I LOVE OUR CHURCH!!

Still Waiting...Forever from Overlake Christian Church on Vimeo.

Emma Thompson speaks about Human Trafficking

Freedom Stones

A quick Get-a-way to the Oregon Coast

We came down for a spur of the moment/short/last chance before school starts/daddy is recording & gone all weekend trip to my parents. We had a chance to make a run for the coast yesterday. It was socked in with fog but gorgeous and the boys had a blast. We went with my brother and sister in law and Cousin Landon. Here are a few shots that Jenna took. (She is a super talented photographer and one of the photographers for Pictures for a Purpose.)

I don't know about you but I can just feel myself relaxing at the beach...

Little Boy Paradise

We decided to take a last minute trip down to Gaga and Papa's (my parents) House before Pre-School starts back up. My kids LOVE IT HERE. Let me say it again. My kids LOVE IT HERE. They have been begging to come back down since we left 1 1/2 months ago. Here is what a typical day looks like:

- Wake up and eat Cocoa Krispies with Papa.
- Go feed the cows and horses with Papa on the Four Wheeler.
- Play with "Miss Kretta," my parent's chocolate lab. (Her name is Greta.)
- Ride down the driveway on John Deere Baby Gator and John Deere Baby Digger.
- Ride bikes.
- Come in for a snack.
- Cousin Landon "Lando" comes up to play.
- Go for a horse back ride.
- Go swimming at Great Grandma and Great Grandpa's House.
- Go fishing with Uncle Koo Koo (my brother), Papa and Great Grandpa.
- Come home and ride around on the John Deere toys again.
- Take our smaller digging toys outside to dig in the dirt.

I am thinking that this might be a better home for them but my parents don't seem willing.

Pictures for a Purpose Video

Here's another video for you... This just kind of tells what we do and why we have this event.

Many thanks to Joy Williams for the soundtrack.

Videos from Thailand...

Sneaky, sneaky me...

We are not technically announcing this until next week, but I thought that I would leak it to you, my reader...

Eastside Women of Purpose's Pictures for a Purpose Event is on October 10th and you can register NOW (and receive an Early Bird Discount as well as a prime time slot with the photographer of your choice.)

The website is not completely updated yet, but you can feel free to check it out and register. Registration is all online this year and will only take you a few minutes! www.picsforapurpose.com

This event is for children of all ages... (and while we are not announcing it, we will let you do your family pics for Christmas too).

All of the Sitting Fees and a majority of the cost of prints go DIRECTLY towards STOPPING child trafficking. Pretty cool that six, amazing local NW photographers would donate their whole day, time, talent and equipment...

REGISTER NOW!!

Hawaii, Summer Fun and Birthday Parties

We have had a great summer filled with a lot of playing, travelling and being with family. I am going to try to control the amount of pictures I put on here... This is just a sampling... enough to leave you wanting more. ha.

I had the chance to watch the McQueen boys and my boys for a few hours and we had a blast. (shockingly.) We went on a walk to the library and visited the grocery store for emergency cookies at the bakery. The boys were great and SO CUTE.
(Yes, Liam IS wearing a tie and bow tie. He has his own personal sense of fashion).

A little backyard baseball with Dada.

Fun on the skateboard. Again... strainer by Liam.

We had SO much fun in Hawaii. Here are a few shots of the boys and their cousin Landon (they call him "Lando"... adorable!

Whoa... It's been a while!

I'm back. It has been months... I've got too much to say in one entry so I will space things out. But here is a little.

* We've been BUSY. Life is really good. I feel fully engaged in my life. I have hard moments but feel good to be engaged in those too.
* My trip to Thailand at the end of May was life altering. The group of women I travelled with are incredible and will be life long friends. We are telling our stories from the trip and showing our pictures (three of the women are SUPER talented, professional photographers) THIS Thursday, August 13th at 7pm at Overlake Christian Church. I would personally be honored if you would be there. We also have a new website up and running. Check it out.
* We went to Kauai with my whole side of the family. It was amazing and the kids LOVED it. I hope to be able to do that again someday. SO FUN!
* We went down to Santa Cruz for a work/vacation. Jesse led worship at an amazing camp called Mt. Hermon. We LOVE it there... I mean REALLY LOVE it. It was great.
* I am still doing Weight Watchers! Miracle. Seriously. I have lost 35 lbs.+ (I go in to weigh today.) I still have a ways to go but I am feeling really good and have SO MUCH ENERGY which I need to....
* .... take care of my cutie pie sons and super hot husband. Finn has turned 2, Liam is coming up on his 5th birthday and Jesse is headed towards 32. Whoa. I LOVE MY FAMILY and feel very blessed.
* We have started the adoption process. By starting, I mean we are filling out an application. We have decided to adopt a baby girl from Ethiopia. My daughter could be in the womb right now! Crazy. My heart aches to meet her.

There is a little! More to follow...

Bid on our Tee Off eBay Auction!!

The Eastside Women of Purpose 2009 Tee Off Against Trafficking online auction is now LIVE on eBay!

If you aren't a golfer but have been looking for a practical way to get involved with the cause of STOPPING Human Trafficking, check it out and place a bid!

We have a TON of amazing items this year, and you don't want to miss out!

100% of the proceeds go towards the fight to STOP Human TRAFFICKING throughout SE Asia. By slowing trafficking in SE Asia, we drastically reduce the number of children and women trafficked into the US.

Now how is that for smart shopping!?!

Just click HERE to start bidding and change lives.

For more information and about our cause, click HERE.

If you win an eBay auction item, please considered all money bid over the value of the item, tax deductible.

Finn's Guest Appearance on SNL

My friend Amy is an AMAZING photographer and caught this shot of Finn the other day.
I LOVE it.
For those of you that are trusting of others, Finn is NOT appearing on SNL.
Amy just put that because it looked super cute.
Isn't my baby a cutie pie?!?! Look at those lips! Those eyes... That button nose!
(Note the scratch on his chin. Never has a scratch been so cute.)

My 10% Goal

I made my 10% Goal at Weight Watchers today! I've lost 19 lbs.!! It is the 2nd major goal that to achieve and I have REALLY wanted to get there. I honestly can't believe that I've made it this far. Plus, I got my awesome 10% Key Chain. ha ha. (I am really totally excited about it.)

WW Update.

I am still going on Weight Watchers! It's a minor miracle. Seriously. Haven't you been dying to know?!? ha ha.

I actually just started week 12 and have lost 17.6 lbs... this will mean that I have been doing it for three months. Three months means something to me. I have really wanted to give up a total of one time (and kind of wanted to take a break for a day a few times) but I didn't. I've been asking myself why I haven't stopped yet. There ISN'T any instant gratification and while I've lost a considerable amount, I haven't even hit a half way point. I am down one size but I kind of thought that I would be close to being down two sizes by now. But something in me wants to keep going. Here's what I've got at this point...

1) Accountability. My husband is doing WW and I try to attend meetings with a friend. We can talk each other through ups and downs and encourage each other to keep going. (It also helps that she threatens to un-friend me if I stop. How's that for motivation.) Read my friend Jodie's blog entry on "The Case for Accountability."

2) Energy. I'm starting to have more energy. This is coming from eating foods that are great for me, taking my vitamins and EXERCISE. I have realized from past attempts and regular exercise that I get BORED really easily. So this time I am mixing it up. I am taking new classes. I don't go to the same class every time. I am trying to challenge myself. This is leading to a few more Advil but more energy!

3) Fit. My clothes are starting to fit a little bit better. I am down a size. I am starting to look like I'm only a few months pregnant verses 7-8 months prego with twins. I have a long way to go but things are looking up. (To clarify... some parts aren't looking up but that is thanks to nursing and I am trying to get past it.)

I've really been enjoying a couple of new found foods lately.

I LOVE Oroweat's Double Fiber English Muffins. They are packed with fiber and only ONE point for the whole thing. I have also been getting Laughing Cow's Light Creamy Swiss Cheese Wedges (1 pt. per wedge) on top. Soooo creamy and delish. The Laughing Cow cheese can be pretty spendy at certain stores ($5.99) but I found a four pack at Costco for around $8. GREAT deal!

100 Calorie Packs as a treat. ANYTHING with chocolate. (Mint Milano's and Chocolate Covered Pretzels are my faves.)

Homemade Smoothies... 1 c. of fat free, plain yogurt; 1 c. of frozen berries; 1/2 banana; 1/4 c. or light vanilla soy; sweetener of your choice (been using two packs of Truvia). Blend until smooth. Delish! 4.5 pts. and VERY filling. Keeps me full and satisfied for a good 2-3 hours.

Eastside Women of Purpose Video

They did this video at church... I can't get past my crazy eyes and the super close shots but thought I would stick it on here! Enjoy!



Marisa Butterworth Interview from Overlake Christian Church on Vimeo.

WAKE UP!! Join us!

It's that time again! I would like to personally invite you to be a part of OCC's 2nd Annual Women's Event, AWAKE 2009, "Dangerous Faith!" Mark your calendars for March 6th and 7th!

Come get connected to the OCC community and learn how to begin living out a Dangerous Faith. If you have been a follower of Jesus for a long time or are just beginning the process of investigating faith, this is the event for you!

Although we are all women, we are a diverse bunch! Single, married, divorced, widowed, mother, career focused, young, old, strong, quiet, hurting. There is amazing strength in our diversity and when we come together to celebrate our uniqueness, amazing things happen!

Join me Jodie Howerton, speaker/missionary/Human Trafficking Warrior Leah Cypert, author/speaker Linda Vujnov, OCC's Lynne Ellis, and the AWAKE Worship Band (led by me - scary, I know) for a weekend of fun and challenge as we take a look at what living a life fully awake and completely tuned in to God's call looks like! We have 3 main sessions, a beautiful (non boxed) luncheon and six different workshops to choose from!

Here is a list of the workshops...

SEX in Sixty Minutes
Life Hurts, God Heals
Discovering my Purpose – Exploring and Developing Spiritual Gifts
Practical Compassion: How can I change the world?
Learning to Live Dangerously
Parenting under Pressure

Invite a friend or neighbor! There is still room left! Register online today!! www.occfamily.org/events/events.asp

Kicking Boxes

I have taken a couple of Kick Boxing classes thanks to my friend Sadie generously letting me join her as a guest at her gym. They kick my butt.

Jesse and his brother Bo came home last week to join us for dinner and relieve me of my motherly duties so that I could attend my class. After I left, Liam informed Jesse and Bo that his mama was going to kick boxes.

Could he be any cuter? I doubt it.

Down 13 lbs (and hopefully counting!)

Valentines Day Chocolate

Just heard about a great event taking place this Saturday, February 14th near Union Square in Manhattan, organized by a newly formed network called the Global Giving Circle. They support innovative solutions to alleviate poverty. Cool, huh?

It is a Valentine’s Day chocolate tasting fundraiser benefiting Project Hope & Fairness, an organization which supports African cocoa farmers and their families. The event funds will specifically go towards helping the farmers purchase weighing scales, as well as towards building a well in their village. I’m really excited about this because, of course, I LOVE Project Hope & Fairness, and I really love when people realize the extreme poverty that chocolate farmers are in AND care to do something about it. The poverty is one reason why there is slavery and human trafficking in the chocolate industry. This has to be stopped people!

It sounds like a cool event, so if you are in NYC, please GO! You won’t miss out on your sweet Valentine’s dinner because it’s from 3-5pm in the afternoon. Good planning, Global Giving Circle.

It’s being sponsored by some great chocolatiers, including Seattle’s own Theo Chocolate. To see more sponsors, details, and buy tickets, click here.

So, since Valentine’s Day is coming up, and if this wasn’t enough of a reminder, PLEASE buy fair-trade certified chocolate, or at the very least, organic, to ensure that it is slave-free. If you need some help on which companies are good, (and bad), click here. There is a list at the bottom of the post. (Keep in mind, the list is not all inclusive.)

For my info on WHY THIS MATTERS, please visit my friend Amy's blog.

A Few Great Recipes!

Yes, I am still on Weight Watchers. I am one of those people that LOVE food (is there anyone that doesn't) and have been on a quest to find low fat, high fiber, veggie rich foods these past 5 weeks. Here's what I've been enjoying...

• I've been loving salads! Here is what I hate about salads... 1) I don't like all the chopping. 2) I don't like eating the same salad over and over again. 3) Sometimes salads seem too much like I'm eating a bush. So here is what I've done to help myself...
  

I have been food processing my salads to a chop (not a mush) so that it is roughly the texture of a chunky salsa. I throw all the veggies (minus the lettuce) in the processor so that I don't have to do much cutting. I throw lunch meat or chicken in there after the veggies. I throw berries or apples in there. Whatever I have in the house goes in the salad. I put the lettuce on a plate and pour the veggies and meat over the top and voila! It's delish and you hardly need any dressing because of the texture of the veggies. These salads haven't ever topped 3.5 points and I get at least 3 servings of veggies in one sitting!

• I LOVE the following recipe for Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies from WW.

2 tbsp butter, melted 2 tsp canola oil 1/2 cup(s) packed brown sugar, dark-variety 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/8 tsp table salt 1 large egg white(s) 3/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour 1/4 tsp baking soda 3 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (make sure that they are organic to ensure that they are "slave free", about 1/2 cup or cut up dark chocolate pieces. Preheat oven to 375ºF. In a medium bowl, cream together butter, oil and sugar. Add vanilla, salt and egg white; mix thoroughly to combine. In a small bowl, mix together flour and baking soda; stir into batter. Add chocolate chips to batter; stir to distribute evenly throughout. Drop rounded half-teaspoons of dough onto one or two large nonstick baking sheets, leaving a small amount of space between each cookie. Bake cookies until golden around edges, about 4 to 6 minutes (I do 4); cool on a wire rack. Yields 2 cookies per serving. YES!! Two mini cookies for 1 point!!! Glorious!! I have a total sweet tooth and feel deprived if I don't have something for dessert so here comes another GREAT recipe for a "Peanut Butter Cup Milkshake" from "The Hungry Girl Cookbook." It is REALLY good and totally satisfied my ice cream/sweet craving. Plus, it took me 2 minutes to make it. It is 4 pts. per serving but worth every point. 1/2 cup light chocolate soymilk 1 Jello Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding Snack 2 teaspoons reduced-fat peanut butter 3 no-calorie sweetener packets 11 ice cubes or 1 cup crushed ice Optional: Fat Free Reddi-Wip (note: totally worth it and 5 calories for every 2 tablespoons) Place all ingredients in a blender and blend at high speed for 45 to 60 seconds (until smooth). Pour into a tall glass and enjoy! (MAKES 1 SERVING) So there it is. I have more faves... but not enough time to post them! Enjoy!

Awake 2009!!

It's that time again! I would like to personally invite you to be a part of OCC's 2nd Annual Women's Event, AWAKE 2009, "Dangerous Faith!" Mark your calendars for March 6th and 7th!

Come get connected to the OCC community and learn how to begin living out a Dangerous Faith. If you have been a follower of Jesus for a long time or are just beginning the process of investigating faith, this is the event for you!

Although we are all women, we are a diverse bunch! Single, married, divorced, widowed, mother, career focused, young, old, strong, quiet, hurting. There is amazing strength in our diversity and when we come together to celebrate our uniqueness, amazing things happen!

Join me (Jodie), author/speaker Linda Vujnov, OCC's Lynne Ellis, and the AWAKE Worship Band (led by me - scary, I know) for a weekend of fun and challenge as we take a look at what living a life fully awake and completely tuned in to God's call looks like! We have 3 main sessions, a beautiful (non boxed) luncheon and six different workshops to choose from!

Here is a list of the workshops...

SEX in Sixty Minutes
Life Hurts, God Heals
Discovering my Purpose – Exploring and Developing Spiritual Gifts
Practical Compassion: How can I change the world?
Learning to Live Dangerously
Parenting under Pressure

Invite a friend or neighbor! Register online today and you will receive the Early Bird discount Price ($45) Regular price is $65 so hurry and save $20! www.occfamily.org/events/events.asp

Looking for Help!!

I am putting this out to the blog world because you just never know who is reading your blog and how they might be able to help.

Eastside Women of Purpose is putting on their 2nd Annual Charity Golf Tournament, "Tee Off Against Trafficking" on Saturday, April 25th and we need your help.

Here is a little bit about what we are raising money for...

For every one child rescued from a brothel, there are thousands of kids waiting to take their place.

This form of modern day slavery called Human Trafficking, continues to grow. An estimated 600,000-800,000 men, women, and children are trafficked across international borders each year (some international and non-governmental organizations place the number far higher), and the trade is growing. Victims of sex trafficking can be women or men, girls or boys, but the majority are women and girls.

Determined to be a part of the solution, our goal is to help raise funds to STOP trafficking in SE Asia through education and prevention. In doing so, we are working with World Concern (worldconcern.org) and The San Jai Network (Of One Heart) based in Bangkok, Thailand. We will be funding the duplication and translation of materials proven to be effective in the prevention of trafficking. Our financial support will also be used to raise up a new generation of highly trained workers. We will provide them with the tools and knowledge of how to help the smallest victims of trafficking that have been severely sexually abused and traumatized.

World Concern estimates that for each worker The San Jai Network educates, a hundred children will be saved from being trafficked. The far-reaching effect is that this information will be passed down from person to person and village to village and be multiplied to save the many whom are vulnerable.

Here is the help that we need...

1) Do you own or work for a company that would like to help through sponsorship? Does your company have a product or service that you would like to donate to our Silent Auction? Every dollar donated in a tax deduction.

2) Do you golf? Would you like to sign up to play in our tournament? The player fee minus $60 is a tax deduction.

For more info, check out our website at www.TeeOffAgainstTrafficking.com. It hasn't been updated for this year's tournament yet, but the info is very similar.

If you would like to help, please shoot me and email at EastsideWOP@gmail.com.

Sweet Lord

I was just tagged on facebook in maybe the MOST unflattering shot ever. I almost cried. I am sure that you can see why. No, I'm not 8 months pregnant. I swear that I was just twisted into some strange "super fat" position.

I am laughing now, thanks to my Liam.

I was looking at the shot and my ever inquistive 4 year old comes up to see what I'm gasping about. He points at me and says,

"Mama. Who is that?"

"That's Mama."

"No. That's your head, but who's body is that?"

Awesome. I am deciding to take that to mean that I don't normally look that HORRIBLE! If I do, please don't tell me. I am all for a healthy little lie like, "Oh my gosh, you totally look way thinner than that normally."

I am very thankful for another "before" picture. And don't worry, I've untagged myself on facebook already. I'm hoping that people will have the same reaction as Liam did.

Gosh, how did Marisa's head get on that pregnant woman's body? Must be that darn computer magic again!

Do You Know What Today Is?

On the way to school this morning, Jesse asked Liam if he knew what today was.

Nope.

Jesse explained that today we have a new President.

Liam looked at Jesse like he was an idiot (how did he become a teenage girl all the sudden - hopefully a phase) and said,

"Yeah, I know. Rock Obama is our President now."

Duh.

My BEFORE Shot...

My BEFORE Shot - oh sweet Lord...

I have been at war with my weight for the last nine years. I won, it won, I won, it won, it won, it won. Let's just say that it's been winning for a while. I figure that I am due for a win now. I've had two kids and don't plan on having any more (the natural way at least) and therefore have no discouragement/excuse in my way. I am tired of not being able to wear clothes that I like. Some people say that they want to be healthy... I'm not going to lie. I want to be SKINNIER!

I'm not sure why I have decided to make my battle public. I guess I want encouragement and want to provide some encouragement to anyone else out there trying to shed some poundage. So I will share with you a little bit of my journey as I try for a win.

So... I joined Weight Watchers two weeks ago with my supportive husband and a good friend and I have to say (knock on wood) that it hasn't been too horrific. It is great to have the support and have someone to call when I want to stress eat. It is so nice to share in the tiny victories that come along the way.

I would love any helpful hints to leading the thinner life!

Sam and Esther

I found this on a blog that I hadn't visited in a little while. It has just rocked me to the core.

Yes, I'll Admit It

I'm obsessed with all things Twilight.

Liam just laughed when he saw this picture and said,
"You love the Twilight man."

Yes, son...
I do.

How Do You Know You Need to Lose Weight?

When your son gently pats your stomach and sweetly coos, "Ooo... You've got a little baby in there. Hi little baby. Soo... sweet..."

Let's just say that I am already counting points...

HELP US STOP HUMAN TRAFFICKING!