Living with my parents has it's own set of struggles, but I have learned so much, at the same time. Some people say that it takes like thirty days of doing the same thing to create a new habit, and I would say that I've developed some pretty healthy habits since coming home. Here are a few. 

Doing Dishes
My husband and I have always hated doing the dishes. Even when we had a dishwasher, we hated doing them. It was probably just pure laziness, but it still was not fun to either of us. Since I've been home, and was at one point the only person in the home not working, it only made sense that I'd be the one taking care of the dishes. I have now become very fond of getting the dishes done daily, and for that I am quite happy. What I never realized before is the feeling of accomplishment it is to have a clean kitchen, to have counters free of clutter, and to actually just feel like if nothing else, something has been accomplished that day.

Laundry
Yes, another thing that Derek and I really hated doing. Not only was the process of doing laundry a pain in the butt, but so was the work involved with folding everything and putting it away. Now, there's not a day when I'm at home for the full day that I don't get the laundry done, and most of the time it's folded and put away. Of course, it helps that Derek only has like two pairs of jeans for work, thanks to a few unfortunate accidents with some other pairs that he had, like the butt splitting in a pair while he was at work. Poor guy. So, yeah, the laundry gets done very often. 

Eating Supper At Home
Yes, that's right. No more eating out all the time. It's nice to plan a meal for everyone when they are getting home from work and having it prepared for them. I am not always the only one doing this these days, I usually take turns with my father, and he's definitely the better cook, but there are times when I take it on, and I'm super happy that we're not just eating out all the time, but rather enjoying nice meals at home. 

I think these responsibilities have been good for me, just in making new habits, but also, really, in helping me focus on getting better. I spent a lot of time meditating and praying while I'm doing the dishes, and actually find it quite relaxing and peaceful. It's also been nice for me to know that each day I have a bit of a routine down. Get up, take my pill, get a head start on the dishes, maybe start laundry. Have breakfast, finish dishes, and then... well, the day is free for the taking. There are times when the dishes get done after supper, because I have plans for the next day. Like today. I will meet my sister in Maine, and we will do some grocery shopping. My next goal, to learn how to be a successful grocery shopper! I am a terrible shopper. I have to learn how to shop for complete meals. I will usually get like things for tacos, and then forget to get like the main ingredients, beef, and the needed veggies. Eventually, I will learn. 

NACHOS! 
So, a few people asked me for the recipe for my nachos. They were great, but there wasn't really anything special to them. Here's what I used: 

Big bag of 'On The Border' Nachos
Onions, chopped
Green peppers, chopped
Shredded Mozzarella cheese
Chicken Breasts, fried up with some seasonings, then cut up in bite size pieces
Ground beef, fried with seasonings
For toppings after: Salsa & Sour Cream 

So, just cook up the chicken and ground beef, and make a big pan of chicken nachos by first putting in your nachos, then throw on onions, green peppers, chicken and cheese. Do the same in a different baking dish for the beef. 

Put them in the oven, and let them bake until the cheese is melted. 

Bring them out, and serve with the sour cream and the salsa. 

It's yummy. 

Well, it's my first 10 on 10 for this blog. I used to do it, while we were in Korea, and you can find them here. I was looking forward to it all week, and then, wouldn't you know, come Thursday, I was being a cranky pants and forgot all about it, until it was too late to really capture 10 photos for the day. So, I will share some of the photos of my week with you, I hope you don't mind. Next time, I will be smart and put a reminder on my Galaxy Tab. Please enjoy the photos! 

That's it for November! I am not a fan of these small photos. I will definitely have to look into fixing that problem.

Thank you for stopping by! Here's to next month. :)

It's been a challenge little while for me. I mentioned in my first entry that I feel as though I should appreciate the opportunity to stay home, rest, and take care of myself, but did not really explain why. I knew once I came home I needed to see a doctor as soon as possible, to get my knees taken care of. They have been in bad shape since the beginning of the year, and I was anxious to have a doctor at home take a look to get more information on what the problem may be. 

Well, I visited the doctor, and then had blood work and x-rays done, and have been diagnosed with osteo-arthritis. My initial reaction to this news was tears, frustration, sadness and fear. Of course, the main solution, prescription, and suggestion to make the pain less is to lose weight. The extra 200 or so pounds that I have is not helping me at all with this knee situation. 

Also, when applying for work, it is tough to start out by saying that I am not able to work in a job where I cannot stand for extended periods. Many positions that are available are for jobs in which one is expected to stand. This is another reason why getting a job is tough at this point. 

Yes, this is one of my challenges. There's also the challenge of depression that just sneaks up on me, as well as paranoid thoughts, and all that goes with that. I just get so worked up at times, and am sad that I have caused stress for my parents and family, in terms of having us live with them, and in trying to pay back my father's friend who gave us the money to pay for my plane ticket home. There is some tension there for me, and it's starting to take it's toll. 

So, really, rather than do what I need to do, and lose weight, in the two months that I've been home, I've actually gained weight. It's not good. 

Don't worry, this isn't going to be a weight loss blog, or a whinge and complain blog. It will be an honest one, though, where I may share my struggles for the day, or the great experiences I had. For tonight, I was upset, a few things came together to really get me worked up, but as I was reading my Bible, I realized that, I need to stop worrying. A few key verses really stood out to me. 

'You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it. If you cannot do even the little things, then why worry about the big things?'       Luke 12:25-26

'Don't always think about what you will eat or what you will drink, and don't keep worrying. All the people in the world are trying to get these things, and your Father knows you need them. But seek God's kingdom, and all your other needs will be met as well.'       Luke 12:29-31

God is good, and He is always reminding me to trust that He will take care of these things, I just need to stop worrying, and to have faith in His abilities. I can do it. I know that things will get better. 

Hopefully, it will all start with a nice walk tomorrow morning!! 

Good night!

.... He speaks when we're listening! 

Well, let me start by saying that I have been asking God since I've been home to share with me what He would like me to do. It's been tough not working. I am not very used to having so much time off, and find myself going from one end of the spectrum of loving it to the other end, hating it. I get bored, I get tired of doing the same things over and over, I argue with myself that I should be appreciating the time to rest, and then search job sites and send out resumes for a job that I am able to do with the limitations my poor knees give me. 

Last Friday, though, at 4:35 in the morning, I heard God speak to me. He asked me to share my story. It was a quiet voice, in our bedroom, asking me: 

"Will you do it? Will you write it for Jesus?" Now, this was a pretty amazing experience for me. I was certain right away that God was telling me what I have to do. I must share my story, about how I came to be where I am. I must share it with you, the readers. I hope you will find some comfort, maybe some joy, some answers to the reason things turned out the way they did, and maybe even have a laugh along the way with me. 

Please understand that this is a story about me, about my coming home. Not only coming home to Canada, home to my family, home to a small town that I've never actually really considered home before, but also home to the church, home to being surrounded by my God's love, and His amazing people. 

When I write what I do, I am not trying to single any one person out, in regards to my journey. It is not my hope to condemn anyone, or to place blame for any of the situations I found myself in. What I want to do is what God has asked me to do. I am sharing this for Jesus, in the hopes that maybe it will be good therapy for me, and also, really, possibly, another life will be touched, will see how amazing God's Love is, and will find his or her own peace and faith. 

Are you ready for the journey? Please pray with me along the way, so that the message that He wants shared will be.