Christmas MUSIC!!!

So, I've gotta admit...I've been listening to Christmas music for WEEKS!!! Most years, I'm still fighting it in early/mid December, but for some reason, I got bit by the Christmas bug early :)

I keep hearing my favorite songs on the radio:
"12 days of Christmas", by Straight, no Chaser
"Christmas Shoes", by Newsong
"Mr. Heat Miser"
ANY song performed by Mannheim Steamroller
"All I Want for Christmas", by Mariah Carey
"Mele Kalikimaka", by Bing Crosby
"Last Christmas", Glee Cast

SO...what just made my heart leap for joy?

I just heard "Joy to the World"!! They burst into that song as they lit the tree in Rockefeller Center, and I got the biggest smile on my face!

BECAUSE, as much as I LOVE CHRISTMAS, I needed the reminder of the REAL reason for CHRISTmas. With out Jesus Christ, there would be no holiday celebration. No special gift given to us that day by God himself, so that we may one day enter into His holy place!

Oh how I love the Christmas Carols...

Music Monday (a few hours early!)

Well...considering it has been weeks since I've done a Music Monday post, I decided since I knew which song I wanted to share with you guys, I might as well do it tonight :)

This weekend, I was able to watch one of my favorite chick-flick movies: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

So...here is one of my favorite songs from the movie!

Life on a Dairy-Free diet....

I've mentioned here before that I have recently been told I'm lactose intolerant, and have been trying to reduce the amount of dairy/milk products I run into.

This has become my new best friend...

But for the next few weeks/months I am going to try and even cut out the little encounters that I've had with dairy over the last 6 weeks. (It was mid-September when I was told of this food allergy, and wow has it changed my world...)

I went grocery shopping today, and let me tell you. I have NEVER realized how much food has milk or a milk derivative in it. I kept picking up boxes of food and putting them right back onto the shelf... I was able to find a few chip/snack alternatives, so those quickly got added to my cart, and written down in my notebook.

One of the things that has been recommended to me is Soy Milk.

Well...I had my first sip of the soy milk maybe 10 minutes ago and well...the jury is still out. Talk about a different flavor and consistancy. I know it is going to take time to get used to it, and I'm not completely discouraged...it is just going to have to fit into my new attitude towards this.

It takes time.

It takes time to adjust to anything new...life without dairy will take time to adjust too.

Today was the first day where I felt limited in what I could eat. We got home from church and the leftovers in the fridge didn't really look appealing. There was salad but I wasn't in the mood for that. So...I stood looking into the cupboard and pantry just staring at foods that I can't eat now.

I looked at some noodle items...nope, takes milk to make them. Looked at the box of instant mashed potatoes, nope...has milk in it. Finally as I was about ready to warm up Ramon Noodles (so yummy, lol) I noticed the box of rice next to them. So, rice it was...

Here's the reason I'm being so cautious right now....I FINALLY FEEL GOOD AGAIN! It has been months since I last felt this good... My belly still hurts from time to time, but I haven't overall felt this good in a very very long time.

And lets face it...I'm sick of feeling icky. It has interfered so very many functions. I've gone out with friends or family feeling like crud too many times. I just want to feel normal again.

SO...with the changes in my diet, getting even more strict today, I am bound and determined to GET MY LIFE BACK!

SO, let's raise a glass (of soy milk, of course) to my resolve to do what I must to regain the upper-hand in life...Here GOES!

Allergies = New Snacks....

So, I've alluded to having a lot of doctor appointments lately, and I've gotta admit that thankfully there isn't anything super-serious with me. I've been going to the allergist to try and figure out why my allergies are so awful at times. I have now started getting allergy shots, and am hoping they really do work.

One of the interesting things we (the doctor and I) figured out is that this mild, cheese, ice cream, yougurt freak is lactose intolerant. They say you can have food allergies/intolerance for all of your life and it isn't until a really bad flair-up of the allergies or sickness that they become known.

Well for me...I've had instances from time-to-time over the years that were indicators of what was to come. I now wish I knew what I had eaten on those days when I felt icky...

So, I have totally had to embrace DRASTIC changes in my died. I'd love to say that i don't miss my dairy foods, but I do... I miss them terribly.

I'm learning that Lactaid is my new best friend, but let me tell you...friendships take time to develop. There have been many meals eaten or mostly eaten before I realize "SHOOT! I need to take a pill!" I've had mixed results with taking the pill mid-meal, so I need Need NEED to start recognizing dairy more...

(Note to self: Pizza has CHEESE on it! TAKE A PILL!)

Here is a modification on a classic snack that I enjoy. If you had talked to me 3 months ago, I would tell you my typical bedtime snack is Ice Cream and that it often has chocolate sauce on it. Well...here is the new snack: Pretzels dipped in Chocolate sauce! Talk about the best of both worlds here...crunch, salty, and chocolate!

Do any of you, dear blog friends, have any experience with lactose intolerance/dairy allergies?? I feel kinda lost, not sure where I go from here. I've heard some people can re-introduce dairy after an extended period of time away from it, but has anybody actually done this?? Any good replacement foods you'd suggest??? ANY HELP WILL BE APPRECIATED!!!

I've been MIA...I know

I don't have the ability (or time) to update you guys on how crazy my life has been lately.  I feel as though I've been playing "catch-up" for several weeks now.  It's been insaine! 

I've traveled, had medical appointments, worked like CrAzY, been to weddings, and trying to find my inspiration to workout again.

The workouts is what I want to talk about...

I am in the middle of the hardest "seasonal" transition that I go through during the year.  I struggle transitioning from summer/fall, fall/winter.  Here in WNY, we are definitely in the middle of fall, well on our way to winter :(

I struggle when the day light is gone almost as quickly as I get out of work.  It is dark when I wake up in the morning.  It is dark by time I finish doing the dishes after dinner, and soon will be dark as I drive home from work. 

I've learned in past years, that the best way for me to combat this is to continue with my workouts at the YMCA.  Here is my issue...I haven't been there on a consistant basis in MONTHS! Yes...this workout queen said months. 

This summer, I did home workouts for the most part:  Insanity, bike rides, etc...

After that...I've done diddly squat!  I have been extremely lazy for about the last 8 weeks.  It has been very busy at work, and so I've been getting out late.  That was my excuse...I didn't have time.

Well, I'm done with excuses.  I can already tell that if I don't nip this in the bud, I will struggle that much more this season.  I can HAPPILY say that I've been 2 days in a row!  I know that isn't much, but when I've maybe gone 2 times in the last 2 months...it's impressive. 

So...here is my confession.  You guys are my accountability partners in this...and I hope you'll hold me to it!  I vow to keep this up, so I can make it through this rough period of the year...

Wow.....

HOLY COW!  It has been FOREVER and EVER since I've gotten on my computer to post.  I miss it...I've come to enjoy the opportunity to "spill" my thoughts and (hope) that you guys enjoy reading what I have to write.

The last week has been busy!  Here is a recap of the last 10 days, eak!

Work:  Busy busy Busy.  This is a good thing...usually we see the number of patients we see drop as summer comes upon us, however this year it was completely different!  I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that the economy is so bad right now, that the vacations patients typically took before school started, didn't get taken.  That's ok with me...I'd rather be busy then slow.  And with what I do, it means I get to meet that many more people :)

Home:  I feel as though I haven't been home in DAYS!  The evenings have been quite full with the usual activities:  small group, errands, drs appointments, babysitting, etc....  This is the first night I've been home able to relax in ~5 days, it's been busy busy busy!

I got to go away this past weekend for a long weekend to visit my best friend from college!  It has been a long 10 months since I was able to make the 2 hour trip to Abbey's house (pathetic I know, but we have both been so busy that there haven't been any free weekends!)  Here is a picture from Saturday night when I got to spend time with Abbey and Risa (her friend, who has quickly become my friend!)

                                                         (Abbey, Risa, Me)

The trip to Erie, also meant that I got to do some basic shopping.  Sticking to my Dave Ramsey Budget, from Financial Peace University, I was able to pick up some great bargains off the clearance rack!!  

The other highlight from the weekend was....

            THE BUFFALO BILLS WON!!!!!

              WE BEAT NEW ENGLAND!!!

              WE BEAT NEW ENGLAND!!!

The Buffalo Bills haven't beat the New England Patriots in 15 consecutive games...that is a streak that goes back to 2003!  I was a high school freshman the last time we beat this team...holy cow!

(If you are a New England fan, please understand that I'm just super excited, and not trying to rub it in your face.)

I sat watching the 4th quarter (missed the rest driving home from Erie) and couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing.  There were many key moments in this game, and ultimately my team got the win!!  (I literally didn't move for several moments, I was in complete shock!)  I knew my team could do this, but realized they would be up against a tough opponent.  Congratulations Buffalo for not getting yourself down and for showing New England, and the world, that we are in fact a great team, even if we are the no-name Bills!



So...that is a quick recap in my life.  I have a few nights where I plan to catch-up on household things:  laundry, cleaning, etc...  PLUS I also need to catch up on some blog reading!!  I'VE MISS YOU!!!

Music Monday

Been a few weeks since I've done a Music Monday entry...gotta admit.  I've been super busy, and there haven't been any worth-while song to share. 

So...without further adu: 

"Remind Me" by Brad Paisley with Carrie Underwood

I Remember...

10 years ago, the world changed as we knew it.

10 years ago, I sat in my 8th grade classroom at Portville Baptist Christian School, going about the typical Tuesday morning activities.  That was, until the school secretary came into the classroom, and informed my teacher of what was going on.  She did her best to explain to us what had happened, but I'll admit, I didn't realize the vastness of this, until I got home from school that day.

See, the school I went to didn't have TV or Internet.  (It was in a Church, and didn't get internet for another year or so.)  I tried to look things up in an encyclopedia, but they didn't give me clarity to the situation at hand.  I was also "picturing" another "style" of building in my mind, and boy was I off.

I remember hearing on the radio about the amount of potential lives that had been lost when the buildings fell.  As soon as I got home from school, I turned on the TV and sat amazed at the destruction that had taken place on my nations land.  The visual images of what really took place that day are forever in my mind.

I remember crying.  Crying for the innocent lives lost, for the hatred shown towards us, and the heroes that were slowly emerging from the numerous situations. They gave me hope, that we as a nation, would over come this. That we would recover.

And now....fast forward 10 years.  I can't believe that much time has gone by so far, so fast.  9-11 has since become a humble day for me.  I tear up when I hear "America the Beautiful" and "The Star Spangled Banner".  The love I have for this country, for the freedoms I have here, are so imbedded in who I am, that I struggle to grasp what this life would be like if we didn't have them.

So here, as I sit 10 years away from the greatest tradgedy in my life-time, I want to say thank you.  Thank you to those who risked their lives on that day, trying to help and save others.  Thank you to the first responder firefighters, police men, and all the every-day people aboard flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania.  Thank you also to the service men and women fighting around the world, that I might continue to have the freedoms in America I am so accustomed to.  If it wasn't for men and women like you, the world would be that much more different.

So as you sit here reading this and reminiscing about the past 10 years, would you please pause for just a minute, and remember those who died, and those who are currently sacrificing their lives for you??  If it wasn't for them, we might not be here.

One of the best days of the year!

OK...gotta admit. Today is one of my most favorite days of the year. Granted the date changes from year to year, but one thing remains the same....

YUP!!!! It is opening night for football, and I couldn't be happier!

(Well, I guess I could be...if my team decides to show up this year.)

See...I am a die-hard fan of the:

                                          BUFFALO BILLS!!!

Yes...I know most of you probably just inwardly cringed, however, when you live where I live, professional sports are kinda lacking in quantity.

But you know what?? I am not ashamed one bit to say that I LOVE BUFFALO!!!  

And here is something pathetic.  My favorite people on the team are:  Brian Moorman and Rian Lindell.  Know what their job is?!?  To punt the ball down the field when we have done a 3-and-out, or to get a field goal so we can at least have 3 points, lol!

I'm still optimistic that Ryan Fitzpatrick can join my list of favorite players this year.  I think he had a promising outlook at the QB position, so I choose to be optimistic!
So...here is to opening night in a football season I honestly wasn't sure would even start late!!!

Happy Football Rooting!! 

Labor Day Weekend

We spent labor day weekend at my Aunt Julie's cottage, near Lake Ontario!  What a great afternoon/evening!!  Here are some pictures...enjoy :)