If You Want Me To.

Sometimes, I seriously wonder, why did God bring me to this point in my life? This is not exactly what I had planned. Don't get me wrong, I am so blessed and I know I am. I thank God every day for the many ways He has blessed me. But I also wonder why do we have to endure some of the trials we do. I'm having one of those days. I just want to cry and cry. I don't see an end insight and their may never be. It's at these times, when I feel like worshipping God the most. Here is the song, that I'm singing, praying, crying to, today.

Crock Pot Girls

If you haven't heard of the new recipe crazed website you should check it out! These busy moms got together and shared their crock pot recipes and now are famous for it! They have almost a million fans on Facebook.  I became a fan on Monday when they had 400,000 fans and now it's Thursday and they're at 960,000 as of now. Here's a link to their website and Facebook page.

All Out of Energy

Some days, such as today, I wonder how I'm suppose to keep my energy level up. I mean seriously!! It's 4 PM and the hardest part of the day isn't even here yet. I'm having a day that I just want to sit and read a book in silence, maybe with some Pandora radio in the background. Even though I'm not a runner, I know they have times where they wonder how they are possibly going to go any further but they just have to keep going. Today is one of those days. I don't know how I can possibly make it to the end of the day. I have no energy, no desire to clean, cook, NOTHING. God has blessed me with 2 energetic boys who keep pushing me forward. Sometimes, I wonder how other moms do it. How do they possibly keep their energy up!!

What I'll Miss

As the days grow shorter, and the evenings are almost cooler. I think about how much I love autumn! It's the best season by far! It has all the best things in it! The colors, the smells, the food, the holidays and the football!! When I was a kid, school was what I lived for. I was good at it and that's where I thrived, so every summer was always too long and I've never grown out of that thinking. There really has never been anything I miss about summer. I'm a spring, autumn, winter gal; if I could cut out summer that would be great!

So here we are September is fast approaching and for the first time I'm finding something I'm going to miss of summer. I'm going to miss the summer sun for drying my cloth diapers!! It works so great! My diapers are almost stain free, they smell awesome and they're in great shape all because I've dried them in the sun all summer long. If you cloth diaper and you have never 'sunned' your diapers, you're missing out!! The sun is a natural deodorizer, disinfectant and it's a free dryer!! So when colder days and harsher weather are here. I'll be missing the summer sun for my diapers, but that is all!

(I should also mention that I will greatly miss the summer produce!)

Better than Potatoe Chips!

KALE CHIPS!! I personally haven't made these yet but have snacked on some of my friend's.  They're so yummy!! Next time I go to the story I need to remember to get kale! It's a superfood and it's super good! Here's a link to an easy recipe for them.

Meatless Monday- I heart quinoa!!

A few months ago, if you had said the word 'quinoa' (KEEN-wa), I would have thought you were speaking in a foreign language. But in our pursuit of a healthier eating choices, I came across this amazing grain!! Quinoa is very popular in South America, and for good reason!! Not only is it full of B vitamins, protein (yes some grains have protein in them!), and iron- to mention a few, it also is gluten-free! So if you're one of those increasing numbers of families going G-free, try putting some quinoa in your diet.  It's pretty much like cooking rice, and has a similar texture. While quinoa is a little more expensive than rice, it's cheaper than many other health foods.  The cheapest place I've found it is at Trader Joe's for $4.50/16oz and it doesn't take much to fill you up! Here are few recipes to get you started.

Mexican Quinoa

Quinoa salad with black beans

Meatless Burrito with Quinoa

Happy Meatless Monday to all!!

thoughts

Some days I just fail at giving my children a nutritious balance of foods, and I always scold myself for doing so and feel guilty while I let them devour the 3rd cookie of the day. As the nurturer of the home, I feel that if my kids don't like vegetables it's my fault, or if they grow up to be over weight then it's my fault for not teaching them proper eating habits. Is there anyone else who feels the same? I mean seriously! It's just one more pressure that we have as moms.  We have some how failed our children if they don't eat good all the time.

As a nation we've addressed the fact that our society is getting fatter and more unhealthy but we've not addressed the moral downfall of our society. For me, I feel this is the a far bigger problem than a number on a scale.

As I write this, I'm watching my 10 month old eat a french fries and know that if he doesn't like broccoli later in life, bummer, but if he doesn't come to know and love Christ, that is the true tragedy and heartbreak. While we as a family are striving to become healthier, we need ensure our focus remains on Christ. Does Christ want us to be health? Of course!! But if I'm worrying more about how many calories we've eaten today rather than how many life lessons I've been able to teach then something is wrong!!