Easter

We normally have church at 9 am, which has been a particular challenge this year.  But for Easter we had Stake Conference and didn't need to be to church until 10 am.  It was nice to have a little extra time in the morning for the kids to enjoy their Easter surprises and find the eggs we hid.

 On your mark, get set, go...

Ryan and I had fun hiding treat filled eggs all over the house this year.  We thought we found some pretty good hiding spots but alas, the kids found all the eggs in about fifteen minutes.  Man they're good.

They enjoyed twisted cinnamon rolls and a few hard boiled eggs for breakfast.

Eden and Cameron wanted to make sure I got a picture of all their fun stuff.

For dinner we went to Ryan's parents house and enjoyed good food and good company.

Coloring Eggs

The kids colored about 36 eggs this year so we could bring deviled eggs to Grandma and Grandpa's house on Sunday.

Tuesday Tidbit #5

Change Your Furnace Filter

I'm embarrassed to admit that I never knew this until I owned my own home but I've learned that it's an important part of home and personal health.  In my home both the furnace and the air conditioner run air through the filter. A dirty filter causes your furnace to run inefficiently because it has to work harder to pull air through the intake.  If the furnace or air conditioner have difficulty pulling in air they will use more energy, wasting money, and will eventually be damaged. A dirty filter can also trap pollutants in your home.  An effective filter can remove pollen, bacteria, and mold spores from the air.  It is recommended to change your filter every three months and every two months if you have pets or live in an area of greater pollution.

I haven't come up with a great system for remembering when to change my filter.  I just mark the day on my calendar and then mark the next day, three months later, when it should be changed again.  If it seems like my allergies are particularly bad or we're all getting colds too often then I will change it before the three month reminder and mark another three months on my calendar.

If you have a great system for remembering when to change your filter let me know.

You Might Have To Read This One Outloud

The other day while I was changing Evelyn's messy diaper I asked Austin to go get me a new onesie.

He tilted his head to the side and with a questioning look in his eyes grabbed the back of his pants and while yanking up he said, "you mean this?"

It took me a second or two to understand what he was doing then I said, "Not a 'wedgie' a 'onesie'."

He looked so relieved when I pointed to the little undershirt Evelyn was wearing and explained where he could find one in her room.  Later when I asked him where he learned about wedgie's he said, "you know, that show."  Well, that cleared it up for me.

Lawn Boys

Sorry

I would like to apologize if my last post offended or upset anyone.  I'm afraid I came across too emotional about an issue that feels overwhelming to me.  I didn't mean to accuse that man of being overweight because of personal choice and neglect but feel frustrated about the way so many of us were raised without the knowledge about how what we eat can affect us.  And I'm not blaming anyone's parents either.  I'm blaming a food industry that is out to make money as quickly, cheaply and easily as possible without any care for the individual.  And as a result we have several generations of people that are unaware that a lot of what we eat has no nutritional value.  It's personally frustrating because I can't figure out what's right either but I'm trying.  There's always a new diet, a new weight loss product, new information about what's good for you and what's bad for you.  It's time consuming and expensive to try to eat healthy and I realize that disqualifies many people from even beginning the journey to try to change their lifestyle.

A lot of what I've learned has come from a sudden allergy to flour eight years ago which has turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  As I delved into the health food world I began to learn things that made me feel better than I've felt most of my life.  And the better I feel the more I want to learn and adapt changes in my life and my children's life.  I want to be supported in these changes and I want to support and encourage others who are also experimenting with things they are learning, like trying to give up caffeine or eating more vegetables.  It feels like a walk against a tidal wave when you go to the store and there is aisle after aisle of things that look  tasty, quick, cheap and satisfying.  I'm constantly having to tell myself "just don't buy it."  And when I go to the health food store I'm discouraged by how expensive my choices are.

I apologize for putting my emotions on paper so to speak and if that hurt anyone who is also trying to figure out what's best for them and their family in this world of confusion.  I certainly didn't intend to accuse anyone of not doing good enough or not trying.  I really just want us to keep learning and share what we learn and support each other for every effort we make to live a lifestyle that isn't supported by the world we live in.

A Bare Naked Challenge

I ran into the doctor's office the other day to pick something up and while I was waiting at the counter I overheard an elderly gentleman in the waiting room address another elderly couple.

He said, "If I had known I would end up with so many problems I would have taken better care of myself when I was younger."

The other couple didn't say anything but he continued anyway saying, "I never smoked, I didn't have casual relationships with various women.  I never did drugs, I didn't even know what the word dope meant until I was fifty.  I didn't start taking prescription drugs until ten years ago.  I guess God just didn't intend for me to have it easy when I got old."

I had glanced at him once or twice while he was talking and when he finished I wanted to turn to him and shout, "You're fat.  You're not just fat, you're obese.  You can't blame God for your choices and what you've chosen to eat for the last fifty years."  I wondered if he really, truly, didn't understand why he was having medical problems.  Not that that would be very surprising.  We've grown up knowing people get diabetes and cancer and heart disease but the association between those things and our weight has been a fairly recent wake up call.  I never used to think about what I ate and whether or not it was good for me until I got older and it seemed I couldn't lose weight no matter how hard I ran or how often I went to the gym.  It all came down to diet and I've spent the last few years trying to really understand how diet affects my weight, my energy levels, and my overall health.

I almost lost it when I saw the commercial for Manwich that now advertises a variety of vegetables hidden inside so your kids won't know it's there.  What's wrong with kids knowing they are eating vegetables?  Shouldn't they know what they are eating and whether or not it's good for them so they can make good choices when they get older so they don't end up wondering like that poor man in the doctor's office what happened to make them so sick?

The same day a friend put a post on Facebook where she said she was trying to give up caffeine and it was making her irritable.  I offered words of encouragement but was surprised and disgusted later to see these comments, "Don't get too healthy, it's not good for you" and "No caffeine? No tea, chocolate, or soda? Or chocolate?  Or SODA?" 

Why is it that when someone tries to make healthy changes to their diet or lifestyle they are discouraged by their peers instead of supported?  Especially when we have so many sources practically hitting us over the head trying to tell us we're unhealthy and we desperately need to make changes or we're all going to suffer long horrible deaths.  Has anyone else watched Biggest Loser or Food Inc. or Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, or the news?

Are we really all still in denial?

I just discovered the blog wordofwisdomliving.com.  If you still aren't convinced take a look.  This guy is doing his research and I found it very enlightening.

What I believe is that our bodies are amazing, miraculous instruments that the medical field is still lightyears from fully understanding.  But God, who created us all, provided everything we need to take perfect care of this wonderful instrument. And man, in his limited wisdom, has found a myriad of ways to cut corners and save time and starve ourselves of many of the vitamins and nutrients that God provided for us.  So what I want to do is teach my children, to the best of my knowledge, how to take the best care of their amazing bodies as they can.  I want my kids to taste fresh fruits and vegetables every day.  I want them to love foods that are rich in vitamins and nutrients.  I want them to know how to make good choices about what they eat whether it's at home, at school, or at a restaurant.  But can I succeed?  You may wonder why I even ask that question but here's an example.

I went to a church activity the other night where they were spotlighting the young women in our ward and sharing interesting facts about them.  In highlighting the interests of one young woman they mentioned that her favorite snack or treat after school was a bowl of fresh vegetables.  At first everyone gasped and then they laughed.  But the young woman stood in front of us and nodded that it was true.  Despite the obvious teasing she was unafraid to admit that she loved her vegetables.  The evening went on and spotlighted the various candies and desserts that were the favorite treats of the other girls.

One more example, a personal confession.  I remember when I was a teenager my Dad went on a "health kick" and made cookies one night that had no sugar in them, no chocolate, no peanut butter, nothing tasty (in my mind).  We all frowned and told him they were disgusting and that we refused to eat that kind of stuff.  I don't remember him ever trying to make them again.

My fear is that society has us so trained about what qualifies as a treat and what is "hippie" food that we automatically reject those wonderful natural things God intended for us to eat.  And when we try to change our habits to embrace the things our bodies are starving for we are mocked, taunted, and tempted to "just have a treat tonight, you deserve it."

I have hope, though.  My oldest came home from one of his first campouts and proudly told me he was one of the only boys who had salad with his dinner.  And on a vacation, my daughter asked if she could choose a dinner from the adult menu because she was tired of all the fried foods on the kid menu.  She said she just couldn't eat it anymore.  I'm going to keep trying.  I'm going to give my kids as much healthy foods as I can and hope they continue to love them.  I'm going to keep supporting friends who are trying to make healthy lifestyle changes and family members who are experimenting with green smoothies.  Maybe if we all start supporting each other with healthier lifestyles we could actually pay less taxes towards medicare and medicade but that's another topic for another day.

Here's what I want to do today.  I want to issue a challenge.  This post may have been too long and maybe no one will read it long enough to see this challenge but I want to challenge you to open your fridge, right now, and take a picture and post it.  Put it on your blog or on facebook or somewhere and admit to yourself what kind of lifestyle you are living.  What do you eat?  

Here's my picture.  

I didn't take anything out or put anything in.  I had this sudden idea and went and took a picture.  Honestly, it feels a little revealing but I thought that could only be because there could be things in there I don't want to admit to anyone, especially myself, that I really eat.  And maybe I should start admitting to myself what I really eat and make some appropriate changes.

SO, will you do it.  Let me know if you do and if you want to make changes and if you need support and I will support you!  You can do it!

Happy Hitchhiker

I wanted to put this in the last post but had technical difficulties.  Thankfully I have a husband who is computer savvy.  I doubt this video clip needs much explanation but on the way down from Observation Point Evelyn was blowing bubbles and talking.  It had me cracking up.

Observation Point

We spent the day Thursday hanging out in St. George.  The kids played basketball and volleyball at the condo and went swimming after lunch.  Then we all got cleaned up and went to see Rango.  That was one weird movie.

Friday we were at a bit of a loss as to where to go for our last hike.  I wanted to try the Grotto hike but the Ranger said it was still full of snow and ice.  He suggested the trail to Observation Point which is up the same way so we decided to check it out and see how far we could get.  The full trail is 8 miles round trip with a 2200 feet climb.  We made it about a mile shy of the end, so probably 6 miles round trip, and a good 2000 feet up.  The trail was pretty much paved the whole way and mostly free of rocks which made for easy climbing but it was STEEP.

The trail begins at Weeping Rock.  It climbs up and then splits one way to Hidden Canyon and the other way to Observation Point and East Mesa.  After you turn to Observation Point the trail leads up over Weeping Rock and then back into this narrow canyon.  It was beautiful.

The trail comes around to this small wash.  I imagine this is usually dry or just a trickle but today it was fast flowing and 44 degrees!  We hung around for 20 minutes or so trying to decide if and how to cross.  Ryan decided to just take off his shoes and socks and ferry kids across.

This was us freezing while we tried to decide whether or not to cross the wash.

Immediately after we crossed the wash we came to a part of the trail that is in the water.  The kids bucked up and took off their own shoes and socks and tip toed through the water.  Ryan still carried Austin and Eden but at the last minute he set Austin on and log and Austin fell in, soaking his shoes and socks.  The little man was NOT happy about that.  We wrung out his socks and just had him hike barefoot in his wet shoes.  He was a total trooper!

Eden and I waded through the water too but I waited for a hand from Ryan to make sure I didn't slip and fall. Evelyn slept through the whole thing!

Then we went up and up and up and up.  This last part of the trail is marked as "strenuous" but I think the worst part was the sheer drop offs.  So many times Austin would wander near the edge and we would all scream "Austin, stay away from the edge." And he would yell back, "I know!"  It was funny, but I ended up having nightmares the next two nights about the kids getting too close to the edge.  The worst was when Eden almost walked off the edge because she was looking through the camera while trying to take a picture of a tree that was just beyond the trail.  My stomach still jumps just thinking about it.

This great view of the valley was as far as we made it up the trail.  It climbs another 150 feet and then winds around the bluff for more great views but we were pretty happy with this and ready to head back down.  I hadn't planned for such a long hike and we were running out of time and food.

I'm so glad we made it as far as we did because the view was awesome!

It was a little windy so we went back along the trail a little way so I could feed the baby.

Evelyn was happy, full, and wide awake for the walk back down the mountain.

We made it back down the trail in half the time it took us to get up.  When we came back to the wash everyone knew right what to do.

Cameron decided she didn't need Dad's help getting back across the swiftly moving water.  Without our realizing it she pulled Austin up on her back and took him across with her.  I'm so glad I didn't see that when it was happening and I'm grateful for Dallin who took pictures as proof.

This time the baby and I ran across without help.  That water was painfully cold and I just couldn't bear the thought of Ryan standing in it any longer.  We both had to stop for a few minutes to get feeling back into our feet before we continued down the trail.

One last look at the valley before we headed home.  We had a wonderful vacation and I was so impressed with the kids who hiked about 10 miles this week without complaining.

Tuesday Tidbit #4

Hiking With Kids

I love hiking and I have no problem dragging my kids along with me.  But I've learned a few things over the years about what you need to take if you are hiking with kids and I thought I'd share a list of those things here.

First of all, you need plenty of water.  Each of my kids has a water bottle.  They're all different colors so we can tell them apart and I write their names on the lids with a sharpie so when they come out of the dishwasher we can return them to the proper owner.  I recently bought Camelbak water bottles at the Good Earth.  They have marks on them for 8 oz., 16 oz., and 24 oz.  You can bring little packs of crystal light to add to the water when it's at the 16 oz. mark if you're kids aren't good water drinkers.  I prefer plain water for hiking, though, and Zion's has a few refill stations in the park.  Camelbak backpacks are nice for hiking too but I only recommend them for older children, maybe 10 and up depending on their size.  Little kids don't hike well if they have to carry something, especially water which can be heavy in the beginning.  It's important that parents remember to take plenty of water breaks and keep their kids well hydrated while hiking.

If you have a laptop backpack they tend to be slightly insulated.  Ryan has some from Novell and they're great for hiking.  I put all the water botttles in the biggest compartment and throw in some frozen ice packs to keep them cool.  In the next section I put premade sandwiches and healthy snacks such as sugar snap peas, apples with a pocket knife to slice them, cutie oranges, etc.  I also bring some kind of treat like chocolate covered almonds, goldfish, mini Nutter Butters, etc.  If your kids are tired and upset sometimes a little break and a treat will perk them up enough to get through the rest of the trail.  Also make sure you have enough food for the length of time you will be gone.  Kids aren't likely to want to walk very far on an empty stomach.  Even gum or dum dum suckers can be a quick treat to distract a fussy child.

Another important thing to bring is sun protection.  Each of my kids has a hat and light jacket (for cooler weather or unexpected rain) that packs up tightly.  Sunblock is a must.  My favorite is Coppertone Continuous Spray SPF 50.  We spray them generously before we start hiking because it's easy to forget once you're making your way along the trail.  Chapstick is also a good thing to have.  If it's windy their lips can dry out quickly and crack.

Another important thing to consider is appropriate footwear.  We've learned the hard way what happens when you're child is hiking in shoes that are too small.  I made sure this time to check that all their shoes were the right size and even a little loose in the toes.  I ended up having to buy shoes for Eden and Austin but it was money well spent.  We had no feet complaints.  It helps if the shoes are lightweight but sturdy like running shoes.  Never take your kids hiking in flip flops or sandals.

Of course you want your kids to wear loose comfortable clothing.  I love those pants that zip off at the knee.  Just make sure you have extra room in your back pack to stuff clothing and jackets when it gets too warm.

We tend to push our kids to walk far and long but even I realize those little feet can only take so much.  A backpack for carrying little ones is essential for kids up to age 4 or 5.  Austin is almost five and he was big enough to hike the whole way this week but when Eden was the same age we often had to carry her.  It depends on the child.  But if you want to go far there's nothing wrong with packing a kid on your back.  Our backpack has a sunshade and an extra pocket to store diapers and wipes.  It also has mesh pockets for sippy cups or extra water bottles.

A first-aid kit is also important to bring with you.  Some neosporin and band-aids can come in handy.  Also tweezers for splinters and baby wipes for all purpose cleaning.  Don't forget insect repellent too. If you are bringing a baby don't forget diapers and diaper rash ointment.  I also like to bring a burp cloth to wrap around clips and cords on the baby carriers.  You never know where their head will end up when they fall asleep and it's nice to have a small blanket to wrap around things that can cut or irritate their skin.

Remember to always pack out what you pack in.  That includes used toilet paper and even apple cores and orange rinds.  These things can take years to break down and can be harmful to plants and animals in the meantime.  I bring a few extra small ziploc bags or use the dirty ones from our sandwiches to put trash in.

Finally, have a plan and know where you're going.  I've learned that if we waste time at the visitor's center trying to decide what to do our kids get restless and boredom leads to misbehaving which leads to crabby parents.  Have a plan, stick to it and get going as soon as you get to the park or trailhead.

Have Fun!

Cascading Falls

We've been to Zion many times and have done all of the easy, kid friendly, trails.  So we got online to see if we could find some trails that were "off the beaten path".  There are actually a lot.  If you're interested go here to see them.  We found one called Cascading Falls that sounded relatively easy and kid friendly.  To get there you go through the Mt. Carmel tunnel and then park just before the next shorter tunnel.  There is an unmarked trail that leads down to the wash.  You can follow the wash up for about a mile or so until you get to a slot canyon.  It was probably a little more than 2 miles round trip but a 650' elevation gain so it took us a few hours.

We've had a lot of rain and snow this spring so there was still water in the wash.  This would not be a good hike if there was a flash flood or if the wash was full of running water.  But for us, on Wednesday, it was perfect.

There was a lot of climbing involved in this hike.  These are the only pictures we got but there were definitely some steeper climbs further up the trail.  It wasn't too bad for my mountain goat kids, but for the mom with the baby it was a little tricky.

Once again, Evelyn did great in the carrier.  Sometimes she was awake and sometimes she was asleep but she was always content, until I fell, which was only two or three times.  They don't call it slick rock for nothing.  And when you can't see where to put your feet when you're walking it can be even harder to manage.  Evelyn had a few unexpected awakenings but I ended up with an assortment of scratches and bruises.  Oh well, it was totally worth it.

When we stopped for lunch the kids ran around the slick rock while I fed the baby.  Slickrock is fun like that.

We finally reached the slot canyon.

We decided to call it quits when the trees were getting thick and the rocks were too high for me to climb.  There were also some thunder clouds forming overhead and we definitely didn't want to get stuck here if it rained.

Going down was trickier than going up but just as beautiful.

Side note - Ryan is an avid bird watcher.  Wherever we go he's always pointing out the birds he sees.  I think that's why his new truck has a sunroof.  So as we were heading back to St. George on Wednesday he was pointing at a bird he could see through the sunroof and asking what kind of bird I thought it was.  I turned to him and pointed out his driver side window, "I think it's one of those".  He turned just in time to see a huge turkey vulture almost crash into his window.  It turned at the last second and flew up over the car.

Emerald Pools

For Spring Break this year we took the kids to St. George.  I was dying for some warm weather and sunshine.  It turned out to be a perfect week.  

On Tuesday we headed to Zion National Park.  It's one of my favorite National Parks.  After another long pregnancy I couldn't wait to get out and do some hiking.  We may have gone a little overboard this week, though (you'll see).  At first I was a little nervous about how well Evelyn would handle being in the baby carrier so for our first day we started easy and did the Emerald Pools hike.

It's about 2.5 miles to the Upper Falls and then down to the Grotto with about a 350' elevation gain, so I thought it would be a good test run for the baby and the kids.   

Evelyn was asleep instantly.  There's nothing like fresh air and sunshine to knock a baby out.

It was about 68 degrees without a cloud in the sky.  Perfect.

When we got to the middle pools we had lunch and took the baby out for a while.  So far she didn't make a peep of complaint.  And then she went right back to sleep.  Easy peasy.

 The upper falls, and a little bit of Eden.  The mist coming off this waterfall was so refreshing.

Sometimes you just have to know what a cactus feels like.  We told the kids to satisfy their curiosity so they would be extra careful not to trip over one of these.

I was so impressed with all of the kids on this hike.  There wasn't a single complaint from anyone.  So we took the bus over to Weeping Rock.  Dallin said it took them four minutes to run up to the falls.

 It took me a little bit longer to get there.  I was slow but steady.  That became my motto for the week.

I was so grateful for this little hat I got for Evelyn.  It really kept the sun off her face.  But occasionally it fell down a little too far.  I don't think she minded since she slept most of the time.

When she was awake she was totally happy.  It was amazing.  A day in the sun with five happy kids, what more could a mother want?  Maybe to do it again...

When we got back to the condo in St. George the kids still wanted to go swimming.  Their energy seemed to have no end.  After they went to bed Ryan and I looked up hikes for the next day, just to see if we could take advantage of that energy while it lasted.