Wellness is...

not something we have been feeling around here this year. I suspect it is due in some part to a new baby in the house. A baby that for the first 11 months of his life had is immune system compromised to due neglect BUT if I am really honest with myself I know that a lot of it has to do with the fact that our lives are full of junk.

By junk I mean, what we eat, what we do and what we don't do and basically the overall laziness of me. I have been feeling a prompting for a while that I have just plain ignored. A prompting to live my life and thus in turn, my family's lives, in wellness naturally. I know that with so much blathering about "natural" and "green" that it feels a lot like a band wagon that must be jumped on to be politically correct but that isn't really what I talking about. If you know me, I am anything but politically correct (:

"Going Green" is not what I am talking about. What I am feeling is a desire to be more simple and natural. To enjoy things in life that bless my family and not just myself. The joy of knowing that the foods that I feed my children are actually good. The peace and contentment of knowing that the home that I make for my boys, all 4 of them :) is safe and healthy. That I am offering an environment of wellness. A true gift as homemaker. I have known all along that I set the pace for the home. The choices I make determine how my home will run. Things like, am I getting up in a good mood and having a home that is joyful in the morning, instead of dragging myself out of bed, groggy and slow b/c I ate a Sonic burger and fries the night before and haven't had my 4 cups of coffee yet!! Am I providing a solid example of how we should treat not only a home but the "Temple of the Holy Spirit".

I am tired of always feeling bad b/c of the easier choices I make that make ME feel better. It is so much easier to run through a drivethru for dinner than actually making a homemade meal out of food that is grown in our garden. Or taking the extra time to bake homemade bread with ingredients that I choose and in which my boys really like more than store bought anyway. But in reality the drivethru mentality is only momentarily easier. In the long run, or sometimes the short run, I always regret it. Either b/c I actually feel bad after I eat it or I see that my children are so used to eating overly processed, excessively salted and fried food that they frown at homemade Spaghetti and meatballs. Or that they are so used to drinking a "Slushy" that lemonade made with fresh lemons and Sucanat is not "sweet" enough.

That is a true testimony to my laziness and lack of concern for anyone but myself....

So what am I doing. First of all I am blogging about it so that I may be held accountable. Next, I am educating myself. I am the type of person that if I am not held accountable, I will slip. So I have enrolled in school. Yes, school. I am well on my way to become a Natural Living Educator through Vintage Remedies. I hope to educate myself of living naturally, eating naturally and how to use Aromatherapy to create an environment of wellness in my home. Eventually, I hope to share what I have learned with others too.

So... here we go. I think I may encounter some kicking and screaming on the way, and the boys will probably protest too (: But I know that in long run, it will be a true blessing that only I can give my family....

Naturally yours,

Switchfoot

We recently took the boys to see our all time favorite band. They were scheduled to play in our local universities arts center and it just happened to be the same one Steve built :)

We have a very small university but the "chapel" as they call it is more like a small arena. It seats about 3000 and has a beautiful theatre. Steve worked a couple of years on this project and is he pride of our town.

The really cool part of the concert though was when Jon Foreman, lead singer , said that this was one of the best venues he had played in Texas. Kudos to Steve and how awesome to have a shout out by your favorite singer/songwriter.

Winter Garden

I am so behind on all of my posts that it stresses me to think about updating. I have decided to finally use the app on my iPhone for updating so I can be more diligent. I just hope this works :)

We have finally planted our winter garden. It's a little late this year but with this crazy warm weather, we think it will take.

We are only planting onions and potatoes this winter. Easily maintained and harvested.

We will see if we get a better crop than this summer.

Way Back in June :)

This is how painfully behind I am on updating my blog. I could blame it on being busy, which would be a valid excuse, but for the most part I have had a bad case of the "I don't wanna's". It's hard for me to want to write down my thoughts on each event. It takes a lot out of me. I tweak and tweak each post ad nauseum. I am really not a perfectionist but for some reason I am when it comes to journaling our lives.

So time traveling back to June when the Texas heat was so unbearable we barely left the house, we decided to throw a big bash for Isaac for his 9th birthday. Now if you aren't from Texas you know you never have an outside BBQ at the end of June. It's usually around 100 degrees and the sun is bearing down on you until around 9:00pm. But this summer it was even crazier to have anything outside. A record breaking drought and temperatures over a 105 for 32 days seemed like a good time to invite 63 people over for some fun BBQ time. Right?!?

Despite the heat, we had about 35 kiddos and 20 or so parents. I think the adults may have had more fun than the kiddos! We love having people over to our house.

So with out further ado... pics of this very fun but ~~HOT~~ day!

We were a little country on this party. Isaac only wanted hot dogs and a water slide. I love home parties. I think they are so much fun!!

These are a little out of order. We opened presents toward the end.

The presents were over the top! Our friends really spoiled him this year.

To compensate for the outrageous heat, we had a giant water slide.

Why can't I ever get a good picture of Isaac. He is always so silly!

Ethan had a lot of his buds here too! These are the best 12 year old boys EVER!!

This is my BFF's daughter, Charley Kate. She was so sweet. She went around kissing all of the babies.

These are Isaac's old neighborhood friends.

He misses them so much living way out here.

Sweet friends with their two foster babies.

More buddy pics

The slide was a huge hit!!

I guess I should say a huge MUDDY hit :) Got to love a Forringer kid.

This night was also bitter sweet to Isaac. His best bud, Josiah, moved the following week to Atlanta. Josiah was able to spend the night with us one last time before he moved!

I think it was a great party for him. We don't throw one every year for the boys. I think this one should last him at least one more year!

Leaving you with the Happy Birthday video: I should add that the wind was so crazy that day that the candles wouldn't stay lit. Isaac just pretended to blow them out :)

My Sweet Granny

Yesterday, my sweet grandmother passed away.  I can not express how sweet and humble she was.  She was ever serving others and never thinking of herself.  She lived her life needed and died surrounded by those who lives she touched.  I know after living the last few years of her life somewhat home bound that she is now dancing in the streets with our Savior!  I can't wait to see her again!

We love you Granny!!

Etta Lee Whitus

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Etta Lee Whitus, greatly loved and admired mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and friend to many, passed away peacefully early Friday morning, Nov. 11, 2011, surrounded by loved ones. She was a bright light, her gentle and steady spirit obvious to all who met her. 

Mrs. Whitus is survived by her four children, Jerry and Ann Whitus of San Marcos, Donald and Danna Whitus of Tyler, Dr. William and Jan Howard of Longview, Dr. Don and June Williams of Richmond. She was also adored by 10 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; a brother, Ray Patterson of Chapel Hill; and sister, Lilly Richardson of Tyler. She was married for more than 65 years to her beloved husband, Homer Whitus, World War II veteran and owner of the Tyler Mattress Co., who passed away in 1996. A longtime member and Sunday school teacher at Trinity Baptist Church in Tyler, she lived a full and active life true to her Christian faith and loving family.

Mrs. Whitus was born on Oct. 26, 1918, in Wickes, Ark., to Grover Cleveland and Lucy Davis Patterson and grew up in the Cottonwood community in East Texas, surrounded by a big and boisterous family, five brothers and a sister. She graduated high school, married and then worked for a few years as a telephone operator for Bell Telephone in Tyler until the birth of her first son. She became a devoted mother as three other children were born. She was a Little League mom and participated in her children's education at school and church. Mrs. Whitus loved to read and had a house full of books. She was a wonderful cook and holiday meals with her family were a highlight of her life. She will be greatly missed.