A Month of Thanks

This month, everyone is posting all the things they're grateful for on Facebook daily. I often times get so busy and caught up in responsibility that I forget the hundreds of things I'm really thankful for, so I figured I'd just make one big giant thankful post. 

1. I'm thankful for my family, including Jon,  that has been there for me.

2. I'm thankful for my pets that make me laugh and smile every single day- even if they are kind of naughty. 

3. I'm thankful for my small circle of friends who accept me for me without judgement- they're family, too.

4. I'm thankful for the roof over my head, and that I have a comfy place to sleep at night. 

5. I'm thankful for my employees that make Ruff House what it is today.

6. I'm thankful for the opportunity to run Ruff House and the lessons it's taught me. 

7. I'm thankful for people who support small local business, because they help me support myself and my employees. 

8. I'm thankful for the beauty of four seasons.

9. I'm thankful for the opportunities for charity that cross my path. True joy is found in charity. 

10. I'm thankful for the healthy food that I have access to that has helped me obtain better health.

11. I'm thankful for the people that have come into my life as I follow my passion of ethical dog breeding. 

12. I'm thankful for the trials of my past that have made me who I am today.

13. I'm thankful for my in-laws that have been there for Jon and I.

14. I'm thankful for the gospel.

15. I'm thankful for the experienced ethical dog breeders that have taken the time to help and educate me. 

16. I'm thankful for my vet, who has been a wealth of knowledge for me.

17. I'm thankful for the knowledge I've gained that has led me to making more eco-friendly choices, and the people who have brought that knowledge to me. 

18. I'm thankful for the financial stability that has allowed me to put clothes on my body, and food on the table. 

19. I'm thankful for the skilled doctors and surgeons that have helped me get healthy this year.

20. I'm thankful for the internet, the people its brought into my life, and how easy it makes it to keep in touch with loved ones miles away.

21. I'm thankful for my dependable vehicles, and that we are able to maintain two vehicles.

22. I'm thankful to live in America.

23. I'm thankful for the right to vote.

24. I'm thankful for the scriptures and the answers I've found in them.

25. I'm thankful for the lessons I've learned from animals.

26. I'm thankful for books, and the stories and lessons they provide. 

27. I'm thankful for my education- limited as it may be. 

28. I'm thankful that I have the drive to constantly learn more, and for the resources to do so.

29. I'm thankful I have an understanding of the importance of living green, and that I've changed habits that I can pass down to my kids.

30. I'm thankful for the desire I have to constantly improve. 

31. I'm thankful for the freedom of speech... because you know I've got an opinion on everything. 

32. I'm thankful for my health.

33. I'm thankful that I have the freedom and right to be myself. 

I'm sure I'm thankful for a lot more, but I'm hungry, so I'm going to go eat the food I'm thankful for. 

Just Sayin'

The Thing About Elections....

It's that time of year: election season. I am a firm believer in how important it is to vote, no matter what you believe- vote, vote, vote. I feel like it's one of the things that really sets this country apart, and I think it's incredibly important for American citizens to be involved with the political process.
That said, I'm amazed at how quickly friends, family, and co-orkers turn on each other over their support of one candidate over another. Let's be real here: neither candidate is perfect, so it absolutely surprises me how many people are so shocked when one or the other says or does something completely stupid, and then they use that to put their own candidate on a pedestal.
I think what irks me the most, is that SO many people sit on their high horse and point the "stupid" finger at anyone who disagrees with them. It's like people seem to forget who their friends are and just attack anyone who isn't voting the way they are. Now, I'm a fairly outspoken person. I have my beliefs, I stand by them, and I don't really give a damn what anyone thinks of them, so in all honesty, I can't be THAT surprised when I tick people off. I even rubbed a cousin the wrong way for voicing that based on the incredibly ignorant statements on women's bodies and rape they have no business making decisions for women. (well they HAVE, and despite the fast I'm voting Republican this year, I can recognize that!) DO I care if people disagree with me? No. Not at all, and if they choose to be offended by my beliefs there's not much I can do about it. But, even my Mom of all people got "hate mail" from a so called long time friend calling her blind for the simple act of "liking" one of the candidates on Facebook. People who would never dream of intentionally offending anyone, people who are very subtle in sharing their thoughts, people who do not put their beliefs out there bluntly for the world to criticize are getting attacked.And the thing is- this doesn't change anyone's mind. Telling me I'm stupid isn't going to make me vote for someone else, it's just going to make me want to punch you in the face for being a jerk.

So, a few things to remember before you jump down someone's throat over the election:
1. Two different opinions doesn't make either one stupid or blind. Stop calling people ignorant, blind, or sheep just because they don't agree with you.A business owner, a coal miner, and a stay at home mom might all have different political views which are influenced by their person life situation and how the policies effect THEM.
2. Neither candidate is perfect.
3. Before you attack someone, ask yourself if the election is really worth tainting relationships over. I can't think of any that are.

Whether you think we can't afford another 4 years of Obama, or you're still feeling the promises of hope and change- vote, and stand by your beliefs without being a jackass. :-)

What am I for? I'm for lower taxes. I'm for proof of citizenship. I'm for working hard. In the words of Tim McGraw: "Democrat, republican.... guess I'm screwed I'm neither one."


Talk about irony, not 5 minutes after posting this to Facebook, I get: "You're not who I thought you were, I can't believe you'd vote for Mitt, blah blah blah"
SO much for the message I was going for. 

It IS Easy Being Green

In the last couple years, I have slowly become more and more.... green. I never really had an exact "ah ha!" moment, it seems to have come topic by topic, and slowly. We've made so many little, subtle changes as I have become more and more aware of what so many "convenience" items have done to our Earth, that I woke up today and realized all these little changes have added up to us being kind of weird! So, I feel prompted to throw some of our green living choices out there, and maybe explain them a little.

Cleaning Products

This was probably one of the first things I remember being more aware of. I don't know if it was more that they bothered me, or that I was worried about their harsh effects on the pets in our house, but most commercial cleaning products just don't have a place in our house.
GREEN ALTERNATIVE: A simple yet effective mix of white vinegar is sufficient for nearly ALL messes. I'm still guilty of the occasional bleach for particularly yucky/ dangerous messes, but it's few and far between. Plus, it deters ants (are you listening, Mom!) and other pesky critters and is safe on most surfaces.
GREEN LAUNDRY ALTERNATIVE: So, I've wanted to try soap nuts but haven't gotten around to that just yet, but I DID recently discover a natural laundry detergent that I am really liking called The Laundry Tarts.  Now, I've been a pretty loyal Tide user for as long as I've been doing my own laundry... which... well, OK, so we weren't allowed to do our own laundry at my Mom's house so not that long, but still. But this stuff is AWESOME. I love it. Love, love, love it. It comes in really delicious scents, and is completely effective. I also really like their stain remover stick. I buy them both at this little WAHM online shop that I love. (I have a bag of Eco Sprout that I have not tried yet, but I will report back on that. I do NOT like Rockn' Green)

Disposable Storage/ Containers

Jon and I used to FLY through plastic baggies and the like, and I admit that there are still some in the pantry. (No, wait, my house is old and doesn't have a pantry... they're in cold storage... this creepy dark closet in the basement that locks from the outside and gives me the heebie jeebies) We used them for everything, storing left overs, packing snacks, etc. Also, bottled water and drinks were huge around here. So convenient!
GREEN ALTERNATIVE: I started buying glass jars to carry drinks around, and stainless steel mugs to make hot cocoa at home with to take to work. (money saver, too!) I am guilty of picking up drinks in plastic containers at times, but I do make it a point to reuse them for a while... like the Gatorade bottle I've used for a solid week now. I also started string food/ leftovers/ snacks in plastic rubbermaid containers instead of baggies. I know glass is more eco-friendly, but this is a step for us anyway. This is an area that our green changes really take no effort to implement.

Food

Wasteful packaging on processed foods are just as bad for the planet as the food is for our bodies. Plastic wrappers sit in landfills for years and years. Not only that, but the food itself is full of chemicals and preservatives to make it last on the shelves for years and years.
GREEN ALTERNATIVE: Jon and I have almost made a challenge/ game out of NOT buying and eating a ton of packaged foods anymore, and trying new things in the kitchen. I feel like we're being better to the environment and better to our bodies, so it's a win-win. I use the crock pot a lot, avoiding the fact that means running it all day. I do still buy canned beans, but I'm going to make the switch, I swear.

Shower & Body Products

How much sense does it make to cover yourself in chemicals? How much sense does it make to have a meal full of chemicals? None. But, most people do it every single day as they shower and use lotions and the like. Because your skin is the largest ORGAN of your body, and it absorbs every single thing you put on it, I've adopted the idea that if I can't/ wouldn't eat it- it doesn't go on my skin, either.
GREEN ALTERNATIVE: On shampoo, the simplest, cheapest, and most effective alternative to chemical-laden shampoos for me has been to simply not use it. That's right, I've been converted to the world of no-poo. In fact, I have not washed my hair in almost two months. I rinse it almost daily, put a little organic, cold-pressed coconut oil on my hands, and run them through my hair, and done! No shampoo, no conditioner, no gel, no mousse. I occasionally rinse with Apple Cider Vinegar. I have naturally curly, dry hair... and it's never been more manageable than it is with this routine. Less frizz, way less tangles, and I'm wearing it down more than ever. Best lotion? Plain Coconut Oil, which is also a great make-up remover, and makes the dogs smell edible. Seriously, anyone that knows me knows that I have the craziest most obnoxiously sensitive skin in the whole world.

Lady Products

Men, tune out. (yeah right, like men read this blog... does ANYONE read this blog?) I'm for real blogging about periods, because it's my blog and I'll post what I want to! So, commercial menstrual products creep me out, let's just be real. All those chemicals don't belong around the lady bits. But, aside from that factor, these products hugely affect our landfills because they virtually never break down. Considering a single woman will likely use over 15,000 single pads/ tampons in her lifetime and there's like... a crapload of women on this earth, that's a whole lot of yuck.
GREEN ALTERNATIVE: Ok, so when I first heard of menstrual cups I thought it was bat sh*t crazy. I mean, that thing goes where? Youch! But, then I bought a Diva Cup, and never looked back to tampons, which now officially gross me out to even think about. Plus, because it's silicon, and completely safe, and holds a ton it lasts 12 hours which means you virtually NEVER have to deal with periods in public bathrooms. I also discovered "mama cloth" which at first I thought was completely nuts, but since I have completely stupid skin that likes to react to everything in the world, commercial pads aren't even an option for me, so I bought an entire stash of cloth pads, and I love them. I bought some from here and here and here and here. Cleaning them is so easy there's virtually no ick factor. And, they're so cute it's almost fun. Ok, so it IS fun, don't judge.

Looking Forward

I feel like we've made a huge dent in our overall wastefulness. I don't  feel like any of the changes we've made so far have added any headache to our daily life, in fact most have really made things easier, and I like knowing that we are doing our part.
Some other changes that we will implement moving forward are:
-Unpaper towels. We already use cloth rags for moth things to minimize our use of paper towels but I want to really take the plunge into unpaper towels and do away with paper ones.
- Cloth Diapering- Ok, confession: I have more than a full stash of them, but I'm committed to using them when we have kids. Disposable diapers are one of the things filling our landfills faster than any other item.
-Breastfeeding- It's what boobies were made for, duh!
-Cloth shopping bags- self-explanatory.
-Composting- think of all the yard waste people throw out, usually in a huge plastic bag, taking up space in landfills when it is completely 100% biodegradable. And dog poop. When we move, I'd like to start seriously composting.
- Gardening- Obviously the "greenest" way to get your food is to grow it yourself.



But, I don't think we are cut out for family cloth. Ever. In fact, it's not even up for discussion. (cloth toilet paper)

A Little BSC

SO, the last month or so I've been really focused on this whole self-betterment theme I've adopted. I've been eating healthier, with small portions. I've been trying to be more active and at least getting out every day.I've been working a lot less because I realized that work-related stress was doing some serious damage to my overall health. I've even made an effort to spend more time with the people who are most important: family. (Plus, when you spend all day at Grandma and Grandpa's chatting for 8 hours, they also feed you lunch AND dinner, which is cool, too)
In High School, and a bit after, I really thought friends were the most important thing in the world. I'm not saying I don't care about friends, because I DO, and I always will... but I've found in recent years, that the people that matter the most, the people who come to mind when I think "friend" are also family.
A couple of weeks ago, it came up in conversation that somehow I live in Orem and had never been to Sundance or Park City. My mom spent ALL DAY LONG driving all over Park City and Sundance with me.  I mean all over. We left early in the day, she showed me so many neat places, some that she had been to with my dad (I do have one... somewhere.. I think...) some that have good food (noted!) some places good for shopping, people watching, etc. I had a complete blast. I actually had to stop on the way back down Provo canyon and think 2008, four years ago, I never thought I'd be close to my family again. And now, here I am, hanging out with one of my best friends, having a blast, we did nothing extreme and yet it's a day I won't ever forget, because that best friend is also my Mom. I am so sad my bad attitude kept this friendship from me for so many years, but I'm SO thankful to have it now.

I LOVE that my family is so close. I love that in 5 minutes, I can get to my sister's, brother's, grandparent's, and mom's house. I love that almost EVERY week we get together and have dinner, chat, hang out, and LAUGH. I love that we love each other. I love that I can count on them for anything. I love that I can count on ANY time I am with my sister Tanya, laughing my head off (and probably eating cookies, too.) and I LOVE that every now and then I can even get Mitch to chuckle. I LOVE that even though Shelly lives in Texas and we don't talk nearly as much as we should (don't ask why she lives there, I think it's silly!) I know I can pick up the phone and call her any time and I hope she KNOWS how much I look up to her, and always have. Let's face it, I have a hard time making Mac & Cheese sometimes, so I admire anyone that makes home made butter. For real.

I'm going somewhere with this, I promise.

Jon and I have had some big decisions to make. We've been talking, and praying about where we are supposed to raise our family, where we are supposed to put down roots, and where we want to call home in the long run. We've fought with this want to have acreage (and a cow!) and this want to stay near family. Every day we have struggled to make this decision so we can start planning. The reality is the farm life we've wanted probably won't happen around here. We both feel strongly that while we WISH Jon's family were closeby, Las Vegas is not for us. I had a complete moment of clarity tonight, and couldn't wait to share it with my husband. Sitting at Mitch's house, the room full of family, I listened as he told us about the family temple night Friday that Jon and I were not able to make it to. I listened as he told us a message that was shared with them. I listened as the realization of exactly what we are supposed to do hit me.

I'm not sure how it will work out. I'm not sure where Jon will work. I'm not sure how easily I will accept a life in the suburbs. What I do know, is moving away feels wrong. Leaving family feels wrong. I've had this feeling off and on for a while, that staying would be best, but kept reasoning with myself that there was still time to decide, and that we didn't need to come to a decision now. But tonight was different. I know without the shadow of a doubt that right here in Utah Valley is where we NEED to be, and this is where we will stay. I mean, after all... I LOVE THE MOUNTAINS. (stop chuckling, Mom)

Even if they are a little Bat Sh!t Crazy, they're my family... and I'm so lucky to have them.


Completely Off topic, unrelated note: I'm dang near ready to decorate for christmas, so DECK THE FREAKIN' HALLS. Fa la la la la..la la la la.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

I can not tell you how many times in the last month or so I have actually stopped and thought to myself, "Oh MAN, am I thankful I'm NOT in San Francisco" Just sayin'...

Since San Francisco, we've had a few more adventures. We went to India with some of Jon's family and had a ...good... experience. It was fascinating to see a part of the world I never thought I'd see. The culture is so much different, so much more simple. I mean, don't get me wrong, I am American through and through and I wouldn't trade the country I live in for ANYTHING in the world, but I still find other places fascinating  And, it made me want a cow even more. I will say that even though I found the land beautiful, and the culture very respectable, it was so good to be home. Seriously, when we landed I could have KISSED U.S. ground... but I was in Los Angeles so I'm pretty sure I would have caught some nasty disease. I refrained from ground kissing, but that doesn't mean I didn't think about it.

Since being home, a few things have fallen into perspective for me. First of all, nothing makes you appreciate your home, your family, and your town than being away from it for a while. I think it was the kick that I needed to help myself remember the most important things. I've also been putting a ton of effort into getting healthy. Making healthy eating habits, getting out and moving, and in general getting in better shape. I have been de-stressing my life a little, trusting the awesome staff I have to do their jobs, so I can take time to breathe every now and then, and spending more time with the people that matter.

In other news, we will be having TWO litters of Dane puppies at the end of December/ beginning of January so... that's something we are really looking forward to and getting excited about. It will be nice to have something I'm so passionate to throw myself into again. By the time they are all raised, weaned, and in their new homes it will only be like a month away from Jon's graduation date which really can not come soon enough.

Save me, San Francisco

OK, so... as previously mentioned, we are supposed to be going to India this week. I say "supposed to be" because a million and a half things have gone wrong leading up to this so until our feet are on the ground in India, I just don't think I'll be a believer.

So, first, we paid to expedite our passports. Those went as planned, and two weeks later, there they were in the mail. Then, we had to overnight our passports to Jon's mom, who was kind enough to go to San Francisco (more on that city later....) to turn in our visas for us. But, UPS lost my passport in the mail. So, that meant  paying an arm and a leg for 24 hour lost passport replacement through Travisa. We filled everything out, and then mailed it off to San Francisco via FedEx next day 8AM guaranteed delivery. Which, by the way, also costs an arm and a leg. So, by this point all I am is a head on a body with no limbs. Very inconvenient. At this point, my passport should have been mailed back to our house on Tuesday.
Except, when we called Monday morning to make sure that it went through OK, they had not gotten it on time. After a mild panic attack, I as assured that it would be done on time. If we just flew to San Francisco a day early, we could pick up my passport at 8:45AM, drop off our visas at 9AM, pick up our visas at 5PM, and fly to India at 9PM. Tight, but managable schedule.
So, we made sure our dog/house sitter could pull an extra day, thank GOODNESS they could, and made arrangements with work, school, airlines, hotel, and off we were 24 hours later. Off to San Francisco.
My mom gave us a ride to the airport.
"You'll love San Fran," she said.
"It's my favorite place in the world!" she said.
"It's such a neat place." She said.
"I'm so jealous you get to go there." She said.

Well. She lied. Yeah, Mom, you... you lied. San Francisco SUCKS. In fact, it is the worst place in the whole world. If the ghetto of the universe has an armpit, it's called SAN FRANCISCO. Not one thing about this city has been appealing. Not. One. Thing. We've seen street fights. We've seen drug deals. We've seen people crapping on the sidewalk. We've seen people shooting up on the street. It smells like smoke, urine, and body odor. It's loud. It's camped. It's scary. It's so so so so so ghetto. Oh man, at leat we're only here for one little night, right?
WRONG.
There was a hold on my visa and we got stuck a whole extra night. 24 MORE hours in the worst city in the universe. So, it's now 4:38PM. We have a car coming in one hour to pick us up, swing by to pick up our supposed-to-be-done Visas, and then off to the airport.
I can't wait to get out of this city. I hate big cities. Hate them. You know, when we went to New York, it was easy to simply appreciate the culture, and enjoy our visit. I genuinely had fun and the big city didn't bother me at all. But, San Francisco is different. It's lame. I hate it. In all fairness, we have not had the opportunity to go see much of the touristy part of the city.   Now, I won't even go into our hotel experiences much, other than Hotel Bijou was the worst hotel experience of my entire life, where I spent the night CRYING over how terrible it was and got NO rest, but the Prescott has been much, MUCH better. And I don't fear being shanked every time we walk down the street. We have had passport and visa meetings at certain time, and with limited funds, we have not been able to go very far from our hotel and NEED to stay within quick walking distance from the Travisa offices. Unfortunately these offices, and therefore our hotel as well, are in the Tenderloin. What the heck is the tenderloin other than a cut of juicy meat? It's a cut of one of the most ghetto, crime and drug ridden places in the entire country.

So, that's that. Here we are. In the tenderloin. Trying not to die.

In 4.5 hours, we will be on a plane to Germany, then to India.



OH, and also, this has nothing to do with anything, but I miss my water softner already. Hard water is so gross, I don't feel clean!

And I miss Annie. A LOT. Painfully so. :-(