First Chapter to Breaking Dawn

So- today the special edition Eclipse came out. In it, is the first chapter to breaking dawn! Someone typed it up online- here is the link:
http://www.mediafire.com/?wnzj1121mli

there are a few typos in it- but it appears to be the real deal. I know it is because stephenie meyer released a preview to the first chapter last night, and it is right. Does that make sense at all?!!!!!!!!! Well anyway- enjoy!

My paper on how the food pyramid must be CHANGED!

Here it is- it's not exactly everything I hoped it to be, but that always seems to be the case. It's long so I don't expect EVERYONE to read it. But I assure you, it's a great read:) hhee. Just joking. Anyway, it's formated in MLA style, so there are a lot of things in parentheses you may be confused about, just don't worry about that. I'll put my sources too at the bottom incase you don't trust me. Oh, and when I copied and pasted, I think that a few formating things like indentations of paragraphs changed, so don't worry- it looked good when I turned it in, blogger just changed it a bit and I'm too lazy to go through and fix it.

A Long Needed Change

In a world where so many options are available, and so many viewpoints are openly given, humans are easily confused. In academics and scientific reasoning, the one “safe” research guide is anything to do with the government. The government is thought to be a safe route because Americans, at least, are born to believe that they can rely on their government to help keep them safe. Americans should have the relief that one area of their lives is consistent and safe to count on. They shouldn’t have to worry if their government is promoting things that could possibly kill them. The truth is: Americans should worry.

The government is currently, and has been for years, promoting something that causes cancer. The horrible thing is that it’s not a seldom consumption that may get one or two people. It is a daily consumption that we are encouraged to have at least three times a day! Does “3-a-day of Dairy” sound familiar? Do you ever look at the food pyramid to confirm that you’re eating a well balanced diet? Unfortunately, these government recommendations are leading you and your loved ones to an early death, and putting dollars into these officials’ pockets. What needs to be done? These dietary guidelines need to be modified.

Currently, the government is recommending three cups of dairy and five to six ounces of meat and beans per day (www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid). According to MyPyramid.com, a small hamburger is two to three ounces. This means that someone could eat two to three hamburgers a day, with a cup of milk per burger, and still be within the guidelines of the government’s recommendations. The government website recommending these servings does advocate lean and low-fat foods, but it also encourages large amounts of protein and servings of meat and dairy. Did it ever occur to the government that we are the only mammals on earth that drink another mammal’s milk? All mammals except humans are eventually weaned off of their mother’s milk at a very young age. They then, of course, move on to solid foods. Humans, on the other hand, wean off of their human mother’s milk at a young age, but then move onto a completely different mammal’s milk. Is this natural? Do we ever stop to wonder why so many humans are lactose intolerant? We might lean towards the fact that humans aren’t naturally able to digest mammal’s milk beyond childhood. We might also lean towards the numerous studies that give evidence of the damage milk can actually do.

Many studies have been done, and ignored, by credible scientists that prove the fact that animal-based foods such as dairy and meat cause cancer and chronic diseases. Americans are dying on a daily basis because of them. Dr. T. Colin Campbell, author of over 300 research papers and receiver of over seventy grant-years of peer-reviewed research funding and author of “The China Study”, led a study based on the link between nutrition and cancer within the survey of 65 counties, 130 villages and 6,500 adults and their families resulting in over 8,000 statistically significant correlations. Campbell explains part of the study,

We organized a very large study of several hundred rats and examined tumor formation over their lifetimes using several different approaches…Animals switched from a high-protein to a low-protein diet had significantly less tumor growth (35%-40% less!) than animals fed a high-protein diet. Animals switched from a low-protein diet to a high-protein diet halfway through their lifetime started growing tumors again (61).

This study helped prove that high protein diets created and sped the process of tumor growth. This alone should change the nutritional recommendations made by the government. Campbell goes on to say that “nutritional manipulation can turn cancer “on” and “off”,” (62). Did anyone ever stop to think that nutrition alone could save the 550,000 people who died of cancer in the United States last year (www.cancer.org)? Campbell goes further in specifying that, “Nutrients from animal-based foods increased tumor development while nutrients from plant-based foods decreased tumor development” (66). This study was thorough with tremendous statistically significant evidence to prove that animal-based protein is the leading cause of cancer.

Additional studies have shown that consumption of milk in certain areas strongly correlates with cancer. Ganmaa Davaasambuu, MD, PhD, physician, scientist and research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health reported, “In the past 50 years in Japan, rising rates of dairy consumption are linked with rising death rates from prostate cancer - from near zero per 100,000 five decades ago to 7 per 100,000 today" (4). Neal R. Barnard, M.D. wrote on “The Cancer Project”,

Dairy product consumption has been consistently associated with prostate cancer mortality. The largest and most recent of these, based on World Health Organization mortality figures for 1985-1989 from 59 countries and United Nations food balance data for 1979-1981, reported a strong correlation between per capita milk consumption and prostate cancer mortality (r = 0.78, P<0.0001)>

Why have these studies been ignored? Why is our government still recommending such an enormous amount of meat and dairy protein consumption? Like many sore subjects, the answer is: money.

Many people don’t understand that there is an extreme conflict of interest in the process by which the food pyramid is created. Currently, the government is required to buy, store and dispose of any dairy product that isn’t sold (healthydairyindustry.org). Is this not a conflict of interest? The less Americans consume of dairy, the more the government has to spend to dispose of it. According to Dairy Farming Today,

Dairy is the number one agricultural business in California, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania, Idaho, Michigan, New Mexico, Vermont, and Maine. In California alone, dairy is a $31 billion industry employing 400,000-plus people. (5).

With such an effect on the economy, it isn’t surprising how strongly the government pumps dairy consumption. Yes, the economy is important, but are human lives not?

When the most recent report from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans committee was established the committee had a chairman who was also over the Food Guide Pyramid, the Food Stamp Program, and the Women, Infants and Children Supplemental Feeding Program (WIC). When revising the Dietary Guidelines, the committee hears from several heads of food industries including the National Dairy Council (OMB Watch). These food industries are contributing in the recommendations for the American diet. How is this right? Can’t you see the National Dairy Council pushing for more servings of milk per day? What is needed, is a council of objective professional nutritionists, involved in no such food industry, to come up with the healthiest guidelines for Americans. Yet, who has America had on the committees we rely on for a healthy recommendation? A committee in which six out of eleven members had ties, such as being a consultant, to the dairy industry (Campbell 312)!

A common misconception is that without dairy and meat, we aren’t getting enough protein. This is false. The studies done by Dr. T. Colin Campbell, and multiple other nutritional scientists have shown that protein intake by Americans is far and away too much. Many dairy and meat products can be substituted in order to get the proper amount of protein. Milk can be replaced by soy or rice milk. Butter can be replaced by canola oil or vegetable broth (www.womenfitness.net). A good meat substitute is legumes. “Beans, peas, lentils, and peanuts are collectively known as legumes, which are plants that have pods with tidy rows of seeds inside…Legumes have many of the nutrients recognized as important in preventing heart disease, cancer, obesity, and other chronic diseases” (www.med.umich.edu). Legumes are a better option all around because they have less fat and more fiber.

Many people may learn the truth about animal-based foods and think, “But it’s so good!” This is true. Meat is delicious, it makes you feel good. This can be compared to the people that make the same excuses for cigarettes. No one is trying to control America’s agency to choose what to consume. It isn’t illegal to smoke cigarettes, but there are now warning labels on the packs themselves. The same change needs to occur for animal-based foods. Not only do warnings need to occur, but the government’s recommendations of animal-based food consumption needs to stop. Also, the dietary guideline committees need to be objective nutritionists, not biased investors. People are always going to consume what they wish, but they do have a right to know the consequences to their bodies when they consume these products.

The fact is, America deserves a trusted source of what to eat and why. The sources we have today, The Food Pyramid Guide, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the USDA, are all disregarding the tremendous amounts of evidence showing that animal-based foods cause cancer. How can we trust these committees when they are all conflicted in interest? If this is what our nation’s dietary guidelines have been set on, which they have, the dietary guidelines need to be changed. Could this hurt the economy? Yes. Could this outrage America? Possibly. Could this save lives? Most definitely.

Bibliography

American Cancer Society. 2007. 26 May 2008. .

Barnard, Neal D. "Eating Meat Is Unhealthy." Opposing Viewpoints: Health and Fitness. Ed. Scott Barbour and Karin L. Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Brigham Young University - Idaho. 30 May 2008. &tabID=T010&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ3010141213&source=gale&srcprod= VRC&userGroupName=byuidaho&version=1.0>.

Barnard, Neal D. “Milk Consumption and Prostate Cancer”. 26 May 2008. <http://www.cancerproject.org/diet_cancer/diet/prostate_dairy.php>.

Campbell, T. Colin; and Thomas M. Campbell II. The China Study. Dallas: Yeffeth, 2005.

Insuring a Healthy US Dairy Industry. 2007. IDFA. 26 May 2008. <http://www.healthydairyindustry.org/current_programs.html>.

Is Drinking Milk Healthy For Humans? 29 May 2008. ProCon.org. 26 May 2008. <http://www.milkprocon.org/>.

OMB Watch. 4 Oct. 2004. 29 May 2008. <http://www.ombwatch.org/article/articleview/2435/1/235?TopicID=1>.

United States Department of Agriculture. 2008. 26 May 2008. .

University of Michigan Integrative Medicine. 2006. University of Michigan. 26 May 2008. .

Women Fitness. 2008. 26 May 2008. <http://www.womenfitness.net/vegan_diet_wtloss.htm>.

New Backround

Yeah- I really like the design, I'm just not sure. I'm trying it out. I don't like how it doesn't cover the whole screen. I still like it. We'll see, don't be surprised if I change it up a bit.

Hello

Well, I am ever so happy that we had this memorial day weekend. I NEEDED IT! Saturday, we weren't even planning on it- BUT- we started just cleaning up, and both of us got in these HUGE projects and we ended up doing a MAJOR spring clean! We got rid of TONS of stuff we don't ever wear or use and it was GREAT! We rearranged our room, and just cleaned a bunch up. It was great. We seriously worked from like 10:30am to 7:00pm...or something like that. We stopped once for crepes, but other than that, NOTHIN! We were just so determined.

Today I have been trying to write my dang persuasive paper on how the dietary guidelines the government recommends to us needs to be CHANGED. You know- the food pyramid, all that jazz. It's been rough. I love reading about this stuff, but I just hate the deadline. It's due friday, but a rough draft is due wends for my peers to look over. Lovely. Reading about a lot of this has also caused me to feel like the whole thing is a conspiracy. I have suddenly become one of those conspiracy theorists:) I just feel like the pharmaceutical business is out to get us and YES, some medicine is GREAT! I'm so glad we have so much modern medicine to help some things in life, BUT! I also think that this is why we aren't told so many natural ways to rid ourselves of cancer and diseases. BECAUSE OF MONEY! Of course they know nutrition manipulation can cause cancer, they thrive on it. Do I sound horrible? Well- I feel this way, believe it or not. I feel like they want us to get diseases so they can make money off of it- horrible, I know. Anyway, they also know that the food they are selling us causes cancer, but they of course don't care because they are making money off of the food we are buying! AH! Anyway....stay tuned for my final paper:)

The job is fine. There just isn't much structure to it, which I need. I keep saying things like..uh, okay, I don't really know where to go from here...and then they are like- uhmmm..hmmm...well, Okay, how about you do this now. It's like...I just need a system okay? UGH! I would love it if they would just have me filing papers or something. I'm just sick of wondering what's coming next. It's not a hard job and I am doing fine, it's just a little irritating that I don't know really where my work is heading towards- if that makes sense.

We watched "Mad Money". We both actually liked it a lot! Surprising. I thought Katie Holmes was HILARIOUS! I loved her character. They were all great, really. I don't know- I think there were a few little comments here and there about you know what, but it wasn't the focus of the movie or anything. And there were no scenes where you thought, YIKES! SKIP THE SCENE! Ya know? Anyway- it was just fun. Clay thought it would be way stupid, but he ended up enjoying it. When he reads this he'll be like- "Hun, I didn't LOVE IT- you made it sound like I LOVED it" And I'll say, "NO I didn't. I said that you enjoyed it- you did, you told me you did." and he'll say something like, "well I didn't like it like YOU liked it." You know? This always happens. I just thought I'd demonstrate the conversation so there are no mixed signals of how Clay actually liked the movie:)

Alright- I think I might go paint my dresser now. LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I seriously look at my calendar ALL the time by the way, looking towards the reunion. I am so excited. Oh yeah- if anyone is wondering, we are going to leave in time to get to the reunion thursday night, and then go to the coast after the reunion and leave on the following monday (August 4th) so we will be staying a WHOLE WEEK at the coast- oh joy!

YES!

Our neverending disaster of a fridge is finally GONE! They bought us a BRAND NEW fridge!!!!! We are so so sooOOOOO happy! It actually has 2 compartments for the freezer and the fridge and it is WAY bigger- the freezer especially. It has special things like a little drawer for cheese and stuff. It just looks great, has normal knobs on the inside to adjust if needs be- the freezer doesn't form ice on the sides to completely ruin everything- it's not HORRIBLY loud! It's heaven! I keep looking over at it. It's just so beautiful. Really, it is. I now love our apartment again. Ah:) By the way- you will look at it and think- they have like no food. Well, believe it or not, the amount in our freezer, completely FILLED our previous freezer box, and I haven't been grocery shopping in a while because all our food was spoiling in our fridge, go figure, and so I didn't want to keep buying food for it to go bad. Trust me- we eat. Okay? I just had to share!

I love the whiteness of it. And how non-anciet/golden looking it is.

Another GREAT thing that has happened- Clay made dinner Monday AND Tuesday! That is a record! Monday he made chili burritos (heated chili and placed it in soft tortillas- simple, but good:)), Tuesday he impressed me by making Italian beef Calzones (don't know the proper spelling. They were way good! I was way proud of him. He looked up the recipe all by himself on the internet, went to the store and got the ingredients and made it ALL ON HIS OWN! Awesome huh? Such a sweety. It is so wierd having this role reversal deal here. Usually he is the one working and I am the one impressing him with meals. We talked about that last night during dinner and both thought it was different, but felt like the right thing at the time.

School, thank goodness, is going by pretty quickly. It is almost midterms! I can't tell you how happy I'll be when this semester is over. I will have an entire 6-7 week break with NO SCHOOL! Oh, it will be bliss. It is especially hard going to school and working. I know I've only been doing it for 3 days, so it will most likely get better, but right now I am struggling. I am used to going to school, working hard on homework and then having time to rest and do what I want. NOW- I go to school, go to work, eat, am exhausted, and have to force myself to do homework. Then, of course, as you can tell and are probably thinking, I "make" time to do what I want, like blogging, when in reality- I need to be doing homework. I still have tons more. Oh well. I've decided to look at life like this: do what I need to, to keep myself sane. Also, I've decided that school, though important, is NOT everything. I can't count how many times my teachers have told me this semester that Accounting really doesn't matter. It's not important. I know that, but you know- it's hard not to get all caught up in school making it your life. I decided that I need to live a life, with school in it. Not live a life of school. Does that make sense? I am just dreaming of my graduation day. I will probably cry. Of happiness. Not one note of sadness, I can assure you.

Alright- love you all!

P.S.

I forgot this note- Don't forget to see my newest post- anyway- I have been thinking of chopping my hair- not like medium length, I don't like that length on me- I mean shorty short short. Opinions?

Weeked and job update!

Here are some pics from our picnic with the Leslies- it was SO FUN! Everytime we get together I always think, 'Man we need to get together more often'. I always have so much fun. We had a blast playing soccer, kickball, frisbee, a little basketball, swings, and lots more. Of course, eating as well! The girls are so adorable.

This is so sad that her eyes are closed because it would be such a perfect picture if they were open. I still thought it was way cute so I included it anyway:)

Anna was always quick to pose- she's such a sweety.

My sexy man.

Gracie would NEVER smile for me. I said, "Smile gracie!" and she would nod, with a straight face. Oh bother. This was the best I could get of her and Rebecca.

Clay, Me and Anna playing soccer. Clay was being bad and running a lot, but thank goodness, he didn't suffer too much afterwards.

Sisters. So cute.


Darin and Clay playing basketball.


Well, to update- it seems all of you wanted to know- Prince Caspian was AWESOME! Oh, we both loved it so so much. We loved the first as well though, so if you don't like the first, I don't know that you'd like the second. I think we both liked the second more though. I don't know I can't decide- but I definitely think there was way more symbolism in this one and Clay said that he liked this one more because, I quote:"there is more violence". Spoken by a true man. Sheesh. Anyway- he said it was more realistic. I loved it!


We saw Iron Man too. Though there were a few scenes in the beginning I didn't care to see, it was very entertaining and we both liked it. I think Clay more so LOVED it than liked it, I'm sure you can guess why. It was definitely cool though. The whole movie going was especially wondrous being that we paid one dollar for both- only because I had to have candy AND popcorn:)


I have started the Host. I like it a lot so far. I can barely find time to read it anymore, though I could read it right now- I am choosing to blog.


I have also started the China Study. I also am enjoying this one. Though it is more difficult to read, it is probably way more useful to my life. I am doing a paper in my persuasion class on why the Food pyramid needs to be modified. Things like that. You know- animal-based foods cause cancer, that whole basis. I know a lot of people reading my blog are thinking, are you a psycho? Well, no. I'm not. You will see. I will post my paper when I'm done- WHICH by the way, I haven't even started....ughhhh.

OH- my job! I started today. It went well. Not much to report.

Life is good, we feel that we are blessed time and time again. Clay seems to be improving, we are just realizing that this is a slow slow process, but we definitely know we are getting somewhere.

Well, that's it. Love you all!!!!

Job

I got the job! It will be awesome. Guess what? It's $10.50/hour!!!!!!! If you don't know this, that is WAY WAY good for Rexburg. I am way excited! My title will be an "Insurance Examiner", I think. They were asking for 20+ hours per week and I can only give them 19 per week and they knew that but they STILL wanted me! I don't me to brag, I am just way happy and feel so so blessed! I won't ever work past 5:00 and don't work weekends! I feel so blessed and just wanted to tell you!!!

YO!

I don't really like having to come up wiht titles....so, you are subject to my silliness.

It is FRIDAY and I am SO HAPPY about that! YAY! This weekend is going to be the best ever. Why? Full of events! Tonight, we are going to see "CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN"!!!!!!!!!!!!! YESSSSSSSS! Clay and I watched the first one this week and are way pumped. I absolutely LOVE the first one, it is so sweet, so loving, so symbolic and just plain entertaining. It is really great for us because we aren't paying. Why? Because Clay's amazing mom and dad are sharing their gift card with us that they have for the big theater! I am sooo excited. You might be thinking- sheesh, it's just a movie. Well, it is more than that. Much more. Do you realize the last time I was in the big theater was like...a long time ago? We just NEVER go- we always have to wait until it's out on rent. SOMEtimes we go to the little theater...SOMEtimes. Anyway, we are going to the real deal and seeing a NEW movie on OPENING DAY! I just love the entire experience of going to the movies. The loud surround sound, the previews (YES! I just realized I'd be seeing all new previews!!! I love that part almost more than the actual movie), popcorn, seeing everything for the first time, especially before someone gets a chance to talk it up or down, getting in with the crowds gasps and tears, the whole experience is just lovely.

SO- that is tonight, yes! Tomorrow, we are going to Rebeccas turf to have a picnic! If we are talking lovely, that is defintely it. I am so excited to see rebecca and the girls and of course, darin. Rebecca has been such a good big sister to me while I've been here. I'm so grateful to have her around. That will be way fun. THEN- later that evening, we are going to see yet, another movie! Yes! At the big theater! I kind of wish we were spreading it out a bit, but we aren't. I have a gift card to the big theater that I got from the Amazing Amanda. Also, one of the most generous beings I've come to know- Clay's whole family is just like...one of a kind. Anyway, so we are going with our friends to see IRON MAN! Ha, exciting. I have to admit, I too think it looks good- probably not as much as Clay and Lance (friend) but it looks very entertaining. Then we will come back and play some MarioCart on the Wii (Lance and Leanna, our friends just got that and love it), maybe do some dinner too. I don't know. BUT- overall that is a great day! Then Sunday we will have church, and we will have our Stake Presidency interview for our temple reccomends- thank goodness, and tuesday we will go to the temple! I'm way excited for that too. That isn't part of the weekend though- oh well.

I know I am spending a lot of time on entertainment...but...it just worked out that way. Unfortunate, but I'm still excited!!!

So I've been looking for a job. I know, depressing. I interviewed for one and they totally loved me, but they had to interview more people who they very well could've loved as well. I'm thinking about applying at the DI but I'm not sure. I haven't decided. We'll see. I'll probably see if this job offers me a job and see how much it pays. If it not much more than DI, I'll probalby stick with DI because DI is a LOT more laid back than this other job, and more flexible hours. Jenni and Steph got jobs at DI, and Jenni said she gets the impression they are always hiring. So, we'll see. Anyway- I'm not excited to be working, but I am excited to have money coming into our bank account again. You know how it is.

School is going well- I have been getting decent grades on my tests and I haven't felt too overwhelmed. Hopefully that continues.

I don't think I have much else to say. OH YEAH- okay. We complained to our managers about our stinking fridge. I told her EVERYTHING. I defrosted it, frost came back the very same day, the fridge part is freezing things, then thawing, the freezer drips all over our food, the freezer FREEZER-BURNS all our food, and consequensly RUINS all our food. I told her all this in a nice but firm way. I dont' like getting mad at the managers, it's not their fault. So she says she'll call right away. I never hear back from her for days, so I go back and she says that he said to defrost it. HELLO! I ALREADY DID THAT! I told her I did, and she said, ummm well I'll tell him that but I'd do it anyway so that he's happy when he comes and looks at it again. Um....okay. LIKE I want to make that cheap man happy. Well, we did it anyway. We got like ALL the ice off. It was clear as day. Clay said that the second he plugged the fridge back in, the freezer got WAY cold WAY fast. Ugh. We can't even control the temp of the freezer. The Fridge he turned down more. BLAH! Can I tell you how excited I am to be making enough money to have my own home and enough money to buy my own fridge? UGH. AND, not having thin walls where you can hear everything, EVERYTHING that your neighbor is doing next door? ughhhhhhhhhhh. If we weren't moving in less than a year I might consider moving to a different apt. I really do love the layout and the personality of it, but some things are starting to get on my NERVES! Of course, I am way blessed to even have a roof over my head, and water and food, even if it is ruined. So I really shouldn't complain. Though, we have worked hard for our money, and are paying for this. It's a tossup. Maybe I do deserve to complain:)

Alright. If any of you are still reading- I miss you all so much. I am SOOOOOOOOOOO excited for the reunion (not to say that I don't miss all you that wont be at the reunion- I do, really.) Oh yeah- I was talking to Amy about this. YOu know the movie "Dan in Real Life"? Well, I think we need to adopt one of their activities at our reunion. You know the part where they all go out infront of the house and do exercises together? WE DEFINITELY need to do that! That was the first think I thought of when I saw it. US. Jake can teach us Yoga, Megan can teach us salsa, I can do something, I don't know, Amy can do contemporary:) and so on. It'd be so fun. Okay, anyway- love you all!!!!!!!!!!!

PS- if there are typos, exuse me. I'm doing this at school and it isn't underlining anything and the keyboard is kind of sticky.

Twilight!

I'm so excited. The preview music makes it look all creepy.

"The host" came out yesterday. I will probably read it once I'm finished reading the book I'm currently reading. I will, of course, update you all once I've read it!

Stupid fridge, Food, Lizard, Clay's gone............

Alright. I'm actually going to go backwards! So Clay is gone. For 2 WHOLE NIGHTS! Now some of you who have been married longer than us might be laughing at me but we never are away from each other! I think maybe 1 night we've been away from each other! OH- I just remembered! This whole time I've been remembering some time when I had to of been away longer than a night because I left notes all over the place for Clay. I JUST remembered! I guess we have been away from each other 2 nights before- when I went to Lagoon with the Leslies. Anyway, it isn't normal. And I've never been alone for 2 nights without him. So....why is he gone? His stupid class this semester is going on a camping trip so they can better unite with their teams. StUPID! Oh well. I decided I can get all my homework done, get the house clean, and read and watch gilmore girls! hehehe.

Lizard. According to Clay, I am turning into one. This is the deal- my right hand is drying up like mad. It looks bad. I tried taking a picture but you know how flashes are and I don't know how to work cameras that well so I couldn't get it to really show what it looks like. WELL- It's ridiculous! (every time I type or say ridiculous I think of Harry Potter) My left hand isn't dry. Only my right hand. You might ask- have you done anything strange lately? NO! All things normal. This happened once before. It went away. I decided I'll just do the same. Clay told me I needed to get some heavy hand cream to help it. I said it's a waste of money. He said I need it before I turn into a lizard. Oh dear.

Food. I am taking a foods class and have made suckers, fruit pizza, vegetable pie, and today we made salads! I made spinach salad and it was delish! We made some dressing too. I should've taken pictures. Anyway- I am loving my foods class. Unfortunately it's only once a week.
This wasn't made in my foods class. This is the penut butter swirl brownies I told you about. Please try them! They are divine! Truly, truly devine. And they are very thick so they last a while. (Meaning...Arnold's- you probably wouldn't eat the same size piece as normal brownies-4"x4", these brownies I usually eat about the size of what normal people serve for normal brownies- make sense?) They are so delicious. Here is the link:
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/peanut-butter-swirl-brownies?autonomy_kw=penut%20butter%20swirl%20brownies&rsc=header_1

Now, what could clay possibly be doing here? I'll tell you- we have a fridge from the stone age. Our freezer gains all this ice on the sides and creates freezer burn on EVERYTHING! Ruins everything, etc etc. Well- mom told us that we need to melt the ice- it's not supposed to be there. WELL- we did. Much more food fit in, ice already formed that day- but everything seemed okay. UNTIL- our freaking fridge froze everything in our fridge part! Yes. I went to go eat carrots, FROZEN! UGHHHHHHHHHHHHH I am so sick of this. We are going to talk to our managers because these are the kind of things that RUIN food. We don't have billions of dollars and the world shouldn't waste food anyway. How annoying.

Well, that's about it. Love you all!

Some extra pics

Lizzie sent me a disc with the pictures from when we were there. There were a few cute ones she didn't include that I wanted to post. I don't mean to post a bunch of us...but you know, I like them!



This is actually pretty funny. Tanner was watching a romantic comedy with us (lizzie and shad were on the couch behind us) and whenever we laughed, tanner forced a really loud laugh. It was so cute. He was so funny. He laughed at all the right times as well as the wrong times. hahaha. He just wanted to join in on the fun. We loved it. He was so cute and snuggly with Clay too. Clay told me once when they were playing, Tanner gave him a big hard kiss on the cheek out of no where and then hurried and pulled his head back in surprise with his hand over his mouth. Clay said he's pretty sure it was because his face was scruffy and it kind of scratched him. He said that Tanner just smiled though. So cute.

On a lighter note

The sky is bluer today. YES! Still cold. Why is it so cold everywhere? Life is a lot better. I am still stressed all the time about school- BUT- I started my period so all is much better. Ha- too much details? The fact is, mostly women read this- and if you're a man you probably belong to my family, MEANING, you are used to too many details:) I think I was suffering from some severe PMS when I wrote my last post.

I take my first test of the semester tomorrow. It should be difficult. I am nervous, but slightly excited in hopes that I do well. I am weird like that. I have no idea though. It is the hardest class in the world. I will have to be studying like MAJOR for it.

I decided to drop my home decor sewing class. I was way excited for it, but i just had too big of a load. I will take it next semester probably. Wanna hear something sad but kind of funny? I forgot to go to it. The class. On monday, I was driving to my afternoon class and thought, oh I'm excited for Home decor. Then I suddenly thought- OH MY GOSH I FORGOT TO GO!!!! I've never done that before in my life. I kind of feel like it was meant to be though because it kind of pushed me in the direction to just drop it. It wouldn't be such a big deal but it was like the 3rd day of class. BUT, I was considering before that dropping a class and decided I needed to. I felt SO relieved once I clicked DROP.

When I thought I was taking the home decor class, I ordered a bunch of catalogs because we had to make a portfolio with home decor pictures and stuff. So I got a PotteryBarnKids catalog and decided I am way excited to have a BOY so that I can decorate his room. I was inspired by this picture:
Look at it up close. I LOVE the sheets. Obviously it'd be a little different because it will be a baby at first, but I am SO EXCITED! I want it to be ALL ANIMAL themed. Then I got super excited because Clay LOVES animals meaning he'd LOVE it! It'll be perfect! I want to like paint little animals on canvases and I am just so excited! It's funny because I don't even want some of those things in that picture- like the top cover, it's okay but not the best. I really just got inspired from this whole idea. I love love love the sheets though. Isn't that little basket cute too? Anyway. I'm getting way ahead of myself here, but isn't it such a cute idea? I know it wasn't MY idea, many people have had animal themed baby rooms before but I just had never considered it. I'm just so excited to have a house to decorate.

Alright. That's all for now. Off to studying. Love ya!