5 Worst Drinks in America

According to MSN Health & Fitness....
*By the way, I don't really care...if I want a Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha, I am gonna have one:)
WORST HOT COFFEE
Starbucks Venti 2% Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha= 660 calories, 22g fat (14g sat.), 95 g sugar

WORST BEER
Sierra Nevada Stout(12oz bottle)=210 calories, 20g carbs

WORST ENERGY DRINK
Rockstar Original (16oz. can)=280 calories, 62g sugar

WORST CHAI TEA LATTE
Caribou Coffee Large Chai Tea Latte =420 calories, 47g sugar
(I must interject a sales pitch :) Tastefully Simple Chai Tea Latte=110 calories, 15g sugar....double those numbers to equal the large Caribou...oh, and TS is cheaper too:)

WORST DRINK IN AMERICA
Baskin-Robbins Large Heath Bar Shake =2,310 calories, 108g fat (64g sat), 266g sugar

MORE FACTS ON THE WORST DRINK IN AMERICA....you know the Baskin Robbins one: It takes 73 ingredients to make; 66 tsps. of sugar are in it; You would have to eat 11 Heath Bars to equal the number of calories found in one of those drinks; It only takes you 12 minutes on average to consume it; and it would take 240 minutes running at a moderate pace on a treadmill to burn it off.

Arlo and Lisa's Address

With the Christmas card season here....If you wish to know Arlo and Lisa's mailing address for those of you who know them. It is:
Arlo and Lisa Kipfer
1901 60th Place E.
Suite L1501
Bradenton, Florida 34203

Turtles

At our Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday, we were served some yummy desserts. Drew loves desserts and was having a hard time deciding between Pumpkin Praline and Turtle Ice Cream Dessert. Finally he chose the Pumpkin Praline. Jack said he wants Turtle Ice Cream dessert. Drew then changes his mind (they often like to have the same thing)and decides on the turtle ice cream dessert. However, he says, "Can I just have the ice cream and no turtles on mine?"

Parenting

I just had to laugh at this exerpt from a book I was reading on parenting. How many times do we yell at the kids trying to get them to do something? Oh, maybe you are the perfect parent, but I am not.
Anyway listen to this....

"Consider your own motivational system. Suppose you are driving home from work one afternoon, exceeding the speed limit by forty miles per hour. A police officer is standing on the corner, but there isn't much he can do in response. He has no car, no motorcycle, no badge, no gun, and no authority to write tickets. All he can do is scream insults at you and shake his fist as you pass. Would that cause you to slow down? Of course not! You might smile and wave as you hurry by. The officer's anger only emphasizes his impotence.

On the other hand, imagine yourself tearing thorugh a school zone one morning on the way to the office. You suddenly look in the rearview mirror and see a black-and-white squad car bearing down on you from behind. Eight red lights are flashing and the siren is screaming. The officer uses his loudspeaker to tell you to pull over to the curb. When you have stopped, he opens his door and approaches your window. He is six foot nine, has a voice like the Lone Ranger's, and wears a big gun on his hip. His badge is gleaming in the light. He is carrying a little leather bound book of citations that you have see before-last month. The officer speaks politely but firmly, "Sir I ahve you on radar traveling sixty five miles per hour in a twenty mile per hour zone. May I see your driver's license please? The officer doesn't scream, cry or criticize you. He doesn't have to. You become putty behind the wheel....Why are you so breathless? It is because the course of action that the police officer is about to take is notoriously unpleasant. It will dramatically affect your future driving habits....

Six weeks later you go before a judge to learn your fate. He is wearing a black robe and sits high above the courtroom. Again, you are a nervous wreck. Not because the judge yells at you or calls you names-but because he has the power to make your day a little more unpleasant.

Neither the police officer nor the judge need to rely on anger to influence your behavior. They have far mor effective methods of getting your attention. Their serenity and confidence are part of the aura of authority that creates respect. But what if they fail to understand that and begin to cry and complain? What if one of them says, "I don't know why you won't drive right. We've told you over and over that you can't break the law like this. You just continue to disobey no matter what we do." Then getting red-faced, he adds," Well, I'll tell you this, young man, we're not going to take this anymore. Do you hear? Believe me, you're going to regret this...."

I thought this was a great example of commanding authority over a kids in a kind non-nagging way. Sometimes I give my kids way to many chances to obey, when in reality they aren't obeying if they don't do it WITHOUT CHALLENGE,WITHOUT EXCUSE, AND WITHOUT DELAY.

So we all train our children to obey....but how? Are we training our children to obey only after I have yelled, pleaded or threatened? Are you/I training our children to obey only when they wish to? or not to obey at all?

Well, I could go on and on....parenting is so hard!

Reminisce

In a completely random order.....

Rubik Cubes....and moving the stickers so I could actually finish the puzzle
Reebok Princess shoes....mine a dusty rose color
Leg warmers
pegged jeans
2 or 3 pairs of socks layered
colored hose....are those coming back? yikes!
Aqua Net....or Rave.....
How high can I get my hair?
"Material Girl"
"Don't Worry Be Happy"
"Red Red Wine"
"Parents Just Don't Understand"
My Smurf glasses
Tie Dye
Shirts with big tails
big hair bows
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Kirk Cameron
Air Hawk (ok, I had a bro. and he picked what to watch)
The A-Team.....Mr. T
Saved by the Bell
The Cosby Show
Family Ties
Gimmie a Break
Knight Rider
Who's the Boss?
21 Jump Street
Alf
Miami Vice
Moonlighting
(Did I watch to much tv?)
MTV
"Sledge Hammer"
MC Hammer
"I just Died in your Arms Tonight"
"Missing You"
Whitney Houston
Bon Jovi
Crimped Hair
Side Pony tails
Frosted lip stick
Colored mascara....dare I say Green?
Blue eyeshadow
Rolled sleeves
tying your big xxlarge tshirt in a knot on the side
tight stonewashed jeans with snaps on the side
scrunchies
spandex
ripped jeans
body shirts
parachute pants
mc hammer pants
friendship bracelets
friendship pins (you know with the beads and the safety pin and you trade them?)
Jelly bracelets (I think I had enough to go up my whole arm)
fake retainers (with a bent paper clip) I know, I am a loser
Jelly shoes
oooooo! How about puff paint?
Trapper Keepers
Break Dancing....I remember watching the 8th grade boys break dance at recess. They would bring their boom boxes and card board. I think I was in 6th grade.
Cabbage Patch Dolls
Strawberry Shortcake
Barbie Head Hairdresser thing a ma jig

The End

Oh, what a wonderful, wonderful day....

.....day I will never forget...

I had the most beautiful day the other day. Laura's Birthday and Malakai's due date.

I was in Texas with Caleb and Laura and had a wonderful few days with them. I spent Saturday with their Life Group and enjoyed the time with their friends. We went to a Pumpkin Patch and then surprised Laura (kinda) with a little birthday party. I was flying out on Sunday afternoon from San Antonio. I didn't realize at the time that we wouldn't be able to make it to church that Sunday because of my flight. So once there, Laura said we would have church at their house. As I met their Life Group and realized their Life Group's church was in San An., and only 10min from the airport we decided to go there. It was a last min. decision to go and it worked out perfectly....we were truly meant to be there that day!

The morning was a beautiful crisp fall morning with warm sunshine bursting thru the coolness in that bright blue Texas sky. On the way to San An. Caleb stopped and got some fresh lilies for Malakai, as his grave was on the way. We stopped and the tears immediately started welling inside of me as I thought about this precious little one that could have been in the backseat as we were headed to church that morning. I am a pretty emotional person and do cry very easily, and so the tears were flowing even before I stepped out of the car. We had some quiet time there at the grave, reflecting on him and Him. I guess none of us were prepared for tears as I only had a half used kleenex and there were no others in the car.

After some time of reflecting, we headed on to CrossBridge. It was refreshing to be welcomed so warmly by the "welcoming committee" that stood near the door. Being a visitor in a church can sometimes be lonely, but not there.

Anyway, jumping a head to the service.....the last two songs before the service were perfect for the day. First we sang "Blessed be the Name of the Lord". These words trigged those tears again: "He gives and takes away, He gives and takes away. But I will choose to say, Blessed be His Name". As soon as I hit the words takes away, I lost it. We were sitting near the front so I felt like everyone could see me sobbing.

Then on to the next song. It was a hymn....."It is well with my Soul". Again the sobbing continued....well I held it in, which always hurts, but then my face was all scrunched up as I was letting the tears roll, and only having one half of a kleenex. I remember Laura saying that the whole church came alive with that song. The band stopped and it was just the sweet sound of four part harmony and Oh, what beautiful words. I think I was more crying FOR them because they have dealt with the whole experience so beautifully and honestly. I don't think I could have done it and I am sure they thought they couldn't have gone thru it before. But they did and are stronger and more beautiful because of it.

Then there was the sermon on the Good Samaritian and topic was "Giving Away My Life". The main focus was not focusing on your problems but focusing on helping others go thru their problems and then in turn would help in your healing. We are so focused sometines on our own "wounds" that we can't focus on others' wounds. Who do I know that needs love, God's healing? Am I too busy to listen?

The speaker said this, "If you want to commit to those who are hurting to prayer, than don't commit. If you want to commit, then go all the way. Help those who are hurting, don't just pray."
Ecc 7:3-4
3 Sorrow is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

Isaiah 40:28-31
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

What was great is that they also focused on the homless in San An....which, if you know Caleb, is one of his passions. I guess he is kinda like a "good San Antonian", you know instead of samaritian. He is not afraid to share the gospel. I have no idea why I am afraid....but I am.

So a great sermon for the day. At the end of the sermon, they had a time during singing that you could go up and pray with someone if you needed to. I was thinking that since I was in the front where the leaders could see me and sobbing most of the morning that they were probably thinking,"that lady needs some prayer, she better come down..."

Anyway, a great day! A perfect day! We were supposed to go to that church that day and sing those songs and listen to that sermon.

We left church and got to hang out with Josh and Heather for lunch before heading off to the airport. Caleb and Laura are blessed with some great friends. I am so glad that they found a group of friends that are so fun and loving.

So that was my beautiful day. With some beautiful people.

Grumbling

We have been reading about the Israelites in Exodus 15:22-17:16. There is a lot of grumbling and complaining! Only 3 days after they left Egypt and they start complaining about the water, the lack of food, and once again the lack of water. And they have the nerve to tell Mo & Aaron that they had it better in Egypt eating all the good food. Duh? Did they forget that they were in slavery in Egypt?

As a family, we then talked about what we complain about and how we can help each other to not complain. The kids came up with common grumblings....i.e. wanting more toys, not getting what they want when mom or dad say no...etc...

What do I grumble about? Hmm...it's easier to come up with the kids' grumbling! And it's humbling to reflect on my grumbling! I think I grumble the most about the clutter that seems to accumulate everyday, uh, minute!

Anyway, it has been a great little study because the kids are reminding each other that they are grumbling and that it is a sin and it leads to a sinful habit.

Be Nice

I have been focusing with Molly on being nice A LOT....and less on the "pretty" stuff. Well, the other day, Molly commanded me (her tone was very commanding) to take her potty (and no "please"). I said, "Molly, you don't talk to Mommy like that. You need to be nice and use your manners and say please." So I took her potty after our little talk. The next morning she came down stairs and said, "Mommy, will you help me go potty, please?" Wow, she said please!

I didn't say anything, but just took her hand and headed toward the bathroom. As we are walking down the hall she looks up at me and says, "I so proud of you! I love you Mommy!"

Hmm...I think I was supposed to say that.