Another week in photos

Obviously, this photo-documentation of our weeks is growing on me. 

Sarah got home from her Seattle trip (late) last Saturday night. She sat in the floor and talked our heads off until after 1AM. She had a great time and we were all so happy to have her home...even Will. I say this all the time but I am very grateful for kids that love each other.

Late Sunday afternoon we went to The Rock House for some ice cream. 

Dairy disagrees with me so I had lemon sorbet. One word: YUM! 

Later than evening we grilled flank steak for dinner. Southwestern flank steak and Greek salad is my favorite summer meal. Have I mentioned that I'm a carnivore? I love meat, but especially red meat. 

On Monday night Will had his senior pictures made. I know it seems early, but the yearbook submission deadline is mid-September and I was ready to have that crossed off of my mental list. We did them outdoors at a park with amazing views of the mountains. I cannot wait to see the proofs.

Obviously, I'm the amateur photographer but see why I'm excited about the proofs?

Wednesday night, we put these guys on a plane to Arkansas where they're spending the week with their grandparents. They arrived safe and sound and are having a great time.

Originally John and I had planned to get away to the mountains but finances plus an unexpected project derailed those plans. Our adjusted plan has been fun though. We've been spending our daytime hours working on our "project" (hopefully I can share a little about that next week!)(it's exciting!) and our evenings OUT on the town. Ha ha. That basically means we go out to dinner and are back home by 7pm.

Yesterday we left around noon, went to lunch and to Costco, then went downtown and saw a movie. Wish I Was Here. You know we like those odd, quirky films and this one didn't disappoint. I really liked it.

Meanwhile, our kids were having fun in the sun. :)

We had dinner in Old Colorado City with two of our favorite people in the world and on the way home, we drove past Garden of the Gods. I made John stop so I could take a picture. This view just never gets olds. Stunning, isn't it?

Happy weekend, folks! John just brought me breakfast in bed so I'm signing off to enjoy a few more minutes of leisure before I get in project mode.

What I Ate Wednesday

There are a couple of food and nutrition blogs I read that do a "What I Ate Wednesday" post each week and maybe I'm a nerd but I find it fascinating to see what others eat. 

I remembered to take pics yesterday, so this is really What-I-Ate-Tuesday-but-I'm-posting-on-Wednesday-because-the-title-flows-better kind of post. 

Breakfast (around 7:30AM):

Two cups of coffee (with splash of almond milk) and Tropical Strawberry Shakeology blended with almond milk, fresh raspberries, and pineapple. I've tried to give up coffee y'all but I just can't. It's a simple pleasure and it's staying. Forever.

Mid morning snack (around 10:00AM): Raspberries and blueberries. Yummmmm. Berries of any sort are my very favorite. I ate almost half of this container before remembering to take a picture!

Lunch (around 11:30AM): I had some mixed greens in the fridge that I needed to use up so I topped that with some yellow cherry tomatoes, purple onion, diced orange pepper, craisins, and some leftover quinoa. I drizzled some balsamic vinaigrette and some olive oil over it all and called it lunch. It's basically a clean-out the fridge salad...and it was tasty!

Mid afternoon snack (around 2pm): Yogurt. This pomegranate flavor is my favorite.

I started making dinner around 5pm and snacked on some slices or orange bell peppers (forgot to take a picture of that snack!)

Dinner (5:30pm): Grilled hamburger patty topped with tomato and avocado, oven roasted sweet potatoes, and cherry tomatoes. I also added ketchup to my sweet potatoes after I snapped this picture. 

And there you have it--What I Ate Wednesday.

A few months ago, I did the 21 Day Fix. It's a nutrition/fitness program that comes with portion control containers and an eating plan that takes the guess work out of losing weight. It's been months since I did the program but I find myself referring to the eating plan often as a way to make sure I fuel my body with the right combination of foods.

Here's how yesterday stacked up on the 21 Day Fix eating plan.

Based on my weight and my calorie needs, I should eat:

3 green containers (veggies)

4 red containers (lean protein)

2 purple containers (fruit)

2 yellow containers (healthy carbs)

1 blue container (healthy fats)

1 orange container (salad dressings)

Here's how I did:

3 green containers: salad greens (2) salad veggies (1) snack/dinner (1) = 4

4 red containers: Shakeology (1) yogurt (1) hamburger patty (1) = 3

2 purple containers: fruit in Shakeology (1) berries (1) = 2

2 yellow containers: quinoa on salad (1) sweet potatoes (1) = 2

1 blue container: avocado on burger (1) = 1

1 orange container: dressing on salad + oil for sweet potatoes = 1

I was short on protein. I could have remedied that by adding some chicken to my lunchtime salad but quinoa is packed with protein so I'm going to assume I got enough. The almond milk is considered a yellow container, which I just realized I didn't count, and I didn't count the craisins or ketchup either but you know, I'm not a stickler about that stuff. I don't count calories. I don't stress about carbs. I just try to put real, healthy food in my body! I should probably do a post like this for days that I don't eat so clean...because believe me, I have days like that too! 

SMP 7.22.14

SMP = Seven Minute Post

Good morning and Happy Tuesday. I love Tuesdays. Mondays are my busy, busy day but Tuesdays are usually unplanned and laid back for me. I woke the girls up a few minutes ago and asked if they wanted to go to the pool since it's finally sunny and hot, but they both said no and rolled right back over. Well, alrighty, I guess we're not going to the pool today so that leaves my day wide open! I'll take it. I'm starting to feel sad about school staring back in a few weeks. I'm not ready to give up these long, lazy days. 

Switching gears...

We've lived here for almost eleven years and last evening I discovered a beautiful park in Colorado Springs that I didn't even know existed. It was so tranquil, not to mention GORGEOUS! I have big plans to do some more exploring there in the very near future. It's always fun to discover new things to love about where you live. 

I don't usually find Will to be my "chatty" kid but last night I had a few hours alone with him and he was super talkative. I love that kid and am so proud of who he is becoming. This coming year is going to be a big one for him but he is already navigating his way with confidence, purpose, humor, and some really great friends by his side. 

My seven minutes are up and my wide-open day is beckoning. Peace out, peeps. 

Another week in pictures

How about another round of my week in photos?

Abbey's friend spend the night with us on Monday and our plan was to get up and go to the pool on Tuesday. Sadly, we woke up to a cold, cloudy day with little chance of temps climbing out of the 60s so I gave them the choice of seeing a movie or going bowling at Bass Pro Shop. They chose bowling.

Shark! I crack myself up.

It has been a chilly, rainy week and I thought a puzzle would be a fun afternoon distraction. I love puzzles, always have. I have really good memories of putting puzzles together with my grandmother.

I discovered this yummy popcorn this week. I love sriracha and this snack did not disappoint. YUM! Beware, it's got some kick to it. That's why I love it.

I haven't made this roasted veggie and rice dish in a really long time but it was a great way to use up some squash and zucchini I had in the fridge. It's delicious and easy. Pair it with a roasted chicken ($5 from Costco) and you've got a quick, tasty meal!

Puzzle progress!

This cutie and I had a girls night out on Thursday. We went to see Earth to Echo (we really liked it) then shopped for a few things she needed for her trip to Arkansas next week. She talked my head off and I loved every minute of it. Abbey has really missed her sister this week.

I haven't hiked as much as I'd hoped to this summer, but a friend invited me to go yesterday and I was grateful for a chance to get outside. I was even more grateful for a beautiful SUNNY day after a week of weird weather.

I had lunch with a sweet friend one day...I liked what was inside my fortune cookie. Positivity is good.

Sure wish someone would have told me my sweater was on wrong side out yesterday afternoon. I was out running errands and John told me after I got home. Ironically he'd been out running errands with me. SERIOUSLY? He didn't notice? I am a D-O-R-K.

Finally finished our puzzle. Now what to work on next?

This is my favorite kind of morning--in bed with my coffee and computer. I laughed when I took this picture because IRONY! Unplug? Ha. Obviously, I'm not unplugged this morning.

Happy Weekend, everyone!!!!!! 

Currently:::July

Current Read: Still reading this book. Next up: The Fault In Our Stars.

Current Playlist: John and I have gotten sucked into one of those crazy 80s music informercials not once but twice in the last month. We used great restraint and didn't buy the (overpriced) set of CDs but I did download some sweet vintage tunes to my iPod. Right now I'm digging Phil Collins and Richard Marx. I've been mixing it up with some One Direction to keep things current. And Ingrid Michaelson. And Colbie Callait. Oh my word. I LOVE her new song "Try" so, so much.

Current Color(s): Aqua. It's just so summery.

Current Food: Homemade hummus. Y'all! Don't buy hummus; make your own! It's super easy. I made a batch in less than five minutes last weekend. The hardest part is opening the can of garbanzo beans. Seriously.

Current Favorite Favorite: This Rodan + Fields sunless tanner. My Life Is Good mug. Hiking. PiYo. Summer. The pool. Raspberries.

Current Addiction: Iced peach tea.

Current Wish List: This nail polish. I really, really love shellac but it destroys my nails. This is long-lasting polish and can be removed with regular remover. I want to try it! I also want one of these veggie spiralizers. 

Current Need: I need some kitchen inspiration! I'm also saving for a new MacBook. Mine is 5+ years old and starting to show her age.

Current Laugh: I secretly giggle when I see 40+ year old people using emoticons on social media. I promise I'm not making fun of you if you do this. It just makes me giggle. A friend's mom replied to a post on Facebook last week with a string of emoticons and it cracked me up. She's easily 65+ years old but if you didn't know that you'd probably have thought she was a teenager by her response. If you're 40+ and don't know what an emoticon is, then good for you!

Current Triumph: I haven't had a soda in 4 weeks. I was telling John this one night last week and he said, "I bet I haven't had a soda in 10 years". Well, okay then Mr. Smarty Pants. You win.

Current Annoyance: I have a varicose vein in my left leg. It's been there for years (popped up during my third pregnancy) but it's gotten worse this summer and is just painful and achy. I'm not really a fan of elective surgery but it's bothersome enough that I'll consider that as an option. I'm going to look into some herbal treatments and even essential oils before I resort to that though. Anyone have any tried and true remedies? 

Current Blessing(s): Provision. Peace. Family. Health.

Current Outfit: Sweaty workout clothes. They're cute sweaty workout clothes though. 

Current Excitement: Our kids are headed to Arkansas next week and I'm excited for them to get to see family. I'm also excited that John and I will have some time alone. We're still not sure what we're doing but just being together will be fun.

Current Project(s): Will is having his senior pictures made next week so I'm trying to help him figure out what he wants to wear (boys! he could really care less about this!) and trying to figure out the location. I'm also trying to go through old pics and get them organized for some sort of album for him. I know if I put this off until next spring I will regret it!

Current plans for the day: I was going to take Abbey and her friend to the pool but it's not looking like a pool day. Maybe we'll see a movie instead? Other than that, I don't have much planned.

Current link: I agree so strongly with this article about how to talk to your daughter about her body. I know so many adult women with body image issues and I think it's so easy to (unknowingly) pass that stuff on to daughters. Let's change the conversation!!!!

Peace out, peeps!

A week in photos

Last Sunday my friend and I hiked Eagle Peak. I did this same hike in June when it was too cloudy to see much from the top. This day was totally different!

 In the picture below that tall, faraway mountain is Pikes Peak.

There is a meadow near the top of Eagle Peak and it was FULL of Columbine. Made my heart so happy.

John sent the girls and I to the spa one day this week for pedicures. Except the girls both wanted manicures instead. I opted for the pedi...and had a MUCH better experience than I did last time!

I love these girls of mine so much!

I also really, really love my PiYo workout. And my yoga mat. And my fresh pedi. 

 So, ummmmmmmm, this happened. I was too lazy to put the lid on the blender when I was making a shake. If you're ever tempted to think that you can just put your hand(s) over the top and call it good please think again. Trust me on this on.

 This is my very favorite salad. I could eat it every day...and I think I have this week. Recipe here.

This pretty girl is sixteen years old TODAY! She left early this morning for Seattle where she'll be all week with a group from our church doing mission work. 

Since we knew she was leaving on her birthday, we've tried to do a little something each day this week to make her feel celebrated. One night we managed to pull of a little surprise party for her! We invited some of her friends over for cupcakes and homemade ice cream (cookies and cream....YUM!) It was a fun night and she was quite surprised! Her youth group is going to celebrate her tonight in Seattle (shhh...another surprise!) so I think she'll feel the birthday love. 

The photo below makes me smile and even get a little teary-eyed. We pulled out some of our family photo albums last night--a birthday tradition--and spent some time looking through them. I rarely scrapbook these days but I am so grateful for the time I spent putting those albums together when my kids were smaller. They LOVE looking through them and reading the stuff I journaled about. It's stuff that I probably would not remember if it wasn't written down. All those scrapbooks tell the story of our family...and it's my favorite story of all.

Happy Sunday, everyone!

Pursuing Health: Do You Want To Get Well?

I've shared a few times here on the blog about "that getting healthy thing God has been calling me to" but it's always been pretty vague. I've felt lately that it was time to share a little more about what that has looked like for me.

One morning earlier this year, I was reading my Bible and came across the story of the paralytic by the pool of Bethesda. If you're unfamiliar with this scripture passage, you can read John 5:1-9 here but basically Jesus comes across a man who has been paralyzed for a long, long time. This man is waiting by a pool for a chance to be cured by it's healing waters. Jesus asks him, "Do you want to get well?" then proceeds to heal the man.

I'll be honest, scripture doesn't usually jump off the page at me but on that particular February day it DID. I knew deep down that Jesus was asking me that same question. Do you want to get well?

The question stayed with me for days. I'd already has the sense that God was directing  me to "health" this year but I didn't realize how desperate I was for it. Like the man by the pool in John 5, there were/are some things in my life that have kept me spiritually, emotionally and relationally "paralyzed" for a long time.

A few summers ago, I was desperate for physical health. I was dealing with a recurrent health issue and was so tired of taking medicine that only treated my symptoms and left the root cause untreated resulting in vicious cycle of infection/meds. Once I finally identified and began to treat the root of the issue, my health improved drastically. As I pondered Jesus' question, "do you want to get well?" I realized that He was really asking me if I'd quit trying to treat some of my "soul" symptoms and let Him heal those root issues in my heart.

It's kind of scary to deal with your own "stuff", ya know? The paralytic in John 5 initially responded to Jesus' question about getting well with an excuse, and I found myself doing the same thing. I really prefer to think I have my act together most of the time and I can take care of myself thankyouverymuch. The truth is that I don't have it together--not even close. The truth is that trying to treat your "symptoms" might bring temporary relief, but it's ultimately exhausting and will only keep the vicious cycle going.

I was still wrestling with the "do you want to get well" invitation and my multitude of excuses when I went to hear Christine Caine speak one morning at New Life Church. She is an amazing speaker and said so many good things that day but the only note I took was this:

The only thing I could do after that was to submit!

For me this healing process involved identifying and pulling way, way back from a lot of things that weren't good for me. It also involved a lot of self-examination and a lot of prayer, as well as some counseling. It hasn't been easy (two steps forward, one step back) and I'm still not where I desire to be but it has brought tremendous peace and blessing in these four areas of health: spiritual, emotional, relational, and physical.

Stay tuned for Part II.

Stuff that makes me happy

Just a couple things that are making my life HAPPY right now...

1. One of the things on my to-do list today was to purchase plane tickets for a trip the girls and I are taking next month. I've been searching around for fares and found a pretty good deal and wanted to snag it before it increased. I forgot to buy it yesterday so it was on the top of my list today. Well, I woke up to a 20% off coupon from the airline in my inbox this morning. 20% off of airfare is nothing to sneeze at. I'm doing a little happy dance right now because my tickets were super cheap. YAY! I'll fill you in on our trip a little closer to time. It's going to be fun!!!

2. John and I celebrated our TWENTY-FOURTH wedding anniversary on Monday. Twenty-four years. That is so crazy to me. We spent some time on Monday talking about our years together and all the people who've been a part of our story--the good, the hard, all of it. We've had our share of heartache over the years but mostly we're just grateful for a happy marriage. It's a blessing that we don't take for granted. 

3. You know I love yoga, right? I bought a new PiYo workout program and I am loving it. It's a combo of Pilates and yoga and it's faster-paced than traditional yoga but I'm 10 days in and I already feel stronger! Excercise makes me happy!

4. I walked in the family room the other day to find my girls snuggled up together watching a movie. They are SO sweet to each other and it just makes my heart happy to see them love each other. It's a huge blessing.

5. Yesterday our high temps didn't climb out of the 60s. Summer in Colorado makes me HAPPY! I miss the south, but I certainly don't miss the heat and humidity...or the mosquitos.

Happy HUMP DAY, everyone!

June Currents

Current Read: Yesterday I started reading And The Dark Sacred Night by Julia Glass for the sole reason that it was in a stack of books John brought home from work (working for a publisher has it's perks). I know nothing about it but am fifty-five pages in and haven't lost interest so that's good. I recently finished The Secret Keeper (very, very good) and The Aviator's Wife (also very good!) I guess I'm on a reading kick. That's typical of summer. Yahoo!

Current Playlist: I'm so boring. I like listening to the same stuff over and over. It's a mix of pop and worship music, but this song is my current fave and I put it on repeat often.

Current Color(s): Navy and white with aqua.

Current Food: Gazpacho. So yummy! I've been trying to eat more veggies so this soup is an excellent way to get all my servings in each day.

Current Favorite Favorite: Lazy summer days at the pool!

Current Addiction: Shaved ice with our homemade sno-cone syrup! They are perfect on hot, sunny days.

Current Wish List: A getaway with my husband. Psssst--I think my wish is going to come true soon.

Current Need: An audio cord to connect my iPod to my car's AV output jack. I splurged and bought one for myself yesterday ($2). I left my old one in the rental car I had while my vehicle was being repaired.

Current Triumph: I feel like surviving May and June was a triumph. Crazy-crazy-crazy busy months! OH YEAH! I finally beat the game 2048. HUGE triumph.

Current Annoyance: I got a pedicure a couple of weeks ago with a gift card I'd had for over a year and forgotten about. WORST PEDICURE EVER! The polish was sloppy and the girl didn't even exfoliate my (rough, gross) feet. Wish I'd used that gift card on a massage or something instead. Oh well. :)

Current Mood: It's summer...how can one not be HAPPY!?! And relaxed! Yay!

Current Blessing(s): Will is home from his work crew assignment at Crooked Creek. After almost a month away, it's so nice to have everyone home together again. Another huge blessing is having John home with us for a couple days a week this summer. He moved to a part-time job earlier this year that allows him to work only three days a week which makes for some nice family days together and I LOVE THAT SO MUCH!

Current Outfit: Shorts and a t-shirt. I wore a skirt TWICE this week and that's rare for me so it must be noted. 

Current Excitement: The 4th of July is almost here. It's my favorite holiday and I'm excited to spend it with my family.

Current Project(s): I'm taking the month off from projects. Ha! I'm finally moving into my lazy summer stretch and I just want to enjoy it without having "projects" hanging over my head.

Current plans for the day: Well, the day is winding down but I'm going to make dinner soon and start prepping for tomorrow, which is my "get-everything-done-so-we-can-play-all-week" day.

Peace out, peeps!

A lesson learned

I've just returned from Las Vegas for Beachbody Coach Summit. I'm a Beachbody coach but I also work part time for a friend who has a highly successful Beachbody business. I went to Summit as her worker-bee assistant, but also for fun and learning for myself. I had a great time, but man-oh-man, Vegas is weird and definitely lives up to it's reputation. I saw a LOT of things I wish I hadn't. Ha!

I had a realization on the flight home that I've been mulling over for a few days. It was one of those "aha" moments for me.

The flight we were on didn't have seat assignments. You choose your seat on the plane based on what's available when you board. By the time we boarded, all of the aisle seats and window seats were taken. So I found a middle seat between two guys that weren't too scary looking. Well, actually one looked normal and the other looked a bit like a thug, but the seat was close to the front so if I had to take a middle seat then at least I could exit the plane quickly after we landed. Strategy. 

Since it's kind of creepy to stare at your seatmates, I didn't. But the "thug" next to me had lots of piercings and tattoos and was dressed in mostly black (goth) and I was certain that the music he was listening to on his iPod was nothing at all like the music on mine. Judgement.

Usually on airplanes I do not enjoy talking to people. Which is the complete opposite of my personality. If you were to ask my children, they'd tell you (while rolling their eyes) that I talk to anyone and everyone all the time--in the grocery store, in the drive-thru, in parking lots, elevators, etc. I'd watched my boss on this trip talk to everyone around her and we joked about her making friends wherever she went, so I decided I should probably be a tad friendlier to my seatmates. It helped that the USA-Portugal soccer match was in it's final moments while we were boarding so that made for easy conversation since the whole Las Vegas airport was watching (and cheering)! We made small talk about the World Cup and then about football. They were impressed with my knowledge and my all-girls fantasy football league! I thought that our enjoyment of football was where our shared interests ended so I put my earbuds in and put some music on and felt like I'd done my best to be polite.

As we neared Denver, the "thug" next to me opened his window shade and peered out at the Rocky Mountains. And since you guys know I LOVE the mountains, I peered out too.

The strangest thing then happened. That "thug" got so excited and started pointing things out to me about the things he was seeing out the window--the mountain streams, the passes, the birds, the clouds. Everything. He was giddy about the beauty of the place we both call home. We then had the nicest conversation about hiking and 14ers and the stunning beauty of Colorado and how much we both love where we live. It was a sweet moment. I'm pretty sure I'm old enough to be his mother and I'm pretty sure his lifestyle is much different than mine but ya know what? We connected over beauty. It was so cool to find something in common with someone so outwardly different than me...and it was very moving to see his response to it.

So the thing I can't stop thinking about?
DO NOT PRE-JUDGE someone you haven't met. Be open to conversation. Be open to connection.
If I'd gone through my normal air travel routine I might have missed a moment of true beauty. We're all more alike than we realize sometimes. The guy I had labeled a thug turned out to be a really nice guy with a giant love of nature and people. And fyi, he talked my head off the rest of the flight. And I enjoyed it.

Lesson learned.

Catch-Up List

I feel like the only way I can semi-catch up here on the blog is by making a list of what we've been up to. So here we go.

1. We have two weeks of summer under our belt. All of my kids finished up on May 22 and the slower pace of summer has been amazing. No daily schedule? I'll take it. Actually, I still have a bit of a work schedule to follow but my kids? They are gloriously free from the calendar and clock. I love the rhythm of summer. I'm looking forward to a couple more months of this slower, relaxed pace.

Above: Went to lunch with this group of Abbey's friends after their 6th grade continuation ceremony. They were giddy about being out of school. 
Below: Froyo to celebrate the end of school! I'm missing a kiddo in this picture; Will was out with friends.

2. I celebrated my birthday a week or so ago. It was number forty-four. I had the BEST day--actually the best week--and felt loved and celebrated. On my birthday, I was reflecting about where I am in life right now. I'm in a really good place. I've intentionally stepped away from some unhealthy people/things over the past few years (but specifically THIS year) and the people and things that remain in my life just feel right. I'm tempted to be sad that it took me forty-four years to get to this place but instead I choose to be grateful for all the twisty paths God led me down to bring me to where I am today. I'm much wiser for it.

3. The last week in May was a doozy. I had a minor fender-bender in the elementary school parking lot one morning when a dad rear-ended my vehicle in the drop off line. Ugh. A few days later my washer AND dryer both died, followed promptly by the death of our garage door. Ch-ching. Things are looking up though. My vehicle was repaired last week and my new washer and dryer are great and being put to daily use. I've heard bad things happen in three's. Since that was FOUR, I'm hoping I'm off the hook for awhile.

You can't really see the damage--and thank goodness it wasn't too much--but part of my bumper and some trim was damaged as well as lots of scratches. It looks brand new now!

4. We took Will to Crooked Creek Ranch (a Young Life camp) last week where he'll be serving on work crew for most of June. He worked there last year as well but has a different job this summer. I haven't talked to him since we dropped him off nine days ago (they surrender their cell phones) but he called one afternoon while I was out and talked to John. He's doing well and really enjoying it this year. I'm pretty proud of him.

So grateful for this place and the role it has played in my son's life. 

5. While I was getting Will ready for camp, I started digging through/cleaning out closets and decided to have a garage sale. I'm really not a big garage sale girl--too much work for too little moolah--but we had a ton of good stuff and John said he'd help me so we scheduled it. It went off without a hitch and we made a decent amount so it was all worth it in the end.

6. I didn't really have time to paint the girls' room this week but they'd been begging me for awhile and I actually bought the paint LAST YEAR and never gotten to it, so we tackled it together. Key word: together. They went with a light purple. It looks really good, now we just need to find some new bedding. Decorating is not really my strong suit--searching for bedding, accents, and actually pulling a room together feels like climbing Everest to me.

She wanted to use the little roller...until she realized how much harder it was. 

7. Speaking of climbing mountains. I hiked one of my favorite peaks yesterday with two friends. Eagle Peak is on the US Air Force property and is a hard, steep climb that rewards you with stunning panoramic views at the top. It was so cloudy here yesterday that once we were at the top we couldn't see much at all. Clouds obscured the entire USAFA property AND Pikes Peak. This is the best photo I took in between a small break in the clouds. It was pretty cool to be above the clouds but I felt bad for my friend who had never done this hike. We kept telling her about the awesome views at the top...and then nada.

8. Abbey went camping with a friend this weekend. She loves to go camping with this family because according to Abbey, "They camp a LOT differently than we do, Mom. They don't rough it in any way." It's true. We're tent campers and usually pick remote sites and bring in all of our own water and use the bathroom in the woods. The family that Abbey is with has a huge camper with all the amenities. They camp at sites with swimming pools, paddle boats, drive-in movies, bingo and more. I don't know if I'll ever be able to get that girl in a tent again. Ha ha.

9. Since Abbey and Will are both gone right now, that left Sarah as an "only child" this weekend. She has thoroughly enjoyed that, as have John and I. We took her out to eat last night (Chipotle--her choice) and took her shopping (her favorite thing). She and seven friends went to see the premiere of The Fault In Our Stars last Thursday night. They all met over here and John drove them to the movie. There was LOTS of giggling and teen girl chatter...and I loved it. She is blessed with some sweet friends and I love seeing them all together like that.

10. I think I've hit the highlights of the past few weeks...
I love blogging but sometimes time just gets away from me. I'm hoping to settle into MY summer pace in a couple of weeks. It just seems like it's been non-stop for me lately...
Peace out, peeps!

SMP 5.20.14

Good morning, blog people!

I'm so happy it's Tuesday! Mainly for the reason that it's not MONDAY. My Monday was JAMpacked and I really didn't have time for the curveballs that were thrown at me. I survived though, curveballs and all. It helped that I had a night out with friends on the calendar which ended with birthday cake--for me! I love how a yucky day can be completely redeemed by sweet friends. I am blessed.

This is our last week of school. I think we will be completely finished up by noon on Thursday. So basically there are 2.5 days left for us which thrills me to no end. I am sooooooo ready for summer and a slower pace.

I've been to a couple of graduation events this week (more to come) and it's starting to sink in that this time next year, Will will be graduating from high school. I'm in complete denial. This can't possibly be happening. I've been thinking so much about how intentional I want to be this next year and some of the ways I hope the upcoming year will look for our family. I'm reminded of a quote that I love about raising children, "The days are long but the years are short." It's truer than true.

Blessings, friends. Hope your week is off to a good start!

Hey hey hey, it's Mother's Day!

From St. Louis,  November 2013

This is Abbey typing. Mwahahahahahahaha! Today is Mother's day! So, I wanted to blog on mi madre's computaaaa! We have a had a good day, watched movies!! IT IS SNOWING IN MAY! Why!?!?!?!?!?

I like adding pictures =)

I truly have the best momma. For Mother's day here's a few reasons I love her.

1. She provides our household with a lot

2. She is nice

3. She has a good way of discipline

4. She says yes to a lot

5. She says no to very little

6. We do a lot of fun things together

7. We can go to a 1D concert together

8. There's a lot more, but I'm gonna stop at 8

I also forgot to add: when i make a creation on my rainbow loom, she is always impressed- even if I screw it up

- by Abbey

Saturday Afternoon Baking: Coconut Craisin Pecan Cookies

There's a winter storm in our forecast with 6-12 inches of snow predicted for tomorrow. May 11. Oddly, I'm excited about this. Sure, I'd much rather go on a Mother's Day hike but a late-season round of wintry weather forcing us to stay inside and rest isn't so shabby either. Especially when a day like that is sandwiched between two very busy end-of-the-school-year weeks.

I bought a bag of almond flour at Costco yesterday because I've been wanting to try baking with it as a gluten/grain free alternative. I found a cookie recipe online this afternoon, tweaked it a bit, and the cookies turned out AMAZING! They were so good I wanted to share the recipe here. Cookies make snowy forecasts much more bearable, don't you think?

Coconut Craisin Pecan Cookies (Grain Free-Gluten Free)

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup blanched almond flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 cup craisins
1/3 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup roughly chopped pecans
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preparation:
1. Combine the almond flour, craisins, coconut, brown sugar, chopped pecans, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl.
2. In smaller bowl, beat the egg until smoothy and doubled in volume.
3. Add melted cocount oil and vanilla to the egg mixture, then pour into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
4. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or overnight).
5. Preheat oven to 375. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Slightly flatten the cookies before baking.
6. Bake 7-10 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove and allow to cook on wire rack.

*Original recipe doesn't call for nuts or craisins, but 1/4 cup chocolate chips. I just happen to dislike chocolate so I added craisins and pecans.

SMP 5.6.14

SMP = Seven Minute (Random) Post

Good morning, blog friends. Can you believe it's MAY already? May is nuts around here. So much going on before the end of the school year. We have 2.5 weeks (or exactly 13 school days) left and all of my kids are counting down along with their mother.

Would anyone like a beagle? He's free to a good home. I'm kidding (sort of) but in the past three minutes I've gotten up three times to 1) shoo him out of the bathroom where he'd knocked over the trash can to dig through the trash 2) shoo him out of the kitchen where he was trying to pull breakfast dishes off the counter 3) shoo him out of the other bathroom where he was repeating the same trash can ritual. Oh. My. Gosh. It's reminiscent of the toddler years...

We have an aspen tree in our backyard that I've named "Lazarus". It appeared to be dead last spring/summer/fall. No leaves. No buds. No nothing. Two days ago, John pointed out the buds on it. Today there are green leaves. Huh? Do aspens go dormant for a year? Or is Lazarus an appropriate name? I'm just grateful it's showing signs of life.

Last week I was creeping on my kids' Instagram accounts. My kids know I do this; it's part of our deal with Instagram. As part of my "creeping" I clicked on one of their friend's accounts and saw a picture of one of my kids making an inappropriate gesture with their middle finger. I was horrified. I told John about it and we came up with a game plan for talking to said child upon their return home from school. I decided I should probably show John the picture so I pulled it up and said (after all of our discussion and disappointment), "Hey, you know what? I don't think this is really our kid in the picture." He just looked at me blankly so I handed him my phone. You know what? We got all worked up for NOTHING. It was NOT our child flipping the bird after all. Moral of the story? Momma needs to wear her glasses all the time and not jump to conclusions. I told all of our kids at dinner that night what I'd done and it prompted some good discussion. And some laughter too.

Happy Tuesday!