Stuffed Tomatoes

While I was away this week end I ate and ate and ate. Most of it was junk food but I ate other food as well. One thing that I ate that I really liked was stuffed tomatoes. You take a tomato that is firm and cut it in half. Then put sausage that you have cooked into it. Top with provolone cheese and heat in the oven until cheese is melted. The sausage is the key here. You can make it really spicy sausage in which the tomato acts as a relief or a more mild sausage that the tomato accents. I am a picky eater but I really enjoyed this treat. It is a great way to eat tomatoes and is very quick and easy to throw together. I would have pictures but I was too busy eating to take a picture. Enjoy.

"Everything is given by God. All talent, creativity, ability, insight, and strength comes from him. In our own strength we can do nothing." Marvin J. Ashton (Ensign, May 1990, p. 67.)

Life

Sigh. As I stepped on the scale this morning I think I heard it groan in pain. The "the voice" started in on me. I thought for sure that after I did that one workout this morning I would magically wake up slim. I did a Biggest Loser video yesterday and it almost killed me. The body and exercise plus diet is confusing. I don't really care what the number on the scale says. I realize that it needs to be far lower than what it is currently saying, but that is not really what I am basing my health on. Rather it is this depression, lack of mental clarity, and lack of energy that tells me that my body needs some work. So, I want to diet, but it's hard and I want to exercise and it is hard as well. Why does the body take up to 3 weeks to feel any better when you start to change how you eat and exercise. I rarely make it through the first week because I am so tired and hungry and I am having sugar withdrawal. So, everyday I will focus on my small victories. Maybe in the end they will add up. If not you can all have a good chuckle.
Tuesday's victories: 1)I did a workout video 2) I snuck some carrots into my unsuspecting tummy 3) I didn't take a nap 4) I felt good feeling like i really worked out hard.
Next: McKayla is doing great. She went to school yesterday and is such an awesome kid. i am so amazed at her positive outlook and cheerful outlook. She really is an example to me of "come what may and love it".
Ariana: Oh how I love this little twerp. She can drive me nuts and yet melt my heart. I worry that others only see her crazy side and don't notice how sweet and caring she can be. She still gives McKayla a hug and kiss everyday because she has an boo-boo on her eye.
Chad: Still working hard at school and work. He has to do his COMPS in February so he will not technically graduate until then. I told him that it will be okay because then he can spend more time with me. He is trying so hard yet he feels like he is getting kicked while down. i told him that his fabulous, high paying job won't start until March, so god is making him wait.
Me: I am finding more sunshine in this life. Since May I have allowed despair, frustration, and hurt cloud my days, but I am starting to notice the sunshine through the clouds. I am blessed with a great family and great fiends.
Last: Goodbye for now. I won't be back until Monday because I am going on a girls scrapbook retreat Thursday through Saturday. I hope you all have a fabulous day.

Apple Picking

This scrapbook created with Smilebox

McKayla

5.4 years ago a little girl came into our lives and she was perfect. Well, a little gross looking, but all babies look gross those first couple of minutes. Still she was our to take home and care for. I must say that I am daily impressed with what a little lady blesses this home. She is so friendly and sweet. She cares for everyone and she amazes me the amount of love she can give to people and never expect any back. She is a wonderful girl. Today at 6:00 am I had to entrust my little girl over to a surgeon to remove a cyst that had grown on her eye lid. The doctors were sure that it wasn't harmful but it still needed to be removed. I started the timer on my watch the moment she left my sight. She was only away an hour, but it was a very long hour. She was grumpy when she woke up but I can't say that I blame her. She is sleeping now, after her bowl of honeycombs and a glass of strawberry milk. Yes, I tried to convince her of toast with apple juice but she said no! I told her that I would declare October 18th national Mckayla day because she was such a brave little trooper. Cheers to the doctor that helped her and the wonderful nursing staff that had the good taste to tell her what a beautiful girl she was and to ask about her pet unicorn.

Sisters

I am the youngest child in my family and the only girl. My husband is also the only child and only has 1 sister. With my super deductive reasoning I thought we would have boys. I thought that boys would be easier and so much less drama. However, Heavenly Father in his wisdom gave me not one but two precious little girls. How they love each other. They play together and are so good to one another. I am glad that I received these two gifts from heaven. While there are days I scream and yell or tell them that I'm taking a time out, I love them with all my hearts. Yesterday they were out back playing and I caught this picture. How it warms my heart to see them smile and hold hands. While I know that drama, tears, and fights may be in our future, for this moment in time they were sisters and best friends.

On Saturday and Sunday our church had what we call General Conference. We have the opportunity to hear from our leaders on various topics. One talk that caught my attention was about gratitude. It discussed that it is easy to say thank you once or even feel grateful for a moments, but that we all need to be living with a feeling of gratitude in our hearts everyday. This talk touched me because I realized how ungrateful I have been. Rather then rejoicing that we have been able to make ends meet during this financial hardship, I have been grumpy over the stress and our credit card bills. Rather then being grateful for the opportunity to watch my children grow I have been longing for the days when I felt smart and appreciated. Rather then being grateful for my Savior I have been wondering why I have to have so many trials. Today I feel grateful to be me. I am not the best at anything, but I have so many great blessings in my life. I am blessed beyond measure with a wonderful family, a lovely home, a fabulous neighborhood and a deep faith. For that I am grateful.

October

Can you believe it is the first of October? I am so shocked. It is the spring board for the holiday season. I want to have a Halloween party this year. I really do, but I stink at these things. I never know where to place the food so there is no bottlenecks, and how do you keep the kids entertained while the adults get to talk. I also wonder how to keep everyone involved. Maybe I stress too much and should just say come to our hour and bring a yummy fall treat. I think that we will decorate tomorrow. Of course first I have to mow and put down grub eliminator, fertilizer and grass seed. Then I need to water. Hopefully by putting down all of these products I don't have grubs that are bigger and have grass growing on them. Back to the party...Maybe we should all have a blog party. Someone could post pictures of the decorations, another person could post pictures of the food, someone could post pictures of the games we played and then we could all post about the awesome conversations. Am I nuts?