would recommend the smaller loaf pans so that it gets done in the middle. I have made these as mini loaves and given them as Christmas gifts many times.
...
My husband would tell you to throw in some chocolate chips in the batter but I don't like my chocolate mixed with pumpkin...but some people love it. There are some things I am a purist on, and this is one of them! I also like my steaks well seasoned and that is it...no A1, ketchup, nothing...just pure simple goodness....I get that from my Great Uncle Billy, he was the same way. I never met him, but I have heard so much about him and love him just the same. He was one of those people who everyone loved and was a stalwart in the community. It was devastating when his work called one day because he was late and he was never late. They found him in his home having passed away of a rare disease that has no sign or symptoms....when it hits, that's all she wrote. I believe he was in his 40s. It is sad but his legacy lives on in all his siblings kids and grand kids. I have heard all my life what a wonderful man he was and I honor him for that and for his service to our country and for just being a good guy! I wish I had known him, but in a way it seems like I do. Love ya Billy!
...
So, make some pumpkin bread and enjoy the beauties that are Autumn!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Ode to a Housekeeper
Okay--I am sorry that I am not posting any fabulous ideas tonight, I am just going to take a moment to whine and have my own little pity party. Forgive me, judge me, join in...whatever!
Up until recently I had a housekeeper. I have been a GM of a hotel for 7 of the last 8 years and during football season, I work A LOT, I have moved up from the GM position but still have similar obligations during football! It drove me crazy to have a messy house and to be crazy busy at work so I finally got a housekeeper. Her name is Margarita and she is a cute Hispanic lady who earns money on the side while she goes to school to get her high school diploma and for gas money to take her so to see a specialist doctor once a month about an hour and a half from here. I thought she was a worthy cause, I trusted her since she went to my church, and I needed what she could offer. My husband and I decided that we would have her come every 2 weeks on Wednesdays...I called them my Margarita Wednesdays (without the alcohol) and looked forward to them every 2 weeks. It also helped me to keep my house tidy in between her cleanings and to keep things in order so that she could easily clean around our stuff. She was wonderful, did a great job, and I loved having her come. Well, when my husband lost his job this summer, we decided that I would have to give up my Margarita Wednesday so that we could save the money. My husband changed careers and is now rebuilding his experience and has taken a job making less than half of what he used to make, so we have had to make some financial adjustments, one being no more housekeeper.
I so miss Margarita! My house is never as clean as she could make it...it always seems cleaner when someone else did it! One of the reasons we had her was because I was at work so much that when I was home, I wanted to spend it with my boys...well now, I just get to clean all the time and still live in a messy house. I swear, they can mess up so much faster than I can clean! And on top of that, some days I am just WORN out and don't have the energy to clean so I just leave it for another day. I have 2 home football weeks in a row now, so I am not thinking that it will get any better for at least 2 weeks....I hope I can stand it! I hate being disorganized!
I really can't complain...and I know this! There are many people who deserve a housekeeper more than I do....there are people who have a gaggle of kids and work 2 jobs and they REALLY need a housekeeper...I just really got spoiled and now I miss it so! I could maybe even afford her again if I gave up my new found love of boot camp, but I am not going to give that up now that I am on a healthy roll and haven't been on one of those in like 18 years.
So, forgive me for being a spoiled brat...I just had to get it off my chest. I miss my Margarita Wednesdays! And I also hate that she doesn't have the extra income and hope she found another person's house to clean (lucky person!).
In perspective...I wouldn't trade the happy husband that has re-emerged after loosing his job. His job was a tense high stress, always on call, dealing with emergencies in the business kind of job....well paid but totally and completely stretched to the limit. My husband now has a ho-hum job, works basically 40 hours a week but picks up extra hours here and there just to help out. He is happy and easier to live with and hasn't been this content in about 5 years. As much as I love my Margarita Wednesdays, him loosing his job was the best thing that could have happened to our family. I got my fun and happy husband back and will learn to live on less and be a more frugal person....and realize that sometimes the house just stays a mess so you can spend time with family...you can always clean tomorrow (and probably will need to anyway!)
If I could only teach my boys to pick up those darn socks!
:) Life lessons are hard...but they give you great perspective!
You are beautiful! (Pass is on!)
Up until recently I had a housekeeper. I have been a GM of a hotel for 7 of the last 8 years and during football season, I work A LOT, I have moved up from the GM position but still have similar obligations during football! It drove me crazy to have a messy house and to be crazy busy at work so I finally got a housekeeper. Her name is Margarita and she is a cute Hispanic lady who earns money on the side while she goes to school to get her high school diploma and for gas money to take her so to see a specialist doctor once a month about an hour and a half from here. I thought she was a worthy cause, I trusted her since she went to my church, and I needed what she could offer. My husband and I decided that we would have her come every 2 weeks on Wednesdays...I called them my Margarita Wednesdays (without the alcohol) and looked forward to them every 2 weeks. It also helped me to keep my house tidy in between her cleanings and to keep things in order so that she could easily clean around our stuff. She was wonderful, did a great job, and I loved having her come. Well, when my husband lost his job this summer, we decided that I would have to give up my Margarita Wednesday so that we could save the money. My husband changed careers and is now rebuilding his experience and has taken a job making less than half of what he used to make, so we have had to make some financial adjustments, one being no more housekeeper.
I so miss Margarita! My house is never as clean as she could make it...it always seems cleaner when someone else did it! One of the reasons we had her was because I was at work so much that when I was home, I wanted to spend it with my boys...well now, I just get to clean all the time and still live in a messy house. I swear, they can mess up so much faster than I can clean! And on top of that, some days I am just WORN out and don't have the energy to clean so I just leave it for another day. I have 2 home football weeks in a row now, so I am not thinking that it will get any better for at least 2 weeks....I hope I can stand it! I hate being disorganized!
I really can't complain...and I know this! There are many people who deserve a housekeeper more than I do....there are people who have a gaggle of kids and work 2 jobs and they REALLY need a housekeeper...I just really got spoiled and now I miss it so! I could maybe even afford her again if I gave up my new found love of boot camp, but I am not going to give that up now that I am on a healthy roll and haven't been on one of those in like 18 years.
So, forgive me for being a spoiled brat...I just had to get it off my chest. I miss my Margarita Wednesdays! And I also hate that she doesn't have the extra income and hope she found another person's house to clean (lucky person!).
In perspective...I wouldn't trade the happy husband that has re-emerged after loosing his job. His job was a tense high stress, always on call, dealing with emergencies in the business kind of job....well paid but totally and completely stretched to the limit. My husband now has a ho-hum job, works basically 40 hours a week but picks up extra hours here and there just to help out. He is happy and easier to live with and hasn't been this content in about 5 years. As much as I love my Margarita Wednesdays, him loosing his job was the best thing that could have happened to our family. I got my fun and happy husband back and will learn to live on less and be a more frugal person....and realize that sometimes the house just stays a mess so you can spend time with family...you can always clean tomorrow (and probably will need to anyway!)
If I could only teach my boys to pick up those darn socks!
:) Life lessons are hard...but they give you great perspective!
You are beautiful! (Pass is on!)
Friday, October 3, 2008
Boot camp Update
Well its Friday and I have lasted through another week of torture...I mean boot camp! I hate to admit that I actually feel like I am addicted to it. I feel so great when I am done...even when I can't move my arms to drive home...and I am always so impressed that I was able to accomplish what I did in the workout.
Today we did this monstrous thing...I don't know what it was called...some kind of fitness torture...where we went around the amphitheater and park where we worked out and did all these different exercises...for instance, we ran up and down some stairs 5 times...okay, I can handle that...then we did bench steps, where you step up from the ground to the picnic bench 15 times on each leg, which might be harder for people like me with little short stubby legs!...then we ran to the play ground to do these leg raises...then we had to put these big rubber bands around our ankles and shuffle up and down a hill....then we did 50 lunges and 50 jumping jacks...anyway, you get my drift...oh and did I mention this was a race?? There were 10 stations of torture and it was totally exhausting, first group done wins! (My main goal was not winning but surviving.) I was breathing hard and everything was hurting. The head trainer picked our group to work out with...oh joy...so he was pushing us the whole time and he had figured out what order to do the 10 in so that you didn't have to spend so much time running from one place to another and he encouraged us and pushed us...and low and behold my group won! We won 2 coupons for free salads at a local restaurant...hey, I will take free food. But anyway...there were plenty of times that I thought I could NOT finish but I just kept putting one foot in front of the other and we did it! It was such an accomplishment especially since one of the groups had 2 trainers in it so you knew they would finish first.
Anyway, my point is to do something for yourself! Do something to make yourself healthier! I just kick myself that I let myself gain this weight and let this go on so long. I put on about 25 pounds when I was going through my 6 years of infertility, I put on about 20 when I got pregnant...I lost the pregnancy weight in no time (mine was all water weight, I had the biggest cankles this side of the Mississippi...canckles are when your calf and your ankle become one with no indention for your ankle, its lovely.). But those other pounds just hung on for dear life. I dieted here and there and would lose it and then gain it back...not any more. I know that its not about the size its about fitness and keeping your body healthy...although loosing 3 sizes would be awesome and I hope it happens...I have a story for you...
I have a cousin who was a competitive swimmer, he was in great shape! One night he was hit by a car that was drag racing down the road. It broke his bones and severely injured him. They thought it would be probably 6 months to a year before he could even walk again. But this guy was in shape...he was in excellent shape and his body healed and healed quickly. He was up on crutches in something like 6 weeks and walked shortly after that. To me, that became a testament to good fitness...you take care of your body and it will take care of you!
So, now do something...start with 20 push-ups and 20 sit-ups...or start with 10...do what you can but push yourself! Then add in some walking...walk across your living room 10 times while doing high knee marches, then 10 times with a walking lunge, then 10 times walking on your tip toes. Just do something and get started! Then keep going and do more. This is not easy so push yourself and don't be a wimp! What are you afraid of? Failure? You are not going to fail if you are true to yourself and persevere! Now do it!
Oh, and sit up straight...no slouching! :) Carry your head high! You are a child of God and by golly that means you are important!
Love ya bunches!
H
Today we did this monstrous thing...I don't know what it was called...some kind of fitness torture...where we went around the amphitheater and park where we worked out and did all these different exercises...for instance, we ran up and down some stairs 5 times...okay, I can handle that...then we did bench steps, where you step up from the ground to the picnic bench 15 times on each leg, which might be harder for people like me with little short stubby legs!...then we ran to the play ground to do these leg raises...then we had to put these big rubber bands around our ankles and shuffle up and down a hill....then we did 50 lunges and 50 jumping jacks...anyway, you get my drift...oh and did I mention this was a race?? There were 10 stations of torture and it was totally exhausting, first group done wins! (My main goal was not winning but surviving.) I was breathing hard and everything was hurting. The head trainer picked our group to work out with...oh joy...so he was pushing us the whole time and he had figured out what order to do the 10 in so that you didn't have to spend so much time running from one place to another and he encouraged us and pushed us...and low and behold my group won! We won 2 coupons for free salads at a local restaurant...hey, I will take free food. But anyway...there were plenty of times that I thought I could NOT finish but I just kept putting one foot in front of the other and we did it! It was such an accomplishment especially since one of the groups had 2 trainers in it so you knew they would finish first.
Anyway, my point is to do something for yourself! Do something to make yourself healthier! I just kick myself that I let myself gain this weight and let this go on so long. I put on about 25 pounds when I was going through my 6 years of infertility, I put on about 20 when I got pregnant...I lost the pregnancy weight in no time (mine was all water weight, I had the biggest cankles this side of the Mississippi...canckles are when your calf and your ankle become one with no indention for your ankle, its lovely.). But those other pounds just hung on for dear life. I dieted here and there and would lose it and then gain it back...not any more. I know that its not about the size its about fitness and keeping your body healthy...although loosing 3 sizes would be awesome and I hope it happens...I have a story for you...
I have a cousin who was a competitive swimmer, he was in great shape! One night he was hit by a car that was drag racing down the road. It broke his bones and severely injured him. They thought it would be probably 6 months to a year before he could even walk again. But this guy was in shape...he was in excellent shape and his body healed and healed quickly. He was up on crutches in something like 6 weeks and walked shortly after that. To me, that became a testament to good fitness...you take care of your body and it will take care of you!
So, now do something...start with 20 push-ups and 20 sit-ups...or start with 10...do what you can but push yourself! Then add in some walking...walk across your living room 10 times while doing high knee marches, then 10 times with a walking lunge, then 10 times walking on your tip toes. Just do something and get started! Then keep going and do more. This is not easy so push yourself and don't be a wimp! What are you afraid of? Failure? You are not going to fail if you are true to yourself and persevere! Now do it!
Oh, and sit up straight...no slouching! :) Carry your head high! You are a child of God and by golly that means you are important!
Love ya bunches!
H
Decorating-Photo Boxes & Card Swaps
These are photo boxes. I have seen these at Hobby Lobby for something like $2 each on sale. These are great ways to organize and decorate...they are also great gift boxes, just add a bow and they get some functional packaging they can use later.
I actually do use one for photos, fancy that! The other one I use for cards, I have homemade cards that I keep in here and when I need a card for a birthday or birth or whatever...I go right to this box and sort through them.
I will even admit that I did not make all the homemade cards in my box...just because they are homemade doesn't mean they were made in my home! :) Card swaps are a good way to get a variety of cards. The conditions vary depending on how your group does it but you basically have 8 people and you get together once a month and you all make 8 of the same card. You can have a theme, like weddings, birthday, or Summer fun, or whatever and you get there and then everyone gets one of each of the cards. So, you come away from there with 8 different cards for an occasion. There are usually refreshments and lots of chatting and fun, you might even make one card while you are there that would highlight the next month's theme. Anyway...its fun and its also productive!
Fall decorations
Hello---Its Friday and I am so ready for the weekend!
I wanted to post some more fun and festive Fall decorations that one of my readers sent me. This is from my friend Joani. She spent the weekend decorating and it looks so festive! In the shot of the table with the tablecloth, I gave her that tile that says "Christ is the center of our home." It was one that we made last year. I hope she really does have it displayed and she didn't just put it out there for the picture! :) (Just kidding Joani!)
Enjoy these pictures...maybe it will inspire you to decorate this weekend!
I wanted to post some more fun and festive Fall decorations that one of my readers sent me. This is from my friend Joani. She spent the weekend decorating and it looks so festive! In the shot of the table with the tablecloth, I gave her that tile that says "Christ is the center of our home." It was one that we made last year. I hope she really does have it displayed and she didn't just put it out there for the picture! :) (Just kidding Joani!)
Enjoy these pictures...maybe it will inspire you to decorate this weekend!
FHE-Daniel and the Lion's Den
Family Home Evening-
Daniel and The Lion’s Den
Supplies: Lion of some sort...picture, stuffed animal, plastic or wooden figure, toy
Lesson:
There was a new king in Babylon. His name was Darius. The king chose some men to help him. Daniel was their leader. The other men did not like Daniel. They wanted to find a way to get rid of him, but they could not find anything that Daniel did wrong because Daniel was faithful to God. The wicked men knew that Daniel prayed to God. They went to the king to have him make a new law. The new law said people could not pray to God. People who did not obey the law would be put into the lion’s den and the lions would eat them. But Daniel was obedient to God and still prayed three times a day. One day the wicked men caught Daniel praying and told King Darius. King Darius knew that Daniel had to be put in the lion’s den. The law could not be changed, so the king commanded that Daniel be put into the lion’s den. The king told Daniel that God would save him. The king fasted all night. He could not sleep. The next morning the king went to the lion’s den and called out to Daniel. Daniel answered. The lions had not hurt him. God had sent his angel down to shut the mouths of the lions. The king was very happy because God had helped Daniel.
Daniel 5, 6
Daniel and The Lion’s Den
Supplies: Lion of some sort...picture, stuffed animal, plastic or wooden figure, toy
Lesson:
There was a new king in Babylon. His name was Darius. The king chose some men to help him. Daniel was their leader. The other men did not like Daniel. They wanted to find a way to get rid of him, but they could not find anything that Daniel did wrong because Daniel was faithful to God. The wicked men knew that Daniel prayed to God. They went to the king to have him make a new law. The new law said people could not pray to God. People who did not obey the law would be put into the lion’s den and the lions would eat them. But Daniel was obedient to God and still prayed three times a day. One day the wicked men caught Daniel praying and told King Darius. King Darius knew that Daniel had to be put in the lion’s den. The law could not be changed, so the king commanded that Daniel be put into the lion’s den. The king told Daniel that God would save him. The king fasted all night. He could not sleep. The next morning the king went to the lion’s den and called out to Daniel. Daniel answered. The lions had not hurt him. God had sent his angel down to shut the mouths of the lions. The king was very happy because God had helped Daniel.
Daniel 5, 6
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
FHE- Starter Kit & Let Your Light Shine
Hello,
I know many people struggle with coming up with something to do for Family Home Evening. A lady in our ward has this Family Home Evening Kit that she has short one page lessons of Bible, Book of Mormon, and other stories for you to share with a lesson. I will post these lessons periodically to help you in planning your family nights. I will try to post them at least once a week in case you want to start doing this weekly. Some of these are really simple and perfect for younger children with really short attention spans!FHE Lesson-Let Your Light Shine!
Let Your Light Shine
(Small Votive Candle)
Just as a candle can light up a dark room, you can be a light to help others by being a good example, sharing your talents and noticing ways to serve those in need.
Jesus taught:
“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.”
“Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.”
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.”
Jesus was a good example to us and showed us the things we need to do to be happy and to be able to return to live with our Heavenly Father. It is important, even though you may be small, to help others by letting your light shine.
Matthew 5: 14-16
Random Thoughts-Fruits and Veggies
We have always been told to eat our vegetables...but we need to make sure we are doing that on a regular basis. I was in a nutrition class the other day and the teacher told us that you need to eat a fruit or vegetable with every meal and snack. Starchy vegetables are good but green ones are better! And I hate to break it to you that French Fries really don't count unless they are homemade and baked!
He said that if you maintain your same eating habits as you do now and just add fruits and veggies to every meal and snack, that you will lose weight. Fruits and Veggies are made up of something like 1000 nutrients that your body uses and science has only been able to identify 100 of those nutrients, so the other 900 or so help us in ways we do not know! So eat your fruits and veggies and cut down on the processed foods and sugary sweets! Your body will thank you for it!
And as far as pasta goes...try the whole wheat variety...I have found that for most things, there is not much of a difference. I especially like it in penne.
I have been doing my best to eat more natural foods (less processed) and to et healthier and I have to admit that I have more energy and feel better! Maybe these people do know what they are talking about!
Happy Eating!
Heather
He said that if you maintain your same eating habits as you do now and just add fruits and veggies to every meal and snack, that you will lose weight. Fruits and Veggies are made up of something like 1000 nutrients that your body uses and science has only been able to identify 100 of those nutrients, so the other 900 or so help us in ways we do not know! So eat your fruits and veggies and cut down on the processed foods and sugary sweets! Your body will thank you for it!
And as far as pasta goes...try the whole wheat variety...I have found that for most things, there is not much of a difference. I especially like it in penne.
I have been doing my best to eat more natural foods (less processed) and to et healthier and I have to admit that I have more energy and feel better! Maybe these people do know what they are talking about!
Happy Eating!
Heather
Olympic Athletes
Hello!
I just went to a meeting where the Aggie Olympians did a panel discussion...it was WAY COOL! The biggest "name" we had there was Muna Lee (track sprint runner), but we also had Julia Wilkinson, Christine Marshall and Coach Steve Bultman (Swimmer, swimmer, and swim coach) and in Track & Field Richard Adu-Bobie, Fabrice Lapierre and Andreas Behm. She talked about how she has always been coached to focus on herself and not others, and in the finals of I think the 100s, one of the girls false started but it did not get called back so she started off slow and thought they would be called back to do it again....then when it wasn't, she couldn't catch up and got 5th. She was terribly disappointed but says she will be back in 2012 ans she will medal. I liked her and her determination. I thought it was also really interesting that when I think of an athlete, like Michael Jordan, you think of someone who is focused and determined...well, some of these athletes were laid back and sometimes silly. When they asked what they did to prepare the minutes before a race, one guy said, I just put on my shoes and go compete....one of the swimmers said she doesn't focus, she laughs and looks around (she admitted she was major A.D.D). It made me realize that athletes are all different. They talked about how you make practice good habits and then you just go do it when you compete, they want it to be second nature, so you don't have to be this totally determined and focused person....some of them just happen to be great athletes and they are laid back and easy going, they just are really good at their sport. Anyway--it was really interesting. One thing I really thought was interesting is that the swim coach talked about the touch pad scoring and how they tell the athletes and practice with them using their fingertips instead of a flat hand....and how that won and lost the race for some athletes in those photo finish type races. So, that has been my day so far....that and a fire drill....I started this before the fire drill and then just now came back to finish it! Be good and have a fab day! H
I just went to a meeting where the Aggie Olympians did a panel discussion...it was WAY COOL! The biggest "name" we had there was Muna Lee (track sprint runner), but we also had Julia Wilkinson, Christine Marshall and Coach Steve Bultman (Swimmer, swimmer, and swim coach) and in Track & Field Richard Adu-Bobie, Fabrice Lapierre and Andreas Behm. She talked about how she has always been coached to focus on herself and not others, and in the finals of I think the 100s, one of the girls false started but it did not get called back so she started off slow and thought they would be called back to do it again....then when it wasn't, she couldn't catch up and got 5th. She was terribly disappointed but says she will be back in 2012 ans she will medal. I liked her and her determination. I thought it was also really interesting that when I think of an athlete, like Michael Jordan, you think of someone who is focused and determined...well, some of these athletes were laid back and sometimes silly. When they asked what they did to prepare the minutes before a race, one guy said, I just put on my shoes and go compete....one of the swimmers said she doesn't focus, she laughs and looks around (she admitted she was major A.D.D). It made me realize that athletes are all different. They talked about how you make practice good habits and then you just go do it when you compete, they want it to be second nature, so you don't have to be this totally determined and focused person....some of them just happen to be great athletes and they are laid back and easy going, they just are really good at their sport. Anyway--it was really interesting. One thing I really thought was interesting is that the swim coach talked about the touch pad scoring and how they tell the athletes and practice with them using their fingertips instead of a flat hand....and how that won and lost the race for some athletes in those photo finish type races. So, that has been my day so far....that and a fire drill....I started this before the fire drill and then just now came back to finish it! Be good and have a fab day! H
Random Thoughts--Towels
Good Morning!
Today I am going to talk about towels...yep, that is not such an exciting topic but it was for me this weekend. I have been married 11 years and many of our towels were gifts when we got married. Needless to say, they have had their better days! Anyway, when I got married, I wanted green and maroon towels for this bathroom and white ones for this bathroom, etc and I ended up with all these different colored towels...that cannot be washed together or I will end up with some lovely brownish towels! So, we decided we would splurge and buy new towels for the house and I wanted to get some good quality towel...soft, thick, durable....
So, I went to Kohl's this weekend and they were having a huge sale, so I felt every towel in that joint and came up with a low, middle, and high grade and then went for the mid-high grade...and ended up taking them all back the next day because my husband said "There were softer ones and they were only a dollar or two more? Get the softer ones!" So, I went back and for about $1.50 more (they were 50% off by the way), I got these FAB-U-LOUS Laura Ashley towels. These things are so soft that my son has been carrying one around as a blanket! When I took my first bath with one, I was so amazed at how soft and absorbent it was...man, this is the life. Now, I think these towels are normally $16.99 which is way more than I think I would ever spend on a bath towel, but I got them 50% off and I think there was an additional 10% off, so I paid $7 something...which my head still tells me is high but I like them so much I decided I didn't care...and my husband is really big on buying quality that will last...a lesson I am still learning because I like to save moolah!
So, pamper yourself and go buy a nice towel if you can....but warning--you may never go back to cheap towels!
Who loves ya? I do! Thanks for reading!