"Mocking mere mortals"

This is what my hard-earned t-shirt from the Boot Camp Games says.  And the event yesterday morning was  nothing short of it!

Pretty tired but happy...!

So yesterday morning I pushed myself to what I think it's my very physical and mental limits (to a certain extent) because I came to learn that your body will do only as much as your mind will tell it to. I had a pretty rough start with the power push exercise, which was the very first one in the competition: pushing 100 lbs contraption across 100 meters of grass. THAT WAS was excruciatingly hard and painful for my poor legs. I was lucky to have Hrishi there to boost me up and the trainer that was timing me. It really helped as a few times I felt like I was going to give up.

 The power decathlon and weights exercises followed. Pretty tough, especially the 90 lbs deadlift as I hadn't trained for that heavy of a weight. I actually trained for only half the weight so when I saw the 45 lbs iron grips on each side of the bar, mentally I was like "oh no, this is going to be impossible!" Somehow I made it through the 10 reps. After the power decathlon came the 1.5 mi obstacle course (endurance portion of the event.) By the time I got to the obstacle course I was dead tired, my heart rate must have been in the 180's for 10-12 mins now and was not slowing down. I got 2.5 mins break before I started on the course and finished it in 9 mins. I even sprinted on my last lap. It was pure awesomeness!!! It's incredible what adrenaline can do for you! Works miracles, I tell you!!! My approximate overall time for the whole event was  a little over 25 minutes. (The results will be posted online soon, I hope. I'm really curious to see how I ranked out of all the female participants.)

It was fun to be there, the competition atmosphere, the army of personal trainers rounding us up for the event, timing, and cheering, family on the sidelines, the occasional breeze in a pretty hot day.... all in all a great thing!

The best little supporter ever, with Gatorade on the sidelines

The beastly power push

The V-ups were a piece of cake after deadlifting 90 lbs

Ropes, easy

Catching a breath here and there...



This is my fave picture. Hrishi did such a great job capturing the moment! :)

It's really of hard to put in words how and what I felt. It was SIMPLY AMAZING and worth

every single heavy breath  (and there were a lot of those!), muscle pain, and drop of sweat. I did it to prove myself that I can do hard things (in the physical realm) that get me way out of my comfort zone,  and that my body is ready after all these months of impeccable training. And I also did it to hopefully help Ella see through my example that one can do difficult things and no matter how hard something is, if you put your mind to it, you can do it. I've been preaching this to myself and her for a while now but I think it's a good thing. She was such a trooper, standing, watching, and cheering there for me in the heat. She even brought me water. Hrishi said she was quite amazed with all that was going on. At times I thought she'd be scared to see mommy's almost disfigured face when lifting those heavy weights. Ha-ha!

I am so thankful for my amazingly supportive Hrishi and Ellie and for a great trainer who helped me get where I am today and sneaked the thought of signing up for this in my mind. And I am grateful for a healthy body, willing mind, and God's allowing me to do this.

Flat Stanley!

A few years ago I learned about this whole "Flat Stanley" business. [It almost sounds to me like a rite of passage for all preschoolers and kindergartners.] My little (at the time) nephew, Nitant, who had recently moved to Atlanta, shipped the little guy over so he could take on an Omaha adventure with us. Then a couple or so years later, my little niece's turn came (that is Nikita, Nitant's sister): she sent her Flat Stanley off to us to explore a bit of Dallas and its surroundings. A few weeks ago, we got our own- one and only, Flat Stanley, and commissioned him to travel to Atlanta and visit Nikita and Nitant.

Flat Stanley gracefully accepted the commission and made it back in style, reporting of all his wonderful adventures with Nikita, in Atlanta! (Nikita even made a "Welcome" sign for it! Isn't she amazing?!)

(I must say she did an excellent job showing him around and neatly putting together his travel memoires! Thank you dearest Nikita! You made Ella so very happy!  She was very proud of her Flat Stanley and said it came in quitea  fancy binder!! She added: "I am so lucky to have such a sweet cousin!" Indeed, she is. )

Transition and change

I have been having mixed feelings these past few days about new beginnings and how we always seemed to be pushed into some kind of change or new experience. These have been mostly triggered by Ella's continuing summer camp at a new Primrose school, the same school that would pick her up from kindergarten and provide after-school services for her. We decided to start her there now as opposed to when kindergarten starts end of August, in hopes that she would be able to meet and make new friends who may be attending kindergarten with her. She loves her old Primrose school, teachers and friends, the familiarity of it, and understandly so she was not excited about this move. In fact, she told me last night that she did not like this decision at all. I tried to explain and comfort, letting her know that I completely understood how she felt (because I really did and do as I'm not a huge fan of change myself!) and that I felt the same way she did. On the bright side of this change:  the school operates pretty much the same way as her old school does and the people are nice and she quickly adapts and adjusts so she'll be fine. I'm still a bit nervous but I pray she'll have a smooth transition. This will probably be good practice and help make the kindergarden going transition smooth too.

As much as I know and strongly believe change is good for us, my heart still breaks to see her leave good teachers, friends, familiar classrooms, hallways, etc. all behind and embark on a new adventure, put herself out there all over again, getting to know new teachers, building new relationships and a new sense of familiarity. But that's what life is all about.

So glad the weekend is here though and we have each other.

Dreams (of sewing)

Usually when I think of dreams I think of big ones like the ones that have to do with family, happiness, bright future, health, and well-being, etc.  But there are also little dreams. One of my little dreams that's been budding and budding in my head for a while now is to start sewing. Yes, sewing! For those of you who know me, it's kind of hard to believe it as I never had any inclination, talent, or desire whatsoever for this kind of stuff. I always admired those who did, my sweet late maternal grandmother being one of those, mamaie Dutu. She sewed so many dresses for me and my cousin, my mom and my aunt, made alteration after alteration to pants, skirts, and dresses throughout our childhood and teenage years. My mom too made a few things for me! One of them being my 8th grade prom dress! :)

And then I have this other very sweet childhood memory from my paternal grandmother, mamaie Teia who although did not sew herself, had a good friend who did and always had her make these beautiful nighties and PJ's for me and my other cousin. I remember the cute patterns and soft fabric she would get for us!

So, I'd really love to be able to sew simple things like skirts, nigthies, blankets, maybe bedsheets, pillow cases, etc. [I think I can or at least I should be able to, with a little effort!]

I recently bought this pretty little skirt I'm in love with. It's chic, easy, yet a bit dressy. My perfect kind of skirt.  I was looking at the cut the other way and it seemed (key word here!!) very easy to make.

I've only stepped foot in JoAnne's a couple of times in my life but the multitude of pretty fabrics, patterns, and textures has stuck to me. Plus, it sounds like there are so many online shops you can order from nowadays, like this one.

Do you have any favorite shops, free pattern websites, or other sewing resources you'd like to share? :)

(First things first, though! I need to get myself a sewing machine! Any recommendations? I want to start simple, not too fancy or too pricey.)

Do you belay??

This is what Hrishi is getting certified for tonight.

be·lay   /bɪˈleɪ/
[bih-ley]
verb, -layed, -lay·ing, noun

–verb (used with object)

1. Nautical. to fasten (a rope) by winding around a pin or short rod inserted in a holder so that both ends of the rod are clear.

2. Mountain Climbing (this is the definition we're interested in!)

  a. to secure (a person) by attaching to one end of a rope.
  b. to secure (a rope) by attaching to a person or to an object offering stable support.

3. (used chiefly in the imperative)

  a. to cease (an action); stop.

  b. to ignore (an announcement, order, etc.): Belay that, the meeting will be at 0900 instead of 0800.

A belay device:

With Hrishi being certified, now Ella will be able to climb all of the walls belayed by daddy. :) Way to go, hon'! I know baby girl will be in good hands! :)

A few snapshots from the training class tonight. (Ella was Hrishi's climber for the class. She took the opportunity to climb to the top of a new wall she hasn't tried before. This is the 4th wall conquered so far, and the 2nd one this week. She amazes me!)

A man who knows his stuff:

Reaching higher and higher:

Made it to the top!

A very cute little victor!

And this is how Hrishi feels about it: "What a great way to rediscover my youth!"

(... and what a delight for me to be there and watch it unfold. Love you so much!)

(Me, watching in delight! Camera/phone in hand, of course. He-he!!) :)

                     

{All in all, you guys rock! I'm so happy and proud to be a momma and wife to you! :)}

Weekend happenings

We had a pretty relaxed, laid back weekend. My kind! Needed a break, for sure. As much as we love having friends over, I have to admit that preparations sometimes tend to take a toll on our otherwise free time. So this weekend, we stayed home, just us and got to do some of the things we love: swim, splash, rock climb, work out, eat, sleep in, go to church, and just hang out together.

Washed the cars.

Rocked climbed.

Did some back-to-school shopping:

(Our little kindergartner is all ready now... I think!)

Practised swimming. Happy to report that after watching a couple of folks swim effortlessly in the outdoor pool at the gym, I conclude: it can be done!! Ha-ha! Seriously, both Hrishi and I were almost staring at those folks from underneath our sunglasses in hopes somehow their breathing/swimming skills would rub off! :) After watching them swim a few laps, I jumped into the lane next to them and tried. And it was not all that bad (I only swallowed a couple of mouth fulls of water while turning my head (mouth open) back in the water! DUH!) It just takes lots of practice and staring (just kidding)!!

Helped mommy prepare the lesson visuals for nursery:

(Thank you so much, sweetie! You did an excellent job!)

And while she was picking the colors, she said something that almost made my jaw drop:  "Mommy, we don't know how Moses or Noah were dressed, these colors are fantasy but the stories are not!" Can't really tell how happy this made me! To hear my baby's testimony that the scripture stories were true and not fantasy! It humbled me at the same time. 

Cuddled with daddy. (I just love these two so much!)

Did some more drawing (Angelina Ballerina.)

Summer is quickly slipping away. So glad it's been so full and fun. I love the hot and sunny days and with living in Texas, we can sure hope to enjoy another good two or three more months of great weather.

On commitment and a favorite scripture

From the July edition of the Ensign, the First Presidency's Message, by Elder Uchdorf:

"Commitment to our covenants with the Lord is a fruit of our conversion. Commitment to our Savior and His Church builds our character and strengthens our spirit so that when we meet Christ, He will embrace us and say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).

"There is a difference between intention and action. Those who only intend to commit may find excuses at every turn. Those who truly commit face their challenges squarely and say to themselves, “Yes, that would be a very good reason to delay, but I made covenants, and so I will do what I have committed to do.” They search the scriptures and earnestly seek the guidance of their Father in Heaven. They accept and magnify their Church callings. They attend their meetings. They do their home or visiting teaching.

"A German proverb says, “Promises are like the full moon. If they are not kept at once, they diminish day by day.” As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have committed to walk in the path of discipleship. We have committed to follow the example of our Savior. Imagine how the world will be blessed and transformed for good when all members of the Lord’s Church live up to their true potential—converted in the depth of their souls and committed to building the kingdom of God.
"In some way, each of us stands at a decision point overlooking the water. It is my prayer that we will have faith, move forward, face our fears and doubts with courage, and say to ourselves, “I’m committed!”

I know this principle to be true: that only when we truly put our 100% into it and work at it (whatever it may be, spiritual or temporal) every day, we succeed and we show commitment to our Heavenly Father. I have so many things yet to get better at that sometimes I feel overwhelmed... I have tons of good intensions like making it to the temple at least once a month, making my prayers and scripture study more meaningful, and getting my visiting teaching done, etc. In reading this inspired message, I realize once again that I need to pray for strength to commit and consistently turn my worthy intentions into actions. And when I feel overwhelmed the Lord gently reminds me of the things that I do very day (i.e. personal and family scripture reading, family memory making, testimony bearing, personal and family prayer, testimony bearing, etc.) Although we do always need to strive for doing and being better, I know it's important to recognize and acknowledge our daily victories and feel good about ourselves. On that note, I close with my newly adopted motto: "Life is great!" I truly think it is.

And a favorite scripture that's been on my mind lately from Ether 12:4

"Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with asurety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God."

Moments worth capturing

I think this is one of those: Ella climbed her 3rd wall (50 ft tall) at Lifetime last night; this was the "red-horn" wall, how she calls it. She has been eyeing it for a while and been practising to get to the top but she would never get past the red-hold ("red horn".) Although she was tired after a full day at summer camp, piano practice and all, she still wanted to go and she did. And not only did she go, but she conquered. The happiness and excitement she exuded last night as she walked into the kitchen and announced her victory were absolutely PRICELESS!

[On a funny note, both her and Hrishi were climbing side by side, and at some point when she thought daddy was going to make it to the top before her, she reached over and slightly pushed his arm off the hold he was hanging onto, and grabbed onto it herself, moving ahead and leaving daddy behind... :( ]

I really want for her to remember these precious experiences (the "reaching to the top" part, not the pushing daddy off...ha-ha!) These are some of the things she'll draw upon when things get tough and I'm sure they will.  Baby, I hope you can learn now that nothing is too hard when you work hard and give it your all. 

You fill our hearts with joy! I am so happy, grateful, and honored to be your mother along this wonderful earthly journey and in the thereafter. You make it so exhilirating and worthwhile! Love you, love you, love you now and forever, my sweet child!

Karekars: the Olympic Family... (Fun and funny!!!)

Since we have so much fun every Monday when we go in for our swim classes, changing in the family locker room, cracking up jokes about our swim caps and goggles, and just messing around, we decided to snap a couple of pictures just to capture the moment :) We think we look really funny with our matching gear!

One more: with goggles on!

Seriously, the whole entire family LOVES their swimming classes. And while we're still beginners, I have faith that somehow someday we'll make ok swimmers!

Yesterday I realized that I can swim almost half lap while holding my breath. How can I possibly fill up my lungs even more so I can do a whole lap without taking a breath?? You see, when I turn my head to the side to take a breath, I mess up everything: stroke, kick, and overall body balance. Ughhh! Both Hrishi and I are currently having this same little problem. We're going back tomorrow to practise and will report at a later date on the progress, if any is made! Ha-ha!!!

What is love?

Love is smelling your little one's hair or breath and feeling like you're on top of the world.

Love is snuggling together as a family on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Love is telling and being told "I love you" or "I'm so proud of you!" or "You are wonderful!" or "So happy to have you in our family!"

Love is making dinner together, or singing together.

Love is doing each other's hair.

Love is giving backrubs until  when you feel like your hand or arm is going to fall off.

Love is reading or talking together before bedtime.

Love is bearing testimony of the small miracles you witness every day in the details of life.

Love is taking your time to hug and talk even when you're late getting out the door for work and school.

Love is when you want to share all this and more with another soul: we have started on our path to become foster-to-adop parents. It's not a quick or easy process to get to the point where we can actually welcome a new child into our home but we look forward to that day with much joy and excitment. Since we have made this decision, I have spent many hours reading and learing about how many children out there (all ages) long for a loving and safe place they can call home. Children who long for stability and permanency. Children who long to have someone who cares about them,  about what they do, what they think, and what they dream of. Children who long to love and be loved. It has soften my heart and entire being and made me realize how much more I (we) can give this world. And although we are just at the beginning of this journey, I want to document it and mark it here in our family history as I know it will change our lives forever. For us it is the answer to prayers for opportunities to give more of ourselves, to serve, to make a difference. I often pictured us going out and getting involved in a lot of community service but how? and most importantly, when? as family life as it is, keeps us busy and involved. But soon had my answer that this was a way to do just that. And in mind, it is more than service, it is service with love, a parent-to-child love and vice versa.


... Love is splashing together in the kitty pool in the backyard on a scorching HOT Sunday afternoon.

Love is simple... .

A very busy summer and fall

For some, summers are more relaxed, laid back and more fun than any other time of the year! For us, I guess only the "more fun" part applies as somehow we manage to fill up our schedules to the BRIM and I'm not kidding. But it's by choice, I guess and although very exhausting at times, it's thrilling too.

Right now we're joggling swimming, piano, and ballet classes during week nights to which we've added the weekly rock climbing visit to the gym (usually on Saturday mornings.) Fall won't be much different, it'll actually be just the same with kindergarten homework added on top of it.

Speaking of busy and fun summers, Ella got to go on so many great field trips with her Explorer's class at Primrose. So far she visited  Legoland, Grapevine Springs Park, Outdoor World, Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge, Heritage Farmstead & Museum, Lake Highlands Spray Grounds, Skate Town, Forth Worth Museum of Nature and Science, and Sea Life. Upcoming trips include Bricks 4 Kids and Ripley's Believe It or Not. So happy that she gets to go, see, learn, and experience so many cool things. (It's also great because her summer camp calendar serves as a city attractions guide that comes in very handy when you're still relatively new to the area and are looking for fun things to do with family and friends.) She already has favorite places that she wants to go back to.
And pretty soon there will be something extra that'll need to be scheduled and committed to in our schedules. Something very special.

Sometimes I wonder how will we do it all?!!? And then the little "refrain" comes to mind " I think I can, I think I can....!" We'll just have to get even better at time management and make the most of every single minute of the day, that's all! (Big sigh....!)

Gentle reminder...

I stumbled upon this recently:
“The happiest people don’t have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything they have.”

And although there are very happy people here in the Karekar household, sometimes I just wish some things were different. Like for example, no food allergies, no asthma, and the earth being one big continent so family is not so far away! (I'm not asking for much, am I?!:))
 
And while overall we are trying to make the best of everything we do have, I am reminded that there's always room for more loving, having more faith, more humility, more patience, and more service giving.

"Ready or not?"

So this weekend we did something different. And pretty cool, I think! I had heard through my trainer last week that they were going to have a dry/practice run for a boot camp event/"Boot Camp Games" Saturday morning. The actual event was going to be on the 30th in Plano but wanted to get people to go through the course and give them a chance to work out kinks before the actual thing. Boot camp... never done it so I imagined would be brutally tough. My trainer said that I was ready and should give it a try. Hmmm, maybe I should, I thought to myself so I told Hrishi and he and Ella decided to come with on Saturday morning. After a few little back-and-forths early that morning (waking up, thinking to get ready to go but then kind of changing my mind and planning to clean or do something else-which were execuses, really!), we decided we had plenty of time to make it there (about 30 mins drive to the Lifetime Fitness club in Plano) and give it a shot! I got excited all over again because Hrishi was going to do it too! Yeay!! It was really funny to later reflect on the wide range of emotions I had gone through that morning: excitment, feeling enticed to take on the challenge, then getting cold feet, and then finally daring to go. It was kind of like "ready or not, here I come!" type thing. I knew I wanted to do it, it was just a matter of getting my whole self to come to terms with it. Funny how (my) brain works! I'm so glad though my little "brave" side won this battle and we went.

The workout was pretty tough and we've been sore ever since but it was so worth it! So worth seeing I could finish it honorably, I think...! Hrishi did great too! We started with a decathlon (10 different weight stations with various exercises [barbell snatch, barbell skate, rows, barbell lift with lunges, pushups, dumbell squats and raises, plate v-raise, and a couple of others, 10 reps each], then 250 m rowing sprint (I did 500 m the first round as I somehow read the instructions wrong!), ropes, heavy ball toss, moving 10 45 lbs plates across three different height platforms, and finally finished with a weight-slide across the gym. We did three sets of the decathlon, rowing, and ropes and finished the whole thing in 60 mins. It felt so awesome!

Wish we had taken more pictures but we were hard at work so Hrishi snapped a couple after he was done.

And because it was so insanely hard and fun, I signed up for the actual event on the 30th.
Boot Camp games, here I come!! (And if you don't see any posts after July 30th, you know what happened!!! :))

Ella was happy to play in the kids's center while we worked out and then joined Hrishi on the rock climbing wall. Great active and fun morning for everyone!

After a quick shower and healthy snack (soynut butter-fiber-packed jelly wrap packed from home) and a not so healthy McDonald's lunch later on :),  we headed to the zoo. What an awesome time we had there! The weather was perfect, not too hot (well, it was in the high 90's but that's not hot for TX this time of year), and the place wasn't crowded at all.

We love the Forth Worth zoo, it's one of the best I think.  Huge variety of beautiful animals and tropical vegetation entertwined with continental species, a gorgeous combo!

An extra special treat was the dino exhibit! I think the pictures will speak for themselves. Ella was in dino heaven as she is such a dinosaur lover and connaisseure.

(Amazed at how skillfully these gigantic models were placed throughout the zoo creating a perfect jurasick athmosphere with background, sound, and motion.)

Other news: mamaie and tataie are coming to visit in October! Hurray, we are super excited!!! It will be a wonderful family reunion!

I am getting released from nursery (and not because of a certain recent incident when one of my tom-boy little girls somehow managed to get her lip broken while in class, a post for another time!) I'm going back to Relief Society as a compassionate service leader or committee member. I'm really not so sure about the terminology anymore as it seems to have been ages since I attended a Relief Society meeting :)  I've had a bit of an internal battle (yes, another one) about this one lately. As much as I love my nursery kids, it felt at times that I was isolated from the women's community in the ward and longed to be in RS and Sunday School. I knew though a calling is a calling and came from Heavenly Father and never questioned (but complained at times.) I continued to serve (faithfully and dilligently, I hope) my little nursery crowd. However, it's hard to contain my excitement about the new calling! Wink-wink! :)

A few more more pictures: riding the Yellow Rose of Texas train:

My most favorite people:

We finished up this great weekend with a picnic at the park after church (with tuna salad sandwhich, hummus, apples, and soynut butter.)

(I love picnic baskets!)

And while Ella played we did some amazing clouds sight-seeing.
(I'm absolutely mesmerized by clouds, especially on a beautiful bright blue sky background.)

Finally, when you're feeling down (even if for no reason), open your scriptures and say a little prayer. It's all better then.

Art collection

That's what I'm in constant need of organizing and storing: Ella's art collection made up of tons of drawings, glue-on's, cut-outs, etc. etc. I still haven't found the ideal way of displaying and then storing these but for now, taking pictures of them and posting them on the blog so they can make the print when I publish our yearly book/history will have to do. I just love the sense of pride and joy Ella gets when we recognize her creations and post them around the house. Last night after school she picked up a huge folder with her art and went through it like through a treasure, recalling what they all were and when she made them. And I want to save them because it'll be so fun to go through them in a few years.

(One of the cards is so funny: it says "I love You Mom or Dad.") And the one that says "Courage = Brave, Going to the Docter!" is so cool!

I know some folks frame some of their kids' masterpieces and replace them with new ones as they come out. That'd be fun. I just need to get some neat frames and get to work.

4th of July party flavors

What a great weekend we had. Too bad it's over and we're back to work and school...

We made mango ice cream at home. Boy, it was a success, but only after figuring out how to work the new ice cream maker (never had/owned one before.) (We learned that it sure helps to read the user instructions before putting the ice cream mixture in!! Duhhh!!!) Anyway, we served it with angel food cake (Hrishi's and Ella's all time favorite), and fresh strawberries.

Grilled sweet corn and BBQ baby back ribs! Yeah, baby!!! Hrishi once again did an awesome job on the ribs! We served that with Romanian potato salad (salat de boef but no beef or chicken in it, this time.)

Tried my hand at Ioana's award winning (at least in my books) recipe for spinach & artichoke dip (slighlty adapted for our non-dairy needs.) Served it with our favorite Stacy's pita chips and newly discovered yumminess by Tostitos: black bean and garlic whole grain chips.

Made pizza (home made whole wheat crust, yum!) with loads of topings consisting of left-over steak, mushrooms, spinach, bell pepper, red onion, and olives.

Enjoyed this delish home made lemonade: frozen raspberry lemonade, sprite, and lemon slices. Pure awesomeness!

Had a great time with friends.

Did some swimming. Yesterday was a PERFECT day for laying out and/or splashing in the pool.

Wanted to do some rock climbing but to Ella's dissapointment the wall was closed! :(

But did some serious fireworks watching.  (We sure loved having several picks of fireworks shows in our town as well as the adjcent towns starting on Friday night. Texans sure know how to throw a big party.)

Did some scootering in our beautiful neighborhood at sunset.

rrrring, rrrringg!!

And found this on my kitchen counter!!!!

(A pretty cute and happy bunch, don't you think?)

All in all, it was a spectacular weekend! Love summer and the 4th of July celebrations.

Super cute lunch box ideas!

Lunchbox packing has been a big part of our lives ever since Ella started on solids and was diagnosed with severe food allergies, which is pretty much since she was nine months old. I was always one (of course, along with all the good and health conscious mothers out there :-)) to plan and feed Ella healthy and diverse foods. With her growing up and being exposed to more and more foods, and with me growing up and learning more and more about nutrition and allergy-free cooking, I'm always in constant need for inspiration on how to put together her lunchboxes. No, I don't get a break not even once in a while that some of us parents out there may have by sneaking in some lunchables. [Boy, wouldn't that be nice???] but hey, this is our life and we love it with challenges and all. :) I recently found quite a few wonderful resources in the blogosphere, but one in particular caught my eye. This wonderful woman and mother of allergic children makes some pretty spectacular and healthy lunchboxes and is kind enough to share them with the world!

I'm posting a few pictures so you get the idea!! Really excited to try these and I'm sure Ella will find them enticing too.

Recipes found at  http://allergickid.blogspot.com/p/lunchboxes.html

(I also recently added a bunch of links to our blog for allergen free cooking recipes and resources from parents going through the same. Food allergies are a serious condition and something can't and should not be ignored.) Really lucky or blessed I should say to have the myriad of useful info out there on the internet at my fingertips.

Kicking off the big weekend in style: Bright Red, White, & Blue Sparklers!

Just love this Primrose tradition and that we get the chance to go watch these cute children showing their patriotic spirit by parading in their beautiful bright red/white/blue outfits and handmade crowns and banners. They're a delight to parents and teachers alike.

Ella with one of very dear friends, Aurelia:

Ella with another friend who sneaked in for a picture! Cute boy!

Daddy's pride and soul:

With cute Aurelia again:

 

With my  beautiful and super sweet "Sparkler" (You fill my life with joy and color, darling! Love you!)

With Mrs. Larkey

Happy 4th of July! Happy Independence Day!

Grateful for all the freedoms, peace, and abundance we have in this land! God bless America and all countries and peoples around the Globe.