Through the Happily Ever After

Idaho

2013-09-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

We finally made it back to Idaho to visit as a family! Yes! Even Hoss got to come!

We started out on a Friday evening. We left Hobbs kind of late, around 9:30 pm, and arrived in Albuquerque, NM around 3:30am. We are very blessed to have a wonderful friend, who has wonderful connections, who was able to get us a hotel. We slept as long as we could, and Hoss took the kids swimming before we headed north. A big thank you Danny!

Swimming in the hotel in ABQ

If anyone has made a 1,200 mile trip anywhere really knows what it is like driving all day long. We saw some beautiful scenery and really enjoyed seeing the mountains get bigger and bigger as we continued north. If there is one geographical thing we really miss, it is mountains! The trip was uneventful, which is a good thing. No issues whatsoever. I did the majority of the day and evening driving, leaving Hoss to take over at Lehi, UT, where we met up with his brother Andy, in order for us to take his daughter with us to have an extended sleep over with Bunny and Bug! Yea! There was so much giggling in the van that night!

Just West of Albuquerque, NM

North New Mexico

Some of the highlights were the following:

We went to Lagoon, which is a smaller amusement park. Hoss and I very effectively got sick. It was a hard drive back to "Papa" and "Gamma" Curtis's house! Boy did I feel my age that day! But the blessing was getting to spend time with Jason's brother Andy, his family, and an extra niece! It was a fun-packed day!

Little cowboy hated every single ride he went on! Maybe I shouldn't have put him on a fast ride to start. :) I put him on one that goes in circles pretty fast (not pictured). While we waited for it to start, he cried and cried. I'm sure people were giving me looks. But once it started, he stopped crying, but started saying, "Oh no! Oh no!" But that "oh no" eventually morphed into an outright hollering, "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" To complete silence as the ride sped up to a speed where he couldn't hold himself up. He was leaning on me quietly. Then when the ride switched and started going backwards, he started yelling, "Oh no! Oh no!" again. So, I don't think he hated it, but he sure didn't love it! I really wish we would have had a video of that. It was pretty entertaining. His facial expression in the picture below was pretty much his expression for every other ride, including the carousel.

Another story: Bug got into one of the tea cups with Uncle Andy, Kim, and Ansley. There were honey bees all over the park, and one just happened to fly up the hem of Bug's shirt. Andy, in an attempt to prevent her getting stung, spanked her on the rear end, making the bee drop out in a daze. Unfortunately, it landed on Bug's hand, and when it came to, decided it was angry and stung her on the hand. I always told her that it doesn't hurt that bad. It just stings for a minute. Later on, she told me that "I was wrong. It hurt really bad!" Pour thing!

The Tea Cups! It really wasn't as bad as LC makes it seem.

Little Cowboy and myself hanging out after I got sick, and
it was apparent he would not be going on any more rides.

The next day, rightfully so, we relaxed a little bit more. Ha! We needed to recover from the strenuous day!

The next day, I was able to play volleyball with some of the v-ball gals back in Pocatello! It was a great time! Then later in the day, we made it to Idaho Falls, Idaho, where my brother Grant and his family live. We were met by my other brother Paul and his family! I hadn't seen Paul for 3 years, and Hoss hadn't seen him for 4! So it was a fun visit! We had a delicious dinner, had some good conversation, and roasted marshmallows for s'mores later on! Jylisha can paint a better picture, as she is much better at going into detail! You can see pictures of our time at there house here. Paul had to leave, but we spent the night, then Hoss and I were able to go to the temple in the morning, together! That is a rare occurrence! We usually have to take turns going in and make it a full day. So thank you Grant and Jylisha! That was a blessing! We then parted ways and headed back to Pocatello.

Add caption

A professional photographer saw us struggling to get a good shot ourselves...of ourselves.
She offered to take the picture.
Not bad with my camera!

The fam at the Idaho Falls, Idaho Temple! Its so pretty!

The crowning event of our trip was baptizing Bug at her grandparent's ward building! It was an amazing event, filled with some of our favorite people! I only wish I had gotten a picture of all those who were there! Thank you so much for coming and blessing us with your presence! The baptism was on August 23rd at 6pm ish. It rained so hard that day! We had to actually stall for about 45 minutes in order to get everyone there that was a part of the program! There were streets completely flooded and closed off. Even the Center St under pass was flooded nearly to the top! Even with all of the setbacks, Bug got dunked in the font! It was an amazing experience! The spirit was so strong! Afterward, we had a huge potluck for all of our friends and family who were able to come!

Hoss and Bug! Hoss baptized her and confirmed her!

The family just before Bug's baptism!

Saturday was filled with having some family pictures taken by Uncle Alan. We got some pretty sweet ones!

A new family picture!

Aww!

We have a photo bomber...

Aww!

I thought this was a cool one.

Cheese! Little Cowboy did so much better this vacation!

She's definitely photogenic!

Bug with her cousin "RyRy"

No, he cannot be on your calender ladies.

Gotta go goofy.

Then we took a short trip to Soda Springs to check on my parent's house (who are on a mission in Nauvoo-their mission blog is here) and pick huckleberries with Uncle TR and Aunt Amber! It was so much fun! I wish we had mountains close by so we could do that more often. But we'll just have to settle for amazing sunsets and longer summers.

This is the view from the top of "Fish Creek" on the way to Soda Springs, in between Lava Hot Springs and Soda. Just beyond the mountains in the distance is Soda Springs, ID.

The kids slept on our way to Soda. They were tuckered out! Love this pic!

Pickers getting ready to pick.

I wish I would have taken a picture of all the berries we got. This was at the very beginning.
The red berries are Logan Berries. They are my favorite I think.

Berry picking fingers!

Sunday we were able to meet with all of Hoss's family for dinner after church. We had some good laughs, and gave hugs and returned back to Papa's house for one last game of Catan before we had to go to bed to prepare for our trip in the morning.

Playing Settlers of Catan. Fun board game!

We wound up leaving Pocatello shortly after lunch time. We stopped at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, UT to view the visitor's center. It had been quite a long time. After that, it was one short stop to have a late lunch with Uncle Andy and his daughter before continuing south.

Salt Lake City, UT Temple for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Not bad for my cell phone camera.

I love this picture. Bunny helping LC feel the holes in the statue's feet, signifying
the scars from the nails in Christ's feet.

Bug being the photographer here.

At Amazon you can
also find it at Deseret Book
and Seagull Book

The trip home was very long, but we spent the time reading a fabulous book entitled "Visions of Glory" by John Pontius. I can't endorse it more than I have. It is amazing, and if you haven't heard of it, now you have, and if you haven't read it, you should! It is life changing! Some of you have already heard me talk about it. So forgive me for mentioning it again. ;)

Hole in the Rock, close to Moab, UT

We were stopped in road construction just south of Cortez, CO, and Little Cowboy was falling asleep.

Hoss and me at Moab, UT. Not the best mountain range, but still pretty all the same.

We made it home at about 4 am Wednesday morning. We spent the day sleeping mostly. It felt surreal, but good to be home. The trip definitely did us so much good. Hoss then had to go back to work the next day. Back to the daily grind!

This was a perfect vacation to end our summer!

Here are a few extra photos

Travel Lap Tray

2013-08-13T17:30:00.003-07:00

I thought I would share the last little project that I made. It is a Travel Lap Tray. I wanted Little Cowboy to have someway of having extra fun distractions without dropping stuff and losing stuff constantly in the car.

It was pretty simple and easy. The only reason it took most of the day was because of all the breaks that I had to take in order to feed the kids, get them ready for naps, and go to the grocery store. You know, the important things in life!

Here is the finished product. I think all three kids will really enjoy it...even though it is made for LC.

The birthday girl is my model (That will be another post),
since Little Cowboy didn't want anything
to do with the picture taking.

The tutorial to make this is located here. It was a lot of fun to make, and I love how it turned out. The little cookie sheet is for magnets and helping to keep little toys, food and odds and ends from falling off of Little Cowboy's lap and such. It is velcroed to the little pillow. So, it is not only a lap table, but it is a pillow too! Ha! We'll see if it gets used as a pillow! I would make this again. It was that easy. The fabric I used were old baby sheets (circle pattern)/king sheets (brown fabric), baby blankets (striped flannel), and some extra fabric from another project (little boy cowboys).

Visual Journal

2013-07-11T17:40:00.002-07:00

I am pretty good at filtering through fun crafts, art techniques, and sewing crafts. It is kind of hard when you have a wide range of interests. There is definitely not enough time to do them all regularly.

My latest interest is in creating a visual or art journal. I have watched a lot of videos on the subject, looked at a lot of pictures of journal pages, and I have finally prepped my own visual art journal!

Many people will take an old hard back book and use that. I had a book that I was getting rid of, so instead I held onto it until I was ready to start my journal. I began by tearing out 40% of the pages. This is necessary, because as you journal, you will most likely add things into it, adding thickness. Not to mention that would just be way too many pages to have to journal. I counted 10 pages folding them over, then tore out the next 10... and so on throughout the whole book. Then I tore off the cover liner. It was a plastic type of material making up its cover art, so once I cut into the edge of the hard cover, it peeled off quite easily.

This is what it looks like after that step.

Then I glued every two pages together in order to create a thicker sturdier page to paint and craft on.

The theme that I chose for my visual journal is along the lines of tender mercies of being a mother.

I have a lot of material to go with this theme, so it seemed like a given!

I finally got my first page spread done! I'm excited! Have a looksie!

Here is the full spread together.

This whole process was a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to more creations!

This post was for Kendra, my sister, so she could see my progress.

Busy Busy Summer

2013-07-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

Hobbs, New Mexico has so many summer activities and programs for kids to enjoy. Many of which are free! Sweet, I know! So, we signed the girls up for tennis class and volleyball class, not realizing how busy that would make us.

The tennis schedule was Monday -Friday from 8-9 am, lasting from June 3rd - July 26th or so. Volleyball is Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30-6:45pm. It started one week later and goes until the end of July. Bunny and Bug have really enjoyed it, but it has been super busy! I also joined a summer volleyball league, and that was a lot more rigorous in schedule than I hoped for. We started out having games three nights a week.

We have been running one car, because the Hog needs a new battery. This week, in order to save gas money, I decided that we were going to take a break from the endless driving to sports and such, so Hoss took the van to work yesterday and today. I have to say, it has been nice to not have anywhere to drive. We have taken a break from tennis and volleyball, which has been nice too. Unfortunately, the break at home ends tomorrow. So with most of the house chores caught up, my mind actually feels somewhat free to write and to be creative in other ways! Yaay! I've missed a clear mind!

I am looking forward to the sports for the summer being complete. There are so many books that I was supposed to read in order to prepare for the upcoming school year that I have not been able to get to. I have nearly finished ONE! Yipes! I have a lot of reading and planning to do for the rest of the month! I hope to start school back up in September. Next summer, I do not plan on taking a break for the summer... at least, not like I did this year. I felt like we needed this summer to regroup and prepare for the fall. I think that was inspired, because with how busy we have been, I don't think we would have been able to get much structure out of the day for school.

Here are some pictures of the last few months.

The week of Independence Day, a sister from church planned a Constitution Camp. It was one day, and there was a lesson on the Constitution, some word games, and the kids painted the American flag on their shirts! They had a lot of fun!

Then on Thursday (the 4th), we went to a fun run put on by our Stake President's family. We walked/ran 1 mile, then had breakfast and games. It was a lot of fun and tiring! We then went home and had a nap. We had a light dinner and went to get a spot to watch the fireworks. While we waited for them to start, the kids played with pop its, and sparklers. We had a pretty great view of the fireworks from the spot we found, and we'll probably go there next year too!

There are three pools in Hobbs, and two of them have been free for the entire summer! One of those is a nice pool for little kids.. with enough deep for the older kids too, and it is just a block away! We have gone swimming a lot this summer, and look forward to more swimming days to come!

That is all I can think of for now! I hope your summer has been a great one!

Evelyn

We didn't plan on the guy on the tv being in the picture too.

Little Cowboy wearing "gaggies" and Bug's hat

Bug giving Little Cowboy a horsie ride!

Bunny, Hoss, and LC

Me and my green juice during my 40 day juice fast.

LC "keeping his eyes peeled for daddy's UPS truck!"

LC playing with his truck.

Beautiful Bunny.

Beautiful silly Bug.

LC sharing his "num nums" with Elmo.

Little Cowboy doing a somersault.

Silly with mommy!

Church dance: Bunny dancing with daddy!

Again! Twirl!

Little Cowboy dancing with mommy!

Bunny and Bug at the Lubbock, TX temple.

Close up at the temple! Little Cowboy was asleep in the car.

Going to church with my honey!

My garden of kale! It didn't get much bigger than this.

My garden of spinach. It didn't get any bigger than this. I couldn't really do much with it.

My fruit bounty for my juice fast. We went through all of that in about
3 days between Hoss and I both juicing all day.

My salad meal.

Bug made herself a dress of bags... very creative, that one. :)

Hoss helped the girls tie ties!

Bug and Bunny on one of their first days of tennis class!

Bunny in action. I need to get a picture of Bug. I thought I did, but couldn't find it.

Bunny waiting in line for her turn with her friend from church Drew.

Hoss, LC and Bunny swimming.

Bug getting ready to show me her back flip in the water.

Constitution Camp: LC painting his shirt.

Constitution Camp: Bunny painting her shirt.

Constitution camp: Bug painting her shirt.

Hoss and myself at the fun run.

LC made it a little more than half way through the mile walking and running! He's a little athlete!

Daddy lighting the sparklers: Notice the kids wearing the shirts they painted.

Bug had a primary teacher that made each of her class a little shield. It used to say CTR and looked pretty
but it started to come apart, and this was her parting picture with it. She was sad to see it go.

Something Different

2013-06-27T14:32:00.001-07:00

I have been in the process of making some changes here. It has been slow going, because once we hit summer break, things started getting really busy. The girls both started up tennis AND volleyball. These are very rigorous schedules. Tennis is every week morning from 8-9. Then volleyball is every Tuesday and Thursday for an hour forty-five minutes in the evening time. On top of that, I got a team together to play in the 4x4 city league co-ed volleyball team. This was supposed to be a once a week king of thing. It turns out that they have been scheduling games 3 times a week! I decided to bow out of that one. Its just too much! Besides, I already lived my glory days!

The changes that I am making are in combining my blogs. I have 4 blogs. I like to work on all of them, so I have imported all of the posts. I am still working on making tabs for each post and organizing the whole blog. That is time consuming. But I will eventually get rid of my other blogs and this one will be it! I'll have my history with Jason on her, my weight loss blog, my fictional blog, and....this one! :) I have too many interests in each of these to give them up out right.

I hope your summer is going well too! We are definitely getting plenty of sun!

Evelyn

Year End

2013-05-23T10:22:00.000-07:00

Another school year is coming to a close. I have learned a lot in this past year. The girls have been home with me for just over 1 year now. I have not regretted the decision one bit. It has been an adventure for sure! There have been many stressful days. There have been many laid back days. But one thing that was most valuable this past year was our chance to try out different schedules, activities, and learning opportunities. There are a lot of lessons learned!

Little Cowboy in his get-up! "Howdy ma'am!"

I think trying to work around Little Cowboy's schedule has been the hardest. He is a mamma's boy (something that I love), and he wants my attention quite a lot. However, he also loves his sisters very much and he wants their attention a lot as well. So, we have learned that in our tight space, it is best to do our school while he is asleep. But even still, most of our learning experiences have been outside of the house even with the boy.

Over the past six months, we have hooked up with the local homeschoolers. We have started up a co-op, where we meet together and teach classes, have parties, and just let the kids decompress and play. When the kids don't get out of the house for a while, they start to get cabin fever (one lesson learned). We have met some great friends at the co-op, but now our meetings are done for the summer. Many of the families will continue to homeschool through the summer. I have opted to step away from our feeble schedule and regroup. I have learned many things that don't work:

First thing in the morning school--does not work for us at this time.

Late morning school--gets tricky due to the closeness of Cowboy's nap time... and lunch.

Winging my lessons works okay--but not as great as I would like.

This past year, I used a curriculum that is no longer in print, and I only have one volume of it. It is Iron Rod. I have really liked it. It goes through the scriptures and has lessons developed surrounding that theme. We spent weeks on the creation. I know I blogged about it. We focused on the solar system, time, seasons, animals, vegetation, water, and air. It was a very time intensive unit that was a lot of fun! After that we spent a number of weeks on Noah and the Ark. We studied more in depth animals... mostly reptiles as that is what Bug is into, and Bunny sure was interested too. We studied weather and some more spiritual matters surrounding faith in God and making and keeping promises with Him.

This picture was part of our Creation Unit Study. We were learning about time, and how we can tell time without a clock.
We went outside every hour to check if the shadow had moved. We did it until the sun went too low to tell anymore.

I did some units solely for Bug. She is very into drawing and art, so I taped together enough pages for her
to lay down on top. I traced her body, and she decorated it after. She really enjoyed this, and it hung on our front
door for quite a while!

Bunny got a scrapbook and camera for her birthday, so she has done some creative scrapbooking
and journalling. She is very interested in developing her talents in photography!

Bunny turned 9 this year! She is getting so big, I can hardly believe it! We celebrated with a few friends pictured below.

For Bunny's party, I made bows, arrows, and quivers. It was a lot of fun. Here she is trying really hard to
make the arrow fly toward the target! Those bows and arrows have been a major hit!

Bug is a very creative girl. I have recently learned that she is a right-brained learner.
So her favorite things are art and other hands on experiments and activities. Santa brought her this floam.

We studied the Word of Wisdom. If you do not know what that is, go here to read about it. It is basically a guide to what we should and should not put into our bodies in order to keep them healthy. For the past five months, we have been focusing really hard on nutrition and exercise. Ultimately, the things that our bodies need to work most effectively. In our home, we have been learning what foods we need in order to be healthy, and overall, our health and weight issues have gotten better. We still have a lot of work to do, which will take us into the summer and beyond. It is a lifestyle change... one that is not easy to do. To give you an idea, Hoss has lost over 65 pounds, and I have lost just over 40! The girls are eating better, and we have cut out fast food and sodas from our diets. For the most part, we have cut out eating out in general. This has been a huge help to us. I think ultimately, this is the hardest lesson we are learning... one that takes up a lot of time, effort and commitment.

Little Cowboy is trying to put on his shoe. He still has yet to master it, but he sure tries!
Now he has cowboy boots. Those will be easy to put on when he gets ready.

I think the favorite thing to draw on is our large marker board.
LC likes to draw on it as well, however, he wanders quite a bit and winds up drawing on walls and doors.

I wish that I had taken more pictures and blogged more in depth, but for a while there I was taking classes online and I was just feeling too overwhelmed with everything. Oh, another lesson learned there. The point of me taking classes was to lead out and show the children how to learn.. how to study and read. The only problem was that it had so much unnecessary busy work that taught me anything. Why is that bad? It was taking up all of my time mentally and physically. So, while it was a worthwhile goal, maybe it can wait a little longer. Its not like I won't be reading the same types of books and writing papers and notations on the classics. My degree was in English Literature. The homeschool method that I am using is based out of those very classics that I would read in school. So it is win win. I can get an education right along with my children!

LC's best friends are his sisters. He loves them so very much, and they are so loving and caring toward him!

Our year has been a very interesting adventure, and now I'm ready to put in place the lessons I have learned and start fresh next year! Of course, we will have plenty of reading and mini lessons throughout the summer! We are hoping to visit some new places, and of course visit Idaho!

I hope your summer is sunny and bright!

Evelyn

Emotional Eating

2013-05-22T23:40:00.000-07:00

I have noticed that since being on my juice fast that I have not craved meat so much. Interesting, I know. And when I have eaten it, I have not had very much of it. Those greens have been a lot more appealing to me.

It is interesting, because slowly. Very. Slowly. My eating habits are starting to change. I still have plenty of emotional attachment to those comfort foods: Meat, potatoes, gravy, breads, pastas... you know, the stuff you grew up eating? I don't believe that those types of meals are bad. What is bad is my emotional attachment to them. I have noticed something quite interesting in the last month. THE. ONLY. TIME. That I have craved sugar carbs and other not as healthy "comfort" foods is when I am dealing with some kind of emotional surge.

I remember one day in particular. I think there was a lot of emotion floating through the house, because Bunny, Bug, and Little Cowboy were all acting out. The girls were fighting/arguing with me, and Little Cowboy was crying virtually non-stop. I was overwhelmed. My children are with me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our house is very tiny. There is no where to really go to be separated from anyone. So what did I learn about myself? I learned that emotion is a trigger. I have used it in the past to start munching. Crackers on the table? *munch* Cheese in the fridge? *monch* More crackers? Chips? Cookies (We rarely have cookies in the house anymore)? *nom nom* The urge to stuff my face when I am stressed is so strong, that I almost always lose to myself! Now that is just stress. I haven't even tipped the ice burg for this emotional eating mamma. Anxiety. Depression. Anger. Sadness. However, never do I get the emotional munchies when I am happy or excited. Interesting right?

So, here is your food for thought...an exercise you can do to start recognizing your own "emotional munchie" cycle. When you are craving food. Stop. Walk out of the kitchen and sit down at your desk or table. On a piece of paper, write the following.....

"I am hungry because......."

Now analyze what emotions you are feeling in that moment of when you were ready to put something that you didn't NEED in your mouth.

In my case, back last week... I felt ANGRY.

"I am hungry because I am angry."

Then write and answer:

"How can I feed my hunger without actually eating?"
"Do I need a drink of water?"
"Do I need some sun?"
"Do I need a nap/rest?"
"Do I need to take the kids to another location for extended stimulation?"
"Do I need exercise?"

Then finally ask yourself:

"Do I NEED that piece of cake/cookie/cracker/candy?
I hope that this goes without saying, but if you are really genuinely hungry, please eat a balanced meal that will leave you satisfied until you need to eat again! Every meal is important.

I have gotten to the point that I have been experiencing a negative emotion and I was ready to throw out my whole diet and exercise plan! I was willing, in that moment to give it up for some beans and rice, that I knew would make me sick....and on the toilet all night long! I was feeling so down on myself that I was willing to give it up.

What did I do?

Photo via

I ate those beans. I ate all that was left over. It was almost like my body went into autopilot. I ate them AND the rice! I filled that emotional hunger....and I was sick all night long! Lesson learned. Again. Beans and rice can be a very healthy meal (depending on how it is cooked), but when you are on a juice diet..... I don't think I need to say more.

The outcome? My eating released some endorphins, and I felt better for about 5-10 minutes or so, then I felt horrible about myself for giving in. I guess it could have been worse. It could have been cake or something like that. But my "down on Evelyn" moment came right back.

I mentioned here that I was not getting enough calories, and now reflecting back to this day, that could have very well played a part in the whole cycle of emotional eating. Most times I can stop myself from eating stuff that is not on my diet...but maybe not so much when my body is worried I am not feeding it.

There have been other times when I was having a hard day and craving everything that I was fixing for the kids. Sandwiches, crackers (those are staples in our house). Anyway, I was making lunch for Little Cowboy, and I was thinking about fixing myself a peanut butter and honey sandwich. It sounded so good, however, instead of giving in to something that would later make me sick, I took a drink of water, clenched my teeth and made some juice. I was proud of myself that day. I did it. I felt better about myself and my negative emotional day turned right around.

Our choices are powerful!

Do you have any tricks that you use to gain control over your emotional eating?

Love,

Evelyn Curtis

Catching Up: What I eat

2013-05-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Where do you start, when you have so much that you want to share? In my last post, I shared a little bit about what I have been doing to be active and get exercise. Nothing in detail, but just a taste.

So, for my diet. Some of you might be totally surprised, or even think it is extreme. Others might already know from my facebook posts on my personal profile.

I have been juicing. What does that mean? Juicing? That means, I buy a ton of produce, and run them through my Breville Juicer, then drink it for all of my meals (You don't have to have it for every meal, you can supplement one or two meals a day with juice and eat a lean healthy dinner--preferably with as little meat and dairy as possibly). It has become quite the trend I suppose. I learned about it about 4 months ago. We had netflix, and a friend suggested that I watch a movie called Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead (watch the full movie on youtube or find it on netflix). So I did. After that, I was suggested the movie Hungry for Change (you can find the full movie on Netflix, or you can watch it here).

Full Movie

Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead is about an Australian man named Joe Cross who had a chronic skin condition that he was taking high doses of steroids to treat each day. He had been doing some juicing here and there, and he would lose weight. However, he would just return to old habits and gain weight back. So he decided, with the help of his doctor, to start a more rigorous juice fast. He committed to 60 days of consuming only fresh juice made from vegetables and fruits. Over the course of the documentary, it shows his progress, how he coped, and how much weight he lost. By the end of the documentary, he was able to get off of his prescriptions and was free of his condition. His body healed itself, because that it was it can do, when we give it the right nutrition. Watch it if you haven't. It is very inspiring.

Add caption

Hungry for Change is also very inspiring, AND informative! It talks about how our body digests food, and what happens to the nutrients in our food. It goes further into depth with how our body can heal itself if we give it the right fuel. God designed our bodies to fight off diseases... but it can't if it isn't healthy to start with. One reason our body stores fat is because of toxins. When we ingest something that the body doesn't know what to do with it, meaning it is toxic or not natural, the body covers it with fat... to protect the body and keep it from making you sick. So, part of losing weight is letting your body burn that fat and release the toxins. Having a juice diet is a great way to flush those toxins out of your body as you lose weight. This documentary is a great follow up to Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. (UPDATE: The link above allows you to see only 20 minutes of the movie free. Find it free on Netflix).

I originally started out doing a 3 day juice fast. I actually did 3 of those. It wasn't easy at the start, but once my body went through the detox process, I started to feel so much better. However, I just kept going back to same old habits with the same old cravings. Those cravings can be hard to master... but not impossible. My body was happy with the nutrients I was giving it during those juice fasts... but wondered what happened after the 3 days.

At that same time, I was working out daily, and my body was getting stronger. My endurance was increasing, and I was feeling good. But then my knee started to swell up, and it was painful and difficult to do my more rigorous exercises. This was very frustrating, and in the past it would have defeated me. But you see, this time around, before I started my weight loss program, I emailed my family and told them of my desire to lose weight for good this time... lose the weight and never find it again. :) I had a few of them jump in as a support system, to which I was grateful for. I knew they wouldn't let me slip off the radar without really getting after me. So I started thinking about what else I could do. It was the first time that my knee really swelled after starting my workouts, and I wasn't sure if it would go down. I decided that if I couldn't workout how I wanted to, then I needed to get more extreme with my diet. I decided to commit myself to a 60 day juice fast, just like Joe. I am currently on day 33. I haven't been perfect. I have eaten foods. I have tried eating meats and dairies... all ended in me getting sick. I have learned that if I am not able to have juice, but I am starving, I should eat raw fruits and vegetables. Ultimately, if you want to do an extended reboot, you can choose to eat the fruits and vegetables. I was just faced with the daunting prospect of what I would do to make it not get boring very fast. The only thing I could see myself doing was eating celery, carrots, cucumbers, peppers, and fruits. How boring. It would be hard to do.. but by juicing, I have so many options and recipes to try. Now that I have been juicing for over a month and educating myself on different ways to eat vegan and vegetarian, I am learning delicious new recipes! I'm excited to share them with you! Once you start on an all veggie and fruit diet, you start really craving more fruits and veggies! It sure helps the process!

Now I am breaking into eating more foods, but I'm trying to keep it vegan for now. I have a lot of weight to lose yet, but it is coming off.

My mistakes: I already mentioned my mistakes of eating meats and dairies occasionally. It can be hard to resist when you are cooking for a family of 4 others who will be eating. I have a habit of tasting as I cook and prepare food, and there have been times when that taste turned into me having a small serving. One thing I did right, is that whenever I did eat, I did not over eat.

My other really huge mistake I made was, that for the first 25 days of my juice fast, I did not drink enough calories. So, after I lost about 11 pounds, I started to maintain my weight. It was kind of frustrating. But along the way, I started watching videos and following the advice given by vegans. I was drastically under my calorie count! So for the past week, I have been striving to drink more juice, and even eat more produce. I have started losing weight once again, and I look forward to losing more! It is totally contagious! One vegan that I have begun looking to for guidance eats about 3,000 calories a day! I was floored to learn that! That is a lot, but she is tiny and looks very healthy. You can find her videos and recipes here.

I know, my shirt is an oxymoron, but I have
what I have to wear. :)
BTW I have not had any soda in over 1 month!
I do not even crave it anymore.
In fact, upon one sip, I determined that it was
DISGUSTING!
THANK YOU JUICE!
This picture was taken on April 20, 2013
at the beginning of my 60 day juice fast.

A question that I ask myself a lot: Am I going to become vegan? I used to make fun of vegans and vegetarians (Yes, I am sorry--I have changed my tune).

The answer to that is complicated. I can definitely see the benefits of being vegan. I feel good when I consume only fresh produce. My body is responding well to it. My body is healing the womanly problems that I have been experiencing. Ultimately it has been a good thing.... On the other hand, I definitely see a place for grains (especially), meat, eggs, and dairy. Those things are good for you. However, I do believe that I tend to eat too much of those, and not enough of the vegetables and fruits. We have put so much money and time into finding good organic meat and eggs. It sure helps to have good clean meat. Anyway, my goal is to get my whole family down to eating meat once a week, and one serving of dairy a day. That will be a hard thing to achieve. Everyone of my kids, and my husband love their dairy and meat. So my answer for now is that for the next 3-4 months, I will do my best to be a fully raw vegan... then after that, I plan on being a part raw vegetarian that occasionally eats meat! Lol... sounds complicated, I know.

Ultimately, it is no longer just about losing weight. It is about my body being healthy all of the time, so that it can more easily fight off disease and infection. I would much rather my body be naturally fortified, rather than be pumped full of man made infection fighters and such (I do believe those have a place--but in my opinion, they should not be the staple).

Do you think you eat enough vegetables, fruits, and nuts?

Love,

Evelyn

Enduring: Even When It is Hard

2013-05-19T15:00:00.000-07:00

I am very proud of my man!
Hoss has lost over 60 pounds

Sometimes it is hard to change habits, and for a long time, I would do well for a while, then I would stop exercising and eating right. This time, is the real deal. I have been working very hard to instill better habits. I have been exercising regularly for the past 3 months. I have even lost 40 pounds! In the past, I have never lost more than 20, so this is exciting and contagious. My endurance has increased, and I am feeling better. I have had many troubles with my knee, but since receiving some treatment from my orthopedic specialist, the swelling in my knee goes down on its own now.

What really irritates my knee the most you might ask? Running more than 1 time a week (closer than 4 days apart), playing volleyball, jumping rope, and other exercises that are high impact.

I am learning, that when something gets so difficult I am unsure I can continue, I adjust and do something different in order to stay active.

In the past month, I have been organizing a gathering of volleyball players to play each Monday. They have loved it so much that they requested that we play on Wednesday too! We meet at my church, (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hobbs, NM), I set up, and we play! It has been great fun. However, I learned that I can only handle playing 1 day a week, so I am choosing Mondays. My new volleyball friends were even requesting yet another day to play! I told them that I could not commit to another day right now. I feel bad, but sometimes we just have to say no.

Here is my week of workouts (they vary some weeks--of course due to my knee):
*Monday: Volleyball 2-2 1/2 hours
*Tuesday: Yoga
*Wednesday: Bike ride about 3-5 miles
*Thursday: Bodyrock.tv, which is now called the Daily Hiit
*Friday: walking/light jogging and housework
*Saturday: Is open. We go to the park sometimes, swim sometimes, Its family fun day.
*Sunday: It is good to rest your body at least one day. What better day than the day God commands us to rest?

Some weeks, I do more yoga than anything. The stretching really helps my sore muscles and my sore knee.

One very important thing that I have learned is that

Photo via

it is not a good idea for me to jump in and work out in a way that I would have back 10/11 years ago, when I was in great shape (This is the style of workout that I started out with about 2 years ago, when I started this blog. That is what got me discouraged. This time around in January, I started out just increasing my activity levels just a bit. I started walking every day or doing yoga. Then I added in biking, and light jogging. After that, I started doing bodyrock.tv again, and then I started up volleyball. Like I mentioned, I really had to dial back how much volleyball I played, otherwise I would be down and out for a few days, while the swelling went down in my knee, getting no extra activity in. Good times. I know. But it is what I have to deal with. Ultimately, I am learning through trial and error how to listen to my body.

There is a saying I heard on a movie Little Cowboy (Baby K) ~~likes~~ loves. It is called, The Little Engine that Could. One of the bigger engines tells Little Engine the following:

"If you think you can, you can. If you think you can't, you can't. Either way, you are right."

So simple, yet profound truth. This is something I have to remind myself of. Last week, after volleyball, I started talking about how I want to be a runner... like, long distance 1/2 marathon type of runner. This was at the height of my knee swelling and pain, and I was feeling very down, depressed and frustrated. I caught myself saying. "I really want to be a runner, but I can't. I probably never will be."

If I keep that attitude up, I'll prove myself right. So, I had to give myself an attitude adjustment. I had to really think about what I want (which is many things), and I had to prioritize them into goals. Short term, longer term, longer term, and longerer er term if needed.

Photo via

1. I want to make better food choices. Well, this really isn't a want...although, I do want it. It is a need.
2. I want to lose weight.
3. I want to be able to enter a bike race. I want to be able to bike to a nearby town (20-30 miles).
4. I want to be able to run 1 mile.

I think that is enough for me to start with. You know the great thing? I am already in the process of accomplishing numbers 1 and 2.... and I feel so great!

There is an older woman that we buy our farm fresh eggs from (for $2 a dozen I might add). She was telling me that she hurt her knee and needed to go and see a doctor that same day about it. She was worried that she would need a knee replacement. A viable option, especially since she has severe arthritis and has already had a shoulder replacement. She has to be somewhere in her 60's or 70's. I asked her a few questions about what her knee does. She says it feels like it will give out on her (most likely due to the swelling--funny thing, swelling...making things feel unstable). I asked her if it popped when she bent it. She said yes. I asked her if she did anything that she knows was the cause of her knee pain. She couldn't remember. A meniscus tear can be very subtle. You could tear it and a few weeks later, you begin feeling the pain. Or you could have a more severe tear and feel it immediately. I mentioned it to her with the idea to look into it. I told her if that was the case, orthoscopic surgery would be an easy fix... age not taken into account. I was thinking about it, but I didn't want to say, "Someone your age might.... blah blah blah."

Anyway, what she said to me really pulled at my heart. She said, "You know, I have been feeling so good. I've been losing weight, working out in the garden and with the chickens.... and to have this happen to me now!" She explained to me that she has had health problems off an on, and I just about cried for her, because I get it! I might be a lot younger than her, but I get it! And I told her that. I told her that I couldn't count how many times I started feeling good and losing weight, when I was kicked back remarkably. I could tell she was close to tears, and I told her the only thing that I know to be true:

God would see her through it. It isn't easy, and our trials only make us more humble and better people, but He will see us through them. If the only thread of faith that we have to hold onto is that God loves us, then so be it. That thread will withstand anything, and it will be enough to pull us through our trial.

I so needed to see her last Friday. I was feeling very miserable with my swollen knee. My motivation was beginning to flicker. I was contemplating just giving up. Just giving in to the few food cravings that I still have. But I went home and juiced some fresh vegetables and fruits, and I am so glad.

My goal this week? Persevere! I'm going to stick to my eating plan, even if it is so much harder than fixing with a lot less nutrition in it.

Photo via

What is your goal this week? No excuses! You can do something!

Love,

Evelyn Campbell Curtis

Happy Mother's Day

2013-05-12T19:05:00.005-07:00

I'm supposed to be napping right now, but I just have to write this post first.

I want to shout out a very Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful mother, mother-in-law, and my grandmothers aunts and sisters, and all of you other mothers, or women who are mothers to other people's children!

This will be a fairly short post.

We made a gift for Grandma Kathy and Grandma Dixie, but it turned out to be a very time consuming project. We finished making them last night! There was no way to get to out in time for today (obviously). So, I decided that we would take pictures of them and post them here, that way you can get a "feel" for the gift before it actually arrives later this week. Please forgive us... we started on making these last week!

We went to a class with the homeschooler's association here in Hobbs, and the girls learned about making books. It was fun for them, and they jumped right in and wrote their story. I knew that Mother's Day was coming up, so I thought that maybe it would be a good idea to finish their books and make a few copies and send them to the girl's grandmas! I think they turned out kind of cute! I had a vision about how they would turn out, and they are pretty close to it!

The whole process was a lot of fun, and I think that the girls will most likely be making more books in the future!

Enjoy!

We made 3 of each book, that way we have one of our own!

Bunny wrote and organized the illustrations for her book. I did the photography,

the graphics, and Hoss funded the project.

Here is Bunny reading her book for you!

Bug wrote her book pretty quickly at the homeschool activity. She seemed to really enjoy the activity and set right to it. She even drew illustrations for each page, but in the end, she wanted me to take pictures.

Bug wrote and organized the following publication. I did the photography and graphics.

Hailee will read it for you.

Kenson likes reading them too!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

Holiday Overload!

2013-01-11T17:16:00.001-08:00

I don't really have time for this, but I'm about to make time. I should be doing dishes, baking a cake, making the rest of the bows and some arrows....and some homework. :-/

This is the last day of our holiday break. I decided that with Bunny's birthday, we have to extend our vacation from school another week. Besides, after being sick the whole week before, we really needed that extra time to get our house back in order (its a progress that is always moving forward for me). Did I mention that we were sick? Huggles got the flu,... the full blown flu, and I got it too. Hoss got a case of cold sores (I think that is his version of being sick. I'm not sure if that is a good thing, or a bad thing). Bunny had a fever for one day, and Bug had a cough. I'm so glad the rest of them didn't catch the flu! It was horrible! I can't remember the last time I was that sick!

Bunny woke up to a waterfall of balloons in her doorway!

A sneak peak at the bows... this was the first one I made. The girls are very excited about it!

Bunny's birthday was this past Tuesday. She turned the big 9er! We weren't quite ready to have her party on her big day, but she opened a gift her Grandma Curtis sent her, and a card that was sent by her Grandma Campbell. We had a fun day, and did most everything that she wanted to do. I think we watch Brave (the movie).

Tomorrow is the official celebration! I am very excited for it! I took an idea off of pinterest to do a Brave themed party. I made quivers to hold the arrows, and bows and arrows. They were very easy to make...just time consuming! We will be celebrating in style with cake and ice cream and homemade pizza for lunch! Yum! I'll post pictures of the party after.

Last week was my birthday. I was sick that day, but it was nice to relax and sleep. Hoss surprised me with a spa gift certificate, where I'll be getting a pedicure and a manicure. It will be my second "pedi" and my second "mani"... all in all a pleasant experience! If only I had someone to go with! I will most likely be cashing that in tomorrow afternoon. All in all it was a great birthday, and I'm not yet 30, so we are doing good.

Christmas was great fun! Bunny was SO excited that I don't think Santa could come until around 3 in the morning! Sheesh! But they were so filled with magic! It was a great Christmas year to celebrate Christ's birth... like every year, but especially this past year!

Bunny and her favorite Christmas toy.

Bug and her favorite Christmas toy.

Huggles and his favorite Christmas toys.

Sorry for the blur, but Huggles doesn't like Santa much.

Huggles being sick... he was so miserable. :(

Also over the Christmas break, Hoss and I celebrated 10 years of being married! Time has gone by so fast! He is such an amazing person, I'm lucky to have him as my husband... and even luckier that I get to be with him for all eternity!

Hoss ordered this crystal cube with an etched picture
of the Idaho Falls Idaho temple, where we were married!
This took at least 1.5 weeks of planning! I was SO surprised!

I hope that your Christmas break was as amazing as mine (other than being sick of course)!

Sincerely,

Evelyn Curtis

My Year of Lessons in a Nutshell

2012-12-30T23:04:00.000-08:00

Hello all my lovelies!

I tell you what, as soon my classes started up, my extra time and desire to find the time to blog went right out the window! Sheesh! Talk about piling up the busy work! Busy enough that I didn't get my Christmas cards out! Oh well! I'll have to post it here on my blog here in the next week for you all to see... that saves me postage anyway!

The thoughts on my mind are all of the things that I have learned in this past year. It has been a speedy one for sure. Here is my list of lessons learned, some hard, some great.

Fear God, not man... if you feel confident that God will not be displeased, then you are okay. 1, 2

God and Jesus Christ are always here for me.

I love the Constitution.

A wall hanging in my house.

Relationships are fragile. They can end abruptly.

Gossip hurts everyone.

Excuses stink, and everyone has them (that one isn't a new realization).

I like to shoot guns! I want to one day go hunting for real...well, more than once. (hint hint Hoss).

Not everyone sees the world the way I do.

True friends can be counted on one hand (wisdom from my dad... very true dad, thanks).

Needless to say, great friends are hard to come by.

Sorry its blurry.

Never were there better friends!

Hugs!

My friend is in the red dress in the doorway...I didn't have another pic.
Her whole family is represented by this picture.

Life can't be lived on the computer/phone/ipad/xbox/_______ (insert your own distraction).

I miss family.

Grandmas!

Grandpas!

Memories are never done being created, so don't stop doing fun things.

I hate coaching soccer....but I loved doing it with my girls.

Losing weight is not an end goal... it is a way of life.

One of the best feelings in the world is to see your child baptized and and confirmed.

Its Bug's turn this August!

I really miss Idaho.

Everywhere I went, I found myself snapping pictures of the
scenery I drove and walked by every day before we moved.

I am ALWAYS right when it comes to politics. :) That is sarcasm in case you missed that.

But while maybe not always... definitely most of the time! Ha! :)

Happiness happens when you make it happen.

I LOVE teaching science! I hope to delve into physics one day!

I can live anywhere on this green earth and know that my husband is always there for me.

Ten years of marriage down! I couldn't have found a better man. God sent him to me.

Hoss posing in front of the neighborhood oil pump.

Missions are amazing! I hope to one day make my family a full serving family! My mom and dad are heading out on a mission this March!

Since most of my siblings all live far away from each other, we did a
Google Hangout to watch my parents open their mission call

The events in my life are all at the will of God.

Scripture journals are the best things ever!

I am very VERY imperfect. (also not a new realization).

A sisters' bond can be better than any friend.

Raising a boy is VERY different than raising girls.

I might miss the snow, just a little bit.

Forgiveness is an important part of repentance. Frankly forgive all men. I am still working on it.

Education or knowledge is not always in a diploma. Education is living life.

My children fill my heart to the brim with love (again, not new).

I'm so lucky that God has trusted me enough to help them through this life.

Technology is fun and exciting, but it is only momentary.

My right to own a gun is very important to me...no matter the gun.

It is easy to focus on what should have been, but it does no good. Focus on what will be.

I'm still working on that too.

My right to educate my children in the way I see fit is very important to me.

Natural medicine in most cases is best...or I am trying to live by that as much as I can.

I am very interested in learning more about alternative medicine.

Support from my family is important to me, but not mandatory.

I love my scriptures, and my liberty of religion is also very important to me.

I am grateful for those men and women who went to so much trouble,

sacrifice and war to establish my liberty here.

I am very aware that those liberties are being sold for temporary comfort.

Time flies faster with each year older I get.

I am in love with New Mexico sunsets. There are none like it.. the silhouettes and colors are amazing!

I know there are a lot more things that I have learned in the past year,

but there is no way I could name them all!

All in all, the world didn't end on my 10 year anniversary...everything is still ticking. I am still waiting for my hover car as predicted in the Back to the Future series.

It has ultimately been a pretty good year, with exciting changes for our family, and we look forward to what awaits us for 2013!

Happy New Year!

Evelyn

Disclaimer: Nothing on this list is meant to cause offense.

As my class starts back up, I will do my best to blog when I can.

But It's Not Mother's Day!

2012-12-03T08:01:00.001-08:00

I am the luckiest mom on earth.

The girls woke up super early this morning. They wake up early anyway...today just happened to be before the sunrise (6:30ish). I have had a nasty cold, and frankly I haven't been getting enough sleep (at least it doesn't feel like it). Even Huggles was still asleep...and he has been sick too. So I instructed them to either go back to bed, or to read quietly in the living room. I didn't hear from them until 8 o'clock.

By then, Huggles was awake and jabbering in his crib. Bug came in and got him out, and tried to get him in his high chair to feed him. Then Bunny came in and told me to stay in bed, because her and Bug were making me breakfast in bed! I don't know a mom who would argue with that!

Bunny made my eggs just how I like them...whites cooked, and the yoke left for dipping toast! She has learned well! Bug arranged the tray, and brought it in to me! I about had a stroke, because sliding around on top was a very large and full glass of milk! I am relieved to say that it made it to me without a drop being spilt on the floor!

My kids are top notch! I'm so blessed to have them. To get to spend every day with them. I look forward to all of the future moments I will get to cherish with them!

Sincerely,

Evelyn

The Great Balancing Act and Outsourcing

2012-11-28T07:30:00.000-08:00

Photo Via

As I walked through my bedroom to get Huggles ready for bed, I sighed. Here is our dirty little secret... some of you won't be surprised... The piles of clean clothes are getting larger each day. The one thing that I have learned the hard way with homeschooling, is that I do not have time to keep up with everything. There is a choice to be made daily, and with our many obligations, some things have to take a back seat.

I have a hard time fathoming the soccer mom who drives 2-6 kids (or more) to different activities each day, all while checking homework (or teaching daily lessons in homeschool), keeping up with the cleaning, laundry, and fixing breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Maybe those mothers have a maid or a house keeper. All I know is that staying organized is the key to everything. I'm still learning that lesson.

I have recently added on a new thing as well. College for me. It had been weighing on my mind, and Hoss and I made the decision that it was the right time for me to start back up.

So now, I am finding the balance... balancing the many hats that I have to wear in one day. In all honesty, I can't think of a better way to keep myself progressing than to keep busy, doing great things.

So, I pray that my family (Hoss and the kids) bear with me as I find my balance in this circus! The girls will definitely be taking on more chores... laundry, dishes, bathroom cleaning, vacuuming, dusting, and even cooking. These are the life lessons that will help them become wonderful mothers anyway, I do know that!

New Mexico sunsets are the best!

Today we had an extended P.E. day. We haven't done a whole lot of P.E., but I'm working on coming up with some health lessons for them, and getting out more than we have. Its easy to stay in the house the whole day getting all the things done we need to. Anyway, today we tried a new park. It was so much fun! There are large trees there, perfect for climbing, large open spaces, with a few different sets of play equipment. My favorite part of the park was the obstacle course section. There were bars, and twisty seats, and steps with springs under them that keep you working to stay on them. I can imagine us burning a lot of energy there! It was a fun day... a much needed outdoor day.

One of my brothers asked me if he and possibly the rest of my siblings could help teach certain lessons via video chat, skype, or google hangout. I think it is an amazing idea! Do any of you have a talent in any areas of the 3 R's (reading, writing, arithmetic?... maybe even science)? It would be fun to test it out!

We have finished our lessons on The Creation. However, there are more topics to cover in the hugeness of the subject. We are beginning the Plan of Salvation, then we will cover the solar system more in depth. We have already learned a lot of fun things with it, but I know there are more. We are going to be making a sun dial, and it would be fun to learn how to make a barometer. If you have any suggestions, or would like to help us in our studies, then please, let me know! I know the kids would LOVE to see/hear from you! I'll post more lesson ideas that any of you might like to teach as we move on in our curriculum.

Sincerely,

Evelyn Curtis

Morning prayer

Haircuts

2012-11-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

I can always tell when my girls' hair needs a trim... maybe you've experienced this too. It is evident when just brushing it after it has been cleaned and conditioned is a painful experience. Those darn tangles! Bug has been asking me when she gets to have a haircut. I was thinking about taking her to a salon, but when I found out how much they charge, I began to reconsider. I've become cheap... much to Hoss's pleasant surprise, I'm sure.

So, finally, after our last fight with the hair brush, I determined to make the haircut official. I got out the scissors, clips, sheets, combs, and spray bottle, sat Bug on a tall stool, and began the process. Now, if you know me, you know that I'm no professional. No no, I'm a close one eye and hope for the best kind of gal. Ha ha ha.. just ask Huggles about his last haircut (in my defense, he was so squirmy, that it was hard to get it just right).

So my two dear friends Sariah and Sandi, please don't look too closely at these pictures. I'm sure you will find much to snicker about.

I'll tell you though, I did some homework before I began. I watched the following video tutorial on cutting curly hair. I found it very informative, and helpful! I followed the lady's directions as best as a novice can, and I honestly feel like Bug's haircut turned out pretty cute!... and just the length I was looking for!

So if you need some help doing a haircut with layers... go ahead and watch this tutorial. It helps. Trust me! I am thinking about cutting Bunny's hair again in the next few months... with this new information under my belt!

Oh the things we can learn...if we just try!

Here are Bug's before and after pictures!

Before: She was excited!

She's cute!

Not perfectly even, but I think it is cute!

Silly!

Bunny had to get in there! She's beautiful too!

Sincerely,

Evelyn Curtis

Thanksgiving

2012-11-24T15:01:00.000-08:00


The bird was so tender and juicy! I used the Citrus Rubbed Turkey I blogged about. No bags this year! Straight roasting and basting!

I really wanted to post yesterday saying a Happy Thanksgiving to you all! I just was so busy trying get dinner ready that I just didn't have time! Then afterward, that turkey kicked in, and I was falling asleep!

Our dinner turned out delicious! Beautiful turkey, potatoes, stuffing, veggies, cranberry sauce, and brown sugar muffins! It was quite the spread for our little family of 5! We definitely have leftovers!... I don't complain about that, because we have meals made for a day or 2 more! Ha!

Some of our Thanksgiving traditions are getting a newspaper to look through ads (I never get up with the crazies... I like my sleep too much!). Then we take a family picture somewhere with hopes of using it in a Christmas card that year. They we usually end the day with watching a movie. Whether that is in the theater or at home.

Our table is so tiny that we had to put a fold up next to it to double the size.

This year we planned on watching A Christmas Story here at home. We ate dinner at about 7pm. So like I mentioned above, after that turkey kicked in, and we were pretty much done cleaning up, we sat down to watch the movie, and Hoss and I were both out. We ended up turning it off early and heading for bed. We didn't even have pie we were so stuffed! It made a pretty decent breakfast though!

My best apple pie yet!

We certainly had a wonderful day though!

Things I am thankful for:
My God and Jesus Christ
My family (extended and my own)
Water
Cinnamon
Pumpkins
Christmas music
A house that stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter (our last house didn't do well with that)
My calling in church (the service I've been asked to do)
Good friends
No car payment
Crisp cool air (at least it is today)
My dog
Cows
Chickens
Refrigerator to keep things cold and help preserve food
The ease of life we have with technology
Trees
Grass (I miss grass)
Mountains (I really Really miss mountains)
Dirt roads
Smell of pine trees in the forest

And so many more.

Here's one family pic! We'll be sending out Christmas cards this year!

Yesterday morning, after we got ready for the day, I took the kids to Home Depot where we bought our very first-brand-new-fake-pre-lit-Christmas-tree! We have always had a hand me down...its nice to have a new one.. and we only paid $40! Not so bad I think... especially for only going to one store! First try... I'm thankful for that!

What are you thankful for? How did you celebrate this year? What is your favorite part of the meal? Did you head out to catch any sales?

Sincerely,

Evelyn Curtis

Gangnam/Mormon/or whatever your Style

2012-11-16T16:37:00.001-08:00

I think I should have blogged about this a long time ago! Here is something that makes me laugh no matter how many times I see it!

Gangnam Style is a song performed by Korean rapper PSY. From my research, he is classically a comedic rapper...my favorite kind, since I generally don't enjoy rap music. If I have shared this particular video with you before, the please forgive me for sharing it again... but the second video might be new to you...as it was new to me today!

photo via

I personally believe you can't go wrong with watching this video. Its hilarious, and my whole family loves it. Bunny and Bug have perfected the dance (if you haven't seen it, watch to understand). Huggles tries to do the dance, and Hoss can be found randomly trotting to the silent beat in his head down the isles of Albertson's. Which is pretty hilarious in its own right... not because he is doing a goofy dance, but because he does it for all to see. Last week, one lady gave him quite the look. It was a priceless moment. One that I wish I could have captured on camera! Seriously! Ah, but its fun...especially since grocery shopping can be so hard on a child....or their daddy for that matter. Sometimes they need a little entertainment/distracting in order for me to get it done quickly!

So watch the video to get the full visual... its quite entertaining!

Second, Hoss played me this video early this morning. I had to laugh. Its a spin off/spoof of the original video.

Mormon Daddy Style!

Ah, good times, and great references toward the Mormon culture!

I hope you have had a fabulous day!

Sincerely,

Evelyn Curtis

Bug and the Tooth Fairy

2012-11-15T09:13:00.001-08:00

We have breaking news here in Hobbs, NM! Bug has had a very very loose tooth for quite a while. She had already lost 3 teeth, and frankly those were traumatic experiences for her. So last night, I told her to show me her tooth, which I promptly said, "We need to pull it. Its ready."

Bug absolutely refused to let Hoss or I pull it. She was insistent about pulling it herself. I think it took her nearly an hour to get it done...

in fact, at one point as I was heading out the door to check the mail and take some trash to the dumpster, I said, "Bug... if you don't have that pulled by the time I get back, daddy is holding you down, and I'm going to pull it myself!"

The color drained from her face... she has a sincere fear of having her teeth pulled. I remember pulling all of my teeth on my own... I pulled most of Bunny's teeth. I was ready and up to the task...as was Hoss, should she choose to let him try.

Anyway, I went and came back, and Hoss told me that when I drove up, she started kind of panicking. Then right as I opened the door, she popped it out! I think she was relieved!

The tooth fairy usually gives our kids $1 per tooth... but on Bug's little baggy, she wrote, "Pulled your own tooth!" Inside was $2! I guess it pays to be brave and pull it on your own!

What's more...I was about to take a picture of Bug sleeping, so I could blog about her pulling her own tooth (My post was going to be about how she was sleeping and waiting for the tooth fairy to come), when I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I snapped the picture, and went to bed myself.

What I didn't know was that I caught a glimpse of the tooth fairy in the picture! It is a bit blurry, due to the fact that I think I surprised her, and she was in the process of slipping away.

Here! Have a look!

Bug and Bunny are so excited that there is actual proof of the tooth fairy!

Sincerely,

Evelyn Curtis

PS I'm excited that Bug now gets to sing the song,

"All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth!"

Thanksgiving Menu

2012-11-14T11:59:00.001-08:00

Approximately 5 or 6 years ago, I cooked Thanksgiving all by myself. This was in Idaho, and Hoss and I thought that we needed to do it and invite a few friends who we knew didn't have anyone to have Thanksgiving dinner with. So, I embarked on my very first turkey, my very first...everything on my own! I had made pies before (thanks to Mrs. Hogan in homec)!

Back then--and ever since, I have used one of those roasting bags to roast the turkey, along with a disposable roasting pan. Its an easy way to never have to baste the bird, and it has always come out juicy and delicious. In my opinion, its a fail safe way to make a successful turkey.

I believe I should be able to get it at Kmart!

This year, we were invited to a family's house in our ward here in Hobbs. After discussing it, Hoss and I decided that we would remain in our own house, and do our own Thanksgiving dinner. I think I'm so into the spirit of the season, that I'm going to make it formal and make everyone dress up! Shhh! Don't tell Hoss... he might not like it at first!... but the girls will love it!

Since it will just be my own family, I thought it would be a great time to experiment on roasting the bird for real! No bags! I'm even going to get a nice roasting pan with a wrack in order to be successful! Want to see the one I'm going to get?

There is also one tool that I really REALLY want to get... so I'm hoping I can find one (I don't think we'll be able to order it in time after payday. But I make gravy enough, that I'm sure it will be very useful! Have you ever used a fat separator? It lets you drain the meat drippings from the bottom of the container, leaving the fat on top. Its amazing, seeing it in action. You can see one in the video linked below. This is the one I have my eyes on. Nice, right?

Here is my tentative menu:

Turkey (of course)

Mashed potatoes and turkey gravy

Stuffing

Romain salad

My sister-in-law's very delicious recipe for sweet potatoes (I'll eat no other)

Asado:Photo via

Asado, a Mexican dish of pork cooked in a spicy red chile sauce. Most people who have amazing family recipes will not share every ingredient. They'll usually leave something out. (If we can find the coveted recipe--The Mexicans around here don't share their recipes)! This is what it can look like. You eat it with tortillas, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, and tomato... or you can just put it on your plate or in a bowl on the side. It is delicious, and Hoss really wants to add it to our traditional Thanksgiving!

Veggie tray for an appetizer and to keep the kids from withering in hunger

Dessert will consist of pumpkin pie, apple pie, and pumpkin cake. Its a lot... but we love leftovers here! especially after slaving away for so long to make an amazing meal!

I also plan on making a little snack of roasted cinnamon almonds! Yum! I've never made them, and face it... some things we find on pinterest just don't work out. This one... I'm hoping does!

Source: detrimentalbeauty.com via Evelyn on Pinterest

This is the method of cooking the turkey that I plan on using! It looks so delicious! I can't wait!

Source: marthastewart.com via Evelyn on Pinterest

I am hoping to start a new Thanksgiving tradition.... what exactly... I don't know yet. That will have to be another post I think!

What is your tentative Thanksgiving menu?

I'm so Thankful for my little family! I so thankful for my extended family! I am so blessed!

What is on your Thanksgiving menu?

Sincerely,

Evelyn

FHE: Surprise Party!

2012-11-13T22:55:00.000-08:00

Last week, I read this blog post. I loved the idea of throwing my family a surprise party with a meaning or theme behind it. And for this particular topic, I thought the timing was impecible! The topic being, "See What God Hath Done." Its a surprise party about recognizing all of the blessings in your life. Totally timely, since Thanksgiving is only 1 week and 2 days away! Seriously, see the post for details. It is an amazing idea for a family night!

Our banner and Gratitude lists

So, after I read the blog post, I told Hoss that I was doing the lesson for Family Home Evening. He said... "Okay." Exciting right? He was thrilled... I'm sure!

I followed all of the steps mentioned. I printed off the banner, and strung it on some pretty white ribbon. Its still hanging there... above my head right now! I cheated though, instead of using up all of my printer ink for this project, I decided to go to Staples and have it printed off! I love staples! I hadn't been to one in around 3 years.... there is not an Office Max here, and that was kind of my "go-to." But Staples is awesome, ssshh, I don't even miss Office Max! Man... Staples should give me a free computer for this wonderful review!

Back on task...

equal parts white grape
juice and fresca
with frozen fruit

The Bunny and Bug knew nothing about it.. I mean, what is a surprise party without the surprise? I purchased some ingredients to make this delicious punch! ----------------------------------------------------->
I also purchased ingredients to make cinnamon rolls.... Easiest rolls I've ever made! I just peeled the paper, broke the roll, and place them in my pan!

I made our most favorite meal... beans and rice de la Republica Dominicana (Dominican Republic). {You can see my recipe here.} I chose this meal, not just because it is one of our favorites, but because it is one meal that I am very grateful for. Beans and rice are a fairly humble meal. Its one that got us through some times where money was very scarce. I'm so glad that I had all of the ingredients well stocked in our food storage. What a blessing!

Once Hoss got home from work, I told him to quickly get cleaned up and dressed up for our party. We all dressed up... for us, dressing up is pretty simple.

I even set the table in a pretty formal matter! I never use a table cloth and napkins. But yesterday, I even used hand stamped napkins, and set the table with all of the utensils. Be impressed!

We sat down and ate our meal, all the while, Bunny and Bug asking why we were celebrating Thanksgiving now. :) I promise our Thanksgiving meals are fancier than beans and rice...at least, I try to have them be!

After dinner, we migrated to the couch and we proceeded with our FHE meeting, (which I followed the suggested party plan as listed in the blog post. It was great! And I think the family really enjoyed it! It is a fairly easy idea, and it wasn't too hard for me to put it together.

We enjoyed our cinnamon rolls, and since Hoss got home kind of late, it was way past bedtime. All the kids were shuffled off to bed to get their beauty sleep!

I hope you consider throwing a surprise party of your own, since Thanksgiving in just around the bend!

Sincerely,

Evelyn Curtis

Cowboy Festival

2012-11-12T08:30:00.000-08:00

Huggles was asleep

A few months ago, a friend of mine told me about this fun festival that all of the elementary schools go to. I believe it is call the Cowboy Festival. They do it every year, and it was, indeed lots of fun! The kids really loved it!

Here in Hobbs, there is a museum called The Western Heritage Museum. It is pretty neat! We love going to museums, because there are so many fascinating things to look at! This museum even has a Lea County Cowboy hall of fame! Fun! I know!

As I was going through pictures on my cell phone, I came across the photos that I took that day.

They had Native American dancing, folk art exhibits (quilting, weaving, and spinning yarn). Bunny and Bug were very enthralled with it all. They also had a local beekeeper there to show us what goes into bee keeping. I have always been interested in beekeeping, and when we have a little homestead, I think we might start keeping bees!...at least, I want to!

Huggles fell asleep, so he missed out on some of the fun. But Bunny, and Bug both got their faces painted, they both got to try roping, and the crowning show was a cowboy doing some roping tricks! He was amazing! He walked his horse in circles while he lassoed around the both..among many other tricks! It was so much fun!

All in all, it was a great day!

Sincerely,

Evelyn Curtis

Sunday Reflections: Children

2012-11-11T14:12:00.000-08:00

don't mind Huggle's yogurt mouth

I read a blog post yesterday evening that was very memorable for me. I pinned it in Pinterest... that's how inspired I felt it was. Its a message I feel needs to be spread.

This particular blog is written by a fellow homeschooling mamma. I don't know her personally, but I find her posts to be very insightful and inspiring. She really takes time out of her day to focus on how precious her children are. This is something I need to do every day as well.

The blog is Finding Joy: beautiful, connected, life

This particular blog post titled, 51 Things You Can Do That Will Bless Your Kids.

I loved the list she laid out, many of these things I do, but more than half of these things I don't do well...or at all.

I decided that I needed to focus on one for now. Start somewhere making better habits and memories.

The list talks about letting your children try, let them fail, let them succeed on their own...and with your help, love them, and tell them that you love them every day...and so on and so forth. You should really read it, because maybe you will find something to focus on too.

I chose # 36 "Let them end the hug."

My family didn't hug a ton while I was growing up. We still don't hug much. When we see each other, we do a little side hug. Hoss's family are "huggers"... always hugging. It was a lot to adjust to when I first married into his family. It was a good adjustment though. My family had other ways of showing affection.. like punching each other in the arm, giving a dead leg, a noogie, or playing sports and games together. (Family:: Do I remember wrong?)

When we moved to the south, I had to learn a new appreciation for hugs. I hug my kids, and Hoss plenty, but friends and acquaintances?... not likely. Just ask my good friend Chris...when we parted ways upon my moving to New Mexico, I went and said goodbye to her. We both stood there looking at each other saying, "Well.... see ya later." I had thought about giving her a friendly thump on the arm, but I refrained.

The culture here in Southern New Mexico seems to be of the kind to hug upon greeting, and usually upon parting. "Huggers" were everywhere! But, I think I have adjusted, because hugs are wonderful, and I'm not quite as taken off guard when someone offers a hug!

So why do I choose to focus on letting my kids end the hug? Because, I felt inspired that it is what my children need. I put it in practice immediately. Last night, after family prayers and before bed, I gave Bug a hug first. I smile as I write her reaction. We hug often, but never like this. I just held onto her, and you know what? She just hugged me back. I think we hugged for around five minutes. And when she finally pulled away, she was beaming, and so was I. When I hugged Bunny, she saw Bug's hug, so she was prepared. She too just let me hold her in my arms as we hugged. When she finally ended the hug, she too was beaming, and I was positively joyful! Such wonderful things a hug can do!

Today, I have been thinking about how blessed I am to have such sweet, lovely, funny, and wonderful children. My heart cries out for them, and I only want to help them along in their lives to be the most successful in whatever they choose to do. I only want to arm them with faith in God, a testimony in Jesus Christ, and a hunger for the scriptures, or the word of God.

Give your children a hug from me....or from you!

Sincerely,

Evelyn Curtis

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

2012-11-11T12:49:00.000-08:00

Unlike my last post on making pumpkin puree, roasting pumpkin seeds has been a tradition for so many years in my family. We all love them, and they are fun to make!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients

Pumpkin seeds (rinsed)

Salt

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Any other seasoning

When you are carving your pumpkins, make sure to not throw out those seeds! I like to separate them from the pulp and immediately put them in a colander. I then rinse them well. While they are still in the colander, but drained, I will salt them really well. This year, I used some garlic powder too! I have heard of using cajun, or cayan pepper... but since my girls like to eat them, I like to make sure I use seasonings that they enjoy too!

Preheat the oven to about 200 degrees. I've read many different temperatures.. but 200 is my favorite.

I usually spread some olive oil all over the cookie sheet, to help prevent sticking. I also drizzle about 1 TBS olive oil and mix it into the seeds with the seasoning. Pour on the cookie sheet, and try to spread evenly. Place in oven and let roast. I usually stir them around every 20 minutes. Cook them until they are white with a little golden around the edges. It usually takes around 40-60 minutes. If they aren't cooking fast enough, just turn up the heat to around 250.

Enjoy!

Sincerely,

Evelyn

Roasted Pureed Pumpkins

2012-11-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to blog about this for a while. We have had other busy projects going on. I am desperately doing a house purge...again. I think this is something that needs to happen every 3-4 months in such a tiny house. But, we are nearly done with that... then back to business as usual!

I have a guilty pang when I have thrown out jack-o-lanterns (and their seeds) in the past. It is just easier to get rid of them...instead of cooking them, pureeing them, and preserving them. I've always loved having the pumpkin puree...but this is my second annual...consistent pumpkin puree party!

I think it has actually become a tradition in the home! Its always fun to realize you have a new tradition!

Here's what you need:

Large Cookie Sheet with ridges or sides
Food Processor, or amazing blender
Pumpkins (Maybe that should be #1 on the list)
Spatula
Measuring Bowl
Zip Lock Freezer bags (1 qt or smaller if available)

Here's your how-to:

Roasting Pumpkins

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Wash your pumpkin/s well, ensuring that you have removed any and all dirt from the skin. But it into quarters if it is large, or just in half for a small pumpkin. I place my pumpkin skin side down on the cookie sheet. Add a little water to cover the bottom of the pan. Place in the heated oven, and let roast.

The time depends on the size of the pumpkin. My pumpkins were about the size of basketballs. They roasted for approximately 75 minutes. Naturally, the smaller they are, the less time it takes. I typically check the pumpkins every 30 minutes. They pumpkins will be done when you can pierce them easily with a knife or fork (they are tender).

When done, remove them from the oven and let cool.

Note: I use my pumpkin for a wide variety of recipes...from soups to cakes, so I do not like to season them at all. If you are using your pumpkin for something specific, then feel free to season it how you wish.

Pumpkin Puree

After the pumpkin has cooled enough to handle, I will peel the pumpkin to separate the meat from the skin, and then chop the meat into chunks. I then fill my food processor with the tender chunks, add about 1 Tbs purified water and puree. I puree until smooth, then transfer into a bowl to measure as I go. Repeat process...

My food processor is quite small. It only holds 3 cups at a time. Oh how I wish I could have a 10 cup food processor. Maybe I should put it on my Christmas list. It would get some good use here!.... or better yet..... A Vitamix! Now THAT would get a lot of good use here in the Curtis household! Oh the things a Vitamix can do! Hint Hint -to Hoss! He he he

My dream Vitamix

Once all of the pumpkin has been pureed, I begin the separation process. I usually use a 1 cup measuring cup. I scoop and level 1 cup (or 2 cups) into each freezer bag. Be sure to label and date your bags, and place in your freezer!

One day, I will venture to the actual bottling of the pumpkin puree...but I don't have the necessary tools yet!

After all three of my pumpkins were roasted, diced and pureed, I had 24 cups! That will last a while!

Now you have "ready to go pumpkin puree" to add to your breads, cakes, soups, stews, spaghetti.... or whatever you can think up! I just pull out a bag a few hours before I need it, or place it in warm water to thaw when pressed for time!

Alternate method:

Boiling Pumpkins

To boil your pumpkins, quarter your pumpkin (or 8th it if it is large), and place in a large pot with water. Set on the stove and heat to medium high. Let the water slowly come to a boil, and boil until the pumpkins are tender. It has been a few years since I have done it this way, but it should take around 40-60 minutes.. ISH. I do not know for sure. You'll just have to check it often with a fork or knife.

Activity Day: Service Project

2012-11-09T14:19:00.000-08:00

This was supposed to be posted yesterday, but I couldn't handle sitting in front of the computer with the horrible migraine that erupted shortly after sitting down to edit the pictures. It was a bad one... that's what I get for not wearing my reading glasses while on the computer.

So here it is... written two days ago (Wednesday).

*******************************************************************************

My camera's battery died, so my cell
phone camera had to work.

I walked into my calling with the rest of the year mostly planned out, which is nice. It gives me an idea for what the girls have done, and what they like. For yesterday's activity, the plan was for the girls to make Thanksgiving cards to give to the families who will be receiving food baskets from the youth. Great idea! Right? No need to change it in my opinion!

Why not add to it though? These girls have a tendency to run around, and skip out of the activity before we are officially closed. I have to say, this is a really hard habit to break! I have my work cut out for me...but I'll be darned if those girls keep it up! So, to add more to their plate, a sister from the ward asked me if the activity day girls could make birthday cards for an older widow who does not have anymore family alive. She is in a nursing home, and I guess, that is one of the things she really misses...cards, letters... you know, receiving something...anything in the mail. I can feel for her. I always walk to the mailbox with a hopeful feeling that just maybe I'll have a card or a letter instead of bills. Alas, it is usually bills. Sometimes I day dream that there is a check in the mail for a cagillion dollars....

But I digress.

I have a firm belief that these kids need to grow up learning how to help other people. They need to learn how to set aside time to think of other people. I am afraid that this coming generation is not getting enough of that. I am afraid that they are left too much on their own, and they are missing out on valuable lessons in work, service, and studying.

My goal is to have an underlying point to everything we do. The girls are working to earn their Faith in God awards...so, these activities are mainly to help them get there.

After our opening exercises, I explained what we were doing. They were all very excited to be doing something crafty. They got right to work. But it wasn't just about making cards with no thought... so I began to explain to them about this older woman who was all alone, and missing on the sweet little things in life.

I asked, "Why do you think it is service...making these birthday cards for this woman?"

They all answered so wonderfully. One thing that I am not surprised by. This upcoming generation is very intuitive... or at least, they can be. They understood that this woman needs to feel loved, and to look at those fun little cards that used to come in the mail from family. It is an opportunity to bring a smile to her face, and help her feel loved.

The same with the Thanksgiving cards. Each family will not only get an outpouring of blessings, in the form of food, but they will get a card that shows that someone was thinking of them!

Happiness is in the little things...and if I can help my kids, and any other kids I am fortunate to mentor, I hope they learn that too. I am sure thankful for this calling! It is so much fun, and I can feel it preparing me for other adventures!

Happy Thanksgiving... a little early!

Sincerely,

Evelyn Curtis