Outside Fun in Katy This Spring

Getting outside in Katy this spring has been easy, due to the gorgeous weather and lack of offensive insects. As the grass and trees are turning green and “coming alive” again, the instinctual internal urge in some of us to get out and get dirty has taken over. Both Juan and I are nature lovers, and I guess the kids inherited our love (or adapted to it.) They are outside everyday now, leaving the long, dark days of winter behind them.
Riding their bicycles, catching frogs, blowing bubbles, playing with sidewalk chalk, and helping us garden are the activities of the day now. The hillbillies that my kids are, bare feet and comfortable is the dress code. I’m soaking it up. My fondest childhood memories are wrapped around similar activities with my parents at the farm in Illinois. We caught frogs, too, and ran wild in the green grass, dug in the dirt with my gardening mama, and re-entered a warmer world every spring, just free to be.
So this weekend, when I rallied the family lawn crew to help cut, trim, sweep, and plant, the kids squealed in delight and argued over who got to do what. We were all out there, our man Daddy pushing the mower and manning the trimmer. Jovanni was master yard cleanup foreman, and the girls just giggled and swept. Even Sophi had fun “helping.”
It is fun to see last year’s bulbs reappear as fresh new spears of potential color. The new flowers are settling in, and their blooms are vibrant pinks, purples, and oranges as they have begun “liking’ their new home. The grass is thick and beautiful, and the new avocado and lime trees are sprouting new growth and even blooming. The hyacinth is the queen beauty, showing off her big, tropical pink-orange blooms.

Between the kids and the plants, I guess you could say we’re all one happy, growing family!

Trying to Plan as God Laughs

If you have been missing my regular weekly postings on here, I apologize.  I’ve had a little bit more excitement than I like in the Blanco household lately, and am looking forward to some down time soon!  We are in a weird phase of our lives right now, as we wait on the Lord for Juan’s job situation (no word yet on anything!), the sale of our home (we’re still hoping we won’t have to sell and move!) and potential move.  It’s so strange to not know anything.

It’s been real growth for me though, as I tend to want to know where, when, and how constantly!  I want to plan (are we supposed to plant our citrus trees, or do we wait?)  and I want to enroll the kids in activities.  I want to know where the kids are attending school this fall, and…

Well, as I try to plan, God laughs.  No, He’s not laughing at me, necessarily, He’s laughing softly with me.  He’s amused by my innocent bewilderment, and as I surrender (again and again!) to His will, His plan, and His desires for me, I cry.  I cry tears of relief, for He really does have it all under control.  I cry tears of anger at myself for losing my way again.  I cry tears of joy, for He brings me joy.  I am once again found by Him in the middle of the wilderness, and He plucks me out of it and sets me down in the oasis for a cool drink of water.

Wow, He’s good.  All the time.  Even when I’m not!  He’s always good. 

Just a couple of days ago, when the emotional pressure of the above issue and a few others that come with running a home based business while raising four kids was growing unbearable, I broke.  I was in my bathroom, and I was having a talk with God (at the sink, in case you were getting grossed out, although the bathroom does tend to be my place of sanity and the ONLY place I can get alone!)  Anyway, he was so loving to me as I had my mini-breakdown.  He spoke to me so softly.

"Bess, why are you worrying?"  That was all He said, and all He had to say, because that was enough as the conviction rushed over me.  Scripture came to me, reminding me that I was not supposed to worry, but be in faith and trust Him.  Oh, that was a good moment with Him!

How has He been good to you this week?  God bless you, my dear friends and family, as you journey this never dull, and always rewarding road with our God!

Our Prodigal Puppy

We call Lacey our miracle puppy.  Our family has loved this dog since the summer of 2009, and she is officially a member of the Blanco family.  She was a treasure to find, and has been a blessing to keep, but those aren’t the real reasons she’s our miracle.
Last month, she was not wearing a collar and name tag, and she did the inevitable.  She ran out while one of us was putting out the trash, and none of us noticed.  We didn’t notice the rest of the night that she was gone, either.  We didn’t even notice the next morning (a Saturday) until Daddy asked us where she was.  After calling for her and whistling (which usually brings her bounding to us within a few seconds) we began to realize with horror that she was gone.  I began to panic as I realized the reality of the situation.  It had been a hard freeze the night before, and I hadn’t even noticed my puppy was gone!  Because she was not wearing a tag, if someone did find her, they couldn’t call!
I was in tears by the time my son Jovanni and I were driving the neighborhood in the mini-van.  I was an emotional mess, due to my sadness, panic, and tremendous guilt that I hadn’t even noticed she was missing the night before.  After a few moments of trying to console me, my mature son straightened up in the passenger seat and declared, “OK, Mom, you can cry.  I’m gonna pray that God helps us find her.”
That’s exactly what he did.  He prayed a heartfelt, passionate prayer in full belief that God would honor his request.  Then he told me, “Mom, let’s go back home, I feel like she’s close to our house.”  I kept quiet, but obediently turned the van around, all while mentally picturing my Yorkie, dead, in one of the neighborhood bayous.
Jovanni and his sister Isabella took off on their bikes, stopping and knocking on every door close to our house, while I made a “wanted” poster with my puppy’s picture on it.  I began to tape it up to the street poles, stop signs, and mail boxes in our neighborhood.  Three cul-de-sacs down from our house, as I was taping up a sign, I heard a shrill bark form the garage of the house right in front of me.  Could that be Lacey?  No, I must be imagining it!  I called out, and whistled.  Now she really started making noise!
That kind lady had put Lacey up for the frozen night in her garage, but now willingly gave her back to me.  I took my shaken puppy home, and yelled for Jovanni and Isabella to come see.  The prodigal puppy was found, and as we tousled and played with our baby again, I gazed with pride on my son.  He looked at me, grinning, and now I cried healthy tears in appreciation for a son who acted in faith.

Living With Intention - A Call From God

This post is for the precious few people who read my blog and faithfully support me!  I am writing today to let you know what Juan and I have been working on for a while now, and are ready to launch into cyberspace soon!  It is a new interactive website with opportunity to grow and involve more resources and individuals as time goes on.
It has been impressed on our spirits recently, more and more to "get ready."  Ready, not just for Christ's return, but He has been teaching us how to ready ourselves for our life here on this beautiful earth he has given us.  We’re learning how to pursue His best for us; in body, soul and Spirit.  He has been talking to us through His Word on letting go of our "stuff," downsizing our previous priorities, and tightening our belts in our finances and food!
We are on an exciting journey of training - for His call on our lives as a family.  I used to think only of MY call from Him, like it was just something special for me, and the kids would figure theirs out when they graduated high school!  Juan and I have had some major revelations recently, as we're realizing that our children ARE our calling, that this life in this place right now IS our calling, and that what He has us doing today is as vitally important to our journey as anything else.  Even when that is eating healthier, spending less, clearing clutter, learning how to give... REALLY give, and exercising more!  I'm learning to give up my time, my efforts, my creativity for Him - it's all His, anyway - I didn't give these gifts to myself!
So we invite you to join us on this journey.  Join us as we get ready for more with Him.  As we ready ourselves in strength and health, clear minds and spirits, clean homes and hearts - an all around lifestyle change for Him!  We're calling it The Intentional Lifestyle.  It is a fresh take on the classic instructions found in the Bible for how to live our lives; with purpose and passion and walking in His love towards others.  There is so much He has for us, we just have to step up and receive it - in faith.
Please visit our new website, sign up for our newsletter, browse our articles and ideas.  There will be new material posted almost every day, as the ideas flow and the inspiration hits!  Are you ready to fulfill His great calling for your life?  Do you want to change anything about your current lifestyle?  Then join us at www.theintentionallifestyle.com and walk the road with us!  There is so much to come, and we cheer you on in faith as you strive to live with more intention!
We love you all, and thank each of you for your support over the years - you are truly a blessing to us!

Change Happens, Might as Well Embrace It

My three-year-old daughter likes routine.  Her schedule runs pretty much the same for her every day; she gets up at seven, she watches cartoons for a couple hours with her juice cuppy, she eats lunch at noon and naps afterward for a couple hours – life is good for Sophie.  Until her routine gets interrupted by…well, by life!  Then the moods elevate, the irritability grows, the impatience kicks in…you know what I mean!

She’s a lot like me.  She is in a great mood as long as things are going her way, but the minute her way is interrupted by someone else’s need - or, way - then it’s all over.  I’m coming to the realization that I am more than my children's mother; I am them, just older and with a little more self control.  I throw tantrums sometimes.  I get sleepy and irritable when I’m not rested.  I need hugs, kisses, and cuddling to reassure me.  I am my children!

So as much as possible, I try to keep Sophie’s routine for her.  Not only will her day go a lot smoother, mine will too!  There are days, though, where change is inevitable.  We may have to leave our house to run an errand, go visiting, or – gasp! – got to preschool!  Sophie is learning that despite her resistance to change, change still occurs. 

As time goes on, she will get older and have to release me - and her routine - from her iron grip.  Hopefully her life will become more about embracing change, instead of merely tolerating it.

Our Family's Healthy Pursuit - An Update

The last three weeks of being on a low-sugar lifestyle change have been eye-opening, to say the least! Saying no to the old way of eating (mindlessly, mostly) and bringing in the new way (completely, constantly mindful) is not easy. It’s even more difficult when feeding four snack-addicted youngsters, and to further complicate the transition, we’re doing it all on a tight budget! Well, at least we’re figuring out that it can be done.


It has taken a large amount of creativity, little dose of patience, and a well-deserved and strategically planned cheat or two to make something like this work for the whole family. For example, tonight my thoughtful husband got us out of the house and over to McDonald’s, one of our family’s favorite haunts “pre-low-sugar diet.” I had a sugar-free cappuccino, which curtailed my annoying sweet tooth, and the girls and I shared frozen yogurt sundaes. Not too much damage done, while my growing obsession with something sweet is quenched.

Gigi, my bread lover, still gets to eat her carbs, just less of them. She is finding the transition smoother than she first thought it would be when she stood horrified as I threw all the “crap” that was in the pantry into the trash three weeks ago! She is relieved that I am finding creative solutions to meet her bottomless need for all things carbohydrates, even as I sneak more protein into her previously sugar-infested diet.

The variety in our diet as a family has not been eliminated; in fact, we are finding that we are getting more creative with the foods we are allowed to eat. We eat more “colorful” food now, beautifully full salads and soups, loaded with such delicacies as avocado, cheeses in all forms, and crisp, fresh nuts. I was also so happy to get guiltless permission to enjoy my occasional bacon again, and the once a week red meat serving in the form of a juicy steak is always a pleasure!

So, as we are finding, in the deprivation there is reward, similar to walking closer with Christ, right? As we die to the flesh, we find less really is more, and the small things matter more. The taste of some pure chocolate now, in a small bite, is more fulfilling to my palate than a full size candy bar used to be; that sinful treat always leaving guilt as an aftertaste.

As we enter our fourth week as a low-sugar, low-carb eating family, we have renewed commitment and an excited expectation as our waists are shrinking and our energy levels increasing. No more rise and fall all day long, of sugar levels and emotions! More stability, less irregularity. We can do this!

New Habits, New Health

Frankly, I am shocked at my “progress” with this brand new health and lifestyle change my family and I have implemented this year. I emphasize the word progress because the scale doesn’t say anything different than last year’s weight yet. The clothes I yearn to try on without popping the front button off don’t fit me – yet. No, nothing has visibly changed as of now. On the outside, that is. Inside, however, there is change – and it’s good!


We began a low sugar, carb counting regimen early last week, and we are already noticing substantial improvement in energy and sleeping habits. Right before I began this plan, I was not sleeping much at all, averaging just four or five hours a night, due to a busy mind, and restlessness. I also was dragging all day, napping at least three days a week, and always off balance in the “regularity area!” The funny thing was, I wasn’t concerned about any of these symptoms, or how to improve them, because I had gotten so used to them and was assuming they were the norm!

So when we cut our sugar intake down to 15 grams a day, and carbs down to six or less servings a day (a serving is 0-20 grams per helping), we thought we would have withdrawal or something. Nope, nothing. Not even a headache! The tiredness and drag disappeared almost immediately (maybe two days in?), I have no bloating, gassiness or any other digestive malady (I had forgotten what it is like to “go” normally!) I’m sleeping like a baby every night, getting up with alertness (that’s before my coffee!) and going all day, no dragging or napping. It’s weird, feeling this good, I feel young again! I had heard that saying before, but never really knew how much it meant until now!

I have also been exercising –and if you really know me, you know that I DESPISE exercising! So, what I told myself was, if I just do something active for twenty minutes or more every day, then I could do it. I couldn’t just come out of the resolution gate, “working out” three times a week, I had to convince myself just to get up, get out, and move for a few minutes every day, and it would be better than nothing! So the first day, I rode bicycles with my kids around the block a couple times, the next day, I walked fast for twenty minutes with my husband, and by the third day, while walking with my friend, I was starting to get excited. I could do this exercise thing! We pounded the pavement for an hour, and I didn’t even realize it!

So, I am on the road to improvement, twenty minutes at a time. 15 grams of sugar at a time. One day at a time. That’s the moral of the story, really – just start some kind of an improvement , any improvement, and take it one step at a time! That will put you on the road to success, and that’s a road we all can travel in 2011!

What about you? Are you tackling a healthy new lifestyle too? Tell me what you're trying, and how you're feeling! I want to share in your success with you!