My Spirited Child

#2 had her Christmas concert tonight at her preschool. If this doesn't sum her up, I'm not sure what does.

The Nutcracker

This past weekend, I took #1 on a special date to see Ballet Arizona's The Nutcracker.

She loves ballet and has been begging me for as long as I can remember to go see a real one in person. Having performed in 15 or so Nutcrackers myself, I've been more than a little burnt out on it. It's not even my favorite ballet of all time - given the choice between the Nutcracker and any other, I'd probably choose the other. However, my own personal feelings aside, I cannot deny The Nutcracker is an all time children's favorite.

It was a surprise. I had her put on a brand new dress and took her out to lunch downtown. Not surprisingly, the area was swarming with little girls in beautiful dresses with their mothers and grandmothers. It was killing her not to know what was going on. I finally told her while we were walking up to Symphony Hall. Have you ever seen a 5 1/2 year old have a mini stroke? I have.

Overall, I was pleased with the production. The set and costumes were stunning and the choreography and dancers were fantastic. #1 had too many favorite parts to decide, but some stand outs were the battle with the Rat King and his minions (phenomenally done with amazing costumes), Mother Ginger (of course) and anything involving a beautiful tutu.

Of course, there were all sorts of souvenirs available in the lobby. She chose a lovely music playing nutcracker to commemorate the event.

We had a great time. While I try to set aside some one-on-one time for each girl during the day at home, I rarely have the opportunity to devote an entire afternoon toward the pleasure of one. It was definitely wonderful memory for me.

Photography Workshop

Today, I had the privilege of spending the entire day in a photography workshop with Val Westover and Stephanie Adriana. First, I’d like to thank Groupon because I would not have dreamed of paying full price for the workshop. Groupon made it extremely affordable and motivated me to go for it. Second, I have to thank my wonderful husband for taking the day off work to manage our three children while I spent the day engrossed in my own personal hobby. He’s the best!

The first half of the day was spent in a hotel conference room learning all about how to take photograph – mostly technical stuff with a few pointers on composition. The second half of the day was spent on hotel grounds practicing everything we learned. The teachers would give an“assignment” and we’d scatter and practice. They were available for questions and interacting with other students helped as well.

I really tried to spend my time getting the technical stuff down while I had access to the teachers. The artistic part will come with confidence and practice…I hope. Mostly, I'm just incredibly proud that I took all of these photos with manual settings.

I’m thrilled I had the opportunity to do this and am very satisfied the entire workshop.

Just a test…feel free to ignore…

This is totally a test of my new Windows Live Writer application (new computer!) 

Mayflower Lessons

#1 is learning about the pilgrims who came on the Mayflower in school. Each family could only bring what would fit into a trunk, so clothing, books and personal items were limited. Her assignment was to pretend to be a pilgrim and choose three things to bring with her and then write a paragraph about why she chose them. The three things had to fit into a paper grocery bag. She chose:

1) Her favorite baby doll, Julia - not a surprising choice because this doll rarely leaves her arms or vicinity.

2) Julia's blanket - also not surprising as she always makes sure Julia is completely comfortable. Julia and the blanket are rarely separated.

3) Her Taylor Swift CD - one of her very favorite pastimes is singing and dancing with Taylor Swift which would be very important on a long journey across the sea.

What would you choose?

Winning Streak

Our oldest must be eating her Wheaties because she has become a winning machine.

First, she won a costume contest (certificate is not pictured because she already turned it in to redeem her free dress day).

Then, she had her name drawn from the LASER cards at school and won Dunkin' Donuts. LASER is an acronym for our school's learning expectations. The children can earn LASER cards as positive reinforcement for using these skills. Every Friday, cards are randomly drawn for prizes.

She also came home with an honorable mention award for a poster contest for Rosary Sunday. The picture is of Mary at the foot of the Cross.

Lastly, at Micah's Knights of Columbus meeting last week, she won Knight of the month....well, sort of. Last month, Micah organized and orchestrated the annual tootsie roll drive which benefited the Down Syndrome Network. He would have won the award himself, but his fellow knights could not ignore the fact that he couldn't done any of it without his right hand girl. She worked ceaselessly all weekend collecting money, counting money in the parish office, bringing water out to the knights in the field and collecting donations herself. They felt her hard work warranted a family of the month award.

Very accomplished for a 5 year old, I'd say.

Natural Skin Care

Yesterday, I received huge kudos and accolades from a dermatologist for making and using my own soap. I guess there is something to this all natural, chemical free skin care. :-) :-)

She Ate My Soap

This past weekend, I took the plunge and sold my homemade soap at my church's Fall Festival and Bazaar. I have mixed review about my experience, but I learned a lot and did well overall.

But first, I'll start with a funny story.

My soap is often confused with baked goods. I've heard cookies, biscuits, fudge and cheese. This does not surprise me as I have often thought the same thing looking at my soap laying around the house. As a matter of fact, I always say it's a particularly good batch if it looks "yummy". Because of this, I say the word "soap" as many times as possible in my conversations with people and my signs say "soap" as well. Well, a sweet little old lady holding her little dog came to my table. I launched into my spiel and thought she was engaged. She asked for a sample which did not surprise me in the least since I had been passing out samples all weekend. The rest happened in a combination of slow motion and fast forward. The woman was either hard of hearing or not really listening. Either way, as I saw that she was going to take a bite, I tried to stop her, but she didn't hear me. Then, I begged her to spit it out, but she still didn't understand. It wasn't until after a couple of chews, she made a horrible face and everything came together for her. We were both horribly embarrassed and kept apologizing to each other. It was a nightmare. Later, she came by with her husband. She pointed at the soap and said to him "This is not edible." I was happy to see she had a sense of humor.

There were a few glaring problems with the bazaar itself that prevented all the vendors from doing well. Problem 1: It was our church's very first bazaar. So, right off the bat, we were dealing with the unknown. Problem 2: It was not promoted well. There were little to no announcements and very few signs. Problem 3: Location, location, location. If we had been outside along with the rest of the carnival activities, we would have been more visible.

Despite the problems, I fared well (though most of the other vendors did not). I actually did a lot better than I expected I would. I had approximately 20 customers, sold completely out of one type of soap and was invited to four more craft fairs this season (I declined one). Actually, for me, the problems with the bazaar were a good thing. It was a good introduction to the business without being too stressful. I learned about which of my soaps sold and why and I studied people's reactions to my display and tactics and discovered who my most likely customers were. Now, I can tweak everything for the next three fairs and be even better prepared.

Since soap takes several weeks to cure, I have to spend the next couple of days making a bunch of soap to be ready for upcoming events. I'll probably be exhausted by Friday, but I'm excited.

Halloween

We love Halloween!

This year, #1 was Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas. #2 and #3 were Things 1 and 2 from The Cat in The Hat. We had A LOT of parties and events to attend, but all were tons of fun. Things 1 and 2 were such a big hit that we couldn't get two feet without someone stopping to smile and talk to them. #1 won (three-way tie) the costume contest for her age group. The prize was a free dress day - something that is highly coveted at a private school. Of course, I didn't get any pictures of that moment since I was serving hot dogs for my parent service hours. However, the stage was in my line of sight, so I didn't have to miss her very proud moment.

As is our tradition, the girls also enjoyed trick-or-treating with our neighbors.

FUN!!

Skin Cancer

A few weeks ago, I found a suspicious mole on Micah's scalp. He's not looking at his scalp all that often, so it's a good thing he has me. :-) After a visit to the dermatologist and a biopsy, he was told it was Basal Cell Carcinoma and he needed to have it surgically removed.

If you're going to get skin cancer, this is the type you want. It is the most easily treated and the least damaging, so I guess we were "happy" about that.

The surgery involved giving Micah local anesthesia and cutting the area around the cancer. The final hole took 4 stitches and 9 staples to close up. This was more than a little surprising to us since this all started out with just a little mole.

Since his diagnosis, so many kind hearted people have been offering words of concern and telling us the importance of hats and sunscreen. Rest assured, we use A LOT of sunscreen in this family and we always have. Micah also wears his hat all the time (especially during yard work, runs and outdoor weekend activities...the work day is about the only time he doesn't. Unfortunately, this particular thing could have been in the works since a sunburn as a kid, or in the 30+ years of the 30 second walk from the car to the building. We are just a very fair-skinned family coming from long lines of fair-skinned relatives, many of whom have had similar surgeries. We use spf 70-100 on the girls on a regular basis and we hope to protect them as best as we can.

The biggest upside to all of this, is that Micah gets to sport this look on Halloween. We'll see how many neighborhood kids he can scare. ;-)

Colorful Lessons from My 2 Year Old Daughter(s)

This is a conversation I had with my current 2 year old while choosing clothes for preschool this morning. Note the desperation in her voice.

Me: "Today is orange day at school"

Her: "BUT PINK IS MY FAVORITE COLOR!!!"

Me: "Well, I know pink is your favorite color, but today is orange day, so let's choose something orange."

Her: "I DON'T WANT TO WEAR ORANGE! I WANT TO WEAR PINK!"

The Compromise: Orange shirt with pink pants.

Lesson 1: 2 year olds follow their own rules of fashion - The sooner you realize this, the better off you are.

Lesson 2: To deprive her of her favorite color is to deprive her of life itself - Yes, favorite color can, in fact, factor into every decision. In our house it can determine the food we eat and the shampoo we use. Never mind the utter devastation of having blue eyes and blonde hair.

Lesson 3: Get plenty of rest. - The simple act of getting dressed can be exhausting and it is only the beginning of a very long day.

Lesson 4: Appreciate the moment for what it is. - The day will come when you wish you were engaging in passionate discourse concerning favorite color.

5 AM

It took us a while, but we finally figured out what so many around us already knew: If you have children and you want to spend time working on your physical, personal or spiritual growth, there is only one time to do it. 5 AM!!

I had been noticing dear hubby and I had been complaining a lot. Not enough time. Not enough time to exercise. Not enough time to do the laundry. Not enough time to read our bibles and pray. Not enough time. If we tried to fit it in somewhere during our already crammed days, it cut into family time. That just made for grumpy kids and grumpy spouse who got to stay with the kids.

I was the genius who finally figured out what the solution was (neither of us wanted to face the hard, cold, dark facts).

We have each had desires to do this at various times before....independently of one another. I finally figured out we needed to approach this as a united front for it to work. We ALWAYS work better together toward a common goal than we ever do alone. I mean, who wants to wake up at 5 while their spouse is snug as a bug in a rug? Never lasted long.

Now we have a game plan. The week is divided up - one of us gets to go work-out and the other still has to wake up at 5. The one at home has a list of suggestions for productive use of the time.

We're only into our second week, but it is going so much better than any other attempt has. GO TEAM! Whether I'm the one out getting my exercise, or the one at home working on bettering myself in other ways, I have a sense of accomplishment. I can actually look back on my morning and know that I've actually done something other than say "Get off your sister!" 50 times.

Don't get me wrong, there still isn't enough time. But now there are 7 to 10 more extra hours in the week.

Thank you God for the blessings of the morning!!

Martha Stewart Living Here?

I got a subscription to Martha Stewart Living for my birthday. I'm not sure I have an inner Martha Stewart to unleash, but I'll give it a try. If nothing else, maybe I'll be inspired in small but useful ways. Give me a year and maybe I'll create something AMAZING.

Beer Soap

I have two craft fairs at church coming up and I've decided to try selling some soap. It seemed like a no-pressure environment I could live with.

I have made tons of recipes and am intrigued by tons more. There are endless combinations of ingredients that can do wonderful things for your skin and senses. It is all a bit overwhelming. I finally decided that I needed to come up with one single gimmick for these craft fairs in order to keep things simple and easy to manage. I settled on beer soap.

Beer is full of great properties that are nourishing and beneficial for your skin. The hops, wheat, oats, etc are all full of vitamins and minerals. Some other benefits of hops are that it soothes irritated skin; contains polyphenols thought to account for its anti-bacterial and preservative effects (beer's long life); and contains skin-softening amino acids. The yeast is also rich in nutrients and naturally anti-bacterial which can be good for acne and other skin problems. It is also soothing and moisturizing. Last, but not least, beer produces a great lather. With all of these attributes, combined with it's uniqueness, I think this is the best way for me to go.

I went to the store today and chose three beers: Pumpkin Ale (I'll use my shea butter recipe with this one), Double Chocolate Stout and Milk Stout. I will be spending the next several days huddled over my stove and stick mixer making my yummy fall and winter beer soaps.

Wish me luck!!

Groupon

If you don't know what Groupon is yet, you need to check it out.

A different deal will be emailed to you every day. I don't think I've ever seen a groupon for less than 50% off it's regular price. The item or service can be anything. I've seen restaurants, beauty treatments, museum memberships, fitness sessions....you name it. You can look at the deal of the day and decide if you want it. I've only taken advantage of two thus far, but I have been more than pleased with those two purchases.

The first was $50 at the Gap for $25. Micah scored some new work clothes.

The second was this morning and I'm so excited! I purchased a photography class and practice session with two local, successful photographers. This particular workshop is on "Capturing True Emotion" and is for all skill levels. According to Groupon, they normally charge $450 for workshop/practice combo. I purchased it for $49!!

I can't wait!! I just have to check hubby's schedule to find a time that works. Shouldn't be a problem though since he's been out of the country for 8 days so far (10 total) and owes me. ;-)

Appreciation

I have the distinct pleasure/honor/responsibility of waking up before everyone else in my family. Everything just runs a little more smoothly in the mornings if I'm up and ready to go before the hustle and bustle begin.

Just the other morning, I was walking down the stairs to get my coffee when I spotted a huge flock of quail outside through the window on the stairs. I quickly grabbed my camera and ran outside to photograph them. They were enjoying the cool(ish) morning and taking advantage of the time to play on the street before everyone started on their way to work and school. Within minutes of taking the photos, they quickly scurried back into hiding.

I suppose there was nothing extraordinary about the moment other than that I took the time to actually appreciate something to which I may have been the only witness - especially because I rarely appreciate having to wake up first.

This moment (among others) has also made me want to invest in a super telephoto lens. Time to start saving!

Goin' on a bear hunt....

Based on a suggestion from a friend who read the previous blog post, I thought I'd take #2 to Hole-in-the-Rock at Papago Park today.

The very first words out of her mouth every morning, without fail are: "Where are we going today?" This morning, I responded "Oh, I thought we'd go find a bear cave." She literally squealed "WITH GOD?!?!"

The princess shirt and sparkly pink shoes were chosen specifically for the adventure. Can't go bear hunting in anything less.

We searched every "cave" we could find. Alas, no bears. We speculated on where they might be...perhaps just out for the day. We also talked about how God was all around us and the importance of that.

We went next door to the zoo so she could see a bear.

Be Not Afraid...of bears

I had to write this one down before I forgot.

This was a brief exchange #2 and I had during mass this morning.

Cantor: "Please turn to #170 in you Spirit and Song books. 'Be Not Afraid'"

#2: Turns to me and says, "Mommy, sometimes I'm afraid."

Me: "Well, this song is about how we don't have to be afraid because God is always with us."

#2: "Even in bear caves?"

Me: "Yes, even in bear caves."

#2: After intensely pondering this concept for a couple of seconds...."Maybe tomorrow, can we go to a bear cave with God?"

Me: "Yes, maybe we can."

#2: Huge grin

Anyone know where I can find a bear cave in Phoenix?

Fun with whole grains

This past weekend, our produce co-op offered 25 pounds of beans and grains for $22 and I couldn't pass it up. We got 5lb bags each of green split peas, garbanzo beans, pearl barley, whole wheat and lentils. While I have cooked with each of these a little bit in the past, I usually don't have these huge bags sitting around, so I've been having a lot of fun trying new recipes. Micah and I have been talking about modifying our gluten intake recently anyway, so the timing was pretty perfect.

We've enjoyed barley and eggs every morning for breakfast. We can't believe how filling it is...so much more so than our usual bowl of cereal! I made a crock pot split pea soup (also incredibly filling) for the first time - also delicious. We've had a brown rice and lentil chicken dish and I'll be making a garbanzo bean and tomato soup in the next day or two (have to soak the beans first)

But my favorite discovery so far has been the spicy roasted garbanzo beans. Think corn nuts, but healthier.

Soak your beans over night. Pat dry. Put in a bowl with a little bit of olive oil, sea salt and the spice of your choice (cayenne, curry - I chose turmeric). Put on baking sheet in single layer and bake on 400 for about 40-45 minutes.

#1 begged me for some to take to school and hubby gladly helped himself to some for work.

Yummy crunchy snack!

I can swim....just watch me.

Following in the footsteps of her older sisters, #3 has finished her swimming lessons. Actually, the more accurate description would be "anti-drowning" lessons.

For our girls, we chose Infant Swimming Resource. The method teaches children as young as six months how to get themselves into a floating position should they fall into a swimming pool or other body of water. Living in Phoenix, where pools are everywhere, we believe this was one of the best things we could do for our children.

Miles Jesu

This morning we were invited to celebrate Mass with a small community of men who are part of the institution of Miles Jesu - Latin for Militia/Soldiers of Jesus. The institution was founded in the 60's in Arizona, reports directly to the Vatican and has a few small houses all over the world. I got a brief run down this morning, so I'm still unsure of all the details of their ministry and work.

This morning we arrived at their place which is a couple of dusty acres just north of South Mountain in the middle of an citrus (orange?) grove. It is a very simple and modest existence for sure, though we hear they're going to start a small business using the citrus crops on their land. I do know that in this location live 8 men (3 priests and 5 laymen) who have all taken vows of poverty and chastity to live a life dedicated to serving the community and Christ. They practice meditations and devotions as well as provide outreach to the community. They actually encourage lay members (even married couples are welcome to join) to remain in their occupations so they can bring the Kingdom of God to fruition through their daily lives. One of the members is apparently even a Continental airlines pilot! Because of their vow of poverty, everything they eat, use and wear is donated. This is how I got hooked up with the group. I am now part of a group that provides meals and/or groceries for these men. I'll also be bringing them lots of soap, of course! ;-)

The Mass was said mostly in Latin and was incredibly beautiful. The homily was long and not superficial. Micah and I really enjoyed it and agreed it was an amazing experience.

Their chapel is teeny tiny. There were about 3 rows of pews and a row of chairs. Today, it was packed full. Normally, we bring our children to 8:30 Mass because they are freshest early in the morning. This mass started at 10am. Also, unbeknownst to me at the time, the mass would last an hour and 45 minutes (I was told later that their masses aren't usually that long, but the Feast of the Assumption and some other things they had going on made it last longer today). With the confined space and the timing, I was a little nervous about how everything would play out with little children. I was so pleasantly surprised!....not by the children, but by the reception of them. First, we were not the only family there. As a matter of fact, for such a small space, there were A LOT of children there. I have never seen such a kind, compassionate and tolerant group. With every noise, wiggle and outburst from any of the kids, everyone in the place smiled. No one batted an eye when someone had to walk outside with their child, which happened to be me on more than one occasion. Even #3, who launched into a piercing scream when she slid off Micah's shoulder and knocked her head into the pew during the homily (while I was outside with the crying 2-year-old of course) was said to be "full of the Holy Spirit" by the priest actually giving the homily. Perhaps inspired, she ceased crying almost immediately. Given the very small space, every movement and noise was absolutely noticeable, but the murmuring activity seemed to actual help bring the community of believers together, rather than be a nuisance.

Afterward, when we were introducing ourselves to the priest who said Mass, I made a remark about hoping our children weren't too disruptive for him. I will never forget what he said. "Please don't ever apologize for your children. How can we call ourselves pro-life and have no tolerance for them?" He couldn't have made it any more concise than that. Furthermore, they had play equipment in their courtyard and I was told my children were welcome any time. We enjoyed a nice potluck meal (celebrating one of the priests 9th anniversary of his ordination) and then headed home.

I think Micah and I both felt a connection with this group. Their reverence, intellectual approach, warm and inviting demeanor, and lifestyle of complete devotion to Christ in all its simplicity very much inspired us. I'm looking forward to being a small part of that.

Business Trip Frog

I don't think it's a big secret that Micah travels quite a bit for work. Sometimes things get a little tough - not just for me, but for the girls too.

Ok, rewind one sec.....

#1 is really into art projects. She very generously and thoughtfully gives them to specific people, but more often than not, I find art projects EVERYWHERE. She recently made a frog puppet and decided she'd give it to her dad.....he, of course, left it sitting on the table. I really didn't want to throw away yet another project, so I sneaked it into his laptop bag so that he could figure out what to do with it. He discovered it when he was at the airport on his way to San Francisco.

One of the many reasons I married this man was for his genius......

He took pictures of this frog puppet in various locations on his trip and texted them to me. The girls were thrilled to receive the texts and giggled each time one came through. It made daddy's absence just a little bit better knowing he was thinking of them along the way.

Also, not pictured, another delight in daddy's business trips: #1 has taken up collecting his hotel room keys. I find it kind of sad, but she loves it. I'm grateful she's the kind of girl to find the silver lining in the situation.

School Dayz

Ah, the first day of school......

#2 is going to a little pre-school for a few hours a couple of days a week. It's always a mixed bag of emotions when I let go of any of them, but this is doable amount of time. She is all too eager to leave me in the dust for this little bit of time. I'm sad, but ok.

BUT

It was my eldest "baby's" first day of KINDERGARTEN. Some things are just too much for a mother to bear!!!! Let's just say, putting on my make-up this morning was pointless.

After dropping them off, #3 went down for a nap. For a Tuesday morning, the silence is deafening.......

A Very Merry Half Birthday!!

It occurred to us that #2's half birthday was approaching. True to this family's celebratory spirit, her older sister quickly declared she was throwing her a half birthday tea party. With less than 24 hours notice, we ran to the store to pick up a giant cupcake.

The next morning, they could hardly contain themselves knowing we had a party to throw. I thought about making them wait until later in the day, but decided not to torture them.

So yes!....I admit it!.....we all shared a giant cupcake for breakfast!!

We sang "Happy Half Birthday", she blew out her candle and we celebrated. :-)

Red Wine Soap

Rumor has it, the benefits of red wine also apply when used topically. There is tons of info online about this. I'm not really up for completely researching the topic at this point in time and finding all of the most credible studies, but I generally believe the claims.

Based on what I had heard through the grapevine (pun intended), I was excited to give a red wine soap recipe a try. I read up on the matter of soapmaking and felt prepared, but when I attempted it the first time, I foolishly opted to not double check my wine ratios. The result was a botched first batch. That'll teach me. Since I was an English/Lit major, I cannot begin to explain or understand why this is true, but the wine makes the chemical reaction happen FAST. There was no time to thoroughly mix the batch. The soap is usable, but I would be way too embarrassed to give it away. It will be used exclusively by my immediate family (lucky them).

After humbling myself to re-check my ratios, I figured out what I did wrong and vowed to try again. The chemical reaction still happened at an alarming rate, but worked a little better than the last time. Still not completely mixed, the soap has a swirled appearance. This time, I'm willing to share it. Some might even consider the swirls pretty. Maybe with more practice I'll be able to master the red wine soap.

I can't wait to use it and discover it truly is the bubbling fountain of youth. I fully expect all of my wrinkles and blemishes to disappear in a matter of weeks leaving a fresh and youthful appearance behind. According to my calculations, I'll be a millionaire by the end of the year.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Last night, I did something I haven't done in about four years - I signed up for a gym membership. What led me to this decision? I didn't have a much of a choice actually.

Several weeks ago there were whispers and rumors, but it was confirmed just a few weeks ago - Our beloved yoga studio was purchased by Lifetime Fitness. EEEEEEKKKK

So the deal is, we sign up for a particular membership and we get unlimited gym access and unlimited yoga. I have been led to believe this level of membership is supposed to make me much cooler than the majority of the other gym members - we'll see.

Logical or not, I have been riddled with stress and anxiety over this change. I'm all for gyms and well-rounded fitness, but I have been in a really good place for the last four years and I was completely happy with the way things were going. What would happen to the atmosphere, classes and teachers I've grown to love? Lifetime has said they are committed to keeping things as much the same as possible, but you know what they say about good intentions.

So, here's my current assessment (subject to change):

PROS:

• Access to more exercise and more variety. There happens to be a Lifetime very close to my house and it offers EVERYTHING - I'm looking forward to the rock climbing training and certification.
• Kids Club!! I took the girls with me on my tour and they actually cried when it was time to go because they weren't ready to leave. This is probably the best pro! I now have a lot more flexibility with my fitness desires.
• Unlimited yoga of course! Not particularly useful now, but when the girls are all in school, this is great.

CONS:

• The uncertainty of how the changes will play out

I realize how this looks on paper, but that doesn't account for the emotion involved.

However, one of the big components of a yoga practice is learning to remain calm and collected in the face change, stress and adversity. This is an opportunity to take my yoga practice off the mat and into my life.

Family Summer Vacation

Beginning Note -

Micah read my blog and thought the descriptive words like wonderful, beautiful and amazing were underwhelming compared to what we experienced. He suggests you substitute jaw-dropping for every descriptive word you come across. I’ll agree with him.

Day #1 - Arrival

After much thought, we finally decided the best place for us to spend some family summer vacation time was the mountains of Arizona. We wanted to go someplace cool, but not too far away. When you look for cabins to rent in Arizona, they are generally located in places like Pinetop, Flagstaff and Payson. Those are all great options and we almost went with one of those popular choices…….that is, until Micah found Nutrioso. Nutrioso is the town we settled on because of its remote location in the White Mountains of Eastern Arizona, very close to the New Mexico border. As a matter of fact, “town” is a very loose term. With no main street or grocery store (you buy your bread at the tackle shop/gas station 11 miles away), I think this is one of the most rustic places we could have found and it was PERFECT for the Arnold’s!

Including our stop for lunch, the drive took us about 4.5 hours. It took us a while to find our cabin because the network of dirt county roads aren’t marked like us city folk are used to. However, when we found it, we couldn’t have been more thrilled. The cabin was beautiful – two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a stocked kitchen, washer/dryer, and my favorite feature of all…….every single window in the place had a spectacular view of God’s creation!! I couldn’t cook, walk down the stairs, do laundry or go to the bathroom without seeing trees, meadows, mountains, etc. DIVINE!

We arrived just in time as an afternoon thunderstorm rolled in and I made dinner for us. While #2 has lived through many a thunderstorm, her long-term memory prevents her from knowing this fact. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of all the lightening and thunder, but she survived. (She was completely fine for the rest of the storms that week)

Because usual conveniences are difficult to find, we had to pack in our food and anything else we might need for the week. I was able to send Micah on the 11 mile drive to the county store at one point on a hunt for bread and eggs, but didn’t make that a habit.

Oh, I almost forgot the best part – NO CELL SERVICE!!!

Off to Bed…..

Day #2 – Fishing

We had designated this day for fishing from the beginning. Based on what we could find online, we thought we’d head to Nelson Reservoir, however, the tackle shop reports pulled us in a different direction. They were reporting the fishing at Hulsey Lake as being “good” while all the other area lakes were “fair” or “poor”. Unfortunately when we arrived at Hulsey, it appeared everyone else had read the same report. We found a spot and got to fishin’. #1 cast the first line in and got a bite right away!! As a matter of fact, she pulled in the first three fish of the day within the first half hour. Have you ever seen that Sesame Street skit with Ernie and Bert where Ernie yells “Here Fishy Fishy Fishy!!” and the fish jump into the boat? It was sort of like that. Every group on the lake was pulling in fish like crazy. After only three hours, #1 had caught 4, I caught 3 and Micah caught 1. Poor Micah spent most of his time unhooking our fish and re-baiting the girls’ lines. He barely had any time to cast a line himself. We also had a funny little visitor/stalker. At one point I looked down at the fish we had caught to find a water snake trying to drag one of them away. We scared him off, but he spent the rest of the day stalking us from the reeds. We would occasionally have to throw a rock in the water to warn him again. The whole episode was so fast, I hadn’t thought of taking a picture. Darn!

Finally, satisfied we had enough for dinner, we headed home. Again, another thunderstorm rolled in as I cooked a freshly caught dinner.

Day #3 – Hiking

Since we had nothing left to prove on the fishing front, we thought we’d explore some more of the local terrain. First thing in the morning, we headed over to the ranger station for some local hiking information. I was so impressed with the information the ranger was able to provide us. She knew absolutely everything about the area! She gave us several recommendations and gave us detailed books and maps….the girls even got some Smokey the Bear gift bags full of really neat stuff. After reviewing all of our information, the choice was very difficult. There so many wonderful areas to choose from – all of them offering something a little different from the others. We finally settled on Mainstem Black River Trail. This trail was 15 miles south of the town of Alpine and then another 15 miles off the highway on back country dirt roads….another deserted wilderness area. According to the book, the trail goes 19 miles along the Black River….we would only go a couple miles in before we turned around. Both the Ranger and the signage at the trailhead all but promised us we’d see critters like Black Bears, Mexican Wolves and Elk (we were assured none of them would be aggressive toward us as long as we stayed cool). I was so excited and had my camera ready. We enjoyed a gorgeous family hike up and down the river. The girls did great - #1 walked with us, #2 in the backpack on Micah’s back and #3 on the front pack with me. We had a great time although we were so disappointed the only animals we saw were of the winged variety. Exhausted after our hike, we thought we should head back to the cabin. BUT, unable to resist the lure of everything around us, we remained on the dirt roads, taking detours for as long as possible in the quest for anything wild. No luck in finding animals, but the drive was gorgeous.

Another thunderstorm a little later that evening.

Day #4 – Rain (my favorite day)

We were supposed to spend this day fishing again. We chose Big Lake and decided to take all back roads due to our handy dandy Ranger’s map. After getting all set up, we quickly realized the fishing was not as good as it was a couple of days ago. I only caught one tiny fish. No one around us had caught anything. Also, the rain had started to roll in very early this day. The high was only about 65, so the girls were cold (Micah and I were eating the weather up and couldn’t understand what they were complaining about). So, we revised our plan. We’d hop in the truck, go off-roading for a couple hours and give the chance for the rain to clear up and the girls to nap. If it did, we’d head back over to Hulsey Lake to catch dinner. The next few hours were like heaven on earth. At one point we found what could have been the most remote road on the planet. We didn’t see a human the whole time we were on that road. We did come across a young Elk buck!!! He even posed for some pictures! It was awesome! Finally, at one point on this drive, Micah’s spirit was bursting at the seams and he said “I’m going to get out and run. You follow me.” We did.

The rain eventually let up enough for us to fish again. We put the girls in garbage bags and went back to work. Micah had to run back to the cabin to dress #3 in a warmer outfit. It was on this drive that he saw and took pictures of the bears. Oh, I was so mad since I was the one that really wanted to see the bears. Nevertheless, we have proof of their existence. The fishing that afternoon was not so great for the first couple of hours. I even dared to get a little frustrated on such a relaxing vacation. We said we’d give it just a few more minutes and then figure something else out for dinner. I guess that was all it took because we caught 4 more fish in the last 10 minutes or so. Life was good.

Headed back to the cabin to make dinner and watch the rain.

Note - #2 threw up on Big Lake. We didn’t actually see it happen. We just noticed she had something on her face and hands. This is her standard operating procedure – she gets sick and doesn’t know that it is supposed to mean anything different for her. Therefore, she doesn’t act any differently and we never know she’s sick. This is the girl that playfully asked the doctor to look in her ears too when her sister was getting a check-up only to find out she had a double ear infection! We had no idea at the time and we have no idea any other time. That’s just how she rolls. It wasn’t until Day 5 of our vacation that we were able to look back and realize something was wrong.

Day #5 – Greatest Hike EVER

Once again, our trusty Ranger’s map led us on another great adventure. This time we chose the Rose Spring Trail on the Mogollon Rim. To get there, we had to drive about 30 miles on the highway and then 45 minutes down one of the rockiest, most un-maintained back roads in the state. On the drive, #1 started throwing up. We all (including her) thought it was car sickness. Once she got onto stable ground, she thought she was feeling better, so we moved on. At the trail head is a log book. You have to sign in so “they” know if they have to come looking for you. Before we arrived, the last group to sign in was a week prior and before that, it was a month. Absolutely nobody goes out here. In a word – PERFECT! We were promised more wildlife, but the girls made sure that didn’t happen. This trail is definitely not maintained. There are fallen trees crossing it all over the place. We had to climb, duck, detour and shimmy every which way. When we stopped for our first snack, #1 wasn’t so interested, but she insisted she was still up for the walk. It was when we stopped for lunch 2 miles in that we finally realized that she was sick (and that #2 had started it the day before). So here we were, with anywhere from 1 to 3 sick children, in the middle of nowhere and no easy way to get out of it. Hhmmmmm Only thing to do was start walking back. And we did. Despite illness, all three children were incredible. They actually did it (not that they had much choice in the matter). As Micah proudly said later “My daughter can hike 4 miles in the wilderness with the stomach flu. What can yours do??” I wouldn't recommend finding out what your daughter can do in this manner.

We finally made it back to the truck, completely amazed at our God-given abilities, and headed back to the cabin. #1 threw up for the rest of the day (we grabbed some Gatorade to help keep her hydrated after our last episode and she made it through ok)

Micah and I are both in agreement that the Rose Spring Trail is the best hike we’ve ever attempted in all of our years together. We will most definitely be doing that one again.

Note – #3 never threw up, but we had evidence that she wasn’t feeling great through her mood and sleep.

Day #6 – Time to head home

Not an eventful day. We just took the morning to leisurely pack up. #1 was still sick, so there wasn’t much we could do anyway. No one wanted to go home. Even through illness, the girls had such a wonderful time and said they wanted to stay. We will definitely come back.

Note – After arriving home and getting some rest, all of the girls are over their illnesses and feeling great. They talk about our vacation like it was the greatest thing ever, so the experience wasn’t tainted.

Highlights

- While we were actually at the cabin, the girls spent their time exploring and picking wild flowers. It was a wonderful sense of freedom for me to allow my children out of my sight and not worry about where they were or what they were doing.

- Temperature – Highs ranging from 65 to 85. It was the perfect way to escape the Phoenix heat without going far

- This was a relatively inexpensive vacation. We didn’t have to fly and we packed all our food. The location made it difficult to be tempted with dinner and a movie.

- We saw lots of birds and creatures that don’t frequent Phoenix much

- There was a herd of Elk right off the highway near our cabin that came down to eat at the same time every evening

- Our cabin had a tree swing

- Wild Turkeys!

- #1’s best quote of the week – “Trout tastes like lake.”

- We found lots and lots of land for sale.

My New Toy....

I'm so excited to blog about my new toy. This one is definitely a favorite and has a permanent home right on my counter top.

I recently purchased the Breville Dual Disc Juice Processor. Before I go any further, I'll say this baby cost a small fortune. I won't even quote what Micah said when I approached him with this. However, once I argued my case (complete with research) we were able to consider it a healthy investment. With careful budgeting, planning and small dash of patience, we made the purchase.

I've always been pretty good at giving my family fruits and veggies throughout the day. We belong to a produce co-op and get lots of variety at very low cost. However, in my opinion, no matter how well you do, you can always do better. I started reading about the fantastic world of juicing in yoga and health food resources. I finally decided that I would very likely enjoy juicing and would do well at incorporating it into our lifestyle.

I carefully researched juice extractors and decided on the Breville Dual Disc because it can pretty much do anything. I could not find one bad review of this machine and many people claimed that you get what you pay for in this circumstance. I've been on a juicing frenzy since bringing this home and I couldn't be happier!

I have been making all kinds of delightful drinks and have been surprised to learn you can juice just about anything. I was completely amazed at how much juice can be extracted from a single piece of green leaf lettuce or a stalk of celery......you can even juice most herbs! I can also puree soft fruits like bananas and berries which make instant baby food and smoothies. The machine couldn't be easier to operate or clean. All of the pieces pop in and out. I don't have to cut or peel most of the produce. They make it so easy that there are really no excuses for not using it. See the short video on the link above.

When you drink fresh juice, you're getting all of the vitamins and nutrients that you would get from eating the produce, but in juicing, you lose the fiber and cellulose. For this reason, juicing cannot substitute eating fruits and veggies, it can only compliment a well balanced diet. There are also some clever ways to use the pulp waste. You can mix it into casseroles, soups, sauces and baked goods. I also spread some tasty fruit pulp on the girls' waffles before adding the syrup. Even the dogs have enjoyed a little pulp. Anything left over can go straight into my worm composting bin.

My middle daughter loves juice and I have been in the habit of rationing her intake because I'm not too keen on store bought juices. Now I don't worry about it at all when she asks for another glass. I've also found that I love adding some sparkling seltzer water to mine for a refreshing soda-like drink. We'll be making popsicles in the next couple of days for a healthy treat. I can't wait to figure out what other fun things I can do with this!

Girl Games

With three girls in the house, "dress-up" is a very popular game. Her older sisters haven't wasted any time in getting right to the important task of princess training.

Another good photo!

I can't believe my luck!! I submitted this pic of my friend's little girl for my class and I got another good critique. It's not quite as good as the rose, but it made it to the "photo of the week" section (a big deal in my small world). The assignment was "Do's and Don'ts". I submitted it as a "don't" because of the day's harsh lighting and a "do" because I didn't wait for a smile and took a much more natural picture.

I've had two good pictures in a row, so maybe my eye is getting a little better. One can hope!

Here's the critique:

The portrait of the young girl and the cat is lovely. I love her expression, and the way she's holding the little cat is very cute. Even though the sun was out, you can't really call that a “don't” because the sun was not on her. It's fine if the sun is shining as long as your subject is in the shade. The only thing that bothers me about this picture a little is the graphic lines in the background. Any time you have boldly defined horizontal, vertical, or diagonal lines behind your subject, they are usually distracting. They are so graphic that they pull our attention away from the subject. If you stop and think about it, when you see prominent lines behind a subject, and those lines are not part of the subject itself, they vie for our attention. That is not an ideal situation. Our attention should stay primarily focused on the subject.

Sweet Rewards

We had a long day yesterday with field trips to both Tombstone and Bisbee. Overall, we had a nice time.

However, the exceptional part of the day had nothing to do with the activities. Everyone was overtired, hot and cranky - especially by the end of the day. The whining and crying got a little bit intense at times from the 2 year old and the baby. But my dear, sweet 5 year old really pulled through for me. She never whined or complained once all day, remained cheerful and joyful, showed charity and compassion toward her sisters and remained calm. In the evening while driving back to Phoenix, I thanked her for her behavior. She smiled and said "You're welcome. Is there anything else I can do to help, Mom?"

It was one of those moments that made my heart sing and reminded me that all of this hard work is worth so much. Happy Mama!

Smelling Like a Rose...

I have been taking on online photography course. I know virtually nothing about photography, so most of my instructor's critiques are lists of things I've done incorrectly. I don't mind too much because I'm actually learning something. So far, there has been only one exception - a photo I submitted for the macro lesson. This made my week!

Here is my instructor's critique:

"I think your picture of the rose is really beautiful. Even though I would have used a little more depth of field (and a tripod), I love you how you filled the frame with color, the soft lighting was ideal, the lovely colors go great together, and the overall composition is superb. Out of focus backgrounds are usually acceptable, although out of focus foreground are not Desirable in almost every case (although there are exceptions). In this case, you correctly focused on the foreground. Well done."

Let the Children Come to Me

I wrote this paper quite a while ago as a way to vent some frustration. It has been sitting on my desktop all this time because I've never really had an appropriate venue for it...until now.

The topic of "children in church" has been a personal crusade of mine for as long as I can remember (even before I had children of my own), so it's just a strong opinion piece in that vein.

On a side note, while we had our children in Europe last summer, the acceptance of children everywhere from churches to restaurants and other public places was like night and day from here. Whether they were singing, laughing, whining or being too loud, people delighted in our children and smothered them with attention. I'd be interested in exploring this cultural difference a little more.

Anyway, for what it's worth........

Let the Children Come to Me

My friend Mary was recently telling me how relieved she was that the church nursery was opening again after a long summer hiatus. Only a couple of months before, she had been at mass with her three young boys when she was on the receiving end of a rude comment made by a nearby parishioner regarding one of her boy’s talking. The boy hadn’t done anything extraordinary; only spoke in a typical 2-year old manner before his mother quickly hushed him. The incident had left Mary understandably shaken and upset and she began dreading Mass, worried about whether her children would upset anyone that day. She knew she should not let the comment of one “grumpy man” in a church of hundreds of happy worshippers get to her, but she still breathed a little bit more easily when she was able to drop her children off in the nursery.

Unfortunately, this story is not an uncommon one and there seems to be a sentiment amongst some worshippers that “children should not be here”. After all, I have had my own fair share of experiences with people telling me that church is no place for children, or having a glare flashed down the pew. I have even sat in a congregation where the priest stopped his homily to wait for a mother to quiet her child – certainly a horrifically embarrassing moment for that mother and all other compassionate mothers in attendance. Despite these experiences, I have always stuck to my guns and brought my children to mass without apology, but listening to Mary made me want to explore the reasons why I felt this way and to encourage other mothers to not give up.

As Christians, we are called to be charitable to our neighbors, including the youngest and most innocent of all. Throughout the gospels, Jesus demonstrates the charity toward children that he asks us to emulate. In Luke’s gospel, there is a scene where Jesus is preaching and people begin to bring their children to Him. The Apostles attempt to keep the children away, presumably because they do not deem the situation appropriate for children, and Jesus says “Let the children come to me and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” (Luke 18:16-17) This passage is relevant as members of our Christian family deem mass and sermons inappropriate places for children. As Catholics, we believe that Jesus is physically present in the Holy Eucharist and our children have a special and personal invitation to be in His presence. Are we to deny parents the right to accept that invitation by rebuking them and their children as the Apostles did? And as Jesus makes clear in the latter part of His statement, we cannot enter the Kingdom unless we become as children. Are we shining examples of this childlike innocence by shunning the very children we are called be like? The practice of Christian Charity requires the patience, compassion and humility to welcome into our worshipping community those who may have a harder time sitting still or being quiet.

Another beautiful image of Jesus’ sentiment toward children occurs in Mathew 18. When the disciples ask Him “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”, the answer couldn’t be more clear. First, he called a child over to Him rather than pointing to the child from afar. This illustrates wonderfully his intimate and personal relationship with children. Jesus again says that we need to become like children to enter into His kingdom, but even more striking in this passage is the line that follows. “And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.” (Mathew 18:5) In extending our understanding, compassion and acceptance toward the children we encounter in our lives, whether in church or anywhere else, we are doing what is pleasing to our Lord. This passage conjures up the familiar image of Jesus with a child on His lap, surrounded by other children and brings a smile to my face.

Of course, just because they have received a special invitation to be present for worship, we are still required to parent our children and teach them correct and proper behavior in a House of God. Most churches have a “cry room” available for those moments when a child is having a difficult time. My husband and I choose not to sit in this room for the entire Mass because we feel its availability is often abused. Some parents seem to use the room as way to avoid teaching their children appropriate church behavior. It is not uncommon to find children running amok while their parents sit idly by, either unsure of what to do or simply not caring. Nevertheless, even these children are entitled and invited to sit at the table of the Lord with the rest of the community and as a community, we should uphold that entitlement. In our family, when we find that one of our daughters needs some time to quiet herself, one of us will retreat with them to the vestibule or the cry room and then retake our place with the congregation when she is ready to return. My children understand these patterns and practices because they have been practiced since birth. Sure, not all children are well behaved, and not all parents know how teach appropriate behavior, but the answer is not to shun them from our churches. This is never the response of Jesus in any of the gospels.

A distraction-free hour of prayer and worship every Sunday morning is not promised anywhere in the Gospels. As the mother of two daughters and one on the way, I certainly wish this promise was there, but it is not. Our churches are open to the public and we want to invite anyone and everyone to know the Lord as we do. With that open-door policy comes potential distractions. Should we ban anyone who might interrupt our prayer or our ability to hear every word of the homily – the woman with the persistent cough, the young adult with autism or Downs syndrome, the hard-of-hearing man that doesn’t realize he is not whispering when he leans toward his wife, or the person with the service dog that my children can’t resist acknowledging? I don’t know anyone who would suggest such a thing. So why then do we choose to single out the most innocent and impressionable amongst us as being too distracting? Talk about distracting, our four year old daughter sings the Gloria so loudly and exuberantly that the people five rows ahead of her have to turn around to look at her and smile. And our 20 month old daughter points to the altar and loudly declares “JESUS”. Sure, these things might break a person’s concentration, but what a wonderful thing if we were all so uncontrollably excited to be in the presence of Jesus. And while the children sitting directly in front of you will likely resemble a bowl of popping corn for the next hour, remember that Satan himself attempted to distract Jesus in the garden from doing the will of His Father. Consider these moments as an opportunity to hone your prayer and listening skills and to practice the art of Christian Charity and compassion.

As a community of believers, we pray for children at their baptism and promise to do our part in encouraging them on their path toward Christ. Are we upholding that promise by shunning them from our worship, Eucharist and most important form of prayer? So, when we find ourselves annoyed by the presence or behavior of a child, in mass or any other public setting, we should ask ourselves: “What would Jesus do?” – would He glower, reprimand and rebuke, or would He put his arms around that child, smile and welcome him while declaring “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.” (Mark 9:37)