The Weaver

Sweetest DW, I hope you don't mind that I lifted this from you...  It certainly touched my soul and I think it will touch others as well.   

Last week, I was surfing FB after finally getting some internet back in this house.  Basically, catching up with my friends that I don't get to see.  My friend had a status post that brought me to tears.  Do you know how many times do I have to remind myself that it is "Thy will be done" not "my will be done."   I am just a carpenter in my life but He is the architect...  something I do well to remember most days.

This morning, I woke to find that a dear family has lost a child, a young man who was as bright as he was witty.  As I sat and wept for them and their loss, my mind kept coming back to my friend's words.  Having the benefit of reading her perspective of loss and who is control has soothed my soul once more.  And I'm sharing it with you....

"This is a poem that a dear friend wrote for me. We were in deep discussion one night about life and she asked me a pointed question. I don't remember the details, but I remember telling her I'd ask God when I saw Him, "Why was your plan for my life not the same as my plan for my life?" I told her I thought that I had had the "perfect Norman Rockwell life" but that His plan for me was different ...from that.

We got home and googled "Norman Rockwell". I encourage you to do the same. He was A MESS!!!! We laughed and laughed at the irony. It was a fake picture of what we thought our lives should be.

I used to sing. A lot. I used to MINISTER to people through my singing. A lot. I sang at one time (I believe it was Sandi Patty, but not sure) about God weaving a tapestry of our lives.......

Have you ever seen needlepoint? Perhaps they start by sewing all the yellow....then the green.....then the red....but you still can't make out what it will look like. I had always thought when I sang those words that God was weaving a tapestry and that the closer I got to the end of my life, I would begin to see His master plan.

I have come to a completely different conclusion. GOD is weaving the tapestry. He's in Heaven. I am down here on earth looking up.

Have you ever seen the UNDERSIDE of a tapestry? It's nothing but knots and chaos! That's all I/we can see. I believe. I BELIEVE. I BELIEVE He's weaving a tapestry for you and me......and you know what? We will not know. We will not know His plan....until we can see it from His vantagepoint. I believe He gives us glimpses....and we rest in those. But I trust Him to weave my tapestry. The same song says, "When you don't understand, when you don't see His plan, when you can't trace His hand.....Trust His heart."

My life is completely different now than what I had pictured or planned. But it's GOOD! He works ALL things together for GOOD to those who love God! It doesn't say all things ARE good. It says He works them TOGETHER for good! (Whew, a whole other topic).

I'm a horrible writer. But a great thinker. So forgive the words, but embrace the thoughts.....

I trust His heart. And I'm glad Norman Rockwell was as messed up as the rest of us!"

52-Week Challenge: Week Five

Sooooo  how did the journaling go?  I think I did relatively well, considering I didn't have power for the first day or internet until last Thursday.  I journaled as honestly as I could... and so far the scale is showing a good loss for the week.  I found some areas that I could improve (more dairy) and areas that I do a little too well in (yes there is such a thing as too many fruits when there aren't enough veggies).  So I'm marking down last week as an overwhelming success. 

See that - that was me seeing the sunny side of things.  Wouldn't it be a wonderful world if we all saw our glasses as half-full?  Speaking of, I need to refill my water glass since it is empty.  Remember week one?  Okay, back from a trip to the fridge with a very full glass of water.    Let's move on to the week five challenge:

Week 5 - Develop an optimistic outlook

Heee heee, now you get why I was talking about my water huh?  Glass half-full - get it???

The author is challenging me (and us) to think more outwardly positive this week.  I'm a pretty positive person to begin with...  well, sometimes.  The author give some suggestions for me (us) to combat those sometimes and turn it right around:

Use positive self-talk -  There is something to the little angel and little devil who sit on your shoulder and whisper into your ear.  Do you think athletes use negative self-talk or positive?  Like Michael Jordan ever said to himself, "No I can't dunk."  Yeah, showing my age but so what....  take a look at his career and where he started.  No one ever came that far without having some positive self-talk.  Check how you talk to yourself and keep the idea of keeping the words you say to yourself sweet.  There are enough critics in the world -- you don't need another one. I also really like what Henry Ford said "Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right."

Use affirmations - "I'm good enough, I'm strong enough, and gosh-darnit people like me" LOL, I love SNL!  Cheesy, but it works.  Having a touchstone works - something that you can say to yourself to remind you.  One of my favorite ways to start my day if I'm in a funk is by reciting Psalms 118:24 "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." We'll get to gratefulness in sec.... but isn't that verse the sum of how to start your day?  What's your I think I can? 

Have a Sense of Humor -   I don't know how many times just sitting down and laughing about the predicament I have gotten myself into has saved me from a complete and total meltdown. Anyone who has been around me any amount of time knows what an utter and complete mess I am.  Keeping a sense of humor about the situation definitely greases the wheels and helps relieve stress. 

Practice Gratefulness - Going back to my verse, how many times do we take our situations for granted? The air we breathe, the roof over our heads, the food in our cupboards...  a bit of gratitude goes a long way in this world.  Besides Thanksgiving, when was the last time you honestly sat down and reflected on all of the things in your life? 

So this is what we are working on this week...  being positive, laughing and smiling more, and being grateful.   

Oh, and thank you for reading ;)

Other resources:

Positive thinking: Reduce stress by eliminating negative self-talk:  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/positive-thinking/SR00009
Optimism: http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/optimism

The book we're following: http://www.amazon.com/52-Small-Changes-Healthier-ebook/dp/B0056J4ER0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1325722556&sr=1-1

Jenn's blog: http://thewoogies.blogspot.com/search/label/52%20Small%20Changes

Photo Friday

** Every Friday, I will post a picture from our life.... enjoy! **

Holly and Sarah at Day 1 of swim lessons, Jacksonville, Florida, July 2011

We made lemons into lemonade last summer.  An unexpected trip to Florida to visit ailing family wound up with us enrolling the girls in swimming lessons at the local pool.  Two weeks later, we were able to proclaim them swimmers! 

The Rest of the Snow

It's thawing outside and the snow is melting/melted.  Finally.  We made the most of the white stuff and had some fun while it was here...  Here's all what we did:

How deep did it get?  Here are before and after photos for our kimchi pots. 

Now you see them...  now you don't.  They are still on the ledge but are completely covered!

Sarah went out to "test the waters." She confirmed it was deep and cold.

What we did to entertain ourselves.... 

We painted the snow with food coloring and a spray bottle

We played in the snow with our neighbors

We put our ramp building skills to the test to help the girls sled down the driveway. 

Did you lose power?

Yes, we lost power for about four days...  but we had fun with flashlights and camped out in front of the gas stoves. 

We also escaped to places that had power to just get out of the house...  We took the girls to the Tacoma Children's Museum and played for hours.

 And when we got home, the power was back on.  This morning it was back to normal, with the kids going to school, Ronnie going to work, and me putting the house back together. 



52-Week Challenge: Week Four

Is everyone feeling healthier?  I had my reservations about moving more than I do now, but with Snowmaggedon, I didn't have an issue getting more exercise into my day.  Two days of shoveling snow, pulling kids on sleds, and moving around just to keep warm definitely upped my daily movement last week.  This week I plan to continue with some of the other ideas I had posted last week.  On to week four then shall we... 

Week four's focus is on food journaling.  Simple thought process: how can you change what you eat if you have no idea what it is you put in your mouth on a daily basis.  How can be sure that you are getting the right mix of nutrients?  How sure are you that you eat 2,000 calories a day (or whatever your calorie intake goal is).  Journaling what you eat and how much of it is the key to answering all of these questions.  There is scientific proof that journaling your food intake can double weight loss efforts and can be directly linked to maintaining a healthy weight. 

Here is where I fess up, because what is more private than my confession on the internet right???  Tracking food isn't necessarily the easiest thing for me to remember to do.  Actually, I do really, really good for days, sometimes weeks, at a time.  Then something gets in the way and I don't do it for a day.  Then that day turns into two, then into a week, and before I know it, I've gained weight.  So to keep me accountable, I have been back with Weight Watchers since Thanksgiving.  Nothing pisses me off more than to see money go down the drain.  Accountability to the money spent and make it money spent well has been a kick in the pants for me.  

One of the big things I have changed is meal planning.  I plan out dinners every week.  That way my food budget and shopping stays in line, I have everythign on hand, and we aren't left scrambling for dinner nightly.  The payoff for me personally is that I know exactly what I will eat for dinner and put those calories in first thing in the morning.  Then I know what I have to work with for the rest of the day.  I'm on Pinterest and post my meal plans there if you want to peak at what's gracing our dinner table.    http://pinterest.com/cmoliver1019/meal-planning/

There are so many different options out there for food journaling, it's almost ridiculous and definitely overwhelming.  Weight Watchers isn't the only name in the game and there are several free resources you can tap into this week.  Below, I've pasted some of my preferred trackers as well as links to information on "how-to's."   

And of course, I fully expect to see everyone's journal next week.  I kid -- I kid :) 

So sharpen those pencils and let's get going....


Other resources:

The book we're following: http://www.amazon.com/52-Small-Changes-Healthier-ebook/dp/B0056J4ER0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1325722556&sr=1-1

Jenn's blog: http://thewoogies.blogspot.com/search/label/52%20Small%20Changes
Printable Food/Exercise Journal: http://www.webmd.com/diet/printable/food-fitness-journal

Tips for Journaling:  http://www.recreation.ucla.edu/iworkout/insidepage.aspx?uid=de9e5a4b-90e2-4dba-916b-9fe4cac7dc83

Online Jornaling: 
SparkPeople - http://www.sparkpeople.com/landing_short_v5.asp?gclid=COSik-345q0CFQWDhwodAhyzTQ

My Fitness Pal - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

Photo Friday

** Every Friday, I will post a picture from our life.... enjoy! **

Sarah enjoying the snow, Osan, Korea, January 2010

We had record snowfall that day.  From the Korea Times, “The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said 25.8 centimeters of snow had fallen in Seoul, breaking the previous record of 25.6 centimeters set on Jan. 28, 1969. Weathermen said that the snowfall was the largest amount recorded in the capital since data were first collected in 1937.”  And we had a blast playing in it!!!

Sweet Or range Mar mal ade!!!!

That one is for you, Kim G.  :)

About a week or so ago, I bought a box of oranges from our Bountiful Baskets CSA.  Ronnie brought them home and then proceeded to needle me about my plans for the 35+ pounds of oranges we now had in the fridge.   I looked at him and said I was going to make some orange marmalade.  But first I needed to learn how to can. 

A few days ago I made some apple butter and tried out my hand at canning.  I did all the research I could about how to can. What I found is if you can boil water, you can preserve food.   The apple butter I made was really yummy.  Then I went one step further and put them in the water bath, just like my Southern Living cookbook and Ball handbook told me too.  To my surprise, all four half-pints sealed up nicely. Score one for the novice. 

With my confidence built, I set about looking for the right orange marmalade recipe.  There are so many out there but they are all just a little different.  Some use pectin, some don't; some want you to use a candy thermometer, others just want you to look and watch; some are all orange recipes, others mix citrus.  I settled on the recipe from the Southern Living cookbook using a technique I found on the internet.  Then it was just on to finding time. 

Well, we're in Snowmageddon, Ronnie is home from work, and cooking oranges makes the house smell divine so is there a better time than now?  We peeled, sliced, diced, cooked, strained, and boiled our way to success so far as we can tell.  We can't declare victory just yet because it takes a while for marmalade to set up, a minimum of two weeks so far as I can tell from my research.  But it sure was tasty - tangy and a bit sweet.  Just like we like it!  

Bubbling away (left), cooling after processing (right - my apple butter is there too)

 
Next was to fill and process the jars.  We had enough for four half-pints plus a bit for the fridge.  We put them in the canner and all but one sealed up.  No big deal, we just stuck it in the fridge. 

Making marmalade does require using some of the peels, but not all.  So, we made orange peel candy out of the rest of the peels.  The girls helped chop up the peels and in no time we had a tasty treat for our pantry as well as some orange-infused simple syrup. 

 

Tasty byproducts 

All in all it was a successful morning!  And we have some spreadable sunshine waiting for us in our pantry.  I just have to be patient enough to let it gel. 


More info on making your own:

Orange/Citrus Marmalade recipe:  http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/sweet-citrus-marmalade-50400000109479/  

Orange Peel Candy:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/candied-orange-recipe/index.html

USDA site for canning:  http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/publications_usda.html

fu·tile [fyoot-l, fyoo-tahyl]

adjective

1.  incapable of producing any result; ineffective; useless; not successful: Attempting to clear the driveway was futile.

2.  trifling; frivolous; unimportant.

 

So, I shoveled the driveway yesterday.  We have a very long driveway but I did it in about an hour.  I removed most of the snow-slushy mess so we wouldn't have a sheet of ice when we did decide to venture out.  That path is wide enough for my SUV to fit down, plus I shoveled a path for Ronnie to park his car in the garage..  Pretty darned proud of myself considering I didn't grow up shoveling snow. 

 

And then we woke up this morning to about 8" of snow that fell overnight.....  

 

 

Like a friend of mine suggested, looks like I have some more work to do.  

Snowmageddon Crafting Day

We have snow! We've spent our MLK weekend playing in it, building a snowman and having snow ball fights.  It's been a lot of fun...  but what do you do when you wake up to:

1 - more snow on the ground;
2 - school being cancelled;
3 - the forecast looking like this:

and 4 - two kids who have been "together" for three days straight?  Well, I declared yesterday and today crafting day for us.  Holly needed to complete a recycling project for Girl Scouts, and I had a few things in mind for that plus all the supplies and a captive audience.  So we got to creating away. 

First, we made pencil/art supply cups, something I saw on Pinterest.  We used tin cans as our main recycled item (Ronnie made them safe by punching down the sharp edges).  Then we glued scraps of paper to them.  They turned out really cute.  I have a drink carrier around here somewhere to keep them in and the girls will have their art supplies ready to go at a moments notice. 

 From this (left) to these (right)

Next up was a project I had seen done in NOLA a few years ago: making a bag from an old t-shirt.  Holly needed a new Girl Scout bag, so we took one of her camp shirts and turned it into one.  To do this all you do is cut the sleeves out, cut the neck out, and sew up the bottom.  Employing yet another Pinterest idea, we took it one step further and added her name and a design using a bleach pen.  It is a really cute tote and fits her Brownie binder perfectly! 

 

Front of the bags (left) and the back (right)

All really cute projects and all it took was a few minutes, since we had the materials on hand.    Here are the links to the Pinterest how-to's we used to guide us. 

Happy crafting!

Tin can art supply holder: http://www.bhg.com/decorating/storage/craft-room/store-small-craft-supplies/#page=4

T-shirt step by step:  http://www.instructables.com/id/FASTEST-RECYCLED-T-SHIRT-TOTE-BAG/

Bleach pen t-shirt designs:  http://showtellshare.blogspot.com/2011/02/bleach-pen-tshirts-stash.html

52-Week Challenge: Two For The Show

We are now two weeks into the 52 week challenge...  How did everyone do with the sleeping change last week?  I must admit it was hard for me to do every night.  Ronnie was in the field last week and the dish fairy seems to have lost my address, as has the laundry fairy and the clean the house fairy.  But I did my best and got as much sleep as I could most nights.  I do have to say, I felt better for doing it. 

Week three's change is something more overt:  move more.  The author goes on to explain that this is not a get to the gym more often challenge.  It is a move your body more throughout the day kind of thing.  Some examples she gives is to talk on the phone standing up, fold laundry while watching TV, park far out in the parking lots, and take a walk daily. 

Well, I'm kind of stuck on this challenge.  We have gotten several inches of snow the last few days, so walking/parking a far distance is out until the ice clears.  But I have decided to:  be less efficient and run individual things up the stairs when I see them.  I will also go and grab things that are upstairs myself rather than sending one of the girls to get it.   I have also decided to try out my exercise/stability ball as a chair for my classtime this week.  There is some evidence that you burn more calories by sitting this way...  though by just doing it now, I can already see and feel that my posture is better. 

So what way are you going to find to move more throughout the day?  I would love to hear about it!


Other resources:

The book we're following: http://www.amazon.com/52-Small-Changes-Healthier-ebook/dp/B0056J4ER0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1325722556&sr=1-1

Jenn's blog: http://thewoogies.blogspot.com/search/label/52%20Small%20Changes

Exercise/stability ball info:  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/21/health/21really.html

28 ways to move more:  http://www.glucocardyouchoose.com/public/pdfs/28WaysToMoveMore.pdf

Snow Pretty!

We woke up to a beautiful layer of snow this morning!  Why is it that snow makes things so pretty and serene?  Even watching it snow is so peaceful.  Now, I'm sure my attitude toward the snow is going to change in a few days as we have a pretty massive storm off the coast.  But for now, I'm enjoying the white stuff falling from the sky.  Snow beats rain any day of the week in my book.  Here are some pictures from around our house.

Photo Friday

** Every Friday, I will post a picture from our life....  enjoy! **

Holly at 5 weeks old...  already had her daddy wrapped around that little finger of hers.

52-Week Challenge: One Down

So, did you float away with last week's challenge of drinking more water?  I already had a head start on this one since I've been focusing on what I put in my body for a few weeks.  But it was a great reminder to do something so basic...  A hydrated body burns calories more efficiently, thus making my workouts that much better.  As I'm writing this, I've already downed 12 oz of water this morning. 

Week two is a bit more of a challenge for me...    Get Your Zzzzzz's - get seven to eight hours of restful sleep every night.    Oh boy!  I'm on the night owl side by nature.  Ask my family if you can get anything out of me that isn't a scowl or growl before 9 am or before I have a cup of coffee in my hands.  Seriously -- even the cat knows not to mess with me until I have my coffee.  Since I'm not working right now, I have a bad habit of giving in to my night owl tendencies.  I'm going to bed way too late, leading me to want to linger in bed in the morning, take a nap in the afternoon, which then gets me in bed way too late again.

I need to get my schedule back on track after the Christmas break.  The girls headed back to school last week and I start back today.  Best time to make a change is when you are setting up a schedule, so that's my plan for today, though I started my sleep last night.  Ronnie is in the field this week, so I went to bed early last night. I was in bed at 9 pm, finished watching my show and it was lights out at 10:15 pm.  Not necessarily uninterrupted, but I feel great this morning... and it's 8:30 am - yes, I'm blogging at 8:30 in the morning! Holy smokes there just might be something to this.

So change those sheets today (because isn't falling into clean sheets the absolute best feeling?!?!), get everything done, and don't linger on that couch tonight.  Get your sleep and your body will be glad you did. 

Other resources:

The book we're following:  http://www.amazon.com/52-Small-Changes-Healthier-ebook/dp/B0056J4ER0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1325722556&sr=1-1

Jenn's blog:  http://thewoogies.blogspot.com/search/label/52%20Small%20Changes

How to Sleep Better Tonight (articles and tips):  http://www.health.com/health/condition-section/0,,20187915,00.html

Photo Friday, Intro and week 1

A dear friend of mine has a wonderful blog and posts a picture from their travels every Sunday.  I've been drinking in her photos all year and have marveled at her talent. So much that I've decided to embark on my own project...   Photo Friday.  I want this to be a weekly thing throughout 2012 as a way to remember some of the more interesting things we've done in the 11 years of being the Oliver family. Here's the deal...  every Friday I'm going to head to my local random number generator and have it pick a number.  Easy-peasy since I have photos all named by their photo number.  HA!  Of course, you'll get an anecdote with whatever photo happens to be posted.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Without further ado...    week 1 of Photo Friday.  DSC01832:

Tiger Kingdom, Chiang Mai, Thailand, March 2011

Yes, that is a real tiger.  Yes, those are my daughters in there with the tiger.  Yes, they still have all their fingers and toes.  This was from our trip to Thailand last year and was the first photos taken of the girls at Tiger Kingdom.

You Say You Want a Resolution....

Well, you know, we all want to change ourselves... And that tiny earthquake was John Lennon rolling over in his grave.

New year's time always means making a resolution that I may or may not keep.  I mean really, what is so special about the first of a year that you *have* to make a resolution?  I think anytime of year is a good time to change...  and I started my healthy me focus back before Thanksgiving.  I've refocused on my eating habits, started hitting the gym on a regular basis, and went back to my preferred weight tracking method and I'm happy to report that I've lost 4 lbs since Thanksgiving and even lost 1 lb over Christmas.  Yes, it can be done, but you have to want it.

One of my good friends from Korea blogged about her experience with resolutions and her inability to stick with it.  It struck a nerve for me.  How many times have I done that exact same thing?   Well, she found a wonderful book that she will be following this year to refocus on healthier living and invited us to come along for the ride.   I jumped on board with her and now I'm inviting all y'all. 

Okay, now that you've all raised your hand and take the pledge, on to week one's challenge: drink more water.  The author recommends figuring out how much water your body needs by drinking the amount of water in ounces that equals your weight in pounds divided by two.  Easy enough right? 

The book can be found here and is available in e-book format:

http://www.amazon.com/52-Small-Changes-Healthier-ebook/dp/B0056J4ER0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1325722556&sr=1-1

And my wonderful friend (who is a fantastic *and published* writer...) blogs here, the link will take you to the challenge: 

http://thewoogies.blogspot.com/search/label/52%20Small%20Changes