Vacation in Delta

Last weekend we went to Delta for a fun family vacation. Darrell's sister's in-laws live there so we went with Darrell's immediate family. The house is right on the shore of the reservoir. We slept in a tent (thanks John!) in their yard, went boating and played in the water & sand for 3 days.

This was a great way to celebrate Darrell's 30th birthday. I made a cake there and we celebrated with all 30 candles in the cake but we had a hard time lighting them because of the breeze.

Here are some pictures. We should have gathered for a big group picture but we didn't.

Happy 30th Darrell!

Darrell's birthday is Friday, he'll be 30 on 08-08-08! We will be away from a computer all Friday so I'm posting this early. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Here are 30 things I love about Darrell... (in no particular order.)
1. His Saturday night kisses (smooth and freshly shaved for Sunday morning.)
2. He can fix anything, if he doesn't know how, he just tries and does it anyway!
3. His testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, he's so valiant!
4. He serves everyone.
5. He doesn't complain.
6. He licks his lips while smiling when he talks about something funny someone said.
7. He plays the guitar and makes up cool songs.
8. His THICK hair.
9. His gorgeous blue eyes, I could stare into them all day.
10. He always "anxiously engaged" in a good cause, you sometimes can't keep him still.
11. He never replaces the toilet paper roll. I found that out quickly after we were married, he'll just get out a new roll and leave it on the counter. It would have started to bug me but I decided to just appreciate it and now I think it's cute every time I see and empty toilet paper roll. :) (I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, I think he's replaced it twice since we've been married.)
12. He takes off his shoes and/or socks each night and walks around rubbing his feet into the carpet to scratch them. One time we were visiting his parents and we realized that his father does the same thing too!
13. I think it's adorable when he conducts a meeting for church. I just beam with delight because he's so cute!
14. He has very shapely legs and slender ankles.
15. He's not too hairy but just hairy enough :).
16. He has a very high self esteem and encourages me to have one as well.
17. He prefers to drive when we're together. (I hate driving.)
18. He is such a fun Dad, the boys jump for joy when he gets home from work and they pray "please bless that we'll have a fun time with Daddy" whenever he gets to be home for a while with them.
19. He's extremely determined and dedicated. When his mind is made up, it's impossible to change.
20. He's frugal just like me. I don't have to worry that he'll go spend more than about $4 without talking to me about it.
21. He's a "go-getter" and always is getting things done.
22. He's also a "go-to man." Often times people ask him for help since he knows what to do.
23. I love watching movies with him. He finds humor in parts that I never would have, and he even puts up with my annoying questions like "What happened? What did he say?" When he hasn't seen the movie either. (Yeah, I'm one of "those" people.)
24. He is an amazing cook, chef, baker. He can turn anything into delicious food. His neighbors when he was growing up (the Campbell's) said that their kids would complain that there would be nothing in the house but condiments, then Darrell would come along and make some concoction and it would actually look good! :)
25. He knows his scriptures even with his eyes closed. There have been many times that we'll be reading the scriptures together as a couple and while I'm reading he's listening and corrects me on a scripture when he's not even looking at the page! Then when he reads, he'll sometimes deviate from the passage and make something up to ensure I'm still listening!
26. He's such an easy-going guy. He makes mountains into mole hills and doesn't worry about anything. He just trusts the Lord to help him through; wow, what faith!
27. He uses at least 6 pillows to sleep with every night. Two in front, one body pillow in the back, one under his head, one on top of his head, and one for his arm. He has grown accustomed to it and "can't sleep" without that pillow configuration. He's so funny, yet cute.
28. He stays physically fit by riding his bike or running.
29. He can't wait for my birthday or Christmas, he always gives me my present early and it's usually unwrapped since he figures I'll find out or something. Though, last year for Christmas he wrapped them and put them under the tree and "kept my ground" to open them on Christmas even though he coaxed me to open them every day for weeks before Christmas.
30. Last but not least, I love that he loves me so much! Thank you for bringing so much happiness into my life, I love you Darrell Wallace!

Yogurt - Put a little culture in your life

Did you know that yogurt is extremely easy to make at home? I found out how to make yogurt by reading the book Super Baby Food when Salem was a baby. I made it once for him then found out he was allergic to the milk protein so I stopped making yogurt. (I could have used soy milk, but I didn't think it was as cost effective.) Now that Oaklen and Salem enjoy yogurt, I have started making it again. The price of a gallon of milk has gone up but it's still cheaper than buying yogurt. Plus, you control what goes in there.

In the book that I mentioned above, the author takes a couple of pages explaining how to make yogurt, there are many different ways or preferences, but here is my summary.

Homemade Yogurt

Things you'll need:
* Milk - You can use any kind of milk - skim, 1%, 2%, whole, resubstituted dry milk, diluted evaporated, cow's , soy, goat's, whatever.
* Candy (or Yogurt) Thermometer - Look for one that goes down to 100 degrees and goes at least to 185 degrees
* Starter - This can just be 2 Tbsp of already-made yogurt (make sure it says "live and active cultures"), or you can buy freeze dried bacteria culture at a natural foods store.
* Saucepan with water
* Clean quart glass jar
* A Place to "incubate" the yogurt - A warm place around 90 - 115 degrees F. I use a thermos, or wrap the jar in a towel and stick it on my back porch. You can also use an oven, heating pad, the sun, whatever.
* Sterilized spoon - I just get a clean/hot one from the dishwasher, or you can sterilize it in the boiling water.

Step 1 - Sterilize the milk to kill all bacteria
1. Pour a quart of milk into a clean glass mayonnaise jar.
2. Nest the jar into a saucepan on the stove top with water that comes halfway up the side of the jar. Put a yogurt thermometer into the milk (not the water) and bring milk to 185 degrees F.
3. From refrigerator , remove the starter (yogurt) and set aside 2 Tbsp in a bowl to let it come to room temperature while the milk is scalding and cooling.
4. Milk needs to rise to 185 degrees F.
(This takes about 25 minutes for me.)

Step 2 - Cool the milk to the incubation temperature for growing yogurt.
1. After milk is 185 degrees F, remove from saucepan and place in the refrigerator to cool.
2. Set your timer for 45 minutes to check on the yogurt. The yogurt needs to cool to 115 degrees F. (I usually have to let it sit there for almost an hour, but it's good to check it at the 45 minute mark.)

(Don't do what I did one time. I put the jar on the counter with an ice pack underneath. The ice pack got warmer and tipped the jar. I came in the kitchen and saw that the whole jar of milk spilled everywhere! I told myself that I wouldn't cry over spilled milk. :)

Step 3 - Introduce friendly yogurt bacteria (the starter) into the milk.
1. When the milk is 115 degrees, remove the jar from the fridge and add the 2 Tbsp of starter (yogurt.) (If you used skim milk you can optionally add dry milk powder to make the yogurt more thick and also add more nutrition.)

Step 4 - Let the yogurt bacteria incubate.
1. Put in a warm place between 90 - 115 degrees F. Do not let get too cool or too hot, keep it within those temperatures.
2. The yogurt will be finished after several hours (anywhere from 4-12 hours, the times will vary depending on how or where you incubated the yogurt.)

Step 5 - Refrigerate the finished yogurt
1. To test if it's done, touch the top with your clean finger and see if it's thick and pudding-like. It will also thicken a little when in the refrigerator. The longer you let it incubate the more tart the flavor.
2. At this point you can flavor it if you'd like, or just put in the fridge as plain yogurt.

Step 6 - Enjoy!
My boys eat the yogurt plain. I like to cut up fruit and add uncooked oatmeal and ground flaxseed for a good breakfast. I've also mixed some jam into the yogurt for a flavored yogurt snack. You can also use yogurt as a substitute in recipes for buttermilk, sour cream or mayonnaise.

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Why should you eat yogurt? Here is what Dr. Sears has to say:
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/t045700.asp

10 REASONS YOGURT IS A TOP HEALTH FOOD

1. Yogurt is easier to digest than milk. Many people who cannot tolerate milk, either because of a protein allergy or lactose intolerance, can enjoy yogurt. The culturing process makes yogurt more digestible than milk. The live active cultures create lactase, the enzyme lactose-intolerant people lack, and another enzyme contained in some yogurts (beta-galactosidase) also helps improve lactose absorption in lactase-deficient persons. Bacterial enzymes created by the culturing process, partially digest the milk protein casein, making it easier to absorb and less allergenic. In our pediatric practice, we have observed that children who cannot tolerate milk can often eat yogurt without any intestinal upset. While the amount varies among brands of yogurt, in general, yogurt has less lactose than milk. The culturing process has already broken down the milk sugar lactose into glucose and galactose, two sugars that are easily absorbed by lactose-intolerant persons.

2. Yogurt contributes to colon health. There's a medical truism that states: "You're only as healthy as your colon." When eating yogurt, you care for your colon in two ways. First, yogurt contains lactobacteria, intestines-friendly bacterial cultures that foster a healthy colon, and even lower the risk of colon cancer. Lactobacteria, especially acidophilus, promotes the growth of healthy bacteria in the colon and reduces the conversion of bile into carcinogenic bile acids. The more of these intestines-friendly bacteria that are present in your colon, the lower the chance of colon diseases. Basically, the friendly bacteria in yogurt seems to deactivate harmful substances (such as nitrates and nitrites before they are converted to nitrosamines) before they can become carcinogenic.

Secondly, yogurt is a rich source of calcium - a mineral that contributes to colon health and decreases the risk of colon cancer. Calcium discourages excess growth of the cells lining the colon, which can place a person at high risk for colon cancer. Calcium also binds cancer-producing bile acids and keeps them from irritating the colon wall. People that have diets high in calcium (e.g. Scandinavian countries) have lower rates of colorectal cancer. One study showed that an average intake of 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day is associated with a 75 percent reduction of colorectal cancer. As a survivor of colon cancer, I have a critical interest in the care of my colon. My life depends on it.

3. Yogurt improves the bioavailability of other nutrients. Culturing of yogurt increases the absorption of calcium and B-vitamins. The lactic acid in the yogurt aids in the digestion of the milk calcium, making it easier to absorb.

4. Yogurt can boost immunity. Researchers who studied 68 people who ate two cups of live-culture yogurt daily for three months found that these persons produced higher levels of immunity boosting interferon. The bacterial cultures in yogurt have also been shown to stimulate infection-fighting white cells in the bloodstream. Some studies have shown yogurt cultures to contain a factor that has anti-tumor effects in experimental animals.

NUTRITIP: Yogurt - Good for Young and Old Yogurt is a valuable health food for both infants and elderly persons. For children, it is a balanced source of protein, fats, carbohydrates, and minerals in a texture that kids love. For senior citizens, who usually have more sensitive colons or whose intestines have run out of lactase, yogurt is also a valuable food. Elderly intestines showed declining levels of bifidus bacteria, which allow the growth of toxin-producing and, perhaps, cancer-causing bacteria.

5. Yogurt aids healing after intestinal infections. Some viral and allergic gastrointestinal disorders injure the lining of the intestines, especially the cells that produce lactase. This results in temporary lactose malabsorption problems. This is why children often cannot tolerate milk for a month or two after an intestinal infection. Yogurt, however, because it contains less lactose and more lactase, is usually well-tolerated by healing intestines and is a popular "healing food" for diarrhea. Many pediatricians recommend yogurt for children suffering from various forms of indigestion. Research shows that children recover faster from diarrhea when eating yogurt. It's good to eat yogurt while taking antibiotics. The yogurt will minimize the effects of the antibiotic on the friendly bacteria in the intestines.

NUTRITIP: A Chaser for Antibiotics Antibiotics kill not only harmful bacteria; they also kill the healthy ones in the intestines. The live bacterial cultures in yogurt can help replenish the intestines with helpful bacteria before the harmful ones take over. I usually "prescribe" a daily dose of yogurt while a person is taking antibiotics and for two weeks thereafter.

A 1999 study reported in Pediatrics showed that lactobacillus organisms can reduce antibiotic-associated diarrhea.

6. Yogurt can decrease yeast infections. Research has shown that eating eight ounces of yogurt that contains live and active cultures daily reduces the amount of yeast colonies in the vagina and decreases the incidence of vaginal yeast infections.

7. Yogurt is a rich source of calcium. An 8-ounce serving of most yogurts provides 450 mg. of calcium, one-half of a child's RDA and 30 to 40 percent of the adult RDA for calcium. Because the live-active cultures in yogurt increase the absorption of calcium, an 8-ounce serving of yogurt gets more calcium into the body than the same volume of milk can.

8. Yogurt is an excellent source of protein. Plain yogurt contains around ten to fourteen grams of protein per eight ounces, which amounts to twenty percent of the daily protein requirement for most persons. In fact, eight ounces of yogurt that contains live and active cultures, contains 20 percent more protein than the same volume of milk (10 grams versus 8 grams). Besides being a rich source of proteins, the culturing of the milk proteins during fermentation makes these proteins easier to digest. For this reason, the proteins in yogurt are often called "predigested."

9. Yogurt can lower cholesterol. There are a few studies that have shown that yogurt can reduce the blood cholesterol. This may be because the live cultures in yogurt can assimilate the cholesterol or because yogurt binds bile acids, (which has also been shown to lower cholesterol), or both.

10. Yogurt is a "grow food." Two nutritional properties of yogurt may help children with intestinal absorption problems grow: the easier digestibility of the proteins and the fact that the lactic acid in yogurt increases the absorption of minerals. And even most picky-eaters will eat yogurt in dips and smoothies and as a topping.

Perhaps we can take a health tip about yogurt cultures from cultures who consume a lot of yogurt, such as the Bulgarians who are noted for their longer lifespan and remain in good health well into old age.

Bunk mates

Oaklen & Salem are now roommates and are enjoying their new bunk bed! A friend of ours gave us this bunk bed a while ago and this weekend we were able to set it up. I'm thankful that we were able to fit it up our narrow stairwell, and that the bed wasn't too high for the shorter/slanted ceiling.

The boys have really loved it thus far. Oaklen is still getting used to actually sleeping in it, not just playing on it. Last night Darrell and I said goodnight to both of them and Salem started singing lullabies to Oaklen. After he'd finish a song, Oaklen would say "yeah!" Later Oaklen got upset and figured out that Mom & Dad weren't there. We went back in the room to reassure him that he was okay and we all stared at the color-changing night light to distract him. Oaklen slept on his new orange sheets (his favorite color) all the way until 6:15 AM! (That is really good for him, he's a turkey when it comes to sleeping.) At 6:15 he came into my room and woke me up to get a drink of water and we all went back to bed until 7:45 AM. My little boys are growing up!

Salem's swimming

Salem just finished his two weeks of swimming lessons. We went over to Fairmont pool everyday after lunch. Oaklen and I watched him play and learn how to float on his back. He had fun, here are some pics.

Cream of Chicken Soup Substitute

I try to avoid certain bad ingredients, including MSG. In turn, this causes me to be creative when making certain foods. Most cans of cream of chicken soup have MSG so I make my own cream of chicken soup.

I have a grain mill and I grind white beans to make a flour. If you don't have a grain mill, get a cheap coffee grinder and it will do an okay job of making the flour. I gave this recipe to my friend who needs to be gluten free, she's addicted now! :)

I got this recipe from Country Beans by Rita Bingham. (I keep checking this book out from the library, it's on my wish list. :) )

Cream of Chicken soup substitute
1 3/4 cup water
5 TBL White Bean Flour
4 tsp chicken bouillon or soup base (find some without MSG)

Bring water and base to a boil. Reduce heat or lower heat and whisk in bean flour. Mixture will thicken within 1 minute. Cook on medium heat for 2 more minutes.

This mixture can be refrigerated up to 1 week, and used in place of canned soup. Up to 1/4 cup chicken chunks can be added if desired.

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The USU Extension division also has a recipe to use for a cream soup mix. I haven't used it but I'll include it since some people might not have white bean flour for the other recipe.

Homemade "Cream" Soup Mix
2 c powdered nonfat milk
3/4 c cornstarch
1/4 c instant chicken or beef bouillon (find some without MSG)
2 T dried onion flakes
1 t basil leaves
1 t thyme leaves
1/2 t pepper
Combine all ingredients, mixing well. Store in air-tight container until ready to use. Makes enough to replace 9 cans of creamed soup.
Cream of Chicken Soup: Combine 1/3 cup of cream soup mix with 1 1/4 cups of cold water in saucepan. Cook and stir until thickened. Substitute for 1 can of soup for casserole recipes.
From USU Extension

Affirmative

It's affirmative that we're pregnant. We even saw the little gummy bear on the monitor from the small ultra sound machine. I even have a picture, but I don't think I'll post it since no one would be able to tell what anything is. It looks like a circle with a dot inside. That dot is our 2-inch fetus.

I've said before that I love my midwife. We met with her for over an hour and just chatted. Salem & Oaklen got to play with toys in the exam room while Darrell and I talked to her. Salem helped take my blood pressure and even helped shake the blood samples.

From the measurement on the ultra sound she said I was 8 weeks and 2 days. So that gives me a due date around the first part of March.

We were so good that we all got stickers and I got a Hello Kitty band aid.

I'm thankful for this family event, and was sad to think that at my next appointment Salem will miss it since he'll be in school.

Ironic things

What things in your life are ironic? Here are some paradoxes in mine:

* Salem won't eat the big regular Sunkist oranges yet he loves clementines or the canned mandarin oranges.
* My kids waking up even earlier than normal on a Saturday morning when we could have slept in, then the next day having to wake them up to get up for church.
* Laundry - I think I should get rid of clothes to cut down on the amount of laundry I do but if I got rid of the clothes I'd have to do more laundry because I'd have less clothes.
* Thinking you're completely ready to leave the house for an event, then suddenly scurrying the last 5 minutes to get ready.
* Unintentionally going a whole day without using the microwave, yet when the microwave is now not working, wanting to use it for everything!
* Going hours without using electricity, then when the power goes out thinking that we can't do anything because we have no electricity.
* One of my children not caring about a certain toy until the other child has it and he must play with it right now!
* Being too tired to go to bed.
* I don't eat hamburgers (with a big hunk of meat) but I'll usually eat sloppy joes.
* I subscribe to many email newsletters but hardly ever open any. My inbox has over 1300 unread messages.

Malaise

Here's a word of the day for you:
Malaise is a feeling of general discomfort or uneasiness, an "out of sorts" feeling, often the first indication of an infection or other disease.

I didn't know this word until a few months ago when Darrell used it in a sentence. I said what? huh? What the heck is malaise? He couldn't believe that I didn't know that word. (Sorry, I must have missed that vocab word in English class.) Now it's a joke every time one of us feel malaise. :)

I have been feeling malaise with this pregnancy. I'm thankfully not sick & throwing up but I just feel blah! I open the fridge to find something to eat and nothing sounds good. I force myself to eat something and I feel better but within about 10 minutes I'm back to feeling malaise - tired and blah.

Happy Birthday Elwood

Today is July 16, 2008. This would have been my dad's 65th birthday. He's been gone for almost 19 years but there isn't a day that goes by that I don't still think about him.

Darrell and I like to think that Oaklen takes after my dad, although we don't have any baby pictures of my dad. Oaklen has the same shape face and eyes as he did, and possibly some of the same mannerisms.

Memories or things I miss about my dad:
* The big "daddy bear" hugs when he'd come home from work smelling like he had worked a long hard sweaty day.
* His legs - he used to wear short shorts to show off his great legs. Some of the shorts were so short that the pockets would hang out of them!
* As he would tuck me in, he'd tickle my tummy and do a sort-of Donald Duck noise with his mouth.
* Whenever he'd tuck me in at night, before turning off the light and shutting the door he'd put up his two fingers up (like the number 2, or bunny ears) and bend them up and down.
* Snuggling on his bed, watching Star Trek and listening to him laugh with his whole body shaking.
* His belt. He always had a cool belt buckle and a leather belt with "Elwood" or "Woody" engraved on the backside.
* He'd often wear cowboy boots, and sometimes his black cowboy hat.
* I loved his waffles. He'd use applesauce and make them really soft & heavy. I had mine with margarine & syrup but he'd put a fried egg in-between his two waffles and eat it with syrup on top.
* He didn't do my hair too often but when he did, he'd put my hair in "piggie tails" and twist it so hard it'd make my eyes squint.
* He taught me how to ride my bicycle. After I had learned for some time over at the high school parking lot, I went down the hill on my street and kept pedaling the whole way. He kept yelling "Coast, coast!" But I didn't know what the word "coast" meant. I ended up falling into Jensen's bush down the street because I couldn't control myself. :)
* My friend Tracee always said that my dad was the only one that could tickle her. She wasn't ticklish otherwise.
* The smell of sawdust reminds me of him. I'd sometimes be in the "shop" with him while he was working on something and I'd love to pick up the cool "quarters" that were on the ground from the electrical outlets and play with them. (The round metal discs that would come out of metal electrical boxes.)
* He used to drive an old blue Datsun truck
* He loved Snickers bars
* While driving he would sometimes open the door to spit on the road. Eew.
* I'd be riding in the truck with him and he'd reach over to tickle my knee & thigh, then he'd have to over correct the steering wheel.
* He had a pair of pajamas that my mom gave him that had kisses all over it. He'd wear them for valentines day and Christmas.
* On St. Patrick's day one year I tried to pinch him since he was only wearing his blue robe, but then he pulled out a sock from the pocket on his robe with a green stripe on it!
* I remember his permed hair. My mom gave him a couple of perms in the 80's.
* He got a black eye by dropping a wrench on it while he was fixing/preparing our van to travel across the country. All the vacation pictures have his black eye.

Here are a few random pictures of him. I was able to get some pictures from the earlier years from my Aunt. These are the only ones I have.

Happiness Part VII

Happiness is...
* Watching Oaklen look at the pressure cooker top rocking and then he rocking his head to mimic.
* Finding & a dish that is your same pattern at a thrift store, especially when one just broke.
* Always being able to find a recipe online...I love the internet! :)
* Watching my boys hug and kiss each other good night.
* Listening to Oaklen say "Ready guys? Alright!"
* Salem getting on his hot polyester spiderman costume for the 4th time each week.
* Knowing that Darrell enjoys his job.
* Oaklen drawing "grass" on the chalk board.
* Going to the park each day so my boys can eat the free lunch.
* Salem learning how to read.
* Finding new meaning in a scripture that you've read a thousand times.
* Not being sick due to pregnancy (sorry if any of you have!)
* Knowing that Heavenly Father is looking out for me and my family.
* Salem having friends in the neighborhood to play with.
* Watching my garden grow bigger every day.
* Holding a sleeping child.
* My boys holding a cheerio between their index and middle fingers and saying "hoon!" (I don't know what it means, but it makes me laugh.)

Like the back of my hand

There is a saying that goes "I know [that] like the back of my hand." Well, today I'm going to tell you a little about the back of my hand. :)


1. The back of my hand often has stickers on it from fruits or vegetables that I have eaten during the day. Yesterday my hand was quite filled because of the great deals I had gotten on fruit the day before. We went to Sunflower Market in Murray (across the street from Fashion Place Mall) and it was a great store! I'll shop there if I'm ever in the neighborhood. It was their second week of the grand opening. It'll be nice to have a competitor to Whole Foods Market in the valley.

2. The back of my hand has my nails (of course) and my hang nails. Of all the gross habits that people have, I chose to have the habit of picking my nails and my hangnails so much to make them bleed. Darrell thinks it's gross and it probably is, but I think biting your nails is even more gross. :)

3. In the picture above, there are no rings on this hand. When I was a teenager, I used to wear at least 3 rings on each hand. I had a picture taken once and saw my ugly, un-decorated hands and from then on I started wearing a lot of rings. I stopped wearing them I got engaged since my yellow gold wedding ring didn't match my silver rings. I have other nice gold rings, but I didn't wear them often. Now I've gotten out of the habit of wearing rings, and it's more convenient not to wear rings with my young children.

4. My nails are not painted. I almost never paint my nails, mainly because of the upkeep, plus I pick them. Most people get their nails done for their wedding, but I didn't. I had my mom's friend paint them but that was it.

5. Luckily it's summer time so my hand picture looks better than it would in the winter. During the winter months, my hands scream with dry skin and excema. That's what I get for living in the desert. They often crack and bleed. I made some ointment with my calendula flowers from my garden last year and that seems to help, but I don't put it on as much as I should since I wash my hand so often from diaper changes and various other household and motherly duties.

6. If I have to remind myself of something, I sometimes write a code or acronym on the back of my left thumb. I try not to do it since Salem notices and thinks he can write on himself too but sometimes I just have to.

7. Another way I remind myself to do something is I put my wedding ring on my right hand. It feels really weird so it makes me remember what I have to do.

8. I would say I have normal sized hands. They're not huge, but they're not small.

9. My pinkies are slightly crooked after the top knuckle. It's known from my Kennard family heritage, but it's gotten less over the generations. (My mom's pinkies are more crooked than mine.)

10. My thumb can be bent back like a hitchhiker thumb, but not as far as my brother's thumb. (My mom cannot bend her thumb back at all, it only goes straight up and down.)

11. I'm "double jointed" and can bend the top part of my fingers over and also pop my joints.

Okay there you go, now you know all about the back of my hand and can now say "I know [that] like the back of my hand and Heather's hand!"

Maybe I'll do another post sometime about the front of my hand. There are some interesting stories.

A grateful heart

On Monday Darrell was riding his bike to work and got in a bike/car accident. He's okay and ended up only hurting his shoulder, he has a torn ligament. It has put a cramp in our week but I'm very grateful that our troubles weren't as big as they could have been.

I really feel that Darrell was protected and that this was just enough of a wake up call for him to be more careful while riding his bike. (If or when he does again.)

It also has solved one of our problems. Since we're pregnant and we'll need to get a bigger vehicle within the next year, we haven't figured out what to do with our current car situation. Which car do we sell? We love them both. Since this accident, our decision is to sell Darrell's Honda since it's a stick shift. He has had to take my car to work this week since he can't use his right shoulder/arm to shift the manual transmission. If we are only going to have one car, I would want it to be convenient with an automatic transmission.

Darrell, I love you and am grateful for every breath you take!

4 + 1 = 5

We're adding to our family next year. A new baby is due in March, yeah!



We found out that we were pregnant about 2 weeks ago. I was really ornery for no reason so we knew we were probably pregnant! :) It took 5 tests to completely convince me that I'm pregnant. The lines on the tests were very faint so the nurses said it was about a 90% chance. The next week I took one more test, and it was as dark as the line could be! So, let's hope the 3rd time (baby) is a charm!

Things that must go

Just like Kerry Bill & Gina on X96, these are my list of things that must go.

* Shoelaces that are obviously too long for the intended shoe.
* Mixed vegetables (I actually don't mind them, but kids always want just one of the vegetables not all, so you always have to end up picking some out for someone!)
* Starting the dishwasher then finding another dish somewhere a little later.
* "Mommy-jungle gym" when I'm trying to do yoga.
* Stores that advertise a certain item, then when you go to the store they don't have it or they don't even carry it
* Misplacing your cell phone in your house and then not being able to call it to find it since it's on vibrate.
* Forgetting about a load of laundry in the washing machine then finding it a few days later. Eew!
* Dogs that come pounce on you when you open someone's front door.
* Dropping your last bite of food on the ground. (I always plan out my food and determine what will be my last bite, I hate it when I can't fulfill that last bite!)
* Faucets that are too small and make you hug the back of the sink. Why is the sink so large if the faucet is going to be so small?
* Dashing to the phone when you're inconvenienced only to find out the person dialed the wrong number.
* People who assume you know who they are when you're talking to them on the phone. (It could be obvious but I prefer you to say who you are.)
* Solicitors that call for the 3rd or 4th time but the representative doesn't know that I've heard the same spiel and they keep talking over me.
* Insurance company craziness. How many hours do we need to be on the phone to get things right?

Fortunate Dinner

Last month, Darrell's employer announced that they will reward people with gift cards every month if the employee rides his bike or carpools at least 3 days a week.

Darrell is a dedicated person, he rode his bike to and from work (9 miles each way) every day last month except one! Unbelievable!

So, last night Darrell treated our small family to Pei Wei restaurant using the gift card that he earned. We had great food and then of course, the fortune cookies.
Here were our fortunes:
Heather: "Wealth awaits you very soon."
Darrell: "You are a considerate and a thoughtful person."
Salem: "You have a deep interest in all that is artistic."
Oaklen: "Your mentality is practical and alert."

Sleeping under the stars

A few days ago Salem and Darrell slept outside under the stars. They were able to do this a couple times last year and this weekend was the first time sleeping outside for this year.

They slept on the patio comfortably with air mattresses and lots of blankets & pillows. It's always a fun experience for them to have "Dad & me time." Darrell enjoys listening to Salem tell his fun stories and them looking at the stars and talking about space.

I missed my two boys sleeping inside that night. Although, I can't wait until Oaklen is old enough to sleep outside with them too, then maybe mom will get to have "me time."

MSG

Today's nutrition topic is about avoiding MSG. No Carl, we're not talking about Madison Square Garden, we're talking about Monosodium Glutamate! :)

MSG may influence the body’s metabolism in a negative way. It “over stimulates the glutamine receptors of the brain”, which means that it heightens the salty and sweet tastes of the dish containing MSG, while at the same time, it dampens the bitter and sour tastes. Interestingly enough, MSG “may cause us to eat more” (Remember my post on HFCS? It does the same thing), and it can also cause higher levels of insulin to be produced.

What is it exactly?
A flavor enhancer. MSG is usually produced by hydrolyzing vegetable protein or by fermentation of glucose from starchy foods.

Why do food companies add MSG to foods?
(http://www.msgtruth.org/whatisit.htm)
There are several reasons:

1. MSG tricks your tongue into making you think a certain food is high in protein and thus nutritious. It is not a "meat tenderizer". It is not a "preservative". The food industry is trying to confuse the issue by focusing on the "fifth" taste sense they call umami. Free glutamic acid is detected by the taste buds as a simple way to signal the presence of protein in a food, just as there are fat receptors to detect fats and receptors that sense carbohydrate or sweet flavors. The purpose is to help us discern real food from inedible matter. It changes your perception of not simply taste but the nutritious qualities of what you put into your mouth. However, and here is the main problem with free glutamic acid - It is the very same neurotransmitter that your brain and many organs including your ears, eyes, nervous system and pancreas in your body use to initiate certain processes in your body.
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2. MSG stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin. So many diets these days are concerned about the Glycemic Index of foods and yet none of them address the fact that MSG and free glutamic acid stimulate the pancreas to release insulin when there doesn't even have to be carbohydrates in the food for that insulin to act on. The food industry has found their own "anti-appetite suppressant". It's a convenient way to keep consumers coming back for more. The blood sugar drops because of the insulin flood. And you are hungry an hour later. Sound familiar?

3. The body changes excess glutamate to GABA. GABA may be addictive. It is calming and affects the same receptors in the brain as valium.

4. Cost. The illusion created by adding MSG to a food product enables the food processor to add LESS real food. The illusion of more protein in a food allows the food producer to put LESS protein in it. The consumer perceives the product - say chicken soup - to have more chicken in it than is actually there. Example: A well-known brand of dehydrated chicken noodle soup. Is that chicken in there, or a piece of confetti?

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MSG: If it's Safe, Why do They Disguise it on Labels?
by www.SixWise.com

Monosodium glutamate, commonly known as MSG, was thought of as a "miracle food enhancer" when it was first introduced to the public over five decades ago.

More than just a seasoning like salt and pepper, MSG could actually enhance the flavors of foods, making processed meats and frozen dinners taste fresher and smell better, salad dressings more tasty, and canned foods less tinny.

No MSG

This sign from the front window of a Chinese restaurant suggests just how many people prefer to have their food MSG-free.

It wasn't until people started having side effects after eating foods with MSG that some began to question whether this miracle flavoring was too good to be true. Today, many more question its safety, but others insist it's safe.

How Much MSG are Americans Eating?

Americans associate MSG with Chinese food. In fact, MSG Symptom Complex, which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identifies as "short-term reactions" to MSG, was for some time (unfairly) referred to in the United States as "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome."

But MSG is in many more foods than Chinese food, and is listed under many other names than MSG. So while many Americans are aware that MSG has been linked to some negative side effects, or have experienced them personally, and believe they are avoiding it in their diets, many have been misled.

Food manufacturers, who realize that many people would prefer NOT to have MSG in their food, have adapted by using so-called "clean labels." These ingredient labels hide MSG under names that consumers won't recognize, such as hydrolyzed soy protein.

Some manufacturers have also gone so far as to list "No MSG," "No Added MSG," or "No MSG Added" on product labels when MSG is still present, but exists only as a constituent in another ingredient!

MSG is Always In:
* Autolyzed yeast
* Calcium caseinate
* Gelatin
* Glutamate
* Glutamic acid
* Hydrolyzed protein
* Monopotassium glutamate
* Monosodium glutamate
* Sodium caseinate
* Textured protein
* Yeast extract
* Yeast food
* Yeast Nutrient

MSG is Often In:
* Barley Malt
* Bouillon
* Broth
* Carrageenan
* Enzyme-modified substances
* Flavoring
* Flavors
* Malt Extract
* Malt flavoring
* Maltodextrin
* Natural flavor/flavorings
* Natural pork/beef/chicken flavoring
* Pectin
* Protein-fortified substances
* Seasonings
* Soy protein
* Soy protein isolate or concentrate
* Soy sauce
* Soy sauce extract
* Stock
* Vegetable gum
* Whey protein
* Whey protein isolate or concentrate

Alt Tab and Keyboard Shortcuts

Do you remember who taught you Alt-tab? If you know what I'm talking about then you'll agree that it's the best keyboard shortcut to start with, and you'll fondly remember who taught you it.

My brother taught me Alt-tab. It was the greatest thing, and now I don't know how anyone doesn't get by without it. Thanks Cabot!

(By the way, Alt-tab is for PC users; Mac users can use Command-tab.)

I've come to learn a lot of different keyboard shortcuts, and it really does save time when you're doing tasks.

I could call Darrell and myself "mouse potatoes." We don't sit in front of the TV, we sit in front of the computer! :) There are often times when the kids are finally asleep and Darrell and I have good quality time together to sit at the computer and teach each other cool tricks on the computer. We'll show each other keyboard shortcuts, macros, and excel tricks. It's actually pretty fun! :)

I challenge you, if you want to get faster at doing things on the computer, get off your mouse and start using the keyboard! Google keyboard shortcuts or just learn them using your "help" tool in most programs (help is usually F1.) Learn one shortcut a week and by no time, you'll know a lot of really useful keyboard shortcuts!

For the Strength of Youth Pamphlet

Last night as we were getting ready for Family Home evening, Oaklen pulled the For the Strength of You Pamphlet out of the book shelf. He was looking through it and enjoyed viewing the pictures of Christ.

It made me remember hearing a lady in Stake Conference a few weeks ago talk about her family using that pamphlet in family home evening. They would read one section from it each week. I wanted to start doing that with my family and I'm glad that Oaklen reminded me.

Now we do the following:
Sing a Song
Say a Prayer
Read from the For the Strength of Youth Pamphlet
Read a scripture
Give a lesson
Say a Prayer
Do an activity
Have a treat (sometimes)

Last night for the activity we played musical chairs. Darrell got out his guitar and the rest of us danced around two cushioned blocks, it was fun.