Evening ladies (and any gents if you’re out there)! As you are reading this I am likely enjoying a night of foodie  dreams…but you’ll just have to be patient to find out what. We have to rewind to the morning first. After all, play by plays start at the beginning.

I woke up this morning at around 6:15 and was a little groggy from being up later than expected last night. Because I was having too much fun with Peter setting up the new casa for Faith, Fitness, & Fun. How do you like it by the way? I hope you enjoy it and that it will be worth updating your readers/subscriptions, fixing blog roll links, having to remember to find me at a new place, etc. That was a hint to do those things, just so you know. 😉 I don’t want to lose any of my blogger buddies so I have to put it out there. You’re all fabulous and my life blogging wouldn’t be the same without you.

Since I was tired and had already put in some decent workouts this week, I opted for a rest day. Thursdays are generally a rest day and I love having that extra day during the week to enjoy a more relaxing morning. What better way to relax than with some Chocolate Covered Strawberry Oats and a cup of joe?

The flavor burst of the fresh strawberries, the extra chewy texture from the pinch of golden raisins + cranberries, and the decadence of Justin’s Chocolate PB made this bowl divine. Thanks Lisa for the Justin’s PB! I loved it.

After breakfast, we headed out for our morning activities. I had to go by our church to pick out a DVD to use in this week’s Sunday school class. I really like the message behind it. Andy Stanley videos are great and I look forward to using this one.

I hit up church first because then on our way back we could meet up with some friends from the mom’s group at the park. Just like every park day it was a lot of fun.

Of course swinging and slides were involved. After all, swinging is important. We also did some see-sawing and climbing. And screaming. There was a scary moment when someone’s jogging stroller tire blew and it sounded exactly like a gun shot. We all freaked!!  I don’t know why you automatically go to the worst case scenario. Reflex maybe? We were able to calm down from that debacle by going to the little lake in the park to feed the ducks. Ducks fighting for chunks of bread are more calming for the nerves than massage beds don’t ya know?

We stayed for awhile enjoying the company of our friends and the beautiful day. But growling stomachs and sleepy tots can only hold out for so long. At around 11:30 we booked it home to get Makenzie some lunch + a nap and to whip up a much craved snack for myself.

Why do green monsters taste so much better in pretty glasses? And almond bars look so much more appetizing on hot pink plates? I don’t know, but one thing I do know is my tummy did a dance for joy. It was perfect blogging fuel, which is what I did during Makenzie’s nap.

I had some lunch a couple hours later, at around 2:00. I tend to eat lunch at around 1 or 2 most days. I don’t know why but I don’t crave lunch food until then. Sadly, today’s lunch cravings were of the “I’m starting to feel the twinges of morning all-day sickness “ variety. Welcome my hodge podge lunch plate.

Morningstar Farms Buffalo “Chicken Wings”, some cheese, some grapes, some pretzels, and a square of my bottomless stash of Newman’s Own chocolate. Expect to see lots of things like this for around 2 more months. You just can’t help it during the early pregnant phases. Which reminds me I plan to include some of the fun & exciting nauseating & exhausting details related to my current state of pregnancy in a post soon. And oh! I need to do another intuitive eating post in the next few days. Don’t you love how my mind works?

After all of that, Makenzie awoke from her nap and we entertained each other in a variety of ways to wait until the Dada got home. We ran with Teddy and dressed him up in a hat. Played model with the wind blowing through our hair. Made messes, laughed, and read our favorite books.

Once “Dada” got home, I took a few minutes to finish and schedule this post so you can be reading it while I’m off tasting a ton of delicious food and having a blast here:

I will be sure to take lots of pictures for you to drool over in the near future. Have a great night everyone!

• Don’t forget to update your readers or subscriptions to www.faithfitnessfun.com! And tell me what you think about the new site.
• Do you think it is a normal reflex to have the worst possibility flash through your mind when something you are uncertain of happens like I did today at the park? Or do you just have a “meh no biggie” attitude automatically to things?
• Have you ever been to a “Taste of…” or “Flavors of..” type of event in your town? How was it?

Today was a pleasurable day. I went to the gym for a spin class and felt much better today than yesterday during my workout. I kept up with my heart rate to be sure I was maintaining a reasonable level of intensity and paid close attention to my body. It went swimmingly. Other parts of today were catching up on emails, getting more tutoring lessons prepared, and receiving great news! My hormone levels increased dramatically over the four days between blood work. They went from 631 mIU/mL to 3,898 mIU/mL. They say it increased better than expected and they will see me at my next appointment on June 3rd for our first ultrasound and a general workup. Totally praising God right now for that.

In between all of that I spent time with my #1 girl and I couldn’t stop noticing the raw energy and enjoyment she has for life, like most kids. Their faces light up with delight at the simplest things and it is so inspiring. Jesus even said that “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3-4). In my mind that shows that in order to know true life we should embrace the mind of a child. If we view the world through the eyes of a child we are able to see the beauty, believe in the good, and be excited about what our lives hold. Children are humble and don’t expect much. Their pleasures are in the basics and I have certainly taken a lesson from that. Today I paid attention so Makenzie could show me the world through her eyes. From noting the things she squeals with excitement over, I really think I learned something.

1. Flahflah & Tees (Flowers & Trees) – Every time we go outside she points at the trees and shouts about the flowers. How amazing would it be to consistently be in awe of God’s beauty found in nature? Why shouldn’t I be just as excited to walk out and witness blue skies, wind blowing calmly through the leaves, and those gorgeous flowers planted by our driveway? They are God’s masterpiece painted for my joy every day.

2. Te-deeee (Teddy) – I honestly believe her special teddy bear gets more love than I do. But Makenzie is still onto something. How great to have the companionship of a special friend. The friendships in my life deserve the same pure excitement Makenzie has for her teddy. Teddy gets love every day and I benefit in sharing that same mutual love with the friends I have.

3. Sweensweensweensweeeeeen (SwingSwingSwingSwiiiing!) – Life is too short to miss out on fun and doing the things you enjoy. You know from previous posts that Makenzie could spend hours straight on a swing. There is no reason for us to avoid taking the time to ‘swing’ in our own ways.

4. Eat (also included are nana, milk, cheese, bokli) – Hmmm…that girl knows her food words well. I think she has her priorities straight. 😉 It is wonderful to watch her take pleasure in eating, including wholesome foods. She isn’t scared of food and doesn’t have any preconceived notions about it either. Somewhere along the way we pick those negative notions up. Wouldn’t it be nice to have the same joyful approach to food no matter what? Look at how happy M is chomping away on whole wheat pasta, sauce, and diced veggies.

5. Book – The girl loves to learn. She will sit with books for long periods of time and just take in all the pictures and try to say all the words she sees in the pictures. Even things beyond her full understanding, such as numbers and letters, she wants to envelope herself in. She will search out numbers and letters so she can point to them and say “eight” or “O” (the one number and letter she knows). She constantly turns to me and asks “Mom-me?” so I can quench her thirsty mind. Her passion for discovery is inspiring. I hope I can keep that drive to learn and find growth in myself as well.

6. Je-ssss (Jesus) – This one makes me so proud. Her face breaks into a huge smile every time Jesus, praying, or God are mentioned. The joy in our Creator and what Christ did for us can’t be kept inside. Does it pour out of me like with her? Do I burst into a smile upon mention of His name? I certainly hope so. The baby girl has it down and it is my responsibility to keep that love burning, so she can grow into the amazing woman she was created to be.

What do you think? Do you think kids have it figured out?

What do the things you get excited about show the world? Do you have the same joy living in you as a child?