Sex,Diapers,& Rock-N-Roll

Balance Bike Mania!

2011-04-04T06:19:00.000-07:00

We recently bought a Strider Balance Bike for our 2 year old. We were introduced to these bikes by some friends of ours who bought one for their 2 year old. We were amazed at how this little guy could ride a 2 wheel bike with NO training wheels! I knew that I had to have one for our 2 year old...so after saving up (they cost an arm and a leg) we bought him one for his birthday. I can't tell you how impressed with these bikes I am!! Our 2 year old has learned how to coast with no feet on the ground in only 1 week! One of the best parts about him riding a balance bike is that he can keep up with his older siblings. So often when on a walk, he gets left in the dust on a tricycle and cries his little heart out!:) Not anymore!! Today we went to the park and I couldn't keep up with HIM!! It was amazing! I just love these little bikes and recommend them to anyone who has a child who hasn't learned to ride a 2 wheeled bike yet. LOVE them!

Allergies?

2011-03-12T14:55:00.000-08:00

Do you suffer from seasonal allergies? Do you feel debilitated by them? I absolutely understand your pain! I suffered from allergies such as hay, grass, dust, horses etc. This doesn't work well for me since I have horses and spend most of my time out on the farm. In the spring of 2009 I went to the ER twice from onset asthma attacks. I don't have asthma, and supposedly you're born with it, you can't develop it later in life. The doctors were dumbfounded. One doctor even suspected a heart condition, but nope- just allergies. I told my Chiropractor, Dr Skye about what was happening and he suggested that I undergo allergy desensitizing using laser therapy.At that point I was so desperate I was willing to do ANYTHING. I couldn't afford allergy shots, and honestly I didn't want them even if I could afford them. There are some bad chemicals in those shots that I don't want to put into my body on a regular basis.

After doing the desensitizing which literally took 10 minutes, I was like "ok, so when should I come back in for another treatment?" He said "never". I have to admit that I was skeptical. I've suffered with extreme allergies for SO long, how could one treatment be the "cure"?? I remember going out to the farm a couple days later and being nervous because for the first time in years I didn't take an allergy med first. I waited for the first sneeze...didn't come. I waited for a headache, didn't come. I started to get excited:). I went home and took a shower and felt great. I continued that way for the entire year of 2010, never once taking a medication for allergies.

Today, March 12th 2011, I went out to the farm to brush off all of the winter coat off of my horse. It took about an hour. Hair was flying EVERYWHERE, he was SO bushy! Not even a sneeze! I can't believe the amazing power of desensitizing! It's incredible and has changed my life!

In 2009 Evan and I talked seriously about moving somewhere that I could live an outdoorsy lifestyle and not suffer from my allergies as badly. We considered moving to a few different states and picked them just because of the low allergy scale. I was desperate.

Dr Skye has helped improve my quality of life, along with many others. If you suffer from allergies I highly recommend this treatment (which is ridiculously cheap too). Chiropractic care is amazing, our entire family is hooked!:)

Whats in that diet drink?

2010-06-05T15:02:00.000-07:00

My main goal in being a nutrition coach is to build awareness. Judging someone for their choices is never my desire or goal. The most beautiful thing about being human, a child of God, and an American;) is our freedom of choice. Life is full of many choices as we all know, the big ones like who will I marry, what job will I take, where will I live or go to school...those are daunting enough, making the little decisions like what foods to eat are often times shoved to the back of the shelf for obvious reasons. We are so busy with everyday tasks we often don't take time to research the little things.
Today I want to talk about diet drinks. (yikes!) It's summer time and what does that mean?? Bathing suit season!:) Yay! Right?! I know so many people who will grab a diet soda over a regular because they think it's "better for them" or "has fewer calories and fat" etc. The truth is, a diet drink is WAY worse for us than regular drinks in the long run. I want to break down the ingredients in a diet drink today and try to build awareness as to what we're putting in our bodies when we consume a diet beverage. Are you ready for this? You might want to sit down;).
Here are the ingredients on a can of diet coke=
Carbonated Water
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Caramel Color
Phosphoric Acid
Natural Flavors
Caffeine
Aspartame (NutraSweet)
Potassium Benzoate
Citric acid

Lets talk about phosphoric acid. Here's what it does in the body=
1. The carbonation irritates the stomach.
2. The stomach "cures" the irritation the only way it knows how. It adds the only antacid at its disposal: calcium. It gets this from the blood.
3. The blood, now low on calcium, replenishes its supply from the bones. If it did not do this, muscular and brain function would be severely impaired.

This means that over time, drinking a beverage with phosphoric acid can drain your body of the calcium that it needs, causing osteoporosis. If you don't believe it, just try it and let me know;).

I kind of feel like I don't even need to talk about caffeine, I think we all know about it's harmful affects on the body. BUT, for shits and giggles, lets talk about it!
Caffeine overstimulates the adrenals and then weakens them with persistent or chronic use. First, sugar stimulates and weakens the adrenals, which creates fatigue. Then we use caffeine to keep us aware and awake, further depleting our adrenals, to which many respond by drinking more caffeine with sugar. In addition, people who overuse caffeine tend to need more tranquilizers and sleeping pills to help them relax or sleep. I can't tell you how many people I've talked to who drink caffeine on a regular basis and have chronic migraines. They go hand in hand. I'm not going to go into caffeine anymore, I think we get the point.

Ah, now to Aspertame, my favorite!!! I love building awareness about aspertame, I feel like if even one person stops drinking soda's with this ingredient, I will have made a difference. This stuff is straight from the pit of hell (I'm pretty sure;), and it just pisses me off that it's legal.
Aspartame is one of the most dangerous substances ever added to food. Not only has aspartame been proven to make you fatter, it's been proven to cause some pretty serious diseases, not the least of which are cancer and neurological diseases.
This is part of a great article on the effects of aspertame, I can't say it better myself=
"Methanol, from aspartame, is released in the small intestine when the methyl group of aspartame encounters the enzyme chymotrypsin (Stegink 1984, page 143). Free methanol begins to form in liquid aspartame-containing products at temperatures above 86 degrees F.. also within the human body.
The methanol is then converted to formaldehyde. The formaldehyde converts to formic acid, ant sting poison. Toxic formic acid is used as an activator to strip epoxy and urethane coatings. Imagine what it does to your tissues!

Phenylalanine and aspartic acid, 90% of aspartame, are amino acids normally used in synthesis of protoplasm when supplied by the foods we eat. But when unaccompanied by other amino acids we use [there are 20], they are neurotoxic.(WHAT?! NO THANKS!)
That is why a warning for Phenylketonurics is found on EQUAL and other aspartame products. Phenylketenurics are 2% of the population with extreme sensitivity to this chemical unless it's present in food. It gets you too, causing brain disorders and birth defects! Finally, the phenyalanine breaks down into DKP, a brain tumor agent.

In other words: Aspartame converts to dangerous byproducts that have no natural countermeasures. A dieter's empty stomach accelerates these conversions and amplifies the damage. Components of aspartame go straight to the brain, damage that causes headaches, mental confusion, seizures and faulty balance. Lab rats and other test animals died of brain tumors.

*Formaldehyde obtained from methanol is very toxic in *very small* doses as seen by recent research.

Aspartame causes chronic toxicity reactions/damage due to the methanol to formaldehyde and other break down products despite what is claimed otherwise by the very short, industry-funded experiments using a test substance that is chemically different and absorbed differently than what is available to the general public. "Strangely enough", almost all independent studies show that aspartame can cause health problems."

-Mark Gold (health researcher for over 20 years)

Honestly, after researching the effects of aspertame I don't even think that talking about the other ingredients is necessary. Aspertame alone is enough to make me want to scream from the roof tops that diet is NOT "diet"!!

I know that we all make choices that aren't always the best things for our bodies but as long as we are aware of the side effects, aware of the health hazards, aware of the disease potential- maybe we can avoid these products on more of a regular basis.
As far as I'm concerned, diet beverages that contain aspertame should be avoided like the plague!!
I'll leave you with a last interesting fact-
Aspartame was not approved until 1981, in dry foods. For over eight years the FDA refused to approve it because of the seizures and brain tumors this drug produced in lab animals. The FDA continued to refuse to approve it until President Reagan took office (a friend of Searle) and fired the FDA Commissioner who wouldn't approve it. Dr. Arthur Hull Hayes was appointed as commissioner. Even then there was so much opposition to approval that a Board of Inquiry was set up. The Board said: "Do not approve aspartame". Dr. Hayes OVERRULED his own Board of Inquiry.

The FDA refused to approve aspertame for over 8 years? I'll take that little hint and avoid it.

standing still

2009-12-02T16:58:00.000-08:00

It seems like I'm in an ever changing season. Like I can't get a grip on the ground around me. Everything is always spinning, always changing, hopefully always in a "positive forward" kind of way..but nonetheless.
Recently Evan and I decided that we need to have a "home base" of sorts. We asked his boss initially if that base could be in Nevada. He said for the time being he wants us closer to the east coast, where the majority of MP Clinics are. Evan needs to be accessible and Nevada can really rack up the flight costs. SO- on a recent stop through Nashville we decided (after much prayer and thought) that we would make a home base here for a number of reasons. The first most important reason is that I had so much peace here on our stop through. To be honest, I haven't had peace like that in a city for well, as long as I can remember. I've never felt at "home" here in TN, as everyone already knows;)- I think I've worn that one out.
The second reason was because our friends are here and we miss the commradarie BIG TIME. We miss our loved ones. We need a community right now more than ever (most of you know what I'm talking about).
SO- here we are in Franklin once again- but this time it's joyful!:) We are so happy in our adorable condo that we've rented. It's just fabulous! Evan is still traveling like crazy- and hopefully we'll be able to make some trips with him, but for the time being me and the boys are standing still. It feels good to sort of "stop" and take a deep breath.
There has been some family issues that we've been dealing with over the past year, as a lot of you know. I've been hesitant to blog about it even though writing it out does help quite a huge deal. Right now I just want to say (without getting into detail) that things are still incredibly rough and we would really appreciate prayers. It's been a hard season, not only for me and Evan but also for the boys. They have had to deal with more than they should have. It's quite unfortunate. Evan and I have tried to protect them as much as we can, and I think they're doing well considering. By the way- for those of you who aren't sure what I'm referring to, my parents, brother, and his wife have been dealing with issues that stem from our dysfunctional (at best) life together. This past year has brought about issues that need to be dealt with in order for us to continue on in any sort of healthy relationship. (which is the ultimate goal) Unfortunately it's affected not only us as adults, but also my children. I really hope that our "home base" here in Franklin will provide opportunities to continue on our healing path towards restoration.
When I was talking with God about staying here in Franklin, He spoke to me in His gentle perfect way about our future. Holy Spirit and I are working towards communication- learning how to hear Him and not be afraid. He's teaching me about fear- He's showing me His unconditional love. He's showing me the area's that need to still be healed in my spirit. It's been so difficult going through every next layer of who I am and trying to receive wholeness. It sounds odd to "try to receive wholeness", I mean, why can't a person just take it?! It's almost as if I don't trust wholeness because who would I be? Would I like that person? Would I even recognize myself? I'm learning to trust that who I'm destined to be is who I WANT to be. Thats a hard thing for me to grasp- as person who always wants to be in control. It's hard for me to let go of my protectors- who would I be without them?
As I step into (or dive into) this next healing season, I'm excited to watch God do His thing. I'm excited to trust Him.
Right now I'm reading the Twilight books and I'm enamored by Edwards love for Bella. I can't stop reading the books because I'm addicted to his addiction to her. I want to see what else he's going to do for her- or say to her- or give to her. I can't stop watching them together (so to speak). It's absolutely mind blowing that Jesus loves me more passionately than Edward loves Bella, that He wants to give me more than Edward wants to give to Bella. I'm honestly getting a revelation through their relationship and it's so huge it's going to take time to truly set in. I think that Jesus is cooler than a vampire;) and that He's going to blow my mind with His power. I can't freaking wait!

As an ending note- I want to stress how grateful I am for prayers and support. My friends have been incredible through this season, I could never thank you enough! This year will make a great chapter in my future book;).
xoxo

Sex,Diapers,& Rock-N-Roll: Anti-aging? Yes please!#links

2009-11-06T22:14:00.000-08:00

Sex,Diapers,& Rock-N-Roll: Anti-aging? Yes please!#links

Anti-aging? Yes please!

2009-11-06T22:01:00.000-08:00

My dear friend Jenni introduced me to a product called Vivix. This stuff is so incredible I knew I would have to share! I'm a sucker for antioxidants and it seems this tonic is just that- times a million!:) A 30 day supply of Vivix delivers the equivalent amount of resveratrol found in 3,000 glasses of red wine! This stuff is potent!
Not only does this super tonic slow the aging process on a cellular level, it also has been proven to reverse auto-immune diseases! This is something I'm particularly interested in because I myself have Hashimoto's auto-immune. I was diagnosed with the disease after my second son was born. I began to feel extreme fatigue and depression, my hair started falling out and my skin was incredibly dry. When my blood work came back, sure enough, my immune system was attacking my thyroid gland, wrecking havoc on my body and hormones. No fun. My auto-immune disease was supposedly triggered by pregnancy, it's not something that I was born with. This leads me to believe that it's reversible.
I've done a ton of research on reversing auto-immune disorders. One thing that has to happen is a sort of "calming" of my immune system.
Recently I read a book called Eat Right For Your Type, it opened my eyes to a theory that is changing my life. I had no idea (even after going to school for nutrition) that a specific blood type has a specific nutritional "guideline". My particular blood type is predispositioned to auto-immune disorders because of my hypersensitive immune system.
Part of the "calming" process is to adhere to a strict blood type diet. Within the first two weeks of eating according to my blood type, I stopped having to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. I obviously had inflammation in my bladder from the foods I was eating that went against my blood type. When the inflammation went down, the constant peeing stopped:). (TMI?)
Another thing that changed was my tummy aches. If you know me well, you know I have chronic stomach aches- have since I was a teenager. When I adhere to the diet, the aches calm down incredibly- if not go away all together.
Since I've been traveling over the past two months, I haven't been able to adhere to the diet like I should, but I do plan on picking it up when we settle somewhere and I can cook for myself more often.
Part of my process will be adding Vivix into my diet daily. I'm anxious to see if my body responds and my immune system stops trying to kill my thyroid;).
I will update regularly as I start this journey with vivix...always starting a journey:).

Really?

2009-10-30T14:35:00.000-07:00

Today is Friday, the week winds down here in Baton Rouge. It's been interesting being here, definitely a pleasant experience. We've loved the warmer weather, and the sunshine has been fabulous!
Some things that I find challenging are figuring out how to entertain the boys, and feeling like I'm doing enough for them. I feel bad when I realize that we've spent half the day inside a hotel room, but I don't know where to go because I don't know the town well enough. I also feel bad for the boys not having other kids to play with. I know they miss having little buddies. I beat myself up about this kind of stuff, and it leads me to think that we need to settle down somewhere and give up on this journey. I'm caught between my decision to make this work, and wanting my boys to have a "normal" life. It's rough. I know the boys are having fun, and that they do love to travel- but is it the right thing? How long can we make it work? Do I continue on for the sake of the adventure? All things to ponder..
I've also been really missing comradery myself. I need to be with some women! HAHA! Living with all these boys can make a girl go crazy!:) I miss my friends, I miss sushi dates and girls nights at Wild Ginger:). That has been wearing on me emotionally, it's been a struggle. I try to see the big picture, I try to look forward to the end result of this journey- but yes, it's hard.
I'm looking forward to being in Miami, and Honolulu, I know those towns so well. Hopefully it will feel a little more like home for a while. What is home anyway? Isn't it just where your heart is? If thats the case then I'm home anywhere if my boys are there. Why can't I be a little more content?
Evan just found out yesterday that we'll be in Nashville for the entire week next week. This is bittersweet because we do miss our friends like crazy! But at the same time, we finally got out of Nashville after 5 years and yet we can't seem to stay out! Haha! Geesh.
So here we go, headed up to Nashville for the week, then who knows after that. Maybe Miami, maybe Hawaii...or Boston..all part of this crazy adventure! To be continued...

Four weeks and four states

2009-10-22T19:27:00.000-07:00

We've been on the road now for 4 weeks, and we're still married!
I think I may have lost my mind 13 times, but I'm not a hundred percent sure. We've gone from cold to freezing, to luke warm, to hot and then back again. We've moved every week for the past four weeks, and when I say "move", I mean our entire everything. Our precious Tahoe is packed to the brim with all of our most important and favorite "must haves". And we cannot forget our beloved Koda. My joy. Seriously, this dog helps me stay sane! :) He's always here to lick me when I'm down. Always ready and willing to take me outside for some fresh air to throw the ball. He knows that nothing lifts my spirits like throwing a slobbery tennis ball 467 times.
The boys are having what I believe is a "blast", I mean what child hasn't dreamed of living out of a hotel room? It's like Zack and Cody 24/7. Except we don't watch that show. ;)
We started this journey in Easton, Ohio. It was fairly chilly, and incredibly windy at all times. It made for some not-so-fun outdoor times. The boys cheeks were permanently flushed from day one. But that didn't last long, 7 days later we headed south to the good ol Alabama. This truly is a godforsaken state. I've said that in the past, and then felt bad later- but I must admit now to America- I really loathe that state. After a week in Birmmingham, we headed back up to Ohio for another cold run. My boys are such troopers in the car, they really don't utter a word until we get about an hour outside of where ever we're going. Then the "when are we going to be there"'s start coming. I don't mind so much, I have to chuckle to myself when they ask, I mean really, isn't that just part of parenthood?:)
After another week in beautiful Easton, we headed back south again for a brief stop in Al once again, then on to Baton Rouge LA.
I have to admit, I was a bit weary about coming to LA. Evan kept saying things like "well honey, get ready to enter into another world" and scary things like that.I didn't know WHAT in the hell I was in for. Not to mention my kiddos!!
When we entered the state, we stopped for gas and I half way expected an alien to be at the cash register. When it was a human I sighed a breath of relief, and when the human was actually a nice guy, I was just perplexed! I kept saying, "Evan, these people are normal" in kind of a shocked sort of tone. I don't know what I expected, but this definitely wasn't it! :)
Baton Rouge has been a fabulous experience to say the least. The culture here is incredibly friendly and lively! I love the smell of salt water in the air, the laid back feel, and even the funny accents people have;). I don't so much love the fire ants however. This doesn't bode well with me and Koda. We like our outdoor time, as I mentioned before- the red ant thing has just got to go. I mean, don't they have spray for that or something?! Geesh.
The food has been fabulous thus far, and I think thats mostly because I have a Whole Foods within walking distance:). But really, I do intend to check out some Louisiana cuisine for sure!
Evan had some oysters for lunch yesterday but spent the entire night in the bathroom, so I may take a rain check on those.
We did eat at a fabulous little sushi place called Tchoup Stixx on our way into Baton Rouge. The coconut mango roll was to die for!
Yesterday I took the boys into New Orleans, it sounds lavish but really I was only going to buy some nutriwest supplements that I was out of. There's a chiropractor in new orleans who sells them:). But- back to the story- we ended up sitting outside of a starbucks, soaking up the sun in 80 degree weather. It was dreamy. There were these two men to our right who were chattering away like two long lost friends. Come to find they were brothers who see each other every day, how adorable. They acted like long lost best friends who needed to enjoy every minute they could get with each other before parting once again.
We had Koda with us and they LOVED him, they told us about a beloved german shepherd that they had had as children. They had him for eight years and then one day he got bitten by a rat that they said was at least 3 feet long. (sounded like something from a horror movie) Within a day after getting bit, the dog died. They seemed to tear up as they remembered their german shep, like it had been yesterday. They were fabulous. They made me fall in love with the city, I mean, how can a story about a german shepherd not make you fall in love with ANYTHING?! :)
So here we are, in Baton Rouge for a few more weeks, soaking up the sun and enjoying where we are. Trying to find sanity in this lifestyle and appreciate that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, though challenging, incredibly unique. My boys will hopefully remember this forever, and one day tell their kids about all their travels:). I hope that they can look back and really appreciate this season, and understand why we did it. (I hope I can too!! ha!)

And on we go...

The H word

2009-09-01T21:59:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted. April?!? What the heck.
It's been a fun and adventurous summer, the boys are growing SO fast and have loved our new little "farm" house. We've done everything from riding horses to riding go-carts, camping, swimming, and hiking...and everything inbetween! It's been a blast!
I can't believe it's already September, time has FLOWN! As a lot of you know, I've decided to start homeschooling this year. It's something that has been on my heart for a few years, but I didn't have total peace about doing it. Towards the end of last school year I realized that the time is now. There have been a lot of reasons why I chose to homeschool the boys, but one of my favorite reasons is because of the bond it will create between me and my children. I'm excited to develope a foundation of trust, creativity, and fun with the boys while they are young. I'm so excited to pour into them and be their "first teacher". I don't think I will homeschool after the 6th grade, but you never know, we'll cross that bridge when we get there.
I really believe that highschool can be so great, and making memories with friends is important. I would love for them to go to a highschool that they enjoy!
So, we started school last week and it's been so fun!:) I love watching my little guys learn, I'm jealous of the time Nate's previous teachers had with him, and I realize now their love for teaching. It's so awesome to see children "get it", it really is fun.
As for me and Evan, well, we're always embarking on some new adventure:). Evan is traveling like crazy and LOVING his new job! I am so proud of him, he's done so well! Starting this month, they boys and I are going to be traveling with him which will be incredible! We're going to go with him as he opens clinics all across America. The boys will get to see the US! We're so freaking excited!:) This is something that I know will impact my family in such a great way. I've dreamed of getting out of TN since I can remember, this will be such a breath of fresh air. And what a perfect time to start homeschooling!:)
So here we go, packing up our stuff and heading out! (I think I've said that before;).
We appreciate your prayers and encouragement- thank God for facebook, right?:) Ha!

Tis the season for...SOCCER!!!

2009-04-11T17:08:00.000-07:00

Liam is playing soccer this year- we are sooo exicted!! However, I may have jumped the gun by putting him on the 4-5 team when he's still only 3. (yikes!) I thought "my kid is REALLY good at soccer" as I'm sure every other mom out there thinks about their own pride and joy;). In my book, Liam can do no wrong, he's a genius, and he's a master of ANY sport. And while my intentions are pure;), I often realize after the fact that I may have over estimated things just a bit.
SO- my sweet little Liam is playing on a team of GIANTS! :) He looks so little compared to the rest of the players, even though he'll be 4 in only 2 months.
I don't know how it happened but in the midst of signing him up for soccer I forgot to mention to Evan that I had put him on the 4-5's team...so...when we get to practice the first day, Evan beat me there in his car...he quickly (out of excitement) trotted Liam over to the field. I remembered what I had done and quickly jumped out of my car yelling "Evan, wait!!". Too late. By that time he was turning back to me with this look like "why are they all a head taller than Liam?"
So...there we are...watching the bean play his little heart out- not even realizing he's the shortest one on the team:). (deep sigh)
I felt awful.
We decided we'll let him play his first game and see how he does...he loves practice so, what the heck? I mean how horrible can it be at that age? You know? (trying to make myself feel better here)

Here he is at practice, he's such a great little player! You would all be so proud!:)

The fish's first black eye! Oh- and yes, he's walking:)

2009-04-11T17:03:00.000-07:00

Well, little fish is finally walking!! We are so stinking happy! Each child has walked faster than the one before, I think if we would have kept going, eventually they would have come out walking!
But along the way come the inevitable bruisers...no fun. Little man got his first black eye this week while trying to "walk" down the two deck steps. He just wants to be like his older brothers, but sometimes there's a price to pay for overachievement ;).
So- here it is, the black eye.

little fish is almost 1!

2009-03-11T14:14:00.000-07:00

My little love aka- " the fish" is growing so quickly!! Now, let me go back and fill you all in on why we call him fish. My friend Katy and I have this bizarre way of creating nick-names for our kids without meaning to! It's actually quite hysterical. We start with a long, sort of phrase about the child that ends up being shortened into some random word or name.
Evan and I started affectionately;) calling Énsley "Énsley Fisher Bass" when he was born and it's now been shortened to "fish". Somewhere along the way he became known as our little fish.
Liam and Nate are affectionately known as bean and nate-dog as well. Not sure how they got that way, but over time they've grown accustomed to answering to them;).
So back to the fish....he is absolutely a joy, so full of life! He has the most amazing personality and is very fond of his older brothers. At this point, he's a bit more like me as a baby than Evan. Liam, out of the three is the most like Evan was (so I hear). He was a busy little bee when he was learning to walk. Always into something, always making a fuss about things, breaking things, and was seriously impossible to take to a restaurant until he turned 2.
Fish on the other hand is quite easy and laid back like his momma;). Well, like his momma was as a baby! Ha! Things have changed a bit for me;).
He's 2 months away from turning 1, I just can't believe it! This year has been the fastest year of my life. I had the hardest pregnancy, nausea for the entire 9 months, time seemed to drag slower than molasses. Since he was born last May, time has flown by!
RIght now little fish is standing on his own but not quite walking yet. He definitely takes a step or two before plopping down on his bottom. He's close! It seems each of our boys have walked faster than the one before. I think they have inspiration to get up on their feet so that they can play with the big kids!;) That always helps!
His first word was "momma" but has now added, "yea" and "Dada". Don't laugh at "yea", it's true! He hears us saying it all day and he'll randomly interject a "yea" in the middle of our conversations, so adorable! If we make a big deal about it he'll just keep saying yea over and over to get a good laugh out of us;).
We love our little fish and are so excited to celebrate him turning 1! I'll definitely post some pics soon!

Bass World Update

2009-02-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hello friends! I'm so grateful for those of you who follow this blog! Thank you! Our lives are crazy busy and it helps to have this to keep everyone in the loop:).
So, it seems we have some new things going on in the Bass fam. As you know, Evan has a new job here in Franklin that we're really excited about. There are some cool opportunities for him to be promoted which would mean a fabulous pay increase! Yay!! There's also a lot of sales involved in this job and that is something Evan hasn't done before. He's loving getting that experience. With this new development we've come to the decision to stay here in Franklin for a bit longer. We've been trying to move to Colorado for a year now, it's been an emotional journey to say the least. The market has been so awful, we haven't had a single bid on our house. We've trusted that God has a plan for our move. That He wants the best for us and has the best timing in mind. It's so hard to continue to wait sometimes. There are days when I just cry and cry out of frustration with this process. I haven't felt "at home" for quite some time, and as you women know, the home is such a huge deal for the wife! We love to make it our own, for it to reflect our unique personalities. It's frustrating when you can't do that because you know you'll be up and moving in no time.
We are still selling our house because we are really unhappy here. So this journey is not quite over at this point. The market is still so crappy, but we're hoping for a miracle. We've lowered the price a lot, hope that helps.
Thank you all for praying for us, we love and appreciate you!
We are excited about the future, even if it doesn't look like what we thought it would. We would LOVE to be in Colorado right now, that is our dream! But for some reason, it's just not working out. So we'll adjust and make the best of it. (sometimes not with a good attitude! ha!)
I'll keep everyone updated through this process, it's definitely a roller coaster, never knowing whats going to happen next.

Blessings!

Fun in May!

2009-02-20T07:31:00.001-08:00

Hello Everyone! Thank you all for your encouragement after my announcement about running in the Mrs Tennessee Pageant this coming May. I'm very excited for the opportunity and looking forward to a really fun experience! I'm excited for the opportunity to share my passion for health with other wives and moms across Tennessee. I hope that this will give me a platform to help encourage and instill the value of health and nutrition to other women. I'm passionate about life and hope that my passion will catch and spread!
Right now I'm focussing on finding sponsors, I would love and appreciate financial support but also need to sell some adds for my page in the catalogue. If your business might be interested in sponsoring and/or taking out an add, please let me know! I greatly appreciate any help!
Thank you again for your love and support, this is such a fun time!

Blessings!

Loads of News!

2009-02-18T15:19:00.000-08:00

Well, I haven't blogged in a while and so I thought I'd update!:)

Today I received some exciting news! I've been awarded the title Mrs Williamson County and am on my way to competing in the Mrs Tennessee America Pageant! I'm super stoked because I didn't think I would get an opportunity like this being a stay at home mommy. I'm so consumed with my little guys, I hardly take enough time out to do some "extra curriculars" so to speak:). I'm excited for this opportunity and plan on having as much fun as possible while doing it!

The boys are doing well, Énsley is growing like a weed! He is pulling up on furniture now, moving his way around slowly;). He's such a love. His new things is open mouth kissing:). Oh how I love this stage and how it passes too quickly!

Nate is so grown up, he's almost 8! I can't believe I have an 8 year old! I still feel like I'm baby sitting and the parents should walk in the door any time now! Ha! :) I hope I always feel full of life and youth;)! Nate has a "fun" attitude these days, he is convinced that he's right 100% of the time. I have the feeling I was much this way when I was a wee one! There's just really no point arguing with him at this point in life, he always has another answer thats "better than yours". Haha! He's such a smarty pants.:)

Liam is a ham as usual, always saying the "darnedest things":). He is so much fun! I love taking him out with me, he acts so mature and always enjoys himself no matter what. I need to learn from him!;) Last night as we were leaving to celebrate their Uncle Aaron's birthday, Liam looked up at Evan and said "wow Daddy, you look so handsome tonight". So presh.

I just got a new camera for my birthday (thank you sweet husband!!!!) so I'll be posting some new pics soon! Yay! The boys are growing so fast, you just don't even want to miss a moment! Every minute is so special and so priceless. I love being a mommy and am so blessed that I get to stay at home with them and watch them grow! There's no greater joy than pouring into my little ones! Everything else is just the cherry on top!

Evan got a new job recently.:) We are super excited about it, it's something very new and different for us!

Evan used to be a paramedic and so he was hired basically as an in-office paramedic for a new specialty clinic in cool springs. The "specialty" is male performance. Ha! Just typing it makes me giggle:). The doctors specialize in men who don't get results from the basic viagra and other drugs like that. So- some doctors have put together a potent formula to help men achieve optimum "performance" in older age.

At first Evan was a bit weary about having to look at penis's all day (as you can imagine:) but he doesn't have to do the dirty work;). He gets to do sales and be available if the doctors need assistance. A huge part of his job is the sales part. A lot of men will come in to the office and check it out, but not a lot actually end up buying the product. Evan is there to seal the deal! ha! Oh my gosh, I have to stop talking about this, I'm laughing to hard in my head about all of the little funny comments I could say.

Anyway, we are thrilled with Evan's new line of work! :) I know at least I'll always be happy!;) O.k., I'll stop! hahahah!

On a different note:), our house is still for sale and it's been a year now! I just can't believe it. At this point, I know God has got something going on that I just can't understand. I'm so unhappy in this house, I just don't feel like I'm "home". Thats such a huge part of the womans heart, the home. I don't want to sound ungrateful or unappreciative- I really am grateful to have a roof over my head...obviously. I just want to really LOVE my home. I want it to reflect my personality and be a fun conducive place for my boys. We don't have that here.

Recently I've been trying to thank God ahead of time for selling the house. Believing that it will sell when it's perfect. Having faith that God isn't ignoring me or not hearing my heart. All in time...

Well, this is my update:), my little ones (the littlest one now) are pulling on my legs as I'm typing:). Have to run do the mommy thing...blessings! Thanks for taking the time to read my blog!

xoxo

25 Random Things About Me

2009-01-24T18:47:00.000-08:00

O.k., so it seems everyone's doing this, so here goes!:)

25. I can train a horse.

24. I am an animal FREAK! I've had so many, I can't even count at this point.

23. I can ride a dirt bike/4-wheeler.

22. I am a natural red-head but have always wanted black hair.

21. I celebrated my 18th bday in Scotland.

20. I love tobacco, but don't smoke because I use self-control:). (at least in this area! ha!)

19. I'm a bit relieved that I don't have a daughter:).

18. I am obsessed with the German language.

17. I went to Franklin Classical School and LOVED it!

16. I have a GED AND a high school diploma. Ha!

15. I went to college for nutrition. (not a very surprising fact;)

14. I knew I was going to marry my husband the first night I met him on our blind date. (but NO i didn't tell him that at the time- a lesson to be learned all you crazy forward girls!)

13. I'm supposed to be 2 inches taller.

12. I want to play Eponine in Les Miserables one day. (I WILL)

11. I'm obsessed with HollyWood.

10. I love rock music.

9. I'm not afraid to admit, I love Jessica Simpson.

8. I have a 115 pound German Shepherd from Germany.

7. I broke my pelvis in 3 places by being thrown from a horse, 3 weeks before my wedding!

6. I'm VERY afraid of sharks. (almost to the obnoxious point)

5. I LOVE red wine.

4. My husband and I plan on moving to Colorado, but don't know when:).

3. I have lots of Tattoo's and am not finished.

2. I went on a date with Forbes Magazine's "richest man in America under 30". I didn't know how rich he was at the time, but it still would not have changed my mind about not dating him. (my hubby just loves it when I talk about this! haha!)

1. I really love being me.

Thoughts

2009-01-24T18:07:00.000-08:00

My husband and I are Christians but have opted to not go to church. (the religious spirit all over the world is rearing it's ugly head right now, I know:)

I've been free for 5 years, from 23 years of religious bondage. I refuse with all of my being to go back, or to expose my children to what I was exposed to. When we walk into a church and the pastor encourages his congregation to live under the old covenant, we bounce. More often than not, pastors do believe in the NEW covenant, but for some odd reason, continue to preach from the old. So bizarre. It's as if they don't TRULY want to accept that we have a NEW covenant with God and thats that. God never said "a new covenant I make with you, but live as if you are still under the old". Hahaha:) That seriously cracks me up! So why is it so easy for churches to put their "people" under the law?

Now don't get me wrong, we would, in a heart beat, go to Bill Johnson's, John Sheasby's, or Brian Smallwood's (if he would start a church) churches. But, we don't live in California or Oaklahoma;). We do however, live in Franklin TN but B Smalls isn't interested in starting another church. He is teaching again though, and we couldn't be more thrilled! He started a thursday night Bible Study at Legends Club in Franklin. He said it best when he said, "I want people to be addicted to the spirit of encouragement that falls on them when they hear me teach". Seriously, thats exactly what happens. When he opens the word and begins to teach about the heart of God, my soul leaps with excitement. I feel alive. God breaths refreshment into my being and I feel full. It's so very fabulous and I just can't get enough. I'm absolutely addicted to the spirit of encouragement. (to learn more about Brian Smallwood, visit BrianSmallwoodonline.com)

I hope one day we will live in a place where church is an option. I do want my children to experience gathering with other believers to worship. But for now, home churching is fabulous for us and we feel like it's the best way to teach our kiddo's about the heart of God. We have a wonderful group of friends who want the same for their families and we are able to share our love for Christ with them.

My hope is that my boys will grow up knowing that God is love. That He wants the best for them, and believes in their success. I want them to see His love in their earthly father (which they do, he's incredibly amazing) and develop a true friendship with Jesus. I wish I would have had the privilege of knowing Jesus as friend when I was a child. I wish I would have known the Father's love and been able to rest in His safety. If I'm at all a successful parent, I will have taught my children that they are safe in Him, that there is no shame in Him. I love the quote that says "the true gift of parenting is raising a child without shame".

This is a heavy subject, I know:). I want everyone who reads my blogs, who enjoys keeping up with the Bass family, to know our hearts and where we come from. Thank you for taking the time to read about us! Now on to more about the kiddo's!

Blessings my friends!

One gross thing at McDonalds

2008-08-25T09:02:00.000-07:00

I'm passionate about health and nutrition. I'm not so passionate about fast food....and actually, it's kind of a cuss word in our home:). I'm proud to say that my boys have never eaten at McDonalds...that is, until recently.

Liam and I were running errands together and we passed by McDonalds. Liam has stopped asking if we can go inside (he desperately wants to play on the play ground) because my response is always "we don't eat there, it's gross". But today as we passed by he said (with a tear in his voice), "Mommy, can I PLEASE just have one gross thing at McDonalds??"

I absolutely caved.

I have a hard time saying no to this child as it is. I'm not sure what it is about him...his charming little grin perhaps...or maybe the fact that he is the sweetest little thing I've ever known..there's not a single bad bone in his body.

So there I was, turning the car around to head back to Micky-D's to get him "one gross thing". As I pulled into the parking lot I caught myself looking around to make sure no one I knew might catch a glimpse of me buying my child this godforsaken food:). Like I was a horrible parent or something.

As my child devoured the tiny cheeseburger in the back seat, I couldn't help but grin at his enjoyment. And the price wasn't bad either. $2 for lunch, you can't beat that.

So there it is, my middle child has now eaten at McDonalds....I think we're truly Americans now.

Here We Go!

2008-08-24T17:30:00.000-07:00

This is the beginning of my blogging. A new world for me, but something I feel I need to do. For my sanity:), your ammusment, and to celebrate my crazy life as a wife, mommy, friend, and animal fanatic...writing about how I make them all work together for good;). Welcome to my very unreligious, uncensored thoughts.

So here we go!!!!!

I'm a wife to my inhumanly (is that a word?) loving husband. I honestly don't understand how absolutely disgustingly perfect he is. My only explanation is that God designed him to love me, only me. To love every single cell of my being, and at all times. I'm telling you, this man is amazing. He knows what I'm thinking before I say it, and is always open minded, open hearted and ready to listen. He gives the best advice, and ALWAYS has an answer to any question...whether it be about politics, love, or parenting..he knows his stuff. He's a walking dictionary (which totally sucks when making a bet on a definition of a word, he's always right), and he can tell you anything you want to know about anything in the Bible.

Before I met him, I made a "list" of the things I wanted in my future husband. On our first date it was as if he had stolen my list and memorized everything, almost purposely going down the check list for me. I couldn't believe it, it was a miracle:). At that moment, no one could convince me that God doesn't give us what we want. That He doesn't want us to have the desires of our hearts. He made my man with every detail of what my heart wanted. (and what my eyes wanted too!) Don't get me wrong, I'm vain:), I had specific physical details on my list.

During our courtship (I hate that word, but for shits and giggles I get to use it, it's my blog anyway!) I felt like a complete spoiled Daddy's girl. (God being my Daddy of course) He gave me everything on my "man list" and to this day, still surprises me with new exciting things about my husband. He shows me more layers that he has hidden for my enjoyment:).

So thats the beginning. The forward for my blog. We have three beautiful boys, rowdy boys. They love life and are full of life. They make my life crazy and insanely fun. This is our life.

Last night Liam and Nate went to the Monster Truck show with Daddy. This afternoon they went to see the Backyardigans with my mom and dad. From Monster Trucks to Backyardigans, thats how we roll.:)

Nate informed us that the Backyardigans are for 4 years olds, and since he's 7, he's WAY too old to be watching them....but being the sweetie that he is, he went along for the ride and actually seemed to enjoy himself. Go figure....

Evan and I are absolutely exhausted because we just got a new dog who insists on pacing through the house at night. He obviously thinks we can't handle things on our own, he needs to be aware at all moments...incredibly irritating to say the least.

Finally we decided that something needs to be done about this, we can't spend our days exhausted when we have three little bodies scurrying all around us constantly needing something. Evan decided he's going to tie the dog to his arm and have him sleep next to him on the floor by the bed.:) uummmm....I think we may have to just invest in a new dog crate...

So here I go...put the boys in the bath, feed the baby, walk the dogs, maybe even have an extra minute to check email or ooohhh facebook!:) All this in the next hour....here we go....