The Armstrong Family

Moving On

2011-11-07T05:54:00.004-07:00

Hey ya'll I have been posting elsewhere, so if you still want to follow me I have a new blog:

www.gettingfiguredout.blogspot.com

I won't be posting here very often, but I will on GFO.

10 Lesson from the Wingback

2011-09-03T06:49:00.002-06:00

Lesson #1:

Life will soil you. But that doesn't mean that you can't be cleaned up.

Lesson #2:

As long as you have "strong bones" ~character~ there is still much for you to do and support.

Lesson #3:

What counts is, what's happening on the inside. When I was tearing down the outside of the chair my whole goal was to see what was going on underneath. It was messy getting there. Some staples were strong and didn't want to let loose, but patience and not giving up won out. So when I saw what was underneath was not "bad," it really made me think the same about myself both physically and spiritually. Yes, there is work to do, but it is very doable

Lesson #4:

Slight changes can make a huge differences, so although I thought that I knew what I was doing, I found that I was unpicking seams and redoing things. All because I was not following the "pattern" ~the guide~. We have guides all around us to help with our health, our emotions, our finances, our relationships, our spiritual well being, etc. Are we listening to them? This does not mean we have to follow them, just hear them out and take what we can use and apply. We don't always have the right answers...at least I know I don't.

Lesson #5:

Getting to the "root" of things requires WORK! I saw and felt that, as sweat formed on my brow with the hours I put into getting beyond the surface.

Lesson #6:

Everyone needs a break, a timeout, a respite. This is does not mean you can just forget what needs to be done next, but take a breather and sit with/appreciate your accomplishments thus far.

Lesson #7:

Get back to it. NEVER LEAVE ANYTHING UNDONE! In the words of my father, "Don't do a half-assed job!"

Lesson #8:

Putting it all back together takes as much patience and work as ripping it up. Family discord, broken friendships, marital strain, all take time to rebuild and make better, but it can be done and be made even more beautiful than it was originally (I've done it and because I am not perfect still doing it). NOT THE SAME, BUT SO MUCH BETTER.

Lesson #9:

"It" doesn't have to be fancy or expensive. "It" can be old. "It" can be dirty. "It" can have it's problems. yet, "It" STILL HAS VALUE!!

Lesson #10:

Share your talents.

I know many of you only know me a little, but I sincerely thought of you and others as I went through this process of "rebuilding" this chair. I know we all have had things in our life that has soiled us, or we've done some things we are less than proud of. We've hurt others, ourselves, etc. etc., but we can be better and many of us are. Congratulations!!! I know all of you are a good people, I've seen it in the past or I am getting to see it now in many of you. I know you have worked hard to be where you are by making decisions that have affected you, spiritually, physically, emotionally, financially etc.

I know I still have much to learn and hopefully share.

In the end, you all have value to me. Thanks so much for being my friend.

{figure}ing out How to Reupholster a Wingback Chair Part II

2011-08-22T18:14:00.001-06:00

Look at that chair!!!!

So how did I get there?

Well, it all started when....just kidding.

You know all those fabric pieces I told you about in Part I and how you should Label them all...well this is where all that advice comes in handy. We will be working in a reverse order for getting the chair all back together.

I ordered 5 1/2 yards of fabric for this chair and used nearly all of it.
No pictures, but for the tools needed for the rebuild are:

Staple Gun
Upholstery staples (I used 5/16" but I would actually use a little longer, may 1/2")~ you can get these at Lowes or Homedepot.
Hot Glue Gun
Small Hammer
Cardboard Strip (2) 1/2" wide and as long as the armrest
Hanger Tape
Tacks
PATIENCE & TIME (although not as much as the ripped down)

Putting it all back together

Step 1: Use the upholstery you ripped off as your templates and mark up your new fabric. Instead of writing on it use a piece of paper to transfer your Label info (i.e #2, Back, Top, etc.) Do not skimp!!! If the fabric you removed has a little more than you think it should, don't try and negotiate with yourself for using less. Nope there aren't any pictures of this...it's pretty self explanatory.

Step 2: Piping. This was a little tricky for me since I have NEVER made piping or used it in anything, so I went to the net and this is the coolest biased tape~piping making blog entry I found HERE. I will most likely make biased tape this way FOREVER...it's so cool. It took me a few times to get it right, but by George, I've think I've got it!! ***Nope still no pictures*** (there are some on the link that are great).

By the way this same tutorial gives you info on how to make your cushion.

Step 3: We've come to the chair now!!! Yea!! #8 was the "seat" area that I did not remove. I used a piece of fabric to cover it. Staple the center bottom first. It helped me make sure my lines were where I needed them to be. If you are working with fabric that pattern is not a factor, this is a non issue for you. I then ran a bead of hot glue on the underside of the new fabric and pressed it onto the chair.

I don't what I was thinking when I thought stripes!!

Step 4: Backrest. The padding on this was in really great condition. Thank Goodness!! But I wanted to have my new fabric against new padding so I added a thin layer of batting. You can find this at any fabric store, even Walmart. You cut the size you need and just stuff it in on the sides and bottom. You will then staple the top of the batting down onto the top ridge of the chair. You will then place your new fabric on the backrest and stuff it also on the sides and bottom until you can gently pull the fabric through to the back. At top of the backrest there is a little curve in the chair. You make it easier to follow that curve you will need to cut slits in the edge. Clip really close being careful not to cut to far into the curve and staple it down on the back on the chair. (It isn't as tricky as it sounds).

Step 5: Those wings!! You need to cover them with batting as well and staple. With this piece, #6, it did require a little sewing. Each chair is different, some are individual pieces, some are just slipcover like, so I can only tell you about the kind I have...a little of both. These wings were attached at what I call the "inner elbow." So I used the old fabric template and made my new fabric mimic the same. Once I completed the sew project for this I placed it on the chair, making sure the lines were straight up and down and that the "inner elbow" fit perfectly. IT DID!!! I was shocked! Stuff the sides in pulling the extra fabric to the back and bottom and wrap the armrests and staple.

Make sure that when you staple the armrest fabric down that you gently pull it down towards the edge of the wood then staple. DO NOT staple under the armrest. It won't look nice and straight when put the bottom half on. Trust me on this, I did it wrong the first time and had to redo my arms :-(.

Step 6: #5, The outer wing. More sewing here. I added the piping to the edge of this piece. Originally on the chair it just stapled there and for the life of me I just could figure out that out, so I just added the piping to the piece and hot glued the really curvy piece in place and stapled the rest. SO much easier! As you can see I also added a bit of batting to the outside of the chair as well.

Step 7: That brings us to piece #4, the sides. Lay your chair on it's side. Holding the cardboard strip to the edge of the fabric place it next to the edge of the armrest fabric (right sides towards each other). Evenly, push up, making sure all is still aligned...staple all along the cardboard strip.

I didn't get a picture of this {sorry}, but pull down the fabric and staple it to the bottom of the chair. Fold the front piece on the front part of the chair, staple. Tug a little and staple the back piece. Here you will have the legs to go around, just make it look nice and staple towards the back.

Step 8: Not really sure what to call them other than #3 Those little decor pieces that I had to pop off. NO PICTURES. I just covered them with fabric and nailed them back into place (go back to Part I, to see what I'm talking about here...I really don't what to call that piece.)

Step 9: We're almost done!!! #2 This was the hardest piece. Not because it is difficult to put on, but find the materials you need. I needed a nail strip, but everywhere I went they no longer carried it, so I had to improvise. But first, I needed to staple the arched cardboard in the middle of the back. Then I gently stuffed the fabric down and flipped it over. Then I went on to make my own nail strip. To make it a bit easier than I thought it would be. I used a bit of double sided tape. Place it on the Hanger Tape (which is in the plumbing section at Lowes) and place the strip on the edge of the fabric (wrong side) and turn toward the chair. Use your finger to find the hole and tack it. Once you have all those in gently tug on the bottom and stretch the fabric over the bottom wood piece and staple. Done.

Step 10: Last step (if you want it to be). Staple the mesh , #1, back to the bottom of your chair.

Step 11: Now...Do the Hustle!!!! You are done.

I actually sprayed my chair with a fabric protector at the end. You don't have to do that, but I recommend it. Can't be too careful right?

If you missed Part I click the link below:

{figure}ing out How to Reupholster a Wingback Chair Part I

Leave a comment here telling me what you think. I really want to "hear" what you have to say.

{figure}ing out How to Reupholster a Wingback Chair Part I

2011-08-17T13:53:00.004-06:00

I have only really "reupholstered" one chair in my life and I have done it a couple of times, and I really wouldn't call it reupholstered...more like just put a cover on it, so when I was with my girlfriends doing our annual Parade of Homes thing this year {2011} I said out loud, "We should reupholster some chairs!"

And I was excited...now here I am looking at this chair thinking what have I gotten myself into. I hear the task is a real workout...if nothing else good come of this adventure....at least I'll be burning some calories and getting good workout trying, right?

I found this beauty at Desert Industries {the DI, it's "the" major thrift store here in Utah...like a Goodwill, but better in my opinion} for $15.00.

There are tools for every trade and this is no different. For this I used:

very thin flat nosed screw driver
needle nose pliers
a little hammer (or any size really)
a bowl (a magnetic bowl was what I used and I high recommend it)
a marker to label the pieces as you remove them (very helpful in remembering the order and position each piece needs to go back on as.
TIME & PATIENCE

That last item is super essential, if you don't have the patience, I wouldn't venture into this. The $300 or so you could spend buying a chair off the floor of some furniture store is well worth it if you don't have time or patience for this, although this method is much less expensive

This does take a lot of time and I think if you really want to do it, it is worth it.

Now I will take you on to Part I of reupholstering this chair, step-by-step.

Step 1: Remove the bottom mesh and make sure you label it #1 (the labeling will help you put in all back together, and I will explain and show all of that in Part III, but I am doing this as I make this post so thanks for the patience).

Step 2: Next remove the fabric from the back of the chair. Stick a flat head screw driver between the seams and pull towards you. There will be a TON of staples (this is where the magnetic bowl comes in handy). Once you get the back off remove all staples (using both pliers and screw driver. Oh and be careful those staples are sharp!!). Label #2.

Step 3: Not all chairs have this little piece, but mine did, so just like the back, I just stuck the screw driver between it and the chair and popped it right off. Label #3.

Step 4: Now it's time for the sides. Again there are a TON of staples so pull them out with the pliers and screw driver. If you are strong enough you can get a nice size piece of the fabric and YANK! It worked for me, so it's just a suggestion. Be sure to label like crazy, which is the top of the piece, which side of the chair it came from and for good measure which end was toward the front and back of the chair. You need to do this for both sides of the chair. (You can never label something too much in my opinion.) Label #4 (don't forget to mark whether it is the left or right side...muy importante!!)...So you should have two pieces, one with #4 left and #4 right.

Step 5: Those pesky wings are next. This chair had some seriously scary teeth that bite!!! So be super careful!!!! Just stick in the screwdriver and PULL!! And of course more staples...I hope you've been putting those little devils in a bowl, don't want to get those under your knees. Again, Label #5 and which side it is from, left or right. (This is just the outside portion of the wings).

Step 6: You see that last picture above? Well you need to remove all of those staples. You need to, in order to get the inside wing and armrest piece off. On my chair both were sewn to each other so it was one large piece. Label #6 and right or left.

Step 7: Remove the backrest fabric. Just like the rest of the other pieces it is stapled to the chair. So remove the staples and take it off and mark it Label #7 be sure the mark the top and bottom also.

That was the last piece I removed. I left the bottom and plan to just cover it with a new piece of fabric. But I did label it on the chair as #8. So this is what a "nearly" naked chair looks like and the pile of fabric templates from it.

WOW!!! That was work!!! 5 hours later and this is what I have to show for it. I'm pretty sure this would have been faster if I has a partner in crime, but hey I do what I gotta do.

I am going to take a couple of days off before I start the work of Part II, but it is coming. See ya in a couple.

Leave me a comment here telling me what you think so far. The more comments I get helps me know whether showing this stuff is even interesting to people.

Here are the links for:

(as I get the other post done these links will work so check back in a little bit)

{figure}ing out How to Reupholster a Wingback Chair Part II

~~{figure}ing out How to Reupholster a Wingback Chair Part III~~

***Update***

I decided that I would not do a Part III. I will just get everything said and done in just one more part....Part II

Recharge Lake Tahoe Style

2011-07-27T09:47:00.002-06:00

Everyone deserves a recharge and our family needed one. It was absolutely necessary.

This year we went to S. Lake Tahoe, CA. We have never been there and that was the best part. Everything thing we did was new to all of us. Staying in a rental house is the best way to do it. I highly recommend it. The temps never got above 83 degrees. BLISSFUL!!

We hiked Eagles Falls, went on a 10 mile bike ride through the woods, took a 2-hour cruise in the lake (learned a lot of interesting facts), buried each other in the sands on a private beach, made friends with the locals (heck a photographer took our family pictures for free can't wait to get the CD). Shopped. The list is endless.

If you ever get a chance to go... DO!!! It was well worth the drive.

Here are a few pics and slides of some of the stuff we did. If you have a hard time seeing the slideshow, just

refresh your browser.

No!! Doesn't Always Mean It Can't Be Done.

2011-07-15T08:33:00.000-06:00

It has been nearly two years since Alex thought about an Eagle project. It has been just over a year, when planned he whole thing. He even received donations for the project. It's been a year that the paint has sat in his closet after the project he wanted to do was denied by the Eagle Scout board. And entire school year has come and gone.

So what!!

This summer Alex was determined to do something he deemed as special and beneficial for his school and community. He went to the school to get the time he could do his project. After all, he had already had it approved by the VP the previous summer as his Eagle Scout project. He was told " No, you can't, you don't have authority to do that on district property."

Okay.

It just so happens that was a Tuesday, and on Tuesday the district holds public meetings with a citizens comments time slot. Alex called the school district to confirm and asked if he would be able to speak to the board to convince them of his desire to do his project. He was told, "Sorry, but no, you have to have made an appointment ahead of today, in order to speak to the board."

What??

But the lady seem to feel something. She said, if he would tell her in detail what he was looking for, she would go before the board on his behalf and plead his case and get back to him with whatever they decided. Alex agreed, told her everything and waited.

The next day he received a voice mail from the district. "Hi, Alex, ....I talked with the secretary at Matheson Jr. High, she said she recalls talking with you...I did tell her that from our point of safety and insurance it was fine...".

Well!

Alex sent an email to the principle with the voicemail attached and she called him back immediately to set up a meeting to discuss issues she has with the project. After the meeting, Alex and David went up to the school that night and drew out the plan for the principle and the head custodian to see if there would be any problems.

NO PROBLEMS!!

Ms. Wolfe, called Alex last week to let him know that she and the custodian gave him their blessing to move forward.

That leads us to last night.

It was a beautiful HOT night! And as a family and a friend, Collin Post, we worked to make this long saga a reality for Alex and Matheson Jr. High.

I am a very proud mom. I am so proud that Alex DIDN'T GIVE UP!!

It may seem like a small thing, but the joy in his eyes from this accomplishment means he knows he can do great things and...

I BELIEVE HE WILL!

Repurposing

2011-07-11T08:07:00.005-06:00

Being wrapped up in stuff really is hard and trying to see straight in a whirlwind is harder...so this weekend I stopped to see what was going on around me.

Our family has been just steamrolling through life. School, camps, work, activities galore and the list goes on, so when we decided to change rooms (repurposing there too) for ALL of us, I had no idea how crazy life would get. But in the end I learned a couple of great things.

#1 Just because something wears out it's original purpose doesn't mean that it can't be GREAT as something else.

#2 A great can a spray paint can make all the difference. ;-)

REPURPOSING.

A word I have all to well come to appreciate. I have heard of recycling but in my book repurposing is not the same as the other "r" word. I see repurposing as giving new life and new meaning to something of sentimental value. Yes, ABSOLUTELY, the item could be something you just got from the DI, thrift store or Goodwill. It has sentimental value because you connected with it for some reason.

With that said, I did some repurposing this weekend. Before Aiden, Dave and I received this dresser set which included a 9-drawer dresser w/ mirror and nightstand. It has served our family's needs for a lot of years. When we did all of this moving around, out to the garage it went to be prepared for it's trip to the DI, when I thought what else can be done with it....

This is what happened to it....

Completed in 1 day! I love this Ute Red! GO UTES!!

I think the handles just make it POP!!

The pattern makes me think of idea especially with the bright red.

I just love this piece now.

I totally for got to get a pic of the dresser before, but here is the nightstand....BIG improvement I think.

**UPDATE**: After posting this I went back through and read it!! Goes to show that my brain is faster than my fingers. Sorry for the TON of grammar errors and stuff left out.

With that said and to answer the question, "What's the new purpose?"~ TV stand, game console & accessory keeper, movie stash drawers, etc. etc. :-).

I am still ALIVE

2011-05-16T11:47:00.000-06:00

It has been nearly 6 months since my last post and it was all because I bit off more than I could chew.

I took TOO MANY classes last semester (but I at least pulled B-B+ in all of them)
Father is suffering from alcoholism
INSANITY ( I quit before I gave it a REAL chance, why?)
Mother with health issues
Sister with issues
Son with issues
Custom apron orders gone crazy (that's a good thing)
Trying to get all of my paperwork together for my internship ( I can hardly believe that I am moving forward with this psychology degree, I am impressed...still having a hard time believing that I am actually successful with this and smart enough to be well...be considered SMART.

So that's all I can remember.

The homefront though is pretty good. I need to get out and get more pics of the 2011...What should I shoot? Suggestions?

Mosiah 2:17

2011-01-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

...when ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God.

Today is January 16, 2011, a Sunday and I have been thinking about this since the beginning of the year. By the time you read this it will be a new year and resolutions are beginning to be form, but I want to take this time to remember my 2011 resolution:

52 Weeks of Service Project

When I thought this up, our family as with other families had already done several projects over Christmas. Bringing presents to a mentally disable man. Our family as well as some other neighbors gifted those in need and ran, without them knowing who we were.... AWESOME feeling, especially when you almost get caught.

The point is....the feelings that we were blessed to have gave me hope and joy. So I wanted to feel them throughout 2011. I really didn't know where to start, but I wanted to start somewhere and it started with Aiden's class. I spend an awe~full lot of time there. I have been reading with the kids and have come to love them. There is one little boy who has stolen my heart, we will call me Jake that has stolen my heart.

Toward the end of 2010 I had a prompting to read with him. He really needed that one on one attention and he really wanted it. As I came into the classroom everyday, he would rush to me and say, "Are we reading today, Mrs. Strong (all the kids seem to never get the "arm" part of my last name)?"

Jake and I would read and read, grateful for a teacher who sees his need.

WEEK 1: Then one day I asked him if he thought he could take a test of what we had read. He was very nervous and scared. We took the AR test and HE GOT ALL THE QUESTIONS CORRECT!!!

When he saw that he had got a 100% he started to cry. I asked him, why he was crying, he said, "I never got anything right and I know what the story said." I obviously, was a puddle of tears and just gave him a big hug and told him I was so proud. We still read and he still tears up after every test.

WEEK 2: I had a baptismal shoot at the "Daybreak" Temple. Instead of heading there via Bangater, I decided to go along Airport 2 Rd. In front of my was an SUV with a trailer attached, with what I later found out was a full size couch. The couch was just bouncing all around back there. As I watched this a voice told me to slowdown and back off!! Thank goodness I did. The trailer must of hit a big bump, because the whole couch flew off the trailer and landed about 5 feet in front of me. I was able to break and not hit it.

I could have went around and kept going to my destination, but something told me to get out and help pick up all the debris. I didn't speak with the man driving nor did he say anything to me. We just did what was needed to be done. As we did this another vehicle stopped and that man also, did not speak he began to just clean up with us. He helped put the couch remains on the trailer and we all got into our vehicles and drove off. No thank yous, no can I help, just getting it done.

I am glad I don't know their names, I am glad that we just worked and got it done. That was the best service to date. The only thing I know now, is next time take out the camera and get the shot.

WEEK3: I wasn't sure what I would do after my service to donate blood didn't workout (iron too low). But what I have been learning is a great lesson. I We don't have to purposefully try to find opportunities to serve, they will present themselves to us. And this last week was just that. my dear friend got ill and was unable to walk. Either she could not move or it was very painful. She sent me a message that she needed some help getting somethings from the grocery store for her family and obviously she was unable and her husband wouldn't be able to because he had to work. I was grateful that she called on me and felt blessed to be able to serve her and her family this way.

New Year 2011?!?...I hope it's NOT a sign as to how the rest of the year will be

2011-01-03T14:55:00.000-07:00

December 31st., I was not feeling well. I didn't even get to see the ball drop in NYC for the east coast, I was feeling so bad. But around 2:30am I heard BIG footsteps above my head. It was our son, Alex, he wanted to see as many New Year's celebrations as he could. We think he finally fell asleep around 3:00am.

Now, you might say that not all that woo hoo for this post, but it is just the setup. I assure you that as you continue reading you will see the significance of the information.

The next day, or rather later that same morning, I awoke, worked on getting stuff uploaded to the Rubied Apple store and let the boys sleep. They got up around noon and we all just hung around. No biggie, right?

Well, Alex and Aiden decided that they would play the Wii in the gameroom, No big deal while Dave and I discussed what to make for dinner upstairs. As we chatted we hear Aiden screaming, not an uncommon event when they are playing together. A few minutes later we hear Aiden, stomping up the stairs and he says, "Mom, Dad, Alex is drooling and I told me to wipe it up and he won't listen to me, he just sitting there staring. He won't move!" This is don't in a tone as if Alex is doing this to bother Aiden. But David and I knew what was really happening.

We both bolted down the stairs to find Alex in full seizure. Eyes completely rolled in the back of his head, drool flowing from the side of his mouth in a stream down his front and his body still, completely still. Frightened, because we didn't know how long this had gone on and we were not able to get him to respond to us, I dialed 911. They came, no sirens, thank goodness, but they were still noticed by many. It took about 45 minutes to get Alex to be coherent. To be able to speak and tell the paramedics, who he was and where. The current day and what the holiday was and to get his O2 level back up. Scary, to say the lest. They went away and we let him sleep for a bit and gradually coaxed him to come upstairs. It was crazy and over, right?....WRONG!?!

I decided to make a different dinner than was originally planned. It was all done and we all sat around the table and enjoyed Alex's favorite...pasta. We were all smiles and laughing at a dance Aiden was doing to entertain us all. We reminded Alex that he had forgot to take his meds Friday night and that morning, Saturday, and to go and get that evening meds. He went to the frig to get some water. He turned to see Aiden dancing. He was laughing with the rest of us, then, David saw Alex's jubilant smile quickly fade and be replaced by an absent blank stare. He was gone, again.

Alex is tall, he's solid,so to try and catch him was almost impossible, but David did. He raced to our boy and grabbed him and dragged him into the livingroom and convinced him to sit on the floor. The seizure had begun, but that was only the beginning of it. By the time Alex reached the floor he was foaming at the mouth, eyes rolled, and he was shaking and moaning. His body was contorting in a way I had never witnessed before. This was not the kind of seizure we were used to seeing. Alex gasped several times and continued to shake. It would not stop. I was again on the phone with 911 and blessed to have had the same 4 men that came earlier there to help us again with Alex. They couldn't stop it and immediately took him. Dave went with him to Primary's.

I don't know what it was like for David, but I am sure he was scared and felt helpless like me.

During the chaos of this I had run Aiden to our sweet neighbors house. I didn't even knock, I just opened their door, dropped Aiden and left. He ended up at his Tio and Tia's house. When they had gone, I was left alone with my fear of what was happening. As I watched them take off in the fire truck, I noticed my Relief Society President from my ward was walking up driveway. I could only stare at her saying, "How did you know?!?"

I am so glad she was there. I was a mess. There was nothing I could have done for Alex in the state I was in. My other neighbor came and they both sat with me and helped me calm down. Together we arranged a way for me to get up to the hospital, without me driving, a blessing for Alex, a way home, all of our church responsibilities taken care of and I am sure some other things I am unaware of handled.

Thanks to a couple of great priesthood holders and friends I was able to get to Alex and Dave fairly fast. By the time we got there Alex was just rest quietly. We all were able to find some humor in that evenings events, which was needed. After a little bit those men and Dave gave Alex a blessing and were on their way back to there families. It was around 10 til 11pm.

The doctors said, that after all they had done that really there was not much else they could do for us and decided that Alex would be discharged and we could go home. Alex put on this shoes and we were ready to leave, but David, bless his soul, had one last question. The nurse had only step out for 1 minute and we were watching the basketball news highlights. Alex was oooing and awing and the players moves, just then I looked over at him and he began seizing (beating his head up against the wall right next to a glass picture frame. His whole body began thrashing and the gasping starting again.

I ran into the hall right into the ER doc and an army of medical people. David and I just froze there in shock. It was like watching a scene from an episode of ER. We both could not believe what was happening. They had to give him a shot to stop the seizure and more O2.

The doctor, just turned to us and said, "He's not being discharged."

To make this long story not so long....Alex as discharged yesterday. All of this happened because: He missed two days of meds, lack of sleep, and growth spurt.

He is a brave kid. He deals with so much. He has angels, including his little brother, Aiden who watches over him. He is blessed. I hope he knows it. And we are so blessed to have him be an example of nor letting the trials of life get you down.

I am so thankful for the gospel. I am grateful that people listen to the Holy Ghost. He is truly our guide and friend. I love my neighbors and neighborhood. The most caring and loving place. We could not have picked a better place to raise my family.

Thanks everyone for your love, support and kind deeds you give to my family.

So Santa is real!! You better BELIEVE it!!

2010-12-27T09:29:00.001-07:00

Twas the night before Christmas, and we were visited by a louse.
The "Grinch" came prowling and took the tree, decoration and presents right out of our house.

The boys were all nestle and snug in their beds,
but what the "Grinch" wrote, couldn't be imagined in their heads.

The tree was so beautiful upstairs all clothed,
but down to the gym & the gameroom went the ribbons and bows.

Santa, that saint knew just how to save the day,
Of course he did it in his own magical way.

But when the boys woke
All they saw was the note.

Aiden, pouted and bounced and gnashed a few teeth.
Hoping to crush his "There's no Santa" belief.

He gathered the troops to find the gifts.
He was bound and determined to give us Christmas lifts.

He checked all the rooms and then ran down the stairs
and burst the gym door with a shock and with stares.

Although in shock and in awe, we saw a BIG grin,
and a note that Old St. Nick had pinned.

Pillow pet for Mom....

A magnetic bowl for Dad...

...Presents all around were going to be had.

And to their surprise....what could it be!!!!!
The boys had snagged that elusive Wii!!

So Santa is real...you better believe it!!
Aiden wouldn't have said it, if he hadn't seen it.

We hope you had very Merry Christmas.

Christmas Letter 2010

2010-12-13T16:01:00.000-07:00

This year has been, for the most part, a blessed year.

Alex had surgery, David graduated for the U of U, I started again with my education at the U & Aiden began kindergarten at a pretty great school.

No complaints here.

We are grateful for all of our good and true friends, family members and associates. We have been blessed with great and knowledgeable doctors who have been nothing but kind and supportive of Alex. Aiden scored with an awesome kindergarten teacher. And we had a birthday party for Aiden with Ms. Carrie, and Ms. Jess and their families that brought nothing but joy to our home.

So we have been blessed. We have received some of the very best kind of gifts all throughout the year.

Thanks all of you who have blessed our lives this past year.

and

We hope we have been a joy in yours.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Fly like an eagle

2010-12-03T15:15:00.001-07:00

Alex & Holly {Eagle Scout Ceremony}

Yes

We are proud.

Yes

We have worked hard to see this day.

I am so glad that Alex has reach such a great goal. This is something that makes his dad very proud, since he didn't get his eagle. I really don't have much to say other than...

Good job Alex. You've worked hard to earn this recognition and you deserve all the accolades that comes with it. Keep your head on straight and never stop believing you can achieve anything.

Better than the last

2010-11-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

Every year my family spends Thanksgiving with my husband's family and every year we we learn and grow closer to them. We love to sit around the table and hear what everyone is thankful for and are always pleasantly surprised by what one another says.

This year it was very intimate, given that the family is a huge family and it was just my little family and a single son, a single daugther & her boyfriend, grandparents and great grandparents. It was pretty nice. Yes, it would have been more nice if the rest of the family was there, but this was just perfect for this year.

I learned from great grandpa, how much he loves all of us. He talked about how he missed out on Christmas with his family when he was deployed to Guam as a young man in the Navy and how just remembering that makes him appreciate being with the family.

It was very nice to see David, relax. He is usually all "dolled" up in work clothes that to see him in relaxed jeans, hair disheveled, sweat shirt hanging at the parents house...well, that is one thing I am thankful for. I love that man so much and he works so hard. He deserved the day off and to be with his family, well that was just icing on the cake for him.

The boys loves to be with their grandparents and I have always hoped the feeling was mutual and I saw that it was as we all played games. Aiden is a catch phrase PRO. It was totally hilarious.

I am so thankful for this holiday. It was better than the last and I am just the ones to come with out do this one as well...I am just glad that I was around for this one.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

YES!....It is a Spinach Smoothie

2010-11-11T06:35:00.000-07:00

"Would you like to try my SPINACH SMOOTHIE?" I usually get scrunched up faces followed by a very big YUCK!!!

{Ironically, this is not from my kids}

Well, I think you should try it and I have a recipe {of sorts} for you.

It is by far the best thing I have come up with that the

KIDS WILL LIKE

This is what I used in this version, but you can use any berry you like, flavored yogurt or any kind of juice.

I used a personal blender here....Hamilton Beach. I filled it with about 8oz. OJ. Then stuffed it with two large handfuls of SPINACH

This is a half cup of raspberries. These are more tart than most other berries. I usually use blueberries {sweeter and less seedy}

Plain yogurt...just to give it a creamer texture. But if you want use a sweetened yogurt like, vanilla, strawberry, etc.

Blend Blend Blend

Now you can pour and enjoy.

{I did add unflavored fiber powder (the kids never knew) and agave nectar (I wanted it a little bit sweeter without effecting glucose levels)}

So there you have it....a great and delicious way to get more veggies in the kiddos and you....

that they'll LOVE!!!!

A little time...

2010-11-04T14:24:00.001-06:00

...is all I really want.

bobbles?.....Nope.

food?.....I will be happy to eat later.

books?.....I get plenty of reading materials from school.

money?....Goes to quick and usually there's nothing to show for it.

I want the most expensive thing you have. I need it in abundance. I don't want to have to beg for it.

I don't want to have to settle with what's convenient.

I need your TIME.

It is the most precious gift you can give me.

That's all.

It seems to me...

2010-10-21T12:37:00.000-06:00

...that I have to just make the decision.

Last night my very insightful husband, me and the rest of the family were talking to my mom on speaker phone. It was a great time....honestly it was. Lots of giggles and ah ha!! moments that I didn't express, but the bells were going off in my body and mind.

We were talking about health and Aiden, piped in and simple stated, "Lala, just stop eating the bad stuff, it's not good for your body, you just need to stop." Which took my mom by surprise.

If you know nothing else about Aiden, it is that, the boy, is very opinionated.

David added, "You just have to make the decision that you want to feel better."

WOW!!!

Sounds simple right??? Well, really......it is (at least I hope so).

Deep deep deep down in conscience I have not made the decision TOTALLY to be healthier.

Yes....I do sign up and do the 5Ks. (I really like them, but I am sure I can push harder.)

Yes...I think I am making the right food choices for my health (except when I allow the burger cravings, chocolate cravings, salt cravings, pretty much anything get the best of me and I eat until I am pained...I realize that this is not good and that I need to find out what's "eating" me).

Yes...I weigh myself like I should (however, lately have been allowing the number to determine my value).

So, my intentions are great and some of my actions....but I haven't made the concrete decision to be healthier...TOTALLY.

Right now, I am trying a new food approach. Vegetarian...I was going to do Vegan, but that is too hard for me at the moment. I am on day 3 of this new journey and so far so good. The family had not recognized that they have not had meat since Sunday and they don't seem to mind.

So it seems to me, that a decision to be healthier is simple, yet there are many layers to the TOTAL decision and maybe I am just at the beginning, and I don't necessarily think that is bad...you got start there anyway.

Living in 2 Worlds

2010-10-19T12:04:00.001-06:00

"Luck", Nakia, Oynx & "Ma" Joeann

I have always lived in 2 separate, yet rewarding worlds. My family back east can confirm that statement.

Growing up I never was a 100% fit in either and over time, years...I have learned to navigate artfully through both.

Going "home" this last week I have come to grips that living in the different worlds is okay and beneficial. And please DO NOT let anyone tell you that there aren't 2 different worlds, with rites, roles, standards and traditions....THEY ARE LYING TO YOU!!

Nakia & Yolanda "Luck"

In the world of my youth and honestly with the help of a very "black" sister, I learned a lot. Me, being black, is not just a given to knowledge of my culture...it is learned also. My sister as well as many others spoke and speak to me in an intelligent dialect that is spoken within the community and yes I do believe that the dialect spoken in the black community can and is of intelligence. I believe all language is, especially when it services a purpose, conveys a message and understood. It is a language. But I am digressing from the worlds.

I loved being at home with my family and listening to the speak. I loved knowing the fact that although I have been away from them I could still easily slip in and still understand and know what was going on and being said and if need be I could communicate in the same fashion, but I didn't need to...."I just did me."

Now with that in mind, I traveled home to Utah...my other world. My world where my husband and children are. A world vastly different than the world of my youth. Standards...different. Speak....different. Traditions...different. But the fact that I can navigate back into it is all a wonder and a pleasure to me.

Knowing that little bit of information had me thinking on my trip home about my best gal pal, Brandi. I really wanted her to come home with me, to see where I grew up. To really witness the beauty of Charlotte. But as I pondered my experience...I don't think she would have been ready for how culturally different my 2 worlds are. One day we will go and hopefully experience the joys of Charlotte.

Being that my worlds are different and I have family in both, I am really going to make efforts to bring them together. The hard part is where to start.

Long time coming...

2010-09-29T09:29:00.001-06:00

I know 6 years ago, this was not a thought or even something that we could have even image for us.

We didn't know at that time how much we would love a woman that we would only meet for a few short hours. We had no idea that she was as remarkable as she was and is.

That is our Ms. Carrie and we love her.

September 28, 2010-Carrie tried to find our house and got lost, but not for long. When I initially invited her and her family to come to Aiden's party, I wasn't sure if she was ready to see him again or for him to meet her little boy. But she was excited and so was I.

We both have been open and honest with our boys and they have always known of each other. Aiden was overjoyed knowing that Jayden was his half-brother. And for him the best part was that Jayden was younger and therefore made him "the BIG brother." He kept double checking with me, making sure I was not lying about there being a Jayden.

So just a couple of hours before his party, I told him that Ms. Carrie and Jayden were coming to his birthday. I was trying to gauge how he was feeling about it and he was just happy that he was going to get to see Jayden. It was great to see everyone together.

This just goes to prove in my opinion, that open adoption is best. When all the people involved are healthy and mature enough to handle it, it is so good for the child, for the parents and the birth families . Open adoption is not for everyone and for some it is just not possible.

I love adoption. My family would not be what it is today without it. It is a kind of love that takes courage and faith. You have to be a strong.

So for Carrie to be at our home and celebrating with us, was awesome. To share her family with us made us so grateful. She is a good mom and friend. And I look forward to many years of her and hers being a part of our family. We love you Carrie, Jayden and the rest of the the "Den" family.

Happy Birthday to a truly Happy Boy!!

2010-09-28T11:41:00.000-06:00

So much joy has come to us in a little package.

I am so grateful to be his mom.

Happy Birthday Aiden!!

Keep on smiling!

I love you tons.

Introducing....

2010-09-24T09:18:00.000-06:00

"Vivian"

Congratulations Ms. Shaunda Eppes!

I love her name.

Thank you to Natalie Carroll and Becca for being apart of this. I appreciate everything.

And the Choices are......

2010-09-16T07:02:00.001-06:00

"Summer Nights"~ Becca

"Vivian"~ Shaunda Eppes

"MoKimo" { Modern Kimono}~Natalie Carroll

There you have it.

Let the voting begin!!!

Thanks to all of you who gave me some AWESOME names. And just know, as I continue to come up with more designs I will be looking to you to help me name my babies, in a contest just like this. Again thanks.

Now go ahead and cast your vote there on the left.

AND

Come on over and be my friend on facebook:

The Rubied Apple Aprons

CLICK LINK

THIS IS WHERE I WILL BE MAKING MY CONTESTS FOR THE NEW APRONS KNOWN

Name that apron CONTEST

2010-09-13T11:16:00.006-06:00

Cute, right?

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Well, I designed this apron style from scratch, no pattern to work from, just an idea rolling around in my head. It took about 4 hours to get everything just "sew", but in the end... this gorgeous apron was born.

BUT......What's her name???

I am having a hard time coming up with a name for her. I could be narcissistic and call her Nakia Apron, Nakia-Syree Apron, Syree Apron, but that is just not me.

I want to know your ideas, so I am going to have a contest to give her a name.

For those, ...

"and what's in it for me-'ers'" ?

**********

you'll get the honor of naming the very 1st Rubied Apple original design & the apron prototype above.

**********

So how is this going to work:

Between September 13-15, submit your name suggestion for the above apron. Keep in mind that the fabric is just that, fabric. The name I am looking for is more about the style, as more this style will be made with different fabric, although if you have a great name for the apron inspired by the fabric, submit it.

Every suggestion will have an = chance to be considered.

On September 16th, I will literally draw three names from a hat and the three names will be posted for voting for 1 week.

MAKE SURE THAT YOU LEAVE YOUR NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS & NAME SUGGESTION

IN THE COMMENT LINK BELOW.

ANY SUBMISSION SENT ANY OTHER WAY WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

THIS IS OPEN TO U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY

In order for this to work I will need to have at least 10 submissions. If I don't get that many by the 15th, I will pull the contest and have to be narcissistic.

So, go ahead, make your submission and tell your friends and family to do the same!!!

This apron will fit most sizes S to M

and to see more aprons please visit my store:

The Rubied Apple

Like me on my FACEBOOK page: The Rubied Apple Aprons

14 reasons....

2010-09-07T10:19:00.001-06:00

...why I am pleased as punch to be the mother of this kid.

* I always wanted a son who was strong.

Who knew that I would get one in name and deed.

* Respectful

* Truly Kind

* Sincere

*Mindful

* Clean

...not talking about as in order...his room's a science experiment.

* Fair

*Non-judgemental

*Family Focused

*Competitive

*Patient

*Scholarly

*Brotherly

* A Good Example

Happy Birthday son!

Feel free to leave him birthday comments

...he doesn't have email.

1 down 1 to go....maybe more.

2010-08-30T12:22:00.003-06:00

I did another 5k before the "BIG" one in October. It was in Stockton, UT and I was not prepared for it even in the slightest. I have been having an awful time getting to the gym with "my buddy" and since the last time I posted I had taken a surprisingly embarrassing fall in my son's school parking lot. It left me with a still pained back and hip. My right knee hyper-extended, so the pound of running just kills and the night before the run......wait for it........I jammed a toothpick a half inch into the bendy part of my big toe!

So as you can see "I was fit for running." my little cheer section told me that I couldn't back out of this now and even if I crawled the whole thing, that I needed to finish it.

"Finish it." No more getting "almost there." It may take me years to meet the me I want to meet, but I will. But as I am in the pursuit to "finish it." I will take this time to really appreciate the me now. Every single lump and bump. :-)

I am still going for the run in October and I will sign up for more as time allows, but I will always finish. I will always get there....even if I am near the end.

By the way. I bested my time by 2 minutes and 30 seconds from the Turkey Trot I did in November last year. So there's an accomplishment to add to finishing....which means I am going in the right direction.

Remember who you are. Do good things. Make good choices.

2010-08-23T12:23:00.001-06:00

Mama: Aiden, what are you doing up!?

Aiden: It's time to get ready for school, I heard your alarm!

Mama: Baby, that alarm is for me to get up and workout. It's 5:00 in the morning.

Aiden: I can't sleep anyway, I'm gonna go take a shower.

Needless to say I never made it to the gym. I spent the morning getting him ready for his first day at school.

Can you see how excited he was? :-)

I am not the kind of mama that gets all mushy when my kiddos go to school. I am almost as excited about it as they are.

Aiden has been looking forward to this day since I can remember.

Going with him into his room I saw so many mama's and papa's giddy with excitement of this new adventure for their little one and I too could hardly contain my pleasure for Aiden.

Alex was just....another day.

So no pictures for him!!!

Aiden made a new friend right away with the little girl that sits next to him and she was more than happy to pose for a couple of shots with him.

I was trying to think of any wise words to give to him....

HAVE FUN, BABY!!

REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE.

DO GOOD THINGS.

MAKE GOOD CHOICES.

(this part just made me tear up a little, now I get to say it to him AND Alex as they go off to school)

Ramblings of a crazy woman

2010-08-18T11:16:00.000-06:00

sunset looking toward the Oquirrhs 2008

For the past couple of mornings I have been alone on my morning workouts. Usually, I wait for my workout buddy, but she hasn't been able to make it the past two mornings. While I wait I usually get a few minutes to sit on our little porch, alone, and ponder in the sometime, cool morning air.

I see the stars and sometimes the moon. I listen to the morning chatter of the birds and I just know they are chatting about me and possible saying.. "It's about time you got up and out here, sleepy head." The streetlight in front of my house shines bright, casting shadows one can easily hide in. I watch the early morning rituals of neighbors leaving, turning on their lights, setting up hoses for lawn watering, no one notices me, I am still, masked in the glittery blanket of the stars.

As I watch the lives that pass by me, I pray for their safe return home to their families. I talk with God hoping he hears me. I pray that the peace I feel at that very moment abides with me through out the day. I pray that I have the patience needed for a mother to a child with more energy than should be allowed. I pray for the well-being of my husband, who works so hard and has very little time. I pray that the seizures stay away for yet another day. I pray that I will always be grateful for what I have and if I can, share it.

As I am continuing to "grow up" I am learning that little things do add up, but for the most part, little things are just that, "little things". Everything is learned a little bit at a time. Yes, you have your anomalies, but for the rest of us, a little bit at a time. I think that is how is suppose to be.

I am learning that I need yoga. I haven't gone to a class since my embarrassingly loud release of not only stress but another pressure {he he} that ruined the peaceful moment for me and my fellow yogies. I couldn't regain my peaceful state from that point on. I have to try it again when I am not so filled with {hot air}.

I am learning that education is sooooooo important and more importantly I am learning that I can do it. I have always been scared of being dumb and I can now say for sure that I have some out landish thoughts, but dumb I am not.

I believe kids make you crazy to some degree. The younger they are the crazier you seem. As they get older AND hopefully milder, you might regain some sanity, but that is no guarantee. I think you just get a different kind of nuts.

These are just my ramblings.....feel free to ramble along.

Declutter+Reduce= Life a litte more under control.

2010-08-13T09:46:00.001-06:00

A few days ago, I watched Oprah, which I rarely do, but it was a down day and I didn't want to get off the couch. On that day she was doing a show on hoarders. Wow, there was so much info. on that. But let me preface this before I get to into this. I AM NOT A HOARDER.

Okay, with that out of the way....I watched the show with eyes shocked at how something like that could happen and why. But, just like the expert Peter Walsh concluded, those who do this are suffering from something much more complicated than just keeping stuff. I do understand how this can happen....first it starts with getting a little of this and not keep track of the fact that you have already bought something just like or the actual same thing just a little bit ago. So it starts little and with little awareness, next thing you know you have a house full of "stuff."

I have on many occasions labeled my poor husband as a closet hoarder. He keeps a lot of "stuff." I actually asked him one time if they thought he was a hoarder to any degree. Of course, he vehemently told me no. I think he took offense. After a while though, he told me he thought about my question and gave me this answer, which to this day aches my heart, but makes me love him more...this is not verbatim:

" I keep things because I have had so many things and people 'taken' from me. I like to have my 'stuff' and 'family' close. I love them...I just want them with me."

I have seen him live his life with that statement in his every action. He loves to be with his family. He loves to help out his siblings, if he can. He loves being with his Dad and to help him and to learn from him...It is his way of "keeping them close." Some may not understand that, but after all of these years I get it.

I, on the other had, am a chucker. I don't hold to much. I think that is because I have never had much, and I have learned, "You do what you gotta do, when gotta do it and You have what you have so work with it." So I don't like to really keep stuff around. I tried the collecting thing, then I realized I was collecting stuff I "don't need." So I quit, and I still have that "stuff."

Now, I am trying to get rid of that "stuff" and I am hoping you/your friends can help me.

At the top & to the left of this post is a link to items I am "simplifying"with in hopes that it will benefit the life of someone else.

To see what's offered CLICK HERE & check out this link or click on the link in the sidebar "Simplifying DNA & A.

I ♥ adoption

2010-08-08T13:52:00.001-06:00

Anyone who knows me knows I can talk big junk about Aiden, but when you see passed all of his antics you know I adore that little spirit and

I ♥ adoption.

I can not imagine our home without....

~ the little thundering footsteps of Aiden sneaking out of bed to sleep on the couch.~

~the periodic screams of sheer joy~

~the murder by kissing~
~the laughter that just gets you laughing~

and so much more.

I am so grateful to the wonderful lady whom God sent to us, to bless us in this way takes courage and divine intervention. I am grateful that we were prepared (as much as you can be prepared) to bring him home.

I love adoption.

Where would my family be without it?

Pushing, Digging and Clawing if I have to...

2010-08-02T08:47:00.001-06:00

One foot then another. That is how you do it.

Today was the first day of what I had/have in my mind as the most challenging of the training. W3D1 of the C25K. It is hard but it is doable. Today got up 4:52 searched for the right bra....you must have the right bra or you will want to die. I only know because of experience, BELIEVE ME!! Got the girls all situated, made sure my mp3 was juiced and had the training playlist on it and off I went. I was so apprehensive.

I have never looked at a treadmill machine with so much dislike like this morning. I was so slow to even get on it and getting it programmed for what I was about to allow it to do to my body. But then the playlist started and off I went.

I had already looked at what I was going to be doing and it looked hard. The first minute and a half of running was fine, I had accomplished that last week and really liked it. Then came the first 3 minute run. It too was fun for the first 90 seconds. The second half was a challenge, but I made it through, thanks to Avril Lavigne. She kept me at a good cadence. The second 3 minutes.....1st minute great, couldn't make it through the second, so I took a breather and then ran the last minute.

Now this may look like a failure to some, but to me I won.

I WON!!!

I completed the training and I am going back to get that 1 minute. I will do it.

You never know what you can do until you do it. I never thought I could get this big body to push past the hurt it feels. The tiredness that has trapped me here. But I am digging and pushing and making it. I am not a runner, but I am also not a quitter.

Keep giving your support. Leave me comments of encouragement. I appreciate them.

OH YEAH...I found a great site with a awesome (in my opinion) playlist that tells you when to start and stop with music I am familiar with....I not so much a techno girl, I like real music.

http://gonicoleyourself.blogspot.com/2008/06/couch-to-5k-podcast-page.html

Shout out for The Rubied Apple

2010-07-30T15:14:00.000-06:00

So I got an email from a gal named Kati. She wanted to get permission to use on of my aprons on her site. I of course was honor, that someone way back east even took notice of my little shop on Etsy, but she did. In exchange for he kindness of introducing me to her readers I told her I would make a button for my blog that y'all could click to check her out. Here it is....and when you done there come on over to my store and check out what I have and maybe buy something too.

http://www.aroundtheplate.com/

Dinnertime and talk: What are your suggestions for our topic jar?

2010-07-27T08:02:00.000-06:00

I must say that one of things I think I have gotten right is mealtime. This is a "requirement" at our house. We must sit down at least 3 time a week together and have a meal.

Growing up I didn't have a dinnertime. I remember we always did what I currently institute in our house as "Fin for ya-self Friday." But in my earlier years we were "finnin'" everyday. I am pretty sure that was because my mom didn't know how to cook (OK Ma, you can make a mean queso) and plus she worked all the time. So I know that when I decided that I wanted to be married and have a family, that was one of the many things I wanted to have as part of my family lifestyle.

I had to teach myself how to cook, thank goodness, it came easy and I followed my instincts, but nowadays, many young women and men, don't know how to do some of the basics and in my opinion that is scary. But I digress. When I met David, one of the things I noticed was that his family did have family dinners.....

EVERY NIGHT!!

They gathered, set the table, they sat down, prayed and ate together. I would listen to every one's conversation and just have a internal smile, because that is what I wanted for my family. Wendell, would tell his jokes, some of them we have heard hundreds of times, but I actually love to hear him tell them, you can see the joy in his eyes when he's trying you make you laugh. Debbie, trying to make sure everyone has what they need and enough and the kids, well, everything was being talked about all at once. I was so warm and I for one felt of the love in the chaos of ritual.

Now David and I have our own family and we love to eat together. There is plenty of laughter at our dinner table. I hope that the boys learn that dinnertime is not just for food, but a time that we all can share together, feel the love of family and that it a place to talk about anything and everything.

The one thing, I think I want to start with my family is a topic jar. I think that would be a great way to have even more interesting conversations at the table.

"What are some of your suggestions to have in a topic jar?" -please leave your comment here so everyone can see it and not repeat it

(I'll post the gist of the conversations for y'all. I am sure this could be pretty funny, given the spectrum of opinions we have in this house.)

No we don't do it every night, but I hope that as the boys get older and schedules go this way and that, hopefully we can always find one another at the dinner table.

To Salt or Not to Salt? or is it more than just that?

2010-07-22T09:18:00.000-06:00

In managing Alex's health, we have to frequently visit with his oncologist and a team of brain tumor coordinators. They are a Godsend, no doubt.

Yesterday, we did our "day @ the doc's" thing and learned quite a bit.

Did you know, that people with saga's (medical term for tumor) typically have elevated blood pressures?

I didn't!!!

That little tidbit brought me to the conclusion, that diet is SUPER important not to mention exercise.

We are pretty health conscious here in the Armstrong household. We eat a lot of veggies and fruit, I cook with little to no added salt, etc. But I often do cook with canned ingredients, and we all know that they do have a BUTT LOAD of sodium and if you use like, cream of anything, you are getting another butt load of saturated fats.

So how do I combat this with Alex and still have delicious, healthy meals that we all will love and that don't cost so much? I just can't do the Wholefoods grocery bill. I just can't.

I know one thing I will be doing is try to incorporate the DASH diet, I learned about from WedMD, into our new lifestyle change. It is pretty common sense stuff, but I am really going to have to focus. Here's another link about DASH that I really like. And you are probably thinking, what in the world is DASH...Well it stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.

So that is step 1 in our efforts to get Alex to understand how to take care of his health.

Step 2...exercise.

I love exercising in the morning. It is hard and I don't necessarily like it when I am doing it, but the feeling at the end, WOW!!! I get so much energy and my mental state goes from, "I don't think I can do this" to "I can do so much more." Alex is really good about getting in some type of exercise, be it basketball, soccer, etc, but I think we are going to notch it up a bit. He's agreed to join me in my running effort.

I think this is awesome. I would love for him to run with me in the Turkey Trot this year. He is such and inspirational kid. And I am so glad that Heavenly Father, thought of David and me and felt that we deserved such a wonderful person to be in our lives. I love that kid so much.

I am excited about this new change coming our way. I know that we will all benefit in so many different ways health-wise and spiritual.

...it must be them.

2010-07-14T22:09:00.001-06:00

So this week the boys were away and I was left alone with Aiden. Is it normal that I get a little bit anxious at the thought of being alone with my 5-year old for an entire week?

I've done this what 3-4 times now and I still can't shake the whole nervous Nelly feeling I get. It all boils down to, when they (Alex and David) are home Aiden goes into complete meltdown ~~nearly~~, EVERYDAY!!! And I turn into this screaming banshee, he gets to call Mama.

It is all so ridiculous, I know, but that is what happens here.

Well, when they, the "big" boys go on camps or what not, Aiden becomes a total "emotionally balanced" child. I don't get it. I can't quite figure it out. I think that is why I am taking psychology. Looking forward to abnormal child psychology. I am sure I will discover I am the abnormal one and everyone else is just fine.

So what does the anxiety I feel mean? I have even notice a change in my personality with Aiden when they are gone. I become so....tempered and not so "on the wire". Nothing erks me to the level of "flying off the handle" like when David and Alex are home.

Aiden is just your typical, play loving, jokester little boy. And I see his love of life better when the "big ones" are not here. How do I keep that about me? How do I constantly see the joyful screaming and playing just for what it is and not some attack on "MY" personal peace.

I read a quote from an interview that Sister Spafford, RS General President said back in 1974,

"The mother has the great and wonderful opportunity of creating a spiritual atmosphere in her home.

By her teachings and, even more important, by her attitude, she teaches children what it means to love the Lord, to sustain the priesthood, and to live a rich, fulfilling life—a peaceful, orderly life that is reflected in the home itself.

Can you imagine what a home would be like where the mother had the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost?"

NO, I can't imagine that! I think all of my screaming has scared the Holy Ghost and my children.

How do I get that serene feeling, I have right now to stay with me every single day?

Where there is joy...there is peace

2010-07-05T11:45:00.000-06:00

This year with the 4th being on a Sunday, it was weird feeling kind of day.

David and Alex slept most of it away and Aiden and I wanted to do something.

I thought a drive would be great, but ended up on the beach at Daybreak.

The day could not have been more perfect.

Aiden loves the water.

The sun was perfect and the there were lots of kids at the playground.

It was just joyful to watch Aiden play. I only wished David and Alex had joined us.

I wasn't surprised that he would get his feet wet, but for him to go deeper and deeper was a little funny.

As he threw his hands up to the sky:

"Mom, this is living."

I thought how peaceful it was. It was beautiful and light. I needed that little time to be...

and to see Aiden at peace with joy. It was a break from the yelling he constantly does.

While he played I listened to a meditation track on Mp3.

I highly recommend it.

It is great when we both get what we need and want.

What's for Dinner: My all AMERICAN burger

2010-07-03T20:58:00.002-06:00

You just gotta love a country where everyone is everyone

and we are all mixed up.

So I wanted to do something to honor that.

I created a new All AMERICAN burger.

In order for this to work, I need to have the perfect mix of meat.

As you already know, I am not a big salter. I don't add it to any of my dishes, as I would rather the person who is eating, season it to their liking.

I like my food

Naked.

Allowing the items I put together to be present and "accounted" for by my tasty buds :-).

So here I mixed Super Extra Lean Ground beef with Sweet Italian Sausage.

(in my humble opinion, all the seasoning you need for this burger in there with the sausage, trust me on this.)

I have a burger maker, that I LOVE!! With that little note, I also measure how many oz. I want to make each patty. My burger balls measured about 4 oz. raw.

(just a little note: I remove the casing the sausage is in and discard it, just slice it down the middle and pull the casing off, should be easy)

After making the rest, off they went to the grill and top with a Chipotle Cheddar cheese.

Earlier in the day I wanted even more AMERICAN mix up on our burgers.

So instead of just lettuce and tomato.

I thought how's about a slaw.

It had to be easy and fast though...

Red cabbage slaw made with Garlic Balsamic Marinade, Agave Nectar and a noted Asian flare Sesame seeds.

With the slight bite of the red cabbage, the sweetness of the agave nectar, the nutty flavor of the sesame seeds and the slight tang of the marinade, I knew I was getting close to home.

But the thing that brought this all together was an unexpected find at the Farmer's Market at Pioneer Park today.

Minty Limeade

YUM! YUM! YUM!

I am not a mint lover by any stretch of the imagination. I have mint growing in my front yard that I try to kill every year, but it has won for the last 10+ years.

Today I snipped 4-5 sprigs of my nemesis to make my own version of the minty limeade.

I used lemon juice instead of lime juice....I like to use what I have on hand.

Well, minty friends, I have a new found respect for you and will learn to love you.

My favorite part of the whole experience was watching how earthy the process was.

Sugar, Juice, Ice, Water, Mint all to the bottom of a mason jar and....

SHAKE IT BABY!!!!

Best lemonade I have ever had!!!

That's it. All AMERICAN burger with a nice ice cold minty lemonade.

A lot of different peoples are represented in this meal, afterall, that is what America is.

Happy 4th!

What's cooking: Roasted Garlic Balsamic Grilled Chicken and Veggies

2010-07-02T10:06:00.000-06:00

I like easy and I like fast. And this was both!

If you are looking for a very tasty 4th of July meal, may I suggest something like this.

I marinated the chicken and veggies in separate baggies of course, in grocery store brand marinade. I did this for about 8 hours or so, basically, I threw everything together in a Ziploc in the morning and went about my day until it was time to get dinner ready for the crew.

I grilled my chicken and sauteed the veggies. The marinade gave the meal a tangy, but more sweet flavor. We followed that with cold watermelon for dessert.

Happy 4th everyone and eat well!!

What kind of mother am I?

2010-07-02T09:48:00.004-06:00

What kind of mother am I?

Hard....too hard?
Value motivated?
Strong & Strict or Over-bearing & frightening?
Love disher vs. Love restrictor

I don't really know.

I watch mothers all around me and I see each of their parenting styles and I wonder often if I am cold.

I know that my personality is fun loving, but I am also ordered and I have requirements of my children. I can't tolerate disrespectful children....I just was not raised that way. I couldn't say anything remotely close to what I hear kids say to their parents...even the little ones, especially the little ones, and I will not put up with my children being disrespectful to me or others.

If that is being over bearing, I accept it.

I will do all that I can to give to this planet good, respectful , upstanding human beings. And I know that it starts with respect for others and self.

I watched the following video and cried, because I really appreciate my partnership with God. I would like my children to choose the right paths in life, although I know I can't make them, but I can give them the tools they need to make the decision for themselves.

My values can't be compromised and I stand at the battlefront for my kids. I am their armor at this point and time, so when my choices seem strict and overbearing, know I am protecting my heart and soul.

Being the parent to my children can be challenging, probably to the surprise to many. I have many days a tears, yelling and run away impulses.... and I am not talking about the kids, that's me.

Being 'Momma' is hard and I only wish that there are more immediate thank yous and less immediate I hate you.

Weigh In & What will I bring to the altar

2010-06-27T08:16:00.002-06:00

(altar near Goleen in Ireland)

This week I read a post by one of my SWSM sisters and it has been on my mind ever since. Bear with me as I have inserted some of her post and will give my take:

Collateral is something you put up and get something back in exchange. But it can’t be just anything, it must be something with a price.

That is pretty clear and really to the point. I have been thinking about what I want for my health and fitness. I want to be good and FOREVER! I don't want to keep going back and forth 50lbs. I do know that it is okay to move back and forth 5lbs or so. But not much more than that. But the honest to goodness question I have to ask myself is what am I willing to give up?

I knew that would not be a question that I could just flippantly say, "I can just not eat this or that." The answer I would have to come up with would have to have substance and "intervention of prayer" to really be worthwhile. And it had to have actions and a partner.

Those two parties become us and the Lord and just as the Lord put himself upon the alter and sacrificed for us, our collateral is what we must be willing to put on ‘the alter’ in a sense to receive the blessings we are seeking. And the more we are willing to put forth the effort to plant our seed of faith the stronger our faith can grow.

How could I make a sacrifice that would '=' that of the Lord's? Who am I kidding, there is absolutely, NOTHING I do or sacrifice that could scratch the surface of what the Lord has done. NOTHING!! So this is where I give up right?

What a blessing it has become for me to take my goals on developing a healthy lifestyle and care for my body to the Lord in faith. He has helped me make my changes more lasting as I have strived to involve him on a spiritual level. I still have my down days, but my consistency over the long haul has increased over the years, and the gap of down days has decreased. (i.e Which has equaled a healthy weight zone more consistently over time).

God wants us to be healthy and to take care of ourselves. It is encouraging to find the following promise by President Benson as we take exercise our faith in doing hard things. President Ezra Taft Benson said, "When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment God will endow us with power.”

It may seem awkward and you may be tempted to think that exercising and eating healthy regularly isn't really collateral. And to also think that it doesn't seem like that big of a sacrifice, I mean come on ...Jesus sacrificed himself for us. BUT we aren't Jesus, and IF that is what you struggle with, i.e not being consistent, finding it takes a lot of mental effort to start, and if it is easier to sleep in and leave out a workout than to develop the drive or faith to say, 'hey I getting my butt out of bed to workout, this will be my collateral to you Lord, please help me develop the faith in following through more than just today'. HE WILL give you the ability to make the change you seek.

So what is my collateral (my sacrifice with a price to the alter) for the blessing I seek. Getting up every morning at 4:50am to workout. Really looking at my food and asking 'will I bring this to the alter.' Making choices that benefit my family too. They are already helping me so much. Especially Aiden, if I go to Chick fil la he reminds me to get the grilled chicken and a fruit bowl. "Mama, we don't get the fries, because fried stuff is bad for you." And to top if off he gets the same thing.

My Stats
Last Week This Week

Weight: 228 229.5

What's for Dinner: Cheese Steak and Peppers

2010-06-22T09:08:00.000-06:00

So it's not all that healthy, but for father's day....that's what he wanted and so that's what he gets.

To make this is very simple:

I used sliced roast beef from the deli. Crockpot it for about 3 hours on low (just added water). Sauteed red, yellow and green peppers as well as white onions. Then on a 100% whole wheat and rye roll layered the meat, Havarti cheese, peppers and onion and organic Dijon mustard and....

TA DA!!!!

...meal fit for a king....or the greatest dad.

...there are all kind of dads...our boys got a good one!!! Happy Father's Day David.

2010-06-20T16:07:00.001-06:00

I have yet to meet a man, whose love for his children and family, just keeps me in awe like the man I was blessed to have as the father of our sons.

David is the kind of father any boy would love to have as a parent.

He teaches them about hard work and persistence. How to be have fun and be responsible. He even teaches them how to be mischievous and not get into trouble for it. He teaches them that family is #1 and nothing else comes before it. How to put things in the proper priority and respecting what is right, even when you disagree. He teaches them out to love and how to honor priesthood.

I never knew there was a man out in the world who did that until I watched David.

Our boys are lucky and blessed.

I choose the right!!!

Happy Father's Day Baby! You are the right man for the job!!

I know some will think it odd, but I honor my father.

He is as flawed as any man and in some cases more so, but he is my dad. and...

I love him.

As time has aged me and him, I see his struggles and I know that there are consequences for actions we all must pay for and sadly he is and will have to pay. But I will love him still. I forgive him for not being the father I wanted or needed, but I thank him for loving me unconditionally. For teaching me what I really wanted for my children.

Yes, he is a very flawed man, by his own choosing, but he is my dad and I love him.

(Aren't we all flawed)

Happy Father's Day, Pawpaw! I love you.

Pawpaw & me in 1975

Weighing In on things

2010-06-20T08:03:00.000-06:00

Everything is going fine and I am just taking it one day at a time.

My Stats
Last Week This Week

Weight: 228 228

Height: 5'3" 5'3"

Hips: 47" 47.25"

Waist: 40" 39"

Thighs: 27.5" 28.5"

Arms: 17" 17"

So the inches are making a move. That's great and I feel really good. It was really neat last week to meet another SwSM at the gym. I hope to have the chance to meet the rest of you lovelies. Keep up the hard work and know we are all here for you.

Stop...and just take it all in.

2010-06-16T10:37:00.001-06:00

For the past few days we have been going full throttle around here.

Alex getting and going here.

Aiden needing to be there.

David scrambling to meet this deadline

and me...

Me trying to keep schedules straight and in order.

Well this morning I started to get the craziness going and decided to mow the lawn for Alex.

Really, the mower has been acting up since we helped out a neighbor, and I didn't want Alex to have to get hurt if something dangerous was really wrong.....actually, I have secret love for mowing the lawn and David has been denying me my weekly fix. He's been tell me that I keep doing "his job."

But, back to why I am writing this post. As I worked on the mower I looked up and there, just gloriously bathing in the rays of the sun was the rose bush David planted for me several years ago.

This picture is not altered in any way, other than making it square.

This is my favorite of all the roses we have. It is a tough one at that. It has struggled over the years. It is the smallest and has had the hardest time, but it still gives us its all every year.

This made me smile and I then looked at the rest of the roses Dave has planted for me and they all are beautiful.

I have found that in the hustle and bustle of doing this and that, I have neglected to just let the beauty all around me come into me. I am so grateful for the love of my Savior. I am so blessed beyond anything I can imagine.

To make sure that I get the message Heavenly Father allowed me to see this message a friend wrote on facebook.

''What you do now, determines your happiness throughout eternity... '' --- David O McKay

How awesome is that!!!

Now I will make it better.
Now I will laugh with my kids.
Now I will put on my rose-colored glasses.
Now I will not have excuses.
Now I will say sorry.
Now, I will take responsibility for my actions and consequences.

What's for dinner this week? How's about Tandoori Chicken and Curry Rice

2010-06-14T19:20:00.000-06:00

The taste buds were looking for something out of the norm and India was call out to me as I went shopping last week. The last time I ate Indian food was....at least 9 years ago at an India restaurant that has since closed, but I do remember that it was different and good.

So here's my stab at something I have heard was really great.

Tandoori Chicken

I served it with a simple Curry Rice and Green Salad (to add a little more color).

It is a spicy dish....not hot, just a lot of spices. LOVE me some spices. I really loved just mixing all ingredients of the tandoori together. I felt a little exotic just for a minute.

The boys loved it! It was a great conversation over dinner. We talked about India...what little I know of it and how beautiful the people are.

This is definitely a re-maker. This was a recipe from eatingwell.com

I will sure be using them again.

Whaaaaaaatttt!?!?

2010-06-12T08:08:00.002-06:00

I was so shocked by the to 4.5lb. weight loss that I actually had to capture it.

Wow!! What a difference a week makes. I feel so good and I am moving in the best direction...

of being healthy and strong.

I have learned this past week that exercise is KEY to my weight control. I am so grateful to my morning workout buddy Sherri. She and I hit the gym 4 days a week at 5:30. We are so there for one another and I hope we can keep each other strong. Alex has gotten into the morning routine with us also, so I thank him too.

My Stats
Last Week This Week

Weight: 232.5 228

Height: 5'3" 5'3"

Hips: 48" 47"

Waist: 42" 40"

Thighs: 28.5" 27.5"

Arms: 17.25" 17"

Chest: 45" 45"

This is very motivating.

I need your help if you are reading this. I am looking for suggestions for goal rewards. For every 10lbs I lose I want to reward myself....I'm due for a reward!!!! Yea!!

I want to reward schedule and start marking them off. Please I don't want food rewards, but if that is all you can think of tell me anyway. I want positive make me feel good that I did it rewards. Leave me a comment please.

P.S. I need to add Thank you to MFP ladies. I and completely moved by your support and inspiration.

Lovin' my Body!

2010-06-11T10:40:00.005-06:00

I just did it!!! I just registered for the Wasatch Woman "love your body" 5K down @ Thanksgiving Point.

I've done a 5K before and I loved it.

If you want to join me, go ahead and register and let me know that you did. I'll look for ya.

What I think I am going to love the most about this, is the fact that it is GIRLS ONLY!!

I have really grown to love the sisterhood of womanhood and this just seems like a whole lot of fun with womanhood sisterhood.

I am excited!!!!

Let the countdown begin.

I am dedicating this to all of my Shredding with Simply Me sisters and me.

We can do hard things!!!

What's for Dinner? Stuffed Meatloaf

2010-06-08T10:01:00.000-06:00

I don't make meatloaf a lot around here. Only because it is a wonder to me. But I have decided that I would give it a try, but if I am going to make this, it just can't be the ole log of meat and ketchup.

NOPE! Not for me I want to experiment with this.

So we start with meat.

We have been buying our meat from Circle V Meats through a friend of ours. I love it and the price is right. Just in my experience with them, the meat is super lean, so you actually get meat and not fat. The other plus is that the ground beef meat comes from 1cow, not the usual 5-6 you find in a package at the grocery store. But hey, I also say use what you can get your hands on.

I really don't have to force my kids to each veggies for the most part, but I still, in my meatloaf I like to get as many veggies in it as I can.

It is so important to me anyway that my kids try new things often. So my meatloaf is just never meat and bread crumbs. These are just some ingredients you can have in a meatloaf. There are so many more varieties, so I just say let the imagination go wild.

One of the many ways that I make a meal (which just so happens to be usually the way I make a meal), is I allow most of my senses to get involved with the process of making whatever it is I am cooking.

Sight- Color is so important. If is is bland looking and not interesting it does nothing to excite the desire to eat it. In this particular meatloaf, we have the bright orange of the carrots, the rich red of the sweet bell pepper and the vibrant green of the spinach. Next we have smell.

Smell- I try really hard not to add any additional salt to my cooking. So what that means, is I have to spice it up. And I don't mean hot! Here we had garlic, Mrs. Dash Salt-Free Tomato Basil Garlic seasoning, Egg Beaters Southwest Style egg substitute and steak sauce as well as Italian seasoned bread crumbs.

Touch- I love to touch my food when I am cooking. It is truly a hands on event for me. I mixed the meat and all of the spices, eggs, bell peppers, carrots together. Mushing it all together with my hands for about 3-5 minutes.

I then rolled out the meat on freezer paper and shaped it into a rectangle and layered with mashed potatoes, carrots, & spinach. With the help of the freezer paper I rolled it into a log. Topped with some ketchup and bake for an hour and a half. And I let mine cool for about 30 minutes before cutting. If you don't your filling will fall all over the place.

I made this last night for my family and there were no leftovers. Luckily I made enough mixture to have two loaves and great meatloaf sandwiches today.

Unexpected and welcome results

2010-06-05T07:54:00.000-06:00

I have not had the best of week in the mental/emotional category at all. I will admit that I was crazy nervous about today's weigh in. But I knew i had to do it. I had to face whatever the outcome would be for my poor choices.

Well, I was pleasantly surprised.

This just proves to me many things.

One- We are harder on ourselves than anyone else in our circle.

Two- I am a weak thing. I let stupid stuff knock me off my path to my goals.

Three- I need to reward myself for my accomplishments. I suck at this!!

FOUR- This is a hard thing and with hard things you, we, I

can't do it alone. We need each other for the encouragement and the pick ups and the most important

setting us me straight!

...about that. Thank you so much for the encouragement, the pick up and especially the setting me straight talk. I needed to hear it and appreciate it, so much.

So now....

My Stats

Last Week This Week

Weight: 234.0 232.5

Height: 5'3" 5'3"

Hips: 49" 48"

Waist: 40.75" 42"

Thighs: 28.5" 28.5"

Arms: 17" 17.25"

Chest: 45.5" 45"

So here's to a new week full of deliberate right choices....I hope.

What's for dinner & dessert

2010-06-04T10:37:00.002-06:00

I am no Julia Child or B. Smith, but I love to kick it in the kitchen.

A little while back I got a bug in my bonnet and wanted to show some of the stuff I cook for my family.

Here are just a few of my creations:
(click on the links below to see holy goodness!!)

Grilled boneless pork loin and mashed sweet potato w/ honey and walnuts
Baked Salmon drizzled w/ a balsamic reduction and asparagus
Pot stickers w/ sugar snap peas and mushroom
ok so the above link won't take you to this dish at first...stupid computers...after you see the salmon just click next and you should be able to see the pot stickers and some other yummies!!
Blueberry Mango Crumble Pie

My kids even get into this with me...this is what Alex made for dinner one of those nights and it was healthy and delicious.
Grilled Chicken-Bacon Pesto Linguine with grape tomatoes
the same thing is happening with this link also...dumb computer!

I am one who does not like to cook from a cookbook, although I have a kitchen cupboard shelf packed tight with Martha, Betty Crocker, the skinny blonde lady who makes semi-stuff.

I like to get in my kitchen and just do it!!!

Well, I haven't posted many more pics since those days, but I am feeling the itch again.

I am hoping that you would like to see what's cookin' in my kitchen too. I am going to try and make things that are healthy, delicious and fun to look at...nobody wants to eat ugly stuff.

But don't knock the ugly....that stuff can be great!!!

I like all kinds of stuff, especially spices. I like to cook from ingredients that you can find anywhere, but I also like to adventure out into the exotic often.

So don't be surprised...

If there is something I make you that you want the directions on let me know. Once I get a "catalog" of the different dishes, I will eventually create a page where you can just go to an see everything.

This will be fun and me and my family, I'm sure.

To get this started on (Monday)
I'd like to ask you to leave me a comment, down below, with one ingredient that you would like to see used in one of my meals.

It can be anything, even exotic, but I have to be able to find it and it can't be ridiculously expensive....
after all I will be serving this to my family.

(I promise I will tell you the truth of how it tasted to me and the family)

13 is not what it used to be

2010-05-31T07:56:00.000-06:00

When I was thirteen, I was a pimply mess.

I couldn't pull being cool off to save my life, but now

we have a 13 year old son, who couldn't be cooler if we had frozen him ourselves.

Alex has been wanting his 13 year old pics done as soon as he turned 13,

but the procrastinator in me made him wait until yesterday.

It was fun traipsing all over downtown and the Great Salt Lake with him.

He wanted a "Neyo" look. I let him design every shot. It was fun to see what his vision was.

Good job Alex, 13 looks good on you!!!

Growing up...

2010-05-27T10:10:00.002-06:00

As parents we are not usually up for surprises from the kids when it comes to education...but

last night there were great surprises all around.

Above you see Alex with two of his main buddies, Cody and T.J.

These three boys have grown up together for most of there lives and just so happen to also be in my carpool, so I get to see them most everyday and talk and get to know them.

Jr high was a nervous step for me. I don't know why. I actually enjoyed and did great in Jr. high.

But times have changed!

Last night as Melinda, Sherri and I sat in the auditorium watching as our boys were announced for various awards throughout the year, I for one, could not believe how far my own boy had come.

This first year of Jr high was nearly impossible to survive. But Alex did it with determination and gratitude. He leaves the 7th grade with an overall 3.93 GPA with the last quarter a 4.0.

This from a kid who struggled with great health issues the entire year!

Now who says there are NO miracles!!

He walked away from the awards ceremony with two academic awards & two civic awards, one being in math!

This is such an accomplishment, because his disorder supposedly effects the area of the brain that processes math and language. He has maintained a "A" in this class the entire year, even through the surgery!!

All of "my boys" did great. I am so proud of their accomplishments.

(the pics of the boys on the side are on their first day at Matheson.)

Aiden also added to the mix of my pride. He graduated from Pre-School last weekend. Although the program was a little long, he did a great job. I was worried that he would be a too rough for school, but according to his teacher, "He's an awesome kid."

He made friends easily and learned a lot about sharing with others. Now we are preparing him for Monticello Academy. I am so excited and looking forward to the upcoming school year.

I am most excited about seeing him in his little uniform.

(which in my lowly opinion, every school should require uniforms, but that 's just me).

Good job to all of my boys.

Weigh In & thougts about habits

2010-05-22T12:29:00.002-06:00

So everything seems to be moving along in the correct direction. One of the things I have learned along the way is that this lifestyle change I am making is a new habit I am trying to introduce to my life.

A new GOOD habit.

With that being said, and reflecting on the saying "Bad habits are hard to break," I'd like to add...

"Good habits are hard to make."

and they are!!!

Making a good choice in what to eat is a daily struggle for me. Luckily, I have getting a little bit stronger everyday. The one thing I have have done is I am allowing myself one day a week to not think about calories and weight. I am allowing myself to eat "freely."

That doesn't mean that I am spending a day gorging myself with whole cheesecakes, burgers and ice cream, although, the thought has crossed my mind on the cheesecake. With that little "break" I still have found that I am eating better and I don't feel like I am depriving myself.

I am loving the fact that I am reading about what I am putting into the my "machine." It is so important.

I hope all of you are learning along your journey. I know I am. I am so appreciative of this place we all are welcomed to be. Thank you all for your encouragement and support. Have a fun week.

My Stats

Last Week This Week

Weight: 234.0 232.5

Height: 5'3" 5'3"

Hips: 49" 49"

Waist: 41.5" 40.75"

Thighs: 28.5" 28.5"

Arms: 17.75" 17"

Chest: 45.5" 45.5"

PS. I am ordering this T-shirt for me, are there at least 11 more of ya willing to order the same one with me so we can all get them for $15.00 each. Let me know, by leaving a comment.

'Friday Night' update

2010-05-21T10:24:00.001-06:00

So my sister in law was a little excited to find out what this little number was all about well, Jan here it is:

'Friday Night'

okay...this little number SOLD in under 3 hours!!!!

Lifestyle change, Habit or Wishful thinking...again.

2010-05-18T15:30:00.000-06:00

I have been doing this great search to find out why I want to lose weight.

I could give all of the answers everyone else gives:

"...to feel better about me."

"...to get into my old jeans."

"...to get ready for my class reunion"

(thank goodness this is not my reason and if it was I have a lot of time...thank goodness for that too.)

But honestly, I don't have a TRUE reason to want to lose weight.

My hubby loves every single curve.

My kids don't seem to have issue with it.

I can ride an airplane and not buy a second seat.

SO WHY????

I used to think that it was my duty to be a skinny gal. The prophets have said, .."our bodies are temples." And I have on more than one occasion have uttered those damning words (they only become damning once I look in the mirror and really see what my poor choices have resulted in).

Yes I am a hypocrite.

So I still don't know why.

But I will still keep making this change I have chosen to make or allow this to become a new permanent habit...no more wishful thinking again, I HOPE!!

I think I am making the right choice.

What do you think?

2010-05-15T06:52:00.000-06:00

I knew this day would come, but I am not at all unhappy about it.

1 lbs. lost.

My body feels good and I feel the inches are melting. Not to mention my stamina for things seems to be getting better. If nothing else my self image in my mind is getting better. What little clothing I have, feels better. Motivation to keep moving forward.

I have been focusing on my food intake for the past three weeks and I am going to continue that, but I going to be really start getting my mind focused. I want to find out what is my heart's goal in all of this. I just don't want to lose weight and still not be "healthy" all around.

So the 1lbs loss. I am excited to say I think I may have gained some muscle. YEAH!! I know I have in my thighs. They still burn.

My Stats

Last Week This Week

Weight: 235.0 234.0

Height: 5'3" 5'3"

Hips: 49" 49"

Waist: 41" 41.5"

Thighs: 28" 28.5"

Arms: 17" 17.75"

Chest: 47" 45.5"

Good things happens in 3's

2010-05-10T10:34:00.000-06:00

What a great weekend! It started on Friday, with David graduating from the U . It was everything he had ever wanted and even a little more. The day was just beautiful. It was great to watch Alex and Aiden see this great accomplishment for their dad.

We have really emphasized to the kids that education is not a luxury, privilege or gift, is is their duty to obtain it and no matter how long it takes is MUST be done. That is the main reason that I have decided that I must continue on with my degree, no matter how difficult it may seem.

It was nice to have David's parents come, but I am sure they would not have missed anyway. They love him so much. I am appreciative of their support and love for him and our family.

Saturday, Aiden finally had his first soccer game. I was "crazy lady with a camera." Dave kept yelling at me to get off the field. I think I even caused a delay of game trying to get the shot I want. I am a nut. I love watching this age. They are so fun and fearless. Aiden made some new friends as well.

Aiden had a chance to be goalie and he blocked 2 goals. Needless to say the Snakes...

WON!!

I think the only sad thing that happened that day was the Jazz lost, which created a sour mood in the Armstrong house, but by the time it was over everybody was ready for bed.

Sunday, brought on mother's day. It started off sour, but got better. Aiden painted me a great masterpiece, which I really do love and gave me bunch of new kitchen tools, Alex, made a pencil drawing of me as a superhero and gave me some aroma sticks for the van, Dave sent be flowers (I actually got them on Thursday) and chocolates.

I feel so much love from these fellas. I am a lucky gal and mama.

I'm a HUNGRY GIRL!!!

2010-05-04T07:36:00.006-06:00

I told you I would tell you about this book I was waiting for. Well, here it is.

I don't know about you, but when I have ever tried to make a lifestyle change or do a "diet" (a forbidden word for me). I have always felt deprived, crazed about getting in the right number of this and that or just going....

HUNGRY!!

I know for me that being hungry is not the best path. I have tried so many different recipes, but my concern ,at that moment was, I don't want to have to cook two meals, one for me and one for them. I just don't think that is economically sound considering the times. At least it's not for me and mine.

So when I started Shredding I was nervous about what I was going to eat. All of my old favorites came back into play. I love a spinach smoothie for breakfast (don't go eww, my kids beg for it when they here the blender going), and my hummus is the best I've ever had. And the list goes on.

But even those yummies can get BORING and I go hungry again. But I was recently introduced to a website. http://www.hungry-girl.com/.

Hungry Girl is AWESOME!!! Recipes for 1 that can easily double, tripled, even quadrupled. It includes the calorie counts and all of the vital nutritional into one would want and need. All of the recipes I have found to be easy to make and takes up very little time. I recommend it!!!

This especially GREAT for you Weight Watcher members.

She includes the points for each.

The author has several books out and I am definitely adding her to my cookbooks. Below is the one I have from the library and the other is on it's way. I am really excited about it. 200 under 200.

I love to eat, but how great is it to be able to eat and not feel hungry all the time.

Weighing In on a few things

2010-05-01T08:55:00.002-06:00

It has been an awesome week of really looking at my current lifestyle and making the effort to change things. I am so appreciative of myfitnesspal.com and the wonderful people I have met there.

The women have been so supportive and encouraging. It is so important that whenever possible we tell one another " good job!" "keep it up" "I know you can do this." It may sound simplistic, but many of us just need the encouragement. We need that extra push to really convince us that

...we are worth all of the hard work

&
to hear someone say those things is great of everyone's self-esteem and image.

(remember, some of us may not hear any of that at all)

So I say to all of you:

I'm so proud of the many first steps we all are making.

You can do this. It is hard and you are worth it.

Don't give up if you have a set back.

I ate 250 more calories than I should have, but today is a brand new day and can't do nothing about yesterday.

My Stats

Last Week This Week

Weight: 242.5 238.5

Height: 5'3" 5'3"

Hips: 51" 50"

Waist: 43.5" 41.75"

Thighs: 30" 29.5"

Arms: 17" 18"

Chest: 47" 47"

I feel really good about what has been happening to my body. Last week I was so concerned about getting the right calories in. I still am a little concerned with that, but with guidance from you and a myfitnesspal.com friend, I am not going so crazy.

I am learning to make better food choices and I am getting a lot of much need quiet time (exercise). This is so important to me. I look forward to the coming week.

And at my next post I will have a book that was introduced to me that I think will be beneficial to all of us, especially the hungry girls amongst us. ME!!!

I can't weight

2010-04-30T15:26:00.001-06:00

Dang it's been a long time since my last post.

And there has been a lot going on in my little life.

I am halfway through with finals and trying to decided whether to I should keep going. And the answer that keeps popping in my head is

YES!!

What would that look like to my kids, if just gave up....

I know.

If I look in the mirror that is what giving up looks like. I have given up for the past 10+ years of my life. And have found that I nothing more to give up so.....

I'm taking somethings BACK!!!

What the hell was I thinking!?! I have so much to get back, so that I can do the one thing I remember loving.

Service.

So how do I get back on the wagon? No, I don't have an alcoholic addition, but I love good food and when it's good, I love it a whole lot. So I have joined myfitnesspal.com. (nakiasyree, if you looking for me).

I LOVE IT.

I have a place where I am accountable for. People are encouraging and everyone is there to help each other succeed. And IT'S FREE.

Just proves some good (GREAT) things are free.

Now, I have long way to go and I am going to do it slowly. I have nearly 100lbs of fat that I want and need to replace with healthy muscle, while making a lifestyle change.

I can see that this is the best way for me. And knowing that I have my friends (new and old) backing me up). I think time will fly by and weight will fly off.

To help me be more accountable I will be posting my stats. It's painful to do....letting the entire world know something so so so personal, but I am going to channel, Dr. Phil.

"You can't change what you don't acknowledge."

I did this and now I have to do something else.

This scares the HELL out of me.
I have been hiding from something or someone.
I was watching the movie Akeelah and the bee and this was the exchanged that ripped to my core.

Akeelah: [quoting Marianne Williamson] Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

Dr. Larabee: Does that mean anything to you?

Akeelah: I don't know.

Dr. Larabee: It's written in plain English. What does it mean?

Akeelah: That I'm not supposed to be afraid?

Dr. Larabee: Afraid of what?

Akeelah: Afraid of... me?

I have come to the understanding that I am afraid of me and what I can become, other than just a mom, and a wife. So I have hidden myself under layers and layers of unhealthy choices and guilt of being or at least feeling empty.

I see all of these brave women all around me and they are strong and I don't see that in me...or am I afraid of the power of my strength....

I need to lose so much in order for me to gain more than I have.

My current stats are:

Weight: 242.5 lbs.

Height: 5'3"

Hips: 51"

Waist: 43.5"

Thighs: 30"

Arms: 17"

Chest: 47"

So keep watching and see what I do, and don't be shy, give me encouragement, if you are so inclined.

The Sweetest Boy

2010-04-19T08:09:00.000-06:00

He's growing so quickly and becoming a little man.

Springtime...it's like waking from a deep sleep.

2010-04-17T11:06:00.000-06:00

This morning I was stunned by the beauty of the day.

I awoke to a bright sun and a mild morning and the joy of a beautiful Cherry Blossom Tree in our front yard.

I was happy to be alive and I was even more happy

to know that I could see the beautiful blossoms of this gorgeous tree.

I even felt joy seeing the many bees that gave the tree a buzzy alive sound.

I LOVE SPRING!

Still Looking...

2010-04-06T08:57:00.000-06:00

...but picking up a little joy

here & there.

In our downstairs bathroom we have a saying my mother-in-law made for us one Christmas

I see it everyday and for some reason today it hit me.

I have been searching for "things" "people" and "relationship"

to give me joy.

But all the while my

BLESSINGS

have been right there/here.

No one will ever truly understand how much my husband loves me, but me or the depth of my devotion to him. He is my BLESSING.

Alex is a GREAT kid, but no one will ever know his heart like I do. He is also my BLESSING.

My baby, Aiden, challenges me to be better for him and me. I wish I had just a little of his determination. He is such a BLESSING to me.

I have been given some talents I never knew I was in possession of. It may sound small to you but, I can sew. I can cook a great meal. These are things I didn't do in my youth. They became present in my married life. They are talents that are great BLESSINGS for me.

The Rubied Apple. I had to think about why I have set up a store. At first it was for Alex, 100%

I had no idea why I came up with the name "The Rubied Apple."

After all "Rubied" is not even a word.

But I thought it through.

Alex's health as well as everybody's health is so precious. And I for one have taken that for granted.

The Rubied Apple has put my lazy behavior in my face.

I am a RUBY. I am PRECIOUS.

I need to be of good FRUIT. I need to be embrace the symbol of health the APPLE.

It is a BLESSING to help me make better Rubied Apple choices for me and my family.

My testimony has buoyed me for many years. It has carried me.

and for whatever reason(s)

I cannot will not deny it

nor will it allow me.

I am still looking for.....

But in the meantime, I will receive my BLESSINGS and allow them to fill me with joy.

"Moment Girl"

2010-03-30T16:39:00.001-06:00

You know that feeling

(really prominent in high school)

when you feel like all of your friends have turned

their back on you.

Sorta like an episode from "The Wonder Years."

That is what I feel like I am going through right now.

(not saying that is what is really happening, just the feeling)

It's like I am reaching out and there is no one there to listen (friendwise, that is, Dave's awesome).

It's like I'm being ignored....

I'm saying hi.....no reply.

I make a call...no call back.

I feel like I am a "moment girl."

my value is of only the moment and that moment has passed.

So what do I do? Not good things. I have neglected myself trying to figure all of this out.

I smile the warmest smile and spread seeds of encouragement for others, but

Who will water and nourish me, in my friendship garden?

The Armstrong Family

Moving On

10 Lesson from the Wingback

{figure}ing out How to Reupholster a Wingback Chair Part II

{figure}ing out How to Reupholster a Wingback Chair Part I

Recharge Lake Tahoe Style

No!! Doesn't Always Mean It Can't Be Done.

Repurposing

I am still ALIVE

Mosiah 2:17

New Year 2011?!?...I hope it's NOT a sign as to how the rest of the year will be

So Santa is real!! You better BELIEVE it!!

Christmas Letter 2010

Fly like an eagle

Better than the last

YES!....It is a Spinach Smoothie

A little time...

It seems to me...

Living in 2 Worlds

Long time coming...

Happy Birthday to a truly Happy Boy!!

Introducing....

And the Choices are......

Name that apron CONTEST

14 reasons....

1 down 1 to go....maybe more.

Remember who you are. Do good things. Make good choices.

Ramblings of a crazy woman

Declutter+Reduce= Life a litte more under control.

I ♥ adoption

Pushing, Digging and Clawing if I have to...

Shout out for The Rubied Apple

Dinnertime and talk: What are your suggestions for our topic jar?

To Salt or Not to Salt? or is it more than just that?

...it must be them.

Where there is joy...there is peace

What's for Dinner: My all AMERICAN burger

What's cooking: Roasted Garlic Balsamic Grilled Chicken and Veggies

What kind of mother am I?

Weigh In & What will I bring to the altar

What's for Dinner: Cheese Steak and Peppers

...there are all kind of dads...our boys got a good one!!! Happy Father's Day David.

Weighing In on things

Stop...and just take it all in.

What's for dinner this week? How's about Tandoori Chicken and Curry Rice

Whaaaaaaatttt!?!?

Lovin' my Body!

What's for Dinner? Stuffed Meatloaf

Unexpected and welcome results

What's for dinner & dessert

13 is not what it used to be

Growing up...

Weigh In & thougts about habits

'Friday Night' ***update***

Lifestyle change, Habit or Wishful thinking...again.

Good things happens in 3's

I'm a HUNGRY GIRL!!!

Weighing In on a few things

I can't weight

The Sweetest Boy

Springtime...it's like waking from a deep sleep.

Still Looking...

"Moment Girl"

'Friday Night' update