Forks Over Knives

Forks Over Knives . . . the video that changed the way our family eats . . . no meat, no dairy, no processed oils . . . just plant strong foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.  Want to know more?  Check out the DVD at your local library.  I hope it will change your life too.

A Trailer

In an effort to get more organized and be more prepared we purchased this trailer that we can pull behind our van.  

Erica's First Formal Dance

Erica went to the Sweethearts / Laurel Priest Dance with Kian.  They had a great time.  Erica was beautiful and I love that there was not even a question as to dress modesty!  I'm not quite sure what else to write so if you want more details, you'll probably have to quiz Erica.

Valentine's Lunch Date

Todd and I decided to go to lunch for Valentine's Day to avoid the crowds at dinner time.  Although most restaurants have a vegetarian menu item or two, the vegetarian restaurants here in the Treasure Valley are few and far between.  We did find one and decided to check it out.  We ate at the Shangri-La Tea Room and Vegetarian Cafe.  Both of us picked the vegetarian lasagna that was one of the specials for the day.  It was absolutely heavenly!  I wish I could find the words to describe it.  It was possibly one of the best meals I have ever had at a restaurant in my entire life.  Sorry no picture.  It didn't even cross my mind until it was half gone.  But we did remember to take a picture of our dessert with Todd's cell phone before we dug into this absolutely delicious dark chocolate raw vegan cheesecake with two forks.

Valentine Fish

Yes we gave our children fish for Valentine's Day.  And some candy too.  Should I just end the blog post there and leave you all hanging?

It is really not that complicated.  Here's the Reader's Digest version.  We are vegetarian at our house these days.  I'll leave that part of the story for another blog post.  The grandpa who lives with us buys these cans of fish by the case.  And our kids love them!  Since they are meat, poultry, and seafood deprived, we bought them fish as a special Valentine's treat.

I'm not quite sure what I was thinking, giving my children something I know I should not eat . . . that they should not eat.  Oh well.  They loved it.  I am still learning.

Happy New Year!

Yes, we are a little late.  Our home was still a little strained on New Year's Eve.  But after a few weeks the kids wanted to still celebrate and keep up our traditions, one of which is to write down our New Year's resolutions.  No laughing at mine . . . 

Here is Niko's too.

We enjoyed sparkling mango apple cider with a toast to an amazing upcoming year.  Mine is the water because soda makes my tummy hurt.

I am sure the neighbors thought we were a little crazy banging on pots and pans outside while shouting "Happy New Year" on February 10th.

Camel's Back Park

In Boise we have this amazing park called Camel's Back Park.  On the northeast end of the park there is a very steep hill.  The kids headed straight up without hesitation.  Notice I am taking pictures from much further down the hill.  Behind this hill there is a bunch of marked hiking trails.  You can make your day hike as short or as long as you wish.  You can get to them taking some side trails around this hill if you are not up for the initial steep climb.

There is also a fun playground that was quite empty since the temperatures are still on the chilly side.  Even our teenagers still enjoy the "play."

Here's proof that Todd and I were there too.  Too often I am not in the pictures because I am always taking them.

I just love seeing our kids smile again! 

We stopped by Goody's Soda Fountain and Candy Store on the way home for ice cream.  Yumm!  Ice cream is good anytime of year, even when it is cold outside, especially when the hot fudge it THAT GOOD!

A New Beginning

Yes, it has been over a year since I last posted here on my blog.  It has been a difficult year.  And many things which we loved to do like long Saturday runs, learning Chinese, and blogging, got put on hold while we tried to push through each day and move forward.

Without giving too much details that would embarrass one of our children, I will let you know that Justin is spending the next year at Project PATCH, a residential behavioral treatment youth ranch for troubled teens.  Justin is getting much needed help and our family is getting much needed relief and some new beginnings.

So why am I posting a picture of a wreath?  On the last night before Justin went to Project PATCH, he ripped my favorite wreath off of the front door, broke it, and threw it at me.  The family wanted to repair it but I knew that there would always be a hurtful memory attached to it.  So away it went.  And I went out to purchase a new wreath, something completely different than the last one.  It is a symbol of new beginnings.  And I smile every time I see it.

Frosty Morning

This has been the coldest January in a long time.  There has been day after day of below freezing temperatures.  We are hoping it will soon get above 20 degrees.  But all is not lost.  This morning, all though it was zero degrees outside, a fog left the most beautiful and amazing frost everywhere!

New Year

Thank you Todd for making my New Year's goal to get more organized a little easier.  I love my new shelves!

Our Missionary

The best part of Christmas Day was talking to our missionary via Skype!  Isn't technology amazing!

Christmas Eve 2012

We celebrated Christmas Eve the same as always, surrounded by family and friends.  This year we went Mexican in honor of Thomas.