Easter

My parents got a new camp trailer and so they invited us to go camping with them for Easter. We went to the Coral Pink Sand Dunes by Kanab. We got a little more than we bargained for when our truck broke down half way there. We were on the side of a lonely little state highway for about 3 hours and finally got towed (DON'T buy a Ford!) Despite the runaroud we had so much fun! We hiked the most amazing slot canyon. The kids loved playing outside, riding the four wheelers, flying the kites the Easter Bunny brought them, dying eggs, sitting by the fire, and going on an Easter egg hunt. Mostly it was just fun to do something out of the ordinary. When the sun went down it was FREEZING but other than that it was beautiful there. There are so many gorgeous places in our great state!

From Where I Stand

I don't know that anyone cares about my opinions but myself, but that's what Blogs are for, right? So much is happening in our world! This week Obama tackled the R word. Very impressive. Super tricky subject. Incredibly well handled. You had me singing praises, Barack. So the New York Governor's office obviously doubles as the Albany Whore House after hours. Kick out the Governor for hiring prostitutes, swear in the Lt. Governor, two days later he holds a press conference to confess his sexual history. Yikes! And about Tibet...Dear China: If you are trying to make a good impression with this whole Olympic thing, the best plan might not be to kick all the reporters out of traditionally Tibetan territories while you 'crack down' (read: humanitarian crisis) on protestors. Just a hint. This week marks 5 years since the invasion of Iraq. Hillary says she'll pull out troops within 60 days of her election. That's going to be the least of our worries if she actually gets elected. Great idea Ms. Clinton. And then what? Bush says the 'surge' has reduced violence. True. But now what? All I know is that I am glad I am not being called upon to find a solution for this enormous disaster. And last...Utah is facing a huge wheat shortage. What this means is that virtually everyone has a basement full of wheat that they don't know how to use, but they hear there is going to be a wheat shortage and prices are going to skyrocket so they rush out and buy up all the wheat they can find which causes a wheat shortage and prices to skyrocket. Wadayano. It sounds hauntingly like the Yellow Fever crisis in South America. Last week people in and around Paraguay were so frantic to get vaccinated against the deadly disease that has recently shown up on the radar that they were getting two and even three vaccinnes, which did exactly what deadly diseases do - killed them. All the crazy things in this world make me even more grateful for the only thing that is truly stable: The gospel of Jesus Christ. Happy Easter.

Brian & Rachel

Jeff's brother Brian, his wife Rachel, and their adorable 19-month-old son, Davis live in Ohio. Brian is in dental school at Ohio State (go Buckeyes!) After a brutal session of finals, he just finished the semester with a 4.0. For someone like me that is a high-school chemistry drop-out, and who barely maintained an undergraduate college GPA high enough to keep my scholarship, a 4.0 in graduate school is incomprehensible. Unbelievable. Amazing. I am so proud of Brian, and of his undyingly supportive wife. I don't think anyone who has not gone through it understands the sacrifice required for an accomplishment of this magnitude. Way to go Brian. Kudos to you, Rachel. You guys are awesome.

Sparkles Rope

For Christmas this year, Santa brought Daisy a pony. He tied it to our front door and when Daisy looked out on the front porch she didn't know what to think! When we asked her what she wanted to name it, she couldn't think of anything. Then when one of her cousins suggested "Sparkles" she lit up and announced that her pony would be named Sparkles Rope. And trust me - you are not allowed to leave off the 'Rope' part. The cold weather has seemed endless for her because she can't ride her pony every day. Yesterday she rode for the first time 'by herself' which means riding without Jeff or I leading her. She reined and rode alone. She was so excited and so proud. Afterward when she curried the pony off she told her, "Thanks for the ride!" I don't think there is anything that could make her happier than being on the back of Sparkles Rope.

The Best $5 I Ever Spent

Since my 'tag' post I have been asked over and over again how I lost my weight. Jeff and I started the Fat Smash Diet by Dr. Ian Smith the last week of September. We were driving home from Cedar City one day in August and realized that we were both heavier than we had ever been before. We decided that for our health and for our children, we needed to change our habits or else we would just continue down our 'get heavier' path. Several days later I ran into a friend whom I hardly recongnized because he had lost so much weight. When I asked him what he had been doing, he told me about Fat Smash. I ordered the book used that night on Amazon for $5.00. We knew we didn't want to do something complicated, expensive, or unhealthy (because so many diet fads are sooo bad for you.) We needed something that would help us change our habits for a lifetime, not just for a few months. When the book arrived and we read it, we knew it was the perfect thing for us. It is basically following the Word of Wisdom: whole grains, very little meat, lots and lots of fruits and vegetables, exercise, everything in moderation. You don't have to count calories or weigh food. You don't have to buy special meals or pills. It is the most straight-forward easy-to-follow eating plan I have ever seen. And the best part is that it works. We started exercising together 5 days a week from day one. We lost over 10 pounds between the two of us in the first week alone. That was so motivating that we kept at it and by Thanksgiving I had lost 22 pounds and Jeff had lost 29. My parents started because they were so impressed with our success. I was a size 14 when we started and now I am a size 8. I got to buy smaller clothes for Christmas! Now that we have changed our habits, we don't have to refer to the book every day. We still exercise 5 times a week and eat mostly fruits and vegetables. To date I have lost 27 pounds. My parents have lost over 80 pounds between the two of them! I feel so much better, and my kids are eating healthier too. I feel like I am setting a good example for them. I would recommend Fat Smash to ANYONE! To my college roommates: I am now at the same weight I was when we lived together, so don't think I am super-skinny because I am not. I had gained a lot since the old college days. I know several of you weigh LESS than you did when we were together.

Tagged...

Seven unique things about me...
1. I am terrible at brushing my kids' teeth.
2. I think Disneyland is the happiest place on earth.
3. I've dropped almost 30 pounds in the last 5 months.
4. I think eating Cold Stone ice cream is the closest thing you can get to having sex without actually doing it.
5. I am a huge fan of natural child birth. I deliver my babies without an ounce of medication or pain reliever.
6. I get up at 5:00 every morning.
7. I don't wear jewelry.