In Honor of my Dad

On May 27th, 2010 my dad passed away after a tough battle with cancer.  His name was Armando Carnesecchi, but we always called him Mick.  Today would have been his 63rd birthday. 

My family members who still live in Michigan are spending the day remembering him in meaningful ways.......taking flowers and homemade cookies to those special 6th floor nurses at U of M who took such good care of him, then going to Spicer's apple orchard which he loved to do, visiting his grave, and basically spending the day together as a family remembering him lovingly.

I am having such a hard time today.  Life has crowded in on me this Saturday.  I am sitting at work.  I have a few minutes.  I so want to honor him in a meaningful way.  All I can think to do is write. 

I love you.  I miss you.  Thank you for raising me as one of your own even though I never really gave you any real thanks or real signs that I fully accepted you and thought of you as my dad.  I regret that I never called you Dad.  I call you that now.  It took losing you to remember all the many was that you treated me as your flesh and blood.

Thank you for your goofy spirit.  Thank you for the way you always reminded me to wear my seatbelt.  Thank you for teaching me to drive.  Thank you for being strict.  Thank you for being proud of me and my accomplishments.  Thank you for allowing me to marry Jared after only dating him for a couple of months.  Thank you for trusting me and my seemingly crazy judgment. 

Thank you for being such a great grandpa to my kids.  For taking them on the yearly Christmas shopping trip to buy a special gift for their parents.  For taking them fishing---for morphing a simple fishing trip into a full blown tournament complete with categories and prizes for winners!  Thank you for reenacting the Polar Express for them---punching their tickets...setting the room up like the inside of a train.....convincing all the uncles to come in the back door dancing with hot-hot-hot hot chocolate in their hands!  Some of their best childhood memories will include you and your fun spirit.

Thank you for always coaching my teams and staying involved with who my friends were.  Thank you for fighting so hard to get Chris and me back from Arizona when my real dad (who never deserved that name) tried to keep custody of us illegally.  Thank you for going to IL and working so hard to keep our family together.  Thank you for turning the fact that you had Diabetes into a true cause that has touched so many lives for the better.

Thank you for fighting so hard to stay alive.......Thank you for the courage you had to know when it was time for hospice.  Thank you for lifting your arm that one last time to hug me before you lost consciousness and started your long and mysterious week long journey to death............to eternal life.

Thank you for being my dad.  Thank you for making that dvd that we played at your funeral that clearly and humbly gave the gospel message.  Thank you for yielding to the Holy Spirit and giving your life to Christ.

Happy Birthday Dad.  I love and miss you.  One day we'll be together again.

Friday Funny - ALMOST a Cowboy!

My son is fully embracing the fact that we now live as far west as we ever have.  He loves the rough and tough cowboy look.  He had the privilege of being invited to the PBR Rodeo with his good friend recently, and it's all he has talked about. 

On the way home from our homeschool co-op today he says, "Well Mom, I have a cowboy hat and cowboy boots.  Now all I need are some tight jeans!"

I guess I can't judge him too much..........the word "Jordache" still brings back painful memories of laying flat on my back with the tines of a fork stuck into my zipper........struggling with my makeshift "handle" to get those darn things zipped only to bust them open when I sat upright!

Happy Friday, ya'll!!!!!!

My Top 10 Favorite Fitness Helps

I'm almost done with my first week of a new healthy lifestyle, and I've found that I depend on certain favorite things to help me make it through without going completely crazy.  I thought I'd share 10 of my favorites (in the order they popped into my head):

1.  Raw Almonds- I keep these in my purse, my car, and my pantry.  They are delicious and they really help to stave off hunger.

2.  Celestial Seasoning's Sleepytime Tea-I love to have a cup of tea before bed, and it's good for me too!



3.  South Beach Living Protein Fit Bars-These are so sweet,  but unlike other "desserts" they are high in protein---not just a bunch of empty calories!



4.  Jillian Michaels Banish Fat Boost Metabolism workout dvd-I love this because I hate it----does that make sense?  You will sweat and heave and think you're about to die, but when you finish you will feel as fit as Jillian herself.  No nonsense approach!

Girl Meets Tree

It's been a while since I've posted anything frivolous!  I've been so busy trying to get my butt in gear (literally) with this new 30 Day Fitness Challenge with which I've "challenged" myself.  Between that and all the new fall scheduling, it's been hard to find the time.  But oh how I do love rambling.  I love the idea of being able to share my thoughts.......sometimes deep......sometimes just bragging about a kiss from Elvis and I don't have to feel like I'm imposing on anyone.  Reading is VOLUNTARY!  I love the arrangement! :)

I wanted to post this picture of this tree because it is my absolute favorite tree.  I am one of those people who is always seeing a great "picture" as I'm going through my day.  I can't tell you how many times I think to myself, "I wish I had my camera!"

On the day this picture was taken, I was half asleep walking the dog early on a Sunday morning....hair a mess, no bra (oh come one, I'm not the only one who walks my dog bra-less early in the morning right??), shoes that were two sizes too big for me...you get the picture.  It wasn't until I walked to the end of my street and turned back around that I noticed my "favorite" tree on the corner of my street framed in the sunlight, clouds hovering over the distant mountains.

Well if you thought I looked silly at the beginning of my walk, try to imagine me running (still no bra...oh my) back to the house and then running back with a big digital slr around my neck and no more doggie!  I must have taken a dozen pictures of that tree.

It just made me stop and think.  It was breathtaking.  I wanted to remember it.

I'm seriously considering bringing my cool red couch out there and having our family Christmas picture taken underneath that tree.  My neighbors already think I'm crazy right?

30 Day Fitness Challenge!

Most of the greatest victories in life are born out of complete failure.  That's where I was with my health and my weight last December.  Like many of us women, I was (still tend to be when I'm feeling weak) a stress eater.  My husband had just taken a job out of state, and I felt the added stress of being a single parent.  By the way....all you single parents out there....YOU ROCK!  I don't know how you do it, but you do.  My hat is off to you!

Anyway, back to me and my big butt and gut.....  One thing I found that I did (quite mindlessly) was take a little snack (usually some sort of Weight Watcher's dessert type snack that I'm pretty sure wasn't meant to be consumed in the fashion in which I was consuming) into my master bathroom and lock the door.  Ah.....the fleeting bliss of uninterrupted undercover SNACKING.  I'm being transparent here, just like my Snack Wells issue I mentioned in a previous post.  Confession is good for the soul, right? 

So, as the story goes, I was in a state of complete failure.  Little did I know at the time that this moment would lead to one of my greatest victories.  It was the beginning of December and I knew that even though all the holiday goodies were on the horizon, I had to do something about my weight.  So.......I called my sister and vented to her. 

The next day I had an email from one of our mutual friends who is a personal trainer and has the gift of godly encouragement.  She had a challenge for us.  Yep....I'm finally getting to the challenge part of it!  The challenge was very simple:
1.  Work out for at least 40 (preferably 60) minutes every day for 30 days. 
2.  Eat clean, real foods.  Eat 6 small meals/snacks a day.  Never starve yourself.  Journal what you eat.  Report to her how we did every day and what we were feeling each day.

I will tell you right off the bat that I did the challenge.  Here were my results:

-Though working out 30 days straight (first time I EVER worked out on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) seemed extreme (and I think I did miss one or two days), I realized that she was trying to create within me a healthy habit.
-After the 30 days, I still continued with the eating plan and worked out most days as part of my normal lifestyle.
-I experienced the thrill of actually wearing the clothes that used to hang in my closet and mock me!
-I was more confident and able to tackle other goals that I previously thought were impossible.
-I LOST 17 pounds (by about 10 weeks later)!!

Before:

After:

Well, as sometimes happens with flawed human beings, I slowly crept away from that healthy lifestyle, and now I look a bit more like the before pic than the after again.  Now it's time to revisit what I KNOW works. 

I figured, why not share my challenge with whomever might be reading this! This will add accountability for me, and hopefully give others the added push as well.

If YOU are up for the 30 Day Challenge, here's what you will need to do:
1.  Print off the plan.
2. Follow it!
3. Go to the "30 Day Fitness Challenge" page of my blog.  Follow my journey and leave comments of how it is going with you.

Please pass this on to anyone you want to.  Also, if you are IN--please consider following my blog as I will plan to be sharing more on this in the future.  To follow, you will need to set up a google account, but it's quick, painless, and free!

The challenge officially starts tomorrow (9/17) but remember you can start anytime!  Wishing you all the best!

In Relentless Pursuit of Organization

Everyone---I don't care WHO they are or what they say......EVERYONE loves organization.  Even people like me who seem to find it as elusive as the White Stag in Chronicles of Narnia, love love LOVE organization!  Perhaps, dare I say, people like me love it the most because when we finally achieve it (alas even if only for a short time) we absolutely revel in it.  We love it so much.....we stand a little taller....carrying with us the vow that we will never let things get out of control again.  We have won the battle.....conquered the clutter.......

No, unfortunately this is NOT a picture of my kitchen drawers.  In fact, we are going to leave my drawers out of this altogether.  I just had to post this picture because it makes me happy to see organization.  It motivates me to pursue it relentlessly.

I am currently chasing down a workable daily schedule that allows time for Bible reading and prayer, exercise, school, chores, errands, practices, games, work........oh....there's that white stag again!

This pursuit is still very much a work in progress, but I want to share some things that I've found so far that have proven to be helpful to me.  I figure if I can share resources and help others in their pursuits it might keep me on "the hunt" until I've "bagged the beast" of disorder and chaos!

One thing that I've found is a time and money saver is weekly meal planning.  This seems a simple enough concept, but I know that many people (myself included until recently) just don't do it.  We get so busy with our lives that we don't give much thought to dinner until the time is upon us.  That is how many of us end up at the drive thru (budget and belly buster).  I found a great website called The Project Girl.  There are a lot of cool ideas, but the ones that caught my eye are the great meal planning worksheets:

You might prefer this one if you want to plan all three meals.  I typically only plan dinners.  It's sort of "every man for himself" at breakfast and lunch.

Another tip:  Make a master list of all the meals that you ever make for dinner.  Then evaluate it----are they healthy?  Do many of them take too long to prepare?  This is what causes many people to get into a "frozen fish stick or microwaveable meal" rut.  If your list is too short or has other problems, then get some new recipes.   The best way to do it is to just google what you want.  If you prefer a pretty cookbook (mine always end up collecting dust in the basket at the top of my frig) there are plenty to be found.

Once you have your master list of at least 10-14 recipes, then you can start to rotate them and switch them around a bit so that you aren't cooking the same things every week. 

Another tip:  Substitute ground turkey for ground beef.  I love the Deceptively Delicious cookbook which contains "sneaky" ways to get some healthy ingredients in popular dishes..  Be creative, and have fun!

Another huge tip with busy schedules comes from Tosca Reno and her Eat Clean Diet book.  She suggests that everything hinges on planning ahead.  She says that a cooler is your best friend when it comes to eating real food with a busy schedule which includes being on the go more often than you would like..

So < BABY STEPS> this week I'm focusing on meal planning and reintroducing a healthy/clean eating lifestyle (we have gotten WAY off track recently). 

My kitchen drawers can wait until another week!

10 Things I LOVE About Fall

Yes sirree--We are almost here.........only 11 more days until the official start of Fall. But pardon me if I start to celebrate a bit early.  I'd like to narrow down the many many reasons that I LOVE Fall...........

1.  Burning Leaves-- I love the smell of burning leaves..........now we used to live in the city where there were all those annoying laws against such Fall activities.  We now live in the boondocks, so I can't wait to get lots of these smells again.  The smell of burning leaves is so quintessentially Fall.........so different than the smell of my neighbor burning his trash every week!

2.  Friday Night Football Games--- Or any night for that matter. Now I don't pretend to act like I actually understand the game, mind you.  I just love all that is associated with it.....the band....the cheerleaders....the touchdowns and interceptions (see I do know a little of the jargon)....the fans.....the announcers.  You get the picture.

3.  Candy Corn ---'nuf said!

4.  Making Chili --Chili is one of my favorite meals.  I absolutely love it with sour cream, cheese, and Fritos on top!  We always make a big pot on Halloween.  It's the best cold weather dish.  I'm passing the chili making on to my daughter.  I'm really trying to be more purposeful about teaching her to cook and all the other things that go along with managing a home.  Isn't she too cute?

5.  Fall Clothes--After a long HOT summer and being practically required  to wear shorts unless I wanted to have the "sweaty jeans" feeling which is SO not good.........it's simply glorious to put on a pair of jeans and a sweater.  It's so much easier to look cute and feel confident in jeans and a fall colored/earth tone sweater.  I mean....who really looks good in shorts once you pass age 35??  Anyone?  Anyone?

6.  The Changing Colors --Breathtaking!

7.  Cider and Donuts --  OK by now you are probably noticing a common theme......FOOD!  I can't help it.  I don't care WHAT kind of a diet or the more PC term I've preferred recently "Healthy Eating Plan" I'm on....when Fall comes around and I am near a Cider Mill/Apple Orchard.........It's GAME ON!  There is nothing better than a hot, crispy, greasy cinnamon donut washed down with cider.  Not....Even....CHOCOLATE.  Yes--you heard it here!  Here's a picture for picture's sake and because I know that pictures help to keep

readers' attention and if you're still reading this by now.......you NEED a picture!

8.  Busy Fall Schedules -- Every Fall I tend to get myself and my schedule a little over extended.  I don't know why I do it or why I can't resist saying yes to every wonderful opportunity.   Sometimes you just need to succumb to the way things are and go with it.  Every year there are so many exciting new things starting up....school...ladies' Bible studies at church....Awana's......dance....football.......the list goes on!  I just LOVE all the newness.  It's sort of strange how Fall signifies newness with me, but in nature it is a time of endings and dormancy.........hum........it's too early for me to get too philosophical or spiritual about that one.....you're off the hook! :)

9.  Holidays are a Comin' ---My real favorite time of year starts on the first day of Fall and ends on New Year's day.  I love all the festivities and excitement that all the Holidays offer.  

10.  Yankee Mackintosh Candle ---Strange--but it's become a tradition to purchase and almost ceremonially light this particular scent of candle.  We are currently out of it, so we have plans to go out the the Landing (an awesome waterfront shopping area here) and buy one on......you guessed it....the first day of Fall.

Happy Fall Ya'll!

SUET! The Adventures of Actually DOING the Experiments!

Those of you who know me best know that I tend to be a bit scatter brained and flighty.  I have a very hard time with follow through...........which is why my house is usually in complete disarray.  I might start to pick up the living room---take some shoes to my closet---see some dirty clothes there---take them to the laundry room----see the calendar on the wall in there and realize I need to check on the location of a game---go downstairs to the computer to look it up----get in front of the computer and wind up on Facebook instead.  Meanwhile......the only thing I've done so far to clean up the living room is remove my shoes from the floor in there!!

Anyway, unfortunately this distractability has been known to, at times, carry over into my teaching methods.  In the past, I had a full time job in direct sales that took a lot of my time (and was "open" all times of the day and night), so I felt very "pulled away" from dedicating my time to planning and carrying out all those cool projects and experiments in the science book.

This year, I've had to let go of some things in order to focus on the areas in my life (homeschooling being one of them) that are most important and most deserving of my time and dedication.  I have committed to buying and using a planner.  This has helped tremendously.  I also have a set time to do my planning......imagine THAT!

This year in Science we are studying Zoology.  We are currently learning about birds.  Sounds a bit boring, I know....but let me tell you we are all having a blast.  Yesterday we spent $4 on a hummingbird feeder.  We are having so much fun observing and recording information about these funny and gorgeous birds!  Their behavior around the feeder has had us all laughing.  I highly suggest you get a hummingbird feeder! Best $4 I've spent in a long while!

Today, we made "Smart Suet" for a feeder.  It was fun letting the kids make a mess and figure out the recipe themselves.  It was the first time I've ever bought LARD in my life.  YUCK!  The recipe made 8 snack sized baggies of suet.  I figure that will be enough to last us a while.  We are all excited to see the new birds that this will attract to our yard.

Perhaps more pics to come later.  When I get my nice camera from the office I hope to get some cool pics of all the hummingbirds.

Too Much of a "Good" Thing.............

When I started this blog, my goal was to write about things that would encourage others.  I hoped to post all the great ideas I had related to homeschooling (I must admit...somewhat selfishly as a means of holding myself accountable and on track).  I also hoped to share any spiritual insight or growth I experienced so that my entries would be edifying and help others to grow in the Lord.

The danger with that lofty goal is that I could easily end up with a collection of blog entries that make it appear that I have it "all together"  In fact, that was the exact quote that my sister emailed to me after reading my "Why I Homeschool" post.  The last thing I want is a blog that is full of great ideas and insights, but that in any way puts its author on a pedestal. 

I admit, I've read blogs that do just that......I read them because they have great ideas and gorgeous pictures of perfectly organized homeschool bookshelves, impeccably dressed kiddos who are involved in so many worthy activities (not watching Spongebob like mine were earlier today).  The trade off is that I often walk away with great ideas, but feeling deflated because I must be missing the mark.

So why the picture of the empty box of Snack Well's Devil's Food "FAT FREE" cookies??  Because this was one of the many battles lost today.  There I was, standing in the kitchen with the last (of twelve mind you) delectable cookie in my hand, poised to take one of the final bites......and my daughter walks up and asks me if she can have it.  I want you to know that I struggled for a moment and didn't want to give it to her! For SHAME!  Never mind the fact that I had already had the other 11 (not all in one sitting....but definitely in one day....I ate them in little "families of 4"....just like they are situated in the package).

If you're anything like me...and you're honest with yourself....you are morbidly encouraged by the realization that people whom you thought had it all together don't.  Is that really so wrong?  I don't think so.  The truth is that so many of us women beat ourselves up about our failures and completely forget about all the victories. 

The Enemy wants us right there....wallowing in our self defeat.  In order to soothe our defeated feelings, we turn to so many counterfeit cures.  Some put on a facade to the world that we have all the answers.  We tell ourselves that others depend on our "wisdom" so we'd better not let them know about the piles of laundry.....the cluttered pantry......the empty box of Snack Well's Devil's Food Fat Free Cookies!

I treasure my relationships with others where I can be real and take off the mask.  I can admit my weaknesses and failures and accept those of others.  It is my prayer that anyone reading this.....(by the way...the jury is still out on whether or not anyone even IS reading this......but that's OK...I know God wants me to write it) will seek to know Him more purely and intimately and in that vulnerability that only comes from time spent at His feet, she will then be strong enough to be comfortable letting her weaknesses show to others.  In our weaknesses, He is made strong.. 

2 Corinthians 12:9 says "...My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

So I am boasting in my weakness for Snack Well's Devil's Food Fat Free Cookies!  Not because I think it's OK to eat a whole box in one day and almost deprive my child of that last one, but because it reminds me of how weak I really am.  It reminds me of my intense need of Him in ALL areas of my life.  It reminds me that I don't need "Devil's food" to feed my soul.....but I need the Living Water and the Word of God to satisfy me.