Health Food

I have a few friends who like to think that I can justify almost anything as "health food." I'll let you be the judge...

First of all, I actually do like to steer clear of hydrogenated oils where I can. I hear that stuff clogs your arteries. Anything that molecularly close to plastic probably shouldn't be consumed excessively. Soooooo, I make my all of my cookies with real butter. Yes, I'm a dairy farmer's daughter and the "M" word is not allowed in my house. Plus, it makes my cookies classify as health food if I use REAL butter.

Another example: Basically anything with chocolate chips is loaded with antioxidants, right? My grandma makes an unbelievable fudge at Thanksgiving. There is no margarine in it, and it's packed full of delicious, antioxidant-filled chocolate chips! My grandpa, who is just turning 80 years old claims that Hershey's chocolate has been a large part of his plan for healthy living.:) Anyways, Grandma's Fudge=Health Food.

Finally, my friend Dana makes an amazing sour cream coffee cake. This coffee cake is unlike anything I've ever tasted in my life, for not having chocolate in it. It gets a little harder for me to justify this one... (There might be about 2 sticks of butter, 1 cup sour cream and a 'few' cups of sugar in it...) BUT, this delightful dish is LOADED with dairy. Very important for strong bones, especially for us women. And, sugar is so much better for you than that fake stuff. So Dana's Amazing Sour Cream Coffee Cake=Health Food. What do you think? I think it works.

As you can see, my dietary plan has not been all that helpful in shedding holiday pounds. But it sure tastes good!

it's just january!

oh how i'd love...
to be in the mountains

camping with eric
and our two sweet kids

to make breakfast on a griddle...

bacon, sausage, eggs, pancakes
all smothered in maple syrup

and enjoyed in the sunshine

to ride horse through

mountains, streams, valleys

meadows of lupines

and soft lush grass

to soak in hillsides

covered with indian paintbrush, bright yellow daisies

the smell of sage

and a faint trail

to enjoy time

unhurried, uninterrupted time

with my family

the people i love the most.

...better stop my daydreaming and remember, it's just JANUARY!

I know not why...

I know not why God's wondrous grace
To me He has made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
Redeemed me for His own.

I know not how this saving faith
To me He did impart,
Nor how believing in His Word
Wrought peace within my heart

I know not how the Spirit moves,
Convincing men of sin,
Revealing Jesus through the Word,
Creating faith in Him.

I know not what of good or ill
May be reserved for me,
Of weary ways or golden days,
Before His face I see.

But I know whom I have believed,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I've committed
Unto Him against that day.

My mom mentioned this song not too long ago, and I'm going to try to memorize all of the verses... I write that so that I really do buckle down and do it! This song is so full of such beautiful truth... As far as being a Christian goes, it's all His doing. He works in us, convicting us of sin. He works faith in us. He keeps that faith. If it were up to us, we'd never be able to do what is required! In all of life with all of its worries, I need to constantly remind myself of that. In His grace is the only place to truly find rest!

(mondays)

I love and look forward to the weekends... My husband is home from work, we get lots of time with the family, and we're all ready for a break in the regular routine. Lets face it, Mondays can be a bummer. Hubby's back at work, and well... I suppose that's about it. What can I say... we like having him around! However, there are a whole lot of good things about Mondays so I'm going to think about them instead.

My husband has a job that he loves-
God provides and I am able to stay home with our kids ~ we are so blessed!

I usually don't have too much going on-
Therefore, the kids get back on schedule.

My sister doesn't have to work on Monday-
Which means that I usually get to see her and my sweet niece before 9am and enjoy a good, STRONG cup of coffee with her:)

I'm refreshed and ready to tackle the house again-
I pretty much take the weekends off of any major cleaning since my hubby's home.

The kids often play happily for longer periods of time than usual-
They're so busy over the weekend they're happy to see their toys again!

And I'm thankful that I could go to church again-
What a great way to start the week!

Prayers...

In this Thanksgiving season, I have SO very many things to be thankful for... Jesus Christ, my family, friends, a warm home, life in a free country where I'm free to worship God, plenty of food, good health, and I could go on and on and on...

Right now, I think of the health our family enjoys. I just ran across a blog asking for prayers for the child in Monica Zylstra's womb. Baby Esther Jade is full of fluid and the doctors say it's unlikely that she'll make it outside of her mother's womb. They say she will most likely have congestive heart failure. BUT, our God is BIG. While they face the reality of the diagnosis of their precious little girl, they also hope in the Lord and pray for a miracle. Please join me in praying for her and her parents. And for Cash Parriera and Jensen Anderson... that they would also be miraculously healed from their cancer. That God would surround the families of these children with a peace that surpasses all understanding. Pray that they would know HIS love and strength in their trials.

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Eph. 3:20-21)

Hunting Camp

Every October, we spend a week with my mom's side of the family at hunting camp. We look forward to it as a great camping trip and if there are deer in camp, well, that's a bonus. Aside from the births of our two kiddos, I've NEVER seen my husband more excited than he was this past week. He got his first buck... a nice 3x3. I probably sound like a strange sort of wife right now, but it was actually quite endearing to see all the guys in this hunting camp help with packing the deer out, skinning it, and what not. They're SO excited for whoever got the deer, they all pitch right in and join in on the process... and it really is quite the process! I have to say that it's about the nicest bunch of campers. Camping neighbor, Brian, who isn't even in the family bunch graciously pulled our truck all the way home ---at least five hours--- because we had transmission troubles. Anyway, we enjoyed a great week of camping, riding horse, and lots of dutch oven cooking. On top of that, we're thankful for some good meat for the freezer this year!

a new creative outlet!

Teresa and I and our need for a creative outlet started putting together headbands, clips, and hats (NO, we are not so talented as to crochet them!) We're having SUCH a great time embellishing all of this stuff. And thanks to my dear friend, Jenn (Sweet Bliss Photography is where to find her), we have some great pictures! Not only of our little girls, but of our stuff! We'll see where it all goes, but we're having great fun in the meantime. There's something to be said about having something completed that STAYS looking pretty. While I'm thankful to be able to do daily chores and don't mind folding laundry, washing dishes, and vacuuming/sweeping my floors, they surely don't stay that way! Anyway, here are the pics that show what we've been up to!:)