The Sign of True Friendship

Not to boast but I sure do have faithful girlfriends (just to clarify in case there's any confusion, this is Mrs. Wagner writing!).

It's not simply that I can rely on my closest girlfriends for prayer, support, words of encouragement, or laughter. It's not even about the fun times of mountain-biking, running, shopping or talking together. All of that is fine and dandy but do you know what the real test of friendship is? It's when they'll eat your cooking, no matter what.

To read and visualize more about my cooking expertise, click here. Just a disclaimer, I'm certain that Joani used Photoshop to edit the picture. Didn't you know that the software has "clumping" edit capabilities?

Oh well, I guess I'd better let go of my dream of being hired as a cook at the Melting Pot. I did read somewhere that adding a few drops of lemon juice to cheese fondue helps to keep it smooth. I was just too lazy to take it with me. Plus, I was certain that adding extra cheese would do nothing but make it taste better. Taste good, yes. Texture smooth? Definitely not. Lesson learned.

Thanks gals for being polite and eating it regardless. What an example of true friendship!

A Day in the Life of the Clampets

It's official, the West Coast Wagners are the Clampets in disguise. No, we don't have palm trees in our backyard like they did (even better, our backyard is still just an infestation of weeds). Rodeo Drive is not close by and Hollywood celebrities don't walk down our street. That's the problem. Even if the celebrities were around, they couldn't walk down our street. The 4 vehicles we have parked in front of our house...yes, FOUR...are taking up our teeny-tiny drive-way and spilling over onto the street.

Ah, to live for a day like the Clampets. I'm sure our neighbors are jealous. They too would like numerous vehicles but alas, they lost out, ours have already taken over the street-side curbs. Now, if only we could get our own sitcom.

(Oh, don't fret all you environmentally aware citizens who might be worried about our excessive gas consumption and exhaust fumes. Our fame is only going to last for a day. Mr. Hubby's former commute-mobile has actually been sold and the new owners are picking it up tonight. The red truck is listed so hopefully it will find a new home soon. A good thing I guess because our homeowners association would have come knocking. Somewhat of a bummer though because a sitcom would have been fun. I'd been exercising my hand to prepare for those autographs "y'all would'a been askin' fur").

Girl Power

I'm not an avid feminist but I must proclaim...women rule.

Joani, Janelle and I ventured out on a mountain bike ride this week. Yep, we did it regardless of the rain, snow, freezing wind and mud. The weather elements were a slight imposition but I must emphasize the later...Mud...MUD...M-U-D. Can I tell you just how much I truly dislike that dark, slimy, coagulated matter?

Photo courtesy* of my dear friend Joani

Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the ride. I liked the "down" section more of course but even the long climb was painfully pleasurable and worth the effort. And the mud? Not that bad. Really.

I do have one confession; I planned to bail out on the ride when I saw the rain pouring down earlier that day. My fear of the stinky brown matter (still talking about mud here) was starting to overwhelm my senses. I was about to quit.

What stopped me, you ask? Fear of Man. Our husbands to be exact. I was not about to be the only girl to back-out and I certainly wasn't about to let our men think that we were "girly" wimps just because of a little bad weather. Nope. Not I.

Most of all, since my own hubby already knows I'm girly, I really just wanted to support my girlfriends. I am glad that I did because I am already looking forward to our next ride. Rain, snow, sleet, and yes, even mud.

*In all truth, I stole this photo off of Joani's blog but I'm pretty certain she won't sue me.

I hope.

Ummm...you won't sue me...right Joani?!

A Mother's Anxious Heart

I sure am thankful that God knows so much more than we do. Being a news junkie hasn't served me well in the past couple of days. If you've read a newspaper or watched the news recently you've probably heard about the latest study that reveals additional risks preemies face, including increased mortality rates in childhood and even into adolescence.

As the mom of a former preemie, these reports sure do make it difficult to keep a quiet heart. I can only imagine how hard it is on parents whose babies are still in the NICU. Preemie parents are overwhelmed enough when they learn about all the risks that exist just in their baby's first few months of life.

Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for modern science (most of it anyways) and really am thankful for this study. I welcome every opportunity for us to learn more about premature birth. I am even thankful for all the media attention because it helps keep the general public informed.

I'm just not thankful for the extra worry that can result. From the moment of conception, all parents struggle with anxiety over their child's health and well-being. The ongoing struggle with an anxious heart is a key responsibility included in every parent's job description. We certainly don't need yet another reason to worry.

Am I worried? Absolutely. However, I'm going to choose to turn this anxiety over to my Rock. I'm learning that for all moms and dads, it's a choice we have to make every hour of every day: "Live in fear" or "lift your burdens and concerns to the Lord". My arms are the weakest part of my body but I'm going to use all the muscle power I have to lift! And praise the Lord that when I don't have the strength, Jesus does.


"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:6-7)

He Is Risen!

Happy Easter from the West Coast Wagners!

Good Friday

Thank you Jesus for taking our sins upon yourself so that we are forgiven. Thank you for taking the burden of my loose tongue, my prideful and selfish ways, my anxious heart and limited faith. Thank you for your grace, your undeterred faithfulness and the way that you cover our weaknesses.

Thank you for the Cross.

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)

Photo courtesy of freefoto.com

Back to the Drawing Board

Remember this post? Let me be the first to admit Dear Reader, I was wrong (now, don't jump to any conclusions. It is a rare occurance that I'm wrong).

My hypothesis and test about a "Non-New Years Resolution" working (i.e., a goal set just prior to New Years day) has thus far failed. If you recall, I stated that Mr. Hubby and I were getting back on the fitness band-wagon and that we were making a committment to get fitter. Oh, we have gotten on the wagon...and off...and back on...and off...you get the picture. Maybe the "control" just wasn't right for the test? (or in this case, we'd be lacking self-control).

It's not that we aren't excercising or that we eat poorly. We are exercising and we do eat well for the most part. My problem is that I need to better balance the equation. That is, weight loss = calories burned (x) - calories consumed (y) where x > y. It's the whole x "greater than" y thing that gets me every time.

Back to the drawing board. My exercising frequency and intensity will continue to increase. I'll try...try...to exhibit more self-control when feeling the need to stress-snack in abundance. I'll give it my best effort because the next drastic measure will be to enroll in a program like Weight Watchers. No offense to them but stepping on a scale during the weigh-in where others are present is just not appealing. I won't even let Mr. Hubby look at the scale when my toes are within 10 feet of it! Fear of the public scale scrutiny alone will serve as a strong motivating factor.

Hurray to eating even more carrots and less chocolate. Yipee. Yahoo. Rah-Rah-Rah. I do believe God is all-knowing and perfect but I can't help but wonder if, in the Garden of Eden, didn't veggies have more calories and fat than chocolate? You may say chocolate didn't exist then but then you would be wrong. Period.