Today is Memorial Day. I wanted to take today to remember the ones who have given everything to die for our freedom. The people who serve our country and gave their lives.
But there is another one who gave His life for us. He is definitely not honored enough. I walk through the grocery store and people using his name as a slang term. I turn the television on and He is mocked. He is the one who, while we were still far away, gave his life so we could be free.
In America we have quite a bit of freedom. We have the constitution, the bill of rights, etc that guarantee our rights as citizens of this country. We have a lot of freedom to do and say as we please. But if we don't have Christ- we are still enslaved. We are slaves to sin- John 8:34 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin" but, “For freedom, Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1. So because of Christ we are free from the obligation to sin.
When people are far from God, they don't know that they are compelled to sin. Sin makes sense to them and they see it as right. But through Christ we are free from that bondage, we can see the truth clearly and get an "out" from sin.
So let us remember the great deeds of men, but let us also make sure we don't forget the Great ONE!!!
Have a safe and happy Memorial Day
Monday, May 28, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
Running the Race
Hebrews 12 :1- Therefore since we are surrounded by such a greg cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Ok, so I am a runner- well not a good runner, but I run. I have even run a few races. Each race that I run is clearly marked by the people who designed it. There are signs along the way that we see and individuals who guide, encourage, and assist the runners. Everyone in the race has a clear direction that they are going the right way. There are also other runners along side you who encourage, challenge, and guide you on your way. There are many more people out of the race doing other things- like eating lunch, getting gas, or whatever they are doing.
Last winter I was in a half- marathon. Now I had only recently regained walking post my ankle surgery see these posts to read about my surgery and not being able to walk for 2 months. Then after the bed rest, I had to spend another month in a boot- so I was not running much of this last 1/2 marathon. But I completed it. At the halfway point I was sooo hungry (forgetting to pack my own gels) and there were people eating lunch along the way. If I had followed my temptation I would not have completed the race. I would have stopped and eaten- letting my distractions get away from me.
When I started out, I was wearing a fleece- even though the race was in Phoenix, it was January and the morning when i left my in-laws' house it was in the 30's. However, mid race the temps were twice that. If I kept my fleece, it would have been bothersome and gotten in my way had I chosen to bring it-despite being a little uncomfortable with the cold in the beginning. I was grateful later on that I had left it behind.
The point is that in life there are a million distractions. Things that bring us away from God- some of them are good things, but in the wrong position in our life can cause dangerous consequences. For example, social media can be a great tool. However if we use that instead of cultivating relationships with those around us, we get caught up in the dangerous lure of that and it can ensnare us to not follow the race that God has set out for us. He has clearly set out boundaries for each of us in our lives. He creates in our lives a set of boundaries that we are supposed to follow. There are others he places in our lives to encourage us and others are examples to us on where we are supposed to go. We can't look off to the path of where God has set us to go or we will not finish our race. If we don't get rid of distractions in our life we won't be able to focus on what it is that God wants for us.
It is so important that we find out where God is leading us in our race. I know right now, for me, my race is primarily in raising my children. As I type I have one of them laying in my bed with a fever. Caring for this little person is the primary stretch of my race at this point in time. Soon my kids will be grown and my race will take a different turn. I encourage you to take a look at where your life is. What stage it is in. Find the focus that you need to have and cultivate that. If you do not have children yet, maybe God is calling to help others who need it. Maybe God is asking you to find a ministry and serve others (we are actually to serve others throughout our entire lives, the people are the only thing that changes), maybe God is asking you to spend your time teaching his word, or whatever it is. Seek his markers for your race right now. And run it to the very best of your ability.
When I started out, I was wearing a fleece- even though the race was in Phoenix, it was January and the morning when i left my in-laws' house it was in the 30's. However, mid race the temps were twice that. If I kept my fleece, it would have been bothersome and gotten in my way had I chosen to bring it-despite being a little uncomfortable with the cold in the beginning. I was grateful later on that I had left it behind.
The point is that in life there are a million distractions. Things that bring us away from God- some of them are good things, but in the wrong position in our life can cause dangerous consequences. For example, social media can be a great tool. However if we use that instead of cultivating relationships with those around us, we get caught up in the dangerous lure of that and it can ensnare us to not follow the race that God has set out for us. He has clearly set out boundaries for each of us in our lives. He creates in our lives a set of boundaries that we are supposed to follow. There are others he places in our lives to encourage us and others are examples to us on where we are supposed to go. We can't look off to the path of where God has set us to go or we will not finish our race. If we don't get rid of distractions in our life we won't be able to focus on what it is that God wants for us.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Trusting and letting go
I have mentioned, I am sure, that I have hoshimoto's thyroid disease. It has been a long road, a long and difficult road. I thought I would share a little about my journey (and going).
I will go back to when I had my oldest daughter- that was 10 years ago. I gained a whopping 70 lbs with that pregnancy due to stress and lack of knowledge. That was hard for a 22 year old, but luckily I lost it all! And within 4 months. I felt healthy and strong. Throughout the next few years my weight fluctuated a little- 10-15 lbs, but not much. Then I got pregnant with #2, things changed. Despite eating healthy, I still gained 60 lbs, 10 in the first few weeks. But went throughout the pregnancy working hard to be healthy- and going to school...ok, so I wasn't THAT healthy. But I figured it wouldn't be a big deal since I lost it so fast the first time. Well, that didn't happen. I struggled hard that first year of little Arydona's life. I chalked it up to already having a daughter and everything else I was doing. Then got pregnant twice that year (I miscarried the first- I got pregnant with that baby when Arydona was a whole 7 months old). After Kai was born about a year after the miscarriage, I was ready to start trying to lose weight again. I had worked out 2 hours a day during his whole pregnancy and watched every bite but still gained a bit for my size at the time.
After Kai was born, I worked HARD to lose weight- I didn't miss a beat. Actually, some people from my gym thought I never had the baby as I was working out again within a week or two of his birth. (FYI- don't ask a lady who just had a baby when she will have her baby....bad form!). I started off losing weight- and nursing my newborn round the clock was going to help! But it didn't. I actually GAINED weight. It made no sense- I had a feeling that my thyroid was off, but thought "It'll work itself out". I let it go. For a YEAR I let it go. I ate as little as I could to fuel my body and still lose weight and did lose- slowly. It was a year later that I finally started to have more symptoms. My "bathroom" habits were irregular- I was lucky to go to the bathroom once a week. I knew that wasn't healthy. My hair started breaking at record amounts- which I at first shrugged off to post pregnancy hair loss. I then started having joint pain and exhaustion. I mean exhaustion- it was ridiculous. I would fall asleep mid-afternoon despite getting 9 hours of sleep and then still be tired. After all these symptoms I finally went to the dr. My TSH numbers were 13! (So there is an inverse relationship with thyroid numbers- high tsh means low thyroid...confusing I know) The acceptable range is 3.0-.3.
My Dr would not tell my why my thyroid was low- which I wouldn't take. I found and endocrinologist and decided to find out what was up with my body. She did the antibody test and determined that I did, in fact, have hoshimoto's. For about a year I took synthroid- which worked at getting my numbers ok, but my symptoms never got better. I then switched to Armour thyroid. I have been on that for a year and a half. My body is extremely sensitive to changes in the meds and it is still not completely better- but my symptoms are better. I am finding that for right now at least, my body likes to be a little on the low side of normal.
Apparently the stress from three pregnancies in less than 2 years put a toll on my body and I developed the autoimmune disease. It also runs in my family and will encourage my kids to get theirs checked regularly. So if these symptoms sound familiar- or you are missing eyebrow hair on the outer third of your brows, experience cold when others are warm, if you are having unexplained blood pressure issues, or have a family history- get your thyroid checked. Get it checked yearly or every couple years if you have a family history and especially if you have just a baby. Thyroid disease is common and difficult. If you have questions thryoid.org's website. You aren't crazy, and you are not alone!
Despite all these horrid effects pregnancy has had on my body- I don't regret a thing!! I have
I will go back to when I had my oldest daughter- that was 10 years ago. I gained a whopping 70 lbs with that pregnancy due to stress and lack of knowledge. That was hard for a 22 year old, but luckily I lost it all! And within 4 months. I felt healthy and strong. Throughout the next few years my weight fluctuated a little- 10-15 lbs, but not much. Then I got pregnant with #2, things changed. Despite eating healthy, I still gained 60 lbs, 10 in the first few weeks. But went throughout the pregnancy working hard to be healthy- and going to school...ok, so I wasn't THAT healthy. But I figured it wouldn't be a big deal since I lost it so fast the first time. Well, that didn't happen. I struggled hard that first year of little Arydona's life. I chalked it up to already having a daughter and everything else I was doing. Then got pregnant twice that year (I miscarried the first- I got pregnant with that baby when Arydona was a whole 7 months old). After Kai was born about a year after the miscarriage, I was ready to start trying to lose weight again. I had worked out 2 hours a day during his whole pregnancy and watched every bite but still gained a bit for my size at the time.
After Kai was born, I worked HARD to lose weight- I didn't miss a beat. Actually, some people from my gym thought I never had the baby as I was working out again within a week or two of his birth. (FYI- don't ask a lady who just had a baby when she will have her baby....bad form!). I started off losing weight- and nursing my newborn round the clock was going to help! But it didn't. I actually GAINED weight. It made no sense- I had a feeling that my thyroid was off, but thought "It'll work itself out". I let it go. For a YEAR I let it go. I ate as little as I could to fuel my body and still lose weight and did lose- slowly. It was a year later that I finally started to have more symptoms. My "bathroom" habits were irregular- I was lucky to go to the bathroom once a week. I knew that wasn't healthy. My hair started breaking at record amounts- which I at first shrugged off to post pregnancy hair loss. I then started having joint pain and exhaustion. I mean exhaustion- it was ridiculous. I would fall asleep mid-afternoon despite getting 9 hours of sleep and then still be tired. After all these symptoms I finally went to the dr. My TSH numbers were 13! (So there is an inverse relationship with thyroid numbers- high tsh means low thyroid...confusing I know) The acceptable range is 3.0-.3.
My Dr would not tell my why my thyroid was low- which I wouldn't take. I found and endocrinologist and decided to find out what was up with my body. She did the antibody test and determined that I did, in fact, have hoshimoto's. For about a year I took synthroid- which worked at getting my numbers ok, but my symptoms never got better. I then switched to Armour thyroid. I have been on that for a year and a half. My body is extremely sensitive to changes in the meds and it is still not completely better- but my symptoms are better. I am finding that for right now at least, my body likes to be a little on the low side of normal.
Apparently the stress from three pregnancies in less than 2 years put a toll on my body and I developed the autoimmune disease. It also runs in my family and will encourage my kids to get theirs checked regularly. So if these symptoms sound familiar- or you are missing eyebrow hair on the outer third of your brows, experience cold when others are warm, if you are having unexplained blood pressure issues, or have a family history- get your thyroid checked. Get it checked yearly or every couple years if you have a family history and especially if you have just a baby. Thyroid disease is common and difficult. If you have questions thryoid.org's website. You aren't crazy, and you are not alone!
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
What I Wore Wednesday!!!
It is back! And this week I have some fun Vegas What I Wore pics. So let the fun begin .....
The hubster even made an appearance for this one!
Jeans- calvin klein at Sam's, Shirt- a gift from his mom, Shoes target
This dress was from H&M- the hat too- but if you look closely you can see it was
a bathing suit cover- I plan to add some lace to the bottom since it is a bit short, but worked for
the pool!!!!
Blouse- gift from Mother in Law: White House Black Market
Jeans- Miss Me- birthday gift, necklace- walmart
It is back! And this week I have some fun Vegas What I Wore pics. So let the fun begin .....
A little traveling music please. This was what I wore for the drive down
Shirt Daniel Rain (Told you he would reappear!) from Piperlime
shorts Old Navy
Shoes- Famous Footwear
Tank and Hat both from H&M
This was night one's look- dress H&M
Shoes Famous Footwear
Necklace- A local downtown shop (gotta love buying local!)
Jeans- calvin klein at Sam's, Shirt- a gift from his mom, Shoes target
This dress was from H&M- the hat too- but if you look closely you can see it was
a bathing suit cover- I plan to add some lace to the bottom since it is a bit short, but worked for
the pool!!!!
Jeans- Miss Me- birthday gift, necklace- walmart
This look works- don't you think!?
And we are linking up with the Pleated Poppy
Monday, May 21, 2012
Mac And Cheese- well, not really....
I love macaroni and cheese. Always have. I had made accommodations to it when I found out I had to eat gluten free, but still ate it about the same way as before- just different noodles. Well, this last year I have wavered between vegetarian and vegan and have settled closer to vegan (I am not strict due to a lot of dietary restrictions I already have - so if I find a gluten free pastry or bread when we are out I will eat it even if it is not vegan) at home we are 100%vegan. I like it so much! I feel so much better, my skin is so much better, my digestion is better, so much has improved. However, I have tried a bunch of different cheese substitutes that I don't like. I have scoured the blogs and cookbooks for macaroni and cheeze recipes and none of them have appealed to me- until now!!!
I stopped by Gluten Free Goddess and found an amazing recipe!!! We had it for dinner tonight and it was by far the best recipe for a vegan mac and cheeze that I have actually liked (little B even had 2 bowl fulls!!!) It wasn't oil free- I will have to work on a way to do an oil free rue- but it cut the oil in half- which was a start, right!! Anyway, I added sun dried tomatoes and white beans for protein. It was the perfect meal for our first meal at home since the trip. Unfortunately I don't have a picture....but use your imagination and enjoy this lovely pic of my kids at the lake....not anything close to mac and cheeze but they are so cute, aren't they!??
adjusted from the Best Cheesy Uncheese Sauce c/o gluten free goddess
Cheesy uncheese sauce-
2 tbs oil
2 cloves garlic chopped
5 tbs rice flour
2.5 cups of nondairy milk (I used oat milk, you can use any unsweetened milk)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 tbs rice vinegar (I used garlic infused)
1 tbs onion powder
1/2 tsp honey mustard
1/4 cup white wine
Heat the oil in a pan. Chop garlic while the oil is heating then add garlic to the oil. Turn the heat down to Med. Almost immediately add the rice flour. Stir the flour with the oil until mixed through. You may have to add a little more oil. Slowly add the nondairy milk whisking while adding to the mix. Before it is completely mixed in add in the salt and turmeric and continue to mix until smooth. Add rice vinegar and mix until smooth. Mix onion and mustard and when fully incorporated add in white wine, stir until smooth. Keep mixture on the back burner until bubbling for 5 min. Then cover over pasta, potatoes, vegetables, anything you can think of!!!
add any vegetables or flavors that you like- like I said we had it with sun dried tomatoes and white beans.
I stopped by Gluten Free Goddess and found an amazing recipe!!! We had it for dinner tonight and it was by far the best recipe for a vegan mac and cheeze that I have actually liked (little B even had 2 bowl fulls!!!) It wasn't oil free- I will have to work on a way to do an oil free rue- but it cut the oil in half- which was a start, right!! Anyway, I added sun dried tomatoes and white beans for protein. It was the perfect meal for our first meal at home since the trip. Unfortunately I don't have a picture....but use your imagination and enjoy this lovely pic of my kids at the lake....not anything close to mac and cheeze but they are so cute, aren't they!??
Cheesy uncheese sauce-
2 tbs oil
2 cloves garlic chopped
5 tbs rice flour
2.5 cups of nondairy milk (I used oat milk, you can use any unsweetened milk)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 tbs rice vinegar (I used garlic infused)
1 tbs onion powder
1/2 tsp honey mustard
1/4 cup white wine
Heat the oil in a pan. Chop garlic while the oil is heating then add garlic to the oil. Turn the heat down to Med. Almost immediately add the rice flour. Stir the flour with the oil until mixed through. You may have to add a little more oil. Slowly add the nondairy milk whisking while adding to the mix. Before it is completely mixed in add in the salt and turmeric and continue to mix until smooth. Add rice vinegar and mix until smooth. Mix onion and mustard and when fully incorporated add in white wine, stir until smooth. Keep mixture on the back burner until bubbling for 5 min. Then cover over pasta, potatoes, vegetables, anything you can think of!!!
add any vegetables or flavors that you like- like I said we had it with sun dried tomatoes and white beans.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
So vegas.....it was amazing!!!
Look forward to some great What I Wore Wednesday from Vegas! We road tripped it from Flagstaff to Phoenix to drop off the kids then headed up from Phoenix
We got to the hotel at 10pm on Friday and got changed and roamed the building. We stayed at the stratosphere and decided to go up to the top and see the view from up there. It was amazing. People were jumping off the top of the building!!!!! It was pretty wild.
We went to buffets and had AMAZING food!!!! One of them had cotton candy!! Yummmmm. We saw Madonna's dress at Planet Hollywood and even had a meal in a downtown Paris street. We got to kiss in the streets of "Paris"! We made sure to do a lot of working out to combat all the rich food, though!!
We had the opportunity to sit in the front row center of The Blue Man Group- which is a show I truly recommend! It was fantastic and amazing- despite having banana splattered all over me. Hence me having to wear a snazzy parka. It was a funny show and had really great music. It was a definite highlight of the weekend- we got to get a picture with a Blue Man.
It was so nice to wake up late and go out to dinner without the kids. What a fantastic blessing!! Bryce's 30th birthday was a gift for me too! And they had a great time with Nani and Papi- they went to an Aquarium and a movie and all kinds of kid fun. They even loved the souvenirs we got them- two got hats and the third got a handbag.....so cute!
If you can swing it- I totally recommend a weekend or even a night away from the kids with your spouse- it was such a bonding experience and you will need to know what it is like one day when the kids move out of the house!
Look forward to some great What I Wore Wednesday from Vegas! We road tripped it from Flagstaff to Phoenix to drop off the kids then headed up from Phoenix
We got to the hotel at 10pm on Friday and got changed and roamed the building. We stayed at the stratosphere and decided to go up to the top and see the view from up there. It was amazing. People were jumping off the top of the building!!!!! It was pretty wild.
We went to buffets and had AMAZING food!!!! One of them had cotton candy!! Yummmmm. We saw Madonna's dress at Planet Hollywood and even had a meal in a downtown Paris street. We got to kiss in the streets of "Paris"! We made sure to do a lot of working out to combat all the rich food, though!!
If you can swing it- I totally recommend a weekend or even a night away from the kids with your spouse- it was such a bonding experience and you will need to know what it is like one day when the kids move out of the house!
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
30 and counting
Today is my husband's 30th birthday. He has been trying to hang on to his 20's as long as possible- sorry, honey, you gotta let go! I found this fun way to celebrate that would be right up his alley!!
image borrowed from- http://scrappyjilly.blogspot.com
Birthdays are a big deal in our home. It is your own special day!!! The spring is loaded with them though! Both daughters and I are in April and Bryce is in May- that is not counting our parents and extended family!! So 4/5 of our family has birthdays within 6 weeks of each other- talk about busy season!!
So for Bryce's birthday we are making not huevos rancheros with country gravy (trust me it is ahhhmaazing! ) and raspberry cupcakes and going to Vegas!!!! We leave tomorrow!!! I can't wait- look forward to some great posts about that!! We are leaving the kids with Nani and Papi for the weekend and Daddy and Mommy get some lovely couple time. We were gifted some tickets to "The Blue Man Group" and we are so excited. We are scheduling relaxing by the pool so we can make sure that happens!!
Part of being married is making sure you remember that you are the most important part of the family. The parents are the center of the marriage. Think of it like a house- you need a good foundation to make sure the house stands. You have to maintain the foundation, or the whole house will fall. So we are going away to strengthen the foundation.
Birthdays are a big deal in our home. It is your own special day!!! The spring is loaded with them though! Both daughters and I are in April and Bryce is in May- that is not counting our parents and extended family!! So 4/5 of our family has birthdays within 6 weeks of each other- talk about busy season!!
So for Bryce's birthday we are making not huevos rancheros with country gravy (trust me it is ahhhmaazing! ) and raspberry cupcakes and going to Vegas!!!! We leave tomorrow!!! I can't wait- look forward to some great posts about that!! We are leaving the kids with Nani and Papi for the weekend and Daddy and Mommy get some lovely couple time. We were gifted some tickets to "The Blue Man Group" and we are so excited. We are scheduling relaxing by the pool so we can make sure that happens!!
Part of being married is making sure you remember that you are the most important part of the family. The parents are the center of the marriage. Think of it like a house- you need a good foundation to make sure the house stands. You have to maintain the foundation, or the whole house will fall. So we are going away to strengthen the foundation.
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