A Fish In Water

There are times when I'm sure we're going to doubt whether or not we're making the right decisions for our kids (like Turner and soccer or the time I gave Eli paint and then walked away), but enrolling Eli in gymnastics is not one of them. It was like watching a fish return to water, peanut butter suction on to jelly, or a fat kid noshing on cake. It was just meant to be. 

**These pictures were taken from my phone, behind a window.**

He listened to everything he was told to do (just a few random outbursts of energy) and has been asking about his very own class every day since! 

An Evolution: the Beginning

It's funny how one small change can snowball in to many big changes. 

I've always considered myself (and my family) to be healthy eaters. If you looked in our pantry a few months ago, it would look like most "healthy" Americans. Organic stuff, boxed stuff, a package of cookies here, white sugar (you know, for baking) there. In our fridge was some organic produce that we eat raw: spinach, celery and a few other items. 

It's always been in the back of my mind to do a little more. Maybe I could buy better milk than the mainstream organic, maybe we could buy raw cheese (and milk), and, just maybe, better meat was within our reach. 

Like it always is, money is an issue. We have been working diligently for a few years to be debt free by 2013 so sticking to a budget is a must. I was already spending $220 (I'm telling you this so you get an idea of what I was spending on commissary items and what I'm now spending on organic, free range, etc) so the thought of any more money spent on food was disheartening. 

A friend (hey Teresa!) asked if I had read the blog 100 Days of Real Food (I had not). Intrigued, I checked it out. After staying up way too late reading, I looked in the cabinet and started really reading ingredients of our stocked pantry. Our "healthy" bread, for example, had a list of ingredients that included three different types of sugar disguised as healthy things. Product after product of "healthy" things I was feeding my family just didn't sound so healthy after they were broken down. 

After a little thought, I figured I could do the ten day pledge without much trouble. Almost everything on the challenge list wasn't a problem so I decided to take it a step further.

 I chose to start with milk because it's irked me for a while. The nature of most "organic" brands is a a joke and a waste of money. It's almost always ultra-high pasteurized and void of any nutrition. Could I buy better milk and still stay within budget? I checked out my options: raw milk or lightly pasturized, non homoginized. I priced the raw milk from Full Quiver Farm and for my family to start drinking raw milk (about 3 gallons for the kids and one for the adults - 4 total) was going to cost about $600 (the break down is done by how many shares you have to buy + a few other costs). That is just out of the question right now. The next option is Natural by Nature milk in glass jars.

To make the milk happen and not go over budget, I hit the commissary with a strict list. I had to stay WELL under budget so I could afford the milk (total of about $32 for 8 quarts). I did just that and was able to afford the milk! I should mention I bought absolutely ZERO snack items. None. 

So, quickly, my next step in the evolution became solving the snack dilemma...

One Little Word 2012

My dear friend, Christine, introduced me to One Little Word a few years ago. I feel so lucky in life, I just really never have anything I need to resolve to do so thinking of one word better suits me. Sure, I could always use some improvements, but I've never had a real desire to make resolutions in the new year. 

This year, I'm choosing the word nourish. 

My journey toward this word and idea actually started a few months ago and has been a reason I haven't been blogging. I have been concentrating very hard on nourishing my family, my self, our house and homeschool. It's not even that anything has been drained or not doing well! I truly believe that I have absolutely everything I need, right in front of me and I want to take care of it. I want everything around me to flourish and grow, and that takes nourishment. 

Later this week I'll tell you what I've been up to and why it's taken so much of my time!

Until then (it's a real cliff hanger, I know) I'm going to remember something another friend of mine said: A new year comes once every 365 days but we get a new day every 24 hours. I hope we all learn to live each day to the fullest so that the year truly counts." 

Welcome to 2012, friends! 

Two things:

1. Apparently, google images in the Netherlands put up a picture from my blog. Blogger has a new interface and it shows all sorts of stats when you log in. My "audience" and blog hits spiked. Intrigued, I had to look. It's me...and my boob...nursing Deacon. I thought of taking it down, but, it'd probably still remain up on their images, right?. I don't know wether to be weirded out or not...

2. School is going well these days! The kids are pretty eager to learn and it's really not all that tough to do. The preparation for the week is the toughest job...well, that and keeping Deacon busy.

Oh, yeah, reality...

We've gotten quite spoiled over the last months. I mean, sure, we've dealt with separations (like six months' worth in 2011...cake, comparatively), but his has been a very off year. So off I'm sure that if Big Navy found out I feel like we'd have to pay a penance or something. 

John's been around: a lot -enough so that the kids have gotten used to it and our first of three children actually like going to him (as a baby). 

We've known all along what a fluke year this was going to be so we've tried to do as much as possible as a family. Family Fun Night is every Friday, weekends are together, shopping is (sometimes) together, whatever we can do is as a family to really use this time to connect. Making the most of this year has been the most important goal. 

Daddy helping Turner with school work. 

John got a phone call with a rumor that we initially dismissed. Then, the source called to say what what true and hearsay...

Now we're on stand-by: waiting to hear weather John will take command of his ship in just days. 

It all might come to a screeching halt, but I can be comforted knowing that we really did soak it all in!

My Next 30 Years

I'm positive my next 30 years will be the best years of my life. 

My 20s were all about feeling things out: the beginning of adulthood, going through college, meeting my future husband, the end of my single years, starting a family, and really learning who I was as a friend, wife, mother and person. 

My 30s are going to be about ENJOYING everything. I couldn't be happier to be at this place, right now, with MY family: my husband, my babies, my circus. 

He Walks!

Mr. Deacon wasn't too concerned with walking, but he's finally gotten the hang of things! He even grew out of his 6-12 month Pedi Peds and got a new pair of See Kai Run shoes. If they're not on his feet and he sees them, I get screamed at until they are! 

He's such a cutie!