Yee haw!

Mr. Texas Ranger gotta a gun and he's a lookin' for some wil' n' ferocious criminals on the loose in these here parts. All y'all seen anything?

Yee haw!!!! This here's a scoutin' roundup! Callin' all willin' scouts to annie up, put on that ther' kerchief and head to range to catch us some criminals!

There's some butts to be shot!




Some wild youngin's in a loose wagon- but them there aren't criminals . . . yet- they's just wild ones!

After all is said n' done- scoutin' is fun!

Onward and upward

So long elementary school, I'm moving onward and upward to the ranks of Middle School! I'm ready to tackle the mad, mad world of middle school. I really want a cell phone . . .but my Mom won't pay the bill. I'm responsible though- I babysit, I finish my chores, I keep my room clean, don't I? Mom still won't let me read the 3rd book of Twilight. She thinks I'm not ready for all the mushy stuff. Wrong! I sleep in now even though I've always been a morning person. Good thing middle school starts and hour later. I'm going to need the time. I'm a pro at putting in my contacts and haven't ripped anymore after taking out two in two days. I love my new high heel shoes and am so glad to finally be out of the "kid" shoe department. What do you think of my new shoes? I finished 5th grade strong even though I changed schools in the middle of the year. My grades were exceptional and I was recognized with several awards. Mrs. Snipes was my teacher and was an amazing support for me. I'll miss her. But Medlin- here I come!

What DO you eat?

I've always said that creating dinner menus is like reinventing the wheel over and over each week, and with our latest changes we spin on a whole new food wheel. It's been somewhat revolutionary for us as a family but we're still only half-way through the learning and invention process.

We are actively working on Tyler's diabetes which requires counting and measuring every carb in all foods so we can dose his insulin accordingly. Carb free foods like cheese, nuts, and all meats are considered "free" and he can eat as much as he needs to sustain his appetite.

However, we have another kink in the food system -just to make the inventing process more fun. Tyler blood results also revealed a high level of celiac- which is an inability to digest gluten. He hasn't had the official endoscopic scope which the doctors require to give the official diagnosis, though the GI doctor said with his levels he most surely has celiac. Just in case you're wondering, gluten is found in breads, anything with flour, and most packaged items, even things like ice cream, marinades, soy sauce, and so on.

So what do we eat now?

Well . . . some of our favorites lately are:

Roasted Almonds & Peanuts

Pistachios & Pecans- just a few goes a long way

All fresh fruit - lots of it (especially watermelon for Tyler!)

Chobani Greek Yogurt

Pirate Booty- Trent loves saying this one- Pirate BOOO-ty

L"arabars- I love the Cashew Crunch ones!

Marinaded and Grilled Pineapple- like dessert

Grilled Asparagus ( still working on getting my kiddos to eat this)

Oatmeal cooked in the rice cooker ( favorite toppings added after)

Sour Cream Pancakes- Pioneer Woman recipe

Bacon- the REAL stuff- no turkey please

Pure Vanilla Ice Cream

All Fruit Popsicle Bars

Baked potato fries

Aidells Chicken n Apple Sausage ( served with peppers!)

Organic Peanut Butter ( yummy in oatmeal, on bananas, or apples)

SALSA! ( homemade and fresh is best with lots of cilantro)

I am still learning and discovering other possibilties as well. I tried Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) as a breakfast cereal and thought it would do better as a dinner side than a breakfast main dish. I am researching how to make breads or bread items so that I can be prepared when we have to wean ourselves off wheat bread completely.

I am not a fan of artificial sweeteners and try to avoid them at all costs. After reading Mindless Eating, Raising Fit Kids in a Fat World, and In Defense of Food I believe in eating food that comes straight from the earth. The less processed the better. The less packaged the better. The fewer the ingredients the better- unless they are fresh herbs, spices and vegetables- then the more the better. I am still searching for a farmer's market here where I can purchase local produce. Until then I'll keep chopping away every morning, noon, and night so we can eat all of the tasty, satisfying, and delicious foods God created for us. He is really the greatest inventor after all.

Couldn't resist

I found this suit on clearance at Kohl's for $25 and I couldn't resist the purchase. Seeing Trent all decked out in his new suit made him even more irresistable. As my firecracker fearless child I need to post this picture where I can see and remember just how adorable he is!