Blogger Album Full?

I have had a few people ask me what to do about their blogger albums being full, so I thought I would post the solution. It is simple, really. (I am no techie, but I learned from trial and error.) If you are freaking out, calm down . . . it is a quick and painless fix. (Jeepers, I wish I would have figured it out BEFORE I started my whole new blog!) 

So, before you start a new blog, try this . . . 

• You have a max amount of image space on your blog, since all your blog images are stored in Picasa. (Or somewhere.)  
• Most of us don't resize our pictures before uploading them, but you should . . . 
• As long as your images are under a certain size, you can keep uploading them for free . . . the size is 800 x 800. (VERY IMPORTANT!) 
• Always resize (shrink to under 800x800) before uploading! 
• You should delete some images in your Picasa albums to free up some space, but if you resize (shrink) your images before uploading, it should not be a problem. 
• You can still make your images bigger by clicking directly on the image while creating a post, and choose small, medium, large, etc. 

Give it a try, and see if it works for you! 

I figured it out because I was told my images were already full on my NEW blog! Since resizing my images, I have not had a problem, and I have been able to blog again. (I could have kept using my old blog had I figured it out earlier, dang it.) 

Hopefully this helps! I know I was so relieved to finally figure it out! 

Happy Blogging! 

Pilates

I have been trying to workout more consistently. I was doing really good jogging/walking in the summer, and then school started, it got colder outside, I was breastfeeding every 2 hours, Henry was not sleeping, my lower back was killing me, my hip was messed-up, and let's see . . . excuses, excuses. 

Well, I quit breastfeeding about a month ago, and my life has improved dramatically! Henry sleeps through the night on formula, and so do I! As a result, I do not feel like a zombie, my hormones are starting to balance out, and my drive to workout has returned! Hooray! (My body was working overtime as a milk-producing Mama, and it felt awful!)

 I decided to start strength-training instead of running, because every time I would run, my hip hurt worse. (It's a lot of pressure on my poor bones, carting around my post-partum fluff.)  So, instead, I have been doing Fat-burning Pilates, and Tae-Bo, for the last few weeks. My hip feels a lot better, and my lower back, too! My body LOVES strength training, it really thrives on it. So far, I feel a lot better, and I hope to keep it up. The best thing is, I can do it anytime, in any weather, and in the privacy of my own room. (Trust me, no one wants to see me sweating in my spandex!) It just got to the point where the thought of going out in the cold was too discouraging, and the thought of having a pain in my hip was too much, and I would not run. (I will run again, but not daily.) Now, I have no excuse not to do my indoor workout. I get to it right after dropping the kids off at school, and Henry hangs out in his crib, while I jump around like a spandexed-monkey. It has been super. It will continue to be super . . .

The Pilates video has you do hundreds of squats/crunches/cardio/toning. It is intense, but not jarring. I like it, a lot. It make me feel really good. Running makes me tired, strength-training gives me energy. And squats are amazing for your body. I love them. I really do. Pilates is all about your "powerhouse" and strengthening your "core." And boy, do I need that! 

Tae-bo is crazy. It is like Pilates on steroids. I use the advanced video, and you sweat buckets, and it is all punching/kicking/squats and lots of crazy-intense stuff. I love it, and hate it -- at the same time. I have had the video since I was 17, but it really is an amazing workout. An hour of pure body-torture. Love it. Oh, and Billy Blanks is so motivational. He always knows just what to say . . . and what to wear. :-) 

I really try to give it all I got. Sometimes, during the cardio, or the mat work, I get exhausted and I want to quit. But I just keep flinging my body around, because I know it will feel great when I am done. I love it because it is always a challenging workout. No matter how in-shape you are, you can always have better form, add intensity, and muscle strength -- so it remains difficult, but feels better when you do it, the stronger you are. I feel a difference already. The first day was death. I could barely hold my arms up in position. Now I am making progress. I just have to keep her going! 

 My new motto: 

Sweat is Fat Crying! 

(Yes, that is my sweat!) 

And . . .

Leave the Fat, on the Mat! 

(This mat is usually soaked by the end of a workout. Gross.) 

 So, onward to feeling good! 

(I'll admit, looking good would be nice, too!) 

And may Heaven help me to heal this glorious, mangled, body of mine! 

It is time to unbury this healthy, strong, happy, girl again . . . she wants to free! 

(Check out my arms! Yeah, those were my Tae-Bo arms! Woo!) 

I know I can do it. I have done it before. I was about at the same place, physically, after Daniel. And I got in my best shape, after being in my worst shape. I can do it. I am doing it . . .

To Health! 

Believe

Remember the true meaning of the season. 

A Family that Knits Together . . .

Sammi is focused, not angry. :-) 

Sits together.

A lot. 

 If you were to come to our home in the evening, you would likely find us knitting . . . even the boys. Actually, Charles has proven to be the most skillful hat-maker out of all of us! (Grandma is not too shabby either.) 

We decided as a family, that we wanted to find some way to give of our time and talents this season. We wanted to find something we could do to help . . . to give. We decided to make hats to give to the Women and Children Shelter, here in Boise. We are doing our best to produce as many as we can, with only about a week left until I would like to drop them off. Our goal was more than 50, and we are just about there! 

I used to feel like if I were to be involved in a "cause" that it had to be something big. You know, like an Earth-changing event. Something huge. Something that would help/save/change a lot of people for the better. 

This is folly. 

I have realized that I cannot change the lives of many, but I can change the lives of a few. Even in a very small way. And it can make a big difference. 

It can make a difference not only for those that are served, but also by those rendering the service. I have this glowing feeling in my heart as I sit and knit a hat . . . wondering who might be kept warm as a result. My heart is filled to the brim (pun intended), as I see my family gathered around using their hands to make a difference in the lives of others. It is especially good for the children who are learning the value of serving their fellow brothers and sisters -- Heavenly Father's children. 

Also, I must note that serving together in your home, creates a special Spirit in the home. I highly recommend it. :-) 

Our family loves to watch movies at night, and so we have just added knitting to our movie-watching time. I have particularly enjoyed gathering around with my family and picking out fun yarn colors, patterns, adding brims, and watching everyone create beautiful works of art. 

 If you want to make your own hats they have looms at Michaels, and you can look on-line for how-to videos. It is not complicated, or I would not be doing it. I am not patient with "crafty" kinds of things, but this I can do! And so can you! 

We try to pick out the best yarn. It makes all the difference. The thicker more expensive yarn is the best, and it makes really fantastically warm and attractive hats. Sometimes it is not easy to want to give a hat away, because they can turn out so comfy and cute!

Here is Daniel working on a Santa hat for William . . . he had the idea to make them. They turned out cute! (He had the flu in this picture, poor thing.) 

 Working hard . . . 

 Henry is contributing his cuteness to the cause. 

 Daniel made this Santa hat for Henry . . . just needs a puff ball. 

 Sammi helps take care of Henry. Her new job is to put him in bed for naps. :-) I am so lucky to have an almost 12 year old daughter. Good planning on my part, I must say. 

 She loves her Henry

 I found Daniel and William down on the couch, sleeping on Thanksgiving morning, wearing their adorable hats. I LOVE that Daniel made them. 

 Just a few of our hats . . . 

Some need puff balls and buttons.

(Just ignore that cord showing under the Christmas tree, we follow the no-cord-showing rule around here, really we do.) :-)

Getting ready to deliver! Just one more week. 

Remember that every little bit of kindness helps make the world a better place!

Just trying to provide a little warmth and happiness . . . one hat at a time. 

Henry's Holiday Hobby

 Henry has been so fun lately. He is such a cherubic little child. I cannot believe I ever worried about having baby number 4. He has been such a blessing, and has increased my capacity to love. I just adore him, and his smooshy little body. I just want to kiss his cheeks all day, and I do! 

I thought I better snaps some pictures in front of the tree today. Here are a few that I took. 

Cutie-head boy. 

 He loves to play with yarn

 It makes him happy

  Henry has been helping us make hats. :-) 

 He is a big help! 

 Too much fun! 

 Yummy yarn!

 Such a sweet boy.

 It was fun while it lasted! 

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

 Our house is turning into a Christmas dream, thanks to Grandma's hard work and determination. There was a moment when I was unwrapping ornaments, and the song, "I'll be home for Christmas," was playing in the background, and a tear fell from my eye.  I realized in that moment that I will be home for Christmas . . . just like the ones I used to know. Just like the Christmas I grew up with . . . filled with the magic only my mother can create. (Which also means at least 4 Christmas trees!) I feel blessed to have my parents here, doing their thing, for us all to enjoy. We are so excited for this holiday season . . . may it bring joy into your hearts and homes! 

Christmas is all about light. 

As Daniel said, "There is something that just feels special about Christmas time -- it makes you feel warm inside." I think there is something about the extra light in the home . . . it invites the Spirit in abundance. 

My mother is an artist. 

 She spent last Christmas on a mission living in a ghetto apartment. 

She is in heaven being able to be creative . . . and she is a master at it. 

She could get a job as a Christmas Tree decorator . . . for sure! 

The house is becoming magic . . . and we are not finished! 

Now to plan a party! 

Henry is loving the lights of Christmas, but was not too thrilled about shopping for decorations . . . 

Not too thrilled . . . 

At all. 

It is coming . . .

And Grandma is getting ready! 

She created a beautifully magnificent tree, and we all get to enjoy it! 

More pictures to come later . . .

 Off now to watch the movie Brave for the first time. Hope it is good! 

Let the Holidays begin! 

The First Mormon, Woman, President.

President Samantha van Ormer 

(She just got home from a basketball game, she was dressed-up!) 

There is still some hope for this great Country of ours, and it is in our youth. The rising generation is so wonderful -- truly. I stand in awe of their courage, and spirit! 

My dad used to tell me that I was supposed to be the first woman President of the United States. It was a nice thought, but my desire for such a role was never very great. However, that role may have skipped a generation . . . my Sammi was just elected the President of the United States, in her sixth grade class! 

Go Sammi! 

I am so proud of her for having the guts to do it! To become the President of the United States, she had to put together a 7 minute speech, answer debate questions, and speak/debate in front of the entire 6th grade! Then the entire 6th grade voted. 

She was super lucky because her best friend, Hanna, ran as her Vice President! They were a dream-team. They are both such sweet, smart, sunshiny, beautiful girls! And yes, they beat the boys! Sorry fellas . . . you never really stood a chance. 

Sammi and Hanna the day after their speeches . . . 

Pictures of them giving speeches, etc., coming later. 

 Watch out world . . . here they come! 

Here is Sammi's winning speech . . .

     Hi, I’m Sammi van Ormer. Thank you for coming, and thank you Mrs. D-G for making this possible. Now I don’t want to overrule the world, but America needs changes. In 1776, America became a free country. I will do everything in my power to keep it that way. But, like my pioneer ancestors, we need to cross our plains and make sacrifices to have it happen. Freedom fills a lot of our decisions. To start, having a free country, free religion, freedom of speech, freedom of press, and many others. You use freedom every day, without it, we would be slaves. In Lord of the Rings, a man called Sauron tries to control every one and take away all choice. In Harry Potter,  Voldemort also takes away others choice. Sometimes we just need a Harry Potter or Frodo or Flynn Rider to come and save us. Otherwise, we might be stuck in a tower like Rupunzel, never seeing the outside world. As your president I will assure your freedom so that you can make your wildest dreams come true. I have 3 main issues to talk to you about that are threatening our freedom.

      Our first issue is the environment. This is our 1 world. Do you like to take walks by the river or bike rides up mountains? Have you been to the ocean or walked in the redwoods? Do you like to look for rainbows, or watch the sun sink under the hills as the sky turns into a glowing painting? These are things I enjoy, and I want to protect that! I wouldn’t want to live in a Walle-world full of trash and ruin. How would you feel if you had to walk around with a Darth Vader mask on? If we all do our part, the world would be a cleaner place! In my house, we each have 1 job, dishes, garbage, vacuum, etc. When we are done, the house is a lot cleaner!! Imagine if 1,000,000 people recycled 2 cans. It would make a ginormous difference! “Many hands make light work,” says my mom. So, let’s all do our best to keep the world clean.

Now onto issue #2, medical. This issue is rather personal to me and my family. My precious, chubby, 6 month year old brother, Henry, was born on April 24th, 2012. The normal person has 2 kidneys. Well, little Henry was born with 4 kidneys. Because Henry was born with 2 extra kidneys he had to have surgery, he will have to have to have more surgery, he must go to the doctor once a month, and he must take medicine every night to avoid infection. Because of all this my parents have to pay many super expensive medical bills. I do believe doctors should be paid very, very well, I mean they do so many amazing things, but because of the governments involvement, the prices are much to high! All of that money could have been used on Disneyland, a movie, or The Phantom of the Opera tickets for that matter!!

    Next topic, Taxes. Many of you have probably seen some version of Robin Hood. Prince John wanted to steal from the poor to feed the rich. Robin Hood wanted to steal from the rich to feed the poor. In my mind, none of those ideas work quite right. I think we should have a 10% rule. Here are some examples: Make-$100 Pay-$10; Make-$10,000 Pay-$1,000; Make-$1,000,000 Pay-$100,000; Make-$30,000 Pay-$3,000; Make-$50,000,000 Pay-$5,000,000; Make-$4,600 Pay-$460. That way the government would get money and we could start paying off America’s debt. 10% of your income is fair to everyone! We don’t need the government to steal our hard earned money! Like my silly 5 year old brother said, ”Swiper, no swiping!”

         I will leave you with these thoughts... 

The most important thing to me as president is protecting your power to choose. I want to make a difference. I don’t want you to wear a Darth Vader mask because the air is horrible. I don’t want you not doing fun things because your medical bills are stopping you. I don’t want the sheriff of Nottingham knocking on your door for money. What I want for you is what I want for me, freedom. Freedom is the key to happiness. America is like our ship. Like Jack Sparrow said once, ”Wherever we want to go, we go. That’s what a ship is. It’s not just a keel, a hull and sail. That’s what a ship needs, not what a ship is. What the Black Pearl really is, is freedom.” Like the Black Pearl, America is our freedom. America is our chance to explore, to go where we want to go, to do what we want to do, to be as we we want to be, to dream what we want to dream, and to become what we want to become. I want you to be able to be free to become what you want to become without the government getting in the way. If you want to be in theatrical productions, amazing! If you want to go to the moon, or make movies, teach kids, work in a lab . . . I encourage you to pursue your dream!

As Spider Man’s uncle said,“ With great power comes great responsibility.” I am ready for that responsibility.

“Do or Do not, There is no try.”

Those were the words of a wise master Yoda.

I will not try to be a good president

I will be a good president!!

Vote for me, Sammi van Ormer

There is some good in this world . . . let’s fight for it together! 

Perhaps if Romney would have quoted Yoda, he would have won, too! :-) 

Well done, Sammi! We love you!