On the way to visit my family this week, I stopped in Manti and was able to take some pictures of the beautiful temple there. To download these and other free temple pictures, please visit http://freeldstemplepictures.com
The next pictures aren't quite so beautiful...There is a lot of dirt in Utah, especially southern Utah. My boys love it (especially Grant who "swam" in the mud). I loathe it. Here is some of the fun they had this week {followed by several baths each}
As I began searching for resources on organic eating, I came across information about chemicals that are all around us. I was surprised to learn how many of these toxins were in my home. In fact, it seems like almost all the products I use on a daily basis from tupperware to shampoo to sunscreen contain toxins that have damaging long-term effects anywhere from ADHD to cancer.
I made a goal to eliminate whatever toxins I could from my home immediately, and those that I can't do now, I will eliminate when we move this fall. I realize spring cleaning is over, but summer is a great time to prepare for the upcoming school year.
I've broken down the most frequent toxin exposures into 5 easy weekly steps. Obviously it's impossible to eliminate exposure to all harmful things, but there are small simple steps you can take to limit the risk to young (and unborn) children.
{Week 1 Challenge: Organic Food}
Buy organic produce, meats and dairy starting this week!
Chemicals directly sprayed on fruits and vegetables cannot simply be washed off, some residue will remain no matter how diligently you scrub. These pesticides have been linked to cancer, ADHD and autism.
If you cannot afford to buy 100% organic, then buy these dirty dozen as organics and the clean fifteen you can buy non-organic.
Dirty Dozen (contain the most pesticide residue- Buy Organic!)
celery
peaches
strawberries
apples
domestic blueberries
nectarines
sweet bell peppers
spinach, kale and collard greens
cherries
potatoes
imported grapes
lettuce
Clean Fifteen (little to no pesticide residue)
onions
avocados
sweet corn
pineapples
mango
sweet peas
asparagus
kiwi fruit
cabbage
eggplant
cantaloupe
watermelon
grapefruit
sweet potatoes
sweet onions
Why should you buy organic meat? The main reason is because 70% of antibiotics in this country go to farm animals. That's right, cows and chickens. Why? Because they are fed unnatural diets that fatten them up faster and live in cramped quarters- they are fed antibiotics to prevent them from dying before they go to market. Unfortunately, these antibiotics create superbugs (heard of MRSA?) which spread to humans from contaminated meats or crops (like spinach) contaminated by animal waste. Even chicken feed is found to contain high levels of arsenic that is passed on to our children.
Here's a great article about why it's worth it to buy organic eggs (try finding someone local!) and how buying hormone-free milk reduces your risk of cancer.
I know you're really not going to like this one, but I have to put it out there. Studies have shown that processed meats cause cancer. This includes lunch meat, hot dogs, sausage, pepperoni and my favorite, bacon. Fortunately, you CAN buy organic versions of these foods that do not include the cancer-causing nitrates! Applegate Farms is a favorite brand of mine, found at Whole Foods.
Week one is definitely going to be the most challenging week, but it will also have the greatest long-term impact on your family. You'll find that organic meats can be quite expensive, which is another great reason to base your meals primarily around vegetables and use meat sparingly. I have quite a few meatless meal ideas on my Fabulous Foods website. The thing to remember also is exposure amount- a tiny amount of chemicals won't cause immediate harm, but repeated exposure over time can, so don't feel guilty if you have to resort to fast food or "normal" food from time to time but try to limit exposure if you can.
Also, and this is my personal non-scientific opinion...I believe that a normal healthy body is designed to fight toxins including those used in pesticides and if we feed our body healthy foods most of the time then it will be prepared to combat the toxins we do introduce from time to time. However, if we are fueling our body primarily with junk, it won't have the tools to effectively combat the toxins and then our body starts to break down and results in headaches, fatigue, weight gain, and possibly even cancer. Continue to Week 2
This is a last minute giveaway and is only running for a day and a half so spread the word!
You may or may not have heard that certain city governments are boycotting Chick-fil-A because of the CEO's support of God's definition of marriage. I don't know about you, but I thought that one of the motivating factors in the establishment of America was for freedom of religion. That means that our government doesn't get involved when a person adheres to a certain religious belief- especially one this nation was founded on. These individuals can boycott away- but they have no right to use our government to do so.
Christians everywhere need to stand up to support the Bible and the future of America by taking a stand in this issue. Some claim that Christian's stand for God's definition of marriage is "hateful". We and God, do not hate the sinner, only the sin. We cannot stand guiltless before God if we do not stand to support and protect His laws. Having an opinion and peaceably defending it is not hate. We are simply trying to protect long-standing traditions and values that this nation was founded on.
Chick-fil-A's company president Dan Cathy said it best:
“We are very much supportive of the family – the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.”
and
“I think we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say, ‘We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage,’” he said. “I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we would have the audacity to try to redefine what marriage is all about.”
Three readers will receive a $10 gift card to Chick-fil-A! Enter today, winners will be chosen Monday so that hopefully the cards can reach the winners by Wednesday! And yes, I am aware that this goes totally against my "real food" pledge, but standing for something is more important. Besides, their chargrilled chicken sandwich with honey mustard sauce is to soooo yummy ;)
Please show your support and visit Chick-fil-A this Wednesday, August 1.
I know I really should watermark my images, I hear all the time about people stealing images but what's really disturbing are psycho's stealing images to pretend they're their own family's photos!
However...I'm lazy. I don't want a second copy of watermarked images taking up space on my computer and don't really want to bother with the extra step. I probably will for important photos in the future, but rather than go back and do that for all the images I've already posted, I've disabled the right click function. Now, obviously there are still ways around that, but it makes it just a bit more difficult for a thief. So, if you're lazy like me and don't want to watermark all your images but still want to keep the creepo's away, you might want to consider adding a simple anti-right click code to your blog.
When my husband deployed I experienced a host of behavioral problems I hadn't previously encountered, at least not to this extent. Some of them were a natural result of the growing process while others I am certain were because of the stress of having daddy gone and moving to a new state.
While I still haven't mastered all the behavioral problems (some I fully admit are due to laziness on my part) I have found some great resources that help point me in the right direction.
The first is Love and Logic. I read the book Parenting with Love and Logic and then a friend let me know they also have cd's you can buy. There are actually a ton of resources available in their online store, and I am excited to try a few of them.
The approach of giving your children choices rather than authoritatively commanding them teaches lifelong decision making skills that are essential once they get out into the world. It does require a lot more patience and thought on the part of the parent, and I notice when I get lazy my children's behavior declines.
The second is Positive Parenting Solutions. I bought the book If I have to tell you one more time! (the story of my life) and really loved it. A lot of the focus is on logical consequences for behavior, the only problem is I have a hard time thinking of logical consequences for illogical behaviors!
A lot of the techniques seem perfect for older children but not as easily applied to toddlers. I still need more help! Then, I discovered that they offer online parenting videos called Positive Parenting Solutions.
Even better, they are offering a free membership for military families! I have just started to watch the videos and it is such a great help to me. I hope that combining these two resources will help me become the parent I want to be.
If you're active duty and especially if your spouse is deployed, be sure to sign up for Positive Parenting Solutions, they are well worth your time!
I have been feeling the need lately for some serious intellectual stimulation (being with three boys 24/7 will do that to a person). As much as I'd love to enroll in another master's program, that just isn't an option for me right now, but I knew I had to do something...
I've had a Khan Academy app on my phone for a while now but hadn't actually used it. I finally decided to try it out and I'm sure glad I did! I downloaded the Chemistry and the Calculus video sets. I was really surprised at how well these videos are put together and short enough you could easily fit in a lesson a day no matter how busy you are. They are explained in a way that makes perfect sense and it's so nice to see the exercises worked out right in front of you. Although I admit, after viewing the first calculus video I realized I needed to start over at Algebra and work my way up...
You can view the videos through the iTunes app or online at http://www.khanacademy.org, the online videos are more extensive. There are a variety of subjects available including many facets of math, science and history. Right now I am working on the US History Overview course, the Art History Course (fascinating- especially since I've been to a lot of these museums & historic sites), Chemistry and Algebra. I haven't taken Algebra since my first year of college at age 17, and I hated it. Now, I'm enjoying algebra! It's actually fun to work out the equations and I'm enjoying higher level thought processes again. Yes, I'm turning into a total nerd ;) And while I will probably never use electron configurations and won't need to calculate the sum of three consecutive odd integers, there are several formulas which are useful in "real life" and there is just something fulfilling about expanding the mind. Plus it gives me greater confidence that I will be able to help my children learn these things when they are older.
The best part is that it is absolutely free! I am learning so much faster than I learned in college and am enjoying it so much more. Forget facebook and pinterest, enlarge your cranium!
A HUGE thank you to Daren Hatch of Daren Hatch Photography for his willingness to share these photos of the Anchorage, Alaska LDS temple and some beautiful images of the Salt Lake Temple lights! You can download these and other temple pictures absolutely free, at http://freeldstemplepictures.com/
We had such a fun time in Idaho for our family reunion. The boys had a blast slip and sliding down the hill, swimming and canoeing in the lake, riding horses and participating in games and races. They were totally in their element, being able to run like wild banshees with no restrictions or constraints.
I am so not a sports fan, but this picture is too cute!
We had a fun week in Idaho for our family reunion and also took a trip up to Yellowstone. We stayed in West Yellowstone, MT and it was down right cold in the mornings. The boys enjoyed running around the boardwalks and Ethan had fun earning his Jr. Ranger badge. It was so nice being without technology for a week that I have resisted plugging back in! I did take pictures of the Idaho temples (except Boise which is under construction), so I'll be adding those pictures in the next week or two.
The past 9 months acting as a single mom has taught me many lessons. The first is that I am definitely NOT cut out to be a single mom! I have gained some serious respect for you single mothers- I admire and revere you. It is not an easy job, the pay is lousy and there are no vacations.
The second is sometimes I am just surviving. I tend to look forward to the future more than I enjoy the present. These little ones grow so fast- it's so easy to focus on the misery of diaper changing and cleaning up messes and lose track of what a short time this really is and how quickly they will grow up. I try to "escape" by pampering myself or wasting time on the computer but never quite feel refreshed.
It dawned on me that I have been forgetting to"cast [my] burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain [me] Psalms 5:22. I have been unnecessarily trying to bear the burden alone. It's amazing to me that by simply changing the frequency and sincerty of my prayers and scripture study, I suddenly don't feel quite as overwhelmed and alone. I still have disasters to clean up and screaming children to calm, but I am able to handle things better without feeling like I'm going to lose it.
The third thing I have learned is the importance of prioritizing. There are only so many hours in the day and even fewer hours I have alone. About two to be precise. I've discovered that if I do the things I want to do first, I never have time for the things I should do. On the other hand, if I do the things I should do first, I seem to always find time for the things I want to do. Of course it's always easier said than done, but when I actually put forth the effort and stick to a routine, though I am busier, I feel less stressed and more fulfilled at the end of the day and am better able to enjoy the simple moments of motherhood.
Twelve years ago today we were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple. I could never have predicted the way life has turned out, yet I wouldn't change a thing. We have shared some pretty amazing adventures in those twelve years.
We've traveled through more than forty states and several countries. Some of my favorite memories are our trip to beautiful Prince Edward Island, seeing Phantom of the Opera in NYC, scuba diving in Florida, relaxing on the beach in the Bahamas, getting sunburned in Puerto Rico, hiking on the Great Wall of China, driving over 120 mph in Germany, touring Moscow, and canoeing on the lake in New Hampshire.
During those twelve years we both earned graduate degrees, got certified to scuba dive, bought our first home, lived in 4 states (countless houses), had three children in three years, began homeschooling, survived two deployments (I'm planning on surviving another 4 months!), ran a marathon together (he's run countless marathons and an ironman), and have had a pretty wonderful life.
I'm so glad I married someone who likes to keep things exciting. There are times I curse him for this trait, but in the end we have so much more fun than I would ever have if things were solely up to me. He makes me laugh, is constantly sending me flowers and leaving me little notes around the house (even before he left from R&R he left notes all around for the boys and I) and when he's home he's constantly cleaning up the house and sending me off for some "sanity" time.. I've been teasing him lately that I need to go back to work and he can stay home and school the boys, he's so much more patient and engaging than I am. I couldn't ask for a more supportive loving husband and my boys couldn't ask for a more involved father. We love you!
mango
The second is Positive Parenting Solutions. I bought the book If I have to tell you one more time! (the story of my life) and really loved it. A lot of the focus is on logical consequences for behavior, the only problem is I have a hard time thinking of logical consequences for illogical behaviors! 
The second is sometimes I am just surviving. I tend to look forward to the future more than I enjoy the present. These little ones grow so fast- it's so easy to focus on the misery of diaper changing and cleaning up messes and lose track of what a short time this really is and how quickly they will grow up. I try to "escape" by pampering myself or wasting time on the computer but never quite feel refreshed. 
