Slow down to smell the roses

There are times when God will do whatever he has to in order to get us to "chill-ax" a little. This is something that I have experienced many times in my life. Last week for example I was bending over in the car to pick my purse up and WHAMMO; out goes my back. Now many of you know that I have a bad back. I have suffered from this for almost 20 years. Which makes me feel very old. Any who... there I sat in terrible pain in the front seat of my car. I suddenly thought how am I going to get Brady out of his car seat, let alone get myself out of the front seat. Some how God gave my strength to get out, get Brady out of his seat and upstairs to his bed. Then I was on my back to three days. Slowly the pain eased up and I was better by the week-end.

I decided that I was going to fast and God wanted me to slow down. I actually got a lot done that I would not have normally. Most importantly I completed the bible study section for the week of an intense study I am doing right now. Funny how that worked out.

Life is short. Take time to smell the roses. Live Life Outloud

TV or no TV?

You know there are so many decisions to ponder when you have kids. Tv or no tv? A little tv? PG or G rated movies only? Vaccinations or no vaccinations? (Well that is one that I say you must vaccinate. But that is another topic all together.) I believe that kids should be outside playing, creating and imaging. However, I must say that is not necessarily how we live. Sometimes you just need to chill.

Just today I met a new friend at the park during our MOPS get together; Mothers of Pre-Schoolers. She and her family just moved here from Virginia, so of course being a recent transplant myself we quickly bonded. We were discussing how scary it is to move to a new place where you don't know your neighbors real well. In my case having an infant and a school age child has made this interesting when it comes to playing outside. Parker wants to ride his bike and Brady runs away like wild fire when given the chance. So the 2 of them are on completely different paths.

When we were kids our parents said "come in when the street lights go on." You never had to say where you were or who's house you were going to. Everyone was trusted. We spent the night over all of our friends houses. Now I have to be outside with my kids and we do not do spend the night parties at all. I really don't trust hardly anyone with my kids... accept the tv. I can easily monitor what they watch and for how long. But what are they missing out on when they are inside and not outside?

I really have no answers here. These are merely the thoughts that run through the minds of all parents with young children. Thinking about when they go off to college brings about a whole different list of do's and don'ts. For now, I am just going to try to
Live Life Outloud...

whatever we are doing

Parker and Brady playing Star Wars outside.

Crayons, dollar bills and sunscreen

I wanted to touch base with you about your efforts for collecting crayons. This is so easy. We have quite a collection so far. If you haven't started this, put a zip lock baggy in your purse today!!! I also wanted to see if any of you have stopped spending dollar bills. I counted our bills last week and we had $132 in bills alone. We don't spend change either and I have not counted that yet. We are going a few little trips this summer, so this money will really help with dining out, excursions, etc. Parker is really jazzed about it. He loves to put the money in the jar. He also puts any money he gets in the jar too. His cousins had sent him $10 and he wanted to go to Target for some shopping. He spent $8 and put the other $2 in the jar. It was great.

As for sunscreen... I want you to know that you must put sunscreen on your kids. Let's face it, it's almost to late for you. Did you know that most skin damage happens when we are kids. I remember putting baby oil on and laying in the sun for hours. I would be as red as a tomatoe. Then we would have to bathe in Noxema to get the heat out of our skin. The only sunscreen you should use is one that is at least 30+ SPF. Otherwise don't bother. Don't forget your face, neck, ears and lips.

Live Life Outloud in the Sun!

Parker, Brady and Heidi

Mayonaise

I have come to discover that mayonnaise is actually a food group. Along with butter having it's own place in the food pyramid too. As I am cooking more for my family these days, I use a lot of butter. Now there is no substitute for butter in most recipes. Sure you can use other substances, but none of them taste remotely as good as butter. The vegetable spread stuff in a tub is really gross. I am not sure what that stuff is. Is is oil? Why not just use oil? Strange.

As for mayonnaise, I feel compelled to write about this wonderful condiment. I use mayonnaise daily. I like it on sandwiches and especially on burgers. I use it in every dip I make too. Mayo, as I fondly refer to it, really adds to the flavor of any meat. It is also used as a binding ingredient. I use it when making Ms. Gilda's "sausage balls" and with Jeanne's "cheese slaw". Both of which are always a huge hit at any potluck brunch type meal. I will post the recipe for both. You will be very popular after making these yummy treats.

Ms Gilda's Sausage Balls
3 cups of Bisquick
couple handfuls of sharp cheddar cheese
1 tube of Jimmy Dean sausage (whatever flavor you like
a little MAYO
add milk to create the right dough

mix all ingredients together with your hands, roll into large balls, place on a lightly sprayed cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes. YUMMY!


Jeanne's Cheese Slaw
1 1/2 blocks of Swiss cheese, coarsely shredded
1 bunch of green onion chopped (use the tops too)
1/2 cup of chopped banana peppers
1/2 cup of chopped jalapeno peppers
MAYO to bind together

mix all ingredients together, salt and pepper to taste, serve with corn chips.

Please remember that Miracle Whip is NOT mayonnaise. It is salad dressing. It does not taste the same. I use Miracle Whip only when a recipe calls for it.

Enjoy your new recipes.

Live Life Outloud and with Mayo!!!

1 year later

Here we are just 1 year after Doug's passing. This picture was taken on my 38th birthday. (now you know how old I am!) We are doing well. The boys are adjusted to our new life in California. We are active in our church and at Parker's school; Ripon Christian.
It has never been my plan to be a single parent. Let me say that it is not an easy task. I am so blessed that I do not have to go to a job everyday. I am wokring a little here and there. I am finally doing what a love. Taking care of my family and telling our story.
God's work is wonderous. His plan is unbelievable. There are many things that I do not understand. What I do understand is that everything happens for a reason. You need to listen to your life. Take time to think about why and what is happening in your life. Not all of God's plan seems fair when it is happening. I would change some of things that have happened in my life for sure. But you know what? I can't! How funny is that?

Looks like we only have one choice in life,

Live Live Outloud!

The Great Crayon Collection

As I watch the news or special reports, read msn.com, etc. I am constantly thinking of ways to get through these tough times. I come from a family of educators. My father taught at the same high school for 30 years and taught at the local JC and State College too. My mother was an elementary school teacher for 25 years and my sister teaches the 3rd grade now. I also, as many of you know, am a teacher of sorts.
The other day my family and I were out to lunch and we were discussing how my sister spends her own money on many things for her classroom. She had attended a workshop the day prior where she learned about some really cool tools for the classroom. Guess what? The teachers of California have been given a $0 budget for classroom supplies for next year! My sister teaches in a area where there are many underprivileged families. She knows that she will have at least 3-5 students every year that can not afford the school supply list.
As we sat waiting for our food to come, Parker was coloring with the crayons that the restaurant gave him. My brother-in-law said "I bet you could go to local restaurants and get crayons donated for the kids in your class who can not afford them." That gave me a great idea! The Great Crayon Collection!
Here is how it works. Put a zip lock baggie in your purse or your car. Every time you go out to eat save the crayons they give your kids. (if you don't have little kids, ask for a kids menu with the crayons to play tic tack toe while you wait) At the start of the school year give your teacher the crayons or drop them off at the local elementary school.
What drives me nuts is that the government either expects the teachers to buy the supplies out of their own pocket or just skip doing art projects all together. Now I don't know about you, but I remember the art projects more than I remember the math worksheets from elementary school. In fact, it's the art projects that get saved by parents!
Start collecting crayons today. Let's see if we can help our kids and our teachers. Let them

LIVE LIFE OUTLOUD and in COLOR!

Colored in class by one of Parker's classmates for his Superstar book.

Everyday is a NEW day!

This is the perfect example of how great God is. Everyday is a new day. If you have ever watched the movie "Ground Hog Day" with Bill Murray you know that living the same day over and over again would be pure torture. That is why God created day and night. We rest at night to renew our bodies, minds and souls. That way we can greet each morning with a fresh set of eyes. Have you ever started a puzzle, a really big puzzle, and after working on it you just can't seem to see any pieces that fit together. Once you take a break and come back to the puzzle you see it with new eyes and suddenly you see lots of pieces that fit together.
If you ever feel stuck in a rut, take a break. Get outside for awhile. Take a walk. Take a nap. Walk away from whatever it is that is bothering you. Next talk to God. He will be listening. You may just need to vent. This is a task that I have had to learn to do. Especially now that I am a single mother and I have no other adult at home during the "meltdown" times. You know; before dinner, before bed, in the morning before church. I have had to create a kid free zone for myself. I take a time out whenever I need it.
I was talking today to a gal who has ovarian cancer. She has two small boys and the cancer has come back after she had a complete hysterectomy last year. She said that she still finds herself getting short with her boys sometimes and then she stops and realizes that there is no good in it. She looks at life in a different way now. She lives life out loud.
Doug and I knew that his health was poor. But you would have never known it by the way he lived. We embraced every day with fresh eyes. I have gotten a lot of comments about the picture I chose for the blog. Everyone loves it. To me the picture says "Living Life Outloud". His expression, his pose, are awesome. Just as Doug was.

Have comfort in knowing that tomorrow brings a new day,

Live Life Outloud!

Fun in Sun

Long ago when Doug and I where first married we were broke! Which is quite normal for newlyweds. We also did not have children for the first 4.5 years of being together. We had a home, 3 cars, a dog and Doug had lots of toys. But we were broke none-the-less. So big daddy created a game for us to play to help us save money for a trip to the beach. Here is how is works:
You take a jar of anykind and write on it "Fun in the Sun". Next everyday when you get home you open your wallet or dump your pockets/purse of all of your change. Now the rule is you can not spend any change during the day. You would be surprised how fast it adds up. Then the month prior to your trip you save $1 bills. That's right, you can not spend any $1 bills. If you feel really smart, save $5 bills the week prior to your trip.

This is something that we have done for years. Parker loves this game. He holds me accountable everyday. The day prior to our trip, we go to the grocery store and use the Coinstar machine to get our change turned into cash. You can of course be more wise with your money and roll the coins yourself. The money we save from our game is our spending money; food, activities and shopping.

Try it. You'll be so happy the day you leave for your trip!

Doug and Parker during our beach trip in 2006

A New Day Has Begun

As I reflect on the past year I start to understand God's plan for me. Although I do not understand why at such a young age I would be without my parents and my spouse, I do know that my children are gifts from God. It is so important to remember no matter how fustrated we get with life that each moment is a gift. Try to slow down. My life has changed so much in the past year. I do things now that I never did before. For example, today I strolled Brady around an outdoor mall and then across a busy intersection to meet my sister for lunch. You might say, "this is weird and where is she going with it". My point is instead of dragging Brady in and out of the car, I walked. Simply, walked. He gooed, I breathed. It was good.

In the past, I rushed into the shower and put on a suit just to sit in traffic for an hour ride to go 15 miles. Now I stop and sit on the floor to roll a ball for 15 minutes with Brady. I put on my tennis shoes and play outside with Parker. God wants us to be successful. He wants us to have wealth. He gives us time to spent with our family and friends. I have never seen "should of worked harder" on anyone's headstone. I have seen

"Lived Life Outloud"

Take time to live life outloud, today. For you never knows what tomorrow brings.

The Launch of Live Life Outloud

2009 brings many new opportunities for all of us. I have finally decided to do what I love the most; motivate others. That is why I have started my own company "Live Life Outloud." For all of you that knew Doug you know that he did just that. We lived each day outloud together. You never know if today will be your last day on earth. Make it count. Reach for the stars. Plan BIG.

Live Life Outloud!