Purple Stride 5K

Aaron's step-mom was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Obviously, this came as a total shocker and has really been heavy on our hearts and minds. We know that God is the Great Physician and we are putting our faith in his perfect plan! A few weeks ago, I stumbled across the Purple Stride 5K on Facebook. This is a fun run and 5K to help raise funds to further advanced research, support patients and create hope for those affected by pancreatic cancer. Although I am not in the best shape right now, I knew I wanted our family to participate in this! I wanted ALL 5 of us to run this...not only to help support this wonderful cause, but to also help our "Eg" know how much she is loved and prayed for by her family! :)

 OK, so the boys didn't exactly run...

 

 

 A good ole' fashion leaf fight after the run...

 Our sweet friends, Justin & Tamara, who also happened to be running in the 5K

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Fone Pics Friday

Being nosy...

 School...

 Learning about making healthy food choices!

 Thanksgiving Feast at Landon's school...

 The little bros joined the feast...

Surprise Camping Trip

If you've hung around our boys for any length of time, you know that they love to play pretend camping...especially Landon! With the beautiful, very un-fall like, weather we've had recently we decided to surprise the boys with a real camping trip one night! We went to Tyler and stayed in a little cabin. They boys had a great time. While I enjoyed spending time with all my boys, I did seem to look over the fact that Micah is crawling now and into EVERYTHING...and EVERYTHING goes into his mouth. So, out in nature, there's not much place to set him down. Meaning, I had to hold him a lot, or he had to be strapped in a stroller. He's not real big on being "held down" these days now that he is mobile and ready to explore everything!

This is a video of us telling Landon about the camping trip after picking him up from school! Love his reaction!

 

 

See what I mean...he's not loving the "cage"

 

Chow time...

The boys loved finding neat (and some un-usual) things in nature!

 We went for a paddle-boat ride...I'm not sure why, but I'm pretty sure the only one who enjoyed it was me!

The Daniel Fast

For the past 3 weeks, Aaron and I have been on a Daniel Fast. The Daniel Fast is a plant-based fast based on the book of Daniel, where Daniel refused to eat the food provided by King Nebuchadnezzar. This was more of a statement that he trusted in the provisions of God rather than man. It's basically a strict vegan diet with the only allowable beverage being water. For many months now I've been wanting to lose a few pounds but have had ZERO motivation to do so! I finally realized that something drastic would need to happen because just saying, "Yea, I'll eat better!" wasn't working out so well! This has been my first true "fast" and while it hasn't been perfect, it has been a great experience. A typical Daniel fast lasts 21 days, although you can make it more or less based on your desire or a prompting from the Holy Spirit. There is also a devotional in the book (see first picture) that Aaron and I were able to do together. I found it a wonderful experience to share with Aaron. We could encourage and pray for one another in ways we've never been able to. And we could also drool over the boys macaroni and cheese or turkey sandwich together! :) We lost about 23 pounds (together) in the 3 weeks and we are hoping and praying that we can continue (and improve) our new outlook on the foods we put in our bodies!

One of our favorites...stir-fry!

 My new breakfast...
A handful of spinach
1 1/2 cups of mixed frozen berries (I usually use strawberries, blueberries & raspberries)
1 peach (frozen or fresh)
6-8 frozen dark cherries
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup soy milk (vanilla or regular)
1-2 scoops protein powder
1/4 tsp vanilla (optional)
A carton of your favorite yogurt (optional) I only do this sometimes!
Blend! Enjoy!
BEFORE...

AFTER...

Roasted chick peas...

 So thankful that GUAC is allowed!

After 2 1/2 weeks of not setting foot in a restaurant (if you know us you know that's a long time) we treated outselves to Chipolte! We were able to eat according to the Daniel fast rules, but it made us feel like we were splurging since we got to "eat out!"

Burrito Bowl:

Brown rice

Black beans

Salsa

Guacamole

Corn salsa

Lettuce

Grilled fajita veggies (onions, peppers, etc.)