Exciting Stuff

I'm excited that we can finally say that we are officially moving to Arizona!  Aaron received his acceptance letter on Tuesday night.  The time was terrific because we were headed out the next morning to be with his sister for Easter. Now we just have a lot to get done before moving at the end of July.

We have only lived in one place since we've been married and the idea of picking up and moving is a bit overwhelming. So is the idea that I'll be jobless for the first time in over five years. My goal would be to find something part-time so that we won't have to leave Ash with a sitter. Over our break we looked at a few apartments in the Tempe area and I think that would work well for us since it's centrally located.  

If anyone has done the really poor grad school family thing feel free to let me know what worked well for you!

30 Day Challenge

My coworkers and I were just talking at lunch about blogs and facebook.

While it's nice to stay in touch with people we know through these sites at times it seems very similar. Lately the facebook thing to do is to send around 'notes'. Those of you who use the site know what I'm talking about, but for those who don't they are the "50 more random things about you," or " Tell me about you Dentist," type of lists. How many times can you read those before all the answers start to look the same? I've been known to enjoy a good list, but I just feel like it doesn't really help deepen my relationships with anyone.

As for blogging, Andrea said that she wants to read more what goes on with real life. Apparently, she doesn't find photo shoot after photo shoot of the kiddos enlightening. Andrea is not anti-child she just wants to feel a little more authenticity from the blogs she reads. As did the rest of the table. I always have a blog post mulling around in my head, but I never post because I worry about what people will think of me or that maybe it's too depressing, etc. So I resort to cute Ash updates. While he's cute, but really, the fact that he did whatever new trick isn't necessarily what I want to talk about. After saying all of that my coworkers challenged me to blog for the next 30 days without a filter. Aaron already does this...Unfiltered Trine has not really been unleashed.

Why is it so difficult to write or share what you want? Not just what happened today, but things that we think about and feel deeply. I have friends who are capable of doing this and I really admire how candid they can be without sinking into complete negativity. So, while I won't be writing everyday, I am going to make an effort to write at least twice a week for the next 30 days and just be me. So the posts may be frivolous and they may be serious.

Rebirth

As many of you might know, I became a vegetarian the day Asher was born. It probably won't surprise you that I have faced my share of ridicule for this decision. I have experienced everything from being told "you are going to die, you need red meat to survive in this world" to the complete amazement of my parents who acted like my decision was worse than being a drug addict.

My sister got me thinking about my reasons of becoming a vegetarian. When people ask me why I usually say, "I ate way too much meat," which is true to an extent. I decided to post about my decision to become a vegetarian. This post is not meant to become preachy, or condescending to others lifestyles, merely just to clarify reasons for my decision.

Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly; And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine."
-D&C 89: 12-13

I grew up in a family that would eat meat all the time. BBQ's are a weekly tradition which consist of meat, meat, and more meat with one salad that nobody really touched. Every member of my family had at least one hamburger and one hot dog, and perhaps a pork chop to top it all off. I like, most people, thought this was normal, and I justified it by saying "it's not too much meat, its only once a week." However, when I would think about a week's worth of food my menu would consist of: meat with about every meal the exception being breakfast. That menu didn't include the hidden meat and animal products that are found in canned food, chips, pop tarts, or treats. So, when it boiled down to it I was eating an animal product/meat with everything I ate.

As I was coming to this realization, I watched a movie entitled, "Fast Food Nation" (the movie is not for everyone, it is extremely graphic), which displayed the evils of the meat packing industry. Sickened by what I saw, I decided I needed to cut down the amount of meat I consumed. I went to the library to check out "The Complete Idiots Guide to Becoming A Vegetarian," more out of curiosity than wanting to become a vegetarian. Upon reading I realized a lot of the book made sense to me (even thought the book is completely biased) and made me think of D&C 89 (see passage above).

I read that Idiot book cover to cover in a few hours and decided I was going to become a lacto-ovo vegetarian because it felt right to me. I did not do it "cold turkey", rather, I gradually faded out animal products; one animal a week over the next month until June twenty-seventh (the day Asher was born).

I was quiet about my decision for a while; only voicing my desire to my wife because I wanted to make sure I could make the lifestyle transition before more people knew. I decided for me, the only way I could continue living a veggie lifestyle was to become more educated on the subject. I read a book entitled "Slaughter House: The ethics of the meat packing industry" which brought to mind the fourth verse in D&C 89.

"Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which
do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I
have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by
revelation."

Slaughter House displayed the unethical treatment of workers and animals in the meat packing industry--animals being skinned alive because the machines are going too fast, horses being stolen off of private property in the middle of the night to be sold to restaurants at a cheaper price than beef, hormones being injected into cattle/chickens to produce more product at a faster rate. The book is written by an undercover investigation with eyewitness accounts, a very thought provoking read. Slaughter House and D&C confirmed my decision.

So the question is, "As a lacto-ova vegetarian what do you eat?" As a lacto-ova vegetarian, I do eat eggs (well only egg whites because I can not eat the baby chick) and some dairy products sparingly. I do not drink milk (soy milk only), but I do eat cheese, mostly because soy cheese is too expensive. I do not eat animal fat; found in most canned products like refried beans (vegetarian refried beans, however, do not contain the fat). I do not eat carmine (ground up insect used for food coloring in most candy or sugary cereals) or gelatin.

For me, becoming a veggie was more then cutting down on my meat intake, although it started out that way. My decision was based on scriptural understanding, and unethical treatment of workers and the inhumane killing of animals in the meat industry. My lifestyle change has not caused me to become fanatic or despise people that do eat meat. After all, I did the eat meat for a good twenty-something years. Do I miss meat? Sometimes. I crave Arby's every once in a while but that can be expected when you change something that has been ingrained in you from the moment you are born.

Quick Update

Just here for a quick update on our little family. Aaron and I have been keeping busy with work and Ash. We are both so excited that spring is on the way, it really opens up what things we can do to get out of the house. 

Asher is just a busy boy.  This past week he's been pretty sick with both ears infected and a super nasty cold. He had an RSV screening that came back clean. But seeing them suction out a ton of junk from his nose was not pleasant at all. Poor guy hates to be held down so to have that and tubes up his nose sent him over the edge. He seems to be doing better with his antibiotics and is back to exploring.  Ash is still coming in as a little guy on the charts the 10th percentile for weight and 7th for height. 

Dogs of The Future

I really want a dog right now...like so bad. I always had a dog or two growing up and miss the comedy, companionship, and affection that a dog provides. I think it would be nice for Asher to be around a pet, because he has yet to even see a real animal, let alone interact with one. I don't quite know how to really make a case for getting one besides the above mentioned reasons. I struggle with the fact that our landlord has put the restriction on us which does not allow us to have pets of any kinds. I wish I could say I wasn't bitter. So in my free time between knitting, watching Kung Fu Panda, and reading the latest book from the library I have been researching which type of dog we are going to purchase the first chance we get...Trine doesn't know it yet though so don't tell her ;)

I have narrowed it down to the top four breads of dog...

1) American Bulldog...very good with kids, don't need a lot of exercise, they are good guard dog, and they look tough. 

2) Pug...they are good with kids, funny looking, social, small in size, and don't need a ton of exercise.

3) Dachshund (aka Wiener dog)...I think these dogs are some of the cutest dogs, they are great with kids, good guard dogs despite their size, small in size, and curious.

4) Miniature Pincher...good gaurd dogs despite their size, good with kids, social.

A Winter Hobby

This winter, I decided I needed a new hobby, something that would help me stay sane at my job. So after multiple attempts of trying to convince Trine that we needed a new x-box 360, or a new HD TV, or an airsoft rifle, or even a new car, I decided to take up knitting beanies. I actually started off pretty badly, but after making a few I came up with my own patterns for making beanies. Here are a few of my recent creations. And yes, I do wear all of them, besides the one I made for Trine.

This one is gray & orange to match this hoodie & a coat I have. It isn't my favorite but it pretty warm.

This one is actually double sided...the inside has the opposite pattern in it. Notice no brim.

Also double sided...inside has black with a big green line in the middle then black on top.

I just thought this one would be fun. It is perfect to wear around the house because it is thin.

I like this one because it matches just about anything.

This is the one I made for Trine. Also double sided.

Boss Ross Reborn

Aaron found a leftover canvas and we decided to let Asher contribute to the beautification of our home.  At first he was pretty hesitant about the paint and we did our best to keep it from his mouth. 

Then he finally decided to get into the swing of things. Perhaps he knows we'll never let him get this messy again.  He crawled all over the paint and seemed to like seeing all of the colors. Once the painting was done he immediately went to the bath.

The finished product turned out well. It's fun to look at all his little hand-prints and scratches. Aaron added Asher's name just so we would remember who was responsible. A good time had by all.