Golden Oatmeal Bread (oven, no knead)

Golden Oatmeal Bread

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon quick-cooking oats, divided
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
1-1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Directions
In a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup of oats, whole what flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. In another bowl, combine the applesauce, egg and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in raisins and pecans.

Pour into an 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining oats. Bake at 325° for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack. Yield: 1 loaf (10 slices).

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (1 slice) equals 188 calories, 4 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 21 mg cholesterol, 149 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 4 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1/2 fat.

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October 5, 2010 - YUM! I accidently cooked it longer than I should have, so it had a much darker look to it. This was a really hearty bread and made for a great breakfast while we waited in the Chick-fil-a parking lot in the wee hours of the morning.

Vegetarian Taco Salad

Vegetarian Taco Salad

Ingredients
4 whole wheat tortillas (8 inches)
6 cups shredded romaine
1/2 cup canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 small tomato, chopped
1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons sliced ripe olives, drained
Sliced jalapeno peppers, optional

DRESSING:
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
2 tablespoons fat-free ranch salad dressing
1 teaspoon taco seasoning
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, optional

Directions
Place four 10-oz. custard cups upside down in a shallow baking pan; set aside. Place the tortillas in a single layer on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 425° for 1 minute. Place a tortilla over each custard cup, pinching sides to form a bowl shape. Bake for 7-8 minutes or until crisp. Remove tortillas from cups to cool on wire racks.

In a large bowl, combine the romaine, beans, tomato, cheese, onions, olives and jalapenos if desired. In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients. Pour over salad ; toss to coat. Serve in tortilla bowls. Yield: 4 servings.

Editor's Note: When cutting hot peppers, disposable gloves are recommended. Avoid touching your face.

Nutrition Facts: 1 tortilla bowl with 1-1/4 cups dressed salad equals 257 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 10 mg cholesterol, 485 mg sodium, 40 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 11 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 lean meat, 1 vegetable.

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Sept 29, 2010 - Again, another great recipe. I enjoyed the flavor enough that it didn't bother me to not have any meat in it. This was a pretty easy dish to prepare and put together. The hardest part was waiting for the tortillas to crisp, but it was quick enough that seconds or thirds could be served up within minutes.

We don't have custard cups, so I used some smuckers ice cream bowls that we had. If I hadn't remembered the bowls I would have used my glass portion cups.

Terriyaki Turkey Burritos

Terriyaki Turkey Burritos

Ingredients
12 fat-free flour tortillas (8 inches)
1 pound lean ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 package (16 ounces) broccoli coleslaw mix
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/3 cup reduced-sodium teriyaki sauce
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend

Directions

Wrap tortillas tightly in foil. Warm in oven at 350° for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the turkey, onion and garlic over medium heat until turkey is no longer pink; drain. Pour into a bowl and set aside.

In the same skillet, stir-fry broccoli in oil for 2 minutes. Add the teriyaki sauce, five-spice powder, garlic powder and pepper; cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir in cheese and turkey mixture; heat through.

Spoon about 1/2 cup filling off center on each tortilla. Fold sides and ends over fill and roll up. Place seam side down in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.
Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: 2 burritos equals 493 calories, 14 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 80 mg cholesterol, 982 mg sodium, 60 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 32 g protein.

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September 23, 2010 - YUM. I really like the flavor of the Chinese 5 spice.

Turkey Barbecue

Turkey Barbecue

Ingredients

1 celery rib, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup picante sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
Dash hot pepper sauce
4 cups cubed cooked turkey
8 whole wheat hamburger buns, split
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions

In a large nonstick skillet, saute the celery, onion and green pepper in oil for 3-4 minutes or until tender. Stir in the brown sugar, ketchup, picante sauce, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, salt, pepper and pepper sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes. Add turkey; simmer 10 minutes longer or until heated through. Serve in buns. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: 1 sandwich equals 295 calories, 7 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 53 mg cholesterol, 758 mg sodium, 33 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 25 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2 starch.

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Sept 22, 2010 - I really liked this, but it does have a little bit of kick to it. Serve it on a bun or bread for a BBQ sandwich. I did not have turkey, so I substituted chicken.

Breaded Ravioli

Breaded Ravioli

Ingredients
1 package (16 ounces) frozen beef ravioli
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 to 1-1/2 teaspoons salt-free Italian herb seasoning
1/4 cup reduced-fat Italian salad dressing

ITALIAN SALSA:
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 medium green pepper, quartered
1/2 small red onion, quartered
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar

Directions

Cook ravioli according to package directions; drain and let stand for 10 minutes. In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs and seasoning. In another shallow bowl, pour dressing. Dip ravioli into dressing, then coat with crumb mixture.

Place on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat ravioli with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 8-9 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the salsa ingredients. Pulse for 15-20 seconds. Serve ravioli with salsa. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: 5 ravioli with 1/3 cup salsa equals 262 calories, 7 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 26 mg cholesterol, 924 mg sodium, 40 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 10 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 lean meat, 1 vegetable, 1 fat.

Sept 21, 2010 - I think I was the only one who really liked these. The salsa that goes with it tasted similar to a marinara sauce. We had a lot of the sauce leftover, and I think I used it to make pizza at some point.

In the cookbook, the ravioli are darker and much more crispy looking. With the way our oven works mine didn't quite make that status, so the picture shows them lighter than ideal.

Jesu, joy of man's desiring
Holy wisdom, love most bright
Drawn by Thee, our souls aspiring
Soar to uncreated light
Word of God, our flesh that fashioned
With the fire of life impassioned
Striving still to truth unknown
Soaring, dying round Thy throne

Small miracle = Huge blessing

We are out of ALL disposable diapers - including Jared's - so I pulled down the cloth diaper bin to find something that would fit Jared. I had quite CDs months because I ran out of the disposable liners. We had budgeted money to buy new ones, but ended up using the money to buy sposies instead. We budgeted a small amount for the boys' supplies again this month, but since liners have to be delivered, it's too late to order and have them when I need them. Anyway.... I opened the lid to the CD box and there in the corner was a brand new roll of liners!!! I almost cried b/c that it is such a HUGE blessing! It seems like such an insignificant thing, but it is one of those moments that I recognize as a tender mercy of the Lord. I have no doubt that He is aware of us and our needs.

Doing the Potty Dance

This weekend we made a trip to Houston with the last 2 diapers and a size 5T pullup. I really hoped that we could make it back home without being a diaper short. Unfortunately we didn't quite make it without having to use one of my nephew's diapers, but thankfully it was at the end of our journey and it was only one, so it worked. Aaron pottied in the toilet enough in the evening that it worked for the night too, but it was too full this morning to keep it on him. I woke him up this morning to go exercise and put him on the toilet. He's taken to refusing to use the toilet - or at least making a HUGE fuss about not going - but this morning there was no complaint. I wasn't sure what I was going to put on him, so I decided to just make a leap to real underwear. I tried to use the potty training underwear, but he was starting to wake up enough to have an opinion - and we did not agree. I offered him Thomas the Train underwear and that was acceptable.

My biggest fear has not been whether or not he pee in the underwear - at least not in the morning. Aaron is a creature of habit, and every morning about 9:30 (while I'm in the shower and can do nothing about it) he poops. So today instead of going straight home and getting ready for the day, we made a trip to HEB. I offered to take him potty for a horse ride, but he wasn't wanting to go. So, we just went shopping. About half way through our trip I noticed he was starting to hold himself, so we rushed to the bathroom. Successful venture :) We finished our shopping and came home.

I was debating what I was going to do about him and checking my email and facebook in the meantime. Aaron was playing down by my feet. Suddenly I caught a whiff of something and was immediately alerted to Aaron's needs. I was afraid I was too late, but I checked him and ran to the bathroom. We made it just in time! It took a little bit of time and some effort, but we had a successful experience. YAY!!! Aaron did Jessica's potty dance about 5 times b/c he was so proud of himself. I'm hoping this is a major turning point. I bought a big box of diapers from the store this morning - one of the main reasons I wanted to stop there, but I kept them in the car for now. I want to see how long we can go without having to open them. We shall see.

Black Bean and Rice Enchiladas

Black Bean and Rice Enchiladas

Ingredients

1 green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies
1/4 cup picante sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups cooked brown rice
8 flour tortillas (6 inches), warmed
1 cup salsa
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

In a large nonstick skillet, saute the green pepper, onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the beans, tomatoes, picante sauce, chili powder, cumin and red pepper flakes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until heated through and mixture thickens. Add rice; cook 5 minutes longer or until heated through.

Spoon a rounded 1/2 cup down the center of each tortilla. Fold sides over filling and roll up. Place in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spoon salsa over each tortilla. Cover and bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese and cilantro. Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: 1 enchilada equals 271 calories, 6 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 10 mg cholesterol, 638 mg sodium, 43 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 12 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 2-1/2 starch, 1 lean meat, 1 vegetable.

Made on Sept 17, 2010.

Variations: I didn't have a small can of black beans and I thought that the recipe as written would be too spicy for Aaron and Jared with the ro-tel. So, I used ranch style beans (not drained) and 4 fresh roma tomatoes. I think that was an excellent choice. There was still a bite to the burritos because of the salsa, but it wasn't so spicy that it wasn't edible. I really liked the cheese and cilantro on top. Sour cream would have made another nice edition, but ours had gone bad. Oops.

Review: Aaron didn't touch them, but everyone else seemed to like them. This was perfect because it used up the rice in the fridge from the stir fry I made at the beginning of the week. I also had used all the chicken in the pasta dish from last night, so the meatless aspect worked. Although, Matthew was expecting chicken so that was a bit disappointing for him.

Chicken Pasta Primavera

Chicken Pasta Primavera

Ingredients

6 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) reduced-fat reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 package (16 ounces) frozen California-blend vegetables, thawed
4 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the soup, water, lemon juice, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir in vegetables; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Stir in chicken; heat through. Drain spaghetti; add to chicken mixture and toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: 1-1/3 cups equals 342 calories, 5 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 78 mg cholesterol, 526 mg sodium, 36 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 35 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 4 very lean meat, 2 starch, 1 vegetable.

Made on Sept 16, 2010 for missionaries. I doubled the amount of veggetables because the four cups of chicken was a LOT of chicken! Apparently it was a good thing because the missionaries absolutely DEVOURED it! Everyone seemed to like it - except Aaron who is going through a phase where he's against chicken (at least boneless/skinless cubed chicken).

Family Pleasing Sloppy Joes

Family Pleasing Sloppy Joes

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
6 sandwich buns, split

Directions

In a large nonstick skillet, cook the turkey and onion over medium heat until turkey is no longer pink; drain if necessary. Add garlic; cook for 1-2 minutes or until tender.

Stir in the sugar, flour and pepper. Add the ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until heated through. Serve on buns. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: 1 sandwich equals 388 calories, 11 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 60 mg cholesterol, 969 mg sodium, 52 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 22 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 3-1/2 starch, 2 lean meat.

Made on Sept 15, 2010. I used venison instead of turkey because that is what I had in my freezer. I really enjoyed these. Sloppy joes are one of those meals that everyone makes differently. I LOVE my mom's and it is always a treat to have them. So, I wasn't sure how these would fare, but I found myself craving them every day since then. We'd ate them on bread with cheese on top. YUM!

Light and Tasty 2006 Menu

Under Construction

Almost There

On the last leg of our roadtrip, we started calling our potty stops 'Mandatory Potty Breaks' requiring all passengers to go potty - including Aaron. Amazingly, Aaron complied and thus began our journey on the potty training path once again. It helped that he got a really bad diaper rash and Matthew told him that in order to avoid getting an owie diaper he needed to go potty in the toilet. We have some good days and bad days, but way more good days than bad. He is still unwilling to poop in the toilet, but he did get to a point where he'd tell us he needed to go potty. Although, about two days ago he all of a sudden developed a phobia with the toilet. It turns out that the idea of pipes in the toilet were scary to him. Guess who introduced him to pipes? The same person who is trying to train him to be an airbender or waterbender or whatever bender he feels suits him at the moment :p Anyway, today I finally got him to tell me it was the pipes that were worrying him, so I explained that pipes were helpers. And I'd give him chocolate if he went. Chocolate is magic :) We seem to be making our way back from the pipe scare.

update

I know I've been bad about updating. My life has been consumed by resuming piano lessons and school schedules. When I have felt like I had something to write, I didn't want to take the time it would take it to actually get it up on the blog. So, the moment passed and now I don't even remember what it was I had to say.

On August 31st I officially cancelled my WW subscription. I realized that losing weight was no longer my top priority, so there was no point in paying for a service I wasn't utelizing. I am still interested in losing weight, I am just not going to devote the energy to it that I had before. My hope at this point is to really not gain any more. Thankfully I've been doing well with that. Last Sunday my weight was the exact same as when I returned from vacation. I'm sure eating the free breakfast at Chik-fil-a every day stalled any hopes of weight loss, b/c this week there was no Chik-fil-a and I am pleased to report that I weighed in at 150.1!! Today I was back down to my end of school year weight. So my weight has caught up, but the inches haven't. I still have some extra fat that I acquired from my lack of discipline, but the daily exercise seems to be keeping the growth at bay at least. My SIL's biggest loser competition #3 started again today so I'll have some form of accountability.

I did really well with providing dinner the first week of school. This week was the pits. I really need to get a menu prepared and do some shopping. S inspired me this week. It's so nice to have a fridge full of leftovers to choose from, I want that again. I think menu planning would make a fine Sunday activity, don't you? :p

Weigh in

Ok, I'm a few days late, but here's how things stand with my weight:

Before I left, I weighed 150.8 on July 17th and 151.5 on July 18th. August 14th I was up to 156.7, but by Sunday, the 15th, I was down to 154.5. I weigh myself on the off scale every day, and until today I've been dropping. My guess is that it's all 'water-weight' because it's leaving my system so fast. I'm sure it helps that I've been more active since I've been home (and I'm not being fed delicious home cooked meals or fast food every day). Unfortunately (but not surprising) the extra padding I came home with isn't disappearing, but I'm hoping that will come off when we start walking again next week. yay! I'm secretly hoping that once we start walking regularly again I'll be able to drop these extra pounds quickly and even break the 150 barrier while I'm at it. We'll see though.

Back from the Vacated State

Well, after 3 1/2 weeks of eating whatever I wanted whenever I wanted, today it was back to the grind - kind of. I tried to be good, but I'm so out of practice that my body revolted a little bit. I got up with Matthew when he went to work and stayed up. So, breakfast was early and my little 3 point breakfast was scarce compared to the belgian waffle, sausage patty, egg, and juice I've enjoyed every day for a week. I tried to stay busy though and didn't eat again until 11. The boys wanted french toast and eggs, so I had one french toast w/ jam for lunch, plus a half cup of cereal mix for a snack. Then around 4 I was starving, so I shared our leftovers from Mamacitas with the boys. It was 1/4 beef and cheese quesadilla with a little bit of refried beans and rice. Dinner was at 6 ish and I made whole grain spaghetti (thank you Kim) with sauce and green beans. I was surprised at how tasty the spaghetti was and that the noodles cook up white just like regular spaghetti. I did have a few other snacks in the day - another 1/2 c of cereal mix, one starburst candy, several slices of bread, 100 cal cupcake (1 pt)w/ milk.... But considering all this, I still think I did pretty good today compared to my eating habits on the trip.

I had a mental bet going on how many pounds I gained from this trip. My clothes that had been baggy are now fitting better and when I walk I can feel the jiggle. The optomistic side of me was figuring 5 pounds but the realist side said 10. Just for the heck of it I weighed myself last night and the off scale said 158. I took it with a grain of salt b/c it was the end of the day, so I re-weighed this morning and was only 155.8. I had hoped to weigh on the Wii for a more accurate result, but it wouldn't work. I'll do an official weigh in tomorrow morning now that Matthew has fixed the problem. So for now, I'll say both sides won.

School starts on the 23rd, so I look forward to getting back into an exercise routine. I figure if I can just worry about getting my body used to not eating so much again, I'll be better off than I was and hopefully the weight will disappear as easily as it materialized.

Charity Never Faileth

We are visiting relatives who are not LDS, but are surrounded - literally surrounded - by those who are. Of these members, one is a drug addict, another is a cheat, and another is busy with 5 children and has no time for an elderly neighbor. A major political figure in the town is also LDS and apparently not a good representation for the church either. Another member works with one of these relatives and hardly ever comes to work. Glowing reports, eh? Today the lesson in Relief Society was on friendship - ironic considering the report I'm getting from my non-LDS family. The teacher literally told us that she does not make friends out of the church because they are boring. WHAT?! I so wanted to call her on her attitude, but she didn't see my hand. I too struggle to maintain friendships with those who are not members of the church, but it is because *I* am the one lacking, not them. With my family being surrounded by members, I can't help but think that there is a great opportunity here but because of the poor example of others there is a sour taste in their mouths. It makes me sad and upset.

I am thinking more and more that though we have so much to offer with the knowledge that we have, we do a poor job of living our beliefs. I am in such awe at the level of service rendered by this family to each other as well as to the community. I am so grateful for my family's humbling example of selflessness and loyalty to each other. As a result of this visit, I have a desire to be more involved in my community and to get to know my neighbors. We have a responsibility to do so. It's easy to make excuses because we're busy with our church lives and raising our family, but how will our children learn if we don't set the example for them? And how will we change the lives of those around us if we aren't a part of their sphere?

On Vacation

I wish that I had internet access readily accessible more often. I've needed to talk food so badly. Vacation and car travel are a great challenge to losing or maintaining weight loss. The good news is that by being in the mountains I automatically lose 5 pounds on the scale. I wish that it translated to the body too. Though I still need to wear a belt, my pants are getting tighter. I've pretty much eaten whatever I've wanted and how much I wanted. It's kind of nice to take the mental break, but I know it will make it that much harder to return to a healthy diet when we get home. The good news is that my exercise routine will start again in just 3 weeks. But it stinks to have to redo what I undid.

Last week marked the end of the BL2 challenge. Unfortunately I wasn't able to weigh in an accurate weight, so I have no idea how it ended for me. And by the time I get home in another 2 weeks, I'm sure I'll have gained at least 5 pounds. Oh well.

Ode to Joy

Today marks the day of 'what might have been' had it been the Lord's will. Although, with the way my births have gone, I probably would have delivered this weekend or earlier. This date (July 12th) has loomed in the back of my mind for days, but for the moment there is no real sadness in those thoughts. It is surreal to think that there could have been a new baby being integrated into our family right now. Our experiences of the last seven months would have been drastically different than what they were - and not always for the better judging how I was when I was pregnant with Aaron.

As I mowed the lawn this morning, I began compiling an "I am so blessed" list in my mind. From the mundane and trite to the not so much so, here is what I've come up with so far (in no particular order)....

1) I can mow the lawn myself instead of waiting on someone else to do it.
2) I can keep up with my boys.
3) I am not in constant pain.
4) I am able to love on my boys without having to divide my attention among three (or four if you count Matthew in there too ;) ) and enjoy their relationship with each other as best friends.
5) I am able to go on an insane 3 1/2 week long cross-country road trip at the end of the month.
6) I am able to maintain and even enlarge my piano teaching business.
7) I've been able to spend the last seven months working on getting to my goal weight (and largely succeeding).
8) Though there are moments of sadness - usually spurred by hormone changes, the Lord has given me peace.
9) We don't have to worry about doctor bills we can't pay.
10) I have incredible friends and family who have loved me and supported me in a myriad of ways.
11) We weren't really ready anyway.
12) If it had to happen, the timing and events couldn't have been better.
13) My body held on to that fetus as long as possible to give it every chance to grow if it were going to grow, so that there was no wondering or opportunity for me to think "if only"
14) There are so many others who've waited a LONG time for a baby who are getting one this summer, and I'd gladly give up my turn for them.
15) I can sleep on my back. or side. or tummy. Heck, I get to sleep!!

The list could go on and on. The Lord is mindful of me - of us. I am so grateful once again for a loving doting Father in Heaven who has encircled me in the arms of His love, allowed me to mourn, and then show me a new way. He knew of my goal to be 150 when I got pregnant again, and when I didn't succeed the first time, He gave me a second chance. I'm not saying that's why I miscarried, just that the Lord does care about what we want and will help provide a way for us to accomplish our goals. Of all things, I am grateful for my Father in Heaven and my knowledge of the plan of salvation. And through the Atoning sacrifice of our Savior, we were able to be sealed together in the temple as a forever family. How blessed I am!

An update - Finally!

I'm alive, really! My apologies for neglecting you, and unfortunately this will be a short - ha ha - update as the hour is once again drawing late, and I need to start going to bed at a decent hour.

First off, I want to thank all of you who have commented on my pictures and commended me on my efforts. I appreciate that support very much. All of your thoughtful words have meant a great deal to me :)

One of the purposes behind all the pictures was to help keep me motivated, but unfortunately instead I got comfy in my clothes ... and all of a sudden I don't care about point values... and too much sugar doesn't make me ill anymore :/ Two weeks passed without any exercise, and though the scale has been gracious, I can feel my body getting comfy with all that food I've consumed.

The Lord is amazing. He is such a loving doting Father, and so often He helps me fulfill my every desire. There is no doubt that He wants me to reach my goal - maybe even more than I do :p - because I wanted it. One of the setbacks I've had is staying up way later than is reasonable, so by the time I get up, the morning is gone and I'm too tired to excercise - or too busy with the needs of the day. So, Friday night I was thinking to myself that it would be really nice if I could get up with Matthew in the morning when he leaves for work and exercise - like my routine used to be. I have tried that a couple of times in the last few weeks, but was too tired to do anything so I should have just stayed in bed. It would have been more productive. But anyway, Saturday morning I woke up at 7 am feeling so refreshed and wanting to work out. I debated the treadmill or P90X, but I settled on the P90X (cardioX) because it's a full body workout and all the places I'm feeling the need is where I'd be working it with the video. I was able to do the *whole* video. Before I'd kind of get lazy with some of the yoga positions, but I did it all! I was really sweaty at the end, but I was pretty proud of myself for being able to make it through the whole video and not feel the effects of it (though I certainly did today). And the whole rest of the day kind of fell into place too. I actually made dinner! I finished a baby carrier, did a TON of laundry, the dishes - the whole day was productive. It was like I found myself again. It was really nice. I know it was with the help of the Lord that it happened.

Down to business - Weigh ins (because it needs to be updated):

July 4th 151.2
July 10th 151.0

It's only a .2 difference, but I'll take it!! It's a loss!

I'll be going on a 3 1/2 weeks long road trip in a few weeks, so I'm anxious about how that will work out. I expect there's a chance that by the time I get home I'll be in the 'Hello clothes I just quit wearing b/c you were too big. I fit in you again' stage. Eating and road trips just go hand in hand. *sigh*