Welcome back, friends!

Brandon and all his "friends", as he calls them

Hiatus: a time for bloggers to claim that life was all busy to rejuvinate. I'm going to side-step the excuses and purpose to get back to writing for writing's sake. If you're here, thank you for reading and welcome back.

We're running around opening and closing doors at light speed these next few weeks, homeschool lessons and dance practice coming to an end, swim practice in high gear and Little League in full swing (no pun intended). We'll soon add horse camp and as many fun summer memories as we can pack in. I *love* this time of year. In fact, June is my favorite month of all.

Brandon, age 4, is such a delight to watch in baseball. I wish we could say we had something to do with his abilities and love of the game, but the fact is, we are the supporting role to his performance. When Brandon turned 2, we bought him a vinyl plush Mickey Mouse bat and ball. We figured cute gift, he'll toy around with it. We didn't anticipate that he would love that little set and ask his dad literally every single day to play ball with him.

And so it began. Brandon is now in his first year of Little League and, oh for sweet, that boy loves the game. He refers to himself as a "baseballer" and boy oh boy, a baseballer he is. God has given him timing, passion, and a great swing. He is proud of his efforts and we are proud of the little boy that he is, both on and off the field.

If you've ever been to a 4 year old baseball game, you know that it's 50% ball game and 50% comedy central. Oh, the things those boys do. Squat down in the middle of a game to fill a ball hat with rocks and dirt and put it back on their head. Race against and nearly tackle fellow team mates to get the ball. Lay down in the outfield. You get the picture. After this week's game, I can even add a few more to the list, like tagging a player out by launching the ball at him. Or fielding the ball and then following coach's instructions to "Throw it to first base!" by throwing it to second. Or my own personal favorite, falling asleep standing up at home plate (uh huh, did too.)

Whatever you're doing to transition at this time of year, I hope it finds you well in health and in heart. Would love you to "check in" and share what's on your early summer agenda.

Live wise in Him!

~Toni~

FLASH TRIP

The kids and I have been studying the American Revolution these past few weeks. Multiple historical figures were part of that study, including Thomas Jefferson, author of much of the Declaration of Independence. My husband and I have often talked about the benefits of his job, -the privilege that we, as a family, have in being able to board a flight any time we want (as long as seats are available). We've said that we would use that privilege to our advantage to show the kids some of the history they're studying "in real time." In reality, life usually gets in the way and we have only done it once, when they were studying Jamestown and Williamsburg and we flew there.

So last week on Thursday, I was sitting there telling my husband all the historical facts we had studied, that particularly interested me. I reminded him that he and I had visited Monticello, Jefferson's plantation home, back in 1992, and how vivid that made the history we were studying. His response?

"Why don't we take the kids to see it then?"

He meant that we should take a "flash trip", a brief, one-night trip to a place of our choosing, in this case Monticello, to enjoy a single focus and come home.
The excuses immediately rushed in to my mind. The hassle. The reservations. The kennel boarding. The fatigue of a quick trip. The......

"Okay. Before I talk us both out of this, okay. Let's just do it."

And so we did. We quickly booked a hotel and rental car, checked hours of operation and cost for touring Monticello, and packed a very light overnight bag for all. My husband got off work last Saturday at 1:30pm, came home and picked us up, and we headed right back to the airport for our afternoon flight. By 11pm that night, we were all tucked in to our beds at the Richmond, VA Wyndham for a night's rest and an elegant complimentary continental breakfast the next morning. Linen tablecloths and napkins, china, beverage service by the staff. Not your average continental breakfast. It was lovely.

We drove the near 1½ drive to Charlottesville, arriving at Monticello around 11am. We were able to join an immediate tour and spent the next four hours exploring the house and grounds of Thomas Jefferson. I was so thankful for the privilege of giving our children that "real time" experience.



We even had enough time left to visit the grounds of James Monroe's home as well, but we did not tour the inside. Still, it was nice to at least show the kids where another president had lived as well. After a full day of touring and exploring, we stopped for dinner at Cracker Barrel before heading to the airport for an evening flight back home. Stand-by travel being what it is, one of us almost had to stay behind in Chicago on the final leg home, as there weren't enough seats to accomodate our family of six. Thankfully, someone no-showed and we were able to take the last 6 seats just before departure. Good thing, because the blizzard of 2011 moved into Chicago the very next day.

One incident did make us laugh (and "cry") while at Monticello. We were touring the vast produce garden area on Mulberry row, and decided to make our way through to the other side of the garden to visit a small glass enclosed structure similar to a gazebo (not sure of its function, but perhaps it is used for civic events). Anyway, as we went to step inside of it, me following the children and husband following me, I cracked my head against an overhead structure. It was the thick wooden frame of an enormous window sash that can be lifted up to make an entrance into the structure. Because of the glass, it was not very noticeable and thus the major thump of my head. It hurt! Everyone fussed over me while I rubbed my head in disbelief, pain, and okay, embarrassment.

So what happended next? As we were stepping back out, I heard another THUD. This time, it was husband's biscuit that got whacked. Of course, kids being kids, the silence was interrupted with laughter mixed with, "Daddy are you okay? Hahahahaha. Are you hurt? Hee hee hee. Is it bleeding? Bahahahaha!" What else could we do? Within seconds, we joined them in laughter.

And to top it all off, we were standing on an upper deck sometime later, looking out over Mulberry row and the garden, when hubby suddenly urged, "Uh oh! Come here, quick!" I got there just in time to see the glass structure in the garden, and the well dressed man with coiffed hair, polished shoes (turned red from the wet Virginia mud) and a formal overcoat. It happened in less than a second, but ran like a slow-motion picture in my mind as I thought, "Ooooh nooooo, he's going to whack his biscuit toooooo."

BAMM!

"Owww!"

(silence, and then.....)
"BAHAHAHAHA! Our family ducked away from the deck, faces a bit smurked, feeling both bad for the guy and redeemed for ourselves, as we now knew we weren't the only ones who couldn't see the glass obstacle looming overhead. We didn't laugh loudly, but we couldn't contain it either. It just stuck us all as funny after both myself and my husband had done the very same thing.

I realize that everyone does not have the time or resources to do what we did, so please know that I realize this. Without the flying benefits that are SUCH a blessing through my husband's job, we might not be able to do this ourselves. But I encourage you to consider ways that you might create your own "flash trips", especially if you homeschool. Perhaps a visit to a local living history farm that covers your time period. A tour of a period home or the grave of a historical figure from that time. Even a trip to the library to read a historically significant picture book to your children in a quiet corner (and then icecream afterwards) can be a wonderful "fieldtrip" experience for all.

Live wise in Him!

~Toni~

Good times around the table.

Sometimes it was fancy.
Mostly, I remember it being "good".
And to a little girl, that simply means I recall the experience as pleasant and secure; my whole family, -mom, dad, and us four kids, gathered around our metal early 70's table with its vinyl-covered chairs, for the family dinner.

Fish sticks.
Hot dogs.
Fried potatoes.
Chicken legs.
Homemade soups.
Cabbage and noodles.

The meals had to feed six mouths on a single income and I must say, my parents did it well.
Well and young (there were four of us kids by the time my mom was 23).

It was a different time back then.
A beautiful, wonderfully different time.
How I lament that my children cannot enjoy the same freedoms and care-free summer days that I was able to. If you've ever seen the show, "The Wonder Years," you will have received a somewhat realistic glimpse into my childhood. So much of what I loved about it is just not possible for my kids today, due in part to a world with less defined boundaries, greater criminal activity, and waaaay less children being made to play outdoors in fresh air and sunshine. Sigh.

But thankfully for my family and I, one thing has not changed.
The family dinner is still a time of gathering us together, a time which I hope my children will someday recall, much like I do, as pleasant and secure.
It's our time of connecting, debating, sharing, laughing and praying. And it's those last two, laughing and praying, that I would like to illuminate for just a moment.

Yesterday, as we all gathered around the family dinner for prayer, my youngest son (age 4) began.
"Dear Lord, thank you for this beautiful day and for our food that mommy made.
And thank you for my man purse."
(enter raised eyebrows from mom and dad before the smack of clasped hands over gaping mouths could be heard, as we both tried, and failed, to hold back the laughter that had begun to rise from within.)

But it wasn't over just yet...
Our older son, age 9, piled on.
"And dear Lord, thank you for my food too, and please don't let there be any staples in it."
That did it.

"BAAHAHAHAHA!" :D

The whole family broke out in a fit of laughter, right in the middle of prayer time. And I have to believe that God, too, was laughing. You see, it's true. We have been finding staples in the food this past week or so. To be more specific, *I* have been finding staples in my food.
Why?, you ask?
Well, let's just say that I've been known to come up with a half-baked idea on occasion. Apparently, this past week was just such an occasion, where it occurred to me that in the absence of a bag-sealing clamp, I could simply fold and staple freezer bags before placing frozen items back in the freezer. So, I stapled my frozen fruit bag and a corn bag as well.

Brilliant, yes? ;)

"NoooOOOo."

And right you are. It's a definite no. Because when I carefully re-opened those stapled bags (and I was careful, honest to goodness), apparently those little metal guys torpedoed into the food and hid out until I found them during my meals (hey, at least it was only me who paid the price for my poor choice).

And did the kids take notice?
Clearly, that would be an affirmative yes, as evidenced by my older son's staple prayer (to be known as just that, THE STAPLE PRAYER, from this day forward).

Can't you just hear him as he and his own family gather for the family dinner someday (and oh, how I pray that they too will have that wonderful privilege).
"Kids, did I ever tell you about the week where your grandmother kept discovering staples in her food? Yeah, she did. I don't recall the details exactly, but I could almost swear it had something to do with a man purse."
THE END!

Live wise in Him!

~Toni~

Heart healthy Tuscan soup

Most of my friends and family know that I am vegetarian. By "hard core" terms, I'd actually be known as a flexetarian because I do, on very rare occasion, take a taste of meat. I also cook a Thanksgiving turkey and a New Year's ham, hence the term, flexetarian. But for all intents and purposes, I avoid eating meat.

So, what does this mean for my family, since I am the resident cook? Well, let me answer that by first sharing what it doesn't mean. It doesn't mean we're limited to spaghetti, salads, and variations of potatoes (though we eat those too).

It does mean I make our own lunch "meat".

We also eat colorful, flavorful calico beans over brown rice, incredibly delicious soups like coconut spinach potato and garlic kale. We also eat grilled tofu "egg" salad sandwiches, enchilada casseroles, and sloppy "fauxs". I could go on and on, but fact is, we do not hurt for variety, we supplement with daily vitamins, and our blood pressure, cholesterol, and general health are great. The kids check out just fine on their development as well.

We went sled riding all afternoon yesterday, and something hot sounded "just right". Enter...Tuscan soup.
It's a recipe that I tweaked and changed from its former heart-insulting version. It's fairly quick to prepare (especially if you can cut veggies the evening or morning before), and is a very healthy alternative to other similar dishes. If you love sausage, but love your heart more, this one will help you to care for it without compromising too much on taste. I promise!

HEART HEALTHY TUSCAN SOUP
**************************
-2 tbsp olive oil
-1 large onion, chopped
-1 whole head garlic, peeled and minced (I use the mini food processor for this)
-3 celery stalks, diced
-10 potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
-1 large bunch kale, washed, stripped from center vein, torn into smaller pieces
(note: you can use the greens of your choice. Collard or mustard would work fine.)
-10 cups water
-5 cubes Edward & Sons vegan boullion cubes (trust me, they're the BEST! I prefer the garden veggie flavor, but any of them will do and there is a low sodium option)
-1 can fat-free evaporated milk
-1 box Boca breakfast links (found in the health food or "meatless" freezer section of your grocery store). Note the wonderfulness of zero trans-fat and 75% less fat than regular sausage. And they really taste good.

1. In a large soup pot, heat olive oil. Saute onions and celery in oil for at least 5 minutes, allowing to soften, before adding garlic and continuing to saute about 2 minutes longer (note: always let chopped onion or garlic sit for 5 minutes before cooking. Why? Go HERE to learn more.)

2. Now add potatoes, water, and boullion. Bring to a boil, then add kale, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are fully cooked (approximately 15 minutes). If you prefer a firmer texture, you can wait to add the kale when potatoes are fully cooked.

3. While soup is simmering, heat Boca breakfast links according to info on package. I use the microwave for this. Next, cut each link into six bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

4. When potatoes fully cooked, stir in the can of evaporated milk and the breakfast link pieces. Test soup and and season to taste with salt and pepper (remember, we're going for heart healthy. There is plenty of flavor from the garlic and broth, so passing on the salt is perfectly fine.)
5. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with whole grain bread. Enjoy!
(this recipe makes enough for our family of 6 to have at least 2 bowls each.)

Live wise in Him!

~Toni~

Oh my goodness, I'm so grateful to Courtney over at Women Living Well for sharing this GEM of a video with me.
It is soooooo worth watching.
And the book is definitely on my list of "to be read."
Watch and be inspired!

Live wise in Him!

~Toni~

Good (and then good for you)

It's called Oatmeal Cheesecake Banana Split.
Need I say more? Go HERE to get the recipe.
My family absolutely loved it. I used chopped pecans on top, and dh thinks it would have tasted great with blueberries as an alternative. I can see me making this some Sunday morning as our breakfast with a cup of coffee before church.

And now, let's talk about water for a moment.
Like to drink it?
Hate to drink it?
I'm not very tolerant of just plain water.
It actually kind of nauseates me sometimes. But (unless we live in a cave, which honestly, is appealing on occasion) we all know that we should be drinking lots of plain old water. So I decided to dig into the many benefits and this is a list I came across...

• Lose weight: Drinking water helps you lose weight because it flushes down the by-products of fat breakdown. Drinking water reduces hunger, it’s an effective appetite suppressant so you’ll eat less. Plus, water has zero calories. Here are the further details on how to achieve fat loss by drinking water.


• Natural Remedy for Headache: Helps to relieve headache and back pains due to dehydration. Although there are many other reasons contribute to headache, dehydration is the common one.


• Look Younger with Healthier Skin: You’ll look younger when your skin is properly hydrated. Water helps to replenish skin tissues, moisturizes skin and increase skin elasticity.


• Better Productivity at Work: Your brain is mostly made up of water, thus drinking water helps you think better, be more alert and more concentrate.


• Better Exercise: Drinking water regulates your body temperature. You’ll feel more energetic when doing exercises and water helps to fuel your muscle.


• Helps in Digestion and Constipation: Drinking water raises your metabolism because it helps in digestion. Fiber and water goes hand in hand so that you can have your daily bowel movement.


• Less Cramps and Sprains: Proper hydration helps keep your joints and muscles lubricated, so you’ll less likely get cramps and sprains.


• Less Likely to Get Sick: Drinking plenty of water helps fight against flu and other ailments like kidney stones and heart attack.


• Reduce Fatigue: Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body. If your body lacks of water, your heart, for instance, need to work harder to pump out the oxygenated blood to all cells, so are the rest of the vital organs, your organs will be exhausted and so are you.


• Reduce the Risk of Cancer: Related to the digestive system, some studies show that drinking a healthy amount of water may reduce the risks of bladder cancer and colon cancer. Water dilutes the concentration of cancer-causing agents in the urine and shortens the time in which they are in contact with bladder lining.

So, what's a water avoider like myself supposed to do?
I recently came up with a solution that has me easily drinking lots of water now, has my husband taking some to work, and has my two boys asking for "the good water" all the time.

It's simple.

Just take a 64 ounce pitcher or container and fill it to 56 ounces with the water of your choice (sure, purified is better but I'm using the stuff straight from the tap for now). Next, add 8 ounces of unsweetened 100% cranberry juice. Watch your brands. Many grocery store brands say "unsweetened" and "100% juice", but when you read the label, they're not 100% CRANBERRY juice (they're a blend of cranberry, apple, etc.) The pure cranberry is good for aiding the body in removing toxins, and our family is finding the water to be MUCH more drinkable (thus we're drinking much more of it).

Live wise in Him!

~Toni~

Christmas laughs

Before I get to my post, let me tell you something about myself, in case you don't already know this, so you don't reach the wrong conclusion as you read. Fact is, I have a goofy sense of humor and I often find laughable moments in the simplest of things. It's both a gift and a challenge (you knooow,...trying not to laugh when it's really not appropriate to, like when I was a kid and our dad was frustrated with something we kids did, and we tried with all our might, and failed, to keep our giggles under control during a moment of uncomfortable silence at the dinner table.) Got a better sense of my goofy sense of humor? Alrighty then, here we go...

Our Christmas was filled with some great laughs, from 9 year old Reece wanting to put out an empty coffee can in a panic "because you didn't put out enough stockings to be filled", to 4 year old Brandon laughing soooo hard for 10 minutes when he opened this on Christmas morning.



But perhaps the thing that made us laugh most of all was something that happened when we went out to eat with our extended family (back in OH) at a Chinese buffet. My husband, my sister and I were standing at a counter waiting for the khan to stir-fry our Mongolian food. He took our plates of raw items, placed them on the grill, then picked up a little bottle. It was shaped like an Asian old man with its pants down (not obscenely detailed, but pants down none-the-less). It was one of those situations where your mind rapidly begins to wander in a fog of confusion and questioning, as you try to figure out what exactly is happening. Kind of like this video, specifically about 1:30 into it;



Yes, I ended up that surprised. Because before my mind could grasp the meaning or purpose of the ridiculous bottle, the Chinese guy (smiling with the most ornery smile) turned to me.....and squeezed.

Oh.
Yes.
He.
Did.
Too.

If my husband and sister hadn't been standing there with me as my witnesses, I would never share this story (because really, who would believe it?)
Yes, that oh-so-ornery little man squirted me with the water he used to stir-fry vegetables with.

I looked down at my sweater, now covered in droplets of water from the "pants-less man" bottle, and shook my head in total disbelief.
I knew, I just knew that when I looked back at the khan, he would be highly sympathetic for having offended me.
Instead....

"BAHAHAHAHAHA!"

He was laughing. Laughing!

Hysterically.

And so was my sister.
And my husband (who tried miserably to contain it, but failed).

I stood there, shocked.
Totally silent for a moment, trying to take it in.
That man just took the liberty of squirting me with a bottle shaped like a little old Asian man without any pants on.
Sheesh, that's a lot to take in, ya know?
I believe I would have remained in my confused stupor, if not for the sounds of a cackling laugh coming from a silly little man behind the counter, a man that was laughing soooo hard that it was literally contagious.

Without realizing it (until I heard it with my own ears), I found myself joining the others in a fit of laughter.
Shocked, yes. A tiny bit perturbed, sure.
But laughing just the same.
I mean, I have to admit. If it had happened to anyone else (say, my sister or my husband, uh hem), I'm sure I would have found it immediately funny as well.

Fact is, life is waaaaay too short and too filled with unexpected moments not to laugh when the opportunity presents itself.
There will be plenty of difficult days, still, where I'll have all I can do to just tie my shoes.
So on this day, when the blessed season of my Savior's birth was in full force, when I was gathered with the people I love most in the world, my family, when my children were healthy, my husband was on vacation, and my mom and dad were alive and well, it was a moment to take in with all the silliness of hearty laughter, a day to receive as precious memories made.

But hear this.

If I ever go back to that restaurant, don't even think I won't come prepared.
Because, believe me when I say it, I most definitely WILL.


Ecclesiastes 3:4
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Live wise in Him!

~Toni~