Thursday, April 23, 2009
Some Photos
Heres a few photos I was able to round up from last month while Melia was taking a nap!!! yeah for medicine and healthy babies!!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Life is a Journey
Rules: Pick a band or artist, then answer the questions using only their song titles.
My Life via the band Journey:
1. Are you a male or female: “Good Morning Girl”
2. Describe yourself: “Pride of the Family” & "Gone Crazy" :)
3. How do you feel about yourself: “Can't Tame the Lion”
4. Describe your ex boyfriend/girlfriend: “Separate Ways Worlds Apart”
5. Describe your current boy/girl: “Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' ” & "Homemade Love"
6. Describe your current location: “Here We Are”
7. Describe where you want to be: “Mystery Mountain”
8. Your best friend is: “Small Town Girl”
9. Your favorite color is: “Forever in Blue”
10. You know that: “I Can Breathe”
11. What’s the weather like:“Winds of March”
12. If your life was a television show what would it be called? “Girl Can't Help it”
13. What is life to you: “Live and Breathe" & "Dead or Alive"
14. What is the best advice you have to give: “Don't Stop Believing”
15. If you could change your name what would it be? “Oh Sherry”
My Life via the band Journey:
1. Are you a male or female: “Good Morning Girl”
2. Describe yourself: “Pride of the Family” & "Gone Crazy" :)
3. How do you feel about yourself: “Can't Tame the Lion”
4. Describe your ex boyfriend/girlfriend: “Separate Ways Worlds Apart”
5. Describe your current boy/girl: “Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' ” & "Homemade Love"
6. Describe your current location: “Here We Are”
7. Describe where you want to be: “Mystery Mountain”
8. Your best friend is: “Small Town Girl”
9. Your favorite color is: “Forever in Blue”
10. You know that: “I Can Breathe”
11. What’s the weather like:“Winds of March”
12. If your life was a television show what would it be called? “Girl Can't Help it”
13. What is life to you: “Live and Breathe" & "Dead or Alive"
14. What is the best advice you have to give: “Don't Stop Believing”
15. If you could change your name what would it be? “Oh Sherry”
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Its been a while
well, my dear blog readers. Im back!! My little Melia is finally healthy enough to let me put her down and get something/ anything done! so hopefully I will be able to blog a little bit more frequently now!!
Lets see, its been over a month now since I last blogged- there must be something new?
I have my new computer and I LOVE IT!! its so huge that when i look away from the screen i have little spots in my eyes- its like looking at the sun!!
Melia has two teeth- which she like to experiment with while nursing... That was not a fun weekend for either of us when she tried biting and i tried not smacking the back of her head each time I screamed in pain :)
On the day she turned 8 months (last tuesday) she finally really started to crawl! she figured it out and within an hour she was motoring all around the house... time for the baby gate for sure now!
Cams brother Drew went into the MTC this month. We are so excited for him. which reminds me, we need to write him a letter... I was so good during college when all my friends were on their missions, hopefully I can keep it up with Drew and Denver (when he goes).
I have learned to sew hooter hiders and I like it- I used to hate sewing... well im not in love with sewing, just really like the hooter hiders because im good at it. I iwll have to upload some photos of them later.
Speaking of photos, sorry for the lack thereof but a baby who is crying for 2 weeks and doesnt want to sleep or be put down really makes it hard to snap photos of her let alone want to!!! :)
I'll try to blog some more later but the little one is stirring and most likely wants her momma!
Lets see, its been over a month now since I last blogged- there must be something new?
I have my new computer and I LOVE IT!! its so huge that when i look away from the screen i have little spots in my eyes- its like looking at the sun!!
Melia has two teeth- which she like to experiment with while nursing... That was not a fun weekend for either of us when she tried biting and i tried not smacking the back of her head each time I screamed in pain :)
On the day she turned 8 months (last tuesday) she finally really started to crawl! she figured it out and within an hour she was motoring all around the house... time for the baby gate for sure now!
Cams brother Drew went into the MTC this month. We are so excited for him. which reminds me, we need to write him a letter... I was so good during college when all my friends were on their missions, hopefully I can keep it up with Drew and Denver (when he goes).
I have learned to sew hooter hiders and I like it- I used to hate sewing... well im not in love with sewing, just really like the hooter hiders because im good at it. I iwll have to upload some photos of them later.
Speaking of photos, sorry for the lack thereof but a baby who is crying for 2 weeks and doesnt want to sleep or be put down really makes it hard to snap photos of her let alone want to!!! :)
I'll try to blog some more later but the little one is stirring and most likely wants her momma!
Saturday, March 07, 2009
URGH.
*note- this is a rant and may have many run-on sentaces and spelling errors*
on wednesday i spent the day in the city with my mom learning how to sew and had quite a lovely day... then i came home.
we walked into the house and there was this odd burnt plastic smell. first thing i thought was our neighbors iguana cage was on fire again (it happened about 2 years ago and cam had to call the fire department and they busted down the door- nto fun when you live in the connecting side of the duplex!)
anyways, we walked around the house an noticed it got stronger towards the basement, and even stronger towards MY COMPUTER!!! yup, it melted and fried! it was so hot it was sticky when we touched it. so yeah. im computer-less.... how am i blogging you ask? well, my hubby has a *yuck* pc laptop. (im a mac all the way) and so i can blog but i dont have access to my photos or anything... all i can say is a big BIG thank you to my dad who convinced me to use an internet backup site to back up my computer. Im pretty sure I didnt loose much- or at least really important things. all my photography stuff was on an external hard drive so thank goodness for that.but i am seriously so upset! i was planning on getting a new computer but that was going to be in the fall or winter when we could afford it. but with wedding season coming up i cant afford not to have a computer! so this is the one i bought- its a beautiful 24" imac
a lot nicer, faster, more wonderful than my 17 inch imac from 4 years ago!
still...i hate that my computer melted....
on wednesday i spent the day in the city with my mom learning how to sew and had quite a lovely day... then i came home.
we walked into the house and there was this odd burnt plastic smell. first thing i thought was our neighbors iguana cage was on fire again (it happened about 2 years ago and cam had to call the fire department and they busted down the door- nto fun when you live in the connecting side of the duplex!)
anyways, we walked around the house an noticed it got stronger towards the basement, and even stronger towards MY COMPUTER!!! yup, it melted and fried! it was so hot it was sticky when we touched it. so yeah. im computer-less.... how am i blogging you ask? well, my hubby has a *yuck* pc laptop. (im a mac all the way) and so i can blog but i dont have access to my photos or anything... all i can say is a big BIG thank you to my dad who convinced me to use an internet backup site to back up my computer. Im pretty sure I didnt loose much- or at least really important things. all my photography stuff was on an external hard drive so thank goodness for that.but i am seriously so upset! i was planning on getting a new computer but that was going to be in the fall or winter when we could afford it. but with wedding season coming up i cant afford not to have a computer! so this is the one i bought- its a beautiful 24" imac
a lot nicer, faster, more wonderful than my 17 inch imac from 4 years ago!
still...i hate that my computer melted....
Monday, March 02, 2009
Funny Faces
The other night Melia was laying on the ground and I had my camera next to me- she started making some pretty funny faces so I grabbed my camera and tried to get a photo of each one. Cam & I were both laughing the whole time while she just talked and made these faces. Enjoy.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
I love my daughter
I love my daughter I love my daughter I love my daughter.
Lately it seems like I have had to say that over and over in my head. Not because she's bad or anything but just because she wont sleep!! I know most of you parents are saying "so what, my kid doesn't sleep either" well, mine did! she was an amazing sleeper from day one and was sleeping through the night at 10 weeks (thanks to this book)
Well, after new years it seemed like she got sick and stayed sick + teething = not a happy baby or mommy! I would get so frustrated and be so irritated that she wasn't sleeping and then I would look down at her and she would give me a smile like this one...
"Okay Melia, you can do whatever you want, you're too cute to be frustrated with!!!"
Anyways, I think she is FINALLY getting back on schedule since she took her full nap this morning and is napping again right now!! Lets hope it last because mommy is not very fun when she is tired!!
Heres some more photos of my darling little girl being so adorable that I just have to smile right back at her!
Lately it seems like I have had to say that over and over in my head. Not because she's bad or anything but just because she wont sleep!! I know most of you parents are saying "so what, my kid doesn't sleep either" well, mine did! she was an amazing sleeper from day one and was sleeping through the night at 10 weeks (thanks to this book)
Well, after new years it seemed like she got sick and stayed sick + teething = not a happy baby or mommy! I would get so frustrated and be so irritated that she wasn't sleeping and then I would look down at her and she would give me a smile like this one...
"Okay Melia, you can do whatever you want, you're too cute to be frustrated with!!!"
Anyways, I think she is FINALLY getting back on schedule since she took her full nap this morning and is napping again right now!! Lets hope it last because mommy is not very fun when she is tired!!
Heres some more photos of my darling little girl being so adorable that I just have to smile right back at her!
Friday, February 13, 2009
VERY IMPORTANT!!
My sister told me about this product a while back and was going to blog about it but never got around to so I found the site and decided that I needed to spread the word.
In New Zealand they have practically eradicated SIDS. They found that a chemical that gets released from babies mattresses mixing with the fire retardant chemical found in he mattress and on infant sheets and pjs etc combine and create a toxic fume that is a thousand times more potent than CO2!
I bought the crib mattress cover for Melia and just got it in the mail today. It comes with a booklet with more information on cot death (what they call SIDS) and it is disturbing to me that with all the scientific evidence backing their findings that the US or Canada have not jumped on board with making this product readily available everywhere!!! Jolanda told me she saw on a website related to this that the reason they wont is because they are afraid of lawsuits from all the families who lost a child because of the mandatory flame retardant the government puts on the bedding!
In the booklet they have some stats that I want to share:
Number of babies who have slept on wrapped mattresses since the start date of publicly promoting mattress wrapping (1995): At least 165,000
Reported crib deaths among those babies: NONE!
Reduction in New Zealand crib death rate since mattress-wrapping commenced: 68%
Statistical proof that mattress-wrapping prevents crib death: p=less than 1.9 x 10 (to the -22 power) which is more than 1 billion times the level of proof which is usually regarded as establishing a medical proposition.
Seriously! The cover costs about $35 plus shipping. Its so economical to save your babies lives. It makes me sick to think that so many babies could've been saved from this if only people knew more about this product. Please go read that article, google it some more if you need more information. Pass it along to friends who are having babies or who will have babies or who know people who are having babies- especially those who are on their 2nd or 3rd+ kids and are using the same mattress for each kid. We need to get the word out and keep our kids alive!
if you google sids you get a bunch of information that just seems so retarded and explainable now... this came from a website and Ive put my own little thoughts in italics throughout it.
"Babies at risk
Some 90 per cent of cot deaths occur at the age of six months or less. Babies most at risk are thought to be those among poorer families and those where the mother smokes(poorer families usually use the same fungus filled mattress for each child!). There is also an increased risk in those babies who have had a sibling lost to SIDS (risk increases as subsequent kids use the same mattress) . Other risks include premature birth, low birth weight and babies put to sleep on their stomach (lungs that are not fully developed cant fight off the chemicals as easily and sleeping on their stomach gives them a face full of toxic fumes- which scares me since 2 of my nephews and Melia were all tummy sleepers).
Causes of SIDS
There have been no clear causes of SIDS identified, although several have been proposed. Many theories suggest that the affected baby may have problems with temperature control (when they sweat it causes moisture in the mattress and therefore more fungus grows)or regulation of breathing. When the child is faced with a situation when breathing may become difficult, or overheating may become a problem, they may be too vulnerable to survive. Most children will grow out of these problems as they develop, but of course it is difficult to identify those children who may be particularly vulnerable.
Scientists are still researching these and many other theories, and it's most likely that several of these factors combine to cause SIDS."
Please pass this on or refer your friends to the website up top!!
In New Zealand they have practically eradicated SIDS. They found that a chemical that gets released from babies mattresses mixing with the fire retardant chemical found in he mattress and on infant sheets and pjs etc combine and create a toxic fume that is a thousand times more potent than CO2!
I bought the crib mattress cover for Melia and just got it in the mail today. It comes with a booklet with more information on cot death (what they call SIDS) and it is disturbing to me that with all the scientific evidence backing their findings that the US or Canada have not jumped on board with making this product readily available everywhere!!! Jolanda told me she saw on a website related to this that the reason they wont is because they are afraid of lawsuits from all the families who lost a child because of the mandatory flame retardant the government puts on the bedding!
In the booklet they have some stats that I want to share:
Number of babies who have slept on wrapped mattresses since the start date of publicly promoting mattress wrapping (1995): At least 165,000
Reported crib deaths among those babies: NONE!
Reduction in New Zealand crib death rate since mattress-wrapping commenced: 68%
Statistical proof that mattress-wrapping prevents crib death: p=less than 1.9 x 10 (to the -22 power) which is more than 1 billion times the level of proof which is usually regarded as establishing a medical proposition.
Seriously! The cover costs about $35 plus shipping. Its so economical to save your babies lives. It makes me sick to think that so many babies could've been saved from this if only people knew more about this product. Please go read that article, google it some more if you need more information. Pass it along to friends who are having babies or who will have babies or who know people who are having babies- especially those who are on their 2nd or 3rd+ kids and are using the same mattress for each kid. We need to get the word out and keep our kids alive!
if you google sids you get a bunch of information that just seems so retarded and explainable now... this came from a website and Ive put my own little thoughts in italics throughout it.
"Babies at risk
Some 90 per cent of cot deaths occur at the age of six months or less. Babies most at risk are thought to be those among poorer families and those where the mother smokes(poorer families usually use the same fungus filled mattress for each child!). There is also an increased risk in those babies who have had a sibling lost to SIDS (risk increases as subsequent kids use the same mattress) . Other risks include premature birth, low birth weight and babies put to sleep on their stomach (lungs that are not fully developed cant fight off the chemicals as easily and sleeping on their stomach gives them a face full of toxic fumes- which scares me since 2 of my nephews and Melia were all tummy sleepers).
Causes of SIDS
There have been no clear causes of SIDS identified, although several have been proposed. Many theories suggest that the affected baby may have problems with temperature control (when they sweat it causes moisture in the mattress and therefore more fungus grows)or regulation of breathing. When the child is faced with a situation when breathing may become difficult, or overheating may become a problem, they may be too vulnerable to survive. Most children will grow out of these problems as they develop, but of course it is difficult to identify those children who may be particularly vulnerable.
Scientists are still researching these and many other theories, and it's most likely that several of these factors combine to cause SIDS."
Please pass this on or refer your friends to the website up top!!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Like Father Like Daughter
Cam's mom pointed out that the naked photo of Melia in the slideshow reminded her of an old photo of Cam, which just happened to be in our wedding slideshow which I just happened to have all the photos of on my computer... and I looked through the rest of the photos on my camera and found this one.
I knew they were alike in a lot of ways but this is just ridiculous :)
From me to you
This was on my Sister in laws blog and I thought it was kinda cool so I decided to put my copy button to use and added it to mine.
The first 5 people to respond to this post will receive something made by me to you....my choice...made especially for you.
Of course there are some restrictions and limitations:
1 I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2 What I create will be just for you.
3 It will be done sometime this year.
4 You have no clue what it will be... it may be a story; it may be poetry or an article on properly cleaning your face before a masque. I may draw or paint something; I may bake something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure.
5 I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.
The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must re-post this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on their blog (Only if you really want to. I will still make you something). The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did will win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me!!
Thursday, February 05, 2009
6 months
Okay so I have been meaning to post this since saturday when it actually was Melia's 1/2 birthday but life got in the way - and even as I started typing she woke up early fro her nap and I had to leave... teething and colds are a bad combination!!
well, heres the original post that I started on saturday!
Today my little girl is 6 months old!! i cant believe she is so old already!!
time just flies by so quickly... it seems like only yesterday she was so tiny (though I thought she was huge at the time) but it also feels like she has been around here forever- i cant really remember my life before her.
Melia is definitely her own person with her own ideas about things. She finds her dad hilarious at times but other times wants nothing to do with him. Mom, however, has to work for every giggle but smiles are always readily available!
She is the happiest baby and I am so glad that she chose to come to our family becuase her sweet spirit and smile just melts both her daddy and mommys hearts everyday!
we love you Melia Dawn, happy 1/2 birthday!
xoxo
well, heres the original post that I started on saturday!
Today my little girl is 6 months old!! i cant believe she is so old already!!
time just flies by so quickly... it seems like only yesterday she was so tiny (though I thought she was huge at the time) but it also feels like she has been around here forever- i cant really remember my life before her.
Melia is definitely her own person with her own ideas about things. She finds her dad hilarious at times but other times wants nothing to do with him. Mom, however, has to work for every giggle but smiles are always readily available!
She is the happiest baby and I am so glad that she chose to come to our family becuase her sweet spirit and smile just melts both her daddy and mommys hearts everyday!
we love you Melia Dawn, happy 1/2 birthday!
xoxo
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Four-ever
Today marks our Fourth anniversary. I can't believe it has been that long! Some days it seems like yesterday we were married and some days it seems like we have been married for decades!!
In the last four years we have:
-bought a house
-had 3 cars and had 2 of them die
-had 1 dog
-given that dog away
-had 12 jobs between the both of us (Cam says 3 of his were the same job just different bosses...I count them as different jobs)
-had the most beautiful baby girl
-been sealed in the temple
-vacationed only once (in California the first summer we were married)
-acquired practically enough exercise equipment to start our own YMCA
-Just barely started using above mentioned gym - I will loose all my baby weight and then some!
-fallen more in love each day!
Even though I am pretty sure Cam won't read this... I lovest you sweetheart. These last four years have been wonderful, and I am so excited to spend the rest of my life and eternity with you :)
ILUMTMEIW!!!
In the last four years we have:
-bought a house
-had 3 cars and had 2 of them die
-had 1 dog
-given that dog away
-had 12 jobs between the both of us (Cam says 3 of his were the same job just different bosses...I count them as different jobs)
-had the most beautiful baby girl
-been sealed in the temple
-vacationed only once (in California the first summer we were married)
-acquired practically enough exercise equipment to start our own YMCA
-Just barely started using above mentioned gym - I will loose all my baby weight and then some!
-fallen more in love each day!
Even though I am pretty sure Cam won't read this... I lovest you sweetheart. These last four years have been wonderful, and I am so excited to spend the rest of my life and eternity with you :)
ILUMTMEIW!!!
They grow up so fast!
Well, our little darling has decided that being stationary is no longer a desire of hers. she now does this little army crawl all over the place. I put her up against our fireplace and put her toy halfway across the room and within 5 minutes she was there. It would've taken less time but she got distracted by a rooster! I edited out a few minutes so you wont be bored but here she is being adorable and letting her mommy know that she will be needing to get a baby gate soon!
im excited but not at the same time! she's only 5 1/2 months old.... does this mean she will be walking at 9 months?? can't she just stay my little baby forever??
Also, she has found a few new favorite things to play with. Its funny how her eyes light up when she sees this one.
She LOVES to swing and bounce in her tigger.
She now loves to eat her toes too... I always think its so cute when a baby eats their toes!
(see her favorite measuring tape there on her lap too... she loves it)
Melia also loves books. This is a book she got for Christmas from her cousin Easton. she loves to read it.
Flip through the pages- or watch TV while pretending to read- silly girl!
and...well.... eat it! Maybe she is trying to digest the knowledge it contains :)
im excited but not at the same time! she's only 5 1/2 months old.... does this mean she will be walking at 9 months?? can't she just stay my little baby forever??
Also, she has found a few new favorite things to play with. Its funny how her eyes light up when she sees this one.
She LOVES to swing and bounce in her tigger.
She now loves to eat her toes too... I always think its so cute when a baby eats their toes!
(see her favorite measuring tape there on her lap too... she loves it)
Melia also loves books. This is a book she got for Christmas from her cousin Easton. she loves to read it.
Flip through the pages- or watch TV while pretending to read- silly girl!
and...well.... eat it! Maybe she is trying to digest the knowledge it contains :)
Friday, January 09, 2009
Starting the New Year right.
Well, this is the start of a new year and I think it will be a marvelous one!
On January 3, Cam, Melia and I were sealed together in the Cardston Alberta Temple. It was such a cold week and with the worst roads. I just want to say a big Thank You to everyone who drove down to be with us and share in our special day. It was moslty just immediate family so if you weren't there Im sorry, we would have loved to have everyone we know and love with us but with conflicting schedules and Christmas this was the only time until mid February and we just wanted to get to that Temple and finally be sealed as a family for all eternity!!
It was a beautiful ceremony and such a wonderful experience!
Also, heres an update on our compact life. When I talked to Cam he wasn't so "gung-ho" about not being able to buy video games and other fun things but he said he was willing to try. We also decided that unlike the family who inspired this new way of life for us we would not buy clothes etc at thrift stores. Cam and I don't buy clothes that often anyways so we figured when we needed an article of clothing we would buy quality but not overspend. (needed meaning it is falling apart and we cant respectably wear it anymore).
So far we are doing good and I have noticed our bank account has been a little bit larger :)
I have also given myself a grocery budget- which I have never done before. I get $100/week which adds up fast!! I went grocery shopping yesterday for a two week meal plan and ended up spending almost $250...I guess I will have to work better at staying in the budget! But I will even it up by the ned of the month- It did help that for the first week we weren't home much so I didn't have to buy groceries and have a little bit 'saved' from then?? Maybe not. I should put the surplus in our savings account I guess. I think it might be time to deal in cash so that I will stick to it better??
Anyways, other than the first monday we got home and had no food for lunches for Cam we haven't spent any un-needful money!
Thanks to all the people who gave us movie gift certificates, restaurant and chapters gift cards and offered free baby sitting so that we might still have a little fun this year!!!
On January 3, Cam, Melia and I were sealed together in the Cardston Alberta Temple. It was such a cold week and with the worst roads. I just want to say a big Thank You to everyone who drove down to be with us and share in our special day. It was moslty just immediate family so if you weren't there Im sorry, we would have loved to have everyone we know and love with us but with conflicting schedules and Christmas this was the only time until mid February and we just wanted to get to that Temple and finally be sealed as a family for all eternity!!
It was a beautiful ceremony and such a wonderful experience!
Also, heres an update on our compact life. When I talked to Cam he wasn't so "gung-ho" about not being able to buy video games and other fun things but he said he was willing to try. We also decided that unlike the family who inspired this new way of life for us we would not buy clothes etc at thrift stores. Cam and I don't buy clothes that often anyways so we figured when we needed an article of clothing we would buy quality but not overspend. (needed meaning it is falling apart and we cant respectably wear it anymore).
So far we are doing good and I have noticed our bank account has been a little bit larger :)
I have also given myself a grocery budget- which I have never done before. I get $100/week which adds up fast!! I went grocery shopping yesterday for a two week meal plan and ended up spending almost $250...I guess I will have to work better at staying in the budget! But I will even it up by the ned of the month- It did help that for the first week we weren't home much so I didn't have to buy groceries and have a little bit 'saved' from then?? Maybe not. I should put the surplus in our savings account I guess. I think it might be time to deal in cash so that I will stick to it better??
Anyways, other than the first monday we got home and had no food for lunches for Cam we haven't spent any un-needful money!
Thanks to all the people who gave us movie gift certificates, restaurant and chapters gift cards and offered free baby sitting so that we might still have a little fun this year!!!
Mom will be so proud!
Since Mom and Dad have embarked on their month long journey around the world - well, the eastern states and some of mexico, and i am sooo jealous!!- she emptied out her fridge of all things that could go bad. This giant load of food consisted of lots of veggies and a butternut squash. as lots of you know I am no cook. I would like to be but mostly I bake- which isnt good for the figure but oh well! anyways, this squash was sitting on my counter staring at me with the haunting words of mother dearest running though my head "dont let this go to waste, cook it up it will be so good and healthy......etc etc etc" i think mom told me half a dozen times not the let this squash go bad.
So tonight I made myself, my sister (I only know because I called her to brag) and hopefully my mom if she ever slows down in her life long enough to read about my this - proud!
Here is a photo of the half eaten pot of Butternut Squash Soup! yup, I didn't just cook it up in the oven and then put some sauce on it like my mom suggested, I actually found a recipe that included some green apples- another ingredient that mom gave me an abundance of- some onions, ground coriander (I knew one day I would use some of the random spices I have in my spice rack) sage and sour cream. I didnt have cayenne pepper but it tasted really good without it so i didnt notice it missing and neither did Cam. It was yummy.
anyways enough of me patting myself on the back but i really am proud- i guess i can sorta cook!!
oh and I baked my moms famous apple cream pie with the other granny smiths. I'll put that picture on the baking blog, I will probably only have one slice since Jo and I are on a mission to loose our baby weight which also means my baking blog might be a little slim unless I have other people to bake for and know I wont be tempted to eat any of it.
wow, this whole post is one big ramble... sorry!
So tonight I made myself, my sister (I only know because I called her to brag) and hopefully my mom if she ever slows down in her life long enough to read about my this - proud!
Here is a photo of the half eaten pot of Butternut Squash Soup! yup, I didn't just cook it up in the oven and then put some sauce on it like my mom suggested, I actually found a recipe that included some green apples- another ingredient that mom gave me an abundance of- some onions, ground coriander (I knew one day I would use some of the random spices I have in my spice rack) sage and sour cream. I didnt have cayenne pepper but it tasted really good without it so i didnt notice it missing and neither did Cam. It was yummy.
anyways enough of me patting myself on the back but i really am proud- i guess i can sorta cook!!
oh and I baked my moms famous apple cream pie with the other granny smiths. I'll put that picture on the baking blog, I will probably only have one slice since Jo and I are on a mission to loose our baby weight which also means my baking blog might be a little slim unless I have other people to bake for and know I wont be tempted to eat any of it.
wow, this whole post is one big ramble... sorry!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Merry Christmas
Here is our Christmas card. I have never been very good at sending out cards but at least this year I got one made digitally. maybe next year they will actually make to the mail box!!!
Melia's Blessing
On December 15th we got all our family together and were able to bless Melia in our home. Can you believe out of all of December there was only one day that worked for our families and Bishop!! Well, it was a wonderful night and Im so happy that everyone made it- and especially driving in the bad weather from down south and calgary just for an hour or so to share our special night with us!
Here are some photos of Melia in her blessing dress. (she couldn't stop eating it!! too cute)
Here are some photos of Melia in her blessing dress. (she couldn't stop eating it!! too cute)
Our Christmas
This year we spent Christmas with my family in Calgary. It was so fun this year with Melia! Christmas eve we went to Aunt Brenda's house where we had a great meal. Since it was so cold we decided to forgo our tradition of going to the nativity at Heritage Park and put on our own little nativity like Cam's family does. I was helping out with the behind the scenes and then became a wise man who then became a shepherd and since I couldn't convince cam to man the camera I dont have any pictures of that but im sure dad and Sherilyn took a bunch so I can probably get some from them and im sure Sherilyn will post some.
Christmas morning Sherilyn and I were up at 6 with hungry babies and we were nice and let everyone else sleep until 8 when melia and I went and jumped on everyone! it was a great day of presents, movies, naps, and food.
boxing day is not my favorite day but mom convinced me to go out for a little bit and i found a shirt that i liked and of course it wasnt on sale- how is there anything that is not on sale on boxing day????
anyways, here are some photos from our christmas!
Christmas morning Sherilyn and I were up at 6 with hungry babies and we were nice and let everyone else sleep until 8 when melia and I went and jumped on everyone! it was a great day of presents, movies, naps, and food.
boxing day is not my favorite day but mom convinced me to go out for a little bit and i found a shirt that i liked and of course it wasnt on sale- how is there anything that is not on sale on boxing day????
anyways, here are some photos from our christmas!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
something to think about
So I saw this couple on Breakfast Television this morning who decided to not shop for one year. They would buy basics, food, medicine, socks and underwear but nothing else and I started to think that maybe this is something I should look into doing this upcoming year. Mind you I haven't talked to Cam about it yet but I am seriously considering it. They paid off a $9000 student loan and put $7000 in savings... I think I could go without a few things to save around $16000!!!! I will talk to Cam and then hopefully we can do this and I will blog about it. Maybe its somethng you all want to try (or even a modified version of it??)
Below is an article about them that was in the Calgary Herald.
"It started out as an experiment in not shopping for one year.
And 11 months in, one Cochrane couple has learned the secret to happiness: Not buying.
Tom and Malora Mulhern’s story goes back to Jan. 1, when the couple, with their three-year-old son Noah, vowed to stop buying stuff for one year.
Under their rules of disengagement, the Mulherns vowed to only buy the essentials like food, and new socks and underwear when necessary. If something broke down or wore out, they would hit the thrift stores or go online to buy second-hand or swap goods with others.
Their goal was to downsize their lives and get off the consumption treadmill. They also weren’t out to judge others for their own buying habits. Rather, they wanted to examine their own shopping habits and ultimately see if they could actually cut out shopping for one year.
“We wanted to simplify our lives and break our buying habit and enjoy our family, and not be, ‘What else can we get?’ ” explains Malora, 27, a stay-at-home mom.
They have documented their journey at ourcompactlife.org.
Eleven months later, the Cochrane couple has wiped out a $9,000 student loan and put an additional $7,000 in the bank.
They’ve managed to do it living in a $400 basement suite on Tom’s $48,000 a year salary as a youth pastor at Dalhousie Community Church in northwest Calgary.
“It’s fabulous,” Malora says of the $16,000 total savings. “I feel like we’re broken (of our shopping habit).”
“It’s been a really good experience. We’ve learned a lot,” Tom adds.
Malora hopes their savings account might hit $10,000 by the end of the year but that may be a stretch, she says.
The couple weren’t big consumers to begin with but they have managed to become more conscious of their spending, they both say.
An unexpected result? They have been cured of keeping up with the Joneses.
“Taking yourself out of it is so liberating,” says Malora, who also spends one afternoon per week teaching a hearing and vision-impaired student.
Malora has become a wizard at the sewing machine, making and mending the family’s clothes.
That skill has produced an unexpected outcome, she says.
“I feel like you can define your style . . . when you’re not picking it from (chain stores).”
They believe living near Calgary has actually made their abstinence from shopping relatively pain-free.
“It hasn’t been too hard,” Tom says. “It’s almost easier being in a big city because there all these substitutes.”
“We know how to work our way around a thrift store,” he says.
Malora raves about the Mennonite Central Committee’s second hand store and the Value Village in northeast Calgary.
The Mulhern’s shopping hiatus mirrors a U.S. based movement that launched in January, 2006.
Calling themselves The Compact, a group of nine San Francisco-based environmentalists banded together in their own year-long shopping ban.
That group wanted to reduce their contributions to local landfills by reducing their own consumption. Food, medicine, underwear and toilet paper were the exceptions to the ban. Beyond that they borrowed, bartered or bought only second-hand. (The group can be found at sfcompact.blogspot.com.)
It’s about going beyond recycling, the San Francisco group proclaims on their website, and trying “to counteract the negative global environmental and socioeconomic impacts of U.S. consumer culture.”
It’s ultimately about simplifying their lives too or, as they call it, to “calm-pact” their lives.
That calming influence was something the Mulherns found too.
A trip to the mall is not the family’s default excursion on the weekend, they say. Now, the mountains beckon instead.
They feel more connected as a family, they both say.
While they head into the final six weeks of the experiment, the couple is looking forward to the lifting of the shopping ban, but vows they won’t slip back into old buying habits.
They’re also mulling over a new experiment — buying only Canadian and U.S.-made products for a year to lessen their footprint on the planet.
“We’ve learned how we just don’t need that much stuff,” Malora says. “And how to be content with less.”
Calgary Herald
Below is an article about them that was in the Calgary Herald.
"It started out as an experiment in not shopping for one year.
And 11 months in, one Cochrane couple has learned the secret to happiness: Not buying.
Tom and Malora Mulhern’s story goes back to Jan. 1, when the couple, with their three-year-old son Noah, vowed to stop buying stuff for one year.
Under their rules of disengagement, the Mulherns vowed to only buy the essentials like food, and new socks and underwear when necessary. If something broke down or wore out, they would hit the thrift stores or go online to buy second-hand or swap goods with others.
Their goal was to downsize their lives and get off the consumption treadmill. They also weren’t out to judge others for their own buying habits. Rather, they wanted to examine their own shopping habits and ultimately see if they could actually cut out shopping for one year.
“We wanted to simplify our lives and break our buying habit and enjoy our family, and not be, ‘What else can we get?’ ” explains Malora, 27, a stay-at-home mom.
They have documented their journey at ourcompactlife.org.
Eleven months later, the Cochrane couple has wiped out a $9,000 student loan and put an additional $7,000 in the bank.
They’ve managed to do it living in a $400 basement suite on Tom’s $48,000 a year salary as a youth pastor at Dalhousie Community Church in northwest Calgary.
“It’s fabulous,” Malora says of the $16,000 total savings. “I feel like we’re broken (of our shopping habit).”
“It’s been a really good experience. We’ve learned a lot,” Tom adds.
Malora hopes their savings account might hit $10,000 by the end of the year but that may be a stretch, she says.
The couple weren’t big consumers to begin with but they have managed to become more conscious of their spending, they both say.
An unexpected result? They have been cured of keeping up with the Joneses.
“Taking yourself out of it is so liberating,” says Malora, who also spends one afternoon per week teaching a hearing and vision-impaired student.
Malora has become a wizard at the sewing machine, making and mending the family’s clothes.
That skill has produced an unexpected outcome, she says.
“I feel like you can define your style . . . when you’re not picking it from (chain stores).”
They believe living near Calgary has actually made their abstinence from shopping relatively pain-free.
“It hasn’t been too hard,” Tom says. “It’s almost easier being in a big city because there all these substitutes.”
“We know how to work our way around a thrift store,” he says.
Malora raves about the Mennonite Central Committee’s second hand store and the Value Village in northeast Calgary.
The Mulhern’s shopping hiatus mirrors a U.S. based movement that launched in January, 2006.
Calling themselves The Compact, a group of nine San Francisco-based environmentalists banded together in their own year-long shopping ban.
That group wanted to reduce their contributions to local landfills by reducing their own consumption. Food, medicine, underwear and toilet paper were the exceptions to the ban. Beyond that they borrowed, bartered or bought only second-hand. (The group can be found at sfcompact.blogspot.com.)
It’s about going beyond recycling, the San Francisco group proclaims on their website, and trying “to counteract the negative global environmental and socioeconomic impacts of U.S. consumer culture.”
It’s ultimately about simplifying their lives too or, as they call it, to “calm-pact” their lives.
That calming influence was something the Mulherns found too.
A trip to the mall is not the family’s default excursion on the weekend, they say. Now, the mountains beckon instead.
They feel more connected as a family, they both say.
While they head into the final six weeks of the experiment, the couple is looking forward to the lifting of the shopping ban, but vows they won’t slip back into old buying habits.
They’re also mulling over a new experiment — buying only Canadian and U.S.-made products for a year to lessen their footprint on the planet.
“We’ve learned how we just don’t need that much stuff,” Malora says. “And how to be content with less.”
Calgary Herald
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
at last
so my sister sent me the instructions to change up the blog design a really long time ago, but today I finally did it. when i first got the instructions they looked too daunting so i put them aside thinking someday- well, today was someday and it is so easy!!!
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