The Power of Conversion

Each morning as the kids eat breakfast, we read scriptures and a thought for the day.

This morning's thought came from Stand a Little Taller, by Gordon B. Hinckley.
It was a powerful testament to me as I read this:
The Miracle of Conversion

And according to his faith there was a
mighty change wrought in his heart.

----Alma 5:12

There is no miracle like the miracle of conversion.
It is the great process by which those with
responsive hearts listen to the teachings and testimonies
of missionaries and change their lives, leaving the past behind them,
and moving forward into a new life.
There is no miracle quite like it in all the world.

Wow. That was me. Not so long ago, there was a girl named Amy. She was looking for something. The world was great, but there HAD to be more. Somewhere. Somehow...

Enter the gospel of Christ. It changed my heart. My life...my existence! Walking away from everything and everyone I knew, my heart and soul turned to the Savior. 2000 miles from home, I found home. A new place in the mountains. A new place in my heart. Free from sorrow. Free from hurt. Able to live and forgive. Just reading these few sentences brought it all back. The absolute surety that this was true. It was real. It was Christ. Being moved upon by the spirit for the first time is something one can never forget. Being able to keep the spirit with you no matter how much time passes...absolutely priceless!!! What life might I have known? It is hard to say. Our paths lay before us, and we choose. How grateful I am, that missionaries found me. That my heart listened, even when my mind could not. How grateful I am to have the gospel in my life. What a bright place it has become. Though I can never repay the Lord for the goodness in my life. I can live in gratitude. EVERY DAY...every moment... for the beauty he has given me. Beauty. Grace. Love. Truth. May I never forget.

I urge you to ponder, even for a moment in what you believe...
ask if it is true, right and sacred. Then listen with your heart.
He does answer. I promise!

And move on with gratitude for the precious gifts in your life.
Whatever they may be!

Work it Wednesday

Today, I decided to tackle the unfinished painting in my bedroom. A second coat was applied, and edges cut in. Not so fun. And I still have the large wall behind my bed to do. Oh, and I can't reach the ceiling. Hm. Did I really accomplish anything?

Uh, yeah. It looks better with the three walls nearly complete...(except the ceiling edge...)

Kids up
Lunches packed
Kids off
Kitchen cleaned
Bathrooms tidy
Laundry going
Cleaned entryway
Painted a portion of my bedroom
Workout done
Healthy meals done...( breakfast and lunch anyway)

Hmmm, now what???

Tackle it Tuesday

Tackle it Tuesday blew in quite cold this morning. We got alot of snow and it cleared up this morning, and guess what I saw. THE SUN. I know, can you believe it???!? After the last couple of days watching the kids slide down the driveway on the ice, on their bottoms...it was nice to have the snow. But having the sun come out. Oh. Glory!

Today was a little hectic. Just getting from one thing to the next. But today's mission is...the dreaded basement. It is a disaster. Sam decided over Christmas to start finishing it. Which will probably take just shy of 20 years. Ha, ha. Between the drills, screws, odd pieces of sheetrock, toys, books, dust and other various unknowns...It has been decided to get down there and tidy it up. Eeek. The way it looks, it may take me 20 years to clean it up!

Hope life is good wherever you are.

Plyometrics ROCK!

Maintain it Monday is underway...

Laundry is going, Beds are stripped, bathrooms are scrubbed and the kitchen is swept. There are still things to be done...and they are going.

My workout this morning was amazing. Plyometrics. What you ask??? Jump training. Ah. Yes, the kind where your feet leave the floor, you sweat like a piggy and gasp for air. Is it strange that I like it...? It feels good to take some time for myself. To make my body strong.

Now I will spend a little down time reading my scriptures to nourish my soul. Body and soul...yes?
A really, really good thing.

Have a happy Monday!!!

Savor it Sunday

Ellie is home sick from church today. We are curled up on the couch reading stories about Jesus. It just doesn't get any better than that!!! Hot cocoa. A soft rain is falling outside...and my baby is curled up in my lap. Ah. It is awesome.

And Monday is right around the corner.
And I am ready for it.

BRING IT...

Monday usually consists of my Weekly Home Blessing Hour.
Now it also consists of MY BODY BLESSING HOUR

Each day I will dedicate one hour of exercise for my body. It deserves it. It needs it. It CRAVES it. I was grateful to purchase P90X this past week. There are 12 different bootcamp style push it to the wall, feel the burn and perhaps make you puke workouts, that I am just dying to start...um, yeah. I am weird like that.

Seriously. I did the first one this morning because I am so excited. *blush* Also, I survived my first week on the South Beach Diet. I lost 5 pounds. So, sticking to my guns, and doing my best from day to day is working. Hooray!!!!

Maintain it Monday...

Tidy, Dust, Sweep, Mop, Vacuum, Change Sheets, Empty garbage, and polish windows.

Bless my body...
More P90X *rubs hands together*

Tee hee!!!

Guess who is going skiing????

I AM!

Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray!!!
Just what I needed.

To get outside, above the clouds

To soar and touch the Sky

and


FLY

Thursday, a review.

Slow start Thuday.

Really. THUD....

The kids got in late last night after going to a basketball game with Sam.
I read until my eyes drooped shut, and the next thing I knew...it was morning.

So we had 30 minutes to get kids out the door. ( eeek ) After all the running I felt drained.
I staggered around, started laundry and took stock of what needed to be done. Laundry for sure!
Things needed to be put back where they belonged. Like shoes, hats, peanut butter. Ya know...

Dishes were done, counters got wiped and I went to exercise. The Main level is tidy, and I can breathe again. It makes me feel so good when things are in their place. Especially shoes! I hate tripping on shoes. Actually, once...I lost a toenail to one of Sam's stray boots. It's a good thing I love him. Because, in that moment...I really wanted to strangle him!!!

Today was multipurpose. I was able to tidy the house, get some reading in, meet my Mom for lunch, and get dinner on the table. All in all a relaxing day. Which is good. We need those sometimes.

Guess who lost her very first tooth???

Ellie did!!!

I can hardly believe it.
My baby lost her first tooth.
Does that mean she is growing up???

She has been waiting so patiently for this momentous occasion.
Can you say...Tooth fairy?!

HOORAY FOR ELLIE!!!

Do you stop to smell the roses?

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.
A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.
The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.
Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100.00 each.
This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?
One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing some of the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?
To read the whole article click link below:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html

Maintain it Monday/ Triumphant Tuesday?

The kids were home. It was a holiday for parts of the nation. Not for Sam, although he did come home early and take the kids out on the lake. It is frozen solid, and they go out and ice skate, play hockey and sled. It is really cold, and the inversion right now is awful!!! But off they went for a couple of hours.

We got all the beds stripped and linens washed...and beds remade yesterday! *YAY*
Nothing is as yummy as a clean bed. Ah!
All the bathrooms were scrubbed, floors mopped and the main level got vacuumed.
I will head upstairs tomorrow. To do the same. But the kids got their rooms tidy and that makes it a whole lot easier!

So, I here by dub today Triumphant Tuesday.

Tah-dah! I am going to tackle a couple of projects, that will take more than a day to do...but need to be started before I fizzle out. LOL!!!

I have been hurting really bad in my hips since Christmas, so finally I made an appt to see the chiropractor. He is pretty awesome. He did some muscle testing and found that my pelvis was out. He used a pnematic pressure gun to put it back in. Oh. That feels much better. And then he did muscle work on my psoas. Wow. What a big difference. I have to take it easy the next couple days so my pelvis doesn't fall back out. And I go back next week to make sure it stays in place. I am proud that I took the time to care for my body. After putting myself on bottom of the to-do list...it hurts. So, I did it. I took care of myself. And it feels much much better!!!

The SBD is hard. I have a headache. But this is a goal that I am reaching for. So I am off to have a healthy snack and start my project. What you ask??? You will just have to wait and see!

South Beach Diet and Healthy Living Challenge

This week in the HLC, we are abandoning white refined products. Like flour, and yes...sugar.
Yikes! So this nails me right on top of the head. Having struggled all my life with sugar, weight and cravings...I have decided to purge my self of these things. And no, I am not bulimic.

The South Beach Diet goes hand in hand with letting go of old, unhealthy eating habits. Today is day 1. The first 2 weeks are the hardest. No sugar, no fruit, no carbs. What will I eat you ask?
Salad. Lots and lots of green leafy vegetables, beans, eggs, soup... and things like that. There is plenty to eat. It is just a lifestyle adjustment.

My meals are planned out for the week. Breakfasts, snacks, Lunch and dinner. Although time and cost are involved...I keep telling myself that I am worth it. My family deserves a healthy happy Mom.

Cheers!

Where did the week go?

Where DID the week go?

If any of you find it, let me know. I think it looked something like this... ZOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday is a blur. I know I went to Yoga that night. But that is about it.
Wednesday, was awful. I am just letting it go.
Thursday, was spent with a friend. Which was just what I needed.
Friday, is here. Fit Friday may I remind you....

So my workout is done. My meals are planned. And life moves on.
Have a great weekend everyone!

Manic Monday!

Maintain it Monday turned into the Manic Marathon.

I got up and began my day at 5:50. A car was stuck in the neighbors driveway, so Sam went down to help. So, I started laundry and stripped the bed and was just heading downstairs to workout. When Sam came strolling back in the house and pulled me back in bed, amidst the cries of " I'm not tired! I'm NOT tired." He said he didn't even count to 3, and I was snoring. Ha, ha.

Well, 7 am rolled around and we were tangled up on coverless pillows, and on the mattress with only a quilt. I got up and switched the laundry, staggered upstairs and woke up the kids. Got them squared away with breakfast and remade my bed!!! I had to chase Sam out of it. I got the kitchen all clean as soon as the kids left. Shook rugs, swept, mopped, shined all the appliances. Ya know.

Then I cleaned the 2 bathrooms on the main level. THEN FINALLY...I got to go workout. I did a Fat Burning circuit that kicked my can. After 30 minutes of plyometrics...I did 30 minutes of sprints on the treadmill. I earned all 4 points for my HLC!!! Bwhahahaha!!!

So, the phone rings...my friend and I had planned to go to IKEA. So, into the shower. Into the car. Picked her up. Went to BYU for about an hour to hand out flyers for the aerobics program...and shamelessly flaunt yoga! Then off to lunch, and IKEA.

WOW. IKEA. That will have to be a post for another day. What a neat store.
What a great day. How many great ideas can you have in one noggin?

I rolled home about 8pm. Happy. Tired. And smiling.

Thanks Heather. That was a blast!!!
And Sam forgives you, although we may be grounded apart for awhile!!!

Super Saturday

Saturday is always full of surprises! That is what makes it my favorite day of the week. I had promised the kids to see a movie over the holiday break...which never happened. It was just so hectic and crazy!

So, today after my yoga class, which is filled with awesome...I came home did chores, packed up the kids and away we went. We saw a great movie, had popcorn and ate hamburgers after. They were so good. It was hard to believe that they were my kids...*SHOCK* It makes me happy to see when they get along and work together toward a common goal. Hopefully all those talks, and prayers are going somewhere, right?

We just got home. It is about sunset, the chill is coming. So here comes the cookies and cocoa!
Thank heavens for Rhonda, who posted a low calorie cocoa recipe!!! I guess I will skip the cookies, but there is nothing better than rolling out cookies with kids all around you.

Have a super Saturday!
Love ya!
Amy

Fit Friday!

I am hoping to make Friday's the best day of the week!
Not just because it's Friday, although that is a wonderful thing!!!
So I am off for a 12 point Friday...which is in conjunction with...

THE HEALTHY LIVING CHALLENGE...

As part of the healthy living challenge, I am going to push myself to make Friday the best day of the healthy living week. Perhaps I will do some yoga, just for me. I will be especially conscience of what I put in my mouth. No sugar. No white, refined flour or anything else for that matter. Only the best most healthy things for my body. My body is sacred. It deserves to be fed the best of what God has given me! By planning ahead for my day, I can make a healthy lunch to take with me. By planning ahead, I know what to make for dinner and am not tempted to just swing by the pizza place. By planning ahead I hope that my life will be a pleasant journey. Filled with healthy fun choices and activities.

So Come along with me....
Let's see what a difference we can make.
Together, blessing our lives and families by being healthy.

Wacky Wednesday & Thump it Thursday

I say wacky because... We kept the kids home from school and all went skiing. *blush* That doesn't make us naughty parents does it???

Well, after a hectic morning of gathering snow clothes, skis and all the other crap necessary. Chasing kids, brushing teeth, finding socks. GAH! It was wild. Really. We made it to the freeway and were just settling down for the ride, when all the traffic stops. STOPS! We sat there for almost an hour. ( So much for being on time, right? ) There was an accident. We had to wait. The kids got ferocious. Seriously. They were bouncing with energy already!

We finally got there and got the kids into class an hour late...and hit the slopes. It was beautiful up there. The sun was shining. The wind wasn't blowing like usual...and the snow was pretty dang good! We met the kids for lunch and all took off together. All in all it was a day made of AWESOME!!! Ellie is a speed demon, though. She was chasing down Sam and doing JUMPS!!!

Katie is little miss cautious, and Riley has a hard time keeping his skis on. It was fun and I can't wait to do it again!!!

So, needless to say...the laundry was piled to the ceiling, and I had a CPR class today. So I got to thump a mannequin half to death and re-learn some valuable skills today!

Tackle it Tuesday!

Perhaps it should be...

Tear away into the wilderness Tuesday.

So, I ran away today. And went skiing. Shhhh. Don't tell on me!!!
It was beautiful. Peaceful. And exhilarating.
Morning found me on the side of a mountain,
breathing the cold air.
Staring into the sky, the forest, the snow.

Falling. Flying. Soaring.
Oh, how lovely it is.

Burning. Pushing. Screaming.
That is what my legs are saying.

Noon found me telling my legs to hang on.
They told me to eat some lunch!!!
No skipping meals, no matter HOW much fun you are having.

Two found me limping to my car.
Tripping, stumbling, grasping.

Smiling.

Maintain it Monday

Maintain it Monday

Well, it is off to a great start!!! With kids home for the last couple of weeks it has been hectic around here. Now it is interesting to try to get back into a groove and routine. Slow but steady!

One of the ways I maintain my home is with Flylady. Never heard of her? Go here! Read. Enjoy.
www.flylady.net

So, that makes today Weekly Home Blessing. Otherwise known as WHB!!! It is dedicated to ONE HOUR of tidy. Today is taking longer, simply because our home has been overflowing with people.

But, laundry is going. Floors are scrubbed. Bathrooms are shiny. And beds are all stripped down. It feels so good to tear it all apart and get it clean. Hopefully all will be wrapped up shortly and I will be running on my treadmill.

And you wondered what I did all day!

Healthy Living Challenge

Here goes nothing!

A challenge to myself. With some of the most wonderful gals on the planet!
Some friends and I have given ourselves a 6 week health goal. Read on!
After packing on almost 20 pounds last year..yes defeat sucks...it is time, that I did something about it.

Healthy Living, bring it on!

Points - 12 points possible per day

1 Reporting/Accountability point just for reporting your points each day

1 Water - 8 8oz cups or more per day

1 Supplements - take a good multivitamin

1 No Skipping meals or snacks. You need to be eating every 2 - 3 hours.

1 Whole Grains - no white flour, pasta, rice, etc.

1 No Sugar/Junk Food - No white or refined sugars; grams of sugar should be less than 5

1 3-Hour Rule - Don't eat anything three hours prior to going to bed.

1 Counting Calories - Count calories to maintain portion control; keep a food journal

As stated before...it helps that this is happening with some of my dearest friends. Some of whom I have met, and some I haven't. We all will help to buoy and hold each other accountable. So, you may see some of the posts of struggles and triumphs.

Rock on.

Savor it Sunday

The New Year means a new schedule.
Church started at 1pm. *YAY*

We actually got to sleep in, a bit.

One goal I have for our family this year is to actually sit down TOGETHER and eat breakfast each Sunday morning. Sunday is just about the only day of the week Sam is home for breakfast!

We had homemade whole wheat pancakes with raspberry syrup. YUM!!!
We had a wonderful sit down, yummy eating, goal setting breakfast.
It was awesome. We are going to read the BOM together as a family this year.
Find a way to serve someone each month, and help make a meal once a week.
We already rotate chores, but man...could I use a hand in the kitchen... and I
think it is important the kids see how much goes into making a healthy wholesome meal.
( Maybe then they will eat it too!!! )

So, today. I mostly savored being with my family. My favorite guy...and curling up on the couch for a laid back, yummy Sunday.

Top 8 2008

*Note...2008 was a rough year for us*

1. Trials of Faith.
2. Trials that knock you down and make you get up and look a different direction.
3. Believing in something you cannot see or touch.
4. My kids.
5. Snow.
6. Learning to let go.
7. Tears of Joy, Tears of Sorrow.
8. The Power of Prayer.

My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ