trials & triumph

I had an interesting conversation with a friend today, and I'd like to share a few thoughts with you.  I find the way that people handle struggles and challenges confusing, at times.  I personally have had a very blessed life.  My parents love me and my siblings very much, and provided us with a loving, healthy home life.  This is not to say that we have not had our fair share of hardships, but faith and hope were ever-present.  Many people face difficult decisions, horrible tragedies, and overwhelming devastation daily.  What you do with those challenges is up to you.  I have a hard time understanding people that choose to stay entrenched in their situations.  Yes, choose.  I know that many things are beyond our control, but where you go from there is up to you.  You can choose to be sad and hopeless, or you can cling to the promise that we are not alone.  I could see how someone that does not have a personal relationship with the Creator could be filled with despair and loneliness.  But it doesn't have to be that way.  We were each created for a purpose.  Our existence is not meaningless.  There are days when I, too, am overwhelmed by the waves this world throws me, but I know that this is only temporary.  By grace, we are not defined by this world.  And thank God!  When it all ends, when this world is nothing but dust, would you really want to be defined by the shallow riches our world holds so dear?  Money, status, power, fame?  Not I.  In my darkest days, I draw strength from Psalms 143:8.  I don't know exactly why this verse speaks to me so much, but it has since I was an adolescent.  Now more than ever.  On those days, I remember this verse, and know that I have a constant Supporter, Redeemer, Confidante, Friend.  Nothing I could ever experience can separate me from that.  It can be the same for you.  Loneliness is a choice.  Despair is a choice.  As is Salvation.  Which do you choose?

food & fran's

Yesterday we went to the much-hyped P&L District with family to have lunch and walk around a bit.  There are many restaurants in the area, but we decided to try Fran's.  For a diner, they have a pretty wide variety of dishes.  We really enjoyed the outdoor seating.  The weather was perfect for it!  We all enjoyed the food, but H's french fries were a bit overcooked.  Everything else was great.  The portions were HUGE.  The service was prompt, and the meals were not unreasonably priced.  The server was not as knowledgeable about the menu as we would have liked, but we won't hold that against them.  I was surprised at how large the restaurant really is-it doesn't look that big from outside, but they have a pretty large seating capacity.  After eating, we

decided to walk around for a while to burn off a few calories and see some sights!  We really liked the layout of the area.  It just beckons you to peek around every corner.  :o)  The Sprint Center is just down the street from Fran's, as is Chipotle, the AMC Theater, and several other restaurants/bars.  We decided after rounding the block to check out the downtown Cosentino's market.  We hadn't been before, and we were amazed!  We loved the warm, fresh feeling we got, simply by walking through the front door.  The fruits and veggies looked incredibly fresh, and we loved all the displays.  It really put every other grocery store to shame.  Amazing.  We

are in love.  :o)  Actually, we discussed driving dowtown expressly for the Cosentino's.  Take a lesson, Hy-Vee & Wal-mart.  Really.  Unless you have been, I can not express the difference to you.  Yesterday was really a beautiful day to be out and about in KC.  The weather was just perfect.  Warm, with a cool breeze.  (On 14th, it was downright WINDY!)  I don't know about you, but I would be happy with about 75 more days just like today.  :o)  I do so love the autumn, but it has been a particularly loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong winter here in KC.  Union Station is gifting us with two free passes to see Dinosaurs Unearthed, so look forward to that post in the near future!  (Well, as near as possible.  We work a lot.:o)  I hear it's in town through mid-autumn, so we should have plenty of time to enjoy it!!!  Have a good weekend!!!

rewind & reviews

Wow, it has been a BUSY few weeks! SO, we are going to hit rewind and review several products that some lovely companies sent us over the last several days! First up: RelaxZen & RelaxZen Night. These drinks are great because they are primarily vitamins: B6 & B12. I waited to try the RelaxZen until a day when I was feeling particularly stressed, as it is formulated to help you feel less stress and more calm. The flavor is not bad-kind of like an energy drink, but I actually liked it, and I don't like any other energy drinks. J really liked the flavor too, but didn't feel as much of a difference after drinking it. I felt more focused and calm for approximately 3 or 4 hours, which was amazing, because it was a CRAZY day at work. The only thing I didn't like about it was that I felt EXTREMELY tired when it wore off. Much like a caffeine crash. The RelaxZen Night drink was great too. It has vitamins, valerian, and chamomile, and I slept VERY well that night. Look for these products in your local airport-they are created to help those who dislike flying.

Next up to bat is the delightful French Meadows Bakery of Eagan, MN.
The friendly folks of the FMB sent us a fantastic care package of samples to try and review.  Included were a loaf of Hemp Bread, a sleeve of  Sprouted Cinnamon-Raisin Bagels, a bag of Sprouted Grain Tortillas, and they tossed in a cute to-go coffee mug as well!  FMB specializes in all-natural & organic ingredients, and they strive to make healthy food that is eco-friendly.  I am not a huge fan of raisins, but J & my brother R both really loved the bagels.  They said they were more chewy than the frozen kind, and tasted much better.  J liked them best with a bit of strawberry cream cheese. :o)  The tortillas were fantastic-I will be ordering these in the near future.  I much preferred them to your average wheat or flour tortillas that are available at your local grocery store.  As for the Hemp bread...  I am sorry to say that I was not a fan.  J & R tried it as well, and it was simply not for us.  The package states that is fairly chewy, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but we just did not care much for the flavor.  That being said, the rest of the products they sent were great, and we will be ordering from them in the near future. 
Kettle Brand chips sent us two bags of their flavorful baked chips to try and review.  We loved both flavors, and especially the fact that they contain 65% less fat!!!  The chips had a great flavor, and we loved that they did not have too much seasoning.  J preferred the Hickory Honey Barbeque, and I liked the Lightly Salted better.  Layla preferred the Honey Barbeque as well.  ;o)  We will definitely be switching to these tasty snacks. It's pretty amazing the difference you can taste in each chip, when compared with Lay's or even Ruffles.  You can tell that they are better for you, by the crispness and the flavor.  Not your healthiest snack, but a step in the right direction.

Layla was not to be left out, and Bing's Barkin' Bakery of NY was happy to send her a birthday cupcake!!!  She absolutely loved it!  BBB specializes in Gourmet Dog Treats, and are known as The Best Online Dog Bakery.  Layla was thrilled with the peanut butter honey cake they sent her.  It even came complete with a little candle!  Adorb.  Given her delight in consuming this tasty treat, I feel confident in giving it a big "Paws Up" from her.  ;o)  We'll def be ordering her treats through them going forward.  The delivery was quick to arrive, and had instructions for refrigerating the cupcake upon receipt.  I would recommend this bakery to ANYONE with friends of the four legged variety.  As long as they're dogs. ;o)

Das Foods was a favorite treat this past week.  They sent us a Lolli Sampler, Classic Caramel Petites, Chocolate Caramel Petites, and some of their gourmet Black Lava Salt to try and review.  We were impressed with the creative lolli flavors: My favorite was the Salty Caramel, and J's was the Orange & Pomegranate.  They sent several, and I took them to work to let my co-workers try.  They were a hit!  We were all curious about the Maple Bacon, but it was actually not bad at all!  My boss, S, used to own a popular candy shop, and he was impressed with the texture of the caramels.  He enjoyed the classic, especially the lavender notes, but felt that the chocolate could have been more pronounced.  We tried the Black Lava salts on some steak and chicken that we cooked for dinner this week, and we really enjoyed the unique flavor.  It reminded us of sea salt, but better.  We gave Das foods RAVE reviews, and will be doing a bit of Christmas shopping with them!  I received the closet organizing products from Real Simple magazine last week, but have been so busy I have yet to reorganize our closet!  Rest assured, as soon as I have a few spare hours, that will be the next review!  An update on our outdoor escape:  NONE of our flowers have died!!!  In fact, I have some lovely little shoots starting up from the wildflower seeds I planted a couple of weeks ago!  Could it be that perhaps I'm developing a bit of a green in my black thumb?  ;o)