Get Our Houses in Order

View of sunrise from my kitchen, thanks to my early bird S

Warning: This is a long written post.

Just hope I motivate some of y'all to "Get Our Houses in Order."

So, for a while now, I've been really feeling the urge (prompting, if you will), to ramp up our emergency supplies (72 hour kits, 2 weeks of water, food storage, money, etc.). While students, E and I figured 1-3 months of stuff was good and just bought extra stuff at the store from time to time.

We now have a house and room to store stuff as well as a tax return, so there's no better time.

So, I called The Cannery to schedule a time to get some essentials so I will have at least a 6 month supply. They are booked more than 6 weeks out! And they are out of some basics: milk, beans, etc. Can you believe it?!

I worked for our city health department for about 3 years. While there, we had a few seminars on "Sheltering in Place" and ways to prepare for emergencies--mostly rising out of the concern of Pandemic Flu (which, btw, we are bound for one soon).

While working there, I learned that the grocery stores have maybe a 1 week's supply of food. In addition, there is a mob panic mentality that exists when disasters strike that motivates people to horde.

Let's just think about some of the shortages and price increases that are now going on with Japan's crisis: iodine . . .

And actually, things like canned wheat, beans, etc. have a 30+ year shelf life. And even some simple things like cereal, granola bars, etc. have at least a 1 year shelf life if you check the label.

Not to mention the leaders of my church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who have repeated over the years to get out of debt, be self reliant, and prepare for emergencies. Let's review some of their quotes:

Elder Ezra Taft Benson: "Should the Lord decide at this time to cleanse the Church ... a famine in this land of one year's duration could wipe out a large percentage of sloughful members, including some ward and stake officers. Yet we cannot say we have not been warned." General Conference, April 1965.

President Spencer W. Kimball: "The little gardens and a few trees are very valuable. I remember when the sisters used to say, `well, but we could buy it at the store a lot cheaper than we could put it up.' But that isn't quite the answer, is it, Sister Spafford? Because there will become a time when there isn't a store." General Conference April 1974.

President Spencer W. Kimball: "We encourage families to have on hand this year's supply and we say it over and over and over, and repeat over and over the scripture of the Lord where He says, `Why call ye me, Lord, and do not as I say?'... We also hope that you are maintaining your year's supply of food, clothing, and where possible, some fuel and cash savings." General Conference April 1976.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie: "I stand before the Church this day and raise the warning voice. It is a prophetic voice, for I shall say only what the apostles and the prophets have spoken concerning our day. ...It is a voice calling upon the Lord's people to prepare for the troubles and desolations which are about to be poured upon the world without measure. For the moment, we live in a day of peace and prosperity but it shall not ever be thus. Great trials lie ahead. All of the sorrows and perils of the past are but a foretaste of what is yet to be. And we must prepare ourselves temporally and spiritually." General Conference April 1979.

President Ezra Taft Benson: "Too often we bask in our comfortable complacency and rationalize that the ravages of war, economic disaster, famine, and earthquake ... cannot happen here. Those who believe this are either not acquainted with the revelations of the Lord, or they do not believe them. Those who smugly think these calamities will not happen, that they will somehow be set aside because of the righteousness of the Saints, are deceived and will rue the day they harbored such a delusion. The Lord has warned and forewarned us against a day of great tribulation and given us counsel through His servants, on how we can be prepared for these difficult times. Have we heeded His counsel?" General Conference October 1980.

Elder James E. Faust: "The counsel to have a year's supply of basic food, clothing, and commodities was given fifty years ago and has been repeated many times since. Every father and mother are the family's store keepers. They should store whatever their own family would like to have in the case of an emergency...store a year's supply...that might keep us form starving in case of emergency." General Conference April 1986.

President Ezra Taft Benson: "I ask you earnestly, have you provided for your family a year's supply of food, clothing, and where possible, fuel? The revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah." General Conference October 1987.

President Gordon B. Hinckley, ". . . I am suggesting that the time has come to get our houses in order." October 1998

And, as "MOM" and manager of our home, if my kids are hungry and I could have prevented it--shouldn't I????

Thanks to Jamie for compiling these quotes.

Bonding with Dad . . .

This is how we do it after dad's worked one of his 24+ hour shifts . . .

Sorry Pampers . . .

I used to think Pampers were the only way to go. They are the most expensive thus they should work the best right?! Wrong.

While I still do like the Swaddlers for newborns who poop about 12 times a day, my friend, Lynnsey clued me into generic Sams club diapers as the best when I was having problems with the low fluid capacity of Pampers (read 2 year old leaking out pee). I was a little hesitant to buy my first pack of 130+ diapers. But it was worth it. Soooo much cheaper and leak free.

Sorry Pampers . . . Sams club has you beat.

What diapers do you find work best for you? (those of you who use diapers)

Still Winter

First off, I loved the comments I got from the last post. Not sure my brothers loved reading it. But you gals made me feel normal. I especially love the "bump in the back and the front." It's so true.

B was talking to Uncle Nate on the phone a couple nights ago and he asked if it was a spring. B replied, "No, it's still winter." And of course she was right--the high is 43 today. As a comparison, it was 99 degrees in Phoenix last week. Wow.

Here's one of our fun memories from Utah:


Making a snowman with Oma.

Pregnancy Thoughts

Why is it that my stomach is WAY more huge this time around than it was the 1st two?? I feel/look about 2 months bigger than I am used to and am dreading at how big I may get.

Yeah, and my butt too.

My response to bodily changes:
1st pregnancy - "Oh, this is interesting."
2nd pregnancy - "Oh yeah, I remember this."
3rd time - Groan.

Boy oh boy

Alright, well things have settled down around here a bit, so I guess it's time to give the little guy some of the spotlight. Here is the little guy about 2 weeks ago. Yep, it's a boy. Due the first of August.



We are excited and can't wait to meet him.
Although, I am a bit nervous because he was our most active yet on ultrasound, and B was doing flips, so that is saying a lot.
Bring it on. ;)

Survival Mode

Post op day 1:

We think B's surgery went well--her eyes seem better aligned and not as swollen as the last one. Doc thought so too when we saw him today. Itching seems to be her biggest complaint at this point.

Unfortunately her ear started draining nasty bloody fluid tonight just before bed. Get to call ENT in the morning and schedule another appointment. Yippee.

S has been a little beast with constant crying today. She is tired from the past couple days of getting woken up early and shipped around to different friends while we dealt with B's stuff. Hasn't been eating and pretty inconsolable. Plus a fountain of snot and coughing. Fun times. Think her stomach must of hurt her all day because right before dinner she pooped (you want details--I know!) and I think she felt much better because she actually ate breadsticks at dinner.

I'm giving her til Friday and then she wins herself a visit to the Doc.

E's working all tonight. Glad I got him to take off work during the day or I would be in the looney bin right now.

Instead, my nausea just decided to come back for the evening when he was gone. Nice. Did I mention I am prego? Boy. Due in August. Don't worry, he'll get his own little post soon enough.

Fazoli's tasted gross. But hanging out watching Tinkerbell with my girls was fun. S stopped crying for that.

All in all, it was about the same as what I remember about post op day 1 last time. It's usually the Worst day and then it gets better from here.

You should see my house. Then it would make you feel better about your own. :)

And how much I have spent in parking at the hospital in the last week! $$

But gotta say a big Thank you to my friend, Kaicie, who not only watched S all day yesterday but also brought us dinner last night!

And many thanks for the calls/emails from you-know-who-you are. To be honest, I am too exhausted to call back at this point and when S is awake I can't hear over her crying anyhow. But I do appreciate your thoughts and prayers.

And know that I do realize you, true friends, are priceless.

We're Back!

So, we're back in the frozen tundra.

But we did have a lovely time visiting the warmer areas of the U.S.A.

Lots of fun and firsts.

Did a little horseback riding:



Visited Vegas for a night.

Went fishing with Grandpa in southern UT:



Taught B how to ski in the Rockies--firsts for both me (teaching) and her. Oma helped us get her up and down the ski lifts/hills.



Also first ice skating for B with soon to be uncle Doug, aunt Tressa, and grandpa O.


More later.

Since it's still soup season, here's a DELICIOUS twist on tomato soup that Jessica cooked up for me when I stayed with her for a night. Try it out! Add some bread and it's a meal.

Oh yeah, and pray for B since she will go under the knife again tomorrow for her eyes and ears. This is her 3rd in 3 years. Hopefully I can make posting a weekly happening now that we're back.

2 Year Old Escape Artist

So, I am appealing to you all for advice.

In the past couple days my 2 year old has discovered how to climb out of her crib. She doesn't hurt herself (I thought she would and that would be a deterrent) and it is disturbing all our sleep. And she is stealth in action.

Last night, 1:22 am, I wake up cause think I hear her calling my name. Then my door hinges creak. Standing there is little S with her paci and blanket in tow who has turned on the kitchen lights and is wandering around the apartment. She said she wanted to sleep in our room. Luckily, we had the portacrib up in our closet from when we had visitors and had to squish, so I stick her in there and after a few songs, she agrees to be quiet. I go to bed but stay awake for an hour thinking I hear the closet door opening. Let's just say, I don't sleep very restfully the rest of the night as I keep hearing noises that could be her sneaking around the apartment.

I didn't switch B to a normal bed til she was closer to 3 and she stayed there and would call out in the morning to get out of bed. She wandered maybe one night but was easier to deal with since she could understand more, etc.

HELP!!!

Any advice for getting her to stay in her bed?!! I have heard of crib tents or locking the door from the outside but have never tried this. What do you think?!!

p.s. 2 year old in our bed is Not an option.

Beautiful Cakes in Phoenix

So, I was trying out a new neighborhood store and came upon this cute little European pastry shop in the same strip mall. From the outside it didn't look like much. But once I walked in and saw the walls lined with rows and rows of beautiful cakes, it took my breath away.

And of course, my girls and I had to try the pastries they had, which were delicious.

So if you're in the Phoenix area and looking for a gorgeous cake try:

http://www.icingonmycake.com/

Where The . . . .??

So, I've been absent for some time. Where? you say.

Well, immediately after the hustle and bustle that comes with Christmas, we tried to pack up our most essential items, clean our house (which had turned into a post-Christmas disaster), and winterize our home (i.e. roof rake, furnace tune-up, etc.) since we are in sunny AZ for TWO months!

It's an all-expense paid vacation (for me) to the desert while E works hard at Mayo Scottsdale for us. Thanks love! Our internet connection is less than stellar here, and we're just having too much fun enjoying the warmth to blog, so we'll see how much I do.


But here's a DElicious recipe for those who like Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo. I have never found a recipe I love (insert yummy & easy) until this. And it's crock pot!


Michelle Cardon's Cream Cheese Chicken Fettuccine:
Cook for 6hrs in Crock pot on low:
4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cube butter
1 packet Italian Dressing
Then cut chicken in to bite sized pieces place back in Crock pot and add:
2 8oz) packages Cream Cheese
1 Family size can of Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2c water
Cook for 45 minutes on high
Serve over cooked noodles.

Merry Christmas!

For a little reminder of the Reason for the Season watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNQpnoLmZ7A

Empathy

Here's a good article I came across last week. Short and sweet.

I also listened to a lecture by Craig Hart, a BYU MFHD professor, who summed up a lot of his research on parenting/discipline and how it is reflected in the child's social interactions (i.e. if you use intimidation/guilt your child is more likely to be the queen bee and "mean girl" type of person, etc.).

I remember my own experience of being bullied in 4th Grade when I changed schools. I'd cry into my pillow at night quite often. Besides the verbal assaults leveled against me, I can still remember a boy spitting in my face. That being said, there were a couple other kids who had it far worse than me and I remember a group of kids kicking or pushing this one boy in particular. Often. I've often regretted not doing something to stop them and have since written him an apology. But let's be honest, my own sense of self worth was a bit low at that point.

I hope my kids are never the one to throw verbal or physical punches at someone. And so I begin my journey to help them discover EMPATHY . . .

How Parenting with Emotional Intelligence Can Weaken Bullying

December 8, 2010

by Keyuri Joshi of "On the Ball Parenting Blog"

Share

Somewhere out there is Laura. I don’t know anything about her except that she wrote this poignant poem titled “I Am”. The poem has been used in anti bullying campaigns around the world, and today I’d like to share it with you.

I AM

I am the person you bullied in school
I am the one who didn’t know how to be cool
I am the person you alienated
I am the person you ridiculed and hated

I am the person who sat on their own
I am the person who walked home alone
I am the person you scared every day
I am the person who had nothing to say

I am the person with hurt in their eyes
I am the person you never saw cry
I am the person living alone with their fears
I am the person destroyed by their peers

I am the person who drowned in your scorn
I am the person who wished they hadn’t been born
I am the person whose name you don’t know
I am the person who just can’t let go

I am the person destroyed for ‘fun’
I am the person, but not the only one
I am the person who had feelings too
..and I am a person, JUST LIKE YOU!!!

This poem evokes immense empathy by the preponderance of those who read it. The dictionary defines empathy as“understanding” or “a deep emotional understanding of another’s feelings or problems”. Having researched the value of emotional and social intelligence (ESI) skills in our youth, I can tell you that development of empathy as a key competency renders positive results for personal satisfaction and healthy relationships. Though some believe that empathy is innate, I’m with the majority and believe that empathy can, and should be, taught to children at the earliest cognitive opportunity. I envision empathy as a tool for carving out a kinder world in which there is diminished bullying and a population of children that is happier to the core. Reading this poem with your kids and creating dialogue of what it must be like to be a bullied person is one approach to create awareness and fruitful action, but we need more.

Please contribute to our comments section and share your positive ideas or rewarding personal stories on how we, as a community can increase empathy to decrease bullying of any kind. Then, consider sharing the article with anyone and everyone you know who can make a difference at home and beyond. Ask them to participate too. It does take a village!

Keyuri Joshi RN, MSN, is a Certified Parenting and Emotional Intelligence Coach. A “personal trainer” for parents, Keyuri assists moms or dads build and use a toolbox to achieve any goals they desire. She also teaches parents to build emotional and social intelligence skills in children. These are research proven “must have” skills which schools do not teach."

http://www.mamapedia.com/voices/how-parenting-with-emotional-intelligence-can-weaken-bullying

5K

So this year I got back into running.

It's been awhile.

I used to run for exercise in college, but that was Forever ago, and since then I would just do the elliptical and think "ugh" about lacing on some running shoes. Not to mention the knee problems (overuse injuries) I always encountered due to trying to jump back into it too fast.

SO, Let me tell you about this awesome program that can get you off the couch, GRADUALLY, and into shape: Couch to 5K

Mauri, me, and Lisa - Oct. 5K

And a book that will inspire you to run: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall and challenge the way you think about this exercise.

When I started back into things in March, I ran for time--a treadmill kept me on track. I made my goal a Race in May for a skin cancer, since that has affected me personally.

Then, I realized the benefit of the gym we go to where I can drop my kids off and take my cell phone with and run on the trails OUTside! There are some awesome hills that I would try to run weekly as a goal. So much more fun than a treadmill! It is way easier than it sounds with starting out alternating running and walking for 20 minutes 3 times a week.

I grew to LOVE my time outside by myself running through the trees, listening to whatever inspiring music (or nature) I cared to. I could choose to run along a river, by some woods, or in a gorgeous historic neighborhood.

I ran my first 5K in May. Never done a long distance race before. I was more a sprint person as a teenager. Then, another one two weeks later. My final one was this fall on October 30th, after running all summer. It was awesome. You can't tell from the picture but it was cold enough to see our breath when we started out that morning. My time improved by over 2 1/2 minutes! That is amazing to me. I am still a beginner, but I feel so empowered and discovered the fun in running again.

Here's to running in the future! It is harder in the winter now that I am having to retreat indoors. But I have read up on winter running, and may brave the sub-freezing temperatures on of these days to get my outdoor solace back.

So, try it. I dare ya.

You may even join me on one of my barefoot runs come this summer. ;)

Birthday Season

Growing up, it seemed Spring time was birthday season my family. But me and the girls have ours all in the fall. And between those, back to school stuff, and the fun holidays, it is a BUSY time. Especially now that I'm the mom doing the birthday stuff. I can totally understand why we had an every-other-year friends' birthday party policy. They are So fun and So exhausting.

Here's some highlights from B's Princess and Prince/Knight Party:

It was a success in every way!

Post Thanksgiving

Quote from Bella as she and her sister were sitting on the couch preparing to watch a movie with me:

"Sisi, you need to scoot all the way over next to me cause mom has a BIG butt."


Ah . . . from the mouths of babes. :)

Because We All Need iNspiration

This 20 minute video on John Tanner, an early Mormon pioneer, is worth every minute:

http://www.byutv.org/watch/2040-100

Chunky Milk is Gross to Clean Up

Yep, you've guessed what I've been doing today. :(

Actually, it was just this morning. The littlest chunky monkey didn't eat or drink too much today so there wasn't much to come up. And I must say, this girlie is quite the champ when she's sick. No crying. I always feel like crying when I throw up. She was just retching while playing dollhouse and continued to make believe with the plastic figures as I put her in the bathtub so it would catch the rest of what was coming out. She only told me her "tummy hut" and wanted me to "cairwy ewe" a few times (which is pretty normal since she says that when she has to poop or wants medicine--yes, it's yummy). Oh yeah, and she fell asleep standing up. Sad.

Hope she feels better tomorrow. . .

after "playing" in the sandbox, yum.

Back to her Sassyfras self.

1st Day of Preschool

I know, I know. It was a long time ago.
And sadly this is the best picture I have of the day.

Of course we were running late so me, being the awesome mom I am, whipped out a few blurry photos and figured they'd work.

Glued

We are too cheap to pay for cable right now.
So this is how we watch football:

They must not be winning. :)