Noah - Keto Diet - Contra Costa Times

On Tuesday, January 29th the Contra Costa Times Newspaper will have an article about the Keto Diet. Noah and his buddy Nikko and our families were interviewed to support the article. Also a video clip of Noah and his story is on www.contracostatimes.com. Scan down the page to the video clips on the left and click on the picture of Noah.

Here is the news story link: http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8108025?nclick_check=1

Reading w/My Boys

I love reading with my boys at night. It's usually part of the bedtime routine. I'll never get tired of snuggling down with Griff, Isaac & Noah and laughing through a fun book. One of my favorite stories to read is "Chrysanthemum." It might seem funny that my boys love such a girly book, but they laugh all the way through the entire thing. Another favorite is "Alexander's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day." I laugh through that one while we all feel for Alexander. Noah seems to have acquired a love for any Dr. Suess book. He particularly loves "P.J. Funnybunny." There was a time that Griff felt like P.J. Funnybunny because we have "too many jobs for our kids that are too hard at our house." So, we used to read it so that Griff Funnybunny went to live with our friends The Birds (Lee & Linda). We giggle together about that memory whenever we read this book. Isaac and I are reading "Harry Potter - Chamber of Secrets" currently. It's fun to see it through his eyes on this read through.
Reading is a way for me to connect with my boys. It's fun and it draws us a little closer together. The stories are topics of conversations for us. Sometimes we use bits of stories as learning lessons. I love reading and I'm glad my kids enjoy reading with me.

THE KITCHEN SINK

Watching TMNT with his buddies and a trip to the San Francisco Creamery in Walnut Creek was all Isaac really wanted to do for his birthday party. We ordered "The Kitchen Sink" for the boys to share. 2 Gallons of ice cream divided into 8 scoops with 8 flavorings, whipped cream and cherries. Almost every bit of it was consumed. Bryan, Griff and I helped out too. It was yummy!!

If one person can eat it all within 1 hour...... free ice cream for a year. Could you do it?? Would you actually eat any more ice cream in the next year??

A Favorite Sunday Morning Breakfast

Some of you know that I'm doing my best to eat clean. I botched Christmas as far as eating healthy but, I'm back on track now! I try to follow the Body for Life idea of eating healthy for 6 days a week and then eat whatever my little heart (stomach) desires the 7th day. I totally take advantage of the 7th day too. So today I'm posting our favorite Sunday morning yummy breakfast. I try to serve some berries or OJ on the side but truth be told, I could eat this yummy thing without anything else added to the menu and be just fine!! The best part is........ IT'S EASY to make.

Easy Cinnamon Roll Cake
1 loaf frozen white bread dough
1 pkg. small vanilla pudding mix powder
Cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup brown sugar packed
* Optional - Chopped Pecans
* Optional - Raisins

Thaw frozen dough slightly. Cut it in slices. Quarter the slices. Thoroughly grease a bundt pan. Drop in quartered dough pieces randomly. Mix vanilla pudding powder with cinnamon. (The amount of cinnamon depends on how much your family likes cinnamon. I add a lot) Sprinkle the vanilla pudding powder/cinnamon mixture over dough. Melt butter and mix with brown sugar. Drizzle over the top of the dough. I add the pecans and raisins at this point. Cover the bundt pan with a light dish towel and let it raise overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake Cinnamon Roll cake for 20 minutes. Remove cake from bundt pan by turning upside down on a serving plate. Allow to cool a little but eating it warm is the best!!

Enjoy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ISAAC!!

Isaac turned 8 this month!! Wow! He is growing too fast. Here are some great things about Isaac:

• He loves laughing
• He loves making other people laugh
• He is a hard worker
  
• He cares deeply for his family
• He is an amazing help to his Mommy & Daddy
• He is super smart
• He loves school
• He is incredibly athletic
• He loves animals
• He plays baseball, golf and piano
• He is a good friend
• He thinks a lot about deep questions before answering
• He loves adventures
• He has no fear
• He loves skiing with his Dad
• He loves fishing with his Grandpa
• He is beginning to enjoy reading Harry Potter books
• He has the perfect "before orthodontia" smile:))))
  

I love this son of mine! He brings light to every day. I didn't know I would love him so much. I'm grateful to have the time at home to see his happy face as he bounds into the house after school each day. Bryan and I always get a giggle when we're in bed on Saturday mornings because we know when Isaac wakes up because he NEVER NEVER just walks down the hallway. He's too happy and he can't contain it!! No walking for this kid - jump running, leaping and laughing.

Primarily About Primary

This blog is about my "calling" or job at Church and full of "Mormon Lingo." So, if my non-LDS friends/family don't understand all of the wording - I'm sorry about that.

While driving home from our Utah vacations, Bryan and I always have great discussions. We never know where our conversations will lead but this time it lead right into something that I needed!! I'll start to explain by saying that I am the 2nd Counselor to the Primary President. We are responsible for the teaching of over 60 children each week. Our Primary Presidency consists of 4 women other than myself, all of which are completely amazing women. I hope I can be like them when I grow up:) We also have 20 something Primary Board members that act as teachers, pianists, music directors, Scouting and Achievement Day Leaders. I won't explain all of my responsibilities but I'll mention a few. I am responsible for the teachers/children for CTR 5, CTR 6 & CTR 7 as well as the Leaders and kids involved with the Wolves, Bears and Webelos of Cub Scouting. I have been serving as a Primary Presidency member for over 3 years now.

I haven't been feeling the Spirit consistently while serving in the Primary for at least the past 6 months if not longer. I should say that occasionally while teaching a Sharing Time or in a one-on-one situation with a child I feel the promptings and peace of the Holy Ghost. But for the most part my Primary experience over the past year has not been a spiritual one. I spend much of my time just helping the whole program run. It's a ton of work each Sunday. Sundays are for resting right? I really thought - "If I am more organized and proactive in my calling it might help me not to feel too behind and always playing catchup........ then I'll feel the Spirit. After all, I know that my Heavenly Father is organized and if I am better at my organizational skills, then I'll feel the Spirit while serving in Primary." At some point I thought, "I'll pray more and prepare earlier for my lessons, then I'll feel the Spirit." or how about..."If the kids in Primary were more reverent we could all feel the Spirit."

I've been caught in this thing that Bryan and I decided to refer to as "MY CALLING AS MY GOSPEL." Yep, sad huh? Am I studying my "calling/church job" when I am at church or am I learning about the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Sometimes I think, whether we are LDS or not, that we can get soooo caught up in all of the things we do to help at church, that we forget to find the stillness in our minds and hearts to feel and learn what God has intended for us to feel and learn each Sunday. Gathering together to worship is not about socializing or just organizing the gathering so that it runs smoothly. I know it needs to be about learning together. Spending time escaping the worries of the outside world to feed upon the words of Christ, feeling the promptings of the Holy Ghost and love of Christ, helping each other to feel uplifted and edified.

Well... I'm grateful once again to my Father in Heaven for loving me enough to teach me this lesson. I'm looking forward to going to church on Sunday to feel the Spirit and help the Primary children to feel it too.