Things I love (and use everyday)..

So when it comes to hair, makeup, and exercise products I don't stray much from my constants. My always there when I am having bad, good, fat. or fun day items. These are items I use everyday and can't seem to get myself to stray much from.



First, Lifetime fitness. This great and spacious building keeps me in shape before, during and after pregnancy. It provides Dave and I will free date nights, provides my kids with entertainment and offers us endless winter swimming. I don't know what I would do without it! What do ya'll love to do to keep in shape?



Second, MAC makeup. I am willing to try new items in this area, but no matter what I always find myself coming back to good old MAC. Good colors, clean finish, oh! and available online (which is a must. Can you just see me walking into Nordstrom with my three boys waiting at the counter? Doable, just not a fun thought). Any of you have a favorite magic make up you are willing to share?



Third, CHI. Seriously to anyone who has frizz and curls this is a must have. I love my CHI and just hope I don't have to replace it...it costs a pretty penny. Also, anyone who is looking for a good blow dryer CHI makes a great one. My hair dries so quick and I have a LOT of stinkin hair. Anyone have another miracle straightener they want to enlighten us about?



Fourth, shampoo and conditioner can be tricky. Some add build up to hair while others strip it. I have been happy lately with brunette goddess. It smells like cookies. I am fickle about the products I use after I get out of the shower. I have tried anything from AVEDA to Frizz Ease. Anyone have a good shampoo and conditioner for frizzy hair? What are your favorite products?

I thought I would gather all the information I could from all of my beautiful friends. After all isn't that what friends are for...to share beauty secrets? So please go ahead and share.

Stephanie Needs...

I got this from Amber's blog. What you do is Google "your name needs..." and see what comes up on Google. Here's what came up for me:

1. Stephanie needs some help look at those pants! (Some days this may be truer than I like. I seem to always have a lingering memento from my child on them.)

2. Stephanie needs Midol. (Well if I needed Midol this could be a good thing. It would mean that I am experiencing the short break between nursing and being pregnant)

3. Stephanie needs a committed, permanent family to meet her needs today and in the future. (Okay I think I can cross this one off my list :)).

4. Stephanie needs rhinoplasty surgery. (Hmmm...not so much. But there might be a couple of other surgeries that I wouldn't mind having!)

5. Stephanie needs a strong manly shoulder to lean on. (Phew...I already have that one too.)

6. Stephanie needs a sound proofed home to protect her. (Not sure shy anyone would need this)

7. Stephanie needs to stand out and attract some votes. (I already dropped out of the race for mother of the year so I am not sure what I am running for).

8. Stephanie needs to learn some new wisecracks and her characters need some new idiosyncrasies. (Dave would disagree. He thinks I am sassy enough. Although a few more idiosyncrasies never hurt anyone!)

9. Stephanie needs 37 tiles to tile her bathroom. If she can buy tiles in packs of 5, how many packs will she need?
Stephanie needs 8 packs. She will have 3 extra tiles left. (Now that I know this my endless nights are over)

10. Stephanie needs all the help she can get as she goes up against the snakes, spiders, giant rabbits and bears; never mind the vicious and vindictive Eddie. (Not sure who Eddie is, but it is true about the snakes, spider and giant rabbits and bears).

Have fun Googling if you try this too!
I laughed pretty hard at what was out there.

Austin playing the piano

Austin is doing so good at working towards learning to play the piano. He really feels good after he learns something new and is just having fun. As long as he is loving it I will keep on teaching him :) We are proud of him for his hard work.

Blakey All Grown Up

Blake is officially a toddler. He is now toddling all around our house. This is absolutely crazy because wasn't I just pregnant? He is the sweetest little baby (oops toddler). Austin and Chase are so cute to cheer for Blake every time he walks. They are great older brothers!

Chase's Toe Touching Tournament

This was actually pretty funny. All of the kids at their gymnastics performance were suppose to get on the tramp and show one trick to their parents. Chase got on and toe touched FOREVER. Seriously I think he has better toe touches than I ever did!! Ha ha. He is so cute.

Missed you, Missed you...Now you have to kiss me!

Dave is FINALLY home. He has been gone for 5 days and has been missed SO much. He was in Seattle for an Orthodontic convention (although I know he was having a blast he tried hard to let us know he would rather be home). I don't love being alone, so long trips like this are hard for me (although girls night out on Friday was a blast, Catherine and Jamie, and my feet are so stinkin soft). It is hard on the boys too, but now we can party because my hubby is back! WOO HOO! I love you babe and missed you so much!

So You Think You Can Dance....

Last Summer I was TOTALLY addicted to So You Think You Can Dance. I am SO excited for its premiere this Thursday. If you didn't watch last Summer you completely missed out. I am hoping Benji will return to give a star performance in the premiere. Oh! The excitement is almost too much!

Another Semester...

Well, no matter how much I protest my kid's seem to keep getting BIGGER! We have made it through another year of preschool, Joy School and through another year of sports and gymnastics.

Austin graduated from preschool yesterday. He seriously had the most amazing teachers and they LOVED little boys. In my opinion not every teacher knows how to work with little boys and all their wiggly energy. We were fortunate enough to have teachers that really worked so well with Austin. They created a video scrapbook for each child of the year and they watched them at their graduation party. They also sent home a scrapbook of each child's year with pictures and crafts in them. Honestly they were nothing short of fabulous!
Chase is so big. When he first started gymnastics this semester it was hard for him to go in because it was the first gymnastics class I didn't go in with him. Within a couple of weeks he was doing so well and now he LOVES it. He is the best donkey kicker, toe toucher, and log roller around!

UPDATE!!!!!

To everyone who prayed for our family we want you to know that Sherri is awake!!! We feel so blessed and cannot thank you enough for your prayers on our behalf. She is still in ICU, but we are just grateful she is awake. Times like these make me so grateful for the gospel and the peace that the Holy Spirit can bring. I feel so blessed to be in a family that rallies in times of crisis. I am especially grateful that we have the opportunity to be together forever... The church is so stinkin true!!!

Tears

The funny thing about computers is that you can't tell the person's emotions when they are writing a post. There is room for interpretation because you don't get the nonverbal communication that goes with the words that are written. Make no mistake....I am crying right now.
My sweet sister, Sherri, this morning fell into a diabetic coma. We don't know the exact time, her husband just found her at 6:30 am. She is non-responsive right now and has been since she was found. We are praying for her with every minute. Her name is in every temple we have access to. Please include her in your prayers and thoughts. Sherri you gotta pull through. You have a 5 day old new born baby that needs you...we all need you. I love you big sis.

Our absolute favorite scriptures ever!

Okay we love ALL the scriptures... We just love these scriptures because they have been so great for our young family to read from. My kids love them! They are good to capture the entire story. They have the scriptures story in them and then a little story afterwards that applies is to their lives. These make great FHE's too. These are kind of a "treat". We usually read from the regular children's scriptures from the distribution center, but the "Who's Your Hero?" books are a nice little change for the kids cause they relate to them so well!

Our Monthly Newsletter

I thought I would make it a habit to post our monthly submission to our family newsletters so we can share an overview of our month. Here is the latest for the Farnsworth Fam!

This month was an eventful one. Dave and I attended a a good friends sealing of their adopted baby. It was a really great experience. We were there for the sealing of their two other adopted children as well. We are so blessed to have the gospel to know families are forever!!!
We also participated in our Stake Service Project last month. It was a really good experience for the kids. We planted flowers and bushes, weeded, picked up large sticks, raked leaves, and laid down mulch for a new park that they are building in Flower Mound. The kids were so happy to have their own gloves, rakes and shovels. We left with an overwhelming feeling that it is so important to teach our children the value of serving,
The boys and I attended the annual truck rodeo at the local library a couple of days ago. The city brings in a fire tuck, an ambulance, a police car, a dump truck, a tractor, etc. They let the kids climb up in the trucks and see how they work. They give away free stickers, popcorn, and lemonade to boot! The boys were in paradise.
Last week we got hit with some severe weather. A tornado touched down about 2 miles from here. It hit some of the homes within our ward boundaries. Clean up projects have already been scheduled. I remember that night just sitting in our room and the thunder would sound and then our home would shake (like a tiny earthquake). It was actually somewhat terrifying. Dave and I kept checking out the window to make sure our home wasn't going to flood. We were hit hard with rain. It was one of those moments as parents were you have to trust in the Lord completely. We were ready to take the kids and jump in our tub for shelter. Then the storm calmed and we felt it safe to go to bed. There is nothing like a Texas storm.
Dave had a few weekends off this month. On Saturdays he was able to work at a general dentist's office in Plano. He enjoyed practicing dentistry (and getting paid for it). He will be doing this every weekend he doesn't travel this month. Dave is amazed at the changes he is seeing in his patients at school. He is excited at his choice of profession. Dave always spends a lot of time working in the yard and playing with the kids (and making me happy). Dave also took me to Wicked this month with a bunch of other couples. It was so amazing!
I stayed busy this month with primary, freezer meal exchange, boot camp, teaching joy school, and book club. The boys and I are still tending the garden. It has turned into a beautiful garden. Although the tomato plants got damaged in the storm, but are recovering nicely. I am amazed at what a little water and sunshine can do to a tiny seed. I also have a new addiction...blogging. Hopefully the addiction will settle into the normal range soon. I attended a three-week bread making class this month. I learned a lot of great tricks. I'm happy to share if your interested! I also finished up a semester long Institute class I was taking on Thursdays. We were studying the Book of Mormon. I will miss it and the way it made my whole week better. For Primary we had a Stake Leadership Training that I attended. It was a wonderful reminder of how important our children are. I feel safe knowing the future of the world and the church is in the hands of these amazing spirits.
Austin is still busy with preschool. He can completely read on his own now. He is so pleased and so are we. He is almost finished with his swimming lessons. He is now very comfortable in the deep end. He has his last soccer game tomorrow. He scored his first soccer goal this month too and hasn't stopped scoring them since. He also learned how to ride his bike without training wheels this month. (It has been a BIG month for him). He informed me, "Mom I can do almost everything now, I just need to learn how to skate board and that's it!" Glad he has some confidence. Austin is still learning to play the piano. He just learned how to play "Mary Had a Little Lamb" (over and over and over again). Austin is so helpful and so sweet.
Chase still loves Joy School. He looks forward to it every week. He is 100% potty trained...YAY! He is even waking up dry. We are so proud of him for all his hard work. Chase is doing so well going into gymnastics by himself too. He loves to turn cartwheels, do Texas Tornado twists, do bridges, and table tops anywhere and everywhere. He is so fun to be around. He has informed us "I am going to live in a race car when I grow up cause they're bast (fast)". He also likes to add "That sure is....." to everything.
Blake is SO sweet. He thinks he is as big as Chase and Austin and follows them around all day. He is standing all by himself and has taken a couple of steps. He laughs at his brother's funny noises. He loves to play peek-a-boo with a blanket too. He is like a dog... if you are lying down on your back he will come an attack you with kisses.

(Sorry for the novel. Dave likes to talk, I like to write)
We love and miss you!
The Dave Farnsworth Family

7 Random Facts About Me

Thanks Amber for tagging me :).
Here are 7 random facts about me:
1- I love lists and charts. So if I was a computer, while I love my MAC, I would probably be a PC. We have charts for bedtime routines (brush teeth, say prayers, read scriptures, take tubby, get PJ's on, give hugs, etc), charts for waking up routines (say prayers, make bed, brush teeth, get dressed, etc), charts for behavior, charts for chores, charts for reading and piano lessons, charts for family goals...you get the idea. Who knew that so many great things can be made even better by adding a chart :)
2-I can't run. I never have been good at it. I could dance or do aerobics for hours, but run a mile... forget it! I would pass out. Boot camp has helped me get a little better at my endurance but I am still pretty poopy at it. Hopefully I don't have to ever run for my life...I would probably end up dead.
3- I obsess over housework...okay probably over everything. I can't explain the feeling I get when I look at my clean house. I walk from room to room like a proud mom basking in the cleanliness (pretty lame I know). During the day my house often becomes disastrous. So before Dave gets home every night the kids and I do a 10 min speed clean and the house once again looks homey. If by chance the house doesn't get picked up Dave jumps right in and help me pick up before dinner because he knows it makes me happy :) Then the rest of the nightly routine can go on as normal and I can relax.
4-I love to write in my journal. This has been a habit I started as a young adult and have continued in my adult life. I love looking back at events and reliving the moments and seeing the progress that my family and I have made through the years. This is probably why I love making family videos and scrapbooking too. I guess I just love documenting our life :) Hence the new obsession of blogging.
5- I love to play the guitar. While I probably sing and play the piano better, the guitar is one that I probably enjoy doing the most. I have played at church and I think it adds a quiet spirit. I love to play it and sing along with Dave. He has a great voice (don't tell him I let the cat out of the bag ;) )
6- I sleep with my make up on. I know this is a horrible habit, but I can't seem to break it.
7- I am terrified of needles. The epidural and IV during labor & delivery are more terrifying than the entire birth process for me!

So now you know some random facts about me!

San Antonio

We love a good family vacation. San Antonio is a quick drive from Dallas and the kids do great in the car. It is great to spend time together and just relax.




Feeding the Dolphins and Sea Otters was the favorite activity at Sea World.




The 4-D Pirate Show was hilarious. The kids loved wearing the glasses (Dave and I too!)




Frozen lemonade and the Shamu show was a highlight too. I always get a little teary during it...go figure!

Nightmares...

Somewhere between being awake and drifting off to sleep my mind often races. I lie in bed and I think about the things of the day, happy things, things I could have done better, things that need to be done. After a short time, I usually drift quietly into sleep. But on some nights nightmarish thoughts enter my mind. A wave of panic hits me and my heart starts to race. I cringe as I think about having one of my children being kidnapped, or being hit by a car, or being exploited in some way. I try to think rationally, wondering if I am careful enough or cautious enough. Thinking how I can protect them any more than I am. The anxiety is usually lessened as I say an extra prayer pleading to always keep my children safe. Why do I do this? Is this a simple way of always remembering how precious and fragile the sweet lives of my children are or is this unnecessary obsessing on my part?

The Skinny on Nutrition

This has been one of my obsessions lately...During grad school I got some great information on family nutrition and childhood obesity. Last night I attended another class (just for fun) on nutrition as well. Here is a nice overview of points to remember. Just to start and make you interested.....

-Less than 7% of children get the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables in a day.
-Childhood obesity has tripled since 1980. It is now considered an epidemic by experts. Now 1 in 4 children are obese.
-The amount of behavioral problems diagnosed in children has increased 10 fold in the last 30 years (awareness or nutrition?).

THESE HAVE BEEN PROVEN TO BE COMBATED BY HEALTHY EATING HABITS AND PROPER NUTRITION

I am not a purist, but I believe so much in the importance of good nutrition.

Here are 9 tips given by William Sears, MD (with inserts of my opinion too) from his 9 Simple Steps program for the Healthy Happy Kids Campaign:

1) Shape Young Tastes- Start early! If they eat green beans, squash, sweet potatoes as a baby why stop them as they grow?
2) Feed your Family the Right Carbs- Fruit, Veggies, Whole Grain, etc. (the best thing to remember is to feed your family items that have both Protein AND Fiber in them) Check nutrition labels.
3) Feed Your Family the Right Fats- Omega 3 fats. (Flax oil, Olive oil, nuts, avocados, fish, nut butter, etc) Watch out for Hydrogenated fats. The best tasting peanut butter that we have found that isn't loaded with hydrogenated fat is Skippy Natural.
4) Feed Your Family "Grow Foods"- Break it down to Red, Yellow, and Green light foods. (Peas, beans, yogurt, eggs, etc) Foods that are high in sugar will make them hungrier faster. A good point to know for label reading is 4g sugar= 1 tsp of sugar.
5) Raise a Grazer- Remember children's portions are about 1/4 cup. We use snack tickets at our house. They have 3-4 tickets a day. I put them in a jar and they turn in a ticket every time they need a snack. They pick what type of snack from our snack cards ( Fruit, Veggie, Dairy, Your Choice, Something Salty, etc) and then that card is placed in the back of the pile. So they get to choose when the tickets are used and have somewhat of a choice (by picking a card) of what the snack is, but when the tickets are gone they are gone. This has worked amazingly at our house.
6) Start the Day with a Brainy Breakfast- The most important thing to remember is to give them a healthy breakfast (there is lots of research to show that children who have "brainy breakfasts" do better in school academically and physically).
7) Feed Your Family Fruits & Veggies- Have these available for them. We have "Sneakies" we call them. Veggie pizza they can create themselves. Pitas they can stuff with whatever they want. You get the idea...items they make the way they want.
8) Take Your Kids to the Supermarket- I don't know if this is really worth tugging the kids along every time, but it is good to have them there to show them how to make healthy choices. THey can choose the fruits and veggies, the healthy cereals, the right kind of bread etc. Have them show you what food is a "grow" food and what is not.
9) Use supplements for your kids- We use Juice Plus. It is the best supplement we have found. It is made from fruit & vegetables. They have gummy & chewable vitamins for children as well as supplements for adults. There is a lot of research available about this particular supplement. Check it out.



I hope this information was helpful. Remember to still have fun with your kids. An ice cream cone every now an then isn't horrible...If you make a few little changes it is amazing the difference you will see in your kid's behavior, their attention span, and the decrease in the number of their illnesses.

Other good resources: Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth
The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood: Ten Ways to Get Your Family on the Right Nutritional Track by William and Martha Sears