What we've been up to...

Here's kind of a recap of the last few weeks happenings amidst all the food storage craziness. A few weekends ago Brett invited us to go to the cabin in Greer with him and the kids. What a wonderful time we had! We enjoyed the outdoors, went on a nature hike/walk, made pinecone bird feeders, scouted elk/deer/turkey/antelope, watched the Greer Days Parade, got treats at the cutest ice cream parlor in Greer (probably the only one... but cute), made s'mores, played Nertz and Settlers of Catan, looked for worms, Jared went fishing, ran into some old friends, and had a Fabulous time doing it all! A big thanks to Brett and his family for inviting us! (warning... picture overload)




















J had a little slip up with the pocket knife and got a cut on one of his fingers. His Dad took his knife, cut off the top of his sock, and wrapped it around J's finger to stop the bleeding. Quick thinking!
















Father's Day was fun this year because G could participate in the planning and fun. We went to Bass Pro Shops and picked out a digital pistol safe for Jared. G helped pick out some fishing lures for him. When we got home I had G help wrap the fishing lures. He did a great job... suffice it to say that he LOVED putting tape on it. He would've used the whole roll if I'd let him. Then we colored Happy Father's Day cards. When Sunday came I made German Pancakes and let Jared relax. He enjoyed G's wrapping job and was appreciative of the gifts. We sure love Jared. He is a great daddy, provider, protector, etc, etc, etc.

Being a parent has made me all the more appreciative of my parents, their example, and unconditional love. Happy Father's Day Dad! - and Happy Birthday too!

Just this last week we got together with Jared and Andrea for dinner. We had some of the sweet pulled pork that we'd canned together that day. Yum! They brought over a small inflatable pool that they purchased recently so the boys could play in it together. G was a little apprehensive at first, but once Jared threw him in there he was all splashes. He absolutely loved it! I love watching G and Caleb play together. They're getting to the point where they are interacting more in their play.

G is getting so independent lately. He wants to do everything himself which in ways is kind of nice. I think it's helping teach him responsibility. He is in charge of doing the laundry and gets so excited when I tell him it's time to start a load. He goes and gets the basket, loads it in the washer, changes it to the dryer, and pushes the basket of clean clothes to my bed, where I do the folding. He throws away his and B's diapers and knows that the stinky ones go outside on the back porch - until we make a trip to the big black garbage can. He puts his dirty clothes in the laundry basket. He's figured out how to put on his shirts correctly - most of the time. He loves to help me do anything! The other day I had some sugar cookie dough in the freezer that needed used so I had him help me roll them out, cut them and put them on the cookie sheet. He thought that was the greatest thing ever! He thought the dough tasted pretty good, too!

Last Food Storage Post (for now)

After much thought and fanangling (is that how you spell that), I've finally decided on what to order from Mtn House. If anyone is interested this is what I'm getting. Originally I had thought about ordering the Ultimate 6 Month Supply but I wanted more control over what I got so I did some comparisons. Here are my findings...

Ultimate 6 Month Supply gets you:
36 lunch/dinner entrees (what you get is a complete surprise... it's any combination of 18 possible entrees)
9 breakfast
9 veggies
6 desserts
3 snacks
$1423.95 (total 63 cans)

Personally, I don't really care about the desserts, but would rather have the fruits and greater control of what entrees I'm actually getting. So I've found a better way.

For $1447.87 (63 cans) I can get...
34 lunch/dinner entrees (which I have more control over and actually know what I'm getting)
10 breakfast
9 veggies
3 desserts
7 fruit

To achieve the above combination this is my order (this is really all you need to know Misty :)
(2) Best Sellers Sampler (yes, 2)
(1) Chicken Lovers Sampler
(1) Company Favorites Sampler
(1) Original Starter #1
(1) Starter #2
(1) Starter #3
(1) Breakfast Sampler
(1) Vegetable Sampler #1
(1) Tropical Fruit Sampler
(3) cans of Chicken Ala King

To see more specifically what I'm actually getting
Lunch/Dinner Entrees
· Hearty Beef Stew (2)
· Rice & Chicken (3)
· Spaghetti with Meat Sauce (3)
· Lasagna with Meat Sauce (3)
· Beef Stroganoff (4)
· Pasta Primavera (3)
· Chili Macaroni (2)
· Beef Teriyaki (1)
· Seafood Chowder (1)
· Oriental Style Spicy Chicken (1)
· Chicken ala King (5)
· Chicken Teriyaki with Rice (3)
· Chicken Stew (1)
· Noodles & Chicken (2)
Breakfast
· Granola with Milk & Blueberries (4)
· Scrambled Eggs with Bacon (3)
· Eggs w/ Ham (3)
Veggies
· Garden Peas (3)
· Super Sweet Corn (3)
· Green Beans (3)
Fruit
· Pineapple Chunks (2)
· Banana Slices (2)
· Peach Slices (2)
· Sliced Strawberries
Dessert
· Raspberry Crumble (1)
· Blueberry Cheesecake (2)


It's still not too late to order... but you only have until tomorrow morning. Just email Misty (mistymatthews@peoplepc.com) your order, address, and debit/credit card number. If you want to see pictures and know exactly what's in the samplers go to www.thereadystore.com
That's all!

Orders Due...

This Saturday (June 21st) is the day that orders are due. For Mtn. House orders you just need to email Misty with what you want, your address, and a debit/credit card number or get a check to her.

Anna has decided to push back the milk order date to this Saturday as well. So if you're wanting any more of that real shelf-safe milk she's accepting orders and money through Saturday.

I am so excited about all of this food storage stuff and am glad that I can do something now to prepare for the inevitable hard times that are coming. And I'm glad you're excited about it too! I just ordered water barrels, buckets, wheat, hand wheat grinder, and milk... and I'm working on my Mountain House order. How do you decide when everything is so good and needed?

WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!

That workshop went way beyond my highest expectations! It was so neat to feel of the excitement and enthusiasm from everyone and I learned SOOO much from the presenters as well as several of the guests that came. (Thank you Tawni for bringin your omnipotent friend Rachael.) I can't wait to learn more and more.

The most recent and complete Mtn House price list is available through email if you couldn't make it to the workshop (includes pouches, emergency preparedness tools, etc). The Mountain House orders need placed by next Saturday (21st) I will tell you, once again, that Mountain House is AMAZING! - their entrees and dried fruits and veggies are to die for (see more favorites in the below email). The pineapple is like candy and the peas tasted like REAL fresh peas! If you weren't able to make it to the workshop or live out of state you can place your order through next Saturday (21st). Simply email your order, mailing address, and be sure to include the important fact that you're ordering through KARLI TOMPKINSON's party so that you get the cheaper prices. Remeber that there's no shipping or tax so the ptice you see is the price you pay. AND it gets shipped directly to you! mistymatthews@peoplepc.com

The Milk Orders get placed on Monday (16th). The shelf-safe milk is exactly like 'real' milk except for the fact that it was processed at a higher temperature and all the bacteria has been killed. It has the same nutritional value, vitamin D, calorie count, taste (very important), AND it's hormone free!!! AMAZING!!!! It ends up being about $4/gallon even though you buy it in little 8oz or 32 oz cartons. Not bad! The rootbeer flavored milk was a huge hit! It seriously tastes exactly like the end of a rootbeer float. Such a treat! The girls that sell the milk buy this product exclusively now (no more grocery store milk) so orders are made about once a month. But the sad news is that prices are going up for the month of July, so the current milk prices are only good for this months order which is getting place on MONDAY! You can only order the milk and other itms through Anna if you live here in AZ - or is you're able to come pick it up in AZ. Simply send an email to Anna inluding your order, phone number and she'll contact you when it arrives. Your order gets shipped to her and you're supposed to pick it up from her within two weeks of it arriving (should be sometime in mid-July). annascoupons@yahoo.com If you have any questions, you can call/email me. THANKS!

I am also happy to announce the start of a new blog I'm helping minutely with... www.youcancan.blogspot.com Be on the lookout for new recipes coming soon and a wealth of information for all things "food storage"

See you in the morning!

Tomorrow is the day. Don't forget that if you aren't able to make it to the workshop, you can still order anything you want. If I didn't email you the price lists, let me know and I can send them to you. The orders will probably be place early next week. If you live out of state, you can order the Mountain House and it will get shipped directly to you! (FYI, I talked to Misty today - the Mtn House Distributor - and she said that Mtn House is having a meeting on Monday to revamp the way they do parties... so this is the LAST party where you get to buy at her distributor pricing!!!) If you want it, NOW is the time to get it!

This workshop is going to be FULL of information so bring your friends, family, and neighbors. You are going to have so much fun and you're going to LOVE the presenters! See you tomorrow! 9-Noon

Guess what???

I want to share my excitement for learning about and obtaining long term food storage and items for emergency preparedness. I’m not sure what has sparked my sudden drive for being prepared… maybe it’s because I’ve got children to care for, maybe it’s because I’m getting a pressure canner for Christmas early (thanks Mom and Dad!), maybe it’s because we’ve been told for decades by church leaders to prepare, maybe it’s because even world economists are telling people that the best way to spend the government incentive check is not to invest in stocks but instead in food storage… regardless of the source I’m excited to LEARN and PREPARE!

To help me and others learn all about preparedness I’m hosting a FOOD STORAGE/EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS WORKSHOP right here in Mesa! It will be on Saturday June 14 from 9 am –Noon at my house. The first hour will be packed with presentations and information – after that it’s come and go and we’ll try to answer all your questions!

There will be a presentation at 9:15 on canning everything from meats to cake (you will be AMAZED at what you can can!!!). Following that there will be someone to speak about SHELF STABLE milk, butter, and whipping cream… as well as SOLAR OVENS, wheat grinders (manual and electric), stackable water buckets, and MUCH, MUCH MORE! She’s got an amazing story to share! To top it all off we’re going to have a distributor from Mountain House (freeze dried food that is “to die for” good and all you do is add water – that I can do!)… AND she’s going to let us all order at her distributor prices! Can you believe it? If you can’t make it and still want to order at these low prices… let me know and we can place it for you EVEN if you live out of state!!!

You won’t want to miss out on this opportunity to learn and prepare! I’m so excited I can hardly wait! I’M TRYING TO GET AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE AT ONE SPOT. TELL YOUR NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS, and RELATIVES TOO - THEY WANT TO LEARN. Please forward this on to anyone you think might be interested and I hope to see you there!!!

(IF YOU CANT MAKE IT BUT WOULD STILL LIKE INFO OR TO ORDER OR IF YOU DONT KNOW MY ADDRESS, POST A COMMENT AND I'LL GET AHOLD OF YOU)

What: Emergency Preparedness / Food Storage Workshop
When: Saturday June 14th
Time: 9am - Noon (Presentations 9:15 - 10:15 and come and go/stay after that)
Where: My House (leave a comment and contact for directions)

Missing the cool weather...

Last week yielded some drastic weather changes. Monday and Tuesday both had "Heat Advisory" warnings. Then Thursday, Friday, and Saturday it was cool, overcast, and rainy! I LOVED the rain! Days like that really make me happy. I practically lived outside on those days - thank goodness for the patio furniture :). It actually got a little chilly with the rain and wind so we all put on light jackets or sweaters. I even drank some hot chocolate and munched on a candy cane. I am ready for Christmas time again! When went to Tucson this last weekend we listened to Josh Groban's Christmas CD "Noel" on the way there and back. Then I told Jared that I wanted to put the Christmas tree up. He said that he had to draw the line somewhere and that was it. :) I'd love to live somewhere that has a high of 74 degrees year round, doesn't get colder than 50 degrees, and regularly has rainy overcast days. That's the life! Oh well, triple digits here we come.

I love how he sucks his bottom lip in... so cute.

Oh and here are some pictures of G. I regularly find him trying to put on random pieces of clothing that he finds. He loves clothes, shoes, and accessories.

Stake Conference

This last Sunday was Stake Conference and it was so enjoyable - probably because I volunteered myself for the choir and so had a comfortable seat and no kids to wrangle. Jared on the other hand didn't get to listen to much of conference. I wish I'd had a pad of paper with me to write down the words that spoke to my heart, but my memory will have to suffice.

- Take time each day to visualize your children as you want them to be throughout their life. See them giving service. See them honoring the priesthood. See them as a full-time missionary. See them entering the temple.

- Allow your children to experience consequences. When they're young the consequences are small - they don't get to play outside that day or they might have to sweep the floor after they made a mess at the table. This helps them understand cause/effect or action/consequence and it helps you get in the habit of administering consequences so that when teenage years come on and consequences may incur great sorrow and prolonged suffering they will be even more inclined to choose the right.

- Give service in your community. The view exists among many community organizations that "the Mormons don't care." We sometimes get caught up in serving within our ward, our families, and in global efforts, but it's important to remember to serve in your community too - and even more important that our children are given opportunities to serve. I remember going to nursing homes with my sisters regularly to sing to the elderly people there. We would always go at Christmas time and sing favorite Christmas songs to them - what a great way to serve and brighten their day!

- The 8 W's: "Work will win when wishy-washy worry won't." When you have a problem or struggle, stop just worrying about it and get to work doing what you can to fix it. If it's not within your power to fix it... stop worrying :)

I'll have to add more thoughts if any more come to mind...

Milestones we've reached...

Jared went on his first Fathers and Sons Outing with G. It was even more exciting since Grandpa T was able to come along for the fun. Although it was a lot of preparation and chasing around for Jared, G absolutely LOVED it and came back quite tuckered out! I can see how it would be nice to have all boys so that they can go off on their outings and leave me at home to have some time to myself... I could get used to that. While they were away I spent time with sisters and aunts, went to a food storage/emergency preparedness workshop, painted miscellaneous projects, etc.

My major milestone is that I mowed a lawn for the very first time in my life! Our yard has gone 2 weeks without being mowed and it was looking quite shaggy. It's hard for Jared to find time to do it, so when both boys went down for a nap at the same time I started. I took the monitor with me and proceeded to mow the backyard and then the front yard and even got a shower in before they woke up! I felt quite productive that day. It's interesting to me how doing yardwork was the most miserable chore I could be given - I didn't even like gardening one bit! (Thanks Mom and Dad for making me do it anyway). My Dad always mowed the yard growing up because we lived on an acre and he used a riding lawn mower. He stopped making the girls do it when Mindy ran into the fence :). Anyway, now I enjoy pulling weeds, raking leaves, trimming trees, and mowing lawns - there's a sense of fulfillment in working hard, being outside, and beautifying your surroundings.

G's milestones: He's 18 months and weighs in at 33 lbs with a height of 34 inches. His biggest accomplishment is that he will finally eat something other than fruit and bread! He will happily snack on a carrot now! And he even enjoyed some meatloaf and Creamy Chicken Italiano - where before he wouldn't be caught dead eating any meats or pastas. He still doesn't appreciate chicken but the ground beef was okay apparently. Great job G! His other milestone is rather notable too I suppose. He is now sleeping in a "big boy" bed. We got a second set of bunk beds from my Aunt and put the top of the bunk beds in G's room in addition to the existing crib. That night when it was time to go to bed we decided to just try it out and see what he did. We followed the same routine and he went down without a peep! Since then he's done extremely well with only one or two yearnings for his crib. That transition went WAY better than I thought it would!

B is now 6 months old. He weighs 18.5 lbs and measures 28.5 inches tall. He's been sitting up for a few weeks now and has also been working on rocking back and forth on his hands and knees. Every now and then he'll get fancy and get in position to do push-ups on his hands and toes. Silly boy! He loves to put anything and everything in his mouth, especially paper and rice cereal. I'm getting ready to make him some squash and green beans soon, too. Unfortunately I can't claim "sleeping through the night" for B yet, but I'm hoping I can soon.

Why does it have to hurt so bad?

My heart is full of aching and sympathy, wishing I knew what to do to help... hoping that he's not hurting too badly. I got a call this morning from my friend Andrea who taken her 2 month old son, Kyson, in for a well-child check-up. After telling the doctor that she'd noticed his breathing has been hard, they rushed him to the hospital with really low oxygen levels. They said they'd call back when they knew more. Two hours passed as I prayed and anxiously awaited the diagnosis, hoping it would be nothing major - after all, what could possibly be wrong with cute little Kyson? So sweet. So innocent. So perfect.

(Taken just 2 weeks ago on his Blessing Day)

After some testing at the hospital Jared and Andrea were informed that Kyson's heart is missing the left ventricle - the most important ventricle. His little heart has been working overtime to compensate and just couldn't handle it for much longer. He was experiencing congestive heart failure. Kyson will have to undergo open heart surgery. My heart reaches out to him - that he will be okay, that he won't feel too much pain, that he will feel of the huge number of people that are praying for him and that love him. Who couldn't?

(One week old)

So I'm asking that you please say a prayer for this little angel - and for his family. He needs our faith more than ever. How hard it must be for Jared and Andrea to see him poked and monitored and on oxygen. How grateful I am that they have Phil and Heather to look to for comfort. How grateful I am that Andrea was prompted to tell the doctor about the difficulty of his breathing - instead of responding to the doctor's question with the observation that he's just a fussy baby. How blessed we are to know that Heavenly Father is mindful of us - that he knows Kyson and has such a love for him. I'm sure He's missing Kyson's valiant and loving spirit even though he's only been gone for 2 short months.

In search for comfort of my own, I came across these words of President Hinckley:

Behold your little ones. Pray with them. Pray for them and bless them. The world into which they are moving is a complex and difficult world. They will run into heavy seas of adversity. They will need all the strength and all the faith you can give them while they are yet near you. And they will also need a greater strength which comes of a higher power.

Andrea, I'm here for you. Whenever you need me. I'm ready to fulfill my covenant to mourn with those that mourn and comfort those that stand in need of comfort. Even if you just need someone to cry with you... I'm great at that.

When we truly behold our little ones, we behold the glory, wonder, and majesty of God, our Eternal Father. Regardless of physical limitations or the challenge of circumstance, their souls are endowed naturally with divine potential that is infinite and eternal. - M. Russell Ballard

We love you Kyson!