National Museum of Natural History with Steph!

Our little S loves dinosaur bones, so that is what brought us to this point. I wish I had gone on a day that my friend wasn't visiting from Idaho because it was a MAD HOUSE and we could barely talk, much less really catch up. It was fun, but the wrong activity for a long lost friend. The guy loved the bones and still talks about how our friends came over and we saw the bones. Steph, he wants to hang out with Ember again and talks about her not walking yet. I promised him we will come see her at her house soon. Let's not make a liar out of me. :)

PS. I promise we did see more than just the giant elephant, although the pictures don't help my case much. :)

Family temple trip

While Jared went inside to enjoy the peace within, we soaked up the sun and enjoyed the peace without. It was a gorgeous day. We walked, touched the flowers, raced barefoot in the grass, and ran up and down the stairs. The guy got to walk inside the front doors and see "where daddy went." We discussed the pictures on the walls in the entry way, and I explained to him the words above the front temple doors: 

"The House of the Lord"

"Holiness to the Lord"

While at the visitor's center, the Guy enjoyed the Cristus statue message and the Book of Mormon videos on faith, repentance, baptism, the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. If you haven't been to the visitor's center lately, go now. Stop reading and go now. :) The recent renovations are incredible. I could spend all day there!

Here you can read more about our temples, and here are some commonly asked Q&As. 

It was an afternoon full of heaven on Earth. 

A musician in the family

"S went to yard sale"

Presented by the Guy

An Ondricek Original

Indeed he did go to a yard sale and came home with that awesome hat. 

My apology for the raspy voice. 8 flights in one week + Spring allergies + a sick visitor in our home = I sound and feel like death. 

And it sounds like L's first word is "at." :) Maybe.

New hair cut!

I have felt for a long time now that I need a makeover. A hair, make up, wardrobe, and home design makeover. The scope of what I just wrote overwhelms me. It nearly paralyzes me too. 

My sister's timing was perfect (thank you Malea!!!) when she introduced me to Dressing Your Truth. It is a profiling system, course, salon, and clothing store that teaches you to identify your energy type so that you may dress the way that best accentuates the movement and energy you already show. I have only utilized the online tools, but it was just what I needed. I took the leap, got a hair cut based on the recommendations, and have been wearing my hair curly every day since. The way I should be. Curly suits me best. Natural, quick, wild, and easy. 

the day I cut it - this is the style they provided, but I haven't styled it like this myself

where did my nose disappear to? :)

What do you think? Does this do match my energy style and personality movement?

m'lady

Brian Adams has asked me so many times, "So tell me have you ever really, really really ever loved a woman?"

The truth is no, not like I love this little woman. I've never loved a woman until now. 

Above is the lady at 7 months old. Below is the guy at 5 months old. They are SO siblings, aren't they?! :)

blessings

Yesterday morning the Guy woke up with a pretty high fever. It started at 102. Later in the day it reached 103 so I gave him a bath. He bounced back, the fever lowered, and finally broke in his sleep between 7 and 10 last night. His only other symptom was a few boogers that I wouldn't have thought strange any other day. He laid in my bed or his bed all day long. He sat at the table to eat but didn't do much eating. He had lots of water, maybe 2 oz of homemade carrot/spinach/celery/apple juice, a few spoonfuls of chicken and broth, and a few more spoonfuls of Persian chicken and rice (compliments of our neighbor Sally!). We did our usual immunity-boosting things: cod liver oil, probiotics, coconut oil, oscillococcinum, sunshine and fresh air.

But the take away lesson little S got out of the experience has to do with the priesthood blessing Jared offered him before leaving for work yesterday morning. The guy agreed to receive the blessing and I believe in his heart and with his faith he really did receive it. This is the conversation we had this morning after he realized he felt better.


S is all better! Daddy make me better.
What did Daddy do to make you better?
Put oil on me head.
What else did he do?
Give S a blessing and help my head.
Yes, it is a priesthood blessing. Daddy has the power of the Priesthood. When you get bigger and are 12 years old you will receive the power of the the Priesthood too.
S help our family! (with a big smile and arms up in victory)

Tears. That's when I cried a bit. There is nothing more rewarding than watching a testimony of Truth grow in the heart and spirit of someone you love. And I love very few people about as much as I love this little Guy.

I know these are terribly blurry, but she is SO happy. It is hard to catch her smile on camera and I finally got a couple. This little lady is such a love. She laughs, smiles, talks, rolls over, and said "dada" yesterday! Her first word! I adore how she gets to know new people. When someone holds her she gently brushes their face with the palms of her hands as if she were blind and taking in their face with her hands. It is so tender and she does it to everyone. Oh, I adore her!

New kitchen traditions

The other morning our kitchen was covered in a mess. Glass jars filled with restructured pH water, more jars with raw milk, chopped cabbage in a bowl, and yoghurt separating in a dish cloth hanging over a pitcher. Large pots of chicken stock on the stove, more bubbling whole chicken in the crock pot, warming yoghurt in the off-oven, baby food in the blender, and juicer pulp looking for a home.The chaos always makes me feel unbalanced, but I was so proud of myself. I really am trying to develop new food prep skills that combine the principles taught in the cookbook Nourishing Traditions (from the Weston A. Price Foundation) and the GAPS diet (Gut and Psychology Syndrome.) If only I could master the clean-as-you-go skills needed in my kitchen. 

Consequently we now have not only the usual chicken stocks, fresh juices, and sauerkraut that we've had in the past, but I made cream cheese, cortido (Latin American sauerkraut), raw milk yogurt, and whey, pictured left to right. The cream cheese and whey are products of just one process, but I did it so I'd have whey for lacto-fermented sauerkraut and fermented grains. Whey cool, right? I'm really, really enjoying the journey that food, health, and biology have ignited within me. Anyone else interested in these topics? We'll learn together!

Any reader who thinks this is weird? It's all good. But people used to eat this way daily and it was great back in the day! "Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet. Eating her curds and whey...."

Goldie Locks didn't eat the bears' honey nut cheerios... Nope. She ate their traditional homemade porridge. And I bet mama bear soaked it overnight first. I just want to live like the fairy tale peeps. And why not? I am a princess after all. 

singing time with neighbors

I heart my babies

General Conference weekend

We really enjoyed our weekend with messages and inspiration from living prophets and apostles, visits with family, and fun activities in the beautiful outdoors.

 This little group of family and friends gathered for a belated Easter egg hunt, an annual tradition. This is the guy's second year participating and he couldn't stop raving about "Brenda's eggs."

 Thou shalt not covet... and yet I REALLY would love to have their backyard as my own.

"mowing the lawn."

I wish I had gotten this moment on film. It was HILARIOUS: 

This is Rick's bike. It is stored in a shed behind a row of trees. The guy asked to go see it and so Rick and he disappeared in the small opening between the trees. A moment later we heard the engine rev and we turned to see our guy running in a half panic with Rick on the bike trailing not far behind. S's little legs are so short, his run is so wobbley, and his face torn between terror and excitement that the sight just cracked us up.

L's first swing ride! And it wouldn't be quite as good without that bird poop in the back...

Looking fat but happy. :) We might break the pole holding up our whole family. 

We also enjoyed a ride up the little mountain in my brother's new Jeep. Wind blowing and sun shining our little Guy enjoyed it as much as Jared and I. Thanks, bro!

Then, as for the conference it is SO hard to keep a short list but here are a few of my favorite talks:

For Peace at Home (by Elder Scott)

The Hope of God's Love (by President Uchtdorf)

The Words We Speak (by Sister Wixom)

Marriage: Watch and Learn (by Elder Clayton)

We Believe in Being Chaste (by Elder Bednar)

The center of my life right now is my home, family, marriage, and personal peace. These topics really spoke to me and my needs right now.

What were your favorites and why? 

just for "grammy"

Happy birthday to Grandma Bev and Grandpa Jon. Or as little S says, Papa Jon. We can't wait to come over the hill, behind the mill to visit you!!!

my wretched rach

When someone asks me "who is your best friend?" I usually think of Jesus Christ first. Because He really is my best friend. But then my other answer is "Rachel." This lady.

Living the life of a transient it is hard to keep close friends and be comfortable calling any one my best friend. And I know Rach has many best friends, but for me this lady is the best among my best friends. We've know each other since we were 10. Wow. 18 years now. She knows all the different Amanda's I have to offer and accepts them all. She brings out the best in me and makes me want to uncover the creative and funny in me that I hide after boring adulthood set in. I thank God for my friend Rachel. Thanks for the spontaneous visit from across the country. I miss having you close.

And if Rachel were closer I wouldn't have a panic attack about where to get my hair cut.... ;) I am in need of a new do and could trust this girl to do anything she thought fit without any leads from me. That's how it should be. A girl's stylist should be her good friend. If it doesn't start that way it should become that way. If only it wasn't so expensive to go to my preferred stylist.

oh, and PS.... "wretched" is a childhood nickname I had for her. :) She's actually quite marvelous in reality.

teepee

We live in a rocking neighborhood. We've got it pretty good in our little corner of VA. Now we're not in a neighborhood like Enoch's and we're not about to be translated yet, but I think we have a little piece of heaven. Our neighbors are our friends. I know we can call on multiple families for help or support when needed. Now that the weather has shifted we spend a lot more time out front, chatting and running around with the kids and their mamas. Sometimes Dads even join in too. It is great. All the kids range from  2 - 9 years old and none of the non-parental adults hate kids....... knock on wood.

Some of the neat-o parents around here built a teepee for their little ones and we got to enjoy it too.

My favorite part is the hanging bird house! :)

And the lady had fun in the sun too.