25 years After I said I do...

Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya Crock Pot

2008-09-12T10:12:00.000-07:00

I have added another recipe here.

It is wonderful and it is a crock pot recipe.

Hope you enjoy!

Speaking of Recipes...

2008-09-10T13:53:00.000-07:00

I just posted one on my exercise blog that may interest those who like Fish...It's called Shore Chowder.

It's was delicious...I made it for Mark for Dinner last night and I had it for lunch today...Yummy...

Thank you...

2008-09-10T13:48:00.000-07:00

I want to thank you ladies who sent me a recipe for my upcoming breakfast brunch. I really appreciate it. For those who still want to send me one before the 20th of Sept. please email me or leave it as a comment.

Breakfast Casserole Recipe?

2008-09-02T10:11:00.000-07:00

I am looking for several different breakfast casserole recipes to make for my daughters baby shower Brunch.

If anyone reading this has a tried and true recipe they would like to share, please email it to me.

The brunch is Sept 20th so if you read this before then I would sure appreciate any great recipes for this that you have to offer.

Thanks

Vacation Bound

2008-08-26T06:59:00.000-07:00

We are headed out on vacation this week to visit Marks Parents in Utah. I may post while I'm away if there is anything to post about, we'll see...

We will be staying in Las Vegas on the way to Utah as well as on the way back. We are looking forward to a restful vacation away from work, chores, exercise and the same ol routine...

Making Simple Changes...

2008-08-13T08:47:00.000-07:00

Seems I have been looking everywhere for answers to my busyness lately.

Everywhere but where I should be looking.

God has spoke pretty clear this week on this subject, and the sad part is I've asked everyone for suggestions on simplifying my life, except for the one who has all the answers.

But, God spoke loud enough and in all the right places that I actually heard what he was telling me and have began to implement them in my life.

A couple of experiences I encountered this week:

As usual, I get my coupons on Sunday in the Sunday Paper, I actually get 2 papers, the local and the LA Times. So you see, I get double the coupons each week. Each week varies, sometimes there's anywhere from 1 packet to 4 packets, so for me that could mean 2 packets to 8 packets of coupons each week. I was cutting every single coupon each week. I would keep some and file them in my binder in which I have to organize all my coupons by product.
And the balance of coupons were being mailed off to a gal in my coupon train. A coupon train is where several women mail off coupons to another person on the train, mailing always in the same order. Each week you take that envelope of coupons that you received, pull out the ones that you want to keep, then add back to the envelope coupons you cut that week that you are not going to use and mail them off again always on a Monday and no later than Tuesday. It's a cycle that goes round and round. I have been doing this for just about 6 months and believe me when I say it feels like years...

I was actually the one who ran the train as well, so I had to add people and remove people along the way as well as post the mailing order each week and follow up with those who had not mailed out that week. This is one area of my life that is NEW this year and has totally consumed my time and life. By the time I realized this, I couldn't just let the other ladies down so I continued to stay with it for their sake.

But as I was cutting the numerous coupons Monday night (8 Packs of them). I started thinking about my post that morning and how this is one of those areas that needlessly consume my time.

I had to decide if this was something I really needed to do or not, and I decided that I needed to jump off the train, no more major coupon cutting and mailing, and that I would email all the ladies and inform them that I needed to jump off the train.

I will no longer be cutting and filing my coupons in my binder either,
because it is very time consuming and starting next Sunday, I will just take each of the packs of coupons inserts and start a "insert filing system" instead. Now I will only cut coupons that are needed each week that I shop.

The list that I get each week from the Grocery Game tells me the date and name of the insert pack to look for in order to find my coupon needed that week. So now I will just file the entire packet by name and date for future cuttings of only what is needed for that week. Sounds complicated but its a lot less time consuming then the binder method.

And right now coupons are a BIG part of my life. I have saved anywhere from 50%-100% on all my groceries. Now, each week I only need a few items for my meals or to replenish some of my stock. Anyone interested in hearing my take on how the Grocery Game works I will talk about it at the end of this post as well as post a few pictures of what our family has stocked up on at "Rock Bottom" prices. So saving money for my family is a good thing, just not all the coupon train stuff right now.

The very next day, Tues. in the morning I received an email from Christian Women today, which I periodically receive, except for this particular email was titled "Live Simply". This came the very next day after my post on my need for the simple life . Did that catch my attention? You bet it did.

God is always on time I just never expected it so soon, plus I never really asked Him. I guess that's why it is said that He knows what we need before we ask. Anyways I opened up the email and clicked on the link called "The life of Simplicity" I read her complete story and it was encouraging, than I almost clicked out of the email when I saw another link that caught my eye "Blog: Finding life's balance " so I clicked on that one as well and read that story but it wasn't until I scrolled to the bottom and read the second comment that Marilyn had left, and something just jumped out and spoke to me. I know it was God's word for me and maybe for a lot of you too.

"If Satan can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy." May we always be on guard for Satan’s attempts to steal our time from God and/or our families, and keep us mindful of God’s priorities in our lives.

Wow, that was great, it was what I needed to hear. Satan has been bringing things into my life that he knows I'll be attracted to and they just GOBB up all my time. I never thought of it like that. But, I could totally relate. And I knew when I read this, that God had some changes in store for me.

How to figure out what to do from here, I don't know exactly, but I do know that God is going to show me.

I'm sure it was Him who moved me Monday night to finally make my decision to jump of the coupon train, that I had contemplated for months and change my coupon filing habits to less time consuming.

I have decided, instead of looking for creative ways to make more time for more things, that I will take a Hard-Fast look at the things in my life that consume my time and ask myself,

"Is this something that I really need to be doing right now?" If yes It will continue...

OR If it's not something I really need to be doing, then,

"Do I truly Love doing it" If so maybe it can stay...

I want the extra's (hobby's) in my life to be things that I truly enjoy doing. We can only have so many of them. I have found myself this year adding sooo much more to my plate, and this has shifted other things that I love down to the bottom.

Blogging for another thing is NEW to my life this year. Do I really need to be doing it? No. Do I love it? In some ways. Maybe if I wasn't so busy elsewhere. I originally began so that I could log my daily eating and exercising. Then I moved on to a more personal blog, which is fun. So I will probably continue. I like to write about my life and family. I think I will try to update weekly my life on my blog and see how that goes. I am just not an everyday "Journal just to Journal" kind of person.

I am going to take one day at a time and see what God may reveal to me that may need adjusting or does not belong in my life.

I am looking forward to a less busy and more enjoyable life...

**************

Grocery Game in a nut shell:

Like many of you may think, I thought that coupons were menial, and not quite worth the paper they were printed on.

Until I was introduced to a method that never even occured to me before then. Taking a coupon and combining it with an item at its lowest sale price. This is about as low priced as you can get an item, unless of course you have a grocery store that doubles coupons, now your combining the coupon for more than its face value with the lowest sale price at the store for your very best rock bottom price.

Who wouldn't want to shop this way?

You do this by subscribe to the Grocery Game and they do all the work for you. Giving you lists each week for the stores that you subscribe to and all the note worthy items to purchase that are on sale and they tell you which coupon to use with that item and what your final cost will be.

When you start the Grocery Game you may not have some of the coupons that they call for because you haven't been clipping and saving them, so you'll just have to pass on that good buy until it comes around again., and trust me it will. It takes a few weeks to acquire a good amount of the coupons to use, and it takes approx. 12 weeks, to get a good stockpile going as well. So at this point your shopping bill becomes considerably lower, buying only the best of the best deals and buying just your needs for that week that you don't already have stocked up to pull from.

Saving money in the long run for your family is what it is all about.

Check out their website to get more information. The cost of a list subscription to one store is $10 for 8 weeks and each additional store is $5 for 8 weeks. It works out to be 1.25 per week for the first store and another .63 for each additional store you choose. That cost is nothing compared to not only the money saved on products each week, but the time and hassle it saves you from doing all the work with the sale flyers and coupon searching.

You can sign up for a 4 week trial period for "$1" and you get to try out all the stores offered in your area for those entire 4 weeks. Then when your 4 weeks is up you can choose to cancel or choose just the stores you want to pay for. Keep in mind I would suggest saving coupons for at least one week or maybe two prior to starting your trial period, to get the most out of it.

I personally started with the trial and I had, Vons, Ralphs, Staters, CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens. After my trial I kept all of the stores, it cost me $4.40 per week of my grocery bill and I saved a ton, stocked up very fast, but after 8 weeks, I was tired of all the stores, so I dropped Rite Aid, later dropped CVS and Walgreens and decided that I only wanted Grocery stores and that worked for me, so now I pay 2.51 per week for my three stores. I don't always shop them all each week, but most of the time I do. All three of my stores are within a 1-2 mile radius of my house and one another, so I shop all three for the best of each of their deals. But, some women sucessfully shop one grocery store as well. It's whatever works for you, and what you have time for.

Keep in mind I never use to buy my cleaning supplies or my health and beauty items at the grocery store and now I do. So not only am I getting the lowest prices on my items, but for the most part I am now staying out of Target, Walmart, etc. so not only am I getting better prices elsewhere they don't catch me on impulse items walking through their store . Also keep in mind there are some things I do go to those stores for but not much and not often at all.

Example :

This is one item I purchased this week at one of my grocery stores...I do know that grocery store prices are definitley higher than the other type stores, but not after their sale and my coupon. Even if its close now to the other stores price its definitely better to get it all in one trip.

Lysol all purpose cleaner or antibacterial cleaner 22 oz. Reg. price at the store 3.69 and now on sale for 2 for $5 combined with my coupon for $1.00 and this store doubles so the coupon is now worth $2.00 at this point, I am only buying one and my final cost for this is now .50/ cents. NOT BAD...This is just one of many great buys.

Not everything is that cheap but for the most part a lot lower than just going shopping. I can tell you that most of my Shampoos, conditioners, toothpastes, razors and deodorants that I have stocked up on have been anywhere in the range from free to $1.00 maybe 1.50 to $2 on some of the Shampoos and Conditioners. Of course this depends on your choice of brands, I am flexible on some brands and not on others so you learn whats good for you along the way. I also buy hair dye that I use quite often at my age and I dont pay over $2.99 for it and sometimes a lot less, it varies.

The concept behind the whole Grocery Game is to buy food and other stockable items at their lowest possible price, stock up whether you need it at that point or not and when you do need it, you are then shopping your own stockpile at the best of the best prices. Each week you also plan your meals around the sales on the veggies and fruits for that week. I buy some meat on sale at the grocery store but I find better prices and quailty from buying bulk at Sams Club, and I freeze.

Your stockpile should depend on how many you have at home. I have my husband and myself and one teenage daughter. Her are a few pics of what I stockpile.

Also remember some of the lower priced items that you end up with a surplus on can be donated to charities and or you own grown kids that live their own. You can also compile gift baskets and or use things as stocking stuffers.

Just another long but hopefully helpful post for those of you looking to save money on their grocery bill as prices continue to soar.

Please come back and leave me a comment of what you think of the grocery game and whether or not you end up trying it...You may never look at a coupon the same again...

A Need for the Simple Life...

2008-08-11T08:05:00.000-07:00

How can I fit more time into my day?

This is a question I've been asking myself lately.

I already make schedules, menus, and lists for just about everything that should help me make more time in my day. But, it's just never enough.

Do I just try to do too much in a day? Am I not using my time wisely?

I'm sure it's a little bit of both...If any of you have any suggestions on ways or methods that you use to help your day run smooth, I would love to hear them...I am up for any suggestions that you all may have.

What seemed to work for me for years, just isn't doing it lately. You would think at this time in my life with three grown children, two married and on their own that I would have all the time in the world. But, I just don't.

I do work outside my home, 40 hours a week. And I try to fit in Bible time, exercise, list making, coupon cutting, grocery shopping, inside chores, outside chores, laundry, meal planning, meal cooking, blogging, sleeping zzzzz, one project after the other, planning my daughters baby shower at my house next month and I'm getting ready to start our bowling league on Fridays nights again. The list goes on and on and on...

I feel that at my age (almost 46) life should be going a little slower and should be enjoyed and savored along the way. Not, continually finding ways to fit one more thing into my day. Why do I do this to myself. I am always thinking that if I just make this list or organize my schedule in such a way then I can do one more thing.

It gets tiring, trying to fit it all in and running out of daytime.

This year, I had a theme for my life, it was "Simplify".

Seems as though ever since I picked that word for my goal this year, my life has been everything except simple.

Should I cut things out in my life, change up the schedule, I just don't know.

I am definitely looking for a way to change my life's schedule. I do want to become simple at this stage in my life. If any of you reading this has just one suggestion or something that you do in your life that's makes your life simple in any aspect, please leave me a simple comment if simplicity...

Forgive and Forget ? ? ?

2008-08-07T07:25:00.000-07:00

Is this you?

Not always me..I have to admit. This is one of my many struggles of the flesh.

For some people forgiving comes so naturally, I really have to work at it.

For example when Mark and I have disagreements or whatever, or I do something maybe not so nice, first of all it use to take a lot just to say I'm sorry, probably due to the fact that I take after my Dad and those words never came easy to him. But over the years, God has taught me to say I'm sorry when I need to, and I've learned this through saying I'm sorry when necessary to my kids and Mark. I don't know if this is true for all kids but my kids are always quick to forgive, and Mark is as well very quick to forgive and most of the time to forget.

When I say forget, I know that it is human to not forget, we can say or try to forget but our minds do remember, but to forget I think means not to dwell on it and never to bring it back up at all and leave it as a forgiven past.

Anyways, when I feel as though Mark has said something or done something wrong to me, he is soooo quick to say he's sorry and I am always soooo slow to forgive as if I am trying to teach him a lesson or something. How wrong is that. But I am who I am and all I can do at this point is continue to put it into Gods hands and ask Him to change me or give me the ability to be more like HIM.

God is quick to forgive when I am sorry and I repent. I have to ask myself how would I like it if God was slow to forgive and left me wallowing in my sin? But He's not, he not only forgives me quickly but over and over again and sometimes for the same thing over and over. Yet I want others or in this case my spouse and/or children to not keep repeating that same offense. But we all do, it's our sinful nature. That's why we need forgiveness, over and over.

I think if I slowed down my reactions to things, and thought about how God would handle the situation if it were me and then reacted appropriately. There is something to those bracelets that say WWJD (What would Jesus Do). We need to ask ourselves this moment by moment sometimes.

But, I admit this is an issue with me, I am getting better though day by day. You could say I'm a work in progress.

It kind of ties in with something I read in my quite time this morning:

Ps 34:14 NIV Version
Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

Ps 34:14 The Message Version
Turn your back on sin; do something good.
Embrace peace—don't let it get away!

Both of these versions are great.

This was a reminder for me to not be the argumentative type and look for ways to keep peace in my family as well as with others.

Again, You could say I'm a work in progress.

Who ~is~ this One?

2008-08-06T08:20:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share this Devotion that came my way today...

"This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe" (1 Timothy 4:9, 10).

Where is your hope?

Do you hope in your own ability, your talents, your personal competence?

Regardless of your intelligence, education or proficiency, trusting in yourself is shaky ground.
~~~~~~

Do you put your hope in money, the financial security you have built for yourself?

Wealth, also, is an uncertain foundation. Later in the same letter to Timothy, Paul addresses the idea of putting our confidence in money. "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. (1Timothy 6: 17).
~~~~~~

Do you put your hope in your family or friends, good but fallible human beings?

Although everyone needs a support system, faith in people will eventually fall short of what we need.There is only One who is completely trustworthy, only One who will never fail us, only One in whom we should put our hope.
~~~~~~

Who is this One?

He is God, the living God; He is the Savior of all men.He is "God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light" (1 Timothy 6:15, 16).~
~~~~~~

Thank you Holy Spirit for reminding me that You alone are my hope. Help me to fix my thoughts and attention on You. Show me when I begin to put my confidence in anything or anyone other than You and draw me back to You.

Amen.

Just some thoughts...

The 90 Day Experience...

2008-07-29T06:44:00.000-07:00

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer" (Psalm 19:14).

I have been thinking the last couple of days about my purpose in blogging.

Is there a purpose?

Is it to Journal?

For myself?

For Others?

Is what I'm posting pleasing to God? Others? Both? Neither?

Do I watch my words? My attitude? Do they reflect who I "really" am?

Just a few questions that I am keeping an eye on...

And on another thought...

The last couple of mornings have been good for me. Waking up and having Coffee, Bible and Prayer time with God.

I saw something the other day as I was searching on the web that said, " The 90 Day Experience".

Hey, that sounds familiar as in "P90X".

So I read on to find out that it is reading the complete New Testament in just 90 days according to their reading schedule.

Very interesting... How could I pass this up when I have already devoted my "Me time" lately to 90 days of exercise already of which I am coming close to finishing. So I printed out the schedule and began my "90 Day experience" with the New Testament, as well as another schedule at the same time of completing Psalms and Proverbs in 30 days.

I have been a Christian most of my life, not always walking daily with Christ, yet never wavering from my faith, and I am sad to say that I have never completely read Gods Word in it's entirety. It's always been a start and flake routine. I think that's why I know Genesis real well... : ) I hope to avoid that same pattern this time around with a different approach. Knowing God's Word is one of the greatest gifts that you can give yourself.

I know that its not a race or a time thing with reading the Bible, but it does give me goals and I AM a Goal Oriented person, you know. So I hope it works for me.

Choices...

2008-07-28T14:17:00.000-07:00

CHOICES...This is a devotion I received via email today and it hit home with me...

**Are you struggling with making right choices?

Recently, I was touring through a school, being shown around by the principal when a poster on the wall caught my eye.

You are not born a winner

You are not born a looser

You are born a chooser

It really got my attention and I thought what a great message for students.... No a great reminder for everyone. Life is full of choices. Every day brings new challenges and decisions for you and me and everyone around us. Every day is a new day, and every day means we either choose to live for God, by the standards He lays down in the Holy Bible, or we live for ourselves by our own standards of right and wrong, as in the days when, ". . . every man did that which was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25).

We are free to make choices and we have to live with the consequences of those choices. Whether it is the career we select or the mate we choose or what we order from a menu. We experience the consequences of our choices.

I thought of this question:

How does the Christian learn to make right choices and live in the center of God's will every day?

These choices are not new. The people of Joshua's time had to make choices as they took the Promised Land, but they made a choice, the right choice, declaring "but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

Too many people today want to have a foot on each side of the fence. They want the path to heaven but want it to wander through the streets of the world. Jesus said: "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money" (Matthew 6:24).

So remember that the choices are yours and may we all decide that we, and our house, will serve the LORD. Think about it. It's your choice!

~Lord, give me a true desire to faithfully serve You wholeheartedly and to encourage my family as well. Amen.

I love this, it definitely hit home with me, and how I have chosen to not only exercise on a daily basis, but I have come to realize that I have made this CHOICE my Top Priority in life right now. No wonder my life seems so discombobulated. I never quite do things in moderation. Its always all or nothing. I should try the all or nothing on my spiritual life.

Exercise has consumed my life as you can tell by my other blog...

Blogging is now beginning to consume my life as well...

The Grocery Game and coupons have consumed my life...

Everything else has sort of dropped down the list, and I never seem to get to it. I always think that I'm going to but its always one step forward and three steps back. I am lacking in my Spiritual life, my household chores, some yard work as well as my other fun interests other than exercise.

It's amazing how many things I tend to fill my life with, and continue to to put my spiritual life on the bottom of my list. I know better, and yet I continue to do it anyways. I know that it isn't the proper order of priorities and that when your priorities are not correct nothing falls into place like it should yet just the opposite, and that's where I am at right now.

So I am going to make another CHOICE and give God back His rightful place in my life and that's is first things first. It will be a sacrifice, because that means everything else will have to shift down the list. Right now I am going to focus on:

Priority#1 (Spiritual Life) Morning Devotion and Prayer starting tomorrow morning before work instead of my usual exercising. Making sure I get to Church on Sundays for Worship and Gods Word.

Priority#2 (Family) Mark. I do ok with this priority, we do practically everything together already and I cook and prepare most all of his meals, and I've learned to give him his space for whatever he likes to do. And Tawnee (almost 18), she pretty much takes care of herself, I just make sure I'm there if she needs me. Make some time on the weekend to visit my Mom.

Priority#3 (Me Time) Exercise and taking care of myself. This will shift to the evening as much as I hate working out at night I will do it as to make room for my spiritual well being first thing in the morning.

Priority#4 (Household) Household Budget, Coupons, Grocery Shopping, Weekly Menus, Cooking, Cleaning and Laundry.

Everything else will fall in after these above priorities have been met... Like my earlier post "The Jar"

Vacation at the Beach

2008-07-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

We're back from our long weekend at the beach, and this is the first vacation in a long time where we were actually rested when we came back. We didn't do anything too strenuous, went to bed at a decent time and slept in each morning. So it was verrry relaxing and fun to say the least. We shopped, and I'm really not a shopper but we did shop a little bit. I bought a new bathing suit (a bikini), I wouldn't have bought it 60 days ago, but it is getting a little bit better and plus I wanted to get some color on my tummy. Hopefully by the end of my 90 days I will be fully ready to wear it.

We also rode bikes each day, and that was a lot of fun and our exercise for each day. The food was great everywhere we went. The weather was sooo nice to ride bikes in (77 deg and ocean cool) as opposed to back home here where we rode tonight in low 90 degree weather and it will be around 100 deg by Friday. Whew!, it'll be all about sweating this week on our bikes.

I did want to share a few photos of us having a relaxing time on the beach....In the sand...with the sounds of the birds and the roaring of the ocean waves...

I have to say, most of the time I am glad to be home after a few days away, but I definitely could have done about a week at the beach, the weather is just beautiful...

One Good Thing about this week is it will be a short week at work... So that IS a Good Thing!

One more thing, we happen to run into a little friend hanging out on the Beach that day, Her name is Iggy the Iguana ... Of course she was with her owner...

Growing Old Gracefully...

2008-07-19T06:53:00.000-07:00

What exactly what does that mean?

How do you react when your life begins to show the signs of aging?

I think the answer is different for each person.

For all of you younger ladies who read my blog please don’t discard this as having nothing to do with you, but embrace it as your inevitable future and how you want to use your life now to be where you need to be before your 40.

For some of us, as our body begins to grow older, we don’t necessarily feel older. We feel the same as we did when we were younger, until we glance in the mirror one day and see the signs of aging. Although we do feel different in a lot of ways, maybe we have matured some, but we still feel like the same ole us.

So for me, lets see, I didn’t really start feeling older until I was about to hit the Big “40”. It seemed like I just raised my kids through my Twenties and Thirties and never really thought about getting older. I think at that age you tend to think of the here and now, and don’t give much thought to growing old or retiring for that matter.

I have heard some people say that they don’t want to get too old, and they hope to have there life over before they get too old to do anything anymore. I agree in the fact that I hope to not be an immobile old person for too long. But when I was about to hit 40 I remember thinking that I was only half way through my life, if that. I truly wanted to do things in my life that would make a difference in my health and life longevity. Even though I have always exercised a little and ate fairly well, it took until I was 40- 45 years old to realize:

1. I was overweight at a little over 20 lbs. That was my mental limit and I knew that something needed to be done.

2. How hard it is to lose weight in your 40’s as opposed to when I was in my 30’s. It is said that it gets even harder with every decade. So I can only imagine…

3. How my life is embarking on a new Horizon, a thing called Menopause is now within my reach, not that I am reaching for it, but it is reaching for me with all its premenopausal symptoms.

4. How I so badly want to get my body where it needs to be physically, before I reach menopause. I hear it gets tougher at that point…Maybe around 50 ish…

5. How I needed to curb my alcohol drinking to moderation as this was not helping my figure in the mid section AT ALL. In fact it wasn’t so much my eating but my drinking that was putting on my weight.

6. I want to be in the best shape I can be physically as a Grammy who gets around with her Grand kids.

7. I want my Husband around a long time with me as well. So he is going along for the same health and fitness ride as me.

8. I want to look forward to aging and Enjoying Life to its fullest instead of thinking that I’m on the downhill.

***********************

There are certain things we all have to decide to do or not to do at this aging point in our lives and for me, those decision are/were:

I am going to give much more Priority to my Daily Spiritual life…

Wash my face every night and use night cream before bed. I wished I would have began at an earlier age but it’s really never too late.

Make sure sunscreen is in my daily face lotion.

To engage in exercise of some sort 6-7 days a week.

Shed that unhealthy fat, gain strength in my muscles and bones and maintain a healthy weight of my choosing.

Eat almost completely clean, most of the time. But, still Love and Enjoy that occasional treat!

Add fruits and veggies to my daily regimen.

Take a Multi Vitamin, Fish Oil, Vitamin E, and a Vitamin C Supplement DAILY.

More Fiber (Love that fiber)

Drink Alcohol in moderation. I still really enjoy my wine and instead of giving it up completely, I will drink less than usual…

Make more of a conscious effort to drink enough water on the weekends.

I need to make another conscious effort to spend more time with my Mom who will be 74 years old this year.

Make time for my Grand Children when they come into this world. (First one Oct 08)

Be ready to Embrace the Empty Nest… (I have one out of three left)

And YES, I dye my hair, I ALWAYS will. I just refuse to do the Gray thing. Maybe someday I will change my mind, but for now, NOPE.

This year for my Birthday I am following the idea of a new found blogger friend of mine, who celebrated her birthday week last year by doing something FUN everyday of her Birthday week, and this year she decided to do all the things that she had been procrastinating, on her Birthday week. You can read all about it on her blog written on July 13th, 2008.

Because I work outside the home 40 hrs a week, I will incorporate it into my Birthday by doing something Fun and/or something I’ve been procrastinating (which is a lot of stuff), each weekend in my Birthday Month of September. Sounds fun…I’m sure my Husband is gonna love that one…

So with all the above goals and decisions, I will embrace Growing Old as Gracefully as I can.

Here’s to being the BEST me I can BE before I am 50 and ever after…

Candy Ü

P.S. I ran across an article after I wrote this blog and thought I would share this ladies opinion of Growing Old Gracefully as well. For the record I don't fully agree with her, but there are some people who are the extreme that she talks about, and that is NOT what I am talking about. When I read her article I can't help but sometimes feel as though she is bitter about something. I'm not sure if that is the case but its just a feeling I get. Yet everyone can decide for themselves. I don't believe that you have to do the things above to grow old gracefully, but for me I want to, and not because I want to please the world but because I want to please ME and my Husband and it makes me happy and healthy! I think you can grow old gracefully anyway you want, but do it for yourself.

The Jar

2008-07-14T14:25:00.000-07:00

I know that you all have heard this in one version or another, but today when I received this via email, even though I have read this before, I read it again and it just means so much to me.

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember “the jar” and “the 2 cups of coffee”.

Not sure if I’ve heard this particular version before, but it really touched me today…

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar he shook the jar lightly The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---God, your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car and your STUFF.

The sand is everything else---the small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.'

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get Medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities.

The rest is just sand. One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.' The coffee just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

I was so touched by this today, I just wanted to share it with you all. In my life right now I feel that my jar is full of sand and maybe a few golf balls but not as many as there could be. Meaning I have so filled it with chores and projects and all the small things in my life that I can’t find the time for any of my passions, scrap booking, quilting and whatever else I desire.

I miss those things.

I always say I will get to them one day soon, BUT, I don’t.

So I feel as though some reorganization is necessary in my life very soon.

To be continued…

4 1/2 Generations

2008-07-12T09:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to lunch at Molly's Souper. I just love that place it has such a quaint old fashioned feel to it. We sat outside under the trees with the birds. This is my Grandma Myrt, My Mom, Mark (Husband) and My oldest daughter Halee with baby...

The food was wonderful, I had a mini Cobb Salad w/ F.F. Tomato Basil Dressing, Homemade Bread and Lemon Water. THe rest of the table had soups or sandwiches and Apple Crisps. It looked really good, and I had one little taster bite of the apple crisp. I would definitely go back there again, it was great food and atmosphere...

Here is a photo out front of the restaraunt of the 4 1/2 generations.

Mark and I Ü

And Halee carrying Hayden (her Son)

River Bound

2008-07-04T07:13:00.000-07:00

I must say that our River trip with our Friends was the best trip we've taken in quite sometime. Although like a said before, it completely wiped us, but it was fun. It took me all week just to recoupe. I think I'll take it easy next time. I wanted to share a few pics as well. This was the beautiful Colorado River.

This was a family of Burrows that came down for a little water and food.

(Husband) Mark and (Daughter) Tawnee while we were relaxing in a cove...

Tawnee and Mark getting ready for a little Tube Action...

Tawnee, My friend Chris and her two sons, Jacob and Evan, and Me. Enjoying a little close time... I'm sure the kids thought it was a bit too close...

And then there are the DAD's enjoying a Crazy Hat Moment! Too Funny...

Mark and Me... Look at that Skinny boy, do you think I need to drag him out on bikes with me in the 100 deg weather? I think he's gonna wither away...But he rides for me, and his heart of course, we aint gettin any younger. He'll be 50 this year...

Doin a little relaxing in the water...

The Kids...

And back to Chris and Vinces House in Bullhead City, AZ. Probably 10 min from the lake...

It's good to be back home and enjoying this 3 day weekend AT HOME. Well were off to ride bikes this morning and to burn off some calories so that we can enjoy a little special BBQ tonight for the Fourth! Enjoy your day and I'll do the same. Everybody stay safe...Oh BTW, there are no fireworks allowed in our town, hasn't been for years. So any of you doing fireworks, post me some pics or videos so that I can enjoy them with you.....

The Battle

2008-07-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

I have a devotional sent to me daily via email. Sometimes I take the time to read them and other times when I'm busy I just skip over them. I thought that today's was a perfect follow-up to yesterdays blog ( this is just an small excerpt from the devotion) :

"There are many obstacles that stand in the way of us living a Christian life and doing what God wants. Physical barriers of time and energy, poor health and finances exist. Beyond the obvious tangible barriers, there is the reality that we are in a spiritual battle. Satan does not want us to walk in truth or serve each other. Thus, our prayers begin with the essential cry that God would clear the way for us to do His will."

That pretty much sums up the answer to everything questioned yesterday.

Isn't that awesome?

God answered quick, and I hadn't even brought my questions to Him in prayer yet. He knew.

So I guess that's my next step: begin to pray with the essential cry that God would clear the way for me to do His will.

Wow! That's pretty cool.

Why The Spiritual Struggle?

2008-07-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

Why is it that I struggle so much to walk each day acknowledging and communicating with God?

Why is it when you miss church for one week, it is that much easier to miss the next week and so on?

Why is it that I tend to live my life some days thinking that I have everything under control?

Why is it that my plans for my life seem to be so right vs asking for the Lord's direction?

Why is it that its seems as though I have no major problems or issues in my life to consume me right now?

Why is it that deep down I struggle to open my Bible daily and Pray?

Why is it that even after all the above, I still deep down have a void or emptiness in my life that I know needs filled with a constant relationship with Jesus?

Why is it that I say, when I accomplish this, I will then have more time to devote to God and my Church Service?

Why is it after all the above struggles it still feels as though I am blessed by God in my life with material things, relationships and family?

These are questions that are on my mind lately, and many many more...

Sometimes I wonder what life would be like if I were to be completely obedient to Gods Word daily, instead of being so self reliant and self sufficient (or sometimes I think I am anyway).

I feel like sometimes you could call me a Lazy Christian. Because I just don't put the efforts into my walk with Christ as I do in other places of my life.

I don't say this because its a proud moment or anything, I am actually ashamed to admit this but it is true. I could pretend, like I feel a lot of people do in Church today that all is well and that I am where I am suppose to be, but that wouldn't change anything, and God knows our heart, even though others only think they do. No one knows me like God knows me, he knows my most inner thoughts, good and bad, wholesome and way out there thoughts. And yet He still loves me the same. I know that I'm His FOREVER, I am just not taking this journey in the best possible direction always. So sometimes the Journey isn't as peaceful or Joyful as it could be. I am not talking about no struggles or no heartaches, but Peace and Joy that only God can bring within the best AND worst situations.

Maybe I'll take each question above and bring them to God and pray about them, and God can give me some answers that only can come from Him for me and my life. At least its a start back in the right direction. I just need to open back up a slot of time in my day for Jesus vs hogging it all for ME.

Does anyone else have these struggles, similar or different?

Does the lack of relationship daily with Christ touch you deep down?

Does anyone have it somewhat together and therefore have some advice for me?

I know that God wants only the best for us, and His plan is the best, I am going to put one foot forward and move in that direction again one day at a time....

Back Home!

2008-07-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

It's good to be home, although our weekend at the River was a lot of fun and good company. For some reason we always have to come back home from our vacation to rest. I am really wiped out this week, mostly tired from going off my regular sleeping pattern and I feel a little yucky for going off my regular eating habits. YES, I KNOW, I have no one to blame for it all but myself. I am resting up this week and starting back with my exercise habits, which you can read about on my exercise blog. I am sooooo looking forward to this Fourth of July 3 day weekend coming up. We are staying home and resting, maybe ?, and doing chores and projects. I am really looking forward to it. We are really home bodies more than we are goer's, but we do try to go somewhat...

I will post a few pic's from our weekend, but that won't be until this weekend coming up, as I will have more time to upload them. I haven't even unpacked yet. I was too tired when I got home on Sunday eve to do anything. So each day, I have been taking 1 or 2 things out to put away from my suitcase and bathroom bag, and hopefully by the weekend there won't be a whole lot left to unpack.

It's good to be back with my Internet connection, reading your blogs and writing my own.

Our next vacation is coming up soon, we are going to the Beach for 4 days, just Mark and I. We are really looking forward to being at the beach alone. I am going to have a few more weeks of exercise under my belt before then and I will TRY to do good while we are away. We will have fun, but at the same time, to bed at a decent hour and maybe even sleep in a day or two. Eating may not be perfectly clean but it won't be a mess either. We plan to take our bikes and do a lot of riding around the beach, we are not much into laying out too much on the beach, we would much rather bike ride and shop and eat...healthy of course, or as healthy as possible, but hopefully if it works out that we ride quite a bit it might help us to enjoy eating out more...

Top 10 Summer Foods

2008-06-25T07:40:00.000-07:00

I ran across this on the web and thought it was note worthy to pass along. These are the Top 10 Foods for Health during the Summer Time. Just Click on the Image to Read and/or Print:

Ramblings of a Cat Lover

2008-06-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

For those of you who know me, you know that I LOVE MY CATS! As much as I love to go on vacation I hate to leave my Kitties. Is anyone else as animal sensitive as me? I feel bad to leave them for a even a few days. It's ok when Tawnee is there with them and just Mark and I go away but when we all three leave I feel bad for them. I feel like they are lonely without me, or is it me lonely without them? I know they will be fine and they will appreciate me when I get back, I just can't help the way I feel. Sometimes I wish I wasn't so animal sensitive, it would make walking into Pets Mart and seeing the kitties in cages a whole lot better. It would also keep me from being soooo sad when I see kitties who live outside. I think all kitties should be inside kitties. I can't even fathom the thought of any of my kitties coming to the end of their lifetime with me. Which I know will come someday, and I know that I need to come to grips with that, Thank goodness that most kitties live as long as they do.

I really have had to put a cap on my mind when it came to adopting Cats. 3 was my limit until my husband found our fourth one in Pets Mart and fell in love with her 3 years ago. But 4 IS really my limit, because I don't want to be known as the CRAZY CAT LADY!

I pray often that God wouldn't let me be sooo sensitive towards animals or at least let me keep There Lifespan in perspective., and know that I can give them the best life that they could have in their lifespan and that it is not my lifespan.

I never had cats growing up, my Dad hated them, but 10 years ago my girls and I saw a kitty in Pets Mart and adopted Cookie ( Black and White).
Then 6 months later my niece picked a kitty up at the grocery store and her Mom wouldn't let her have it, so guess who has it now, yep, me! He's Java ( all Black and the only male)

Again 3 years later unplanned Tawnee in 5th grade came home and said her friends cat was having kittens and she told her that if there was a calico that it could be ours, we had always talked about that our next kitty would be a calico one. So Phoebe was number 3.

Then once again 2 years later my Husband happened on to Toree in Pets Mart and she was 2 years old and had sort of a sad story behind her (pets mart adopts out rescued kitties and cats) and we fell in love with her, she was a torte color.

And 4 cats later those are all my stories. I told my Husband he couldn't read anymore of the cats stories in Pets Mart.

I would say that in the not so near future if we ever get anymore cats we would always adopt the older ones, not only are they the harder ones for Pets Mart to place, but everyone always wants the kitties, but I found since there personality is already established when they are older that you know just what you are getting. Toree the one we adopted at 2 years is my lap kitty and she talks to me with meow's ( just like her bio said) and after 4 Cats I finally got my lap kitty who sleeps and breathes with me daily. :)

FYI

2008-06-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

I won't be updating my blog after Wed Eve. as we are leaving Thurs after work for the Colorado River. We are going with our good friends Chris and Vince who have a house in Bullhead City, Az. We will return on Sunday afternoon/Eve. I will miss writing and reading everyones blog. :(

Events of the Weekend

2008-06-22T06:57:00.000-07:00

We began our weekend with Marque's Birthday Dinner Friday night...It went good, all the kids and Husbands were there as well as my Mom (Granny). It was quick, just a couple of hours of eating, opening presents and dessert, as Avis was taking Marque to the Dodger game to start her Birthday weekend among other things he had planned for her. Then they went to Disneyland and spent the day and evening there. How fun, I really miss Disneyland and our season passes. Maybe when Hayden( Halee's son, not born yet) ( boy I really am loooking ahead, aren't I? ) gets a little older we'll do season passes again...

For us I spent Saturday am, exercising most of the morning and budgeting/paperwork the rest of the day, that's how far I let myself get behind. We winded down the evening with our taped shows, two nights worth of "So you Think you Can Dance" I just love all those dancers. 8 couples left, and I have my favorites! We were going to watch Oceans 13 that Tawnee rented, but we discovered that although we had seen Oceans 11, we had not seen Oceans 12. So since we had that movie we went ahead and watched that last night.

Sunday came and we got up and went to Church, this is our second week in a row! Yeah! Already I can tell you that we will miss Church next week as we are going away for the weekend. We even rode our bikes to Church today, which we love to do. It was extremely hot even that early...

Clipped my coupons, printed my grocery game sheets and off shopping I went. All in all it was a low buying trip, I am pretty well stocked up on everything at the moment.

Sunday, we ate dinner early, watched our Oceans 13 movie while we ate dinner and pretty much rested a bit and hit the sack. I'm ready for work and I sure hope our weather cools down a bit...

New Horizons...

2008-06-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

Today begins with another step forward. First I would like thank my good friend Debbie Ulrey for introducing me to the world of Blogging. Without her encouragement to try blogging this page would not exists and my world would remain my own instead of shared with others. Thanks, Debbie. You can view Debbie's Blog as she always has wonderful pictures, ideas and thoughts as well as sharing her life with us all. Debbie's daughter just got married June 14th and pics of the wedding can be viewed on Her Blog as well as her good friend Glenni's Blog.