Highjacked

My blog was highjacked this morning... and I fixed it all by myself! Good for me :p

... are you down, down, down? ... Pick Yourself UP

As a youth and young mother I suffered with depression off and on for years. In dealing with it for so long I've learned to recognize it as it comes and the things that compound it into a big problem. There are, for me, two things that I can change that help/hurt me. I'm not going to talk about the things that I cannot change because when I focus on those things (ie. money, things that just happen, what other people do, or how they treat me) it only gets worse.

1. FOOD, what I eat. Am I eating foods that good for me? Most importantly, greens and the right types of oil.
2. SIN, you can't be happy doing things you know are wrong... for me it is mostly sins of omission, what am I not doing? prayers, reading scriptures, being loving to my family, serving others, or maybe I'm being lazy, wasting the time or talents given me by the Lord. Spending my time on the internet instead of on my children.
The problem is that I don't feel like changing those things. When I'm feeling sorry for myself I want to be lazy and eat junk...

Often I give myself a day to mope, then force myself to do better.
As an example earlier this week, Sunday, I was feeling really bad about my life, something my loving thoughtless husband had said. I could feel it coming on so Monday I was sure to drink my green drink (I highly recommend it for emergency like this) and set a goal to better myself, in this case it is to read the Book of Mormon and all of last conference before this next coming one (32 days). Now before you think I am a super hero let me just say that I will not really be reading it, but I will be listening to it online.

I'll track my progress here:
March 1st First book Nephi chapters 1-9
2nd chapters 10-16
3rd chapters 17- 22
4th Second Nephi chapters 1-8
5th chapters 9-17
6th went to Monterey :)
7th chapters 18-33
8th bad day, bad day...
9th Jacob, Enos, Jerom, Omni
10th-15th lost track :p
16th started Alma chapter 10
50% done woohoo :D
18th started my day with "O that I were an angel" Alma chapter 29, my heart almost sings with this chapter...
23rd started the Book of Helaman
30th 90% done
31st started Ether, right on track :)

What to feed the hamster?

Today a friend gave us a sweet little hamster named Geoffrey Gnaucer (like Chaucer but gnaw, get it). So, Zion Prep has a new classroom pet. We are keeping him on a trial basis for now, but, what will we feed him? so I am looking up what the right foods would be for him...

What do wild hamsters eat? :P

Ok, a hamster is an omnivore that lives mostly on seeds and nuts. I can do that.
equal parts of:
• sunflower seeds
• flax seeds
• lentils (dry)
• pumpkin seeds
• pine nuts (optional)
• sesame seeds (optional)
• soy bean (optional)
• buckwheat (optional)
• millet (optional)
• feed corn (optional)
• find other items that your hamster prefers.

Feed him about a tablespoon each day.
Supplement his diet with a variety of fresh foods like:
• apples
• bananas
• green beans
• broccoli
• cabbage
• carrots
• cauliflower
• corn
• celery
• peas
• zucchini
• sweet potatoes
another good treat is a boiled egg.
Do not feed hamsters tomatoes, garlic, onions, grape seeds, apple seeds, citrus fruits, almonds, cabbage, eggplant, kidney beans, mushrooms, pickles, potato, rhubarb, or junk food designed for humans (chocolate, chips, etc.)
I really enjoyed the inspirational food I saw at Hamster Tracker  :)

Blueberries!

Today, I'm all about blueberries!
I've allways wanted to grow blueberries, but I didn't think I could in my area... then the other day I saw that there was a blueberry farm in my town (http://www.blueskyblueberries.com/) and I thought that's what I want! so now I am all excited about blueberries.
so this is what I've learned:
The type of blueberries we would grow in my area is "highbush"

I think we are in zone 8. You should plant two plants per person in your family.
I want plants that will ripen early, mid, and late, that are hardy and can withstand the heat.
The species that I think are best suited for us are:

O’Neal: Very Early, Ripens in early May. Blooms and ripens over an extended period. Best flavor of the southern highbush. The bush is vigorous and upright to 6 feet.  Suggested chilling requirement of 200-400 hours. Zones 7-9

Misty: Early, A perfect compliment to “Sunshine Blue”, evergreen, about 5' tall, thrives along the west coast to the Canadian border. It yields best when planted with another variety. Tolerance for higher pH soils. best for Zones 7-9 Chilling needs are very low (150-300 hours) Zones 5-10.




Georgia Gem: Mid-season, An upright bush to 5-6 feet. Quite cold hardy, yet tolerant of high temperatures. It is performing exceptionally well in California. Requires a minimum of 200-300 chilling hours. Zones 7-9

Reveille: Late Mid-season, easy to grow, to 5-6 feet tall, a great hedge plant. Hardy to 0 deg. F, it thrives in hot climates or in the cool Pacific Northwest. Needs at least 500 chilling hours for best production. Zones 7-9

Sunshine Blue:  semi-dwarf evergreen, Produces up to ten pounds of berries. Ripeing over a very long season, from early August through early September, up to 9 weeks. Hardiness to 0 degrees F, a very low chilling requirement of only 150 chilling hours and a tolerance for higher pH soils. 3-4 feet tall. self-pollinating Zones 5-10.

Southmoon: early-bearing, fine-tasting blueberry and the only one in a local collection of 20 varieties that didn’t show leaf burn in the hot California Summer.

Re-Blog

it's been a while, but, I've been busy. I've had two more kids, a boy named Noah who is now 3, and a girl named Rachel who is 6 months old. Phil is five and has started kendergarden (with us here at home of course)
As I get the time I will back-Blog thingz I've posted elsewhere.
I think that's enough for now I need to finish our taco lunch :P yum!

Rally for Life

On Wednesday, January 27th, I met with strangers, friends, and family on the West Steps of the State Capitol in Sacramento to speak for those who have no voice. Every January we go to the Rally for Life, in remembrance of Roe vs. Wade, and walk silently around the capital grounds. Thankfully the weather was very nice this year.

This rally marked the end of nearly a week of activities, the high light being Walk For Life in San Francisco. To view some amazing photos of that event go to Walk For Life It is amazing that we had such a huge turn-out in such a morally liberal city.

I have been going to these rallies sense I was in my teens now I take my own children. I want them to know what it is to peaceable assemble for a cause you believe in. To aline yourself with something you know to be right and true- even if the current morality seems to oppose you. I enjoy the comrodary with so many from different faiths and backgrounds.

The real reason I go is to send a message to God and government as to where I stand when it comes to life. The creation of life is a most powerful thing never to be taken lightly only to be surpassed in seriousness by the taking of life; abortion encompasses a careless infraction of each. It leads to unhappiness and disappointment.

Wickedness never was happiness.

written for Dot Net

Phil's Letter to Santa :)

this is the letter my 5 year old, Philip, sent to Santa...

Dear Santa,
I really want a present,
Please, I want a Buzz Lightyear.
Because I am name Philip.
Philip, are you good?
Yes, I am good.
Love,
Phil
I just had to share... :D

Be my Netflix Friend

if you are a member of Netflix.com we can be "friends" then we can share movies that we like with each other.
http://www.netflix.com/BeMyFriend/P5Vokp5mkPzeGevGPA8S
if you would like to invite others to be friends, anonymously, with you
go to your netflix account, friends home, click on friends & faves, then invite friends, and copy & paste the link here... see you there :)

and please share any great school movies you might know.

All About Our New Baby's Birth

Sorry, it's taken me so long to update you guys, but I have been busy ;)
She was born Aug.19, 2009
1:55 am
8 lb 6oz
20in long
head 13 ½in
We got home from Madelyn’s birthday party at ten. Rudy rubbed some “Labor Balm” that Renee had given us on my tummy before bed.

I fell asleep, not sure for how long. I was up & down to the bathroom. I knew I was in labor, but thought we might not need to call the midwives till morning. Most of the contractions were pretty intense, but not all. I was feeling really tired and was wishing for some sleep instead of laboring all night, after a particularly hard bathroom trip I laid down and told myself I was just going to go to sleep then finish when I woke up the next morning, over and over… I started to believe it as I laid there with no contraction for about 5 minutes (the longest I had gone for awhile) then a monster of a contraction hit me, I was unprepared and not in a good position, after that I tried to get up but another one hit as I started to move, then another when I tried again but this time there was fluid dripping down my leg so I made myself get to the bathroom. I figured the baby had kicked my bladder during that contraction and didn't think much of it. Had a few more strong contractions and in the bathroom cleaned myself up. I had turned the light on this time so when I came back to bed Rudy asked if everything was OK? I said it was fine I had just peed the bed a little. I’m not sure if I ever made it back to bed. After a few more major contractions I started to feel like I needed to throw-up, then I couldn't stop shaking. I thought this feels like transition, but it couldn't be not so soon… plus with my first I had signs of being in transition but an hour later when I had gotten to the hospital I was only at 5 cm.

Rudy came into the bathroom to check on me. He asked how I was, I asked him to get me something to throw-up into. I could tell by the look on his face, he was thinking *All right, we’re going to have a baby!* We were both thinking we would call the midwives in the morning.

The contractions were quite overwhelming, I knew I needed to get them under control if I was going to do this for another 10 to 24 hours. I asked Rudy to start the shower, thinking the warm water would help. When I got in the shower the contraction were coming so fast that I barely had time to turn around in the shower before the next one would hit. After a little bit I thought we should call the midwives… but I was too distracted whenever Rudy came in the bathroom to tell him. I didn't know it at the time but he was on the computer trying to find a page I had pulled up for him a few days before a "dad's cheat sheet" for recognizing different stages of labor and what to do in them.

At one point in the shower it was like I could feel each drop of water hitting my back, it did not feel good. I turned off the water. With the next contraction I went down into more of a squat and (UHHH) felt myself start to push. Rudy came in, I told him he might want to call the midwives. I told him where to find the number. (1:50 am) I heard him talking to Jen (our midwife). I felt my water break, and said “My water just broke!” I don’t think anyone heard me. I could feel a lot of presser. Jen could hear me in the background and told Rudy to get ready to have a baby because it didn't sound like they were going to make it, they live more than an hour away. Rudy hung up the phone and turned his attention toward me. I told him the head was coming I don’t think he believed me, or I don’t think he had really come to grips with what was happening. After the next push I asked if the head was out, Rudy looked and was surprised to see that it was. I flipped over and went in to a reclining sitting position. I checked for the cord, but I couldn't tell. Rudy reached down like he was going to check, I told him to Get His Big Man Hands Away From Me!! I pushed for the next two contractions but nothing happened, her head was turning blue I was going over my different options in my head; I decided hands & knees were my best bet. As I was going to flip over she started kicking within me bringing on contractions too strong for me to move through, I tried again so did she. I think she was scared. I finally succeeded in flipping over. I told Rudy to pull, he did so gently, I pushed and out she came. Her little body flopped into the tub all limp and blue. I sat down and scooped her up. She wasn't breathing. I gently sucked out her mouth/nose. I rubbed her thickly vernix covered back. She made little congested baby noises. But still looked blue to me, then I noticed her body was pinking up, now it was just her face and head that were blue. She was bruised from her fast entry and her head being out had broken many of the blood vessels in her face. I offered her my breast and she suckled some.

Noah (my 2yo) had been awoken by all the commotion and came in as I was getting on my hands & knees, so he got to see the baby come out. I told Rudy to call the midwives back, (1:58 am) Jen was in her driveway. Then Rudy woke up the kids, they were very excited. Within half an hour I had passed the placenta into a bowl and went to lie down in bed. After I was in bed I realized that we hadn't actually checked to see that she was a girl... so I let the kids check, and what do ya know, mom was right! It's a girl!

The midwives got there a little after 3 am. When they checked me they found I had torn, they offered me a stitch I said that's OK, no need. They checked out my baby and found her to be perfect.