Food Journal Dec 24

Food	Units
#food cereal, milk and small serving ice cream	6
#food another small serving of ice cream	1
#food christmas eve appetizers and a magic bar	15
#food cafe rio salad minus the good stuff	7
#activity ran 6 miles	-6
Total:	23

Table provided by Roni's Food Tweet, Eat, Post Generator.

124.00

Food Journal Dec 23rd

Food	Units
#food cereal, milk and protein bar	7
#food homemade wholewheat pizza	4
#food teddy grahams, diet hot cocoa and popcorn	2
#food small serving of no sugar added, low fat ice cream	1
#activity body pump 1 hour	-3
#food protein bar	3
#food granola bar, hot dogs and baked fries	7
Total:	21

Table provided by Roni's Food Tweet, Eat, Post Generator.

122.9

Back to food journaling....

cereal and milk and a few bites of kids snacks 7
chick fila with a few mints 9
popcorn, special k water and bite of protein bar 2
homemade whole wheat pizza, salad and a small serving of ice cream 7
Activity: ran 6 miles -5
Total: 20

Daily Food Journal

Im back on track with journaling.....especially because this is going to be a hard week. If I journal, I dont loose control. Thanksgiving....here I come. I can do this!

Food	Units
shredded wheat, milk and 10 m&ms	5
fiber one muffin	2
chick-fila, and starburst	10
pudding and protein bar	4
Total:	21

Table provided by Roni's Food Tweet, Eat, Post Generator.

Food Journal #16

Food	Units
shredded wheat, milk and honey	5
chickfila	10
(-5) ran 6 miles	-5) ran 6 mile
pb&j	6
apple	2
Total:	18

Table provided by Roni's Food Tweet, Eat, Post Generator.

Goals

It has been a while since Ive blogged lately on Healthy Thoughts so I thought I needed to share something that Ive been thinking about and why yes....its healthy:)

I usually just post my food journals every day and Im sure that is SO exciting for everyone to read. Sorry.... I know its boring but it really helps me stay on track and the last bit of weight has been coming off because Im journaling. Hurray!

Ive been thinking alot about goals lately and why they are so important. They are important whether they are spiritual goals or temporal ones. Doesnt goal making make things easier to obtain? We as humans need things to work towards. If we dont have anything to work towards..... we often are doing nothing.

You all know my next goal.....whats yours? and how do you stay focused? Please share:)

Food Journal #15

Food	Units
Activity: ran 4 miles	-4
cereal milk and half a banana	5
snack size snickers	2
cafe rio salad hold the bad stuff	7
mints	1
sandwich, fat free pringles, cereal and skinny cow	9
Total:	20

Table provided by Roni's Food Tweet, Eat, Post Generator.

Food Journal #14

Food	Units
cereal and milk	4
protien bar and rice cake	3
chinese chicken salad and a few bites of the kids lunch	6
skinny cow	2
half of protein bar and fat free pudding	2
butternut squash ravioli with a whole wheat roll	7
Activity: 50 minutes eliptical	-5
Total:	19

Table provided by Roni's Food Tweet, Eat, Post Generator.

Food Journal #13

Food	Units
waffles, sugar free syrup and fat free whipped cream	3
protein bar	2
chickfila and protein bar	9
fat free pringles	1
pizza on a whole wheat pita with veges and turkeyroni	7
carmel rice cake	1
Activity: eliptical 45 min	-4
Total:	19

Table provided by Roni's Food Tweet, Eat, Post Generator.

Food Journal #12

Today I was trying to be better with eating healthier choices. It sooo hard to be good when your on vacation. Im back on track today and thats what matters.

Food	Units
shredded wheat and milk	4
jasons deli salad	7
rice cake and pumkin oatmeal cookies	3
pasta with turkey meatballs and brocolli	6
Total:	20

Table provided by Roni's Food Tweet, Eat, Post Generator.

Food Journal #11

I have been so bad posting these lately. The problem is that I forget to copy and paste them from twitter before I go to bed and then the program I use wont post the previous days if I didnt do it on time. Im going to try to be better.

Food	Units
cereal and milk	6
burrito and veges	5
pumpkin mousse	3
toast and half of fiber one bar	2
butternut squash fries	2
sugar free werthers	2
popcorn	1
Total:	21

Table provided by Roni's Food Tweet, Eat, Post Generator.

Food Journal #10

Food	Units
waffles and sugar free syrup and fat free cool whip	4
sugar free pudding and 10 m&ms	2
spinach chicken salad with fiber one bar	9
Activity: ran 6 miles	-5
manicotti with salad	10
Total:	20

Table provided by Roni's Food Tweet, Eat, Post Generator.

Food Journal #9

Food	Units
breakfast cherrios and milk	5
jasons deli salad and cone	8
special k protein bar	3
tostada pie and grapes	6
Total:	22

Table provided by Roni's Food Tweet, Eat, Post Generator.

One dang good recipe!

So if you dont know this already...Im a big fan of the Lettuce Wraps at PF Changs. They are not THAT bad calorie wise if you choose to go out and eat them there. I think you can have the whole serving for 10 pts. Not too bad right?

Well....I just found a rockin recipe online and I must say they are pretty good. Not exactly the same.... but I DEVOURED them Friday night after Loren and I made them. Im not sure of the point value. It wouldnt be too hard to figure that out. I didnt make the Special dipping sauce....I read it was dang good.... but to me...thats alot of unneccisary calories. I didnt feel the need to dip these wraps, because they were tasty alone. I also made some LING LING Pot stickers that can be found in the freezer section of the grocery store that are low in fat and tasty and went very well together.

I must add that I used Low Sodium Soy Sauce in the stir fry sauce. I would recommend that....all that sodium cant be good. I prefer to drink it in my diet cokes:)

I also used Olive Oil

Ingredients
3 tablespoons oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup water chestnut
2/3 cup mushroom
3 tablespoons chopped onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4-5 leaves iceberg lettuce

Special Sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon hot mustard
2 teaspoons water
1-2 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste
Stir Fry Sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Directions
1Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl.

2Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil.

3Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve.

4Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well.

5Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.

6Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.

7Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or done.

8Remove chicken from the pan and cool.

9Keep oil in the pan, keep hot.

10As chicken cools mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.

11Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.

12When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.
13With the pan still on high heat, add another Tbsp of vegetable oil.

14Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan.

15Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce"cups".

16Top with"Special Sauce".

Food Journal #8

Food	Units
shredded wheat, half of a banana and a half cup milk	5
sugar free pudding with fat free cool whip	2
lunch, turkey sandwich with veges and fiber one bar	5
snack dum dums	1
snack, rice cake with turkeyroni	2
curry chicken, cus cus and green beans	9
Activity: ran 5 miles	-5
Total:	19

Table provided by Roni's Food Tweet, Eat, Post Generator.

Food Journal #7

Food	Units
snack pumpkin bread	2
my own homemade pf changs lettuce wraps and potstickers	11
ice cream sinless sweet cream	4
	13
Activity: ran 10 miles	-10
Total:	20

Table provided by Roni's Food Tweet, Eat, Post Generator.

Food Journal #6

Food	Units
breakfast waffies and sugar free syrup	5
vita top 2	4
cafe rio tostada salad	8
dinner, burrito with veges and some baked tostitos	4
snack half of a power bar	2
ran 6 miles	-6
Total:	17

Table provided by Roni's Food Tweet, Eat, Post Generator.

Food Journal #5

Ive slacked. I was gone all weekend and didnt journal and wasnt as good as I shoudve been. A lot of mindless snacking went on. Its sooooo hard for me to get out of my routine. I am really good when Im at home but if im somewhere else....uugh! Ive been better today! I messed up alot and it should say 22 points.

Food	Units
breakfast, waffles and sugarfree syrup	5
2 vita tops	4
lunch chickfila	9
dinner, turkey burger no bun, baked fries and green beans	6
mess up	-6
snack tootsie pops sugar free	1
tootsie pops	1
ran 5 miles	-4
Total:	16

Table provided by Roni's Food Tweet, Eat, Post Generator.

Food finds and daily points journal #4

So Ive discovered some yummy low fat healthy foods lately and want to share. The first ones are Vita Tops. They were recommended by Roni at Ronisweigh. I love this girl. She shares yummy recipes and is so inspiring. She has lost 70 or so pounds and has completely changed her life. Theres a link to Green Lite Bites on my family blog if you want to check her other blog out as well.
Anyways......I have been wanting to try these Vitatops out for a while now and so I finally ordered them online. I also ordered a Vitacake for Lorens birthday, No...Im not mean and dont feel bad for Loren.....this cake is going to be yummy! Ive heard only good reviews and if its anything like the Vita tops it will taste good. This company also makes brownies mixes, muffin mixes and they also make fresh muffins and brownies. They make them the day you make an order and the they send them right out. I got my cake in two days. My whole order was a little pricey..... but health food is. It was definitly worth it. There yummy Vita Tops have 15 vitamins and minerals, are low fat and only 100 calories.


Another yummy treat are the Quaker Mini Delight rice cakes. I know...I know....rice cakes? I thought the same thing..... but when we were down in St George at the Runners Expo they gave free samples of there chocolatey mint drizzle 90 calorie packs and oh yeah! These are also Loren approved. We ate them all real quick! The caramel ones were good too....... but Im a chocolate girl.

Food	Units
breakfast...what else...shredded wheat and a half cup milk	4
bito honey	1
viat top.... so yummy!	2
lunch turkey sandwich and veges plus pasta bites	5
small apple and 100 cal hershey	3
dinner, burrito with veges	6
weight lifted 40 min	-3
vita top	2
Total:	20

Table provided by Roni's Food Tweet, Eat, Post Generator.

Daily Food Journal #3

Food	Units
shredded wheat and half cup milk	4
pumpkin bread	2
bito honey	1
hershey 100 calorie bar	2
chicken sandwich with veges, olives and fishies	6
popcorn	2
chickfila sandwich and salad	8
ran 6 miles	-4
Total:	21

Table provided by Roni's Food Tweet, Eat, Post Generator.

Daily Food Journal # 2

Food	Units
shredded wheat with a half cup milk	2
pumpkin bread	2
shredded wheat...i messed up so heres the rest from breakfast	2
2 bito honey	1
lunch turkey sandwich and baked tostitos and salsa	4
banana and fat free cocoa	3
snack fiber one bar	2
dang im hungry, grapes	1
dinner, burrito with veges	4
popcorn	1
weight lifted	-3
Total:	19

Table provided by Roni's Food Tweet, Eat, Post Generator.

Daily Points Journal

Food	Units
kashi cereal with a half cup milk	6
fiber one bar and a few bites of a cookie	3
chick fila	10) chicken sandwich salad and mint
fishies	1
pear	1
soup and baked potato	6
Total:	27

Table provided by Roni's Food Tweet, Eat, Post Generator.

The race of life.......

I have been thinking alot lately....about the title of my post...The race of life. As you may have noticed, races have been on my mind alot, expecially with Lorens marathon and with my half marathon coming up. I have been thinking about the steps that we have taken to prepare for these physical races and have been reminded of the importance of my spiritual training. Just as I am preparing myself for a phsyical race, I also need to prepare myself and train myself for the race of life, that I am running everyday. THIS race should be my priority.

As I listened to conference yesterday, the General Young Women President used this quote that I loved from a female New York Marathon winner. She said " The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare." This statement is so true. Preparation is everything. Last weekend Loren ran a great race. He ran such a good race because he had the will to prepare. He never missed a training run and he always worked hard to fit the run into his schedule. Sometimes that meant missing out on fun things or getting up at 4:00 am. It was NEVER easy. I knew somedays he didnt WANT to run, but he went anyway. He knew that, if he didnt.....he would regress and in the end he wouldnt run a good race. He tried to look at the future reprocussions of his decisions, rather than letting the NOW get hold. Sometimes we think things are just too hard or its just not the time and lose sight of how the choices we make really do affect our future. The way we feel at the end of a race when we gave it all we had, is such a rewarding feeling. On the other hand, if we were to slack on our training, quit or we didnt give it our all, in the end, we would feel terrible. I think that when we cross that spiritual finish line.... knowing that we didnt do all that we could of, the feelings of devastation, remorse and the dreaded feeling of "I wish I wouldve done better" will be horrible. Atleast now, in this life...we have the oppurtunity to try again. The race of life is continual. We have the oppurtunity to try again and to run our race better than we did on the first few laps. As we continue running, we will become stronger in the gospel and we will be stronger to tackle the herdels ahead. We will all have sore knees, blisters, achy backs, and we might even fall really hard, but we HAVE to pick ourselves up and continue. We were given a trainer, a free trainer. Heavenly Father is the best trainer of all. He is there to guide you and I and to help us acheive our goals. He will let us know our weaknesses, so that we can work on them and he will help us work on them. When we feel like we can no longer run, he will pick us up. I know this of a surety. He has picked me up and brushed me off many times. We need to ask him for what we are lacking. He will listen. He has given us a running handbook and a complete training schedule. The gospel is here. It is here to help us in our race.

I know it isnt easy, I am running it too. However, I find that as I make the time for spiritual training that I DO better. I testify of this. I feel a HUGE difference in my life. I know of its importance. It is worth all the effort. Nothing in this life feels better than the joy that living gospel principles bring. NOTHING. I have looked for it and have found nothing better. Train with me....lets all run together and encourage eachother. Think about this, as will I, about our training. find something you need to work on and do it. This week part off my training will be to rewatch conference at night online, when my kids are in bed. I missed alot of it and know that I need to listen to their guidance uninterupted. I always feel so uplifted and filled when I do. Think about something that you can do this week to fill your cup. I promise you and I will feel stronger and we will run our next lap even better than the one before.

My new food journal

So I am finally starting an online food journal. It was recommended by Roni from Green Lite Bites. (Theres a link on my family blog to her site.) Anyway......I NEED to start writing down what I eat. I use to be really good at this and I have been really slacking in this area. I do much better weight loss wise when I write down everything that I eat. I am also realizing how much I tend to take a bite of this and take a bite of that and not count it in my calorie intake. Today it all stops! Im hoping this journal will help. One of my Weight Watcher teachers use to call those BLT's. Bites, Licks and Tastes. Im hoping that by tracking my food I will try harder to resist these temptations of mine.....if I lose control...then Im counting them. I love Twitter because Roni has made it possible to track your points on there and I can use my phone to add what I eat to my blog. I think Im diggin this idea. Hopefully I will want to eat better knowing you all can see what I stuff my face with:)

5 weeks to the starting line

Ok...so Ive got five weeks before my half marathon. Wish me luck guys. I really need it. Ive also got 5 pounds to lose as well. Uugh! Wish me luck on that one as well. I made that goal back in July that I would be a certain weight before the run and its been hard. I have totally plateaued. I just cant seem to get under a certain number. I tried to start changing things up a bit....doing weights and so on but I know sometimes that doesn't necessarily drop the pounds...usually just the inches so Ive decided to stop for a while until after the big run. Its been hard finding the time anyway with running, work and children, so I put that part on hold.

Im feeling pretty good so far. As you all know I had some knee issues and then last week my back went out for about 5 days. I suddenly hopped up from a chair to save Lia from Rowan and I had a horrific pain. I stopped running for a week and feel completely better. I just really want to finish this half marathon so bad. A marathon may be far from reach for me with these issues but Im still going to try. If I have an injury Ill stop running..... but I have to try. I will see how I feel after a half marathon and If I can still walk after...great...its on!

Next weekend we are off to St George for Lorens Marathon. How many people can say they trained for a Marathon in six months with no prior running. Loren use to run alot but he hadnt in years. I am s0 proud of him. It goes to show you...anyone can do it with enough drive. I will post when we get back. Good luck Loren!

Touched by two Angel's

I don't want this to sound cheesy. I really don't.... but this really describes what happened. I really felt like I was touched by two Angel's. No... not a Angel, Angel but by a few people that I saw in the temple. After our temple session Friday night Loren and I sat in the Celestial Room at the Mt Timpanogos Temple. It was beautiful and so peaceful. I have never experienced it so peaceful. It was extremely quite and It was a very special moment for me. I didnt want to leave....I was in heaven. As I gazed around the room...I noticed a young woman weeping. I tried not to stare as I watched her and wondered to myself what she might be going through. I felt like she was hurting and that she must be there for comfort. She seemed very sad. As I watched her, a man walked over and handed her a tissue and proceeded to sit by her. He hugged her and as he did, I noticed he was very sick. He was pale and all his hair was gone. I think that he was terminally ill. However, to me....he looked like an angel and was beautiful. His eyes were extremely bright. As they interacted with eachother, I soon realized it was her husband. My heart ached for her. I cant imagine what that would be like. To have your husband suffering from an illness and thinking that he might soon leave this earth. I wanted to hug her so bad. This woman really touched me and left a lasting impression on me. They both impressed me. Look at where they were. They were in the temple. In a time of great distress and sadness....they turned to the Lord for comfort. The whole experience really touched me. It really made me think.

There was a time in my life when I had a difficult experience and I didn't turn to the Lord for help. I completely went the opposite direction. I relied only on myself and ended up in a very dark place. I only made myself worse....when I couldve turned to the Lord to ease my pain. I later learned that I always need to turn to the Lord when I need comfort and guidance, otherwise... the adversary can take great hold. This experience Friday night really reaffirmed my testimony of this and I am so grateful that these angles touched my soul.

Melissa..... this ones for you

Here are the answers to your questions. I will try to be short and sweet.

The number one thing that has helped me lose weight was first off....using the Weight Watchers plan. It has helped me change the way I eat. You do not have to use a so called diet to lose the pounds though. It is a mind set change. I hate the thought of a DIET and most of us do. We start off pretty motivated but soon feel deprived so we find ourselves ingulfed in a serious binge of all the things we felt deprived of. (I remember the day I bought a whole pan of brownies and ate them till I couldn't eat no mo.) but that's a different story. Weight Watchers is what I know... so I did it. It is not a Diet to me. It taught me how to eat right and I have a different relationship with food than I did before. So healthy eating is key. You can exercise all you want but if you don't change your eating habits you will quit exercising and give up because you wont see the results. I can still gain weight when I exercise, if I am eating poorly. Another thing that helps me, is when I think about how many calories something has, and how long I would have to exercise to burn it off and it usually helps me turn away. If I cant resist..... its all about good old "Portion Control." I will take half a piece or Ill have just a few bites.

Eat lots of Fruits and Veges. I have to make sure I get them in everyday. They help fill me up and then later I can eat something heavier like a burger if I wanted. (no fries) Just making small changes really help. For example....No Mayo, No sugar soda, Side salad instead of fries, healthy dressing(goodbye ranch), whole grain bread and so on.

Second...exercise. This is the key to feeling good. Yes it helps burn calories but for me it is my dose of Prozac. During exercise your body releases so many different hormones. The ones I like.... are The Endorphins. (An endogenous opioid from the pituitary gland that blocks pain, decreases appetite, creates a feeling of euphoria (the exercise high), and reduces tension and anxiety.) It works and I love it!

I exercise 5-6 times a week. My training has me running 4 times a week and then I usually do 30 minutes cross training two times a week. I just started weights on those same days. I have made it a priority to exercise. Everything revolves around our exercise schedule. Make sure you eat more if you exercise. Dont make your body think its starving or it will go into starvation mode. Also eat often. I eat 5-6 mini meals. Find out how much you should be eating to lose weight for your size. Eat half of what you will burn exercising. If you burn 400 calories...eat 200 more calories than what your limits are. Your body needs it. Change things up a bit too. Dont always eat a certain amount of calories. Eat high one day low the next. I usually eat more when I exercise and less when I dont. It keeps my body guessing.

Third...Lots of water. Atleast 6-8 glasses a day

Fourth ....realize that becoming healthy is all mental. I know I can have control. I know how good I feel when I do. I feel a difference when I am healthy(its not about being skinny) its about being healthy. I have more energy and I feel great mentally. You really do come to realize that no food can make you feel as good as being healthy.(except the chicken burrito at La Curva)Right Loren?

So here are the things I try to avoid

Fried food(Deep Fat... Fatty Fried:)

High Fat food( bad trans fatty foods.....but I eat my good fats.) which are.... Olive Oil, Almonds, Peanut Butter, Avocado and so on) Your body needs those fats. If I'm slacking on not eating those good fats, I stop losing. Don't overindulge though. Have a small serving every day

Yummy High Calorie desserts like the Paradise pie at Chile's. (1600 calories 78 grams of fat. I about died when I read it!)Really know what you are putting in your mouth. Ask for nutritional info. You would be amazed how unhealthy most restaurants are.



Things I eat

Fruits and Veges( if you crave fries.....make fries from Fresh Potatoes. Slice and bake with Fat free cooking spray or Olive Oil) Get creative with salads. Reach for an apple rather than chips. I really do think about Nutritional Value. I think....what am I going to get out of eating this? Chips really have no value. I LOVE Cheetos and Fritos...but we no longer have a relationship. Here and there I may have a few if I am confronted with them.

Whole Grains...never white, Wholw whaet tortillas, hotdog buns, hamburger buns, waffles

Lean Meats(Jennie O Frozen Turkey Burgers) So Yummy! I also love the Oscar Meyer 98% Fat Free Hot Dogs..then I add Turkey Chili over the top.

Eggs and Tuna with Low Fat Mayo or plain

I love my protein bars. Rowan calls them Gas Bars. They do have that affect. Some are exstremely high in calories..... check that info and also eat foods with lots of fiber.

100 Calorie treats. Treat yourself every day. If I couldn't have a treat, I would die. I love the Slow Churned 1/2 the Fat Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ice Cream. It taste like the real stuff. I follow the serving size and have a half of cup.

Yogurt, Cottage Cheese, Cheese sticks. Make sure to get your dairy in.

98% Fat Free Popcorn.

So....... I hope this helped. People ask me all the time how I did it.... but it really is simple. Eat right and exercise. There is nothing really miraculous or there is no Wonder Diet. Its just simply changing your bad habits and eating things we know are healthy and getting our bootys movin.

Its all in the shoes.......

So as you all may know......Ive have been suffering from a bumm knee. It has been bothering me since the end of July, after I stupidly upped my milege alot in one week. I took some time off and started back a few weeks later but it still bothered me. I was getting really depressed because I wasnt sure if I would be able to run this half marathon that is coming up in November. I was really close to hanging up my running shoes and saying goodbye to them forever.

A few weeks ago...Loren and I went into Wasatch Running so he could get a new pair of shoes for the St George Marathon. His feet and heel were bothering him, so we decided to just bite the bullet and pay for a really good pair. While I was there, I was looking at all the cute shoes(ofcourse I look at style first) and was picking out the ones in my mind that I would get if I was getting shoes. I watched this sales associate help Loren fit his feet for shoes and was really impressed with the whole process. He took alot of time with him, making sure he got the right one for his foot type. During this process, this guy started asking me if I ran as well. I proceeded to tell him about my knee issues. He asked me what shoes I was running in and how long I had them. He told me right off, that my knee problem stemmed from my shoes.

So heres the issue......When I buy shoes....I usually go to Big 5 and pick out the cutest cheapest pair I can find. It is always about style first and then if they are comfy great...Ill buy them. The last ones I purchased, were Saucony(not a bad brand) but they werent top of the line and they were only 30 bucks. I always love a good deal. The problem was, that my insole fell out of one and I had put alot of miles on them already. After little thought, I told him I was interested in getting fitted as well. He watched me walk bear footed and noticed that my feet roll inwards as I walk. So he pulled out a couple different pairs to choose from that had a strong post in the arch. They werent the ones I intially thought were cute and he had to convince me that the ones I liked wouldnt help my knee problem. After I tried on the Asics, I was happy. They were still cute.

I also asked the guy about getting a knee brace. He told me that if I still had pain in a few weeks to come back.....but that he didnt think I would have to. He told me that he thought the shoes would really help. So guess what! He was right. I havent had knee pain at all. It was way worth paying more for good shoes. ($135 but worth every penny)

So.... I learned alot throught this process. I know what shoes to buy for myself and I know that I need to replace them every 300-500 miles. I happily started training for my half Marathon and I feel like I am going to be able to physically do this. I cant tell you how happy I am.

Time well spent

This subject.....time....... has really been on my mind lately. When thought about....I feel like I am not doing so well with this subject and how I choose to spend it. It is so easy for me and I'm sure all of us, to get lost in the world and to forget the things that we should REALLY be doing with our time.


These are the questions that have running through my mind lately.

How is my temple attendance?

Am I serving others?

Am I a giving person....do I donate enough?

Do I have weekly Family Night?

How is my Scripture reading?

What does my Food Storage look like?

When was the last time I sent someone a note.. gave a compliment or a hug?

When was the last time I bore witness of Christ?

How do I feel about my church attendance?

When was the last time I worked on my Family History?

What am I doing to build up the Kingdom of God?


In all honesty...I can not reply to all of these questions and feel good about my answers. In time, I want to be able to and today I have committed to trying harder than I did yesterday. Don't get me wrong here.....I know we aren't perfect and we are human. Life brings other things into our paths that we have to do. Sometimes we cant do everything.... but we can try.

I thought about this while trying to plan a trip to the circus. Rowan has been dying to go and Loren and I have really wanted to take him. We bought tickets...which was a pain in the rump, trying to figure out what day would work and trying to find a babysitter who would be available on the same day. After much hassle....we ended up working it all out. That night as I laid in bed I was thinking about my temple attendance. I realized that I hadn't gone in a very long time. My excuse.....I had a new baby and we have just been too busy with work, running, kids and the business. Am I really though? In all honesty am I really too busy? Look at what I went through to go to the circus. I really wanted to go and I made it happen. Where are my priorities? So, lesson learned. I will make temple attendance more of a priority. I will make all of these things more of a priority. These are the things that give us real joy. I mean....I love the circus....that makes me happy too....but I need to be more balanced. That is the key. Balance. There needs to be a balance in every aspect of our lives. Its great to do fun things but its also important to those things we are asked to do.


So think about this. What if today was your last day.....your last day here on earth. How would you and I feel about the life we lived. Really think about this. If we were standing face to face with the Lord.... would we be able to look at him in his eyes or would we be ashamed that we didn't do enough. I hope with all my heart that I will lift my head up high and feel good about the choices I made. I really shouldnt say it that way......It goes beyond hope.....I can hope all I want but that really wont help me. This will be decided by my actions. I have to work....work really hard and get my priorities in line. So this is what I'm doing and I hope every single one of you reading this will feel the desire to act as well.

Lets make one goal....start with one and make it a priority. Do something that you have been wanting to do. I promise that as you and I spent more time building up the kingdom of God, that we will feel joy. This feeling is priceless and it is free.

Our journey to higher ground

As you all might know.....Loren and I have started a new journey in our life. Actually we have started two. The first one is the obvious one. It is the one that we talk about alot and the one that is more noticeable. Together we are on a journey to better health. Lorens journey started when the doctor told him he needed to eat better because he had a "fatty liver" and for me it was the "baby weight" issue. So six months ago we started exercising and eating right and we have each lost 35 pounds or so and we feel great!

The second journey...our spiritual journey started in April. This journey started when we were confronted with a trial and realized that we needed to strenghthen our spiritual selves to battle it. We realized that we just werent putting enought time and effort into those simple things we needed to do every day to protect ourselves from the adversary. We were slacking big time and we were not consuming enough spiritual food. We have made huge spiritual changes in our life and that too has made us feel great!

So, I wanted to start this blog so that I could have a place to share my thoughts on these two journeys. I want it to be a place were we can all journey to higher ground and share insight and healthy thoughts.