Those Lazy Days

The kiddos

Little Jonah

Backyard swimming

Healthy Changes

I have become increasingly aware of the lack of proper nutrition in my family and in many other young families in our society.  When I was growing up, my parents were health nuts.  We were allowed candy once a week and even then it was those sesame-honey things or something made with carob.  We were even vegetarians for a few years.  At dinnertime my Dad always had his glass of water filled with his raw beans, which he munched happily while we probably ate something just as “good for us”.

My little family is not as healthy when compared to my childhood.  I'm afraid too often I have settled for the convenience of  packaged and processed foods to make my culinary life a little easier.   I believe that God has brought me to a place where I finally want to be healthy more than I want the bad foods that I love.  I want to raise healthy children who know how to choose proper foods for their bodies.  My hubbie and I also need to eat better.  We have weight to lose and we also want to be good stewards of our money and our bodies.  I think that the major mental shift I am making is that I not only want to eat right to lose weight and look a certain way, I really want to eat right because it is better for our bodies longevity, quality of life, and it is the way God created us to function at our best physically. 

I have also come to realize that unhealthy eating is a sin issue for me.  I eat wrong foods or too much food because it is one area of my life I ( seemingly) can control.  Ironic how it ends up controlling me in the end. 

The funny thing about all of this is that I really do know how to eat healthily.  It must of been all of those years eating right as a child.  Thanks, Mom and Dad!  For those of you who don't have that kind of upbringing, don't worry, there are so many aids out there to help you learn how to eat right.  Start out looking for cookbooks using wholefoods.  I have been reading someone's blog and she mentions a book which is her favorite “nutritional guide” entitledEncyclopedia of Natural Medicine  by Michael Murray and another that may be an easier read called, Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A. Balch.  If you order these through Amazon you can choose a “used” copy and they're quite inexpensive.
As for my plan of attack, which every mom needs, I have already begun to substitute basic grocery items like white flour for whole wheat and I have immediately cut out  buying  cookies, crackers ( I'm sure there are good whole wheat ones out there but we're getting rid of the “goldfish” and “Ritz”).  I did make homemade cookies this past week with oats, peanut butter and whole wheat flour and they were pretty good.  I am also buying whole wheat pasta's and breads.  Make sure that it is really WHOLE wheat as some labels are suspiciously misleading.  We have also started drinking smoothies made with protein powder( Wal-mart now sells an inexpensive version of this), strawberries( any fruit will work), plain yogurt, ice and Splenda( too much is up for debate).  We are now eating a lot of fruit but I still need to work on incorporating veggies into eveyday life.  There are so many resources out there-I need to get organized and start trying recipes that may sound “yuck” at first blush.  I'm afraid that I need to train my palate to enjoy whole foods again.  I'll keep you updated.

( funny how this post comes right after the “Ice Cream Man” one! ) And speaking of that, I do not want to become legalistic concerning food.  My family will have the occasional treat and when we hear that certain “man” coming through our neighborhood my children will be allowed to gather their bits of change together and enjoy being young and sticky ( at least once a week!)

The Ice-Cream Man!

Do you remember those lazy, hot summer days, when right in the midst of your busy, sweaty playing you heard that old-fashioned canned music?  Yip, that's right, we have just been visited by the ice cream man( really, he was a man)!!  I haven't seen him since I was a kid-maybe he was taking a much needed vacation since driving around in that little white van of his with all of the ice cream choices pasted to the side.

Today, when I heard that familiar tune I responded immediately ( some kind of early programming), rushed to see how much change I could scrape together and rushed my chickadees out the door-hoping all the way inflation hadn't affected him too badly.

As soon as he rounded the corner Hannah started squeeling, Ethan began clapping his hands and saying “ice cream man” over and over, and Jonah hid a little behind my leg.  I was pretty excited to, reliving this sweet memory with my sweet children and knowing it was the start of their happy summertime memories as well.

Did I mention the prices were great, and even though I let them choose their own treat no one picked the most expensive( Sponge Bob, coming in at a whopping 2$)  Way to go, kids, and thank you Mr. Ice Cream Man…its been a long time…

Date Night!

The Hubster and I have a date tonight and I am extremely excited!  We will do the traditional dinner and a movie-but, hey there's nothing wrong with tradition!  In a little while I will drop the kids off with Nana and then head over to the mall to meet up with my hunka hunka burning love where we will then view Xmen, much to both of our delight-did I mention I'm a scifi nut?  We will then eat somewhere, TBD, anywhere is fine as long as I'm not cooking!
Time to leave, I'll let you know if its good!

Goodbye's

Tonight, a group of friends from church will be meeting at a nearby park to have a cookout and goodbye celebration for one of our dear families who will be moving out of state.  This couple is much loved by all of us and we feel their leaving deeply.

I am sad because our friendship has just started to blossom and develop the intimacy that I desire.  On the flip side, in which there is always one, we can all see the Lord's obvious direction in their lives to this new ministry and path.  It is obvious as a 32 year old that life is full of change, pain, goodbyes, and of course joy.  I don't think that we could experience the joy without the pain, because we experience the fullness of God's grace in the despair and ruin of our sin and the sin around us.

And so begins a new chapter for these dear ones and for us as well, as our lives continue without them in our midst.  I am compelled to pray for them as they minister to others of our brothers and sisters in Christ.  After all, we are one and united in Him, so our work is of one mind and strength and purpose. 

Uniforms

We went shopping for Hannah's school clothes yesterday.  I know it seems crazy, didn't we just finish school?!  I'm being welcomed with open arms ( and wallets ) to the world of private schools and uniforms.  At least the uniform part is like the rest of the world, the school part is definitely unique, as I still will be homeschooling on Tues. and Thursdays.

I've never been in a store like this particular one, at least in the memories I have.  I know when I lived in South Africa I attended a private school and wore a uniform.  Anyway, we walked into this huge store with wall-to-wall shelves containing pants, shirts, skirts, shorts..you get the picture and were helped immediately by our own sales associate who then begun rounding up our items and helping Hannah try them on.  I have to admit that it was all quite exciting, up until the point Hannah was “done” trying things on and the boys started  doing laps around the clothing racks.
I have a feeling this is only the beginning! ( oh, and by-the-way we received a 20% discount for shopping early! )

Summer Already?!

I can't believe that this time of the year has made its way around again.  There are so many things I love about the summer and one I'm definitely not fond of, that being the heat and humidity.  I have to admit that even the climate is a part of my many wonderful summer memories in GA.

We purchased a slip-and-slide for the children recently ( something I swore I would never do to my own grass, and by-the-way- its already broken) and have had great joy watching them play on it and relive so many of our own childhood memories.  The splash of the water on your face, the puncture of rocks from underneath as you slide belly first into the impending mud.  Its of course great fun for them as well!  And now that a seam has been torn we use the garden sprinkler to wet it enough for their sticky little bodies to be able to slide properly.

This summer is also different for our little family in that it is the last big break for us before Hannah starts school.  We have only Homeschooled up to this point and knew we had the liberty to go on vacation whenever and for however long we wished.  Hannah's new school puts us on a schedule much like the rest of the country.  Even so, my heart is still encouraged and I am happily anticipating this new step for us.  I am especially excited for her and believe she will thrive in this new hybrid model.

We celebrated Memorial Day by walking in our neighboring city's parade, followed by a rib cookout with dear friends and family.  I love America and I love the men and women who live and die protecting us here and abroad, who have gone before and lead the way ahead.

                                              America, The Beautiful

O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain,
for purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed his grace on thee,
and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.

O beautiful for pilgrim feet, whose stern, impassioned stress
a thoroughfare for freedom beat across the wilderness!
America! America! God mend thine every flaw,
confirm thy soul in self-control, thy liberty in law!

O beautiful  for heroes proved in liberating strife,
who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life!
America! America! May God thy gold refine,
till all success be nobleness, and every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond the years,
thine alabaster cities gleam undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God shed his grace on thee,
and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea!