Running For Sherry

I never knew Sherry.  I am not a friend of the family.  I am just someone who stumbled across her cousin's blog one day.  After reading Sherry's story, I knew I wanted to participate in this virtual run.

Sherry was a mom, a wife, school teacher, and a runner in Montana.  She had gone running early Saturday morning (Jan. 7th) and never returned.  Her body has not been found, but there have been 2 arrests in the case. She was abducted just 1 mile from her home.   

My heart breaks for this family.  To not only have someone they loved so much be taken away, but to not be able to say their good-byes or have her rest in peace...it just doesn't seem fair.    

Today I took to the road in Sherry's honor.  It was with pride and a heavy heart that I said a prayer for her family and for her as I began my wog.  I pray that someone someday gives the FBI the information that is needed to not only put these 2 men away for a very long time, but to find Sherry.  I pray that her family is able to hold onto the wonderful memories that were created with Sherry.  I pray for her friends to be able to do the same.  I pray that Sherry did not suffer.  I pray that her family finds peace someday.  I pray for everyone who has had someone abducted in their lives.  I pray for Sherry.      

Rest In Peace, Sherry.  

Pepperoni Roll Ups

Pepperoni Roll Ups

5 points+ per roll up

1 Container of Crescent Rolls

40 Slices of Turkey Pepperoni

4 Reduced Fat String Cheese (cut in half)

Ranch/Marinara Sauce

Separate the crescent rolls into triangles. Place 5 slices of turkey pepperoni on each triangle and top with half a string cheese. Roll up and bring up sides to seal.  I topped them with Italian seasoning and garlic powder and served with Tomato Soup for a low point dinner.    

Bzzzing about Dr. Oetker's Ristorante Pizza - easy dinner

I am a BzzAgent, and I get to try products from time to time to provide feedback from myself and my peers.  I recently joined the Dr. Oetker's Ristorante Pizza campaign.  Boy, am I glad I did!  We first tried the Pizza Mozzarella, which was bursting with flavor, and the cheese was delicious!  The boys have had the Pizza Speciale twice in the past week and a half.  It has pepperoni and ham, which makes them very happy.  Last night the hubby and I had the Pizza Spinaci, and oh.my.goodness!  It was SO yummy!

I am a spinach pizza fan anyway, so the amount of spinach piled on top of this pizza was fabulous.  It was very generous and tasted fresh.  A lot of times, inexpensive frozen pizzas taste like warmed up cardboard.  The crust has these layers - it's a thin crust, but is very flavorful.

The first thing I did when I joined the campaign was plug the nutrition information into the WW points calculator. For 1/3 of the pizza, it is about 7 or 8 points+ depending on the pizza.  The Spinaci is 7 points+.  I actually ate half the pizza for 11 points.

If you've tried these pizzas, I'd love to know what you think.  They may not be in your area, but if they are, they get my vote, and the votes of my kids and husband!  My older son is somewhat of a pizza expert in his own mind, and he is very opinionated in his pizza preferences.  He loves the Ristorante pizzas - and I love that they are affordable.

Check out that crust!

Oreo Peanut Butter Poppers

 Oreo Peanut Butter Poppers

*Adapted from Hungry-Girl*

5 points+ 

Ingredients:
1 pack Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs Oreo Thin Crisps
3 Tbsp Cool Whip Free
1 tsp reduced fat peanut butter

Directions:
Assemble mini sandwiches by putting a tiny amount of peanut butter and some Cool Whip Free in between two Oreo thin crisps.  Place on wax paper and freeze. 

These taste exactly like those Tagalong Girl Scout cookies! 

* I never make it to the freeze part!

It's all about love!

I've mentioned that this blog, for me, is about my overall health.  It's not just about the weight.  I want to talk about something very important to me today: LOVE.  Next week is Valentine's Day, and everyone is talking about candy, chocolates, and we're inundated with jewelry ads.  That, my friends, is not love.  That is commercialism and materialistic.  A hug from my husband means more to me than a necklace ever could.  (Not that I don't appreciate jewelry, Babe - I totally do.  In fact, I can give you a list of things I think are lovely if you want it...)  Those things just don't equal LOVE.

I'm not going to beat anything over anyone's head, but I do want to say that the best example of love is one that can never be matched on earth.  Ever.  John 3:16 tells us about the love that God has for us - so much that he gave His Son as a sacrifice for our shortcomings.  He gave that for no other reason than love.  He loved me.  He loved you.  He still does.  If you want to know more about that or what it means to me, let me know.  I would love to share with you about what God has done and is doing in my life.

The love that we have - that imperfect attempt at love - is still important to share, but don't think that gifts are the way to show it.  My journey to better health is involving loving myself.  I'm not good at that part of it, but until I really look at what makes me so valuable to God and love those things about myself, I can't truly love anyone else.  I do try, though.  I try to show love to people around me all the time.  I show love to the retired Navy Captain that wants information on a room and feels the need to relive the old days when he was stationed here in the 1960's by listening for a few minutes.  I show love to the stressed lady checking me out at Wal Mart by smiling and wishing her a good day.  I try to show love when I feel frustrated and angry, too - but it's not as easy.

Now I'm going to sound selfish for a minute.  If it offends you, sorry.  I also need to receive love.  Not in the pretty packaged ways, but in the genuine ways: kind words, a smile, a hug.  It is exhausting to encounter people in my every day life who seem to enjoy arguing, negativity, and condescension - not to even mention drama.  I am one of those people who always try to internalize things - to figure out how to make something my fault.  Here's what I'm working on in striving for better health: speaking up when I am hurt.  Not accepting someone else's guilt trip, judgement, or criticism.  Not blaming myself for every relationship that I encounter that is hurtful to me.  I'm not kidding myself or saying I'm perfect.  I certainly do contribute to relationships where I end up feeling hurt, and sometimes it is my shortcoming that causes the instability in the relationship.

I know I am not the only person on the planet that feels this way.  Hopefully others learn things from the hard lessons I'm learning.  Human love is not perfect, but it is important.  It's important to give it and receive it.  It's important to WANT to give it and receive it - not do it begrudgingly.  I feel like as I grow, many of my current relationships might not make it.  The people involved in a relationship have to grow together, or it can't be sustained.  I've experienced this in so many ways in my life.

So here it is:  love me.  Show me love.  I will return it.  Music and love are the 2 biggest gifts I feel that God has blessed me with.  My husband, my children, my friends, my family - all those things are gifts of love from God.  We all just need more love.  I am making a vow to love myself - my faults, my weaknesses, my strengths, my journey.

Please take this challenge:  Show love to yourself each day.  Don't let others bring you down.  Don't let situations in your life - stressful situations that are beyond your control - rob you of your love.  The more you allow yourself to be loved, the more you can love those around you.

Love, my friends, is a crucial part of me being successful on this journey.

Plagiocephaly/Torticollis/Brachycephaly ... Food Please

These 3 words have haunted me for the last couple of weeks.  They have been the reason for my wanting to eat everything in sight.   They have been the reason I want to sit down and cry every night.  They continue to be why everyday is a struggle against food right now.  I need comfort.  I need a hug.  I need to somehow make things better.  I don't seem to have my mind around all that has been going on.  I have wanted to drown myself in cookies, cupcakes, cheesy pizza, crunchy salted chips, and pretty much anything else I could get my hands on.  Instead of doing anything harmful to myself (which, let's face it, eating like I want to would be), I have been picking up my little boys and hugging and kissing them, going for walks, exercising, watching as much junk reality tv as I can, and reading.  

"J" has Plagiocephaly and Toricollis.  "E" has Brachycephaly.  Both are results from their head position beginning in utero and continuing on to how they have slept in the first few months of their sweet little lives.  It is very common among multiple births, especially boys.  Please take a second and click on the links I provided.  They provide just some general information about each disorder.  That is a hard word to type....disorder.  

The treatment for these disorders is something called a molding helmet.  Both of the boys have been to Boston Children's Hospital to the Neuro doctor.  They took measurements and confirmed the diagnosis for them.  

Today we met with a wonderful doctor at Hanger Orthotics.  He remeasured the boys' heads,  scanned their heads, taught us some exercises to do with "J" to help with the Torticollis, and talked us through what is going to happen the next couple of appointments.    The boys loved the doctor.  "J" laughed and talked most of the time we were there.  "E" just kept watching everything the doctor was doing and taking it in.  Both boys were all smiles.  I was a very proud mama, because their behavior was perfect for how long the appointment ending up being.

This has all been so overwhelming; emotionally and financially.  Emotionally, I am dealing a lot with guilt.  I hate that my boys are going to be wearing helmets for the next who knows how many months.  I don't want them to be upset.  I don't want them to cry or be sad.  I don't want people looking at them and wondering, "What is wrong with that kid?  Oh, those kids?"  I just want my happy healthy boys.  Financially, Tricare does not cover molding helmets and the cost is thousands of dollars.  I can't even get into this right now.  I am so annoyed!  They will cover a boob reduction, but not a helmet that will help prevent so many things for a new little being.  I really can't get started on this topic....  

I wanted to blog about this, because quite honestly, I don't know how to talk about this to people.  I don't know how to say any of this.  As I am typing, I am in tears.  My wonderfully supportive hubby did have the best way to try to calm me down about all this.  "Think of this like braces for your teeth.  They'll wear the helmets for a bit and then everything should be straightened out."  While I see his point, a mama can't help but hurt for her babies. 

Pinsday (indirectly) - More importantly - NSV!

A couple weeks ago I wanted to do "Pinsday" Wednesdays.  Okay, fine.  To meet that as you look at the pictures below, note the old windows hung on my living room wall.  Neat, right?  Bonus - they were free.  My plan is to maybe hang a couple more or at least get some pictures printed out to go inside. I haven't decided whether I want to do one HUGE print peeking behind the panes of glass or a lot of smaller pictures.  I've seen both on Pinterest, and I have ideas with both.  I guess that's to be determined.  Maybe I'll revisit Pinsday another time and let you know what I did.

Meh, whatever.  I have more important stories to tell today.

My bad week last week is behind me.  I had rehearsal last night for Worship Team at church.  It was so uplifting to be there.  I wish I could express what happens to my soul when I sing.  Music is such an amazing tool for me - a true gift. Even better, Valentine's day is coming up, and all our songs this weekend are "LOVE" themed songs.  We spent time in scripture, in prayer, and in fellowship.  My spirit really needed last night.  I am a different human today, and so thankful for it!

Okay, I have a small confession - most days I still set my clothes out before bed.  I do.  It's really a big help for me to be focused before the day begins and not have my fashion ADD explode when I'm in a time crunch.  I also don't have to worry about having to find clean undies or make sure I have socks that match or whether my shoe is under the sofa again.  Well, last night I didn't do that.  I was tired from a long day at work, and I went to bed not long after getting home from church.

This morning, I got up and was going to wear some jeans and a sweater.  I looked in the closet, and there was a super cute little dress hanging in there that I've never worn.  I have owned it since I lived in AL (so about 2 or 3 years) and I was always too lumpy to wear it.  Even though I weigh about 10 lbs more right now than I did then, I decided to try it on.  See what I mean about the fashion ADD?  LOL!  I slipped it over my head and could still breathe.  That accomplished, I decided to go in the hallway and peek in the full length mirror to see how awful it was.

Huh.  Am I imagining things?  Do I have the opposite of the body dysmorphic thing going on where I think I look good but I really look like a sausage?  I know how to get the answer...

"BABE!  How does this dress look?"  (insert audible sigh from the handsome hubby.)  He will always tell me the honest answer.  Even when I really don't want to hear it.

"It looks really good!  You look great, Sweetie!"  **internal HOLLA!!!**

Then I had to decide which color I wanted to wear.  Yeah.  I have the dress in 2 colors.  It was on clearance from Newport News for like $7, and I knew I'd be able to wear it someday.  I'm psychic like that.  I decided on the black for today.  I may be brave enough to wear the pink one on Sunday when I sing at church.  We'll see.

At this point there was another, smaller sigh when I asked him to take my picture for the blog, because this is totally a NSV (non-scale victory) for me!