Childhood Obesity

Admittedly, this is a slightly off topic to bring up in my first post back after such a long absence, but it keeps coming back around to me. I was at a birthday party the other week, which consisted of several ladies sitting around swapping stories about motherhood and it's counter part, children. For a while, I was the only woman there that had more than three children, when in fact most of the other ladies only had one toddler.
I sat and listened to the newer mothers talk about how their toddlers were in a low body weight percentile, according to their doctor's office, and that they were told to feed their children a "high calorie diet." I could definitely sympathize, I had this very same thing happen with my first child. Then when we were having our second child, I was a little bit braver and interviewed pediatricians while I was pregnant. The doctor that we ended up choosing, had been recommendation and I told her that I was not going to tolerate someone trying to force me to feed my children in an unhealthy manner, just to meet a quota. Really, can a child help if they come from a mother who is petite, and her whole family is petite?!
I was so happy when that doctor said it wouldn't be a problem, just as long as the child maintained his own growth curve and didn't experience any sudden drops or spikes in weight.
So, here's my advice to new moms, and moms who haven't found the mommy lioness in themselves yet, feed your children healthy food!!! Don't expect two year-olds to eat very much, one day they will eat well and then not eat anything but juice for two days. That's just how 2 year-olds are. Make sure that you are offering them a variety of healthy foods, and oh yes, I forgot, when they start crawling, walking, and running they wont be chubby babies any more.
We have a child obesity epidemic people, I can't believe that some doctors are still recommending a "high-calorie diet" of extra butter, cheese and other fatty foods, as if we were still back in the 1950s.

How much can you learn from the "fringe"?

You probably don't need to attend a conference to know that society is becoming more and more sex-obsessed, with the content of prime-time television shows now saturated and dripping with innuendo and blatant jokes that trivialize what used to be considered private and, to many people, sacred.
But these are the more benign forms of a huge problem — the fringes poking through the mainstream culture. What's hidden below the surface is far worse and far more prevalent than many people believe. You don't have to dig hard to find it. Often, you don't have to dig at all. It will reach up and confront you or, more likely, your children. (Deseret News April 23, 2009)

I want to focus on the idea of the fringe and how it is evidence of the deeper rooted issues. I have known many people, as I am sure so have many of you, that will joke about sexual things openly and insist that they're "just joking." Even as an older teenager I recognized that there was much more to their jokes than they claimed. And of course it wasn't too much longer before I discovered that there were long histories of pornographic addiction and disloyal behavior.
So, here is what I think... my dad was right. There is ALWAYS truth in jest, always. If suggestive or flat out crude joking is a customary practice that is only the "fringe" that you're seeing.

Sorry for the unexplaned absence

I am so sorry for the absence. My husband was involved in a car accident last spring and had to have brain surgery in June. We have spent the last few months in recovery and dealing with other pressing matters.

LDS Addiction Recovery Program

You can find local meeting information for the LDS Addiction Recovery Group Program when you visit www.providentliving.org then select the tab on the left that says "Social and Emotional Strength." You then select "Addiction Recovery Program" and read through the page until you find the link for the addiction recovery support groups. It is also a great idea to look into LDS Family Services for counseling.

OpenDNS.com

My brother just showed me a site called www.openDNS.com which is the best computer filter I have seen yet. Through this site you can manage any computer that uses your router or server (especially great for those of use who use a wireless router). The filter is programed into your router. It is pretty cool--check it out.

Stand For Family

Inherent Truths

I want to share some truth that I recently came to understand through the counsel of a wise friend. Whenever a habit whether it is reading books, watching movies, playing video games, sewing, exercising, reading the scriptures, serving others OR viewing pornography, consuming alcohol, gambling, etc. comes between you and your spouse your behaviour and habits need to change. Anyone who has dealt with the effects of addictive behavior in their family knows how strong the desire is to find an escape--your own way to deal with stress. My personal modes of dealing with stress are reading fiction, reading the scriptures and praying. To most people these are very appropriate outlets and I believe they are much of the time but, not when they take the place of confiding in and connecting with my spouse. When we use anything to escape reality instead of finding healthy ways to communicate and connect emotionally with our spouse (and children) we are not united and the chasm between us will only grow.

But that's not the way God intended families, especially spouses, to deal with life. Many couples suffer from loneliness due to disconnection. It's true that couples need to continue courtship (as old-fashioned as it sounds) in order to feel that longed for connection. I know it is difficult to want to truly put the needs of your spouse first when there are years of hurt feelings and possibly loss of trust from addictive behaviors, but it is the only path to healing for all involved. If you still have hope for healing the wounds in the relationship, then you have to be willing to honestly look at yourself and take responsibility for the habits and attitudes which are destructive.

If you have not already read the book The Peacegiver by James Ferrell go out and get it today. It will change your life.

God Bless!

Stand for Family

Conservative Grass Roots Movement

Thanks to Melody Pack for bringing eagleforum.org to my attention. I firmly believe that we need to protect our country from becoming a part of a socialist world order. Scary things are coming but, we need to be willing and ready to stand against the popular Obama agendas that have not been read by the general public.
I encourage everyone to become familiar with the "treaties" that Pres. Obama is pushing for endorsement from the senate. You will find information about these treaties on eagleforum.org. There are many organizations working to demoralize and deconstruct the family unit and create a society where parents have little rights in raising their own children.