Thursday, September 30, 2010

"Paid in Full"

Sunday morning, Woestina Church.  Pastor Kent's message today, "paid in full."  God paid for our sins in full when his son, Jesus, died on the cross for us.  How do we repay him?  I never thought about it that way before, it really makes sense.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Distracted

1st day of Fall Soccer, Amy and Emily played and Alex reffed.  The day started out cold and damp and turned out beautiful and in the 70's.  I need some motivation--I'm feeling very tired today.  Which is to be expected since we were up most of the night with Amy not feeling good.

Thinking of my brother today.  I haven't heard from him, so I don't know if he's left for Iraq yet.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

It's Friday!

It's Friday!  2nd day of going shopping after I dropped the girls off at school.  This has to stop.  I haven't gotten anything done on my BE List since they started school, it's even been hard to write.  This isn't how it's supposed to BE.  Where have my "extra" 8 1/2 hours gone since school started? 
Had a bad girl breakfast, but so yummy.  Dunkin Donuts coffee with a bagel sandwich.  I miss my morning coffee with the today show.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Faith

"Faith sees the opportunity; doubt sees the obstacles.  What you see is what you get!"- James MacDonald on twitter
Those are strong words, I guess I need to have more faith in myself to have success in my BE List and over come my obstacles to BE the best ME I can BE.  For too long I have been seeing the obstacles first, it is time to see the opportunity!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

1st Day of School

1st Day of School- off to a good start!  Amy started Pre-K, Emily 3rd grade and Alex starts 7th grade tomorrow.  I was supposed to start my new job today "ME" but instead that has once again been delayed, this time because of my foot.  Hopefully by Friday I can start walking the girls to school and next week I start boot camp.
Breakfast sandwich with coffee, no time for the Today Show, have to get the girls ready for their BIG day.
After picking up Amy we have lunch, a sandwich and my apple-a-day. 
Chicken with stuffing and sweet potatoes for dinner, very good. 

Need to add watching Dr. Oz as part of my BEing ME.


Saturday, September 25, 2010

All you need is LOVE

We watched the documentary "Babies" tonight.  It was beautiful, sometimes funny and always amazing.  Most of all it was very interesting to see how 4 different cultures care for their babies the 1st year of life.  It was interesting how different each culture is in caring for our children and yet how we are all the same when it comes to loving our children.   Where ever they are from babies are babies and mommies are mommies.  The things we give them might all be different but we all do what we do because we love our babies.  Babies don't care what stroller they ride in or what clothes they wear if any.  They all need love and nurturing from their parents to help them grow strong of body, mind and spirit.  I watched Oprah interview the director of Babies, Thomas Balmes and he said that the only criteria for finding the babies was that they came from a loving home.  
Babies
 All they need is love. 

Find Your Passion in Life

"Stop just going through the motions, do something you really want to do.  Find your passion in life, do something different!"  -Dr. Phil

"You gotta show up in your own life." -Dr. Oz

"A collection tells your story."  - Nate Berkus

"Take a oath of financial honesty.  Define the things around you don't let the things define you."
-Suzie Ormon

All of these quotes I wrote down while watching Oprah - The Best of Oprah - Oprah's Dream Team.  As she interviewed each of her dream team members I had to pause it and write down these great quotes.  I have definitely found my passion, artsyBE and My BE List.  It runs through my veins, motivates, and inspires me everyday to do something creative and BE a better ME.  I'm trying really, really hard to "show up" in my life.  As I clean and organize I'm trying to display things so they will better tell my story.

Tonight for dinner I made homemade macaroni and cheese with pasta wheels, which Amy loves for some reason.  It came out really cheesy. We called it "oh-my cheese & mac."  Everyone accept Alex loved it.  He's the only kid I know that doesn't like mac-n-cheese.   We also had delicious grilled chicken and Caesar salad.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Labor Day

It's Labor Day--traditionally today is celebrated as the end of summer, a day of rest, parties and bar-b-q.  We spent the morning getting a few things done around the house and then picked up lunch at Subway and headed up north.  The kids wanted to bring daddy to the Copeland Covered Bridge and the waterfall.  They loved showing it to him and exploring a little more than before.  The highlight of the trip was finding a frog and trying to catch it.  Amy was the only one to actually touch it.  She squatted right down like the frog watching it intensely.  It was so cute.

The low point of the afternoon was 3 steps away from getting out of the creek, I twisted my ankle on an unstable rock.  Not only did I twist it to the left, but the rock next to the unstable one smashed the right side of my ankle.  I could hardly walk up to the car.  When we got home I couldn't even walk from the driveway to the house. The kids had to get an old pair of crutches for me.


Sunday, September 19, 2010

Plan for BEing a Healthier Me

Borrowing some words from the late Michael Jackson,
"I'm looking at the man" GIRL
"In the Mirror.  I'm asking him" HER
"To make a change, no message could BE any clearer.  If you want to make the world a better place, you gotta look at yourself and make a change."

I NEED TO TAKE AS GOOD OF CARE OF MY BODY AS I DO MY TOES.
NO MORE CUTE PEDICURE FOR A WHILE.
TIME FOR THE NAKED TRUTH WITH MYSELF AND TIME FOR NAKED TOES.


Everyone puts off starting a diet 'til Monday, I have put it off 'til Amy started school.  Well the count down is on.  She starts in 2 weeks.  Until then I'm getting my mind ready to start the BIGGEST, MOST IMPORTANT JOB OF MY LIFE, ME!

BE ME - BE HEALTHY 
NO MORE EXCUSES

Making a plan for me that will work:  This is a start.

#1 Boot Camp 2 days a week
#2 Supper Food Smoothies for Breakfast ( Everyday Food )
#3 Sassy Water (Flat Belly Diet)
#4  Apple a Day
#5 Eat REAL Food!
#6 When I think of something write it down don't wait or the thought will be gone. 
#7 No more BLT's, Bites, Licks & Tastes (Weight Watchers meeting)
#8 REMEMBER IT'S NOT A COMPETITION - IT'S FOR ME!

Saturday, September 18, 2010

"Dirt Bomb Muffins are the BOMB!"

That's what my kids said this morning after I made them with my junior chef's help of course.   I'm so glad I finally asked my very good friend Beth's daughter for the recipe.  They have been making them for years and we always love them.  Well we made them this morning and they were the BOMB!  While Alex and I mad the muffins, Emily and Amy were busy making strawberry yogurt cups to balance off our guilty pleasure muffins.  They have enough butter in them for a week.  But Ohhhh--- were they worth it - AMAZING!!



Left-over pizza  & iced tea for lunch today.  It was VERY HOT so we went to Beth's for a quick swim, only for an hour.  I really enjoyed the sassy water and conversation while the kids swam.  The water was very pretty the way the sunlight reflected off it and of course very refreshing!!


Tonight, Ken and I took Alex and Emily along with members of Woestina Reformed Church to volunteer and serve a hot meal to people at the Schenectady City Mission.  Not knowing what to expect I was a little nervous, but very humbled.  It reinforced how thankful and grateful I am to have a loving supportive husband, who provides a roof over our heads and food on our table everyday.  Sure we don't have everything we want but we have everything we need, our health, family and LOVE - that's all we need.

I'm so glad we're not missing anymore.  I'm glad we found Woestina!

Friday, September 17, 2010

Artsy

ARTSY from dictionary.com

-artsy crafty
adjective- characterized by a showy, pretentious, and often spurious display of artistic interest, manner or mannerism
-(informal) having an ostentatious or affected interest in or desire to imitate artist's or artistic standards.

Am I Artsy?
I used to think I was...but I definitely don't think I'm pretentious or spurious or ostentatious.  In fact I am just the opposite, I am shy and hide behind this body of mine.  I do not wear showy clothes at all.
I am how ever artsy crafty.  And I do display artistic interest and have the desire to imitate artistic standards. 
I love making things with my hands and creating, whether it is a photograph, a card, jewelry or my children's Halloween costume.  I love to be crafty, some might say I'm quite skillful and ingenious when it comes to things that require creativity, but I'm not cunning, deceitful or sly.  WOW maybe I shouldn't have looked up these definitions.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

A colorful day of fruits and veggies

Amy came in to wake me up this morning.  She climbed right in and snuggled up with me.  I took it all in as I know this soon will be over, my baby's not a baby anymore.  A week from today she starts pre-k.

Breakfast with The Today Show, DVR'd of course.  I failed to mention that before, it's a great thing since I have been sleeping late all summer.  Egg sandwich again on an English muffin and coffee in my yellow mug.

Wednesday's are Ken's work from home day.  Today being the last Wednesday of summer vacation we took the kids out to lunch at Brownies.  Brownies is a back in the day hang-out in our town, know for their hot dogs and fries with gravy.  Good, fattening comfort food.



After lunch I brought Ken and the kids back home and went for a ride to Pine's Farm Stand (all by myself, it was great).  I was able to really enjoy all the colors and the beauty of the fruits and vegetables and take some pictures.



When I was checking out the guy working there said, "don't you want a picture of me?  I saw you taking pictures."  I told them how beautiful the fruits & veggies looked, so rich in color.  They taste as good as they look.  The tomato was so sweet.  The tangerines was so juicy and sweet, the best one I ever had.  When I got home I sliced up the cucumber I bought and made some SASSY water with a lemon and mint but minus the ginger root. 



While I was making it the girls discovered the fresh strawberries.  They loved them!  My mouth is watering just talking about it. 


Today was HOT, around 93.  So this afternoon to get cooled off we washed the car and went in the kids pool.  Sure it's not a BIG pool, but size doesn't matter when it's HOT, water is water.  Too hot to cook, ordered pizza for dinner and an antipasto.  Broccoli, artichokes and mushroom with ricotta cheese, so flavorful and delicious.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Love, Cook, Eat

Another relaxing summer morning in my pj's late.  Egg sandwich on an English muffin for breakfast with coffee and The Today Show, a perfect way to start the day.

Did some laundry, that tedious task is never ending.  I also got one layer of summer dirt and grime off the floor.  I was going to wait until the kids went back to school but I just couldn't look at it another day. 
After that I grilled some Angus beef hot dogs for lunch with macaroni salad and a lemonade.  My junior chef Alex made some meat sauce with the leftover beef from tacos.  It was very good.

After our lunch digested the girls and I did "Just Dance" on the wii.  We had so much fun I don't know why we don't do it more often.  I don't know where the girls get all of their energy, they could do it for hours.

I made dinner with love tonight.  We started off with cucumber and homemade hummus rolls.  They were mouth watering-ly delicious!  The combination of the cucumber and lemon, garlic in the hummus with the crunch of the cucumber was wonderful.



I also made chicken, baked potato and zucchini, all seasoned and packed separately in foil and placed on the grill on low and left alone.  Dinner was delicious not only the food but the conversation. 

Ken always says that food tastes better when you "cook it with love."  And I did tonight.
Love, Cook, Eat

Love Nature

People are always amazed at what I see.  "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."  I see beauty in everything around me.  I usually notice things that other people don't.  Like today for example on our hike to Tenant Creek Falls there was a fallen tree.



Most people including myself found it quite useful as a bench, to sit upon while they put their shoes back on.  I saw a heart in the bark.  How beautiful!!!

Monday, September 13, 2010

Tomato Heart

As I sliced my fresh tomato from the farm stand today I found a beautiful surprise, a heart.  How perfect since eating tomatoes is good for a healthy heart.  This isn't one of my best photos but I just had to post the tomato heart.



Sunday, September 12, 2010

Keep Your Eyes Wide Open

Lazy summer morning, only a week of them left.  It's going to be just as hard for me as it is for the kids getting up early when school starts again. 

Breakfast with the Today Show, coffee with and English Muffin with PB&J.

Laundry and Lunch, hot roast beef with cottage cheese and iced tea.
This afternoon we went exploring with my parents on a short hike to Tenant Creek Falls


We walked the trail along side the creek, listening to the sound of the water on the rocks as we walked.  Always keeping my eyes open.  So many beautiful things to photograph, in all sizes, from as small as an acorn to the tallest pine tree reaching for the sun.  I saw a lot of things that everyone else just walked by, like a tiny orange mushroom and a tree growing on top of a HUGE rock. 




As soon as we got to the beautiful falls the kids went right in the water.  For a hot day of 90 degrees, the water was crisp and cold and very refreshing.  Alex went exploring looking for more parts to his Nature Merit Badge.  I kept looking through the eyes of my camera and then went exploring on my own up the edge of the falls to see it from a different vantage point.



Ken and I made a very fresh, healthy, delicious dinner when we got home.  Grilled chicken, with a warm potato salad.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

When willl I BE at my best?

Sunday morning, time for church.
Topic for today, "When was God at his Best?"   He has had many Best's, but has he had "His Best" or is his best yet to come?

When will I BE at my best?  Not to compare myself to God, but I too have had many Best's, we all have.  But I still haven't become ME at my Best!

My BEST Moment's

BEing Born
Making my Senior Ball Gown, Graduating from High School,
Graduating from Cazenovia College and SUNY Cortland College,
Managing the Frame Shop,
Marrying Ken,
Giving Birth to Alex, Emily and Amy
Moving Home,
Starting ArtsyBE & Starting my BE List!



(Banana & OJ to eat before church, Out to the Hen House Restaurant for Brunch - broccoli and cheese omelet, with home fries & toast with a coffee, NO lunch since we ate so late.  For dinner we grilled chicken and zucchini and had it with a fresh slice of tomato on a ciabatta roll, with corn on the cob & lemonade.  It was deliciously yummy!!  The fresh tomato that we picked up at the farm stand earlier in the day was so sweet and juicy, Ken even ate it.)

Friday, September 10, 2010

To BE or Not to BE, That is the question

I looked up the definitions for BE and BEE at dictionary.com.

BE:
  • to exist or live
  • to take place, happen or occur
  • to occupy a place or position
  • to continue to remain as before
  • to belong
BEE:
  • any hymenopterous insect of the superfamily Apoidea, as the bumble bee or honey bee or carpenter bee etc.
  • a community social gathering in order to perform some task, engage in a contest, etc: a sewing bee or spelling bee
Quotes:
"The bee's knees" a person or thing that is wonderful, great , or marvelous (from the 1920's)
"Busy Bee" a person who has lots of things to do
"Make a beeline"  a direct route traveled quickly 

"To have a BEE in one's bonnet," is to BE obsessed with one idea. 

"Stung by the splendor of a sudden thought." ~Robert Browning

I have been stung by the BEE in my Bonnet, "My BE List!"

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Garbage Muffins

Slept late - how great!!
Good morning, not really, the only thing good about my breakfast was my coffee.

Explore New Recipes, EXPERIMENT - So I can Eat Healthy.
This morning I explored a new recipe.  I made Healthy Morning Muffins which I've made before.  The first time I followed the directions to the tea and they came out Delicious.  Today I substituted Zucchini instead of carrots.  Not good!



They came out extra moist, it was hard to tell if it was just the banana or if they aren't cooked all the way.  The flavor was good but the texture was awful.  I was the only daring one to try them, they ended up in the garbage.  Oh-well, I tried!



Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Having Fun Editing Photos

Wouldn't it be great if we could edit life like we edit photos.  It would BE so easy if we could just crop a little bit here and a little bit there until we get it exactly how we want it.






Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Sangria

Put the kids to bed time to escape.  Sangria with a forever friend. 



"If all BE true that I do think,
There are 5 reasons we should drink:
Good Wine,
A Friend,
Or Being Dry,
Or lest we should BE by and by,
or any other reason why."

Monday, September 6, 2010

Tell it Like it is

The sun is shining -- maybe the beach today.

If anything tells it like it is, it's a bathing suit.
I'm going to have my son take my picture in mine today...but I am just not ready to post that picture yet.

I'm going to put it in my journal and on my mirror and in the fridge. 

It's like we had our own private beach today, there was hardly anyone there.  We almost left but I'm glad we didn't.  The most ominous clouds were across the lake, you could see it pouring on the other side.  The winds picked up and we packed up and put the stuff in the car.  But we didn't leave, we waited it out.  Instead "we made lemonade out of our lemons" and flew kites.  The storm blew over and we had a great afternoon.




Saturday, September 4, 2010

Trying to BE Happy

Trying to BE Happy, but instead I feel Blue.
Not sure what's got me down.  Hopefully it will blow over like the weather.  It's been so gloomy the last few days.  We need some sun.  Instead of writing tonight I'm gonna try reading.  I started reading Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert, forever ago.  I really want to finish it before I see the movie.

Friday, September 3, 2010

LOVE

This summer we have enjoyed being a family and spending time in our own circle.
We have had a lot of beautiful days at the lake.
We LOVE the beach!!!
~Here is what my kids LOVE about the beach~

Emily's Hand Heart

Alex's Hand Heart
Amy's Hand Heart

BE Honest

I've had enough of the lies my children are saying, no matter how big or small.  Today wasn't the first time I caught Emily in a lie.  But today was the first time I had to have a real talk to her about it.  She loves to test me and I'm done.  I had to remind her of the 10 Commandments.  I explained that if she lies about something she's gonna get in more trouble than if she did something wrong and tells the truth.

HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY!

I haven't been honest with myself.  I've been in denial about my weight for too long.  Time to be honest and make a change.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

I sound like a Girl Scout

Looking at my blog posting tittles, I sound like a Girl Scout.  I guess it's because I'm a Girl Scout Leader.  A lot of the things I want to be we are teaching the girls in the Girl Scout Promise.
I will do my best to BE, honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

BE Happy :) BE Fun

The kids and I had FUN today, taking pictures of Amy as "Little Monkey Vader."  She came down dressed like that herself and the help of big sister Emily.  So cute!




I was researching BE quotes at dictionary.com and thought this was appropriate:
"A man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink and to BE merry." -unknown
That is so true, especially with kids.
They eat, drink and BE happy.  Oh and occasionally sleep.


For dinner tonight I made raspberry iced tea, grilled chicken marinated in sun dried tomato vinaigrette, roasted potatoes also seasoned with sun dried tomato vinaigrette and green beans.  The girls made pumpkin bread for dessert.  Dinner was very fancy thanks to the girls setting the table fancy tonight.

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