And the fun begins...

so the fun has began with Ethan's rigorous meal plan schedule and healthful sneaky foods. We made Chick pea cookies today, and they are really good. I pureed a ton a veggies to put into things that he already eats (aka breakfast) and I made some chocolate muffins chalked full of pumpkiny goodness. This is a ton of work, but kind of fun too - hopefully we can bring his weight up in the next 6 weeks, or we will be in trouble :(

Ideas Please!

So my little man needs some help, and I need some help to give it to him. Ethan was almost 6 weeks premature as a baby, and has struggled since starting on solid foods. He is picky and stubborn. Even as a little 6 month old baby he gave me a run for my money trying to get vegetables into him. Now he is days away from being 20 months old, and has started to lose what little weight he has. He has lost 1 1/2 pounds in the last month, and is now only 17 lbs. He has a horrible immune system, and if he come into contact with anything he gets it. I had an appointment with a pediatric dietitian today to help give me some guidance so that I can help him. I have already taken away all fruit snack, and most pre purchased snacks from all of the kids in my home because he is old enough to know the difference now, but that is not enough. I need to find ways to put beans into muffins, and carrots into his smoothies. Do any of you have healthy snacks that have a nutritional punch that I might be able to work into his diet. I love this little man, and can't take seeing him suffer.

Happy Birthday Mom

Mom's are the ones who are always there with a listening ear, and a kind touch. I am so grateful for my Mom, and to be living soo close to her right now. Happy Birthday Mom, I love you!

Love Him!

We had a stake enrichment meeting on Friday night, and it was a lot of fun, it always inspires me to do better, and try different things. A really good friend of mine came with me, and it was fun spending time with her outside of kids. We were 20 minutes late for dinner, but had Polynesian haystack (it was a paradise theme activity) and a really yummy tropical cake thing that I need to get the recipe for.

Then we had a talk by our Stake President
first of all who wouldn't love this man. every time I hear him speak he makes me laugh - without fail, even when he is speaking on sensitive, or serious matters. He takes special care to learn the names of the members in our stake, and actually does a phenomenal job at it. He start5ed his talk by saying that he doesn't know as many women as men in the stake, so to get to know us he decided to read our blogs. He started going through blogs just following the links, and found 27 blogs of women in our stake, mine being one of them. He quoted things he had read, had one lady come up and tell a story off of her blog, and mentioned many others. He spoke on Paradise (the Celestial kingdom) and 10 ways to help us get there. So Inspiring!

Then there was the opportunity to go to 2 different classes. I chose one on money management - informational, and I heard a few money saving tips that I might try to implement. The second class was on freezer meals, and I am SOLD. It saves money buying in bulk, and saves time on those evenings that life seems to be getting at you and you wish there was more time in the day. So my plan is to use up some of the things that currently fill my little deep freeze, and then do the Big Cook with some of my friends. (my mom, sister in law, and friend have all already said they want to do it as well) I am not planning on eating freezer meals every day, but I think that it will help life flow a little smoother on those busy days.

I am so grateful for the stake that I live in, for the women that surround me, and touch my life. I am grateful for the gospel, and all of it's inspired programs, and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from the women around me who know so much more then I do.

Not your friend?

I never thought I would be bothered as an adult by someone saying that they are not my friend anymore, but when it is my 3 year old son, it hurts. That seems to be Skyler's new thing (leaned from the boy I babysit) and I try not to show that it bothers me, but it does, more than the tantrums, more than the messes, more than skinned knees. I am realistic and know that I need to be his mom, not his best friend, but usually I am both, at least for now.

A great Dad

I love this picture of Jordan and Ethan! Jordan had to go up to the university again today for something small, and when he was getting ready to go, Ethan really wanted to go as well. What a great dad to take him along, and make this little man soo happy.

Morning Sunshine

I love the innocence of a child with their favorite stuffed animals. How sweet does he look? Not to worry as soon as the sleep is gone from his eyes the trouble begins, and all the fun!

Resolutions

I have been thinking a lot about resolutions or goals for the new year, and there are so many thing that I would like to do, but here are a few things that I would like to concentrate on this year.

- I would like to be a more grateful person. I feel that I am a grateful person by nature but I am not super outgoing, and while sitting at church with my mom a few weeks ago I have realized that if you don't say what you are thinking those around you will never know. My mom leaned over to me and said "her hair looks soo pretty I love the flower" What a nice compliment, but this lady had no idea that my mom appreciated her beautiful hair, and the extra time she spent putting the flower in. I am going to speak those thoughts so those around me know the appreciation that I have for them, and the things they do. I am going to give away more thank you cards, and really try to appreciate the small things.

- I would like to teach my children something new at least 3 days a week. Life gets so busy sometimes it is hard to soncentrate on those small learning moments with you children. As my children get older I see this as more a necessity and I do want to be involved in theier learning.

- I would like to look 'put together' every day - this doesn't mean I will be wearing heals to grocery shop, or that my lovely cozy sweat pants will lose thier appeal or get less use. I would just like to make sure that I am spending a little time on me. When I spend a little longer getting ready I feel soo much better. For me this also means getting up a little earlier becasue my children do not give me that little extra time.

- I would like to have a family over for sunday dinner at least once a month. Our ward was just split, and the ward that I live in was parts of 2 wards combined, so now there are a lot of faces that I do not know. I am not great at sparking up a conversation with people that I do not know well, but I can invite people to my home without reservation (beside where do we have people sit for dinner) I hope that this will help me get to know people a little better.

60 years

On Saturday we drove down to Magrath for a family celebration. My Grandma and Grandpa Fox have been married for 60 years! What an example that is in today's society where marriage is looked at so frivolously. I love them both dearly. They went to a portrait studio and had pictures taken for each of their 7 children - I have not had a chance to get copies yet, but I loved how you could picture what was happening in each picture. My grandpa grumbling about having to wear a suit, and why does he have to do this anyways (he is such a homebody and loves to catch a good ball game on tv). There is one with my grandma's head turned to my grandpa, and you know that she is scolding him for something - presumably telling him to smile because the next couple have a pained smile on his face.
They are some of the most welcoming and loving people I have ever known and it is hard to watch their health ailing, and I am so glad that our family is strong and does get together often.
there were relatives that made long drives to be there (a lot longer than my 3 hours in a snow storm) some who we see maybe once a year if we are lucky.
these 2 beautiful ladies with me are my cousins Jenny and Kristi. I remember being a spoiled little girl, the first girl to follow them with many male cousins in between, and having them fight for my affection. Each would try to one up the other with the fancy trips they would take me on when they could drive. I love the memories, and it is soo fun spending time with them now.
Ethan loved it and I was really shocked up with his independence. I LOVE the Joker smile from all of the juice he was drinking - that took some scrubbing to get off in the bath!
Here is my mom's whole family all 7 children with my gandma and grandpa, and I am soo greatful for the example that has been set for me, and glad to know that there are big shoes to fill as I learn from these wonderful people. I love family!