Moving to Billings

Wow, I must say- Moving is horrible. It's hard. It's dirty. It's emotional. It's also way to easy to find OTHER things to do when you should be pulling our reams of packing tape and bundles of boxes. My parents are driving all the way up from Wyoming to help me pack and move closer back home. I have amazing parents. They are always there for me when I need them. I can't wait to see them again.

I am more than a little embarrassed by the dirt in my apartment. We aren't dirty people, but once you start moving furniture around you learn where your housekeeping skills have been lacking. Yikes. Note to self- move furniture around at least once a month from now on. I never want to see dust/fur bunnies that big ever again. Yikes.

Dear Husband is a bit emotional. It's trying. I'm not going to get to see him for 5 days and he is being grumpy about all the little decisions that have to be made. I am seriously not going to haul a broken down old entertainment center that is heavier than sin all the way to Montana, then haul it up at least one flight of stairs just for him to realize that it is junk and we don't need it after all. But tell him we need to break it down and dump it? Eeee.

I thought I had a pretty good pile of boxes for packing until I started using them. Now I realize I should put out the call for people to stop taking boxes to recycling...I need them all!

Now it is getting late enough in the game that I just want to trash most everything left.

My heart is sad for the friends I am leaving behind. I am going to miss them ever so much. There has to be a cheaper way for me to come back and visit!! Husband needs to hurry up and win the lottery! LOL

But the good news is that we had lots of good friends in Billings. We are very blessed to have family friends that will live only a few miles away, college friends, and a branch of my church. I feel better about moving to Billings than I ever did about moving to Idaho. We are going home. Finally!

My Warm Heart Dolls

I love making my AWarmHeart Dolls, and each one is becoming prettier than the last!

The first two that you see in this slide show, the blonde with violete eyes, and the following brunette are up for sale at www.awarmheart.com

Please don't get me wrong...

And this post is just about a gut reaction I am having to a situation. I am not trying to say anyone is right or wrong...


But....

Every time I read a news article about the whole debacle with the FLDS polygamy sect in Texas, my stomach turns and I want to cry. The thought of all of 465 kids being ripped away from their moms and put into the foster system- including new born babies! Oh it just makes me want to cry.

I guess kids under 12 months get to stay in protective care with their moms, but in a confusing couple of new stories, there was information about new born children being taken a way.

I feel like no matter where you stand on this issue, the women and children are true victims. I suspect the confusing stories that have been given to the DFS of Texas workers is partially because many of those women probably suffer from Stockholm Syndrome.

Personally, as far as I can tell, if the women and children are separated from them men then there can be no more supposed forced marriages or teen pregnancies from this point forward....So why can't the women and children be together?

In my opinion taking a child from a mother who has done nothing to it (what could a mom do to a newborn while they are both in protective custody?!) is cruel and unusual punishment. I can't imagine losing a single day with my child, and certainly not their first month!

I hope everyone comes through this safe and sound and without any emotional scars.

Like I said before- I am not trying to express an opinion as to who is right or wrong. But my heart aches for those suffering in this situation. Please keep them in your thoughts.

So quickly you fall behind

Have you ever noticed how quickly- and how easy it is to fall behind in your daily life? Nora has been sick for about 5 days, 3 very bad and the last two have been mostly recovery. For the last couple of weeks I have been working really hard on getting and keeping the house clean. Trying to get it to the point where the though of random visitors won't make me break out in a cold sweat. I was doing really good too!

But somehow, with Nora waking up in the middle of the night with fevers and me fretting over her in the day time- I have managed to let the house reach epic proportions again. How does one family create such a mess in just 5 days? Seriously! It can't all just be Nora and I!

Oh yes, and then there is the search for the missing camera equipment. My transfer cable is missing as are a few other items. Nora- learn to talk so you can tell mommy where you stashed her transfer cord...please?

The Renaissance Fair is here in town. I always love the Ren Fair. I think I will miss it when we move. Nora and I went yesterday to spend some time with a young friend who was there waiting for her family to get back into town. The Chinese School was doing fund raising by painting your name or whatever you wanted in Caligraphy. I got "Dragon" and all three of our names done. It is pretty cool! I even managed to get them home without smearing the ink or wrinkling the paper. Then Nora found my purse this morning and managed to wrinkle them. Oh well. Maybe I can Iron the wrinkles out of the paper. I will just have to make sure the iron doesn't have any water in it!

I will get back into the saddle later today or tomorrow and catch up on my farmgirl blog-a-thon posts.

Hey! And if you have any ideas for future posts, please let me know! I am working on some yummy recipes for using MaryJane's Chill-Over powder so stay tuned! How does Chocolate Silk and Lemon Mousse Pie sound? Yummy!

Farmgirl Blog-A-Thon- In the Garden

Tina who has the beautiful GardenGoose blog is running the farmgirl blog-a-thon that I have been posting about. She is such a sweet Farmgirl!

This week we are talking about "In The Garden"

Right now I am gardenless but only until this summer. We are moving and this summer I am going to share a garden with my mom.

Last year I created a garden from a weed infested strip of land while I was 8 months pregnant! it felt so good to be creating something that would nourish us with a little life inside of me. Sky -Dog of course was my constant companion. I think she was the favorite thing I grew in the garden:

I actually had just filled that pot with water so she could drink and she decided her feet were too toasty warm! So cute! I just HAD to get a picture!

Gardens are an amazing way to reconnect with nature- even if all you have is one little tomato plant. When I go out and pluck out all those weed seedlings it is almost as if I am plucking away every irritation that bothers me in daily life. It's a zen moment for me for sure.

I also feel amazingly strong and independent each time I harvest a tomato or carrot or anything from my garden. It feels wonderful to be able to eat the food at the peak of freshness- not some pale imitation of food that was harvested much to early just so it doesn't spoil in transit.


I love the ladies over at the MaryJanesFarm Chat Forum. They always have an answer to any gardening questions that might come up. They originally showed me the light when it comes to lasagna gardening! What a great tip to keep weeds down, amend your soil, and help conserve moisture! The most basic explanation is a layering of compost-able materials to a depth that prohibits weed growth. The layers slowly decompose so you have to continue to add more. This works great with raised beds, but can be done without raised beds as well. There are several fantastic books out there and many websites. And of course the experienced ladies on the forum!

Last year my apartment managers decided to re-roof our complex and the roofer ran over my garden- finishing off my lettuce well before time. Even though- I got plenty of peas, carrots, and tomatoes- when I had the chance to harvest!

I am so looking forward to the garden this summer. I already can envision it in my head and I can almost taste that very first tomato already!

Farm Food Review

As many of you know, I spend a lot of my daily time over at The MaryJanes Farm Forum. I love getting to know all the lovely creative ladies who spend a little time chatting everyday.

But there is a whole other facet to the MaryJanesFarm experience that you might not realize. MaryJane has created some AMAZING meals, breads, chocolates, and side dishes that are "fast food that isn't junk". Her food are amazing. Most you just rip open a pouch, pour in an amount of boiling water, fold, let sit for a few minutes, then stir and enjoy!

Here below are the ones I have tried, links to how you can purchase them, and a review! Simply click on the photo to be taken to MaryJane's site to order!

Chocolates:
I just have to say- all of her chocolates are DIVINE! Seriously. If you haven't tried one, or if you crave a _good_ chocolate bar- stock up. They are amazing. I kept buying box after box meaning to give them as Thank You's for help with my wedding, and somehow they kept getting eaten...


Task Bars:
As one of the ladies on the forum said "My favorite Taskbar is the one I am eating at the time!" From Mango Smoothie to Cherry Cobbler to Raspberry Jam n' Peanuts- They are all delicious and a healthy way to give you that extra energy you need to get through the day.


Outrageous Outback Oatmeal-

This is a sweet hearty oatmeal breakfast with currants and sunflower seeds in it. My darling daughter Nora would shove this into her mouth as fast as she could if I let her! It is rich and amazingly good.


Budget Mix:

This has got to be one of my all time favorites, not just for flavor, but for sheer versatility. MaryJane had worked really hard in coming up with some really fabulous recipes that can be found in her Farm Kitchen version of the Magazine!

Or the Tote Bag Special with Budget mix and the Farm Kitchen Magazine AND a beautiful tote (I love mine!)


The following meals I have tried and my mouth waters as I post the pictures here for you! They are amazing and so well pulled together!
Northwest Garden Couscous:


Organic Southwestern Couscous:


Organic Wild Forest Mushroom Couscous:
(SOOO GOOD!)


Eat Your Veggies Pasta:


Organic BNT Bac'un (Vegetarian)Noodles and Tomatoes:


Nick's Couch Potatoes:


Organic Bare Burrito:
(SOO GOOD!)


Black Beans and Rice:
(I eat this plain all the time!)


Organic Curry In a Hurry:


Organic Jambalaya:
(One of Husband's Favorites!)


Creamy Potato Soup:


Velvety Black Bean Soup:


Organic Scones with Orange and Walnut!
(MY ALL TIME FAVORITE OF HER BREADS!)


All of these pictures are from the MaryJanesFarmwebsite- most taken my MaryJane herself (if not all!)

I highly encourage you to try these foods and any others on her site! I am still buying and trying her foods too and have yet to be disappointed by a single one!

Sometimes I forget how lucky I am

Nora is such a good eater and sometimes I take that for granted. Last Sunday at church, Nora and I sat next to a couple with a baby about the same age as Nora. This little boy is a bit shorter and much thinner than Nora. Both of the kids got fussy at the same time so we went to the back of the church so we wouldn't disturb others.

Through talking with his mom, I found out that Tim has texture/eating issues. His mom is obviously worried sick about him and doing everything in her power to try and help her son.

"Is he hungry?" I asked since he wasn't settling down.

"Probably, He wouldn't eat anything this morning before church and when he refuses food we just can't force him to eat at all!" She said. I could see that this is obviously something she worries about constantly. There was this thinly veiled panic right below the surface in her eyes. I offered a fudge dipped coconut bar that I had in my diaper bag. She had said that he probably wouldn't eat it, but we could give it a shot. He ended up eating 3/4 of it before calling it quits. And he drank some milk that I went and got from the restaurant. His mom had to break the bar up into pea sized amounts and put it into his mouth for him.

In contrast, Nora probably weight 25lbs, wears 18 month clothes, and often is seen shoving food into her mouth with both hands. The only foods I help her eat are soupy runny foods that she can't get her hands around- and since that is a lot of effort- I often don't fix those types of foods for her. She loves all sorts of flavors and textures. She even eats scrambled eggs with gusto.

So sometimes I forget how lucky I am to have a child that eats her food. It seems like something so natural that babies wouldn't have issues with it- but I think it is just those types of things that can affect our lives the most if they aren't quite on target. I can't imagine the stress and worry I would have if Nora suddenly decided to stop eating and was dropping weight! I imagine Nora is close to the 50th percentile in height and weight. I can't even imagine if she drop to the 3rd percentile like this little boy.

Tim's mom looked like she was torn between crying in relief that her baby ate something and jumping for joy that there was now something else that she could feed him. Now granted, a fudge dipped coconut bar may not seem like the most nutritious thing to be feeding a child, but I think at some point the calorie factor starts to become more important than making sure you are feeding your child the "perfect" meal.

I felt very humbled this morning as I remembered Tim's mom and her struggles as I plopped Nora into her high chair, cut up a banana, scrambled an egg, and gave her a cup of orange juice to drink.

Tim's mom says he often gags on bread like items, but I am wondering if he would eat banana bread that had been sort of compressed so it wasn't a bread texture. I want to help her so much. Anyone have any ideas? I know they give him the weight gain Ensure but sometimes he won't even drink milk or anything.