Lunch Time

      Years ago, when I worked at our CFA restaurant, lunch time was the climax of the day.  It was an exhilarating rush to serve so many people so quickly.  Now, my lunch times look very different.  I am only in charge of serving two people, but that sometimes seems harder than the masses at CFA.  Some days, however, things seem to go right.  For brief stretches of time, at least.  Today, lunch was one of those times, so I picked up the camera to document the joy in our daily life.  On the menu - peanut butter and honey sandwiches, a favorite around here, and clementines and milk.  Basic works for us.

Here's how it went down.  Lily often licks the peanut butter and honey off of the bread.  Not sure what she has against bread.  It sounds like we are living in a rain forest, because Lily has cued the "Koi Pond" app on the phone and is carrying it around making sure the fish are okay.



Bella takes eating time very seriously.




Then, there is the "mostly finished with food, time to play" portion of lunch time.




And, also, the "maybe I should just eat my bow" portion.



Lastly, we round it out with some "Tik-a-boo" with the curtains.  That is how Bella says "Peek-A-Boo," and Lily has adopted it as well.



After getting cleaned up, we head out to the deck for some more playing before naps.  We are loving the gorgeous weather.



There is a little bit of screaming, but this just comes with the territory for Bella right now.

Lily spends a good while stacking the alphabet blocks while Bella chases the cat and tries to help Lily intermittently.






I give Lily her 5 minute playing warning and take Bella to put her down.  Within a few minutes, she looks like this.



Then, Lily and I have a daily ritual where we "read and cuddle" before nap time.  Today she was so cuddly and sweet.



There are good days and bad days round these parts.  In this stage of life, I hear a lot of hard stories about people losing their babies and children, which always hits close to home.  I sometimes wonder how long I will have the opportunity to love and care for the girls, and I want to make sure to soak them up.  I am thanking God for this lunch time and the precious moments it brought.

Weekend: Half Marathon!

      Today I feel a little hung-over from all the excitement of the weekend.  It was the weekend I had been training for and awaiting with a mixture of expectation, excitement and a teensy bit of dread.  You see, running 13.1 miles is a lot of work, and I can be a little averse to work.  But, it is finished, and it was good!
      Saturday morning, John went to the Little Rockers (where they run a mile) to work with CFA - there were lots of Cows and tons of kiddos.  The girls and I made a few nutritional treats inspired by Pinterest - one that I like much more than the other.  (in another post, I am planning on reviewing some of the healthier snack recipes I have tried)  Here's my clean-up crew.  It was necessary to clean up from the spoonful of oats that Lily tossed onto the floor.  Lily is using the dust-buster; Bella is more into eating oats off the floor.

      We headed downtown to the running Expo to pick up packets and see Daddy on Saturday afternoon.  And then, Sunday, it was time for the race.  I thought I was going to get to run with a friend, but we could not find each other in the masses of people, so I ran by myself.  Which was okay - not ideal, but it turned out all right.  Most of the race was pretty great, but predictably, by mile 11 or so, I was sick of running and ready to be done.
      Here are the shots that John got of me running, one around mile 7 or 8ish, and the other right at the end.  I look like I am winning in the first picture.  And, I feel like I look dead tired in the second one, but I am trying to fake enthusiasm for a picture.

I developed some pretty bad blisters on both feet, and the temptation to walk was overwhelming.  I did walk a tiny bit during the 12th mile, but I picked it back up to finish strong.  Having people cheering you on all along the course, even calling you by name (since it is on your number) is so encouraging.  And, oh, it felt good to be done!  Though, it took my stomach a while to recover after the race.    
      Because we as CFA had helped sponsor the race, we had tickets to the "Perk" pavilion, so my friend, Jenn, and I got to get post-race massages.  I definitely recommend this.  We also got to load up on food, which was pretty great.  Bella really likes eating the skin of oranges - not the flesh, only the skin.



Here I am with the Henrys, who drove me to the race and both ran it.  They are rock-stars.  Also, the Little Rock Marathon is known for having the largest medals in the world - I should have taken a picture of those, but ours were pretty great, too.



      Now I must tell about the best part of the whole experience for me: my cheering section.  If you have ever been around John, you will know that his voice carries.  And when he uses that carrying voice to cheer you on, you instantly become a celebrity among whatever group you are running with.  John and the girls managed to see me 5 different times, and each time he cheered so enthusiastically that runners around me were in awe.  One couple said, "That is SO motivational."  Another girl ran near me and said, "You have the coolest and best husband in the world."  I 100% agree.  Thanks, John, for being so supportive and making me feel like the best runner out there, even though I am a pokey little runner.



      When it was time to head home, this is how I felt.



      We went out for a celebratory dinner last night with friends who also ran, which was so fun.  It was a great time, and I am so glad that I did it.  I have said it before (which you can read about in this post), if I can do this - I firmly believe anyone can do it.

John's Channel: Bucket and Sucket Lists

We're on the third date...I mean episode, so that means we're now comfortable enough to share some of those stories from the awkward years.  The ones that we pretend to have left behind at high school graduation, but still haunt our personalities to this day.  Here it goes.

My personality is wired in a way that I do what I'm supposed to do.  I like what I'm supposed to like.   I act the way I'm supposed to act.  In spite of what it sounds like, this is not a primer for me talking about how horrible I think this is or that I have broken free from it and I'm now announcing my new career as a mime on the streets of Vegas.  The "supposed to-ers" of this world get a bad wrap because they're typically not flashy or exciting.  But to you "non-supposed to-ers," you better be glad that someone does what they are supposed to do or you'd all be scre...I'm not supposed to say that...you'd all be in a lot of trouble.

Although I'm not going to be a Vegas mime, I have found some freedom from the box I'm supposed to be in.  It has come in the form of a "Sucket List."  It was originally called my "Golf List," but a beautiful burst of creative juice splashed this new name all up in my face.  I must admit, it comes off a little more harsh than I wish it did, but it just fits.  What is the Sucket List? Glad you did or didn't ask.  (How can I tell if you asked?  If you didn't ask, simply stop reading.)  

The Sucket List is a list of all of the activities that I feel like life, social norms, friends, enemies, TV, Siri, a billboard or some stranger that feels uncomfortably comfortable with offering unsolicited advice has told me I should do, think, enjoy, or excel at.  As I freed myself from the "supposed to's" I created an actual list.  Why? So no longer would I be buried under the pressure of spending time and energy pursuing things that are not of real value, not because they are bad for someone to do, but because they are unnecessary for me to do.  I often say, I don't make enough time (future post will discuss my view on "making" versus "having" time, but that is for later) for the hobbies I like, why would I spend time doing a hobby that I don't like or that stresses me out.  Without further adieu or editorializing, here's the list that I have created so far (I started writing it down a month ago):

• Golf (hence the reason it was origilnally called the "golf list"--golf is the title sponsor)
• Learn to play the guitar
• Speak Spanish (or any other language) fluently
• Wakeboard
• Juggle
• Read all of the books I am "supposed" to read (you heard me Harry Potter and Le Mis)
• Body-build, or spend any significant amount of time building my muscle mass (pictures of our family at Gulf Shores will prove I'm succeeding at this task)
• Be on the cutting edge of technology (I'm okay being a generation behind, I'll let others work out the kinks)
• Skeet shooting
• Journal on any regular basis
• Blow bubbles with gum
• Play rugby (Jason, this won't keep me from coming and watching your games)
• Bungee Jump
• Grow a garden
• Ride a unicycle
• Become a sommelier
• Invent anything that would warrant a patent
• Learn to surf
• Roll my tongue (genetic, I know, but I'm still not doing it)
• Be awesome at photography

I've recently gotten ribbed about not having a "growth mindset." I would lovingly disagree.  I'm all about growing.  The "Sucket List" has nothing to do with not wanting to grow.  In fact, I'd argue the opposite.  I see it as pruning.  If you garden--which, thanks to my "sucket list" you know I don't, and Carol, I'm not going to go quietly into the night on this topic--you know that a plant has limited resources so you help it choose which parts it will apply those resources to.  To do that, you've go to cut out/off some of the low priority parts.  Your resources are limited.  Use them well.  How am I using my resources? (I still can't tell/care whether or not you asked.)  Here's my Bucket List in it's infancy:

• Run a road race in a foreign country (jury is still out on whether or not Texas counts)
• Learn to ride a motorcycle
• Drive PCH in RV with family
• Travel with each child to a 3rd world country so they actually have a worldview.
• Throw a party for friends in the penthouse of a downtown building
• Hike an Alaskan glacier
• Sky dive somewhere beautiful--preferably New Zealand
• Kayak on water so clear it looks like you're floating on air
• Never miss the chance to have a conversation with a leader I respect
• Hot air balloon ride
• Go to an Olympic games
• See the fall colors in the Northeast
• Visit all 50 states
• Take son to as many MLB stadiums as we possibly can
• Have son (adoptional)
• Drink fresh sangria...in Spain
• Complete a sprint triathlon
• Hike with each child to the top of a 14er in Colorado
• Write a book...maybe
• Rent a sports car for a day/week and go on a road trip
• See a Final Four game with Carol
• A small tattoo that no teenage child or employer could hold against me...even if I was a lifeguard
• Be intentional about the relationships I have and the people I encounter to show them the love of Jesus

I have one life.   I have limited time, resources, energy, etc.  I want to use these well, and not use precious resources succumbing to the pressures of the unnecessary.  I often have to do things I don't want to do - that's life.  Sometimes I will even do things I don't have to or want to, but for the sake of communicating love to someone I care about...I think this means my thumb will have to turn at least a light shade of green.  What I never want is to do something I don't have to do, I don't want to do and has no value being done simply because I feel like I'm "supposed to."


(on the road, in Italy circa 2009.  One of my happy places.)

Smoothie Recipes: Health Can Taste Good!

      So, I have been drinking fruit smoothies this week and been adding spinach to them, which you cannot taste.  As a result, I have eaten a lot more spinach this week than I normally would - what a bonus!  I have created a nutrition board on Pinterest where I have been pinning lots of healthier recipes that I would like to try.  I used some of the smoothies I pinned there to create my own recipe.  So far, I have liked some variation of this one recipe so much that I haven't deviated much.

Here's what you will need.



1/2 Cup of Vanilla Greek Yogurt
3/4 Cup of Water
2 TBSP Flaxseed
Big Handful of Baby Spinach
1 Cup of Frozen Strawberries
1 Cup of Frozen Blueberries

Pretty much just throw them all in your blender, or, it you are like me, into your Smoothie JR that you got for your wedding almost 7 years ago.



Blend thoroughly and dispense.  The great thing about smoothies is that they really are that easy and quick to make.  This strawberry/blueberry smoothie is really delicious and chock full of nutrients.  Bear in mind, I didn't know what flaxseed was until about two weeks ago - but it is great stuff.  Even with all that spinach, the blueberries keep this one pretty normal looking.



      I did the math on this smoothie and can tell you that if you drink the whole thing at once, it is 305 calories and cost $4.00.  The blueberries and greek yogurt make it more expensive.  If you use different, cheaper fruit, the cost will be less.  And, greek yogurt is twice the cost of store brand yogurt, but from what I understand, it packs more nutritional punch and is definitely thicker.  But, regular yogurt would be good too and cheaper.  I have found that I like using vanilla yogurt more than plain, because it is more of a sweet flavor.  Just a few smoothie lessons I have learned in my week of health.  I have a very long way to go.
      I have used mangos and bananas and peaches as well.  All good.  I plan on branching out and maybe trying oats in a smoothie.  Clearly, I am such an adventurer.  I have tried giving the smoothies to the girls - Bella is such a wild fan that I cannot drink one in her presence without giving one her own.  I have yet to hit on a flavor combination that Lily loves, but I can't tell if she is just being stubborn or if she actually doesn't like the way it tastes.  I sort of think she is being stubborn.

      I saw an idea on one blog to freeze smoothies for later on, and so I bought these Bell freezer cups (that are also dishwasher and microwave safe) at Wal-Mart in the 8 oz and 16 oz variety so I can freeze smoothies for me and the girls.  I like making things all at once and having them ready to go.

Happy Smoothie Making!  I promise - they taste really good.