Catching up...

I can hardly believe it's already Wednesday...and it's Wednesday night too!  I know my posts on the blog are getting less frequent, but at least our facebook page seems to be busy lately!  I love all of our visitors  - old and new - and enjoy spending a few moments out of your day with you.

There's so much going on around here lately that I feel like I am just spinning in circles sometimes.  With the boy graduating this year and heading off to college in the fall, homeschool paperwork time is upon me.  I have been working on getting his documentation ready and making sure we've got financial aid forms filed, housing plans made, etc.  I'm sure you get it.  I'm busier than ever with that.  I have to say though that homeschooling my children has been one of my greatest achievements.  I know that may sound silly but to be able to be a very real and integral part of their educational process has been a blessing.  Sure, some days I have no idea how the heck I am going to be able to do it all but then, it all works out.  The boy is ready to be done but I'm impressed by his ability to refocus, and do what needs to be done.  He has really matured and I'm proud of him.

Speaking of the boy...he made me laugh today when everything went so crazy at naptime.  I was on a roll - you know when you are just flowing through the to-do list, the kids are napping, you're in a fantastic mood?  Well, I was in that zone.  I had made bread, peanut butter granola, was soaking almonds to make milk, the daycare kids were all asleep (baby included!) and then...sigh...I put the pretzel bites into a very hot oven - 500 F and opened the door just a bit to check on them and all of the sudden, the smoke detector went nuts.  And ours are the interconnected ones so it beeped in EVERY. ROOM. OF. THE. HOUSE.  Double sigh.  And then, my phone beeps.  A text from the boy who is upstairs doing school work.  "Way to go, Iron Chef."  I have to tell you, it cracked me up.  You're probably reading it and wondering why you're still reading anything I have to say but it was just in that moment of deciding whether to cry out of frustration.  All of the sudden, the baby was up and I had disturbed the sleep of everyone else to the point that my two teetering-on-sick toddlers were wide awake and the other kids minus one soon followed.   Now, the toddlers weren't sleeping well to begin with so  that didn't take much on my part, but still...I felt bad.  And his comment really lightened the mood.  He even went and talked to the baby and helped butter the pretzel bites when they came out of the oven.  And I realized he's a good kid.  I knew that, but sometimes we all need reminders.

So, in addition to trashing naptime and prepping to send my baby off to college, the hubby and I have been working on a plan to head out west this summer.  I am SO excited!!  I have never been anywhere but the Eastern Seaboard from New York down and even then, I think I've missed a state or two.  I mean, the only time I've been in New Jersey was the time I got stuck in the wrong lane, and crossed the Ben Franklin bridge in Philly with no cash.  I ended up in Camden and had to beg my way back across into Philly.  Fun times for sure.   I sure hope this road trip is nothing like that.  Yes, I said road trip.  We are camping and running all over the northern part of the US from Pennsylvania to Montana and back.  We've got 16 days and I know they'll go fast but I think it will be so much fun.  There is so much I want to see and do, and having to pare it down to fit into those 2+weeks is a challenge but so worth it!  The hubby and I never had a honeymoon, so maybe this makes up for it.  We will be married 19 years in June, so I guess it's about time.  If you live along the northern states we'll likely be traveling through, or know of some great nature type stops to make, please make a suggestion.  I'm all ears!  I will take lots of lots of pictures to share, I promise.  I want to send a big, big thank you to my hubby's parents for coming up and staying at our house while we're gone.  Our three big dogs plus their dog is no picnic...but it means a lot that they're coming anyway.  It will be nice for them to have time with the boy and girl too, so there's a plus.  And I know my house will still be standing when I get back which is a good thing.

Of course, this means that we won't be signing up for many races or anything this year because all extra cash goes into the road trip fund.  The only races I'm doing are already paid for and they were pretty inexpensive ones.  I'll be doing a half marathon this Sunday at a park near our house, Squirrely Tail Trail Half Marathon, and I'm running it with my friend, Michele.  I promised her I'd stick with her and I am excited.  Usually in races, especially trail ones, I end up alone, out of pace somehow with people I know.  But I'm sure we'll just chat through the whole race.  Next, I'll be running my first 50k in a few weeks.  Please be thinking of me!  I know I can do it, but I'll need those good thoughts!  I am very nostalgic going into this race.  It's the Hashawa Hills 50k Trail Run and it's in Westminster, MD, where all of my family is from, and some still live.  I feel a bit like I'm going home to run and am excited to be in a park I've not seen since I was a kid and run my first 50K in it.  It's emotional and my dad will be there to see me run!  That is a huge big deal to me.  Then, the next race is not until May and is the Farm Park Challenge, in Derwood, MD.  Michele is running that one with me too.  It's a 5+ mile loop that you do as many times as you can, keeping each loop under an hour.  It would have been my first 50K attempt if I hadn't made it into Hashawa's lottery.

So, there's my race plans.  Other than that, I'm just running and loving running this year.  January has been good to me.  Almost 115 miles and I'm happy with that, especially since I took the whole first week off.  Let's hope February is just as good!  :)

And, just so you don't think that I've forgotten this is a "food" blog...

Vegetable Empanadas

I used a recipe from Laylita's recipe for my Empanada dough.  I've used pie crust in the past, but I wanted something a bit more authentic.  It was really easy to make and to work with.



I used a small plate and a sharp knife to cut around as a pattern.

I filled them with a mixture of corn, peppers, feta cheese, black beans and avocado, dressed with some salsa and taco seasoning.

Aren't they cute???  Seriously, this dough was flexible enough to mold and wasn't crumbly at all like pie crust can be.

Ready to eat!  They weren't dry at all and really were a quick dinner.  I froze some of them for quick meals later on too.  The dough made about 12 empanada discs.

 

I hope you are all having a great week and I'll try really, really hard to not take so long to write a post again!!

Sheri

 

 

Sausage Gravy over Biscuits - Vegetarian Style

Funny that yesterday I was talking on HSH's Facebook Page about what premixed ingredients were the hardest to give up and mentioned that mine had been Bisquick.  I stopped buying it about a year ago, and funny thing, I stopped making biscuits too.  I think I was always was scared of the process, of not having those same perfect drop biscuits that I loved from Bisquick.  However, about three months ago, the hubby mentioned that it had been awhile since I made biscuits...and when he mentions stuff like that, I listen.  And I usually make whatever it is he mentioned.  I set to work finding the right recipe and stumbled across this one for Baking Powder Biscuits.  And true to the easy part of the title, they were!   And I have to say, they were so much better than the old Bisquick ones I made.

So, biscuit part taken care of, I set to work creating a sausage type gravy minus the sausage.  That was always one of the hubby's favorite breakfasts, and I really, really wanted to find a way.  So, I used about 1/2 cup of tvp (textured vegetable protein) and mixed it with about the same amount of hot water.  I added 1 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of pepper, a dash of sage, thyme, garlic powder and a pinch of fennel seeds.  I added 1/4 cup of flour in a large saucepan, mixed it up well and added about 1 1/2 cups of milk.  I stirred until it was bubbling and thick and removed it from the heat.  This time (yes, I've tried before and it was way too bland) I got a big thumbs up from the hubby.  And I will agree that it was pretty tasty.   I was never much on sausage gravy but I'd eat this!



That is definitely the way to start a day!  Much heartier than my usual breakfast of Nature's Path Corn Puffs, honey and almond milk.  :)  Not that I'm giving that up anytime soon either!

So, this week started with the hubby being sick and leaving me wholly unmotivated.  I'm hoping that the crazy amount of cooking I've been doing lately means that I am getting back to normal.  I feel like I've been a bit out of my mind the past few months- just feeling a little overwhelmed.  I am still feeling a bit overwhelmed but feeling like I am finally feeling back up to the challenge.  That's a plus!

I hope that all of you are doing well and having a great week!

Sheri

Milk...What Do You Drink?

I get asked this a lot.  What kind of milk do you drink?  And it has changed dramatically over the past few years.  Right now if you look in my refrigerator there is organic soy milk, homemade almond milk, organic chocolate soy milk, raw milk and cream line milk.  Quite the variety, and I'm sure much different than the average household's gallon of milk from the grocery store.  There is a reason for our crazy variety though...in our house is a teenaged son who is an omnivore, me; who's mostly vegan, my hubby who is vegetarian but will eat my vegan meals too and six children who spend the day with us Monday through Friday at my home child care.  With that grouping, a variety of milk is a necessity!

The raw milk is a newer addition to our mix though.  I have been intrigued by the raw milk claims and started to seriously do research after watching Farmaggedon.  There are a host of health benefits to raw milk and since we live in Pennsylvania, raw milk is available to us.  Even though I hate the taste of milk, and have avoided it for years, I am trying to use raw milk in different things that I will eat from time to time to gauge my body's reaction to it.  So far, it is much better than my body's reaction to processed milk.  I have recently discovered my B-12 deficiency is back, so in addition to supplementation, I am trying to slowly add a bit here and there of the raw milk.  We get ours from the farmer who delivers our milk since they sell it all...pasteurized, creamline and raw.  We no longer get the homogenized milk though and have replaced it with...

Creamline milk is just what it sounds like - there is a cream line on top of the milk because this is full fat as it came from the cow milk like raw milk is, however it's been pasteurized.   I would love to serve the daycare kids raw milk but am just not sure yet how the parents would react.  This is my step toward that.  And the kids LOVE it!  It's a very rich milk and has all the natural, healthy fats that ordinarily would be skimmed off.

We also organic soy milk in the house for a few reasons...when I'm out of almond milk and don't want regular milk, I will swap it for soy.  Soy milk is thicker than my homemade almond milk and works better in recipes if I'm trying to keep it vegan.  And the chocolate soy milk is hubby's go to after run drink.  I will occasionally swipe a bit of it for my coffee but other than that, it's his.  Our soy milk tends to stay in the fridge longer than anything else because it's used so sparingly.   We are careful what brand to buy though to be sure it's organic and not supporting any company that contributed to defeating Prop 37.  Sorry, Silk.  Not in my house.

Lastly, I make my own almond milk.  It is better than anything I've had from the store and I love that I control it.  No emulsifiers, no sweeteners, nothing but raw almonds and water.  I get the almonds in bulk from the local natural food store and buy organic when it's available.  First, I soak a cup of whole almonds for about 2 days in the refrigerator, rinsing them every 12 hours or so and refilling the water.  Then, I put about 6-7 cups of water and the rinsed and drained almonds in my Vitamix, blend it for a minute or so and then use a cheesecloth to strain off the almond pulp.  What's left is my milk.  I go through this process about twice a week and usually have almonds in the fridge soaking, ready to go.  I use my almond milk on everything...in coffee or tea, on my granola, and it works great in most cooking applications where milk is called for unless you need something a bit thicker.

So, there's my milk rundown.  I know it sounds like a lot to keep track of, but it's just how we do things.  What does the milk situation look like at your house?

Sheri

 

The Week Ahead

I haven't done a looking forward type of post in awhile, so I thought it might be a nice change of pace.   Not that my menu or my workout schedule is so exciting, but I like reading what other people are up to because it gives me ideas too.

Soooo....

Monday:

Dinner: Veggie Empanadas, Salad

Workout: 7 mile road run after work

Tuesday:

Dinner: Veggie Pad Thai

Workout: 6 mile or so trail run after our dentist appt

Wednesday:

Dinner: Butternut Squash & Mascarpone Naan Pizza, Salad

Workout: P90X Core Synergistics and maybe a short easy run

Thursday:

Dinner: Vegetarian Chili, Cornbread

Workout: 5ish mile road run

Friday:

Dinner: Burritos (take out most likely)

Workout: 4 mile road run and maybe some yoga

So, there it is.  Not very exciting, but it's a good framework for the week.  It's always tough with two opposing work schedules and things being more hectic on my end lately with the group ages changing and feeling a bit more drained at the end of the day.  I'm determined to keep us eating well and not letting the winter blues set in and miss a workout either.  So, this is my workout schedule because I can't do longer runs during the week until it gets more light in the evening again.  The hubby's schedule is much longer runs.  But I am planning on doing a 15 mile trail run this weekend too, so as long as I can manage 30-35 mile weeks, I'm happy.

Saturdays are Made for Running...and Chores.

Anyone else exhausted out there?  This was my first full week of working since Christmas break and it just seemed like the week and my to-do list were never ending.  I'm so glad I was able to get out and run several times this week, and even allowed myself a full rest day on Friday to recoup.  Then, this morning, I celebrated that week with an awesome trail run with some friends on the trails we'll be hitting next month for the first race of the year, a trail half marathon near our house, the Squirrelly Tail Twail Run.  We missed it last year and we better all be healthy and running it this year!  So we did 12 or so miles on the trails trudging through mud that sucked at your shoes, wet runoff streams and then just squishy mud and trails in general.  It was a blast!  I felt so strong the whole run and love and appreciate those runs so much.  I sometimes still feel surprised when I head out to run that I can accomplish all that I can.  Having friends to run and chat with always makes the miles go faster though.  I'm thankful for great running friends!!  And finishing a run with shoes looking like this makes you feel like you really accomplished something!

After I got home and got cleaned up, it was time to get busy running errands and getting the to-do list shortened.  First up?  Lunch.  :)  I cheated.  We went and picked up some burritos from our new go-to place that is much closer.  And, after a morning of running, those burritos were yummy!  See, while I was out sloshing around on the trails with the girls, the hubby was doing a 20 miler on the roads.  I couldn't believe he beat me back home.  He's amazing.  So, we were both pretty happy to just have some tasty food.  Then we headed out to take a movie back that we rented for the daycare's Friday movie day, Ice Age Continental Drift,  (Don't bother.  It wasn't that great.), get gas in the car and then, after five long days with no coffee, we headed to Starbucks.  Oh my, that mocha was heavenly.  I paid a little for it with some heartburn and nausea but it was so, so good.  I didn't even care.  If I can only have it once a week, I can live with that but it will be a real latte.  Well, except it's soy.  And with no whip.  But it was good.  I can reset until next week again now.  :)

So, after all that fun, it was home to do chores.  Chores.  Blech.  Fun things like picking up all of the dog poop out of the yard.  We have three big dogs...it's been 2 weeks since we cleaned the yard.  Yeah, that was fun.  And then I washed the dogs while the hubby washed the car (seems like a fair trade) and then I started in on laundry.  Never. Ending. Housework.  Seriously, when do you ever get caught up????

So, dinner time came and I wanted to do something different.  One of the hubby's favorite meals we get out is cheesy grits and I've never tried it.  I don't know why because it was super easy.  Granted, I did use quick grits because, for some reason, there was a container in the pantry.  I used 2 T butter, 2 cups raw milk, 1 cup grits, 5 oz of raw goat cheddar cheese, and a few shakes of old bay.  Brought it to a boil while I whisked it and then let it simmer for about 10 minutes.  While that was simmering, I made some sauteed kale with mushroom and onion and a few splashes of red wine vinegar.  Perfect!

Of course, there had be a dessert!  I made some red velvet cupcakes yesterday and that seemed like just the thing.  Not the healthiest, except I am super skimpy on my icing, but they were a great end to a great meal.  I followed Hershey's recipe pretty exactly to make the cupcakes and the icing was just organic cream cheese and sugar.



All in all, I think our Saturday was pretty productive and the lazy Friday night of doing nothing made it possible!  We have to allow ourselves to recover and regroup sometimes.  That was our Friday night but we sure made up for it on Saturday!

So, I wonder what we can do tomorrow...

Lazy Monday Night Ramblings

First off...yes, this is still a food blog at heart and I did cook tonight.  Well, I cook every night, just sometimes I don't take pictures because

a. it's boring and I've made it a zillion times before

b. I was actually too lazy to actually cook dinner and take pictures of it

c. I was so hungry I ate it before I could even take a picture

Yep, those are my reasons for why so many meals never even get photographed.  I'm loving that I can share photos from my phone right to my page on facebook.  At least I feel like I'm contributing a bit more that way.  Nice feature!

So, anyway, today was one of those days where sitting still for more than 1 minute was a rarity and my kitchen sink was filled with dishes well after naptime. Scary, isn't it?  Anyway, I was never without an awake child today all day and that means that nothing else can really get done like I would normally do at naptime.  So by the time pick up time came, my house was a wreck and I was hungry.  I knew soup was on the menu and I was glad because not only is soup healthy and delicious, it also requires next to no effort or time to get ready.  Soup in the winter is my favorite go to because it can be anything.  Tonight's soup?  Kale with Wheat Sweet Potato Gnocchi.  Mmmmmm....that was so good!

I also made a sourdough loaf to go with it. and I will admit that I smeared some brie on my slice before eating it.  After having a brie and cranberry grilled cheese this afternoon, I felt just a teensy bit guilty eating more brie but not enough to stop myself.  Knowing I wasn't running tonight held me to one slice.  Otherwise, I know I would have eaten more!

But I did do yoga and that felt great.  My muscles needed that.  And while I did yoga, I started watching Downton Abbey since I missed the first show last night while I was watching Biggest Loser.  I love Downton Abbey and that show did not disappoint!  Biggest Loser I'm not so sure about.  The inspirational stories are great but the game play aspect of it just turns me off to it.

So, that was my evening...a little soup, some brie on bread, yoga while catching up my shows and just some relaxation.  And don't we all need more laziness in our life!?!

Dare You to Move

I'm behind again in my posts.  I'm sorry...the nausea that's plagued me is back again and while I can function and do what needs to be done around here, by the evening I am worn out.  Add that to worrying and stressing about today's appointment for the hubby and I am not someone who feels like anyone would appreciate the thoughts in my head pouring out into words.  But, I am here now and hoping this is a positive effort.

My running streak officially came to an end this week and I have been resting my legs (mostly my left hip) since Tuesday.  I am itching for a run but being patient.  I know that I pushed my body hard by doing 41 consecutive days of running.  The sense of accomplishing a goal like that was amazing though.  Having great company along for the challenge helped a lot...it made me accountable and I felt like part of a little club.  :)  Isn't that the best feeling?  So, maybe today if the nausea subsides a bit, hubby's appointment doesn't leave him feeling too badly and everything else in the world cooperates, I will head out for a run.  Maybe even a long one...because it's time for me to get training.  While I have not been running, I've been planning to run.  I am signed up for two official events so far.  First, Squirelly Tail Twail Run, a half marathon in February that I missed last year with a nasty, nasty virus.  Second, I'm signed up for the six hour version of Farm Park Challenge and am running it with my running friend, Michele.  I really am hoping to do all 6 loops, even if we miss the time cutoffs and we have to do it as a fun run.   Hubby is also signed up and I have no doubt he can do it, and I'm glad we're again training for the same event so we're on schedule together.  I thought maybe my 2013 challenge to myself would be to do 13 new (to me) events.  It's easy to revisit past events because you know a little of what to expect, so this way I feel like I am challenging myself to seek out new things, try something different.  Now, I just need to find 11 more events.

I also took the plunge and applied to Liberty University Online yesterday.  Woohoo!  That was a big step actually applying, but it felt like it was the right move.  And, while I was there, I found out there is college/high school programs that can be done online.  I think I am going to sign up the boy for one so his second half of his senior year can count for college credit as well.  The girl did that and she graduated with a full semester of college completed.  Plus, shhhh, that frees me up from curriculum planning a bit this spring.  ;)  Now to wait to see if I get in, get the classes I want, oh, and figure out how to pay for this!!

Have you ever heard this song?  That's how I feel sometimes, but it reminds me...just keep moving!

"I dare you to move. I dare you to move. I dare you to lift Yourself up off the floor.

I dare you to move. I dare you to move. Like today never happened. Today never happened before.

Welcome to the fallout. Welcome to resistance. The tension is here. The tension is here

Between who you are. And who you could be. Between how it is. And how it should be yeah"

And isn't that the truth...between who I am who I could be is where that tension exists...or maybe it's more of who I think I should be.  And where can I run to escape myself?  That's an easy answer.  Nowhere.  I have tried to escape myself, to push myself to be more, better, different and in the end, I am me and I am good with that.  I think we always wish there were things we could change, but in reality, it's all a facet of what makes us who we are.

I love music.  Music tells a story and it makes me feel alive listening to it.  So many times, a song will come into my head just like a gentle melody and remind of what I need to focus on or where I should be headed to.  Other times, music can mirror my anger, my frustration, my fears...anything.  So, today, find something in my music or in your life that can inspire you and that dares you to move.

For me, it is time to move and get ready to head to the hubby's test appointment.  I am daring myself to stay focused, positive and know that God is in control.  And no matter what, I will praise him.

Have a great day everyone...I dare you to move.  :)

Sheri

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Granola Nut Pancakes

Pancakes are an essential part of life here.  We eat them for dinner, breakfast and just about anytime, really.  When we are doing a long run or running a race, pancakes are always for breakfast.

So, knowing we'd be running 13 miles with friends to ring in the new year, I knew pancakes were for breakfast, but I wanted to do something different.  We usually have our grain and nut combo pancakes before races, so I thought that it would be fun to do a twist on that.  And, so, granola nut pancakes were created.



I think hubby was a little concerned.  I've tried mixing granola into other favorites before with mixed results.  My last effort was a berry tart with granola crust and it was a fail.  But, undaunted, I set to work tweaking the recipe...and guess what?  Deliciousness.  Hubby agreed.  A pancake or two later and we were all set to run.

Here's the recipe I created...I'm sure adjustments could be made if needed, but the yogurt/milk combo produced a light and fluffy but yet dense enough to handle the granola batter that was near perfect.  But if you've only got milk on hand, it should be able to work, buttermilk might be better though.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all purpose flour


• 3/4 cup of any flavor of granola, ground in a food processor as finely as possible (I used Organic Banana Nut but avoided adding the dried bananas because I didn't want that to be the whole flavor and it tends to take over)


• 2 tsp baking soda


• 1 tsp baking powder


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 1 cup milk


• 3/4 cup vanilla yogurt


• 1/4 cup organic canola oil


• 1 egg


• 1/4 cup walnuts, ground to a flour consistency

Directions

1. Heat griddle to 350 degrees


2. Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls.


3. Add wet ingredients to dry mixture and gently fold together.  Don't overwork the batter.


4. Lightly spray or grease griddle


5. Pour pancakes onto griddle.  Cook about 3-4 minutes each side, or until edges are dry and center is bubbling.


6. Serve with whatever topping you choose.

Some notes:  I did NOT include any additional sugar to this recipe, and it was plenty sweet with the vanilla yogurt and the granola.  However, if you use plain yogurt, or just milk, you may want to add between 1/8 - 1/4 cup of sugar.  It's completely up to taste preference.

These pancakes were fantastic and they will definitely get made again...soon.

Happy New Year everyone!

Sheri

 

2013 is here...so where's my to-do list?

It is officially January 1, 2013. The New Year is here, and I am a bit unprepared because I still haven't set my goals for the coming year.  I mean, this is so unlike me that it's almost frightening.   I have no to-do list to get working on checking off and that is how I function...but I'm thinking my 2013 might not be dictated by a list for the first time ever.  I know that I planned to write a list, even promised it, so I am in a bit of a quandary.

On Sunday mornings, I like to watch In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley.  I'm not sure if you've ever heard of him but I like his message, I like the way he delivers it and I feel closer to God when I am listening to him and reflecting on his thoughts for the days ahead.   This week's message was about Life Lessons with Dad, and his son was leading it.  It was wonderful.  It left me wishing I had been a better parent but thanking God that no matter what shortcomings I had, he was there to fill in the blanks.  But, the second half of the program was what struck me.  Him and his son were sitting down, discussing how In Touch had even come into existence and he was discussing setting goals, etc and he mentioned that all goals should be made to glorify God.  And I thought back over my 2012 goals.  Were they glorifying God, or me?  I didn't love the answer.  So, 2013 goals are being made with God in mind I'm sure the rest will take care of itself.

1. Get out of debt.  This is a carryover from 2012 but it wasn't a priority in 2012 until we learned that the hubby's eye condition required more of our attention and we started making changes to make our future easier.  We did trade two cars into one car, and have seriously cut our eating out budget, and trimmed lots of other areas that could stand some trimming.  I have faith that this is a goal that is made with God in mind and it will be our priority in 2013.

2. Go back to school.  I have been putting this off and putting this off and it's just time to do it.  Again, thinking of our future, I need to have a more solid degree.  I am exploring my options and I know that the right one will present itself.  Trusting our future to God doesn't mean that we don't forge ahead to make changes, it means we trust that the changes we're making are preparing our lives for the life God has in mind.

3. Run and run some more.  I hit 1000 miles this year.  It felt great to say that...I keep saying it to just about anyone who will listen to me.  :)  But that's me.  Of course, it's God who gave me the legs and the will to strive for more but in the end, I'm glorifying me.  That isn't the legacy I want to leave behind.  So I will keep running because it's on many of those long runs that I pray with God and feel the closest to him and I would never want to lose that.  We're not church goers but when I'm out there running on a beautiful crisp, sunny Sunday morning, I feel like I'm in church, and I sing hymns to him.   It's a special time.  So, rather then set mileage goals, race goals, etc, I just want to run.  And keep running.  And keep singing those hymns on those long Sunday runs.

4. Keep blogging.  When I started blogging, I really did think it might turn a profit someday.  Ha!  That's a funny one.  But I've learned that the profit is in the connections I make, the outlet for writing and sharing and all of the wonderful people that I get to talk to that share so many parts of my life in their own ways.  Blogging is a beautiful community of people and my goal for 2013 is to keep doing what I'm doing and make sure I'm always giving as much as I'm taking away.

5. Spend time with my family.  The hubby and I are blessed to be the parents of two beautiful kids.  And I want to be sure that I'm always doing all I can to keep our family together.  Our extended families aren't close and I want our little family to always have that.  We're so blessed with great family ties, and that is important to maintain.  And, if God can work out the details, maybe we could even be living near more family in the coming years. :)  But that's a goal that we're leaving completely up to him.

6. Remember to be thankful.  I get frustrated and want things to change, now, and sometimes forget that right were I am is a pretty awesome place.  I have a business that I love, friends that are completely awesome, food on my table and in my pantry,  family I love dearly and a husband who adores me.  There is much to be thankful for.  God has blessed our family and I hope that everything I do with what I've been given is a blessing to others.

Happy New Year to all of you!  God bless you!

Sheri