"Laugh because it is your purpose in life." - Yogi Bhajan

A friend of mine dreamt that we were having uncontrollable, teenager giggle fits and I hadn't told her about the dream I last posted about! So, LAUGHTER is in the air, it is the best medicine and even Yogiji says it is your purpose in life! In the daily practice in Cafe Gratitude's Abounding River Personal Logbook, one of the assignments is to laugh for 1 minute everyday. It feels ridiculous to start to laugh on purpose, but it is contagious and Yogi Bhajan also says "Fake it 'til you make it." On your mark...get set...

Raw Ranch Dressing

I dreamt last night that I was traveling with my soccer team and we went out to eat. I saw a teammate scraping cheese out of her salad dressing and off her pizza. I thought, "She must choose not to eat dairy like me," and I told her I would get her a vegan dressing, like an Italian vinaigrette. When I went up to order my salad, the clerk told me I would have to order a combo...pizza, a corn dog and 32 oz soda to access the salad bar. "Soda is actually more absorbable than coconut water," she added. I found this to be HILARIOUS and was doubled over in laughter for the rest of the evening! It felt so good to be shaking with laughter in dreamtime!

So, I thought I would share one of my favorite salad dressings today...

Raw Creamy Peppercorn Ranch Dressing

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

2/3 cup hemp seed

5 cloves garlic

1.5-2 tsp black peppercorns

1 tsp salt

--Blend all of the above ingredients thoroughly. Then add

1/3 cup olive oil-- and blend again.

Makes an amazing salad dressing and/or veggie dip. I also added it to shredded cabbage, grated carrots and a dash of goji berries for a delicious raw cole slaw!

Have FUN today!!

(cue the Pink Floyd)....Hello...Hello....Hello....is there anybody out there? Just smile if you can hear me...

Back by popular demand from mom and grandma (and a new, way faster computer), I may just be able to blog more frequently. Our daughter Sage is my TOP priority and she is napping right now :) She is 8 months old now and such a miracle!

I have questioned whether I sure write on a blog Called "Raw in Montana" when I am not all raw, but I do love to include lots of raw food in our diet and aspects of our lifestyle that are so important to me seem to be on the same vibe with the raw food community...so the name remains :)

I have recently been inspired by webcasts available on www.healthforce.com. Click on Superfood Education to listen to all kinds of great talks. I started using their products while on my Juice Feast, as recommended by David Rainoshek. I began my Feast earlier than I had originally planned, so I experienced 10 days without their cleansing products before 20 all juice days + 10 more days of juice and smoothies with them. I felt an amazing difference with them and was grateful to feel the contrast...awesome bowel releases with my colonics and feeling the clarity and energy from getting the toxins I was releasing OUT of my body!

I have enjoyed their Vitamineral Green whole food green powder and have listened to some interviews with Jameth Sheridan which made me feel great about supporting a company with such high quality product and life dedication as well as intaking the best greens available out there! I have waivered in my mind about taking a powder (even though it is a whole food powder, rather than a supplement) and feel like I should be getting all of my nutrition from fresh food, but I must admit...it makes me feel awesome! And I love getting everything in one heaping scoop...probiotics, grasses, seaweeds, greens. The calls are inspiring me deeply-thank you to Bethanne and the whole Health Force crew! I am excited to feel some of their other creations in my body. When not using the cleansing products, I have focused on Vitamineral Greens and Spirulina and take Olive Leaf extract when sicknesses are popping up around me. I had tried Earth but didn't like it much because I used it in smoothies. That doesn't work well with it's savory flavor. I just got some more and am going to try it as a broth (bring 1 Tbsp Earth and 1 cup water to a boil, then turn off heat).

What is inspiring you as we soon welcome in a whole new calendar year? The angel is awake! One LOVE!!

The arrival of our Angel!

My goodness, how do you write a post, when it has been over 3 months and among the most transformational 3 months of your life?! I have enjoyed many Yogic journeys and this one takes the cake. Introducing...Sage Saffron Ordway!

My husband and I had a beautiful Angel of a baby girl on April 16th! I was able to birth her at home and we were so grateful for that experience. It felt so very right to labor at home, taking a very slow walk down the driveway, stopping frequently for contractions and watering the Growing Dome on the way back...drinking coconut water in the bathtub and trying to relax as much as possible during contractions. Our midwives were here for just 4 hours before Sage arrived and their support was essential and perfectly timed!

The deep level of LOVE that opens up in this magic of Parenthood is indescribable...it is one of those Unifiying principles of the Universe...a silent smile exchanged between Mothers in between full moments of caring for their children...an understanding glance during a meltdown session in the grocery store...judge not, you may once find yourself in their position! She has opened up my heart to feel on deeper levels...the absolute Bliss of her gummy smile or gazing into each others' eyes while nursing and also the challenging moments when I feel her cry in my cells- quite a magnificent journey!

On the health tip, we are still growing lots of our own food on the property this year, although the garden is receiving less attention than usual, as I am busy growing the most important gift ever! She is thriving on breastmilk and it is fun to watch the color of her bowel movements change with deep green Spirulina smoothies and to be assured she is indeed receiving my intake. Pregnancy went very well. I was able to stay active and eat healthy, gaining 25 lbs. One week after delivery, I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight-I was amazed and happy! That being said, it doesn't mean my body is exactly the same..things are tighter around the waist, as my belly is softer and I am sure my hips have widened to aid in her arrival :)

I am still craving extra protein and have been enjoying Sun Warrior brown rice protein powder daily...in my green smoothie with lots of wild lamb's quarter...
with ice, a dash of cacao nibs and fresh mint leaves for a Choco-mint shake...
or just shaken up with water for a quick, satisfying snack. Cucumber juice has been key on warm days and the basil has been abundant enough for fresh pesto! Our new favorite salad dressing is the Balsamic Fig Dressing from Cafe Gratitude's book. Other mainstays include dehydrated buckwheat crackers, avocado wrapped in nori, chia porridge with bananas, and lots of salad and asparagus from the garden topped with edible calendula flowers and violets!

Deepest blessings to anyone who may still be reading this-may your day be filled with Gratitude and Joy! p.s.- Here is Sage's beautiful gyan mudra!

6 Weeks until our Due Date!!

Baby Ordway soaking in the evening sun in Mexico...ooh lala!

The growing family in front of our rustic cabanas called Buena Onda (meaning good vibes!)

Excited Kelly holding a brand new baby sea turtle that locals were releasing into the ocean!

A happy baby instinctively crawling towards the water to begin its long journey :)

We took the mounds of advice given to us to take a trip together, so we enjoyed the delicious sun of Mexico in January-here were some highlights:
-soaking in the glorious sunshine-I was definitely born an Arizona sun goddess!
-drinking fresh squeezed orange juice and fresh coconut water almost every day
-digging a hole in the sand for my pregnant belly, so I could lie face down for a nap
-sinking our toes into the sand as soon as we stepped out our cabana door
-stretching every morning, bathed in the sounds of the waves and soft sunlight
-taking Spanish classes
-watching the baby move since I was usually in my bikini instead of loads of winter clothes
-food delights...papaya, pineapple, tree-ripened bananas, fresh, warm corn tortillas, guacamole.
I brought nori sheets and we made our own version of veggie sushi with avocado, jicama, red bell pepper, lime juice and hot sauce. I also took chlorella tablets daily to keep my iron levels up and my iron test was awesome at 13 (whatever that means) at my midwife appointment right after I returned.
-reading Anastasia in our hammock :)

And how amazing quickly the body continues to transform and the baby grows in one month...here are a few photos from today :) Sending all great Love and Gratitude as we feel so blessed to be welcoming this angel into our lives and growing into a family! p.s. We are eating spinach, kale and a dash of parsley out of our geodesic dome! An amazing gift in February in Montana!

Prego Photo Journal :)

Aaaaah...lying on the shores of a lake just outside of Glacier Park after hiking Dawson-Pitimakan. I had no idea I was pregnant, but indeed I was...or else I might not have undertaken an 18 mile hike in one day. It was a glorious weekend with my love in the mountains!!

My belly at 11 weeks before heading out for a long walk in the woods with one of my best friends who is due 10 days behind me! The blessings keep on rolling in :) I was experiencing some nausea, but no vomiting, thank goodness!

Halloween 2009! We were just headed into town for dinner and busted our our disco suits at the last minute. Things are changing at week 16 (including no more nausea)!



Welcome to 26 weeks! Baby Ordway has been moving lots! The midwife said it sounded like s/he was doing kick flips in there and Michael got to feel it from the outside last week. I am feeling great, loving Yoga and long walks while I practice speaking Spanish with my Ipod!



I dug this carrot trio in our garden this Fall and thought it was pretty symbolic and beautiful!


Blessings to you and joyous welcoming in of 2010!

Workshop with Qala

Good morning! Wow-another blog post within a week...it must be rainy season! That afternoon after I posted last, I had my 2nd prenatal appointment with my midwife and got to hear the baby's heartbeat again! I actually had thought that was a special treat the 1st time and didn't realize we get to hear the heartbeat at every appointment-I was delightfully surprised! Everything is going perfectly and our angel's heartbeat was in the 140's again. Michael was wondering how they were going to differentiate his/her heartbeat from mine until he heard it and it sounded about twice as fast!

Today started by moving slowly, watching the rain/sleet fall and singing an invocation chant to my little one. I guess their hearing is developed enough to physically hear us now and it feels so lovely to sing and talk to this being growing inside me. A juicy orange, nettles/oat straw tea and a green smoothie with wild huckleberries, Vitamineral Greens, hemp protein powder, SunWarrior protein powder and banana are fueling me before I head to work. Yum!

I wanted to share with you some insight from an amazing workshop I attended a few weeks ago. We were so blessed to have this woman Qala join us from Australia. She has perhaps the biggest, purest heart I have yet to experience. The 1st evening was called "Igniting the Field of Love in your Life-Making Your Life That Much Better Through the Power of Love". I feel like I have a pretty open heart and I also realize that there are infinitely deeper levels of Love, Compassion and Gratitude to open up to. Here are some keys that I loved and she said to share freely:

Give Gratitude to Mother Earth EVERYday! Fell her underneath you and also all around you as her trees grow much taller than you.

Give up negative thoughts to their highest good. Purify your mind. Don't judge. Offer the negative thoughts up. If you do judge or think negative thoughts of someone, apologize to them telepathically.

Before you fall asleep each night, ask to be taken to the planes of Light. A light guide will come and take your Soul to Light. This is particularly good for bad dreams or fear. Teach this to your children and others. If you wake up feeling heavy, ask to be taken to the Chamber of Love before falling asleep. You don't have to understand this with your mind, simply feel it with your heart.

Resolve everything with Love. Never leave the room without resolving the energy.

Always follow your Heart Dream! Never give up!!

When you feel like pushing away, Embrace with Compassion!

Take everything into your Heart. Expand your heart by taking long, deep conscious breaths into your heart center. Feel your heart expand 6 feet in every direction. Do this EVERYday! Move the awareness in your mind down into your heart.

If you want o explore more, check out her sites at: www.qalasriama.com and www.TheDivineUniversity.com. The simple daily ritual of breathing expansion into my heart center and giving Gratitude to Mother Earth has been very powerful for me. Blessings to you!