"shakin' what my mama gave me"

Some of my fondest memories growing up always include my mom's beautiful smile as she excitedly introduces one of her "specialties"  And one of those things is her strawberry banana shake. Milk, strawberries, banana's and NO SUGAR! When she first blended one up for me I was hesitant..how can this taste good WITHOUT THE BEST INGREDIENT! It was sheer madness... But oh...my...goodness!!! Did I ever love those shakes!!!! 

And now I share that with my family.  My kids LOVE them, I love them and they are a great healthy snack the whole family can enjoy.  Occasionally we throw in peaches for extra flava ;) Here are some fun ways to make them even more delectable!

Use dessert/martini glasses and put chocolate around the brim with chunks of chocolate covered strawberries on top.

Use wax paper to cover the bottom end of a straw, poke a small whole and fill the straw with chocolate, caramel whatever your fancy and blow into the straw to add some extra sweetness! 

My favorite treat is cutting up frozen strawberries into little chunks, some peaches, and putting them in a bowl of Almond milk! It's a sweet dessert or breakfast, with no sugars or fats! 

For a sweeter holiday dessert, put 3tbl spoons of chocolate pudding into a dessert glass, add chunks of chilled strawberries and bananas, add another tablespoon or so of pudding, sprinkle with almonds, and add whipped cream.  For a feel of Christmas dress with strawberry glaze and a mint leaf, and tie a festive ribbon around the base! 

Well that's it for today! I will make the above ^ for dessert tomorrow and will post pictures! I love shakin' what my mama gave me, and am grateful to her for her constant excitement in sharing the things she loves!

xoxoxo Mrs Lee!

Remind Me

Abby :) 23 Months and 2 Weeks!

Gabby Abby with your eyes so blue,
I pray you hold dear to your heart,
all that we have to teach to you.

Your smile is brighter than sun,
sweeter than any I've yet to see.
And your laugh is a melodic run.

Your happiness hides your blindness,
it illuminates all of our lives each day.
You are a glowing star of loveliness.

Some days it is hard for Daddy and I
and we wonder if God will help you.
But he has shown that WE are your sight.

We will lift you up and be your guide.
until you grow your very own wings,
and fly, on your own, into the sky.

Yes, we'll cry when someday go;
no matter the paths you will chose,
We'll be here as you learn and grow.

As for now, you are my dear little girl;
innocent, pure and filled with love.
And I enjoy being your whole wide world.

Love Mom

Abby's growth has been amazing!!! Although she REFUSES to sleep... she is off the charts with her health. She is passing all her blood tests, bone age tests, and phsycial tests with flying colors!

Her Endocrinologist recently stated that he's never seen such a bright beautiful 2 year old (to be)! As the doc was examining Abby she was humming the tune to "Wouldn't it be Loverly" from My Fair Lady (her favorite musical).  He was stunned at how on pitch she was, and that she was following the melody so well.  As he spoke to her, her eyes (though blind) were fixated on his face, locking in the home of the sound.

She stood up and giggled when he made made any type of foreign noise. He clapped twice, she clapped twice, he clapped thrice she clapped thrice. And to his surprise Abigail reached out, grabbed is hands and clapped them together, laughing at his loud, masculine clap.

Then she quieted down, and started studying his hands. Her little fingers traced every line, wrinkle & mole as she got to know her doctor. She then lifted his hand to her face and then her hand to his and smiled. With tears in his eyes her doctor looked at me "I feel like she knows me, really knows me". And she did.

He said normally he waits a year before seeing patients again, but he couldn't wait that long to see Abby and set up another appointment for January. He spend 20 minutes commending me as a mother. Saying that he hasn't had a mother with my determination to teach and help her child progress. "Most mother's are fearful of their child getting hurt and coddle the child, rendering their growth to nothing.  Abby is independent and growing rapidly because of YOU, because of your strong love, and enduring spirit. She has many talents and is beyond smart... Her successes will be because you are a wonderful mother"


I was speechless.  How could he see all that in an appointment? Nonetheless, I believe he is one of those angels Heavenly Father sends us to reinforce our knowledge of who we are, why we're here and what we need to do as parents.  But most of all, I was in love with all he said about Abby, and I was happy she could hear it all.

She started crawling recently and I think it's partly because of Bronco.  She senses his growth and at first, she grew anxious, always wanting mommy or daddy. But she quickly recovered and is trying to do those things her brother is doing. She is trying to stand on her own without using furniture, she crawls, dances and sings.

Her newest achievement is talking. Miss Abby sue is teaching herself sounds likes "FA, SH, SIT, BA, BO, PA, MI". She says "Fact, Papa, Dad, Mom, Bob (Bronco), Baba (bottle), I Sit (her got to words for when she wants to sit down!)" and is trying new ones everyday.

Abby is definitely my favorite daughter :)
ps new readers...she's my ONLY daughter!

Ciao for Now

xoxoxoxo Mrs Lee!

wow...it's been too long!

So I have to apologize, about my obvious neglect of my blogs! Much has been going on since July. Abby stopped sleeping at night and thus everything has been screwy around here! Much to update you on...much to write! So instead of one LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGG post, I'm going to several little posts of the biggest things that have happened over the last 5 months or so!

First of all for all of you wondering about the Mrs and Mr Fit Lee Contest... I won! Yup I went from 208lb to 150lbs! (:  Mr Lee...well let's just say the little treats I left in his lunch...or on  the table could not be passed up.

I honestly was NOT trying to sabotage him, it just looked that way!

But this month (of all months!!!) Jonny has decided that he's going to start eating HEALTHY!!! hahahhahahahhahahha oh ... my ... heck..!! I'd love to see that happen! IT"S NOVEMBER BABE!! Tis the season to eat until your belt bursts!

My camera is missing it's SD card, so pictures have been very slim in the taking, and it breaks my little heart! However, I have discovered that Mr Lee's camera works just as well...not as good (but eh, I'm not complaining)!

That's it for the first update, I have tons of laundry to do... you know the easiest part of being a parent is loving your children...the hardest part is picking up after them!

Ciao for now Bella's!
xoxoxoxo
Mrs Lee!

Mr and Mrs Fit Lee Challenge

Mr Lee and I are in a contest this month to see who reaches their monthly goal first. :)

I LOVE doing it this way! Nothing puts fun in working out like a competitive edge!
I am pretty sure I will dominate him... I even wrote a little poem to get the ball on a roll!

Licorice is Red
Suckers are Blue
You Can't resist them
Thus, I'll beat you!

Mr Lee will also be blogging about this competition! I am pretty dang sure I have this in the bag, but then again he was sneaking push-ups in the middle of the night while I was pregnant...

We each got to pick an inspiration picture to help push us along! This one is mine! I stinkin' love my jaw line!!! I AM SO STINKIN EXCITED!!!! Wish me luck ya'll!


xoxoxo

Mrs Fit Lee!

My Everyday Life

I had a pen pal recently ask me how I liked being a homemaker. Her actual question was "How are you handling being a stay-at-home  mom?"  My first thought was "Wow that term is quite literal".  I am a stay-at-home- mom.  We have one car that Jon takes to Boise everyday for work,  I maybe get visitors once or twice a month, and have little to no adult interaction on a daily basis.

I had to be honest with myself. I am a struggling homemaker.  Everyone who knows me, knows that I am an extrovert and that being around people is almost a life source for me. My passions in life included singing, playing piano and writing. But I also loved doing service, helping children and making friends.  However, in the last two and a half years I have felt detached from all of that.

I use to be this fearless girl who could approach anyone with confidence. Now I find that going anywhere to meet anyone is a constant dread.  The ability to socialize and be myself always made things easy for me when it came to making friends. But being at home for so long has diminished that.  I can sit here and write a lovely post at what a wonderful mother I am, and that I am the center of morning walks with other moms, but I know that 's not true.

Mr Lee has noticed things getting stressful for me.  He recalled an earlier Mrs Lee, the one who would compliment a waitress on her hair or eyes and make her whole night, the early Mrs Lee who was fierce and open.  And after much prayer, we talked things through and decided that maybe it was time for him to stay home while he did school and for me to work.

So for the past three months I have been searching and applying for every and any job.  Our big fear of me working was the judgement of family who felt that I should be home with the children. I can express my frustration on this matter.  If anyone knew my heart, understood how much I love my children, they'd know that going to work would be hard on me. However, for my sanity's sake, and to save me from becoming a "shut in" (term used for someone so accustomed to staying indoors that he/she prefers little adult reaction and to be alone) we felt like working would be a good option.

I have yet to find a job. I even applied to where Jon is currently working but missed passing the assessment by one.  As I left the building the secretary (whom I had been speaking with prior) asked if I made it.  Instantly  tears filled my eyes and I shook my head no as I made my way to our van.  I could try again in 90 days, and in 90 days I will.

On my way home I kept praying to Heavenly Father, wondering why finding a job wasn't working out.  We felt that this was His will.  I know many of you are thinking other wise. Women are meant to stay home, meant to be in the house.  But I am no ordinary woman.  I have a lot to offer the world and I have many goals and dreams and I WILL make them all happen.

My mother is so loving and kind and tends to worry too much. She often talks to my younger siblings and tells them how she wishes I had listened to her all those years ago, or how she wishes Jon was done with school before we had kids so we could be living the life of my brother and his sweet wife.  But that is not the plan God has for us.  All my life I have lived through many rough trials and because of those trials I have come out stronger.  I do not regret any decision I have ever made, I do not wish I could rewind my life and recreate moments.

Working for a little while as my hunk of a hubby goes to further his education will only benefit me as a woman, wife and mother. It will be one of those choices I will not regret.  It will be a choice that changes my life for the better.  Leaving my babies is a difficult choice, it wrings my heart. But I know they have a loving father and a loving Father in Heaven who will watch over them and care for them.  I have three months to be home, maybe shorter if another opportunity arises and every moment I will be loving my family.

And to anyone who says "Woman! Do them dishes! Wash them bottles! Make that super!", don't worry about it. I will. But not until I retrieve the woman I once was.

Bragging Rigths

I just have to pop on here and brag!  I work my whuss of two day ago cleaning and it was destroyed over night. But! Today I cleaned it all back up, got my babies to nap AT the same time AND! made a huge batch of monster cookies! Just sayin...I am awesome :)