I HEART PLANNING.

It's really just part of how God made me. I love planning anything, the nitty-gritty details of it all, planning parties, playdates and everything in between.

I am SO excited about our plans over the summer.

Here are some of the high-lights I am looking forward too:

June is our missions month for our LifeGroup (we will be supporting Dillon's OrphanCare)

Heading to the Tulsa Zoo

Teaching two Creative Kids Art Camps

Vietnam Family Camp

Nursery coordinator for India, China, Korea Camps

Adam's Texas business/family trip

To Be Free Women's Ministry

Tracy coming to visit

Time at the splash pad and pool

The funny part is, my husband (& his family) are complete non-planners!

Which works out good, at least for Adam and I, because I get to do all the planning and he just comes along for the ride : ) (I would like to add he does have the gift of hospitality.)

Oh and one important sidenote. I am not busy. So please do not say, "Oh you're just so busy." Nope. Sorry. That is the beauty of planning. I know how to not over-schedule, I do not over-commit, I say "no" a lot and schedule things far in advance. That is just one beauty of planning, for me it = less stress.

Here is a little on-the-fly poem for you...

Planner O Planner

How I do love thee

You allow me to enjoy life

And schedule so thoroughly

What would I do

Without you O little planner

I would be hungry

But would have missed my dinner

You keep me balanced

And entirely in check

This is just the way God made me

Without it I'd be a wreck

So for those non-planners out there

Who remember without writing a word

Come join me by the pool

You spontaneous freebird

"Where there is no vision, the people perish." Proverbs 29:18a

Lets plan a sip sometime,

Natasha

something fun, something hard

My goal of getting some creative juices out has been so fun. I have enjoyed spending some time making beautiful earrings. (And I have just about doubled my earring collection.)

This creative time has been a blast, but God has really convicted me about another, lets just say an "unhealthy addiction" area.
If you have issues when thin people talk about weight, stop reading now, if you want to read what I have to say, please continue.
Change does not happen overnight. Affairs start with the first flirt, success with hardwork, you get the point. During our first three years of marriage I put on about 40 lbs. It did not appear on my body overnight, it was many gradual decisions that increased my weight. When I was ready for it to disappear, it took 18 months of hard work-outs and changing my eating habits to shed those 40 lbs.
I have noticed lately that I have become addicted to bread and sugar. Can't make it a day without many cravings, that must be satisfied or I lose it.
Breads being: cereal, pasta, rice, bread, biscuits, cornbread, tortillas and the like.
Sugar being: raw cookie dough, cake, and basically any thing I can get, pronto.
For me it really got bad when I didn't want to read Avi Joy a nap-time story because ice cream was screaming my name in the kitchen. Ummm, food over child? not good.

I took the matter up with the Lord and completed a 5 day bread and sugar fast.
OH MY WORD. People who eat like this all the time, you are amazing. When you are addicted to certain foods that you cannot eat, it hurts.
BUT I learned so much!!!
All things are possible with God's help. I never cheated, not even once.
I had SOOOOO much more energy.
There are delicious healthy (non bread/sugar) foods.
I had more time to do other things instead of eating.
Adam noticed I enjoyed my 'real' food more than normal

If you are curious, here were my meals each day:
Day 1- plain oatmeal, carrots, chicken breast, apple w/almond butter, salad and watermelon
Day 2- plain oatmeal, 1/2 protein bar, salad w/chicken, pineapple juice, 1/2 banana w/almond butter, veggie burger w/cheese, strawberries and watermelon
Day 3- cheese omelet, veggie salad, chicken salad w/ edamame, 1/2 protein bar, chicken cordon blue and spicy squash
Day 4- banana, grape juice, 1/2 protein bar, chicken salad w/ edemame, 1/2 apple w/almond butter, sausage/egg/cheese, milk
Day 5- orange fiber shake w/strawberries, 1/2 banana, tuna salad, apple w/peanut butter... then dinner was freedom (off to a wedding: dinner & cake!)

It was hard, but I felt a sense of victory that I can make good decisions and not let food control me, or my behavior. Since then, I have had dessert and bread each day and I know they are a gift from God.

"So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. The joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun. " Ecclesiastes 8:15

sweet sips,
Natasha

Major Flaw

I have a major flaw. I am easily offended. I wish I was a let it roll of my back kind of person, but I am not, getting better, but not great at it. I will say once I am over something, I am over it. I rarely hold bitterness or resentment, but it takes a bit of thinking and prayer to get over an issue.

I was offended today.

Our family was at Hobby Lobby enjoying a Mothers Day treat. I have been having serious creative withdrawl so my treat was beads for making earrings and a canvas. I plan on vearing from my usual watercolor mode and doing an acrylic painting. I am sure Vietnam inspired, but we shall see.

We had a great time shopping and as we proceed to checkout, the cashier says...

"Where are your children from?"

I say, "Vietnam."

She says,"My grandson is from Kazakhstan, but three years after they got home, they had their own child. Its weird how that happens."
I say, "Well, all children are a blessing from God." Then walk away or I would have said...

"OK, here's the deal. You do NOT say that to a family built through adoption. All I hear and all my children hear is 'You are second best to a biological child and you are not really their own child,' you need to watch your words you idiot."

Obviously if I am blogging about it, I am not over it yet. I KNOW it comes with the territory and I try to handle it the best I can, today it was just hard for some reason. I mean I was there celebrating MOTHERS DAY, I am a real mom for crying out loud. Which is what I did on the way home.

I was reading a book about women's widsom and this woman in her 90's was giving advice.

I think this really says a lot about life...

"If it bothers you, let it go. Just let it go."

sip, sip,

Natasha

I have a new favorite TV show. I got hooked on it last season and this season does not disappoint. It's Locked Up Abroad. Have you seen it? I LOVE it!

It is very well made and I appreciate their vulnerability.

I am not an advocate of being hooked on TV, but when I do fall in love with a show, I am hooked. We all know how easy it is to watch mindless TV, but is that really good for us? There are so many better things to do with our precious time...

In our house we have never seen Lost, Gray's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, House or Dancing w/ the Stars... It is weird when I hear people talk about their love for certain shows and I am totally out-of-the-loop. But that is ok, I have my own few fav's.

I mainly stick with shows on Food Network or girly reality TV (So you think you can dance). I pick and choose my fav's and stick with them. Part of this is that I am not a night person. I want to crawl in bed by 9:30pm so my after kiddo time is limited. (Cause I am up at 5:30am)

I enjoy that Adam and I have a few we watch together. A new one is Dhani Tackles the Globe its very guy-ish, but I like the culture thrown in. And one of his favorites is Top Gear and their season finale this year was outstanding ... it was the three hosts motorbiking from south to north Vietnam!

As you can tell I have been thinking about TV-life since my own has been pretty challenging this week. The challenging part is keeping myself together (patient, non-violent) while my 3 yr old is having major 'tude and my 1 yr old is cutting every tooth in his mouth. It is not the most fun I have ever had.

(But this Oreo cheesecake with a side of ice cream is helping the pain while they are both sleeping!)

"A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense." Proverbs 19:11

Word study on Patience.
A few sips of my life,
Natasha

oh how we forget

My name is hard to remember, mostly I get, "Its nice to see you again Natalie," or just a blank stare in the hopes that I will not remember their name either. I always reintroduce myself, even if I think they should know my name. So if you are in the right place, I am Natasha, welcome to International Blend... lets just jump right in shall we. My lesson: Remember.

For some weird reason I have had a string of people forget me lately. A couple of stand-ups here, a few forgotten get-togethers there, a gift that never showed up and other you're-just-not-that-important-to-be-remembered moments.

Let me just declare- I am NOT perfect. I have overlooked others and forgotten things hundrends of times, if you are one, sorry. Now were even, I have had my turn.

All these moments have led me to meditate on what it means to be remebered. We remember the Titans, a smell, someone in heaven, a memory, our prom, the arrival of our children, thousands of things in our little brains.

When you go to God with something that hurts, you will receive encouragement. Failing to remember is all throughout the Bible. Mostly everyone forgets God. Today even if we are not remembered in the way we would like, let us not forget about the Lord. For it says in Psalm 115:12, "The Lord remembers us."

"I remembered You, Lord, and my prayer rose to You, to Your Holy Temple."
Jonah 2:7
Word study on Remember.

A few sips of my life,
Natasha