Summer Camp
I spent this last week at summer camp with our scouts. I had a terrific time and it was great to see the boys learn new skills, have fun and show scout spirt.
But, it’s great to be home. There nothing quite like my wonderful wife and family.
06/27/2009 | hugh | What are you doing this summer?
Family Chaos
Sometimes the funniest thing about my family is the every day chaos. We were waiting for family home evening to start and Kennerley was in the living room practicing the piano, I was in the family room at the computer with Jensen sitting on the couch reading a book to Hugh with Quinan sitting on the other end of the couch playing a guitar while singing, “I love rock-n-roll.” I just started laughing because I have no idea how anyone could do anything there was so much chaotic noise. Just an everyday occurrence around here.
06/15/2009 | michele | Comment
I LOVE SUMMER!!!!!!!
I love that by 9:00 am we are just getting started instead of already feeling like I have half my day over. I love that I can stay up later than 9:00 pm without thinking the whole time “I am really going to regret this tomorrow.” I love that I can enjoy the day and still have time to get things done! I love the heat (well, we haven’t really had that yet – but I am looking forward to it) I love making lemon bars which for some reason just taste the best in the summer. I love that I am not rushing around like a crazy woman taking kids someplace, picking up kids from someplace, taking them again. I don’t think I have ever appreciated summer as much as I do this year. Everyday I say to myself, “I love summer!”
What is your favorite part of summer?
06/11/2009 | michele | Comment [1]
Fruits and Veggies
The past few months our family has really strived to eat more fruits and vegetables. Actually not only eat more but have fruits and vegetables be our primary source of food.
One of the reasons for this was an article I came across which stated the following information: “Since the early 1900s, significant changes have occurred in the American diet. In 1909 about 60 to 70 percent of our caloric intake came from whole garden foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds. We consumed less than 20% of our calories from animal-based sources, and less than 20 percent of our calories were consumed from oils, sugar, and other refined and processed foods. As the food industry has perfected the most profitable way to sell food, our intake of meat has more than doubled per person; fat intake has more than doubled; cheese and soda intakes have risen 7 times; intake of sugar has more than doubled; intake of salad oils has risen 13 times; intake of fresh garden produce is 13 times less; and we consume 100 pounds less grain per person per year. The U.S. now consumes 42 percent of its calories from animal-based foods; 51 percent from refined and processed foods; and 7 percent from whole garden foods.”
From some reason this really struck something in me when I read it and as a result we have dabbled in having our primary source of food come from fresh fruits and vegetables, grains and legumes. I have to say it is not easy. And its not easy because processed or man-made foods are made to taste so good so we often fall back to those delicious chips. At least that is what does it more me. So one of my goals this summer is to really get my body used to eating only fruits and vegetables. I have found some recipes that fit in that I have started trying out and I have to say I am pretty surprised how good they taste. Another problem I have had in eating this way is that I love to cook and I love trying new recipes. It seems sometimes like there isn’t so much you can make when eating fruits and vegetables. But so far these recipes have kept the chef part of me satisfied. The funny thing is that the times in the past when we have tried eating this way we always feel great and have more energy and then somehow get sucked back into the processed foods, oils, sugars, etc. I wonder why that is when we can actually feel the difference?
Please share if you have any recipes using no oils, processed items, etc. Or if you are successful in finding ways not to eat those yummy chips. Can you tell chips are my downfall?
05/31/2009 | michele | Comment [2]
WE ARE BACK!!!
Yea! We only have 4 more days of school left and only one of those is a whole day. I think I am more excited than the kids!
I couple of years ago there was an article in the Washington Post, Pearls Before Breakfast. This article is long so if you don’t want to read it here is a quick summary (though I HIGHLY recommend reading it). The writer of the article did an experiment. He placed Joshua Bell – a very accomplished violinist in a busy subway station during the morning rush hour dressed in street clothes. Joshua Bell played and they video taped how many people would stop and listen. “His performance was arranged by The Washington Post as an experiment in context, perception and priorities — as well as an unblinking assessment of public taste: In a banal setting at an inconvenient time, would beauty transcend? The musician did not play popular tunes whose familiarity alone might have drawn interest. That was not the test. These were masterpieces that have endured for centuries on their brilliance alone, soaring music befitting the grandeur of cathedrals and concert halls.” This article has made such an impression on me because so many people not only did not stop to listen but many did not even notice. I am often afraid that if I had been there I would have been one of those who had not even noticed. I get so focused on what I need to do that I don’t notice the beauty around me. I know I miss alot. So I have really been trying not to rush through life. But slow down and enjoy it. Well, this past school year I didn’t do so well with that. There was to much new stuff our family went through and life got rather crazy.
So yea I am going to get back to slowing down my life. As I am getting back to living life and not just being in life I also need to do 2 things. #1 – get my house under control. It is messy and dirty and I need to clean it and organize it. #2 – get in better health by eating better and getting into shape.
Of course I will be trying to do these thing – along with enjoying whatever is going on – while I try to keep 3 kids from being bored and fitting in a busy church calling. So wish me luck!
What do you want to do with your summer?
05/29/2009 | michele | Comment [1]
My Favorite Things... 5/24/09
Here is a list of my favorite things.
Pandas :)
Books/reading
Family
Friends
Chicken Wings
Computers
Brownies
Milk (I don’t know why, but I like milk and I had to put it down)
Theatre
TV
Ability to write
FOOD!! (I’m hungry right now)
Journals... 5/24/09
Today in Young Women’s, we learned about the importance of keeping a journal.
Some of the leaders came up and shared their experiences and thoughts of journals. The first leader(I won’t name the names in case they don’t want everyone to know stuff about them) that came up had been journaling most of her life. She mostly had journals with loose leaf and stuffed random things in the pockets. Their was a Roadshow program, even a bug in her missionary journal. By keeping a journal, she found out a lot about herself. The second leader told about her journal, which was from a trip where she first met her husband. :) The last didn’t keep much journals, and she said how much she regretted it. She no longer remembers experiences she wished she did. We
We also talked about the different ways to keep a journal.
1. Write about things you are grateful for
2. Write about your favorite things
3. Write about spiritual experiences
4. Write about any experiences you have
5. Write these things down on calendars to remember the dates
6. Write in an LDS journal account (an online journal) (ldsjournal.com)
We set down what I would call rules.
1. Write about anything, it doesn’t matter what
2. You don’t have to keep it if you don’t want. For example, you just wanted to blow off some steam
3. Keep a journal before you regret you didn’t
4. You won’t regret keeping a journal.
5. Don’t throw away experiences. Your children may go through the same thing and want to know how you dealt with it or felt
How to pick strawberries
Quinan is watching Special Agent OSO. Each show has a problem and on this particular episode it’s not knowing how to pick strawberries.
Quinan said: “that’s easy!”
I say: It had better be because he was just in the backyard and hour or two earlier picking (and eating) some.
Date Ideas
I need a favor, date ideas, can you comment with what you did on your five most memorable dates?
04/08/2009 | hugh | Comment [2]
FHE Games
On Monday night, Michele was in charge of the Family Home Evening activity. She decided to have us play some of the games that will be used at Thursday night’s pioneer R.S. activity. It was totally fun, so much that I was thinking it might be cool to crash the meeting… well almost that cool.