Father/Daughter Dance

I thought I would post some pictures from Amelia's very first Father/Daughter Dance. She really had a great time. I would say Amelia is somewhat of a free spirit and to be able to dance around a huge room and "let loose"...well, let's just say this is right up her alley!

Amelia in all her glory!

Amelia and Daddy

The theme for the dance was "Winter Wonderland"!

Amelia and her best friend, Kate.

Amelia....trying to line dance!

A couple of things...

1. I lost 3.4 lbs this week! That's a total of 13.2! I'm on a roll. According to previous weight-loss history....I lose it quickly at first...and then s-l-o-w way down as the weeks pass. In the end, I think it's better to lose it slowly. What is most different about this time around is that, I have a goal! My goal is not just to lose the weight, but to actually run a 5K! Ok, you can get up off the floor now! I have decided to begin a new program called Couch-to-5K. I know that any kind of running program might seem pretty drastic for someone like me (who views exercise as a disease), but, you start out very slow and work your way up. I'm pretty excited about it, actually. I bought new running shoes today (haven't had a new pair of shoes in almost 3 years!)....they were on sale and I had a coupon. I now have a really nice pair of Women's Nikes for barely $17.

2. Friday night was the annual Father/Daughter Dance at school. This was Amelia's first time! She and Dan had a great time! I will post some pictures when I have a chance to upload them. Next week is Amelia's 6th birthday! I can't believe that exactly 6 years ago today, Dan and I were visiting a funeral home and cemetery as we were told that she might not make it once she was born. One of these days I'll have to write a post about her birth story...but for now, just know that she is a living, breathing, walking MIRACLE! I kid you not! I will forever be grateful to the Infant of Prague for her healing!

3. Speaking of Amelia....this afternoon while we were on our way to the shoe store, we passed a housing development near our home that has a huge brick-like sign stating the name of the neighborhood. As we passed by, Amelia shouts out....."Look mom, there's a purgatory stone...and it's a big one!" I was confused! "What is a purgatory stone, Amelia?", I asked. She replied, "You know, where they bury all the dead people!". I was still not getting it. Nathan had to clarify..."Mom, she means a 'cemetery stone'...you know...a HEAD STONE!" Oh, now I get it!

4. Not to be outdone by her sister....Olivia, when told it was time for bed, told me that she didn't want to go to bed...that she wanted to "stay up earlier" tonight! See....I'm not crazy! There really is a reason why my brain is mush most of the time!

5. THE SIXTH AND FINAL SEASON OF LOST AIRS IN JUST 2 DAYS!!!!

Wordless Wednesday (sort of)

I was looking through some old pictures and found this picture of Nathan from February of 2001! He was 5 months old! He was my little 49er baby! They don't call me "Niner Nancy" for nothin'!

Important Announcement!

I really hate loathe despise don't like not having a dishwasher! That is all! You may now return to your regularly scheduled programming!

Some Answers

$170.14 !! This is how much we've spent in medical/pharmacy copays in just two days! Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy with our health insurance coverage (NO Obamacare for us, thank you), however, I share this with you only to illustrate why I am an emotional wreck!

I shared in an earlier post about how the girls have been somewhat "under the weather". Frankly, I'm not feeling that great either (laryngitis, sore throat, cough...but I digress). Olivia had to see an ENT after about 15 months of ear infections...the most recent one ended in a ruptured ear drum.
First, they did a very thorough hearing evaluation. She has mild hearing loss in her right ear, and mild-moderate hearing loss in her left. This is caused from the residual fluid that remains in her ears even after the infection itself has cleared up. The fluid is NOT supposed to be there. She also has the problem of having HUGE tonsils! They are so big that they actually touch in the back of her throat! There is only a small area of space that air can flow back and forth. To make a long story short, Olivia needs to have tubes placed in both ears and she needs to have her tonsils and adenoids removed. This will all take place on February 22nd. I'm a nervous wreck! I had so hoped that my children would escape any need for surgery until they were well into adulthood. Olivia is only four years old! I know she will be in a lot of discomfort and pain for the first few days. I don't want her to have to go through this!

Amelia, on the other hand, has had problems with severe headaches over the last few days. So bad that they wake her up from a sound sleep in the middle of the night. She complains that her eyes hurt and that she feels like she might throw up! I usually give her some Motrin and a cool washcloth and withing a few minutes, the headache is gone and she is back to sleep. She never complains of headaches during the day...only at night. After a thorough eye exam, blood pressure checks and lab work....her doctor thinks it might be sinus issues. Phew! Although, I am instructed to keep a "headache diary" for the next two weeks. She is also on a heavy anti biotic (***sigh***) and a nasal spray. Last night was the first night in almost a week that she did NOT wake up with headache! This is good news! The doctor was concerned about an inter cranial involvement that would have been much more serious! My nerves have just HAD IT this week!

On a happier note, I lost 5.2 lbs this week! That makes a total of 9.8 (with 93 to go)! I know that the losses will begin to slow down now...but that's ok! I'm 10 lbs closer to my goal.

Today, I'm thanking God for our medical insurance, for our personal physicians who take such good care of our family and for my blog....so I can get all of this off of my chest!!

Before....

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.

Jeremiah 1:5

***Barbara from Praying for Grace has posted a beautiful message on her blog today! Please take a few minutes and CLICK HERE to read it! Pray for Life!! Thank you, Barbara!*****

This & That

I've got both girls home with me today. Olivia has an appointment with an ENT. She's had 5 ear infections in the last 15 months, including an eardrum rupture about a month ago. In addition, she snores like a .....like a.......like....her grandfather (my dad)! Growing up, our entire neighborhood knew when my dad had gone to bed! Anyway, they are going to do a hearing test and then take a look at her tonsils. I don't really want her to have to endure surgery at four years old.

Amelia lost her voice yesterday. She says her throat doesn't hurt...but for the last 3 nights, she's awakened with a terrible headache that she states makes her eyes hurt. I figure it's time to have them both looked at....again.

Tonight is my second weigh in for Weight Watchers! I'm exited! I think I've done relatively well! I'm determined, even more so than last week! I'm trying to keep focused. So far, so good. My immediate goal is to lose about 28-30 pounds by the end of April. I think I can do it. I need to exercise more! I will talk more about that later...because I read a book once that gave me an

excellent idea about how to get fit and grow closer to God at the same time! I'm re-reading this book right now and will write a post on it as soon as I can.

Have a great Thursday, everybody!!!

Couldn't do the red!

Well, although many of you said you liked the red....I just couldn't do it anymore! It was way too bright and overwhelming for me. This is the background that I'm going to go with...at least until the spring. Thank you for all of your comments!

UPDATE: Tonight's Dinner

Update!!!!! These were terrific!! I added 2 packets of Splenda to the dipping sauce to balance the sauce a little. I served them with Jasmine rice and stir fried zucchini. I will make this again!!!

This is what's on our menu for tonight! I found this wonderful website as I was searching for Weight Watcher ideas! The nutrition information and point values appear with every recipe! I also subscribed to the website and now I receive meal ideas in my email on a regular basis. Here
is the recipe for tonight's dinner....


Asian Turkey Meatballs With Lime Sesame Dipping Sauce
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 • Size: 3 meatballs • Calories: 229 • Points: 4.75 pts


1/4 cup panko crumbs
1-1/4 lbs 93% lean ground turkey
1 egg
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 scallions, chopped
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
Dipping Sauce

4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp water
1 chopped fresh scallion


Preheat oven to 500°F.
Mix ground turkey, panko, egg, salt, scallions, cilantro, 1 tbsp soy sauce, and 2 tsp oil and mix with your hands until combined well. Shape 1/4 cup meat mixture into a ball and transfer to a baking dish. Repeat with remaining mixture. Bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

For the dipping sauce mix together lime juice, water, soy sauce, and remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in a bowl. Add scallions.

Transfer meatballs to a serving dish. Stir sauce, then drizzle meatballs with 1 tablespoon sauce.
Serve meatballs with remaining sauce. Chances are you won't use all the dipping sauce.
Makes 12 meatballs.

I'll let you know how it tastes!

Weight Loss Wagon!

Well, I'm back on the weight loss wagon...again! This has been a yearly thing with me ever since I can remember. Some years have been more successful than others. Motivation seems to be the key that, at times, has been missing. It seems to be harder than I thought to lose the weight I gained during cancer treatment (steroids), although, I haven't really tried that hard. I am (always have been) an emotional eater. When stressed...I eat. When happy...I eat.

You should know that I'm not all that motivated right now. "Resolved" is the word I'd use to describe my attitude currently. I'm happy that I've managed to lose 4.6 lbs this week...but I always do well the first few weeks. It's after that when I start to lose interest instead of pounds.
Keeping the cancer away is my real reason for starting this journey again! I need to do all I can to stay as healthy as possible. It also occurred to me the other day that losing some weight might help the HOT FLASHES! They are relentless, I tell ya!

So, I've added a weight loss ticker to the top of my blog. Hopefully, this will remind me every time I log on that I have a goal! I also added one on my side bar for double protection and accountability.

In the past, I've never really prayed about my weight loss. It seemed silly to me with all of the needs of the human race, to be praying for myself to be thinner. I've been thinking about this lately and I've decided that God DOES care! He cares about my health and He wants me to consider my body the temple of the Holy Spirit. I'm sure His desire for me is to live a long and healthy life so I can "be about His business". No one knows when their time is up. I surely don't know when mine will be....but....I should be just as ready to live a long healthy life as a short unhealthy one. Besides, all of my Weight Watcher buddies were glad to see me!

Well, here we go again!

Tylenol Recall 2009/2010

Have you heard about the Tylenol products recalled? I hadn't heard anything about it until this morning. Click here for the list of products (and the Lot #'s) that have been recalled.

Apparently, it started last month with the Tylenol Arthritis product and has now been expanded to include most of the other products as well. I'm not very good at keeping up with things like this. I do give our kids some of these products when they are sick. Thank goodness none of what is in our cupboard is part of this recall.

**is there a limit to how many times I can use the word "product" in this post??*****

Total Devastation

Please, if you can, help these sisters and brothers in Haiti! There are many ways you can donate. I think the American Red Cross is one of the quickest and safest ways to do it right now...but there are many other charities available that are sending aid to this country.

Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge (Psalm 16:1)

God of the mountains and the seas, the awesome power of nature can be both a wonder as well as a source of tragedy. We cry out to you in this time of great need for all those who are affected.
Almighty and everlasting God, comfort of the sad and strength to those who suffer: Let the prayers of your children who are in any trouble rise to you. We lift up those who have lost loved ones, grant your peace; for those who seek shelter and food, grant your comfort; for those facing illness, grant your healing; for those whose lives have been shattered, grant your strength.
God of wisdom and strength, guide the hands of those who provide emergency relief. We entrust to you those who care for the bereaved, those with the gift of healing, those who carry the burdens of moving debris, and those who distribute much needed supplies. Hopeless as it may seem at times, their work is very important. Give them the endurance that is needed to continue in their good works.
God of all consolation, in the midst of things we do not understand, tragedy too great to comprehend, and grieving too heavy to bear, grant your peace. This is a time when we welcome your Word of hope born into our world. May that hope burn in our hearts.

—From Evangelical Lutheran Church of America

A thankful woman's book of blessings!

My friend, Judy at Benmakesten, hosts a wonderful meme on Wednesdays called "A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings"! This meme allows a place for us to share all of the wonderful blessings that God bestows on us...everyday! There is no way that I could list them all, but here are just a few:

1. I am thankful for memories of times gone by! I recently received a CD as a gift from a very dear friend. The CD is of his brother's band that used to play in the Bay Area (S.F.) in the early 90's. I had not heard this music in over 15 years! It brought back so many wonderful memories of friendship and good times! It really was a special time in my life. I've listened to the CD while doing dishes and making dinner for the last two nights in a row. The girls and I dance around the kitchen like little kids (hey, the girls are little kids!). Anyway, it's been wonderful remembering and seeing how God was blessing me...even then! Thanks, Paul!

2. I am thankful for my faith! I'm not sure I would be here today if it wasn't for my faith in God and His Church. Seriously. I know that I owe my life to the protection of Our Blessed Mother!

God has given me so much and I realize that it is through the eyes of His Church that I am even able to comprehend what little I do about His love for me. To even fathom that He knew me and loved me for all eternity...leaves me awestruck and very humbled.

3. I am thankful for my blogging friends! I know that it seems strange to call women that you've never physically met "friends", but, it's true! The connection that I feel with these ladies sometimes leaves me scratching my head! These women help me to grow in my faith daily. They inspire me, encourage me, pray for me and share with me...everyday! They mean the world to me!

4. I am thankful for my health! I guess this is one of those things where you don't know what you've got until it's gone! I have learned that taking care of this temple is so very important. I don't do such a great job at this. I need to eat better, exercise more, worry less and laugh a ton!

God has removed the cancer...at least for now! He has given me this time to be with my family and grow in relationship with Him! I pray that I can make good use of this time...whether it lasts for 30 years or 3 years.

5. I am always thankful for my husband and children! They are the reason I get up every morning! They are the reason I have gray hair! They are the reason that I live and breathe!

They are also the reason that I have this strange twitch! They are the reason why I am the happiest that I've ever been in my life! And yet, they are the reason why I need several cups of coffee in the morning and the reason I sometimes contemplate getting in the car and just driving...and driving and driving. They are the reason why I was born...to be a mom and wife! They are the reason I feel so loved! One of them (who shall remain nameless) is the reason I am up right now...posting this at 3:32am! God love em'!

Happy Wednesday, everybody!

Too many choices...

I'm narrowing down my choices. I think the brown on the last one was just too dark. What about this one? Too bright??? It's not very subtle (which is what I wanted)...but....I think it matches how I've been feeling lately! Anyway...I'm going to leave this one for a couple of days...to see if it grows on me. Your opinion is appreciated!

How about this one?

What do you think about this blog design? I don't hate it...but I don't love it either. I can get rid of the flowery header and just leave it brown....what do you think?

Baptism of Jesus

"This is my son, in whom I am well pleased"

Slow Cooker Week

I love my crock-pot but I don't use it nearly enough. However, this week I found two recipes that I wanted to share with you! Hopefully, it will encourage you to dust yours off and put it to good use!

The first one is a a Weight Watchers recipe (Yes, I'm on the wagon again). It's called "Zero Points Value Slow-Cooker Soup". This is a variation on their original zero point soup only this one uses spinach instead of cabbage.

10 oz baby spinach leaves
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 medium celery ribs, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium garlic clove, chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
28 oz canned diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, crushed

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker; cover and cook on high for 5 hours. Remove bay leaves, stir, and serve. Yields about 1 cup per serving. Serves 8.

**I doubled this recipe. I saved a portion (about half) for the fridge to eat on over the weekend and froze 5 individual servings that I can take to work for lunches!!!***

The second recipe is probably the easiest thing I have ever made in the crock pot (besides, maybe, hot apple cider....which I didn't actually make....I just heated)! You will LOVE this...

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz each)
1 pkg dry Italian salad dressing mix
1 cup chicken broth or warm water

Place chicken in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Add dressing mix and water. Cover. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

That's it!!

I also doubled this recipe. The first night, I served this chicken sliced (you need to let it cool slightly) with steamed broccoli and buttered noodles. The chicken was so moist and it has a wonderful flavor! I then made several meals with the left overs!

For one thing, this chicken shreds like a dream! I made Farmhouse Chicken, chicken salad, chicken soup (I also saved the cooking liquid) and I took the last piece to work...shredded it over lettuce with some tomatoes and mushrooms and had a really good, low fat salad! It would be great for chicken tacos or enchiladas.

This is the perfect time of year for soups, stews and chili. Let the slow cooker work for you so you can spend some time in front of the fire, snuggling with your kids!

Enjoy!

Indecision

I can not, for the life of me, find a blog design that I like! I have visited at least 5 sites that offer free backgrounds. I have considered having a site designed specifically for me...but I don't feel like forking over the money. I'm quite sure that this current PINK background is only temporary. It doesn't do anything for me....at all. I think I prefer more subtle colors...but I don't want to be boring either. I also want it to be pleasing to the eye. When I go to my own blog to view it....my eyes hurt! I think it's too bright. Either that or the sinus infection has not gone away and I'm still suffering from one of the most annoying symptoms, eye sensitivity!
Anyway, I'm still playing around with what I want. I'll know it (and feel it) when I see it.

Red Tape

I just had to get my Driver's License renewed. What a pain in the hiney! There was a list of things to bring. Here is what I brought and handed to the emotionless clerk:

1. expiring (current) license
2. valid passport
3. social security card
4. valid voter registration card
5. mortgage/deed.....(apparently for address verification????)

After handing all of this to the clerk....she looked at it...and asked me "Where is your address"???? Ok....I just handed her three things with my address on it!! Is she kidding me?
I politely showed her my address on the current license, the voter registration card and the mortgage papers!!!! Then, the very next question........"Are you a registered voter?".......Oh come on now!

Do you people realize that this is the same group of people that work for the TSA????? The TRANSPORTATION SAFETY AUTHORITY!!! And we wonder why a guy with a bomb in his underwear gets through security but I'm not allowed to carry on more than 3 oz of shampoo!

In all honesty, it didn't really take long. I walked in at 10:58am and was leaving at 11:29am.
The good news....I don't have to do this again until 2018!!!

Christmas 2009 in pictures!

Where was she?

On his way to bed last night, Dan said he heard Amelia snoring pretty loudly. When he went in to check on her, he noticed that her head was completely under the covers. He pulled the covers back to make sure she could breathe and in doing so, he found this.....NO AMELIA! She had strategically placed her stuffed animals and covered them to make it look like she was in her bed!

He then turned around to see where she might be...and found her curled up (asleep and snoring) in her princess chair with dress up clothes all around her!

Now, what do you suppose this was all about??? I have no clue! However, I think all of you need to pray for us because....she's only 5!

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Today is the feastday of the first native born American to be canonized...St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Elizabeth suffered much in her life but relied heavily on the Blessed Mother and the Eucharist for strength and guidance. She was only in her mid 40's when she died.


Prayer in Honor of St. Elizabeth Seton

Lord God, you blessed Elizabeth Ann Seton with gifts of grace as wife and mother, educator and foundress, so that she might spend her life in service to your people.
Through her example and prayers, may we,
whose Faith Community is dedicated in her honor, learn to express our love for you in our love for all your children.

We ask this through Christ, Our Lord.

Amen.

Now THIS is more like it!

Ahhhhhh!

Sisters In Faith

I think blog awards are fun. Sometimes they're cute, sometimes silly and sometimes....they hit the nail on the head! This blog award, Sisters In Faith, is one of those! It was given to me by a very special person, Colleen from Thoughts on Grace! She truly is a Sister In Faith! God brought her into my life at just the right moment for a very special purpose. We have both taken a step in faith and are waiting to see where God leads us! Perhaps one day, I will share this journey with all of you!

I would also like you to meet Karinann, the creator of this Blog Award. You can meet her at over at Blessings of the Day. Read about how this Blog Award came to be in this post.

As Blog Awards go, you are supposed to pass them on to other bloggers who you feel represent the spirit of the award. Technically, I could pass this on to every one of the wonderful ladies on my sidebar...and quite a few others. In this case, the instructions are: 1. To pass this award on to sisters who have been blogging with me from almost the beginning, 2. Include at least one new Sister In Faith.

1. Carrie at Quite The Normal Life

2. Mary at The Beautiful Gate

3. Easter at Mostly Prayers

4. Frizzy at Heaven's Gift

5. Therese at The Musings of a Mom

6. Judy at BENMAKESTEN

7. Therese at Aussie Coffee Shop

8. Tracy at A Catholic Mom in Minnesota

9. Sarah at So....This is the Road I'm Traveling On

10. Elizabeth at Real Life

11. Barbara at Praying for Grace

There are many more...but these are the ladies that are truly a part of my life! They pray for me, encourage me and help hold me accountable! Thank you ladies, and Happy New Year.

$5 Dinners!

If you've made a New Year Resolution to spend less and to take more time with planning meals for your family....have I got a deal for you!!

Please stop by $5 Dinners for one of the best giveaways I've seen in a long time! This is a wonderful website that I've had bookmarked for quite a while. I've found some terrific recipes and lots of coupons! Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year and Happy Feast Day to Mary, Mother of God!