A Little Fun With Stanley

Ah, it was so great to see Stanley again and catch up with him.  I'm sending him on ASAP, but in the few days we've had him here, he was itching to get out and do something (he really hates sitting around) so we took him up to Mt. Charleston to do some hiking with us.

It was significantly cooler up there and it was wonderful to escape the Las Vegas heat for the afternoon.

This hike was in Fletcher Canyon and as we got further in, we had to scramble over some very slippery rocks (which we dubbed "silk rocks" because Zoey asked why the rocks had silk on them).

We even found a natural rock slide which the girls and Stanley enjoyed several times.  They made Stanley go first just to make sure it was safe.

So, watch your mail:  Stanley is ready for his next active adventure!

Hello, My Name Is Sharon...

I've been so out of touch this last month that I feel I need to introduce myself!  Between school ending, family visitors, a vacation, a near search-and-rescue mission (the van Keith was driving to scout camp broke down in Death Valley - emphasis on Death) and... (dum, dum, dum) a few kidney stones, it's been one crazy month!  Looking back, it hasn't been the laziest month, thankfully, but it was just haphazard and chaotic with plenty of good AND bad stuff thrown in.

What I mostly regret is not getting a monthly challenge out, nor any check-in surveys to see what's going on with everyone!  The bright spot, of course, was seeing how Fit Stanley was kept busy with the Taylor/Hinckley clan!  Thanks for keeping him moving, you guys, and sending him back safely.  Ooooo, who'll get him next???  Watch your mail!

Also, watch the blog because the JULY CHALLENGE is coming within days, perhaps even hours.... but most likely days.  It will be Olympically-related, of course!  I can't wait to watch the games and be inspired by some seriously un-lazy folks.

We survived June!  Let's tackle July!

Fit Stanley Done at Last

I know this has been a long time in coming, but fit Stanley will finally be heading off to greener pastures. He helped us plant our garden, cut down trees, and play a little B-ball. He told us he hopes to do some more fun things with the rest of the family.

I found STANLEY!!

I have to admit that my mom gave me Fit Stanley a couple of weeks ago and then I got sick and went to girls camp.  I AM SO SORRY! I FINALLY took some pictures with Stanley yesterday while exercising. He was such a good exercise companion; he is a great motivator! Here are the pictures I took:

Fit Stanley should find his way back to Nevada soon!

Three Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

My healthy recipe for June was Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake.  I got it from  The Girl Who Ate Everything (her site has tons of awesome recipes!) I thought it was awesome!  The best part about this dish is that I put an entire bag of spinach in it!  It really didn't taste that healthy which is a good thing.  It was 460 calories for a huge serving! Here is the recipe:

Three Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

Source: adapted slightly from Kraft

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked 
1 pkg. (9 oz.) fresh spinach leaves 
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces 
1 tsp. dried basil leaves 
1 jar (14-1/2 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained 
2 oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) Neufchatel cheese, cubed 
1 cup shredded 2% milk mozzarella cheese, divided 
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Heat oven to 375ºF.

Cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt and adding spinach to the boiling water the last minute. 

Cook and stir chicken and basil in large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat 3 min. Stir in spaghetti sauce, garlic, and tomatoes; bring to boil. Simmer on low heat 3 min. or until chicken is done. Stir in Neufchatel. 
Drain pasta mixture; return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Spoon into 2-qt. casserole or 8-inch square baking dish. 

Bake 20 min.; top with remaining cheeses. Bake 3 min. or until mozzarella is melted.

460 calories per serving; Makes 4 servings.

I Miss Stanley

Fit Stanley, in case you forgot who that is.  I sent him off into the cold, cruel world and haven't heard a peep from him since.  I hope he hasn't fallen into a deep ice crevasse during a hike up Mt. Everest or flapped away into the wild blue yonder during the free-fall of a skydiving outing.  Most likely, he's just having such a good time that he hasn't had a spare moment to check-in with the mother ship here.  Which means we should have a plethora of amazing photos of his active adventures once he finally pauses to catch his breath (hopefully very soon, hint, hint).

I was going to name it Nigel.

I wish I could officially annouce the news of the birth of my baby kidney stone, but, it must've scraped (ha, ha, ouch!) on through before I could catch any of the evidence.  Good news:  urine is clear; Unpleasant news:  I'm still having some pain and discomfort in my kidney, so it's off to the Dr. I go just to make sure something weird isn't going on.  But it's nothing like the pain of the first attack, thank goodness.  I absolutely know that it's been the prayers and fasting of you, my family, that have gotten me through this.  I thank you all sincerely and exuberantly for that!

And, finally, I really racked up the points on this Bonus Memorial Day Challenge!  20 big ones for me!!!  I know there were a few of you that earned some as well, because I was also on the receiving end of the challenge, and boy, was that fun!  Thank you so much to my wonderful family who "remembered" me and sent some love my way.  What a boost!

I AM SOOOOO BLESSED AND I HAVE THE BEST FAMILY ON THE PLANET!!! 
THANK YOU AND I LOVE YOU!
LET'S HAVE AN UN-LAZY WEEK!

Bonus Memorial Day Challenge!



Each man is a hero and an oracle to somebody.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy Memorial Day weekend!  I hope it's lovely for everyone.  I think it's an occasion that warrants a bonus monthly challenge!  And it's non-physical, which might please some of you; might disappoint others.

Memorial Day is a special time to remember those that have passed on, but the Bonus Challenge is about recognizing loved ones still with us that might need a little "remembering."

Challenge:  Send a card or email to someone who might need a special hello or words of encouragement at the moment.

Point Value:  2 points for every card/note mailed (snail mail), 1 point for every email sent.  (Keep track and report to me - preferably via your surveymonkey emails.  That way I only have to look one place to keep track of points!).

Deadline:  May 31.  See how many you can send out in 1 week!

I think this definitely qualifies as an exercise in emotional strengthening which can benefit both the giver and receiver!  It's a great way to overcome Lazy... How many times have you thought:  "I should send them a note...." and then put it off?

Well, DO IT this week!