The Bagel Factory

Today was DIVINE!

2012-01-28T21:46:00.000-08:00

Ever have one of those days where the stars have aligned and serotonin is just surging through your brain at all-time highs? I rarely do. I mean, I'm generally a happy person, but today I was on cloud 9, and all because true San Diego weather decided to break through our otherwise gray January. It was a GLORIOUS 75 degrees with a not-too-hot, not-too-cold ocean breeze coursing through our neighborhood. We could hear the bees working double time on our backyard hillside and neighbors were out in droves with garages opened and gardening tools at the ready.

This morning I pulled up the blinds and opened all the windows as far as they would go. Then I headed into the kitchen and threw open wide the French double doors we have leading out to our backyard. After that, I turned on a little IZ, Jack Johnson, and Kalai at the iPod docking station and made gluten-free waffles and washed dishes with a silly smile plastered to my face and a swing in my step. After our delicious breakfast, the kids played in the backyard with their scooters, ride-on cars, fort, and climbing structures, Karsten coming in every once in a while to make sure I was still around. Dan worked on the drip system for our large planter box that will soon be home to many leafy greens that we use regularly (kale, swiss chard, spinach, collard greens, etc.)

For lunch, we decided to throw out a blanket and have a picnic in our backyard. We ate red pepper sticks and carrots sticks with homemade garlic hummus, garden salad, sliced kiwis, and cilantro avocado quinoa pasta. It was light and SO YUMMY.

Then we ran errands, at which point the day was fast coming to a close. It got dark while we were out and the sun's retirement took away any remaining cheer from the Karstenator. He turned into a little beasty of a dude. We raced through our shopping and booked it home to a dinner of coconut milk fruit and veggie shakes. So good! So filling.

The kids are all in bed now and I'm supposed to be making homemade healthy (healthiER) chocolate for our no-bake cookies tomorrow (thanks for the recipe, Emily!). Instead, I'm using the last remnants of today's euphoria to help me chronicle this perfect day. I love spring and today definitely felt like spring. I hope the weather holds for a bit. I love it!

On a totally unrelated note, but something I'd like to remember nonetheless, the other day Karsten absolutely insisted on trading his fruit leather strip for my creamy broccoli potato soup. He ate it all and never did want his fruity treat back. This kid's taste buds will never cease to amaze me! Oh to be so content with his way of eating. I still fight the occasional sweet craving, though it's usually easily quelled with fruit these days. :)

Taste Buds

2012-01-23T22:31:00.000-08:00

Dinner time prep is like the bewitching hour in our home. Karsten is usually crankier than cranky and follows me around the kitchen crying to be nursed or picked up. Either that or he wreaks havoc on my drawers and utensils to the point that I have no walking space left. So, I've come up with a way to keep him happy and tonight proved the benefits of my brilliant methods. Ready for this? It's a whopper, people! I'm telling you, THIS. IS. ORIGINAL.

I put him on the counter next to me.

Yep, that's it. I pick him up and plop his cute little buns right up next to me where he can properly desanitize my food prep area. And you know what? He has the grandest time up there. He tries to stick knives in toasters (had to unplug it right in the middle of pressing garlic tonight), samples the skins of the ripening avocados I have lined up on the back of my counter, and of course he taste tests EVERY little part of my meal preparation. Which has proven to be one of the most amusing things ever for this mama to watch!

Tonight, I stood in awe while Karsten popped one after another of pickled, curried garlic cloves into his mouth like they were candy. He happily crunched away as I mused over the many varied palates we have in our family. Soren can't stand the garlic. Dan LOVES it. Anders likes it. And I tolerate it. Karsten apparently takes after his daddy. Then I broke out the sun-dried tomatoes, drained them, and started slicing. Not too long after they hit the cutting board, I had to start slicing with extra care because little chubby fingers kept sneaking one or two away at a time. He loved those too!

I was dumbfounded and delighted at the sight of this little 18-month-old contentedly eating garlic and tomatoes as if it was the most natural thing in the world! Oh wait, it is. It's the gold fishies and pretzels and go-gurts and cheese sticks that AREN'T natural. Tonight I thank the Lord for being able to see the literal fruits (or veggies, in this case) of our culinary labors. It is the MOST. WONDERFUL. THING. in the world to watch your child eat brain-building, body-nurturing, immune-boosting, nutritionally dense foods . . . and love it! Karsten is my angel in this tough u-turn-of-an-eating-venture that we have instigated. When we sit down to dinner and Soren and Anders immediately start to point out and whine about the things they don't want to eat, Karsten just digs right in. He is the proof that a palate not already so accustomed to processed foods and sugars can actually find enjoyment in natural foods. He's happy with a banana for dessert because he doesn't know any different!

Taste buds are amazing, right?!

P.S. To be fair, Soren and Anders are coming along well, too. Soren will pragmatically inform me what parts of the dinner he does not care for, but makes certain I know that he'll eat them anyway. And he does! And Anders ate all his sun-dried tomatoes tonight without gagging once!! Progress, people! :P

P.P.S. These pictures of Karsten were taken last month . . . before our great food overhaul . . . hence, the Cheerios. But YAY for the faces, right?! I mean, you just gotta love this kid with his amazing ZEST for life!

Sugar / Sweetener Stupor

2012-01-20T23:44:00.000-08:00

I have been spending all evening researching the relative merits of rapadura, coconut palm sugar, xylitol, and all-natural sweeteners such as raw organic honey, pure organic maple syrup, date sugar, and concentrated fruit juices.

I'm about ready to throw in the towel and declare our home a completely sweetener-free zone, focusing only on fruits to satisfy our family's sweet teeth. BUT, that doesn't work when you have kids that are old enough to remember the allure of the frozen yogurt, jelly beans, candy bars, and Halloween candy they ate just weeks ago.

Thus, a healthier option is called for and so far it seems as though there is much debate in the wide world of health as to which option is healthiest.

You see, rapadura, though practically UNprocessed and still in possession of all its vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols, is nevertheless derived from the sugar cane plant. Therefore, it is sugar. Period. BUT, because it is unprocessed, it retains a natural balance of fructose, sucrose, and glucose. And apparently balance between these different sugar elements is something to be highly sought after. Plus, part of me wonders if I just have lingering prejudice against sugar cane because of the completely awful, horrible, documented effects of white, refined table sugar. It is our nation's current drug/poison of choice. Maybe I need to give the plant, when approached as a whole food, another (sparing) chance. Oh the indecision! Woe is me.

Coconut palm sugar comes from tapping the flowery buds of the coconut palm, and we've all heard the endless praise for all things coconut. However, coconut palm sugar is boiled at high heats to evaporate the water and extract the sugars. More processing than rapadura, even. Also, though claims have been made that coconut palm sugar is low carb and has a low Glycemic Index number, it has conversely been found to contain mostly sucrose: quick, habit-forming, nutritionally devoid, caloric energy. Soooo . . . still a question mark next to this one.

I have been recently using xylitol, a plant-derived sugar alcohol. It has a low Glycemic Index rating. It subs for sugar one to one. It doesn't have the gross aftertaste that stevia does. But there is controversy over it, nonetheless. First, it is highly processed to finally arrive at its crystalline/granulated state. Any amount of processing = loss of whatever nutrients may have populated the whole food. Second, many people complain of digestive issues such as IBS-like symptoms after consuming xylitol. We've never had that problem in our family. And supposedly the issue resolves itself if you start eating it in small amounts and increase your intake slowly. Just gotta get ye ol' digestive track acclimated, I suppose. A word to the wise about xylitol, though, is that most xylitol is corn derived which means - dun, dun, dun - hello lovely genetic modification. Boo. Luckily, we found Emerald Forest Xylitol, which is made right here in the USofA from birch trees rather than corn. Yay! On the downside (again), I don't think birch trees are considered a "whole food" for human consumption, so anything derived from them (especially in such a processed manner), already has one strike against it from the get go. Boo. So, I'm definitely still conflicted as to whether this is THE sweetener we should be substituting for sugar. I'm leaning toward "no".

Raw organic honey has phenomenal health benefits, but can't be heated at high temps or those health benefits are zapped. So, we use it primarily for slow-melting in hot breakfast cereals and a nutritional, sweet boost in smoothies. No good for baking, though. I mean, it'll still sweeten your baked goods, but what you're left with after your bread is baked is a higher calorie sweetener than sugar even rather than a propolis-infused super food.

Pure organic maple syrup is supposed to have many nutrients as well, but you have to really research which brand you'll purchase to make sure that it's absolutely 100% pure (rather than maple syrup + corn syrup or table sugar) and that formaldehyde tablets have not been used to keep taps open longer during the seasonal flow. It's also pricey since it takes an astronomical quantity of sap to end up with just a small amount of syrup.

Dried dates can be finely ground in a blender and used in baking, but the resulting imitation sugar won't dissolve and burns easily, so bakers beware.

I have no idea how to make, store, and incorporate my own fruit juice concentrate. I'm too tired to look right now. My eyes hurt and I feel like I need divine intervention in my search for the most perfect, most healthy sweetener for my family. Maybe I just need to embrace a quote I saw on one of the trillion websites I visited in the course of this lovely Friday night: "Does anyone really eat sugar for health benefits?" Ha! Right then. Perhaps my approach should be to find the least harmful rather than the most healthful. Annnnnd then use that ever-so-sparingly whilst throwing fresh fruits and veggies at my kids all day long. :) Wish me luck . . . and a good night's sleep. :)

Update: about sucanat, demerara, muscovado, and turbinado. All are various derivatives of the sugar cane plant. I did not include them in my searches because it became clear early on that none is as UNprocessed as rapadura and all more closely resemble white, refined table sugar than rapadura (except maybe sucanat). Likewise, erythritol and maltitol are sugar alcohols like xylitol and are even more processed.

Update #2: I can't believe I forgot to address the controversy surrounding agave syrup/nectar, too! So, after a lot of reading, it seems as though the latest studies are proving that despite agave's natural origins, to get it to its final health-food-store version requires TONS of processing and refinement. Also, while it may be relatively low on the Glycemic Index, it conversely has "more concentrated fructose in it than high fructose corn syrup." For a more in-depth look at agave's diabolical diabolical-ness (:D), check out this article from Food Renegade. It's pretty thorough.

Conclusion: I'm sticking with raw, organic honey; pure, organic maple syrup; and organic rapadura . . . until I hear otherwise. :D

Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Sugar-free Sticky Buns

2012-01-14T20:22:00.000-08:00

**Note: I do not wish to violate any copyright laws. I am not trying to steal this recipe. I have given credit where credit is due and hope that anyone who reads this will be inspired to try out the recipe and BUY THE BOOK!** :D

This recipe is adapted from the Cinnamon Roll recipe found in this book, by Cybele Pascal. If you want more great, healthy, dessert-type recipes, be sure to buy the book, it's chock full of them! And they are kid-tested by the author's own kids. My boys absolutely LOVED this recipe! Just know that there are healthier alternatives/substitutes for regular sugar. Be brave! Experiment!

1 cup rice milk

1/4 cup extra-light olive oil

1/4 cup xylitol

2 1/4 cups Basic Gluten-Free Flour Mix (the author has the mix all worked out nicely, but the only problem is that the Authentic Foods "Superfine Brown Rice Flour" that her mix calls for is REALLY hard to find in health food stores and REALLY expensive online. Our Whole Foods in La Jolla normally has it, but they've been out all this week and I didn't want to wait anymore to try this recipe. So, I used Authentic Foods "Bette's Gourmet Featherlight Rice Flour Blend." It worked fine.)

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

2 tsp double-acting baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/4 tsp SAF Instant Yeast

1/4 cup dairy-free, soy-free vegetable shortening (this stuff was easy to find in health food stores)

1/3 cup organic granulated coconut nectar/"sugar" (It's the perfect healthy substitute for brown sugar because it has a hearty molasses flavor to it.)

2 tsp ground cinnamon

*Again, most of the wording in the following directions comes straight out of Cybele Pascal's book which I've linked to. I've included my notes/alterations in red.*

1. Combine the rice milk, olive oil, and xylitol in a microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl. Heat for about 1 minute until warm, but not hot (115*F). If the liquid is too hot, it will kill the yeast, so be careful.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour mix, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, and yeast.

3. Add the rice milk mixture to the dry mixture, and blend well. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for 10 minutes. Grease an 8-inch round pan.

4. Sprinkle your work surface and hands with ample gluten-free flour mix. Don't scrimp on the flour, or your dough will stick to the board. I usually use about 1/4 cup of flour mix. Turn out the dough onto the board, sprinkle with flour mix, pat down lightly, then flip.

5. Flour your rolling pin. Roll the dough into a long rectangle, 16 inches long and 9 inches wide (use your hands to coax it into shape, if necessary). It should be about 1/4 inch thick.

6. Soften the shortening by warming it in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Brush the shortening evenly over the top of the dough. Combine the coconut sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle evenly across the dough. (This is where I added about a 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts and 1/4 cup of raisins, too).

7. Gently roll the dough lengthwise into a log. You may need to use a spatula to help coax it to turn at first (you should have a 16-inch log).

8. Cut the log into 12 pieces by first cutting the log in half, then into quarters, and then cutting each quarter into 3 pieces. Transfer the rolls to the pan. Cover tightly (I use plastic wrap, then put a rubber band around the top lip of the pan to secure the plastic). Place the pan in a dishpan and pour hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the pan (or just fill your kitchen sink basin). Let the rolls rise for 1 hour.

9. During the last 20 minutes of the rise, preheat the oven to 350*F.

10. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden.

11. Drizzle pure maple syrup with a splash of vanilla mixed in over the top while still hot (be liberal for really sticky sticky buns). Let cool in the pan until room temperature. Serve at room temperature.

Unfortunately, all I have to show for my labors is that pathetic cell phone picture at the top of this post here. And already we were missing one little sticky bun because of an impatient toddler! :D There are currently only two of these left, destined to be mine and Dan's late-night snacks tonight as we watch yet another food documentary on Netflix and congratulate ourselves on three weeks now of happy, healthy eating.

The Great Food Overhaul

2011-12-30T16:32:00.000-08:00

Fresh variety salad with homemade honey-mustard vinaigrette on whole grain Spelt tortilla.

Our New Year's resolutions got a head start this year. The Bagel family has officially overhauled its eating habits and I'm going to tell you, step by step, exactly how it happened. It's the most awesome thing ever! I'm excited about it every. single. day. And here I am, hopping up on my virtual housetop, to share the good news. I hope I can help inspire someone else to want to feel this way about food, eating, meals, and nutrition. This is not a "diet" in the modern American sense of the word. This is a complete change in lifestyle. And what's more . . . it came easily! So easily. Read on to hear my sincere (but probably very goofy sounding) testimonial. Ha ha ha. I totally sound like an infomercial right now. But I'm not! I'm Liz. Just Liz. You know me (or most of you do, anyway). I'm not paid for this. It's just something I am suddenly passionate about. And if you really do know me, you know that this *gushing passion* is typical behavior from Liz when she feels excited about something! :D

It all began many months ago when we started watching Fusion Grain Cooking with Chef Brad on BYUtv. We were really impressed with the wide array of grains he used in his cooking, some that we had never even heard of (Teff? Farro? Kamut?), though they contain many more nutrients than America's typical staples (white rice, wheat, and corn).

Then a few weeks ago, a friend of mine posted a link to a TED Talks lecture by a woman (a medical doctor, no less) who cured her own MS (which is currently dubbed "incurable" by the medical world, by the way) after extensive research and a massive change in her diet. It was extremely interesting and enlightening. Watch it right here, if you like. It's short!

That same friend also posted a link to a website called The Kitchen Skinny. A brand new website that provides five healthy (really healthy) meal recipes each week for an entire year. Not only that, but they also provide your shopping list for the week. It's so awesome!

Then Dan and I watched Food, Inc., because another friend had posted her impressions about it (again, on Facebook - see how influential social networking can be?!) after watching it some time back. At that time, we didn't have Netflix anymore, so I was kind of bummed that I couldn't check out what it was that had affected her so completely. Then, in December, we got Netflix again to be able to watch some Christmas-y movies and I quickly added Food, Inc., to my instant view queue.

After watching that (and wanting to vomit . . . and vowing never to eat fast food again), I wanted more food documentaries. I just couldn't get enough. With the help of Facebook and the Netflix "similar to" tool, I found three more food-related documentaries to watch: Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead; Forks Over Knives; and Food Matters. They were each immensely fascinating and so absolutely informative. Watch them! I guarantee they will change your lives forever! I couldn't watch those, passively declare them interesting, and turn right back to my disgusting eating habits. I just couldn't do it!

So Dan and I talked. And talked. And talked some more. And we agreed that we needed to overhaul our eating habits for the sake of our bodies and our children's bodies and our quality of life and future quality of life. But we also agreed that the only way to do that was to jump in with two feet and never look back. We knew we didn't want to eat fast food anymore (that decision was all too easy), but our own home had a bunch of junk food, empty of nutrition and full of nasty things like preservatives - crackers, pretzels, chips, cake mixes, jello packets, canned fruit. Our fruit and vegetable drawers in our fridge were nearly empty except for the usual apples and carrots. Anything else put in there tended to spoil before we ever used it. Knowing we were likely to be foiled in our goals by the contents of our own home, we set about cleansing our immediate food supply. We filled boxes and boxes with food we vowed never to purchase or eat again. We have eliminated dairy products, wheat, and sugar from our diets, and greatly reduced meat consumption (eating this sparingly - as in, maybe once a week, if that - and only buying grass fed beef and free range chicken/turkey). After that, here's what we did:

1. We filled our new void with tons of fresh, organic fruits and veggies. We don't have a cheese/meat drawer anymore in our fridge. It's now our leftovers-to-be-used drawer (like for half an avocado or half a bell pepper). We try to make each meal 80% veggies, 20% whole grains/beans. Fruits we eat for snacks and desserts.

2. We also used our Amazon account to purchase bulk supplies of Quinoa and Spelt. If you don't know anything about those two grains, look them up! They are super foods! We also got bulk coconut oil to use for sauteing veggies and fattening up hot breakfast cereals (and little babies no longer drinking cows' milk). :)

3. We replaced our sugar supply with Xylitol, pure maple syrup, agave, and raw honey. There are TONS of recipes online for making healthy treats with these natural alternative sweeteners. We use them sparingly.

4. We cleared out the freezer and were reminded of our awesome raw nut supply in there. Hooray!

5. We joined The Kitchen Skinny to help us out with more dinner ideas and planning.

6. We joined Morning Song Farm CSA for a continuous supply of local, in-season, organic, harvested-the-day-we-pick-them-up fruits and vegetables. (So far we've had one box and we give this CSA two thumbs up!)

7. We purchased the following kitchen appliances that we consider to be "must-haves" for healthy eating (please understand that they may not actually be must-haves and many people probably eat healthily without them, but for us, these were essentials).

~ Vitamix high speed blender. We use this to juice fruits and veggies every day (well, blend really, then Dan juices the blended product through a nut milk bag.)
~ Food Dehydrator (kale chips, anyone?)
~ Pressure Cooker (fresh beans, folks!)
~ Tortilla Press (makes yummy Spelt flat bread SUPER easy!)

8. We started collecting scrumptious recipes for breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. We've already got a wonderful collection and I'm going to start sharing them here. They are AWESOME! Who knew eating healthily could be SO. DANG. DELICIOUS?! Not I, that's for sure. I've watched too many people chowing cheerlessly through dry salad after dry salad, all while salivating over the goodies they've given up in order to lose those "last few pounds." That is NOT the healthy eating we've found. We are happily retraining our taste buds away from salty, sugary over-processed foods and toward the colorful, tasty, and fresh world of God's pure bounty.

For example, my kids LOVE this muffin recipe for a hearty breakfast along with their daily veggie juice:

Vegan Spelt Banana Muffins (adapted from this talented lady's recipe)

1 1/2 cups spelt flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 bananas, mashed

¼ cup Xylitol (or whatever sugar substitute you have on hand)

1 flax egg = 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp warm water

3 tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 12-muffin tin with paperliners.

2. Stir the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a mediumbowl.

3. Mix the bananas, xylitol, egg, olive oil, and maple syrup in another bowl.Stir the dry ingredients in gently, being careful not to over-mix.

4. Divide evenly among the muffin tins (it’s a pretty wet batter, so I use acookie scoop to just drop it in the muffin papers), then sprinkle with some ofthe chopped pecans. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes outclean (they’ll look pretty dark, but they’re not burnt!) Cool in the pan forabout 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Now, please know that doing all this was NOT cheap. Not by a long shot. Nor does it continue to be cheap. By juicing every day (and even with our CSA haul), we are making trips to the health food store for more organic fruits and veggies every other day or so. But one of the things that really resonated with Dan from Food Matters, was when the raw foodist expert dude said something about how we in America are adamant about spending tons of money for the best car, the best apartment, the best education, the best clothing, etc., but we always approach food, our body's absolute source of energy and nutrition, on the cheap. Why? Why do we do that to ourselves? Cut back elsewhere! Shop at Salvation Army for your kids' clothes. Buy books and toys second hand. Take a staycation instead of an expensive exotic vacation. There are ways to make this work, we just tend to lack the willingness . . . until you watch those movies, anyway! Dun, dun, dun . . . . :P

One of the greatest things as a parent is to be able to look at your child and know, KNOW, that you are doing at least one thing right by them. For me, this is that one thing. We have been doing this for one week now. Just one week! And yet, in that week our kids have drunk veggie juice daily, eaten salads every day (with no dressing, I might add - their choice, not mine), and tried countless new breakfast, lunch, and dinner foods. When there's nothing else in the house, it's not surprising that they tolerate it so well. Karsten drinks his salads from a bottle all day long. He LOVES his juice! And last week, when we first started this, I would be making a salad and I would slip him pieces of tomato, cucumber, avocado, and bell pepper. Every single one would find its way to the floor in a little wet lump after a lackluster taste test by the little man. Today, he stood on a chair by me and ate and ate and ate those little veggie morsels up one by one. I was SO SURPRISED when he kept wanting more! He is the perfect example that with a bit of parental stick-to-it-ive-ness and tenacity, our kids can learn to love healthy food. What a wonderful whirlwind of a journey these last few weeks have been. For Dan and me, Christmas was definitely overshadowed by our passionately-paced food overhaul, but we couldn't be happier. Dan has more energy than ever and, though I'm pretty tired all the time (pregnancy tends to do that to me), I do accomplish a lot more than ever before each day.

Scrumptious Juice Cocktail (also called Purple Pizzazz when we have beets and Mean Green when we sub spinach in for the missing beets):

1/2 cup water
4 celery stalks
2 apples
1 orange (peeled)
1 handful of grapes
1/2 cucumber (not peeled)
3 carrots
1 beet with greens (or generous handful of spinach if no beets are available)
6 leaves of kale
1 small piece of ginger
Generous squeeze of honey

If you have a juicer, alternate hard/soft ingredients. When using a high-speed blender (we use our Vitamix), start with first 6 ingredients, blend, then add carrots, blend, then add last three ingredients in 2-4 batches. Blend times are short to preserve nutrients as much as possible. When finished, pour smoothie into a nut milk bag over a big bowl and commence squeezing. Dan gets to do this part. He's very good at it.

Our next New Year's resolution will be to incorporate adequate exercise into this lifestyle change. We're still too sedentary for our bodies' liking.

December 2011 | Legoland Birthdays

2011-12-29T12:38:00.000-08:00

We gave Soren and Anders a choice for their birthdays this year. They could either a) have birthday gifts, or b) go somewhere special for their birthdays. They both chose the latter. Soren chose Legoland, so on December 1st, we headed up to Legoland and spent the entire day there, thoroughly enjoying the fact that we had the park practically to ourselves. Karsten (too little) and I (pregnant) kept each other good company while Dan and the boys went on all the crazy fun rides. It was such a great day!

We couldn't believe Anders hopped right on this ride with Dan. Judging by his reaction, he just really had NO idea what it would be like. :)

Love that face!

"I'll take one of those, please."

Soren's turn. After Anders' went down, it was much more difficult to convince Soren to go. Doesn't he just look SO happy? :)

Anders told me, "When we dropped down, my brain stayed up and my body went down, and I was like, uuugghhh."

Karsten really had a great time wandering free all over the park.

Anders jousting with a Lego knight.

Karsten DID NOT like Darth.

Anders did not like getting sprayed by the people in the boats floating by.

None of the rest of us wanted to get wet, so Soren went on this ride alone.

Obviously, he loved it. :)

These next few are hilarious. Karsten was totally browsing the little girls' swimsuit collection.

"How much for this one?"

Dan and the boys (and more random boys) waiting to shoot Soren as he floats by on round two.

Soren's totally into this.

"Retreat! Retreat!"

Aww, man! The little guy did NOT like getting sprayed. His big brother got him good.

These cracked me up.

A little too expensive for me, though. I'll air dry, thank you very much.

Dan mixed business with pleasure while Anders chauffeured him around the river.

Soren caused a traffic jam.

Then finally broke free and had a ball.

Karsten made friends with random park goers, trying to share his snacks with everyone.

I love that Soren got this picture. He was trying to take one of Dan and me, but Karsten popped up at the last minute, yelling away happily at the top of his lungs.

Perfect display for our two birthday boys!

Ha ha ha! This was right outside the ladies' restroom.

Tickling the sunbathing Santa.

Karsten LOVES Lego guys. Here he is waving bye bye.

When we first visited Legoland two years ago, Soren had just turned five and Anders was just ONE WEEK shy of turning three. But they wouldn't let him drive the cars. To say he was devastated would be an understatement. In the two years since, this ride is all he associates Legoland with and on Dec. 1st, at age five, he FINALLY got to drive these cars. He loved it, but now he can't wait 'til he can drive the big track with Soren.

The spectators. Watching Soren take his driving test.

Getting his license. Yikes!

Both boys with their licenses.

Getting ready to take the fireman challenge with Daddy.

Almost there!

Yeah! They won! (Considering they were up against a bunch of moms with little ones, Dan felt this was an empty victory.) :D

Spectators got to push buttons that made water explode over the riders. Dan got soaked. You know what else got soaked? His feet. Apparently the little hover craft don't hover so well. Poor Dan. He was a great sport, though, and went on this ride more than once to accommodate our eager birthday boys.

Not one other person on this ride. Just my three boys.

This was the best shot I could get of Anders' face. One word to describe how he felt about this ride? Gleeful. He adored this ride and they went on it more than once.

Despite his awesome expression here, Dan said the ride didn't make him sick at all. Should we believe him?

Oh, and now he's tired?

All three of them in one car! We had to bribe them to go on this roller coaster a second time. But the next picture is TOTALLY worth the bribe. Enjoy.

Yes! Mommy was there! :)

Taking the relaxing boat tour at the end of the day.

Getting a little Lego guy for each of the boys.

Bye bye, Legoland! Thanks for a fabulous day!

Playing Catch-Up | September 2011

2011-12-27T09:19:00.000-08:00

*Note: this post contains homeschool highlights scattered throughout*

Next up is SEPTEMBER.

This month we . . .

Made cantaloupe fruit bowls from a book. Soren had been doggedly hounding me to do this for months, so I finally buckled down and made it happen for him. He was delighted.

We played with Legos at the school table.

We met up with a bunch of friends at Scott and Megan's house to watch a BYU football game, chat, eat, and play.

Read books with Pip.

Baked cookies.

We took not-back-to-school pictures for this new homeschool year.

We watched a movie while eating the yummy cookies we made.

We played dress up at Ryan's house while the adults watched yet another BYU football game. :)

We broke Ryan's bed jumping like maniacs. Sorry, Scott and Megan!

We studied Earth in Astronomy and made a model of it (and the moon) out of air-dry clay.

Pip was read to by everyone in the family. He LOVES to read books.

We studied and imitated the famous sculptor, Auguste Rodin, who is especially noted for his statue, "The Thinker."

We entertained Pip using only windows and our mouths (remember these, folks?).

We practiced a play about Christopher Colombus and how he came to be the discoverer of the New World.

Anders asked me to take a picture of him while he was cross-eyed so he could see what he looked like.

Soren wrote important messages for us on the whiteboard.

Soren made a nice birthday card and gift for his Primary teacher.

Soren and Anders played peek-a-boo with Pip.

Pip ate crayons.

And we went to the beach to see the red tide. This was one of the only pictures I could get considering "low-light" would have been a generous description of the light available at the beach at night. :D But I love this picture because this couple was taking a picture of the heart they had just carved in the sand with their initials inside. It was sweet.

Playing Catch-Up | August 2011

2011-12-24T11:47:00.000-08:00

Okay, now AUGUST.We drove through Yellowstone while heading to a family reunion in Cody, WY. We loved Yellowstone and definitely want to go back. It's GORGEOUS!

This was what it looked like when we got back from our family reunion. Needless to say, we were all happy to be home and no longer driving.

We played with magnets this months. Lots of magnets.

We played in the backyard and Soren perfected his scooter jumping skills with the help of his dad.

We got rid of all the poisonous Oleander bushes at the top of our hillside where our fort is.

And Karsten wandered around the house without pants. Nothing new there.

Playing Catch-Up | July 2011

2011-12-23T14:32:00.000-08:00

I'm skipping some months. My blog. My rules. Here's what we did in JULY this year:Grandma and Grandpa Bagel came and helped us build a fort on our hillside where our HUGE coral tree used to be (until we unapologetically chopped it down - bird poop in your garden, anyone?). Grandma and Grandpa are insanely patient with their son and daughter-in-law who are *slightly* particular and massively perfectionistic. They were also wonderfully inclusive of the boys. Soren and Anders had a blast and I realized I need to capitalize on their love of manual labor. :)

Pip's Lego Obsession

2011-12-19T09:53:00.000-08:00

He's obsessed with Legos . . .

. . . and I'm obsessed with him.

Short-lived

2011-12-14T16:44:00.000-08:00

Well, my catch-up was rather short-lived, eh? Instead of working on March today, I painted and glittered a bunch of wooden snowflakes to hang up around our living room. Hooray for creating! Maybe someday next summer I'll actually post pictures of this crafty event we tackled today. :P

Playing Catch-Up | February 2011

2011-12-13T10:57:00.001-08:00

**Note: this post contains homeschool highlights**

I used to blog all the time. Then "it" happened (the new baby wreaking havoc on my body) and I read 542 books in three months . . . all while in a prone position in my bed, with mold growing on the neglected dishes in the sink, and unchecked kids making epic messes all over the house (okay, I exaggerate - a little). In the meantime, though, stuff still happened: my kids did cute things, grew, experienced, and created; our home got some face lifts in various places; and our backyard had a major overhaul (that is still ongoing); then there were holidays, birthdays, and such. I want to be a dedicated blogger again, but for now, I'm going to create a few month-by-month recaps to catch me up to the present. Then I'll try to be better. TRY. I'm not making any promises, folks. :)

Oh, something else you might notice . . . I'm no longer editing or watermarking my photos. These are either straight out of the camera, people, for better or worse, or simply brightened in Lightroom, or edited a long time before this post. I just don't have the time anymore to Photoshop every photo I want to share. Someday I'll be able to revisit my beloved creative outlet - seriously, I adore Photoshop - but, for now, these will just have to suffice.

With that fair warning, here's life with the Bagels from WAY back in the day, all the way up to the present. :)

Oh, and many of you may have seen some of these pictures already as I have posted a few of them on Facebook more diligently than I have updated this great blog of mine. Is Facebook killing the blogging star?

P.S. January recap here.

In FEBRUARY this year . . . .

- the boys made Lego creations -

- Poppy Seed explored his play garden, and got stuck -

- we painted and created in the backyard -

see photos here

- we cruised the grocery store -

see photos here

- we made Valentine's Day crayon hearts as per directions found here -

- the boys made good use of the whiteboard (including Daddy in a random disciplinary act that he made Cinnamon Raisin sign. I think it had something to do with wasted toast.) -

- Poppy Seed ate his way through church meetings -

- the boys reenacted the popular nursery rhyme "rub a dub dub three [boys] in a tub" -

- the Bagel boys got their creativity on with pattern blocks, Legos, clay, and paints -

- we drew more on the various white boards around the house (like my attempt at a beaver?) -

- Asiago and Cinnamon Raisin learned about Mercury and made flour and water models of the poor pockmarked planet -

- Poppy Seed explored his home -

see photos here

- Poppy Seed contracted RSV -

see photos here

- we found Poppy Seed standing up in his crib for the first time -

- the boys watched a movie . . . in strange (and painful looking) positions -

- and, it snowed in San Diego -

see photos here

Videos of the Month

That's all for February, folks. Tomorrow, March. Hooray for catching up! :)

Another Bagel

2011-12-12T10:43:00.000-08:00

Back in October, I took "the" test and passed. We've got another little bagel in the oven over here! We are so excited to find out what our new little "it" is. I'm hoping for another boy. I love boys. But ultimately, I'll be just as excited with a little girl since that will be a new adventure altogether. I just want a healthy baby.

First trimester was abnormally rough for me. I was down and out for the count for a loooooong while. I've finally emerged from the relentless clutches of nausea, but I still don't have that amazing second trimester feeling that typically follows. I'm still tired and still feeling low many days. Our family has had TONS of help from friends and ward members (meals; cleaning; errands run for us; you name it, we've received it). We are so blessed to be surrounded by people willing to serve us needy Bagels. :)

We're due in June sometime. I'm about 15 weeks along. Hoping to find out the gender shortly after Christmas.

Halloween

2011-11-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

Our Halloween activities included:

~ Trick or treating at Sea World with our buddies, the Cranes

~ Ward chili cook-off and trunk or treat

~ Halloween costume photo shoot with a knife-wielding ninja, a cool ghoul with a bloody dagger, and a spooky skeleton baby

~ Neighborhood trick or treating on Halloween

~ Organizing the candy haul

Hope you had a HAPPY HALLOWEEN! We're looking forward to Thanksgiving with thank-filled hearts. And, of course, I'm listening to Christmas music on Pandora while I post our Halloween pictures. :D It's never too soon, people . . . .

Tree Huggers

2011-10-06T16:57:00.000-07:00

Family came and went this last week. We gathered for the semi-annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was wonderful. The boys had a great time with their cousins and we even got to visit Sea World together on Monday. One funny moment was when Jalapeño's sister asked if she could do a load of laundry and he answered, "Sure, as long as you don't make fun of our methods." :D This is one of those best-kept-secrets of the world, so listen closely.

2 Tbsp. Baking Soda
1/3 Cup Vinegar (I use distilled white, but my friend uses apple cider)
Double for large or particularly dirty loads

Throw it all into the water as your washer fills up. (I've read that even those with front-loading HE washers can use this method, though I didn't read extensively on that subject since we aren't among that privileged class. :D)

That's it! It's so cheap. Can double as food storage. Can be purchased with food stamps. Glorious, right? But how does it work, you say? Well, the baking soda cleans the clothing, stripping smells and whatnot. It can't blast tough stains, but pre-treating with lemon juice sure can (or so I've been told - I'm still using my Zout until it runs out). The vinegar allows the clothing to dry without storing static, even without using a dryer sheet (I'm serious. No static. None. Zip. Zilch. Don't believe me? Try it!). It's also a disinfecting agent. The baking soda + vinegar method leaves your clothes unscented, but fresh. If you want scented laundry, I've read that you can add a couple drops of your favorite essential oil to the wash cycle. I haven't tried it though. Or you can still use dryer sheets, just for the smell. I don't, though. I like knowing that I can give my teething baby a wet washcloth to go to town on without worrying about all the lingering chemicals he's siphoning out of it and into his system. :)

So Jalapeño dubbed us tree huggers (I still shave my legs, though . . . occasionally!), sister laughed, and we're making ends meet in this gorgeous but costly San Diego climate. WIN!

Wallace

2011-10-02T22:16:00.000-07:00

"It's like no cheese I've ever tasted." - Wallace, A Grand Day Out

They were entertaining Poppy Seed. Cinnamon Raisin totally looks like Wallace to me.

How to get a black eye:

2011-09-28T00:09:00.000-07:00

**photo tip-of-the-day: shoot an action sequence and capture a precious story forever**

Step 1 - Read a book to your baby brother.

Step 2 - Get whacked in the brow bone by said book, wielded by said baby brother.

Step 3 - Prove you're tougher than Superman by resuming leisure reading with perp.

Step 4 - Lay down the law.

CINNAMON RAISIN exacts his revenge on POPPY SEED by refusing to let him off the chair. :)

Well Looky Here

2011-09-27T02:33:00.000-07:00

I've got myself a pretty new blog face. What do you think? I like it. The only problem is . . . it doesn't bring back brain cells and I can't think of a darn thing to write about! That is to say, I come up with stuff to slap up on my blog all day long, but every time I sit down to write about some of it, I can't remember any of it. Go figure. Does that ever happen to you?

So, I'm using the new Blogger interface. It's different. Not bad, just different.

Okay, that's boring.

Um, it's 2:32 in the morning and I can't sleep because Jalapeño (see our new bagel identities in the spiffy new right sidebar) is away. :(

And also because Poppy Seed is waking up every 30 minutes. The stinker.

Asiago and Cinnamon Raisin have been having a grand old time with school this last week and a half. I'm much more organized this year and we're absolutely mowing through stuff as a result. It's great fun. But I'll write more on homeschooling later as I have much more I want to say and now I'm finally feeling tired enough to try my bed out (yay!). Since this was all so fantastically riveting, I think I'll leave you with the uplifting scripture passage that I have on our weekly assignment schedules for school:

Doctrine and Covenants 88:118

"Seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith."

I love that learning "by faith" is so easy to do in our home/school environment. God is [appropriately] a part of every subject.

Cute Baby Alert

2011-08-31T21:58:00.000-07:00

To see more of darling William, click here.

Pip's New Quirks and Milestones

2011-08-15T10:32:00.000-07:00

Pip has the best sad face.

Our little Pipilo is walking all over the place now. It took him the longest of our three boys, Buddha and Bugga both starting at 10 months. But then, Buddha skipped crawling completely and Bugga was a lot skinnier than our chunky Pipster. It's so fun to see him totter about on his solid, stubby legs.

But my favorite thing about him at almost 14 months is his growing cognizance. He is becoming more interactive and can remember things and repeat them. Here are some examples:

- When I put my pointer finger to my lips and say "shhhhh," he'll stick his pointer finger right into his mouth like a lollipop and blow air around it.

- If I ask him, even out of the blue, to do the elephant sound for me, he puckers up his lips and does an air zerber.

- He loves repetitive projects and is very visibly proud of himself when he completes them and we all clap.

- He likes to give people high fives.

- He says "woah," and "down," and "hi" (with whatever he's got in his hand being held to his ear). And he says all these in appropriate and applicable moments. He even cries "owwww" when he's been hurt.

- He does the sign language sign for milk when he wants to nurse, only he does it with the hand attached to the thumb that is being vigorously sucked on in his mouth. Actually, sometimes he does it with both hands. It's really cute.

- Once on my lap, after conveying the desire to nurse, he'll fling himself to his preferred side and look up at me expectantly. I love it. He's such a ham.

- He's still one of the most smiley babies I've ever known.

- He's super ticklish everywhere, but especially up and down his back/spine. I love tickling him there because it makes him bury his face in my shoulder while he giggles away. I like cuddling any way I can get it. :)

- He DOES NOT like loud noises like lawn mowers and garbage trucks make. He startles very easily and any time he hears something like that, he double-times it to my side, crying all the way. Poor kid.

- He gives open mouth kisses with his tongue sticking out. Mmmm . . . wet and slobbery. Just the way I like it. :)

Are Mormons Christians?

2011-07-27T00:22:00.000-07:00

I have been having an interesting exchange with a board member from the Christian Family Schools homeschool support organization in our area. I recently sent her a link to share with all members of the group about a quality Christian production, 17 Miracles, which offers valuable historical representation while promoting faith and Christian values. I thought members of CFS would be thrilled to support clean, quality, faith-based, testimony-building entertainment! Unfortunately, my e-mail never even made it to the greater group as a board member replied instead with the following:

Liz,

Thank you for sending this opportunity. However, because there are significant differences between the teachings of the Church of the Latter Day Saints [Liz's note: the proper name of our church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] and those of Orthodox Christianity, the CFS Board does not wish to promote this movie to our families.

If you would like to know more about the doctrinal differences, you might want to look at the Westminster Shorter Catechism which was written in the 1600's and summarizes what traditional Christians believe. Here is a link to it:http://www.ccel.org/creeds/westminster-shorter-cat.html

You may also find the following link helpful:http://www.bible-truth.org/arelds.htm

Sincerely,

------

While I did not necessarily find her links to be helpful (rather more . . . inaccurate), they were, nonetheless, interesting. To be perfectly honest, I was filled with a deep and resounding sort of sadness reading the ignorant way Cooper P. Abrams portrays the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Here is how I responded to the CFS board member:

Hi ------!

I'm sorry. I hope I did not offend! It was not my intent to promote The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but rather to share the trials that early pioneers (Mormon or otherwise) went through to cross the plains in extenuating circumstances and how they relied on their faith in God to maintain hope during said trials. I know how much homeschooling families appreciate history that does not remove God's obvious part in our country's birth and development. I have a lot of admiration for my wonderful friends of various Christian sects and try daily to emulate their marvelous conviction. I am a huge fan of many Christian productions and even own Fireproof with plans to see and promote the new movie, Courage, which will be coming out this Fall. I suppose I shared this news about 17 Miracles with CFS ----- in my hope that people would want to support quality, uplifting productions despite denomination. I completely understand where you are coming from, though, and thank you for taking the time to let me know.

God bless,

Liz

And then, because I couldn't get this exchange out of my mind, and because I couldn't live with myself if I didn't share what I know to be true, I sent this additional e-mail:

Hi ------!

I just finished reading the links you shared with me. They were fascinating. I was grateful for the opportunity to gain a better understanding of your religious beliefs and hope that you might return the favor by reading the following two links about mine:

Are Mormons Christians?

We Are Christians Because . . .

Millions upon millions of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have gained a testimony of the fullness of the gospel of the Savior, Jesus Christ, as restored by the Prophet Joseph Smith, by simply asking God for themselves whether or not it is true (James 1:5). Conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not achieved through coercion. I, myself, can attest to the wonderful testimony that arrives with a personal and humble, sincerely inquisitive encounter with our Heavenly Father. It is thrilling and amazing and glorious to know that His truth, in its fullness, has been restored to the earth and that He continues to speak to His children through His apostles and prophets. I cannot imagine a more hope-filled gospel than that offered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and my heart yearns for others (everyone!) to know this same joy for themselves.

I pray for your life to be filled with peace and happiness.

Humbly and respectfully,

Liz

I think about this woman a lot lately and pray for her even more than that. I am concerned that there are still people in this world who are willing to allow their convictions and opinions to be shaped by those in positions of influence who, instead of preaching the hope-filled gospel of Jesus Christ, spend their time rebuking those who are earnestly and honestly striving to live it. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offers a FULLNESS of the gospel of Jesus Christ! Joseph Smith didn't take anything away, or even add anything of his own accord, for that matter; he simply restored the truths the Lord commanded be restored to the earth for our dispensation and then received further revelation from our loving Heavenly Father, commandments to guide us through the trials and temptations specific to our day. And what wonderful truths these are! I cannot imagine why anyone would not want to believe this stuff. It's pure gold! Furthermore, people don't need their preachers, pastors, fathers, and priests to tell them whether or not The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, the invitation to certain knowledge has been issued by the Lord himself through His ancient prophet James, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him" (James 1:5).

If you want to know what I (and millions of other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) believe is true, JUST ASK GOD! It's that simple. Really. I promise. I did it. And I gained a conviction that every son and daughter of our Heavenly Father longs to attain and maintain. My knowledge of the truthfulness of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ carries me through every drudgery, tedium, trial, tribulation, and tragedy this world throws at me, lending personal growth and happiness to life's oft-times overwhelming lessons. Our Heavenly Father loves us enough to restore His truth to the earth after many centuries of light and knowledge lost following the deaths of Jesus and His apostles.

"We believe that revelation to the early Church stopped because of the death of the Apostles and the growing apostasy, or falling away, from the truth. In the absence of Apostles, the church eventually turned to councils of philosophers and theologians, for guidance. These councils, after lengthy debates, in turn interpreted the gospel according to their best understanding. Often they drew upon the philosophies of respected men (like Plato), concluding, for example, that God has no body or physical nature; or that the three separate persons of the Godhead—the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost—are only one being. The declarations of these councils are still generally accepted today by traditional Christian churches as official doctrines. Yet these creeds were formulated centuries after the deaths of the Apostles and the close of the New Testament" (Stephen E. Robinson, Are Mormons Christians?, New Era, May 1998).

I wish I could shout from the rooftops that I have in my possession the greatest truth restored to man in this dispensation of time! What a glorious gift the Lord has given us in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!

I KNOW. DO YOU?

Pioneers

2011-07-25T11:42:00.000-07:00

It's humid today and the heavy air is not only dense with moisture but also with the acrid smell of burning. I hope whatever is on fire is not close to us, or spreading. Grandma and Grandpa are in the backyard heat, presumably constructing a fort, but more accurately building a legacy. They are wonderful, wonderful people. The best sort, really. Buddha is humming on a little, blue harmonica. If I close my eyes, I can almost picture him in overalls and a straw hat, surrounded by fields of wheat grass and closely followed by a beloved dog with tongue lolling and sides heaving in the heat. Bugga's busy little fingers are checking out everything they've been admonished to stay away from, no doubt. And Pip is sleeping blissfully beneath a blasting stream of cool air provided by the hurricane-strength ceiling fan above his bed.

Yesterday was Pioneer Day, the day members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints celebrate the entrance of the first Mormon Pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley. In honor of Pioneer Day, the boys and I made covered wagons and listened to pioneer songs from The Children's Songbook. We also watched Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration and remembered Legacy, which we had watched some weeks ago. Before going to bed, I pulled out the July 2011 issue of the Ensign, an LDS Church magazine. In it, there is a wonderful article entitled "Faith to Answer the Call" by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. I loved reading the stories Elder Holland shared of pioneers who were called to settle wastelands and their faith in accepting such calls. My favorite quote from the article reads as follows:

"The fundamental driving force in these stories is faith - rock-ribbed, furnace-refined, event-filled, spiritually girded faith that this is the very Church and kingdom of God and that when you are called, you go."

He closes with these words of wisdom and counsel:

"We must have faith in this work - faith in what all believers are called to do, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in our Father in Heaven. We need to conform our will to Theirs and then make that will rock-ribbed and pioneer strong indeed."

And then follows the promise:

"If we do that, I know we will be safe and secure in the inexorable onward movement of the Church and kingdom of God on earth."

Safe and secure. Now that sounds like something I could definitely wrap my hopes around.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no . . . .

2011-07-06T22:58:00.000-07:00

I am one of the first people who will heartily cheer, shout out a "Hail Mary," sing "hallelujah," and echo an "AMEN, sista," when someone can appropriately use the word "no" with their children. I have strong feelings about that word. I don't believe, as some do, that it's destructive, demeaning, and crippling to tell your child "no." I don't believe it's inherently negative. I don't believe I'm going to forever "mess up" my child if I tell him "no." I just don't believe it. Not for a second.

If Pip goes for the electrical outlet, what am I going to say in that split second I have to react before he's fried to a crisp? "Uh, honey? Honey? Baby boy? Here, baby, let's set you up over here with your favorite book instead."

No.

{See? There. I used it.}

No. That is not what I would say with precious little time left to save my baby from imminent disaster. Instead, I'm going to appropriately BELLOW the word "NOOOOOO!" That will startle him, stop him in his tracks, and buy me enough time to rescue him.

"No" is a powerful word. It can be a life-saving word.

BUT . . . .

"No" has a time and a place. "No" can become a very tired (and tiring) word. "No" can lose it's power quickly. And "no" can be stiflingly restrictive and inhibitive.

Broken record, anyone?

For examples of this constricting, hyper-utilization of the word "no," let me share our recent experiences over at the high school swimming pool. A couple of weeks ago, we purchased a family pass to the swimming pool that will last us for the summer. The hours aren't ideal (M-F 12:00 - 2:30pm, Sat 1:00 - 6:00pm), but we figured they would suffice and we'd be able to get our boys in the water enough to make the purchase worthwhile. For the first weekday visit, I would be flying solo with my three boys, two of whom are beginner swimmers, the third being my baby. I packed up my wagon and made sure I had the usual suspects: towels, sunscreen, water, swim trunks, float for the baby, etc. Once prepared, we drove the 60 seconds it takes us to get to the high school from our house. We walked out onto the pool deck after spraying ourselves up and down with sunscreen, grabbed the baby float, and high-tailed it to the water.

We didn't make it.

We were waylaid.

And reprimanded.

Why, you ask?

Because flotation devices aren't allowed.

None.

Not even for babies.

I lost it. I mean, I really did. It's not easy to execute that type of preparation (herding cats?) only to be so summarily dismissed. I gave that little, teenage lifeguard a piece of my mind about how the heck I was supposed to swim by myself with two beginners and one baby. I griped about how it would have been nice to know this little informational gem before purchasing an entire summer pass. I groused about wanting a refund.

I have to give that little, teenage lifeguard credit.

She listened to my complaints and calmly pointed me to the office of the pool director and encouraged me to take it up with him.

Enter Dean.

I marched over there and gave Dean the same piece of my mind that I gave the little, teenage lifeguard. I told him I wanted a refund. I asked him why they have such a ridiculous rule and he responded that they aren't fans of flotation devices because they believe kids become dependent on them and can't learn to swim properly later on. I pointed at Pip with my mouth open and reminded the guy that we were talking about a one-year-old here and shouldn't parents be the judge of this? He just shrugged and asked if it would solve my problem to put one of his staff members in the water with us. At this, I calmed myself down and thanked him kindly, but declined the invitation. I told him I'd try it out one day by myself. Despite my reserve, he had one of his lifeguards move down to the end of the pool where we were trying to make do with two arms and three boys.

In the end, it went okay. (In fact, the circumstances even forced Bugga to learn to jump off the side of the pool, turn around and swim back instead of jumping to me and having me push him back. I was glad for that.)

Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of it.

The "no's," I mean.

Today we decided to forgive and forget. Today we made another go. Today we took ourselves to the pool, arriving with a magnanimous determination to exercise a certain benefit-of-the-doubt. Today was a new day.

A new day replete with a plethora of new (and equally ridiculous) "no's," that is.

Sigh.

So here's how it went down . . . .

Buddha was jumping into the pool from a couple of steps back from the side. The lifeguard told him not to run and jump in. I reminded him to respect his elders and please obey the rules (even though he wasn't really running).

Then Buddha was entertaining his wild side by doing corkscrew jumps into the water, only to come up with a lifeguard telling him a horror story about a kid hitting his head on the bottom of the pool and to be careful.

Then the boys wanted to play around the ramp that provides handicap access to the water. I told them to just stay out of the way of the private swim lessons and they'd be fine. Apparently, I was wrong, because no sooner had they arrived at the ramp then two lifeguards and the private swim instructor were on them like fruit flies on ripe bananas, hollering at them that the handicap ramp wasn't a play place, yadda, yadda, yadda. The problem is, I've been to the pool before and noticed several children playing on the ramp without one word of reprimand. The other problem I have with this is that I have never once seen a handicapped person using the ramp. Not once. And if there was one, I'm pretty sure I could remove my children before the handicapped person would be entering the water. Surely they wouldn't roll onto the pool deck, over to the ramp, and, without pause, give the wheelchair a mighty shove into the water. If such were the case, then I can admit there would be problems with my kids being in the way. At any rate, I calmly asked my boys to, once again, respect their elders and the rules of the institution and remove themselves from the premises of the ramp. So, they obeyed, though somewhat bewildered, and we situated ourselves on the steps.

The boys scouted out some kick boards and commenced playing at swimming pool boogie boarding. Not five minutes later, another lifeguard gets up, approaches, squats, and tells me that they had just made a rule that the public was not to use the kick boards! WHAT ON EARTH?! Seriously? So, her declaration begged the obvious question and I, being rather exasperated by now, abandoned my formerly compassionate benefit-of-the-doubt demeanor, and asked it directly, "why?" Her response, "Oh, a little girl shoved one down into the water and it shot out into her face and broke her nose." Oh my land. Come on! I am sorry for that girl, but for goodness sake why are we penalizing everyone else for her unfortunate accident?! Kids will be kids. Accidents happen. Broken arms, legs, noses. I have this eerie inkling that pretty soon they'll be telling us we can't use flippers and goggles, plug our noses, or open our eyes under water, because heaven forbid the pool be blamed for decompression sickness, sinus infections, or bloodshot eyes! Upon relating today's events to The Chief, he asked, "So if someone drowns, will they close the pool? Will they tell everyone else that because someone has drowned, no one can swim?"

Argh.

No, no, no, no, no. I've had it up to here with NO.

I want my money back.

And I want my own swimming pool, complete with a conspicuous lack of oppressive nit-picking.

Oh, and while I'm kitchen sinking, I'd also like a whole slew of trees with lower limbs still attached because FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, CAN WE PLEASE LET KIDS BE KIDS?!

Pip's 1st Birthday Bash

2011-06-27T21:21:00.000-07:00

Video #1, Pip starts crooning with us while we're singing ♪ ♫ Happy Birthday ♪ ♫ to him.

Video #2, Pip tearing into his birthday cake.

Here's how in went down in pictures:

{Remember Debbie? Yeah, she made this adorable bear cake for Pip. She makes all my kids' birthday cakes. She volunteers. She's awesome! Everyone needs a Debbie neighbor.}

{Pip joining in a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday (to him).}

{Cute little one-year-old.}

{Pip gets an ear to mangle.}

{Pip let me suck all the cake off his fingers; thus, my messy face.}

{Bugga trying to convince us that cake makes you strong.}

{Buddha approves the fare. Home run, Debbie!}

Oh, the faces of Pip!

The damage (which really wasn't too bad, all things considered):

***Special thanks to the grandparents for their thoughtful gifts for Pip! We will be visiting Wal-Mart this week to pick out something appropriate that sparks his fancy. Thank you, thank you, thank you! We sure do love and appreciate you!***

Pip is One Year Old!

2011-06-26T10:33:00.000-07:00

Well, the time has come. My baby is growing up way too fast and is now officially one year older than zero. I've been keeping notes on Post-Its so that I won't forget to write about all the awesome things he does and says that make up his fabulous little personality. So, in the interest of time, here's everything we love (and maybe some things that we don't love but want to remember anyway) about our little Pipilo:

1. He waves with both hands at the same time. The left hand is a repetitive squeeze while the right hand flaps up and down.

2. He says "Uh oh," but it sounds more like "Uh mm."

3. He smiles at everyone. And I do mean EVERYONE. He is seriously the smiliest, happiest baby.

4. He is an avid thumb sucker. I love this. Sometimes he sucks his thumb with his pointer finger sticking straight up, playing with his eyelashes.

5. He loves to tap his booster seat tray with his finger tips, almost like he's playing the drums.

6. He's a GREAT copycat.

7. He'll clap his hands anytime someone around him does.

8. He shakes his head anytime he hears someone say "Nooooooo, no, Pipilo."

9. He likes to be noisy, screeching and singing, humming and yelling every chance he gets.

10. He'll crawl in star formation, heading one direction, then stopping abruptly to sit up, then proceed in the opposite direction. It's hilarious. Wish I could show you.

11. He LOVES to walk holding onto my hands. Mine. Only mine. He'll cry if The Chief tries. And that makes me cry for my breaking back.

12. He cries whenever I let go when he's walking holding onto my hands. He's just like his big brother, Bugga, in that respect. I remember when Bugga would howl at me for ending our walking sessions.

13. He cries when I leave the room. Even if he was perfectly fine prior to my retreat. Apparently my proximity is as necessary to him as a full belly and a clean diaper.

14. He loves to play under the kitchen table (and I think it's because he can scavenge all the little morsels of food that have fallen because of the less-than-stellar table etiquette employed by his older brothers. Ew.). When he's under the table, he'll crawl about pushing our chairs all over the place. If Buddha and Bugga are at the table, they inevitably dissolve into giggles at these "ghosts" bumping about the room.

15. He has three and a half teeth.

16. He puts everything on the floor into his mouth. Everything. Shoes, paper, crumbs, staples, toys, bugs, dust bunnies, pom poms, magnets. It's pretty gross and very tiring trying to keep up with him and keep him safe from his crazy appetite for inedible objects.

17. He says "WOAH!" It's so cute.

18. He stands by himself. And when we all clap and cheer him on, he gets this awesome little look of pride. I think you can even see his little chest swell. It's darling.

19. He LOVES to be pushed around the backyard on our little tricycle by his older brother, Buddha. Those two have a grand ol' time together cruising around out there.

20. He dances whenever he hears music, bobbing up and down at the knees, looking around to see if anyone is watching him then rewarding them with a big grin if they are.

21. He swats and swipes at faces . . . repeatedly. And he thinks it's hilarious. Only sometimes it isn't, like when I haven't had a chance to cut his fingernails for a few weeks.

22. He gets a really heart-melting pouty lip if you bark at him for swiping at you, like after he conked The Chief on the face yesterday morning with his iPhone; he was not happy with The Chief's startled response.

23. He LOVES to play the piano and gets so excited pounding out a few concertos every now and then.

24. He sits either on both knees or on one knee with one leg sticking straight out in front of him.

25. He loves to pull everything out of my drawers and cupboards, but he especially loves all my measuring cups and my towel drawer.

26. He wants to conquer my fridge and drops whatever he's doing to book over to it anytime it's opened. Unfortunately for him, he's a bit too slow and we're all double-timing it so that he doesn't become entrenched and let all our cold air out. :D

27. He loves to rest his head on my chest when we approach his crib for naptimes and bedtime. He settles in there and listens to the vibrations in my bosom as I hum to him and rub his soft, little cheekies with the nape of my neck. I admit, it's one of my favorite times of day.

28. He is such an easy baby to put to sleep. I just set him down in his crib, on his tummy, and he pops his head up to watch me as I make my exit, and that's it. I don't hear a peep from him after that until he wakes up.

29. He startles easily. One of my favorite things to do is to crawl into his room stealthily and sneak up on him in his crib after he wakes up from naptime or bedtime. It is so funny to watch him either freeze, do a double take, or straight-up jolt.

30. He loves his big brothers and happily follows them all over the house, which is rather disconcerting when they have to visit the restroom and forget to close the door.

31. He chucks his food to the ground with flourish when he's finished eating. It drives me bonkers having to sweep my floor five times a day, but it's hilarious watching him do it.

32. He likes a wide variety of foods, but definitely makes it known when he doesn't like something; he spits it right back out of his mouth into his hand, which then flings it like a little, blazing culinary torpedo to the floor.

33. He likes to be chased. If you make like you're going toward him, he'll take off in the opposite direction, pause to make sure you're following, then resume his mad dash toward who-knows-where.

34. He LOVES playing with Talking Carl on my iPhone. He tickles him relentlessly with his one little pointer finger. He's been doing this since he was nine months old. It's amazing to me what kids are able to grasp and understand at such a young age!

35. He used to stick his tongue out ALL. THE. TIME. I loved it.

36. He likes to swipe all the magnets off the fridge, sending them spinning in all directions across the kitchen floor.

37. He frequently crawls around with something in one hand, click-clacking his way around the house.

38. He gives stuffed animals the cutest, squishiest hugs.

39. He loves to sneak up onto the dishwasher door when I'm not looking.

40. He likes to cross his fingers.

41. He loves to stick out his leg toward us in the car so that we reach back and try to tickle his little footsie. He does this over and over and over again. It's fun.

42. He lets his daddy suck on his fingers and think it's the greatest game ever.

43. He gives the best open-mouthed, slobbery kisses!

44. He likes to honk my nose while he nurses.

45. He has chosen not to start walking yet, which is unusual for us, since both his older brothers were walking at 10 months.

46. He loves baths and spends most of the time standing up, side-stepping around the tub, trying to get at our special fishy spout cover.

47. He makes the best stink face. Don't believe me? See for yourself:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PIPILODI!

We love you more than you could possibly know at this tender time of your life. We thank Heavenly Father every day for sending you to us. Every single person in this family absolutely adores you and is being made a better person for your presence in our home.

Playing Catch-Up | January 2011

2011-06-14T07:14:00.000-07:00

So, there are many, many happenings that I haven't had a chance to blog about, but really want to remember. Bear with me. These are my memories.

Amanda introduced us to an awesome, new park right next to the San Diego Temple in La Jolla. It doesn't have a playground or anything; it's just a greenbelt with TONS of open space. The boys absolutely love it. They just run and run and run some more, playing in bushes and under trees, throwing balls and frisbees. They love it when we go there and throw out the blanket for a picnic. It's a great park. See how much Pipilo *loves* the grass? :D

{Making friends with people at the park.}

We babysat our little buddies and this is how Amanda and Jared found me when they returned. So precious!

The boys made themselves a snowboard and skis out of a USPS box and some scrap paper. Here they are heading down the slopes:

Pipilo bonding with his daddy. I adore these pictures because they prove how much Pip adores his daddy even though he's a hopeless mama's boy.

Pip taking on the playroom with his big brothers. They have a grand ol' time in there.

Bugga gave Pip a taxi ride in the laundry basket one afternoon. Pip loved it; he didn't want to get out.

Corban had his 3rd birthday and invited us to his party. Here's Jared trying to teach him how to blow out his candles, Corban sharing his cake with Bugga, and Bugga exulting in the sugar high.

In his sixth month, Pipilo really started to move and groove his way around whatever room he was stationed in. It was always entertaining to watch him roll, bend, twist, and prop himself up on his very tippy toes in Down Dog position. He was a determined little bugger and managed to get himself crawling by the time he cruised through the half-year mark.

And, of course, we had Pip's six-month photo session. Isn't he just the cutest little giraffe you ever did saw?

Bye now! Stay tuned for our February catch-up.

Shower Talk

2011-06-12T06:42:00.000-07:00

You've heard of pillow talk and potty talk, but I bet you've never heard of Shower Talk! Well, here's how it goes. And right from the get-go, I'm just going to throw it out there that all you poor, poor people with those beautiful tile showers might just have to miss out on this particular pleasure. :D (Not sure if this will work on tile.)

First, get yourself some bathtub crayons. (Hey, water art doesn't have to be restricted to the teeniest boppers!) Then, take your crayons into the shower with you the next time you hop in and start writing love notes, inspirational and motivational quotes, and honey-do lists for your husband. It's that simple. And it's so fun! For those of us who don't shower at the same time (I'm going to go out on a limb here and wager that we might just be in the majority), this is another fun way to keep the spark alive. I love hopping in the shower and finding a little "I love you" from the hubbster and I just KNOW that he loves hopping in there to see a sweetly written "Don't forget to take the trash to the street before you leave! Mwah!" :D I'm only joking. Kind of.

But really, you should try it. It's fun. Shower talk draws us away from our email and texting addictions and puts us right back where we should be . . . expertly applying amorous graffiti to our shower walls. :D

P.S. Clean up's a cinch. I just hop in with an SOS pad and go to town; it comes right off.

Historic Ascent of El Capitan

2011-06-11T08:58:00.000-07:00

My brother-in-law, Jarem Frye, is at it again. He and another amputee buddy, Craig Demartino, are at this very moment attempting a history-making climb of Yosemite's mighty El Cap. They are trying to become the first all-amputee team to make it up the Lurking Fear route . . . IN THREE DAYS . . . climbing relentlessly and sleeping on the face of the mountain in those little hanging bivouacs. It's insane, if you ask me, but then insane is what Jarem does best.

{Photo credit: chossclimbers.com}

Here's the scope of the adventure in Jarem's own words as sent to various media outlets:

Dear friends in the media,

I wanted to let you know about an exciting history-making first ascent
of El Capitan, Yosemite, starting the 10th of June. I will be
climbing El Capitan via the "Lurking Fear" route with Craig Demartino.
This will be the first all-amputee team ascent of one of the most
legendary big walls in the world of rock climbing!

Craig and I are excited to be making history on a wall that is hard to
make history on. El Capitan draws climbers and spectators from around
the world. It has been a focus and dream of most serious climbers
since before it was first climbed over a span of 47 days on the wall.
Since that time, the 3,000 foot wall has seen nearly every historic
accomplishment ticked off the list by great climbers like Jim Bridwell
who became the first to climb the Nose route in under 24 hours, Lynn
Hill who shocked the world of climbing when she became the first to
free climb the entire route, and even my climbing partner Craig who
became the first amputee to climb the Nose of El Cap in a single day.

We will be doing our route over a span of three days, sleeping on a
portaledge hanging from the side of the cliff at night. We have to
carry all the gear, food and water for three days up the cliff with us
and we will be doing it all without assistance.

Craig is a strong climber with experience in Yosemite. I have been
away from climbing for about five years and have never been to
Yosemite, climbed any 'big walls' or spent the night on the side of a
cliff. I have been training hard to be ready for this climb, pushing
myself to climb 1200 vertical feet a day.

I will be introducing some new products of SymBiotechs USA through
this climb! We are making improvements to the world's first energy
storing prosthetic knee, the XT9 ESPK and I will be putting a foot
designed specifically for rock climbing to the test on this epic and
monumental journey. The XT9 was proven by becoming part of many
'firsts' in prosthetic history -first AKA telemark skier, first AKA
wakeboarder, first competitive AKA snowboarder, first eXtremity Games
rock climbing champion and many others. I am excited to introduce
SymBiotechs USA's second product to the market by establishing a
company precedent of proving our products in history-making ways that
can inspire amputees to greater possibilities than I was told would
ever be possible when I faced my own amputation.

We will be professionally photographed and recorded on this adventure
and will be able to provide high resolution media of the trip if any
of you would like to publish coverage of this historic accomplishment.
Craig and I will both be available for interview immediately
afterwards (we will be coming home June 15-17), and I will be
available until June 7th before I leave for Yosemite.

I feel that this effort warrants publicity for the following reasons:
1. It is historic in the wold of climbing
2. It is an incredible accomplishment for the amputee world
3. It will be greatly inspiring for amputees and able-bodied persons
alike to see that this great a challenge can be accomplished by two
individuals labeled as "disabled"
4. New technology designed specifically to empower amputees for this
kind of activity will be made available for introduction, critique,
and/or praise

If you would like to cover this story in any form, please contact me
by phone or email.

Thank you,

Jarem Frye

Buddha the Health Nut

2011-06-10T07:50:00.000-07:00

My six-year-old won't eat anything unhealthy. I should be cheering and jumping for joy over this, but you wouldn't believe how difficult it is to make sure his tummy is always satisfied with his self-imposed diet! Apples and carrots aren't very filling and even though he doesn't want to eat unhealthy food, there is also plenty of healthy food that he refuses to eat (i.e. satiating avocado). I swear I should be using this kid as my motivation to get healthy and fit again post-pregnancy! He's like a food mentor; always asking whether his snacks are healthy or not, what vitamins and minerals are in them, and whether they satisfy a dairy, protein, or carbohydrate dietary requirement. It's NUTS! And I should be taking advantage of it as a motivator for me! Instead, I wait until he goes to bed in order to sneak my coconut ice cream bar out of the freezer. At least I have the hypocritical decency to feel guilty afterward. :D

UPDATE: I wrote this post back in November of 2010, and just never published it because I guess I felt it was incomplete. Well, today Buddha is no longer that strict healthy eater and I kind of miss it. A few months ago, he caved, ate a treat, and afterwards informed me rather desperately, "I can't help it! I just love sugar!" Well, buddy, welcome to my world. Don't worry, peeps, I am exaggerating just a bit. All is well at The Bagel Factory. It's actually kind of nice to be able to enjoy a treat with the family every now and then and not have to find Buddha a special (translate: expensive or time consuming) alternative. And he's actually become a MUCH less picky eater. At dinner times, he'll eat whatever is put in front of him. It's wonderful.

FAQ: How did you learn to tweak your blog?

2011-06-05T19:39:00.000-07:00

When I used to change up my blog design often, I was asked this question a lot. Not so much anymore. But it's still good stuff to be familiar with, so I'll gladly pass along what little I know to the few people still reading this defunct log of family events. :D

Here's a list of things I did in order to become semi-proficient at tweaking my blog html:

1. Create a new practice blog that exactly mirrors your working blog. Any time you want to make a new change, try it out on the practice blog first so that you can be sure it will turn out just how you want it before taking the plunge on your public blog. This step will save a lot of heartache. Believe me. I learned this valuable lesson the hard way.

2. Take it one step at a time! There is so much blog personalization html floating around out there on the world wide web. It would be easy to get overwhelmed and confused. Just pick one thing you'd like to see on your blog (i.e. flash header, tabbed sidebar menu, large photos, etc.), and work on that first. Then move on to the next when you've perfected that tweak.

3. Research. A lot. Check a whole bunch of different how-to links before you decide on which method to follow. There tend to be multiple ways to arrive at the same result, so read a bit before you settle. Read comments on blog posts to take note of any bugs that people have encountered after following directions. Check post dates to see if something is outdated. Better yet, search with a date in your search field to get the most recent posts.

4. Ask. Sometimes you'll come across a blog that has an awesome widget/header/background/layout, and all you have to do is ask the blog owner exactly how they came by it. People are often more than happy to share.

5. Right click on an envied blog and select "view page source" to see how that blog is configured. I have learned much about html this way.

6. Play! Play with your html. Play, play, play. Especially on your practice blog. Tweak one thing at a time to see exactly which codes will change which items on your page and how they do so. As nerdy as it sounds, it's actually fairly empowering to be somewhat familiar with html. I guess it makes sense seeing as how knowledge = power. Right? :D

Hope this helps all you budding bloggers out there. Enjoy your space on the Internet. Personalize it. Perfect it. Making it your own will encourage you to frequent it more often.

Crystal

2011-06-03T22:58:00.000-07:00

{To see more pictures from this awesome senior portrait session at the beach, click here.}

Sister Spotlight on ME!

2011-05-31T13:21:00.000-07:00

Our ward does a "Sister Spotlight" each week to help us get to know each other better. I was lucky enough to be spotlighted this week and had a great time filling out the answers and laughing with The Chief over some of them, so I thought I'd share them with my friends here in the virtual world. Here are my answers that I wrote back to the gal in charge:

- Where and when were you born?

Jerusalem, Israel. July 15, 1981.

- Describe your family - Childhood and current

I am the third of four children. Girl, boy, girl (that's me!), boy. I grew up in Israel while my dad worked with the BYU Jerusalem Center. He is still working as a BYU religion professor. My mom stays busy serving people all around her. My oldest sister is married and has three boys (you may have seen her husband, Jarem Frye, on Mormon.org; he has one leg and is unwittingly my claim to Mormon fame). My older brother is single and gallivanting all over the world doing top secret things for the government (or so we like to speculate, anyway). My younger brother is still at home . . . occasionally. I have been married to my awesome Chief for eight fun-filled years. We have three boys: Soren Erik (6), Anders Isak (4), and Karsten Henrik (11 months). The Chief's family is Norwegian, in case you were wondering about the names.

- How did you meet your husband?

At a BBQ at BYU. Because I spoke Spanish, I got invited. The Chief served his mission in Argentina. Hooray for foreign languages!

- How long have you been married?

Woops, I jumped the gun and already answered this one. Eight years. Eight blessed years behind with eternity ahead. I can't wait!

- How did you start dating/get engaged/how long were you dating before
engaged and engaged before married?

After a summer of "hanging out" and The Chief using me for my A/C (did I mention it was a REALLY HOT summer?), he left for home in between summer term and fall semester. I realized how much I missed him, so I called him up and told him I wanted to date him. We talked on the phone for many hours over the next couple of weeks until The Chief's dad finally got exasperated enough to just fly me down to Orange County to drive back up to school with his son (mwa ha ha, my plan worked). We dated for four months, got engaged at Christmas time, and got married in the spring . . . and lived happily ever after (or will, anyway).

- What is your favorite previous church calling?

The one I have right now! I teach the 17-18 year old Sunday School class and I LOVE it! They are so dang entertaining.

- Where did you go to school -High school or college? What did you
study and how far did you go in your schooling?

I went to Timpview High School in Provo, UT, my freshman and sophomore years then moved to Chile when my dad got called as a mission president and finished my high school education at The (American) International School Nido de Aguilas, class of '99. I studied Marriage, Family, and Human Development at BYU and received my Bachelor's Degree in 2002, the year before The Chief and I got married.

- What is your occupation/What was your occupation if you are now a
SAHM or not working?

I worked odd jobs before I had kids. I was an ad rep for The Daily Herald for a while and I worked at a home for troubled teen girls out in Spanish Fork for a while. To be honest, I hated working and was eager to become a mom after I got married. I feel much more fulfilled working inside the home than out.

- How long have you lived in the ward?

We have been here almost four years (in August)! Definitely a record for us.

- What is your favorite sport or activity?

I love to watch BYU football . . . and Jimmer Fredette, but I don't think he technically counts as a sport all by himself (or does he?). I also love watching the Olympics, winter or summer, but summer is definitely more exciting to me.

- What is your favorite color?

Green!

- What is your favorite book?

Oh geez. This is not easy. I recently finished The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, and thought it was fantastic. So different and creative and poignant. I definitely recommend it. I also LOVE anything written by Jane Austen. She has to be, by far, one of the wittiest authors EVER. Harry Potter is also a favorite.

- What is your favorite movie?

Pride and Prejudice. The A&E/BBC version. I can't stand the Hollywood version.

- What is your favorite food/restaurant?

I love sushi, Indian food, Thai, falafel, spaghetti, Mexican food, Jamba Juice. Huh. I guess you could just say I love food, period.

- What is your favorite season and why?

Spring, definitely, because it's not too hot, not too cold, and the foliage is absolutely vibrant green!

- What is your favorite song/group/type of music?

I enjoy listening to classical music, piano music, and the boys and I like to rock out to the awesome beats of Inside Out A' Capella while in the car. Also, if you've never heard of Geography Songs by Larry and Kathy Troxel, go look it up on iTunes or Amazon. They are FABULOUS! Thanks to Geography Songs, I now know all the different countries in the entire world. Yeah!! (It only took me ~30 years).

- What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas, of course!

- What are your hobbies?

Photography, reading, blogging, walking, homeschooling, hanging out with friends.

- If you could go anywhere, where would you go?

The French Polynesian island of Bora Bora. Here's a fun game: go type Bora Bora into a Google image search and commence drooling. Seriously. It looks so breathtakingly beautiful there with white sands, private bungalows over the water, crystal clear blue/green water, palm trees abounding. Serene, gorgeous, ahhhhh . . . .

- If you were on a deserted island, what are 3 things you would take?

My 17 bookshelves full of books (can that count as one item?), my food and water storage (that too, please?), and my camera (which will have been equipped with a secret chamber for carrying sunblock, too).

- If you were on a deserted island, what 3 people would you take?

Bear Grylls (I am stealing this answer from Cindy who included Mr. Grylls as part of her answer to this very same question I asked my class. It's perfect! You can survive anywhere forever if you just have Bear Grylls with you!), The Chief, and my munchkins (surely they can count as one person seeing as they are so very small, hm?).

- What is your greatest accomplishment?

In life: being a wife and mother.
Daily: brushing my teeth (can I get an AMEN, SISTA?!).

- What is the best lesson you've learned from your mom/parents?

To never stray from the little things: daily prayer, daily scripture study, FHE, temple, tithing. Those are the building blocks of my own personal road to the Celestial Kingdom and the harnesses that will secure my beloved little family together as we traverse that road.

I was also asked to include a picture of myself. I chose this one. Isn't Pip darling?!

Easter

2011-05-26T11:32:00.000-07:00

This is what it looks like to try to get 10 kids to line up on a little fence. Our Easter was AWESOME! We had so much fun with friends, hunting for eggs and dying eggs and eating eggs and . . . .

Beach Wave #8: Lifeguard Tower (and that's a wrap!)

2011-05-25T06:43:00.000-07:00

So, that's it for Pip's first adventure at the beach. I can't wait to put a whole bunch of these up on my wall. Hopefully they'll motivate me to brave the beach this summer despite the crowds of tourists. We have such a great time playing in the sand and surf. Oh how I love living here!

Beach Wave #7: "3, 2, 1 JUMP!"

2011-05-24T06:09:00.000-07:00

Boys doing what boys do best . . . .

Beach Wave #6: More Sandy Faces

2011-05-22T21:22:00.000-07:00

I know what you're thinking . . . "MORE?" Yes. I warned you there were a lot. I guess I just can't get enough of the energy and playfulness generated at the beach. It really is the perfect place to take pictures.

Beach Wave #5: Sand Beast & Brotherly Love

2011-05-19T23:12:00.000-07:00

He dipped his face in the sand. Just straight up dunked himself. And then sauntered jauntily over to me, opening a corridor of head-swiveling beach patrons and leaving behind a wide wake of giggling.

And then his little brother found him and smothered the beast right out of him with exuberance.

Beach Wave #4: Arranged Marriages

2011-05-18T11:56:00.000-07:00

I have informed Amanda that I fully intend to have my boys marry her girls. Wouldn't it be awesome if your best friend was your child's in-law?! Talk about perfect. Anyway, check out Bugga and Mia playing together. It's really sweet.

Now take note of Bugga's ingenious sand sleeves and hilarious application method . . . .

And sweet little Mia completely enchanted with the sand . . . .

Beach Wave #3: Sampling the Sea Water

2011-05-17T06:53:00.000-07:00

Beach Wave #2: The Escapee

2011-05-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

I love Mia's face in these next few pictures as Riley approaches with his sippy cup hanging from his teeth . . . .

Beach Wave #1: He Started Out Clean

2011-05-15T23:14:00.000-07:00

I am a chronic over-sharer. True story. I have about a bazillion pictures to share of Pip's 1st beach day. I can't help it. They are just all so cute. My older beach bums, my tiny little sand stud, my friends' kids . . . too much cuteness! Plus, it doesn't help that many of these pictures will actually be printed and will soon be hanging in an awesome, giant ode-to-summer wall display in my home.

In short, I am indecisive when it comes to pictures of my kids. *Surprise, Surprise?* So you will get an eye-full.

Wave #1

Gone

2011-05-13T22:13:00.000-07:00

GONE is such a lonely word. And that is where half my family is. Gone. Away. Pitching tents and tromping about in the dirt with all the other fathers and sons from our ward.

Lonely is what they left behind.

I miss them fiercely.

I used to think that I'd be just fine when my children grew up and left home. I have any number of projects I am working on at any given moment, with ideas for fifty more in my head. I read, I photograph, I play the piano, I blog, I clean, I launder, I create. I can find things to keep myself occupied.

But tonight is teaching me that "fine" just won't cut it. Being occupied isn't the same as being happy.

I am lost without my family. I love my boys dearly. This must be why our church does these things; not for women to have a break from their men for their sanity's sake, but to remind us just how much we ought to cherish having them around.

Luckily, an empty nest isn't truly empty and, unlike tonight when he's off roasting marshmallows and telling ghost stories with the little birdies, I'll have The Chief to roost with in my old age.

Last year at this time I was pregnant with Pip. Now, he's my sweet little date for the night. And we have been having a grand ol' time. We shared a dinner of Chipotle and Jamba Juice while watching a chick flick on Netflix. I cried. He grunted impatiently for the food to keep coming. Then came a lonely bath time for Pip (usually Bugga bathes with him), followed by tons and tons of cuddling to soothe my aching mommy heart. Pip also learned how to honk my nose tonight. He loves that. Me, not so much.

But I'll live.

And even smile about it.

Because that darn empty nest is staring me right in the face tonight. Relentless.

*You know what else is staring me in the face? The pile of dirty dishes in the sink. Toodle-oo.*

Up Next: Pip's 1st Beach Day

2011-05-11T12:06:00.000-07:00

Utah Trip: The End

2011-05-11T08:27:00.000-07:00

These are the last of my pictures from Utah. They are all taken with my little point-and-shoot camera and represent occasions when I didn't think I'd be able to juggle my huge SLR along with kids, diaper bag, etc.

We had such a lovely time in Utah. One of the best things about this trip was that the boys had swim lessons every single day with Granny (my mom) and by the end of the trip, they were swimming fearlessly through the water. She's a pretty amazing lady, my mom. I think she was somewhat disappointed with me for letting my kids get so old without teaching them to swim. They had had swim lessons before at the high school we live a block away from here in San Diego, but those were pretty pathetic in terms of what they learned (or, rather, didn't learn, if I'm being accurate). My mom worked a small miracle if ever I've seen one! This picture of The Chief with the boys at the pool is significant because it was Pipilo's first time swimming! He loved it. He just kicked and kicked and kicked his chubby legs happily through the water . . . absolutely fascinated.

Also a highlight of our trip was the chance we had to visit my good friend Jacqui and her kids. Buddha and her son, Jonathan, were baby and toddler friends together way back when we lived in Utah as a young married couple. I love Jacqui. She is such an amazing mother. Truly a modern-day superwoman, that lady. She has FOUR kids now! Four. Wow. Time certainly flies.

{Jacqui's baby is a year old. Pip is 9 months here. She just happens to have tiny children and I have huge ones, so the contrast is that much more crazy!}

One evening, my dad lined up a visit with his good friend (and my all-time favorite artist), Liz Lemon Swindle. Daniel and I went with him and peppered her with annoying questions (okay, not so much Daniel, just me). It was a wonderful conversation. Liz mentioned that she has always felt that her art is simply an expression of her testimony of the gospel. I think that must be why it appeals to me so. That, and the fact that she paints most of her pieces from photographs that have been captured before she begins her magic with a canvas and brush. Another random fact about Liz: she actually came to our wedding reception in Utah after The Chief and I were married. Oh, and she once obliged my dad by personally signing my favorite print, She Shall Bring Forth a Son, which he later gave me for my birthday. It still hangs prominently in our nursery/play room. Some day I hope to have While Emma Sleeps hanging in my house as well (read the "Story Behind the Art" description. It makes me cry every time). Both of these paintings are so tender and convey mountains of emotion and feeling. Liz is currently working on a project entitled "The Parables" for which she is painting each of the parables from the scriptures along with a modern-day parable image. She's also working on a picture of the resurrected Christ walking along a road with two of his apostles, one of whom looks uncannily like my father. ;D

We also took the boys bowling at BYU with their cousin Caleb. Check out that score! I never get strikes let alone two in a row!!

We had family pictures taken by the talented Justin Hackworth, who happens to be my parents' backyard neighbor. They recently put up a new fence and told Justin not to worry about sharing in the expense so he generously offered his expert photography skills in exchange. I think we got the better end of that deal. I can't wait to see how they turned out and share some of our favorites here! This is a picture of our attempt at keeping the wild boys tamed with iPhones. Originally, we had hoped for an outdoor session, but we got frozen out of that option. So, a studio session it was. Lucky for us, the iPhones worked. We are so smart (pat, pat, pat).

And here's a bonus bathtub moment. Gotta love all these boys. My parents are the proud grandparents of seven, I repeat, seven boys. Daniel insists that he and his future wife will have all girls since Sara and I keep having all the boys. :D I don't think any of us would complain about that. We women are feeling a bit outnumbered.

{P.S. You wouldn't believe how difficult it is to get a picture of five boys in a bathtub without any peek-a-boo penises. I deserve another pat on the back for this one! :D}

Susan Easton Black: Ping Pong Master

2011-05-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

While in Utah, my dad lined up a ping pong playoff between his good friend, Susan Black, and his son, D-BO. Susan beat Daniel. It was pretty impressive. However, Daniel got his revenge a few nights later when he returned to the scene of the upset and redeemed himself, beating Susan in best out of five.

Ping Pong is the perfect game for Susan. It moves as quickly as she speaks . . . which is saying something. If you've ever taken a class from her at BYU (and if you haven't, you should), you know what I'm talking about. She's a force to be reckoned with.

Fingers and Ears

2011-05-09T15:01:00.000-07:00

Jude loves to suck his fingers. You know what he loves even more? Sucking his fingers and rubbing someone's ear at the same time. Lucky for Jude, Gideon is as yet immobile.

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T23:35:00.000-07:00

Today my mom and mom-in-law each received a framed 11x14 copy of this picture of our boys. One arrived in Utah wrapped in bubble wrap, practically floating inside a huge UPS box filled with packing peanuts and the other made its debut here at our house, wrapped up in perfect flowery Mother's Day wrapping paper. I'm so proud of myself. Both my mom and mother-in-law have been asking for pictures and even though I have a billion and one on my hard drive, I can't seem to translate that to beautiful wall hangings for those I love most (including myself). But I finally did. Yay.

Happy Mother's Day, all. I hope your day found you surrounded by your adoring families. My hubby got me an awesome array of beautiful picture frames so that I can create the wall collage of my dreams. He and my father-in-law also made us a deeeeelicious pot roast for our Mother's Day dinner. What studs. We finished the day playing Chicken Feet, which I (appropriately) won. :D

What was your favorite part of your Mother's Day 2011?

Whiteboard Musings

2011-05-06T13:03:00.000-07:00

*We interrupt our regularly scheduled Utah trip postings to bring you this important announcement . . . .*

I have this awesome whiteboard in my kitchen/office area. I love it. My calendar hangs on a magnet there, the bottom half is always filled with random drawings from the boys, and I hang up anything that needs to remain foremost in my mind (bills, invites, assignments, etc.). But my favorite part about my whiteboard is that it offers me a place to quickly write down weighty thoughts that are fleeting. I forget everything. My whiteboard is my memory center.

This is one of the things I had written on my whiteboard recently after a particularly calm morning and fabulous scripture study. I had this idea that I needed to write down everything I could think of that I wanted my sons to learn from their time with The Chief and me before they move out of our house and on to their own higher education, missions, families, and careers. If you can think of anything else I should add, please let me know, this is by no means comprehensive!

{click image to enlarge}

This post is linked to:

52 Photos Project {Color}

Daniel and the Babes

2011-05-04T16:11:00.000-07:00

Babes of the diapered sort rather than the bikini-clad sort. (Thank goodness). :D Here are a series of pictures of Unkey Dino with his sisters' babies. Some things to note: one sucks his thumb just like his mommy did when she was a little girl, the other sucks his two middle fingers just like his mommy did when she was a little girl (and just like his older brother, Jude, does). Who knew finger-sucking was inherited? Also, Sara's baby is named Gideon Daniel. And he shares more than just a name with his uncle - check out that awesome red fuzz on the top of his head!

Oh my, how we do love these babies.

Building a Leg

2011-05-03T13:30:00.000-07:00

While in Utah, Uncle Jarem (my sister's husband) asked Buddha if he'd like to help him build a leg. Buddha's eyes, of course, became the size of saucers. He was thrilled with the proposition and promptly informed me that his leg was going to be able to fly, bike, climb, walk, and swim. I tried to tell him that he'd probably be helping Uncle Jarem build one of his prosthetic legs that his company designs and manufactures. Turns out, I was wrong. Instead, Jarem went all out with a special shopping trip to Michael's. He got really creative trying to satisfy Buddha's expectations for his special, multi-tasking leg, even purchasing a rocket for jet propulsion. It was awesome watching them work together. Jarem is extremely patient and encouraging. Buddha was on cloud nine.

And then, as if that wasn't awesome enough already, Jarem pops up the next day with a special presentation for the family and shows us this video in response to something Buddha had told me at bedtime a few days before. He had said to me, "Mom, when I have an 'I am a Mormon' video when I'm older, I'm going to say, 'I'm Soren. I am an inventor. I am a scientist. I am an astronomer. And I am a Mormon.'" It was a chest-swelling, happy heart moment for me.

*See where is says 360p on the bottom bar of the YouTube video? You can click that and choose 720p to watch this video with better quality.

Jarem is awesome. I wrote about him a couple of years ago. Read it here. And watch his legit "I Am a Mormon" video right here below!

You can read more about Jarem on his profile at Mormon.org as well. He is just such a stand up kind of guy.

General Conference in Utah

2011-04-30T07:37:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Utah midweek before General Conference weekend. It actually tends to be the initial reason why we all congregate in Utah around April and October every year. Daniel comes home for Conference and the rest of us flock to him like birds to bread.

My poor parents.

I don't think they've had a decent viewing of General Conference (sans wild animals in the house) for years. They are so patient. And Granny even gets into it with preparations to keep the kids busy. This time she had them coloring ties, playing General Conference bingo, and hanging up pictures related to the speakers and topics being discussed. They LOVE Granny's "busy work." They get right into it and make it their own, waxing artistic all over the place. And she's so wonderful to give them free reign with the supplies, even if their ideas don't jive with her plans for them. She's great at relinquishing expectations - something I hope I'll be able to master sooner than later, too. (Maybe it runs in the genes? I'm crossing my fingers.)

Snow in Utah: The Dog Frolics and The Blossoms Fight

2011-04-29T07:13:00.000-07:00

Cash is no longer a part of my sister's family. After over a month of searching high and low, they finally found a suitable AND affordable rental for their family. The one flaw in its suitability was its lack of a fenced-in backyard. Cash now resides on a sprawling property with a new family and a sibling or two of his own species. He never looked back. And while Sara and Jarem are understandably saddened by this parting, they know it's for the best for both parties.

However, in terms of our snow day, Cash was still very much with us. He tackled the snow the same way he tackled the rocky trail a couple of days before: bounding about - up, down, up, down - like a dolphin leaping through rolling ocean waves. Fangs were bared in pure joy and ears defied gravity, extending up like giant bat wings. Cash epitomized the word frolic that morning. We even tried to stage a race across the front lawn to recreate our awesome bridge pictures from our hike. It didn't even remotely work. Cash took off to the side and the kids discovered that trying to run through snow the height of your knees was quite the challenge. See the tongues hanging out all over the place in concentration? (I'm not talking about the dog, here).

And then there were the blossoms. The beautiful, new blossoms on the neighbor's apricot tree that had birthed just the day before this late winter storm opened up and smothered them with an icy, coruscating shroud. I don't know if they made it or not. I'll have to ask my dad. But the pictures of these snow-laden blossoms strike me as simultaneously stunning and tragic. As you can see, I may have gotten a little carried away, bending and twisting under the apricot tree. I just couldn't pass up the layers of contrast: the blossoms representing new life, spring; the vengeful, malignant, stifling snow; and the brilliant expanse of blue heavens, unfurled like a standard of hope and a promise of light and warmth, a big brother to referee the pitiful struggle for life below.

Snow in Utah: The Oregonian Transplants Starve

2011-04-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

Ari and Jude got all bundled up like marshmallows and made it out only to last about three minutes before the crying started. I don't think they had eaten breakfast yet, so they weren't too happy about being shooed outside with the rest of us. Check out Jude's face in the following pictures. You just don't know the definition of stubborn until you've met this character. He absolutely refuses to be coaxed to do . . . well . . . anything really. His actions have to be on his terms and his terms only. I have this thing I do with my camera. It's a really brilliant thing, if I do say so myself (pat, pat, pat). I tell whatever kid I'm photographing that if they look really closely into my camera and smile, Lightening McQueen (or Cinderella, if it's a girl) will wink at them. Then, when the shutter closes, I get all excited and say, "Did you see it?! Did you see him (her) wink at you?! No? Well, let's try again, then. Look a little closer this time. Smile a little bigger." It works pretty well most of the time. Just look at the two successive pictures of Ari stone faced and then grinning from ear to ear. Jude, however, never cracked a smile. Not even a fraction of a smile. He has the most smoldering smolder I've ever beheld. No, scratch that, he doesn't stare fire, he stares daggers. Blue steel. Doesn't he just look like a children's clothing model in these pictures?! It would never work out, though, since his 'look' screams, "buy my clothes or I'll hunt you down and make you wish you'd never seen this magazine." Boy, I have a lot of respect for my sister and her husband, they have to be really, really creative people to navigate this child through life. Jude is a crack up and I love him all the more for his strong personality.

*Notice the pile of crepes in front of a very content Ari? Food is key. Food = smiles. :D

Snow in Utah: The San Diegans (and Arab) Freeze

2011-04-27T10:11:00.000-07:00

As much as I don't like the snow, I'm glad it snowed. Buddha always talks about snow and how much he enjoys playing in it. And he really does. He delights in it . . . even when he isn't dressed properly for it . . . like just about every time we encounter snow (including this one). Disregarding everyone's warnings to the contrary, Bugga started out his romp through the heavy powder without gloves. That didn't last long. He came to me with numb fingers, thoroughly terrified that they were going to fall off (because I may or may not have exercised the parental right of inspiring obedience through recitation of tales of woe and horror that befall those who fail to obey). I huffed some warm air on them and rubbed them quickly between my hands and then we bundled them all up in some of grandpa's HUGE gloves. He was rather put out that he couldn't insert each finger into it's own slot since his tiny hand really only filled up the palm of the glove. Pipilo watched the action from inside the house, behind the windows, safely and warmly enveloped in grandpa's able arms. Unkey Dino decided to multi-task. He's not a fan of frigid weather (really, who is?), so he used his precious few minutes outside to dig out the cars while the kids played around him.

Snow in Utah, 2:29 AM: The Discovery

2011-04-26T17:00:00.000-07:00

I woke up in the middle of the night and could literally smell the snow in the air coming through our cracked-open window (four bodies in one guest bedroom = stuffy). Anyway, I couldn't go back to sleep so I grabbed my camera and tried to sneak out the creaky front door and slip through the heavy storm door. I don't think I was too successful, but no one emerged from their bedrooms, so I'll just go out on a limb and declare my foray a victory.

In the quiet of the bathroom

2011-04-25T22:48:00.000-07:00

After a long day hiking through Provo's Rock Canyon, our bedtime routine was, to say the very least, a bit hasty. I was trying to get Buddha to hustle with changing into his jammies in the bathroom, but he seemed to be dilly-dallying more than usual. Finally, I rapped my knuckles on the door in exasperation and commanded him out in that daunting mother-knows-best tone we tend to reserve for the most dire of circumstances. Mid rap, he flung open the door and stood there in his jammies with a silly grin on his face, dirty clothes AWOL. He stepped out backwards and proceeded down the hallway in the same manner, never taking his eyes off my back as I advanced into his recently vacated position and scanned the bathroom with trepidation. To my surprise and delight, there in the corner, draped over my mother's mosaic decor, was the reason for Buddha's lagging in the commode. He had been "arranging" his clothes; taking creative license, so to speak. I love this kid somethin' fierce, I tell ya.

Click it. Just do it.

2011-04-25T22:26:00.000-07:00

Click here to see the most precious picture ever.

Rock Canyon Hike, Part 2: The Rest

2011-04-25T21:30:00.000-07:00

So here's how the rest of our canyon hike/excursion played out. Pipilo didn't really like being in the backpack carrier, but he'd pipe down as long as Unkey Dino kept a move on. He also provided Daniel's neck with a steadily streaming spit shower as he raspberried his way up the mountain. The older boys were wild and free, wielding sticks and making up games as they went. Buddha boy wanted to always be at the front, blazing the trail for the rest of us. He and Cash bounded along happily together. My Buggster tuckered out easily and would fall behind with limbs drooping, calling for someone to help him up the trail. As you'll see in the pictures, he found that willing savior in Uncle Daniel, who towed him along via stick. Bugga also got in some rock throwing and was able to practice his (obviously) non-existent whistling skills. Jude either shuffled slowly or, if encouraged to pick up the pace, really slowly (the little stinker). He meandered contentedly, sucking his two middle fingers and soothing himself by rubbing his ear. Eventually, he hitched a ride on his dad's shoulders. Bronson was an amiable, young chap; he just allowed himself to be carried along quietly by the wild current that is our family. And then there was Ari. Dear Ari. I love this kid. He hooked up the dog's leash to his ankle and pretended that he was being followed by a snake throughout the entire hike. We had our work cut out for us making sure that none of the other kids walked behind him, thus increasing his risk of being tripped up and face-planted. At times, when the adults' attention had wandered, Ari would screech about so-and-so following too close to his snake, instigating a strident see-saw of "No I wasn't!" and "Yes you were!" Ari and his antics kept a wide grin pasted to my face throughout our adventure. He is a very funny, very smart, very creative kid.

P.S. I'll let the "fatal gases" photo explain itself. Oh yeah. I've got you hooked now, eh?!