Health & Free Living

Five years ago today my life changed for the better. Five years ago today began one of the greatest adventures of my life. Five years ago, Edmund David was born and Walter and I became parents. He came earlier and in a way I never could have planned or expected (go back to the last blog post I did in 2009 to read his incredible birth story) and stole my heart. He started out as the most easy laid-back baby ever, but once he started walking at 14-months, he was all over the place and has never slowed down. He is our crazy extrovert, which makes things interesting for two introverted parents, who loves life and lives it to the fullest. He loves people and anyone he meets he instantly calls his "best friend." It's been so amazing to watch him grow and change. I love hearing his stories and everything he learned at school that day -- he's learning to spell/write his last name right now (poor child). He loves his little sister and is so helpful with her. The

My sweet little Elise Madeleine turns 3 years old today! Where has the time gone! One day old  11 months old  2 years, 11 months old I am so thankful for my fun, smart, silly, crazy, busy, stubborn, cuddly, loving little girl. I love her smile and big hug first thing in the morning when she wakes up (even though it's around 5:45/6:00am). I love how she could spend all day in my arms -- and I will hold her as much as I can. I love her relationship with her older brother -- how she plays with him, adores him, and will tackle him when he's not looking. I love her fearlessness and playfulness. I love her beautiful eyes and long eyelashes that make it soooo hard to tell her "no." I love that even though she is just turning 3, she already has quite the opinion -- and I pray that her strong-will continues in life so that she will hold tight to her beliefs and values when surrounded by peer pressure. I love how deeply she loves her daddy and looks forward t

This past Sunday evening, the world lost a beautiful life. In just 18 short years of life, Clari de la Cruz did more and served more than most people ever do. She loved with a passion. She was full of joy and encouragement. She could welcome and engage anyone . And she served her Lord with all of her heart. She served others constantly -- whether here, in Kentucky, in Honduras -- without asking or expected to be served. She loved her family deeply and had a sweet relationship with her mom. I pray that my children grow up to be as loving, serving, caring, and welcoming as Clari. I pray that my children would hold on strong to their faith and their values, just as Clari always did. I pray that my children would put their faith into action they way Clari ministered to those less fortunate. Clari was an amazing young woman, gone all too soon, and we miss her greatly. I'm so thankful that Clari knew and loved her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I'm thankful that she is n

I mentioned in my last blog post that I suddenly had to leave the Women's Holiday Dinner. It's kind of unfair for me to mention it, but not tell you the story... Around 8:55pm on Monday night, I received a text message from my husband that something was wrong with Elise (our almost 3-year-old) and that I needed to come home right away. My husband is a rockstar with the kids and RARELY calls or texts me when I'm not around. It's awesome because I know that I can truly enjoy being out without worrying about the kids or what is happening at home -- it is a gift. For him to text me to come home meant it was a serious situation. I grabbed my purse, ran to my car, and hurried home. As a mom, you can imagine all the thoughts that went through my head and I worked hard to fight down the panic. I tried calling my husband and sent him multiple text messages to get more information (illegally since I was driving his car and my phone wasn't hooked up to the bluetooth) but c

Monday evening was the annual Women's Holiday Dinner at my church. I'll be honest, I was a little reluctant to go. I love my church and the women there, but I also struggle with women's events in general. And I feel like I struggle to connect with women at church. I know a BIG part of it is me -- I'm not always super vulnerable (I love talking with people, but I keep it a surface level) and I hate getting emotional (although, I swear I always end up crying and talking more than anyone :) ). I would rather hang out with guys and talk sports than hang out with a bunch of women. I've struggled to make strong friendships with women and many of the friendships I have developed over the years have fallen away through moves and distance.  I mentioned recently how God has brought amazing change in my life through the relationships with my neighbors. It's funny, I often feel more connected to my neighbors who take me as I am. They actually want to spend time with me

This man is one of the most amazing men I know and love...he loves his family deeply... he works hard to provide for his family...he works long hours so that his wife can be at home to watch the kids...he's the first to respond to a friend in need of help -- moving houses, fixing computers, etc...he has a heart for the poor and oppressed...he is money-wise...he is introverted and quiet and often misunderstood...he is humble and caring...he is funny and fun to be around...he is athletic and outdoorsy. This man has changed my life in so many ways...he helped me to be less judgmental, to see through the eyes of those in need, to see myself as beautiful...he has shown me what it means to be adored and loved. This man is my husband and I am so blessed to be married to him. Today is his birthday and I pray for many more to share with him in the future. I love you, Walter. Happy birthday!

It's done. Finished. The end. Woohoo! I woke up this morning at 4:45am to get ready to run the half marathon. Most of the night I slept great, but the last two hours were horrible -- I had one of those dreams where I missed my alarm, woke up at 5:25am, friends came at 5:30am, we didn't leave my house until 6:55am for the 7am race, got there late, everyone had already started, hurriedly checked my gear, and took off. I woke up shaking from the adrenaline coursing through me after that dream. Ugh. So thankful, that's not how it went. Everything went smoothly and great. Whew! I have a love/hate relationship with taper week. I love it, because it means the race is near and I finally  get a break. My life doesn't revolve around my workouts, keeping my kids preoccupied while I run, moving our schedules around. I was in the BEST mood this week. I've been needing the break. I also hate tapering. Last night, I was filled with so much anxiety about th

I admit, since having kids I'm not always clued in to the popular music these days. I don't want to have to listen to kid music all day, so when the kids are in the care I put on Christian music (Air1 to be exact). A new song by Francesca Battistelli really struck a cord with me the other day. The chorus goes: I don't need my name in lights,  I'm famous in my Father's eyes.  Make no mistake,  He knows my name.  I'm not living for applause,  I'm already so adored.  It's all His stage.  He knows my name. There are a variety of reasons why the words touched me so much. Yes, I am singer, but it actually isn't about not being famous musically. It's all about finding my worth in others' opinions of me. The Naperville Marathon and Half Marathon are this weekend. Back in June, I signed up to run the marathon. I signed up for me, not to impress anyone. As I started my training in July I was already beginning to develop Achil

People have asked me how I use my Young Living Essential Oils. Here's how I pretty much use them on a daily basis: I love my oils and use them for so many things. For my workouts/runs, I use Peppermint on my wrists (for energy) and along the back of my neck and down my spine (to cool me off -- great in the warm weather), Valor across the bridge of my nose (to open the air passages), and Raven for my asthma and to help me breathe. I also went off birth control five months ago and have been regulating my hormones with some different oils (Sclar Essence, Xiang Mao, and Progessence Plus). I went on birth control to regulate me and now I am regular for the first time in my life without the use of birth control! After I shower, I use Relaxation Massage Oil or Ortho Sport Massage oil (depends on my workout) on my legs. I put a drop of Peppermint in my morning breakfast drink (USANA Nutrimeal) to wake me up. I put Grapefruit in my water to curb my appetite (helps me make better food

To say it's been awhile since I blogged would be an understatement, so let's get over it and move on. ;) I was telling someone recently how different my life looks today than it did a year ago. Not some big transformation like a huge weight loss (outside of pregnancy my weight has maybe fluctuated 5 lbs over the past 20 years) or even the addition of more children, but in small subtle ways. It's really been in two different areas: my relationships and a healthy environment. For all of my life I have seen my loquaciousness as a curse -- I just don't shut up. The past few months I have come to realize that the way God made me is not a curse, but a blessing. I have an ability to talk with anyone and engage them in conversation and make them feel welcome. And God has used this gift this past year. I spend a lot of our summers at the neighborhood pool with my kids. To be blunt -- I will talk to anyone hanging out at the baby pool and that is how I met my friend Christi