I made sauerkraut once before and it was great. Since cabbage was ridiculously cheap this month, I bought two more heads and this is what just one head of cabbage filled. In a couple of months I will have more yummy sauerkraut.
Have you ever made it?
-Becky
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Sauerkraut
Some pictures
Josh, Kaiden, & Jason
Jackson (friend's son), Jason, & Josh at The Franklin Institute this month
Dental check up and more
Today I went for a dental exam, ex ray, and cleaning. I don't have dental so this is an area I neglect, but I got a groupon for this for $35. I was skeptical using a groupon, but the office and exam rooms were clean, the staff friendly, especially the dentist, and the cleaning was amazing!!! Plus they were sensitive to the fact that I don't use artificial dyes and used nothing with dye on me.I am cavity free as well. That is a huge praise as I have soft teeth and have had many cavities in my life.
To go back each year with all the services I had today is about $260, so I will have to add this to my expenses so I can go each year. I will either budget $22 a month or just plan on taking it from my tax refund.
In April I have an appointment for a full physical, blood work, and obgyn appointment. I just need to get a vision appointment and then I will be good for another year. The physical, blood work, and obgyn are covered by my insurance. The dental and vision are all out of my pocket. I am dreading the eye doctor. I went two years ago and for my exam, contact lens exam, glasses, and 1 year supply of contacts it was $700. I alternated contacts with glasses to make them last two years, but now am out and want to assure my glasses prescription is up to date.
Here's praying to no illness at all so I can stay out of doctor's offices after April.
-Becky
Where have I been?
Since my computer crashed and we all are sharing Jason's laptop, I have had less time online and to blog. Plus I don't have as much to say.
Some updates:
I have lost about 5 pounds.
I am still walking 3 days a week for 45 -60 minutes.
I regularly get 5,0000-10,000 steps in daily.
It is now a habit for me to take my fish oil daily.
Homeschooling is going well. Next week boys are testing to see what their strengths and weaknesses are.
We never really got winter, as it was unusually warm here in NJ all winter and now it is officially spring.
I still have debt ($200 owe dad, $127 owe Josh's dentist, $155 owe my insurance fund.)
I am doing new study by Lysa Terkeurst Made to Crave. It is amazing!!!
We are all healthy, made it through winter with almost no illness.
I do have a toothache, and am headed to dentist in a few hours. (Not looking forward to it, I DO NOT like going to the dentist.)
How are you doing?
-Becky
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Green Smoothie Thief
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Kaiden who is now 22 months old stole my green smoothie after drinking his. He even said, "ummm mine."
This one was really good. Josh made it. It has half a bag frozen, but defrosted organic spinach; a whole bag frozen, but defrosted organic mangoes; ground flax seed; water; and aloe.
I really like green smoothies. Wish I could have daily, but cost is too high (this one was about $4.75. $1.50 for half the bag of spinach and $3.00 for bag of mangoes, plus maybe $.25 for aloe and ground flax seed. This made about 4 cups.)
We usually budget to have them about twice a week as a snack or breakfast.
Do you drink green smoothies? What is your favorite recipe? Do you prefer frozen items? (I do not like frozen.)
-Becky
Thursday, March 1, 2012
March Physical Goals
-Call regular doctor for physical and blood work appointment this month
-Go to appointment and lab for blood work
-Lose 5 pounds by:
walking 60 min. 3x's a week (this is up from my 45 min. walks)
track everything I eat and drink on my free livestrong tracker (online)
try and keep daily calories under 1,700
-Take daily:
fish oil* (2 capsules daily)
priobiotic^
apple cider vinegar (2 tablespoons in am)
2 tablespoons ground flax seed*
(I already do fish oil & priobiotic, want to add the other two.)
Today I:
walked 40 min (it started raining)
took my fish oil, priobiotic, flax seed, and apple cider vinegar
I also had a green smoothie with 1 cup spinach, 1 cup mixed fruit, ground flax seed, and aloe.
* These are to help lower my very high cholesterol.
^ For my gut / digestive issues
Do you have any physical goals? How will you accomplish them?
-Becky
Feb. bills
Praise God all Feb. bills are paid in full!!!
I also am a bit closer to being debt free. I paid off my paypal bill pay ($130.00.)
My only remaining debt:
$127 Josh's dentist
$200 owe my dad
mortgage
I also bought season passes to Six Flags Great Adventure for the boys Easter gift (they love this place.)
And I bought a family membership to the Natural History Museum in NY (on a groupon half price.) We are going in April and the price of the family pass is what one visit would have cost us and now we can go back for 1 year (and I don't have to redeem until we go, so starting the year in April.)
GOD IS SO GOD TO US!!!
Single Parenting
I feel like it is insensitive to me when parents with a spouse away say they feel like they are a single parent. They may feel overwhelmed and stressed, but they actually are not a single parent. They will have other spouse home usually pretty soon. Even a spouse away in the military, although I am sure with it's own unique challenges, is not the same as actually being a single parent every single day.
Being an actual single parent I have to:
be pray warriors for my boys
love my boys enough for two parents (which is impossible)
be a referee between boys fights
make sure my boys are getting an education
make sure they understand their changing male bodies (but I am a girl)
make sure my boys will grow into Godly men (again, I am a girl)
schedule, remember, and actually show up to doctor's appointments (with special needs their are many of these, at least 4 a month in addition to regular doctor's, dentists, etc.)
wash the laundry, dry the laundry, fold the laundry, put all the laundry away
clean the house
meal plan
food shop, carry in groceries, put all groceries away
cook all meals
clean up after each and every meal
set boundaries and enforce them
encourage physical play
show interest in the boy things they do that I am clueless about (i.e. video games)
do all yard work
do all home repairs
create family budget, follow family budget
earn all income to sustain family budget
deal with stuff that comes up that is not in budget
handle all the sick days (praise God we have not had too many of these)
handle all the non compliant days (we do have these about 5x's a week)
You get the picture. I do all of this without another parent each and every day.
Of course God sustains and blesses us daily. Without Him I could not handle any of this. But it would be nice to have a loving spouse to carry some of this burden as well. It would especially be nice to have someone to share the love I have for these boys with. It also breaks my heart that my boys don't have a loving father in their lives either.
Encoraging their need for physical play I took them to bay on Sunday and let them climb the sand dunes (they are about the be reconstructed. I know you shouldn't be on sand dunes, but they will be overhauled over next two months.) They didn't want to leave even after an hour. I was so ready for my Sunday nap (lol.)
-Becky
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