Birthday Bash

Yesterday was my daughter's 15th birthday! Boy, do I feel old! She is the youngest of my three children and I can't even believe how fast the years have gone by! She TOTALLY got spoiled this weekend by her Aunt. They left early Friday morning to go to Pigeon Forge, Tn. Here are a few pictures of The Inn at Christmas Place where they stayed.

They shopped 'til they dropped on Friday and then Saturday went to Dollywood for a day of roller coaster riding.

Elizabeth loves owls~sign says "will work for worms":)

All that roller coaster riding worked up an appetite so they then headed to the Dixie Stampede for a show and dinner.

Elizabeth finally arrived home around 4pm Sunday from her weekend full of fun! That evening, she had some friends over for pizza, cake and ice cream~and lots of laughs:)


I'm pretty sure Elizabeth would say that this was the BEST birthday EVER!! Happy Birthday Lillybeth:)

Keepin' it Simple

It amazes me that I used to LOVE to cook and always wanted to try new recipes. I spent most weekends making homemade gluten free bread and all sorts of other goodies. Getting a new food magazine in the mail was like Christmas to me! Now, I have NO desire to cook~zero!!!! A lot has changed with my health since the days that I cooked all the time. I used to be really good about making a menu and sticking to it. In fact, I felt lost without it. Now, a menu stresses me out! I spend all this time making the menu and shopping for all the stuff and then when it comes time for me to cook what's on the menu, I have NO energy for it. I have also learned that buying fresh veggies is a waste of money for me~gasp! I know, why would I not want to buy fresh veggies? Simple~because I let them rot! I throw more veggies in the trash than I actually use. Obviously I don't do this just out of pure carelessness, I just don't have the energy to mess with them. I have zucchini and cabbage in my fridge right now that need to be used, but I have had a BAD last couple of days and I am not about to cut veggies!

So, to make sure I am getting some veggies and fairly healthy meals without having to slave in the kitchen, I am buying frozen veggies and keeping meals simple. For breakfast today, I had a PureFit bar. It was the first one I had ever had and I liked it well enough that I will buy more. Simple breakfast~check:)

For lunch I had this:

Chicken breast, steamed veggies and gluten free toast

All I had to do was steam the frozen veggies, toss the chicken in the skillet and the toast in the oven. I bought a box of all natural chicken breast that are individually wrapped so I can take one out when I want and not have to cook the whole bag at once. Totally yummy! Simple lunch~check:)

Then for dinner I had this:

Homemade beans and 'weanies'

I had some leftover beans that I cooked the other day. I cooked up an Applegate Organic sausage and added it to the beans for a very filling dinner. I also munched on some kettle corn (LOVE this stuff!) while the sausage was cooking. I have a full tummy and I didn't kill myself cooking. Now that's the kind of meals I like!:)

Do you like to fix complicated gourmet meals or keep things simple? Simple can be yummy and healthy!

Transition Time

I wrote in this post last week about my Dr. and my physical therapist both recommending a change in my 'career'. I have been thinking a LOT about that and praying a LOT about that! The thing is, I WANT TO TEACH YOGA!! I don't want to get a job doing anything else! I don't want to be a secretary or a banker or anything else. I feel like God gave me this desire to teach Holy Yoga for a reason and He provided in miraculous ways for me to do the training. I keep thinking to myself, "Why would God provide like He did if I were never going to be able to teach?". Well, I obviously do NOT have the answers, but I do feel like I am getting some direction. I am SO thankful that God cares about this kind of stuff in our lives!

I went to therapy again yesterday and talked to the therapist the whole time she was working on me about my desire to teach yoga and stop cleaning. My main question for her was if she thought my body could handle teaching. My myofascial pain is improving~not gone but improving:) I have been able to do yoga three times this week and it didn't kill me!! YAY!! I do have to be extra careful, but the therapist thinks I can do enough to teach. That was the most encouraging news I have had in months!! Seriously!! She also thinks having a job I LOVE would be more beneficial to my health than doing something I really do not like~that is a nice way to put it:)

One good point the therapist made, was that we have never had a chance to see how my body would respond if I were ONLY doing yoga and NOT cleaning. I had never really thought about that before, but it hasn't left my mind since. Where do I go from here? I can't really afford to stop cleaning cold turkey, so my only option really is to keep cleaning AND try to get my yoga up and running. I'm not sure if my body can handle both, but I'll never know if I don't take a leap of faith! God knows my situation and I am really crying out to Him for wisdom. Who knows, He could do a miracle and make a way for me to stop cleaning tomorrow! If not, I am praying He will give me the grace to clean while I start teaching. Praying for lots of students to come my way:)!

Have you had to take a leap of faith recently? I would love to hear about it:) Thanks for reading my blog!

A Timely Devotion

I read this devotion today and couldn't believe how 'on the spot' it was for me so I thought I would share it with you:) This is from 'Streams In The Desert' by L.B Cowman.

                              " See how the lilies of the field grow" (Matthew     6:28)
      "Many years ago there was a monk who needed olive oil, so he planted an olive tree sapling. After he finished planting it, he prayed, 'Lord, my tree needs rain so its tender roots may drink and grow. Send gentle showers.' And the Lord sent gentle showers. Then the monk prayed, 'Lord, my tree needs sun. Please send it sun.' And the sun shone, gliding the once-dripping clouds. 'Now send frost, dear Lord, to strengthen its branches,' cried the monk. And soon the little tree was covered in sparkling frost, but by evening it had died.
       The monk sought out a brother monk in his cell and told him of his strange experience. After hearing the story, the other monk said,'I also planted a little tree. See how it is thriving! But I entrust my tree to it's God. He who made it knows better than a man like me what it needs. I gave God no constraints or conditions, except to pray, 'Lord, send what it needs--whether that be storm or sunshine, wind, rain, or frost. You made it, and you know best what it needs."


I read this and realized how many times I think I know what is best for my children or myself. I think I have it all figured out. I think I know better than God how to care for things and that is SO NOT TRUE!! I am always fretting and worrying and wanting things to go a certain way because I think that way is best, when really I am killing the tree!! I am trying to learn to STOP trying to control everything and realize that if God can cause the lilies in the field to flourish, or the olive tree to thrive, then surely He knows what is best for me and my family! I can trust Him with my children, my health, my finances, my marriage and anything else in my life, but I don't always live like I trust Him.

Are there areas in your life that you are trying to control or having a hard time trusting Him? I am a control freak and that really needs to change!!

A Taxing Day

Today has been a LONG day!! It started out with this:

SNOW!! Seriously?!

I thought it was supposed to be SRING! Does that look like spring to you? I didn't think so! It didn't stick around long though so all is good. I'm not a big fan of snow~especially at the end of March.

Today was TAX day~ugh! Before I could get started on taxes, I had to tidy up a bit. I can't concentrate when things are all in disarray. My cats have decided that finding any available paper and shredding it into 5 billion pieces is a fun hobby. I am NOT a fan of their new form of entertainment! I cleaned all that up and then decided I needed to dust and vacuum the computer room. Have you ever noticed that the more you clean, the more you find to clean? I HATE it when that happens!

I eventually was able to sit down and get to work on the dreaded taxes and I decided to get my daughter involved. We home school and I thought what better way for her to learn some 'real life' skills. She was actually very helpful:) We worked until well past lunch and didn't even realize it! The problem with taxes, or ours anyway, is that I have to spend HOURS making sure everything is right because I am self-employed. I have decided being self-employed is a royal pain in the neck! Not only does it make taxes harder, we have to pay self-employment taxes which eats up some of what little income I make. I finally finished up about 7 this evening and then proceeded to head straight for the pain meds.:) Sitting at the computer ALL day does a number on the back!!

All in all, it was a decent day. The snow didn't stick around, taxes are done and my daughter learned a thing or two. Now I am ready to go chill. I have been on this computer long enough:)

Did any of you get snow? Do you find it easier to concentrate when things are tidy?

In other news, I am now able to reply to your comments through email (if your email address is available). Look forward to 'chatting' with more of my readers:)

Just Another Phase

This is not the most current picture but one my favorites:)

This weekend has been an interesting one! Who would have thought I am old enough to have my firstborn moving out?! My 20 yr. old is out on his own and it seems like just yesterday he was a tiny tot getting into everything. In light of my son moving out, I have been doing a LOT of reflecting and remembering.

When my kids were very small, I remember thinking "This is just a phase". What I didn't realize was that kids go from one phase right smack into another one! I DON'T mean that in a bad way at all. Some of the phases have been hard, but others have been lots of fun. Over the last few days, I could (and have) very easily sit and think about all the things I wish I would have done differently. I wish we would have laughed more and stressed less. I wish I would have just enjoyed my kids more instead of all the things I felt I HAD to get done. I guess every parent probably goes through the 'wishing' and 'what if's'. I have to remind myself that it is ONLY by the grace of God that my kids have turned out okay. I have not been a perfect parent and I don't think there is such a thing, but I have done the best that I knew how. I am grateful for all the lessons I have learned through raising my children. I don't know how many times I have felt like God was smacking me right between the eyes when dealing with my kids~like, duh, I am doing the same thing they are!!

While I have done a lot of reflecting and wishing, I also realize that this moment is what we raise them for. Our job as parents is to raise our kids the best we can~to hopefully know and love God, to hopefully know how to love and serve others, to know how to earn a living and care for a family and to make wise choices (like not living on PopTarts:). Even if they don't always make wise choices, it is our job to love them and show Christ to them. I can't say that I have done any of this perfectly, but I have given them my whole heart. This next phase of my son's life is an exciting one. It is one that I will see what kind of man he has become. I have invested 20 years into this boy's life and I am not done yet. It may look different now, but he will always be my 'child'.

I still have an 18-1/2 yr. old son at home and my daughter is getting ready to turn 15, so my parenting days are nowhere near over. I still need lots of grace and I'm sure I have a lot more to learn about God and myself through my parenting.

P.S. Thanks to all of you lovely readers who left comments on my last post!! Comments are so fun:) I have also had fun giving my blog a face lift! I wanted something cheery and this template makes me happy:) Can you tell I'm ready for Spring?!

Time on my Mat:)

Ahh, I finally spent some time on my yoga mat this morning! I haven't done yoga in what seems like forever! I have learned a lot about my body since going to physical therapy and my view of yoga is changing~for the better. Before, I looked at yoga as 'exercise' and a 'workout'. I wanted to get the most out of my practice~as in gaining 7 lbs. of muscle over the last year. I always thought that if I didn't sweat and feel like I was going to kill over, then I didn't do enough or do it right. Fast forward to now~I just want to be on my mat! I just want the quiet and stillness that yoga brings. I want to slow down and pay attention to what I'm feeling!

One thing I have learned through physical therapy is that I don't breathe right. You would think that as long as you're alive, you must be breathing right, but that is not always the case. I read somewhere (don't remember where) that 98% of people do not breathe properly. I do what is called paradoxical breathing and it is not good for my health. It basically means that when I inhale, my belly typically moves inward instead of expanding out and making space for more air. When you inhale, your belly should get bigger! When you exhale, your belly should sink in. Pay attention to how you are breathing today and see if you may need to work on breathing properly:)

In light of what I have learned about my breathing, I spent this morning's yoga practice REALLY focusing on my breath. I moved very deliberately, very slowly, and very cautiously. I didn't worry about doing all my favorite challenging poses. I played a very slow, relaxing CD and tried to listen to my body. I don't think I hurt myself this time! I think I'll call my new style of yoga 'Slow Motion Yoga':)

I also like to have a scripture or something to ponder in my practice. This is what I focused on this morning: 


   "Oh, dear heart, what is your condition? Are you torn with anguish? Are you sorely distressed? Are you lonely? Are you pushed aside? Then cry to God. No one else can help you. He is your only hope. Wonderful hope! Cry to Him, for He can help you. I tell you, in that cry of yours will be the pure and true worship God desires. He desires a sincere cry far more than the slaughter of ten thousand rams or the pouring out of rivers of oil (Mic. 6:7)... See then, poor, weeping, and distracted ones, that it is not ritualism, it is not the performance of pompous ceremonies, it is not bowing and struggling, it is not using sacred words, but it is crying to God in the hour of trouble that is the most acceptable sacrifice your spirit can bring before the throne of God."
                                                                         Charles Spurgeon
Hope you all have a blessed weekend!