Dear Mom,
Dear Mom,
Well, here we are! Three years later and yep I still miss ya! But, I can honestly say that the saying, “Time heals,” is very true. I hate that I am saying that too because I ABSOLUTELY HATE THAT SAYING! Not sure why, but maybe because the truth is I wanted more time. But, we didn’t get that and I am healing.
For a while I think I held onto the grief because in a sick way I thought it meant I loved you more and it would keep you more alive, which we all know is NOT POSSIBLE. Weird thought I know, but grief is weird and I have realized it never really ends. It changes and it goes through ALL KINDS of stages and I personally think everyone has their “own” stages. I think each individuals grief is different because each relationship is unique.
Our relationship was so unique and so special. I miss our daily 3 p.m. calls and our talks. I miss hearing you telling me about the cool gadget you ordered off of some infomercial and they way Trey and I would totally make fun of you! We still do you know! Every time we see an As Seen On TV we say, “The Red Head would have loved that!” I miss your blue eyes and your telling me about all the people you were praying for. I miss you mom! So much!!!!!! But I am ready to move to the next stage or whatever it is and not let this grief hold me back. Do you know I still have not gone to our home in Graham? I just can’t, but maybe I should. I missed my high school reunion because the truth is I did not want to see our home.
I realize now holding onto the grief is not what you would want. You would want me to remember you and the good times, which I do, but for some reason I am still holding on to sadness…..I also realize it is not a sign of weakness nor is it a lack of faith. Grief is just part of loss and it sneaks up at the weirdest moments. When it does sneak up Mom, I have learned just to feel my way through it and give myself love and grace, something you would have done for me if you were here. Oh how I wish you were here.
You are not here physically, but I know you are with me mom. You are in my heart. You are in my memories. You are in the sun when it wraps me in warmth. You are in the stars when they shine down on me. You are in heaven waiting for me and my prayer is you are with my baby and together you both know and feel my love like I feel yours.
So today as I celebrate your third heavenly birthday mom, know I love you and I am so proud you were my mom!
Happy Heavenly Birthday!
All my love,
Amy
P.S. Robin snapped this photo last night and sent it to Chuck, Paul, and I saying it was a gift to us from you. Thank you! We all really got a kick out of it!!!!! Keep sending us love……
Dear Jesus....
Dear Jesus….
Yep you read that right! I am writing a letter to Jesus and full disclosure, I am not having my amazing friend Lyndsy edit this because Jesus loves me as I am! Imperfect and flawed. Just like this letter will be. Imperfect; grammatically and however else! I woke up this morning and decided to do this and thought to myself, “Hey, it might be a mess, but so am I! And Jesus still loves me!” So……here it goes!
Dear Jesus,
Yesterday in my quiet time, I was asked to write a letter to myself from you. It was really a powerful experience and one in which I realized you adore me and today I sing, “Oh come let us adore Him.”
Jesus, do you know I do adore you? I mean sometimes my behavior, my thoughts, my actions, my words, and my feelings do not show it. But, I am in awe of you. I want to know you more. I know you know me, every last fiber in me, you know me and I want to know you!
I know you were born in a manger, with nothing but swaddling cloth. You came from Heaven above to save me, to save the world. You had a mom and a dad who really was not your dad! You were raised with nothing, but love. And that was all you needed. Love! AND love is all we need.
Yet every Christmas, I fall short of remembering this. Every Christmas I find myself wondering did I get the best gift for the kids, did I get enough for them, did I miss someone I should have given a gift to, and if I am being really honest I find myself getting myself stuff I want but really don’t need. I know this is not a sin, but it is when we forget whose birthday today really is.
Sure some people were born this very day. BUT I was not, nor were any of my kids, yet we wake up Christmas morning rearing to tear into all those gifts of what we want! Graeme was up at 3:21 am!!!!! It is all about things, but this Christmas my vow to you is to remember you. To bring you back into my home more than we already do. My vow is to remember it is your birthday. Not mine. Mine is October 22 and that is when I can get the $500 perfume I love. However, full disclosure, I got it today! Course you already know this!
Yes gift giving is fun! So fun! Matter of fact, Trey would argue gift giving is my love language. I need to read the book still so I say the verdict is out on that, but I do love seeing the joy in the receivers eyes and feeling it in my heart. It is like they are giving me a gift back. But, I truly want to remember the meaning of December 25.
Do I think you care that I give gifts? No, I really don’t. As a matter of fact I think you get a kick out of it when someone gives a very thoughtful gift. I think that brings you joy to see the receivers joy and the love exchanged by the two. However, I do think you get sad with all the commercialization that has come with Christmas. The over the top decor, the parties, the pressures of the cards and gifts. This is not what you intended. So this Christmas I have simplified and as I sit here writing this letter to you I realize I have enjoyed this season even more.
You know I do not do Christmas Cards anymore and funny thing, even my Hubby wishes I did. But, I don’t! I did not do them in 2016 when my mom was sick and dying and I realized everyone still liked me. Some say they miss them, but you and I both know the peace that has come from not dealing with that! 2018 I did feel some guilt and regret about it, but this year I was FREED from those feelings and it feels so good! Do I love getting Christmas Cards from others? Yes! Truth be known, but only if they LOVE doing it! Some people really do! I just don’t.
Decorating! That is what I like to do! My friend Cathy says it looks like Santa vomited in my house! Ha! I love that! And I think you are way o.k. with this too, as long as we remember why we are doing all the lights and decorations! We do it to celebrate you! A couple of years ago Trey decided we would do red and white lights outside on the house. I asked why and his response was, “The red and white would remind of us all the purity and simplicity of you in the white and the blood you shed in the red.” Another confession since I seem to be full of them today, I did not really like that idea then, now I look at them and I love them. I had to grow a little I guess.
Now I look at those lights and remember how you pour your grace on me and my family daily and how this grace is available to the world! The righteous, the unrighteous, the poor, the rich, the pretty, the ugly, the black, the white, the brown, the red, the skinny, the fat, the blonde, the curly hair, the freckled, the scarred, the just, and the unjust. Your grace is available to us all and what a gift that is and the more amazing thing is that you expect nothing back. Nothing….Even from those who persecute you. Amazing! You do not withhold your love towards anyone!!!!! What a gift!
I am not sure I can do this, but my vow to you today is to try. The more I know you the easier it is to love others. To love those that are hardest to love. To love and not expect it back. To love those who do give me something in return; hatred and malice.
So on this day, your birthday, my gift you to you is to be the best follower of you that I can be. I will try my very hardest to love everyone because I want to do my best in reflecting the love you give me. Truth be known, I am that person that is hard to love to someone out there. I know this. I have let others down, I have pulled away, I have judged, and I have been not such a great friend, and I don’t deserve there love. But I will pray today they forgive me and will pray they too will pray for me and love me even when I am unlovable. If we all did this, what a beautiful place the world would be.
Baby Jesus, I want to know you more. I want to give you more. More of me.
Happy Birthday Jesus! I am so glad it is Christmas!
I Will Always Love You!
Amy
The 90's
I have to say my twenties were a blast! BUT, there was a lot of growing up happening. It was a very bi-polarish time for me! However, with that being said, I would not change any of it for the world. I am realizing now that certain people really do come into your life and sometimes only for a brief time, but for very good reasons. Looking back, I look at each person as a gift and a treasure. Truly, because without that individual, I would not be who I am today. So for every heartache, for every party, for every loss, for every gain, I am forever grateful.
I started out my college career at The University of North Texas. I really had NO CLUE what I wanted to major in and I think I changed it four times before I settled on Communications. I still am not sure what I want to be when I grow up if I am being honest, but I can tell you I LOVED communication classes and I LOVED giving speeches! So it seemed like the best fit. I pledged Kappa Kappa Gamma and I am proud to say we were the first Kappa pledge class at UNT. It was a very exciting and fun time for me. I met some amazing gals who really are true leaders today, but one thing is for sure, they always had my back in college.
1991 was a HUGE year for me. It is when I met Trey. I will never forget that day as long as I live and Julie Lane Schragin is proof that this happened!!!!! It was the VERY beginning of the school year at UNT and it was a stormy day. I remember we were monitoring the doors of the Physical Education Building, that was our job, and I saw Trey walking down the large hall towards the gym and I clearly remember saying, “I am going to marry that guy!” And would you believe he did not have his college ID so we could not let him in! I was devastated! For months though he would come to the gym and if I was checking out equipment I would just stare at his ID because if you checked out equipment we kept your ID until you returned it!!!!! I remember thinking he was so dreamy!
I did that for 4 months until I finally got up the nerve and I ASKED HIM OUT! Pitiful! I know, but it just shows you yet another pattern; IF AMY FOLEY BERRY WANTS SOMETHING SHE AIN’T AFRAID TO ASK! He said yes and well the rest is history! Kind of!!!!!
At the end of that school year, Trey was returning back to Texas A & M as he was only at UNT for two semesters for a specific certification that UNT offered. So what did I do? Well, I did what any normal SENIOR in college would do! I transferred to Blinn College, which for those of you who do not know Blinn, that is a two year program. AND before anyone jumps on me I am not knocking two year programs! As a matter of fact I LOVE JUNIOR COLLEGES! Why? Well, for a number of reasons but mainly because it cost a lot less and you can get your boring basics out of the way at discounted price! A HUGE discount I might add. You just have to be smart and make sure everything transfers over, but most people do not transfer into a Junior College their Senior year of a four year program…..BUT AMY FOLEY BERRY sure does! Especially when she is in love!
Bob Foley was not too pleased with me at this time in life! And that is a funny story in and of itself….I just want you to remember he thought I was NUTS and I had lost my mind! Well, I knew what I was doing! I promise! I did it all for love! Ha!
While at Blinn I went to work for the Colonel. He was the dean of students and he had a military background. God knew what he was doing when he opened that door up! What a life experience. I learned a lot about time management, priorities, people skills, hard work, and respect of others and their time. The biggest lesson he taught me was how important it was to get to know your instructor no matter how big or small your class is. That helped me so much when I transitioned into A & M the next semester. What a change that was for me! Going from mid size classes at UNT to very small and intimate at Blinn and then WHAM I was in the middle of the ocean of Texas A & M and the only life raft I had was my communication skills! Thanks to the Colonel I did just fine there and when I transferred back to UNT. YEP! You read that right! I transferred back to UNT! Why? Well, because I liked to keep my parents on their toes! That’s why!!!!
No! Not really. The truth is Trey graduated in May and when I spoke to the Dean of the Communications school it was going to take me another 1-2 years to graduate. I did not like that idea because honestly I did not enjoy school. I remember driving up to UNT in the beginning of May and went straight to their communication department and we worked it out to where if I took 18 hours in the summer and 18 in the fall I could graduate. Trey told me if I did that we could get married. I was so excited what do you think I did? I took my tail back to UNT and buckled down and graduated so we could get married! Well, folks we did not get married!!!! Matter of fact we broke up a little less than a year after I graduated! Am I bitter about that? Nope because I learned a lot about hard work, creative problem solving, and I learned if someone is madly in love, well, there is not a lot you can do to change their mind. Trust me! No one was changing mine! I am proud to say even with all that chaos, I graduated on the deans list with at 3.95 and I did it my way and I would not change any of it!
From there I went to work for my father at Buzz Print slinging ink across Dallas, Texas! What a fun job sales is! I LOVED almost every aspect of it! The game, the challenge, the getting to meet new people all the time, and the sheer adrenaline rush when you landed the big deal! What I did not love was when things went wrong. I had quite a temper so much so my baby brother Paul nicknamed me Tawanda! I could get pretty nasty. But, over time I am proud to say I have learned to tame that temper. It took A LOT of years though! A LOT!!!!!
While working at Buzz Print I decided I wanted to run a marathon. Not really sure why because I ABHOR running! But I signed up through The Leukemia Society of America. This might have been the BEST thing that happened to me in my mid 20’s because it quickly brought me out of a very selfish time in life and showed me the gift of serving. My first patient I ran for was a little girl by the name of Jennifer. She was the cutest, most shy, little cutie pie. Her mama and I became really good friends and through Donna and Jennifer I met many other kids with cancer. So many that I let my little chicken butt, Lea, talk me into doing another marathon because that is what you do when you hate running. You run more!!!!! Before I knew it I had my little tribe. Lea, Cooper, Jennifer, and Kaityln. These kiddos and their families were my life. I got to know their doctors, their nurses, and their siblings. I learned so much about strength, courage, faith, guts, advocating for oneself and for your child, and what is really important in life. News flash…..it ain’t what car you drive or purse you carry. It is the time we have with each other….Just sayin….because of my little tribe and their lives I got to not only be a part of The Leukemia Society of America but I got to be a part of The Clayton Dabney Foundation and Challenge Aspen. What an honor and what a privilege. I will never forget that period in my life. Ever. I grew up so much and I cherish those memories, those families, and those individuals who believed in me and let me participate. And now I have an angel in heaven who watches over me daily.
While all of this was taking place Trey and I were doing the dance of on again off again….It happens and now I know it happens for lots of reasons, one being growth. If Trey and I had gotten married back in 1993 I would have missed out on so much and who knows where we would be today. I firmly believe we would still be married, but it would sure look different. We would look different. I am happy with how we look now!
When Trey finally did propose, as God as my witness we were not even dating! But, somehow we both knew! And I reminded my dad of that little girl who followed that young boy to College Station her senior year of college and I reminded him that in my heart I knew what was best!
So as I look back on my 20’s I look back with all kinds of pride, all kinds of giggles, and all kinds of joy! I realize that I do go after what I want even when someone that means the world to me does not believe in it. If I believe in it that is all that matters. I see that I do have a sweet spot for children with disabilities and terminal illnesses and I see I have a passion for living life with them even when they know they will not experience a full life. I see here again an area where I was able to use my passion for motivating and inspiring and how much I love to help people see how each of us is worthy. No matter what cards life has dealt us we are worthy and we are special and we deserve love. No matter what you are worthy of love!
Until next time!
XO,
Amy
2020 Has This Girl Thinking…..
Can you believe it is going to be 2020!!!!! This is so amazing to me and I keep pondering how back in 1999 everyone and their dog was worried about Y2K and the world coming to an end. I don’t really hear a lot of that now which is good news, but I am sure that is because the world is watching our country divided about whether to impeach el presidente or not! I DIGRESS BAD!!!!!! So Sorry!!!!!
I will say 2020 has me thinking about my life in general. Maybe because I will be a half of a century come October, maybe because my first born will be going to college, or maybe because with the loss of my mom I realize how fast time flies. I don’t know why, but I know it has me in serious thought. Does it you?
I decided to do an exercise and break down my life by decades. Why? Well, I am realizing when I do this and really reflect on who I was and who I have become a lot of the past is what has molded me into the human I am today. Which I am proud to say, I kind of like me. Do you like you? If not, might I suggest you do this exercise along with me? You might find it very healing and insightful.
I decided to combine my first two decades because I don’t remember much before third grade. I remember bits and pieces. I have very fond memories of growing up in Graham, Texas. I went to Woodland Elementary and I remember I loved walking to kindergarten with my friend Robin Faust. I also remember she and my best friend Ginger Nees getting very close at that time and I was SUPER JEALOUS! So the lesson here is it starts young with girls, the jealousy, the envy, and the mean girl mess…. it is nothing new it has always been around. Stupid, petty, uncalled for meanness. So sad really, but hey, it is part of being human.
My memories of Woodland Elementary include going to the library and checking out the book, The Value of Determination: The Story of Helen Keller, by Ann Donegan Johnson. I remember being so fascinated by Helen Keller’s story on a number of levels. Her sheer determination, the way she overcame all kinds of obstacles, and her care giver/teacher Ann Sullivan. I was fascinated by Ann Sullivan’s way of getting personal with Helen and making Helen feel so special and helping her to see she could do whatever she set her mind to do. I think this is when my passion towards people with special needs began. I remember and I am proud to say I am still in touch somewhat with my third grade teacher, Mrs. Hardin. She was a gem. A gem that cared dearly about her students and made a huge difference in our lives. I broke my leg and she literally put my desk right next to hers and took such good care of me. I remember there was a tornado once and we had to take cover and God as my witness I pooped my pants! No lie! Would you believe Mrs. Hardin quietly took me to the office, got someone to cover for her, and drove me home. I even remember her car. It was a green rabbit! Ha!!!! And she use to give us peanut butter out of a huge can on brown paper towels daily to help us keep our brain working! Things that would NEVER happen now, but probably should!!!! A high protein snack mid day might help the young ones concentrate and not be so crazy!
I remember this outfit!!!! I loved it so much! I was so proud of those boots and that sweater skirt get up!!!!!
I remember in 5th grade, a gal by the name of Tracy, who had an orange wheel chair use to come to Mrs. Rosie Steel’s class. Steven Ranger and I sat in the back of the room and Tracy would be wheeled in and I would chat with her. Looking back now I think Tracy probably had cerebral palsy, but no one really told me. All I know is her hands were curled up and she could not speak. She could only move her head and make noises, but she and I had our own language. So much so that she started bringing me Juicy Fruit gum. Now every time I see Juicy Fruit I think of Tracy and wonder what ever happened to her.
Between Helen Keller and Tracy, not to mention having a mother that was damn near Mother Teresa, forgive me for cursing Mom, I really do believe that is where my compassion and love for those with special needs was planted. I learned so much from her and the biggest lesson I learned is everyone in the world has a problem of some sort. We all do. It is just a fact of life. What sets us all apart is those who are determined to work hard and cope with their problems, those are the happy people….those who chose to give up and blame the world….those are the unhappy people. Tracy could not walk, she could not talk, she could not control her arm or head baubles, but Tracy was happy! Even though she would never be better she was happy. I will always be grateful for that lesson.
Did I always remember that lesson? No! Especially in middle school. I am not sure what happens to us in middle school so I will just blame the hormones, but middle school is a beast! And when your mom puts your hair in Princess Leah buns on the daily, well it makes life super hard! True story!!!!! I don’t have many memories, but I remember the library again! Weird, writing this shows me where I got my love for reading, but my best friend Ginger’s grandmother, Mee Maw, was our librarian and somehow I was lucky enough to get Library for homeroom? I don’t know how, but I remember getting to go daily one year and I got the back table with three other people. It was AWESOME! I remember Mr. Green Jeans for Science and I am sad to say I cannot remember what his real name was!!!!! I had Ms. Swope for Social Studies and Ms. Guinn with green eyebrows, no lie, for Math! Mrs. Jones was one of my math teachers as well and pretty much that is all I remember, with the exception of the most humiliating experience of my life. Trying out for cheerleader and not making it! Most embarrassing thing EVER!!!!! I remember running down the hall to Mrs. Sebastians room and just bawling!!!! She was not my teacher, but she was one of those teachers who had compassion and you just knew it so she was who I ran to that day. The worst day of my middle school career! Worse than when I started my period!!!! FOR REALS!!!!
Yall! Bless it!!!!!
I recovered and made it to High School where I have so many fond memories. My first kiss, wrecking Ginger’s convertible bug into our Vice Principal’s daughters car, Friday night lights, my first real love, getting kicked out of confirmation by Father Ned because I was questioning my faith, and so much more, but my fondest memories are of the people who loved me through some really rough times.
I was 16 when I came home one day and told my mom I was angry, sad, and was not for sure what the point to life was. Looking back I now know where I get my ability to face stuff with our kids head on and not be afraid to ask for help when we need it. My mom! I remember she loaded my rear end up in the car right then and there and took me to the clinic and let them know we had an emergency and had to be seen. I remember Dr. Nesbit was so gracious and saw us and I just cried. He told my mom he thought I had depression and he would like to medicate me with Tofranil. I remember this day like it was yesterday. My mom was amazing and agreed to the medicine, which back in the 80’s carried a huge stigma. I am so proud of her and so grateful to her for this. To this day, I still see people put a stigma on depression and medication and I am here to tell you I am here today because my mom knew me, really knew me, and knew I needed help. AND she use to always say, “It is no different than a diabetic who needs insulin.” You know what? She is and was right! Another thing she was right on, was she told me to find a teacher I trusted and open up to them. Well, I did. Not sure how much I opened up, but Mrs. Morris got me. She got me so much she got our high school counselor Mrs. King involved. Between the two of them, my mom, and my amazing dance teacher, Renee, I got stabilized and I was able to enjoy the rest of my high school career. But, it was really hard for part of it. So hard I wanted to give up, but something about them believing in me, loving me where I was at, which was a very dark place, and putting up with me, made me not want to give up. Not to mention my tribe of girls, Ginger, Lara, and Mary. They kept me grounded and they loved me even when I was unlovable.
Looking back on that time I realize dance and theater saved me. My dance teacher Renee was like a sister to me and my theater coach, Mr. Cody, well he made me believe I was capable of anything I wanted to do or be on that stage. I loved getting lost in a play or a dance and now I know why I love dance. For one hour every day, I get to only concentrate on the music, the counts, the movement, and the feeling. It is so wonderful to turn my mind off to the outside “STUFF” and just listen, feel, move, and shine. Shine bright!!!!! Everyone should be so lucky as to find the one thing they can do daily and just get lost. What is that for you?
Bless us! Can you find me? I think this is circa 1985…..
So as I look back on my first two decades of life, I am starting to see how or why I love certain things. Who or what had an influence on me and helped be a part of making me into the human I am becoming. The human being who is constantly evolving and who is realizing her story. The story of Amy Foley Berry. The story of a worthy girl. A girl with determination, compassion, honesty, grit, love, and faith.
Until Next Time,
XO,
Amy
Great book for kiddos!!!!! Actual all of the Valuetales are great books! Great Christmas gift!!!!
Juicy fruit gum always reminds me of Tracy and the value of life is hard but I get a choice to be happy or not….which way will you choose? Chew some Juicy Fruit and think about it!!!!!
The Slow Break UP
Dear Will,
Today you turn 18! I can hardly wrap my head around this and I can assure you I cannot wrap my heart around it. I know in my head I should be so happy, but I would be lying if I told you I was. Why? Because my heart is crushing inside. Crushing because you are becoming a man and I don’t think I am prepared for this and I don’t think there is a rule book out there to help me get ready.
Where is my little boy?
Miss Rainey sent me a post about this, just this the other day. Thank God I waited until later in the day to open it because I was a blubbering idiot by the time I was through listening to it. However, everything the post touched on talked to me. It is a slow break up watching you and your brothers grow up and become men. Yes it is the natural order, but no it does not feel good. And YES I feel so selfish because there are too many moms out there who do not even get the chance to experience this day because their sweet children have left this earth and have wings now. I know that all too well after all my work with kiddos with cancer back in the day.
Did you know Will that my dream use to be to have a camp for terminally ill kids? Did you know you got to experience that with me when you were only 7 months old? You and I flew to Aspen, Colorado to spread the ashes of one of my amazing kids at the camp I use to go to with kiddos with all kinds of special needs. That was my last time to go to Challenge Aspen. When Lea died, a part of me died, so I know how selfish I am being by not wanting to let you go. Lea was not even my own, but she sure felt like it. I am so grateful to Cindy and Steve and all the time they allowed me with her…..but how selfish can I be when I have experienced so many kids like Lea not making it to this stage in life?
Sweet Lea!
It’s funny too because I cannot speak from experience on this with girls, but I sure can with boys, and you have already stuck your foot outside the nest if you will. What do I mean by this? I mean, the minute you and your brother hit high school and started experiencing real independence you truly just used our home for room and board. I don’t mean this in a negative way either. I mean this in the way that maybe that is how God designed it. To make it easier on us mamas with young men.
So son, today, to the world you are no longer a boy, but a man…..I think for me a part of you will always be my little boy, but I am so incredibly proud of the young man you have become. I am in awe of your ability to stand up for what you believe in, your creativity, your work ethic, your ability with others and how kind you are, your love and patience with your father and I, your ability to forgive me quickly when I have made a mistake in this job of motherhood, your uncanny way of knowing when I am struggling emotionally and the way you are there for me, your patience with my mom when she was alive and now my father, your love for your brothers, the way you stand up for John Paul and who he chooses to love, your courage to start your own business, your grit and determination with your business, your willingness to be open and honest with your father and I, and the courage to always speak to us, even when the topic is ugly, and your sense of wonder for the world amazes me. YOU MY BOY AMAZE ME! You will go far my love and you will do well. You can be and do anything you want to Will Berry! I believe in you!
So you growing up and “breaking up with me” means I have done my job…..It hurts like hell though, even though this is what I want and what you need. I want for you to grow up I also know I am capable and will let you go because my biggest desire is for you and your brothers to have a healthy, wonderfully beautiful, fulfilled life. Well, the only way you guys can do that is by leaving the nest.
Just remember Will, I will always be your mom and I will always love! No matter what I will always love you. But I am no longer the sun in which you spin around…..So while I learn our new relationship and how and what is appropriate to express my love for you, please know son I am so proud of you and I love you to the moon and back and fifty million times over!
Love you most said it last!!!!!
Happy Birthday Will!
LYMSIL,
Mom
Simple Supper Suggestions #19
I cannot believe Christmas is less than 17 days away! Crazy!!!!! With all the parties and hustle and bustle the last thing I want to think about is cooking and I am sure it is the same for you or at least most of you. So for the next couple of weeks I can assure you the meals will be quick and easy because it is about to get busy up in here!!!!!
Sunday we will be doing our usual Spaghetti Sunday which is so easy, especially if you get into the habit of doing it every week. You can darn near do it in your sleep!!!!!
Monday is my oldest son, Will’s, 18th birthday. He has asked to go out to eat and for Sprinkles Red Velvet Cupcakes! So I am off the clock!!! Probably a good thing as I will be an emotional mess thinking about the fact that my first born is 18 already!!!!!
My beautiful boy!!!!!
Tuesday I have a Christmas Party with my Dallas Country Club Students so I will be making Tacos via the crock pot which is always a life saver!
Wednesday Trey and I have a Christmas Dinner with some friends so I will be making Miss Andrea’s Kings Ranch Chicken for the kids! So easy and such a crowd pleaser!
Thursday is JP’s Holiday Concert so again I need it to be super easy so we will be having Red Beans and Rice for the hectic life! I think I will double it so we can munch on it all weekend as well!
That in a nutshell is what we will be eating this week! What will you be having?
Until Next Time!
XO,
Amy
October/November Book Review
With all the broken necks and weird super bugs that hit our household these past two months I got behind on my book review. But, never fear, it is here.
These past two months I read a couple of memoirs, some interesting books that really had me thinking, and one chick lit that I LOVED!!!!! I think I need to do more chic lit in December to keep things light with the holidays, so if anyone has any suggestions PLEASE help a sister out!!!! I need to chillax on the serious stuff I think!
So I took a tiny Enneagram workshop at my church in February and it really had me intrigued. I decided to pick up the book they spoke about and go deeper. I got The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Con and Suzanne Stable. I was so fascinated by this book that I subscribed to their podcast and I am working my way through it now. The book is pretty easy to grasp, but if you are like me and really want to understand people, well, I highly suggest getting the book and listening to the podcast. Basically in a nutshell this is a personality typing if you will. What I LOVE about it though, is it does not box you in to any personality and it really helped me understand how my weakness can become strengths and honestly visa versa. Raising teens in this day and age is hard and this book has helped me understand and RESPECT my teens and what makes them tic. That alone makes this book worth its weight in gold as far as I am concerned. Do I recommend this book for everyone? Only if you are ready to level up and respect people for all of their gifts….the good, the bad, and the ugly…..when we all do this, the world will be a little bit brighter. Unfortunately some people do not want or desire to do this….and that is why we are human. BUT if you want to be more like Jesus, RUN, do NOT pass GO, and get this book!!!!!
While listening to The Road Back to You Podcast I heard an interview with Sarah Thebarge who wrote The Invisible Girls: A Memoir. Well, I fell in love with her during the interview and I had to get her book as I was so touched by her heart and her strength. Sarah is a survivor of breast cancer and a lot of her story is how she coped with that while finding her way back to God. I resonated with this part of her story simply because I found myself wondering if God was really God a time or two in my life and I too have learned that by helping others we tend to let go and let God if you will. Great read. Easy read because the chapters are short which always leaves me thinking…..”Oh just one more, they are short chapters.” And the next thing you know it is midnight thirty and I have to get up at 5:45 am!!!!! That is always a sign of a good book for me!
Next I went with a book my brother in law Tom suggested on his Facebook page. Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell. This is my first Gladwell book and I have to say he is a fascinating dude! I think his point that we are terrible at talking to strangers is well driven home, but I will say he falls short on giving us any kind of advice on how to. What I do know is that I was fascinated by his view points. I think anyone who has to make quick judgments of others character and behavior should read this. He makes some interesting and thought provoking points. He really had me pondering a lot. So much so it took me forever to read this book because he does have you really pondering on how we see strangers. Let’s just say this book left me thinking and at a loss for words…..and that never happens! Should you read it? I say yes. If you don’t like it just return it! But, I do say yes!
After reading that heavy stuff I decided on a book my girlfriend Ashley recommended. Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover. I found this book fascinating yet heavy! In a nutshell it is about a girls account of being raised in a fundamentalist Mormon family, however, she makes it very clear that this book is not about Mormons, but about a very unhealthy and dysfunctional family. One that she survived and lived to tell about. Which in and of itself is a miracle because her father puts their family at risk a number of times. Why? I think it is because he is bi polar and not medicated. Bi polar disease when left untreated can be a nightmare and extremely dangerous for the patient and for the family members caring for the patient. What is worse, in this story, most of the family members are under the fathers spell and cannot see he is sick. This book had me wondering if many a cult leaders in the past were bi polar? It would make sense to me if that was the case and maybe then I could have a little more compassion, seeing that it is a disease controlling their mind. Maybe????? Bottom line that is what Tara has done. She survived her childhood, still loves her parents and family, but has chosen with zero bitterness to separate herself from them as a boundary for her own sanity. Now that is compassion! Great book about survival and one that goes to show we can overcome our circumstances if we choose to! Bravo Tara on your choices!!!!!
Holy Heavy! After all that I needed a break and I chose A Christmas Bliss: A Novel by Mary Kay Andrews! Can I just say this book was just what the doctor ordered!!!!! Thank you Mary Kay Andrews for bringing some love and fluff into this world!!!!! And perfect timing with Christmas right around the corner! This book is an easy read, with lovable characters, and just enough twist and turns to make for a happy ending. So if you are looking for an easy, light, chic lit read to get you through the stress of the holidays, well this is your book!!!!!
So there you have it! That is what I have been reading, what have you been reading? I would love to know!
Until January!
XO,
Amy
Simple Supper Suggestions #18
Thanksgiving is behind us and if you are like our house you have tons of leftovers! And by Sunday the family is sick of them!!!! Actually by Saturday, but we all take one for the team because waste not want not right!!!! So it is time to get back on track with our regular scheduled diet!!!!! What will you be eating this week? Here is the Berry line up!
Spaghetti Sunday for the win! It is easy and everyone loves it!!!!
Monday I am making soup and if you have any leftover turkey you can always substitute that for the chicken.
Taco Tuesday this week I want to have a fruit twist with it so I will do my Mango Tacos. So good, so fresh, and you can either do a bowl or a taco.
You can make this like a taco or a bowl!!!!
This Wednesday I will be making an easy pasta dish that everyone loves AND you can make it healthy with zoodles or make it like the kids like it with thin spaghetti!!!! So good and everyone is happy!!!!!
Thursday the Berry’s will be having a delicious sausage loaf the entire family loves! Super easy and crowd pleasy!!!!!!
Friday and Saturday I am off the clock! What will you all be eating this week? Got any recipes you would like me to try and feature here? I would love to!!!!!
Until next time!
XO,
Amy
Thank You For The Storm
We have less than 40 days until 2019 comes to a close. When I look back on 2019 I am so proud! Proud of me, proud of Trey, proud of our boys, just proud!!!!! And oh so grateful!
I think most of you know by now that I hate new years resolutions and I like to do themes or words for the year. This year my theme was GUTS! To see why click here.
GUTS-The informal meaning is that the word guts is used in reference to a feeling or reaction based on an instinctive emotional response rather than considered thought.
When I look back on my family’s last year we lived the true meaning of guts! And I could not be more proud of each individual in my family or more grateful for this period of time. Would I do it again? That is one question I need to really ponder because the truth is we came out so much better and I am so thankful. Truly thankful. We are stronger, we are more resilient, we are more compassionate, we seek to understand each other, we listen, and we have respect for one another. Was that missing before? Maybe, but, I can honestly say each one of us has had a transformation for the better and we have all become better at serving one another. What a beautiful experience for a family.
Thanksgiving 2018…..
Times are tough and through it we are each learning to see what it is God is wanting to do with us during this unsure season. We have a lot of unknowns before us, but we are remembering to keep God at the front of it all. Whether it is a decision on a college, a job, a teacher, a counselor, to go with a group of friends, to go to the party, to say yes or say no, boundaries…..whatever it is we are ALL getting better at looking to God and relying on Him. Truly relying on Him. And you know what…..that takes GUTS! True Guts.
It’s hard to rely on someone you cannot see or you cannot touch. You can talk to God, but He is not going to talk back to you in the traditional way. Our family has learned to do this. We have learned to rely on God. Are we great at it? No! Were we somewhat forced to? Yes! Do we have room for improvement? Yes! Of course. Faith takes practice because fears take hold and when they do it is so easy to slip back into old behaviors, but now that my family as a whole has learned the beauty of turning our will over to God we can remind each other of this gently and compassionately. We can remind each other of the miracle of this past year and we can have hope and peace. For this I am forever grateful.
So as I look back on the past 365 days, I look back in awe and I am so grateful to God for the disaster He brought us to and through so that we could be the family He made us to be. What miracle it is to say Thank You for the Storm.
Happy Thanksgiving My Friends.
XO,
Amy
Simple Supper Suggestions #17
Well it has been brought to my attention some of you really like this…..I honestly did not think so, but I guess you do! So I will keep on keeping on. Truth is I thought it might be getting boring, but I am being told no. And the other truth is I have tons of recipes to add, but I don’t have pictures and you guys seem to think that is o.k. The REAL TRUTH is my pictures are not that great anyways so I don’t know why I worry! So I shall start adding recipes even without pictures and if you ever get a great photo of any of my recipes I would love for you to share it and I will TOTALLY give you all the credit!
So this week will be a short week because of Thanksgiving. I don’t ever make the turkey which is a real win, but I do make sides. This week I really only have to cook a meal for my family Sunday-Tuesday night so I will send you my sides and a couple of meals and we can reconvene next week! Sound like a plan?
Of course Sunday we will start with Spaghetti Sunday and I am sure my family is very excited as I have been so sick that we have not had it in a couple of weeks.
As the cook you should always test the sauce!
Monday I think we will be EXTREMELY healthy and have salmon! This recipe is amazing, my friend Elizabeth gave it to me about a year ago and I dream about it all the time!!!!!
My mouth is watering looking at this photo!
Tuesday is always some sort of Taco in this family! But this week we will make a twist on it and have Ju Ju’s Taco soup! It is delish and if you double it you have enough for all the family that is in town to nibble on over the weekend when they are tired of the old bird!!!!!
So I am always known for my sides during the holidays and here are some of my specialties that are always requested! Try them! You won’t be sorry!!!!!
So that in a nutshell is this week! Tell me what you are eating! Send me recipes! I will share! And do you have any family favorites at the holidays I should introduce into my family? Would love too!!!!!!
Until Next Time!
XO,
Amy
You Look Soft....
I remember my first Christmas home after I went to college. I walked through the door and my mother literally said, “You are HOME!!!!……” Silence…….then quietly and gently she said, “You look soft!” I remember thinking, “Nice Mom….Nice.” But, the sad fact is that it was true. I had not only put on the freshman 15 I put on an extra 10! No lie! I lived in the football dorm at The University of North Texas and they had yeast rolls that would knock your socks off! EVERYDAY!!!!! And yep I ate them EVERYDAY! And I may or may not have discovered beer. Happens and it is a right of passage a lot of us go through. I like to think it made me who I am today! “Silver Lining”!
Now you all know I have naturally curly hair, my hair is not naturally blonde, and I have some amazing KKG sisters!!!!!! And there is the beautiful freshman 25 I found!!!!!
However, this time of year I still tend to get “soft” as my mother so eloquently put it all those years ago. When I look at why, I see where it is very easy to do.
Did you know the average american puts on an estimated 5-15 pounds from Thanksgiving to New Year’s!
That is a lot of weight especially if you are over the age of 35 and your metabolism has decided to slow its roll! (There is that delicious word again! lol!) It is so easy to do! Why?
Well, let’s look at it:
It is colder out so we make warm and cozy meals.
We induce undue stress because of having to have the house perfect, the perfect gift, the perfect place settings, and just showing off for family to make your life look perfect. Truth is we should just enjoy each other and be grateful we have another year together, but nope something about family raises that cortisol level and boom that raises that poundage level on the scales!
We wear bigger, bulkier, softies as I like to put it….aka sweats and sweaters! I love my softies anyone will tell you!!!!
There is traditionally a lot more alcohol due to many parties and “reasons to celebrate”!
Gingerbread homes, sugar cookies, pumpkin pie, candy canes, hot chocolate, whipped cream, gum drops galore, and so much more goodness….did I mention yeast rolls? Or my mom’s homemade monkey bread!? YUM!
Exhaustion due to all the celebrations sometimes lowers our immune systems and makes us lethargic which in turn slows down our workouts. Literally happening to me now as I right this I am on the couch sick as a dog with an upper respiratory infection/sinus infection.
Over scheduling slows down our workouts because we are so frazzled and make up every excuse as to why it is ok if we miss, “JUST THIS ONCE!”
Being cold outside and bad weather slows down our workouts, especially if you are a runner, unless of course you are a total you know what! Bad Arse!
You see the theme….”slows down our workouts” eventually turns into I will start New Year’s day and then New Year’s day comes and you go to the gym and there is no parking or if you are lucky enough to get parking you can’t get on your equipment or find a space in your class because the entire city is at that gym. Murphy’s law!
And last but not least if you are like me you are a Hallmark movie Junkie and you cry your eyes out to the point of looking like a swollen fish so you hide under the covers and say, “Just one more!” Those darn movies are so addicting!!!!!! Maybe more so than social media! True story for this girl! I have watched two today! But, hey I am sick! Throw the girl a bone!
Now that is just 10 reasons that I could come up with, but I am sure there are plenty more! Point is we get “soft!” So what will you do to combat it? I am a big fan of making a plan now and getting in the habit of it! I will share with you my plan and maybe you can tweak it to serve you.
The most important thing for me to stay on track is to stay consistent with my early morning ritual! Don’t know what that is, click here to get a sneak peak. When I do this, I tend to stay on track with everything. Today, even while I was sick, I did get up and do my morning ritual and look at me now…..I am writing…..Yes I feel like dog doo doo, but I am in it to win it!!!!!
Next I take my Revitalu everyday! What is that you ask? Well it is a health product that I sell and I 100 percent believe in! It has done so much for me since I started taking it in April. It gives me energy, improves my mental focus, suppresses my appetite, and elevates my mood. I am telling you it is magical! Want to know more about it shoot me a message on insta, facebook, or email me at amy@worthyheart.com and I have samples I can send you to try before you buy! Which I love that entire concept! I hate it when amazing healthcare products that you can only get through influencers require you to buy before you try and I really hate when they make you have a monthly contract! Guess what! With me you do not! So WINNING!!!!! I will tell you though, part of the reason I am able to function to write is because of my product! I promise you that!
And last but not least I write my schedule out each week of when I will work out and where. Now full disclosure. I do get paid to workout as I teach dance fitness, but on days I am not teaching I do have my workout on the schedule! It is the only way it will happen. I normally only work out 4-5 days a week, but with the holiday stress and poundage factor I up it to 5-6 days a week. And the one or two days I do not workout I make sure to take a leisurely stroll and stretch. I swear by stretching! If you want to know more about my dance classes or where I go to stretch, same thing as above….send me a message, give me an email, or an SOS will work too! I promise to get back to you and answer any questions!
Come dance with me! I promise you will burn a min. of 300 calories! Min! I usually burn 500-680! No lie!!!!!!
So that in a nutshell is how Amy Berry will tackle the challenge of not being a statistic! Do you want to take up the challenge with me? If so let’s hold each other accountable! Again, give me a shout out and we can do this!!!! After all when you do something together it is more fun and a lot easier to accomplish the challenge! So who’s in?
Until Next Time,
XO,
Amy
Why Veterans Day is Hard for Me as a Veterans Wife
Today brings a lot of mixed emotions for me. It is Veterans day. A day that we as Americans honor and thank all military personnel who served our wonderful country. The key word is served. Why does this bring me mixed emotions? Well, my husband served 20 years in the Navy and up until this year he struggled with it. Why? I am not sure because I am not him, but I will tell you what I think.
He was in a plane crash in May of 2000 while practicing night time carrier landings. There was a bird strike, long story short, and he and two of his buddies went down in the middle of the night in a pitch black sky. They all three survived, but the ramifications from the crash were pretty huge starting with a broken back. Would you believe that he and his friends were back in the cockpit doing REAL night time landings on the ship by October. True story! Talk about brave and they were overseas in less than a year fighting for our freedom. Again very courageous and brave.
This picture does it no justice
What was I doing? Well, I beat myself up daily now because I was Suzy happy homemaker making a home and in such bliss of being engaged and newly married that I never even stopped to think of the mental ramifications this might have caused. I mean when you get a call in the middle of the night that there has been an incident but your fiance is alive, well, you are just relieved and when they discharge him from the hospital hours after the crash, well, one tends to think no big deal right? Wrong! It was a freaking plane crash! It was a hunk of metal that dropped from the sky, split in half, and caught fire! VERY TRAUMATIC, but you would never have known with how I was responding or how Trey was responding. Never! Because we kept on keeping on.
The investigation begins…..18 months later Trey and his co pilot were cleared. That was a long 18 months……and they flew in a war while waiting to know…..for our freedom…….away from their families….
How many people will survive a plane crash in their life? A very small percentage and very few that can say they were at the controls when it happened and everyone survived because of his and their co pilots ability to compartmentalize and work together to save themselves and all the civilians below them.
It has been over 19 years since that fateful night. 19 years of much joy, but there has been a lot of pain. Physical and mental. And I can honestly say this year is my first year to admit I am angry. Angry with how the military was not their for my husband and his friends during that time. Now, I need to clarify. Trey’s squadron was AMAZING. His CO and XO were outstanding! But the Navy overall during that time, not so much. Sure they crossed their i’s and dotted their t’s, but I blame them for so much pain my husband has endured over these past 19 years which in turn my family has also endured. We are strong and lucky for my husband I am not a quitter, but I know there are plenty of other military families that have split due to the trauma of something they experienced while fighting for this country. And all they get is a parade on November 11 or a celebration. I am really not sure what I expect either, but I do know our military needs to do better when it comes to trauma. They need to do better when it comes to Vets and I feel like I can say this because I witness it under my own roof. Am I asking for a handout? No. Hell, I am not even sure what this is about other than it is one step in the right direction of healing for me, for Trey, and for our beautiful family.
Our family is strong and our family fights for each other. Could not be more proud of us!
Point is, when you have suffered from something so traumatic and you don’t get the help you need, mentally the mind will remember. The body will remember. And those around you can and will suffer. And all for what? For your freedom and for my freedom. I should be thankful, but this year I am struggling. Why? Well, that I know but not ready to go there….So instead I want to tell you why I think Trey has struggled up until now with Veterans day and why I am sad and angry and for no reason other than I need to get it off my chest. So here it goes:
The civilian world is not anything like the military. We do not have the motto “No man left behind.” We have the motto, get dirt on him, stomp on her, do whatever it takes to get to the top. That is the real world. That is not how it works in the military. So when you come from a band of brothers and you are thrown into a den of lions, well, it is hard. It is hard on the veteran and it is hard on their families. REAL HARD! And throw trauma of any sort on it…..well…..that can get real messy. What do we do about it? That I am not sure of, but if you know me, you know that me just writing about it means I am thinking about it. I am thinking about it so much that I am writing about it and maybe someday I can help do something about it. That is all.
So for now I have a favor. Today, when you see a veteran, sincerely thank them. Thank their family too…. because a lot of them have had some kind of trauma they endured for your freedom and they and their family have sacrificed. Whether it was time with their family, not seeing their child be born, not seeing their child take their first steps, not being there when their family member was dying, not being there when their parent died, going into a war, surviving a plane crash, being shot, seeing their best friend shot down in the plane next to them, and the list goes on not to mention all they have endured mentally just getting out of the military….I assure you they have sacrificed. More than we will ever know. Trust me I know, because I live with a vet and cannot fathom it…..So if you could take a moment today and say a prayer for all our vets and current military and their family’s that would mean the world to me and my family. Maybe it will start my healing process too……
Until Next Time.
XO,
Amy
Simple Supper Suggestions #16
Sunday’s are usually a time for meal planning for me, but I have to be honest, as of late my life has seemed a little chaotic. Peacefully chaotic if that is even a thing, but I can assure you my meal plans are hit and miss. I am happy to say I finally did get some meals on the table for the family last week, which means this week should be better!!!!! One can hope! Ha!
So what will you be eating this week? Might I help you out a little? I assure you my plan will be super easy as it is yet another busy week for the Berry Clan! Surprise! Surprise!
Sunday is normally Spaghetti Sunday, but this Sunday we will be eating out with our family from Oregon and Ft Worth to celebrate our amazing JP!
Monday I am finally going to make Soup!!!! YEAH! It is a bonus because my dad is still having problems swallowing so I can make extra and take it to my sisters! This soup is so good it is ridiculous and whatever is leftover you can nibble on all week at lunch! Homemade Cream of Chicken and Mushroom Soup. This soup is super Keto Friendly too for all my Keto friends out there!
Tuesday will be Taco Tuesday and this Tuesday we will have to do the crock pot tacos again as we have a baseball game.
Wednesday the boys have been requesting their Chicken Feta. You guys this recipe is so easy and everyone loves it! My kids ask for it all the time!
Thursday I will be going to JP’s fourth performance of Chorus Line so I am going to have to keep it real simple for Trey and the boys so I will have Gramzee’s pizza bread all prepared and all Trey has to do is pop it in the oven! This is a HUGE hit with everyone! Pro Tip….make sure to have a lot of Ranch on hand!
So there is the Berry Plan for the week! What is your plan?
Bon Appetit!
Amy
Let's Get Physical
A while back I asked a couple of questions about working out. Simple ones like: Do you workout? 25% of my readers do not. What workout do you prefer? I seriously got answers from intercourse! NO LIE! To pilates, to running, and lastly I asked what workout do you wish you could do? I got the answer I was looking for! DANCE! Really any of them with the exception of intercourse because that came from a single gal who I am proud of for abstaining until she meets her prince! But that is beside the point!
What is the point? The point is it does not matter how old you are, what kind of shape you are in, or what you look like doing something, just do something. Even if that something is a walk down the street and back. Movement is the key and the real key is to find the movement that fits your heart, your body, and your desire.
Why do I say this? Well, for starters is because before I found my dance classes at age 44, I was doing everything and anything I could to lose weight. I was trying every workout. Yoga, pilates, pole walking, (yes that is a thing), tennis, triathlon, (yes I did that and I am proud to say I was 9 weeks preggers with Graeme when I completed my second olympic triathlon), and plain old walking. The only thing that brought some results was the triathlon, but I ate like a horse to keep up with the workouts so the results were not what one would think.
I unfortunately or fortunately got seriously injured playing tennis. Why do I say it like that? Well, my girlfriends who I use to play with LOVE the sport and I LOVE them, but I got hurt pretty bad and was down for a long time and I don’t ever want to twist my ankle and break my foot like that again. Unfortunate because I miss seeing my friends so often, but fortunate because I found dance! And when I found dance my world changed! My heart changed! My mind changed! My weight changed! My life changed! Hell! I became a dance teacher at 45 years of age! Who does that? Amy Foley Berry! That is who! And I am not looking back!
Who dances with a broken foot? Amy Berry that is who!!!!!
This could not have happened at a better time in my life either! In 2016 my mom got very ill. We had my Dad at our house and my mom in a facility, my youngest son was still having major ear, nose, and throat issues and I got shingles! Life was really out of control. BUT, I kept going to dance because I loved it and it was my one hour every day that I could check out and not think about what my life was. Yall, my left arm was paralyzed, NO LIE, from the shingles, but I kept dancing. My arm did not move and it was really weird, but the rest of me did. My dance family embraced me and loved me through it even when life got really icky.
I will never forget the first phone call I got in the middle of a dance class. It was Trey saying he was with my mom and he thought she was having a stroke! I remember darting out of there and getting to the hospital. Sure enough she did and things started getting worse. That was on December 8, 2016. That was a scary time for me. But, I swear I got through it because of the dance, the movement, the sweating, the heart pumping, and literally the mind shutting off for one hour every time I went. One hour! And only three days a week back then and those three days and three hours saved my life. I am telling you I was super depressed, super scared, super angry, super exhausted, and super grateful for dance.
Why am I saying all this? Because I have a few friends going through some tough times right now or have just come out of a tough time. They all say the same thing. Whatever it is they are going through they feel the need to be there for their family and have zero time for themselves. I promise you and please hear me if you too are going through something. EVEN 30 MINUTES CAN MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE. Movement! There is magic in movement. Movement is medicine! It is the medicine that creates change in our physical, emotional, and mental states! I promise you this: If you will move a little more today than you did yesterday and a little more tomorrow than you will today….and keep that pace going….you will start to feel something different. Something big. And when life knocks you down like it did me, if you have something, whether that something is dance, tennis, running, yoga, pilates, pole walking, soccer, body pump, weight lifting, swimming, basketball, ping pong….whatever it is, it will save your life! Trust me I know. Dance has saved my life about 5 times now in three short years! So find your thing and let’s get physical!
Until Next Time,
XO,
Amy
Simple Supper Suggestions #15
I am literally sitting in my Dad’s hospital bed right now typing this and the funniest thing just happened….I was singing the Texas A & M fight song, because it is College Football Saturday, and my pops looked annoyed….So I said, “You wish Robin was here right about now, don’t ya?” Robin is my sister for those of you who do not know, and he LITERALLY said, “No. Not necessarily, I just wish you would shut up!?” I about fell out of the bed! But hey! That is a great sign that he is still witty!
So truth be known I have not cooked in about 2 weeks since my father’s fall. Thank God for friends bringing meals and Trey’s ability to cook! They have all saved me and fed my kids which has been glorious and a major weight off my shoulders!!!! But, if this is what life is going to throw at me it is time I adjust so I am going to do a meal plan this week of super easy meals that can be thrown in a crockpot or whipped up super duper fast!
Sunday will still be Spaghetti Sunday as just last night I was at my friend Amy’s house and her sweet daughter Caroline literally said, “I want to come to Spaghetti Sunday!” Yall! Do you know what that did for my ego! First off the fact that a high school girl is reading my blog!!!! Well, that touched me to the core! And second the fact that any high school kid might think my house if fun!!!!! Dude that is huge! So you better believe I will not let that tradition go!
Monday-Blueberry Salmon This meal is so good and perfect for this time in my life because Trey is in charge of the grill! Ha! All I have to do is make sure to make the rice!!! Easy Peasy!
Tuesday-Crockpot Tacos!!!! You know us! We gotta have tacos on Tuesday and thank God for the crock pot! These tacos are so versatile and everyone loves them!
Wednesday- Red Beans and Rice Again I need the crock pot with life right now. This recipe is super easy and everyone loves it and it makes for nice left overs!!!!
Thursday-Halloween! Our street always gets together and this year we are doing a tex mex theme so I will be making my neighbor Amy’s Tortilla Soup! It is so good and so easy and every crowd loves it!
Friday and Saturday! I am off….Course I feel really guilty because I have pretty much been off since my Dad’s fall on October 11, but I know not to beat myself up too much as this is just a season and one that God is growing me in gracefully!
What will you be cooking this week? And if you have any crock pot meals could you help a sister out and send them my way?
Until next time,
Bon Appetit!
Amy
2 Years And Still In Love
I love that title! You know why? Because so many people thought this was a “phase” and I just wanted to get rich, or try to. Well, I am here to tell you and them, “NO I HAVE NOT GOTTEN RICH AND NO IT IS NOT A PHASE!” This is a love affair! A love affair with me and learning all about myself.
Definition of a love affair: An intense enthusiasm or liking for something.
You guys! I can tell you I am not only liking this blog, I am loving this blog!!!!!! And I am loving myself more and more! I have grown so much in so many ways……These past two years have been quite the journey. I lost my mom in December of 2016 and honestly the blog came about because of that. Many people would question me, while I was taking care of my mom, asking if I had considered blogging about the “Sandwich Generation”. I had not, but that is where the seed was planted and I actually started out writing about grief and it has evolved into life in general and truth be known, I am still trying to figure out what direction I want to go.There is so much to LIFE!!!! Life is so hard at times, other times it is so good, and still other times it is just tooling along with no bumps or highs. There are soooooo many things I could write about!!!!!
However, I realize now through the loss of my mom, that I needed this blog and it honestly might have saved my sanity. My mom was my biggest cheerleader. I called her daily at 3:00 and sometimes 3 or 4 times a day. She was who I told EVERYTHING too! The good, the bad, and the downright ugly! Things you should never tell your mom, especially about your spouse, but I did! Why? Because my mom was the coolest, kindest, most forgiving, most loving, most prayerful human being on the face of this earth, or at least that I knew of. I always knew I could tell her anything and she would listen, not judge, not offer advice, unless I asked for it, and always pray for whatever it was. I miss her so much.
Funny thing is, I am sitting here in my father’s hospital room writing this and I feel like I am reliving that journey all over. However, things are a lot different this go around. Some of it is more obvious….it is my dad, not my mom. Some of it is more similar, we are here as a result of a fall and complications from the fall. But something very important is different. ME! I am different. My mindset, my faith, my attitude, and my priorities…..all different.
I have come to the realization that God is in control. Funny thing to say I know, but it is true. I have learned so much about myself through my writing and if I am being honest, tons of therapy, these past two years. One of the things I learned about myself was that I truly did not trust God. That was a hard realization. I truly thought I knew what was best. Still do at times. I thought I knew how things should go. Still do at times. My prayers were more negotiations then gratitude. Still are at times. It is hard not to slip back into 46 years of that thought training. But I wake up every day and I hit my knees and I pray:
God, Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. The courage to change the things I can. And the wisdom to know the difference. Your Will God…Not mine……Let Your Will Be Done Today…Amen.
That prayer right there my friend makes all the difference. Is it like lighting striking and I know I am healed everyday, and I go on with my day in peace? Heck no! Not even close. Some days, actually a lot of days lately, I find myself repeating that prayer over and over. Why? Because I am scared… and when I am scared I try to control things.
What drives this need for control? Fear! And fear is the devil’s friend and my worst enemy. Fear whispers in my ear and says, “You can control this. Just do this or say this.” Fear has me believe if I kick and scream or better yet cry, beg, and plea, things will go my way….they will do what I want. Fear has me looking at others lives and saying, “You will never be that, they are so happy, so strong, so pretty, so talented, so whatever…” Fear has me curl up in a ball on the couch, binge watch some show, and try to forget what is happening. Fear takes away precious moments and makes the devil do a dance. Fear is a nasty thing. When I feel it creeping in, which I do daily, I have to dig in deep, I pray, and I release it to God. I look at what it is that is driving the fear and 99.9999999 percent of the time it is something or someone that I have ZERO control over. True Story!
So…. I ask for the courage to show me what I can change. Do you know what happens when I do this? Slowly but surely I realize I am the only thing that can change! Sometimes it is my attitude that needs an adjustment. Sometimes it is a boundary I need to put up and stick to. Sometimes it is perspective and just looking at whatever it is in a different lens. Sometimes it is that I need to just slow down and relax. Sometimes it is my priorities. Almost always though, the only thing I can change is something about me!!!!! Truly. My reactions, my emotions, my thoughts, what I will or will not do, what I say or don’t say, point is….. it almost always comes back to me.
Do you know how freeing and how much growth I have had with this realization and this prayer? So much! So if you are needing to be released from fear, from a life that is pure chaos and not serene, my wish for you is that you give that prayer 30 days and see what happens. Will it be a miracle? Maybe it will be….why don’t you hit your knees and try it……
Until next time,
XO,
Amy
It's Here! September Book Review!
Never fear! It is here! My September book review! I actually had a few of you message me and ask me if I did not read in September! The truth is I did, but there was a book I wanted to finish before I wrote this and I did!!!! So here we go!
The first book I read was The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. I got the idea to order this book from a gal I respect and follow on Instagram. I am not going to lie….For me personally I got bored after a while with it and it took me FOREVER to finish, hence the late review. Why? Well, I felt like it was kind of long for the message. The message is simple. Do a little bit everyday whether it is in business, exercise, eating right, cleaning out, or just making a plan on improving yourself, and watch the compound effect happen. But, don’t let this review stop you from getting the book. This might be just the book you need to get started and grasp the concept of a little bit of positive everyday for whatever it is will eventually compound into a huge bit of positive. Think of it like a snowball at the top of a mountain. Push that ball down the hill and slowly but surely it builds in size and momentum…..so technically you could apply this positively or negatively! I see a blog post in the making right there people! But back to the book….If you are someone who is interested in personal development and improvement you cannot go wrong with this book and I am happy to have it on my bookshelf to reference when needed.
Next up I chose a little chic lit. I chose Nancy Thayer’s Island Girls. This book honestly is not what I expected but it was great for chic lit. I was expecting a juicy summer love story and this story is not that at all! This story is about three sisters on the island of Nantucket being forced to confront their past! Not what I was thinking and full disclosure I did not read the back of the book, I simply saw the title and thought, “chicks on a beach this should be good!” Well, it was good, but not how I thought! Their father passed away and the twist….they all have a different mom! Ya it was good and juicy, but not with a love story, but with family drama! It was so fun learning each gal’s personality and what made them tick and knowing they had the same dad but different moms….well…one is not biological, but you will just have to read the book to figure that out! It was a great read. Easy to read. Fun to read and if you are like me and love to escape into a good book this is it! The setting is beautiful, the story is fun and exciting with a bit of drama, which makes it so easy to be caught up in the lives of the sisters that Nancy Thayer writes about. Great book! Especially if you are on vacation or have a weekend on the couch to curl up and get lost in it!
This next book will not be for all, but I have to say it was HILARIOUS and insightful if you can get past the crewdness. I would also suggest you get it on Audible as the author is who reads it. You will understand why when I tell you what and who it is, but full disclosure: THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR JUST ANYONE! What is it? It is….I Can’t Make This Up by Kevin Hart. This book was OVER THE TOP in so many ways and sometimes I found myself questioning if I should even admit to my followers I subjected myself to it. But I have always vowed to be honest with you and YES! I subjected myself to it. Bob Foley would be appalled, but I figure what he does not know will not hurt him! Because the truth is I learned a lot from this book. Would I recommend this to anyone and everyone? Um not just no, but HELL NO! I knew this book would be funny because of who wrote it, but I had ZERO clue how profound this book would be. This crass book actually inspired me! If you can get passed the crewd language and imagery this book has tons of life lessons on hard work, persistence, not being a victim, forgiveness, and how no matter what your beginning was or where you are now, your journey, and your story can be great! If YOU want it to be and if YOU believe in YOU! Do I recommend it…..yes, but know it is crass and vulgar but full of inspiration….I swear it is! So you decide for you, but don’t get mad at me if you get it and can’t handle it! Just sayin……
And last up for September was The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni. This book is for sure in my top three books of 2019! This book was AMAZING!!!!! I was laughing, crying, angry, and rejoicing every time I picked it up! So many emotions! I highly recommend this book!!!!! To EVERYONE! I fell in love with sweet Sam with the red. He resonated with me maybe because he was teased so much as a child and my sweet Graeme has been going through this since last year with his weight and build. It hurts as a mama to know your child is being teased when they are away from you and it hurts even more when you find out they are holding it in and not telling you to protect you. Sam and my Graeme both do this. Why? Because they are extraordinary! That is why! This book touched me on so many levels, but it also provided me with so much hope. Hope for Graeme’s future and for any child being teased. This book is extraordinary like Sam and like Graeme and I highly recommend it for everyone and anyone!
So that wraps up my September reads! What have you been reading? I would love to know!
Until next time!
XO,
Amy
Simple Supper Suggestions #14
I give up on fall yall! Is anyone else feeling this way? And is this the hottest fall on record? Lord help us! I love fall and I think we may get one week of it! Ah well….such is life and I need to quit complaining and just be happy to be alive!!!!! So with that let’s talk about what’s for dinner this week!
Sunday we will have spaghetti Sunday like every other Sunday. If you are new here you will see that the Berry family likes routine. This starts our week of sweet with all kinds of love!
Monday we will be having Cashew Chicken and this dish is so easy and it is one pan if you don’t want rice with it! So that makes clean up even easier!
Literally all on one pan unless your family wants rice with it like mine!
Tuesday is always Tacos of some sort! This week they will be baked!
Wednesday we will have turkey bolognese and I give you ideas on how to make this uber healthy and then not so healthy with regular noodles. This dish is always a crowd pleaser.
So you can make this dish uber healthy or with regular noodles like I did above….click the link to see both ways.
Thursdays have become our B for D night as we are now helping a friend out with his little girl and I am still learning what she likes. I have officially learned she does not like noodles so lasagna is out, spaghetti is out, anything with a noodle is out and last week when I had no options for her but breakfast food she got super excited so this week we will have French Toast, whip cream, and berries with some bacon on the side. For my French Toast all I do is get eggs, a little vanilla extract, some cinnamon, sugar, and heavy whipping cream. Whisk all that together and add simple white or wheat bread and cook on the frying pan with butter in the pan. So good!!!!! And everyone is happy!!!!
Friday and Saturday I am off the clock!
Sorry friends….my kitchen is closed for biz!!!!
What will you be making this week? Share a recipe and I will post!
Until next time!
XO,
Amy
Simple Supper Suggestions #13
So we are darn near to October as I write this and it is still blazing hot! The forecast for Dallas all week is 90’s! I am starting to believe my eight year old that the earth is heating up!!!!! When it is this hot I just cannot bring myself to make soup! Partly because it has been hot for months now and partly because I am seriously perimenopausal! TMI! But truth! What can I say! So this week the Berry’s will not be having soup AGAIN and yes I am bitter about it! But, like I said….”Mama just can’t handle it right now!” So to keep me happy, after all it is all about me in this house of men, we will refrain from soup yet again! What will be eating? Well, take a looksy!
Sunday…..Spaghetti Sunday for the masses!
You never know who will come or what they will talk about it….but one thing is for sure…..there is always a lot of love!
Monday…..Monday night will be the night we grill chicken. AND TONS OF IT! All I do is buy a ton of thighs and throw them in a gallon zip lock bags and marinate them in this Italian dressing! That is literally it! When you are ready throw them on the grill and cook to the right temperature. I will serve it with rice and that delicious Salad my neighbor Laura turned me on to! Try it! It is so good!
Tuesday….Taco Tuesday of course!!!!!! This week we will put a little twist on it with Mangos! So good!!!!!
Mango’s give this dish a refreshing twist!
Wednesday….B for D! My family loves when I do this and this week we will have a Poblano Casserole my friend Paige turned me on to. If your family likes breakfast for dinner give this a try and save it for the times you need a delicious brunch!
Meet Paige! She is a doll!
Thursday…..Enchiladas to take us into the weekend! This recipe is so good and so easy too!!!!!
Friday and Saturday….this cook is OFF!
Time out!
What will you be serving this week? I would love to know!
Until Next Time!
Bon Appetit!
Amy
