Tales of the Thompson 4

AUGH!!

2010-09-02T17:03:00.000-07:00

Really... I mean, seriously, why is losing weight so difficult!! I have been really good this week. Worked hard, even tried to work out (only mangaged three days, but, hey, its better than nothing!), and still not even a single millimeter has moved on that scale. I think I might be premenopausal or something because I remember it coming off a lot easier when I was younger. I will just keep plugging away this next week and maybe, just maybe, if the stars are aligned correctly and the hormones are in balance, that dang scale will budge!

News

2010-08-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

David has received a new calling in our ward. He is now the high priest secretary. He was also ordained to the office of high priest. Did you know that you don't have to be a high priest to be the high priest secretary? I didn't. I teased him that he was joining the oldies, but our ward doesn't really have oldies. David IS one of the oldies! Out of about 25 or so high priests, David is the sixth or seventh oldest. Even though he is old, I am really proud of him for being worthy enough to hold the priesthood and bless our family!

checking in

2010-08-26T17:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this week didn't go so great. I tried, but kicking the chocolate is hard!! I did okay the first day, and then with the stress from work and home, ended up going downhill the rest of the week. Today is the start of a new week and one can hope that it will be a better one! I decided not to weigh myself today because of the lackluster performance of the week - but I will do it next week so that I can have some accountablility going. And can I just say, I hate it that men lose weight quicker than women!!

Challenge

2010-08-18T07:27:00.001-07:00

This is a challenge for me. I am tired of being over weight. With the plantar facsciitis, achilles tendonitis, and the general yuckiness from the fribromyalgia, I need to get some of this weight off. The doctor did not come right out and say I had to lose weight, but we all know that we feel better when we have less weight to carry around. I have been doing a lot of reading and healthy diets and such and I am ready to give it a try. First step, cut out the junk, such as chips, cookies, etc. Also, no more processed foods. No more quickie dinners. Now I have to plan ahead a little and make sure I have something decent to eat for dinners. Usually not a problem unless I am lazy. Then I need to do my best to excercise, even though I am limited to what I can do. I will check in once a week to update my progress. I am hoping that the added pressure of having to report will make me more conscious of what I am doing, just like weight watchers, only cheaper!

Time for a post

2010-08-18T07:20:00.000-07:00

Time to post something - We had an ok summer. Cameron had the most fun with turning 14, going to boy scout camp, and then high adventure camp. He was gone a lot and was out doing lots of fun things. Aaron got to stay home with me and be bored. Aaron did turn 12, which is exciting, and now is a deacon passing the sacrament. These boys are growing up way to fast! Aaron went to work with me a couple of days this summer and helped out with the special needs kiddos in the middle school. He even got to see me get hit by one of the boys. Thank heaven that only happened once all summer! School is back in with the usually routine of getting up early, homework, etc. It is even earlier now that Cameron is going to seminary. At least we are in on a carpool and I don't have to drive him everyday. That helps out ALOT! Hears hoping that there is more exciting news to post about later!

2010-03-10T12:11:00.000-08:00

Break Time

2010-03-06T11:16:00.000-08:00

It is spring break time here and we are going to enjoy the lovely weather (in the 70's) and working on household chores! Okay, the boys aren't going to enjoy the household chores, but they will enjoy the great weather! I am looking forward to getting some canning, baking, and deep cleaning done. We will also be planting the garden next weekend. I am excited about that. Love me some fresh, home grown tomatoes! What have you got planned for your spring break?

Changes

2010-02-07T12:30:00.000-08:00

Changes can be so hard somtimes. We went to our new ward today in the new building. The building is also new, but is very small and narrow. Our new ward has over 500 people in it so it is easy to get lost. The halls are very narrow and always packed with people. They sustained the YW and YM presidencies and their counselors today. Still waiting on Primary and RS. I know who the primary president is and she will be great. She gets a primary of 150 children (not including a super large nursery). It was weird not to have anything to do or run around all day. I actually had to go to RS, which you all know I just adore (not!). It was squishy with lots of people and so many babies that you could not hear very well. I am sure I will get used to it in time. It made me sad for the old ward today. A little while ago, I recieved a call from a friend in the old ward. She told me her kids missed seeing me in primary today. That made me feel better. It also made me sad that I won't get to see those kids much. Change is hard, but I know it will be okay. Every time we have made a change, it has turned out to be good. This is our fifth ward change, so at least I can say I know a few people in four different wards. The theme for the day in the testimonies shared was we know Heavenly Father is aware of each and every one of us. He knows our name, where we are, and what we need. He loves us and will take care of us if we will just listen, obey, and be patient. I know that He is aware of me and that will make this change easier to bear.

2010-02-05T15:13:00.000-08:00

This is the picture of Aaron after he was indcuted into the National Junior Honor Society at school. He is not really sure why he should join, but it looks good on you resume, right?! Anyway, he is a member and we are proud of him!

Cameron also had a big month because he was fitted with braces! He choose green, which you can't really see in the picture because of all the silver. He was nervous, but has been taking care of them very well so far. After two weeks, he did break a brace while eating a granola bar that had almonds in it. We went back to the ortho and after 30 minutes, said brace was back in place again. Here's hoping that thousands of dollars will make for beautiful teeth and fix the spot where he has a missing tooth!

$1000 Dollar Kitty?

2010-01-03T17:39:00.000-08:00

Ok, why is it that we always have emergencies on a holiday? Dear sweet Minnie had an emergency on New Years Day. We had to go to the emergency vet for diarrhea, lethargy, no eating or drinking, and high fever. She had to stay overnight in the hospital with an IV, she got antibiotics and the equivalent of kitty ibuprofen. She is still on antibiotics, which we have to give to her twice a day and she has one more does of kitty ibuprofen. It is a good thing she is so cute because that little visit cost a buddle! Notice her shaved foreleg in the top photo where she recieved her IV. She came home with a cone, which is way to big for her, because she also pulled out her stitches from being spayed. She now has three staples in her belly and we have to watch her so she doesn't rip those out too. Now we have to followup with the reguarly vet. Here's hoping that it doesn't cost as much as the emergency vet!

And Kitty Makes Five

2009-12-30T20:23:00.000-08:00

The boys have been very excited about the new addition to the family. Cameron can hardly contain his excitement and is always by the cat. We have gone back and forth over what to name her. Some still like the name she came with, Wilhelmenia and some like the name Minnie because she is going to be a small cat. Cameron really would like to call her Minnie and since he is the most excited, we will let him name the cat. She is recovering nicely from surgery and is getting used to all of us and the house. She will be a fun addition to the family!

2009

2009-01-05T13:17:00.000-08:00

Here we go, another year, hoping for a better year. We have had a tough year, as many of you know, and are praying that it will get better. We started the year off with David having the stomach flu. (vomit from a grown man=yucky!!) It has to get better from there, right? We had a great Christmas and want to say thank you to those anonymous people we helped make it great! We were very appreciative of the support.

I am not going to really set any goals this year other than to try to eat better and exercise more. My chocolate stash has got to get smaller and not be replenished so often or my pants will no longer fit! I certainly don't want to deprive myself of a treat or two, but I guess chocolate after every meal is a little excessive.

Happy New Year to all and for those of you who do set goals - good luck, I know you can do it!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T07:47:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! Enjoy this holiday season and I hope Santa brings want you wanted most!

Happy Halloween

2008-11-01T11:22:00.000-07:00

It was a dark and stormy night... Okay, it was a warm and clear night, but it was a fun Halloween. They boys collected lots of candy. They wanted to create their own costumes this year and this is what they came up with. I thought it was very creative. They cut slits int he top of the box and taped a pillowcase underneath the slot on the inside to catch all the candy. Lots of men who were handing out candy thought it was very inventive. They got lots of compliments last night, such as best costume yet, great idea, how fun, one little lady said back in the day she went as a die too. There were also lots of jokes about gambling and lucky number 7, which the boys didn't get. I had to explain to them and told them just to laugh when people were making comments about gambling. I think they did a great job of coming up with their own costumes and with using paint and paper we already had, the total cost for both $1.70. Pretty darn good!

New Recipes

2008-10-26T08:26:00.000-07:00

I am always looking for new recipes and, of course, love a good dessert recipe. I found a couple today while I was surfing the internet and thought I would share. They both look pretty easy and very tasty!

OREO TRUFFLES
2 sleeves Oreos
8 oz. softened cream cheese
Handful of white chocolate chips
Handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Crush the Oreos in a food processor (should be like crumbs). Pour into a mixing bowl/mixer. Add in the cream cheese and mix until well blended. Roll into balls. In a separate bowl, melt all the chocolate chips together and drizzle over balls. Hint: Melt the chips in the microwave, along with a teaspoon of Crisco. Once melted, place them in baggie & cut the corner of the bag (a very small hole) and drizzle over the balls. Even better, use an icing bag if you have one. Store truffles in the fridge. Yield: About 30 truffles

BLACK-BOTTOM BANANA BARS
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. baking cocoa

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla; beat until thoroughly combined. Blend in the bananas. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Divide batter in half. Add cocoa to half; spread into a greased 9" x 13" baking pan. Spoon remaining batter on top and swirl with a knife. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until the bars test done. Cool.

Bon Appetite!!

Yipee!!

2008-10-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

I have not had to put gas in my car for three weeks thanks to being able to walk to work and having no money to go shopping so I just stay home. Today, I went to Costco and got some gas and was delighted to see that it was down to 2.79 a gallon. Here's to hoping that this trend continues and that we can see below 2.50 before long! Yipee!!

2008-10-19T14:47:00.000-07:00

Why is it that every Sunday I am so excited to be done with church? is that a bad

Another Year Older

2008-10-17T17:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, so another year has gone by and I am one year older. This year has gone by really fast. What people say is right, the older I get, the faster time goes by. I really appreciated all the wishes for a good day (I even got some good wishes from work, which is unusual), and I must say, it was a really good day!

Yummy Salad

2008-10-08T10:24:00.000-07:00

The boys and I were shopping at Trader Joe's and they had samples of a great salad. We went home and made a version for ourselves that was really good. Here is all you need:

Spinach leaves or salad greens
feta cheese crumbles
strawberries, sliced
candied pecans
poppyseed dressing or balsamic dressing

Just placed all ingredients in a bowl and toss and serve. We had both dressings and they were both great, but I prefer the poppyseed dressing.

If you are interested here are recipes for Honey Poppy Seed Dressing and Candied Pecans. Both are super easy and very good.

Honey Poppy Seed Dressing
1/4 c. to 1/2 c. Honey
1/4 c. vinegar (or cider vinegar)
1 tsp salt
1 thick slice sweet onion
1/2 tsp dry mustard
2/3 c. olive oil
1 Tbs. poppy seeds

Blend all ingredients in blender except oil and seeds. Add oil in slow stream while blending. stir in poppy seeds.

Candied Pecans
2 Tbs. Sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 egg white
1 1/2 c. raw pecan halves

Preheat oven to 325.
Spoon sugar and cinnamon into a large bowl or plastic bag. Mix well and set aside. Place egg white in a separate bowl and whisk until frothy. Add pecans and toss to coat completely. Add pecans to cinnamon sugar mixture and toss well to coat all pecans. spread on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool, breaking them apart with a spatuala.

Enjoy!

Thoughts on Conference

2008-10-05T16:34:00.000-07:00

Conference always delivers. I need to be reminded of several things and this time was no different. Reminders to rely on our Heavenly Father more, show more gratitude for what I have, and my favorite talk, from President Uchtdorf, the message of hope. I have been a little anxious of late and it was a nice reminder to have hope and faith and that if I am prepared, I need not fear. I am working on it, but can always use these reminders. I really do love conference!

Keeping Busy

2008-09-29T08:36:00.000-07:00

Cameron and Aaron have found all sorts of projects to keep them busy over the three week break from school. Adam (who is Cameron's friend) and Cameron came up with the idea to make this biodome out of tightly rolled newspaper. They also make coats of armor out of cardboard and they each have their own set. Now if I could just contain the mess!

Who Me -Blogging?

2008-09-28T15:37:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought that I would start blogging. Not me! I finally caved to all the pressure and I decided I should blog. It really is a good way to journal and keep all informed of what is happening in our lives (that is what I keep telling myself). I really enjoy reading other people's blogs. Here's to hoping mine won't be too boring!!