Merry Christmas!!!!

Ouch! My Feet Hurt! Not Anymore....

Growing up in Florida, one tends to run around barefoot all. the. time!!!

If you started to put your shoes on, that usually meant you were going somewhere. 

As a child, I went to many dance classes; tap, ballet, jazz were the classes I took. When I started college, I decided to major in dance and go into dance therapy. Not only tap, jazz and ballet, but ballroom, clogging, modern, and folk were among the many classes I took. I was even on the Valhalla Modern Dance Team at Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho), 

and then when I went on to BYU, I danced with the International Folk Dancers. 

All this abuse on my feet eventually lead to A LOT of foot problems. Bone spurs, plantar fasciitis, and bunions were the things I suffered from most. 

Walking barefoot was no longer an option for me. Even the little bit of standing in Pilates KILLED my feet. Have you ever walked on sharp rocks? Well that's EXACTLY what it felt like.

soooo....

Birenstocks became my shoe of choice, and I wear them all the time!!! Sometimes the pain is so bad, I have to wear them when I get up to go to the bathroom at night (sorry, I know, too much info).

Lately, I have noticed my feet don't hurt as much. I can even walk around barefoot. Something I have not been able to do for a good 15 years!

I think the reason for this, are the supplements I have been taking. I told my friend who's family has been taking these for a while, and she said that her husband, who suffers from plantar fasciits has found that his feet do not bother him anymore since taking them.

So, what are these supplements?

Doterra's Long Life Vitality, or LLV. 

When I first learned about LLV, I thought they seemed a bit pricey, but upon investigation, they really don't cost that much.  Before I started taking these, I tried other high quality supplements and they were about $100/month. wooooo! 

The LLV recommends that you take 4 capsules of each (there are three bottles) daily, but I just take 2 each (because I am very sensitive to any type drugs, supplements, etc), so these last me two months. You should take them with food. For under $80 a month (two months for me since I only take two), I have high quality supplements. If you sign up to get them automatically shipped, then it is less. 

If you are interested, let me know. Or....if you have tried them and love them, tell me your story....

Looking, Looking, Looking...

Now that we have a contract on our house....FINALLY..., we are looking, looking, looking. There is just NOTHING in this area. Well, there are houses, but a lot of them are not in good areas, and ALL of them are way too HIGH!!!!

I love open floor plans, and would love to have that, but I don't necessarily HAVE to have one.

We don't have to have a place for the pool table, but we sure will miss it....does anyone want to buy it from us? 

We don't have to have a lot of land, just enough for a small garden and for grandkids and Sox to be able to run around.

One thing we do NEED and want, is storage. My husband loves to work in the yard and do all the repairs himself, and, therefore, has a workbench and tools, etc. Seems not many houses here even have a garage, let alone a workbench type area.

We love to barbque and entertain outside, so we really would like to have a nice backyard.

Painting, is something we can do, and so is taking down wallpaper, even though I HATE it. Seems like every house we look at has acres of 1970's or 1980's wallpaper....blah!!!

Things are so $$ here in Monore, and it's hard to put my mind around the fact that I'm going to have to give up my nice, updated, big home for a small, very dated, run down home, which cost $70,000 (and higher) more. 

Well, gotta go look at some more houses.....bye!

What is Christmas All About?

Christmas is not about the presents, or the tree. It's not about the shopping and all the hussle and bussle that comes from it.

It's not about all the yummy food and decorations.

It's about a very simple Gift given to us by a loving 

Heavenly Father.

It's about the Christ child...

about sacrifice, 

about love..

I hope you enjoy this brief video

that has been beautifully put together by

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Sold! Now What!?

Now that we FINALLY sold our house, we are looking at what is available here. We lost a LOT of $$ on this sale, and are having a very difficult time finding one. Everything is so pricey here in Monroe. A large company has moved all their employees here (800 more are coming in the Spring), and so everyone has put their houses on the market for way too much!

For example...our house we had in this area just three years ago (the living/dining area is pictured above) is now on the market for $100,000 more than what we sold it for. UNbelievable!

A lot of the houses in this area are very old; like 40 to 50 years, and have not been updated....EVER! I have looked at so many homes lately, that my head is spinning, and ALL of them need sooooo much work, that it isn't even funny, and the prices? These people are CRAZY. 

We even looked into building...HA! Building the traditional way is out of the question. So...we are looking at modular homes. We were not too keen on the idea, but we decided to go look yesterday, and boy were we surprised! Now some of them look like trailers, and that is not what I am talking about. The one we actually like is brick and siding, has a wrap around porch, and is very nice. I guess the only difference between a modular home and a "stick" home, as they call it, is where they are built. Modular homes are actually more "green" and are built inside, out of the elements, so they can get it done in about three weeks, and then ship it to your already prepared property (which they do during those three weeks). Then they work on the inside, and within about 6 weeks (give or take), you are in your home.

We still have some research to do, and I still have a few more homes to look at. There will be more that come on the market, but we need to decid what we are doing, and QUICK!

We have to be out of our house in Kentucky by January 15, and our daughter is due to have our first grandchild on Dec 29 (which of course she will probably be late). I will be doing the "grandma thing" when we have to move, so my dear husband (poor guy) will have to take off work and head up to Kentucky to do it all. 

My Kentucky Craft Room

I am so glad I made this video the last time I was up in Kentucky.

You see, we FINALLY have a contract on our house.

AND...

I am not going to be able to go up there for the move, since I will be doing the grandma thing.

My daughter is due December 29, and we have to be out of the house January 15. 

I have not been able to figure out how to be two places at once.

SOOO...

My dear husband will be taking care of all the moving.

This will be our 7th move with a professional moving company, and I have ALWAYS been the one to be there, since my husband is usually at work.

I hate not being able to go up there,

but I would hate not being able to be with my daughter and her baby more. 

Go here to see some of the books my sister has written....

Scriptures

Sometime ago, I was asked by a close friend of mine, why I always refer to anything from the Bible as "Scripture." Why not just say, "The Bible?"

I've thought about that, and as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we read from not only the Bible, but from the Book of Mormon, which is an ancient record of the people in the Americas and the visitation of Jesus Christ to them after his death and resurrection. 

We also have what is called the Doctrine and Covenants, which is a compilation of "divine revelation and inspired declarations given for the establishment and regulation of the kingdom of God on earth in the last days." (The Doctrine and Covenants Explanatory Introduction). These books, along with The Pearl of Great Price and the Bible we refer to as The Standard works, and anything from these books are "Scripture."

I've not always been a member of the church, in fact, I grew up attending a variety of churches. When we first moved to Florida, I was just entering the third grade, and my mom thought it was important that we go to church. We started attending the First Baptist Church in that area. We also went to a Catholic school (3rd to 8th grade), so I had a variety of religious education.  

Around the time I was entering the 10th grade, I began to feel there was more when it came to religion and started to ask questions. Most of them were not answered, except by "You should not question God." I was not doing that, I just wanted to know more about God. Where did we come from, what is our purpose here, and what happens after we die?

Soon, I started "church hopping" with a close friend of mine, still to find out none of my questions could be answered, so I just quit going to church all together. Then toward the end of my Junior year, I met a girl and she was.....a Mormon....! Not sure what that really meant, but soon found out that it was a church. We started talking religion, and she was able to answer every one of my questions; and with an answer that satisfied me.

To make a looong story short, about three years later, I became a Mormon. I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and have never looked back. That was back in January 1979. Every bit of happiness from that time forward is all because of the church. 

I would like to share some of my favorite scriptures with you from each of the Standard Works. First off....the Old Testament. Ezekiel 37:15-19, where it talks about the Stick of Judah and the Stick of Joseph, and how they are to be joined together to make one stick. This is talking about the Bible and The Book Of Mormon. As members of the church, we look upon these two books as one in purpose...both testifying of Jesus Christ. The full name of The Book of Mormon is actually..."The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ."

In the New Testament, there are so many, but lately one has really stuck out to me, because I really need it now. John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

Book of Mormon, again so many great scriptures to choose from. When I was first learning of the church one area in the Book of Mormon that I found interesting is 3 Nephi 11-30, where Christ visits the people. In chapter 12, he teaches these people, similar to the Beatitudes in the New Testament. Christ talked of "other sheep." He taught the people in the Middle East, but what about the people in other areas on the earth? In chapter 17, Jesus blesses the children, this has always been a favorite part to me too. Anyway, this whole section has some incredible teachings.

Doctrine and Covenants...As a new member of the church, I actually took a class on this book. Learning of the early members of the church and what they went through was heart-breaking to me. Did you know that some early Mormon Pioneers actually walked pulling handcarts all the way to the West? Did you know that they had much persecution, even to the point that the Mormons were driven out of some states or would be "exterminated?" This is why the ended up in Salt Lake City, Utah.  I'm not sure why they do not teach this in history.

One scripture in the Doctrine and Covenants that has always stood out to me is Section 9, where it says in verse 8 to "study it out in your mind, then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right, I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you..." Then in verse 9, "...if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that will cause you to forget the thing which is wrong..." As I was investigating the church, and read the Book of Mormon, I did this; I prayed to my Heavenly Father, and I did have that feeling of it being true!

Pearl of Great Price...Moses 1:38-39, "...and there is no end to my works neither to my words. For behold this is my work and my glory--to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." God wants us to be successful, and He will always be there for us!

I love the gospel and I love the knowledge I have received from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I had some knowledge, but not until I joined the church did I have a more complete picture of what our purpose of life is. 

Our Heavenly Father loves each and everyone of us on this earth. Jesus Christ is truly our Savior, and they are both there for us. All we need to do is ask, and listen...

Random Acts of Kindness

During this time of year (Christmas), we all seem to want to do nice things for people. For the most part, everyone seems a little happier.

The other day, on our way back from Thanksgiving break in Tennessee, my husband and I stopped at Taco Bell for lunch. We got our stuff and sat down. I noticed there was a group of ladies across from us. It looked as if it was probably sisters, mom, and grandma, and one small child. I watched them because they looked so happy, enjoying each other's company. Kinda reminded me of my sisters, our mom and me when we get together. 

Pretty soon, the group got up and started collecting their items in preparation to leave. The grandmother of the group scooted her chair in and turned around and our eyes met. I was a little embarrassed that she caught me staring, but I was really enjoying watching this group and noticing the love they had for each other. As the lady looked at me I smiled and she smiled back. Then  she said to my husband and I...."Merry Christmas, and have a blessed day!" She truly meant what she said.

That really made my day, and in fact, that nice feeling has lasted more than a week. 

I noticed on facebook today, that a company is having service giveaway. It's a great idea, but when I first read this, I was thinking of some big grandiose thing. But then I remembered the feeling I got when this nice lady smiled and made a simple comment to me. That is true service...being genuinely nice to all you come in contact with. Even those who maybe a little rude. I have actually seen rude people who had a nice person come up to them and were able to change that negative attitude into more positive one. 

So, not just this Christmas Season, but everyday, why don't we try to make this world a better place by putting on a happy face, sharing a smile and some pleasant words to each other.

Have a BLESSED day....:)

The Skinny Gut Diet

I received this book about a week ago, and I have been impressed with the amount of information in it. For years, I have questioned all the digestive issues our society has had, and that it is being covered up by a lot of medication. Also, our food is so full of antibiotics and other things that are not suppose to be in there, and I have wondered if this might be part of the reason we are so over weight in the United States. Brenda Watson actually points this out in her book The Skinny Gut Diet. 

In her book, Brenda includes not only the science of a good life long diet, but "Appealing, easy to prepare recipes" that will help you "eat for your gut on a regular basis." She also includes a guide about the supplements we need to add into our diet, and why we need to do so.  Our food is not what it once was, and this is why many times we need to take those supplements. 

Brenda also includes a two week easy to follow menu with recipes included, all of which are very doable. In other words, the food is not pricey and easy to get at any grocery store. 

I would highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to change their diet, whether needing to loose weight or just to get healthier. 

"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."

Blessing Afghan

Taking a little break before I have to head out again to take someone to a doctors appointment. As a stay at home mom, I keep pretty busy, even with most of the kids grown and gone. People are always asking me if I get bored being a stay at home mom....hardly!

Because I have been fortunate enough to not have to work outside the home, I have learned to do many things, one of which is crochet. Actually, I learned when I was in Jr high, but I really didn't get that much into it until we started our family. I love making blankets for first time families, and usually that is what I bring to baby showers as gifts.

Currently, I am working on an afghan for our grandchild that is due December 29. My daughter is old school, and wants to wait to see if they are having a boy or girl, so I decided to make a white blanket, and then they can use it the day the baby is blessed. 

Well, I think I'll get a few more stitches in before I have to leave....

Eat Healthy, Exercise and be Fit

Today I was at the mall, and had some time to kill. As I slowly strolled my way through the kiosks, something caught my eye...one of those back things you put in the microwave or fridge for pain relief. My husband has been walking around with severe back pain for the past week, and I had planned on buying a heating pad today, but I thought this would be better. 

As I was talking to the clerk, he tried to sell me something that was much more expensive. He then started asking me about if I exercise, etc. Well, at the moment, no I do not, since we are in the middle of a move (I know I sound like a broken record); but since I've been back and forth here and there, I can't see me paying for a membership to a gym. 

I went on to tell him that I recently spent a lot of time at the gym, and mentioned that I swam a mile everyday. He thought I was kidding. I turned to my daughter in law who was with me, and said to her, "He thinks I'm joking." She just laughed and told him that yes, indeed I did swim a mile everyday and also did Yoga three times a week and Pilates twice a week. I'm still not sure he believed me.

I miss going to the pool

So, why did he not believe me? Well, because I am FAT. Yes, I am fat. I am not HUGE, but I do have those pesky extra pounds on me that will not go away no matter what I do. One other thing, I did have a big coat and sweatshirt on, so I'm sure I looked a lot heavier than I am. 

anywhooooo....

This got me to thinking...thinking about is it healthy to be heavy? NO. But is it healthy to be thin? 

me at age 19, the summer before I left for Idaho.

So, a little background on me. I grew up being pretty small. When I was about 19, I packed on some weight. I had left my warm home state of Sunny Florida in January and moved to Idaho where I saw snow for the first time, and yes NEGATIVE 48 degrees. brrrrr! 

January in Idaho...brrrrr

 Within six weeks, I was 20 lbs heavier, despite the fact that I ate the same, and I was walking EVERYWHERE. I had no car, so I did a TON of walking.  I think my body went into shock. I kept that weight on for less than a year, and then I lost it and was down around 100 lbs. (I am 5'4, so I was pretty small). I stayed that way until I had my first child at the age of 28. Seventeen months and three days later, I had our second child, and then within the next four years I had two more children...and boy did the weight come back. 

                           That's me on the far right, 6 months pregnant with our fourth child.

I was able to get rid of it a little over a year after the fourth child, but it was so hard to keep it off. My weight has been up and down ever since. Now, I'm going through menopause, and THAT....is a whole other story. 

Our four beautiful children

They are all grown now

So, what, as women, are we to do?

We all know that those extra pounds can be the cause of many health issues, including diabetes, heart disease, inflammation, etc. Did you know that being too thin can also have it's health issues? Infertility, osteoporosis, and even diabetes are some of the problems underweight people can face. Did you know that thin people have a tendency to carry their extra fat around vital organs such as their heart? That doesn't sound like it would be very good for you.

I love a good healthy smoothie

The bottom line is. Eat a healthy, well balanced diet, and get exercising. Now you don't have to swim a mile a day and then go to a Yoga or Pilates class. A 30 minute brisk walk five days a week is sufficient. As long as you do these two things, eat right and exercise, most of us will be at a healthy weight. We may not have the body we had in high school, but we can still be healthy. 

Fun, Unique Christmas Ornaments

I had some running around to do today. Some of the things I was able to accomplish were; mailing Christmas packages, taking care of some business at the DMV :P and then also stopping by one of or local boutiques. 

About a month ago, I spoke with the owner of a cool little place in West Monroe's (Louisiana) Antique Alley called Free Birds Boutique. I showed them some of my recycled guitar string Christmas ornaments, and she really liked them. She asked if I could come back closer to Christmas, and that's what I did today!

I am happy to say, that she has several of  my ornaments in her shop, including LSU, Saints, beachy type themes. She even has an owl ornament there for all you owl fans.

I hope ya'll stop by and see what she has. While you are there check out some of my handcrafted ornaments. There is a Free Birds Boutiqe facebook page too, so you can check out some of the fun stuff she has in her shop.