Shannon Yee

One of my favorite indulgences is cheesecake. Brian made me a fabulous low-fat cheesecake, which is delicious and extremely satisfying. My other favorite sweet snack is chocolate chip cookies, especially with a little peanut butter swirl. For Lent, I gave up cookies and while this might not sound like a great sacrifice to some; for me, it’s a daily challenge. That is a good thing because the purpose of Lenten sacrifices is to remind us of all that Christ gave up for us and cause us to call on him in our need. Each night, I would normally treat myself to a cookie or three and thoroughly enjoy this little feast while watching a little TV, but now I am without my standard nighttime snack and have found myself reading the Bible or praying instead of munching on cookies. It’s a really cool thing.

I enjoy exercise. Most people who know me won’t be surprised at that claim. I really like doing workout videos and the stationary bike as well as lifting weights or attending an aerobics or yoga or dance class. I especially like running or walking or rollerblading or biking outside and with a friend. One of the things I like about exercise is the way that I feel after – not the tired, thirsty, sweaty part, but after the shower and rehydration. I like feeling like I’ve done something good for myself and had fun doing it; I feel like I can do anything and have the energy and stamina to achieve my goals. If I’ve spent that time with a friend, I feel productive and usually loved or cared for as well as hopefully good about sharing life and love with someone else. Probably my favorite part of exercise is the indulgence that I allow myself at the next meal. I really enjoy eating and when I’m exercising I have a better appetite and more fully appreciate and savor my meals (and desserts, occasionally).

My plan was to start running outside again on March 1st after a long hiatus (because of pregnancy & then a cold, snowy winter). Unfortunately, the cold, snowy winter hasn’t ended and seems to be picking up steam. So, I guess I’ll just have to wait. I will run with my kids in the double jogging stroller, so it need to be at least 45ºF before I feel that it’s not cruel and unusual punishment for them. Our first goal is to train for a 5K run in April. If we can get a good start soon, maybe I’ll even try to run the 10K…

I’ve always been able to discipline myself to exercise my body, if only I could stay in shape mentally and spiritually as well… I guess I should take the hint and go read a little to exercise my heart and mind.

These are two ingredients that are necessary parts of life. They, unfortunately, seem to be lacking for the majority of the year in Michigan. Sometimes, like today, it is sunny, but *so cold* that you can’t stand to even go near a window to enjoy the sunshine. In the summer, it can get pretty warm, but that seems so far away right now.

Southern California had a nice mixture of these two to produce the perfect vacation environment! We were able to enjoy a perfect day at the zoo and then walking along the pier in San Diego. We hiked and did a little rock climbing and picnicked while dipping feet in a cool rock pool at Malibu Creek State Park. The Santa Monica Pier and promenade were so warm, we had to search for ice cream. We even wanted to get our feet wet in the cold ocean water (and had to go back almost every day). We went to playgrounds outside and rode swings, slides, a teeter-totters. We visited Griffith Observatory, the Aquarium of the Pacific, the La Brea Tar Pits, the Pasadena Children’s Museum. Of course, we also ate well and best of all enjoyed the company of some fabulous folks. This is what I like best in a vacation – touring, nice weather, and good times with loved ones!

One thing that I love about my husband (there are many, many things I love and this is just one of those things…) is that he likes me more than our kids. Every so often, we will get a sitter (Grandma) and go on a date. We did that this weekend and it was really refreshing. We went to a movie, which was so bad that we had to leave the theatre. We were both embarrassed that we were exposed to such depravity and a little ticked off that we spent almost $20 to waste an hour of our lives and assault our eyes and ears. Anyway, after splitting from the movie early, we went to dinner at J. Alexander’s and talked. I have come to realize that while I really appreciate acts of service as a sign of love, my main need is for quality time.

It makes me sad when I hear that other couples don’t take time to continue dating after they are married or have kids. In my opinion, it’s so important and keeps me young. I was talking to a friend and she said that her husband and her haven’t been on a date since their 3 year old was born. I was shocked; she then said that her husband loves their daughter and would rather spend time with their little girl than with her. That made me so sad. I didn’t know what to say. I felt like she was fine with this and didn’t see it as unusual or even something that should or could be different. I think that she also likes her daughter more than her spouse and maybe it’s partly because they’re both playing 2nd fiddle to the sweet child in their lives. At any rate, I believe that love and fun don’t end with marriage, if you keep dating!

I know that moms and Christians aren’t supposed to like Halloween for various reasons, but I really do like this holiday. I don’t like everything about it – I hate scary movies and anything related to spiders freaks me out. However, I love the idea of getting dressed up and of running around in costumes to get candy. I love how on this one night all of our neighbors have their lights on and doors open to welcome and greet anyone who walks by. I thoroughly enjoy seeing the kids and parents out together and hearing the calls & reminders of what to say and do. Attending parties for Halloween is fun too. Bobbing for apples, donut hangs, mystery substances to stick your hands into searching for a prize, and costume contests are a hoot and good, if not clean, fun. This holiday has a history of darkness and bad stuff, but it is really easy not to even see or notice that stuff, especially if you try to avoid it, and instead appreciate Halloween as a celebration of fall and all the great stuff that comes with my favorite season – pumpkins, the changing colors and falling of the leaves, cider and donuts, apples, cute costumes, and lots of sweet treats! What’s not to like?!