America's Portion Control is OUT OF CONTROL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have you noticed that over the years the serving sizes get bigger and bigger??? Well, so do we!!! It's crazy! I went to Baskin Robbins last night and wanted a single scoop cone. Not a big deal right? It's all about portion control! The guy handed me a single scoop on a small cone and the scoop was HUGE...I mean REALLY HUGE! I would have considered it 3 scoops! What is wrong with America?? We are killing ourselves! You go to a McDonalds...and the small fry is what the large fry use to be years ago...crazy huh? We don't want out kids drinking sodas...or at least some of us don't...but you walk into 7-11 and the smallest soda you can get from the fountain machine is what I would consider a large....seriously??? UGH! I went to PF Chang's for lunch with some girlfriends over the weekend. I ordered the vegetarian fried rice made with brown rice instead of white. Obviously I was trying to watch what I was eating. When they brought my meal to me I about fell out! It was a GYNORMOUS portion. I asked the waiter to box up half of it. He said "Sure, once you are finished I will box up the second half"...I was like NO....I need you to box up half of it before I start eating it or I will eat the WHOLE thing! He kindly boxed up half of my meal for me before I even started in on it. That is the way to do it! Ask you waiter to box up half of your meal as soon as you get it...because chances are the amount you will get would be plenty for 2 or maybe even 3 meals!

Crazy stuff! I just had to vent a little. It confuses me why we do this to ourselves. I am going to open a restaurant that is called "Portion Control". I would serve healthy NON processed food and the portions you would receive would be what you should be eating! Gosh, women around the world would LOVE me! I would probably make millions....hmmmmm??? Here is an article I found...interesting!

http://www.divinecaroline.com/79975/49492-portion-size-vs-now

Weekly Goals 8-30-10

1. LOTS OF WATER!!!!!!!!!!

2. Vitamins daily!

3. Exercise at least 4 times this week:-)

4. Portion control

5. Healthier cooking!

6. Work on projects for kids rooms

7. Advertise Simply Fun

8. Go for a 2 lb loss this week!

9. Work on creating margins in your life....you need them!

10. One on One time with T-Man!

Weekly GOal Results 8/23

1. NO SODAS...LOTS OF WATER - YES!

2. Portion control - YES!

3. Only healthy snacks - I did ok...but could do better!!

4. Exercise EVERY day either Yoga or walking - NOPE...not ONCE!!!!!! Slacker!!!! Will do better next week:-)

5. Take vitamins - Better...but not every day!

6. Get lots of sleep - Yes, I have been going to bed earlier...LOVE IT!

7. Only one cup of coffee a day - Yep!

8. No eating past 8pm - Almost!

9. Only weigh yourself Monday and Sunday - Yep! I lost 2 lbs last week:-) Working closer to my goal of 15!! 13 to go:-)

10. Try a NEW recipe that is low in fat - Yes, Veggie wraps...they were delicious!!!! Would need to add chicken for Joel to like them:-)

A very touching letter:-)

Today we received a letter in the mail from Braxton's vet Dr. Duncan. She is such a nice person...and took such good care of Braxton. I found it very kind to take time out of her day to write such a touching letter. It's people like this that make me know there is a God:-)

The letter reads:

Dear Patterson Family,

We are so very sorry about your dear sweet Braxton. He was truly on of a kind. It breaks my heart that he is no longer with us. I'm glad he had the chance to be part of your wonderful family. He would have been a great pet to anyone - he was just that kind of dog. But being a member of YOUR family was a blessing for him and you, he couldn't have found a more loving home.

Sincerely,

Silvia Duncan


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It makes me cry to read this letter.....but it's just another reminder of how many hearts Braxton touched. I miss him so much:-( I am so glad that we found Dr. Duncan. If it weren't for a friend of mine we probably wouldn't have. Thank you Stacey for telling me about Walnut Creek. They are truly a special group of people who have a "real" passion for animals.

RIP Braxton my sweet boy:-( 8/23/10

Joel and I had to put Braxton to sleep tonight. He had really bad kidney disease. We hung on to him as long as we could...but it was time for him to go. He was too young....only 4. We found out a little over a month ago that he was really sick. The vet didn't expect him to make it even two weeks....but he hung in there for over a month. Braxton was such a sweet boy and Joel and I are both so glad we had the 4 years with him that we did. They were great years. He brought so much joy to our whole family and for that we are both very grateful!! I will miss him more then most would miss their dog....but I am glad to have such great memories with him. Gosh, I am such a dog lover...they are the best pets!!! I don't see how people can just get rid of a dog because they don't want it....or can hurt a dog because they chewed something up. It's just wrong...and I am so glad to know Braxton had a wonderful life and was loved and treated as if he were one of our children:-) I miss you my sweet Bubba!!!!

Three

A co-worker of move recommended this book to me. I just started it the other night...so far so good. I have heard nothing but good things about it so I am eager to see what happens:-) I will let you know what I think of it as soon as I am finished.....next.....It's time for a good love story!!

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Kevin Parson is a 28-year-old seminary student with a hidden past. He nows lives totally different from the unusual upbringing by his adopted mother. His cell phone rings one day as he is driving home through school on a congested Long Beach street. He has three minutes to call the newspaper and "confess", plus solve a riddle or his car will explode. Wildly he looks for a place where he can dump his car safely. Fortunately there is a WalMart across the street with a grassy ditch area. He barely gets away before his car explodes.

Suddenly Kevin's life is totally turned around. He had overcome his past. Now a man named Slater is threatening his and the public's lives with more bombings. Kevin has a man threatening him over the phone, using riddles. The man also knows Kevin's childhood friend, Samantha, and wants her in Long Beach as well. Kevin hadn't seen her in about ten years, but had been in phone contact since she had left for college. Samantha immediately responds.............

Weekly Goals 8/23/10

Ok....enough is enough. It's REALLY A WONDERFUL thing that I haven't smoked in 12 weeks....but the fact that I have gained 10 pounds isn't cool at all! It's time get in the groove and lose these 10 pounds:-) I can do it....I just have to put in a little more effort! I am going to focus on my health a lot this week...and get back into a good healthy routine:-) I am looking forward to it! It was worth gaining a little weight to quit smoking....but now....I want to lose the weight...and NOT smoke!

1. NO SODAS...LOTS OF WATER

2. Portion control

3. Only healthy snacks

4. Exercise EVERY day either Yoga or walking

5. Take vitamins

6. Get lots of sleep

7. Only one cup of coffee a day

8. No eating past 8pm

9. Only weigh yourself Monday and Sunday

10. Try a NEW recipe that is low in fat

Vampires Suck

Thomas and I were able to go see the movie "Vampires Suck" the night before it came out:-) It was a lot of fun....they had a few different things going on at the theater and of course were giving out free stuff!! My friend Matt asked me to go take some pics of the event....in return Thomas and I got to see the movie!! SCORE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thomas felt like total VIP since we had sectioned off areas of the theater that only "press" could sit in...and I was "press" that night...so it was pretty cool! I had never done anything like that before...but had a blast and would do it again! The movie was just what I figured it would be....stupid...but funny. Thomas really liked it. If you ever want to get reviews on a movie before deciding to go see it...check out my friend Matt's website at http://www.mungleshow.com/.

Weekly Menu

Ok...so this week was a little crazy...and I didn't have time to put together my weekly menu...but....now Thomas is back in school...and our schedule is back to normal! So....I am back on track!! YAY!

Friday: "New Recipe"

Sat: DINNER WITH FRIENDS FOR MY B-Day!!!!

Sunday: Pork Chops, rice, veggie

Monday: Meatball Subs, chips

Tuesday: Chicken Kabobs, veggies, salad

Wednesday: Tacos

Thursday: Dinner at Mom's B-Day!

Friday: Beef Enchiladas, Rice, Beans

Sat: Fettuccine Alfredo, bread, rolls

Sunday: Chicken, potatoes, veggies, rolls

Driving With Dead People

Wow! Great book. It started out a little slow....but then took off! It's touching...sad...and so real. So many people live lives like this and we don't even realize it. IT really opened my eyes to how blessed I am...but at the same time....have so much in common with Monica. It gives me courage to pull through tough times and embrace the good times. This is a must read! I think it would be a great book for a teenage girl to read. It might help open her eyes to the realities of life. So many children are protected from "life" and when it hits them smack in the face it's too much to handle.

Driving with Dead People:

Death lurks everywhere in Holloway's childhood. A neighbor boy accidentally shoots and kills a train conductor; a little girl is mowed down by a motorist. Her father's main hobby is filming grisly car wrecks and natural disasters, and her best friend's family runs the town mortuary. Observing the dead in their coffins, Monica wonders: would she be better off in a casket than alive in her parents' home? In this memoir, Holloway (an actress turned writer) tackles the horrifyingly familiar story of father/daughter incest: the secrecy that surrounds it and the ways it corrodes families from the inside out. Even though her memories of the abuse were repressed, evidence cropped up everywhere, from her chronic bed-wetting and compulsive lying as a girl to her adult attraction to abusive men; when her older sister, JoAnn, comes forward with her recollections, Holloway begins to remember her own trauma. As a writer, Holloway might not be in Mary Karr's league, but her blunt sentences deliver the unvarnished truth. In coming to terms with her tragedy, Holloway writes, "Knowing there is no cavalry is much better than hoping for a cavalry that never comes." Her memoir sings with the power of a disenfranchised woman finally finding her own voice, and her brutal memoir is hard to forget. (Mar.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Power Thought of the Day

It's only a thought, and a thought can be changed

I am not limited by any past thinking. I choose my thoughts with care. I constantly have new insights and new ways of looking at my world. I am willing to change and grow.

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Like it:-)

Lunch Boat

YUMMY! This is what I had for lunch today....I thought it was cute...so I had to snap a picture! I went to lunch with the girls from work today to say goodbye to one of our employees who is leaving us:-(

Women's Murder Club - James Patterson

So....my drive to work just got a lot longer since we moved to Mansfield. I don't mind the drive so much...but it gets boring listening to the same old radio show every morning. I decided to try books on CD. I haven't ever done it before...and wasn't sure I would like it...but I am glad I did! I LOVE IT! It makes my ride to work so much better. I have even missed my exit before because I was so into the book LOL! I decided to go with an author that I like...James Patterson. I am on the second book (2nd to die) in the Women's Murder Club and it's great. Below is a description of the series. If you are thinking of trying a book on CD or just looking for a good murder/mystery/love story book you will most likely enjoy this series.

Lindsay Boxer, Cindy Thomas, Claire Washburn and Jill Bernhardt, the stars of 1st to Die and 2nd Chance, are the founding members of the Women's Murder Club. Later, in 4th of July, Yuki Castellano joins the Club. Together, they solve crimes in their home city of San Francisco, and often meet up to talk about clues and life over Mexican food and drinks at Susie's. The next Women's Murder Club novel, The 9th Judgment, will be in stores April 26th.

Weekly Menu

Monday: (YOGA) Sliders - garlic fries

Tuesday: (YOGA) Spaghetti - bread

Wednesday: NEW RECIPE - not sure what yet:-)

Thursday: (YOGA) - BLT's - soup

Friday: Beef Enchiladas - Rice - Beans

Sat (YOGA) -BBQ Chicken - Potatoes - Veggie

Sunday: Pork Chops - Rice - Veggie

Weekly Goals 8-9-10

Joel set himself a few goals this week too...so I am going to add his this week:-)

Mine:

1. NO SMOKING!!!!

2. Stick to healthy easting plan

3. Drink LOTS of water NO sodas

4. Portion control!

5. Yoga at least 3 times this week

6. Get Thomas back on a schedule for school!!

7. work on a scrap page and some personal photo editing

8. kids rooms (projects)

9. Try a new recipe!

10. finish book!

Joel:
1. Portion Control

2. Eat healthy all week!

3. Drink LOTS of water

Weekly Goal Results 8-2-10

1. Be nice to everyone....even if they aren't very nice to you:-) - I am getting better at this...it's not always easy to be nice to mean people...

2. Think more about your future...and how to plan for your family moving forward. - I am focused...and on my way to a wonderful future for me and my family!

3. Read more...it's good for you:-) - not so much...I have been so darn busy!

4. Really pay attention to what you put in your body! You only get one chance...so take care of yourself the best you can! - Working on this!!

5. Spend good quality time with all of the people you love - YES!!!

6. Don't spend time worrying about things you have NO control over...just trust that everything with work itself out. - Yes! THIS get's easier the more you do it!

7. Lots of WATER!! - Didn't drink water like I should have last week...need to get back on track!

8. NO SMOKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - NOT ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO ME!

9. Tell people you care about them..... - Yep...getting better at this:-)

10. Get more sleep..... - Trying....need to work on this some more.

Power Thought of the Day

I am at Peace
Divine peace and harmony surround me and dwell in me. I feel tolerance, compassion, and love for all people, myself included.

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Good one!!!

Weekly Goals 8-2-10

My goals this week are going to be focused more on my behavior...then actually getting things done:-) There will still be a few "tasks" but I feel I need to work on how I act and how a think etc..... There have been a few good messages in church the last few weeks that have me thinking a lot:-)

1. Be nice to everyone....even if they aren't very nice to you:-)

2. Think more about your future...and how to plan for your family moving forward.

3. Read more...it's good for you:-)

4. Really pay attention to what you put in your body! You only get one chance...so take care of yourself the best you can!

5. Spend good quality time with all of the people you love

6. Don't spend time worrying about things you have NO control over...just trust that everything with work itself out.

7. Lots of WATER!!

8. NO SMOKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

9. Tell people you care about them.....

10. Get more sleep.....

Weekly Menu

Monday - (yoga) Chicken/Sausage kabobs...rice and a salad

Tuesday (yoga) - Beef and Cheese Enchiladas...salad

Wednesday - Spaghetti...bread...salad

Thursday (yoga) - Grilled BBQ Chicken...potatoes...veggies

Friday (yoga) - Teriyaki Chicken...rice...egg rolls

Sat - Eating out (Joel's B-Day!)

Sunday (yoga) - Pork chops...mac-n-cheese....broccoli

Weekly Goal Results 7-19-10

1. NO SMOKING!!!! - NOT ONE!! GO ME!

2. LOTS of water - YES!

3. Portion control - Not so much....

4. Clean WHOLE house before vacation! - Not quite...it was a good thought though:-)

5. Unpack boxes in master closet! - Almost!

6. Walk dogs at least 5 times this week - We are walking them every day and they LOVE it!

7. Try one new recipe:-) - I did...White Chicken Enchiladas...and they were great!

8. Mail out Pics CD by Thursday! - Yep!

9. Get mailing list for flyer:-) - Still working on this list:-)

10. Mani and Pedi!

Cruise to Mexico 2010

What a great vacation!!! The kids had a blast and so did Joel and I. We really enjoy doing different things with the kids. This year we decided to make it a cruise and beautiful beaches!!! Haley and Brenden had never been on a cruise...and hadn't ever seen beaches like this before...so it was a real treat for them:-) Thomas had already been on a cruise but of course...enjoyed another one:-) The food wasn't the best...but that is to be expected. You just find what you like...and stick with that throughout the whole trip. I ended up eating LOTS of chocolate cake:-) Hey...that's what was good...so I stuck with it:-) Thomas isn't picky...so he ate just about everything. Brenden drank more sodas then any kid I have ever seen...and Haley...well she didn't eat much...never does. I sure do wish I could get Haley and Brenden to eat better....but it is what it is:-)

Our trip started in Galveston...we left there and spent the next day on the ship. The kids enjoyed swimming...riding the water slides...and exploring the ship! The views were amazing...and our room rocked! The next morning we arrive in Progresso, Mexico. Joel and I really enjoyed walking through the town. They don't have a lot of tourist...so it's very authentic. I think it helped the kids realize what a great life they have. They saw some very poor families in Progresso. The beaches were pretty but not very well maintained. We ate lunch at a local restaurant that was pretty good....and we spent the day at a private resort enjoying the beach and playing a little water volleyball:-) We got back on the ship and the nest morning arrived in Cozumel, Mexico. We spent the day there at Paradise Beach. What a great beach!!! Se much fun and absolutely gorgeous!!!!! FUN FUN FUN! We had lunch at Carlos and Charlies...and bought a few souvenirs. The last day of our trip was spend on the ship. We ate LOTS of bad food....drank LOTS of sodas...and enjoyed time by the pool...playing miniature golf...taking naps....watching movies...etc...

Here are a few pics from our trip!

Overall I think it was a wonderful vacation! Joel and I are planning a trip to the mountains next year...we are thinking...water rafting...fly fishing...camping....hiking! That sounds like LOTS of fun:-)