Grab a cup of coffee and sit awhile.

It's a hilly place, this life of mine.  Full of peaks and valleys, highs and lows.  Especially with my health.  About a year ago I decided I would learn to run.  I was certainly at a "healthy" weight, but really I'm using even that term loosely.   In my opinion, a skinny person isn't necessarily a healthy one.  We have that all kinds of mixed up in America.  Some of the strongest, most fierce and brave and HEALTHY women I know aren't the skinniest ones.  Some of the skinniest gals I know are the most self-conscious and the most obsessed with working out and the scale, and certainly the most unhappy.  To me, healthy covers more than our looks, happiness is included too.  So finding myself thin last year but not truly healthy wasn't a happy thing.  I began to run, starting and finishing Couch to 5k.  I even ran in my first 5k and came in third place! I was hooked.  

Fast forward through winter, where even after a few periods of majorally slacking off, I hit the treadmill again.  And then life sped up and Brett worked longer hours and there I was again, desperately looking forward to nap times, after breakfast times, and bed time for snacks and chocolate and m and m's, and chips.  Junk.  Folks, I was looking forward to junk.   
So I changed.  After having one particularly painful afternoon with a yucky stomach ache I was fed up.  I was feeling "Blah" emotionally and physically and not taking care of myself.  Since then I've cut out extra sugar.  I say "extra" because some things (but very few) like my soy vanilla milk has 6 grams of sugar I believe per serving, which I have once a day.  But I've said no to cake, cookies, pie, brownies, cinnamon roll, ice cream, and my FAVE, peanut m and m's.  I've been eating clean 80% of the time at least.  Most days 90% of the time.  I feel GREAT.  I have energy...I don't feel bloated.  I'm on day 11 of no sweets!! I've never done that in my life, ever.  

I even made muffins today that had no sugar, flour, or butter and they are delicious!  The girls liked them too.  Here's the recipe:
Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients:
2 and 1/2 cups quick cook oats
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 eggs
1/2 cup honey
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ripe bananas

Directions:
Combine everything in your mixer and mix on HIGH speed for 2 minutes or so.  Next mix on medium to low speed for an additional minute.  Spray a muffin tin with EVOO cooking spray.  We used our mini muffin tin! Bake at 400 degrees for about 15-18 minutes!  


I've also changed my schedule up a bit.  Having two toddlers is very, very demanding and wonderful.  I threw the "wonderful" in there because duh!  And for the people who get bent out of shape using words like "demanding" about sweet little girls like my own.  But really, I like to paint, it keeps me grounded and sane as a mama.  I won't sacrifice time with my girls to do it...like, it's not even a possibility if I wanted to.  Torbett Toddler gals are into everything and busy all. day. long.   So this week I've been getting up BEFORE 6 o'clock to get ready for the day and going in to paint.  I never, ever thought I'd say this, but my gals have made me a morning person.  

This morning I was in the craft room by 6:00 and had plenty of time to paint before starting breakfast, hugs and kisses, laundry, and our morning routine.  Oh, how I love morning breakfast time with my girls.  My favorite part of the day, for sure.

 Our spring weather seems to have decided to arrive "fashionably late" this year.  We have been getting some seriously relaxing, drenching rain!  My favorite part is that it's in bursts, so it seems to come and go all day long.  I like that, unpredictable weather that it is.  Spring, you're not about to be pushed away by Summer are you? ! A mind of your own......
 Of course all of the wonderful rain has been fantastic for our garden!  My apologies for world's worst tomato picture but this was our first one of the year!  Too much excitement and people waiting to sample it for a posed picture.  Maybe next time.  
(and for the record, it was DELICIOUS)
Did you know Father's Day is coming up? I hope so.  It's this Sunday!  I'm never quite sure what to give or do for Brett that is quite enough.  He is SUCH a good dad...of course, my Daddy played with us and gave us his undivided attention as soon as he got home from work my entire childhood.  My expectations were pretty high when it came to a dad for my girls and I'm happy to say Brett beats my expectations in every way!  He loves our girls with all his heart.  
 I decided to go with something sentimental and my love language.......hoping it would speak to his.  I ordered some mini prints from Prinstagram and made a canvas with them....
and already gave it to him! I was just too excited to wait.  In the middle of the canvas is a list of things the girls like to do with Brett or Anna Ruth told me she liked about her daddy.  I typed these up on my vintage typewriter and completed the canvas with a book page background.  I was super pleased with how it turned out!
 The quality of the photos is fantastic!  A picture is definitely worth a thousand words....
There are few things I think (almost) everyone should do.  
Print pictures and hang them, scrapbook them, or craft them is one of those such things. 

You should check out Prinstagram! I will definitely be ordering from them again!
 A few other happy sights making my heart.........
well, happy.



 Anna Ruth turns THREE in one week!  And yes, I can believe it!  I'm not the typical "sad that she's growing up" parent this time around.  Surprising, isn't it?! I always have been before.  But now that she makes me laugh 'till my belly aches and asks a million questions a day I'm just glad and ready and thankful she's almost THREE.  She's a wonder, this gal. 

This day she looked at a caterpillar card we got from our dear, sweet friends and asked for a glue bottle.  When I came back over to check on her (a RARE moment she created by herself) she had torn up little pieces of paper and glued them in a row to make her own caterpillar. 

 I thought my heart would burst with pride, love, and joy. 

 I leave you with these gems......
wildflowers are totally and most definitely my favorite things. EVER.  

Like ever.
 Combine them with a metal gate......

swoon-worthy.


This little set-up is right by our back yard.  Who thinks it looks like the perfect spot for a dreamy date?

I do. 

Can't you just picture candles hanging from that low tree branch, 
a table perched next to the field of wildflowers?

"I should have been a great many things."
as Jo March says in Little Women.

In another life time perhaps I'll plan walk after walk through the wildflowers.
For now, I think I need to go scrounge up some thrifted finds to complete the party in my imagination...

:)

What are you looking forward to this week?  
What is your week missing that you wish it had?

1 comment:

  1. What a beautiful post! Your photos continue to become even more delightful and you are obviously perfecting the skill! And I just love your heart and your words about food and being healthy! Hats off to you! I appreciate you! :)

    ReplyDelete

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