Summer: A reflection on our first summer as a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Young Scholar

~There are two gifts we should give our children; one is roots, and the other is wings.~

Our "replacement" Gage.

It feels as if school just got out and here we are about to start again in a few short days. This was the first summer I really got a taste for what our next four years are going to be like with Gage. About a week after school got out Gage started summer school. He chose to take a computer applications class this summer so he would be able to take an extra elective his freshman year of high school. This along with football conditioning ate up every morning. He also spent a weekend volunteering with the Special Olympics. His hope is to make that an annual event!

Towards the end of June Gage and I were able to travel to Baltimore to Johns Hopkins University for Welcome Weekend for the JKCF Young Scholars. This was a four day event that taught us everything we needed to know about the program and how it works. It gave the 65 scholars a chance to bond with each other and the parents a chance to become friends. I believe it was during this weekend that I realized that Gage was in for the ride of his life and that as a mom it is my job to make sure he isn't afraid to take flight.

Gage and some of his friends from JKCF and from Explo.

Once we were back from Baltimore Gage had one week of summer before he left for the church mission trip. They went to San Augustine, Texas and the group that Gage worked with helped tear down and put up the basis for siding on a home. As a rising freshman this was his first trip with the high school kids and when he came home he told me he was glad to see me but that he wished he was still on the trip helping people out. That was the second time in less than three weeks that I heard the message that I had to let him fly.

Learning acoustic guitar at Explo.

Engineering Challanges

Once again he had a very quick turnaround and he was off on his JKCF adventure for the summer. He was headed to Wellesley College for Explo. Explo is a three week residential program for grades 8 and 9.With over 600 kids from all over the world this was going to be the biggest adventure Gage had ever been on. We knew we would miss him. This was the longest he had ever been away from us. What I wasn't prepared for was the changes we noticed in his last few weeks there. He would call or text and it was just like talking to a whole new child. He has made lifelong friends and experienced things he never would have gotten to experience in Kansas. He had adventures, made friends and even had his first date all while learning about architecture, business, guitar, football and engineering challenges. In the simplest of words he grew up.

Learning about architecture and what it can withstand.

On Saturday, Gage flies home. I know the child that started off this summer is not the same one that is coming home. He has grown in so many ways and is very well equipped to start high school.He is coming home and jumping right into the new year with church commitments on Sunday, football on Monday and classes on Tuesday.

I know the next four years are going to fly by and while in some regards it will be easy to let him go each summer for me it will be harder and harder. In four years he will be heading off to college. His educational path and the JKCF will take him anywhere he wants to go. While it is hard to imagine a time when for the majority or all of the year Gage doesn't live with us I know I will be more prepared for it because of his experiences through the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.

Enjoying a PawSocks game in Rhode Island on a weekend trip.

~Being a good parent requires knowing when to push & when to back off, when to help & when to let them make mistakes & then being strong enough to watch them go.~

Peace

We embarked on a 31 days spending freeze. We did really well with just a couple times that we broke our freeze. Part way through the month the breaks on my car needed to be replaced. You have no idea how amazing it felt to be able to not stress about where the money to pay for those breaks was going to come from.

During the month of April we enrolled in Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. Our first class was last Tuesday but I had already started reading his book and following his advice. I am so proud to say at the end of this month we will have our emergency fund in place and will have already started to pay down debt. I have probably made fun of Dave Ramsey more than once in the past so I am taking some grief for jumping on this bandwagon but I feel what he is saying makes 100% sense.

I can't wait to continue to see what this journey holds. If you are under 30 and have not done Financial Peace University...DO IT! I wish I would have known in my 20's what I know today. If you are over 30 and haven't done FPU and find yourself living paycheck to paycheck or are in debt you need this class. You need to have the slap in the face makeover that Dave can give you. I can't express how much stress has been relieved already in one month.

Sometimes you have to take notice and listen

Sometimes God will do anything to get your attention. However, many times we ignore those blaring signals he uses to get that message to us. We have always been like children with money. Money comes in and money goes out and we never really budgeted. If we wanted it we bought it. When Ben went back to school we continued on this path. When the pharmacy Ben was working at closed in December of 2013 we continued just like we had. A year and three months later we finally got the blaring message that God had been trying to send us.

Ben has spent many many hours the last year putting in job applications. We made the decision finally at the end of March that we were going to follow the Dave Ramsey plan and go to Financial Peace University and get our lives in order. We started our month long spending freeze and signed up for the class. Here we are five days after making these changes and we now know that this is what God has been leading us to do all along.

Today Ben got the call that he starts Sunday night at UPS part time. He also has another interview this next week for full time employment and another possible job lead. When the woman from UPS called she told him he was lucky, normally it takes quite some time to get the paperwork back on people who have interviewed and his came back super fast. They hire on a first qualified basis. So if others paperwork had come in before his they wouldn't have had a position for him. 

I know that we had to get the message about spending frivolously and make the changes in our lives. Now that we have gotten that message and started those changes I see God at work in our lives even more then I did as we went through this. Sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees. However, if you keep walking you will eventually get out of that forest and will be able to look back and say "That forest sure was big and sure was tough to get through but now that I'm on the other side it sure does feel great to look back and see that I am stronger because I have gone through it." 

If you are struggling in your life right now take a moment to sit back and listen. Think about the things in your life that may need a change. Start making those changes and you may be surprised to find that the trees start to thin out and you are out of the forest before long.

This blog is brought to you by the letter G and O and D and the number 1.

Dave Ramsey

Let me start by saying I have probably at some point in life made fun of my mom for liking Dave Ramsey. In the next breath, I drank the Kool-Aid. I recently came to the conclusion that it is time for my family to "grow up" when it comes to money. My last post talked about a 31 day spending freeze my family was doing and we are still doing that. However, we also started reading Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. I'm about halfway through his book and we have already put into place many of the things he talks about.

His first baby step is setting up an emergency fund. Yesterday for the first time in my adult life I set up a savings account and put half of our emergency fund in it. The other half will follow next month and after that we will start on baby step two which is paying off your debt snowball. I am done putting my head in the sand and ignoring how horrible we really are with money.

I know this is a very uncomfortable topic for 99% of the people I know. It is for me. However, if it is never discussed the issues we face will never go away. Ben and I have enrolled in Financial Peace University starting May 5th. I am excited to embark on that journey and see where it leads us. In the meantime I learned of Dave Ramsey's online budgeting tool at www.everydollar.com and have put in our budget for the month of April. If you don't currently budget I encourage you to go to this website (I get nothing if you do but peace of mind that I have shared a valuable tool with you) and start your budget. Be honest and realistic. As Dave would say, "You have to tell your money where to go".

Our family is done trying to "keep up with the Joneses". After all, the Joneses are probably in debt and we aren't going to be in debt forever.

No-Spend Challenge

I recently discovered an amazing blog called Living Well Spending Less. Ruth, who writes the blog, has an amazing story of not only her faith walk but also has fantastic tips on how to handle just about anything. While reading her blog one day I came across this post, No-Spend 31 day challenge. The basics are 31 days of no spending. There are a few exceptions, of course you still pay your bills and buy gas for your car. If you have certain scheduled events in your life you of course don't cancel. For example I have a trip to St. Louis for work this month and will spend money on this trip. I'll just be very cautious of what I spend.

Ben and I discussed if we thought we could do this and decided we could but wanted the kids to be able to have a say in this. Both were on board right away. I can't wait to see how this journey goes. If all goes well we will probably do this twice a year. Not only does it give us a chance to save money but it gives us a chance to appreciate what we have.

Anyone want to join us in this challenge?

The "I'm not dying just saying things that need to be said" post

This blog is to my friends. I'm going to call some of you out individually and if you are not mentioned here please don't think you are any less of a friend than anyone else. I just have a few things that I need to say. There are just some that need to hear what they mean to me and learn things they may not know.

I have always considered myself a "socially awkward friend". I love my chair and my TV and most of all my house. I'm not a good friend in other words. There are times that going out to someplace or to someones house seems like a chore. I'm fine once I get there but it's very easy to make excuses not to have to go.

• Lindsay. She probably doesn't know how hard it was for me to take the leap to go to her house the first time she invited us over to play cards. I super stressed about it before we went. I was certain I was going to say something dumb and that no one would like me. However, we went and we had an amazing time. I hadn't laughed that hard in a really long time. She has been such an awesome friend to my family ever since then. I really think that everyone who feels like I do should have a Lindsay in their life. Her amazing heart does great things for people and more should strive to be like her.

• James. He is the most awesome person I have ever met behind a theater! Sometimes I am certain that God puts us in the right spot at the right time and I know this was that case. My life is better because you are in it. I have that person to talk trash with while watching awards shows. I have seen your life change so much in the past year and a half that I can hardly believe you are the same person. I know that when I need an ear yours is there.

• Sally and Nathan. I'm going to tell a little story here that I haven't even shared with them before. Easter Sunday a couple years ago Ben and I were sitting on a bench in the narthex of the church and Sally and the kids were sitting on the other. I remember thinking that they had probably been going to COC for some years and I just didn't know them as we were fairly new to the church. My socially awkward self wanted to ask her a million questions but didn't for fear of sounding stupid. So we just pretty much sat there. We did talk about allergies a little bit and that was it. Until weeks later when Sally asked me to co-lead a small group with her. That took me WAY the heck out of my comfort zone but I am so glad I said yes. Even though I was probably the crappiest co-leader ever it led me to get to know Sally and Nathan so much better and to get to know Sharon. I am so sad that now that our friendship is completely on track that you are moving. I know it is only an hour away but I will miss you so much. You my friend are my "break out" friend. You helped me break out of my shell.

• Sharon. I watched you at the front of the church every Sunday so happy and friendly. I honestly figured you had been at COC forever. Getting to know you in small group was great but getting to know you over cards and El Ateron has been even better. Thank you for being you :)

• Cards family. You all bring so much laughter and happiness into my life. I love our little ragtag group of crazy people. I never thought I would be the person that would have people over to play games and have that wonderful feeling of a full house of people I truly care about. You all appear to accept me for who I am, unicorn head and all. May our group never go away. I know friends in it will come and go as life changes take place but know that anytime we play you are welcome.

• Brett. My Brettly. I love you. Mind you I didn't always. I was pretty certain Brett was the most stuck up person I have ever met. That may be why we are such great friends. I hate you when you send me videos and pictures from Disney World, but secretly wish you would send me more. You "get it" when it comes to me. I know I can always be me with you and that no matter what we are friends forever. Florida is a long way away but it hasn't stopped us!

• Work friends. You are all a group of not right people. I think that is why we all get along so well. I believe that we give each other such a hard time because we love each other so much. I know that Kathy would think I was sick if I didn't give her a hard time. I wouldn't even come close to loving my job as much as I do if it wasn't for you guys.   

• April. No friends list would be complete without April. My life wouldn't be complete without you. You has been my constant since kindergarten and I know that we are forever friends. We may not see each other as much as we would like or talk as frequently as we should but you are forever in my heart. Many times something will be said or happen in my daily life that makes me think of you. I can't imagine my life without you. I love you :)

• Ty. Oh what to say about Ty. I would probably consider Ty to be my male April. Who else would eat crappy Mexican food in Ulysses with us on fourth of July? Our time together is never boring. I would do anything for him and I am pretty certain he would do anything for me. Plus how could I not be friends with someone who is able to laugh hysterically at 50,000 volts!

• Sarah, Christel and Amanda. We don't see each other near as much as we should. I know that no matter how long goes between visits that we will still pick up where we left off. I know that when life's big crisis' happen that you are the friends I want to talk to. Distance makes our friendship harder but thanks to Facebook I feel a part of each of your lives.  

•  Heather. We are only an hour and a half away but sometimes it feels like we may as well be on opposite sides of the earth for as little as we really see each other. We need to talk more. Our friendship is deep. Sometimes I think of the "old days" when we were both young and dumb and I can't help but to smile. I am so proud of the person you have become and it feels great to see your dreams coming true.

To the many others that I have missed in this list and I know there are tons of you please know that without each of you in my life I wouldn't be who I am today. One of my goals in 2015 is to take a selfie with each and everyone of you. Sometimes I may not act like the best friend by forgetting birthdays or important events in your life but know that I love you all. If you ever need anything please call me. In 2015 I am going to be a better friend. I am going to get out of my chair and enjoy life with you all. I want to spend more time sharing meals, laughs, drinks, cards, tears and love.

Now that all of that is out. I am not dying. This seems a list someone would make when their world was ending but mine is not. It is just beginning. I spent a few years down because I didn't feel that I had very many friends but making this list has made me realize I have always had the friends. I just haven't always been the friend they needed back. Thanks for sticking by me.

Hexagonal Lap Loom...say what?

This past weekend I went to the garage sale to end all garage sales. This man bought a house and all of the contents in it only to find it had been owned by a hoarder. Not just your every day hoarder though a craft hoarder!! One who bought tons and tons of things and never even opened them. This sale was the 5th sale he had put on and there was still TONS of stuff! He will be doing sales every Saturday in August at the old Wendy's on Broadway. I highly recommend a trip!

I purchased a Love and Money Lap Loom from 1985. This box had actually been opened but it was the complete kit and looked like a new adventure. Plus for $10 who could pass it up? I'm a very visual learner so I struggled a bit when I first started until I found a YouTube video of a VHS tape from the 1980's that showed how to do it. After I laughed my way through the video a first time I re-watched it and I was off! I have decided to make a garden afghan as my first project. After all it only takes 102 coaster sized hexagons to make!



Here is one of the border pieces during the "tie off" phase.

You simply weave the yarn through the pegs in a certain pattern and then use a plastic yarn needle to tie off each smaller hexagon.

This is the back of the piece after it was finished on the loom. I am going with a blue edge, pink flowers and white centers on the flowers. I wanted something in fun colors for my first try.

Here are five completed "coasters". Not too shabby for a first attempt! Each of these will get sewn together with the pink and white "coasters" to form the afghan.

This is what the center piece to the flowers will look like. I will post a pink petal piece later on. I didn't have any of those done yet when I took these pictures.














I find this to all be very relaxing. I don't have to think about it the way I did crochet and you see finished results rather quick. It takes me about 30 minutes to do one coaster. So about 51 hours later I should have a completed afghan! I will post some pictures along the way. I hope to have it done by Christmas but we will see if that actually happens.

Kick Ass Pork Chops with pictures!!

I finally remembered to take pictures while fixing dinner tonight. I think Ben thought I had lost my mind as I took pictures of raw meat. So without further ado here we go!

Well I can't figure out how to turn the pictures so you are just going to get them this way!!

Start out with the number of pork chops you need to feed your family. Since the boys are still out of town we just needed the two!

I like to let them sit out while I get other things around so they aren't quite so cold when they go in the oven.

Next up mix a shredded cheese of your choice with Italian seasoned bread crumbs. In the other breading pan I have some extra virgin olive oil. You are going to coat your pork chops in the oil and then in the breading.

This is what they look like once they are coated. I put them on a foil lined pan and put in a 400 degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes depending on how thick your pork chops are.

 Once they are out and no longer pink in the center serve them with your favorite side and here you go!! These are super moist with a great crunch in the breading.

Lately I have not been able to get enough garlic. I just LOVE LOVE LOVE it! I eat it on my raw walnuts and pecans, I put it on my toast and every type of meat we have. I was very excited to find this Garlic and Sea Salt grinder at the Cook's Nook in McPherson. It is perfect to add that great garlic flavor to everything!!

Bored by food? Didn't know that could happen!!

Here I am 23 days into eating better and I am down 15 pounds. While it hasn't been easy to give up some of the foods that I love I have resisted the temptation for the most part and it is getting easier. However, I don't like a lot of foods so my menus are very limited.

My typical day starts out with a whole grain English muffin with natural peanut butter on it. I loved them when I started eating them but I am becoming bored. Now I eat it quickly in the morning just to be done with breakfast. I was bringing a natural peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread for lunch but decided I should branch out and find something much better than that. In my quest I learned that chicken you have cooked at home does not reheat and taste very good. Then one day a few weeks ago I was at Dillon's grocery shopping for my great aunt and uncle when I happened upon Perdue Lightly Breaded Chicken Strips. These have been the answer to what I was needing. They have great flavor and are the protein I need. So I have stocked up and I am set for the next few weeks of lunches.

Dinner is easy as there are lots of things you can do to chicken and pork chops. We have even gone out to eat a few times and I have done great staying within my macros. Snack time though is another story. I either eat string cheese or raw nuts. I need some variety! I am on the hunt for some snacks that will work with how we are eating but won't go overboard on carbs or sugars.

While I am talking about macros I wanted everyone to know if you are trying to watch what you eat www.myfitnesspal.com is a FANTASTIC resource. You can easily track what you eat on their website. They have most chain restaurant food already in their data base and if you are cooking things at home you can add your own recipes and it will figure everything for you. Plus I have the app on my phone and can scan barcodes to enter food. They have a few apps like mapmyrun or mapmywalk that will feed your exercise right into myfitnesspal and account for what you have done for the day. Without this app I know I wouldn't have made it this far.

My current struggle is Jolly Ranchers. I LOVE Jolly Ranchers. They have fed my sweet tooth more than once in the past week but I need to stop with them. They certainly don't fall under "clean eating". What is the one thing you just can't resist?

Wait...what?!

Today the kids left with grandma to go to Colorado Springs for a week. In looking back at the past almost 8 years since Carter was born Ben and I are pretty sure this is our first time without both kids for longer than one night. So at noon today grandma pulled out of the driveway with both boys and Carter's big monkey wife, Sarah.

12:00 pm - Car pulls away as we wave goodbye

12:01 pm - We realize that there is a sound in the house we haven't heard before.

12:05 pm - We eat lunch without anyone needing any help cutting meat or wanting something different to eat.

12:15 pm - I head back to work as Ben tries to figure out what the strange sound is.

4:45 pm - I get home and Ben tells me how the strange noise kept him from being able to read.

4:46 pm - I go to the bathroom and no one talks to me.

5:15 pm - Ben and I leave the house and have dinner where no one asks us to play the games on the menu.

6:15 pm - We go to Family Video where we rented movies without looking at the rating.

6:45 pm - We arrive home to find the strange noise is still happening.

8:00 pm - Big Brother starts and we were able to watch it without pausing it for bathroom breaks or due to lots of talking.

The noise is still here in the house. Perhaps tomorrow we will figure it out.

Pork Loin Panini

Tonight's dinner adventure was a pork loin Panini. This was a great let it cook all day in the crock pot and make the house smell amazing meal. This stands alone without making it into a Panini but I have found that I really like it as a Panini :)

So here goes the recipe!

Crock Pot Pork Loin Panini

3 pound pork loin
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Paprika
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 cups Organic Chicken Broth Low Sodium
Whole Wheat Bread
1 cup Jason Weibe Garlic Herb Cheese -Shredded
2 tbsp Butter

Cut the pork loin in half. In a large resealable plastic bag mix your flour, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika. Put half the pork loin in and coat it and then put the other half in and coat it.

In a large skillet heat the oil on a medium-high heat. Once it is good and hot put your pork loin in and brown it on all sides. Once it is nice and brown on all sides put it in the crock pot. Pour the broth over the pork loin and set it on low heat and let it go for 5 - 6 hours.

Take it out of the crock pot and slice it up. We don't have a panini press in our house so we use our George Foreman Grill. You can also make this like grilled cheese on a griddle or in a waffle maker. Butter one piece of bread on one side and place it on the grill. Put on some pork loin and some of the cheese. Butter the top of the other piece of bread and place it on top butter side up. Put the top of the grill down and press. Let it cook for about 2 minutes or until the bread is golden brown.

Be careful it is HOT but oh so good!!

So surely an amazing sandwich like this has to be HORRIBLE for you right? Not that bad! This only has 572 calories and 670mg of sodium. For a dinner that isn't too bad. Plus we had TONS of leftover meat for sandwiches throughout the week.

Someday I will remember to take pictures while I am cooking so you can see this great food!

Spaghetti and Meatballs the healthy way!

Let's talk comfort food. I'm talking that big bowl of pasta that you want to curl up with and dive in and eat the whole thing and then regret it later when you feel like you might explode. Carbs are always something I have struggled with greatly. My favorite foods have always been mac & cheese, pasta, rice and bread. So this past weekend that comfort food craving was going strong so we had spaghetti and meatballs for lunch on Sunday.

Meatballs

Cage Free Natural Brown Eggs - 2
Italian Seasoning (From grinder) - 3/4 tsp.
Black pepper - 1/4 tsp.
Italian Style Bread Crumbs - 1/4 cup
Ground Beef 85/15 - 1 pound

I do use 85/15 for my meatballs and any grilling we do. The extra fat content adds the moisture needed to both burgers on the grill and meatballs.

Mix all of that up in a bowl real good. I am talking get in there with your hands and make them messy!!

After they are all mixed well we roll and have about 15 meatballs from 1 pound of ground beef. Put them on a jelly roll pan that has foil on it and is lightly oiled and pop them in a 350 degree oven for about 20 to 25 minutes.

I serve this with whole wheat penne pasta. It is less mess for the kids and a lot less mess for their clothes! One serving of the pasta and one serving of the meatballs is only 492 calories and only 27 carbs.

The weekend before last I made my own marinara sauce which we divided into containers and froze. I served this with the spaghetti and meatballs. The recipe is below:

Marinara Sauce 

12 medium Roma tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium white onion, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 springs fresh oregano, stems removed
8 basil leaves
1 tbsp raw honey

Bring a large stock pot of water to boil on stove. Use a small knife to put a small x in the bottom of each tomato. Put the tomatoes in the boiling water for about 1 to 2 minutes until the skin begins to come off. Remove the tomatoes and put them into an ice bath until they are cool enough to work with.

Once they are cooled remove the skins by peeling them back from the x in the bottom. Slice the tomatoes and remove the seeds. Then coarsely chop the tomatoes and put them in a bowl.

In a medium sauce pan heat the oil on a medium-high heat. Add in the garlic, onion, carrots and celery and saute until the onion becomes translucent. Put in the tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano and basil. Cook while stirring it frequently until the sauce boils. Reduce the heat to a medium-low and let simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.

Remove from the heat and blend either with a hand blender or food processor. I used my blender and it came out perfect. Add the honey and salt and pepper to taste.

I put the finished product into small freezable containers. Let it cool to room temp and then put it in the freezer or the refrigerator. In the refrigerator it will last about 5 days and in the freezer 2 months.

For a half cup serving this will only run you 63 calories!!

This is perfect to put in the refrigerator on a Sunday night with some meatballs already cooked and some whole wheat pasta that is already cooked for a quick easy lunch throughout the week!

Parmesan Garlic Crusted Chicken

We are officially two weeks into our new eating habits. I would venture to say we are at 85% clean eating. I am down 13 pounds in those two weeks. I will take it!! I wanted to share a few recipes that I have been making that have kept everyone happy in our house!

This first one I have made using chicken or pork chops. It only has 312 calories per serving so it is a great go to dinner.

Parmesan Garlic Crusted Chicken

1/2 cup Italian Seasoned Panko
4 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 oz. Garlic Herb Natural Cheese (I use Jason Weibe which is a local dairy)
1 package of Tyson Boneless Skinless Thin Cut Chicken Breast

Shred the cheese if it isn't already. Then mix it with the Panko. Put the oil in a shallow dish and coat the chicken. Cover the chicken with the cheese/Panko mix and put on a greased jelly roll pan. Put in a 400 degree oven for 20 - 30 minutes and then enjoy!

Our family loves to have fresh corn on the cob to go with this. I clean up the ears of corn and then put a small amount of butter on each ear. Then wrap each ear in aluminum foil. They go in the oven also at 400 for about 30 minutes. I serve them on the table still in the foil as this keeps them SUPER hot until you are ready to eat them. Of course I recommend the freshest corn you can get. We have found our farmer's market to have great corn on the cob this year but the best we have had by far is from Gaeddert Farms. Here is a link to their website: Gaeddert Farms. They have booths set up around Kansas to sell their amazing crops.

If you are looking for the Jason Weibe cheese you can find it in Salina at the farmer's market and also at Prairieland Market. You can also order online and have it delivered directly to you from their website: Jason Weibe Diary.

What is your go to recipe for a quick healthy dinner?

Clean Eating

While our world around us is changing I decided why not throw one more big change into the mix. We are now a 90% clean eating house! For those who don't know what clean eating is let me explain. You don't eat things that are processed and eat a lot more whole grain items. So gone are the crackers, boxed mac and cheese, frozen foods and pretty much anything else that comes from the center aisles at the grocery store. They have been replaced by fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lots of protein.

We have been at it for about a week and I am shocked how much better I feel already!! I am down 12 pounds (which I know is mainly water weight from the sodium I had been consuming) and I feel like I have a lot more energy than normal. Ben is down 4 pounds but hasn't stuck to it as closely as I have. What we are struggling with is what to have for lunch. I am the type of person who can eat the same thing day after day so my lunch is easy. My husband and children though are not like me in that regard. So if anyone has any suggestions please share them in the comments below.

Our first week has been great. Here is an example of what we have had so far:

Pork chops with a garlic herb cheese and bread crumb crust
BBQ chicken
Roasted chicken
Baked chicken
Nitrate free ham sandwiches
Turkey sandwiches
Natural peanut butter sandwiches
Unsalted walnuts
Corn on the cob
Fresh green beans
Whole wheat pasta
Manderan oranges
Grapes
Peaches
Strawberries

My typical day has been:

Breakfast - Whole Grain English Muffin
Lunch - Natural Peanut Butter Sandwich, String Cheese
Afternoon Snack - Unsalted Walnuts
Dinner - Chicken of some sort, whole grain pasta
Evening Snack - String Cheese or Walnuts


I track everything I do through www.myfitnesspal.com which keeps track of how many calories I have had, how much sodium, fat, carbs, sugar and many other things. It gives you the recommended amount that you should consume per day and I always try to keep my macros just below that. Last night I downloaded MapMyWalk and it even imports how far we walk in an evening plus the calories burned into MyFitnessPal. If you haven't tried either of these I highly recommend them! I wouldn't be doing near as well without them.

I have started programs before and stopped after not long but this I actually feel like I can do. Sure there are times when we eat something that isn't "clean" which is why I say we are 90%. Even if we were at 10% in our house that would be an improvement from where we were. I hope to blog more on our favorite recipes and share our progress along the way. If you have recipes that you would like to share please do!!

We begin again

The past few months have been an adventure all on their own. I think it best to break down the adventure by the explorers involved.

Gage

Gage had ear surgery in June. He had a hole where his tube never healed. The surgery was rather painless but a recent visit to the doctor showed that his body may be rejecting the skin graft. He goes back in a few weeks to find out for sure. 

He turned 14 on July 10 and got his first set of golf clubs. He has really enjoyed going out to the driving range and hitting balls and is improving. This week has been spent at football camp in the mornings.

Gage also applied for the Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars Program in February. He made it through the first few phases of the application process and just had his hour long phone interview. We will find out in September or October if he made the cut!

Carter

Carter has had a great summer. He has taken many art classes at the Art Center. Also, classes through Rolling Hills, Lakewood Discovery Center and enjoyed the summer movies at the movie theater.

We have continued to patch his eye in hopes his vision will continue to improve. He goes back for a doctors visit in a few weeks and hopefully will get to start 2nd grade without a patch. While he doesn't mind wearing it it would be great to start a new school year without it. 

He continues to love to draw and make up plays. His love for life is such a beautiful thing to see. 

Ben

Perhaps the biggest change for anyone in the last few months is Ben. He has been dismissed from the Creighton Pharmacy School program. While it is really hard to see a dream end like this I know he will get back up on his feet and move on to bigger and better things. So for now we start the adjustment period. We figure out what our next steps are and we continue to put one foot in front of the other and move on. Right now he is spending time with the kids while I am at work during the week and catching up on all of my "honey do" items. After the kids come back from a vacation with Grandma he will begin his job hunt.

Mollie

I continue to work. In October there will be some job changes coming that I will bring to light in the future. They are all good!! In April at our Midwest Circulation Management Association (MCMA) conference I was elected 3rd Vice President. I am so excited to help others learn about what they can do in the newspaper industry to continue to grow circulation. 

I also made the decision a week or so ago to change the way my family eats. We have started eating clean. Whole foods, nothing processed (with the exception of whole grain bread and whole grain pasta) and lots of protein. So far it has been great!! I feel so much better than I did with all of that processed foods and I have a feeling the other benefits are going to be very rewarding. 

So we continue in flux for now. Stay tuned...this is an adventure that you won't want to miss!

If you don't have anything nice to say...

I am often shocked at things that people say and post online. In my opinion there are four types of online posters.

1. The nosy neighbor - You know this person. They are the first one to say what's wrong on the vague posts about ones problems. The first one to say "message me" after someone posts asking simply for prayers. They are also the ones that want to know what every ambulance, police call or fire truck is doing and who they are doing it for. For the most part you will find them on Salina Scoop!!! on Facebook and trolling SalinaPost.

2. The conclusion jumper - Sometimes they are in the same category with the nosy neighbor. If someone is arrested or a crime committed it is automatically drug related. They say things like this when someone is killed: "Once again we find a low life drug user up to no good except this time us tax payers will not have to foot the bill to keep him in jail.". They seem to "know it all and share it all" but never really seem to know the facts. These same people are the ones who when a police car drives by a school they are certain something criminal is at work and that their child is in danger. Then they are upset when the school doesn't contact them to tell them a police car drove by.

3. The newshound - This person visits multiple news sources and reports the facts from the stories, admits when they don't know the whole story and corrects people when they are wrong. They are typically not popular people in the comments section because they bring a bit of level headedness to the conversation.

4. The could care less - These people never know what is going on in the news and could care less. You are not going to find them knowing anything going on in the news but they will probably post cute cat videos and lots of pictures of their kids. You can try to discuss news events but you aren't going to get far.

On one last note...

News is not free. It shouldn't be free. When a story breaks a newspaper sends out a photographer and a reporter to write the story. It comes back to the office and someone has to proof it and then put it into the newspaper layout or on the web. All of these people expect to be paid for what they are doing. Advertising does pay for a portion of this but not all. Subscriptions help make up the rest. When you have a "news" source that is putting content out for free like SalinaPost you must ask yourself if that person is out their putting stories up that have been slightly edited from another source or if they are actually at the ball game, city commission meeting, school board meeting or other event. If you are relying on a Facebook site like Salina Scoop!!! you need to realize that all they are doing is compiling other "news" sources onto their page for you to read or posting what they hear on the police scanner which is not always correct. Many times a report comes across a police scanner and once it has been investigated becomes something completely different.

For example: Police scanner: "We have reports of a man laying in the grass near the street either passed out or ill"
Actually: Sewer repair man laying on the ground fixing something under the water department cover in the parking area of a house.

Think about your news source...think about what you are saying in your posts. Don't spread rumors!

Pharmacy School Widow

Year two is winding down and finals week is upon us. This year I felt we were more prepared for what the year would have in store for us than we were last year. The classes I think were harder for Ben but the time he was away from our family in his office didn't feel as bad.

I am excited for Friday night. We will have Ben back with us for the summer for the most part. Last night was Gage's honors night at school and while Ben was physically with us I know mentally he was working on finals prep. (The phone with his lecture notes on it wasn't a clue at all!) After we got home he had me quiz him on some of the drugs and what they are used for and how they work. I couldn't even pronounce most of them! He has a final every day this week and Monday's went well. Tuesday and Friday are the ones we are worried most about.

So after Friday's final we will have Ben back...until Monday when he starts his two week rotation at the hospital. Then in July he will head to Omaha for two weeks for his summer session. I'm really not sure who is more excited the kids or me and I'm not sure if Ben is more excited to be done with classes for this year or to get to spend time with us.

My advice to anyone who has a significant other that is planning on Pharmacy School is to make sure you are prepared to spend nine months out of the year as a Pharmacy School Widow. Your significant other needs you to be supportive and understanding. They need you to realize that most people who go through this program are not tied down and are immersed in school 24/7. Most of all they need you to work with their schedule and what is going on in their life.

This is what happens when they have studied for hours on end...no worries an hour after finals they go back to normal!

A new year means getting back on track!

The new year is here and it is time to get my family back on track. It always seems November and December tend to slide on how many meals we eat at home and how many we eat out. So January is here and we are back to menu planning. I thought I would tell you all how I go about our menu planning and share our January menu with you.

First I grab the calendar and put all appointments and events that all family members have. This helps me know what nights are going to have to be super quick meals or crock pot meals. Next up is spending some time on Pinterest. I have to laugh when I say spending "some time" on Pinterest because we all know it is going to take way longer than a few minutes! I have attempted to fix my Pinterest boards so that I have one for chicken recipes, one for pork, one for beef and one for sweets and sides. My last board is things I have actually tried. After I have made a recipe I write a bit of a review of what our family thought so I know if it is worth making again.

I fill out the calendar with what's for dinner each night and lunches and dinners on weekends. Then I create weekly grocery lists so I don't have to think about feeding the family for the rest of month! I was late getting January's done so it doesn't start until January 7. Here's our meal plan for the month:

January 7 - Breakfast for dinner
January 8 - (Church night) Pepperoni Roll-up
January 9 - Chicken Roll-ups
January 10 - Chicken Noodle Casserole
January 11 - Lunch - Nuggets and Mashed Potatoes Dinner - Chicken Fried Steak
January 12 - Lunch - Pork Chops Dinner - MYO (Make your own) we do this every Sunday night because of church commitments in the evenings
January 13 - Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs and Pasta
January 14 - French Bread Pizza
January 15 - (Church Night) Hamburger Helper
January 16 - Mollie Pie (This is really Sheppard's Pie the boys have just always called it Mollie Pie)
January 17 - Chicken Enchiladas
January 18 - Eat out (My great uncle turns 100 and we have his party)
January 19 - Lunch - Chicken Fried Steak Dinner - MYO
January 20 - Tacos
January 21 - Mandy's Easy Cheesy Chicken Casserole
January 22 - (Church Night) Pot Roast
January 23 - Hamburger Helper
January 24 - Breakfast
January 25 - Lunch - Mollie Pie (Gage takes the SAT's and Mollie Pie is his favorite) Dinner - Grilled Cheese and Bacon
January 26 - Lunch - Pork Chops Dinner - MYO
January 27 - Hamburger Helper
January 28 - French Bread Pizza
January 29 - (Church Night) Crock Pot Chicken and Stuffing
January 30 - Chimichangas
January 31 - Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

If you want a recipe just ask in the comments and I would be more than happy to give it to you or direct you to the link if it is from Pinterest.

What are your families favorite meals?

Random Acts of Kindness Advent-ure

I am certain at this point many know the story of the man who was walking along the beaches picking up starfish and throwing them back in the water. When another man approached him and asked what he was doing he said he was throwing them back to safety. The man remarked that there were so many starfish surely he wasn't making that big of a difference. As the man threw another starfish back in the water he looked at the man and said "I made a difference for that one".

While looking at our Christmas season this year and I decided instead of having an Advent Calendar we would have an Advent-ure in Kindness. Each day counting down to Christmas we are doing a random act of kindness. Little did I know when we started planning this the difference it would make in our holiday season.

The beginning of this project came in October when a friend approached me about a car. She told me she had a friend who was moving out of the country and wanted to give her car to someone who could use it. She had thought of a mutual friend of ours and we set to work on getting the car for him. We wrote letters to the gifter about him and discussed it all at length. When we found out he would get the car we were thrilled! The night we surprised him with the keys was one of the most amazing nights of my life. Here was a man in his 40's who has never owned a car and works at a job that would probably never afford him that luxury and we were able to help him not have to walk to work in the cold and snow.

Here is a breakdown of the 24 RAOK we are doing for our Advent-ure:

December 1 - Make and deliver a Christmas card to someone at church
December 2 - Compliment a friend at school
December 3 - Write a letter to Grandma about what she means to you
December 4 - Thank a youth leader at church
December 5 - Deliver donuts or cupcakes to the firestation
December 6 - Hide small toys around the playground to be found and played with
December 7 - Open the door for everyone you meet today
December 8 - Write the mail man a thank you note for delivering our mail each day
December 9 - Thank a waiter or waitress at a restaurant for their great service
December 10 - Thank a teacher for everything you have learned from them
December 11 - Purchase the items needed to make Chemo Kits for the cancer center
December 12 - Cheer Cards for kids who are sick or in the hospital this season
December 13 - Shop for the Food Bank
December 14 - Deliver food to the Food Bank and see if they need any help
December 15 - Coin Ninja's Leave bags of change taped to vending machines
December 16 - Compliment a stranger
December 17 - Open the door for all we meet
December 18 - Shop for homeless care kits and assemble
December 19 - Deliver cookies to the neighbors
December 20 - Leave $1 bills in the toy area at the Dollar Store
December 21 - Assemble the Chemo Kits for Tammy Walker
December 22 - Make cards for church members who can't get out to church on Sunday's
December 23 - Deliver Chemo Kits to Tammy Walker
December 24 - Give a candy cane to everyone we see today

After the holiday season is over we are going to continue to do our Random Acts of Kindness and I am sure we will find more along the way. I have started a group on Facebook to post Random Acts of Kindness in hopes of getting even more ideas. This is the link to that group if you wish to join.

My challenge to you is to do the little things to make people happy. It doesn't have to cost anything and can make a big difference in their day.

Sowing the seeds of friendship

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:  If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!" ~ Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

In middle school and high school I had the same set of friends. Heck some of them have been friends since grade school. The thing about friends from that point in your life is that when you grow up you remain friends but everyone moves on. Due to work or family people move to other cities and states. Those friendships are still important but there is something to be said about being able to call someone and say "Would you like to grab a cup of coffee and talk for awhile?". I haven't had friends that I could do that with for about 10 years now. Sure my friends would come and visit and I would go visit them and there is always Facebook of course. But it isn't the same.

We changed churches two years ago and began attending Church of the Cross. The transformation I have experienced since this change is unbelievable to me. I look forward to going to church each Sunday. If I miss for some reason I feel like my week is not complete. Ben and I started attending Sunday school. We love it! I even went on an adult mission trip. However, the biggest transformation for me is that I have friends. To most that probably doesn't sound like a big deal but I really struggle with meeting new people and cultivating friendships. I'm awkward with people I don't know very well. Let's face it I have a much different sense of humor than most people my age.

A few weeks ago I was approached by a church member about co-leading a women's group. I hesitated and thought about it for a rather short time and agreed. While I am going to co-lead I am going to learn far more than I will probably be able to give back. Our first book that we are going to do I am sure I will read inside and out and learn all of the Bible passages needed to go along with it. Bible knowledge is not something I have have an extreme amount of at this point in my life. I am one of those people who needs to know all the information before feeling comfortable discussing something. If I think what I have to say is going to sound stupid I just don't say it at all. However, the friendship with my co-leader is something I most look forward to. We seem to have the same interests and as crazy as it sounds I feel comfortable with her.

The biggest friendship moment came though last Sunday. Another church member invited myself and the other co-leader to go to a bingo for purses fundraiser for Hospice. We went and had a wonderful time. Neither one of them will probably ever understand how much this seemingly small gesture affected me. I came home that night and in my prayers I thanked God for bringing these two women into my life. He seemed to realize that while I struggle to form these friendships on my own that they are important to have.

Along with these two new friends I have reconnected with someone I knew growing up that lives in Salina. She is full of energy and can discuss anything. I also stepped out of my comfort zone and made a new friend while we were in line at a concert. He has proven to be a fun person to be around and I am certain that our friendship will continue to grow. While thinking about all of this I can't help but realize that we had so much rain this year that perhaps it was enough to water the friendship seeds for me. I will continue to pray that God will cultivate these friendships and they will continue to grow.

My hope is that everyone who reads this will reach out to someone that they may have contact with on a weekly basis and try to start a friendship with them. Even if you simply ask them how they are when you see them or make sure you talk to them when you see them outside of the normal setting it will make a difference in peoples lives.