Give Thanks!

Thanksgiving this year was at my house. It was so much fun! My parents came in from A-town, and my brother and sister-in-law came up from Corpus. We had a great time just sitting around and talking with everyone. I realized how blessed I am to have such a wonderful family. I married the handsomest man in the world, have the best parents, and have the greatest brother and sister-in-law that I could imagine! Most importantly, though, I am thankful that each us loves the Lord! It's so much fun being a part of a family that loves Jesus! Life can't get much sweeter!

New Presidential Candidate!!!

View this video to find out who the new Presidential candidate is. I'm kind of partial, but I think he could win!!!





http://www.tsgnet.com/pres.php?id=46832&altf=Njlf&altl=Wfoofmm





Let me know what you think!

Too Funny!

Sorry babe! The last one kind of looks like a pic of my dad back in the day! he he he!

Quote Worthy

"Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today." ~Jack LaLanne

Last week Mike had 'Parker Seminars'. Jack LaLanne was one of the speakers for the event. For those of you who don't know Jack is not only the guru of health and wellness, but is also a chiropractor. He set a record at the age of 60 doing 1,000 push ups and chin ups consecutively. (I was a little jealous that Mike got to hear him speak.) He has a ton of wisdom! On Friday, Mike got to go to Jack LaLanne's birthday party. He turned 94! I think that it is so amazing that he is in such great shape. I aspire to be like that at 94. Taking walks or jogs with the great, great grandchildren is something I look forward to. Maybe even a little swingfest too, Heather!:)

EXCITING NEWS!!!!

1. My cousin, Jessica, is engaged to be married in December! Congrats, Jess! We are so excited for you, and can't wait to meet him!



2. My dad finished his detox last week, and his results are amazing! He did lose weight, 16 lbs. to be exact, but most importantly he brought his blood pressure way down. The morning of his last day on the detox his blood pressure was 108/80 with a heart rate of 61 beats per minute. (That's better than most 20 year olds.) Dad, we are extremely proud of you and your hard work! Mom, we're rooting for you now!

So Proud. . .

I have to share this story from school. On Monday, we were talking about money in math. We were discussing the presidents on the coins. My kids knew who was on the penny and nickel, but were a little stumped when it came to the dime. Needless to say, I got some "creative" guesses. The guess that cracked me up the most was. . . . . George Clooney! At that moment all I could think of was how proud I was that my class knows their celebrities, but not their presidents. I can't lie, though. I did laugh even though I tried not to. :)

Can you see the resemblance??

Detox #2 Update

Since my experience with Standard Process' detoxification program went so well, I talked my husband into trying it for himself. He's done so great on it! Today is his last day. His experience has been just as good, if not better, than mine. He has more energy, mental focus (which is HUGE since he studies a lot), and is sleeping better than he did before. He's also lost 15 lbs.! I know. . . he didn't need to lose ANY, but he feels great. And no, he doesn't look Ethiopian! He's still got big muscles!!! Babe, you're still ripped!!

Some other family members are also trying out the detox. My dad is currently doing it. In the first seven days, he's lost 10lbs. But, even more awesome than that, within the first two full days of the detox, his blood pressure came down 15 points!!! It's just amazing to me what cleaning out your body can do! I'll keep you updated on his detox when he finishes.

We're so excited about how this detox is so affective, and how it's not harsh. We will definately be using it our practice! It'll do awesome things for our patient's all around health, as well as, help the body hold adjustments longer!

Southwestern Spinach Salad

Ingredients: 1/2 cup picante sauce or homemade salsa

1/4 cup Italian vinaigrette salad dressing

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

4 - 41/2 cups fresh baby spinach

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1 medium red bell pepper, julienned

1/2 cup sliced red onion

8 turkey bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

4 hard boiled eggs, sliced

Directions: Combine the picante sauce, salad dressing, and cumin in a small bowl. In a salad bowl, combine spinach, beans, mushrooms, bell pepper, onion, and bacon. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Garnish with egg slices.

This recipe is soooo good! I came across it this summer when I was looking for some healthier recipes to try at home. Mike and I liked it so much, we ate it four nights in a row for dinner. It's really, really yummy! I wasn't able to eat it while I was on my detox because your not allowed to have regular salad dressing or picante sauce (due to salt), but I did eat it afterwards. I do have to say it's becoming one of my favs. It'll suprise your taste buds, it's easy to make, and there's hardly any clean up! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Happy taste testing!

Almost forgot. . .

I almost forgot to say that I tried something new this summer. I did a detox program. I know most of you already think that Mike and I are a bunch of health nuts. Well, I guess we're getting nuttier!!!

Since Mike has been in school, I have been going with him to some nutrition classes and seminars. They are so interesting! I have learned a lot of new things about health and nutrition. One seminar we went to talked about the importance of doing a detox. I was really curious about it and how it would affect me, so I decided to try it this summer.

It really works!! The program is a 21 day whole food supplementation detox and is supposed to clean your body of toxins. You're supposed to do it once a year. I didn't know it, but your body stores toxins in fat cells, and fat cells any where it can cram them in, so pretty much everywhere. Even the skinniest person can be really fat on the inside. Crazy!

Well, I commited to the program and when I was through, 21 days later, I had lost 13 pounds and felt better than I had in a long time! I didn't lose much on the outside. Mom, all my clothes still fit. But I lost it on the inside, which is super gross to think about, but I am a lot less toxic! I am sleeping better and have a lot more energy than before. I'm hooked! I'll be a detoxer for life. If you want to know more about it, just ask!

Where Did Summer Go?!

This summer has flown by so fast!! I can't believe that it's over already! We didn't get to do too much this summer, but it was kind of nice. We were able to just relax a little.:) Mike was in school the whole time, so I was on my own during the day. I taught summer school the first half of summer which gave me just enough to do that I didn't get bored too quickly. The rest of the time I cleaned house, tried new recipes, worked on my scrapbooks, layed out in the sun, read books, took long walks with the dogs, worked on our yard, and played my guitar. It was great!

We also had lots of company this summer. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Darryl and Sandra, came to visit with my nephew, Aaron. We did the six flags thing with them. Such fun!! My parents came through a few times on their way to move Dustin and Colleen to Corpus, and then again when they met up with Dustin and Colleen in Houston. (They evacuated because of the hurricane.) Then, my other brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Brian and Julie, and my two nieces, Meredith and Madison, came to visit for a couple of days. The next weekend one of my bestest (I know. It's not the best English, but she is.:) ) friends, Heather Love, came to visit!! It was so refreshing to hang out with her. Heather, I miss you so much!!! Finally, this summer my cousin, Chris, got married to his long time girlfriend, Christy. So, with the wedding, came the family. I got to see my cousins Tasha and Christie, and my aunt Doris. It was really fun to see them. I haven't gotten to spend much time with them since I moved. It was fun girls!!!

1 Down, 2 to Go!!!

Yea!!! We made through the first year of med school!!!! I am so proud of my amazing husband! He has worked so hard and accomplished a ton this year. Handsome, I am so proud of you! It's been really neat to see you grow into your calling! One year down, two years to go!

Getting Up To Speed

This year has been a whirl wind!! Those of you who know us well already know that this year has been a year of change and new things. For those of you who don't know us well or haven't been kept up-to-date, I'll fill you in on our past year.

1. We moved from our hometown and families to pursue our calling in life.

2. We bought our first home!!!

3. Mike quit his job and started chiropractic school! This was a little scary, but God has totally provided for all that we need or even ask for.

4. My little brother got married in November to Colleen, so she's now officially my sister!

5. My mom hit the mid century mark! (Sorry Mom, I love you!!)

6. Mike and I had our 2nd anniversary!! Isn't he a hunk?!!

7. My parents had their 30th wedding anniversary! We are so blessed to have parents that lead such a good example of how marriage should be!

8. My grandparents had their 5oth anniversary!! What a legacy they are leading for our family!

9. We found a new church home and the best life group ever! This is Jennifer C. and me after our lifegroup garage sale for Project Sozo, which we were able to buy school supplies and shoes for needy kids in Nicaragua.

10. We've come to realize that no matter what God loves us, always provides, and never leaves us. This might not seem like such a big deal to some people, but when you're in the midst of things, it's nice to be reminded. Some changes have been tough (I won't lie), but in the end we know that the "joy of the Lord is our strength"!

Newbies

Ok. . .here goes nothing! Hopefully we'll be able to keep everyone up-to-date with what's going on with us. I hope everyone enjoys our journey!