The Gibson Girls and Our Man

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

March For Life

Please join me in supporting the March that is happening on Friday in Washington! As you can imagine, this is a monumental year to stand up for the unborn.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

5 Months

Reese is five months old!!!

She is just a total joy! Her smile just lights up the room. And the best part is that she's not stingy with them:) So if you come for a visit, you are sure to get one!

(Don't mind the bib, I wish I had paid attention to that and I would have taken it off!)

I finally took this little one for a check-up. Can you tell she's the third?

She weighs 15 lbs and 6 ounces! That's the 90th percentile. She's the 90th for length too, but I can't remember how long she was. I think 26 inches?

She's still a really content baby. Happiest in my arms, but she doesn't mind playing a little while on her own. She's outgrowing the bouncy seat and swing:( The above picture is her first time in the Bumbo seat. She liked it!

She loves to blow raspberries and eat her hands. They are constantly in her mouth. She drools a ton! We keep thinking the teeth have to be coming soon.

She's started rolling over onto her back during her naps and at night. So I usually have to go in and flip her back over. I am just grateful she'll go back to sleep:)

She really is such a joy. I was telling Jeremy the other day that I don't remember being so smitten with Gracie and Piper, although I am sure I was. We decided it's because you can enjoy the third so much more because you have so much more perspective. So true. Praise God for perspective:)

She almost makes me want to have another one. Don't go getting any ideas, I said almost.

Her sisters are still smitten...

We love you Reesee!

Our Food

Friends,

You need to know what's in the food you eat. I'll do my best to keep you informed:)

Why Haven't Fruit & Vegetable Eaters Been Told About This Toxic Waste Overload?

Posted by: Dr. Mercola
January 16 2010 | 27,871 views

gypsum, FGD gypsum, farming, toxic waste, soil The U.S. government is encouraging farmers to spread a chalky waste from coal-fired power plants on their fields to loosen and fertilize soil.

The material is produced by power plant "scrubbers" that remove acid-rain-causing sulfur dioxide from plant emissions.

The substance is a synthetic form of the mineral gypsum, and it also contains mercury, arsenic, lead and other heavy metals.

The Environmental Protection Agency says those toxic metals occur in only tiny amounts. But some environmentalists say too little is known about how the material affects crops, and ultimately human health.

Sources:

Washington Post December 23, 2009

Wall Street Journal January 9, 2010

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

As you may know, coal-fired plants produce about 50 percent of the power in the US, and are a major source of environmental pollution. One of its byproducts is FGD gypsum (flue gas desulfurization gypsum). Not surprisingly, the standard solution is to develop a scheme to sweep the problem under the rug and make money doing it.
In this case, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has begun promoting what they call “wastes beneficial uses,” in order to deal with industrial byproducts.
This is history repeating itself ad nauseum.
The plot to use of FGD gypsum on agricultural soils is virtually identical to the story of how the toxic byproduct fluoride was deemed beneficial to human health, once it became too costly for the aluminum industry to clean it up.
If you’re not yet aware of how the “beneficial waste uses” of fluoride came about, you may want totake a look at it now, because these two stories are hauntingly familiar.
Ironically, while the EPA and USDA are recommending the use of this toxic byproduct on fields, the Obama administration is also in the process of drafting the first federal standards for storage and disposal of coal wastes. The White House and the EPA are currently at odds over how to handle the more than 125 million tons of coal ash and sludge waste generated each year, reports the Wall Street Journal.
According to the Associated Press, this action was prompted by a spill from a coal ash pond near Knoxville, TN, just over a year ago. Ash and water flooded 300 acres, damaging homes and killing fish. The cleanup will cost an estimated $1 billion.
It’s logically challenging to accept that while an accidental coal waste spill is environmentally devastating, the willful spreading coal waste on farm lands, year after year, would be environmentally sound.
Granted, the combined contents of the spill was likely far more toxic than FGD gypsum alone, but we’re still talking aboutadding toxins to our farm lands, and no matter how minute these toxins are, they will eventually accumulate.

Why would we want to do this to ourselves, and to our future generations?

Where Else Can You Find This Toxic Byproduct?

By the way, the use of FGD gypsum on farm fields is not brand new. According to the American Coal Ash Association, farmers' use of the material has more than tripled in the past 6 years, from about 78,000 tons spread on fields in 2002, to nearly 279,000 tons in 2008.
However, the overall annual production of this byproduct is expected to double in the next several years, as more coal-fired plants come online and as more scrubbers are added to existing power plants to comply with the EPA’s Clean Air Interstate Rule and other requirements. This means, the problem of what to do with all that waste will grow significantly.
About half of the nearly 18 million tons of FGD gypsum produced in the US in 2008 was put to “beneficial use” in the manufacturing of drywall. However, did you know that this potentially heavy metal-laced byproduct is also used as a filler ingredient in some foods and in toothpaste?!
Yet another reason to avoid processed foods. Much of it is not even food-based!
There’s no question that the push for FGD gypsum in farming is orchestrated by the industry producing the waste – as a solution that is convenient and profit-producing for them. I doubt it has ANY real benefits to human health.
Consider this 2007 National Network for Use of FGD Gypsum in Agriculture workshop, led by the Electric Power Research Institute, whose sole objective is to “increase the use of FGD gypsum in agricultural applications.”
The electric power industry hard at work to improve the quality of your food?
I think not.

Because as reported by the Wall Street Journal, the Electric Power Research Institute has also stated that utilities could lose $5 billion to $10 billion of revenue each year if they were no longer allowed to sell coal combustion byproducts to industry. Furthermore, the organization says added storage costs could be a burden on power plants, especially those operating in deregulated markets, where they must compete against other forms of non-coal power generation.

What Can You Do?

There does not appear to be any kind of grassroots movement to stop this practice. Or if there is, I’ve not been able to find it. However, there is one thing I’d encourage you to do, and that is to bring your concerns about the agricultural use of FGD gypsum to the attention of organic growers everywhere.
Why?
Because it appears use of FGD gypsum may have trickled into organic farming as well, since it’s not considered a petroleum-based soil additive, which is forbidden in organic farming.
One of the significant benefits of buying locally-grown, organic food is that you can oftentimes meet the growers face to face. You can ask questions about their growing practices and discuss your personal concerns with them directly. And that is a dialogue I believe must be revived.
We’ve become so far removed from our food sources, most people have no idea what they’re putting in their mouths anymore. Approaching your local farmers and opening up a dialogue might be the most important thing any one of us could do.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

A Tooth!

So this is a really bad picture:( But my Gracie girl lost her first tooth! Now that is a serious sign of growing up in my mind.

It was loose for quite a while and we tried and tried to pull it but we couldn't get it. Then she was brushing her teeth and out it came!

When it came time for the tooth fairy, we got out the tooth fairy pillow and explained the whole deal with her and Piper. Then we tucked them in their beds. I go to turn out the lights and Piper says, "Mommy, is the tooth fairy going to come in to my room?" Me. "Yes Piper."

Piper: "But I don't want the tooth fairy to come in here."

Me: "You won't even know it, you'll be asleep."

Piper: crying at this point "No Mommy, I don't want her to come in here."

Me: "Piper, she's really tiny and super nice. She only comes to get the tooth and she leaves."

I try to leave the room

Piper: Crying hysterically at this point "No mommy, no!!!!"

Me: "Okay, we'll have the tooth fairy come to the bathroom for Gracie's tooth. She won't even come in your room."

Piper: Still not satisified, and still really crying

Finally after 45 minutes of this I took Piper in the bathroom and told her the tooth fairy was pretend. It took me a bit to convince her that I was the tooth fairy. Then I threatened her not to tell Gracie!! (Knowing full well she would) But amazingly, she has kept it a secret.

The tooth fairy came to see Gracie and all is well in the Gibson house. Whew! Sweet memories.

Oops He did it again!

Remember about a year ago when Jeremy split his pants at work for the second time??? ( I wrote a post about it but I don't know how to link to it. Anyone want to help me?)

Well guess what??? He came home last week with his jacket tied around his waist. hahahahaha!! Yep, he split them AGAIN!!!!! Didn't I tell him to take an extra pair of pants to work? Did he listen to me. nope. sure didn't.

Now, yes now, he thinks it's a good idea to have an extra pair of pants at work.

Oh I wish I had taken a picture of these pants. Total rip, right down both sides of the seam.

crazy man

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Christmas 2009

We did have Christmas around here:)

We started off Christmas Eve with breakfast at Mom and Dad's with the Murphy family. We have been doing this for years. Ryan and I have known each other since we were two. Then we ran some errands and headed home to greet Gramma and Papa! We were so excited to have them for Christmas:) Xmas Eve night, we went to my Uncle Todd and Aunt Susan's for a movie. This has also been a family tradition, but we usually go to church. This year we decided to join the rest of the family for mexican and the movie, "We are Marshall." What a great movie!!

Then it was home to get the littles off to sleep and set out presents.

The girls, getting ready to get all snuggled in their beds on Christmas Eve

The stash

Jeremy had the girls turn around all at once....

Gracie's highlight was new make-up

Piper put all of her presents right in her face, so this is all I have of her:) This is her very own camera

I love it when they wear hats:)

Papa got a new blanket

Pipes and Papa

Gracie and Gamma

Daddy got a new coat

Reese joined us after a little while:) She got some teething toys and rattles

These are the only things Pipes asked for...green lipstick and green nail polish. Do you know how hard it is to find green lipstick? And every store I went in, they looked at me like I was crazy when I asked for it:)

After the girls finished opening presents, they broke out the make-up:)

Oh isn't that beautiful?

Hmmm, thought you should get a second look at that

Gamma got a makeover and a half!!

Then....we got a BIG surprise from Daddy! We are going to Disney World!!!! He handed each of us an envelope. One with a big question mark, one for Gracie Girl, one for Piper, and the last one says sweet Reese

And this is what was inside

I had forgotten the wonder that kids experience at Christmas. It was so fun this year to experience that with the girls.

The wonder lasted all month long. From doing the Advent calendar, to the Nativity scene, to eating a piece of chocolate each morning to count down the days till Jesus' Birth, they were filled with anticipation and wonder.

And I was grateful that they really understood what Christmas is all about. I took Gracie for her 6 year check-up a few weeks ago and the Dr. asked her what she wanted for Christmas. She looked at him and said, "We celebrate Jesus birth." His eyes got really big and he looked at me and said he'd never had a kid say that before. To be honest, I was surprised that was her answer too. But I am thrilled that it was. Of course she knows we get presents, but she knows what's most important too. And that makes her momma smile:)

Monday, December 28, 2009

Family Baking Day

Last Wednesday, we got together for family baking day. It's a yearly Christmas tradition for the Looper girls and our kids. To Lauren, it's not Christmas until you have family baking day:)