The Joy of Moving

After packing everything in the house and piling it all in the living room,

We dragged everything out to these "relo-cubes." We were amazed that all our stuff fit into these two cubes including Dan's motorcycle.

With June's help we cleaned the house,
which made Bentley mad- He just wanted to go outside.
It had been a long day for all of us, but we finally got everything put together [thanks to the Anderson's] and we left for our 1600 mile drive to Texas.
Everything seemed to be going well. Until the second day of travel when we got pulled over.
Nothing to make your trip go down hill than to have a run in with the law.
Our third day of travel went smoothly until we arrived at our prospective apartment. After three wasteful hours and nothing more than a run around our apartment fell through. For the first time in our lives we were officially HOMELESS. Not a good feeling.
And being homeless is especially hard when you have two dogs, and a cat in tow. I could only imagine if we had kids. Anyway we have made a La Quinta our new home until we can find an apartment. Oh what fun this has been. All of the money we thought we were saving by getting a moving company, has now been spent on hotel accommodations. The good news is we made it here safely and we have really enjoyed our time here so far, (besides eating fast food for the last week-I am ready for some home cooked degreased food.)

On Saturday we enjoyed the Armand Bayou Nature Trail.

We are so excited to finally live somewhere green! Too bad with vegetation comes bugs! At least there was somewhere that we could go to relax and decompress. What a crazy, stressful and interesting week we've had. I wonder what we can expect next week?!

Annie Shelton

See, I should be meticulously packing, and cleaning-we are moving in less than a week you know! But some how the blogging world has sucked me back into it's grasp, and I have to post. Really it is my only coping mechanism. As I have been going through our things I have ran into our childhood photos. And so I got to thinking...

When I was a lass, I had curly hair, I mean really curly. I still have wavy hair...but don't tell anyone.


When Dan was a lad, he had red hair [really does that surprise any one?] and he still does.

So as cute as we may be, this could only lead to one thing in the procreation world:
Dan+Heidi=

Enough said.

Adventures at the FAIR

What a wonderful day we had at the FAIR! After sitting in traffic for THREE hours....we finally made it.

Nicole, Brian and Dan sitting in the gray car, while Maggi and David follow [slowly] behind.

We were joined at the FAIR by good friends...

Heidi and her BFF Deanna

Nicole, Brian, Maggi, David, (a somewhat possessed) Daniel and Heidi

Dan and Heidi

Of Course there was entertainment, like the Swifty Swine Races.

Go Green! Go!

And you can't forget to feed the pot bellied pigs.

There were piglets

I just pretended not to know that they were about to be slaughtered, and I really enjoyed myself.

And Goats...

This goat was adorable, and so sweet. He wanted to smell me and eat my hat! I love goats!

And of course no FAIR is complete without fair food.

Cotton Candy
&

Funnel Cakes

Until Next Year! FAIR well!

Life and Death on the Planet Earth

Written by: Daniel

This is Ryan, an old friend from high school. In tenth grade some mutual friends introduced me to Ryan. Over the next two years Ryan and I spent quite a bit of time together. Despite having a reputation of being a goof ball Ryan was surprisingly considerate and thoughtful. I mean, we had good times hanging out in the mountains, playing video games, and sucking helium but we also had long high school-type conversations. By our senior year we had parted ways, not because of a falling out or anything of that nature but we just developed different interests and friendships. I was far more needy and an attention hog while Ryan was more independent and a free thinker. We both went on missions about the same time but Ryan married almost a year before I did. We crossed paths a couple times and exchanged pleasantries but we have not spoken in several years.

About ten days ago Ryan was killed in a motorcycle accident.He left behind a wife and three daughters; the youngest child is only five or six months old. This has been weird. I am no stranger to death but this is the first high school buddy of mine to die and it has left me feeling a bit vulnerable even though we had not seen or heard from each other in several years. I guess this has been a somber reminder that there is an end to our lives here on this earth, and it can come to anyone of us.

One theologian declared that “death eventually comes to all mankind. It comes to the aged as they walk on faltering feet. Its summons is heard by those who have scarcely reached midway in life’s journey, and often it hushes the laughter of little children. Death is one fact that no one can escape or deny.” I guess Ryan had “scarcely reached midway in life’s journey,” and this seems hardly fair. For crying out loud the guy had a wife and three beautiful daughters, I have a great wife but only three dumb animals, would it not make more sense taking away someone like me?

But let’s be honest, life frequently does not make sense. The same religious thinker wrote that, “Frequently death comes as an intruder. It is an enemy that suddenly appears in the midst of life’s feast, putting out its lights and gaiety. Death lays its heavy hand upon those dear to us and at times leaves us baffled and wondering. In certain situations, as in great suffering and illness, death comes as an angel of mercy. But for the most part, we think of it as the enemy of human happiness.” I’m sure this is a concept Ryan’s family has had to struggle with for nearly two very long, painful weeks.

There is something I have wondered about since learning of the circumstances surrounding Ryan’s untimely death. From what I understand there was about half an hour between the motorcycle accident and his death and for the most part he was conscious. I have spent a lot of time wondering what Ryan was thinking about during that brief time period that must have felt like an eternity to him. Did he know he was going to die? Did he think about his wife? His girls? Was he wondering when help would arrive? Many of us would be begging God to spare our lives but I don’t think this is what Ryan was doing. He was no wimp and was no stranger to physical pain, it seemed like he was always getting hurt. For example, towards the end of high school Ryan broke his femur, the strongest bone in the human body and was sentenced to a wheelchair and crutches for several months. No, I just can’t see Ryan pleading with God for his life; he was just too tough. But this was a generous and helpful guy who really did care about people. I like to think he was praying for his young family, that no matter what happened they would be cared for and safe. Yep, Ryan stared death in the face and though it was not a welcomed event I'm confident he was no coward.

Death is a strange even spiritual event. For those that move on they have countless pesky questions answered, but for those that are left behind we cannot help but question ourselves, are we ready? What if we encountered tomorrow that unfortunate yet unavoidable experience? After all, it is possible, almost two weeks ago it happened to a friend of mine. I hope I am ready but I must admit, I feel completely inadequate and unprepared. However, I hope to follow the lead set by one group of people from the holy scriptures who “never did look upon death with any degree of terror, for their hope and views of Christ and the resurrection; therefore death was swallowed up to them by the victory of Christ over it.” Gulp…I have a long ways to go.

But until then, here’s to you Ryan, sorry it had to end so soon and sorry we did not stay in touch. You’ve left a legacy my friend and forged on in an area that I am simply not ready to face. Rock on buddy, and I'll see ya soon.

Yeah, "Doctor?"

I have heard through the grapevine that some people are dubbing this blog, “Heidi’s Rant.” They must not find entertainment in my thoughts. So for them here is a nice picture.

For everyone else here is my rant.

I have been getting the same question over the last six months or so, “Are you sure you want to be a Chiropractor? Why don’t you be ____________" (and fill in the blank with the career you think I would be most suitable for). For those who were wondering, yes I want to be a Chiropractor and yes I am sure. I don’t see why it is so hard for people to be supportive. Everyone from family, friends, and even my dentist has asked are you sure you want to be a (gasp) Chiropractor!? It’s not like I am aspiring to be a stripper or a drug dealer […although].

I know in the back of everyone’s mind they are thinking, ‘ well Chiropractors aren’t “real” doctors’, and some may go as far as to say that Chiropractors are just plain quacks. Well I am sorry to inform you, but in every field you will find people who are unethical and dishonest.

You can’t tell me that this Medical Doctor (M.D.), who has performed Botox, cheek implants, three nose jobs, three lip implants, two boob jobs, three breast lifts and liposuction on the arms, hips, thighs, stomach and knees of this 31 year old isn’t a quack.

Or what about the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) who was recently accused of reusing syringes in his Las Vegas clinic— a practice that could allow vials of anesthetics to be tainted with infected blood from the first patient and then passed on to other patients. Health inspectors in January linked a hepatitis outbreak to this case.

And it’s not just medical personal who are quacks. What about her-

Or them-

My point is-don’t bash the profession until you have really given it a good chance. I find that the people who are so aghast at me becoming a Chiropractor know little about the profession. To clarify I have no intentions to pretend that I am a “real” doctor disguised in Chiropractor clothing. I did not apply to any medical schools, or any D.O. schools or any P.A schools. I only applied to Chiropractor Schools, because I only want to be a Chiropractor. The philosophy of Chiropractic and PREVENTATIVE medicine makes so much more sense to me, and the rest of the nation is following close behind.

· A few years ago a law was passed that said by the year 2010 every Veterans Affairs Hospital must have full time Chiropractors on staff.

· Just recently a bill was signed in congress that Chiropractors would be eligible to participate in the National Health Corps, which provides medical treatment to underprivileged and medical deprived areas of this Nation.

· Chiropractors are doing great things in non-profit organizations like Kentuckiana, which offers free Chiropractic services to children who have severe disabilities like cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy and the like.

· Studies indicate a 45-55% saving in overall costs when treatments are provided by chiropractors instead of medical doctors.

I know that there are plenty of Chiropractors that are out there to make money. But again isn’t that the goal of so many doctors, lawyers, salesmen, businessmen….However it is not my goal to become independently wealthy while sacrificing my morals and commitments to patients. At this point (just completing my first trimester) I would like to pursue one of these three career options.

·Work at a total wellness center. These centers use an integrated health approach, incorporating the knowledge and skills of Medical Doctors, Doctors of Chiropractic Medicine, Registered Dietitians, Physical Therapist, and even massage therapists, acupuncture technicians and psychological councilors. I would love working at a place like this because the main focus is on PREVENTION. (For a great example of this type of clinic check out www.Canyon Ranch.com or click on the ultraprevention link on the left.)

· Work at a clinic under the National Health Corps. These clinics are usually in rural areas or urban areas, where the citizens would not be able to have access to medical care any other way. Not only would it be a great way to educate people about chiropractic, but I feel it would really give me an opportunity to change lives.

· Work at the VA hospitals. The number one complaint from the Gulf War Veterans was back pain. Our wonderful soldiers can really benefit from the use of chiropractics, and I would be honored to work with them.

I want to be a Chiropractor because I believe in the possibility of change. If we change the way we eat, the way we exercise, the way we think, and the way we treat our bodies-we could live in a very changed world. I also believe that health has to be integrated. It can’t just be one sided. You can’t rely on Chiropractics alone. I know this because modern medicine saved my life. But (and this is a big BUT) if you could get to the point of not having to rely on modern medicine, if you could prevent the disease before it even happened…wouldn’t that be great? And that is why I want to be a Chiropractor. And yes I’m sure.

War, What is it Good For? - Leo Tolstoy...I mean Edwin Starr

Written by: Daniel
Not to be a downer but something has bothered me as of late...

How cool is this dude? Meet Don Zirkel, Korean War-era vet and Deacon in the Catholic Church and a man who stands up for his beliefs, something far too few of us do. On Saturday, March 29, Mr. Zirkel wore this shirt, which reads "4,000 Troops 1 Million Iraqis Dead, Enough." Don wore this shirt to an anti-war rally and afterwards him and his wife went into a mall's food court in New York for fries and coffee. Security guards approached Mr. Zirkel and told him to turn the shirt inside out, put something over the shirt, or leave. Don, who is 80 years old and never been arrested refused get out of his chair. But wait, it gets better as the security guards fetched a wheel chair, picked him up and put him on the wheel chair and wheeled him out where police promptly arrested him for criminal trespassing and resisting arrest.

But here is the big question, did you know how many American servicemen and women have died in Iraq? According to a recent study by Pew Research only 28% of Americans knew how many US soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines had died since the war began five years ago. 28%!!! How disgusting is that disturbing fact? I wish I could say that we should know these numbers because our tax dollars have paid for this war and that we should know how our money is being spent by the government but since this is the only war in the history of the USA that taxes were not raised to pay for the conflict who really cares, right?

Maybe the reason our troops are often tragically ignored is that the media is simply not covering what is happening. For example, during the past month of March, only 3% of all news stories were dedicated to the conflict, despite reaching two gloomy milestones, five years of war and 4,000 dead. So, what is so important that the media is reporting on before the deaths of our loved ones thousands of miles away from home? Take a guess.

Maybe the reason so few know how many of their fellow Americans have died in Iraq is because they are not seeing any of the above images, flag covered coffins. The Army has a saying that I always liked, "Out of sight, out of mind." Hence the reason our own government has refused to allow cameras to greet the dead. The Vietnam War came to a screeching halt as soon as the draft was changed to a lottery meaning that regardless of one's educational status, political pull, or financial background you could now be drafted and sent to war. Is that what we need to do to give the deserved attention to our fallen heroes, most of which happen to be from financially impoverished backgrounds? Well, until then, news about the antics of worthless and leaching celebrities will have to do.

My heart aches for all of those that have lost fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, friends and neighbors in such a sad campaign. As of today, April 2, 4,012 US servicemen and women have been killed in Iraq, 29,496 injured and don't get me started about the incredibly large number of Iraqis that have lost their lives as a result of being caught up in the middle of a fight we started.

I can't help but ask myself what I have done to honor, remember or help those caught up in the middle of this war? I don’t know, for some reason I get the feeling everyone else is doing more than I. Perhaps the best way to end my aggressive rant is by thinking of the most recent American death and quote the talented musician Neil Young who wrote and sang:

There’s one more kid

That will never go to school

Never get to fall in love,

Never get to be cool.

Keep on rockin’ in the free world,

Thank goodness we have people like 80-year-old Mr. Don Zirkel to lead by example.