sweet recipes

My parents have always said that it isn't good to eat too much sugar.  Leave it to me to wait until I am a mother of 2 1/2 to listen to them.  I seriously didn't think there was anything wrong with it.  No kidding.  


I also want to say that I have amazing friends.  Some of them I get together with and I feel like I  just left some amazing conference on how to live a better life.  Your comments are also inspiring me.  Especially since I know how hard change is.  It feels so good to know that ya'll are along for the ride in some form or another.  I am one of those people that don't like to do things alone, I'll do it, but it is so much more fun with other people.  


On to recipes...
(and Kristi, I promise I will post the whole wheat bread one soon)

This first recipe we have loved long before I learned about sugar.  I found it when I was looking for a recipe for pumpkin pancakes.  I made the pancakes, but this, by far, was the best part.  It says that it is from the 1882 Aleksander House Bed & Breakfast.

Honey-Pecan Butter

1/2 C. pecans

1/2 butter (I use Earth Balance since I am trying to cut back on dairy)

1/4 C. honey

Spread pecans on baking sheet and toast in 350 degree oven for 8 minutes (if you have a toaster oven, 1/2 C. fits perfectly).  Chop nuts in a food processor or blender.  Beat butter and hone until smooth (I just take the the nuts out and then put the butter and honey in the food processor.  No use in getting the mixer dirty, too, right?).  Stir in pecan.  Makes one cup.

I LOVE this on a slice of toasted whole wheat bread.  It is a total treat.  It is also great on whole grain pancakes and hot rolls. 

This second one is great to have ready for a snack.  My kids love them, I love them, even picky-eater cousin asks for them.  

This one is from A Messy Cook via Recipezaar.  I'll put it here in case you don't feel like clicking this link to get the recipe.  

35 min | 20 min prep

24 muffins

• 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons wheat germ (optional)
• 2/3 cup olive oil or canola oil
• 1 cup honey
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups mashed ripe banana
• 1/2 cup hot water

1. Stir together dry ingredients.
2. Beat oil and honey together; add eggs and beat well.
3. Add bananas and beat to combine.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet, alternating with hot water; mix well after each addition.
5. Spoon batter into 24 greased muffin cups; bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown and test done.
6. Remove from oven and cool on rack.

These are the muffins that are in the cute foods a few posts ago.  My friend gave me a butterfly and flower mini cake pan thing for my birthday and I love it.  It makes these muffins all that much more tasty.  But even without the cuteness I think these taste great.  The best thing to do is to not expect them to taste like the white wheat flour buttery banana bread that you are used to.  I keep them in covered cake stand and put them in lunches, dish them out for snacks, and since they are in sight, the kids ask for these.  If you are dying for chocolate, add some dark chocolate chips, they will still have a lot less sugar than many treats.  

***I wouldn't go as far as to consider these health foods.  But, they are healthiER.  Remember, the subject is still sugar.  Just like any treat, I don't try and push these things on my kids.  Treats should sell themselves, right?***

honey, honey

Okay, when I heard the suggestion of cutting out sugar, I asked, "What can we eat?"  The answer was:

Honey

Xylitol

Agave Nectar

Maple Syrup

Fruit and fruit juices

Evaporated cane juice (sparingly)

Stevia (still learning to like this one)

***I am just going to stay away from sugar substitutes.  I do understand that some people have their reasons for using them.  But since one of the points of us staying away from refined sugar is that it is so processed, well, that would make Nutrasweet, Splenda, etc, even worse.  There are many many studies and facts about why these are not okay.  The way they were developed, the way they got FDA approval, the way get pulled because it gets linked to to some sickness, the way that it gets banned in Europe but we still drink it here by the gallons, you can find all that info if you do a little search.*** 

 Besides tasting like chemicals to me all I need to remember is how I was doubled over in pain one night in high school and it didn't go away until I finally realized it was because of my Fresca phase.  I was like, "Oh, my stomach hurts.  Maybe a drink will make me feel better.  Oh, my stomach hurts even worse.  Where is my Fresca?  Oh, that and how and how when a friend of mine has it her body treats it like arsenic.  Yep, arsenic.

If something contains other than the super processed, ultra white, completely void of any nutrients whatsoever, sugar or high fructose corn syrup, it will list it as so.  It was hard to figure out and find at first, I had to a lot of reading and searching.  But it was not impossible.

There can be arguments about any of these being good for you but I kind of look at it as a "good, better, best" kind of thing.  It is best to cut it all out.  But not for me, not my kids, not my sweet tooth... but it is better to use sweeteners that have some type of nutrients in it.  These nutrients are a plus and a possible negative.  Refined sugar has every sort of color and nutrient completely processed out of it so it is a negative and a negative.  

Now, my kids have sugar, but not half as much.  I consider this good.  In his prayers, Samuel prays that his mom will let him have sugar.  This is not good.  I don't want the focus to be on the deprivation.  They have sugar at school, at friends' houses, at restaurants, when the bank teller gives it to them, when they find it (they can find it anywhere), when husband or grandma gives it to them, when I get sick of saying no... but I will just try to cut back where I can.  I know that the less I use sugar as a crutch, the more healthy foods they will be eating.  My mindset needs to be that sugar is a treat, not a staple.  

Here are a few of my tips (though I am obviously still learning):

-Fruit.  I try and cut up a bowl of the good stuff in the morning and just have it out for anyone that passes by.  It is sweet, it isn't processed, and full of good stuff.  Tonight we had three cousins over.  Usually, the movie menu would be popcorn, m & m's, 1 more type of candy, and root beer.  But tonight it was popcorn, apples (cut like fries), mangoes, grapes, and water. Guess what?  No one (except Karl.  Sorry, Karl!) missed the sugar.  Cousin A asked for more apples and Cousin B asked for more mangoes.  

-100% fruit fruit leather.  Costco has a big box of them.  They are compact, I can keep a few in my bag and hand them out whenever my kids need a quick snack.  Target has some tasty fruit treats, too.

-Nuts.  Yes, I know they are not necessarily sweet but sometimes all we need is something to munch on.  

-Raw honey.  It has so many health benefits.  At any given time you can find Karl and my dad spouting off great honey facts.  It is funny, but true.  I can use honey for baking, too.  I have a couple of recipes that I really like.  One if for whole wheat honey banana muffins and the other is for whole wheat honey brownies.  

-The health food store (for us it is Good Earth, Sunflower Market, Whole Foods, and Harmons has a pretty decent selection).  I found replacements for some of our staples where we wouldn't miss the sugar at all like mandarin oranges without gross syrup, ketchup, mayo, etc.

-Xylitol.  It is good for your teeth.  It is in Trident but if you want gum without artificial colors you have to get it at the health food store.  At Good Earth I found a pretty good selections of gum and little candies.  

-Plan ahead.  Most of my sugar purchases and consumption occur when I am starving or my kids are starving or just out pure habit.  That means I had to think about where we were going and what we would eat ahead of time and pack some fruit and snacks so we wouldn't have any emergencies.

-Fruit sodas and fruit juices.  My kids think a juice box (we call them squeezies) are a treat.  When I am craving something sweet, sometimes I will drink a fruit soda, like a can of Izzy's soda.  It is make from water and fruit juice and I love them.  Just make sure they are 100% fruit.  

-I try to have the mentality that sugar is for social and celebration.  That way I don't have to feel like my kids are missing out and I am not inconveniencing anyone.  Since I know that I am the one giving them the most sugar I will cut it out as much as I can at home and I think I will make a huge difference.  And now, maybe sugar will be special instead of a daily staple.  If my family wants a special treat, or we are at a party, or someone's house, we will eat sugar and enjoy (I may cringe inside but I will won't let anyone see).  If my kids want an afternoon snack I will do my best to fix them something with nutrients, fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole wheat bread, etc.. 

But sometimes there are times that I just want a treat.  And this is my last tip (yes, there is a end to this post).

-Be a treat snob.  If I have a choice between some mediocre cookies at the church party that someone picked up at the grocery store and waiting and trying some dessert at a fabulous Italian restaurant... just wait.  If I have a choice between stealing a handful of waxy, holiday shaped chocolates from the kids' stash or waiting and getting a V Chocolates chocolate covered strawberry... just wait.  You get my point, right?  I try and point it out to my kids.  Do you want this (mediocre treat) right now or would you rather have that (great treat) later tonight?  In the past we would have had both (and right now, my kids still want both).  But sometimes holding out and waiting for something I really love prevents me from mindless sugar eating.  And it makes the good stuff taste all that much better.  I will always try new stuff.  It is a hobby of mine.  If I love it, eat more.  If I don't, leave it.  Here is the shocker for me, sometimes, even I really loved it, one bite was enough.  

Do you want recipes or should I just move onto my soap box labeled "Whole Grains" next?

sugar, sugar

By the time I hit Jr. High, and started choosing what I eat for lunch, the "fat free" craze was going strong.  Yes, I heard people say, "but it still has calories," but I was too busy chewing to care about calories.  If the box of cookies said it was fat free, well, then, that meant I could eat the whole box.  Tootsie Rolls, Red Vines, Fruit Snacks, cinnamon bears, Mentos, Skittles, anything made by Snackwells in that green box?  Health food in my mind.  Some of the friendships that I formed during my college years were formed while eating excess amounts of sugar.  Double (yes, double) Snickers shakes in the dorms, Nutella and Hob Nob parties in Russia (yes, parties just to eat Nutella and Hob Nobs), Taro (yes, taro) ice cream bars in China... I love those friendships and I love sugar.  Karl and I were talking about this and we think I actually kind of converted him to candy.  When I met him, he was a track running, soft drink avoiding, cauliflower and banana eating kid.  He had a few favorites but I opened up a whole new world of sugar.  And he is a fast learner, I tell you.

Obviously, I survived but I think it might be because my mom, even though she worked full time, was  making healthy dinners from scratch to nourish my body and make it strong enough to handle my sugar crazed ways.  I know that as soon as I was not eating my mom's food, my sugar crazed ways caught up with me.  

But, I don't think I ever thought about sugar as a culprit until now.  I was trying to cut out high fructose corn syrup (because Dr. Oz told me to)  and was then looking at sugar at the new good guy.  I was buying Jones soda instead of  A & W and the Malt O Meal fake Frosted Mini Wheats instead of the real ones for that very reason.  

BUT, here are some things I have learned about sugar:

In the last 20 years Americans have increased sugar consumption from 26 to 135 pounds a year.  I even found one article that says the average is up to 175.  Whatever the case.  That is an insane amount.  I realized how hard it is to get away from sugar when we tried to cut it out for two weeks.  Not just candy and obvious sweets but breads, salad dressings, mayo, ketchup... most processed foods have added sugar.  


There are so many obvious health detriments (diabetes, obesity) linked so sugar, yet we still keep over eating it.  This article was just in the paper and it talked about the link between sugar and heart disease.  I had no idea.  I ran into tons of statistics about obesity.  Some of the most alarming were that 2/3 of adults in this country are overweight or obese.  That means that only 1/3 of the adults are a healthy weight!  Unhealthy weight gain due to poor diet and lack of exercise is responsible for over 300,000 deaths each year.  The annual cost to society for obesity is estimated at nearly $100 billion. This isn't just about looking cute in a swimsuit, is it?  


80% of type II diabetes related to obesity
***I want to make a note that this, as Karl's very not obese and very healthy eating diabetic cousin pointed out that it is TYPE II diabetes that is diet related. Not Type I.***
70% of Cardiovascular disease related to obesity
42% breast and colon cancer diagnosed among obese individuals
30% of gall bladder surgery related to obesity
26% of obese people having high blood pressure


Here was another article in the paper the same day.  It talked about how over a quarter of Americans are too fat to fight for our country.  Whoa.  Sure hope nothing big happens.


I am not looking down on anyone.  I am just so surprised.  Did everyone else know this already?  I was so ignorant.  These statistic are surprising to me.  


But I was thinking about my kids.  Adults basically make their own choices.  Kids?  Well, it is my job to take care of my kids.  The latest statistics I could find were for 2006.  17% of kids age 6-11 were overweight.  I am sure it is higher now. Another said 16 go 33 %.  Those numbers make me sad.  I remember when I taught school, obviously after PE there was a noticeable difference, but simple things like hurrying down the hall were so much harder for the kids that were overweight.  It broke my heart.  There are enough hard things in life, walking down the hall should not be one of them.  Childhood obesity usually starts at 5 or 6.  That is when children's nutritional needs change.  At this point it is much less about just getting fat and calories into them and more about getting nutrient dense foods into them.  That means parents have to make the change because we all know that kids aren't going to start asking for more vegetables and less sugar.  We have to do it.


And what does sugar have to do with weight?  There is a whole lot of science behind it but all I needed to hear was this:  On my last post about healthy food, my friend commented that she cut out all sugar for 5 months.  The results?  She lost 25 pounds.  25!  No insane pills, shots, chemicals, miracles... Amazing, right?  There is a whole lot of science behind why this happens, something about how sugar basically overwhelms our body and we can't process it fast enough.  So fat happens.  But it isn't just the fat, it makes us sick, too.




By now you know I am no scientist and Itried my best to understand and this is what I can say, there are all these  complicated processes that include things like our liver, insulin levels, acidic environment, white blood cells... that in the end suppresses our immune system.  I was so surprised to read about this (in several different places, Google it, there are so many articles about this). It seems to make sense, though.  And here was me, "Oh, you don't feel good?  Here, have a Sprite/cup of sugar."  


About 4.2 grams of sugar equals 1 teaspoon.  I went downstairs and found a box of Toy Story fruit snacks that survived the purge.  13 grams for one package.  That is 3 teaspoons of straight sugar.  "Here kids, I need you to be quiet while I get this done, have 3 teaspoons of sugar and try to be good, okay?"  


My focus was on my kids (since I am a lot cause.  Just kidding.  My eating habits have changed drastically.  Perfect timing since I am not building a baby and  my baby is what I eat, right?).  So I was looking at how much sugar they should have.  The American Heart Association recommends 3 teaspoons.  That is right, one little bag of Toy Story fruit snacks.  But that would mean that they didn't have anything else with sugar the ENTIRE day.  The reality?  Kids are averaging 21 teaspoons a day.  That is 7 tablespoons.  That is almost 1/2 a cup!  Funny thing is, my first instinct is to say, "Good thing my kids don't have that much sugar."  But, if I add it up, I am sure they do.  So wrong of me to think that way.


We can actually be addicted to sugar.  I have felt it, I know people that are, and validations above all validations (right?)... I Googled it.  There are so many related articles about what it does and how to cut it.


The best thing we did was to cut it out for two weeks.  Knowing that it was only for two weeks.  Two weeks is doable.  Two weeks was enough to become aware.  Two weeks was enough to learn that I am capable of saying no.  I said no to teachers, friends, in-laws, my husband, my kids... everyone.  I never knew I had the strength.  I am a wuss most of the time.  It took a lot of courage for me, but I had a purpose and I did it.


Next, how I dealt with all this sugar love.

number: three

Due date: so far away.  It is officially 11/4 but my babies like early out.

Years since I have changed my own kid's diaper: 2

Eva's reaction: So excited that she kept telling her cousin over and over and over how excited she was

Samuel's reaction:  Says, "It's cute but I am still allergic to babies."

How I feel: Sleepy all the time (except from 10 pm to 3 am) and a little nauseous.

Cravings: Salty, crunchy, spicy, fresh.  Japanese food saves me.  At this very second I want Greek. 
Am I showing?:  Let's just say I've looked about 4 1/2 months pregnant all winter.  

The difference between this pregnancy and the last two:  We have a house.  I am not teaching 33 third graders.  I don't have a toddler.  Karl is no longer a full time student and works from home.  Things are not quite so chaotic (and poor!).  That means I can sleep when I need to, eat when I need to.  Makes a HUGE difference for me.  I am trying to enjoy this time around and things are so much better.

my food experiment and what i learned

I have always been interested in food.  I read menus and recipe books for fun.  Trying out a new restaurant or recipe is an exciting adventure to me.  Ordering just the right dish or creating a perfect meal is so satisfying for me.  

Friends and family will call, text or e-mail me just about food.  And I love it.  

I have also been interested in nutrition.  I was going to major in nutrition but my interest in chemistry was not as strong as my interest in having fun during college.  But here is something that I didn't like about formally studying nutrition... all the rules.  Some rules that I don't believe in.  Some rules that I break all the time.  On purpose.  Since I am not one to really rock the boat, I just avoided the boat altogether.

Then I became a mom.  Sometimes habit, time, lack of planning, whining, the addiction to instant gratification took precedence over nutrition.  

That is why I was feeding "fruit" snacks to my kids on a regular basis.  Somewhere along the lines I decided it was okay to feed them this tooth-sugar-glue all the time.  Some genius took gum drops/gummi bears, shaped them in my kids' favorite characters, put the name fruit on the label, and I bought them.  A lot.  I ate them a lot, too.  Even before I had kids. 

That is why I was starting to think that a lunchable was a meal.  Karl was even surprised when he saw the stack in our fridge.  They were crackers (made from refined flour), processed cheese, ham with nitrites (causes childhood leukemia and tumors) and a Nestle crunch bar.  Never mind that the coupon I had made it so the store actually paid me to take them.  I was feeding me kids negative nutrition.  I liked that my kids got all excited over them.  See?  Instant gratification.

Little Caesar was becoming my friend.  I had the locations memorized, I could grab one and viola!  Instant dinner.  Only 5 bucks.  Almost fed my whole family and, hey, it had all the four food groups, right?  

There are more, but you probably get my point. 

Now, I think I have hit the reset button on my thinking about food.  

This does not mean that I do not eat junk anymore.  This does not mean that you will not see my kids eating shaved ice all summer.  This does not mean that I will not post about the waffles and fries that I had on Saturday or the La Puene smothered burrito I had on Monday (Sunday night I couldn't sleep I wanted one so bad.  So I talked Karl into going there for lunch the next day).  This just means that I have been looking at food a totally different way.  And I like it.

It started because I had a few worries about my kids.  It is my job to worry about them.  So I was talking with a doctor and she suggested doing an "elimination diet" to see what happened.  Just for two weeks.  That meant:

-no refined foods (white flour, white rice...)

-no refined sugars (honey, agave nectar, xylitol, maple syrup, and stevia are ok)

-no dairy

-no artificial colors

My first thoughts?  I am a sugar addict, Karl has dairy farmer roots, I was raised on white rice, there is no way I can do that.

But my gut knew that I could do this.  I can handle a small challenge.  I knew this could only be good for the kids.  I have always felt unsettled with the fact that Samuel had to have his tonsils and adenoids out when he was just a baby because he couldn't breath.  I have always felt unsettled that he had eczema so bad that no doctor, allergist, dermatologist, cream or pill could make it go away but as soon as we cut back his milk, it went away.  But I mostly just went with the flow.  

I learned several things:

Sugar is in so many things (high fructose corn syrup in ketchup, sugar in mayonnaise...)

I had a lot of junk in my cupboards.  There was a huge hole when I took the stuff out.  I was ruthless.  I threw out so much.  So not like me.  But we didn't really need Halloween and Christmas candy anymore, anyway.  Those that I couldn't bear to part with (the chocolate covered pretzels and almonds and macadamia clusters, the Girl Scout Cookies, they all went in a box and went downstairs).

I learned that if I make fresh whole wheat bread, my family will eat a ton of it.  Over four loaves a week!  We made pitas, too.  They were a pain but I'll probably do it again once I forget what a pain they were.  Samuel loves to cook.  He knows how to use this can opener that no one else can and it makes him feel so cool.  

 

I learned that my kids will eat almost anything if I make it cute. 

I learned that they love hummus and will eat red peppers and cucumbers if I serve it with hummus.

(egg in whole wheat bread with strawberries, apples and oranges.  Hole is the shape of a heart.)

 

(Banana muffins made with honey and whole wheat, strawberry grape "flowers", blackberry and apple "smiles," scrambled eggs)

(apple orange grape nashi "fishy" with edamame "seaweed."  I was sleeping in on a Saturday, Eva came in my room, took one of the cookbooks I had by my bed, found this idea, and had me cut up the fruit.  She assembled and came up with the "seaweed" on her own)

 

(apple, orange, grape, blackberry "penguin."  Eva designed it, I cut the fruit, and she assembled.  We also made eggs in the Hello Kitty waffle iron and it totally worked.  Little Hello Kitty omelets!  Cousin Katie slept over.  You can see their tent in the background.  SHE even ate the stuff.  It is not secret that I get anxiety when I need to feed a picky eater.  I should probably have gotten written consent from her to post this picture with her hair uncombed :))

I learned that school lunch is so not okay (Jamie Oliver, please come here next!). 

 Today's menu was quiche (fine), sweet rolls (dessert, fine), peaches (in syrup I am sure, okay, another dessert),  all to be washed down with chocolate milk (which has the same amount of sugar as Coke!  6 teaspoons per cup!).  That is just a little sample.  3 parts sugar, one part protein.  Eva cannot stay focused and energized with that kind of food.  Can anyone?

I learned that it takes more time and planning to make sure the meals are healthy.  Now I lose 20 minutes of sleep to make Eva's lunch.  I get out the cookie cutters and all the fruits and veggies and make her meals full of whole grains, proteins, and lots of fruits and veggies.  20 minutes well spent.  I don't have any pictures because I usually make it in a state of grogginess.  Mornings may never be my thing.

I learned that kids need to be presented with something 12 times before we give up on it.  Dr. Oz said that kids that eat only beige foods and don't try new things, their taste buds never mature.  I admit, it is easier to just give my kids mac n cheese.  But there was a time when I dreaded potty training, too.  But now that I went through the pain of training, it is so much better.   I won't let my kids use a diaper like a baby, I won't let them eat like a baby.  Funny what we think is acceptable, right?  But now, we actually enjoy food together.  

So, the two weeks came and went.  Easter was in that two weeks.  We are able to celebrate just fine.  The kids had a great day.  We had a great time celebrating with family.  

The project was a success.  I learned so much.  I feel very passionate about this.  I am passionate about focusing on feeding them nutritious foods that will make their bodies.  An added benefit?  I feel healthier now, too.  Because it is not like I was going to make them eat their nuts and raisins while I sneak a bite of a Snickers.  Well, for the most part.  

I learned that it isn't about deprivation.  It is about giving them so many great options that they won't miss the junk.  It is about giving them enough nutritious food that when they do have junk, their bodies can recover.  I learned that I can't always eat healthy, especially when traveling, but I can do my best.  I had a friend say that they felt so junk food deprived when they were young that he and his siblings went crazy with it when they were on their own.  He said at one point, he would calculate his paycheck by how many candy bars he could buy.  Funny, right?  I don't want my kids to be THOSE kids, the ones that beg for sugar at their friends' houses as soon as I am out of sight.  I will have to work on this one.

I learned that people might think I am nuts.  My family made sure of that.  But I can't help but look at food related diseases like diabetes and cancer and feel like I need to do my part to take care of my own little family.  

Oh, and I do have the image in my mind of my kids years down the road in a therapy session, talking about the day that their mom wouldn't let them have a piece of chocolate cake with bright blue frosting at their cousin's birthday party.  They had to sit and eat their whole wheat, honey brownies and everyone else got sparkly blue cake.  Poor things.

I have more to say about this.  I may elaborate. 

Watch me have a kid that is the world's pickiest eater that will only drink chocolate milk and eat Wonder bread.  Watch me post about the ooiest gooiest dessert with cream on top.  I realize that life happens.  But for now, I am really passionate about this.   Oh, did I already say, that?  It is because I am.


Healthy eating ideas, experiences, opinions?  I am all ears.

(It is 2 am.  Three of us are awake.  Samuel just told Karl that I make the best food but that Karl makes the BEST toast.)

st. george more fun

We went to this dinosaur track place.  Samuel wasn't much into dinosaur tracks.  Eva and Karl (and, well, the rest of our tour group) really listened to the guide and Samuel the time with a promise to the gift shop and by taking pictures of Samuel doing silly faces and showing him.

Later, we headed up to Snow Canyon for a short hike that the kids loved.

Samuel is showing off a bone that Eva found.

Our pack.

Samuel would see a hill and say, "I can climb that mountain."  As soon as he got out of the car he took off to try and climb one.  He loved it.

Grandma and Grandpa gave the kids a ride in the convertible and they loved it.

We had such a great time we decided we wanted to stay one more day (we do this a lot).  Luckily, my sister was staying at a hotel down the street and they had their room reserved for one more night and they were leaving.  We took their room and their pool was WAY better.  After the big hike we headed back for a swim.  Well, Karl and the kids swam.  I was so sleepy that I just laid face down on the bed (with the cover down, of course, because growing up my dad ingrained on us kids how gross hotel bed covers are) and planned on joining them.  Before I knew it, they were back.  Whoops.

It was also perfect that their hotel was a hop, skip, and a jump from the outlets.  I love outlets.  I have fond memories of those outlet stores.  

In the morning, I got up and went straight out to the car to get a shirt from the car that I got from the beloved outlet stores.  Didn't brush my hair, didn't change out of my pjs, didn't wash my face...

Of course, I run into a girl that I haven't seen since high school.  She looked great.  I, uh, looked like I just woke up.  It was so weird how many people we ran into down there.  We were sitting down to eat and I go to find my kids and I run into Karl's business partner.  Add that to my sister and her family, a bunch of Karl's cousins, and a couple of girls I went to high school with and it felt pretty crazy.  So fun.

The last day we thought check out time was at 11.  So in a very us fashion, we packed up and were ready a few minutes before 11.  Karl called down to the front desk and asked when check-out was.  This hotel had a 12 o'clock check-out.  So, since we don't like to do anything early, we headed down to the pool.  Karl and the kids in their suits.  Me, with my camera.

It was so fun to watch them and snap pictures...

-Karl jumping in, all excited to splash the kids.

-Karl throwing the kids in the water.  Eva tolerated it.  Samuel LOVED it.

-Samuel's cute plumber bum.

-Samuel caught some serious air.

-When Karl flipped him, we thought he would be mad, but he came up and said, "That was so awesome!" and wanted to do it over and over.

-Karl throwing both the kids and being able to tell so much about their personalities just by watching them take off.

-Samuel getting a ride on Karl's back.

-I love Eva's swim suit. 


The first night in the hotel Samuel did about 20 belly flops on the big bed, ran around the room, and then yelled, "This is the hotel of my dreams!"
On the way home, I pointed out some stinky cows to Samuel and said, "Is that where you want to live?  On a farm like that?"
"No"
"But you said you want to live on a farm."
"I don't want to live on a farm anymore.  I want to live in a hotel."