My Plant-Based Family

Eating Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet recipes, On a Budget.

Gratituesday

Gratituesday: A Weekend with My Dad

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Last Friday I hopped on a plane without my husband or kids, flew to Texas, and spent a weekend with my Dad and little brother. I had a great time and I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to hang out with them.

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Here is a picture of me (without makeup) and my dad (also without makeup). 😉

I had a truly relaxing weekend. My dad and I spent a few hours Saturday walking around “the Square” downtown going in and out of great little shops. I loved visiting an old jail museum too. It was educational and fun, I think I could have spent half a day in there. I also got to sit down a lot. Normally I have to jump up every few minutes to intervene before disaster happens.

Since I moved to Arizona in 2006 I haven’t spent more that a few hours a year with my dad and brother. I was very blessed to have the opportunity to visit them. Here are a few more pictures from my trip, I took them with my phone so they aren’t great but maybe they will give you an idea of the Square.

What are you thankful for this week?

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Gratituesday: More Simple Things

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Normally I share something or someone who I am thankful for on Tuesday but occasionally I like to mention a lot of things.

I can’t list everything I’m grateful for but today I’ll leave you with few of the things that are impressed upon my heart.

I’m grateful for…

Stormy Nights

Rainy Mornings

Homemade granola bars

Proof-reading- The previous comment almost said “homemade granola bras” yeah that is different

Incredible friends who bless me daily

That song that comes on at just the right time

Being able to pray and express my deepest hurts and fears

My crazy kids

My 3 year old’s ability to escape all his crazy stunts relatively unscathed

My 1 year old’s happy disposition (most of the time)

Our teenage daughter living with us

Looking back at how far I’ve come in the last year

Being aware of my sin and selfishness and choosing Jesus

Learning to make Tia Tofu’s 30 Calorie Venti Frappuccino

Helping people in practical ways

Hearing my son say, “I’m three cheers old”

Being able to adjust the volume on the baby monitor

Not giving in to cravings

Giving in to cravings and not feeling guilty

Trying new things

Visiting family

Buying a smaller size in clothes

Reading other blogs from my bloggy friends

My incredible husband who loves me so well

 

What are you grateful for today?

Do you want to be a part of a community of other people who are thankful?

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

 

 

 

Gratituesday: Someone is Listening

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Have you ever had a problem you couldn’t resolve yourself and had to call customer service? It seems like they are always closed when I need help. Sometimes when I call I end up listening to a really long menu, none of the options seem to fit, I pick one and wait, and wait, and wait, only to find out that they are closed. Errr!

I’m so grateful that prayer doesn’t work that way.

I can call out to God anytime, anywhere and He hears me.

I don’t need to be good enough.

I don’t need the “right” words.

I don’t need an appointment.

I don’t need to call during business hours.

I just need to speak my heart.

And you know what, God hears when I call our to Him. He also cares about me.

The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. Psalm 145:18

Prayer is something we shouldn’t take for granted. I believe we can effect life with our prayers. Sins can be forgiven, friends encouraged, wisdom given, victims empowered, and lives changed.

Do you pray? I do. I believe prayer makes a difference. I also find great comfort in praying. I’ve seen God answer my prayers in exciting and sometimes unexpected ways.

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Gratituesday: My Readers

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I am so grateful for you. Yes you! On Tuesday’s I like to participate in Gratituesday over at Heavenly Homemakers and write about something I am grateful for.

Today I want to write about and give thanks to you, my readers. I’m so thankful for the time you take to read this blog. Some of you have subscribed to this blog and other just happen upon it while searching for plant-based pointers, and still more follow it on Facebook. To all of you, no matter how you found me I want to say thank you!

I get extremely excited (just ask my husband) when new people follow my blog especially when some of you leave comments or email me. I love having a dialogue, Facebook is so great for that. I may not respond to every comment but I do try. (I have one comment that I need to do more research on, I haven’t responded to that one but I will!)

I’ve also made some great friends through this blog. Breht we totally need to get together again! Valerie you are a blessing to me! Kelli, I look forward to getting together sometime soon my friend! There are more but I can’t mention them all, I would leave someone out so I won’t even try.

There have been some really neat situations where someone (HI Steffi) was reading my blog for months then came to my Food Demo with a friend, she lived in the same neighborhood. How cool is that?

I secretly want to do a cartwheels when someone I know tells me they read my blog, or even that their friend/mom/sister reads it. I’m guessing that is how rock stars feel. I’ve had friends call or text that they are going plant-based (not because of my blog but it still makes me just as happy) and I wanted to do a full on floor routine. I love it when people choose health!

You all (my dear readers) make me feel very blessed and for that I am thankful.

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Gratituesday: My Girl is Back

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Since I started blogging in January our three “big kids” have lived with their mom. That wasn’t always the case. Until a year ago the kids lived with us. When my husband and I got married 7 years ago the kids were 6, 8, and 10. I had already been a part of their lives for a couple of years.

I love those guys.

Now, a year after moving to their mom’s our daughter is moving back home with us. I cannot tell you how happy I am about this. The term “squealing in delight” is a huge understatement. I wont go into all of the who’s, how’s, and why’s but God has answered our prayers.

Our teenage sons will still live with their mom. Our “big kids” have a very close bond and I know it was hard for my daughter to move away from her brothers. She is so brave.

 

Our daughter is…

Beautiful

Loving

Thoughtful

Hilarius

Inspiring

Crazy

I love her!

You may be wondering (or not) where this puts us on the healthy eating front. Our daughter hasn’t completely embraced plant-based eating but she does want to eat healthy. She has been very receptive to the way we eat, and she doesn’t make a big deal if she doesn’t like something.

I’m so thankful for her! She blesses us daily! What are you thankful for today?

Gratituesday: In Good Times and Bad Times

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Life changes so fast. All it takes is one phone call, and we’ve had two calls in the last few days.

We have also experienced great hope and joy in another area of our lives. We saw prayers answered in a very real way.

In all things I am grateful that I don’t have to face them alone. I am thankful that “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” Psalm 46:1. You see for 1 year my husband and I have been praying (and believing) for a situation; in the last week we have seen our prayers being answered and once again we are humbled.

Just a few months ago I was sitting in a hospital room with a mother whose heart was breaking. I held her and prayed over her and her daughter and their family. In the days and weeks that followed I saw a miraculous recovery.

I choose to trust God in the good times and the bad times. It is not always easy; it sometimes seems impossible.

A year ago I was very sick. I had been praying for healing, for answers, for relief. In the midst of hopelessness I heard a still, small voice that said, “Will you serve Me even if I don’t heal you?” I can tell you I didn’t answer right away. I thought about it for a long time. With tears I prayed, “Yes LORD, I will serve you even if You don’t heal me.”

That moment was a milestone in my life. It was also a very special, intimate moment that I am surprise I’m even sharing. My devotion cannot be determined by my level of comfort, absence of pain, or any other thing. God is worthy, he is my Helper, my Strength, my Provider, my Healer,  my Refuge, and my ever present help in time of trouble.

So for my friend Elizabeth and my grandmother Doris I utter desperate prayers for you. For all of you reading I implore you to do the same. Their world’s were forever changed last week.

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Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!