Raw snacks

Fossil Rim was great fun today, as usual. Wayne's sister and brother-in-law got a kick out of the giraffe sticking its head into the car. We had a really good time. It was fun to watch someone else feed all of the animals for the first time. Neil was in the front seat and almost got baptized in giraffe slobber.

Some of you have asked me what I eat when we go "out of town." Today we took a cooler full of water, apples, grapes, oranges, and trail mix to snack on while we went through the park. It is not hard to pack fresh fruits for a day trip and the kids really like it. I also took some Larabars. They have lots of flavors so it is not hard to find something that everyone likes. If you have never eaten a Larabar, I highly recommend them, but please know they are mostly raw (most of them are around 96%). If you prefer a 100% raw bar, try Go RAW! bars which are also excellent.

Wayne's sister and her husband are amazed by how many fresh and organic food choices we have here. I am so very thankful to live in a place where such good food is available.

more SNOW!

It is so cold here! Once again we are expecting snow tonight. I can't believe we are going to have snow AGAIN. If we get just 2 inches (which is expected) then there will be a new record for snowfall in north Texas. The kids are very excited, but I have to say that I am more like, "Enough already!" I am ready for some warm weather so we can ride our bikes and walk at the park. Not this week, but hopefully this will be the last of the winter weather.

This morning I had a new smoothie. It was red kale and dandelion leaves along with mangosteen and peaches. It was actually quite good! I wasn't sure -- it was more of an experiment, but I really liked it. I had a sprout salad from Whole Foods for dinner. It was also quite yummy. I also bought some Go Raw! chocolate cookies (I had never had those before) and they were very good! I think I may have to do some dehydration experiments to see if I can make some yummy snacks -- I'll keep you posted on that.

Phillip and I went to a kindergarten meet and greet at the public school today. He listened to a story and did an art project on polar bears. He seemed to really like it. Wayne and I are probably going to send Phillip to Kindergarten somewhere so that I can really work with Jake and Emma, but I don't know that it will be there. The school is very nice and I like it alright, but I want Phillip to be able to learn at his own pace and I really want him to be able to play and be a kid. I am not sure he can do that in a classroom full of kids. We will see. I am not ruling it out, we will definitely go to some of the library days before we decide what we are going to do.

On the Go

It has been raining and raining like you would not believe here today! We have joked that we will soon have an infinity pool in our back yard. The rain makes it hard to get around in Dallas because nothing drains very well, but it is hard to complain because we need it so badly! We actually enjoyed being out in the rain today, taking our time (no one in Dallas takes their time while driving unless forced to do so by Mother Nature).

We had a very busy day and were out running lots of errands. I have recently found these raw food bars that I like to tuck in my purse when I know I will be out and about. They are "Go RAW" bars -- I love the real live flax bar and the spirulina bar, but they are all good. I bought one of each flavor a few weeks ago and tried them all. Wayne had his first one today and he really liked it, too. He had the pumpkin seed one. Since many of you ask about the cost of eating raw, I will tell you they are a bit more expensive than your average meal replacement bar. That being said, they are not very expensive at all if you eat it as a meal replacement. I also think about all of the good things I am putting in my body vs. the chemicals and "fake food" I would be eating in an average meal replacement bar. These make me feel great about what I am putting in my body.

Oh, before I forget, I have to tell you about Wayne's success. Yesterday we went shopping and Wayne was able to fit into a 34 inch waist pair of jeans. He was so excited! He said, "It is actually fun to shop for clothes again. For those of you who don't know, Wayne is 6 feet 6 inches tall and he has not worn a 34 inch waist since high school! In his words, "One thing about eating raw is that it is something that sticks; it is not like any regular diet. I look better, I feel better, my face is clear, no more greasy skin or little pimples on my forehead, and my hair feels thicker, too. The benefits make me want to keep doing it." He went on to say, "I never thought I would eat raw foods or like them, but I do." I am so happy for him and happy that we can share this lifestyle with each other, our family, our friends, and with you.