Gaming: Children, and Ourselves.

We are all familiar with video games and Gaming- the act of playing games. I grew up with consoles my entire life. Atari, Nintendo, SNES, Gameboy, PS etc. I am a fan of video games myself. I have a passion for Mario, just take a look at my son Elijah's Nintendo Nursery.

So I guess I have been a gamer pretty much my whole life. However I do not play video games everyday..nor all day. My husband is a gamer too, he and I are on the same page about video games, but we really limit our time with them. We think they are a great pastime, but something to seriously be monitored. In reality there are far more important things for us to be doing than gaming all day.

We do have the occasional day here and there where we will game most of the day, but usually the weather is crummy, or we are taking a day for relaxing, we haven't played VG's for a few weeks, and all our chores and priorities are taken care of.

I have been thinking a lot about Elijah, and when we will let him begin gaming. My husband and I have been back and forth on this many times. Our agreement that is when he is able to actually play them, we figure 4ish? Now we won't let him sit down and play Modern Warfare no doubt. I am so thankful for our PS3 Motion, and Xbox 360 Kinect. Keep the kid more active and obviously non violent!!! Games like Disney Adventures, Sesame Street Once Upon a Monster, those are the games we will let him play, and with US no doubt! It would be such a fun and active pastime.

While some parents worry about whether playing video games is good for young children ( I being one of them!), I think that gaming — when properly supervised and balanced with other activities — can be a great pastime not only for kids but for parents' relationship with their kids.

Lately when my husband decides it's time to relax and play a VG, he plays once Elijah is in bed. Very rarely do we play a video game when Elijah is there to watch ( unless its an active kinect game where he sees us jumping and crouching about). My husband feels that it is in our children's best interest. I agree whole heartily with that. We don't only monitor our VG time but our television watching time, especially with Elijah, about 2-3 hours for him, breaking it up into morning afternoon and evening if possible.

I have seen quite a few families actually have really big issues over video games, Elder David A. Bednar said the following:

"Consider again the example I mentioned earlier of a young couple recently married in the house of the Lord. An immature or misguided spouse may devote an inordinate amount of time to playing video games, chatting online, or in other ways allowing the digital to dominate things as they really are. Initially the investment of time may seem relatively harmless, rationalized as a few minutes of needed relief from the demands of a hectic daily schedule. But important opportunities are missed for developing and improving interpersonal skills, for laughing and crying together, and for creating a rich and enduring bond of emotional intimacy. Progressively, seemingly innocent entertainment can become a form of pernicious enslavement."

After all these things AREN'T BAD! But something we feel need to be strongly monitored, and not just with our child/ and future children, but with OURSELVES even as adults!!

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorom of the 12 Apostles talk "Things as They Really Are" found in the JUNE 2010 ENSIGN... I truly believe he hit the nail on the head with this one, in part of his talk he says:

( yes this is a bit lengthy, but you should really read EVERY word of this part of his talk..it doesn't just pertain to VG's but all social networks, online technology etc..very good food for thought!!)

"For example, all of us can find enjoyment in a wide range of wholesome, entertaining, and engaging activities. But we diminish the importance of our bodies and jeopardize our physical well-being by going to unusual and dangerous extremes searching for an ever-greater and more exhilarating adrenaline “rush.” We may rationalize that surely nothing is wrong with such seemingly innocent exploits and adventures. However, putting at risk the very instrument God has given us to receive the learning experiences of mortality—merely to pursue a thrill or some supposed fun, to bolster ego, or to gain acceptance—truly minimizes the importance of our physical bodies.

Sadly, some young men and young women in the Church today ignore “things as they really are” and neglect eternal relationships for digital distractions, diversions, and detours that have no lasting value. My heart aches when a young couple—sealed together in the house of the Lord for time and for all eternity by the power of the holy priesthood—experiences marital difficulties because of the addicting effect of excessive video gaming or online socializing. A young man or woman may waste countless hours, postpone or forfeit vocational or academic achievement, and ultimately sacrifice cherished human relationships because of mind- and spirit-numbing video and online games. As the Lord declared, “Wherefore, I give unto them a commandment … : Thou shalt not idle away thy time, neither shalt thou bury thy talent that it may not be known” (D&C 60:13).

You may now be asking yourself, “But, Brother Bednar, you began today by talking about the importance of a physical body in our eternal progression. Are you suggesting that video gaming and various types of computer-mediated communication can play a role in minimizing the importance of our physical bodies?” That is precisely what I am declaring. Let me explain.

We live at a time when technology can be used to replicate reality, to augment reality, and to create virtual reality. For example, a medical doctor can use software simulation to gain valuable experience performing a complicated surgical operation without ever putting a human patient at risk. A pilot in a flight simulator repeatedly can practice emergency landing procedures that could save many lives. And architects and engineers can use innovative technologies to model sophisticated design and construction methods that decrease the loss of human life and damage to buildings caused by earthquakes and other natural disasters.

In each of these examples, a high degree of fidelity in the simulation or model contributes to the effectiveness of the experience. The term fidelity denotes the similarity between reality and a representation of reality. Such a simulation can be constructive if the fidelity is high and the purposes are good—for example, providing experience that saves lives or improves the quality of life.

Please notice the fidelity between the representation of reality in the computer rendering (page 26) and the reality of the completed room in the photograph on the next page.

In the example, high fidelity is employed to accomplish a most important purpose—the design and construction of a sacred and beautiful temple. However, a simulation or model can lead to spiritual impairment and danger if the fidelity is high and the purposes are bad—such as experimenting with actions contrary to God’s commandments or enticing us to think or do things we would not otherwise think or do “because it is only a game.”

I raise an apostolic voice of warning about the potentially stifling, suffocating, suppressing, and constraining impact of some kinds of cyberspace interactions and experiences upon our souls. The concerns I raise are not new; they apply equally to other types of media, such as television, movies, and music. But in a cyber world, these challenges are more pervasive and intense. I plead with you to beware of the sense-dulling and spiritually destructive influence of cyberspace technologies that are used to produce high fidelity and that promote degrading and evil purposes.

If the adversary cannot entice us to misuse our physical bodies, then one of his most potent tactics is to beguile you and me as embodied spirits to disconnect gradually and physically from things as they really are. In essence, he encourages us to think and act as if we were in our premortal, unembodied state. And, if we let him, he can cunningly employ some aspects of modern technology to accomplish his purposes. Please be careful of becoming so immersed and engrossed in pixels, texting, earbuds, twittering, online social networking, and potentially addictive uses of media and the Internet that you fail to recognize the importance of your physical body and miss the richness of person-to-person communication. Beware of digital displays and data in many forms of computer-mediated interaction that can displace the full range of physical capacity and experience.

In contrast, we need to heed the admonition of Paul: “That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour” (1 Thessalonians 4:4).

Consider again the example I mentioned earlier of a young couple recently married in the house of the Lord. An immature or misguided spouse may devote an inordinate amount of time to playing video games, chatting online, or in other ways allowing the digital to dominate things as they really are. Initially the investment of time may seem relatively harmless, rationalized as a few minutes of needed relief from the demands of a hectic daily schedule. But important opportunities are missed for developing and improving interpersonal skills, for laughing and crying together, and for creating a rich and enduring bond of emotional intimacy. Progressively, seemingly innocent entertainment can become a form of pernicious enslavement.

To feel the warmth of a tender hug from an eternal companion or to see the sincerity in the eyes of another person as testimony is shared—all of these things experienced as they really are through the instrument of our physical body—could be sacrificed for a high-fidelity fantasy that has no lasting value. If you and I are not vigilant, we can become “past feeling” (1 Nephi 17:45), as did Laman and Lemuel long ago.

Let me provide another example of disconnecting gradually and physically from things as they really are. Today a person can enter into a virtual world, such as Second Life, and assume a new identity. An individual can create an avatar, or a cyberspace persona, that conforms to his or her own appearance and behavior. Or a person can concoct a counterfeit identity that does not correlate in any way to things as they really are. However closely the assumed new identity approximates the individual, such behavior is the essence of things as they really are not. Earlier I defined the fidelity of a simulation or model. I now emphasize the importance of personal fidelity—the correspondence between an actual person and an assumed, cyberspace identity. Please note the lack of personal fidelity in the following episode as reported in the Wall Street Journal:

Ric Hoogestraat is “a burly [53-year-old] man with a long gray ponytail, thick sideburns and a salt-and-pepper handlebar mustache. … [Ric spends] six hours a night and often 14 hours at a stretch on weekends as Dutch Hoorenbeek, his six-foot-nine, muscular … cyber-self. The character looks like a younger, physically enhanced version of [Ric]. …

“… [He] sits at his computer with the blinds drawn. … While his wife, Sue, watches television in the living room, Mr. Hoogestraat chats online with what appears on the screen to be a tall, slim redhead.

“He’s never met the woman outside of the computer world of Second Life, a well-chronicled digital fantasyland. … He’s never so much as spoken to her on the telephone. But their relationship has taken on curiously real dimensions. They own two dogs, pay a mortgage together and spend hours [in their cyberspace world] shopping at the mall and taking long motorcycle rides. … Their bond is so strong that three months ago, Mr. Hoogestraat asked Janet Spielman, the 38-year-old Canadian woman who controls the redhead, to become his virtual wife.

“The woman he’s legally wed to is not amused. ‘It’s really devastating,’ says Sue Hoogestraat, … who has been married to Mr. Hoogestraat for seven months.”⁵

Brothers and sisters, please understand. I am not suggesting all technology is inherently bad; it is not. Nor am I saying we should not use its many capabilities in appropriate ways to learn, to communicate, to lift and brighten lives, and to build and strengthen the Church; of course we should. But I am raising a warning voice that we should not squander and damage authentic relationships by obsessing over contrived ones. “Nearly 40% of men and 53% of women who play online games said their virtual friends were equal to or better than their real-life friends, according to a survey of 30,000 gamers conducted by … a recent Ph.D. graduate from Stanford University. More than a quarter of gamers [who responded indicated that] the emotional highlight of the past week occurred in a computer world.”⁶

How important, how enduring, and how timely is the Lord’s definition of truth: “things as they really are.” The prophet Alma asked, “O then, is not this real?” (Alma 32:35). He was speaking of light and good so discernible they can be tasted. Indeed, “they who dwell in [the Father’s] presence … see as they are seen, and know as they are known, having received of his fulness and of his grace” (D&C 76:94).

My beloved brothers and sisters, beware! To the extent personal fidelity decreases in computer-mediated communications and the purposes of such communications are distorted, perverted, and wicked, the potential for spiritual disaster is dangerously high. I implore you to turn away immediately and permanently from such places and activities (see 2 Timothy 3:5).

Now I would like to address an additional characteristic of the adversary’s attacks. Satan often offers an alluring illusion of anonymity. Lucifer always has sought to accomplish his work in secret (see Moses 5:30). Remember, however, that apostasy is not anonymous simply because it occurs in a blog or through a fabricated identity in a chat room or virtual world. Immoral thoughts, words, and deeds always are immoral, even in cyberspace. Deceitful acts supposedly veiled in secrecy, such as illegally downloading music from the Internet or copying CDs or DVDs for distribution to friends and families, are nonetheless deceitful. We are all accountable to God, and ultimately we will be judged of Him according to our deeds and the desires of our hearts (see Alma 41:3). “For as [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).

The Lord knows who we really are, what we really think, what we really do, and who we really are becoming. He has warned us that “the rebellious shall be pierced with much sorrow; for their iniquities shall be spoken upon the housetops, and their secret acts shall be revealed” (D&C 1:3).

I have raised a voice of warning about only a few of the spiritual hazards in our technologically oriented and rapidly changing world. Let me say again: neither technology nor rapid change in or of itself is good or evil; the real challenge is to understand both within the context of the eternal plan of happiness. Lucifer will encourage you to misuse and to minimize the importance of your physical body. He will attempt to substitute the monotony of virtual repetition for the infinite variety of God’s creations and convince us we are merely mortal things to be acted upon instead of eternal souls blessed with moral agency to act for ourselves. Deviously, he entices embodied spirits to forfeit the blessings and learning experiences “according to the flesh” (1 Nephi 19:6; Alma 7:12–13) that are made possible through the Father’s plan of happiness and the Atonement of His Only Begotten Son.

For your happiness and protection, I invite you to study more diligently the doctrine of the plan of salvation—and to prayerfully ponder the truths we have reviewed. I offer two questions for consideration in your personal pondering and prayerful studying:

1. Does the use of various technologies and media invite or impede the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost in your life?

2. Does the time you spend using various technologies and media enlarge or restrict your capacity to live, to love, and to serve in meaningful ways?

You will receive answers, inspiration, and instruction from the Holy Ghost suited to your individual circumstances and needs. I repeat and affirm the teaching of the Prophet Joseph: “All beings who have bodies have power over those who have not. The devil has no power over us only as we permit him.”

These eternal truths about the importance of our physical bodies will fortify you against the deception and the attacks of the adversary. One of my deepest desires for you is an ever-increasing testimony of and appreciation for the Resurrection—even your own resurrection with a celestial, exalted body “because of your faith in [the Lord Jesus Christ] according to the promise” (Moroni 7:41)."

Round 2!

Today I am 13 weeks and 3 days pregnant! This is when most people are announcing LOL. I have felt wonderful yet again this pregnancy! I did have a couple of days of nausea at about 9 weeks. Nothing too crazy though thank goodness! Other than that it has been business as usual, still running 3-4 days a week 3-4 miles +, boxing, kickboxing, yoga, pilates etc. It would be nice to keep this us like I did with Elijah! I have had more cravings this time around, but the biggest difference is the LACK of appetite. I actually lost 13lbs this 1st trimester, I just didnt want to eat really. Everything sounded good, but I wouldn't really eat a whole meal, I would get FULL so FAST! Felt like I was 8 months pregnant rather than a few weeks along!! My OB said that it was normal and not to worry, my appetite is slowly coming back, and I am gaining weight back!

I have been wondering when I was going to start showing this time, and the time is here! If you see me out and about you probably won't notice, you have to see the bare belly to see the bumpage, but it is coming in, and a couple of weeks earlier than Elijah this time too! I am so excited to go down this road again, I LOVED every second of my pregnancy with Elijah. I felt amazing, and was just very excited to be a mother. Now I will be a mother of 2!!! I will be a busy mom, my children will be 20 months apart!

Very excited to give my little critter another little critter to play with!!

No bones about it, we're PREGNANT!

Well here we go again! Elijah Ames is going to be a big brother, can you believe it!? Our family is very excited for our new addition!

 

 

We found out that I was pregnant the MORNING OF ELIJAH'S 1st BIRTHDAY!! Holy Toledo was that one heck of a day! It was very exciting! That same day I ordered this awesome iron on decal to announce our pregnancy for October (MY FAVORITE MONTH). I actually found it about a year ago, but there wasn't a need for it. I had a friend get pregnant a few weeks before me, and I told her she should buy it and announce this way, she by passed on the idea, so I took it on immediately. Such a fun and cute way to surprise our friends and family. Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays, so this was perfect for us!

As of right now I am due June 5th, that puts me at 9 weeks. However when we went in, the baby was too small, and we could not measure, so we estimated my due date by my last cycle, I'm pretty sure it won't change much, but we go back in on November 7th for another ultrasound and measurement to get a solid due date. Can't wait to see my lil baby up on that screen again like we did with Elijah!

So far I have felt fabulous! No morning sickness thus far thank goodness, as was the same with Elijah. Hope it stays that way. I only felt tired the first couple of weeks. Then I got a cold, and that laid me out for a week, I seriously just slept all day every day! Thank goodness Elijah sleeps 12-14 hours straight through the night, this momma needed her rest. Now my cold is gone, and we are back to our crazy busy hectic schedules!

What is even MORE exciting about all of this is that I have 6 friends that are pregnant, and the furthest apart we are is 5 weeks! Pretty crazy, going to be so much fun !!

Happy Halloween!!!

Castillon style!!

Maple roasted sugar pumpkin, sage, and jack grilled cheese.

Totally a goodie for fall!

Take a sugar pumpkin destem, half, peel, and deseed.

Cut up into 1by1 pieces, add 2 tbs melted butter, and 1 tbs REAL PURE MAPLE syrup. Its a lot more expensive, but tastes so much better, especially when baking/roasting!

Place in a pan and top with fresh crushed black pepper (to taste)

You will also need fresh cut sage. 6 leaves coarsely chopped will do the trick.

For my bread I didn't use regular sandwich bread, I bought a fresh baked loaf of Italian rustic bread, very flavorful bread that is for sure!

Start grilling the bread, and add freshly grated Monterrey Jack cheese, top with roasted pumpkin, layered to fit the bread, then top with some sage, and add more grated cheese, then add your top piece of bread, and finish grilling. The pumpkin, maple, sage, and cheese is amazing flavor in your mouth! WOWZA!

Homemade Pumpkin Cheesecake w/ Pecan Praline Topping

Be sure that ALL of your ingredients are ROOM TEMPERATURE before you begin. It will make your cheesecake nice and smooth, if an item is cold, like eggs, you will have giant cracks across your pie, still edible, but certainly not as pretty!

Ingredients

Crust:

1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick melted salted butter

Filling:

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
2 freshly baked and mashed pumpkins (then use 1 and 3/4 Cup of mash) OR
1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin ( FRESH IS SO MUCH BETTER THOUGH!)
3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For crust:

In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch springform pan, or if you don't have a springform pan, use a CAKE pan, you CANNOT use a regular pie dish, it will not fit, it will overflow horribly! You need a dish with at leas 2.5 inches tall on sides. Set aside.

For filling:

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined. Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

For my topping I used a Pecan Praline topping..WONDERFUL and simple recipe as follows

Ingredients

2 cups whole pecans
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons heavy cream
Cooking spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl combine pecans, brown sugar, and heavy cream. Spread into a square baking pan, sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until coating is dry, and slightly crystallized, stirring once. Remove from oven to cool and stir once more. If not serving immediately, store in an airtight container.

Support my business!

So a lot of you know of my work in the snowboarding industry, however I am sure a lot of you do not! I do affiliate marketing and advertising for snowboarding shops that are web based. Here is a really easy and quick break down of how it works. You click on my advertisement for a particular board shop, and it takes you to that site, and you order merchandise!

I can get you discount codes, and coupons most times for these particular site, but you just have to click on MY advertisement on my blog, OR when I post the link to facebook, myspace, or google+. Its a win win situation! Some of you might be thinking, well I will just go to the site, and not through Julie and order..the catch is, MY ADS have built in coupons more times than not, so you will be saving money!! Just add my blog to your favorites, and when you want to shop, click on my blog, and then my ad!! Simple!

I just recently got job offers from quite a few shops, I will be adding more soon. Now here is the even COOLER PART. When I re certified my sites, I applied for different types of shops as well. I'm an not only doing snowboard shop based shops. I will and can expand my business with such shops like mammabargains.com littleruler.com etc... baby stores!! That is right! If there is a particular online shop you like to shop at, let me know about them, Ill can send my application into them and possibly get them to employ me. Just let me know if you are interested in coupons, and shops! I greatly appreciate your help!!

<<<<<-------Ill be posting my ads at the top to the left of my blog, it should be the first thing you see!

Video Game Marathon for Charity

I SN0W GIDGET will be embarking on an annual 24-hour video game marathon that raises money to help heal sick kids at our local Children's Miracle Network Hospital (Primary Children's) !!

I will play 24 hours of video games if you donate to this charity! $1 $5, ANYTHING!! Would love your help and support!!

Click the icon below that is provided, and it will take you to the donation portion of the site. Tax decutible as well! Thank you so much for your donations!

If your a Hunter, then you have a hunting story!

Well we had one heck of a week last week! We were planning on being packed and up at our hunting camp on Monday, however the axle on our camper wasn't ready until Tuesday. So we went and picked it up, then had to put it on the camper, took a bit longer than we expected, it was getting late, so we decided to stay home, and go up Wed, the day before bow hunting opened, we would have plenty of time! However my phone decided to die, and we ordered another one,they over nighted it to us, so instead of leaving in the morning, we waited until the afternoon to go, (after I got my phone setup) We were on the road Wednesday @ 2pm..

We were about half way to hunting camp when Jamie noticed some smoke...he went and checked out the camper, and figured out that we had lost a bearing. CRAP! So we drove a bit further down the road to a Wyoming Memorial site that had a nice truck area off the road. Pulled in and Jamie got to work, Elijah Summit and I cheered him on, and hiked around when we got bored with that lol.

We then decided to unhook from the camper and drive into Labarge, which doesn't have much, and they didn't have an auto shop that carried bearings, we would have to go all the way into Big Piney, another 30 minutes down the road...we started sweatin, it was 4pm, so I used my handy dandy smart phone and BINGed Big Piney Auto parts, and called Napa, they were open till 530! Then I had to call over to the place in RS that fixed our axle, and find out the bearing size they used.

We got it all figured out and squared away, bearing purchased, and back to our "road side camp" Jamie got back to work, after a couple of hours of huffing and puffing, the remaining barrels wouldn't come off!! We needed a hack saw, which was conveniently at home. We lost day light, and decided to camp there!

Early Thursday morning opening day on the side of the road, driving back into Big Piney to go buy a freakin hack saw! We returned to the camper, and Jamie got once again back to work. It took a while, Elijah and I napped, then dad came and woke us up. He told us he had it fixed and were all ready to get to hunting camp!! What a way to spend the opening day of bow hunting season!!

The camper holds, we make it just fine, and get all settled into camp. Elijah and I explore the woods for cool rocks, twigs, and moo cows!!

Elijah just loved being up at camp, sitting in the dirt, playing with the rocks, and hanging out with his Summit boy!

Opening day about 2 in the afternoon, Jame sets up our targets, and we decided to shoot a bit. He then tell me he is just going to go on a quick night hunt, and probably just call and scout out them Elk!

Elijah and I made dinner, and snuggled up to a movie in the camper. We loved it! It felt odd not going with Jamie to hunt, I was missing it, but still enjoying my time at camp. Elijah and I fell asleep. I wake up to Summit barking, and realize its just Jamie driving into camp, it was dark about 10 pm..I wait laying in bed for Jamie to come in the camper. I hear the door open and shut, and then peaks his wide eyed beautiful face around the corner. " I got one Julie, I got one!!"

I was in shock! I played it off like he was joking, "nuh uh no you didn't! did you!?"

Jamie then told me his "hunting story" I love his hunting stories!!! We stayed up and talked for a couple of hours about our crazy adventure, and how stressful the situation could have been.

We talked about all the praying we have been doing, on top of our normal prayers. We felt like we prayed all day every day for days straight to get things in order, and have them work out. Because of our faith in the Lord, I know he comforted us, and blessed us with the mentality and patience to get through our trials. We actually had fun, considering our circumstances!

I am SO thankful for my amazing husband, for the knowledge not only that he has in the gospel, but for being the hand man he is! I swear he is am automotive technician, carpenter, electrician, HVAC, plumber, pipe fitter, welder...THE LIST GOES ON!!! Such a hard working man, and not afraid of a little labor! He's a mans man! I believe one of the sexiest things things about him is his skill to PROVIDE, and of course the fact that he is a HUNTER, and can go out and get his family some food with a bow!

He is so perfect for me, I love him so much!! Can't wait to make more babies, and have him teach them all these things :O)


So enough with the mushy gushy and on to the KILL! Here are some photos of Jamie Elk. He shot this fella deep in the basin, and had to quarter him up. Oh yes it’s a job! For one thing; any person going elk hunting alone is nuts!

The first trip out of the basin he brought up the head and a hind quarter. He said that was the hardest part, SO HEAVY!!!

By the time he took the second trip his brothers showed up, and brought Jamie his special pack to put the elk in. He fit the rest of the front and hind quarters and a few other parts of meat. It was heavy as well! He packed out over a hundred pounds of elk out of the basin, one hell of a hike by itself, let alone to add an elk into the mix...I love my buff and strong hubby!!

Elijah and daddy's kill.

All in all a fabulous trip!! Now to get my deer!!

Almost Hunting Season!!

Few things can bring you more joy than to pursue two of your passions at the same time. This is easy to do by taking your children snowboarding with you! However Eli is too small, see it being the off season from snowboarding, my husband and I do a plethora of other outdoor activities, that help keep up in shape, and ready for the following season of snowboarding! Hunting is right around the corner!! Our first trip with Elijah...wow..we took our 6 and a ½ month old son hunting with us for the first time. I have been so excited to get our baby out and about in the great outdoors!

Obviously Elijah wasn’t old enough to be walking, so he wasn’t able to actually get out and hike, and hunt with us. My husband and I took turns on babysitting between hunts. This was made possible by having a 3rd person in our hunting party, we call him Grandpa!

Getting out in the country, on long dirt roads eyeballing turkey’s could not have been any more fun. It was great to take Eli out of his car seat, sit him on our lap, and watch him squeal with excitement at all the new things he was seeing. The trees, the cows, and the old run down Wyoming barns.

When hubby, and grandpa were out on a hunt, Elijah and I would play outside, and feel the leaves of the trees, grab the rocks, and long grass on the ground, and just look at all the wonderful beauty that was surrounding us. Not to forget of course, changing diapers in the back seat of the truck, rushing to make bottles for a fussy wee Elijah, and cuddle and rock my sweet baby to sleep, while settling in for a movie on the DVD player!

Jamie and I would often bring up what it will be like when Eli is 4, and we take him out to actually follow us on a hunt! We imagine it will be a far different experience. One that will include us walking only a few yards, to then “need a break” to sit and rest on a nearby log. Then a few minutes later needing to stop for a potty break, only to then be told he doesn’t want to relieve himself in the middle of the woods, but that he wants to travel ALL THE WAY back home to potty.

Stories about having young children with you usually do not conclude with the description of the trophy buck that you shoot, but the memories of being there with them are better trophies. We can’t wait until we see Eli jump out of his skin when a grouse takes off nearby and scares him, or of his first buck that he shoots!

I loved hearing all the hunting stories that my husband told me over that weekend, of him and his dad when he was younger, and the experiences he had. They truly are precious memories. I absolutely love being out with my little family and creating our own!

As much as I adore hunting, I am surely missing the snow. Not necessarily LIVING in it, but shredding the heck out of it! My baby will be 1 in September, and hopefully by the time the snow comes yet again to our backyard, he will be able to be towed around on the Burton Mini Shred After School Special Snowboard!

"RAW LIVING" Strawberry Cheesecake

I LOVE THIS RECIPE! I could seriously talk for hours about raw food, as well as vegan recipes! I find that I like to make a raw food dessert about every week and a half, I then munch on a slice a night, and it fills me up, and is OH SO YUMMY, and healthy too! So here is is folks, the strawberry cheesecake recipe. Big thanks to Priscilla Levac!

Crust:
2 Cups Macadamia Nuts, unsoaked
½ Cup Dates, pitted
¼ Cup Dried Coconut

“Cheese”

3 Cups Cashews, soaked for at least 1 hour
¾ Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
¾ Cup Honey
¾ Cup Coconut Oil, melted
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
½ Teaspoon Salt

Berry Sauce:
1 Bag Frozen Strawberries, Rasberries or Blueberries.
½ Cup Dates

Crust:
Process macadamia nuts first then add dates. Sprinkle coconut on the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch spring form pan. Press crust onto the coconut. This will prevent sticking.
Cheese: Blend all ingredients together. Add a little water if necessary.Pour the mixture into the crust. Place in the freezer until firm.

Berry Sauce: Blend berries and dates until smooth. Pour onto cheesecake when firm.

Pretty in Pink (Green) Smoothie

2 large,  frozen bananas
1 1/3 C almond milk
1 tbs coconut butter
1/8 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2-4 ice cubes

Blend in blender, enjoy! <3

Protein pick me up!

Simple and quick! Take out the core of the apple, slice, and spread your fave nut butter on it ;0)

Homemade hummus dip and green smoothie

For my hummus dip, its pretty simple! I use the following:

1 can garbanzo beans (save 1/4 C of the juice)
2 cloves fresh garlic
3 tbs lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
A dash of cayenne pepper ( for those of you who like it spicy!)1/2 - 1 tsp gr. Cumin (use some to sprinkle on top before serving)

(I didn't use tahini in this recipe this time)

Put all ingredients in a food processor, with you 1/4 juice and process for 3 to 5 minutes! Then garnish with a bit of fresh parsley!

Pretty simple and yummy!

My green smoothie today isn't so green! I added a medley of tart black berries, red raspberries and blueberries today!

For smoothie:

1 C water
1/2 C coconut milk
3 C spinach
2 tbs orange juice concentrate
1 C fruit
Dash of flax seed

Blend in blender!

YOGA!

I am no expert. I’ve been practicing for years, but I still consider myself a beginner. I remember using some amazing videos in the beginning to get my basic poses and form down before I attempted studio classes. I still do videos religiously to this day, but I also like to create my own routine using a yoga book I have.I loved my videos because my fave instructor (Tara Stiles) made yoga accessible. There are a lot of purists out there (a few of my friends included) who have tried introducing me to yoga their way… which was in-depth, meditative stuff with a lot more dialogue than I would have liked. I respect yoga A LOT, and my respect/knowledge grows every day… but to be honest, what “lured me in” was Tara’s simplicity- how she broke down her workouts into WORKOUTS, just jumping in, rather than just talking for the first 10-20 minutes.

Over the years I have incorporated the “in-depth, meditative stuff” into my yoga practice as well. Im a calmer more easy going person because of it!

Tara got me at video 1 by making me WORK (the beginners videos just go over basic poses, but whewwww, I sucked big time my first few run-throughs). After my first 5-minute video, despite my massive inability to do most of the things Tara was doing smoothly, I was hooked. I thought “hmmm.. I can do this… the stretching feels nice and I just broke a mini-sweat” The next day I did two videos. The next day I did three… etc I love yoga because your accomplishments are measurable- tangible within your own body and mind. I just FELT AMAZING after yoga every single time. My body felt it the next day, but the lighter, easier stretching routines would loosen it up. I never felt pressured.. I was just loving it, despite the difficulty, and wanted to be able to move with the instructors fluid grace and strength. And every day, I was getting closer.My fingertips initially couldn't reach my toes. Really, they stopped about 4 inches above. I was not a flexible person. Athletic yes, flexible, no. But there was a difference after about two weeks!

Palms flat on the ground.

I have to keep saying this… I RESPECT yoga. I too, will continue to learn more about the practice and the philosophy behind it (what little I know, I love, and think it has already made me a calmer, gentler person),I want to practice just about all the styles of yoga in a studio by a guru as often as I can. But starting this way has made it, accessible for ME. My interest in yoga was never piqued by the yoga classes I took back in highschool... It was an organic moment; me at home, on my new yoga mat, struggling to breathe properly while stretching my body, when I finally thought “huh… this is… gratifying… and hard… and awesome.” The love was born. And now here I am, blogging about yoga ...

I feel more flexible every day. Stronger. Happier. Calmer. My morning doesn’t start for me, mentally or physically, until I finish at LEAST a few minutes of an easy stretching routine. Then the day is clear. When I tense up/stress out later in the afternoon, it’s back to the mat for another session of mind-clearing yoga. What I REALLY like about yoga is that while you are practicing, you cannot think about anything else but EXACTLY what you are physically doing. Concentrating on that + breathing + relaxing into your muscles is incredibly therapeutic. I think the psychological benefits of working out tension through your body AND forcing your mind to also essentially “work out” are the reasons why everybody says that yoga is a great form of stress relief. You can zone it out while running, but you can’t ever lose focus while practicing yoga. And what it does for your body….

I’m not a judgy person. I’ll be the first to admit I tried yoga again for the physical benefits only (I wanted a “yoga” body). But although my love for it started superficially, it is what drew me in to WANT to commit fully (though gradually). I don’t feel pressured by anything… I just WANT to get stronger, and hit those crazy poses that are reblogged so often on Tumblr. 30 minutes every morning and 30 minutes at night is what I am doing now, and I can’t tell you how great it makes me feel during the day and before I go to sleep.

Namaste <3

I get by with a little help from my friends..

I have been the biggest little sick girl the past 2 weeks. Long story short..

Week 1: Normal cold, took it easy, and felt much better by the end of the week.

Shortly there after I thought I had allergies!!

Week 2: Bacterial cold, low grade fever, my nose running like a freakin' FAUCET! MISERABLE.

THANK GOODNESS Jamie was on his week off. He took care of me, and took care of Eli. Such a great, and amazing husband! He even managed to stay on top of the house hold chores, yard work, and grocery shopping. What a PEACH!

Luckily the day before I got really sick we had a BBQ with our awesome friends, and they sent us home with tons of leftovers! Moose steaks, chicken, pork...it got us through quite a few meals so Jamie didn't have to do TOO much cooking! So thankful!

My regular workouts were canned for 2 whole weeks! I just did light stuff when I felt I could. I diligently stuck with my yoga twice a day, but man, I couldn't breathe, so I was fighting through each session. Today I was finally able to breathe normally through my whole session. Feels good to be back! Not entirely 100% yet, but Ill be there soon!!

All in all it's been good though I guess. Elijah is finally sleeping through the nights, he was forced to skip 2 to 3 naps over memorial day weekend. We had so much going on he didn't sleep most afternoons for about 5 days! Good thing though, because now he is used to it, and when he goes to sleep he STAYS asleep ALL night! 9pm-5am wakes, has a bottle, and then sleeps till about 8am!

It has been SOO nice! Especially since daddy went back to work on graves, and I'm still needing some much needed rest to bounce back! So I apologize to all my friends who I had to cancel plans with! This coming weeks will be nice, summer is finally here! Time to cash in all those "rain checks"!!!

Big thank you to my hubs, friends, Castle Rock Medical, Smith Pharmacy, kleenex tissues, thera flu, day quil, and nyquil. I owe ya one! ;O)

Happy anniversary birthday!

We spent the last 5 days in Colorado, celebrated our 5th year wedding anniversary, and Jamie's 28th birthday! We had a blast in CO! We absolutely adore it there. We constantly talk about picking up and moving to Boulder, not that its anything serious right now, but man, if ever it could workout, we would do it!

Its the best down there, Nat and Nick, shopping, hiking,snowboarding...man and the scenery! Ahhhh anyone wanna buy my house?? Lol

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Ready To Be Parents Again?

The "perfect" family size, spacing children as closely, or as far apart as we please. Family planning has come a long way. It used to be that women birthed babies frequently, and at most times unexpectedly.

When my husband and I first talked about family, we had decided that we would like to strive for a large family of 5. We both come from families of 5, children spaced, ages 3 years apart. Without really every contemplating it too heavily, we thought it was the perfect plan. Now that we have had Eli, our thoughts have shifted.

When I first held my little bundle of 5 lbs 8 ounces of joy, I immediately was bitten with a mommy hood bug. I already wanted to try, for yet another baby. I guess we could all partly blame that on the morphine? Now that my son is 6 months, the thought of having another child has not subsided like I thought it would. It has only progressively gotten worse.

Which brings me to the question. Are we ready to be parents again? I believe it is in my next child's best interest if I try to hold out for a few more months before we try again. Ideally be pregnant when our son is at least the age of 1, my husband and I have come to an agreement that we would like try to space them closer together. Studies have shown that children spaced closely together have less sibling rivalry, they have more in common, play great together, and can prevent any struggles children may have with the welcoming of a new baby.

We understand that having children spaced so closely together is going to be difficult. Doable, fun, joyous, but yes difficult. However that will only be in the younger years. Perks to the trade would include my children sharing experiences, toys, clothes, and fun, as well as us as parents getting over the special challenges of the baby and toddler years as quickly as possible!

The only thing left to contemplate, would be me as a mother, and my well being. Am I ready physically, and emotionally, to be a parent again?

Studies have shown that 18 to 23 months apart is ideal. Pregnancies spaced less than one year have had an increased risk of low birth weight and or preterm birth.

It is very important for a mother to take good care of herself between pregnancies, especially if you plan on spacing them closer together. Women need time to lose their pregnancy weight, increase their exercise strength, improve their body tone, (especially their abdominal and pelvic muscles.) Most important of all, nutrition. Having a baby depletes you of your iron. One needs to be sure that their iron levels are regular, and that their body is nutritionally ready for another pregnancy.

Having children "back to back" can have many rewards. As mothers and women, we just need to remember that it is very important that we take care of ourselves physically, and mentally during and between each pregnancy.

What I spend money on.

" A penny saved is a penny earned."

I have been reflecting on my spending habits these days. I am quite proud of my accomplishments! It used to be that I would spend as much as I wanted, whenever I wanted. It was fun, it felt good, I had lots of "stuff."

I have always been good at saving money, but I am even better spending it. I think it's because I grew up the first 5 years of my life literally having nothing. My biological father had a drug habit. He would sell our clothes, and furniture for drugs. We opened up cardboard boxes with donated toys from the community for our Christmas. We ate a lot of canned sloppy joes (gross)!

I was 4 when things started to look up. We met my dad (step dad). He did well for himself. He fell in love with my mom and us children, and took her, and her 4 children under his wing. Don provided quite well for us all.

My dad did so much for us, paid for us to be in just about every school sport there was, buy us horses, bikes, snowboards, clothing etc. I believe most important of all, he taught us how to save money, and learn how to budget. It was nice to be taken care of, and have "things."

Eventually I got married, and living in Oregon, Jamie and I started out with having no money. We ate ramen noodles, or Carl's Jr. a lot ( I worked at a fast food joint, so it was free.) I didn't ever have enough money to buy anything extra, we lived paycheck to paycheck. Paid our bills, and that was all we could manage. We were happy mind you, living a minimum wage lifestyle.

However we moved back to Wyoming, Jamie and I landed well paying jobs. I again became quite materialistic! I wanted everything I laid my eyes on, and I bought it. Then Jamie started making even more money, and I started seeing him less and less...oh the joys of the oil field! So I had a void to fill, and I filled it with spending money on STUFF!

I am happy to say that I have found a happy balance, and I save even MORE, and spend even less! It feels really great.

Now that I have Elijah, I am more grown up and responsible. Before Eli was here these are things I would spend money on.

•Pedicures and Manicures Facials, and massages

•Haircuts and colors

•Home decor

•Clothing ( I still find clothes that have tags on them)

•Makeup

•Electronics

•Eating out at restaurants

•STUFF I can't even begin to remember lol

Now my spending habits have rhyme and reason! Now my money goes towards things like this:

•Diapers/wipes/formula/clothing- Things for Eli.

•FOOD. Grocery shopping. I mean I spent money on food previously, but now that I stay home I have MORE TIME to do one of my FAVORITE things, COOK and BAKE. I stay away from most items that are frozen...bad bad bad bad! I LOVE raw, fresh foods, and cooking healthy, fulfilling meals from scratch.

•Donating to credible foundations

•Activities such as city league volleyball/Zumba/swim lessons for Eli.

Really that is pretty much it! I do facials, manis, and pedis in the comfort of my own home! I still get my hair done, but I do it every 3 months, and I quit coloring it, gonna let me natural color come in! I am a mom, so I really don't wear makeup, and I have such a huge array of clothing, that there is no need to buy any at the moment!

I have come a long way over the years, some of you might find this blog topic a little silly. I however feel a need to celebrate my accomplishment, BY TAKING A TRIP TO NEW ZEALAND! hahaha no no no...by just posting a simple blog, to share with my loved ones. :O)