The New and Improved Version!

It´s Friday and I actually had Friday two days in a row. I was ready to post these posts yesterday, thinking that it was already Friday. I love Friday so much, just wanted to have it two days in a row.

Friday is awesome, because it´s Friday Photo Flashback day and Fitness Friday (see the post below). I love these memes!

The year was 1996. We had been dating for a year. We were working that summer and getting to see each other a few weekends a month. We obviously lived for those weekends. One of those weekends, I took off of work, and crazily went out to Ohio, where my future hubby was working in a church. I totally surprised him, but he surprised me with my engagement ring!!!

This picture was taken in my back yard in upstate New York. My grandparents that summer camped out in our backyard in that trailer. It was a great summer.

My DH wanted me to post what we both feel is the new and improved version of this picture, taken in Germany this New Years 14 1/2 years later.

Happy Friday!

*** Don´t forget to scroll down and comment on my Fitness post too! =) =) ***

Choices, Choices, Choices!

Some Diet Tips for Life:

I have done quite a lot of diets in my short life. I actually started trying diets out with my mom when I was very young. She would start one, and I would try it with her just to support her. I remember even fasting on a vegetable broth diet.. UHHHGGGG!!

Anyway... I think that´s why now I am all about choices. Healthy choices. It´s my Healthy Fitness Journey for life! You can re-learn how to eat a good, healthy, balanced diet. This is the only way to get the weight off and keep it off. (in my opinion)

Heres a little acronym guide fore healthy eating. 

It´s called the ABS Diet

A - Almonds and other nuts

B- Beans and Legumes

S- Spinich and other GREEN   Veggies

D- Dairy (fat free/sugar free when possible)

I- Instant Oatmeal ( unsweatened) (I use a little honey and raisins)

E- Eggs

T- Turkey and other lean meats ( best to be low sodium)

P- Peanut Butter (SF and Natural)

O- Olive oil

W- Whole grain breads and cereals

E- extra protien (whey powder)

R- Raspberries and other berries

Now these are choices I can live with.

Here are those 10 snacks that help you lose weight, and at the bottom I will give you my personal favorite.

Top 10 Snacks to Lose Weight

Many of us are trying to start off 2010 with some health related New Year's resolutions. One of the best ways to stay on a healthy eating plan is to enjoy what you are eating and to never let yourself get too hungry! As a way to help you do just that, I am sharing my top 10 favorite healthy snacks. Snacks are vital to a healthy diet; they help keep blood sugars stable, prevent you from getting too hungry at your meals (and then over-eating), and they are a great way to get in lots of needed nutrients. Here are my favorite snacks that you can ring in 2010 with (in no particular order):

Nuts:

Pistachios, almonds, walnuts…you name it! Check out the bite titled "Ready, Set, Go Nuts" to learn all about the health benefits that nuts offer. If you like to eat large portions, go for pistachios – they are your best bet by far – you can have around 50 nuts for just 160 calories! Learn more about the health benefits of pistachio's at The Green Nut.

Chips:

PopChips, that is – these healthy chips are "popped" with heat and pressure, not baked or fried. They come in a ton of delicious flavors and are definitely the best tasting healthy chip out there. Better yet, you get more chips per 100 calories than any other chip on the market, so having a single serving will feel like a satisfying snack. Remember to pair these chips with some dip to help stabilize blood sugars. Think hummus, black bean dip or guacamole as great pairing options.

Bars:

High fiber bars are a very satisfying (and if you choose wisely, delicious) snack option that are portable and great to have on hand for emergency snack situations. Bars should contain no more than ~200 calories, have at least 3grams fiber, no more than 2grams saturated fat, and sugars should mostly be natural (check ingredient list). Some of my favorite brands are Lara, PURE, KIND, Gnu Flavor and Fiber, and Think Organic.

Fruit and Yogurt:

Greek Yogurt and Pomegranate Seeds: Greek yogurt is actually higher in protein than regular yogurt and has a delicious thick consistency. To counter the naturally sour taste, add some sweet, anti-oxidant rich pomegranate seeds. The sweet taste and crunchy texture are the perfect complements to the yogurt.

Peanut Butter Sandwiches

Trader Joe's Peanut Butter with Roasted Flaxseeds on Whole Grain Bread. Enjoy the creamy taste of peanut butter with the added crunch of flaxseeds, giving you a boost of omega 3's. Nothing beats peanut butter on toast if you ask me! If you can't get the Trader Joe's product, there are other natural nut butters on the market that are equally delicious. If you are extra hungry, add some banana for a very filling and wholesome treat.

Low-fat Chocolate Milk:

Often thought of as just a kid's indulgence, chocolate milk is a great snack that can be enjoyed by all. Low-fat chocolate milk is a great source of protein, calcium and many vitamins and minerals. It is an especially great post-workout snack for athletes because it can quickly be absorbed by the body and replenish fuel stores. It is a great on-the-go snack because it is sold in some individual cartons that don't have to be refrigerated (i.e., Horizon Organic); and, of course, it tastes great!

Muffins:

Zen Bakery high fiber muffins have very few ingredients and no preservatives so they go bad quickly if you don't eat them up! Sold at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, these are delicious muffins that are actually healthy for you. Try any of the bran muffin varieties. Hard to find substitutes here, so if you don't find this brand, don't buy just any bran muffin—they tend to be loaded with fat and calories.

Lite Popcorn:

Popcorn is a naturally high fiber food because it is actually a whole grain! As long as you avoid the buttery movie theatre popcorn varieties that have a ton of added fat and calories, popcorn is a great snack option. For an added twist, kettle corn has both sweet and salty flavors, which will get all of your taste buds kicking (Trader Joe's makes a great single serving bag of this).

Cheese and Crackers:

Ak Mak Crackers are 100 percent WHOLE GRAIN crackers...not just "made with whole grains", but 100 percent whole grain. This is rare to find in a great tasting cracker! Add some delicious, Light Laughing Cow Cheese Wedgesand you have a great snack to keep you going.

Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce: This snack can be a great pre-dinner snack to tide you over to the main meal without having a big impact on your calorie intake. Shrimp is a high protein, low fat and low calorie food. In fact, 4 ounces (about 20 large) shrimp only have about 100 calories and 23 grams protein! For a perfect complementary dip, add some cocktail sauce. The main ingredients in cocktail sauce are ketchup and horseradish – both low in calories and fat – so the sauce is naturally healthy. A standard 2 ounce serving has ~50 calories. Even better, if you have the time, make your own cocktail sauce—take a good dollop of ketchup and add a teaspoonful of horseradish from the jar; add an equal pinch of salt, pepper, sugar and a splash of lemon; mix it up and add more horseradish (or ketchup!) to your liking—tastes so much better than premade.

Los Angeles nutritionist Alyse Levine MS, RD, founder of NutritionBite. Visit her profile on LIVESTRONG.COM

My favorite snack????

No Sugar added Dark Chocolate with Raisins. Add almonds if you need more protien or for a  mid- day snack.

Hope these help you when you go to grab a snack. Remember to eat every 4 hours.

Springin´into shape with ya,

 Click picture to join!

 It´s never too late.

 

When you close your eyes at night...

When you close your eyes at night...

What do you hear?

Do you hear the cars outside? Maybe  you hear the birds singing because, like me, you have stayed up so late it´s almost morning. (I haven´t done this in a while though) Maybe, you hear your hubby watching football or your dog whining to go out.

I sometimes close my eyes and review my day, and what goes through my mind isn´t so pretty. I hear my whiney, naggy voice after having to tell the boys what to do all day long. I hear my snappy voice telling my dear sweet husband things I have to do for the day. I hear myself stressed and tired.

This is not a pleasent, before bed, snack, that´s for sure. For a long time, I have been praying for a meek and quiet spirit. You know the one that 1 Peter 3:3-4 talks about.

"Whose adorning  let it not be that outward adorning...but let it be the hidden man of the heart,... even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."

This New Years, I wrote out a daily prayer to pray for victory in this area of my life. That the words that come out of my mouth may be pleasent and sweet. May those closest to me, like being around me.

Instead of pushing them away with short words, I want to draw them close with dear sweet affection. Of course this does not mean I don´t discipline, and I am praying for wisdom in knowing how to be firm yet loving with my boys. (Especially with my youngest who has a switch to turn off my voice, sweet or snappy)

How do you demonstrate in your home a meek and quiet spirit?

Spirit in the Bible means attitude. My prayer is to make my home sing with my sweet attitude. Nothing is impossible for God. I want to claim victory in this area daily.

Posted especially for Making Your Home Sing Monday.

It´s Christmas...

Yippee! It´s Christmas!

I´m not late.

 I am early.

316 days early!

This year was such a wonderful Christmas, that I was so sad to see it come to an end. So, I am going to get ready for next Christmas. Well, ok maybe not, but my mind is still on this past Christmas. 

This past Christmas day, my boys were so excited to give a very special gift to their Mommy. They had been saving their allowance and had been talking about putting their money together.

As they gave it to me, I wondered what three primary age boys could have possibly picked out. Did I mention, they did it together? Three boys deciding on a gift together is a Christmas miracle in

itself!

It was a jewlery box with this golden heart charm inside!

I am one blessed Mama that can´t wait till next Christmas!

What does she look like?

Ministry Highlight Monday has escaped me for two months. Not on purpose, mind you. I had a date in my mind that I was going to write for the blog, but it ended up being the wrong date two months in a row. How did this happen? Well, I could blame it on homeschooling, Christmas and even the ministry itself, but I think the main reason was I wasn´t organizing my time well enough.

Which leads me to what I want to write about today. No, not just organization,  but the life of a missionary wife in general. What does she do? How does she live? What are her jobs? I often wonder this myself, as I am here on the mission field in North Spain.

Many of us are forced to look inside of ourselves in light of Haiti´s tragedy. What are we doing for Jesus? What are we doing to help those around us? What am I doing as a missionary wife and mother?

I posted what a missionary profile might look like. Check it out at the KJV blog.

I am also, linking with Nan´s meme  "Making Your Home Sing Monday." Praying that these few things will help our homes sing.

Our Little Bundle of Kinetic Energy

Even from the his first sonagram picture, our first born son was a bundle of kinetic energy, ever moving and making us smile.

Yesterday, He and all that kinetic energy turned a big eleven years old!

Happy 11th Birthday, Isaiah! We love you!

He just tore into his package from Gammy and Gampy! We love packages! Isaiah received a great new game called "Be the Expert" made by the Smithsonian Institution. We can´t wait to play it.

Gammy and Gampy always know exactly the right candies to send us! We can´t get these here in Gijón, Spain.

 

Thank you Gammy and Gampy!

(except now I have to hide them from myself!)

* I am joining in on Friday Photo Flashback hosted by Alica at More than Words. *

Spring Into Shape 10 Week Challenge

Have you made a New Year´s resolution to get the weight off once and for all or to get into better shape?

I did last year. Actually, it was just a prayer, thinking that I really couldn´t do it. Thinking that I would be the way I was for ever, but it was possible through the Lord´s strength, discipline, and a great support team! I am so thankful to tell you, that I reached that goal of 35 pounds lost in 11 months!

Part of that was due to our Christmas Crunch Challenge, and many have asked me to do another challenge. I am so excited about this next challenge because I just can´t wait to start counting points for my exercise again. ;) Even though there will be only one who will win the $10 prize, we all become winners by losing and by exercising!

So what are you waiting for?

Let´s Spring into Shape!

To join, just send me an e mail address you would like to use for the private blog we post on. I will then send out details this weekend as to how to enter the blog and to start posting.

Start date is January 20th for points!

Looking forward to Springing into Shape with ya´ll,