Courage...Oh Where Art Thou!!!!!!

Today I begin to blog again after a break for a couple of weeks. I feel again the need to ponder and puddle around in my 'space' to find my feet.
I have come to discover that my wavering courage is a major inhibiter to my success in many areas. So I am going to begin my very own challenge today...to share  things that I discover that will help me to be more courageous!

What helps  you when you lack courage?What do you do to fight the pull of confidence lacking self doubt!

So far this week life has thrown me some rather enormous curve balls, however as usual ,mixed in with all lifes adventures and trials are 1000's of blessings each and everyday.
This week I achieved a major mortality feat that required a reliance on faith and in the Saviour like few  times before...I think i prefer to fight for my life knocked out than concious ! That is another story .... but enough to say it had me in the grip of fear there for a bit!
My main learning point for this is...

Don't lose sight of the Saviour, HE has me in full view!

I  kind of love this piccie....I took  it when I visited the halls of the Relief Society building in SLC, I was so focussed on admiring the history of this amazing women who was an extraordinary women in her pioneer life...I didn't see "me" in this picture at the time....look hard you might find me!
I guess we all have a role as extraordinary women in the Church to be like the pioneers even now,even me. Their stories of courage are timeless! Although set in an era past, their example is a strength to me as are the scriptures.
I hope I can one day be viewed through my own eyes as courageous like I view the lady sitting in this picture!

Mediterranean Lasagne (Low GI)

YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!! this is a big hit with the family whilst helping me to maintain my healthy diet. Win!Win!
It has been sourced from The New Glucose revolution Life Plan.by Prof Jennie Brand-Miller, Kaye Foster- Powell.Receipes bu Lisa Lintner

1 tablespoon olive oil
500g premium beef mince
2 brown onions (approx.300g) chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 x 800 g tin whole peeled tomatoes
1/2 cup (50g)of tomato paste
1 cup (250 ml) water
1/2 bunch of fresh oregano, chopped
2 eggplants (approx. 500g) cut into 1/2 cm slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 x 250 g packet frozen chopped leaf spinach, thawed
1 teaspoon nutmeg
5 sheets large instant lasagne pasta
100g low fat cheddar cheese,grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 100degrees C.
2. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over moderate heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occassionally, for 3 minutes.
3.Add the mince and cook till the meat turns brown, then add the tomatoes, tomatoe paste and water.Season with salt and pepper and add the chopped oregano. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4.Brush the eggplant slices with oil and grill till browned on each side.
5.Using a rectangular casserole dish, approx.23 cm x 34 cm, layer the ingredients.Start with half the meat sauce, then 2 1/2 sheets of lasagne, half the eggplant slices, all the spinach sprinkled with nutmeg, salt and pepper, 2 1/2 sheets of lasagne  pasta, eggplant slices, meat sauce and grated cheese.
6. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Serve with a crisp green salad (serves 6-8)

Low GI
kJ/cal 1189/284
Protein 23g
Fat 11 g
Carbohydrate 24g
Fibre 6g

Baked Tortillas with Hummus (Low GI)

Another favorite recipe...sourced from Quick Cooking for Diabetes great tasting food in 30 minutes or less by Louis Blair & Norma McGough

4 small flour tortillas
1 tablespoon olive oil

HUMMUS
400g (13 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 garlic clove
4 tablespoons Greek Yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
salt and pepper
paprika, to serve
coriander sprig to garnish


1. Cut each tortilla into 8 triangles, place on a baking sheet and brush with a little oil. Place in a pre heated oven at 200degrees C (400 degrees F),Gas Mark 6 and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden and crisp. Leave to cool.

2. Meanwhile, put all the ingredients for the hummus, except the paprika and coriander, in a food processor or blender and blend until almost smooth. Season to taste with salt and  pepper, stir in the coriandr and sprinkle with paprika. Garnish with a coriander sprig and serve with the tortilla chips.

Low GI
Kcals 306
Protein 12 g
Carbohydrate 46 g
Fat 9g

Prawn and Noodle Soup (low GI)

Well on this fine journey to a slimmer and healthier me I have become more interested in food- good food. I thought I would share one of my favourite recipes. (I sourced it from a book titled 'Quick Cooking for Diabetes great tasting food in 30 minutes or less' by Louise Blair &Norma McGough)

Prawn and Noodle Soup
900 ml (1 1/2 pints) vegetable or chicken stock
2 kaffir lime leaves
1 lemon grass stalk, lightly bruised
150g (5oz) dried egg noodles
50g (2oz) frozen peas
50g (2 oz) frozen sweetcorn
100g (3 1/2oz) lage cooked and peeled prawns
4 spring onions, sliced
2 teaspoons soy sauce

1. Put the stock into a saucepan with the lime leaves and lemon grass, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Add the noodles to the stock and cook according to packet instructions. After 2 minutes, add the peas,sweetcorn,prawns,spring onions and soy sauce. Serve in individual bowls.

Kcals -187
Protein-10 g
Carbohydrate-30g
Fat- 3g

A Bad Day!!!But Grateful!

Well yesterday was like a day from hell! Here we were straight from Conference on Sunday having all manner of petty things ‘fire’ the boys up. What  the heck! To share an eraser caused an incident with a ruler, which in turn became a punching match between two growing boys…..AAARRGGH! And it continued  all day long, “it’s his turn not mine”, “I didn’t do it” and so on …!

I continued to remain calm (at times – just) and thought I’d plan a special FHE to remind them where our attention ought be with Easter on the horizon. I had found a very cool activity on a blog where one makes and Easter tree! Perfect out came the silver paint…until it ran out and only half the tree was painted!………….So never fear off I went to print the accompanying sheets for decorating the sheets- and FAIL the printer would not print!!!!!!! With dogs then barking to be fed, kids disappointed and needing to shower, dinner needing to be cooked my Mr Lovely Husband rang to let me know he will be a few hours late getting home! Just Fabulous!

So, an ala’carte dinner of baked beans on toast became the cuisine fit for a Queen last night……….But then…..

My lovely diet sabotaging husband came home with the most heavenly tasting, visually pleasing ginger fluff sponge sandwich filled with fresh cream and topped with caramel icing. It was sitting on a doily in a little clear box  all by itself…Intentionally purchased for me! What’s a girl to do but oblige. Hmm. extra swimming today- big time!

But, once they were all in bed and I reflected upon not only my day … I became aware that I have much to be grateful for…including a very special treat after 3 fairly low gi weeks :), a husband that got home safely from work and spicey kids that keep life day by day a mystery of how it is going to  turn out!I am grateful to a friend who text me an invite to a morning tea today with other RS women. I am grateful to our leaders who give me ‘hope’ day to day,especially when I head their words.

                         

Who is Thomas S. Monson?

http://www.thomassmonson.org/

This is a great link to a wealth of information…enjoy!

Thoughts from Conference

A link in case you missed some of it…..
http://lds.org/general-conference?lang=eng
Tonight my head is swimming with thoughts. A feeling of inspired renewal is my heartfelt lift towards my purpose in life.
Francis said when asked of his favourite bits from Conference :

*President Thomas S. Monson said, to be uplifted,be inspired as we learn during general Conference.

* “When Elder Ulchdorf said,

 “Families can be stronger , like rope, if we work together”

*Also, when Ulchdorf quoted Saint Francis of Assisi as having said,

“Preach the Gospel at all times and if necessary use words” In other words – be a good example!

Paddy’s favourite bit was:

*Thomas S Monson spoke of the importance of temples and always striving to have a current recommend and to know it is a sacred place.

  *Sister Jean A Stevens said,

“Children pay tithing and  grow in obedience”. 

Me…my thoughts:

* my most favourite was from Richard Maynes, who said,:

“Create a Christ

Centred Home!”

*L.Tom Perry (Quorum of the 12) said,

“Make the Saviour the Centre of our Lives”…

“Be though an example…..of the believers”

*Quentin L Cook said, :

“Latter Day Saint Women are Incredible”

*Elder Ulchdorf in addition to Francis’ quote about Saint Francis which hit a chord with me, said :

“Move forward in Faith &

don’t wait too long on the road to Damascus”

“Hearken to the promptings of the Spirit &

then be Eager to follow them…hear his whisperings & respond”

“Turn down the noise”

* Paul V. Johnson of the 70 said,

“The only way to see the view…

is to take the trek”

* H.David Burton quoted David O’Mackay as having said,

“We should be interested in the temporal help people need.”

* President Thomas Monson closed the conference saying.

“May we be examples of Honesty & Integrity wherever we go & whatever we do”.

There were many more..but while we ponder these few…I will share more in the weeks to come.

These quotes are more than words to me…..for they are my ‘desire’ for me and my beautiful family and in doing so I pray we too will ‘become’.

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS DAY!!!

i wrote this for my group page in Relief Society Sisters Page- but thought I'd cut and paste it into my blog here too today :) cos I guess it can apply to not just the sisters but to any of us ...male or female :)....

Random act of Kindness Day!!!! (i just declared it :)




I am not sure that we are meant to get through this life smooth sailing and all by ourselves 'just managing'...I think that we are 'meant to' be there for each other AND NOT WAIT TO BE ASKED!!!Sisters I ask you, who do you know that would LOVE to be surprised by you arriving on their door step tonight with a cooked dinner for them after a busy week, who do you know that may not be on your visiting teaching list that you could ring and just say hello to because they mean so much to you, maybe you know a couple with children who might have forgotten what it is like to have a date night-who can't baby sit. And biscuits sisters....who can you make a plate of biscuits for??I have never seen a busy mum decline such gifts of love. In an effort to teach my boys about service one day we took afternoon tea over to a ladies house....they had a bag full of cleaning gear...while washing their hands in the bathroom they locked the door and scrubbed what was already a very clean bath. Leaving nothing behind but a single chocolate rose to surprise this lady. This lady has terrible back pain (often) and although my boys couldn't change her back pain - her spirit was lifted by their little effort of a random act of kindness. Neadless to mention they had fun with rubber gloves for weeks in our own showers at home cleaning :) I think that it is through small acts of kindness (at random) that we lift each other and invite the "Spirit" not only into our life but also into the lives of those around us. So get your gloves on for cooking or cleaning etc and have fun. You might be surprised at the reaction. ps get out the ward phone bk....and pick someone who you would never ever ordinarily go or mix with!!! Love ya..hey and post how it went (no names :)And don't forget you can plan even more fun things for you Random acts of Kindness Day :) next week and the week after....be like Christ – Just do it!


"When you are in the service of each other...you are in the service of the Lord "..... what a great way to prepare for Easter.

Nearly Easter...and can hardly wait!

2011 hit us with a BANG! After a sweet Christmas and New Year Holiday in the Americas. To come home to floods and cyclones was a little disturbing to say the least. But for us the MODEM we so heavily relied on (and only bought last year) became and obsolute model....and our major telecommunications network failed us dismally to restore our network....after 3 continual months of modem problems with this network and 5million hours of my time used on the phone to rectify it ...we changed networks. Within 3 minutes of the 'southern phone' modem arriving the children were once again hooked up to the internet and their classes and friends :) best bit - we  no longer pay line rental yay! So goodbye major network and hello to a government initiative opposition in the market place.
The boys have puddled along with their school work. I am enjoying the grade six program more than the year five because it seems to 'change' things up a bit more.
Swimming at the start of the year saw little mate achieve a certificate towards his bronze medalion whilst his older brother (the artist) achieved a certificate level at the end of the year (2010).
So with Easter on the horizon I am indeed glad to have made the switch to home school through distance education. I belieeve the boys are becoming more intrinsictly motivated as opposed to extinsictly motivated learners in life. Have a Happy Easter and remember - the day was never meant to be about celebrating the 'chocolate rabbits'... HE paid a price for all of us...if we can just learn the importance of that - then we will begin to understand the 'purpose in life'!!!!!!!!

I am....

I am...
... a choice daughter of God with infinite worth, goodness &potential.That is who I see. (G.P)


• ...Blessed (Vicki- Ann Lammi)

• ...BEAUTIFUL (Dallis Dromgold)

• ...A beautiful daughter of God,with many of his virtues.(David B.Baker)

• ...going to come for a swim anytime! (Jennene Lammi)

• ...fantabulous!!! (Wendy Merrill)

• ...sending messages on the phone(Jennene Lammi)

• ...Righteous, blessed,charitable, and lovely:D (Candice Houston)

• ...LOVED! (Margaret Morrison)

• ...a very good friend to both the young & the elderly. (Jennene Lammi)

• ...A true Christian. (Jennene Lammi)

• ...probably on Facebook (Jennene Lammi)

• ...maybe reading the ensign (Jennene Lammi)

• ...Ah but most probably looking through Rosie’s Quilts.(Jennene Lammi)

• ...And Yes, very beautiful (Jennene Lammi)

Diet drama!

Well again the balance in life became too much! First I became so time poor that I had no time to blog...but i kept my eating on track However, with rain that prvented me swimming and walking and fluid too bad to do inerval training...couch potato i became again. However, I have still maintained my weight loss and even lost one more kg...total of 5kg in two weeks gone. 45kg more to go!
water has been a big downfall area over the weekend :( so i back to countin glasses to make me have 'em. stress levels have been worstened  with less exercise.

Woop,Woop,Wednesday!!!

Breakfast saw me enjoy one poached egg on one piece brugen low gi bread
i then did an interval training workout! Sweat dripping off me....i crunched on a very small apple and drank water big time.
Lunch saw me have grilled salmon and green salad with roman tomatoes sitting at a cafe sipping on a bottle of water overlooking the river with two friends :)
grabbed some fresh fish and veges/salad at the shops before heading home - pooped!
so time for a snack...mmm a small serve of special k with a little trim milk....but then a nanny nap!
tea was steamed flake with a small serve of veges.
no added sugar icecreeam with a sprinkle of milo was a nice sweet treat.
then a water based milo with a dash of trim milk.
hmm.learned today that i gotta balance things better!the how .? but still trying.
water x #1#2#3#4#5#6

Terrific Tuesday!!

Awoke early and devoured not only my special K with trim milk i munched on some really scrumptious brugen weight loss toast x 2 with homus dip on  it!!!Then i hit the pool (cos i needed to make up yesterdays exercise lacking day) i did my usual 12 laps. However, this time i did lots of kickboard kicking and breaststroke as i asked a friend who swims heaps of the best strokes things to do for legs and tummy areas. After this fired up start to my day, I then went visiting teaching with my much loved companion. It was a very special morning visiting ....followed by my companion and i enjoying the most yummy lunch at sizzlers :)
I had one triangle of cheese bread,
one ladel full of tomato,basil and capsicum soup that was simply heavenly.
then the traditional plate full of salad.  (i only had crab as meat) and most salads were kinda mediteranianish...one had some penne and one some cous cous. But i did stop at the one plate. only drank water.
afternoon tea i ate 2 whole sticks of celery with some more of that yummy hommus.
then went for my two lap walk :) for 20 mins. followed by a game of ten pin bowling for Family Home Evening Outing :)
Dinner tonight was a steam/fried chicken breast and mixed veges
milo made on water with a dash of trim milk.
Water consumption today cups #1#2#3#4#5#6
i ate a few 'naughty' things today - eg the piece of cheese bread etc however, i am happy cos i really increased my exercise for the day ...so wins and loses........but feeling blessed and more comfy in my own 'shell' :) xoxo

Monday Muchings!

very quicky: cos i a day late to blog and i gotta go swimming and visit teaching :)
special k n trim milk for breakfast...then....had to get all dressed up and look like a professional 'mum' at a teaching pd day! I have been out of the game for just over 6 months due to hooping cough, pre cancer surgeries and phnemonia..so i was quiety 'terrified' and if it weren't for a friend that i could text prior - i probably would have sat in the car too scared to go in. 4 schools were gathering. I went and I learned and I excelled socially (which is very un-me) i received about 12 compliments about how great I was looking :) so considering I still have 46kg further to lose....i was in a happy place...amidst a  very young and fit crowd who are not forthcoming usually with the positive and uplifting messages to suppy/contract teachers. I felt BLESSED for my weeks efforts even if sunday was a bit wobbly!
morning tea: while the teachers downed coffee like it was scotch...I drank water....but i did partake of a piece of healthier looking slice - but i am sure it would not be low gi!but it was a yummy!
lunch- catering was provided with very limited ability to pre order as a suppy tchr - i ripped down the road to the bakery - found a yummy prawn and pasta wrap - again not the most 100%low  gi but i did manage to sit with two male tchrs I have worked with as they ate the most feral looking bacon,egg and steak burgers washed down with their 'mother & coke drinks' i was really repulsed at the site to be truthful. but it was good to catch up with these two dads and here about how their lovely families are growing with new babes etc.
i ate a peach for afternoon tea
and consumed flake fish/vege stir fry with watermellon for dessert.
one cup of milo made on water with trim milk.
i had much foot pain (fluid) from what i think was all the 'sitting' and despite every good intention i physically could not weight bear last night so going to town pool to do yesterdays exercises this morning! and hopefully that will ease some of the fluid.
Water #1#2#3#4#5 drank (one short)but hey no decaf for a week!

Sundayitis!!!!!!!!

Wins and loses today....... i ate :
special K for breakfast along with its portionary milk,
:S I did NO exercise today - massive fail!!!!!!!!!!!!
I enjoyed a talk at Church by a fella called David that I had not met before........his wife appealled for someone to play golf with her on Friday.....and I sat like a mute- why did I not take down her number and say yes!!but can you teach me how to play? :( another exercise opportunity missed -fail!!!
Once home from Church i ate:
Medium GI taco shells filled with low gi salad and meat that was eaten 'sparingly' (about 2 tablespoons in each) However, my epic fail here was that I did not stop at just one or two...i feasted on four :( FAIL in the portion department........I think next time i will need to take some low gi snack to church to 'keep me going' so i don't come home and just snort my way through food like a PIG! I also had drunk no water until 2pm -not good! although i did get trough my 6 cups for the day of H2O...I have been up all night to the loo FAIL!
Dinner was some stir fry low gi veges with side dish of lantina low gi pasta on the side, with watermellon and low gi yogurt for dessert.
but then...........NO EXERCISE - FAIL!!!!
So apart from spiritual exercise today....I really did not reach my goal in more ways than one..need to lift my game tomorrow.What exercise do you do on a sunday ??please comment!

Sluggish Saturday

My day began at 2.40am due to barking dogs :( not a good thing when I had gone to bed around midnight! So Sluggish to get going Saturday came at me like an unwelcome inconvenience. The boys were eagre to get to their silver smithing class so that meant down the special K super fast...with trim milk (about a cup and a half ).
I then called on a friend to see if she wanted to join me at the Quilting Shops grand relocation opening. Wow did I score some bargain patterns :) then it was a hurried trip back to collect the boys. Before going home and devouring a can of baked beans and a low gi norganic flat bread, and an apple for lunch. But then, the sleep deprivation hit me...and i had to have a nanny nap. waking very unenthused to do excercise or anything much,,,, i decided to go for a spa and very minimal lap swim at a friends pool. But walla! By the time I came home i felt totally fired up and completed an aerobic interval training session following a dvd. By the end of it I was really glad to do some serious cool down exercises ! It obviously works!
Evening dinner was  a piece of fresh flake steamed with dill, onion, tomato and lemon juice that tasted heavenly, with side of mixed veges and corn cob.
water #1#2#3#4#5#6 all drank...dogs asleep, kids asleep..my turn ...goodnight!
ps i had a tiny bit of philly lite (80% fat free) on the corn!!!gotta be honest..even if it were a bit naughty.oops and watermellon for desert.
ok bed time...hope you are enjoying my blog..some comments would be heartening as have all the emails of support been :) catch ya

My Conversion Story & Testimony

As you will discover by my blog i am not some 'articulatedly (if that's a word)gifted member' such as yourself. But still learning and pressing forward in faith.

I suppose this is a good challenge to me to reflect back on not only the past few years when i came into contact with Church members for the first time but to look further back knowing that Heavenly parents sent me here with a divine mission in mind. I was born into a Christian home with rich traditions and values, I am one of 5 children to a family. Family was essential to me right back then as was the rich knowledge that God's love was 'unconditional'. As i grew, i discovered very painfully that love like that was often not my experience in day to day life. But with every hurt, abuse and violation experienced i continued to know that Heavenly Father's love was -unconditional.

It my early 20's I entered formal religious life with a congregation based on being like Mary and serving God with a wholehearted "Yes".The congregation I was most closely drawn to was one that was imaged on the "Family Tree", in that it had Priests,Sisters,Brothers,Missionaries and the Laity all working, living,serving and growing in the charism of Mary (Jesus Mother). However, despite my deep love for the sisters and this congregation I knew deep down that I could serve the Lord better without taking vows. So press forward i did, leaving behind a depth of gratitude, love and respect for my 'religious life' companions thus far.

It seemed like seconds after that transition that my darling dad began a fight with Leaukemia! I was totally gutted. My dad had been a sheep farmer for most of his life and a wonderful example to me of the 'good shepherd' ... a friend, a guide and a spiritual example to me throughout my life. I then met my now husband who I married feeling a sense of stability and love that I had long thought impossible from anyone other than God himself! We began our family with two beautiful sons. I don't think i had fully appreciated what a 'miracle' was until giving birth.God's hand was definitely involved in bringing these babes into my arms - how else can you fit something the size of a watermelon through a key ring!!!!!! My beautiful dad died three weeks before my second son was born. A bitter sweet moment for me...but i knew then like now that my dad would be with me still - just from Heaven! We then had a miscarriage whom we call (Joy) followed by a beautiful little boy whom we named (Thomas) who was stillborn whilst he saved my life...i could not save his. Grief and loss seemed to surround me...questions about the eternities were not forth coming from my Church I had always known and grew up with.......yet i had a reassurance like never before that my babes and my dad were indeed in Heaven and that Mother Mary would help dad with those babes until it was my time to join them!

I began to quilt...trying to make something beautiful from scattered pieces of fabric seemed like therapy that reflected my struggle of life and my new found desire to "Know my purpose for being here". In a Church that could not acknowledge my sweet Thomas(because he was 6 hours too young in womb, to be given a full birth certificate!) I was sent home to bury him myself on Mother's Day with my husband. A Church who believed a life is a life from the moment of conception, I was now faced with a search for 'truth' like never before...which Church is true???whilst trying to continue raising two boys and loving two babes in heaven and a husband as Christian. We visited and were fellowshiped by other Churches during this time of 'ecommunical' searching. I then had phnemonia and passed it on to my husband and nearly killed him with it....

It was time to prioritize our health like never before...we began a home delivery run of 'organic' fruit vegetables and groceries......and strangely enough i started to feel like i was coming alive again. One of our customers was Sister and Brother Stevenson and their family of 10 (mostly male) clan. Sister Stevenson and her ideas of provident living matched mine, she too knew that my 'angel' children were in HIS fold in heaven ...we became great friends. Brother Stevenson was a fishermen with stories of faith through trials that would capture all of my families attention and appreciation for 'truth'. One day, that I am moved to tears at fondly remembering...Sister and Brother Stevenson sat me down (as they often had at the end of a busy delivery run), however, this time was different! This time they acknowledged that I had come from a Church background and that they respected me in my search for truth. They told me how much they would like me to read a book and ask the Spirit to testify if it was true...but above all not let the book come between our friendship. (i think i failed 'em on that last one- cos i think it kind of built a bridge between us but i guess that wasn't what they feared). I folded the book in my arms and assured them i would read it. Why wouldn't I ...this family had some of the most amazing teens I had ever met - i wanted my boys to be like that!

Well please don't ask me what my family ate that week... I just thank heavens that I did come home with not only the Book of Morman but also with several boxes of organic produce that kept the family all nourished as I chewed my way through the book...I read it cover to cover...not stopping ...night and day...with the exception throughout - i paused to ask what Brother Stevenson had said "ask the Spirit to testify of the 'truth'"...................Walla! I was balling, reading, balling,reading (in australia balling is when we cry enough to break the even the worst drought) ....it was true...it matched everything i knew from life's experience to that point...even the unexplainable events......Thomas and Joy did have a heavenly purpose....to get me to search for "truth". We had wonderful missionaries, who had times taught us much more than the Plan of Salvation! David my husband was baptized two years ago on Joy's birthday(this past week) and in turn baptized the boys on their birthdays and me on Thomas' birthday.

It didn't happen over night...we took 18 months to begin to learn from a 6 week cycle of missionary talks...but I wasn't going anywhere - I KNEW like i have a nose on the end of my face that this book is true and that unlike Pinocchio...my heavenly babes "were REAL" children and they like the Stevenson Family and so many others were great missionaries that helped get us this far...as did our "FAITH". I will be 'eternally' grateful for the courage and Faith it took for the Stevenson's to share this little book with such a HUGE impact on our family!

In December of last year we went on our first ever international trip...to UTAH........we were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple after taking our endowments. It was the most beautiful day with my family all sealed and aknowledged as a "Family Forever". Our life leading up to and even after the temple has not been smooth sailing.Indeed there have been times when if it were not for 'taking the Saviours hand' I like Peter would surely have drowned. However, faith moves me forward through those trials when I place trust in HIM and 'not look back' i feel HIS reassuring Love and Companionship again.

To catch a glimpse twice of our beloved prophet along with Elder Ukdorf and Elder Eyring was like seeing the snow and how beautiful things are clean...beautiful people are of God!

I testify that we do have a living prophet and of the prophets since Joseph Smith that have so truthfully restored the Gospel. I believe that when we too share this Gospel in our lives and how we live in Faith knowing and learning of "truth" that My Redeemer Lives! I testify that the blessings of the atonement are real and that when we take the Saviour's hand we can have the Holy Spirit's peace and our Heavenly Father's love with us daily. My name is Tanya Boylan and I am a Latter-Day Saint who writes this testimony and story of my conversion in the name of Jesus Christ.

Fantabulous Friday!!

i awoke with an unusual weariness today...and reflected that even my 'insomnia' (inability to sleep) has been greatly improving in it's decline. i kinda was surprised myself...so i guess like fuel and oil to a car diet and exercise do effect the efficiency of how we function (or not).
My trusty bowl of Special K in hand with some fantabulous trim milk followed by a quiet day reading. My thoughts today have been a bit mixed with a good friend having yet again another miscarriage :( Life is indeed a fragile gift that we must value daily!
Ok, now for lunch i had the other 50grams of salmon with a very green salad with the exception of a mushroom and some beautiful cherry tomatoes. i also had a low gi 'norganic' wrap with skinny hommus on it.
For afternoon tea i have managed to have a juicy Red Apple.
The boys are dead set keen workers today because i have said we will go to the town pool again today. I need to do some arthritis /stretching too before and after my swim today i think. Having fun...and beginning to feel more interested in people and the things around me too. So that has to be good. I have lost 4 kg in the past 4 days and I really ok with the fact that many will argue 'but that is just fluid'- yep - it is...4kg less of it that i have to walk around or swim carrying :)very happy....(that is the weight of more than 9 cans of baked beans)So feeling FANTABULOUS!!
Water #1#2#3#4#5#6 all done!

Off to the pool!
several hours later........
12 laps and the strenching achieved 25 mins.(50 m. pool) followed by a muscle relaxing spa at a good friends house. I truelly think i could hear my muscles screaming "THANK YOU" to her even though she wasn't home!haha
Dinner became a quick omelette full of  (2 eggs/ 1/3 cup trim milk, hand full spinach, mushrooms, capsicum, cherry tomatoes and canola spray was used for the pan ) YUMMY! Watermellon and low fat low gi yogurt was the order of the day for my dessert.

A good day topped of with the most magnicent sunset on the way home from the pool (driving west) a sky of pink, orange, and blue...just beautiful!How blessed we are :)

########I have changed some settings so that comments can be left easier by friends! Tired tonight :)

Thursday otherwise known as OUCH day!!!

After waking pleasantly early i actually 'felt' like breakfast  (major change- cos i usually HATE breakfast) so much so i bet both boys out of bed and to the  special K cupboard and the cup of trim milk on it. But despite my renewed enthusiasm for the day ...i also have discovered today that i have muscles in arms, legs etc that I had forgotten ever even having.So to look at it positively - the exercise is working. 10 king prawns and a mixed salad with a piece of Brugen weight management bread ...n there was lunch done . oops forgot to mention a deliciously juicy pear for morning tea. Then to make us 'feel' like exercise i used up free vouchers for a game of ten pin bowling :) and i won!!!Immediately followed by our two laps of walking the lake again like tuesday. however, the boys used their ripsticks which make for a faster pace for me to keep up...i shaved 1 minute and a half off tuesdays effort :)Home to a cool shower and rest afterwards. Followed by watermellon and 3/4 of a cup lof gi yogurt. Dinner time involved some Chargrilled eggplant,ricotta & Basil low gi 'latina' pasta and 1 cup stir fry veges.
WATER #1#2#3#4#5#6 #7 all have been enjoyed today!
Pressing forward...think hydrotherapy day tomoz

2010: MAY YOU HAVE.... enough faith, hope, peace and light.