I have loved continuing my meditation practice in the month of February. This month seemed like a good one to have my theme be "GIVE AND RECEIVE LOVE." I thought the switch of affirmations and visualization would be a refreshing change. To be honest though, it was a little tricky. I was really struggling to feel my affirmations and to visualize in the beginning, I am glad I continued my practice though, it became easier and has lead to some really lovely moments.

Making | Plans for a trip to Boise this coming weekend. I'm excited to have a little weekend away.
Cooking | A lot more simple meals for dinner and realizing I have been making big meals almost every night. It's been kind of nice to just have things like pasta with sauce and steamed broccoli, or potatoes with beans and a vegetable side. It feels so simple, yet Kennedy tends to eat those meals better, and Daniel and I are both okay with it. It feels like a big aha moment for me.
Drinking | Fruit-infused water with Kennedy. We choose a few things to put in our water at night (berries, kiwi, oranges, herbs) and let it soak overnight. It is delicious in the morning.
Reading | The final Harry Potter. I loved book six and seven is amazing too. It's been so much fun to read the series again.
Wanting | The next 24 hours to go fast! I'm so excited for our anatomy ultrasound.
Listening | To The Lively Show and Brooke Snow Podcast. Probably my two favorite podcasts, and really the only ones I listen to on a regular basis, and basically love every episode.
Wasting | Brain power worrying about things I know I don't need to worry about.
Wishing | For warmer weather.
Dreaming | Of what this summer will bring.
Enjoying | Doing puzzles with Kennedy. She is getting so good at them.
Waiting | On good things to come.
Liking | These last moments of not knowing if it is a boy or a girl. It's kind of fun.
Wondering | Boy or girl. I just don't know. I have zero impressions about it.
Loving | Our new bedtime routine with Kennedy. Scriptures, Songs, Prayers, Stories, Yoga + Meditation, Stories for Her, and Disney Music to Fall Asleep. It's worked out really well.
Hoping | The bedtime routine will continue to be successful.
Marveling | At every kick and wiggle.
Needing | Spring.
Wearing | Anything cozy and warm.
Noticing | How grown up Kennedy is.
Knowing | Kennedy will be an amazing big sister. I love seeing her love for this baby and her excitement about it joining our family.
Thinking | Way too much. Since practicing meditation I am so much more aware of how our minds are constantly going, and see it in myself so much more. 
Feeling | Generally more peaceful about this pregnancy than my first.

Yesterday we had our 20 week baby appointment, and it was just so different from our 16 week appointment I wanted to document the differences, because it just makes me laugh.

At 16 weeks we arrived at the doctors office in the late afternoon and I went to the front desk to check in. The lady at the desk informed me that my doctor was actually not there that day and that they had attempted to contact me to reschedule, but obviously that hadn't worked. They said they could stick me in to see the midwife, and since I was only 16 weeks and had no concerns I was totally fine with this. We waited a while in the waiting room and another 40 minutes in an exam room. Finally the midwife came in and was friendly and kind and asked us lots of questions about us and our lives. After some small talk and making sure things were in order on my chart I got onto the exam table so we could hear the heartbeat. The midwife put the jelly all over my belly and moved the fetal doppler all around and couldn't pick up the heartbeat. I wasn't too concerned, I think the doppler was running out of battery or something, and she said it could be because of where my placenta was that she couldn't find the heartbeat easily. She went out to ask someone if the ultrasound tech was still around and came back in to give the doppler another go. After digging in a bit for a few minutes, she still couldn't get the heartbeat. The ultrasound tech had also already left for the day since it was nearing evening by this point. Still the midwife didn't want me to worry so we went down to the ultrasound machine and found the heartbeat and got a few pictures. We were there for about an hour and a half, but left feeling like all was well, which was good.


Flash forward to 20 weeks when we got a morning appointment. We walked into a peaceful and quiet waiting room. They checked us in quickly, came and got me, updated my charts and my doctor came in. He asked if I had any questions and while we were discussing some pressure I have felt in my ears recently he put a dab of jelly on my belly and put the doppler on top where the heartbeat immediately came through strong and clear. It sounded great and since I didn't have any other questions we were free to go. As we left the office Daniel and I were both laughing about how easily the doctor found the heartbeat this time, he wasn't even really paying attention since we were discussing something else, but the second the doppler hit my belly a strong heartbeat came through. I mean this could have been because the baby is bigger and stronger now, but it was just so different we couldn't help but have a good laugh about it.

Obviously we are making morning appointments from here on out. The office seemed to be so much more peaceful in the morning hours, and the wait time was thankfully so much shorter.

Next week we get our real ultrasound with an actual technician and I can't wait to see this baby and find out if it is a boy or a girl. I'm so excited!

In January I shared what we eat in a typical day following a plant based diet. I thought I would share what another day in February looks like for us.


BREAKFAST | February has been another month with lots of smoothies or for me a big papaya. This morning I enjoyed the simplicity and delight of just eating a papaya for breakfast. There is minimal effort and clean up which is awesome if we need to get somewhere fast.
More often though we all enjoy a smoothie. Daniel makes his with frozen blueberries and cherries, bananas, oats, spinach, and cocoa powder. Basically he has perfected it and it has become his go to smoothie on any given morning. I love my smoothie with oranges, cilantro, banana, frozen mango, and frozen blueberries. It is so tasty. Right now I love being in a habit and just eating the same kind of smoothie each day.


LUNCH | Recently at lunch time I have been into making juices for the family. We have been loving a carrot orange juice and today we tried a cotton candy juice from FullyRawKristina which was fun for a change. I also had a salad for lunch as well, just some greens with cherry tomatoes and mini bell peppers plus a celery tahini dressing. We had some leftover chili from last night so Daniel and Kennedy were set for their lunch as well.

DINNER | Tonight we had one of our favorite soups of all time - Romesco Soup from Minimalist Baker. It is delicious and really simple to put together. We had avocado toast on the side and were all satisfied at the end of the night.

There you go. Another day in our plant based life. Again it doesn't seem like much, but we just eat until we are full.

February has been pretty similar to January since we are still in the middle of winter, but I am excited to see what new things become a staple in our pantry as we get closer to the spring months. And I'm always looking forward to summer when there is an abundance of fresh fruit and warm weather. Until next time I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into a day in our plant based life!

Are you interested in adding more WFPB meals into your rotation. Maybe you want to go 100% WFPB or maybe you already are. Check out my cookbook, Earth Fed Family, for 44 WFPBNO and Vegan recipes. It includes all of our family's favorite meals to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Thanks for your support! I wish you the best in health and happiness as you incorporate more plant foods into your diet!

How far along: 20 Weeks! Half Way!

Baby size: 10 inches and 10.6 ounces. The size of a banana.

Maternity clothes: For Valentine's Day Daniel got me the cutest maternity "mama" shirt. I feel like I am much more well stocked with maternity clothes this time around than I was with Kennedy. 

Stretch marks: No signs of any. My belly is stretching though!

Sleep: Some nights I sleep pretty well, other nights I wake up around 3 or 4 and just lie awake for a few hours (or read Harry Potter). It seems pretty random to me. I need to work on not running away with my thoughts in the middle of the night, since that is what keeps me up.
Also for the first time the other night I had some serious leg cramps that woke me up. It seems a little early for those, but since they came on fast and strong the other night Daniel will probably be helping me stretch out my calves for the next 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Gender: We find out a week from tomorrow. I am excited!

Best moment this week: Daniel and Kennedy both got to feel the baby move. I loved sharing it with them.

Looking forward to: Our anatomy ultrasound in one week and knowing the gender of this baby. It's just so much nicer when we can refer to the baby as he or she instead of it.

What I miss: My stomach has just felt so stretched out the last few days. I miss not feeling so stretched, but this is just the beginning.

Movement: Yeah. The baby is most active (or rather I notice the activity most often) at night when I am laying down or sitting around. The little kicks and wiggles are getting more pronounced. It is so incredible.

Food cravings: Honestly I just don't feel that hungry much. I love Thai food and Papayas obviously. I also love a good smoothie and have been into making juice the last fews weeks and that has tasted good. Anything that is not heavy sounds pretty good to me right about now.

Aversions: No aversions really, just adjusting to the amount of food I can eat at any given time. Sometimes I have eaten a normal meal and just feel so full after it, it can be uncomfortable.

Nursery: I'm so excited to find out if it's a boy or girl so we can start thinking about the nursery, or at least start compiling a few things for the baby to make it feel like decorating a nursery. If it's a girl I'm excited to get down Kennedy's old things and go through them. So far the nursery will still be some random corner in our apartment.

Overall: I'm feeling good. I can't believe we are half way. In some ways it feels like it has been a long time, and when I think about how long we tried to have this baby it has been quite a long road. But the actual pregnancy part has really flown by for me, and I'm pretty thankful for that.

Miscellaneous: We had a great week this week, with Valentine's Day and a three day weekend. I feel like we have some things in the near future to look forward to, and I'm hoping the temperatures decide to start going up since we are almost done with February. I think the next 20 weeks are going to go much faster than the first 20 weeks!

Kennedy | 20 Weeks

Yesterday I opened up about five things I am afraid to tell you. Today I thought it might be fun to list a few things I am not afraid to tell you. Things about me that are surprising to me, or just the truth of how I feel right now about a couple of things, that I have no fear to share freely. Here we go.

PAPAYAS | Have you ever had a papaya? I certainly never remember having one in my childhood, young adult life, or really anytime until about a year ago. I LOVE them. Seriously they taste so so good to me. Of course they have to be fully ripened, because if they are even slightly hard they taste like dirty socks or something terrible, but when they are ripe they magically change to this delicious, juicy, wonderful fruit that makes me so so happy.

HAWAII | Which leads me to my second point. I just want to be in Hawaii (or another tropical, fruit filled, warm, sunny place) right now. It is so cold, I don't remember the last time I felt the warmth of the sun on my skin, and I could truly use a break from these bleak midwinter months. I always dream about Hawaii but am open to a variety of locations that could allow me to enjoy being outside and give me access to an abundance of ripe fresh fruit, especially if papayas are in season.

PUZZLES | Since I am not in Hawaii, I love doing a good puzzle inside. I just love puzzles a lot. I don't really know why, maybe I just love being able to focus on something so intently that hours can pass without having to have the mind in me running constantly.

HARRY POTTER | I am also reading Harry Potter right now. I am currently on book six and loving every minute. I read the whole series when I was pregnant with Kennedy and decided it would be fun to read it again with this pregnancy. They are just so so good.

PREGNANCY | I am 19 weeks along right now and seriously loving pregnancy. If you would have asked me about it 10 weeks ago I would have probably had a negative reaction, but today I am feeling so good, so thankful for the energy I have, so thankful to feel some little kicks and wiggles, so thankful to have the chance to be pregnant again, ah just so much gratitude.

THAI FOOD + INDIAN FOOD | In our first year of marriage Daniel took me to both an Indian and Thai restaurant against my will because I didn't like "those kinds" of foods. I chose the most familiar thing on the menu which was probably something like orange chicken and it was just okay. No conversion there.
Then we went to a sketchy Indian restaurant connected to a gas station with my brother and I let him choose a few things on the menu which we all shared and tried and that's when I learned about how much I love Indian food. My favorite thing to eat is Saag and it's my dream to be able to make it in our home (so far in my meager attempts it just doesn't taste the same). This experience plus eating plant-based opened me up to experience Thai food again and now I crave yellow curry all the time (also looking for an authentic, delicious recipe). If we go out to eat (and we get to choose the place) I'd say 72% of the time we choose Thai and Indian and about 15% of the time we wish we would have chosen Thai or Indian. It's just so good.

And there you have it. Just a few things in my life right now that I'm not afraid to tell you at all. If anyone out there has an amazing Saag or Yellow Curry recipe that is plant-based, or can be easily adapted to be plant-based send it my way!

I'M PLANT-BASED AND PROBABLY 95% VEGAN | It's been almost a year and a half since my husband and I pretty much gave up eating animals and animal products overnight. We started for our health but quickly realized how eating a plant based diet is not only good for us, but also good for the animals and good for the earth. We also realized just how connected we felt to all living things after changing our eating habits. There was an increased spirituality that came into our lives. All of this from simply refraining from eating animals and animal products.
I started out eating plant based having no clue that it would become a lifestyle practice that would change and shape me in such a variety of ways, but it has. Although I typically tell people I eat a plant based diet, the truth is I feel more aligned with Veganism the more I learn and allow myself to open up with compassion for animals. This has been a huge shift in my life since as a child to my young adult years I carried with me a story that I didn't really like animals. We didn't have pets in our home and I didn't really like touching animals. Now I am sitting here feeling more connected to animals than ever, and although I am not interested in having animals of my own right now, I do have a deep reverence for all animals simply because they are beautiful creations of my Heavenly Father. As a result I have no desire to hurt or abuse them in any ways. I still believe that if I was starving and animals were the only food source for a time, I would eat them with deep gratitude and thankfulness for their sacrifice of life that I might survive. But since I live in a world with an abundance of plant based options, I see absolutely no need to unnecessarily kill animals for food.
As I said I'm probably 95% Vegan, I am not all the way there will all the things true Vegans do. But as I learn and understand at deeper levels, my thoughts and desires change and as a result my actions change. I have compassion on myself knowing that I am not 100% Vegan, but striving to do the best I can with the knowledge I have.

EATING PLANT BASED WITH A HUGE EMPHASIS ON FRUITS AND VEGETABLES HAS CHANGED ME | This thought is hugely connected to what I already wrote, but additionally I have more recently been eating a diet higher in raw foods and have felt an even greater connection to the earth and the incredible plants that grow upon it. For example I was eating a papaya this morning and I felt so deeply grateful for the beauty of the fruit, the vibrant color, the soft juicy texture, the nutrition it was providing for my body, and how nourished I felt eating it. I am in awe that the fruit that made it to my table for breakfast started as merely potential in a seed. A seed that had to grow for years before giving any fruit. And now it is a tree that continually and freely bears fruit for anyone that comes it's way.
As I eat this way I feel so much gratitude for the earth and the plants and my Heavenly Father that created it all for me.

GROWING A GARDEN CONNECTS ME TO EARTH | This thought is also connected to what I wrote above, but I loved being able to grow a garden last summer. It made everything I wrote above so real for me. I had first hand experience of planting the seeds and watching them grow and then being able to eat and be nourished by these plants. It is just incredible and made me so thankful for the process of life and our dependence on the bounty of Mother Earth. She sustains us and gives us life and for that I feel so deeply connected to taking care of her and I feel so much love and gratitude for her.

I LOVE MEDITATION + THE CONSCIOUS AND SUBCONSCIOUS MIND + THE MIND BODY CONNECTION + THE LAW OF ATTRACTION AND STUDYING OTHER SPIRITUAL PRACTICES | For a few years now I have been really interested in learning about spiritual practices and the power of things we don't see or don't scientifically understand. I'm not really sure if there is a way to describe it that is all encompassing, but I love learning about things like meditation, quantum mechanics, the conscious and subconscious mind, how our minds and bodies are connected,  and the law of attraction. I love learning things that are trans-rational, or things that go beyond human reason.
For example I have recently implemented a meditation practice into my daily life. It's about 10 minutes of meditation, affirmations and visualization. The mind in me of course can't rationally see how this would change my physical experience in the least, but having practiced it for a month and a half I can see a real difference in my life. How does that even work?
There are so many things like that, and I love learning about them. Some things really resonate with me, and others really don't, and that's completely okay. But it is thrilling to me to learn and expand and I have come to realize just how much my view of the world has changed having allowed myself to be open to concepts that are not generally accepted in our society today.

I WOULD LOVE TO TAKE A YEAR AND TRAVEL THE USA | One of my biggest dreams is to take a year and visit all fifty states plus D.C. When we moved to Pittsburgh we took a huge road trip across the U.S. for 6 weeks and I loved every minute. We had a general plan in place, but were also open and flexible to experience what we wanted to do. It was perfect and truly is one of those great memories that I still feel excited about five and a half years later.
When we lived in Maryland the summer before we moved to Idaho we made a cross country trip three times that summer. Each time we went a slightly different way in order to see and experience different places. Although this was a much shorter experience and we didn't get to stay in any one place too long, it was so much fun and I loved seeing different places along the way.
More than anything I love sharing new places and experiences with my family. I love freedom and flexibility to go and do what we desire. I love being in different places. It brings me so much joy. So one of my deepest desires is to just set off for a year, with potentially a general plan, or maybe no plan at all, and just go explore the USA with the people I love.

And there you have it. The things I am afraid to tell you. I think the fear comes because the mind in me creates a whole bunch of stories of how others will perceive me, or how others believe I will perceive them, and of course the mind tends to suggest or focus on reactions that will all be negative, when in reality the opposite could be true. Who knows, maybe other people hold some of these values too, and since I crave connection in these areas there is just as much potential that sharing these things I am afraid to tell you could open me up to the people who I could connect with in these ideas and thoughts.
And in the end I still love and respect all the people in my life that have different values.
Life is such a journey and I feel like being open means I will constantly see things differently, so my current experience and values will undoubtedly change as I learn and expand.

I remember the conversation. It happened at recess on the playground. We were probably in sixth grade. My friends and I were sitting around and talking about what high school we would go to. It was a conversation of such certainty. We knew exactly where we would be in just over 3 years, and that was that. No choices needed to be made on our part.

Certainly one or maybe two of those friends moved thus throwing off their life trajectory forever, but for the most part, we lived that sixth grade conversation out in real life three years later.

Then in high school we had to decide about college, but the options seemed limited, and when I chose BYU for my further educational experience, it wasn't really shocking news in the least.

I don't really remember thinking about being an actual adult in my childhood, not in a specific sense anyway. Growing up everything was just kind of in place for me, and I went right along, which is great. I never really considered choice and options outside of what everyone else was doing. I loved childhood, and my early "adult" years at college, but I never really considered what I would become as an adult. I didn't think about where I would live, or what experiences I would have.

If you asked me anything about being an adult I probably would have said I would get married, have kids, stay at home while my husband worked, we would live in a house. It would all be so straightforward.

Now I have lived a little bit of my adult life, and I am finding out that it is quite the journey, especially in this day and age. There is a lot of opportunity to move and change and try different things.

I did get married. I have one child (plus one on the way) but that is about as far as I got on my initial life plan.

I mean at 27 I (only) have one child, I thought by now I would have a couple running around and more to come. I lived in 5 different apartments + one townhouse in 4 different states, I thought by now I would certainly be settled into a starter home. I spent four years on the east coast living in Pittsburgh and Maryland, something I probably never could have even dreamed or comprehended as a child or young adult.

But I think more than the facts of my adult life, the thing that is the most surprising is my view of the world. My beliefs. What I value. Who I am and who I am becoming. It's all so different than I ever could have imagined.

It is interesting to live in a world where the things and people around me haven't seemed to change too much but I have changed on so many levels. It can be kind of hard to know how to interact with people who have an idea about who I am, that is possibly a little dated. How does one open up to say I'm different now, but I still love and accept you as you are.

It also makes me wonder how many people I think are a certain way based on past experiences, but have changed in the journey of life too. I wonder if we were all just a bit more vulnerable what we would come to understand about each other.

It's something I'd like to jump into. The whole vulnerability thing. Sharing the things that I mostly don't talk about, but that are on my mind and heart and certainly creating the person I am. Even if it is just to document my journey, because to be honest, I am loving the journey. I feel like I am growing and expanding and it is exciting.


Being an adult is sure a lot of unknowns, but it has been thrilling to allow it to all unfold in ways I could never have imagined. Last night I was reading in Alma 5 and two phrases stood out to me. It says "their souls were illuminated" and "their souls did expand." Right at this present moment, that description is perfectly how I feel.

I know I have kept this blog over the past 6 years as a family journal of sorts, but I think I would like to include my own personal journey as well. I hope if you are here reading this that you can connect in some way or another.

Maybe more than anything I hope to understand the person I am and the person I am becoming as I allow this journey of life to continue to unfold. I also hope to share the things that are illuminating and expanding my soul.

How far along: 18 Weeks!

Baby size: 5.6 Inches and 6.7 oz. The size of a sweet potato.

Maternity clothes: Yes. Everyday. I finally just decided comfort is more important than waiting for some future day. And let me tell you, it has been so nice. I purchased some maternity pants and a few long sleeve shirts, since last time around it was the middle of the summer when I needed maternity wear. 

Stretch marks: Nope. But I have been feeling so itchy and have really dry skin right now (it is the middle of winter). Which means lotion or oil twice a day, at least.

Sleep: I've actually felt like I have been sleeping better lately. Which is so nice. Also not needing 10-12 hours of sleep at night has been great.

Gender: At our last appointment we had an ultrasound but weren't able to get a sneak peek at the gender. So now we wait until our anatomy scan which will be February 26th. Ah the anticipation.

Best moment this week: The best moment every week is Kennedy saying "good morning" "good night" and "I love you baby" to my belly all the time. It is certainly the sweetest.

Looking forward to: Bigger movements. I feel like I am so close to feeling more jabs and kicks, I can't wait! It is one of my favorite parts of pregnancy.

What I miss: The small muscles I had before I went into 8 weeks of pure first trimester exhaustion. I have been trying to exercise a little more now that I have some newfound energy, and it has been hard. Oh well, I will take it slow and steady to get some muscles back.

Movement: Just a little bit. Mostly right before I go to bed when I am just laying quietly. I can feel the smallest little flutters.

Food cravings: I had a papaya last Saturday for breakfast and it was perfectly ripe and delicious. I have seriously wanted another one since.

Aversions: I have been getting some heartburn, especially when I eat tomato saucy food, like our pizza last night. That kind of makes me not want to eat pizza again.

Nursery: Nothing yet. Not even a corner of our house is cleaned for this baby. Luckily we have some time.

Overall: Overall I am feeling healthy and strong. I am trying to exercise more. I am so thankful for more energy and just feeling pretty good. It is so nice for me, and the whole family.

Miscellaneous: I just feel so thankful for this pregnancy, for my health, for Daniel and Kennedy. Life feels so good right now. I am happy and thankful.

Kennedy | 18 Weeks