Fathers Day

Today is Father's Day and I have to say that I am literally the most lucky wife and mother.  I married a man who is my equal partner in parenting.  He is the daddy of any child's dream.  This guy of mine is the best daddy to his 4 girls and a super hero to his son.

Eddie has been and continues to be a rock in our lives.  He has never missed a a field trip volunteering opportunity.  He attends every game, event, recital and performance.  He grocery shops, school clothes shops, cleans, cooks, does the dishes.  He combs hair and is mastering the french braid.  He wakes the girls to get their day started and puts them to bed at night with individual prayers , hugs and kisses.  He's up at 3 AM changing diapers and feeding babies.  He taxies the kids to all of their events.  Volunteers in class, both church and school.  He has been with me during every delivery, doctor visit, dental appointment and teacher conference.

I have been spoiled beyond my wildest dreams.  This is our normal.  This is our every day.  This is the way we have been able to raise our children.  Hand in hand, side by side.  We both take full responsibility for the wellbeing of our family, our children.  I am the mom and he is the dad, but there is no line of responsibility.  We are in this together.  I love him and am so thankful for this man in my life.

White Chicken Chili. AMAZING

I have to write this recipe down on my blog so that I can have it saved forever.  I had it up on my refrigerator, but my kids love playing with the magnets and I was just afraid that I would lose it.  So now anyone who stumbles upon my blog can have it too.  It is literally to DIE for.  Man, I just sounded like my mom.  Oh well.  Its worth it.

Here it is, April Daw's White Chicken Chili.  Thank you April!!!

2 Cans Costco Chicken.  This makes it easy, you can use 4 chicken breasts if you want to.
1 Medium Onion, chopped and sauteed in coconut oil. (I love my chopper.  Thanks mom)
5 Cups organic chicken broth.  (I now buy this stuff in bulk.  Makes everything yummy)
2-15 OZ cans White beans, drained and rinsed. (I use cannelloni beans)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
4 teaspoons cumin powder
1 drop doTERRA Oregano Oil. (you can get it here) If you dont have this amazing oil, use 2 teaspoons oregano.  Trust me, the oil is better, and has unbelievable health benefits.
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
24 OZ Sour Cream
2 Cups Monterey Jack Cheese
1 cup white quinoa

Put all of the ingredients in the crockpot except the sour cream and the cheese and cook for 3-4 hours.  Half hour before serving, pull the chicken breasts out and cut in bite sized chunks.  You can skip this step if you used the COSTCO chicken.  Add the sour cream and the cheese.

Oh enjoy this crockpot full of easy, delicious goodness.  My kids love it and ask for it.  DELISH!!!!!

Please Don't use the word Skinny.

I have a confession, I don't care about weight!  There, I said it.  I DO NOT CARE ABOUT WEIGHT.  I don't care that I have weight to lose, or that I have lost weight, or that I look skinnier or fatter or heavier or smaller or that I may be shrinking or anything else that would label the image that my children see.

I have 4 beautiful daughters and I am teaching them to love themselves as they are.  I am teaching them that health is the number one factor, and not weight.  Weight is just a number on a scale and nothing more.  That number does not in any way, shape or form, define them.  That number on the scale does not determine their value or their worth.  They a daughters of a Heavenly Father who loves them no matter that number on the scale.  They are more precious then anything else on this earth.  I will not devalue their life and existence by pinning a number on their back and forcing them to think that that number determines their worth in this life.

I have a history of anxiety, depression and guilt when it comes to weight and weight loss.  I have been bombarded with the words, "skinny", "fat", "weight loss", "diets" and many other of the same negative labeling words throughout my life.  I walked around believing that weight was the deciding factor of my worth here on earth.  My idea of happy and sad was literally based on the number on a scale.  My idea of a good day or a bad day was determined by a number going up, down or staying the same.  My idea of what I could and could not do in this life was decide by my size.  WHY?

Why do we focus on thin, fat, heavy, skinny, overweight?
Why would we teach this to our children?

STOP!

It is time to refocus what we are teaching our kids about health.  Health is not about skinny or fat.  Health is so much more then that.  And so very important.  Yet we are not teaching it to our children.

I have made it my quest to raise confident children without a focus on weight, shape, size or appearance.  They are beautiful because God created them that way.  God created them that way and it is my job to raise them with beautiful thoughts about themselves.  Help them see what he sees.

Phanotms

Phantom Facebook Friends don't care much for anything you say or do and they never comment or message or post unless it is meant to somehow make you feel small.  Yeah, I don't love PFF.  Oh well.  Be kind, Judge Less and Love More.

Not a fan of the move.

I really don't like anything about North Salt Lake.  It smells bad, the air is horrible, it is an unfriendly area and I just miss my home in Orem.  Worst decision ever to move.  Oh well, only 6 more months here.

Dr. Seuss Said.......

I will be the first to say that I am not at all the "silent" type.  Nor am I willing to "bite my tongue" on issues that I feel strongly about.  And I will never "let it slide" when someone crosses the line.  This frightens people.  They don't understand it because its not something they accept as normal.  but it is my normal.  I don't ever want to be silenced.  Standing up for myself, my beliefs and my values have always been part of my life.  So why should standing up period be and less "noble"?  Oh because it might offend someone?  Or maybe they are tired of reading  hearing it?  Whatever it may be, it doesn't matter.  This is me.  I deal with my life every single day and I have done a pretty good job thus far and will continue to do what I do best.  Speak up.  I will never allow myself to be hushed.  It is not in my nature.

Fostering

I was on Facebook several weeks ago when my cousin posted a picture of three puppies who were in a shelter and needed out due to over population.  Because these shelters are so over crowded, dogs are being put to sleep every day, thousands of dogs.  Its mind blowing.  Anyway, the post was sponsored by a rescue group called, Rescue Rovers Pet Adoptions.  This group finds dogs in over crowded kennels and pulls them out and gives them to their group of foster families.  I just thought this was so cool.  So I decided to sign up to be a foster.  I forgot to mention it to Eddie, or maybe just thought I would let him know after we took in our first foster.  Anyway, literally 10 minutes after I signed up to foster, I got a call from Jodi who is the director of fostering.  This group is so very organized.  There is a person in the lead of each phase of the process.  Pulling the dogs, fostering them out, medical, adoptions and follow up.  I loved the organization.
So I got the call and they asked if I would take in three sister pups.  A shepherd mix of some kind.  I was so hesitant to take three as my first fostering experience, but agreed to it begging Jodi to find two other fosters to take the other girls.  Thankfully she did and we only ended up with the one puppy.  A little black and brown dog that we named Mystique.

Well Mystique won our hearts very quickly and when it was time to take her to an adoption even, I just could not do it.  I FOSTER FAILED and adopted this sweet girl.

After failing as a foster, I decided to try again and take in another rescue, this time a wery active little beagle.  His name is Price.  He was with us for almost a week, super fun and the kids just loved him.  Last night he met his forever family and they quickly adopted him up after falling in love with him.

On Saturday our house will get super crazy when we take in two new puppies who have been rescued from death row.  I am excited and nervous at the same time.  TWO puppies!  One is hard enough, but two.  Please say a few prayers for me.

I can't deny it, I am hooked.  I love all these little fury friends who come and stay with us for a little while as we work to find them forever homes.  If you are ever looking to add a furry friend to your family, consider fostering or adoption.  Save a life.  They are so worth it.


Email Rescue Rovers at
Rescuerovers@gmail.com
Find them on Facebook