Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

     I got this recipe from a massage therapist I worked with many many years ago when I first worked for a Chiropractor.  I usually only make these during the holidays.  They are delicious!  Here's the recipe.

2 1/2  c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 c butter (real)
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
2 2/3 cups coconut
3 tsp vanilla
24oz milk chocolate chips


Mix four, soda, salt set aside.  Cream buter, add sugars gradually, beat thoroughly.  Beat in eggs.  Add flour mixture.  Mix in coconut, chocolate chips and vanilla.

Bake 350 degrees  for  8-10 minutes.

Missing Home

     Today I am missing being home!  Cooking, cleaning, and just enjoying my home, being a home maker and a Mom!  I have been working full time for 10 1/2 months now and dont get me wrong, I mean, I love my job!  I work for great people in a very friendly doctors office.  I love all of our patients and they seem to like me too:)  I mean what's there not to like about that?  However, maybe it's just the time of year it is once again.  I want to be home baking, cooking and cleaning.  Truly, I miss it!  I miss being home when the kids leave for school and just taking my time to look around the house to see what needs to be done.  I miss sitting in my spotless kitchen all newly cleaned and shiny.  Then going shopping for whatever I might need that day. Coming home and eating lunch in front of the TV.  I miss baking cookies right before the kids get home from school!  I miss looking for a new recipe to try and just the smell of home baked goods from my own hands.  I mss being a stay at home Mom! 

     I am thankful for all the years I did get to be a stay at home Mom.  Although looking back now, there are many things I have come to appreciate and wished I had done with my time.  But most importantly is that I was there at all the cross roads with my kids. I guess that is all that really matters. But, now I want to be home to do all of those motherly domestic things that I stressed over all those years.  I just miss home.

"Still Missing being a Stay at Home Mom"

Bruschetta

     Lately it seems that everyone is bringing in garden tomatoes!  And I love it!  On Friday's we like to have a little snack at work and so today I decided to make some Bruschetta!  And boy is it yummy!

4 large garden tomatoes
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
4-5 fresh basil leaves finely chopped
Olive oil to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix it up and eat with triscuits or bagetts sliced and lightly baked.

Love this stuff!  Enjoy!

"Still trying new recipes"!

HABLA ESPANOL?

     So, this year my youngest son Bryce, started 9th grade.  In California he would be starting High School but here in Utah he is still in middle school.  However, he is still a freshman.  And this year he is taking his first language class.  All of my boys have taken spanish in high school now and of course My Man knows spanish from his mission in Argentina.  I have always said that one day I am going to learn the language too especially since it is part of my heritage being half Mexican and all:) 

    So, yesterday I did it!  I signed myself up for a beginning Spanish class.  I took a class in high school but then dropped out of it.  So, this is finally my chance!  I am excited.  Mike is excited , my kids are excited.  A friend of mine suggested that we assign one room in our house for speaking spanish only.  I think that is a great idea.  So, we'll see how it goes.  The class starts on September 20th. So, wish me luck! I'm nervous:)

"Still learning new things"!

Fresh Salsa

     
     The other day at work Gina brought in a bunch of homegrown tomatoes from her garden and so I took them home because I am the kind of person who can not say NO to homegrown tomatoes. However, I knew that I could not eat them all before they went bad. So, I decided to make this yummy fresh salsa!

5 Fresh Garden Tomatoes
1/2 bunch of cilantro chopped
1/2 white or yellow onion chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic chopped
2 limes - juice o nly
salt and pepper to taste

So, that is it!  Man oh Man there is nothing like some Fresh Salsa!!

"Still making fresh salsa"!

Falling to Heaven

I strongly recommend this fantastic book!  Falling to Heaven, The surprising path to Happiness. It was given to me by a friend for my birthday.  I had read one other book by this author who is James L. Ferrell.  The book is called The Peacegiver.  The Peacegiver gives you quite the insight into a deeper committment and perspective on marriage, pure love and service to one another.  It is fantastic!  You might have heard of it or read it yourself.  It is another fantastic book!  That was about 3 or 4 years ago.  After reading it I atteneded a Time out for Women Conference in Sacramento James Ferrell was one of the speakers there.  He spoke about how "Up is Down and Down is Up if Down is before the Lord".  I found this concept very intriguing.  I wondered if he had written another book regarding this concept and looked and looked but never found one.  Then this year one of my best friends gives me this book and so I started reading it and after the first few pages I had to look at who the author was before I realized this was exactly the book I had hoped he would write.  The friend who gave it to me had not read it and so I told her about it and she went out and bought herself a copy too and we read it at the same time.

I love this kind of stuff! These are the kind of books I feel are worth reading.  I am not a big reader especially where novels and fiction are involved.  I just cant get into them. . But!  This kind of book is right up my alley.  A good book that I can learn from. A book that makes you take a deeper look at what is true, what is real and what is important in life.  A book that helps you explore where your priorities lie.  The greatest concept that I gleamed from reading this book is this,  until we learn to humble ourselves in all aspects of our lives, we will never really know the Lord or feel deserving of his grace.  We are all so very blessed through the atonement and we are all equally deserving in his eyes!  Falling to Heaven is the only way to real happiness. Read it!  It is fantastic! 

"Still reading good books"!

Raising kids, it's good therapy!

Okay, have you ever noticed that raising kids is like going through therapy?  I've been thinking about this alot lately. It seems that when the kids were young I constantly thought about how I reacted so much like one or the other of my parents in each situation that I handled and it forced me to make conscious choices and to set goals about how I would do things differently with them.  I learned so much about children and about what shapes their character and who they become.  I also learned that each of my children had such different personalities and abilities and gifts and that so much of who they turned out to be would depend on what we did with each of these characteristics.  I learned so much about myself and what kind of child I was and what had shaped me.

Now that my children are so much older and they are growing into adults, it's happening again.  It is so therapeutic for me.  I dont know why.  Probably because I am able to advise them on how to handle their choices better than I did.  My kids are so much more wise and on the ball than I was at their ages.  Yet I can see myself in each one of them.  It is so satisfying as we analyze together each situation and I feel this weight lifted from the "what ifs" of my past life.  And I am blessed with the vision of the "whys" and "why nots".  It is very freeing and awesome to see so clearly now what the Lord really had in store for me all along. 

I love my kids more than anything in this world.  They are everything I dreamed they would be and more.  They inspire me to be a better person.  I am so blessed to have been chosen to be their mother.  What an awesome privilege!  The Lord's plan is so perfect and all encompassing. 


"Still learning about myself"!

Nelson = Hopeless Romantic

So, lately I've been dealing with some matters of the heart with one of my children.  It has taken me back to those days and I've been doing a lot of reminising of past relationships I had when I was his age.  But what is funny is that as I look at each of my children and at My Man and I, I can see so clearly what a bunch of Hopeless Romatics we all are. 

My Man cracks me up because he will preach and preach to the kids about dating and not getting caught up in one person too soon. Which is great advice.  But, when it comes right down to it, he is the first person to fall in love with any of the kids' "love interests" that they might bring home.  He said to me not too long ago after one of our sons ended a relationship that he was in, "Honey, I dont think he should bring anymore girls home to meet us, because this is too hard".  I totally got him!  I really did.  That's the sad truth about it all.  Even Michael said to me the other day, "I swear I cant help it, I take after you and Dad, I'm so impatient I cant wait to fall in love".

Well, it's so true.  Nelson = Hopeless Romantic.  I do love that about my boys though.  They will each make wonderful husbands because they love with all their hearts and so very deeply.  My Man and I fell in love so quickly and we couldn't wait to be together forever.  We preach to the boys to be patient and not to rush things but then when you look at us, after 3 dates we knew we were hooked and there was no turning back!

 I have to admitt it is a bit heart wrenching going thru the process of watching our oldest date and break up and learn and grow as he is seeking to find that special someone whom he will spend the rest of his life with.  Hopefully he will soon find that special someone and my heart can take a break!  Love sure can be a roller coaster ride!

"Still a hopeless romantic"!

Maybe I'm Amazed From Joyful Noise With Lyrics Featuring Jeremy Jordan

Recently saw this movie "Joyful Noise".  One of the best movies I've seen in a long time.  I always love this kind of a musical.  Awesome one of a kind song!  Listen and enjoy!

"Still enjoying good music"!

Organization and Mom

So, Mom is staying with me for a couple of months this summer.  She has recently moved back to Utah and two of my sisters and I are sharing her.  It's been fun having her here.  I feel badly leaving her at home every day while I go to work but when I come home I am usually pleasantly surprised by my clean, tidy, well put together home.  My laundry is done, my house is clean and if I leave instructions on dinner, that is done too.  I think she is trying to spoil me so that I wont want her to leave.  My sister Regina said she did the same for her when she was at her house and now she is suffering  having to do her own dishes again!  Ha Ha!  Anyway, it has been a great blessing having her here.

Since we moved into our new house,  I have not been able to get a whole lot done since it seems I am usually playing catch up on the cleaning each weekend and that's about all I have time for.  However, since Mom has been here, I have been able to get some of the organizing done in my home that I have desperately been wanting to do.  Some people like to spend their time decorating their home.  My passion is organization!  I love it!  I can get pretty carried away if you give me too much time and a little bit of money.  But i sure have been enjoying it!  With Mom taking care of the basics during the week, I get to come home and just organize til my little hear it content!  Unfortunately we have a lot of areas that need help in this department so I'll be busy for a while.  Luckily, I have 2 months before my house falls apart again without Mom here.  Mom will leave for Theresa's in August and then she will be back in December so I will have a 4 month lapse of time where I will not be able to be so attentive to my organizing obsession!  So, for now I will just enjoy.

But today we took a break and went out to Thanksgiving Pointe and attended the Rose Festival.  It was a beautiful summer day and Mom and I just enjoyed the out doors and the beautiful scenery.  We had our girl time together walking around the garden and having lunch together.  When I heard they were having a "Rose Festival", I just knew I had to take my "Rose"!

49 ....... and almost 50!

Happy Birthday to me!  Today I am 49 years old or young!  I mean really if you think about it 49 is a very special age.  I'd like to live til I'm 100 so I guess it's almost half my life!  So, I guess I can finally transition into adulthood once and for all because I KNOW there's no turning back now!

I like being this age.  I like it because it turned out to be better than I thought it would be when I was younger and thinking what it would be like to be this old.  I dont feel a whole lot different than I did 20 years ago.  I've learned a lot about myself and about life.  I've been through a few experiences now and I've had my share of ups and downs.  But I still feel like I have so much further to go!  It's almost as if I am starting my second phase of life.  The part where you are now actually the person that you really want to be.  The part where you get to really show your true colors.  The part where you better take a hold of your life and do all the things that you always said you would do someday.  So, here's to being 49!
Ready or not here I come!

Guess What?

Guess what?  I'm not 16, or 17, or 18 anymore!  Yah, I know it was a shock to me too!  I sometimes feel like I am still that young girl I was so many years ago.  I know it is somewhat pathetic...okay, okay, very pathetic!  But, seriously, I think it has finally sunk in!  The fact that I need to do things differnetly in my life at THIS age, is finally becoming a reality! And guess what?  It feels pretty good.  I am motivated and determined to do some things differently than I have been in order to live a more full and enjoyable life at the ripe old age of 48...soon to be 49!  Whew!  That was close huh?  50 is right around the corner now.....literally...just one more year.  So, my plan is that when I am 50 I will wake up the morning of and say to myself...."yes!  I did it!  I finally started acting my age"!

Making sense of my happily ever after.....

Do you ever sit and wonder if you had made this choice different or that choice different what your life would have been like today?  I think I have done this quite a lot since my 40's came around.  Probabaly because of different trials I have had in the last several years.  Wondering if I had done this or that differently would I be having these trials? 

Then this past weekend I attended a women's conference and performance where I heard the gospel taught by word and song.  It was a performance by a group called Mercy River. It was during this performance that was so uplifting that I heard something said that hit me so hard.  I guess when you are ready to hear something that you really need to hear is when you really get it as if it was the first time you heard it.  One of the girls said she had heard a speaker once say that it was important to teach young women that when we get married to the right person in the right place by the right authority, it is not gonna be all "Happily Ever After.  We will continue to have trials in our lives". He then said, "The gospel of Jesus Christ is not insurance against pain, it is resource in the event of pain".  Wow!  So, this quote really got me thinking a lot!
In fact I started thinking to myself..."Duh.  What did you think?  That because you started off your married life on the right foot, that you were not gonna have any more trials in your life"?  I then realized how silly I sounded.  In fact I then realized that trials are trials because they are difficult for us.  My particular trials may not seem difficult or hard to another person, that's what makes them "my trials"....because they are difficult for me.  And we all know that none of us will escape this life without them.  That is the reason we are here. 

Now, we may have traded a certain set of trials for another depending on the particular choices we made and continue to make in this life but, they will still seem hard and difficult, because they are meant to be, how else will we learn to depend and lean on our Savior?  Our need for his atonement and our dependance on him is what we are here to learn.  So, now my "Happily Ever After" makes perfect sense!

Still growing up

I remember going to a fireside years ago while in my young single adult life and hearing a speaker say that the one thing we do best as human beings is "change".  That has always stayed with me and I have pondered that statement many times.  Lately I have felt myself changing again, inside.  Frankly sometimes I feel silly when I finally get something new, something that it seems everyone else got a long time ago.  It seems that even after 48 soon to be 49 years of life there is still much I have to learn in my life.  So, today I am grateful for the chance to ever be learning new things.  Things about myself, about life and about what is important.  After all I guess I am still growing up. 

It's all worth it

Okay, so it seems that all I do is work, work, work!  When you spend 36-40 hours a week at a job, then you go home and clean your house, cook, do laundry and tend to the needs of your family, well, it doesn't give you much time left for anything else.  So, today I am feeling sorry for  myself that I dont get to do more of the things that I would really like to do.  Like blogging for instance.  I miss keeping up on all the many happenings in my life. 

I realize that I need to pick and choose what is best for me and prioritize my time.  But, sometimes I wish I could have more hours in a day.  Today I'm at work early and I am tired.  We had a good-bye party at our home for Adam (Michael's best friend) last night.  It was a lot of fun.  We had friends, family, games and good food to eat of course.  Adam has been with us for about 8 months now. He is now heading up to Idaho to attend BYU.  He is really excited and we are excited for him.  We will miss his fun dispositon in our home.  I love when all of the boys are home together. It gives me great satisfaction:)  But now Adam is leaving and Michael will soon follow as he heads to Alaska for the summer. 

Even though we continue to struggle with Mike trying to find employment.  Somehow we still feel blessed and lucky.  I am so blessed and so lucky to be able go to a job everyday that I love, where I feel so at home and so appreciated!  The kids seem to be doing well without me around 24/7.  They are old enough now and keeping busy doing good things for the most part.  I do continue to do some prodding and pleading for some of the regular everyday stuff but I guess that is to be expected right? 

Sophia is visitng right now.  She is such a natural part of our family.  The boys love her to death!  She is like the sister they never had, so they are happy to place her in that spot and defend her to the very end in all that she is a does!  She is a sweet addition to our family.  She will always be considered one of us.  We love her like our own.  It doesn't matter how much time we spend away from her, when she is with us, it is like she never left.  We love her dearly and would do anything for her. 

So, such is my life. And most importantly and through it all, is the love of the Lord we all share.  That ,I can say without question.  Yes, the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that we share is what keeps us all going.  That burning inside that tells us that in spite of all of this craziness it is still all worth it. 

HOPE

So, when I think about Hope, these are the things that come to my mind.

H- is for Home
O- is for optimism
P- is for people
E- is for Eager

Hope is a powerful word when you think about it.  When you have hope, it makes you a better person.  However, you can hope for things that are not realistic too and then that just makes you crazy!
So, I try not to be too crazy.  Although I have been known to be crazy a lot of the time....but we won't go there right now. 

I am a pretty open person.  What you see is what you get.  Sometimes that gets me into trouble but I try most of the time to stay out of that kind of trouble.  Anyway, today I am choosing to be hopeful.  Because Hope brings power and optimism.  The first thing that comes to my mind when I hope is my family and my home.  I want my home to be a place where my children feel safe and warm and secure.  I also think about people.  The people in my life that I love and want to be happy. And lastly I think about eagerness.  Yes, I am eager but try to not be too impatient for the things I hope for.  Is that possible?  I sure "HOPE" so! 

So, today I feel hopeful. Hopeful that life will move forward in a good way.  Hopeful that someone is aware of our little family and that the blessings that we need or will need in the near future will be realized.  I hope my kids know just how blessed they are in spite of hard times. I hope that when the really important things come around we will be able to take care of them.  I hope that I am getting better in my old age.  And I hope for a bright future for all of us.  I sure hope I can endure my trials and always choose to keep a positive perspective no matter what.  And when all else fails I hope to always be found on the Lord's side. 

Peace

Peace.  This word has been on my mind a lot lately.  The other day I was having a hard day and as I was talking with a friend and he asked me, "what was it that challenged your peace"?  I thought that this was a very interesting question.  In fact I thought it was kind of a silly question at first.  Then the more I thought about it the more I realized that this was a very thought provoking question for me.

We all want peace right?  I mean come on I am almost 50 years old now.  At this point in my life "Peace" is about the only thing that really matters anymore.  So, as I thought more on what actually challenged my "peace", I realized that in order to have peace in my life regardless of what happens, I need to do those things that bring that peace.  So, here are some of the things that bring me peace.

1.  I feel peace when I get plenty of sleep
2.  I feel peace when I take a long walk to start my day
3.  I feel peace when my home is clean and orderly
4.  I feel peace when I spend time with my children
5.  I feel peace when I pray with a sincere heart
6.  I feel peace when I don't over eat
7.  I feel peace when I take time for me
8.  I feel peace when I attend the temple worthily
9.  I feel peace when My Man and I are on the same page
10.I feel peace when I remember I have a best friend who gets me when no one else does

These things are true for me.  What brings you peace?

Beware the Whining!

Okay, so I'm usually pretty upbeat.  I try to keep my blog that way.  However, lets be realistic.  Sometimes you just cant hold it together anymore and you feel yourself unraveling and on the verg of falling apart.  Well, if you don't, then I guess it's just me....but it's the real ME! 

I've been keeping it together pretty well up until this point.  Mike has been out of work again since just before Christmas.  I guess it was all new and I still felt pretty strong.  But Christmas has come and gone and life goes on right?  Well, then this month hit.  Yes, February.  February 19 is Michael's birthday.  February 27 is My Man's birthday and March 2 is Bryce's birthday.  And when this time of year comes I want to celebrate and let my family know just how much I love them.  But, with Mike out of work we are on such a strict budget that we cant do a whole lot. And so I feel frustrated, strapped, stifled, and out of control.  I know you are just waiting for the positive side of all of this to come out and well, so am I because right now I dont feel a whole lot of hope. In fact I feel like just breaking down, but like I said before it takes a lot for me to cry and I can feel it right at the surface of my throat, but it wont come out.  So, here I sit feeling all of these feelings and no way to express them.  I sit and pay the bills and I want to cry, but again, nothing comes out.
So, instead I come here to this blog to hopefully get some relief...and so far I dont feel any better.

Free at last

It was Friday night and there was no dance.  She really counted on them each weekend.  It was one of the few ways she was able to express the freedom to be herself.  What was a 20 year old girl to do?  She worked at Contempo Casuals and her best friend at JC Penney's.  They had decided to drive into work  together that night since they worked at the same Mall.  When closing time came they met in the parking lot at her best friends blue cellica that her Dad had helped her purchase. There was only one big problem with the car...she hated driving if she didn't HAVE to.  So, as usual she handed her friend the car keys and they were on their way.  It was an 80's hot summer's night and luckily her celica had a sun roof.  Being a Contempo Casuals sales clerk gave her the oppotunity to buy some pretty trendy clothes.  It was a fun way to express her daring side, which she almost never revealed in public.  At the time the layered look was in and she wore a black lace tank underneath her blouse to work that night. Her best friend worked as an operator and wore a more conservative wardrobe.  That night she wore a cute light weight sweater with a camasole underneath. 

They were enjoying their independance just as much as 2 single LDS girls could.  Afterall life was supposed to be fun and exciting at this age.  The thing she loved most about her best friend was that she knew how to have a good time.  She was "crazy" and always made the dull moments turn into laughter.  So,there they were, friday night, sun roof open, wide awake, hot, and nothing to do.  As they sat in the hot silence, suddenly she glanced over at her best friend who was taking off her sweater! She couldn't believe what she was seeing as they were supposedly good "Mormon girls".  As the sweater came off to reveal only the camasole underneath, she sighed...."ahhh, that feels better".  Her best friend was free.  Free to be herself, free to be cooler and free of the judgements of anyone who might be driving by and notice that she was basically in her underware. She laughed as she thought about her best friend's boldness!  She would have never thought to do such a thing.  "How imodest" she thought to herself.  Then she suddenly realized that she was still clothed, and inside her car, so why not?  She reached down and began to unbutton her blouse to reveal the black lace tank.  She pulled off her blouse just as she had witnessed her best friend do with her sweater.  She was right!  It felt great!  Free! Free at last!

silly memories:)

Me and PMS

  It's been one of those weeks where it started out okay and then my old friend "PMS" came to visit and it ended on sort of a bad note.  I feel like I turn into a very different person when "PMS" is here.  I sure hope only women read my blog:)  Anyway, it seems that the older I get the more I understand it and can separate "PMS" from "Me".  However, it does not change the fact that reality completely changes for me when he's here.  And there is no one who can tell me differently at the time.  I am so much more emotional and irritated  and things affect me so much more deeply when he visits.  I can swear that no one truly cares or understands me.  And then just a couple of days later I am completely calm and feeling loved and understood again.  It is as if I was somewhere entirely different for a few days and now I am back.  I really do feel sorry for "My Man".  He gets the brunt of it.  He is always steady and does not let it get to him, although I figure he must silently pray that it will pass ....soon!  So, I just have to remember that there is Me and there is PMS.  We are two very different people.  I used to think we were one and the same because I used to feel that way pretty much all of the time and I could not tell where his visits started and when they ended.  Wow!  That was a very frustrating number of years....yes, years!  But here I am now feeling and seeing the complete separation of the two.  Thank goodness.  I really look forward to the day that PMS is so far away from me that I can hardly remember what he was like.  We don't make a good pair and I really wish he would get the clue and leave me alone for good!  But for some reason he still thinks I like his monthly visits.  Someone seriously needs to tell him to go away and not come back.  Will you?.....please?

James Taylor - Something In The Way She Moves.mp4

I would love to be this woman he is singing about.
Love this song....it's beautiful!

crying

Me and crying....we don't go well together.  First of all I really look ugly when I cry.  Secondly it really does give me a headache.  But aside from that , I am not much of a crier at all.  Truthfully and sadly, I learned a long time ago that crying really gets me no where.  Not sure if I learned that as a little girl or a teenager, but it stuck and instead I developed a very thick skin.  Which actually was helpful when I met and married "My Man" since he is not the most tactful or sensitive man, by default.  However, I found it pleasing early on to fight my way thru the emotions in my adult life.  But the older I get the more I enjoy having a good cry which doesn't happen very often.  I still can not get the thought out of my head that it is a waste of energy, emotion and time.  But today I did it!  I had a good cry.  You see when the tears finally come out is when I am emotionally exhausted and someone says just the wrong thing and I finally have nothing left to do but let out the emotions by allowing my heart to accept the hurt, frustation or pain.  I know it is all very sad but true.  Crying, good or bad, sometimes it just has to be done!

James Taylor - Secret O' Life (With lyrics)

I have been in a James Taylor mood today and I came across this
song and I realized how much I love it and how it is so true for me
today. So, I hope you enjoy it too!

Creating a Healthy Routine

Well, I decided this weekend that it is time to start creating a healthy lifestyle routine again.  Since I started my new job I have kind of just given my all as far as energy and time goes to my job and my family.  Well, this week I decided that it's time for me to add another element into my new life and that is exercise.  Not that I am big on exercise(although I should be) but just that I need to do some kind of exercise!  I finally decided that my life is good and I am happy, but I am not happy with my health. It's not that I want to be skinny and young again.  I just want to feel good about my health and fit into my clothes comfortably!  Since I have been working, I feel like I have no time to myself to start any kind of an exercise program unless I never want to see my family.  But, I finally realized that I need to cut my nights off and go to bed earlier and then I can get up earlier and get my exercise in before my family gets up.  I know it's a sacrafice but nothing worth having ever comes easy does it?  I figure if I get up at 5:15 and leave by 5:30 I can get a good hour of walking in before I have to leave for work in the morning on Monday thru Friday. And then I will take Saturday and Sunday off!.  So, finally making the decision to make my health a big enough priority in my life to actually sacrafice time watching netflix or some other waste of time thing, has made me feel better about mylself already.  And of course along with this is a committment to be better about watching what I put in my mouth!  So, here goes my new routine to create a more healthy lifestyle for myself!  Wish me luck!   

Lasagna

So, on Sunday My Man wanted to make a lasagna.  He found a recipe by Bobby Flay that looked good so he started out.  He first juiced some spinach leaves to use for the home made pasta noodles.  Thus the green noodles.  Such a pretty color!

And this is what it looked like when it was finished!

Here it is on the plate.  My Man loves the whole process of creating a new dish.

He also loves fresh ingredients and so it usually takes him FOREVER to make it.

But I must say that it was well worth it!

You can go HERE to get the recipe. 

Try it, you won't be dissapointed!

It was DELICIOUS!

Absolute Health

So, a big part of my life these days is my job at Absolute Health.  I have been working there for 2 months now and I love it!  Basically from day 1 I have enjoyed working there.  But you know how it goes.  You always have to wait a while to see if you're gonna like it for real.  And I like it more and more every day! 

Absolute Health is a Chiropractic Office in Orem.  Dr. Troy Frazier is the owner doctor.  His wife Kelly has been the office manager here and then Dr. Frazier has an assistant, Skyler who does all of his back office procedures.  We also have a Bio Meridian Computer Tester on staff, Gina and a Massage Therapist/Marriage and Family Counselor, Steve on staff here.  Gina and Steve are only here as scheduled, not everyday like the rest of us. It is a fun, positive upbeat office environment and I am learning more and more everyday. 

I used to work for a Chiropractor in Sacramento about 20 years ago.  I enjoyed working there at the time and learned a bit about Chriopractic and holistic health.  At that office I was the insurance and billing clerk.  There were 2 and then 3 doctors working there at that time.  That is when I first started getting chiropractic treatments.  I had been in a car accident in college and had suffered from headaches and a stiff neck quite frequently but after my 2 year stay there I was freed from those headaches and neckaches from then on.
I then went home to be a fulltime mother and only now have I gone back to work full time again outside the home.  I was not looking for a Chiropractic office to work in, however I was hoping to find a job in a healthcare environment where I could assist with office work.  It was by pure luck, chance, and a huge blessing that I found this job! It basically fell into my lap.  I've been very blessed in finding jobs that have worked out perfectly for me at the time all throughout my life.  I believe that is because my Heavely Father knows that working for me is not my first priority however it is a necessity, so my theory is that he say's leave it up to me....go look, and prepare yourself and I will find you what you need.  And He always has:)

What I love about this job is many things.  First of all I get to use my organization skills.  I love to be organized and on top of things.  Kelly is training me to be the Office Manager here.  So, now she works downstairs and leaves the front office pretty much up to me.  She is still teaching me some things and we are creating some new and more efficient procedures together.  She is nice and fun to talk to.  We both have all boys.  Secondly, I love the doctor.  He is way knowledgable and on top of his game.  He knows so many techniques and so much about the body, chiropractic and nutrition.  Plus he is fun to talk to also.  Thirdly, I get free Chiropractic adjustments! It's so nice to get all those kinks worked out that seem to happen more often since I've been aging.  Fourth is the health side of things.  Dr. Frazier knows about a bazillion remidies and sells all natrual nutrition and supplements here at Absolute Health.  As well as making and creating his own Custom Homeopathics.  Fifth and actually my favorite part about my job is the Patients!  I have met so many nice people.  I love that I get to help them be healthy!  We have so many wonderful people come in our office.  Just the fact that I get to make their day just a little bit brighter by smiling at them and letting them know that I care....just makes working there so worth it!

I have been blessed with good health throughout my life, knock on wood.  And working here is such a blessing because I dont like taking any medications and so it's a perfect fit.  I was taking one medication for the first time in my life for about a year, about 6 months or so ago and I weened myself from it.  I have been blessed to have not needed it since.  Now I try to just practice good healthy habits, sleeping, watching what I eat (even though I still enjoy all foods). Overall I  feel pretty good about the treatment I am getting and being able to maintain my health with Chiropractic, all natural nutrition and remidies.  It feels great!

So, not only do I love what I do, but I am learning so much about good health too!  So, when they call it Absolute Health!  I say ABSOLUTELY!!

The whole truth and nothing but.....

1.  I love my job!  It's very fullfilling and enjoyable. I don't think I have every enjoyed a job more!

2.  I hate coming home to a messy house.....which happens aLOT!

3.  I'd rather clean than cook.  My Man would rather cook than clean. So he cooks and I clean most of the time these days.

4.  I have to go in for 2 root canals today and I want to cry like a baby....NOOOOOOOOOOOO!

5.  I was released from my calling in RS and Mike was called to the High Council again...we are both ready for the change and the challenge!

6.  I am grouchy a lot when I come home from work ( My Man reminds me almost everyday that I need to talk nicer) mostly because of my messy house.  I need to talk with the kids about chores!

7.  My Man is still unemployed but he is doing a small side job for his cousin in Mapleton.  We have faith that something will come his way before too long.

8.  I leave 15 minutes early for work everyday so that I can take Bryce to school and have some one on one time with him. He could ride the bus but it's "OUR TIME".

9.  I miss Michael.  I dont get to talk to him very much these days.  He is back in school and working hard.
I am very proud of him:)

10.  Stephen still keeps us laughing everyday! Thank Goodness!!!

 11. Even though I miss all the pretty snow everywhere, it's been nice to not have had such a severe winter this year especially since I am driving everyday to and from work.

12.  I feel very blessed in my life.  Overall it is a great life!

Happy New Year!

Don't you just love new beginnings?  I sure do.  I work very hard the last couple of days before New Years to get all of my Christmas stuff down and put away.  I really look forward to Celebrating the New Year without looking at last years decorations.  I love that new start, clean slate feeling.  Especially now that I am working fulltime I so much enjoy being home and just enjoying my home and my surroundings.  I love how everything says "okay, let's get started with making this a productive and happy new year". 

So, we had FHE last night and we talked about the Book Of Mormon and how it is the corner stone of our testimonies.  We had all the kids home.  It's been great having Michael home more lately.  He is so his own person now but the last couple of nights he was actually home and had dinner with us.  I miss him.  He is so raring to go in his life.  I know if he could he would get married right now and start his life without any hesitation. But his girlfriend is thinking about going on a mission and so he has put on the brakes with his plans to get married and he has changed gears and has already made other plans to be productive in his new life.  He has interviewed and been hired to work this summer in Alaska as a tour guide.  I'm excited for him.  He should earn himself enough money to buy himself a car when he gets back. 

Before I went to bed last night I read the whole front part of the Book of Mormon in preparation for my study this year in it.  I felt accomplished and ready this morning when I got up to start my day.  So, now is the time once again.  To start over new.  To make new committments.  To be hopeful and to be determined to make this a better year than the last one.  To review and re-evaluate where I am today compared to where I was a year ago and to decide what will change.  What will I deem as most important.  For me as long as I include my Father in Heaven in all I do and read my scriptures and pray first and foremost, I know he will lead me in the right direction and I will find success, happiness and prosperity in this New Year!  It may not look exactly like I have planned in my head right now, but it will all work out just as long as I put first things first, I'm sure of it!

So, here's to a happy and prosperous new year to you and yours and me and mine!