Happy Mother's Day

I want to wish a Happy Mother's Day to some special women in my life.

To Mom -
Thank you for your love, and for sharing the things that you love with me. You helped instill a love for the arts in me.  I have so many memories of you playing the piano when I was growing up, and hearing the piano still moves me in a way that other music doesn't. It triggers memories of being a carefree child sitting on the piano bench with you. You always encouraged me in my artistic endeavors. I remember picking out my first camera with you. I think I was about 9 years old. It was a simple 110 film camera, and I had fun with it. More importantly than the arts though, you shared your love of Jesus with me. You were my Sunday School teacher for a time, and I still remember some of the curriculum you taught from. You taught me as a young child that all people are worthy of love, no matter their age or what they look like. You took me to serve in nursing homes and encouraged me to volunteer with Special Olympics when I was a teen.  Thank you for all your prayers, and for being a loving Nana.

To my Mother-in-Law -
I'm so thank for to have a Mother-in-Law who loves Jesus and shared her faith with her son.  When I met James, I saw that he valued biblical truth deeply. My family is blessed my your talents that you shared with him. He loves to cook, because he had a momma that loved to cook.  I never had you as an algebra teacher, but you gave a few pointers on my homework in college.  I saw then that you were a gifted math teacher, and you passed your teaching gift on to James, along with your love of numbers. Thank you for the practical cooking knowledge you shared with me as well. Thank for you the support and love that you give us. Thank you for the way you love on your grandbabies.

To James' Grandmother -
What a blessing to have a family who's love for Jesus spans the generations. A mother's most lasting legacy is her children.  You raised your children to serve the Lord, and they followed suite raising theor own children. You set a lovely example for your family, in how you serve at your church, in your community, and in your own home. I see you in James in his love for animals. He is without a doubt, your grandson when it comes to animals. I think he got that soft heart from you, watching you serve for so many years in the Humane Society.  Thank you for your faithfulness and love.

To Elizabeth -
When we were in the process of adopting, we had to name guardians for our child-to-be should something happen to us. We prayed about it, and he discussed it with James' mom. She suggested you and Stephen, without knowing that we were also thinking of you two.  Thank you for saying yes when we asked you to be Godparents to our children. I'm thankful to call you family.  Thank you for your faithfulness to pray for the kids - and for James and me.  You're a wonderful example for the kids.  I pray that they will be quick to follow Jesus' voice, where ever it may take them - just as you and Stephen are faithful.

The Value of Menu Planning

One of the habits that I've developed as I have tried to live a healthier life is menu planning.  I did it a little before Samuel was born, but it became a necessity after he came along. I had some space in my kitchen pantry to paint a chalkboard, so I did that one day while my mom-in-law was here watching newborn Samuel.  I've used it every week since then.  The black paint is chalk board paint, and the white paint was just some white latex paint that I had left over from another project.

Menu planning has helped eliminate stopping to get take-out for dinner when life gets crazy. I'll take some time on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday each week and choose recipes for the coming week. I usually print out recipes from the internet and then I make my grocery list off what I printed.  Having a plan for the week means that I know I have healthy options to prepare at home when something unexpected happens.

My lunches usually consist of left overs from the night before, but I keep some back-up options on hand just in case we don't have any leftovers.  My favorite things for last minute lunches are unsweetened coconut milk yogurt with fruit and hemp seeds or eggs and Canadian bacon with veggies or fruit on the side.

Sometimes I get a mental block when trying to decide what the plan for the week. So here's a little framework that I came up with:

• a crock pot meal
• breakfast for dinner
• fish prepared one way or another
• a chicken recipe

That leaves three nights unaccounted for. If it's cold, I'll add a soup or chili recipe. If it's warm I'll plan for something that can be grilled. Sometimes I will plan a meatless night, but I've been doing less of that lately. One night is take-out night. Cooking is a chore that James and I share. I do the planning and grocery shopping. If a recipe has a lot of steps, I'll do some of the prep work. James does most of the cooking.  He enjoys it more than I do. Cooking is a hobby for him, whereas it is a chore for me. I usually keep the kids entertained while he cooks. I'm thankful for his willingness to help!

Cures for my First World Heart

This is part of a series of posts that I'm writing on replacing the consumerism in my heart with contentment and gratitude.
"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." Philippians 4:12 (NIV)

We Americans often battle with consumerism. The desire for a larger home, a better car, a more extravagant vacation, or a more luxurious lifestyle are well known to us. I realized years ago that I needed to learn to be content in whatever situation I was in. It's a hard thing to learn here in the land of plenty. Things really began to change for me when I went to Haiti in 2010. I saw poverty that took my breath away.  Along the way, I've found a few things that have helped break my desire to have more. The first thing that I want to share with you is a company called Noonday Collection. A quote from their website to explain what they do:

"Noonday Collection is a business that uses fashion to create meaningful opportunities around the world."

Noonday partners with artisans in developing countries to develop fair trade businesses that offer fair wages and good working conditions free of child labor. Here is a short video about one of their artisans:

Please go check out their website and watch some more of their videos - so moving.

The Noonday necklace in this photo is made from ethically harvested animal horn.

I own several pieces from Noonday. I love them because they are beautiful, unique, affordable and durable. But I also love them for much deeper reasons. One of my favorite pieces is the necklace in the photo below, and it was made in Ethiopia from re-purposed artillery. 

Something that man created to do harm has given someone a job making lovely necklaces. While Noonday feds my consumerism on some level, it frees me from it at the same time. I love to buy it and give it away.  I always feel good knowing that my money went to a company that is breathing life into countries where people struggle to get buy. I love getting to wear jewelry that has given another woman a dignified life.  If you'd like to purchase some Noonday pieces, I'm hosting a trunk show! Have fun  shopping at Noonday Collection & enter my name as the trunk show host.  You have plenty of time to order for Mother's Day deliveries!

Weight Maintenance Update

It's been a little over a year since I hit my goal weight, so I thought it was time for an update. Hitting the one year mark, and still being at the weight I want to be at is a big deal for me. When I started trying to improve my health over two years ago, I was truly unsure of how successful I would be both in the short term and long term. Could I actually loose the weight? Could I maintain healthy eating habits for the rest of my life?

 I've hit a new low weight of my adult adult life. The photo above was taken this morning, and it's the first time I've seen my weight below 150 lbs as an adult. It's a welcome change from this before photo:

 I have to admit part of this recent dip in weight is due to a stomach virus that my whole family has been fighting, but that's not all of it. We got back from vacation about a week ago, and vacation time usually means a several pound weight gain for me. Not this time though. I did three things differently - no desserts at restaurants, I made a solid effort to track most of the food that I ate, and I tried to stay away from wheat. I did have a little wedding cake on the trip, but I came home weighing what I weighed when we left for the trip! I've noticed that avoiding wheat has resolved my issues with water retention.

I still have these size 20 jeans in my closet, just as a measure of restraint. They are there to remind me of what I used to have to wear. I still struggle with self control, and I still eat and drink things that I shouldn't at times, but one day off the wagon is just that. One day.

I've been reading Made to Crave, which a a great book that addresses the emotional and spiritual component of over eating.  I'll write a more detailed review of the book when I'm finished with it, but I want to share a quote from the book.

"Food can fill our stomachs but never our souls,

Possessions can fill our houses but never our hearts,

Sex can fill our nights but never our hunger for love.

Children can fill our days but never our identities."

The main point of the book is that we find true joy and satisfaction in God alone.  I finally got some time to listen an excellent sermon on gluttony that was recently preached at my church.  Hear is the link, if you'd like to watch it: Where do you find your satisfaction?  One point that our pastor made that really stuck a cord with me was this:

Does my over indulgence mean that someone else starves?

Oh that pinged my heart. I've seen severe poverty, I've lost a child in Ethiopia, partially due to malnourishment. How much money each week do we spend on food that we don't really need? How much of that money be given to buy food for someone else who doesn't know where their next meal is coming from?

Saying Goodbye

I wish could be with my husband's side of the family today as they say good-bye to his grandmother - his Mamaw.  She passed away on Wednesday, and James and Eva left for Louisiana yesterday to be with his parents. Samuel and I stayed home because we've both been battling a stomach virus. I think we're both on the mend today though.

Mamaw was delighted to be a great-grandmother.

 I don't know what these ladies were talking about, but it sure was funny. James is not the best with the camera, but sometimes he captures some true gems. He grabbed up my camera after I left it to chase down a child & I'm so glad he got that shot.

 James has many fond memories of his Mamaw. She was very involved in the lives of her grandchildren. He talks often playing at her home as a child and vacationing in Nashville with her and her husband. She loved her husband well, and she enjoyed life best when he was at her side. Mamaw loved to sew and cook, and she enjoyed sharing her talents with others. We have three quilts that she made. In her wisdom, she made baby blankets to give her great grandchildren before her grandkids were even married. She feared that her hands wouldn't allow her to sew by the time the great-grandbabies came along. I'm glad she prepared them in advance!  James' favorite recipe of her's was her cornbread dressing, and he went over to her home one day around the time we got married so she could teach him how to make it.  I'm glad he did this, and so was she. The recipe was all memorized & she had never measured any of the ingredients. James measured everything out, and put it to paper.  Here is it is - you have to start with homemade cornbread first.
Cornbread     

- Verdell Thomas

1 ½  C.  Martha White’s Self-rising corn meal

1 Tbs. oil

2 eggs

1 ¼ C. buttermilk

½  tsp. baking Powder

Preheat oven to 400°.  Beat eggs before adding them to the rest of the ingrediants in a medium sized bowl.  Mix well.  Pour into greased and floured skillet.  Put skillet into hot oven.  Bake 20 min. on Medium rack, then 5-10 min. on high rack.

Cornbread Dressing

- Verdell Thomas

1 cornbread (see above recipe)

2 stalks of celery (chopped)

1 onion (white or yellow)

1 can cream of chicken soup

Crumble cornbread in a large mixing bowl.  Saute celery and onion in skillet.  Mix celery and onion with crumbled cornbread in the mixing bowl.  Warm a can of Cream of Chicken soup with 1 can of water in skillet then mix into dressing.  Pour into buttered 9x13 aluminum pan – cut slits into dressing with knife before baking.  Bake at 350° for 15-20 min.

Bye-Bye Wheat

At a doctor's appointment a couple of weeks ago, my doctor advised me to eliminate wheat from my diet.  This wasn't a big shock to me. I've recently had some blood work come back that may suggest I've got an autoimmune disease brewing, and wheat can be problematic for people with autoimmune diseases. I don't have any noteworthy symptoms, thankfully, so no diagnosis, no medication for now.
A few months ago, a pharmacist friend of mine let me borrow a book called Breaking the Vicious Cycle. That book outlines a diet called the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), and my friend used it for his son following his diagnosis of Crohn's disease. After following the diet, his son is symptom free and not in need of any medication.  That is a huge victory.  However, the SCD plan is rather rigorous with a long list of foods to avoid - wheat is one of them, along with a host of others. Since I wasn't having any symptoms, it didn't make since for me to jump all in with it. One change I did make after reading the book was eliminating Splenda. I had been using it in my coffee and oatmeal. After giving it up, I realized just bad Splenda was making me feel.

After leaving the doctor's office, I decided that giving up wheat is doable. Coming from the girl who used to love and crave bread, that is a big deal.  Some friends gave me some good ideas of substitutions to make for wheat products in recipes, and I'm off to a good start.  Last Friday, the four of us went out to dinner at a little Italian restaurant. The bread didn't look appealing to me, so I didn't even want to eat it. The kids enjoyed it though.

I get most of my recipes from Skinnytaste, and you can find a searchable list of gluten free and paleo recipes there. I really love that the author post the nutrition facts for every single recipe. I had to give up my favorite Kashi granola bars, because they contain wheat. I started making my own, thanks to a gluten free recipe at Skinnytaste called Banana Split Bars.

So yummy!

Happy 3rd Birthday!

  It's hard to believe that it has been three years since we got the phone that changed our lives forever.  Samuel is such a joy to us.

 I was sad for him to have a birthday in the wintertime, because I have a winter birthday. I didn't like it much as a kid. The weather was usually yucky, so I couldn't have my party outside.  I was really glad when Samuel wanted to have a snowman party this year.

 I got the cupcakes from Whole Foods, and they were very tasty - and very affordable. They were just over $1 each.  I got some of the decorations at after-Christmas sales and I made the rest. Disney missed the mark on marketing Frozen themed items for little boys. All of the party decorations that I could find were very girly.  If I had been able to find plates and party hats with Olaf and Sven on them, I probably would have bought them. I managed to track down Olaf though! He was a hard character to find in St. Louis, but I finally found him through a friend. He was provided by Once Upon a Party. That company was great to work with, and they even sent Olaf with a gift and card for Samuel. Olaf and his assistant played a couple of game with the kids.

The first game was "building a snowman." The kids wrapped each other in toliet paper.

 The second game was stick-the-nose on Olaf. Samuel decided that he wanted to stick his paper nose on Daddy instead of Olaf.

Eva Kate had no problem posing with Frankenstein at Halloween, but she didn't want to pose with Olaf. I had to get in the photo with her. Next, it was time for presents and birthday cake.

 Samuel was given two sled for his birthday, but no snow. He is still getting to play with them inside though. One of them has become a little boat that he and Eva pull around - or get pulled around in themselves.

We were blessed to have all four of our parents in town for his party, and we had several of our friends join us as well.  Thank you all - you made the day special for Samuel!