Oakland County 4H Fair and a hot walk

Ava loved the animals
Eli looking at some sort of bird
Today at the park

A while ago (the day my phone got dunked) I took some pictures at the Oakland County 4H fair. It was awesome! Animals of every kind: horses, elephants, tigers, pigs, donkeys, cows and goats. We saw a pig race, a horse competition and tons of beautiful animals very well kept by their owners. If you live in Mi it is definitely worth the trip to see if you like animals.

Today we walked to the park. You may be able to see the humidity in the picture. It was 89 plus humidity (which is a ton), but we had to get out since Tyler is at Scout camp over the next few days. The girls loved throwing rocks in the water. They would have stayed there for an hour, but I knew the longer we stayed, the higher the chances they would end up completely in the water. Their little rock throwing escapade continued once we got home as they played in the sandbox for 45 minutes dumping sand over their heads.

Normally this wouldn't be such a huge deal, but with an outbreak of lice at church on Sunday, the last thing I want to see are little white grains of sand in my kids hair. So far so good, but they say it takes 7-10 days for the eggs to hatch if your kids get it.

UGGGHHHH!! If your kid (or KIDS) in this case have a COMMUNICABLE PARASITE KEEP THEM HOME FROM CHURCH. DUUUHHHH. I think the Lord will forgive you.

Another new calling

While most of my posts are on general things, the primary purpose of this blog is to create a sort of family history. An important part of a family history is to journal how a person grows not just physically, but spiritually, socially, intellectually, etc.

I just got another new calling after serving as second counselor in YW for four short months. I am now the secretary of a new YW presidency. I am SO glad to be in YW still. I love the energy of the girls and I think it will really make me a better mother and give me a good perspective. I have found a key to being good in YW is connecting with each girl individually. Not just on Sundays or Wednesdays (or Thursdays), but to do something with them outside of church. They really are different people. They also force you to relax, and not be so stuffy and boring. Remember when your life was filled with drivers licenses, locker mates, weekend dramas and hot boys? Although this is a very serious time of life in a gospel sense - it's also very fun and exciting.

I've also learned that you need strong leadership with the youth, otherwise they will lead themselves. They just want someone to look up to and have friendship with.

I love all my YW. I don't think they know how much. I wish I could bear their burdens for them. I wish I could be the only member at their school and take that load off their shoulders. I wish that I could make them feel whole and not so alone. I wish I could give them the confidence they need to stand up for what they believe. They really are amazing, and I know how blessed I am to see them journey ahead. Whether they have a testimony or not, all I openly ask from them is to be honest with me and themselves. When you're open to receiving answers, this is the best time to ask questions .. but remember to ask the right people. One of my favorite scriptures right now is
3 Nephi 14:20 Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them

Look at the "fruits" of the people around you. Eventually the fruit of a person will be evident, and you can know what kind of a person someone is.

A Garden update

Planting. Let's just say it was a messy affair that ended with two naked girls on the deck. I think this is such a classic picture.

Lettuce, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, and tomatoes.

Ava using our first zucchini as a phone. Still running away from the camera.

Raspberries
Grapes and an awesome flowering vine my Grandma Culver gave us.

When Tyler and I first moved into our house we had a little area that was set aside for gardening. For three years we have attempted to have a producing garden with varying degrees of success. The first two years Tyler mainly did everything because I was busy being pregnant or having a new baby. This is the first year I have really enjoyed gardening! It has been fun to show the girls how to plant and water and weed. And we like looking at the plants as they have grown. We like taking walks into the yard to check on how everything is growing. We also like picking, cooking, eating and giving away what we have grown.

The keys we have found to a successful garden:
-A hose timer. Automatically waters at set intervals of your choice
-Good tilling from a rototiller
-Killing all weeds before starting
-Chicken wire to protect from deer, woodchucks, chipmunks, etc.
-Weeding
-Good starts on things that take a long time to grow like tomatoes and pumpkins
-Planting from seeds can actually work, don't be afraid!

My Vaccination Story

I am similar to the many mothers around me, in that there isn't much hotter a topic than the vaccination debate. In fact, out of all the mothers around me, I probably know two children under two that are all caught up on their immunizations. There are several questions I had, so I went out to find arguments for and against. I wanted to look for factual, peer reviewed studies about the topic. My mom - a lifelong student - who at one time was working on her PhD., said that in research you can't prove a negative, like "Vaccines do not cause health problems." I thought this was interesting, and probably the reason there aren't any articles that say this!

First, I wondered, how prevalent is measles?

San Diego Measles Outbreak Growing, Five More Kids Diagnosed ...

CDC Warns About Measles Outbreaks, Agency Reports 64 Cases In Nine ...

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-07-14-measles_N.htm

My mom actually had measles when she was a kid. And although measles is rarely fatal, she remembered my grandma closing all the blinds because she was afraid my mom could go blind. The greatest risk is if you are exposed to, or get the measles while pregnant. Measles and rubella (also called German Measles) cause a number of severe birth defects. My mom has seen these kids in her classes and schools. According to her, it's worse than Down's Syndrome.
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/short/316/7126/196
http://www.mamashealth.com/pregnancy/prenatal.asp


Then I went to the New England Journal of Medicine, a publication that follows these ethical guidelines: http://www.icmje.org/

You can sign up for a free 21 day trial that allows you to search and read all articles full-text.

From New England Journal of Medicine
"Implications of a 2005 Outbreak of Measles .. "
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/355/5/447

Vaccines and Autism Revisited - the Hannah Polling Case
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/358/20/2089
I think the part about the VCIP particularly interesting.

Vaccines and Vaccination - An Overview
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/345/14/1042#R13

Childhood Immunizations and Chronic Illness
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/350/14/1380

Maternal Antibodies, Childhood Infections, and Autoimmune Diseases
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/345/18/1331

The studies that the organization Autism Speaks is currently funding. I think it shows where the best leads are in discovering where Autism is coming from.
http://www.autismspeaks.org/science/research/initiatives/environmental_factors_grants.php#direct_toxicant

Early Thimerosal Exposure and Neuropsychological Outcomes at 7 to 10 Years
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/357/13/1281
Even though thimerosal isn't used in vaccinations anymore, I thought this was interesting.

Overall, after reading all the articles and opinions, I have to say that it is impossible to ignore all the people that are afraid of immunizing their kids. Based on what I have read, I think there is a significant genetic role in autism and learning disabilities. However, I think that these issues can be amplified by any number of environmental factors. My overall opinion was based on the following question: If my children are playing with a lot of un-immunized kids, would I rather have my children exposed, or protected from these diseases? I have not seen any medical evidence that vaccinations hurt children or are the primary cause of learning disabilities, diseases or autism. We also love to travel, and if we go to foreign countries, the likelihood of them contracting something like measles is probably higher, as evidenced in an outbreak in Indiana.

That being said, I think it is a mother's instinct and basic desire to believe what is absolutely natural is best for their child. Unfortunately we live in an imperfect world; sometimes even all natural herbs are laced with heavy metals. I think the all-natural view in moderation is good, however, if this were always the case, you, nor I, would be here today. Because of modern medicine we have our children and our parents.

There is also something fun about thinking that one of the supposed "best" things in the world today could be a conspiracy. I just tried to look at everything factually and read researched articles.

In a very basic Gospel sense too, if Heavenly Father thinks I am supposed to have a learning disabled child, so be it. I can only do my best and everything in my power to learn from the people around me to make the best decisions for my children. I don't want to live my life in fear.

If this has rubbed you the wrong way, I'm sorry. I just really felt like I had to talk about it. Feel free to post any research you find, even if its findings are opposite mine! There were, however, two studies done that have been thoroughly de-bunked finding there was a link between autism and vaccinations. There are plenty of opinions out there, but not much research.

Quotes

"Mmmm. I like butter. It's good. I want to eat it."
Ava ate straight butter today. I just can't say anything else about that. It makes me shudder.
You can also see that she no longer smiles for pictures. She closes her eyes tight and makes the weirdest faces. So this is as good as it gets. Tyler recommended practicing in the mirror. Odd that we would have to practice smiling. You can also see her lovely red, white and blue ensemble.
"Sure we can fit it"
A Love Sac in a Jetta is quite a feat. Three girls and one guy later, we stuffed it in. It was really funny. Our love sac is loving in Commerce where the almost-newlyweds don't have any furniture.

Hubby Tag

1. What is his name? Tyler James
2. Who eats more? It depends, on average I probably do, but his binging ability far surpasses mine own

3. Who said "I love you" first? He did
4. Who is taller? Tyler. I hope he's taller than 5'3
5. Who is smarter? On standardized tests, Tyler. But I'm the one who got a 3.8 in college.
6. Who is more sensitive? Me
7. Who does the laundry? Me
8. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Me.
9. Who pays the bills? Me. He will do it next year, we trade years.
10. Who cooks more? Me.
11. What meals do you cook together? We've made pasta together, but usually just one of us cooks. We're very territorial.
12. Who is more stubborn? Tyler
13. Who is the first to admit they are wrong? Me
14. Who has more siblings? Tyler 6 - Sarah 1
15. Who wears the pants in the relationship? Depends on what area we're talking about, but probably Tyler.
16. What do you like to do together? Home improvement, travel, play games, watch movies, take walks, bike rides, camping
17. Who eats more sweets? Tyler
18. What is his guilty pleasure? His side business that allows him to buy electronics as a tax deduction but mostly it would be me.
19. How did you meet? In YM/YW Sunday school
20. Who asked who out first? Tyler, he asked me to come to Red Robin for Scott's birthday in Provo.
21. Who kissed who first? Tyler. He was dying for it.
22. Who proposed? Tyler did at Sugar Loaf park on Feb. 22, 2004. We were married four months later.
23. His best features? Hmm. I think Tyler's a pretty sexy guy, but I like his smile, his build and his facial structure
24. What is his greatest quality? He is giving and honest
25. Tag: Cami and Cara

phones, pies and pricks

After my old LG chocolate phone died I was excited to jump into 2008 with a blackberry. When I was at the Verizon store for an hour and a half with two crazy kids taking apart the whole store, the manager asked me if I wanted insurance. I thought for a while and then finally said ok, because my old phone had a cracked screen for a year and a half. Hence, I could not see half the screen, hence, no texting for Sarah. Approximately one day later my precious new blackberry pearl was in the bottom of my stroller while we were at the county fair. Unfortunately a loosely-capped water bottle was also in the bottom of the stroller. Next thing I knew I was pullling my new phone out and the screen looked like a fish tank, with a little air bubble, and water swooshing around inside.

Usually insurance is a waste, but it saved me $150 bucks this time!

Other than messing with a crazy phone, Ava made a wild rice, syrup and graham cracker crust pie the other day, and both she and Violet have been afflicted with runny noses.

Violet also had her 12 mo checkup.
Here's the stats:
Height 29 inches - 60th percentile
Head - 60th percentile
Weight - 18.3 lbs. - 5th percentile

She just had one shot. I need to do more research on vaccines and determine exactly how I feel about everything. I think I may just delay her shots. The doctor suggested Cod liver oil to make sure she's getting the essential fats she needs.

Still no walking. Can you tell I'm anxious?

Vacation Vacation

We've been traveling so much lately, I'm really tired as I'm writing this. For the week of the fourth Tyler's company forced everyone to take a week off because business has been so bad. I didn't mind ... any family time is a good time and nothing much seems to happen in the office on hot July days. So we went camping with Tyler's family to Lake Chamberlin State Park in Kentucky. We went tubing and Tyler went wakeboarding. I, of course, flew off a couple times but it was really fun. Tyler did really well wakeboarding for only doing it once every two or three years. Tyler's Aunt Denise and her three kids and husband from Texas and his Uncle Scott (both his moms siblings) and his wife Tracy and their two kids from GA came. It was the second time I had met them other than right before we were married and Tyler's grandpa was close to dying. Not exactly the best time to make good memories, ya know? It was wonderful to get to know them better.

Since we were driving eight hours south we figured we would go visit my mom for a few days in PA. Needless to say, I didn't look at a map. Where my mom lives is 11 hours from KY, a longer drive than if we had driven from MI. Oh well. It's always nice to go let your mom take care of you for a while. It's also fun to drive a huge triangle with a two and a one year old in the backseat.

Our fourth of July was somewhat disappointing. Being 2 hours from Philladelphia the fourth is a big deal. It's a very patriotic and historic area. The day before we went to a parade and played in the park while a band was playing. On the walk home it started pouring and my step dad Mike came and picked us up. Because of the rain the fireworks were postponed until Saturday, the day we drove home. On the drive home we listened to Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. We still have about four more discs to go, but it's really good so far. Thanks mom for letting us borrow it! We saw exactly two fireworks explosions. Probably illegal. :)



Chillin on the boat.
Ava swimming in the lake. The lake is actually a resevoir so there is a lot of calm water.
We played a lot of games.
Violet was pretty content and thankfully Tyler's cousin Scotland played with her the whole time despite her major separation anxiety tears.
Our tent in the background. From the left, Audrey, Riley, Spencer, Dad and Jared.

Learning to self feed while camping is a very messy business. Violet has decided she needs to hold the spoon and feed herself.
At the Hands on House in Lancaster, Pa. It was a great place for young kids. Here Violet is sitting in a crate used to gather, sort and distribute corn. www.handsonhouse.org
Ava got her face painted for the first time. Mom painted a butterfly.
We also took an hour long buggy ride. This isn't a horse and cart or a wagon ride for you westerners, it's a buggy ride in the east. There is a huge Amish population where my mom lives and it's not uncommon to see at least two or three Amish buggies while driving. We took a ride and learned a lot about the Amish and went to an Amish house. It was really fun.

Playing at the park in Lititz, the borough where my mom lives, before the rain started.