M.I.A.

I apologize for being M.I.A. for so long. Getting back to my blog is always in the back of my mind. My wireless has now been down for a couple months and this a huge part of my M.I.A. status. The phone call to fix it takes hours. Time I do not seem to have, or the patience if we are being completely honest. Gracie is so busy, that keeping her out of trouble all day seems to be all I have the time or energy for.

Christmas has come and gone and although it was wonderful spending time with family, it is always even more amazing coming home! We spent New Years Eve alone, and I drank a single glass of white wine while reading Night Of The Living Eggnog to Jonah at record speed before Gracie woke up for the thirteenth time in two hours. It's amazing how times change.

We find ourselves missing Kevin a lot these days with the holidays here, and so much time stuck inside with the weather not allowing us to escape the walls that creep in around us tighter and tighter with each passing day. We still don't have a definite date for his R&R (Rest & Relaxation Iraq Vacation), but the hope is the end of March or early April just around Gracie's first birthday.

With Kevin already down almost thirty pounds I decided that it was time for me to shape up for his return home. I'm not one for New Year Resolutions, but then again maybe it can't hurt. So, I am committing to at least 20 minutes of exercise a day in anticipation of his return. I know, I know, I don't need to lose weight. I am just concerned with getting rid of my baby soft tummy and firming up a few other spots as well. I am taking my measurements, and although I won't share the stats, I will share the results once he returns.

Goal # 2 is to eat what Gracie eats. It's so amazing to me how much time and energy we spend making sure our kids have balanced healthy meals, but when it comes to ourselves we are lucky to eat a handful of Doritos(or the entire bag), and a piece of last years Halloween candy for dinner! Raising two vegetarian children poses it's own set of challenges, and when I went back to work after Jonah turned two I quickly fell off my healthy meals lifestyle. Kevin likes to say that I am the unhealthiest healthy person he knows.

Since Gracie now wants to eat everything we are eating it is my new goal to only cook meals that she can also eat. It only seems fair to our little princess who looks longingly at whatever we are eating. That means dairy free Vegan cooking is once again at the forefront of our diet. Jonah is happily snaking on Homemade Vegan Cinnamon Rolls as we speak for a late night snack. Dinner was Homemade Vegan Pizza topped with Spinach, Black beans, Roasted Tomatoes, and NO CHEESE (Jonah of course had cheese). Breakfast was whole grain toast spread with Avocado. Yummy! It will be an ongoing challenge to come up with tasty vegan recipes that not only my kids will love, but my husband will also love once he returns home. I hope to share all of the delicious recipes with you along the way. I realize this is a far stretch for some of you. I promise to only share the super yummy ones!

I hope that through this blog I can hold myself accountable and stick to my goals. We will see together how far this journey takes me. Happy New Year!