My Family Fantastic

Creating Experiences That Help Relationships Thrive

Author: Simone (Page 17 of 21)

Me & My Dad

December 16, 2012 / / 0 Comments

My Dad and I are more alike than I care to admit.  And, as I get older I realize our similarities are something for which I should be grateful. I’m getting there.

For the past ten years, our relationship has been a bit strained because my dad is adjusting to having adult children. But, last week I saw my dad in a new light.

I went to home for the 20th anniversary of the Family Foundation Fund. The Family Foundation Fund is a non-profit my dad started to mentor boys from fatherless homes. 63 boys have been mentored. But, the Foundation is much more than a mentoring program. There is an organic farm to provide produce for the families the program serves, tuition is paid for the boys to go to private Christian schools, tutoring is provided, counseling and support is given to the mothers, and the boys are matched with a Christian man that sticks with them until they graduate from high school. In short, the Foundation is a Family for young men.

Last week, I realized my dad has dedicated his life to serving others. It takes determination to stick with a program like this for 20 years. There have been times when the families have faced tragedy. And times, when there was no money for tuition. And times, when the boys have been kicked out of school for misbehaving.  But, my dad is determined.

We have had boys come to live with us when their home-life became turbulent.  My dad has picked up prescriptions late at night. And, he has visited hospitals because no one else cared…because he is caring and compassionate.

Whether you are a multi-millionaire calling for advice or a man dying of HIV. My dad will be there and he will listen and he will pray for you, because he is genuinely concerned with the lives of others. I hope when I reach my dad’s age, I can look back over my life and know that I made a difference.

The Pursuit of Excellence

December 2, 2012 / / 0 Comments

I have read The Pursuit of Excellence two or three times now, and every time I read it I learn something new. The book discusses goal setting, the importance of mistakes, the perils of the status quo, and being creative.

I have been setting goals consistently for five years. I set my goals in January, in June and July I evaluate my progress and/or adjust my goals. November and December are generally crunch time. And, crunch time is where I am now. My 2012 goals are:

1. Eliminate Debt                                                                                                                                             At one point, I paid $360 per month in interest to Sallie Mae. Sallie Mae and I are not friends. Morris and I paid off $28,000 of debt this year, and we will make my final student loan payment this month.

2. Finish Rosetta Stone Spanish                                                                                                              This goal changed to Finish Thank You Notes for Wedding Gifts and Get a New Job. Our friends are incredibly generous and kind. I know that etiquette says your have a year following your wedding to send Thank You Notes. However, I want thank folks as soon as possible. I have 28 more Thank You Notes left. I do not have a new job, yet.

3. 200 Blog Followers                                                                                                                               I did not meet this goal. However, I would like to thank Adrian, Angel, Byron, Diann, Jordan, Heather, Monica, Michaela, Nan, Quinn, and Rachel for following this blog. I am grateful for your support.

4. Get Married to the Man of my Dreams                                                                                     Done.
(Btw, I set this goal after we got engaged last year)
5. Make Jesus Famous                                                                                                                        

This is a hard goal to quantify. But, I try to accomplish it by living a life that will be pleasing to Jesus. This year I visited someone in the hospital that I didn’t know. I wrote letters to friends and family members when they were hurting or to simply tell them that I loved them. I gave money away. I texted and called people just to tell them I was thinking of them. I watered my neighbor’s garden, although I’ve never met him personally. Six of our friends joined our church this year.

6. See Japan   Done.


* I lost 4 pounds of the 8 pounds that I planned to lose before Thanksgiving.*                                                                                                                

A Turkey Named Thursday

November 18, 2012 / / 0 Comments

Morris and I picked out our Thanksgiving bird today. I named him Thursday, and he will be the crown jewel of our 1st Thanksgiving meal as a married couple. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, because it includes my favorite things: family, food, and fun.

At home, my mother cooks the turkey, stuffing, macaroni & cheese, and the pecan pies.  My dad and I make the yeast rolls. Isaac and Rebekah make the mashed potatoes and banana bread. Israel makes the Sock-It-To-Me-Cake (a recipe that is four generations old). Immanuel makes rice crispy treats. Michaela, Miriam, and Issachar make cookies and cakes. Honey Baked makes the ham. And, I can’t remember what Isaiah makes. But, you get the idea…everyone contributes something to the meal.

It’ll be tough to be away from my family for Thanksgiving. But, Morris and I still plan to have a feast. Our planned menu includes: Candied Yams, Green Beans, Kale, Yeast Rolls, Macaroni and Cheese, Stuffing, and Apple Pie. We are going to wait and see how everything turns out before inviting guests.

Why is Work So Boring?

November 11, 2012 / / 0 Comments

I have asked myself this question over and over again for the past year. And, the past few months  have been especially challenging. Almost every day is a battle to get up, be there, and be cheerful. Almost every conversation with a friend, family member, or Phillip ends in me disparaging my work. ( Forgive me for that…I am going stop it.) And, at least once a week I end up crying in my office with a sinking feeling that I am trapped and will never get out of this crummy job.

In all fairness, my job is not all that crummy. I have a wonderful boss and I love most of the folks that I work with on a daily basis. I make more money than I ever thought possible at this age. I am off every other Friday, and I have a beautiful walk to work. So, why am I bored and miserable?

The past year has lead me to one answer. My job is not a good fit for me. I love people. I love talking to people, learning about people, and helping people. And, I need a job that allows me to do that. So, I began the quest for my dream job in June.

My dream job has not materialized. But, I have met some great people in the process and my friends and family have been both patient and supportive. I made the decision today that I am going to be grateful for that. The new job will come when the time is right. Just like everything else.

*I gained back the two pounds that I lost last week. Booooo me.*

Why Japan?

November 3, 2012 / / 0 Comments

Morris and I were often asked this question before, during, and after our honeymoon to Japan. There are two reasons. First, Morris’ sister used to send him Japanese baseball cards when he was in middle school, and he always hoped to see the country. Second, my sisters and I spent one Christmas holiday watching the entire Karate Kid trilogy, and I thought “it sure would be nice to see the land of Mr. Miyagi.” Below are five of my favorite photos from Japan and the video that Morris made of our trip. Enjoy!

Us at the Edo-Tokyo Museum
Tsuiki Fish Market Safety Briefing
Tsuiki Fish Market…Can you believe that is a Tuna?
Kinkaku-ji (The Temple of the (solid) Gold Pavilion)
The Bamboo Forest
*I lost two pounds this week. Woot! Woot!*

Getting Married, Gaining Weight

October 24, 2012 / / 0 Comments
Image from Fitness Magazine
In the past two months, two separate colleagues inquired about whether or not I continue to run. (The answer is no. I have switched to pilates, kickboxing, and spinning.) Now, I didn’t think much about the first inquiry. But, the second inquiry was about a week later and I had noticed that my clothes seemed to be shrinking.

One morning I was feeling brave and stepped onto the scale. It was confirmed. I had gained weight. Eight pounds in the mere six months that Morris and I have been married.

I place most of the blame with Morris. He likes to eat dinner…every night. We have even taken up menu planning as a weekend activity.  In my pre- married days, I rarely ate dinner. Breakfast consisted of a banana or an apple. Followed by a mid-morning snack of almonds, and a big lunch of gluten-free pasta and carrots.  Dinner usually consisted of a salad or green tea or popcorn, but never all three, and often I skipped all three to gain an extra hour of sleep.

That has all changed. Morris eats four square meals a day, and in my zeal to be a good wife I have followed suit. Unfortunately, I have paid for it in pounds. I have been trying to lose the pounds for four weeks to no avail. So, I googled “getting married, gaining weight” and found a wealth of tips for weight loss. Everyone from WebMD to USA Today have commented on the phenomenon. So, it is comforting to know that I am not alone. One tip said to blog about your weight loss goal. So, here I be.

I have no plans to turn this into a weight loss blog, but I will add one sentence at the end of each post to keep you up to date and to keep me honest. Thank you for your support. My goal is to lose eight pounds by Thanksgiving day.

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