Melissa’s Neighborhood

I have attempted to blog a couple of times now...I am hoping that 3rd time is a charm. 

Most of my blog will be pictures!! After all....aren't pictures fun to look at anyways??

We had a great weekend up North..It was so fun to get away and to be with all of my family.  We were only missing one of my nieces.  She had to work...bummer!! But, we all had a great time and I'm so grateful for such a wonderful family.  I truly have a very close family and a family that brings in a lot of love.

We were so blessed to be able to to up North for a few days.  The boys had a blast and had so much fun with cousins.  It was a little hard for Kobe to leave.  He cried on the way home because he didn't want to leave.  We will just have to make more trips so he can see his cousins.

Anyway....Here is  pictures from our long Thanksgiving weekend.

The boys had lots of fun playing together.  This is the boys playing the drums.

This picture is so fitting for Devin!! He just looks like a natural and like this is what he should be doing.  My brother Jeff captured this photo for me.  I am so glad he got this photo. He just looks a natural playing the drums.

My oldest brother and his son.  I love this picture of the two of them!!!  What a great bond they have.

Devin absolutely loves his little cousin....I love the look that Devin is giving me...He was trying to smile but gave me a side smile...I love that David is headless in the picture..OOOPS...

Kobe taking time out of his BUSY PLAY schedule to pose for a picture...

Getting ready to start Thanksgiving dinner..It was all REALLY yummy!!  I think we ate at 1 or 2.  It was pretty early but left us a great night of PIES...

One of the activities we did the day after Thanksgiving was go to the Aqua Center. It was a lot of fun.  The kids all did the rock climbing wall first.  This was Kobe's first time rock climbing. He did great..I think he was a little nervous so he would go up a little and then want to come down.  But, for his first time he did such a great job.  I think if had a few days to do this he would of definetely made it to the top...We will have to keep working on the rock climbing wall with him here or when we go up North to visit. 

My cute niece and nephews getting ready to climb the wall

Kobe up on the wall...

Playing games at the aqua center

I think what the kids were most looking forward to is going swimming..They had a blast. 

Kobe loving this!! He is my little fish..He loves water...

Devin having a blast..He found a little friend that was about his age and the two of them had a blast...He really enjoyed the aqua center.  He just wanted to go on the BIG KIDS side and ride the tubes and go down the slide...

Next time!!!

This picture I took of David and I...We were getting ready to go out in the woods and take family pictures!!!  It was cloudy and COLD.....It would rain a little and stop then be sunny then cloud over..But, we managed to get some family photos in.

Getting ready to go outside in the cold cold cold....My hair ended up going flat and I looked cold the whole time I was outiside..But, that's okay..It was still lots of fun.  I love being outside and especially surrounded by pine trees so I didn't care

David hanging out waiting for our family to take pictures....I'm surprised he had his jacket off he was so cold out there.

I love this picture..Brian getting the camera ready

Cute picture of the two......Kobe thinks the world of his cousins..

My brother Brian took the kids out into the woods with the dog and took lots of pictures...

Boys having fun outside....What could be better? Great picture of Kobe hanging from the tree limb

I love this spiderman crawl on the rock..It looks so cool

The boys had so much fun outside....It was perfect weather...

My brother and his cute family

I love this picture of Mom and Dad!!! It tured out GREAT

I wasn't so happy with my family pictures...I take that back...I was SUPER happy with everyone but ME..I didn't like the angle or how we were positioned..It did nothing for me and made me look YUCK...

We had tons of us taken and the picture I'm posting is NOT a good one of me..In  fact, I'm not really even smiling..But, the boys all look SO GOOD so I chose a not so good one of me but a GREAT one of them..

My brother and his wife

For some odd reason I can't delete the duplicate pictures of the kids...Hmmmm

Oh well...They are so cute you get to look at them 3 times.

I thought our family pictures turned out fun!!! We all looked pretty shart in our black shirts.

It was cold but it was lots of fun...I have the best family ever...

On Sunday morning we woke up to this...

The snow was really pretty!!! The night before Kobe collected TONS of snow in a glass and made himself Root Beer Slushies and he thought that was really fun...And...it was also really good...

The snow was so pretty I kind of missed it...To David...It just confrimed to him that he NEVER wants to live in snow country again......

We made it home safely and had a great Thanksgiving holiday...It was fun to get away and it was fun to be with all my family..

They are the BEST!!!!

It has been awhile since I have updated my blog....I haven't quite known what I wanted to say so I have avoided my blog for awhile.

I have learned that trials are for our benefit even though we don't know it at the time.  They are always difficult and they are definetely NOT fun...But, I have learned that your attitude makes all the difference in the world...

It really makes it or breaks it....Through the trial that our family has gone through we decided from day one of the trial to take the high road and make it a positive experience.  With that being said...that didn't mean that every day would be full of happiness and roses...We had hard hard days...But, looking back (and granted this trial was not that long ago)  I don't remember ever being left alone through the trial.  I was always able to stay busy.

David and I made a list of all the things we would do to stay busy and productive

1.  Get up early and NOT let ourself sleep in

2.  We would walk every morning to start our day

3. Read Scriptures (a.m. reading)

4. Say family prayer, couple prayer and individual pray

5. We would fill our day with constant productive activities

(for David that was constant studying and that is exactly what he needed)

6.  Speak encouraging words and thoughts throughout the day

7. Say prayers anytime we felt discouraged or frustrated

8. SERVE OTHERS

9.  Have tons of family time

10.  Family dinner

11.  Night Scripture study, read uplifting talks....

12.  Family Night Prayer, Couple Night Prayer and individual prayer

This made all the difference in the world to keep a positive attitude...I was so blessed to constantly stay busy. 

In an earlier post I talked about a lady who was going through a rough trial and how at the end of her trial she was almost sad to see her trial end....When I first read that I thought, "How crazy are you?--why in the world would you NOT want your trial to be over?" 

But, having gone through our trial I honestly know how she was feeling?  Even though you are in the depts of pain and worrisome "IF"  and I use that in big letters "IF" you choose to take a positive approach to your situation it helps so much.

I have never in my life felt the spirit more strong.  I really can't even describe how much I was protected..Not that I want to be in the trial anymore  (and to be honest we are still in the trial--but things are looking up)

I chose to completely grow from this experience and it sure has humbled me and made me appreciate so much more.

I am also so grateful for those friends who really helped me out....There is a few friends that really made all the difference in the world...

They would call to see how I was doing or send me an email or help out any way they could...That really meant a lot to me and let me know what a good true friend was...I'm so thankful for that.

I'm also so grateful for my family (my parents) who only had encouraging words and were so positive and optimistic about everything. 

Trials happen for a reason!!!  Sometimes we are forced into a trial that comes by un fair circumstances...That was our case. 

I believe without a doubt that when one door is slammed in your face (for no reason or unfair reasons and  un just reasons) another bigger door will open.  It may not happen right away and it may take time...but your attitude will determine when that bigger door will open...

Anyway...I was prepared to take on this trial for as long as necessary...

We received such great blessings from our prayers...

David is in school and we knew that he would not be able to get a job at the hospital until he was in his 2nd or 3rd semester. They just don't hire you on until that point...

Well, we had some WONDERFUL friends that put in such great words for us at the hospital....(We are eternally grateful) but I also know that the Lord has plans for us...

There was not a position at the hospital they were hiring for...But, somehow through our Faith and the hand of the Lord a job was created for David.  He went in for his interview and was offered a job that same day.  He was talking to a guy that did his first interview and the guy told him, "We weren't even interviewing or hiring" 

I know this is for a reason!! David wants a career with the hospital and he will only continue to work his way up...

We are so blessed beyond words...I can't even describe what I feel...

We still have a lot of work or I should say David still has A LOT of work to get through this semester..He has some tough tests coming up but I know he will do just fine....

We are so blessed and we will continue to keep our heads high until this trial is completely past.  It has changed us in so many ways and for the better. 

I can honestly say I am truly 100% grateful for this trial....It has opened my eyes, it has made me grow spritually and made me a better person.  Not that I like trials but it really was a blessing in disguise.

I am so proud of my husband...He went through some dark dark days...I'm so proud that he fought and is getting where he wants to be....

He is going to be so successful in anything that he does....

Keeping a positive attitude is key...Even when you have no idea how everything will fall into place..I had to keep thinking that the Lord created this earth and if I have enough Faith he can make anything happen if I have enough Faith...

He created a job for David that wasn't event here....This is a job he has wanted for years now...and he will only continue to grow from here..

We are blessed and will continue to be blessed as we stay positive through the rest of our trials...

A cowboy Christmas poem

Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house

Not a creature was praying no not one in the house

There Bibles were laying on the shelf without care

Just in hopes that Jesus wouldn't show up there.

Now the youngsters were dressin to crawl into bed and

not once ever kneeling or bowing a head

Mom she was sittin there in her rocker with a baby on her lap

was a watching the late show while I snoozed and took a little nap.

When out of the East there arose such a clatter

I sprang to my feet to see what in the world was the matter

Away to the window I flew like a flash to open the shutter and threw up the sash

When what to my wondering eyes should appear but angels (folks) proclaiming that Jesus was there.

With the light like the sun shining forth a bright day boy I knew without a doubt

this must be the day

The light of his face made me cover my head it was Jesus returning just like he had said.

And though I possessed wordly wisdom, wealth folks I cried when I saw him in spite of myself

Now in the book of life which he held in his hand there was written a name of ever saved man

He spoke not a word as he searched for my name and when he said it's not here my head hung in shame

The peoples who's name that had been written with love he gathered to take to his Father above

To those who were ready he arose without sound while the rest of us were just standin around

I fell to my knees it was a little too late

I'd waited too long and thus sealed my fate

I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight

OH.....

if I'd only been ready tonight....

Now in the words of this poem the meaning is mighty clear the coming of Jesus folks is drawing near

There is only one life and when it comes to the last call we are going to find

that the

BIBLE

IT'S TRUE......AFTER ALL!!!

 

Yummy body shower scrub

When the weather starts to turn a little colder my skin gets so dry....My families skin gets really bad and it looks so painful and chapped.

This year I have made a promise that we will keep our skin well nourished so the cracked skin will NOT hurt this year...

I am trying to think of gifts that are made from the heart this year.  It seems to be so much more meaningful and really makes a difference that thought was put into a gift. 

After all I am trying to teach my kids the true meaning of the holidays and how special it is.

Yesterday Kobe made David the BEST Christmas card ever...It was so thoughtful and the message he wrote was heart warming.  (Because it's a Christmas gift I can't post a picture of it JUST YET) So, Kobe is hiding it and he will wrap it up for his Daddy for Christmas.  I told Kobe this year we need to really think of others and we need to do gifts from the heart.  Kobe made the card and he also made him the COOLEST airplane from his little legos.  Kobe is getting so good at building things with his little legos...Kobe made such a great airplane that he decided he wanted to give it to his daddy for Christmas..

Now these are legos Kobe LOVES LOVES LOVES and plays with every day yet he is willing to wrap it up and give it away as a gift...Very thoughtful....

Anyway....so, I made some fun gifts to go in a christmas goodie bag for family members...

I love the idea...

Bath Jars!!!

I love how soft it makes the skin!!! Oh, I'm in heaven...I am going to use this all winter...

How to assemble your own jars for gifts.

1.  Jars (I got mine at Michae's for $1.00) 

Both sizes were $1.00 so I got as many of the large sizes as possible-hopefully they will get more in

2. Epsom Salt (I bought a HUGE box from Costco for $4.00--a lot cheaper than buying Epsom salt from the grocery store)

3. Baby Oil with Lavendar & Baby Oil GEL (Walmart)

4. Food Coloring (any grocery store-Walmart)

Directions:

1. Fill your jar up with Epsom Salt to the top

2. Pour the Epsom Salt (that you filled in the jar) into a bowl

3. Add 1 Tablespoon of Baby Oil Gel & 1 Tablespoon of Baby Oil With Lavendar

4.  Add food coloring (Look on the back of the box for your desired color)

5. Mix really well and scoop back into your jar

6.  Add desired rub-ons (From Michaels) to your jar

7. Top jar with Raffia and add a little note

8.  Use each time you shower or take a bath as a body scrub

 

It feels AMAZING....Such a simple gift but one that leaves your skin feeling GREAT!!!

I love it...

There are so many great and wonderful gifts you can make....There is NO need to go out and buy high price items when you can making something great at home for just a few dollars...

 

 

I decided I would take the boys to the store with me...Instead of dreading with the feeling of, "OH NO!! I have to take the boys to the store at the most buy time of the day."  I decided I would have a good attitude and make the shopping trip LOTS of fun...However, I didn't expect for my boys to make the fun (instead of me)

I thought for sure I would have to keep them occupied and come up with games to keep them from putting everything into the cart...It was just the opposite...

Kobe jumped out of the car and noticed TONS of carts all around...He asked if he could take the carts up...

SURE....and even Devin wanted to help...So the three of us started stacking carts together...

I am not even sure how many we stacked but a TON....enough that I could hardly push the carts and move them..HOLY COW those carts are DANG heavy..

Now, my boys have done this several several times...each time we go to the store it becomes a routine for them...But, usually only maybe like 5 at a time...

We finally got the carts up to the door and realized there was not ONE cart for the customers to use...So, all the customers were coming up to Kobe for a cart.  Each one of them were so impressed and told the boys, "Thank You"

I think they were pretty impressed that he would do that.....I think I was more impressed. 

I am so grateful that my boys are learning service.....

Nobody asked them to bring those carts in and my boys were not expecting a THANK YOU from anyone...

The store had NO IDEA what he was doing but it made the boys feel really good inside...

Service does not have to be BIG....It's the little things in life that mean the most...

Does service always come at the most convenient time?  NO

Does service perk your spirits up?  ABSOLUTELY!!!!!

Should you do service in order to gain a reward or to be thanked?  NO!!

Service is just a wonderful wonderful thing!!! 

I love it!!!

I have no idea how many carts he had...But, quite a few!! It was hard to turn the corner..But, we managed to get it done...

GOOD JOB!!! 

I am so proud of you guys.....

SERVICE WITH A SMILE!!!!

:o)

I decided I would take the boys to the store with me...Instead of dreading with the feeling of, "OH NO!! I have to take the boys to the store at the most buy time of the day."  I decided I would have a good attitude and make the shopping trip LOTS of fun...However, I didn't expect for my boys to make the fun (instead of me)

I thought for sure I would have to keep them occupied and come up with games to keep them from putting everything into the cart...It was just the opposite...

Kobe jumped out of the car and noticed TONS of carts all around...He asked if he could take the carts up...

SURE....and even Devin wanted to help...So the three of us started stacking carts together...

I am not even sure how many we stacked but a TON....enough that I could hardly push the carts and move them..HOLY COW those carts are DANG heavy..

Now, my boys have done this several several times...each time we go to the store it becomes a routine for them...But, usually only maybe like 5 at a time...

We finally got the carts up to the door and realized there was not ONE cart for the customers to use...So, all the customers were coming up to Kobe for a cart.  Each one of them were so impressed and told the boys, "Thank You"

I think they were pretty impressed that he would do that.....I think I was more impressed. 

I am so grateful that my boys are learning service.....

Nobody asked them to bring those carts in and my boys were not expecting a THANK YOU from anyone...

The store had NO IDEA what he was doing but it made the boys feel really good inside...

Service does not have to be BIG....It's the little things in life that mean the most...

Does service always come at the most convenient time?  NO

Does service perk your spirits up?  ABSOLUTELY!!!!!

Should you do service in order to gain a reward or to be thanked?  NO!!

Service is just a wonderful wonderful thing!!! 

I love it!!!

I have no idea how many carts he had...But, quite a few!! It was hard to turn the corner..But, we managed to get it done...

GOOD JOB!!! 

I am so proud of you guys.....

SERVICE WITH A SMILE!!!!

:o)

 

*Just a little note* This post is very long!!  If you only have time to read a little I will be making it all ONE post but breaking it up into little segments.

There is just something wonderful about seeing your children smile with pure enjoyment.  There is nothing that soothes the heart more than seeing this.  Kids just seem to make the world go round and make everything wonderful.

Last night for Family Home Evening we took the kids to Peter Piper Pizza.  Monday's are family night and that means lots and lots of fun...They get to color pictures, do craft activities, get balloons, get in drawings to win free pizza and each kid gets a free kids size pizza.  How fun is that??  When we got to Peter Piper they had put in a new horse carousel..This was so exciting for the kids....We haven't been in awhile and this was new...They got to ride the carousel quite a few times...

 

It was so fun to watch the excitement on their faces and to see what fun they were having.  It sure made me smile and made me realize I am so lucky to have such wonderful boys..

Kids just seem to make the world go round....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have to send a big SHOUT OUT to my wonderful husband who did an excellent job on his test yesterday...He studied every waking minute for this test.  He had pages and pages of notes that he had memorized. 

A funny story....

He was at the library the other day and was really studying hard.  A lady from the library came up to him and asked, "Is there something I can help you find?"  David, "No!"  Library lady, "Well, we closed 30 minutes ago!"

ooops!!  David was so focused he hadn't realized that NO ONE was around and he was the only one in the library.  He got quite a laugh out of that...

I am so proud of him for all his hard work and dedication...It takes so much effort to go through school and to learn all that he is learning!!!  I am so proud of David and love him so much.

He wants this schooling more than anything and he is willing to do anything to achieve his dreams. 

He is so incredibly grateful to my parents and my family for the support they give him..They are constantly encouraging him and rooting him on...They are always full of positive comments and a positive attitude with him.  They are always checking in with him how he is doing and if there is anything they can help him with.  It really makes all the difference in the world when he has my family to support him and back him up 100%.  He is also grateful for his classmates that help him and support him....Every little bit makes all the difference...

Now, on to the next test.  He has about 4 more weeks to go in this semester...It will be a crazy 4 weeks and full of tons of studying..But, I have total faith in my husband that he can get through this semester.  It will be so nice for him to have a few weeks off in between semesters...

David, I love you with all my heart!!!  I am so proud of you...You can accomplish anything you put your mind to....Your life will be so successful...

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a few things that I am REALLY loving right now.....

#1

I absolutely LOVE this stuff!!  It's a powder full of vitamins!! It's the GREATEST stuff ever...I pour the little packet into a glass and put very little water in..I try not to dilute it down..In fact, I put way less than what is asked for...I also put tons of ice in my drink..Then I drink down the vitamins and add more water to finish what got left behind..When I first started drinking this I wasn't so sure about it..NOW...I look forward to every night taking this..It's packed with such important vitamins...

I remember as a little girl/teenager I guess always drinking Calistogas..I wonder if they still make those?  Anyway, it reminds me of a yummy flavored Calistoga...

I also in the morning take a calcium pill, Fish Oil Pill and a vitamin D.  All very important vitamins are bodies do not get enough of...

Such an important thing to have!!!

This box comes with 30 packets.  It's kind of expensive (as a rule for vitamins) but yesterday in Target I found the same thing but in a generic form (sort of speak) I read all the ingredients and it matches IDENTICAL....and for about $3-$4 dollars cheaper.

There is NEVER a reason to buy named brand when the generic always contains the exact same ingredients..I do that with all products..Tylenol, cough syrup or anything else..Read the label you will be surprised that it matches up identical and there is no need to pay several dollars more just because of the packaging or the NAME BRAND.

So, here is the box of the vitamins..I got these from Target

I haven't tried this box yet but I'm sure it taste just the same!!!

Great and wonderful product!!!  It's always a great thing to know you are getting all the required vitamins your body needs.

#2

This is by far my favorite eye shadow on the planet earth...I LOVE LOVE LOVE this...I have been using this for months now and just can't even begin to say enough about this eyeshadow

Loreal HIP Cream Shadow Paint

This eye shadow goes on wet just like paint but dries within a matter of seconds on your eye lids.  The reason I love this is because it acts as a eye primer but has the color of an eye-shadow..The best part is...It last ALL DAY long and you never EVER have to re-touch your make up during the day.  Even in the hot summer it just STAYS...I don't even know if Loreal is making this anymore...which makes me SO SAD because I love it SO MUCH!!!  When I originally bought this was when I just happaned to be in the drug store and it was on sale for like $10.00 I thought WHY NOT?  I'll try it..I had never ever heard of it before and really I didn't even know what it was all about..I tried it and I'm SOLD...I will still see it in drugstores for about $13 or $14 dollars but I have found mine on Ebay for like $2.00.  I have been stocking up on this when I find a great deal..I NEVER want to run out of Cream Shadow Paint...

Oh, I can't even begin to tell you how much I love it!!!

It's WONDERFUL

#3

Are you seeing that I absolutely LOVE Loreal products?  For years I have worn Bare Minerals/Bare Escentuals (the commercials you always see on T.V) and I have loved it since I started wearing it 10 years ago.  I have always bought my Bare Minerals from QVC because they are ALWAYS on QVC....But, it's expensive...and I just can't do that now...As much as I love it I just can't afford that...

Now, if you remember earlier I told you about the generic vitamins (above) and how it has the EXACT same ingredients as the name brand vitamins..Well, this is true about Loreals products..I LOVE this foundation...It works just as good if not better than Bare Minerals..The good thing is...It's so much cheaper and if you watch the sales you can get buy one get one half off..and if you happen to have a coupon then it's almost NOTHING to buy these two products in the picture...

I hate hate hate cream base foundation...It drives me crazy to wear cream foundation..I love powder foundation and it does a great job..I wear Light Ivory in the powder and soft in the pressed powder.  I also use a Kabuki brush to apply the minerals instead of the brush that comes with the bottle..It works so much better...
I would gladly sell anything for Loreal

#4

CANDLES!!

I love Holiday candles..I love scents!!!  But, I love anything with Cedarwood or Sandal wood..It's just one of my favorites..

I don't have many candles...and because of that I don't burn them often because I don't want to run out of the yummy smell but I love candles!! There is just something inviting about candles...

So, if anyone wants to send candles my way...I will gladly burn them for you!!  (grin)

#5

 

Extremely in -expensive nail polish!!!  I have finally found a nail polish that will stay on my nails.

When I was in High School I would paint my nails every single day...I would literally match the color of my polish to the outfit I wore...I had SO many bottles of OPI nail polish..But, they would always chip or peel off and it drove me crazy that I would always have to re do my nails on a daily basis..So, I gave up on nail polish and have not worn it for years.

But, as of the last few months I have finally found a nail polish I LOVE!!!  I will never spend $8.00 or more on OPI, China Glaze or any of the epensive nail polishes..Granted they have super pretty colors but I love Sinful Colors.  The greatest part is they are only $1.99 for a bottle..And they are NOT a thick polish..  I am in love with this polish...

#6

HOWEVER, there is a catch to OPI...I LOVE DRIP DRY by OPI (sorry the picture is horrible) this is the next greatest product ever....Drip dry literally dries your newly  polished nails within 1 minute..I DO not have time to sit and wait for nails to dry so I use this all the time..In fact, this bottle is empty and really since it has been empty I have not polished my nails because it takes too long for them to dry...So, one day I'll get around to buying more of this...(I hope) 

It is the greatest stuff ever invented

#7

My greatest and most wonderful thing that I love....MY FAMILY!!
I love my family more than anything else in this world....I would do anything for them..

We are such a happy family and love life to the fullest!! 

Times are toughs and the trials we are currently going through are by far NOT fun...But, we are happy and we love life...

We will get through anything...even if it takes a very long time...

I am so blessed!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I recently read an article that my friend put on her blog!!! These are all things I have known but it always hits a little harder when you actually read it in BOLD print.

I asked my friend if she wouldn't mind if I copied what she put on her blog about

.......

S O D A

NO SODA!!!  I am not a soda drinker AT ALL..I am grateful for that...

It just burns so much when I drink it that it's not even worth it to me...Plus after reading all the things about soda it really made me think...

BE HEALTHY

NO SODA

Thanks so my friend for letting me post this about soda....

Here is the article:

Some people drink soda pop as if it is water, some even instead of water. Sure, the primary ingredient is water, but, with all the other “stuff” it contains it can have a…toxic…poisonous…lethal…venomous… seriously harmful effect on your entire body. Drinking soda pop is a sure-fire way to age faster. Here’s why:

 

Soda Pop (or carbonated soft drinks) has an alarming amount of sugar, calories and harmful additives in it that have absolutely no nutritional value. Studies have linked soda to osteoporosis, obesity, tooth decay and heart disease. Despite this, soda accounts for more than one-quarter of all drinks consumed in the United States….and we wonder why we can’t lose weight and why we have health problems. So very often our health problems do not BEGIN on their own. WE encourage illness and disease little-by-little every day by NOT preventing their cause. We know better, we try to fool ourselves, but our bodies’ cells can’t be fooled about what we put in our mouths. I hope the next time you look at a can of soda pop you take note of the ingredients and smarten up for the good of your own healthy lifespan and that of your children and grandchildren. …What you are about to read should turn you away from sodas altogether.

Here’s what’s in Soda Pop:

 

Phosphoric Acid: May interfere with the body’s ability to use calcium, which can lead to osteoporosis or softening of the teeth {Here’s my two cents on this: If you don’t want your kids to have lots of cavities… quit letting them drink soda pop!} and bones. Phosphoric acid also neutralizes the hydrochloric acid in your stomach, which can interfere with digestion, making it difficult to utilize nutrients.

 

Sugar: Soft drink manufacturers are the largest single user of refined sugar in the United States. It is a proven fact that sugar increases insulin levels, which can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, weight gain, premature aging and many more negative side effects. Most sodas include over 100 percent of the RDA of sugar.

 

Aspartame: This chemical is used as a sugar substitute in diet soda. There are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame consumption including brain tumors, birth defects, diabetes, emotional disorders and epilepsy/seizures. Further, when aspartame is stored for long periods of time or kept in warm areas it changes to methanol, an alcohol that converts to formaldehyde and formic acid, which are known carcinogens.

 

Caffeine: Caffeinated drinks can cause jitters, insomnia, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, elevated blood cholesterol levels, vitamin and mineral depletion, breast lumps, birth defects, and perhaps some forms of cancer.

 

Soda is one of the main reasons, nutritionally speaking, why many people suffer health problems. Aside from the negative effects of the soda itself, drinking a lot of soda is likely to leave you with little appetite for vegetables, protein and other food that your body needs. {HELLO???? NEED I SAY MORE?}

 

{This is the best right here… Brace yourself. This is where you need to be brutally honest!} How many sodas have you had today? How about your kids? The average American drinks an estimated 56 gallons of soft drinks each year, but before you grab that next can of soda, consider this: one can of soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar, 150 calories, 30 to 55 mg of caffeine, and is loaded with artificial food colors and sulphites.

 

Teenagers and children, who many soft drinks are marketed toward, are among the largest consumers. In the past 10 years, soft drink consumption among children has almost doubled in the United States. Teenage boys now drink, on average, three or more cans of soda per day, and 10 percent drink seven or more cans a day. The average for teenage girls is more than two cans a day, and 10 percent drink more than five cans a day.

 

It also raises the question of how one determines a product’s caffeine content. Nutrition labels are not required to divulge that information. If a beverage contains caffeine, it must be included in the ingredient list, but there’s no way to tell how much a beverage has, and there’s little logic or predictability to the way caffeine is deployed throughout a product line.

 

Let’s take a look at some of the major components of a can of soda:

 

Okay, so most enlightened consumers already know that colas contain a fair amount of caffeine. It turns out to be 35 to 38 milligrams per 12-ounce can, or roughly 28 percent of the amount found in an 8-ounce cup of coffee. But few know that diet colas — usually chosen by those who are trying to dodge calories and/or sugar — often pack a lot more caffeine.

 

A 12-ounce can of Diet Coke, for example, has about 42 milligrams of caffeine — seven more than the same amount of Coke Classic. A can of Pepsi One has about 56 milligrams of caffeine — 18 milligrams more than both regular Pepsi and Diet Pepsi.

 

Even harder to figure out is the caffeine distribution in other flavors of soda pop. Many brands of root beer contain no caffeine. An exception is Barq’s, made by the Coca-Cola Co., which has 23 milligrams per 12-ounce can. Sprite, 7-Up and ginger ale are caffeine-free. But Mountain Dew, the curiously named Mello Yellow, Sun Drop Regular, Jolt and diet as well as regular Sunkist orange soda all pack caffeine.

 

Caffeine occurs naturally in kola nuts, an ingredient of cola soft drinks. But why is this drug, which is known to create physical dependence, added to other soft drinks?

 

The industry line is that small amounts are added for taste, not for the drug’s power to sustain demand for the products that contain it. Caffeine’s bitter taste, they say, enhances other flavors. “It has been a part of almost every cola — and pepper-type beverage — since they were first formulated more than 100 years ago,” according to the National Soft Drink Association.

 

But recent blind taste tests conducted by Roland Griffiths at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore found that only 8 percent of regular soft drink consumers could identify the difference between regular and caffeine-free soft drinks.

 

The study included only subjects who reported that they drank soft drinks mainly for their caffeine content. In other words, more than 90 percent of the self-diagnosed caffeine cravers in this small sample could not detect the presence of caffeine.

 

That’s why the great popularity of caffeinated soft drinks is driven not so much by subtle taste effects as by the mood-altering and physical dependence of caffeine that drives the daily self-administration.

 

And the unknown could be especially troublesome for the developing brains of children and adolescents. Logic dictates that when you are dependent on a drug, you are really upsetting the normal balances of neurochemistry in the brain. The fact that kids have withdrawal signs and symptoms when the caffeine is stopped is a good indication that something has been profoundly disturbed in the brain.

 

Exactly where that leads is anybody’s guess — which is to say there is little good research on the effects of caffeine on kids’ developing brains.”

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When it comes to soda pop, I’d say that one of the things that gripes me the most is when I see little tiny kids drinking it… especially the “hard” stuff… like Mountain Dew or Dr. Pepper. Just like the article above states. They are developing troublesome dependencies on a drug that will upset the normal balances in their brain. Soda pop is a dangerous drink. There is absolutely nothing nutritious about it! NOTHING! It should not be invited into our bodies and if people would stop drinking it, my firm belief is that they would enjoy a life with more energy, less weight around their middle section, and have fewer long term health problems.

 

 

**IF you would like her website to all the great helpful and healthy posts she makes p lease email me and I would be more than happy to pass her website on**  She has such great ideas to achieve a healthy and happy body....**

 

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I still have so much more to post today!!! But, because of the length of it already I will post more things tomorrow!!

It's such a wonderful time of the year!!

So, what are you favorite things RIGHT NOW??

And.....

What are you thankful for??

 

 

There is nothing like a cute little boy that LOVES to sing to brighten your mood....The world seems to smile brighter when a little boys sings.

This reminds me of a talk recently given at the Priesthood session this past October.  It was such a great talk...It just came to mind so I thought I would post this talk.  If you are reading this post and have the time to read a great letter I highly recommend taking the time to read a wonderful talk.  Taking time in kids life makes such a difference.

http://www.lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-1117-18,00.html

This is a talk titled:  I LOVE LOUD BOYS

The talk was given by:  Elder Yoon Hwan Choi
Of the Seventy

Anyway.....back to my post.....On our trip to Costco (again)  Devin found  Primary songs in the car....This made him SO EXCITED.....He found on the CD one of his favorite songs....Popcorn Popping...

We literally played this song over and over about 50 times.  Each time was cuter than the first.  Grandpa and Grandma were with us and he kept saying, "SING WITH ME" and then the next time we played it he would say, "You don't sing this time only me."  There is just something about Devin that makes everyone smile...He is just so much fun and joy.

Thanks for singing us your favorite song Devin!!!  We loved it...Devin LOVES to sing and I love that he is learning all the Primary songs...

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This Saturday is Super Saturday (Craft Day)  It will be a great time and I'm really looking forward to it.  One of the projects we are doing is making purses/totes out of placemats.  I knew a lot of people would sign up for these totes so I thought I better make mine ahead of time.  They turned out really cute. 

Each placemat takes about 30 minutes per tote.  Not bad!!!

The total project cost about $4.00 per tote.  What a great idea to give as Christmas gifts.  Make a tote, fill it will fun goodies...Lotions, Bath and Body, A cute shirt, gift card, jewelry, make-up or whatever you want...It's a great heart felt gift to give this season.  I love it...

Here is a few that I made

This one was made out of a heavy denim placemat.  It was a little harder to sew on but it gave the tote much more support.  I love how this turned out.  The ribbon is from Michael's craft store.  I still need to add the embellishments to the outside but even just by itself it's really cute.

This placemat I got at Walmart.  I added ribbon from Michael's craft store...Super easy to make

Super Super cute!! This green placemat is exactly like the denim placemat.  I love how stiff it makes the tote.  A bit harder to sew but SO CUTE!!!  Ribbon again is from Michael's craft store.  For the embellishments I had some pompom flower hair tie backs.  I never have used them for any of my crafts so I will add on the flower pom poms in colors that will go with the tote. 

This one turned out SO cute..I guess I have said that about all of them.  But, this placemat I got at Walmart.  The colors are dark rustic colors of red, beige, browns, green, yellow.  I didn't want a ribbon to be dark because then it would give the overall look dark.  I wanted something to really brighten up the tote.  So, I chose a bright yellow ribbon (Michael's craft store) and then I added on yellow flower embellishments witha red plaid to go in the center of the flower. 

These are just so fun.  I am excited to make more and give them out for Christmas gifts.  It's certainly in expensive and it's something you have made from the heart.

Tomorrow:

A YUMMY cupcake recipe.....(Mmmm I can taste them now) 

Do you ever run in to someone we don't know and think, "Wow!!  I wish there were more people in the world like THAT person?"  It's almost sad that we don't have that as much...or rather we don't see that as much.  People get so busy with life that they forget to stop and enjoy life. 

Wouldn't we all be much happier if we really stopped to enjoy life, the beauty we are surrounded by and really enjoyed people more.  There is ALWAYS so much going on that not many people will stop to smell the roses...

Is that really how we are supposed to live our lives?  Sure makes a sad world if we can't enjoy things and take time to reflect on what is around us. 

Do we sit around and ASK what we can do to help others or do we watch closely with our eyes to see what needs to be done.  Do we listen carefully about other people so we know their needs, what there favorite things are so that one day we can surprise them with our great knowledge about them.  Do we hold the doors open for others??  Do we notice if someone drops a paper we quickly pick it up and hand it to the person.  Do we SERVE so that others never have a clue we are serving?  Isn't service about doing things quietly?  Do we smile at others...Are we afraid to speak up and TALK to people in the store and compliment them?  When someone talks to us do we just give them a quick answer or do we listen intently and really talk back to them.  Do we give people only ONE worded answers or do we expand on our answers so people will feel like they are being heard and that we have a desire to talk to them. 

Do we set examples to our children through our actions?  Sometimes our actions mean more than words..

 More is caught than taught...My boys always see that David opens my car door...My kids do that for me now...They also do if for Grandma...That wasn't something David or I taught them to do..It's something they learned through our actions.  So, I love that more is CAUGHT THAN TAUGHT.....

Do we set an honest example for our kids??  Do we live in a way that our kids will want to resemble us?  Or do we teach the phrase... do as I say not as I do...What a horrible thing...We want our kids to emulate us..We want them to be better than we are..We want them to serve, learn to speak up and communicate with people, notice things that need to be done and just DO THEM....

Do we smile at our kids each time we are around them? There are time we get frustrated but if we just smile at our kids and love them instead of yelling does it somehow turn the complete mood around in the house.  Do we give them TIME??  Kids want our time...

I love the quote and I'm not even sure the correct way of saying it.."Kids want our presence not our presents"  Kids would rather have our attention and that means more to them. 

Do we give praises and give them often and sincerely. Do we uplift our children and constantly re-assure them they are doing a GREAT job...Do we give our kids independence from the beginning? 

Mostly...Do we live a christ like life so others will want to emulate US or our KIDS??

I seemed to of gotten a bit side-tracked from my main purpose of my blog.....

There are just certain people in this world that are wonderful!! I don't know how else to put it..

This afternoon I took Devin with me to Costco (What a great little helper he is)  He loves to work and he loves to feel appreciated.  He loves to feel praised and needed.  When he picks up something at Costco that he thinks we absolutely needs...It's easy to want to say, "PUT IT DOWN AND STOP PICKING UP THINGS"  Instead do we say, "Yum those do look great....but we already have something like that at home...and...can you help me put in the cart things we do need."  Oh, Devin was so pleased that he could help me find something we did need...He just wanted to feel needed and appreciated. 

We finally got through the aisles (we didn't need much--but we took the time to go up and down each and every aisle talking)  We finally got to the check out and there weren't many people in front of us...But, one laday came up behind us (with only ONE item)  and she made the comment how cute Devin was.  She could not get over how cute he was....This sparked an interest in ME and of course Devin.  This lady was not much older than I was ( I don't think) but she wasn't married.  She did mention she had a niece and a nephew that she spoiled them rotten.  She asked how I could ever say no to cute little Devin.  She asked him tons of fun questions.....This was so fun for Devin...

We told this cute lady she was more than welcome to go in front of us because she had one item.  She didn't want to because she was more than patient but we really insisted she go.  She asked Devin if he could help her with the ONE item onto the belt.  Devin was excited and was GLAD to help out.....Devin felt proud...

After Devin did this for her she gave him a HIGH 5..Right after that...she handed him a $1.00 bill for being her BIG HELPER...

I was really needing a pick me up today and that really did it for me. 

Devin was beaming from ear to ear...He went up and gave her a BIG HUG....I wish I could of taken a picture of this hug..It was so special.

It didn't take much for this lady to really make Devin's day.  She had no idea the impact she left on Devin (or maybe she did--she was just that kind of person)  She also will never know the impact she made on me.  We were all laughing and having a great time and smiling and enjoying this conversation but that cute little PICK ME UP for me made all the difference in the world...

It's these kind of people that really make people SMILE....

Devin is so proud of this dollar!!! He has already put it in his piggy bank..

He said, "I want to save it for Christmas"

Then he said, "I'll save it so I can go to the movie theatre." He really wants to go see a movie at the THEATRE...

How special!!! 

Certain people really make the world a better place..

Halloween Party!!!

YEAH!!!!

David got home from clinicals and it was time to HIT the studying....I was worried he wasn't going to be able to go to the Halloween party...which...would of been okay because I know that studying is definetely a priority right now.  But, the garage door opened just before 5:00p.m. and he was ready to get his costume on...

The bad part was...we couldn't find everything...So, no costume for David...But, he kept looking and found it...YEAH....David loves to dress up for Halloween.  The boys were so excited and so hyper for the party...It was fun to see the excitement they had....Kobe says, "This is one of his favorite holidays." 

Kobe looked pretty scary!!!  I'm glad this is only for Halloween....He had so much fun getting into his costume!!! 

Devin still did NOT want to dress up!!! We at least got him in a Pumpkin shirt....I wasn't too worried about it..I know that next year he will be more excited to dress up.....

HE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE!!!

I didn't end up dressing up either!!  I had the CUTEST iron on Halloween spooky  decals to put on shirts for the boys and I never EVER got around to doing those...BUMMER....They were so cute...I will have to do those next year...This Halloween season just SNUCK up on me...I just can't believe how fast time went...There are so many things I didn't get done....I hope it's not that way with the Thanksgiving and Christmas season...I need to definetely make a list of all the things I want to get done so I don't leave anything out....

Devin and Mom!!!  He is getting better about taking pictures...He doesn't always like to take them...But, he is learning that it can be quite Mom and on occassion I will here Devin say, "Take one of me!"  So, I jump at the chance to get some of Devin...

Such a handsome kid!! He is just SO FUN.....

There is never a dull moment around here....As a family we are always having fun!!!  There is always time for laughs and smiles....The boys LOVE LOVE LOVE doing things as a Family....

Boy they are good looking!!!!  Costumes and all...

This picture CRACKS me up!!! This is by far one of my FAVORITE pictures EVER..

I was joking David and told him...I feel like I'm at Disneyland riding the Pirates ride and posing for a picture with one of the ONE EYED PIRATES!!!

LOVE IT!!!

This picture almost doesn't seem fitting!!!  On the way to the party we saw the most amazing sunsets.  Look at those colors...They were beautiful..I couldn't of captured a more beautiful sunset if I tried...It just happaned to be at the right moment so we pulled over and took this amazing shot....It's breath taking.  I love it....It makes me realize how blessed we are..

Aaahhh such cute friends I have!!!  These are SOME of the "TWILIGHT" girls...This is part of the group that is going to the midnight movie in a few weeks...I went back and forth and back and forth about going to the midnight movie and I just can't do it....I will be happily sleeping in my bed...actually what will happen is...I will wake up..realize all the girls are at the movie and I'll be awake the WHOLE time saying to myself, "I knew I should of went"  OH WELL!!! These girls are so so wonderful and they will have the BEST time ever..

We have the best family ward EVER....It's a fun fun fun family ward!!! 

More friends!!!  David actually sees Tina's on Friday when he does his Clinicals.  David actually got one of her patients yesterday.  It's nice that David knows someone and they can help him out....Tina will be a big help to David...(rather she already has)  We are so grateful to Rob and Tina!!!  

This was hilarious!!!  Chad (on the right) dressed up like Dan (on the left)  It turned out to be really really funny!! It's funny because I had noticed Chad was growing out a mustache a couple of weeks ago and thought, "I've never seen Chad with a mustache."  Never, in a million years would I have guessed he was growing it for Halloween to be DAN...That is just FUNNY!! He had Dan's HAT, Work shirt and I think pants on...His name tag said, Hello my name is Dan. (Or something like that)  Then he was handing out twinkies to people...SO SO FUNNY!!! I loved it...

Like I said earlier..we have the best family ward..

The boys had fun with the door to door trick or treating!!!  This year we didn't do the trunk or treat but instead had a fun party inside..It was tons of fun

Kim looked SO CUTE in her costume..I loved it!!! She had fun passing out candy to the kids!!!

 

The boys had so much fun...They got so much candy!!! And to think they will get more tonight going trick or treating AGAIN..Oh the candy we will have...YIKES...

It was a fun night!! So many people brought such wonderful chili to eat...Mmm it was all good and so many people brought such YUMMY ice cream...It was a great night!!

It was one we all needed!!!!