May Madness!

I've barely been able to blog in May and now it's over! I still can't seem to grasp that time moves at the same speed now that it did when I was a kid. The days were long, nights longer. Sleep was over-rated, and work seemed to take forever! Imagination took over my days and I had a hard time turning off this pretend world that didn't exist at the end of the day! Now, at 22, I crash in bed after being up for 16+ hours filled with juice cups, diaper changes, laundry sorting, email writing, picking up toys, and picking up toys again. I feel like I never get enough sleep, there isn't enough time to finish my work, my days fly by and the nights seem shorter than ever!

However, in the midst of this craziness I am thankful to the Father for where He has me right now! Even among the craziness! Not a day goes by where I can't remember a time I saw His hand working the 24 previous hours. He is faithful. He is just. He is patient.

May has been a bit of a learning month for me. Learning to let go and at the same time hold on even tighter. God again presented the lesson of patience. I wanted what I wanted and it blinded me to some truths that could have kept my heart from straying too far. Coming face to face with the large pile of truths that didn't contain an ounce of desired product and deducting what I was to do with it tested more than patience. It tested my ability to hold to my standards, convictions, and bottom line the confidence I had in my Savior.

No, it wasn't life altering. I won't "remember" every detail of the last month. It won't follow me every day to proceed. The lessons I pray the Father keeps fresh in my mind but the means that were used He has stated that He will and does remove as far as the East is from the West. Let me save you some thinking, that's pretty far!

On a different note, May has also held it's fair share of fun! This past weekend was the annual Memorial Day Camping Trip! 2-3 days of "getting away." As a church we pack up tents coolers, and swimming gear and hit the lake, river, or beach from some time together with each other and the Father! This year was  bit different because of the who and what the group was made up of. Still tons of fun and a memorable trip! Pictures to come soon!

As for now I will leave you with some pictures of the last few weeks! Enjoy scrolling through my May!

A day at the park with one of my dearest friends and her babies and my sisters!

 My sister's all girls choir's spring concert! They sing so b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l.l.y.!

Friend's graduation!

Tuesday Talk

Good Tuesday Morning!

Whew! What a couple of weeks it's been! It's seriously has been an absolute miracle that I have gotten the posts up that I have! Without scheduling b.t.w.!

While this week hasn't subsided from the normal crazies I do have a few moments here while my niños play in some old newspapers! Hey, what do you do on rainy Tuesday mornings?

 Anyway, on to our regularly scheduled programming!

No pants week was a...*drum roll please*... success! I loved it! It was so much fun to be creative! I worked all 5 days, taught 2 English classes - simultaneously -, cleaned, prepared meals, shopped for some groceries, and did 2 out of 5 days of work outs in a "skirt" thanks to the wonderful invention of a skort! =)

The only thing that failed was photographical (yes, I made up that word ) evidence! The only picture I got...the ONLY...was taken by a friend at her hubby's surprise party!

At the party in...
Cardigen - Target (last summer but they have them this year too! $15)
Dress - Old Navy (free! hand-me-down!)
Flipflops - walmart ($10)

I plan on planning another no pants week so stay tuned! Next time, however, I will be sure to take pictures so you don't have to take my word for it!

Clean eating is going well! It's been a bit on the "not-so-consistent" side lately because of Bible study dinners, graduation parties, and over-all life! I have come up with a few new recipes including, clean eating iced coffee, pan glazed carrots, and fruit dip! All 100% clean, very yummy, and kid approved! My next post on "Why I Choose to Eat Clean" is coming up! I am working on the last few details!

Lastly, thought I would pass along an encouraging song! One of my teenagers introduced me to this song about 2 weeks ago and I have been listening to it frequently all the time! Hope it encourages you as well!

Introducing...

MY sister!

That's right my baby sister has entered the crazy world of blogging! Yeah! Be sure to check it out!

An aunt's gotta do, what an aunt's gotta do!

It's no secret that there are two little boys in TN that have this aunt's heart!

Oh. My. Word!

There really isn't anything short of tossing (with enthusiasm) aside any responsibility I have, jumping on a plane and spending a week with those guys that I wouldn't do. Oh wait, I have done that! =)

Recently visits have been spread a little thin due to schedules and money. However skype has become our best friend! Many a mornings are spent face to computer screen enjoying bowls of oatmeal, dueling swords, or racing cars. We steal noses, tickle bellies, and lick cake batter bowls together all with the amazing gift of technology and a little imagination!

 Yesterday morning during our skype time my darling 3 year old Bito asked very earnestly to see my solider guys. Who would have thought that an 8 year old, buried deep-in-dust obsession would resurface for a 3 year old very interested in swords and fighting to get his boyish fill of imagination play time! Every visit since introducing him to my collection of Lord of The Rings plastic figures the house would be sprinkled with swords, axes, helmets, and shields! He loved to take his selection and play for hours! It has been months since he's seen these but his super sharp memory brought up the desire once more!

 Much to his dismay they were located behind the head of a sleeping baby and I just couldn't risk DESTROYING nap time for a few moments of LOTR viewing bliss. Making a very solid promise to text him a picture later that day we said our goodbyes and went on our way! Oh. yeah. me. Scum aunt moment came and went and I woke up this morning not only forgetting but having to face that oatmeal covered, serious face and beg for forgiveness!

"Tat's otay Hottie! I forgive you!"

Yet once again...nap time + cranky baby + buried toys = not happening...

...again!

 Grabbing a stack of post notes and a pen I quickly wrote down my plan to remember! He quickly worked on his plan not to let me forget! For the remaining 20 minutes of the call every 2 minutes or so he would so sweetly remind me NOT TO FORGET! How could I?

So as promised here are the solider guys for my nephew! This post has no meaning for the flow of my blog and won't hold any key part for "my story." However, if I had to categorize it I would say that this would fit in with the, "things so dear to my heart" category. Not the figurines! Not broken promises! But that boy in TN.

 So for all you Aunts out there, don't be afraid to give a little something to the special little people in your life! In fact devote a whole entire post to one of them in particular! Be it solider guys or a video of a crazy dance you do! Let go of perfect blog post and embrace the eternal ones! Even if you do take highly unflattering pictures of yourself entirely too close to a work out with no make up and a mop head!

Alright my delusional banana! This aunt loves you a pretty huge much! Enjoy the pictures of the solider guys! I can't wait to play them with you in person! Soon, very soon little boy! Te AMO MUCHO!!!!

Happy Mother's Day!

What is Clean Eating?

There have been many mentions of "clean eating" around here and I have stated that I was going to post about my decision to go clean. I began this post and quickly realized that I should break it into 3 parts.

a. What is clean eating?
b. Why I chose to eat clean.
c. What changes have been made?

This post is mainly going to be summing up what it means to eat clean.

I want to begin with laying it out there very clearly that I am no expert. I haven't devoted hours or years to studying and becoming knowledgable about this subject. I have spent "some" time and what I found, I liked, so I continued. If it interests you I encourage you to bing it! There are a ton of resources for information out there.

So, onto eating clean. What is clean eating?

Exactly that! Eating.

It is not a diet. It is not a weight loss plan. You are eating, just simply as close to the way it was intended. Looking closely at grains, sugars, protiens, etc. and finding them in thier form closest to how they were created.

So, how do you know if something is clean? Look at the label. I am not by any means completely clean. My ministry doesn't allow it! =) However I try to maintain that level when at home. So here is what I do to measure things up to cleanliness!

Things like flours, sugars, fish, chicken, beef, fruits and fruit products (sauces, juice, etc.), vegetables and vegetable products shouldn't have ingredient lists. If they do, it should be very limited. Make sure you check the lists!!! I went to pick up some fresh chicken one time and by chance glanced at the ingredient list. To my shock, fresh chicken (at least this brand) had an ingredient list. Including things like high fructose corn syrup, sugar, and salt. What? I didn't know meat needed anything other than seasonings that we put on it before cooking! Frozen or canned fruits and veggies are terrible offenders with preservatives and sugars.

As far as grains go look for 100% whole wheat or variations like that. When a grain product has been "enriched" it is a fancy way of saying it's been "de-riched." The process of being enriched means the removal of all vitamins from the grain to make it finer. In doing so your body processes this differently. So look for the whole grains, better yet...make it yourself!

So, let me run through a typical day of what it might look like to go clean. Morning coffee, ENJOY! Instead of white sugar, grab a bottle of agave nectar or a bag of evaporated cane juice. Morning breads like toast, waffles, pancakes, and muffins are not difficult at all to make clean! Here is a recipe I made up for some very yummy pancakes and here is a post about making recipes clean from an AMAZING blog! Oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, and hot breakfast cereals are wonderful...IF they are whole grains. Make sure you look at the lists! Don't go for the prepackaged oatmeal...FULL of sugar and preservatives! Make it yourself! Here is my recipe.

Snacks - any fruit of veggie, roasted nuts in sea salt, whole wheat toast or pita with a nut spread made with nuts and salt, guacamole and corn chips (look at the ingredient list!), hummus and whole grain pita chips, banana whip, spinach smoothies, yogurt (look at the ingredient lists!) and nuts or fruit, ...are you getting the point? The options are ENDLESS! I was to repeat what I said earlier. This. Is. Eating.

I have been encouraged by the various things I have found to eat! I enjoy eating now and for the first time in almost a year I am able to eat things that I had began to eliminate from my diet. All of the sudden my body is able to digest things and here is my reason. It's not being plagued by chemicles and preservatives it was never meant to process. I have begun experimenting with different things that I never expected! It has been a lot of fun!

I am still learning and I don't know all the answers! But, I am learning! I am still learning!

Soon I will make sure to post about why I chose this! As for now, anyone reading this who knows more than I do, please pass along any info they can!

Oh, and before I forgot! Be sure to check out this blog! She has a TON of helpful resources and information! She is clear and understandable in how she presents the information. If you are new to this, which I am, this is the place to go!