Just in Case...

I put on my shoes this morning only to find that Noah had autographed one of them. So just in case I lose my shoes, they can be returned to us. Maybe we should write our phone number as well.

The culprit (who is in desperate need of a haircut)...


When I asked Noah about the shoes, he walked directly to the kitchen table and said "I'll put myself on time-out."

At least something is sinking in.

A Weekend Away

What did I do when the husband gave the OK to go away for the weekend? I decided to relive college memories (well, some of them).

This weekend was Women's Conference up at BYU. I met my old (as in former) roommates up in Provo for a weekend that I won't soon forget. It was a weekend filled with fun, food, and spiritual uplift.

Things I took away from this Conference Weekend...

• Prioritizing my life makes room for the essential things (like scripture study, prayer, and meditation)...and we will be drawn off course if our priorities are out of order
• I control my calendar, not the other way around
• Chocolate covered cinnamon bears taste delightful (thank you, Brittany)
• Being consistent in spiritual things will help them become a forum for spiritual moments
• "Our sorrows and sacrifices carve and stretch the caverns of feeling within our own hearts, and as those caverns are enlarged, they expand our soul's capacity for joy" (I can't remember the author...)
• I'm not sure why I was worried about a 4 hour car ride by myself...it could've lasted longer
  
• I really do like Cafe Rio salads better than the burritos
• I will pray for the love that allows me to see the good in my loved ones and makes weaknesses and mistakes seem small
• I'm not sure why we thought the dorms were so awesome our freshman year (see picture at bottom)
• I was reminded why (15 years ago) I spent so many hours at the bookstore candy counter...and why I gained so much weight...and possibly why I didn't get married until a year after I graduated
  
• Seeing other people through the Savior's eyes will help us build sound relationships
• If I am constantly judging others, I have no time to love them...Mother Teresa
• I remember so well why my BYU experience was wonderful...I had the best roommates in the world

Ohhhhhh, the head...

Enough said
(Ephraim came up with this little rhyme)

Easter 2010

We had a great Easter with the Hanks Family this year. Dying eggs, hunting for them, Easter dinner, General Conference, and great family.

This is the best picture we could get of the 3 boys at one time

Always a good time on Grandma's swingset

One of Luke's many attempts at the Easter baskets


and...breakfast (it's OK once a year, right?)

Happy Birthday Luke!

I can't believe my baby is 1! How time flies!

My Week as a Vegetarian

To be a Hanks is to love meat. Steak, chicken, pork, you name it. But I've decided to switch things up a bit.

Let me start at the beginning. There was a Biggest Loser Club formed at our church at the start of the year. Each week we receive a new "health challenge", which sometimes I follow and sometimes I don't. This last week's challenge intrigued me. The challenge was to eat "no meat."

I was almost afraid to tell my husband of the 7 day adventure I was about to embark on. We both come from red meat-loving families. The Hanks Family used to raise and slaughter cattle (sorry Marc...a story for another time).

This was the breakdown of my week:

My staples:

• salad
• nuts
• eggs
• cheese
• milk

The verdict?

I love meat. I could never be a full-fledged vegetarian.

I am, however, grateful I took the challenge. I realize I eat way too much meat. I thought more about the food I was putting into my body this past week more than I have at probably any other time in my life. There were many times I chose healthier alternatives. I ate more vegetables, fruits, and healthy nuts.

The resolution:

I will eat less meat (especially red). I will cook healthier alternatives for my family (much to my husband's dismay). We will fill our bodies with more good, nutritious, raw foods, and less caloric-dense processed foods with additives.

Please cheer us on. We need all the help we can get.

Postscrip...The family didn't exactly follow this with me. They did, however, eat what meatless meals I made for dinner.

Also, I ate fish. I have a hard time putting fish in the meat category.

And again...

Andy makes up for how careful my other two boys are...




For more info on this, you can click here, or here, or here.

I have a friend (she's a nurse) and I call her whenever I think I may need to take Anderson to the doctor. When I called Kerry about this particular incident, I asked "Does the Instacare in Hurricane do stitches?" Her response: "Is it Andy?"

How can I not eat this kid up?