One Caramel Machiatto to go pleeeaase!!

Some days that start out the most stressful end up being the funniest!!  As some of you know, I've been fighting a battle with kidney stones for the past two weeks.  Let me assure you, if you've never had one, you most certainly don't want one!!  Because of how bad they are, I have to go in for surgery this Wednesday morning.  I was required to check into the hospital today and do all of my "pre surgery" lab work and tests.  I had REALLY been dreading it!!  It turned out that it went really well, had to do the typical blood work but also had to get an EKG done since they will be putting me under...ACK!!  Of course at this point, I think I would rather just not know what all they do!! :)

Sooooo because I just had Dr visits so much I had bribed myself that if I made it through it all that I would go buy myself a Frappucino from Starbucks.  I've been promising my son in law that I would bring him his favorite drink from Starbucks as a surprise for the past three weeks as well, so I figured I would get me one and him one and go surprise him.  HE WAS SURPRISED ALL RIGHT!!  HA!!

I was in the drive through when his wife (my daughter Jackie) called and we were chatting and I told her I was going to bring him a drink.  Then she says...."Oh no mom, he is at the dentists office getting his teeth cleaned"!!  I already had the drink in my hand when she said that and I was like well ummm what should I do with it and she said well go run it by there he will be happy to have it!!

So she told me  where it was located and I drove over there.  So here I go, into the dental office to the reception desk holding a Starbucks drink feeling like a crazy person and say  " Is my son in law Cody here?"...and they smiled and said yes, and then I have to tell them I had bought him a drink from Starbucks which they thought was funny that I was bringing it to him at the DENTISTS office....so they ushered me back to his room....

IMAGINE HIS SURPRISE

to see his

MOTHER IN LAW

 waltzing into the middle of his dentist visit carrying a Starbucks drink

they sat me down and I listened to what the dentist had to say about his teeth haha.....ahhhhh it was so funny...

so once they were through (which was actually only a few minutes) I laughed and said...

Here's your Caramel Machiatto :) :)

He laughed and luckily he was able to drink it after he got his teeth cleaned!!

I don't think it's every day that someones mother in law just randomly drops by their son in laws dental visit to bring them a Starbucks Drink!!  But I do love that boy!!

I laughed all the way home!!

Hope everyone else is having a spectacular Monday!!

5 Minute Friday - The Gypsy Mama - PERSPECTIVE

Perspective is a funny little creature....it has a way of sneaking up on you and changing your views on things almost daily!!

It's hard to know the value of $20 until that $20 means you can buy your family groceries for a few days.  Then when the day comes that you can spend whatever you want for groceries, you realize what your gift of money and or time to a food bank could mean to someone who needs help. 

It's taking the time to remember when speaking to your wee ones to kneel down on their level and talk to them eye to eye, so that you don't seem like a large giant speaking loudly.  Imagine what it would be like to have someone explaining something to you or loudly reminding you to clean your room and you only came up to their belly button.  Putting things in perspective really changes the way you view your day to day life.

It's making yourself realize that those spectacular homes you see in commercials, with the kids all dressed perfectly, with the homes so clean you could eat off of the floors, beautiful furniture etc...are just that....they are MADE to look that way and those people are actors and actresses.  Most of us are living in homes that look "lived in" day to day, with cheerios on the floor, things we never even missed hiding under the couch cushions, furniture that has scratches and crayon marks on it, with the most beautiful kids and family you have ever seen.

From here, my perspective mixes all the paint colors of good days and bad days in my world with my hope for my friends, and I realize what a beautiful life I have been blessed with.

She's a little bit of Sunshine

Submitted by: Tracey Jackson

Author: Unknown

She's a little bit of sunshine
She's a smile to light your days
She will steal your heart and keep it
With her warm endearing ways
She's your precious little daughter
With a sweetness from above
Who will fill your years with laughter
And your lives with lots of love

I am so proud of my daughters Jessica and Jackie and the wonderful mothers they are today!!  God surely blessed us with you girls and we are so absolutely blessed watching you carrying on the traditions of our family and seeing what wonderful moms you are to those sweet babies, Payton, Adleigh and Jake.  Love you both to pieces, Happy Mothers Day girls!!

Love, Momma <3

For My Mother In Law on Mother's Day

To My Mother In Law

Author : Unknown

You are the mother I received
the day I wed your son.

And I just want to thank you, Mom,
for the things that you have done.

You have given me a gracious man
with whom I share my life.

You are his lovely mother and
I his lucky wife.

You used to pat his little head
and now I hold his hand.

You raised in love a little boy,
then gave me a man.

What is "Clean Eating" ?

I don't know about the rest of you but I am just a little bit behind on figuring out what the "Clean Eating" bandwagon is all about.  It has piqued my curiosity though, so I thought it would explain it to the rest of you who were wondering as well.  


Clean Eating is a diet program based on abundantly eating whole natural foods .  What are whole foods you ask?  Those are foods as close to their natural state as you can get.  Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins.  This means staying away from pre packaged, processed or fast foods.  


This sounds like a wonderful idea to me!!  


There are several steps involved in clean eating which include:


1.  Eat LOTS of fresh fruits and veggies.  It is thought by many "clean eaters" that we were meant to survive on fresh fruits and vegetables.  When you buy  processed fruits and vegetables much of the nutritional value is wasted and they are chock full of extra salt, sugar and chemicals.  


2.  Balance your proteins and carbohydrates.  Eat lean meats and or organic/grass fed meats or "free range" meats.  Grill, broil, or steam your meats instead of frying them.  


3.  Avoid sodas and other high calorie, sugary drinks.  One of the tenets of Clean Eating is to remove sugars from the diet.  Choose water or unsweet teas for your beverage.  You might try juicing your own fruits and vegetables without adding sugar for a tasty drink.  


4.  Trade bad fats for good fats.  Saturated fats are removed from the diet.  Avoid fast foods, eat lean meats, and get your healthy fats from fatty fish and nuts.  


5.  Eat several small meals per day to keep your blood sugar stabilized.  Choose your snacks from nuts, low and fat free dairy, and fruits and vegetables. 


On the eatingcleanworks.com website they state:


A person that eats clean generally practices the following:

• Eliminates refined sugar
• Cooks healthy meals
• Packs healthy meals
• Makes healthy choices when dining out
• Drinks a lot of water
• Eats 5-6 small meals per day
• Eliminates alcoholic beverages (or significantly limits it)
• Always eats breakfast

I am ready to make some changes in our diets around our house, will you be joining me? 

REFERENCES:  LIVESTRONG.COM/cleaneating
                            EATINGCLEANWORKS.COM