Tech Cleanse

We, the Marshall's, are going on a tech cleanse. For the month of February our only activities that will require the use of screens for include email, weather checking, journal writing, video chatting, photo/video organizing, and texting. This might sound like a fairly long list, but it does not include blogging, checking blogs, Facebooking, news reading, game playing, movie watching, etc. (Though we did update our "Out of the Mouth of Abe sidebar for your enjoyment).

During a priesthood meeting on Sunday I felt inspired to do this, though it did not have anything directly related to the content of the talks. And while I did receive clear revelation on the matter, this is a topic that Ariel has never needed revelation on. She was thrilled when I shared the plan with her. Here are a few reasons that came directly to mind for this cleanse:

•  Where we spend our time will determine who we become. In order to develop personally, professionally, and spiritually I feel I need to spend more of my time on things that will be valuable to me, my family, and those around me. Examples include reading, visiting families, having people over, playing music, spending time outdoors and in museums, etc. 
• Time is critical. I can't imagine the world has ever had more choices, more leisure time, and more opportunity to fritter away that precious time. 
• I've been feeling a fair amount of stress lately because of my calling and work obligations. I'm certain that the better I use my time the better I will feel. 
• I include the following quotes not as primary reasons for this experiment, but to remind us of the dangers of movies and the Internet. Ironically, that subject merits a post in and of itself. 
• "It hardly needs to be said that much of what passes for entertainment today is coarse, degrading, violent, mind-numbing, and time wasting. Ironically, it sometimes takes hard work to find wholesome leisure." -Elder Christofferson
•  "...wide-ranging media sources, electronic tools and gadgets—all helpful if used properly—can become hurtful diversions or heartless chambers of isolation." -President Uchtdorf
• "If the adversary cannot entice us to misuse our physical bodies, then one of his most potent tactics is to beguile you and me as embodied spirits to disconnect gradually and physically from things as they really are. In essence, he encourages us to think and act as if we were in our premortal, unembodied state. And, if we let him, he can cunningly employ some aspects of modern technology to accomplish his purposes." -Elder Bednar

I do recognize that many of the things from which we are abstaining for the month are "helpful if used properly" and that there are great opportunities to spread truth through social media. We are not doing this to appear self-righteous and we do not find any of our banned activities inherently bad. This fast will, I think, show our attachment to these electronic tools, assist us in detaching, and bring us back to the wired world with more discipline and a clearer view of things as they really are. 

Onward.

Nonie's Butternut Squash Soup

"You may like butter, nuts, and squash, but you ought to try them together in soup form! When I first saw this soup a couple years back, my skin crawled. But after one spoonful, I had the remarkable experience of acquiring a comfort food on first taste." -Andrew

I know everyone's got their own butternut squash soup, but I didn't until a few years ago.  And this soup is special because it's from my sister-in-law who got it on her mission in France. 
It's really easy and tasty.  If you want to omit the cream, for health reasons, I think it's still really tasty.

Butternut Squash Soup

INGREDIENTS:

Butter

Butternut squash

A few potatoes

2-3 leeks

salt/pepper

about 4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth

cream or half n' half, no more than 1 cup

fresh chives

more pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Peel and cube the squash and potatoes.  Melt butter in a big pot and add squash/potatoes.  Add salt and pepper and saute for a few minutes.  Add the leek and saute a couple more minutes.  Add chicken broth.  Simmer until tender, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and blend the soup.  Stir in half and half.  Serve, add chives/black pepper, and eat hot! 

My New Year's Resolution & A Bonus

I've got just one resolution this year.  We decided at conference that we'd do "Conference Resolutions," but I guess we can't break the habit of doing New Year's Resolutions too.

The goal?  Ten o'clock bedtime.  I'm pretty excited.  It's been great so far. 

I also have a few secondary goals, like getting on top of all my paperwork and scrapbooking and photo albums.  It's also nice having that as a secondary goal because ironically, when I don't feel as much pressure, somehow I get to it more. 

One of my goals isn't, but probably should be, blogging more consistently.  If only you guys knew the awesome blog post ideas I have all the time!  Oh well, maybe next year.  I'm busy going to bed on time for now. 

I'll try to get some more recipes up soon.

Here's a bonus picture of Abraham right now.  He's 1/2 way through "quiet time."  He's showing me he's not quite done, he still has 1/2 his books left.

And a final word from Ben:

Our Weekend in a Waft

Rather than backtrack to and through the holidays--which we may or may not blog about--we're here to share some highlights from our slamdunk weekend. Besides, holiday talk in mid-January is like old Christmas treats: they still taste fine but conjure up happy memories amid the bleak of back-to-work-business-as-usual-blah. Wow. I'm really off to a great start here. Enough. Here are the pictures.
Friday

Ben's 6-month birthday Home Made Smiley Face Pizza. Halfy Birthday Baby Ben!!

Halfy Cake for Halfy Boy.

The microscopic smidge offered to Ben did not go unnoticed.

With uncanny speed he swiped through the cake and slathered his face. Even Lightning Girl's reflexes were no match for Halfy Boy.

 Saturday

Getting ready for a run in the running strol-strol.

We used a shower curtain and clothes pins for a wind cover. Ariel gets full credit for the design and creation.

 Sunday

Abe having dinner with his friend Wesley.

The Jackson's, Angelos's, and Marshall's enjoying Sunday dinner together. Our ward has blessed us with some great friendships.

 Monday Morning: The View Out Our Window Part II
This morning we looked out our windows to see deer, woodpeckers, pheasants, and ducks. I looked and looked for squirrels but got nothing. And squirrels are my favorite of all.

Ducks diving.

 Monday Afternoon: Reading MLK @ Linc. Mem
If I were a tweeter, I would have tweeted the above. With some cool link. Here's the cool link. We went to the Lincoln Memorial and read Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech. Really powerful words that ring true and still merit our attention. But we're grateful for how far we've come in race relations and hope that we can play a small part in improving them in the workplace, church, and community.

Abe and Abe II. Much more comfortable with him since our last visit.

Air and Space play.

 

Standing in front of the original Wright Flyer.

Great weekends make great weeks which make great weekends. Onward.

The View Out My Window

Sorry we've been MIA for so long.  We were partying non-stop for a few weeks, and now we're resting from our vacation.  Before we start working on our back log of what we've been up to, I wanted to share with you the pictures I took out my window this morning.  Sorry for posting so many, but each view is different and special to me!

Can you see our little river?
Can you see any sign of people or city? 

 I saw an owl on this tree the other day.

 Did you know that in the DC area school and everything is closed when there is just a chance of snow?
We're hoping the library is still open.

This picture is taken from Abraham's window.  We call this "his tree."  Little squirrels come right up to the window and wink at us.

The view down river.

And up river.

Whenever people ask us how we like where we're living, this view is all I can think of.  We don't have the best neighborhood, but we do have the best view.  And since the little boys and I are home most of the day, the view out our windows is what matters most.