The month of the Cleanse

Okay, so I know that it is too late to start writing a post, but I feel like it and have a couple minutes (although it will probably take more than that!)  I have bee eluding to seeing Daniel Wong for a little while now, so I thought I'd fill you in.

He got me taking these chocolates, and a fruit drink twice a day.  The chocolates really aren't chocolate, but they taste like dark chocolate.  They are a mood booster, "they curb hunger, boost energy, support mental focus, and promote calmness".  It's an amino acid supplement filled with vitamins.  If you want to know more (about the "chocolates, the fruit drink, or the cleanse) you can go to www.isadelight.com (Chocolate info only) or www.isagenix.com.  The fruit drink is a powder that you mix into 8 oz. of water or juice.  I'm not exactly sure what it does, but definitely helps with energy.  There are over 30 fruits in it alone.  It's quite amazing reading through the ingredients list.  After taking this combination for a week or two I started feeling a lot better.  I felt like my body was healthier, but also I was taking a lot less of my depression medication.  Currently, I am not taking my medication, except for the odd day, and I am still feeling pretty good!  This makes me excited!  Daniel Wong, thought that my depression was due to a hormone imbalance.  I agreed.  And this combination helped to get my hormones balanced again.  After about a month on this plan, he suggested that I do a cleanse from the same company.  This is a whole body cleanse to get out all the bad excess hormones that just hang around in your body, usually gathering in the middle section (trouble area!).  So I thought I'd go for it.  After the cleanse I should be feeling a lot better, and have more energy.  That would be great!

So here I am on the cleanse.  It is a 30 day program with no days off.  It feels intense at times but I am determined to follow through.  Although some days not so much.  If you think of me in prayer, I would really love it if you could prayer for strength to make it through, to be diligent  and finish the program.  I am on day 11 now, and have currently lost 5 pounds.  The program includes me having a shake for two meals a day and the last meal (either lunch or supper) be a regular meal of 400 to 600 calories.  The first couple days were really hard, but now I am enjoying it.  Wow!  I never thought I'd say that in the beginning.  There are also a couple other supplements to take during the day, drink 8 glasses of water a day, and you need to do 20 minutes of exercise.  But that's hardly anything.  Most days I can fit that in!  Especially as Drew is really enjoying going for bike rides lately.  The last couple of days I've been feeling better energy-wise again.  And that feels good!  Makes some of these hard days worth it.

I'm also getting into the meals.  The company that I am doing this through, Isagenix, sends out emails every couple of day to inform you of things, encourage you and give you recipes.  I haven't tried any of the recipes yet but they actually look really good.  Mark's Mom is also on this Cleanse and it is great to have someone, besides Mark, to support me.  And she totally knows what I am going though.  She showed me a recipe from her Curves magazine that fit into our plan today, and it was so good, I thought I would share it with you all as I say good-night for today!  (I made it for supper tonight) By the way, sorry these post have been kinda long lately!  Enjoy!

Grilled Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa (Sorry no pics this time!)

Prep Time: 20 min.

Cooking Time: 10 min.

"Lime is especially well-suited to Mexican dishes, perking up the taste, so you can get by with less salt."

1 1/2 - 2 lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast

2 Tbsp + 1 tsp Lime Juice (about 2 limes, divided)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 tsp Kosher Salt (I just used regular salt)

2 Avocados, diced

1 vine-ripened tomato, diced

1/4 red or yellow onion, finely diced, about 1/2 cup

1/4 tsp salt (to taste)

1 tsp chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

1. Place chicken breasts in a flat dish with sides just large enough to hold them in a single layer.  Add 2 Tbsp lime juice, oil and salt and flip chicken several times to coat well.

2. In a medium serving bowl, combine avocados, tomato, onion, and salt and mix thoroughly.  Add cilantro, if using, and remaining tsp lime juice.

3. Heat indoor grill or BBQ, or heavy skillet to medium-high.  Cook chicken for 4-5 minutes per side, until it starts to brown on the outside and it's no longer pink inside the thickest part, about 165 F on a meat thermometer.  Remove from heat, slice into strips, top with Avocado salsa and serve!  Enjoy!

Love Andrea

White Rock

Tuesday, Angela and I decided to take the kids down to White Rock.  Looking back on the day, I have fond memories.  If you asked me about it on Tuesday.  I probably would have a different story.  

First I printed out a map from google for the directions.  Not exactly the way I knew but I wasn't exactly sure about how to get there the way I knew, so better safe then sorry, I followed the map.  Bad Idea!  It got me lost.  I stopped at two gas stations, and used my own knowledge of the area and we finally got there!  A little late, but there none the less.  When we got there it was almost lunch time.  We parked at the bottom and walked our way up the hill to find lunch.  This was done on purpose, so we could stop in the shops on the way up.  Angela was looking for a Canadian shirt and it seemed like the perfect place to look, for something a little more unique than the malls.  She found something a couple stores into the search, and then we were on the way to find lunch.  All the while Drew was having trouble listening, but enjoying himself at the same time!  

For lunch, I really wanted to find a Fish-and-Chips place to let Angela try it out.  She had never had them like that, and enjoyed it.  So I am glad that we were able to make this trip/adventure.  After lunch we walked back down the hill on the other side, beside the water.  We walked the pier, but Drew and I stopped half ways to have some time to focus in on our listening and regroup.  When Angela and the twins rejoined us, we kept heading to the van, stopping at the museum/tourist stop for a map.  (Just in case I needed it on the way home, I wanted to be prepared!)  Back at the van, we grabbed our beach stuff and headed over the tracks with our two buggies.  For some reason Drew has wanted to be back in the strollers.  I guess it looks like so much fun for the twins!  Playing on the beach started out well.  Then Drew decided he didn't like walking on the beach, and just wanted to stay on the blanket.  I tried explaining that there were shells and rocks and beach stuff to watch out for, or that he could wear his sandals, but he didn't want to listen to it.  Maybe next time he'll be in a better head space and have more fun.  Then I went to go put more money in the parking.  When I left everything was fine.  Little did I know, Ethan figured out that I was gone and basically cried the whole time.  If I would've known, I would have taken him along!  He was just playing so nicely.  Then everyone started crying and we decided it was time to get going home.  It took us a while, with all the heavy and wet towels and blanket, changing the kids, hauling everything over the rocks and a hill, Angela cut her toe on a rock.  But finally we were on our way home.  After less then 5 minutes of driving, the twins were both asleep.  Aah!  I took 0 Ave. all the way home, and everything went fine.  By the time we got to Abbotsford, Drew was asleep too.  Once in Abbotsford, we drove a little extra, just to give them a little longer nap.  Home at last! :)

Staying on the blanket!

"Say Cheese!"

It's actually a smile!

                                                             Dirty, but having fun!

Now you may think our day was done.  But it wasn't!  We had about an hour to regroup and then we were off to have supper at Oma and Opa's.  Mmmm!  Oma had made vereneki!  IT was so good!  Even better for me because I took a day off from my month long cleanse.  (More about that later)  The twins were given Pea Soup!!!  I don't know what my Mom was thinking?  As soon as they saw what we were having, thats all they wanted.  No Pea Soup, even if it was good!  They ate and ate, we all did!  And when they were done with fruit vereneki and farmer sausage, Opa brought out a big bowl of cut up stawberries, and another one of watermelon!  My kids love fruit!  So they were in heaven!  Sophia just kept on stuffing her mouth!

Aah!  That was good!  :)

See my tummy!

At the end of dinner, their tummies were totally full!  And they were covered with berry juice.  They looked like they had been in the berry fields for hours!  We put Sophia and Ethan straight into Oma's tub!  We got them cleaned and it was home to bed!  What a day!  Fun in the sun . . . and  at Oma's!

Hope your week has been good!

Blessings, 

Love Andrea

A Small Hand Offering a Piece of "Garbage"

Often Ethan brings me small pieces of Garbage to show me.  I open the cupboard door to the garbage can and he puts it in there.  Usually it is a piece of dust or fuzz.  

Last Sunday, in the  morning before Church, Ethan held out his almost closed hand to me.  Thinking nothing of it, I went to open the cupboard door, when I glanced back at his hand.  I did a double take when I noticed his piece of "garbage" was a wasp.  An alive wasp!  It was not dead!  Not wanting to have the wasp sting his clinching fist, I tried to get Ethan to drop the wasp.  He didn't get it, he didn't want to drop his garbage!  In the end he did drop it, but the wasp stung him on his thumb anyway.  The wasp also left the stinger behind, in Ethan's little thumb.  He cried and I got the stinger out.  He cried for about a half hour, but then seemed to be pretty good.  During his crying he kept wanting me to kiss his owie.  I'd kiss it and then he'd be fine for about thirty seconds and then he'd feel the pain again and want another kiss!  So cute!  At Church we wasn't really himself but who could blame him!  We're all better now though!

And then yesterday was shot day!  And I totally forgot.  All of a sudden I got a call, and it was our health nurse reminding me of our missed appointment.  Oops!  It is great that she is a lovely women from our Church and is very friendly and forgiving.  She was ready to call it off if I needed that, but I thought that I should just go ahead and get them over with.  Mark was on evening shift so we got the twins ready and headed over to the Health Unit.  I had just dropped Drew off at Preschool, the last of the year except for his year end celebration!  Wanting a nap, but got shots instead!  Ethan was first and did pretty good.  They each needed two shots and he only cried at the second one.  Then I gave him his sippy cup and he was okay.  Until it was Sophia's turn.  He didn't like it that someone was hurting Sophia.  Such a sweetie.  But the good thing is that we are done having shots until kindergarten!  Yeah!

Hope you all have a great day!

Love Andrea

Posting Videos? QuickTime?

Still trying to post the video I made.  I got it switched to QuickTime and still can't get it to work.  If anyone knows how to do this, please let me know.

Sophia's Sore

Sophia with stitches and polysporin.  The doctor told us to put this one to aid with healing, help keep it clean, protected and infection free.  She did amazing at letting us put it on her, and not touching it herself!

The stitches are out!

     Healing and look'n pretty good!  What a cutie!