Nora's Birth Story

Introducing . . . Nora Allison. This sweet bundle joined our family on October 4th. She couldn't possibly be more adored by her brothers, sisters, and parents. 

    As her mother, I particularly feel that Nora is a blessing from heaven. You see, we were feeling pretty content (and at times, overwhelmed) with our family of seven. Five kids kept us busy as can be, and with three boys and two girls, I thought we really had the perfect family. Then, one day just over a year ago, when I was praying about something completely unrelated, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the feeling that there was one more baby waiting to join our family.

    Although I immediately knew that we would do what Heavenly Father wanted, I will admit that I spent a few weeks asking Him if He was sure, if I had heard correctly, if there wasn't some mistake. I felt inadequate. I was scared. I wondered how we could make room in our lives for a baby. But there was no mistake. Time after time when I asked, I felt a warmth and a peace that only comes from the Lord. I knew we needed to take a leap of faith and have another baby. I knew that we would be blessed by this child and would always be grateful that we had listened to the promptings of the Holy Ghost to expand our family. But I still didn't know HOW it was going to work.

    Throughout my pregnancy, I will admit that I mostly tried to not think of what life would be like when she was born. Not because I didn't want her, but because I still wasn't sure about the how. But I knew that it would be okay.

    Towards the end, I needed lots of help. My blood pressure started rising and my doctor told me to cut back my activities. Each week when I saw him, he told me to cut back some more. Thankfully, unlike two previous pregnancies when high blood pressure had been an issue, this time the baby seemed unaffected by it. Friends and family reached out to me and insisted they help. At first it was hard to accept, but I knew I needed to do what was best for the baby and my own health, and had to humble myself.

    Then, three weeks and two days before she was due, I had a miserable night. My blood pressure had been harder to control, even with rest, for the past three days, and on this night, I could barely sleep because I kept having contractions. I knew I needed to get checked out at the hospital-- they aren't really keen on having a woman with 5 previous C-sections labor because of the risk of uterine rupture-- but I had also been through this kind of thing before. I knew that I would get to the hospital and my contractions would stop, my blood pressure would drop, and after several hours they would send me home. So I waited for morning. After I dropped my kids off at school and preschool, I headed in to get checked out. Things felt different and I fully expected to deliver our baby sooner than her scheduled delivery date which was still over two weeks away.

    Sure enough, my contractions stopped cold as soon as they began monitoring me and my blood pressure dropped after about half an hour of resting. The nurses assured me that I'd be going home soon, but that my doctor had ordered some labs just to be sure. I am sure they get plenty of women coming in with a few weeks to go in their pregnancy, desperate to find a reason to deliver early and have pregnancy over with, but  I am not one of those women. I knew that Nora was going to make her entrance sooner rather than later.

    The labs came back with results that landed me an overnight in the hospital while they ran more tests. It seemed that my kidneys were struggling and that the PIH was affecting me, even though the baby appeared to be fine. They gave me one of those nifty steroid shots that help the baby's lungs just in case, and I spent the next several hours figuring out the logistics of my family's needs with mommy in the hospital. Even though they were saying I would be in for 24 hours, I went ahead and made arrangements for help with kids, meals, etc, through the end of the week, feeling like it would be easy to cancel if needed. (Wouldn't you know it, my mom was out of town, visiting my brother and his wife and newest baby.) Thankfully, I had many people offer to help and had it all figured out by dinner time.

    The next day, after more labs, my amazing Dr. S. and I agreed that we were not going to wait for Nora's scheduled c-section, still two weeks away. We decided to wait one more day to give the steroids the best effect, and scheduled the c-section for 5pm the following day.

     The next evening we welcomed our sweet baby into the world. It took the doctors quite a while to work through all my scar tissue after so many surgeries; we were all bantering about needing a saw and talking in a relaxed way. When they got to my uterus, I heard the tone of my doctor's voice change. 

"Have you been having contractions, Michal?" 

"I had them the day and night before I checked into the hospital, but they have mostly gone away since I've been in bed here," I replied.

"I think we are delivering this baby on the right day," he said, sounding somewhat solemn.

    Apparently, my uterus was so thin that he proceeded to open it with his finger, not even needing a tool. When he did so, it sort of fell apart. My friend, Kristen, who was there and who is a L&D nurse, said after one look at it, she was sure that I would need a hysterectomy on the spot, because they would never get that fragile, spent organ sewn together again. Miraculously, they were able to stitch up the silvery tissue just as it needed to be. We all felt that it was God's hand that prevented my uterus from rupturing earlier, during my contractions (which would have been extremely serious and life threatening to both Nora and me), and that allowed me to avoid hemorrhaging or a hysterectomy.

    I am so grateful for this sweet little girl in my life. I am grateful for the Lord's tender mercies in sparing her life and mine, as well as for the many, many people He has prompted to bless us with help over the past months. 

    

    Our life is crazy with six kids, to be sure, but blessed and wonderful. I love being a mother, even though it pushes me to my very limits sometimes; even though I make mistakes and have to apologize to my children; even though it wreaks havoc on my sleep, my body, and my patience. It is the best choice that I have ever made and I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to be a mother to these six wonderful kids. 

Resolve

I'm the kind of person who is always setting goals and resolving to make improvements on the work in progress known as Michal, so New Year's Resolutions are right up my alley. I really try to make them realistic, but some years I am better at that than others. Not to worry-- I'll be setting new goals soon if these don't take!:)

This year, I am making some "more or less" resolutions. Instead of saying never, always, or making specific requirements, I am resolving to do more of some things and less of others. Writing it down and publishing makes me accountable. I'm also going to post these somewhere in my bedroom (the short versions) so that I can see them frequently and keep my focus.

• Listen more-- to my children, my husband, and to the Spirit. This will also mean speaking less, and taking the time to really understand. It might even include listening to recounts of Arthur episodes or Calvin & Hobbes comics that I don't really care about, just because it is important to someone I love.
• Learn more-- from the scriptures, the words of living prophets, and out of the best books-- classics and other books that will help me be a better person. Right after I finish the Hunger Games trilogy:)
• Make more time-- to be the wife, mother, sister, daughter, and friend that I want to be. This involves rushing around less, committing to less that will take me away from these important roles. I have been struggling for some time to figure out how to be less busy and to slow down. I think I've decided (for now at least) that I just need to make the time, take the time when I need it, regardless of the to-dos pressing down on me. I was inspired yesterday by a story I read about George Albert Smith, a very busy man and prophet in the 1940s. It spoke of an experience when he was running late to catch a plane, and came across a woman and her four children who were anxious to shake the hand of a prophet. He paused and spoke with each one individually, shaking their hands. This moment had great meaning in the lives of this family, and was time well spent. I also think of the Savior, who frequently took the time for individuals in the midst of all He was striving to do during his brief ministry. I hope I can follow these examples. 
• Show more gratitude-- to the Lord in prayer, by recording His blessings and tender mercies in my journal, and by sending thank you notes (something that I am terrible about).
• Spend more wisely-- money, time, and calories. I really want to be more mindful in these areas in order to:  afford a kitchen remodel I've been dreaming of (money), in order to accomplish all of my other goals (time), and in order to be healthier (calories).

What have you resolved to improve in 2012? I love hearing other people's goals and aspirations. Go on, inspire me!

Brick Walls

Monday morning we packed up our school things and took them to my mom's house. She was out of town and we were going to give her kitten some people time while also doing math, history, and literature.

We headed over and I explained to my kids what our itinerary was going to be and what they should do when we got to Nana's. "Nana won't be there and we won't be running off to the playroom today. We are not going to wander off to the bookshelf and get lost in a book. We are definitely not going to immerse ourselves in Calvin and Hobbes for the morning. You can play with the kitty for a few minutes, but then we have work to do-- it's a school day! Kimball, you'll start with Math Lesson x; Henry, you'll work in your spelling book, and Ian and I will read together. Then we'll take a look in the Japanese box that Nana pulled out for us and read more about the shoguns. If we can get our work done, maybe we'll have time to go to the library before lunch!" I love giving them a view of the morning as I'd like to see it go, with a reward of some kind for using our time wisely.

Just then, we pulled up in front of the house, and Ian said very matter-of-factly, "Mom, I didn't listen to a word you just said."

He was baffled when I couldn't stop laughing.

Please Don't Hate Me!

It looks like this girl is going to potty train herself.

 Over the past few weeks I have found her several times like this, fully clothed, trying to go potty. When I finally relented and let her take off her clothes and once or twice she has actually peed! Still, I have told her, "I'm not potty training you until you can speak."

Little Meggie (20 months) has few words, but boy, does she know what's going on! She does not enjoy being left out of anything her older sibs are doing, and this is no exception.

This morning, after I got her dressed and put her piggies in, she had a melt down because I wouldn't open the door to my bathroom. I finally did so, and she climbed right up on the potty. I thought to myself, "There is no way I am going to take off her clothes. We just got dressed. She's just playing potty." Alas, she accidentally slipped backwards into the water, soaking her outfit. I stripped her down and sat her back on the toilet and went to get her some clean clothes. Guess what? She tinkled.

"I do not have time for this today," I thought. My tried-and-true method of potty training requires 3 days of going practically nowhere and doing practically nothing but taking a child to the bathroom and washing panties. And I can not clear my schedule this week (and perhaps not for months) to do this. But, given her willingness, I figured I'd be crazy to stifle it. I remembered that we had some princess pull-ups. I have a hard and fast rule of no pull-ups during potty training, but I do use them for bed wetters, and had some left over from Bronwen's bed wetting days. I have learned, however, with five kids, that hard-and-fast rules are made to be broken, so today Meggie is wearing princess pull-ups. Whenever I remember (which has been about every two hours) I take her in to go to the bathroom. She has kept them dry and gone ever time we tried to go. I can't believe it.

In other getting-too-big-for-her-mommmy's-liking news, Margaret also learned to crawl out of her crib this weekend. That, my friends, is always a very dark day. :)

Little Meg is bound and determined to grow up as soon as possible; alas, I am willing her to stay my baby forever. And I know which of us will win this particular struggle. Sigh.

Faith in Motherhood

Having a journalist in the family is great for me, because she keeps me thinking. Of course I think every day, but Tam poses great questions about the things that she is thinking about and it stirs me to think about topics that I wouldn't necessarily be musing over at the time. Last week, she asked me and the other moms in her family and life what it means to us to be a mother of faith. I figure if I'm going to respond, I might as well do it here, so that you can start thinking about what it means to you to be a mother of faith (and share with us)!

First of all, I'd like to define faith for this discussion. When I speak of faith, I don't just mean that I adhere to a religion or belief system. I mean the deep down feeling, the conviction that I can never deny, that God is real. That He hears my prayers. That He loves and cares about little old me. That He will bless me as I do my best to follow Him. Faith to me means trusting God that He can see things beyond my own vision and that His Plan for me is greater than anything I could dream up. I have faith that Jesus Christ is who He said He is-- the Son of God, the Savior of the world, the Prince of peace.

Now, how does that affect me as a woman and a mother? My faith in God truly affects every part of my life. Surely my faith had an impact on my decision to have children, particularly on the decision to start our family while Jared was still in graduate school and there were plenty of financial reasons to wait. Even now, I catch myself for a moment dreaming of how different our financial situation would be if I had stayed in the work force for five more years until Jared's practice was up and running-- but I wouldn't trade those five years for all the money in the world. We knew that it was the right time and that the Lord didn't want us to postpone our family for selfish reasons or to rely on our own strength. Surely I have been able to see the Lord's hand more clearly in my life because we needed Him more to provide for our needs at times.

I firmly believe that in becoming a mother, I am fulfilling my destiny; not a destiny that was forced upon me, but the plan that God had for me if I chose to accept it. And I feel myself growing and becoming the woman He would have me be through my mothering experience.

Motherhood has required leaps of faith on my part-- times when I had to trust and let go of fears that might hold me back. Making major moves, buying a home, accepting callings (or assignments) in the Church that were overwhelming, buying a practice, having another baby . . . and then another, pulling my kids out of public school -- all these and more have tested me and allowed me to prove God. He has blessed me in so many ways that I can't even express. I have never had cause to regret a single decision that I made based on faith-- and the sense that I knew what God wanted me to do, even if I couldn't see the why or how.

As a mother of faith, I accept the enormous responsibility of giving my children not only physical nourishment and love, but also to instill faith in them. This can be an overwhelming prospect if you let it be, but I have found that as I lean on the Lord for help, this comes naturally. Regular daily family scripture study and prayer have a huge impact, but so do the small, everyday moments when opportunities arise to teach a principle or share an experience with my children that has strengthened my faith. Moms of young children have the advantage of the fact that their children want so much to be around them, want to soak up everything they say, want to feel important and loved. Thus, they are easy to teach, for they make apt pupils. I know this will slip away a bit as they become teenagers and I must make the most of it now. What is, perhaps, more daunting, is knowing that my actions must teach my faith as well. I pray for strength to live up to the values that I hold dear and teach my children.

I have found that my mothering is vastly improved if I take time each morning to strengthen my faith through a study of God's word, prayer, and pondering on my life and His plans for me. I think it benefits me first and foremost because in this way I invite Him to participate with me in my mothering, but also because it reminds me of the big picture. Much of the daily work of motherhood may seem monotonous or menial, but when you have a clear perspective, even those tasks have a beauty and greater purpose. I find myself to be more patient, more able to listen to my children, and more in tune with the Spirit (some might call it with my intuition, but I think it is more than that) to know how to handle situations that arise.

Tam asked us: what is the most important thing about your faith that you want your kids to know? For me, it is that we can each have a personal relationship with Father in Heaven; that we each have access to His guidance and to feel of His love in our lives. I want my children to feel His power and have experiences that bring them to trust Him as I do. Then it will be their faith on which they rely and not mine.

I am so grateful for the way that my faith shapes my life and my values and for the way that it strengthens me and leads me to good things. I am grateful that because of faith, I am able to be brave in the face of hard things, to feel joy in the midst of trials, and to have hope in the future. Could I be a mother without faith? Sure. But faith makes me a much better mother than I could ever be on my own.

What role does faith play in your mothering? How does it change the way you mother? The way you think about yourself? Please share!

Running

I hate running.

A few months ago, my sister-in-law invited members of the extended family to train for and compete in (aka complete) a half-marathon this spring. If you've been a long time reader of my blog, you know that I have been a (fairly unsuccessful) wannabe runner for a while. At the time of this challenge, I was not running at all. But I took her up on it, ready for a challenge and unwilling to look like a wimp to the rest of the family.

We've used a little learn-how-to-run program that has served us well. Today I was scheduled to run 8 miles for the first time. My running buddy canceled on me. The weather was gloomy. My MP3 player wouldn't load the thing I wanted to listen to. I could think of a thousand things I'd rather do than run. But I left the house when Meggie went down for her nap.

Somewhere during the first mile, it started to rain.

Somewhere during the second mile, my phone (on which I was listening to this) malfunctioned and I was afraid for a few minutes that I would be running the rest of the way in silence. Thankfully that bug worked itself out.

By the end of the third mile I was soaking wet and the rain was coming down hard. I contemplated turning toward home, but my pride kept me going.

During the fourth mile, I realized that I really needed to empty my bladder. And that my hips were starting to hurt.

I felt exuberant when I hit mile 5, knowing that I was more than halfway finished. The rain subsided and the sun came out. I noticed a family of geese drying off in a meadow. I saw a bird that I'd never seen before. I marveled at the gorgeous oak trees in my area and at the amazing world that Heavenly Father created for me and for each of us.

During the sixth mile, I tried hard to take my mind off my full bladder and my sore hips. I noticed that my shoulders and back were feeling tight. Trying to take my mind off these things didn't work.

During the seventh mile, I began to write this blog post in my head. I reminded myself of all of the reasons that I want to make blogging a priority again. I thought about blogs that I (used to) read that inspired me. I remembered how I want to have an influence for good on the world and that I have this forum to use for that purpose. (This was a more effective way of forgetting my pain, by the way.)

During the last mile, it was all self-talk and gunning for the finish line. I did not want to think about 13.1. Eight miles felt like plenty.

I arrived home 1 hour 45 minutes later (yes, I am that slow) feeling sore, stiff, and like I had conquered the world. I had done something that I didn't want to do. I had done something that was hard. I had done something that I had never done before. I had done something that was good for my body and mind and spirit when what had been far more enticing was staying home and nibbling chocolate chips. I felt wonderful. I knew I will do it again, and that one day in April, I will run 13.1.

I love running.

Sunday Walk (Jordan River Parkway, Lehi, UT)

This one is giving me fits lately. Who knew that 3 years old would bring on the diva in her? This is so different from parenting little boys. One moment, she is sweetness itself, the next . . . and yet, even now when I look at this picture, my heart melts to butter and I want to run in and wake her up to hug her.


This one cracks me up all the time. He really is so funny. And sometimes it is so hard to be him: the third boy, the middle child, half the time grouped with the older kids, others he is stuck with the "babies". I really want and need to show him the attention he deserves and craves. Working on that.


This one is gobbling down books and building new creations with Legos and growing so tall this summer that I have to do a double-take sometimes at my little boy. Today he took every chance he got to tell me all about Robinson Crusoe. I love when he has a light in his eyes and excitement in his voice.


This one is careening toward his teenage years. He is so bright, so quick, and is so devastated when things do not go according to plan. I wonder how that will be coupled with the angst of being 13 or 15 years old. Why, oh, why, do they have to grow up?

This shot of him walking alone, ahead of the rest of us, reminds me that this experience of having all my ducks under our roof is temporary. Too soon, he'll break free, and the others will follow. And it makes me sad and grateful at the same time. Grateful that we've been given the gift of homeschooling and more time together as a family. It will all be over too soon, and they'll just come home to visit and have lives that don't revolve around our little home. And I know that I will miss them dreadfully then.


This one is the icing on our cake. She is perfect. And although I know she'll outgrow her perfection, I adore her just the same. We all do. Our kids may not always love having a preschooler in the house (who messes with their stuff or teases them incessantly,) but they always want a baby.


This one is one of the greatest blessings in my life. He is so constant, so loyal, so determined to do right. I am so grateful for a righteous, hardworking husband who loves me and our family. Men like him don't come along every day.


I am so blessed.

Post edit: By the way, I apologize if you see an ad with a burly man threatening your at risk teens below. I am working on getting Google AdSense to remove it. If they can't do that, I'll just pull advertising with them. It does not reflect the tone of my blog and is upsetting to me.

The Last 84 Minutes

You would think that cleaning up vomit would take away my late-night sweet cravings. You'd be wrong.

84 minutes ago, I was driving home from a book discussion group, thinking about the topics discussed of the Founding Fathers and the balance of powers in government, and thinking about how much I wanted to eat something sweet when I arrived home. I knew I shouldn't have anything, particularly since I had a little leftover birthday cake after lunch and I am trying to maintain my weight loss at the moment. Still, I was considering the vanilla ice cream in the freezer or the chocolate in the high cupboard.

When I got home, I found my three younger kids sleeping peacefully. Jared was watching a World Cup game and getting ready to leave for a late night indoor soccer game. The two older boys hadn't arrived home yet from Cub Scout camp. I contemplated that I would pay the bills and fold some laundry and maybe even have time for my fun book before Jared got home from soccer. The evening stretched out deliciously in front of me and I even forgot about the sugar calling me from the kitchen.

Then, within moments, my dream was shattered. From the girls' bedroom we heard screaming. (I am learning recently that girls really like to scream more than boys do.) I rushed in to find both girls hysterical and vomit (Bronwen's) on the floor by the door. I tried to comfort and clean up Bronwen while Jared tried to clean up the floor and comfort the traumatized baby sister while Bronwen wailed on. Just then, the big boys bounded in, anxious to tell us all about their adventures at camp and to eat at this late hour.

It was time for Jared to leave or his team would have to forfeit their game. I held the crying baby, asked the boys to get ready for bed and just skip a shower because Bronwen was in the bathtub, and rifled through the loads of clean clothes on my bed looking for some pajamas for Bronwen to wear. No luck. Where were they? Meanwhile, Bronwen wailed from the bathtub that she's cold and wants to get out. Finally I found something that would work for her and got her out as I discovered another puddle of vomit that Jared had missed. The baby had to go back in the crib to avoid having her play in it, which only made her sob all the more. A few minutes later, Bronwen was dressed for bed and the puke was cleaned up, but Bronwen wanted me to cuddle her. Margaret was still crying, and the boys wanted something to eat.

I told Bronwen that I couldn't cuddle her, I needed to help Meggie calm down and feed her brothers. She says plaintively, "but Mommy, I need your help," and I can't say no. Instead, I tell her I'll be right back. I ran out to the kitchen and helped the boys find some leftovers to warm up. Ian wandered out, groggy-eyed, and announced that he felt like throwing up. Fantastic. Kimball announced that his goldfish is dead. This was not the time to find me full of sympathy or helpfulness when it comes to a goldfish. Luckily, he seemed to need neither.

I got Meggie calmed down as long as I was holding her, sent Ian back to bed with a throw-up bowl, left Kimball and Henry to eat, and went back to Bronwen's room. She was sucking her thumb and trying to sleep, but still wanted me to cuddle her. I tried to sit by her and stroke her back while still holding the baby, but neither girl was interested in sharing me and I finally left the room with the baby, hoping Bronwen would fall asleep quickly.

This all went on for another 20 minutes or so. At 10:00 pm when all but Henry are in bed, I look at the clock and realize that I'll be lucky to load the dishwasher before Jared gets back, let alone pay the bills and fold the laundry or read my book.

Instead, I remember my sugar craving from earlier and find a chunk of milk chocolate in the high cupboard, which I have with a spoonful of this heavenly stuff. As I eat, I wonder how I can do so after so recently cleaning up after Bronwen's sickness. Then I decide to write a blog post instead of doing any of the work I need to do. There goes another 25 minutes!

Gotta go. Ian just threw up. Something tells me it's going to be a long night.

Stephanie Nielsen: My New Life

Have you see this yet? I love reading Stephanie's story because she has such an amazing, grateful, inspiring perspective on motherhood. Here she tells her story, speaks of her blessings, her trials, and of her testimony of Jesus Christ. Prepare to be inspired and feel grateful for the life you've been given.

Summer Fun

Tomorrow is the 4th of July, a sign that we are deep into summer. Since I became a mom, I have discovered that my summer job is to keep my kids busy with worthwhile things. Summers in the Sacramento area are too hot to force the kids out into the backyard indefinitely (a favorite trick of mine in the spring and fall), especially if your backyard resembles a dirt pit with weeds, so we end up spending mornings at the park and swimming lessons, taking a break mid-day for naps, and then spending the afternoons trying to keep cool at the pool or the library. In spite of the SPF 50 I slather on them religiously, my boys are all turning a lovely shade of brown--something I have never been in my life! They love swimming and so we spend a great deal of time bumming around other people's pools. Luckily Jared's parents live nearby and have a pool, but somedays we visit other Friends With Pools (aka F.W.P.s) This picture is at Mom and Dad's with our friends Natalie, Ethan, and Sidney.
I absolutely adore all the produce available in the summer, especially in this area, and I don't think that a meal goes by without a big bowl of fruit on the table. The strawberry stand near our house is irresistible to me if I have any cash when I drive by, and the Farmer's Market makes my mouth water. Here are a few recipes that I've tried lately that take advantage of the abundance. And after all, how could we enjoy any season without great food?
Over the weekend I wanted to make an icey treat but am trying to be a godd ess (darn the filter on this computer--it is requiring that I intentionally typo to get around it! If only I could remember the password to turn it off!) of weight loss, so I hunted down a couple of great sorbet recipes. You don't have to have an ice cream mixer for these, even though that's easier. You can just try the method where you put them in the freezer and stir occasionally, which is what we had to do when the ice cream maker shorted out!

Watermelon Sorbet

• 1/4 c. water
• 1/3 c. corn syrup
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 2 c. pureed watermelon pulp (use the blender)
• 1 T. lemon juice

Stir the water, corn syrup, and sugar together in a saucepan over medium high heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer five minutes. Remove from heat and chill 30 minutes. Add syrup mixture to watermelon and lemon juice. Mix well and chill for two hours (the colder the mixture, the faster it will freeze). Freeze in an ice cream maker or put in a shallow pan in your freezer and stir it every half hour until it gets to the right consistency.

The next recipe is one that I morphed a little, mixing two recipes to achieve the end result. The original Cooking Light recipe called for (the alcohol keeps the sorbet from freezing too hard) but since we don't drink, I looked around for some other way to incorporate the strawberry/lime/orange flavors that I love.

Strawberry Margarita Sorbet

• 2 c. water
• 1 c. sugar
• 4 c. pureed strawberries
• 1/3 c. fresh orange juice
• 1/2 c. fresh lime juice
• 1 T. lemon juice
• zest of one orange and one lime

Use the same technique as the recipe above, making the simple syrup first with the water and sugar. Add the remaining ingredients and chill until quite cold, at least 2 hours. Freeze in an ice cream freezer.

These recipes were a beautiful red color, tasted so yummy, and had much fewer calories than the homemade strawberry ice cream I was craving.

My father in law, Richard, loves lemon meringue pie. I have made a few for him in the past, but this year I was on the hunt for a better recipe that I would enjoy more (I love the lemon curd, but find meringue to be rather dull.) I found this recipe on epicurious.com and have now made it both for his birthday and again for Father's Day. It is by far the best lemon meringue I've ever had. The coconut sweetens the meringue so well. Be forewarned: if you cut this into 8 pieces, each piece has a Weight Watchers point value of 19. So you'd better scrimp on calories some other place this week if you're going to make this pie (if you want to be a real godd ess of weight loss, keep looking for another recipe!) Lemon and Toasted Coconut Meringue Pie.
If you have a garden, (or if you cheat like me and just shop at the Farmer's Market) you absolutely must try this Cooking Light Garden Minestrone that I discovered a couple of summers ago. Paired with a crusty artisan bread it really is a great way to end the day.
And if you're just in the mood for a good Chinese Chicken Salad without paying for it in a restaurant, try this recipe. It's especially great if you grilled chicken earlier in the week and did some extra teriyaki chicken with this meal in mind.

Chinese Chicken Salad

• 1 head of lettuce (you pick the variety)
• 2-3 cooked teriyaki chicken , cubed
• 1/2 c. diced green onion
• 1/2 c. toasted sliced almonds
• 1/4 c. toasted sesame seeds
• 1/2 package wonton skins
• 1 can mandarin oranges
  
• Dressing:
• 2 T. sugar
• 1/4 c. rice wine vinegar
• 3 T. canola oil
• 1 t. sesame oil
• 1/2 t. pepper
• 1 t. kosher salt

Use your kitchen shears to cut the wonton skins into strips (you can probably do several at a time). Spray them liberally with cooking spray and bake in 350 oven until brown (watch them, they do this quickly.) Put lettuce, green onion, almonds, oranges, and chicken in large salad bowl. Mix dressing ingredients. Just before serving, shake up or blend dressing one last time. Pour over salad and toss. Add wonton crispies and sesame seeds and toss again. Serve immediately.
And one last recipe to share; my friend Sandy has been sharing zucchini out of her garden, which I adore grilled with kosher salt and olive oil--but you can only eat that at so many meals before you are ready for something else. So I scoured my Cooking Light cookbooks for a zucchini bread recipe that wasn't more like eating cake. This one is delish--it's only good for you if you don't eat the entire loaf, so watch out!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

• 3/4 c. sugar
• 3 T. canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 c. unsweetened applesauce
• 2 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 t. baking soda
• 1 t. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1 1/2 c. shredded zucchini (get your kids to do this part)
  
• 1/2 c. semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Place first three ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at low speed until well blended. Stir in applesauce.
Combine flour and next four ingredients, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, beating just until moist. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips. Spoon batter into a loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 1 hour and apply the toothpick test-- it should be almost clean when inserted into the middle of the loaf. Cool completely. Enjoy!

Now go enjoy the day with your kids, whether you are cooking up some yummy foods, hanging out at the pool, or having a water balloon fight. Remember, "(wo)men are that they might have joy!" (2 Nephi 2:25)