Tuesday, October 4, 2011

This Is My Life

I meant to post this a month ago, right after my blogpost titled "To Be Known", but the past month has been a whirlwind, and I haven't been able to concentrate on writing ... but here it is, finally ... about me.

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Most of my life, I've been recognized as "the missionary's daughter" or "the pastor's daughter". That's how people knew me. I grew up overseas, with my parents and my three sisters. We came alongside ministries, smuggled Bibles into countries still under the rule of communism, started a church, learned languages and different cultures of lifestyle, and shared the good news of Jesus Christ everywhere we went.

By the time I graduated high school, I had lived in three countries, spoke two languages fluently, had friends all over the world, and had been to at least 10 countries, two or three times each. I rode trains, busses, subways, ferry boats, cruise ships, bicycles, driven through tunnels under water, and I had been on more airplanes than years I'd been alive. I often dreamed in Greek, thought in English, but spoke German when asked a question. And when I couldn't articulate what I was trying to say, because all the languages were jumbled in my head, I would use sign language. All this to say, I was a very complicated girl.

I played piano, flute, drums, hand bells and percussion (cow bell and timpani being my favorite). I was in the high school band, the hand bell choir, the drama team, the sign language team, and the school choir. I have no idea how I ended up in choir. It must have been a freebie, because I can't sing. My kids remind me of that every day.

I went to Paris as a sophomore when we were studying the French Revolution, my senior class trip was to Italy, and I did my grocery shopping in Switzerland. I lived in a Vineyard. Every weekend, I would bike down the vineyard to the local bakery and bring fresh bread home for the family. Ahhhhh, the German bakeries. That is what I miss the most. The pretzel rolls, the nutella filled croissants, the sourdough ... all warm and made fresh daily.

Winters were spent sledding through the vineyards and down our icy driveway. 7 pieces of the Berlin Wall were across the street from my house. We had cherry trees (dozens of them), in the field in front of our house, and we would climb those trees and eat cherries until we pooped our pants. We built forts in the spring and igloos in the winter. I didn't have a cell phone or ever wore a helmet. I was always home by dinner. I used to do my homework in the ruins of an old castle, a 20 min bike ride away. I've never broken any bones, but I did have braces.

I went to college in Austria and England. I lived and worked in Seattle for a year. And then I moved to San Diego and met my husband. And since then, my life has taken a more "settled" aspect to it, even though I conceived two children on the birth control pill, haven't slept through the night in 4 years, lost my Grandma to pancreatic cancer, got diagnosed with an incurable intestinal disease that is eating away at my colon, a college friend that committed suicide, and have parents that are recently separated. I am walking proof that even when everything seems to go wrong, life is still worth living.

I've traveled the world ... I have a degree in Biblical Theology and a license in Massage Therapy. I worked as a baker in Sweden, at an elementary school in San Diego, along with after school programs, and as a nanny. I had a glimpse in the Financial World in which I passed my Series 6 and 63 Exams, and now I am a wife and mother. I used to be a musician, an ice skater, a gymnast, and a dancer. I used to be wild and random and unprepared. I have a wig collection. I still dream in Greek sometimes. Basically, I'm weird.

That is who I am. Or who I was. But I realize, despite the crazy and amazing upbringing I had, it's still my choice who I want to be. This is my life. My life given to me by GOD. A life that would be empty without God's presence in it. A life that would be meaningless, if I didn't have a future to look forward to. I'm sure you can tell that the Switchfoot song is playing in my head in the background. ("This is your life, are you who you want to be".) Sometimes I miss being young and reckless. Sometimes I wish I wasn't turning 30 this year. Sometimes I wish I still wore business suits and high heels to work every day. Sometimes I wish I could remember how to knit. Sometimes I wish I hadn't sold my drum set. I wish, I wish, I wish ... it so isn't worth wishing.

My life is WAY BETTER now, even though I can't remember what happened yesterday, and my wardrobe consists of sweatpants, target tshirts, and running shoes, and I have to maintain a strict diet for the rest of my life (as Brian Regan would say, "and no more happiness!"), I am filled with joy, peace, love, contentment, and security in my God, my husband, my kids, my church, my home. At least I still have my wig collection, right? And even if that were all to be uprooted, which it very well might be, I would still find rest in the presence of God and the contentment in who I am. I am a daughter of the King. What could be better than that?

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Marinade


Ingredients:
1/2 cup Gluten Free Soy Sauce (or regular soy sauce, if gluten is preferred)
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1 garlic Clove, minced
1/2 tsp. Ground Ginger
1 Tbsp. Tapioca Flour/Starch (or regular flour or corn starch)

*Mix all ingredients together in medium bowl
*Cube chicken(or tofu or other meat), place in large zip lock bag, and pour half of the marinade over it. Toss chicken in bag to thoroughly saturate the meat with the sauce.
*Let sit in refrigerator 10 min.
*Add meat and vegetables of choice to oiled skillet and cook.
*Drain out excess oils and fat, and return skillet to burner.
*Add the other 1/2 of marinade mixture to skillet and simmer until done.

Enjoy!

Monday, September 26, 2011

Mini Molten Lava Cakes

Molten Lava Cakes (adapted from Paula Deen’s Home Cooking)

Ingredients:
  • 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 stick) butter
  • 8 oz (1 cup) chocolate chips (any type of chocolate chips will work but I recommend semi-sweet or a combination of bitter and semi-sweet)
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • OPTIONAL : 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur (Kahlua) OR 1 tsp. instant coffee powder
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray 6 -6 ounce custard (ramekin) cups or cupcake tin. In a medium microwavable bowl, melt chocolate chips and butter in the microwave for 60 seconds and then in 30 second increments until smooth (about 1.5-2 minutes total). Add flour and sugar to chocolate/butter sauce. Stir in the eggs and yolks until smooth. Add vanilla and coffee liqueur/instant coffee and mix everything until combined. Divide the batter evenly among the each cups. Place cups on top of a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. The edges should be firm but the center will be runny. Run a knife around the edges to loosen and invert onto dessert plates or you can serve each molten lava cake still in the cup.
Notes

Some optional “finishing” ideas are: sprinkle powdered sugar on top, add a dollop of whipped cream of ice cream, add raspberries or strawberries, or any combination of the above. Enjoy!

I got this recipe from this website: http://savorysweetlife.com/2010/02/molten-lava-cakes-recipe/

My Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Agave Pumpkin Pie (Gluten Free and Sugar Free)

*4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
*1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin
*1/4 tsp salt
*1 tsp cinnamon
*1/3 tsp ground ginger
*1/4 tsp cloves
*1/3 cup Agave Nectar (see pic) - Vons carries this in the baking aisle.
*2 eggs
*1 unbaked 9-inch gluten free crust from Sprouts (see pic) - $7.50 for 2 crusts.

Preheat oven to 425. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add pumpkin and spices. Continue beating until smooth. Add agave nectar and eggs, one at a time. Mix until fully incorporated. Pour filling into pie crust.

Bake 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 and bake an additional 40 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Serve with whipped cream.

Enjoy!!!

Saturday, September 3, 2011

To Be Known

The kids are asleep, the house is quiet, I have candles lit and soft music playing, and I am taking time to think. A rarity these days. And I have had a revelation. I realize that the main desire of life is to be known. Think about it. It all starts back in high school (at least for me, since I was home-schooled up until then). We want to be cool. To be in the "in crowd". To be seated at lunch next to the cool kid. For the teacher to call on us and give not only the right answer, but an awesome answer. To be on the "cool" bus when going on your senior class trip. To be asked to prom by the hottest guy, who is wanted by all the girls. The whole point of all that foolishness is to be known ... recognized ... acknowledged ... noticed.

Then in college. It has to the "cool" college in the "cool" dorm, with the "cool" roommates and the "cool" boyfriend. Only for onlookers. Self-esteem. We want OTHERS to think we have it all together and that we're awesome and worth being around.

Then in the workplace. You want to have the "cool" boss. The "cool" coworkers. The "cool" job. It's all for your reputation ... your resume ... your future.

And then in marriage. God forbid you marry a dork. Someone your parents hate. Someone without a job. Someone who can't wear matching socks. It's all stereotype ... generation ... popularity ... status.

And then social networking. Now THAT'S a sore subject. It's "cool" to have 5000 friends on Facebook, to be tweeting, posting, updating, capturing, plus 1-ing, following. To be followed on Facebook or Twitter is like the best thing ever. To get a Google+ invite, is a dream come true. To be "liked" gives us warm fuzzy feelings inside. REALLY people? Is it all that important that we bear our innermost thoughts (or do we?) on these public sites, just to be noticed ... recognized ... understood ... ??? To tell the world every minute of our day, where we're at, and what we ate, and if we liked it or not, and sharing what our kids said after they took a dump on the floor ... is it really that fulfilling? Does it really matter?

Granted, I do that. I post my life. I am an open book. I LIVE for comments from people about my statuses and my pictures and my quotes and my blog posts. It's fun. Entertaining. Time Consuming. Addicting. And I'm okay with that. I have family overseas, I want them to be involved, to know exactly what my kids are doing, so they don't feel left out. I don't have time to pick up the phone anymore or meet friends for coffee on a regular basis, so the social networks fill that void.

But tonight, in the silence of my home, it dawned on me. Why do I do it? Why do I update the world everyday about my life? Do they REALLY know me? Do they care? How could I be spending better use of my time? Is it worth it? Were journals every really meant to be online?

And I realize, just like everyone else, I want to be known. I want to be cool. I want it to seem like I have it all together. And the truth is, I'm not, I don't, and I never will. I'm not cool. I don't have it all together. And I never will be truly known if my life is merely a status update.

And that brings me to my conclusion. First off, fear not ... I am not going to quit Facebook. I am not going to become a hermit. I couldn't do that to my "followers", lol. I believe that within balance, these things are good. Out of balance, not so good. Anyhow ... I am going to share with you who the real me is. If I really want to be known, I need to stop pretending and get real.

And since this posting is long enough, I will end this "revelation" blog post with that teaser, and start a new one about ME. And I hope that through this I may shed some light on reality, and start a trend of being real ... open ... honest ... And to remind people that there is a life outside of all the social networks. It may be harder to maintain, but so worth the effort.

And on that note, I will leave you with this quote, "To be known, is to be loved". Think about it. Agree or disagree? And why?

Stay tuned ...

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

The Cure

I've running an experiment on my kids. I know that may sound bad, but I'm with them all day, why not experiment on them? lol. For the best, of course. This summer I've relaxed a bit when it comes to sugar intake, morning cartoons, and TV dinners (against my better judgement). It's been a full summer with a lot of "circumstances" that took priority, and so I would just stick my kids in front of a movie and take care of my own business. And I would bribe them with candy just to take a nap each day. And that's just not my style. I don't do stuff like that. Well, I didn't, until recently. And my kids have turned into wild monkeys that whine all the time and if they don't get their way, throw a fit. So I am in search of a cure. Don't tell me to read the latest parenting book or pray about it, I've done all that. And I've learned a lot. But there's more to it. There needs to be action.

So this week, the kids are on a "break" as I'm calling it, from sugar and from television/movies. I want to see if there's a difference in them. What's interesting to me (it's only been 2 days since we started this), is that they haven't missed it yet, like I thought they would. Tristan asked once why we didn't have a picnic lunch on the living room floor (which means movie time), and Kira begged to watch Super Why while I cooked dinner, but I answered them plainly, and gave them options for a different activity and they were fine.

What's MOST interesting, is my involvement. When the television is off, I naturally am spending more time with them. Playing "hide-and-go-seek", coloring, reading books, reading more books, playing with dolls, trains, letting them "do" my hair, letting them help me clean and cook, etc...etc... For the first time in the 3 years of my daughter's life, I have found her occupying herself. If I'm busy cooking or Tristan is playing in the backyard, Kira will wander up to her room and play with her dollhouse and ponies for hours. I didn't even know she was capable of occupying herself!

So, the cure is on it's way. 2 days in, and I'm seeing success already. I hope it continues. But I am leaning towards the real cure, which I believe is TIME. The time I am spending with my kids now is quality. Simple. Fun. Priceless. I can't wait to see how closer we have become at the end of this week, and how happier and less whiny this household can be.

If you feel your kids are out of control and whining all the time, I suggest you try this. For a week. See what happens. You'll be surprised. It may be the hardest week of your life, but it will be the most rewarding. And if your kids ask why they can't have a cookie for finishing their dinner, you say, "It's because in this house, we eat our dinner no matter what. We don't need a reward to do what is right". :-) They'll catch on. Mine have already, and it's only been 2 days.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

What I've heard ...

I haven't blogged in a while, as usual ... it's been a crazy, challenging, busy, awesome, tiring, depressing, inspiring, and educational (and the list goes on) summer. ;-)

As soon as I've had time to clear my thoughts and REALLY sit down and write, I have some good stuff to blog about, but for now, since I'm still trying to catch back up on life after vacation, here are some things I thought were entertaining.

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What I've heard this past week from the mouths of my children:

Tristan: "Mom, let's play doctor. I think you need to come see me in my office, and I need to take your blood pressure, because you're really losing it" (his exact words, no joke!!!). "And if you don't weigh enough, you may need to be shot." (in which he proceeds to give me a "shot", lol)

Kira: "Mama, the CD's are falling off of my dress!" (we bought her a little pink dress in Puerta Vallarta at one of the street vendors, and it's covered in silver sequins. Apparently, she thought they were CD's.

Tristan: "I want a snack, but please no crack". Me: "What did you just say?"(trying to stay calm). Tristan: "I want a snack, but I'm tired of crackers, I want something else". Me: "Oh ok, please say the whole word next time, otherwise people will think you mean a different word". Tristan: "Oh like they might think I mean cookies?". Where do kids come up with these things?

Me: "Kira, it's time to sit down for dinner". Kira: "I'm just not ready".

Tristan: "Mommy, you forgot to spank me after I disobeyed you at our friend's house."

Me: "Kira, would you like to go in the bouncy house?" Kira: "I'm too big for the bouncy house".

Tristan: "When I wake up in the morning, I want to see you sitting on the couch having your devotions and you can say to me, 'Goodmorning, Tristan! You woke up just in time to spend time with Jesus'." (Who's the parent here? haha)


Saturday, June 25, 2011

Broken vs. Put Back Together

I had a revelation the other day ...

The kids were going crazy and begging me to see my bell collection. (Background: I grew up overseas, and collected little bells from every country I went to as a child). So, to quiet the kids down, I reached for one of my bells from my collection and was about to hand it to a child, when it slipped out of my hands and broke into pieces on the kitchen floor. I don't cry every often. And that made me cry. It was my Italy bell. I love Italy. I've been there about 3 times and would go again if I could. But the responsibility to my children reminded me that a trip to Europe wasn't in the agenda anytime soon. Oh and the recent development of my inability to even take part in Italian food ever again, brought those tears to my eyes.

I gathered up the pieces, and set them aside, as I went back to my energy-filled children, looking at me with their giant curious eyes, and we chose to do an art project instead. Hours later, (it felt like decades), when the kids were finally asleep for the night, I gathered up the pieces of my broken Italy bell in my hand and just stared at them for several seconds, until it dawned on me ... "I am a Mother. Therefore, I am Superwoman. If I can kiss 'owwies'(sp?) to make them better, replace batteries in 5 seconds or less to keep a child from screaming, hem a Karate outfit by hand to fit my toddler who doesn't even know what Karate is, brainwash my 2 year old into loving to brush her teeth, clean the ENTIRE house in under 10 minutes because I just remembered I had a playdate scheduled and I didn't want my friend to think I was a slob, and manage to transform from 'stay at home mom in sweatpants' to 'sexy wife in a sundress with lipstick, jewelry, and perfume on', because my husband called and said he's on his way home from work ... IF I CAN DO ALL THAT (and more, lol), AND STILL HAVE MY SANITY, I CAN FIX THIS DARN BELL. :-)

So I did. See pictures at right for proof of my amazing abilities.

After I did, as I placed that "put back together" Italy bell on my display shelf, THAT is when I had my revelation ... Here it is:

In a heartbeat, something can happen that shatters our world. We feel broken, a mess, unraveled. News about the death of a loved one, a deadline at work you know you can't meet, a national disaster that couldn't be prevented even if we tried ... and we're distraught, without a solution or remedy. Then, someone who cares enough, stares at the broken pieces of our hearts, and picks them up, one by one, with determination to put back together what once was shattered. And prevails. Putting back together the broken pieces and making them one again. It takes time, precision, determination, and patience. But it gets done. That is it's destiny. That Italy bell was made to be a bell. Not a bunch of pieces on the floor. Certainly, the pieces on the floor were used to teach a lesson, or to inspire this blog, but there was a destiny for this bell to be a bell. And to bring back memories of childhood and travels and faith in God. I would have never seen Italy as a child, if it weren't for my parents' faith in God to serve Him overseas all those years.

I see myself as that bell. This past year, I feel like I've been suddenly dropped. Broken into a bunch of pieces on the floor. And without help, there's no way I could put myself back together again. It's been a hard year. One crisis after another, one challenge after another, one disappointment after another. If it weren't for my faith in God and His Divine Hand orchestrating my life, and making sure my destiny be fulfilled, I would still be those broken pieces on the floor. But now, I feel his steady and patient hand, putting me back together again, one piece at a time. And now, as I am coming out of this broken season, I am ready to be whole again, as an example of what love, determination and patience can do to a little broken bell! :-)

It's late, and this may not make sense to anyone, but I just had to share it. Hope it encourages you. And also, I really wanted to share in my accomplishment of putting my Italy bell back together, all by myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, April 29, 2011

Questions From My 4 Year Old

It's been a very interesting week full of discussions with my 4 year old son ... some of these have made it to facebook and some have not. Just to give you a glimpse of how entertaining parenting can be, here are his questions:

1). Why is Jesus God?

2). If Jesus is in my heart, does he swallow the food that I eat?

3). When does the Easter Bunny die on the cross? (This one gave me a heart attack!!!)

4). When I'm as tall as Daddy, then I will eat all of my dinner, okay?

5). Why do I stink?

6). Are those kids screaming because their mommy didn't teach them how to be quiet? (said very loudly in a public place, lol)

7.) When will Kira ask Jesus to come into her heart so that she doesn't have to be scared at night?

8). Who is babysitting me this time mommy, and why do you always eat dinner somewhere else? (he's referring to a busy weekend of dinner dates/birthday parties that Drew and I went to in the evenings)

9). Why are you always cleaning everything up?

10.) Does God poop?

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Life is a Party

It's been exactly a month since my last post. And here's why ...

** I've been on a gluten free, dairy free, curry free, and caffeine free diet, which has made me a new person. I have all my energy back, my symptoms are gone, my pain is gone, and I feel like I can finally be the wife and mother God has called me to be. So the reason why this has kept me from blogging, is because I've been out and about doing fun things with the kids, having play dates again, and enjoying life outside of the home for the first time in 2 years.

** We had some fun dinners out with friends of ours. Bowling, Homemade Fajitas with Peach Cobbler for dessert, Thai Food and Miniature Golf. Also, we attended kid birthday parties, had a night out with my mom for pedicures, and sister night going through old photos from childhood. Such a great time. So blessed to have such wonderful family and friends.

** Kira developed a ruptured ear drum, and was in so much pain, that she wouldn't eat or sleep or even play. It was horrible. It wasn't until her ear was oozing, that we realized what was wrong, and immediately took her to the doctor. 14 days of 2 different antibiotics, she finally could say with a smile on her face, "My ear all better, mommy". Thank God. That was the worst.

** My baby sister turned 21! I planned a Birthday Brunch Cruise for her and all her friends and all our family, on board the Hornblower. And it was a blast! So fun and entertaining, and SUCH good food. What a memory we made. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH my baby sister is 21!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

** I went to San Francisco for 4 days! I decided to join my husband on his business trip up north, and left the kids home with all the grandparents. I got to tour around the city on my own, try out new restaurants, meet interesting people while I asked them to take my picture at every landmark (lol), and got quality time with the love of my life. So refreshing and worth it! Everybody needs to get away from time to time. It helps bring perspective and appreciation when returning back home.

** My son Tristan turned 4 years old! We had a little family birthday dinner for him on the night of his birthday, with a Toy Story themed cake, made by the most incredibly talented Mary Thompson, friend of mine. Then we took off and spent 2 days in Disneyland with Drew's parents. The kids LOVED IT. For them, it really was the happiest place on earth. The weather was perfect, the lines were short, the rides were awesome, and the time spent together as a family meeting Pooh Bear and friends, was priceless.

** Tristan had his first sleepover. His best friend from birth spent the night last week. It was awesome! The boys had SO MUCH FUN! And I got a glimpse of what it would be like if I had three kids. As fun as it was, 24 hrs was all I could handle. I don't know how you moms of 3+ kids do it! It took me 2 days to recover. lol. I think I will stick with the 2 kids that I do have. :-)

** I planned a big birthday party for my mom. It was SO MUCH FUN! I love party planning. I made a gluten free carrot cake from scratch, with my own frosting, and planned games for the crowd ("over the hill" bingo, lol), and a raffle fundraiser (the highlight of the evening!!!), and it was all a success! Everyone had such a great time, and it was so much fun. Did I say that already? Yeah, I'm pooped. And it may take me just as long to recover as it did from Tristan's sleepover, but it was worth every minute. I had the best party planning team, and it was awesome. The kids were exceptionally good with a house full of 25 adults!!!! Actually, they were angels. I couldn't have asked for better kids. I love them so much. My husband rocked. He took out the trash 3 times and took the kids outside when they needed a break, and he even beat all of us in the Ping Pong tournament. What a great day.

** Just a few more family birthdays this season, and then hopefully things will settle down to a normal pace.

There's the recap of the last 30 days for all my blog followers. :-) Thanks for reading!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Saint Patrick's Day

When I think of Saint Patrick's Day, 2 things come to mind: the color green and the story of Saint Patrick, according to Veggie Tales. A must see, it's hilarious. You can find it on YouTube if you search under "VeggieTales St. Patrick". :-)

So often we observe all the little American holidays by wearing green, flying the American flag, or handing out valentines, or letting off fireworks, or having BBQ's at the beach, or taking a moment of silence in honor of lost lives, but how many of us REALLY know what these "holidays" mean or where they originated? Does anyone care who Saint Patrick really was? I may be one of the few, but I sure do! I've always loved history, especially Biblical history or Christian history.

So here goes and do bear with me, I think God's call on Saint Patrick is very interesting:

He was born in the 4th Century in Roman Britain, into a very wealthy family. He father and grandfather were both deacons in the church. When he was 16 years old, he was kidnapped by the Irish and taken back to Ireland as a slave. God told him in a dream to leave, so he escaped and returned to Britain where he studied to be a priest. Then God called Patrick back to Ireland (I think it's interesting that God called him back to the place where he was a slave, where he was most probably mistreated), to teach the Irish people about God. The legend has it that he used a shamrock to teach the people about the Trinity (that God exists as three persons, but in one divine being, also called the Godhead.) After 30 years of ministry in Ireland, he died and was buried there. And to this day is still highly esteemed by the Irish Church. (according to Wikipedia).

So, Saint Patrick's Day IS a religious holiday. Over the years of course, since it is celebrated all over the world, has become more of a secular holiday, with lots of drinking and green traditions. But really, it should be a day in honor of a priest and missionary who brought the truth of God to Ireland.

You may be wondering how all this came about ... A sweet neighbor of mine dropped of these Shamrock Cookies today and I was reminded of their meaning (as her and I discussed the Trinity). A three leave clover (or shamrock) is one little plant. But it has three parts all connected. Three in One. Each part is equal, though separate, yet also connected. Very much like The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. All three are GOD, but separate persons equal in power. I am no theologian, but I love this concept, it makes so much sense to me.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day Everyone! (Yeah, I know it's tomorrow, just thought you all might need a heads up so as you celebrate tomorrow, you are celebrating the REAL meaning of St. Patrick's Day).

Monday, February 28, 2011

Reading Labels

As of a day and a half, I am now officially gluten-free, dairy free, and caffeine free. I know it sounds crazy, especially for those of you that know me and know how much I love food.

After about 2 years of battling Ulcerative Colitis and going the medical route, which has been beneficial, (until recently), I am now seeing a nutritionist. The doctors have been amazing when trying to find a proper diagnosis, and then treating the problem with the appropriate meds so that I could go on living as a mother and wife, friend, sister, daughter, all that good stuff. I've had prayer for my condition a couple of times, and by God's grace and miraculous power, He has eased my symptoms and given me an indescribable peace about the whole situation. Such a blessing!

By nature, I can easily accept my condition and just say, "it's alright, I'm used to it, I'll just always be this way". How stupid of me. Can't believe I even thought that! Once we get too comfortable is when life starts taking it's toll, we come the devil's dartboard, and the true meaning in life is gone.

In the wise words of Switchfoot, "This is your life, are you who you want to be? This is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be? When the world was younger and you had everything to lose" ... I hear that song playing in my head and I'm thinking, "NO! This isn't who I want to be. I don't want to be that loner lady who stays at home and has no fun because she can't control her bowels. NO! I don't want to be that mom that ditches her shopping cart in Target and grabs her kids and runs to the bathroom in hopes to make it before she craps her pants. NO! I don't want to be tired and grumpy all the time. NO! I don't want to be sticking medicated enemas up my butt every night." :-)

So, I met with an amazing nutritionist who after a 2.5 hour consultation has narrowed down my symptoms to a highly possible food allergy, and has given me herbal anti-inflammatories, herbal digestive supports, a diet guide, and weekly consultation so that we can get me back to health! And THAT is why I am now gluten free, dairy free, and caffeine free. It's going to be tough at first, but once I start seeing a difference, it will be worth every minute!!!

And now, I read food labels. I never thought I'd be that person. Normally my response would be, "Donuts? Bring 'em on! Burgers and Fries? But of course! Deep Fried Snickers Bars? Why not!!!" Ha. Not anymore. God knew I loved to read. So he's given me another area to research and read up on. I love the irony of life. Growing up, I used to always joke about poop and rewrite books and put the word poop in every sentence and read them to my sisters to make them laugh. And now, I get to deal with poop on a regular basis. God has a sense of humor, that's for sure.

Anyways, I've been praying that God would change me from the inside out, and now it begins. A whole new diet, a whole new attitude, a whole new life! Can't wait to see the difference!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Cream Cheese Won-Ton Recipe

CREAM CHEESE WON-TONS

* Two 8oz Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese, softened
* 1 pkg Won-ton Wrappers
* 1 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
* Dash of Black Pepper

Mix together all above ingredients in a Tupperware (makes about 60 won-tons, so I refrigerate the rest of the mixture and use within the week)

Pour canola oil or vegetable oil in a frying pan about 1 inch deep. Let it heat on med-high while you're filling the won-ton wrappers.

Take a won-ton wrapper and place 1 tsp of filling in the center. Moisten the edges of the wrapper with water, then raise all the points of the won-ton square together, completely covering the filling, just like a dumpling pouch.

Gently place the won-tons in the frying pan and fry to golden brown, just about 30-60 seconds. Place on plate covered with a paper towel (to soak up the oil). While cooking the rest of the won-tons, place a damp paper towel over the already cooked won-tons to keep them moist.

Serve with Sweet n Sour Sauce or Raspberry Chipotle Sauce (from Costco!)

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Crock Pot Tortilla Soup Recipe

Tortilla Soup ala Harmony

*Pour 8 cups Water into crock pot
* Wisk in 1 package "Bear Creek Tortilla Soup Mix" (found at Vons and Wal Mart)
* Add 2 cans Black Beans
* Add 2 cans Mixed Veggies (I like to use the potatoes, carrots, and green beans)

Cook on HIGH in Crock Pot for 4-6 hours. (the longer it cooks, the softer the veggies are)

* One hour prior to the end of cook time, add in 2 cans shredded chicken or 1 package chopped tofu (depending on your protein preferences).

* Serve topped with sour cream and crushes tortilla chips
* This recipe will feed an army, so be prepared to share with neighbors or eat leftovers for a week (but it turns out SO delicious, no one minds the leftovers!!!)

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Take Your Time

I haven't blogged in a while, and the main reason is life has gotten busy again. Time seemed to stand still during the holidays, since I was sick for most of it, but despite that, I enjoyed the down time. The time to read, write, think, and pray. The time to cuddle with my children. The time to sit down and relax with my husband. The time to take walks and play at parks. The time to call a friend or respond to an email. The time to sit at the feet of Jesus and wait for Him to speak. The time to meet a friend for coffee or the time to get pedicures with my sisters. The time to take an afternoon nap. The list goes on.

The sad thing is, that time is gone. This new year is in full swing now and all the calendar days are filled with ink. I often ask myself, "why and how did we get so busy?" "Why am I always rushing around picking up toys and doing laundry instead of sitting down and reading books to my kids?" "Why do my husband and I feel like roommates with opposite work hours?" My goal for this week (I figure, one week at a time, I can handle), is to sit back and enjoy every moment and take the time to just BE with my Lord, my husband, my kids, my family, my friends. Instead of rushing through it all, I want to "stand and stare" like the following poem explains, instead of having "no time to see the woods we pass" ...

Leisure

(by William Henry Davies)

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this is if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Funny Sleep Moments

I wake up at 3am, because there's a light shining into my bedroom from downstairs and my defenses go up as I grab a baseball bat and head down my staircase of doom to protect my household from an intruder, and lo and behold I find it's coming from the hallway and my son's bedroom and he's passed out in his closet, with toys surrounding him and toys all over his bedroom floor. I remember cleaning up his room before he went to bed with all the toys in the appropriate bins, which led me to the conclusion that he had woken up at some point in the middle of the night, thought it was morning, and started playing in his room and then fell asleep in his closet. After snapping a picture, I covered him with his blanket and turned off the lights and went back to bed, hoping he would just stay asleep until morning.

This morning, I wake up and he's already up playing in his room, and I ask him why he fell asleep in his closet and he all he said was, "I woke up because there was a blanket on me and all the lights were turned off so I got up and played". Then I realized he'd been awake since 3am playing in his room! The bags under his eyes were proof! What am I to do with my night owl? This isn't the first time he's woken up in the middle of the night and played in his room.

Then after lunch, he lays down to drink his milk on the couch, while I go upstairs to put Kira to bed and when I came back down, he was passed out! See picture on the right. I love these moments. Kids are too funny and unpredictable.

Since this blog was all about Tristan, my next one will be about Kira and her funny moments. :-)

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Catch Up Time

I realized looking back that I haven't really blogged about "life" since the end of October. So, here is a little recap of November and December (you can follow along in with the pictures to the right):

In November, we went to Big Bear twice (once with snow!) and had fun relaxing as a family. We took walks through the trails in the woods and made a frosty the snowman, which the kids loved! Kira's Wall Mural was being painted this month, and every day there was such excitement as we would go upstairs to see what got painted next (a tree, a butterfly, a castle?). It was a lot of fun, and still is, with the project complete, Kira's room is the friendliest, happiest place in our house. Much like the personality of our little 2 year old princess.

We also hosted Thanksgiving at our house for my family and that was a lot of fun. With a huge feast in which Drew prepared his first Turkey (the best one I've ever tasted!), we ended the night reminiscing on past Thanksgivings, a treasure hunt for the kids, Dance Dance Revolution, and a few rounds of very competitive Spoons.

In December, our days were full of fun things like: going over to my Grandpa's house and helping him decorate his Christmas Tree, seeing the Live Nativity at Horizon North County, a Cutthroat Cookie Contest with my MOMs Group at Church, a nice elegant Christmas Women's Dinner at church, Christmas Shopping, Tristan participating in his first Christmas Performance with his Sunday School Class in front of the whole church ... and I'm sure there's more I just can't remember! We hosted Christmas Eve at our house for all my family and that was a riot. Another huge feast, an evening filled with games and sharing talents, a ping pong tournament, and opening presents. On Christmas Day, we had a chill morning at home as family, reading the Christmas Story and opening presents. Then while the kids slept, I went to see all my cousins and aunts and uncles in Carlsbad for a few hours. That was a real treat. I hadn't seen them since the summer. When I got back, we all headed off to Drew's parents house for another amazing feast, sitting by the fire telling stories, and the kids got to open more gifts! What a fun family-filled day!

The week after Christmas was an adventure, to say the least. I woke up the morning after Christmas with a very painful sore throat and dizzy spells. Thankfully Drew had the week off from work, so he took on the responsibilities of Mr. Mom while I tried to get better with every home remedy in the book. A couple days later, we celebrated by dad's birthday and brought him breakfast and then took him out to a movie later that night, just us sisters! I couldn't swallow or breathe, and actually had completely lost my voice, but it was still fun! The next day, we went to see a play at Lambs Players in Coronado, in which I was still voice-less and felt like Darth Vader, because that's what my breathing sounded like. Finally, on the 30th, I drove myself to Urgent Care because I felt as though I was swallowing glass. It was excruciating, worse than childbirth. I find out I have Strep and a Sinus Infection, so doc prescribes an antibiotic and I go home, praying the meds kick in in time for me to enjoy my 29th Birthday the next day.

At 2am, Tristan wakes me up, because the kitchen is flooded. How he knew this, I do not know. SO I wake up Drew, and it takes us an hour to clean up all the water and find the source. Seems the garbage disposal got backed up, and when I ran the dishwasher before bed, well, there ya go, water everywhere. We go back to sleep and I wake up on my birthday, still no voice, but at least the pain is gone, and my whole family came to serve me Breakfast in Bed and presents. What a treat! If only I didn't feel like poop. Thanks to my wonderful husband and amazing family, they took care of the kids, while I slept the rest of the day. I was too dizzy to get up.

That evening, we had plans to have dinner with friends, so I get all dressed up, take a dose of antibiotic, and I'm thinking, "I slept all day, I should be fine to go out on by birthday!" Ha! Drew and I are driving down the freeway, and suddenly, I feel really sick and I beg Drew to pull over. Immediately. Knowing the dangers of doing this on the freeway, I'm looking frantically around the car for a plastic bag or magazine or something to throw up in. Nothing! So he finally pulls over on the side of the freeway, and I jump out and threw up several times. I get back in, totally unprepared for this event, wishing I had my diaper bag with baby wipes so I could clean up, and Drew attempts to start the car. Nothing. He tries again. Nothing.

We look at each other and start laughing, this can't be happening! His battery died! I finally resorted to using a shammy(sp?) to wipe my face off (that's all we had!) and we try jump starting the car, with drew pushing from behind and me with my hands on the wheel from the passenger side. A few times to no avail. So I offer to go out and push the car while he tries to jump start it. Picture this: A young couple, parked alongside the freeway, wife just barfed everywhere, and she gets out and pushes the car from behind in a dress and heels! If ONLY there were a hidden camera. Finally, we get the car going and we continue on down to meet our friends for dinner.

We ended up having a lovely evening and finally realized it was the antibiotic making me puke, so after I stopped it, I began feeling much better and called the doc the next day for a different one so I could recover 100%. We spent the night at our friends house, push started the car again the next morning, picked up a battery on our way home, and THAT was the start of 2011!

And now, with New Years Resolutions in mind (sticker charts for the kids, potty training Kira, a cleaner house, daily devotions with the Kids, taking the time to actually decorate my house, etc..etc...), it's been a wonderful new year so far and I'm hoping it continues to be so!

Now that you're all caught up, my future blog updates won't be so long. :-)

Friday, January 7, 2011

"Legacy of Love" dedicated to my Grandma Caligiuri

LEGACY OF LOVE

Why do we start traditions
After our loved ones are gone
Why do we share our secrets
With flowers and a grave

Why do we wait to let tears fall
Until we're kneeling in the dirt
Why do we wait to appreciate
Until after it's too late

I wish we'd started these traditions
While you were still here
I wish I had told you my secrets
While you had a listening ear

I wish I had let you see me cry
When life was hard and times were tough
I wish I had told you how important you were to me
And how your love was always just enough

But now even though you're gone
And even though the ache is here
Your legacy of love
Still draws everyone near

I remind myself as the memories flood in
How much better it must be for you in Heaven
Because life is hard and times are tough
And only God's love is more than enough