My Grandpa's barn

I loved my grandpa's farm.  From the pasture, to the mulberry trees, to the ponds, and best of all the barn.

Grandpa would let us take his car to drive around his pasture.  We'd weave through roads built around crops, fenced areas, and ponds.  If you drove far enough you'd get to the Pease River where the red mud would sink under your feet and the cool water would bring ease to the hot day.  We'd hook the trailer up to the tractor and have hay rides out for a weiner roast by the water.

Behind my grandpa's house, past the tire swing, were rows of trees.  We'd go there and pick berries.  Mom would make a pie but I liked the berries in a bowl with sugar and milk.

I'd spend hours in the barn.    I'd climb up to the top layer of the barn by climbing on the bails of hay.  Or I'd swing on the long rope hanging from the ceiling of the barn.  I knew every inch of that barn from where the cows would get branded to the stalls for cows giving birth.  I'd walk the wide expanse of the barn with  my mother.  Mom had so many stories of being about to kill a mouse by throwing a rock, her brothers playing tricks on her and gathering eggs.

I loved Grandpa's farm.  We'd go there every few months and enjoy being out away from town.  It was a wonderful childhood.

Vegan "diet"

It has been atleast a year since Jacob moved from being a vegetarian to becoming vegan. He has noodles, rice or cereal at every meal, lots of fruits and vegetables, protein smoothies, peanut butter, fried tofu, stir fry, pot stickers, veggie hamburgers, bean burritos, cheese-free pizza, and many other things. I am still surprised when I hear people argue that he should be eating meat. It's his ethical choice and I think for him, it would be wrong to do anything else.

He loves his kale smoothies. He's getting tired of strawberries so I have been using kiwi and mangos instead.

Green Mango Smoothie

1/2 cup kale
1 cup orange juice
1 cup mango
1 kiwi
1-2 tablespoons flaxseed

Blend in blender.

Bible Verses

Bible Verses

Veganism

Just like anything, veganism can go too far. I have been very hesitant to say this, because it is my son's passion. He's a sensitive, bright, deep thinking child who has come to the decision to be vegan over many years.

When he was as young as 5, allergy testing showed a sensitivity to beef and chicken so I gave him other foods, keeping everything he was allergic to to a minimum.

In 4th grade two things happened: He saw a movie showing chickens in cramped cages, and he went to the San Diego zoo where he saw cages marked endangered species, and at this point he decided to be a vegetarian.

Jacob made this choice because he wanted to do his part to not support the endangerment of animals. We supported him in every way we could, and he never ate meat (now it's been 7 years without eating meat).

A year ago he became vegan. He decided he didn't want to support any company that would use animals in their products so he cut out gelatin, dairy, honey, eggs, and any product that he cannot prove wasn't tested on animals. This ethical veganism is disturbing to me. It is not that we prove animals were hurt in the creation of the product to not use it, it is that we have to prove they were not used in any way in the making of the product in order to use it. If we do not know then Jacob's default is to not eat or use the product. That can mean not using deodorant or not brushing teeth.

I believe he's gone too far, and I'm almost ready to stand up and say it. (Not that I've never told him my frustration. I've just respected his taking a stance that I wanted to support him.) I think anything can go too far. I believe it's wrong to keep animals in cramped conditions, but are these animals unhappy? I know God says he cares about the sparrows, but I don't think he cares about the sparrows over the people.

Yesterday it was soap. He wanted soap that was not tested on animals. I don't see how testing soap on animals can hurt them even if they were in cages as the tests were being conducted. I told him this. We bought the Jason body wash that is vegan approved (and more expensive).

I will never expect anyone to believe exactly as I do, and they cannot force me to believe as they do. I believe God loves his creation, but my conscience is not affected by eating commercially raised animals or using any soap, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant...that is on the market.

When values go amuck!

As a young child he was quiet, not easily provoked, never took up for himself and very deep in his thought process. At 3 he could add a list of numbers in his head. By 2 nd grade he was writing books, complete with titles to chapters and illustrations. By 6th grade these stories had turned into comic books that clearly illustrated his view of the world.

When he was in 4th grade he stated that he didn't think that an animal God created should be eaten when we have other food to eat. No one had seen a child make such an ethical choice at such a young age, and stick with it as long as has he has (6 years now).

The boy now is struggling with teenage problems. He has experienced marijuana, pills, and sneaking out in the night. The boy has high ethics, respect and integrity so we ask, "What happened?" The bible says in Proverbs 22:6 that children will return to the way they were raised.

As our children get older and life moves faster, activities take over, and less time is spent in the amount of time we spend talking. This boy with both strong ethics and bad choices can be brought back to making good choices. There are many ways to teach values to teens:

-Make a list of family values.

-Write a contract of expectations.

-Require time that the family eats together.

-Have one-on-one time just to talk.

-Take an interest in your child's friends.

-Spend time together doing fun, family activities.

-Volunteer together.

We are checking in daily and praying....