Let The Summer Games Begin!

Ok, I've got Kings of Leon playing and my french press coffee in hand, so it must be time to blog. Because I am such a Hipster. Wait, are we over Kings of Leon because they are too mainstream now?? Does this lower my Hipster status? Whatever, I am cool! I'm a cool 30 year old mother of 4 gosh darn it. You all think cool thoughts about me as you read this blog all about my jewel of a daughter Chloe Ava.

As most of you know by now, we are at baseball/t-ball games 4 days a week between Peyton and Chloe. Chloe has games Mondays and Wednesdays. She is my best friend, and she reminds me of this quite often. Look at her! Is this not the cutest little thing ever? This picture was taken at her first T-ball practice. I told her even if T-ball wasn't her thing, at least she looked amazing! All color coordinated in her pink and black.

Anyways, she loves T-ball as it were and it makes me laugh a little because I was certain sports would not be her thing. I mean we are best friends here, she is supposed to be all dancey-dancey like her Mama.

I would like to introduce you to team Star Wars. Chloe is standing there next to her bestie Taylor. They both wanted to be named the Mustangs but all the boys put a veto on that one. Thank you boys for being such meanies! The Star Wars played against the Fire Balls on Monday. It was an Epic battle of the Galaxies.

After Chloe got over the confusion of realizing she was right handed unlike her brother, she got the hang of hitting the ball. She had watched Peyton so much, that she kept trying to bat left handed and even told the photographer taking team photos that she was left handed. Thats what happens when you work constantly with one child and not the other. She hits most times off the coaches pitches and not the Tee. (which surprised the heck outta me!)

She gets plenty of coaching from her older brother Peyton. He loves cheering her on, a complete, lovely change from the constant fighting that goes on between them. Its actually brought them a lot closer. I'm hoping we only have 1 year of T-ball because going from Peyton's Jr Midgets to Chloe's T-ball makes me want to bang my head into a wall. Each team gets to go through the entire line up. Twice. Its like the never ending game.
Its worth it though to watch Chloe enjoy herself out there. How did she get 6 1/2 already? Ugh my beautiful baby, stop growing!!

The Vegetannual

The what?? Ok, so it sounds weird but I found this very helpful in my Hippie Revolution. In Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, she had this diagram to illustrate when we should be eating what vegetables. (I would really love one for fruit as well, but I'm just going with this one for now) This I believe is a baby step I can follow along with easily until I have an amazing garden growing. I can easily go to the many Farmer's Markets in Washington County and be able to buy what is in season. The Farmer's Markets are great too because alot of them have vendors that don't use pesticides.

Now I was on thepioneerwoman.com website yesterday, as always, and I saw her post on making her own pumpkin puree and freezing it. The post was so helpful and inspiring. I love that she uses so many pictures because I am such a visual learner! Anyways, come October we are going to have a Pumpkin Puree Par-tay. And it will be fabulous.

Baby steps are going to be very important on this journey of mine. That and not judging myself too harshly! My first goal when my revolution started was to try and control the foods I put into my kids mouths as best as I could. The easiest thing I could do to start toward change, was cook as much food from scratch as I could. That wasn't hard, and I felt like things were heading in the right direction. To date, I've kept that up and I've found some really great new recipes along the way. As well as a great sense of accomplishment when I make something that I thought was way beyond my skill level! Its like playing Sims! I don't have the extra money right now to buy a whole grass fed cow, or buy my own pig. My backyard won't accommodate a chicken coop, and I think my neighbors would complain. Those are goals and they will happen, but for now I am taking pride in the small things that we are doing.

Rosie's Gone Farmgirl Hippie

Some of you know that as of late I have become a little bit of a hippie. Don't worry, I still shave my legs...as often as possible. I've done some really great reading and watched some very eye opening documentaries. I recommend reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and then watching the documentary Food, Inc. (Its on Netflix) They go hand in hand, and at first are overwhelming, but if you take things in baby steps it will be easy. This is what I have learned:

1. We don't work hard at ANYTHING! I'm lazy. More so than any of you. I know this to be fact. We were made to search and scavage for our food, work hard and plan ahead, prepare. The simple fact is, we don't. We can walk to the pantry and pull out any boxed pasta mix that doesn't ever expire and serve it to our growing babes. Weird.

2. Old School Christian thinking: If its in a documentary then its not true...only propaganda made by hippies. Why is it that as Christians many people dig their heels in at any thought process that strays from what we were taught? How could the FDA allow us to eat anything that would make us sick, cause cancer or early onset puberty?? They just wouldn't. Right. (I'm getting really preachy now...sorry!) Anyways, I sat down the other day and read Proverbs 31. Nooooo! Gets me every time! The Wife of Noble Character....you mean I really need to get up before the sunrises?? This stuff isn't new. God meant for us to be planning, preparing and working for our food and feeding our children. I don't think he meant boxed pasta when he said she provides food for her children. Just a thought.

3. Its so overwhelming I don't know where to start! And have I already ruined my children? (Peyton has signs of Early Onset Puberty) I have all this information now, what the heck am I going to do?? Well do more research I guess. Look at what fruits and Veggies grow naturally in Oregon and in what season. Learn the art of canning...a lost art really. Plant what I can in my small backyard. Find farm fresh eggs...easy to do in Banks.
Well while I was knee deep in this hippie revolution. I got invited to a Farmgirl Sisterhood meeting. Reading the flier I was stoked! 1st off I noticed that I had to wear an apron to the meeting. 2nd I could earn badges like a girl scout for things like sewing, being good neighbors, farming, ect. 3rd by earning the badges I could learn things I wanted to learn anyways. Things I want my daughters to know. I have to sew a Bakeover Takeover and fill it with homebake goodies and take it to a new neighbor. (Bre Vandecamp style) I love it though! Look it up if you want, the website is www.farmgirlsisterhood.org and it has all the info. It was started by a woman named MaryJane and she believes all woman should wear an apron at all times. We should all turn off the TV, get off the computer (I'm trying!), put down our cell phones and go outside and get our hands dirty.

This is right up my alley right now! I'm about to move out to the forest, and build a farm out of the trees. I'm sort of kidding. Anyways, I hope you all know I am NOT preaching here! This is more of an inspirational pep talk to myself, trying to remind myself of what I have learned and what I need to do. Baby steps.

This is my Mom, Chloe and Me at our first meeting

Another website that I love right now is www.thepioneerwoman.com , I know many of you frequent this site already, but I have just discovered it. I have made so many of her recipes in the last 3 weeks and I'm pretty sure Aaron loves her too. Although we have both gained about 5 pounds since the discovery of her site!

I am going to attempting my first badge this week in sewing. If anyone wants to join me, let me know. It will be in Stitching and Crafting and we have to sew half an apron for the beginner level and go from there! I will let you know how it goes...I am also letting Chloe make on because she can earn badges too. Although she is a Young Cultivator not a Farmgirl like her Mama! Happy Wednesday to you all!!

Mama of 4

When Aaron and I first started dating, we always said we wanted 4 children. That number drastically dropped after were were wed and actually had a baby. One was sounding fantastic to me at that point. But as I got things down, I started getting that ache for a newborn. So we had another. For a while 2 was amazing, but maybe too easy.

So hey, why not go for a third. I push these things out in like 3.2 seconds, no biggie. The Lord bestowed upon us a lovely little creature named Stella Rose Johns. Whom I love. And I'm sure many people wonder why. She is so full of personality, its hard to contain in that little body. Stella knows what she wants, and boy is she going to get it. At whatever cost. Not many people get to see the funny side of Stella. She is a complete ham and makes us all laugh constantly. I just know I am in trouble. That's all I can say.

Luckily for us when Aaron so rudely got me pregnant for the 4th time, the Lord had mercy upon me and delivered little Harlow Evie girl. Otherwise known as the non-baby. She never make a sound. Ever. She just sits next to her Mama and takes the world in, with her toothy smile. Harlow basically sat on my hip all dance team season and helped me coach. She is just a joy. Pure and simple.

Helping me raise these two babes are my older two babes. (And one amazing Husband) Chloe has always been motherly, and pretty much my right hand since her birth. She helps me, grabs things when she knows I will need them, feeds Harlow, ect. I love her and everyone knows this to be true.

What gets me every time though, is my rough and tumble boy loving his baby sisters. He walks in my house after school all loud and unruly, telling me about his day and that there are about 50 boys outside that are going to play football for a while, so could I feed him a big snack so he can get out there already. Then seeing Harlow he kneels down next to her ever so carefully, grabs her little hand and puts his face to her and so quietly say, "How's my baby? Do you love your Bubba? Your Bubba loves you.". Or him giving into the demands of Stella and giving piggy back rides for a half hour until his little scrawny body is on the edge of exhaustion. We went to eat lunch with him at school the other day, and these girls that like him (whatever!), sat across from us. As they watched him interact with Stella and Harlow, one leans over to the other and says, "He's so good with his Sisters", like this is a marriageable quality or something!

I could blog all night about the different dynamics between my kids, and the joy it brings me. I won't...this is already long. I just had to share some thoughts on these little kids that I love. I can't wait to see how each one of their relationships grow!