Zion's

The boys and I went down to Zion's canyon for the weekend. Ethan spent the entire week there with his grandparents hiking around (it was fabulous only having two kids for the week!) The weather was beautiful Friday & Saturday, sunny but not too hot.

We all hiked to the pools and the boys of course had to jump in the water and get all wet and then roll around in the red dirt turning themselves into muddy messes.

Sunday was my sister's baby blessing- you'd never guess that at 8 pounds little Lily is 4 months old! She was less than 3 pounds when she was born and is doing remarkably well.

We saw a little snow on our drive back, but fortunately it wasn't too bad. It was a nice little weekend getaway.

p.s. the adorable diaper cover comes from this store.

 

Birmingham, Alabama LDS Temple

Here are free pictures of the Birmingham, Alabama LDS Temple. Unfortunately, they were doing maintenance on the temple so there were sprinkler pipes sticking out everwhere and a big yellow truck right in front of the entrance. I did my best to photoshop the mess out but unfortunately I couldn't photoshop flowers in, sorry! You can download these free images of the Birmingham temple at http://www.freeldstemplepictures.com

That's the last of my road trip temples. Now I just need spring to hit Utah so I can start photographing the local temples here.

Getting started with Real Food

It can be overwhelming to overhaul your diet, especially if you are used to eating a lot of processed foods. There is so much conflicting information out there and labels can be really misleading and confusing. I recommend starting by watching Food Inc. reading Michael Pollan's food rules and visiting the 100 Days of Real Food website. I also recommend In Defense of Food. It's not an easy read, but it's an eye opener and really gets you thinking about why you should eat real food. And, remember, real food may be more expensive now, but it's certainly cheaper than future medical bills!

While most organic/natural/real foods will be more expensive, the biggest commitment for me isn't money. It's time. I have to take the time to cook, to prepare foods and be more involved in the whole eating process. (If you have more money than time, you can buy boxed organic foods and make your life easier.)

Here are 10 ideas to get you started:

1. Start Fresh: If you currently eat a lot of processed foods, begin slowly so as not to shock your system. Start by adding fresh fruits and vegetables. Pick up your Bountiful Basket or going to the grocery store and load up on the fruits & veggies (organic if possible- but any is better than none). Start adding fruit to your breakfast (on top of cereal or waffles or as a side to eggs), prepare a large container of sliced fruits and veggies (and/or a large fruit salad) for snacks twice a day in between meals. Include fruits and veggies at lunch- I love to use those sectioned trays (Target) that way I remember to fill them with fruits and veggies. Plan your main meal around a vegetable.
2. De-Junk: Evaluate your lifestyle and eliminate those things that are just plain bad (soda, coffee, chips, candy, processed sweets) and reduce the number of times you eat out. That should free up some extra money to put towards healthier choices (one night on the town for a family of five is equivalent to a weeks worth of groceries). Keep track of all the money you spend on food, you'll be surprised at how unplanned purchases add up. Check the labels of everything in your pantry. Donate anything with more than 8 grams of added sugar, contains high fructose corn syrup and anything else that you aren't familiar with or can't pronounce. The general rule is more than 5 items- however if those 5 items are real food items, then it's ok.

3. Make a plan: Plan out your meals in advance (see below for great recipes sites) and purchase a weeks worth of food. I use this free Grocery Planner to keep track of the food I need to buy and what meals I have planned for each day. I like to base my meals around my bountiful basket- this way meals are vegetable based (rather than meat based) and I don't have to buy as much. If you double the recipe then you can freeze some to save for later which also cuts down on preparation time.
4. Buy REAL food: Go shopping! Walmart and Costco do have a lot of organic food, but you have to search for them, even at the healthier stores you still need to read your labels. Shop at farmers markets and seek out local food providers. Check out these websites for local providers http://www.eatwellguide.org/  http://www.localharvest.org/ and http://www.eatwild.com/ If it's artificial, you can't pronounce an ingredient or don't know what an ingredient is, don't buy it! Do what you can with your budget. If you can't afford organic produce, it's ok, buy regular produce- but buy a lot of it and have that be the primary thing you eat (and wash well!).
• Upgrade your bread to 100% whole grain. Make sure there is no added sugar or processed "stuff" in your bread. This is my favorite whole wheat bread recipe I've been making for more than 6 years.
• Buy brown rice or barley instead of white rice, whole oats instead of processed oatmeal mixes, make your own granola instead of boxed cereals (there are some great organic brands- I love Kashi and Cascadian Farms cereals- but still check your labels!)
• Add beans to your diet. I have a lot of bean recipes on my food blog. I purchased this fabulous Fagor 3 in 1 multi-cooker and can pressure cook dried beans in 20 minutes. Add to a salad or put inside a whole wheat tortilla with tomatoes and avocado and it makes for a quick and healthy meal.
• Buy a large container of honey and use it to replace sugar. Here's a good list of what is considered a natural sweetener and what isn't- as you'll find out when you take your first shopping trip it's impossible to figure out by reading the package- they all say natural! I picked up some "raw sugar" which apparently to the uber natural people is still refined- so technically I shouldn't be using it... But like I said before, I'm flexible (and am not going to drive myself insane about it- woman cannot live on honey alone!)
• Eat meat in moderation, especially red meat. A piece of bacon isn't going to kill you, but a piece of bacon a day might. Rather than eating a big hunk of meat, try eating it as a side dish or only adding a small portion of meat and spreading it out over several meals. Try adding fish to your diet if you're not already eating it. This is a hard one for me because I wasn't raised on fish and don't particularly care for it, however I've found that if you buy high quality fish like halibut, salmon and tilapia, they don't really have much of a flavor as long as you don't overcook them. If you are addicted to meat, buying more expensive meats may help to curb that craving. Don't elminate meat completely- but rather than eating a huge chunk of it, use a small portion and spread it out over 2-3 meals. Buy the most natural things you can with the budget you have. I think you'll find that the more you load up on fruits and veggies the less room you have in your tummy for meats and dairy which are the most expensive items (and the most controversial).
• Check your milk to make sure it says NO artificial growth hormones and buy the freshest eggs and cheese you can find.
5. Table manners: Eat together as a family- at the table. No eating in front of the tv! Use this as a time to talk with your children and grow closer as a family. If your kids are older- involve them in the cooking and meal planning. Even little kids can understand the value of healthy eating. My five year old grabs a plate of veggies and says "I'm not going to get diabetes!"
• Eat a snack of fruits and vegetables in between meals. This prevents the hunger feeling which triggers the brain to seek the quickest, simplest carbohydrate.
• Use small plates and bowls. The larger the plate/bowl the more you'll eat. Smaller dishes give the appearance of more food, and since American's are trained to clean their plate- that's exactly what you'll do.
• Eat slowly, drink lots of water and stop eating before you are full. As you learn to listen to your body you will stop overeating and will be satisfied with less food. Drinking a large glass of water with a meal also helps you to feel more full. Eating empty calories never satisfies.
6. Buy some tools: I highly recommend purchasing a pressure cooker (the Fagor 3 in 1 multi-cooker is FABULOUS), dried beans and rice are much less expensive than canned beans and instant rice and with a pressure cooker only takes 20 minutes. Baking bread also saves me a ton of money. I also love my food processor (which you can also use to mix bread, tortillas, etc) and helps save on a lot of time consuming chopping and processing- perfect for making larabars. If you base your meals around vegetables, beans and grains you will actually save a ton of money over boxed/canned/frozen foods and that money you're saving can go towards purchasing healthier produce, dairy and meats (good quality meats are very expensive- another good reason to reduce your overall meat intake).
7. Plant a garden: Obviously I'd love to have a huge garden and grow all my own food, but that's not a possibility right now. But I can grow a few herbs and a potted tomato plant or two though. I can also re-grow green onions simply by putting them in a cup of water.
8. Experiment: Choose one new grain and learn to use it. Chef Brad has some fabulous videos about cooking with whole grains. A great grain is quinoa- it might take some getting used to the texture but it is a serious superfood (and a complete protein). Here's a great quinoa breakfast cereal.
   
   Experiment with modifying recipes (i.e. honey for sugar, butter/coconut oil for vegetable oils & shortenings, whole grains for white rice).
   
   Try new fruits and vegetables. Starfruit, artichokes, asparagus, kale, (just watch out for papaya- tastes like vomit to some people- I found that out the hard way!)
9. Exercise: You might think this has nothing to do with eating real food, but actually it does. I have found that when I am munching too many empty carbs I feel sluggish. When I eat healthy I suddenly get the urge to exercise, and when I exercise I have the urge to eat healthy. Even if it's just going for a walk around the block, try to get outside and move for a few minutes every day.
10. Be realistic: Don't stress too much. If your kids (or your husband) eat an oreo or if you swing by the drive through in a moment of toddler starvation they're not going to keel over. Just serve the healthiest food you can at home and don't worry about the rest!

Here are just a few websites I've found that offer great real food recipes (not every recipe is, as with all food- you must check the recipe and may need to make some substitutions):

Fabulous Foods (my recipe site that I will am updating): http://ldsbaker.blogspot.com/ click on Real Food
100 Days of Real Food: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/real-food-resources/
Whole Foods: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/
Food Renegade http://www.foodrenegade.com/recipes/
Deliciously Organic: http://deliciouslyorganic.net/
Enlightened Cooking: http://enlightenedcooking.blogspot.com/
The Joy of Clean Eating: http://thejoyofcleaneating.com/
Happy Healthy Mama: http://happyhealthymama.com/
Gluten Free Goddess: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/p/site-index.html
Kath Eats Real Food: http://www.katheats.com/favorite-foods
The Clean Eating Mama: http://www.thecleaneatingmama.com/2009/06/recipes_01.html

America Jane Giveaway!

Have you heard of the scouting site America Jane? They are giving away a copy of Beginning Boy Scouts and a $15 Amazon.com gift certificate. Check out America Jane and enter to win today (hurry, ends Saturday)!

There are also some great resources for homeschoolers. Check out the Boy Scout friendly homeschool curriculum and Real art projects for kids.

Nashville, Tennessee LDS Temple Artwork

Click here to download free pictures of the Nashville, Tennessee LDS temple. Enjoy!

10 Days of Real Food Challenge

Here is a rundown of the food my family ate during our 10 day "real food" pledge. All items in a box/can/jar are organic versions with no sugar added. I will be updating and adding new recipes to my Fabulous Foods blog so be sure to check back. Next post will have some tips on making the switch to more real foods!

Day 1

Breakfast: Oatmeal with raisins, honey, cinnamon and pecans

Lunch: Peanut butter jelly sandwiches on whole wheat bread with carrots and cherry tomatoes

Dinner: Garden salad with oven roasted chicken, cherry tomatoes, fresh green beans, golden raisins, raw sunflower seeds, feta cheese and organic litehouse ranch dressing

Snacks: dried apricots, cherry tomatoes and carrots

Day 2

Breakfast: Organic breakfast cereal with milk

Lunch: Apple sandwiches with peanut butter, raisins and unsweetened coconut and veggies 

Dinner: Barley Jambalaya

Snacks: fresh fruits and veggies

Day 3

Breakfast: Whole grain waffles with strawberries & blueberries
Lunch: Garden salad for me, whole wheat banana, honey and raisin sandwiches for the kids with fresh green beans and strawberries
Dinner: Stir fry with pineapple and peppers on brown rice
Snacks: bananas, cutie oranges, grapes and cherry tomatoes

Day 4

Breakfast: "Jesus" breakfast (the boys wanted to eat foods Jesus might have eaten) dates, apricots, raisins, grapes and nuts and popovers (not what Jesus ate, but just to add something filling- used whole wheat flour and green onions and orange peppers in place of bacon)

Lunch: Peanut butter honey sandwiches on whole wheat bread with veggies

Dinner: Leftovers

Snacks: assorted veggies and fruit

Day 5
Breakfast: Plain yogurt with fruit and honey
Lunch: Peanut butter honey and dried apricot sandwiches on whole wheat bread

Dinner: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Snack: Puffed brown rice, fruit, larabars and veggies

Day 6

Breakfast: Puffed brown rice with blueberries and bananas

Lunch: Southwestern chicken salad with lime juice for dressing
Dinner: breakfast: scrambled eggs, potatoes and onions
Snack: brown rice krispy treats, lara bars

Day 7

Breakfast: plain yogurt with honey and blueberries, scrambled eggs and bacon (yes, we love our eggs)

Lunch: peanut butter honey sandwiches on whole wheat bread, and salad

Dinner: whole wheat cheese pizza with bacon and green onions

Snack: lara bars, apples

Day 8

Breakfast: oatmeal with honey, blueberries, cinnamon and walnuts

Lunch: peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat bread

Dinner: Roasted chicken, sweet potatoes and green beans

Snacks: Brown rice crispy treats, apples

Day 9

Breakfast: Quinoa, blueberries, strawberries and kiwi

Lunch: Quinoa black bean salad

Dinner: Whole wheat bowtie pasta with garden vegetable sauce (made by adding a ton of veggies- zucchini, pepper, onion, carrots and tomatoes into a food processor) and veggie chips (chard leaves baked with olive oil & sea salt)

Snacks: larabars, fresh vegetables and apples

Day 10

Breakfast: Whole wheat blueberry muffins and fresh fruit

Lunch: Quinoa black bean salad leftovers

Dinner: Spinach salad with oranges, walnuts and raisins with squeezed orange juice for dressing and whole wheat bread
Snacks: fresh fruits & veggies

What I learned:

Shopping was more difficult that I expected. It was kind of overwhelming trying to make sense of what was really natural and what wasn't. I always read the labels when I shop but I'm typically looking for things like sugar and fiber, not the actual ingredients. I kind of assumed that a health food store would offer the healthiest choices, but that wasn't necessarily the case. I wish I had read more closely on some of the other websites about what to look for. Like pepperoni- totally processed right? But is there a healthy alternative for my Friday night pizza? I found some boars head turkey bacon pepperoni but just the smell is enough to gag a person, I don't even dare taste it.

Eating real foods was easier than I expected it to be. My kids were fully on board with munching on fruits and veggies all day- in fact they'd rather eat that than an actual meal- and they loved the larabars and rice krispy treat snacks.

The challenges came when we came home at 4:15 pm and they were starving and I had 45 minutes to whip something up from scratch. The other challenge is our love for Ikea and the temptation to swing by for their free Tuesday kids meals. Granted, the vegetables are healthy, but I have no idea what's in the mac & cheese.

I was truly surprised that my sugar cravings went completely away and have not resurfaced (even though I have two Ikea dark chocolate bars in my cupboard- they're no longer screaming my name).

What I have in my cupboard: 

Below is a list of my intial real foods purchases to stock my cupboards, I spent $250 which is a lot less than I expected- most of these things will last me for a month or more (aside from the fresh produce). If you're lucky enough to have a program like Bountiful Baskets near you, take advantage of it! It's the cheapest way to get healthy produce (only $15 for what usually lasts a week) and it's fun to learn how to cook with new vegetables.

I am lucky enough to have live where there is a farm delivery program- Winder Dairy. I signed up for a weekly milk, egg and cheese order $15.00, and can order meat and other dairy products upon request (around $30-40 per month depending on how much meat I want), a weekly bountiful basket $15.00 and then I can shop for anything that I still need (I'm planning on an additional $50 or so per week). So, if my calculations are correct, I should actually be saving money eating this way (assuming I limit meat- that's where the real expense comes in).

Things I already had on hand:
White wheat
Oats
Barley
Brown Rice
Black beans, dried
Pinto beans, dried
White beans, dried
Lentils
Split peas
Pecans

Olive oil
Baking goods (baking powder, soda) and spices
 
Things I purchased for a total of $250 at Sunflower Market

Cashews, raw
Sunflower seeds, raw
Walnut halves
Yellow popcorn
Sesame seeds

Coconut, unsweetened shredded
Apricots, turkish dried
Whole dates
Golden raisins

Quinoa
Wild rice
Puffed brown rice
Puffed millet
Breakfast cereal, organic

Spaghetti sauce, organic
Whole wheat pasta

Coarse ground pepper
Sea salt
Raw sugar
Real vanilla
Honey

Avocados
Cilantro
Green onions
Green beans
Red & Yellow bell peppers
Tomatoes
Bananas
Cherry tomatoes
Strawberries
Cucumbers
Carrots
Red potatoes
Blueberries
Grapes
Kiwi
Ginger root
Garlic

Ranch dressing, organic
Ketchup, organic
Maple syrup
Coconut oil

Milk
Yogurt, plain
Feta
Monterey Jack cheese
Butter
Sour cream
Parmesean, shredded
Mozzarella cheese

Whole chicken
Beef round steak

Real Food

Now that I'm done with my road trip updates, I can move on to what my mind has really been on lately...FOOD.

Have you seen the 100 Days of Real Food site yet? I am always looking for healthy recipes to feed my family and stumbled across it a few months ago. After perusing the site a few months ago I knew making the change to 100% "real foods" was something I wanted to do.

I wasn't raised on many processed foods- I grew up on goats milk, fresh eggs, home baked bread, and we even ate a few of our own chickens. I am not in a position in life to live that organic, but I cook dinner almost every night, usually pretty healthy things. I have been guilty though of substituting seemingly "healthier" labels in place of natural (i.e. margarine for butter, lowfat for full fat), keep a frozen meal or two on hand for emergencies, and generally figured that we ate "healthy enough" so I didn't really need to worry about the few processed foods we did indulge in (not to mention the "S" word {SUGAR}. 

However, after doing some homework, I've had a change of mind. It kind of started with the Jamie Oliver Food Revolution last year, I was shocked and amazed that some people live completely on frozen/boxed foods and very little produce. I was also astounded at how many people in this country are getting type II diabetes. 1 in 3 American's have type II diabetes or have pre-diabetes (glucose tolerance). And then there's the obesity epidemic- more than one third U.S. adults are obese and are passing that on to their children. The truly sad thing is that most cases of obesity and type II diabetes are COMPLETELY preventable by eating a healthy diet and exercising. In fact, there appears to be a whole host of "western" diseases that are not prevalant in other countries, why? Because we eat junk. Next, I watched Food Inc on netflix. If you haven't seen it, it's definitely worth your time. Then I read In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan (same guy as Food Inc) who really lays it out that all those things you can't pronounce on the label of your can or box means it's NOT food, it's engineered "stuff" that's not making us healthier.

I have to say, it is some pretty disturbing stuff. To think that most of the foods on the shelf at the grocery store are created, not "real" food, with no tests as to long term health effects (although the effects are starting to appearing in the form of diseases).

When I was in Alabama visiting my good friend, her family has some recent health issues that has caused them to eliminate all processed foods. Including sugar. ALL sugar. Except a tiny bit of raw sugar. If you've ever read my food blog, you know quite well my love for sweets. It kind of got out of hand for a while there...all those delectable cupcakes... Anyway, it made me stop and think about the long term effects. I don't want my family to become another health statistic. SO I made a commitment to take healthy eating to the next level. Clean, real food, organic, whatever you want to call it, we're saying NO to processed foods.

Apparently there is some, ok, a LOT of controversy about what is healthy and what is not.

I've read some things that claim that grains are slowly killing us. Others claim that grains are "new" and can't be trusted... This one really startled me. So, when I grind my wheat and make bread for my family I'm slowly killing them?  Hmmm...last time I checked, grains were condoned in the scriptures, bread is mentioned countless times in the Bible, and Doctrine & Covenants 89:14 states "All grain is ordained for the use of man..." Breathing polluted air outside, people's second hand smoke, not exercising and drinking too much alcohol might kill you, but bread? I just don't think it's something to stress about. Then again, these are my favorite bread statistics ;)

Then there is oil. Some say canola oil is bad for you while science and medicine say it's ok. The organic crunchies (yikes, I'm becoming one!) say coconut oil is the way to go for baking while others say, maybe not... Personally, I'm a fan of science. If it weren't for science millions of us would die from contagious disease, diabetes, injury, heart disease and more. However I do believe there is a difference between saying something is not going to kill you and saying that it's good for you. And, when it comes to putting things in my body, I trust nature a whole lot more than a lab. So...although I usually tend to lean towards science, in this case, I'm going to try baking with coconut oil or butter (especially for my 10 day pledge) and use EVOO for cooking (check out this website for an overview about heating olive oil, but I am not going to completely write off canola oil in the future (good luck buying anything off the shelf that is cooked in anything other than canola oil- even at a health food store).

I won't even get into the controversy over corn, sweeteners, and dairy.

Anyway...here is a summary of the changes we are making in our family:

• I signed up for the 10 Days of Real Food pledge
• I got rid of the few processed foods on my shelf: There were less than 20 things I had to get rid of (I'm still hanging on to my sweets supplies because I will still bake sweets from time to time- it's a hobby I'm not quite ready to give up).
• I hired a babysitter and took a trip to Sunflower Market (similar to Whole Foods): Note that even though you're in a "health" food store, you still have to read the labels- there were lots of added sugar items, plenty with canola oil and I really had to hunt for organic brands. I bought primarily fruits and vegetables and replaced all my condiments with organic versions. My initial purchase totalled $250. Lower than I expected considering I was buying staple foods. I'll give you a run down of my shopping list in another post.
• For the 10-day pledge I tried not to consume anything from the store that had more than 5 items on the label: However in the future, I don't agree 100% with this rule. If I wanted to buy granola, for example, there will be more than 5 ingredients (at least there is in my home made kind). Instead I will read the label to make sure that what is in there is real food. I think I'm smart enough to figure it out (general rule- if you can't pronounce it, you probably shouldn't eat it).
• I have eliminated ALL processed sugars from my diet except on weekends: I now only use raw sugar and honey (mostly honey) in moderation (the more expensive it is the more conservative your use will be). The recommended limit is 2 teaspoons per meal (6 per day- only 4 for preschoolers) which is equivalent to about 8 grams per meal. Check the side of your cereal box and see how many grams of sugar it has. You'll be surprised.
• I will be updating my recipes to eliminate or replace offending food items and making them healthier (if possible). Obviously I'm not going to bother trying to make whole wheat sugar-free cupcakes. Who wants to eat that? Instead I'm going limit my sweets baking to the weekend only. You can go to my food blog and click "Real Food" to get my healthy real food recipes. Just remember you need to check your labels to make sure there is no added sugar, upgrade your pasta to whole grain pasta and your condiments to organic...
• I will share my 10 day meal plan including photos and recipes and tips for changing your diet (diet meaning way of life, not temporary band-aid) to include more real foods.
• I will be flexible: We will eat as healthy as we possibly can, however I'm not going to refuse food at social gatherings or offend others if the food offered doesn't meet up to the "real/organic" standard. We're still going to have birthday cake and yes we'll even get take out pizza once in a while. I love bread and I will probably indulge in home made white bread from time to time. The key (for me) is to have those things "from time to time" rather than on a regular basis. I like the 80/20 rule, eat healthy 80% of the time and you won't have to worry about the other 20%. If I serve my family "real food" at home then I won't have to worry as much about what they eat when they're away from home.

Here are the effects so far:

1. My sugar cravings are gone. That's right, GONE. I'll do another post about sugar soon, because this is the most amazing effect so far. I honestly didn't think that could EVER happen. Even though I am giving myself license to eat processed sugars on the weekend- I haven't really had the desire to take advantage of it...

2. My whole family is sleeping so much better. Granted, we are living in our own space now and that has made a difference as far as stability goes, nonetheless we are going to bed early and getting up early (and Grant is FINALLY sleeping in his own bed again!)

3. I have not had a single complaint from my kids. True, we ate pretty healthy to begin with, but when we first started the 10 day pledge I was surprised to hear my kids were saying things like "this is the best food I've ever tasted!" They are also happier because I let them eat as many fruits and vegetables as they like, before I would find myself saying things like "you can't have any more vegetables until you eat your sandwich!" Crazy, I know.

4. I feel full even though my portion sizes are smaller. Because I have ready-prepared snacks of fruit and vegetables that we munch on 2-3 times a day, I no longer feel like I have to stuff myself at mealtimes and I am actually eating less and feeling more full.

5. I don't own a scale but I feel like my pants are getting looser...that's always a good feeling whether it's true or not ;)

So, are you ready to take the challenge to eat more real foods?

Four years old

Anthony and Joshua celebrated birthdays last week (a day apart). Joshua turned four! Here are some things you should know about Joshua:

What are your favorite foods?

Pizza, oranges, apples, potatoes, and cheese

What are you afraid of?

Monsters and night

What makes you happy?

Mommy and daddy and grandma and grandpa. 

What are your favorite things to do?

Play with legos, and play farm uno and build with the blocks.

What's your favorite color?
Green.

What are you going to be when you grow up?

An Engineer.

What's your favorite story?

Freight Train.

What are your favorite animals?

Giraffe and bears.

Oh, and he hops on one foot rather than walking. Really.

This boy loves to build and has been asking for a firetruck. So we found him this firetruck lego set. Ethan drew him a cute birthday picture. I bought a cake for the first (and hopefully last) time in my life. I just didn't have it in me to try and be creative, he didn't seem to mind. But I forgot my camera (he's a middle child, he expects bad photos right?) so only have these sad iphone pics.

Their uncle got each of the boys a nerf disc gun. The first words out of Grant's mouth were "shoot mommy". I'm going to have to get myself one to defend against these hooligans. And, Joshua is now taking Tae Kwon Do with Ethan. He finished his two private lessons and is ready to join the big boy class this week. It's so cute to watch him, he gets so excited about it.

Road Trip: Alabama and back

We spent a full week in Alabama visiting with two separate friends. The first was my friend Kelli, who I've know since I was a kid. We grew up in Mesa together, just a few blocks away and were in the same ward and school together. It has been years since I saw her last. She also has three boys. It was pretty crazy at times, but it was so nice to be able to see her again and meet her family! She is a fabulous cook, and it was wonderful to eat REAL food again!

Next stop, was to see our good friends the Toronto's. Our husbands went to law school together and we got together several times when they lived in Ohio. They're now in Alabama and Ethan just loves playing with her boys (she's got 4 of them). Her husband was even brave enough to watch all 7 boys (by himself!) for a couple hours.

The boys had lots of fun just being crazy boys. We also took a trip to the Montgomery zoo. I couldn't believe it when we saw this animal (left)- I thought I took a picture of the name, but can't seem to find it now...It said it was a cross between a rabbit and an antelope. All it needs is antlers and it's a jackalope! And I always thought it was a mythical animal... They had a great playground, a train- perfect for our boys- and the giraffe habitat was pretty awesome.

On our trip back home the boys got Mardi Gras beads at the Louisiana welcome center, we stopped in Dallas to see my friend Katy from when I used to work at Novell, and got to see our good friends the Bachan's who we knew from New Hampshire. It was so nice to break up the trip visiting with friends. We also stopped by the Hot Air Balloon museum in Albuquerque before heading back. It was a great road trip, but it is always nice to come home!