Wordless Wednesday - Crazy Hair Boy

He's trying a new look!

The Best Super Bowl Moment

For us, best Super Bowl moment did not happen on the TV . . .

It was when A, our 21 month old, finally started walking! Go Baby A!!!

More Snow Photos

Yes, there are cars under all that snow!

A drift on the side of our house.

Don't lick the fence Rosie! Your tongue will get stuck!

A drift on our deck. To give you an idea of the amount of snow on the deck, I took this photo while kneeling. Rosie is standing at the top of the drift and the railing you see is the 4 ft high railing of our deck.

Snow!!

We are getting a major storm right now. We have at least 24" on the ground and there are some drifts in our yard that are over 4 ft tall! The snow is still falling, but I thought I would share some photos from earlier this morning.

K in the igloo we built!


Our dog Rosie romping in the snow. She would not go out in it at all until the boys ventured out. This morning there was so much snow on the deck that I had to, literally, throw her in the snow to get her to go outside!

J venturing out with the bucket to get ready to build an igloo.

Walking through the path that I dug out on the back deck!

Gotta love Chick-fil-a

We are a Chick-fil-a family. It is the ONLY fast food restaurant we will go to. We support it because we love the environment there; from everything being CLEAN, to the amazing and friendly service, to the Christian music playing and free food. Plus, it is closed on Sundays.

Plus, you have to love a company who's CEO is quoted saying (Quote comes from this article at Church Report):

“Chick-fil-A has truly been blessed to have had another year of sales growth during these difficult economic times,” said Chick-fil-A President and Chief Operating Officer Dan T. Cathy. “While we by no means are immune to the economic challenges our country is facing, we do believe we will continue to remain healthy as long as we stay committed to the qualities that have shaped the Chick-fil-A brand thus far: providing exceptional customer service and unmatched product quality to every customer on every visit. We have sensed God’s continued blessings on this business, especially during these unprecedented economic times.”



It is so refreshing to hear a CEO speak of God!!


OK, so now for some fun with Chick-fil-a. Have you heard this song?

Another great recipe - Nourishing Protein Bars

I LOVE THIS ONE! This recipe comes from the Passionate Homemaking blog. I have copied it here in its entirety. Any modifications I have made from the original recipe, I have highlighted in red.

Nourishing Protein Bars


2 cups almonds
1/4 cup flax seeds, chia seeds or pumpkin seeds (ground in a coffee grinder or blender) – I used flax seed
1/2 cup dried prunes, dates or raisins (I used raisins)
½ cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
½ cup unsalted peanut butter (original recipe uses almond butter, but I didn’t have that - I used almond butter
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup coconut oil (melted)- I used 3/4 cup of coconut butter
1 Tbsp maple syrup or honey (we used honey!)
2-3 teaspoons vanilla extract

A few squares dark chocolate, less than half a bar needed for thin layer (optional) – I melted about 1/4 bag of chocolate chips in a small saucepan for the topping - I use a 70% cacao bar, melted


Place almonds, flax meal/seeds, dried fruit, shredded coconut, almond/peanut butter and salt in a food processor. Pulse briefly for about 10 seconds.In a small sauce pan, melt coconut oil over very low heat. Remove coconut oil from stove, stir sweeteners and vanilla into oil. Add coconut oil mixture to food processor and pulse until ingredients form a coarse paste. Press mixture into an 8 x 8 glass baking dish. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour, until mixture hardens. In a small saucepan, melt chocolate over very low heat, stirring continuously. Spread melted chocolate over bars; return to refrigerator for 30 minutes, until chocolate hardens. Remove from refrigerator, cut into bars and serve. Makes about 12-15 bars. Store in refrigerator or freeze for later enjoyment!

"Cookie" Cluster Recipe with a side of fried computer

I have been wanting to share this recipe for a while now. Last night, I went to our computer to download the photos from the camera and then write the post and our computer froze up. It would not respond to ANYTHING, so finally, I shut it off and tried to turn it back on. It would not go back on and smelled like an electrical fire! I think it is fried! So, I am on our laptop and have no way to upload photos.

Since completely changing how I eat, I have been searching for good, healthy, recipes that my kids will also like. I want them to feel like they are getting "treats" while eating foods that are good for them. This recipe was originally called Protein Clusters and I got it on Transformation. I still make the protein clusters for myself, but modify the recipe for my children.

Here is the modified version:

2 Medium Bananas, mashed or 1 cup natural applesauce
1/4 cup natural peanut butter or almond butter
1/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups oatmeal (not instant)
2 eggs

I also add unsweetened coconut, pecan pieces, and chopped up 70% cacao chocolate bar to make them like a chocolate chip cookie. Or you can add raisins and cinnamon for an "oatmeal" cookie.

Mix all ingredients together and place a tablespoonful on a GREASED cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 min.

Enjoy!

Great Pro-life Pregnancy Ticker

First, I am not pregnant! Just want to get that out there before anyone asks. But, I have been spending time reading blogs and forums for pregnant runners . . . did you know that you can run a marathon while pregnant?!?!? And yes, I am addicted to running!

Anyways, back to the purpose of this post. Through my reading, I have found this pregnancy ticker by Prenology and thought it was amazing. If you scroll down on the Prenology website , you can see the images that show up on the pregnancy ticker. What I like about it, is that most of the images are real!

Here is an example:



* To clarify: The group is NOT a pro-life group that makes this ticker. I just called it pro-life because the images are so beautiful, that it is clear that it is LIFE!

The First Step

They say the first step in recovery is admitting you have a problem.

Hi, my name is Katie and I am a runner.

I think I have a problem. I have become addicted to running. Now, I never thought this would actually happen to me. I figured I was just too slow to be one of those people who actually "needed" to run. I haven't even run for very long. But, here I am realizing that I may be addicted to running. And the only reason that I think this is because I have withdrawal symptoms.

I have been totally off of running for 2 weeks now and I still have 4 more weeks to go in my air cast before the Dr. gives me the OK to try to run again. Darn stress fracture! I am still working out; biking, learning to enjoy the elliptical. But, it is just not the same as running.

When I get to the gym in the morning, and walk past the treadmills, I look wistfully at the people running on them. I try to guess how fast they are going and I try to peek at the console to see how many miles they ran. (Weird, I know) I find myself gravitating to conversations about running. If you can't do it, you might as well talk about it right? And of course, I have the other classic withdrawal symptoms:I get more agitated more quickly, my patience level is just not what it is while I am running, I sleep longer and am prone to lots of mood swings.

A few days ago I looked at my husband and said, "I think I am depressed." He asked me when these feelings started and I replied "Right around Christmas." He said, "Katie, that is when you had to stop running because of your leg." He then proceeded to remind me how happy I was when I was running. How I was less stressed and enjoyed everything so much more.

OK, so maybe I am addicted to running . . .

Is there a 12 step program for runners? ;-)

Sphere of Influence

Since starting to run, I have become a Runner's World fan. I rarely get a magazine subscription unless it is a gift, but I subscribe to Runner's World. And I read it, every issue, cover to cover.

In the magazine, there is a regular feature called the Newbie Chronicles. This past month, the author, Marc Parent, wrote a piece called A Mile in His Shoes. It is a cute story about how his 6-year old son asked to come running with him one morning. I loved this story and I highly recommend you read the whole article here. But, the last two paragraphs are really impactful (I have copied the last three below).

We finished together and collapsed on the lawn and slapped hands and howled congratulations. Later that week, Susan got him a trophy—a golden runner atop a wooden base with a brass plate on which was written his name, the date, and the words First Mile. By the end of the month, my two older sons were running at my sides with Susan and Will trailing behind. And it's true what they say, the family that runs together gets super tired together and uses up all the hot water on showers and laundry. In its wrap up of the Christakis/Fowler study,

The New York Times concluded, "If you want to improve the world with your good behavior, math is on your side. For most of us, within three degrees we are connected to more than 1,000 people—all of whom we can theoretically help make healthier, fitter, and happier just by our contagious example.

"No one is an island. No one runs in a vacuum. There is always someone watching you leave the house, dig it out, come back, and do it all over again. You are being watched by a roommate, a brother, a spouse. The driver of every passing car. You are being watched by future generations. My grandmother ran in college! someone might say of you one day. My great uncle took it up in his 30s and ran marathons into his 60s! We are inexorably entwined within each other's influence. You may run by yourself, but no matter how early you start, no matter how remote your location, you never run alone.

Wow. Although this article is about running, and I do hope that somehow by my own, often pathetic, attempts at running, I somehow inspire others to know that they too can do it. But, I share this for another reason. I know we, or at least, I often forget how much my life can be an example to others. The way I live out my faith . . . others see it. The values I stand for and uphold . . . others see it. The way I parent, love and value my children . . . .others see it. The way I love my wonderful husband, speak of him and treat him . . . . others see it. Simply by living a good life, praying, showing up to daily mass, Sunday mass, and standing in line at confession; my life becomes an example to those around me.

I have seen it with my own kids and my running. K, now runs laps around the house yelling "marathon!" K and J often ask to go out for a run with me around the block.

And they see me praying the Liturgy of the Hours in the morning when they come down to breakfast. My boys see me striving to put Jesus first. They see the good and the bad of me. They see me ask for forgiveness from God, my husband and from them. I pray that my example creates a desire in them to "Seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness." Matt.6:33

" Proclaim the Gospel always, use words when necessary."

So, my friends, go spread the Gospel today. You never know whose life you are touching.