Got to have dessert, dessert

I'm trying to lose weight.  This past week I lost 1.4 lbs.  This is what I have when I can't take it anymore and must have dessert.  May I just submit that losing weight while nursing is not the easiest thing for me.  I have the appetite of a small hippo... and I was starting to look the part.  All right... on with the recipe!

1/2 ripe banana
1 tsp vanilla (do you make your own yet?)
2 T cocoa
1/2 C milk
crushed ice

blend all together in the blender.  You can add a tsp of maple syrup if you'd like it sweeter, or artificial sweetener if you'd like.  (I'm trying to stay off of that stuff) or honey or vanilla sugar (do you make your own vanilla sugar yet?)

How to Tie Your Shoes

Ben and I watched this the other night.  I have had to double knot my shoe laces for forever...but not anymore!

Trying to Keep Up

I have been informed by my sister-in-law, Beki, that I have not been posting enough on here.  We have had a cold winter and quite a bit of snow.  It makes me a little stir crazy and makes me want to bake.  (both are not good for me)  We've been making homemade Valentines and having friends and family over and raising kids.  Here's what we do when we get desperate for entertainment...put glue sticks in our noses.  Can't you see why Ben is my perfect match?

Gwen had the 100th day of school.  This was never a holiday growing up.  Uncle Jeff helped to make a log cabin out of pretzel sticks for a project.

The kids have enjoyed playing in the snow.  Here's Zeke coming in for a quick warm up.

In other news, I joined Weight Watchers again.  I need accountability in this area and I have always struggled with my weight.  It has fluctuated so much in my 10 years of marriage and having three kids and now I find myself back in the game of strengthening that resistance muscle again.  Resistance to giving in to my own desires, which is basically too much food.  I know God has given me His Spirit, and that the fruit of the Spirit is self control.  I get hungry while nursing, so any prayers you can send my way would be great.  I want God to be the God of my health too!  Ok, enough about me... how are you weathering the winter?

Romy

She's sweet as can be and we are having such a fun time watching her grow!  She is SO like Gwen in her looks it still makes me catch my breath.  Her personality is very different though.  She seems all about fun and loves her new bouncer. 

Grace

January Days

Caught these photos of Gwen while she waited for her ride to school.  Doesn't she look big leaning on the door like that? :)

Pretty face...

Zeke wanted me to take a photo of him.  He's a goofball.

Wonder where he gets it?

Zeke's 4th Birthday

Thankfulness

Tonight I read a Bible story to the kids.  It was about when Jesus healed the ten lepers and only one of them returned to thank him.  Afterwards, I was rocking Romy and watching her fall asleep and thinking.  Here are some of my thoughts... (story can be found in Luke 17:11-19)

*Jesus responds to cries of mercy.
*The lepers obeyed him before their miracle occurred.
*Jesus was moved by the faith of the leper that came back and threw himself at his feet in thankfulness.

After having Zeke, around 4 months after having him, I was in pain.  I mean, can barely walk up the stairs pain.  Both of my knees were inflamed and swollen.  I went to the doctor and he told me I had psoriatic arthritis.  The psoriasis on my scalp had given me arthritis in my body and the only way to be relieved of this was to go on medicine and wean Zeke immediately.  I grieved over this, but didn't know how much longer I could go on with the pain.  Pain is a big motivator.  I weaned Zeke at exactly six months suddenly and it was very sad for me.  I couldn't feed my baby because of the interference of the medicine.  I was grateful that I got a good 6 months of nursing in for him and grateful I wasn't in pain after that.

I was on that medicine for a good while and it was ok, but I kept getting sinus infections.  It's like my body couldn't get over colds because my immune system was suppressed through these meds.  I went off of them when Ben and I wanted to conceive again and I have been off of them since.

Then Romy was born and mentally I have been bracing myself for the pain coming after her birth.  Arthritis is no joke.  It hurts and it hurts bad.  I have been praying that God would deliver me from arthritis and tonight during the story I suddenly realized that I have no joint pain.  Not even a trace of it.  I am not on a gluten free diet or a grain free diet.  There is no logical explanation for my lack of joint pain except God's mercy.  So tonight, I gave thanks.  Thanks there in that glider holding my baby that I don't have joint pain.

I'm not really in that "name it and claim it" boat, but can I humbly say that I am cured of arthritis purely because of God's grace on me?  Yes, I think I can, and I will.  So, I will continue to throw myself at His feet and give thanks daily and be delivered daily.

I'm not sure why I've never looked up pictures of leprosy before.  Tonight I wanted to know what those ten must have looked like.  This is what I found.

We are not talking about a little thing here.  Jesus gave them back their lives.  

37

Sisters

I've never made a paper mache pinata before.  Wish me luck.

I turned 37 on Monday.  It's beginning to sound middle aged... but I feel 25.  Here are some beautiful roses that Ben got for me on my birthday.

My neighbor Emily made a bowl for me in her ceramics class.

Someone in my small group just visited Florida and she brought me some beautiful lemons and oranges from her in-laws' back yard.  :)

My friend Janna gave me a candle that smells like a Hawaiian vacation.  I'm afraid this is as close as I'm going to get to that for a while.

She also gave to me a sweeper to vacuum up bits under the table after dinner.  Brilliant!

This is the biggest gift I've been given this year.  My Romy.  I can never decide which picture I like best of hers so I'm including them all.  She has a new trick of pushing herself backwards in this chair.  She is such a happy and beautiful baby it blows my mind.

My mom got for me a frame and some letters to do a sign for Romy's name.  I've been trying to find the letters and she found them in Hobby Lobby.  I have both Zeke and Gwen's names already and wanted hers too.  It looks great!