The vegetable challenge

I acknowledge that I like to be in control of what my kids eat at home. I think this is normal and ok while I'm the one shopping and cooking for them. I know that outside our house, its not all in my control. They go by taste, not nutritional content, and our environment has so many 'super foods' aka fast food and packaged foods, that they don't understand how easy it is to get sick by eating that food to often too long.

We parents often get frustrated that their kids won't eat what they make, which for us often includes vegetables. So, last year Siri and Jane took up my 'Vegetable Challenge' for them: Eat your vegetables whenever we have them at meals (including breakfast, lunch and dinner) for a year, and you get $100. Siri has until the end of September and Jane the end of October. It's ok if they don't want to eat them, I tell them I'll clear their place if they're done. But, if I clear it, they will lose money. So far, and with much patience and second chances, they are still going to reach their goal.

I'll add pumpkin puree to the pancakes, shredded carrots to their yogurt parfaits, spinach in the smoothies, but they generally eat their veggies cut up and raw, maybe with dip. Ruby's favorite is plain cooked broccoli, Jane loves Mark's sauteed green beans, and Siri is a straight up raw carrot/cucumber kind of gal.

As for a Ruby update, nothing new :)
She goes for scans in July, just as a precaution. The genetic test to see if the gene mutation they found in the mass is in every cell of her body is still not complete, or at least we haven't heard back yet. I'm not anxious as there is nothing we can do to change it, but it will help us to know what to do going forward.

As for me-I had a phase of I'm-getting-old-itis. I saw a podiatrist-I have a bunion on my left food, but its not painful so he said to wear orthodics and that's about it. When we got back from Jamaica I needed a detox so I did the diet of the book I read, The Fast Metabolism Diet. I could do a whole other post on that! Maybe I will...but I got a physical after the 28 days and all my numbers, including blood sugar, thyroid and cholesterol, were good.

Non scale victory? Fitting (just barely and with very shallow breaths as not to split the fabric so that your daughter can wear it one day) into your wedding dress.

Out of curiosity, I saw a chiropractor. I've had some random back pain, but nothing I thought was serious. I got a 2nd opinion to see what they'd say. I have mild scoliosis in my back, the curve of my neck is non existent, in fact it slightly curves the wrong way, and some of my discs in my cspine and lumbar are squished-thus the back spasms. Anyway, I'm not about to pay $3K and go 4x a week to 'fix it'. But I have tried to do more yoga and swim. If nothing else it made me so much more aware of my posture and the impact and stress I put on my body. So yes, I am getting older, and I'm kinda glad about it. It's nice to take it easier :)



Siri got a hair chop!




She LOVED Kindergarten but is happy for summer! I am too...loving being all together before she's gone all day for 1st grade!

Mother's Day Love

Let us remember the truth that Heavenly Father has created all of us. We are meant to live in families. In order to survive, Mothers have been given the ability to know their kids are cuter than all the other kids. Knowing my kids are the cutest ever is one of the joys of being a parent. Sometimes I want to eat them they're so beautiful!

Best pic ever from Siri

Tender!

The banner they made for me :)

A pic of my sisters in law, on the Thack side, before I was officially in the family. I love them all so much and am thankful for their examples and wisdom.

Moms used to be young and less wrinkly at one time :)

Mark's mom in about 2002

Jane's in the Primary class I teach. 

I brought props and took a pic of each kid for their mom

My Grandma Fetzer!

My mom as a young girl. I just love this picture.

Mark's family last month. A good bunch.

Mark Steve Bill Milt & Sandy Ted James Tom Anne

I glued bows on her head for months, now Siri has the most beautiful thick hair!

Happy Father's Day to Mark this week...he and Siri 2008

prego with Siri, July 2008

prego with Ruby Christmas Day 2012

prego with Ruby

prego with Jane 2010

Jane :)

sisters!

Jane

prego with Siri 2008

I'm sorry, don't hate me. I never had major problems being pregnant. I got incredibly tired and puked in the first few months, but it was a once a day and I'm better kind of sick.  I'm so thankful to have our 3 girls. They are the treasures we can take with us after this life on earth. I pray everyday that I can be better so that they'll have a better example to follow. 

unacceptable

I have crossed the line of acceptable blogging etiquette. It is not polite to not-blog for over a month. So, apologies and here are some updates!

The end of April we spent getting the townhome we rent out in Ogden ready for new peeps to move-in. We had never painted or re-carpeted and it needed it. Sadly I haven't seen what the 'after' looks like, but the new renters are in and all is well (minus the noisy pipes that I've been told will cost $500-800 to fix with a new pressure valve. Doh!).  Huge thanks to our neighbor for going with Mark and spending all day helping him paint and get it ready.

sorting out and playing with 'treasures'

dang cute

Loved doing another session of The Gauntlet training with Liz and these ladies at Crossroads Fitness. I have frozen my membership for summer so that I'll play outside more and be with the kiddos!

While Mark was working on the townhome thing, I was writing lists in the dark: We were getting ready to leave the kids for a week so my mind was just worrying and racing. I'd write things down if it was keeping me up at night. All my worry and tetris-like planning paid off. Once we left I didn't worry at all! I love them dearly, but I think it was good that I didn't miss them like I thought I would. Mark and I had a great time, and they did as well. Everyone slept and ate well, no one got sick, and we all lived happily ever after :)

Mark was hired to shoot a destination wedding in Jamaica (of a couple who lives in Utah). This was the first time he'd shot outside the U.S. and with it falling about the same time as our 10 year anniversary, we decided to make a trip of it!  I just LOVED the climate. It emphasized what a deserty desert we live in. My face was cracking and peeling for a good two weeks after we got back. The resort was nice, and even better for all the crazies who took advantage of the unlimited drinks. It took a little over an hour to get there on the shuttle from the airport. It's a run down country and there is a lot of poverty. It was sad to see, but at the same time I think its probably sad for them to see all these tourists come in and enjoy excess. And it's true, they boast Bob Marley and reply "Yah Mon" to everything. The water and beach was beautiful.

The food was good, not great, because I don't see how you can prepare really good food for so many people. I loved all the fresh fruit and vegetables that were always available like passion fruit, melons, apples, pineapple, beets, cucumbers. They had ox tail, chicken liver, lamb and terrible ice cream. The made-to-order pasta and omlets were our favorites. The jerk chicken was a lil spicy for me, but Mark loved it. I read Behind the Beautiful Forevers  and another book called The Fast Metabolism Diet, both of which I enjoyed. Mark read The Boys in the Boat and The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. We watched old episodes of The Office and The Lord of the Rings (what was I thinking agreeing to that-totally gave me nightmares). Our favorite was the morning we took a trip to Blue Hole Falls. It was a crazy bumpy ride there, but well worth it! Our guide was a 25 year old guy (who looked like a 16 year old boy) and you could tell this was his backyard. He knew every nook and cranny and jumped from crazy high heights. The entertainment they had for the guests was awesome-steel drum bands, lip syncing elvis impersonator, an NBA game projected on a screen on the beach one night, and classes and things going on all day. I had a hard time for the first day, it took time to relax and enjoy not being busy. By the end I wouldn't have minded one more day :)

Me jumping at Blue Hole Falls

our flight didn't leave until after midnight...the enthusiasm dwindled as the night/morning went on.

but then we arrived to this!

paddle boats and sea kayas to use whenever

coconuts are such a cool fruit/drink/delicious

I love reading

it was windy but nice, and only rained once

we mean business

yes, we participated in beach water aerobics

Hottie! So thankful to be married to him.

compare this picture to Nacho Libre jumping into the wrestling ring, very similar I think ;)

Huge thank you to all the peoples that made our trip possible, including the couple that got married, my mom, Liz, Tim & Sarah, Kelli, Amy, Adina, and Kris!