Virtually Indestructible.

This toy was advertised as "virtually indestructible", and yet this is just 10-20 minutes after giving it to her. She's good.  Fortunately she has only chewed up something of ours once.  It was a computer cord that was plugged in to the wall.  She learned in one hard lesson to only chew what we give her.   

I just like this picture.

Gardening

So now that I live in an apartment instead of a house I have taken an interest in gardening.  I love flowers and seeing things grow (or in the case of my experiments, slowly die).  And I think its really incredible that you can plant a tiny little seed in the ground, and a few months later- you have food.  Food that you have to pay a lot for lesser quality at the store.  I have gotten a little creative and have some potted plants in my apartment and right outside.  Nothing exciting there.  But this weekend we planted a garden!  Our apartment complex, which is owned by the ministry we work for and is very community oriented, approved a community garden.  There are 6 different raised beds, and all we had to do is rent a spot.  Flower bed made, complete with tilled dirt.  We went in together with our great friends Corey and Callie and we planted our first vegetable garden.  It takes a lot more planning than I realized!  Not all vegetables require the same amount of space to grow, or light, water, and heat for that matter.  Some grow well next to each other, some do not like each other.  Some attract bugs, some repel.  Its really interesting, yet I am not detail oriented enough to really learn too much yet.  After things do or don't grow, I might care more.  We planted basil, cilantro, tomatoes, bell peppers, jalepeno peppers, squash, zuccini, watermelon, strawberries, onion, lettuce, cabbage, and maybe more?  I will update on the progress when or if there is any later in the spring or summer.

Decisions Decisions

Now that Michael and I are back in the country "indefinitely" (maybe forever, maybe not?) THE question people are ALWAYS asking is "now what?".  Its a legitimate question, not too personal for small talk, and a true point of curiosity for all involved in our lives.  The only answer I can give: NO idea.  How do you decide what to do when you can literally go anywhere and do anything?  How do you begin to make a decision like that?!  We don't know either.  

Today's Pictures:

Adventures in Babysitting!  

Michael and I spent a day last week babysitting an 8,6,4, and 2 year old!  The youngest 3 were boys- little boys are into everything! 

A recent pic!- Michael and I went on a double date this weekend with our dear friends Corey and Callie to Altus, Arkansas to eat lunch at the Weiderkher vineyard for Corey's birthday.

Water: Liquid Life

I am always thirsty these days. I never get enough to drink!  I always start with my morning coffee then I might not drink ANYTHING until dinner.  I realize that none of you really care about my daily "drinking habits" but I thought as a holder of a degree in nutrition I should know better.  And now I am going to share some good reasons that we should all drink a lot of water (8 cups, which really means 64 oz., which is 2 average size nalgenes**) everyday!

Water....

-the largest component of the body

-required to dissolve and absorb nutrients

-helps with good circulation

-prevents dry skin (literally hydrate from the inside out!)

-regulates body fluids- making sure minerals go where they belong

-regulates body temperature

-accounts for 1/3 of your body weight (but should not be withheld to decrease numbers on the scale!)

-thirst is triggered when your blood (thickness) is changed due to lack of water

-lost through the consumption of caffeine or alcohol (they are natural diuretics (make you tinkle)

-lost in high altitude, low humidity, and of course high temps

-when you are dehydrated, the kidneys conserve water changing the concentration of your tinkle, but there is a limit to the concentration the kidneys can make (some water is always lost)

-the body can't "store" water, it must be continually replaced

-infants need to stay hydrated b/e they can't produce concentrated urine (milk counts as liquid!)

-unless you exercise heavily or are sick, thirst is a good enough signal to drink water

-dehydration causes headache, fatigue, nausea, difficulty concentrating, muscle spasms. insomnia, death (if you don't feel absolutely normal and good, try drinking water first)

- being consistently mildly dehydrated increases the risk of kidney stones, colon and breast cancer, increased risk of childhood obesity

if you don't like to drink water...

- other liquids count too, but remember caffeine and alcohol work against hydration

-lettuce, celery, cucumbers, cabbage (uncooked), and watermelon are all more than 90% water

-almost all fruits and veggies have more than 70% water content

Now Go Drink Some Water!!

**8 cups/ 64 oz is a very general average and is probably not the exact amount you need.  In general men need a little more, women need less.  If you exercise a lot you probably need more, depending on your definition of a lot.

Today's Picture:  Doesn't it make water look good?!  This is a picture I took from a baby shower I helped  host.  The fruit slices not only make it pretty, but make it taste good too!  You should give it a try.  (also good with lemon, lime, strawberry, or cucumber)

Sorry this is so long, I am a nutrition NERD, even if it is only head knowledge (I lack application)

Music

I LOVE music.  Almost all kinds (except twangy country).  I almost always have it playing around me.  We have Ihome speakers we leave going all day.  Recently I was in a music funk.  Needed something new.  I have, well now had, an unspent Best Buy gift card leftover from Christmas.  My new purchases, some old faves with new albums: Norah Jones, David Gray, Jason Mraz, good trusty music.  But my absolute favorites are more unique, bringing me out of the music lull in my life: after years of debate I finally purchased Raising Sand by Robert Plant (of Led Zeplin) and Allison Krauss, its great.  But my absolute favorite is Mumford and Sons.  If you have never heard them find their myspace and listen to "the cave"  They are super fun, folk, blue grass, rockish sounding band.  And I think they are from Europe somewhere?  Let me know what you think if you listen to them.

Today's Pic:

I took this picture just this last Saturday at the first Farmer's Market of the Season.  The Farmer's Market means that spring is finally here and NOT leaving!

Happy Easter!

I love Easter. I always wonder why it isn't a more celebrated holiday. Think about it- Christmas is a HUGE, month long, international celebration complete with its own songs, foods, movies, traditions, and it is to celebrate the BIRTH of Christ. I'm not trying to make this sound insignificant, it is absolutely a cause for celebration, but Easter celebrates the whole reason Christ was even born. Christ's resurrection is the reason we can have eternal life! Although I think it is strange Christmas is much more celebrated than Christmas, I am also glad, at least it isn't AS commercialized...although nothing is really sacred from Hallmark anymore. Did you know they have "divorce" cards...like sorry about your divorce, or congratulatoins on it...
Anyway, enough discussion. I usually only like blogs that have lots of pictures, not a lot of talk. So my goal (with the exception of the last post) is to have at least a photo to go along with each post.

Today's picture:
I LOVE tulips. If you haven't noticed, it is tulip season. Enjoy it, it doesn't last long! And then you have to wait a year for more. Our front door step was awfully gloomy and unwelcoming. I don't want to put a hole in the door to hang a sign, I haven't seen a wreath I like, and I don't want to buy a new mat even though ours is ugly- why buy something you already have? So I bought a bright yellow "planter" (apparently this is the official name for flower pot) and I put some pink tulips in it. I bought them when they were little buds and now they have bloomed. It was one of the small things in life that make me happy. I haven't taken a picture of my door- greeting, welcoming tulips, so this picture I took on the square last year will have to suffice.

We're Back

Well, we have been back in the country for about six weeks now. And this is my first blog. I have thought about adding a post off and on but I feel pressure because life here just seems a little less exciting to talk about. I want a blog that is ENTERTAINING. But then I thought, if someone is bored, they could just stop reading. So on that note, blogging will resume. My new goal, post once a week.