My body tells the story

When I decided to do the juice diet I was hoping to loose a couple inches around and just feel better all around. I didn't loose any weight, but I did feel better. I came to the conclusion that this is me. I have been lucky not to have a huge battle with weight like many other people have. But I have had a hard time with my body image.

I have BEAUTIFUL sisters!! They are all thin and have great hair and beautiful skin.

They work out and take care of their bodies, I know they work at it.... {except the hair... that is all natural} but I feel like it doesn't matter how hard I try all I am left with.... me.

The biggest thing that this juice diet did for me was to help me feel better in my own skin. I am a great person and am so lucky to have a working body. I feel like I am in a place that I can look, really look at my body and be happy to be me.

I am learning to love my body. This wonderful creation that was given to me by my Heavenly Father. I am created in His image and blessed to be so healthy and to be able to know that I am Daughter of God.

The marks on my body tell a story. One of love and of heartache, joy and sadness, and happiness and the feeling of being utterly alone. It points to the big moments in my life and to the let downs that have come as well.

They tell of the times that I have been bless to be pregnant, with the joy of birth and the loss of never knowing the soul that I carried. My body has born four new people and with each one new marks have come as my body has been pushed and pulled to make way for them. Twice I was cut open to have a baby in my arms leaving me with both a wonderful smelling boy, and a huge scar that may never fade away.

I have marks and scars on my face. I have often been embarrassed about this, and sometimes I still am. These marks tell a story of an adolescent girl that made it out of high school. I was never popular, and I feel like it was because while the other girls could face each day with fresh skin I would hide behind others, wanting to stand out, but not wanting to be looked at.

Now as I get older I have new marks on my face, wrinkles. And while I wish I didn't have any, they too tell a story. A story of the miles that I have crossed, taking my family from one side of the US to the other. The story of hugging my dear husband and watching him board planes to war torn countries. The story of sleepless night soothing upset tummies, and rocking babies, and singing quietly to a scared boy promising the bad dreams will go away.

I have scars on my body from falls as a kid that left me bruised and cut open with blood dripping down. Most of the time there was a lesson that was learned from it, sometimes that's just life. You join the ride knowing that you may get marked up but knowing that what you learn from it will be worth it in the end.

I was teased for the way my body was. I was tease for what I looked like. For years I wanted to change what I looked like. I wanted so desperately to feel comfortable. I wanted what I thought everyone else had. Even into my adulthood, there have been times that I have thought 'if I could just change this one thing then everything would be better'.

Then a little one will peer into my soul with the same eyes that I have.

Someone will want me to smell flowers with him... with the same nose that I have

Give me kisses with the same shape mouth that I have.

I am so thankful that I have a husband who loves me just the way I am, but I was finding that it wasn't enough. If I can't love myself how can anyone else. If I can't see past the marks that are on my body, how can anyone else.

I am strong.

I am beautiful.

I am me.

I am my body.

Seven years ago

Seven years ago I got to bring home an incredible kid.

Steve was gone and I had to be a mom to a new born and a one year old. He was such a good baby. He slept though the night early on. He has always been a happy baby.

Tommy is the type of kid that will only do things if he feels it is right. It doesn't matter if everyone else is doing it, it he doesn't want to he won't.

One time he bit a brother. He was put into timeout until he could apologize. He sat there for 2.5 hours. I finally got it out of him that the brother took a toy and wouldn't give it back. So he bit him. In his mind he was right and that's all there was to it.

He is so funny! He just does and says funny things.  He makes people around him smile.

He loves to be hugged and snuggled.

He is smart... to smart for his own good. He started reading at 4 and I can't keep books in his hand.

He loves the be helpful, he will always do what I ask him.

I love this incredible kid that I have! My life will be forever blessed by having him in my life.

{These pictures were taken when Tommy was 3 weeks old... I know he's huge already!}

Miracle-Gro Expand 'n Gro

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Scotts® for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
We have all heard of Miracle-Gro.... I remember my grandparents using it on their garden years ago. Well Miracle-Gro has a new product called Miracle-Gro Expand ‘n Gro™.   It is going to help your plants or flowers grow up to 3 times bigger and better. And for someone like me who kills anything that is green, it definitely gives me hope that my plans will do better. Living in Florida where everything is sandy I am always needing to add something to the dirt to help any of my plants. The Expand 'n Gro is just what I am looking for.
It is a concentrated plant mix that you add right to your soil. The concentrated soil will expand up to 3 times when water is added. And the nutrients will feed the plants for up to 6 months!! The all natural fibers will hold onto water 50% more than basic potting soil.... {that means less watering for you!}
Here is a clip on how this all works.
I am excited and hopeful for my garden this year. I think adding Miracle-Gro Expand ' Gro will be just what I need.... Now if I can just keep the boys from pulling things out of the pots!

This is what it looks like...

When you realize that size doesn't matter.

When you think nobody is looking

When nature becomes more interesting than math.

When there are secrets between brothers.

When mom is in charge of First Aid.

When you come to the realization that you will rule the world.

When you swallow a nickle.

When you wonder if your mom will really let you was away.

When you realize that you have no clue what your dad does.

When you are brothers no matter what.

I am Blessed

I am sitting here waiting for Steve to get home.

While I am sitting here waiting for him and I should be making more bread, and prepping dinner.

But instead I am listening to the boys write lyrics to the songs they are creating, and looking at the pictures that they are bringing me so I can help choose which one will be the "cover album"

While I am sitting here with the laundry looking at me... pleading almost, to be folded and put away I am thinking how blessed I am.

I feel sometimes that I don't measure up to others... I know, I know... I shouldn't be comparing myself to anyone but sometimes I do.

But today I am sitting here with some incredible kids. The Lord really did bless me in letting me be in charge of some wonderful spirits.

These boys of mine try me every day. Always in a good way. They force me to see beyond what the world would have me see. The world would say they are little and don't know anything. That they don't have any power. That their view of the world is limited.

I say different. My boys know a lot, and every day they are teaching me new things. Maybe more relearning things that I had forgotten. Like the simple pleasure of seeing your breath on a cold night. Remembering how good it feels to kick your feet in the waves, or the way grass feels on your bare feet. My boys have also taught me to love completely.  I would go through hell and high water to see to it that they are safe and feel loved every day.

Their world view is as vast as the sky. Have you ever notice that their love is pure. They don't see things like disability or different from them, and when they do they take it as "it is what it is". What if we were like that? Kids are able to see the good in everyone, they can see that everyone is a child of God.

I am sitting here with so much that I should be doing but I am enjoying spending time with my favorite little people and learning and laughing with them.

I am going to sit and cuddle my baby when he wakes up, he will only be little for a bit longer.

The bread can wait.

And the laundry that is beckoning will just have to be left for a little longer because those things can wait.

My kids can not.

Juice Diet

Have you seen the movie "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" ? It's a really good movie. It really made me think about our diet and the things that we put into our bodies.... what I am putting into my kids' bodies.

I decided to set aside some time and I was going to do the "Juice Diet". I did just what it's called... I juiced all my meals. I had the dates marked on the calender and I bought the produce.

I went into this ready to have withdraws from proceeds foods and to have the headaches and the blahs for a day or two. Strange thing though... I didn't have them.

I was ready to be hungry all the time, but really I wasn't.

I thought I was going to be in the bathroom getting rid of all the toxins in my body, I wasn't.

I felt really good but.... not at all what I was expecting.

I think it is because we already have a pretty good lifestyle of food. I work really hard to live the Word of Wisdom. I also work really hard on having good food in the house and having good choices of snacks for the boys to choose from.

Am I perfect?? NO!

I also live by 'everything in moderation' I am not going to freak out when there is cake and ice cream and goodies for a party, but it is definitely not in the house every day. There are things that I have slowly cut out of our diet and I will continue to cut out from our diet. The processed foods that are becoming ever so much more abundant and easy to have around I don't buy we don't consume. My kids don't cry for chips because I just don't buy them. Same thing with cookies and candy, I just don't have them here at the house. I try really hard to have tons of fruits and veggies around and honestly that is the majority of my cost when I go grocery shopping.

I think we eat pretty good, and because of that I thing that is the reason I didn't feel the big change that others do.

If you want my advice on it, and I know you do. Try everything at least once. Beets and ginger are really good. Berries are tricky, but so worth the work to get them juiced. Carrots are easy to juice but really strong... add an apple.

Will I do it again. YES!! Yes I will.

I do think that it is a good thing to help rid the body of the extra toxins that are in us. I do think that it's a good kick start to healthy eating habits. And I do think that everyone could benefit from doing this.

Here is what I recommend.

*I spent about $80 for 5 day and that was just for me, so put aside some money to do this.
*Plan on juicing multiply times a day to avoid the hunger pains that make us run to the kitchen.
*If the rest of your family is not doing this with you plan easy meals to make for them.
*Juice from a container doesn't count as juicing.
*Don't forget to drink water too.
*If you slip up just keep on going, it's not the end of the world.
*I did get hungry at night, but I always feel the munchies at night after the kids are in bed... I just juiced again.

And take the time to think about why you are doing this. Make it worth it.

Grinding Wheat

Here is my wheat grinder. I have learned to love it. I grind my own wheat and I usually make 4 to 6 loaves of bread a week. It has become something that I really enjoy, and even look forward to doing it.

Although not... so long ago I use to detest the sound of the wheat grinder.

I'm sure my mom use to grind wheat on days other than Saturday, but that is the only time I remember hearing it.

And I'm sure she would start grinding like at 10:00 in the morning when I should have been awake, but back then, when I was a teenager, 10:00 in the morning was like the break of dawn.

I really didn't like the sound of the wheat grinder, but I knew that if I was going to be domestic I would have to learn to love that grinding sound....

When I got the wheat grinder I was kinda scared of it. I was afraid that I would again detest the awful sound of that machine.

But I don't. I actually love it. I love seeing the little wheat buds be turned into a fine flour that I can use to make bread, cookies and cakes for my family {yes I use wheat flour for those things}

I love feeling that I am domestic enough to be able to use a wheat grinder. I love knowing that I can trick my family by using bean flour for pancakes.

And now I look forward to pulling out the wheat grinder at an ungodly hour like 10:00am maybe I'll go bold and pull it out at 9:00.

Orginizing 101

My house is so unorganized!! I try I really do but having to think about organizing my house gives me a panic attack. It's to much to think about!

After years of just living with it. I decided that I was going to start small. A closet at a time. {right now I only have two closets that are not in bedrooms. So I started there. {I only have pictures of the one closet that I did, but both are clean now!}

This closet is our linen closet and everything just kinda got shoved in to it. There really was no system other than blankets, towels, toiletries and sheets went in here.

 This is all the stuff on the shelves

 And here is the stuff that was on the floor in the closet. Benji kept getting into this and pulling everything out.

Here is my after!! I am so proud of myself, and for the past two weeks it has looked the same! {go me!}

On the bottom are blankets. I don't mind them getting pulled out because the boys use them to build forts with and stuff... now this way they can put them back.

In the green bins {and there are 3 of them} I have fitted sheets in one, flat sheets in another, and pillow case in the third. Again easy for the boys to get to but not just shoved into the closet.

Next shelf up are the towel. Folded and put away.

Next are totes that are filled with toiletries. There is extra shampoo, and toothpaste and stuff like that. This was all the stuff that Benji was pulling out and playing with. Although now he pulls me over to the closet so I can do his hair at least 2 times a day because he can't reach the hair product any more.

And them I have the left over stuff. There are plastic sheets, toilet paper, heating pad... ect. Things that we don't really use but I like to know where they are and have them accessible {except the toilet paper... that is just out of the way because Benji likes to see if they float in the toilet.}

So there you have it. I think that this is the way that I am going to have to do things. I can't think about it all at once because then I just get to overwhelmed. But doing it a little at a time is so easy. And I have a little clean place. So when the house is a mess I will go open the closet and remind myself that I can do this!

It Came!!

Yeah!!! My box came! K over at Lindicious Life sent me a great box! And I was so excited when it came.

I was just going to peek in it and then set it aside, make lunch and settle in with my box after they were content.

I couldn't wait!

So instead I threw a couple goldfish crackers at the boys and made them wait instead.

L sent me two movies, Sister Act. and Leap Year. {I remember watching Sister Act when I was little with my siblings and giggling and singing though it}. She sent me a pink mug. I am so excited to have a mug that none of the boys will want to use. I got some pink ear buds for my ipod. Hershey Kisses, Diet Dr. Pepper, Peeps and Snickers.... She did not send me just one bite size Snickers.... There was a whole bag, and then there was crazy going on an my house and I opened the bag. I'm sure you can guess the rest of the story. {and the Peeps were ransacked by the boys...}There is also some pens {I love office supplies!!} and a can of Hot Chocolate.

The funny thing is that when L opens her box she'll find something that is the same as what she sent me! {great minds think alike}

Thank you again to Mamarazzi for putting one another great Swap!

If you want to see what everyone else got, go peek at Dandelion Wishes.

My little warrior

Friday morning.... got everyone up and dressed... James had violin lessons early at 8:30. By 9:00 he was done.

Got home and had a couple of hours to kill before our homeschool Co-op started. I sent the boys outside to play.

I forgot to mention the we were leaving again and that they should try not to get to dirty.

I don't know why I even bother....

 He looks like a little Indian Warrior...

Are you scared yet??? Does that just bring fear to your heart?? Yeah, me neither.

I can see the future!!!

I am not a dentist but I for see HUGE dental bills in our future!

I don't think that tooth is where it should be!!