Saying Goodbye

I have been writing my blog for over a year now and at this point I am considering ending things here.

If there is an outcry for me to continue this I would consider doing so, however I think many of my friends are now on Weight Watcher's CONNECT where I am posting on nearly a daily basis there under the username clg12225.

I have truly enjoyed doing this blog and connecting with like minded friends.  It's certainly been a way to get to know myself better.

I really appreciate all of those who've stayed with me through thick and thin(pun intended ;) ) and all the kind or constructive comments I've received but at this point it's become somewhat tedious to keep up with the blog as well as CONNECT.

I hope that in some way I've been able to help you through my own misadventures.

The truth is that weight loss is hard and maintaining weight is hard but it's so much easier with support.

And, it's so much easier when we can be real and honest with each other.

That's a big part of what you've given me and I will be forever grateful for it.

I wish all of you brilliant, vibrant health and well being in mind, body and Spirit.

~Carrie

May the road rise to meet you, 
may the wind be ever at your back. 
May the sun shine warm upon your face, 
and the rains fall soft upon your fields. 
And until we meet again, 
may God hold you in the palm of his hand.

The Real Story of St. Nicholas

Well, the day finally came.  As I was sitting at the computer today my son came up to me and said “Mommy, does Santa use your Amazon account to order toys?”.

“Why do you ask?” I said.  “Because I saw Dot on your account”.  This was a toy that Santa brought him a couple years ago.  He had seen my order history on Amazon somehow and now had unanswered questions.  

I gathered myself and turned away from the computer and this is what I told him…

"Once upon a time, a long, long time ago there really was a man named Nicholas.  He was good and kind and he loved God with all his heart.  Nicholas had a heart for service and a love for children.  

As such he began giving to those less fortunate and those who simply needed more love and more magic in their lives.

And so he began bringing gifts to children in secret.  Although it was done in secret, word spread and soon everyone knew of this kind man, Nicholas.  

The joy he brought was so great that soon everyone wanted to share in it and spread it in their own way.  

Given that he could not be everywhere at once, all sorts of people began carrying on his work.  Parents, grandparents, friends and neighbors of all sorts began giving gifts in secret and what they found was an even deeper secret. 

When you give, you receive.  

You see God’s Love is so big you can’t really fit it all into just one person and so it must be given away.  But in the very instant you give it, quick-as-a-wink, it’s given back to you multiplied.  And when that Love is freely and truly given and received it helps everyone to allow more of God's love into their hearts and to see the Christ everywhere.  This causes us to remember who and what we really are and what we came from~Love. 

That is the real magic. 

And so over the years this great tradition has been handed down, generation after generation.

The torch was passed to me when I had you and it has been our great joy in giving this special gift to you.

One day, when you have children of your own, you too will carry on this Good work and you will know this joy of giving.

And so it is that every time any person gives in this way, the Spirit of St. Nicholas is there within them just as God’s Love is always there within us." 

I'm happy to report this message was well received.  

I had actually been praying about this conversation and had thought to plan a time to talk with my son about it but he surprised me with his question before I could formally discuss this.

As with weight loss and everything in life, we are met with more success when we plan ahead.

I was surprised when my son posed this unexpected question but I was not unprepared.

I had prayed and thought on it long and hard and spent much time formulating just what my heart wanted to say, what it knew to be true.  

Magic still exists.  No dreams are crushed and nothing is made less than because God's Love only expands and grows.

And today, I am so thankful for this answered prayer.

In Joy,

~Carrie

A WONDERful movie!!!

This is not food related at all but I couldn't keep this to myself.

Tonight my family watched a movie based on a book my son read last year.

It's called WONDER. 

Let me just say this movie is absolutely FANTASTIC!!!! 

This ends well and it has an incredibly relevant and beautiful message.

You can find the movie trailer here.

I hope you enjoy this as much as our family did. :)

~Carrie

Trader Joe's Crab Cakes!

The last time I went to Kansas City I stopped at Trader Joe's.  

This is one of my favorite stops as a Weight Watcher because they have so many good deals!

It's usually pretty economical but very point friendly!

I usually bring a cooler and spend close to an hour in there, taking my time and scanning everything, looking for deals.

This was one of my favorites.

It's their crab cakes.

These are 1 pt a piece!  

However, WW screwy math comes into play here because 2 crab cakes is 3 pts, so watch out for that.

You can heat these in the oven and they taste great!

I love seafood so this was a no-brainer for me.  

If you have a Trader Joe's where you live, or if you stop by one when you're out of town, I'd definitely recommend trying these scrumptious little morsels.  

These saved me from going over on points at night!