Simple Changes

I know it's rare nowadays that I post on something philosophical, but I've been thinking through this for a while and wanted to share what the Lord has been teaching me in the way of healthy living over the past year.

After reading the book "Nourishing Traditions" as well as gleaning some lifestyle tips which I admire in others, I have been slowly making some small and simple changes in our diet and in my life in particular. It is likely that you already live these out, but in case you don't, I encourage you to research the health benefits yourself and possibly put these simple changes into practice in your own life.

Sea Salt - although I still use iodized salt on occasion, particularly when we are eating few if any prepackaged foods, I've discovered that sea salt not only tastes better but is immensely better for you due to the natural minerals it contains. We do need iodine in our diet, but typically it is found so prevalently in our American prepared foods, that for home cooking using sea salt is beneficial.

Coconut Oil - the benefits of coconut oil are well-documented but it has never been something I thought I could use because I ignorantly assumed that it would taste like coconut :-) Although you can buy coconut oil that smells and tastes like coconut, you can also buy "expeller-pressed" coconut oil which has the flavor/smell removed. I now use a teaspoon of coconut oil exclusively with frying eggs or in making quick breads or baked goods calling for oil.

Go green -- no, I don't mean in the environmental way :-) Rather, I have attempted to make sure there is at least one green leafy vegetable on our table every day (preferably about 2 cups worth on each plate!). This isn't always possible, but it will have lasting health benefits. Of course, all fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of vitamins and fiber, but green leafy vegetables pack a powerful punch without much effort.

Organic Foods -- although often more expensive, I have found that the more organic products (particularly for flours, sugars, and prepackaged foods) we can buy and use, the better we all feel. If I can't buy organic, I am careful to read labels and seek out products which are not made using antibiotics and/or pesticides. One viewing of "Food, Inc." was all it took for even my skeptical husband to want to make some simple changes. In light of this, we have switched almost entirely to organic milk, as well as sugar and cereals. Surprisingly, Costco has a wide selection of organic foods minced throughout their store including anything from spring mix lettuces, carrots, corn tortilla chips, sandwich breads, milk, cereals, sugars, and juices.

Stretching-- while I've always been an active person and enjoyed regular exercise, as I age I am realizing the value of being very purposeful about it. Unfortunately, as I grow older, I am also more prone to injuries that take longer to heal. Because of this I am becoming a stickler re: the need to stretch regularly. Stretching is a beautiful thing. It promotes healing, allows for greater flexibility, relaxes you for better sleep, and ultimately means that I can be more active for longer periods of time.

Keeping mentally agile --

I've found that my brain power to solve simple problems, to carry on intelligent conversations, and even to do basic math can quickly slide if I'm not purposeful to "stay in the game". It seems that my brain has atrophied some as my days are filled with basic, repetitive tasks not requiring any real critical thinking. I've challenged myself in light of this to do several basic things so that I can remain mentally agile:

1. Read regularly a variety of books that not only challenge me mentally and spiritually, but keep me able to converse with others intelligently.

2. Learn and use new vocabulary regularly -- I do this alongside my high schooler as we read, study language arts, and come across words we don't know the meaning of. My dictionary is regularly by my side through the day. We often keep an ongoing game of Scrabble on a table as well to challenge us in this way. I'm even tempted to begin cross-word puzzles!

3. Keep up with basic math. This is fairly easy for me at this point with a 4th grader doing 5th grade math. While my lifestyle doesn't necessitate needing much more than basic algebra, I still want to be able to multiply and divide faster than my kids! I will often do her math problems with her and/or figure out the answers without using the teachers guide, simply for the brain exercise it promotes.

4. Stay current. I know many a mom who is not interested in learning or using basic technology, nor in staying current on our world and its news. I believe this is very unfortunate. In spite of my time limitations, nothing brings me more pleasure than surprising my husband with information I know about a world news event :-) Plus, it is nice to be able to enter into intelligent conversation with other adults as well as encourage our children to do the same. We record world news podcasts for me to watch while exercising so that I can stay current on our local and world news and politics -- all things which affect me now and ultimately my children for a lifetime.

5. Always be willing to learn from others. Although my college and graduate school days are over (and trust me, I have no desire to return to them!), I still can glean from others. Whether an occasional class, seminar, workshop, convention, study, webinar, or DVD -- I purpose to always be learning -- even about things that are of seemingly of no interest to me at the time.

6. Play a musical instrument -- I studied piano during my childhood and teen years, and then learned basic violin with my son as he was learning. Even though I am daily immersed in their musical endeavors, I am finding newfound joy in relearning myself. My goal (which will be hard to meet as the weather lifts and the weeds begin to call my name) is to sit down and play the piano 3x a week. I would love to recapture my skills and possibly even grow in them so as to accompany and teach others should the Lord allow someday. I heard a radio program just yesterday featuring a pianist who was 97 years old and still teaching, still performing, and still learning!! How inspiring!

Back to the Basics -- as silly as it sounds, I'm finding more value in simple and obvious healthful living practices than ever before! My middle section seems to be taking on a life of its own after turning 40 :-) Doing regular situps in a variety of styles is enabling me to keep my back strong and my middle toned. I aim for 50 a day and make sure that they are a priority in my exercise time. Pushups strengthen my back, shoulders, and arm muscles needed when my nearly adult sized children assume that I can still carry them! And walking every day (slow or quick, puttering or zooming) is the best mood lifter I can think of! Fresh air and sunshine are a necessity in life -- but also things we must purpose to put into our days as our worlds are becoming increasingly indoor-oriented. Finally, taking time to sit and be thankful, to be available to our families, to read for our enjoyment and learning, being purposeful for bedtime hygiene, and regular time for prayer and reading/studying God's Word ..... it is all so valuable for happiness and health.

My Baby Turns 10

The tears are close at the surface this morning as we celebrate my sweet girl's birthday morning with number 10 pancakes, presents, and family fellowship. What a tremendous blessing this daughter of mine has been in my life. There is not a moment or a day that I don't live in God-glorifying thanksgiving for her life becoming a part of mine!

Her gifts were as varied as she is and included a handed down gift from her Nana originally -- a beautiful sapphire and diamond cross necklace originally given to me as a young wife.

She also received a half gallon of vegetable glycerine along with tincture bottles and an herb book for her to experiment with "officially" this summer. Herbalism has been a hobby of hers for a few years and so I thought it might be time to actually put her learning to practice. A new "farm girl" with horse picture t-shirt is sure to well used as well as presents of both fun and usefulness given lovingly by her brothers rounded out her morning.

Happy happy birthday to my precious daughter -- a gift from God and a ray of sunshine into the lives of so many. We are truly blessed!

Ice Skating Birthday

It's hard to believe, but it is that time of year again ..... when candles are lit and songs sung, presents wrapped and hid away for that glowing moment when a life well lived is celebrated and cherished.

Isabelle celebrated an early birthday today at the ice skating rink with a variety of friends. She had a lovely time and was able to skate with ease today in spite of dropping a crock pot on the top of her foot yesterday :-)

It took quite a bit to get these inexperienced skaters in one spot and still for a picture!

But it was finally completed. We had friends and siblings ranging in age from 17 to 5. Isabelle loves them all and is so good at making everyone feel special. She is an amazing young lady and I am privileged to be her Mama.

Happy birthday sweet heart! We love to make you smile . . . . only two more days until she is ten years old. I'm holding on to this single digit with bittersweet brevity. What an amazing thing parenthood is. I stand in awe. To God be all the glory.

Happy Valentines Day!

I'm not sure when it started and how it has grown to such proportions or why our family seems to make such a holiday in the middle of winter cold but ..... Valentines Day has come again and we've done it up in typical Kronz fashion with fun, gifts, and food!

The day begins with a fun-filled scavenger hunt all over the house and yard where the children read a riddle on red heart-shaped cards, leading them eventually to a gift for each of us.

This year the cards were anywhere from the refrigerator to the music room, and culminating with their love-filled gifts in the cold of early morning at the mailbox :-)

Unfortunately, Sis and I have been ill with a bad head cold for the past week and a half and didn't have the energy to do the baking we both desired .... but our sweet neighbor came to the rescue with yummy cookies from her own oven -- one for each of us.

Isabelle enjoys setting and making the table beautiful for our delicious Valentine's dinner! Joe and I will celebrate with a special banquet we are attending on Friday. This day will be a family affair.

We hope this day has found you celebrating those you love with all that brings your hearts joy!

My Sons -- the Black Belts

After a little over 3 years of effort, weekly classes, nearly daily practice, private lessons, bloody noses, bruises, and even sometimes tears ..... my boys finally earned the privilege of wearing black belts last night.

They have worn 3rd degree brown belts since May, and only earned this privilege after testing twice and practicing many hours under the direction and encouragement of their much-respected Sensei.

Isaac is now one of the youngest black belts at the Nampa School of Karate. I believe he will wear this honor well.

Josiah's belt is inscribed with his name as well as the words: HONOR Proverbs 15:33.

Isaac's belt is inscribed with his name and the words: COURAGE Joshua 1:9. I encourage you to look up these verses as they have special meaning and symbolism to each of my boys.

It is now a privilege to sit with the black belts, to help teach, to lead through example, and to rise up in a myriad of ways.

Their Sensei is a giant of a man with a tender and compassionate heart. He has been an excellent example of leadership to them through these years and we are immensely grateful for his investment in their lives. God has been so very faithful in this journey.

Capstone Student Legislature 2012

We just completed another week at the Idaho state capitol participating in Capstone Student Legislature. With suit coats donned and hours (10+) worth of homework completed and in tow, my two young men joined forces this year and had a great experience learning about our state government.

I was privileged to serve as Registrar (2011/2012) for this amazing event and therefore had the opportunity to help first hand as well as sit and observe for most of the days they were in attendance.

This was Josiah's 4th (and final) year to attend. He had a great time enjoying what has become a highlight of his year. He served in a variety of capacities as a student leader including acting as "Representative E.Z. Toopersuede" in the opening humorous skit about how a bill comes into law.

Isaac was by far the shortest among the 44 other students (it is like reliving Josiah's first year), but he held his own quite well and participated with confidence. Isaac earned a full ride scholarship to attend Capstone next year after receiving the highest score among new students on his homework which is turned in on the opening day. Isaac labored for 15+ hours on this difficult homework, so we were thrilled to see his efforts pay off.

Both boys had several speaking opportunities including the reading of their bill (each student creates a bill and then defends it through several floor sessions of debate).

These are long days of sitting, touring, debating, and learning. Isaac behaved marvelously in spite of the many opportunities for distractions. Along with touring the state capitol, the new students also met personally with our State Treasurer, State Controller, and Attorney General. In addition, they were privileged to sit in on a floor session of the Idaho House of Representatives as well as listen to personalized speeches from several Representatives and Senators.

As an alumni, Josiah was one of four students chosen to serve as Committee Chair. This is a great opportunity and responsibility as he must observe parliamentary procedure and act in fairness in this position as his committee evaluates and debates a variety of bills.

Josiah also, as an alumni student, spends several hours prior to Capstone week reading and studying a mock court case. During Capstone week, the "Capstone Supreme Court" meets, presents evidence, and is eventually evaluated and judged based on their arguments. Together with a team of licensed attorneys brought in for two days, Josiah and other alumni present arguments towards their case. Josiah was the final speaker, answering and rebutting the opponent's arguments on behalf of his "legal team" in this picture.

Both boys participated in several hours of floor debate, presenting arguments and thoughts on the passing or failing of particular bills written by their co-students.

Students, both new and alumni, are nominated by their fellow committee members to run as Representative or Governor. Josiah was nominated and elected as a Representative in 2010. This year he was nominated and elected as the Capstone Student Legislature's Governor!!! This is an esteemed and honored position, requiring the giving of a 4 minute speech to parents, staff, students, and honored legislators present during the Capstone graduation ceremony. Josiah wrote and presented a wonderful speech imploring his fellow students to get involved in their local government and make a difference based on the lessons learned during their Capstone week.

As Governor, he also has the privilege of veto power on certain bills and presents the students with their graduation certificates. This was a tremendous and truly meaningful end to his final year as a Capstone participant.

It's going to be hard to go back to real life after this!! :-) But alas, the classes and tests resume and the laundry awaits!

Horse Update ... No Words Needed.

A Christmas to Remember!

Yes, you are seeing this correctly .... Isabelle's Christmas dreams came true this morning as she looked out the window to see her Daddy standing out in the field holding her very own horse. "Buck Christmas Kronz" is the latest member of the Kronz family farm. He is a 13 year old roan paint quarter horse with many years of 4H experience working alongside children. He is 14 hands high and a gentle giant. Here's how it happened .....

We had sought out a friend 3 months ago to begin looking for the right beginner horse for our little horse lover. Last week, he found this horse and felt sure that it would be just the right fit for Isabelle. And so ..... after we opened our stockings and gifts this morning and everyone was enjoying their presents, Joe announced that he was going out to feed the animals. I stealthily kept watch from the upstairs window and when he had the horse positioned where we could see it from the door, I called down to the kids to "Come up here! Dad has one last gift he wants to show you!!" They came racing up and Isabelle stopped dead in her tracks looking out the door. Words cannot describe the sweetness of this precious moment!! She was in utter disbelief and then the tears began to flow as she kept asking, "Is it for ME?? Is it to be MINE??!" I was crying, she was crying, Josiah was trying to get pictures in all the frenzy. It was precious.

I had her clothes hidden and ready for me to quickly help her into them (as at this point, she really couldn't even think straight!). She and I got outside as quick as possible and I snapped these pictures of her and her Daddy .... making his daughter's dream come true.

Isabelle had an apple ready to feed her new horse as she quietly spoke to it all the fond things she has been waiting to say if this moment should ever happen ....

This picture, although blurred, has the tender look on Isabelle's face that communicates perfectly how she was feeling. It is absolutely thrilling to help make a child's dream come true.

A Christmas to remember!! Merry Christmas everyone! Much love from the happy, growing Kronz family

Merry Christmas -- A Year in Reflection

The past year has felt like a blur, and yet .... as I've taken the time to gather photos here and recount our various adventures, I feel incredibly blessed. Although you are more than welcome to spend a few minutes looking through the many old posts on our family blog (they will give you a more detailed version of our life and goings-on as a family as well as cover many things that I've missed in this post), I've gathered the highlights of our year below.

There is definite joy in the remembering .....

It was during the Christmas season last year that we made the huge decision to go ahead and support Josiah in having a final recital as a violinist. The venue was selected, the invitations mailed, and the songs practiced for many hours prior to this performance. We were blessed beyond measure to be able to celebrate the conclusion of Josiah's formal violin study in a way which told of his efforts and dedication while simultaneously walking through a bit of family history in the various speeches given.

God was incredibly faithful in answering our prayers that HE would be glorified through our words and music. Friends and family were able to attend as well as perform. This is an incredibly sweet memory and a highlight of our 2011 year.

All three children have continued playing their instruments in some context. Isabelle plays both the violin and piano and has quite a musical gift when she puts her heart into it. Isaac continues playing the piano and enjoys composing on the computer in his spare time; and Josiah, although no longer taking lessons, has had several opportunities throughout the year to continue playing and performing.

It was a snowy Idaho winter which made for quite a few ski trips and playtimes outside once all the school books were tucked away. Yes, we still homeschool -- my 13th year actually! Josiah is now a senior and will graduate this spring, Isaac a freshman, and Isabelle in 4th grade. They are all excellent students with unique strengths. Josiah is our reader, politician, and historian, with plans towards law school in the coming years. Isaac, while still loving athletics, is emerging with his own academic strengths including learning to program computers on a basic level. Isabelle is our creative one, artist, lover of animals, and science-minded girl who carries her first-aid bag wherever she goes.

Our springtime focus revolved around a three week cross-country trip in our RV which we documented through an ongoing blog entitled "Kronz Cross-Country Adventure". This was a dream come true for Joe as we traveled all the way to the east coast and home seeing a variety of sights along the way. It was a growing time for us as a family and a blessing to be able to accomplish, but we were all glad to get home!!

Life on our little farm wouldn't be complete without projects .... and we've got LOTS of them! A big accomplishment for Joe and the boys was the completion of our new chicken coop as a gift to Mom this early summer. Affectionately named the "Taj Ma Chicken" by Joe, it is quite a sight to behold inside and out.

Gardening is a passion of mine and this is one of my favorite stages to capture with the camera. We had two gardens last year -- one quite large to hold the larger crops (including wheat!) and this smaller one named the "kitchen garden" which has just about anything you can imagine (with the exception of brussel sprouts!). Isabelle now gardens a portion of this with me and we have fun dreaming and planting and harvesting together from April through October.

Although we've recently added a new puppy to our menagerie, our golden retriever "Kale" is still our gentle giant keeping watch over the farm and always ready and willing for a good romp in the yard. He is Isabelle's nearly constant companion through the summer days and has learned to accept good-naturedly her various pursuits with him (dog trainer, horse back rider, sled dog driver, etc.). Raising animals has provided some tremendous opportunities for our children to grow in maturity, compassion, and responsibility, not to mention the unconditional love the animals offer 24 hours a day!

Work is a constant here on our 8 acres. Winter is the only season when there isn't daily outside chores beyond your scope of imagination (and if Mom thinks real hard, she can always come up with some even then!). We now have three official mowers in the family and there is always somewhere needing to be mowed! We're so thankful though and have been purposeful to provide these work opportunities for our kids to live and think outside of themselves and instead focus on serving eachother and family as a part of a bigger team.

We have an assorted menagerie here on the "farm". The ladies above give us farm fresh eggs on a daily basis -- enough to eat and to sell to neighbors.

The goats (Clara, Starlight, and Daisy) are still an absolute delight -- serving as big dogs when Isabelle gets the hankering. We had two of them "married" (smile) this fall and hope to welcome some baby kids in early April. We'll try our hand at milking them then and see how that fits our lifestyle and needs as a family.

I spend most of my time serving my family, but when I do have extra time, I love making things beautiful outside. While the boys were away for a week in July fishing in Alaska, Isabelle and I spent many a moment on this porch eating and talking and reading together. The daisies were in full bloom for over a month so there was much reason for me to linger in the gardens ....

I forgot to mention that we also raised turkeys this year, one of which we roasted and enjoyed for Thanksgiving! We round out the "farm" with 3 barn cats, a bunny rabbit named "Benny", and several thousand bees from which we harvest honey each fall.

We said a long and tearful goodbye to our dearest of friends, the Coose family, in early August. They are now living in Australia, a world away and are missed terribly .... but are forever in our hearts. This was a point of transition and grieving for both Isabelle and I with tears still shed on occasion, but we are so thankful for godly friendships which stand the test of time and continue in spite of the miles.

As this year draws to a close, we are already anticipating all that lies ahead for 2012. Projects, camping, traveling to see family and friends, new work opportunities and growth in a variety of ways are all on the horizon! The highlight of the year however will likely be the high school graduation of our oldest son -- first homeschool graduate in our family.

Josiah is growing into a tremendous young man with many goals ahead. He will graduate in May and continue to study towards the completion of his online college degree (estimated completion in early fall 2012). He has the privilege of interning for a local state Representative this winter, working in the State Capitol and gaining valuable hands-on experience.

Joe and I celebrate 21 years of marriage in just a few weeks and find it hard to believe at times that God has brought us this far as a couple, a family, and as believers in Christ. God continues to provide more and more opportunities for growth as we offer to Him the praise deserved for the blessings He has bestowed. We rejoice with you this Christmas and holiday season and encourage you to seek Him with your whole heart as you reflect on the birth of His Son. Merry Christmas!