Saturday, 20 July 2013

The Invisible Mother



This week, I struggled to recognize the value I add to our family.  All I could see were my many weaknesses and none of my strengths.  

Then my husband showed me this article, called The Invisible Mother by WhatcomFamilies.com.  It reminded me of what I am working for as a mother, and also what my mother (and my mother-in-law) worked for in raising me and Jeff.  None of the details of our lives of raising children are lost in the eyes of our Heavenly Father, though they often go unnoticed to everyone but Him.  

I couldn't help but think of the many breathtaking monuments we saw during our adventure in Europe this summer.  Though we can't know the names of the creators nor the sacrifices made in the making of these masterpieces, we do know the majesty of their enduring gifts.  

Take a look...

Stonehenge

Roman Baths


Cathedral in Puerto de Mallorca, Spain

Stained glass window in Mallorca, Spain

details on the cathedral in Lucca, Italy. 


Tower of Pisa, Italy

Pisa baptistry, Italy

Colosseum in Rome, Italy


Pantheon in Rome, Italy

inside the Pantheon in Rome, Italy

Unnamed cathedral in Venice, Italy

Doge's Palace in Venice, Italy

Tiled floor of San Marco's Cathedral in Venice, Italy

Rialto bridge in Venice, Italy

Santa Anna's Cathedral in Venice, Italy

Inside Notre Dame Cathedral in Marseilles, France

Salt Lake City Temple in Utah

I believe I am a complex, purposefully constructed cathedral created by my parents both earthly and heavenly.  I also believe that my children are beautiful cathedrals in the making.  No monotonous detail lacks value in the lives of our precious little mini-cathedrals :).



Tuesday, 16 July 2013

Modest is Hottest?

I heard that phrase at least a million times as I was growing up.  Honestly, hearing it always irked me a little bit, but I didn't know exactly why.  I think this article sums it up beautifully.


I would love to hear your thoughts! 

Friday, 28 June 2013

Mom's Body Image

Here is a beautiful article I found through my dear sister, Natalie.  

My favorite passage from the article:

Let us honor and respect our bodies for what they do instead of despising them for how they appear. Focus on living healthy and active lives, let our weight fall where it may, and consign our body hatred in the past where it belongs. When I looked at that photo of you in the white bathing suit all those years ago, my innocent young eyes saw the truth. I saw unconditional love, beauty, and wisdom. I saw my Mom.

I believe we are all prone to be critical of our bodies, especially as we sacrifice them time and time again for the well-being of our children.  What starts out as a noble sacrifice turns in to self-loathing as we persist in noticing all the "wrong" about our bodies.  I wish there was an easier answer to the problem of women's bad body image.  I guess the best answer for me is that we can choose to love ourselves a little bit better every day.  

(For the record, my mom did a marvelous job of showing me the worth of women regardless of outer appearances!) 

Thursday, 13 June 2013

Pinterexia Nervosa

I couldn't NOT share this article!  My favorite lines from it are:  

What are the Symptoms of Pinterexia Nervosa?
  • Pinning this post without even reading it.
  • Housing more than five burlap and/or chevron projects per room.
I admit, I had to delete the pinterest apps on my phone.  Not because of Pinterexia Nervosa, but to avoid unrealistic expectations of myself and others.  Comparing isn't healthy, and it definitely isn't happy.  

Still, I think pinterest has its place in moderate doses.  Hope you got a good chuckle out of this article ;).  

Wednesday, 1 May 2013

Don't let {Opposite World} get you down!

Oh yes.  There are lots of voices out there that will try to tell you what to think and how to feel, especially when it comes to pregnancy and parenting.  Here's an article that will hopefully lend you the strength to be unapologetic in being "mom"!



Tuesday, 30 April 2013

Meals in 20 minutes or less: Wraps

If there is one thing I have learned from being in Grad School this semester, it is that TIME  is at a premium, and spending more than half an hour on making dinner just isn't worth it.  So if you're interested in FRESH and FAST, wraps are a good way to go. Not to mention they are a perfect summer food. 

Here are a few of my favs.  I made these recipes myself, and though we really like the way they taste, I won't be offended if you tweak to taste :)!

 (Sorry about the funny formatting... who has time to make the formatting perfect anyway?)


{Spring Rolls (salad style)}
          Ingredients        
       Rice Paper (8 " - purchase at local asian market)
       Rice Noodles
       Romaine Lettuce
       Chopped tomatoes
       Cubed grilled chicken
       Chopped green onions
       Chopped celery
       Grated carrots
       Oyster Sauce and/or Sweet'n'Sour Sauce and/or Spicy Chinese Dragon Sauce
Directions
Prepare rice noodles according to package.  Dip rice paper in warm water for 5 seconds to soften.  Place on a flat plate.  Place small amount of rice noodles, chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, celery, carrots and oyster sauce in the center of the softened rice paper.  Fold the rice paper over the filling creating a half circle.  Fold over the sides on top of the filing.  Finish the wrap by taking the remaining rounded edge and folding over on top.  Enjoy.


{Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps}

  Ingredients
  •  Large Romaine lettuce leaves
  •  Maifun rice sticks
  •  1 cup Grilled cubed chicken
  •   2 Chopped tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
  •  1 can Black beans
  •  ½ cup Frozen corn kernels (warmed)
  •  ½ cup Chopped red onions
  •  1/3 cup Greek Yogurt
  •  ½ tsp Garlic salt
  •  ¼ tsp Red pepper flakes (or more)
  •   2 tbs Orange zest
  •   half an orange fresh squeezed Orange juice
   Directions
Prepare crunchy rice by deep-frying it in a small amount of hot oil.  Set aside.  Make the sauce by combining greek yogurt with orange zest, orange juice, red pepper flakes and garlic salt.  In a large bowl, combine chicken, tomatoes, corn, beans and onions and mix with yogurt mixture. 
To assemble the wraps, take a large romaine lettuce leaf and place a small amount of fried rice sticks in the center.  Place a 1/3 cup chicken mixture on top.  Wrap the lettuce around the filling and eat.  

{Tortilla Wraps}
   Ingredients
  •   Flour tortillas
  •  Grilled cubed chicken
  •  Chopped Romaine lettuce
  •  2 Chopped tomatoes
  • 1 Chopped red onion
  • 1 Chopped red bell pepper
  •  2 Avocados
  •  2 Tbs Lime juice
  •  ½ tsp Garlic salt
  • 1 Tbs dried Cilantro
  • ¼ tsp Red pepper flakes
  • 2 Tbs Greek yogurt
Directions  
Combine avocados with greek yogurt and spices.  Mix until smooth.  Assemble the tortilla wraps by placing small amount of chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and peppers in the center.  Top with avocado mixture.  Wrap tortilla and enjoy.