Greetings everyone! Just a quick update on how things are going, since I totally suck at consistently updating the blog… I have to be honest, keeping up with posting on a regular basis while keeping up a full time medical practice, being a husband and dad, exercising when I can, and sleeping adequately is hard!! I’m on vacation right now in North Georgia and am enjoying relaxing!

Things are well, kids are growing, and this update will be short as I’m pecking away at my iPad keyboard which tends to aggregate me! So what’s going on?

-The family garden is going well. This is our first actual attempt to grow a garden and we are starting to enjoy the harvest. Regular tomatoes, cucumbers, okra, and ton of peppers so far. Also, our apple trees that we planted 5 years ago have applets this year! It takes years to produce, and you have to hope they cross pollinate….woohoo!!

-I continue to push the Paleo lifestyle in my traditional Internal Medicine practice…and of coarse many patients remain resistant (shocker). That said, I am very pleased that in my small Louisiana town the Paleo community is growing. My good friend and next door neighbor the Fit Paleo Mom even has a special Summer Cooking Series on a local TV station spotlighting Paleo cooking. Honestly guys, if you have not checked out her recipe blog DO IT, it’s great. In the last several years since I began my Paleo life, our small town has really come a long way, and I feel it is very much fueled by the Paleo community. We have two local farms producing grass fed beef, a local organic farm producing amazing produce they sell twice a week (they also sell pastured pork, fresh farm eggs, and are developing ducks to sell), and our local big chain grocery has tremendously expanded their organic produce and food area. Our community is passionate about sourcing our food, and local business has responded.

-I have personally started to push my road cycling. I dabbled in it a few years ago and bought a nice starter Specialized bike. I enjoyed it, but rode off and on. A few months ago I decided to push it, make goals, trying to get faster and better. More than anything the quiet time it gives me is amazing. I cherish alone time, and my bike has become a sanctuary. Cycling is now my main exercise, and I’m loving it. I’m doing what I normally do…reading all I can on improving my cycling and am already seeing the steady results. I entered a local race, the Tour de Bayou 2013 in November. This is very unlike me, as I’m not that competitive by nature. I’m pretty excited though, should be fun (I’ll get a T-shirt too 🙂 ).

-Lastly I’m staring to make it a point to get my kids and I outside much more. With them small my wife and I’s enjoyment of hiking, camping, kayaking etc slowed down tremendously. They just could not enjoy these activities being so small. At Easter we went camping in Texas, and after a VERY cold first night we really enjoyed being outside. Nighttime fireside chats with my daughter were priceless. We are utilizing our love of Geocaching to get outside as well, and if you are looking for a way to get your kids excited about getting outside, CHECK IT OUT! On this vacation we took the kids on a 3 hour river Kayak trip and they absolutely loved it. Kourt and I are so excited as we feel we can start enjoying this part of our life again now that the kids are old enough to tag along, and most importantly enjoy it! We have many plans coming together, the first of which is a 4-5 night canoe camping trip next year…float by day, fireside by night :). This way the kids don’t have to carry much, the canoes can do that for us. Oh how I love being outside…

I’m honest, I’m not as good at updating the blog as I should be. I’ll get better, but I know it will be intermittent while my kids are small. If you want though, please follow my Instagram feed as I update it regularly with my meals and adventures. I really enjoy interacting with you all, and truly love our inspirational community. As always, you can find me on Twitter @PaleolothicMD.

Keep in touch, God bless, and stay safe.

Ernie