The invention of the "selfie"

My fourth son is FULL OF IT!  I'm telling you.  Oh BOY did this boy give me a run for my money as a toddler.  AND...he still does sometimes.  Haha! He is very inquisitive.  Curious. Mischievous. Active. Funny. A trickster. He can also be sweet, good, kind and thoughtful.  Thankfully.

This morning we were looking at a framed picture of two people standing by a waterfall.  He asked, "Did they use a REALLY BIG selfie stick?" I couldn't help but laugh and say, "No, those weren't invented back then."  He replied, "Really?" with an inquisitive look on his silly face.  I explained that the selfie stick is something that is pretty new.  He asked, "Well, who took the picture?" I didn't have that answer for him.

Then he asked me who created the first selfie.  I told him that I didn't know, but I would find out.  I Googled it, of course.  I clicked on a link titled, Who Invented the Selfie.  It talked about how the word selfie is a slang term for a self portrait.  All of the sudden my mind was bombarded with memories of people holding up a "point and shoot" camera way out in front of them...attempting to capture a picture of themselves or more people...which was really difficult because you could not SEE the image you were capturing until you got your film developed.  Oh the days of the film camera!  I spent so much money on film!!

In the article it names Robert Cornelius as the first person to take a self portrait in 1839. My son thought that was pretty cool and he decided he needed to write down that information so he could share it at school.What a nut!

The article also states that the word "selfie" was chosen as the "Word of the Year 2013" by the Oxford English Dictionary.  I wonder if ANYONE could have guessed that there would be so much selfie taking when they invented the digital cameras and cell phones.  Probably not.

And, of course, my son thinks I grew up in the stone ages because we didn't have computers and cell phones...way...back...then.  GASP!  How did we ever survive!?!?

I find it a little bit disturbing that teenagers spend so much of their time taking selfies.  What's the purpose? It seems to place attention on oneself instead of focusing outward on others.  The "Selfies" I enjoy most are the ones including multiple people.  So, technically is wouldn't be a selfie.  Since it's more than once person.

These selfies are... capturing a moment with someone else.

A sweet moment with my sweet girl!

Showing my son how to take a selfie.

My son's turn to try.  Not bad for his first time.  ;)

And last, but not least...a group shot with Sister Cox who came to share a spiritual message with us tonight.  These are the kinds of moments where a "selfie" is a fantastic idea.

We are blessed!

Blessings.  If we take the time to really ponder on our blessed lives, to truly count each one, I think we would be surprised at how blessed we truly are.

I've been thinking about how blessed we are recently.  Not because Thanksgiving is coming.  Not because Christmas is around the corner.  I've been thinking about it because life has been really hard lately.  That's not so say that others don't have it much more difficult than we do.  There are many with harder, more testing trials than I have right now.  But life can be tough. And when it is tough it seems that we are more humble, maybe, and more aware of the little blessings that are constantly pouring down on us from Heaven.

I listened to a wonderful speaker recently who spoke of blessings.  Some of his words have really stayed with me.  (You can find the full talk here.)

"Being grateful in our circumstances is an act of faith in God. It requires that we trust God and hope for things we may not see but which are true.8 By being grateful, we follow the example of our beloved Savior, who said, “Not my will, but thine, be done.”9

True gratitude is an expression of hope and testimony. It comes from acknowledging that we do not always understand the trials of life but trusting that one day we will."

There have been many times when it would have been easier to simply be angry.  Angry with everyone and everything.  Angry at the world.  But I learned that I would never find happiness unless I found a way to be happy in any circumstance. There are still times when it's difficult. Living in Texas for a year was a very trying time for us. At the same time, we can see many blessings that came from it.

"Part of our challenge is, I think, that we imagine that God has all of His blessings locked in a huge cloud up in heaven, refusing to give them to us unless we comply with some strict, paternalistic requirements He has set up. But the commandments aren’t like that at all. In reality, Heavenly Father is constantly raining blessings upon us. It is our fear, doubt, and sin that, like an umbrella, block these blessings from reaching us.

His commandments are the loving instructions and the divine help for us to close the umbrella so we can receive the shower of heavenly blessings." Dieter F Uctdorf's talk.

Yesterday I was pondering the many blessings in our lives right now.  Our 15 year old son shot his first deer.  It was an exciting afternoon in our house.

But first I need to tell the back story.  The boys and my husband got up at 6 am and got ready to hunt.  It was raining out so they had to postpone until the rain stopped.  The boys finished chores and asked permission to get out their laptops to play a game.  I gave permission before realizing that the rain had stopped and they could finally go out. When I realized the rain had stopped and their Papa was ready to take them and their dad out hunting I told them they needed to put the laptops away.  They were angry.  They fought with me and were grumpy because they had to quit their game.  I promised them that if they changed their attitude and went out hunting they could play their game when they got home.  But if they chose to stay home they could sit on their beds and be grumpy.  They chose to go. And they are so thankful they did!

Not only was it a thrill, a rush, an awesome experience...it is a blessing.  Our son just provided more meat for our family for the winter. He learned that he CAN in fact sit quietly and wait and watch and hit his target.  He is so happy.

Even though life is tough at times we need to remember that Heavenly Father is watching over us.  He WANTS us to be happy.  He is blessing us.  As we strive to be good people and follow Him, He will continue to bless us.

Red Cup Hullabaloo

This morning I was pondering all the chaos and craziness that is spreading across Facebook, and I imagine other social media as well.  In fact, I had NO idea what in the world people were talking about.  What's the deal with Starbucks red cup?  I decided to look it up.

I read a little about it and watched a video that has gone viral, which I'll talk about later. Basically, as I understand it, Starbucks has brought out a two toned red coffee cup for the holidays.  They wanted their product to encompass all beliefs.

I am not a coffee drinker.  I never really have been.  Even still, my first thought was, "that's pretty". I'd drink a yummy hot chocolate from it. It's red. I like red.  I don't find it offensive.  It works for Autumn leaves, or Santa's suit, or Christmas or whatever you want it to be. There are no words on it.  There are no Christmas symbols.  And in my opinion, that's perfectly fine.  It's simply a red coffee cup.

In my reading and searching to figure out what all the hullabaloo was about, I found a link to a video created by a Christian man.  It all would have been just fine, parts of it were even a bit comical, except for this one part...he intended to offend Starbucks.

I can understand if people want to make these coffee cups "their own" when they purchase the product and have the Starbucks staff write "Merry Christmas" on it.  Heck, why not just bring a sharpie and write your personal message on the cup yourself.  But don't do it with the intention to offend.  Do it with the intention to spread "Christmas Cheer" or make others happy or to put a smile on someone's face.  Intentionally choose goodness!

Whatever you do each day...choose to be kind.  Choose goodness. Choose to be Christlike. Choose to be an example of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Spread happiness and kindness.

Satan loves to use little things like this to distract us from what is truly important.  And what IS truly important?  Goodness, happiness, kindness, LOVE, a loving Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ, family, friends,joy, peace, and serving one another.

Terrible, horrible, no good, awful chemicals in our food

It's an interesting thing, dealing with food allergies.  Our youngest daughter, almost 4, has intolerance to some foods, dyes and preservatives.  Once we got our daughter's allergies figured out she became outgoing and happy all the time.  Before figuring them out she would scream all the time. This isn't an over-exaggeration.    I stopped going places at night because, as an infant, she screamed horrible screams the entire ride. She cried almost constantly. She fussed all the time. She was a very unhappy baby.

As a younger toddler, 18 months-3 years, she was extremely clingy and refused to go to Nursery class at church almost every week. Most kids love being able to go play with toys and have snacks, but she didn't care.  After many months, she finally got more relaxed and comfortable just before she turned 3. Once she was 3 she was able to go the Sunbeams class.  That required that she sit through a 10 minute spiritual lesson called Sharing Time and about 30 minutes of singing time.  She was the ONLY child that did not adjust after a few weeks.  She constantly ran around the room. She refused to participate.  She climbed on my lap and snuggled.  She would dance and twirl, which sometimes sparked the other little girls to get up in front with her to twirl their skirts around.  It was cute and yet embarrassing too.

We had already figured out that she couldn't have gluten, food dyes, and dark colored clothing.  We also knew that she couldn't use soaps and lotions with dyes or gluten.  I switched to a calendula based diaper cream because the petroleum based creams caused her severe pain.

One day a friend sent me a link to a blog post about petroleum based food dyes and the preservatives that are also petroleum based and cause similar symptoms.  I read that and gasped!  The "treats" that we thought were okay might actually be causing problems.  I had to test it out; remove the preservatives and see how she responded.

When we eliminated gluten she became more happy.  People said she was like a new child.  When we removed food coloring she became even more happy. Again, people were shocked at how different she was. Then we removed the preservatives TBHQ and BHT.  The results were awesome! Just awesome!

I didn't think she could be any more happy, but I was wrong.  All of the sudden she was talking to people at church instead of screaming at them.  She climbed in peoples' laps instead of hiding behind me.  She smiled at people instead of growling at them.  It was fantastic!  Again, she was a NEW child! Or, in reality, she was allowed to escape her painful prison.  A prison no one knew was there.

Recently we had a few weeks where she became very sad and grouchy again.  There had been about 3 Sundays where she refused to go to class and she cried most of the time.  She became clingy and cranky.  I kept trying to link it to the weather because it had been rainy. The problem with that became clear when she was grouchy even on sunny bright beautiful days.  I was at a loss.

I began praying to know what was causing the problem because I have learned, over the years, that our moods can be directly linked to the foods we eat.  Food has a HUGE effect on us.  The answer to my prayer came as I pondered what we had been doing differently for food in the more recent past.  The Gluten free macaroni and cheese that I had been giving her from Walmart popped into my head,  She was begging for it almost daily. We purposely ran out of the macaroni and cheese and I told my husband that I was going to do an experiment to see if it was the cause. I thought maybe it was the annatto coloring.  I noticed that the annatto coloring was also in the Earth Balance butter that we use.  She had never had a bad experience with that before so before going crazy we just decided to see if it was something in the mac and cheese.

After about a week without this particular brand of mac and cheese her mood began to improve. It took approximately 2 weeks for the offending substance to leave her body and she began to be happy again.  We continue to use the Earth Balance butter with no issues.  What a relief!

I still don't know which ingredient caused the issue.  The list of ingredients on the Walmart Gluten free mac and cheese is rather long.  I didn't recognize MANY of the ingredients.  I should not have purchased it at all, but was trying to save money.  Ha!  This is why I don't like "crappy" ingredients or "junk" in my food.  Many of these ingredients aren't even food.  That's why I tend to purchase items with natural and minimally processed ingredients.  Ingredients that I can actually read and understand.  

And the joys of food allergies continue....

What I've Missed the Most

The things I have missed the most  about Maine...

1. chipmunks - they're so cute and tiny. I love how they scurry about.
2. the sweet smell of the woods - after being in cities for several years I have forgotten how wonderful the country smells.  It's a beautiful thing!  There is actually a sweetness to the air.
3. green - it's green everywhere and I love it!
4. rocks - I love the huge rocks all over the place. And the kids love them too.  They're great for climbing on and playing on and laying on and posing on.  Now I feel like Dr. Seuss...
5. lakes - they're so pretty and clean.  That might sound lame, but if you've lived in Missouri or Texas you know that their lakes are just NOT. Add to that...the drinking water is just delicious here too.  
6. hard work - there's a lot of hard work to be done.  I believe that learning to work hard is a very important part of life.  In the city my children did not learn to do work that is as hard as work here is.  I love seeing them try and succeed.
7. NO poisonous critters, bugs, or snakes - In Texas we had brown recluse spiders, black widow spiders, scorpions, fire ants, water moccasins, and who knows what else...maybe an alligator in the lake. Haha!  There was talk of one in the town we lived in. EEEK!  I never felt safe to let my kids explore.  Especially in Texas.  But here in Maine, they have found frogs, a red spotted newt (which is so stinking cool!), and harmless spiders.  I even found a really weird leaf bug on the road one day. That was a little creepy but cool at the same time.
They can dig in the dirt and not get stung by fire ants. They can lay on the lawn and roll around if that floats their boat.  Although, Colin needs to be cautious of bees now.  He got stung over the weekend and swelled up quite nicely.  Ooops!
8. Wildlife - It's everywhere.  And it's gorgeous! One day Colin and I saw a white tailed deer in the woods just watching us.  It was beautiful.
9. The ocean - It's simply amazing to take the family to the ocean to swim in frigid water, find crabs and other sea creatures, walk on the rocks along the shore, collect shells and rocks, feel the salty breeze and breath the salty air.  It's soothing for the soul.
10. Friends - There's nothing like going to the store and running into a friend you haven't seen in years. Or just being able to visit with old friends and catch up.  It makes my heart happy.
11. Family - It's an added bonus to be able to live close by to family.  They are all a blessing in our lives!

Count your blessings today.  See how blessed you truly are.

Vaccinations

Perusing a Parents magazine that arrived in the mail today I came across an article about vaccines.  I brace myself just in case.  There are so many ways to look at vaccines.  You never know what that next person you meet will think or feel about giving their child shots. It can turn into quite an uncomfortable conversation filled with differing views and opinions.

 

Unfortunately this article turned into one of those that made me shake my head.  Really?  I find it interesting that people can be so closed minded in this day and age. 

This is what it all boils down to, People, you do what’s best for your child. 

NO ONE can make these decisions for you.  Do I vaccinate or don’t I?  Are they safe?  Will my child have adverse reactions to something that is supposed to be helpful?   

The best thing I have ever done for my children is to be prayerful about what is best for them.  I do my research.  I ask questions. I talk to doctors.  I read information.  And then I prayerfully make a decision. 

I find it interesting that people get so angry at others for their differing choices. Sometimes I’d like to shake them until their vision clears and the ignorance dissipates.  Being different is what makes the world go ‘round. 

If I allowed another person to make a decision regarding my child they wouldn’t have the knowledge they need to make the most informed and best choice.  We know our own children and their needs more than anyone else can. 

If you feel strongly that your children need to be vaccinated…then you should follow those feelings.  If you feel that your child should only get certain vaccinations or should get them on a slower schedule…follow your instincts.  If you feel impressed that your children should not receive any vaccinations…hold your ground….stick to it and be firm in your choice. 

No matter how you feel about it remember to allow others the right to make their own choices for their families. Be supportive of those choices. 

Be kind and love each other.

Happy New Year 2015

The new year began without much excitement or anything extra special.  We stayed at home and enjoyed some calm, peaceful, quiet time with the family simply watching a movie and eating treats. We munched on popcorn.  We scarfed down party mix.  We sipped hot cocoa.  We snuggled on the couch.  As midnight drew closer, my husband and I realized we hadn't planned anything for that moment when the new year began.  He quickly got online and pulled up a countdown timer for our time zone and we began the countdown.  He started at 1 minute and 30 seconds but he quickly realized that was too long.  With ten seconds to go we began the count down; 10, 9, 8, 7, ...3, 2, 1...Happy New Year. A quick New Year's kiss and some small snappers to throw and we were all off to bed.

I know.  Exciting right!

I think as I age I realize there are different perspectives to every aspect of life.  The New Year celebration just didn't seem all that important to me this year.  As I thought about it I realized that it's not just the ringing in of the new year that matters.  It's about traditions. It's about new beginnings.  It's about a fresh start.  It's about new perspectives.

I don't normally make any New Year's resolutions.  Many times I find them daunting.  What if I can't or don't complete the goal?  What if I say I'm going to do something wonderful and it just doesn't happen? I want to believe I can do ANYTHING I set my mind to. But let's face it, life happens.  Sometimes those plans we have or those goals we set don't come to be because of circumstances beyond our control.  Being the perfectionist that I am, it's hard for me to accept not meeting my goals.  It's terrifying to think that I might fail.

A friend of mine posted a list of 10 things she wanted to accomplish this year. As I read her simple but awesome list I realized that in the past I have been setting myself up for failure.  Right then and there I decided that I would make a list of things that I truly, deeply want to accomplish, but that are attainable for ME.

This list might change.  This list might grow.  But it will be a guideline for my year.

Here are the goals I have so far:
1.Get down to and stay at my goal weight
2. Get more fit
3. Read my scriptures every day
4. Pray daily
5. Go sugar free for 4 weeks at least 2 times during the year
6. Go on more dates with my husband
7. Write
8. Read more often
9. Serve more
10. Find balance in life
11. Love more