Goblins

Naming it Mushroom valley probably wouldn't have attracted the tourists like "Goblin Valley"

Two peas in a pod, only one is 5'0 and one is 6'0

Notice how I'm taking the pictures from the ground on most of these

A new way to stay awake

Last night I made some incredible homemade salsa. It turned out so well partially due to a good recipe but mostly due to the fresh and delicious local vegetables that went in it. It went on a homemade tortilla, with beans, lettuce, homemade guacamole etc. Its a repeat dinner for tonight. In the 7 1/2 years we've been married, I don't believe Zach has ever had homemade salsa, homemade tortillas, and homemade guacamole on the same night together before. He's a lucky man. It was good eat'n, but that's not the story.


Here's the kicker, or should I say 'licker'. Later on that night as I was sitting in the temple and I realized I had gotten some of the jalapeno oils onto my left hand between my last two fingers. The spot was burning. The only thing I could think to do was lick the inflamed area and try to get the oil off. I was partially successful. When I licked my fingers the burning in my hand decreased slightly but was then transferred to my tongue. I waited a few minutes till the burning on my tongue subsided and licked again. This went on for about 7 or 8 rounds until my hand was feeling some what normal and so was my tongue. I'll have to say this though, I didn't fall asleep when the lights were low. 

The Hike

Favorite spot

Parquor (?)

Just call me spider man

Brothers

Pack Mules

Goblin Valley (part I)

This past weekend we went camping with Ben's family, Tina and Naomi down at Goblin Valley. The weather was lovely, company fun, the hike interesting, and the boys thought they had died and gone to the big play ground in the sky. If my air mattress hadn't deflated it would have been pretty near perfect. I took a ton of pictures so I'll dish it in small doses. 

Quality not Quantity

       I have mentioned before probably that I am NOT a huge fan of calorie counting for a number of reasons. Mostly because it can be inaccurate by as much as 30% , or basically a useless guess. And even if you are closer to the mark, you are measuring it against an estimate as to how many calories your body actually burns based on semi-useful equations. You aren't listening to your bodily clues when calorie counting and you are spending a bunch of needless time and energy obsessing about something that your body is telling you how to do naturally. 
Well here is another extraordinary piece of evidence that indicates calorie counting isn't what its cracked up to be. It comes from the ground breaking book, The China Study by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Cambell II who discuss twenty years worth of data collected comparing the health and nutrition of the Chinese to other nations. This is just one of the many interesting facts included in the book.

Nutrient	China	United States
Calories/day	2641	1989
Total fat (% of calories)	14.5	34-38
Dieetary fiber (g/day)	33	12
Total protein (g/day)	64	91
Animal protein (% of calories)	.8	10-11
Total iron (mg/day)	34	18

Notice Chinese people, on average, eat 650 calories more, or in other words an entire meals worth of food, and are in much better condition as far as heart disease, obesity, cancer, and other long term health indicators. They are not fat. On the contrary, if they struggle with their health at all it is usually from the diseases of poverty not wealth i.e. pneumonia, ulcers, TB, parasites etc. The majority of their food is plant based, not animal based. There is more quantity but it is of much greater quality.  More fiber, more phytochemicals, more  antioxidants and basically more everything good and less everything bad. Take home message from the book:

Animal products in your diet cause long term disease and obesity- eat the very least amount you possibly can, if any at all. 

As a westerner myself this is a hard one to swallow since it is not uncommon for me to eat meat once a day, but facts are facts. The Lord knew what he was talking about when he said: 

"12 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. 

13 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

Don't just say "hummmm, interesting." 

Love

"But our tokens of compliment and love are for the most part barbarous. Rings and other jewels are not gifts, but apologies for gifts. The only gift is a portion of thyself." Ralph Waldo Emerson 1844 Essay "Gifts"

I had forgotten  that last phrase was inscribed on the inside of Zach's ring until I went to take this picture. I saw a similar picture on line and wanted to recreate it. 

'Tis nice to be loved.

Handsome

Professor Hutchins- Take 2

He needed a picture for the BYU department website

    

Baby bear getting ready for church