A Truly Remarkable Experience

Well, Carl and I have joined a gym. It is akin to 24 Hour Fitness out west, but it is called The Rush.

Everything there is really nice. .. except one thing. . . Patti. We decided to try out a Zumba class together last week. In case you have never heard of Zumba, it is basically a really high-energy Latin dance aerobic class. I tried this class out when we were in Utah, and I thought it was really fun. They turned the lights almost off, and they played all kinds of exciting Latin music, and no one could really see how uncoordinated I was, even though the room was PACKED with people. It was a fun class and I got really sweaty and raved and raved about it to Carl until he finally agreed to come with me to this class at The Rush.

Here are the things that were different about this class at The Rush. . .

1) Carl was THE ONLY male (which seems to be common in exercise classes here)

2) There were only 6 of us total.

3) The music was really quiet, and I could hear myself breathing.

4) The instructor, Patti, came in, and I thought she was a student.

5)Patti was AT LEAST 65 years old, about 20 pounds overweight, and REEKED of cigarette smoke. She had a smoker's cough as well. She wrapped a scarf with little chimes all over it around her hips. I was amazed by the smallness of her range of motion. If she were not an aerobics instructor, I would mistake her for a greeter at Wal-Mart. Needless to say, our heart rates never went above 70 bpm.

6) Pattie would say things like, "Now, you can try to get lower and touch the floor on this one, but it makes it real hard to get back up, so I'm just gonna stay up here." Also, she kept drawing attention to the fact that Carl was the only male, and it started to sound like she was mocking him. At one point she said, "Come on boyfriend! Flip that skirt!" She would draw attention to each of us individually and say, to the group, what we were doing that was not to her liking.

7) When it was over, we were glad.


This experience made me very grateful for my own ability to improve. If I take this experience to heart, perhaps I will not end up a burnt-out, low-energy "aerobics" instructor at age 65.

To show the beauty of self-improvement and development, I have included a video of Jude taking some of his first steps of his own volition. I give you self-motivation!

Chattanooga Chatter

Well, we've been here for quite a little while now. . .not quite a month, I guess. Here's what has happened. . .
1) Jude got herpes in and around his mouth and also we thought he had a cracked tooth from falling on his mouth. Amidst his crying and whining, we brought him to a pediatric dentist who looked in his mouth and freaked out about the herpes and finally got around to telling us his tooth was fine. He also "diagnosed" Jude's snaggle tooth as a "geminated" tooth, and it is very possible he will only have 3 incisors instead of 4 on his bottom jaw. Then he promptly sent us to a pediatrician for the herpes. As I anticipated, the pediatrician didn't think it was a very big deal (and frankly, neither did we) and didn't give us any medication or anything for the herpes. This pediatrician is my kind of doctor. .. low intervention. . . let the body take care of it. . . why did you even bring him in? They cleared up on their own in less than a week.

2) I had a fever for 5 days straight, got tested for strep and flu and was negative on both. I waited it out, took an amazing amount of garlic, and got better. All's I can say is, I am SO GRATEFUL to have a healthy family again! I cannot believe how much sickness disrupts our lives and stresses every fiber in our family! Forget World War III, just give everyone a 5-day fever and whoever's left standing wins!

3) Visited and bought memberships to the aquarium, the Chattanooga Nature Center, and the children's museum. . . already the best investments we've ever made.

4) Bought a really really wonderful washing machine and dryer. . . the first ones we have ever owned, and the first ones we've ever had IN our house with us! I am SO HAPPY about these purchases!!

5) Carl and I both applied at Maxim Health Care (a nursing agency) and we're pretty sure we got hired. We find out on Thursday or Friday. Mostly we just had to take these tests and get 80% on them. Also, even though our Utah nursing licenses are under interstate compact, and TN is also a compact state, they are insisting that we get TN nursing licenses. This means, we don't have to be any more competent than we already are, don't have to prove ourselves to anyone or take any tests or anything. Do you know what we have to do?? Pay, in total, $400.00 to the state of TN, and then they'll let us practice here. Isn't that RIDICULOUS?? It bugs me SOOOOOO much!

6) Registered our car here and now we have an official Tennessee license plate.

7) A big thing here is cupcake shops. The cupcakes themselves kind of gag you because they are a very small portion of cake topped with about a pound of frosting, but they are SO CUTE!! There is one cupcake shop in particular, called Gigi's Cupcakes http://www.gigiscupcakesusa.com/cupcakes.aspx, that I BEG Carl to go to mostly so I can look at all those cute cupcakes lined up, glistening with sugar and little delectable toppers.
We have eaten Gigi's cupcakes a total of 3 times since we've been here. Every time we say to each other, "That really wasn't worth $3." But the cuteness just compels me to go back!

8) Most importantly, in one month, we have eaten at Waffle House a total of 3 times! That is A LOT for us! Carl highly recommends the "build your own omelet" menu item. I highly recommend main-lining sugar as an equal and less expensive alternative to eating a waffle at Waffle House.

9) Jude is WALKING!! Well, the longest stretch he's done is about 10 steps, walking from one of us to the other. I have tried so hard to get our videos to upload and I can never do it. We have 2 really good videos, but they're just not uploading. I'll work on it. He also says "Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot" many times in succession and opens and closes his hands at the same time. He usually does this when we're about to feed him something we just took out of the microwave or cooked. He also does it when he touches the ice cubes in the freezer, and sometimes when he sees a dog. For these reasons, I don't think he totally knows what it means. He also blows on his food if we tell him it's hot. That is sooooo cute!

Just one last observation. . . things are expensive here. Food is RIDICULOUSLY expensive! We pay $3.50 for a gallon of milk, that's the cheap brand. No wonder many Tennesseans struggle with their weight! You have to mortgage your house to buy vegetables, and the cheap food is fast food. I am feeling discouraged about feeding my family good, clean, whole food because it is just SO expensive. The cost of one green bell pepper: $1.89. One avocado: $1.70. Everything is double what we payed in Utah. It's not even good quality. Carl one day came up with a very accurate and, of course, funny quote: "Sav-A-Lot: marginal quality at a premium price." It is TRUE. I am so embarrassed about this, but I have been shopping at Wal-Mart here because you really can't afford anything else. Even at Wal-Mart the milk is $3.30. The only person I know who hates Wal-Mart more than I do is Jude. He cries instantly when we walk in the door and doesn't stop until we leave. So, groceries are really expensive. Registering your car, on the other hand, only costs $35. That was a pleasant surprise.

Carl came up with another great slogan, since we've been looking for another car. He was thinking it would be great if there was a really bare-bones car company. It would produce cars with no bells and whistles at all. The slogan would be "(Fill in name of car company): Finally, a viable option for your driving needs." Well, you have to imagine Carl saying it, and then it's really funny.

Well, that's really all I have to say. Have a fun day!

Woo Woo Chattanooga, there you are!

Wow! You probably think I forgot I have a blog! The truth is, we have been really busy moving to Chattanooga, TN for Carl's program of nurse anesthesia. He will be attending the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga in May. Now is the time where we have to quickly establish residency so we can get in-state tuition (which is surprisingly easy in Tennessee!). I thought I would just share with you some things we've done/seen lately (that was NOT supposed to sound like the southern phrase "done seen" which is thrown around liberally around here!). So, here goes. . .
Here is a picture of Jude helping us pack back in Utah. He thought the tape would fit easier if he packed the tape separately from the casette.


I got 2 cavities filled by my good friend Kyle Clark (who also happens to be a dentist) right before moving day. I thought you might enjoy seeing what I would look like as a stroke victim.

This is one of my favorite things we've seen on the freeway so far in Chattanooga. It just seems weird to see a mountain bike atop a limo. My other favorite thing we've seen on the freeway was a pair of pants on our exit sign. I couldn't get to the camera fast enough, but I still just wonder how they got there!

We went to the grocery store and they had this AWESOME shopping cart for Jude! THIS is the way to shop! It kind of messes me up though, 'cause Jude really likes taking right turns the whole time he's driving :)

Here is a supermarket oddity. They left these lobsters out, alive, slowly moving, in the ice. You were supposed to grab your own living lobster and take it home in WHAT may I ask? A produce bag? It's still a mystery.


Here is a fine blurry picture for you. We got a little walker for Jude because we thought he might enjoy the independence of walking without hanging on to one of us. He can practically run with this thing now! He is still hesitant to let go of anything.

The mall by our extended-stay hotel had this kind of fun playground. This particular piece must have been left over from the Memorial Hospital because that name was plastered all over it. I have mixed feelings about Jude enjoying a toy that once brought joy and happiness to sick children. I just wonder what the sick children have to play with now.

These are some pictures taken from the front porch of the apartment we found. Chattanooga is having an unusually cold, snowy winter. It looks beautiful, though, and I love living in the woods!

Well, that's it for now. Keep checking this blog because I'm sure to post something in the next 6 months, I'm sure.

Farm Animals??

Recently, Jude and I went to the dollar store, and I found something that looked kind of fun for Jude's bath time. . . {disregard the CHOKING HAZARD label}


Ooooooooo! Some farm animals! So we tried a couple that first night. We got a cow and a sheep. As the bath times wore on, however, the animals that were "hatching" out of these capsules were not nearly so predictable. After a camel hatched out, I began to think it would be highly unusual to find some of these animals on a farm. Here are some of Jude's "farm animals". . .

A turkey. That's pretty good.

A goose.

A Pteradactyl. Wait, what?
Some other dinosaur. A horse would be nice about now.


I think this is a wolf.

I think this one looks like a bull elephant seal, which I thought was strange. Have you ever seen a picture of a bull elephant seal?. . .

The resemblance is striking. Now, I'm not saying that little sponge elephant seal couldn't be turned to another angle and look like some farm animal. I'm just saying, with all the random "farm animals" that hatched out of those thingies, what are the chances that it's NOT an elephant seal? Pretty slim, I'd say.

a bonus picture of Jude

Why does it even matter?

I feel so humbled right now. I am such a ridiculously opinionated person and I really believe this is the way the Adversary gets to me. I almost ALWAYS think that there is a right way to do and think about everything and that is the way I am doing it. This includes all kinds of categories like. . .

1) POLITICS
2) PARENTING
3)BIRTHING
4) WESTERN MEDICINE DOCTORS VS. HOMEOPATHS & MIDWIVES
5) DOCTORS VS. NURSES
6) MINIMALISM
7) MUSIC

And the list goes on and on. It occurred to me AGAIN today (I'm a slow learner) after a bunch of my facebook friends had a shouting match and shot blood out of their eyes at each other, and after I realized I had hurt my sister's feelings by hitting below the belt with my opinion, that I need to stop. When your facebook wall and your blog comments are full of people who are obviously hurt or full of contention, you just have to stop.

And why does it even matter?

Who cares if I am a conservative and you are a liberal? And is there even THAT big of a difference between gospel-centered families who feel differently about the epidural? NO! There is NO DIFFERENCE in the end! We are all going to die and meet up in the afterlife, completely outside the man-made circumstances of Earth, and it WILL NOT MATTER!

So, what I've decided is, my opinions are important to me, and me only. I can choose whatever the heck I want to do. . . and here's the clincher. . . everyone else can too. I will still show my support for the things I'm fighting for, but it is futile and hurtful and unChristlike to belittle those who fight for something else or who just don't care.

What a humbling night.

Some Recent Goings-On

There has been a lot of summer fun going on in the Barlow family.


On August 2nd, there was an Anasazi trail walker BBQ at our friend Kellicia's cabin. There is a certain magic out on the trail and it makes you completely love the people you work with. To this day, my trail walker friends are some of my best friends.


Have you ever read that blog www.cakewrecks.com?? Well, this is my very own cakewreck that I created. My husband Carl's birthday was on July 31st, and my sister-in-law Tiffany's birthday was August 1st. This cake was made "in honor of" their joint birthday party. At least it tasted really good. I'll give $100.00 to the person who can guess what that 3-armed propeller-looking thing is in the middle of the cake.

We went on a camping trip up American Fork Canyon. On the way there, the entire exhaust system fell off the bottom of our car. We highly recommend John's Towing and Rick's Muffler of Orem, UT to anyone with an exhaust system emergency. We were so grateful to finally get into the canyon. This is a picture of Jude waiting for me to cook dinner.

A short hike after dinner

Hot man. Cute baby.
Hot man. Cute baby. Wild flowers.

Here is Jude the next morning, waiting patiently to go on a hike to Timpanogas Cave.

Jude's first experience with a forest ranger. This forest ranger is actually our good friend Stewart Shelley who graciously agreed to pose for these overbearing parents.
A short hike to the top and then. . .

A moment to commemorate World Breastfeeding Week. (Sally, I hope you're reading this!)
Inside the cave



Then we went to Cascade Springs which is this huge waterfall-y meadow that is the first place to receive glacier runoff in the canyon. I didn't know that until after we had dipped Jude's bare feet in the water numerous times. Furthermore, I need to stop wearing this shirt at least while I'm nursing. My boobs are way too big and it is way too tight.

That's funny. It looks like there's a baby arm hanging out of my face.

We are doing Elimination Communication with Jude. Also known as baby potty training. Before you think we're crazy. . . did you know 80% of the world's children are completely potty trained by age 1? You can learn all about it at http://www.dy-dee.com/Benefits_of_Cloth/Skin_Care/Toilet_Training_The_Complete/toilet_training_the_complete.html.

And here is proof that it works. We only change a poopy diaper about once every two weeks, that's how much Jude likes to poo in his frog potty. He hates sitting in his own feces.

Plus, look how cute our little potato is sitting on his potty!

Well, that's it for now. Thanks for reading this!

I am NOT a hippie!

I recently visited my friend Sally, and found that we have something in common. What is that you might ask? People often call us "hippies". My sister commented to me that when she and her husband first read my birth story, they both thought I was a "flaming hippie". One man my husband works with said to him, "Carl, you and Hilary are two of the most conservative hippies I have ever met."

I agree with Sally when she said, "I don't even know what that means. What's a hippie?" I think hippies are from a bygone era. . . like 1960's. Here are the characteristics I think of when I hear the word "hippie". . .

1) They smoked pot
2) didn't have jobs
3) had all kinds of sex with all kinds of other hippies.
4) Their value system consisted of "free love"
5) Believing in nature as their god
6) not wearing bras.

I am opposite of all of these things. Here are my characteristics. . .

1) I am strongly opposed to ANY kind of illegal drug use.
2) I have a job and believe every adult male under the age of 65 and every under-65 female not raising children should too
3) I am 100% monogomous and committed to my marriage relationship and I think people who have premarital sex are stupid (at the very least because they will contract a venereal disease and their children will be put at risk).
4) God gives us commandments for our own good so we don't become miserable and self-destructive.
5) I strongly strongly believe there is a God with a loving plan for us.
6) I SURE DO wear a bra at all times in public

You know, I think I've been called a hippie because I believe in natural childbirth, breastfeeding, and making my own yogurt. Maybe some people feel threatened by the fact that my baby has always been a good breastfeeder and they are jealous and want to find something wrong with me. Oh geez! Maybe they don't think I wear a bra so I can just whip 'em out at any time to feed the baby! How embarrassing! I really am "supported" if you know what I mean.
I also believe in the healing powers of herbs, that might be the clincher. It's not because I think nature is god, though. It's because herbs have up to 24 different protective chemical compounds in one plant that make it impossible for bacteria to mutate and penetrate. Pharmaceuticals, on the other hand, are made up of just one or a few chemicals in very pure form, so bacteria can walk right up to a commercial antibiotic, change clothes, and walk right through the door. This is how we end up with antibiotic resistance. Get it? It's impossible for a bacteria to find an outfit that none of 24 different compounds would recognize. Plants are very complex and naturally produce toxins when they are physically threatened.



Anyway, enough of that. I don't believe in anything unless I can make sense of it. I don't believe in voting for a president with an atrocious voting record while in the Senate. Apparently, my sister and her husband who called me a hippe do. I just do what makes sense and Sally and I came to the conclusion that you just can't categorize that. What do you think?