changes on blog

If you are reading this blog, you have been approved by me to read our family blog. I have been having some strange traffic lately, so I have decided to go private for awhile....thanks

Amy

summer and other non-important drivel..

Wow, it doesnt feel like summer in Arkansas today. It is so beautiful. No humidity and low temps. A girl could get use to this! We had a thrilling day of outdoor chores today. Derek got up on the roof and repaired some shingles that were blown off in a windstorm, followed up by cleaning out the gutters. Meanwhile, I was vaccuming out the car and shampooing the mats. I wish cars would just stay clean. I always feel so grimey after cleaning out the car!

Anyhow, not much to report here. Five more weeks before school starts. Guess I better get that Intent to Homeschool form into the School District before they hunt me down.For those of you that dont know, I had a little run-in with them last spring( long story)
Kate will be starting K this year. Only 2 more years, and everyone will be in school. I thought that would never happen! My kids are growing up way to fast. My almost 11 year old decided this would be a good week to start being a smart mouth. Oh, the joys of parenthood...

weight loss part 2

Well, its been a couple of months since my last weight loss report, so here it goes. I haven't been as successful as I wanted, but I'm still happy to say Ive lost about 15 lbs. I started going back to the gym, stopped drinking caffeine, and basically am just watching the amounts I eat, and allowing myself 1 free day. If I want a brownie, I can have one on my free day :)

It's really weird to me, once I can trick my mind into thinking that I don't want something, I
can lose the weight. I guess that means I'm an emotional eater.
I was watching Oprah, last week , and they had some overweight teens on. I found myself in tears watching some of the stories. Some of these kids wanted to die, instead of being overweight. I just wanted to reach through the TV and give them a big ole hug.
Being overweight does not define who you are! Anyone who has ever struggled with weight, will tell you that your emotions play a huge part in the weight loss game. I have been a teenager and struggled with self-image, in a some-what normal body. I just couldn't believe some of the stories these teens were telling of people teasing them, it was shameful....it's so sad that the world is so focused on our outward appearance.

So you still hanging in there with me? 20 more pounds to go..let's get healthier...we can do it!

the results are in...

As many of you know, we embarked on a new journey this past year, the world of home-schooling. I was given so many opinions on it, I decided I just needed to do what I knew was right for Lydia.

I won't lie to you, it was tough. Having your child home all day, and being their teacher is an exhausting job! We were able to get Lydia into a tuition-free state program, called
Arkansas Virtual Academy. Although the curriculum is set for you, the amount of time needed to complete the daily course work, didn't allow me to spend time with my other children.
After much deliberation, we withdrew from the program after 6 months.

The last 2 months of the school year, we finished on our own. We both were relieved, and excited when the school year was done! In Arkansas, the law states that homeschooling families must complete a standardized test at the end of the school year. I suppose they do this so they can compare the scores with that of the public schools.

I was a little nervous as the testing day approached. Fortunately for Lydia, she was able to test nearby, and with a group of kids she was familiar with. After a two month wait, we finally got the results this week. They were very good. I am so proud of her. Her reading is on a 8th grade level(she's in 5th now) and her Math skills were on a 6th grade level. This is a huge accomplishment for her, as math is her most difficult subject.

Lydia, Im so proud of you! We made it, together!

The big four-zero

Its official! I can no longer say I am in my thirties. Where did the time go?
I have to say, I'm handling it pretty well. That's probably because someone hasn't asked me my age yet..lol
It was a little weird this morning to wake up and realize my 30's are gone. I checked the mirror carefully for any more wrinkles or lines. Nope, I look the same as I did yesterday.

Here's a definite reality check. I have to start having mammograms now! Luckily I get out of it this year....ahh.. the benefits of nursing :) I seem to be caught in some weird netherworld.
I've decided I'm just not going to worry about. I can freak out at 50...

tantrums

When I finally had a boy, I didn't know what to expect. I knew that girls cried easily, screamed often, and whined quite a bit. Nothing had prepared me for the terrible two's with a boy.
It's a whole different ballgame.
Something happened to my sweet Jacob on his 2nd birthday. Suddenly, someone flipped a switch in him, that said "rip apart anything you can find", and "have a fit, then you can get
your way".

Here is prime example. We just got a new camcorder, and I captured this in the car on the ride home.

birthday boy

Well it's offical! Derek turned 39 yesterday! One more year closer to the big 40! He took the day off from work, with the intention of hitting a few golf balls, but changed his mind, and hung out with the family( enter the awwww here)

The girls and I had been busy getting together his gifts(Lego Star Wars game from the girls)

and a gift cert. to the local golf course. He's not really a cake kinda guy so we decided on getting him those little mini eclairs and stacking them up on a plate to look like a cake. I needed another box to make it look right, but I just kept thinking of all those extra eclairs that would have to be eaten...lol.

We decorated the dining room with a Happy Birthday banner, and balloons.. Later on in the day we went out to our garden spot to plant sweet corn and cantaloupe.(It's been so wet here I am glad we waited to plant)

It was a total family affair, and even though a little work was involved too, he had a great time. Happy Birthday Derek!

Gone Pickin'

I have been wanting to get up to Guy for a couple of weeks now, to pick strawberries, but something would always come up, and prevent it. My Mom stayed a few days with us, so we decide to try again. The night before had been really rough, with lots of bad weather, and rain

so I wasn't sure if they would be open for picking. Luckily they were, but boy was it humid!

If I didn't love Strawberries so much, I would have stayed home!

We got to the patch about 10am. Most people had come earlier, but we were lucky and they let us pick from a completely different area, that hadn't been picked over. It took us a little over an hour to fill up our 4 buckets. The rain has reeked havoc on the berry crop. Most were just mushy and discolored, the product of too much rain and not enough sun. I think Jacob had the most fun running around in the dirt and mud!

Kate kept yelling "I found one" and come and look at this one", every other second, and driving

us nuts. Lydia was very helpful, and efficient with her picking. Once we got home, we made a fresh strawberry pie, made freezer jam, and froze the rest as strawberry topping for desserts...Yum.

making weight

I really love the springtime, but it always reminds me that summer is around the corner. Even though I have been in Arkansas for 14 years, I still detest the humidity. The only way to keep cool here in the summer, is to be in the water. Unfortunately, to be in the water, you have to be semi-undressed! lol..

As a person who has struggled with her weight most of my life( as a kid I was way skinny) and often sick. As an adult, diagnosed with Celiac disease, I have learned to cook wheat-free, and for years I was making up for lost meals! So now here I am 39.5 years old(and holding) and still 30 lbs overweight! Children, nursing, all of these things have affected me. I decided around Christmas that I was ready to start treating myself better. I started by cutting out caffeine(bye, bye, Cokes) and started putting less food on my plate. I quickly lost 10 pounds. But with the stress of a new year, moving and other things beyond my control, I gained some back.

Well, here we are a month before the big 40, and got back on the wagon again. Again, I'm not doing much, except no sodas, no eating between meals, and just making healthy choices. Ive lost 11 lbs so far and plan get rid of the other 20 over the summer. I bought a really cool piece of workout equipment from Bally. Its basically a sculpting bar, that has resistance. I'm am not the jogging/StairMaster type, but this little workout bar is great! I can really fell the strengthening of my muscles.

I noticed today on Oprah that Kirstie Alley will be on. Remember her? She was the spokesperson for Jenny Craig, and lost all that weight , then gained it back? I feel exactly like her. Oh, I suppose I could beat myself up about gaining some back, but what does that really do for your self-esteem? So if any of you out there are like me, and struggling, I'd love to hear from you. Maybe we can make it together!

feeling hot, hot, hot

Jeez, it's only April and almost 90 degrees! I went out today to plant some flowers in the beds, and I was so sweaty. Luckily the heating and air guys came yesterday an installed a brand new unit in the house. The old one was 30+ years old. Hopefully we will save some $$ on the electric bill too! I'm trying to avoid turning the air on until June. I say the same thing every year, but about mid- May, I cave.

Anyhow, I am prepping for a crop on National Scrapbook Day. Yes there really is such a thing! I'm attending one in Russellville. I'm excited to get away, and try to get caught up. I'm so behind!

Easter was quiet around here. The Easter Bunny came and hid baskets. The kids had a little trouble finding them this year, with the new house and all.

We also had Bro.Stover and the Moll Family over for Ham, scalloped potatoes, rolls, asparagus, salad, and dessert. It was a nice evening. We didn't get a picture of the kids in their Easter finery, but Derek did snap this casual post, before the hunt began. Don't you just love Kate's outfit?

Yes, she did have a skirt on, but you cant see it..lol

rainy day Egg Hunt

On thursday we had a Egg hunt at Cami G's house. We had planned to hunt outside, but the rain came early, so the hunt moved inside. I think the kids really enjoyed the playroom and all the goodies we had! There are some great cooks in the 1st ward. I thought I would share a few pictures. Thanks to the Conway gals for inviting me!

moving-epilogue

well, we made it over to the new house. We didn't even break anything this time! Our printer did suffer some. Someone (I won't mention who) put it upright instead of laying it flat in a box, and well the ink cartridge leaked everywhere. Derek spent quite some time cleaning it out.
It still doesn't work right..ugh.

I have been able to un-pack quickly. All of the upstairs rooms are done, Living, Dining, Kitchen, are unpacked too. Now to tackle the basement, and our bedroom. Then I will be done Yea!

The kids are really enjoying having the big screen TV in the basement. They can watch whatever they want, or play video games. All their toys are down there in bins. I just love all the space.

Anyhow, I'm off to clean up the old house today...oh joy! Til next time...

move part 2

Well, the official move is 1 week away. I have been packing now for almost 3 weeks.

Gosh, we have so much stuff! How much stuff does one family need? Granted, a lot of it is my scrap booking stuff. The children have just as many boxes of toys and books though!

Derek is the winner on the least amount of stuff to be moved. Must have been all those moves

he did as a child.

I counted it up this is our 14th move! What is a matter with me? You would think I enjoy this or something? People often think we are in the military. I tell them, "No, we are just insane!"

I know our friends have stopped asking why a long time ago. Guess we are just nomads.

Some of you asked for pics of the new house, here it is. Looks like a Utah house huh?

the move

Yep, we are moving again. We are thrilled, but along with it comes a lot of chaos! I hate when my house is messy with packing boxes, rolls of tape, and newspapers. I have just realized how much scrapbooking supplies I really have. Im not joking-10 boxes of supplies alone. This does not include my scrapbooking tote bags, or any of my Cricut stuff, or my completed albums. ugh...


Im having one of those days I dont want to pack, I just want to clean. That's futile though with this mess. Guess I will take this time to do something else. Hmmm..I still have that un-used massage from Valentines Day. Time to go find a babysitter..lol

I'm a Barbie girl...

Lydia loves Barbie. Most 10 year olds have outgrown this past-time, but not my child. Today she grabbed my camera and starting taking pics.

Here's the group on a double date. Don't they all look great? Well, Except for Stephen, he forgot to dress-up for the occasion. Guess he's pretty confident, since hes out with Beyonce..

And don't forget the guys: metro-sexual Ken , with his Matthew McConaghey look-alike friend, Stephen.

Here is Barbie and Ken on their date, she's totally checking him out!

Hope you enjoyed this Barbie theater..lol

courtesy of Lydia..

Scrapbooking anyone?

.....Well, I finally got to scrapbook yesterday. I did 6 pages! That's a lot for me. Poor Jacob has maybe two pages completed since his birth..I'm just so busy! I did manage to get his 1st birthday photos done( see below)

I don't seem to have time for scrap booking anymore. It's too bad because, I love it so much, and it's a great hobby that benefits my family at the same time :)

Thank goodness for my Conway friends I scrap with once a month! I thought I would share a few pages....

My TV addiction...

You know I once hated TV. I hated the noise, flipping through the channels trying to find something to watch. That was all before TIVO.

Oh my gosh, now I can watch the shows I know I love, but I can also tape those ones that I keep hearing about. You can often find me (after putting the kiddos down for the night) watching my fav. new shows:

Trust Me on TNT

90210 on CW

John and Kate plus 8 on TLC

and my old standbys:

House

American Idol

Ugly Betty

Moonlight on Sci Fi

When did this happen? I swear, I have enough to do in my life, do I really need to watch that much this TV? I guess I can think of it as an escape. Yes, we can even call it therapy, and everyone can have it for about 40$ a month..lol

til next time...

Love is in the air

February is here and love is in the air.

When I was a kid I often dreamed about the man I would marry. I had no idea who it would be, just someone that made me feel special. As I got into my teen years and early 20's, I dated a lot. I made some really cool friends, but I just felt that something was missing. I knew I wanted someone who kind, caring, and someone who lifted me up. I didn't plan on marrying my best friend.

See, I've know Derek since I was 17. He moved from Utah, to Arkansas, in 87, the year I graduated from High School. He was a geeky kind of guy, long, thin, had glasses, but this geek had a really cool personality. He kinda intrigued me. We became friends as I headed of to college in Idaho in 88'. We kept in contact by letters mostly, still just friends. Then he got his mission call, and was sent to Japan. I think I wrote him 3 times, that was pretty good considering I had a boyfriend at the time. He reminds me " You always had a boyfriend!" I couldn't help it I was needy..lol Funny story: when I was 17, probably the second time I saw him at a church dance, I was with my then boyfriend, Joel. Derek asked me to dance, and my boyfriend answered for me

" she doesn't want to dance with you. Being the gentlemen that he was, he walked away without incident. Looking back, he says, I should have said something smart like "I didn't ask to dance with you", but he didn't want to start a fight.

We kept in touch a little bit through his mission, and by the time he came home, I was needing to get out of Arkansas. I had a dead end job at Harvest Foods, and my boyfriend Joey was on his in mission in Utah. I packed up my small Civic and moved to Utah to live my brother and his new wife, Becky.

On my trip to Utah, my stopping point was Albuquerque, NM. I had booked a hotel to stay at, but I got a call at home, a couple of days before I left on my trip. It was Derek and he informed that he was now home,and that his family had moved from Arkansas to New Mexico while he was on his mission. His family was inviting me to stay at their home over the weekend.

I reluctantly agreed, ( i hated meeting new people)but, his family was so warm and welcoming. We went to a single adult activity at the State Fair, and met a bunch of his cool friends. This was new for me, a guy I could be just friends with.

Now for the serious part, sometimes the transition from friends, to more than friends, is not always easy. I was torn. I had a boyfriend at the time. What should I do? I did a lot of thinking, and contemplating. I don't like to hurt people. I have been hurt many times, and its no fun.

Because I was young, and stupid, I didn't break up properly. Left my boyfriend just hanging, stopped writing altogether. It was a terrible thing. I know it happens all the time, but that doesn't make it right.

Meanwhile Derek and I were still getting to know each other, he living in NM, and I in Utah. I was so busy in Utah, working, involved in a singles branch, and helping watching my niece Whitney, while her mom worked. It was a good time for me. I was on my own, and able to take a step back, and take stock of myself. I knew there were some things I needed to change about myself. I needed to find out who I was, and what I wanted.

I wanted to be happy. I wanted to wake up everyday being positive, and not dwelling on what could have been. I wanted to get married in the temple, and change my life. That was Fall of 1991.

Derek finally moved up to Utah in August of 1992. Two days later he totally surprised me, by asking me to marry him. I said yes. It felt so right. We were married Decmeber 23rd 1992.

So how is it being married to your best friend? It's wonderful. I don't have to act a certain way, or put on a show. He loves me anyways. We just ceebrated our 16th year together. Although there has been many trials, and hardships, in our married life( that post would be really long!)

we made it through. I feel so blessed to have found him.

I hope at this time of year you, will take a look at your spouse, and remember the reason you fell in love with them. Forget their faults. We are all human. Some of our friends who married around the same time are divorced now. They say they fell out of love. I don't believe it.

They just forgot the reason they loved them in the first place.

So Happy Valentines Day. til next time...

who do you look like?

I found this neat site, through my friend Tiffany. It shows you what celebrity you look like.
It's pretty cool, although I look like someone (Bridget Fonda) who most people have never even heard of !
Take a look at the side bar ...go try it!
http://www.myheritage.com/celebrity-face-recognition?morph=1

You all know how much I love to cook. Well, recently I have been taking a look at my favorite meals and converting them into healthier versions. A lot of you are familiar with the Sneaky Chef books where you hide pureed veggies in children's food. I recently found another book by the same author, called How to Cheat on Your Man in the Kitchen. The title intrigued me, and of course it's for men who are picky eaters. You know who you are, you only eat one

vegetable - potatoes! I had to laugh thinking, okay, we have to even treat our men like children. lol... Anyhow here is one of my favs, we have tried at home....

Brawny Brownies

- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 ounces good-quality dark chocolate (not unsweetened), coarsely chopped (or use 3/4
cup semi-sweet chocolate chips)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup Purple Puree (see Make-Ahead Recipe #1)
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Flour Blend (see Make-Ahead Recipe #13)
- 1/4 cup oat bran
- One-half teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Butter or non-stick cooking spray
- Optional extra boost: 1 cup chopped walnuts
> Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
> Butter or spray only the bottom, not the sides, of a 13-by- 9-inch or 9-inch square
baking pan.
> Melt the butter and dark chocolate together in a double boiler or metal bowl over
simmering water (or in a microwave, checking every 15 seconds). Remove from heat
and allow mixture to cool a bit. Meanwhile, in another bowl, stir together the eggs,
vanilla, sugar, and Purple Puree. Combine this purple egg mixture with the cooled
chocolate mixture.
> In a mixing bowl, stir together Flour Blend, oat bran, cinnamon, coffee powder, cocoa
powder, and salt. Add this to the chocolate mixture and blend thoroughly. Mix in the
chopped walnuts, if using, then pour the entire mixture into the baking pan.
> Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely
in pan before cutting the brownies and use a plastic or butter knife. Dust with powdered
sugar, if desired.

You really cannot tell that there is spinach in it. They are so moist! Of course I modify the recipe using rice flour, and leave out the oats, for my gluten-free friends.