I Can Do It All By Myself!

Hi Y'all! I just thought I'de share an experience that happened to me yesterday... I have been spending weeks trying to get my workout up to an hour long. So far, so good. I usually last only 30-40 minutes at the most. So I have been feeling really good about myself, I am eating healthier, and making these 'green drinks' Lauren prescribed to me. So yesterday, I am standing in front of the blender, put in my home-made fresh-squeezed orange juice, my frozen strawberries and baby carrots, and mixed it altogether. I wait until these ingredients are blended well to not overload the machine.  As other ingredients are waiting on the counter, I keep a hold of the blender lid and take out the tiny middle insert so that I can drop in my banana.  I don't know exactly how well I thought those steps through, or how I was holding onto the lid, but the frozen banana hit the blades, immediately bounced back up, blew off the lid, and before you can finish saying "Rumple-stil-sk..." I was SHOWERED in fresh-squeezed orange juice,  frozen strawberry, baby carrots, (and not really a whole lot of banana because it didn't spend a lot of time being 'blended') and wash dripping head to foot.

Its moments like these when you stop to reflect your purpose in life... and how many hours its going to take to clean fresh-squeezed orange juice, chunks of strawberry and baby carrots, off the ceiling, the side of the fridge, the counter top, the stove, the blender and machine (and all its parts), my clothes, the cubboards, the rug on the floor, and the surrounding tile.  I think I stood there for a whole 5 seconds (arms still suspended in air) before I stopped wishing that what just happened really didn't happen.  And then my next thought... who in heaven is laughing right now because SOMEBODY better be laughing.  (Cuz I wasn't.) Btw, it took me about 20 minutes to clean it all up (and put on a new outfit).  Of course, I found bits of carrot in my hair hours later.  (Oh yes, I did actually finish making my drink.)

So heres, the whole recipe for this smoothie because I could never have had such an improvement in my energy without these little babies! (Lauren's variation may be a bit different.)

2 C orange juice (+ pulp and 1/4 of the orange peel) I need 2 C to minimize the green veggies' flavors
4-5 frozen strawberries
2-4 pieces of frozen pineapple (puts in a great refreshing flavor!)
1/2 to whole banana (fresh or frozen)
3-4 baby carrots
3-4 broccoli florets
1 branch of kale
2 handfuls of fresh spinach

(Lauren adds = pinch of sprouts, a quarter slice of a beet, and 1 tsp ground flaxseed). I haven't gotten that far. You can also add 1/8 tsp of Stevia, but I sometimes forget. (The pineapple helps with the flavor too!) At first the broccoli and sprouts were too strong a flavor, but with the 2 C orange juice (I used to add only 1 C), I don't taste the broccoli as much. As for the sprouts, I eat them on my salads, can't stand to add them to this drink). Drink up! Its good! And VERY HEALTHY FOR YOU!  (At least 1 a day!)

...Just be careful with your blender!

112 Degrees in Fullerton today. "That's Hot".

I took my walk this morning at 6:20; it was all ready 70 degrees.

READING

Have any of you read books by Stieg Larsson?

He's Back!

Go to my blog to check out all the photos!

24 Hours and Counting...

Tomorrow morning at 11am we will be anxiously awaiting the arrival of Elder Ryan Jenson as he rides down the long, crawling escalator from the airport's 2nd floor, to a family bounding to smother him with hugs! I am soooo stinkin' excited! I barely know this kid and I can't even wait! Tonight Kasey is coming home so we can decorate the house (in the appropriate yellow-garb)... and get ready to cook up a storm for a family feast tomorrow evening. (No, you're not invited!) Ha ha! BUT!... You are all invited to his Homecoming talk October 10th at 9am (yes! 9AM!) And yes, more food and fun will be provided afterwards... 10:30-ish. (Thats when you can eat!... Any volunteers to help me cook for 100?)

This photo posted above is the last one he sent us this week. Ryan had baptisms almost every single month of his mission. He worked really hard to help this last lady, Mary, stop drinking coffee just in the nick of time so that he could see her be baptized before he left Kentucky. He was so proud of her! I think people look great in white! Ryan served such a wonderful mission and we are so pleased with him and the sacrifices he's made these last 2 years. More photos... coming soon!

Bizarre Watermelon-Catapult Incident

I don't know if many of you are fans of the Amazing Race, but evidently one of their stunts went wrong the other day in an unexpected way.

Ogren's Birthday Party

Carl, Pat and Susan Ogren celebrated birthdays today (and anniversary for Pat & Carl). Janine Ogren (from Midvale, UT) sent us an invite. So we went and saw some friends from years ago; but mostly the Ogren clan. Steven will be 48 in November. His son is 22 and 6'4". Little Debbie Ogren is 5'11", has one child with another due in January. Carl tells me he'll soon to be 73. Chuck and Bambi Burnes were there - it was fun talking to them. Have any of you ever seen David dance - that boy is a dancin' fool (looks great). We had a great time.