Sugar withdrawal!

It is the end of day 2 on my sugar detox. The past 2 days have gone well, and it feels good to know I am only putting good stuff in to my body! I have been really really good, although I need to be drinking more water. It has been fun coming up with creative ways to eat healthy. In the past, it has been hard because even though we always have healthy stuff in the house, it is the same old stuff. The same 3 0r 4 veggies, the same 3 or 4 fruits...depending on if something was on sale at the grocery store. I made sure to buy a wide variety of fruits and veggies on Saturday, and it has made all the difference. I can't use the excuse that it is too expensive, because I saved money on not buying the usual bad snacky stuff.
So, some of the yummy meals I have made in the past couple days...yesterday for dinner we grilled mesquite pork loin (not poultry, but it was lean!) and I made a delecious pineapple salsa to go with it. I love fruit with meat...it is so yummy!! We had a salad and whole wheat couscous on the side. Couscous is great because it absorbs any flavor really well. I added a little taco seasoning to it while it soaked, and it gave it great taste! Today I made a mean guacamole and ate it with toasted pita bread wedges. The pita bread was whole wheat of coarse! For dinner we had ginger orange chicken with lime, a salad, and brown rice. I thought it was delicious! My family on the other hand are adjusting, but not with out some eye rolling! Tom is supportive, and loves the fresh fruit smoothies I have been making for "dessert" every night. Madeline wanted to try one, so after dinner I helped her make an apple cinnamon smoothie...I thought it was yummy, but she took one sip and said "blech!". Oh well, what I can expect it had little sugar in it! The only symptom so far from the detox is I have had a dull headache off and on all day. I think it is just from sugar withdrawal. It will pass, I have done this before. Anyway, it has been a fun challenge so far, and I am all about fun challenges, and my mission this week is to make our healthy meals creative and yummy. We didn't eat terribly before, actually we grill quite a bit, and have always had lots of salads, and fruit. It was all the in between snacking that wasn't so great. The desserts too. We also ate lots of refined pasta and baked goods. It's all gone now! I have had a couple of friends who are interested in joining me, and it will be nice to compare notes and cheer each other on. Onward to day 3! :)

Veggies good, Sugar bad

Okay, so I need to get my butt in gear. Ever since Hayden was born I have slowly been letting my cravings get the best of me, and this stubborn baby weight is not budging because of it. A friend from church did a 21 day sugar detox a couple months ago, and says she feels great, has so much more energy, and she looks great too. She just had a baby in March and you would never know it! She has motivated me. So, I am publicly announcing that today is day 1 of my detox. I did great today, despite going grocery shopping while I was hungry. I didn't cheat once. Here are the rules:

*NO refined carbs (sugar of any kind and white flour are no-no's)
*Only complex carbs (whole grains...%100, make sure to check labels.
*Strive to eat 10 servings of fruit and veggies daily. This may seem like alot, but you would be surprised how quickly it adds up, especially with salads, smoothies, etc.
*only lean meats (chicken, turkey, fish)
*drink 8-10 glasses of water a day. Keep a water bottle handy at all times.
*low fat dairy products
*Get enough sleep! Go to bed early and get up early!
*Get daily exercise

I have done a similar program a few years back, and I felt so much better within just a few days. If anyone wants to join me we can motivate and support one another! I will try my best to update my blog on my progress, and I am still thinking of a reward incentive! This detox helps rid us of those naughty cravings...and they are naughty! Let me know if you want to hop on the bandwagon! Also, I would love to hear what has worked for others as they strive to be healthy and fit. Share your stories!

What we love about our Hayden....

He is highly organized.

He helps with the dishes.

He has clean hands and a pure heart.

He is very stylish.

He loves a good adventure He is not a picky eater.
He steers clear of wild animals on the road.
He likes to share.

He helps with dinner...

He falls asleep anywhere.


As the girls would say "We think he is pretty neato cheeto! We love you Hayden!

Online parade of homes

Okay, so my friend is looking for participants for an "on-line parade of homes"...sounds fun, right? She asked to have her blog posted on as many blogs as possible to get as many participants as possible. So here is the whole idea below. Feel free to join the fun!


Well, I don't know if that was a lot of people interested or not, but let's go ahead with it! I have set up an account http://picasaweb.google.com/home Go to the site and sign in with this email: parade.blog@gmail.com and this password: onlineparade (You have to be signed out of your own account first). Then you just upload your photos into an "album" (on the right hand side of the page, it says, "upload"). A box opens, you need to click "create new album". Then name the album. Put in your name (Just first, or just last, or both, or first initial and last, whatever). It might be fun to put the place you are, too (ex: Herriman, Utah). Then click continue. Upload your photos.How about photos of: Front of house, Living Room, Kitchen, Kids room, Master Bedroom, Other. Really, put whatever you want to show off (basement, backyard, hair salon...). You can then name them and put descriptions or whatever you want (on the tab "edit captions").Have your photos loaded by Saturday, August 30th (is this enough time for us to clean the house????). Then on Sunday, everyone can go view the photos! You can vote for your favorite (I'll set that up later).Please post this on your blog so we can get as many people to participate as possible!
Posted by The Dawlings at 6:50 PM 2 comments
Monday, August 18, 2008

Anybody interested?
So, anybody heard of the Parade of Homes? We have it here in SLC, and people buy tickets to go around and see homes that builders have built and see all the new styles, the modern trends, the decorating styles, etc. It is lots of fun (but takes time and money). I propose we have an online 2008 BLOG Parade of Homes! If you are interested in being a part of this, leave a comment. I think what we'll do is set a date (in a week or so) and anyone who wants, post*** (see note below) a Parade of your home by this date. Let's have photos of: front of house, back yard, living room, kitchen, master bedroom, kids room, other. Show your unique home, it's features, what you love about it, your decorating skills (mine are so lacking here...), and anything else you want. This can give us all ideas for our homes, and give us a peek into everybody's homes and living spaces (is that too creepy?). Tell all your blogging buddies about it, too. Then we will all visit each other! We could even have a "vote" (Utah parade of Homes does this, and each home gets voted on and there is a winner, or a few winners in different categories... ) should we do this? I could even send out prizes to the winners... Give me feedback and ideas, folks!***We can make a picasa web album: you log on with an email and password that I will set up (see back later for that info). Then create a new album, call it your name (or first initial and last name or something), and then maybe where you are located (Utah, or Lehi, Utah, not necessarily too specific if you dont' want). Then go back and visit all the "homes" (photo albums), by whatever date, you vote your favorite, etc. What do you think? I will set it up this way (or unless someone has a better idea) if there are enough people interested in doing it.

Goodbye Our Friend Casper

Last night around 3:30 in the morning, our friend Casper passed away. He was in bad shape when we went to bed. We made him a comfortable place to rest in the sunroom, but he preferred to be outside in the kennel, so that's where he spent the rest of his time. Tom couldn't sleep, and spent Casper's last hours right by his side. I am glad Casper didn't die alone, and I am glad he didn't die in a vet's office. He passed away at home where he belonged.

It is harder to say goodbye then I thought. It has been an emotional morning for me. Tom buried him early this morning in the side yard. A sunny spot. Casper loved to be outside, although we didn't let him out often. The girls are handling it well. It is their first personal experience with death. Madeline woke up early, and so she was there to see Casper buried. She is a strong and intelligent girl. I think for her, it was the right way to say goodbye.

The girls stayed home from school today. I thought it would be best for them to mourn at home then to have an emotional day at school. There have been some tears, but I think we are all relieved it is over, and he is free from suffering.

The girls wrote a poem this morning in honor of Casper:

Casper Was My Cat

Casper, I love;

who I will always love.

Casper was my cat,

and now he lives in heaven.

He licked my hand,

like little kisses.

This is what I will miss.

When he was a kitten,

he was really funny.

When he grew up

he got a fat tummy.

I miss him so much

that I cry.

We will miss him,

that little guy.

We will miss you Casper. Thanks for a good 10 years, and for being a part of our family. He was there to see all the kids come home from the hopsital after they were born. He loved each one of them. He has been around our entire marriage, and it is so sad to say goodbye. We will miss you.

The Casper Crisis

Our cat Casper is sick. In fact, I think he is dying. Tom and I adopted Casper 10 years ago very shortly after our wedding. He has been a good pet to our family. The strong silent type. Not very playful or exciting, but one of those cats that is wise, proud, and dignified. He has just always been here, and now that he is getting ready to "leave" us, it's pretty sad. I have made two appointments to take Casper to the vet, but bless Tom's heart, he just didn't have it in him to take him to either one. You may look at this one of two ways...we are prolonging his suffering and need to take him in to see what's wrong, OR we know he is dying anyway, so what is the use of taking him in when they are just going to poke and prod him, scare him (which may give him a heart attack anyway) just to tell us he needs to be put to sleep. I hate to see any animal suffer, especially mine. I think it would be more scary for Casper to go to the vet and be put to sleep, then for him to die a peaceful death at home with his family. He isn't eating or drinking anymore, and he can hardly walk. He just lays down. He honestly doesn't seem to be suffering too much, although I am sure he is uncomfortable. We don't know what is wrong, but do we need to know? He is old. I am still a little torn about the whole situation. Do we need to take him in, because it is just what you do when your pet is sick, or do we just let him die peacefully? This is new to us. What would you do??

Happy 26th Birthday Erika!!

Our mom and Erika
Erika and Avery
Erika and Callie

Erika after a long day at work (see, she's happy!)



Erika and Callie




Today is my little sister's birthday...even though she isn't so little anymore, and she is at least 5 feet taller then me, she will always be my lil' sis :)





Erika is one heck of a talented girl, she has been blessed with the voice of an angel, and is also an amazing talent on the piano and guitar. She self taught herself, which proves to me she has a God given talent. She writes her own songs and music, and I love to listen to it! When I figure out how to do it, I am going to post some of her music on here...whether she likes it or not. Let's try it out: www.box.net/shared/gn1l4ma0p3


Erika works with children with special needs, and has the perfect personality for it. She touches lives, through her service and music. Despite many challenges and trials she has had in her life, she is a joyful person to be around, and has a light in her eyes. Do you know that Erika? You do!


We are so proud of you Erika.



Some things I love about her....


she gets my sense of humor

she shares the same childhood memories

she is beautiful

she is great with my kids

she makes a mean crepe, and Greek salad (not together, although I guess she could)

she is talented

she is giving

she is frugal

she is blunt and honest

she is fun

she is the best Harvey's/Tim Hortons partner ever!



We love you Erika!!! We hope you have a great day, and know that we are thinking of you!

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

Behold Your Little Ones...

Today was scary. It was a typical Sunday evening at our house...the girls were playing, Tom was out home teaching, and I was on the computer catching up on emails, etc.... Hayden was playing behind me on the floor. He was quiet. Thankfully, Avery came upstairs, and I heard her say "Hayden, are you ok?" I quickly looked over at him, and saw a beet red face with panic in his eyes, he was obviously trying to cry but no sound was coming out. In that split second, I realized he was choking and with lightening speed pushed Avery out of the way (Sorry sweet Avery) and ran to him. Hayden has had slight choking episodes before, I think most of our kids have, where they can usually clear it themselves with a little gagging and coughing. This was not one of those times. I stuck my finger down his throat as far as it could go to try to scoop out whatever was causing this, and I couldn't feel anything, which meant it was pretty far down. All that kept flashing through my mind was my friend who lost their only baby girl 3 months ago . She choked on an apple at church, and she died. She died! Their family has been through so much, and losing a child has to be the greatest heart ache a parent can experience. I ache for them. With their experience so fresh in my mind, all I could pray out loud was "Please, Please, Please...help!" Poor Madeline and Avery started crying, I think they were so traumatized by what they were seeing. Finally, somehow, I was able to stay calm. I turned Hayden on his stomach, pushed in to his tummy with one hand and smacked his back with the other. I pushed so hard that he finally threw up, and with it out came a penny. A penny. I suddenly realized how something so tiny and insignificant can change a life in an instant. Thankfully, Hayden was ok, but it took him a good 10 minutes to catch his breath and gain composure. It will take me a little longer I think. I am obviously so grateful he is fine, but I am equally grateful that I was reminded how precious my babies are to me. How every moment is a gift with our little ones, and how quickly and easily they can be taken from us. When Tom came home, we literally went through the entire house looking for items Hayden could potentially choke on. We also devised a new system for the girls allowance. They will no longer be receiving money from us, but paper slips stating how much they have earned. They can save their paper slips, but we will hold on to the money until they are ready to spend it at the store. Hence, no more pennies in our house...

Tom Helm for President 2008

Please visit Tom's new website...

http://www.thelopezfamilyonline.com/play.php?first=Tom&last=Helm

Farewell...until 2012

The Olympics stir something deep within us...I think it is the triumph of the human spirit that connects us to these athletes. We have all worked hard for something, sacrificed for something, and then were blessed to see that dream realized. I am certainly not an athlete, but I can still relate to them in that respect. The older I get, the more moments like the one pictured above move me. Watching Misty and Kerri play their souls out in the pouring rain was inspiring. It didn't inspire me to play volleyball in the rain (I hate playing volleyball by the way) but it inspired me to work hard at what I do...even if that means just being the best mom and wife I can be. It also reminded me of the sacrifices I have made in my life, in school, as a missionary... as a mom - there were many times (LABOR for one) where Olympic beach volleyball in the rain really would have sounded like a walk on the beach. I do hope though, now that Misty and Kerri want to have babies (not together...I had to clarify that for Tom) that they will find motherhood even more rewarding then their gold medals. Somehow I am sure they will.

The Olympics are so much more to me then just watching athletes win medals, and that is why it is so sad to say goodbye! So, Beijing 2008...thanks for the drama, the world record(s) earned by Phelps, the Chinese gymnastic babies, and all the amazing memories. We all have to admit it though...we all wanted to try just a few back flips after watching the floor routines...

Peer Pressure

Ok, so I am back to the world of blogging...I can't escape it. Thank you to all the friends who silently pushed me back (you know who you are!) I welcome the opportunity to rant about my daily life... it really is a great catharsis, and keeps me sane. I will try to be more diligent in my ranting(s).

Another thing that keeps me sane is having two of my children back in school full time. I love my children, but boy, in all honesty, it was a long summer. Above, is a picture of their first day of school. Madeline started third grade, and it must be a requirement to start talking on the phone with your friends every evening at this age, because she surely is. She is also much more aware of her sneakers matching her outfit, and her lunch bag matching her back pack...She is wonderful though, today she told me I don't look a day over 21. She can now talk on the phone as long as she wants...

Avery started first grade this year, and coincidentally has the same first grade teacher that Madeline had. We'll see how this goes. Miss L. tends to be a strict teacher, but seems to have taken a liking to Avery (well, she is a cutie, I can't blame her really). Avery is very tender hearted. She has cried a river every morning this week. It only lasts about 5 minutes, but sounds much longer. She is still adjusting to being a first grader...after all, it is a whole new world compared to Kindergarten!

Hayden is loving life with more Mommy time. We went to our first "My Gym" class today. It was fun. He wouldn't sit in the "warm up" circle for anything. I don't know how they expect any child that age to, really. All the balls, swings, mats, slides and tunnels in every color of the rainbow are a little distracting. We made it through warm up, only after running after him about 7 times. Boys are sooo different then girls. I am quickly learning. Let's just say I was sweating much more then Hayden was by the end of the hour. I think it is good for him though, it seemed to help him get out all his boy wiggles, and he took a decent nap at least. We will try it again, 3 days a week...because I am paying for it.