The Challenge

I have accepted a challenge from a church leader, for one week I will:

• Not watch TV
• Cell Phone use for business and emergencies
  
• Not watch movies
• Listen to the radio only for uplifting and inspiring music
• Read only wholesome literature, or things for work
• Limit the time spent away from my family
• Limit the time spent with friends, and focus on spending time with family
• Not be engaged in computer entertainment, including email and internet surfing.

These activities will be replaced with better things throughout this week. I'm very excited about this challenge. With that said, I will not be updating my blog until the following Monday with an update on how my week went. Wish me luck!

~marisa

Mommy, you happy?

This sweet little babe has expanded in vocabulary like none else in the last few months and I can't get enough of it. At least 10 times a day he asks, "Mommy, you happy?" most often than not, I respond with a, "yes, mommy is happy" because I am.

But, every once in a while, I will be frustrated, stressed, angry, tired, drained, annoyed, displeased, outraged, you get the point, and Mason will ask, "Mommy, you happy?" And I will say, "No, mommy is not happy right now, mommy is (fill in the blank from above). This is very concerning to Mason.

I notice his concern and tell him, "but I still love Mason" that seems to make him feel better.

When Mommy is Happy,

Everyone is happy!

Free Day at the Animal Jail

Just as Mother Theresa said she was not anti-war, she was pro-peace. I am going to say I'm not anti-zoo, I'm pro-animal freedom (not that I can even compare myself to her). If you didn't know or can't tell, I have some issues with the zoo and I refuse to pay to enter. I do understand that my tax dollars are supporting the zoo, but there is really nothing I can do about that. It just doesn't feel right to cage up all these poor animals. People have told me over and over how great the zoo animals have it, they don't have to look for food, they don't have to struggle, they have controlled environment etc. etc. It sound pretty much like a jail to me, and I don't see anyone signing up for that.

Now you may be asking, why did I go to the zoo? Well, in my efforts to be a good mother, I would hate to deprive my children the opportunity to see the animals up close. It was free zoo day, and I take advantage of it every year, I even thought about taking Reece out of school that day so he could go, because you know we are NOT paying to go another time.

Mason was a little nervous at first, all these animals, are those cages really strong enough to hold those elephants?

This is Maya, ready to leave as soon as we got there, she is terrified. Or maybe she is like her mother and is feeling extreme compassion for these animals and doesn't want to be a part of their captivation. Or maybe she was just terrified.
Maya was terrified of the animals, I was terrified by this huge growth on the elephant. It was only on one side, and I'm just hoping this elephant is 'with child'.

They soon warmed up to the animals, how could you not love a zebra? It is a horse with stripes.

And of course how could any kid not love Pumba from the Lion King?

And Happy Feet! I'm sure these penguins love the summers here in Utah!

The accommodations for the giraffes are amazing. So realistic, I'm sure it feels just like the African Savannah! These kids obviously don't care about the accomodations, they just wanted their picture taken with the giraffe.
Now, I must say that the tiger was thrilling to see with it's massive catlike body, huge paws and teeth, and beautiful markings.
The cheetah was even more thrilling, it was pacing back and forth in front of the window hissing at all of us. The kids were glued to the window for about 10 mins. I have to admit, I almost thought it would be worth coming back and actually paying to get in. But I erased those evil thoughts from my mind.
The most interesting part of the trip to the zoo for me was how many 'leashed' children there were. I swear over 50% of the kids had leashes on disguised as a cute backpack.
Here is another one. Now, here is my question, why can't this mother just hold her child's hand? She doesn't have hoards of other children to watch over or worry about, it is just him. Why the leash? Show your child some love, hold his hand and experience the zoo hand in hand and not pulling him on a leash.



Now, this mother takes the cake in my book. No cute little backpack for this little tyke, oh no. She pulled out the big guns and actually hooked her child up to an actual dog leash, attached to his belt buckle. This one does have the added feature of being retractable, unlike the cute backpacks.

How do you feel about the zoo and 'leashing' children? I will now step down from the soap box.

I Always Did Like High School

And even with the 4 years of college, I still don't have a degree, I just don't know what I want to be when I grow up.

Check your blog, and let me know what level yours is.

TV Reviews

Congrats Christine!!!

You look so amazingly BEAUTIFUL. I wish I could have been there.

Happy Birthday Mr. Muscle 1976!

I love you Michael!


~marisa

Princesses on Ice

Thursday night my neighbor April and I took our girls to Disney's Princesses on Ice. It was SO much fun, I think I had as much fun as Maya did.

Hayley, Kenzie, and Maya

This right here amazes me. How do they skate around first off, but how do they do it with these huge costumes covering their face.

Ariel and Eric, but the best acrobatics were Jasmin and Aladdin, they had some amazing stunts.

I can't wait till next year!

This clip isn't very long, but it just shows some of the amazing tricks they did!

Tagged

Lindsay tagged me like a couple weeks ago, but it is hard to think of original things about yourself or things that might be of any interest to other people. So I procrastinated. Sorry Lins.

1. Link to the person that tagged you

2. Post the rules on your blog

3. Share 6 non-important things/ habits /quirks about yourself

4. Tag at least 3 people at the end of your post and link to their blog

5. Let each person know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog

6. Let the fun begin

1. When I was younger we had pet alligators. My dad went alligator hunting a few times, he took my oldest brother Brandon who decided to scoop up a two of the babies and bring them home. They were basically like pet lizards, but way more exciting to tell people about. We would let them swim around in the pool in our backyard every once in a while. But, for the most part they stayed in an aquarium. They grew a little bit bigger, but as long as they are contained, they won't get bigger than their surroundings allow. When my brother Adrian got his shot at alligator hunting, he brought another one home. Looking back, I'm sure my mother was THRILLED about it. We had them for quite a few years, but eventually we took them to an alligator reserve.



2. For years it was my goal to run a marathon, my parents have always been good examples of eating healthy and working out. My dad has run several marathons and even a super marathon (36 miles). My running friend Jalayne talked me into running the Salt Lake City Marathon with her, but it meant that I would have to start training for it right after Maya was born. Once I got the OK from the doctor, I started training. I ran it when she was 9 months old and still nursing. It was the most pain I have ever been in my whole entire life, which means a lot considering my #3. I will be running the Salt Lake 1/2 marathon April 19.

3. I delivered Maya and Mason naturally, no drugs no epidural. I feel it is one of my greatest accomplishments in life. Maya was almost born in the car, what a ride that was!!! Mason was a water birth at the hospital. (Reece is a great accomplishment as well, even though I was watching TV and drugged up while delivering him. I just didn't want him to feel left out).


4. When at Red Lobster one night a woman came up to me and asked me if Maya or I had ever modeled anything. I think I laughed at her. Then she gave me a business card and asked me if she could call me if she ever needed a model. I figured it was just a new scheme to get people interested in her business or something. Well she called me the next week and set up a time to do a product shoot with Maya and I. It was a stupid product and I have never been able to find a place that sells them. They didn't want Maya to look like a girl or a boy, because they wanted the product to gender neutral, so I couldn't put her in a cute outfit or put a bow in her hair, I was so sad. It was still fun to do it though.











5. I love to daydream, I think I have a new dream about each week. I play everything out in my mind down to the last detail. It is so fun for me, Michael is a peach to indulge me and let me live in a fantasy world for a while. It can be quite confusing for him when I have moved onto something else and am almost repulsed when he brings up a past idea.












6. When I was younger I desperately wanted a pet monkey. They looked so cute and fun to play with and dress up. I told my family about this desire which of course, they mocked and scoffed. I didn't let that deter me. My mom thinking that she was so clever, told me that when I saved up enough money I could have one. I started a 'monkey fund' for my monkey. When I was up to about $800 I think my mom got a little worried that I would have the money to buy one, she changed the story to "when my husband will allow me to have one, I can get a monkey". Michael, can I please get a monkey???







I'm going to tag my cute little brother Cam, April (so maybe she will post something new), and Kristi (I'm in the mood for some dark humor).

ripple

Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end." -Scott Adams

Be inspired to start your own ripple... ;)

My Farm Journal

I made my very first 'farm journal' and I'm so excited about it! What is a farm journal, you may ask. Well, it is a way that I can keep track of my garden experiences and everything I'm doing with my chickens for future reference. Why would I need one? Well, every year I tell myself that I need to remember to either start my seeds sooner or plant my plants later, or I learn something new that I want to remember for next year. When the next year comes around, do you think I remember? Nope! So, I made this in hopes that I will write down all the things that worked, the things that didn't work, and the things I want myself to remember for future years. It will also be fun to include seed packets and pictures of my garden and produce. I'm hoping this will be something fun for me to look at in years down the road.

To find out how to make your own journal, click here!

I finally got them!

I finally got my order of heirloom seeds today. I couldn't be happier! To find out more about heirlooms and why they are superior,
click here.






Here is what I ordered:



White Wonder Cucumber

Introduced in 1893 by W. Atlee Burpee of Philadelphia who obtained the seeds from a customer in western New York. Fruits are 7" long by 2½" in diameter. Ivory-white at slicing stage and ivory-yellow when past maturity. Excellent eating quality, ideal for pickles or slicing, highly productive even in hot weather. 58 days.






Charantais Melon

Considered by many to be the most divine and flavorful melons in the world. Smooth round melons mature to a creamy grayish-yellow with green stripes. Sweet, juicy, salmon flesh. Typically the size of a grapefruit and weighs about 2 pounds, perfect for two people. Ripe melons have a heavenly fragrance. 75-90 days.

Summer Crookneck Squash

C. pepo) Semi-open bush plants produce extended heavy crops of smooth light yellow fruits with curved necks, bumped developed after edible stage. Best eaten when 5-6" long. Creamy-white sweet mild flesh has excellent flavor. Keep picked clean to enjoy all season. 55-60 days. CERTIFIED ORGANIC






Cherokee Purple Tomato

Introduced to other SSE members by North Carolina member Craig LeHoullier in 1991, seed obtained from J. D. Green. Unique dusty rose color. Flavor rivals Brandywine, extremely sweet. Productive plants produce large crops of 12 oz. fruits. Indeterminate, 80 days from transplant.







Brandywine (Sudduth's) Tomato
Brandywine first appeared in the 1889 catalog of Johnson & Stokes of Philadelphia and by 1902 was also offered by four additional seed companies, but soon disappeared from all commercial catalogs. Our best selling tomato and one of the best tasting tomatoes available to gardeners today. The seed of this strain was obtained by tomato collector Ben Quisenberry of Big Tomato Gardens in 1980 from Dorris Sudduth Hill whose family grew them for 80 years. Large pink beefsteak fruits to 2 pounds. Incredibly rich, delightfully intense tomato flavor. Indeterminate, 90 days from transplant.


Bean's Yellow Pear Tomato

This was our favorite yellow pear in the 1998. Endless supply of 1½" pear tomatoes with great taste, ideal for salads. Indeterminate, 70-80 days from transplant.

Mexico's Midget Tomato

Very prolific plants continue producing throughout the entire growing season. Round ½" fruits give an incredible flash of rich tomato flavor, great for salads or selling in pints. Indeterminate, 60-70 days from transplant. CERTIFIED ORGANIC

My non-heirloom plants will consist of beets, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, and herbs

I can't resist, they are just so stinking cute!

They are so cute that my friend Brandi came over to see them. Guess what she picked up this afternoon. She is going to start her very own backyard flock.

The New Girls in Town

Saturday I was driving past IFA (Intermountain Farmers Association) it is where I get all my chicken supplies and feed, and realized that it is practically spring, and they probably have their new chicks in. Since I have their number programed into my cell phone, I gave them a ring. I was in luck, they had baby chicks. Surprise of all surprises, I actually called Michael first and asked him if it would be OK to pick up a couple, usually I just do it, and suffer the consequences afterwards. So here is what we got....

Ariel, named by Maya, she is a Rhode Island Red. She is a good egg producer, she should average 5 good sized brown eggs per week.

Amy, named by Reece, is an Americana. She isn't as good of an egg layer, she will average 3 eggs per week, but the eggs will be either blue or green, cool huh!

Then we have Power Ranger, named by Mason. She is also a Rhode Island Red.

Ah, cute chickie buns.

Ooops. We are still potty training.

To all of my neighbors concerned by this post.... we will be retiring either 2 or 3 of our old chickens. And now that we know how to properly clip wings, we shouldn't have any escapees.