Okay, here it begins! I've determined that my family is going to live a healthier lifestyle. No, we're not trying to lose weight or gain muscle (although I won't be sad if that happens!). I just want to make sure that we're making the best choices we can for our bodies and minds. So keep me accountable, my blogging community whoever you are. I need encouragement as we make better food choices, start becoming more active, and fill our time with good things rather than sedentary moments.
I'm following a blog of a good friend. Her blog is 52 Weeks to a Healthier You. She's doing a great thing by helping people like me who need to make the changes slowly over time. Take a look. You might like it, too!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Monday, December 22, 2008
A Visit with Santa
Each year, I take my kids to see Santa at the local mall. In years past, we have had a really authentic looking Santa, so it's a lot of fun for all involved. This year was not looking to be such a memory-laden year.
On several occasions, we arrived at the mall only to find a line curling around the hallways for miles, and Santa nowhere to be found. Evidently, Santa needs lots of breaks during the day. Probably a union guy! Anyway, we made our third and final attempt today. The kids were finally on Christmas break, and I was running out of excuses. I figured if we hit it early, we would surely beat the crowds and make a quick trip of it. Well, one delay led to another throughout the morning and we didn't arrive at Santa's lair until around 12:50pm. Guess what?! Santa takes a two-hour lunch break. I don't even remember getting a two-hour lunch break when I was working in the corporate world!
I looked into the eyes of my five-year-old, hopeful that she would see that there was no sense to wait over an hour in the already growing line just to see a fake Santa. (She already has figured out that the real one is at the North Pole busily making toys before Christmas.) Boy, was I wrong. She promptly parked herself behind the last person in line and waited patiently. After about five minutes of this, I hinted that maybe we could catch him another time. This was met with a pout and welled-up tears in her eyes. Not to mention, at this very moment, my other kids were complaining about the delay because none of them had any desire to sit on an old man's lap and tell him what they wanted for Christmas.
So there I was . . . waiting in a line, grouchy, impatient and wondering how in the world to get through the next 45 minutes until Santa arrived back at his chair. (Enter the singing angels.) All of the sudden, whom do I see getting on the elevator right on the other side of the 3 ft. high gate behind which we were standing but Santa himself. Laden with packages I can only assume were for Mrs. Claus, he was pushing the "up" button to head upstairs. Maybe a little shopping at Gap before coming back to work? Well, the mothering instinct in me sprang into action. As that elevator door opened, I hopped the gate, hauled my kids over the with me and popped in the elevator with Santa. "Okay, Molly, tell Santa what you want for Christmas!" (Picture me with my sweet smile plastered on my face and Santa scowling at me. Also, play elevator music in the background for your listening enjoyment!)
In the span of about 30 seconds, Molly unloaded her wish list, which consisted wholly of a yo-yo. The other kids begrudgingly told him their present ideas and thankfully, Santa listened and nodded with at least a little bit of interest. Okay, maybe there was no "Ho, Ho, Ho!", but at least he smiled at the children. And I didn't waste all day at the mall. Molly and I went hand in hand throughout the rest of the day, fully satisfied that we had done our Christmas tradition. And Mom was left with sanity intact. The moral of the story . . . Santa can't be everywhere at once, so chase him down when you have the chance!
On several occasions, we arrived at the mall only to find a line curling around the hallways for miles, and Santa nowhere to be found. Evidently, Santa needs lots of breaks during the day. Probably a union guy! Anyway, we made our third and final attempt today. The kids were finally on Christmas break, and I was running out of excuses. I figured if we hit it early, we would surely beat the crowds and make a quick trip of it. Well, one delay led to another throughout the morning and we didn't arrive at Santa's lair until around 12:50pm. Guess what?! Santa takes a two-hour lunch break. I don't even remember getting a two-hour lunch break when I was working in the corporate world!
I looked into the eyes of my five-year-old, hopeful that she would see that there was no sense to wait over an hour in the already growing line just to see a fake Santa. (She already has figured out that the real one is at the North Pole busily making toys before Christmas.) Boy, was I wrong. She promptly parked herself behind the last person in line and waited patiently. After about five minutes of this, I hinted that maybe we could catch him another time. This was met with a pout and welled-up tears in her eyes. Not to mention, at this very moment, my other kids were complaining about the delay because none of them had any desire to sit on an old man's lap and tell him what they wanted for Christmas.
So there I was . . . waiting in a line, grouchy, impatient and wondering how in the world to get through the next 45 minutes until Santa arrived back at his chair. (Enter the singing angels.) All of the sudden, whom do I see getting on the elevator right on the other side of the 3 ft. high gate behind which we were standing but Santa himself. Laden with packages I can only assume were for Mrs. Claus, he was pushing the "up" button to head upstairs. Maybe a little shopping at Gap before coming back to work? Well, the mothering instinct in me sprang into action. As that elevator door opened, I hopped the gate, hauled my kids over the with me and popped in the elevator with Santa. "Okay, Molly, tell Santa what you want for Christmas!" (Picture me with my sweet smile plastered on my face and Santa scowling at me. Also, play elevator music in the background for your listening enjoyment!)
In the span of about 30 seconds, Molly unloaded her wish list, which consisted wholly of a yo-yo. The other kids begrudgingly told him their present ideas and thankfully, Santa listened and nodded with at least a little bit of interest. Okay, maybe there was no "Ho, Ho, Ho!", but at least he smiled at the children. And I didn't waste all day at the mall. Molly and I went hand in hand throughout the rest of the day, fully satisfied that we had done our Christmas tradition. And Mom was left with sanity intact. The moral of the story . . . Santa can't be everywhere at once, so chase him down when you have the chance!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
The Best Advice My In-Laws Ever Gave Me . . .
The sound of breaking glass made me come rushing from the bedroom. "Are you all right?", I cried. "Sorry, I just broke a vase," came my husband's reply. "It just came tumbling out the moment I opened the cabinet. Was it one of your favorites?"
Truth be told, I loved that vase. I used it all the time because it was the perfect blend of color for my kitchen. I would purchase flowers when they were on sale at the market and brighten up the kitchen immediately. But, as I stood there with flowery memories flying through my head, a little voice (or should I say a booming Texas voice) in my head said, "Does it have five-year significance? If not, don't worry about it!" You see, that is the motto that my in-laws live by and remind me of whenever things either big or small start getting to me.
A worrier by nature, I sometimes find it hard to shake off the little annoyances of life. And pretty soon, I find that I am overwhelmed, not by the big tragedies, but by . . . the broken glass, the spilled milk, the stolen purse. It is in moments like this that I often recall my in-laws' words. Do these things really change the course of my life or the lives of those I love over the next five years? If not, there really is no reason to get bent out of shape by them. One of my favorite phrases at moments like this (when I can keep my emotions in check) is "It's no big deal." Sometimes I mean it when I say it. Sometimes I say it to convince myself that it's true.
A broken vase, another scuff on the wall, multiple schedules to coordinate . . . it really is no big deal. These things and many others can be almost instantly fixed, managed or replaced. And when you think of five-year significance, there isn't much in daily life that will have that kind of lasting impact. If I could just live consistently with that in mind, imagine how freeing it would be to be able to only focus on those things which really have significance. . . our spiritual health, our marriages, the well-being of our kids, our relationships with others. Heading into the Christmas season, I look forward to not letting the little things side-track me. I want to keep my mind focused on the important, lasting, significant things in my life.
Truth be told, I loved that vase. I used it all the time because it was the perfect blend of color for my kitchen. I would purchase flowers when they were on sale at the market and brighten up the kitchen immediately. But, as I stood there with flowery memories flying through my head, a little voice (or should I say a booming Texas voice) in my head said, "Does it have five-year significance? If not, don't worry about it!" You see, that is the motto that my in-laws live by and remind me of whenever things either big or small start getting to me.
A worrier by nature, I sometimes find it hard to shake off the little annoyances of life. And pretty soon, I find that I am overwhelmed, not by the big tragedies, but by . . . the broken glass, the spilled milk, the stolen purse. It is in moments like this that I often recall my in-laws' words. Do these things really change the course of my life or the lives of those I love over the next five years? If not, there really is no reason to get bent out of shape by them. One of my favorite phrases at moments like this (when I can keep my emotions in check) is "It's no big deal." Sometimes I mean it when I say it. Sometimes I say it to convince myself that it's true.
A broken vase, another scuff on the wall, multiple schedules to coordinate . . . it really is no big deal. These things and many others can be almost instantly fixed, managed or replaced. And when you think of five-year significance, there isn't much in daily life that will have that kind of lasting impact. If I could just live consistently with that in mind, imagine how freeing it would be to be able to only focus on those things which really have significance. . . our spiritual health, our marriages, the well-being of our kids, our relationships with others. Heading into the Christmas season, I look forward to not letting the little things side-track me. I want to keep my mind focused on the important, lasting, significant things in my life.
Monday, November 17, 2008
The First Snow
I don't care how old I get. There is something magical about the first snow of the season. This morning, I woke up to a world covered in white. Albeit, short-lived as I now stare out at brown branches and the last decaying leaves of Fall. But in the wee morning hours, it was still cold enough for those white flakes to cover the trees in a thick blanket all over my back yard. The gray dawn of the morning combined with the layer of white made the world look a little more clean, even pure.
I stood looking out the window just amazed at the sight of it. I tried taking pictures, but they just don't do justice to what I got to see with my own eyes. I can never look at the first snow of the season without a little skip of the heart or more of a spring in my step. It makes me feel like a kid inside. I can hardly wait for the moment that I can wake up the kids to the sweet sound of "It snowed last night!" What usually takes them moments to wake up takes only seconds on a morning like this. Their eyes pop open as they run to the window in disbelief. It's that moment of pure joy that I would love to bottle up! The sheer wonder of seeing everything clean.
And it never fails on a day like today for the verse to come to mind . . . "Wash me and I will be whiter than snow." What more could we ask than a morning like today to get a small glimpse of what God has done for us for eternity.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Elvis is in the HOUSE!
Wow, it's been over a month since my last blog. And what momentous event brings me back to the incredible, information-sharing tool? A new addition to our household! Now before most of you freak out and think that another Arnold is soon to join the crew (or worse yet, another dog!), let me explain.
After a year of waiting his arrival, Elvis is in the house. Elvis the elk, that is! James got a beautiful elk last year in Colorado, a trophy worth putting on the wall. He actually drove over 48 hours to Colorado and back just to pick him up. Of course, there were a few days of hunting involved in that trip as well!
Now, I wasn't sure that decorating around a giant elk head in the middle of my family room was the look that I was going for. Fortunately for Elvis, his coat coordinates beautifully with the warm hues chosen throughout the house. What was once considered homespun traditional decor has now turned into a cozy European hunting lodge theme! At least, that's what we're telling ourselves! Even so, it is thrilling to see such a beautiful animal. Now if I could just get over that disconcerting feeling during dinner that he's watching us as we eat our elk roast!!
Never fear. I have put my limitations on the dead animals which can be displayed in any one room. With this room filled with pheasant, duck and elk, I think that's enough extra sets of eyes watching us. If James gets any more, he's going to have to start decorating the garage!Thursday, October 9, 2008
Free at last, Free at last . . .
After enduring almost 15 months of his first round of braces, Mason got his off today! If the kid wasn't cute before, now he's a knockout! Girls, watch out . . . those big, brown eyes and pearly whites are sure to break some hearts!
Now, if only we could finish up with the payment plan that quickly!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
From the wife of an investment advisor . . .
I have watched more C-Span, CNBC, and Fox News this week than in any other time in my life. It's all that has been playing in our house since this economic crisis began. You see, such is the life of an investment advisor's wife. I know more about our current stock market than I really want to know. I've watched the ticker tape go up and down so many times, my eyes and mind are weary. Between the upcoming election and the seemingly impending doom on Wall Street, our lives are a little less predictable right now.
It is during this time that I am struck by how much security I find that I have when I see that my husband is not shaken by troubled times or worried about the future. The only problem is that when he does get shaken or worried, my stress-level and gloom-n-doom personality go off the charts. Picture Chicken Little crying, "The sky is falling!" to anyone who will listen. I really struggled with that this morning as I was praying over the country's situation. And I realized during my prayer that amidst all my fretting, I failed to continue to trust that God is in control . . . in control of the people we have put in power, in control of the stock market's ups and downs, in control of my husband's business, and in control of my life.
It was a good chance to dwell on Who really has the power in this life, when things seem to be so tenuous and unpredictable. I love Joshua 1:9. I memorized it because of one of my kids' praise and worship tapes a long time ago. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." A good verse for me to keep in mind as I watch my very talented, investment advisor husband try to navigate the murky waters of this new market.
It is during this time that I am struck by how much security I find that I have when I see that my husband is not shaken by troubled times or worried about the future. The only problem is that when he does get shaken or worried, my stress-level and gloom-n-doom personality go off the charts. Picture Chicken Little crying, "The sky is falling!" to anyone who will listen. I really struggled with that this morning as I was praying over the country's situation. And I realized during my prayer that amidst all my fretting, I failed to continue to trust that God is in control . . . in control of the people we have put in power, in control of the stock market's ups and downs, in control of my husband's business, and in control of my life.
It was a good chance to dwell on Who really has the power in this life, when things seem to be so tenuous and unpredictable. I love Joshua 1:9. I memorized it because of one of my kids' praise and worship tapes a long time ago. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." A good verse for me to keep in mind as I watch my very talented, investment advisor husband try to navigate the murky waters of this new market.
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