Bloom Where You Are Planted

I have been thinking about this for several days
and decided that the thought needed to be put
into writing- maybe just for me-
but hopefully for you too.

I am almost 100% sure that I am not the only
mom/woman/human/adult (pick your noun)
who worries about the life they are living
and if it is the life they should be or COULD be living!

I have been really been struggling since we made
this most recent move!
It's been almost 2 years, for crying out loud-
and I just can't seem to get any semblance of
BELONGING!

Honestly it is the weirdest thing...
I wish I could explain it without sounding WEIRD!

Anyway,
I have offered many prayers on this matter and
a few days ago, I feel that I got a mini-answer
Maybe not an answer,
but definitely a little bit of an understanding.

You see,
I feel like I've been holding back since we moved to Texas-
definitely not on purpose,
and definitely not on everything...
but I've been holding back those things that I love-
love to share, love to create and love to do!

For 9 years we lived somewhere that we loved-

Our beautiful home in small town MN

kind people, great friends, awesome experiences!

Pig Roast in a garage- classic MN entertaining venue

I loved to decorate, craft, scrapbook, sew

Ten years of Ornament Exchange ornamentation- my favorite tradition EVER!!

and mostly I loved to host...

Andover Ward Ten Year Anniversary

ANYTHING and EVERYTHING-

I loved to find a reason to have a bunch
of people together laughing and having a good time!

6th Annual 4th of July Bike Parade

We had a lot of space,

Human Foosball at our 'Nothing Like a Good Friend Party'

a lot of flexibility

Ice Hockey on our Front Yard Pond

and it was simply what I LOVED to do...

Every good Bike Parade ends with a game of Water Baseball

I started hearing some pretty unkind criticism of
the things I loved to do,
and I noticed that I started to hold back and feel
anxious when I wanted to host a party or an activity-
I tried so hard to not allow the unkind remarks of some
to influence my heart,
but I fell prey to human emotion
and the remarks left a sting.

And then we moved...
No one knew me, which meant
no one knew what I did in my spare time
or what talents or skills I had or didn't have

and I found that I became a different version of ME!

We became Beach Bumms to the MAX

To be honest, I liked this version of me quite a bit too...
weekends at the beach,

Muscle Beach... always a FAV

Any Day is a Beach Day

lunch with friends, shopping in the city-
my husband has teased that I was on a 3 year play date :)

And because I felt like a blank slate,
I incorporated some things into my life that I hadn't
taken enough time for before-

Yoga moved from an exercise routine to a way of life

Over time, I started to add some of the old me back
into my life and things were really starting to click
that this could be my new HOME!

Pasta Parties before a Swim Meet

Kids in the Kitchen cooking classes

AND THEN WE MOVED AGAIN!

and I feel like a clean slate that just doesn't dare to be
inked up or colored on.
But I also feel a little lost and a lot lonely-


Now I want to take a minute to say, that
there are some things that I have added to my life
because of where I am emotionally that I LOVE-

So I'm not a male accordion player- but I do spend a lot of time in peaceful contentment

and honestly I wouldn't trade these things for the world-
or for either of my past lives!
 
But it doesn't change the fact that I feel a little disconnected...

So as I was praying one day,
desperate for guidance or understanding,
I envisioned a beautiful flower-

alone in a meadow.
Though the flower was alone amongst all the green foliage,
it was blossoming in it's full glory-
big, colorful and full of God's splendor.

I realized that not for one moment did that flower
hesitate to bloom,

never once did it question how long it
would be able to sustain that blossom nor did it ask
how many people would get to see it's beauty-

The flower blossomed because it was time
AND that is what it was created to do-
to reach it's full potential,
to magnify the measure of its creation.

I thought about this ALL day-
and I asked myself a lot of questions.

Why am I holding back?
What am I holding back?
Who am I waiting to give me permission to live the life
I want to live?
Why do I think it matters where I live to fulfill the full
measure of MY creation?

I loved this visual aid that Heavenly Father gave me.
I do better when I can SEE the lesson-
and I could SEE this!
Not only could I see the flower imagery,
but I could apply it into my own life.

I understand a little more why I feel so disconnected
AND more importantly,
I understand what I need to do to fix it-

I need to consider my life as a wonderful journey-
similar to a walk in a park with little kids!

My kiddos could walk along and gather
anything and everything-
rocks, sticks, leaves...
At the end of the day they were the same
beautiful kids they were at days beginning
(probably a little dirtier)
BUT they had gathered a lot of little treasures to take home with them!
Some treasures we keep,

It's not what you do, but who you do it with that really matters

some we outgrow or leave behind

These treasures moved on to their own bigger and better...

and some are precious enough to display...

Some people come into your life long enough to make a forever imprint on your heart

I just happen to be walking through a much larger park :)

I just need to remember that we have gathered some amazing treasures over the years

Enjoy your day
Enjoy where you are right now
And never let a single day pass by
without living up to the full potential of THAT DAY

Parenting 101

A few months ago, I was asked to speak
to a large group of adults in our area.
My topic was "Successful Parenting"
If that wasn't intimidating enough-
the gentleman who asked me said,
"Now what we are really looking for
is practical tips and ideas that can be taken
home and implemented immediately into
the homes of those who attend. We want
them to feel empowered and successful."

Yumminess at Millions of Milkshakes

HOLY COW! I stopped breathing and
IMMEDIATELY had a non stop movie
playing in my mind of ALL the things
I've done to completely scar my children!

If you're going to fight, You're going to be glued together at the hip :) until you can get along

I've spoken to big groups before,
I've spoken about really sensitive topics-
but Parenting, this is a very personal topic!!
Parenting is one of those things that can stir
a lot of emotions- people can easily feel judged,
inadequate, defensive--
and when any of that happens,
lots of people just turn off and come up with
a million reasons why "that won't work at my house!"

He's FINALLY Home!!! Dinner at Chuy's

Man, this felt like a heavy task-
and I didn't want to get it wrong in any way!

I started with a great big prayer
(and a zillion little ones)
and thought about the wonderful gift
that parenting is to me!

Take Part in Fun Family Activities

It is hard, it is often thankless,
and it is always EXHAUSTING...
but if you can step back out of all of that
and realize what a gift it is to be able to influence
the direction, course and outcome of someone's
life- to be THE person that someone thinks of
when they think safe, secure and happy!

Graduation, NOW on to College

My friends,
I KNOW parenting is a gift.

Family Photo Shoot a Million Years Ago

After much thought,
I came up with a defining moment in my
own parenting journey.
It was the realization that my focus needs to be
on a "To Teach" list and not on my normal "To Do" list!

Fun and Happiness, No Matter where we are!

It was when I began to look at my role as a mother
in this way- as a teacher and guide of my children's life journey
that I realized nothing seemed burdensome or tedious anymore.
Nothing seemed trite or menial in my day,
I found an increased desire to help them GAIN something
out of our time together and we found reason to
incorporate joy, team work and beauty into every day-

More than Anything, my hope is that my children are Friends & Lifelong Support Staff for each other

Because let's face it-
"Men are that they might have joy" 2 Nephi 2:25

Relaxing Together & Working Together create a Family that Stays Together

I shared five suggestions that seem to have
made a positive impact on our family. Because
they are very general, there is plenty of room to customize
these suggestions for your home and family life.
Watch for more detail on each suggestion through the week:

 Suggestions for Successful Parenting

1. Create a Vision for Your Family

2. See the Potential in Your Children that they often
can't see in themselves

3. Create in Your Homes Opportunity for Children
to recognize the Spirit of the Lord early in their Lives

4. Hold Regular Family Councils AND Involve the
Children in Big Decisions

5. When BIG Issues Arise, Follow after the Parenting
of a Loving Heavenly Father- His ways will ALWAYS
show you what is needed in your home

Maple Glazed Almonds

Do you ever crave something?
I mean CRAVE something????

And then do you ever
panic when you go to make it
and you don't have what you need?

This happened to me today.
I wanted a salad with Glazed Cashews-
I toast them in a pan with a VERY small amount of butter,
when they are getting a pretty golden color,
I add in some agave nectar-
they get this yummy, crunchy, sweet flavor
and they taste AMAZING on any salad,

one of my favorites can be found here

I had no Agave,
and I only had salted cashews...

But I'd already made the salad
and I was hungry-

So I went made two substitutions
to a three ingredient recipe
(technically, is that even a recipe)
I used Slivered Almonds instead of Cashews
and Organic Pure Maple Syrup

I was NOT disappointed-
they were so Yummy!

I topped the salad with equal parts of
Grapeseed Oil and Cranberry Balsamic Vinegar

(I've mixed the Cranberry Balsamic with Black Currant
Balsamic and then used an equal portion of Olive Oil too)

Boosted Banana Muffins

 *** I've had a senior moment- I can't find my pics, so imagine yummy muffins,
I'll get back to you on the pictures.

My family used to look like this

Parents included...

and now it looks like this...

Granted there are no parents in this pic...

One kiddo is serving an 18 month church mission

The morning of departure

and two just left for school in Utah

Kiddo #1 and #3 off to USU

So needless to say,
my grocery shopping looks a little different lately-
and I have a lot of bananas that end up looking like this

rather than this :)

I've been making a lot of things out of BANANA,
bread, muffins, cake, smoothies...

You get the idea right??

I decided to go a little crazy one day when I saw this cereal-

Sorry for the fuzziness; it says Cinnamon Hazlenut

I have used it's sister cereal to make cranberry muffins
for like a ZILLION years!

Cranberry Almond Crunch

So I figured I could come up with a yummy recipe using
a cereal with a name like that!

To borrow a phrase from Mary Poppins-
these were Practically Perfect in Every Way...

The second time I made them,
I made them in Jumbo Muffin Tins and
topped them with a chunky cinnamon streusel.
We took them to a school breakfast-
EVERYONE who ate them wanted to know where
I had gotten them and they were the first muffins gone
(this up against the HUGE Costco/Sam's Club Muffins
that are more of a dessert than a breakfast food)

Try 'Em-
You won't be disappointed


Banana Muffins

2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 t. baking soda
1 box of Post Cinnamon Hazelnut Cereal
     (Or Post Crunchy Pecans Cereal)
2 eggs
2 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. butter
2 ripe bananas, mashed

2 TBSP. maple syrup
1/2 tsp each, cinnamon & nutmeg

Beat eggs and buttermilk together & syrup.
Stir in melted butter.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, soda, cereal and spices.
Add milk mixture and stir with as few strokes as possible.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, adjusting cook time to size of muffin.

*** My littles request these to be made with chocolate chips-
which just makes them YUMMY TOO!!

A Day For Heroes

A few months ago,
my husband and I walked into a theater
for date night to see a movie that neither
of us had heard of.
It was a sport movie, so hubby was excited.
It was date night, so I was up for anything
as long as it involved a treat!!

"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives" Jackie Robinson

The movie was about this athlete and
how much he had to endure to become
who he was- and he was one of the GREATS!

Last weekend we went to see another movie
that left me feeling a little cheated.
It was a movie that covered the life of a man
during the later years of Southern servitude,
segregation and racial hostilities.

I didn't feel cheated by the story line or the
accuracy of the film-
I felt cheated because at the very end,
when we had a chance to see the impact
this man's family had on history-
the producers turned the movie into
a political statement-

Now, I'm seriously not here to post about
politics, social issues, or even opinions-

But today, September 11, my heart has been
touched by some of the clips, songs and stories
of the attacks on America 12 years ago.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/adriancarrasquillo/50-powerful-photos-of-humanity-and-solidarity-in-the-years-s

I have been pondering all day why I get so
emotional in movies that highlight the stories
of great people who overcame horrific hardship-
When I say I get emotional,
I mean, I GET EMOTIONAL!!

This morning I realized why I didn't like the
most recent movie I saw, why I LOVED the
first movie I mentioned and why I cry at
Country Western songs and so many other things!

 http://www.buzzfeed.com/adriancarrasquillo/50-powerful-photos-of-humanity-and-solidarity-in-the-years-s

I love a hero story-
I know there has been so much suffering in this world
and I don't have any intention of minimizing that-

but this is a world of heroes!! And that's what I love!
I love a story where someone took lemons
and made lemonade.
I love a story where the underdog comes out ahead.
Not rose colored glasses kind of love either-
I realize with 100% awareness that heroes are
made out of hardship
and most of the time, the hero in them
was a choice NOT because they had
super hero training

Pioneers hoping for a better life for their families

This is the admiration of someone who knows how
hard it is to wake up in the morning when all hope
seems to be lost!
But there is a choice group of people
who when all else seems to be falling apart-
they get to work and BECOME a hero. 

Sad as it is,
hardship happens to the best of us-
tragedy impacts or lives whether we like it or not-

http://www.buzzfeed.com/adriancarrasquillo/50-powerful-photos-of-humanity-and-solidarity-in-the-years-s

but out of hardship, trial, adversity, sin,
warfare, cruelty, persecution and ignorance
HEROES are made out of normal men and women.

I ask myself every day,
would I have the strength and the courage to stand
for something when everything around me
was pushing me down

I hope I would
and I know we ALL could-

Happy Heroes Day
a day to celebrate the brave men and women
who often give their lives for something they believe in!

Sunday Sundae- Healthy Style

I'm going to tell you about it someday!

One day when I am sure that I can speak about it
with some level of confidence and humility-
right now it is still pretty personal,
But I joined An Addiction Recovery Program.

One reason I don't want to talk about it
YET...
Is that my Addiction is a widely debated topic
in the diet, nutrition and addiction fields

Some say "ABSOLUTELY" and others
laugh and scorn and say things like
"You don't know what you're talking about"

So I've kept it relatively to myself-
I've teased with my friends for a long time that
I was going to do it,
and Finally, I decided it wasn't a joke
(at least, it wasn't to me)
and I joined a program sponsored by my church-
You can learn more here if you are interested

My addiction is to Sugar-
To me it is a real, powerful and to easy to ignore problem-

But like I said,
more on that later!!

I have found that there are a few things I can
do to enjoy Dessert Time with my family on
Sunday evenings.
This is one of my Favorite-

The Waffle Bowls are Homemade

My Hubby is the Master at Waffle Bowl Making

and are made with alternative ingredients for me
but honestly, I don't often eat mine anyway
(I've just learned I'd rather not eat,
than deal with all the substitutions sometimes)

I add some delicious Fruit-
a hearty and healthy serving thank you very much!

I add lime juice and lemon & lime rind 20 minutes before I serve it

I top my "Sundae" with Plain Greek Yogurt
flavored with Cranberry Balsamic Vinegar
or Vanilla Bean Paste and Lemon Extract

What's Not Fabulous About This?

The last time we had ice cream Sundaes,
three of my five kids at home
opted for my version and said no
to the ice cream :)
Oh happy DAY

My Mom's Kitchen

I actually can't remember a whole lot of food from my moms kitchen. 

It's actually kind of sad because I know she was a good cook, 

but its been a really, REALLY long time since she passed away 

and I just can't remember. 

I do remember that her mom made 

Split Pea Soup with a Ham Bone- 

which looked really gross to me but was supposedly really yummy!

I also have memories of sitting on the rolls 

several Thanksgivings in a row :(

I do know that my mom made a really yummy punch 

which I LOVED

and she had a beautiful punch bowl that she used to serve it

When I was sick, 

she made me homemade Tapioca pudding. 

I haven't eaten that since she died- 

it was just never the same when you have to make it yourself :(

So why can't I remember what we ATE??????

Well, one day I had a memory of her BLT Sandwiches. 

She would toast the bread,

and layer the Bacon, Lettuce & Tomatoes on top!  

I probably have eaten one or two in the 31 years since she passed. 

Well I have been craving them something fierce- 

so I caved in and allowed myself some bread- 

WHITE CIABATTA BREAD!

Ciabatta, Bacon, Tomato, Lettuce & Avocado

I pause for the gasps and lectures to cease!! 

I added my own little modern day twist- 

and used Pesto instead of Mayonnaise...

Keep in mind my mom was gone long before 

gluten free, sugar free, and no preservative diets were the norm

I have to say, that for a guilty pleasure, it was WORTH IT! 

Holy Cow that's a case of a HUGE piece of Lettuce!

Like really worth it. 

Like so worth it, I had it a second day in a row 

AND I felt no regret. 

At least no regret until I woke up with swollen fingers-

Back to being Good-

Oh, but it was soooo YUMMY!

A Rare Splurge at Lunch. Aaaahhhh