Garrett is rolling over!

Yes, you heard me right. My tiny little boy has learned to roll over. Yikes!

He is hilarious to watch. He rolls from his back to his stomach and sits there and grins, so proud of himself. Then he realizes that he is on his stomach and he HATES being on his stomach so he gets mad and cries. It is the funniest process to watch. Sometimes he gets his hands out just right and can use gravity and his big head to roll himself back onto his back and then he is happy again!

Sugar Cont'd

Okay, confession time. I fell of the wagon and have been eating sugar. I found out that I just can't go cold turkey. We had been promising the kids all summer that we would go down to the Red Barn and get ice cream and when we did that I didn't want to be left out! For our family it will have to be a slow and gradual change to cut the sugar out. My original goals are still in place and I have been doing great with them. The days that I was "off sugar" were huge for me. I found out that I actually CAN do it! Yeah me...even if it isn't for very long. But it got me thinking about everything that I ate and wondering if there was a non-sugar alternative. One morning I warmed up & pureed strawberries & apple juice together and put it on my pancakes instead of syrup. It was TONS better than syrup! We may never by 100% off of sugar, but we are striving to be healthier one step at a time!

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celeb - Collage - Morph

Sugar update

When we got back from reunion I decided that I was ready to try something drastic and so I decided to jump on board with my friends and go cold turkey without sugar for a month. If we all make it we are going to go to the spa together or something as our reward. I started on July 7th. So far I have 3 days under my belt and am feeling really good. I am not taking out ALL sugar, just the obvious ones: brownies, doughnuts, cookie dough, candy, chocolate, sugar, syrup...stuff like that. I'm not ready to start reading EVERY label to find & cut out the hidden sugar...that will come in the future sometime.

This has not really been as hard as I thought it would be. I think another factor is my success has been that I have also been working on balancing my hormones. So overall in life I have been feeling more stable and so don't have the need to "eat my way happy" with sugar.

The first hurdle came on day 2 when I was at a ward activity. They were serving ice cream sandwiches...I LOOOOOVE ice cream sandwiches. But I was able to say "no thanks" and really mean it and the kicker is that I didn't feel frustrated or deprived! I am so proud of myself. I am going to go find some big star stickers that I have and start sticking them on the calender to show my success! Yeah me! :)

The best wheat bread in the whole wide world

Today I made the best wheat bread I have ever made before! It is because I finally have in my hands the best recipe for bread in the world. I got this recipe from my friend, Becky. She has been experimenting with and perfecting the art of homemade bread for many years and finally hit upon this wonderful recipe. Even Luke will eat this! It's a miracle!

5 c. very hot water
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. honey or 3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. gluten
1 Tb. salt
2 Tb. apple cider vinegar
3 Tb. instant yeast

13+ c. wheat flour

Add the following: water, oil, honey, gluten, salt, vinegar and 10 c. flour. Mix until moistened. Let rest for 10 minutes. Add yeast and mix. (If you are using regular yeast, not the instant; take 1 cup of the original 5 c. of water and set it aside and dissolve your regular yeast in it. Then add the water and dissolved yeast in this step.) Add remaining wheat flour (about 3 cups) to make a soft dough. In a bread mixer, this is when the bread cleans the sides of the bowl. Knead for 10 minutes. Do not let rise.

Divide into 4 loaves, shape in oil not flour. Preheat oven to warm. Turn off oven and place bread to rise in oven. When the bread is 1" above the rim of the bread pan (about 12 minutes), turn oven on, with bread in it, to 350 degrees. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Reunion at the Cabin

We just had a fun reunion up at Grandpa & Grandma's cabin. Everyone was there, even Aunt Krysti, Taylor & Rachel were here from Kentucky. We had a fun 4 days with a 6 hour 4-wheeler trip and picnic, watching the parade for Pleasant Valley Days, doing arts & crafts with Aunt Bryndi, singing together, cooking over the campfire and singing campfire songs, visiting, playing and of course EATING! We took over 250 pictures of the fun things that we did at this reunion (thank goodness for digital cameras!), but I will spare you and only post the best ones of a few of the activities.

the family at the top of the mountain on the 4-wheeler expedition

Ready to roll!

Nic, Kaiden, Luke, Afton & Taylor at the top of the mountain

Aunt Krysti, Grandpa & Afton chatting on the couch

Aunt Jinger reading the girls (Afton, Brynlee & Kensi) a bedtime story.

Grandma, Afton, Aunt Miriam, Uncle Thayne & Kensi singing campfire songs.

Garrett loved the toy that Grandma had for him to play with!

Nic, Marshyl, Luke, Kaiden, Aunt Bryndi, & Taylor making boondoggle key chains & bracelets.

Garrett trying on one of Grandpa's "hair plugs".

A beautiful double rainbow after the rain storm. The tops of the mountains are the best place to see things like this!

It was a LONG day!

Uncle Carson with Kensi & Afton

Nic, Ireland, Taylor, Aunt Jinger, Grandpa, Kaiden & Uncle Thayne getting ready to roast hot dogs over the campfire.

Grandma, Uncle Carson, Aunt Bryndi, Aunt Nykki, Kaiden, Luke, Afton & Uncle Brytt getting ready for the campfire.

Daddy & baby Garrett

Sugar Decision

Okay...there is no way that I can go cold turkey off sugar. Any time I tell myself that I can't have something I crave it and it is really bad with sugar. Any time I tell myself that I can't have sugar, I run out and eat a dozen doughnuts, or a whole cake...literally. So this 4th of July I am declaring my independence from sugar, but I have to do it my own way. Here is the plan:

***LSA step 1 - Eat a breakfast w/ protein within 1 hour of waking up

Eating within an hour of waking up has been the struggle for us. We get up, get dressed, make beds, clean room, have family scripture study and THEN prepare and eat breakfast. Usually that is almost 2 hours after we wake up. But a brilliant friend of mine (thanks Becky!) suggested getting up and having a quick protein smoothie first thing in the morning, then going about the morning routine and having breakfast later. That will get our protein breakfast in right after we get up. This is the recipe for George's Shake from the PNP website, www.radiantrecovery.com.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of milk
• 1/2 cup of fruit juice
• 2 tbs protein powder
• 2 tbs oatmeal (not instant)
• frozen fruit of your choice

Directions:

Put ingredients in the blender and blend on high for about a minute. If you do it for less time, you will be crunching oats at the bottom of your shake. If you prefer not to use milk in your shake, use water and a little juice. This shake work as a great breakfast choice because it combines nutritious foods with plenty of protein.

***Give protein snacks instead of sugary snacks

String cheese instead of Popsicles.

***Try to replace the sugary meals with something more healthy

Breakfast is going to be the hardest place to take out the sugar. We eat pancakes w/ syrup, rice pudding, oatmeal or cream of wheat w/ sugar & cinnamon, cold cereal etc. You see the pattern. We have something sugary almost every morning. That is NOT a good way to start the day. To combat this I am going to make more breakfast burritos (eggs, hash browns & cheese rolled up in a tortilla). I will blend up berries w/ apple juice to put over pancakes or in hot cereal to sweeten it. We won't buy any more sugar loaded cold cereals.

These 3 goals are my beginning baby steps to recovery!

Sugar Addiction

"Hi, my name is Jen and I am a sugar addict."

That is probably how I should start my day...every day. Lately I have been having a conversation with several of my friends about sugar addiction. It seems that we all struggle with the same problem and have been struggling with it for a long time and haven't known what to do about it. I have had some real incites in the last month so in order to start healing, I want to put it out there for everyone to see. This way I am accountable and this is "real", not just in my head.

I go CRAZY for sugar. When I need sugar, I NEED SUGAR. and you'd better not get in my way. And if there is none around I am a crazy lunatic. No exaggeration! I can't just eat one of something...I have to eat ALL of it...and don't even think of asking me to share because there is no way I am going to. I take my treat and hide in my room so the kids don't know and won't ask me to share. And then after eating all of that sugar, I feel rotten the rest of the day while I "detox" and that is NOT pleasant. I hate feeling like a slave to sugar, but the thought of doing w/o it seems so impossible.

This is how I have lived my life, at least my married life when I have been the one in control of what I eat and buying the groceries. And the worst part is that now I am seeing these same tendencies in my kids. So it's not bad enough that mom is a raging lunatic, but now the kids are too! And I feel so guilty passing this on to the next generation to deal with when I can't even deal with it. I was telling my mother in law about this a month or so ago, I was telling her how my 2 year old, Kensi, will go totally BALLISTIC over a Popsicle and she handed me a book that is in the process of changing my life. It is "Little Sugar Addicts" by Kathleen DesMaisons. She also has a book for adults called "Potatoes not Prozac". In her books she talks about "sugar sensitivity". In people who are sugar sensitive, their bodies chemically process sugar totally different than "regular" people. It literally affects the body like an addictive substance, like drugs or alcohol. She actually started this food program for alcoholics (alcohol is sugar) and found that alcoholics who stuck with the food program didn't relapse back into their alcoholism. Her way of combating the sugar sensitivity works for all sugar addictions. (for some people it isn't even sweets that are the problem, but breads & pasta) In the end, the goal is to be totally off sugar. But in her 7 step process, getting off sugar is #6. And the steps are doable. She reiterates over and over again that it's not our fault we are like this - it is chemistry - but there is something that we can do about it and the key to successfully overcoming it is to take it really slow.

In "Little Sugar Addicts" (LSA), the steps for children are different than the steps for adults in "Potatoes not Prozac" (PNP).

In LSA the steps are:

1 - Eat breakfast w/ protein

2- Make connections between food & mood

3 - Change snacks & drinks

4 - Eat protein lunches

5 - Shift to whole grain foods

6 - Take out the sugar

7 - Take care of life

In PNP the steps are:

1 - Keep a food journal

2 - Eat 3 meals a day at regular intervals

3 - Take vitamins

4 - Eat the right amount of protein at each meal

5 - Switch to brown carbs (brown rice, whole grains, etc.)

6 - Reducing & eliminating sugars

7 - Create a plan for maintenance

She suggests that if you are putting children through "the program" that mom (&/or dad) do the kids steps w/ them instead of trying to do something totally separate for themselves. So far all I have been able to do is just add more protein into our lives. Give protein snacks instead of sugary snacks and I can already tell a difference in behavior (mine & the kids) around here.

I have been struggling with this for years and am finally ready to put my foot down and make some changes and I finally feel like I have the tools to make the changes instead of running around blindly. I definitely think that sugar addiction is a tool that Satan uses against me. I am a horrible mom sometimes and I can generally link those times back to sugar. And when I am being a horrible mom, I am doing exactly what Satan wants me to do. He doesn't want me to feel good so that I can be a good mom. He wants me to feel as horrible as possible so that I won't be the strong, loving mom's that I need to be. And I'm not going to let him anymore.

I am trying to formulate a plan to change our lives, and you all get to come along for the ride! Lucky you! :) Several of my friends have a goal to declare their "independence from sugar" and go without it from July 4th - August 4th. I don't know that I am ready to commit to that. I literally want to cry when I think of never having cookie dough or lemon bars again. So that is a good indicator that I'm not ready yet. I have one more day to decide...I will keep you posted.

Happy Independence Day!

We take this weekend to reflect on what this country means to us. We are so grateful for our freedoms and for the men & women who have made those freedoms possible, today and throughout history.

Happy 4th of July!

more Garrett

Okay...he is so cute, we can't help taking tons of pictures of him. You all get to see the best ones!

Bathing Beauties

Two bathing beauties. Afton had been out in the sun and got a little burned. A bath felt great!

Family Reunion

We had a great time at our family reunion this last weekend. We got to see several cousins that we haven't seen in a while. But most of all, we love seeing Grandma!

Grandma & baby Garrett

Kensi's favorite part of the whole day!

This is what the kids and several of the men did most of the day. Family bonding over "Rock Band". Here is Uncle Kevin, Travis & Marshyl. Kensi was dancing!

Of course, everyone loved baby Garrett! Her are Taygan & Conner with him.

Jessica & Garrett