Too Much TV: AR, AI, and BL (and my weight report!)

Amazing Race:

GO COWBOYS!

My favorite quote of the night was when what's-his-name (the cowboy) said: "Whining and complaining wasn't going to get my puzzle done." We seriously need some more kind-hearted, hard-working, positive, ethical, and mature people in this world. I hope these cowboys win! They are simply wonderful. And my fondness of them may or may not have to do with the fact that I'm from southern Idaho. And dated cowboys back in the day. Maybe.

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American Idol:

Shania Twain is awesome. I loved this night because I think the contestants did really well. Okay, sort of. I mean, Crystal didn't have the best night (which was a shame, because that was one of my favorite Shania Twain songs, ever), but at least she kind of knew it. Siobhan, though? Egads, batman! I thought the judges were going to rip her apart for being so completely contradictory and weird. But they didn't. Here was my thought process as I listened to her: "Why does she start out so quiet and low? It's like she's trying to breathe the song. Holy cow, she can't sing and walk at the same time --at least sing in tune and walk at the same time. How is this happening? Holy crap, what is up with the big notes at the end? Give us something at the beginning. Don't save all of it for one big note at the end. A little melodramatic, girl. Why couldn't you have made the ENTIRE song fun, instead of saving it for the last ten seconds? I don't get it." Which is sad. Because I used to like her a lot.

My favorite of the night: Casey, hands down.

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The Biggest Loser:

I don't have a picture because I forgot to get the camera from the basement. Which would have taken me at least 30 seconds to get!

Anyway, I still weighed myself, and it wasn't pretty. I've gained 1 1/2 pounds. Eek! But I know why: New York City. Curse you, Magnolia's and beautiful French Food!

Thoughts on the Show:

The Texas 5K thing took me back to when I ran my very first 5K. It was incredible! I still remember thinking how crazy it was that I could run that far without stopping. And when Darius ran his in 21 minutes, I thought, "Dang! My best time is 31 minutes!" But I haven't been running in a long time. I don't know if I could go out and even do 1/2 a mile at this point. But that's okay! It'll just have to be the next goal.

Btw, I cannot wait for make-over week next week! It's my favorite, by far. I adore before-and-afters. But only if the after is better than the before. Of course.

Thoughts on Weight loss:

I'm so close to my goal, and yet my body doesn't look like it. This is because my exercise efforts are not what they should be. I remember, when I first lost 40 pounds, and was doing intense weight-training twice a week, I lost a whole dress size in a month, but only lost 3 pounds. How could I lose an entire size, but only 3 pounds? Easy --lean muscles. See, I know this, and yet I'm slacking on the intensity.

The irony is that women need weight-training more than men. We need lean, hard muscles because they help protect our bones from developing osteoporosis. We ESPECIALLY need it in our 30's and 40's. Crazy, eh? So if you haven't already thrown weight-training into your exercise regimen, do it!

How did you do?

Start Spreadin' the News...

Things I learned in Connecticut and NYC:

1. Although there are unique qualities to each, every big city is pretty much the same. Especially if the big city is near a body of water. London, San Francisco, Seattle...and now NYC seem --to me --to be so similar that I had to stop myself from calling things by the wrong name. It's the subway, not the tube. It's the Hudson, not the Bay. Even Chelsea Market reminded me of Pike's Place (which is much bigger and better) and the Ferry Farmer's Market in San Francisco. Walking through Brooklyn reminded me of London.

2. Connecticut is gorgeous. Gorgeous! Of course, a lot of rich people live there, so there are a lot of estates and yards and maid's quarters... What I found the most interesting was that the green color was different than our green color. What I mean, is that the trees were almost a lime color --whereas our green here seems darker. Weird, eh?

3. If you want amazing food, choose and Indian restaurant (run by and Indian family) or a French restaurant (run by a French family). We found both, and we were not disappointed!

4. The diversity in NYC is fabulous!

5. Subway closures cause confusion. And lots of walking to other stations.

6. Old New England homes with wood floors and large staircases are charming, and I love 'em.

7. The Chocolate Bar in Brooklyn is divine!

8. All husbands rise to the occasion when needed.

9. New Yorkers are some pretty super-nice people --especially when you are traveling with an adorable baby.

10. Good friends make life joyful!

Funny things that happened in Connecticut and NYC:

1. Hearing Mariachi music in an Italian restaurant.

2. Lady with a baby pushing me aside for a seat because she had a baby. So did I, lady!

3. MW's 3-year-old boy repeating everything I said.

4. Sitting down to a restaurant in Chelsea Market, looking at the menu, and then doing the skedaddle.

5. Seeing the Statue of Liberty from such a far distance, taking pictures of it, squinting to see it, laughing about it, and then, turning around, seeing the Empire State Building right in front of us.

Pictures to come later!

I Became A Mother Nine Years Ago Today

That's right! My eldest child is now nine. Nine-years-old. Niner. How did this happen? Sometimes I look at her and think, "where did you come from?" I mean this is how she looks now:

But this is how she looked about 6 years ago:

And this is how she looked when she was 6 days old (yep! I graduated from BYU 6 days after she was born!):

I seriously can't imagine my life without her.

I love you, #1! Thank you for letting me make so many mistakes with you, for forgiving me so easily, and for being my hero. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

The Biggest Loser and Other Stuff

Only 10.9 pounds to go! My goal is 172. For a person of my height and age and blah, blah, blah, I'm supposed to be under 172; basically, it's the top of the BMI. But I'm okay with that! When I am 172, I feel amazing. In fact, just being under 175 is good for me and my body type, so that means I'm close! Sooooo close!

Anywhosers, I lost 1.8 pounds over the last 2 weeks. How did you do?

Thoughts about the show:

I love Sam and Koli. But I was thrilled with Koli for two reasons. A) He worked off all those extra calories and lost 10 pounds! B) He voted off Victoria. I have nothing against Victoria, but I really want to see Ashley succeed. Something about her has me rooting for her.

I was also impressed with Sunshine's dad (what is his name again??) and I really felt bad for him at losing his brother. So sad!

I like Michael. A lot. He's so funny!

Thoughts about weight loss:

Diets don't work, my friends. You know this, I know this, and yet we still try to diet. Why doesn't it work? Because it doesn't last. We starve our bodies of nutrients it needs, and then give it fat-free-processed stuff our bodies REALLY don't need. When we're done losing the weight, then we go back to eating what we used to eat (high-fat-processed-stuff) and we gain the weight back (unless it's pregnancy weight --but that's an entirely different thing). Best way to lose weight and keep it off? Here are some awesome suggestions:

1. Drink water.

2. Eat whole grains, low-fat dairy (only fat-free if it has whole ingredients!), fruits, veggies, beans, nuts, and seeds.

3. Exercise each day. Deep cleaning the house can count! (not just doing the dishes. Sorry.)

4. Get enough sleep.

5. Eat until you're full, but not until you are stuffed.

6. If it's not in the house, it won't go in your mouth. Stop buying junk!

7. If you want a dessert or treat, have one. Don't deprive yourself, and don't binge. Think of it as a happy medium. One slice of cake will NOT kill you. The whole thing? Yes. None of it will still kill you because if you're like me, you'll have some kind of emotional day, break down, and eat the WHOLE cake. Not good, people! Not good.

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OTHER STUFF:

I know I haven't posted about American Idol in weeks. I'm just not into it this year and I don't know why. Crystal is good. Siobhan is losing me fast. Tim has a beautiful voice, if only he could pick better songs! Big Mike annoys the crap out of me. Casey sounds just like Huey Lewis! I was sad Katie was voted off last week. Lee is good, but sounds just like David Cook. He's still good, though. Aaron also annoys me a lot. So, see? I guess the only one I see winning is Crystal, and it won't matter if she wins, because she'll rock the world anyway. I would laugh if Tim won, though. Won't happen, but it would be funny!

Did anybody see the first part of Wuthering Heights on PBS Saturday night? (I believe it was a re-run. How I missed last year is beyond me! I'm so glad I've now set the DVR to record every Masterpiece Classic episode now). Holy cow! It's dark... and morbid... and sinful... and exactly how the book is! I liked it.

I'm going away tomorrow for the weekend. I'm leaving on a jet plane! #5 and I are headed East to see my amazing friend MW. My neighbor-buddy (because that's what she is!) is coming with me. We both love MW and miss her terribly, so we're goin' to see her! Huzzah! I'll be back Sunday night, so I'm sure I'll blog next week.

Why I Don't Check My Email On Days Like This

YESTERDAY

Between 7AM and 8:15AM:

Sorted laundry, started laundry, fed the cat, fed the baby, fed the kids, got kids off to school.

Between 8:15AM and 9:30AM:

Got baby and #4 dressed, agreed to babysit some cousins, showered, dressed, changed laundry, did dishes, started grinding red wheat.

Between 9:30AM and Noon:

Ground the wheat, babysat some cousins, cleaned up three spilled drinks, made avocado salad dressing (from scratch, baby!), cleaned up snack mess, changed laundry, marked recipes for future use, kissed ouchies, fed baby, welcomed #3 home from Kindergarten, set up hair appointment, visiting teaching appointment, and babysitters for today.

Between Noon and 2:30PM:

Said good-bye to cousins, fed the boys lunch (cheese on whole wheat pitas), fed myself (leftover homemade crock pot chilli), nursed the baby briefly, changed the laundry, left bread to rise and went to Distribution to buy more garments, the post office to deliver packages, the gas station to get gas (go figure), and Target to get presents for #1 who will be NINE YEARS OLD TOMORROW!!, dealt with a crazy, crazy meltdown by #4 in Target, tried not to lose my temper, got all the kids home safely and without yelling.

Between 2:30PM and 5:30PM:

Settled the meltdown child down, changed laundry, baked bread, welcomed girls home from school, got my HUGE package of new clothes in the mail (HUZZAH!), had a surprise visit from our friends, nursed baby briefly, went visiting teaching, supervised homework, started making dinner.

Between 5:30PM and 9PM:

Made dinner (make-your-own chicken salads and fresh bread!), fed the family, supervised chores, changed laundry, had FHE, made smoothies for FHE snack (frozen mixed berries, honey, vanilla yogurt, milk, and ground flax seed), did dishes, got kids ready for bed, read scriptures, prayers, kids to bed.

Between 9PM and 10:30PM:

Tried on all my new clothes (HUZZAH!), changed laundry, reconciled receipts on Mint.com, made Brandon keep putting the kids back to bed (darn that 3-year-old!), nursed baby, finished laundry (none of it is folded, though!), went to bed.

And that's only the stuff I can remember doing. I know there was more...

What did you do yesterday?

My heart is literally breaking.

A friend of mine, in her early 40's, after years of miscarriages and treatments, finally pregnant with their beautiful son, at 37 weeks, delivered him stillborn this week.

The umbilical cord was too short. When he descended in the natural preparation for delivery, it detached from the placenta. That was it. He was perfect and healthy in every way, and yet tragically was taken before he had even breathed...

For me, I find solace in my Faith and my God. For my friends, who are not religious, I cannot imagine their grief.

Please pray that they will feel peace.

Why Do You Clean Your House?

Yesterday morning, #4, #5, and I went to a ward member's duplex to help clean. They have moved out, and they really wanted their deposit back. They have one small child and are expecting another one next week --so their place wasn't too big (one floor, three bedrooms), nor was it too dirty (I've seen dirty, and trust me, this wasn't it...). Still, the cute pregnant woman was mortified that we were seeing her dirty house. Her uncleaned fridge. Her uncleaned stove. The dusty blinds and the dusty vents. She was so embarrassed. I reminded her that we were there to clean, so thank goodness there was something to clean!

I thought about what she had said as I was scrubbing down a bathroom and the top of the gas stove. I thought about her reaction, my reaction, and the reactions of the ladies around me as I scrubbed the walls. I wondered about the fine line between being realistic and being respectable as #4 ran up and down the hallway.

It's the same old adage, isn't it? We complain that we don't have time to clean, or we don't take the time to clean, or we do it and begrudge it. We agonize over visitors and die internally when we think they will have to use less-than-bleached-perfect toilets. Then we fall over ourselves apologizing when our house is a mess, or if the dishes aren't done, or if there are left-over apple cores and sandwiches behind the couch. However, if we realize we're too good for apologies, we make a joke out of it. "Welcome to the chaos!" is my favorite. I've also used "Please ignore our wallowing in filth" or "It's my day off."

I know we're supposed to be all "it doesn't matter what my house looks like because what matters is if I'm doing the things that matter like feeding and clothing the children," but it doesn't always work that way. I think a lot of us still --whether we admit it or not --cringe with embarrassment when our house is less than stellar. Or at least less than our own standards of clean (and trust you me, there are a lot of standards out there. Which is okay by me!). Where does this guilt come from? Religion? Our mothers? Society? Personally, for me, I think the desire to have a clean and organized home comes from a much bigger place: My health.

That may sound kind of dumb, but stay with me. It has taken me years to come to this conclusion (which may or may not be correct; the jury's still out), but as I was cleaning my friend's house, I realized a few things about my cleaning habits:

1. When my house is clean and organized, my stress level is way low. Waaaaaaay low. Like practically non-existent. I breathe better. I relax more. I smile more.

2. Cleanliness is next to Godliness. Absolutely. A sweet-smelling, comfortable, clean home invites the Spirit more easily than a cesspool of poop and vomit. Go figure.

3. Cleaning my home gives me a sense of purpose. One that I hated for years because cleaning a house somehow meant I was a suppressed housewife and the world told me I needed to have something "better" and "more validating" and "more important than taking care of my home and family because where would that get me??" But finally, I have embraced it! I love doing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen before bed now, something I have rebelled against forever. I love teaching the kids how to clean up. I enjoy it when we actually work together without fighting to get something (like cleaning the playroom) done --which is rare, of course. Not the cleaning --the doing it without fighting. I love that cleaning the house (once again, to me) proves that I actually like my family. And I want to take care of them and show my love to them.

4. Although my cleaning skills have improved over the last decade, I truly believe it has been my desire that has improved the most. I think I was rebelling against my parents for always making us clean the house (our house was pretty dang clean growing up) or something. But as my desire for a clean house has improved, the house has gotten a little bit cleaner. Go figure.

5. Clean bathrooms, clean clothes, clean bedsheets, and clean kitchens are safer. Less germs. Less bacteria. And again --less stress.

All of that equals health. Emotional, mental, and --most definitely --physical.

I think that's why I apologize to my friends and family when they see my messy house. See, I may preach that clean houses are the bomb, and I don't think any of us will disagree with that, but I am realistic. I have five small children, for pete's sake! There is going to be dirt and fingerprints and bugs and messy diapers. I mean, we may not agree that we all need a white-glove test (I wouldn't), but still, having a clean and orderly home is a good thing. A nice thing. A gift, really, to our children and our friends and ourselves. So, I apologize because I know it could be better. I make jokes because in reality, I don't care what THEY think of my house, I care what I think. And what I think really matters the most, because I'm the Queen of my Castle. And I want it fairly clean.

So the next time you come to my house, and if it's not perfect, and I apologize, you can know it's because I'm trying to be all healthier and what-not. Not because I somehow believe I should be just as good as you or Sister fancy-pants or my mother (whom I love) --but because I like me some clean. It's good for me. Clean is pretty awesome. And I want my home to reflect that --at least a little bit!

Why do you clean your house? Or why do you NOT clean your house?

The Biggest Loser: Freebie Week

That's right! It's Freebie Week. That means you don't have to report your weight. I could say it is due to the fact that I'm being all nice, but it's actually due to the fact that I didn't remember to weigh in last night (I had Book Club) and therefore, I have no weight to report. Well, I did weigh in this morning, but it's not the same because I don't weigh myself in the morning when I'm all skinny from not eating all night. I weigh myself around 9PM on Tuesday nights. Which, for me, is a better gauge in how I am doing, because it's at the end of the day, rather than at the beginning. I also weigh in wearing the same clothes each week (my workout pants and t-shirt).

Anyway.

So, we'll pick it up next week! Unless you had a fabulous week. Then, by all means, report! We (meaning me, since only four of us are reporting anymore) could use a positive boost.

Thoughts on the show:

*I love Danny C.

*I was shocked Sam lost nothing. Until I remembered he'd lost a bazillion pounds the week before.

*I think Sunshine and her dad are a little too sentimental for my taste. I get it. But then I don't.

*I love how Jillian beats the truth out of everyone. The truth shall set you free!!

Thoughts on weight loss:

*Eating healthier is getting easier. I just have to remember that although the food is healthier, I still need to watch portions. Portion control is important!

*I've noticed a good change in my body --because I'm working out again, my muscles are gettin' nice and lean. This means clothing is getting bigger! Huzzah!

And you?

Hey, Hey! I Finally Blogged About Emma!

What we did over the weekend:

*Went to see Isaac practice with the BYU football team.

*Had dinner at Outback Steak House (meh) and then attended the BYU Alumni Association Traditions Ball. It was so fun! Dancing, entertainment, food, black-tie dress...

*Enjoyed a visit from Kara --my old high school buddy.

*Mopped the floor. Trust me, this one was huge.

What we did over Spring Break:

*Played

*Went to Thanksgiving Point to use our new family pass! Anybody else have one? Let's meet there sometime!

*Lots of shopping for food storage.

*Cleaned the oven (again, this was another huge one)

Doing this week:

*Taxes

*Baking Bread

*Hoeing garden/soil prep.

*Cleaning laundry room (huge! Huge!)

*Visiting Teaching

What I want to do:

*Read the sequel to The Hunger Games

*Buy an estate not quite unlike the one portrayed as Hartfield in the PBS 2010 version of Emma.

*Blog about ten gazillion things

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Speaking of Emma, I was surprised with myself that A. I had not watched Emma on time and B. I have not blogged about it. If you remember last year (two years ago??), I did us all a great service and lent my Jane Austen snobbery to the critiquing of the PBS Jane Austen movies. I shall now do it again.

In short, this version of Emma rocked! I have seen it about 5 times now, and I have to say that it was very well done. My only frustrations:

1. Jane Fairfax came off as pretty whiny and impatient. She wasn't like that in the book --Jane was tired, yes, but in secret. She was reserved and dealt with her pain more privately. I didn't like this version of Jane. It was okay...but not my favorite. My favorite Jane portrayal was done by Olivia Williams in the Kate Beckinsale version. But then again --Olivia Williams is a genius!

I guess that was it. I thought there was another thing I didn't like, but I can't think of it! I loved the rest of it, but a few things jumped out at me:

1. Miss Bates was fantastic. Unlike other portrayals, you could actually see her fear as she tattled on. I think this is the biggest mistake in other movies --they show her as just a ridiculous talker. In reality, she feels the huge weight of responsibility not only for Jane, but for her mother as well. Her way to deal with this fear is through talking about nothing. This performance was brilliant.

2. Emma and Mr. Knightley's friendship.

3. Hartfield. I want to move there. Yesterday.

4. Harriett Smith's idiocy.

5. Mr. Woodhouse!

6. The kiss... sigh...

It was just great. If you haven't seen it, yet, please do! It's fantastic.

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Amazing Race:

I am so glad the Carol and Brandy (sp) are gone. At first, when the other teams were bad-mouthing them and chose to U-turn them I thought, "What is their problem? Are they just bigots?" and then after they were U-turned, and the girls started freaking out about it I was shocked. So shocked! The rude, awful things they said about Caite (sp) was awful! I couldn't believe it! So I was THRILLED that they came in last and were eliminated. Thrilled.

And go Cowboys!

We know the truth, not only by the reason, but also by the heart.

~Blaise Pascal (1632-1662)

We Are Quirky

#5 (cute baby):

He likes to grind his teeth. All five of 'em! His sixth one isn't in, yet --and it's his right front tooth. I thought it was supposed to come in before his eye teeth, but it didn't. I hope he has one! A right front tooth, that is.

#4 (looks-just-like-his-dad):

He starts every sentence with "Me" instead of "I." Example: "Me want some milk." Another example: "Me is really mad at you!" He also has continued to stick with the imaginary friend. His name is Caden. Or Kaden. And he lives in Mexico, or Texas, or Arizona. It changes daily. But apparently, Caden can do everything! And always agrees with #4. Of course.

#3 (gorgeous-boy-will-cause-craziness-amongst-the-women-folk-one-day):

He has decided that everything can be fixed by taking it apart, cleaning it, and adding new batteries. EVERYTHING. Even if they don't take batteries. Okay, well, maybe not. But he has decided that everything should take batteries. Then they would work better.

#2 (wishes-life-was-literally-a-performance):

She often sings. Often. In the shower, going to the bathroom, outside in the yard, in the car, at dinner, in her brother's ear. The ironic part is that she is completely tone-deaf --but I don't have the heart to tell her quite yet! She is, after all, only seven. I'll get her in voice lessons one day. For now, I just try to see it as adorable. Which it is.

#1 (growing-way-too-fast-for-my-taste):

She struggles with the grown-up thing. This, I believe, is a common crisis amongst first-born children. She wants to do big things like cook, change diapers, do dishes (I know, this is totally weird) --but then she acts like she's three when she wants something. Or doesn't like it when the little boys get something she didn't get. This is normal, right? I figured it was normal...

Brandon:

He loves steak, but hates steak-sauce. He'll take out nasty garbage and change diapers but refuses to clean a toilet. He irons all his clothes and makes our bed every morning. For more than a decade he wore the wrong size of shoe because he thought the tightness was normal due to his wide feet. His cooking abilities are amazing. He has to have noise in his ear in order to sleep at night (earphones with TV or radio).

Me:

All my quirkiness lies within my blog. Read at your leisure.

I Love Sweet Potatoes, Too

American Idol:

I was surprised they gave Big Mike their vote to stay. Really surprised. I think they should have saved it for someone who could really win --like Crystal. Not that she'll EVER get voted off, of course...

David Archuleta was the only performer I've enjoyed in WEEKS on the vote-off-show-thingy. Once again I ask myself, is this due to my maturity? Age? Stick-in-the-mud-ness? Or is it because American Idol keeps letting trashy dancers and music on the stage even though it's supposedly a "family" show? I can't even let my kids watch anymore. It's so sad.

Btw, I was very impressed with Katie this week. Crystal, of course, was my favorite. Tim also made me very happy. That kid is cute! But all in all, I'm starting to like every single one of them. Which is odd. For me. Maybe?

What did you think?

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Amazing Race

Is anybody watching this season? I'm loving it. Of course. I love it every season, eh? I just had to put it out there that I love, adore, and utterly support the cowboys. They are so awesome! Full of hard work, humility, and a calm sense of humor. They also have great karma, are polite and kind, and I've never seen any pair of contestants show such a level of maturity before. I was over-the-moon that they went from last to first!! Fabulous.

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Things I've done this week that I think are pretty incredible:

*Cleaned off my computer desk

*Did laundry, and then proceeded to fold it and put it away!! (this one is actually quite miraculous)

*Finally went through the food storage and got it fairly up-to-date. Kind of. It's a start!

*Let the kids paint. With paint. REAL paint.

*Made pancakes. That were edible!

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Other Books I have read lately:

Pete and The Dog by Andrew G. Cannon: Fabulous little book that I really enjoyed! It's a fantasy, but very modern and hip --and has a hilarious sense of humor. Seriously, I laughed a lot. What's even better is my buddy Liz did the cover art for it!

Band of Sisters by Annette Lyon: I bawled my eyes out reading this. Annette has always been really good about drawing out the emotions in her readers --the characters are so believable! I really enjoyed this one, too, because my brother was deployed to Iraq for a year; it was kind of personal to me. Highly recommended!

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Is the snowing finally done? Is it? I'm not sure. It's April, yes, but it snowed all last week. We had inches --inches, people! --on Easter. But what's the saying? If April comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb. My fingers are crossed.

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Photo to make you smile:

I love sweet potatoes!

The Biggest Loser: Week...ummm...?

Hooray! I lost .9 pounds. Almost one whole pound!

Thoughts about the show:

Talk about your Karma, dude. Melissa should have realized that the show may have the "game" aspect in it, but most people are doing it to lose the weight. And friendship is way more important than money. Right? Right? Right. I was glad they voted her off. I was also THRILLED that Sam got immunity! But the best realization came at the end of the show when I realized Melissa is a lawyer. And even though she did crappy things and is not a favorite of mine (or anyone's), I was glad to see that her family and husband love her. She definitely made some big mistakes on the show, but she can't be all bad --not if she has that much love in her life.

Thoughts about weight loss:

Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred is KILLING me! And I love it. I did it Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Monday, and yesterday. And I shall do it tomorrow...and the next day...but not everyday. Because my muscles need to rest!

I bought some wheat! And a wheat grinder! No more white flour for us, thank you very much. I also bought Quinoa! I have no idea how to use it, but I will learn! Recent discoveries that have made me happy, happy, happy:

*Raw Sugar

*Cereal is expensive. It's actually cheaper to make my kids breakfast in the morning. Lately we've been having pancakes, or eggs, or berry smoothies, or toast, or....that's about it. I haven't come up with anything else. This is HUGE for me. I have always been a very big fan of the breakfast cereal. In fact, breakfast cereal has always been a part of my life because I have two working parents. I'm not against cereal! I love it. Love it. Still love it. The only reason I made this change was because I realized the cereal I was letting my kids eat was AWFUL. So, I started buying good cereal for them to eat. Which automatically equated expense. Thus the change.

*Berries in salads constitutes goodness. Here is a salad recipe I usually eat:

• Diced Tomatoes
• Spinach
• Romaine (or green leaf lettuce. or red leaf. Or whatever lettuce you want)
• Sprouts (alfalfa is good)
• Avocado (unseasoned --just cut it up and throw it in!)
• Shredded carrot
• White onion (just a little)
• Chopped Green onions
• Broccoli florets (optional: I don't use this as often)
• Fresh Blackberries
• No dressing! If you have rinsed your veggies, the tomatoes, blackberries, and avocado will give you enough moisture that you won't need any. It's heavenly!

*I made homemade chilli yesterday using real tomatoes. It was AMAZING. If you want the recipe, let me know.

Okay, so how did you do? How goes the exercise? The weight loss? The eating?

General Conference April 2010. I Liked It. No, I Loved It!

General Conference never disappoints me. And this weekend was one of the best ever!

*I made cinnamon rolls (tradition), but instead of doing Rhodes (my usual desire), I made these. And they were wonderful! The website I got them from, incidentally, has become one of my favorite websites.

*My brother (Jared) and his wife (Bekah) were here! For three whole days!!

*We had visits from Isaac and Jessica (of course), Bruce (missed you, Aldana!), and some cousins.

*I got a sitter for the Priesthood session, and Bekah, Jessica, #5, and I drove to SLC to be with my sister (her #3) and my mom. SO MUCH FUN.

*We decorated eggs during the Saturday afternoon session, and the next morning the Easter Bunny had visited, bringing the kids "The Princess and the Frog", stainless steel water bottles (with their names on them), and some hidden candy eggs. And jelly beans.

*I didn't fall asleep during any of the sessions. For the first time in years. Huzzah! (Please note that falling asleep during General Conference is not something I am proud of --it's like falling asleep in the Temple. Most mothers understand this --when we can sit down for more than 10 minutes in a row (in a quiet environment), we can't help but fall asleep. It's pure nature!)

The talks that gave me goosebumps, made me cry, or made me shout for joy (that I can remember --it really is a ton of information crammed into a short period of time; my memory can fail me quite quickly without the references at hand. Luckily, the printed versions will come out soon! I can't wait!):

President Packer

Sister Beck

Elder Holland

Everyone in the Sunday afternoon session

And more.

I found that the overall theme this time around --besides focusing on Easter and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which, in my opinion, simply rocks --was on parenthood. Mothers, do what you are supposed to do because it is vital. Fathers, do what you are supposed to do because it is vital. Our roles can not be supplanted. Our jobs are infinite and priceless. Don't give up, don't give in, and don't complain.

As you know, dear reader, the last 6 months have been a tremendous time for me motherhood-growth-wise. I have learned so much about myself and my weaknesses --but also so much about my strengths. I have cut back much of my outside distractions, and recently replaced them with things of more value. I'll talk more about that in another post, but what I wanted to point out was that I think, for the first time in my life, General Conference did not give me the "man, I really should be doing this --or at least some of it! I feel so guilty, etc. etc." feeling (which, ironically, I actually like. I love me a good chastisement!). This time around, through the whispering words of the Spirit, I left General Conference with the "you have already made changes and choices that are correct --you are going the right way. Keep going. Keep trying. You're doing it!" feeling. Don't get me wrong --it's not a "I'm so perfect I have no room for change" (that's just stupid), but it's nice to finally feel (in what, a decade?) that I'm truly, sincerely, and absolutely on the right track.

It's remarkable!

So, how did you like General Conference? What were some of your favorite memories? Did you spend most of Sunday morning telling your kids to sit down and be quiet and color in their packets and eat their Easter candy in peace?

Gardening!

Okay, dear reader. Lay it on me. I want all of your tips for planting flower seeds and warm-season vegetable plants! And trees. Have any of you planted a fruit tree? What kind?

Also, give me your compost ideas --how you start, what you can put in it, etc.

I'm really nervous about this garden I'm about to start. I'm not sure how/where to start, even though I've been researching like crazy. I guess I'm just afraid of failure, and who wants failure? I'm willing to fail, if it means good progress, though. I want my yard to look like this:

Instead of like this:



I have a feeling it will be somewhere in between the two...