Been away a while

Been sick. Too sick. But its getting better. 

This is MM and I at a friends wedding. 

This cutie and i did a mom daughter day for her birthday. Fun. 

Date night landed us at walmart. What?!?  We know how to party. 

I have two very bff girls. This is becks. Shes my gal. 

And this is katie. She is my bff as well. Love this lady to pieces!  Her daughter is a cutie patootie too!

Anyway. A little piece of my life. 

G

a trend for new mommies...

i've noticed a trend here lately of couple who are expecting their first child to go on a "baby moon" for a last fling without a baby.  i think that a trip sans baby is a great plan...but baby moon is not the correct term for this!  a baby moon is like a honeymoon.  time alone with the new person in your life.  a babymoon is the time right after baby comes, where mom and dad get to know their little man/lady as a family.  just thought i'd put that out there...

sick people

when someone is sick all the platitudes in the world don't help.  let me reiterate.  they DON'T help. 

I have R.A.  I have fibromyalgia.  no, it's not true that "just losing some weight" will help either disease.  It's also not true that I can just eat better to rid myself of these diseases...

I have high blood pressure.  telling me to "just relax" and "chill" isn't helpful.  In fact, it's the opposite.  it does nothing resembling help, it just irritates. 

See, I eat well, i walk at least three times a week, i work out at Curves three times or more a week.  I do all the "right" things...and I have high bp.  I take the herbs, I relax as much as I can with five children at home...don't tell me to just relax.  It's not that simple. First, I'm deep into raising babies to adults, helping my husband run his business, and trying to get my own going too.  I don't "just relax".  it is scheduled into my day. 

If you want to help someone who has an illness, then do me a solid.  Tell them that you love them.  Tell them you'll pray.  If you are a medical professional, then offer constructive help.  do NOT tell them to relax.

Old and gray

The older I get, the more I notice gray hairs.  Don't get me wrong, i've have grays for now on a decade.  BUT!  I'm seeing more and more of them...and others are noticing them now too.  So at Curves the other day, a sweet older lady told me that it's great to go gray because gray is a sign of wisdom.

Now, i just sorta laughed off the thought that at my age i might be gaining wisdom...until today.  I made a remark on someones post on facebook...and she actually said "gen, you are right, as always."  when did i become the "right as always" girl?  maybe there is something to be said for gray hairs...:D

Long sickly day

Aj andAr feelin puny

We are a puny group

Brie wants us to feel better. 

busy, business, and blah

we are busy folks around here!  of course, if you've been a reader for any length of time, you know that MM and I have a home business.  He is a general contractor, and i do his paper work.  well, within the last couple of weeks, i started my own business...I am back to bread baking.  Selling at local produce stands.  or at least one stand for now!  It seems to have taken off, so i'm thrilled with it!  however, balancing my business, his business, and homeschooling/home keeping...has now officially caused me two panic attacks.  God help me...life is so great. :)

Bread

Yummy bread

an audio book review...

I received  two unabridged L. Ron Hubbard audio books to review. It took me a while to find a good bit of time where i could HEAR the stories...course, there are seven people in my house! LOL.

I have to say, I enjoyed these audio books!  now, in order for you to know what that is an incredible thing, you have to have a couple of facts...first, I can not STAND being read to.  I know, what was i thinking, offering to review audio books, right?!?  but, i tried it, and am so glad i did!  they will be great on road trips!  dh is gonna like them too!

I found a couple of the actors to be a bit...monotone.  However, I was able to overlook those couple of voices and really get into the story!  The way the story is told makes it easy to follow and enjoy.  Even my girls sat to listen for a while...

if you get the opportunity, check out L. Ron Hubbard's audio books.  I can't recommend them enough!

check them out here!

Mornings, evenings, and a yummy recipe

Hello ya'll!  I just wanna know, anyone else ever wake up and think "gosh, it's so quiet it's CREEPY"?  oh, that's just me?  never mind.

here lately, i've started my mornings with journibles.  what's that?  never heard of journibles?  let me explain!  Journibles are hard bound books that are basically blank.  their purpose is for you to write the Word.  God's word.  let me show you a pic...or three.  courtesy of the phone of course...

I find that writing the Scriptures by hand keeps me more relaxed...

also, evenings are anything but relaxing...cooking for seven is no tiny task...especially when one of you has severe (lots of) allergies to food!  Last night we grilled steak as a treat (thank you Lord for Your provision!), and i made homemade french onion soup to go with it...also made peas, balsamic glazed carrots, and parmesan noodles...but i digress.  i posted these photos to fb, and got a response or two of "oh i want the recipe!"

I don't really have a recipe, but here's what i did:
sauteed 2 baseball sized thinly sliced onions (sweet onions) in a stick of butter until they were translucent.
added two boxes of beef broth and salt and pepper to taste.

scooped into a bowl, topped with french bread and cheese (traditionally it's swiss, but i didn't have any so i used co-jack) and broiled until bubbly.  yummy goodness in a bowl.

it was a hit.  that big pot was full...and was empty by the time dinner was over.  even my two girls that "don't like onions mom" loved it!

AAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHhhhhhhhh!!!

I am SICK to death of the homosexual marriage issue.  so much so that i've basically stopped reading facebook!  you know me...i'm about as conservative as they come...so what i say next might shock ya....the government has no business in anyones union.  hetero, homosexual, either way...the gov't has no business being in there!

also, if what the homosexuals want is the "tax break", there is no need for a law...just a tax code change.  go for it.  how would it affect those of us already taxed?  it wouldn't.  good grief.

if you ARE one of these "marriage is one man, one woman" kinda people, which is fine, for heavens sake learn what you believe...for example, easter has nothing to do with the resurrection of Christ.  in fact, easter is the celebration of the fertility goddess ishtar.  also, christmas, not when Christ was born.

wow, that was a load off.  now you know.  on to more pleasant topics...for example, my fuzzy poochie!  we've let Brie's hair grow b/c of the cold....she's the cutest long haired chihuahua ever!  see?

In the still darkness of the night....

Brilliant thoughts come to me. Like last night with this sky. I looked up to see the darkness, the still silent night.

In the dark, through the clouds...came a hint of moonlight.

And with each passing cloud, I could hear clearly...this is just like MY life!

That dark that overshadows us.  You know the dark.  The mean spiritedness, the anger, the hurt.  The things that ruled my life.

Then, like this moon, Christ broke through the clouds of despair.

and there, in the light, is where is am now.  Saved from the hurt, then anger...and the reminders might be there of who i used to be...but the LIGHT...that's who i belong to now.

The clouds occasionally come back to haunt me...reminding me of who I was.

But the light...CHRIST reminds me that life is new, a fresh beginning, daily.  Praise God I'm saved!

TMNT...heros in the half shell...

some number of years ago, a new cartoon came about...Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  I wasn't impressed...but the turtles have resurfaced...with a new face and group of cartoons...and a new website (which wasn't around some number of years ago when i was little...)

You can check it out here.  There is a blog, a shop, and quotes!  My girls are gonna love this site and I can't wait to show them!  There is also a history of the website.  I love this website...My MM will love it too i bet!

So check it out and tell me what you think ok?

Fitness Friday

 

So how did ya'll do this week?  I got in my three workouts at curves...but thanks to all  the rain we've had there was no biking this week!  so i haven't weighed or measured yet...but my pants are smaller!  link up and let me know what you did!

i'm hoping to ride next week!

Link up to Fitness Friday!

This week was rough!  I did not get in my bike riding like i'd hoped...between the rain and cold, i was outta luck!  I did, however, get in my three days...well today will make three anyway!

I'm down in pounds, so for that i'm happy!  my weigh in was great last week...from here on out i'll be weighing in and measuring up at the first of the month!  So, tell me, how did you guys do this week?

Fitness Friday link up!

Fitness Friday!
how did you all do this week? i had my "it's a new month" weigh in...yesterday b/c i knew i wouldn't get to curves today.  since jan 8, i've lost a total of 6.5 pounds and 1% of my BMI! i also lost some of my BF%...too!

I made it three times to curves this week...even with the awful, keep me in pain all day long weather!  Next weeks goal, assuming the pain level decreases, is the three times to curves and ride my bike twice. Check back with me next Friday to see how i did...

write your post and link up...how did you do this week?

Noah...Noah, pick up the courtesy phone please...

"All this rain...remind me not to take a honeymoon at Niagara falls!" (name that movie!)

tired of the rain.  praising God for it...but squishy ground makes for an unhappy dog or two at my house!  these pics are from our street...

Crazy amounts of water have fallen just since this morning....fun stuff.  makes me hurt horribly!
on the plus side, everyone but brie got haircuts this morning, wanna see?

New year, new tax time

It's the first of the year...which brings us to tax time!  if you are like me, the thought of filing income taxes makes your brain HURT!

never fear, Turbo Tax is here.  Turbo tax makes filing your taxes easier...and have you looked at their website lately?!?  They have an faq section that will blow your mind.  in fact, they list irs forms to help you out even more!

Check out Turbo Tax.  let me know what you think.

Life...by the horns

Every once in a while i'm reminded that my body is older than my number would suggest.  on days like today, when pain racks my body, and chronic fatigue takes me down, i'm reminded of the love of my Savior.  In spite of the pain, i have such a wonderful life.  a wonderful husband that takes amazing care of me, wonderful children, such blessings in my life.

today aj got to go to work with mm...they are having fun i'm sure.  i have the others here, and we're having a lazy day...pain is intense, but we'll just keep going.

How's your day?

Link up for Fitness Fridays!!!

Welcome to Fitness Fridays!

This week has been rough!  I've been sick most of the week...complete with being in bed for three days with a fever.  after a quick (expensive!!!) trip to the doc, i'm on the road to recovery.  All that said, yesterday was my first day to exercise this week...so I went to curves and then ran the dog all around the yard.

I'm prepped to go to Curves again today...so not my three days that i shoot for, but what can ya do?

see, this is my morning...blog, sleeping doggie, and work out shoes!

So link up and tell me what you've been doing!