Reflections Of, The Way Life Used To Be

It is that time of the year where I try to settle down and reflect on the past year.  Of course the Supreme's song, 'Reflections' always runs through my mind.  When you are deep in the trenches you don't realize you are changing, it isn't until you can look back do you realize that real changes took place.  This year out of all years I feel that I had the biggest transformation. 
I turned 30 at the beginning of 2013.  I was really dreading letting go of my 20's.  My 20's brought me so much, a husband, 4 kids.  It felt like I was closing a chapter and starting a new one. Well I have managed to survive the first paragraph of my new chapter.  The biggest accomplishment this year is that I am still breathing.  I still have a heartbeat.  It was a rough year, yet one of many new beginnings. 
Anxiety is another word that consumes 2013.  It was in 2013 that my anxiety tried to consume me.  It is still a daily battle, but I am more convinced that I can control it in 2014 than I ever was in 2013.  It sucks and until you have experienced it yourself, you can never truly understand it.  It doesn't make me a weak person, it doesn't make me fragile.  It makes me human.  It makes me enjoy life more.  I have come to cherish the quiet moments and the times that I can have fun.  Normal activities to most people, become triumphs to me.  It has also taught me to cling to the Lord even more and my spiritual relationship is growing stronger. In my anxiety I have come to understand my Mom.  I owe her a big apology.  I am still not quite sure why the anxiety didn't hit me until I was older.  My Mom started hers at 18.  I figured I had passed the time frame and I was immune.  My life didn't become harder or more stressed, in fact it feels like things are finally calming down.  I do know it is hereditary and that my children will more than likely be effected by it.
This year brought some renewal and closure as well.  New relationships were formed or renewed, others were put to bed.  My heart was healed, and it allowed something wonderful to happen.  The most difficult thing to do in life is to forgive.  I am becoming much better at letting things go and moving on.  I am not perfect and I still have a few grudges, but a huge weight was lifted this year.  I am still praying on the other ones and hope to be completely free next year.
The kids are all growing up and becoming more independent.  It breaks my heart and fills my heart at the same time. It's hard and time consuming, but Russ and I have done a pretty darn good job.  I realize this when I go out and see how other kids act. They may drive us crazy, but they are angels compared to most. Now we aren't even near the teenage years, so I will get back to you then.  But they should still be angels, right?  :)
During these new relationships, kids, anxiety, transformation, Russ and I grew closer.  Not sure how that is possible, since we have been joined at the hip for over 14 years. In times of frustration, my husband chose to treat me with respect and love and that means the world to me. My husband keeps me grounded and he makes me laugh when I need it the most. 
I am looking forward to 2014.  I keep hearing the word prosperous.  I feel like this year is going to be awesome!  In 2014, I plan on relaxing more and taking one day at a time, learning how to breath and enjoy myself. 
I hope you all have a healthy, wonderful, prosperous 2014.  Until next year! :)

Paul Walker

There are a few celebrity deaths that shake me to the core and this is one of them.  I understand that he was just a regular person and I did not know him personally.  But these actors become a part of your memories. When Russ and I started dating, he would get insanely jealous of my celebrity crushes.  It sounds silly now, but I thought it was cute.  Paul Walker was one of those crushes.  I'm pretty sure we had a fight or two about him.  Then one day he embraced my crushes and indulged me.  He actually took me to see one of his movies for the sole purpose to let me gawk at Paul.  That is what they call true love, folks. :)   So I am going to grieve for him the only way I can, by gawking at some insanely hot photos of him and watching his movies.  RIP Paul Walker.  Thanks for the awesome memories!

'Tis The Season...

for debilitating panic attacks. This is the first year that I am having full on panic attacks that feel like I am going to die.  I am pretty sure that they are brought on by the Christmas hullabaloo and my ability to not say no and my desire to get the best presents ever.  This year everyone has been pretty darn specific on what they want and that just takes the fun out of gift-giving.  I feed off of the emotions around me and it draining my life force this year.  Greed and selfishness is at an all time high this year.  I really can't deal with it properly and then it comes out in physical symptoms.  I am taking deep breaths and trying to enjoy my Christmas, but its hard.  After Thanksgiving I was on a holiday high, we put our lights up, went to Zoolights and then the present requests came in and boom, Christmas spirit gone.  I absolutely love buying presents for people and I don't mind getting suggestions, but some crossed the line this year.  My desire to give the best gifts ever is hampered by the fact that we just don't have the funds. 
Since everyone else is being specific, I will tell you what I want this Christmas.  I have gotten one of my wishes early, the Seahawks will go to the playoffs again this year!  Really there is nothing else I want more than a Seahawks Super Bowl victory. So if you can help me out, please do. It will count as my birthday present as well. :) I would also love a Christmas that didn't include the guilt of gift buying.  A Christmas where I can pick up a few items for my kids and call it a day.  Christmas isn't suppose to bring one extreme anxiety and guilt.  I just want peace this year.  So if you know which store is having a sale on it, let me know.
Meanwhile I will be taking so many deep breaths I will eventually pass out.

Another Awesome Russell

http://mynorthwest.com/646/2172150/The-childhood-family-and-faith-behind-Seahawk-Russell-Wilson


Another article about Seahawk's quarterback Russell Wilson that has me crying like a little baby.  His Mom and Dad did something right and they have every right to be proud.  I have no doubt his Dad is cheering him on from heaven.  No matter what happens in the playoffs, Russell is going places.  After Monday's huge victory over the Saints this is what Russell did:

This is Brayden and he had a special wish for Make A Wish. :)  While I know that we all fall short, this is the type of role model I want for my kids.  Aside from their super excellent father with an equally awesome name, the other Russell is the type of man I can only pray my boys grow up to be.  He isn't afraid to share his faith, he is a leader, a hard worker, and he gives back so much.  He has the lowest quarterback salary in the NFL.  In NFL standards he makes a measly 450,000 a year, while most quarterbacks are getting 18 million a year.  I pray that he can stay the person he is now in spite of the fame and fortune coming his way.  And Russell if you are reading this, please I beg you, DO NOT LET THEM PUT YOU ON A MADDEN COVER!!  :)

Alone

http://hiddenwithyou.com/2013/11/14/desperate-housewives-no-laughing-matter-why-young-mothers-dont-need-god-they-need-help-2/

The above blog post struck a nerve when I read it.  It was as if I was writing it.  There have been numerous times I cried out for help only to be belittled or laughed at by other mother's.  Instead of being nice and supportive, these people chose to say 'I have it worse, so suck it up.'  I'm not going to lie, I have done it (in my head, never out loud) myself.  Motherhood is not a competition, it is a individual journey and we need to support each other, no matter what.
I have pretty much blocked out most of my memories of the past 7 years.  I have flashbacks here and there and I am literally talking about flashes of memories sparked by stress.  I would probably categorize it as post traumatic stress syndrome.  Instead of enjoying motherhood and thriving, I was merely surviving.  I am still standing, for now.  Looking back on the whole situation I wish that I could have thrived.  I wish that someone, anyone, would have come over and held a baby or two so I could take a shower or just catch my breath. A bum on the street would have sufficed.  I ended many days on my knees crying, sobbing, screaming out to the Lord for help. I do remember those times.  Sobbing uncontrollably on the floor while babies screamed and cried around me.  Not my finest moments.  But it was in those screams that I vowed to be extra helpful when my babies grow up and have babies.  So I am respectfully warning my future son and daughter in laws now.  I will travel to the ends of the earth to make sure my babies don't have to suffer alone.  I will try my best to help my babies not wish that their kids would disappear, or that they could run away.  Heck, I even begged for death.  No one should have to go through that.
I am in no way trying to shame any of our family or friends.  We understand that you have lives and couldn't be bothered by our numerous blessings.  OK, maybe I am a little bitter still, but God is healing my heart day by day.  One day it will be water under the bridge.  As someone who struggled and still struggles daily, I beg anyone that is reading this to take some time out of your busy life and help a Mom. Go fold laundry for an hour, sweep the kitchen floor, bring the kids lunch.  There are a million and one things that you can do to save someone's sanity. Whatever you chose to do, please don't chose to be the one that laughs at and brushes off a silent plea for help. 

JFK

50 Novembers ago, President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed.  50 years ago and we still don't know what exactly happened or whom exactly shot him.  Sure you can believe the government's story, but homie don't play that.  I, of course, was not born yet and will never know if Kennedy was a President that I would have liked.  Sifting through the pages of history, I am intrigued by this man.  He seemed to stand up in the face of opposition and do what he thought was right.  He seemed to work in the confides of the Constitution and seemed like he wasn't bought and paid for by the elite.  It would also seem that Kennedy wasn't the greatest husband and reportedly cheated every chance he got. But when dealing with our government I could care less about your personal life as long as you are doing your job. The Kennedy family in itself seems to burdened with a curse, or so it seems.  Honestly, I see the Kennedy's as the white trash family showing up to the rich man's BBQ.  The have a human quality to them, which is rare in politics.  I believe they were picked off one by one to make sure they never held office.
I haven't done extensive research, but I have done enough to believe that Lee Harvey Oswald didn't shoot the President. I wasn't there, heck even the people there don't know what happened.  I haven't decided the real story yet, we will probably never know, but I am inclined to believe the devoted wife that was picking up pieces of the President's brain off the back of the car.  She was there, sure she didn't have all the facts and I am sure JFK tried to protect his family, but Jackie Kennedy believed that the vice president at the time was responsible for the untimely death of her husband.  Lyndon B. Johnson wasn't elected, but became our President none the less.  If you look at this as a pure murder case, you always find the guy with motive and he would fit the bill. 
There are tons of theories and quite a few people with motive.  I have heard the mob, the CIA (which included senior George Bush), the vice President, Cuba, the list goes on and on. All of these theories open a huge can of worms.  You could get easily creeped out when you realize how involved the Bush family is with all world events since then.  They definitely have their hand in the cookie jar.  Watch 2016, if Mr. Jeb Bush all of a sudden becomes a frontrunner or wins the nomination, watch out!
I do know that JFK was going after the federal reserve and signed an executive order to that effect, which was quickly overturned by President Johnson hours after Kennedy was pronounced dead.  Johnson also rushed the body home and a proper autopsy was never preformed.  Oswald was conveniently shot by a man who had mob ties, Jack Ruby, and we all know that dead men tell no tales.  Ruby was also photographed outside the book depository right before the shooting, but was conveniently cropped out by all newspapers at the time. Oswald was able to give a brief statement after he was arrested and denied all involvement (I am aware that most criminals do that).  Oswald is a whole other fascinating story.  A very complex man, or it would seem with the tale the media spun.
We will probably never know who or why JFK was killed and there are tons of arguments and evidence I don't have time to go through now.  I do know that this incident was a huge turning point in history.  Who knows what America would be like if JFK was allowed to live and finish out his presidency.  No matter your political preferences I think we can all agree that this was a tragedy that ripped 2 little kids of a father and shocked a nation. 

Looking at youtube I found this rare gem, It does seem a little subliminal to me:



So much better than the stupid attack ads that we have to put up with during election time.
There are numerous documentaries about JFK and each one brings different evidence to the table. Watch a few and put the pieces together and let me know what conclusions you come up with.

He Didn't Have To Be

I am going to take a few minutes to brag about my Daddy for a moment.  This song reminds me so much of my Daddy and always makes me tear up.  My Dad became a Dad when he didn't have to.  He went from a young single man, to a man with an instant family.  When my Mom's first husband Tom, who was her high school sweetheart, died tragically in a car accident, she was left as a single mom with 2 babies.  Brandon was 4 and Amber was 2.  I can not even imagine.  My Dad was a typical 70's guy. Long hair, no cares in the world, awesome taste in music, but he gave that all up (except the great taste in music) to become a father.  He could have said no, he could have ran away, but he didn't.  Because my Dad said yes, I am here. My Dad legally adopted my brother and sister and I was born a year after they got married and as they say, the rest is history. Thank you Dad for being a fantastic Dad when you didn't have to be.

Champions

It is no secret that I am a fan of the Seahawks, but here is a video that shows you why this year, I am rooting for them even more.  They are awesome role models, which is rare to find in the NFL.  Russell Wilson may only be 5' 9" but he has the heart to make it all the way.  Win or lose, these guys are going places.  What an honor it will be to play a game of tag football in heaven one day with them. :)

I Have A Dream

Today is the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech.  50 years ago today, he delivered a speech that led to surveillance of himself and his family.  Yup.  In 50 years, not much has changed, just the technology.  Today is being called Dream Day, so here is my dream speech:

I have a dream that one day the American people will kick everyone in the house and senate out and fill the positions with people that truly represent the people. Until that day, I have a dream that one day I will reach my goal weight.  I have a dream that one day I will be able to eat whatever I want and not gain weight.   I have a dream that vegetables will one day taste like Oreos and Reese's peanut butter cups.  I have a dream that one day dogs will talk and they will only be able to compliment you.  I have a dream that my house will one day be able to clean itself.  I have a dream that one day my dryer will be able to put away my laundry.  I have a dream that one day my car will drive itself and all I have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride.  I have a dream that one day my refrigerator will make dinner.  I have a dream that one day I could wear a white dress and not look like a beluga whale. I have a dream that it will be a consistent 76 degrees outside and only rain on days I choose.  I have a dream that one day I will be able to walk in downtown Portland and not get the heebie jeebies.  I have a dream that our dreams will be able to be recorded and played back.  Whatever life throws your way, keep dreaming.  Who Knows?  Maybe one day your dream will come true!

What are your dreams?

Suffocating

I am suffocating in the evil of this world today.  It seems that evil is becoming the new norm.  Of course there has been evil since the day Eve ate the apple, but it feels like it is multiplying at a fast pace.  I am in tears after reading almost every news article.  Today it was the news of Delbert http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57599833-504083/delbert-belton-murder-wwii-veteran-in-wash-dies-after-attack-police-seek-two-male-suspects/
Just looking at his picture makes me so sad.  He was waiting for his friend and 2 random ( I really want to use bad language, but I will refrain) punks decided to beat him.  He is a WW2 veteran.  He fought for our country! What have these little shits (sorry, it was needed) done?  I don't know what you and your friends did growing up, but we never sat around talking about how bored we are, so we should probably go kill someone.  WTF is wrong with people!?  If my child was such an idiot I would probably be going to prison right now for beating the living hell out of them. 
Then there is this: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/20/justice/australia-student-killed-oklahoma
If you are so freaking bored I could think of a million things you could do that don't involve harming or killing another human being! I'm pretty sure that these two cases can be traced back to their parents not giving a f%*k.  Raise your damn kids, people! Teach them respect and kindness! Don't be afraid to spank them and don't be afraid to be the "bad guy."  They will thank you for it down the road. 
I don't know where we went wrong and have no clue if it is fixable at this point.  It is easy to lose hope for our world.  It is a sad, lonely place out there.  But I did catch a glimpse of hope yesterday. Antoinette Tuff.  She was able to talk to the shooter and get him to calm down and turn himself in.  She did it all with grace and love. http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/22/us/georgia-school-shooting-911-reunion  I cried the happy tears for that one. 
My heart aches for the families that they left behind. I pray for some sort of peace for them.  I pray that Delbert and Christopher are in heaven, chilaxing. Through all this evil, I still have hope, though it is hard to see sometimes.  My hope is in you, Lord!

Elvis

  Elvis passed away 37 years ago, today. The kids have recently been obsessed with his music and of course how he died on the toilet. :)  Elvis' music is legendary and crosses generations.  His rock n roll was considered devil music at one time, which it is now pretty mild to what people call music nowadays. His gospel music is pretty much the best.  I am sure that Elvis never thought that someone born in 2006 would be singing his songs like they were brand new in 2013.  It reminds me of the Sandlot quote, "Remember kid there's heroes and legends, Heroes get remembered, but legends never die. Follow your heart kid and you'll never go wrong."  Cheesy, I know! :)

Here are some of our faves at the moment:







There is actually a story about some ladies holding signs that said "Elvis, you're the king!" and he stopped and told them Jesus was their King and they took the signs down.  Not sure about the validity of that, but it sound like a cool story. :)

Small Victories

I have been working my butt off, literally, the last few months and I have finally hit the point that other people are noticing my hard work.  I even got the comment "what are you doing to look so skinny?" Me skinny, nope.  But it felt good to hear.  I also had a picture taken today that I am not too embarrassed to share. I usually look like a tired elephant in most pictures. 

This is me and my buddy, Liam at my cousin's baby shower today.

I still have a long way to go, but today I will bask in the compliments! :)  It really is the small things in life that make a difference.  Gotta keep on, keeping on!!

A Little Rant

Remember the rule in class about not bringing candy unless you have enough for everybody??  Of course back in the day I thought that rule was stupid, but now that I am a Mom of 4, it makes perfect sense.  I am constantly having to explain to my children and dry their eyes when someone they love doesn't play by these rules.  While I understand that life happens and it sometimes can't physically be possible to appease all of them, I ask that you answer their millions of questions about why and dry their eyes when you disappoint them.  When they were smaller it was easier to divert their attention, but they are now catching on.  I realize that life isn't fair and that my children will learn this, but I don't appreciate Russ and I becoming the 'bad guy' when it was not in our control.  So when it comes to my kids, bring candy for all, or don't bother showing up!   Just my little rant for the day. 

I Am Number 4

It's that time of the year, when I pull out Landon's birthday video, hold him in my lap and get all emotional as we watch it.  In less than an hour from now, he will officially be 4! My little baby is growing up!  Landon has been a great addition to the family and even though the ride has been bumpy, it was a ride worth taking.  Landon, or Lou, or Lewtz, or Lou Gergz, or Landerson Cooper, or nug-nug, or Landy, depending on the day, has brought nothing but joy to our lives.  I have no idea how our family of 5 would have functioned, but it wouldn't as been as fun without Landon, that's for sure.  He is our shy, quiet guy, who when gets excited about something, won't shut up. :)  He loves doing things with his brothers and he has a special bond with his twin, Sissy.  The other kids see Landon as the baby and try to protect him. Today they are following him around calling him the "birthday boy."  It melts my Mommy heart to see how much these kids care for each other.  Sure they have some knock down, drag out fights, but they truly like each other and play well together.  My only hope is that they stay this close in to adulthood.  I love my kiddos, they are some very special souls that will bring light to this world!  I have no doubt that Landon is destined for greatness.  Every time I take the chance to observe him, I realize that any person that comes into contact with him is blessed.  He, by all purposes, shouldn't be here, so any wife, kids, grand-kids that he has are a whole branch of a family tree that was never suppose to grow.  It amazes me!  All I can say is, Thank you Lord for knowing what we needed, when clearly, Russ and I didn't.  We love you, little Lou!

That Time Of The Month

Ahhhh yes, that time of the month has come and gone and I tried something different.  The picture above is cloth pads.  Yup.  Guess what?  I liked it!  It was kind of fun and we all know that periods are no fun!  I came across these pads on accident, or maybe not.  I had to wear my first ever tampon last cycle.  I went 30 years without needing a tampon.  I actually got anxiety from this, but I survived.  Coincidentally (or the government spying on me) a video about pads and tampons containing chemicals and toxins that could possibly cause cancer, popped up on facebook that day.  I know, I know, what doesn't cause cancer?  They lit some always pads on fire and they burst into a huge fireball, they lit the chemical free pad on fire and it just sort of smoldered. Anywho, I was reading about alternatives to always pads.  There is the diva cup, which is a little silicone cup that you insert up there and dump out periodically.  I wasn't ready for such a commitment. :)  So I went on to the next comment and they talked about cloth pads.  I figured if people could do cloth for babies, why not for your period?  I am sure my ancestors did it.  I have about 20 years of periods coming my way. So I researched a few brands and decided to try these out.  I anxiously waited for my period to start.  I know, I am crazy!  It came and I got to take these bad boys for a spin.  I only have 3 so, I did a lot of laundry.  They are comfy, didn't leak, and got the job done.   I am heading back to the website to pick up a few more and anxiously wait for my next period. :)

So I officially don't wash my hair, don't wear deodorant, don't wear makeup and use cloth pads.  What am I missing?  I (and my husband) draw the line at shaving. The pits and legs must be hairless, so don't even suggest that! :)

My Inspiration

 This coming Saturday will mark 14 years since Russ and I met.  14 years!!  It's hard to believe.  I have spent almost half of my life with this man.  My best friend, my confidant, my inspiration, my lover, my greatest supporter.  It has been a fun journey.  14 years ago we met and sparks flew. :)  When I woke up the morning of the 27th and was super bored and called my friend, I would have never imagined that on that day I would meet my future husband.  When we were laughing about underwear at Value Village, I didn't realize this man would be the man I would laugh with forever. The next day we went to a Bad Company/David Lee Roth concert.  I am not sure if I have ever told Russ this, but when that night was over and I came home, I set on the end of my bed, and I completely spaced out thinking about him.  I honestly don't know how long, but it was seriously like the movies, where they go to la la land and finally snap out of it when they hear a loud noise or someone calling their names.  Yup, it's real. I had it bad!  Over the next 2 weeks everything just kind of fell in place and on August 11th we went on our first date.  I know the movie we went to, but I honestly can't remember a darn thing about the movie, other than Paul Ruebens. :)  I spent the whole movie wondering if he was going to hold my hand.  Finally around the end he put his hand on mine and as they say "the rest is history." I still get butterflies in my stomach when I remember it.  I have never had to work or struggle to make this relationship work.  It just does.  That is how I knew that this man was "the one."  Russ is my soul mate, he completes me.  I hope to grow old and gray (already started) with this man.  I hope to laugh about our old person problems together and fight over directions when we take our grand-kids on vacation.  Right now we are knee deep in the battlefield together, raising 4 kids.  It's going to be one bumpy ride and I know with my partner in crime, we can move mountains!  So watch out kiddos, this dynamic duo is coming for you!

 I love you, Dude!  You are truly the meaning in my life, my inspiration. :)



and nothing's gonna stop us now!

How The American People Are Being Cheated

A lot of people are admtting to having Ron Paul regret.  They regret they didn't listen to him.  He has been right about EVERYTHING!  You were cheated from having a real candidate for President last year.  You were cheated of freedom and liberty and you should be pissed off!  The lame-stream media controls you.  They are right now, inciting race wars over a simple self-defense case.  The jury spoke, justice was served and they are still harping the subject day in and day out.  Do you ever ask yourself why?  Why did George Zimmerman go to trial without a grand jury overview??  Because it wouldn't have seen the light of day!  There are reasons this stuff happens and you need to wake up!  Always ask what their plan is.  They are bank-rolled by somebody.  They script everything.  Have you ever wondered why some news stories get national attention while other, more important stories, are ignored?  A media controlled by liberal views is dangerous to our freedom of speech and should upset you as a Christian.  The day is coming soon that we will be persecuted for our beliefs.  It won't be just words, actions are coming.  I think the most upsetting thing is that we have no one to blame but ourselves. We have been asleep at the wheel and we are headed for a crash of epic proportions.

With that said, enjoy your weekend! :)

Backstreet Boys Go Political

See the video at this link: http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/backstreet-boys-premiere-world-music-video-gma-120903461.html

The Backstreet Boys released their new music video today and it has left me discombobulated. They chose to make it political and it has left a sour taste in my mouth.  Music, at least to me, is suppose to be about losing what is around you.  They had me until the end and I am very disappointed that they chose that route.  Really, I have no opinion at the moment, of gay marriage.  But I sure don't want it on my BSB videos.  Is this enough for me to turn away from my boys?  Probably not.  But please stick to making music and not political statements.  Please!  Oh, and welcome back, Kevin!

July 4th, In Pictures

Love this picture!

Such a ham jones!

Landon knows how to party!!! Takes after his Daddy!

I asked them to say "we love each other!" :)

Best Daddy in the world! I love this man!

Even the spiders came out to party! 

A Christmas Letter In July!

I can't believe that it is already July! We started our summer off with our first Smith/Jones camping trip!  I was a little anxiety ridden to embark on this adventure, but all in all the kids did great!  Plus they had a blast hanging out with Uncie and Aunt Becky and their cousins Tucker and Bailey.  We went to Ft. Stevens, up by Astoria.  It is one of the biggest national campgrounds.  There were tons of historic sites, including everyone's favorite Battery Russell.  It had that old, creepy , haunted feel to it, but the kids had a blast exploring it.  It is an anxiety ridden Mother's worst nightmare though.  Big holes, dropoffs and stairs with no railings.  I survived. Barely.  I realize that these kids will probably give me a million heart attacks over the next 20 years, and even after that.  I have no pictures of this adventure, because I forgot my camera. :(  Trust me, this trip did in fact happen and we all had a blast! We discovered, or at least confirmed that Landon is in fact a bully.  He was calling kids about 10 or so "fat boy" and this kid was not fat.  He was practically getting in his face.  You would never know, since he freezes up around adults.  Last year he yelled at a group of boys that were playing ball on the beach "you play ball like a girl."  So we have to watch this guy.  Hopefully his brothers are willing to step in and either contain him or protect him. :)  It's always the small, quiet ones that like to get in trouble. 
Wyatt and Trevor turned 5 a couple of weeks ago.  I really don't know how that happened.  It seems like yesterday I was waddling around Costco waiting for them to make an appearance.  I remember when we brought them home from the hospital and Aurora loved them for a few days, then she muttered the famous line "Wyatt Trevor put back."  Fortunately the boys couldn't talk when Landon came along, but I have a feeling they would have had the same sentiment. We threw the boys a pool party, since 5 is a milestone.  They chose a shark themed party.  A good time was had by all and we avoided any major meltdowns.  We had one in the parking lot on our way out.  Landon, who had been handling the attention the boys were getting like a champion got a little upset when I told him he couldn't hold one of they boy's toys.  So he screamed "It's my birthday too."  But he quickly recovered.  Speaking of that.  Our little baby does have a birthday coming up!  He will be 4 this time around.  FOUR!  Geesh. Here's hoping that we are leaving the terrible three's behind us, forever.
We have been having a heatwave around here, so of course the pool, the sprinkler and the water guns have come out.  It is hard work being an adult in the summer.  Blowing up pools, filling squirt guns, paying the water bill.  I want to be young again, but I don't want to go to school. :) 
Trevor has taken up drawing and now we have stacks and stacks of his artwork laying around.  He like to draw Robin and his girlfriend, Poison Ivy and he really has a talent for it.  He fills in the little details like her mask and the R on Robins costume.  I have no talent what-so-ever, so it has been nice to see one of our kids with some natural talent. 
Aurora has lost some more baby teeth this summer and at her last dentist appointment they mentioned the "o" word.  Of course the only orthodontist I trust moved to happy valley, so I may just have to take the longer drive.  We do not have ortho coverage and I shudder to think what it will cost, but they claim that if we are proactive now, she might not need braces.  So I guess we will see.  All of the kids have perfect straight baby teeth, so why in the world can't their adult teeth do the same? Luckily none of the kids are thumbsuckers, so we may (fingers crossed) get off easy.  Or we may send Dr. Brown into early retirement! :)
With the weather being nice, we decided it was time to pull out the picnic table.  Well Russ, tried to do it by himself and dropped the thing on his foot.  He comes inside with a huge goose-egg on the top of his foot. He spent the rest of the day laid up with copious amounts of arnica and ice.  Luckily he was able to go to work this week and it seems to not be broken.  Needless to say, we have not eaten on the picnic table this week.  Go figure! :)
Russ and I got a little taste of some baseball by going to a Hillsboro Hops game.  They kind of suck and they are on a nice losing streak, but I love being around baseball.  It was 90 degrees and we were in the sun for quite a bit, but I loved every minute of it.  I loved the crowd booing the umps when they got a call wrong, watching people dancing on the fan cam and the crazy in between inning games.  We are throwing around the idea of taking the kids next time. 
I am still shampoo free, except for when I got my haircut at the salon.  Don't really miss shampoo and my hair seems to be thicker.  After a few road bumps (birthday cake) I am back on track with my new lifestyle and have dropped 6lbs.  Size 0, here I come!  You all know I am just kidding.  I am aiming for a negative 0. :)
The summer has just began, we have more birthdays to celebrate and more fun to be had.  We hope you are all enjoying your summer!
Love,
The Jones 

You Don't Have A Microwave!?

Nope.  We haven't had one for probably a year or more now.  I remember the first microwave my family had, it was huge and had turn knobs, like an old TV.  I would sit in front of it and watch the food "cook."  Pretty much everything hot that I ate growing up came out of a microwave.  I grew up in the microwave generation.  I don't think we ever used the oven.  I think in the early 90's they started talking about radiation danger, so I would get yelled at for standing in front of it.  When my little cousin was diagnosed with brain cancer, I remember the grownups talking about microwaves and hot dogs.  So all this info has been floating around for years and years.  Our microwave broke and we never bothered replacing it.  We don't do too many packaged foods and therefore it was just taking up space.  There has only been 2 occasions where I wish we had one.  Anything you can cook in the microwave can be cooked in the oven or on the stove top.  It takes longer, but knowing that I didn't nuke my food of all nutrients is worth it.  I personally don't have anything against microwaves.  I will use them while on vacation, or while I am at someone elses house. I think a properly sealed microwave is safe, but won't sacrifice nutrition for time. Everything in life is a choice and we chose not to use a microwave at our house.  And we are slowly going through our friends list and stopping all communication with those who would chose to use one.  Just kidding! 

Noel

 

Here is an updated picture of our sponsor child, Noel. Isn't he handsome!?  He has grown so much in the last year.  He looks happy and healthy! He turned 6 in January. So far our correspondence has been with his Mommy and he will draw us some very nice pictures.  We have sent extra gifts to the family and his Mommy was able to buy some shoes for her job and put some extra food on the table.  It is such a blessing to be able to bless a family so far away.  I am hoping to visit Noel and his family in Honduras one day.  The kids love to see his pictures and we hang them proudly on our fridge, just like he was one of our own.  We are currently praying for his prayer request for his Daddy to find the Lord.  His Dad is allowing him to go to this "special" school because he knows it will lead to opportunity, but has not yet accepted the Lord.  So could you please pray for Noel and his family.  Please pray for the country of Honduras as well.

Sponsoring a child through Compassion has been fun and there are tons of kids looking for sponsors.  If you are lead go here and take a look: http://www.compassion.com/default.htm

Have You Ever Seen The Rain?

It is amazing how history repeats itself.  I found myself randomly singing this song the other day and when I finally was able to listen to it on youtube, it made me think about the people of that era.  The 1970's weren't cupcakes and rainbows.  In fact I can't think of any time frame that has been kind to the US.  We are always bouncing from one war to another, always fighting for some sort of right or claiming some kind of discrimination.  We will never have true peace here on earth.  We will always be restless. Every older generation has been disgusted with the youth and the words "back in my day" have been spoken more times than there are stars in the sky.  Even with the the crap that goes on, we always look back on the time fondly and wish we could go back to our childhood.  If you ask me, the late 80's, early 90's was kick ass.  I barely remember desert storm and that is because I wrote to my neighbor who was stationed in the middle east.   I was only 8 and more worried about my barbies at the time.  I remember crying when Clinton was elected, I have no clue why, but I started bawling.  It was a sad cry, not a happy one. I was 10.  I guess that is just proof that I have always been sensitive to politics. :)  Other than those 2 events in my childhood, I have no relocation of what was going on around me.  I remember the good tv shows, the great music and the awesome barbies.  Things have changed and my childhood is lost.  But I thank God for netflix and youtube, so I can relive a few of those good memories, like this one:





Watched it most mornings before school for awhile.  It always reminds me of my Grandpa who was a motorcycle cop.  He also had a remote control motorcycle cop that he would let us drive around the house.  Amazing how that all flooded back after watching the Chips theme song!  I also had a huge crush on Ponch. 

These really are the best days of my kids lives.  I hope many years form now they look back fondly on these times.  My wish for them is that they never see the rain.

Sham Poo

I have taken another step into hippie land.  That darn Portland vibe is rubbing off on me! :)  I have been completely shampoo and conditioner free for 2 weeks now.  I wash my hair with nothing but good old water.  No baking soda, no vinegar, just H2O.  They say there is a 30 day adjustment period for your hair and then you won't have to wash it more than twice a week.  It probably sounds gross to most, but you can come smell my hair, it smells good. :)  My hair is a little flatter right now, but I prefer it, since I am usually a frizzy mess.  My natural curls also pop more.  Now if I could find a way to avoid showering all together, then I will have arrived! :)
The word shampoo in itself is giving you a hint.  It's a sham and it's full of poo!  Ever look around and see how many younger males are going bald?  It used to be a old person thing, now they start thinning at 16 years old and it has become quite the epidemic.  Of course some people are genetically predisposed to lose their hair, but not that young!  I have 3 boys and I want to preserve their hair for as long as I can.  I literally only wash their hair once a month and just recently switched to only using baking soda when I do.  We have had no problems with grease or smells.  Or maybe I am just immune to it by now. :)
I am trying to grow my hair out a bit, but it proves to be a challenge for me since I have a stress habit of pulling my hair out.  I can go weeks without touching it and then something stressful comes along and boom, I make up for the lost time.  My hairdresser has gotten good at hiding it, at least I think so.  If you have noticed it, don't tell me.  I want to live in a my own bubble. :) 
Right now I am washing it every other day or so.  It is on the greasier side, but no more than when I used shampoo. I am having fun embracing my natural hippie. Who knows, you may find me riding my bike next year at the naked bike ride. :)

We Won't Be Shaken

Seems appropriate today:



Also worth sharing:

What is happening now is that a lot of middle class Americans who were not listening to the warnings that I gave for 15 years are slowly awakening to the reality that the government is treating them like a criminal or potential terrorist. Freedom, liberty, and privacy are dead. History will record that the great American dream died during the time of the spoiled Baby Boomer generation. They were too consumed with worldly pleasure and comfort to be inconvenienced by the necessity of carrying out their civic duty to guard the Republic from enemies both foreign and domestic. While the government told them to keep their eyes on the al-Qaeda boogeyman, the government stole their freedom and liberty. Essentially, the masters of this nation told the people “We have a deal for you! Give up your freedom and liberty and privacy – and we will permit you to sin! In fact, we will legalize your sins and protect you while you’re sinning.” And the people went along with the swindle. They sold their birthright for the promise of sinning without religion convicting them…..Rick


 

I Have Been Bitten...

By the liberty bug, again!  It is so easy to give up and give away your freedoms.  But I have four children to fight for!  They deserve freedom and liberty!  I can't do much as one woman, but I am not going to do nothing!  There are some exciting projects in the name of liberty that are going on and you can be a part of it!  http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/439668500/liberty-is-rising-truth-in-media-project-0

Ben Swann is the last true journalist that reports the truth.  Don't miss out on being a part of history! 

Unless you have been living under a rock, you know the big story that broke last week.   A young "whistle blower" finally confirmed what I already knew.  The government is watching you, looking at your emails, listening to your phone calls, cruising your facebook page.  This is all done legally through the Patriot Act brought to you by the Bush administration.  Are you getting it now??  Republican, Democrat, it doesn't matter, these people are put into office to destroy your liberty!  With all this surveillance and they couldn't stop the boston bombers!?  Is it sinking in?  They allowed the boston bombers to succeed.  You can call me crazy but everything I have ranted about in the past has been proven right.  Our government is not our friend, they can not be trusted, ever! This is just the tip of a huge iceberg! And since they are reading this blog post I would like to take the time to tell them that the American people have had enough!  People are FINALLY waking up! We are on to you and it will only be a matter of time before we reclaim all of our liberty!  The next couple of months will be big.  It will let us know what direction we are heading.  Will people finally stand up and demand that Obama be impeached? Not that it matters much. Or will they still try to use excuses to justify this blatant attack on the American people?  The time has come for us to put the Constitution to work for us, instead of using it for toilet paper.  We have hit a turning point, what happens next will give us a clear vision of the future.  Will we pass on freedom and liberty to our kids or tyranny and chains?  The time is now! Don't let us look back on this point in time and wish we would have taken a different path.

Things you can do now:

Donate to Ben Swann's kickstarter project

Run for a local office in your City or State

Make your voice heard, sign petitions for impeachment. http://www.wnd.com/2013/06/demand-obamas-impeachment-now/#uA6fWopjDwrPz8fD.99
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/we-demand-president-obama-resign/sTtJndXm

Enlighten your friends and family of the truth.  The Government is already listening, so you might as well make it look like you gave a crap.  Liberty has a way of bringing people together, no matter the race or religion.  It is the common factor and it is powerful!

Now this step is totally optional, but I suggest Republicans and Democrats all change their voter registration to "no party affiliation." I urge you to keep voting, especially for local measures that directly impact you, but as soon as you realize that your vote for political office means absolutely nothing, the sooner we can see real change!

We are going to have to work together to insure a bright future for all future Americans.  It's not going to happen overnight, but we need to get the wheels moving in the right direction.  We can't afford to wait until 2016 and even then you are probably guaranteed President Hillary Clinton.  There are hundreds of blank pages of history that need to be written.  Will you join me?

A little motivation: 





Since I and my fellow patriots have been right about most everything, I feel like I need to post this warning:

With the current events in the world today and the issues that are happening here at home, while it is our duty to do everything humanly possible to protect our liberty, this has a chance of going bad, real fast.  Now more than ever is is imperative you surround yourself with people who will have your back.  Now is not the time to move away from family, unless of course you are going to prepare a compound. :)  It is time to hunker down and find a place that you would be able to survive without electricity and running water.  I hope it  never comes to this, but you must prepare.  It would be stupid not to have a plan in place. Just imagine for a moment that the government stops handing out food stamps.  What do you think would happen?  Utter chaos!   Prepare now! 

All I Need

This made me scream like a giddy school girl.  I am dead serious.  I grew up watching Frisco and Felicia on General Hospital and wanted to marry Frisco Jones.  I came close, I got the Jones part right. :)

Tasty!

It has been a month since I started restarted my healthy lifestyle.  It has been filled with ups and downs, but the good news is that it is mostly ups.  While I am not focusing on weight I did weigh myself.  I am down 6lbs from a month ago, while not great, it is a victory.  My clothes are fitting better and I just feel better overall, which is what I was going for.  I have tried some new foods and retrained my taste-buds.  On Sunday we had Red Robin for dinner and the honey mustard dressing that I usually can't get enough of, tasted like chemicals and I did not eat it.  That is totally crazy!  We had a cake and I found it way too rich and only had one piece, not the normal 5 or 6. :)  I also only had 2 scoops of ice cream, another victory! I am also not really craving the crappy foods, which means I am either sick or found something that works for me.  I still tend to overeat and not stop when I am full.  Just something to keep working on. 
Nothing is off limits, I am just making better choices.  Maybe that is the key.  My brain was wired to stay away from the bad foods and then I would go on a binge and tell myself I would start a new diet tomorrow.  I am choosing not to eat the crap that the government calls food, but I am not avoiding it or rewarding myself with it.  If the current trend keeps up, I may find this food as disgusting as the ingredients.
I have a long way to go.  I have years and years of toxic fat stored up in my body.  It's not easy to get rid of it.  I want to do this the healthy way, I want it to be a lifestyle.

Some new foods I have tried:  Hemp protein.  When I opened the jar and smelled it, I thought it was going to be horrible, but mixed in a smoothie, I could barely taste the earthy flavor.
Grapefruit:  I have had grapefruits before, but avoided them.  I am trying to retrain my taste-buds to like them.  So far I can stand them, in a smoothie. :)  Eventually I may be able to eat a grapefruit by itself.

On the movement front, I have been pretty good about doing Dance Central most days.  It is a way to trick my body into moving while having fun.  It is also good for my aging brain.  The first day I did it, after a little hiatus, I was so sore.  It made me feel like an old person and reminded me that I need to move my money maker if I want to be able to use it as I age. 

Today I am celebrating my victories and learning from my mistakes.  It's a journey and I am just trying to sit back and enjoy the ride.

In 10 Years....

Looking through some old things and found this in my sister's school notebook:

It was written a few months before she passed away. 

Am I a Nut?

 If you prefer the label "conspiracy nut" then yes, I am a nut.  I am proud of that title.  The truth always comes out and us conspiracy nuts have been proven right. Though I prefer the term "truth seeker."  As a believer in Jesus Christ I have to take everyone's stories and facts about the time that Jesus lived and chose what to believe.  So anyone that believes in Jesus is technically a conspiracy nut.  Just like we seek the truth about Jesus we should always seek the truth in all circumstances.  I crave the truth, I demand the truth.  Pastor Chuck wrote a great article this week about some of the major "conspiracies" in the last 100 years.  I recommend you read it and start asking your own questions.  I can't tell you what to believe, but the facts speak for themselves. 




"The title of today’s column, “There Is A Conspiracy,” is a direct quote from Ezekiel 22:25. In this passage, God instructed Ezekiel to blow the whistle on the conspiracy of Israel’s prophets to deny people truth, to devour people’s souls, to defraud people’s substance, and to destroy people’s lives. I dare say this conspiracy is still alive and well today. Many pastors and religious leaders in 2013 America are as guilty of Ezekiel’s charges as were Israel’s ancient prophets."

read the rest here:  http://chuckbaldwinlive.com/home/archives/5627

When my sister passed away, want to know what the first thing I was jealous of?  She probably got to know if OJ really killed Nicole and Ron.  Yup.  Been craving the truth since I was a mere pup. :)
I am aware that some conspiracies are the devil's playground and they can cause you to lose your mind if you research them long enough.  I chose to keep an open mind and never take anything at face value. 

I care about things, maybe a little too much sometimes, but it is my duty to be watchful and seek the truth.  Jesus' followers were beaten and killed for spreading truth, while that is not the case, yet, I have to prepare myself.  I have to know what is going on around me.  When the time comes, Jesus will be the only thing that matters.  So if you don't believe Jesus is your Savior, then I hope you chose to immerse yourself in that research first. 


Just something to ponder:

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went into Galilee, into a mountain, where Jesus had appointed them.

¹⁷ And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

¹⁸ And Jesus came, and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me, in heaven, and in earth.

¹⁹ Go therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the holy Ghost,

²⁰ Teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, until the end of the world, Amen.

Matthew 28:16-20 (Geneva Bible) 

Notice verse 20: "teaching them to observe all things"

Observe is defined as:
Notice or perceive (something) and register it as being significant.

Watch (someone or something) carefully and attentively.

So being a "conspiracy nut", is just me, being a really good follower of Jesus. :)  

The River

One of my all time favorite songs!  Garth doesn't allow his music to be played on youtube for some reason, so this is the best I could find.  Great song and a great message!  I am going to chance the rapids and dare to dance the tides! :)

I Really Miss Ron Paul

Liberty Was Also Attacked in Boston

by Ron Paul

Forced lockdown of a city. Militarized police riding tanks in the streets. Door-to-door armed searches without warrant. Families thrown out of their homes at gunpoint to be searched without probable cause. Businesses forced to close. Transport shut down.
These were not the scenes from a military coup in a far off banana republic, but rather the scenes just over a week ago in Boston as the United States got a taste of martial law. The ostensible reason for the military-style takeover of parts of Boston was that the accused perpetrator of a horrific crime was on the loose. The Boston bombing provided the opportunity for the government to turn what should have been a police investigation into a military-style occupation of an American city. This unprecedented move should frighten us as much or more than the attack itself.
What has been sadly forgotten in all the celebration of the capture of one suspect and the killing of his older brother is that the police state tactics in Boston did absolutely nothing to catch them. While the media crowed that the apprehension of the suspects was a triumph of the new surveillance state – and, predictably, many talking heads and Members of Congress called for even more government cameras pointed at the rest of us – the fact is none of this caught the suspect. Actually, it very nearly gave the suspect a chance to make a getaway.
The “shelter in place” command imposed by the governor of Massachusetts was lifted before the suspect was caught. Only after this police state move was ended did the owner of the boat go outside to check on his property, and in so doing discover the suspect.
No, the suspect was not discovered by the paramilitary troops terrorizing the public. He was discovered by a private citizen, who then placed a call to the police. And he was identified not by government surveillance cameras, but by private citizens who willingly shared their photographs with the police.
As journalist Tim Carney wrote last week:

“Law enforcement in Boston used cameras to ID the bombing suspects, but not police cameras. Instead, authorities asked the public to submit all photos and videos of the finish-line area to the FBI, just in case any of them had relevant images. The surveillance videos the FBI posted online of the suspects came from private businesses that use surveillance to punish and deter crime on their property.”

 Sadly, we have been conditioned to believe that the job of the government is to keep us safe, but in reality the job of the government is to protect our liberties. Once the government decides that its role is to keep us safe, whether economically or physically, they can only do so by taking away our liberties. That is what happened in Boston.

Three people were killed in Boston and that is tragic. But what of the fact that over 40 persons are killed in the United States each day, and sometimes ten persons can be killed in one city on any given weekend? These cities are not locked-down by paramilitary police riding in tanks and pointing automatic weapons at innocent citizens.
This is unprecedented and is very dangerous. We must educate ourselves and others about our precious civil liberties to ensure that we never accept demands that we give up our Constitution so that the government can pretend to protect us. 

Once again Ron Paul has hit the nail on the head. A similar incident is going on now in California. Read about it here: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/rural-calif-community-lockdown-cops-hunt-killer-article-1.1330894 

While the loss of human life in tragic incidents like these is disgusting, it is not an excuse to cower in fear or allow the police or government to take away your freedoms.   You have the right to protect yourself, even though that right is under attack.  Be vigilant, take precautions, but never allow your rights to be taken away!  There will come a day when government won't be holding your hand and you need to prepare for it.

What I'm Fighting For

This song makes me tear up every time. It was written by a soldier and it is about the Iraq war.  Makes me sick to my stomach that these stupid politicians risk the lives of our citizens for absolutely nothing.  If you wouldn't send your own child to fight, then stay away from our children!  Our policemen of the world attitude is causing our freedom at home to die.  We will more than likely be in a new war in a matter of weeks, days or even hours.  May God protect our sons and daughters and bring them home safely.

Smooty

It is hard to get your daily intake of fruits and veggies, so we make it easier by making smoothies out of them, which the kids call smooties.  As I write this, Landon and I are sharing a berry (blueberry, blackberry, raspberry), almond milk, kale, broccoli and flax smooty.  Yummy!

Start Your Engines!

Every Most mornings I make myself a little potion that jump-starts my system and gets me ready for the day.  No, not coffee.  I am just not into coffee, I do use it for other things, but more about that in a later post.  In the morning I get up and get Aurora ready for school, I put 16oz of spring water into our coffee maker to warm it up.  I then use 6oz of the water to brew a mug of green tea (my favorite is Traditional Medicinals Green Tea with Lemongrass) and put the rest in a large glass.  I then squeeze the juice out of one lemon and put it in the large glass.  Once the green tea is done brewing, I pour it into the large glass as well.  Voila! I now have a morning booster that is good for all sorts of things, like preventing cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimers and Parkinsons and detoxing the body,   It is also good for your immune system and highly beneficial to A's, since our immune systems aren't typically the greatest, especially if our diet consists of sugar.  Every once and awhile I will put in some Himalayan pink salt.  You can read about the benefits by clicking the link.  We bought ours at Costco and have been really pleased.  The Costco one has a grinder, so it just tastes fresher and less chemically treated. 

So now you know my morning secret recipe!  What do you consume first thing in the morning?

Our Model Citizen

Before we jetted off to the beach, we had our first teacher conference with Aurora's teacher.  We know Aurora as the bossy firecracker.  Her teacher sees a whole different side. :)  She had nothing but praise for Aurora.  She said not only is she excelling in all her school work but she is a good person.  She includes kids that don't usually have anyone to play with.  She helps other students and has great manners.  All the girls in class write about Aurora in their journals.  They talk about how nice she is and how they like to play with her and how they want to come over to her house and play barbies. She is also quite popular with the boys, which has Russ researching all girl schools. 
She is reading at a 2nd grade level, she is in the highest math and is starting to write stories.  We couldn't be prouder.  We apparently did something right, that and the fact that she has some great genes.  She tested above the first grade level for reading and math in October when she started Fairview. It is a great feeling knowing that I taught my little girl how to read, write and do math before we let her go to a public school.  It makes all the hard days seem worth it.  She has a great foundation to build off of.  She has gotten into trouble once for whisper talking when it was time to pay attention to the teacher, now that sounds more like my daughter. 

If you can call packing for 6 people and taking care of 4 little kiddos that run 4 different ways, a vacation.  See you next week!

I Shower Naked

When we started making changes to our diet, we also looked at ways to limit our exposure to other things.  Our water is heavily treated with chlorine, so much so that it sometimes smells like a swimming pool in our bathroom.  So we installed a chlorine filter on our shower a few years ago and couldn't be happier. My skin doesn't get all dry and itchy and I can take a long, steamy shower and not feel as bad about inhaling the steam. You can read about chlorine effects here: http://www.waterbenefitshealth.com/chlorine-in-drinking-water.html

Quick tip: Another way to offset the effects of chlorine in the bathtub is to add baking soda to the water. 

 We also use brita filters to filter our tap water.  There is a significant difference in taste.  I have not drank out of our tap in a looong time, but I did the other day and I had to spit it out.  It tasted like pool water. 

I realize that just about everything in our modern world causes cancer, but I pick and choose the things that make my family and I feel more comfortable. I hate the smell of chlorine and don't think I should inhale it every time I take a shower.  I prefer to shower with water that is as pure and as naked as I am. :)  If the chlorine doesn't get me, I am sure the wireless internet or the wireless "smart" meter for our electricity will get me.  It is time consuming and it is also expensive to worry about everything, so I start small and go from there. 

Almond Milk

This is the almond milk that we made earlier this week.

After much research and studies it was discovered that dairy is not good for you.  The government has been feeding people lies. Big shocker, right!  About 75 percent of the world's population is genetically unable to properly digest milk and other dairy products. Both A and O should avoid dairy, so we switched to almond or rice milk a couple of years ago.  Of course I still have ice cream and the occasional cheese, especially on pizza.  But I usually get a sore throat, a cough and notice my nose starts to run.  I have experienced these symptoms my entire life, I call it "ice cream cough."  Aurora gets it as well.  We are pretty much poisoning ourselves every time we eat ice cream, but it tastes so darn good! :)
We had been buying our almond milk at the grocery store, but recent research has found that the food additive carageenan causes extreme digestive upset and possibly cancer.  This additive is in all alternative milks. I knew you could make your own milk, but never was brave enough to try.  We bought a vitamix at Costco a couple of years ago and I am not ashamed (maybe a little ashamed) that I pretty much used it as a homemade blizzard maker and margarita maker.  So a little google bing search later, I came across this video.  The most time consuming part is peeling the almond skins off the soaked almonds.  After that, it is a breeze.  I knew we had 4 little food critics to pass this by and so far the reviews have been great.  Aurora said it tasted just like the store bought stuff and the boys said "yum" as they drank it.  So I guess it is a keeper.  We use our milk in cereal, smoothies and any recipe that calls for cow milk.  I will be making a new batch tonight, so hopefully it is just as good the second time around.
This weekend I will experiment with finding a yummy almond milk ice cream recipe.  I will let you know if I find a good one.

Franken Food, Poison and Addictions, Oh My!

We all know, at least I hope you all know that the food industry has slowly poisoned us over the years.  It started in the 50's with fast food, breakfast cereal, soda and TV dinners.  This food is so overly processed that you aren't getting any nutrients out of it even when they add some vitamins in to it!  It is around this time that people started getting heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other food related diseases more often.  We now have a 50% chance of getting some sort of cancer and that is due in a large part to our food intake.  It is not my intention to be preachy or judgmental.  I am a food addict.  I struggle with knowing what is in the food and still shoveling it down my throat.  My main weakness is sugar.  And once I get a taste for it, it is all over.  I know that the food companies are putting sweeteners and additives that make my brain feel a complete euphoria when I eat a brownie and I still can't stop myself.  I have been better at limiting myself, but I fly off the bandwagon A LOT!  I made a complete over haul to our diet after Aurora was born, but each time I got pregnant that all flew out the window.  Why would I want eat broccoli when I was pregnant when I could have a milkshake?? It got really bad with Landon's pregnancy.  Not only was I eating burgers from Burger King almost daily, the kids were now joining me.  If you see any pictures of Wyatt and Trevor around this time, you would see little chubby cheeked chipmunks.  It was doing a number on them and I chose to ignore it, because you can't be pregnant forever, right?  An unplanned pregnancy that came just months off of a double pregnancy can do a number on your mental well being, paired with the fact that I had to take care of 3 little ones too, it was a recipe for disaster.  I gained 30lbs with Landon, the most ever for me and he ended up being well over 8lbs, my heaviest baby.  I looked bigger with Landon's pregnancy than I ever did with the twins, that is saying a lot.
We are now almost 4 years from the time our little baby joined the family.  4 years!  Can't use the baby weight excuse anymore.  I will pat myself on the back, just this once, for the fact that I lost every pound that I gained with Landon's pregnancy and technically Aurora's pregnancy.  While I like to talk about weight and we seem a country obsessed with weight, I am realizing more and more that it is about health.  I have been relatively healthy (knock on wood) for the first 30 years of my life.  I had 3 healthy pregnancies and delivered 4 healthy babies.  You can't ask for anything more.  As I hit my 30's this year, I feel my health is starting to become an issue.  My body can't bounce back from my food binges like it use to.  Any new exercise program leaves me sore for longer than it use to.  I hate to say that at 30 I am getting old, because it makes people in their 40's, 50's and beyond laugh out loud.  But if this is how I feel at 30, I don't want to know what 40 may feel like.
I have 4 kids that are full of energy and vitality.  I am the person that makes their lifelong food habits.  I am the one responsible for nourishing my children.  While I wish my parents took a  different route when I was growing up, so I don't have to struggle as much.  I am thankful for the experience because I now know what needs to be done. I have been down the fast food, frozen dinner route and I know where it leads.  My parents weren't aware of the poison they were feeding us.  We were essentially and still are, guinea pigs for the food industry.  People my age, some I went to school with have already had chemo for cancer, or strokes. To say that it had nothing to do with diet, is foolish. 
I remember when the low-fat diet came on the scene.  My Mom bought low-fat Twinkies that tasted like cardboard.  Anything that said low fat usually tasted like crap.  Then came the sugar free junk, because people were starting to get diabetes at an alarming rate.  Crap.  It all tasted like crap.  Now studies are showing that low fat diets are leading causes of heart disease and that "diet" pop is actually causing diabetes and cancer.  I am glad that my parents never feel for the diet pop scheme.  I may have been a health nightmare.  I don't care what sweetener they come up with, if I am going to drink pop it will be one with old fashioned sugar in it.  Then high fructose corn syrup came along and started replacing sugar in everything.  Now they are adding soy to everything, and it is genetically modified, meaning our bodies can't process it.  I dare you to find anything in the grocery aisle that is in a box that doesn't have soy in it.  Lets not forget that most farmers feed their animals corn and soy.  So even though you are eating a steak, it may still have corn or soy in it.
 I am responsible for the choices I make and while the food additives in most foods cause me to desire more of it, I can't place the blame solely on the food industry.  They are trying to make money.  But we as consumers have allowed them to make money off of our health.  They will still continue to make the crap as long as we buy the crap.  Once again we have taken something so simple and twisted it all up.  God made plants for us to eat.  He gave us fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds and animals to eat.  Couldn't we just leave it alone?  Nope, we had to start feeding those animals "feed" that has nothing to do with their god intended diet.  Then we had to take the grains God gave us and modify them to grow bigger and better.  Who cares if our bodies don't recognize it as food as long as someone is making money. 
Over the years we have taken steps to rid ourselves of the Franken food.  While we still eat the crap, we don't do it everyday.  We use almond milk, but recently discovered that the additive carageenan is horrible on the digestive system and started making our own almond milk.  It is a pain to make, but it is worth it.  The kids drink fresh veggie juice out of our juicer.  They gobble up smoothies.  They ask for vegetables.  They have probably had more variety of veggies in their short lives, than I ever have.  Aurora eats raw beets and radishes, I remember years ago I actually vomited when someone tried to get me to eat a beet.  Now I can't get enough beets.  It is my favorite thing to juice.  Wyatt pleads for more green beans at dinner.  Trevor and Landon eat carrots until I make them stop.  I may feed my children junk food occasionally, but they still have a taste for God's bounty.  That is one thing that I am immensely proud of.  Their Mother may struggle with food and make poor choices, but they are exposed to real food and consistently make good choices.
I am working on myself  and have made a lot of progress.  I eat things now that I would have never eaten before.  It sucks that I have to think about food, pretty much every minute of every day.  As the chef in the house I have to make a meal plan, a grocery list and cook this food for 5 other people. It is a daily struggle and some have compared it to alcoholism.  Which sort of make me cringe because alcoholics destroy the relationships around them and do stupid things while intoxicated or to score some alcohol. I like to think that my food addiction hasn't gotten that far.  I have made the decision to stop worrying about how much I weigh, I know it is easier said than done, and start worrying about my health.  I will focus on making healthy decisions each day and transforming the foods we eat to make them healthy for us all.  I will share some recipes on the blog and give some progress reports, good or bad. This will mean more blog posts and more emails if you are signed up, so please let me know if you want me to take you off the email list!! 
Of course along with eating healthy comes exercise.  I am a type A, so my body responds differently to stress.  It takes a long time for me to recover from it.  So I am choosing light walking at least 3 times a week and Qi Gong and yoga.  I will focus on stress release.  With 4 kids, this may prove to be quite the challenge. :)  We also have a 4 day beach trip coming up next week and as we all know vacationing has a way to bring out the inner food binger.  I am taking "precautions" to limit the damage and will let you know how it goes.
I am taking steps toward bettering myself and my family and welcome you guys along for the ride.


Here I go again: