Mom In Progress

I love my family and I want them to eat food that is good for them. It doesn't mean that I will not allow sweet treats, but just that when it comes to regular snacks and meals we'll be reaching for fruits, veggies and low-fat meats.

But how do we balance good choices and organic choices? I have friends at every point on this journey. There was a time when I felt everything needed to be organic and "all natural." I'm not there any more. We can't afford to be. In fact, I grew up on sugar-coated cereal, processed meats, and white pasta - and I could be in much worse shape.

Some of my friends insist on meats without phosphates and nitrate and others who consider fast food for at least one meal a week. Some have milk delivered at a premium while others pick-up their milk at the convenience store. I guarantee both of these families have a box of store bought cookies in their pantry.

A recent trip to the newest "all natural" mega mart made my head spin once a…

There are few things that make life as pleasant as the company of a good friend.

You're right. It's obvious. But sometimes it's the obvious things that are easy to over look and take for granted. Like good friends.

Just this evening we took a few hours to go visit with some friends for their daughter's 2nd birthday. It was hot and kids were everywhere. Under different circumstances the whole scenario would have been a nightmare. But with good friends, the whole thing is the best part of life.

Less than glamorous moments suddenly become laughable instead of embarrassing. The argument you had with your spouse before the party is made light of and swept away. The fact that one of the kids was up every hour on the hour last night is sympathized with. And you can swap stories about who hit who, or how potty training is going, or how badly you need a night out.

I think the best thing mom's can do (and dad's too) is to make time for friends. Find people who you love and w…

I'm going to admit what I've been ashamed of for years: I never read a single C.S. Lewis book until I was in college.

It's absolutely shameful. One of the greatest thinkers, writers, and (I would venture to say) theologians of all time and I had the audacity to miss out on it until I was nearly 20 years old. Maybe you were the same. Maybe you still haven't. Let me whet your appetite.

I started reading The Chronicles of Narnia to my 6 year old daughter a couple of months ago. I knew it was a childhood classic appropriate for children even though I had not yet read it myself. Again, shamefully, I didn't recognize the title of the first book (The Magician's Nephew) and felt sure it was going to be dreadfully dull. Wrong.

I was mesmerized by the story and the way Lewis brought the characters to life! I should not have been surprised by how much I enjoyed it, but I was.

I would not want to give away anything to those of you who haven't read it yet (oh, you will read…

A healthy lifestyle is a noble goal and one that our family has been striving after for years. You're always in process, especially because it seems as though research changes yearly. Is it better to use real butter or "spread?" Can whole grains be "smooth" and still count? What carbs can I eat, exactly?

Our kids are an even bigger challenge. I have never said I didn't like a vegetable... ever! As a matter of fact, my husband has said he has never met anyone who loves veggies as much as I do. I guess that's what happens when you grow up eating home-grown produce. But that's for another story. Yet somehow I have two lovely children who will, on a daily basis, tell me that they do not want to eat their carrots, green beans, red beets, or corn. You name it, they don't want it.

Let's not even get started on the dark, leafy greens that are so wonderfully healthy. They would rather go to bed hungry. So I started dreaming of ways to get them to eat t…

We survived another family vacation last week! Our trip to South Dakota was full of joy and pain as I suppose most family vacations are. This was a road trip and I would probably rate myself "average" on how well I planned for it. So perhaps I have no one to blame but myself...

Really, I am thankful that we can vacation at all. I know that many are curtailing their usual summer adventures for homebound activities (most recently dubbed "staycations"). Never fear! I don't plan to complain this entire blog entry (maybe 50% of it)!

We have great kids and they stood up against some rough travel and terrain. For starters, I was sure they were old enough to enjoy some of the simpler things of road travel like counting antelope or looking for state license plates. Not so. They would have much rather watched a movie. Not an option when you don't bring the DVD player.

Then right out of the gate I realize that the air conditioner doesn't seem to be getting very cold.…

Another day has come and gone and, as we say, I don't know where it went. Sometimes just getting through the day feels like a huge accomplishment. No one broke a bone or bled or choked. There was plenty of whining and complaining and fighting, but physically we came out unscathed.

Life as a mom is like that. Making it from the breakfast debate about who had more O's floating in their cereal bowl to the turmoil of who should get the purple lollipop at the bank drive-thru to navigating the library without losing a child in the stacks - every day it's a miracle that we make it!

And so I'd like to take a minute to be thankful. If your precious little people are tucked safely in bed and your sanity is still hanging by a thread, be thankful. There will be a new set of trials tomorrow, and you'll do your mommy-best, but without a spirit of thankfulness for all that you have you'll be missing out on more than you realize.

I have been hesitant to post my first blog here. I blog in other locations, but thought I would do something profound here. Something that would make you stop and ponder your existence.

Sooooo not going to happen!

Here's what I am really about: loving, laughing, giving, LIVING!! It's not all about me, as much as I might want it to be.

I thought maybe I would get my act together before I really put myself out there to the world, but tomorrow may never come. I'm actually not a "goom and gloom" kind of person, I'm just stating the obvious. Like that plane that just went down on it's way to France. None of those people thought tomorrow would never come. But it didn't.

If tomorrow doesn't come... if this is the first and last you hear of me, hear this. There is hope. Hope has a name: Jesus.

Oh, I know. Believe me, I know. Christians have this sick connotation in modern America. We are hypocritical and out of touch. We are lame and uncool. We are definitely …