2010 in Links

January

I had an epiphany of sorts about my weight and unhealthy choices. I talked about death with my then 4 year old daughter. I discovered that my daughter was a gifted genious- but was using her power for evil manipulation. There was an earthquake in Haiti and I wrote about my faith and my call to vent compassion.

February

I put a plan into action to make some serious changes to my physical well being- and discovered some similarities between my and my daughter in the process. I discovered Jeff Sheng Photography- which feels right to recall given recent events regarding Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Zach had a procedure done- cystoscopy- to find answers to the blood in his urine. Thankfully, it went well. I wrote something of a love letter to my husband. I came up with a plan to become a Healthier Me.

March

I wrote a post about my tips and experience for finding a preschool. I wrote about the importance of "Protecting the Gift." I started to share more about my interest in becoming a runner- even going to far as to buy shoes and clothes. After being asked how I "do it all," I wrote a series I called The Life of Lizdom. My baby girl turned 5 years old. I prepared to do Race for the Cure. I shared my thoughts on how I feel when a friend is hurting due to the choices of others.

April

I shared an update on my progress on making healthier choices. I shared my method of lifting up my friends in a virtual way. I did a 2 mile "fun run" with Subway Jared. I learned about the Stages of Change in regards to changing to a healthy lifestyle. I participated in the Race for the Cure. I started meeting up with mom friends who also wanted to start on the Couch to 5K program. I got honest about what my diet had been like up until I chose to start eating smarter.

May

I got real about success and reality. I celebrated my A Day. I wrote about jealousy- I was a "victim" of some girls being mean and needed to vent about it. I wrote about my thoughts on confronting a fear of success. Jeff and I had to work together to deal with another Mean Girl episode from our daughter. I was honored to give a sermon at my church.

June

The family went on a short overnight to Spencer County, Indiana and visited Holiday World and Lincoln's Boyhood Home and other fun spots. We went to an Indianapolis Indians baseball game and Daddy got to be a hero. My 5 year old daughter asked a question I was unprepared to answer. Had a typical Saturday that started out hard and ended well. I planted my garden. Jeff and I enjoyed overnight time without the kids. I ran my first ever 5K. Teagan had a meltdown that began a very hard summer in terms of her behavior.

July

I wrote about losing my hair. We took a weekend trip to Fort Wayne, IN. I wrote about some parenting struggles. And about those struggles being evident at school, too. We took the kids to an Indiana Fever WNBA game. I discovered the importance of family rules. My brother and his girlfriend came for a surprise (to him) visit. I wrote a post about Your Amazing Life. I shared more thoughts on protecting the gift of the innocence of our children.

August

Jeff and I had a daytime date. Jeff got to game with famous people. We hit the Indiana State Fair a bunch of times. I kept working on healthier choices- even with some struggles. Teagan started Kindergarten! I celebrated my birthday- and my husband proved he pays attention to what I like!

September

I shared my thoughts on the importance of sharing good news and positive things. I went back to being a redhead. I shared my love of chocolate cream pie with you. I vented about body image. I took a business trip that kept me away from home for most of a work week. Jeff shared that he really doesn't like my food- which led to a nice result. Teagan and I got to go see Mary Poppins. I ran another 5K. I incorporated some new goals for running.

October

I wrote some thoughts on people who are heroes every single day. I wrote a post that was one of my most popular posts and one I'm most passionate about- regarding faith, religion, and equality and gay people. Jeff and I celebrated our 7 year wedding anniversary. I had some deep thoughts on the sacrifices of parenting. My baby boy turned 3! I shared another passion- my call to help feed the hungry. My kids started to share a bedroom. I wrote about the struggles and successes of my continued journey to be healthier.

November

I shared my thoughts on making amends. I ran another 5K. We discovered that Teagan was bullying kids at school- and we took immediate action to put a stop to it. I shared my thoughts on the importance of Thanksgiving being a holiday that definitely comes before Christmas. I came up with a crazy possible reason for Teagan's bullying. Jeff and I had time without the kids and took a date night to see the musical Cats.

December

I shared some favorite Christmas posts- our unique Santa tradition and My Magic Christmas. I vented at FitCity about parents who don't take responsibility for the lack of healthy eating in their kids. I had to miss a family dinner- but found the day filled with blessings anyway. I found myself overwhelmed by the overflow of love around me. I wrote a series on the Season of Giving.

Up next?

2011

Who knows what the future holds...

Christmas At The Zoo

Yesterday evening, we had a real treat. My brother, Ted, and his girlfriend, Em, were in town for a conference in downtown Indy. I don't know the name of it... um, CC I think they kept calling it. It's a youth Christian thing. They had a few free hours so we came downtown and picked them up and took them to Christmas At The Zoo. It was a quick trip but a lot of fun! The pics didn't turn out terribly well- all I had was my phone and the combination of low lights and a flash isn't a great one. The animals we saw were mainly in the Oceans exhibit when we first arrived- prior to sunset. The Zoo was still pretty quiet at this point. Typically, a visit to the polar bear means maybe watching him swim on a great day and usually just watching him sleep. But cold air and snow makes for a happy polar bear!

We walked around a little and decided to stop for dinner- burgers, fries, pizza, and souvenir mugs of hot chocolate for the grown ups. Headed up to Santa's Village and did some crafts and took some pictures. Teagan, wanting to be a "cool girl" for Em, was very cooperative and fun all evening- a very pleasant change of pace these days.

Zach was cooperative sometimes- we got at least one good picture. Teagan posed in front of the tree- looking especially adorable in her new, shorter hairdo! Tried to get Zach to join in... but he wasn't feeling it. Went and visited the desserts exhibit but the animlas were sleeping. We did check out the snakes- and Ted looked like a total creeper in this pic I tried to snap. We paused by a lit up penguin at the end of our quick trip... Em has a thing for penguins. We all gasped when Ted got down on one knee... ...because he thought he was too tall and might block the penguin. But it was hilarious when Jeff squealed "He went to Jared!!!" at them!

A Week At Home

My department is shut down this week. Back in february, Corporate gave a directive to only have necessary employees in office the week after Christmas. My department followed the strong recommendation and we all planned accordingly. And I am spending my week at home with the family. Jeff is mostly off work (using up vacation time but on call and went in this morning to handle some stuff). The kids' school is closed. It is hard to adjust. We aren't used to spending so much time together. That sounds kind of sad, doesn't it? But it's like that with anything. When school starts up again next week and grown ups go back to work, there will be adjustments in those settings, too. Sunday was church, lunch with family, and a movie evening of Toy Story 3 and our new popcorn popper. Monday, I went shopping. Tuesday, we went out to a movie (Tangled). Today, Jeff took Teagan with him to work and I stayed home with Zach to do some housework. Jeff took Teagan so that our kids- and us grown ups- could have some peace. The fighting and complaining and whining when we are all in the same house is driving the grown ups insane. So separating seems to be the easiest answer. I've been productive today. I got the kitchen semi-cleaned up so I could make breakfast. Eggs, toast, coffee for me. And I have completely cleaned the bathroom. The kids and I share a bathroom and it is also the main house bathroom so it has to stay relatively straightened up anyway. However, the clutter was getting out of hand and it needed a deep scrubbing. It took me almost 2 hours- with frequent interruptions by a cute little boy- but I cleaned out all the drawers, cabinets, and under the sink. I scrubbed and polished and wiped and threw away and bagged up and organized anything I could get my hands on. And I feel great now! Next up- provided the boy goes down for a nap soon- is to attack the bedroom. The clothes are taking over again and the laundry needs to start getting washed before it completely blocks off the hallway. Later today, we are going to pick up my brother and his girlfriend- they are staying downtown for a Christian youth conference of some sort and have a few free hours this evening. We're going to take them to have a little fun. Thursday is Christmas with Brian and Christy. Jeff and Brian and some friends are going to see Tron in the afternoon. Then dinner and presents and hanging out at our house. Friday I am going to Zumba and out to lunch with a friend. Might get to plan a play date with a friend. No big plans for New Year's Eve this year. Just a quiet night at home. Saturday night, I am taking Jeff out for his birthday. I can't share what I'm doing because it's a surprise. He set up a surprise dinner for my birthday- made reservations for us at Melting Pot. I think I have made a choice he'll be happy with to celebrate his birthday. Sunday is Jeff's birthday. And Monday we go back to the "real world." Funny that a week felt so long before it started but now feels like it's going way too fast...

Shopping

If there is one thing I don't do, it's shop. I've worked in malls and I used to hang out in a mall as a teen and even in college my friends and I would go to just walk around and eat. Monday, I ventured to the mall on one of the scariest shopping days of the year- after Christmas sales. The place was packed. But there were Great Deals that simply Couldn't Be Missed. It hadn't been my plan to go. I'd called Christy that morning to see how her Christmas had been and what she was doing that day. She said she was going to Macy's- they were having a big sale and that the ad had things she definitely wanted to look at getting. I got some crazy idea that a kid and I would have fun venturing to the mall. So I grabbed Zach and called Christy and off we all went. There was something I'd forgotten, apparently. I don't like malls. I don't really like shopping. We went to Macy's. I bought 3 things- a grill griddle pan, a pot, and a waffle maker that makes circus shaped waffles (a lion, an elephant, and a clown). I used a gift card from my mother-in-law so I consider the waffle maker a gift from her. I thought we might be done at that point. We decided to head to the food court for lunch. Christy mentions that Dick's Sporting Goods is having a sale and that there is a $10 off shoes coupon. I do need new running shoes so... fine. We'll go. I ended up buying 2 pair of Nike Lunarfly shoes. They were marked at $60- I normally see them for $80 or more. I picked out 2 pair- one is white with pink accents and the other are garishly magenta with electric blue accents. Turns out, they were even further on sale than the ticket price and were only $45 each! I also got a headband (covers my ears for outdoor running) for $4- and it's fleece and Reebok. Surely we were done then, right? Nope. Jeff and Teagan had opted to come and join us. We headed down to Sears and Christy stayed with the kids in a small play area while Jeff and I did a quick search for a gift I've been looking for. Come out of Sears and the kids are about to ride on this little Thomas the Tank Engine train ride. Up next- we head to Build A Bear. This was a big part of why I wanted to come to the mall. Teagan's favorite Christmas movie is Rudolph. Zach's favorite is Frosty. My kids love these classic movies. I love that they each have a favorite! Build-A-Bear had an Abominable Snowman and a Frosty so we simply had to commemorate 2010 with stuffed friends of our favorite movies! Up next- Borders. This is where the kids unraveled and I realized I hadn't had coffee all day. So Jeff took the kids home and Christy and I treated ourselves to a peppermint mocha. Again, I assumed we might be done with our shopping but... not yet. We walked past the Disney Store, checked out a kid's clothing place I hadn't heard of, glanced through Bath & Body Works (line was insane). Actually, insane lines were going on everywhere we went. JC Penney was next on the list. Again- a coupon, great sales. Great coupon this time and easy to use- that always makes it better. I bought some stuffed animals for a future project. We got Teagan a new lunch box (the zipper on hers is broken), I got a new nightgown (it is bee-yoo-tee-ful), and I got the kids a present to bring home- little travel pillows for around their necks (a blue dog for Zach and a pink cat for Teagan). Our final stop was a delightful one, thankfully. It was a large candy and gift shop- insane amounts of candy and stuffed animals. In fact, I've never seen so many varieties of stuffed animals- sting rays, octopus, seahorses, turtles, frogs, various breeds of dog, tiny little animals and big giant ones. We picked up a few sweet treats- things we hadn't seen in a long time or had never heard of (Freshen Up gum with the liquid center... peanut butter Snickers squares). Finally, we were done. It was after 4:00. I'd spent more than 5 hours shopping. In a mall. And I survived.

For my far away friends and relatives

Christmas was great. We had a lovely evening with Jeff’s family- his parents, his sister and her kids, his step-sister and her kids- on Thursday evening. Thursday night, I went out, met up with Christy and did the majority of my Christmas shopping in 2 hours. Friday, ran a few errands with the kids. Friday night was family friendly church service, home for bedtime and Santa set up, back to church (just me) for the 11:00 Lessons and Carols service. Saturday we drove to Cincinnati and enjoyed a lovely Christmas meal and presents and the company of my family- my parents, my brothers, my aunt and uncle from Kentucky, my grandparents.

My Aunt Kathy sent me messages during the day and I sent her pictures. I didn’t get to see her when she was here a few weeks ago and I really missed seeing her. So these pictures are primarily for her. And for my mom since she spends so much of her time in the kitchen- she might miss a lot of the moments. And for Em, my brother’s lovely girlfriend who was spoken of often and very fondly and everyone wished she could have been there. And for Brian- Jeff’s best friend- who was supposed to come with us but was home sick with a fever instead.

Christmas Morning

The loot:

The faces

The hula hoop

The guitar

A favorite gift- the flashlight

Christmas Day in Ohio

Holiday Greetings!

Traders Point Creamery: The Loft

Yesterday, Christy and I were bad fitness friends. We skipped the gym and went out to lunch. We felt a little guilty until Christy came up with a great idea of where to go eat- The Loft at Traders Point Creamery. I've written about Traders Point- we went to Christmas On The Farm this past weekend and I got to sample and enjoy the Creamery earlier in December. The Loft is a farm to table restaurant. The food is as local as you can get- often coming from the farm all around you. The ambiance is very cozy. You are in a restaurant that is attached to the milking barn and the structure is wood and beams and natural. We got to sit right next to the tree- a real one, of course- and loved the cow bell decorations. Christy and I drooled over the menu. So many choices... so many yummy and fresh and real ingredients. There was a cheese plate that we knew would be delicious- we've had Traders Point cheeses before and they never disappoint. Soup is always a nice choice on a chilly day. But we quickly realized we wanted to eat food that we couldn't get anywhere else. We wanted something beyond mac-n-cheese, burgers, and grilled cheese. TPC has a great spin they do on each of those dishes but we were there to be adventurous and celebrate our last official lunch hour of 2010. We started with the Duck Confit Butternut Squash Salad. Spinach, butternut squash, duck, cranberries, and lightly candied walnuts with a vinaigrette dressing. It was amazing. The duck was what really made it amazing. Actually, the salad would have been tasty without the duck- the duck made it special. I'm not usually one to order duck, honestly. But this... was amazing. It was moist and flavorful. For our main course, we opted for the Pork Confit Steak. "Brined pork confit served over sweet potatoes, Gunthorp Farms bacon, tender spinach and romesco sauce." The sweet potatoes were cubed and roasted and delicious- firm, slightly crunchy on the outside. The romesco sauce was a first for me and I enjoyed it immensely. But that pork... heaven help me, I've never had pork so tasty. It was buttery when I pressed my fork into it. The outside was crispy, crunchy. The inside was perfectly cooked, moist beyond description. I wanted to shovel it into my face because it tasted so good- but I also wanted to eat it as slowly as possible so I could savor every second of it. The Loft isn't a place we'll be frequently on a regular basis. It's pricey. You get what you pay for, absolutely. The quality is beyond measure. It will be a special treat to enjoy from time to time. The service wasn't the best- but we think it was because the place was packed. There seemed to only be 2 actual servers and the bussers and manager had jumped in to help out. No one was standing around, everyone seemed busy. So slow service was forgiveable, in our opinion. If you are looking for a unique and healthy place to enjoy a meal with friends, family, or on your own, I highly recommend visiting Traders Point Creamery. And if you get a chance, be sure to buy a bottle of egg nog. I'm not an egg nog fan in the slightest but I could easily drink an entire bottle of Traders Point Creamery's egg nog. And be sure to check out all the Traders Point has to offer- from a winter farmer's market to tours to an on site shop.

What The Kids Want...

Ah, Christmas shopping. It isn't my favorite activity, I have to admit. This year, knowing that our kids are going to be shwoered with gifts from friends and family, we are going smaller in our own home. One little rhyme credited back to Victorian days as a guide for gift giving is: Something you want Something you need Something you wear Something you read We always cover "wear" by giving pajamas on Christmas Eve. We go to church and come home and open the packages that contain the pj's and they were them that night. Now, Zach currently has an overflow of pj's- he got several pairs of nice, warm jammies for his birthday. Teagan is needing pajamas- she has outgrown most of what she currently has in her drawer. "Read" is covered. I purchased some Usborne books when school was doing a fundraiser. They are tucked away in my closet so I don't remember exactly what the titles are off the top of my head. But I know I got Teagan two chapter books- written at her comprehension level. Wizard of Oz and Black Beauty. 2 of my favorite. For Zach, I think I got a dinosaur puzzle book and I can't remember the other. "Need" is a challenge because our kids don't really need anything. Teagan has too many shoes. They both have clothing and school supplies. They have sheets and blankets. Seems wrong to give them vitamins or flu shots or something. Oh! Teagan needs new tights. Zach... still scratching my head on that one. "Want" will be Barbies for Teagan and Buzz and Woody dolls for Zach. Santa gets to bring fun things. The kids get to ask Santa for 1 thing each. Zach asked for a guitar- which we were prepared for and he's been consistently saying he was going to ask for. Teagan has been saying she was going to ask Santa for Barbies or a popcorn popper but when the time came to sit on the jolly man's lap... she asked for a hula hoop! Thankfully, I have a great network of shopping mommy friends who scouted out various stores and a friend found a plethora at Meijer. Jeff went and picked one out and it is sparkly and yellow-gold. Santa also brings things that are for the family, for both kids. Popcorn popper, new playdoh, maybe a couple of movies. I think it's going to be a good Christmas and the kids will be happy. Now, if I could just find time to finish shopping and do all the wrapping!

Season of Giving: Church

In the month of December, I'm going to feature various groups that help those in need (that means I'm posting twice a day!!). I'm not always doing fundraising for them- just bringing attention to groups that I think do important work or may need help. Perhaps you will feel the urge to connect to that group or find something similar in your area that you can volunteer your time and talents. Perhaps you will want to make a donation. Perhaps you will just feel warm and fuzzy knowing that good is being done in the world. See all posts for the Season of Giving ***** The Promise United Methodist Church My church is struggling. We had to make big cuts at the start of this year and halfway through. And we have a shortfall if we want to start 2011 in the black. And we have a shortfall on out budget which may result in some major cuts. And that scares me because my church is my home, my family, my community. In my life... I've grown up or attended or somehow been part of 8 or more different churches. Some were a big part of my life- the church I grew up in, the church that surrounded my family during some chaotic times. And some were an attempt at reconnecting with a faith community but weren't a good fit for me. And then I found The Promise. I had made a new friend through community theatre and we were cast (by Christy, ironically) as romantic interests and this meant spending a lot of time together. In the course of the time we spent together, my quest for a church home came up and he told me about this church- The Promise. I was hesitant at first. It was in a strip mall. There were plans to build nearby. I attended on Good Friday because my new friend was singing a solo. And I was greeted warmly and immediately felt welcome, at ease. That was in 2004. In the years since, I've become more and more involved with my church and it has become a very important part of my family, my life, and my relationship with God. Here's what impresses me, what I think is special about The Promise. The people who are part of The Promise are truly dedicated to the purpose of sharing God's love. There is a lot of grassroots missions work that goes on. There is outreach to food pantries, missionaries, local schools. There are projects going on in the children's ministry to teach our kids compassion. There are ways to get involved and use your talents- even if your talent is more passion driven than anything else. You don't have to be a great singer to be on music team and lead worship with the team every week. You don't have to have some degree in whatever to volunteer to help with Sunday School. There is a place for everyone in our church and our arms are open wide to love everyone who passes through those doors- and even those who don't. My church is a newer church. And we are struggling financially. It's a hard economic time and giving is often one of the first things that gets cut in a budget. So maybe you feel moved by something I've said about my church or my faith or how I live my life. Maybe you'd like to make a donation to my church. 12648 E. 116th Street, Fishers, IN 46037 Or maybe you'd like to make a donation to a church in your area. Maybe you don't attend church but you know of a church that does good in your community- you can still make a holiday, charitable donation to them. You don't have to attend a church or be religious or even believe in God to support and appreciate or maybe even benefit from having a church in your community. So consider supporting them- or supporting mine- because everyone is struggling these days. Make an appointment to go talk to the pastor there so you feel comfortable in knowing what they do before you make a decision, perhaps. Support your community by supporting a church.

Love Overflows

Do you ever get completely overwhelmed by how much love there is in the world? It's so easy to see all the bad, all the hurt, all the sickness, all the pain. But do you ever get overwhelmed by how much love is out there? I am blessed and loved. I've seen bad, bad stuff in my life. I've been hurt, abused, hungry, shamed, angry, sad. But life is good. Here's the thing- for me, it all centers around my faith. How I treat my husband, my kids, my friends, my family- it all centers around my relationship with God. I've seen amazing things happen in the last 2 weeks and have been honored to be able to be part of those happenings. I know that God put me in the right place at the right time and gave me the time and resources I needed to reach out in special ways to those in need. And I also got to witness the compassion and generosity of others- giving to people they don't even know, giving a small amount when there isn't much to give. To me, that's what life is all about. That's what living is all about. Love. Love in action. Love is a choice. You can choose to love the people around you by the way you choose to treat them. You can choose to love your friends, your neighbor, and even strangers by the actions you choose. My life isn't perfect- there is pain and suffering for friends and family, there are bad days and financial struggles in my life. But my life is still blessed. And not just by material things or financial things or even by the people in my life. My life is blessed by love. And the really amazing part is that the more I open myself up to love... the more it flows around me and through me. When I focus on positive and love and blessings... there is more of it. Even on a dark and hard day, blessings end up flowing through. My faith is the foundation of this experience for me. My church family, my church home is what has helped me build on that foundation. I also can't express in words how much my church family means to me. I grew up going to church and knew the generosity that members of a congregation can have. And I also witnessed the ugly side of a church family when there would be gossiping and underhanded compliments- the love didn't overflow. Maybe I'm somehow sheltered from it and there is some ugly underbelly that I just haven't experienced... but... I don't experience that ugly side in my church home. I could turn to any person there and ask for help and I know I would be helped. If you are someone that God placed in my path this week- in any capacity- I have to thank you. Thank you for partnering with me. Thank you for loving with me. Thank you for reaching out, taking a risk, doing more than you have to do. Thank you for heaping the love until it overflowed.

How To Eat A Gingerbread House

The kids made graham cracker gingerbread houses at school on Friday to celebrate the last day of school before the winter break. Being the way cool mom that I am, I let the kids have 10 minutes to go to town on the houses on Friday night and on Saturday night- which proved to be a great bribe to get kids to eat their dinner each night. Friday night, they ate 3/4 of the candy off of the houses. Saturday night, candy gone from one house completely and almost gone from the other, the kids discovered that they could eat the houses themselves. Hilarity- and an insane sugar high- ensued.

Christmas On The Farm

Yesterday, I took the kids to Christmas On The Farm at Trader's Point Creamery. We had a good time. It was insanely busy. I had hoped to get there first thing in the morning. It started at 9 and I was going to be there when the doors opened. Through a series of events, our plans changed slightly and then changed dramatically when my car tire ended up half flat and I was headed toward a garage anyway. So we didn't get on our way until almost 11:00. Christmas On The Farm is a market and fun things for the family to do. You can visit cows and the nursery, do some shopping from local vendors of gifts and food (I got 2 gifts covered and 2 dozen farm fresh eggs), visit Santa, and do crafts. The wait to see Santa was long and the line wrapped directly through the booths of the vendors which meant the line waiters and the shoppers intersected uncomfortably at times. The wait to see Santa was made longer when Santa took a much needed 10 minute break when we were less than halfway there. But the kids were ready to talk to him and each gave their requested gift idea- Teagan wants a hula hoop and Zach wants a guitar. Teagan also told Santa that we are going to do what we did last year- leave food for him to take and give to a family that needs it. She also told him she had drawn him a picture and would leave it for him in her stocking. Outside the big barn were 2 reindeer- they are so fuzzy and cute! But from what I hear, they aren't particularly friendly. You couldn't get right up to them so I assume that's true.

After visiting Santa and doing a little shopping and singing along with the musicians, we hit the craft table. The kids made pine cone Rudolph ornaments. And Zach had to make his fly around! Next we headed to the nursery part of the barn. There were several week old calves. And some older calves- this one really liked Teagan and even gave her a kiss right after I snapped this picture. We ended our visit with some hot chocolate and some egg nog. Trader's Point Creamery makes the only egg nog that I actually like. In fact, I love it. Zach drank half of each cup and Teagan refused to try any of it. We had hoped to buy some of the fresh gouda but the lines were just so long that waiting in a small, cramped space wasn't going to work. I would have enjoyed spending some money on the food offerings but the lines were long and the seating spaces were loud and cramped and it just wasn't going to work with the kids in tow. When they are older, it will be more fun for them.

I look forward to getting out to Trader's Point Creamery over the winter and visiting the Winter Farmer's Market a few times.