Rychen & Logan's garden box project

Last week Rychen and his brother Logan built a huge garden box (I believe Rychen's first time ever wearing the handy-man hat) and I have to admit, I was very impressed! We ordered a truckload of dirt (and poop) to fill it up!




...and the completed project

Vain girl

Elisabeth found my headbands, which apparently to her are necklaces. And of course, the mirror to admire herself, decked out in all her bling!

Fingerpaint Pudding

Dinner tonight quickly escalated into a fingerpainting session...

Elisabeth the gymnast

This girl loves to HANG! Give her a bar or a ledge and she will instantly transform into a gymnast!! She curls her legs behind her and swings back and forth!! Most recently, on the bathroom counter-top ledge.

Rychen plays dress up

@ NW Kids Club

My first 5K

I did my first 5K run today. I feel great, I am so glad I set that goal and accomplished that. Actually yesterday I wasn't looking forward to it, and I figured I could always just walk it. I have only run just over a mile recently so I thought I would be running 1 mile and walking the rest. But I actually did it! I jogged the great majority of the course, and only took a few breaks to walk the hills.

 

I found that one huge factor for me was being in a group. When I workout, I never push myself. I enjoy going for "runs" to get out and be alone, but I am not really doing it to push myself (I don't like feeling sick/tired/sore afterward). But today, I was in a group of people about my same fitness level, running toward the back. So naturally I couldn't walk!! I was NOT going to be last! So I kept up with the pack, and as we got around 2/3 of the way through, I picked up my pace and made myself RUN the last mile or so. There was another woman just ahead of me, a woman I know has been training for several weeks, so it was motivating to me to think that I could come in at the same time as her.

 

My body hurt but I did not let myself walk! I ran and ran, thinking positive thoughts instead of thinking things like "C'mon, you're almost there" (Rychen is reading a book about the mental aspect of running and told me how this is actually a negative thing because it is confirming the fact that you're not having a good time, etc.) So I was thinking thought similar to what I think when I am in labor - just focusing on how amazing it's going to feel when I'm done. How great I feel already, that I didn't need to walk and I was doing much better than I predicted. I was thinking I wanted to make my family proud of me.

 

So I am satisfied with my run today! It was 32:55 which isn't really anything to brag about but it was just my first race, and I am so glad I didn't have to walk it!! Now I feel motivated to do that same course on a regular basis and see if I can improve my time. It will be so great when I can get it less than 30 minutes. So maybe that will be my Saturday morning routine :) Anybody want to join me?? Since I have found I work out so much better with some competition!

My darling babies

Great Ensign article

I was so excited when this Ensign article came out in 2008. It's the most well-written, scientific yet scriptural description of how a plant food diet extends life and prevents disease.

"The medical community widely accepts that a low-fat diet consisting mostly of complex carbohydrates found in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, along with limited amounts of nuts and high-protein foods like low-fat meats, is associated with lower incidences of disease and a longer life...

"Thanks to the recommendations contained in section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants, Latter-day Saints live longer and are less likely to get cancer. Although members of the Church often focus on aspects relating to avoiding smoking, alcohol consumption, coffee, and tea, the Word of Wisdom provides further direction for blessing Latter-day Saints. Eating a diet consisting primarily of wheat and grain products, fruits, and vegetables, as outlined in the revelation, is being shown scientifically to be the best possible way to eat."

Also, here is another LDS article about the superior nutrition of plant foods.