Quick Update

Thank you for all your kind comments and understanding. Just checking in quickly to let you all know Elianna is feeling quite a bit better. I am still sick but feeling like I'm *hopefully* on the mend. Hubby feels a bit sick but is able to work still.

I had to take Nathanael back to the doctor today, even though he saw a walk-in doctor 5 days ago. Poor little guy has been miserable the last few days and his cough was absolutely awful and worsening. I was starting to get worried as he really didn't sound or look good. Thankfully, I could get him in to see his regular pediatrician tonight. Turns out he has pneunomia in both lungs. Hopefully he will get better quickly, now that he is on antibiotics.

Thanks for your concern & prayers, friends :-).

Overwhelmed

....when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Psalm 61:2

Friends, I have been feeling overwhelmed lately. 
This has been a rough week. Health-wise, I am sick with a nasty head/sinus cold. Elianna has tonsilitis, and Nathanael is coughing like crazy. Tomorrow I am in charge of the music at church and am not quite sure how that will work out with this awful sinus thing I have right now. 

Everyone knows there are seasons of life where one starts to feel overwhelmed. Day-to-day activities just don't seem to go well, and though I am busy every minute of the day, there seems to be little to show for it. For example, yesterday I started making pizza for supper. What normally would take me only 20 minutes or so of prep time ended up taking 1 1/2 hours. Supper was rather late and I was rather exhausted by the time all was said and done. There just seems to be a lot going on right now.

While writing these things, I am keenly aware, however, of how minuscule my "problems" are compared to those of many people. I am suddenly convicted that my "problems" are actually things for which to give thanks. 

Perspective... 

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. From 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Perhaps what I need most of all is an attitude adjustment. 

I know you will understand that I need to take a break from the blog for awhile while I sort things out on the home-front :-)

Menu Plan, Spring Projects, What's New

We are currently working on lots of little projects around the house and yard.

The other week we (and by "we", I really mean my husband...I keep the kidlets occupied!) got a big chunk of our fence stained and stained the deck. There is just a small part of our fence left to stain. A few summers ago, we put one coat of stain on our fence but didn't get around to doing the second coat until now.

Our main bathroom is also getting a small facelift. We took part of the medicine cabinet out, sanded it down as it was rusty inside and gave it a fresh coat of paint. We are also getting ready to paint it Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore. It is currently a neutral beige-y colour, and it will soon be turning gray :-). I think some black accents will look good in it once it's repainted.

Our other project currently on the go is painting our garage. My husband finished scraping and priming one side already, and we work on it here and there in the evenings while the kids play outside. We hope to get it finished in the next couple of weeks.

This year we are going to focus our attention more on our front yard landscaping. I am one awful gardener...so this will be a steep learning curve for me. Our front flower beds look quite pathetic and need a lot of help. Hopefully I will be flower shopping in the next couple of weeks. I honestly know next-to-nothing when it comes to flowers & gardening.

Yesterday we roto tilled our garden area, and today Elianna and I planted our garden. I forgot to start tomato & pepper plants (again!), so I will have to wait until I can buy a few plants at the garden centre in the next week or so. I planted peas, green beans, corn, carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, and lettuce. I left room to add roma & cherry tomato plants and maybe a pepper plant or two. Hopefully I'll be more diligent about weeding it and freezing the produce this time around.

With all the spring projects going on lately, there is little time for blogging, it seems. I have, however, been into reading books a lot more lately. I finished Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot today. Wow... one of the best I've read. I really enjoy missionary/Christian biography-type books. I'm definitely a non-fiction gal. This book contained several journal entries from the 5 men who went to Ecuador to reach the Auca (they are no longer referred to as "Auca" tribe with the gospel in the 1950s. The 5 young men were killed by the members of the Auca tribe. Some of the killers actually converted a couple years later...amazing, amazing story that only God could work. This is a must-read, in my opinion. It will challenge you, I guarantee it.

I've switched our days over to "theme" days, which is working well. Mondays - laundry, Tuesdays - kitchen, etc. I haven't quite got it all figured out with regard to our daily routines, though. I am kind of hit and miss on the chore chart thing with Elianna. I just need to get more organized and stick to it....and beat the clutter monster....ugh.

Here is what our menu looks like for this week:

Monday: Crockpot Mongolian Beef, Rice, Broccoli/Mushrooms

Tuesday: Pancakes topped with strawberries, turkey bacon, & omelets

Wednesday: Leftover Mongolian beef, rice, veggies

Thursday: Crockpot Steak Fajitas  (we will eat them in pitas since that's what I have on hand)

Friday: Homemade Pizza, Veggies & Dip

Saturday: Leftovers or Easy Homemade Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese

Sunday: to be determined...

Menu Plan

I'm a little late posting my menu plan this week. We have been enjoying the nice weather SO much this week. The kids are loving being outside, and I am happy to sit on my deck sipping a homemade frappe. Soon it will be time for us to plant our garden. I also need to do a bit of work on our flower beds. I am not much of a gardener....I wish I was :-)

Sunday: Barbecued Hamburgers

Monday: Perogie Casserole (with leftover ham in freezer) & Green Salad

Tuesday: BLT's & Veggies/Dip

Wednesday: Crockpot Whole Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Steamed Veggies

Thursday: Sweet & Tangy BBQ Chicken Coleslaw Wraps (using leftover chicken)

Friday: Parmesan Tilapia (still haven't gotten around to making this!), Rice, Salad

Saturday: Homemade Pizza

Sunday: Leftovers

THM - Week 4

I am leaving my THM ways behind...at least for awhile. I did my 4 week trial period and only lost 1.8 lbs.  I still really want to read the book to read the 600+ pages of nutrition/hormone information. However, the truth is that at this point in my life, following this specialized way of eating is just not a priority for me. I am so happy for those who have had great success with the program and are not feeling deprived. I get that it works when followed; that doesn't surprise me. That is fantastic! I am not speaking against THM - I've just decided not to make THM way of eating a priority for me right now.

I am still applying a few THM principles to my eating habits, but most meals from now on are going to be crossovers. For the most part, I will not worry about keeping fats & carbs separate. I will allow myself to eat anything I want but try to do it in moderation and focus on nutrient-rich foods. I *need* to start exercising regularly again. I also plan to keep a food/exercise journal for awhile...not calorie counting, but just seeing that I'm eating a balanced diet and not a bunch of junk food. That is what worked for me to get to a healthy weight in the past and maintain it for well over a year before I got pregnant with Nathanael.
Moderation is something I can do long-term and apply in any situation.
I happily ate a scoop of ice cream with strawberries last night. I had a piece of whole wheat toast with peanut butter and honey for breakfast and the cottage berry whip for a late morning "snack" this morning. Wow...I sure did miss my pb & honey toast :-).
Best of luck to my THM friends - I may come back to follow the plan in the future; it certainly intrigues me. However, I think I need to at least wait until I get the book or see a decline in my health before I give it a go again.