Please pass the peas!

So today we had our first taste of our very own homegrown peas! it our first produce from our garden. they were actually really good. It felt so empowering to be able to go and pick them and shell them and cook them all by myself. talk about self reliance. we can live off of all our peas!! :)

our garden is doing so well. i'm quite impressed with myself--- and well, jason does help some too! but we have got large tomato, green pepper, squash, zucchini, basil, cilantro, rosemary, lettuce, peas, and onion plants! they are all growing amazingly well. i was a bit nervous because some of them we planted kind of late. but for the most part it all seems to be doing pretty well. we did plant some watermelon and carrots, but that part of our garden is doomed. there are sooooo many weeds i just can't keep up with them. I'm not sure why just that section is so proned to growing so many weeds, but it is. and unfortunately the weeds have not allowed those plants to grow. but it is only one small section, so i'm still very happy with my first garden. I will take a picture once it is looking really purdy. i still have some weeding to do before that happens. I went over there this morning to get all the weeding done, but the sprinklers turned on while we were there. they started to soak jared.... i had two large handfuls of weeds (it'd been a week since i last weeded, and they were rather abundant). when the sprinklers turned on I threw the weeds into what i thought was my bucket--- it wasn't. i threw them right on top of jared's head. then i turned to pick up the bucket and run. yes, it's ok to laugh at me. i'm such a goof. he happened to look up just as i dropped these large handfuls and ended up with a mouthful of dirt and weeds all over his stroller. don't know where my brain was.

Outside- please MOM!!

yes, that is my little son running away.... thinking he is a big boy!


Jared can't get enough of the hose! he loves water- well only if he can put his feet down. He has yet to understand the enjoyment of a swimming pool; they still scare him!



I know, really, he is the cutest thing ever!

I'm sure we'll have to remind him one day how much he LOVES to wash the car. He is daddy's little helper.

MMSM- FOOD

Food, food, food. I love it and i hate it. I love that it tastes soooo good, but i hate that it is so complicated. really, i guess it doesn't have to be so complicated, we just make it that way. but really can you think of anything else that is so good, even essential, for your body, but at the same time can totally ruin or control your body?

Since having a baby, i've had to finally admit to myself that i am NOT one of those people that can eat what she wants whenever she wants to. I'm getting older, i'm not as active as i used to be, and my metabolism is doing a really good job at reminding me about these two issues. I still haven't lost "those last ten pounds" that i need to of baby weight, and i'm seriously wondering if i ever will. i guess i still feel good about myself, 'cause i do walk every day, and i do eat pretty smartly (great word, i know) but my clothes still don't fit- and that is the part that gets me. i guess i just need to buy new clothes, and then i'm sure my self confidence and body image would be very different. if i actually felt like i looked good -roles not hanging out- then i would be ok with the weight i am.

anyway, this isn't about weight, it's about food- though the two really go hand in hand. Since having my son, i've discovered a whole new side to food: allergies- serious allergies. no matter how much information i read about them, and why they happen and such, i still don't understand them. it drives me crazy. it's taken such an effect on me that when i was filling out invitations for our primary class party i included a note at the bottom that said pizza would be served for lunch- just in case someone else has a dairy or wheat allergy. The thing that gets me the most is that they can happen at anytime and are subject to change thereafter. i didn't become allergic to shellfish until i was eighteen. I clearly remember the first time i broke out in hives and swollen lips after eating conch in the bahamas. from then on, even if i'm in the same room where it is cooking my throat starts to itch. it's terrible. as of TODAY, i know that my son can't have milk, soy, bananas, watermelon, and eggs. I'm also still trying to keep him away from wheat, just in case. good news is, he'll most likely grow out of all those allergies. bad new is, i don't know when that will be and/if he'll develop other food allergies. why does it have to be so confusing?? when i tell people that he is allergic to so many things the first question is "then what do you feed him?" the reality is: his diet is VERY simple. fruit, meat, veggies- and potato chips (Lays brand- NO trans fat, made with oil he can eat) the only hard part about his diet is having food that he can snack on that won't make a HUGE mess or that i can easily hand him if we are in the car. (and this is because he still only has two grown in teeth on the bottom and two stubs on the top) other than that, it is pretty simple. hopefully one day he'll be allowed to indulge himself in some good pasta and bread, but who knows when that day will come. Really, i should probably follow his diet too, except that the body does NEED good whole grains.

i dunno. i really love chocolate. i think that is the only food that i LOVE. i can't say i have a favorite meal or am really very picky about what i eat. the only thing i really really really don't like is bananas. don't even get me started on how disgusting they are. it's funny to me that i really am willing to try anything and eat anything, but i don't even want to be in the same room as an open banana. i hate the smell, texture, taste....... yuck! oh, and i did just realize there is another food i can't eat- menudo. if you don't know what it is, then you are lucky. (it's soup made out of the lining of the cow's stomach, and well, any other organs they want to throw in) as a missionary i was served this a few times. the first time we were at a family's house that had NO money. menudo was the mom's favorite meal ( it's considered a specialty item in the mexican culture) and she cooked it just for us. there was only enough to feed us, so they just sat there and watched. i couldn't eat it. 1- i felt so badly that i was eating and they weren't. 2- i couldn't eat it, knowing what it was made of and the texture and well, everything about it. 3- i felt like i was going to vomit on their kitchen table. so, i did what every missionary would tell you NEVER to do- after about three bites, i told her a couldn't eat it. i felt TERRIBLE. but, in my defense, the next day i broke out in welts head to toe (i've got wonderful pictures) and had to be rushed to the emergency clinic. yes, even in the United States of America (i served in Houston) one can get a parasite. horrible experience. ( got welts from the parasite because my body was allergic to the parasite- i know, still doesn't make sense to me- so every time i ate, i fed the parasite, and my body would have an allergic reaction, yes, crazy me)

if you want to read more exciting stories and opinions on food- go to my cousin shannon's blog carnival.

BOOKWISE!

Have you ever heard of Bookwise?? Well, if you have or haven't, I'm going to tell you all about it. It is this great new company that Jason and I discovered- quite by accident. you see, Jason and i are trying to get our finances in order- i mean really in order. He is going back to school this fall (yeah!) and we need to be able to have a really good budget and know where we stand. his mom is tutoring us in this aspect of life and gave us the assignment to read Richard Paul Evans "The 5 lessons a millionaire taught me." great book- if you haven't read it, i highly suggest it. we went online to download the forms that it has you use to organize your finances - and we stumbled across the newest and "most intelligent" home based business. Yes, it is a network marketing company. I've looked at a lot of different companies like this- even signed up for one once (Reliv- still got it if anyone wants some) but i never felt that these companies were what we were looking for. as Jason's mom once put it: "we need to find a company that everyone needs and isn't an entire lifestyle change" (a nutritional drink requires a lifestyle change) anyway, we have found it. Bookwise is basically an online book club that gives you access to books at wholesale prices. there goal is to increase literacy throughout the nation and eventually world. the company just launched this last January- and if you know anything about these types of companies, the time to get in on them is when they are first beginning. the best part, i think, is who founded the company- Richard Paul Evans (The Christmas Box, etc.) and Robert Allen (real estate/business guru) Both of these men are extremely successful in life and truly have a desire to help others be also. So, click here and view the presentation that these two men give. they tell you exactly what the company is all about. It makes so much sense to me, i almost can't stand it. Jason and i have always dreamed of building a large home library- we both LOVE to read. this way, we can do it. this way, our children will have access to all the greatest books out there. this way, we can have a second income (even if it starts out a little small) that will work for us while we sleep. this way, you and i together can increase literacy in our homes and throughout the nation. let me know what you think.......

And the verdict is.......

We got Jared's test results in today. He does NOT have celiac disease! yeah- that was very comforting to hear. over the last few days i have assumed the worst and tried to prepare myself for a lifelong battle. BUT, we don't have to, for now. He still has constantly new developing allergies- i gave him watermelon for the first time this weekend and he has been a mess- poor kid. So we will have to be careful for the next couple of years and hopefully his body will outgrow his current issues. And then, at the same time, i almost wish the test had come back positive, well not really, but at least then we would have an answer to this great big mystery. But for now, we are very happy and can move forward with our trial and error process!

MMSM- Dads

Father's day has always been one of those days that my family would spend at the lake. It would be hot and a ton a fun. I love hanging out with my dad. He's always been more of a friend than a dad per say. I don't really know how to explain that, but that is just the way it is. I can remember getting "punished" for poor behavior less than five times as a teenager. (and, for the record, i still don't think I deserved any of those punishments! :) but that is just the way it was and really always has been. I also remember that our favorite pj's growing up were my dad's over sized t-shirts. There was one in particular that we would fight over who got to wear it. It said "Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad." i don't know why we liked that one so much- but if i think about it now, it is a very true statement. Dads are men that know that investing their time in their children is the best and most influential thing they will do in this world. Dads are men that will hold and try to calm a screaming child and will change any kind of diaper without being asked. Dads are men that love and respect their children's mother. Dads will get on the floor and play and are more than willing to help clean up. I could on, you know a real dad when you see one.

My dad did a lot of things as i was growing up that most don't agree with. In fact, there are some that deem some of his actions totally unforgivable- even still to this day. And that makes me sad. Not for my dad, but for those people that won't move on with their lives. My dad might not fit totally into the description i listed above, but he's still my dad and i love him. I don't agree with many of the choices he made. i know that he hurt a lot of people. But i know that my life, and the way it all happened was what I needed to become who I am today- and frankly- i quite like who i am. i know that i wouldn't know the things i know, or feel things that i feel if it weren't for the experiences that i have had. life is life, and it happens.

My husband on the other hand..... well, i couldn't say enough wonderful things about him. i could get all mushy and stuff, but i 'll save it for him. But i will say that i am honored that he chose me to stand by his side and be the mother of his children. To be able to work with him on life- 'cause life is work- has been and is the most rewarding experience. to see him wrestle with my little boy or read him a story brings me more joy than i have ever felt. It's indescribable. he has an incredible passion for life and shares his dreams and desires with me. I want my son to be just like him. (ok, so maybe that was a little mushy:)

Over all, i'm very grateful to a God that is wise enough to know that we need families- more specifically moms and dads to guide us. while i don't always listen to the counsel they give or ask for counsel when i probably should, i'm glad they are there and that they have allowed me to be myself- my own, stubborn, independent, free spirited self.

Jared's First Birthday!

My baby is a toddler. i can't even believe it. it actually freaks me out a little bit. i'm not sure why, but it is a weird feeling- one i've never had before- obviously. These pictures aren't the best, i know. but i was taking care of the birthday boy and daddy was using the camcorder- so unfortunately we didn't get a whole lot of still shots. well, jason said he took some with the camcorder- so we shall see if there are any good ones from that. Jared was sooo tired for dinner- hence the sleepy face. but got a little nap in before presents and cake. his little cake was a very special dairy free one made just for him, a little last minute because we decided to do it on sunday instead of monday. but he LOVED the chocolate frosting. i hope we can get find good shots of him with it all over his face- 'cause it went EVERYWHERE! he had never had chocolate before- and really very little sugar in general- so he was in high heaven. unfortunately though the cake still wasn't good enough to keep him from getting sick from it. i don't know if it was the flour i used or what, but he's having major issues again. i took him to the hospital yesterday to get a bunch of blood work done. hopefully we'll be able to figure something out soon. his doctor thinks he has celiac disease (gluten intolerance) which is something he will NEVER grow out of (unlike all his other allergies that he hopefully will grow out of in the next couple of years). this was very depressing news to hear. we should get the test results back in a couple of days.

But his birthday was great. we did dinner and party on sunday with jake and belle- the twins, their birthday is on the 9th. gramma Mcke, justin, hunter, dave and susan doughman, kim doughman, and scott doughman families were all there. jared got lots of fun new stuff that he just loves! on monday, his actual birthday- we went to the art museum and byu then back to park city for a fun SWIM! jared had only been swimming once before, so it felt like a very new experience. he was a bit scared- i think mostly it was just that he isn't feeling good and very tired. i need to take him over to erin's to swim more- i'm just a bit lazy! he is walking everywhere he goes now- doesn't really crawl much- and since he is still so small- everyone that sees him is quite amazed- until they find out how old he is of course! at the doctor yesterday we did learn that even though he doesn't weigh enough yet to turn his car seat around- he is growing steadily. which is GREAT news. his doctor was very impressed with his vocabulary- mom, dad, duck, ball, down, dog, that, up- and other occasional words. he is a great talker and understands almost anything i tell him or ask him to do. i just hope he starts feeling better soon.

MMSM- ART

So, i realize I am posting this on Tuesday. Yesterday was Jared's 1st birthday and we spent Sunday and Monday in Park City with Jason's sister and lots of family. (i'll post more on that later) but i had to add my monday blog- even if it's late.

This week is art. I've been to a few different fascinating art museums. i've taken a few different humanities and art classes, but i still don't know if i know what i'm looking at or if i could describe a piece of work in an "artist language." when I was working in the orphanages in romania we took a weekend and wen to Vienna, Austria and went to the Kunsthistorisches Museum (THE art history museum)

It was amazing! even if i didn't totally feel like i was understanding what i was looking at, i had an incredible appreciation for the talents that other's posses. I for one, just haven't been able to figure out how painting or whatever kind of art you do can just come naturally to a person. it takes me sooo long to try and learn something like that. it's definitely one of those talents i'm still trying to learn. but i love to look at it and be amazed.

Also, yesterday, we had to take my nephew down to EFY in Provo (he had flown in from CA and was staying in Park City also). Shawna mentioned how the BYU art museum was having an exhibit on Christ's life that she had really been wanting to go to. SO, we all went. and well, there were so many amazing works of art-- i was so impressed. there was one painting that said it was done in 1540- i think that was date- anyway,my nephew who is 7 said to me "aunt suzie look! isn't that good for 1540?!!" as if they weren't competent enough "back then" to be able to paint such an amazing picture. but what got me was a newer artist they had displayed. they had two different paintings of his. oh, his name is ron richmond. i had never seen his work before. but he uses interesting symbols to describe either christ's life or one of his teachings. there was this:

with the scripture in Isaiah "though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" painted on the wall above it. It is actually a much wider painting with more detail that shows the amazing symbolism. There was another one that i liked even more, but i can't find an image of it. here is a totally different one that i found when i googled his name.

it is called "hallowed ground"

and then there is this one called "Awake"

anyway, point is: even though I do not have a real understanding of art - and i literally mean any type of art - it still has a way of moving me.

Jared's yearly pictures

So i know he won't be one until monday, but i already recieved his pictures online.... so naturally I can't wait 6 days to post them. After this photo shoot i decided that one day, in the near future, i want to take a simple photography class so i can just take them myself. I figure all i really need is a good camera that allows me to take a lot of quick shots so i can capture different expressions. i would do it now, but the delay time on our camera is a bit slow. but, what can i say??? at least we have one and it works great! anyway, here is my handsome boy that was full of smiles until the camera was pointed at him. he loved the backdrop (it extended onto the ground so it felt fun on his little feet) so that distracted him a bit. For those that don't know, his little yellow ducks are his FAVORITE things. so, naturally we had to take pictures with them. all in all i think they turned out pretty good. here are some of my favorites-- enjoy!

Daddy's boy

Today i have come to the realization that at this point and time in my son's life all he really wants is his daddy. it is the cutest thing ever. when he woke up at 3 this morning and i went in to lay him back down and find his pacy, all he did was look out the door and say "dad!" over and over again. he cried for the first time this morning when daddy left the room to go to work. he walks around every corner or opens doors and calls for his dad. he loves him so much. i know he loves me too. he only says mom when he is whining and tired or hungry. and then it is only a mummmm mummmm. when he says dad it is very clear and concise. he knows exactly who he is reffering to and that he wants him.

MMSM- Dreams

my dreams are usually rather random. most of the ones that i actually remember aren't very good ones. As a kid i would have a reoccurring dream that i still remember very vividly. I would be sleeping in my bedroom in my house in Thousand Oaks and all of the sudden the stripling warriors would be invading our house (not in a good way.) i'm not sure why i was scared of them... they were good boys. but for some reason i would wake up terrified. if i think about that dream now i'm still a bit frightened. at least it hasn't stopped me from loving that account of their faith and courage in the book of Mormon. the other dream i have ALL the time, at least once a month, is that my sister and her husband die and i have to become the guardian of all her wonderful kids. now, i don't know if that is a scary dream 'cause i can't imagine my life without my big sister or if i'm scared to death that i'd have to raise her crazy boys!! (they are good boys too, but they don't really like to listen to anyone but their parents) The other dream that i have been having a lot lately is that i have twin girls. at first this was a dream i started having right after i had jared and i thought that i was going to get pregnant when he was only a month old. and every month after that i've kept having the same dream and as jared gets older (he'll be one a week from today!) i'm not as scared of that happening. i think it's just 'cause i think if it did happen now, i'd be ok. not that i really think we will have twins next, but i've got to stop dreaming about it. other than that, i don't remember my dreams all that much. if we watch a movie i'll dream i'm in it that night and vaguely remember the details. we watched a war movie the other night and then i dreamed that jason was in the middle of a battle and i tried calling him and he wouldn't answer his phone. so frustrating :) hmm, don't know what that one is supposed to say about our relationship..... :)

If you'd like to read more about funny dreams look at shannon's weekly blog carnival.